The state’s education commissioner endorsed 17 of 23 pending charter school applications yesterday, including 10 that would serve students in Boston beginning next fall or in the following academic year.
“I have every expectation that these 17 charter schools . . . are well positioned to succeed academically and become high-performing organizations,’’ said Mitchell D. Chester, commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. His agency’s board is scheduled to vote on the recommendations Feb. 28.
Charter schools, authorized under the 1993 Education Reform Act, are independent public institutions that are supposed to provide innovative alternatives to traditional public schools.
A state law passed last year allows significantly more charter-school seats in school districts with the lowest scores on standardized tests.
In addition to schools in Boston, Chester endorsed applications for charter schools in New Bedford, Lawrence, Chelsea, Springfield, and Salem. Fourteen of the endorsed charter schools would operate independently of local school districts, and teachers would not be unionized.
Three of the charter schools, including two in Boston, would be run by the districts. Teachers at those schools would join unions, though they would not have as many rights as union members in other public schools.
Superintendent Carol R. Johnson said in a phone interview that the two new charter schools in Boston, UP Academy for grades 6-8 and Boston Green Academy for grades 9-12, which would both open in South Boston next year, have received more than 1,200 statements of interest from families so far.
Opponents of charter schools, who include union officials and leaders in many school districts, say they worry that an increasing number of such schools will drain vital dollars from traditional public schools. They also argue that charter schools have exaggerated their success rates and do not serve as many English-language learners and students with special needs, assertions that charter school officials deny.
“We’re talking about allowing schools to discriminate in their student bodies, and that’s something no city should tolerate,’’ said Richard Stutman, president of the Boston Teachers Union.
But Marc Kenen, executive director of the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association, hailed Chester’s endorsements and said he wished the commissioner had supported more applications.
“Today is another step toward a new era of charter public school expansion in high-need communities across Massachusetts,’’ Kenen said.
Parents of students in public school districts were also divided yesterday.
Cristina Cora of Jamaica Plain, 36, whose daughter is an eighth-grader at Roxbury Preparatory Charter School, said children deserve more charter schools to give them the chance to reach their full academic potential.
She said that while the staff at Roxbury Prep, an established charter school seeking to expand in Boston, is “super-attentive,’’ she felt that teachers and administrators at her daughter’s prior school in Jamaica Plain, a traditional public school, ignored her concerns.
“I constantly called the school saying that my daughter’s coming home telling me she isn’t learning anything because the teacher doesn’t have control of the class,’’ Cora said. “The whole year went by [without a satisfactory response], and I as a parent didn’t have a voice.’’
But Pelham resident Michael Hussin, 59, the former School Committee chairman of the Amherst-Pelham district whose son attends Amherst Regional High School, said the current funding formula for charters, in which districts often lose thousands of dollars for each pupil who attends a charter school, is bankrupting public education.
“That’s a lot more money being sucked out of public schools,’’ Hussin said. “It’s a misguided, mistaken policy for sure.’’
Source: Boston.com
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | U.S. education secretary calls for more teacher-district cooperation
Reporting from Denver —
After a year of often using financial incentives to spur school reform, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan unveiled a different approach during a two-day conference in Denver: urging districts and teachers unions to develop trusting relationships and work together to improve student achievement.
The move comes as federal education stimulus money has dried up, although President Obama has asked for a nearly $2-billion increase in education funding in his proposed budget.
"I fundamentally believe that tough economic times are either going to paralyze folks or you're going to see opportunities through crisis," Duncan said. Collaboration "has been a desperately, desperately underutilized strategy. You could ask a free service to “write my paper" but you risk having the person that would write essay information not being qualified. Instead, you want someone with years of experience that can write analysis essay papers or write academic essay papers, no matter the topic. "
Get the monthly that has L.A. talking. Subscribe to Los Angeles Times Magazine at a special introductory rate.
Duncan did not back down from some of his more controversial reform proposals, including using student test score data to evaluate teachers and basing teacher layoffs on factors other than seniority.
During the conference, officials from 150 districts nationwide listened to 12 educational groups, including Green Dot Public Schools and ABC Unified School District in southeastern Los Angeles County, discuss ways in which they have improved student learning through closer relationships with labor unions.
"We really are moving forward all the time," said Gary Smuts, the superintendent of ABC Unified, during a panel with the presidents of the district and the union.
Teachers in the district, which serves about 21,000 students, went on strike in 1993 but formed a better relationship with district administrators afterward. Since then, the district's annual state Academic Performance Index, which measures student achievement on standardized tests, has increased every year. Our writers’ admission essay help also includes the editing and revision of the admission essay, so that the essays are completely free from errors.
Leaders of the country's two largest teacher unions largely echoed Duncan's message. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, pointed out that many new teacher contracts that include merit pay and the use of student data in evaluations were the result of closer collaboration.
"They really listened to each other," she said.
Dennis Van Roekel, the president of the National Education Assn., said there is more opportunity for teachers unions to work with districts without looming federal grant applications. The Department of Education sponsored a grant contest, known as Race to the Top, last year that awarded $4.35 billion to states that promised to make changes, including possibly using student data to evaluate teachers.
States had several months to complete their applications. California failed to qualify for those funds.
"The biggest problem was that the time pressure was unbelievable," said Van Roekel, who added that the contest was primarily a top-down program dictated by the Obama administration.
The next phase of Race to the Top, which has not been formally announced, should be open to local school districts, officials have said.
But there were also signs that not everyone was on the same page. Superintendents, school board presidents and teachers union leaders had to sign an agreement to try to work together before attending the conference, which was paid for by the Ford Foundation. Contingents from New York City and Washington, D.C., had planned to attend but canceled at the last minute due to disagreements. Los Angeles officials bowed out because they said the school board had to vote on a proposed budget on the first day of the conference.
Weingarten said she "understood full well" why New York and Washington, D.C., officials didn't attend, but Duncan expressed disappointment, saying that it was a "sad reflection of the dysfunction" in the relationship between labor and management in some districts.
And during a question-and-answer period, Duncan was asked several pointed questions.
One attendee said he was troubled that the federal government mandated that some low-performing schools be closed or reconstituted, which would require staff to reapply for their jobs. "When is the Department of Education going to trust us?" he said to applause from many in the audience.
Duncan acknowledged that many teachers are wary of federal intervention. He and other leaders acknowledged that not all districts and unions were willing to work together now but would have to in the future.
"I don't think it's a movement yet, but it's got to be," Van Roekel said.
Source: LA Times
After a year of often using financial incentives to spur school reform, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan unveiled a different approach during a two-day conference in Denver: urging districts and teachers unions to develop trusting relationships and work together to improve student achievement.
The move comes as federal education stimulus money has dried up, although President Obama has asked for a nearly $2-billion increase in education funding in his proposed budget.
"I fundamentally believe that tough economic times are either going to paralyze folks or you're going to see opportunities through crisis," Duncan said. Collaboration "has been a desperately, desperately underutilized strategy. You could ask a free service to “write my paper" but you risk having the person that would write essay information not being qualified. Instead, you want someone with years of experience that can write analysis essay papers or write academic essay papers, no matter the topic. "
Get the monthly that has L.A. talking. Subscribe to Los Angeles Times Magazine at a special introductory rate.
Duncan did not back down from some of his more controversial reform proposals, including using student test score data to evaluate teachers and basing teacher layoffs on factors other than seniority.
During the conference, officials from 150 districts nationwide listened to 12 educational groups, including Green Dot Public Schools and ABC Unified School District in southeastern Los Angeles County, discuss ways in which they have improved student learning through closer relationships with labor unions.
"We really are moving forward all the time," said Gary Smuts, the superintendent of ABC Unified, during a panel with the presidents of the district and the union.
Teachers in the district, which serves about 21,000 students, went on strike in 1993 but formed a better relationship with district administrators afterward. Since then, the district's annual state Academic Performance Index, which measures student achievement on standardized tests, has increased every year. Our writers’ admission essay help also includes the editing and revision of the admission essay, so that the essays are completely free from errors.
Leaders of the country's two largest teacher unions largely echoed Duncan's message. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, pointed out that many new teacher contracts that include merit pay and the use of student data in evaluations were the result of closer collaboration.
"They really listened to each other," she said.
Dennis Van Roekel, the president of the National Education Assn., said there is more opportunity for teachers unions to work with districts without looming federal grant applications. The Department of Education sponsored a grant contest, known as Race to the Top, last year that awarded $4.35 billion to states that promised to make changes, including possibly using student data to evaluate teachers.
States had several months to complete their applications. California failed to qualify for those funds.
"The biggest problem was that the time pressure was unbelievable," said Van Roekel, who added that the contest was primarily a top-down program dictated by the Obama administration.
The next phase of Race to the Top, which has not been formally announced, should be open to local school districts, officials have said.
But there were also signs that not everyone was on the same page. Superintendents, school board presidents and teachers union leaders had to sign an agreement to try to work together before attending the conference, which was paid for by the Ford Foundation. Contingents from New York City and Washington, D.C., had planned to attend but canceled at the last minute due to disagreements. Los Angeles officials bowed out because they said the school board had to vote on a proposed budget on the first day of the conference.
Weingarten said she "understood full well" why New York and Washington, D.C., officials didn't attend, but Duncan expressed disappointment, saying that it was a "sad reflection of the dysfunction" in the relationship between labor and management in some districts.
And during a question-and-answer period, Duncan was asked several pointed questions.
One attendee said he was troubled that the federal government mandated that some low-performing schools be closed or reconstituted, which would require staff to reapply for their jobs. "When is the Department of Education going to trust us?" he said to applause from many in the audience.
Duncan acknowledged that many teachers are wary of federal intervention. He and other leaders acknowledged that not all districts and unions were willing to work together now but would have to in the future.
"I don't think it's a movement yet, but it's got to be," Van Roekel said.
Source: LA Times
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Obama to go West, tout education, hi-tech
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will promote his $3.7 trillion budget's education and technology programs during a two-day West Coast trip, the White House said.
Obama is to fly Thursday to the San Francisco area for a meeting with "a number of business leaders in technology and innovation," the White House said in a statement. The meeting, closed to the press, "is a part of our ongoing dialogue with the business community on how we can work together to win the future, strengthen our economy, support entrepreneurship and get the American people back to work," the statement said. If you are one of those students, who is undergoing such a situation, then we are here to help with essays. We have a team of experts, who have years of experience in writing essays for students. You can place an order for any help with essays from us and be rest assured to receive quality services from us.
Obama and the high-tech business executives, whose names were not included in the statement, will discuss promoting American innovation and increasing investments in research and development, education and clean energy, the White House said.
After spending the night in the Bay Area, Obama will fly to Hillsboro, Ore., west of Portland, where he will visit an advanced Intel Corp. research factory Friday with company Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini.
The factory develops each new generation of computer chip-making technology.
Obama will learn about Intel's STEM program -- an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math. On its Web site, Intel says the program "inspires the next generation of innovators" with a "design and discovery curriculum," student science contests and online resources for K-12 students.
Obama will then talk about the importance of "out-educating the competition in order to win the future," the White House said. When you are writing a custom research paper you need to keep several things in mind. As the name suggests, a custom research paper needs to be written in a professional manner and you should handle all the details in a custom research paper accordingly.
The White House will stream the president's remarks at www.whitehouse.gov/Live, around 11:30 a.m. PST.
Intel, of Santa Clara, Calif., has 15,000 employees in Oregon, more than any other business.
The company said in October it would build a multibillion-dollar research facility in Oregon that would lead to 1,000 permanent jobs. Otellini may participate in a "virtual groundbreaking" for the project with Obama, The Oregonian of Portland reported.
Source: UPI
Obama is to fly Thursday to the San Francisco area for a meeting with "a number of business leaders in technology and innovation," the White House said in a statement. The meeting, closed to the press, "is a part of our ongoing dialogue with the business community on how we can work together to win the future, strengthen our economy, support entrepreneurship and get the American people back to work," the statement said. If you are one of those students, who is undergoing such a situation, then we are here to help with essays. We have a team of experts, who have years of experience in writing essays for students. You can place an order for any help with essays from us and be rest assured to receive quality services from us.
Obama and the high-tech business executives, whose names were not included in the statement, will discuss promoting American innovation and increasing investments in research and development, education and clean energy, the White House said.
After spending the night in the Bay Area, Obama will fly to Hillsboro, Ore., west of Portland, where he will visit an advanced Intel Corp. research factory Friday with company Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini.
The factory develops each new generation of computer chip-making technology.
Obama will learn about Intel's STEM program -- an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math. On its Web site, Intel says the program "inspires the next generation of innovators" with a "design and discovery curriculum," student science contests and online resources for K-12 students.
Obama will then talk about the importance of "out-educating the competition in order to win the future," the White House said. When you are writing a custom research paper you need to keep several things in mind. As the name suggests, a custom research paper needs to be written in a professional manner and you should handle all the details in a custom research paper accordingly.
The White House will stream the president's remarks at www.whitehouse.gov/Live, around 11:30 a.m. PST.
Intel, of Santa Clara, Calif., has 15,000 employees in Oregon, more than any other business.
The company said in October it would build a multibillion-dollar research facility in Oregon that would lead to 1,000 permanent jobs. Otellini may participate in a "virtual groundbreaking" for the project with Obama, The Oregonian of Portland reported.
Source: UPI
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Obama launches attack on US deficit
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Monday, February 14, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Obama budget to hit Pell grants in education
Despite the Obama administration's overt and covert attempts at protecting education and research from the government's drastic measures towards reining in spending and reducing the budget deficit, the overall federal Pell Grants program may witness cuts up to $100 billion, according to Jacob Lew, director of the Office of Management and Budget.
In an interview with CNN's Candy Crowley on Sunday, Mr. Lew said that in order to ensure that the maximum amount of Pell Grant available to an eligible student remains at its current level of $5,550 for school-year 2012, the new budget would discontinue the policy of allowing students to qualify for two grants in one year - one for the regular academic year and another one for summer school. According to administration sources quoted by CNN, this would lead to savings worth $8 billion dollars in the next year, and $60 billion dollars over 10 years.
A second area within the program that would be affected is the subsidy on student loans in graduate and professional school. The Government would no longer pay the interest on loans for a certain section of students in graduate/professional school for as long as they are studying, as it does now. Instead, the interest would accumulate even during their years in school, though students would start repayment only after they graduate. This again would lead to savings of $2 billion next year and $29 billion dollars over 10 years.
Meanwhile Justin Hamilton, press secretary for Education Secretary Arne Duncan has been quoted by Inside Higher Education as saying, "We're cutting where we can so that we can invest where we must." In the absence of the present measures, the maximum Pell Grant could decline by $2,500, he said adding that "That is financially unworkable and morally unacceptable."
