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By Dr. Harry Tennant

Dan S. Martin's Principal Rider

by Dan S. Martin
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Entries with keyword: In The News
Posts 1 - 52 of 52

Monday, May 2, 2011

In The News: Could Today Mark A Turning Point For The United States?

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
2,430 soldiers have died in Afghanistan
during Operation "Enduring Freedom." 



They didn't die for him... 



...they died for our country.


Michael Appleton for The New York Times

Hopefully this is a brave new beginning for our country...

...with a military and government that is smarter, not larger!


pic credit: floordujour.com

Posted at 9:16 AM (permalink) 3 Comments View/Leave Comment Share this post with email Share this post on Facebook Share this post on Twitter Share this post on LinkedIn
Keywords: In The News, Social Studies, History

 

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

In The News: IQ Is Not Equivalent To Computing Power Alone

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Does a low IQ equate to low intelligence?  Research indicates not.  Personality plays a significant role in IQ measures, according to research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  This is inconsistent with common perceptions of what this test tells us.



Click the image above to access this article published by the BBC

Posted at 9:51 PM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment Share this post with email Share this post on Facebook Share this post on Twitter Share this post on LinkedIn
Keywords: In The News, IQ Testing, Intelligence, Motivation

 

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

In The News: Patriots, Nazis, Americans, & The Pledge Of Allegiance

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
How does one best honor the freedoms our founding fathers, brave soldiers, and solid citizens have struggled for on behalf of the United States?
  • By standing and pledging allegiance to the American flag?
OR
  • By standing up for your right to not stand and recite the pledge?

"According to Texas law, students are required each school day to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag and to the Texas flag. The law does not say anything about standing. Students can be excused from saying the pledge, but only with a written request from a parent or guardian."

In schools I worked in as a teacher and administrator students were required to stand for the pledge, but not to recite the pledge.  By Texas law, they were also required to "observe a moment of silence"...which was intended to be an opportunity to pray... though for obvious reasons we said "to reflect." 

The Texas district below was challenged by two students and the ACLU for its requirement for students to stand and recite the pledge.  I have embedded a video story by KTRK-TV in Houston.  Below that, I also included an interesting sampling of the comments in response to this story which represent the spectrum from disgust over these students' objection to an argument that their objection is just the kind of freedom the United States was founded on.

According to one of the school board members of this district, "Just let them sit there and be quiet, and if they don't want to, and everybody who knows what's right will stand up and do it."  I guess we know where he stands on the issue!





What are your thoughts?  Leave a comment below!

Posted at 10:58 AM (permalink) 4 Comments View/Leave Comment Share this post with email Share this post on Facebook Share this post on Twitter Share this post on LinkedIn
Keywords: In The News, Pledge To Flag, Moment Of Silence, Freedoms, Discipline, Citizenship

 

Saturday, April 23, 2011

In The News: Praying For Rain Instead Of School Finance And Funding Solutions

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Just about every time I read about the Governor of the 'Great State of Texas', I am amazed at the double-speak and disingenuous nature of his dialogue.  It reminds me of a catch phrase on ESPN for athletes who do bone-headed things: "COME ON MAN!"

The LA Times op-ed piece below exposes his double-speak of anti-federalism versus his tendency to take federal funds as readily as any other politician.

Not addressed in this article---but something most of us educators recognize--- is his double-speak about supporting education but doing little to prove it.

Please lead and pray for us on education financing.  It is now raining some in Texas...and I'm sure it will rain a bunch more here before school finance is fundamentally addressed.

Here are a few quotes from the article you can access in its entirety by clicking the image below:

..."You'll recall that Texas' governor has, on more than one occasion in recent years, flirted with the notion that the state should secede from the Union.

Speaking to a Texas "tea party" rally in 2009, for example, Perry said:

"We've got a great Union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we're pretty independent to boot."

..."A lot of it is in his book, "Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America From Washington." 

..."Turns out, though, that Perry is -– as they say in Texas -– all hat and no cattle."

Where's the beef?!?!

Posted at 10:24 AM (permalink) 0 Comments View/Leave Comment Share this post with email Share this post on Facebook Share this post on Twitter Share this post on LinkedIn
Keywords: In The News, Budget Cuts, Budget, Texas, School Finance

 

Thursday, April 14, 2011

In The News: A Wise Approach To Difficult Decisions---> Ask The People!

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Quite a different context, but the same fundamental problem--->Decatur ISD is one more Texas district struggling with what connective tissue to cut from their already trim existence.  They are also wisely considering how to raise revenue.

I recently worked as a principal in this district.  There was little--if any---fat to cut.  Nonetheless, due to the state budget slash of 2011, they must now cut millions.  The district recently conducted a survey of parents (47%), students (17%), teachers (21%), staff (12%), and community members (32%) to gauge acceptability of a full slate of potential cuts.  Below is an image of the final three categories.  The first six are Administration, Benefits, Facilities & Transportation, Instruction, Salary & Pay, Scheduling & Staffing. 

As a side note: I wonder if the district can further disaggregate these numbers by respondent category (parent, student, teacher, etc).

This is an interesting document that you can download here. 

Posted at 5:09 PM (permalink) 1 Comments View/Leave Comment Share this post with email Share this post on Facebook Share this post on Twitter Share this post on LinkedIn
Keywords: In The News, Budgets, School Financing, Texas, Decatur ISD, Survey, Parent Involvement, Community Engagement, Save Money, Make Money

 

Thursday, April 14, 2011

In The News: Big City Problems Can Invite Big City Solutions

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
This is an interesting study of local politics...if nothing else.  But it is much more.  In previous posts I've covered varied responses by local school districts to drastic cuts in Texas school funding.  This is yet another very unique case.

This detailed, fairly lengthy article sheds light on internal communications (and just a few of the prickly issues) raised by some ideas floated between Austin ISD and the city of Austin.  This article is a good read.

A few quotes:

..."Such a degree of formal collaboration would be unusual between the city and school district. Unlike some states, nearly all Texas school districts are set up to operate independently of city and county governments. School districts set their own taxes, spending and policies.

..."early proposal to close schools. Such a move, he said, would seem to run counter to the city's efforts to reduce suburban sprawl and encourage growth in the urban core."

