Students With Interrupted Formal Education Face Great Pressure To Catch Up.
The New York Times (1/26, A1, Medina) reports, “New York City classrooms have long been filled with children from all over the world.” And about 15,000 of the “nearly 150,000 students across the city still struggling to learn English…have had little or no formal schooling and are often illiterate in their native languages.” According to the Times, the largest portion “of these students,” classified in New York City schools as Students with Interrupted Formal Education, “come from rural areas of the Dominican Republic, where they did not attend school because it was too far away or because they were working to support their families.” The state does not provide any additional funding for Students with Interrupted Formal Education, and “educators who work with such students, and experts who study their problems, say that teenagers who arrive unable to read in any language face tremendous pressure to earn an independent living while racing to catch up on more than a decade of academic building blocks.”
In the Classroom
Some See Algebra II Graduation Requirement As Civil Rights Issue.
The Washington Post (1/26, B1, Chandler) reports that “behind the surface similarities, experts say, there can be wide variations in what students learn in a course seen as critical to developing a math-savvy workforce for the digital age.” Several states and the District of Columbia “have made Algebra II, or an equivalent course, a must for a high school diploma.” And “some advocates of expanding access to higher math said that making Algebra II a uniform expectation is a civil rights issue because the course is widely considered an important bridge to college — a bridge that many poor or minority students miss.” Meanwhile, in Maryland and Virginia, educators say that “it is important for the course to remain challenging.” Currently in both states, “officials estimate that two-thirds of the students…take the course now.” The Post notes that of Virginia, Maryland, and the District, “only Virginia requires Algebra II students to take a standardized test to show they have learned the material.”
Some Florida Educators Fear NCLB’s Focus On Low-Performers Shortchanges Others.
The St. Petersburg Times (1/26) reports that “the complaint that our brightest kids are being overlooked isn’t new. But it has gained momentum with the rise of accountability systems, like Florida’s, which have forced schools to pay far more attention to struggling kids.” Although No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has helped low-performing students improve academically, according to a study by the Fordham Institute, Fordham president Chester E. Finn Jr, asked, “In a time of fierce international competition, can we afford to let the strongest languish?” Under NCLB, “more students are reaching the basic level on the” Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) and national reading and math tests. And more are also scoring at the highest levels on those tests.” Yet, “a St. Petersburg Times poll of teachers in 2006 found that more than half said smart students in their classes were being shortchanged because they were focused more on lower-performing students. In high-poverty schools, nearly 70 percent said so.”
Florida Will No Longer Offer High School Competency Test To Diploma-Seekers.
The Miami Herald (1/26) reports, “Florida’s High School Competency Test, required for the classes of 1990 through about 2000 to graduate from high school, will no longer be offered.” Now, “students from those classes who did not receive diplomas because they did not pass the earlier test will instead have to take…the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).” They must “a 268 score on the FCAT’s reading section and 278 on its math section to claim a standard diploma.”
On the Job
LAUSD Teachers Will Not Be Laid Off This Year.
The Los Angeles Times (1/24, Song, Blume) reported, “No teachers will lose their jobs this school year, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) officials announced Friday, a calculated gamble that will preserve classroom continuity in the short term but lead to a larger deficit next year.” Last week, the LAUSD “school board voted to give Supt. Ramon C. Cortines the authority to send pink slips to nearly 2,300 instructors,” because “the district is facing at least a $250-million shortfall this year.” However, putting off the layoffs could worsen “the district’s long-term budget woes. Before classes resume next fall, the district would have to cut $500 million to $600 million, a process that will start soon.”
Majority Of Utah Residents Support Teacher Pay Based Partly On Student Performance.
The Salt Lake Tribune (1/25, Schencker) reported, “Utahns overwhelmingly support the idea of paying teachers based partly on performance, and most favor spreading money for schools more equally across the state, according to a Salt Lake Tribune poll.” Eighty-four percent of the 500 residents surveyed “said they would support ‘basing part of a state teacher’s salary on performance.’” And “Fifty-nine percent of Utahns surveyed said the state should ‘equalize school funding by shifting local property tax revenue from richer districts to poorer districts.’” State Legislators are currently deciding “what to do with $20 million slated for performance pay this school year.” One suggestion is to cut the amount “to $5 million and distributed to fewer school districts and charter schools than originally planned.” Another is to establish a “permanent performance pay system.”
