Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Schools Matter: Education Cuts in Oregon?

Education Cuts in Oregon?

by Kenneth Libby

Oregon revenue drops sharply, rips $563 million hole in state budget
By Harry Esteve, The Oregonian
May 25, 2010, 11:43AM

SALEM -- Oregon’s stubbornly bad economy has left a huge hole in the state budget, distressed lawmakers learned today -- $563 million that must be cut from schools and other programs over the next year unless more money comes in.

Attacking Colleges of Education

by Kenneth Libby

From Henry A. Giroux, via Truthout:

Dumbing Down Teachers: Attacking Colleges of Education in the Name of Reform
Tuesday 25 May 2010
by: Henry A. Giroux, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed
As the Obama administration's educational reform movement increasingly adopts the interests and values of a "free-market" culture, many students graduate public schooling and higher education with an impoverished political imagination, unable to recognize injustice and unfairness. They often find themselves invested in a notion of unattached individualism that severs them from any sense of moral and social responsibility to others or to a larger notion of the common good. At the same time, those students who jeopardize the achievement of the quantifiable measures and

Cartoon Network plans major anti-bullying campaign - Boston.com

Cartoon Network plans major anti-bullying campaign

This undated image provided by the Cartoon Network shows the company logo. (AP Photo/Cartoon Network)

By David Crary

AP National Writer / May 25, 2010

Text size – +

NEW YORK—Next fall, when millions of kids tune into Cartoon Network to watch Bugs Bunny, Scooby-Doo and other favorites, they'll encounter something new -- an ambitious campaign to enlist them as foot soldiers in the fight against bullying.

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Unlike many bullying programs, this one is geared toward middle school, where experts say bullying is most common. It also targets not bullies nor the bullied, but kids who witness bullying, giving them appropriate techniques to intervene.

"There are specific strategies young people can learn to make a difference in their schools and communities," said Alice Cahn, Cartoon Network's vice president of social responsibility. "We decided to focus on those who watch bullying happen -- the bystander community -- who know they should do something, but are not sure what."

GLOBE EDUCATION NEWS

GE chief tells BC graduates ethics, innovation, collaboration count

Boston College graduates got a dose of reality with a hint of promise from General Electric chairman and chief executive Jeffrey Immelt yesterday. (By John M. Guilfoil, Globe Staff)

Neighbors fight school over bid to move church

Neighbors of a historic church in Cambridge are suing Lesley University and the City of Cambridge over new zoning laws that could enable the school to relocate the Art Institute of Boston to the church’s lot in Porter Square. (By Brock Parker, Globe Correspondent)

In Walpole, Rebels’ pride still sparks a fight

WALPOLE — Past clapboard houses with white fences, in a tree-filled yard next to the local high school is an unusual sight: a large sign painted to look like a Confederate flag. (By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff)

Quincy teachers vote to defer 4 percent raise till next year

DORCHESTER — Facing the elimination of as many as 200 positions and cuts to programs such as all-day kindergarten and foreign-language instruction, members of the Quincy teachers union voted yesterday evening to defer their 4 percent pay raises until next year. (By Molly A. K. Connors, Globe Correspondent)

Educational publishers take on role as guides to federal grant process

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — If you’re applying for a grant from the Obama administration, be sure to use this phrase,’’ Nancy Updegraff said authoritatively. (By D.C. Denison, Globe Staff)

LATEST EDUCATION NEWS WIRE UPDATES

Ky. budget proposal clears key House panel hurdle (AP, 3:39 p.m.)
NC House budget-writers detail saving $200M more (AP, 3:24 p.m.)
Cartoon Network plans major anti-bullying campaign(AP, 3:10 p.m.)
As Marshall clerk, Kagan was wary of conservatives(AP, 2:40 p.m.)
RI school board expected to let teachers keep jobs (AP, 1:48 p.m.)

LATEST K-12 EDUCATION NEWS

Ed board upholds closing of Mass. charter school (AP, 10:48 a.m.)
GOP gubernatorial hopefuls spar over Mich. economy(AP, 10:39 a.m.)
Exercise limits: Just 1 in 5 kids live near parks (AP, 10:10 a.m.)
More teachers’ unions throw support behind R.I.’s race to top (Boston Globe, 5/24/10)
Research ties W.Va. dropouts to metro economies (AP, 5/24/10)

Schools Matter: Ravitch's Top 10 Reasons for Refusing RTTT

Ravitch's Top 10 Reasons for Refusing RTTT

by Jim Horn

From Bridging Differences, ht to Monty Neill:

. . . . As I listened to teachers and principals, I concluded that states and districts should not participate in the Race to the Top. It might better be called the Race to Nowhere, or as some have dubbed it, the Race to the Trough or the Dash to the Cash.
Here are my top 10 reasons for saying no:

The money that states win cannot plug budget gaps, but must be applied to meeting the requirements of the Race.

The Race demands that states evaluate teachers by their students' test scores. Some states are legislating that 50 percent of a teacher's evaluation be based on student scores. There is no basis in research or science for 50 percent or 20 percent or any other number. Of course, supervisors should take test scores into account when evaluating teachers, but they should not be required to use a fixed percentage, determined arbitrarily by legislators.

