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--- Monday --- April 7, 1997 --- Vol. 7 --- No. 29 --
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THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
A service of the National Education Goals Panel
__________ __________
NATIONAL TEST TITANS | SPOTLIGHT |
Ed Sec Richard Riley | |
announced the selection of | DEVIL IN DETAILS |
"two old hands" to direct his | |
department's national test | Two momentous court |
efforts (GOALLINE, Coaltion on | decisions have ended |
Goals 2000, 4/3). Ramon | lengthy battles over |
Cortines, former Chancellor of | desegregation and school |
N.Y.C. public schools, has been | funding. But, observed |
named deputy assistant secre- | one activist, "the devil's |
tary for the Office of Educa- | always in the details." |
tional Research and Improve- | |
ment. Cortines also served at | KANSAS CITY: A U.S. |
the DoEd under Riley and | District judge approved an |
former-Secretary Lamar | agreement between the state |
Alexander. | and the school district in |
Cortines will direct the | the 20-year-old desegrega- |
development of national tests | tion case. Mo. will pay |
in reading and math for 4th- | the district nearly $320M |
and 8th-grade students, called | over the next three years. |
for by President Clinton. He | However, the judge also |
also will serve as acting- | wrote that the district is |
assistant secretary for OERI, | not fully integrated and |
until a candidate is confirmed. | called on the Legislature |
Riley also appointed Jennifer | to provide equitable fund- |
Davis as deputy assistant | ing to the district. (#4) |
secretary for the Office of | |
Intergovernmental and | OHIO: State leaders may |
Interagency Affairs, which will | be forced to raise taxes to |
engage her in work on the | comply with an Ohio Supreme |
implementation of the national | Court ruling that the |
tests. Davis is moving from | state's method of funding |
the Secretary's office, where | schools is |
she was Riley's special | unconstitutional. (#3) |
assistant since 1993. |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"It's not a fast solution by any means."
Kay Kirkpatrick, director of communications for the Consortium
for Chicago School Research at the U of Chicago, on the breaking
up of large school districts. (#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 ==============
CITY HALL
BREAKING UP L.A. UNIFIED: The problems it would create. (#1)
STATESIDE
BALTIMORE: Big winner in Maryland legislature. (#2)
FROM COURTHOUSE TO SCHOOLHOUSE
LANDMARK RULING: Ohio school funding is unconstitutional. (#3)
END OF AN ERA: Mo. can end deseg funds for Kansas City. (#4)
TESTS AND TESTING
PEP RALLY FOR NATIONAL TESTS: Calif. & CEOs cheer tests. (#5)
TAKING OVER
ANOTHER OHIO TAKEOVER: Ledgemont in fiscal emergency. (#6)
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==== CITY HALL ====
*1 BREAKING UP L.A. UNIFIED: THE PROBLEMS IT WOULD CREATE
The L.A. TIMES conducted a computer-assisted analysis of
district records to shed light on what a break-up of the L.A.
Unified School District would mean to students, schools and
communities: and its not the nirvana promised by break-up
backers (Smith, 3/23). Thousands of displaced students,
overcrowded classrooms and a redistribution of wealth away from
advantaged communities could be the result of separating the
system into smaller districts, writes the paper.
The TIMES discovered that high number of student transfers -
- about 70,000 students and 14,600 special education students --
would cause a disruption to both the students' home school and
the school to which they were bused. "If those traveling
students return to their home areas, ... dozens of schools would
end up with empty classrooms and lose the state money that now
pays for teachers and books," reports the paper. Many of the
neighborhood schools would not be able to absorb the influx of
previously transferred students.
Magnet schools, "one of L.A. Unified's undisputed success
stories," would suffer under a program to dismantle the L.A.
Unified schools, notes the paper. Under one break-up proposal
being considered, magnets would lose 16,000 students, which is
nearly 40% of their total enrollment. A break-up also would
shift the racial balance in some magnet schools, resulting in a
loss of state integration funds for some of the magnet schools.
The paper describes two proposals before the State Board of
Education that call for dismantling the L.A. system. "One would
separate three schools in the South Bay City of Lomita from Los
Angeles Unified, and the other would create a new district out of
20 schools in nearby Carson," writes the paper. Another proposal
would "withdraw 133 schools in South-Central Los Angeles,"
according to the paper. Public hearings, sponsored by the state
board, are scheduled to be held in L.A. during May.
Break-up supporters say they are fed up with low test
scores, increased crime and campus deterioration. They also
claim they are powerless to make changes, writes the paper.
"There is no doubt in my mind that given an opportunity, a school
district kept closely in line by parents that is not so
overwhelmingly large can be far more economical than what's out
there now," said former Republican Assemblywoman, Paula Boland,
who authored successful legislation that denied the Los Angeles
Board of Education the authority to veto any breakup move.