In an interview with CNN's Candy Crowley on Sunday, Mr. Lew said that in order to ensure that the maximum amount of Pell Grant available to an eligible student remains at its current level of $5,550 for school-year 2012, the new budget would discontinue the policy of allowing students to qualify for two grants in one year - one for the regular academic year and another one for summer school. According to administration sources quoted by CNN, this would lead to savings worth $8 billion dollars in the next year, and $60 billion dollars over 10 years.
A second area within the program that would be affected is the subsidy on student loans in graduate and professional school. The Government would no longer pay the interest on loans for a certain section of students in graduate/professional school for as long as they are studying, as it does now. Instead, the interest would accumulate even during their years in school, though students would start repayment only after they graduate. This again would lead to savings of $2 billion next year and $29 billion dollars over 10 years.
Meanwhile Justin Hamilton, press secretary for Education Secretary Arne Duncan has been quoted by Inside Higher Education as saying, "We're cutting where we can so that we can invest where we must." In the absence of the present measures, the maximum Pell Grant could decline by $2,500, he said adding that "That is financially unworkable and morally unacceptable."
Friday, February 11, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Parents, teachers not happy with Luna proposals
LEWISTON - Education reform bills are being heard in the Idaho Legislature this week. And it has some parents and teachers concerned for the future of Idaho schools.
Around 300 people gathered at LCSC Monday night to talk about ways to make their voices heard during the debate on State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna's plan for Idaho schools.
"We need to find a way to get all the stakeholders at the same table together and come up with this," said President of the Lewiston Education Association Bruce Schulz. "This plan that is before us now did not have all of the stakeholders involved at the table at the time it was discussed."
The bills being debated this week would change class sizes, modernize schools through the use of online courses, and attempt to re-write teacher contracts and evaluations.
Lewiston High School Associated Student Body president Hayden Lohman told the audience those kind of changes are forcing good teachers out of the classroom.
"The level of respect for teachers is not where it needs to be today, but why," said Lohman. "Everyone who is successful in life owes it to their teachers and the one on one experiences they had in classrooms throughout their life."
Students, teachers, and parents expressed frustration with the proposal. Schultz agreed there needs to be some change, but said the proposed changes will only hurt the students.
Parent Christine Jorgens told the crowd parents against the plan need to step up and be heard.
"My oldest son is in the Special Education class at Webster Elementary and it takes a team of people to ensure that he has a successful education," said Jorgens. "I know that there are a lot of teachers here, but I am asking the parents to stand up, because this legislature is not going to listen to the teachers, I'm sorry. They're going to listen to the parents."
The Education Association was planning a trip to Boise Wednesday so people can testify at the hearing.
Source: Klewtv
Around 300 people gathered at LCSC Monday night to talk about ways to make their voices heard during the debate on State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna's plan for Idaho schools.
"We need to find a way to get all the stakeholders at the same table together and come up with this," said President of the Lewiston Education Association Bruce Schulz. "This plan that is before us now did not have all of the stakeholders involved at the table at the time it was discussed."
The bills being debated this week would change class sizes, modernize schools through the use of online courses, and attempt to re-write teacher contracts and evaluations.
Lewiston High School Associated Student Body president Hayden Lohman told the audience those kind of changes are forcing good teachers out of the classroom.
"The level of respect for teachers is not where it needs to be today, but why," said Lohman. "Everyone who is successful in life owes it to their teachers and the one on one experiences they had in classrooms throughout their life."
Students, teachers, and parents expressed frustration with the proposal. Schultz agreed there needs to be some change, but said the proposed changes will only hurt the students.
Parent Christine Jorgens told the crowd parents against the plan need to step up and be heard.
"My oldest son is in the Special Education class at Webster Elementary and it takes a team of people to ensure that he has a successful education," said Jorgens. "I know that there are a lot of teachers here, but I am asking the parents to stand up, because this legislature is not going to listen to the teachers, I'm sorry. They're going to listen to the parents."
The Education Association was planning a trip to Boise Wednesday so people can testify at the hearing.
Source: Klewtv
Thursday, February 10, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Teachers' Colleges Upset By New US News Ranking System
Educators have grown upset over a new ranking system introduced by the US News & World Report that plans to assign A through F grades to more than 1,000 teachers' colleges.
Many education school deans have protested the new program and called its methodology flawed, The New York Times reported. Last week, officials from 35 top education colleges and graduate schools--including Columbia University, Harvard University and Vanderbilt University--have openly criticized US News for forcing institutions to participate in the program.
Initially, US News and its partner in the rating system, the National Council on Teacher Quality, an independent advocacy group, told schools that if they did not voluntarily give data and documents to them, they would seek the information under open-records laws. If those efforts failed, the raters planned to give the institutions an F.
Brian Kelly, the editor of US News, commented that the back lash from education schools proved that they are "an industry that doesn't want to be examined."
"These teacher-education programs are hugely important and not very well scrutinized," he said. "This is coming at a time when you have this tremendous national push for improvements in teacher quality: Who's teaching the teachers?"
In response to criticisms that many schools voiced about receiving a failing grade for refusing to provide information, Kelly stated that US News has rescinded the policy.
"We regret that language," he said. "It's really not the way we want to be doing business."
Education college deans have objected that the methods for arriving at ratings are not transparent enough and are not clearly proven by data. For example, US News has requested detailed information about courses, textbooks and admissions selectivity.
"Nobody's against being evaluated or having good reliable information available to the public about how we can prepare better teachers," said Mary Brabeck, dean of the school of education at New York University. "But what will we know if everybody uses the same textbook? What will that tell us about how you prepare highly effective teachers?"
Despite criticisms from educators, Robert Morse, who directs the higher education rankings of US News, said that the magazine has no intention of backing away from the project or methodology, Inside Higher Ed noted. He commented that US News never considered alternative methodologies besides the one the council has developed.
However, some officials sympathized with the concerns educators have expressed about the rankings, Education Week reported.
"These are folks for whom this is their life's work," said Kate Walsh, president of the council. "It's a very emotional issue. We totally understand why people are inclined to get upset about this. But on the other hand, we're asking folks to put that to the side and recognize what we all recognize, that there are many institutions in the US not preparing teachers adequately, in addition to many doing a great job."
Many education school deans have protested the new program and called its methodology flawed, The New York Times reported. Last week, officials from 35 top education colleges and graduate schools--including Columbia University, Harvard University and Vanderbilt University--have openly criticized US News for forcing institutions to participate in the program.
Initially, US News and its partner in the rating system, the National Council on Teacher Quality, an independent advocacy group, told schools that if they did not voluntarily give data and documents to them, they would seek the information under open-records laws. If those efforts failed, the raters planned to give the institutions an F.
Brian Kelly, the editor of US News, commented that the back lash from education schools proved that they are "an industry that doesn't want to be examined."
"These teacher-education programs are hugely important and not very well scrutinized," he said. "This is coming at a time when you have this tremendous national push for improvements in teacher quality: Who's teaching the teachers?"
In response to criticisms that many schools voiced about receiving a failing grade for refusing to provide information, Kelly stated that US News has rescinded the policy.
"We regret that language," he said. "It's really not the way we want to be doing business."
Education college deans have objected that the methods for arriving at ratings are not transparent enough and are not clearly proven by data. For example, US News has requested detailed information about courses, textbooks and admissions selectivity.
"Nobody's against being evaluated or having good reliable information available to the public about how we can prepare better teachers," said Mary Brabeck, dean of the school of education at New York University. "But what will we know if everybody uses the same textbook? What will that tell us about how you prepare highly effective teachers?"
Despite criticisms from educators, Robert Morse, who directs the higher education rankings of US News, said that the magazine has no intention of backing away from the project or methodology, Inside Higher Ed noted. He commented that US News never considered alternative methodologies besides the one the council has developed.
However, some officials sympathized with the concerns educators have expressed about the rankings, Education Week reported.
"These are folks for whom this is their life's work," said Kate Walsh, president of the council. "It's a very emotional issue. We totally understand why people are inclined to get upset about this. But on the other hand, we're asking folks to put that to the side and recognize what we all recognize, that there are many institutions in the US not preparing teachers adequately, in addition to many doing a great job."
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Higher education chief pleads for financial aid programs
AUSTIN — Texas universities are at a critical juncture, the state’s top higher education official said Tuesday, as he pleaded with state senators to save financial aid programs and other funding for cash-strapped colleges.
“We have to invest in the young people that are coming through the pipeline,” Higher Education Coordinating Board Commissioner Raymund Paredes told the Senate Finance Committee. “They are largely poor, largely first generation, largely of color. They will drive the economy of Texas.”
With the state facing a budget shortfall that could reach $27 billion, Paredes said, universities are willing to accept cuts in some areas if a substantial increase in financial aid is considered. He emphasized the Texas grants program, which provides the most aid for low-income college students.
In the Senate’s budget proposal, the program is cut by 40 percent, which would mean that about 60,000 eligible students would not receive the grant each year used to combat skyrocketing tuition costs. The program already lacks funding to serve all eligible students.
Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, said the Legislature should take $1 billion out of the rainy day fund for higher education.
“I disagree with our governor,” said Lucio, whose district has more Texas grant students than any other. “We will have gloomy days and based on everything that has happened at this point, our higher education will go down the tube.”
Paredes said helping Texas gain more Tier One research institutions is a priority.
But Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, said the mission of higher education should be to educate undergraduates, not necessarily focus on research. Patrick said the current cost of higher education is not sustainable.
“Why is it getting so expensive in Texas for students to go to college? It’s not just out of reach of poor, it’s out of reach for the middle class,” Patrick said. “I don’t see the costs coming down.”
Paredes agreed that higher education needed to “reinvent” efficiency models by cutting the number of lower-level courses offered, increasing faculty productivity and make the state fund 10 percent of total appropriations based on graduation rates instead of enrollment.
“There is no question we can have cost efficiencies. We can do better with more resources,” Paredes said.
“We have to invest in the young people that are coming through the pipeline,” Higher Education Coordinating Board Commissioner Raymund Paredes told the Senate Finance Committee. “They are largely poor, largely first generation, largely of color. They will drive the economy of Texas.”
With the state facing a budget shortfall that could reach $27 billion, Paredes said, universities are willing to accept cuts in some areas if a substantial increase in financial aid is considered. He emphasized the Texas grants program, which provides the most aid for low-income college students.
In the Senate’s budget proposal, the program is cut by 40 percent, which would mean that about 60,000 eligible students would not receive the grant each year used to combat skyrocketing tuition costs. The program already lacks funding to serve all eligible students.
Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, said the Legislature should take $1 billion out of the rainy day fund for higher education.
“I disagree with our governor,” said Lucio, whose district has more Texas grant students than any other. “We will have gloomy days and based on everything that has happened at this point, our higher education will go down the tube.”
Paredes said helping Texas gain more Tier One research institutions is a priority.
But Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, said the mission of higher education should be to educate undergraduates, not necessarily focus on research. Patrick said the current cost of higher education is not sustainable.
“Why is it getting so expensive in Texas for students to go to college? It’s not just out of reach of poor, it’s out of reach for the middle class,” Patrick said. “I don’t see the costs coming down.”
Paredes agreed that higher education needed to “reinvent” efficiency models by cutting the number of lower-level courses offered, increasing faculty productivity and make the state fund 10 percent of total appropriations based on graduation rates instead of enrollment.
“There is no question we can have cost efficiencies. We can do better with more resources,” Paredes said.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | California higher education leaders warn of further tuition increases
California's public higher education leaders warned Monday that additional tuition increases could be in store this fall if legislators or voters reject Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to extend several recent tax hikes. And even if the tax proposal is approved, the educators said, they expect some academic programs to be eliminated next year.
University of California President Mark G. Yudof, California State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed and California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott appeared before a state legislative panel in Sacramento to discuss Brown's plan to cut $1.4 billion from higher education funding. Brown has warned that the reduction will be significantly deeper if the Legislature does not put a trio of tax extensions on the June ballot, or if voters reject the measures, or if you decide to buy college essay material or get college essay help of any kind, it is imperative that you choose a company with years of experience and staff writers who are educated but also experts in the field of college essay writing.
Reed said he hopes the Cal State system can avoid tuition hikes beyond the 10% already approved for the 2011-12 school year. Those increases will bring undergraduates' basic annual charges, not including living costs, to $4,884. But if the tax measure fails, "everything has to be back on the table," Reed said.
Similarly, Yudof said he had no plans to push the UC system's tuition beyond the 8% increase approved for the fall, which will raise the charges for undergraduates to about $11,124. But he said he could not guarantee that without knowing the results of the June election. The most important factor while seeking term paper writing service online is to follow the ground rules of e-shopping. It is advisable to buy any product from the most trusted website online.
Although Brown's plan calls on community colleges to increase their charges to $36 per credit, from $26, Scott said the schools will be unable to hire enough teachers to meet the demand for classes. Hundreds of thousands of students will be locked out of courses they need, Scott told the Assembly subcommittee on education finance.
The Cal State and UC system leaders said they would consider enrollment reductions and ask campuses to study dropping programs with low enrollment that might be available at other campuses. "We are looking at layoffs. We are looking at program elimination, at shrinking the enterprise," Yudof said.
University of California President Mark G. Yudof, California State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed and California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott appeared before a state legislative panel in Sacramento to discuss Brown's plan to cut $1.4 billion from higher education funding. Brown has warned that the reduction will be significantly deeper if the Legislature does not put a trio of tax extensions on the June ballot, or if voters reject the measures, or if you decide to buy college essay material or get college essay help of any kind, it is imperative that you choose a company with years of experience and staff writers who are educated but also experts in the field of college essay writing.
Reed said he hopes the Cal State system can avoid tuition hikes beyond the 10% already approved for the 2011-12 school year. Those increases will bring undergraduates' basic annual charges, not including living costs, to $4,884. But if the tax measure fails, "everything has to be back on the table," Reed said.
Similarly, Yudof said he had no plans to push the UC system's tuition beyond the 8% increase approved for the fall, which will raise the charges for undergraduates to about $11,124. But he said he could not guarantee that without knowing the results of the June election. The most important factor while seeking term paper writing service online is to follow the ground rules of e-shopping. It is advisable to buy any product from the most trusted website online.
Although Brown's plan calls on community colleges to increase their charges to $36 per credit, from $26, Scott said the schools will be unable to hire enough teachers to meet the demand for classes. Hundreds of thousands of students will be locked out of courses they need, Scott told the Assembly subcommittee on education finance.
The Cal State and UC system leaders said they would consider enrollment reductions and ask campuses to study dropping programs with low enrollment that might be available at other campuses. "We are looking at layoffs. We are looking at program elimination, at shrinking the enterprise," Yudof said.
Monday, February 7, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Next KC mayor must be education-minded
A passionate group of education advocates has been organizing over the last few weeks in an effort to impact the coming city elections. The goal of this group of community leaders, school board members and concerned citizens is to make education views a determining factor in who will be governing City Hall after March 22. Our custom essay writers are real-life professionals, whose work strictly complies with the highest writing standards.
