--- Wednesday --- September 25, 1996 --- Vol. 6 --- No. 69 ---
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THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
A service of the National Education Goals Panel
__________ __________
CAUSE FOR CONCERN | SPOTLIGHT |
SAT scores for Montgomery | |
County, Md.'s African-American | AMERICA'S MOST UNWANTED |
students have plummeted and | |
school chief Paul Vance has put | Students who violently |
principals on notice (Beyers, | threaten the safety of |
WASH POST, 9/24). Vance: "I | classmates and school |
accept full responsibility for | personnel are high on |
the decline. I am also holding | America's most unwanted |
the principals of these schools | list. Many school leaders |
accountable." | have rhetorically adopted |
Twelve of the county's 21 | get-tough policies, |
high schools reported declines. | including mandatory |
To examine Montgomery County | suspension or expulsion. |
SAT scores for each year back | But the question remains -- |
to 1973 or to review scores for | what to do with these |
all metro-D.C. counties, see | troublemakers? |
the WASH POST's Web site at | |
http:\\www.washingtonpost.com. | N.Y.C.'s Rudy Crew's |
| solution: if you're over |
BUT WILL THEY COME | 17, you don't have a right |
Officials of Virginia | to a public education. |
Military Institute decided to | "His preference is, they're |
accept women into their | out, permanently," explains |
historically all-male ranks | one Crew aide. (#3) |
(multi cites). But VMI | |
officials warned that women | Banishing troublemakers |
should not expect treatment | to alternative schools is |
different from male cadets, | another solution bandied |
including the "buzz-cut" | about by educators. But |
requirement. Many VMI alumni | even some alternative |
sported buttons saying "Go | schools don't want the |
Private," so the school could | hardcore problem student. |
continue its all-male tradition | (#6, Jefferson County). |
with no federal funds. |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"I just have zero tolerance for this madness." -- N.Y.C. school
Chancellor Rudy Crew, on students who carry lethal weapons to
school. (#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 |
|_______________________________________________________________|
============== TABLE OF CONTENTS ==============
GOAL TWO: SCHOOL COMPLETION
JAIL TIME: Mother in court over child's truancy. (#1)
ON THE PROWL: Officers seek truants. (#2)
GOAL SEVEN: SAFE SCHOOLS
N.Y.C.'S CREW: Tough on crime. (#3)
CITY HALL
CHANGE: It doesn't come easy. (#4)
TAKING STOCK
RACIAL TEST DATA: Should it be included in school report? (#5)
CHARTING A NEW COURSE
IN THE NEWS: Charter school round-up. (#6)
TAKING OVER
I WANT TO BE LIKE CHICAGO: Mayoral model for Cleveland? (#7)
===== GOAL TWO: SCHOOL COMPLETION =====
*1 JAIL TIME: MOTHER IN COURT OVER CHILD'S TRUANCY
A Park Ridge, Ill., mother faces a jail sentence due to her
seventh-grade son's chronic truancy (Fegelman, CHICAGO TRIBUNE,
9/21). Jill Verdich first appeared in court last March, when a
similar complaint was filed by the Cook County school
superintendent's office. The judge then ruled that all charges
would be cleared if Verdich's son successfully completed summer
school. He did.
However, he already missed nine of the first 17 days of this
school year and was late another four, according to the district
school office. The TRIBUNE reports that Verdich already has been
"confined to her home under court order and fitted with a
monitoring bracelet to track her whereabouts." She is scheduled
to report before the court on 17 Oct., and may face jail time.
According to the paper, another mother was sent to the Cook
County jail two years ago because of her child's truancy record.
"Whenever we do go to court, the goal is not to put anyone in
jail or fine anyone," explained Robert Wilk, the attendance
officer for the Cook County regional school superintendent's
office. "It is to use the courts to exert pressure on parents to
get their child in school."
Wilk said his office takes about 90 truancy cases to court
every year, "a small number considering that there are some
350,000 children in suburban Cook County schools," writes the
paper. Most of the 900 truancy complaints received by Wilk are
settled out of court during parent conferences.
