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OPEN LETTER:
Dear Members of the School Board, dear Superintendent Rainwater,
We are writing to strongly urge that the new Coordinator of Mathematics have the depth of knowledge of mathematics that we believe is essential for the position. While we are obviously concerned about the preparation of students entering the University, our concerns are much broader than that. The new Coordinator must have a high level of understanding of both mathematical content and pedagogy to independently navigate through the controversies that surround the established standards and published curricula. These "navigational skills" are essential if we are to achieve a program for the Madison school system that meets the needs and aspirations of all the students in the system.
The posted criteria do not give us confidence that the new coordinator will have the required depth of knowledge. Specifically, we recommend adding the following to the list of knowledge and experience that the new Coordinator should have:
The posted criteria call for a Master's degree, but there is no requirement specific to the subject area. Knowledge at the level of a Bachelor's degree seems to us to be a minimum requirement.
The posted criteria call for teaching experience in mathematics, but do not specify the level. Experience at the highest level seems essential if the individual is to have the necessary overview of the entire curriculum.
Respectfully,
Alejandro Adem
Sigurd Angenent
Richard Askey
Eric Bach
Lev Borisov
Richard Brualdi
Andrei Caldararu
David Camacho
Serguei Denissov
Mikhail Feldman
Simon Hellerstein
Shi Jin
Alexander Kiselev
James Kuelbs
Steffen Lempp
Shirin Malekpour
Eugenia Malitsky
Gloria Mari-Beffa
Gabi Meyer
Paul Milewski
Julie Mitchell
Yong-Geun Oh
Marshall Osborn
Seymour Parter
Paul Rabinowitz
Diane Rivard
Joel Robbin
Jean-Pierre Rosay
James Rossmanith
Hans Schneider
Andreas Seeger
Timo Seppalainen
Dietrich Uhlenbrock
Stephen Wainger
Tonghai Yang
Department of Mathematics
University of Wisconsin-Madison
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This year's budget process showed some improvement over previous years, including:
- The "tabs" with questions from board members and responses from the administration;I look forward to more improvements next year, including:
- Board members' amendments in writing prior to consideration;
- A hearing after the board members submitted their amendments;
- A more deliberate process, which did not feel as rushed as previous years;
- More information posted on the MMSD's site;
- Board members asking questions and expecting meaingful answers.
- Beginning next year's budget process tomorrow, literally;And most important of all, the administration, board, and community need to formulate a shared vision for Madison schools and use the budget to advance the vision.
- Clear comparisons between previous year spending and proposed spending;
- Comparisons by school for previous year spending and proposed year;
- Comparisons by major program areas for previous year and proposed;
- Proposed program changes by school;
- Proposed staffing changes by school;
- Showing program and school funding by source (fed, state, local, grant, for instance).
This year's budget deliberations lack any sense of direction. One board member brings up a subject and it's largely considered in isolation. The next board member brings up a different subject and it gets considered in isolation. All budget items should be considered in how they advance or hinder achievement of a vision.
But the board first needs to take on the difficult challenge of leading the community in defining the vision.
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Tim Schell in his comments on the District's Equity Fund referenced a DPI web page on Fund Balance Practices. I went to this web page and found the information on Fund Balance Practices (Equity Fund) useful and easy to understand. I hope our Board members and others who follow district budget issues take a moment to read this information.
While the Equity Fund is not a "pot of money" for annual district expenditures, this is a substantial financial fund and needs to be part of the School Board's discussions during the annual budget process and discussions about long-term financial planning. Closer board monitoring of and board direction to the administration re the amount and uses of this fund is the board's responsibility, and the public deserves to know and understand how the School Board is using this Fund during the annual budget process, in the School Board's monitoring of revenues and expenditures and in the context of the district's long-term financial planning.
At a recent board meeting, when the question came up about the Equity Fund - what is it and how is it used. The administration's answer was to balance the books - which is indeed one role for this fund. This raised a series of questions when board members heard more about account overruns, unnexpected expenditures (rise in utility costs), which caused cash to be drawn from this Fund to balance other Funds. For example, the Equity Fund was used to balance the deficit in the Food Service fund at the end of a fiscal year. (Accounting practices for balance sheet require this.) I was perplexed that the School Board did not have a clear understanding of how this significantd fund is used and what their role/responsibility in managing this fund is.
The School Board is responsible for determining the Fund Balance they want to work with. From DPIs web page:
As part of the budget process, the board must determine fund balance amounts to be:
- retained for working cash needs, recognizing that the working cash fund also serves as district's contingency or "rainy day" fund.
- used to fund expenditures of the next fiscal period, recognizing that if used for recurring expenditures, future budget decisions will revolve around finding resources to continue funding these expenditures.
I have not seen the School Board take up this discussion during the budget process. In fact, the board has had a separate contingency fund of less than $1 million separate from the Equity Fund. Why? And why does the school board not discuss fund overruns before they are "balanced out" using the equity fund?
The Equity Fund balance influences what interest rate district gets for short-term borrowing, bond ratings, etc. Therefore, I would like the School Board to ask the administration what their current practices are for this fund using examples from the past several years. What is the overall Fund balance target? How is this achieved and maintained?
In general, I would like to see the School Board have a clearer understanding of the Equity Fund and more closely monitor accounts within fund areas before the end of the fiscal year. For example, on a regular basis the School Board could ask for updated forecasts of expenditures and revenues for different accounts such as food services, contractors, utilities, transportation, etc.
As a starting point, I would like to see the School Board ask for a summary of changes in the Equity Fund for the past five to ten years by the various categories in this fund - reserved (committed for identified purposes), unreserved - designated (school board has identified tentative uses - working cash purposes), unreserved - undesignated fund balance (not identified). Note: It should be noted that opinions of the Wisconsin Attorney General have stated that Wisconsin governments cannot accumulate fund balances without having a specified purpose for such balances.
I'm sure the School Board, as part of various approval processes, approves the Equity Fund, but how this is done and when might merit a review tomorrow as part of the budget discussions. Also, I would like to see more discussion a) about what and how much is included in "unreserved-designated" and b) closer monitoring of budget expenditures so that the board is determining what is being used out of the equity fund to cover contingencies - and board members know this well in advance of June 30th each year.
The Madison School District has posted a summary spreadsheet of board add/cut recommendations and district analysis of the various proposals on its web site.
http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/budget/mmsd/0607/budget.htm
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On Wednesday, May 31st, the MMSD School Board will consider amendments to the 2006-2007 school budget proposed by the Superintedent. In his proposal, the Superintendent proposed cutting Grade 4 strings this year and Grade 5 strings the end of next year. One amendment to be discussed on Wednesday would have Grade 4 strings 1x per week (45 minutes) and Grade 5 2x per week (45 minutes each class).
Students who will be affected the most are our low-income children. There is no other place in Dane County that can teach so many low-income children. This year about 550 low-income students took elementary strings. Fewer opportunities at this age will lead to fewer low-income/minority students in our middle and high school orchestras and band - this is a direction we do not want to move in as our student body becomes more diverse.
Like it or not, people moving into the area with children check out what schools offer - our suburban school districts have elementary string programs that are growing in many towns.
I've advocated for a community committee for fine arts education to develop a long-term plan for this academic area. I hope this comes to pass, but first I hope the School Board favorably considers this amendment and follows Lawrie Kobza's idea - hold off spending on "things" because people cannot be added back in as easily as things can be added back into the budget.
I've written a letter to the school board that follows:
Dear Madison School Board,
Last week, I had the honor of listening to more than 130 4th and 5th grade students give a ½ half hour concert for their parents and classmates. These children were so excited being able to play for an audience. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure how their teacher would get them organized and ready to play, but he did, and the concert was terrific! What a wonderful experience for player and audience alike.
Thank you for considering options to continue elementary strings, which is the first two years of the district’s Grade 4-12 instrumental academic program. I implore you to support the following option: Grade 4 – 1x per week (45 minute class) and Grade 5 – 2x per week (45 minute classes) for the following reasons:
A. Low income children will be affected the most by cuts to Grade 4 strings – about 550 low-income children participated in elementary strings this year, an increase from several years ago. We need to develop opportunities (lessons, small group rehearsals) that will help all children be successful performers on his/her instrument. Opportunities, such as these, need to BUILD UPON what children learn during the day in a large group class.
B. Equity in making cuts – last year this course was cut too much – 50%, which is more than any other academic course that is highly valued and has a strong demand. The burden of cuts needs to be shared, yet we need to protect our academic courses. I support Lawrie Kobza’s proposal to cut “things” now, not staff. As the School Board learns more about the budget after it is implemented, “things” can be added back in. Once the school year has begun, it’s next to impossible to add back staff.
C. DPI Standards – recommend beginning violin instruction in Grade 4 as does MMSD’s curriculum. There has been no curriculum assessment of the district’s music education with teachers, parents, music professionals involved. I feel this is important before any changes to this curriculum, or any academic curriculum, are made. Promises of planning are inappropriate.
D. Children’s interest and demand – remains strong and has grown during the past 15 years, AT THE SAME TIME that the district’s low-income and minority population has grown. Consistently, 1,800 to 2,000 children have signed up each year for elementary strings. They may not all come to School Board meetings, but like the hundreds of parents, students and community members who have spoken and emailed the School Board these past 5 springs, these students make their wishes known by taking elementary strings, learning to play and playing their hearts out at concerts for the community.
E. Middle school students want more music in school – elementary strings is an important stepping stone to more advanced performance. Nothing in General Music alone prepares them to perform at a level children can play after two years of elementary strings. Middle and high school music classes are larger – requiring fewer staff than other classes.
For 5 springs, the community has spoken up for elementary strings. Students have spoken about how important these classes are to their education, parents share with you what their children’s experiences are, community members tell you how much they value elementary strings. Please help them.
I’ve been asking the School Board to consider putting in place a community fine arts education committee to develop a long-term strategic plan for fine arts. I hope the School Board takes a leadership role and moves forward with such an effort. But, first, please continue elementary strings.
Sincerely,
Barbara M. Schrank, Ph.D.
By the end of this column I will have selected the next superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Because I believe that the children, parents, teachers and citizens of Los Angeles are entitled to transparency in such deliberations, I invite you to join me as I work my way toward a decision.Let's start in a classroom at North Hollywood High School, where, in a scene reminiscent of "Blackboard Jungle," 28 young toughs have school board President Marlene Canter backed up against a projector screen.
These aren't physical toughs. They're intellectual toughs. But if I were Canter, I'd take the sneering, tattooed kind any day.
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Earlier this year, our small Midwestern school district joined the food wars, proposing a new policy that would discourage all food in classrooms, ban nuts and sugary foods and do away with vending machines.So much for peanut butter sandwiches, snacks for kindergartners and birthday cupcakes.
Like the policies put in place by school systems around the country, this one was driven by anxiety — about food quantity, quality and safety — and by the ever-increasing pressure for children to look a certain way and to weigh a certain amount.
Unlike the earlier "mommy wars" or the "war on drugs," which centered around simpler black-and-white divides, the 21st-century food wars are fuzzier, though the feelings run just as deep.
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Ann O' Brien:
Every year when I attend my children’s strings concerts, I am so amazed by the broad and diverse participation of students in strings. How moving to see so many students playing instruments often stereotyped as only for the rich who can afford lessons. The cacophony of sounds coming from the 100’s of students at the city-wide concerts inspires the kids, the parents and the community that all is well in the world; that integration, opportunity, and artistic expression are not just paid lip service, but are working in our schools. I appreciate your work to keep strings available to all students.
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Wisconsin State Journal Editorial:
Nxt month hundreds of 17- and 18-year- olds in the Madison area will graduate from high school, bound for college. Hundreds more will graduate with plans to enter training programs, join the military or go directly to the world of work.Those graduates will represent a piece of the American dream.
But what about the teenagers left out of that dream?
An estimated 3,500 young people of high school age in metropolitan Madison area are not in school.
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It is a kind of Alice-in-Wonderland idea. If you do not finish high school, head straight for college.But many colleges — public and private, two-year and four-year — will accept students who have not graduated from high school or earned equivalency degrees.
And in an era of stubbornly elevated high school dropout rates, the chance to enter college through the back door is attracting growing interest among students without high school diplomas.
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Milwaukee Journal - Sentinel Editorial:
As a matter of editorial policy, we don't accept poverty as an excuse for poor school performance. We expect that rather than wishing they had a different class of students, schools take students wherever they are and develop their talents so that they can cope and thrive in later life. At the same time, we recognize that poverty poses stiff challenges for educators.
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Via a Johnny Winston, Jr. email:
Currently, the Madison School Board is deliberating over the 2006-07 budget. Board members submitted budget amendments to the Administration last week. The strings program, library pages, funding for community groups, student fees, school programs and class sizes are among the items identified by board members to change in the budget. For a list of budget amendments and Administrative responses please go to: http://mmsd.org/budget/mmsd/0607/budget.htm.We invite the public to comment on the budget amendments at our public hearing on Tuesday May 30th at 5 p.m. at the Doyle Building or in writing to the board at comments@madison.k12.wi.us. The board will finalize the budget on Wednesday May 31st. Both of these meetings will be televised on MMSD television on cable channel 10 at 5 p.m.
Upcoming Dates & Agenda Items: · The board will deliberate on a possible fall referendum regarding building of a new school on the far Westside of Madison and the refinancing of building additions debt on June 5th.· On June 12th the Performance and Achievement Committee will receive a report regarding the new Middle School Design. Board will receive a report on the United Way Schools of Hope Initiative by U.W. School of Educations, Dr. Julie Underwood and discuss policy regarding placement of cell antennas on MMSD property for revenue.
· On June 19th the Board will have a brainstorming session to discuss issues and topics for the upcoming school year. The boards committees will become a focus this year. This meeting will allow the elected board to develop priorities and a vision for the school district and allow the Administration to address those issues. It will be the goal of the board to work cooperatively, effectively and respectfully.
Sign up for MMSD communications at http://mmsd.org/lists/newuser.cgi
Did you know that
there are six School Board committees Finance and Operations; Human Resources; Partnerships; Long Range Planning; Performance and Achievement; and Communications (formerly Legislative).
Thank you for your interest and support of the MMSD.
Johnny Winston, Jr.
President, Madison School Board
jwinstonjr@madison.k12.wi.us
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The first science test administered in five years across the United States shows that achievement among high school seniors has declined across the past decade, even as scores in science rose among fourth-graders and held steady among eighth-graders, the U.S. Department of Education has reported.The falling average science test scores among high school students, announced Wednesday, appeared certain to increase anxiety about American academic competitiveness and to add new urgency to calls from President George W. Bush, governors and philanthropists like Bill Gates for an overhaul of American high schools.
The drop in science proficiency appeared to reflect a broader trend in which some academic gains made in elementary grades and middle school have been seen to fade during the high school years. The science results come from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a comprehensive examination administered in early 2005 by the Department of Education to more than 300,000 students in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and on U.S. military bases around the world.
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"Finding Common Ground in the U.S. Math Wars", Science Magazine, May 19, 2006 describes the 18-month effort initiated by Richard Schaar, mathematician and former president of Texas Instruments, to bridge the gap between professional mathematicians, and math educators. Leaving many issues still to be addressed, the following is their initial statements:
All students must have a solid grounding in mathematics to function effectively in today's world. The need to improve the learning of traditionally underserved groups of students is widely recognized; efforts to do so must continue. Students in the top quartile are underserved in different ways; attention to improving the quality of their learning opportunities is equally important. Expectations for all groups of students must be raised. By the time they leave high school, a majority of students should have studied calculus.
For further elaboration, see Common Ground
Last month, NCTM (National Coucil of Teachers of Mathematics) endorsed a short list of skills, by grade, that every grade and middle school student must master. These "Curriculum Focal Points" are an attempt to correct the "mile-wide, inch-deep" curricula in most schools, which leave most student incapable and ill-prepared for further work in mathematics, science and engineering disciplines. The Focal Points document has not be published at this time.
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"The Read Aloud Handbook" by Jim Trelease was a guide to literature for children. As I recall, the second half of the book was a collection of book and story titles appropriate for different ages, but it was the first half that really influenced my parenting philosophy.Simply put, Trelease wanted parents to ban television and read aloud to their young children, until, and even after, they could read on their own. First published in 1982, many children who were the beneficiaries of Trelease's ideas are now college age and beyond.
It would be interesting to conduct a study to determine whether the children Trelease hoped to influence have become active readers as adults. My guess is that many of them stopped reading for pleasure when they started middle school and were assigned specific books.
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A letter to the editor
Dear Editor: I appreciated Susan Troller's recent article where she examined the impact of eroding budgets on schools and classrooms throughout Madison. Unfortunately, this situation is not unique to Madison schools.
The repeated cutting of school budgets is strongly affecting classrooms, teachers and students in scores of school districts throughout Wisconsin. I feel confident that Madison schools, and many other school districts, are years past cutting the "frills" from their budgets school boards and administrators are now forced to make cuts that truly affect the quality of education that our children are receiving.
These current cuts, and inevitable future cuts, are a direct result of statewide school finance restrictions that have been placed on local communities by our state Legislature since the mid-1990s. School funding is extremely complicated, and I won't begin to try to explain it here. What I will do, however, is invite readers to educate themselves on this very important issue. A good place to begin is the Web site of the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools, www.excellentschools.org.
After we better educate ourselves, we need to have conversations with our neighbors, our friends, our school personnel and our policy makers. School financing, as it currently exists, is not going to change unless we help to make it change. And if our current school financing system does not change, then our schools will cease to be the national leaders that they still are today. And the ones who truly will lose out are our children.
I encourage readers to learn about school financing and to engage in positive dialogue with others so that we can quickly find creative solutions.
Barbara Katz
Madison
Published: May 26, 2006
The Capital Times
38 proposed amendments can be found here ("Tab 1 to Tab 38").
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Interesting timing, in light of Bill's post on the MMSD's plan to rotate a number of Elementary school principals; NY Times Editorial:
The education reforms that are under way across the United States fall mainly on the shoulders of school principals, whose jobs are growing more difficult — and more crucial — every day. They must train and inspire new teachers, manage budgets, schedule classes, interact with often troubled families, and keep clean, orderly buildings — all while raising standards and improving student performance, as is now required by federal law. This walk-on-water job requires sound training and a good support system. But it also requires experience, especially in challenging school systems like New York City's, which is on the verge of giving principals even more responsibility.
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After a number of parents and teachers objected, the school board of Olympia, Washington, has ignored an administrative recommendation to adopt a constructivist math program for their middle schoolers:Connected Math and the Madison School District was discussed at a recent math forum (audio / video).
UW Emeritus Math Professor Dick Askey wrote a followup article on test scores and the local math curriculum.
The MMSD is currently looking for a "Coordinator of Mathematics".
Clusty Connected Math Search.
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Here's a brief list of the research (you can find it here) about parent involvement related to student achievement. Enjoy.Ann Shaver and Richard Walls (1998) looked at the impact of school-based parent workshops on the achievement of 335 Title I students in nine schools in a West Virginia district . . . . The researchers found that students with more highly involved parents were more likely to gain in both reading and math than children with less involved parents. This finding held across all income and education levels.
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There's been an increase in discussion recently regarding Milwaukee's Voucher Program largely around Amanda Poulson's recent article in the Christian Science Monitor:
Hers is the sort of story Milwaukee's school-choice advocates cite when touting the oldest and largest voucher program in the country. Now it's expanding, but 16 years after it began, the policy is still controversial and has shown few documented benefits.Proponents say it gives options to low-income kids who might otherwise be stuck in failing schools, and that the competition for students is good for all Milwaukee's schools, both public and private. Critics, meanwhile, cite the money the program drains from public schools and the highly uneven quality of the private ones, which aren't held to the same standards.
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I sent the following message to the School Board yesterday, in reaction to MMSD’s announcement that 6 elementary principals will be moved to different schools this summer in a series of transfers.
