AJC.com > Blogs > Get Schooled > Archives > 2008 > January
January 2008
Are students under pressure to achieve?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I recently covered Gwinnett County’s annual district spelling bee. A fifth-grader who studies the dictionary and spelling guides won. He said he’s been practicing for months, starting as soon as he gets home from school and keeping at it until he goes to sleep. After winning, the boy’s father encouraged him to take a break. The boy didn’t want to.
It seems as though more and more students are pushing themselves. They stay up past midnight. They take four or five college-level Advanced Placement classes at a time. They strive for straight A’s while playing sports, serving on school clubs and volunteering at church.
Some call these kids high-achievers. Others label them over-achievers.
Where does this increasing pressure to perform come from? Are students getting it from their parents and teachers? Or is it coming from students and their friends?
Permalink | Comments (51) | Categories: Laura Diamond
Do we need more charter schools?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve heard from lots of parents lately checking out charter schools for next school year. They’ve all asked the same question: Why aren’t there more?
Charter school advocates say local school boards veto too many applications and treat the non-traditional public schools liked red-headed stepchildren. School board members say they’re making sure taxpayer money goes to credible programs.
The nature of charter schools can set up combative relationships. Charter schools need local approval to receive local property tax money. If local school boards approve the schools, they lose students and the money they would’ve received to teach them.
Charter schools may have a better shot of getting approval under HB 881, which passed out of the House Education Committee Tuesday. The bill creates another commission with the power to approve charter school applications. (http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/sum/hb881.htm)
What do you think of this bill? Are school boards getting in the way of charter schools? Or are school boards looking out for students by saying some charter proposals just aren’t good enough?
Escaping poor schools
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
During his State of the Union address, President Bush proposed a $300 million plan to help poor students trapped in struggling schools escape to private schools or better-performing public schools in other districts.
The feds described the program as Pell Grants for Kids. But it sounds a lot like vouchers. Taxpayer-funded voucher programs already exist in Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida. Georgia started its Special Needs Scholarship program for special education students this school year. Here is a website for the Georgia program
The president’s proposal could help many needy children get out of failing schools, giving them a chance to get a quality education. But public schools will lose money for each child that flees. What opportunities will there be for the children who are left behind?
What do you think of the president’s plan?
Permalink | Comments (82) | Categories: Laura Diamond
Dealing with disruptive students
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The keys to ‘Get Schooled’ have been passed along again. I am honored to be the new holder.
Bridget announced Friday that I would be taking over.
A little about me: I grew up in New York, a fact that becomes apparent if you hear me say certain words. I graduated from Indiana University in 1995 and immediately started working as a newspaper reporter. My first assignment was education and I’ve never left the beat. Over the years I’ve covered education issues in Indiana, Illinois and Florida. I came to the AJC four years ago and I’ve written about education in Fayette, Coweta and Gwinnett.
We’ll get to know more about one another over the next few weeks. For now, let’s jump into an interesting topic: School police arrested a seventh-grade girl last week after she attacked a teacher. Read here.
The girl beat the teacher so hard, she broke the woman’s glasses and bloodied her lip. The attack happened at Lilburn Middle School in Gwinnett, but this incident isn’t unique to one school.
Over the years, teachers have shared horror stories about disruptive students. They talk about the lack of respect. They talk about the discipline problems. They talk about the absence of support from school administrators and parents concerning this problem.
What happened to cause this violence and disrespect? Are teachers, parents or students at fault? And what can we do to fix it?
Permalink | Comments (91) | Categories: Laura Diamond
Thanks For The Memories…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hard to believe it was just 14 months ago that I made my first foray (on Nov. 28, 2006) into the blogosphere.
Seems like years.
If I count in blog terms, it was 288 entries and nearly 16,000 comments (and counting) ago. That’s in addition to writing more than 115 articles for ajc.com and what we now lovingly refer to as the “paper product” — remember that?
During that time, I tried my best to provide you with an inside look at the goings on in state education policy, keep you updated on important school news in Georgia and — most importantly — give you something to talk about.
We may not have always seen eye to eye, but I hope you’ll agree the effort was there.
Now the time has come to turn over the blogging reins to another AJC education reporter. Laura Diamond, who covers schools in Gwinnett County for us, will be the new host of Get Schooled starting Monday.
I think — and I think you will agree — that it’s time for a new voice here. My guess is many of you are as tired of hearing me blog as I am.
I’ve learned lots from this online community and I do hope that it continues to thrive in the years ahead.
So thanks, as the old song goes, for the memories.
An End to Austerity?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Could this finally be the year state lawmakers end the long-running, erroneously named “temporary reductions” in Georgia’s education budget?
After six years, some key Republican officials are actually starting to speak out against annual cuts in the state’s K-12 funding formula, which Gov. Sonny Perdue initiated during his first year in office because of a severe deficit.