According to Utah’s Deseret Morning News (1/26, Stewart), of the 413 Utah citizens polled by the firm Dan Jones & Associates from Jan 15 to 17, 63 percent “agreed with determining teacher pay by student performance and professional evaluations.” But, “only 11 percent of those polled agreed with determining teacher pay solely by student performance on tests.” Meanwhile, many educators throughout the state do not support a performance pay system Utah Education Association President Kim Campbell said that the union opposes “basing [teacher pay solely on student test scores." She said that "basing pay on test scores can promote competition instead of collaboration among teachers. Further, at many schools, teachers work together on a group of students who may be from different classrooms." Jay Blain, president of Granite Education Association, noted that "there are many other outside factors, such as parental involvement, that strongly determine a student's test scores."
Job-Sharing Program Helps Florida District Retain Teachers.
The Florida Times-Union (1/26, Palka) reports that in Duval county, FL, "20 teachers participate in" the job-sharing program, for which teachers "split their weeks, usually by one teacher working two days and the other three days a week." According to the Florida Times-Union, "the program helps school districts retain teachers, often female with children. Because the teachers split benefits, it has little to no extra costs for districts." Teachers who share jobs must "write out a plan for how they intend to handle parent conferences, faculty meetings, student progress and other issues." And each earns "half of what they would earn as a full-time teacher, which is partly based on the number of years they've worked." Only "one of the teachers gets...health benefits, which the teachers have to determine for themselves, but both earn retirement benefits based on a percentage of their salary. They also both work enough hours to get credit for the year."
DC Chancellor Seeks To Limit Out-Of-School Suspensions.
The Washington Post (1/26, C5, Turque) reports that D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee has proposed changes to "the District's student behavior code" that "would move the system...away from out-of-school suspension as the disciplinary method of choice and toward counseling, peer influence and more options for keeping suspended students in school." District data show that "suspensions grew 72 percent between the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years, from 1,303 to 2,245." According to Rhee "out-of-school suspensions in the District occur 'far too frequently,' putting students behind in their work and increasing the likelihood that they will become truant or drop out." The current code "permits suspension of students at any grade level for minor transgressions." Meanwhile, Rhee's proposal "divides student misconduct into five tiers, reserving suspensions and expulsions for the most serious incidents." Other school officials have "emphasized getting teachers to make discipline as much about instruction as it is about punishment."
Law & Policy
Critics Say Changes To Texas Science Curriculum Leave Room For Doubt About Evolution.
The New York Times (1/24, A11, McKinley) reported that on Friday, the Texas Board of Education "voted to drop a 20-year-old mandate that science teachers explore with their students the 'strengths and weaknesses' of all theories." Nevertheless, the board's "conservative faction, led by the board's chairman, Dr. Don McLeroy, managed to pass several amendments to the state's science curriculum that opponents say would open the door to teaching objections to evolution and might encourage students to reject it." For instance, one of the amendments "would compel science teachers to instruct students about aspects of the fossil record that do not neatly fit with the idea of species' gradually changing over time, like the relatively sudden appearance of some species and the fact that others seem to remain unchanged for millions of years."
The AP (1/24) reported, "Critics of the 'weaknesses' language argue that watering down the teaching standards of origin of man is an attempt to promote creationism in public schools." However, "Critics of the proposal to drop the mandate blame 'left-wing ideology' for trying to stifle free speech."
Also in the News
"Scary" Books, Graphic Novels Popular Among School Children.