..."Other ideas tossed around City Hall included what one person described as a "tax trade-off."

..."described the trade-off as an arrangement in which the city would raise taxes while the district lowered taxes. The plan wouldn't cost taxpayers any more money, according to the speculation, but it would raise more money for the district, which is forced to hand over a portion of revenue it raises to the state under school finance law."

This is just a sampling of the ideas being floated regarding Austin ISD's shortfall.  Some are much more controversial than others.  The article is worth a read...and you may even know a social studies teacher who could use it in instruction on local politics!  If so, please...

Check It Out!  Pass It On!


Click the photo above to access the complete story from The Austin American-Statesman

Posted at 12:05 PM (permalink) 5 Comments View/Leave Comment Share this post with email Share this post on Facebook Share this post on Twitter Share this post on LinkedIn
Keywords: In The News, Budget Cuts, Budget, Texas, School Finance, Save Money

 

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

In The News: Money Cut From Education May Ultimately Be Required For Ineffective Prisons And Their Return Customers

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
At a time when Head-Start and other early childhood programs are facing the budget ax, we learn that...

"Since the mid-’80s, annual state prison costs have risen from $10 billion to $52 billion, according to Pew."

Couple that huge expenditure with the apparent lack of effectiveness of our state prisons at reducing recidivism...and there is an argument to be made that if more of those billions were spent on the front end towards education, so much may not be required on the back end towards a system that has a record of failure.  Kids are hard to fix once they've become adults!


Click the image above to access this article at USA Today

I wonder how much we spend on our federal prison system?

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Keywords: In The News, Prisons, Rehabilitation, School Finance, Discipline, Character Education

 

Friday, April 8, 2011

In The News: All-Black Classrooms

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
This 8-minute CNN piece considers the appropriateness of separating struggling students in race-specific groups....particularly African-Americans.  The motive is not as sinister as it sounds.

A host of philosophical, ethical, sociological, historical, and other questions are raised.  Having said that, this program in Lancaster, PA is not as isolated as this story makes it seem.  Across this country all sorts of solutions are being considered, floated, tested, and implemented to try to improve student performance.  This is but one more.

The goal is improved student performance.  On balance, what are your thoughts on this story?  I'm conflicted!


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Keywords: In The News, Race, Ethnicity, Segregation, Struggling Students, Remediation, Mentoring

 

Friday, March 25, 2011

In The News: We Always Tell Young People Not To Watch Too Much TV...But Did That Cause Some To Score Lower On The SAT?!

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
A few days ago I posted on a change in AP Testing that leaves the SAT as the only standardized exam that still scores differently between missed questions vs. questions left blank. 

SAT news making the rounds today is about one essay prompt on the latest administration...and the likelihood that some students may have had a greater advantage than others by virtue of their television viewing habits!

"...few questions on the so-called Big Test appear to have provoked more anxious chatter — at least in this era of texting and online comment streams and discussion threads — than an essay prompt in some versions of the SAT administered last Saturday in which students were asked to opine on reality television.

“This is one of those moments when I wish I actually watched TV,” (said) one test-taker."

All of that said, it sounds like enough background information was provided that a competent writer at that age could tackle the prompt regardless of their TV watching experience.  Nonetheless, the students are already nervous and ready to show their 'academic' best on the "Big Test."   Perhaps it wasn't an appropriate prompt?

Click the image below for the full story at The New York Times



Feel free to leave a comment below!

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Keywords: In The News, Assessment, Standardized Assessment, SAT, English, Writing Prompt

 

Friday, March 25, 2011

In The News: How Can You Earn Five Billion Dollars In America And Pay Zero Taxes?

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
At a time when our schools and personal budgets are struggling to meet basic needs, stories like this can be somewhat discouraging.  It seems that the federal debt & deficit are on the backs of laboring Americans, while companies like GE are using every means necessary to get away without paying taxes like so many of the rest of us.  Sad.

$5.1 billion from U.S. operations alone last year.  Tax bill=ZERO!?!? 

That is not counting everything moved and sheltered overseas.  It pays to have what some refer to as "the world's best tax law firm."
 

To read the full story on NPR.org, click the image above

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Keywords: In The News, Budgets, School Financing, Taxes, Corporations

 

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

In The News: Principals In Plano ISD Have Been Invested With Tremendous Power To Remove Their Bottom Tier Teachers

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
In a school board meeting last night, Plano ISD committed to eliminating teaching jobs as part of their second round of layoffs they've deemed necessary in response to looming cuts of $35-65 million.

Perhaps the most interesting sentence in this article is:

"Principals are tasked with figuring out who will go."

We all know that even the most well-meaning educators can be ineffective in the extreme, yet under normal circumstances it is extremely difficult for principals to remove ineffective teachers from campuses in Texas schools.  It is even more difficult in many other states.

Having said that, Plano ISD (and many other Texas districts) will likely have a unique opportunity to terminate their bottom tier teachers soon without so much of the necessary due process required in "normal" budget times.

According to the WFAA story below, Plano ISD will ask principals to make the decision based upon certification, documented performance, professional background, and seniority.

I would bet most districts are asking central administrators to do this task, with significant input from campus administrators.  Seems like it is in reverse in the example here.  There are so many varied responses by Texas districts to the 2011-2013 budget slash.

Feel free to share your comments below!

Click the image here to watch the video story at WFAA.com

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Keywords: In The News, Budgets, School Financing, Texas, Plano ISD, Personnel, Principals

 

Sunday, March 20, 2011

In The News: It Is Now Advisable To Guess On Advanced Placement Exams When You Don't Know An Answer...It Won't Cost You Anything!

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Knowing what you need to know for a test is important.  Knowing how to apply that knowledge on a test is important (particularly on a well-written exam).  Perhaps just as important to successful testing....is knowing the ground rules.

Well, a very important rule has changed in Advanced Placement testing.  The change is to "right-only" scoring, meaning that credit is given for correct answers AND there is no deduction for wrong answers.  So, it is now advisable for students to guess on AP exams.

This change leaves the SAT as the only major standardized test that still deducts for incorrect answers (in an attempt to factor in for guessing probabilities of 20-25%). 

Students will no longer be deducted .25% for incorrect answers on Advanced Placement exams.  This is a major change in ground rules (effective in May) that students must understand to do their best on Advanced Placement exams!