During state budget hearings Wednesday, state Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox admitted she was “disappointed” that Perdue plans to continue the so-called austerity reductions next school year.
According to today’s story by legislative reporter James Salzer, House Appropriations Chairman Ben Harbin (R-Evans) also voiced reservations about continuing the cuts, which now total more than $1.4 billion.
“We keep coming up with new programs, and we’re funding those,” Harbin said. “Maybe it’s time to stop with the top-down programs and allow that money to get to the [school] systems.”
At a separate meeting for education reporters Wednesday, state Rep. Brooks Coleman (R-Duluth) — a former school administrator who leads the House Education Committee — said he and other legislative leaders would be looking for ways to end the formula cuts this year.
“Money is an acceptable way to say, ‘I love you,’” he quipped. “But money is not the key. … We’ve got to fully restore [the funding] and take it where it should be, then we need to look at doing two or three more [policy] things.”
State Sen. Dan Weber (R-Dunwoody), chairman of the Senate Education and Youth Committee, agreed — although, Weber doesn’t view ending the cutbacks as a priority.
“It’s a lot of money. It can make a difference. But I don’t think it will turn around school districts,” he said of the $141.5 million proposed cut for next year. “Some of the other issues we’re talking about will.”
UPDATE: Those who may not understand the ramifications of the K-12 formula cuts might want to check out Maureen Downey’s latest editorial. She cogently lays out the problems for all to see.
Pre-K For 3-Year-Olds: Why Or Why Not?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A group of Democratic lawmakers wants to spend some of Georgia’s Lottery money to expand the free state Pre-K program from 4-year-olds to 3-year-olds.
State Reps. Mary Margaret Oliver, Stephanie Benfield and Kathy Ashe filed a bill last week that would require the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning to create a voluntary pre-kindergarten program for toddlers.
“We ask the General Assembly to appropriate $25 million from the $600 million unrestricted reserve fund to create classes for at least 5,000 3-year-olds,” the lawmakers wrote in a guest editorial yesterday. “This sum approximates the interest earned on the [Lottery] reserve fund. We can afford this new Pre-K expansion and must do so at this time to improve educational success for Georgia’s children.”
Coincidentally, I recently received a mailed copy of an 80-page report also promoting the use of unused Lottery funds. Unlike the lawmakers, however, high-profile attorney Emmet Bondurant wants to see funding for the current Pre-K program increased — perhaps doubled or tripled.
“It is a scandal that the state government is sitting on [nearly $600 million in] unrestricted Lottery surplus … when the educational needs of Georgia’s youngest children are vastly underfunded,” Bondurant wrote in his cover letter.
I know a few pre-school providers who would agree with him.
So, talk all you want about the idea of public school for 3-year-olds. What I want to know is: Why expand Pre-K to include a new age group of kids when the current program may need shoring up?
Paying Students To Learn
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With metro Atlanta public schools regularly offering goodies — such as MP3 players and bikes — to encourage students to attend classes, perhaps it was only a matter of time local educators decided to bait kids with cold hard cash.
According to a media advisory e-mailed to reporters this morning, Fulton County Schools will announce a new “Learn & Earn” initiative Thursday that will “test the hypothesis that extrinsic motivation (pay for attendance and participation) will improve academic performance….”
(Seriously, folks. I’m not making this up.)
For 15 weeks, 40 selected eighth-graders from Bear Creek Middle School and 11th-graders from Creekside High School — both in Fairburn — will be paid to attend free after-school tutoring in math and science.
According to the news advisory, the plan was conceived by former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and will be privately funded by Charles Loudermilk, founder of the Aaron Rents furnishings company.
“There are numerous variables involved when a student performs below expectations in school, including economics,” the e-mail stated. “The study seeks to show whether monetary incentives do, in fact, improve classroom attendance, grades and test scores.”
I wonder if it will also determine whether kids learn the value of an education?
UPDATE: AJC education reporter Michelle Shaw got some interesting reactions to Fulton’s initiative. Kati Haycock, president of the Washington-based Education Trust, which advocates for minority students, told her: “Are there risks of this? Sure. But are there risks of not trying it? Oh yeah, probably bigger ones.”
A Snow Day Spoiled
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I saw the big fat snowflakes accumulating on rooftops in my neighborhood last night and I got a little giddy.
Were metro Atlanta students actually going to get a real-live, bona-fide snow day today?
When I was growing up in Reisterstown, Md., there was nothing better than a snow day. We weren’t lucky enough to get them every year, but there was always a glimmering possibility come the cold of January.
Oh, the joy of waking to all that soft white loveliness covering trees, lawns, sidewalks and, importantly, roads.
A day off from school! No classrooms, no teachers, no books. Hooray!
Since I’ve been in Atlanta (four years now) there hasn’t been a single solitary snow day to report. Sure, we got a couple gas conservation days two years ago thanks to the Gulf Coast hurricanes and Gov. Sonny Perdue. But those were pre-announced, not a spontaneous gift from above.
