While the federal government presses ahead with plans to judge teacher performance based on student test scores, a Louisiana commission is looking at ways to impose an unpopular merit pay scheme on teachers in the state.
Houma Courier reporter Daniel McBride is on top of this story, reporting that the state's Blue Ribbon Commission is considering a pay plan with different categories, including career ladders, merit pay and the traditional lane-and-step pay scale.
Most teachers object to tying teacher salaries to student test scores for obvious and valid reasons. As McBride's article points out, factors beyond a teacher's control play a part in student test scores. And as professional educators like to note, a single high-stakes test does not necessarily reflect a student's achievement.
Teachers may be more willing to experiment with career ladders, which reward them for taking on additional responsibilities: "The career ladder approach would advance teachers from classroom to mentor to master designations. Each level would include new administrative duties and increased pay."
It's all a non-starter unless teachers are involved in the process, however. As LFT President Steve Monaghan tells McBride, "You cannot expect the teachers to trust the process again if they’re not included in the development. These kind of programs look very much like they’ve been designed by the top, for the top.”
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Breaking news: LA is in for federal education millions
The stars seem to be aligning for Louisiana to bring in the lion's share of federal education dollars under President Obama's "Race to the Top" program. As WAFB-TV's Keitha Nelson reports here, our state could net $25 million to $50 million per year for up to three years.
There is a catch, of course. As Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek tells the reporter, "aggressive steps" will be expected by the feds, and that could include a greater emphasis on charter schools. It could even mean reconstitution of schools, which Pastorek describes as firing the entire faculty and allowing them to reapply for their jobs.
With just a bit of understatement, Pastorek says, "Not every district is going to want to do this."
The New York Times has a succinct headline over reporter Sam Dillon's story describing Race to the Top: "Dangling Money, Obama Pushes Education Shift."
Dillon reinforces reports that Louisiana might get big bucks from Race to the Top, but also looks beneath the rock at the creepy crawlies that may come with the largess.
The article notes that members of the education community who supported Obama are disappointed, or at least puzzled, by his embrace of what they believe to be the worst aspects of the No Child Left Behind Act. "Much of the grumbling," he writes, " is from educators who say they supported Mr. Obama’s candidacy."
Indeed, Race to the Top could wind up increasing reliance on high-stakes tests, and on judging teachers and principals by the results of those tests.
There is a catch, of course. As Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek tells the reporter, "aggressive steps" will be expected by the feds, and that could include a greater emphasis on charter schools. It could even mean reconstitution of schools, which Pastorek describes as firing the entire faculty and allowing them to reapply for their jobs.
With just a bit of understatement, Pastorek says, "Not every district is going to want to do this."
The New York Times has a succinct headline over reporter Sam Dillon's story describing Race to the Top: "Dangling Money, Obama Pushes Education Shift."
Dillon reinforces reports that Louisiana might get big bucks from Race to the Top, but also looks beneath the rock at the creepy crawlies that may come with the largess.
The article notes that members of the education community who supported Obama are disappointed, or at least puzzled, by his embrace of what they believe to be the worst aspects of the No Child Left Behind Act. "Much of the grumbling," he writes, " is from educators who say they supported Mr. Obama’s candidacy."
The administration’s stance has caught by surprise educators and officials who
had hoped that Mr. Obama’s calls during the campaign for an overhaul of the No
Child law would mean a reduced federal role and less reliance on standardized
testing.
Indeed, Race to the Top could wind up increasing reliance on high-stakes tests, and on judging teachers and principals by the results of those tests.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Reporter says Jindal should intervene
LFT's position in the flap over State Superintendent of Schools Paul Pastorek is gaining traction in the news media.
To recap, some organizations have called for Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek to resign. Or for Governor Jindal to fire him. Or for the Board of Elementary and Secondary education to fire him (see here, here, and here).
As we've noted before, Pastorek isn't going to be fired. He has the support of the governor and BESE. That makes the dispute a sideshow, a distraction as teachers, children and parents struggle with back-to-school issues.
Associated Press reporter Melinda Deslatte weighs in on the dispute in this opinion column. After noting that Pastorek "has lawmakers calling him arrogant, school board members lambasting his policies and education groups calling for his ouster," Deslatte acknowledges that he is aggressive and "in-your-face."
She also knows that it is unfortunately unlikely that Gov. Bobby Jindal will step in and resolve the dispute. But she closes on a note of common sense:
To recap, some organizations have called for Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek to resign. Or for Governor Jindal to fire him. Or for the Board of Elementary and Secondary education to fire him (see here, here, and here).
As we've noted before, Pastorek isn't going to be fired. He has the support of the governor and BESE. That makes the dispute a sideshow, a distraction as teachers, children and parents struggle with back-to-school issues.
Associated Press reporter Melinda Deslatte weighs in on the dispute in this opinion column. After noting that Pastorek "has lawmakers calling him arrogant, school board members lambasting his policies and education groups calling for his ouster," Deslatte acknowledges that he is aggressive and "in-your-face."
She also knows that it is unfortunately unlikely that Gov. Bobby Jindal will step in and resolve the dispute. But she closes on a note of common sense:
However, an intervention of sorts might be needed so the disputes don't
create a stalemate that renders Pastorek ineffective or stymied as
superintendent.
LFT President Steve Monaghan summed it up in his letter to Jindal: "The
last thing our children need at this moment is a bitter feud between the
superintendent of education and the organizations that represent teachers and
school boards."
More RSD failures
Thirty-five missing computers in the State Recovery School District is a "minor consideration," according to the district superintendent. One million dollars worth of paychecks issued to people who no longer work there is an "inherited problem."
Gannett reporter Mike Hasten is on the story here.
Gannett reporter Mike Hasten is on the story here.
Is RSD an expensive, divisive failure?
Will the experiment with state takeovers of challenged public schools wind up an expensive, divisive failure?
That seems to be a preliminary estimation of the State Recovery School District effort in East Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee Parishes. As Advocate reporter Charles Lussiere writes here, the four schools in question are "faring little or no better than they were two or three years before state takeover, according to audits."
The State Department of Education supervisor for the schools agrees that school performance has been unacceptable, but blames the failure in part on an inability to gain stable leadership in the schools.
One of those, Prescott Middle School, has had three principals in one year, and last year lacked certified, highly qualified teachers.
Looking ahead, the supervisor said the takeovers will be judged successful if "in three to five years, 60 percent to 75 percent of their students are scoring “basic” or above — i.e., at or above grade level — on state standardized tests."
Thus far, RSD is spending $1 million to evaluate the progress of the schools. At one of them, Capitol High, the private company that manages the school is spending another million to upgrade programs and course offerings.
Which begs the question: If these schools had been offered the same resources while under control of the local school board, would they be performing at least as well as they are under the recovery district?
That seems to be a preliminary estimation of the State Recovery School District effort in East Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee Parishes. As Advocate reporter Charles Lussiere writes here, the four schools in question are "faring little or no better than they were two or three years before state takeover, according to audits."
The State Department of Education supervisor for the schools agrees that school performance has been unacceptable, but blames the failure in part on an inability to gain stable leadership in the schools.
One of those, Prescott Middle School, has had three principals in one year, and last year lacked certified, highly qualified teachers.
Looking ahead, the supervisor said the takeovers will be judged successful if "in three to five years, 60 percent to 75 percent of their students are scoring “basic” or above — i.e., at or above grade level — on state standardized tests."
Thus far, RSD is spending $1 million to evaluate the progress of the schools. At one of them, Capitol High, the private company that manages the school is spending another million to upgrade programs and course offerings.
Which begs the question: If these schools had been offered the same resources while under control of the local school board, would they be performing at least as well as they are under the recovery district?
Sunday, August 16, 2009
New law holds parents accountable for student absence, tardiness
Among all the new laws going into effect (remember to buckle up in the back seat!), one takes a step toward making parents more accountable for their children's truancy and tardiness.
As WAFB-TV's Caroline Moses reports here, the parents of children who are habitually late or absent can be fined and even jailed.
Teachers know that parental involvement is a crucial for student success. One of their biggest complaints concerns parents who don't show up for parent-teacher conferences, don't ensure that children complete homework assignments, and don't seem to even care if their children are at school when they are supposed to be.
This new law is part of a movement toward a bolder, broader approach to public education that tries to draw entire communities into school improvement, rather than simply blaming teachers for what is a much larger social problem.
As WAFB-TV's Caroline Moses reports here, the parents of children who are habitually late or absent can be fined and even jailed.
Teachers know that parental involvement is a crucial for student success. One of their biggest complaints concerns parents who don't show up for parent-teacher conferences, don't ensure that children complete homework assignments, and don't seem to even care if their children are at school when they are supposed to be.
This new law is part of a movement toward a bolder, broader approach to public education that tries to draw entire communities into school improvement, rather than simply blaming teachers for what is a much larger social problem.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The "L" word is leadership, governor!
Just a few weeks ago, as the legislative session was drawing to a close, a gaggle of former governors staged an intervention. They dragged Gov. Bobby Jindal out of hiding to resolve the furor over higher education funding. Reminding the nation's youngest governor of his primary responsibility, the four said, "Lead, governor. We're prepared to follow."
Now the call is out once again for the governor to exercise some leadership, and once again the question arises as to whether or not Jindal possesses that quality.
This time, it was the Louisiana Federation of Teachers calling on the governor to intervene in a squabble that arose when the Louisiana Association of Educators and the Louisiana School Boards Association called for the head of State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek.
Said LFT President Steve Monaghan, “The last thing our children need at this moment is a bitter feud between the superintendent of education and the organizations that represent teachers and school boards.”
So far, Jindal has refused to answer any questions in person. But he did issue a statement to WAFB-TV reporter David Spunt, who noted "Governor Jindal does not want to get involved."
Here is the video in which Jindal avoids yet another difficult issue.
How long Jindal can stay out of the controversy is another question. Today the Shreveport Times and the Lake Charles American Press both editorially agreed with LFT and called on the governor to demonstrate that he was elected to do more than participate in carefully staged media events.
Wrote The Times: "Clearly it's time for the principal — in this case Gov. Bobby Jindal — to step in and get these parties to a conference...Send out the invitations, Governor."
And columnist Jim Beam of the American Press wrote, "The Louisiana Federation of Teachers has shown some leadership by calling on Jindal to resolve the disputes that are hindering educational advancement...Gov. Jindal may be the only person who can get everyone involved to move past this unfortunate episode."
Now the call is out once again for the governor to exercise some leadership, and once again the question arises as to whether or not Jindal possesses that quality.
This time, it was the Louisiana Federation of Teachers calling on the governor to intervene in a squabble that arose when the Louisiana Association of Educators and the Louisiana School Boards Association called for the head of State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek.
Said LFT President Steve Monaghan, “The last thing our children need at this moment is a bitter feud between the superintendent of education and the organizations that represent teachers and school boards.”
So far, Jindal has refused to answer any questions in person. But he did issue a statement to WAFB-TV reporter David Spunt, who noted "Governor Jindal does not want to get involved."
Here is the video in which Jindal avoids yet another difficult issue.
How long Jindal can stay out of the controversy is another question. Today the Shreveport Times and the Lake Charles American Press both editorially agreed with LFT and called on the governor to demonstrate that he was elected to do more than participate in carefully staged media events.