I bet you know a teacher, parent, or student who should know about this change.  In fact, all core secondary teachers will be better able to serve their students if they are aware of this significant change.  So...

Check It Out!  Pass It On!


Click the image above for the short New York Times article.

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Keywords: In The News, Advanced Placement Testing, SAT Testing, Right-Only Scoring

 

Saturday, March 19, 2011

In The News: As If Draconian State Budget Cuts Weren't Enough, They Are Triggering Federal Cuts For Some Districts

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Vision and planning are good things.  Austin ISD had a vision, did a tremendous amount of planning, applied for & won a federal grant of $62.3 million dollars from a "highly competitive, five-year Teacher Incentive Fund grant." 

Sounds great.  Austin ISD had a vision to attract and retain top-notch teachers and administrators to their more challenging "east side" schools.  The federal government vetted and bought into the plan.  The problem is, the grant is contingent upon local money that Austin ISD had allocated before the budget slash.  With looming state budget cuts of 15-25%, Austin must re-allocate those funds.  Now, the feds say if the local matching funds are not there, there will be no federal funds.  And...they seem to mean it.

So, Austin ISD will take a State budget slash triggering a complimentary federal cut in funds.

Good times for Texas school districts.


Click the image above for a much more in-depth explanation from an
(Austin) Statesman article.

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Keywords: In The News, Budget Cuts, Budget, Texas, Teacher Cuts, School Finance

 

Friday, March 11, 2011

In The News: Texas Governor Rick Perry Places Blame For Teacher Layoffs On 'Locals'

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Is there an educator left in Texas who supports Governor Rick Perry?  Feel free to comment...pro or con.

If you are still on the fence, here are a few quotes from the much more lengthy article below...

"We're baffled by Governor Perry's comments," said Dax Gonzalez, spokesman for the Texas Association of School Boards. "Let there be no mistake that the decisions being made in school districts across the state regarding budget cuts and teacher layoffs are the direct results of decisions ... at the state Capitol."

School district officials in Tarrant County collectively shook their heads at Perry's remarks.

"It causes me much consternation that he would say something like that," said Cindy Lotton, the Keller district's school board president. "There are problems with funding from the state, and the districts have been tasked with cleaning up the mess."

(Read the entire Star-Telegram article by clicking the image below)




A rally on the south steps of the state Capitol on Saturday is being organized by a coalition called
Save Texas Schools.

Planners say they expect as many as 10,000 participants.

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Keywords: In The News, Budget Cuts, Budget, Texas, Teacher Cuts, School Finance

 

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

In The News: Who Needs Teaching Jobs, Texas Is Looking For Jobs In Other Sectors Of Our Economy

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
The WFAA.com article below details Governor Rick Perry's efforts to produce jobs in Texas by spending big money....while allowing education jobs in Texas to evaporate like never before.  The loss of these teaching jobs is sure to have a ripple effect on local communities, in varying degrees.

A few key quotes follow:

"He used the word 19 times in his recent state of the state address and has made it a top spending priority. But if Perry realizes his vision of a budget balanced through cuts alone, 100,000 teachers could lose their jobs.

That's about a third of the 333,000 teachers employed by Texas public schools....."

....."In the current budget, schools got $50 billion in state and federal money to teach 4.8 million students. Proposed budgets would short Texas schools $10 billion, a figure that includes money that would be necessary to pay for an estimated 160,000 new students expected to enroll over the next two years."



Click the photo above to access the full story on WFAA.com

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Keywords: In The News, Budgets, School Financing, Texas

 

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

In The News: Each Texas District Must Decide What Connective Tissue Is Unnecessary

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
This blog has spotlighted how several districts in Texas plan to survive the loss of one-fifth of their finances for the coming two-year budget...give or take a bit.

Keller ISD is a very respectable, healthy district north of Fort Worth.  They are winners.  Here is how they plan to run the next leg of the race despite slashing key connective tissue formerly important to holding their skeleton together.


To access the story at The Keller Citizen, click the image above!

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Keywords: In The News, Budgets, School Financing, Texas

 

Monday, March 7, 2011

In The News: Federal 'Impact Aid' Is Promised-----> Only Half Is Delivered

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
When it comes to our federal government, money isn't always where the legislative pen is.  I was previously unfamiliar with the under-funded "Impact Aid" program, which is "a 60-year-old federal program designed to ease the burden of having military bases or tribal reservations that pay no local property taxes within the districts' borders, yet send hundreds of students to their schools."

Well, they only came out a billion dollars short.  Included at the end of this story is a chart of how much each state qualified for in fiscal year 2011 versus how much each actually received.  For Texas the numbers are 107.9 million dollars promised, 48.4 million received.

The full article from USA Today can be accessed by clicking the image below.


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Keywords: In The News, Impact Aid, School Funding, School Financing, Budgets, Federal Funding

 

Thursday, March 3, 2011

In The News: Teachers Wonder Why The Scorn?

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
The New York Times ran a story today entitled, "Teachers Wonder Why The Scorn?"  It is---like most NYT articles---a well-developed and worthy read.

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Keywords: In The News

 

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

In The News: An Interesting Excel File---> Center For Public Policy Priorities Breaks Down Projected Texas School Funding & Job Loss Numbers...County By County.

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
The Center for Public Policy Priorities just released four analyses that "are useful for estimating the effect of proposed budget cuts to (Texas) state services on local communities."

One shows "roughly how the state's $27 billion revenue shortfall would be allocated county by county in public education."  Importantly, it includes calculations of anticipated private-sector job loss associated with these cuts.




For the entire study, click the image below to
access it from the Center for Public Policy Priorities



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Keywords: In The News, Budgets, School Financing, Texas, Center For Public Policy Priorities

 

Friday, February 25, 2011

In The News: All Providence, Rhode Island Teachers Get Pink Slips

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
The assault on teacher tenure and bargaining rights in most states around the country...to whatever degree these rights existed...continues.  In Providence, all teachers received notice that they may be in their last few months of teaching for the district.

Educators and local/state politicians are at each others' throats.  This is getting ugly.

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Keywords: In The News, Rhode Island, School Financing, School Budgets, Tenure, Collective Bargaining

 

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

In The News: Rainy Days Are Here For Texas School Districts...Where Are The Funds?

