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--- Monday --- June 9, 1997 --- Vol. 7 --- No. 46 ---
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THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
__________ __________
SUMMER SCHEDULE | SPOTLIGHT |
Don't forget. The DAILY | |
REPORT CARD is publishing on | SAFE, FOR NOW |
Mondays and Wednesdays only | |
during June. | The future of bilingual |
| education in Massachusetts |
A TRIBUTE TO LEADERS | has been saved after the |
The College Board is honoring | Legislature's joint |
Senators Edward Kennedy (D- | Education Committee voted |
Mass.) and James Jeffords (R- | down a proposal to restrict |
Vt.) for their "courageous | the number of years a |
leadership" in support of | student could spend in the |
education. The Senators | program. (#5) |
recently were awarded the | |
College Board's "Advocate for | Gov William Weld's plan |
Education Award." | to allow the state to take |
| over any school that failed |
SUMMER INTERNSHIPS IN HEALTH | to move students out of |
The Institute for Diversity | bilingual education after |
in Health Management launched | three years was killed in |
its 1997 Summer Enrichment | committee. Weld argued |
Program, a 12-week under- | that the purpose of |
graduate and graduate intern- | bilingual programs is to |
ship program designed to pro- | get students "fluent in our |
vide ethnic minority students | common language and |
with educational and work | participating fully in our |
experience in health service | common life." |
management. The three-year-old | |
program has placed nearly 250 | The underlying reason for |
student interns. This summer, | Weld's plan, according to |
80 students will work in | bilingual advocates, is not |
health-care facilities and | to improve student |
study at universities | achievement and opportuni- |
throughout the country. For | ties, but to cut costs. |
more info: 312/422-2680. |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"I think it's wrong if a senior accountant at Ernst & Young can't
teach accounting in high schools."
Pa. Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer (R), on an
amendment to a charter school bill that would have required
teachers to be certified. (#2) _______________________________________________________________
| (c) by the Education Policy Network, Inc. |
| 1255 22nd Street NW; Washington, D.C. 20010; 202/632-0952 |
| EPN, Inc. hereby authorizes further reproduction and |
| distribution with proper acknowledgement. |
| Publisher: Barbara A. Pape |
|_______________________________________________________________|
============== TABLE OF CONTENTS ==============
PARTNERS IN EDUCATION
HONEYWELL'S NEW ADVENTURE: Building high schools. (#1)
CHARTING A NEW COURSE
OVERCOMING KEY HURDLE: Charter passes Pa. committee.(#2)
BYTES AND PIECES
SAILING INTO THE FUTURE: Topsail's Internet connection. (#3)
CHOOSING SCHOOLS
"A CAPITOL CHOICE:" D.C. school-choice bill unveiled. (#4)
SPECIAL POPULATIONS
LIMITS ON BILINGUAL EDUCATION: Voted down in Mass. (#5)
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===== PARTNERS IN EDUCATION =====
*1 HONEYWELL'S NEW ADVENTURE: BUILDING HIGH SCHOOLS
Honeywell Inc., better known as a supplier of energy
controls, recently won a contract to build a high school in
Niagara Falls, N.Y. (Alexander, Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE, 6/4).
The "novel business experiment" has the Minneapolis-based firm
acting as general contractor to build a $20M to $50M high school
and equip it with energy controls. Financial terms are still
being negotiated, notes the paper.
"It fulfills a need," said Niagara Falls school business
administrator Roy Rogers. We need a new facility and have no
money. We're trying to bring some private money into the school
system." Pat Sexton, a spokesman for Honeywell: "This is
something that all the folks will be watching closely to see how
it works."
According to the paper, Honeywell already had retrofited
another old Niagara Falls high school with new energy controls
for $13.6M. The school district then sought the firms help to
construct a new high school since it could not afford to replace
one of the buildings the district deemed unworthy of renovation.
Construction is expected to begin this fall or next spring and
take two years to complete.
Under the agreement, Honeywell would not invest any money in
the project since up to 83% of the school's cost would be paid
for by the state of N.Y. From the paper: "The balance would be
financed with private loans arranged by Honeywell or a city bond
issue. In either case, the funds would be repaid over 30 years
from energy cost savings resulting from the installation of
energy-efficient Honeywell controls."
Honeywell would be paid for its work as a general contractor
over a two-year period and for its energy controls and for
maintaining the building over several years, notes the paper.
However, details over repayment terms are still under
negotiation.
===== CHARTING A NEW COURSE =====
*2 OVERCOMING KEY HURDLE: PA. CHARTER PASSES SENATE COMMITTEE
In a 7-4 party-line vote, charter school legislation passed
the Pa. Senate Education Committee (Eshleman, Philadelphia
INQUIRER, 6/3). "We're very pleased," said Education Secretary
Eugene Hickok. "It's been a topic for this [Gov. Ridge]
administration since this administration came to town."
The paper reports that the Legislature last year
appropriated $1.4M in charter school planning grants, which the
state DoEd already has awarded to 67 groups interested in opening
charter schools. The Legislature approved another $1.4M this
year, which coupled with $4M in federal funds will be used for
additional planning and startup costs. However, the state
Legislature must pass charter school enabling legislation to
qualify for the federal funds, reports the paper.
The bill could be stymied in the House where some members
are concerned about issues including funding to the application
process, writes the paper. The bill also must go the Senate
floor for a vote.
Sen Allyson Schwartz (D) attempted to attach an amendment
that would require all charter-school teachers to be certified.
"These are public dollars, and they are public schools," she
said. "The public expects us to demand accountability."
