February 28, 2007
No cause good enough?
In the latest chapter of the Washington paycheck protection case, we have a brand-new example of the lengths to which the union will go to cling to dues cash.
Susan Wiggs, a Vancouver school teacher, has been attempting since August 2005 to divert her union dues to a charity that fights sex trafficking. Under state and federal law, teachers and other workers can opt out of union membership by claiming religious exemption, and can send their union dues to a charitable organization. Susan Wiggs' local union, however, has refused to send her dues to the charity of her choice.
Wiggs' case against the Vancouver Education Association (VEA) was heard before the Public Employment Relations Commission on February 26, 2007, in Olympia. While the Vancouver Education Association agrees that she qualifies for religious objector status, it has refused to accommodate her charity selection. Wiggs would like her dues to go to Shared Hope International, which works "to prevent and eradicate sex trafficking and slavery through education and public awareness," according to its website.
VEA Executive Director Roy Maier refused, saying the organization was "not acceptable" to the VEA. Although Susan provided the union with documentation of Shared Hope’s non-profit, non-sectarian status, it has continued to block her from sending her union dues to Shared Hope.
That's right, folks: an organization fighting sex trafficking and slavery is deemed unacceptable. While I do enjoy watching a teachers' union publicly shoot itself in the foot, withholding aid to such a universally worthy organization really is a bit much. Aside from the union itself (and, of course, assorted allies), are there any charities acceptable to the VEA? I wish I could say I'm surprised, but given that the state union is trying to do an end-run around SCOTUS, I'm really not.
FCAT and incentives
This week the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test got underway. As seems to be customary these days when teachers really want to wring some extra performance out of students, teachers were armed and ready with all sorts of incentives (although I think this is screaming out for a caption contest).
What is most disappointing is that one of the proven methods for raising test scores--namely, the state's A+ Opportunity Scholarship Program--is no longer a reality. While in existence, it helped improve test scores for students in public schools already facing voucher competition and those threatened by vouchers. Most of all, disadvantaged children stood to benefit the most: for third-graders in 2001, 70 percent of whites, 46 percent of Hispanics, and 36 percent of blacks scored at or above grade level in reading on the FCAT. By 2005, that had improved to 78 percent of whites, 61 percent of Hispanics, and 52 percent of blacks.
With A+ now shut down by an upside-down court decision, I don't think the next round of FCAT scores--especially for schools which desperately need to improve--will be anything to write home about.
Diane Ravitch hits the blogosphere
Eduwonk mentioned this a few weeks ago, and it's finally come to fruition: Diane Ravitch and Deborah Meier are blogging together on Bridging Differences, hosted at Education Week next door to Alexander Russo, who offers "congrats and condolences." I think a long-term discussion between opposing viewpoints would probably do the edudebate some good.
Posted by Ryan Boots at 08:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Morning Shots
Cincinnati Enquirer: CPS hindering vouchers, state says
More than 11,500 Cincinnati Public School students are eligible to receive state-paid vouchers to attend private schools next year, but state officials say that Cincinnati Public officials are hindering them from getting the word out.
The district is the only one in the state that has refused to provide to the state the addresses of students who are eligible for tuition vouchers.
This Saturday and next, the Ohio Department of Education is conducting free parent information sessions in Cincinnati to describe how students attending 27 Cincinnati schools that are in “academic watch” or “academic emergency” are eligible to receive Ohio EdChoice Scholarships to attend private schools.
State officials say they were prevented from sending out postcards with that information because Cincinnati Public Schools officials refuse to provide addresses of families of students in the eligible schools.
Boston Herald: City, teachers union agree on contract, avert strike
The city and the Boston Teachers Union agreed to a new contract yesterday, possibly averting a legal crisis for the union as it faced hefty court fines over its planned strike vote.
“Now that we’ve reached an agreement with the School Committee, a discussion of a strike would be a moot point,” said BTU spokesman Steve Crawford.
A Suffolk Superior Court judge found the union in contempt of court for voting two weeks ago to postpone its strike vote. The union had planned to vote on a strike today. Associate Justice Bruce R. Henry fined the BTU $30,000 for refusing to rescind its last vote by 2 p.m. yesterday, and ordered the union to pay the state $10,000 for each additional day it refuses to do so.
While he said the issue is “moot,” Crawford would not say how the union will respond to the judge’s order.
Washington Post: Most on Council Back Fenty's Takeover Plan
Posted by Ryan Boots at 06:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)At the last of seven public hearings yesterday on Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's plan to take over the D.C. public schools, a majority of D.C. Council members voiced approval for the proposal, but several also indicated support for giving the Board of Education more power than Fenty (D) intended.
Several council members suggested that they favor amendments that could allow the board, instead of the mayor, to appoint a chief state education officer and a school ombudsman.
Fenty's testimony brought a series of exhaustive public hearings to a close. "I must say that I'm glad that it's about to be over," said council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1). "It's time. It really is time to act. No need for further studies. . . . Now, it's up to the council. Let's go."
Education News for Wednesday, February 28
La. Officials Selective in Granting 9 More Charters for New Orleans (Edweek.org registration required) - Louisiana officials were pretty picky this month in approving new charter schools to help accommodate the fast-growing student population in New Orleans, analysts say. They gave a conditional OK to just nine charters to open for the coming academic year, out of 17 formal applications for 28 schools.
Charter school bill overhauled - Colorado Senate Republicans gutted a bill Tuesday that they feared would curtail the growth of charter schools, teaming with inner-city Democrats to turn it into a measure that, instead, could enable creation of more charter schools.
Flap Over UEA’s ‘Monopolistic’ Ways Fuels Utah Bill (Edweek.org registration required) - An affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers and a nonunion teachers’ group are waging a fight in the Utah legislature against what they say is the Utah Education Association’s “monopolistic” hold over schools that is keeping other groups from reaching out to potential members.
CPS hindering vouchers, state says - More than 11,500 Cincinnati Public School students are eligible to receive state-paid vouchers to attend private schools next year, but state officials say that Cincinnati Public officials are hindering them from getting the word out.
House decides to stick with No Child Left Behind - The No Child Left Behind Act may not be popular, but the money attached to it trumped plans to reject the federal program in Montana.
City, teachers union agree on contract, avert strike - The city and the Boston Teachers Union agreed to a new contract yesterday, possibly averting a legal crisis for the union as it faced hefty court fines over its planned strike vote.
Choice measures - Letter to the editor from Morgan Brown, USDOE deputy secretary: Any way you measure it, George W. Bush has done more for school choice than any other president.
Task force to vote on ways to improve science education - A Kentucky statewide task force will vote today on seven proposals to improve math and science education.
More oversight for schools? - Concerned about the Philadelphia School District's financial problems, City Controller Alan Butkovitz said yesterday he would seek legislation to give his office greater authority to audit school finances.
Voucher changes get preliminary OK from Senate - The Utah Senate Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a bill that would make some minor changes to the Parents for Choice in Education Act, the education voucher law that passed earlier this session.
Autistic children would receive school vouchers under proposal - Texas would create a school voucher program for more than 17,000 autistic children under legislation the chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee is expected to offer today.
Senate backs Indian education office - A bill to set in law South Dakota's Office of Indian Education won a unanimous vote in a Senate committee Tuesday.
