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COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE WILL CELEBRATE
GIVE KIDS GOOD SCHOOLS WEEK
So far, public education has received scant mention on the national
campaign trail, yet in communities nationwide, thousands of
Americans will take part in the second annual "Give Kids Good
Schools Week" between Oct. 15 and 21. The week, sponsored by Public
Education Network (PEN), highlights PEN’s national campaign to give
Americans the information, knowledge and power they need to improve
public schools. The more than 70 events in 16 states and the
District of Columbia highlight the value and ongoing needs of public
schools and encourage more citizens and communities to LEARN the
facts about quality public schools, VOTE to support and promote
quality public education both in local communities and across the
country, and ACT by letting public officials and others know that
quality public education should be a top priority all year long. In
conjunction with the week, PEN will release a unique and easy-to-use
quiz which individuals can take to assess both their individual and
their community’s involvement in public education. Once completed,
the quiz provides participants with resources that can be used to
improve their public schools. "Every American needs to understand
the inherent value quality public education plays in ensuring the
vitality of their communities and the prosperity of our democracy
and our economy," said Wendy D. Puriefoy, PEN president.
AN ARCHAIC EDUCATION SYSTEM
When looking at the inordinately high dropout rate of 9.1 percent
reported by Boston schools in 2005-06, David Smokler, a
Massachusetts high school English teacher, can’t help but wonder if
a system in which the quantity of education is fixed, while the
quality is variable is partly responsible. Writing in the Boston
Globe, Smokler says grouping students by age is a part of the
problem because it stigmatizes those who need more time to become
proficient in one or more discipline. In addition, nearly three
months of summer vacation is simply a vestige of a long-gone
agrarian past. During this long break, students lose the progress
they made the previous spring. Furthermore, the archaic practice of
starting school at the crack of dawn, seating students in strict
rows, marking off arbitrary blocks of time with bells and exposing
kids to austere teacher-centered instruction was designed to prepare
students for factory work. Look at the traditional bell curve used
for grading; teachers are encouraged to teach to the middle, which
serves to damage both the most skilled and least skilled students.
What is needed is a standard-based system of instruction, assessment
and reporting that acknowledges that children develop at different
rates. Advanced students will be able to master their courses early,
and should be promoted more quickly than other students. Age should
play little or no part in the decision to promote or hold a student
back. Likewise, students identified as needing longer to graduate
should be allowed more time to master their skills. With this model,
teachers and schools will be able to target exactly what needy
students are lacking, rather than employing the shotgun approach
favored today.
PRESIDENT BUSH PUSHES CONGRESS ON ‘NO
CHILD’ LAW
This week, President George Bush and U.S. Secretary of Education
Margaret Spellings met with civil rights leaders, educators and
advocates for minority and disadvantaged students to discuss the No
Child Left Behind Act, reports Deb Reichman of the Associated Press.
The president said that he was open to new ideas for changing the
federal education law, but would not accept watered-down standards
or rollbacks in accountability. He also maintained that any
re-authorization will feature "no compromise on the basic principle:
every child must learn to read and do math, at or above grade
level." Most groups involved in the renewal talks agree the law
should be changed to encourage schools to measure individual student
progress over time rather than using snapshot comparisons from
certain grade levels. Additionally, there is broad agreement that
the law should not impose the stiffest penalties on schools that
miss progress goals by a small margin. Unfortunately, there also are
deep divisions over some proposed changes, such as merit-pay for
teachers and whether to expand the law beyond reading and math.
LAW HURTING SCHOOL THAT HELPS
STUDENTS
This year, the Tejada Academy, the last stop for troubled kids in
the Harlandale (Texas) Independent School District, posted the
biggest percentage gain in the county on Texas’ state tests, reports
Jenny Lacoste-Caputo of the San Antonio Express-News. This should be
cause for joy, but unfortunately, the school failed to make adequate
yearly progress (AYP) for the third consecutive year, which could
trigger serious No Child Left Behind (NCLB) sanctions and even
possible closure. The federal law requires 70 percent of seniors to
earn a diploma, which isn’t a tough goal for many Texas schools.
