Click here to return to OFCN's Main Index Page.
--- Monday --- June 3, 1996 --- Vol. 6 --- No. 53 ---
D #### ##### #### ### #### #### ##### ### #### ####
A ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ##
I #### #### #### ## ## #### ## ## ##### #### ## ##
L ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ##
Y ## ## ##### ## ### ## ## ## ##### ## ## ## ## ####
THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
A service of the National Education Goals Panel
__________ __________
REVIEW OF BOOKS | SPOTLIGHT |
Seven education books are | |
dissected and discussed by Sara | WAR ON POVERTY |
Mosle, staff writer at THE NEW | |
YORKER, in THE NEW REPUBLIC | Some claim that 1960s |
(6/17). Her article goes | policies clearly have not |
beyond the traditional book | produced solutions for the |
review by weaving together book | 1990s. For example, the |
themes and approaches used, or | interconnectedness between |
misused, by authors. | poverty and education still |
Books reviewed include: | plagues America's children. |
"Amazing Grace," Jonathan | |
Kozol; "Dumbing Down Our Kids," | Results from Minn.'s |
Charles Sykes; "The Manufac- | statewide basic-skills test |
tured Crisis: Myths, Fraud, | illustrates the role |
and the Attack on America's | poverty plays in education, |
Public Schools," David Berliner | say some observers. An |
and Bruce Biddle; "The Power of | "overwhelming" number of |
Their Ideas," Deborah Meier; | children of color and |
"Possible Lives: "THe Promise | poverty failed to pass |
of Public Education in | the reading and math exam. |
America," Mike Rose; "Tinkering | A gulf exists between city |
Toward Utopia," David Tyack and | and suburban students: an |
Larry Cuban; and "The Tennessee | even wider one between |
Study of Class Size in the | white city children and |
Early School Grades," Frederick | city children of color.(#2) |
Mosteller. | |
| Some pooh-pooh poverty as |
DESPERATELY SEEKING A GRANT | a reason for poor perfor- |
Turn to the U.S. DoEd's | mance. Lack of family |
Grants and Contracts Service | stability, not simply |
home page: GCSWeb. E-mail the | poverty, thwarts schools' |
DoEd if you have ideas on | and students' efforts to |
issues to be addressed on the | beat the odds, they say. |
home page: gcsweb@ed.gov. |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"Confrontation is not working in many places anymore. And we
cannot always excuse ourselves from blame for failing schools."
-- NEA President Keith Geiger. (#6)
_______________________________________________________________
| 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 |
|
|_______________________________________________________________|
============== TABLE OF CONTENTS ==============
GOAL ONE: SCHOOL READINESS
ALL DAY LONG?: Kindergartners have choice in Mo. district.(#1)
GOAL THREE: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CITIZENSHIP
SKILLS-TEST FAILURES: What they mean in Minneapolis. (#2)
GOAL EIGHT: PARENTAL PARTICIPATION
RECRUIT AND RESPECT: Getting parents involved. (#3)
STATESIDE
NOT A PRAYER OF A CHANCE: Chiles vetoes bill. (#4)
PROMISING PRACTICES
BLUE-RIBBON WINNERS: President Clinton honors schools. (#5)
THE UNION MOVEMENT
NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: Struggling with reform. (#6)
*** NOTE: The DAILY REPORT CARD will begin its summer schedule
next week. Beginning on Wed., 12 June, the DAILY REPORT CARD
will publish only once-a-week, on Wed. We will back on our
regular three-day-a-week schedule in September.
===== GOAL ONE: SCHOOL READINESS =====
*1 ALL DAY LONG?: KINDERGARTNERS HAVE A CHOICE IN MO. DISTRICT
A full-day kindergarten program will commence this fall in
the Ferguson-Florissant School District in Mo. (Levy, St. Louis
POST-DISPATCH, 5/26). However, one school will be selected to
continue offering a half-day program for parents who do not want
to send their child to school all day.
The district's school board approved the proposal by a 6 to
1 vote. Jeannette Wansing dissented from the vote, charging that
an expanded kindergarten program was financial "perilous,"
reports the paper.
According to the paper, state funds will support the
program. While the program is expected to cost about $600,000 to
hire new teachers, the estimated increase in state expenditure to
the district for use on any program is $1.2M.
A survey conducted for the district's Early Education
Committee found that 85% of those surveyed supported a full-day
kindergarten, writes the paper. However, some parents voiced
opposition and claimed the survey was biased because it did not
make clear transportation needs. "Kindergarten is working; why
fix something that's not broke," said parent Robin House.
The paper reports that another district study observed that
the half-day program was not successful in teaching children with
"widely varying abilities to learn."
Kindergarten remains an option for children in Mo. The
legal age to begin school is 7, writes the paper.
===== GOAL THREE: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CITIZENSHIP =====
*2 SKILLS-TEST FAILURES: WHAT THEY MEAN IN MINNEAPOLIS
Students across Minn. took the first statewide basic-skills
test this year; an exam mandated under the state's new graduation
rule that requires students to score a 70% or higher to graduate
by the year 2000 (Smith and Drew, Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE,
5/25). The results indicate that an "overwhelming" number of
eighth-grade students of color and those from disadvantaged
backgrounds failed to pass both the reading and math test,
reports the paper.