*2 ON THE PROWL: OFFICERS SEEK TRUANTS
The Boston school police decided to expand their truancy
sweeps to East Boston after a successful program was run in
Dorchester (BOSTON HERALD, 9/18). According to the paper, a
school police officer, a truant officer and a regular Boston
police officer will ride around town together searching for young
people who could be playing hooky.
The school police and officials from the city's "basic
services" have joined forces to "tackle some of the schools'
toughest problems," reports the paper. For example, the city has
promised to step in whenever a police officer reports drug deals
taking place on school campuses.
===== GOAL SEVEN: SAFE SCHOOLS =====
*3 N.Y.C.'S CREW: TOUGH ON CRIME
Students 17-years-old and older would face mandatory
expulsion if caught bringing a lethal weapon to school, under a
get-tough proposal issued by New York City's school Chancellor
Rudy Crew (Polner, NEWSDAY, 9/19). "I just have zero tolerance
for this madness," said Crew, referring to students who bring
assault weapons to class.
Current law calls for mandatory one-year suspension of
students who are violent or carry weapons to school. The paper
reports that the worst offenders are sent to an alternative
program, Crossroads Alternative Program, based in the Bronx. The
school enrolls 60 youth. Crew intends to seek the help of state
agencies and agencies outside the city to work with the expelled
students.
However, Crew aides said he is not inclined to provide
alternative services for students 17 and older, notes the paper.
They should lose their right to a public education, according to
Crew. "His preference is, they're out, permanently," explained
Doris Gonzalez-Light, a spokeswoman for Crew. NEWSDAY reports
that students under 17 are required by law to receive a public
education. Gonzalez-Light also said that Crew's proposal would
require an amendment to the Board of Education's disciplinary
code.
A 1992 gun incident with a 15-year-old spurred Crew to
develop tougher disciplinary plans. According to the paper, a
state appeals court ruling struck down the school board's
decision to suspend a 15-year-old Bronx student for carrying a
loaded gun to school. According to the decision, the suspension
should have been "rescinded after a Family Court judge concluded
the weapon was discovered during an illegal search by a school
aide, without reasonable suspicion," writes the paper. The board
is expected to appeal to the state Supreme Court. "Our position
is, we can still suspend because we have a lower standard of
proof to meet than a court," said one attorney for the school
board. "We are concerned that the appellate court has
jeopardized our ability to discipline students and run the
schools."
==== CITY HALL ====
*4 CHANGE: IT DOESN'T COME EASY
Philadelphia's school Superintendent David Hornbeck's plan
to overhaul schools has produced "a solid record of
accomplishment," despite numerous problems and obstacles,
according to a report released by Greater Philadelphia First
(Ousley, Philadelphia DAILY NEWS, 9/16). The organization is a
consortium of 35 of the region's largest corporations, and the
report was developed by a group of educators from the nation's
top universities.
According to the report, many parents do not understand the
scope of Hornbeck's "Children Achieving" reform agenda and "turf
wars" are underway among several education-related organizations
because roles are not clearly defined, writes the paper. Other
problems: parent involvement on local school councils is low,
unions have resisted certain aspects of the plan, budgets are
tight and "Children Achieving" has received negative publicity in
the media, reports the paper.
From the report: "The political, fiscal, legal and public
relations problems ... already have affected the pace of reform,
and could if unchecked affect its long-term viability. They also
have consumed confidence in the district and the public's support
for reform."
Despite the myriad problems, the report's evaluation
concludes that Hornbeck has successfully rearranged 67 schools
into clusters, drafted new standards and implemented a new
districtwide testing system. Hornbeck's ability to create
support structures to help schools, provide funds for
professional development and implement full-day kindergarten
cited in the report as significant accomplishments. Hornbeck
also has been able to raise $95M of the required $100M the
district needs to collect a $50M challenge grant pledged by
philanthropist Walter Annenberg, writes the paper. (See DRC )
Several critical questions are raised in the report: Are
the school governance councils effective in engaging parents? Do
schools have sufficient resources to implement reforms? In what
areas of decision-making will the councils become involved?
===== TAKING STOCK =====
*5 RACIAL TEST DATA: SHOULD THEY BE INCLUDED IN SCHOOL REPORT?
