Follow Us on Twitter

Markell does the election two-step, funds education in proposed budget

If I still had respect for the Gov (respect is easily lost and much harder to earn) I'd see his proposed education funding as a sign of improved economy and perhaps a sign that he got the message - you can't balance the state's budget on the backs of children.  But, I know better now... And I'll call it what it is (My comments are in red.):

From the News Journal, http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012201270339

DOVER -- Delaware public schools were spared from a steep drop in funding next year in Gov. Jack Markell's proposed 2013 fiscal year budget. Classic Election Year Move to earn support of parents and educators.

Markell proposed $27.4 million in new spending for school operations to make up for the loss of one-time federal stimulus money Congress appropriated to stave off teacher layoffs during the recession. Back it up here! First Markell moved education funds  -eliminating line items like the one that paid reading specialists - into the general fund to support other state expenditures.  Then he backfilled with the federal stimulus monies all the while warning that the funding cliff was coming - coming mind you b/c he was moving edu-funds into general funds and eliminating needed programs...

"The bottom line is, putting in the $27.4 million will absolutely help us with staffing and personnel, which prior to today we were very concerned about," said Delmar Superintendent David Ring, who heads the state's Chief School Officers Association. "It would vary district to district, but we absolutely would have had major layoffs."  In Christina, RIFs have somewhat been mitigated by a year or two due to our tax payers who valued public education and passed an operating referendum two years back.  While you can't just move state and federal funds from one bucket to another, the district is better able to re-appropriate local funds to offset some of the damage inflicted by our Gov.'s past budgets.  It's not ideal or even close, but it helped to stabilize the district at a time when the Gov. was disenfranchising education voters. Absolutely, there are districts that would have been crippled if this funding was not made available now.  And I'll take it, knowing that the Gov. is already planning to hack away at education funds the second he's re-elected. 
The $3.54 billion total budget -- which includes $960.7 million for school district operations -- also appropriates $8.7 million to hire 111 new teachers across the state to account for projected growth in enrollment next school year.  This is a classic move for a politician up for re-election.  Spending money on more teachers is designed to engage union support.  If more teachers are hired, it safe to assume many of them will become a part of the unions that protect their rights resulting in more union dues and probably an endorsement from one of the most powerful unions in the state.  I live unions, but I fear that the Gov's move to buy their support will do just that.  I wonder how quickly our union leadership will forget about DPASS-II Component V and how our teachers evaluation will be tied to a test that measures student achievement and not a teachers proficiency? Will they forget that they have been demonized by the likes of the Gov's Buddy Skip Schoenals and the rest of the business roundtable? 
Markell's proposal also includes $8.8 million to pay contractual step increases for employees in K-12 schools and Delaware Technical Community College. Really? Is this noteworthy?  The key word here is "contractual."  These employees have a contract that ensure they get their step increases.  As the Gov. is not seeking across the board pay cuts as he has done in the past, this is non-news.  It was safe to assume that their wages would be paid as contractually obligated!  I hate feel good lines that are tossed into stories for the sole point of feeling good.  This is not an accomplishment.  This is business as usual.
In response to a study showing 1,000 paraprofessionals are underpaid in Delaware, he proposed giving each classroom aide a $750 raise, adding another $750,000 line-item to the budget.  Okay, the Gov. and I can agree on this one:  a number of education employees including paras are paid at below or just above poverty levels. This is income long deserved.  Sadly, it doesn't touch nearly enough employees and it's not enough, but it's a start.  Maybe the state-induced paycuts (and I predict our Gov will go there if he wins another term) won't hurt these employees quite so much...
Ring said the governor's education funding plan was the best news the state's school districts could have expected. Districts were worried about the loss of $27.4 million in federal stimulus funding, he said. 
Delaware schools received that money in 2011, but were urged by the Markell administration not to spend it until the current fiscal year, which bought the state another year to find the funds.  The A-HA Moment!  So those of us who have the spiteful job of approving education budgets knew this funding existed.  It was approved more than a year ago by the federal government and sent to states to distribute to districts.  In Delaware, the funding was held at the state level with the strong admonition that districts should not try to draw down these funds.  They are one-time funds meant to preserve education jobs.  Most, if not all, districts have not drawn on these funds, waiting until Markell's funding cliff materializes.  This is not special funding that our Gov. has secured for Delawareans.  It was already in the pipeline and many of us have spent the last year praying that the state would not find a way to raid this funding, too. 

