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--- Wednesday --- August 7, 1996 --- Vol. 6 --- No. 61 ---
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THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
A service of the National Education Goals Panel
__________ __________
MORE CHARTER LAWS ON BOOKS | SPOTLIGHT |
Five more states -- Conn., | |
Fla., Ill., N.C. and S.C. -- | UNION TALK |
recently passed charter school | |
legislation, making a total of | The National Education |
25 states and D.C. with charter | Association and the |
school laws, according to the | American Federation of |
Education Commission of the | Teachers have had a busy |
States. ECS has determined | summer preparing reports on |
that the new laws are | teacher professional |
"stronger" than in the past | development, standards and |
primarily because "more recent | charter schools. |
bills allow for alternative | |
sponsors of charters besides | From the National |
the local school district or | Foundation for the |
they include an appeals process | Improvement of Education, a |
for applications rejected by | group founded by the NEA: |
school districts," explained | "Teachers Take Charge of |
Alex Medler, ECS policy | Their Learning," a report |
analyst. | on teacher survey results |
Medler noted other provisions | and recommendations to |
that bolster charter laws: | invigorate professional |
provide adequate funding; | development. (#1) |
resources for start-up costs; | |
assistance with preliminary | From the AFT: "Making |
planning; and improved access | Standards Better," a 50- |
to appropriate facilities. | state report on the |
| progress of the standards |
NEW GOALS PANEL MEMBERS | movement. (#4) And |
Wis. Gov Tommy Thompson (R) | "Charter School Laws: Do |
and Ky. Gov Paul Patton (D) | They Measure Up," which |
recently were appointed new | finds little common ground |
members of the National | with a Hudson Institute |
Education Goals Panel. They | report on charters. (#8) |
will serve two-year terms. |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"Teacher development is not just acquiring a degree and getting a
teaching license; teacher development is about career-long
learning." -- Arthur Wise, chairman of the National Foundation
for the Improvement of Education. (#1)
_______________________________________________________________
| 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 FOUR: TEACHER EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMEN
TAKING CHARGE: Teachers and professional development. (#1)
STATESIDE
PRINCIPAL REWARDS: Enrages some teachers in Texas. (#2)
SHAPE UP TIME: Louisiana targets "worst" schools. (#3)
STANDARD BEARERS
MARCH OF PROGRESS: A report on the standards movement. (#4)
MONEY MATTERS
TALKING STRIKE: Budget cuts trouble Cleveland teachers.(#5)
THE PRIVATE EYE
TO THE VICTORS: Goes public dollars for private schools. (#6)
GETTING SERIOUS: Toledo and Public Strategies Inc. (#7)
CHARTING A NEW COURSE
CHARTER SCHOOLS: Two visions, two views . (#8)
TIME AND LEARNING
BUCKING THE TREND: La. school opts for four-day week.(#9)
===== GOAL FOUR: TEACHER EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT =====
*1 TAKING CHARGE: TEACHERS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
America's teachers find they have little time and
opportunity to gain valuable professional development
experiences, according to a survey of more than 800 teachers
nationwide. "Teachers Take Charge of Their Learning:
Transforming Professional Development for Student Success" was
released by the National Foundation for the Improvement of
Education, a group founded by the National Education Association.
The report also advances the notion that the teaching
profession must "weav[e] continuous learning into the fabric of
the teaching job as the foundation for large-scale improvement of
student achievement in schools." "Schools can only be as good as
the teachers in them," said NFIE Executive Director Judith Renyi.
"This is something that all other so-called 'reform efforts' have
missed," she added.
Findings from the report include: almost three in four said
they engage in professional growth to improve student
achievement; 55% said they participate in professional
development to improve their teaching skills; only 5% said they
engaged in professional development to earn extra money.
"Taking Charge" makes several recommendations including:
help teachers take charge of their own learning; find time for
continuous professional development; develop partnerships; and
determine resources.
"Teacher development is not just acquiring a degree and
getting a teaching license; teacher development is about career-
long learning," said Arthur Wise, chairman of the NFIE Board of
Directors. He added: "One size does not fit all and that
approach must be abandoned and replaced with school-based teacher
learning that is focused on what students need to attain high
standards of learning."