Wrote The Times: "Clearly it's time for the principal — in this case Gov. Bobby Jindal — to step in and get these parties to a conference...Send out the invitations, Governor."
And columnist Jim Beam of the American Press wrote, "The Louisiana Federation of Teachers has shown some leadership by calling on Jindal to resolve the disputes that are hindering educational advancement...Gov. Jindal may be the only person who can get everyone involved to move past this unfortunate episode."
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Study: Disabled students more subject to corporal punishment
Alexandria blogger Lamar White, Jr. writes about this disturbing report from Human Rights Watch which demonstrates that disabled students are more likely than others to receive corporal punishment in schools.
White's revulsion at the report is understandable. He describes himself as "a disabled American," and his blog advocates passionately and effectively for his community. But the report should also shock anyone who believes, as White does, that it is "ridiculous and cruel" to lay hands on disabled children.
The report notes that the southern states have the worst record of physically abusing disabled students. In Louisiana, for example, 2.4% of students with recognized disabilities receive corporal punishment, as opposed to just 1.7% of all students.
White's revulsion at the report is understandable. He describes himself as "a disabled American," and his blog advocates passionately and effectively for his community. But the report should also shock anyone who believes, as White does, that it is "ridiculous and cruel" to lay hands on disabled children.
The report notes that the southern states have the worst record of physically abusing disabled students. In Louisiana, for example, 2.4% of students with recognized disabilities receive corporal punishment, as opposed to just 1.7% of all students.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Can't we all just get along?
The call by some organizations for State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek to be relieved of his post is a distraction from important issues facing public education.
As reported by Barbara Leader of the Monroe News-Star on Friday, the Louisiana School Boards Association has joined the call for Pastorek's scalp. That newspaper responded with an editorial calling for peace in the education community.
Pastorek has the support of his Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the governor. He's going nowhere.
Our concentration should be on the issues, policies, decisions and choices made by Pastorek, Governor Jindal and the BESE board. If we disagree with those, we should take every opportunity to explain why they are wrong for our schools and our children. And we should remind voters of those at the next election.
But personalizing the dispute can bring discussion of issues to a halt, and that's what has happened in Louisiana. Which is why LFT President Steve Monaghan has called on Governor Jindal to intercede, saying that the controversy is "counterproductive and dangerous for public education." (Click here to read the full letter to Jindal.)
The governor, Monaghan said, is the only person with sufficient stature to bring the opposing parties together in a summit aimed at establishing a civil discussion of important issues.
“Such a meeting would obviously not resolve all differences,” Monaghan wrote. “But it would help to create a framework for discussion of those differences.
“There is a grave danger that the current situation could threaten the progress our schools and our children have made. This could make it even more difficult to cooperate in the future,” Monaghan’s letter concludes. “We hope that you will lend your skills and your leadership to this situation.”
Gannett reporter Mike Hasten covered the issue in this News-Star article; Melinda Deslatte from the Associated Press wrote this story about it.
As reported by Barbara Leader of the Monroe News-Star on Friday, the Louisiana School Boards Association has joined the call for Pastorek's scalp. That newspaper responded with an editorial calling for peace in the education community.
Pastorek has the support of his Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the governor. He's going nowhere.
Our concentration should be on the issues, policies, decisions and choices made by Pastorek, Governor Jindal and the BESE board. If we disagree with those, we should take every opportunity to explain why they are wrong for our schools and our children. And we should remind voters of those at the next election.
But personalizing the dispute can bring discussion of issues to a halt, and that's what has happened in Louisiana. Which is why LFT President Steve Monaghan has called on Governor Jindal to intercede, saying that the controversy is "counterproductive and dangerous for public education." (Click here to read the full letter to Jindal.)
The governor, Monaghan said, is the only person with sufficient stature to bring the opposing parties together in a summit aimed at establishing a civil discussion of important issues.
“Such a meeting would obviously not resolve all differences,” Monaghan wrote. “But it would help to create a framework for discussion of those differences.
“There is a grave danger that the current situation could threaten the progress our schools and our children have made. This could make it even more difficult to cooperate in the future,” Monaghan’s letter concludes. “We hope that you will lend your skills and your leadership to this situation.”
Gannett reporter Mike Hasten covered the issue in this News-Star article; Melinda Deslatte from the Associated Press wrote this story about it.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Pastorek's $500,000 goof spawns lawsuit
An admitted mistake by State Superintendent of Education could cost the Union Parish School Board a half-million dollars. That has prompted the school board to file a federal lawsuit against Pastorek.
As was first reported by Monroe News-Star journalist Barbara Leader, Pastorek failed to notify the Union Parish board that a proposed charter school would be considered at the last meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
In an e-mail to Union Parish Superintendent Steve Dozier, Pastorek said he was "shocked" to learn that BESE had approved a charter for the D'Arbonne Woods Charter School.
The Union Parish board had twice refused to accept D'Arbonne Woods as a parish charter school. Supporters of the school in 2007 were granted a Type II charter, which can be approved by BESE if the local school board denies the request.
Under rules in place in 2007, the Type II charter school would have been funded completely by the state. But under new regulations, those charters are entitled to local school funds. If the school opens as scheduled on August 15, the Union Parish School Board will be forced to give it some $500,000, a significant share of the parish's $15 million education budget.
In his e-mail to Dozier, Pastorek said he did not believe BESE would grant the charter to D'Arbonne Woods:
Pastorek suggested that the parish issue a charter to the school as a way to avoid a lawsuit.
But as Barbara Leader reports in this article, the board filed a suit in federal court asking to halt the charter school from opening on August 17. U.S. District Judge Robbie James told the parties that he will try to rule quickly on the case.
Today the State Department of Education issued a terse statement from Pastorek, saying that he has "reached out" to the community and hopes that the suit can be resolved "through terms that allow both groups to successfully educate students in Union Parish."
As was first reported by Monroe News-Star journalist Barbara Leader, Pastorek failed to notify the Union Parish board that a proposed charter school would be considered at the last meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
In an e-mail to Union Parish Superintendent Steve Dozier, Pastorek said he was "shocked" to learn that BESE had approved a charter for the D'Arbonne Woods Charter School.
The Union Parish board had twice refused to accept D'Arbonne Woods as a parish charter school. Supporters of the school in 2007 were granted a Type II charter, which can be approved by BESE if the local school board denies the request.
Under rules in place in 2007, the Type II charter school would have been funded completely by the state. But under new regulations, those charters are entitled to local school funds. If the school opens as scheduled on August 15, the Union Parish School Board will be forced to give it some $500,000, a significant share of the parish's $15 million education budget.
In his e-mail to Dozier, Pastorek said he did not believe BESE would grant the charter to D'Arbonne Woods:
"My fault, I should have let you know. Frankly we were asked to bring it up in
June, but I didn't because there weren't enough votes. I was asked to bring it
up again, but didn't believe it had the votes. I was shocked that it passed."
Pastorek suggested that the parish issue a charter to the school as a way to avoid a lawsuit.
But as Barbara Leader reports in this article, the board filed a suit in federal court asking to halt the charter school from opening on August 17. U.S. District Judge Robbie James told the parties that he will try to rule quickly on the case.
Today the State Department of Education issued a terse statement from Pastorek, saying that he has "reached out" to the community and hopes that the suit can be resolved "through terms that allow both groups to successfully educate students in Union Parish."
Pastorek creates six new high-paid jobs
Apparently not satisfied that his own $400,000+ salary package doesn't tip the education pay scale far enough in the direction of the top bureaucrats, State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek wants to create a whole handful of new department bigwigs.
According to this article by Advocate reporter Marsha Shuler, it's all part of Pastorek's plan to bring Louisiana a "world class" education system.
The six news jobs would be unclassified, meaning that the employees would serve strictly at the pleasure of the superintendent. Pastorek plans to hire three"national experts" at salaries of up to $140,00 each, and three consultants at up to $80,00 each.
These employees will be in addition to the 14 unclassified positions already created by Pastorek - five of them have salaries over $100,000, Shuler reports.
Creation of the positions was approved by the State Civil Service Commission, whose members are appinted by the governor.
As Superintendent Pastorek and Governor Bobby Jindal like to point out when they disburse exorbitant salaries to their at-will employees, you have to pay top dollar to get the best talent.
According to this article by Advocate reporter Marsha Shuler, it's all part of Pastorek's plan to bring Louisiana a "world class" education system.
The six news jobs would be unclassified, meaning that the employees would serve strictly at the pleasure of the superintendent. Pastorek plans to hire three"national experts" at salaries of up to $140,00 each, and three consultants at up to $80,00 each.
These employees will be in addition to the 14 unclassified positions already created by Pastorek - five of them have salaries over $100,000, Shuler reports.
Creation of the positions was approved by the State Civil Service Commission, whose members are appinted by the governor.
As Superintendent Pastorek and Governor Bobby Jindal like to point out when they disburse exorbitant salaries to their at-will employees, you have to pay top dollar to get the best talent.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
All the news that fits, they print
There's an interesting development in the news media's coverage of the controversial career diploma program approved by the legislature earlier this year. Facts are being deliberately distorted to give the public a false impression of how school districts are reacting to the program.
With few exceptions (including the Monroe News-Star), the media opposed the career diploma option. In the worst cases, it was derided as a dummy diploma with hints of lingering racism.
So nothing made the editorial poohbahs happier than seeing a significant number of school systems apply for waivers at last week's meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
As Lake Charles American Press columnist Jim Beam put it, "Opponents of the new diploma picked up more support for their arguments last week when nearly one-third of the state’s 70 public school districts asked to be exempted from the new law’s provisions."
Or as the New Orleans Times-Picayune explained it, "These school systems, thank goodness, seem to be more concerned about academic standards than the Jindal administration or the Legislature, which created the dumbed-down diploma this year. "
Even in the non-editorial pages, supposedly dedicated to delivering straight news, spin has trumped substance.
Like in this Advocate article by reporter Will Sentell. Noting that nearly half of the state's school systems are opting out of the program, Sentell wrote, "The latest batch of districts that do not want to offer the 'career diploma' curriculum this year include East Baton Rouge, Livingston and Lafayette parishes."
To the casual reader skimming the news, it would seem that local school systems oppose the new diploma option and do not want it in their schools. Not until much farther down in Sentell's story does East Baton Rouge Parish School Board spokesman Chris Trahan explain
that the board simply wants to delay the career option for a year "because of logistical problems, not philosophical opposition to the law."
Said Trahan, “It was purely an issue of timing. We just want to ensure that we have enough time to implement a strong program.”
Beam made a similar admission, again near the bottom of his column, when he wrote, "Some districts are opting out because they don’t have enough time to get the new program off and running..."
But in both cases, that inconvenient fact was ignored until after the impression had already been created that local districts oppose the career diploma option. And it seems very deliberate.
Otherwise, the lede in stories about the issue would have been, "Concerned that tight time lines make it difficult to get a new program in place before school opens, several school systems are asking for waivers..."
With few exceptions (including the Monroe News-Star), the media opposed the career diploma option. In the worst cases, it was derided as a dummy diploma with hints of lingering racism.
So nothing made the editorial poohbahs happier than seeing a significant number of school systems apply for waivers at last week's meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
As Lake Charles American Press columnist Jim Beam put it, "Opponents of the new diploma picked up more support for their arguments last week when nearly one-third of the state’s 70 public school districts asked to be exempted from the new law’s provisions."
