Public Education Network Weekly NewsBlast

PEN Weekly NewsBlast for April 1, 2005

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TEACHER CONTRACTS: RESTORING THE BALANCE
The general public is rarely aware of the role that collective bargaining plays in education. Most taxpayers are typically unaware of what is negotiated by union representatives and school committees and probably assume that the education dollar is being spent to improve learning.

Growing concern about school funding nationally may soon change that. The Education Partnership -- a Providence-based local education fund -- has issued a new report in the hope of raising public awareness, to facilitate a constructive dialogue across the State of Rhode Island, and to change the focus and scope of collective bargaining in public education. The Education Partnership’s analysis examines contract language relating to management rights, grievance procedures, sick leave, union leaves, professional development, and working conditions. It offers negotiable alternatives within each area and recommendations for legislative change.

The report analyzes the four major elements of teacher contracts: teacher evaluation, salary, seniority, and health insurance -- and makes specific recommendations for changes in legislation affecting each area. The purpose of this report is not to portray unions as villains. The job of union negotiators is to defend and advance the economic interests of their members. School committees are charged with representing the interests of the district and the taxpayers. Unfortunately, these conflicting agendas, more often than not, have resulted in labor agreements about excessive adult entitlements and allocation of dollars, and have little to do with improving education. Their analyses led to three broad conclusions:

RED LAKE TEEN: NOT ALONE IN HIS DESPAIR
The recent murders at Red Lake Indian Reservation highlight the problems that American Indian teenagers have been quietly suffering in greater numbers than most adolescents: suicide, violence, depression and pregnancy. By themselves, the numbers for the Red Lake Indian Reservation are staggering. A state survey conducted last year of 56 ninth-graders showed that 81 percent of the girls and 43 percent of the boys had considered suicide. Almost half the girls said they'd actually tried to kill themselves, reports Deborah Hastings. Twenty percent of boys said the same -- numbers about triple the rate statewide. The Minnesota survey of Red Lake students said they assaulted other classmates and used more alcohol and drugs than other students across the state. Nationwide figures show that American Indian teenagers commit suicide at three times the national rate; are involved in alcohol-related arrests at twice the national average, and die in alcohol-related incidents at 17 times the national average. They are third-highest in teen pregnancies, behind Hispanics and blacks. ''Only the most gifted students can overcome this stuff," said Bill Lawrence, publisher of the Native American Press-Ojibwe News.

DIFFERENT LENSES, DIFFERENT VISIONS
The so-called "culture war" has been described as a conflict between two broadly defined and loosely affiliated groups of people -- the "orthodox" and the "progressives" -- who hold widely differing moral visions for America. Each sees the other as a threat. The orthodox fear a progression toward "state-supported, secular humanist, moral relativism," while progressives fear a slide toward an "authoritarian, non-tolerant theocracy." This cultural divide affects education in many ways, leading to debates over taxpayer support and school vouchers, board elections and politics, curriculum choices (especially sexuality education), textbook selections, religious expressions at school and legal protections for gay and lesbian students. Orthodox and progressive groups predictably line up on either side of these issues, writes Evonne Hedgepeth. Caught in the crossfire is the movable middle, the majority whose opinions fluctuate depending upon which camp they consider least objectionable. School leaders face a moral dilemma of their own: how to advocate for necessary programs, while respecting the diverse views of stakeholders.

Understanding how individuals view issues through their own moral lenses and knowing how to articulate advocacy messages accordingly so that they can be most widely heard can help administrators more successfully gain and retain support for controversial programs.