Mo. public schools are required by law to make public
certain information concerning schools. Reporting student
achievement according to race is one piece of data that has
caused quite a stir among school officials.
Robert Bartman, Mo's commissioner of elementary and
secondary education, recently decided that the state's public
schools should not be required to report student achievement
according to race (Thomson, St. Louis POST-DISPATCH, 9/17).
Others who concur with Bartman's decision claim the reporting of
racial data on test scores would be racially divisive and would
"unfairly stereotype black students," reports the paper.
However, some school board members counter that the data is
necessary in order to get help to low-achieving students.
Bartman also petitioned the state school board to create a
task force to help board members decide what test scores are
relevant and what to do about students who score poorly, notes
the paper. "If we find that there is a problem with the academic
health of a certain group of students, we want to get to the
solutions," said Bartman.
Current policy calls for school districts to report minority
test scores for every school where ethnic or racial minority
students number 30, or more than 5% of enrollment. The report
cards, mandated by the state's Outstanding Schools Act of 1993,
are scheduled to be released for the first time by 1 October.
Other data described in the report card include: dropout
rates; student-teacher ratios; average teacher salaries; per-
pupil expenditures; extracurricular activities offered; college
admission test scores of graduates; and number of graduates going
to college, writes the paper.
===== CHARTING A NEW COURSE =====
*6 IN THE NEWS: CHARTER SCHOOL ROUND-UP
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLA.: The editorial board of THE ORLANDO
SENTINEL challenges a proposal by Florida Charter Schools Inc. to
develop the first charter school for Seminole County (9/9).
According to the paper, the firm's plan skirts the state's
charter school law, which designates two types of charter
schools: new schools open to students throughout the state, and
existing schools that choose, via a majority vote of teachers and
parents, to operate under a charter.
The Winter Springs proposal does not fit either category,
reports the paper. The plan would give preference to students
living within the Winter Springs -- a new campus -- attendance
zone, although parents did not vote on the charter. And the firm
also wants to use the new school without being charged -- "even
though the school district built it to alleviate crowding at
other high schools," writes the paper.
From the editorial: "It makes little sense to allow the
first charter school in Seminole County to be formed outside the
rules and to disrupt the district's planning process. Better for
the group to start small, using an alternative site that would be
open to students from throughout the district."
The paper also questions the firm's decision to afford small
class size and high technology by hiring part-time teachers at
hourly wages. The paper queries whether there are enough
teachers available who would accept part-time work, without
benefits.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, LA.: La.'s first charter school opened to
rave reviews (Young, THE TIMES-PICAYUNE, 8/19). The Jefferson
Community School was designed for middle school students who were
expelled from Jefferson Parish public schools, writes the paper.
The school's mission is to provide an alternative learning
experience for students expelled for minor offenses. Students
suspended from school for more serious charges -- weapons or drug
possession -- were not asked to apply to the program, notes the
paper. Principal Jeanne Monte said her staff will work with the
students to help them become "responsible citizens," according to
the paper.
The new charter school has seven teachers, a social worker
and a teacher's aide. Eighty students were selected from an
applicant pool of 180. Twenty slots remain open for students who
are suspended during this school year. Classes begin at 9:00 and
end at 4:00, reports the paper. Standard curriculum for
Jefferson Parish schools will be followed, with two key
differences: teachers instead of students will change classes,
and school will begin with a 15-minute "exploratory period,"
during which students and teachers can talk on a "personal
level," writes the paper.
According to the paper, a total of eight charter schools
have been approved in La. However, only three will open this
year.
BRIGGSVILE, ARIZ.: The tiny district of Fourche Valley,
located in Briggsville, Ariz., has submitted a charter school
application to the state Board of Education (SCHOOL BOARD NEWS,
9/17). Superintendent Jack O'Reilly proposed the charter to
solve a funding problem brought about by a new funding formula.