We decided to accomplish this by sponsoring a series of candidate forums during which residents who most value education could determine which candidates would best serve our schools in the future. Unlike some coalitions that deliberate in closed-door sessions before dramatically declaring an endorsement, we will be grading the candidates on an objective and transparent scorecard, and no endorsements will be issued.
Now, you may wonder what the city can do about education. What authority does the mayor have over the 14 school districts that serve Kansas City scholars? Answer: none. What budgetary decisions will the City Council make that will affect the Kansas City School District’s finances? Answer: none. We do not simply write term papers for money, but we create the best academic papers in the industry. What department does the city manager oversee that directs curriculum, assesses student achievement or evaluates teacher effectiveness? Answer: none. So why are we doing this again?
The answer is simple. We understand that to succeed in transforming education across the city, we need the city’s support. We understand that for years the district has been a barrier to employment growth and attracting companies to Kansas City. We understand that this district can be an economic force of job creation, economic development, and workforce and career readiness. We understand that our destinies are intertwined and that the Kansas City School District’s success is the city’s success and the district’s failure is the city’s failure.
To the city’s credit, this type of support has shown itself in several concrete ways. The city has risen to the challenge by providing financial and staff support for the repurposing of the 30 vacant Kansas City School District buildings that we have sitting in neighborhoods. Also, the City Council’s Legislative subcommittee will work closely with the district to advance our shared education priorities in Jefferson City. But if we partner better together, we can do so much more.
We need a city government that will not take a hands-off approach to education. We need a city government that will identify creative and innovative ways to help the district recruit the very best teachers, principals and administrators.
We need a city government that will help us address the social challenges that find their way into the classroom and make it hard for our scholars to succeed, such as high mobility, gangs and student homelessness.
Parents and voters who care about education are holding elected officials across the board accountable, whether they serve on the school board, City Council or state legislature. The district is not the politically toxic punching bag that it used to be. Financial stability and strong management have been restored. Focused and policy-minded governance has been instilled. Supportive faith, labor, business and civic communities have embraced the district’s transformation.
As we look at the next four years, it will be critical for education-minded leadership at City Hall to work with us to ensure that we are all fulfilling our moral obligation of providing the best quality education possible. Our goal is merely to identify that leadership and let the voters decide.
Report cards can be found at the website of Kansas Citians United For Educational Achievement, www.kcu4ea.org. The top two scores in the mayoral primary went to Sly James and Mike Burke.
Crispin Rea, a Kansas City native, as raised in the city’s urban core. He serves as an at-large member of the Kansas City school board.
We decided to accomplish this by sponsoring a series of candidate forums during which residents who most value education could determine which candidates would best serve our schools in the future. Unlike some coalitions that deliberate in closed-door sessions before dramatically declaring an endorsement, we will be grading the candidates on an objective and transparent scorecard, and no endorsements will be issued.
Now, you may wonder what the city can do about education. What authority does the mayor have over the 14 school districts that serve Kansas City scholars? Answer: none. What budgetary decisions will the City Council make that will affect the Kansas City School District’s finances? Answer: none. We do not simply write term papers for money, but we create the best academic papers in the industry. What department does the city manager oversee that directs curriculum, assesses student achievement or evaluates teacher effectiveness? Answer: none. So why are we doing this again?
The answer is simple. We understand that to succeed in transforming education across the city, we need the city’s support. We understand that for years the district has been a barrier to employment growth and attracting companies to Kansas City. We understand that this district can be an economic force of job creation, economic development, and workforce and career readiness. We understand that our destinies are intertwined and that the Kansas City School District’s success is the city’s success and the district’s failure is the city’s failure.
To the city’s credit, this type of support has shown itself in several concrete ways. The city has risen to the challenge by providing financial and staff support for the repurposing of the 30 vacant Kansas City School District buildings that we have sitting in neighborhoods. Also, the City Council’s Legislative subcommittee will work closely with the district to advance our shared education priorities in Jefferson City. But if we partner better together, we can do so much more.
We need a city government that will not take a hands-off approach to education. We need a city government that will identify creative and innovative ways to help the district recruit the very best teachers, principals and administrators.
We need a city government that will help us address the social challenges that find their way into the classroom and make it hard for our scholars to succeed, such as high mobility, gangs and student homelessness.
Parents and voters who care about education are holding elected officials across the board accountable, whether they serve on the school board, City Council or state legislature. The district is not the politically toxic punching bag that it used to be. Financial stability and strong management have been restored. Focused and policy-minded governance has been instilled. Supportive faith, labor, business and civic communities have embraced the district’s transformation.
As we look at the next four years, it will be critical for education-minded leadership at City Hall to work with us to ensure that we are all fulfilling our moral obligation of providing the best quality education possible. Our goal is merely to identify that leadership and let the voters decide.
Report cards can be found at the website of Kansas Citians United For Educational Achievement, www.kcu4ea.org. The top two scores in the mayoral primary went to Sly James and Mike Burke.
Crispin Rea, a Kansas City native, as raised in the city’s urban core. He serves as an at-large member of the Kansas City school board.
Friday, February 4, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Teachers putting up fight
FORT WAYNE – Local teachers who believe Gov. Mitch Daniels is waging a war on public education say they won’t let him have his way without a fight.
More than 200 public school teachers rallied in the Northrop High School auditorium Thursday to express their distaste for the governor’s education agenda and to learn more about proposed laws that could affect their careers.
Carrying pro-public education posters and booing at any mention of the governor and Tony Bennett, the state’s superintendent of public instruction, teachers listened as union representatives detailed the mostly Republican-authored bills that would change teacher evaluations, lessen the power of collective bargaining and encourage the growth of charter schools, among other measures.
If teachers left with any message, organizers hoped it was the importance of contacting lawmakers right away to make their voices heard.
“It’s going to depend on you,” Steve Brace, executive director of the Fort Wayne Education Association, told the crowd. “They’ve got to hear from you, and they’ve got to hear from you constantly. We’re not going to lie down and let this happen. You need to seek the help of a professional college admission essay help agency.”
The rally, organized by the Fort Wayne Education Association and Indiana State Teachers Association, drew teachers from throughout the county, though most were from Fort Wayne Community Schools.
Al Jacquay, president of the FWCS union, said he had hoped to see close to 900 people.
“I’m disappointed in the turnout,” he said, adding the weather wasn’t “that bad.” “This is their livelihood. This is their profession. We need people involved.”
In the next few weeks, Jacquay said, he would make a bigger push to reach out to PTAs, labor groups and other teachers in the area. A part of school is completing book reports, term papers for sale, essays, etc but sometimes, you would need to complete term papers for sale.
During the two-hour rally, Brace and other union leaders challenged the notion that many Indiana public school teachers are ineffective and cited research suggesting that the state’s public schools outperform charter schools.
Nate Schnellenberger, president of the Indiana State Teachers Association, assured teachers that the union would do all in its power to protect them. He said he hoped state lawmakers would “slow the train down” and take a more thorough look at the consequences of their potential laws. He said the union will organize a rally Tuesday at the Indiana Statehouse to voice opposition to some of the proposed changes.
“The proposals they are putting out are unworkable,” he said. “No one in their right mind who has been in a classroom will think it could work.”
Earlier Thursday, the Indiana Department of Education gave teachers and principals a first look at suggested teacher evaluations. Under the department’s model, evaluations would be partly tied to student test scores.
“Teachers aren’t afraid of accountability,” Brace said at the rally. “We’re not afraid of evaluations. What we object to is being held accountable for what we can’t control.”
More than 200 public school teachers rallied in the Northrop High School auditorium Thursday to express their distaste for the governor’s education agenda and to learn more about proposed laws that could affect their careers.
Carrying pro-public education posters and booing at any mention of the governor and Tony Bennett, the state’s superintendent of public instruction, teachers listened as union representatives detailed the mostly Republican-authored bills that would change teacher evaluations, lessen the power of collective bargaining and encourage the growth of charter schools, among other measures.
If teachers left with any message, organizers hoped it was the importance of contacting lawmakers right away to make their voices heard.
“It’s going to depend on you,” Steve Brace, executive director of the Fort Wayne Education Association, told the crowd. “They’ve got to hear from you, and they’ve got to hear from you constantly. We’re not going to lie down and let this happen. You need to seek the help of a professional college admission essay help agency.”
The rally, organized by the Fort Wayne Education Association and Indiana State Teachers Association, drew teachers from throughout the county, though most were from Fort Wayne Community Schools.
Al Jacquay, president of the FWCS union, said he had hoped to see close to 900 people.
“I’m disappointed in the turnout,” he said, adding the weather wasn’t “that bad.” “This is their livelihood. This is their profession. We need people involved.”
In the next few weeks, Jacquay said, he would make a bigger push to reach out to PTAs, labor groups and other teachers in the area. A part of school is completing book reports, term papers for sale, essays, etc but sometimes, you would need to complete term papers for sale.
During the two-hour rally, Brace and other union leaders challenged the notion that many Indiana public school teachers are ineffective and cited research suggesting that the state’s public schools outperform charter schools.
Nate Schnellenberger, president of the Indiana State Teachers Association, assured teachers that the union would do all in its power to protect them. He said he hoped state lawmakers would “slow the train down” and take a more thorough look at the consequences of their potential laws. He said the union will organize a rally Tuesday at the Indiana Statehouse to voice opposition to some of the proposed changes.
“The proposals they are putting out are unworkable,” he said. “No one in their right mind who has been in a classroom will think it could work.”
Earlier Thursday, the Indiana Department of Education gave teachers and principals a first look at suggested teacher evaluations. Under the department’s model, evaluations would be partly tied to student test scores.
“Teachers aren’t afraid of accountability,” Brace said at the rally. “We’re not afraid of evaluations. What we object to is being held accountable for what we can’t control.”
Thursday, February 3, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Educational freedom, not jail for Ohio parents
Five digits. Five single numbers can make or break a child and any hope he has for the future.
This locked-in hopelessness is exactly what Ohio mother Kelley Williams-Bolar was trying to avoid for her children. Last week, she became the symbol of educational injustice in this nation as she emerged after nine days in jail for trying to do what every parent hopes to do: Get the best education possible for her children.
Her offense was all related to having the “wrong,” five-digit ZIP code.
Because this single mother of two daughters used her father’s address to enroll them in the Copley-Fairlawn school district instead of her Akron public-housing address, she was sentenced to 10 days in jail. She was convicted of two felony counts of falsifying records because she desperately wanted a better education for her children. This is why the professional writer you choose to “write my essay” needs to be qualified.
Who could fault Ms. Williams-Bolar, a student teacher, who did her homework and learned what the future held in Akron public schools? In 2009, Akron seventh-graders scored 16 points below the state average in math on standardized tests, 15 points below the state average in writing and 17 points below in reading.
Yet in 2009 in the Copley-Fairlawn district, seventh-graders had a much better shot at a quality education. There, seventh-graders scored 16 points above the state average in math, 14 points above the state average in writing and 13 appoints above in reading. According to GreatSchools.org, Copley-Fairlawn schools rated a 9 on a scale of 10, while Akron schools rated a 4 out of 10.
In the 21st century, it should no longer be a crime for parents to seek a better education for their child. It is immoral to deny parents options beyond a neighborhood public school, one predetermined by an address and ZIP code. While the opportunity to buy essays services is beneficial, you definitely want a true professional academic writer to do the work. Such a system illustrates that 57 years after the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, we still have a very separate and unequal education system.
Wealthy parents can change ZIP codes. They can choose to move to a neighborhood with the kind of public schools they want their children to attend. Or they can enroll their children in private schools. Some lucky middle-class or lower-income parents may get a slot at a charter school - but demand far outstrips supply.
The only way to break this educational injustice, which puts our students behind nations such as Estonia, South Korea, Finland, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Australia, Singapore and Taipei, is to bring competition to the system that denies Ms. Williams-Bolar and parents like her the chance to move their children to the school of their choice.
If this nation wants to compete, then Ohio and other states need complete school choice. Parents should be able to take their tax dollars and educate their children at a school that suits their needs.
Read more on The Washington Times
This locked-in hopelessness is exactly what Ohio mother Kelley Williams-Bolar was trying to avoid for her children. Last week, she became the symbol of educational injustice in this nation as she emerged after nine days in jail for trying to do what every parent hopes to do: Get the best education possible for her children.
Her offense was all related to having the “wrong,” five-digit ZIP code.
Because this single mother of two daughters used her father’s address to enroll them in the Copley-Fairlawn school district instead of her Akron public-housing address, she was sentenced to 10 days in jail. She was convicted of two felony counts of falsifying records because she desperately wanted a better education for her children. This is why the professional writer you choose to “write my essay” needs to be qualified.
Who could fault Ms. Williams-Bolar, a student teacher, who did her homework and learned what the future held in Akron public schools? In 2009, Akron seventh-graders scored 16 points below the state average in math on standardized tests, 15 points below the state average in writing and 17 points below in reading.
Yet in 2009 in the Copley-Fairlawn district, seventh-graders had a much better shot at a quality education. There, seventh-graders scored 16 points above the state average in math, 14 points above the state average in writing and 13 appoints above in reading. According to GreatSchools.org, Copley-Fairlawn schools rated a 9 on a scale of 10, while Akron schools rated a 4 out of 10.
In the 21st century, it should no longer be a crime for parents to seek a better education for their child. It is immoral to deny parents options beyond a neighborhood public school, one predetermined by an address and ZIP code. While the opportunity to buy essays services is beneficial, you definitely want a true professional academic writer to do the work. Such a system illustrates that 57 years after the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, we still have a very separate and unequal education system.
Wealthy parents can change ZIP codes. They can choose to move to a neighborhood with the kind of public schools they want their children to attend. Or they can enroll their children in private schools. Some lucky middle-class or lower-income parents may get a slot at a charter school - but demand far outstrips supply.
The only way to break this educational injustice, which puts our students behind nations such as Estonia, South Korea, Finland, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Australia, Singapore and Taipei, is to bring competition to the system that denies Ms. Williams-Bolar and parents like her the chance to move their children to the school of their choice.
If this nation wants to compete, then Ohio and other states need complete school choice. Parents should be able to take their tax dollars and educate their children at a school that suits their needs.
Read more on The Washington Times
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Mammoth Meeting Ends With 10 School Closures
After more than six hours of angry public debate, the Panel for Educational Policy voted early Wednesday morning to close 10 city public schools and also allowed several charter schools to have space within public school buildings.
About 3,000 people showed up at the meeting at Brooklyn Tech High School in Fort Greene, which began around 6 p.m. Tuesday and lasted more seven hours.
DOE officials hope to close 25 schools this year, the most ever in a single year.
