Indianapolis Schools By Patricia Hawke

Indianapolis Schools make up the state’s largest school district. Recently Indianapolis Schools have been the focus of a reform package designed to target struggling schools in the state. Due to its immense size, the superintendent has implemented strict reforms that can control and equalize the pacing of individual Indianapolis Schools. However, this most recent motion to tack on an extra 25 days at the end of the year has been met with opposition from all sides.

The Indianapolis Public Schools Teachers Union has expressed displeasure at this development. The extra school days would apply to only four Indianapolis Schools that are believed to be in jeopardy. The progress of each Indianapolis School has been tracked in accordance to the No Child Left Behind Act, which requires annual evidence of improvement. If no evidence is produced then, according to the act, the schools must be shut down. The progress of the four Indianapolis Schools did not reach necessary standards. In a last ditch attempt to save these schools the superintendent hastily produced an unpopular extension of the school year.

Teachers were informed that they would be required to work the extra days or transfer to different Indianapolis Schools. Because of the time constraints, many teachers feel that the situation was handled poorly and that the information dispensed too late. The extra days, scheduled to begin July 23, would sabotage many summer plans for the teachers in these Indianapolis Schools. Overall there is a general consensus that the situation had been poorly and thoughtlessly handled by the school boards.

This is not the first sweeping reform to target Indianapolis Schools. In the past, the superintendent has advocated standardized tests and restricted teaching methods. These programs were completed in keeping with the standards reform that continues to invade districts across the nation. Teachers in these Indianapolis Schools complied with both constraints and reforms in action if not enthusiasm.

But this most recent dictate has many teachers complaining loudly. The Indianapolis Public School Teachers Union has appealed their case to a state board. They hope that the ruling will favor elimination of the extra school days proposal. Indianapolis Schools may be struggling, but teachers feel that something should have been done sooner to reverse the pattern of failure. Teachers feel that time is running and have asked that their case be moved to top priority. A decision must be made before the start date of extra days begins on July 23.

Aside from the reaction of the teachers, Indianapolis Schools saw the effect this decision would have on students and parents. Since the extra days would benefit struggling students, parents were able to see the positive aspects of this initiative. Many parents viewed the extended school year as a small inconvenience in exchange for the survival of their Indianapolis Schools. Yet other working parents expressed relief at having somewhere structured for children to go over the summer. All sides agree that Indianapolis Schools need to address similar issues before they occur to prevent another similar fiasco.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=155219&ca=Education

Building New Orleans Schools From The Ground Up By Patricia Hawke

Even before Hurricane Katrina New Orleans Schools suffered from a lack of teachers, run down facilities and failure to meet state and national guidelines. Since the devastating storm those problems are compounded. As students and families trickle back into New Orleans Schools, those in leadership roles must provide all the necessities to educate the current 27,000 children, along with 100 more who are enrolled each week.

New Orleans Schools have a new leadership team in place to guide the way. Paul Pastorek was recently named Louisiana Schools Chief, and Paul Vallas will head the Recovery School District (RSD), which includes most schools previously run by the state board. Vallas, who has served as superintendent for both Philadelphia and Chicago Schools, appears very realistic about the troubles plaguing the New Orleans Schools. But he also claims that, “This will be the greatest experiment in choice, in charter, and in creating not only a school system, but also a system of schools.”

Vallas has said that the lack of usual limitations will create opportunities, but that the limited finances will remain challenging. New Orleans Schools currently have a mix of 58 public schools, charter schools and RSD schools open. 20 more New Orleans Schools are expected to open in fall of 2007. What will they look like?

Many hope that charter schools will continue to have a strong presence in the district. New Orleans Schools have 17 RSD authorized charter schools. There are also charter schools run under the local school board and 5 magnet schools. The world is watching to see how these choices are monitored and to determine their effectiveness. Many school reformers hail charters as the future of New Orleans Schools due to their combination of independence and accountability. Failing schools are simply closed.

Vallas and Pastorek recently attended an education summit hosted by the New Schools Venture Fund and the New Leaders for New Schools. The “two Pauls” outlined their plan for addressing issues like educator shortages and poor classroom space. Some of the proposals include initiating a “welcome school” to screen incoming children of New Orleans Schools for both academic and emotional needs. Post-Katrina teachers have seen a major increase in anxious and fearful children unable to concentrate on academic tasks.

