April 28, 2006
"Educating from the bench"
Even in the wake of recent history in Kansas City, some judges remain persuaded that even politicians can't spend enough on schools:
Spending on public schools nationwide has skyrocketed to $536 billion as of the 2004 school year, or more than $10,000 per pupil. That's more than double per pupil what we spent three decades ago, adjusted for inflation--and more than we currently spend on national defense ($494 billion as of 2005). But the argument behind lawsuits in 45 states is that we don't spend nearly enough on schools. Spending is so low, these litigants claim, that it is in violation of state constitutional provisions requiring an "adequate" education. And in almost half the states, the courts have agreed.
Arkansas is one such state, and its "adequacy" problem neatly illustrates the way courts have driven spending up and evidence out. In 2001 the state Supreme Court declared the amount of money spent at that time--more than $7,000 per pupil--in violation of the state constitutional requirement to provide a "general, suitable and efficient" system of public education. Like courts in other states, Arkansas's court ordered that outside consultants be hired to determine how much extra funding would be required for an adequate education.
The ensuing circus is so sad it’s almost funny. Read the whole thing, as they say.
Posted by Ryan Boots at 04:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)April 24-28: Michael J. Petrilli vs. Neal McCluskey on National Standards
As No Child Left Behind is currently constituted, each state establishes its own standards by which schools are measured. But should some sort of nationwide standards be established?
Michael J. Petrilli is Vice President for National Programs and Policy at the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, and co-author, with Frederick M. Hess, of No Child Left Behind: A Primer (available here). Neal McCluskey is a policy analyst with Cato's Center for Educational Freedom.
Continue reading "April 24-28: Michael J. Petrilli vs. Neal McCluskey on National Standards" »
Posted by Ryan Boots at 04:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)Education News for Friday, April 28
Florida voucher controls within reach - This year, lawmakers appear to be closer than ever to enacting legislation that would tighten rules on how state money is handled by the schools and parents. The House passed its version of the bill on March 29. The Senate is scheduled to debate its version next week. (more)
Lawson's vote switch roils Black caucus - Sen. Al Lawson disappointed Democratic colleagues at a caucus meeting Thursday morning when he refused to agree to vote as part of their bloc against a bill that would amend the constitution to protect school vouchers. (more)
Bargains begin in Florida over class size - Old-fashioned pork-barrel politics could shape the outcome of today's Senate showdown over a Republican plan to weaken the voter-approved class size limits in Florida schools. (more)
Kentucy coalition calls for more accountabiity, school choice - There will not be meaningful change in Kentucky’s schools until parents are fully empowered to decide which school is best for their children and the funding follows those decisions. (more)
Kansas Senate to study NCLB - Kansas senators considered taking a step back Thursday from the federal No Child Left Behind Act but, in the end, decided against it.After an hourlong public hearing, they agreed to recommend further study of the idea. (more)
Philadelphia will seek share of $100 incentive to improve teaching - In a visit to Philadelphia yesterday, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings touted a $100 million federal fund to reward teachers and principals who raise student achievement in high-need schools, and city schools chief Paul Vallas was eager to apply for a share. (more)
Tutoring didn't pay off in Minneapolis - The dominant provider of required after-school tutoring in Minneapolis didn't produce any better reading gains last year than those for students who skipped tutoring. (more)
Ohio schools have more money despite charter school drain - School districts have long blamed charter schools for their money problems. Although they are losing thousands of students — and the more than $5,000 in state money that follows each one –– to charters, some districts actually have more money now than they did before charter schools opened (more)
4 out of 5 Mass. candidates for governor send their kids to private schools - Nothing wrong with that -- millions of parents would move their kids out of public schools tomorrow if they thought they could afford something better. (more)
Return later for more education news.
UPDATE:
NY judge stymies mother's attempt to have state fund child's tuition - A judge has shot down a Queens mother's attempt to get the state to pay for her children to attend private school... (more)
Justice denied again - Justice Leland DeGrasse gets a "C" for effort for his latest ruling in the Dianne Payne case since he has at least typed out a short ruling dismissing her plea for school vouchers for her children... (more)
Vote on South Carolina tax credits missed deadline, but may return - Tax credits for private and public schools and a higher levy on cigarettes missed a key legislative deadline for passage Thursday. But they are likely to be back, forcing House members at least to cast high-profile votes next week. (more)
Seems like Oprah can't take a hint - While at The Meyerhoff to raise money for a private school, Oprah Winfrey blasted Baltimore public schools and said she had considered - but decided against - contributing some of her millions to the system. (more)
LA mayor endorses universal preschool measure - His call for city voters to support Proposition 82 is the latest in a flurry of announcements both for and against the initiative that reveal a surprising lack of traditional partisanship. (more)
Texas Houses passes fair school finance reform - Following Gov. Rick Perry's leadership, he House has passed a comprehensive reform of the school finance system that provides a 33 percent reduction in property taxes, a net tax decrease of $6 billion over the next three years... (more)
Chicago union: Most teachers fired got high marks - One day before nearly 1,100 nontenured Chicago Public Schools teachers formally get the ax, the city's teachers union released the results of a study Thursday... (more)
Baltimore Sun editorial: Help more disabled students - The decision by Baltimore school officials to stop fighting a federal court order requiring the state to take more responsibility for special education in the city is a triumph of good sense over pride. (more)
Des Moines: Don't forget about teacher training - Training for teachers should be a high priority as legislators and the governor wrap up negotiations on education funding. (more)
North Carolina test scores up, but more live in poverty - Children in North Carolina have made some strides in academic competence and smoking prevention, while conditions have worsened for youngsters who don't have medical insurance, live in poverty and drink alcohol, a child advocacy group reports. (more)
Four Thoughts On Utah’s Per-Pupil Spending (Sarah Natividad)
What does it mean, that Utah’s last in per-pupil spending?