While 354 members of the public signed up for two minutes at the microphone, many people left before their number was called but as the night got later and the weather grew worse.
The hundreds of attendees representing the charter schools said they were there to demand the Department of Education make more bold changes to the system, while those fighting the closures say they want the DOE to offer more support to the existing system.
Often the two groups in the audience clashed, and police were on hand in the auditorium to make sure people stayed in their seats.
"I need to make it to college and [my school] is helping me get there," said one young student to great applause. "Please help them. We fully understand that timelines have to be maintained; and we take each custom research paper as a new challenge."
At one point, two PEP members almost got into a physical fight, but they were held back by the panel's chairman and a deputy chancellor.
The public comment period ended at midnight and the panel members then spent more than an hour asking DOE officials questions.
One member asked about an internal report that NY1 first obtained last week, which suggests the DOE has been able to predict which schools will fail and has still allowed them to be inundated with high needs students.
DOE officials vigorously denied the charge they set certain schools up to fail.
"I think that we need to think about how we best support our children," said Deputy Chancellor Santiago Taveras. "I think if we start blaming, then we take our focus aware from the basic needs of our schools, and if we are focused on the solutions as opposed to the blame, we would do a much better job."
At 1 o'clock in the morning, the PEP voted to close all 10 schools. All eight mayoral appointees voted in favor of the closures, and only the Manhattan borough appointee did not vote for a single school to be closed.
The panel also voted in favor of the proposals to allow charter schools to share space in the public school buildings.
Only about 100 people remained at that point but they were angry, often shouting over the panel members as they spoke.
Eventually, the crowd demanded that School Chancellor Cathie Black speak, and she did, for the first time all night.
"I cannot speak if you are shouting! It's been a very difficult process, we mean finding help with essays from a company with a solid reputation of excellence." said Black.
Last year, the panel voted to close 19 schools, but a judge later stopped the city, saying officials had not followed the proper procedure.
The teachers' union said it will fight this year's closures through similar legal means.
"We have followed each and every one of the processes on the closings of these schools, and I can assure you that when we review this process, just as we did last year, if there has been a problem with any single one of them, we will see you all in court," said President Michael Mulgrew of the United Federation of Teachers.
On Thursday, the panel will reconvene to consider 13 more closure proposals and the teacher's union has planned a major rally before that meeting. It will likely be another long and contentious meeting later this week for the panel.
The vote on the last two schools will take place in March.
Source: NY1
About 3,000 people showed up at the meeting at Brooklyn Tech High School in Fort Greene, which began around 6 p.m. Tuesday and lasted more seven hours.
DOE officials hope to close 25 schools this year, the most ever in a single year.
While 354 members of the public signed up for two minutes at the microphone, many people left before their number was called but as the night got later and the weather grew worse.
The hundreds of attendees representing the charter schools said they were there to demand the Department of Education make more bold changes to the system, while those fighting the closures say they want the DOE to offer more support to the existing system.
Often the two groups in the audience clashed, and police were on hand in the auditorium to make sure people stayed in their seats.
"I need to make it to college and [my school] is helping me get there," said one young student to great applause. "Please help them. We fully understand that timelines have to be maintained; and we take each custom research paper as a new challenge."
At one point, two PEP members almost got into a physical fight, but they were held back by the panel's chairman and a deputy chancellor.
The public comment period ended at midnight and the panel members then spent more than an hour asking DOE officials questions.
One member asked about an internal report that NY1 first obtained last week, which suggests the DOE has been able to predict which schools will fail and has still allowed them to be inundated with high needs students.
DOE officials vigorously denied the charge they set certain schools up to fail.
"I think that we need to think about how we best support our children," said Deputy Chancellor Santiago Taveras. "I think if we start blaming, then we take our focus aware from the basic needs of our schools, and if we are focused on the solutions as opposed to the blame, we would do a much better job."
At 1 o'clock in the morning, the PEP voted to close all 10 schools. All eight mayoral appointees voted in favor of the closures, and only the Manhattan borough appointee did not vote for a single school to be closed.
The panel also voted in favor of the proposals to allow charter schools to share space in the public school buildings.
Only about 100 people remained at that point but they were angry, often shouting over the panel members as they spoke.
Eventually, the crowd demanded that School Chancellor Cathie Black speak, and she did, for the first time all night.
"I cannot speak if you are shouting! It's been a very difficult process, we mean finding help with essays from a company with a solid reputation of excellence." said Black.
Last year, the panel voted to close 19 schools, but a judge later stopped the city, saying officials had not followed the proper procedure.
The teachers' union said it will fight this year's closures through similar legal means.
"We have followed each and every one of the processes on the closings of these schools, and I can assure you that when we review this process, just as we did last year, if there has been a problem with any single one of them, we will see you all in court," said President Michael Mulgrew of the United Federation of Teachers.
On Thursday, the panel will reconvene to consider 13 more closure proposals and the teacher's union has planned a major rally before that meeting. It will likely be another long and contentious meeting later this week for the panel.
The vote on the last two schools will take place in March.
Source: NY1
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | School chiefs warn Austin of instability
AUSTIN — Some Texas school districts will have a tough time operating under the state's first budget proposal, a leading school superintendent said Monday, expressing fears that massive layoffs of support staff will make it harder to meet accountability standards.
More than half of the state's 1,030 school districts already have approved resolutions urging lawmakers to "make education a priority."
School administrators meeting here this week are warning lawmakers that they will greatly harm public education if they embrace the early budget plan cutting public education by about $10 billion from current service levels, including the cost of educating an additional 170,000 students during the next two years.
Legislative leaders say the gloom-and-doom scenario is premature as they look to free school districts of state mandates to give them more flexibility.
San Antonio's Northside Independent School District would lose about $97 million a year under the state's preliminary budget plan.
"I don't know how we could operate. When you take almost $200 million out of an (two-year) operating budget of $680 million, that's a 28.5 percent cut," said John Folks, Northside superintendent and immediate past president of the Texas Association of School Administrators.
About 85 percent of a school district budget goes for salaries.
"There is no question that we will be laying off people. Education is labor intensive, and we use people to serve kids," Folks said, predicting that academic support staff, including instruction coaches and language support teachers, will lose their jobs.
"It's that extra help that have allowed school districts all across Texas to raise student achievement and narrowing the gap. That's going away," he said. "That's one of my biggest fears. It's going to hurt student achievement as we eliminate jobs, as we raise class size. Term paper writing services are also available offline"
Folks said his school district could not survive the proposed budget cuts.
"At $50,000 a pop, that's 2,000 teachers," he said of the nearly $100 million a year in cuts. "We have 7,500 teachers at Northside. We can't operate."
The concern of school administrators is legitimate, said House Public Education Chairman Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands.
"They are right to try to plan on a reduced budget. I see that as a reality," said Eissler, who sported a "Make Education a Priority" button on his coat lapel.
Most lawmakers made public schools a priority because they often are large employers, Eissler said. When you buy research paper from a reliable site, you will get a custom written paper that is often written from scratch.
"If it's a priority, they will make any cuts minimal," he said. "I want to keep the quality up in a down budget year. But there will be less money."
Proposals unite districts
The proposed budget cuts and their impact on Texas schools and communities have united school districts like never before, said Bobby Rigues, vice president of the Aledo Independent School District board of trustees.
Rigues and his colleagues launched the on-going "Make Education a Priority " campaign last summer from a tent pitched alongside a major Aledo street west of Fort Worth.
School districts are tired of fighting for fair and adequate funding, he said, noting the Texas Constitution requires the Legislature to provide a free and efficient education for all Texas children without a clause saying "unless funds are not available."
Educators do not want to lower academic standards because Texas children will have to compete on a global stage with China, India and other countries, said John Fuller, president of the Texas Association of School Administrators and superintendent of the Wylie ISD.
If lawmakers do not provide adequate funding, "we may need to slow this train down," Fuller said of new and more rigorous standards.
Senate Education Chair Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, and her committee today will begin looking at state mandates.
If the state does not have enough money, lawmakers should, at least, give school districts more flexibility, she said.
Shapiro called it "unacceptable" for the proposed budget not to provide money for new school textbooks.
The stars are out of alignment, she said.
"We will realign those stars in hopes that everybody will not be quite as unhappy."
Source: Chron
More than half of the state's 1,030 school districts already have approved resolutions urging lawmakers to "make education a priority."
School administrators meeting here this week are warning lawmakers that they will greatly harm public education if they embrace the early budget plan cutting public education by about $10 billion from current service levels, including the cost of educating an additional 170,000 students during the next two years.
Legislative leaders say the gloom-and-doom scenario is premature as they look to free school districts of state mandates to give them more flexibility.
San Antonio's Northside Independent School District would lose about $97 million a year under the state's preliminary budget plan.
"I don't know how we could operate. When you take almost $200 million out of an (two-year) operating budget of $680 million, that's a 28.5 percent cut," said John Folks, Northside superintendent and immediate past president of the Texas Association of School Administrators.
About 85 percent of a school district budget goes for salaries.
"There is no question that we will be laying off people. Education is labor intensive, and we use people to serve kids," Folks said, predicting that academic support staff, including instruction coaches and language support teachers, will lose their jobs.
"It's that extra help that have allowed school districts all across Texas to raise student achievement and narrowing the gap. That's going away," he said. "That's one of my biggest fears. It's going to hurt student achievement as we eliminate jobs, as we raise class size. Term paper writing services are also available offline"
Folks said his school district could not survive the proposed budget cuts.
"At $50,000 a pop, that's 2,000 teachers," he said of the nearly $100 million a year in cuts. "We have 7,500 teachers at Northside. We can't operate."
The concern of school administrators is legitimate, said House Public Education Chairman Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands.
"They are right to try to plan on a reduced budget. I see that as a reality," said Eissler, who sported a "Make Education a Priority" button on his coat lapel.
Most lawmakers made public schools a priority because they often are large employers, Eissler said. When you buy research paper from a reliable site, you will get a custom written paper that is often written from scratch.
"If it's a priority, they will make any cuts minimal," he said. "I want to keep the quality up in a down budget year. But there will be less money."
Proposals unite districts
The proposed budget cuts and their impact on Texas schools and communities have united school districts like never before, said Bobby Rigues, vice president of the Aledo Independent School District board of trustees.
Rigues and his colleagues launched the on-going "Make Education a Priority " campaign last summer from a tent pitched alongside a major Aledo street west of Fort Worth.
School districts are tired of fighting for fair and adequate funding, he said, noting the Texas Constitution requires the Legislature to provide a free and efficient education for all Texas children without a clause saying "unless funds are not available."
Educators do not want to lower academic standards because Texas children will have to compete on a global stage with China, India and other countries, said John Fuller, president of the Texas Association of School Administrators and superintendent of the Wylie ISD.
If lawmakers do not provide adequate funding, "we may need to slow this train down," Fuller said of new and more rigorous standards.
Senate Education Chair Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, and her committee today will begin looking at state mandates.
If the state does not have enough money, lawmakers should, at least, give school districts more flexibility, she said.
Shapiro called it "unacceptable" for the proposed budget not to provide money for new school textbooks.
The stars are out of alignment, she said.
"We will realign those stars in hopes that everybody will not be quite as unhappy."
Source: Chron
Monday, January 31, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | State educators skeptical of report on learning
Some members of Washington's higher-education community are skeptical — and at times dismissive — of a new report that claims students don't learn enough in college.
The study of more than 2,300 undergraduates at four-year colleges and universities across the country showed "little if any growth" during their first two years in critical thinking, complex reasoning and written communication skills. A part of school is completing book reports, term papers for sale, essays, but sometimes, you would need to complete term papers for sale.
A main point of contention lies in the study's methodology. The authors, both professors of sociology, measured learning with data from the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA), a test initiated by a national nonprofit.
"The CLA is not a valid measure of college student learning," said Catharine Beyer, a research scientist in the University of Washington's office of education assessment.
The study, published Jan. 18 along with a book titled "Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses," by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, focused on a performance task within the CLA that asks students to respond to a writing prompt involving a "real-world" scenario.
Beyer said that assessment is unacceptable because it's too generic and disregards a students' particular area of study.
Beyer, who directed a UW study of undergraduate learning that culminated in a 2007 book, "Inside the Undergraduate Experience," said the UW uses student learning assessments that vary within each department.
Michelle Janning, a sociology professor and assistant dean of the faculty at Whitman College, a private liberal-arts college in Walla Walla, also questioned the limitations of the CLA. She said Whitman gives seniors multiple exit surveys as an assessment of student learning, asking questions such as whether students participated in extracurricular activities and learned skills outside of the classroom (admission essay writing has to be original, unique and reveal student's abilities). Whitman also received a grant from the Teagle Foundation to look at students' senior years and assess where there is room for improvement.
Arum, a professor at New York University who co-wrote the book with Roksa, of the University of Virginia, acknowledged that the CLA is flawed. But he said that's no reason to disregard his findings — especially considering that other studies, such as the National Survey of Student Engagement, back up his own.
Arum argues that a survey he administered to the students in his study offers further proof of the report's validity. The short survey found that in a typical semester, 32 percent of students didn't take any courses with more than 40 pages of reading per week and 50 percent didn't take a course in which they wrote more than 20 pages per semester.
"Some students are doing quite fine, but there are large pockets of kids that are not being asked to do very much," Arum said.
A. G. Rud, dean of Washington State University's College of Education, said he thought the problem of limited learning in higher education may lie within the quality of teaching.
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"You can go into any college town ... and you can hear the faculty complain about how dumb college students are these days," Rud said. "You've got to ask yourself as a faculty member: How much are you complicit in that kind of atmosphere? "
Kevin Eggers, a senior and student-body president at Seattle University, a Jesuit Catholic university, said he actually owes his success to his professors but also to the extracurricular opportunities at school.
"I know at Seattle University everyone's in a club ... or helping out in the community," Eggers said. "That's a very large portion of the education that goes on."
But all students overestimate how much they've learned, Arum said. "If you don't know what you don't know, you can't answer a question on how much you think you learned," he said.
His study also found that oftentimes, extracurricular activities were not related to learning. That's not to say those activities don't teach valuable skills, Arum said, but schools shouldn't prioritize social development over academic development.
"If a large number of college students are graduating today and they are not developing higher-level skills, what does that mean for the possibility of a democratic society?" he said.
Source: The Seattle Times
The study of more than 2,300 undergraduates at four-year colleges and universities across the country showed "little if any growth" during their first two years in critical thinking, complex reasoning and written communication skills. A part of school is completing book reports, term papers for sale, essays, but sometimes, you would need to complete term papers for sale.
A main point of contention lies in the study's methodology. The authors, both professors of sociology, measured learning with data from the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA), a test initiated by a national nonprofit.
"The CLA is not a valid measure of college student learning," said Catharine Beyer, a research scientist in the University of Washington's office of education assessment.