The Washington Post (1/26, B2, Chandler) provides a list of books recommended by school librarians that would "make kids slow down long enough to read." According to Kate McClelland, president-elect of the Association for Library Services to Children, "librarians are proclaiming that 'horror is the new fantasy.'" According to the Post, "'Scary' has always had strong appeal for children and teens," and "Halloween books are checked out year-round in many libraries." Graphic novels are also popular among students. Long Branch Elementary School Librarian Sandra Sterne "says she started a lunch group for third-graders who were struggling to read and introduced them to a series of mostly historical or biographical graphic novels." After two years, "the students were taking those books home and showing up during their lunch hour to talk about them."
Competition Challenges Students To Design Prototype Cities.
The Washington Times (1/25, Drost) reported, "Sporting a used toy box, a few Christmas ornaments and a Discovery credit card, a model of Augua Nova hardly looks like a city of tomorrow. But for Mercer Middle School students Daniel Aldana, Thomas Martin and Sophia Folena, that's the point." According to the Times, 13-year-old Daniel says, "We want to see the potential in what we throw out," as "he and his colleagues presented their model utopia Saturday at the National Engineers Week Future City event at the University of the District of Columbia." The Times adds that the students, from Loudoun County, VA "will represent the Washington area at the 17th annual Future City Competition, which challenges seventh- and eighth-grade students from 37 areas across the country to design and build a prototype city. ... This year, the model cities must include homes that have a self-sufficient system of conserving, reusing and recycling existing water."
NEA in the News
Opinion: Unions Help Teachers Reach Goals, Objectives.
In an opinion piece for the Grand Forks Herald (1/25), teacher and union activist John Lang wrote, "Recently, David Fagerlund expressed his opinion concerning No Child Left Behind, teachers and our professional association, the National Education Association ("No Child Left Behind just needs a little work," Page D3, Jan. 18)." Lang states that, "contrary to Fagerlund's assertion that our unions lead us away from our goals, they help us with skills in the classroom enabling us to better meet our goals and objectives." Lang asserts, "Teachers are not anti-accountability. We simply want to be held accountable for those things over which we have some control. ... Some students come to us hungry, scared, sometimes neglected, sometimes abused and in every state of learning you can imagine." In closing, Lang writes that most teachers "are busting their backsides in the classroom every day of the school year to do the best they can for their students."
Elementary, Secondary Schools To Participate In National Green Week.
USA Today (1/27, Macdonald) reports, "Environmental education is pushing into new territory next week as educators urge children and families to lead more eco-friendly lives outside school." On Monday, "700 elementary and secondary schools will take part in the first National Green Week as teachers infuse 'green' living lessons into their classes." Organizers say that "the immediate steps children take to relieve pressure on the planet's resources are apt to influence how others live." But "critics...say activists and educators are going too far in trying to shape how families live." According to Angela Logomasini, of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, "a free-market advocacy organization in Washington, D.C.," Green Week initiatives pressure "children to practice 'an environmental religion.'" Despite the opposition, Nancy Davenport, president of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), said that "most principals support efforts to help children and their families lead greener lives."
In the Classroom
Hand Gesturing May Improve Learning, Studies Suggest.
The San Diego Union-Tribune (1/27) reports that "years ago, it was presumed learned people didn't gesture. ... Intelligent folk, the thinking went, communicated with speech." It was also thought that "the more you gestured, the more obvious it was you couldn't find (or use) the right words." But, "a small but growing band of scientists...have produced a mound of studies and evidence arguing that gesturing improves not just how we speak, but how we think and learn." For instance, "studies published in 2007 by" Susan Goldin-Meadow, a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, "and others reported that students learned and remembered math concepts better if gesturing was involved in the original lessons." Furthermore, a "new, yet-to-be-published" study shows that "math students learned more when they were taught to use correct, relevant gestures to describe their lessons than students who used only 'partially correct' gestures, who in turn learned more than children who gestured not at all."
Parents Concerned By Absence Of Library At Los Angeles Elementary School.
