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
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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
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
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Charter Schmarter
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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.
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.
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3
comments
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:
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:
Category:
DE-Ed-Scrapple conundrum and reform efforts too big to fail but lacking the keys to success
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comments
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.
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.
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One of the proposed changes that parents and educators may notice is a change in the terms applied to schools based on how they perform on the Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System. Currently, schools are placed in categories such as "superior," "commendable" and "academic watch." The draft proposal would drop those names in favor of the U.S. Department of Education's seven suggested category names, which would include descriptors such as "reward schools," "recognition schools," "focus schools" and "priority (partnership zone) schools." From the News JournalYou've got to be kidding me, right? Superior and Commendable were at least meaningful - you knew you were buying into a good school - at least until last year. That's when DOE - without the community meetings - went ahead and recalculated the way schools were labeled based upon achievement data. That resulted in schools that failed to meet the accepted definition of proficiency achieving a superior or commendable status based solely upon student growth - more students moving in the right direction but not reaching proficiency targets. The end result was a ton of confusion with little clear explanation directed towards parents or the public.
So, who wants their child to attend a school labeled "Reward School?" No, really? Does that title have any inherent meaning to you? And just what is the reward the school is earning? I don't have the answers - DOE hasn't extended its informational reach to general school board members, yet. Guess that means I'll be attending one of their forums. But, with only one meeting in each county - that may be a hard one to achieve... When the Gov. finally decided that he needed to sell RTTT to the tax payers, he hit each of the counties several times. I can only guess that redefining achievement is a bit less important...
When will DOE bring all the parties to the table and participate in shared decision making? If DOE was looking for true interactive feedback, these meetings would have been announced weeks ago, not during winter break when matters of education are in the far back of the parental mind. When will constituents be treated as thought partners? Inviting them to a dog and pony show is a far cry from being engaged in the development process. When will tax payers become more than human capital? School districts signed MOUs that promised they would continue to fund the reform efforts begun under RTTT after the federal grant runs out. Who will shoulder that burden? Delaware's workforce? They've been treated as a commodity thus far by an administration that talks jobs but fails to produce them.
Too little, too late. But, then, these are just the ramblings of a private cynic... citizen.
DRAFT PROPOSAL
To read the state's draft proposal, go to the Delaware Department of Education's website at www.doe.k12.de.us and click on "community meetings."
The meeting times and locations:
NEW CASTLE COUNTY: Jan. 4 at 6 p.m. in the James Gilliam Conference Center, 77 Reads Way, New Castle.
KENT COUNTY: Jan. 11 at 6 p.m. in the Kent County Government Building, Room 220, Dover.
SUSSEX COUNTY: Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. in the Sussex County Government Building, The Circle, Georgetown.
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0
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From: Markell Governor (Governor)
Sent: Friday, December 23, 2011 1:09:28 PM (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
To: State Employees; K12 Employees; DSHA
Subject: Thank you for a great 2011
Dear fellow state employee,
Thank you for all you do, and all you’ve done, to help keep our great state running and to build our state’s future.
While I’ve been lucky to be able to say thank you to many of you in person during visits to schools and state agencies, I did not want to let the holiday season pass without sharing my gratitude for your good work.
Each week, I deliver a weekly message to our state about some of the issues we face and some of the progress we are making. In this week’s message (video), I made sure to say to every Delawarean how “blessed I am to be able to work with so many wonderful public servants – the people who go to work to keep our state safe, who help keep things running, who teach our children and care for those most in need – who dedicate themselves to service.” It is a message I hope they take to heart.
You work hard. Your work matters, and we thank you.
Here’s to a happy and healthy new year,
Jack
*****
Happy Holidays video on State network: http://de.gov/holidays
Video on YouTube: http://youtu.be/nD7Vn2uJcFg
Audio on State network: http://de.gov/holidayaudio
Transcript of the Message:
Whether it’s Merry Christmas, Mazel Tov, Umoja or simply Happy Holidays at your home, there’s no doubt this is a special time of the year. A time to remember the friends and family we’re so lucky to have around us and a time to reflect with love on those who left our lives too soon. A time to take stock of what we’ve learned, what we’ve faced, what we’ve overcome and what remains to get done, together. But more than anything – this week is a time for goodwill and gratitude; to reflect on any blessings we’ve received and to know from where those blessings have come.
As grateful as I am to each of you for giving me the chance to get to work for you each day, I’m so blessed to be able to work with wonderful public servants – the people who go their jobs to keep our state safe, who help keep things running, who teach our children and care for those most in need – who dedicate themselves to service. To each of you – thank you.
This has not been an easy year – but it’s been inspiring to see how our state keeps pulling together – how many hard working Delawareans stay focused each day on creating more jobs, on building new opportunities to keep people working and on helping others get back to work. And while there have been more opportunities this year than last, we need to make sure next year is even better. Enough about work for now.
This week, whether you’ve lighting a menorah, kinara candles or putting lights on your tree; whether you’re reflecting on your own faith, or just reflecting on your family – I hope these holidays find you safe, happy, warm and resting up, and that you’re as excited as I am for the chance to keep Delaware, moving forward.
Sent: Friday, December 23, 2011 1:09:28 PM (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
To: State Employees; K12 Employees; DSHA
Subject: Thank you for a great 2011
Dear fellow state employee,
Thank you for all you do, and all you’ve done, to help keep our great state running and to build our state’s future.
While I’ve been lucky to be able to say thank you to many of you in person during visits to schools and state agencies, I did not want to let the holiday season pass without sharing my gratitude for your good work.
Each week, I deliver a weekly message to our state about some of the issues we face and some of the progress we are making. In this week’s message (video
You work hard. Your work matters, and we thank you.
Here’s to a happy and healthy new year,
Jack
*****
Happy Holidays video on State network: http://de.gov/holidays
Video on YouTube: http://youtu.be/nD7Vn2uJcFg
Audio on State network: http://de.gov/holidayaudio
Transcript of the Message:
Whether it’s Merry Christmas, Mazel Tov, Umoja or simply Happy Holidays at your home, there’s no doubt this is a special time of the year. A time to remember the friends and family we’re so lucky to have around us and a time to reflect with love on those who left our lives too soon. A time to take stock of what we’ve learned, what we’ve faced, what we’ve overcome and what remains to get done, together. But more than anything – this week is a time for goodwill and gratitude; to reflect on any blessings we’ve received and to know from where those blessings have come.
As grateful as I am to each of you for giving me the chance to get to work for you each day, I’m so blessed to be able to work with wonderful public servants – the people who go their jobs to keep our state safe, who help keep things running, who teach our children and care for those most in need – who dedicate themselves to service. To each of you – thank you.
This has not been an easy year – but it’s been inspiring to see how our state keeps pulling together – how many hard working Delawareans stay focused each day on creating more jobs, on building new opportunities to keep people working and on helping others get back to work. And while there have been more opportunities this year than last, we need to make sure next year is even better. Enough about work for now.
This week, whether you’ve lighting a menorah, kinara candles or putting lights on your tree; whether you’re reflecting on your own faith, or just reflecting on your family – I hope these holidays find you safe, happy, warm and resting up, and that you’re as excited as I am for the chance to keep Delaware, moving forward.
Category:
Markell election strategy raid education for money move it to the general fund and back fill with stim when that's all gone i'll push the Race expenses back onto the po' schmucks who vote for me
1 comments
Venom and Malice when CSD attempts a course correction and DOE handholding when Brandywine fails to perform... The Race to the Trough is on - Delaware to be a winner of the Baby Race. Do you really want Jack Markell parenting your children? Lots of edu-scrapple in today's paper!