The study, published Jan. 18 along with a book titled "Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses," by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, focused on a performance task within the CLA that asks students to respond to a writing prompt involving a "real-world" scenario.
Beyer said that assessment is unacceptable because it's too generic and disregards a students' particular area of study.
Beyer, who directed a UW study of undergraduate learning that culminated in a 2007 book, "Inside the Undergraduate Experience," said the UW uses student learning assessments that vary within each department.
Michelle Janning, a sociology professor and assistant dean of the faculty at Whitman College, a private liberal-arts college in Walla Walla, also questioned the limitations of the CLA. She said Whitman gives seniors multiple exit surveys as an assessment of student learning, asking questions such as whether students participated in extracurricular activities and learned skills outside of the classroom (admission essay writing has to be original, unique and reveal student's abilities). Whitman also received a grant from the Teagle Foundation to look at students' senior years and assess where there is room for improvement.
Arum, a professor at New York University who co-wrote the book with Roksa, of the University of Virginia, acknowledged that the CLA is flawed. But he said that's no reason to disregard his findings — especially considering that other studies, such as the National Survey of Student Engagement, back up his own.
Arum argues that a survey he administered to the students in his study offers further proof of the report's validity. The short survey found that in a typical semester, 32 percent of students didn't take any courses with more than 40 pages of reading per week and 50 percent didn't take a course in which they wrote more than 20 pages per semester.
"Some students are doing quite fine, but there are large pockets of kids that are not being asked to do very much," Arum said.
A. G. Rud, dean of Washington State University's College of Education, said he thought the problem of limited learning in higher education may lie within the quality of teaching.
advertising
"You can go into any college town ... and you can hear the faculty complain about how dumb college students are these days," Rud said. "You've got to ask yourself as a faculty member: How much are you complicit in that kind of atmosphere? "
Kevin Eggers, a senior and student-body president at Seattle University, a Jesuit Catholic university, said he actually owes his success to his professors but also to the extracurricular opportunities at school.
"I know at Seattle University everyone's in a club ... or helping out in the community," Eggers said. "That's a very large portion of the education that goes on."
But all students overestimate how much they've learned, Arum said. "If you don't know what you don't know, you can't answer a question on how much you think you learned," he said.
His study also found that oftentimes, extracurricular activities were not related to learning. That's not to say those activities don't teach valuable skills, Arum said, but schools shouldn't prioritize social development over academic development.
"If a large number of college students are graduating today and they are not developing higher-level skills, what does that mean for the possibility of a democratic society?" he said.
Source: The Seattle Times
Friday, January 28, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Officials were given advance warning on special-ed suspensions, memo shows
City officials got advance warning that schools were overusing student suspensions as a disciplinary tool, an internal city Education Department memo shows.
Before suspensions hit their highest level in the last decade, the memo written by a staffer at a Bronx suspension site documented that special education students were too often punished with removal from their schools.
Roughly 40% of the students at Bronx sites were special education students, according to the memo, and 60% of those kids had a mental illness. In fact, it is common for students to reach out for college essay help in that some are complicated and most students deal with time constraints.
"Suspension is not the answer in these cases and is indeed detrimental to their growth," the memo from November 2008 concludes.
In 2008-09, kids were punished with nearly 74,000 suspensions - up from 44,000 in the 1999-2000 school year.
The memo documented a high number of suspensions in some small schools. Principals, teachers and other staffers in those schools offered several excuses for suspending so many special education students, the memo reports, including teachers' inexperience. But there were also more troubling explanations:
- "We're not set up to deal with this population. We don't have (12 students for one teacher) classes or enough guidance and support. There are hundreds of online websites that promote these custom papers and there are hundreds of students seek the term paper help online."
- "It's either teaching the (regular education students) or bothering with (the special education students) at the expense of the general ed."
The report calls for "additional support and services" for the children at small schools, the memo states.
A report issued Thursday by the New York Civil Liberties Union echoed the internal memo, finding that special education students were four times more likely than their general education peers to serve a suspension.
"This memo should have been a wakeup call to the Department of Education to get its act together," said NYCLU advocacy director Udi Ofer. "We hope that our report today will be the final alarm that triggers a response."
City Education Department spokeswoman Natalie Ravitz said she could not locate the memo yesterday and declined to comment further.
Source: NY Daily News
Before suspensions hit their highest level in the last decade, the memo written by a staffer at a Bronx suspension site documented that special education students were too often punished with removal from their schools.
Roughly 40% of the students at Bronx sites were special education students, according to the memo, and 60% of those kids had a mental illness. In fact, it is common for students to reach out for college essay help in that some are complicated and most students deal with time constraints.
"Suspension is not the answer in these cases and is indeed detrimental to their growth," the memo from November 2008 concludes.
In 2008-09, kids were punished with nearly 74,000 suspensions - up from 44,000 in the 1999-2000 school year.
The memo documented a high number of suspensions in some small schools. Principals, teachers and other staffers in those schools offered several excuses for suspending so many special education students, the memo reports, including teachers' inexperience. But there were also more troubling explanations:
- "We're not set up to deal with this population. We don't have (12 students for one teacher) classes or enough guidance and support. There are hundreds of online websites that promote these custom papers and there are hundreds of students seek the term paper help online."
- "It's either teaching the (regular education students) or bothering with (the special education students) at the expense of the general ed."
The report calls for "additional support and services" for the children at small schools, the memo states.
A report issued Thursday by the New York Civil Liberties Union echoed the internal memo, finding that special education students were four times more likely than their general education peers to serve a suspension.
"This memo should have been a wakeup call to the Department of Education to get its act together," said NYCLU advocacy director Udi Ofer. "We hope that our report today will be the final alarm that triggers a response."
City Education Department spokeswoman Natalie Ravitz said she could not locate the memo yesterday and declined to comment further.
Source: NY Daily News
Thursday, January 27, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Obama Urged To Support Regulations On For-Profit Colleges And Student Debt
As the Department of Education gets closer to finalizing regulations that would hold for-profit colleges accountable for saddling students with debts they cannot repay, a wide array of civil rights, student advocacy and consumer groups wrote a letter to President Barack Obama on Wednesday urging him to immediately move forward with the proposed rule.
The letter comes in the midst of an intense lobbying and advertising campaign run by the for-profit education sector, which is waging an assault on the so-called "gainful employment" regulations being considered by the federal government. The rules are proposed as a consumer protection measure, aimed at cracking down on schools that leave students unable to repay student loan debts given the low-wage jobs they tend to secure after graduation.
The for-profit sector includes a broad swath of schools, from University of Phoenix and DeVry University to more specialized schools such as Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.
"Federal financial aid shouldn't go to career education programs that consistently leave students buried in debt they cannot repay," reads the letter, signed by 38 groups, including the National Consumer Law Center, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Council of La Raza.
The stakes for the for-profit colleges are huge: Many of the publicly-traded corporations that own such institutions derive more than 85 percent of their revenues from federal student aid dollars. By not meeting the criteria of the new rules, schools could be banned from tapping into federal student aid or be forced to disclose the high average debt burdens to prospective students.
The Coalition for Educational Success, an industry lobbying group, argued on Monday that the proposed rules were "onerous" and contrary to the president's pledge to a government-wide review of federal regulations.
Advertisements put out by the industry in recent months have suggested that the government is trying to prevent low-income students from getting an education.
Story continues below
Advertisement
"The 'gainful employment' rule will deny over two million students the opportunity to go to college," declares one recent ad from the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, another major industry lobbying group.
The for-profit sector has also argued that the rules will prevent access for minority and low-income students who they say are not well-served by traditional schools.
One of the groups signing the letter, the National Council of La Raza, a Latino civil rights organization, disputes the notion that the rules are in any way discriminatory.
"We do think that if these rules are approved by the administration, Latinos will have a place to go," said Raul Gonzalez, the group's legislative director. "One of the issues we're working on is just trying to reduce the amount of debt that Latinos have. There is evidence that some folks are leaving with a lot of debt, and without a marketable skill."
Other civil rights organizations, including the National Urban League, have come down on the side of the for-profit industry.
Supporters of the rule describe it as a rational and relatively lenient measure, after a Government Accountability Office investigation found that recruiters at some for-profit colleges were deceiving new students and overstating the benefits of their programs.
Students enrolled at for-profit colleges make up only 12 percent of college students nationwide, yet the sector takes in nearly a quarter of federal student aid dollars and accounts for 43 percent of student loan defaults, according to a recent analysis from the Education Trust, a student advocacy group. Students at for-profit colleges typically carry an average of $14,000 in debt--almost twice as much as students at non-profit colleges, according to the Department of Education.
Specifically, the proposed rules would hold for-profit schools (and some non-profit career schools of two years or less) accountable for two measures of debt: whether students are able to repay their loans on time, and whether students have an excessive burden of debt compared to their income after graduation.
There are several scenarios that would allow schools to remain fully eligible, meaning full access to federal student aid and no requirement to disclose student debt burdens.
To remain fully eligible for student aid dollars, schools would have to show that at least 35 percent of former students are paying down the principal on their student loans (meaning interest, plus at least $1 per billing cycle) or that student debt is less than 20 percent of a graduate's discretionary income.
In another scenario, a program could remain eligible if at least 45 percent of former students are paying down the principal on student loans, regardless of graduates' debt-to-income ratio.
In order to fully lose out on federal student aid, a program would need to have less than 35 percent of its students paying down student loans, and most graduates would need to be saddled with debt more than 12 percent of their total income and 30 percent of their discretionary income.
Schools would not be subject to penalties until the 2012-13 school year. The Department of Education is expected to finalize the regulations within the next few months. An exact date has not been determined.
Source: The Huffington Post
The letter comes in the midst of an intense lobbying and advertising campaign run by the for-profit education sector, which is waging an assault on the so-called "gainful employment" regulations being considered by the federal government. The rules are proposed as a consumer protection measure, aimed at cracking down on schools that leave students unable to repay student loan debts given the low-wage jobs they tend to secure after graduation.
The for-profit sector includes a broad swath of schools, from University of Phoenix and DeVry University to more specialized schools such as Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.
"Federal financial aid shouldn't go to career education programs that consistently leave students buried in debt they cannot repay," reads the letter, signed by 38 groups, including the National Consumer Law Center, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Council of La Raza.
The stakes for the for-profit colleges are huge: Many of the publicly-traded corporations that own such institutions derive more than 85 percent of their revenues from federal student aid dollars. By not meeting the criteria of the new rules, schools could be banned from tapping into federal student aid or be forced to disclose the high average debt burdens to prospective students.
The Coalition for Educational Success, an industry lobbying group, argued on Monday that the proposed rules were "onerous" and contrary to the president's pledge to a government-wide review of federal regulations.
Advertisements put out by the industry in recent months have suggested that the government is trying to prevent low-income students from getting an education.
Story continues below
Advertisement
"The 'gainful employment' rule will deny over two million students the opportunity to go to college," declares one recent ad from the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, another major industry lobbying group.
The for-profit sector has also argued that the rules will prevent access for minority and low-income students who they say are not well-served by traditional schools.
One of the groups signing the letter, the National Council of La Raza, a Latino civil rights organization, disputes the notion that the rules are in any way discriminatory.
"We do think that if these rules are approved by the administration, Latinos will have a place to go," said Raul Gonzalez, the group's legislative director. "One of the issues we're working on is just trying to reduce the amount of debt that Latinos have. There is evidence that some folks are leaving with a lot of debt, and without a marketable skill."
Other civil rights organizations, including the National Urban League, have come down on the side of the for-profit industry.
Supporters of the rule describe it as a rational and relatively lenient measure, after a Government Accountability Office investigation found that recruiters at some for-profit colleges were deceiving new students and overstating the benefits of their programs.
Students enrolled at for-profit colleges make up only 12 percent of college students nationwide, yet the sector takes in nearly a quarter of federal student aid dollars and accounts for 43 percent of student loan defaults, according to a recent analysis from the Education Trust, a student advocacy group. Students at for-profit colleges typically carry an average of $14,000 in debt--almost twice as much as students at non-profit colleges, according to the Department of Education.
Specifically, the proposed rules would hold for-profit schools (and some non-profit career schools of two years or less) accountable for two measures of debt: whether students are able to repay their loans on time, and whether students have an excessive burden of debt compared to their income after graduation.
There are several scenarios that would allow schools to remain fully eligible, meaning full access to federal student aid and no requirement to disclose student debt burdens.
To remain fully eligible for student aid dollars, schools would have to show that at least 35 percent of former students are paying down the principal on their student loans (meaning interest, plus at least $1 per billing cycle) or that student debt is less than 20 percent of a graduate's discretionary income.
In another scenario, a program could remain eligible if at least 45 percent of former students are paying down the principal on student loans, regardless of graduates' debt-to-income ratio.
In order to fully lose out on federal student aid, a program would need to have less than 35 percent of its students paying down student loans, and most graduates would need to be saddled with debt more than 12 percent of their total income and 30 percent of their discretionary income.
Schools would not be subject to penalties until the 2012-13 school year. The Department of Education is expected to finalize the regulations within the next few months. An exact date has not been determined.
Source: The Huffington Post
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | NY kids lag in science
The state's fourth-graders scored slightly lower than the national average on the latest science assessments, while eighth-graders here scored on par with the rest of the nation, new data show.
Racial achievement gaps were evident in both grades in the state, and the gap among eighth-graders was significantly higher than the nation as a whole.
The results on the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress showed 30 percent of the state's fourth-graders scoring proficiently -- compared to 32 percent nationally -- and 31 percent of eighth-graders passing the proficiency mark.
The test, which is not comparable to past results because it has been revised since it was last administered in 2005, is considered the gold standard.
It sets a high bar for passing.
Among the state's differences with the nation, New York's black eighth-graders scored 41 points lower than white students -- on a 300-point scale -- compared to a gap of 36 points in the country overall.
White eighth-graders here scored 164 points on average on the exam.
The state's Hispanic eighth-graders scored 39 points lower than white students on average, whereas nationally, that difference was a narrower gap of 30 points.
In addition, the scores of high-poverty students in New York were 33 points lower than those of students whose families aren't considered low income -- a margin that was 5 points greater than the national average.
While those same gaps existed for New York's fourth-graders, they were not significantly different from the gaps seen in the nation as a whole.
Source: NY Post
Racial achievement gaps were evident in both grades in the state, and the gap among eighth-graders was significantly higher than the nation as a whole.
The results on the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress showed 30 percent of the state's fourth-graders scoring proficiently -- compared to 32 percent nationally -- and 31 percent of eighth-graders passing the proficiency mark.
The test, which is not comparable to past results because it has been revised since it was last administered in 2005, is considered the gold standard.
It sets a high bar for passing.
Among the state's differences with the nation, New York's black eighth-graders scored 41 points lower than white students -- on a 300-point scale -- compared to a gap of 36 points in the country overall.