However, the TIMES points out that the experience of Chicago
and New York City, cities that also underwent decentralization,
demonstrates that there is no quick and easy solution to improve
schools (Smith, 3/25). "It's not a fast solution by any means,"
said Kay Kirkpatrick, director of communications for the
Consortium for Chicago School Research at the U of Chicago.
The paper also notes that break-up plans for both cities
differ from L.A. proposals. For example, Chicago and New York
retained a large central authority that shares responsibility
with smaller boards or councils.
Perhaps the most similar break-up model is of London,
England, according to the paper. In 1987, an act of Parliament
broke up the London schools into 13 districts matching the city's
inner boroughs, reports the TIMES.
==== STATESIDE ====
*2 BALTIMORE: BIG WINNER IN MARYLAND LEGISLATURE
The Maryland House of Delegates late Saturday night passed a
"major" school funding bill that grants the Baltimore school
system significantly more money than the state's other 23
counties combined (Abramowitz and Neal, WASH POST, 4/6).
However, the bigger news was the unique coalition formed by
delegates from Prince George's and Montgomery Counties, observes
the paper.
Under the legislation, Baltimore will receive $254M over
five years for its schools, while the rest of the counties must
share $167M. According to the paper, the bill also gives the
state a "larger voice" in the management of Baltimore schools.
For example, Baltimore's mayor currently appoints the school
board and superintendent. The new law would have the governor
and the mayor jointly appoint the board and hire key staff. The
Senate recently passed similar legislation, and members from both
Houses are expected to work out the details for final passage,
reports the paper.
Many political observers highlighted the potential shift in
Md. politics brought about by the strong coalition among
delegates from suburban counties. The united front of Prince
George's and Montgomery delegtes "is the biggest news out of the
session," remarked Montgomery County Executive Douglas Duncan
(D). "Forget about this year. In the future, the difference
it's going to make is enormous. It will shift the power balance
in the state."
The POST notes that Md. Gov Parris Glendening (D) depends on
voter support from Baltimore, Prince George and Montgomery
Counties.
===== FROM COURTHOUSE TO SCHOOLHOUSE =====
*3 LANDMARK RULING: OHIO SCHOOL FUNDING IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Late last month, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the
state's method of funding schools is unconstitutional and the
justices "virtually compelled" state leaders to raise taxes to
equitably fund the schools (Hallett, Brown, Lane, Cleveland PLAIN
DEALER, 3/25).
The lawsuit challenging state funding of schools initially
was filed in December of 1991 in Perry County Common Pleas Court,
where the judge found the system unconstitutional. However, Gov.
George Voinovich (R) appealed and the 5th District Ohio Court of
Appeals reversed the ruling. In the fall of 1995, the Coalition
for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding appeals to the state's
highest court.
Jurisdiction of the case was remanded to Perry County Common
Please Judge Lewis, who has been dubbed the "Ohio Education
Czar," reports the paper. Lewis will have "extraordinary power
over the educational fortunes of 1.8 million Ohio public school
children," writes the paper. Lewis: "From a legal standpoint,
my role is to ensure that the Supreme Court's order is followed."
However, Melvyn Durchslag, a law professor at Case Western
Reserve U, predicted that further litigation will emerge,
especially since the high court placed so much power in the hands
of one individual.
The Supreme Court gave lawmakers one year to "create an
entirely new school financing system." However, the order did
not stipulate how much is enough to guarantee that all children
receive a "thorough" education, reports the paper. Former State
Sen., Oliver Ocasek, a member of the State Board of Education,
said that an $800M tax hike would be needed to raise the poor
distircts to the current median per-pupil expenditure, which the
paper reports is equivalent of a penny increase in the state's 5-
cent sales tax.
Officials of wealthy school districts hailed the decision
because the court refrained from calling for a shift from
property-rich to property-poor districts. "It's a wonderful
ruing," said Neil Johnson, a member of the Alliance for Adequate
Schools Funding, a group of property-rich districts. "Of course,
the devil's always in the details."
Ohio state leaders denounced the ruling as "judicial
activism." Three officials -- Voinovich, House Speaker Jo Ann
Davidson and Senate President Richard Finan, all Republicans --
blasted the court for "recasting Ohio's long-held emphasis on
local control over schools with the assertion that the state is
responsible for lifting up poor schools," writes the paper.
*4 END OF AN ERA: MO. CAN END DESEG FUNDS FOR KANSAS CITY
Kansas City, Mo.'s, 20-year-old desegregation case came to
an end late last month when U.S. District Judge Russell Clark
approved an agreement between the state and the school district
(AP/ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH, 3/26). Under the terms of the
agreement, the state will pay nearly $320M to the Kansas City
School District over the next three years. Nearly one-third of
that amount already has been paid to the district, reports the
paper.