Continue reading "Four Thoughts On Utah’s Per-Pupil Spending (Sarah Natividad)" »
Posted by Featured Guest at 01:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)April 27, 2006
The two big issues in California
A while back I read an interview of an economist who identified two issues of greatest economic importance:
Two things, I think, things that people are missing and that, if we keep ignoring them, are so dangerous that they could kill our economy: immigration and education.
That was waaaaay back in 1997. And today?
Californians are increasingly frustrated and dissatisfied with their public school system, and so skeptical about government's ability to spend money wisely that they oppose any general tax increase to improve education, according to a statewide poll scheduled for release today..
Nearly two in three Californians believe the quality of education is a major problem for the state, and only one issue — immigration — is seen as a higher priority for state government, according to the poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California. More than nine in 10 people surveyed said education was shaping up as an important issue in the upcoming race for governor.
We're not terribly surprised the man on the street agrees (albeit probably for different reasons in the case of immigration). But will even this significant public sentiment translate to some action in Sacramento? On one hand, optimism is a bit hard to come by. Lest we forget, Arnold Schwarzenegger was here just a fortnight ago. Remember those ballot proposals from last November--one of them a proposal to stiffen requirements for teacher tenure? The message from the NEA: don't you lay a finger on us, understand?
That defeat, coupled with overall poor public opinion of Schwarzenegger when he's up for reelection, might leave us with the impression that he's too busy fighting for political survival to pick another fight with the union. But with the Governator publicly supporting Villaraigosa's takeover proposal, it seems Schwarzenegger is ready for a second round.
And, of course, we have a dog in this race: aside from the possible LAUSD takeover, we (meaning the Alliance of School Choice) and CURE filed legal action against the LA and Compton school districts. (Go here and here for discussion on the filing.)
Bottom line: after years of merely throwing money at the education crisis, could legal prodding and Villaraigosa's proposed shakeup force Sacramento to try something different for a change? Here's hoping, anyway.
Posted by Ryan Boots at 05:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)The battle begins to shape up
Shhh...hear that? Them's war drums in the distance:
Los Angeles Board of Education President Marlene Canter quietly traveled to Sacramento on Wednesday to discuss with state lawmakers the ongoing battle for control of the city school district.
The trip comes days before the introduction of widely anticipated legislation that, if passed, would strip the seven-member school board of much of its power and give Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa sweeping powers over the Los Angeles Unified School District.The expected bill is the centerpiece of Villaraigosa's campaign to take control of the district. Board members have struggled to effectively counter the mayor's relentless attacks and tout district successes.
Boy, this feels like Lord of the Rings all over again! (Except this time you can take a bathroom break without worrying too much that you'll miss something.)
Call for submissions and debate participants
As you can tell, we here at Edspresso want to hear lots of different voices. We've set up a Featured Commentary section for precisely that purpose. And if you haven't checked out the Debate section lately, you should see Neal and Mike go at it--the carnage has been pretty intense, and we've got another day to go!
But we want more--lots more. To that end, here's what's going on:
- We'd like to see increased activity in our comment threads. So we took the plunge and removed mandatory Typekey registration. Posting is still delayed, but we figure that's enough security to screen comments for Viagra and online pr0n.
- In case you can't tell, the site layout and architecture are still being tweaked. Expect occasional changes to the sidebar.
- Next week's debate is between edusphere luminary Joanne Jacobs and Susanna Cooper of Preschool California to discuss--what else?--universal preschool! If it's half as interesting as the ongoing
fistfightamiable discussion between Neal and Mike, we expect a good ol' time. - There's more good stuff to come from our guest contributors. And, of course, there's no shortage of writing talent across the edusphere, so our ongoing searches are yielding excellent results.
But we're always interested in more content. And we want to line up more debates--while we've got several in the planning stage, no debates are scheduled past next week.
So what do you want to write about? Are you interested in participating in a debate? Or is there something you would like to hear more about? Drop us a line at editorREMOVETHIS at edspresso dot com, and we'll talk.
On Being NICE: School Choice and That Hideous Strength (Jeanne Allen)
“A sinister technocratic organization that is gaining force throughout England, N.I.C.E. (the National Institute of Coordinated Experiments), secretly controlled by humanity's mortal enemies, plans to use Merlin in their plot to "recondition" society. Dr. Ransom forms a countervailing group, Logres, in opposition, and the two groups struggle to a climactic resolution that brings the Space Trilogy to a magnificent, crashing close.”