Or as the New Orleans Times-Picayune explained it, "These school systems, thank goodness, seem to be more concerned about academic standards than the Jindal administration or the Legislature, which created the dumbed-down diploma this year. "
Even in the non-editorial pages, supposedly dedicated to delivering straight news, spin has trumped substance.
Like in this Advocate article by reporter Will Sentell. Noting that nearly half of the state's school systems are opting out of the program, Sentell wrote, "The latest batch of districts that do not want to offer the 'career diploma' curriculum this year include East Baton Rouge, Livingston and Lafayette parishes."
To the casual reader skimming the news, it would seem that local school systems oppose the new diploma option and do not want it in their schools. Not until much farther down in Sentell's story does East Baton Rouge Parish School Board spokesman Chris Trahan explain
that the board simply wants to delay the career option for a year "because of logistical problems, not philosophical opposition to the law."
Said Trahan, “It was purely an issue of timing. We just want to ensure that we have enough time to implement a strong program.”
Beam made a similar admission, again near the bottom of his column, when he wrote, "Some districts are opting out because they don’t have enough time to get the new program off and running..."
But in both cases, that inconvenient fact was ignored until after the impression had already been created that local districts oppose the career diploma option. And it seems very deliberate.
Otherwise, the lede in stories about the issue would have been, "Concerned that tight time lines make it difficult to get a new program in place before school opens, several school systems are asking for waivers..."
Monday, August 3, 2009
Irony: Press release welcomes RSD teachers, news report notes firing of RSD teachers
On the same day that the Recovery School District issued this statement to the news media:
The Times-Picayune posted this story by reporter Sarah Carr noting that over 100 teachers and school employees in RSD schools have been fired.
According to the article, many of those who lost their jobs are veterans who say they are being replaced with Teach for America volunteers who can be hired for much less money. TFA officials dispute that claim.
One thing is indisputably true for teachers who work in Recovery District Schools: they surrender all rights when they enter the door. As Carr's article puts it: "Seniority guarantees nothing, collective bargaining does not exist, and teachers keep their jobs only at the discretion of their principals."
NEW ORLEANS, LA.- Recovery School District (RSD) Superintendent Paul Vallas will deliver remarks
to hundreds of new and returning RSD school-based staff, including school
administrators and teachers, at the Opening of School Convocation, Tuesday,
August 4, 2009, at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, 2515 Franklin Ave. in New
Orleans. The program will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the church. The
event also will feature a special announcement by the New Orleans Hornets....
The Times-Picayune posted this story by reporter Sarah Carr noting that over 100 teachers and school employees in RSD schools have been fired.
According to the article, many of those who lost their jobs are veterans who say they are being replaced with Teach for America volunteers who can be hired for much less money. TFA officials dispute that claim.
One thing is indisputably true for teachers who work in Recovery District Schools: they surrender all rights when they enter the door. As Carr's article puts it: "Seniority guarantees nothing, collective bargaining does not exist, and teachers keep their jobs only at the discretion of their principals."
Editorial supports career diploma
The Monroe News-Star has a strongly worded editorial criticizing those who unfairly label the new career diploma as having somehow "dumbed down" education.
The editorial makes an important point about those who are so sure the new graduation program makes a mockery out of education reform: What is their alternative?
The career diploma was created to give some hope to the 35% of Louisiana ninth graders who will not graduate from high school. Until now, the only remedy proposed for the state's obscenely high dropout rate was to make school more "rigorous."
By adding a good dose of relevance to the state's rigorous curriculum, the News-Star argues, the career diploma may also offer hope to struggling students:
The editorial acknowledges that 19 school systems asked to opt out of the career diploma program at a meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education last week. Not all of them asked for a waiver because they don't believe in the program. Most of them simply believed they could not have a workable program in operation by the time school starts this year.
The editorial makes an important point about those who are so sure the new graduation program makes a mockery out of education reform: What is their alternative?
The career diploma was created to give some hope to the 35% of Louisiana ninth graders who will not graduate from high school. Until now, the only remedy proposed for the state's obscenely high dropout rate was to make school more "rigorous."
By adding a good dose of relevance to the state's rigorous curriculum, the News-Star argues, the career diploma may also offer hope to struggling students:
It will engage students who don't intend to go to college and who otherwise
might disengage from high school. It may not encourage them to try calculus or
advanced physics or AP courses, but it will challenge them to master enough
English and math skills that they can pursue technical training or
job-preparation coursework through the technical colleges. It may prepare them
with enough skills to gain employment in the trades. It may keep them in school.
It may direct them for successful lives.
The editorial acknowledges that 19 school systems asked to opt out of the career diploma program at a meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education last week. Not all of them asked for a waiver because they don't believe in the program. Most of them simply believed they could not have a workable program in operation by the time school starts this year.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
News video: Audit shows BR school takeover failing
Despite the good intentions of Advance Baton Rouge, the non-profit group chosen by the state Recovery School District to run Prescott Middle School as a charter, indications are that the experiment is failing.
WAFB-TV reporter Tyana Williams studied the RSD's own internal investigation before filing this story on Friday night's newscast (there's a short commercial before the report begins).
A three-member RSD team created the Prescott report, which included these damning revelations about the school:
The CEO of Advance Baton Rouge, Henry Shepard, told reporter Williams that the "report is very accurate."
The school's new principal says he hopes to provide an "organizational structure conducive to learning," but that it may take three or four years to see results.
At the close of the report, WAFB anchor Donna Britt made a cogent statement: "The community has got to rally around Prescott."
That identifies the real problem with Prescott and many other so-called "failing schools." The schools are part of a larger community, and reflect the pathologies of the community at large.
Improving schools is part of the equation, but the answer lies in lifting up the whole community. Unless we take a bolder, broader approach that encompasses all the ills of impoverished communities, school takeovers and "reform" will not permanently improve student performance.
WAFB-TV reporter Tyana Williams studied the RSD's own internal investigation before filing this story on Friday night's newscast (there's a short commercial before the report begins).
A three-member RSD team created the Prescott report, which included these damning revelations about the school:
- Problems at the school range from Advance Baton Rouge's management to the behavior of the students themselves.
- Students at Prescott still score below basic in math and reading
- The school has had three principals since becoming a charter a year ago.
- Of 33 teachers on staff, many are neither certified or highly qualified.
- Twenty students were suspended in a four-day period.
- Report cards were not sent out after one grading period due to lack of postage.
The CEO of Advance Baton Rouge, Henry Shepard, told reporter Williams that the "report is very accurate."
The school's new principal says he hopes to provide an "organizational structure conducive to learning," but that it may take three or four years to see results.
At the close of the report, WAFB anchor Donna Britt made a cogent statement: "The community has got to rally around Prescott."
That identifies the real problem with Prescott and many other so-called "failing schools." The schools are part of a larger community, and reflect the pathologies of the community at large.
Improving schools is part of the equation, but the answer lies in lifting up the whole community. Unless we take a bolder, broader approach that encompasses all the ills of impoverished communities, school takeovers and "reform" will not permanently improve student performance.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Jefferson parternship enhances teacher professionalism
Here's a good story to follow as the Jefferson Federation of Teachers negotiates its new contract with the school board. Times-Picayune reporter Barri Bronston is tracking JFT's efforts to rein in the school system's interval testing program.
It is an important story because it demonstrates the power of collective bargaining to bring teachers' perspectives to education issues. While it is commonly believed that bargaining only affects salaries and benefits, partnership with the board also gives teachers a voice in their professional responsibilities.
The issue at hand is interval testing, a series of six tests that administrators feel better prepare students for standardized tests. JFT President Meladie Munch agrees that the tests may have some value, but that too much testing robs teachers of valuable classroom time.
Because of the collective bargaining agreement, the board must listen to the concerns of educators and incorporate them into policy. The contract guarantees the professionalism of professional educators.
It is an important story because it demonstrates the power of collective bargaining to bring teachers' perspectives to education issues. While it is commonly believed that bargaining only affects salaries and benefits, partnership with the board also gives teachers a voice in their professional responsibilities.
The issue at hand is interval testing, a series of six tests that administrators feel better prepare students for standardized tests. JFT President Meladie Munch agrees that the tests may have some value, but that too much testing robs teachers of valuable classroom time.
Because of the collective bargaining agreement, the board must listen to the concerns of educators and incorporate them into policy. The contract guarantees the professionalism of professional educators.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Race to the Top fund raising questions
A week ago, President Obama announced his new education initiative. The "Race to the Top" fund, with almost $5 billion earmarked for teacher raises, is getting a lot of attention.
The pieces have not yet all fallen into place, and it's too early to predict just how the funding will come down. As noted in a previous EdLog post, teachers are concerned about a requirement that states have no restrictions against tying teacher pay to student achievement.
How that rule is interpreted by the states will have a lot to do with whether or not the Obama plan is accepted by teachers and their professional organizations.
Reporter Daniel McBride with the Daily Comet in Thibodaux is one of the first Louisiana reporters to visit the issue. Here is his story.
The pieces have not yet all fallen into place, and it's too early to predict just how the funding will come down. As noted in a previous EdLog post, teachers are concerned about a requirement that states have no restrictions against tying teacher pay to student achievement.
How that rule is interpreted by the states will have a lot to do with whether or not the Obama plan is accepted by teachers and their professional organizations.
Reporter Daniel McBride with the Daily Comet in Thibodaux is one of the first Louisiana reporters to visit the issue. Here is his story.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Jarvis DeBerry gets it all wrong
Times-Picayune columnist Jarvis DeBerry gets it all wrong in this screed against the alternate diploma bill approved by the legislature this year.
It is tempting to forgive him because we understand where he is coming from. For too many years, school systems used tracking to dampen the futures of African-American students, poor white students or anyone else from the wrong side of the class divide.
But that was then and this is now. Thirty five percent of the students who enter Louisiana's high schools won't graduate. Some estimates put it closer to 50%, counting those who drop out before eighth grade.
There are a lot of reasons for that, most having to do with our state's ignoble history of downplaying the importance of education. It was once possible for an uneducated person to make a decent, if hard, living in the oil patch or on a shrimp boat. Scores of politicians built their careers pandering to ignorance and making fun of intellectualism.
But that was then and this is now. Jobs in the oil patch have dried up. Cheap foreign imports have dry docked our once-proud shrimping fleet. Kids who drop out have few options and little chance for success.
Leaders finally came to understand that an educated work force is the bootstrap we must use to pull ourselves up from poverty. So far, so good. But at some point, the aim of public education became to push every child through a college prep curriculum. Rigor became the buzzword driving the education reform agenda.
Somehow, our leaders came to believe that if too many children were dropping out of school, the solution was to make school harder. Test them relentlessly, and fail them for a single shortfall.
DeBerry contends that the career diploma is mean-spirited, but what could be meaner than a high-stakes, pass/fail system that degrades any other accomplishments a student may have?
The column seems to be based on the unwarranted contention that the career diploma "is inherently shameful because it encourages adults to give up on their young students and those students to give up on themselves."
The columnist absorbed all the talking points made against the career diploma, even quoting George H.W. Bush to deride supporters as guilty of "the soft bigotry of low expectations."