White eighth-graders here scored 164 points on average on the exam.
The state's Hispanic eighth-graders scored 39 points lower than white students on average, whereas nationally, that difference was a narrower gap of 30 points.
In addition, the scores of high-poverty students in New York were 33 points lower than those of students whose families aren't considered low income -- a margin that was 5 points greater than the national average.
While those same gaps existed for New York's fourth-graders, they were not significantly different from the gaps seen in the nation as a whole.
Source: NY Post
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | New Jersey should update charter school law, committee told
TRENTON - New Jersey's 15-year-old charter school law should be updated to improve accountability and transparency, according to many of those who testified before the Assembly Education Committee on Monday.
The afternoon hearing began what is likely to be months of discussion about charter schools after Gov. Christie this month called for broad changes to the state charter school law.
Christie, who also supports a bill that would allow what are essentially school vouchers, wants to increase the number of entities that would be allowed to authorize charter schools, encourage more and different kinds of charter schools, and allow the schools greater flexibility.
Among those who testified were charter school advocates, administrators from public school districts that argued they have been hurt by the outflow of students and funding to charter schools, parents of students who attend charter schools, a charter school authorizer in New York state, and public school board members.
Sharon Krengel, policy and outreach coordinator at the Education Law Center, which advocates for improving public education for disadvantaged children and children with disabilities and other special needs, argued in favor of improved transparency and accountability. She also expressed concerns about charter schools serving fewer low-income students, students learning English, and special-education students than their public school counterparts.
While the charter school law does require charter schools to seek a representative cross-section of the student population, Krengel said, charter schools whose populations do not reflect their districts should be required to come up with a plan to change that.
Assemblyman Joseph Malone (R., Burlington), a member of the Education Committee, said he was also concerned that charter schools could wind up with the students who were the most motivated, or had the most engaged families.
Krengel and Carlos Perez, chief executive officer of the New Jersey Charter Schools Association, were among those who argued that charter schools should receive as much per-pupil state funding as public schools. Charter schools currently receive 90 percent of the per-pupil state funding of public schools.
"Charter schools are public schools," Perez said. "They must have equal access to public funds, including operational, facility, and federal. We advocate charter school students receive their fair funding and equitable access to public school facilities."
On the other side of the debate, some public school administrators, parents, and a student argued that the creation of charter schools has hurt public districts, including, in some cases, high-achieving ones.
A deputy superintendent from East Brunswick said that after an $11 million cut in state aid, the district received a bill for $1.2 million to be taken away to fund a charter school.
Wendy Saiff, school board president in Highland Park, said the district was bleeding dollars to charter schools. She argued that the governor's agenda would result in a "feeding frenzy for educational dollars."
"If our state representatives do not act to stop the governor's plan regarding education, his characterization of New Jersey public schools as being abject failures will become reality," she said.
Source: Philly
The afternoon hearing began what is likely to be months of discussion about charter schools after Gov. Christie this month called for broad changes to the state charter school law.
Christie, who also supports a bill that would allow what are essentially school vouchers, wants to increase the number of entities that would be allowed to authorize charter schools, encourage more and different kinds of charter schools, and allow the schools greater flexibility.
Among those who testified were charter school advocates, administrators from public school districts that argued they have been hurt by the outflow of students and funding to charter schools, parents of students who attend charter schools, a charter school authorizer in New York state, and public school board members.
Sharon Krengel, policy and outreach coordinator at the Education Law Center, which advocates for improving public education for disadvantaged children and children with disabilities and other special needs, argued in favor of improved transparency and accountability. She also expressed concerns about charter schools serving fewer low-income students, students learning English, and special-education students than their public school counterparts.
While the charter school law does require charter schools to seek a representative cross-section of the student population, Krengel said, charter schools whose populations do not reflect their districts should be required to come up with a plan to change that.
Assemblyman Joseph Malone (R., Burlington), a member of the Education Committee, said he was also concerned that charter schools could wind up with the students who were the most motivated, or had the most engaged families.
Krengel and Carlos Perez, chief executive officer of the New Jersey Charter Schools Association, were among those who argued that charter schools should receive as much per-pupil state funding as public schools. Charter schools currently receive 90 percent of the per-pupil state funding of public schools.
"Charter schools are public schools," Perez said. "They must have equal access to public funds, including operational, facility, and federal. We advocate charter school students receive their fair funding and equitable access to public school facilities."
On the other side of the debate, some public school administrators, parents, and a student argued that the creation of charter schools has hurt public districts, including, in some cases, high-achieving ones.
A deputy superintendent from East Brunswick said that after an $11 million cut in state aid, the district received a bill for $1.2 million to be taken away to fund a charter school.
Wendy Saiff, school board president in Highland Park, said the district was bleeding dollars to charter schools. She argued that the governor's agenda would result in a "feeding frenzy for educational dollars."
"If our state representatives do not act to stop the governor's plan regarding education, his characterization of New Jersey public schools as being abject failures will become reality," she said.
Source: Philly
Monday, January 24, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Public Universities Relying More on Tuition Than State Money
COLUMBIA, S.C. — For bargain-hunting families, state colleges and universities, supported by tax money, have long been a haven from the high cost of private education.
But tuition bargains are fading as the nation’s public universities undergo a profound shift, accelerated by the recession. In most states, it is now tuition payments, not state appropriations, that cover most of the budget.
The shift has been an unwelcome surprise to Ashley Murphy, a sophomore at the University of South Carolina. When she and her twin sister, Allison, picked their colleges two years ago, costs were definitely an issue, since they are putting themselves through college.
Ashley said she chose the state flagship both because she believed that public universities offered the best education and because she thought it would be cheaper than Allison’s choice, a small Baptist university where the published tuition is twice as much.
But thanks to generous financial aid, Allison is paying less. And even with a campus job and a $5,000 state scholarship, Ashley struggles to make ends meet, worries about her student loans and is increasingly nervous about tuition increases.
“The whole thing is kind of scary, for somebody like me who’s paying for college myself,” said Ms. Murphy, who plans to be a teacher. “I turn 20 tomorrow, I’m already in debt, and if tuition goes up again next year, I’ll be in an even worse position.”
According to the Delta Cost Project, most of the nation’s public research universities had more than half their costs paid by tuition in 2008, and other four-year public institutions were hovering near the 50 percent mark. With three more years of tuition increases, they, too, have probably passed it, said Jane V. Wellman, executive director of the project, leaving only community colleges as mostly state-financed.
And the increasing dependence on tuition has disturbing implications for access to higher education, she said.
“In the next three or four years, we’re going to have more students who are spilling out the bottom, priced out of the expensive institutions,” Ms. Wellman said. “We’re going to be rationing opportunity. We’re moving in that direction fairly rapidly.”
Given that states still provide some $80 billion for higher education, some education policy experts say it is wrong to think of public universities as privatized. But they acknowledge that a fundamental reordering is under way — and that the era of affordable four-year public universities, heavily subsidized by the state, may be over.
“Something important is happening here,” said Pat Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. “I wouldn’t call it privatization, a word often used by presidents of public institutions who want a blank check on raising tuition. But with the shift toward more student funding, you have to wonder who owns these places — the students, because they’re paying the majority, or the state, which has invested hundreds of years in the physical plant and the brand?”
The burden on students is likely to keep growing. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 30 states face shortfalls of at least 10 percent of their budgets next year. And given the difficulties of cutting costs for Medicaid or K-12 schools, which get the biggest chunk of state budgets, appropriations for higher education are likely to shrivel further, leaving public universities ever more dependent on tuition money.
The University of South Carolina has lost almost half of its state appropriations in the last three years, gets only about a quarter of its education budget from the state and is expecting another round of deep cuts next year.
“We still have our public mission, but at this point, we have more of a private funding model,” said Michael Amiridis, the provost.
More states may soon find themselves in a similar position. In California, where tuition has been raised by 30 percent in the last two years — and where out-of-state tuition now tops $50,000, about the same as an elite private university — the governor has proposed cutting state support for the University of California by $500 million for the next fiscal year.
“If approved, this budget will mean that for the first time in our long history, tuition paid by University of California students and their families will exceed the state’s contribution to the core fund,” Mark Yudof, the president of the University of California system, told the Board of Regents. “For those who believe what we provide is a public good, not a private one, this is a sad threshold to cross.”
In Texas, legislators have proposed closing four community colleges and ending financial aid for freshmen. In Georgia, the popular Hope scholarships are likely to be slashed. In Arizona, the governor has proposed cutting financing for community colleges by half, and for four-year universities by 20 percent.
In state after state, tuition and class size are rising, jobs are being eliminated, maintenance is being deferred and the number of nonresident students, who pay higher tuition, is increasing.
Source: New York Times
But tuition bargains are fading as the nation’s public universities undergo a profound shift, accelerated by the recession. In most states, it is now tuition payments, not state appropriations, that cover most of the budget.
The shift has been an unwelcome surprise to Ashley Murphy, a sophomore at the University of South Carolina. When she and her twin sister, Allison, picked their colleges two years ago, costs were definitely an issue, since they are putting themselves through college.
Ashley said she chose the state flagship both because she believed that public universities offered the best education and because she thought it would be cheaper than Allison’s choice, a small Baptist university where the published tuition is twice as much.
But thanks to generous financial aid, Allison is paying less. And even with a campus job and a $5,000 state scholarship, Ashley struggles to make ends meet, worries about her student loans and is increasingly nervous about tuition increases.
“The whole thing is kind of scary, for somebody like me who’s paying for college myself,” said Ms. Murphy, who plans to be a teacher. “I turn 20 tomorrow, I’m already in debt, and if tuition goes up again next year, I’ll be in an even worse position.”
According to the Delta Cost Project, most of the nation’s public research universities had more than half their costs paid by tuition in 2008, and other four-year public institutions were hovering near the 50 percent mark. With three more years of tuition increases, they, too, have probably passed it, said Jane V. Wellman, executive director of the project, leaving only community colleges as mostly state-financed.
And the increasing dependence on tuition has disturbing implications for access to higher education, she said.
“In the next three or four years, we’re going to have more students who are spilling out the bottom, priced out of the expensive institutions,” Ms. Wellman said. “We’re going to be rationing opportunity. We’re moving in that direction fairly rapidly.”
Given that states still provide some $80 billion for higher education, some education policy experts say it is wrong to think of public universities as privatized. But they acknowledge that a fundamental reordering is under way — and that the era of affordable four-year public universities, heavily subsidized by the state, may be over.
“Something important is happening here,” said Pat Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. “I wouldn’t call it privatization, a word often used by presidents of public institutions who want a blank check on raising tuition. But with the shift toward more student funding, you have to wonder who owns these places — the students, because they’re paying the majority, or the state, which has invested hundreds of years in the physical plant and the brand?”
The burden on students is likely to keep growing. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 30 states face shortfalls of at least 10 percent of their budgets next year. And given the difficulties of cutting costs for Medicaid or K-12 schools, which get the biggest chunk of state budgets, appropriations for higher education are likely to shrivel further, leaving public universities ever more dependent on tuition money.
The University of South Carolina has lost almost half of its state appropriations in the last three years, gets only about a quarter of its education budget from the state and is expecting another round of deep cuts next year.
“We still have our public mission, but at this point, we have more of a private funding model,” said Michael Amiridis, the provost.
More states may soon find themselves in a similar position. In California, where tuition has been raised by 30 percent in the last two years — and where out-of-state tuition now tops $50,000, about the same as an elite private university — the governor has proposed cutting state support for the University of California by $500 million for the next fiscal year.
“If approved, this budget will mean that for the first time in our long history, tuition paid by University of California students and their families will exceed the state’s contribution to the core fund,” Mark Yudof, the president of the University of California system, told the Board of Regents. “For those who believe what we provide is a public good, not a private one, this is a sad threshold to cross.”
In Texas, legislators have proposed closing four community colleges and ending financial aid for freshmen. In Georgia, the popular Hope scholarships are likely to be slashed. In Arizona, the governor has proposed cutting financing for community colleges by half, and for four-year universities by 20 percent.
In state after state, tuition and class size are rising, jobs are being eliminated, maintenance is being deferred and the number of nonresident students, who pay higher tuition, is increasing.
Source: New York Times
Friday, January 21, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Dept. of Education makes it easier to complete FAFSA
In an effort to further simplify the college application process, the U.S. Department of Education has released a new version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to ease the financial aid application for students and their families.
The changes, which include shorter questions and a color-coding system to help applicants stay organized, are an annual occurrence, said director of financial aid Mary Morrison.(ANASTASIA YEE/The Stanford Daily)
“The idea in the government is to make it so simple that low-income families wouldn’t be afraid,” she added.
Results from a study conducted by Stanford’s School of Education in 2009 in collaboration with Harvard, the University of Toronto and the National Bureau of Economic Research showed that making it easier for parents to fill out the FAFSA form, even if just with the help of their children, boosted college enrollment rates by 30 percent.
Efforts to drastically change the FAFSA began two years ago, with a 25 percent reduction in questions, according to a briefing from Education Secretary Arne Duncan. However, a national study from Gallup and Sallie Mae, the nation’s only financial services company that specializes in education, showed that 50 percent of college-bound families did not fully complete the FAFSA before sending it in and 28 percent of families did not submit the form at all.
Families said that “they did not complete the form because they were not aware or did not think they would qualify for aid,” wrote Sallie Mae spokeswoman Erica Eriksdotter in an e-mail to The Daily.
In order to facilitate applying for student aid through the FAFSA, from which students can receive grants of up to $5,000, both Sallie Mae and the FAFSA website offer tips and how-to videos. The former will host an online chat forum on Jan. 27, where parents and students can receive live help from certified financial planners on how to fill out the forms and how best to save money on higher education costs.
However, outside help is not necessary to facilitate applying for financial aid at all schools, Morrison said. In fact, the numbers of financial aid applicants continue to increase for Stanford, where the FAFSA is required for entering students along with the CSS Profile and parents’ W2 tax forms.
“At a place like Stanford, federal aid is wonderful, but it isn’t what pays most [of the costs],” Morrison said. “FAFSA really only deals with federal grants, which are not anywhere near enough to pay for coming to Stanford. We have to supplement with our own endowment and our own scholarship funds.”
Morrison explained that even for state schools and community colleges, a shorter FAFSA might not do the trick. Plenty of students are still unaware that when they apply there are actually possibilities of getting aid.
“Many schools use their own form or say they don’t have any money,” she said, adding, “There are good stats out there that you can find that show families just don’t think there’s any money out there.”
As a result, Stanford has taken matters into its own hands. The University’s financial aid officers themselves often visit or get invited to high schools “so parents better get familiar with the forms.”
But families need more than just an easier form.
“Since it costs at least $25,000 to go to a state school, having someone pay $5,000 doesn’t exactly solve the problem,” said Morrison. “We’re going to need more information to help people.”
