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--- Wednesday --- February 21, 1996 --- Vol. 6 --- No. 17 ---
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THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
A service of the National Education Goals Panel
__________ __________
ON-LINE LEARNING | SPOTLIGHT |
... is on the rise in schools | |
across the country. Half of | 21st CENTURY UNIONISM |
the nation's schools have | |
Internet access, up from 35% | Top-notch teachers are |
one year ago, according to a | key to quality education, |
U.S. DoEd study. Schools | particularly as the nation |
hooked up to the Internet tend | is driven by a next-century |
to be bigger, wealthier and | economy. Yet teacher |
suburban. Poor and minority | unionism is caught in a |
students are less likely to | time warp, which traps |
have Internet access. Ed Sec | teachers in a blue-collar, |
Richard Riley cautions that | industrial-trade world. |
"learning on-line must not | |
become a new fault line in | U.S.NEWS & WORLD REPORT |
American education." The study | delivers a litany of woes |
also found that while 50% of | caused by teacher unions. |
schools are connected to the | Seniority systems that pro- |
Internet, only 9% of classrooms | mote time over value and |
are hooked up, triple the | work rules that discourage |
percentage from two years ago. | going the extra mile are |
Other findings: 65% of HSs and | among the problems. |
46% of grade schools are | |
connected; the Northeast leads | But a "new vision" is on |
with access in 69% of schools. | the horizon, advanced by |
Copies of the report are | the man who brought tradi- |
available by calling 800/424- | tional collective bargain- |
1616; or on the Internet at | ing to the teachers' table. |
gopher.ed.gov, Port: 10,000. | AFT President Albert |
The path is NCES Publications | Shanker says its time for a |
and Reports; Elementary/Secon- | change. And if teacher |
dary Education Publications and | unions don't, "public |
Reports; Fast Response Survey | education is going to |
System; Advanced Telecommunica- | collapse," he warns.(#1) |
tions in U.S. Public Schools. |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"The name of the game is not to pass the buck, but to pass the
proficiency test." -- Benjamen Turner, director of the Cleveland
school district's Center for School Improvement. (#3)
_______________________________________________________________
| A service of the National Education Goals Panel |
| Published by the Education Policy Network |
| 1255 22nd Street NW; Wash, D.C.; 20037; 202/632-0952 |
| The DRC hereby authorizes further reproduction and |
| distribution with proper acknowledgement. |
| Publisher: Barbara A. Pape |
Staff Writer: Elizabeth Gage |
|_______________________________________________________________|
============== TABLE OF CONTENTS ==============
GOAL FOUR: TEACHER EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
THE PROBLEM WITH TEACHING?: The unions. (#1)
GOAL FIVE: MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE
PILOT PROGRAM: Exploring on-line algebra. (#2)
GOAL EIGHT: PARENTAL PARTICIPATION
PARENT PLEDGE: A promise of responsibility. (#3)
MONEY MATTERS
DADE SCHOOLS: Facing cuts in Title I. (#4)
PROMISING PRACTICES
CELEBRATION: Atlanta educators & parents launch new plan.(#5)
GOVERNANCE
ST. VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE?: Not in Boston. (#6)
TESTS AND TESTING
GREATLY EXAGERATED?: Death of Iowa tests of basic skills. (#7)
==== GOAL FOUR: TEACHER EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ====
*1 THE PROBLEM WITH TEACHING?: THE UNIONS
Collective bargaining for teachers began 34 years ago in New
York City; and since then teacher unions have become the "single
most influential force in public education," writes U.S. NEWS &
WORLD REPORT (Toch, Bennefield, Hawkins and Loeb, 2/26).
Unionism is the primary reason why good teachers leave and lousy
teachers are able to keep their jobs, according to the magazine.
Teacher unions initially were created for good reason: "The
vast majority of teachers were poorly paid and subject to
patronage hiring and other inequities," writes U.S. NEWS.
Thirty-seven states now have teacher collective bargaining laws
on the books and 90% of the nation's teaching force belongs to
either the National Education Association or the American
Federation of Teachers.
However, schools have "paid a large price" at the bargaining
table, reports the magazine. From the magazine: "By embracing
old-style industrial-labor tactics, the unionism of traditional
auto plants and steel mills, the AFT and the NEA have given
teaching the feel of classic blue-collar work, where winning
workers big checks for the shortest possible hours has been the
aim and the quality of the product is considered to be
management's worry."