Continue reading "On Being NICE: School Choice and That Hideous Strength (Jeanne Allen)" »
Posted by Featured Guest at 05:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (1)Education News for Thursday, April 27
House rejects plan to set up school voucher program - By one vote, the Louisiana House of Representatives rejected a plan to set up a voucher program for students attending New Orleans' worst public schools. (more)
Legislature Overrides Most Budget Vetoes, but Pataki Says He Will Block Some Items - The Legislature overrode almost all of Gov. George Pataki's 207 budget vetoes yesterday, including one for a $330 per child tax credit that Pataki had wanted to direct to education. (more)
Dropouts Build New Foundations at D.C. Charter School - An in-depth look at a Washington, D.C. charter school that works with kids given up for lost by public schools. (more)
A smaller, better L.A. Unified - A former California Assembly speaker says that L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's plan to take over the Los Angeles Unified School District doesn't address its biggest problem: runaway bureaucracy. (more)
School choice is made easier - The Aiken County, South Carolina school board recently approved a plan to re-engineer the district's school choice program, which will make transferring easier beginning in the 2007-08 school year. (more)
Teachers stage `blue flu' protest - To protest several aspects of state education policy, a few dozen Palm Beach County teachers joined their counterparts across South Florida by catching the symbolic "blue flu" and attending work dressed in blue yesterday. (more)
Court: State still can't fund religious schools - For the second time in a decade, Maine's highest court upheld a state law banning state funding of religious schools. (more)
Record school budget settled - Florida lawmakers have agreed on a record education budget that will increase K-12 spending by nearly $1.8 billion. (more)
Chicago principals flunk more than 1,000 teachers - For the second year in a row, Chicago Public Schools principals dumped more than 1,000 non-tenured teachers, citing poor classroom management as the top reason. (more)
Check back later today for more education news.
UPDATE:
LA Board of Education president visits Capital over takeover plan - Los Angeles Board of Education President Marlene Canter quietly traveled to Sacramento on Wednesday to discuss with state lawmakers the ongoing battle for control of the city school district. (more)
PBP editorial: Can FCAT graders make the grade? - Gov. Bush, in the latest flap and in other FCAT decisions, has tried to ensure that there is no complete record of results on which he can be judged. It's kind of shameful, to be honest with you. (more)
Democrat senator prevents "lock down" against Florida vouchers - State Sen. Al Lawson said he supports the concept of tuition vouchers - to help poor children get out of failing schools -and that he has doubts about the high cost of reducing class sizes in public schools. (more)
Palm Beach Post take on Lawson refusing to block vouchers - Sen. Al Lawson stunned his Democratic colleagues at a pre-session caucus meeting this morning when he refused to agree to vote as a bloc against the proposed constitutional amendment that would protect school vouchers and another that would water down class-size limits approved by voters in 2002. (more)
Educating from the bench - In the Wall Street Journal, Jay Greene writes about judges ordering legislators to spend more on schools and taxpayers seeing less in return. (more)
Administration Slow to Hold School Districts Accountable Under NCLB - Heritage Foundation's David B. Muhlhausen writes about the Alliance and CURE's actions in California. (more)
Arizona Republic editorial: Kids can't outwait endless legal tangle - No. U.S. District Judge Raner Collins used a few more words than that. But he couldn't have been clearer in ruling Wednesday on the Legislature's plan to fund English-language instruction. (more)
Black parents in Maine see obstacles - Closing achievement gap requires changing school system, they say. (more)
Chartering a course in New York - Columnist Stanley Crouch: We should all know by now that the public school system needs to be overhauled, and the changes will not come about as quickly as necessary. There will be battles with the unions, which hold failed practices in place... (more)
Californian's increasingly worried about public schools - A Public Policy Institute of California survey found that California residents hold a more negative view of the state's vast K-12 public education system than at any time since 1998, when the PPIC conducted its first poll on the subject. (more)
LA mayor wants law stripping state of board powers - Education Week (subsciption required) Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa last week called for California lawmakers to put his office in charge of running the day-to-day operations of the nation’s second-largest school district. (more)
NY Times:Hurricane evacuees struggle on tests - Math scores for fifth-grade students displaced to Texas after last year's hurricanes are lagging significantly, mirroring similar low scores in reading. (more)
The Washington Times: FEMA handling of Gulf schools criticized - Putting the Federal Emergency Management Agency in charge of rebuilding and reopening schools on the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina was a critical mistake, congressional Democrats on the House Education and the Workforce Committee said ... (more)
Indy star editorial: Start earlier to stop falling behind - Of every 100 students in Indiana who enter their freshman year of high school, less than 75 will receive a diploma four years later. Only about 40 will enter college. And only 21 will earn a college degree within six years. (more)
Posted by Ryan Boots at 05:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
April 26, 2006
Teachers blogging anonymously
First of all, this blogger has some empathy for those who choose to blog anonymously due to work constraints. I did so for a year while in a different line of work. We've all heard the usual reasons: it could put my job in jeopardy, I don't want to harm my current employer, I fear retribution, et cetera.
However, that empathy starts to hit some limits when anonymous bloggers start lobbing hand grenades at their current employers or dishing dirt on co-workers. I'm not necessarily saying they shouldn't let their hair down in the blogosphere--sometimes certain workplace shenanigans deserve a bit of sunlight, and having a place to vent can be therapeutic--but said blogger knows or should be aware that he/she is taking an awfully big risk by doing so. (Note: during the time I blogged anonymously, I never wrote about work at all.)
As you might have surmised, all this is inspired by the suspension/firing of a Chicago teacher who blogged anonymously and very critically about his high school. (The original blog has since been taken off of Blogspot, but go here for a sample post. Warning: graphic in places.) The thing is, he's hardly alone--there are plenty of other teachers blogging anonymously.
So I'm curious. I'd like to hear from other anonymous teacherbloggers out there. (Note the qualification: I'm specifically looking to hear from teachers who are blogging incognito.) Here are my questions:
- Why do you blog?
- How concerned are you that your identity will be revealed? Are there any measures you've taken to help protect your anonymity?
- How much do you blog about school? If you do blog about events at school, can you explain why?
- What has your best blogging moment been? Your worst?