The continued disruption and lack of routine in the lives of these children adds an emotional burden to the already understaffed and overburdened New Orleans Schools’ teachers. This leads to the problem of attracting teachers to this devastated and struggling area. Vallas plans to draw on the student-teacher populations to help prepare for the need. New Orleans Schools will need to hire 800 more teachers for the ’07-’08 school year.

New Leaders for New Schools, a principal training organization, has signed up to train 40 principals for New Orleans Schools by 2010. In spite of this outside help, the task is daunting and enormous. Vallas puts a positive spin on the challenge, “If we can create a dynamic school system here, that means it can be done any where, and there will no longer be any excuses for why it can’t be done.”

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=155557&ca=Education

Orlando Schools Prepare To Shape Up By Patricia Hawke

When students in Orlando Schools return to school this fall they should prepare to shape up. Physically speaking anyway. Florida Governor Charlie Crist just signed into law a new requirement for daily physical education (PE) classes for all kindergarten through 5th grade students. Historically Orlando Schools, and all its Florida counterparts, have allowed local governing agencies to set PE requirements. But new governor Crist thinks it is time for a change.

Prompting his action are numerous reports pointing to the increase in obesity and obesity related diseases in children nationwide. A 2003 task force found that millions of American children are at risk for juvenile diabetes, which is often caused by obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Add to that these shocking statistics: the percentage of overweight children has tripled since 1980, while the number of schools requiring daily PE classes has dropped from 42% to 28%.

Orlando Schools, which are part of the Orange County District, will need to make some significant changes to meet the new requirements. While Orlando Schools have shown some improvements on statewide test scores, much of that success is attributed to the additional time devoted to intensive math and reading instruction. A recent inquiry of 100 Orange County Schools found that 4 had replaced PE time with academic instruction in math and reading. This has some teachers in Orlando Schools scratching their heads as to where this “extra” PE time is going to come from.

The new mandate will require Orlando Schools to provide 2 ½ hours of PE weekly to K-5 students. It “encourages” 3 ¾ hours per week for both middle and high school students. If Governor Crist has his way daily gym classes will be required for all K-12 students by 2012. Some pretty specific things need to happen for Orlando Schools to comply with these requirements.

First of all, Orlando Schools will need to hire more teachers. Teacher requirements have been raised, making the pool smaller than ever. On the plus side, sunny Orlando Schools lure some well-educated transfers from colder climes, so it’s unlikely that finding teachers will be a major issue. The second issue of when Orlando Schools will teach PE is a stickier point. There are no more hours in the school day, so the time that Orlando Schools devote to PE will have to come from somewhere else. Many educators fear that the already dwindling time devoted to art and music will suffer. Others fear that academic advances in math and reading are bound to decline. Still others point to the non-tested areas of science and social studies as the most likely losers.

Even with all these concerns, no one really seems to oppose the idea of increasing physical fitness for the children in Orlando Schools. On the contrary, many teachers and principals applaud the ability to finally let children use their energy in productive and healthy ways. Childhood development research has long supported the fact that physical fitness and good health help students in all other academic and social areas. Orlando Schools just need to figure out the best ways to make that happen.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=156197&ca=Education

Miami Schools By Patricia Hawke

Ah, beautiful Miami! Sun, sand, and palm trees. It’s also the town of opportunities for most students in Kindergarten all the way up to 12th grade who attend Miami Schools. Magnet programs are abundant, and surrounding communities like Coral Gables and Aventura teem with innovative and exciting schools. Of course, Miami Schools also have their fair share of problems, as well. Budget concerns and dropout rates continue to burden the district.

One of Miami Schools’ success stories is Coral Gables. The town has a highly respected magnet program, which resides at Coral Gables High School. It received a Magnet School of Distinction Award at the 24th Annual Magnet Schools of America Conference in Omaha, Nebraska.