U.S. NEWS goes on to list several major problems associated
with teacher unionism. First, the seniority system, embraced by
unions, only guarantees that veteran teachers keep their jobs.
Newly hired teachers who possess strong skills in teaching are
often the first fired when budget cuts disrupt the classroom.
Another quandary presented by seniority rules is they leave
principals with little authority to select teachers. "If
principals can't hire and fire, they can't shape a team with a
shared sense of mission, something that all good schools have,"
explained Carlyn Kelley, a professor of education at the U of
Wisconsin at Madison.
U.S. NEWS also reports that unions advise teachers to work
out of their subject area when jobs are threatened. However, the
NEA is on record to fight "any attempt to diminish the quality of
learning or services through ... the involuntary assignment [of
teachers] out of [their] field [of licensure]." Michael Levin, a
Pa. labor lawyer who represents school systems: "The seniority
system may work well in a factory where you're just connecting
widgets, but it makes no sense in public schools."
The teacher union movement also makes it virtually
impossible to get rid of incompetent teachers, writes the
magazine. In New York State, the average cost to fire a teacher
is $200,000, notes the magazine. Union officials counter that
tenure rules work against "capricious" firings, writes U.S. NEWS.
However, Calif. school board lawyer Mary Jo McGrath conceded that
administrators often strike deals with union leaders that give
unworthy teachers satisfactory reviews in return for union help
in transferring the teacher to another school. "The whole system
is corrupt," said Joseph Biteritti, a New York U professor. "It
says to hard-working teachers that there are no standards, that
it doesn't matter."
Other obstacles presented by the unionization of teachers
include: licensing systems that often preclude the best and the
brightest from obtaining appropriate teaching jobs; union work
rules that work against teachers who want to go the extra mile;
and a pay system that does not reward quality, according to the
magazine.
U.S. NEWS also charges that union leaders tend to "buck the
call for reform." Instead, unions pour vast sums of money into
political campaigns for issues or candidates that support the
status quo, into court battles to protect collective bargaining
and into public relations, notes the magazine.
The magazine points out that in recent years unions have
softened their opposition to reform measures, partly in response
to growing public dissatisfaction with public schools and
Republican-dominated legislatures. Unions also may be ready for
change due to surveys of young teachers that revealed a rejection
of union's "commitment to industrial unionism and partisan
politics," reports the magazine. "We're losing the public
battle," acknowledged Ed Doherty, the "reform-minded" president
of the Boston Teachers' Union, writes the magazine. "The
survival of public education is at stake."
U.S. NEWS also mentions the transformation of American
Federation of Teachers President Albert Shanker, who 30 years ago
brought "hard-edged unionism" to public schools. Shanker's "new
vision" of teacher unionism continues to protect members but also
stresses teacher responsibility for ensuring the quality of the
profession. "In the future, teacher unions should be about
teachers standards," he said. Shanker intends to present
proposals for teacher-quality reform to his membership at their
summer convention. Among changes endorsed by Shanker are: high
entrance standards, performance pay, a streamlining of due-
process protection and other initiatives that "break sharply with
[current] industrial union practices," writes the magazine.
Shanker: "Unless we restore the public's faith in what we
do, public education is going to collapse."
==== GOAL FIVE: MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE =====
*2 PILOT PROGRAM: EXPLORING ON-LINE ALGEBRA
Montgomery County schools currently are participating in a
pilot project that uses computers to teach algebra to seventh-
grade students (Beyers, THE WASH POST, 2/19). Associate
Superintendent Joseph S. Villani said the county joined the
experiment to see if computer-based instruction helps students
advance faster than regular classroom courses and instruction.
The on-line programs used in the experiment were developed
by Stanford University's Educational Program for Gifted Youth,
writes the paper. The university designed the program for top
students who do not have access to higher level classes in public
or private schools. Two dozen courses from elementary
mathematics and English composition to advanced calculus and
physics are available on-line through the program. The
university currently is working with approximately 1,000 students
nationwide, writes the paper.