Multiple-choice opinions on schools' for-profit future - Officials from the School District of Philadelphia wanted to know how Edison Schools Inc. is doing at the 21 public schools it manages. For the 200 parents, grandparents, teachers and local activists who attended a community meeting last night at Huey School in West Philadelphia, there were many different answers to that question.
Big changes seen under No Child Left Behind - The federal No Child Left Behind law has prompted huge changes at schools in Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, reforms that are emblematic of how President Bush's landmark education policy will influence schools across the country in the years to come.
Most on Council Back Fenty's Takeover Plan - At the last of seven public hearings yesterday on Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's plan to take over the D.C. public schools, a majority of D.C. Council members voiced approval for the proposal, but several also indicated support for giving the Board of Education more power than Fenty (D) intended.
L.A. Board of Education adopts discipline policy aimed at reducing suspensions - The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday adopted a new, districtwide discipline policy aimed at decreasing the number of students suspended and kept after school for misbehaving.
Justices Hear Arguments on Autism-Case Dispute - The Supreme Court on Tuesday heard an appeal that will clarify the situation for the parents of millions of children with disabilities and for the public school districts that are obliged to serve them under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.
UPDATE:
Officials expect few changes in school choice - A bill that has been submitted to the [South Carolina] Senate education committee for review would make it easier for students to transfer among public schools and would save parents thousands of dollars in tuition they pay to send their children to other school districts.
New prep academy offers school choice - In August, a non-profit organization known for its academic excellence will open its third charter school in Mesa.
District withholding info out of privacy concerns - The district's refusal has hindered efforts to contact the more than 11,500 Cincinnati students who could receive the state-funded vouchers next year, education department spokesman J.C. Benton said.
New policy will give small S.F. schools flexibility - Supporters said the new policy was a significant achievement that will open the doors for school choice in communities across the city.
Parents Pull Children Out Of School, Protest TAKS - Angela Biddle got fed up. Her son came home from school one day with a note that said if he didn't attend state-mandated tutorial sessions for the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test, charges would be filed.
Board okays Hammond boundaries - Over the objections of parents worried about neighborhood cohesiveness and dangerous commutes, the Hillsborough County School Board unanimously approved attendance boundaries Tuesday for an elementary scheduled to open in the northwest part of the county.
Ga. Teacher Rules the Old School Way - Sometimes finding the key to unlock a child's mind takes a special type of person. And, when their minds open, it's like night turning into day, as Peggy Shivers knows all too well.
School Board OKs Merit Pay Plan - Marianne Capoziello, president of the Polk Education Association, called the board's decision to go with a plan based on student achievement, 'disrespectful.'
Principal Gets Flak for Holding Ethnically Separate Assemblies - An East Bay High School principal is taking some heat for holding separate assemblies for ethnic minorities to announce state test score results.
Teacher Ratio Proposal Pulled From Education Reform Bill - The Baldacci administration is withdrawing a proposal to change the student teacher ratio in Maine's school funding formula.
Schoolchildren Left Behind - Opinion: You think you hate your job? Imagine working for the National Assessment of Educational Progress at the U.S. Department of Education, which releases periodic reports on the state of education in America.
Government `solutions' in education just make things worse - Opinion: As if public education weren't heinous enough with the useless standardized testing of all students, now the federal Commission on No Child Left Behind is urging the use of these test results to evaluate teacher performance.
Study: School staffing shifts too drastic - For many teachers and principals at Oakland's most struggling schools, school reform has meant looking for a new job.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Grades States On Education - (Edweek.org subscription required) With a new and highly critical report card offering a business perspective on the effectiveness of state education systems, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce today weighed in with a prescription for more innovative, efficient, and better-performing schools.
Randi's Rent-A-Rally - Editorial: Scores of elected officials, many of whom know better, will be on hand, along with a bought-and-paid-for chorus of false reformers - all to dance to the tunes of Randi Weingarten of the teachers' union, who has been trying to derail real reform since Mayor Mike wrested control of the schools from the educrats some five years ago.
IU Study: Students Are Bored in High School; Seek Attention - A study released by Indiana University shows that two out of every 3 students in high school say they are bored in class.
Dramatic rise in California schools falling behind on 'No Child' goals - A new study released today shows that only 10 out of hundreds of low-scoring California schools facing severe consequences under No Child Left Behind have improved enough to get off of a state watch list this year.
House votes to stick with No Child Left Behind - The No Child Left Behind Act may not be popular, but the money attached to it trumped plans to reject the federal program [in Montana].
A Bad Report Card - New York Times Editorial: The news from American high schools is not good.
Firing staff isn't best solution for 'failing' schools, study finds - Schools forced to reorganize because of poor performance under the U.S. No Child Left Behind law are more likely to improve if they change teaching practices rather than firing staff, according to a study in California.
Teachers, School Employees Found With Criminal Records - Pennsylvania requires a criminal check on teachers before they are hired, but once they're on the payroll, they never get checked.
Admission rules are clarified for German-immersion school - A San Diego charter school that offers a rare German language immersion program can continue to give preference to German-speaking students who apply to the campus, the school board decided yesterday.
Some Immigrant High Schoolers Receive a Lesson in Disappointment - Some immigrant families in New York City are expressing a sense of being betrayed after high school locations abruptly changed and students couldn't apply elsewhere.
Posted by Daily News at 06:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)CTA Wins... California Students and Taxpayers Lose (Dave Johnston)
State Superintendent Jack O'Connell and California Teachers Association (CTA) President Barbara Kerr recently held a conference call discussing the Quality Education Improvement Act (QEIA), which will provide an additional $2.9 billion to about 500 low-performing schools over the next seven years. The measure was the result of the lawsuit filed by CTA against the governor charging that the governor had failed to live up to previous promises. According to David Tofosky, an LAUSD board member, the QEIA came out of a backroom deal between the governor, CTA and State Superintendent O'Connell.
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Posted by Featured Guest at 01:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)February 27, 2007
Detroit Public Schools as Enron (or: fiddling while Rome burns)
Peter Elkind, who co-wrote a book on the rise and fall of Enron, shared this vignette about the infamous company's final days:
The broadband business was in complete meltdown. And there were all sorts of other problems that Jeff Skilling as the company's Chief Operating Officer was wrestling with. And in the middle of all this, Ken Lay walks in Jeff Skilling's office holding up fabric swatches for the new G5 45 million dollar corporate jet he wanted to buy. And he said to Jeff, asked him a very important question, 'which of these cabin configurations do you like best, Jeff?'
With that in mind, consider Detroit Public Schools. The district has lost tens of thousands of students (and, of course, the per-pupil funding that accompanied them). It's faced with closing dozens of schools. So what is the district to do?
Detroit Public Schools spent at least $1.6 million in bond money -- funds taxpayers approved for building or repairing decaying city schools -- on professional artwork for the district.
While spending bond money on art is not illegal, it is highly unusual. School officials in Chicago, Philadelphia and other large cities -- as well as in some wealthy Detroit suburbs -- say they don't spend large sums on art for their schools.
The purchases identified by the Free Press -- made through the same Detroit gallery since 2002 -- raise questions again about the cash-strapped district's spending decisions. Earlier this month, the Free Press reported that the district spent more than $1.3 million in the past year on travel, meeting and catering expenses even as it closed schools to cut costs.