You might hear a very different story from the teachers at our community colleges and technical schools. They haven't given up on students and they don't have low expectations. There is rigor in those schools, just as there will be in the alternative diploma programs.
The difference will be another word that begins with "R": Relevance. Bright students who don't necessarily see the virtue of a college-prep curriculum will be able to focus their energies, talents and ambitions on learning facts and skills with real applications to their lives.
Contrary to DeBerry's demeaning assertions, students earning career diplomas won't necessarily learn less than others, but they will learn it differently.
Teachers want their students to succeed. That's why they have been so frustrated with a system that tries to squeeze all children into a mold that many simply don't fit. The career diploma can give more children a way to succeed in school and to find their life's passion. And it can reduce our state's truly shameful dropout rate.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
It is tempting to forgive him because we understand where he is coming from. For too many years, school systems used tracking to dampen the futures of African-American students, poor white students or anyone else from the wrong side of the class divide.
But that was then and this is now. Thirty five percent of the students who enter Louisiana's high schools won't graduate. Some estimates put it closer to 50%, counting those who drop out before eighth grade.
There are a lot of reasons for that, most having to do with our state's ignoble history of downplaying the importance of education. It was once possible for an uneducated person to make a decent, if hard, living in the oil patch or on a shrimp boat. Scores of politicians built their careers pandering to ignorance and making fun of intellectualism.
But that was then and this is now. Jobs in the oil patch have dried up. Cheap foreign imports have dry docked our once-proud shrimping fleet. Kids who drop out have few options and little chance for success.
Leaders finally came to understand that an educated work force is the bootstrap we must use to pull ourselves up from poverty. So far, so good. But at some point, the aim of public education became to push every child through a college prep curriculum. Rigor became the buzzword driving the education reform agenda.
Somehow, our leaders came to believe that if too many children were dropping out of school, the solution was to make school harder. Test them relentlessly, and fail them for a single shortfall.
DeBerry contends that the career diploma is mean-spirited, but what could be meaner than a high-stakes, pass/fail system that degrades any other accomplishments a student may have?
The column seems to be based on the unwarranted contention that the career diploma "is inherently shameful because it encourages adults to give up on their young students and those students to give up on themselves."
The columnist absorbed all the talking points made against the career diploma, even quoting George H.W. Bush to deride supporters as guilty of "the soft bigotry of low expectations."
You might hear a very different story from the teachers at our community colleges and technical schools. They haven't given up on students and they don't have low expectations. There is rigor in those schools, just as there will be in the alternative diploma programs.
The difference will be another word that begins with "R": Relevance. Bright students who don't necessarily see the virtue of a college-prep curriculum will be able to focus their energies, talents and ambitions on learning facts and skills with real applications to their lives.
Contrary to DeBerry's demeaning assertions, students earning career diplomas won't necessarily learn less than others, but they will learn it differently.
Teachers want their students to succeed. That's why they have been so frustrated with a system that tries to squeeze all children into a mold that many simply don't fit. The career diploma can give more children a way to succeed in school and to find their life's passion. And it can reduce our state's truly shameful dropout rate.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Some districts want career diploma waivers
This week, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education accepted requests from 19 school systems asking to opt out of the newly-created career diploma program.
According to this press release, the waivers were approved at a special BESE meeting called to discuss the criteria for the career diploma program.
Some decisions about criteria were made at the meeting, but most were postponed until September, giving the State Department of Education staff time to study the policy issues involved, and to meet with "stakeholders" about coursework, curriculum and assessment requirements.
According to this press release, the waivers were approved at a special BESE meeting called to discuss the criteria for the career diploma program.
Some decisions about criteria were made at the meeting, but most were postponed until September, giving the State Department of Education staff time to study the policy issues involved, and to meet with "stakeholders" about coursework, curriculum and assessment requirements.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Paul Pastorek: wrong target
It might feel good to demand the head of the State Department of Education, especially when the policies coming from his department seem dedicated to a.) blaming teachers for most of the ills of public education, b.) narrowly focusing on single, high-stakes tests to judge student performance, c.) taking over and chartering as many schools as possible and d.) spending as much money as possible on private contractors to do work that could be done for less by qualified state employees.
But that is only so if you believe that Superintendent Paul Pastorek is a rogue agent, acting on his own volition against the wishes of the governor who supported his reappointment to office and gave him a ginormous pay raise to boot.
The facts are, as LFT President Steve Monaghan pointed out, that elections have consequences, and that Pastorek's policies emanate directly from Governor Bobby Jindal's office.
And Gov. Jindal has a big agenda that stretches far beyond the boundaries of Louisiana.
Today's editorial in The Advocate dwells on the disconnect between Jindal's spin on the state of the state and the reality in which we live. It is a disconnect required by the governor's ambition for higher office.
It is that same ambition that prompts Pastorek to push for questionable goals in the name of "education reform," goals designed more to satisfy an ultraconservative national base than to improve our schools.
The governor has already signalled his unwavering support for the prickly Pastorek. The superintendent has already stated that he has no intention of stepping down. It is in fact doubtful that the superintendent would leave now under almost any circumstances. In the glare of the national spotlight, that might make the governor look weak.
Bobby Jindal is the governor, and those in his cabinet do his bidding. His agenda can be defeated, as was shown in the recent legislative session. But to focus on one of his water-carriers is to waste time on a side-show instead of the main event.
But that is only so if you believe that Superintendent Paul Pastorek is a rogue agent, acting on his own volition against the wishes of the governor who supported his reappointment to office and gave him a ginormous pay raise to boot.
The facts are, as LFT President Steve Monaghan pointed out, that elections have consequences, and that Pastorek's policies emanate directly from Governor Bobby Jindal's office.
And Gov. Jindal has a big agenda that stretches far beyond the boundaries of Louisiana.
Today's editorial in The Advocate dwells on the disconnect between Jindal's spin on the state of the state and the reality in which we live. It is a disconnect required by the governor's ambition for higher office.
It is that same ambition that prompts Pastorek to push for questionable goals in the name of "education reform," goals designed more to satisfy an ultraconservative national base than to improve our schools.
The governor has already signalled his unwavering support for the prickly Pastorek. The superintendent has already stated that he has no intention of stepping down. It is in fact doubtful that the superintendent would leave now under almost any circumstances. In the glare of the national spotlight, that might make the governor look weak.
Bobby Jindal is the governor, and those in his cabinet do his bidding. His agenda can be defeated, as was shown in the recent legislative session. But to focus on one of his water-carriers is to waste time on a side-show instead of the main event.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Obama announces "Race to the Top" fund
Not everyone is happy with the strings tied to President Barack Obama's nearly $5 billion "Race to the Top" fund , but union leaders like AFT President Randi Weingarten say it's too early to make strong pronouncements.
Many of those opposed to teacher unionism are gloating at the fund's requirement that states allow the use of student achievement data to evaluate teacher performance. Unions like the American Federation of Teachers have traditionally opposed such linkage.
But union opponents could be reading too much into the apparent philosophical divide. After all, the president left no doubt that he sees a vital role for unions in school improvement. He singled out Weingarten's great leadership of a professional union and, when it comes to problems such as turning around low-performing schools, he encouraged local union leaders to work with other stakeholders in "making collective bargaining a catalyst and not an impediment to reform."
Said Weingarten, "President Obama emphasized the importance of working with teachers and their unions to implement successful education reform, saying that collective bargaining can be a catalyst—not an impediment—to reform. He recognizes that this work must be done with teachers, not to teachers."
The Race to the Top fund will provide grants to encourage and reward states for plans in four core education reform areas aimed at improving teacher and principal quality, academic standards, data collection and turning around low-performing schools.
"Will we agree with everything? I doubt it," said Weingarten. "But hopefully we will agree that teacher evaluations must be improved the right way. We need meaningful, fair and multiple measures for supporting and evaluating teachers so that evaluations aren't based on one observation by a principal or one standardized test score."
The AFT president concluded, "Both the president and Secretary Duncan understand that teachers are essential to education reform and that their voices need to be heard as we launch this major offensive to improve public education."
The Associated Press filed this story about the president's announcement of the Race to the Top fund.
Many of those opposed to teacher unionism are gloating at the fund's requirement that states allow the use of student achievement data to evaluate teacher performance. Unions like the American Federation of Teachers have traditionally opposed such linkage.
But union opponents could be reading too much into the apparent philosophical divide. After all, the president left no doubt that he sees a vital role for unions in school improvement. He singled out Weingarten's great leadership of a professional union and, when it comes to problems such as turning around low-performing schools, he encouraged local union leaders to work with other stakeholders in "making collective bargaining a catalyst and not an impediment to reform."
Said Weingarten, "President Obama emphasized the importance of working with teachers and their unions to implement successful education reform, saying that collective bargaining can be a catalyst—not an impediment—to reform. He recognizes that this work must be done with teachers, not to teachers."
The Race to the Top fund will provide grants to encourage and reward states for plans in four core education reform areas aimed at improving teacher and principal quality, academic standards, data collection and turning around low-performing schools.
"Will we agree with everything? I doubt it," said Weingarten. "But hopefully we will agree that teacher evaluations must be improved the right way. We need meaningful, fair and multiple measures for supporting and evaluating teachers so that evaluations aren't based on one observation by a principal or one standardized test score."
The AFT president concluded, "Both the president and Secretary Duncan understand that teachers are essential to education reform and that their voices need to be heard as we launch this major offensive to improve public education."
The Associated Press filed this story about the president's announcement of the Race to the Top fund.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Voucher schemers fill Jindal's kitty
Want to know how the education strings get pulled in the Bobby Jindal administration? Advocate reporter Marsha Shuler has the goods in this story about the pile of money that's been collected to advance his program.
About one-fourth of the $1.05 million raised for "Believe in Louisiana," a non-profit organization formed to shill for the governor's agenda, was donated by a school voucher outfit from Washington, D.C. called Advocates for School Choice. Coincidentally(?) the contribution was made just as Jindal's voucher scheme was being considered in the 2008 session.
Another $100,000 came from failed Senate candidate (and voucher supporter) Lee Domingue, who was endorsed by Jindal in his ill-fated run against Dan Claitor. Houston millionaire Bob J. Perry, identified in the article as "the chief financial backer of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth challenging Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry’s military record" also kicked in.
And the mastermind behind the "Believe in Louisiana" fund? None other than Baton Rouge Business Report publisher and voucher supporter Rolfe McCollister, recently featured in EdLog as the hatchet man behind the campaign to discredit Board of Elementary and Secondary Education member Tammie McDaniel of Monroe.
It will be no surprise when voucher schemes pop up in future legislative sessions, with mega advertising budgets paid for by "Believe in Louisiana."
About one-fourth of the $1.05 million raised for "Believe in Louisiana," a non-profit organization formed to shill for the governor's agenda, was donated by a school voucher outfit from Washington, D.C. called Advocates for School Choice. Coincidentally(?) the contribution was made just as Jindal's voucher scheme was being considered in the 2008 session.
Another $100,000 came from failed Senate candidate (and voucher supporter) Lee Domingue, who was endorsed by Jindal in his ill-fated run against Dan Claitor. Houston millionaire Bob J. Perry, identified in the article as "the chief financial backer of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth challenging Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry’s military record" also kicked in.
