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Fatal Blows to Public Education

Troubling news in the funding for public education debate of late--it seems that the Governor's budget cuts IPS's budget by almost $77 million by 2011.  Critiques of the Indianapolis urban school district are legion and should be talked about but a cut like this would certainly be a step backward and, of course, take even more from the students with the greatest needs.  Alternative & magnet programs, class size, English as New Language instruction, and professional development would all suffer (not to mention art & music which is always the first to go).  Another factor to consider to is that the children of Indiana are getting poorer (see Indiana Youth Institute) and the number of students served by IPS that meet the federal standard for homelessness is now over 1600!  As Sheila Kennedy states in her article, the time for leadership in relation to this city's children is now.

 

Avoid fatal blow to IPS by Sheila Seuss Kennedy

Posted: June 8, 2009

The legislative special session has an unenviable task. Times are tough, and we have long since stopped cutting government fat, and moved on to muscle and bone.

That said, one of the most monumental threats facing Indianapolis in this round of budget cuts is the potential to effectively destroy Indianapolis Public Schools -- and thus deliver a mortal wound to economic and community development in Indianapolis.

The House/Senate budget proposal that failed in April would have meant a $47 million loss to IPS over the next two years. After the last revenue forecast, Gov. Mitch Daniels told lawmakers to cut more; his numbers would mean an additional $11 million lost to IPS.  Read More at: http://www.indystar.com/article/20090608/OPINION12/906080310/1301/ARCHIVE/Avoid+fatal+blow+to+IPS

Not Ready to Make Nice

A powerful music video showing how indigenous youth are playing with new media and historical representations.  The artist here is hip hop writer Wahwahtay Benais from the Anishinabe tribe from the Great Lakes region and he's sampling the Dixie Chicks.  What's so interesting to me is to see that he clearly adopts some components of hip hop culture and just as intentionally leaves some behind--a poweruful example of contemporary identity work (new media, mashup, new perspectives, voice to the voiceless, etc...).  There is some thoughtful commentary on In Media Res as well.  Seems like Critical Pedagogy to me.....Thoughts?

IPS & Funding Cuts

A letter to the editor from IPS Superintendent Eugene White on funding cuts, the state budget, and the "financial death spiral" of public education.  Great cause to be concerned here as, in effect, the district will almost certainly have to cut programs in addtition to firing teachers.  If you thought class size was a problem this year in the district...just wait till next.

 

Funding cuts create dire scenario for IPS
Eugene White 

This month, approximately 300 Indianapolis Public Schools teachers and 40 administrative staff received notice that their positions would be eliminated as IPS prepares to cut $25 million from our budget. At the end of this school year, IPS will close six additional schools on top of the eight schools that were closed last year. These cuts are the necessary but painful result of declining enrollment and the dollars-follow-the-child funding formula adopted by the legislature in recent years. IPS still is determined to become a model urban school district by 2010. To meet the diverse learning needs of our students -- many of whom live in extreme poverty -- IPS has established more magnet and option programs than any other Indiana district. We've put a number of creative initiatives in place to increase student achievement and graduation rates, including 21 alternative programs serving students who are disruptive or who cannot learn in a traditional school setting. These programs are working and, until recently, there was reason for optimism in IPS. What changed? Under the budget adopted by the Indiana Senate, state funding for students who attend IPS will be cut by 2.5 percent in 2010 and 4.2 percent in 2011, a $26.5 million loss over the biennium. This loss is on top of the $8 million in property tax revenue that IPS is projected to lose to the new property tax caps over the next two years. These reductions alone are enough to force hundreds of additional teacher layoffs, but when you add the Senate's plan to repeal a state law that allows school corporations to levy property taxes to pay for utilities and insurance, IPS will be forced to cut an additional $22 million from its general fund, which pays teachers, to pay
 for utility costs that were previously covered by property taxes.

The bottom line is that funding cuts of this magnitude will devastate IPS and severely disadvantage the children it serves. Even if the legislature ultimately rejects the Senate's plan to require schools to pay their utility bills with dollars that should be directed to the classroom, IPS would lose nearly $35 million over the next two years in state and local funding. If the Senate budget becomes law,
IPS will be forced to cut programs. Without the resources to compete with charter and neighboring school districts, IPS' enrollment will continue to drop and the district will be thrown into a financial death spiral that will make it difficult, if not impossible, to provide an adequate education for our students.

 Some policymakers believe the additional Title I funding that IPS is projected to receive through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will help offset steep cuts in state funding. However, its strict requirements include the general rule that Title I dollars may not be used to replace state funding. Also, the Senate funding formula appears to contravene the intent of Congress in providing stimulus funding to states to stabilize public education. While there's no consensus that more money will improve educational outcomes, I think it's safe to say that less money, especially $35 million less, certainly won't help improve student achievement in IPS.