The paper goes on to report that many of the purchases began under the prior supe in 2002, but have continued. In spite of repeated requests, the district has refused to release an inventory of the artwork to the paper, which today reports that the school board president is also requesting such an inventory.
Of course, plenty of folks are incensed (check the comment thread at this Joanne Jacobs post for an example). But when it comes to accountability, the Enron analogy breaks down. In the case of the disgraced corporation, the biggest players in the debacle have done prison time; the biggest fish of all, Ken Lay, would have gone behind bars if he hadn't passed away before sentencing. But I'm not holding out hope that anybody in Detroit will get so much as a slap on the wrist. After getting away with this for five straight years, why should we expect somebody to face the music now?
Education News for Tuesday, February 27
Spitzer administration, teachers' union take on teacher sex cases - The Spitzer administration's education czar and New York's largest teachers' union on Monday said they will help confront a rise in cases of teachers having sex with students.
Second Report Confirms School District Gains - Performance evaluations of the Philadelphia School District during its massive reform movement of the last five years continue to yield positive reviews.
No Child Left Behind Debate Rekindles - Report on the NCLB debate in West Virginia (video required).
NSTA to Provide ‘Anchors’ to Winnow Topics (Edweek.org registration required) - The National Science Teachers Association is launching a project to help educators identify the most crucial concepts in that subject, a move that comes as political and business leaders are calling for greater consistency in how science and mathematics are taught nationwide.
National Standards Urged for Math, Science Teachers (Edweek.org registration required) - A federal commission has issued draft recommendations calling for the creation of national licensing standards for teachers in mathematics and science, in what would mark a clear shift away from a system controlled by individual states and universities.
Church Schools Face Challenge From Charters - Catholic schools around New York are facing a new threat to their increasingly tenuous existence: charter schools.
Reform D.C. special ed - Editorial: It's imperative -- with the court watching their every move and the rising costs of special education robbing every classroom -- that programs for special-needs students be reformed.
No Child Left Behind? Well, Maybe Just a Few - Opinion: You think you hate your job? Imagine working for the National Assessment of Educational Progress at the U.S. Department of Education, which releases periodic reports on the state of education in the U.S.
Sestak conducts a Delco hearing on 'No Child' law - School teachers, parents, administrators and students turned out for an education forum yesterday in Delaware County, Pennsylvania to tell newly elected congressman Joe Sestak that they like the goals of the federal No Child Left Behind Act but want changes in how it tests students, how much money it gives struggling schools and the accommodations it makes for special-education students' disabilities.
$1.2 billion more for education sought - Washington state would increase education spending by $1.2 billion over the next two years under a budget plan state legislators unveiled Monday.
Grim forecast for struggling high schoolers - Struggling students in high schools across the Denver area are not likely to improve academically, and some may slip in core subjects as they progress through high school.
Governors Face Realties of Globalization - The only way to thrive amid globalization is to change, and states are past due for a sweeping transformation of education, worker training and economic development, governors agreed Monday after days of discussions at the annual winter meeting of the National Governors Association.
House OKs bill on equality of teacher unions - A bill intended to level the playing field for competing teacher unions in Utah was amended to its original form and passed the House Monday.
Hot air on D.C. school reform pollutes the debate - Opinion: A host of self-appointed experts and activists and academics and Home Rule ideologues comment on and study our public schools. They are the professional talkers, bloviating for decades while schools failed our children.
Legislators eye radical reforms - In Colorado, the enduring political divide between backers of charter and online schools and the crowd determined to improve traditional public education is narrowing as a unifying goal emerges: radical and systematic school reform.
Patrick extends himself - Editorial: Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick isn't likely to please most local officials with his proposed doubling of a budget line item for an extended school day. It would be easier and more popular to concentrate education aid exclusively on the unrestricted Chapter 70 account beloved by cities and towns. But instead, Patrick is boldly targeting millions of dollars for competitive grants that hold real promise for education reform.
School art scandal requires more than an investigation - Caught spending at least $1.6 million on professional artwork, the Detroit Public Schools is providing fuel for the exodus of students from its schools. Parents, students and others must hold the district accountable for this disgrace.
Money talks - Editorial: The job of Los Angeles Unified School District board members is only part time, and it pays but $24,000 a year - hardly the most desirable office in a region that routinely bestows six-figure salaries upon its public officials. And yet the position is so highly coveted that campaigns for it command millions of dollars in special-interest contributions. That ought to tell you something.
No Child Left Behind is working because it provides accountability - Opinion: In 1965, President Johnson signed into law the first federal aid program for high-poverty school districts. It lacked one core ingredient, however: accountability. A year later, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy asked, "What happened to the children? Do you mean you spent a billion dollars and you don't know whether they can read or not?" The No Child Left Behind Act is America's answer to that question.
Growing our own - Editorial: Improving high school math and science instruction is fast shaping up as a big priority. It's attention that's as overdue as it is welcome. Most states have long shortchanged their gifted students, paying only lip service to the need to challenge them with rewarding, rigorous courses. And many students shy away from math and science. But the problem goes deeper than that.
Are we losing our boys? - Something ominous is happening with boys and young men in Wichita and nationwide. They are blowing off life, skipping classes, failing courses, dropping out.
Demand for English Lessons Outstrips Supply - As immigrants increasingly settle away from large urban centers — New York’s suburbs have had a net gain of 225,000 since 2000, compared with 44,000 in the city — many are waiting months or even years to get into government-financed English classes, which are often overcrowded and lack textbooks.
In New Jersey, Districts Find Aid Increases Insufficient - Nearly half of the increased state aid that Gov. Jon S. Corzine promised for schools in his budget proposal last week will be eaten up by teachers’ benefits and school construction, and much of the remaining $300 million is earmarked for literacy and early childhood programs, education officials in New Jersey said yesterday.
Fenty's Overhaul Plan Echoes Janey's - D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, seeking to gain control of the city's school system, has drafted a 31-page plan for education improvements that offers few new initiatives and instead stresses the need to speed up restructuring measures already being implemented by Superintendent Clifford B. Janey.
UPDATE:
Parents of 8 BJM students seeking transfers for kids - The parents of eight Beverly J. Martin Elementary School students have requested transfers for their children under No Child Left Behind's School Choice option, a district official said Monday.
District disputes charter school's admission policy - Albert Einstein Academy Charter School in San Diego offers a language immersion program that's rare, if not unique, in the region...but the San Diego Unified School District says the school's admissions policy giving preference to German speakers may violate equal protection clauses in state and federal law.
School Board OKs disputed pay system - After listening to arguments from both the union and district staff, board members said they had no choice, because the state has threatened to withhold $3.1 million in Florida Lottery proceeds if the district does not participate in the Special Teachers Are Rewarded (STAR) program established by the Legislature last spring.
Freston's Principle - Editorial: We're certainly proponents of the idea that parents of Mr. Freston's means, who pay a hefty share of the taxes in this city yet largely opt out of the public schools, deserve to be able to use their tax dollars on schools that work for their children.
School changes are on the way - School officials and parents need to accept that things are going to change for East Detroit Schools as enrollment continues to fall, Superintendent Bruce Kefgen said Monday.
Mathematics and the Pure in Heart - (Edweek.org subscription required) Opinion: One might reasonably assume that the math wars have died down. From occasional newspaper reports, one might have the impression that the sides have agreed to make nice. Not so.
