NSBA supports Louisiana school boards in voucher case « School Board News

NSBA supports Louisiana school boards in voucher case « School Board News:

National School Boards Association Supports Voucher Lawsuit Challenging Public Education Funding in Louisiana

NSBA President C. Ed Massey to attend the Baton Rouge hearing

 Alexandria, Va.  (November 27, 2012) ­– The National School Boards Association (NSBA) is supporting a lawsuit filed by the Louisiana School Boards Association (LSBA), the state’s main teachers’ organizations, and 43 school districts that challenges the constitutionality of Louisiana’s law to provide vouchers to students in low performing schools. The first hearing on this lawsuit is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, November 28 in the 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge, La. LSBA’s Legal Counsel Robert Hammonds will be arguing the case on behalf of LSBA along with legal counsel from the teachers’ organizations.

The law allows students to attend any private or parochial school that is approved by the Louisiana Department of Education, and many of these teach specific and in some cases extremist religious philosophies. The lawsuit also challenges the state funding formula adopted by the legislature that diverts public tax dollars to private entities such as private course providers, with little or no accountability or oversight. Further, the voucher program does little to hold these schools accountable for student learning or financial management of taxpayer funds--schools that accept less than 40 students with vouchers are not subject to rigorous accountability requirements for student achievement.

The lawsuit is being considered after a federal judge in New Orleans-based U.S. District ruled on November 26 that the program violates a desegregation order in Tangipahoa Parish.

“It is clear this law was not created with the best interest of all children in mind; instead it promotes a narrow political agenda and will harm community public schools that serve the best interest of all children,” NSBA President C. Ed Massey said. “It also deprives the public schools of valuable resources that are necessary to carry out the mandate to provide a free and appropriate public education.”

Massey will be delivering LSBA a letter of support from NSBA and will be attending the hearing on Wednesday. 

The law diverts “tax dollars away from public education to private individuals and entities that are not subject to the same academic, operational, and accountability standards as public schools, do not serve the best interests of school children and do little to ensure they receive the high quality education they need to succeed,” the letter states. “These proposals ignore the hard realities and changing circumstances that school boards face by reducing the already scarce education dollars available to meet the needs of their local communities.”

“Local school boards are designed to hold local schools accountable for student learning, and should be responsible to their communities to provide public schools that are open to all and reflect each area’s diverse needs,” said LSBA Executive Director Scott Richard. “Vouchers only add to the reduced state funding which has resulted in loss of resources from Louisiana’s public school families, who comprise the vast majority of our students.”

Richard, who also will be attending the hearing, penned a November 27 letter to the editor for The Advocate further detailing LSBA’s concerns.

Link to LSBA Trial Brief

# # # 

Founded in 1940, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) is a not-for-profit organization representing state associations of school boards and their more than 90,000 local school board members throughout the U.S. Working with and through our state associations, NSBA advocates for equity and excellence in public education through school board leadership. www.nsba.org

Beware of the DPI: District Performance Index: - Wait, What?

Beware of the DPI: District Performance Index: - Wait, What?:

Beware of the DPI: District Performance Index:

by jonpelto

Forget the “Fiscal Cliff,” Governor Malloy and Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor are hell-bent on forcing Connecticut to utilize something called a District Performance Index (DPI) and worse, they want to use it to determine how much education funding each community will receive.

To put it bluntly, despite the fact that their concept is completely untested, their solution to education funding and property tax relief is to rely on how well children do on various standardized tests, such as the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) and the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT).

The initial creation of a District Performance Index (DPI) was hidden inside Governor 

Stand united: an appeal to commenters | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Stand united: an appeal to commenters | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Stand united: an appeal to commenters

by Frank Murphy on Nov 27 2012 Posted in Commentary

I have been troubled by the negative tone of several comments posted in response to Notebook articles over the last few months. Anonymous posters have increasingly engaged in highly critical and often sharply worded personal attacks on individual Philadelphia school district employees and union personnel. Though I can understand the depth of emotion that motivates people to make such remarks I do not support such a course of action.

Over the last ten years, school staff in Philadelphia has increasingly felt pressured by District leaders to act in a manner that borders on professional malpractice. Teachers have been forced to spend an inordinate amount of instructional time on test preparation and they have been expected to use instructional materials that are inappropriate for their students. Even more troubling in a growing number of schools, teachers have been required to “do whatever it takes” to increase student test scores by principals who confuse intimidation with leadership. 

