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June 11, 2010 Highest court rejects NCLB appeal The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to reinstate a challenge to the No Child Left Behind law, rejecting an appeal that claimed it imposes an impermissible financial burden on local school districts, Bloomberg News reports. The case, School District of the City of Pontiac v. Duncan, was pressed by nine districts in Michigan, Texas, and Vermont, and aimed to enforce a provision in the 2001 measure stipulating that states and school districts can't be forced to spend their own money implementing the law's testing requirements and other rules. The districts argued that Congress under funded the law by more than $30 billion from 2002 to 2006. The Obama administration defended the law, enacted under President George W. Bush, and U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan argued that other provisions make it clear that states and school districts must meet the law's requirements as a condition of receiving federal funds. Under the measure, states must decide on an annual basis whether to accept allocated money, which every state has opted to do since the law's enactment. Read more: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-07/no-child-left-behind-challenge-rejected-by-u-s-supreme-court.html Related: http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2010/06/08/high_court_wont_take_up_no_child_left_behind_case/ From cuts, far reaching consequences Across the country, mass layoffs of teachers, counselors, and other staff are leading to larger classes and reductions in all but core subjects, writes the Associated Press. Cuts could lead to higher dropout rates and lower college attendance as students receive less guidance and become less engaged in school. In San Jose, California, the library at Silver Creek High is open for an hour a day. Its career center is closed, there is no summer school, and student athletes pay $200 to participate in sports. Next year, impending state budget cuts will force five fewer classroom days and the school will likely lose three of its four guidance counselors and three of its four custodians, as well as its health aide, mental health coordinator, and student activities director. Student government, clubs, pep rallies, homecoming, and the prom all are in doubt. Silver Creek High senior Anthony Chavez, who credits his counselors with helping him win a scholarship to UC Berkeley, said he worries that students won't get the same opportunities with just one counselor for more than 2,400 students. "Through my four years here, my counselors helped me with everything. I'm the first generation in my family to go to college," he said. "I didn't even know what SATs were." Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jTldg7y9Cs_a2e-nPpJnd4_rHhXgD9G3UTN00 Related: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2010/06/states_are_still_in_terrible_f.html Now that the dust is settling Although 35 states submitted what they assert to be their boldest reform plans yet in a bid for the remaining $3.4 billion of Race to the Top money, the question lingers as to whether the nation's schools will get a significant return on the total investment, according to Education Week. "We've had maybe 10 states where the school reform ball moved down the field in any significant way. And then, it wasn't revolutionary," said Michael J. Petrilli of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. The run-up to the second-round deadline showcased tension in many states between needing more buy-in from districts and teachers' unions, and needing bold proposals that would impress Race to the Top judges. For instance, Wisconsin got buy-in from districts and teachers' unions by promising districts more grant money for signing on, and offering flexibility in the scope and breadth of the changes, said state schools Superintendent Tony Evers. Wisconsin will also allow school districts to back out of their commitments within 90 days. California, on the other hand, tightened its focus to a group of seven districts that include Los Angeles and Long Beach, where superintendents were willing to embrace more aggressive plans, rather than seeking statewide buy-in from its more than 1,000 school districts. Read more: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/06/09/33stim-race_ep.h29.html?tkn=YRBFw2g0PdcWEOffT7k6vZtv9iUe5pF5mw7M&cmp=clp-ecseclips Spring of their discontent Over the past few months, educators, teachers unions, and lawmakers in California have clashed bitterly regarding changes tied to the state's bid for Race to the Top funds -- a sorely needed $700 million, The New York Times reports. San Francisco's Superintendent Carlos Garcia and other Bay Area lawmakers have been at the center of this fight, even though his district, which faces a $113 deficit, stands to gain $20 million. Garcia objects to both the stringent standards and the execution of the competition. He joins many of the programs' critics in finding it a strong-armed approach that echoes the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind policy. "We're tired of all that stuff," Garcia said. "Even if we get the money, I'm not sure we can implement all of that." His dilemma -- disagreeing with the policy, but badly needing the money -- is shared by scores of other superintendents, but his perspective is unique to the Bay Area, where discontent among progressives over Mr. Obama's brand of liberalism is reflected in resistance. "What I've said to Arne [Duncan], what I've said to the state, is: ‘Bring us under the tent. We want to be part of the partnership,'" Garcia said. "But a partnership isn't, ‘My way or the highway.'" Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/education/06bceducation.html Conundrum for TFA alums as they stay longer in the job Now that teaching jobs are fewer due to the downturn, some Teach for America (TFA) alums still teaching wonder whether the program is warranted, according to The Las Vegas Review-Journal. Justin Brecht came to Las Vegas through TFA six years ago to teach at Sunrise Acres Elementary School, where 80 percent of the students live in poverty. His district, Clark County, had to cut 540 teaching jobs to close a $145 million budget shortfall for 2010-11. "If I find out that a Teach For America (teacher) was placed in fifth grade and I lose my job as a fifth-grade teacher, I'm thinking, 'How is that OK?'" said Brecht. "I don't want to in any way disrespect them because I owe my career to them. I'm kind of caught by how I feel about them." Allison Serafin of TFA in the Las Vegas Valley said program teachers are subject to the same collective bargaining agreements that apply to other teachers. The seniority rules of the Clark County Education Association, which represents district teachers, make it unlikely that new teachers would replace more experienced teachers. However, Superintendent Walt Rulffes said he worries the district might not have other full-time jobs for the 540 displaced elementary teachers. Read more: http://www.lvrj.com/news/teachers-wary-of-recruitment-group-95753084.html?ref=084 The sea change As part of The Atlantic Monthly's annual "15 Biggest Ideas of the Year" feature (this year, there are 14 ¾), David Brooks writes that the past few years have seen an "absolute change" in attitudes regarding public school teachers. Previously, "a few policy wonks would write essays assailing union rules that protected mediocre teachers; these pronouncements were greeted with skepticism in the media and produced no political movement." Now, however, "powerful political players," including the president, have been pressing the issue, and "the unions feel the sand eroding under their feet," their moral authority slipping away. Brooks finds this salutary. A "new cadre of reformers" has propelled the shift, people he calls "stubborn, data-driven types with a low tolerance for bullshit," operating in a reform environment that is both "softhearted and hardheaded": "They put big emphasis on the teaching relationship, but are absolutely Patton-esque when it comes to dismantling anything that interferes with that relationship." Brooks relates that an ed reformer recently emailed him to say that "he had never been so optimistic about the state of education reform -- and yet never so pessimistic about the government's ability to solve fundamental problems." However, according to Brooks, "The battle is not over, not by a long shot." Read more: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/07/the-14-3-4-biggest-ideas-of-the-year/8147/4/ Widget-free in D.C. In response to the question posed by The National Journal, "What Effect Will D.C. Teachers' New Contract Have?" Daniel Weisberg, vice president of policy and general counsel at The New Teacher Project (NTP), writes that, "The tentative agreement between D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) and the Washington Teachers Union (WTU) is a powerful sign that the widget effect can indeed be reversed in large urban districts." The "widget effect" was coined last year by an NTP report of the same name that contended "meaningless teacher evaluations encourage school systems to ignore differences in teacher effectiveness and treat teachers like interchangeable parts. This keeps them from recognizing and rewarding their best teachers, providing support that helps all teachers improve, or addressing poor performance." Using this construct as a lens, Weisberg says that the recent D.C. contract will allow DCPS to treat its teachers as individual professionals, with their own qualities, successes, and failures. DCPS will accomplish this through its new teacher evaluation system, IMPACT: "The new D.C. contract [...] commits the district to making policy decisions based on the data that IMPACT is producing. This fundamental and essential reform is one no other district in the country has accomplished," Weisberg says. Read more: http://education.nationaljournal.com/2010/06/what-effect-will-dc-teachers-n.php#1590700 Common standards toward our common goal The release of national academic standards marks the beginning of a new era in public education in this country, writes