EducationNews.org - The source of the school budget quagmire

EducationNews.org - The source of the school budget quagmire:

"Scores of Michigan school districts are facing budget problems, and the blame is falling on this year’s “draconian” state school aid cuts and on Michigan’s “unpredictable” school funding system. Schools are now said to be underfunded

The source of the school budget quagmire

By Michael D. Van Beek
Of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy"

Scores of Michigan school districts are facing budget problems, and the blame is falling on this year’s “draconian” state school aid cuts and on Michigan’s “unpredictable” school funding system. Schools are now said to be underfunded.

But the record shows that Michigan’s schools have been generously financed for years. This suggests policymakers should stop focusing on school revenues and instead encourage schools to control their costs.

Michigan’s public school system has received increased revenues — even after adjusting for inflation — nearly every year since the state’s voters passed Proposal A, the constitutional amendment that guides Michigan’s school funding system. From 1995 until 2008, inflation-adjusted total revenue for Michigan schools grew by nearly one-third, according to data from the Center for Educational Performance and Information. With virtually the same number of pupils today as in 1995, per-pupil revenue rose accordingly. In constant 2008 dollars, Michigan schools on average received about $3,000 more per student in 2008 than they did in Proposal A’s first year.

Herein lies the lesson for policymakers and taxpayers: More revenue for schools won’t necessarily stabilize their budgets.

Still, some point to recent revenue declines in the state school aid fund — the schools’ primary source of income, and the repository of taxes from Proposal A — and call for an overhaul of Michigan’s school funding system. This argument, too, is questionable: The school aid fund has grown 18 percent above inflation since 1995.

The Answer Sheet - More to education than data

The Answer Sheet- More to education than data:

"Here’s Diane Ravitch’s response to a post I wrote last week about Teach for America. In that post, I had noted that “Teach For America” founder Wendy Kopp went to Capitol Hill to talk about new research on effective teachers.


Using test score data, the nonprofit organization--which recruits college graduates to teach in low-income schools for two years--has determined that effective teachers are those who employ the same strategies as successful leaders in any field.


I also pointed to a critique by educator Diana Senechal published on the Core Knowledge Blog, called “There Is No Such Thing as Teaching."

National ed reporting overrated

Those of us who write about schools were supposed to rise in anger and frustration when the Brookings Institution revealed that during the first nine months of 2009 “only 1.4 percent of national news coverage from television, newspapers, new Web sites and radio dealt with education.” A headline on the Brookings Web site said: “Invisible: 1.4 Percent Coverage for Education is Not Enough.”

I’m not feeling it. To begin with, the headline was misleading. Brookings probably learned that trick from us newspaper people, but still, get real. Maybe national education news is hard to find. Maybe it deserves to be, as boring and repetitive as it can be. But education reporting, at least the local kind that fills most of my days, is alive and well and provides more than 1.4 percent of what Americans read in their newspapers each day.

Continue reading this post »

Fixed schools fail :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Education

Fixed schools fail :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Education:

"Storied Phillips High -- where Nat 'King' Cole once walked the halls -- and basketball powerhouse Marshall High School are among 14 Chicago public schools expected to face massive shakeups, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.


Fewer than 4 percent of students at both schools passed their state exams last year, putting both Phillips and Marshall on the radar for a 'turnaround'' in which schools are re-staffed but kids stay in place."



Both predominately black schools have faced major overhauls in the past, with little academic success.
A third high school is facing a total shutdown, sources say. Officials contend the South Side building housing Las Casas Occupational High doesn't meet the needs of the 82 special education students it serves. Officials want to send those students to Montefiore, a public school for truants and troubled students; Banner Linc Alternative School and various private schools.
The shakeup plan under discussion Monday called for the closure of Las Casas and three other schools, whose children would be sent elsewhere. Four others would consolidate with other schools; one would stop accepting new kids and phase out over time, and five would experience staffing "turnarounds." However, the plan was still being tweaked late Monday, when four small high schools in one building were spared from turnaround.

EducationNews.org - Parents rage at Albany over charter-busting bill

EducationNews.org - Parents rage at Albany over charter-busting bill:

"1.19.10 - Angry parents yesterday ripped Albany for putting the teachers union before kids, as lawmakers moved to block the expansion of charter schools -- jeopardizing New York state's bid to win $700 million in federal education funds.

Parents rage at Albany over charter-busting bill

Angry parents yesterday ripped Albany for putting the teachers union before kids, as lawmakers moved to block the expansion of charter schools -- jeopardizing New York state's bid to win $700 million in federal education funds.

