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--- Wednesday --- March 5, 1997 --- Vol. 7 --- No. 21 ---
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THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
A service of the National Education Goals Panel
__________ __________
ACCESS TO COLLEGE | SPOTLIGHT |
U.S. Representative Lynn | |
Woolsey (D-Calif.) has | THE SWING OF THE PENDULUM |
introduced legislation to | |
assist middle- and low-income | During the 1980s, Wall |
families to save for their | Street was hot. College |
children's college tuition by | graduates flocked to |
helping states start prepaid | investment firms, law firms |
tuition programs (Woolsey press | and other jobs in which |
release, 2/26). Her bill, | making money -- lots of it |
called the Access to College | -- was the reward. |
Education Act, is modeled on | |
programs underway in several | But today's students are |
states including Va., Mich., | seeking a different kind of |
and Ohio. The legislation | rewarding experience. More |
would provide grants to states | students are engaged in |
to cover half of the start-up | community service projects |
costs for prepaid college | and, subsequently, entering |
tuition programs. Woolsey has | the teaching profession. |
asked for an authorization of | Why? "Teaching is a venue |
$20M in 1998, which would | where they can turn service |
enable about ten states to | into a career," said Arthur |
receive grants next year. | Levine, president of |
A bill is weaving its way | Teachers College. |
through the Ill. General | |
Assembly that would allow | The nation needs more |
parents to pre-pay their | teachers to meet an |
children's college tuition at | anticipated teacher |
the state's public | shortage. But are schools |
universities. While the bill | of education beefing up |
passed through a House | their curricula to produce |
committee, it faces "bleak | more top-notch teachers for |
prospects in the Senate." | an increasingly demanding |
(Parsons, Chicago TRIBUNE, | profession? (#1) |
2/28). |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"Teaching is hot."
Arthur Levine, president of Teachers College. (#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 DEVELOPMENT
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: More graduates seek teaching careers. (#1)
STATESIDE
TAXES AND STANDARDS: Florida's ed commission votes on both.(#2)
CHARTING A NEW COURSE
MORE CHARTERS: Connecticut approves twelve. (#3)
CHOOSING SCHOOLS
DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS: They want vouchers. (#4)
TAKING OVER
STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: Cleveland tussles with takeover. (#5)
===== GOAL FOUR: TEACHER EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT =====
*1 MAKING A DIFFERENCE: MORE GRADUATES SEEK TEACHING CAREERS
Low pay and little respect kept past college graduates out
of the teaching profession. But a new ethos that exalts service
has overcome today's college students, many more of whom are
determined to become teachers (Albert, USA TODAY, 2/25).
"In the 1980s, people wanted to go into professions to make
money," said Evelyn Freeman, an associate professor of education
at Ohio State U. "In the '90s, we are seeing a return to other
values. People want to feel like they are doing something to
make a difference in society."
According to a study conducted by UCLA, 10.2% of college
freshmen last fall said they wanted to become elementary or
secondary school teachers; the highest percentage in two decades.
The annual survey of college freshmen also found that 38% of the
freshmen had spent one hour or more each week volunteering during
the year. "They're making a difference in their community as
opposed to influencing the political scene," said Linda Sax,
director of the Cooperative Institutional research Program at
UCLA, which surveyed more than 250,000 freshmen nationwide.
"Teaching is a career where they feel they can make a difference
in their community."
The paper observes that the renewed interest in teaching
comes at a good time; many education experts have predicted a
future teaching shortage. U.S. Ed Sec Richard Riley said in his
State of American Education adress that the nation will need at
least 2 million teachers to be hired in the next decade to
replace the generation of teachers ready to retire. Riley also
announced plans to hold a national forum to "avert a nationwide
teacher shortage and lure America's best and brightest into the
classroom," writes the paper.
USA TODAY also mentions the various paths into the teaching
profession. According to Recruiting New Teachers, a nonprofit
group dedicated to persuading more individuals to become
teachers, 324 mid-career programs are in operation across the
country, working to prepare people to teach. The paper cites Old
Dominion U's Military Career Transition Program, which since 1988
has transferred 525 retired or downsized military personnel into
teaching.