I realize that it’s easy to talk tough from the sidelines, but I think that this is a significant personnel decision that will affect a lot of teachers, kids, and communities. If the School Board hasn’t received a thorough explanation of its rationale, I think they should request one.
A few people have suggested that I post my message to the Board here, so here it is.
-----------------------------------------
To the MMSD Board of Education:
I don't think I understand why Elizabeth Fritz was transferred from Crestwood. It appears that Art Rainwater has decided to remove an effective leader from a healthy school--one whose health she has helped to develop. His letter did not make the reason clear, except to suggest that he thinks it is good to move principals from one school to another every so often. Is this really his view, or the view of the School Board? It doesn't make sense to me.
Perhaps there are good reasons for these principal moves that I'm not aware of. But from the outside they give a worrisome impression--that the Superintendent might be "protecting his own" at the expense of the students he is serving. From the outside, and with incomplete information, it looks as though Mr. Rainwater might be doing the easier thing instead of the better thing--shuttling some unsuccessful principals to different schools instead of firing them. This would at least be a plausible motivation. Rotation for the sake of rotation does not seem to be.
I think the role of principal is the most important role in a school district, and that a principal has more impact on a school's climate than any other person. Good ones are not so easy to come by, and I don't think they should be transferred out unless there's a good reason. I hope the School Board will question Mr. Rainwater closely on his reasons. If it appears he's trying to protect weak principals, or if he can't do better than to say that it's good to rotate principals every so often, I hope the School Board will consider overturning his decision.
Thank you for your consideration.
Bill Herman
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There were some earlier postings and questions about the Equity Fund that I believe need to be answered. First equity in this case is similar to the equity you have in your house as you pay down your mortgage.
The Equity Fund is a consequence of the fact that, by state law, the district operates on a fiscal year budget (July 1-June 30) but the taxes are collected on a calendar year basis. So the 2006-07 year is paid for partially from last year's tax levy and partially from the 2007 taxes that will be collected in January 2007.
Furthermore, about 75% of total taxes come in by January 31 - the rest come in by July 31. So when the district closes its books at the end of the fiscal year (June 30th) it has some tax funds set aside to pay for the July-Jan portion of the year and bookkeepers and accountants require a label/category for all funds - this is the Equity Fund. It is the funds that (with the additional July collections) are intended to cover the expenses of the district for the July-Jan months.
Another piece of the funding puzzle is that the state funds (both equalized aid and categorical aid) are sent in December, March and June - for expenses incurred from September to June. So there is a cash flow problem which the district solves (as almost all others do) by engaging in short term borrowing. Usually this borrowing pays for itself (through interest earned).
I realize this is fairly complex (and archane) - so I will try to answer whatever questions any reader might have.
Carol
Carol Carstensen
Madison School Board
"Until lions have their own historians, the hunters will always be glorified." - African
Proverb
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Colleges across the country are reporting a drop in SAT scores this year. I've been tutoring students in New York City for the SAT since 1989, and I have watched the numbers rise and fall. This year, though, the scores of my best students dropped about 50 points total in the math and verbal portions of the test (each on a scale of 200 to 800). Colleges and parents are wondering: Is there something wrong with the new test? Or are our children not being taught what they should know?Before 1994, the verbal section of the SAT was about 65% vocabulary (55 out of 85 questions) and 35% reading comprehension. Then the Educational Testing Service shortened and reworked the test, devoting half of the 78 questions to each area. Last year ETS changed the test again, and now it is heavily skewed toward reading: 49 of the 68 items require students to read, synthesize and answer questions.
In such a way, ETS has increased the penalty for not reading throughout one's school years. Studying vocabulary lists before the test--a long-favored shortcut to lifting scores--just won't cut it anymore. Students who read widely and often throughout their elementary and high-school years develop the kinds of reading skills measured by the new SAT. Students who avoid reading don't--and can't develop them in a cram course.
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Bridging Differences A Dialogue Between Deborah Meier and Diane Ravitch
May 24, 2006
By Deborah Meier & Diane Ravitch
In the course of the last 30 years, the two of us have been at odds on any number of issues - on our judgments about progressive education, on the relative importance of curriculum content (what students are taught) vs. habits of mind (how students come to know what they are taught), and most recently in our views of the risks involved in nationalizing aspects of education policy.
Meeting recently to prepare for a debate on the federal No Child Left Behind Act, however, we found ourselves agreeing about the mess that has been generated by local and state testing. Both of us agreed that the public needs far better information about both inputs and outcomes, without which the public is woefully uninformed and too easily manipulated. As we discussed what the next policy steps should be, Diane preferred a national response, and Deborah preferred a local one.
As we talked further, we were surprised to discover that we shared a similar reaction to many of the things that are happening in education today, especially in our nation's urban school districts. Recent trends and events seem to be confirming our mutual fears and jeopardizing our common hopes about what schooling might accomplish for the nation's children. We might, we agreed, be getting the worst of both our perspectives.
Unlike Deborah, Diane has long supported an explicit, prescribed curriculum, one that would consume about half the school day, on which national examinations would be based. Diane believes in the value of a common, knowledge-based curriculum, such as the Core Knowledge curriculum, that ensures that all children study history, literature, mathematics, science, art, music, and foreign language; such a curriculum, she thinks, would support rather than undermine teachers' work. Deborah, while strongly agreeing on the need for a broad liberal arts curriculum, doubts that anyone can ensure what children will really understand and usefully make sense of, even through the best imposed curriculum, especially if it is designed by people who are far from the actual school communities and classrooms.
Yet both of us are appalled by the relentless "test prep" activities that have displaced good instruction in far too many urban classrooms, and that narrow the curriculum to nothing but math and reading. We are furthermore distressed by unwarranted claims from many cities and states about "historic gains" that are based on dumbed-down tests, even occasionally on downright dishonest scoring by purposeful exclusion of low-scoring students.What unites us above all is our conviction that low-income children who live in urban centers are getting the worst of both of our approaches.
Deborah is a pioneer of the small-schools movement. Diane, while not an opponent of that movement, has questioned whether such schools have the capacity to offer a reasonable curriculum, including advanced classes. Yet here, too, we both fear that a good idea has too often been subverted by the mass production of large numbers of small schools, without adequate planning or qualified leadership and with insufficient thought given to how they might promote class and racial integration, rather than contribute to further segregation.We found that we were both dismayed by efforts in New York City to micromanage what teachers in most K-8 schools do at every moment in the day.
While Deborah allies herself with many of the so-called constructivist ideas about teaching that are now in vogue in New York, she believes that the very idea of constructivism is mocked by the city's too often lock-step and authoritarian approach to implementing such ideas. In our shared view, the city's department of education has no curriculum at all, just a mandated and highly prescribed pedagogy in grades K-8, after which time the state Regents examinations - tests that have been dramatically simplified in recent years - serve as an implicit curriculum.We concur that teachers must be free to use their best professional judgment about how to teach, and we agree on the importance of a strong professional culture in which teachers are encouraged to question and re-examine pedagogical assumptions and practices.
Deborah would want teachers to continually re-examine curricular assumptions. Diane urges the adoption of a prescribed curriculum that includes at least the central academic disciplines and the arts. She believes that a policy of letting a thousand flowers bloom without tending is likely to produce hundreds of weeds and only a few rare flowers. Deborah agrees; good gardens need tending. She would leave most of the details to the local school community.
What unites us above all is our conviction that low-income children who live in urban centers are getting the worst of both of our approaches. New York City is a prominent example. No central, abiding definition of what constitutes a well-educated person unites or rationalizes the mandates that flow from central headquarters. The substance of education - history, science, social science, literature, art, music - never sufficiently honored in most of our schools, is being sacrificed to narrowly focused demands to produce higher test scores in reading and math.Principals and teachers, regardless of their experience, are ordered to comply with mandates about how to teach - down to the minute in many elementary schools - undermining not only their professionalism, but often their common sense.
A particular style of teaching has been elevated to a cult, for fear that teachers might err if given more leeway to make decisions and do what they think best. Fear is widespread among teachers, principals, and kids alike, none of whom have any strong countervailing institutions to count on for support.
The ends of education - its purposes, and the trade-offs that real life requires - must be openly debated and continuously re-examined. Young people need to see themselves as novice members of a serious, intellectually purposeful community.Almost all the usual intervening mediators - parent organizations, unions, and local community organizations - have either been co-opted, purchased, or weakened, or find themselves under siege if they question the dominant model of corporate-style "reform."
All the city's major universities, foundations, and business elites are joined together as cheerleaders, if not actual participants, offering no support or encouragement to watchdogs and dissidents. This allows these elites the opportunity to carry out their experiments on a grand, and they hope uninterrupted, "apolitical" scale, where everything can, at last, be aligned, in each and every school, from prekindergarten to grade 12, under the watchful eye of a single leader. If they can remain in power long enough, it is assumed (although what actually is assumed is not easy to find out) that they can create a new paradigm that no future change in leadership can undo.
The so-called reforms of the day are too often a perverse distortion - one might say an "evil twin"of the different ideas that each of us has advocated.Deborah considers NAEP to be flawed in ways not dissimilar to most standardized tests, and she regards its cut scores and norms as equally politically determined and, at present, absurdly high. She notes that the view of the federal government as the guarantor of equity was the product of a particular time and place in our history, and sees no reason to assume that the federal government is likely to be better intentioned about education policy now, or in the future, than local communities are. She believes that certain conservatives favor national standards and testing because they are in power.
Diane points out, however, that most conservatives are adamantly opposed to any national standards, while President Clinton actively supported a national system of standards and testing. In any event, she reasons, the development of national standards and tests is a project for the next decade, and should be outside partisan interests or control. As for NAEP's norms and cut scores, Diane contends that the assessment's standards are entirely nonpolitical and benchmarked to international standards. Deborah thinks that Diane's hopes for unbiased, apolitical benchmarking are well-intentioned but inaccurate as a description of all the current tests, including NAEP. Having abandoned the normal curve, she believes, we're stuck with the fallibility of human judgment.
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Education Secretary Spellings recently announced the formation of a presidentially appointed panel that was formed to address math teaching. According to the charter of this panel, one of its purposes is “to foster greater knowledge of and improved performance in mathematics among American students.” The panel is charged with producing a report in two years, which must contain recommendations pertaining to how math instruction can be improved in the U.S. In particular, the report must address the skills necessary for students to acquire competence in algebra and to prepare them for higher levels of mathematics.The workings of the panel are not the type of thing that makes the front page of newspapers, the top story on TV news, or what is talked about in the local cafes. To hear about this you need to drop in to the blogs (like Edspresso), or the various list serves on the internet devoted to math education. There you will notice some discomfort among those who think that the way math is currently taught and the present crop of math texts being used in the U.S. is just fine. They have openly expressed dismay at the inclusion on the panel of people who have been vocal critics of reform math, stating "This panel is filled with hacks, toadies and stooges. Can you say ‘show trial’, children? Have you ever seen the old reels of the Communist Party Congresses in Moscow?” Allegations of pre-conceived conclusions then follow.
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Board member stirs controversy
Baraboo News Republic
Thursday May 25, 2006
By Christina Beam
BARABOO - New Baraboo School Board member Kevin Bartol
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"There are some people in this country that cannot be educated," Bartol said to the board. "They may have their eyes open, but there's no one awake upstairs."
His comments Monday came as part of the board's review of district
policies, including one for "Programs for Students with Disabilities." The first sentence of that policy reads that the board "shall provide a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment for students with disabilities who reside within the district."
Bartol proposed the board add a modifier before the word student, such as "educable," so that if a child who "can't be taught" wants to enter or stay in a Baraboo public school the district is not required to serve him or her.
"Every child can be taught," said Director of Special Ed Gwynne Peterson said, who added the district is under federal obligation -as well as moral and ethical - to teach every student.
"I don't think that's true," Bartol said. "What if you teach them for two or three years and they haven't learned anything?"
High School Principal Machell Schwarz responded, "Then we work with them and try everything we possibly can." Bartol requested the board look into the legalities of modifying the disability policy.
By Tuesday word of the exchange had spread around the district, District Administrator Lance Alwin said, and he had received feedback from community members troubled by Bartol's comments.
"Any family that has a child with special needs would be very disconcerted to know we were thinking about defining the type of child we intend to work with," Alwin said. "All children shall be served. Until I'm told differently, I have no intention of beginning to socially exclude any child that shows up at our doorstep."
In an interview Wednesday Bartol did not back down from his statements but said he was misunderstood by administrators and other board members who took offense to his comments.
"To my knowledge, all the students that are attending the Baraboo School District fall into the category of being able to be educated," he said. "But it is feasible and it has occurred in other school districts where students that because of some type of brain damage were not be able to be educated and yet they were allowed to go to school."
In a statement from Wisconsin Association of School Boards Wednesday,
attorney Nancy Dorman advised the district state and federal laws entitle all children to an education, and the district's obligation to provide it cannot be waived through local policy.
It's possible those state and federal laws implied that "students" were children capable of being educated, Bartol said. He said ideally the district would have a team of experts determine if children with severe cognitive disabilities were making progress in the public school setting. If after a year or two they hadn't improved, he said, they could go elsewhere.
"Public school systems are not a baby-sitting service or a nurse care
service for children such as those," he said. "They're a place to educate students."
Peterson, who also investigates discrimination and harassment complaints in the district, said she was outraged by Bartol's "discriminatory and prejudicial" remarks.
"It's frightening to me that someone in a position making decisions on the education of the students in our community believes these kinds of things," she said.
Education for severely cognitively disabled students is adapted and
individualized to the children's needs, Peterson said, but it still
qualifies as education. Special ed teachers may work with a student to
learn to hold his head up, she said, freeing the student to be more
independent and spend his energies learning new tasks and concepts.
"We have had very young students with developmental disabilities who you might look at and just by appearance decide this student can't learn," she said. "I've seen those kids, and I've seen how far they do come."
The district's policy for students with disabilities borrows heavily from state and federal legislation, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which defines disabilities and schools' obligations to serve students.
Bartol said the whole issue is probably moot if the board is unable to make any policy changes. "I'm not going to be upset about it one way or another," he said, "and hopefully no one else gets upset about it one way or another."
Bartol was elected to the board after a recount of the April 4 election had him winning by a three-vote margin over write-in candidate Doug Mering. Bartol, who was on the same ticket as a five-year, $7.5-million referendum, ran on an anti-referendum platform.
With the MMSD considering an addition to Leopold Elementary and a new west side high school, the fabulous Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair in Custer, Wisconsin (just 7 miles east of Stevens Point) offers a relevant presentation titled Lighting and Daylighting in School Buildings. The Fair program describes the presentation:Learn to evaluate the light needed for the activity at hand. Plus, gain some tips on daylighting -- using a bit of the most abundant, accessible and predictable renewable resource available to us.
The presentation will be offered on Friday, June 23, at 12:00 noon. The presenter Bob Drevlow works with the Focus on Energy Schools Program.
Daylighting saves electricity without adding cost to a school, as demonstrated by Clackamas High School in Clackamas, Oregon.
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One of those cryptic messages in the current MMSD budget document says:
One of the major challenges for the 2006-07 school year is implementing a change in the philosophy and approach to creating positive student behavior. We are moving from a punitive system of student behavior management to a distict wide positive approach to changing student behavior thorugh education, dialogue and resotrative justice.
In plain language, the district will implement a variation of a program created by Corwin Kronenberg. The program won't be the complete version of Kronenberg's plan because he and the district had a falling out, similar to the parting of ways between the MMSD and Glen Singleton with his "courageous conversations" on race.
Kronenberg doesn't seem to have a Web site that lays out his behavioral management plan, but it's posted below as it appears on the Web site of the Sheboygan school district.
From the Sheboygan school district:
Many of you have heard of our new program at Jackson School called Top of the Line. Top of the Line is a revised program based on a program developed by nationally recognized behavior management expert Corwin Kronenberg.
The goal of our “Top of the Line” program is for students to learn the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behaviors, and create a safe and caring environment.
In our “Top of the Line” program, behavior is divided into three groups: above, below and bottom of the line. Students are expected to exhibit above the line behavior. If a student makes a bad behavior choice and falls below the line, the student will be expected to assume responsibility for the behavior. Students whose behavior falls below the line are given a choice to “fix it” or accept a consequence for going below the line. If the child selects the fix it option, they will be expected to develop a plan for fixing the problem. When a child chooses a consequence, one will be worked out with the child and adult in charge.
We do not have a standard set of consequences for every below the line behavior. A consequence will be generated specifically for the incident, with the following guidelines: Must be related to the incident, must be delivered respectfully, must be reasonable.
Bottom line behaviors are completely unacceptable at school. A bottom line behavior is a violation of state law, district policy or totally unacceptable behavior. Bottom line behaviors require the involvement of the principal. A Jackson Elementary School Notification Slip (ticket) will be sent home for these infractions. Depending on the incident, parental involvement or legal authorities may be utilized.
ABOVE THE LINE:
Respectful, responsible, polite, safe, cooperative, and a good worker.
BELOW THE LINE:
Swearing, teasing,budging in line, hitting, uncooperative,wasting time.
BOTTOM LINE:
Weapons, vandalism, racial harassment, assault, use of drugs, sexual harassment.
The Web site of the school system in Ogilvie, Minnesota, explains the program this way:
Behavioral Expectations
Above the Line/Below the Line/Bottom Line is a system used to categorize behavior. Good or appropriate behavior is deemed Above the Line, inappropriate behavior is deemed Below the Line, and serious rule infractions are considered Bottom Line.
When a student chooses to act inappropriately their behavior is referred to as being Below the Line. It is at this point that the student will choose between a Consequence or a Fix It Plan. The staff person observing the Below the Line behavior will give the student a choice. The student is asked, Do you want a consequence, or do you want to fix it? The student generally chooses to fix it. This is done with a Fix-It-Plan. The student will be asked to brainstorm ways they can fix or repair the harm they have caused. The brainstorming will take place in the Stop Think and Resolve Room. If a student has made fun of a classmate and left him/her out of a game, a Fix It Plan might involve being extra kind to the student. For example, the offending student might invite the other child to join in a game that day or write a letter to the child listing three specific things she/he likes about them. The child who has been made fun of will be encouraged to give input as to what she or he thinks might help repair the harm, and an agreement may be negotiated. It will be the job of the STR Room personnel to follow up and verify that the plan is carried out. In the event that the plan is not completed, the offending student forfeits their opportunity to fix the problem themselves and instead will receive a consequence determined by the STR Room personnel or principal.
When a student’s behavior is considered Bottom Line he or she is automatically referred to the principal. The principal will then determine the necessary actions depending on the severity of the inappropriate behavior.
Below the Line Behaviors
(Dealt with by STR Room personnel.)
Insubordination-, which may include
*Disrespect
*Refusal to follow rules/directions
*Abusive language
Threatening the safety of others
General disruption of school/educational environment
Bottom Line Behaviors
(Dealt with by administration)
Vandalism
Theft
Abuse of hardware/software
Possession/use of tobacco
Physical attacks/fighting
Threats and intimidation
Harassment
Under the influence /possession of a stimulant or narcotic
General disruption of school/education environment
Threatening the safety of others (fighting, sale of drugs, etc.)
Law Enforcement/Administration
Possession of a weapon
Arson
Bomb Threats
Possession of any prescription drug not prescribed to the individual
General disruption of school/education program
Threatens the safety of others (fighting, sale of drugs, etc.)
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For immediate release
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Six elementary principals to lead different schools for 2006-07
Six elementary school principals will lead different schools next year in a series of transfers within the Madison School District. All six principals have been at their current schools for at least five years.
The list of new assignments, by principal, with current school and length of service:
Craig Campbell to Elvehjem from Kennedy (10 yrs.)
Lisa Kvistad to Lowell from Elvehjem (5 yrs.)
Bev Cann to Kennedy from Lowell (5 yrs.)
Linda Allen to Chavez from Thoreau (5 yrs.)
Howard Fried to Crestwood from Chavez (6 yrs.)