In the effort to protect identities, feel free to post answers to these questions on your own blog; link back to the post, and we should get a trackback. If you prefer, you can forward me responses to editorREMOVETHIS at edspresso dot com and I'll post them. (Yes, of course your identity will stay completely confidential.)
Posted by Ryan Boots at 03:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (3)¡Mejor no hay! Hispanic kids and robotics competition
Want proof that we really are fans of public schools? Blogosphere denizens may remember this story about a group of Latino immigrant kids from Phoenix's Carl Hayden High School that creamed a bunch of schools (including MIT and Cambridge) in an underwater robotics competition. The school has continued to sponsor a team, and the Arizona Republic has the latest:
For these teens, there's much more at stake in learning about engineering and building robots than just winning. The 2004 win transformed their school and changed the course of their lives.
The team has grown from a dozen kids to 50, attracting students from across campus and in different areas of study. It operates like a little corporation promoting a stand-out athletic team, with some students creating brochures, videotaping practice runs or raising money, while others program, design and build robots. Even the cheerleaders come to matches.
"We used to be known as an underperforming school," said Annalisa Regalado, 17. "Now we're known as the robot school."
And now every senior on the robotics team at Carl Hayden in the past three years - about 25, so far - has gone into the military or college, most on full scholarships. All six of this year's seniors are going to college on full scholarships.
Understand, Hayden High School is in west Phoenix--the barrio, in the biggest sense of the word. A bunch of inner-city immigrant kids manage to outrun and outsmart the best engineering schools around, doing more with less than any other school in the nation. Sort of like Rocket Boys crossed with Stand and Deliver for the new millennium.
Reading between the lines: a response to the Palm Beach Post
While much of MSM's coverage of school choice is spotty at best, the Palm Beach Post is in a league of its own when its comes to one-sided--sometimes even venomous--reporting and commentary on the issue. Today's editorial is a case in point. This is the first in a regular series of responses to erroneous, distorted reporting and commentary in Florida media in general and the Palm Beach Post in particular.
Continue reading "Reading between the lines: a response to the Palm Beach Post" »
Posted by Ryan Boots at 03:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)L..A. union story required reading
Can't believe we failed to mention this from yesterday.
Some of the nation's largest teachers unions have joined forces with investment companies to steer their members into retirement plans with high expenses that eat away at returns.
In what might seem an unlikely partnership, the unions endorse investment providers, even specific products, and the companies reciprocate with financial support. They sponsor union conferences, advertise in union publications or make direct payments to union treasuries.
The investment firms more than recoup their money through sales of annuities and other high-fee products to teachers for their 403(b) plans — personal retirement accounts similar to 401(k)s.
New York State United Teachers, for instance, receives $3 million a year from ING Group for encouraging its 525,000 members to invest in an annuity sold by the Dutch insurance giant.
The National Education Assn., the largest teachers union in the country with 2.7 million members, collected nearly $50 million in royalties in 2004 on the sale of annuities, life insurance and other financial products it endorses.
Teachers unions across the country — including those in Las Vegas and San Diego and statewide teacher associations in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Oregon — have struck their own endorsement deals.
Unions in Dallas, Miami, Phoenix, Seattle and Atlanta, among others, refer members to products approved by the NEA and typically receive a share of endorsement revenue in return.
Many teachers say they presume an endorsement means their union has used its clout to get the best price, as unions do on products from eyeglasses to automobiles. But when it comes to retirement accounts, union backing is often a sign that the product will cost more, not less.
Read the whole damning thing. If unions can't even be trusted to look out for the interests of their dues-paying membership, just who do they care about?
Education News for Wednesday, April 26
Florida voucher amendment gets green light from House - A proposed state constitutional amendment that would prohibit courts from relying on a legal doctrine used to overturn a school voucher program passed Tuesday in the Florida House. (more)
Florida: Reject stealth voucher bill - The word voucher is banned, because Gov. Bush and Republican leaders in the Legislature hope that voters won't notice what's in those bills. (more)
Albany seeks to give peace a least a day - The chances for a three-way compromise are slim, lawmakers say. Mr. Silver, a Democrat, appears to be firmly opposed to a number of key items that Mr. Pataki demands be included in a final budget deal. (more)
Column: Pro-choice education in Champaign schools - Once again, we are presented with stark evidence of a school board that does not listen to the desires of parents and insists that, despite being public servants, the public works for them. (more)
Come back later for more education news.
UPDATE:
Iowa budget talks still on, outlook gloomy - House Republican leaders say they have an agreement with all legislative leaders over education policy changes that they contend will make schools more rigorous. (more)
Oklahoma editorial: No child left unfunded - The theory behind the Administration’s “No Child Left Behind” education program was a good one. The execution, though, has left something to be desired. (more)
Teachers testy about proving abilities - 7,000 North Carolina teachers face a June 30 deadline to meet a federal requirement for being deemed "highly qualified." (more)
Judge rules Arizona's new English language learner law doesn' t meet orders - U.S. District Judge Raner Collins ruled that the law doesn't fulfill his earlier orders because it doesn't adequately fund English Language Learning programs... (more)
South Carolina group advocates leaving public schools - The organization does not support taxpayer funded vouchers or tuition tax credits to help parents pay for private school. Instead, churches and philanthropists should help pay for private school tuition for families that cannot afford it.... (more)
Leave no teacher behind either - The president of a Philadelphia teachers union has a message for Secretary Spellings. (more)
Dan Lips: Show me the choices - Soon Missouri lawmakers will consider legislation that would encourage scholarships that students struggling in public schools could use to attend alternative schools of their parents’ choice. (more)
Designing a merit pay plan: how teachers are like pornography (Katie Newmark)
The Washington Post takes note of Florida’s bold and controversial new merit pay plan, the first state plan to so closely tie teacher salaries and student performance.