HOW MUCH IS A GOOD SCHOOL WORTH?
The practice of moving for a child's education has a long history in American planning -- in a sense it was exactly why the early, racially segregated suburbs were invented. But in the Sand Francisco Bay Area, where the cost of a lowly hovel starts at $400,000, figuring out where one can afford to live and raise children is particularly thorny. Urban public schools vary greatly in their effectiveness, writes Carol Lloyd. (San Jose has everything from the top-performing schools in the state to the worst-performing schools.) Almost all are suffering from underfunding, so even for families committed to public schools, it's a painful equation. Of course, you could move to a better school district, but generally, other great minds have thought the same thoughts and have already pushed those real estate prices up. This predicament leaves many families with a tangle of questions: Are there any great public schools secreted away in little-known, not totally unaffordable neighborhoods? Is it worth paying an extra $100,000 or even $200,000 for a home in a nice neighborhood to get your kid into a good public school? With our education system forced to use testing as a measure of success - - marking some schools as failures, others as models -- it's not so hard to imagine that such price margins will only swell, making the real estate market into a glaring mirror of our social inequities and our individual hopes to escape them.

AYP SANCTIONS: HOW MANY SCHOOLS ARE FACING THEM AND WHAT ARE THEY
A first-of-its-kind analysis by the Education Commission of the States (ECS) shows how many -- and what percentage of -- schools face sanctions for failing to meet the adequate yearly progress (AYP) requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). This new 50-state compilation "StateNote"
presents the number of schools facing sanctions in each state during the 2004-05 school year, and the level of sanctions they face. For example, 40 states have schools that have failed to make AYP for four consecutive years and are in the "Corrective Actions" category. All 50 states have schools that have failed to make AYP for two consecutive years, and districts must offer students in those schools the opportunity to attend a higher-performing public school. Sanctions range from being required to provide their students an opportunity to transfer to a better school to having to undergo full-scale restructuring. Check out the details at the link above.

"CALL TO ARMS" ON EVOLUTION
Nearly one-third of science teachers who participated in a national survey say they feel pressured to include creationism-related ideas in the classroom. And an alarmed science establishment is striking back in defense of teaching evolution, reports Dan Vergano and Greg Toppo. "I write to you now because of a growing threat to the teaching of science," National Academy of Sciences chief Bruce Alberts says in a letter to colleagues March 4. He calls on academy members "to confront the increasing challenges to the teaching of evolution in public schools." The nation's top scientists belong to the congressionally chartered academy.

The academy has only rarely strayed into school fights over evolution so it does not appear to be "meddling" in local affairs, Alberts says. But now, he says, "one of the foundations of modern science is being neglected or banished outright from science classrooms in many parts of the United States."

NEGLECTING EDUCATION IS MARCH MADNESS
Neglecting education is Kentucky's home-grown March Madness. The new budget and revenue package speeds us down a road we don't need to be on -- one that leads to education neglect, writes Robert F. Sexton. Shortchanging education won't create jobs. A budget that will be short by about $500 million next year isn't fiscally responsible. Funding basketball training facilities ahead of academic excellence certifies the madness. For years Kentucky has been falling backward in education. This budget does nothing to reverse that. Indeed, the worst will come next fall -- just a few months away -- when the governor and legislature must figure out how to cover almost $500 million they've borrowed to meet this year's spending commitments plus increased debt service. But now the challenge is bigger than it was a few months ago. In education investments on a per pupil basis, Kentucky ranks 38th in the nation -- not far from 1980s levels. Kentucky invests $1,200 less per student than the average state.
If we invested at the average level, our education spending would be $746 million more than it is. Educational gains cannot continue without bold innovations, continuous school improvement and adequate investment. The new budget fails on all counts. We can't go backward in education and forward in creating good jobs at the same time. Madness is often defined as doing the same thing over and over and getting the same bad results.  This is what we've done. It's time to stop.

STRENGTHENING PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOLS
It’s undeniable. Direct parental involvement in school decreases dramatically when a child reaches his/her teen years, writes Sue Blaney. Yet such involvement is essential at the middle and high school levels and can be one of the strongest predictors of a teenager’s scholastic achievements. What’s to be done? What really drives this parental behavior? And how can middle and high school educators improve communication with, and involvement from, parents? This paper explores the dynamics of the often-tentative relationship between parents of teenaged students and their child’s school and offers some prescriptive advice on what educators can do to improve connections and build trust and new relationships. Strengthening parental involvement is not an impossible task, and large increases in school budgets are not required for improvement to take place. Improvements can be made by simple adjustments:  in reframing attitudes, in appreciating that each conversation with a parent is an opportunity to enhance their connections, in thoughtfully approaching all school-to-parent communication, and identifying the goals that are shared. Parents, educators and students all share the goals of academic success during the important middle and high school years. The more you are intentional and thoughtful in your communication strategy, the more you focus on enhancing positive connections between parents and the school, the more you can positively impact parental involvement, and student success. Visit the website below to download the entire document.  Scroll down to "Special Report" after clicking on the link above.