Montgomery County pays $195 a quarter for each student
participating in the Stanford program. Students access lessons
via computer discs, and are required to e-mail their homework to
Stanford on a weekly basis. Students also may use e-mail or a
toll free phone number to ask questions of Stanford faculty or
graduate students. Classroom teachers also check to make sure
that students are progressing through the lessons, notes the
POST.
The on-line lessons are simple: Students hear a teacher
lecturing and chalk scratching on a blackboard. Before a student
begins a new lesson the computer conducts a pop quiz based on
previous homework problems. If a student gets a quiz or homework
question wrong, the computer provides more instruction. This
helps to ensure that students do their homework and that they
understand the material, reports the paper.
Computers also track the time it takes for students to
complete their lessons. Information then is shipped to Stanford
so program administrators can tell if a student is working at an
appropriate pace. Students who complete the course are eligible
for Stanford credit hours. Thus far, Montgomery County students
are on track to finish the program within this school year,
writes the paper.
Ray Ravalgia, director of operations for the Stanford
program, explained that students who finish the program usually
do well. However, about one quarter of the students enrolled in
the on-line program drop out before finishing. Ravalgia claims
that attrition is due to students who cram the program into an
already busy academic and social schedule. Other students do not
enjoy the technological approach to learning, according to the
paper.
==== GOAL EIGHT: PARENTAL PARTICIPATION ====
*3 PARENT PLEDGE: A PROMISE OF RESPONSIBILITY
Cleveland school officials are urging parents to get
involved in their child's education by sponsoring the "Parents'
Pledge of Responsibility," a program designed for parents of
middle and high school students (Stephens, Cleveland PLAIN
DEALER, 2/13). Parents were asked to report to their child's
school last week to take the oath.
The pledge calls on parents to ensure their children spend
90 minutes a night on homework, get to bed on time, attend school
each day and "unplug the television and open a book," writes the
paper. Parents also are encouraged to visit their child's school
and get involved in activities.
"The name of the game is not to pass the buck, but to pass
the proficiency test," declared Benjamen Turner, director of the
district's Center for School Improvement. According to the
paper, the pledge was created "to stoke enthusiasm for next
month's proficiency tests."
State Rep C.J. Prentiss (D) commented that the pledge
guarantees "basic things we know will make a difference, and it
costs no money." The PLAIN DEALER reports that dozens of elected
officials were present last week to "lend moral support" to the
program.
Parents who showed up at their child's school to take the
pledge also learned about ways to improve their child's test
performance, including tutoring and practice testing programs,
notes the paper.
===== MONEY MATTERS =====
*4 DADE SCHOOLS: FACING CUTS IN TITLE I
Dade County, Fla., schools could face staff layoffs for the
second consecutive year and may lose $10M in federal Title I
funding if federal budget negotiations are delayed in Washington
(Mailander, MIAMI HERALD, 2/13). Schools are preparing to layoff
teachers' aides, parent outreach coordinators and some teachers
next year in response to proposed cuts in Title I money.
The federal government changed Title I grant rules for the
1995-96 school year, forcing Dade schools to layoff 89 school
workers, writes the paper. Under the new rules, school districts
receive the same amount of funds but are required to divide the
money among a larger number of schools.
According to the paper, the resolution currently funding the
federal government expires on 15 March. If Congress and
President Clinton fail to agree on a budget, the pending
resolution, which calls for a $3B cut in education funding, will
be adopted. Fla. stands to loose $47M in Title I funds under
this scenario.
In a press conference last week, U.S. Ed Sec Richard Riley
said, "Layoffs, teachers transferred out of their classrooms and
doors once open for student learning suddenly slammed shut will
be the shameful result of inadequate stop-gap funding."
Opponents of Title I include Republican House and Senate
members, reports the paper. They claim little evidence exists
that proves that Title I funding to disadvantaged schools results
in "higher test scores and improved learning," according to the
paper. This year, Title I students in Dade did improve scores
on the Stanford Achievement Test, however, the majority of scores
still rank below the national median.
"We're terribly concerned about this," said John Johnson II,
assistant superintendent of grants administration in Dade. "The
uncertainty is almost as bad as the pending cuts. It makes it
difficult for schools to plan for next year. It's already
wreaking havoc."