Parties spar on education funding - For years, lower Fairfield County politicians have complained that the formula the state uses to dole out education money needs to be fixed.
Five Reasons Not To Worry About U.S. Schools - Opinion by Jay Mathews: Is the rest of the world making our schools look bad? That is what we are going to be hearing from many American politicians as the 2008 campaign accelerates. But a refreshingly clear and balanced report just published by The Center for Public Education indicates this is a simple-minded argument that is unworthy of us and our democracy.
Defining Autism - The Washington Post features a series on autism and learning disorders. Articles include: Gifted? Autistic? Or Just Quirky? - As More Children Receive Diagnoses, Effects of These Labels Seem Mixed, Rare No More - With Research Up and Stigma Down, Autism Sheds More of Its Mystery, and a Q&A with author Roy Richard Grinker.
Critical Years - A multimedia feature from the New York Times on "The Middle School Dilemma."
House: No Child Left Behind goes too far - The [Indiana] House voted 56-40 today to pass a bill barring the federal No Child Left Behind educational standards from being used as a basis for accrediting schools or hiring teachers in Indiana.
State budget short of aid schools need - School aid figures in the state budget Gov. Deval L. Patrick will talk about in a televised address tonight will not go far enough to keep many local school departments, including Worcester public schools, from falling further behind next year.
Governors Uniting for NCLB Changes - (Edweek.org subscription required) The nation’s governors, who wrap up a four-day meeting here today, are uniting for the first time to lobby for changes to the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which was enacted five years ago with little input from this group of state leaders.
States Face Federal Review On NCLB Choice, Tutoring - (Edweek.org subscription required) The Department of Education has added six more states to a list of 17 already selected for intensive monitoring of their supplemental-education-services and public-school-choice programs under the No Child Left Behind Act.
State OKs Chinese charter school - The Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion School is still seeking a location in western Massachusetts. It would be open to 300 students, kindergarten through eighth grade.
Charter school plan rejected - The Madison School Board voted 4-2 against the creation of the Studio School at a meeting Monday night, citing unanswered questions about the proposal and a projected budget shortfall that could mean cuts in other areas.
Let vouchers help kids, not pain schools - Opinion: It’s up to the parents, not the government, to decide — just as Lanetta Estrada did — which approaches will best serve the needs of their children. The goal here is to empower parents, not to regulate the competition.
Posted by Daily News at 06:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Morning Shots
Education Week (registration required): National Standards Urged for Math, Science Teachers
A federal commission has issued draft recommendations calling for the creation of national licensing standards for teachers in mathematics and science, in what would mark a clear shift away from a system controlled by individual states and universities.
Either the federal government or a national policy organization would establish guidelines for certification and teacher training, under the proposal. States and school districts could be given federal financial incentives to follow those standards, according to the report’s recommendations.
That idea was one of many offered by the Commission on 21st Century Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, a panel formed last year by the National Science Board. The board sets policy for the National Science Foundation, an independent federal research agency.
The draft report to the board was released last month. A final document is expected later this year, possibly in May or June, said Shirley M. Malcom, a co-chair of the commission.
Washington Post: Fenty's Overhaul Plan Echoes Janey's
D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, seeking to gain control of the city's school system, has drafted a 31-page plan for education improvements that offers few new initiatives and instead stresses the need to speed up restructuring measures already being implemented by Superintendent Clifford B. Janey.
As part of his campaign to win direct authority over the struggling, 55,000-student system, Fenty (D) also would impose stiffer accountability measures on the administrators charged with carrying out restructuring. His report is intended to answer critics who have said he has offered no specifics about what he would do if awarded control.
A draft of the report, obtained by The Washington Post, largely echoes the school system's Master Education Plan. Following that document as a guide, Fenty promises to beef up reading and math programs in kindergarten through eighth grade, expand Advanced Placement and vocational education in high schools and create incentive pay for teachers in troubled schools, offering bonuses for those who perform well.
AP: Governors Face Realties of Globalization
Posted by Ryan Boots at 05:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Governors are facing up to some harsh realities: Their states' school children aren't ready for the 21st century, their workers aren't trained for the new jobs created every day, and their businesses aren't competing as strongly as they must to keep ahead.
The only way to thrive amid globalization is to change, and states are past due for a sweeping transformation of education, worker training and economic development, governors agreed Monday after days of discussions at the annual winter meeting of the National Governors Association.
"The plain fact of the matter is the world has changed," said Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat who sought to convince her fellow state leaders that globalization is their problem. "We must have a sense of urgency as governors. ... What we're doing now does not suffice."
A Voucher Victory (Andrew Coulson)
Three percent of Utah students currently attend private schools. In the Netherlands, the figure is 75 percent. The difference? The Dutch enacted their universal school voucher program in 1917, and Utah's passed just last week.
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Posted by Featured Guest at 01:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)February 26, 2007
And for that, we're grateful indeed
The Voice for School Choice reads The State so you don't have to! (There are a couple of interpretations to the title of this post--click the link to find out.)
"Charters are a backdoor attack on public education"
This anti-charter post (hat tip: the latest Carnival of Education at History is Elementary) is an interesting case study on the use of language in connection with education. But first, some responses are in order. The blogger quotes the following from a principal's blog:
If we think it’s good practice to form charter schools who can operate free from the regulations governing public schools, then why do we support the regulations governing public schools?
As a 17 year veteran of public schools, working hard to make a difference every day, I can’t be trusted to make good decisions without regulations, but I could be as a charter school applicant?
Personally, I'd say far too many regulations are placed on public schools, and I think principals should have much greater decision-making authority, especially concerning personnel matters, than they presently enjoy. That doesn't mean charter schools should be saddled with the same burdens, especially when they a) get less funding, and b) face a higher level of accountability, since charters are generally easier to shut down than mainstream public schools.
But that's beside the point. Notice the principal--and by extension the blogger who quotes him--asks why we support these regulations. Who (or whom, I guess) does he mean by "we"? Yes, I know these regulations grew over the space of many years. But there's a tendency to refer to public education in rather nebulous terms regarding just who the system represents.
The blogger's main contention is that charters will place the system on a slippery slope to vouchers. Even assuming he's right, I'd say that slope must be awfully gradual (Arizona is a huge charter state, but it doesn't have anything approaching the voucher program in Milwaukee). While he briefly acknowledges that charter schools are public schools, apparently they just aren't the right kind of public school. But just what does he mean by "public" school? In particularly, check out this sentence:
Charters are another stepping stone to subdivide the school system on the path to taking education out of the public domain.
Just what is the "public domain"? Maybe he's referring to reducing the influence of school boards; I would argue that this wouldn't be a bad thing, but nowhere near as strenuously as Checker Finn ("...the local school board, especially the elected kind, is an anachronism and an outrage"). Or it's possible he opposes the notion of parents having more power and politicians in general having less. But both these interpretations could be wrong because, again, this notion of a public domain is so hazy and indistinct. In any event, if education is in the "public domain," who calls the shots? Presumably the system belongs to everybody, but right now it appears to be accountable to nobody, least of all to parents.
Moreover, the idea of public education, which school choice opponents argue is the ideal, seems to suggest that everybody should be committed to the system. The problem, as Neal McCluskey has stated, is that the system as presently designed "demands everyone's support but can only reflect some people's values," meaning that that commitment seems to be a one-way street. If one happens to be in the minority that doesn't like a particular decision, what is that individual to do, particularly if relocating to a different district or enrollment in a private school isn't within reach?
