Schools Matter: Texas-Sized Charter School Corruption

Schools Matter: Texas-Sized Charter School Corruption:

"Charter schools, which Texas began allowing in 1995, were supposed to set educators free — and they did.
. . . .
Unfortunately, the worst charter schools were free to fail — sometimes spectacularly, in ways that involved large amounts of money and criminal charges. In the Houston area, for instance, The Prepared Table saw its charter revoked in 2002; four of its administrators — a pastor and three relatives — were alleged to have stolen $3 million from federal and state programs. The Jesse Jackson Academy (with campuses in both Houston and Fort Worth) closed in 2008 amid charges it had misappropriated $3.2 million in federal grants. And last year, Gulf Shores Academy had to be reformulated after school administrators allegedly swindled more than $10 million from the state."

Schools Matter: Corporate Charter School Industry Resists Oversight at All Costs

Schools Matter:

"Corporate Charter School Industry Resists Oversight at All Costs

From Suzy Oppenheimer, the Chair of NY Senate Education Committee:

. . . .State government's inability to successfully compromise and come to resolution on policy issues is unacceptable to me.

Some additional background is needed to give a fuller picture to your readers. As chair of the Senate Education Committee, I worked hard to forge a compromise that would have doubled the existing cap on charter schools, while at the same time adopting reasonable safeguards to ensure that state education dollars are used appropriately by charter school administrators."

The Educated Guess Tough graduation goals for CSU campuses

The Educated Guess
Tough graduation goals for CSU campuses
Posted in UC and CSU

The California State University System has set an ambitious  goal of raising student graduation rate 8 percentage points, including 10 percentage points for low-income and minority students, over the next six years. Currently, only 46 percent of students overall and 40 percent of  minorities – Hispanics and African Americans primarily — attain a degree after six years. By 2016, CSU wants grad rates to rise to 54 percent overall and 50 percent for underserved minorities.

That average combines separate goals for each of the 23 CSU campuses.  Schools like Cal State-Monterey Bay (overall 14 percentage point increase), San Jose State (12 percentage points for minority students) and Cal State-Chico (14 percentage points for minorities) face an even more daunting goal. (See  CSU graduation initiative for each campus’s target graduation rate.)

(Read more and comment on this post)

Failure is an option: The best charter schools are excellent. And the worst should be ashamed. | Editorial | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Failure is an option: The best charter schools are excellent. And the worst should be ashamed. | Editorial | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Charter schools, which Texas began allowing in 1995, were supposed to set educators free — and they did.

Paid for with state funds, and released from local school districts' rules, the best were free to excel: Houston-born charter systems KIPP and YES compiled terrific records of propelling minority and low-income kids into college.

Unfortunately, the worst charter schools were free to fail — sometimes spectacularly, in ways that involved large amounts of money and criminal charges. In the Houston area, for instance, The Prepared Table saw its charter revoked in 2002; four of its administrators — a pastor and three relatives — were alleged to have stolen $3 million from federal and state programs. The Jesse Jackson Academy (with campuses in both Houston and Fort Worth) closed in 2008 amid charges it had misappropriated $3.2 million in federal grants. And last year, Gulf Shores Academy had to be reformulated after school administrators allegedly swindled more than $10 million from the state.

Given that dismal history, it's almost a relief that the latest bad news about Texas charter schools doesn't involve anything illegal. The Texans Can charter-school chain may be infuriating. But it appears to operate entirely within the law.

As the Chronicle's Jennifer Radcliffe recently reported, nine of the school's 10 schools are rated “academically unacceptable” by the state, and three are on the verge of being closed for repeated failure to meet federal standards. At Houston's Main Street campus, state data show that none of the 15 freshmen enrolled in 2001-02 

City Hall called Michael Scott hours before suicide :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Metro & Tri-State

City Hall called Michael Scott hours before suicide :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Metro & Tri-State:

"Sixteen hours before he was found dead, city School Board President Michael W. Scott got a Sunday-morning call from a top aide to Mayor Daley to schedule a meeting about questionable expenses that Scott and his staff had charged to board credit cards.


Scott had a 13-minute conversation with mayoral press secretary Jacquelyn Heard starting at 11:01 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, according to police reports obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times about Scott's suicide."