'They know better. My son be damned!' fumed Dan Clark, whose son, Dan Jr., is an eighth-grader at Democracy Prep Charter in Harlem.

'What this fight is really about is power and money,' Clark said. 'The legislators are afraid of the unions.'"

UFT 1, Kids 0 - NYPOST.com

UFT 1, Kids 0 - NYPOST.com:

"Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver flipped a stiff middle finger to Presi dent Obama and Education Secre tary Arne Duncan over the weekend, all but flushing $700 million in special federal school aid down the toilet and initiating the dismantlement of New York's stunningly successful charter school movement.

It was a signal victory for the United Federation of Teachers, which can't abide charter schools because -- unlike the majority of unionized schools -- they actually educate kids.

Silver had help.

* John Sampson, a honcho in the comic cabal that runs the state Senate, signed off on the cave-in."

New York Fight Over Charter Schools Is Threat to Federal Funds - WSJ.com

New York Fight Over Charter Schools Is Threat to Federal Funds - WSJ.com:

"New York, home of the nation's largest school district, is on the verge of rejecting key components of the White House's education effort amid a state fight over charter schools.

The Democratic-led legislature, with heavy backing from teachers' unions, is behind a law that critics, including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, say will curb the growth of charter schools.

Tuesday is the deadline for states to submit initial bids for a slice of the $4.35 billion that is up for grabs under the Obama administration's 'Race to the Top' competition, which is intended to coax policy concessions such as opening charter schools and getting approval of merit-pay systems through stubborn legislatures."

Bid for ‘Race to the Top’ School Aid Gets No Vote in Albany - NYTimes.com

Bid for ‘Race to the Top’ School Aid Gets No Vote in Albany - NYTimes.com

An eleventh-hour push by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Gov.David A. Paterson to improve New York State’s chances to receive up to $700 million in federal education financing faltered on Monday after the State Legislature balked at the plan.

The governor had called the Legislature into session Monday night to consider a proposal that would increase the number of charter schools allowed in the state, which would help the state in the federal competition known as Race to the Top.
But a bill put forth by the governor differs in key respects from one proposed by the legislative leadership. Both would allow more charters, but the legislative proposal would also place significant new restrictions on them, drawing protests from the mayor and charter school advocates.
Both the State Senate and the State Assembly refused to put a bill to a vote Monday. They were due back in session Tuesday morning.
For weeks, Mr. Bloomberg and his schools chancellor, Joel I. Klein, had refused to endorse the state’s application for Race to the Top money, in part to pressure state lawmakers to raise a statewide cap on the number of charter schools. The competition will award $4 billion in federal stimulus money to states that present the most innovative plans for educational reform, including their willingness to start charter schools.

Op-Ed Contributor - Shades of Prejudice - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Contributor - Shades of Prejudice - NYTimes.com:

"LAST week, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, found himself in trouble for once suggesting that Barack Obama had a political edge over other African-American candidates because he was “light-skinned” and had “no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.” Mr. Reid was not expressing sadness but a gleeful opportunism that Americans were still judging one another by the color of their skin, rather than — as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose legacy we commemorated on Monday, dreamed — by the content of their character."

The School Garden Network of Sonoma County – Living Green - The Press Democrat - Santa Rosa, CA - Archive

The School Garden Network of Sonoma County – Living Green - The Press Democrat - Santa Rosa, CA - Archive

The School Garden Network (SGN) is a non-profit organization of garden program coordinators, teachers, parent volunteers and community partners. SGN supports and promotes sustainable garden- and nutrition-based learning programs in Sonoma County schools, connects school communities with fresh, locally grown foods, and provides a forum for exchanging information and resources. We empower youth to embrace healthy eating habits and to develop respect for and stewardship of all living things. A chapter of the California School Garden Network, SGN has steadily grown its membership base since 2003. 

SGN promotes collaboration between educational, health, agricultural and business sectors of the community, and appreciates the support of the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, Community Foundation of Sonoma County, Medlock Ames, Exchange Bank, Whole Foods, Sonoma Jail Industries Nursery, Sweetwater Nursery and more!

Why Is School Garden Education Important?

Chris Christie vs. NJEA; Move N.J.'s elections; Gay marriage isn't a right | Letters to The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

Chris Christie vs. NJEA; Move N.J.'s elections; Gay marriage isn't a right | Letters to The Star-Ledger - NJ.com:

"I applaud Gov.-elect Chris Christie’s intention, in theory, to institute merit pay for public school teachers as well as the desire to create more charter schools ('With NJEA, Christie comes out swinging,' Jan 14). He is correct that the kids and the parents are the customers here, and only by introducing competition and performance reviews will we see individual teachers and schools start to service the customer better.