Wise and Renyi said NFIE plans to implement the report's
recommendations in sixteen model sites throughout the country and
invites the profession and the public to join the effort. NFIE
has received grants from The Carnegie COrporation of New York and
other private funders to build high-quality and continuous
learning into teachers' daily, weekly and year-long work.
The program, "A Change in Course," will provide a total of
$525,000 over three years in grants to union affiliates, subject-
based teacher associations, teacher networks and centers,
nonprofit consortia, alliances and partnerships that are
representative of and led by teachers or their designated
leaders, said Renyi. Letters of intent to apply must be
postmarked by 1 November. For more information contact NFIE;
1201 Sixteenth Street NW; Washington, D.C. 20036-3207; 202/822-
7840.
Copies of the report are available for $15.00, plus $3.00
shipping and handling from NFIE Publications; P.O. Box 509, West
Haven, Conn. 06516.
===== STATESIDE =====
*2 PRINCIPAL REWARDS: ENRAGES SOME TEACHERS IN TEXAS
The Principal Performance Incentives Program, part of last
year's Texas education reform bill, was designed to reward
principals at the state's most-improved schools (AP.HOUSTON
CHRONICLE, 8/5). However, it has caused some teachers to be
outraged over being denied a pot of gold.
"We've already gotten calls," said John O'Sullivan of the
Texas Federation of Teachers. "They're just furious. They
say,'My principal is a great guy and has done a great job, but so
have I.'" O'Sullivan said that giving principals a financial
reward when teachers face pay cuts "does not create team spirit."
According to the paper, the law provides for rewards of
either $5,000 or $2,500, depending upon the school's rating and
the criteria being developed by a panel appointed by Gov. George
Bush (R). Guidelines are expected to be completed by the
beginning of next month.
Several principals reported that financial incentives do not
encourage them to do a better job. ""The good principals I know
aren't influenced by money," said Round Rock High School
Principal H. Lynn Russell.
Shelia Anderson, principal of an Austin elementary school,
acknowledged that the program has the potential of creating a
rift between administrators and faculty. "I would like to see
them find a way to honor principals without placing them in a
difficult position," she said.
The CHRONICLE reports that the Texas Successful Schools
Awards System was ended in order to provide the funding for the
principle's incentive program. Sen Bill Ratliff (R): "Had I
known that was going to be the case, I would have opted to keep
the other one." Ratliff was a primary "architect" of last year's
education overhaul, notes the paper.
*3 SHAPE UP TIME: LOUISIANA TARGETS "WORST" SCHOOLS
La. plans to pilot its new school accountability program
this school year by targeting ten of the state's worst schools
for "intensive improvement," writes the NEW ORLEANS TIMES-
PICAYUNE (Shipley, 7/27). The state DoEd will select the schools
based on standardized test scores and other variables including
poverty, crime and percentage of minority population.
Each school will have three years to show "significant
progress." By 1999, the schools could either earn rewards such
as recognition and funds, or be taken over or closed by the
state, reports the paper.
The state's LEARN commission intends to implement the
program statewide beginning in 1997. Currently, the DoEd is
developing data-collection and accountability standards.
According to Board of Elementary and Secondary Education member
Leslie Jacobs the "rubber hits the road" in 2001, when the
consequence phase kicks in to gear.
LEARN commissioners also suggested that schools
Superintendent Cecil Picard appoint two task forces to develop
the plan: one to assess school standards and assessment, the
other to exam a comprehensive accountability program, notes the
paper.
According to a LEARN survey of 604 adults, 83% of
respondents favor more stringent state requirements for
education. Other findings: 73% favored letting school boards
replace principals at poorly performing schools; 80% support laws
that would hold parents responsible for actions of their
children; and 96% favored schools teaching "core societal values"
such as honesty and integrity, notes the paper.
==== STANDARD BEARERS ====
*4 MARCH OF PROGRESS: A REPORT ON THE STANDARDS MOVEMENT
The American Federation of Teachers this week issued its
second annual "Making Standards Matter" report, a 50-state
examination of efforts to develop student learning standards.
"There's a lot of promising activity on standards, but quality
remains a problem," said AFT President Albert Shanker. He added
that most standards "are not specific enough or sufficiently
based on academic content to be useful."
The report analyzes state standards according to the AFT's
criteria for high quality standards. The criteria include: Are
standards based in the four core academic subjects (English,
math, science, social studies? Are they clear and specific
enough to provide the basis for a core curriculum? Are they
benchmarked against exemplary standards from other countries?