Category:
Wocka
1 comments
http://www.christina.k12.de.us/BOE/Meetings/2011/Posting-Agenda/1213.pdf
From the Official Christina SBOE Posting:
ACTION ITEMS
From the Official Christina SBOE Posting:
ACTION ITEMS
- Student Expulsion Recommendation(s)
- Administrative Personnel Recommendations
- Updated Use Of Facilities Application Form And Rates
- Proposed Changes to 2011-2012 Christina School District School Calendar
- Consulting Services for Development of School District Management Analysis –
- Amendment #1 to District Race To The Top Plan – Includes Amendment #2 for Partnership Zone Plans for Glasgow High and Stubbs Elementary
- Amendment #2 To District Race To The Top Plan
- Plan and Memorandum of Understanding Between the Christina School District and the Christina Education Association with Regards to the Partnership Zone Plan for Bancroft Elementary School
- Personnel Recommendations
- Monthly Financial Reports – September 2011
- Choice Recommendation 2011-2012
- Choice Termination Recommendation 2011-2012
- Bid Awards: Bid #2011-10 Bancroft Elementary School – Skylight Replacement
- Resolutions on Upcoming Meetings: Executive Session Meeting, January 10, 2012, 6:00 PM, West Park Place Elementary School, Regular Session Meeting, January 10, 2012, 7:30 PM, West Park Place Elementary School, Special Session Meeting for BoardDocs Training, January 20, 2012, 6:00-7:00 PM, Location To Be Determined
Outrage poured across the /internet once reports of a 9-year-old receiving a two-day suspension for calling a teacher "cute" surfaced, but now it appears he's receiving some justice, WBTV reports.
"We will be sending an official letter of apology to the parents," Gaston County Schools Spokesperson Bonnie Reidy told the station. "Also the suspension will not count against the child and the child will receive additional instructional assistance to make up for the time out of the classroom."
Principal Jerry Bostic, who determined the boy's alleged comment was sexual harassment, has also resigned, according to the report. -- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/07/9-year-olds-suspension-fo_n_1135242.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk3%7C118730
Remember the Jetsons? Poor George, a computer engineer, was the foil of his stereotypical tough boss, the bombastic Mr. Spacely, owner of Spacely's Space Sprockets. To be fair, Mr. Spacely, even with his Adolph Hitler mustache wasn't intentionally evil, just meddlesome. He was a business owner trying to compete with his rival, Cogswell. Together Cogswell and Spacely got in a heap of trouble and George always took the heat.
So, it wouldn't surprise me that if Spacely received a delivery of bad parts, he'd send them back and insist on a credit to boot. He knows he has to build a superior product - a Sprocket.
What if Spacely had been a Principal Spacely in a school when he got that same delivery of bad parts - children, who from the moment they were conceived were at-risk. Principal Spacely still has to deliver a solid product - a high achieving school. But, he can't send these bad parts back, can he?
And that's where the business model being inflicted upon the PreK-12 education system becomes a guaranteed failure. Yelling "Jetson" isn't going to fix it. And yet - pro-business reformers, RTTT champions, continue to claim the failures of the education system sit squarely on the shoulders of bad teachers (they would have you believe all teachers are bad teachers) and unions are at fault. It's divide and conquer.
What we as citizens and tax payers need to remember is that public schools were not designed to be profitable, not as entities in and of themselves and not through the various routes that tax dollars drip into our classrooms. This doesn't mean there are not efficiencies that can and should and often times have been made.
In the greater context, education spending pulls in a profit in the number of qualified and competent employees we put forth into society - either as career-ready grads or students who choose to matriculate into higher education. There are millions of graduates of public education gainfully employed, far more than those who are not. In fact, there is a shortage of livable wage-earning positions to accommodate our competent graduates.
No one can ignore those fields that seem to have a shortage of solid candidates, and that truly is a societal failure to acknowledge and deftly adapt education to the changing markets of the world. But, just what kept education leaders from responding in a timely manner? Clearly the prescriptions and manipulations of the funding formulas that control just how public education monies can be spent have historically damned the adoption of supporting technology and new career path development.
Take Bayard Middle School in Wilmington for example. Accidentally named a PZ school by the Department of Education in 2011, several weeks of planning by district personnel furthered to develop an already identified "bold exploration" (see the CSD Strategic Plan) - the develop of a 6-12 STEM academy in Wilmington. The funding injected by the PZ designation would have jump started the conversion of this school. However, the promise of those funds were withdrawn when DOE realized that they failed to calculate Bayard's historical achievement data correctly. The DOE then skipped over two other failing schools serving urban students and sent the money downstate to Laurel, a district that many assert is on the verge of financial collapse due to successive cuts in state funding. This move by DOE has been seen by critics as a conciliatory slide of hand to Laurel.
The Bayard debacle failed to incite the ire of Wilmington's elected paid politicians and quietly slipped away, leaving the school district holding the tab incurred while planning and seriously delayed the implementation of a "turn around" at a school that is destined to find a home on the DOE's under-achieving list. The interventions needed at Bayard will have to come from local funds - at a price tag that would devastate the district's ability to fairly, properly fund it's many other schools in accordance with the funding prescriptions that come from the state and feds. The future turnaround at this school will be slow and right now, is tentative at best. Yes, the PZ funding never belonged to Bayard, but it should have flowed to the next school on the list - and it didn't. I can't think of a finer example of manipulation of funding.
Putting the Pieces Together
What Race to the Top has taught us is that even the federal policymakers recognize that public education needs an infusion of funds, not the systematic reduction that state governments are inflicting. The ARRA stimulus funds of 2009 required states to maintain their funding of public education at the previous year's level. The writing is on the wall. Public education will cost Americans more as we try to move forward into a technology-based market after the fall-out of the Great Recession. Public schools must turn out graduates who are prepared for today's current career opportunities while competing with millions of un-employed and under-employed yet experienced workers during an a job shortage crisis.
We've learned that it doesn't matter how prepared our students are if the jobs are not there. And while federal and state policymakers are focused on college and career ready grads, we need our leaders to ensure those jobs and careers will exist- something that has simply not happened in part due to the constant fighting between political parties. It's rather demoralizing for our rising seniors - the understanding that the pay-off for their commitment to education may not be there when they are ready for it.
The conversion to great schools is costly. We've spent ten years under the confines of No Child Left Behind, a law that punished schools for failure rather than provide these schools with the funds to convert to pertinent and responsive centers of education. As the ESEA is again up for renewal and will be so perennially until our political parties can agree, we must urge them to not loose sight of the children in the classrooms. RTTT funds data coaches. My students need teachers, capable teachers, and more of them - trained in the new market that these students will eventually arrive to - much more than they could ever need a data coach. My students need fidelity to best practices to implement vetted research-affirmed, peer-reviewed programmatic and cultural changes that will support their needs while training them for the future needs of the economy. They need extended learning time that begins at 300 hours a year - the minimum amount determined by research and practice to actually affect achievement. My students need smaller class sizes, especially in their early years to help mitigate the effects of an achievement gap that exists for some children from the moment of conception. And today, we need to turn our attention to our middle and high schools, to cut with precision focus through the funding red tape to ensure that all students rising into this time of economic uncertainty will have the opportunities for career success.
Troubled school left unto themselves with no change in the way funds are delivered will be forever slow and timid in delivering a dynamic education. And while we need to employ best practices in all of our schools, we need to do so in a way that preserves those schools that are already achieving success for their students - that means protecting the funding that already flows into those schools. Because each neighborhood, each town, each city is different, each school is a reflection of a socio-economic class. We cannot divert funding from successful schools to pay for reform in under-achieving schools. We have already stated that efficiencies need to be achieved and frequently have been - yet we need to acknowledge that decreasing the dedication of services in a successful school will negatively impact achievement.
We must begin to look at a public school system specifically as being non-profit-bearing, and for that matter as being a giant financial hole, a tax write-off, an entitlement program. We must move away from the concept of educational institutions as a business. Businesses by design break even or generate profit. Schools do not, can not, will not if their only funding is federal, state, and local taxes. Schools are not permitted to accumulate funding except for local taxes. If you don't use your state and federal funding, it's taken back. This puts districts in a tremendously difficult position of wanting to deploy targeted funds when it would be illegal to do so. Current funding formulas have indeed tied our hands.
What I know for sure is this - Businessman do not belong in the classroom, which is squarely where they have inserted themselves. When a Media Mogul creates an Enterprise to contract with state departments of education to supply the likes of data coaches, I am certain of two things - 1) some of those data coaches received a public education and 2) the media mogul has just received an influx of funds from education that the tax payers intended to send to the classroom. Business is diverting education funding. The resulting failures are being places squarely on the institution providing the education and everything about this scenario is morally and ethically wrong.