2005 INDEX OF CHILD WELL-BEING SHOWS MIXED PICTURE FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN Dramatic declines in rates of violence and risky behaviors such as teen births, smoking, and alcohol and illegal drug use during the past 10 years have contributed substantially to modest and slow progress in the overall well-being of America’s children, according to the 2005 Index of Child Well-Being (CWI), released by the Foundation for Child Development (FCD).

Overall child well-being improved only fractionally since 1975. Several of the underlying trends are discouraging. The rate of educational attainment -- as measured by student test scores in reading and mathematics -- remains stagnant, despite two decades of national focus on how to improve the education system. More children live in poverty today than did in 1975. In addition, persistent high rates of obesity -- which have more than tripled in 30 years -- are seriously hurting children’s health. FCD President Ruby Takanishi said that proposed reductions in early education programs could also have negative effects on children and their families.

"In fundamental areas such as health, financial security, and education, our children are either doing poorly or barely treading water," Takanishi said. "Policymakers must give serious thought to how they can better support families. Early intervention and pre-kindergarten programs that have demonstrated outcomes should be expanded."

TEACHING KIDS TO TEACH
With the need for teachers rising, administrators across the country are scrambling to come up with ideas to find and train qualified educators. Florida's Broward County alone will need 13,000 new teachers over the next decade. As a result, district officials there have taken a novel approach to build their teacher-force: recruiting teenage teaching candidates and promising them a job after college. Rather than recruit from out of the area, Broward County officials are "growing" their own teachers. Two years ago, the district started the Urban Teacher Academy Project (UTAP) to prepare students for careers in urban education. The first group of students graduated last June, and the program, which began in one high school, is now expanding to four. Participants are paired with mentors, are trained in teaching techniques and classroom theory, and student-teach in elementary schools. After high school, UTAP students receive scholarships to a local college. When they finish, there's a guaranteed job. Scholastic Administrator magazine spoke to Broward County's superintendent, Frank Till, about his district's bold approach to teacher recruitment. According to Till, "…if district officials are smart they'll increase their talent base by recognizing that four years down the line, one of their best sources for potential teachers is already sitting in a high school classroom." Read the full interview at the link above.

CLOSING A CHARTER SCHOOL: DEVELOPING A PROTOCOL OR PLAN
Part and parcel of a charter school authorizer’s oversight responsibility is the unenviable task of closing a school that fails to pass muster. As with most challenges that authorizers face, closing a charter school can be a complex task; executing a closure decision can entail a web of issues that the prudent authorizer must unravel carefully. And while no two charter schools’ circumstances or closure processes will be identical, having a standard yet adaptable closure protocol guided by principles of effective leadership will help authorizers address the difficulties of a school closure consistently, adequately and, most importantly, in a manner that protects students and the public interest. This Issue Brief, written by Veronica Geyer, addresses common issues that authorizers face in executing a school closure and demonstrates how adherence to Ronald Heifetz’s five strategic principles of adaptive leadership can help an authorizer respond effectively to the attendant challenges. In addition, this Brief provides some salient observations and practical policy approaches that one authorizer, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), has incorporated into its charter school closure protocol and practices.

PERSPECTIVE: FOLLOW THE MONEY
Money! If you ask the people who serve in the public school system, there is never enough of it. Why can't we improve student performance? Not enough money. Why can't we close the achievement gap between classes and races? Not enough money. Why can't we reduce the dropout rate? Not enough money. In fact, they may be right, writes Ronald A. Wolk, but who knows?  The United States now spends roughly $500 billion per year on precollegiate public education -- more than two and a half billion dollars a school day. Education is the largest single expenditure item or a close second to health costs in most state budgets. But, states still don't know what it means to spend their education dollars effectively.