In the face of such obstacles, it is no wonder that teachers are frustrated and angry. I, too, have felt the wrath of vindictive leaders, and, frankly, it has left me with a bad taste. But ventilating these feelings through scathing and anonymous remarks does us all a disservice. Personal attacks on specific District leaders, personnel, and union staffers can be, and often are, interpreted by the broader public as the rants of disaffected employees who are adverse to the concept of 

UPDATE: A Challenge for Chris Cerf - Jersey Jazzman: NJ CREDO Report: No Evidence Charter "Success" Can Be Replicated

Jersey Jazzman: NJ CREDO Report: No Evidence Charter "Success" Can Be Replicated:

NJ CREDO Report: No Evidence Charter "Success" Can Be Replicated

by Duke

A Challenge for Chris Cerf

by Duke

Here's the statement from NJDOE Commissioner Chris Cerf about today's CREDO charter report (thx Mother Crusader). The money quote:

Key findings from the report:

·       School level: “At the school level, 30 percent of the charter schools have significantly more positive learning gains than their TPS (traditional public school) counterparts in reading, while 11 percent of charter schools have significantly lower learning gains.  In math, 40 percent of the charter schools studied outperform their TPS peers and 13 percent perform worse.  These school-level results are notably more positive than the analogous pattern presented in the 2009 report.” [emphasis mine]

Got that? This is at the "school level." Cerf says charters outperform their "TPS (Traditional Public School) peers."

Here's the challenge:

Commissioner Cerf, name one TPS school in Newark that has essentially the same student population 

631 days ago, NJDOE Commissioner Chris Cerf promised a report on charter schools that took into account student demographics "as quickly as is humanly possible." Finally, the CREDO NJ charter report has landed - and with much reformy fanfare:

Study: Charter schools outperform public schools in N.J.

Yeah, we knew that already. The question was never whether or not these schools outperformed public schools;the real question is whether or not charter school successes can be replicated on a large scale.

To that end, I think this is a more relevant headline:

Study: No Evidence Charter School "Success" Can Be Replicated

Why can't "successful" charters be replicated? The CREDO study makes it clear: charters serve fewer children who don't speak English at home and fewer children with special needs than their "feeder" public schools. Look at p.13 in the report - it's right there.

It's also worth noting that even though the CREDO report says charters serve as many children "in poverty" as 

UPDATE: Senator Iris Martinez. No deal on a school closing timeline. « Fred Klonsky

Senator Iris Martinez. No deal on a school closing timeline. « Fred Klonsky:

Fred Said Don't Be Fooled

Seasonals.

by Fred Klonsky

I saw something posted on Facebook today about making holiday ornaments with elementary students.
When I went to the site, it was actually a serious post about where you could go to get directions for making holiday ornaments.
I guess I was hoping for something else.
When I first was hired as a K-6 art teacher, I was warned by my boss, the administrator in charge of Art teachers, not to make “seasonals.”
Nothing special for Halloween. No Valentines. Turkeys? Forget about it. Haunted houses? Never! And certainly not holiday ornaments.
That was okay for the classroom teacher, she warned me. But we needed to be serious about our art curriculum. 

Senator Iris Martinez. No deal on a school closing timeline.

by Fred Klonsky

Iris Martinez is the State Senator from my district.
I was pleased when she along with State Representative Cynthia Soto passed a bill creating a state legislative task force to study school closings in 2010.
The law had several components besides the task force. One was to to have the CPS make public a list of proposed closings by December 1st in order to provide public input.
Martinez now sits on a school-closings commission appointed by Barbara Byrd-Bennett, Rahm’s newly appointed CPS CEO.
More background and a CTU action alert on this is available here.
Byrd-Bennett is attempting a devious plan that would trade a delay in producing a school closing list in exchange

The in box. Snow birds and Illinois pensions.

by Fred Klonsky

The newsletter of the DuPage Illinois Retired Teachers Association.