"I pushed that problem off for a year and now we have to address it," said Ann Visalli, director of the Office of Management and Budget. Of course it must be addressed.  The funding sunsets - don't spend it and you have to give it back. 

The president of the state teachers union gave the Democratic governor's education budget good marks.  Please, Frederika, don't drink the kool-aid as some who have come before you have (and trust me, I hear from reliable sources, some are regretting it!)  Remember, Jack's buddy, calling you and your kin out as factory floor workers who are holding the ed-system hostage!  That's their true colors shining through!

"It's both financial and emotional support for the folks making it happen in our schools," said Frederika Jenner, president of the Delaware State Education Association.

Jenner said she was particularly pleased with the governor's $3.5 million appropriation for early childhood programs, which will add to $22 million the administration gave to those programs last year.  I wonder how much of the original $22 million came from funds previously dedicated to transportation?  Those funds were hijacked last year by the Gov.  Yes, I agree that we need to invest in early childhood, but programs like Baby Race to the Top are just misguided efforts. 

"I believe that many of our issues that we see in elementary, middle school and high school maybe started before the child entered our school system," Jenner said.  Frederika is a smart woman, she knows that longitudinal data absolutely supports this fact.  Children who do not participate in effective early education such as preschool start kindergarten and first grade with a gap.  I've heard from countless principals who saw this when our district moved from 1/2 day to full-day kindergarten.  Children who were 1/2 day K-students were often behind their full-day K counterparts in first grade.  

Heartbreaking:  The fact the internationally educators in the early childhood field have been fighting for funding for decades.  Though it's a start, Delaware's already late in the game to tackle the education of our youngest as an intervention to proficiency gaps.


Breaking News: DPASS-II Component 5 will COUNT this YEAR!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <Secretary.Lowery@doe.k12.de.us>
Date: Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 12:04 PM
Subject: Message from Secretary Lowery
To:


Dear Colleagues,

First, let me thank you for your patience. I know many of you have felt angst surrounding the uncertainty and confusion around how Component 5 (Student Growth) would be measured on your evaluations during this development year. I want to thank the many of you who have shared your concerns with me, the Governor, legislators, district leaders and union representatives. Your voices were heard and appreciated, and we've continued to make changes because of the insights and suggestions you have shared. It is because of your dedication and assistance that with the agreement of DSEA leadership, we have reached a final policy for this year, one we can all point to as fair and focused. I will outline it further below.

I also want to thank the more than 400 teachers from across the state who have been joining us in Dover over the past few months to develop multiple measures across content areas and grades. You know the best ways to assess your students when they enter your classrooms and throughout the year, and many of you have been using these measures in your work for years. The reason our state's system will be strong next year is because of these measures, developed by our teachers and validated by national experts on our technical advisory committee.

With that work continuing through the coming months, we still must have a fair plan for this year's evaluations. With the help of your union leaders, we have finalized this year's policy:

For the 2011/12 school year, educator summative ratings will be determined without use of Component V except as used to identify highly effective teachers, as noted below. Using Components I - IV, an educator's summative rating will be determined as follows:

o 0 or 1 satisfactory components = Ineffective summative rating

o 2 satisfactory components = Needs Improvement summative rating

o 3 or 4 satisfactory components = Effective summative rating

Only teachers of DCAS-tested subjects (math, English Language Arts in grades 3-10) will receive a Component V score for this year. They will be eligible for a Highly Effective summative rating and therefore eligible for incentive and retention bonuses. Details on the incentive/retention program will be finalized and announced this spring and will be voluntary at the local level.

Thank you again for your patience and assistance in this work. I look forward to continuing to hear from you and working with you as we move forward together on this and other work with the shared ultimate goal in mind: a stronger school system for our children. Like all of our work, this begins and ends with the students. I know you share that motivation with me, and I thank you for your dedication to our students.

If you have any questions or would like more information on this change, please contact Deputy Secretary of Education and Chief of Staff Dan Cruce at dcruce@doe.k12.de.us.


Sincerely,

Lillian

Lillian M. Lowery
Secretary of Education

Rest Peacefully



Another child taken too soon...broken hearts all around...

