Education News: March 20, 2009

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending March 20, 2009.

Non-Profit Collects School Supplies from Business to Give to Teachers
(New York Times, March 14, 2009)  A Boston organization called Extras for Creative Learning, takes supplies that businesses no longer need, and provides them to teachers, day care providers and parents.  Unlike many other industries, today’s economy has actually helped the nonprofit as donations have increased tremendously due to downsizing.  The organization currently has about 1,000 members and while anybody can join, rates are lowest for Boston public city school teachers.  A teacher can pay forty dollars a year, for the opportunity to visit the warehouse eight times and load up on essential supplies such as drawing paper, markers, pens and binders.  The businesses benefit as well because they receive tax write-offs for their donations.

D.C. Schools Chancellor Admits She May Have Tried to Do Too Much Too Fast
(Washington Post, March 14, 2009)  In a letter to Washington, D.C.’s 4,000 teachers and specialists last Friday, Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee admitted that in trying to “fix everything all at once” she may have overwhelmed teachers with too many programs and initiatives.  Union officials did not respond too positively, however, as they believe she is merely politicking despite not responding to a contract proposal they issued at the end of January.  While Rhee is well known for her visible actions such as closing twenty-three schools, firing dozens of principals and attempting to institute a groundbreaking pay-for-performance package, but she has also enacted a flurry of pilot programs and policy changes that place greater demands on teachers.  Many view the letter as an effort by the chancellor to repair relations with the teachers after many of her policies led veteran educators to fear for their jobs.  The letter also urged teachers to persevere in working with the students, despite the nation’s economic troubles and emotional issues, and made discussed her guiding principles for the new contract.

Oakland School Board Sues State Superintendent
(San Francisco Chronicle, March 16, 2009)  The Oakland State School Board has sued State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell on the grounds that he violated state law and financial common sense.  The Board believes that when he gave city charter schools $450,000 out of the district's bank account, O’Connell overstepped his boundaries.  The lawsuit is seen as the latest volley in a power struggle for authority over Oakland’s public schools, which dates back to 2003 when the state bailed out the nearly bankrupt district.  According to O’Connell, the funds, which equaled $60 per charter school student, were issued to address a historical funding inequity.  The money represents about 1% of the district’s budget.  While the check has not been cut yet, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch denied the school board's request to stop distribution of the cash while the lawsuit runs its course.

Chicago Must Choose Between New Elementary School and Lakeside Parkland
(Chicago Tribune, March 18, 2009)  Despite protests by open-space advocates and neighbors, the Chicago City Council Zoning Committee unanimously approved a portion of Rainbow Beach Park as the new home of Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy.  The school is being built to relieve overcrowding issues at the old location.  While the project does include creating new parkland five blocks away from land obtained from the city transportation department, open-space advocates worry about the construction.  They point out that South Shore's only other park, Rosenblum Park, has been a construction site over the past year for the new South Shore High School.  Those who are in favor of the construction tend to characterize the park as an “eyesore in a community of boarded-up homes and gun violence.”  Many of those against it say the park “is usually a quiet haven in an otherwise concrete-and-brick community.”

School in Texas Forced Students to Fight in Cage to Settle Disputes
(USA Today, March 19, 2009)  According to a 2008 report from the Dallas school district's Office of Professional Responsibility, workers at South Oak Cliff High in Dallas, TX staged cage fights between troubled students to settle their differences.  Former principal Donald Moten denied the allegations and refused to comment, claiming was nothing to comment on.  A previously fired middle school counselor filed a whistle-blower lawsuit and claims that Moten and members of the school’s security staff knew about the fights and encouraged them.  The counselor had been fired for allegedly changing a student’s grade.  Dallas schools Superintendent Michael Hinojosa confirmed that there were "some things that happened inside of a cage" and said the fights were "unacceptable."  The report described two instances between 2003 and 2005.

Carlisle, MA Debates Extension of Kindergarten Hours
(Boston Globe, March 19, 2009)  Carlisle Superintendent Marie Doyle met with school district parents regarding a proposal to extend the town’s public school kindergarten hours.  For the past nine years, Carlisle’s kindergarteners have attended three half-days and two full days, for a total of twenty-one school hours per week.  Under the proposal, based on research that suggests children with longer kindergarten days get off to a better start academically, children would attend four full days for a total of twenty-four hours per week.  While not the stated reason behind the proposal, the new schedule would save the district $21,000 per year by eliminating the midday bus route.  Some parents are concerned that their students generally come home exhausted on the long days, and need the half days to recover.  Additionally, some teachers worry about the proposed schedule because it results in fewer morning hours, which is when they find kindergarteners most alert and prepared to learn.  The parents made a counterproposal of a schedule which includes three full days and two half days.  This would extend the hours, but would give the students some breaks in the schedule.  It would also, however, eliminate any savings from the switch.

First Lady Leads Star-Studded Career Day Throughout the Capital
(New York Times, March 20, 2009)  First Lady Michelle Obama organized a career day throughout the district on Wednesday with hopes to inspire struggling high school students.  Ms. Obama and twenty-one other women, including singers Sheryl Crow and Alicia Keys, former astronaut Mae C. Jemison and four-star General Ann E. Dunwoody of the Army, scattered across the district on Wednesday in honor of Women’s History Month.  The first lady, who spoke with students at Anacostia High School, explained to students that she was from a working-class family, and she attended public schools.  She told them that she always did her best, even though it wasn’t considered “cool.”