REMAKING AMERICA'S THREE SCHOOL SYSTEMS: NOW SEPARATE AND UNEQUAL
The American public has been given a distorted view of the state of education in our nation’s schools, writes Milton Schwebel. The schools are not and have never been in crisis. They satisfy the economic needs of the country and, for that reason among others, policy makers are not inclined to make greater investments in public education. Since early in the nation’s history that disinclination has been evident and, in the last century, no more so than in New Jersey where one state administration after another over a thirty year period managed successfully to resist the state’s Supreme Court decisions demanding greater equity among school districts. Schwebel explains why charter schools, vouchers and privatization will make little if any difference, and why state standards-based reforms, and especially Bush’s No Child Left Behind act, are likely to have destructive effects. Some excellent school-wide reform programs have proven useful, he writes, but on their own they cannot surmount the political and economic obstacles to change.

KEEPING PACE WITH K-12 ONLINE LEARNING
Online learning -- also referred to as e-learning, virtual learning, and a mode of distance learning -- is unconstrained by time or place. Online learning provides opportunities for students whose choices may be limited to their rural location, who are unable to attend classes due to physical illness or expulsion, who seek credit recovery or advanced courses, or who have scheduling conflicts in their home school. Online learning also can be a good alternative for students who have work or family obligations outside of school. In addition, students who have social or behavioral issues in school find that online learning allows them to focus more on content. High school reformers in particular, bent on boosting dismal graduation rates and bringing back students who have left the education system, look at online learning as a means of providing new options to students. For all these reasons, it is clear that online learning is more than a passing fad. This policy brief highlights K–12 online learning policy and practice based on the report, "Keeping Pace with K–12 Online Learning: A Snapshot of State-Level Policy and Practice." The publication will help education stakeholders be proactive in shaping policies in order to ensure success in broad access, equitable opportunities, and high-quality online learning options.

REVOLUTIONARY ACCESS TO DATA FOR EDUCATORS & POLICYMAKERS
SchoolMatters.com, a web-based national education data service that provides in-depth information and analysis about public schools, districts and state education systems, was unveiled by the National Education Data Partnership. SchoolMatters.com is the largest easily searchable collection of education performance data ever assembled. In addition to student achievement information, financial data and demographic breakdowns, the service includes powerful analytical tools and objective analyses provided by Standard & Poor’s that provide education leaders with the information they need to make better-informed decisions about schools and school systems. With this website, educators in a given school will be able to find schools that have similar demographics with higher academic performance. This can be a useful start for schools and districts looking to develop comprehensive improvement programs and provides a first step in identifying promising practices of school reform. The National Education Data Partnership is funded by a $45 million investment by The Broad Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

"FAMILY LIFE" CLASSES URGED FOR SCHOOLS
There are reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic, but proponents of a bill working its way through the Washington State Legislature say it's time to focus on a fourth "R" in education -- relationships. The House earlier this month passed a bill that would encourage public high schools to offer "family-preservation" classes on building loving relationships, resolving conflicts, being responsible parents and managing money. The goal, reports Jessica Blanchard, is to help students learn the value of strong, enduring relationships and reinforce the importance of families as the basic unit of society -- lessons many teens may not be learning at home. "It's a neglected area of our educational system," said Rep. Dave Quall, D-Mount Vernon, the bill's chief sponsor. Schools tend to focus on academics and assume parents will pass on basic skills and values to their children, but that's not always the case, he said. Proponents say a focus on preparing students for life after high school -- teaching them how to juggle work and home life more effectively and modeling good parenting skills -- can strengthen the social fabric and lower the divorce rate. "Family preservation -- what the heck is that?" asked Rep. Steve Kirby, D-Tacoma, one of four representatives to vote against the bill. Kirby worries that high schools that create the curriculum could wind up alienating some students by promoting the traditional family structure -- a mother, a father and their children -- over other types of families, such as those headed by a single parent or a gay couple. "And how are they going to handle the whole idea of divorce and avoid being judgmental? This is something that needs a little more thought," he said.