"Some of these kids are struggling now; they'll take the
test in ninth-, 10th- and 12th-grade, try to pass it, and by
then, the motivation will be gone," said Bill Brown, Minneapolis
research and evaluation director. "Those kids, what are they
going to do?" The graduation law allows students who fail the
test to retest until they pass, notes the paper.
Other findings: a "wide gulf" exists between city and
suburban students; and an even "deeper gulf" among Minneapolis
white students and students of color, according to the STAR
TRIBUNE. About eight of 10 black students failed the math and
reading tests. Slightly more than three of 10 white students
failed both tests.
Many educators claim poverty is the chief reason minority
students scored so poorly on the exam. According to the paper,
about six of 10 Minneapolis students receive free or reduced-
price lunches. Among students receiving free or reduced-price
lunches, nearly 80% failed the reading and test, and 74% did not
pass the math exam. Forty-four percent of students not on a
subsidized lunch failed reading, and 38% failed math.
However, others charge that being disadvantaged too often is
a "scapegoat" for poor work. "The expectation is very, very
low," said David Rabb, a Minneapolis parent and social work
supervisor. "I think it's criminal." Wilder Elementary
Principal Azell Smith, whose school serves low-income children,
argued that "family income is not as important as how strong the
family is," writes the paper. Smith: "Our mobility is very,
very high: Fifty percent of the kids we receive in September,
they may not be here in May of the same school year."
On the other side of the tracks, Principal Steven DeLapp,
said his students did well because Barton Elementary has an
"incredibly stable population, and I'm sure that makes a
difference." He added: "We have a very involved parent
community and a strong teaching staff."
Overall, 63% of students passed the reading test and 76%
earned a passing score on the math exam (Smetanka and Hotakainen,
Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 5/29). A conflict arose over releasing
the scores district by district. Gov Arne Carlson (R) argued
that citizens "deserve a simplified system in which parents and
taxpayers could compare a school's academic performance as easily
as they can gauge the success of sports teams," writes the paper.
However, state DoEd officials preferred to present results
by "clumps" of districts, which would allow comparisons among
urban, rural and suburban schools. They claim that districts
test students in different grades and some test special-education
students, while others did not. For some DoEd officials, it
would be "irresponsible" for the state to release information on
a district-by-district basis.
==== GOAL EIGHT: PARENTAL PARTICIPATION ====
*3 RECRUIT AND RESPECT: GETTING PARENTS INVOLVED
An ORLANDO SENTINEL editorial complains that school advisory
committees, set in law in 1991, continue to be "dominated by
school employees." (5/22) The paper goads school leaders to
recruit parents and, once they are on board, respect their
contribution at meetings.
From the paper: "It's up to school principals and their
bosses at the district level to make sure that parents and
community members are treated like valuable partners at school
advisory committee meetings." According to the paper, some
parents and business leaders have complained about being treated
as "outsiders" at committee meetings. "Parents report becoming
discouraged when principals disregard their concerns," writes the
paper.
The paper ponders whether state lawmakers were "overly
idealistic" when they passed "Blueprint 2000," the 1991 law that
created school advisory councils. "The burden is on schools and
school districts to broaden representation and to give committees
meaningful responsibilities," pens the paper.
Efforts in Central Florida are lauded by the paper.
"They're recruiting parents at athletic events, community centers
and wherever parents congregate; providing free baby-sitting;
providing free transportation; and holding meetings at times
convenient to working parents," write the paper.
The SENTINEL encourages districts to offer districtwide
meetings so successful committees can share their insights with
those attempting to build broad-based advisory councils.
===== STATESIDE =====
*4 NOT A PRAYER OF A CHANCE: CHILES VETOES BILL
Fla. Gov Lawton Chiles (D) vetoed a school prayer bill
approved earlier this year by the state Legislature (Chiles press
release, 5/31). "School prayer was an everyday occurrence for me
as a student of public school ... Listening and trying to place
myself in the circumstance of a minority, however, gives me a
different perspective. I do not believe that the right to
petition the Divine should be granted or withheld by majority
vote."
The bill, HB 1041, would have permitted school boards to
approve student-led prayer at voluntary assemblies at middle and
high schools, which include sporting events and graduation
ceremonies, writes the paper. Under the bill, the prayer would
have to be nonsectarian.
Chiles was inundated with calls and letter concerning the
bill, writes the MIAMI HERALD (Silva and Bridges, 5/30). The
governor received 7,012 letters opposing the bill and 3,471 in
favor. He also was contacted by phone: 6,000 callers registered
in against the bill, 2,000 for it. According to the paper, this
is a record number of calls and letters on a bill since Chiles
became governor in 1991.
Chiles also claimed the bill violated the First Amendment
doctrine of separation of church and state. "[O]ur forefathers
bound us to a twofold principle: that in the United States we
shall have freedom of religion as well as freedom from religion.