Mayor Baker Carves ANOTHER Notch on His Belt - When will he tackle guns and make our streets safe for children?

Yes, this is usually a mantra you'd read on Transparentchristina.wordpress.org.  I'm taking a play from their playbook and the question stands:  When will Mayor Baker dedicate the necessary resources to make Wimington's streets safe for children?

Larry J.A. Parks III was fatally shot in the chest shortly before 4 p.m. in the 300 block of New Castle Ave., where Wilmington police officers found him lying in the street.
Mr. Parks' deaths marks the THIRD homicide in Wilmington this year - that's an average of 1 per week. It's still January!  It's nothing short of criminal that the Mayor has failed to deploy the resources to tackle the issue of violence in the City.  He's failed to make the streets safe for our children. 

Rest Peacefully, Mr. Parks.  From what I've read, you will be deeply missed by your family, your peers, and your teachers. 

Mayor - It's time to get to work!

More on the Voluntary School Assessment - Heffron missed the memo...

Rich Heffron, of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, said his group opposed the fee when it was first proposed more than a decade ago.  http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012201220342
Something about this statement in yesterday's News Journal really rubbed me the wrong way - perhaps more than Reybold's veiled attempt to stimulate their profit margins...

And when I thought back to Delaware's Winning Race to the Top Application - you know the great plan to deform public education - I remembered  the "Letters of Support" - most notably the  Delaware Chamber of Commerce's letter which was includethe RTTT application.  It can be found in Appendix (A)(2) – 8."

These particular portions of that letter stand out to me:
The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce is the largest most influential business organization in the state. The mission of the state chamber is to promote an economic climate that strengthens the competitiveness of Delaware businesses and benefits citizens of the state.  This can only be accomplished by growing a workforce that has a solid educational background with all Delaware public school students having access to the best possible education in the world.
The Chamber has embraced support of education as a primary, long-term strategic goal of our organization...

On behalf of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, I offer my full support to our state leaders and educators in your industrious dedication and tireless work to create world-class schools that will benefit all Delawareans...  Link HERE p 60
Um, yeah, and that's why the Chamber put it's full support behind the Voluntary School Assessment back in the 1990s.  NOT.  The Chamber supports education as long as business is likely to benefit financially from a new industry built entirely around NCLB/RTTT. But, the second education might actually cost them a red cent, they balk, and they do so publically in the News Journal.

The Chamber has opposed the Voluntary Assessment for more than a decade.  They believe that builders should not pay, nor act as a condoit for such payment, into the educational system that will serve the children of those who buy the homes they build.  The Voluntary Assessment helps build capacity in schools.  The funding is needed even if developments go up in reclaimed areas where schools are not at capacity.  Districts age and their facilities need attention.  Districts in turn pay-out to business for the minor and major capital projects. The investment returns itself in spades (and jobs) for the business community.  But, the Chamber seems to be of the same mind as Reybold that this assessment should be assessed over all tax payers.  Yeah, and school districts can raise your taxes anytime they want.  NOT.  Um, that's why we have referendums.

Anyway, I just wanted to put it out there - the Star Chamber of Commerce is speaking out both sides of their ass on this one.  They fully support DOE as evidenced by their letter in support of RTTT as long it doesn't affect their members' bottom line.  I'm calling bullshit!

Delaware Builder Takes Aim at School Funding

Reybold wants their share of school funding back... Or at least a legislated change in the Voluntary School Assessment formula - a non-voluntary assessment that helps fund additional classrooms when new neighborhoods are built. 

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012201220342

Jerome Heisler, of the Reybold Venture Group, said in the suit filed Dec. 28 in U.S. District Court that the state's Voluntary School Assessment is flawed because the amount of the fee is the same whether the new housing unit is an efficiency apartment or a seven-bedroom McMansion.
"The Voluntary School Assessment, calculated on a per-unit basis, is discriminatory in that it ... burdens basic freedoms by limiting the selection of areas in which low-income persons, the majority of whom are ... minorities, can purchase new housing," the lawsuit says.
Department of Education spokeswoman Alison Kepner said she couldn't comment on the specifics of the suit.
The assessment on face value is probably unfair.  It is overly burdensome for builders who target housing for the middle class and the poor.  But, then, it's a safe statistical assumption that most builders pass that assessment cost onto their buyers.  And that's the crux of the Reybold argument: A buyer than can only afford a $30,000 mobile home will have a tougher time finding the same $6,000 that the buyer of the McMansion foots. 