Business has a role to play in education - as employers of our qualified graduates. And that is exactly where businessmen belong. At the very end of the chain. And if they so choose to invest philanthropically in our non-profit education centers - schools - great, but those funds should come with only relevant strings attached - in non-profits this is called "restricted giving."
Education is not a land grab and treating it as such is utter chaos.
Jane, Stop this Crazy Thing!
So, it wouldn't surprise me that if Spacely received a delivery of bad parts, he'd send them back and insist on a credit to boot. He knows he has to build a superior product - a Sprocket.
What if Spacely had been a Principal Spacely in a school when he got that same delivery of bad parts - children, who from the moment they were conceived were at-risk. Principal Spacely still has to deliver a solid product - a high achieving school. But, he can't send these bad parts back, can he?
And that's where the business model being inflicted upon the PreK-12 education system becomes a guaranteed failure. Yelling "Jetson" isn't going to fix it. And yet - pro-business reformers, RTTT champions, continue to claim the failures of the education system sit squarely on the shoulders of bad teachers (they would have you believe all teachers are bad teachers) and unions are at fault. It's divide and conquer.
What we as citizens and tax payers need to remember is that public schools were not designed to be profitable, not as entities in and of themselves and not through the various routes that tax dollars drip into our classrooms. This doesn't mean there are not efficiencies that can and should and often times have been made.
In the greater context, education spending pulls in a profit in the number of qualified and competent employees we put forth into society - either as career-ready grads or students who choose to matriculate into higher education. There are millions of graduates of public education gainfully employed, far more than those who are not. In fact, there is a shortage of livable wage-earning positions to accommodate our competent graduates.
No one can ignore those fields that seem to have a shortage of solid candidates, and that truly is a societal failure to acknowledge and deftly adapt education to the changing markets of the world. But, just what kept education leaders from responding in a timely manner? Clearly the prescriptions and manipulations of the funding formulas that control just how public education monies can be spent have historically damned the adoption of supporting technology and new career path development.
Take Bayard Middle School in Wilmington for example. Accidentally named a PZ school by the Department of Education in 2011, several weeks of planning by district personnel furthered to develop an already identified "bold exploration" (see the CSD Strategic Plan) - the develop of a 6-12 STEM academy in Wilmington. The funding injected by the PZ designation would have jump started the conversion of this school. However, the promise of those funds were withdrawn when DOE realized that they failed to calculate Bayard's historical achievement data correctly. The DOE then skipped over two other failing schools serving urban students and sent the money downstate to Laurel, a district that many assert is on the verge of financial collapse due to successive cuts in state funding. This move by DOE has been seen by critics as a conciliatory slide of hand to Laurel.
The Bayard debacle failed to incite the ire of Wilmington's elected paid politicians and quietly slipped away, leaving the school district holding the tab incurred while planning and seriously delayed the implementation of a "turn around" at a school that is destined to find a home on the DOE's under-achieving list. The interventions needed at Bayard will have to come from local funds - at a price tag that would devastate the district's ability to fairly, properly fund it's many other schools in accordance with the funding prescriptions that come from the state and feds. The future turnaround at this school will be slow and right now, is tentative at best. Yes, the PZ funding never belonged to Bayard, but it should have flowed to the next school on the list - and it didn't. I can't think of a finer example of manipulation of funding.
Putting the Pieces Together
What Race to the Top has taught us is that even the federal policymakers recognize that public education needs an infusion of funds, not the systematic reduction that state governments are inflicting. The ARRA stimulus funds of 2009 required states to maintain their funding of public education at the previous year's level. The writing is on the wall. Public education will cost Americans more as we try to move forward into a technology-based market after the fall-out of the Great Recession. Public schools must turn out graduates who are prepared for today's current career opportunities while competing with millions of un-employed and under-employed yet experienced workers during an a job shortage crisis.
We've learned that it doesn't matter how prepared our students are if the jobs are not there. And while federal and state policymakers are focused on college and career ready grads, we need our leaders to ensure those jobs and careers will exist- something that has simply not happened in part due to the constant fighting between political parties. It's rather demoralizing for our rising seniors - the understanding that the pay-off for their commitment to education may not be there when they are ready for it.
The conversion to great schools is costly. We've spent ten years under the confines of No Child Left Behind, a law that punished schools for failure rather than provide these schools with the funds to convert to pertinent and responsive centers of education. As the ESEA is again up for renewal and will be so perennially until our political parties can agree, we must urge them to not loose sight of the children in the classrooms. RTTT funds data coaches. My students need teachers, capable teachers, and more of them - trained in the new market that these students will eventually arrive to - much more than they could ever need a data coach. My students need fidelity to best practices to implement vetted research-affirmed, peer-reviewed programmatic and cultural changes that will support their needs while training them for the future needs of the economy. They need extended learning time that begins at 300 hours a year - the minimum amount determined by research and practice to actually affect achievement. My students need smaller class sizes, especially in their early years to help mitigate the effects of an achievement gap that exists for some children from the moment of conception. And today, we need to turn our attention to our middle and high schools, to cut with precision focus through the funding red tape to ensure that all students rising into this time of economic uncertainty will have the opportunities for career success.
Troubled school left unto themselves with no change in the way funds are delivered will be forever slow and timid in delivering a dynamic education. And while we need to employ best practices in all of our schools, we need to do so in a way that preserves those schools that are already achieving success for their students - that means protecting the funding that already flows into those schools. Because each neighborhood, each town, each city is different, each school is a reflection of a socio-economic class. We cannot divert funding from successful schools to pay for reform in under-achieving schools. We have already stated that efficiencies need to be achieved and frequently have been - yet we need to acknowledge that decreasing the dedication of services in a successful school will negatively impact achievement.
We must begin to look at a public school system specifically as being non-profit-bearing, and for that matter as being a giant financial hole, a tax write-off, an entitlement program. We must move away from the concept of educational institutions as a business. Businesses by design break even or generate profit. Schools do not, can not, will not if their only funding is federal, state, and local taxes. Schools are not permitted to accumulate funding except for local taxes. If you don't use your state and federal funding, it's taken back. This puts districts in a tremendously difficult position of wanting to deploy targeted funds when it would be illegal to do so. Current funding formulas have indeed tied our hands.
What I know for sure is this - Businessman do not belong in the classroom, which is squarely where they have inserted themselves. When a Media Mogul creates an Enterprise to contract with state departments of education to supply the likes of data coaches, I am certain of two things - 1) some of those data coaches received a public education and 2) the media mogul has just received an influx of funds from education that the tax payers intended to send to the classroom. Business is diverting education funding. The resulting failures are being places squarely on the institution providing the education and everything about this scenario is morally and ethically wrong.
Business has a role to play in education - as employers of our qualified graduates. And that is exactly where businessmen belong. At the very end of the chain. And if they so choose to invest philanthropically in our non-profit education centers - schools - great, but those funds should come with only relevant strings attached - in non-profits this is called "restricted giving."
Education is not a land grab and treating it as such is utter chaos.
Jane, Stop this Crazy Thing!
Category:
RTTT the failure
1 comments
Glasgow Reformed Presbyterian Church in Bear is moving ahead with plans to acquire and institute “sweeping reforms” at the financially troubled Red Lion Christian Academy after church members overwhelmingly endorsed the plan today. ...
If the deal goes through, the private school will see significant changes in leadership, values and financial operations, Betters said in an interview. Christian education and academics will be top priority. Red Lion’s football program will not, Betters said.
The school admitted to violations of state athletic rules last year that included too many football games, excessive practices and improperly managing financial aid.
Also controversial was Red Lion’s push to build a nationally recognized powerhouse team.
“We believe we can still have a powerful football program that reaches out and touches young men who wouldn’t otherwise make it. We believe that’s possible with some changes in priorities and shifting of values as we go forward,” Betters said. “I don’t envision us going all over the nation to play football.”
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Markell spokesman Brian Selander expressed dismay at the group’s decision to defy the state, for the second straight day, by choosing not to accept the Brandywine Park permit.