On 2 Million Minutes

Friends,

   A few folks have asked for thoughts on the documentary 2 Million Minutes on global education and American competitiveness.  It does have an Indiana connection as parts were filmed in Carmel but I think it has some major flaws (i.e. assumptions, biases, representation) but I'll reserve too much comment for now so that folks can post their own reactions.  Certainly, this has caused a lot of buzz around education reform circles so  I hope that folks will comment with their two cents.  Here's a link with a bit more than the trailer: Eschoolnews

Two Million Minutes Trailer

"Regardless of nationality, as soon as a student completes the eighth grade -- they have just Two Million Minutes to prepare for college and ultimately a career. This important documentary examines how students in India and China are being better prepared than American students to compete in a flattening world. For more information, go to www.2mminutes.com."

Hope in the Classroom

Finally a positive story coming out of IPS!  I would question some of the assumptions here (i.e. charter schools & Teach for America) but it's good to see how a dedicated administrator can turn a school around.  Of course, the piece of this puzzle related to the firing of teachers in a beleagured district is troubling (wasn't the stimulus package supposed to stop that, Superintendent Bennet?) and I wonder how administrators can be supported to do this kind of work. 

Bringing hope into the classroom

by Mathew Tulley at Indy Star

For anyone who cares about urban education, these are, believe it or not, promising times.

Across Indianapolis, charter schools are providing inspired choices for many families. In Washington, Education Secretary Arne Duncan is challenging harmful old-school policies and entrenched education interest groups. Groups such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, meanwhile, are aiming billions of dollars at innovative educational programs.

This is all just a start, of course. Few problems are more vexing and immense than the dire condition of urban schools. There are no easy fixes. But there are signs of hope.

That was the thought I had recently after visiting Gambold Middle School, a Westside school of about 400 students run by an energetic principal named Yvonne Rambo. An educator for 25 years, Rambo thinks the only way to improve city schools is to dramatically change the way they are run.

"We changed everything," Rambo said, recalling her 2006 arrival at the Indianapolis Public Schools middle school. "It was out of control. You'd drive up and see kids throwing things from the windows. Teachers couldn't clear the halls. There was graffiti, and gang issues."

Rambo didn't make excuses out of the high crime and poverty rates surrounding the school or the heartbreaking troubles many students carry with them each day like books in a backpack.

Befitting her last name, Rambo got tough, installing security cameras and a zero-tolerance policy that led to increases in suspensions and expulsions. She pushed teachers so hard that many quit. She also championed a program to tailor classes more closely to each student's skill level and built self-esteem by pushing top students to take high-school classes.

"The first couple of months were really rough," Rambo said. "We were trying to change a culture and change bad habits."

Three years later, ISTEP scores are still low, but they're up. Suspensions and expulsions are down. A hard push has cut the number of students not reading at grade level from 140 to 40. Walk the halls, and you'll see students move quietly from class to class. Rambo, meanwhile, is chock-full of innovative ideas, such as using iPods to improve the English skills of her many Spanish-speaking students.

"This is the age where you hook students in -- through sports or band or academic success -- or you lose them forever," she said of middle school.

Peek in classrooms at Gambold, and you'll find wonderful teachers such as April Partee, a dynamic educator who engaged her special-education class on a writing project by dancing around the classroom. Or Stephanie Parido, a recent college graduate who is spending this year at Gambold as part of the inventive Teach For America program.

Sadly, budget cuts could cost Rambo four of her 20 teachers next year. The problems at urban schools won't go away. Still, there are no excuses at Gambold.

"We have to be creative," Rambo said. "We have to see every challenge as an opportunity."

Students View of IPS

Some local kids talk to policy makers about the state of education in IPS in today's Indy Star.  Good to see someone thought to ask them.  Now a panel of teachers would be a nice touch.  I must say some of the comments posted are the most interesting as (finally) folks are becoming comfortable putting Dr. White under the microscope--he has a lot to answer for methinks.  Now don't misunderstand me here, IPS needs to supported and the challenges taken up; the solutions undoubtedly offered by Lubbers (charter schools, more scripted curriculum, more de-professionalizing teachers) are based more on ideology than research and ultimately.....can and often does hurt kids.

Students give lawmakers a bleak view of IPS

By Andy Gammil

Margrette Lowe wants state legislators to understand that they have given her a raw deal when it comes to her education.