The issue of how to evaluate teachers should be resolved by professional associations, working in concert, such as the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Education, and other professional groups. The state legislatures do not determine how other

Eduflack: Promises, Promises

Promises, Promises

by Eduflack

The first week of June is shaping up to be a busy one for federal education policy. On June 1, Phase Two Race to the Top applications are due to the U.S. Department of Education. Then on June 2, the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association are slated to to release their K-12 common core standards to all who are watching.

What is the significance of these two dates? Every state seeking a RttT grant is expected to pledge to adopt the common core standards as a term of eligibility for RttT. And while working drafts of the K-12 standards have been circulating around town for months, the actual document each state pledges to follow won't be released until the day after such pledges are due.

Fordham's Mike Petrilli has an interesting discussion on the common core/RttT implications for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts here. And while his discussion is Massachusetts-centric, the argument is an interesting one for every state seeking funding from the $4 billion pot.

For those who fail to recall, last summer, when the draft RttT guidelines first came out, NGA and CCSSO raised concerns about the requirements tying common core to RttT. The chief concern was timeline, particularly for

O'Connell Urges Support of Quality Data Bill - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)

State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell
Urges Support for Quality Data Bill

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today urged state lawmakers to support Assembly Bill 2265 (Salas) that he is sponsoring to ensure a quality student data system by providing funding for staff, training, and development of the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS).

"As we fight to bolster student academic achievement and lower the dropout rate, I cannot emphasize the critically important need for a quality student data system in order to make the appropriate policy decisions to help students," said O'Connell. "The state relies on districts to produce, maintain, and report accurate student achievement data in CALPADS that is integral to how statewide policy decisions are made. School districts are already burdened with huge budget cuts and layoffs and they do not have the resources necessary to hire and train staff to maintain the accuracy of student achievement data. If we lack the quality and accurate data the state demands, CALPADS will be undermined. Ultimately, students will not be well-served by the state."

"It is imperative we ensure that parents, teachers, education stakeholders, policy makers, and the state have the most accurate student data needed to improve California's public education system," said Assemblywoman Mary Salas (D-Chula Vista). "I am proud to author AB 2265 and will continue to work with the Superintendent to increase the necessary resources to obtain quality data."

If passed, AB 2265 would establish the Accurate Student Achievement Data Act of 2010 to provide an annual $32 million grant program. The measure would provide $5 per enrolled pupil or $5,000 for small local educational agencies (LEA) each year to help support the new workload associated with collecting, maintaining, and submitting data into CALPADS. The data system is close to full implementation. CALPADS is designed to help LEAs accurately monitor and report dropout and graduation figures and student performance data over time. The data system is also designed to help the state provide a clear picture of dropout, graduate, and retention rates that will drive education policy decisions.

CALPADS was created in 2001 in response to the passage of the federal No Child Left Behind Act that required increased accountability for student achievement. This represented a fundamental shift from LEAs submitting aggregate versus student-level data to the state. By using student-level data, the state can more accurately calculate dropout and graduation rates and track student achievement over time versus relying on formulas to calculate the rates. CALPADS also allows LEAs to acquire more timely information about incoming students to accommodate and respond to the growing needs of California's students.

For more information on AB 2265, please visit AB 2265 (Outside Source).

Schools Matter: NYTimes Reports on Growing Charter School Corruption

NYTimes Reports on Growing Charter School Corruption

by Jim Horn

A clip from NYTimes:

. . .Charters, for example, are not specifically prohibited by state law from hiring their own board members or employees as consultants. While the state comptroller’s office — the government’s fiscal watchdog — can audit public schools, it is barred by a court ruling from examining charter schools.

Before that court ruling was issued last year, the comptroller’s office completed audits of 18 charters around the state. Fourteen had significant financial irregularities, including one school that spent $67,951 on staff trips to the Caribbean, according to officials. “We don’t have enough

What Do LAUSD and Haiti Have In Common? - Perdaily.com

What Do LAUSD And Haiti Have In Common?

by Leonard

After spending 5 months on paid administrative leave from my teaching job at LAUSD for reporting a corrupt graduation, I am looking forward to spending several months out of Los Angeles. Hopefully, and with the help of the Internet, I will still be able to post and receive stories for perdaily. My number one choice is to spend the summer in Haiti helping the country rebuild after an earthquake and over 400 years of racist polices designed to keep Haiti on its knees. In doing research about how I could be most effective in helping Haiti with my automotive and construction skills, I discovered that although billions of dollars are given to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), little changes on the ground in Haiti because little is done to create the infrastructure necessary for self-sufficiency in lieu of continued dependence. This reality was covered in their usual excellence by NPR's This American Life last weekend in a story entitled Island Time.