“The state made a very reasonable offer with the use of state managed properties at Brandywine and Fletcher Brown park,” Selander said. “It was an offer that respected constitutional rights to be heard and assemble. They've chosen a different path.”
And I pay for the upkeep of the STATE'S parks. BTW - so do all the protesters.
Thank goodness for the Occupy movement. If these organizers hadn't come along, perhaps all of America would have forgotten how Civil Disobedience works and value of rallying behind a cause.
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0
comments
Published Online: November 4, 2011
Academic Gains Vary Widely for Charter Networks
By Nirvi Shah
A new national study on the effectiveness of networks that operate charter schools finds overall that their middle school students’ test scores in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies aren’t significantly better than those of students in regular public schools.
Academic Gains Vary Widely for Charter Networks
By Nirvi Shah
A new national study on the effectiveness of networks that operate charter schools finds overall that their middle school students’ test scores in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies aren’t significantly better than those of students in regular public schools.
Category:
0
comments
From
Early 2013 budget numbers being shared with Educators.
Posted on October 27, 2011 by Wolfe Gary Thanks to Gary for his great post!
By January 2012, the 2013 budgets for Delaware’s schools will begin to take shape, and it has already been rumored that our Leadership in Dover is looking to make even deeper cuts to Education. Already we have one district, Laurel, that is floundering on the edge of not being able to meet its finances after April 2012. Many administrators, school boards, and teachers associations have sat down and looked at where we are today compared to where we were just a few years earlier. Since FY2008, State funding has been completely eliminated for the following programs:
* Reading Resource Teachers $9,431,500
* Math Specialists $3,071,700
* Limited English Proficiency Grant $1,625,000
* Technology Block Grant $1,354,000
* School-Based Discipline Program $8,213,900
* Tax Relief Allocation $17,549,500
* Academic Excellence Allotment $4,595,600
* Extra Time Programs $10,428,000
* Tuition Reimbursement $1,100,000
* Teacher Cadre & Mentoring $1,128,400
TOTAL STATE PROGRAM ELIMINATIONS: $58,497,600
In addition to these program eliminations, many districts have also experienced several reductions in base funding levels:
Division II AOC(funding for classroom, and other day to day supplies)Unit Value $3,274,020 (FY08 $3,279 to FY12 $2,955 at 10,105 Dlv II units)
Division II Energy Unit Value $2,455,515 (FY08 $2,678 to FY 12 $2,435 at 10,105 Div II units)
Professional Development Funding $1,300,000 (FY08 $2,866,500 to FY 12 $1,566,500)
Beyond these program eliminations and base funding reductions, increasing demands are being placed on
local funds (Shift of 10% Transportation Costs $7,133,800) at a time when local assessed values are essentially flat, and other local revenues such as interest, indirect cost and cost recovery collections are in decline. For those wondering what losses looked like around the state:
FY 2012 Loss Based On 2008 Amount Per Unit
Appoquinimink ($3,216,675)
Brandywine ($6,967,025)
Christina ($10,594,538)
Colonial ($4,208,339)
NCCVT ($3,839,781 )
Red Clay ($9,297,025)
Caesar Rodney ($2,374,300)
Capital ($3,244,120)
Lake Forest ($1,591,437)
Milford ($2,757,148)
Poly tech ($554,096)
Smyrna ($2,906,050)
Cape Henlopen ($2,506,117)
Delmar ($814,812)
Indian River ($2,334,774)
Laurel ($1,803,148)
Seaford ($1,787,634)
SVT ($862,796)
Woodbridge ($1,357,726)
Total all Districts: ($63,017,540)
So bottom line is that the cost of educating the next generation is going up in a time when every taxpayer is doing more with less, and raising local taxes is not an option for schools. So what can all those who have a stake in Education do to prevent our students from being cheated out of an education? Here are a few ideas we are discussing in Milford on November 8th with the community at a district wide meeting at the Milford High School Auditorium:
~ Begin lobbying efforts now, prior to the Governor’s Recommended Budget
~ Focus attention on the cumulative state funding reductions that have occurred since FY2008.
~ E.mphasize that federal stimulus funding (State Fiscal Stabilization Funds and EdJobs Funding) were intended to ‘stabilize’ state and local agencies that were experiencing revenue reductions. As revenues increase, these funds should therefore be utilized to restore previous funding reductions.
~ Target restoration funding as follows: 1) restoration of EdJobs funding; 2) restoration of State Fiscal Stabilization funding.
~ Recognize the need for efficiencies and budget reductions, but public education has been disproportionally impacted in recent years.
~ Restoring the public education budget back to its FY2010 percentage of the total budget (33.33%) would add $59,650,400 to the public education budget.
~ Collaborate with DSEA to lobby for funding restoration.
~ Establish consistent individual district meetings with local legislators.
~ Provide legislators with specific legislation to support.
~ Provide flexibility to districts in severe fiscal hardship by allowing districts to ‘cash in’ as many units as necessary to maintain solvency, and to not forfeit Division IIIunit funding for cashed in units.
~ Target the message that the “Foundation is Crumbling”. While we have the benefit of many short-term funding initiatives (i.e. Race to the Top) the core K-12 public education finance structure is not sufficient to maintain current service and performance levels.
Education and Community News from Home Town Delaware
Early 2013 budget numbers being shared with Educators.
Posted on October 27, 2011 by Wolfe Gary Thanks to Gary for his great post!
By January 2012, the 2013 budgets for Delaware’s schools will begin to take shape, and it has already been rumored that our Leadership in Dover is looking to make even deeper cuts to Education. Already we have one district, Laurel, that is floundering on the edge of not being able to meet its finances after April 2012. Many administrators, school boards, and teachers associations have sat down and looked at where we are today compared to where we were just a few years earlier. Since FY2008, State funding has been completely eliminated for the following programs:
* Reading Resource Teachers $9,431,500
* Math Specialists $3,071,700
* Limited English Proficiency Grant $1,625,000
* Technology Block Grant $1,354,000
* School-Based Discipline Program $8,213,900
* Tax Relief Allocation $17,549,500
* Academic Excellence Allotment $4,595,600
* Extra Time Programs $10,428,000
* Tuition Reimbursement $1,100,000
* Teacher Cadre & Mentoring $1,128,400
TOTAL STATE PROGRAM ELIMINATIONS: $58,497,600
In addition to these program eliminations, many districts have also experienced several reductions in base funding levels:
Division II AOC(funding for classroom, and other day to day supplies)Unit Value $3,274,020 (FY08 $3,279 to FY12 $2,955 at 10,105 Dlv II units)
Division II Energy Unit Value $2,455,515 (FY08 $2,678 to FY 12 $2,435 at 10,105 Div II units)
Professional Development Funding $1,300,000 (FY08 $2,866,500 to FY 12 $1,566,500)
Beyond these program eliminations and base funding reductions, increasing demands are being placed on
local funds (Shift of 10% Transportation Costs $7,133,800) at a time when local assessed values are essentially flat, and other local revenues such as interest, indirect cost and cost recovery collections are in decline. For those wondering what losses looked like around the state:
FY 2012 Loss Based On 2008 Amount Per Unit
Appoquinimink ($3,216,675)
Brandywine ($6,967,025)
Christina ($10,594,538)
Colonial ($4,208,339)
NCCVT ($3,839,781 )
Red Clay ($9,297,025)
Caesar Rodney ($2,374,300)
Capital ($3,244,120)
Lake Forest ($1,591,437)
Milford ($2,757,148)
Poly tech ($554,096)
Smyrna ($2,906,050)
Cape Henlopen ($2,506,117)
Delmar ($814,812)
Indian River ($2,334,774)
Laurel ($1,803,148)
Seaford ($1,787,634)
SVT ($862,796)
Woodbridge ($1,357,726)
Total all Districts: ($63,017,540)
So bottom line is that the cost of educating the next generation is going up in a time when every taxpayer is doing more with less, and raising local taxes is not an option for schools. So what can all those who have a stake in Education do to prevent our students from being cheated out of an education? Here are a few ideas we are discussing in Milford on November 8th with the community at a district wide meeting at the Milford High School Auditorium:
~ Begin lobbying efforts now, prior to the Governor’s Recommended Budget
~ Focus attention on the cumulative state funding reductions that have occurred since FY2008.