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Some momentum seems to be picking up for use of State "Rainy Day" funds to lessen the impact of budget cuts on Texas school districts.  There are, of course, those hoping to hold back the tide...like Governor Rick Perry.  One argument those of a like mind advance is probably solid.  Specifically, dipping into the fund would only be a short-term infusion that will not fundamentally solve school budget woes in Texas schools (until school finance reform is enacted).  O.K., they often fail to acknowledge the part about school finance reform...or at least any viable solutions.  That is where we need to get to.

Below find a few quotes from the WFAA.com story, followed by an embedded video of the entire story:

"...In the worst-case scenario, Dallas (ISD) would lose $253 million in state funds, and that could result in nearly 4,000 jobs lost.

One way to ease the pain would be to tap the state's Rainy Day Fund for public education.

But as schools across Texas brace for the pain of unprecedented budget cuts, Gov. Rick Perry's office told News 8 his stance remains the same: The Rainy Day Fund should go untouched."

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Keywords: In The News, Budget Cuts, Budget, Texas, Teacher Cuts, School Finance

 

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Communication: A Group Of Leading Teachers Is Planning To Communicate A Message To Wash. D.C.

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
This march on D.C. is being organized by a large group of National Board Certified teachers -- teachers from many states who have passed rigorous examinations by an independent national board.

July 28-31 sure is a nice time for a visit to our nation's capital!  Perhaps we should join our educator friends there!
 

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Keywords: In The News, Budget Cuts, Budget, School Finance, March On Washington

 

Sunday, February 20, 2011

In The News: Parents Are Beginning To Band Together Against Proposed Draconian Cuts In Texas Education

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
People power seems to be a theme of 2011.  Are the people of Texas about to demand adequate public school funding?

A few quotes from WFAA.com are below and the longer video story is embedded as well!

"The push is on for Texas lawmakers to consider all resources to deal with the budget crisis — including diving into the state's $9.4 billion "rainy day" fund."

.
.."I keep on getting the feeling that they all want us to meekly accept that there is going to be cuts,"  said Susan Schuerger of the Woodrow Wilson Community Council. "It hurts my feelings. It insults me as a parent and as a concerned citizen."

..."We are already at the bottom, and we don't need to race to be last," said Cochran. "We understand there's a budget shortfall, but you cannot cut the school funding for our children."

..."The grim picture across the state is pushing parents to recruit others. They want their voices to reach the state Capitol one way or another.

"We've got a ton of people sending letters to their legislators, meeting with their legislators, planning rallies in Austin," Cochran said.  "We've got a long battle ahead of us. I think more and more parents are going to come out and be heard."



I love parents who support their local schools!

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Keywords: In The News, Budget Cuts, Budget, Texas, Teacher Cuts, School Finance, Parent Involvement

 

Saturday, February 19, 2011

In The News: School Board Meetings Into The Wee Hours

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Arlington ISD (Texas) was already facing a budget shortfall of $13 million.  Add on up to an additional $35 million of state budget cuts and you have yet another district in a deep, deep hole.  So deep, in fact, that demands from parents like the one below are basically absurd:

"Parents said the district needs to come up with a way to cut costs that does not affect students and teachers."

No district can cut $48 million dollars and not have a dramatic impact on the students and teachers.  Let's be somewhat realistic.

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Keywords: In The News, Budget Cuts, Budget, Texas, Teacher Cuts, School Finance

 

Thursday, February 17, 2011

In The News: Walk Like A Teacher From Wisconsin

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Denial is not just a river in Egypt!  I would be remiss not to mention (at least) this cry from teachers in Wisconsin to retain what once was theirs.  What is going on in Wisconsin could be a vision of Austin soon...but in Texas the groundswell is over basic school finance.

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Keywords: In The News, Wisconsin Protests, Collective Bargaining

 

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

In The News: Who Needs This School Anyway!

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
I have been documenting the variety of responses Texas school districts are devising to address the budget massacre coming out of Austin.  Grand Prairie ISD is a large district in North Texas.  They, and others, are likely to close and consolidate campuses.

Three points to remember from past posts:
  • Every district in Texas faces cuts of at least 13% up to 25% for this two-year budget.
  • Texas school enrollment grows 85,000 students each year...100,000 less employees are projected to be working in our schools next year to meet that increased student population.
  • Our Governor's office is one of the only state offices and departments that will see their full-time staff climb.  Gov. Rick Perry's office will climb from 120 full-time employees to 132.
The uprisings in the Middle East may be coming to Texas soon!  The people may be hitting the streets demanding a more representative, responsive government!  Or, more likely, ever more will be demanded of educators with diminishing resources. 


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Keywords: In The News, Budgets, School Financing, Texas

 

Monday, February 14, 2011

In The News: Next Year Texas Schools Will Have Around 100,000 Fewer Employees To Educate 85,000 Additional Students...hmmmm

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
I've mentioned it a time or two...Texas is cutting funding for education drasticallyCheck out a few of the details the New York Times published in the much more lengthy and detailed article that follows these telling quotes:

"All across Texas, school superintendents are bracing for the largest cuts to public education since World War II..."

"...Gov. Rick Perry, easily re-elected in November, made it clear in his annual speech to lawmakers last week that he regarded raising revenue for schools as out of the question.."

"To balance the budget with cuts alone, the governor and Republican leaders in the Legislature have put forth bills that would reduce the state’s public school budget by at least 13 percent — nearly $3.5 billion a year — and would provide no new money to schools for about 85,000 new students that arrive in Texas every year. School administrators predict that as many as 100,000 school employees would have to be laid off to absorb the cuts.

"Not only are the proposed cuts to school aid draconian, but in addition the Legislature in 2006 put strict limits how much districts can raise local property taxes. That means local school boards find themselves trapped between rising enrollment, double-digit drops in state aid and frozen local taxes.

Many school administrators blame the current budget crisis on an overhaul of the school finance system five years ago, which Mr. Perry and Republican leaders pushed through in response to popular anger over high property taxes. The Legislature put a cap on property taxes for schools and promised to make up the difference with a new business tax. But that tax has never produced enough revenue to make the districts’ budgets whole.