However, Reybold's suit is asking for something more than legislated changes to equalize the assessment: 
The suit asks the court to declare the Voluntary School Assessment "discriminatory and/or unconstitutional, and therefore unenforceable." It seeks an injunction that would halt the collection of the fee and force the state to refund the fees collected to date.
I can go along to get-along with most of the argument - but this is where Reybold loses me.  The builder is suing to force the state to refund the fees collected to date.  So, off the top of my head, I find myself asking:
  • Let's be clear here - If the management at Reybold truly thought this fee would hurt their clientele, they would have filed this suit back in 1999 when the Assessment hit the books. It's curious that they've waited 13 years to object. Perhaps this is a response to the recession and Reybold has seen their sales decline?  I'm just saying that the motivation as purported by the suit is not the true motivation of the builder, but just an ancillary fact that bolsters their argument...  
  •  Say this suit gathers steam:  If the court orders a refund, who gets it? The builder who likely passed the fee down to his buyer? Or the buyer who may have paid the fee without even knowing they were funding schools?
  • If the court orders a refund, what's the impact to tax payers?  From the DOE spokesperson:
If that were to happen, Kepner said, the school- expansion costs to accommodate the students who live in houses that paid the fee would have to be funded another way.
"All taxpayers in the school districts would have to pay the costs associated with building capacity to serve the new subdivisions," Kepner said.
That's DOE speak for we spent that money and we don't have any to refund, so we'll find away to push that along to the tax payers. 

That's part and parcel with the Governor's plan for fiscal responsibility and it's just scary.  Delaware's Gov has raided education spending for three years to balance the state's budget.  He's eliminated programs such as the one that provided reading specialists in our schools, moved dedicated education dollars into the general fund where such monies can be spent on things other than education.  Though he was rebuffed in year one in regards to transportation funding, last year he did manage to push off a substantial chunk of transportation costs to the local districts.  It's already been forecast that when the Gov. releases his next proposed budget that there will be more money diverted away from education. So just how would the Gov raise enough money to reimburse the builders for the not-voluntary Voluntary School Assessment Fees? 

Let's just hope that some of our legislators keyed into this News Journal story and will act to equalize the fee before the DOE has a chance to lose the lawsuit with Reybold.

Bullying Right Next Door in Cecil County Goes Viral



This ought to make you sick.  If it doesn't, you have no heart.
Category: 1 comments

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Prayer Appeal for Indian River School Board Meetings



The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to take up the issue of prayers at school board meetings.

The justices declined to hear the appeal of a school board in Delaware, which had its practice of reciting prayers before its public board meetings struck down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, in Philadelphia. www.edweek.org
Category: 1 comments

Markell the Union Maker!

While some states are union-busting, Delaware's apparently busting out new unions...

Pete Seeger on Unions...

Category: 1 comments

Look for the Union Label on Delaware Charter School

Well, well, well DEducrats - It's happened! It's really really happened! Delaware College Preparatory Academy has unionized!  Wonder what the Rodelleans will think when this hits the press in the morning?  Should the Delaware Charter School Network be concerned?  Are you? I'd love for you to be my thought partner on this one!!!

And let's just toss out there this game-changer:   if Charter schools are the educational panacea for which we all search - why would the staff of a Delaware Charter vote for unionization?

Link to the Most Recent published minutes of a DCPA Board Meeting:
October 2011
November 2011
Charter Unionized


Gov. Commutes Gattis, Disrespects Victim and Family


"This commutation in no way relieves Mr. Gattis of his moral or legal guilt, and I am mindful of the fact that an innocent victim lost her life on the night of May 9, 1990," Markell said, adding the decision to spare Gattis life was "among the most difficult I have had to make in all my years in public service." - News Journal


Apparently the Gov. was not mindful enough the respect the sentence bestowed on Mr. Gattis by the jury of his peers for the murder of former girlfriend Shirley Slay. 


Normally, I wouldn't talk the death penalty on this blog - but this is just one more instance of poor judgement exemplified by Gov. 


"Keeping the person in prison is still protecting society,"said Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington, D.C.
Lest any one among us is confused... Keeping murderers in prison is "still protecting society."  But, the issue is deeper... Gattis murdered someone and was sentenced to death.  