NO ONE IS SAFE WHILE OUR STATE LEGISLATURE IS IN SESSION

by Jim Keating
“ What’s done is done and what’s won is won and what’s lost is lost and gone forever” are words in a popular ballad about the recent “troubles” in Ireland. Now that the state elections are over these words could apply to Illinois retirees and our pensions. What will happen in 2013 is anyone’s guess. That’s why we must stay informed over the coming months. One of the best ways to do this is to follow the blogs of former educators Fred Klonsky and Glen Brown. This is especially true if 

Book Review: The Future of Our Schools; Teacher Unions and Social Justice - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Book Review: The Future of Our Schools; Teacher Unions and Social Justice - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Book Review: The Future of Our Schools; Teacher Unions and Social Justice

by Anthony Cody

Today I am taking time to review an insightful new book, authored by Lois Weiner: The Future of Our Schools; Teachers Unions and Social Justice (2012, Haymarket Books.) This work presents a useful guide to teachers who wish to make the most out of one the most powerful tools we have - our unions.
In our discussion of how to improve schools, teacher unions are a frequent focus of discussion. The education "reformers" portray unions as defenders of the status quo and protectors of bad teachers. On the opposite side, we also hear those who are frustrated when teacher unions agree to the use of test scores in teacher evaluations, or endorse wayward politicians. Sometimes, in frustration, some even wonder if the unions are of much use at all.
Lois Weiner makes a strong case for why our unions are important:

Unions press for collective voice and intervention to counter the employer's absolute control. Working together, employees possess a strength much greater than they have as individuals. Without a union, employees have no protection and no rights except those the employer grants. Especially in an 

Support Kids not Cuts | Education Votes #edchat

Kids Not Cuts | Education Votes:

Support Kids not Cuts

Last updated November 21, 2012

 

Across the board cuts, scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 2, 2013, are a bad idea and would be devastating to the programs and services ordinary Americans depend on including education, transportation, public safety, medical research, and environmental protection.  These cuts could also lead to the loss of nearly 80,000 education jobs.

TAKE ACTION ›

Visit our Kids Not Cuts topic page for all the latest news and ways to get involved in the fight against the looming across the board cuts. CLICK HERE ›

• We need to make investments that strengthen our economy and protect core American values.  We’ve already asked our children and the middle class to make big sacrifices—instead of sticking everyday Americans with the tab, it’s time for the wealthiest two percent to pay their fair share.
• Funding for things like education, benefits for veterans, and transportation have already taken a $1.5 trillion hit. These built-in cuts bring non-defense discretionary spending to the lowest level as a share of the economy (GDP) on record. 
• Across the board cuts would be particularly devastating for education, where cuts would result in:
  

• Services cut or eliminated for more than nine million students
• Funding for children living in poverty, in special education, and Head Startslashed by billions• Class sizes ballooning
• After-school programs eliminated
• Programs for our most vulnerable – homeless students, English Language Learners, and high-poverty, struggling schools – decimated
• Financial aid for college students slashed
• Nearly 80,000 education jobs lost – at early childhood, elementary and secondary, and postsecondary levels.

• Despite the fact that 5.4 million more students are in our schools today and that costs have increased by 25 percent since 2003, these cuts could actually causeeducation programs to drop to pre-2003 levels.

Click here to find out how pending across the board cuts would impact individual education programs, such as Head Start, Title I, School Improvement Grants, IDEA and more.

State-by-State Charts on Possible Cuts

Use the links below to check out state-by-state charts and find out what sequestration cuts would mean for students in your area.

Alabama	Louisiana	Ohio
Alaska	Maine	Oklahoma
Arizona	Maryland	Oregon
Arkansas	Massachusetts	Pennsylvania
California	Michigan	Rhode Island
Colorado	Minnesota	South Carolina
Connecticut	Mississippi	South Dakota
Delaware	Missouri	Tennessee
Florida	Montana	Texas
Georgia	Nebraska	Utah
Hawaii	Nevada	Vermont
Idaho	New Hampshire	Virginia
Illinois	New Jersey	Washington
Indiana	New Mexico	West Virginia
Iowa	New York	Wisconsin
Kansas	North Carolina	Wyoming
Kentucky	North Dakota

UPDATE: Mother Crusader: Cerf's Spin On CREDO Report, The CREDO Study; Dubious Conclusions About New Jersey Charter Schools

Mother Crusader: The CREDO Study; Dubious Conclusions About New Jersey Charter Schools:

Cerf's Spin On CREDO Report

by darciecima

And here is the shiny NJDOE spin on the CREDO report.  More on this later.  I'm too spun from trying to unspin the CREDO press release to deal with Cerf's spin right now...