Liz Fritz to Thoreau from Crestwood (6 yrs.)
In making these assignment changes, Superintendent Art Rainwater said, "All of these principals have been at their schools for several years, and I believe these changes are good for the district, the principals, the staff and the students."
Parents at each of the schools were notified yesterday. The changes will take place over the summer in time for the Tuesday, September 5 start of the new school year. Each of the principals will assist his or her successor in the transition to make it more effective and efficient.
COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? PLEASE CONTACT:
Madison Metropolitan School District
Public Information Office
545 W. Dayton St.
Madison, WI 53703
608-663-1879
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Madison School Board members have come up with their lists of programs to put back into next year's budget.
But in order to get those items back, four of the board's seven members have to agree not only on what to add, but how to fund it.Madison School Board President Johnny Winston Jr. wants to restore the district's elementary strings program for fifth- graders to twice a week, keep fourth- and fifth-grade classes at Lincoln Elementary School limited to 20 students and fund programs to improve the attendance of Hmong students and to make schools safer by reducing bullying.
School Board member Ruth Robarts wants to keep the strings program for fourth graders as well as fifth-graders, nix increases in student textbook fees and restore the positions of library pages who assist school librarians, which were cut from the $332 million budget district administrators have proposed for next year.
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National Council on Teacher Quality:
In this groundbreaking report, NCTQ studied a large representative sampling of ed schools to find out what future elementary teachers are--and are not--learning about reading instruction. The report, the most comprehensive of its kind, determined that education schools are ignoring the principles of good reading instruction that would prepare prospective teachers how to better teach reading. View the Executive Summary or Full Report, or order multiple copies of the Executive Summary free of charge.NCTQ website.
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Rafael Gomez's next Forum is on Immigration and Education. The event will be held Wednesday, May 24, 2006 at 7:00p.m. in the McDaniels' Auditorium (Doyle Administration Building - 545 West Dayton St. 53703) [Map]
Participants include: Victor Arellano (Attorney), Alfonso (DPI), Alam Diaz (U W Student) and Joe Nigh (Counselor at East).
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Madison Metropolitan School District:
Madison students tested on the 2005-06 Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE) surpassed their state peers in the "advanced" category — the highest category — at all grade levels and in both reading and math, district officials said today. More than 12,000 of the district's 24,490 students took the tests.Much more on the WKCE test, and recent changes to it here.This level of achievement is significant because the number of students tested doubled, due to first time testing in grades 3, 5, 6, and 7 (in addition to 4, 8 and 10 grades). For example, 38% of the district's 10th graders taking the math test scored in the advanced category, compared with 25% statewide. Madison third graders taking the math test topped their state peers in the advanced category by 44% to 32%.
Madison students across the seven tested grades average five percentage points higher in the advanced score range than their statewide peers in the reading tests, and are over eight percentage points higher in the math test.
"Madison's high-fliers really fly high," said Superintendent Art Rainwater. "While we continue to work hard to narrow the minority student achievement gap, it's important to note that high achieving students prosper and excel in our community's schools."
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A new statewide assessment used to test the knowledge of Wisconsin students forced a lowering of the curve, a Madison school official said.Kevin Carey recently wrote how states inflate their progress under NCLB:
The results showed little change in the percentages of students scoring at proficient and advanced levels.But that's because this year's Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations- Criterion Referenced Tests proved harder for students than last year's assessment, said Kurt Kiefer, director of research and evaluation for the Madison School District, prompting adjustments to the statewide cut-off scores for determining minimal, basic, proficient and advanced levels that were in line with last year's percentages, Kiefer said.
"The intent was not to make a harder test," Kiefer said, adding that the test was particularly more difficult at the eighth- and 10th-grade levels. "It had nothing to do with how smart the kids were."
While scores can differ from district to district, Kiefer said, increases in students testing proficient and advanced are not as profound as districts might have hoped.
But Wisconsin's remarkable district success rate is mostly a function of the way it has used its flexibility under NCLB to manipulate the statistical underpinnings of the AYP formula.I'm glad Sandy is taking a look at this.
UW Emeritus Math Professor Dick Askey mentioned changes in state testing during a recent Math Curriculum Forum:
We went from a district which was above the State average to one with scores at best at the State average. The State Test was changed from a nationally normed test to one written just for Wisconsin, and the different levels were set without a national norm. That is what caused the dramatic rise from February 2002 to November 2002. It was not that all of the Middle Schools were now using Connected Mathematics Project, which was the reason given at the meeting for these increases.Alan Borsuk has more:
This year's results also underscore a vexing question: Why does the percentage of students who are proficient or advanced drop from eighth to 10th grades? The decline was true almost across the board, including across ethnic groups, except in language arts. In reading statewide, the percentage of students who were advanced and proficient held close to steady from third through eighth grade and then dropped 10 points, from 84% to 74% for 10th grade. The decline was even steeper for black and Hispanic students - in each case, 17-point drops from eighth to 10th grade.Planner was most recently principal at Madison's Thoreau Elementary School.Overall, lower test scores at 10th grade are part of a broader picture of concern about how students are doing in high school that has put that level of education on the front burner nationwide, whether it is special programming from Oprah Winfrey or efforts by the National Governors Association, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation or others.
But assistant state schools superintendent Margaret Planner said one factor in the 10th-grade drop simply might be that many students at that level do not take the tests very seriously. Their own standing is not affected by how they do, although the status of their school could be affected seriously. She referred to the tests as "low stakes" for students and "high stakes" for schools under the federal education law.
Madison Metrpolitan School District's press release.
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YOU'RE a teacher in the New York City public school system. It's September, and you're lecturing the class on the structure of an essay. Your students need to know this information to pass your class and the Regents exam, and you, of course, hope that one day your talented students will dazzle and amaze English professors all over the country.You turn your back to write the definition of "thesis" on the chalk board. It takes about 15 seconds. You turn around to the class expecting to see 25 students scribbling the concept in their notebook. Instead, you see a group of students who have sprung appendages of technology.
Jose has grown an earphone. Maria's thumbs have sprouted a two-way. Man Keung, recently arrived from China, is texting away on a cellphone connected to his wrist. And Christina appears to be playing Mine Sweeper on a Pocket PC on her lap.
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A collision of those two views by prominent scholars was inevitable, and in the past several weeks it has hit the education policy world in an explosion of articles, e-mails and public debates, some quite heated. Experts disagree over who is right, and some say the truth may be somewhere in between. But the argument has aggravated a widespread feeling that information on how many children are disappearing from public schools is not nearly as accurate as it should be.
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 | 28 minute video excerpt of this evening's discussion of the MMSD's food service budget (the food service budget is evidently supposed to break even, but the operating budget has apparently been subsidizing it by several hundred thousand dollars annually). |
Former Madison Mayor Paul Soglin made a similar case today when he discussed our fair city's water problems:
It's funny how progressives forget their history and the reason for doing things. The idea is to have a citizen board, not a board with public employees. That is part of the checks and balances. In fact the progressive left in Madison went though considerable time over the years gradually removing city staff from committees so they would not dominate and squelch the citizens who are more likely to be 'whistleblowers.'In the water example, a citizen spent years chasing this issue, finally getting the attention of the traditional media and the politicians.
A number of board members have been asking many questions (the video clip will give you a nice overview of who is asking the questions and what the responses are). You can check the action out here (Each "Tab" is a question to the Administration, with their response"). For example, we learn in tab 11 2 Page PDF that the district spent a net (after 200K in gate receipts and 450K in student fees) $1,433,603 on athletics in 2005/2006 and plans to spend a net $1,803,286 in 2006/2007, a 25% increase. The overall budget will grow by more than 3%.
This is quite a change from past years, and provides some hope for the future.
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In an effort to build community, enhance self-esteem and inspire the
spirit of giving among its students, Lapham Elementary School has
organized a very special service-learning project. The "Lapham to
Lubasi Run-a-thon", held Wednesday May 10th, was led by one of the
school's second grade classes to raise awareness of poverty in Africa
and to collect books to build a library for the Lubasi Children's
Home, an orphanage in Livingstone, Zambia.
Lubasi is a community-supported home for over sixty Zambian children
ranging in age from 5 to 15 years. As part of their Africa curriculum
this spring, a class of Lapham second graders made a connection with
this special home, and has been writing back and forth to learn more
about life in Africa. And learning about some of the challenges of
growing up in a poor country made the students eager to help.
Inspired by teacher Catherine McCollister's passion for running and
fitness, they selected the run-a-thon as their way to support their
new friends, and they enlisted the entire school to help.
The event was a great success. The students had a collective goal of
832 laps around the field. With each lap representing 10 miles, this
goal would symbolically take the runners the 8,320 miles from Lapham
School all the way to the Lubasi Home for Children. Nearly 250
students ran the course in three waves. Parents and teachers cheered
the students on and everyone celebrated together as laps accumulated.
An old school bell was rung at every one hundred laps reached. By the
time the third wave had finished, the students had run over 1,200
laps.
The students also surpassed their goal for book donations. With a
goal of collecting at least 200 books, their efforts have raised over
450 beautiful new books so far, as well as several hundred dollars to
cover shipping and help Lubasi with library construction costs.
Next week Lapham students will write letters to their friends in
Zambia, and pack up their gift to send the 8,320 miles to Lubasi.
For more information, please contact:
Katherine Davey, (608) 770-9066 or katherine_davey@yahoo.com
Looking for a different book to read every day? If so, the Madison Public Library can be of assistance. Early this month, the library started publishing live a new blog named MADreads. It features a short book review nearly every day, starting with "contemporary urban fantasy," how-to guides and historical fiction, before moving on to everything in between and beyond.
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It’s a feeling nearly everyone remembers experiencing at least once: sitting in class unprepared, silently praying the teacher won’t call your name.For those students, the days of quiet safety may be numbered.
A new University of Florida study suggests that when teachers use a hand-held computer that randomly chooses whom to call on, even the quiet student in the back won’t be missed.
And that may not be a bad thing. It turns out students actually do better in class when they know their number could come up at any time.
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School used to be a struggle for seventh-grader Justin Fobes, who said he was getting "straight F's" before enrolling at the River Crossing Environmental Charter School in Portage last fall.
"I just couldn't sit still," said Justin, 13.At River Crossing, Justin is now getting A's and B's. And he no longer has trouble sitting still, Justin said, adding, "They actually tire you out."
Every Friday, the middle school's 18 students literally have a field day - doing everything from a controlled prairie burn to restoring wetlands. Such hands-on approaches to learning are fueling the rapid increase in public charter schools in Wisconsin and other states as teachers, parents and others seek to help students not succeeding in regular classrooms.
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In an hour-long session that cost just $18, the Indian tutor, who said his name was Mike, spent an hour walking Del Monte through such esoteric concepts as confidence intervals and alpha divisions, Del Monte recalled. He got an A on the final exam. "Mike helped me unscramble everything in my mind," the 20-year-old said.Thousands of U.S. students such as Del Monte are increasingly relying on overseas tutors to boost their grades and SAT scores. The tutors, who communicate with students over the Internet, are inexpensive and available around the clock, making education the newest industry to be outsourced to other countries.
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A reader involved in these issues forwarded this article by Kevin Carey: Hot Air: How States Inflate Their Educational Progress Under NCLB [Full Report: 180K PDF]
Critics on both the Left and the Right have charged that the No Child Left Behind Act tramples states' rights by imposing a federally mandated, one-size-fits-all accountability system on the nation's diverse states and schools.Bold added. Also via eduwonk.In truth, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) gives states wide discretion to define what students must learn, how that knowledge should be tested, and what test scores constitute “proficiency”—the key elements of any educational accountability system. States also set standards for high school graduation rates, teacher qualifications, school safety and many other aspects of school performance. As a result, states are largely free to define the terms of their own educational success.
The Pangloss Index ranks Wisconsin as the most optimistic state in the nation. Wisconsin scores well on some educational measures, like the SAT, but lags behind in others, such as achievement gaps for minority students. But according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the state is a modern-day educational utopia where a large majority of students meet academic standards, high school graduation rates are high, every school is safe and nearly all teachers are highly qualified. School districts around the nation are struggling to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), the primary standard of school and district success under NCLB. Yet 99.8 percent of Wisconsin districts—425 out of 426—made AYP in 2004–05.
How is that possible? As Table 2 shows, some states have identified the large majority of districts as not making AYP. The answer lies with the way Wisconsin has chosen to define the AYP standard.
NCLB requires states to base AYP designations on the percentage of students who score at the “proficient” level on state tests in reading and math. That percentage is compared to a target percentage, which must be met by both the student body as a whole and by “subgroups” of students, such as students from specific racial and ethnic populations. Districts that fail to make AYP for multiple consecutive years become subject to increasingly serious consequences and interventions.
Wisconsin has a relatively homogenous racial makeup and many small school districts, resulting in fewer subgroups in each district that could potentially miss the proficiency targets. But Wisconsin's remarkable district success rate is mostly a function of the way it has used its flexibility under NCLB to manipulate the statistical underpinnings of the AYP formula.
Kevin Carey comments on a Indiana newspaper's editorial coverage of this issue:
Then comes the final pox-on-both-their-houses flourish, "what does any of it, really...." Maybe there are people out there who really don't think that reporting accurate public information about the success of the school system has anything to do with the success of the school system. I just didn't expect to find newspapers among their number.
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Over the past six months, the need for national education standards has been talked up. The idea, in short, is that the U.S. should have brief written statements of the skills and knowledge children should attain at each grade level for each subject area. The federal government would either encourage or require states to base their schools’ curricula on these standards. Education colleges, in turn, would train would-be teachers in the standards.
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So when a new principal arrived at the imposing red brick campus in a tough, high-poverty neighborhood, this is how she greeted him:Kansas City Schools went through a substantial court ordered spending increase during the 1990's."Hi, I'm Patty Kamper, and this is my last year here."
That was in 1996, but Kamper is still there, teaching art at a transformed Wyandotte. Today the halls are orderly, and students work industriously in small "communities" with the same teachers throughout their high school years. Attendance, achievement test scores and the graduation rate have climbed steadily.
Kamper and most city leaders credit a school reform program called First Things First.
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I am committed to my home here in Camden. But that commitment is seriously being tested by the state of Camden's public schools.As a parent, I have done all I can do. Many of us find ourselves in the same boat. We have agitated for change, made phone calls and visited anyone who would listen. We have formed organizations, started scholarship funds, even taken to the streets. All this in an attempt to get those with position and influence to do something to improve the public school product and public school experience of our children.
We have been patient even as our schools floundered in academic rankings, failing to graduate our children and terrified us daily with horrific conditions no one should have to endure. We have begged for access to alternatives to these schools so our children will at least feel safe. But no matter what we do, we are unable to change the fundamental politics that hold our children as prisoners in a failing system.
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Baby sitters may be more prepared than ever for caring for kids these days, but how much is that preparation worth?A survey of more than 500 parents found the pay for baby sitters ranged from $1.25 an hour to $16 an hour.
"I will hear in the range from $1 an hour to $10 an hour," said baby sitting instructor Joyce Muxfeld. "I often have at least one person in the class who said they receive about $10 an hour."
On June 1, the state's minimum wage will change. Minors will make $5.90 an hour, but baby sitters earn a lot more than that.
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Atlanta Journal-Constitution Editorial:
Should metro-area school superintendents earn more than the governor?More to the point, if they do earn more, shouldn't taxpayers at least be aware of it?
When it comes to the paychecks of school chiefs, what local taxpayers see isn't always what superintendents get. An Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis found clauses deep in the contracts of 14 metro superintendents that gave the school officals an average of $33,900 in nonsalary pay last year. A notable and laudable exception is the city of Gainesville, which posts Superintendent Steven Ballowe's evaluation scores each year on its Web site.
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BBC:
Children with special needs are far more likely to be excludedNational Union of Teacher's press release.
Including children with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms can be "a form of abuse", a professor of education has said. John MacBeath of Cambridge University was commenting on a report he co-wrote for the National Union of Teachers.NUT general secretary Steve Sinnott called for an audit of provision around England as a step towards addressing "major areas of policy failure".
But ministers said children were taught successfully in a range of settings.
Schools Minister Andrew Adonis said: "We put the needs of the child first."
The Cambridge report, The Costs of Inclusion, said teachers and teaching assistants were often going "beyond the call of duty" to help children with special educational needs (SEN).
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Madison Metropolitan School District:
Lead K-12 mathematics programming; develop and promote documents defining the mathematics program and expectations; organize and promote professional development opportunities; seek and implement research-based best practices in mathematics education; serve on various district and Teaching & Learning committees and task forces; create, recommend and administer budget for mathematics curriculum coordination; coordinate Evaluation of Learning Materials in mathematics; serve as District liaison with state, private, professional, city, and local mathematics groups and organizations; seek and develop relationships with institutions of higher education to coordinate inservice and preservice mathematics education; collaborate with other District departments to ensure all students have the opportunity to learn standards-based mathematics; develop and promote standards-based assessment tools and practices; analyze District mathematics student achievement data and use the data to inform action plans; supervise and evaluate instructional resource teacher staff and program assistant; author grant applications; coordinate mathematics grants; support District Improvement Plans, decisions and initiatives; demonstrate evidence of cultural competence.Additional MMSD jobs can be found here.
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When it comes to educating children, parents play a crucial role outside of school. But Rose Helms, whose child, Michael, has autism, wants to take her influence inside the classroom.This is why there was a special guest in Michael Helms' special education class on Wednesday. The guest was Art Phillips, an Evansville school board member and a police officer.
"My interest is to learn about what the needs are, and if our district and our employees are meeting those needs to help the children out," said Phillips. "That's the biggest thing that I want to find out."
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According to the data on DPI's Web site, the combined percentages for minimum and basic categories (these are below grade level) for MMSD's 10th graders on the WKCE reading test in November 2004 were:
All students - 26%African American - 53%
Asian - 29%
Hispanic - 51%
White - 15%
The real shame lies, not in the scores, but in the MMSD's lack of any systematic program to raise these students' reading abilities before graduation.
A few schools may offer Read 180, a remedial curriculum praised by staff in the MMSD and other districts.
Pam Nash illustrated the MMSD's weak commitment to Read 180 in a response to my question on how much money the current budget includes for Read 180. Pam wrote:
The district has not included any specific budget for 2006-07 that would be utilized for READ 180. Individual building principals may utilize existing supply/formula and staffing allocations to provide READ 180 strategies within existing curriculum offerings. Read 180 will be offered at all four high schools and Brearly Street Alternatives. (emphasis added)
Given that implementation of Read 180 costs about $40,000 per school, according to district figures, Read 180 won't be expanded to schools currently without it.
From the WKCE scores, probably 20% to 26% of MMSD graduates cannot read their diploma, let alone read well enough to continue their education or land a job that pays a living wage. (The percentage might be lower than 20% since many non-readers may drop out before graduation.)
Additionally, the superintendent and some board members like to brag that the MMSD closed the achievement gap because children of color are no longer over represented in the minimum category on the third grade reading test. Obviously, that's a pitiful claim when more than half of Madison's African American 10th graders can't read at grade level.
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Plans to improve school meals are causing havocJUST over a year ago, Jamie Oliver, a camera-friendly chef, called for a revolution in school kitchens. In a television series, he chronicled the decline in school lunches and showed that junk food-addicted children could be taught to tuck into what he calls “pukka nosh”. It proved a traumatic experience for the young gourmands, some of whom demonstrated for the return of chips and burgers. Mr Oliver's antics have also tweaked the government, upset some dinner ladies and shaken the catering market.
“Jamie's School Dinners” galvanised parents, who demanded that schools ditch grotesque inventions such as the Turkey Twizzler and adopt wholesome fare such as shepherd's pie and lentil soup. Worried about a looming general election, the government hastily responded to Mr Oliver's demands. Ruth Kelly, who was then the education secretary, promised to ban junk food in schools and asked a panel of experts to suggest nutritional guidelines.