Source: The Stanford Daily
The changes, which include shorter questions and a color-coding system to help applicants stay organized, are an annual occurrence, said director of financial aid Mary Morrison.(ANASTASIA YEE/The Stanford Daily)
“The idea in the government is to make it so simple that low-income families wouldn’t be afraid,” she added.
Results from a study conducted by Stanford’s School of Education in 2009 in collaboration with Harvard, the University of Toronto and the National Bureau of Economic Research showed that making it easier for parents to fill out the FAFSA form, even if just with the help of their children, boosted college enrollment rates by 30 percent.
Efforts to drastically change the FAFSA began two years ago, with a 25 percent reduction in questions, according to a briefing from Education Secretary Arne Duncan. However, a national study from Gallup and Sallie Mae, the nation’s only financial services company that specializes in education, showed that 50 percent of college-bound families did not fully complete the FAFSA before sending it in and 28 percent of families did not submit the form at all.
Families said that “they did not complete the form because they were not aware or did not think they would qualify for aid,” wrote Sallie Mae spokeswoman Erica Eriksdotter in an e-mail to The Daily.
In order to facilitate applying for student aid through the FAFSA, from which students can receive grants of up to $5,000, both Sallie Mae and the FAFSA website offer tips and how-to videos. The former will host an online chat forum on Jan. 27, where parents and students can receive live help from certified financial planners on how to fill out the forms and how best to save money on higher education costs.
However, outside help is not necessary to facilitate applying for financial aid at all schools, Morrison said. In fact, the numbers of financial aid applicants continue to increase for Stanford, where the FAFSA is required for entering students along with the CSS Profile and parents’ W2 tax forms.
“At a place like Stanford, federal aid is wonderful, but it isn’t what pays most [of the costs],” Morrison said. “FAFSA really only deals with federal grants, which are not anywhere near enough to pay for coming to Stanford. We have to supplement with our own endowment and our own scholarship funds.”
Morrison explained that even for state schools and community colleges, a shorter FAFSA might not do the trick. Plenty of students are still unaware that when they apply there are actually possibilities of getting aid.
“Many schools use their own form or say they don’t have any money,” she said, adding, “There are good stats out there that you can find that show families just don’t think there’s any money out there.”
As a result, Stanford has taken matters into its own hands. The University’s financial aid officers themselves often visit or get invited to high schools “so parents better get familiar with the forms.”
But families need more than just an easier form.
“Since it costs at least $25,000 to go to a state school, having someone pay $5,000 doesn’t exactly solve the problem,” said Morrison. “We’re going to need more information to help people.”
Source: The Stanford Daily
Thursday, January 20, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | CREW claims manipulation of education regulations by Wall Street investors
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a non-profit watchdog, has claimed that they have uncovered documents that reveal association of Wall Street investors with high-ranking Education officials to craft regulations, allowing them access to net millions of dollars through the short sale of for-profit college stocks.
A press release by the organization indicates that high-level Education officials with no policy expertise are involved in the scam.
In the last couple of months, for-profit organizations have faced close scrutiny for their questionable recruiting tactics, low placement rates, low pass-out rates and high loan-default rates. This has attracted considerable attention from the government as these colleges are bringing in high amounts of federal-aid money.
Due to government investigations, these colleges have suffered in terms of revenue due to low student enrollment.
In fact, a law was proposed wherein education companies receiving over 90 percent of their revenue from the Education Department's student grants and loans for two consecutive years will lose eligibility for the money.
Being the biggest source of revenue, the colleges urged the U.S. Congress to reconsider the law that threatened their access to millions of dollars.
As per the press release, CREW states that the rules are a ploy to lower the stock value of the publicly-traded companies that operate for-profit colleges so that savvy short sellers can cash in.
The Washington-based advocacy unit asked Education Secretary Arne Duncan to investigate the improper role hedge fund managers and outside interest groups played in Education's formulation of highly contentious regulations governing the for-profit education industry.
"Education officials allowed Wall Street investors to insinuate themselves into the regulatory process knowing full well their main goal was to manipulate stock prices to make money," said CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan.
Tipped off by well-known short-seller Steven Eisman's testimony regarding for-profit colleges last June before a Senate committee, CREW sought emails and other records regarding interactions between Education officials and Wall Street investors, including Mr. Eisman.
Cornered, the Education department finally had to provide pages of material revealing the depth of involvement of Wall Street investors in crafting regulations.
The Huffington Post was quoted saying that a Department of Education spokesman dismissed the allegations as "patently ridiculous," adding that officials gather information from a wide range of sources in drafting all regulations, including members of the for-profit sector.
All the allegations have not been substantiated as of now, and much depends on further investigations.
Source: International Business Times
A press release by the organization indicates that high-level Education officials with no policy expertise are involved in the scam.
In the last couple of months, for-profit organizations have faced close scrutiny for their questionable recruiting tactics, low placement rates, low pass-out rates and high loan-default rates. This has attracted considerable attention from the government as these colleges are bringing in high amounts of federal-aid money.
Due to government investigations, these colleges have suffered in terms of revenue due to low student enrollment.
In fact, a law was proposed wherein education companies receiving over 90 percent of their revenue from the Education Department's student grants and loans for two consecutive years will lose eligibility for the money.
Being the biggest source of revenue, the colleges urged the U.S. Congress to reconsider the law that threatened their access to millions of dollars.
As per the press release, CREW states that the rules are a ploy to lower the stock value of the publicly-traded companies that operate for-profit colleges so that savvy short sellers can cash in.
The Washington-based advocacy unit asked Education Secretary Arne Duncan to investigate the improper role hedge fund managers and outside interest groups played in Education's formulation of highly contentious regulations governing the for-profit education industry.
"Education officials allowed Wall Street investors to insinuate themselves into the regulatory process knowing full well their main goal was to manipulate stock prices to make money," said CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan.
Tipped off by well-known short-seller Steven Eisman's testimony regarding for-profit colleges last June before a Senate committee, CREW sought emails and other records regarding interactions between Education officials and Wall Street investors, including Mr. Eisman.
Cornered, the Education department finally had to provide pages of material revealing the depth of involvement of Wall Street investors in crafting regulations.
The Huffington Post was quoted saying that a Department of Education spokesman dismissed the allegations as "patently ridiculous," adding that officials gather information from a wide range of sources in drafting all regulations, including members of the for-profit sector.
All the allegations have not been substantiated as of now, and much depends on further investigations.
Source: International Business Times
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | In search of common ground on education spending
he comments under this paper’s story last week about the governor calling for teachers to accept a pay cut — while sometimes grammatically and syntactically challenging — were gratifying in their way. Fewer people than I expected barked the usual noise about pampered teachers needing to take a hit like everyone else.
Sure, several of the positive commenters were no doubt teachers, some were merely agitators, and a few were, I hope, the product of a school system other than ours. But there also seemed to be a dawning recognition that cutting into an already distressed system isn’t, in fact, the best way to make it work better.
Small reassurance, I know. But for those of us concerned about shoring up education, tiny handholds of optimism are all we have to cling to right now.
These are odd and frustrating times in education. The call to do more with less — not, in itself, a bad sentiment — becomes, in successive years, an ongoing mandate to do even more with even less. When I hear that Dwight Jones, the new superintendent of the Clark County School District, wants to commission a privately funded study of the district’s $2 billion budget to analyze “our return on investment,” I can both applaud his due diligence and rue the application of a business-model mind-set (“return on investment”) to an institution that we all should consider more of a public trust.
So, to be clear, I’m progressive on education. I think we need to pump money in, not suck it out, and if we have to, for example, rob the mining industry to do so, oh well.
Nonetheless, although I am (full disclosure) married to an educator, and (additional disclosure) know some educators, and (I’m on a roll here!) have been somewhat educated, I’ve never been an actual, sneakers-on-the-ground educator. There are limits to my practical knowledge. Which means, if I’m being fair-minded, there are times when I should yield the floor to someone who’s been there.
Enter “L.” That’s how I’m identifying a local teacher who recently left the profession after 26 years. She doesn’t want to publicly jump into the fray, but after one of my recent columns — I was berating Gov. Brian Sandoval for underfunding schools — she thought there were a few things I should know. So she sent me a passionate 1,704-word e-mail titled “Waste at CCSD?”
That’s a common theme among the School District’s harshest critics, that it’s heavy with trimmable fat, but L’s note was more rueful than scathing. She’s saddened by what she perceives as questionable decision-making, squandered materials and bureaucratic blind spots that are bogging down education.
Not all of her complaints sound compelling — show me a sizable operation that doesn’t waste copy paper or fritter away valuable time in meetings for meetings’ sake. Nor is it surprising that there’s some unwieldy bureaucracy. Anytime two or more people work together, the first thing they do is generate reams of paperwork covering their own asses. Given that this is the nation’s fifth-largest school district, there’s going to be red tape.
But she makes some good points, too, some small and specific (why ferry a couple of special ed students to school in full-size buses instead of a properly equipped van?) and others that highlight avoidable inefficiencies. Textbooks that didn’t get used; pricey science kits for grades in which science isn’t regularly taught; school-rehab projects in which fairly new materials get replaced with brand new. “A 1-year-old, perfect chalkboard, recently installed in my room — thrown in a Dumpster.”
Then, of course, there’s the testing, testing, testing.
“My friends tell me the greatest waste in their schools today is the endless red tape, documenting and testing which goes on daily,” she writes. “When I came to the district in 1981, teachers were constantly being cautioned not to ‘teach to the test.’ In today’s schools, there is no time for creativity because, if those endless tests aren’t passed, schools will lose federal funds. Well, guess what the teachers are doing to pass those tests?!”
Teaching to it, of course.
What a waste.
Point taken, L. For me, her e-mail was a nice reminder that somewhere between Sandoval (“Cut!”) and Dickensheets (“Spend!”) there ought to be a reasonable middle ground: Think of it as doing more with not quite so much less.
Here’s hoping Sandoval, the test-happy feds and the rest of us eventually decide to seek it.
Source: Las Vegas Sun
Sure, several of the positive commenters were no doubt teachers, some were merely agitators, and a few were, I hope, the product of a school system other than ours. But there also seemed to be a dawning recognition that cutting into an already distressed system isn’t, in fact, the best way to make it work better.
Small reassurance, I know. But for those of us concerned about shoring up education, tiny handholds of optimism are all we have to cling to right now.
These are odd and frustrating times in education. The call to do more with less — not, in itself, a bad sentiment — becomes, in successive years, an ongoing mandate to do even more with even less. When I hear that Dwight Jones, the new superintendent of the Clark County School District, wants to commission a privately funded study of the district’s $2 billion budget to analyze “our return on investment,” I can both applaud his due diligence and rue the application of a business-model mind-set (“return on investment”) to an institution that we all should consider more of a public trust.
So, to be clear, I’m progressive on education. I think we need to pump money in, not suck it out, and if we have to, for example, rob the mining industry to do so, oh well.
Nonetheless, although I am (full disclosure) married to an educator, and (additional disclosure) know some educators, and (I’m on a roll here!) have been somewhat educated, I’ve never been an actual, sneakers-on-the-ground educator. There are limits to my practical knowledge. Which means, if I’m being fair-minded, there are times when I should yield the floor to someone who’s been there.
Enter “L.” That’s how I’m identifying a local teacher who recently left the profession after 26 years. She doesn’t want to publicly jump into the fray, but after one of my recent columns — I was berating Gov. Brian Sandoval for underfunding schools — she thought there were a few things I should know. So she sent me a passionate 1,704-word e-mail titled “Waste at CCSD?”
That’s a common theme among the School District’s harshest critics, that it’s heavy with trimmable fat, but L’s note was more rueful than scathing. She’s saddened by what she perceives as questionable decision-making, squandered materials and bureaucratic blind spots that are bogging down education.
Not all of her complaints sound compelling — show me a sizable operation that doesn’t waste copy paper or fritter away valuable time in meetings for meetings’ sake. Nor is it surprising that there’s some unwieldy bureaucracy. Anytime two or more people work together, the first thing they do is generate reams of paperwork covering their own asses. Given that this is the nation’s fifth-largest school district, there’s going to be red tape.
But she makes some good points, too, some small and specific (why ferry a couple of special ed students to school in full-size buses instead of a properly equipped van?) and others that highlight avoidable inefficiencies. Textbooks that didn’t get used; pricey science kits for grades in which science isn’t regularly taught; school-rehab projects in which fairly new materials get replaced with brand new. “A 1-year-old, perfect chalkboard, recently installed in my room — thrown in a Dumpster.”
Then, of course, there’s the testing, testing, testing.
“My friends tell me the greatest waste in their schools today is the endless red tape, documenting and testing which goes on daily,” she writes. “When I came to the district in 1981, teachers were constantly being cautioned not to ‘teach to the test.’ In today’s schools, there is no time for creativity because, if those endless tests aren’t passed, schools will lose federal funds. Well, guess what the teachers are doing to pass those tests?!”
Teaching to it, of course.
What a waste.
Point taken, L. For me, her e-mail was a nice reminder that somewhere between Sandoval (“Cut!”) and Dickensheets (“Spend!”) there ought to be a reasonable middle ground: Think of it as doing more with not quite so much less.
Here’s hoping Sandoval, the test-happy feds and the rest of us eventually decide to seek it.
Source: Las Vegas Sun
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | McDonnell taking strides toward improved higher education funding
Gov. Bob McDonnell gave his State of the Commonwealth address last week. Along with giving a summary of the governor’s job during his first year in office, the speech brought renewed attention to many of the governor’s proposals.
In my opinion, McDonnell had a very good first year. While the nation’s economy has continued to struggle, individual states have met their own struggles with things like unemployment and state budgets. As McDonnell was talking about these issues he said, “Virginia has done better than most.”
Since February of last year, Virginia has added a net total of 67,900 jobs, which is third-best in the country. In 2009, Virginia ranked only 35th in this category. Also since February, the state’s unemployment rate has fallen from 7.2 percent to 6.8 percent, which is the ninth-lowest in the country.
Finally, current spending has been rolled back to 2006 levels, and a $1.8 billion budget shortfall for the fiscal year 2010 budget was turned into a $403 million surplus without raising taxes on Virginians.
As we Republicans said during the 2009 campaign: Go Bob, go. While these numbers and statistics are great to hear, we college students still want to hear more on education. We all remember the tuition increases from last year. McDonnell caught a lot of scrutiny, both from Republicans and Democrats, over funding cuts for education.
People ask me about the cuts and I can’t easily defend them. McDonnell ran on balancing the budget. I personally never saw the entire budget. I don’t know what every cent was cut from. I just had faith in my governor that the right decisions were made, however tough they may have been to make. Also, to be fair, education cuts and tuition increases in Virginia are not a new trend, as tuition in Virginia has nearly doubled over the past decade.