Walt Gardner on his Reality Check blog in Education Week. Though it may signal a lessening of local control, the price is "worth paying." Teachers should welcome common standards as an aid in designing their lessons, Gardner says. They'll help teachers organize lessons through clearer guidelines and concrete language without mandating exactly what or how to teach. Teachers can modify daily instruction to meet the needs and interests of their particular classes. The greatest fear is that America's long tradition of local control of schools will be lost, but it's no longer possible to argue compellingly that geography should determine curriculum. The U.S. is one of few developed countries that still lack national standards for public schools. With more families moving from one state to another to take advantage of employment opportunities, common standards will make adjustment easier for children who move. At present, many report being bored because they have to sit through things they have already learned, or overwhelmed because instruction assumes prior mastery. Read more: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/walt_gardners_reality_check/2010/06/its_time_to_adopt_national_standards.html But will they sign on? Now that a finalized version of common standards has been unveiled, the real question, writes The Christian Science Monitor, is which states will adopt them. "States will be watching some of the bellwether states to see what they do," says Michael Cohen, president of Achieve, a partner in developing the standards. In particular, he says, states will be watching Massachusetts -- considered to have the most rigorous current standards -- as well as states like California and Indiana. An open letter signed by 55 big-city school superintendents urged states to sign on. "These standards will give us, for once, a common definition of what academic proficiency means and what it doesn't mean, rather than having 50 different definitions," the letter said. "Not only will this help schools focus their efforts on one set of high standards, it will undercut the temptation by individual states to lower their standards or dumb down their tests to meet federal targets." However, challenges to implementing the common standards are significant, impacting textbook selection, teacher preparation, and standardized tests. States have also been urged to adopt the standards to improve their chance of winning Race to the Top dollars, which some say has further muddied the waters around issues of states' control. Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2010/0602/New-public-school-core-standards-Which-states-might-not-sign-on No vacation for bad behavior A new report from Connecticut Voices for Children shows that the number of student suspensions has declined statewide, from 7.1 percent in 2006-07 to 5.4 percent in 2008-09, even before a new state law takes effect this summer that aims to reduce out-of-school suspensions, The Hartford Courant reports. Experts believe the new law, one of the first of its kind in the country, has made schools more aware of the disadvantages for students who miss school, and has prompted administrators to find other ways to discipline students and prevent bad behavior. Legislators passed the law after hearing that Connecticut schoolchildren lost more than 250,000 school days due to suspensions in the 2006–07 school year. Kindergarteners, alone, lost 2,000 days. "The data that we saw was just shocking. I mean, kindergarteners getting out-of-school suspensions?" said state Rep. Andrew Fleischmann. "I talked to colleagues from some of these areas and found children were being sent home for minor infractions of the school uniform policy. The goal of the law is to correct students' behaviors while keeping kids in school." Education experts say that students often view out-of-school suspensions as a "vacation," and lost school time disrupts schoolwork, contributing to the achievement gap, drop-out rates, and delinquency. Read more: http://www.courant.com/news/education/hc-school-suspensions-0604-20100603,0,7920650.story See the report: http://www.ctkidslink.org/pub_detail_515.html BRIEFLY NOTED Ohio jumps aboard Ohio joins Kentucky, Maryland, Hawaii, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and North Carolina in adopting common standards. http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/06/08/copy/ohio-oks-standards-in-math-english.html?adsec=politics&sid=101 Senator calls for commission for children Chris Dodd, D-Conn., called for a national commission to deal with the status of children in America. http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/08/1670211/dodd-proposes-commission-to-help.html#ixzz0qTWzqD00 By casting educators as the problem, are we cutting them out of the solution? Claus von Zastrow ponders the creation of the "problem child" as it pertains to current reform trends. http://www.publicschoolinsights.org/how-create-problem-child Promising diversity Thirty of the high 100 schools that comprise U.S. News & World Report's Gold Medal List have minority populations that exceed 40 percent, with seven schools boasting minority populations higher than 95 percent. http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2010/06/08/schools-populated-with-minorities-are-among-nations-best-high-schools.html Further evidence that a BA is crucial The unemployment rate last month for people without high school diplomas was 15 percent, more than three times higher than the 4.7 percent rate for those with at least a bachelor's degree. Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/business/homepage/20100609_As_education_level_rises__unemployment_rate_falls.html#ixzz0qTafd65C GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION ASPCA: Humane Awards The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is inviting the public to nominate extraordinary pets and people for its annual Humane Awards. Winners will be invited to attend the Humane Awards Luncheon next fall in New York City where the awards will be presented. Maximum award: recognition. Eligibility: humans who have worked on behalf of animal welfare, and animals that have engaged in acts of heroism in the United States during the past year. Deadline: June 30, 2010. http://www.aspca.org/about-us/2010-aspca-humane-awards.html NAIS: Challenge 20/20 Program National Association of Independent Schools Challenge 20/20 Program gives schools the opportunity to develop globally based, experiential curricula and to build educational partnerships with schools around the world. Challenge 20/20 students form authentic bonds with students from across the globe and learn firsthand about cross-cultural communication; together, teams tackle real problems. Maximum award: participation in the Challenge 20/20 program. Eligibility: elementary and secondary schools, public or private, located anywhere in the world. Deadline: August 16, 2010. http://www.nais.org/conferences/index.cfm?ItemNumber=147262 National Gardening Association/Subaru: Healthy Sprouts Award The Subaru Healthy Sprouts Award recognizes and supports youth gardening programs focused on teaching about the environment, nutrition, and hunger issues in the United States. Through winning programs, youth will learn skills necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle compatible with environmental stewardship and gain an understanding of how their actions can positively impact the wellbeing of their community. Maximum award: a $500 gift certificate to the Gardening with Kids catalog and online store, for basic youth gardening supplies and supporting educational materials; NGA's Eat a Rainbow Kit; a literature package from NGA. Eligibility: schools or organizations planning to garden in 2011 with at least 15 children between the ages of 3 and 18. The selection of winners is based on a demonstrated relationship between the garden program and education about environmental, nutrition, and hunger issues in the United States. Deadline: October 1, 2010. http://www.kidsgardening.com/grants/healthysprouts.asp Nestlé USA: Very Best in Youth Program The Nestlé USA Very Best in Youth Program honors young people ages 13 to 18 who have excelled in school and who are making their community and the world a better place. Maximum award: $1,000. Eligibility: youth ages 13 and 18 years of age who demonstrate good citizenship, a strong academic record, and can show how they have made a special contribution to their school, church, or the community. Entrants must have permission from a parent or legal guardian to submit nomination. Deadline: November 1, 2010. http://verybestinyouth.nestleusa.com/About/Default.aspx QUOTE OF THE WEEK "How can a score of less than 50 percent be passing on a test that's supposed to assure us that students know the curriculum?" -- Texas State Rep. Scott Hochberg, regarding the changes to standards for the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, June 7, 2010 http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7041445.html The PEN Weekly NewsBlast, published by Public Education Network, is a free electronic newsletter featuring resources and information about public school reform, school finance, and related issues. The NewsBlast is the property of Public Education Network, a national association of 79 local education funds working to improve public school quality in low-income communities throughout the nation. Please forward this e-mail to anyone who enjoys free updates on education news and grant alerts. Some links in the PEN Weekly NewsBlast may change or expire after their initial publication here, and some links may require local website registration. People wishing to add a NewsBlast subscription can go to PEN's website (http://www.publiceducation.org) and follow the instructions in the lower left-hand section of the homepage. Current subscribers can unsubscribe by clicking the appropriate link near the bottom of the NewsBlast mailing. If you use spam filters to protect your inbox, you may wish to take a moment right now to add PEN@publiceducation.org to your e-mail address book, spam-software whitelist, or mail-system whitelist. 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