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Federal Update 08.27.07
Lawsuit in Washington State Over School Spending Are We Failing Our Geniuses?” Lawsuit Filed Against the U.S. Department of Education Plans to Unionize Chicago Charter Schools A New Pilot Program Allows Teachers to Develop Tests Merit Pay Gains Support from Some Union Leaders 2007 ACT Scores Released Teacher Strikes in Pennsylvania Plans for Universal Preschool in Virginia Scaled Back
Lawsuit in Washington State Over School Spending
The Network for Excellence in Washington Schools (NEWS), a coalition of teachers, parents and community groups in Washington, has filed a lawsuit against the state over the issue of school funding. The case will be heard in the King County Superior Court on August 24 where NEWS will argue that the state is not providing enough funds for public education. It has been stated by NEWS that the state is breaking the law by not “going far enough to establish a stable, long-term, equitable funding model.” “We’re reminding everyone the constitution is clear. It doesn’t say ‘a’ paramount duty. It says ‘the,’ ” stated James Kelly, president of the Seattle Urban League, a member of NEWS.
Currently 84.3 percent of the funds used for public education in Washington State come from sales, business and state property taxes. The state also helps communities with school construction by matching local bond money. The remainder of the funds come from local levies and money from the federal government, most of which is appropriated for special needs children. NEWS would like to see the legislature pay 100 percent of the funds required for Washington public schools. The group believes that the current model places unfair burdens on local communities, creates inequity between districts with varying resources, and causes uncertainty as state funding levels fluctuate.
In response to the lawsuit, Bill Clark, assistant state attorney general, has stated, “The other side wants to expand the constitutional obligations of the state, and we don’t think that’s appropriate.” For more information about the lawsuit please click the link to read an article titled, “State Spends too Little on Schools, Lawsuit Argues,” found in the Seattle Times.
“Are We Failing Our Geniuses?”
Time magazine has recently published an article titled, “Are We Failing Our Geniuses,” that explores the education of gifted students. Time author John Cloud investigates the different problems gifted students face in the U.S. academically and socially. The article profiles a sampling of gifted students and one school in Nevada.
One of the most prevalent problems associated with education for gifted students, according to Cloud, is the lack of funds and understanding of what gifted students need to succeed. When it comes to funding in schools the emphasis is often times not on programs for the gifted. Schools in the U.S. spend more than $8 billion a year on special education but only $800 million on gifted programs. To help challenge gifted students in school Cloud advocates for allowing them to skip grades. Allowing students to skip grades is not, however, allowed by all school districts. It is stated in the article, “Research shows that it [skipping grades] works well both academically and socially for gifted students—and that holding them back can lead to isolation and underachievement.”
One school that has been founded with the explicit purpose to help gifted students succeed academically and socially is the Davidson Academy of Nevada. This school was founded by Janice and Robert Davidson as a public tuition-free school. At the Davidson Academy there are no grades. Instead there are three tracks: core, college prep, and college prep with research. The students have individualized curriculums and move at their own pace. According to the article one of the main reasons the Davidson’s founded the school was to “provide a nurturing social setting for the highly gifted.” Abraham Tannenbaum, an education professor at Columbia, has written, “Giftedness requires social context that enables it. Like a muscle, raw intelligence can’t build if it’s not exercised.”
Click here to read the Time article in its entirety.
Lawsuit Filed Against the U.S. Department of Education
On August 21, the lawsuit Renee v. Spellings, was filed in the U.S. District Court of San Francisco by a group of California parents, students, and community groups over the “highly qualified” requirements for teachers under No Child Left Behind. One regulation set by the U.S. Department of Education allows teachers who seek alternative- route programs to teach for up to three years while they seek certification. These teachers are designated as “highly qualified” during this time which has caused concern for some individuals in California.
Therefore, the plaintiffs in the case are bringing the lawsuit against the department in hopes of having this regulation declared void. “My son’s 1st grade teacher is still taking classes necessary to obtain her full teaching credential. I think it’s wrong that she is called highly qualified. I feel like I am being lied to,” stated Maribel Heredia, a parent in Hayward, CA, and one of the plaintiffs.
“Consistent with the department’s practice, we are not able to comment on a complaint that has not been served, but we will, of course, review it closely when we do receive it,” stated Samara Yudof, the acting press secretary for the Education Department. For more information about the lawsuit please read the article, “Hayward Students Sue Over Teacher Quality.”
Plans to Unionize Chicago Charter Schools
Marilyn Stewart, the president of the Chicago Teacher Union, is considering plans to unionize charter school teachers in Chicago. There are 30 charter schools in Chicago. Charter schools have already been unionized in major cities such as Los Angeles and New York. Stewart stated that, “she hopes the teacher’s union and city can reach a contract agreement next week.” Click here for more information about charter schools in Chicago.
A New Pilot Program Allows Teachers to Develop Tests
Recently, the U.S. Department of Education has awarded a $1.3 million, 18-month grant to a coalition of organizations and ten states to improve academic assessments. The states participating in the pilot program are: Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Virginia. Teachers in roughly 30 pilot schools in these states will work this summer to create formative assessments. Participants in the program will be using materials from the Educational Testing Service, a partner in the coalition, as a base but will develop their own assessments to complement learning that is happening in their own classrooms.