And the mastermind behind the "Believe in Louisiana" fund? None other than Baton Rouge Business Report publisher and voucher supporter Rolfe McCollister, recently featured in EdLog as the hatchet man behind the campaign to discredit Board of Elementary and Secondary Education member Tammie McDaniel of Monroe.
It will be no surprise when voucher schemes pop up in future legislative sessions, with mega advertising budgets paid for by "Believe in Louisiana."
Jindal rethinks college panel makeup
Governor Jindal has "reevaluated" his appointments to the Tucker Commission studying higher education in the state. According to reporter Advocate Jordan Blum, the governor will un-appoint the chairmen of the LSU and Southern University systems and replace them with neutral parties. LSU and Southern will have appointees with non-voting status, as will the University of Louisiana and Community and Technical College systems.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Federation survey goes to Tangi board
The Tangiphoa Federation of Teachers made public the results of a teacher survey, and discipline leads the list of issues that concern educators. Advocate reporter Debra Lemoine covered the story here.
ULL, LCTCS cry foul
Want to know why the University of Louisiana System and the Community and Technical College System are crying foul?
One of the Jindal administration's successes in the recently concluded legislative session was the creation of the so-called Tucker Commission. Named for Speaker of the House Jim Tucker, who wrote the resolution authorizing the commission, the nine member panel is to come up with a road map for Louisiana's higher education future.
The idea is that Louisiana has too many four-year institutions with too many overlapping programs. It was accepted at the capitol that this model is fiscally unsustainable, and that changes must be made.
In order to remove state politics from the equation as much as possible, the commission is supposed include four outside experts, along with two gubernatorial appointees, the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate or their appointees, and the chairman of the Board of Regents or his appointee.
The governor appointed the chairmen of the boards of LSU and Southern to the commission, but nobody thought to include ULL or LCTC in the mix.
According to this story by Advocate reporter Jordan Blum, the panel may be expanded to include reps from those systems. The catch is, they won't be able to vote.
One of the Jindal administration's successes in the recently concluded legislative session was the creation of the so-called Tucker Commission. Named for Speaker of the House Jim Tucker, who wrote the resolution authorizing the commission, the nine member panel is to come up with a road map for Louisiana's higher education future.
The idea is that Louisiana has too many four-year institutions with too many overlapping programs. It was accepted at the capitol that this model is fiscally unsustainable, and that changes must be made.
In order to remove state politics from the equation as much as possible, the commission is supposed include four outside experts, along with two gubernatorial appointees, the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate or their appointees, and the chairman of the Board of Regents or his appointee.
The governor appointed the chairmen of the boards of LSU and Southern to the commission, but nobody thought to include ULL or LCTC in the mix.
According to this story by Advocate reporter Jordan Blum, the panel may be expanded to include reps from those systems. The catch is, they won't be able to vote.
Monday, July 20, 2009
BESE soap opera continues
In EdLog's last post before going on summer hiatus, we learned that Gov. Bobby Jindal wanted Tammie McDaniel, one of his three appointees to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, to step down. As we return, the drama is still playing out. And it's getting nasty.
The governor gave no reason for his request, other than that he expected all his appointees to conform to his "reform agenda."
To most observers, McDaniel has been a loyal water-carrier for Jindal and scrupulously towed the line for her liege. The only question in any one's mind was whether or not she would accede to Jindal's request. Unlike some gubernatorial appointments, BESE members don't serve at the governor's pleasure. They are approved by the Senate, their terms are concurrent with the governor's, and they don't have to resign when asked. McDaniel can stay through the end of Jindal's current term if she wishes.
McDaniel says she'll stay, thank you very much.
According to this column by AP reporter Melinda Desattte, McDaniel has drawn support from her native Ouachita Parish, where she was a strategist for Jindal's election campaign.
Her colleagues on the BESE board seem to support her decision to stay and question why the governor wants her gone.
That has been the big unanswered question. Philosophically, she seems to be in lockstep with the governor's brand of evangelical conservatism. But she does have an independent streak, and most observers believe that her real nemesis is Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek.
McDaniel has publicly questioned him about insurance payments in New Orleans recovery district schools, among other things connected to the RSD. Her issues, it seems, have not been with Jindal's agenda but with Pastorek's management.
To this point, it certainly seems that McDaniel is the aggrieved party, a conservative educator and supporter of the governor who ran afoul of the powerful and prickly Pastorek. And since Jindal won't go public with his rationale, that has been the story. Until...
Enter Baton Rouge Business Report publisher Rolfe McCollister. Ever ready to do the dirty knife work of big business, McCollister happily shivs McDaniel in this column, a prime example of conservatives turning on their own.
McCollister calls McDaniel in turn a liar, an enemy of reform, strange, rude and an embarrassment. What had been a fairly civil, if unprecedented, disagreement between a governor and his appointee turned nasty.
So now the question is, whose dirty knife work is McCollister doing? Was it Jindal or Pastorek who dropped the dime on Tammie McDaniel and called in the assassin? What is the next chapter in this sordid tale of insider intrigue?
The governor gave no reason for his request, other than that he expected all his appointees to conform to his "reform agenda."
To most observers, McDaniel has been a loyal water-carrier for Jindal and scrupulously towed the line for her liege. The only question in any one's mind was whether or not she would accede to Jindal's request. Unlike some gubernatorial appointments, BESE members don't serve at the governor's pleasure. They are approved by the Senate, their terms are concurrent with the governor's, and they don't have to resign when asked. McDaniel can stay through the end of Jindal's current term if she wishes.
McDaniel says she'll stay, thank you very much.
According to this column by AP reporter Melinda Desattte, McDaniel has drawn support from her native Ouachita Parish, where she was a strategist for Jindal's election campaign.
Her colleagues on the BESE board seem to support her decision to stay and question why the governor wants her gone.
That has been the big unanswered question. Philosophically, she seems to be in lockstep with the governor's brand of evangelical conservatism. But she does have an independent streak, and most observers believe that her real nemesis is Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek.
McDaniel has publicly questioned him about insurance payments in New Orleans recovery district schools, among other things connected to the RSD. Her issues, it seems, have not been with Jindal's agenda but with Pastorek's management.
To this point, it certainly seems that McDaniel is the aggrieved party, a conservative educator and supporter of the governor who ran afoul of the powerful and prickly Pastorek. And since Jindal won't go public with his rationale, that has been the story. Until...
Enter Baton Rouge Business Report publisher Rolfe McCollister. Ever ready to do the dirty knife work of big business, McCollister happily shivs McDaniel in this column, a prime example of conservatives turning on their own.
McCollister calls McDaniel in turn a liar, an enemy of reform, strange, rude and an embarrassment. What had been a fairly civil, if unprecedented, disagreement between a governor and his appointee turned nasty.
So now the question is, whose dirty knife work is McCollister doing? Was it Jindal or Pastorek who dropped the dime on Tammie McDaniel and called in the assassin? What is the next chapter in this sordid tale of insider intrigue?
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Jindal boots booster from BESE
Governor Bobby Jindal couldn't have asked for a more loyal appointee than Monroe's Tammie McDaniel on the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. She was one of his top strategists during the governor's election campaign, and as a BESE member she has towed the administration line admirably.
One of three gubernatorial appointees to BESE, McDaniel has been a consistent vote to guarantee that the governor gets what he wants out of the state's highest education board.
But McDaniel apparently has an ethical streak which caused her to question the millions of dollars being spent for insurance in state Recovery School District schools in New Orleans.
According to this story by Gannett reporter Mike Hasten, that put her at odds with Jindal's man in the Claiborne Building, Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek. The superintendent was not please with McDaniel's observation that RSD, like all other school systems in the state, has money from local and federal sources to pay for the insurance.
As Hasten delicately put it in his article, "...Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek, who is close to the governor, is often protective of the RSD and considers its success a priority."
If Pastorek is behind Jindal's move against McDaniel, he may not be serving the governor well. The article includes numerous comments from North Louisiana lawmakers in support if McDaniel. Some are urging him to rescind his request that she resign.
And then there are the comments that follow the article, which at this point unanimously support McDaniel. Can the governor afford to alienate this many people in North Louisiana? That part of the state strongly supported his election, and he may need them again in 2011.
One of three gubernatorial appointees to BESE, McDaniel has been a consistent vote to guarantee that the governor gets what he wants out of the state's highest education board.
But McDaniel apparently has an ethical streak which caused her to question the millions of dollars being spent for insurance in state Recovery School District schools in New Orleans.
According to this story by Gannett reporter Mike Hasten, that put her at odds with Jindal's man in the Claiborne Building, Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek. The superintendent was not please with McDaniel's observation that RSD, like all other school systems in the state, has money from local and federal sources to pay for the insurance.
As Hasten delicately put it in his article, "...Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek, who is close to the governor, is often protective of the RSD and considers its success a priority."
If Pastorek is behind Jindal's move against McDaniel, he may not be serving the governor well. The article includes numerous comments from North Louisiana lawmakers in support if McDaniel. Some are urging him to rescind his request that she resign.
And then there are the comments that follow the article, which at this point unanimously support McDaniel. Can the governor afford to alienate this many people in North Louisiana? That part of the state strongly supported his election, and he may need them again in 2011.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Expert teachers raise student scores
Imagine this: classroom teachers, left to their own devices and professional judgment, pulled math scores in a Florida elementary school up from a collective "D" to a "B."
How did they do it? By putting away the textbooks and using their skills. As this story by St. Petersburg Times reporter Sylvia Lim demonstrates, canned curricula and top-down mandates are no substitute for the expertise of a highly trained professional:
Instead of textbooks, teachers used games, group assignments and other materials. They also focused on showing students different ways to solve the same problem.
"We get to pull activities targeted for higher level of engagement with students, rather than using textbooks or worksheets," said teacher Denise White, who helped rewrite the curriculum.
Let this story serve as an object lesson to those who believe that all we need is a rigorous state-mandated curriculum, high-stakes tests, a handful of consultants and a few warm bodies in front of the classroom to keep the students "on task." It all comes back to excellent teachers who are allowed to exercise their professional judgment.
How did they do it? By putting away the textbooks and using their skills. As this story by St. Petersburg Times reporter Sylvia Lim demonstrates, canned curricula and top-down mandates are no substitute for the expertise of a highly trained professional:
Instead of textbooks, teachers used games, group assignments and other materials. They also focused on showing students different ways to solve the same problem.
"We get to pull activities targeted for higher level of engagement with students, rather than using textbooks or worksheets," said teacher Denise White, who helped rewrite the curriculum.
Let this story serve as an object lesson to those who believe that all we need is a rigorous state-mandated curriculum, high-stakes tests, a handful of consultants and a few warm bodies in front of the classroom to keep the students "on task." It all comes back to excellent teachers who are allowed to exercise their professional judgment.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
A fair comparison
The Advocate has a compare-and-contrast editorial on today's opinion page that borrows heavily from an op-ed written by Bob Mann back in March for the New Orleans Times Picayune.
The theme of both pieces is that during the great depression, in the 1930s, Governor Huey Long wisely made LSU a top funding priority. The result was a flowering of academic excellence that included the genesis of LSU Press and The Southern Review.
How does Gov. Bobby Jindal measure up to the standard set by The Kingfish, according to historian Mann?
What's lacking today is what Mann - and a growing number of observers around the state - is the kind of visionary leadership that convinced Long to put education first in an economy that, by any standard, was much worse than today's economic downturn.
