Education News: February 13, 2009

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending February 13, 2009.

Small Psychological Differences Have Tremendous Impacts
(New York Times, February 7, 2009)  With all the money that is about to be spent on education, those in charge should examine carefully which programs and influences tend to have the greatest impact on a child’s education.  There can be many small psychological factors that, when taken into account, go a long way towards improving the quality of education.  One example is the “stereotype threat”, described by social psychologists Claude Steele and Joshua Aronson.  They found that reminding African American students of their race before a test lead to worse performance.  Conversely, in a different study, they found that telling students that their intelligence is under their own control improved work and performance.  Elsewhere, there has also been evidence that black students performed better on an exam presented as a puzzle, as opposed to a test of academic achievement or ability.  One might think that the bigger the intervention the bigger the effect, but big intervention programs, such as Head Start, which places 3- and 4-year-olds in supposedly enriched classroom settings, have had very little effect.

Student Sues to Get Cyberbullying Suspension Removed from Permanent Record
(New York Times, February 7, 2009)  Katherine Evans, a freshman at the University of Florida, is suing the principal of her former high school to remove her “cyberbullying” suspension from her permanent record.  The story began after Evans’ teacher ignored her requests for help with assignments and reproached her for missing class for a blood drive.  Evans, who at the time was a high school senior, then decided to publish on Facebook complaining about the way her teacher, Sarah Phelps, had treated her.  She also invited others to “express their feelings of hatred.”  After several responses, some in defense of Ms. Phelps, Evans took the post down.  Two months later, Evans was called into the principal’s office and told she was being suspended.  Supporters argue that Evans is within her right to free speech with her Facebook post, but the opposition argues that teachers should not have to work in fear.

Scholastic Accused of Using Book Clubs to Sell Other Goods
(New York Times, February 9, 2009)  The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, an advocacy group based in Boston, has accused Scholastic Inc. of using its classroom book clubs to push video games, jewelry kits and toy cars.  The group claims it reviewed monthly fliers distributed by Scholastic last year and found that one-third of the items sold in the brochures were not books or books packaged with other items.  Susan Linn, director of the campaign, says that she has received complaints from parents that their kids are being sold toys, games and makeup under the guise of a school book club.  While the campaign focused on products such as the M&M’s Kart Racing Wii video game and the “American Idol” event planner, the brochure also included items such as a set of Spiderwick Chronicles books that came with a poster, or “Mad About Math: Brain Busters Math Games,” a book of math puzzles that comes with a board game.  Judy Newman, president of Scholastic Book Clubs, says she stands by every product in the fliers and points out that many of the books are sold with items, such as stickers, to help engage children who aren’t traditional readers.

Uniforms to Take Effect in Cleveland High Schools
(Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 10, 2009)  On Tuesday night the Cleveland school board unanimously approved uniforms to be worn by high school students.  The uniform requires collared shirts or blouses, dress slacks or skirts, and knee-length shorts or jumpers, all in a select set of conservative colors, the same code as has been required in elementary schools for the past two years.  Dress codes keep the students out of gang clothing and protect students from ridicule who can’t afford to dress in style.  Some teachers worry about serving as fashion police, which will take away from instruction time.  Many worry that parents won’t be able to afford new sets of clothes.  The county has provided vouchers in past years to help with the purchase, but can no longer afford to do so with a limited budget.  Instead, help will be sought out from churches, social-service agencies and other sources.

Report Exposes Deficiencies in San Francisco Hiring Practices
(San Francisco Chronicle, February 11, 2009)  The New Teacher Project, a nonprofit organization, released a report Wednesday outlining some of the problems with the San Francisco school district’s hiring processes.  The report claimed that the district lost some of its best applicants because it waited too long to offer them positions or didn’t respond at all.  In addition, principals will wait to fill positions in the summer to avoid hiring teachers whose positions were eliminated during the year.  Superintendent Carlos Garcia says the city has already begun to implement measures to solve the problem, such as a computerized applicant tracking system.  Such measures won’t solve the whole problem, however, as many teachers wait to resign until the end of the summer to keep their benefits as long as possible.  Principals will also wait on telling district officials about openings until they have more say in the hiring process.  These issues are being addressed in union contract negotiations as well as a trial program in twenty-five hard to staff schools which gives principals far greater say in hiring.

Knowledge is Power Program Continues Success
(USA Today, February 11, 2009)  A fifth grade class from Houston, part of the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), managed to impress Justice Stephen Breyer on a recent trip to Washington, D.C., and gain further recognition of how successful the program has been.  Starting with just one fifth grade class in 1994, KIPP has grown to become group of sixty-six high-achieving public schools that have changed the face of education in urban areas.  The program is currently in nineteen states and the District of Columbia, and educates 16,000 students from preschool to high school.  The story of KIPP’s success is chronicled in Jay Matthews’ Work Hard. Be Nice, who spent two years visiting 31 KIPP schools and interviewing founders Dave Levin and Mike Feinberg.  After starting with nothing, KIPP now receives millions of dollars in funding from private entities to supplement the public funds it receives and has become the model of urban school reform.  KIPP is based on long hours and unwavering dedication from students, teachers and parents.

Virginia Schools Offer “Flex Time” to Increase Achievement
(Washington Post, February 12, 2009)  Schools throughout northern Virginia are beginning to offer students “flex periods” as a way to offer students remediation or enrichment during the school day.  The periods range from 40-90 minutes depending on the school, and are a way to up achievement in compliance with No Child Left Behind.  Time can be spent to review material or work independently, attend school wide events, or, with permission, visit a specific teachers’ classroom.  Some students do not use the time to their advantage, and instead talk with friends or leave campuses, but preventative steps are being taken.  A survey of one of the schools showed that while 84% of the teachers believed flex time was valuable to learning, only 70% of students agreed.

New Contract Preserves L.A. Unified’s Lifetime Health Benefits
(Los Angeles Times, February 12, 2009)  The L.A. Unified School District announced on Wednesday a new three-year healthcare agreement, which will maintain the district’s benefits package for its employees and their families, about 250,000 people, while limiting costs.  The deal, however, will also add to the districts growing deficit and could lead to higher medical expenses in the future.  The deal guarantees lifetime benefits for district employees, but sets benchmarks for when workers become eligible.  This being the top priority in contract negotiations, the deal could diminish the possibility of a strike, with a strike authorization vote already scheduled.  The deal could save the district $207 million over the next three years, but with caps on spending increases, some of the costs could be passed on to employees.