Education News: May 8, 2009

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending May 8, 2009.

Merit Pay Funding Outlined in New Budget
(Washington Post, May 7, 2009)  President Obama’s recent budget plan includes $517 million in funding for performance pay grants, up from $97 million in last year’s budget.  The funding will be added on to the $200 million that was already earmarked for such programs in the recent stimulus law.  Meanwhile, education officials have cut twelve programs they feel are not proven to benefit students, saving $550 million in the process.  The $47 billion spending plan includes early blueprints for reforms such as grants to plan, design and open charter schools and funding to expand education research. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan pictures merit pay programs that will reward the best teachers and encourage them to work in struggling schools in high-poverty neighborhoods.  While the teachers’ unions have often been against merit pay, President Obama intends to work with unions on a local level in developing the programs.  Concerns do remain amongst teachers, however, that bonuses will be linked to test scores.

New York City Schools Chancellor Bans Outside Hiring
(New York Times, May 6, 2009)  Anticipating significant budget cuts, NYC Schools Chancellor Joel Klein recently told principals that they could no longer hire teachers from outside the system.  Instead they will be forced to look within the city’s absent teacher reserve pool, which consists of educators whose jobs have been eliminated due to school closings or downsizing.  Mr. Klein claims the restrictions are forced to avoid layoffs, and the reserve pool costs the city over $40 million a year.  A report by the New Teacher Project claims that many of the 1,100 educators in this pool are subpar and six times as likely to have received an unsatisfactory rating.  Timothy Daly, who runs the New Teacher Project, fears that now schools won’t be able to hire the best person for a position, which will end up hurting the students.  The schools’ chancellor claims that the pool will be monitored closely, and the ban could be lifted if there are not enough teachers of a certain specialty to fill vacancies. 

As Layoffs Loom, L.A. Unified is Paying Over 150 Teachers Not to Teach
(Los Angeles Times, May 6, 2009)  The term “housing” in the L.A. Unified School District refers to what is done to employees whose job fitness is up for review.  The teacher wakes up every school day and goes to sit in a district office until the end of school hours.  The teacher often continues to receive his or her full salary and benefits, and gets to take off all breaks, school vacations and holidays, as per an agreement with the union.  Currently there are 160 such teachers in the district who have been accused of sexual contact with students, harassment, theft or drug possession, among other things.  Those being housed cost the district $10 million annually, as widespread layoffs and other budget cuts are being considered.  This question of what to do with teachers in trouble is a national one.  Elsewhere teachers’ duties while waiting for review range from crossword puzzles to clerical or warehouse work.  One Unified employee, Matthew Kim, had repeated accusations of sexual harassment and has been “housed” for over seven years as appeal after appeal is heard.
Additional Article with Layout of Typical Day for One of the Housed Teachers

Special Education Positions Reported to Have Highest Turnover Rate
(Washington Post, May 7, 2009)  Recent federal data shows that the percentage of special education teachers who transfer to other teaching jobs or leave the profession is the highest among all teaching areas.  Nearly every school system reports a shortage of certified special education candidates, which means that special education students are very likely to be taught by unqualified teachers.  The shortage has arisen because over the past thirty years, the increasing percentage of special education students has increased far more than the percentage of special education teachers.  Many special education teachers feel that while their specialty might be the most challenging, it is also the most rewarding due to the gains you can help students make.

Judge Rules that Calling Creationism “Nonsense” Violates Students’ Rights
(USA Today, May 6, 2009) U.S. District Judge James Selna ruled Friday that when a public high school history teacher called creationism “superstitious nonsense” during a lecture, he violated the first amendment.  More specifically, it violated the establishment clause which prohibits the government from making any law establishing religion.  The suit was brought by student Chad Farnan against teacher James Corbett, alleging that he had violated the first amendment when making comments that were hostile towards Christian beliefs.  The lawsuit cited twenty additional comments which demonstrated a teaching method which "favors irreligion over religion," none of which were accepted by the court’s decision.  Judge Selna aimed to establish boundaries to ensure that both Farnan and Corbett are protected in their beliefs and duties.  Corbett continues to teach at the same high school and monetary damages are not being sought by Farnan.  Instead, he would like assurance that Corbett will not make similar comments in the future.

This Year, Senioritis May Come Back to Haunt Students
(USA Today, May 6, 2009)  Senioritis is a disease that many students come down with during the second semester of their final year.  Symptoms include skipping class, missing tests, attending parties instead of athletic practice, and generally slacking off.  It has generally been considered a rite of passage, but this year colleges may withdraw acceptances for students who don’t finish with a strong academic record.  The change in policy stems from the fact that colleges have admitted more students than in the past due to uncertainty regarding their offers being accepted.  The increase in uncertainty is a result of record numbers of applications and dwindling economic resources.  In the event of over enrollment, colleges are more likely to revoke their offers to students who have fallen short of expectations.  Other colleges have taken the opposite route, and accepted far fewer students than normal with the intention of taking a greater number of students who have finished strong from their wait-lists.  While officials have always monitored for drops in grades, this year they will double-check for drops in grades, absenteeism or lightened course loads with increased scrutiny. 

Recent Governmental Study Strives to Identify Key Factors in Literacy
(Christian Science Monitor, May 7, 2009)  A recent government report identified poverty, ethnicity, native language background, and disabilities as key factors that correlated with literacy.  It also found that 14%, or thirty million people, of Americans aged sixteen or older have difficulty with basic reading and writing.  Seven million people’s reading and writing skills are so low that they are considered “nonliterate.”  The report determined that a lack of basic reading skills is the key problem, often due to language background.  Other strongly correlated factors include income, education, and disabilities, in various categories such as learning, vision, and hearing.  To combat this, Congress is expected to retool and reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which includes funding for adult literacy and basic education programs.