Police found Scott's body in the Chicago River near the Merchandise Mart Apparel Center at 3:20 a.m. Monday, Nov. 16 -- the same day Scott had planned to meet with Heard about the credit-card issue, including an internal probe into the matter by the Chicago Public Schools' inspector general.
Besides Scott's conversation with Heard, the police reports reveal that Scott's financial situation had changed in the days that led up to Scott shooting himself in the head and falling into the river. The documents also provide new details about Scott's mood, though police blacked out dozens of names and other key details, citing exemptions in the state's Freedom of Information Act.
Heard said she called Scott on Nov. 15 on her way to church. She had tried to call him two days earlier but couldn't reach him. When she connected with him that Sunday, his demeanor was "absolutely normal" and "upbeat," she said.
"We knew there was a pending [inspector general] report," said Heard, who added it isn't unusual for her to reach out to city officials on weekends. "I needed to have some sense of what it involved, and he said, 'No problem.' "
Scott was to meet with the inspector general's office that coming Friday, Nov. 20. The office's probe included a review of artwork purchased by the school system under Scott's watch and items Scott himself had charged, including expenses related to his separate role as a Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee member.

Cafeteria Credit Unions Teach Students Money Skills : NPR

Cafeteria Credit Unions Teach Students Money Skills : NPR:

"The recession has highlighted just how little some Americans understand personal finance, presenting an opportunity to start changing the way the young learn about money.

Some credit unions want to play an increasing role in teaching that curriculum.

A recent 10-year survey conducted by Finesse Financial found that 86 percent of Americans don't know whether they're on track to retire comfortably. And 43 percent said they spend more than they make each month.

A Practical Education

Glenda Head, a high school business teacher, is working to change those kinds of statistics."

At Princeton University, Grumbling About Grade Deflation - NYTimes.com

At Princeton University, Grumbling About Grade Deflation - NYTimes.com:

"When Princeton University set out six years ago to corral galloping grade inflation by putting a lid on A’s, many in academia lauded it for taking a stand on a national problem and predicted that others would follow."


But the idea never took hold beyond Princeton’s walls, and so its bold vision is now running into fierce resistance from the school’s Type-A-plus student body.
With the job market not what it once was, even for Ivy Leaguers, Princetonians are complaining that the campaign against bulked-up G.P.A.’s may be coming at their expense.
“The nightmare scenario, if you will, is that you apply with a 3.5 from Princeton and someone just as smart as you applies with a 3.8 from Yale,” said Daniel E. Rauch, a senior from Millburn, N.J.
The percentage of Princeton grades in the A range dipped below 40 percent last year, down from nearly 50 percent when the policy was adopted in 2004. The class of 2009 had a mean grade-point average of 3.39, compared with 3.46 for the class of 2003. In a survey last year by the undergraduate student government, 32 percent of students cited the grading policy as the top source of unhappiness (compared with 25 percent for lack of sleep).
In September, the student government sent a letter to the faculty questioning whether professors were being overzealous in applying the policy. And last month, The Daily Princetonian denounced the policy in an editorial, saying it had “too many harmful consequences that outweigh the good intentions behind the system.”

BBC News - US lessons on education spending

BBC News - US lessons on education spending

British education may be down in the dumps over government spending prospects, but in the US the picture is rather different.

This week President Barack Obama announced a big cash boost for schools and for university students.

In his state of the union address, President Obama announced a $4bn (£2.5bn) increase in federal spending on elementary and secondary schools.

That is a rise of over six per cent, one of the biggest rises for years.

He also announced an even bigger cash increase in student aid to provide more federal grants for poor students and to ease the impact of student debt repayment.

In future, graduates in the US will be "forgiven" their outstanding federal loan debt after 20 years or, if they enter public service, after 10 years.

'Belt-tightening'

In the US, central government accounts for only a relatively small proportion of the total amount spent on schools and colleges.

For schools there, the main budget provider is the state, and many US states are now feeling the financial squeeze as tax revenues fall.

Nevertheless, President Obama's emphasis on investing in education at a time of economic difficulty contrasts with the UK, where both the government and the Conservatives are preparing for belt-tightening.

President Obama's message was that, even while the US requires a three-year freeze on general public spending to tackle the deficit, it must "invest in the skills and education of our people".