Opponents of school choice have also set up a very unfair and misleading dichotomy in the school choice debate in which they have the "public" moniker all to themselves. It goes something like this: we (school choice opponents) support public schools, meaning the school choice crowd is clearly against public schools. Yes, I'm well aware that the use of the word refers to the funding of the schools through tax dollars. But consider other interpretations. Private schools can easily be called public institutions in the sense that they're open to anybody who wants to enroll. No, they aren't free of charge, but no school is free, least of all the tax-supported variety. Besides, nearly all private schools routinely do some pretty heavy fundraising to help keep tuition as low as possible, even offering full scholarships to students whose families can't afford the expense. Private schools might not be taxpayer-supported, but that doesn't mean they aren't public in a different sense.
The behavior of "public" versus "private" schools in terms of openness is also worth considering. I think their name suggests private schools are insulated or shut off from prying eyes, a notion that is instantly dispelled by a visit. At the very least, they're as open to outside visitors as public schools; many of them, much more so.
Oh, and the notion that support of school choice equates to some desire to shut down the public school system entirely is, frankly, absurd. Frequently, school choice supporters are quite willing to increase overall education spending alongside the creation of school choice programs, such as what happened last year in Arizona, when state legislators created new scholarship programs and increased total eduspending by $480 million dollars. Even John Stossel, reportedly Public Education Enemy Number One, has said publicly that the likelihood of ever getting the government out of education is extremely low. Besides, consider the growing support of school choice among Democrats. Does anybody seriously think Whitney Tilson, Dan Gerstein, or Joe Lieberman want to see a complete and total cessation of government involvement in education?
So the concept of public education means a lot more than merely who makes out the check. It seems to me that whether that education takes place is of much greater importance than where it occurs.
Morning Shots
Mac NN: Jobs to get "Rotten Apple' award without apology
The California Federation of Teachers has invited Apple CEO Steve Jobs to either attend an annual CFT convention next month or offer a public apology for his "insulting comments" to California's teachers. Should Jobs fail to apologize or neglect to attend the conference, where he is encouraged to speak with the people who educate California's children and hear from them what the situation is like, the CFT will create a new award specifically for Apple's chief. "We'll call it the Rotten Apple, for the individual who best personifies the need to think differently about public education and teacher unions," California Federation of Teachers president Mary Bergan wrote in a letter to the executive. Bergan aggressively rebuted Jobs' statement to an educational reform conference last week, where he expressed belief that the schools have become unionized "in the worst possible way" and that the unionization with lifetime employment of K-12 teachers is "off-the-charts crazy."
School Reform News: School Choice Alliance Appoints New Leader
The Alliance for School Choice and Advocates for School Choice will experience their first leadership transition in April, when President and General Counsel Clint Bolick will be replaced by Charles Hokanson, Jr.
At that time, the organization will move its headquarters from Phoenix to Washington, DC.
The Alliance and Advocates were launched three years ago to help coordinate national efforts to promote private school choice options for disadvantaged children. In their first two years, the groups and their allies helped create or expand 19 school choice programs nationwide.
NYT: Federal Supervision of Race in Little Rock Schools Ends
The Little Rock School District was released on Friday from federal court supervision of its desegregation efforts, almost 50 years after President Dwight D. Eisenhower dispatched federal troops to enforce an integration order that the Arkansas governor defied.
In a written order, Judge William R. Wilson Jr. of Federal District Court declared the district “unitary.” That meant it had met its obligations under court-ordered remedies to address lingering questions about its commitment to equal opportunity in education.
Judge Wilson said the school board could “now operate the district as it sees fit, answerable to no one” save its students, patrons and voters.
AP: Judge tosses suit by parents who objected to talk of gay marriage in classroom
Posted by Ryan Boots at 09:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)A federal judge on Friday threw out a lawsuit filed by parents who wanted to keep their young children from learning about gay marriage in school.
U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf said federal courts have decided in other cases that parents' rights to exercise their religious beliefs are not violated when their children are exposed to contrary ideas in school.
Schools are “entitled to teach anything that is reasonably related to the goals of preparing students to become engaged and productive citizens,” Wolf said in his ruling.
Education News for Monday, February 26
Does spreading virtual schools make sense? - Editorial: As Janesville joins public school districts around Wisconsin rushing to set up virtual charter schools, we're left with a few questions.
Better charter schools - Editorial: A charter-school education is a pact with families. It bears the seal of Texas. It should mean more than it has up until now.
State Court Won't Take Up Az. Vouchers (School Reform News) - On January 9, the Arizona Supreme Court declined to hear a legal challenge to the state's newest educational voucher programs--one for foster children, the other for special-needs children.
Jobs to get "Rotten Apple' award without apology - The California Federation of Teachers has invited Apple CEO Steve Jobs to either attend an annual CFT convention next month or offer a public apology for his "insulting comments" to California's teachers. If he refuses, the CFT will present him with an award created specifically for him: the "Rotten Apple."
Schools Succeed With Nontraditional Teachers (School Reform News) - Douglas County, Colorado's nontraditional teacher preparation program has blossomed with the new Castle View High School in Castle Rock.
Testing, funding questioned as No Child law faces reauthorization - Connecticut education officials issued an informal report card Friday to U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman on the federal No Child Left Behind Act, lauding its intentions but criticizing several of its regulations.
Illinois Teachers Seek Independence from State Union, Meet Resistance (School Reform News) - A decision by some Illinois teachers to seek independence for their local union has succeeded despite resistance from the state teachers union.
Waiting for the budget rules to change - Opinion: New Jersey school officials are feeling a bit pessimistic. With a state budget still in the red thanks to years of questionable policies and smoke-and-mirror accounting, the people drafting school district budgets are not counting on the state for a lot of help.
Democrats Pledge: No Vouchers in NCLB (School Reform News) - With Democratic majorities taking control of the U.S. Congress, in late January the new chairmen of the committees overseeing federal education programs vowed to block any moves to make voucher programs part of reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which is due for consideration in this Congress.
School Choice Alliance Appoints New Leader (School Reform News) - The Alliance for School Choice and Advocates for School Choice will experience their first leadership transition in April, when President and General Counsel Clint Bolick will be replaced by Charles Hokanson, Jr.
Poll Shows Statewide Support for Choice in Arizona (School Reform News) - A strong majority of Arizonans support school choice, according to a poll released in early January on the eve of the state supreme court's decision not to hear the case against Arizona's newest educational voucher programs.
Ohio Passes Scholarship Bill, Scuttles Another (School Reform News) - In the closing hours of the 2005-2006 session of the Ohio General Assembly, more students in poorly performing schools gained access to expanded educational choices. A scholarship program for disabled students, however, failed to reach the floor for a vote.
Hoekstra gathers input on 'No Child Left Behind' act - Michigan school district superintendents Cal DeKuiper and Jeff Mount enjoyed hearing U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra’s opinions about the federal government’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.
Sen. Roberts addresses No Child Left Behind debate - Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., met with 20 school superintendents from northeast Kansas as part of a trek around the state. Roberts acknowledged that No Child Left Behind has its problems.
Legislature Announces Big Education Increases - Legislative leaders announced an agreement Friday to raise funding for public education by $450 million, by far the biggest increase ever for Utah’s crowded schools.
