Thursday, July 31, 2008

Call for Chicago students to skip 1st school day (from AP)

It's encouraging to see State legislators stepping in on behalf of their communities, especially on the issue of equity in education. Maybe those across the country can learn a thing or two from this story.
-Dr. Louie F. Rodriguez
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Call for Chicago students to skip 1st school day
By MICHAEL TARM, Associated Press Writer Mon Jul 28, 8:03 PM ET
CHICAGO - Community leaders on Monday called on students from poorer parts of Chicago to protest inequalities in school funding by skipping the first day of classes.
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State Sen. James Meeks wants students to spend Sept. 2 trying to enroll in a suburban school district that spends much more per student than Chicago Public Schools does. Critics of the planned protest say it will send the wrong message to children and undermine campaigns to get as many students as possible to attend the first day of classes in the nation's third-largest school district.
Protest organizers, though, say their message about unequal funding trumps any on attendance.
"Today we are back to two-tiered schools — white and affluent on one side, and black, brown and poor on the other," said Meeks, who also is a minister on the city's South Side. "That's an injustice and it's immoral."
Meeks said he expects several thousand Chicago students to travel in a caravan of buses to New Trier Township High School in the leafy, North Shore suburb of Winnetka, where they will attempt to enroll.
State statistics indicate that the New Trier district spends around $17,000 annually on each of its students compared to the roughly $10,000 a year spent for each student in Chicago public schools.
"We, as a civilized people, can't do it this way," Meeks said. "We're doing irreparable harm to hundreds of thousands of kids."
Officials at New Trier Township High School District 203 said it wasn't yet clear how they'll deal with so many Chicago students showing up at one time to attempt to enroll at the high school.
"We have sympathy for the issue of school funding. ... But I think (Meeks) is harming his cause by doing this," said the district's superintendent, Linda Yonke.
Meeks said the protesters would seek to enroll based on state rules allowing students to transfer to another district if their safety is at risk. The inferior education they receive in Chicago, he said, "was not good for the safety of their futures."
Yonke said she would have to consult lawyers to see if the district might be obliged to enroll any of the Chicago students.
Overhauling how public schools are funded in Illinois has been hotly debated for years — but to little avail. Critics want the state to move away from a system where money for local schools derives largely from local property taxes, saying the status quo results in vastly better funding of schools in property-rich neighborhoods.
Officials at Chicago Public Schools said they sympathize with the planned protest but don't support it.
"We appreciate Rev. Meeks' efforts to spotlight the inequities in our state-funding structure, but we want our students in our schools on Sept. 2," district spokesman Mike Vaughn said. "We want to make sure students hit the ground running, and that starts with being in school the first day, the first week, the first month. It sets the tone for the rest of the school year."

Monday, July 28, 2008

Board showdown set over Crew's job (Miami Herald)

Is this a distraction from the real issues facing the local public schools? What if similar attention was placed on diminishing dropout and improving graduation rates across the district, particularly in the most marginalized schools and communities? -Dr. Louie F. Rodriguez