The chronic shortfall in money for schools was papered over in the last two-year budget passed in 2009. Mr. Perry and Republican leaders in the Legislature used about $3.3 billion in federal aid under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to plug the hole. That aid has disappeared this year."

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Keywords: In The News, Budgets, School Financing, Texas

 

Sunday, February 13, 2011

In The News: Irving ISD Offers An Incentive For Educators To Quit

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Yesterday's theme turned out to be IDEA.  Today's is becoming deep education budget cuts in Texas...potentially as high as 25% in most districts.

One prong of Irving ISD's response is a resignation bonus.

See below. 



Credit: WFAA.com

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Keywords: In The News, Budgets, School Financing, Texas, Irving ISD

 

Sunday, February 13, 2011

In The News: As Most Texas School Districts Prepare To RIF Employees (Or At Least Not Hire New Ones), The Question In Some Becomes---->Who Are The Best Teachers???

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
It is clear that Texas is undergoing a major contraction in public education, as all thousand-plus Texas districts prepare for major budget cuts.  The story below raises an important question for those districts that must go through the "RIF" process (Reduction In Force).  Once a district like Dallas ISD must cut 3,100 teachers from its force--as the story below represents--the question becomes: on what basis should districts determine whose careers will be interrupted by this financial calamity?  Which teachers and support personnel must go?  The criteria used will vary from district to district. 

What do you think?
  • What makes a "great" teacher? 
  • Are these cuts going to affect the quality of education in Texas?
  • Is it fair to continue ratcheting up accountability as we ask each and every employee to take on the duties of the countless thousands that will be cut? 
  • Do we have any other choice?
  • Is Texas no longer one of the leading states in our nation regarding the education of its youth?
  • Do we put our money where our mouth is in Texas?
  • Will this actually trim "fat" that needs to be cut in public education?
  • Why Texas?  We are in one of the healthiest regions of the nation.
  • There are many more questions about our fiscally conservative approach to this issue.  Many will be raised in future blog posts.  As will a look at other states trying to navigate these rough waters.

A few quotes from the WFAA.com reports are highlighted below.  A video and print version of the story can be accessed below these quotes:


"The Dallas Independent School District discussed the possibilities of some very serious cuts within the district Thursday, including the elimination of 4,000 positions, 3,100 of which would be teachers.

It's now a concern weighing on many teachers and parents in the district.


District policy when looking at cutting back teacher looks at four areas: teacher certification, performance in the classroom, seniority and their professional background. On paper, it can seem simple enough, but translating that into people is tough.

While the district says it has not put together a list, it has already taken some employees off the table, including fine arts teachers and workers who are considered the "best teachers." But, who and who isn't a "best" likely won't be an easy question to answer."


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Keywords: In The News, Budget Cuts, Budget, Texas, Teacher Cuts, School Finance

 

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

In The News: Texas Superintendents Converge On Austin To Implore Legislators To Search For Funds

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Is your district preparing to slash 20-25% from their next two-year budget?  If so, your Superintendent was probably in Austin today.  Most of them missed some serious ice in their neck of the woods.  Hopefully they can thaw the funding freeze.


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Keywords: In The News, School Finance, Texas, Budget Cuts

 

Monday, January 31, 2011

In The News: New AP Biology Release Tomorrow; U.S. History Delayed

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Several of the Advanced Placement courses are being re-written and the "College Board" has set a 90% teacher 'approval rating' as a measure of when they are ready for implementation.  The measure is based upon whether surveyed teachers indicated that the test was on "the right path"...indicating significant improvement over the prior test.  Biology passed, with 95% of sampled biology teachers indicating an improvement over the prior test. 

History is not ready for prime-time.  Only 70% of history teachers indicated the proposed test would be "a change for the better."  Accordingly, its release has been delayed a year.

Some key text from the article is quoted below.  The much more lengthy and detailed article can be accessed by clicking the web page image of the article.

"While the College Board plans to unveil a sweeping revision to Advanced Placement biology courses on Tuesday, it is delaying similar changes in United States history by a year to address concerns from high school teachers.

The changes in both subjects are part of a broad revamping of A.P. courses and exams to reduce memorization and to foster analytic thinking. But while the new biology curriculum is specific about what material needs to be covered, some teachers complained that parts of the history course seemed vague, and the board said it needed more time to clarify what should be studied.

Board officials said they expected to publish the new United States history curriculum next fall. That curriculum will now take effect in the 2013-14 school year, they said, rather than in 2012-13, when the new biology program is to begin."

"...the new biology curriculum (will) be posted Tuesday on the board’s Web site. He said the board planned to make similar changes in its world, European and art history courses, as well as in chemistry and physics."


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Keywords: In The News, AP, Advanced Placement, Biology, U.S. History, Assessments, Standardized Assessments

 

Sunday, January 30, 2011

In The News: Hiring Freeze Will Likely Not Be Enough In Many Texas School Districts

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
A district very close to my heart--->Denton ISD could face a 20% budget cut.  That will come with a side order of more students and increased testing accountability.



See the WFAA video report above.  The written story is here.

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Keywords: In The News, Denton ISD, Budget Cuts, Budgets, School Finance

 

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

In The News: Is Texas Preparing To Rob The Cradle?

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Is this the sort of symptom the Romans were experiencing a couple of thousand years ago?  Is this yet another symptom of the decline of one of the greatest "powers" the world has ever known?

Can there be a healthy, dynamic democracy and market system without having a healthy education system?  It seems like we are in a cycle of demanding more from schools...but providing less to accomplish that end.  It hasn't just started with this financial crisis...nor this budget.  The "growth" in public education spending over the past decades was due primarily to the growth of special programs (particularly, special education).  Bottom line, we are asking fewer people to do much more with less time.  It seems that the cuts could start to reach the depth of major arteries this go-around in Texas.

Am I wrong?  Are we willing to invest in young people to keep our country from growing "old?"  Do we already invest too much?  And so on...and so on.



Here is a video story from last night on WFAA.com.  You can also find the story in print here.

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Keywords: In The News, Budgets, School Financing, Texas

 

Saturday, January 22, 2011

In The News: Texas District Sued After Student Suicide On Campus

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
One of my former districts is in the news. Lewisville ISD is being sued by the parents of a nine-year old boy who hung himself in the bathroom of the nurse's office at Stewart Creek Elementary.  Among those being sued by the boy's parents----->the principal and the school nurse.