The Los Angeles Times (1/27, Villarreal) reports that "since 2003, students at" Castelar Elementary School in Chinatown "have had to trek two blocks to the L.A. Public Library, as plans to construct a new library on their own campus have repeatedly stalled." So, in order to get to the Chinatown branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, students must walk two blocks. At the library, students "work on projects, check out books, or complete their homework." According to "Los Angeles Unified School District officials...construction of an on-site library is expected to begin in the fall, but parents say they've waited long enough." One of parents' chief "concerns is whether the absence of a school library is interfering with the quality of education their children are receiving." But, the Times points out, "Castelar scored 819 on the 2008 Academic Performance Index, surpassing the state target of 800."
Space Foundation's Teacher Liaisons Will Help Integrate Space Science Into Classrooms.
KRDO-TV Colorado Springs, CO (1/26) reported, "The Space Foundation, based in Colorado Springs will work with several Colorado teachers on space-related programs for their classrooms." The Space Foundation's 2009 Flight of Teacher Liaisons, pulled "from 25 different schools in California, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, and Texas...will serve as advocates for space science education and use Space Foundation-provided training and resources to further integrate space into their classrooms." The liaisons will also "participate in workshops and education programs at the 25th National Space Symposium." Afterward, they "can take advantage of specialized training and instruction at Space Foundation and NASA workshops with optional graduate-level credit."
South Dakota District Adopts Globally-Focused Social Studies Curriculum.
South Dakota's Argus Leader (1/27, Verges) reports, "Life after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has demanded that Americans learn about the rest of the world, and the Sioux Falls School District's 2009-10 social studies curriculum reflects that focus." Under the curriculum adopted by the school board on Monday, "elementary school students will learn how people in other countries interact, middle school students will be challenged to think critically about foreign nations, and a new high school elective course called 'Global Issues' will replace 'American Perspectives.'" Furthermore, students will now "be asked to work together to solve problems while studying ethics, human rights, social justice and global warming."
Massachusetts District Aims To Optimize Learning With Responsive Classroom Technique.
In an opinion piece for the Marblehead (MA) Reporter (1/27) School Superintendent Dr. Paul Dulac writes, "Individual classrooms are the primary influence on children's school life. But classrooms exist within the context of the larger school, and consistency in climate and expectations between classrooms and the larger school is vital." Teachers in Marblehead "are being trained in the Responsive Classroom by Northeast Foundation for Children, which specializes in professional-development services and publications for educators illustrating the Responsive Classroom." The Responsive Classroom is premised on the theory "that children learn best when they have both academic and social emotional skills." In the Responsive Classroom, "Teachers ask students questions that require them to respond using their higher-level thinking skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation."
Teachers, Parents Have Diverging Views About Homework, Study Shows.
The Washington Post (1/27, C12, Strauss) reports that according to a new survey by Harris Cooper, a professor of education and psychology at Duke University, "parents and teachers don't always agree on why homework is assigned -- or how involved parents should be in helping their kids get it done." Many "teachers say homework is important in the learning process and can help kids develop study and organizational skills," and some "say they give homework to get parents involved in the learning process." The survey shows that "a lot of parents wish they were less involved in homework," while most teachers "don't think parents are involved enough." Furthermore, "68 percent of the parents surveyed said that teachers use homework to cover material they haven't had time to teach in class," while "only 17 percent of teachers said that is why they assign homework."
On the Job
Merit Pay Should Only Reward Exceptional Work, Salt Lake Tribune Says.
The Salt Lake Tribune (1/27) editorializes, "A Salt Lake Tribune poll shows an impressive 84 percent of Utahns surveyed support basing part of each public-school teacher's pay on performance. We agree; a merit-pay system that rewards the best teachers would encourage teaching excellence and benefit students." The Tribune also says, however, that the "$20 million earmarked for merit pay this school year should be spent on other things," because "the merit-pay concepts floated by school districts vying for part of the $20 million would do very little, if anything, to help improve education for Utah's children." The Tribune concludes, "Until merit pay is based on critical and honest teacher evaluations and limited to exceptional teachers, let's put the money to better use."
Teach For America Allowed To Return To Compton Schools After Five-Year Hiatus.