“Definitions of formative assessment vary, but “it’s basically a way to assess your students during instruction so you can adjust your instruction to change your achievement outcomes,” said Don Long, the director of assessment at the Washington-based Council of Chief State-School Officers.
“Our main objective is to help states improve the quality and reliability of academic assessments and accurately measure student achievement. Providing information to help students do what they need to succeed ─ that’s our aim here with these grants,” stated Rebecca Neale, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Education.
For more information about the pilot program please read the following Education Week article titled, “10-State Pilot Preparing Teachers to Develop Tests.”
Merit Pay Gains Support from Some Union Leaders
The idea of compensation systems for teachers has been gaining attention in school districts across the country. In response to this, Rob Weil, the American Federation of Teachers’ deputy director of educational issues, has announced that he will help local unions with contracts that include merit-pay plans if that is the wish of the local. Weil has stated, “teacher compensation has to be bargained locally and should make good professional development available to increase the chances that teachers will raise students’ achievement.”
One school district that is currently working on a new teacher compensation plan is in Austin, TX. “They don’t make enough money, especially the good ones- especially the great ones,” stated Louis Malfaro, the teachers’ union president in Austin. Austin’s compensation plan will be modeled after Denver’s compensation plan where teachers’ salaries are linked to test scores as well as other measures. Under the plan teachers and principals will work together to set goals and all teachers will be rewarded for school-wide gains.
Jim Guthrie, a Vanderbilt University education professor, strongly believes in teacher involvement when developing a compensation plan. “I just put myself in their shoes. All of a sudden you are going to change all the rules and you’re not going to talk to me?” For more information about teacher compensation plans please read the USA Today article titled, “Educators Consider Merit Pay Plans.”
The ACT scores for the class of 2007 were recently released. A record number, 1.3 million, took the test this year and the average score rose slightly from 21.1 last year to 21.2 this year. Increases were seen in the four tested subject areas: English, mathematics, reading and science.
In response to the ACT scores, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings stated, “While scores have improved in all four required subject-area tests, more than half of all test-takers still fell short of the college-readiness benchmarks. This is unacceptable when 90 percent of the fastest-growing jobs require at least some postsecondary education.”
The college-readiness bench mark is the minimum score set by ACT in all four subject areas that indicates that the student has a 75 percent chance of receiving a C or better in a beginning-level college class. This year the percentage of students who met the college-readiness bench increased from 21 percent last year to 23 percent this year. Only 43 percent and 28 percent of students met the rmath and science college-readiness benchmarks, respectively.
“We still have a serious problem in terms of college readiness,” stated Richard L. Ferguson, the chief executive officer of ACT Inc. “While ACT believes that students taking the core curriculum should be adequately prepared for college, unfortunately that doesn’t appear to be the case, especially in math and science.” SAT scores have not been published yet but are due to be released on Aug. 28. For more information about the 2007 ACT scores please go to ACT’s website.
Teacher Strikes in Pennsylvania
The Allegheny Institute for Public Policy, a Pittsburgh area think tank that focuses on free-market solutions for local governments, has released a report titled, “Pennsylvania Teachers: Number One in Strikes.” From 2000-2007 there were 82 strikes by public school teachers in Pennsylvania which equates to 60 percent of the nation’s strikes. Only 13 states allow teacher strikes.
To reduce the number of teacher strikes in Pennsylvania, the Allegheny Institute recommends that every day a teacher strikes two days wages and benefits should be garnished.
For more information about the Allegheny Institute’s report please read the following article, “Toll of teacher strikes.” Click here to read the report in its entirety.
Plans for Universal Preschool in Virginia Scaled Back
During his 2005 campaign for governor in Virginia, Timothy M. Kaine (D) proposed the idea of having the state pay for preschool for all children, regardless of the parent’s income. This past week, however, Gov. Kaine had to scale back his proposal due to a tight state budget. The program would have cost $300 million a year, which lawmakers felt was not be feasible at a time when the state is facing a possible budget shortage of close to $500 million due to a weakening housing market in addition to mandated increases in public school spending and Medicaid.
“I am not opposed to the concept of what he may be trying to do, but the timing is as bad as it could be,” said state Senator Kenneth Thomas Cuccinelli II (R-Fairfax County). Kaine’s revised proposal calls for the state to extend free preschool to four-year-olds who receive reduced-price lunches. With this proposal, an additional 17,000 four- year-olds would be eligible for free preschool and the cost would be reduced to $75 million a year. Kaine’s program will also evaluate all preschool programs ─public, private or religious─and the ones that met certain standards would receive state funding to help low-income children.
The General Assembly will consider this proposal in January when they reconvene. According to the Washington-based organization, Pre-K Now, three states have universal pre-kindergarten programs-Florida, Oklahoma, and Georgia, but thirty-eight states have state-funded pre-kindergarten programs.
For more information Gov. Kaine’s preschool proposal please read the Washington Post article titled, “Kaine Trims Pre-K Proposal.” Also, please read the article from the Washington Times, titled “Shortfall Imperils Preschool Plan, Republicans say.”