His parents attribute the boy's suicide to a pattern of persistent bullying that was not recognized or acted upon by school personnel.  My experience working in LISD for nine years (three as an administrator) was that we administrators, nurses, teachers, and counselors were not only well-trained to address discipline matters such as bullying...but we were very aggressive and thorough about creating a safe, secure learning environment for each child.

Granted, there are about 60 campuses in LISD, but what I do know is that anti-social behavior of any type was addressed proactively and rather successfully on all three campuses I served on.  We took pride in that.  We genuinely cared about our young people.

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Keywords: In The News, Suicide, Law Suit

 

Thursday, January 20, 2011

In The News: SOME Of Our Public Schools (Communities) Are Failing; Not All...As Some Documentaries & The Media Can Lead You To Believe

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
On December 30th, I posted a triumphant message: "Teenage Birth Rate Continues To Decline...At Record Rate."  In fact, as the article notes, teenage birth rates nationwide are the lowest they have been since the 1940s.

So, what does that say about a school (community) where one high school, Frayser High in Memphis TN, has 800 students of which 90 are either pregnant or already have a baby?  That suggests that about 20% of the female student population has a baby or is pregnant.

Time for action.  The CNN story below:


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Keywords: In The News, Teen Pregnancy, Health

 

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

In The News: Less To Do More--- Except In The Governor's Office

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Texas education will not be sparred in the intense belt-tightening to come.

Here are some quotes from WFAA.com coverage...and the entire article link and embedded video can be found below that:

"Public education in Texas is facing billions in proposed budget cuts that would include slashing arts education, pre-kindergarten programs and teacher incentive pay as lawmakers take on a massive deficit with the promise of no new taxes.

School board members in the Plano Independent School District have already foreseen problems and have begun to take action. Wednesday night, the board voted to go ahead with layoffs of clerical and administrative workers to help shave $10 million off the budget. So far, there are no plans for teacher layoffs.

Lawmakers got their first glimpse of what the next state budget might look like late Tuesday, including the $5 billion cut to public schools, as Republican Gov. Rick Perry and his supporters were dancing at an inaugural celebration."

"....Some analysts say the true shortfall could be much higher than $15 billion — closer to $27 billion — to account for enrollment growth in public schools and on Medicaid rolls, cost increases and other variables. That figure amounts to almost a third of discretionary state spending in the current budget.

The proposal would make public school finance reform legislation almost inevitable. It also would mean about 100,000 children would no longer have access to pre-kindergarten, schools won't get help building new science labs and would end a program that helps students earn promotion to the next grade.

"...The state's contributions to the state employee retirement fund would be reduced from 6.95 percent to 6 percent, less than what is needed to maintain the fund, according the Legislative Budget Board. The base budget proposes a similar cut in contributions to the Teacher Retirement Fund.

While almost every other state agency would see a reduction in employees, the average number of full-time employees in Perry's office over the next two fiscal years would go to 132 from an average of 120."



Click the picture above to read the article, or view the video story below!

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Keywords: In The News, School Finance, Texas, Budget Cuts

 

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

In The News: Gender-Specific Schools In Fort Worth ISD

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
In a recent post, I briefly introduced Fort Worth ISD's Gold Seal Programs of Choice & Schools of Choice. 

One form of choice they currently have is a girls-only school.  It opened in August and the article below documents how top-notch their attendance and other performance indicators have been. 

One particularly interesting quote from the story:

"A U.S. Department of Education survey determined that 67 percent of studies found single-gender schools had a positive effect on achievement scores."

Plans to establish FWISD's first boys-only school are meeting with a bit of resistance, however.  Click to the WFAA.com article below for more details on both schools.  Or, simply watch the embedded video below that!





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Keywords: In The News, Gender-Specific Schools, Choice Program, Fort Worth ISD

 

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

In The News: Your Medical Conditions In The News

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Do you think your medical information is safe from release by your employer?  Think again...even if you work for a school district.

"The New York City school district did not violate the privacy rights of a teacher when it publicly disclosed her medical condition, a federal appeals court has ruled.

A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, in New York City, ruled 2-1 on Tuesday that the disclosure of the teacher's fibromyalgia, a disorder that causes muscle pain and fatigue, in an investigative report made public on the Web did not violate her rights.

The case involves Dorrit Matson, who was a music teacher at a Manhattan public school in 2004 when she was scrutinized by the New York City school system's special commissioner for investigation for abuse of sick leave."

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Keywords: In The News, Medical Privacy, Personnel

 

Saturday, January 8, 2011

In The News: Elementary Class Sizes May Increase

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Tight budgets have forced many states to take controversial budget cutting measures, including one in Arizona that has denied funding for one-hundred previously approved organ transplants for patients who need them to prolong life.  Two of those one-hundred patients have already died.  Many bio-ethicists have expressed concern over this decision, including comments like "unprecedented" and "unimaginable".  Talk about death panels.

Well, Texas is also considering one very controversial measure to save funds.  See the article highlights below and/or the WFAA.com video.

"...Since 1984, the state has required schools to limit kindergarten to fourth grade classes to 22 students unless a school gets a waiver."

"...But, Luce, the chief of staff of the Texas Select Committee of Public Education who was one of the top proponents of the limit that was part of a massive school reform law back then, says the strict 22-1 ratio is no longer needed."

“...I think given the budget problems that we have today, you have to consider giving more flexibility to elementary schools," he said.

“...It was supported by research that existed at the time in a couple of other states that had actually studied that and said that smaller class size makes a difference..."

"...But, the state comptroller said scrapping the limit would save $558 million a year if it were replaced with a requirement for schools to just average 22 students per class. Luce thinks that would work, unlike the '80s, when no achievement and benchmark tests existed."

"...Teacher groups oppose relaxing the 22-1 law, claiming it has improved learning and 12,000 teacher jobs would be cut."


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Keywords: In The News, Class Sizes, Budget Cuts

 

Sunday, January 2, 2011

In The News: Texas Takes Action Against For-Profit Schools

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
On November 26, I posted "Alleged Trade School Corruption," an investigative report by WFAA.   As I explained in that post:

As a high school educator, I regularly gave students advice about opportunities  they might pursue after secondary school.  I often encouraged them to go to college, join the armed services, or attend a trade school. 