"At last week's Board of Pardons hearings, Gattis acknowledged for the first time that he intentionally executed Slay in cold blood inside her New Castle-area apartment."

For twenty years, Gattis has had a free ride in prison and my tax dollars have supported him. Gov. Markell can see fit to expend more tax payer money to keep an admitted murder in prison for life, but he doesn't bat an eyelash when it comes to cutting state education funding and pushing the expenses off onto the local share...


The Gov.'s obligation was to uphold the decision of the jury and to do so in a fiscally-acceptable way.  He failed in both arenas.


 How very, very sad.
Category: 0 comments

"I Make A God Damned Difference, What About You?"



Taylor Mali (http://taylormali.com), one of the most well-known poets to have emerged from the poetry slam movement and one of the few people in the world to have no job other than that of poet., gives his mind on what teachers make. Mali is a vocal advocate of teachers and the nobility of teaching, having himself spent nine years in the classroom teaching everything from English and history to math and S.A.T. test preparation.

He has performed and lectured for teachers all over the world, and his New Teacher Project has a goal of creating 1,000 new teachers through "poetry, persuasion, and perseverance."

Please visit http://taylormali.com for more on Mali and his New Teacher Project.

http://taylormali.com
Category: 0 comments

Buried Online - Charter Network Gets New Director

Advocacy Group Gets New Director
Category: 0 comments

NYC to Shutter Charter Network...

New York City and State Move to Shut Down Brooklyn Charter Network
http://www.districtadministration.com/news/new-york-city-and-state-move-shut-down-brooklyn-charter-network
Wednesday, January 11, 2012

City and state education officials announced that they plan to close an entire network of charter high schools in Brooklyn that have suffered management and financial woes for years.

One day after New York City Department of Education officials declared their intention to close Williamsburg Charter High School at the end of this school year, the state’s Education Department moved to shutter the two other high schools that are run by the same management organization: Believe Northside Charter High School andBelieve Southside Charter High School.

If the schools close in June, it will affect more than 1,500 students, the largest impact any charter school closing in the city would have to date.

The three high schools, all of which are located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, were founded by Eddie Calderon-Melendez, who runs their management organization, Believe Network. Mr. Calderon-Melendez did not respond on Tuesday to an e-mail request for comment, and someone who answered his cell phone hung up before answering questions.

Williamsburg Charter was authorized and opened by the city’s Department of Education in 2004, but the other two Believe schools were granted charters by the state in 2009 and are so new they have not even grown to serve grades 9-12.

New York Times

Is Skip trying to ignite a labor war?

It's time for another dissection.  My comments are in RED.http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20120110/NEWS03/201100331/Culture-change-urged-schools

Culture change urged in schools

Reform leader seeks better cooperation  (A better headline would've read:  Deform leader seeks better submission)

WILMINGTON -- In a speech to the state's business and political leaders Monday night, Marvin N. Schoenhals, leader of the Vision 2015 school reform project, outlined his vision for Delaware's public schools, called on the teachers union to make changes and challenged those in attendance to get involved in education reform.  Funny, I keep reading in the NJ how DSEA is right there at the table with DOE in crafting the reforms that need to happen.  DOE even went so far as to appoint a former union leader to a powerful position (and well-paid) position within the teacher evaluation unit.

In short, he said, there needs to be a culture change.  I agree:  my children need big business to stop needling and poking around in education.  If business wants to have a role in schools, it needs to be one of supporting the teachers in the classroom and schools in their community.

"A vibrant state economy depends on a vibrant banking community," said Schoenhals, who is also WSFS chairman. "But that dependence is dwarfed by the influence our education system has on the long-term growth of our state, our quality of life and the dignity of our communities." Whoa... Slow down there skipper, a vibrant economy doesn't have to built on banking.  It needs to built on the business and enterprises that thrive in that particular state.  Frankly, I don't want a TARP guzzling two-face bank directing what education my children receive.

The speech came during the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce's 175th Annual Dinner -- one of the largest events of its kind in the state -- at the Chase Center. The annual event drew an estimated 900 people, including some of the biggest players in business and politics. Just asking, but how many school board members in this state received invitations to pay $200 a pop for a seat at the indoctrination?  My guess is maybe a handful of compliant ones and I would even go as far to say that I bet Skip and friends didn't waive the cost for these unpaid public servants.