When talking about the problem raises a problem | Julia Steiny | projo.com | The Providence Journal

When talking about the problem raises a problem | Julia Steiny | projo.com | The Providence Journal:

"Over an early-morning hot tea, Deborah Gist, Rhode Island’s new (as of July) commissioner of education, chatted with me about how she felt things were going. With her extreme-energy style, she’s working for reform on myriad fronts, demanding that everyone from Department of Education officials to parents and teachers step up and work harder.

But rather boldly, to my mind, she’s put teacher quality at the center of her administration. She believes that a laser-focus on improving everything about the quality of instructors will break the Rhode Island curse of paying top dollar for generally underwhelming educational results."

'Race to the Top'' school-reform program stirs fears

'Race to the Top'' school-reform program stirs fears:

"Leaders of Valley school boards fear the Obama administration's 'Race to the Top' school-reform program will diminish local control over schools, while several teachers worry it will lead to more student testing, evaluation tools and federal requirements crafted without their input.

Such concerns were raised about a decade ago as congressional lawmakers pieced together what would become the Bush administration's education-overhaul package, the No Child Left Behind Act.

'No Child Left Behind kind of created the same set of fears,' said Janice Palmer, a lobbyist for the Arizona School Boards Association who helped educators, advocates and state officials craft the state's application for a share of the $4 billion program.

'The only difference is that resources are connected to (Race to the Top).'"

AFL-CIO NOW BLOG | AFT, NEA Offer Black History Month Teaching Tools

AFL-CIO NOW BLOG | AFT, NEA Offer Black History Month Teaching Tools

AFT, NEA Offer Black History Month Teaching Tools

by James Parks, Jan 31, 2010

AFT and the National Education Association (NEA) have compiled a variety of resources to help educators celebrate Black History Month, which begins Feb. 1.

The AFT site here highlights key facts and figures about African Americans, important historical events, influential figures and the continuing contributions of African Americans. For instance, did you know that African Americans were largely responsible for developing our railway system? More than 40 different patents were awarded to African Americans for inventions of machinery and parts vital to the function of trains, tracks and passenger safety.

This AFT site features a special focus on the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which made segregation in public schools illegal. The site includes profiles of the suit’s leaders, key events, recommended readings for grades K-12 and links to primary documents and lesson plans. There also is a video highlighting AFT’s efforts to obtain civil rights for all and desegregate America’s classrooms.

Tax-cap stand | thestarpress.com | The Star Press

Tax-cap stand | thestarpress.com | The Star Press:

"Kudos to State Sen. Sue Errington for having the wisdom to not submit our local and state coffers to what may turn out to be a shortsighted decision with long-term negative consequences.

Of course, property-tax caps would be popular with the voters -- most voters consider their own pocketbooks first and the greater good second (if at all.) Before a decision such as writing tax caps into the constitution is made, people need to look closely at and study examples of where tax caps have already been implemented and what the ramifications of them were.

California is one such example. The negative impact of tax caps on California when Proposition 13 was enacted are well documented. The 1 percent property tax cap resulted in a revenue decreases of over 50 percent. This also results in loss of jobs and services that businesses want in a community where they are looking to locate."

Middle school important transition | mydesert.com | The Desert Sun

Middle school important transition | mydesert.com | The Desert Sun:

"The new semester has just begun. All over the valley, in every middle and high school, students have a fresh start even though the year is half over.

Teachers in classrooms are letting young people know that they all have an “A” and can keep that grade as long as they come to school, do their work, turn it in on time and study for quizzes and exams.

However, this is a daunting task for many of our children, even if they are academically capable. They need more teachers who are providing an academic banquet every day. They need accountability to their parents.

I have met with many parents who tell me that now that their child is in middle school, he or she “needs to be responsible for his or her education.” I have also heard: “It is time for them to grow up and take charge, since they are not babies any more” and “I can't come to school and follow up on all of his work. He has too many teachers now.”"

Community college would offer students final 2 years of undergraduate studies - NashuaTelegraph.com

Community college would offer students final 2 years of undergraduate studies- NashuaTelegraph.com:

"A school that is said to be the first of its kind in New Hampshire is poised to provide community college students with another way to earn a bachelor’s degree.

The American College of History & Legal Studies is a new, two-year school that will open its doors this fall. But while all current two-year institutions in New Hampshire offer the “front end” of higher education – the freshman and sophomore years – the American College is a so-called “completion school,” for the junior and senior years of undergraduate study.