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www.miamiherald.com
Posted on Fri, Jul. 25, 2008
Board showdown set over Crew's job
BY KATHLEEN McGRORY
Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Rudy Crew may be facing the fight of his career as tensions between him and School Board members appeared to escalate this week.
One board member announced plans Friday to legally challenge whether Crew has lived up to the terms of his contract -- creating a road map to potentially fire Crew from his $315,000-a-year job.
Board member Renier Diaz de la Portilla -- whose unhappiness with Crew is well known -- said he was preparing to present the board's attorney with a list of grievances over the embattled schools chief's performance and ask if they constitute legal grounds for termination.
Board Vice Chairwoman Perla Tabares Hantman, anticipating legal fireworks, filed a motion that the district should hire a ''special counsel'' to advise the board on any action on Crew's contract.
The independent actions of the two board members appear to set the stage for a showdown at a Wednesday budget workshop that all parties are set to attend and, more importantly, for a possible vote to fire Crew as early as the next board meeting on Aug. 4.
Crew's contract runs through 2010, but the board can fire him at any time. Without legal grounds, however, the district will have to pay Crew more than $700,000.
Diaz de la Portilla, an attorney, says the board would be justified to dismiss the superintendent. State law lists possible grounds as misconduct, incompetency, gross insubordination and willful neglect of duties.
Diaz de la Portilla pointed to Crew's ''mismanagement'' of the district's $6 billion budget, his need to dip into the district's rainy-day fund to balance the budget and the 2006 coverup of a sex scandal at Northwestern Senior High.
''It was only a matter of time before this happened,'' Diaz de la Portilla said. ``He's not above scrutiny.''
Diaz de la Portilla will ask his colleagues to vote on the matter at the August meeting.
How the board members will vote is still up in the air, but The Miami Herald on Friday polled eight of the nine.
• Three -- Diaz de la Portilla, Ana Rivas Logan and Marta Pérez -- said they would support terminating Crew's contract at the meeting.
• Three -- Wilbert ''Tee'' Holloway, Evelyn Greer and Martin Karp -- said they would not vote to terminate.
• Two -- Hantman and Chairman Agustín Barrera -- declined to say how they would vote. Solomon Stinson could not be reached for comment.
Logan, for her part, has been vocal for more than a year about firing Crew.
''I don't see how I can work with an employee if I have no faith in what that person says,'' Logan said.
Holloway called Diaz de la Portilla's proposal ''totally inappropriate and unfair'' and accused him of election-time grandstanding.
Diaz de la Portilla has said his proposal has nothing to do with his bid for reelection. He is running against former television journalist Angel Zayón, who wants to oust the superintendent.
Hantman expressed concerns, too, with Diaz de la Portilla's proposal.
''I think this is an action that should be done in a more conscientious manner,'' Hantman said.
While Diaz de la Portilla may not have the votes yet to fire Crew, many board members agreed the situation has come to a boil. Some said they believe the superintendent's days are numbered.
''He doesn't seem interested,'' said Pérez, who has battled Crew publicly. ``I don't think he's engaged in this community.''
Crew declined requests to be interviewed for this article. But district spokeswoman Tammy Reed said that Crew planned ``to continue being the superintendent.''
''Right now, he's focused on his agenda, which is about the children,'' Reed said.
The past six months have been especially trying for the embattled schools chief.
With state revenue streams dwindling, legislators in Tallahassee have dramatically reduced funding to schools. Food and fuel prices have risen.
All the while, the district's budget crisis remains unresolved -- with the district still struggling to balance this year's budget; they already had to dip into reserves for last year's.
The chasm between teachers and administrators has continued to grow. And Crew can no longer count on a solid School Board majority.
To Crew's credit, scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and school grades from the state have risen steadily under his leadership.
The district is also a finalist for the prestigious Broad Prize for Urban Education.
Still, Crew has been unable to manage his relationship with the board.
Last year things got so bad, Pérez sued Crew for failing to include several of her proposals on an agenda. Although Pérez lost the suit, Crew had to turn over several public records he had failed to deliver.
Crew himself has expressed frustrations with the board.
At one point, he said he was already contemplating his next move.
It may come soon.
Experts say the average life span of a superintendent in a large, urban school district is about three years. Crew recently finished up the fourth year of his contract.
''Running a large school district is incredibly difficult,'' said Bill Montford, who runs the Florida Association of District School Superintendents. ``There are extraordinary pressures, not only on the state level, but on the national level.''
Board member Greer, who usually supports Crew, said Miami-Dade is no exception.
''This is certainly an incredibly difficult political environment for anyone -- board members, superintendents and staff -- to function effectively,'' she said.
In addition to the talks about Crew's contract, board members in August will consider another intriguing option: holding a countywide referendum and moving to an elected superintendency.
Logan is bringing the idea, which was first proposed by board candidate Zayón.
If approved, the measure would allow county residents to decide if the next superintendent should be appointed, like Crew, or elected by county residents.
Regardless, elections could bring a new majority.
Besides Zayón, candidates Shawn Beightol and Larry Feldman have said they believe Crew should go.
Still, Barrera, who is pleased with Crew's performance, said he believed the efforts to oust him had little to do with the superintendent's recent performance.
''There's a group of people that have wanted the superintendent out for a long time, and they've seen the first true crack by which to attack him,'' Barrera said. ``This is about politics, not the superintendent.''

Monday, July 21, 2008

English-Learners Still Lag on Reading, Math Progress (from Ed Week)