Also on the horizon for Miami Schools is a new International Studies Magnet High School, which will open near Coral Gables High School. It will offer intensive study in foreign languages and culture. Seven hundred of Miami Schools’ students will spend half of each day learning the history and cultures of Europe entirely in a foreign language. It will be the first and only high school of its kind in the country! The curriculum will be based on the successful international education programs already in place at Miami Schools like Carver Elementary, Sunset Elementary, and Ponce de Leon Middle School, all of which teach French, German, and Spanish. Not only are students immersed in a foreign language, they are instructed in a foreign culture; just as other students in France, Germany, or Spain would be. English isn’t spoken at all during the foreign language part of the day. It’s as if schools from those countries have been scooped up and set back down into the Miami Schools’ district of Miami-Dade. The goal of the program is to produce students who are proficient in a foreign language.

Another success story for Miami Schools, at least so far, is the new ACES charter school, located in Aventura. The school’s student body population began at 425. The city also has constructed a 300-seat middle school expansion of ACES. The charter school is managed under contract by Charter Schools USA. ACES boasts gifted teachers at each grade level, personalized assessment and objectives, a character building curriculum, four computers installed in every classroom, a full-time ESOL teacher, a science lab, and specialty classes not only in music, art, P.E., and media, but in computers, Spanish, and science.

It’s not all roses for Miami Schools, however. 40 percent of students don’t graduate from high school. An influx of younger families over the past ten years requires more classrooms to serve the new large-scale residential projects that are popping up. Rising housing prices in the Miami Schools area force many young families to move into older condos. This triggers a demographic shift and effects what each school system receives from property taxes.
Also, the statewide classroom reduction amendment, passed by voters in 2002 has become a challenge for Miami Schools' administrators, as they must rely more and more on portable classrooms. Miami Schools face many challenges, yet are still able to create and maintain some exciting and innovation school choices.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=155231&ca=Education

Can Teacher Training Help Memphis Schools? By Patricia Hawke

In the state of Tennessee Memphis Schools are lagging behind. With 80-81% of Tennessee’s 4th grade students performing on grade level in both math and reading, the children in Memphis Schools are well behind in the 63-66% range. Dropout rates also plague Tennessee’s largest district. 32.5% of students will drop out of Memphis Schools before graduating.

When the “No Child Left Behind Act” (NCLBA) was signed into law in 2002, every school in the nation became accountable for reaching a minimal level of competency. In 2004 the Tennessee Department of Education labeled 148 of Memphis Schools failures by those standards.

To address these concerns Memphis Schools have focused on math and literacy initiatives, adoptions of new textbooks, and better teacher training. In Memphis Schools, where 71% of students qualify for free or reduced lunches, the impact of teacher development in raising test scores is critical. How much influence teachers have on student achievement, and the quality of those professionals working in struggling schools, has been a topic of debate in Memphis Schools for years.

A recent $10 million federal grant with the Peabody Center for Education Policy may help clarify some of these issues. Memphis Schools could eventually benefit, or change course, depending on the finding of trials to be funded by the grant. The five-year grant will investigate the correlation between significantly increased teacher pay and student achievement. That means a difference of several thousand versus several hundred dollars per year.

How well do Memphis Schools pay their teachers? Well, that depends. When adjusted for cost of living Memphis Schools look pretty good. Scholastic’s Instructor Magazine recently put Memphis Schools in their Top 5 list for cities where teacher pay goes the furthest. The thing is, no one is really sure how important that is. What will it mean for Memphis Schools if the grant finds little correlation between teacher pay and student achievement? It could mean teachers just aren’t motivated by money. It might mean that home environment trumps schools environment. Or it could mean something else all together.

Meanwhile, Memphis Schools are trying to improve their standing by creating better community involvement and reassessing educational goals and outcomes. Ultimately, educators and administrator make daily decisions without full knowledge of areas like teachers incentives. Maybe more studies like this one will start to bridge the gap between what we think and what we know about education in Memphis Schools and in general.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=155229&ca=Education

Las Vegas Schools Thirsting For More Funding By Patricia Hawke

Families who are considering a move to Las Vegas in order to be closer to all that fun may need to think twice before doing so. The entire state is suffering a drought on educational funding, and Las Vegas Schools are no exception.

Despite a recent Review-Journal poll that had 25 percent of respondents saying that education should be the top priority for the Nevada Legislature, Governor Jim Gibbons, is instead pushing for improved traffic congestion.