The panel recommended that schools serve more freshly-cooked food containing less fat, sugar and salt. A sub-committee suggested tougher rules for vending machines and food served at breakfast and after-school clubs. The government's own targets are expected to be broadly in line with those of the panel.Pressure from parents and the media is already changing school meals, not always in good ways. One effect is that the number of pupils eating school lunches has declined. The Local Authority Caterers' Association reports that the number of meals served has declined by 12.5% since last year, rendering some contracts unsustainable. It blames Mr Oliver's scare tactics for the exodus. More worryingly, some dinner ladies are threatening to strike. They complain that they are being asked to peel mountains of carrots and marinate meat to meet the demand for fresh food. But their schedule still assumes they just open packets and heat up the contents.
The government promised councils and schools an extra £280m over three years, but the providers, as well as the expert panel, say it is not enough. Last year some private contractors were shamed into pushing up standards. Now they say the money is insufficient to sustain the improvements. One caterer, Sodexho, threatened last month to put what the catering industry calls “shaped food products” (such as Fish Octopus) back on menus in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire if more cash was not forthcoming. The councils paid up. Other contractors are negotiating tougher deals. Initial Catering, for example, is demanding risk-sharing clauses, which trigger fines if the number of meals falls below an agreed level.
Some councils are struggling to attract any bids for catering contracts beginning in the autumn. Sheffield City Council has received one bid to run its school meals service, while Wokingham District Council had just two. Bracknell Forest Council has received no bids. Kent County Council, which broke up a single contract covering its 405 schools into 22 clusters with the objective of encouraging smaller players, received final bids for contracts covering just 70 schools. It is now entering another round of contract negotiations.
The 14 councils in England that have no school kitchens and simply give sandwiches to children who are entitled to free school meals are worst off. They are expected to provide hot food by 2008. One local authority describes the task as “enormous”; another says it is impossible.
Amid general upheaval, however, some companies are flourishing. Ashlyns Organic farm, in Essex, is training school cooks who now need to do more than heat up processed food. Simon Owen, a chef, says that he teaches them basic skills such as how to chop an onion. The farm already supplies and advises 25 Essex schools that run their own kitchens and is signing new contracts with schools in London.
Two weeks ago Mr Oliver won an award for his television series and again denounced the government's inertia on school meals. He has proved a good demagogue. But his revolution, like many others, has turned out to be a messy affair.
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At the University of California at Los Angeles, a student loaded his class notes into a handheld e-mail device and tried to read them during an exam; a classmate turned him in. At the journalism school at San Jose State University, students were caught using spell check on their laptops when part of the exam was designed to test their ability to spell.
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In the wake of the annual EdWeek Technology Counts issue, there has been some discussion surrounding the idea that technology is education is harmful. I attribute this to a few factors, including to overstated claims for educational technology in the past, concerns about very specific uses of technology in education like calculators, and the comfort some of us take in the instructional environments we experienced. This rejection of technology is unfortunate, however. Effectively utilized technology has an important role to play in increasing the effectiveness of our schools.
The focus on technology as an end in and of itself is very misplaced in K-12. Instead, districts should focus on providing an adequate level of infrastructure for staff and students and then using technology where it can improve student and staff productivity, allow for a more personalized learning experience, and provide an interactive learning experience.
READ 180 is an example of an application that meets all three of these criteria. Web-based homework like WebAssign meets two of these criteria. Practiced use of a learning management system like Moodle or Blackboard can also meet two or three of these criteria. The MAP assessment that several other area districts use also meets all of these criteria.
There are specific skills with applications that students should have. Keyboarding proficiency is the most important, but all students should have a base level of skill in the use of a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation application. Students might elect courses where more specific skills would be developed if they had an interest in music, digital art, engineering, or specific vocational training. But overall, the specific tools should not be the objective. They're just tools and they change rapidly.
Even in Waunakee’s Photoshop and Animation courses, the emphasis is not so much on Photoshop or Cinema 4D as the visual qualities the student wants to arrive at and the planning of how to arrive at that product.
Mind-numbing PowerPoint presentations don't facilitate executive planning and creativity. Judging by the comments I’ve seen, that is generally accepted here at least.
Most recognize that technology has strongly promoted productivity in private sector enterprises, but that success is not uniform and there is no reason to expect that technology use should provide uniformly successful outcomes in schools. Erik Brynjolfsson at MIT has used firm-level evidence to demonstrate that the impact of technology on private sector productivity is a function of the level of capital investment, training (professional development in education terminology), and compensation incentives. Purchasing technology is not enough and using it effectively is illustrated by what Brynjolfsson terms the “Wal-Mart-Kmart difference.”
However, the capital investment, providing access to technology in the first place, is a cornerstone. The cornerstone does not guarantee a cathedral, but there will be no cathedral absent the cornerstone. We shouldn’t be asking whether technology can make a difference in K-12 education. It will. Instead, we should be asking how we can use technology to improve learning outcomes for students. Productivity, personalization, and interactivity are the best indicators of whether technology use will deliver those improved learning outcomes.
Using technology effectively is predicated on making an adequate investment consistently. In many Wisconsin districts, including Madison, the investment in technology is inadequate. This limits the ceiling for improvement.
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Seven metropolitan areas of Wisconsin are in the top 25 metros for public schools in the country, according to a survey ranking U.S. school districts with 3,300 students or more. The survey was conducted by Expansion Management Magazine, a monthly business publication for executives of companies that are actively looking to expand or relocate facilities within the next three years. The seven metropolitan areas of Wisconsin—Sheboygan (5), Eau Claire (7), Madison (8), Wausau (11), Appleton(16), Oshkosh-Neenah (20), and Fond du Lac (24)—appeared in a list of the 25 Top Metros for Public Schools. Schools in these areas, plus Green Bay and La Crosse, were named to the magazine’s 5-Star Public Schools Metros list.
“I am extremely proud of Wisconsin teachers and students for their dedication to quality teaching and learning, and their hard work shows in this survey of the best metropolitan school systems in the nation,” said State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster. “Our students, overall, consistently score among the very best in the nation on the major college entrance exams and high school graduation rates. This affirmation of the quality of Wisconsin schools from an independent, unbiased study, underscores our students’ dedication to excellence in learning and academic achievement, and the support they
receive from their teachers, families, and communities.
“Public education in Wisconsin is moving forward, supported by our early learning and classsize reduction programs. This recognition tells us that we are on the right track and must continue to invest in education, pre-kindergarten through university. Our sustained efforts as students, educators,parents, community volunteers, and citizens will ensure that our students graduate with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in postsecondary education, the workplace, and as citizens of our 21st century global society,” she said.
The magazine rated the metro area schools as a way of providing a basis for executives to compare the type of work force they are likely to encounter in various communities around the country. Using the data from its 15th annual Education Quotient ratings, which compared 2,800 secondary school districts throughout the country, Expansion Management grouped school districts into Metropolitan
Statistical Areas (MPAs). Public schools in those 362 MPAs were compared according to a variety of categories, including college admission test scores, graduation rates, beginning and average teacher
salaries, per pupil expenditures, and student-teacher ratio.
Bill King, chief editor of Expansion Management Magazine, speaking to the importance of quality schools to business success, said, “Today’s workers, most of whom are high school graduates, must possess skills far beyond those needed just a generation ago. Clearly, the quality of the public schools is a pretty good indicator of the type of manufacturing work force a company is likely to encounter in a
particular community.”
NOTE: A list of the Best Overall U.S. Metros for Public Schools with 3,300 students or more, according to Expansion Management magazine, follows.
Top Metros for Public Schools
1. State College, Pa.
2. Ithaca, N.Y.
3. Lawrence, Kan.
4. Iowa City, Iowa
5. Sheboygan, Wis.
6. Charlottesville, Va.
7. Eau Claire, Wis.
8. Madison, Wis.
9. Columbia, Mo.
10. Harrisonburg, Va.
11. Wausau, Wis.
12. Ames, Iowa
13. Missoula, Mont.
14. Grand Forks, N.D.-Minn.
15. Billings, Mont.
16. Appleton, Wis.
17. Bloomington, Ind.
18. Flagstaff, Ariz.
19 Glens Falls, N.Y.
20. Oshkosh-Neenah, Wis.
21. Blacksburg-Christianburg-Radford, Va.
22. Jonesboro, Ark.
23. Burlington-South Burlington, Vt.
24. Fond du Lac, Wis.
25. Ocean City, N.J
For further information, contact Joseph Donovan, Communications Officer, DPI, 608.266.3559
I had a very nice day today chaperoning the Randall Safety Patrol at the Wisconsin Dells. First, Susan Smith and Phil Watters who have worked with the Safety Patrol all year deserve much thanks. The AAA, who sponsor the Safety Patrol and made the trip possible also deserve praise.
But mostly it was the students who made it such a good day. They were great; polite, well behaved, interesting and fun. There were many other Safety Patrol groups from around the state there and I can say without reservation that none were better behaved and none seemed to enjoy themselves as much as our group. What a great combination. It is easy to lose track of some of the little things like this that are part of our school system, but we shouldn’t. They made me both happy and proud.
I’d like to keep this upbeat, but am compelled to close on a down note. Susan Smith is the School Nurse at Franklin and Randall. Next year, due to financial considerations she will also serve a third school and almost assuredly will not be able to continue as a Safety Patrol mentor. This may seem like a small loss for the district as a whole, but after today it seems like a big one to me.
TJM
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This second annual analysis of charter school performance in California compared how well charter schools did versus noncharters, as measured by the percentage of schools that met their 2005 Academic Performance Index (API) growth targets. The 20-page report also looks at charter school performance by grade level (elementary, middle, and high schools) and by charter type—start-ups versus conversions; classroom-based versus nonclassroom-based. Moreover, using data from a spring 2005 EdSource survey, it compares the performance of charters by the amount of student instructional time and degree of school autonomy.
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“Go into any inner-city neighborhood, and folks will tell you that government alone can’t teach kids to learn. They know that parents have to parent, that children can’t achieve unless we raise their expectations and turn off the television sets and eradicate the slander that says a black youth with a book is acting white.”—Barack Obama, Keynote Address, Democratic National Convention, 2004
Acting white was once a label used by scholars, writing in obscure journals, to characterize academically inclined, but allegedly snobbish, minority students who were shunned by their peers.
Now that it has entered the national consciousness—perhaps even its conscience—the term has become a slippery, contentious phrase that is used to refer to a variety of unsavory social practices and attitudes and whose meaning is open to many interpretations, especially as to who is the perpetrator, who the victim.
I cannot, in the research presented here, disentangle all the elements in the dispute, but I can sort out some of its thicker threads. I can also be precise about what I mean by acting white: a set of social interactions in which minority adolescents who get good grades in school enjoy less social popularity than white students who do well academically.
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From the New York Times a discussion of how Asian families value education and how those family values result in successful students.
The Model Students
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Why are Asian-Americans so good at school? Or, to put it another way, why is Xuan-Trang Ho so perfect?
Trang came to the United States in 1994 as an 11-year-old Vietnamese girl who spoke no English. Her parents, neither having more than a high school education, settled in Nebraska and found jobs as manual laborers.
The youngest of eight children, Trang learned English well enough that when she graduated from high school, she was valedictorian. Now she is a senior at Nebraska Wesleyan with a 3.99 average, a member of the USA Today All-USA College Academic Team and a new Rhodes Scholar.
Increasingly in America, stellar academic achievement has an Asian face. In 2005, Asian-Americans averaged a combined math-verbal SAT of 1091, compared with 1068 for whites, 982 for American Indians, 922 for Hispanics and 864 for blacks. Forty-four percent of Asian-American students take calculus in high school, compared with 28 percent of all students.
Among whites, 2 percent score 750 or better in either the math or verbal SAT. Among Asian-Americans, 3 percent beat 750 in verbal, and 8 percent in math. Frankly, you sometimes feel at an intellectual disadvantage if your great-grandparents weren't peasants in an Asian village.
So I asked Trang why Asian-Americans do so well in school.
"I can't speak for all Asian-Americans," Trang told me, "but for me and my friends, it was because of the sacrifices that our parents made. ... It's so difficult to see my parents get up at 5 each morning to go to factories to earn $6.30 an hour. I see that there is so much that I can do in America that my parents couldn't."
Of course, not all Asian-Americans are so painfully perfect — Filipinos are among the largest groups of Asian-Americans and they do very well without being stellar. Success goes particularly to those whose ancestors came from the Confucian belt from Japan through Korea and China to Vietnam.
It's not just the immigrant mentality, for Japanese-American students are mostly fourth- and fifth-generation now, and they're still excelling. Nor is it just about family background, for Chinese-Americans who trace their origins to peasant villages also graduate summa.
One theory percolating among some geneticists is that in societies that were among the first with occupations that depended on brains, genetic selection may have raised I.Q.'s slightly — a theory suggesting that maybe Asians are just smarter. But I'm skeptical, partly because so much depends on context.
In the U.S., for example, ethnic Koreans are academic stars. But in Japan, ethnic Koreans languish in an underclass, often doing poorly in schools and becoming involved in the yakuza mafia. One lesson may be that if you discriminate against a minority and repeatedly shove its members off the social escalator, then you create pathologies of self-doubt that can become self-sustaining.
So then why do Asian-Americans really succeed in school? Aside from immigrant optimism, I see two and a half reasons:
First, as Trang suggests, is the filial piety nurtured by Confucianism for 2,500 years. Teenagers rebel all over the world, but somehow Asian-American kids often manage both to exasperate and to finish their homework. And Asian-American families may not always be warm and fuzzy, but they tend to be intact and focused on their children's getting ahead.
Second, Confucianism encourages a reverence for education. In Chinese villages, you still sometimes see a monument to a young man who centuries ago passed the jinshi exam — the Ming dynasty equivalent of getting a perfect SAT. In a Confucian culture, it is intuitive that the way to achieve glory and success is by working hard and getting A's.
Then there's the half-reason: American kids typically say in polls that the students who succeed in school are the "brains." Asian kids typically say that the A students are those who work hard. That means no Asian-American ever has an excuse for not becoming valedictorian.
"Anybody can be smart, can do great on standardized tests," Trang explains. "But unless you work hard, you're not going to do well."
If I'm right, the success of Asian-Americans is mostly about culture, and there's no way to transplant a culture. But there are lessons we can absorb, and maybe the easiest is that respect for education pays dividends. That can come, for example, in the form of higher teacher salaries, or greater public efforts to honor star students. While there are no magic bullets, we would be fools not to try to learn some Asian lessons.
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A report from an organization called MDRC strikes a responsive chord because the report stresses the need to "assist students who enter high school with poor academic skills" instead of dumping them in English 10 and to improve instructional content and practice:[The report] offers research-based lessons from across these evaluations about five major challenges associated with low-performing high schools: (1) creating a personalized and orderly learning environment, (2) assisting students who enter high school with poor academic skills, (3) improving instructional content and practice, (4) preparing students for the world beyond high school, and (5) stimulating change in overstressed high schools.
The overall message of this synthesis is that structural changes to improve personalization and instructional improvement are the twin pillars of high school reform. Small learning communities and faculty advisory systems can increase students’ feelings of connectedness to their teachers. Especially in interaction with one another, extended class periods, special catch-up courses, high-quality curricula, training on these curricula, and efforts to create professional learning communities can improve student achievement. School-employer partnerships that involve career awareness activities and work internships can help students attain higher earnings after high school. Furthermore, students who enter ninth grade facing substantial academic deficits can make good progress if initiatives single them out for special support. These supports include caring teachers and special courses designed to help entering ninth-graders acquire the content knowledge and learning skills that they missed out on in earlier grades.
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Allocations were sent to schools in early April 2006 for staffing for the 2006-2007 school year. This represents about 80%+ of the district's budget. These are NOT final allocations. (For example, the School Board HAS NOT made a decision to cut Grade 4 strings for next year - that is the Superintendent's proposal.)
The school board HAS NOT approved the budget for next year. What has been implemented is based upon the Superintendent's recommendations to the School Board, but will not be final until the School Board approves budget, currently scheduled to take place on May 31st.
There will be another public budget hearing, Tuesday, May 30th at the Doyle building, 545 W. Dayton St. I'm not yet sure of the starting time.
President Bush’s No Child Left Behind initiative put almost every imaginable part of the U.S. education system under a microscope, establishing national standards for teacher training, student testing and basic funding. But glaring in its omission from the program is any significant examination of that most basic of classroom tools, the textbook.As younger, inexperienced teachers are thrown into classrooms to meet new federal standards, as much as 90 percent of the burden of instruction rests on textbooks, said Frank Wang, a former textbook publisher who left the field to teach mathematics at the University of Oklahoma.
And yet, few if any textbooks are ever subjected to independent field testing of whether they actually help students learn.
“This is where people miss the boat. They don’t realize how important the textbooks are,” Wang said. “We talk about vouchers and more teachers, but education is about the books. That’s where the content is.”
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California Department of Education Academic Performance Index (API) - Reports and Data Files.
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But I can't help it. My focus has always been on what is going on in the classroom, rather than the principal's office or the school board meeting room or the exhibition floors of all those education conferences that look like software fairs. In the classes I visit, plenty of students are working on computers. I am happy they are mastering the essential tools of modern life. But I wish there were more evidence that those hours tapping keyboards are making them better at reading, writing and math.I used to get considerable pleasure from debunking school computer miracle stories. One of my proudest moments in the 1990s was a story about a New Jersey middle school hailed by President Clinton for its sharp increase in achievement scores after computers were installed. I visited the school, talked to the teachers, checked the arrival date of the new technology and discovered that the test scores had gone up before the computers got there. The real heroes were a very energetic principal, a great faculty and an innovative curriculum.
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One in five Wisconsin children are overweight or obese. That number jumps to 1 in 4 when you look at Wisconsin’s high schools. Perhaps more disturbing, almost half of those overweight kids here in Wisconsin, are at risk for developing Type II Diabetes or Coronary Artery Disease.
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The Bush administration has named a former president of the University of Texas at Austin to lead a national panel to weigh in on the math wars playing out across the country. The politically fraught battle pits a more free-form approach to teaching math against the traditional method that emphasizes rules and formulas to solve number problems.More on the National Math Panel.In traditional math, children learn multiplication tables and specific techniques for calculating 25 x 25, for example. In so-called constructivist math, the process by which students explore the question can be more important than getting the right answer, and the early use of calculators is welcomed.
According to a 2005 study by ACT, the college entrance exam organization, only 40 percent of high school seniors were ready to take the most basic college-level algebra course.
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I believe in the power of numbers. I don't know when my belief in numbers began. Perhaps when I was a child. My high school dropout, bookkeeper dad came home each week to tell us that he had played the numbers -- my neighborhood’s equivalent of lotto but lots more complex.Dad would convert every thought and dream to a number with help from his trusty dream book. You had a dream about mice? Consult the book. "That's a 12, 17 or 21. What was the mouse doing -- climbing out of a garbage can? Well climbing is a 21, 34, or 42 and garbage is a 17, 39, or 32. So, let's play 12 and 21 (the reverse of each other), 17 (it appeared twice), and 34, the year your mom was born."
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Excellent report here on education spending titled "Counting the Cash for K-12: The Facts About Per-Pupil Spending in Colorado [pdf]," published by the Independence Institute. While the report is focused on education spending in Colorado, they use national data in several instances for comparative purposes, and the information they provide is relevant to people across the country with an interest in K12 spending.Their primary conclusion is that we should look less at how much we spend per student and more at how we’re spending, since school budgets and per-pupil spending do not correlate with achievement. What’s more, people can manipulate or reframe spending figures to make them look better or worse depending on their purposes – a trick that can confuse the entire discussion.
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MMSD-TV is doing a great job making board meeting archives available online. Check them out.