I do wish budget cuts for education never had to be made in the first place. Luckily, McDonnell is moving toward improving education funding. He mentioned his top four priorities for the current legislative session, and one of them was establishing “major reforms and more accountability in higher education to make college more affordable and accessible for our students.”
McDonnell has unveiled a plan that would allow Virginia’s public colleges and universities to apply for $50 million for items such as increasing enrollment and boosting financial aid. Out of that money, schools can apply for $13 million to increase undergraduate financial aid. Other money will help increase things like enrollment and retention of students.
The governor has also proposed other items in the budget that could increase funding to help universities commercialize their research, and add money to the state’s Tuition Assistance Grant Program.
The year 2011 will not magically address every higher education need. However, McDonnell is making an effort. This is definitely a start.
He is still working toward the campaign promises he made for education, but these things do take time. The fact is, we are still in tough economic times and states just don’t have the money they used to. Still, Virginians can be thankful we have a governor who is working to keep a balanced budget. After all, you can’t spend money you don’t have.
Source: Collegiate Times
Monday, January 17, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | California Gov. Jerry Brown's 'parent trigger' trap
Without question, Gov. Jerry Brown has the right to make his own appointments and craft his own policies. But his picks for California's powerful Board of Education could jeopardize one of the most innovative and empowering — if controversial — education reforms to come along in years: the so-called parent trigger that gives parents a strong say in the education of their children.
After just one day back on the job as governor, Brown named seven new members to the 11-member state school board. The new majority, The Times reported, "will dramatically alter the panel's makeup in age, geography and educational resume, shifting it from a board containing vocal advocates for a reform agenda … to one that is more closely aligned with traditional" education policies.
Gone from the board, for example, are Ben Austin, executive director of Parent Revolution and an architect of the parent trigger, and Ted Mitchell, the former Occidental College president who championed parents' involvement, charter schools and teacher evaluations. In contrast, according to The Times, the new appointees "thrilled" David Sanchez, head of the California Teachers Assn., the powerful union that supported Brown in the governor's race and has been outspoken in opposition to charters, the trigger and other reforms.
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The parent trigger is a simple law. If half the parents whose children attend a failing public school sign a petition demanding change at the school, the district must either shut it down, allow it to become a charter school or adopt one of two other federally prescribed "turnaround" models. Parents at Compton's McKinley Elementary School gained national attention last month when they became the first to use the parent trigger, petitioning the Compton Unified School District to convert their failing public school into an independent charter.
The parent trigger is so simple, in fact, that the statute contains few nitty-gritty details about how the law should work. The Legislature left it up to the Board of Education to spell out the particulars, such as how petitions must be formatted, who's qualified to sign, how quickly a school district must act on a valid petition and how parents may appeal hostile district decisions, among other things.
And that's where matters could get ugly. The temporary, "emergency" regulations the state board passed last summer offered a clear road map for parents to use the law. The new board, however, could very easily turn that road map into a labyrinth of red tape.
Simpler is better. The law should make it easy for parents to pull the trigger and force school districts to undertake dramatic changes that education bureaucracies would otherwise thwart. Compton Unified, for example, has a reputation for rejecting charter school applications.
The parent trigger also makes for a fairer balance of power, giving parents crucial leverage against well-entrenched teacher and administrator interests. Parents generally demand the best possible education for their children. The education bureaucracy has many interests that sometimes conflict; it serves parents and children while mollifying teacher unions, political overseers and career bureaucrats.
In Compton, the use of the parent trigger has been controversial. Parents on both sides of the issue say they've met with threats and intimidation. The petition's supporters freely admit they worked "under the radar" to collect signatures from 62% of McKinley Elementary parents. That has led opponents of the trigger to demand that the Board of Education impose regulations requiring more "transparency" in the petition process. But those who favor change at the school say the hostile reaction to the Compton petition shows that mandated open meetings, for example, might scare away parents from signing petitions.
Of course, it's likely that most parents will not avail themselves of any reform mechanism. Polls show that although parents think the education system is a mess, most believe their school isn't too bad. However, for those who are willing to push for change, and who find that their school administration resists it, the parent trigger is a godsend.
Parents need clarity, and the law needs time to work. Eleventh-hour attempts to impose "transparency" or other new regulations on the parent trigger should not be used to put parents at a disadvantage. That is exactly what the state board tried to avoid with its current set of regulations.
The governor has acknowledged from time to time that Californians are overburdened with rules. As Brown shapes his education agenda, he should make clear that regulation should empower parents to use the parent trigger law effectively, not protect the status quo.
Source: Los Angeles Times
After just one day back on the job as governor, Brown named seven new members to the 11-member state school board. The new majority, The Times reported, "will dramatically alter the panel's makeup in age, geography and educational resume, shifting it from a board containing vocal advocates for a reform agenda … to one that is more closely aligned with traditional" education policies.
Gone from the board, for example, are Ben Austin, executive director of Parent Revolution and an architect of the parent trigger, and Ted Mitchell, the former Occidental College president who championed parents' involvement, charter schools and teacher evaluations. In contrast, according to The Times, the new appointees "thrilled" David Sanchez, head of the California Teachers Assn., the powerful union that supported Brown in the governor's race and has been outspoken in opposition to charters, the trigger and other reforms.
Get the best in Southern California opinion journalism delivered to your inbox with our Opinion L.A. newsletter. Sign up »
The parent trigger is a simple law. If half the parents whose children attend a failing public school sign a petition demanding change at the school, the district must either shut it down, allow it to become a charter school or adopt one of two other federally prescribed "turnaround" models. Parents at Compton's McKinley Elementary School gained national attention last month when they became the first to use the parent trigger, petitioning the Compton Unified School District to convert their failing public school into an independent charter.
The parent trigger is so simple, in fact, that the statute contains few nitty-gritty details about how the law should work. The Legislature left it up to the Board of Education to spell out the particulars, such as how petitions must be formatted, who's qualified to sign, how quickly a school district must act on a valid petition and how parents may appeal hostile district decisions, among other things.
And that's where matters could get ugly. The temporary, "emergency" regulations the state board passed last summer offered a clear road map for parents to use the law. The new board, however, could very easily turn that road map into a labyrinth of red tape.
Simpler is better. The law should make it easy for parents to pull the trigger and force school districts to undertake dramatic changes that education bureaucracies would otherwise thwart. Compton Unified, for example, has a reputation for rejecting charter school applications.
The parent trigger also makes for a fairer balance of power, giving parents crucial leverage against well-entrenched teacher and administrator interests. Parents generally demand the best possible education for their children. The education bureaucracy has many interests that sometimes conflict; it serves parents and children while mollifying teacher unions, political overseers and career bureaucrats.
In Compton, the use of the parent trigger has been controversial. Parents on both sides of the issue say they've met with threats and intimidation. The petition's supporters freely admit they worked "under the radar" to collect signatures from 62% of McKinley Elementary parents. That has led opponents of the trigger to demand that the Board of Education impose regulations requiring more "transparency" in the petition process. But those who favor change at the school say the hostile reaction to the Compton petition shows that mandated open meetings, for example, might scare away parents from signing petitions.
Of course, it's likely that most parents will not avail themselves of any reform mechanism. Polls show that although parents think the education system is a mess, most believe their school isn't too bad. However, for those who are willing to push for change, and who find that their school administration resists it, the parent trigger is a godsend.
Parents need clarity, and the law needs time to work. Eleventh-hour attempts to impose "transparency" or other new regulations on the parent trigger should not be used to put parents at a disadvantage. That is exactly what the state board tried to avoid with its current set of regulations.
The governor has acknowledged from time to time that Californians are overburdened with rules. As Brown shapes his education agenda, he should make clear that regulation should empower parents to use the parent trigger law effectively, not protect the status quo.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Friday, January 14, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com |Maryland Montgomery misses out on federal education funds
ANNAPOLIS -- Montgomery County is missing out on millions of dollars in federal Race to the Top funding for its public schools, while the rest of the state and Baltimore City share a $125 million cash infusion.
Source: The Examiner
Neighboring Prince George's County soon will be rolling in $23.4 million in federal cash, Baltimore City will take in $52.8 million and Baltimore County will get $17.4 million. Anne Arundel County will receive $6.9 million.
The Maryland State Department of Education released the funding distributions at a Senate education committee meeting on Thursday, as the state prepares to implement reforms that must accompany the funding.
The education agency is funneling half of the $250 million grant to participating counties and Baltimore and keeping the remaining money.
Montgomery stood to receive at least $12 million from the Race to the Top pot. But the county, with Frederick, declined to participate in the program citing concerns about changing its teacher evaluation system and standardized testing procedures.
State Superintendent Nancy Grasmick says the agency's share will fund statewide programs, such as teacher training seminars, and provide extra padding to counties that have additional needs.
The Race to the Top program ties teacher pay to student test scores, and requires teachers to work three years -- rather than the current two years -- to achieve tenure. In Maryland, reforms will require schools to ramp up data collection on students.
All local school systems will be required to collect a minimum level of data on students, Assistant State Superintendent Leslie Wilson told lawmakers on Thursday. She said the education agency will need more staffers to help develop the data system, and more money to sustain it. The agency has received roughly 700 applications for 70 new positions that will last just four years -- as long as the
grant is in place.
Grasmick said the program will be highly scrutinized.
"There are only 12 states that received this in the nation and so people are very, very interested or angry -- angry that they didn't get it or interested in what are the lessons learned from this," she said, "so they are expecting us to do this with a lot of fidelity."
Source: The Examiner
Thursday, January 13, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | William Lockridge, veteran D.C. community and education activist, dies at 63
Veteran D.C. community and education activist William Lockridge, known for his determination and chronic impatience to get things done, died Jan. 12 of respiratory failure at George Washington University Hospital. The 63-year-old had been hospitalized since suffering a stroke at his home in Southeast Washington last week.
Mr. Lockridge spent more than 25 years in public and community service in wards 7 and 8, the areas of Northeast and Southeast Washington predominantly east of the Anacostia River. He represented Ward 8 on the D.C. State Board of Education.
"For decades he showed that he cared deeply for the District of Columbia and particularly for our children," said Mayor Vincent C. Gray in a statement.
A longtime resident of the area, Mr. Lockridge prided himself on meeting often with community residents and liked to say, "I listen, and I am accessible."
He was also seen as a man of contradictions, described in a 1988 Washington Post story as "an avenging angel to some, an unrepentant mischief-maker to others; one minute ready to slug a colleague, the next minute opening his home and his checkbook to a needy student."
"William Lockridge was an ordinary guy who did extraordinary things," said D.C. Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8). "He fought for the children, the least, the last and the lost, and he would take on anybody, including myself, because he was a fighter."
Mr. Lockridge grew up in Chicago, graduated from Tennessee State University with a bachelor's degree in education and returned to Illinois, where he became a successful pharmaceutical salesman and entrepreneur. In 1968, he gave up the business world and joined the Free Chicago Movement, a black empowerment group.
In 1979, Mr. Lockridge moved to Washington, where he took on numerous public service roles, among them PTA president, advisory neighborhood commissioner, president of the Ward 8 Democrats and president of the Alabama Avenue Task Force.
He worked for D.C. public schools for more than 15 years as a teacher, teacher coordinator, wrestling coach, and issues and policies researcher before beginning a 10-year stint on the D.C. Board of Education in 1998. He served as vice president of that panel and as chairman of the finance and facilities committee.
He remained on the board after it was stripped of much of its power in 2007 and became the D.C. State Board of Education. He was serving as the Ward 8 representative at the time of his death.
Over the years, he helped develop the Master Facilities Plan, a guide for building new schools and renovating existing facilities, and helped lead the effort to secure $2.5 billion from the D.C. Council to fully fund the plan.
His public service tenure was marked by some controversy; he was years ago accused by administrators of Ballou High School of trying to micromanage them, and he once threatened to sue the school board because he said it had improperly hired a superintendent he opposed.
Mr. Lockridge was a member of the NAACP, the National School Boards Association, the Council of Urban Boards of Education and the Council of Black School Administrators. And he had completed coursework toward a real estate appraiser's license.
Mr. Lockridge was a member of Allen Chapel AME Church in Southeast Washington.
R. Calvin Lockridge, Mr. Lockridge's uncle, had also served on the D.C. school board.
Besides his uncle, survivors include his wife, Wanda Lockridge of Washington; two children, Joy and Stefan Lockridge; his mother, Pearl Chambers; a sister, Joy Majied; and four grandchildren.
Source: The Washington Post
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Means of Composing a Successful Persuasive Essay with an Outline
A persuasive essay involves writing in such a manner that you convince the reader to accept the point of view that you are putting forward. It is also known as argumentative essay. This type of essay uses facts and well elaborated examples to convince the reader to accept ones point of view. If you want to complete a good persuasive essay, it is essential that you consider certain persuasive essay writing key points. It is indeed important before beginning to write to ensure that you read the given instructions and understand them clearly. This helps the individual when it comes to writing the topic of the essay and the examples that he/she will give. Once you understand the instructions, the next most important thing is deciding on the topic of the essay.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Writing an Outstanding Personal Experience Essay
Personal essay writing is an easy assignment if all the specific aspects that interest the instructor are met. It is important to lay out an outline to guide you in the process of writing your personal essay. This is simply a listing containing all the important points that is arranged in a manner that is logical to cover all relevant information. Prior preparation before writing the essay makes it fun and the writer is able to proof to the instructor or professor that he/she is on the right track of one’s personal experience essay writing. The best results in personal essay writing are achieved when the writer is casual and expresses deep feelings. This will make the writer passionate in evoking the emotions of the readers and making them involved and intrigued.
Monday, January 10, 2011
www.BestEssayHelp.com | Narrative Essay Example Writing: Five Simple Steps
Narrative essay is a type of essay which tells a story in a sequence of events. To produce the best narrative essay, a little bit of heart and soul has to be put into the writing. Construction of a narrative essay is one of the easiest and the most entertaining things to occur. This type of essay helps the writer to reflect on a variety of events and experiences. It gives the writer freedom to include own ideas and remarks regarding own observations.
Choosing Your Narrative Essay Topic
The first and foremost thing to be kept in mind by the writer of the narrative essay is that the topic of the paper should be clearly identified. The writing should be presented in such a way that it enlightens the reader and triggers the desire to continue reading. It is important to point out that the language should be kept simple, which does not at all mean that parts of the information can be omitted. The essay should be based on a variety of relevant facts regarding the discussed topic with all irrelevant resources being avoided.
Choosing Your Narrative Essay Topic
The first and foremost thing to be kept in mind by the writer of the narrative essay is that the topic of the paper should be clearly identified. The writing should be presented in such a way that it enlightens the reader and triggers the desire to continue reading. It is important to point out that the language should be kept simple, which does not at all mean that parts of the information can be omitted. The essay should be based on a variety of relevant facts regarding the discussed topic with all irrelevant resources being avoided.
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