The Los Angeles Times (1/27, Mehta) reports, "Teach For America (TFA), which has a long history with Compton Unified, has been allowed to return to the school district after a five-year hiatus. But several board members remain scornful of the program." The conflict between TFA and the Compton Unified School District arose after "the district stopped hiring [TFA] teachers after the 2003-04 school year, reportedly because of declining enrollment.” TFA tried several times to return to Compton schools, “but some school district trustees and union leaders questioned the wisdom of investing in teachers who sign on only for a couple years and who often pursue other careers outside the classroom when their time is up.” But “TFA leaders point to data showing that 90 percent of its members in recent years return to teach a second year, compared with 83 percent of new teachers in low-income communities.”
Clayton County, Georgia, School District Meets 80 Percent Of Accreditation Mandates.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (1/27, Matteucci) reports, “Clayton County school officials said Monday they have met 80 percent of the improvement mandates to regain the district’s accreditation.” Last August, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) revoked the district’s accreditation. “SACS will return in April to judge the school system’s progress on nine improvement mandates. School officials have pledged to meet the mandates in time for seniors to graduate with an accredited diploma.” Deputy Superintendent Judith Simmons said that “the one major outstanding mandate is to hire a permanent superintendent.”
School Finance
Florida District Asks For Teachers’ Input On Three Percent Pay Cut To Save 800 Positions.
The Fort Myers (FL) News-Press (1/27) reports that on Monday, Lee County Public Schools distributed a survey to teachers, asking “whether they would accept a three percent salary decrease if it resulted in saving approximately 800 jobs.” According to the News-Press, “The district’s average teacher salary without benefits is $48,282, so a 3 percent reduction would drop that figure to $46,834.” District “administrators have said they expect to face a shortfall of $40 million to $50 million in the…operating budget for 2009-10 and have asked for input on where to cut.” The three percent pay cut would equal about $7.2 million. “Teachers have been asked to respond to the survey by the end of the week.”
Arizona Lawmakers Urged To Suspend Education Tax Credit To Save Public School Budgets.
The Arizona Republic (1/27, Gersema, Pitzl) reports, “Education groups are pushing state lawmakers to consider suspending Arizona’s popular tax credit for donations toward public-school extracurricular activities and private-school tuition to avert $125 million in basic education-funding cuts.” They contend “that suspending this taxpayer benefit would avoid an unusual situation: cutting funds for things like textbooks, computers and transportation while continuing to allow the credits to fund after-school programs.” But many “schools and parents see these donations as a win-win. Donors get credits on their state taxes, plus a federal tax deduction for a donation; public schools get money for field trips and other after-school activities while private schools can cover all or part of a student’s tuition.” Arizona Association of School Business Officials Lobbyist Chuck Essigs “said lawmakers should try to spare educational programs and jobs when weighing cuts. ‘Which is better for the citizens of Arizona: lose five days of school or the tax credits?’ he asked.”
Also in the News
Recess Found To Improve Student Behavior.
The Washington Post (1/27, Gardner) reports that a study published in the February edition of Pediatrics documents “the value of recess: Children who have it during the day behave better in class.” Researcher Dr. Romina M. Barros concluded that “recess should be part of the education system.” For the study, “Barros and her colleagues looked at a national database of about 11,000 8- and 9-year-olds. Children had one of two levels of recess: none/minimal (1 to 15 minutes/day) or ‘some recess.’” The teacher rating system showed that students “with more recess behaved better in school.” Furthermore, “the 30 percent of children who had no or only minimal breaks were more likely to be black, from households with lower incomes and lower education levels, to be living in the Northeast or South, and to be attending urban public school.” Barros’s study also pointed out that “the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has resulted in less recess for many children.”
Cities, School Boards Break Tradition To Name Buildings After President Obama.
USA Today (1/27, Bello) reports that “cities and school boards are naming streets and buildings after President Obama, breaking with the tradition of waiting until a president is out of office.” For instance, “Ludlum Elementary School in Hempstead, N.Y., on Long Island, was renamed after Obama in November. A school in Portland, Ore., is deliberating a similar change.” Barack Obama Elementary School Principal Jean Bligen said that her students “take such pride over the name being changed and knowing they represent such a strong individual.” According to Bilgen, “the idea for the name change came from fifth-graders who had held mock debates before the election and were excited about Obama’s win.”