Elected Officials Lay Out Solutions For Lowering Drop-Out Rate - Elected officials say New York City's high school drop-out rate is at a crisis point and an educational summit on Friday laid out some possible solutions.
House OKs adjustment to voucher law - Friday the Utah House approved a bill that would tweak the new private school voucher law known as the Parents for Choice in Education Act.
Officials of charter school, L.A. Unified misused state funds, suit says - Several individuals from the Accelerated School and LAUSD were named in a lawsuit this week alleging improper use of state school construction funds.
Fate of merit-pay plan for Broward teachers is in doubt - Teachers in Broward, Florida might get a chance to claim victory next week in their battle against a controversial pay-for-performance plan -- even though victory, in this case, would mean bonuses for fewer educators.
School board races earn B for big bucks - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the powerful Los Angeles Unified teachers union have spent close to $1.9 million in the past month battling for control of the district's board, according to campaign finance reports filed Friday.
Two school board races top $1 million - The L.A. political dynamic of the mayor versus the teachers union — two supposed allies in school reform — is playing out in the financial statements of school board candidates, with the price tag on two races sailing past the $1-million mark.
Anti-voucher supporters gained strength in election - Opinion: James Leininger, the San Antonio multi-millionaire who has personally put millions into election campaigns to elect voucher supporters, has had it demonstrated to him that a considerable number of Texans simply don't think it's a good idea.
Closed charter school owes state $1.4 million - A former Cleveland charter school that once was the largest in the city owes the Ohio Department of Education $1.4 million for inflated enrollment figures, a state audit found.
Mayor, union pour funds into LAUSD board race - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the Los Angeles Unified teachers union have spent more than $1.8 million during the past month battling for control of the district's board, according to campaign finance reports filed Friday.
California faces reckoning in trying to solve dropout problem - Although most calculations show that between 67 percent and 71 percent of students who enter California's school system in ninth grade graduate from high school four years later, to comply with the federal education-reform law, No Child Left Behind, California reports an "official" graduation rate of about 85 percent. The difference highlights what critics say are major gaps in the five-year-old federal law.
Should the National Education Association fund ideological causes? - Differing viewpoints on the NEA's support for predominantly left-leaning causes.
U.S. schools weigh extending hours, year - On average, U.S. students go to school 6.5 hours a day, 180 days a year, fewer than in many other industrialized countries, according to a report by the Education Sector, a Washington-based think tank.
Oversight Lacking For Charter Schools - Editorial: We believe firmly that charter and other private schools can be valuable parts of an education system. But merely handing people money when they proclaim that they have opened a charter school — without proper supervision — is ridiculous.
Half of teachers at North will be shown the door - Denver's effort to reform its public schools hit North High School like a hurricane Friday, when students learned that half of their teachers would not be returning in the fall.
Choice would take the fighting out of schooling our kids - Opinion by Cato's Neal McCluskey: Readers of The Arizona Republic this year have witnessed writers, including Arizona's superintendent of public instruction, lobbing charges of racism at each other in an education battle royale. How do we end the fighting? The terms of truce are disarmingly simple: Let parents choose schools that meet their desires.
Governor's multi-level reforms have global focus - Opinion by Minnesota Department of Education commissioner Alice Seagren: Gov. Tim Pawlenty has offered a comprehensive set of proposals designed to reform and reinvigorate our system of education from pre-kindergarten through high school. His "World-Class Students" initiative will help take our students from nation-leading to world-competing.
Roanoke students continue to lag - The No Child Left Behind Act, which President Bush signed into law five years ago last month, was designed to inject rigor and accountability into American public schools but was aimed primarily at younger students. Roanoke test results over the past five years hint at some progress on the tests in the lower grades. But those improvements have yet to translate to older students.
Charter school attendance grows - If the number of children waiting to get into one of Pennsylvania's charter schools is any indication of how well they are doing, then these taxpayer-funded alternatives to public education are earning passing grades.
Utah legislature announces huge K-12 budget increase - Legislative leaders announced an agreement Friday to raise funding for public education by $450 million, by far the biggest increase ever for Utah's crowded schools.
District and union at loggerheads - The Osceola, Florida teachers union and school district officials have reached an impasse on negotiations surrounding a controversial merit-pay plan required by the state, with union representatives expected to make a final case against it before the School Board on Monday.
Tuition still unaffordable for poorest - Despite the fanfare, Utah's landmark voucher program will not provide universal access to private schools.
Attacking teachers won't help children - Opinion: Treating teachers like professionals is the best policy.
SMASH targets young minorities with keen interest in math, science - A look at a San Francisco-area podcasting program for minority students interested in math and science.
Charter schools ask: Who will help? - New Hampshire's original $7.2 million federal start-up grant, attained to fund a 10-year pilot program to establish up to 20 charter schools, is set to run out in June. And with no major movement among lawmakers to funnel more money into the mission-driven public schools, the financial situation, and the future, of charter schools is shaky.
With 'No Child Left Behind,' devil is in the details - Opinion: It is difficult to find an educator who does not find fault with NCLB and doesn't want it fixed.
Should 'No Child' be left behind? - Opinion: The intent of NCLB was admirable, but the mechanics of it are flawed.
District works to eliminate rich, poor schools - For years, the lines of society have often shown in schools. Rich neighborhoods have what some consider rich schools and vice versa. However, Boulder Valley District officials want to change seeking a balance at all schools.
Education Topic Of Legislative Breakfast - In Arkansas, education was the key topic during Saturday's legislative breakfast at the Embassy Suites, ranging from questions regarding funding for higher education and criticism of charter schools.
Ex-Navy Chief Gets Executive Education in Urban Schools Leadership - A 10-month executive management program trains top executives from military, business, nonprofit, government and education backgrounds to lead urban public school districts.
Charter schools apparently aren't audited - From the perspective of Pennsylvania school district business managers, the public school funding system has sprung a major leak.
Workshops help area families choose right school - Finding a school that's a perfect fit for your child is getting more complicated as public, private and charter school options expand in Dayton, Ohio, but new workshops aim to serve as a guide.
Area educators react to group's recommendations - Some Virginia educators have denounced recent recommendations for reforming NCLB as further toughening an emphasis on high-stakes testing while others see the proposals as strengthening the five-year-old law, which will be up for renewal by Congress later this year.
Unwise testing - Letter to the editor: School districts in North Carolina have a compelling opportunity to do the right thing for children by joining the protests in Virginia against No Child Left Behind legislation that requires all students, even those new to our country and culture, to take the same high-stakes tests.
Teachers step up elementary math lessons - More North Carolina elementary schools are adding math departments.
Yes: A rigorous curriculum produces better students - Opinion: The Arizona Governor's P-20 Council has it right: A four-year math requirement in high school, built on the teaching of Algebra 1 in eighth grade, benefits the state's evolving high-tech economy and the nation's global competitiveness and increases every student's readiness for college, long-term career options and pay.
Work skills winning new respect - Opinion: What's the best way to prepare all students for what's looking to be a pretty tough century?
National test results tell the same old story - Editorial: In the next wave of education reform, money should flow from parents to the schools. Let the decisions of parents push schools toward excellence.
Test scores declining over time - Two reports released last week reveal that students may be learning less than students who were in school 15 years ago, raising concerns about high school curriculum reform by the U.S. Department of Education.