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I have been an outspoken advocate for elementary strings the past several years, because this course is a highly valued, high demand academic course that is part of the K-12 MMSD music curriculum but has been repeatedly put on the cut list without any meaningful curriculum planning taking place from year to year. However, I also strongly believe there has been a lack of long-term planning in all fine arts education since cuts began about 1999. Perhaps other academic areas have needed the administration's attention, such as reading and math. That's understandable, but the School Board missed yearly opportunities to put in place other structures to plan for the future of fine arts education in Madison - community committee is an example of one option they might have considered pursuing.
I was encouraged two weeks ago when the Performance and Achievement and Partnership Committee chairs indicated an interest in working on not only the cuts to elementary strings, but also other aspects of fine arts education. I hope a community-led fine arts education committee is formed from these two Board committees that will undertake long-term, strategic planning for fine arts education in Madison. I would like to see such planning include music, visual arts, dance, theater, etc. - all facets of the arts that bring joy and enrichment to the citizens in our community, growth to our city's economy now and in the future and play an important academic role in the excellent education our children receive.
Again, School Board members can be emailed at: comments@madison.k12.wi.us
The school board agenda for tonight's meeting (May 15) shows that the board will discuss funding for the following groups:
- The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network
- The Center for Academically Talented Youth
- The Kajsiab House Project
- The Youth Empowerment Academy.
Johnny Winston, Jr. previously chose these groups and convinced the board to fund them without inviting all community groups to apply through a request for proposals, which could be used to solicit programs to further specific MMSD goals. (Funds for the Youth Empowerment Academcy were previosly provided through a grant to The Charles Hamilton Houston Institute, Inc.)
Board member Ruth Robarts raised concerns about this funding approach the first time around, and her concerns remain valid.
Since Johnny Winston, Jr. and the board continue to fund community groups, it would be wise for any and all community groups to apply for funding from the MMSD. I suppose that proposals could be sent to Johnny Winston, Jr. or Supintendent Rainwater.
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MMSD's School Board meets tonight to discuss the 2006-2007 school budget. There are no public appearances on tonight's agenda, but the Madison community can continue to email the School Board in support of elementary strings at: comments@madison.k12.wi.us. Thank you to the parents and community who have attended the public hearing and who have sent emails to the School Board in support of elementary strings for Madison's 9- and 10-year old students.
Cutting elementary strings will hurt low-income children! Keep the emails coming in support of about 550 low-income children who signed up for elementary strings - no other organization in Madison or Dane County offers an academic year long class that teaches this many children how to play an instrument. Madison School Board: Let's work together to enhance this learning experience for our children; not tear it down and not tear it down before hearing from and working with the community.
I support restoring elementary strings to 2x per week, and I support forming a community task force on elementary strings and fine arts education to build fine arts education in Madison, not continue to tear it down. I reject late spring reports from the District administration that are clearly biased against this course and have not engaged teachers, music professionals, the community in the preceding 4 years! It's not a administrative staffing issue, but it is poor, poor planning. We've had revenue caps since the early 1990s, and the Superintendent has been cutting fine arts since 1999 with no long-term plan in place, no community task force formed.
Call for an end to unfair cuts to elementary strings - cut 50% last year. No other high demand, highly valued course has been targeted in any year let alone year in and year out for cuts for 5 springs!
The state needs to take action on school financing; Madison needs the MMSD School Board to take action on elementary strings and fine arts educationl. Work with the community - please start now!
The reduction of over $680,000 of ESEA Title 1 entitlement grant dollars challenges the district to change the way students and teachers are supported under Title 1. The current direct service model of student support cannot be supported in the long run with current funding. The administration will use the first semester of next year to develop a new model. (Page 252, Department & Division Detailed Budgets)
The MMSD uses Title 1 money to fund Reading Recovery. Does the statement above mean the end of Reading Recovery in the district?
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This is to briefly summarize from my point of view what went on at the MSRI workshop on equity in math education last week. (Vicki was also there and may wish to give her side of the story so you get a more complete picture. It was a very broad workshop, 13 hours a day for 3 days. The web site is down right now, but you can view a cached version here.)
The charge of the workshop was to brainstorm solutions to the underrepresentation of (racial and ethnic) minorities in mathematics and mathematics courses which frequently serve as gatekeepers to other areas.
The participants were thus rather heterogeneous, policy-makers, mathematics educators, mathematicians and teachers, including several groups of young people from various projects who serve as mentors and tutors in mathematics.
The talks and presentations were thus rather mixed, from talks by a law professor about constitutional issues on education to examples of math games played by young tutors and an actual 9th grade math class right with 22 students from a nearby high school right in front of all participants.
There were also some chilling descriptions of the abominable conditions at some schools serving mostly black and native American students.
The usual disagreements between research mathematicians and math educators were not brought to the surface much, but were brought up in many personal conversations during breaks and meals. However, there was general agreement that the underrepresentation of minorities is a serious national problem, and that more resources and better teachers are crucial to its solution.
However, no firm solutions or consensus emerged.
The two things I took away from the workshop are:
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Nearly all states are building high-tech student data systems to collect, categorize and crunch the endless gigabytes of attendance logs, test scores and other information collected in public schools — and the projects in some states seem to have gone haywire.Wisconsin's status on student longitudinal data can be found here.In North Carolina, a statewide school computer system known as NC WISE is years behind schedule, and estimated costs have risen to $250 million. Teachers have nicknamed it NC Stupid. California has spent $60 million on a system, and officials estimated that the state would spend an additional $60 million in coming years to help school districts connect to it.
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America is heading for an explosion in the number of immigrant children who grow up unable to read, write or fit into society, a national literacy expert says.Robert Wedgeworth, president of ProLiteracy Worldwide, a nonprofit agency based in Syracuse, N.Y., plans to tell an audience in Madison today that the nation must sharply increase support for adult education programs.
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For the fourth straight year, a team of Stoughton middle schoolers will compete this month in the finals of a national science and technology contest, cementing the district's reputation as a hotbed for young inventors.Christopher Columbus Award website.The honor extends the dynasty developing at River Bluff Middle School, where students won a gold medal at the national competition last year for inventing a fire alarm to wake children that combined water jets and a voice alarm inside a stuffed animal.
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Why are Asian-Americans so good at school? Or, to put it another way, why is Xuan-Trang Ho so perfect?Trang came to the United States in 1994 as an 11-year-old Vietnamese girl who spoke no English. Her parents, neither having more than a high school education, settled in Nebraska and found jobs as manual laborers.
The youngest of eight children, Trang learned English well enough that when she graduated from high school, she was valedictorian. Now she is a senior at Nebraska Wesleyan with a 3.99 average, a member of the USA Today All-USA College Academic Team and a new Rhodes Scholar.
Increasingly in America, stellar academic achievement has an Asian face. In 2005, Asian-Americans averaged a combined math-verbal SAT of 1091, compared with 1068 for whites, 982 for American Indians, 922 for Hispanics and 864 for blacks. Forty-four percent of Asian-American students take calculus in high school, compared with 28 percent of all students.Among whites, 2 percent score 750 or better in either the math or verbal SAT. Among Asian-Americans, 3 percent beat 750 in verbal, and 8 percent in math. Frankly, you sometimes feel at an intellectual disadvantage if your great-grandparents weren't peasants in an Asian village.
So I asked Trang why Asian-Americans do so well in school.
"I can't speak for all Asian-Americans," Trang told me, "but for me and my friends, it was because of the sacrifices that our parents made. ... It's so difficult to see my parents get up at 5 each morning to go to factories to earn $6.30 an hour. I see that there is so much that I can do in America that my parents couldn't."
Of course, not all Asian-Americans are so painfully perfect — Filipinos are among the largest groups of Asian-Americans and they do very well without being stellar. Success goes particularly to those whose ancestors came from the Confucian belt from Japan through Korea and China to Vietnam.
It's not just the immigrant mentality, for Japanese-American students are mostly fourth- and fifth-generation now, and they're still excelling. Nor is it just about family background, for Chinese-Americans who trace their origins to peasant villages also graduate summa.
One theory percolating among some geneticists is that in societies that were among the first with occupations that depended on brains, genetic selection may have raised I.Q.'s slightly — a theory suggesting that maybe Asians are just smarter. But I'm skeptical, partly because so much depends on context.
In the U.S., for example, ethnic Koreans are academic stars. But in Japan, ethnic Koreans languish in an underclass, often doing poorly in schools and becoming involved in the yakuza mafia. One lesson may be that if you discriminate against a minority and repeatedly shove its members off the social escalator, then you create pathologies of self-doubt that can become self-sustaining.
So then why do Asian-Americans really succeed in school? Aside from immigrant optimism, I see two and a half reasons:
First, as Trang suggests, is the filial piety nurtured by Confucianism for 2,500 years. Teenagers rebel all over the world, but somehow Asian-American kids often manage both to exasperate and to finish their homework. And Asian-American families may not always be warm and fuzzy, but they tend to be intact and focused on their children's getting ahead.
Second, Confucianism encourages a reverence for education. In Chinese villages, you still sometimes see a monument to a young man who centuries ago passed the jinshi exam — the Ming dynasty equivalent of getting a perfect SAT. In a Confucian culture, it is intuitive that the way to achieve glory and success is by working hard and getting A's.
Then there's the half-reason: American kids typically say in polls that the students who succeed in school are the "brains." Asian kids typically say that the A students are those who work hard. That means no Asian-American ever has an excuse for not becoming valedictorian.
"Anybody can be smart, can do great on standardized tests," Trang explains. "But unless you work hard, you're not going to do well."
If I'm right, the success of Asian-Americans is mostly about culture, and there's no way to transplant a culture. But there are lessons we can absorb, and maybe the easiest is that respect for education pays dividends. That can come, for example, in the form of higher teacher salaries, or greater public efforts to honor star students. While there are no magic bullets, we would be fools not to try to learn some Asian lessons.
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It wasn't quite a Miss America pageant, but it had a gusto of its own. To the beat of rock music, more than 200 middle schoolers in T-shirts adorned with pi symbols or jokes about binary numbers jogged into a Crystal City hotel conference hall yesterday, waving and holding up signs identifying their home states.Madison area middle schools that participated included Hamilton (Madison), Jefferson (Madison), Eagle (Fitchburg), Badger Ridge (Verona) and Madison Country Day School (Waunakee). Mathcounts website.The 57 teams -- from every state, plus the District, the U.S. territories and military or State Department schools around the world -- had spent the day vying for the MathCounts national championship, and they were about to find out which four-member team had won.
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| MadCAP held their music studio recital last night. 20MB video clip excerpts. |  |
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The United State's has one of the most admired university systems in the world and one of the most deplored k-12 systems. Could the difference have something to do with the fact that universities operate in a competitive market with lots of private suppliers while k-12 is dominated by monopolistic, government provided schools?What would our university system look like if it operated like the k-12 system?
Look to France for the answer. The riots of 1968 forced the government to offer a virtually free university education to any student who passes an exam but as a result the universities are woefully underfunded especially for the masses. Amazingly, with just a few exceptions for the elites, students are required to attend the universities closest to their high schools. Sound familiar?
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It appears that the MMSD site is down http://www.mmsd.org/.
Does anyone know why or how long it has been down?
TJM
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Google constantly leaves numerical puns and riddles for those who care to look in the right places. When it filed the regulatory documents for its stockmarket listing in 2004, it said that it planned to raise $2,718,281,828, which is $e billion to the nearest dollar. A year later, it filed again to sell another batch of shares—precisely 14,159,265, which represents the first eight digits after the decimal in the number pi (3.14159265).The mathematics comes from the founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page. The Russian-born Mr Brin is the son of a professor of statistics and probability and a mother who works at NASA; Mr Page is the son of two computer-science teachers. The breakthrough that made their search engine so popular was the realisation that the chaos of the internet had an implicit mathematical order. By counting, weighting and calculating the link structures between web pages, Messrs Page and Brin were able to return search results more relevant than those of any other search engine.
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Prices seemed to be falling as he was buying, he said, and he paid less for his condominium than ones that were sold a month or two earlier. He paid $259,000, including a parking stall, and his fight against City Hall is to have it assessed at $221,000 rather than $241,000, plus $18,000 for the parking stall, which is now treated as a separate property.A close look at assessments raises many more questions. Some municipalities, such as Fitchburg reassess properties every 3 to 5 (or longer) years rather than annually as Madison does. Learn more via Access Dane (I do find it odd that some publicly financed data requires a "subscription" - we have the opportunity to pay twice).He said others in the building have nicer views and are higher up, but have lower assessments for the same floor space. In particular, he points to Ald. Mike Verveer's condo two floors above him, which faces the lake instead of the courtyard, and is assessed at $231,000. Like those of all units in the building, its assessed value did not increase from 2005 to 2006.
"Obviously," Taylor wrote in a letter submitted to the Assessor's Office, "my second-floor unit's value should be far less than a fourth-floor unit with a lake view."
Sensenbrenner's article provides more grist for the consideration of a fall referendum.
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Via the DeHavilland Blog:
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New math textbooks for Seattle middle- and high-school students are on hold.Concerned that it may cost too much and not produce results, School Board members have delayed a decision to allow more time to study the issue.
At stake is whether the district adopts a single style of teaching math that focuses more on understanding concepts than honing computation skills -- a prospect that has sparked debate among parents, teachers and administrators.
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Many experts outside of Harvard advocate teaching the practical side of science to nonscientists so that they will be able to make sense of it in their everyday lives. Yet few scientists appreciate the civic importance of making science understandable for all students, said Jon Miller, a professor of political science at Northwestern University.“General education courses need to be, for scientists, your last chance to speak to someone before they are elected senator,” he said.
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Not a single state will have a highly qualified teacher in every core class this school year as promised by President Bush's education law. Nine states along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico face penalties.The Education Department on Friday ordered every state to explain how it will have 100 percent of its core teachers qualified - belatedly - in the 2006-07 school year.
Posted by Jim Zellmer at 6:47 AM Subscribe to this site via RSS/Atom:
Foundation for Madison Public Schools. www site
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Forty-five percent of children in the United States under the age of 5 are minorities, according to Census Bureau numbers released Wednesday."In Madison, those numbers are higher," said Karen Dischler, intergenerational program coordinator for RSVP of Dane County and co-director of the United Way's Preschools of Hope project. This year, just under 50 percent of kindergarten students in the Madison School District are minorities.
The growing number of minority students is largely the result of higher birth rates among minorities coupled with a rise in immigration.
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We Energies has posted on its website a Request for Proposals (RFP) to identify and to competitively select the best customer-sited renewable energy projects to receive customer project incentives under the We Energies "Renewable Energy Development" program:
We Energies will provide financial incentives ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 to selected customer-owned renewable energy projects that are interconnected to the We Energies distribution system and meet the eligibility criteria of ownership by a not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit educational/academic institution, unit of government, or special district or authority defined as government under Wisconsin law. In addition, all proposed projects need to include a strong and clearly-identified outreach and educational component that will be used to inform and educate members of the general public about renewable energy in a ongoing and continuous manner. In all cases, incentive recipients must be existing We Energies retail electric customers in Wisconsin.
Incentives shall not exceed 50% of total installed project cost less any federal or state government incentive or credit and less any Focus on Energy funding. Proposed solar photovoltaic and wind energy system projects must have a site assessment completed (preferably though the Wisconsin Focus on Energy Site Assessment Program, or equivalent). The assessment shall provide an estimate of the energy output of the project once operational. In addition, all installations must be completed by a Focus on Energy designated Full Service Installer.
There may be up to five rounds of incentive applications and evaluations. Deadline for first round of applicants is May 31, 2006.
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I wish I were shocked at a last-minute judicial fiat that runs roughshod over a much-needed school reform -- much as, in a different age, a French aristocrat's coach might ram over peasants unfortunate enough to stand in the way. In this brave new world, if anyone tries to improve schools -- and you can't improve schools without raising standards -- no matter how weak those standards are, some court likely will step in to quash the reform lest it hurt someone.As if ignorance doesn't hurt children.
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Recently Utah schools have been given an F for technology use in the classroom (or lack thereof). This is one area I hope Utah continues to fail in. Technology has been touted as a fabulous tool for teaching math and other subjects, but it’s not. Technology teaches technology; you still have to learn math separately if you want to know math too.I agree. The basics come first - technology, which changes frequently and may not always be appropriate (see Powerpoint, and here.)
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In a move some say could shake up traditional teacher-hiring practices, the Douglas County School District on Wednesday asked the state to let it create its own licensing program to more quickly bring nontraditional teachers into the classroom.The district - which is already eyeing a pipe-fitter, Naval officer and instructors from China as potential teachers - said current state licensing regulations cut some of the most talented workers out of the teaching pool.
"It's saying, 'Here is somebody in the community who has real-world experience, but we can't hire them because they're not licensed,"' said Kristine Sherman, vice president of Douglas County's school board.
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College Board officials say they are expecting as much as a five-point average decline in math and verbal scores on the new SAT, leading many high school counselors to conclude that the longer test is wearing out test takers and hurting their performance.At least 15 colleges and universities have reported even greater drops in the average scores on the nation's leading college entrance exam among applicants for this fall's freshman class. On the nine campuses of the University of California, the largest user of the SAT, average scores declined by 15 points, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reported a 12-point drop. Final national figures are not expected until August.
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Madison's Sandburg Elementary School is in the midst of an asbestos clean-up...but no one notified the parents. A parent with children at the school contacted 27 News after discovering the project.We spoke with to Madison district officials about the asbestos removal guidelines they follow. They say it's not standard procedure to notify parents, nor are they required by law to notify them. Doug Pearson, director of Madison's district building services, says the project does not pose a health concern.
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Carol Carstensen:
Parent Group Presidents:More on Tom Beebe.
One more message from me. Van Hise Elementary is inviting the public to their meeting next Tuesday, May 16 to hear a presentation about state funding by Tom Beebe of Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools (WAES). WAES has ideas about how schools ought to be funded and is working to build a state-wide movement to bring about change at the state level. Here are the details:
When: Tuesday, May 16 at 7 p.m.
Where: Van Hise Elementary Cafeteria [Map]Tom gave a presentation to the Board last October and it is well worth your time (though I know how hectic May is).
Carol
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Does the MMSD have a problem with high turnover? Two comments raise the issue in the undated 2006 budget document Department & Division Detailed Budgets:
A challenge at the middle school level includes the frequent turn-over of teachers assigned to teach mathematics. (page 88)
Middle School science teachers are developing pedagogical content expertise to be able to teach standards-based science to support the MMSD K-8 Science & Scope & Sequence. A facet of this work will include writing and implementing a Title II Part B grant to support district efforts. Challenges include designing and supporting professional development with adequate rigor and duration in light of teacher “turn-over” in MMSD and working with middle school principals to support hiring, transferring and maintaining highly-qualified science (and mathematics) teachers in science positions. (page 94)
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Some fourth-graders at Madison's Marquette Elementary School got to see something Wednesday they likely never will again -- Principal Joy Larson wearing a boa.Not the fluffy, feathery kind, mind you.
The 45-pound, 8 1/2-foot boa draped around Larson's neck and shoulders was scaly and very much alive.
The red-tailed boa constrictor was one of three reptiles who took a field trip from their home at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium to promote its new exhibit "Lizard and the Komodo King," which is on view through February.
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Can an automated grading system score human articulation and reason? The tool Paris uses compares student work to "training" essays, or models of the class assignment, at each scoring level. SAGrader, software developed by Ed Brent, a sociology professor at the University of Missouri at Columbia, works similarly. His students type a sociology essay about community, for example, into an input field on the assignment's Web site. Moments after students click on the Submit button, SAGrader assesses whether they have identified concepts such as urban renewal or gentrification and have used appropriate examples.
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A Madison School's TV Channel 10 video, MSCR: Middle School
After-School Programs received a "Significant Community Programming"
distinction at the annual awards for the Wisconsin Association of PEG
Channels (WAPC). WAPC represents local public, educational and
government access cable channels across the state.
The TV program, cooperatively produced by Lindy Anderson of the
Madison Schools' media production department and Nicole Graper of
Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR), highlights the
variety of after-school programs and services available to Madison's
middle school children.