However, Tejada is special in that it is designed specifically for
students who are way behind in their credits -- the school doesn’t
even accept students who can graduate in four years. Also, Tejada
students face atypical challenges as some have children, some are
significant sources of family income, others are taking care of
siblings because parents are in jail, and still others are homeless.
Even with the great work the school is doing, the federal law has
not made any special provisions for similar alternative schools.
Eventually, if the school continues to miss AYP, the Harlandale
school district will consider rejecting federal Title I money, as
schools that do not accept these funds are not subject to NCLB
sanctions. As a Tejada English teacher said "I find no humor or
irony in the fact that NCLB has overlooked alternative
schools...it’s a pathetic oversight."
STUDY: PARENTS PLAY BIG ROLE IN
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Apparently it doesn’t much matter whether low-income, urban students
attend a public or private high school, reports Greg Toppo in USA
Today. In actuality, the biggest factors determining a student’s
academic success are whether their parents take part in their
education, earn enough money to offer enriching experiences and have
high aspirations for their kids, according to a new study released
by the Center on Education Policy. The findings, which examined 12
years of data from more than 1,000 young people, found that while
SAT scores of students in private schools are higher than those of
their public-school peers, their overall performance in math,
reading, science and history was no better. In fact, private school
students were no more likely to go to college or be satisfied with
their jobs by age 26. The study also seems to signal that forcing
public and private schools to compete for taxpayer-financed vouchers
is merely a "diversion" from a more substantial education debate.
Consequently, as Jack Jennings, the center’s president, notes "we
have to be very conscious of what parents bring to schools."
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM OVER THE
"GHETTO HANDBOOK"
It seems every week there is another example of ignorant racism in
the United States, the latest centering on the Houston Independent
School District (HISD) police officer who produced and distributed
the "Ghetto Handbook: Ebonics 101" to fellow school district
officers, writes Pamela Reed in Diverse Issues in Higher Education.
From the debasing cover illustration of two black men, one
brandishing a gun, to the offensive subtitle "Wacha dun did now-,"
the "document" is rife with racist and offensive African-American
stereotypes. The silver lining is that this incident provides a rare
and profound teaching moment. It has become painstakingly clear that
ignorance abounds in the United States with regard to
African-American language, and this unfortunate incident speaks to
the need for greater education and understanding in this area. To
begin with, it must be made clear that Ebonics and slang are not one
and the same. Words like "hoodrat," "gank," "bling," and much of the
list in the "Handbook" are not Ebonics, but slang words promulgated
in urban America and in some hip hop songs and music videos.
African-Americans should not be demonized because, to varying
degrees, the vast majority speak in a tongue that is all their own.
SUPREME COURT SPLITS ON NYC SPECIAL
ED CASE
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday affirmed a ruling that requires
New York City Schools to reimburse a wealthy businessman for private
special education for his son, reports the Associated Press. The
justices split 4-4 on the case meaning a lower court ruling against
the school district remains in place. The New York City board of
education asked the justices to take the case after a lower court
said that tuition reimbursement is available to the parents under
the Individuals With Disabilities Act. Lawyers for the boy's parents
said the special education program proposed by the public school
system was inadequate to meet the child's needs, prompting his
parents to send him to a private school. The parents argued that
under federal law, they may challenge inappropriate proposals and
obtain reimbursement for the costs of placement in private school.
STATES TURN TO SENIORS FOR HELP IN
CLASSROOMS
A Baltimore inner-city volunteer program is pairing retirees with
schools in need of extra help and seeing great results, reports
Christine Vestal of Stateline.org. The program has improved teacher
retention, raised student test scores and boosted the overall health
of the senior volunteers themselves. Since the program’s inception,
it has expanded into 16 schools, with nearly 300 volunteers. Similar
programs, based on a nonprofit model called Experience Corps, have
been launched in 12 other states, in an attempt to counteract the
number of baby boomers reaching retirement age and fill classroom
vacancies. Also, the programs offer retirees what they say they
want: meaningful second careers. In Maryland, Gov. Martin O’Malley
(D) plans to repeat the Baltimore program throughout the state,
while California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) recently launched a
statewide program that partners with high-tech companies to recruit,
train and place retiring employees in public schools. These programs
seem vital, as nationwide public schools are expected to lose about
a million teachers over the next decade.