... What our Founders knew is that the decision as to whether to
pray, when to pray, and to whom to pray, is an intensely personal
decision that cannot be decided by majority vote."
Chiles added: "Further, the school prayer provision will
diminish the importance of the views and beliefs of those who are
not within the majority. The public schools in our pluralistic
society are grounded upon the principle of inclusion. School
programs which at their best bring people together in common
bonds -- at sporting events, school assemblies and commencement
exercises -- could be turned into events that could tear people
apart."
The school prayer legislation was part of an education
initiative that would have toughened graduation requirements for
high school students. It also provided funds for smaller class
size in kindergarten and first grade.
==== PROMISING PRACTICES ====
*5 BLUE-RIBBON WINNERS: PRESIDENT CLINTON HONORS 29 SCHOOLS
Representatives from over 200 schools nationwide attended a
ceremony honoring their efforts on the South Lawn of the White
House last week. The 13th Blue Ribbon School Recognition event
is the nation's top school award given by the U.S. DoEd.
Four Dade County schools were winners. According to the
MIAMI HERALD, the Dade schools "offer what many consider the
future of education," including a curriculum that gives students
a chance to develop "areas of expertise" and admission policies
that encourage students from around the county to attend
(Granader, 5/30). Three of the schools are public school magnet
programs -- Design and Architecture High, Maritime and Science
Technology High and Carver Middle School. The fourth is a small
Catholic school for girls -- Our Lade of Lourdes Academy.
One Ark. middle school earned a Blue Ribbon. Old High
Middle School was founded as a bridge between elementary school
and high school. "Elementary school is the safe shoreline, and
everything happens along the shore," said Peggy WHite, a social
studies teacher. "High school is like a big scary island. We're
a bridge to junior high.
The school pulls sixth-graders from the elementary schools
and seventh-grades from junior high to form a middle school
"shielded from the shock of constantly changing faces and
classes, once associates with the seventh grade," writes the Ark.
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE (5/30). Teacher teams work with the same
students year round, reports the paper. Besides teaching, the
teams plan joint projects based on themes. For example, the
history teachers devoted three week to study of the Roman Empire,
the math teacher focused on how to calculate Roman numerals and
students wrote essays about Rome in English class, reports the
paper.
Over 200 public schools and 50 private schools were honored
this year. Twenty-nine schools were recognized for their
technology initiatives and three for parental involvement
efforts, part of a DoEd special emphasis on technology and
parental involvement (DoEd press release, 5/24).
==== THE UNION MOVEMENT ====
*6 NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: STRUGGLING WITH REFORM
Keith Geiger, president of the National Education
Association, has called on his members to engage in flexible
thinking (Sanchez, WASH POST, 6/3). "We really do have to change
the way we operate," he told the POST. "Confrontation is not
working in many places anymore," he added. "And we cannot always
excuse ourselves from blame for failing schools."
However, critics charge union policies continue to stymie
meaningful education reform, writes the paper. The union, a
longtime supporter of the Democratic party, traditionally has
faced antagonists from the GOP and Christian conservatives.
Lately, even some educators have become critics of the NEA,
according to the paper.
NEA efforts have met with much success in Congress. The
POST observes that even this year when Republicans control
Congress, the union was able to defeat a school voucher plan for
Washington, D.C., students to attend private schools. However,
the battle looms larger at the state and local level.
A case-in-point is the Wilkinsburg, Pa., school board's
decision to hire a private firm to run Turner Elementary School.
Local NEA members challenged the decision and attempted to toss
several school board members out at the next election. According
to the paper, the union ran several candidates and spent about
$30,000 in the election -- "10 times more than incumbents." But
it was all for not. The incumbents retained their seats. "The
union really came after us, " said Emma Madison, a board member
who voted for privatization. "But it shows how much people want
to try new ideas for schools. It was a real lesson for them."
Other battles at the state and local level are proving
equally as difficult since Republicans control the legislature or
the governor's office in most states. The POST reports that the
NEA, "under pressure from its own members," is trying to be less
partisan by working with some Republicans.
Union leaders also point to several of their reform projects
that "would have been unimaginable a decade ago," writes the
paper. For example, local chapters in Mich. and Kan. agreed to
the Edison Project managing public schools and selecting
teachers. The California chapter, while blocking voucher
legislation, let pass a charter school law, insisting only on a
cap of 100 until the charters could be evaluated, reports the
POST. Last month, the NEA launched its own charter school
program. And it held its first conference on school reform.
However, the NEA continues to do battle in Wilkinsburg,
where Geiger charges that privatization violates state law.
"They just threw teachers on the street," he said. "We'll never
stand for that." But Geiger did not let the union off the hook.
Geiger: "We have to share blame when it gets so bad in a school
that people are willing to try anything. Before they reach that
point, we have to do a much better job of being part of the
solution."
Click here to return to OFCN's
Academy Program
Click here to return to OFCN's Main Index Page.
John Kurilecjmk@ofcn.org