Continue reading "Designing a merit pay plan: how teachers are like pornography (Katie Newmark)" »
Posted by Featured Guest at 01:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)April 25, 2006
Blasting away at Jonathan Kozol
One of our new favorite blogs is D-Ed Reckoning, who has Jonathan Kozol firmly in his sights. Go here and here for detailed, pointed criticism.
Public school teacher comes out of the closet...
...the school choice closet, that is.
As much as I might dislike saying it, IF I was given the opportunity to use school vouchers to enroll my boys in a private or parochial school that truly offered a better educational opportunity to my boys, then I would do it. Yes, it might cost me some additional money and time, but what is the cost of NOT ensuring your children receive the best educational foundation ?
I also wonder what the parents of children in the rest of the state of Wisconsin wonder about their state government excluding their children from the school voucher opportunity ? Does this have something to do with Milwaukee's high minority population and Wisconsin elected officials pandering to them ? Politics aside, I hope this works for many Milwaukee families as a step toward their children having a better opportunity to receive a better education.
Now to the comment thread, where Darren from Right on the Left Coast says:
Don't feel guilty. I've read that teachers are more likely than the general population to send their own kids to private schools.
Oh, but she's not the only one who feels guilty: the next comment is from "elementaryhistoryteacher" (side note: she blogs here):
Ok...I'll admit it. My daughter is attending a private school for the first time this year. There are several reasons for this. One being I attended private school and didn't feel she was receiving everything she needed because of major discipline problems in the her school including the one you posted about on the 13th. So I guess I go in the yes category that if my state provided vouchers I'd be the first in line, but I say that without sufficient knowledge to have an educated postion on them. What effect would they have on public/privcate schools? How would the funding of schools change because tax dollars would be used for vouchers? I simply don't know enough.
In spite of Darren's admonition, both these public schoolteachers quite clearly feel ashamed for sending (or wanting to send) their kids to private school. But let's set aside the higher likelihood Darren cites (something mentioned in our featured commentary and documented elsewhere). Who cares what they do for a living? Yes, we understand they feel a sense of obligation to put their children in a public school since, well, that's where they work. But if they feel that a private school is the best option for their children, why should they be prevented from sending their children there?
In short, we think this comment hits the nail on the head:
Public schools are a part of this country's foundation, as far as I'm concerned. I just don't know if private schools are always "better" than public. At times, yes, but in my district, where wealth is commonplace, the problems at the private schools at times are more serious than at Unnamed Junior High School.
Private school teachers often don't have to be certified, and they aren't held accountable to the same ridiculous items that we, as a public school are.
Having said all that, I think there's room for both. It shouldn't be an either/or situation. (emphasis added)
While we might quibble over the history of public schooling in this country, that last paragraph is precisely where we sit. What we seek is emphatically not an either/or situation. In spite of what critics may say, school choice is not about demolishing public schools and starting over. In fact, if you are fortunate enough to have a stellar public school in your neighborhood, your school will not only survive but thrive in a choice environment.
Public school waste
EducationNews is all over a story coming out of Katy, a western suburb of Houston:
A technology vendor that has been paid over $13 million by the Katy Independent School District filed three years of State Franchise Tax Reports Tuesday of this week in an effort to restore its corporate privileges that were originally forfeited February 25, 2003, an official of Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts confirmed Thursday.
However, documents released Thursday by the Comptroller's office appear to contradict the Texas school district's earlier published version of the scope of Xpediant LLC's tax problems with the State of Texas.
Massive rundown here. Question: if this involved the Florida or Milwaukee school choice programs, would you ever hear the end of this story? We didn't think so either.
We get love from the Miami Herald
There's a new edublog in town by Miami Herald reporter Matt Pinzer. In his first post, he drops a sweet link on us. Welcome to the edusphere, Matt!
The real reason teachers' unions oppose charter schools
After hearing complaints from the Ohio Education Association that charter schools siphon off funding (a common criticism of school choice generally), the inimitable Mike Antonucci delivers the numbers on state spending in this week's Communiqué (scroll down to #2):
EIA's school district spending and enrollment tables, updated with the latest U.S. Census data, show clearly what happened in public school spending in Ohio during the three years referred to by Allen in his letter to the Times. And the effect was opposite that claimed by OEA.
Most of Ohio's charter schools are located in six of the state's seven largest school districts. Only the sixth-ranked South-Western City School District lacks a significant group of charters, and is the only one of the top seven that experienced enrollment growth in the years between 2000-01 and 2003-04.
Here are the enrollment and per-pupil spending statistics for the other six:
State average – enrollment down 2.04%, per-pupil spending up 19.53%, spending on employees up 19.83%
Cleveland - enrollment down 7.97%, per-pupil spending up 19.29%, spending on employees up 24.80%
Columbus - enrollment down 2.19%, per-pupil spending up 18.47%, spending on employees up 22.11%
Cincinnati - enrollment down 13.29%, per-pupil spending up 39.08%, spending on employees up 37.89%
Toledo - enrollment down 8.62%, per-pupil spending up 29.37%, spending on employees up 32.34%
Akron - enrollment down 8.42%, per-pupil spending up 25.08%, spending on employees up 26.40%
Dayton - enrollment down 21.39%, per-pupil spending up 21.86%, spending on employees up 32.40%
Does this mean the state and local governments are actually plowing more money into districts with declining enrollment? Not necessarily, but it seems the district workforce does not decline commensurate with enrollment. Same payroll or higher, with fewer students, equals higher per-pupil spending for regular public schools.
