Federal Update - December 17, 2007
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to you by your voice at the national level,
the Association of American
Educators.
Bruce Randolph School Demands Freedom
All States Now Eligible to Use Growth Models
Some Oregon Schools Refuse Federal Funds to Avoid Possible Sanctions
Index of Worker Freedom: A National Report Card
Math and Science PISA Scores Released
Online School in Wisconsin Threatened to be Shut Down by a Court Order
Nearly $18 Million Dollars to be Donated to New Orleans Public Schools
Scores Rise Among Perspective Teachers
A New Ranking of America’s Best Schools
Bruce Randolph School Demands Freedom
In the Denver school district there is one school that has decided that being under that the one-size-fits-all union contract is not beneficial to the students it serves. The Bruce Randolph School has declared that they wish to be considered an autonomous entity in the school district, in order to be free from many of the constraints placed on them by the collective bargaining agreement.
"As we look ahead we realize that the time has come to remove the limits and impediments placed on us by the centralized, bureaucratic controls established by the district and the DPS/DCTA Master Agreement. Those impediments are a problem that directly impacts our students. We know seek to solve that problem by requesting, as is allowed by the contract, the waivers necessary to proceed with autonomy,” the school stated in their proposal.
In the school’s proposal they state that they wish to have control of their own budget, staff, time and incentives. The teachers and administration at the school believe that by working together as a team with their focus on educating students they will succeed. “We believe all professional energy should be focused on educating students. We are all labor, we just do different jobs,” the proposal states.
A few years ago the school’s academic performance was abysmal, in fact one of the worst performing schools in the state. With the threat of being closed and reopened as a charter school the school was reorganized and reenergized by principal Kristin Waters. The school implemented the Challenge 2010 education reform plan which has produced positive results. They have risen from unsatisfactory to low on the State Accountability Rating. By freeing themselves from constraints in the DPS/DCTA Master Agreement the school believes they will be able to make even greater strives in student achievement.
In light of Bruce Randolph’s request for autonomy a bill dealing with the same concept will be introduced next month in the Colorado Senate by Senate President-elect Peter Groff (D-Denver). If passed the bill would allow school districts in the state to identify a zone of schools in their district that could benefit from opting out of certain aspects of district and state policies as well as union contracts. The schools would have more control over hiring teachers and rewarding them, their budgets and curriculums.
“Some of our public schools are struggling and they need the freedom to figure out how to prepare kids for the global market place,” Groff said. “This bill would allow school districts the flexibility to create a charter school concept within the framework of the district.”
Please read the article "Educators at Bruce Randolph Seek Waiver From Union Rules" at http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/dec/06/educators-at-bruce-randolph-seek-waiver-from/.
To read more about Senator Groff’s bill please go to http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/dec/13/groff-proposes-more-autonomy-for-top-lowest/.
To read Bruce Randolph's proposal please go to http://www.headfirstcolorado.org/images/HFdocs/professionalautonomyagreement112807%204.pdf.
All States Now Eligible to Use Growth Models
On December 7, the U.S. Department of Education announced that the growth model pilot program will be expanded to all states. Previously only nine states - North Carolina, Tennessee, Delaware, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, Alaska and Arizona- had been permitted to use the growth model when assessing student achievement. When using a growth model states track individual students and give schools credit for progress the students make, even if they fail to meet benchmarks.
“I believe that extending the growth model pilot for the 2007-2008 school year will promote two important goals. It will allow states another effective way of measuring adequate yearly progress (AYP) by measuring individual student growth over time, and it will continue to expand the flexibility available to states under No Child Left Behind,” stated Education Secretary Margaret Spellings.
All states that wish to incorporate the use of a growth model in their schools should send their proposed plans to the U.S. Department of Education by February 1, 2008. Before the states can implement the plans they will need to go through a rigorous peer review process.
To be eligible to participate in the growth model pilot program states applying will need to incorporate the following components:
For more information about the expansion of the growth model pilot please go to http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/12/12072007.html.
Also, please read the following article, titled "Feds to Loosen No Child Left Behind Requirements," at http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-12-07-no-child-progress_N.htm.
Some Oregon Schools Refuse Federal Funds to Avoid Possible Sanctions
Under current rules schools that receive federal funds must comply with No Child Left Behind; however, it is not illegal for schools to turn down federal funds and avoid NCLB. In Oregon at least 25 schools have chosen to do this. These schools range from large Portland high schools to small rural schools. These schools, if low-performing, will avoid sanctions from the federal government but the students will miss out on additional help and options that are available under NCLB. Students in these schools will not receive free tutoring or the opportunity to transfer to a higher performing school if they are in a low-performing school. Parents also may not be readily informed of the school’s level of achievement or improvement plans.