~ E.mphasize that federal stimulus funding (State Fiscal Stabilization Funds and EdJobs Funding) were intended to ‘stabilize’ state and local agencies that were experiencing revenue reductions. As revenues increase, these funds should therefore be utilized to restore previous funding reductions.
~ Target restoration funding as follows: 1) restoration of EdJobs funding; 2) restoration of State Fiscal Stabilization funding.
~ Recognize the need for efficiencies and budget reductions, but public education has been disproportionally impacted in recent years.
~ Restoring the public education budget back to its FY2010 percentage of the total budget (33.33%) would add $59,650,400 to the public education budget.
~ Collaborate with DSEA to lobby for funding restoration.
~ Establish consistent individual district meetings with local legislators.
~ Provide legislators with specific legislation to support.
~ Provide flexibility to districts in severe fiscal hardship by allowing districts to ‘cash in’ as many units as necessary to maintain solvency, and to not forfeit Division IIIunit funding for cashed in units.
~ Target the message that the “Foundation is Crumbling”. While we have the benefit of many short-term funding initiatives (i.e. Race to the Top) the core K-12 public education finance structure is not sufficient to maintain current service and performance levels.
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From the News Journal: HERE Delaware's Charter Schools have a right to funding equity
By: Gregory Meece, director of the Newark Charter School and president of the Delaware Charter Schools Network, and a member of The News Journal's Community View Board.
By: Gregory Meece, director of the Newark Charter School and president of the Delaware Charter Schools Network, and a member of The News Journal's Community View Board.
In 1995, before the ink was dry on the governor's signature on the charter schools law, I signed on to help create Delaware's first charter school. At that time, we didn't expect charter schools to be "the answer" to all of our challenges in public education, but we did see the promise of charter schools as one of the best opportunities to make a dramatic improvement in Delaware's public education landscape.
The results of the charter school movement in Delaware are significant. Charters rank at the top academically at all grade levels. They have been the first to tackle new frontiers in curriculum, teacher incentive pay, site-based management, extended school years, facilities construction, financial autonomy, parent engagement, student uniforms and much more.
There are thousands of students on charter school waiting lists. Almost 80 percent of Delawareans favor charter schools (according to a University of Delaware poll) even though only 9 percent of the student population attends them. Yet progress hasn't been easy, due to an uneven playing field when it comes to the way public charter schools are funded.
The Delaware Charter School Network stands for excellence. But there are times when meeting the high standards we've set for ourselves can be difficult, due to the financial challenges that charters face compared to our district counterparts.
A recent News Journal article rightly highlighted the financial pressures constricting Delaware school districts in the wake of multimillion-dollar state cuts for education. Absent, however, was any mention of the even more acute financial woes of Delaware's 22 public charter schools. We support our public school districts and believe funding adequacy is an issue that must be addressed for all of our schools. But we are one system of public schools, not two. For charter schools, the issue of funding equity is just as important.
In the 2009 report, A New Model Law for Supporting the Growth of High-Quality Public Charter Schools, equitable operational funding and access to capital funding are cited as two "Essential Components of a Strong Public Charter School Law."
And according to Delaware Department of Education data, public charter schools receive nearly 23 percent less per student than traditional district schools, even after excluding the 10 district-operated schools throughout the state that primarily serve resource-intensive, high-needs students.
Several factors can explain this disparity, but the result of this gap is an unfair penalty on charter school students and educators. For example, while Stubbs Elementary, in the Christina School District, might receive $11,437 for Lisa, Prestige Academy -- a mere 10 blocks away -- receives $9,331 for her brother. That translates to less funding available for teacher salaries and much-needed instructional resources.
One of the main reasons for this gap is that charters have neither the ability to raise revenue through referendums nor state funding for major capital costs, such as building upgrades. Public charter schools are forced to pay from 7 to 20 percent of their operating budgets for facilities. Imagine the compounded impact recent state budget cuts have on schools with fewer available dollars to begin with.
Another concern is the formula that districts use to transfer local property tax revenue to charter schools. The guiding principle is "the money follows the child." But districts are permitted to exclude certain categories of local funds before the transfers are made. These deductions are not transparent and often fluctuate dramatically, thereby complicating charter schools budget planning. For example, my charter school budgeted an increase in local funds because our largest feeder district passed a multimillion-dollar operating referendum the previous year. We were shocked to learn that our share of that district's local funds actually decreased substantially.
Further complicating the matter is that the formula for transferring these funds is based not on actual revenues but on district expenditures from the previous year. There is no way for charter schools to "catch up."
Last spring, passage of House Bill 205 represented an important first step toward growing and sustaining high-quality charter schools in the state. We also have resources to draw from to make even more progress. For example, The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools has a menu of best practices for supporting public charter schools' facility needs.
It is my hope that Delaware's General Assembly takes the next big steps in charter legislation: changing policy conditions to give all public school students an equal chance at success regardless of where they go to school. Such policies will encourage high-performing charters to expand, and they will encourage great charters to come into the state.
Sixteen years ago, policy decisions were made as safeguards in the event that charters didn't pan out. Well, we did pan out. Charter schools are here to stay.
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Thank you for sharing:
Will the state fund those students elsewhere?
Moyer- If the state or K12 shutter the school this school year - After the critical Sept. 30 count - will the funding follow the students to their new school, assuming the families choose either charter or district options in lieu of private school? Update: DOE Representative says that there will be no funding this year for a private school student entering the public school system post Sept. 30. That's not entirely surprising - Delaware lives and dies by the Sept. 30 count. But, it does raise an ethics question - if a private school fails mid-year, is there an obligation to fund the public education of their students? Most presume that if a private school fails, those parents have the personal resources to send their child to another private school. However, private schools have many children on financial needs scholarships, full or partial. So, if a private school fails, is there a moral obligation to fund the public education of those students who are needs-based scholarships? And if the answer is "yes" then does that same obligation extend to all students? And that's our walk through morals and ethics of education funding for the evening...
Red Lion - If the private christian school with more than 700 students closes due to financial hardship, a closing that seems almost probably, and parents opt for public options - again either district or charter - will the state infuse receiving schools with funding? This one's a bit trickier to predict as Red Lion students don't generate state funding b/c of their private school status.
Esther said...
My friends who work at Red Lion tell me that the reports of their financial problems are greatly exaggerated, and they do not anticipate having to close or to be sold.
October 23, 2011 9:35 PM
Will the state fund those students elsewhere?
Moyer- If the state or K12 shutter the school this school year - After the critical Sept. 30 count - will the funding follow the students to their new school, assuming the families choose either charter or district options in lieu of private school? Update: DOE Representative says that there will be no funding this year for a private school student entering the public school system post Sept. 30. That's not entirely surprising - Delaware lives and dies by the Sept. 30 count. But, it does raise an ethics question - if a private school fails mid-year, is there an obligation to fund the public education of their students? Most presume that if a private school fails, those parents have the personal resources to send their child to another private school. However, private schools have many children on financial needs scholarships, full or partial. So, if a private school fails, is there a moral obligation to fund the public education of those students who are needs-based scholarships? And if the answer is "yes" then does that same obligation extend to all students? And that's our walk through morals and ethics of education funding for the evening...
Red Lion - If the private christian school with more than 700 students closes due to financial hardship, a closing that seems almost probably, and parents opt for public options - again either district or charter - will the state infuse receiving schools with funding? This one's a bit trickier to predict as Red Lion students don't generate state funding b/c of their private school status.
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Delaware needs to step up and ensure any students who transfer out of these schools due to closing are fully funded in their receiving public schools.
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Low enrollment, a new computer-based school model and low test scores are concerns for Wilmington City Councilman Mike Brown, who said Gov. Jack Markell's administration made a mistake when it picked K12 Inc., a Virginia-based for-profit education company, to run the school after the state Board of Education voted to revoke a local group's control.