English-Learners Still Lag on Reading, Math Progress
By Mary Ann Zehr



Nearly all states continue to struggle in meeting the No Child Left Behind Act’s academic targets for English-language learners in mathematics and reading, according to a report released by the U.S. Department of Education today.
The biennial report to Congress credits just one state—unnamed in the report—with hitting the mark for adequate yearly progress, or AYP, in mathematics in the 2005-06 school year, the most recent year for which data was submitted, while none met AYP in reading.
But while the report paints a gloomy picture on the two subjects for the nation’s estimated 5 million ELLs, it also shows the states doing somewhat better in the area of English-language proficiency.
Overall, 24 states—including California, Pennsylvania, and Texas—reported that ELLs were making progress in English. And 28 states, including Arizona, California, and Illinois, met the tougher standard for ELLs to attain proficiency in the language.
Education Department officials had issued no comment about the report as of early afternoon.
The report, based on data from the 2004-05 and 2005-06 school years, contains some conspicuous holes.
New York—which has a large number of English-learners—didn’t submit data for the report about student progress, even though the states are required to do so, and the report doesn’t say why that data is missing.
The report doesn’t say how many states made AYP in math or reading for the first of the two school years being evaluated. And it doesn’t give information about the different targets set by each state for making AYP or indicate how close states have come to meeting them.
Overall, the report says that 85 percent of the nation’s English-learners are participating in programs paid for with funds under Title III of the NCLB law. The department gave $580 million in state grants under Title III in the 2005-06 school year.
Progress Varies
The authors of the report point out that ELL achievement in math is slightly higher on average than achievement in reading.
Even so, fewer than half of such students tested proficient or above in math during the 2005-06 school year in 30 states. The proportion of ELLs testing at least proficient in math ranged from 4.7 percent in Missouri to 82.2 percent in Wyoming during the 2005-06 school year.
The report also notes that achievement in both math and reading drops as the grade level of students increases. “With each grade level,” the report says, “fewer states met their targets.”
The official name of the report is “The Biennial Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Title III State Formula Grant Program: School Years 2004-2006.” An electronic copy was not available as of today.
The Education Department's first two-year evaluation of Title III was released in March 2005. ("Federal Data Show Gains on Language," March 28, 2005.)
Vol. 27, Issue 43

Welcome!

I recently launched this blog and I look forward to hearing from you.

Why algebra testing will work (From LA Times)

BLOWBACK
Why algebra testing will work
California students have met seemingly unattainable standards before.
By Kenneth Noonan July 21, 2008
California has taken a bold step to lead the nation by setting the highest expectations in the country for our eighth-grade students in mathematics. Earlier this month, the state Board of Education acted to make the Algebra I exam the standard for all eighth-graders and to do away with the current two-tiered system. Contrary to Paul H. Chatman's , "Algebra testing sets kids up to fail," requiring all eighth-grade students to take the exam raises the bar for California's overall mathematics standards and will lead to better preparation for all our students' futures.The federal government, under the No Child Left Behind Act, requires that all students must be tested on grade-level standards. Under California's two-tiered system, some eighth-graders take an Algebra I assessment while others take a general mathematics assessment that tests students on sixth- and seventh-grade standards. The state board looked at a number of options to bring California's eighth-grade mathematics assessment in line with federal requirements, including a new, more rigorous two-tiered solution. But what the governor proposed and what the state board supported was a single-test solution: One standard, one test, for all students.Through this action, the state board sent a strong message to students that high standards are of the utmost importance. We have set the bar higher than ever before, giving every student something to strive for. This action tells our students that we want something better for them and their futures. Algebra is the gateway to critical mathematical thinking and to educating the engineers, researchers, doctors and scientists we will need in the future. Through these high standards, California's students will be better prepared to compete in the global economy.Some critics of this action, including Chatman, have said that we are setting ourselves up for failure, and that this is too lofty a goal to set for our schools, teachers and students. I would like to remind those critics that we have been successful in setting and achieving such goals in the past. We have seen great success in the implementation of the California High School Exit Exam and the Standardized Testing and Reporting program. Critics opposed those goals as unattainable and overly aggressive, but in each of these cases, California met the goal and substantially improved the quality of education for all our students.We all understand that this will be a large undertaking and will require sufficient resources to build the infrastructure needed to accomplish this goal. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is committed to providing the resources and investment required to make this goal a reality. We are all dedicated to raising expectations for students and will continue to work together as we move forward.Kenneth Noonan, a previous California Superintendent of the Year, has been a member of the state Board of Education since 2005.

Sleepy Dade School Board voting at 3 a.m. (from Miami Hearld)