Calling his work with WSFS and the education system "the great passions of my life," Schoenhals outlined ways to improve Delaware's schools and asked the teachers union to work to change state law surrounding staffing rules. Citing Delaware's mediocre test scores on reading and math tests and a high school dropout rate that he called unacceptable, he said the education system must be improved. Now, Skip, we might be on the same page here, if you're asking the unions to work to change the unit formula that generates the number of teachers in a district/building.  If you're advocating for more teachers in more classrooms with fewer students, I'm all for it.  The longitudinal data shows that these type of intervention especially in the early years make the biggest impact on achievement. (But, I doubt this story is heading that way.)

"For most in this room, the education system worked fine and has continued to do so for your children and grandchildren," he said. "That is not the case for many in our society. As a result of that discrepancy, we are often complacent about the hard work required to make our schools effective for all children."

Schoenhals is credited with successfully steering WSFS in the 1990s as the bank faced significant financial problems. In his speech, he said there are similarities between the work that had to be done to restore WSFS and the challenges that face the state's public schools. Really, Skip? 

"WSFS was an organization that had many nice people working there, but we did not have a culture of performance," he said. "As a result, we were the No. 7 bank in a six-bank market. We were not much of a blip on the radar screen. Today, WSFS is arguably one of the leading financial institutions in our state and the region. That did not happen overnight. It took us 15 years to change the culture to one that encourages people to perform at their best."  What's missing from this statement?  WSFS was No. 7.  What rank do you now hold?  Just because you may hold a substantial market share in Delaware, doesn't mean that share is as great outside this local footprint.

(Page 2 of 3)

That improvement in WSFS came as one person was in charge for 15 years, reporting to a board of directors. In education, that's not the case, he noted. Stakeholders -- the governor, Legislature, teachers union, school boards, parents and superintendents -- each hold significant veto power. So, Skip, let me share how this is supposed to work and why it doesn't:
1) Parents are the stakeholders.  They vote in elections to select who will be on their school board.
2) School board members set the governance tone in a district.  As a body of seven that can only function when at least 4 agree (in CSD for example) the board has one employee, the superintendent.  We can feel ownership for all employees of the district, but at the end of the day, we evaluate only ONE.  Meanwhile, board members must continue to listen to their constituents and take the tempurature of their community or they risk being voted out.
3) District employees take their lead from the tone set by the board and superintendent. 
4) Unions are an outside organization with a very important focus - they protect collective bargaining rights to ensure fairness, they provide a checks and balance system for the HR culture of district/school, and finally they ensure due process for their membership.
5) The Legislature writes and passes the laws that govern education initiatives statewide.  It's hopeful that they are communicating with the school boards and constituents to receive direction on where the education laws need strengthening and/or amendment.
6) The Gov's job is to either veto the bills that get passed or sign them into law.

Why this system isn't working:
1) You left the Department of Education off your list of veto holders.  The DOE is led by a Secretary of Education that is appointed by the Governor.  He gives his Secretary direction regarding the education policies he wants to see (in this case, he's promoting the education reform INDUSTRY and ignoring the lack of data and research in the process.) 
2) The DOE has been given, especially under this governor, unmatched power in regards to their meddling within school districts.  They've successfully utilized the Delphi principle and coercion to reinforce this power shift. They issue mandates to superintendents to withhold information from their boards, inserting themselves into a management role over superintendents that does not belong to them.  They have usurped power from the local control elected by the people.
3) The DOE has been extremely successful in influencing legislation and regulation that comes before our legislature.  But, they only tell one side of the story.  They rely on the legislature to have a large deficit in their knowledge of education policy and they have carved out a niche influence.

"It is a very political system," Schoenhals said. "I don't mean that in a bad way. It just means that our school system is subject to the uncertain process of making decisions in a political environment." That's why school board elections are non-partison.  I would hazard a guess that these elections were designed to protect school systems from political influence.  When DOE - led by a partisan a governor - overstepped their authority and encroached local control by issuing edicts to school boards and superintendents, they politicized the system.