However, much of the idealism about teaching erodes when the
new teachers enter the classroom and realize that classroom
management sometimes takes precedence over teaching subject
matter. From the paper: "Slightly more than 17% of public
school teachers with less than a year of experience left teaching
between the 1990-1991 and 1991-1992 school year," with the most
common reason being the "shock of classroom management."
Other findings: over 100,000 education degrees were awarded
in 1994, which is about 9% of all degrees for that year; 20% of
students in 1960 earned an education degree. USA TODAY writes
that "interest needs to reach that 20% mark again to meet the
needs of a profession that's projected to add 606,000 new jobs by
2005.
"Teaching is hot," concluded Arthur Levine, president of
Teachers College in New York City. "What we're experiencing now
is a huge surge of people interested in teaching. The overriding
theme . . . is idealism."
Recruiting New Teachers has a hot line that answers
questions regarding the teaching profession: 800/45-TEACH.
===== STATESIDE =====
*2 TAXES AND STANDARDS: FLORIDA'S ED COMMISSION VOTES ON BOTH
Fla.'s Governor's Commission on Education last week voted to
petition the Legislature to increase a tax on utilities to pay
for school construction expenses. Commissioners also agreed to
urge the Legislature to "adopt tougher graduation standards,"
writes THE ORLANDO SENTINEL (Kleindienst, 2/28).
"We're in a critical situation," said Alex Sink, president
of NationsBank of Florida and a member of the commission, on
justifying the tax increase. "Our school districts are desperate
for money."
However, Republican leaders in the House and Senate are
"cool" to the idea, reports the paper. "We believe the
government has enough money," said House Speaker Daniel Webster
(R). "It's not going to happen," predicted Rep. Rudy Garcia (R).
According to the paper, state education officials estimate
that school construction needs would cost about $3B over the next
five years; and including the needs of community colleges and
state universities adds another $2.1B to the figure.
Commissioners called for increasing the gross receipts tax
currently levied on electric and telephone bills from 2% to 2.5%,
gradually adding the tax to water, sewer, solid waste and cable
television bills over the next five years, writes the paper. The
SENTINEL reports that the average consumer would pay $2 a month
and the revenue generated would raise $1.3B for school
construction.
Although the vote for the tax increase was unanimous, three
Republican members were not present, notes the paper.
The Commission also voted to petition the Legislature to
adopt tougher graduation standards. The Senate is expected to
soon vote on a bill that would require high school graduates to
earn at least a 2.0 grade-point-average to graduate. A House
vote will follow, writes the paper.
===== CHARTING A NEW COURSE =====
*3 MORE CHARTERS: CONNECTICUT APPROVES TWELVE
Conn.'s State Board of Education last week approved 12
charter school applications; the first charters for the state
(Frahm, Hartford COURANT, 2/28). All twelve schools are expected
to open in the fall.
Conn. state law allows for two types of charters: one
approved by a local school board, "which negotiates a financial
arrangement with the school;" and the other approved by the
state, with a state grant of about $6,000 per student, writes the
paper. Ten of the twelve charters fall under the state option.
The new schools include: Jumoke Academy, a Hartford school
that will stress parental involvement; Odyssey Community School,
a Manchester middle schools with a focus on communication skills
and forging connections with the world outside of school; Sports
Sciences Academy, a Hartford alternative high school that will
feature issues related to sports -- from manufacturing to
nutrition; Integrated Day School, a Norwich K-6 school, in which
students will be kept with the same teachers for two years; the
Interdistrict School for Arts & Communication, a New London
middle school with a "rigorous" arts curriculum; and the Coventry
Science Center, a Coventry high school, which is a school-within-
a-school, reports the paper.
Other charters were approved for: Village Academy, a New
Haven elementary school, featuring academic and social skills;
Common Ground High School, a New Haven high school that will
teach students ecology by working on a farm; the Bridge Academy,
a Bridgeport high school, with a college-prep curriculum for
inner-city students; Side by Side Community School, a Norwalk
elementary school that will have a longer school day; Ancestors
Community Charter, a Waterbury high school that will focus on
computer training and business internships; and Explorations, a
Winsted high school that features partnerships with community
groups.