To the New Hampshire Postsecondary Education Commission – which regulates all higher education in the state – this was unprecedented, said Kathryn Dodge, executive director."

As We See It:Public patience wearing thin - Santa Cruz Sentinel

As We See It:Public patience wearing thin - Santa Cruz Sentinel:

"California's economic troubles mirror the country's. The partisan divide that President Barack Obama deplored in his State of the Union speech last week infects state government as well.

Health care reform seems trapped in political and financial gridlock in Washington; health care for the poor is threatened in California if the governor doesn't get billions of dollars from the federal government, which he probably won't. Obama's health care plan is on life support after a Massachusetts election that may have turned on voters' lack of support for the reform. In California, the state Senate has brought back a single-payer health care plan, but the governor has already vetoed a similar bill twice and no one thinks the state can afford it.

It was stimulus money from taxpayers that kept the national economy from collapsing; these dollars helped California weather a funding catastrophe last year."

As We See It:Public patience wearing thin - Santa Cruz Sentinel

As We See It:Public patience wearing thin - Santa Cruz Sentinel:

"California's economic troubles mirror the country's. The partisan divide that President Barack Obama deplored in his State of the Union speech last week infects state government as well.

Health care reform seems trapped in political and financial gridlock in Washington; health care for the poor is threatened in California if the governor doesn't get billions of dollars from the federal government, which he probably won't. Obama's health care plan is on life support after a Massachusetts election that may have turned on voters' lack of support for the reform. In California, the state Senate has brought back a single-payer health care plan, but the governor has already vetoed a similar bill twice and no one thinks the state can afford it.

It was stimulus money from taxpayers that kept the national economy from collapsing; these dollars helped California weather a funding catastrophe last year."

The Signal - Santa Clarita Valley News - Schools: Chartering a new course

The Signal - Santa Clarita Valley News - Schools: Chartering a new course: "

Schools: Chartering a new course
Some say charter schools are the future. Others say they're a niche. Experts say they're staying."


Homework is different for students at Santa Clarita Valley International Charter School.

Instead of filling out workbooks and memorizing historical dates, these kids start their own businesses and set up their own Renaissance fairs.

The project-based learning philosophy sets the school apart from its traditional public counterparts - a draw for some parents who are looking for an innovative, hands-on education for their children.

Educators are split on the issue.

Some say it's the future of education. Others argue the charter school appeals to only a niche population and fulfills the same basic needs as non-charter schools.

Across the state, charter schools have become a topic of controversy as they take students - and money - from traditional public schools.
A different approach
Lessons at SCV International are interactive, encouraging students to think, rather than memorize.

Educators there call it project-based learning.

Teaching without teachers � Ventura County Star

Teaching without teachers � Ventura County Star:

"Classroom instructors, educational experts, politicians and the media agree the classroom teacher is the most important contributor to student learning. As a practitioner with 15 years’ experience at the secondary, community college and university levels, I cannot avoid the popular and pedagogical debates concerning student achievement, teacher tenure and quality of instruction our children receive. The irony of the controversy is that when the trajectory of the high-stakes testing and standardization reaches its apex, there will be no need for individual teachers."

The state, and cadre of expensive experts it hires, will simply proscribe orthodox curriculum, methods and management. I envision a day when the policymakers replace the troublesome teacher with a singular, pedagogic hologram. Let’s ditch the science-fiction scenario for the moment. Instead, allow me to discuss three assumptions that accompany the popular treatment of these debates.

— Assumption No. 1: Effective teaching guarantees learning.

UC sleuths seek proof for glorious claims on admission applications - San Jose Mercury News

UC sleuths seek proof for glorious claims on admission applications - San Jose Mercury News:

"Did you donate the profits from your violin recital to support a homeless shelter? Were you part of a deer rescue squad during a major forest fire? Was that you who donated gallons of blood to the Red Cross?

Well, if you said so on your UC application, you better be ready to prove it.

Like no other higher education system in the nation, the University of California has a quiet team of vigilant auditors that review the accuracy of randomly selected applications — and may yank ones shined up by too much balderdash, big-talk or bull."

Ignorance bites California in the wallet - latimes.com

Ignorance bites California in the wallet - latimes.com:

"A new poll shows that the people want control of the state budget, but most don't know where the money comes from or where it goes."