“I hate to see any school not take Title I money if they are eligible for it, because those kids need it,” stated State Superintendent Susan Castillo.
“We’re not saying we won’t help kids who need help. But we don’t have extra dollars to do it. We’re doing it in ways that are effective, but not as deep,” stated interim principal Steve Olczak of Portland’s Benson High School, one of the schools turning down the funds.
For more about the schools in Oregon please go to http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-22/1196673549100700.xml&storylist=orlocal.
Index of Worker Freedom: A National Report Card
The Alliance for Worker Freedom (AWF) recently published their “2007 Index of Worker Freedom: A National Report Card. The report analyzes the degree of freedom workers have in each state using the following criteria: right to work, minimum wage, union density, paycheck protection, prevailing wage, defined contribution pension, collective bargaining rights, public sector union membership, entrepreneurial activity, and workers compensation. States received one point for each of the categories in which they had favorable conditions and 0 points for unfavorable conditions. States were then given a letter grade based on the points they received; 10 points for an A+ down to 0 points for an F. The conditions were as follows:
Right to Work: In right to work states employees have the option of joining a union and paying dues, instead of having to do so as a condition of employment. States with right to work laws received a “1”.
Minimum wage: States that received a point in this category had a minimum wage lower than the federal level. The study contends that a high minimum wage increases the demand for union workers by creating an environment in which low-cost, low-skilled competitors cannot compete. It also reduces the profit margins for businesses and raises costs for consumers.
Union density: States that received a favorable rating in this category had a union density lower than the national average. The writers of the study believe that workers in states with lower union densities are not as prone to experience forced persuasion, violence towards non-union members, intimidation and numerous campaign contributions on behalf of organized labor.
Paycheck protection: In states that have paycheck protection public employee labor organizations must gain members’ permission before using their dues for political contributions. States with paycheck protection laws received a “1”.
Defined contribution pension: Under defined contribution plans employees and employers decide how much money each employer will be invested in the employees retirement account. This gives workers greater control over funds for their retirement. States that offer defined contribution pension plans for public sector employees received a “1”.
Public sector collective bargaining rights: Under collective bargaining rules employers may face restrictions on who they can hire and the way in which they pay employees as well as making them vulnerable to strikes. States that do not allow collective bargaining for public sector employees received a “1”.
Public sector union membership: In the 1960s, 40% of public employees were unionized. Today 36% of public sector employees are unionized. Private sector union membership has been declining every year but union membership in the public sector has remained stagnant over the last couple of years. States that have a lower percentage of public sector union membership than the national average received a “1.”
Entrepreneurial Activity: The study measured the number of entrepreneurial businesses in each state. Employees in entrepreneurial businesses are free from unionization under laws from the National Labor Relations Act, therefore, giving workers greater degrees of freedom. States that have a higher percentage of entrepreneurs than the national average received a “1”.
Workers compensation: When employers are forced to pay large premiums to state bureaucracies for worker compensation workers are not as likely to see increases in their salaries. The study gave a score of “1” to states that have a premium rate index per $100 that is lower than the national average.
“In order for our states and country to prosper and progress, our individual liberties must be preserved. Careful examination of this study is one of the first steps our leaders should take in an effort to regain the personal freedoms lost through past propaganda,” stated Bob Williams, president of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation.
Please note that the states in which AAE affiliates or partners are located had the following scores:
Arizona: B Louisiana: B
Arkansas: B Oklahoma: B
Colorado: A- Oregon: C
Florida: B- Pennsylvania: F
Idaho: A- Tennessee: B-
Iowa: B- Utah: A
Kansas: B Virginia: B+
Kentucky: C Washington: C+
To read the study in its entirety, please go to http://www.workerfreedom.com/images/File/Index_of_Worker_Freedom.pdf.
Math and Science PISA Scores Released
The math and science scores for the 2006 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) were recently released and the results were not positive for the United States. The tests assessed 15-year-old students on math and science skills that are learned in the classroom and out as well as assessing the students’ abilities to apply the knowledge.
In science the United States had a score of 489, 11 points below the average. Finland had the top score of 563, while Canada, Japan and New Zealand followed. The United States had lower scores than 16 other countries. Thirty countries participated in the assessments.
On the math assessment the United States received a score of 474. This was 24 points below the international average of 498. The United States did worse than 23 other nations and was equal to Spain and Portugal. Only Italy, Greece, Turkey and Mexico had lower scores than the United States.
Elected officials and policy makers have argued for years that the United States will not be economically competitive if the years to come if student’s math and science scores do not improve. “How are our children going to be able to compete with the children of the world? The answer is not well,” said former Colorado governor Roy Romer, chairman of Strong American Schools, a nonpartisan group seeking to make education a primary issue in the 2008 presidential election.