AMERICANS CONCERNED SCHOOLS LEAVE
STUDENTS UNPREPARED TO SUCCEED IN THE GLOBAL MARKETPLACE
A nationwide poll of registered voters, released by the Partnership
for 21st Century Skills, reveals that Americans are deeply concerned
that young people are ill-prepared to compete in the global economy.
An overwhelming 80 percent of voters say that the kind of skills
students need to learn to be prepared for the jobs of the 21st
century is different from what they needed 20 years ago, echoing
sentiments of an out-of-date education system. Schools also need to
do a better job of keeping up with changing educational needs say a
majority of Americans. The poll, conducted by Public Opinion
Strategies and Peter D. Hart Research Associates, finds that 66
percent of voters say they believe students need more than just the
basics of reading, writing and math, i.e., schools also need to
incorporate a broader range of skills.
NEW ORLEANS SCHOOL DESIGNS UNVEILED
As the New Orleans rebuilding process continues, Recovery School
District officials are hoping to break ground on three new schools
and two renovated buildings by the end of the year, reports Darran
Simon of the New Orleans Times Picayune. Architects of the five
schools are following mandates to make the schools more
energy-efficient and incorporate "green" construction. Another goal
for the design teams is to create schools that serve whole
communities with the finished projects doubling as centers residents
can use after hours as neighborhoods continue to re-populate. One
proposed school will include a special education wing with
classrooms and support centers and also a media room and health
clinic. Another school will include a performing arts theater,
library, media center and health clinic, all of which will be open
to the public. Yet another school will be built so that areas open
to the community, such as a proposed drama room, are located off the
main lobby. The initial designs seem to have satisfied the goal of
making the school "an integral part of the daily life of the
community."
PUSH TO REVAMP HIGH SCHOOLS OFF
TRACK, SCHOLARS SAY
Higher standards are bad- That is the charge of two University of
California professors who have released a paper taking aim at what
they see as an overemphasis on states’ adoption of higher graduation
standards and more-rigorous tests, reports Erik Robelen of Education
Week. The major problem that Norton Grubb and Jeannie Oakes, both
education professors, have with enhancing high school rigor and
standards is that doing so often leaves behind other necessary
reform efforts such as equity, curricular relevance and student
interest. In addition, the paper argues that "rigor" is defined too
narrowly, often neglecting higher-order-thinking skills,
applications of learning in unfamiliar settings and academic depth.
The authors in turn advocate an expanded view of rigor by
emphasizing students’ demonstration of their depth of learning,
rather than their familiarity with a vast array of content. The
paper contends that those calling for higher standards have been
weak on ideas for how to help schools meet those standards. Critics
suggest the paper in essence creates a straw man to strike down in
their analysis. Thomas Toch, co-director of Education Sector,
disputes the professors’ notion that the push for higher graduation
standards dominates ongoing reform efforts. Michael Cohen, president
of Achieve, Inc., added that "setting the standards right so they
reflect what students need...is an essential part of a broader set
of reform strategies...no state working with [Achieve] thinks all
they need to do is raise the bar." To raise standards or not to
raise standards, it appears the jury is out on at least how to do
so.