This award marks the third year in a row MMSD-TV has been honored at
the annual ceremony. Previous awards have been presented to MMSD-TV
from the Wisconsin School Public Relations Association, the National
Alliance for Community Media and the Wisconsin Educational Media
Association.
MMSD-TV 10 can be seen on the Charter Cable system in Madison and
surrounding areas.
For more information, contact:
Marcia Standiford, 663-1969
Wisconsin State Journal Editorial:
The most effective way to improve the diets of young people is to educate them to make healthful choices.The WiSJ is correct - education is key. I imagine that there will be "underground" soda suppliers once these changes are implemented.That's worth remembering in the aftermath of last week's announcement that sugared sodas will be banned from U.S. schools by the 2009-2010 school year.
The ban, voluntarily agreed to by the nation's largest beverage distributors, addresses the public health problems that have accompanied the soaring consumption of sodas in the past generation.
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My European friends ask me all the time why America doesn't do what they do in Europe. The first time I was asked was 20 years ago by a friend from the Netherlands. Just recently I was asked by a German friend. Why not allocate money for all the schools from the state's general tax base, and not by district according to real estate taxes, as is the current practice? Then every school gets the same amount of money per student no matter whether the students are black, white, brown, or any other minority. Whether their parents are rich or poor. That ways no child is truly left behind.I believe that when this is seen as an integration issue, basically a black and white issue, it short changes both blacks and whites. Specifically poor blacks and poor whites. Because it is the poor of both races and other minorities who have poor schools and end up stuck in a cycle of poor education which leads to prison or poverty or both. Which leads to in turn poor education for the next generation. My finely tuned sense of paranoidar leads me to suspect that it's a good way for the rich folk to keep out the competition. Kids with rich parents don't have to compete with the poor for a good college education and later for good jobs and eventually for a nice house in a good neighborhood. It keeps poor folk right where they are generation after generation. A kind of neo-serfdom. The poor and middle class, distracted by arguments over integration, spend time fighting each other over busing, as America under-educates its potential workforce into third world status. Meanwhile the privileged point their fingers at minorities and blame them for generation after generation of failure. But this is a failure of the system. Given the same chance at education, the poor, all the poor, minority or otherwise, would have much improved lives.
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The charter school movement began with the tantalizing promise that independently operated schools would outperform their traditional counterparts — if they could only be exempted from state regulations while receiving public money. It hasn't quite worked out that way. With charter laws now on the books in about 40 states and thousands of schools up and running, the problem has turned out to be too little state oversight, not too much.Joanne has more.
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Active Citizens for Education offers the following recommendations for the consideration of the MMSD Board of Education in the allocation of funds for the 2006-2007 budget: (I appeared on WIBA, 1310, this evening with Brian Schimming and discussed the MMSD proposed budget and ACE recommendations) [18MB mp3]
Active Citizens for Education will also provide you, immediately following your 2006-7 budget decisions in June, with recommendations for the 2007-8 budget cycle regarding processes, analyses and initiatives for the improving the effectiveness, efficiencies and performance in such other program and service areas as health insurance costs, Fund 80, Teacher Emeritus Retirement Program (TERP), Special Education collaborations, maintenance, business operations and services, energy savings and transportation.
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A reader emailed this article: Verona High School Student Kristen Zubke visits Madison West High School for a day [April 2006: full student newspaper 25MB]:
On Monday, March 27th, I took it upon myself to shed a little light on our neighboring rivals, the Madison West Regents. I was shadowing a friend, but I guess you could say I did a little undercover investigating just to see if I really felt the Wildcat shame as I previously professed. My day was in one word, shocking. Overall I witnessed a school that strongly resembled an outrageous metropolitan school such as that seen on the television show, Boston Public. Despite its many obvious downfalls, there are indeed perks to being a Regent, yet in the end, my appreciation of Verona went up after seeing the chaos at West. I may not openly be proud of Verona’s reputation, but our education morphed my shame into pride.
Let me just start off with saying that as much as any actual district administrator would like to deny it, most of the rumors you hear are true. West was just as wild as I imagined, only dirtier. Considering outward appearances, Verona is the epitome of clean compared to the hardwood floors of West that were drenched in paper airplanes, trash and lint-like dust. I seriously wondered how the janitors accomplished anything in a school that big, not to mention that most students just don’t seem to care about their alma mater’s appearance. The windows looked like they hadn’t been cleaned this century and most of the walls were completely bare compared to the inspirational messages that plaster all corners of our educational institution. All the tables and chairs were mis-matched, and all came from different decades. Too often I hear my fellow Wildcats complaining about how “ghetto” our school is, but it’s time our students were grateful for the countless labs of flat screen computers, televisions in every classroom, and relentless janitors that make our school so clean that it’s more like a home than the uncomfortable mess I found myself in at West.Yet despite its low-budget appearance I must say, that West has much more history and stronger story than the one you’d find here at Verona. You can see the “vintage” 1930’s black chalkboards with dark oak boarders and its genuine antique appeal that adds much more culture than the Pentium 4’s here at Verona. However, sometimes culture isn’t so great. It seems like the blasé attitude many West students project slanders their culture, because “bitch” and “f*** you” were scribbled all over their age-old desks. Similar to the way the desks were treated, the whiteboards, which were ink-stained and dirty, had fist holes punched into them. Samuel Henter, a sophomore at West said “I kind of just treat this school like the piece of s*** it is.”
I tried to remember that appearances aren’t everything, though, because it’s what’s on the inside that really counts. However, as much as I observed, I couldn’t get a sense of community. Hall monitors and teachers were few and far between. They have so many students to attend to, most teachers were too busy inside their dungeon-like classrooms to supervise the wild activity in the hall. It was clear the students there could practically do whatever they pleased; hardly any students took the teachers seriously. Students also talked incessantly while teachers tried hopelessly to teach the students something.
I’m not saying that the education West receives is a total joke, but compared to Verona’s perfectionist reputation, West hardly stacked up. The average grade for chemistry is a "D"according to the grade reports my shadow received. However, from my outsider’s view, I believe the students would be completely open to learning if not for their un-motivated teachers. For example, in 3 of my 7 classes, if the assignment was turned in on time, students received extra credit. Even some of the teachers' attire wouldn’t pass our school dress code. Throughout the day I was thinking and comparing West with Verona -the teachers, the building, the supplies, the friends- and realized I’m more grateful for Verona than I thought. We definitely do benefit financially, and our smaller grade sizes make for a more unified group, in the sense that everyone knows each other, not that we’re all friends. On the contrary, West provided a diversity I’d never seen and I will admit I am jealous of. As we gathered outside during the fire, (yes- a West student actually ignited a trashcan) I looked around
intently and saw very few racial separations. Everyone was comfortable with their skin and with sharing their individuality. Diversity and racial unity is something Verona seriously, yet more devastatingly, lacks.In the end, I wonder how Verona would treat an incoming “Western.” I find it hard to believe that we would openly make fun of them to their faces like West so freely did to me. For example, first hour I was welcomed by sophomore TR Reeve who said, “Verona? Verona is a bunch of whores.” I can’t say that I was surprised and it definitely was not the only “Slutty Verona” comment directed toward me throughout the day. However, I think West may be insecure knowing their education doesn’t compare to ours. Even if some of their accusations were just, people deal with their problems by making their rival next to them look worse. Even though Verona may not openly cuss out a Regent, there’s no doubt that we certainly would talk behind their backs because we are just as insecure are they are. Therefore Verona, don’t just be proud of the advantages we have, but be proud of how you use them.
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Members of the Board of Education,
I am writing to urge you all to vote in support of continuing the strings program in elementary schools.
I am a parent of a 6th grader at Hamilton Middle School, and I am fortunate to have been able to afford private and group violin lessons outside the school system for my son, since kindergarten. I can not tell you what a huge benefit this has been to him, in terms of teaching him to strive towards a rewarding goal, the joy of working together in a group of other learners, and appreciating the goodness of the arts in a troubled world.
And yet I know that the disadvantaged children in MMSD have no opportunity at all to play a violin or other instrument in elementary school unless the strings program continues.
It is clear to me and all music instructors that if a child starts violin in 6th grade, it is by far more difficult for them and much more likely that they will become frustrated and give up.
Starting in grade 4 will not only help students learn and stay with it, but will be a better use of the precious funds that we do allocate to strings in all grades -- a better foundation means better participation and more benefits in the later grades.
My own son did not take strings in 4th and 5th grade, because I felt it was better to give another spot to a family that did not have another means to offer strings to their child. He now participates in 6th grade. I can tell you that with all the other major adjustments of the transition to middle school, starting a stringed instrument from scratch would have added a lot of stress to our family.
Please, please find a way to continue strings in 4th and 5th grades. I have been to enough meetings to know that there are things that could be cut from the budget that are way less important than strings.
Thank you,
Jane Sekulski
PS. If you have never seen the movie "Music of the Heart", please consider doing so. It is based on a true story, which is documented in the film "Small Wonders", of a violin program in inner city New York. The documentary is even better.
In the first year of the YES College Preparatory School, community service was as important as reading, writing and mathematics. The public charter school's name stands for Youth Engaged in Service, and its mostly low-income students moved through city neighborhoods like young social workers, practicing their academic skills by collecting information on bus routes, health clinics and many other real-world topics.
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Page 98 of the undated 2006 budget document includes the following:
Library Media Services Division initiatives contemplated for the upcoming 2006-07 school year include (a) the consolidation of the elementary and middle school Technology and Information Literacy curricula, (b) the expansion of Accent database services to bookrooms and high school textbook collections, (c) the transition from a magnetic tape-based video distribution system to a datacast and optical disc-based distribution system and (d) further expansion of district-wide online subscriptions.
The document leaves to the reader's imagination what the initiatives might cost or whether they're worth the cost, because it offers no rationale or estimated expenditure that I can find.
Further, the document gives the board and public no information with which to compare the value of these initiatives to other ways the money might be spent. Yet, those are exactly the choices the board and community ought to be able to make through budgeting.
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Dear Madison Community,
Children and parents are encouraged to speak in support of elementary strings and to bring their instruments to tonight’s School Board public hearing on the budget if they would like to play. My husband, Fred Schrank, who is the principal bassist with the MSO and who teaches orchestra to elementary and middle school children in the district, will be there. I’ve asked him if he would accompany those children who might want to play for the School Board to show their support for the course. The public hearing begins 6:30 p.m at Memorial High School, 201 S. Gammon Road, Auditorium [map].
For your information - the School Board takes students who want to speak for 3 minutes (or play for 3 minutes) first. I also have signs and will have colored markers for students or others who want to make signs for the School Board to see.
The Superintendent’s proposal to cut Grade 4 strings is unacceptable, incomplete and would put in place a music curriculum planning process AFTER the cut is made to Grade 4 strings instruction. His conceptual idea is to plan to offer elementary children experiences with varied instruments in the 07-08 school year when Grade 5 strings would be cut and there would be no more elementary strings. That’s a curious idea. Why? Current General Music practice is to offer children experiences on different instruments – so the planning would not result in any meaningful curriculum change except the elimination of elementary stringed instrument instruction. What kind of plan would that be? No community planning took place this year for music education, which DPI recommends as best practice for standards based curriculum planning – include professionals and the community in the effort. The only plan is to cut Grade 4 strings, with planning for next steps to follow. Without good planning and good information – bad practice and bad decisions follow.
My question: Where’s the planning been for the past year, for the past 5 years? Our kids deserve better. Hundreds of children and community members have spoken in support of the elementary strings course over the years and emails and support for this course remain strong as demonstrated by the children once again this year through their enrollment in this course – over 1,700 children in September (550+ low income children who will be hurt the most by this cut).
After 5 springs of advocating for this course, I’m exasperated and annoyed; but when I listen to children and parents tell their stories about their hopes and dreams, I get reinvigorated as I was last night after listening and speaking. Last night, Ruth Robarts, Shwaw Vang and Lucy Mathiak spoke strongly in support of the program and in working on strings through the Performance and Achievement and the Partnership Committees. I think the idea to collaborate among board committees is novel and appropriate for Fine Arts – and may be for other areas. I feel involving the community - music and art professionals, parents, organizations in the process is critical to the long-term success of fine arts education in Madison, especially in tight financial times.
Also, Lawrie Kobza, School Board Vice President, reminded the Superintendent that the School Board had additional options to his proposal to consider - the Superintendent's options plus keeping the course the same as this year or restoring the course to what it was two years ago (2x per week for 45 minutes).
So, please, if you have time tonight, come and Speak Up For Strings! Even if it’s only to stop in on your way to and from another event (it’s that crazy time of year with concerts, sporting games, dances and preparation for graduations taking up lots of time) and register with the Board in support of the course. I’ll be there to help with registering to speak in support, or simply registering your support. Each person’s presence makes a difference – individually and collectively!
Best,
Barbara Schrank
P.S and FYI – the Supt.’s proposed Grade 4 strings cut would not affect any current teachers and would be made through retirements and resignations. However, 1,700 children would lose something they dearly value that provides them with so much. I think, over time, our community will lose even more.
Georgia's Preschool System Gets High Marks, proclaims the LA Times. Georgia provides full-day preschool to all four-year-olds, regardless of financial need. The program, which started in 1995, is very popular. But the academic gains fade away in a few years.
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Not long ago, I showed up for my first year at Smartypants U., fresh from a high school career full of awards and honors and gold stars. My accomplishments all pointed towards a more verbal course of study, but I was determined to spend my college days learning something useful. With my strong science grades and excellent standardized test scores, I felt certain that I could handle whatever engineering challenges Smartypants U. had to offer. Remember: Kern = real good at math and science. You will have cause to forget that fact very soon.via edspresso.
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"One observation that we made early in PELP is that school systems have essentially not changed their personnel practices around hiring and retention since the end of World War II," says Thomas. It was assumed then that applicants for a teaching position didn't want to do anything else, or that they didn't have many other options, conditions that clearly don't hold in today's world, where vacancy rates in urban districts can reach as high as 50 percent at the start of the school year.Thomas was struck by the Philadelphia district's approach to recruitment and retention. First, Tomás Hanna, special assistant to the district CEO, assembled a task force in 2002 of district employees and private-sector talent to create a blueprint for what came to be called the Campaign for Human Capital. He then oversaw the implementation of a variety of efforts, including a marketing blitz touting the benefits of teaching in Philadelphia; a recruitment event, "Rolling Out the Red Carpet"; leadership training programs for principals; and a mentoring program for new teachers.
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Jonathan Kozol, the former teacher who has written about race, poverty and education for nearly four decades, spoke about what he calls the "restoration of apartheid schooling in America" Friday at Carleton College in Northfield.audio
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Why is presentation and discussion of next year's school budget last on the agenda, following a substantial meeting agenda and, tonight, a public hearing. I don't understand why there aren't more public discussions planned for the budget. Perhaps the budget discussion timeline will be discussed further tonight. I hope so, because I think public discussion of the budget and the Board's decisions are important. What process is followed and decisions made are likely to affect the outcome of future referendums.
I'm amazed at the 13 items on tonight's agenda (seems like too much given the important topics, but I guess I don't understand the urgency for all the items), including a public hearing on the Leopold addition, in the middle of the meeting and placing the budget discussion last. I give the School Board credit for stamina, because they will need it for tonight's meeting.
Superintendent Rainwater implemented his proposed 2006-2007 budget in early April via allocations (which are 86% of the total budget), but this is NOT a final budget, because the School Board has the responsibility to approve the budget. April 24th, the budget was presented at the end of the evening. Tonight, the budget discussion is the last item on a 13-item agenda that includes a public hearing, and then the School board will not again discuss the budget for more than 2.5 weeks when the School Board is to have public discussions about "finalizing" the budget. It's not clear when the public will have input into the discussions after tomorrow, May 9th. Public meetings will finish before much public discussion of the budget by the School Board, board amendments, final draft budget before approval. I hope tonight's budget discussion takes up the timeline for the budget for the rest of the fiscal year.
Doesn't it take time to publicly discuss and to understand a $350+ million budget before the Board proposes amendments to the budget? Isn't there one night where the School Board could make public discussions of the budget a priority and explain to the public what will be discussed when? Why can't discussions continue into June - the fiscal year is finished in late June? Is it because of the layoff deadline for union teaching staff? Vacations? Other?
In my previous post on Speak Up for Strings, I wrote about two ways to contact the School Board - one way is by speaking to the School Board at public appearances; which,is normally after the minutes of a meeting - at the beginning, before the board begins it's business. A special Board meeting is scheduled for today, but public appearances will not be until agenda item 10, which follows many substantive agenda items, so chances to speak will not be until later in the evening - perhaps quite late.
For those whose schedules did not permit speaking at the budget hearing tomorrow (begins 6:30 at Memorial High School), you may not get a chance to speak at tonight's meeting, which has been changed to one meeting that starts at 5 p.m., until very late. (I've emailed and asked the School Board if children come to the meeting, could they speak first on the agenda.)
If people do go tonight, but cannot stay, I would suggest people consider filling out a registration slip and marking do not wish to speak and write briefly what you want to say or support, which is supposed to be read by School Board members. I'll be at the start of both tonight's meeting, tomorrow's public hearing and at the start of future meetings to help parents with registering to speak on strings during public appearances.
Lastly, I'm amazed at the 13 items on the agenda (seems like too much given the important topics, but I guess I don't understand the urgency for all the items), including a public hearing on the Leopold addition, in the middle of the meeting.
I sent the following letter to the School Board last week after reviewing data and text on elementary strings sent to the School Board by the Fine Arts Coordinator. In late March, I spoke before the School Board about working together on strengthening strings and fine arts education and hoped that we would not see another spring of "surprise reports." Shwaw Vang and others thought this was a good idea, but I guess the administration did not agree. Following my talk, the Superintendent sent a memo to the School Board with a proposal to eliminate elementary strings the end of next school year and offer General Music.
For the past five springs, in one form or another, reports on strings have been presented to the School Board, which present data and give reasons why not to teach strings. These reports are all prepared by top administrators with basically no input from or curriculum review by teachers, parents, students, the community. No other data are presented in the same manner and with as much detail as this course - none, which I find troubling. Courses are dropped for lack of enrollment, which is not the case with elementary strings. Also, no other academic course has come before the School Board year after year for cuts - not even open classroom, ropes, wrestling.
I have MMSD historical data on strings from when the course was first introduced. In spite of the administration's best efforts to cut the course,
Attacking strings, or extracurriculars, or sports, will not put teachers, librarians, and other key staff into schools. Nor will it repair curricula that are of questionable efficacy. If we want good schools, the conversation starts with what is in the budget -- ALL of the budget -- and whether the budget supports the kind of programs that we value in our schools." I strongly agree with her statement, because focusing on ALL of the budget keeps the focus on what's important - student learning and achievement. An increasing body of research and experience shows studying an instrument positively affects student achievement. If so, why isn't the School Board working with the community to strengthen fine arts education.
Dear School Board Members,
You recently received some statistical information from the District Fine Arts Coordinator on string instrumental enrollment for Grades 4-12 that was in response to a question from Ms. Carstensen on enrollment.
I feel the information presented could have been titled, “Reasons [the Administration Wants] to Cut Elementary Strings,” which, of course I found strange and inconsistent with data on this course and how other data are presented to the School Board [for issues/practices the administration supports].
I would like to provide you with some additional information that I believe provides a bigger picture and shows how this course has grown as the District has changed:
The dip around year 23 (1991) was due to a proposal to cut elementary strings and the later dip around year 29 was due to the inability to replace an FTE. You can see the strong growth in the course following a proposal to cut the course. During the 1990s enrollment grew, peaking in the early 2000s at 2,049. Even with the Superintendent's proposals to cut the course, demand for instruction remains strong. During the same time period in the 1990s, low-income and minority enrollment in the elementary grades increased (while total enrollment in elementary school declined). Even with the proposed cuts to elementary strings since 2002, enrollment has stayed strong, consistently about 50% of 4th and 5th grade students participate. This course is a high demand, highly valued course as growth in enrollment continues to show.