She and a dozen other Tech High School students met with eight lawmakers Friday and painted a bleak portrait of their district: Many teachers don't care; the district doesn't offer the challenging classes commonly offered elsewhere; and some students receive such bad guidance that it can affect whether they graduate

READ MORE

Obama & Education

From a friend of mine's blog....it's not good I'm afraid.  When Obama said that Education was his example of where he differed with the Democratic Party I got worried; when he picked Arne Duncan, I got very worried; when he starts sounding like "Bush Light" (see below), I'm terrified.

Obama & Education

An Obama activist friend of mine reacted to the speech outlining an education agenda given by the President to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce  by calling it ‘Bush lite’. Despite important attention to ‘crumbling’ schools, funds to prevent teacher layoffs due to state budgetary crises, mild criticism of the ‘testing regime’, and some awareness of the relationship between other socio-economic issues and education; it’s hard to argue with that dispassionate characterization. Obama’s evocation of “high standards” coupled with “high expectations”, his call for a “new culture of accountability”, not only broke no new ground, but seemed to echo Bush platitudes, even as he called for No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to “live up to its name.”  READ MORE

"Deregulating" Teacher Certification?

From the Indiana Dept of Education Strategic Plan dated Feb 25, 2009:

"Improve instructional quality and enhance school governance and leadership...

• Reform and deregulate existing licensing standards to encourage the appropriate use of subject matter experts in the classroom and in administrative positions."

Questions abound as to what the proposal to "deregulate" teacher certification might mean for education in Indiana.  Quoted numerous times in the campaign as being against accreditation for teacaher training programs, new Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Bennett seems out to transfer this power to the districts.  Given current financial constraints one wonders what type of system the districts would be able to adopt (or if they even want this power/responsibility).  More troubling is the inclusion of the "subject matter experts" in the second half of the statement.  One can only assume here that this means cutting out Schools of Education and letting business schools train administrators, history departments train social studies teachers, etc..., ignoring the research base on what we know about effective teaching practices. 

I'm hoping there are some comments out there as this is surely an attack on teacher education (yet again) and a significant step backward for the State of Indiana.  There will be more to come...

Magnet Schools & Blaming Parents

I just can't keep quiet about the stories in the Star about Indianapolis Public Schools.  The audacity of the IPS administration to blame parents for low magnet enrollment and the failure of small schools is the epitome of spin.  Anybody who has spent any time at all in the IPS small school fiasco knows that they were never given a real chance and were "small schools" in name only.  To say that they're shifting back because of "research" on effectiveness is insulting.  The tone of today's article on magnet programs is even worse: the Superintendent telling parents to leave neighborhood schools for magnets?!  This is a complete reversal of the original intent of magnets--to bring high quality programs to struggling urban schools.  This is simply tracking the district (we used to at least pretend that we didn't do this), creating trophy schools and leaving vast numbers of kids, communities, and teachers behind--all for the sake of looking good for the paper. But, in the end, to blame parents is just too much--we need some public outrage, people.

Most of IPS' magnet high schools struggle to fill their seats

Shortridge High School is set to reopen next year as a magnet school with a focus on law and public policy, but so far there are few takers: only 235 students have signed up for 600 seats. 

To view the contents on www.indystar.com <http://www.indystar.com> , go to: http://www.indystar.com/article/20090222/LOCAL18/902220389

The Future of Teacher Education

Patricia H. Hinchey & Karen Cadiero-Kaplan: The Future of Teacher Education and Teaching: Another Piece of the Privatization Puzzle
Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, Volume 3, Number 2 (October 2005)
ISSN 1740-2743

Abstract

Recent concerted efforts of government and business to privatize public education are well-documented, but less attention has been paid to what these trends are likely to mean for the future of teaching and teacher education. Based on a review of two reports offering recommendations for reshaping teacher education, of a variety of relevant financial data, of efforts to implement scripted materials in classrooms, and of overt hostility toward the NEA, the authors argue that efforts to undermine teaching as a highly-skilled profession with union support are already well underway. Much evidence suggests that current "reform" strategies are intentionally driving well-educated professionals from the classroom and that once a teaching shortage has been exacerbated, teaching will be virtually fully deskilled. At this point, "teaching" will be provided by alternate "delivery mechanisms" that make teachers virtually obsolete. These developments are desirable to business and government first, because privatization of education will not produce maximum profits until labor costs are reduced, and second, because professional teachers largely oppose the lie that standards and accountability as they are being implemented will benefit poor children. Stakeholders—most especially the education community—need to understand, publicly name, and then oppose current threats to the teaching profession which play a role in the privatization efforts that threaten not only public education but democracy itself.

READ MORE: http://firgoa.usc.es/drupal/node/24312