Statement by Commissioner Cerf on New Report on New Jersey Charter Schools from The Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO)

For Immediate Release:	Contact:                              Barbara Morgan Rich Vespucci
Date: November 27, 2012	609-292-1126

Education Commissioner Chris Cerf released the following statement today regarding The Center for Research on Education Outcomes’ report on New Jersey charter schools:

“The Center for Research on Education Outcomes’ (CREDO) rigorous, independent analysis of the achievement results of charter schools in New Jersey shows that the results are clear – on the whole, New Jersey charter school 

The CREDO Study; Dubious Conclusions About New Jersey Charter Schools

by darciecima

I am far from an expert when it comes to statistics.  In fact, reading parts of the CREDO study published todayabout charter performance in New Jersey makes me feel more than a little intimidated.  I'm diving in though, because with the glowing conclusions in the press release I may have to shut down this blog and run out and enroll my kids in the local charter!

The CREDO at Stanford University New Jersey analysis found that 30 percent of the charter schools have significantly more positive learning gains than their traditional school counterparts in reading, while 11 percent of charter schools have significantly lower learning gains. In math, 40 percent of the charter schools studied outperform their counterparts and 13 percent perform worse. In comparison, CREDO’s 2009 national study of charter schools in 16 states found at that time that 17 percent of the charter schools had exceeded their district school counterparts’ growth . 

A significant finding came from the results of the urban charter 

Diane in the EveningDiane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Mississippi Bests Florida

by dianerav

For years we have heard about the Florida miracle, supposedly the result of Jeb Bush’s tough accountability measures.
But whoa!
The latest federal data show that Mississippi has a higher graduation rate than Florida.
Is there a Mississippi miracle?

New Report on New Jersey Charter Schools

by dianerav

Bruce Baker here analyzes the new CREDO report on charter schools in New Jersey.
Charters in Newark outperform district schools, and Baker explains the secrets of their success.
Outside of Newark, charters were no different from public schools.

What Happened to Public Education in 2012 Elections

by dianerav

Joanne Barkan has written an excellent summary of how public education fared in the recent elections.
Barkan knows how to follow the money. Her article “Got Dough?” showed the influence of the billionaires on education policy.
She begins her analysis of the 2012 elections with this overview of Barack Obama’s embrace of GOP education dogma:
“Barack Obama’s K-12 “reform” policies have brought misery to public schools across the country: more standardized testing, faulty evaluations for teachers based on student test scores, more public schools shut 

Pennsylvania Cyber Charter won’t Answer Questions

by dianerav

The largest of Pennsylvania’s virtual charter schools is under investigation for its handling of public money. It’s offices were raided by the FBI earlier this year. It fired its top executives. The investigation continues.
Apparently the money rolled in so fast and furiously that the charter came up with ingenious ways to spend it, like sending a large number of its executives to get an online master’s degree on the public’s dime. But the lawyer for Pennsylvania Cyber Charter is not answering any questions. He seems to have forgotten that where public money goes, public accountability and transparency must follow.

Is This the Right Model for School Reform?

by dianerav

Herbert Michael writes that the recently approved Newark teachers’ contract accepts the corporate reformers’ ideas but that it uses the wrong model. Why not change urban schools to look like the schools where the leaders of the corporate reform movement send their own children?
He says:
“Despite the specious claims made by corporate financed education “reformers” claiming
that teacher “performance is our schools’ central problem, the real problem is the failure of our political classes 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-27-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Ms. Katie Looks into the Heart of the Elites by dianerav Katie Osgood reviews Chris Hayes’ new book “Twilight of the Elites” and ponders how the elites–the so-called best and the brightest–are now running education policy. Their ideas fail and fail but they boldly push ahead, utterly unfixed by the damage they inflict on others. They enjoy money, power, prestige, unlike those poor teachers and children whose lives they mess up with their hapless schemes. The New Yorker Profile by dianerav In its issue of... more »

KIPP’s special status gets more special:

KIPP’s special status gets more special

Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 27, 2012 at 11:30 am

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There are charter schools, and then there are special charter schools. In this story my colleague Nick Anderson writes about how special the KIPP charter school network has become. Already the recipient of many millions of dollars from private foundations, and a finalist in the Obama administration’s Race to the Top-District competition for millions of dollars, Anderson explains how KIPP has forged special relationships with some of America’s most prestigious colleges who will track and recruit the charter school’s students.

According to the story, 20 colleges and universities, including Georgetown, Brown and Duke universities, have signed pledges to work with KIPP to recruit some of the charter network’s students, 95 percent of whom are black and Latino. KIPP’s Web site says KIPP now has 125 schools in 20 states and Washington D.C., with a total of more than 39,000 students, with more than 85 percent of them from