"That's the one the governor swore to God he was going to change things around," Brown said. "That's the one where they rode in there on their white horse and said everything was going to be all right -- we got it under control, we got handpicked people, we got people who are HQT, highly qualified teachers. We got this, we got that, we got a whole lot. So, I'm still waiting on it."
That's City Councilman Mike Brown on K12's failure to attract enough students to meet the enrollment target at Moyer. Gov. Markell and DOE brought in K12 to manage the school in 2010. It was rated commendable at the time. K12 has also failed to post the mandated financials on the school website despite two state laws that demand such transparency.
From today's News Journal, a story about the ACLU, free speech, internet usage, and school districts:
I'm going to risk being the lone wolf... I was taught that the first amendment rights are guaranteed rights in so long as they are not used to compromise or infringe upon the rights of others.
Free speech or freedom of expression is the right to speak freely without censorship. However, in practice, this right is not absolute, it's commonly subject to limitations such as libel, slander, obscenity and incitement to commit a crime.
In the context of our global community, there's another document that defines human rights - the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. The Universal Declarion is recognized in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and as such the freedom of expression is recognized as Internation Law - one ratified by the United States.
However, Article 19 of the ICCPR stipulates that the exercise of these rights carries "special duties and responsibilities" and may "therefore be subject to certain restrictions" when necessary "[f]or respect of the rights or reputation of others" or "[f]or the protection of national security or of public order (order public), or of public health or morals".[1][2] Various subsequent governing documents indicate that "limitations to freedom of speech may occur through legal sanction or social disapprobation, or both."
Which brings us back to the ACLU and the Capital School District's policies - It's one thing for a citizen to take to the internet to criticize a public figure - an elected official or a department of government. Laws governing slander and libel protect the individual but do not shelter the public persona - the actions of a public person or agency. But, that same right of criticism is NOT afforded to the PRIVATE individual - a student or co-worker - or the PRIVATE life of a public figure.
Unless the NJ left out some brazen language in their story, Captial's policies do not seem to violate the right to freedom of expression in any form. The policies themselves are social disapprobation - an expression of strong disapproval and a pronouncement of what is ethically culpable and that falls right in line with the international interpretation of this human right.
Furthermore, Capital's policies are aligned to legally protected characteristics - race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, etc. When a person, citing free speech, attacks these characteristics they are essential committing a hate crime. And such behavior from a student would most certainly fall within the social definition of bullying, if not the legal definition. And when these violations occur they erode the fundamental human right to safety.
The question posed to you today: Should the freedom of expression be absolute? even if that means violating the rights of others to safety and/or protection? Should the law protect the reputation of a private individual? Does International law trump National law? And should we be permitted to say what we will even if that means hurting innocent children? Or is the ACLU over-reacting?
In a letter sent to the district last week, Delaware ACLU legal director Richard Morse said the district's (Capital) student social media policy, still in draft form, and a separate employee policy, adopted in August, are both clear violations of First Amendment rights...
The student policy, drafted in August and listed on the Capital board's agenda for Wednesday night, contains a "Prohibited Activities" list that bars students from posting negative comments about individuals or groups based on legally protected characteristics such as race or religion...
Capital's policy governing the online conduct of staff contains the same prohibitions as the student policy, and also bars employees from posting disparaging comments about co-workers, bosses or the public, even while off the clock...
I'm going to risk being the lone wolf... I was taught that the first amendment rights are guaranteed rights in so long as they are not used to compromise or infringe upon the rights of others.
Free speech or freedom of expression is the right to speak freely without censorship. However, in practice, this right is not absolute, it's commonly subject to limitations such as libel, slander, obscenity and incitement to commit a crime.
In the context of our global community, there's another document that defines human rights - the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. The Universal Declarion is recognized in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and as such the freedom of expression is recognized as Internation Law - one ratified by the United States.
However, Article 19 of the ICCPR stipulates that the exercise of these rights carries "special duties and responsibilities" and may "therefore be subject to certain restrictions" when necessary "[f]or respect of the rights or reputation of others" or "[f]or the protection of national security or of public order (order public), or of public health or morals".[1][2] Various subsequent governing documents indicate that "limitations to freedom of speech may occur through legal sanction or social disapprobation, or both."
Which brings us back to the ACLU and the Capital School District's policies - It's one thing for a citizen to take to the internet to criticize a public figure - an elected official or a department of government. Laws governing slander and libel protect the individual but do not shelter the public persona - the actions of a public person or agency. But, that same right of criticism is NOT afforded to the PRIVATE individual - a student or co-worker - or the PRIVATE life of a public figure.
Unless the NJ left out some brazen language in their story, Captial's policies do not seem to violate the right to freedom of expression in any form. The policies themselves are social disapprobation - an expression of strong disapproval and a pronouncement of what is ethically culpable and that falls right in line with the international interpretation of this human right.
Furthermore, Capital's policies are aligned to legally protected characteristics - race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, etc. When a person, citing free speech, attacks these characteristics they are essential committing a hate crime. And such behavior from a student would most certainly fall within the social definition of bullying, if not the legal definition. And when these violations occur they erode the fundamental human right to safety.
The question posed to you today: Should the freedom of expression be absolute? even if that means violating the rights of others to safety and/or protection? Should the law protect the reputation of a private individual? Does International law trump National law? And should we be permitted to say what we will even if that means hurting innocent children? Or is the ACLU over-reacting?
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how about the right to an education umuddled by the political aspirations of the "grown-ups"
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Check out this Job Posted on TopSchoolJobs.org: Job currently posted on TopSchoolJobs.org
Deputy Director, Recruitment and Selection – The Broad Superintendents Academy
The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems
Los Angeles CA 90024 USA
Full Time - 12 Month
Deputy Director, Recruitment and Selection – The Broad Superintendents Academy
The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems
Los Angeles CA 90024 USA
Full Time - 12 Month
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A goodie but broadie
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I lost a student a couple years ago. The reality of it touched me more deeply than any other loss I've ever felt. "Fireflies" was one of his favorite songs. As death comes to us when least we expect it, as friends, acquaintances, and family have greeted death and left indelible touches upon our hearts , this is the song I remember, this is the song I think of in those time, for comfort. Thank you to my student for the impression he left upon my life.
This week a long ago friend lost her husband. This song is for her now, too.
This week a long ago friend lost her husband. This song is for her now, too.
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rest sweetly
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It's official according to Politics K-12 at Edweekcom:
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2011/10/yesterday_was_the_deadline_for.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS1
Delaware has filed a Notice of Intent that signifies the state's desire to apply for the NCLB waiver. Yesterday was the deadline for applicants to file a courtesy notification with US DOE.
Delaware joins 38 other applicants in providing notification. Of note - our state indicates that it intends to file for the waiver in mid-February. It should be noted that a state can change it's mind and decide not to apply for the waiver. It should also be noted that Delaware could have opted to apply for the Waiver this coming November, but for whatever reason, opted to wait until February 2012.
However, this is the burning question - If the time is now, if the time was yesterday, if we are Racing to the Top, and seeking Innovation that must be immediate - if our PZ schools have only TWO YEARS to turnaround their achievement and find proficiency - WHY IN A MILLION YEARS WOULD DEDOE APPLY FOR THIS WAIVER?
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2011/10/yesterday_was_the_deadline_for.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS1
Delaware has filed a Notice of Intent that signifies the state's desire to apply for the NCLB waiver. Yesterday was the deadline for applicants to file a courtesy notification with US DOE.
Delaware joins 38 other applicants in providing notification. Of note - our state indicates that it intends to file for the waiver in mid-February. It should be noted that a state can change it's mind and decide not to apply for the waiver. It should also be noted that Delaware could have opted to apply for the Waiver this coming November, but for whatever reason, opted to wait until February 2012.
However, this is the burning question - If the time is now, if the time was yesterday, if we are Racing to the Top, and seeking Innovation that must be immediate - if our PZ schools have only TWO YEARS to turnaround their achievement and find proficiency - WHY IN A MILLION YEARS WOULD DEDOE APPLY FOR THIS WAIVER?