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"Resources for Indispensable Schools and Educators"
The RISE network is a free resource for teachers who are committed to improving the education and achievement of students in low-income K-12 public schools. RISE offers a valuable support network of resources to enhance work environments and improve student achievement. Every year in a RISE teacher classroom, low-income students make significant strides in closing the achievement gap. RISE offers financial rewards for effective teachers to defray the cost of materials and supplies. RISE provides pre-screened job opportunities for effective teachers who want to work in low-income communities. To learn more, visit the link above.

"Toshiba America Foundation"
Toshiba America Foundation makes grants for projects in math and science designed by classroom teachers to improve instruction for students in grades K-12. Maximum Award: $5,000. Eligibility: Grades K-12. Deadline: Decisions about grants under $5,000 are made on a rolling basis and applications are accepted throughout the year.

"Best Buy Children's Foundation"
The Best Buy Children's Foundation supports programs that connect kids, technology and education. Best Buy's tech program was created to recognize and reward schools that are integrating interactive technology into the curriculum. Maximum Award: $2,500 Gift Card. Eligibility: Public Schools.
Deadline: Ongoing, beginning April 2005.

"Allen Foundation"
The Allen Foundation supports educational nutrition programs, with priority given to training programs for children and young adults to improve their health and development. Maximum Award: Past grants have ranged from $2,000 to $1 million. Eligibility: Schools and school districts should partner with local nonprofits to form nutrition education programs. Deadline: Ongoing.

"Intel Model School"
The Intel Model School Program provides equipment for a school or district to enhance their technology by using advanced technology. The Intel Model School Program identifies schools that desire equipment or have a unique project to complete by using Intel products, and can show the improvement in the quality of the education experience for both the teacher and the student by using high-end technology. Award: Seeding of Intel equipment. Eligibility: K-12 schools or school districts. Deadline: Ongoing.

"Target Local Giving Program"
This effort promotes a love of reading and encourages children to read together with their families. Awards recognize programs that inspire young readers (birth through third grade); and programs that bring arts to schools or schoolchildren to the arts. Maximum Award: $1,000-$3,000. Eligibility: Based on quiz. Deadline: May 31, 2005.

"NEA Foundation Grants"
The NEA Foundation provides grants for the purpose of engaging in high-quality professional development or implementing project-based learning and break-the-mold innovations that raise student achievement. Maximum Award: $5,000. Eligibility: public school teachers, public school education support professionals, and faculty and staff in public higher education institutions. Deadline: June 1, 2005.

"Fund for Teachers"
Fund for Teachers provides funds for direct grants to teachers to support summer learning opportunities of their own design. Maximum Award: $5,000.  Eligibility: teachers who work with students from pre-K through 12th grade, with a minimum of three years teaching experience, full time, spending at least 50% of the time in the classroom at the time grants are approved and made. Deadline: varies by state.

"Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for Excellence in International Education"
The Goldman Sachs Foundation and Asia Society are seeking applicants for the 2005 Prizes for Excellence in International Education. Five prizes of $25,000 each annually recognize schools, higher education institutions, states, and media/technology organizations that are working to "put the world into world-class education." The Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes were created in 2003 to raise awareness of the growing importance of other world regions to U.S. economic prosperity and social well-being, and to promote international knowledge and skills in American schools.  Applications are due May 10 for higher education institutions, states, and media/technology, and May 17 for elementary, middle and high schools. Full eligibility and application instructions, along with information on past winners, are now available at the link above.

"Pinnacle Awards for Innovation"
Every year the Association of School Business Officials International presents the Pinnacle Award to four individuals who have created outstanding practices, proposals, or publications that enhance school business management. Pinnacle of Achievement recipients receive a cash prize, a crystal pinnacle award, and recognition at ASBO's Annual Meeting and Exhibits in Boston, MA, October 21-24, 2005. The recipient of the highest honor, the Pinnacle of Excellence, also receives $5,000 worth of furniture for his or her school district. The Pinnacle Awards program is sponsored by Virco Mfg. Corporation. Applications are now being accepted through May 1, 2005.