Among the many issues voters are concerned over, class-size, per-pupil spending, and all-day kindergarten are tops. Las Vegas Schools, along with the other districts statewide, have the nation’s lowest per-pupil expenditure, highest-class sizes, and a pressing shortage of teachers.

Speaker of the Assembly, Barbara Buckley refuses to blame the lower tax revenue the state is experiencing on a slower housing market. “Mediocrity in education funding guarantees mediocrity,” she says. Buckley says that educational issues were put last in the budget. Senator Dina Titus disagrees by stating that “When the state has to make up the hole for property taxes at the local level, that doesn’t leave a lot for education and that’s unfortunate.” This doesn’t seem to make sense, in light of the fact that Las Vegas schools are in the fastest-growing district in the nation, and they aren’t getting any financial help on the local level to improve conditions.

State law does require lawmakers to make up for lost money when the tax revenue goes down, but then the state finds itself burning the candle at both ends. So where is the revenue from this “fastest-growing district in the nation” going? It doesn’t seem to be going towards Las Vegas schools.

Improvements that education proponents are looking at for Las Vegas Schools, like all day kindergarten which is seen by most as highly beneficial to students, will likely die at the Legislative level, because of funding issues. Las Vegas schools are hard hit by all of this. Gov. Gibbons even said in his State of the State address that putting off all-day kindergarten was the “fiscally responsible thing to do.” Then he went on to add that money had been found in the budget to work on the state’s roadways.

One solution that Las Vegas Schools Superintendent Walt Ruffles has implemented is year-round schools. Nine elementary schools are scheduled to begin the year-round calendar this August. While there is no evidence that students perform better in a traditional 9-month schedule as opposed to the year-round calendar, parents aren’t convinced. District officials also say the Las Vegas Schools cannot afford any more portable classrooms, and the switch to the year-round calendar will allow Las Vegas schools to house more students.

The Nevada State Education Association is considering a plan to go to the voters to solve the funding crisis: it could lobby the Legislature to put the measure on a statewide ballot, or it could collect signatures to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. However, it’s a risky strategy that has failed in 2004. Overall, the communities around Las Vegas schools are supportive of teachers, but don’t think that the Las Vegas schools are very good. Getting the ballot passed could be difficult, unless a standard of excellence for the schools is attached to it.

Las Vegas Schools could be great, if only the politicos in Carson City would get their heads out of the asphalt and into the classrooms.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=155224&ca=Education

Detroit Schools Fight To Stay Open By Patricia Hawke

Detroit Schools battle the classic struggles of a major city: high teacher turnover, high dropout rates, low test scores, and on-going violence. For some of Detroit Schools, however, all these problems may soon disappear. 34 Detroit Schools are slated to close by fall of 2007. Problems such as deteriorating buildings, failing test scores, and shifting populations compelled board members of Detroit Schools to recommend the closing of such facilities.

Apparently, some of the students like school a bit more than they had let on. Several hundred students from Northern High School and Murray Wright High School arranged protests and rallied the Detroit Schools at the District Office. Another organized protest at Northern ended in 2 arrests, and several students being pepper-sprayed or detained. But it worked. The Boards Human Resources Committee turned over a recommendation to take both schools off the list along with Mackensie High School and Higgins Elementary School.

Parents of Higgins Elementary students kept their children out of school last week to protest the closing. Now everyone waits. The Board of Education will vote whether to take those schools off the list permanently, or let the ax fall. School closings cause controversy because the schools effected tend to be in poorer areas. Detroit Schools face the decision of whether to pour more money into these old buildings and failing schools, or to force children into other schools that might be further from their homes.

Even if these Detroit Schools are allowed to keep their doors open, they face an uphill battle. Detroit Schools are trying to stomp out the culture of violence that has given them such a bad name. Unfortunately, that isn’t proving easy. Recently two 17-year-old boys were killed outside Henry Ford High School in an incident attributed to a gang clash.

The two boys are students in Detroit Schools. Both used to attend Ford, and one is currently at Mackensie High. One boy was shot in the face and the other received a superficial wound.

Where are the answers? Voters in Detroit Schools apparently believe that money is not the answer. Frustrated board member have seen bond after bond voted down for items like roof repairs, better technology and athletic fields. Many blame the overall economy for the refusal of voters to dish out more funding Detroit Schools.