That sounds about right. The thing is, in the real world, when an organization experiences less demand for a product or service, said organization has to adjust accordingly. Translation: cut costs through layoffs. That sounds heartless, but as Randy Shain pointed out last week, it all depends on whether educating children or employing teachers is the goal of education.
Furthermore, such a mindset completely lacks a macroeconomic viewpoint, which can reasonably be articulated as:
- Charter school enrollment increases.
- Public school enrollment decreases.
- Due to decreased demand, public school teachers are laid off.
- Due to increased demand, charter school hires more teachers.
- Net teacher unemployment levels remain steady.
So who loses in this arrangement? Mike Antonucci nails it:
If it's a win-win situation for all involved, why are the unions so opposed to charter schools? Simple. This lovely arrangement can't last forever. Eventually enrollment declines have to lead to layoffs, attrition and other staff reductions. As unionized employees retire or are laid off, and the students they used to teach increasingly enroll in non-union charter schools, the union eventually ends up in a membership death spiral.
Each teacher working in a charter is some $440 in annual dues not being received by OEA. With more than 85,000 Ohio students enrolled in charters, it's really starting to cost OEA some money.
Suddenly those union complaints about charter schools really start to come into focus.
Education News for Tuesday, April 25
Unions' Advice is Failing Teachers - Teachers' unions have joined forces with investment firms to steer educators into savings plans that often have high expenses and poor returns. (more)
State Senate Democrats sue to uncover qualifications of state test scorers - Two Democratic senators filed a lawsuit Monday against the Florida Department of Education, saying the agency and its contractor violated state public records laws by refusing to release the names of the scorers of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. (more)
Budget crisis looms in Albany - Gov. George Pataki's efforts to enact an educational tax credit are at the heart of budget vetoes the state legislature is expected to override today, as relations between the two branches of government fall to historic lows and the state veers toward a constitutional crisis. (more)
The new new math - Georgia sixth-graders took a new state-mandated math test last week that favored concept over computation. (more)
Check back later today for more education news.
UPDATE:
Florida senator breaks rank on charter school bill - Boca Raton Sen. Ron Klein broke with other Democrats Monday on a bill that would create an independent state board with the power to approve charter schools. (more)
Senate Dems sue to uncover qualifications of FCAT scorers - Two Democratic senators filed a lawsuit Monday against the Florida Department of Education, saying the agency and its contractor violated state public records laws by refusing to release the names of the scorers of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. (more)
North Carolina forum looks at equity and choice - "To hear a school-board member say that integration is irrelevant does not do justice to ... years of struggle..." (more)
The tools to turn schools around - While the state has made great progress in the 13 years since education reform was enacted, more than 60,000 children across Massachusetts still languish in schools... (more)
Houston debuts pilot virtual schooling project - The Southwest School is the first of five programs in Texas to launch under a pilot approved by state lawmakers in 2003. The Houston, Coleman, Fort Davis and Iraan-Sheffield school districts also are developing "electronic course pilots" that are expected to begin soon. (more)
Pataki's "cruel and unusual" flick of the pen - Gov. George Pataki slashed nearly $3 billion from the Legislature's state budget, including a child tax credit for working families and tuition assistance for low-income college students. (more)
Omaha school reform on NPR - Click to listen to NPR's Ed Gordon examine how Omaha's school controversy is resonating nationally. He speaks to Jeff Howard, founder and president of the Efficacy Institute based just outside Boston.
Indiana test may cause schools to fail - Indiana schools will be judged for the first time this year by the test scores of children who are severely disabled or barely speak English, under a piece of federal law that administrators worry will sink their reputations. (more)
New Orleans schools will be unique in nation - Paving the way for a public education system unlike any other in the nation, state officials who took over most district campuses last fall say New Orleans parents will be able to chose from about 50 schools reopening this August with capacity for 34,000 students. (more)
West Virginia pre-K programs growing - By 2012, all county school systems must offer 4-year-old preschool or pre-kindergarten classes to all children to comply with state law. (more)
School choice expanding in three states - In the May issue of School Reform News, three states either created new school choice programs or expanded existing ones in late March--a trend suggesting the movement is gaining wider support among legislators. (more)
UPDATE:
Campus murder, lawwuit spur calls for school choice in Texas - School Reform News: School choice is seldom discussed in literal life-or-death terms. (more)
Kansas education chief advocates vouchers - School Reform News: One: He came to the job from outside the field of professional education.Two: He is an advocate of vouchers and other forms of choice for students whose needs are not being met in the public school system. (more)
Report: Spending increases don't improve student achievement - School Reform News: ALEC's Report Card on American Education: A State-by-State Analysis found no evident correlation between improved student achievement and increasing education spending or lowering student-teacher ratios. (more)
New Hampshire Senate passes scholarship program - School Reform News: Later this year, if the New Hampshire House agrees with a measure passed by the state Senate on January 18, students in low-income families in the Granite State could receive scholarships to attend the schools of their choice. (more)
Universal vouchers approved in Maine - School Reform News: The people of Swans Island, Maine, a town without a secondary school, voted to pay for their children's education with local tax funds at either public or private secondary schools... (more)
Barriers to innovation in government-run schools - School Reform News: After a century of failed public school innovations, pressure is increasing for education reforms to be "research-based." (more)
USA Today: Richer areas attract better teachers - Public school teachers in the nation's wealthiest communities continue to be more qualified than those in the poorest despite a federal law designed to provide all children equal educational opportunity. (more)
Ed Week: Do they really help troubled schools? (subscription required) Of the most popular organizations and companies that are hired to run troubled public schools, only one has accumulated a solid body of evidence to show that it does improve student achievement... (more)
DC schools' accounting "high risk" - The U.S. Department of Education has declared the D.C. school system at "high risk" for mismanaging federal funds, a rarely used designation... (more)
Ed Week: Low grades thwart college for some Chicagoans - (subscription required) While most of Chicago’s high school seniors hope to attend college, the school system has a long way to go to make that vision a reality.. (more)
Ed Week: Federal suit contends Dallas school segregates Latinos - (subscription required) The complaint maintains that one of the three children, a 5th grader, doesn’t have limited proficiency in English but is still assigned to an English-as-a-second-language class... (more)
Cleveland's new accountability effort - Spending continues on the district's roughly $1 billion effort, and the need to rejuvenate oversight is as urgent as ever. (more)
Posted by Ryan Boots at 05:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Taking Action in Los Angeles and Compton (Peter H. Hanley)
In the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), based on a Fordham Foundation’s analysis of 2000 Census data, 24.5% of public school teachers enroll their own children in private schools, versus only 15.7% of the general public.