Some District Leaders Consider Raising New Teacher Salaries To Increase Applicant Pool.
Education Week (1/27, Sawchuk) reported, “Leaders in a handful of school districts are pondering the idea of ‘front-loading’ teacher compensation by paying novices more than they would typically earn under traditional salary schedules.” The intent would be to “increase the applicant pool and help school systems” in places such as Denver, Washington, D.C., and New York City “recruit higher-caliber talent. Coupled with other changes designed to improve teacher effectiveness, the practice also could help reduce costly attrition rates among rookies,” some officials say. “The approach taps into a movement by districts and their administrators to align ‘human capital’ elements in the profession — teacher recruitment, compensation, evaluation, and administrative supports — strategically with goals for raising student achievement.” Education Week noted that the NEA suggests “reducing the number of salary ‘steps’ to 10 or fewer.” Bill Raabe, the director of collective bargaining and member advocacy for the NEA, said, “If you stop the salary schedule earlier, you have…more money to put toward the beginning teachers.”
In the Classroom
Middle School Teacher Infuses Math, Geography Into Spanish Lesson About Chinese New Year.
New Jersey’s Courier Post (1/27, Rothschild) reported that while most people “observing the Chinese New Year” on Monday celebrated the Year of the Ox students in “Wilson Colon’s eighth-grade Spanish classes at Beck Middle School…wished each other ‘Feliz Ano Nuevo Chino’ because it was the start of El Ano del Buey.” Colon’s curriculum emphasizes diversity, and have also “included Spanish lessons that focus on Russian and African stories and customs.” In preparation for Monday’s celebration, “Colon visited Philadelphia’s Chinatown and purchased authentic Chinese gummy bears, which he inserted into the traditional red packets — red being a symbol of good luck — distributed to Chinese children on the New Year.” He also decorated the classroom and “dressed thematically in a red shirt and wore a silk tie emblazoned with Asian masks.” In addition to Spanish, and Chinese culture, Colon also infused math into his lesson by asking students to calculate when “El Ano del Caballo — the Year of the Horse” — would occur.
Career School Students Seen As Smart, Savvy.
The St. Petersburg Times (1/28) reports that for the current generation of high school students, “attending a traditional four-year university or community college after high school” is considered to be “much more important than ever before. According to the Department of Labor, by 2014, 85 percent of U.S. jobs will require education and training beyond high school.” And, “while there was a time when career-training programs were viewed as intellectually inferior to traditional education…today’s career school students are just as smart, savvy and driven as the college-bound.” According to the St. Petersburg Times, “hands-on instruction, career programs, job placement, a wide variety of courses, personalized degree tracks and practical schedules” are some advantages of attending technical and career schools. And “some of the most popular tech school majors” include business, nursing, web design, manufacturing, and construction.
Illinois District Eliminates Study Hall For Junior High Students.
Illinois’ The Pantagraph (1/28, Coulter) reports that “the days when students can take a little breather during study hall appear to be over at Unit 5 junior high schools as one of several changes under a proposed new scheduling system.” In addition to eliminating study hall, Unit 5 officials will also require seventh and eighth graders to “spend more time reading and studying language arts, and eighth graders will be able to choose an elective for the first time. For sixth graders, the plan gives them more time in some core subjects, including math.” The Pantagraph notes that “the changes are prompted by Unit 5′s goal to add rigor and time to language arts, provide consistency for core subjects, and use study hall time more productively at its three junior highs.”
Young People More Confident In Managing Finances After Taking Class, Report Shows.
The Financial Times (1/28, Ross) reports that “young people who study personal finance at school are likely to see a dramatic improvement in their ability to make financial decisions, according to new research” from the UK’s University of Manchester. “The three-year study tracked more than 3,000 students who sat a standalone qualification in personal finance. They showed an increased confidence in managing their finances almost two years after the course.”
Students Learn About Economy, Budgeting In Junior Achievement Program.