Will standards be linked to assessments for students? Will there
be stakes for students attached to meeting standards?
Findings from the report include: states are committed to
improving academic standards and basing them on the core academic
subjects; most state standards are still not clear and specific
enough or adequately grounded in subject-matter content to form
the basis for a core curriculum; most states realize that high-
quality standards should compare with the best in the world, but
only a few have looked at student standards in other countries
and none has done a thorough job of international benchmarking;
forty-two states are developing student assessments linked to
standards, but the insufficient attention to academic content
means that these assessments will rest on a weak foundation; and
less than half the states plan to make their standards "count"
for students by linking them to promotion or graduation.
The report noted that nine states -- Ohio, Va., W.V., Fla.,
Ind., Del., Mass., Calif. and D.C. -- have standards in one or
more subjects that the AFT deems exemplary for their clarity,
specificity and grounding in academic content.
Several recommendations are attached to the report,
including the creation of a national research institute that
would translate materials from overseas and help states benchmark
their standards to the best in the world.
Copies of the report, "Making Standards Matter" (Item # 265)
are available for $10 from the AFT; Public Affairs Department;
555 New Jersey Avenue NW; Washington, D.C. 20001; 202/879-4458.
===== MONEY MATTERS =====
*5 TALKING STRIKE: CLEVELAND TEACHERS TROUBLED BY BUDGET CUTS
Cleveland teacher union leaders are alarmed by drastic,
immediate budget cuts proposed by state officials who currently
run the city's school district (Oritz, Cleveland PLAIN DEALER,
8/2). Teacher union President Richard DeColibus conceeded that
the union is discussing the possibility of a strike and predicted
that if a strike was voted for by teachers, it would be a long
one.
Instead of the immediate cuts that include slashing teacher
salaries, DeColibus has proposed restructuring debt repayments
over a longer period, reports the paper. DeColibus contends that
his proposal would provide sufficient funds to continue operating
the school system and would "head off the cuts that are forcing
the strike issue," notes the paper.
School Superintendent Richard Boyd said debt restructuring
is not a bargaining issue. The paper reprots that district
officials have been "exploring" the issue for some time. "We'll
be happy to talk about what we hope to do with restructuring the
debt," said Gilman King, the distirct's new chief administrative
officer. But the district must first show it to be financially
sound before and debt is restructured, added King, who will join
the teacher contract negotiations. One option to show financial
wherewithall is winning voter approval of a 9.8-mill tax levy in
November, writes the paper. A teacher strike could doom the
success of a levy, according to some observers.
The school district is asking teachers to accept a two-year
contract that includes a 10% wage cut and a wage freeze for the
second year. The 10% wage cut that applies to all district
employees would save the schools $35M to $40M a year, according
to district spokesman Rick Ellis.
State Auditor Jim Petro strongly opposes any extension of
the debt repayment schedule. "This is a district on the verge of
collapse," he said. "It's not good business" to carry an
operating debt, he added. DeColibus: "We're not interested in
going on strike. But if they think they're going to pay for the
debt on our backs ... "
===== THE PRIVATE EYE =====
*6 TO THE VICTORS: GOES PUBLIC DOLLARS FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Ohio is one step closer to becoming the first state to allow
public funds to pay for private and religious schooling (MIAMI
HERALD, 8/1). Judge Lisa Sadler of the Franklin County Common
Pleas Court last week upheld the constitutionality of a voucher
program that grants public funds to parents who send their
children to private or religious schools.
The case is expected to be appealed as high as the U.S.
Supreme Court.
*7 GETTING SERIOUS: TOLEDO AND PUBLIC STRATEGIES INC.
Toledo, Ohio, may become the first school district in the
state to hire a private manager (AP/Cleveland PLAIN DEALER,
7/27). The city's Board of Education has requested a proposal
from Public Strategies Group that calls for a nine-month contract
to manage the district for about $300,000. Public Strategies'
initial proposal was for $615,000. "If they can work within what
we think we can afford and still get the services we need, then
we probably would consider it really seriously," said Patricia
Kennedy, a school board member.
The state DoEd has not yet taken a position on the issue of
a private firm running public schools. "We've just started to
talk about this," said Rebecca Chapman, a spokeswoman for the
DoEd. "We've been watching the process in Toledo."