I thought about that advice when I read and heard the following report by WFAA.com.  I hope I never advised any of my students into this sort of money trap.

Here is an update on the story:


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Keywords: In The News, Trade School

 

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

In The News: Despite #1 International Ranking, China's Schools Need Reform

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
About a month ago, the latest results were released for the international standardized testing effort known as the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA.  I blogged about it on December 7th ...and posted a follow-up on December 14th.

Despite ranking first on this testing, however, Chinese educators are not at all satisfied.  In fact, they acknowledge that this sort of testing plays to the strength of the Chinese educational system---->which may actually be so overemphasized that it is the weakness of the Chinese educational system.  For more, see the article highlights below, or click on the link to see the entire story.

So, in assessing how our students are doing against the rest of the world, are these measures more misleading than they are valuable?  What good is the information if most all who are exposed to it will not understand the nuances---if even the general conclusions---to be drawn from the results?  Do we want students like those from countries at the top of this list?  Or, are we after a different sort of student (citizen)?  What do we really want out of our schools?  What are we willing to expect of our students and the adults who guide them?


Highlights of the National Public Radio article are quoted below.  Read or listen to the entire article on NPR here!

"...Some educators are calling it "a Sputnik moment," like the launch of the Soviet satellite in 1957 that so shocked America. But the Chinese are not gloating about their success: They realize their educational system — which stresses memorization and largely ignores critical thinking — is in need of reform."

"...All Chinese people, no matter poor or rich, they have very high expectations in education. That kind of culture pushes people to study and study and study. I think this is very important," Zhang says.

"...The teacher teaches, the students repeat, and even the principal admits the feared final high school exam that gets you into college — known as the gaokao — is all simply about memorization and rote learning. That principal, Liu Jinghai, though he is proud of his students for testing well, says the West shouldn't worry about the PISA results.

"Developed countries like the U.S. shouldn't be too surprised by these results. They're just one index, one measure that shows off the good points of Shanghai's and China's education system. But the results can't cover up our problems," he says.

"Why don't Chinese students dare to think? Because we insist on telling them everything. We're not getting our kids to go and find things out for themselves," he says.

"...As well as the limitations of the Chinese education system, Liu says, it was only students in Shanghai who took the PISA tests, and Shanghai has some of the best schools in China.

"As long as the gaokao scores are what get you, a student, into college — and those are the scores that also rank the high schools — parents and principals and teachers can't afford to really experiment with a kind of learning that encourages independent thinking, and perhaps, learning from mistakes..."

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Keywords: In The News, PISA, International Assessment, Assessment

 

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

In The News: Farmers Branch Takes Next Step Towards What Hasn't Happened In Texas In Over 30 Years

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
When I first posted on the story "C-FB District Break Up?" I thought that was probably the end of the story.  But wait...

"Farmers Branch wants its own school district, and on Tuesday night, the City Council took the first step toward splitting off from the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD and the Dallas ISD....

Creating a new school district in Farmers Branch remains a long way off — if it even happens at all.

On Tuesday, the Council chose to let the voters decide what to do."

"....The city is considering seceding from the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD and creating a new Farmers Branch ISD.

Mayor Tim O'Hare and others are most recently concerned about the CFBISD's grading policy; it's too lax and too generous, they say."

"...Citizens will go to the polls in May to decide if they want to vote for or against a new district in Farmers Branch. Even if the measure passes at the ballot box, the Council will decide what to do next, and how expensive and challenging that might be."

For the complete WFAA story or video, click here

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Keywords: In The News, School District Zoning

 

Saturday, December 18, 2010

In The News: Trouble For Atlanta's Schools

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
Are some school districts just too big?  The Atlanta Public Schools tend to 49,000 students.  That is not huge, but it may be beyond optimum.

Having said that, Lewisville ISD in North Texas has about 52,000 students and it is well-managed.  We could note any number of other examples.  Nonetheless, it sometimes seems that our districts (and campuses) can be too large for their own good.  Is this so?

For a bit on Atlanta's troubles, quoted from the article you can click below to read in full:

"Did any school district in the country have a tougher week than the one in Atlanta?

First, criminal investigators began digging anew into accusations of widespread cheating on state standardized tests that had been plaguing the district for two years.

The allegations, which center on dozens of employees who are suspected of changing test answers to improve scores, have already been the focus of investigations by the state and the Atlanta school system that have cost more than $1 million."

"....The Atlanta school board, meanwhile, is in such disarray that a team from the regional agency that provides accreditation for the 49,000-student district showed up on Wednesday for its own investigation into whether infighting was keeping the board from governing properly."

"...At City Hall and in corporate offices around town, the talk is about how best to find a successor for the schools superintendent, Beverly L. Hall, who announced her resignation last month."

"...The board’s conflict is at the center of whether the district can keep its accreditation, said Mark Elgart, president of the regional accrediting agency, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. A team from the agency arrived here on Wednesday for three days of interviews throughout the district."

"...The district will learn in January whether it will face sanctions or lose its accreditation, which could hurt students’ chances for getting into certain universities and securing scholarships."

Click here for the entire story

Better days ahead for Atlanta Public Schools...we hope.

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Keywords: In The News, Large Districts

 

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

In The News: How They Topped PISA Rankings

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
I think this is a nice follow-up to the last post on high school stress.  It also ties in nicely with previous posts of late on the PISA international rankings, as well as the more general discussion we've had in recent posts regarding just what it is we want from our schools and what demands are we willing to ask of people to achieve this. 

This is an unflattering analysis of how the city of Shanghai and the other "Confusion cultural circle" countries scored at the top of PISA rankings.  It is detailed and includes two rather insightful blog posts from this author's readers and expert consultants.



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Keywords: In The News, PISA, International Assessment, Assessment

 

Monday, December 13, 2010

In The News: New Education Poll

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
NPR posted an Associated Press article today highlighting the results of a just released Associated Press-Stanford University Poll on education.  The article is rather detailed and can be found here.  The study itself can be downloaded in pdf format here.