It is not unusual to see a decrease in participation as children have more options. By the time children are in high school, music is an elective among many, many more electives than in earlier grades. Before jumping to conclusions, I would suggest learning why more children do not continue to study an instrument. One of those reasons might be they did not like to play an instrument or they have other interests they want to explore in another course - or they moved on to play a band instrument. Another reason might be they became discouraged, because they needed more instruction and help learning the instrument – something that I feel a fine arts community committee could help happen.
When I look at the data, I’m impressed with how the enrollment in the program has grown over time and has grown with the changing demographics in the District. [This is during the same time the District is making strong gains in closing the achievement gap.] This is wonderful. One question I have when I see this data is – how can we help children build upon their interest and success in the classroom? There are many options for doing this, but first we need to keep elementary strings as part of our children’s elementary music instruction in school and build upon what they learn. I believe we can do this if we work together as a community, and I hope the School Board considers this additional data, maintains elementary strings and considers putting in place a community committee for fine arts education to help grow and strengthen fine arts education in Madison.
Barbara M. Schrank
Fine Arts Advocate, Parent
UW Geologist Louis J. Maher, Jr:
Light plane photography of many United States locations, including a number in Wisconsin.Fabulous, via Doc Searls.
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This was supposed to be a landmark year for the No Child Left Behind Act, which requires the states to close the achievement gap between white and minority students in exchange for federal education dollars. By this year, states were to have put a highly qualified teacher in every classroom and created rigorous annual math and reading tests in grades three through eight.The state tests and standards are still wildly uneven, and mediocre in many places. The teacher quality measures are also in jeopardy, with many states defining the problem away by simply labeling their teacher corps "highly qualified."
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It's official, the National Education Association is on record opposed to the NAACP in the CT anti-NCLB lawsuit (pdf). The NAACP response here(pdf). I think this is what they call a harbinger...but remember, no political problem here for Democrats to worry about...as you were!
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he Grafton School board will consider a proposal Monday to create a largely self-contained all-boys class, with 28 students led by a single teacher.If the board approves the one-year proposal, the district would become one of just a handful of public middle schools across the nation to offer a single-sex classroom.
"Some kids get lost in the shuffle of every 45 minutes, heading to a new teacher," Engel said. "There are a number of boys who could benefit from a structure that's a bit different from the norm."
Across the country, single-sex classrooms have become more popular in recent years.
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Reader Andrea Cox emails:
I don't understand why it's so important to keep the elementary strings program. Some things have to go because of the budget constraints imposed upon the schools. Strings strikes me as much less important than, say, class size, mathematics, or reading. We can't have everything without major changes in how the school funding is set at the state level.(I would have posted a "comment" to this topic, but I couldn't figure out how to do this on the site.)
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A longtime reader emailed David Brooks most recent column:
Around 1970, Walter Mischel launched a classic experiment. He left a succession of 4-year-olds in a room with a bell and a marshmallow. If they rang the bell, he would come back and they could eat the marshmallow. If, however, they didn't ring the bell and waited for him to come back on his own, they could then have two marshmallows.Lots of Mischel test links here. Sara has more on this at the Quick and the Ed.In videos of the experiment, you can see the children squirming, kicking, hiding their eyes — desperately trying to exercise self-control so they can wait and get two marshmallows. Their performance varied widely. Some broke down and rang the bell within a minute. Others lasted 15 minutes.
The children who waited longer went on to get higher SAT scores. They got into better colleges and had, on average, better adult outcomes. The children who rang the bell quickest were more likely to become bullies. They received worse teacher and parental evaluations 10 years on and were more likely to have drug problems at age 32.
The Mischel experiments are worth noting because people in the policy world spend a lot of time thinking about how to improve education, how to reduce poverty, how to make the most of the nation's human capital. But when policy makers address these problems, they come up with structural remedies: reduce class sizes, create more charter schools, increase teacher pay, mandate universal day care, try vouchers.The results of these structural reforms are almost always disappointingly modest. And yet policy makers rarely ever probe deeper into problems and ask the core questions, such as how do we get people to master the sort of self-control that leads to success? To ask that question is to leave the policy makers' comfort zone — which is the world of inputs and outputs, appropriations and bureaucratic reform — and to enter the murky world of psychology and human nature.
And yet the Mischel experiments, along with everyday experience, tell us that self-control is essential. Young people who can delay gratification can sit through sometimes boring classes to get a degree. They can perform rote tasks in order to, say, master a language. They can avoid drugs and alcohol.
For people without self-control skills, however, school is a series of failed ordeals. No wonder they drop out. Life is a parade of foolish decisions: teen pregnancy, drugs, gambling, truancy and crime.
If you're a policy maker and you are not talking about core psychological traits like delayed gratification skills, then you're just dancing around with proxy issues. You're not getting to the crux of the problem.
The research we do have on delayed gratification tells us that differences in self-control skills are deeply rooted but also malleable. Differences in the ability to focus attention and exercise control emerge very early, perhaps as soon as nine months. The prefrontal cortex does the self-control work in the brain, but there is no consensus on how much of the ability to exercise self-control is hereditary and how much is environmental.
The ability to delay gratification, like most skills, correlates with socioeconomic status and parenting styles. Children from poorer homes do much worse on delayed gratification tests than children from middle-class homes. That's probably because children from poorer homes are more likely to have their lives disrupted by marital breakdown, violence, moving, etc. They think in the short term because there is no predictable long term.
The good news is that while differences in the ability to delay gratification emerge early and persist, that ability can be improved with conscious effort. Moral lectures don't work. Sheer willpower doesn't seem to work either. The children who resisted eating the marshmallow didn't stare directly at it and exercise iron discipline. On the contrary, they were able to resist their appetites because they were able to distract themselves, and think about other things.
What works, says Jonathan Haidt, the author of "The Happiness Hypothesis," is creating stable, predictable environments for children, in which good behavior pays off — and practice. Young people who are given a series of tests that demand self-control get better at it over time.
This pattern would be too obvious to mention if it weren't so largely ignored by educators and policy makers. Somehow we've entered a world in which we obsess over structural reforms and standardized tests, but skirt around the moral and psychological traits that are at the heart of actual success. Walter Mischel tried to interest New York schools in programs based on his research. Needless to say, he found almost no takers.
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Via a Johnny Winston, Jr. email:
Dear Members of the Madison Media:I am pleased to announce the following Madison School Board standing committee assignments:
Members of the Board of Education were placed based on their knowledge, skills and interests. Attached is a copy of a PowerPoint presentation [128K PDF], that I will make at Monday night's school board meeting entitled "School Board President's Presentation." Please contact me if you have any questions or comments regarding the Madison Board of Education standing committee assignments. Thank you.
- Finance and Operations: Lawrie Kobza, Chair - Carol Carstensen & Lucy Mathiak
- Long Range Planning: Carol Carstensen, Chair - Lawrie Kobza & Arlene Silveira
- Human Resources: Ruth Robarts, Chair - Shwaw Vang & Lawrie Kobza
- Performance and Achievement: Shwaw Vang, Chair - Carol Carstensen & Ruth Robarts
- Community Partnerships: Lucy Mathiak, Chair - Shwaw Vang & Arlene Silveira
- Communications/Legislative: Arlene Silveira, Chair - Lucy Mathiak & Ruth Robarts
Johnny Winston, Jr.
President, Madison School Board
jwinstonjr@madison.k12.wi.us
347-9715 cell
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Research has clearly shown that parental involvement - parents seen reading in the home, parents reading to their children, parents ensuring that children have an array of reading materials available to them - is one of the most critical indicators of success in helping a child learn how to read.And the education community treats this as an unmentionable secret.
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Gov. Jim Doyle asked the University of Wisconsin-Madison Board of Regents Friday to support his "Wisconsin Covenant" plan.Doyle's press release.First proposed at his State of the State address, the plan calls for eighth-graders to make a pact with the state. The students would have to sign a pledge to stay out of trouble, take college prep classes and earn a B average -- and in return the state provides a financial aid package for a college in the UW system.
"This is our opportunity as a state to declare that among our very, very highest priorities is to increase the number of college graduates. And one of the ways to do it is to make sure that kids who have met their promise to us, no matter what their economic background, have college ahead of them," said Doyle.
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While the school board refused last year to get outside advice on the operations of Business Services, the department just keeps growing and growing and growing.
Compared to 2004-2005 budget, the number of Food Service Workers would increase by 11.32 FTE if the board approves the administration's proposed budget. District enrollment will decline by approximately 336 students between 2004-2005 and next year. Why does it take 11 more people to feed 336 fewer students?
The job category "trades" would grow by 7 FTE from last year to next year, while cutting 1 painter and 1 carpenter, according to the proposed budget.
But what's really odd, the budget approved by the board in the summer of 2005 shows 27 FTE in trades. Now the administration asserts that the revised budget approved in October 2005 increased the number to 35 FTE. Not! At least not that I can find. No place does the revised budget show an increase in FTEs in trades.
Is someone "cooking" the numbers or padding the payroll to increase the Business Services domain?
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My 5-year-old daughter, Elizabeth Virginia, now attends a private school that teaches foreign language and arts and offers after-school music and dance classes. But tuition is forcing me to look at Atlanta Public Schools next year for kindergarten.When I first started researching where to send Elizabeth next year, I was looking for private schools that offered tuition assistance. I also sent an e-mail, however, to my Atlanta Board of Education representative asking him to sell me on taking my child out of private school and placing her into public school. His energetic reply made me look at Atlanta schools.
I thought I would take every precaution and research the test scores of the public schools, both the regular ones and the charter schools. Imagine my shock at the low proficiency scores for charter schools in Atlanta. The charter schools didn't even outperform the traditional schools in their own zone.I want Elizabeth to attend a good public school, one where at least 90 percent of the students test proficient in math and reading. At her neighborhood school, the proficiency is not quite at 75 percent.
I may be among the many parents requesting general transfers to one of the few high-performing elementary schools in the city. My preferences would be M. Agnes Jones, Centennial Place or Morris Brandon, all of which are sought-after elementary schools unlikely to have room.
So, my choices may come down to moving or living out of my car and sending Elizabeth back to private school.
For the most part, I don't blame the educators. I mostly blame the parents for not sending their children to school ready to learn.
My daughter is my world. It's hard to accept, but Elizabeth is turning me — a person who is pro public education — into a potential voucher supporter. If vouchers were available, I would keep Elizabeth in her private school quicker than you could snap a pole bean.
The reason I like vouchers is the same reason I hate vouchers. Unlike public schools, private schools can choose the students. If a child becomes a "problem," the parents are told, "You know, we don't think Johnny is really suited for our environment." What if public schools are left without bright students because the bright students are getting an education elsewhere?
To me, a school with great test scores means that the kids in that school feel it's cool to be smart. We don't have enough of those in the Atlanta public school system.
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Anthony Brooks [Listen: 20MB mp3]:
Mention public education in the United States and the word "reform" is soon to follow. The need to reform the nation's schools is almost as old as public education itself. Invariably the debate about how to improve public schools focuses on what's wrong with them.Participants include:But across the country there are examples of schools that work; classrooms abuzz with creativity and the excitement of learning. They're run by committed teachers, overseen by innovative principals and supported involved parents.
Andrew Rotherham has more.
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The economics of plagiarism are changing:1. Plagiarism is now easier to catch and publicize, mostly because of the Web, Google, and computer search programs.
2. We are exposed to more influences, whether consciously or not, than before.
3. "Cut and paste," and other technologies, make cheating and plagiarism easier.
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Over the last five years, Wakefield, which has the highest percentage of immigrant and minority students of any high school in the county, has significantly increased participation in Advanced Placement tests.James Collier has more.More than half of Wakefield students qualify for federally subsidized lunches, and nearly 83 percent are members of a minority group. The school's students come from more than 60 countries and speak more than 40 languages. Almost 17 percent speak a first language other than English.
"I think that this school is a particularly effective school, and it gets better every year," said School Superintendent Robert G. Smith. Wakefield High plans to use the money from the award to expand college-preparatory programs.
In spring 2004, the school instituted a program called the Wakefield High School AP Network, designed to increase the diversity of the students taking honors and AP courses.
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Last month, the Washington Post’s David Broder wrote a column trumpeting the value of teaching civics to American students. He interviewed Sandra Day O’Connor and former Colorado Governor Roy Romer (now serving as Superintendent of Los Angeles’s schools), both of whom are spokespersons for the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools (CMS).Joanne comments as well: "All opinion, no facts". Jeff Jarvis on a new French-German history text.A trip to CMS’s website reveals many applause-worthy sentiments—indeed, simply acknowledging the importance of civics education is commendable.
Yet both CMS and Broder’s fawning column make the same mistake that plagues many civic education initiatives. Instead of proposing that students learn civics through rigorous study of historical events, meaty biographies of important Americans, or lessons that integrate American history and politics with philosophy and character education, CMS offers a different model. One that puts the cart before the horse.
CMS offers “six promising approaches to civic learning” of which “Guided discussion of current local, national, and international issues and events” is one. What does this look like? The organization envisions teachers discussing “issues students find personally relevant ... in a way that encourages multiple points of view.”
The problems with this proposal are legion. It says that issues discussed be limited to those that “students find personally relevant.” One wonders how relevant most 14-year-olds would find many international events, such as the recent country-wide protests in Nepal or Chinese President Hu Jintao’s U.S. visit. A major objective of civics instruction should be to educate students and make international events and issues relevant in their lives. It doesn’t work the other way around.
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American Legislative Exchange Council:
LEC has released its newest edition of The Report Card on American Education: A State by State Analysis 1983-1984 to 2003-2004. The Report Card contains over 50 tables and figures that display in various ways more than 100 measures of educational resources and achievement. It strengthens the growing consensus that simply spending more taxpayer dollars on education is not enough to improve student achievement. In addition, the report includes analysis on numerous factors that affect the public education system, including demographics, school choice and charter school initiatives.full report[pdf]
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These days, more than 100,000 students are taking the SAT while they're still in middle school. Some are under increasing pressure to get ready for college, no matter how early. And some want to qualify for prestigious academic summer programs such as the one at Johns Hopkins University.
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Via a Johnny Winston, Jr. MMSD email:
It is with great humility that I announce that I have been elected to serve as President of the Madison School Board. I am honored to have the opportunity to provide leadership to our school district and community. Serving as President is the culmination of part of a life long dream to be a public servant.Johnny, along with Shwaw and Ruth's seat are up for election in April, 2007. Today's public announcement by former Madison School Board member Ray Allen that he's running for Mayor [more on Ray Allen] (same 04/07 election) and MTI's John Matthews recent lunch with Mayor Dave mean that positioning for the spring election is well under way.I was elected to the board in 2004. During my tenure, I have served as Chair of the Finance and Operations and Partnership Committees and most recently as role of Vice President. I welcome working with the entire elected school board. Some of the critical matters for us to address include but are not limited to: the building of new schools to accommodate our growing district, student achievement, parent involvement and strengthening communication and partnership efforts in our community. Together, we can identify and implement creative solutions to these issues.
Another interesting element in all this is the proposed fall referendum for a new far west side elementary school [west task force] and the Leopold expansion (I still wonder about the wisdom of linking the two questions together...., somewhat of a do-over for Leopold linked to another question). Have the local prospects for passing a referendum improved since the May, 2005 vote where two out of three failed (including a much larger Leopold expansion)?
I think it's hard to say:
Jason Shephard's seminal piece on the future of Madison's public schools will resonate for some time.
It will be an interesting year. I wish the entire Board well as they address these matters. It's never too early to run for school board :) Check out the election pages for links and interviews.
I am a product of Madison schools thus believe in the vital role they have in our community. I welcome this opportunity to collaboratively lead the school board for the betterment of the Madison Metropolitan School District.Johnny Winston, Jr.
President, Madison School Board
jwinstonjr@madison.k12.wi.us
(608) 441-0224The Madison Metropolitan School District is located in Madison, Wisconsin and is the second largest in the state. It has 53 schools/programs including two charter schools and several alternative programs. Enrollment is 24,491 students pre-kindergarten thru twelfth grade. 44% are students of color. 42% receive free and reduced lunch. The district is one of the largest employers in Madison and Dane County with 5,921 employees. The budget for the 2006-07 school year is $332 million.
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Andrekopoulos described in general terms to the principals - and to School Board members on Tuesday night - that the way schools are treated by his administration will differ, based on the academic success of students.Schools where test scores are comparatively high and where the amount of progress students make from year to year is above average for MPS will be given more operating freedom. Andrekopoulos praised the number of schools showing improvements.
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Former Teacher and Principal Ruby Payne:
To survive in poor communities, Ms. Payne contends, people need to be nonverbal and reactive. They place priority on the personal relationships that are often their only significant resources and rely on entertainment to escape harsh realities. Members of the middle class, in contrast, succeed or fail through the use of paper representations and plans for the future. They value work and achievement.via Joanne Jacobs.
. . . teachers must recognize that children from poor families often benefit from explicit instruction and support in areas that could be taken for granted among middle-class students. Those include the so-called unspoken rules, mental models that help learners store symbolic information, and the procedures that it takes to complete an abstract task.A teacher attentive to the needs of her low-income students fills the day with pointers and checklists. She puts tools for organizing information into her students’ hands, and helps them translate it from its “street” version to its school one. She spells out reasons for learning.
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By lunch period Wednesday, most students at Middleton High School had heard the big news - the nation's largest beverage distributors had voluntarily agreed to halt nearly all soda sales to schools.There was disagreement over whether this was:
A.) A great day in public education.
B.) A sinister plot to rob youth of their sugar birthright
C.) No big deal.
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RAMSES SANTELISES was supposed to graduate from John F. Kennedy High in the Bronx in June 2005, but, he said, he goofed off his senior year. He failed senior English in the second semester and two gym classes. "I got senioritis," he said.He was planning to make up the courses at summer school, but said that he got sick and was hospitalized, and that by the time he reported to summer school, he had missed too many days. They told him to sign up for night school in the fall. "I was upset," he said. "I was hoping to start college."
In late August he went to Kennedy to register for the night program, discussed the three courses he needed and, he said, got a big surprise. "They said, 'No questions asked, we're going to let you graduate,' " he recalled. "I never had to take the two gym classes and English class I should have taken."
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WEAC President Stan Johnson:
The Wisconsin Education Association Council has always believed that virtual education can benefit students in Wisconsin. Advocates of an Assembly bill that WEAC opposed have criticized us, in newspapers and elsewhere, as opponents of virtual education.More on Stan Johnson & WEAC.However, as they criticize WEAC for opposing Assembly Bill 1060 they never inform readers that other providers of virtual education also opposed this bill and they avoid details about the actual content of the bill.
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Fiscal challenges are testing the mettle of school superintendents across the country, but Oregon's new hire for the top job has a lot of experience in tightening the belt on school spending."When you are in a district that faces financial challenges, it teaches you what the true priorities in public education are," incoming Oregon School Superintendent Brian Busler said. "It teaches you how to be creative and utilize every dollar available to get the best return for a student's education."
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Wisconsin State Journal editorial
Wednesday, May 3, 2006
Madison should take a bow and be proud of its decade-long effort to improve early reading skills and boost school achievement for all racial groups.
Yet the hard work isn't over and may be getting harder.
UW-Madison education researchers hailed Madison this week for shrinking its racial achievement gap more than probably any urban area in the country. And at the same time, test scores for white students in Madison kept improving.
More young students of all backgrounds can read.
More older students of all backgrounds are graduating.
Madison's formula for success, according to the researchers, is largely the result of three things:
One-to-one tutoring by trained volunteers.
The Wisconsin State Journal and WISC-TV (Ch. 3) helped launch a decade ago the Schools of Hope civil journalism project that stressed the recruitment and training of volunteer reading tutors. The United Way now oversees the effort and counts about 1,000 tutors working with 2,000 struggling students on reading and math in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Organizers say the effort will continue and possibly expand until at least 2011.