KEYC-TV Mankato, MN (1/27) reported that sixth grade students at Fitzgerald Elementary School in the Junior Achievement program “interviewed with Hickory Tech employees for a job at BizTown, a miniature version of a real city.” They competed “for jobs including the positions of mayor and bank president.” On February 5, “the students will travel to Biztown located in Maplewood,” where “they will have the chance to put their skills to the test” by “running the city for the entire day.” KEYC explains that Junior Achievement “is designed to teach students life skills, helping them to understand issues about the economy, taxes, and budgeting.”
Middle School Students In Washington Create “School of the Future.”
The Sno Valley Star (1/27, Geggel) reported that beginning in October of last year, a group of seven students from Twin Falls Middle School in North Bend, WA “has met every Tuesday to work on the School of the Future Student Design Competition. To enter, the students need to submit an optional model of their proposed school, write a 750-word essay about their planning process and rationale and present a PowerPoint about their project.” The students generated “their school of the future online, using the [free] Google SketchUp application. … In addition to creating a model of the school,” they “brainstormed environmentally friendly resources they could connect to their academic center.” In order to “better grasp the layout of the land, [they] went on a walking fieldtrip to the hypothetical construction site during one of their weekly meetings.” The Star adds that the regional competition will take place in February.
Some Students In Minnesota District Practice Ice Harvesting.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune (1/28, Blake) reports, “Using stories and tools passed on to him by his grandparents, who ran an ice business in Worthington, MN,” Tim Graf “teams up with naturalists at Three Rivers Park District to teach students and park visitors some living history by showing them how to harvest blocks of ice.” Graf has been demonstrating the ice harvestings in the district for about 10 years. He teaches the students the history of ice harvesting, but “insists that the kids do the” actual “work, using the same saws and ropes and tongs as workers did decades ago to harvest ice — just in smaller blocks.” During a demonstration at Richardson Nature Center at Hyland Park Nature Reserve last week, “the pond ice was 15 inches thick. It took four kids at a time pulling together to bring a block out of the pond. Other groups sawed the blocks into smaller chunks for weighing or shaving or cubing.”
On the Job
Gates Argues US Schools’ Successes, Failures Underscore Need For Change.
The Washington Post (1/28, A15, Gates) reports that “Bill Gates released an annual letter this week outlining the state of his foundation and its goals for 2009.” Gates writes that “within the United States, there is a big gap between people who get the chance to make the most of their talents and those who don’t.” He believes “that providing everyone with a great education is the key to closing this gap.” As such, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded “over $2 billion in [education] grants.” But, Gates writes, “Many of the small schools that we invested in did not” show significant improvements. “These tended to be the schools that did not take radical steps…such as allowing the principal to pick the team of teachers or change the curriculum,” he added. According to Gates, the federal No Child Left Behind Act has shown Americans “how poorly we are doing overall.” And schools’ “successes and failures have underscored the need to aim high and embrace change in America’s schools.”
Charleston, South Carolina, School District To Interview Candidates In Massachusetts.
Massachusetts’ The Republican (1/28, McLaughlin) reports that the Charleston County School District “will be in Springfield, MA, Thursday and Friday to conduct interviews with approximately 10 candidates from the Springfield area who responded to advertising placed in The Republican over the past two weeks.” Charleston County “is looking for 50 math and science teachers, starting next fall, through an alternative certification route for teachers, but also expects to have openings for certified special education and middle school teachers including English teachers.” According to William C. Briggman, director of the Office of Teacher Employment for the Charleston County School District, the school system usually has “difficulty filling math and science positions, particularly math positions, because those who are qualified can make more money in industry.” The Republican notes that “math, science and special education are among the most sought-after teacher candidates for Springfield and other school districts across Western Massachusetts,” as well.
Utah’s Termination Procedures Act Defended Against Move To Repeal It.