The beginning of the article below is followed by a few quotes I took note of.  It begins,

"Blaming teachers for low test scores, poor graduation rates and the other ills of American schools has been popular lately, but a new survey wags a finger closer to home.

An Associated Press-Stanford University Poll on education found that 68 percent of adults believe parents deserve heavy blame for what's wrong with the U.S. education system — more than teachers, school administrators, the government or teachers unions.

Only 35 percent of those surveyed agreed that teachers deserve a great deal or a lot of the blame."

"...Most said education in their local public schools is excellent or good, but 67 percent also believe the U.S. is falling behind the rest of the world when it comes to education."

"...But a majority of parents see improvement in the system since they were in school..."

"...Educating parents about how the school system works and welcoming them to get involved may also help their children..."

"Without programs to educate parents, everyone is working in some stage of ignorance..." 

As an administrator, I really wanted to get parents involved.  A few years ago, when I became principal of an intermediate school, we set aside a classroom to use as a parent volunteer room.  I had big plans for that program, but regretfully it didn't get as much traction as I had anticipated.

Clearly, parent participation at the schoolhouse is relatively strong in elementary school, but quickly tails off as young people enter perhaps the most vulnerable period of their lives, the teen years.  Too often at the secondary level we are missing an opportunity to have parents involved in the daily working of our campus. 

Parents bring subject area expertise and/or general academic knowledge that can be valuable for tutoring and other instruction.  Other parents have especially big hearts and emotional intelligence for working with young people, as mentors for instance.  In fact, anyone can provide a stabilizing adult presence, or a helping hand with a special project.  There is a role for most anyone in a healthy community school.

As an assistant principal at one of the wealthiest high schools in Texas, Highland Park High School, I always thought that one of the coolest of their many cool traditions is that parents serve all of the food during school lunches!  Go figure!  One of the wealthiest districts in the State has parents dishing out the food!  PTA parents are connecting with daily student campus life at HPHS in this manner.  It is just great!

In so many ways, parents can and should be more involved in our secondary schools than they are.  What are the impediments?  What can we as educators do to better utilize parental involvement at all levels?  Are we doing enough at our campuses?  In our districts?

Looking at the question from another angle entirely: can we better educate young people by better educating parenting adults?  Do public schools have a role or responsibility to nurture fundamental parenting skills and knowledge?  Over the years, more than one person has noted to me the irony that we spend so much time in our schools teaching so much that isn't nearly as applicable to life as parenting (and money skills).  When do young adults learn about these two central life skills?  At home?  As Dr. Tennant asked in an earlier post, "Do We Trust Ourselves?"  (or, our neighbors!)

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Keywords: In The News, Education Poll, NPR, Parenting, Parent Volunteers, Volunteers

 

Monday, December 13, 2010

In The News: Child Nutrition At School

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
I'd like to think that POTUS was influenced by my November 18th blog post-- Trends: Child Nutrition & Physical Education to Improve AcademicsOr, maybe Mrs. POTUS?  Seriously though.  From CNN today:

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Keywords: In The News, Child Nutrition, School Food

 

Sunday, December 12, 2010

In The News: Parent-Trigger Law (and Parent Empowerment)

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
In California there is now a "parent-trigger" law whereby parents can mandate school shutdowns or charter-school conversions through a petition drive.  Under the state's new "parent-trigger" law, the signatures of at least half the parents at a campus are required in order to launch the changes.

After an effort to use this provision recently, some parents are rescinding their signatures to convert McKinley Elementary into a charter school that would operate outside the direct control of the Compton Unified School District.


Will "parent-triggers" become a national trend? 

Parents are increasingly empowered in our school systems.  Is this a positive trend?  Like everything else, it is no doubt a mixed bag.  What can we as educators do to accentuate the positives of parent empowerment while minimizing our exposure to the negative aspects?
 

Beyond simply exhibiting excellence in general, building capital in advance of "issues" seems to be one of the most effective ways to ride the wave of an increasing level of parent empowerment in our school systems.  One of the more important ways to build this capital is through helpful, consistent communication between the school and parents.  Is your school doing enough in this critical area of operations?

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Keywords: In the News, California, Parent-Trigger, Charter Schools, Accountability

 

Monday, December 6, 2010

In The News: A First Look At The Common Core State Standards

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
The ACT report, "A First Look At The Common Core and College and Career Readiness," that is the basis of the preceding post is quite good.  It is a 16-page document worth reviewing.


Here is the introduction:

P.S., as reported earlier, the number of states who have now adopted the standards is up to 43.  Texas and Alaska are not expected to join the list.

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Keywords: In The News, Common-Standards, Assessment, Standardized Assessment

 

Monday, December 6, 2010

In The News: Common-Standards Bar

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
ACT Inc. released a report today assessing student proficiency on skills and knowledge outlined in the new common-standards.

Determination----> Most students fail to meet the mark.



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Keywords: In The News, Common-Standards, Assessment, Standardized Assessment

 

Saturday, December 4, 2010

In The News: C-FB District Break Up?

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
WFAA Channel 8 is reporting that Farmer's Branch city officials are meeting in executive session with lawyers on Tuesday to explore separating from the two districts that serve young people in that community, Carrollton-Farmer's Branch ISD and Dallas ISD.  This sort of separation hasn't occurred in Texas in thirty years.

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Keywords: In The News, School District Zoning

 

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

In The News: Teacher & Students Held Hostage By Classmate in Wisconsin

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
The student who held his teacher and a classroom full of students hostage yesterday for hours was described as: "...well-liked, had no prior law enforcement contact and 'was a good student."

None of the 24 hostages were harmed.  The student shot himself when police stormed the room.  He is in serious condition.


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Keywords: In The News, School Violence, Weapons, Crisis Planning, Counseling

 

Friday, November 26, 2010

In The News: Alleged Trade School Corruption

EdConnections Posted by Dan S. Martin
As a high school educator, I regularly gave students advice about opportunities  they might pursue after secondary school.  I often encouraged them to go to college, join the armed services, or attend a trade school. 

I thought about that advice when I read and heard the following report by WFAA.com.  I hope I never advised any of my students into this sort of money trap.



The entire story and video report are located here.  As a dedicated educator, it'll no doubt frustrate you.

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Keywords: Trade School, In The News

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