The district's K-12 school is housed in one building, with 162
students and 18 teachers, a 9 to 1 ratio. However, state
regulations treat the district as though it operates separate
schools in separate buildings and "require it to have staffing
for two schools when it essentially only has one," writes the
NEWS. It would cost the district $918,000 for the school year to
hire the necessary teachers. Instead, O'Reilly wants to secure
charter school status, which would release the district from the
regulations calling for more teachers.
The Board of Education will make its decision in October.
CALIFORNIA: U.S. Ed Sec Richard Riley announced that Calif.
will receive a $1.25M grant to help meet the growing demand for
charter schools (DoEd press release, 9/12). "As the fastest
growing reform movement of the 1990s, charter schools provide one
good way for communities to roll up their sleeves and move
forward -- with charter in hand -- to transform public schools
into hubs of innovation and flexibility with public
accountability," said Riley.
Under the Public Charter Schools Program proposed by
President Clinton in 1993 and passed into law in 1994 as part of
the Improving America's Schools Act, states conduct competitions
and award sub-grants to provide start-up funds for new or
recently established charter schools. The funds help pay for
planning, design and start-up costs.
TEACHER UNION CHARTER SCHOOLS: As charter schools have
taken off nationwide, the National Education Association and the
American Federation of Teachers recently have promoted charter
schools run by the unions (N.Y. TIMES, 9/22). The first NEA-
sponsored school opened this month in Lanikai, Hawaii, writes the
paper. Other NEA charters are underway in San Diego, Phoenix,
Colorado Springs, East Point, Ga., and Conn.
The NEA last year created a million-dollar program to help
their members establish charter schools in at least six states.
(See DRC ). NEA charter schools must be "similar to regular
schools in their financing, teacher-pupil ratios and percentage
of students with special needs so that schools elsewhere will not
be concerned that the program would be too expensive as they
decide whether to try the same strategy," writes the paper.
The NEA will not provide funds to the schools. It will
offer experts to assist with budgeting, personnel procedures and
curriculum decisions, notes the paper. One reasons the NEA
decided to endorse charter schools is to prove that unions do not
"hinder quality education," writes the paper. "We believe it's
district regulations and state regulations [that hinder schools],
said Mark Knapp, president of the NEA's San Diego chapter. "We
believe the hindrance is on the other side."
However, the Hudson Institute's Chester Finn, claims that
union charter schools are not up to par with regular charter
schools because they are required to abide by collective
bargaining and certification requirements. Finn: "The single
most important form of freedom for charter schools is to hire and
fire employees as they like and pay them as they see fit."
The American Federation of Teachers also is promoting
charter schools with guidance, not financing, reports the TIMES.
Their first charter school will open this month in Houston.
Another school-to-work vocational high school charter is set to
open in Newark.
The TIMES concludes: "It is hard to say how the union
charter school will differ from the more than 260 other charter
schools in the country that are run by private companies."
==== TAKING OVER ====
*7 I WANT TO BE LIKE CHICAGO: MAYORAL MODEL FOR CLEVELAND?
Ohio Gov. George Voinovich (R) last week endorsed
legislation that would put Cleveland Mayor Michael White in
charge of the city's school system (Lane, Cleveland PLAIN DEALER,
9/19). The bill is modeled after the Ill. Legislature's plan
that gave Chicago Mayor Richie Daley (D) the reigns of the city
schools.
"The mayor has really stepped to the plate in terms of
working as a partner with John Goff (state school superintendent)
and Dick Boyd (Cleveland school superintendent)," said Voinovich.
"If he has ideas on how he would like to increase that role, as
governor I certainly would be responsive to his requests." White
has signaled that he would welcome the responsibility if a
consensus emerged that endorsed his taking over the schools,
according to the paper.
U.S. District Judge George White also must approve the plan,
since he "retains ultimate jurisdiction over the school system,"
writes the paper. Judge White declined to comment on the
proposal.
Reps. William Batchelder (R) and Mike Wise (R) sponsored the
bill, realizing that it probably is too late for it to pass
during this legislative session. However, they thought it would
"spark debate" and they have signaled their intention to
reintroduce the bill next session.
Under the legislation, Judge White would release the school
system from state control, putting it under the control of City
Hall. The school board would become an advisory group to the
mayor, who would have all the power of a local school board,
reports the paper.
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