Detroit Schools have turned to polling companies to help them assess how much in funding they can ask for, and what segment of the population to target for it. Yet critical items like boilers and crumbling buildings get left out in the cold if the equation is not exact. Detroit Schools are likely to see many more closings in the future is administrators and voters can’t come to some consensus.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=154599&ca=Education

How Will Does The Year Round Calendar Affect Raleigh Schools? By Patricia Hawke

Raleigh Schools, in the Wake County district of North Carolina, have been praised for doing a lot of things right. This is especially true in the area of diversity. In 2000 the Raleigh Schools’ goal has been to limit the number of students receiving reduced lunches to 40% per school. Many studies have shown that large amounts of poverty negatively affect all students, and Raleigh Schools were praised for this racially blind method of ensuring diversity. Organizations as diverse as the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, the Bush administration and many educational organizations commended the move.

That’s not to stay that Raleigh Schools have not had some struggles. 30 of the 143 Raleigh Schools currently exceed the 40% goal. Still, most board members and educators have been pleased with the results. Another initiative, which has garnered both praise and criticism, may put the diversity gains of Raleigh Schools at risk.

Back in 1989 Raleigh Schools first implemented voluntary year round schools. Year round schools make better use of facilities, and help students retain more knowledge by giving many shorter 3-week breaks as opposed to the traditional summer vacation. Mainly affluent families signed up for those voluntary schools, as childcare is hard to come by during those 3-week breaks for financially strapped working families. The Raleigh Schools’ Board responded by assigning specific neighborhoods to each year round school, and involuntarily assigning children to schools. Here’s the problem.

Some parents don’t want their children bussed to schools on the year round calendar, in neighborhoods where they were not comfortable socially, or that were too far from their homes. Recently, those parents of Raleigh Schools won a court ruling that requires parental consent to send children to year round and modified calendar schools. While parents may see this as a win, civil rights advocates and Raleigh Schools’ educators in favor of diversity are very concerned.

African American community leaders, including Raleigh School Board vice chairman Rosa Gill, are urging parents to consent to keep their children in the year round school to strengthen both diversity and academic strength. Many of the children opting out of the year round school option do so because their parents say that they don’t fit into that more affluent environment. On the reverse side, some better-off families want to opt out in order to attend traditional or more desirable schools as well. Either scenario threatens the balance of diversity for which Raleigh Schools have received great acclaim.

Do parents know what’s best, or are they unintentionally contributing to academic struggles at Raleigh Schools? The court has ruled, and the nation will watch Raleigh Schools closely for the outcome.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=156454&ca=Education

Kansas City Schools By Patricia Hawke

Kansas City Schools have undergone many changes in the past five years. The resignation of the superintendent for embezzlement of funds in 2002 highlighted the district’s need for change. Since then, Kansas City Schools have experienced reforms and new initiatives that are credited with giving the district some of the lowest dropout rates in the country. Kansas City Schools are still struggling and in a bit of turmoil, but they are making good progress in their efforts to get back into the game.

Kansas City Schools have composed their own list of reforms unique to the state of Missouri. One example is the Show-Me Standard, a group of goals designed to make students more independent thinkers and workers. Emphasis is put on the importance of community involvement and initiatives that promote a practical approach to life after high school. The Show-Me Standard pushes Kansas City Schools to produce evidence of achievement in the areas of concern.

While depending on district officials to legislate pertinent initiatives, Kansas City Schools also adhere to nation wide reforms, such as the No Child Left Behind Act. Written in an effort to bridge the gap between the advancement of all students, the reform has affected Kansas City Schools positively. There has been a marked change in the cohesiveness of lesson plans and teaching methods in the Kansas City Schools. Teachers are more unified in the material that they present to their students. With a total of 69 elementary, middle and high schools in this large area, there is a real concern that education be equally represented to each individual.

The district officials governing Kansas City Schools are increasingly concerned with how monetary funds are designated for school improvement. After the scandalous dismissal of the last superintendent, parents hesitate to put faith in the system. The various initiatives of public schools since then exhibit caution and meticulous concern for student funding. There have been studies probing the efficiency of reforms before money is invested in district wide approval of projects.