FRESH ON THE JOB ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
TEACHERS CONTENT, NEW SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS, NOT SO MUCH
First year elementary and secondary school teachers have vastly
different experiences, viewpoints and challenges, according to a new
report from Public Agenda and the National Comprehensive Center for
Teacher Quality. In fact, new secondary school teachers are much
more concerned about administrative support, more frustrated by
student motivation and behavior and less likely to see teaching as a
lifelong career choice than their elementary counterparts. The
survey results are not overly surprising, since teen-aged students
provide greater difficulty. However, the numbers of brand new
teachers who appear to be left dangling in challenging jobs is
worrying. When compared to new elementary school teachers, new high
school and middle school teachers are less likely to say that
teaching is exactly what they want to be doing (47 percent versus 61
percent). Similarly alarming is that while 80 percent of elementary
teachers say that "good teachers can lead all students to learn,
even those from poor families or who have uninvolved parents," only
62 percent of new secondary school teachers say this is so. Still,
teaching remains a labor of love, as new teachers overwhelmingly
would choose better working conditions over higher salaries.
TESTING DATA BENEFITS SCHOOLS
Thea Bayly, an elementary school teacher in Carroll County, Md.,
said she always had a good sense as to which students could use more
help, but now she can identify the particular type of assistance
they need, reports Arin Gencer in the Baltimore Sun. Bayly and her
colleagues have been given information tools that translate the
often mind-numbing data culled from No Child Left Behind mandated
tests into effective teaching methods tailored to classes and
students. Making the data more streamlined has allowed for lessons
that respond to distinctive classes as opposed to the dreaded "one
size fits all" model. The information systems break student test
scores down into subscores that go beyond simply how a student does
in math to how he or she does in geometry and measurement, algebra
and probability. Additionally teachers are now able to see where
they need to improve their instruction, but also where they and
their peers excel and consequently learn from one another’s
strengthens. The move to data-driven decision-making is being
repeated in the Baltimore City and Anne Arundel school districts as
well.
L.A. SCHOOLS TURN TO THE INTERNET IN
NEW EFFORT TO REDUCE HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT RATE
A new campaign aimed at lowering the dropout rate in Los Angeles
schools will rely heavily on Internet websites such as YouTube and
MySpace along with radio spots geared to vulnerable teens, reports
Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times. In addition, the initiative
features a new website that highlights alternative ways of earning a
diploma. Educators hope to attract teens to the site by posting
student videos on YouTube and testimonials from former dropouts on
MySpace. The goal is to reach the more than one in every four high
school students who drop out in the district each year. This program
shares similarities with the successful Montana Meth Project which
used media to demonstrate striking messages depicting the
consequences of drug use.
FOR SCHOOLS, LOTTERY PAYOFFS FALL
SHORT OF PROMISES
For years, states employing lotteries to help subsidize education
have heard complaints that not enough of their lottery revenue is
used for education, reports Ron Stodghill and Ron Nixon of the New
York Times. After an examination of lottery documents and additional
interviews with lottery administrators and analysts, it has been
found that lotteries accounted for less than one to five percent of
total K-12 education revenue last year. The majority of the money is
apparently used to sustain the games themselves, which includes
everything from marketing to prizes and vendor commissions. Also, as
lotteries continue to compete for just a small number of core
players and increasingly try to persuade occasional customers to
play more, nearly every state has increased, or is considering
increasing, the size of its prizes. This could further shrink the
percentage of each dollar going to education and other socially
responsible programs. In addition, some states have simply replaced
money earmarked for education with lottery dollars.
CRITICAL COMPETENCIES FOR TEACHERS OF
ENGLISH LEARNERS
As recent news out of Arizona and Colorado has suggested, the United
States faces a major challenge in educating the more than 10 million
students who speak a language other than English at home, most of
whom are still acquiring English. There is mounting evidence that
English learners, when given access to qualified, well-prepared and
caring teachers, can meet the rising expectations of the American
educational system. An essay by Barbara Merino, professor and
director of the Teacher Education School at the University of
California at Davis, addresses this fundamental need by reviewing
three principal traditions that are used to define teacher
competencies. She also identifies the necessary competencies that
teachers of English learners should posses, such as understanding
learners and their families, especially the impact of language and
culture on communities living in poverty. In addition, teachers of
English learners should possess the skill and experience in working
effectively and collaboratively within small communities of inquiry. |