Last week brought a blizzard of polling on how Californians feel about their government and the economy. In two words: dislike and despair. The fine print suggested we should save a little distaste for ourselves.

A survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found that, overwhelmingly, Californians want themselves -- not the governor or the Legislature -- to be in charge of big budget matters.

It also found that, even more overwhelmingly, Californians haven't a clue where the state gets its money or how it spends it -- basic essentials for people who want to run the show. This is, of course, after years of headlines and hand-wringing about California's fiscal crisis, budget cutbacks, IOUs and the potential for one of the world's biggest economies to go belly up.

Those who favored the comics pages in decades past may recall the words of the possum philosopher Pogo: "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government
Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Sonja Petek, and Nicole Willcoxon

January 2010

Full Report[PDF] Press Release[HTML]  Read in Spanish

Some findings of the current survey:

• Two-thirds of Californians would pay higher taxes to avoid cuts in K–12 funding.
• Seventy percent support spending cuts in prisons and corrections.
• Tom Campbell is ahead in the Senate primary race among Republican likely voters.
• Meg Whitman’s lead grows in the primary race for governor.

 Job Approval Ratings: 
   President Obama
   Governor Schwarzenegger
   California State Legislature
   U.S. Congress
   Senator Boxer
   Senator Feinstein

 Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings: 
   President Obama
   Governor Schwarzenegger
   California State Legislature
   U.S. Congress
   Senator Boxer
   Senator Feinstein

 

 Mood of Californians: 
   General Direction of Things in California
   Economic Outlook for California

 

 Time Trends for the Mood of Californians: 
   General Direction of Things in California
   Economic Outlook for California

 

This survey is supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.

Nonprofit's recruiters push education leadership jobs | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Nonprofit's recruiters push education leadership jobs | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"Graduate students working toward degrees in business, law or public policy might find an unusual recruiter at their next job fair.

Here's the pitch: Forget about that cushy firm job. Why not work for a public school or an education nonprofit? You don't have to be a teacher or a principal. You could be a business manager or a chief executive. You can help kids, and the pay really isn't that bad.

That's essentially the message of Education Pioneers, a nonprofit that recruits and trains top-notch graduate students for leadership jobs in public education. The California-based organization, which operates in six cities nationally, announced last week that is expanding to Houston thanks in part to donations totaling $300,000 from the Houston Endowment and the John and Laura Arnold Family Foundation."

Statehouse Insider: Higher education plan in spotlight after measure idea | mydesert.com | The Desert Sun

Statehouse Insider: Higher education plan in spotlight after measure idea | mydesert.com | The Desert Sun:

"Higher education is taking a high priority in Sacramento.

A joint committee reviewing California's higher education master plan is scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss how access to higher education affects the workforce, economy and state.

The second in a series of hearings comes at an interesting time: Just this month, the governor announced plans for a ballot measure amending the California constitution to prohibit the state from spending more money on prisons than higher education in the future.

The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office last week urged lawmakers to reject the idea because it “would unwisely constrain” the state's ability to allocate money where it is needed. The report also said the measure is “unnecessary” because state officials can already shift funding among programs."

Is South Carolina BROKE ? |

Is South Carolina BROKE ? |:

"When California announced that it was broke, nobody was really surprised. After all, they spend money foolishly.

The proposed FY2010-2011 South Carolina Budget is filled with examples of how South Carolina has been spending money at a record pace, and yes spending our money FOOLESHLY! If not for the Federal Stimulus money this year, South Carolina would have had to cut even more than the Governor’s existing cuts. By examining the proposed budget, you can only conclude that without stimulus money in 2011 (which will NOT happen), South Carolina must either raise taxes significantly, or make another round of severe cuts. The current requests will really hurt certain groups, including retired state workers. The next round of budget cuts will no doubt be felt by EVERYONE!"

Teacher pay can vary greatly by district, California report says - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Teacher pay can vary greatly by district, California report says - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"The amount of money a California teacher makes these days depends greatly on the school district that cuts the paycheck, according to a state report released this month.

And the gap between the high and low salaries is wide.

Teachers in the Mountain View-Los Altos Union School District are the state's best paid, making an average of $95,365. That's nearly double the amount paid to the state's lowest paid educators – $49,753 – in the Konocti Unified School District in Lake County, according to a Bee analysis of districts with more than 100 teachers"