While Clark closed the books on the case, he acknowledged
that the district was not yet fully integrated. He particularly
pointed to an imbalance between achievement test scores of
minority and white students, racial makeup in the schools,
facilities, transportation and the assignment of students and
faculty, writes the paper. According to Clark, the only area in
which integration has been achieved is funding for
extracurricular activities.
In his 59-page ruling, Clark wrote that he hoped the
Legislature would pass a bill calling for equitable funding for
the school district. He also ordered the district to file a
transition plan with the court by 15 August and to make the
necessary budget changes in order "to reconcile actual expenses
with budgeted amounts for each department," reports the paper.
St. Louis school leaders are taking note of the Kansas City
decision, hoping that they too can come to an amicable conclusion
to their desegregation case. "I don't know that the [Kansas
City] ruling is significant, but the process is," said Michael
Middleton, a law professor at the U of Missouri, who also is an
attorney for the NAACP in the St. Louis case. "There is no
question there is a need to talk" among all parties involved in
the St. Louis case, he added.
The paper notes that the two cases are not similar, except
that the state provides funding to both. In St. Louis, the
school district operated a transfer program where "thousands of
students form the city attended suburban schools," writes the
paper. Kansas City school officials established magnet schools
as a vehicle to integrate their school system.
The original lawsuit to desegregate Kansas City schools was
filed in 1977, writes the paper. So far, the parties involved
have not decided on whether to appeal the case.
==== TESTS AND TESTING ====
*5 PEP RALLY FOR NATIONAL TESTS: CALIF. & CEOs CHEER TESTS
A group of 240 executives in the nation's technology
industry and Delaine Eastin, Calif.'s Superintendent of Public
Instruction, cheered President Clinton's call for national,
voluntary tests in reading and math at a White House meeting.
"California and all of you who are here today have given powerful
new momentum to the crusade for national education standards,"
said Clinton.
Clinton has made voluntary tests for fourth- and eighth-
grade students in reading and math a centerpiece of the education
agenda for his second term. However, it is "one of the most
politically sensitive issues in education because some officials
fear it could lead to excessive federal intrusion in local
schools,' writes the WASH POST (Sanchez, 4/3).
Md., Mich., N.C., and U.S. military schools already have
committed to Clinton's plan, and "California's support would be
quite significant," observes the paper. The POST notes, however,
that Calif. Gov Pete Wilson (R) has not yet endorsed national
testing. "The idea is still being reviewed, " said Dan Edwards,
a Wilson spokesman. "[Eastin's] endorsement does not speak for
all of the education hierarchy of California."
The PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER notes that the support of the
high-tech executives "lends weight" to the national standards
movement. "What this is really about is the new economy and what
our kids, our companies, and society has got to do to compete and
prosper," said John Doerr, a venture capitalist based in Menlo
Park, Calif. According to the paper, many high-tech companies
must hire overseas for programmers and the job description for
assembly-line workers includes an understanding of statistics,
which makes it difficult to find qualified American workers.
The executives plan to campaign in their states for support
of the tests. John Doerr, a venture capitalist: "We all agree
that we need national education standards. These companies that
have endorsed this program employ a half-million people. More
importantly, they've created 130,000 jobs over the last four
years. And even more importantly, they have hundreds to
thousands of high-wage job openings right now that they're trying
to fill."
Ed Sec Richard Riley said the tests would be created by the
DoEd. The tests would cost between $10M and $12Mm and would be
paid for out of existing research funds, reports the paper.
==== TAKING OVER ====
*6 ANOTHER OHIO TAKEOVER: LEDGEMONT IN FISCAL EMERGENCY
Ohio State AUidtor Jim Petro late last month gave control of
the Ledgemont school district over to the state, which has
Ledgemontjoining Cleveland and Youngstown as school districts
under a fiscal emergency (Kawa, Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 3/25).
Petro: "This oversight will help resolve the financial burden
for Ledgemont Local schools so the district can turn its full
attention to the long-term educational needs of students."
The announcement came as no surprise to Ledgemont school
officials who in February witnessed the seventh defeat of a
school levy. State officials then rejected the district's
financial recovery plan late February, which led to the takeover,
writes the paper. A 6 May 9.85 school levy will remain on the
ballot. The district shows a more than $500,000 deficit.
According to the paper, the state-appointed commission to
oversee Ledgemont schools includes Ledgemont Superintendent
Robert Renn and three district residents, state school and
financial representatives. The commission will disband once the
district achieves financial stability and can present a five-year
plan for remaining in the black.
The PLAIN DEALER reports that Ledgemont officials are
discussing whether to challenge the takeover in court to allow
them to remain in charge until the May levy vote. Cleveland and
Youngstown were placed under emergency control last year.
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