Even With Improvements, Voucher System Still "Bad" for Opponents - Even with some small improvements, Utah's new school voucher system is a bitter pill for opponents to swallow.
Passing Up "No Child Left Behind" - Opinion by Rick Hess: Those who champion NCLB face two choices: either convince the public that preferred measures are merely efforts to reform the public schools rather than dramatically change them, or work to alter the public's preferences. If public opinion moves significantly in the years ahead, due to experience or argument, then the political debate and the vista of possibilities will expand accordingly.
All-year's all good, many say - A proposal to extend the academic year at Indianapolis middle schools already has drawn criticism, but experts and those who have made the move say it can pay big dividends.
Tweak No Child Left Behind law - Editorial: The federal No Child Left Behind Law -- a sweeping law enacted in 2002 that aims to ensure that all students are proficient -- is a great step for the U.S. education system, but it is not perfect.
Lieberman hears No Child gripes - Educators and state senators told U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, I-Conn., that they want to see major changes when U.S. lawmakers consider renewing the controversial No Child Left Behind Act later this year.
School board to debate STAR Program - Hopefully, an agreement will be reached at the conclusion of a special meeting of the Okeechobee County, Florida School Board on Tuesday, Feb. 27, concerning bonus pay for teachers.
This Is Not Your 1983 Governor’s School Aid Plan - Now that Governor Spitzer has unveiled his ambitious proposal to increase state aid significantly for schools in New York City and other needy districts, school officials on Long Island are poring over the plan to find out what it will mean for their districts.
Teachers Adopt a Business Identity - Business cards may be a staple of the business world, but in education, with its strict, top-down pecking order, often only high-level administrators and central-office types receive them. Now some teachers are taking matters into their own hands by making cards.
Federal Supervision of Race in Little Rock Schools Ends - The Little Rock School District was released on Friday from federal court supervision of its desegregation efforts, almost 50 years after President Dwight D. Eisenhower dispatched federal troops to enforce an integration order that the Arkansas governor defied.
A New Model for Schools in the Boston Archdiocese - St. Edith Stein and two other churches in this city of 94,000 about 25 miles south of Boston, are consolidating their schools, which together serve 500 children in kindergarten through eighth grade, and ceding control to a board of directors. The move is the first in the Archdiocese of Boston’s 2010 Initiative, a plan to revitalize its schools, particularly the elementary schools, which have been suffering from falling enrollment and finances.
Massachusetts: Gay Topics and Schools - A federal judge threw out a lawsuit filed by parents who wanted to keep their young children from learning about same-sex marriage in school.
UPDATE:
Online class bill heads to Senate - A plan to offer advanced placement, remedial and specialty classes online for students across the state passed the state House on Thursday despite coming under fire from Democrats who argued that offering it without providing money for Internet access perpetuates inequality.
Deciding between 'fairness,' 'goodness' - The new Minneapolis school board begins facing up to tough financial and academic choices with this week's budget options.
Lawmakers debate more school time - While Massachusetts is leading in putting in place the longer-day model, lawmakers in Minnesota, New Mexico, New York and Washington, D.C., also have debated whether to lengthen the school day or year.
Will plan spell r-e-l-i-e-f? - Local school district leaders aren’t pinning their hopes on HB 750 – the latest education funding reform proposal reintroduced this month. And they don’t think that it is the solution to Illinois’ school funding woes.
Schools use incentives to motivate FCAT takers - For some students, getting a high score on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test includes perks other than being promoted to the next grade or the sense of accomplishment.
FCAT prep turns to attitude - The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test returns today, three weeks after students in grades four, eight and 10 tackled the writing portion of the test.
Educators debating FCAT incentives - Whether it's a sign of healthy competition, or naked desperation, more schools are offering elaborate prizes for students who ace the FCAT or improve their scores.
Teaming up to tackle the FCAT - After slipping from a C to a D, Hernando High sharpens its focus on success with a broader level of accountability.
Overhaul the FCAT - Editorial: Gov. Crist must buck status quo with real reform for high-stakes test.
FCAT pressure at its highest - Tests are tougher; teachers' merit raises tied to scores.
Events try to beat FCAT anxiety - On Friday, dozens of FCAT pep rallies and other events focused on making the testing - used in some cases to decide whether a child is promoted - fun and nonthreatening.
Schools hope FCAT hoopla translates into higher scores - The statewide tests that begin Monday can mean respect and resources for schools as a whole.
Picard leaves gap in education leadership - State Superintendent of Education Cecil J. Picard will be hard to replace.
Educators have concerns about 'No Child' - Local educators told U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts this morning that federally-mandated testing of schoolchildren has its benefits, but often doesn't account for student differences and focuses too much energy on test-taking.
Students escape homelessness - Savannah Bugg and Kayla Williams are bucking the odds to earn their high school diplomas.
Teens Can Multitask, But What Are Costs? - The students who do it say multitasking makes them feel more productive and less stressed. Researchers aren't sure what the long-term impact will be because no studies have probed its effect on teenage development.
Posted by Daily News at 07:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
Learning about Today for Tomorrow (Andrew Pass)
Science and technology knowledge doubles every four years, if not faster. This means that any facts a freshman in college learns has a high chance of becoming obsolete by the time they graduate. Who can guess what the world will like look when today’s kindergarteners enter the work force? Will anybody work in an office setting? Will people still carry cash? Will marketers still be able to purchase commercials or even website ads?
Continue reading "Learning about Today for Tomorrow (Andrew Pass)" »
Posted by Featured Guest at 01:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)February 23, 2007
The big NAEP disconnect
The big buzz right now is the release of the latest NAEP scores and their comparison with high school transcripts. The problem, as described here, is pretty simple: "While, on average, high school graduates are taking more challenging courses and earning higher grades during their high school years, 12th-graders failed to produce gains on the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), according to The Nation’s Report Card™."
So if school grades are going up while NAEP scores are going down, Betsy Newmark concludes that the problem is grade inflation. Other blog feedback: Eduwonk is disappointed but skeptical of the 12th grade NAEP test in general, while Andrew Coulson points out something that isn't widely acknowledged:
The highest degree earned by students’ parents has gone up substantially since 1992. In that year, 41 percent of students reported that at least one of their parents was a college graduate. Today, it’s 47 percent. Researchers have long known that parents’ level of education is a strong predictor of children’s academic success, so this increase in the share of college graduates among parents should be associated with higher student achievement (other things being equal). But achievement went down. Significantly. If the home environment is now more conducive to learning, but less learning is actually taking place, that leaves… the schools.
So maybe it's about time that warranty thing starts kicking in?
Sandia Report resurrected
In an apparent attempt to say, "Crisis? What crisis?" George Lucas's edufoundation publication Edutopia brings the old Sandia Report back from the grave; Andrew Coulson promptly lays it to rest again.
Posted by Ryan Boots at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Morning Shots
NYT: Grades Rise, but Reading Skills Do Not
High school students nationwide are taking seemingly tougher courses and earning better grades, but their reading skills are not improving through the effort, according to two federal reports released here [Washington] Thursday that cite grade inflation as a possible explanation.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress, an exam commonly known as the nation’s report card, found that the reading skills of 12th graders tested in 2005 were significantly worse than those of students in 1992, when a comparable test was first given, and essentially flat since students previously took the exam in 2002.