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No faith
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Last night, late in the evening, at our regularly scheduled board meeting, the Christina Board of Education voted 7-0 to establish Delaware's FIRST Public-Montessori program! Chrsitina now heads into a year of planning and preparation that culminate with Montessori classrooms in both the urban portion of our district and the suburban.
The Montessori model comes with substantial historical data validating it's methodologies which include smaller class sizes. For those in Christina who have lobbied for true education reform that directly affects the classroom, we will now embark on a three year pilot during which time we can collect and validate our own Christina-generated data!
Our Montessori model will bring new choice options to Christina students while positioning the district to offer even greater diversification in learning environments. This partnership is a win for Christina's children! I couldn't be prouder than I am today that our Board has taken the steps to invest in proven best-practices in a reknowned model.
Maria Montessori
(1870-1952), Italian educator and doctor, born in Chiaravalle, and educated at the University of Rome. She is best known for the Montessori method of teaching young children, introduced to Rome in 1907. Her method, which has since spread throughout the world, stresses the development of initiative and self-reliance by permitting children to do by themselves the things that interest them, but within strictly disciplined limits. A wide variety of special equipment of increasing complexity is used to help direct the interests of the child and hasten development.
When a child is ready to learn new and more difficult tasks, the teacher guides the child's first endeavours in order to avoid wasted effort and the learning of wrong habits; otherwise the child learns alone. It has been reported that the Montessori method has enabled children to learn to read and write much more quickly and with greater facility than has otherwise been possible. Her writings include The Montessori Method (1912) and Advanced Montessori Method (1917).There is no better investment in education than investing in our classrooms and our students. Warm Gratitidue is due to the Elementary Workshop in Wilmington for engaging Christina in several months of collaboration. Today, it's Children First!
The Montessori model comes with substantial historical data validating it's methodologies which include smaller class sizes. For those in Christina who have lobbied for true education reform that directly affects the classroom, we will now embark on a three year pilot during which time we can collect and validate our own Christina-generated data!
Our Montessori model will bring new choice options to Christina students while positioning the district to offer even greater diversification in learning environments. This partnership is a win for Christina's children! I couldn't be prouder than I am today that our Board has taken the steps to invest in proven best-practices in a reknowned model.
Maria Montessori
When a child is ready to learn new and more difficult tasks, the teacher guides the child's first endeavours in order to avoid wasted effort and the learning of wrong habits; otherwise the child learns alone. It has been reported that the Montessori method has enabled children to learn to read and write much more quickly and with greater facility than has otherwise been possible. Her writings include The Montessori Method (1912) and Advanced Montessori Method (1917).There is no better investment in education than investing in our classrooms and our students. Warm Gratitidue is due to the Elementary Workshop in Wilmington for engaging Christina in several months of collaboration. Today, it's Children First!
No bones about it - last spring when Mayor Baker called the CSD board a bunch of criminals (for doing due diligence nonetheless and ensuring process was followed with fidelity - it was later learned that process need only be followed with "substantial performance/compliance") for the Gov's misinformed decision to withdraw RTTT funding and PZ funding from the district, it upset me greatly.
So, Mayor Baker, today the Gov. pulled the PZ funding from Bayard Middle School, skipped over Warner and Brandywine - the next recipients on the list of under-performers and both of which serve the children of your constituents - and sent the funds to Laurel.
When are you going to call the Gov. out for stealing from your students? At what point does the Gov become the Criminal? I'll be the first to tell you - you got it wrong on the first go round. This is your one chance to correct your error. Demand accountability NOW! Demand that DOE fund PZ for Warner or Brandywine!
So, Mayor Baker, today the Gov. pulled the PZ funding from Bayard Middle School, skipped over Warner and Brandywine - the next recipients on the list of under-performers and both of which serve the children of your constituents - and sent the funds to Laurel.
When are you going to call the Gov. out for stealing from your students? At what point does the Gov become the Criminal? I'll be the first to tell you - you got it wrong on the first go round. This is your one chance to correct your error. Demand accountability NOW! Demand that DOE fund PZ for Warner or Brandywine!
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you need to take it back.,
You wanted it
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Breaking News - Rick Jensen show on PZ bumble$uck! http://www.wdel.com/
DOE pulls PZ funding from Bayard Middle School and sends it to Laurel.
Well, that's a fine howdoyado!
DOE pulls PZ funding from Bayard Middle School and sends it to Laurel.
Well, that's a fine howdoyado!
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If you didn't read the Gov's byline in Sunday's News Journal, you may want to check it out ... maybe. Depends how much propaganda you can stomach.
I know a couple other Delaware bloggers have already run with it - Kilroy, Transparent Christina. Even with their great evaluations, I have one bone to pick about the piece. Here goes:
The Gov writes:
If we inflict the truth on this statement, it would read like this:
All the font in red - That's my critical evaluation of the Gov's latest kool-aide.
This one goes out to Jack:
I know a couple other Delaware bloggers have already run with it - Kilroy, Transparent Christina. Even with their great evaluations, I have one bone to pick about the piece. Here goes:
The Gov writes:
Together, we are raising expectations around what it means to be proficient in core subjects like reading and math; measuring students against their own progress instead of against a snapshot of the class that came before them; and helping lead the nation in the adoption of Common Core Standards so a Delaware diploma can be recognized in any state as a symbol of achievement.
If we inflict the truth on this statement, it would read like this:
Together, I, Gov. Markell, and the Delaware Department of ,who bow to my every whim and whimper, have decreased academic expectations. With the new DCAS, individual students must perform better because the test is harder in order to achieve their same scores as under the old DSTP. However, together, we duped my appointed State Board of Education in agreeing to allow the DOE to drop the proficiency rate - so culmulatively-speaking fewer actual students had score at the assigned profiency rate in order for a school to be ranked Superior or Commendable. With these changes, I have rendered the Delaware Diploma system useless.
While the DOE embarks on the implementation of common core standards, which admittedly are an over-stretch of federal intrustion (and have been interpretted by many to be flat out illegal), it's important to note that potential employers of this generation will have wade through data, coached and manipulated, to find real value in the diploma itself. If a school's reputation is known to be Superior and a student comes to an employer bearing a diploma from a reputable school, one might assume that the student actually mastered the common core standards and therefore would be a logical and attractive employee. But, if that same school achieved the Superior or Commendable rating based squarely on "growth" that diploma may simply be useless as it is not a marker of profiency, but an indicator of growth.
All the font in red - That's my critical evaluation of the Gov's latest kool-aide.
This one goes out to Jack:
Category:
don't drink the koolaid or your water as the department of health and human services has identified several census tracks with cancer clusters
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Thought Partner
For a much better Translation of "Thought Partner," go HERE.
The role of a Thought Partner is to think with the client in a way that makes the process of thinking explicit and allows the client to see the implications of the thinking process on his or her goals, actions and conditions for performance. It is not the role of the Thought Partner to be more informed, more correct, more logical or more incisive than the client. It is the role of the Thought Partner to attend to the conditions of the dialogue in a way that enables the client to think more clearly and effectively toward his or her goals.
The critical faculties for being a great Thought Partner are listening without criticism, reflecting a client's thinking back to him accurately and without judgment and sharing insights emerging from the dialogue with no emotional attachment to being viewed as right or brilliant or any other favorable or unfavorable assessment. The Thought Partner is more than a parrot, in that he or she must think the thoughts of the client and then reflect them back, not merely repeat the words. Neither is the Thought Partner merely a foil for the client's thinking. http://www.thoughtpartner.net/index.php?/archives/3-What-is-a-Thought-Partner.html
For a much better Translation of "Thought Partner," go HERE.
substantial performance (compliance) legal definition
noun
A doctrine in equity that if a good faith attempt was made to perform the requirements of a contract, but failed to exactly meet the specifics, and if the essential aim of the contract has been met, the agreement will still be considered as having been completed. Minimal damages for the impreciseness may be permitted by the court. See also performance.
Webster's New World Law Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc. http://law.yourdictionary.com/substantial-performance-compliance
Category:
ephm where are you?
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Middletown High locked down after girl found with three knives.
And to think, our Governor wanted to replace our SROs with rookie cops. Thank goodness that never happened!