The theme of both pieces is that during the great depression, in the 1930s, Governor Huey Long wisely made LSU a top funding priority. The result was a flowering of academic excellence that included the genesis of LSU Press and The Southern Review.
How does Gov. Bobby Jindal measure up to the standard set by The Kingfish, according to historian Mann?
Today, Louisiana is governed by another young governor into whose hands
history has thrust the responsibility of balancing his state's budget during
dire economic times. Bobby Jindal's imaginative response to this crisis? Slash
by 15 percent the budgets of LSU and other state-funded colleges and
universities.
What's lacking today is what Mann - and a growing number of observers around the state - is the kind of visionary leadership that convinced Long to put education first in an economy that, by any standard, was much worse than today's economic downturn.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
So what is Plan B?
The House of Representatives turned down a last gasp effort to raise $118 million for higher education by postponing a tax break for wealthier taxpayers, Advocate reporter Michelle Millhollon writes here. Higher education still faces devastating budget cuts. What's the plan, leaders?
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Another fine mess
Comic Oliver Hardy ended any number of the classic short films he made with partner Stan Laurel with the line: "This is another fine mess you've gotten us into."
The comment comes to mind after reading the last line of this Advocate editorial about how the state got into the sorry economic mess we're facing.
It was the questionable actions of our so-called "leaders" that made Louisiana's mess worse than it ought to be. By reversing the reforms embodied in the 2002 Stelly plan, they made the current situation inevitable. As the Advocate puts it:
Now, the Gray Lady of Baton Rouge says, it's time to fix the mess. If not, it will get worse because federal tax changes could cost Louisiana another $200 million per year in lost revenues.
The problem is, any fix will require our wealthier citizens to pony up a bit more, and they are the same ones who pitched such a fit over the Stelly reforms. We could see the coming of another fine mess they're getting us into.
The comment comes to mind after reading the last line of this Advocate editorial about how the state got into the sorry economic mess we're facing.
It was the questionable actions of our so-called "leaders" that made Louisiana's mess worse than it ought to be. By reversing the reforms embodied in the 2002 Stelly plan, they made the current situation inevitable. As the Advocate puts it:
When the Legislature was flush with money, just two short years ago, the
warning signs were already out: Record-high oil prices and hurricane-recovery
revenues would not last forever. But the temptation was too great, and lawmakers
under Govs. Kathleen Blanco and Bobby Jindal drastically cut state income
taxes.
Now, the Gray Lady of Baton Rouge says, it's time to fix the mess. If not, it will get worse because federal tax changes could cost Louisiana another $200 million per year in lost revenues.
The problem is, any fix will require our wealthier citizens to pony up a bit more, and they are the same ones who pitched such a fit over the Stelly reforms. We could see the coming of another fine mess they're getting us into.
Jindal may intervene in alternative school flap
Reported by Gannett's Mike Hasten: Gov. Bobby Jindal, who has threatened to veto a bill protecting the Ewell S. Aiken Optional School in Alexandria from state takeover, may have a compromise in the works.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Picayune: Pastorek "dressed down" by lawmaker
As was reported in the LFT's Weekly Legislative Digest (click here and scroll down), State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek had a bad day in the legislature on Thursday.
The Senate Education Committee's decision to endorse a bill protecting one Rapides Parish alternative school from state takeover was a reproof to both Pastorek and Gov. Bobby Jindal,who sent his education advisor to testify against the bill. The governor also sent lawmakers a note saying he would veto the bill if it passes.
As reported here by The Times-Picayune's Bill Barrow, the Pastorek's defeat came on the heels of a "blistering critique" by Sen. Yvonne Dorsey (D-Baton Rouge).
What has insiders puzzled is the simple fact that this train wreck didn't have to happen.
At issue is the Ewell S. Aiken Optional School, which gives over age and non-traditional students a chance to earn a high school diploma. While the school's test scores have risen over the years, it meets the current state criteria for the takeover of an academically unacceptable school.
Rep. Herbert Dixon, author of the bill in question, and the Rapides Parish School Board say it is unreasonable to apply state accountability rules to alternative schools.
The state in fact agrees, and the Department of Education is working on a different set of standards for alternative schools.
What Rep. Dixon and the Rapides Parish School Board wanted was a letter from Pastorek, agreeing that if the Aiken school complies with the new guidelines, the school will be returned to parish control.
The state superintendent refused, setting events in motion that led to his spanking in the Senate committee room last week.
The Senate Education Committee's decision to endorse a bill protecting one Rapides Parish alternative school from state takeover was a reproof to both Pastorek and Gov. Bobby Jindal,who sent his education advisor to testify against the bill. The governor also sent lawmakers a note saying he would veto the bill if it passes.
As reported here by The Times-Picayune's Bill Barrow, the Pastorek's defeat came on the heels of a "blistering critique" by Sen. Yvonne Dorsey (D-Baton Rouge).
What has insiders puzzled is the simple fact that this train wreck didn't have to happen.
At issue is the Ewell S. Aiken Optional School, which gives over age and non-traditional students a chance to earn a high school diploma. While the school's test scores have risen over the years, it meets the current state criteria for the takeover of an academically unacceptable school.
Rep. Herbert Dixon, author of the bill in question, and the Rapides Parish School Board say it is unreasonable to apply state accountability rules to alternative schools.
The state in fact agrees, and the Department of Education is working on a different set of standards for alternative schools.
What Rep. Dixon and the Rapides Parish School Board wanted was a letter from Pastorek, agreeing that if the Aiken school complies with the new guidelines, the school will be returned to parish control.
The state superintendent refused, setting events in motion that led to his spanking in the Senate committee room last week.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Where is the leadership?
From the left and the right, there is a call going out in Baton Rouge: Where is the leadership? Lack of that most important character trait is dragging this legislative session to a most unsatisfactory close.
In this BayouBuzzcolumn, Louisiana Weekly editor Christopher Tidmore focuses on a couple of issues, including the bogus claim that little can be done about Louisiana’s budget woes because so much of the budget is off limits: “We continue to hear Bobby Jindal, the leges and the media opinion writers declare that the state constitution forces cuts to higher education and health care whenever there is a shortage of revenues because all the rest of the money is dedicated.”
That, Tidmore points out, is nonsense. “Of the $30 billion in the current state budget,” he writes, “$3.9 billion, or 13%, is constitutionally protected…the remainder of the budget, 87%, is NOT constitutionally protected. Only statutes, simple laws, prevent access to these areas.”
It is convenient to blame protected funds like public education’s Minimum Foundation Program for our leaders’ inability to adequately fund higher education and health care. But it is dishonest. As Tidmore puts it, “Willful ignorance has led to a quarter of billion dollar sledgehammer to our colleges and hospital care for the poor.”
Strong and honest leadership would scour the budget, but that would mean taking a hard look at pet projects and the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on private contractors. Nobody seems to have the hueves to take that step.
Then there is an Advocate editorial critical of state “leaders” for their slavish obedience to anti-tax ideology. It’s an allegiance that frames even a reasonable and necessary levy like the tobacco tax as a rape of the Constitution and a dagger in the heart of freedom-loving citizens everywhere.
As Advocate’s editorial writer put it,
In this BayouBuzzcolumn, Louisiana Weekly editor Christopher Tidmore focuses on a couple of issues, including the bogus claim that little can be done about Louisiana’s budget woes because so much of the budget is off limits: “We continue to hear Bobby Jindal, the leges and the media opinion writers declare that the state constitution forces cuts to higher education and health care whenever there is a shortage of revenues because all the rest of the money is dedicated.”
That, Tidmore points out, is nonsense. “Of the $30 billion in the current state budget,” he writes, “$3.9 billion, or 13%, is constitutionally protected…the remainder of the budget, 87%, is NOT constitutionally protected. Only statutes, simple laws, prevent access to these areas.”
It is convenient to blame protected funds like public education’s Minimum Foundation Program for our leaders’ inability to adequately fund higher education and health care. But it is dishonest. As Tidmore puts it, “Willful ignorance has led to a quarter of billion dollar sledgehammer to our colleges and hospital care for the poor.”
Strong and honest leadership would scour the budget, but that would mean taking a hard look at pet projects and the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on private contractors. Nobody seems to have the hueves to take that step.
Then there is an Advocate editorial critical of state “leaders” for their slavish obedience to anti-tax ideology. It’s an allegiance that frames even a reasonable and necessary levy like the tobacco tax as a rape of the Constitution and a dagger in the heart of freedom-loving citizens everywhere.
As Advocate’s editorial writer put it,
Jindal’s opposition is astonishing, given his background in health policy.
Raising taxes on tobacco is a way to deter its use and avoid the heavy treatment
costs of cancer and other smoking-caused diseases.
Still, remember 2012. That fiscal year will begin on July 1, 2011. This Legislature will have to face shortfalls of an estimated $1 billion or more that year, after significant cuts will be made this year to health care and higher education.
Members might be more reasonable when they’re up against that wall.
Even Dan Juneau of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry is getting in on the leadership act. In this column, he takes note of the gut-fight between the Senate and House over tax and spending issues, and faults Jindal for not taking command of the situation.
Writes Juneau, “Fiscal disputes such as the current one are somewhat rare. Why? Because the Legislature usually follows the governor's lead on budget matters…The outcome could be resolved fairly quickly if Governor Jindal sold the public on exactly what he thinks the solution to the problem should be–and why.”
As four former Louisiana governors recently put it: “Lead governor, we are prepared to follow.”
Thursday, June 18, 2009
A convergence of consequences
LFT President Steve Monaghan was pretty much wasting his breath this morning, when he warned the Senate Education Committee about the unintended consequences of unbridled charter school expansion.
The bill in question was HB 519 by Rep. Walt Leger of New Orleans, and it sailed through the committee with nary a dissenting vote. It was filed in response to new federal guidelines forbidding states that want certain grant money from imposing unreasonable caps on charter schools.
State law currently caps the number of charters at 70.
Supporters of the bill cited a new Stanford University study saying that Louisiana is one of a very few states in which some charter schools actually seem to outperform some traditional public schools. That, they said, proves that we should lift the cap and let the charters flow, even without the promise of federal grants.
Except that the Stanford study concluded that one of the virtues of Louisiana's charter school law is that it tightly controls the issuance of charters. Without what the study's author calls "quality control," that advantage is lost. It could be argued that Louisiana's charter school cap is indeed reasonable, and does not violate the federal regulation at all.
But when Monaghan spoke about unintended consequences, he was talking about more than federal guidelines. Check out this story by Advocate reporter Charles Lussiere, about the looming layoffs in the East Baton Rouge Parish school system.
The explosion of school takeovers in the capital city is squeezing teachers out, and not because they lack credentials or are not good at their craft. "The uncertainty, Lussiere writes, "stems from not knowing how many students will enroll in the Recovery School District (charter) schools versus those run by East Baton Rouge Parish public schools."
But couldn't the teachers about to be laid off apply for jobs in the new charter schools?
Well, yes. Except.
Except charter schools aren't required to participate in the state teachers' retirement system. Those who go to work in charter schools can be putting their retirement in jeopardy.
Except charter schools aren't required to provide health insurance for their employees. Or tenure, or any of the other academic freedom protections that most teachers enjoy.
So when Monaghan asked the committee to consider the unintended consequences of unbridled charter expansion, he had a point.