The test results also showed that the overwhelming majority of high school seniors have not fully mastered high-school-level math.
At the same time, however, grade-point averages have risen nationwide, according to a separate survey by the National Assessment, of the transcripts of 26,000 students, which compared them with a study of students’ coursework in 1990.
“There’s a disconnect between what we want and expect our 12th graders to know and do, and what our schools are actually delivering through instruction in the classroom,” David W. Gordon, the superintendent of schools in Sacramento, said at a news conference announcing the results.
Philadelphia Inquirer: Bond rating reflects Phila. schools' bind
A little more than five years ago, the state took over the Philadelphia School District with a major goal of setting it right again financially.
But it appears the 173,000-student system is again heading for serious financial trouble, far from the turnaround once envisioned.
The district's underlying bond rating - a measure of its ability to pay back debt on its own - has been downgraded, giving it "one of the lowest school district ratings in the country," said analyst David Litvack, managing director for public finance at the New York-based Fitch Ratings.
Because of an agreement under which the state has guaranteed - or, in lay terms, co-signed for - the borrowing, the downgrade isn't likely to raise interest rates or affect the district's ability to borrow, experts say.
But it certainly serves as a window on a deterioration of finances that Fitch analysts attributed to the district's spending more money than it took in for four of the last five years. It followed news in October that the district projected a $73 million deficit this year, with the potential for a much larger shortfall next year.
Los Angeles Daily News: Raise could thwart reform
When Los Angeles' powerful teachers union struck a deal last week for a 6 percent raise, it dealt a major blow to the authority of L.A. Unified's new superintendent, casting doubt on his ability to fulfill his promised reforms, local education leaders say.
Just three months after taking the helm as superintendent, retired Navy Adm. David Brewer III finds himself forced to cut $200 million from his budget to pay for the raises - money needed to fulfill his own visions of reform that include reducing the dropout rate, getting more kids into college and curbing school violence.
Brewer's situation is similar to that of his predecessor, Roy Romer, whose plans were thwarted when he had to find money to fund an 11.5 percent average salary increase.
Washington Post: School Board Unveils Plan to Counter Fenty's Proposal
Posted by Ryan Boots at 06:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)The D.C. Board of Education made a case last night for city leaders to retain the current school governance structure, saying the board is more qualified than Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) to revive failing schools.
School board members outlined their Emergency Student Achievement Act of 2007, an ambitious proposal that promises in 18 months to transform the perennially bottom-ranking school system into one that outperforms other large districts across the country.
The board introduced the proposal to dissuade the D.C. Council from approving Fenty's measure seeking authority over schools, legislation that would require a change in the city charter. At a community meeting at Shepherd Elementary School in Shepherd Park last night, board members told about 50 people that their proposal would result in 10 percent more students becoming proficient or advanced on standardized tests by 2009.
Education News for Friday, February 23
U.S. Education Secretary Spellings Meets with Business Leaders, Touts Success of Dunbar Magnet School - Press release: U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings discussed with business leaders, teachers, students and parents the importance of the No Child Left Behind Act and its reauthorization this year.
DIY Charter School - Some D.C. parents, dissatisfied with the District's public schools, are starting their own charter schools in the process.
Charter Schools Overcome Obstacles to Create Ripple of Success - Press release: Charter schools across the country have struggled through myriad obstacles to create successful schools that have spawned innovation and transformed the American public school system. Their stories are compiled by award-winning author and journalist Joe Williams in a new report released today by The Center for Education Reform.
Legislation could change sports eligibility for charter schools - Utah is considering a legislative proposal to change how home school students are determined to be eligible for sports, and it allows charter schools to be exempt from the state's transfer rules for the first three years of their existence.
County school chiefs with authority over local schools approved - New Jersey lawmakers on Thursday approved creating powerful county school chiefs with authority over neighborhood school spending and a mandate to try to merge schools to save money.
Governor Crist Pushes Education Reform - Florida Governor Charlie Crist is pushing spending more money for education.
Governor Proposes Nation's Most Ambitious Education Budget - North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley today released the nation’s most ambitious budget for public education.
High schoolers' scores lag despite courses, grades - More 2005 high school graduates took challenging classes and got higher grades than their peers a few years prior, but overall, large percentages of high school seniors are scoring poorly on reading and math tests, two new reports found yesterday.
Grades Rise, but Reading Skills Do Not - High school students nationwide are taking seemingly tougher courses and earning better grades, but their reading skills are not improving through the effort, according to two federal reports released in Washington Thursday that cite grade inflation as a possible explanation.
ISU graduate: teaching strategies must change - Use of technology in the classroom can influence students' attitudes about school, an Indiana State University assistant profession candidate told a group of students and faculty Monday.
High school seniors lag in math, reading - High school seniors take harder classes and earn higher grades than they used to but continue to fare poorly on achievement tests, according to reports released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Education.
Study says students are learning less - U.S. high school students are taking tougher classes, receiving better grades and, apparently, learning less than their counterparts of 15 years ago.
Our Philadelphia story? - When making the case for the Bloomberg administration’s latest education reform plan, schools Chancellor Joel Klein paints a picture of uncharted territory open only to those with the guts to change a bad situation. But a senior analyst at the nonprofit Research for Action thinks New York’s plan looks a bit like Philadelphia’s experiment over the last five years.
National exam scores demonstrate need for high school reform - Two new federal reports on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, an exam that tracks student achievement over time, reported that more than a quarter of the nation's high school seniors lack basic reading skills, more than 40 percent lack basic math skills and almost half are below the basic level in science.
The Philadelphia Story - In a WSJ opinion column, researcher Paul Peterson addresses the RAND study on the performance of privately-managed schools in Philadelphia.
Successful charter schools - Letters to the editor on education in Texas: one on charter schools, the other on the Texas Education Agency.
High school seniors find reading a challenge - America's high school students are taking harder classes and getting better grades, so they must be learning more, right? Not so fast. U.S. high school seniors posted the lowest reading scores since 1992, according to a pair of studies released Thursday by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which oversees national tests.
Higher teacher salaries OK'd by House - "I've heard the call: pay teachers more." That's what Utah Rep. Brad Dee, R-Ogden, said before his bill to give teachers an extra $2,500 per year passed the House on Thursday.
Disparities that plague schools must be resolved - Editorial: If we hope to give every child an opportunity to realize his or her potential and overcome the disparity that sabotages our community’s hope for a better future, we have to figure out what that is and how to remedy it.
Raise could thwart reform - When Los Angeles' powerful teachers union struck a deal last week for a 6 percent raise, it dealt a major blow to the authority of L.A. Unified's new superintendent, casting doubt on his ability to fulfill his promised reforms, local education leaders say.
Glass-half-empty analysis misses the point - Opinion by Charles B. Zogby, former secretary of education for Pennsylvania now a senior executive with the education company K12 Inc.:I have read the Research for Action study of Philadelphia's public-school reforms, and the resulting defense of same from its authors. The study and its defense completely miss the most important point.
Bond rating reflects Phila. schools' bind - A little more than five years ago, the state took over the Philadelphia School District with a major goal of setting it right again financially. But it appears the 173,000-student system is again heading for serious financial trouble, far from the turnaround once envisioned.
Charters important in choice - Letter to the editor: School choice is much more than simply vouchers. Charter schools are an important component of school choice, both in