“Why are we surprised?” Gerald F. Wheeler, president of the National Science Teachers Association said of the scores. “It’s a sad state to be in.” “The policymakers do get it,” Mr. Wheeler said. The challenge, he said, is presenting the issue so that “the public gets it.”
For more information about the PISA math and science assessments, please read the article “U.S. Teens Trail Peers Around the World on Math-Science Test” at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/04/AR2007120400730.html.
Online School in Wisconsin Threatened to be Shut Down by a Court Order
Eight hundred students enrolled in the Wisconsin Virtual Academy could soon be in search of a new school, thanks to a District 2 Court of Appeals ruling. According to the court the school is violating the law by allowing parents to act as state state-licensed teachers and by having charters schools outside the district that operates them. Due to Wisconsin’s open enrollment policy students from district across the state are enrolled in the online school.
The case was filed in 2004 by the Wisconsin Education Association Council, an NEA affiliate, claiming that the school violated teacher licensing laws and open enrollment charter school law. The Department of Public Instruction was originally a defendant in the case but has since switched sides and is in agreement with the union. “The problem is not that the unlicensed WIVA parents teach their children, but that they 'teach in a public school,” Judge Richard Brown, one of the appellate court judges, wrote. He also argued that because a majority of the students at the school are not in the district that operates the charter school the district is illegally receiving open-enrollment funds.
“I’ve been on the phone and e-mail all day with a number of parents who are just scared to death about what’s going to happen. Many have kids who are thriving for the first time. This is a real kick in the teeth to us,” stated Rose Fernandez, president of the Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families.
The school could be shut down as early as January 2 but the school is appealing to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to stay open until the case is settled.
For more information on the case please read the article titled “Ruling Could Shut Down Virtual School” at http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/12201151.html.
Nearly $18 Million Dollars to be Donated to New Orleans Public Schools
Three foundations, The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, the Doris and Donald Fisher Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, have announced that they will donate $17.5 million to help public schools in New Orleans. The money will go to New Schools for New Orleans, Teach for America, and New Leaders for New Schools. The funds will be used by the three organizations to train new teachers and principals and support new charter schools. It will be the first large scale donation from the philanthropic community to the schools in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina hit.
“This is huge for New Orleans,” said Shannon L. Jones, the executive director of the Scott S. Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives at Tulane University. “There has been concern about sustaining the momentum that has emerged here … this money will help create sustainable changes and put in place a pipeline for future school leaders, classroom leaders, and district leaders.”
Nearly $10 million will go to New Schools for New Orleans, an organization that has been involved in a majority of the 40 new charter schools that have been established since Hurricane Katrina. Teach for America will receive $6.5 million to help recruit and train recent college graduates to become teachers in New Orleans. New Leaders for New Schools will receive $1 million to continue their quest to recruit and train 40 new principals for New Orleans.
For more information about the donation please read the following article, “New Orleans Schools Get Record $17.5M Gift,” at http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-12-12-new-orleans-donation_N.htm.
Scores Rise Among Perspective Teachers
According to a recent report by the Educational Testing Service, the teaching profession is attracting higher qualified candidates. From 2002 to 2005 students who took state licensing exams had higher SAT scores and high school GPAs than their counterparts in the mid-1990s.
The college GPA’s of prospective teachers also rose from the 1990s. About 40% of prospective teachers had a GPA of 3.5 or above on 4.0 scale. This is a tremendous gain from the 1990s when only 26% of the candidates scored 3.5 or higher.
Many countries with top performing schools, such as Finland and Singapore, recruit teachers from the top third of their college graduates. Some studies have shown, however, that the United States recruits from the bottom third.
Richelle Patterson of the American Federation of Teachers was heartened to see the results of the study. “When you're used to hearing bad news about the profession, any time you hear some good news … it's always a good thing.”
To read more about the report please read the following article titled “Teacher Qualifications Improve in the Last Decade” at http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-12-11-teacher-qualifications_N.htm
A New Ranking of America’s Best Schools
U.S. News and World Report has released their first ever ranking of America’s best high schools. To determine which schools would make the list, U.S. News and World Report used three different sets of criteria: school’s performance on state tests; how the school’s disadvantaged performed on the state tests; and the amount of college-level coursework provided by the schools.
Over 1,500 schools were honored by U.S. News and World Report. One hundred schools received gold medals, 405 schools received silver medals, and 1,086 schools received bronze medals. The schools honored represent a diverse group of areas and students. For example, the first-place winner is Thomas Jefferson High School, in Fairfax County, VA, an affluent Washington, DC suburb. Not too far behind in the rankings is Hidalgo High School, a school on the border of Texas and Mexico where many of the children are immigrants.
To view the full list of schools who were honored please go to http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2007/11/29/americas-best-high-schools.html