The point is this: before we radically expand the charter experiment, let's look at what happens as a result. Anticipate issues that might arise, and craft legislation to deal with them before they become serious problems.
That goes against the grain of ideologues who are bent on replacing public education with a patchwork system of semi-public, quasi-private enterprises that bring to mind the old axiom: Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.
The bill in question was HB 519 by Rep. Walt Leger of New Orleans, and it sailed through the committee with nary a dissenting vote. It was filed in response to new federal guidelines forbidding states that want certain grant money from imposing unreasonable caps on charter schools.
State law currently caps the number of charters at 70.
Supporters of the bill cited a new Stanford University study saying that Louisiana is one of a very few states in which some charter schools actually seem to outperform some traditional public schools. That, they said, proves that we should lift the cap and let the charters flow, even without the promise of federal grants.
Except that the Stanford study concluded that one of the virtues of Louisiana's charter school law is that it tightly controls the issuance of charters. Without what the study's author calls "quality control," that advantage is lost. It could be argued that Louisiana's charter school cap is indeed reasonable, and does not violate the federal regulation at all.
But when Monaghan spoke about unintended consequences, he was talking about more than federal guidelines. Check out this story by Advocate reporter Charles Lussiere, about the looming layoffs in the East Baton Rouge Parish school system.
The explosion of school takeovers in the capital city is squeezing teachers out, and not because they lack credentials or are not good at their craft. "The uncertainty, Lussiere writes, "stems from not knowing how many students will enroll in the Recovery School District (charter) schools versus those run by East Baton Rouge Parish public schools."
But couldn't the teachers about to be laid off apply for jobs in the new charter schools?
Well, yes. Except.
Except charter schools aren't required to participate in the state teachers' retirement system. Those who go to work in charter schools can be putting their retirement in jeopardy.
Except charter schools aren't required to provide health insurance for their employees. Or tenure, or any of the other academic freedom protections that most teachers enjoy.
So when Monaghan asked the committee to consider the unintended consequences of unbridled charter expansion, he had a point.
The point is this: before we radically expand the charter experiment, let's look at what happens as a result. Anticipate issues that might arise, and craft legislation to deal with them before they become serious problems.
That goes against the grain of ideologues who are bent on replacing public education with a patchwork system of semi-public, quasi-private enterprises that bring to mind the old axiom: Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.
Senate tries again to fund higher education
The Senate made another run at the excess itemized deductions tax break yesterday, radically amending another bill in an attempt to force the House of Representatives to vote on the issue.
To recap: In order to fund higher education, the Senate previously adopted SB 335, which would suspend an upcoming tax break. The result would be a $118 million cash infusion for higher education.
That bill was stymied in the House when the leadership refused to let it be considered. A majority of House members signed a letter opposing the bill, and Gov. Bobby Jindal promised to veto it if it is passed.
But senators want members of the House to vote on the issue and be on record. So on Wednesday, the Senate gutted a bill that has already been adopted by the House, HB 689 (which would have established a school infrastructure fund), and filled it with the language of SB 335.
The amended bill passed on a 29-6 vote, and will be returned to the House for further action.
To recap: In order to fund higher education, the Senate previously adopted SB 335, which would suspend an upcoming tax break. The result would be a $118 million cash infusion for higher education.
That bill was stymied in the House when the leadership refused to let it be considered. A majority of House members signed a letter opposing the bill, and Gov. Bobby Jindal promised to veto it if it is passed.
But senators want members of the House to vote on the issue and be on record. So on Wednesday, the Senate gutted a bill that has already been adopted by the House, HB 689 (which would have established a school infrastructure fund), and filled it with the language of SB 335.
The amended bill passed on a 29-6 vote, and will be returned to the House for further action.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
PAR to Jindal: Get serious about higher education
Add the Public Affairs Research Council to the growing list of entities concerned that Gov. Bobby Jindal isn't serious about funding higher education.
In a press release, PAR says the governor and House leadership need to reverse their opposition to two measures that could bail out colleges and universities. One would tap into the state's "rainy day fund," and the other would postpone a tax break on excess itemized deductions.
Like any observer with a functioning cerebral cortex, the folks at PAR note that "the proposed budget cutbacks could severely damage the potential for the state's colleges and universities to play a meaningful role in long-term economic growth. "
PAR is critical of the governor's lack of a "clear strategy" to deal with the looming educational crisis or to mitigate the effects of the ongoing fiscal one:
Just as four former governors advocated a few days ago, PAR says the state's leadership must shore up higher education finances temporarily, and simultaneously look for long-term fixes for the state's out-of-whack college and university systems.
PAR wants our leadership to "re-size the state's higher education enterprise in order to minimize duplication of programs, maximize opportunities for consolidation and preserve the cultural and economic benefits of higher education. "
Chief among the reforms necessary, PAR says, is shifting the predominant college enrollment from four-year to two-year institutions. The think tank says leaders need to make decisions in five areas:
In a press release, PAR says the governor and House leadership need to reverse their opposition to two measures that could bail out colleges and universities. One would tap into the state's "rainy day fund," and the other would postpone a tax break on excess itemized deductions.
Like any observer with a functioning cerebral cortex, the folks at PAR note that "the proposed budget cutbacks could severely damage the potential for the state's colleges and universities to play a meaningful role in long-term economic growth. "
PAR is critical of the governor's lack of a "clear strategy" to deal with the looming educational crisis or to mitigate the effects of the ongoing fiscal one:
Not only are student services being threatened, but also institutional capacity
for commercialization and technology transfer is at risk. Funding for research
centers, art galleries and museums is on the chopping block with little to no
public debate regarding the merits and far-reaching impacts of those cuts.
Just as four former governors advocated a few days ago, PAR says the state's leadership must shore up higher education finances temporarily, and simultaneously look for long-term fixes for the state's out-of-whack college and university systems.
PAR wants our leadership to "re-size the state's higher education enterprise in order to minimize duplication of programs, maximize opportunities for consolidation and preserve the cultural and economic benefits of higher education. "
Chief among the reforms necessary, PAR says, is shifting the predominant college enrollment from four-year to two-year institutions. The think tank says leaders need to make decisions in five areas:
- Which degree programs at each institution are essential to continue?
- Which are duplicated elsewhere?
- What services can be privatized rather than terminated? (Note: PAR's privatization fetish is regrettable)
- What economies of scale can be achieved with consolidation?
- What can be done to ease the transition for students and faculty?
One piece of legislation working through the process, HB 794 by Speaker Jim Tucker (R-Terrytown), creates a nine-member commission to study those issues. With the exception of "privatization" (which all too often winds up costing more than the same services provided by government, needlessly enriching corporations that can afford lobbyists and big political contributions), these are ideas must be explored.
But first, higher education needs enough money to survive until those important decisions are reached.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Charter schools through rose-colored glasses
Look for Louisiana's charter school supporters to promote this new study from Stanford University in a big way.
The survey of charter schools in 16 states reveals that, overall, charters do not perform as well as regular public schools. But in Louisiana, researchers found, charter schools are outperforming their traditional counterparts in reading and math.
This article by Times-Picayune reporter Sarah Carr delves into some of the possibilities, noting especially that Louisiana has more stringent guidelines for establishing charter schools than other states.
Louisiana also has fewer charters than other states in the survey, which could prove cautionary to those who'd like to wholesale transfer our public schools to charters. Future charter school performance could depend more on what lead author Margaret Raymond termed "quality control."
As Carr's article puts it:
There are a couple of questions that need to be raised. For one, the cherry-picking aspect of charter schools needs to be explored more fully. Charters can be more selective than traditional public schools, and admission is often by parental choice. That means the most engaged parents - the ones who take the most interest in their children's academic careers - could be more likely to both enroll their children in charter schools and work to ensure their success.
Also, Louisiana has fewer special education students enrolled in charter schools than most of the states in the survey. The inclusion of more special education programs in charter schools will be a major issue in the future, especially as long as standardized test scores are the predominant gauge of student success.
The survey of charter schools in 16 states reveals that, overall, charters do not perform as well as regular public schools. But in Louisiana, researchers found, charter schools are outperforming their traditional counterparts in reading and math.
This article by Times-Picayune reporter Sarah Carr delves into some of the possibilities, noting especially that Louisiana has more stringent guidelines for establishing charter schools than other states.
Louisiana also has fewer charters than other states in the survey, which could prove cautionary to those who'd like to wholesale transfer our public schools to charters. Future charter school performance could depend more on what lead author Margaret Raymond termed "quality control."
As Carr's article puts it:
Louisiana officials would do well to heed that advice, several educators and
activists note, as dozens of charter schools come up for renewal over the next
couple of years. They point out that the state has yet to create an effective
oversight apparatus for charter schools or a clear rubric for evaluating their
performance, beyond test scores.
There are a couple of questions that need to be raised. For one, the cherry-picking aspect of charter schools needs to be explored more fully. Charters can be more selective than traditional public schools, and admission is often by parental choice. That means the most engaged parents - the ones who take the most interest in their children's academic careers - could be more likely to both enroll their children in charter schools and work to ensure their success.
Also, Louisiana has fewer special education students enrolled in charter schools than most of the states in the survey. The inclusion of more special education programs in charter schools will be a major issue in the future, especially as long as standardized test scores are the predominant gauge of student success.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Bobby Jindal's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
As Advocate capitol bureau chief Mark Ballard describes it here, last Thursday was a "new low" for Governor Bobby Jindal.
It's already been the subject of an EdLog entry, but Ballard's Sunday column deserves its own mention. It's not a stretch to say that the governor was spanked by his predecessors in a manner that few have experienced.
The columnist echoes complaints by the Public Affairs Research Council and others to the effect that Jindal needs to do more than just cut budgets in this time of fiscal crisis. He needs to produce a plan with a road map out of this wilderness. So far, that has not happened.
As PAR put it, “Slashing revenues without presenting specific proposals for cost-cutting … merely masquerades as a way to streamline government.”
Or as former Governor Kathleen Blanco said at Thursday's press conference:
It's already been the subject of an EdLog entry, but Ballard's Sunday column deserves its own mention. It's not a stretch to say that the governor was spanked by his predecessors in a manner that few have experienced.
The columnist echoes complaints by the Public Affairs Research Council and others to the effect that Jindal needs to do more than just cut budgets in this time of fiscal crisis. He needs to produce a plan with a road map out of this wilderness. So far, that has not happened.
As PAR put it, “Slashing revenues without presenting specific proposals for cost-cutting … merely masquerades as a way to streamline government.”
Or as former Governor Kathleen Blanco said at Thursday's press conference:
“It’s the same thing as when a family member loses a job, and the family gathers
together and looks at the available dollars and you prioritize. You say, ‘The
No. 1 thing that we have to protect is our house. We have to have a place to
live.’ And I think higher education is our house, and that’s why you have to
protect it.”
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Four former governors intervene in higher education budget
Lead, governor, we are prepared to follow.”
In an unprecedented intervention, four former Louisiana governors met privately with Governor Bobby Jindal today, and then publicly stated their dissatisfaction with his planned higher education budget cuts.
Times-Picayune reporters Ed Anderson and Bill Barrow covered the issue for this story.
LFT President Steve Monaghan called the turn of events “extraordinary,” saying that the statement “confirms the Federation’s frustration with this fiscal session and affirms our conviction that the session should have begun with a broader, bolder vision for our state.