I only wish his idea didn’t come with federal strings attached to the money. I’d prefer to see this done on a state-by-state basis, because anything having to do with a Washington bureaucrat will not be done in the best interest of our kids. I went to public schools in the 1960s and ‘70s when there was no Cabinet-level Department of Education, and we probably got a better overall education back then."

Obama Wants School-Grants Competition to Get $1.35 Billion More - Bloomberg.com

Obama Wants School-Grants Competition to Get $1.35 Billion More - Bloomberg.com:

"Jan. 19 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama, who plans to award $4.35 billion in grants this year to states competing to embrace his education agenda, wants to offer an additional $1.35 billion in 2011.

Obama will propose expanding the so-called Race to the Top in a speech today in Falls Church, Virginia, two administration officials said. The new grants would be funded in the Education Department’s fiscal 2011 budget, according to the officials, who briefed reporters yesterday and asked that they not be identified in advance of the announcement.

The president and Education Secretary Arne Duncan have said the competition will reward states that make the most progress in raising academic standards, boosting teacher quality, tracking student gains and improving failing schools. The $4.35 billion was part of the $787 billion economic stimulus package enacted last year."

News: Freezer Burn - Inside Higher Ed

News: Freezer Burn - Inside Higher Ed: 


"Tuition freezes have long had political appeal, and a plan to halt hikes for a second consecutive year in Missouri has been met with predictable applause from students and their families. But even supporters of tuition freezes within higher education concede they are unsustainable. Indeed, historic trends suggest a few years of stable tuition can lead to dramatic single-year increases, which startle continuing students and punish an incoming cohort charged with making up for the lost revenues of prior years."

Michael Nietzel, president of Missouri State University, is aware of all the potential pitfalls of halting tuition hikes. Even so, Nietzel has joined the state’s other university and community college presidents in an agreement to freeze tuition in exchange for a promise from Gov. Jay Nixon that their budgets will be cut no more than 5 percent next year.

“Talking to presidents in other states about this, I know a number of them who would like our deal,” Nietzel said.

But the very nature of the Missouri presidents’ deal suggests the tuition “freeze” is really nothing more than a deferment. Under the agreement, public colleges would still be permitted to approve tuition increases “on the books,” so long as they don’t charge it to students this year. That’s significant in Missouri, where colleges require permission from the commissioner of higher education to increase tuition more than the rate of inflation in a given year. By approving an inflation-level increase this year -- probably about 3 percent -- Missouri colleges will build in a higher base tuition from which to impose additional increases in future years.

Lee Baca and Gary Mangiofico: Preschool is key to crime prevention - LA Daily News

Lee Baca and Gary Mangiofico: Preschool is key to crime prevention - LA Daily News:

"RECENT statistics indicating that crime in Los Angeles has dropped to the lowest level in more than 40 years is most encouraging. Above all, it's a testament to the joint efforts of our political leaders and law enforcement agencies working together to improve our quality of life.

However, we cannot rest on our laurels, but must continue to pursue strategies that will ensure that crime in our communities will continue to decline.

There are obviously numerous methods that can be employed to deter criminal activity. One of these might surprise you, and that is quality early childhood education."

The Daily Texan - State board debates significance of social studies topics

The Daily Texan - State board debates significance of social studies topics:

"In light of ongoing debate, students enrolled in Texas public schools may have their social studies curriculum changed as early as next year.

Issues ranging from the role of minorities in Texas history to the separation of church and state were at the center of the State Board of Education’s debate Thursday and Friday on revisions to the K-12 social-studies curriculum.

Because objections were raised to some of the proposed content, the board postponed voting on any changes until March.

The board, a component of the Texas Education Agency, will finalize any proposed changes in May. The changes will then be sent to publishers, who will print new textbooks. The board holds debates every 10 years to update the content of the state’s textbooks.

Sue Blanchette, vice president of the National Council for the Social Studies, said the changes to Texas textbooks could have a nationwide impact. Because Texas and California are the largest consumers of textbooks, Blanchette said other states across the nation will likely adopt the same textbooks."

Huff appointed to school infrastructure board - SGVTribune.com

Huff appointed to school infrastructure board - SGVTribune.com:

"State Sen. Bob Huff, R-Glendora, has been appointed to the California State Allocation Board, which is responsible for allocating billions of dollars in bonds for school construction and modernization.