A study conducted to research the impact media center services would have on elementary educational success found that school libraries significantly improve student grades. This resulted in a plan to improve Kansas City Schools’ library system. Significant academic improvement has also been shown in students who received guidance counseling services. In the study, Kansas City School counselors worked with teachers to prepare lesson plans dealing with social issues. Topics covered in the guidance lesson plans included confrontational and peer pressure situations. More than anything, it is this preparation for real world situations and practical experience that Kansas City Schools hope will propel their reform movement ahead.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=155220&ca=Education

Nashville Schools Try To Attract Top Teachers By Patricia Hawke

What does it take to catch a teacher? Nashville Schools and surrounding districts are trying to answer that question. Incentives including pay increases, job fairs, full time recruiters and on-site child care have been implemented as recruiters and administrators try to lure good teachers to Nashville Schools. The Metro district increased starting salaries by $2,000 for the ’06-’07 school year. Did it help? Only 8 positions were left unfilled at year’s end, but the reason for that is still unclear.

Even so, the year end scramble to fill the slots for next year has already started for most Nashville Schools. Why? 500-600 teachers retire from Nashville Schools on a yearly basis. Others leave for better paying jobs, are let go, or don’t meet the license requirements of the federally mandated No Child Left Behind Act. This can mean that students in Nashville Schools face overcrowded classrooms, or are bounced from teacher to teacher as class sizes are balanced.

How big is this problem? 50% of teachers hired in Tennessee in 2002 had left teaching by 2006. Not their jobs, the teaching profession. How does this directly impact Nashville Schools? The scramble for teachers is largely impacted by the attractiveness of the incentives and the atmosphere. So adjacent districts to Nashville Schools are all competing for the same small pool of qualified teachers

Wilson County has offered on-site child-care to its teachers for years. Yet that option has failed in other districts. Higher teacher pay in Nashville Schools may not look as good as a job in Cheatham County. This Nashville neighbor only employs 500 teachers, but rarely has a position unfilled in the fall. Now that is a position that Nashville Schools would love. Other local systems start with 40-50 openings. So what do teachers have to say?

The Tennessean Newspaper’s Website is filled with blogs by teachers, former teachers, and many hoping to become former teachers in Nashville Schools. One unidentified Nashville Schools’ resident recently said, “Higher starting salaries are a lure but the salary scale has been so compressed that there is no future in teaching. A senior teacher with 25 years experience would make no more money than when she started when adjusted for cost-of living. Many, many alternatives offer higher pay, greater potential and a less demeaning work environment. Teaching is no longer a profession, it’s just a job, and not a good one at that.”

So Nashville Schools must figure out how to lure good teachers, and keep them. In a political climate dictated by testing, reforms, and rising standards, it might be time some attention was focused on exactly what teacher’s want and how to give it to them.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=155556&ca=Education

Closure Certain For Minneapolis Schools By Patricia Hawke

In a decision process that began in the spring district officials have decided to close seven Minneapolis Schools at the end of the current school year. The debate was an emotional one in which school officials claimed too few students and too many unused classrooms made the move necessary. Current enrollment in Minneapolis Schools is around 36,000, while classroom space exists to accommodate up to 50,000 students. This has led to the situation at Minneapolis Schools like Holland Community School. The north side elementary only enrolled 190 children in kindergarten through fifth grade during the 2006-2007 school year.

Operation Chief for Minneapolis Schools, Steve Liss, has stated that the north side of the district has lost 50% of its students in recent years. Overall enrollment in Minneapolis Schools has declined by 3,000 students in the last two years. But is this decision a necessity? Or is it partially driven by socioeconomic factors?

Community activist Al Flowers fought against the proposed closing because he claimed that his African American community was targeted, and that other parent groups had successfully lobbied against closings in more affluent Minneapolis Schools. Socio-economic factors, like parents who must work outside the home and can’t afford supplement enrichment, have factored into educational debates for decades.

Although sadness pervades many affected by the school closings, many seem to be resigned to the decision, and view it as best for the children. Losing the neighborhood feel and bussing children to other Minneapolis Schools creates anxiety for students, parents and teachers. Principals and teachers face different year-end assessments than usual. Typically this is the time of year that Minneapolis Schools reassess their student improvement plan and make changes for the upcoming year. Instead, educators in the closing schools will close out the current plans and move on to a new assignment and venue.