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Posted by Featured Guest at 05:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)April 24, 2006
Picking their poison: national competition or high school graduation?
Now this is a decision we're glad we don't have to make:
Plantation High School valedictorian Mackenzie Howell had a choice: pomp and circumstance or launch and liftoff?
She chose liftoff.
While her classmates are attending graduation ceremonies, Howell, 17, will compete in the Team America National Rocketry Challenge in Virginia. Howell leads one of the school's rocketry teams, groups of three to 15 students who spend the school year designing, building and launching rockets that bear a payload of a single raw egg.
When the school got word that six of its rocketry teams qualified for nationals in the rocketry challenge, called TARC, nearly 20 seniors faced a hard decision: go to graduation or compete in nationals?
So what is Howell going to do?
Howell, who was on the first rocketry team her sophomore year, says she was undecided until she considered the presence Plantation High's teams will have at this year's nationals, and the long hours she and her teammates have spent on their rockets, working through lunch and showing up at 7 a.m. on Saturdays for test launches.
''I need to be there,'' she said. ``It's where my life is.''
So she will videotape her valedictory speech, which will be broadcast at the ceremony.
Now that's dedication. Read the whole thing (including the comments, which are interestingly one-sided).
Posted by Ryan Boots at 02:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)More thoughts on math teacher training (Jo Anne Cobasko)
(This is a response to Sarah Natividad's remarks on improving training of math teachers. -ed.)
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Posted by Featured Guest at 01:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (1)NYT: Booker for mayor
Newark mayoral candidate Cory Booker (disclosure: he's an Alliance for School Choice board member) has captured the attention of the Gray Lady.
On May 9, when Newark's voters go to the polls, the curtain will drop on the memorable and controversial reign of Sharpe James. For the first time since 1986, Mr. James is not on the ballot in Newark's mayoral election.
We believe that Newark's new leader should be Cory Booker, who is running for mayor for the second time.
Of course, the editorial staff couldn't help but take a swipe at vouchers:
Not all of Mr. Booker's ideas are equally compelling. For example, he refuses to rule out vouchers as part of his remedy for Newark's schools. He now notes with care that he supports vouchers financed with private, not public, dollars. But the next mayor should be devoting his energy to fixing the public schools, and not be sidetracked by schemes that would at best rescue a small fraction of the needy students.
Eh. Who cares? Cory probably shouldn't. As it looks now, his opponent, deputy mayor Ron Rice, will need all the help he can get: according to this, just two weeks before the May 9 election, Cory has a $6 million head start and a 43-point lead in the polls.
Competition as an Effective Education Reform (Nancy Salvato)
You know competition is not for children. It's not for human beings. It's not for public education. -Former teacher, Ruth Holmes Cameron
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Posted by Featured Guest at 08:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)Education News for Monday, April 24
Indianapolis public schools rank worst for graduating males - The Star Editorial Board last year brought attention to the academic achievement gap for black males and for males overall. (more)
Maryland students learning on their own terms - Md. School With No Curriculum Challenges Conventions of Modern Education. (more)
Milwaukee voucher schools put to the test - The requirement in a new state law that all private schools taking part in Milwaukee's precedent-setting voucher program be accredited could prove pivotal in determining whether the program will achieve more of its original hopes or be left under a permanent cloud kicked up by a cluster of weak schools. (more)
Pataki Offers Deal to Avert Budget Fight - Gov. Pataki is trying to avert legislative overrides of his 207 budget vetoes, is offering a final compromise that would restore some property tax breaks and child tax credits... (more)
A Cry in the Streets of Brooklyn Is Answered by a Prep School - In looping printed letters, which looked like the handwriting of a young girl, Thomas wrote a one-page cry for help: "I cannot read or write. I need all you people's help. Please do not turn your back on me." (more)
Come back later for more education news.