"National Dairy Council 3-A-Day of Dairy Nutrition Education Grants"
This grant program is designed to address America’s low calcium intake and support the philosophy of the nutrition-based marketing and consumer education program, "3-A-Day of Dairy," and to help empower kids to be advocates for healthy eating, including three servings of dairy a day, and an active lifestyle, which contribute to a healthy weight. Maximum Award: $5,000. Eligibility: Individuals and organizations. Please note California, Wisconsin, Hawaii and Puerto Rico are not participating in the
2005 grant program. Deadline: May 13, 2005.

"Show Me the Money: Tips & Resources for Successful Grant Writing"
Many educators have found that outside funding, in the form of grants, allows them to provide their students with educational experiences and materials their own districts can't afford. Learn how they get those grants -- and how you can get one too. Included: Practical tips to help first-time grant writers get the grants they need.

"Department of Education Forecast of Funding"
This document lists virtually all programs and competitions under which the Department of Education has invited or expects to invite applications for new awards for FY 2005 and provides actual or estimated deadline dates for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are in the form of charts -- organized according to the Department's principal program offices -- and includes previously announced programs and competitions, as well as those planned for announcement at a later date.
Note: This document is advisory only and is not an official application notice of the Department of Education. They expect to provide regular updates to this document.

"Information on Grants for School Health Programs & Services"

"Grantionary"
The Grantionary is a list of grant-related terms and their definitions.

"GrantsAlert"
GrantsAlert is a website that helps nonprofits, especially those involved in education, secure the funds they need to continue their important work.

"Grant Writing Tips"
SchoolGrants has compiled an excellent set of grant writing tips for those that need help in developing grant proposals.

"FastWEB"
FastWEB is the largest online scholarship search available, with 600,000 scholarships representing over one billion in scholarship dollars. It provides students with accurate, regularly updated information on scholarships, grants, and fellowships suited to their goals and qualifications, all at no cost to the student. Students should be advised that FastWEB collects and sells student information (such as name, address, e-mail address, date of birth, gender, and country of citizenship) collected through their site.

"Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE)"
More than 30 Federal agencies formed a working group in 1997 to make hundreds of federally supported teaching and learning resources easier to find. The result of that work is the FREE website.

"eSchool News School Funding Center"
Information on up-to-the-minute grant programs, funding sources, and technology funding.

"Philanthropy News Digest"
Philanthropy News Digest, a weekly news service of the Foundation Center, is a compendium, in digest form, of philanthropy-related articles and features culled from print and electronic media outlets nationwide.

"School Grants"
A collection of resources and tips to help K-12 educators apply for and obtain special grants for a variety of projects.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"When I was in the first grade, all the children in my class were divided into three reading groups: robins, rabbits, and turtles. I suppose the robins soared above everyone else; the rabbits could not quite fly yet, but they were pretty fast; and the turtle, well, no one ever said outright what the turtles could do, but we all knew. I was told that I was a turtle... When I was a senior in high school, my guidance counselor said that I shouldn't bother applying to any colleges because I wouldn't be accepted... For 12 years in school, I was told that I didn't measure up, that I wasn't good enough, that I didn't belong with the regular students, that I didn't hang around with the right kids. For 12 years in school, I was identified year after year as a weak speller, a slow reader, a poor math student, and I was tracked into the bottom classes. Do you know what it does to a child when he hears he is stupid? ...It has taken me many, many years to repair the damage that my elementary school and high school had done to my self esteem. We do not practice true democratic ideals in many of our school systems across the county. There is a clear aristocracy in the classrooms, perpetuated through the leveling of children. Tracking students in grammar school and in high school is wrong. Labeling students is wrong."

 - Christopher de Vinck (teacher/author)   "I Am Not a Turtle (and Other Tragedies of Tracking)"
http://gradda.home.isp-direct.com/fa95iamn.html

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The PEN Weekly NewsBlast is a free e-mail newsletter featuring school reform and school fundraising resources. The PEN NewsBlast is the property of the Public Education Network, a national association of 90 local education funds working to improve public school quality in low-income communities nationwide.