==== PROMISING PRACTICES ====
*5 CELEBRATION: ATLANTA EDUCATORS AND PARENTS LAUNCH NEW PLAN
Atlanta school officials last week publicly celebrated an
effort to reinvent the 60,000-student school system. (Towns,
ATLANTA CONSTITUTION 2/14). "What we have begun... is nothing
short of a complete transformation of public education in
Atlanta," said Superintendent Benjamin Canada.
The reinvention effort, known as, the "Strategic Plan,"
details initiatives to achieve four goals: all students will
graduate; each student will exceed national norms while achieving
individual learning goals; each child will succeed in a global
environment; all schools will achieve at least the 90th
percentile on any national assessment. The four goals were set
by a group of 26 Atlanta residents including parents and
educators.
School board members claim the plan is a response to voters
who ousted a handful of board members in the 1993 elections. The
planning effort will proceed through June. During the summer
months, district officials will approve the plan for
implementation in Sept.
==== GOVERNANCE ====
*6 ST. VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE?: NOT IN BOSTON
Thomas Payzant, superintendent of Boston schools, plans to
give principals unprecedented powers as part of his effort to
revamp the school system (Cornell, BOSTON HERALD, 1/14).
However, his plan came as a surprise to many principals who
expected massive layoffs last week.
Payzant intends to cut middle management and replace it with
a principal-controlled system, notes the paper. The current
system is divided into elementary, middle and high school levels;
each level is controlled by an administrator, who answers to an
assistant superintendent, who in turn, reports to Payzant. The
new system will establish 10 mixed cluster groups of elementary,
middle and high schools. Each cluster will be led by a principal
who will report directly to Payzant.
Last week, principals braced themselves for massive staff
changes as Payzant weeds out "weaker school leaders," the paper
writes. "Everybody's been calling it the St. Valentine's Day
Massacre, and everyone's been ducking for cover," said one
principal. "Maybe it's going to be better than they think."
Teachers in the system are skeptical about the promise of
change. "If you've been in the system for 30 years, you've been
through 15 reorganizations," said Edward Doherty, president of
the Boston Teachers Union. "It's not something that excites
teachers. For most teachers, the response is a big yawn."
==== TESTS AND TESTING ====
*7 GREATLY EXAGERATED?: DEATH OF IOWA TESTS OF BASIC SKILLS
A CHICAGO TRIBUNE headline trumpeted the demise of the Iowa
Tests of Basic Skills for Chicago public school students (Haynes
and Martinez, 2/15). According to the paper, a group of Chicago
educators, led by Mayor Richard Daley (D), announced plans to
"drop the standardized test used by every other school district
in the country." Instead, public school officials would create
new tests that better assess what students are taught. Days
later, Chicago Schools Chief Executive Officer Paul Vallas denied
plans to forsake the Iowa tests. "We have made no decision to
jettison the Iowa," he said.
Many educators question abandoning the Iowa, which is
nationally normed, for local tests because of the potential to
manipulate the local exam and "artificially inflate achievement,"
notes the paper. The move to eliminate the Iowa also signals
that the district is "surrendering to the notion that students
will never meet national standards," writes the paper. Lynn St.
James, chief education officer, counters that the local exams
will not "be something that we'll just make up; we'll use trained
test designers to assist on this." She added that the district
would hire a firm to design a test based on "national standards,
state standards and our own set of standards."
Vallas later that week contradicted reports that the city
was ready to toss the Iowa. He explained that the school system
first would address the issue of standards. Vallas: "We will
develop a system of very high standards that everyone will be
expected to teach in core curriculum areas -- they will be
uniform standards across the system, and once those standards are
developed we will then address the issue of whether or not we
need to develop another assessment system."
The TRIBUNE reports that the notion of local assessments has
been controversial for some time (Haynes, 2/17). Vallas stated
that he wants to defer the testing debate until new, higher
standards are developed, writes the paper.
John Easton, Chicago's director of research, evaluation and
planning, noted that while the Iowa tests are given in many
states, Chicago is the only one of the country's five largest
school district to use the test (Rossi, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 2/16).
Easton: "Calling the Iowas a standard is like saying people's
average weight is the standard for good health. That doesn't say
if it's good or bad. Why is that a national standards? Why not
say 'We want kids to know their ABCs,' and then test it?"
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