UPDATE:
Cory Booker for mayor - New York Times: We believe that Newark's new leader should be Cory Booker, who is running for mayor for the second time. (more)
Milwaukee parents, former staff say voucher school lacks direction - With leaders in the voucher movement promising to take a hard line on troubled schools when it comes to a new accreditation requirement, the leaders of some schools face a choice: Shape up or get out. (more)
Pataki's last stand - People have been calling Governor Pataki a lame duck for months now, but for a duck, lame or otherwise, our governor is showing an impressive amount of backbone. (more)
LA school takeover views mixed - Throughout Los Angeles, the hallmarks of public education are often high dropout rates and pitiful test scores. (more)
Maryland school with no cirriculum challenges conventions of modern education - Justin Reed took no tests in his three years at the private school, received no grades and had no course requirements. (more)
DC public school seeks linkup with new charter - Over the past five years, D.C. public schools have lost 10,000 students, mostly to charter schools. (more)
Secretary Spellings: NCLB should reach out to minorities - Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has said that her agency must do more to make sure that huge numbers of minority students are not excluded under the No Child Left Behind law. (more)
Beyond Newark's school yard - On May 9, Newark will elect a new mayor. For the first time in two decades, it will not be Sharpe James. (more)
Posted by Daily News at 04:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)
April 21, 2006
K12 still atoning for Bill Bennett's sins
We're several months removed from Bill Bennett's AM radio snafu, but that's still not enough distance for some folks. (In case you were living under a rock at the time, go here for more on the unfortunate episode.) What was apparently lost in the mayhem of the moment is that Bennett certainly paid a price with one of his projects: he ended up resigning from K12, the educompany he helped start in 1999. But even though K12 has completely parted ways with Bennett, that's not enough for some folks:
K12 Inc., the science-curriculum company whose founder, former education secretary William J. Bennett, drew fire last fall for suggesting that aborting black babies would reduce crime, is on the verge of losing its $3 million contract with the School District of Philadelphia.
Following yesterday's School Reform Commission meeting, SRC members and sources told the Daily News that the K12 contract would not be renewed. Under the contract, the school district must tell the McLean, Va., company what it intends to do by May 1 - one month before the contract is set to expire.
Two of the five members of the reform commission - Martin Bednarek and Sandra Dungee Glenn - said they will not support renewing the arrangement, which requires the company to supply science-curriculum materials to each district elementary school.
A high-ranking school district source confirmed that SRC Chairman James Nevels "is strongly inclined not to renew the K12 contract."
After the near-riot last November when the district agreed to retain the contract (see the article), it's not altogether surprising. The company's line:
Ron Packard, K12's chairman and co-founder, said he was surprised and saddened by some members' statements because principals and teachers rave about the company's curriculum.
He said Bennett was forced out shortly after making the remarks, so K12 should not be punished.
"Whatever happens, the real losers are the schools and the kids," Packard said. "It would be a sad day when a company that has delivered as we have delivered has its contract not renewed."
Let's leave it to others to debate Bennett's remarks. The thing is, it's not about him anymore. He's no longer with K12--what else can the company do, perform some sort of exorcism? Bottom line: it would be one thing had K12 failed to deliver on the contract. The people in Philly are more concerned with making a statement than making a difference for their kids.
Following the money, Hawaiian-style
A Hawaii education reporter has cast a jaded eye on the Hawaii State Teachers' Association:
HSTA reports on its 2003-04 Form 990 that $3.1 million of $4.8 million in dues collected from 12,513 members was paid out in HSTA personnel salaries, benefits and payroll costs. Executive Director Joan Husted now tops out the pay chart at $157,050 per year, including benefits and allowances. President Roger Takabayashi fares even better. His $160,409 compensation package is $28,000 more per year than earned by his predecessor. While teachers struggled mightily to achieve a less than 3 percent raise per year during the 2005 round of collective bargaining, their union leaders got raises of 15 percent to 20 percent.
The National Education Association claims on its Department of Labor LM-2 form that it gives the HSTA $102,000 in grants for an executive director. At the same time, $105,176 is deducted from teacher dues for an "Executive Director Option." The NEA also funnels back $410,000 in UniServe director grants. However, if all 12,513 members are paying $140 per year each in NEA dues, that would amount to $1.7 million in dues going out of state for purposes other than collective bargaining for Hawaii’s teachers.
Dues also went to the HSTA’s 527 fund, with IRS reporting of $94,221 in receipts and $5,500 in current expenditures, including $2,000 to a PAC supporting Hawaii’s House Democrats, $1,000 to the Democratic Party of Hawaii and $500 to the Hawaii State Republican Party. The HSTA’s 2004 end of year political action fund report declares $49,628 in contributions from the general fund and $30,636 in expenditures to 33 politicians -- all Democrats.
Even payroll costs to run the HSTA Political Action Committee fund are up to $89,000 for an organization that takes in approximately $180,000 per year. Other costs incurred are for automobile, room and board and expense allowance. The candidates are lucky that there’s any money left over for them after all the administrative costs.
And union leaders are somehow surprised--nay, indignant--that fewer and fewer people are joining up?
Children before special interests (Matthew Ladner)
Oprah Winfrey recently used two days of her program to highlight the crisis in American public schools, focusing attention on our appalling dropout problem. The visuals were quite stunning.
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Posted by Featured Guest at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)Edublogger fatigue?
First Kimberly Swygert goes on a semi-emeritus status from Number 2 Pencil (fortunately, she'll still be over at Education Wonks from time to time). Then EdWahoo goes on hiatus until May. Hmmm...suddenly I'm feeling just exhausted...I could really use a break...
Posted by Ryan Boots at 09:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Trapped (Clint Bolick and Star Parker)
On March 23, our two organizations took a major step to test the vitality of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and expand educational opportunities for children in large urban districts across the nation. We filed legal actions in California against the Los Angeles and Compton Unified School Districts for their failure to make school choice available for children in failing schools.
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Posted by Featured Guest at 08:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)