Singling out the Delaware State Education Association as supporting policies that hurt the ability of some schools to makes choices in staffing decisions that make the most sense, Schoenhals called on the union to support changes to state law that is "more appropriate for a factory floor than in a profession like teaching." A statewide system focused on seniority for pay systems and staffing procedures is hurting schools, he said. Factory Floor?  Skip, that's just shameful!  How can you denigrate good teachers like that?  Don't you understand that without teachers, there are no schools?  Now, I can't say I am pro-union or anti-union, I'm not.  But, I respect the laws that allow unions to operate and support those employees who feel there is a need.  RTTT and PZ allowed for bargaining unit carve-outs.  Those schools that truly need the freedeom the traditional union contract (PZ schools) now have the ability to go back to the table and bargain in good faith with the select group of personnel who are most affected by one of the four models of RTTT/PZ destabilization.   The mechanism already exists. I also know just how sticky this can get from my own first-hand experience of course correction for one the PZ schools.  Mind you - the Gov. didn't take well to course corrections back then and withdrew all RTTT funding for all schools until our board was bullied into submission. Then, magically, the money was returned.  Thank You Great Merlin, I mean... Gov.

"One size in our system of pay does not fit all," Schoenhals said. "Let the districts and the local union determine what would work best for them. With a system that is more reflective of the profession that teaching is, we can then work to get teacher pay to a level worthy of the task teachers perform -- educating the next generation." Really, can any teacher take you seriously after you denigrated an entire profession by reducing teachers, many with multiple degrees and certifications and histories of achievement success, to the factory floor worker - a seemingly lesser educated professional.  Furthermore, each district has its own local E.A.  Each district sits down and negotiates with the local E.A.  If flexibility is what is needed to written into the contract, it requires all parties to negotiate in good faith, not just unions! 

Union leader reacts
Union president Frederika Jenner said she did not find the speech to be revolutionary. She believes the union is working to improve the system, and that several of the problems cited were founded on misrepresentations of the issues.

For instance, Jenner said, teacher seniority issues are not always based on last-in, first-out, and other staffing rules are the result of a collective bargaining agreement. As for the "factory floor" reference, Jenner said she was offended. "He has taken the conversation in the wrong direction," she said.  So, all along the RTTT way, we've been led to believe that DSEA and its associated locals have been intimately involved withe development of the latest reform craze.  Skip's unabashed statements lead me to believe that there is something much deeper afoot.  Are you accusing the DOE and Gov. of lying everytime they sang the DSEA's praises for their collaboration?

Schoenhals asked those in attendance to focus on five key areas as a way to make changes: develop a better system for reporting school quality to the public; create performance standards that will allow students to compete globally; reward high- performing schools; allow the state to force changes on struggling schools, but without withholding funding; and institute a system that provides spending flexibility so school leaders can spend funds in ways that make the most sense for that locality.

1) A better system for reporting school quality to the public?  We had that.  The DOE threw it under the bus and now issues AYP rankings for growth in addition to achievement. These changes were made in the dark with no prep to the public before the system was implemented.  The Public has been reduced to interpretting the DOE's website - Gee, did my feeder school make AYP based on actual proficiency or is it a low-performing school that has managed to goad growth (not proficiency and in some cases nowhere near proficiency) to earn their ranking?

2) Performance Standards?  Go read the Common Core Standards!  These are supposed to be the be all and end all of education standards.  It's already here, buddy.

3) What type of rewards are you looking for at our high performing schools?  Maybe permit them to opt out of RTTT and keep doing what's working for the school and its community?

4) Allow the state to force changes without withholding funding!  Amen.  We can agree on this one.  However, the state doesn't have the best record for turning around schools... Just look at Moyer.

(Page 3 of 3)

All schools can succeed given the right attention and tools, he said. He named the Indian River School District as a model, citing sustained progress there. The successes of districts and charter schools must be celebrated, he said, but there needs to be a continued focus on those who struggle.  This is not new or revolutionary.  No matter which side of the ed reform debate you take, we already know and agree that there needs to be a continued focus on those who struggle.  Once again, a day late and dollar short.

The state has had some other major successes, notably winning $119 million from the U.S. Department of Education in President Barack Obama's signature education reform program, he said. But even that award is not going to be enough to fix the problems that the public school system faces, he said.  I agree.  But, that money would have been much better spent getting more teachers into more classrooms.  Instead it's being parcelled out the reform INDUSTRY and you, Skip, helped that happen when you sang those RTTT praises!