"There have always been teachers who want to do this," said
William Jawitz, a former high school English teacher who devoted
18 months to devising a charter plan. "We're taking public funds
to free up creative educators for the public good in exchange for
accountability."
==== CHOOSING SCHOOLS ====
*4 DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS: THEY WANT VOUCHERS
Two years ago, 55% of Texans surveyed said they favor school
vouchers. The percentage has jumped to 62% in the latest survey
conducted by U of Texas Office of Survey Research for Harte-Hanks
Communications Inc. (multi cites)
According to the poll, Hispanics and blacks are the most
ardent supporters of school vouchers (Gonzalez, HOUSTON
CHRONICLE, 3/2). A majority of Democrats, Republican and
independents surveyed stated they favor vouchers. The DALLAS
MORNING NEWS paraphrases the question as it appeared in the poll:
"A voucher system in which the state would pay a specified amount
per student to any accredited public or private school selected
by parents." (Stutz, 3/2)
"The people of Texas support the idea that we try any viable
alternative that could improve students' learning, and there are
strong arguments that vouchers could do that," said Senate
Education Committee Chairman Teel Bivins (R). Bivins will
introduce legislation that calls for a pilot voucher program for
disadvantaged students, writes the paper. Throughout the years,
voucher legislation has been defeated in the Legislature.
However, some lawmakers hold that the time is now. "It will
pass," said Rep. Kent Grusendorf (R). "The Legislature always
tends to be behind public opinion."
Other findings from the survey of 1,000 randomly selected
adult Texans: 49% said Texas school district do not spend tax
dollars wisely, a decrease from 57% who said the same five years
ago; 63% said teacher salaries are too low; 52% said teachers are
doing an excellent or good job; 66% support moving decision-
making on issues including curricula, class size and textbooks
from the state to the local district; and the top four concerns
about public schools are: quality of teachers and education,
classroom violence and student safety, lack of discipline and
school funding, writes the NEWS.
==== TAKING OVER ====
*5 STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: CLEVELAND TUSSLES WITH TAKEOVER
The Cleveland PLAIN DEALER reports that the proposal to
allow Cleveland Mayor Michael White (D) to oversee the city's
public schools has turned up "unlikely" alliances of political
leaders (Theiss, 3/2). White, a Democratic, black mayor, is
opposed by the teachers union, the local NAACP, U.S.
Representative Louis Stokes (D) and a number of Democratic state
legislators. On the other hand, he has won the support of local
business leaders and many Republicans, including Gov. George
Voinovich (R).
"These are strange splits, but school governance is a
strange issue, too," said James Kweder, an assistant professor of
political science at Cleveland State U. "This isn't one of those
issues that normally separates Democrats and Republicans, like
socio-economic issues. This is more a business/labor split."
One reason some political and education leaders reject the
mayoral takeover proposal is White's "take-no-prisoners" style,
explained State Sen Patrick Sweeney (D), a likely supporter of
the takeover legislation. "The argument we all can make is,
'We're going to put in charge a guy who is, in some people's eyes
an S.O.B., but who will get things done and the Cleveland Schools
will, for once, have some accountability," said State Rep Mike
Wise (R).
Other observers claim that White's style is not the issue;
the "real problem is that people are not being allowed to vote on
the issue," said Cuyahoga County Democratic Chairman Jimmy Dimora
(R). "That is against every principle of democracy. Let the
public make the decision, rather than tell them, 'We'll do this
no matter what your opinion is and you can vote later."
Cleveland Teacher Union President Richard DeColibus
concurred that Cleveland citizens should have the right to vote
on the issue. However, he also conceded that allowing the mayor
to take control of the schools -- a mayor who has an antagonistic
relationship with the union -- would mean teachers would be
frozen out of the decision-making process. DeColibus: "His
attitude toward unions is openly negative, and to the teachers
union in particular, highly negative."
Corporate Cleveland favors a mayoral takeover of the
schools. "Business leaders aren't resistant or suspicious of a
hierarchical structure, since for the most part, that is how
businesses are run," commented Kweder.
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