Knowing my obsession, are you folks ahead of me on this post? LAUSD and Haiti have much more in common than earthquakes and institutional racism. Both Haiti and LAUSD continue to expend vast sums of money and have nothing to show for it, because they do nothing to empower the people, while only spending

Another Stat to Retire � The Quick and the Ed

Another Stat to Retire

by Ben Miller

Lots of research shows that a high school grade point average is among the single best predictors of student college success. Crossing the Finish Line found that high school GPA played a very large role in determining whether or not a student would graduate and this was true regardless of the high school’s rigor—”with modest qualifications, ‘a grade is a grade is a grade,’” the authors wrote on page 122. This also meshes with findings of both the College Board and ACT, which state that high school GPA is among the single best predictors of first-year student grades. (Both of course recommend combining grades and their test for the best match.)
The importance of grades makes logical sense. Unlike a test that can be completed in a few hours, grades do indicate some level of sustained effort or achievement. Even if there is inflation, doing well across several years in a variety of subjects still does show a certain amount of mastery.
That’s why I was really intrigued by a statistic that Daniel Luzer at the Washington Monthly’s College Guidepicked up in this post on remediation: “nearly four out of five remedial students had a high school GPA of 3.0

This Week In Education Thompson: Words Have Meanings

This Week In Education

Thompson: Words Have Meanings

by john thompson

Unless he also was misquoted by Steve Brill, Dan Goldhaber said "The effect of increases in teacher quality swamps the impact of any other educational investment, such as reductions in class size." Goldhaber has a case regarding class size, but does he really have evidence to refute James Heckman, Russ Whitehurst, and Dan Willingham that high-quality pre-school, health and nutrition, intensive diagnostic assessment for reading comprehension, and/or an effective and engaging curriculum would be more cost-effective? When writing for RAND, Goldhaber compared teacher effects to other "school-related

Cartoon: Recess Is Over, Kids Tell Lawmakers

by Alexander Russo

NEA Defines a 'Competitive Compensation Schedule' - Teacher Beat - Education Week

NEA Defines a 'Competitive Compensation Schedule'

by Stephen Sawchuk

In comments on a federal performance-pay initiative that's poised to expand, the National Education Association urged the Department of Education to require participating districts to prove that they've established a "competitive compensation schedule" before instituting a performance-bonus system.
I've always wondered what the union's vision of an ideal compensation schedule consists of, and this document essentially lays that out.
Apparently, the union feels that teachers' baseline salaries should be equivalent to those seen in other professions, or at least $40,000. No surprises there, since NEA continues to support salary schedules, and since the $40,000 figure has been a core part of the union's national salary initiative for some time.
But then I came across this line: A competitive salary advancement schedule means earning "significant" wage

Education — San Francisco Bay Area Schools, Performance, Profiles, News — SFGate

Voters face tough choice: pay up or shutdown

Alameda voters embark today on a monthlong, mail-only election to decide whether taxes will be raised to...

Photos

San Francisco Ballet School Student Showcase

The San Francisco Ballet School Student Showcase this week is not your run-of-the-mill recital - it's a...

Photos

How does it feel? Teenager shows he's 'got Dylan' 10:22 AM
Kaplan students get apologies after Spanish ban 10:05 AM
Some spat-upon NYC bus drivers take months off 8:48 AM
Chicago waits for next step in firefighter case 6:46 AM
Geithner tells China that US learned from crisis 4:09 AM

More AP Education Headlines »

Program helps ex-foster youth navigate college

Sokhom Mao will do something today that few like him ever do: He'll graduate from college. Little about Mao appears unusual, except...

Chronicle 5.22.10 4:00 AM

This Week In Education Media: AFT Claims NYT Mag Included Made Up Quot

This Week In Education

Media: AFT Claims NYT Mag Included Made Up Quote

by Alexander Russo

Nearly a week after the article was posted online, the AFT came out with talking points knocking it down but forgot to send them to you. (Problem solved -- here they are: Brill Talking Points). Therein the claim is made that writer Steven Brill made up a quote from Weingarten, which Eduwonk surmises is this one:

“Deliberately or not, President Obama, whom I supported, has shifted the focus from resources and innovation and collaboration to blaming it all on dedicated teachers."

Brill denies any such thing in a note to Eduwonk, claiming that he wouldn't

Oregon report: Only 2 of 3 teens graduate from high school on time | OregonLive.com

Oregon report: Only 2 of 3 teens graduate from high school on time

By Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian

May 25, 2010, 10:01AM

The OregonianAmanda Bakker straightens Twyla Baggarley's cap during graduation rehearsal in 2008 at Liberty High School. Seventy-four percent of Liberty High School students graduated in 2009 after four years of high school.Only 66 percent of students in Oregon's high school class of 2009 graduated from high school on time, and more than 14,000 of them dropped out along the way, the state reported this morning.

Portland, the largest district in Oregon, had one of the worst graduation rates, with just 53 percent of its students graduating on time. Nearly 100 students apiece dropped out from the class of 2009 at Wilson, Cleveland, Franklin, Marshall and Roosevelt high schools and hundreds more quit from alternative schools all around the city.

» Test scores from every public school in Oregon in The Oregonian's schools guide.

Low graduation rates are one of the main problems that Superintendent Carole Smith cites for wanting to remake the district's high schools into larger, more equitable ones.

Among the more successful districts: Hillsboro, Tigard-Tualatin and tiny