EDUCATION
Sleepy Dade School Board voting at 3 a.m.
All-night meetings are becoming the norm for the School Board as it tackles budget shortfalls, but experts say 3 a.m. is no time to be voting.
BY KATHLEEN McGRORY
kmcgrory@MiamiHerald.com
Miami-Dade School Board member Ana Rivas Logan rubbed her eyes and yawned. Vice Chairwoman Perla Tabares Hantman stood up to stretch her legs. Others on the dais were bleary-eyed.
It was nearing midnight and only about a dozen die-hard spectators remained seated in the once-crowded School Board Administrative Building auditorium. One man was snoring.
Last Tuesday's meeting finally ended around 12:30 a.m. -- more than 14 hours after the board first convened at a 10 a.m. pre-meeting workshop.
As far as the last few assemblages went, it was a relatively early finish:
The previous month's meeting had lasted until 3:30 a.m. The one before that until just after 3 a.m.
''I couldn't even read my own notes,'' board member Marta Pérez said, two days after the July meeting. ``My eyes were shutting.''
With scores of budget issues to hash out, the past few gatherings of the Miami-Dade School Board have become all-night affairs.
In Broward County, where School Board meetings start at 10 a.m. instead of 1 p.m., sessions have also run long, lasting until 7:30 p.m. on several occasions in recent months.
While the meetings may be critical for a school system, doctors say the marathon meetings are not ideal venues for decision making.
''If you're not rested, you are not going to be able to make the same kind of careful and thoughtful decisions that you would make if you were fully awake,'' said Roberto Sassi, professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Miami School of Medicine.
''You are much more likely to make mistakes,'' he added.
One board member agrees: ''By the time it gets to the end of the night, the important questions are not being asked,'' said board member Ana Rivas Logan. ``The debate is not as on-cue as it should be because everyone is tired.''
In years past, it was not uncommon for Miami-Dade School Board meetings to run until 10 p.m., spokesman John Schuster said.
But back-to-back 3 a.m. finishes?
''These past few meetings have definitely been some of the latest,'' Schuster said.
The district's budget woes are partly to blame in Miami-Dade.
For months, the board has struggled to balance its $5.5 billion budget, which is due to the state Department of Education by September.
Meetings have been made up of intense -- and often lengthy -- debates over what to cut and what to save. And as Superintendent Rudy Crew has turned to layoffs, hundreds of employees have appeared to speak before the board, pleading for their jobs.
Adding to the tension, the board has been sharply divided between those who support Crew and those who don't. And with four members seeking reelection in August, small disagreements have evolved into high-stakes battles.
''There's a clear dividing line right now and that's the superintendent,'' said Brian Peterson, a Florida International University professor who edits a daily newsletter called the Miami Education Review.
''Board members can't agree to be sensible,'' Peterson said.
The extra long meetings haven't been unique to Miami-Dade.
Throughout Florida, school boards have been burning the midnight oil to balance their budgets, said Wayne Blanton, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association.
NOT SURPRISED
While Blanton hadn't heard of any meetings lasting quite as long as those in Miami-Dade County, he wasn't surprised.
''It's only natural that the meetings are going to be longer in Dade because the budget is so large,'' Blanton said. ``It's going to take a lot of delving into the budget to make the proper cuts.''
Linda Embrey, a spokeswoman for the National School Boards Association, said budget discussions have been sending school board meetings into extra innings nationwide. ''These very late meetings are definitely not the norm,'' she said.
Experts, however, say making big budget decisions after 14 hours of meeting is far from ideal.
For one, the time of night presents a problem, said Sassi, the University of Miami psychiatrist.
''Most of the School Board members are not night-shift workers,'' Sassi said. ``So 3 a.m. is a time at which most of them would be sleeping. Their bodies are not prepared to make big decisions then.''
Some people are more resilient than others, Sassi said. And some can stay alert by drinking coffee or taking afternoon naps.
''But the truth is, people are more likely to be impulsive and less likely to be thorough after they've been awake that long,'' he said.
It's a bad idea from a public administration standpoint, too, said Michael Milakovich, a professor of political science at UM.
''People can't be that sharp after being locked in a room for 12 hours,'' he said.
The long meetings have caused some unrest on the board. For the past three months, board members haven't had a chance to propose their own items until the early hours of the morning.
SUGGESTION DIES
Last month, board member Pérez suggested that actions proposed by board members be brought to the floor earlier. The item failed in a close vote.
''It's very frustrating,'' Pérez said. ``You prepare to present those items, but by that time, you know your colleagues are exhausted. The public is exhausted, too. And ultimately, what happens is those items get swept under the rug.''
An earlier start is not necessarily a solution. In Broward, that's a source of controversy as some board members say some members of the public can't attend the hearings.
In Miami-Dade, many wishing to speak sign up but by the time their name is called, they're home asleep.
With the budget crisis unresolved, observers don't expect the lengthy meetings in Miami-Dade to end anytime soon.
Said Sassi: ``If they could plan and spread out the meetings, that would make more sense.''
If that isn't possible, those trapped must consider power naps, fresh air and coffee, but he warns: ``There's only so much the brain can do for us.''
Miami Herald staff writer Nirvi Shah contributed to this report.