And to think, our Governor wanted to replace our SROs with rookie cops. Thank goodness that never happened!
Category:
just terribly sad
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I get a myriad of email through my inbox. To date, I have more than 1400. Every once in a while, one sparks my interest. This particular one may even spark the interest of Paul Herdman and Rodel's Vision Network.
This came through earlier this week:
A Delaware Charter School has raised an issue of Charter Law - specifically violations of Title 14, Chapter 5, 506 (c.3). This clause states that families enrolling their student in a charter school for the first time must sign a one-time one year contract committing them to keep their child at said charter school for the full year. The request to DOE was about enforcement capabilities as some parents and students signed the contract and then withdrew their students and enrolled them in the traditional public schools. The traditional public schools appear complacent to violate the law as they did not stop the enrollment from occurring.
While I have to admit that I don't quite get the law itself, I wasn't around when it was written. My guess is that it was to stem students from committing to several schools and then waiting for the last minute to decide which school to go to - which makes it difficult for schools/districts to hire teaching staff and purchase materials within budget.
Here's the response to the query:
From: Cruce Daniel
To: XXXX
Cc: XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX,
Sent: Wed, Sep 28, 2011
Subject: RE: Charter student contracts
Thank you for raising your concerns regarding this issue After reviewing the issue with our internal team, it has been determined that students not in attendance at your school during the last 10 days of September do not qualify for inclusion in the September 30th unit count.
I would like to illuminate several points below germane to this issue:
The first year agreement letter, signed by parents per 14 Del.C. §506 (c) (3), is a written confirmation between the charter school and the parent. This written confirmation, or violation of this written confirmation, is exclusively between the charter school and the parent.
State funding is based on where a student is enrolled and attending during the last 10 days of school in September.
Students not in attendance during the last 10 days of school in September cannot be included in a district or charter school unit count as outlined in 14 DE Admin.Code 701 Unit Count 2.1.
DDOE addresses all regulations and requirements for the inclusion and exclusion of students in the September 30th unit count in our Unit Count training sessions.
o These training sessions require representation from all districts and charter schools.
The summary document and multiple other related resources are available in the Unit Count PLUS program under Help & Documentation.
We understand the concerns this issue raises at your school and appreciate the opportunity to reiterate the above clarifications. As stated previously, we want to ensure the success of all schools while also ensuring that unit count regulations are specifically followed. Inherent in this effort is the intent that parents have the information they need to make informed decisions about their child's education.
Respectfully-
Dan
------------------------------------
Here's my admittedly under-educated take:
1) Directing the conversation to the Sept. 30th unit count is a diversion tactic. Deflect from the real issue.
2) The Real Issue: DOE chooses which laws to enforce. DOE via RTTT claims to be pro-charter. However, DOE, and vicariously, the Governor are not willing to enforce Charter law and regulation. What DOE says and what DOE does are two very different things. And this is just another indication that DOE is NOT pro-charter, despite 'sclaims otherwise. DOE is pro-business. My predication is that the movement of charters in Delaware will go down like this : instead of home grown localized charters, outside Charter Management Organizations are poised to enter the Delaware market, either through take over as seen at Moyer or via Innovative Schools which seems to have a monopoly on the Charter School economy in Delaware. You name the service you need, Innovative has it. One-stop-shopping. Wonder how many sole-source contracts Innovative has gotten over the last two-three years?
Yeah, so I'm a conspiracy theorist. At the end of the day, the law's the LAW. DOE should enforce it and that enforcement capability occurs on the receiving end - those districts that take kids despite signed contracts when good cause does not exist. Why should the Charter school be punished for plannnig according to committments via loss of funds on Sept. 30th and why should a district benefit from the violation of state law? Maybe DOE needs to look at withholding funding for any student in violation of the 1 year contract provision. Districts must adhere to the law. Despite the lure of funding, they need to set the example for parents who are trying to game the system. They need to work in partnership with Charters to ensure choice is not corrupted.
If districts don't set a good example for students when parents are playing the system, who will?
Maybe Paul Herdmann and Vision will step up to the plate and actually advocate for the charters they claim to support. DOE has no mind to listen to me. But, they might be compelled to enforce the law if the power-brokers at Vision are up in arms.
This came through earlier this week:
A Delaware Charter School has raised an issue of Charter Law - specifically violations of Title 14, Chapter 5, 506 (c.3). This clause states that families enrolling their student in a charter school for the first time must sign a one-time one year contract committing them to keep their child at said charter school for the full year. The request to DOE was about enforcement capabilities as some parents and students signed the contract and then withdrew their students and enrolled them in the traditional public schools. The traditional public schools appear complacent to violate the law as they did not stop the enrollment from occurring.
While I have to admit that I don't quite get the law itself, I wasn't around when it was written. My guess is that it was to stem students from committing to several schools and then waiting for the last minute to decide which school to go to - which makes it difficult for schools/districts to hire teaching staff and purchase materials within budget.
Here's the response to the query:
From: Cruce Daniel
To: XXXX
Cc: XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX,
Sent: Wed, Sep 28, 2011
Subject: RE: Charter student contracts
Thank you for raising your concerns regarding this issue After reviewing the issue with our internal team, it has been determined that students not in attendance at your school during the last 10 days of September do not qualify for inclusion in the September 30th unit count.
I would like to illuminate several points below germane to this issue:
The first year agreement letter, signed by parents per 14 Del.C. §506 (c) (3), is a written confirmation between the charter school and the parent. This written confirmation, or violation of this written confirmation, is exclusively between the charter school and the parent.
State funding is based on where a student is enrolled and attending during the last 10 days of school in September.
Students not in attendance during the last 10 days of school in September cannot be included in a district or charter school unit count as outlined in 14 DE Admin.Code 701 Unit Count 2.1.
DDOE addresses all regulations and requirements for the inclusion and exclusion of students in the September 30th unit count in our Unit Count training sessions.
o These training sessions require representation from all districts and charter schools.
The summary document and multiple other related resources are available in the Unit Count PLUS program under Help & Documentation.
We understand the concerns this issue raises at your school and appreciate the opportunity to reiterate the above clarifications. As stated previously, we want to ensure the success of all schools while also ensuring that unit count regulations are specifically followed. Inherent in this effort is the intent that parents have the information they need to make informed decisions about their child's education.
Respectfully-
Dan
------------------------------------
Here's my admittedly under-educated take:
1) Directing the conversation to the Sept. 30th unit count is a diversion tactic. Deflect from the real issue.
2) The Real Issue: DOE chooses which laws to enforce. DOE via RTTT claims to be pro-charter. However, DOE, and vicariously, the Governor are not willing to enforce Charter law and regulation. What DOE says and what DOE does are two very different things. And this is just another indication that DOE is NOT pro-charter, despite 'sclaims otherwise. DOE is pro-business. My predication is that the movement of charters in Delaware will go down like this : instead of home grown localized charters, outside Charter Management Organizations are poised to enter the Delaware market, either through take over as seen at Moyer or via Innovative Schools which seems to have a monopoly on the Charter School economy in Delaware. You name the service you need, Innovative has it. One-stop-shopping. Wonder how many sole-source contracts Innovative has gotten over the last two-three years?
Yeah, so I'm a conspiracy theorist. At the end of the day, the law's the LAW. DOE should enforce it and that enforcement capability occurs on the receiving end - those districts that take kids despite signed contracts when good cause does not exist. Why should the Charter school be punished for plannnig according to committments via loss of funds on Sept. 30th and why should a district benefit from the violation of state law? Maybe DOE needs to look at withholding funding for any student in violation of the 1 year contract provision. Districts must adhere to the law. Despite the lure of funding, they need to set the example for parents who are trying to game the system. They need to work in partnership with Charters to ensure choice is not corrupted.
If districts don't set a good example for students when parents are playing the system, who will?
Maybe Paul Herdmann and Vision will step up to the plate and actually advocate for the charters they claim to support. DOE has no mind to listen to me. But, they might be compelled to enforce the law if the power-brokers at Vision are up in arms.
Category:
DOE fails to enforce charter law AGAIN,
DOE hates kids and charter schools,
says ephm
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