However, several Republican senators pointed out that charter
schools are meant to free schools from nearly all regulation and
governance, including whether teachers are certified. "I think
it's wrong if a senior accountant at Ernst & Young can't teach
accounting in high schools," said Senate President Pro Tempore
Robert Jubelirer (R). Schwartz's amendment failed.
===== BYTES AND PIECES =====
*3 SAILING INTO THE FUTURE: TOPSAIL H.S.'S INTERNET CONNECTION
Students attending Topsail (N.C.) High School this fall will
embark on a new academic journey led by a district technology
plan to tie the Internet to the curriculum. Pender County School
District's partnership with IBM has enabled the high school to
provide an Internet connection in every classroom and to install
five IBM personal computers and an IBM ThinkPad mobile computer
in each of the school's 13 classrooms.
Pender County Schools selected IBM for the $300,000 project
because of the computer company's wide array of products services
and capabilities, according to an IBM press release (5/28). "We
have a vision for what we want to provide for students and
teachers in terms of this technology, and by working with IBM
we're able to make that vision a reality," said Dr. Marc Sosne,
superintendent of schools for Pender County. "The company is
more than just a supplier -- they are working with us every step
of the way as a partner, bringing in their experts and tremendous
resources to help us plan this project to the smallest detail to
ensure its success. That's no small task, considering that we're
starting with very little technology in the schools now."
IBM also is working with a local firm, Teachers for
Technology, to implement the technology plan. IBM is supplying
all hardware and is serving as systems integrator for the project
by planning and overseeing installation of all equipment,
software and cabling.
According to the release, the school will use IBM NetVista
Internet software, which includes desktop connectivity to the
Internet service provider of a school's choice, a Netscape
browser customized for a school environment, Web Site filtering
through Cyber Patrol, a newsreader, a mail service, Usenet and
file transfer protocol. The release points out the ease of using
NetVista, which will allow teacher to make specific web sites and
send notes to students with assignments on those sites via e-
mail. Students then can link directly to the sites from e-mail
notes, keeping them focused on the subject material and reducing
search time.
For more information, contact IBM K-12 Education at 800/IBM-
4EDU. Visit the firm's Web Site at www.solutions.ibm.com/k-12.
==== CHOOSING SCHOOLS ====
*4 "A CAPITOL CHOICE:" D.C. SCHOOL-CHOICE BILL UNVEILED
A bipartisan group of House and Senate members last week
introduced legislation that would grant District of Columbia
students and their families the right to choose their own
education (CENTER FOR EDUCATION REFORM press release, 6/4). The
bill initially was introduced last year but died under a
filibuster from Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.).
Sponsors of the D.C. Student Opportunity Scholarship Act of
1997 are Senators Dan Coats (R-Ind.) and Joseph Lieberman (D-
Conn.) along with Representatives Dick Armey (R-Texas), William
Lipinski (D-Ill.) and Floyd Flake (D-N.Y.). "These members are
leading the charge to offer scholarships or tutoring assistance
to low-income D.C. children to attend the public, private or
parochial school of their choice," said Jeanne Allen, president
of the Center for Education Reform. "It's a right -- not a
privilege -- for these children to have access to the best
education available."
The release points to growing momentum for school choice;
most recently in: Lake Travis, Texas; Dover-Foxcroft, Maine;
Chittenden, Vt.; Fulton County, Ga.; Lincoln Park, N.J.;
Baltimore, Md.; N.Y.; Pa.; Ariz.; and Fla. According to the
release, private sector scholarship programs are in effect in 31
states, "serving over 20,000 low-income children.
Allen: "Many have finally conceded that school choice
should be an alternative for the less fortunate. It's found new
friends in high places, and while it may be a battle, our
children are worth it."
==== SPECIAL POPULATIONS ====
*5 LIMITS ON BILINGUAL EDUCATION: VOTED DOWN IN MASSACHUSETTS
Mass. Gov William Weld's (D-Mass.) legislation to allow a
state takeover of any school that does not move students out of
bilingual education within three years was nixed by the state
Legislature's joint Education Committee (Blair, BOSTON GLOBE,
6/4). According to the paper, the hearing room was filled with
supporters of bilingual education, including State Representative
Antonio Cabral, a certified bilingual teacher. Cabral said he
hoped the committee "in its infinite wisdom, sends this bill
where it belongs, to a deep, deep study."
Weld "strongly" defended his bill, notes the paper. Weld
said the goal of bilingual programs should be "kids getting
fluent in our common language and participating fully in our
common life." He added that reform of bilingual education should
be focused on what is important to students, not to practitioners
or "anybody who may have a job in the program."
State Board of Education chairman John Silber and state
education commissioner Robert Antonucci also endorsed Weld's
proposal. Silber said the current bilingual program is
"counterproductive and stupid" because of the length of time
students are allowed to languish in the program.
Virginia Vogel Zamnger, a member of the Massachusetts
Coalition for Bilingual Education, countered that the purpose of
the bill is to cut costs, not improve education. A letter sent
to committee members by Thomas Hibino, the U.S. DoEd's top
regional representative may have convinced some members to oppose
Weld's bill. From the letter: "Title VI requires school
districts that receive federal financial assistance to offer
special language instruction to [bilingual] students until they
have become proficient enough in English to participate
effectively in the regular classroom. If the state prohibits
school districts from meeting this Title VI obligation, the state
is also in violation of Title VI."
A REQUEST
We are interested in information regarding technology and the
classroom, including teacher training, curriculum development and
funding issues. If you are involved in bringing technology to
the classroom, please send information to:
drc_publisher@goalline.org OR fax info to 202/632-0957. Include
contact name and phone/e-mail. Thanks!
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