However, before the board enters into an agreement with the
firm, it will request that Public Strategies participate in
community meetings to determine public sentiment, writes the
paper.
===== CHARTING A NEW COURSE =====
*8 CHARTER SCHOOLS: TWO VISIONS, TWO VIEWS
Two "dueling reports" on charter schools were recently
released -- one by the Hudson Institute and the other by the
American Federation of Teachers, writes the WASH TIMES, (Innerst,
8/3).
"Charter Schools in Action: What Have We Learned,"
published by the Indianapolis-based Hudson Institute, examined 43
charter schools in seven states. According to the report, 63% of
students are minority group members, 55% are poor, 19% have
limited proficiency in English and 19% have disabilities that
impair their learning. "We conclude that charter schools are the
most promising education reform alive in America today," said
Chester Finn, a Hudson fellow, and one of three authors of the
report. "We conclude that they are serving precisely the kids
that need help the most and precisely the opposite of the kids
the critics predicted would be served," he added
American Federation of Teachers President Albert Shanker
released his union's report titled "Charter School Laws: Do They
Measure Up?" at the AFT's convention this month. Shanker: "When
I began talking about charter schools back in the 1980s, I hoped
they would free teachers to explore new teaching strategies by
removing unnecessary rules and regulations. But since then,
charter schools have come to mean different things to different
people -- everything from a chance to raise student achievement
to a chance to bust unions." He added that charter schools "can
serve as laboratories for reform. But they won't work unless
they operate within a system of high standards, common
assessments, and stakes for students."
The AFT and Hudson reports differ over what is good charter
school legislation. For example, the Hudson Institute claims
that the weakest legislation culminates in laws that require the
charters to remain part of the local school district and "give
them no control over staff or staff salaries," explained Louann
Bierlein, education policy adviser to La.'s Gov Mike Foster, and
a co-author of the report, writes the paper. However, the paper
notes that the AFT report recommends that charter schools have
the approval of local school districts and that charter school
employees be covered by collective bargaining.
Other observations made by the AFT: only eight charter
school states require that all teachers in charter schools be
certified, and charter school law provisions for accountability
are inadequate. The AFT cites R.I.'s charter school law as
illustrative of strong charter school legislation. Several
provision of that law are: extensive, yearly public reporting by
charter schools; teacher and parent involvement in governance;
clearly outlined student discipline procedures; collective
bargaining for teachers and certified teachers and
administrators.
The TIMES points out that while the Hudson's assessment of
charter schools is more positive than the AFT's, it is "not
glowing." From the Hudson report: "We have heard tales
regarding some charter schools that we would check out carefully
before entrusting them with children we care about. We're not
Pollyannish about this."
The AFT and Hudson have found some common ground: both
agree it is too early to say if charter schools are effective
educational models.
The AFT report, "Charter School Laws: Do They Measure Up?,"
is available for $10 from the AFT Order Department; 555 New
Jersey Avenue NW; Washington, D.C. 20001; 202/879-4400.
Contact the Hudson Institute at 317/545-1000 for information
on receiving a copy of their report, "Charter Schools in Action:
What Have We Learned."
==== TIME AND LEARNING ====
*9 BUCKING THE TREND: LOUISIANA SCHOOL OPTS FOR FOUR-DAY WEEK
La. Attorney General Richard Ieyoub recently approved
Merryville High School's request to operate on a four-day-a-week
schedule (AP/NEW ORLEANS TIME-PICAYUNE, 7/15). Under the new
plan, Merryville students will attend school 21 days less than
other students; however, the school day will be extended so they
actually are in the classroom the same number of hours as other
La. public school students.
Merryville Principal Earl Franks claims the "longer, more
intensive" courses will "help students keep up with today's fast-
paced world," reports the paper. Students will attend only four
classes -- three will last one hour and 50 minutes and the other
65 minutes -- each of the four days. They will be enrolled in
only one year-long class, such as band, physical education or
art. Three subjects will be taught from August to December;
another three will be presented from December until May.
According to the paper, junior high and elementary school
students also will attend school four days a week. Classes at
these levels will be extended from 60 minutes to 70 minutes.
Franks said the new plan could save Beauregard Parish about
$10,000 a year.
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