Small class sizes in the earliest grades.
The state is contributing millions to Madison schools for poor children to benefit from the extra attention smaller class sizes allow during kindergarten through third grade.
Better teacher training.
This might be the hardest element of Madison's success to maintain, much less improve. With relatively flat school enrollment and high property values in Madison, the state steers a lower percentage of aid our way. And voters have shown they're skeptical of approving higher operational spending than a state cap otherwise allows.
That means other areas of school spending should be cut before teacher training is reduced. Or perhaps the district can develop creative, lower-cost ways to train those teachers who most need it.
Madison just might become a national model for closing the racial achievement gap if existing trends continue. But that won't be easy given financial constraints and a growing influx of students who lack English skills.
But hope is high. Volunteers are energetic. Educators passionately want students to succeed.
Let's stay at it, Madison, and show the nation the way.
A community is in shock after losing two high school students to suicide in recent weeks.Students and parents in McFarland are trying to make sense of the suicides and they will soon get some help.
A huge community-wide effort is underway to help teens grieve and begin to heal.
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The nation's largest beverage distributors have agreed to halt nearly all soda sales to public schools, according to a deal announced Wednesday by the William J. Clinton Foundation.American Beverage AssociationUnder the agreement, the companies have agreed to sell only water, unsweetened juice and low-fat milks to elementary and middle schools, said Jay Carson, a spokesman for former President Bill Clinton. Diet sodas would be sold only to high schools.
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The Madison School Board held a public hearing last night on the Distirct's proposed 332.9M+ 06/07 budget last night. Maggie Rossiter Peterman:
Sean Storch pleaded with members of the Madison School Board on Tuesday night not to cut teachers in the district's four high school alternative education programs.Channel3000 has more.
Storch, 28, and another teacher work with about 20 "at- risk" ninth-graders in the Connect program at La Follette High School.
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Nan Brien recently wrote about local property taxes. Tom Bozzo spends some time looking at local tax assessments. Interesting. Via the Daily Page.
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What non-drug treatments work to combat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?It's a question more parents are asking doctors, prompted by new concerns about the safety of medicines used to treat a problem that affects an estimated 4.4 million American children.
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Another court-monitored effort to integrate a big city school system is coming to an end. The Chicago Public Schools spent billions of dollars trying to integrate. But many of the city's minority students still attend racially isolated schools. District officials say they'll continue efforts to integrate, but maintain it's impossible to truly desegregate when just 9 percent of the student body, citywide, is now white. Jay Field of Chicago Public Radio reports.audio
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I've watched a few minutes of the last two board meetings with new board members Arlene Silveira and Lucy Mathiak. What a refreshing improvement! The meetings seem more focused on the issues at hand with members better prepared to ask questions and give direction to the administration. Bravo!
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The National School Board Association argues that local school boards exist to translate the community's educational goals for its children into programs and to hold staff accountable for the quality and effectiveness of the programs:
Your school board sets the standard for achievement in your district, incorporating the community’s view of what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. Your school board also is responsible for working with the superintendent to establish a valid process for measuring student success and, when necessary, shifting resources to ensure that the district’s goals are achieved.
Don't expect to see that kind of process as the Madison School Board adopts a $383.7M budget for 2006-07.
On April 24, 2006, Superintendent Art Rainwater presented his proposed budget for 2006-07 to the school board. MMSD Proposed Balanced Budget for 2006-07 To the credit of the administration, the documents are better organized and provide more detail than in recent years.
Nonetheless, the board's adoption of next year's budget will likely be an unsatisfying process for parents and the community. I say this because the Madison board has again skipped the decision-making steps that are necessary for budget decisions to occur within a framework that we can all understand and support.
Long before the school board tries to evaluate a budget, the board should have translated the community's vision for the education of its children into specific, measurable goals for student achievement. Key Work of School Boards
We don't have such goals except for third grade reading, completion of algebra and geometry and attendance. What kind of budget commitment should we make to offering a comprehensive high school program? We don't know, because we have set no standards for the "challenging, contemporary curriculum" that we claim is a strategic priority for the district. What funds should we commit to fine arts education? We don't know, because we have no achievement goals in the arts or any other curriculum area. Should we cease funding a "Race and Equity" position at the $100,000 a year level? We don't know because we don't have objectives for the position to accomplish.
The board should also have developed a shared understanding of how data will be used to evaluate the district's progress toward meeting its goals.
We don't determine which data will be used in decisions about educational programs or any other aspect of the budget. Should we cease the "same service" approach to the teaching of reading? Should we continue to invest in "instructional coaches" who teach teachers how to present the Connected Math program? Again, we don't know. The administration claims that its curriculum decisions are data-driven. However, the administration does not share the student achievement data behind our "same service" approach or proposed new programs nor has the board agreed to rely on whatever data that the administration may use in its internal analysis.
As the result of the April elections, the board has two new members: Lucy Mathiak and Arlene Silveira. Both promised to focus on standards and accountability during their campaigns. Maybe next year will be better. That's important because the fuss that occurs each spring as the board struggles to "restore" programs or staff that the superintendent has cut should not occur. We should not be on the defensive--always having to create our own individual rationales for replacing cut items or changing programs. We should be on the offensive---judging the superintendent's budget against the goals that we have set for our programs and the measurements of effectiveness that we have agreed on.
Please stay tuned.
Ruth Robarts
Member, Madison School Board
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Reader Kathy Andrusz emails:
1st Annual Midwest Summit on Boys at Risk will be held in Madison at the Pyle Center on Monday, June 12, 2006. The keynote speakers are Leonard Sax and Kevin Davern (see brochure for details).The Gender Studies Project is delighted to announce their 1st Annual Midwest Summit on Boys at Risk. This pioneering conference will be held on June 12 at the Pyle Center in Madison, WI. The Summit boasts two prestigious keynote speakers: Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D., creator of the National Association on Single Sex Education; and Kevin Davern, founding headmaster of The Avalon School, Bethesda, MD, and classroom instructor for 17 years in the independent school education of young men. See the brochure for details. Download the brochure for details. (416kb pdf)
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From the Wisconsin State Journal, May 2, 2006
ANDY HALL ahall@madison.com
Madison made more progress than any urban area in the country in shrinking the racial achievement gap and managed to raise the performance levels of all racial groups over the past decade, two UW- Madison education experts said Monday in urging local leaders to continue current strategies despite tight budgets.
"I've seen districts around the United States, and it really is remarkable that the Madison School District is raising the achievement levels for all students, and at the same time they're closing the gaps," Julie Underwood, dean of the UW- Madison School of Education, said in an interview.
Underwood said she's heard of no other urban district that reduced the gap so significantly without letting the test scores of white students stagnate or slide closer to the levels of lower-achieving black, Hispanic or Southeast Asian students.
"The way that it's happened in Madison," she said, "is truly the best scenario. . . . We haven't done it at the expense of white students."
Among the most striking trends:
Disparities between the portions of white and minority students attaining the lowest ranking on the state Third Grade Reading Test have essentially been eliminated.
Increasing shares of students of all racial groups are scoring at the top levels - proficient and advanced - on the Third Grade Reading Test.
Graduation rates have improved significantly for students in every racial group.
Underwood commented after one of her colleagues, Adam Gamoran, director of the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, presented a review of efforts to attack the racial achievement gap to the Schools of Hope Leadership Team meeting at United Way of Dane County.
Gamoran told the 25- member team, comprised of community leaders from the school system, higher education, nonprofit agencies, business and government, that Madison's strategy parallels national research documenting the most effective approaches - one-to-one tutoring, particularly from certified teachers; smaller class sizes; and improved training of teachers.
"My conclusion is that the strategies the Madison school system has put in place to reduce the racial achievement gap have paid off very well and my hope is that the strategies will continue," said Gamoran, who as director of the education-research center oversees 60 research projects, most of which are federally funded. A sociologist who's worked at UW-Madison since 1984, Gamoran's research focuses on inequality in education and school reform.
In an interview, Gamoran said that Madison "bucked the national trend" by beginning to shrink the racial achievement during the late 1990s, while it was growing in most of America's urban school districts.
But he warned that those gains are in jeopardy as Wisconsin school districts, including Madison, increasingly resort to cuts and referendums to balance their budgets.
Art Rainwater, Madison schools superintendent, said Gamoran's analysis affirmed that the district and Schools of Hope, a civic journalism project of the Wisconsin State Journal and WISC-TV (Ch. 3) that grew into a community campaign to combat the racial achievement gap, are using the best known tactics - approaches that need to be preserved as the district makes future cuts.
"The things that we've done, which were the right things to do, positively affect not just our educationally neediest students," Rainwater said. "They help everybody."
John Matthews, executive director of Madison Teachers Inc., the teachers union, and Rainwater agree that the progress is fragile.
"The future of it is threatened if we don't have it adequately funded," Matthews said.
Leslie Ann Howard, United Way president, whose agency coordinates Schools of Hope, said Gamoran's analysis will help focus the community's efforts, which include about 1,000 trained volunteer tutors a year working with 2,000 struggling students on reading and math in grades kindergarten through eight.
The project's leaders have vowed to continue working until at least 2011 to fight gaps that persist at other grade levels despite the gains among third- graders.
"I think it's critical for the community to know that all kids benefited from the strategies that have been put in place the last 10 years - the highest achievers, the lowest achievers and everybody in between," Howard said.
"To be able to say it's helping everyone, I think is really astonishing."
By mid-June the Madison School Board plans to adopt a new food policy that addresses food safety and nutrition. Proposed Comprehensive Food Policy Developed by Student Work Group The proposed policy does not address physical activity opportunities for our students, although activity is an important factor in evaluating food policy implications.
This would be a good time for the Madison community and the school board to engage in an in-depth discussion of the connection between physical activity, school nutrition and health. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention offers outstanding do-it-yourself materials to review school health at elementary, middle and high schools. CDC School Health Index.
The CDC also grants funds to help elementary schools improve the health of school children by increasing physical activity and nutrition programs. Mini-Grants for Physical Activity and Nutrition Improvements
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Please Help Save Elementary Strings!!!
How: Ask the New School Board -
Work with the Community to Build Fine Arts Education!
When: Starting May 9th
Other districts facing fiscal and academic achievement challenges have had successes maintaining and growing their fine arts education - through strategic planning, active engagement and real partnerships with their communities. School districts in Arizona, Chicago, New York, Texas and Minneapolis are looking for innovative ways to preserve and to grow fine arts education when facing tight budgets.
What does MMSD do?
For the 5th spring, elementary strings are at risk. Superintendent Rainwater is proposing to eliminate elementary strings - to cut Grade 4 strings next year and Grade 5 strings the following year. NO other high demand, highly valued academic course is targeted in next year’s budget - NONE.
Hundreds of students, parents, teachers and community members understand the value of this course for young children and have shown their public support for this course before the School Board each spring. We need to remind the new School Board, once again, of the value of this course – to our students’ growth and achievement, to our community.
Facts:
Enrollment Doubled - In the 1990s, course enrollment doubled to slightly more than 2,000 students – at the same time the low income and minority elementary student population increased. Approximately 50% of 4th and 5th graders elect to participate in elementary strings.Low Income Enrollment Grew – Over time, low-income enrollment in elementary strings has grown. This year, the percentage of low-income children enrolled in Grade 4 strings is higher than the percentage of low-income children in that grade enrolled in the district. No other private/public organization in Madison teaches 550+ low-income children how to play an instrument at a higher level and to perform in ensembles.
You Can Help:
Speak to the School Board – bring signs, play your instrument
When: Tuesday, May 9, 2006 – 6:30 p.m., Memorial High School Auditorium [map]
Write to the School Board – comments@madison.k12.wi.us - and ask them
Five years of targeting strings is unacceptable, short-sighted and goes against a) what the research shows strings does for children’s growth, development and academic achievement, b) what’s being done in other areas in MMSD, and b) what the community values for our children’s education.
For more information, email: savestrings@charter.net
Only 30 percent of high-school students take any Advanced Placement courses at all; by the time Frausto graduates later this month, she will have taken 16 of them -- in many cases earning the highest grade, a 5, on the three-hour final exam.That is because Frausto's school, the Talented and Gifted Magnet School near downtown Dallas, is one of a growing number of high schools trying to make AP as much a part of students' lives as french fries and iPods. Located in a run-down neighborhood not usually associated with high-level learning, Talented and Gifted -- "TAG" to its students -- tops NEWSWEEK's list of America's Best High Schools. Members of its racially mixed student body say they feel united by the challenge. "What I really love about TAG is the atmosphere," said Frausto, who will be attending MIT on a scholarship in the fall. "There is so much closeness."
Large studies in Texas and California done over the past two years indicate that good grades on AP tests significantly increase chances of earning college degrees. That has led many public schools in disadvantaged neighborhoods to look for ways to get their students into AP and a similar but smaller college-level course program called International Baccalaureate (IB), in hopes that their students will have the same college-graduation rates enjoyed by AP and IB students from the country's wealthiest private schools and most selective public schools.
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Barbara Kantrowitz and Pat Wingert:
A one-size-fits-all approach no longer works for everyone, the new thinking goes; a more individualized experience is better.Newsweek's Top 1138 US High Schools (16 Wisconsin high schools including one from Madison - Memorial ranked #924)."We are changing the goal of high school and what it's possible to achieve there," says Tom Vander Ark, executive director of the Gates Foundation's education initiative, which has spent $1 billion in 1,600 high schools in 40 states plus the District of Columbia over the last six years.
For parents and students, these schools mean an often bewildering array of choices -- small schools within larger schools, specialized charter and magnet schools for things ranging from fashion design to computer programming, even public boarding schools for budding physicists or artists.
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One in an occasional series looking at learning in the middle and high school yearsHigh school senior Risa Masuda has no time to let "senioritis" get in her way.
She takes Advanced Placement courses, participates in a senior project on low-cost housing, works in student government and helps teachers during class -- an experience, she said, that made her rethink her childhood dream of being an educator.
The 18-year-old credits her school, New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Ill., with keeping her engaged during a year commonly perceived as the time when students snooze during lectures on Hamlet's angst, take requirements they should have completed in ninth grade, do less homework than in the killer junior year and bide time before the rest of their lives begin.
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Governor Doyle recently vetoed Assembly Bill 1060 which would have reaffirmed and clarified the state's commitment to virtual public schools in Wisconsin. Prior to his decision to veto the bill, WEAC (the teacher's union) was making noise about the "outsourcing of education" to people who would not be qualified teachers, instructors or presenters to our children. In other words, parents! Governor Doyle reiterated the concerns of WEAC after vetoing the bill by stating, "Actual pupil instruction could be delivered by persons without a state-issued license or permit."West Bend Parent Owen Robinson calls the recent court decison on virtual schools "A Victory for Children". Kristof's recent article addresses this isue as well.Both WEAC and Governor Doyle misstate the intent of the bill to suit their own political agenda.
Interestingly enough, their take also ignores the reality of what goes on in public schools today. Currently in our public school system there are teacher aides, substitute teachers and guest presenters that instruct pupils on a daily basis. These individuals are not required to hold state-issued licenses or permits. In fact, state statutes and DPI administrative rules allow for the local school boards to determine the requirements for these persons.
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Roger Price’s corrected table of FTEs shows that the proposed MMSD budget would cut 29.5 FTE aide positions compared to the cost-to-continue budget. According to my comparison, the budget would cut 13.16 FTE aide positions in the coming year compared to the actual FTEs this year.
When I plow through the budget document titled Department & Division Detailed Budgets (undated), the document appears to show total FTE reductions of 18.95 (see pages 16, 38, and 63) in postions for educational assistants.
So, dedicated detectives, see whether you can make sense of the numbers. Does the proposed budget reduce educational assistant FTEs by 29.5, 13.16, or 18.95?
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I continue to receive messages from elementary school parents about the lack of information on the 3rd quarter report cards regarding the academic achievement of their children.
Concern about quality of 3rd quarter report cards (cont)
Good afternoon,
A friend just passed on the article on the web about Crestwood and Elvejhem parents being upset about 3rd quarter report cards. Well, there are some at Sandburg as well.
What a waste of paper... 43 boxes on the report card and only 17 filled out with something other than an "N/A". Didn't anyone think about saving some money and just using one sheet of paper per child (instead of 4) if that was all that was going to be reported?
At least I received comments from the Sage teacher even though I know my daughter is doing well. I know someone at Kennedy who had no comments at all on his daughters' report cards.
If the art, music, gym and Reach teachers are only going to write up an article about what each grade has been doing, why not just publish them in the school newsletters?
This is the stuff that really irks us parents, and especially when it causes an early release day. This is the stuff we remember when it's time to vote.
Thank you for your time.
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An inconspicuous provision in the newly unveiled MMSD budget document would establish an ESL/bilingual advisory council (Department & Division Detailed Budgets, page 55).
I encourage the Board of Education to remove the provision and give any proposed council the careful and detailed attention the board gave to the attendance task forces and equity task force.
As the provision stands, the budget document provides absolutely no justification, no charge, no detail, no membership, no cost, and no staffing for the proposal.
The advisory council might be valuable, but it needs much more consideration before the board acts on it.
Last year a similarly obscure phrase led to the creation of two new classrooms and an expenditure of $350,000 at Marquette.
I see a pattern here. Cryptic language being use to launch new initiatives without board or public input.
The specific provision reads:Establish Division of ESL and Bilingual Education community advisory council to promote the dissemination of information to improve partnerships between families who speak other languages, community agencies and schools.
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In August 2003 I moved to Kyoto, Japan as a part of the JET program. I am an assistant language teacher in three Jr. High schools. The experience has been...interesting to say the least.However, there isn't just one editorial that could cover everything about my experiences here. So I decided to make it into an editorial series. This is the main page - check here for updates.
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Each of these cases are at the core of a federal class-action lawsuit alleging that the Milwaukee Public Schools district systemically failed to identify kids needing special education services in a timely fashion.The parents of all three children testified in a three-week-long trial that wrapped up last week and now will be decided by U.S. Magistrate Judge Aaron Goodstein, probably this summer. At issue in the decision are the fates of thousands of children eligible for special education in the city and millions of dollars spent on special education each year.
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The University of California-Berkeley has posted an extensive set of podcasts:
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What is Fund 80, and why are people saying such awful things aboutit?Fund 80 is the state accounting code for community services expenditures,the major portion of which is for Madison SchoolCarstensen Community Recreation (MSCR) and the district's cable channel 10.The current budget for community services is $11 million. Of that $8 millionis from the tax levy; the remainder comes from fees and grants.
MSCR programs range from exercise programs for seniors to swim lessons forinfants and toddlers, from adult sport leagues to summer day camps forelementary students, plus art and dance classes for all ages.
The 2001-03 state budget allowed community services expenditures to bemoved out from under the revenue cap imposed on school districts. This wasdone so that adult softball leagues could be funded without reducing a schooldistrict's core educational program for students.
Since 2001, the community services budget has grown because of increasedprogramming through MSCR. This programming includes more after school care,summer activities such as afternoon recreation for students involved inmorning summer school classes, more clubs and sports for middle and highschool students and more county-partnered Youth Resource Centers.More on Fund 80Also, programs that had previously been scattered throughout the budget butwhich were, in reality, community services-related, were brought under thatfunding code.
Finally, the community services budget has grown due to increasedpartnerships with other organizations such as the Urban League, MATC andCentro Hispano, all of which provide after school programs for middle schoolstudents.
And of course, there are those pontoon boats. The boats were donated toMSCR initially to provide a boating experience for people with disabilities.Over time the service has been expanded to provide a variety of tripsavailable to children and the general public.
There is a fee charged for these latter programs and, since the boats arerun and maintained by an enthusiastic group of volunteers, the entire programcosts the taxpayer almost nothing.
As a Madison School Board member I have supported expanding the district'srole in the community and I continue to support the expenditures under Fund80.
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