The Minneapolis Schools slated for closing are all on the north side of the city. Some will be combined while others will be re-organized into different grades. What will become of the empty buildings? That is still up in the air. Superintendent of Minneapolis Schools Thandiwe Peebles has no interest in selling the structures, but great ideas of how they could still help the struggling district. Possible suggestions include using the space for community centers or leasing it out to local colleges. Either use could provide benefits to Minneapolis Schools and its student population.

While the numbers of declining enrollment in Minneapolis Schools are shocking, the trend is a national one. School choice, urban flight, meager funding and natural decline of structures combine to put this issue at the forefront of the educational debate. With a presidential election on the horizon residents in the Minneapolis Schools’ district and around the nation will watch closely to see what results from decisions like this one.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=155552&ca=Education

Milwaukee Schools: Something To Talk About By Patricia Hawke

The Milwaukee Schools’ District is the largest public school district in Wisconsin; it has 207 schools, 6,055 teachers, and 90,925 students. Hot topics in the district are voucher programs, Chinese Language education, and WiMAX, a free broadband internet access for all students and staff.

WiMAX, an emerging wireless broadband technology, is a tool that Milwaukee School officials are hoping to install in the homes of all students and staff members. This technology can reportedly broadcast a signal for miles without needing a clear line of sight. If Milwaukee Schools are successful, they will be one of the first school systems in the nation to use this technology. The pilot program will cover approximately five square miles and is scheduled to be up and running by August 2007. James Davis, Milwaukee Schools’ director of technology, has said he views WiMAX as the way to provide internet access to students whose families are too poor to even afford a phone line. Davis recently told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that “without this kind of initiative, these students will fall further behind in competition for college entry and the work force, [which] will increase the digital divide.”

A very exciting new school will be opening in the Milwaukee School District…a Chinese School! There are already at least a dozen such programs in place throughout Wisconsin. Approximately 130 students have signed up so far to attend the “Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language”. James Sayavong, who started this new school, said that he expects to see 200 students enrolled by the fall. To date, many of the school’s students are from the surrounding neighborhood, which is generally African American and low income. Sayavong said that he wants Milwaukee Schools’ children to learn more about one of the United States’ largest trading partners. He believes this will give them an edge later in their careers. Of particular interest, a 2006 Department of Education news release stated that more than 200 million of children in China were studying English, but only around 24,000 of U.S. students were studying Chinese.

One way that the Milwaukee School District is battling to educate low-income, minority students are voucher schools. However, the voucher schools look and feel surprisingly like other Milwaukee Schools. While the program has brought some “fresh energy” to the mission of educating low-income youth, about 10% of the choice (voucher) schools exhibit alarming deficiencies. There’s a lot of taxpayer money going into religiously affiliated Milwaukee Schools. About 70% of students enrolled in the voucher programs attend a religious school. The collapse of four schools and the state’s limited ability to take action against other “alarming” schools has led to some agreement for the need for increased oversight. While the voucher program has both its champions and its detractors, the Milwaukee Schools seem have a lot of work to do to make the voucher program a success.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=155545&ca=Education

Will Grading Principal Improve Pittsburgh Schools? By Patricia Hawke

Pittsburgh Schools have not shown significant improvement as measured by the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) assessment. Due to the district’s inability to show improvements mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act for 4 consecutive years, Pittsburgh Schools were required to make significant changes in the 2006-2007 school year. Those changes included closing 22 schools, opening accelerated learning academies, and adding more k-8 schools.

Superintendent Mark Roosevelt felt the “slow improvement” of Pittsburgh Schools also required some other big changes, starting at the top. Pittsburgh Schools will institute a district wide administrator training and management plan called the Pittsburgh Urban Leadership System for Excellence (PULSE). PULSE will require greater support for new principals, enhanced training for potential administrators, and tougher standards on principal evaluations. But the most notable component is the plan to eliminate annual step increases, and institute a pay for performance plan, for all Pittsburgh Schools’ principals.

Pittsburgh Schools applied for an $8.9 million federal grant to fund the program, and anticipate a response in June of this year. If the grant is approved, the traditional step increases Pittsburgh Principals are used to will be replaced by a $2000 increase in base pay. That would be tied to progress in meeting 28 performance-based goals. The other part of the incentive would include bonuses of up to $10,000 for demonstrated academic growth among students. This would position Pittsburgh Schools’ principals to make much more than with the step increase system.