Within a mile of where the Chamber of Commerce dinner was taking place, there are schools where two-thirds of the children cannot read on grade level, and children who show up to kindergarten without the skills they need to succeed. I take issue.  Those are my schools and my kids.  And you conveniently left out just how hard our district is working to mediate the kindergarten acheivement gap for which the only faulty party is parents who fail to engage education for their children early enough to prevent the gap form occuring.  As for reading, maybe if we weren't required to teach the reform du jour perhaps my teachers could have implemented best practices to reach those children - maybe even adjust their teaching style to accomodate a child's learning style.

"And if you're not convinced that education quality is either an economic or a sustainability issue, please consider that it is a moral imperative," Schoenhals said. "The ZIP code in which a child lives should have no bearing on whether their education will help them reach their potential. It is cruel, and flies in the face of America's foundation of equal opportunity for all." Hey, Skip, poverty knows no zip code.  It doesn't matter where you live - poverty is the great divider, the achievement roadblock.  Sure there are secondary issues such as racial isolation based upon the neighborhood a child lives within, but it's everywhere, both urban and suburban.  It's my belief that public education is the greatest entitlement program ever, both in the dollars spent and the sheer number of people it touches. 
Category: 3 comments

Pencader Update - A Column of the NJ Op-Ed Pages

Pencader Climbed the Mountain that DOE said was insurmountable.

The Challenge











Let's Play a Game with Transparent Christina

For every "don't call me" song you post on http://www.transparentchristina.wordpress.com/ - I'll find a "call me" song and post it here.  The one rule - You must post in Video/You Tube type format!

Readers:  Who do you think will win?  (Yes, in the barren landscape of education reform - in winter, no less - I am seeking a diversion or distraction from the direction that has been inflicted upon us - the delphi-informed.)

I'll start:

NP Breaking News: Girl Scouts Going Door-to-Door to Start Taking Cookie Orders...

God love the Newark Post for sending this GEM, subject "Breaking News," to my inbox!  That said, if you need cookies, I can direct to a couple Girl Scout Troops comprised of some Christina's most amazing girls who would love to satisfy your order!

Posted: Tuesday, January 3, 2012 1:59 pm

Updated: 2:05 pm, Tue Jan 3, 2012.Girl

Scouts going door-to-door to start taking cookie orders 0 comments


Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay will go door-to-door to begin taking orders for Girl Scout Cookies starting Saturday, January 7. This year local Girl Scouts will offer the six varieties - Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils, Do-si-dos and, new this year, Savannah Smiles, in honor of the Girl Scouts 100th Anniversary. All Girl Scout Cookies are free of preservatives and have zero trans fats. Cookies are $4.00 per box.


Cookie booth sales will begin on Friday, February 10, at local businesses throughout the Delmarva Peninsula. Girls are also taking donations of Girl Scout cookies for Operation Taste of Home and local community groups. The Operation Taste of Home cookies will be donated to our Armed Forces and local agencies, such as food banks and pantries, blood banks, cancer centers and youth programs.


Individuals interested in purchasing Cookies or donating to Operation Taste of Home can call the Cookie Hotline at 1-800-YUM-YUM2. To locate a cookie booth sale in your area go to www.GSCB.org.

The Girl Scouts Cookie Program is about more than just great tasting cookies. The program has a lasting impact on girls' lives by helping them to build life skills such as leadership, money management, decision-making, teamwork, and goal setting. The benefits of the Cookie Program have been hailed by many of today's businesswomen, who cite selling Girl Scout Cookies was their first step toward successful careers.


All of the proceeds-every penny-from a local Council's cookie activities remain in the area where the cookies are sold. This revenue is used to benefit girls, some of it directly by remaining in the Girl Scout troop treasuries, and some of it indirectly by funding Council-led programs for Girl Scouts. Each year, over 9,000 Girl Scouts from the Delmarva Peninsula participate in the Cookie Program, selling over one million boxes of cookies to the community.
A leading advocate for and expert on girls, the Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay builds girls of courage, confidence and character by providing personal leadership development and programs that teach skills for the real world. The Council serves approximately 15,000 girls in grades K-12 across the Delmarva Peninsula. Approximately 5,000 adult volunteers support the Council in various mentoring and leadership positions. To learn more about Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay, visit www.GSCB.org or call 1-800-341-4007.
Category: 0 comments