The Salt Lake Tribune (1/28) editorializes, “The Utah Legislature should quit micro-managing public education. We’ve been critical of such tactics as strong-arming the State Office of Education to award contracts to certain companies and dictating curriculum decisions.” While the Tribune is “glad to see that Rep. Carl Wimmer (R-Herriman) is concerned…about school-district autonomy,” it is “skeptical when Wimmer says he has only the independence of local districts in mind as he proposes repealing the Utah Orderly School Termination Procedures Act.” That law “only requires districts to base dismissals on poor performance documented in at least two evaluations. It rightly allows teachers to defend themselves, but lets districts put suspensions in place immediately when students’ welfare is threatened.” The Tribune points out that it does advocate “tough evaluation systems for teachers and” would “like to see underachieving or unskilled teachers dismissed. But [it is] not sure repealing this act is the way to get these things done.”
Law & Policy
Stimulus Bill Would Include $150 Billion For Education.
The New York Times (1/28, A1, Dillon) reports on its front page, “The economic stimulus plan that Congress has scheduled for a vote on Wednesday would shower the nation’s school districts, child care centers and university campuses with $150 billion in new federal spending, a vast two-year investment that would more than double the Department of Education’s current budget.” ED Secretary Arne Duncan said, “This is going to avert literally hundreds of thousands of teacher layoffs.” The NEA’s Joel Packer said, “We’ve been arguing that the federal government hasn’t been living up to its commitments, but these increases go a substantial way toward meeting them.” The Times also cites a number of critics arguing against the increases.
Safety & Security
Survey Reveals That Ninety Percent Of Parents Feel Schools In Iowa District Are Safe.
The Sioux City (IA) Journal (1/27 Horlyk) reported that “a survey conducted by the Sioux City Community School District showed that 90 percent of parents felt their child’s school was safe.” The District received a total of 1,315 responses to the survey, which asked parents about “their views on schools, teachers and principals, and how effective the district was in teaching their children.” About 88.7 percent of respondents also gave Sioux City Community schools “a grade of A or B.”
School Finance
Loudoun County, Virginia, School Board Approves Freezing Teacher Salaries.
The Washington Post (1/28, B4, Birnbaum) reports, “The School Board in Loudoun County, where the recession might be having a greater effect on teachers’ wallets than in any other Washington area jurisdiction, late last night approved a budget of $747 million that would freeze teacher salaries.” In an effort to save $31 million, the school board voted on the spending plan, which “would omit cost-of-living and seniority raises.” Loudoun is often ranked “as one of the wealthiest counties in the United States,” the Post notes. “Teacher salaries range from $43,065 to $96,195.” This “would be the second straight year that Loudoun teachers have gone without a cost-of-living increase.”
California Teachers Association To Move Forward On Penny Sales Tax Initiative.
In a blog posting on the San Francisco Chronicle’s (1/27) website, John Wildermuth writes, “The California Teachers Association (CTA) will move forward with an initiative to boost the state sales tax by a penny to raise money for schools. Unless, of course, they don’t.” Last weekend, CTA officials voted “to move ahead with plans to circulate the initiative, which would raise $5 billion to $6 billion each year for schools.” The money “would have to be directed to the classroom for reducing class size, upgrading textbooks, restoring arts programs, hiring more counselors, librarians and support staff and, not surprisingly, boosting teacher pay.” But, Wildermouth points out that “the initiative hasn’t made it through the attorney general’s office for an official title and summary yet and isn’t likely to be approved to circulate until the end of February.” Furthermore, “the measure is being aimed for a November 2009 special election, a vote that as of today doesn’t exist and isn’t scheduled.”
Also in the News
High School Students Throughout Dallas Area Compete In Cook-Off.
The Dallas Morning News (1/28, Cantú) reports that “Chefs in the making from high schools across the Dallas area put their culinary skills to the test on Tuesday in Iron Chef style.” The students were given “two hours to whip up three dishes – a salad, chicken with vegetables and a dessert — using a whole chicken, a head of lettuce, pound cake and strawberries.” But after “the competition began, the two-member teams learned they also would be able to dip into a pantry that included potatoes, pasta, oils and seasonings, among other things, to complement their dishes.” The event was hosted by the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association at the Frisco Independent School District’s Career and Technical Education Center.