“The fact that we have continued this far without such a vision explains why the former governors felt compelled to step forward,” he said. The LFT president added that funding for K-12 education, which depends heavily on one-time federal stimulus funds, should evoke the same concerns.
The four governors, including David Treen, Buddy Roemer, Kathleen Blanco and Mike Foster, issued a joint statement urging Jindal and the legislature to “fight for our young people and make it clear that education is Louisiana’s number one priority.”
In response, Jindal stubbornly clung to his no-tax mantra, vowing again to veto measures such as SB 335, which would temporarily suspend some anticipated tax deductions.
To read more of this story, please click here. To read the full statement by the four former governors, please click here.
In an unprecedented intervention, four former Louisiana governors met privately with Governor Bobby Jindal today, and then publicly stated their dissatisfaction with his planned higher education budget cuts.
Times-Picayune reporters Ed Anderson and Bill Barrow covered the issue for this story.
LFT President Steve Monaghan called the turn of events “extraordinary,” saying that the statement “confirms the Federation’s frustration with this fiscal session and affirms our conviction that the session should have begun with a broader, bolder vision for our state.
“The fact that we have continued this far without such a vision explains why the former governors felt compelled to step forward,” he said. The LFT president added that funding for K-12 education, which depends heavily on one-time federal stimulus funds, should evoke the same concerns.
The four governors, including David Treen, Buddy Roemer, Kathleen Blanco and Mike Foster, issued a joint statement urging Jindal and the legislature to “fight for our young people and make it clear that education is Louisiana’s number one priority.”
In response, Jindal stubbornly clung to his no-tax mantra, vowing again to veto measures such as SB 335, which would temporarily suspend some anticipated tax deductions.
To read more of this story, please click here. To read the full statement by the four former governors, please click here.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Roemer (Jr.) splits sheets with Jindal, sticks with Pastorek
BESE member Chas Roemer is attacking Gov. Bobby Jindal for playing political games with the state's education system. Roemer, a Baton Rouge Republican, says that Jindal, a Baton Rouge Republican, is unwilling to "risk some political capital" to improve schools, according to Advocate reporter Will Sentell.
The cause of the split is a pair of legislative bills aimed at creating a separate diploma track for students at risk of dropping out and who obviously have no intention of going to college. The plan by Sen. Bob Kostelka and Rep. Jim Fannin has some legs - it's been endorsed by education committees in both houses. The two lawmakers say a separate track is necessary to bring down the state's unacceptably high (as high as 50%) school dropout rate.
The issue has apparently driven a wedge between the governor and State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek. While Jindal and Pastorek have been inseparable on school issues this year, the governor is now apparently supporting the Kostelka/Fannin plan.
Could Pastorek, whose popularity with legislators is in the cellar, wind up in a political wilderness with only Chas Roemer to give him comfort?
The cause of the split is a pair of legislative bills aimed at creating a separate diploma track for students at risk of dropping out and who obviously have no intention of going to college. The plan by Sen. Bob Kostelka and Rep. Jim Fannin has some legs - it's been endorsed by education committees in both houses. The two lawmakers say a separate track is necessary to bring down the state's unacceptably high (as high as 50%) school dropout rate.
The issue has apparently driven a wedge between the governor and State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek. While Jindal and Pastorek have been inseparable on school issues this year, the governor is now apparently supporting the Kostelka/Fannin plan.
Could Pastorek, whose popularity with legislators is in the cellar, wind up in a political wilderness with only Chas Roemer to give him comfort?
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Lawmakers say state is lowballing dropout rates
Louisiana's school dropout rate is much higher than has been reported by the State Department of Education, according to lawmakers trying to create a separate diploma track for students who don't intend to go to college.
Sen. Bob Kostelka of Monroe and Rep. Jim Fannin of Jonesboro have introduced identical bills that would allow struggling students to choose a career major for high school instead of a college prep curriculum.
The lawmakers contend that if students see a practical application for their studies - and the possibility of a job - they would be more inclined to stay in school and graduate.
Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek is sticking with an old tired argument about the necessity for rigor in our schools. The logic proceeds something like this: too many students are dropping out of school, so we need to make it harder to graduate. He's apparently forgotten that, once upon a time, relevance was considered as important as rigor in defining a curriculum.
And if Kostelka and Fannin are right, relevance is desperately needed, because the true number of dropouts has been lowballed by the State Department of Education.
DOE contends that about a third of ninth-graders never complete high school, which is pretty bad, considering that the national average is one in four.
What those figures leave out, though, is that a significant number of students struggle with the eighth grade LEAP test and drop out BEFORE ninth grade. That makes the actual dropout rate closer to 50%, say Kostelko and Fannin.
Obviously, we are dealing with a significant number of kids for whom college is not an option. But that does not mean they should be discarded (which is what happens now). They deserve an opportunity for a meaningful education that prepares them for decent jobs.
That's what the career course bills are all about. It's not watering down the curriculum - it's about making the education system work for all of our children.
Advocate reporter Will Sentell has a story about the issue here.
Sen. Bob Kostelka of Monroe and Rep. Jim Fannin of Jonesboro have introduced identical bills that would allow struggling students to choose a career major for high school instead of a college prep curriculum.
The lawmakers contend that if students see a practical application for their studies - and the possibility of a job - they would be more inclined to stay in school and graduate.
Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek is sticking with an old tired argument about the necessity for rigor in our schools. The logic proceeds something like this: too many students are dropping out of school, so we need to make it harder to graduate. He's apparently forgotten that, once upon a time, relevance was considered as important as rigor in defining a curriculum.
And if Kostelka and Fannin are right, relevance is desperately needed, because the true number of dropouts has been lowballed by the State Department of Education.
DOE contends that about a third of ninth-graders never complete high school, which is pretty bad, considering that the national average is one in four.
What those figures leave out, though, is that a significant number of students struggle with the eighth grade LEAP test and drop out BEFORE ninth grade. That makes the actual dropout rate closer to 50%, say Kostelko and Fannin.
Obviously, we are dealing with a significant number of kids for whom college is not an option. But that does not mean they should be discarded (which is what happens now). They deserve an opportunity for a meaningful education that prepares them for decent jobs.
That's what the career course bills are all about. It's not watering down the curriculum - it's about making the education system work for all of our children.
Advocate reporter Will Sentell has a story about the issue here.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Study: Girls are NOT naturally worse at math!
Remember those studies that purported to show that girls just don't have the same natural math ability as boys? The studies that prompted Harvard President Larry Summers (and now advisor to President Barack Obama) to say that biology explains why there are fewer female math professors than males?
Bogus. As Reuters Health and Science Editor Maggie Fox reports here, a new study shows that it is gender inequality (nurture, not nature) that propels boys into excelling at math:
Bogus. As Reuters Health and Science Editor Maggie Fox reports here, a new study shows that it is gender inequality (nurture, not nature) that propels boys into excelling at math:
"We conclude that gender inequality, not lack of innate ability or 'intrinsic
aptitude', is the primary reason fewer females than males are identified as
excelling in mathematics performance in most countries, including the United
States," Janet Hyde and Janet Mertz of the University of Wisconsin in Madison
wrote in their report.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
LA and 46 other states sign on to common curriculum
If we ever hope to accurately compare Louisiana's educational results with those of other states, we must have a nationwide agreement about what is being measured.
Under current No Child Left behind guidelines, each state develops its own curriculum. That's fine as long as your biggest concerns are States' Rights and keeping federal regulation to a minimum, but it makes for lousy statistical comparisons.
Right now, Louisiana has some of the most rigorous academic requirements in the nation. We suffer in comparison with states that are not quite so rigorous. That's not just an opinion. In a March EdLog post, we cited a Fordham Institute study that found "some schools deemed to be failing in one state would get passing grades in another under the No Child Left Behind law."
But there's good news. In this Washington Post article by reporter Maria Glod, we learn that Louisiana is one of 46 states working on a set of common voluntary standards for reading and math.
The key word is voluntary - what does that mean, and how much pressure can be brought to urge compliance. Beyond that, the issue will become testing, and the establishment of a common rubric.
Under current No Child Left behind guidelines, each state develops its own curriculum. That's fine as long as your biggest concerns are States' Rights and keeping federal regulation to a minimum, but it makes for lousy statistical comparisons.
Right now, Louisiana has some of the most rigorous academic requirements in the nation. We suffer in comparison with states that are not quite so rigorous. That's not just an opinion. In a March EdLog post, we cited a Fordham Institute study that found "some schools deemed to be failing in one state would get passing grades in another under the No Child Left Behind law."
But there's good news. In this Washington Post article by reporter Maria Glod, we learn that Louisiana is one of 46 states working on a set of common voluntary standards for reading and math.
The key word is voluntary - what does that mean, and how much pressure can be brought to urge compliance. Beyond that, the issue will become testing, and the establishment of a common rubric.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Suspension of tax break could save higher education
Tell lawmakers to support SB 335. Please click here.To the surprise of many, the Senate on Wednesday endorsed a bill that will suspend a tax break to provide $118 million for higher education.
SB 335 by Sen. Lydia Jackson would temporarily suspend a portion of a tax deduction for excess federal itemized personal deductions.
That sounds confusing. What it means is that the excess itemized tax deduction would stay at its current 65% level for three years, instead of increasing to 100%. The result would be a $118 million revenue stream that would offset some of the $200 million slated to be slashed from our universities, colleges and technical schools.
This is not a new tax. It is a temporary suspension of a deduction that has not yet gone into effect.
Without the revenue, our higher education institutions face drastic cuts that will erase the gains made in recent years. Governor Bobby Jindal has vowed to veto the bill if it passes, but it was adopted in the Senate by a veto-proof 29-9 vote.
It now must be approved by the House Ways and Means Committee before it can come before the full House of Representatives for a vote.
This bill may be the last, best chance to avert disastrous cuts to higher education. Please click here to send a message to members of the Ways and Means Committee.
Associated Press reporter Doug Simpson covered the Senate vote for this article.
The Times-Picayune published an editorial in favor of the bill here.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Misnamed "reform" bill killed by House of Representatives
By a five vote margin, the House of Representatives on Tuesday turned down a bill that, while touted as school board reform, was widely opposed by educators because it would have eroded a system of checks-and-balances between school boards and school superintendents.
HB 851 by Rep. Steve Carter (R-Baton Rouge) was heavily supported by State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek, Governor Bobby Jindal, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry and the Council for a Better Louisiana. Its main opposition came from a consortium that included the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, Louisiana School Boards Association and Louisiana Association of Educators.
Despite a flurry of floor amendments aimed at making the bill more palatable, and an eleventh-hour intervention on its behalf by Senator Mary Landrieu, the bill failed by a vote of 46 “yeas” and 51 “nays.”
To read more, please click here.
HB 851 by Rep. Steve Carter (R-Baton Rouge) was heavily supported by State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek, Governor Bobby Jindal, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry and the Council for a Better Louisiana. Its main opposition came from a consortium that included the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, Louisiana School Boards Association and Louisiana Association of Educators.
Despite a flurry of floor amendments aimed at making the bill more palatable, and an eleventh-hour intervention on its behalf by Senator Mary Landrieu, the bill failed by a vote of 46 “yeas” and 51 “nays.”
To read more, please click here.
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