Pittsburgh Schools initiated the pay for performance plan last year with the principals of the eight new accelerated learning academies. However, it is too soon to tell how much the students have benefited in that short period of time. Pittsburgh Schools have shown very small, very slow, improvement in meeting the AYP targets. Overall advances of 3% in 5th grade math and a record 9% in 8th grade reading do little to put Pittsburgh Schools where they need to be.

Is the pay for performance plan the answer? A rating scale using “rudimentary”, “emerging”, “proficient” and “accomplished” will be used in areas of academics, community relations and academic success. Pittsburgh Schools is one of many urban districts to grapple with the issues of meeting rising academic standards. The question of offering both administrators and teachers merit pay has bee a hot topic between unions and academic observers for decades. While the issue of bonus pay for performance has not often been used with Pittsburgh Schools’ teachers, if it is successful with the principals, teachers may not be far behind.

Will it work? Opponents have suggested that the academic world operates differently than the corporate one, and that incentives won’t work. Others insist that the lack of performance-based pay is one of the biggest problems with Pittsburgh Schools and public education as a whole. Stay tuned. Grading principals may be the most notable reform Pittsburgh Schools institute this year.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=156449&ca=Education

The Long And Short Of Long Island Schools By Patricia Hawke

Want to know more about Long Island Schools? Long Island Schools consist of 125 public school districts, 416,093 students and 29,901 teachers. About 88.4 percent of high school students on Long Island go on to enter post-secondary education.

The biggest issue as a whole for Long Island Schools is determining the budget. A recent challenge to the state school funding system, by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, led the New York State Court of Appeals to require the state to adopt a special funding plan to make sure that all students are given access to a proper high school education within the public school system. The Court appears to be in conflict with Governor Pataki, who is trying to push through a $400 million voucher plan. Under this proposal, parents of 1.8 million school children throughout the state would be eligible for the new credit. State aid has increased 65 percent since 1995. Pataki believes that this education tax credit will give parents new resources and flexibility to meet the educational needs of their children, including the students of Long Island Schools.

Pataki has many detractors, who don’t feel that vouchers are the way to go. Danny Donohue, president of the Civil Service Employees Association says that public schools still have too many unmet needs to spend $400 million on a voucher plan. Timothy G. Kremer, executive director of the NYS School Boards Association, says that the tax break is “a $400 million gift from taxpayers to families who don’t need it.”

“The NYS PTA believes that every child deserves equal access to the same outcome, that is, an excellent education,” Donohue adds, “That means using our government’s resources to close gaps, not create them; to raise student achievement of all and not just for some; and to prepare students for a democratic society for which public schools remain the best forum.”

How does all of this impact Long Island Schools as a whole? All the Long Island Schools reap benefits from additional funding, so help from the state would not be unwelcome. However, what each of the Long Island Schools spends their money on and what they need money for varies greatly.

In the Baldwin District of Long Island Schools, taxpayers are actually getting a break, after representatives netted an additional $23.6 million in state aid. Since this district’s budget didn’t change this year, the extra state aid the district received lowers the amount that homeowners have to pay.

Not every district in Long Island Schools is mired down in a budget quagmire. Consider these Long Island Schools. East Rockaway’s High School class of 2006 had one of the highest Regents diploma rates ever (91%), and 96% of students went on to college. The dropout rate at the school is ZERO, and students excel not only academically but in drama, music, and sports as well.

Also seeing fantastic success within Long Island Schools is the Lynbrook School District. They have scored consistently high grades on the NY State Assessment tests: 100% of fifth graders passed the 2006 social studies exam. Nearly 90% of this Long Island Schools’ middle school students passed the English Language Arts test. Last year, just like the seniors at East Rockaway, 96% of Lynbrook High School seniors went to college. The district’s diverse academic programs have won many awards, and its Long Island Schools’ athletic teams continue to excel.

In short, Long Island Schools have a lot to offer students and their families. Concern and involvement from families, community and political leaders over budget spending, and an impressive roster of successful schools are the tip of the iceberg in this area of our nation.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=155226&ca=Education