The board also acts on appeals and adopts policies and regulations pertaining to school infrastructure programs.

The board includes three members of the Senate and three members of the Assembly, as well as other state officials. Huff, who is vice-chair of the Senate Education Committee, replaces Sen. Mark Wyland, R-Carlsbad, on the board.

'Education related spending is the single largest state expenditure - nearly 50 percent of the total budget. It is incredibly important to ensure that this board spends every dollar as efficiently as possible,' Huff said in a statement."

GilroyDispatch.com | Federal funding divides district, revives merit pay talk

GilroyDispatch.com | Federal funding divides district, revives merit pay talk:

"The school board and teachers union clashed over a controversial initiative that gives districts federal funding in exchange for linking teacher evaluations with student growth, possibly setting the stage for a discussion of performance-based pay.

The details surrounding the federal Race to the Top initiative remain fuzzy - one of the major reasons why the Gilroy Teachers Association said it could not support the program - but Gilroy Unified School District trustees took a 'leap of faith' and voted 6-1 with trustee Mark Good dissenting to agree to the deal. Trustees believe the funding could help usher in some of the reforms educators have been talking about for years, including merit - or performance-based - pay"

MorganHillTimes.com | No, the ends do not justify the means

MorganHillTimes.com | No, the ends do not justify the means:

"The ends don't justify the means. That principle states that it's unacceptable to do bad things even if they're intended to achieve what you regard as good goals. This principle was emphasized at the fundamentalist Christian schools and churches I attended in my youth, and it's an important guideline, no matter your religious persuasion.

If Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to amend California's constitution to require the state to spend more on higher education than prisons ever makes it to a ballot, I hope Californians remember this principle.

I support Schwarzenegger's goal of spending more on the state's once-envied UC and CSU systems than prisons. As the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, 'The state spent $9.3 billion on prisons last year and only $6.5 billion on higher education. It's hard to look at numbers like those and imagine California as a state with a bright future.'"

Teresa Sullivan is the first female president to lead University of Virginia - washingtonpost.com

Teresa Sullivan is the first female president to lead University of Virginia - washingtonpost.com:

"The University of Virginia's first female president got an early look at how to run a school as a college senior when she won a coveted internship in the president's office at Michigan State University.

Teresa A. Sullivan, chosen Jan. 11 to lead Virginia's flagship public university, has punched her ticket at some of the nation's top public and private institutions. But it was that first step observing the inner workings of a major state school that launched her career as a highly regarded scholar-administrator, capable of juggling senior administrative posts while pursuing research on the sociology of financial ruin."

Opposition to Education Grant Program Emerges as Deadline Looms - NYTimes.com

Opposition to Education Grant Program Emerges as Deadline Looms - NYTimes.com:

 "The Obama administration’s main school improvement initiative has spurred education policy changes in states across the nation, but it is meeting with some last-minute resistance as the first deadline for applications arrives Tuesday."



Thousands of school districts in California, Ohio and other states have declined to participate, and teachers’ unions in Michigan, Minnesota and Florida have recommended that their local units not sign on to their states’ applications. Several rural states, including Montana, have said they will not apply, at least for now, partly because of the emphasis on charter schools, which would draw resources from small country schools.
And Gov. Rick Perry of Texas said last week that his state would not compete for the $700 million that the biggest states are eligible to win in the $4 billion program, known as Race to the Top, calling it an intrusion on states’ rights.
Still, about 40 states were rushing to complete applications for the Tuesday deadline, the first in the two-stage competition. The last-minute opposition is unlikely to derail efforts by most of those states to win some of the federal money.
President Obama and his aides have been so delighted by the response by states that he will seek to extend the competition into a third round next year and will request an additional $1.3 billion from Congress to do so, senior administration officials 

Off the Beat - The Daily Californian

Off the Beat - The Daily Californian:

Entering the New Epoch

"A few weeks ago, in an elegant turn of phrase, UC President Mark G. Yudof encapsulated all that is wrong with California's higher education, giving voice to what could be a new epoch of protest in the Golden State.

And yes, I did say Mark Yudof.

'Securing the funding of higher education is securing the promise of California,' the much-maligned President said. 'The trend of chronic disinvestment in the (UC) and the (CSU) systems must be reversed. The road to a stronger economy and a brighter future for California runs straight through its great public universities.'

Bingo Mr. Yudof, million dollar question answered. The problem here is state funding, not Yudof, our campus' favorite pariah."