Alas, I woke this morning to the telltale patter of raindrops.
Mother Nature, how can you be so cruel?
UPDATE: One metro school system did close down today. Kids and teachers in Cherokee County did not have classes because of the inclement weather.
The Education Budget: Show Me The Money!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue gave his annual State of the State address today, where he outlined his legislative and budget priorities for the new year.
Perhaps not surprisingly, education was low on the list. Taxes, economic development, transportation, water and health care all took precedence in the governor’s remarks.
When Perdue did get around to education near the end of his speech, he maintained that this is his administration’s highest priority.
“Above all these issues … is our basic duty to our children,” he said. “Education is the best investment we can make in our future.”
So, in addition to the $14.3 million Perdue has set aside for the parent involvement program announced Tuesday, he promised to increase funding for Pre-K by $6.4 million and inject $65 million into public school systems for buses and classroom technology.
Although the governor called Georgia’s teachers the “best in the world” and mentioned they were the “highest paid in the Southeast,” he avoided talk of a teacher pay raise. He did, however, note that teachers will get another $100 gift card for classroom supplies.
UPDATE: In case you hadn’t noticed, the governor has decided to keep the annual “austerity cuts” in the state education budget next school year — although, interestingly, he doesn’t expect Georgia to be hit hard by a recession.
Are You A VIP?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I missed Gov. Sonny Perdue’s speech at the annual “Eggs & Issues” breakfast this morning because of an untimely dental appointment. So I’m just catching up on details of his latest plan to improve education in Georgia: the Very Important Parent (VIP, for short) Recruiter program.
According to press materials, the $14.25 million program would place a “VIP recruiter” in 551 poorly attended elementary, middle and high schools throughout the state. Basically, the recruiter would be a parent liaison tasked with making the least-involved moms and dads more active in their child’s schooling — including, presumably, getting the children to school.
The recruiter would help parents navigate the public education system, foster relationships between parents and teachers, provide learning resources to use at home and track the family’s progress, among other duties.
Perdue considers this an essential new component to his oft-touted Graduation Coach program. And he hopes it also will help decrease middle and high school drop out rates.
“Education remains my top priority, and focusing on critical involvement by parents and guardians is the next vital step in ensuring student success,” Perdue said in a news release. “The VIP Recruiter Program will help parents take a vested interest in their child’s education and remain involved throughout their child’s academic career.”
Keeping Score On Education In Georgia
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Remember a while back I told you about all the new information the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement has been putting out lately?
Well, now they’ve got a new data tool on their Web site — the Education Scoreboard — that provides all kinds of measures on Georgia’s educational system, from Pre-K to higher education, in one spot.
The governor, who I’m told wanted a simple way for parents to see how Georgia’s public education system is doing, is expected to unveil the electronic scorecard during a speech this morning.
Now some of the data, such the state’s high school graduation rate (72.3 percent), you’ve probably seen before. And other information — including test scores for minorities, special education or low-income students — you won’t find here.
But there are some statistics that haven’t been readily accessible until now. Did you know, for instance, that just 64 percent of the state’s ninth-graders passed the literature end-of-course exam last year and were able to advance to 10th grade?
What’s really cool is that you can look at the data for your child’s school or all of the schools at a given level (elementary, middle or high) in your local school system and compare the information to state figures. In the future, GOSA hopes to expand the capability to allow parents to view multiple campuses side by side.
Jennifer Rippner, GOSA’s executive director, and her staff have been working on the project since September with the help of IT folks at the state Department of Education.
“Our whole goal is to make the data easy to read and available,” Rippner told me. “And the governor’s not scared if the data looks bad.”
So what do you say? Should we score one for Georgia or not?
UPDATE: I thought you’d like to hear what else the governor’s office has to say about the scoreboard, which is being promoted today along with a few other legislative priorities. Here’s a quote from the one-page backgrounder provided to reporters:
“Just as a scoreboard in an athletic competition provides fans with an at-a-glance status report, the Education Scoreboard provides stakeholders with meaningful, concise and transparent data on the status of educational quality and progress in Georgia. To date, there has not been a sole source available to education stakeholders that clearly reports the quality of Georgia’s education system. Instead, stakeholders have been forced to visit multiple sites to piece together an understanding of the system. The Education Scoreboard will fill this gap and report the ‘bottom line’ of education in Georgia.”
Improve College And Career Readiness In Georgia
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Too many high school graduates in Georgia are not well-prepared for college. Did you know only about half of the students who begin a four-year degree in our state actually graduate? Even fewer who start two-year degree or career programs finish.
When most jobs were on the mill or farm, Georgians need not worry. But today almost everyone needs some type of education beyond high school. The jobs in greatest demand require a four-year degree, two-year degree or specialized training.
Until recently, Georgia had never defined what it means to be “ready” for college or a career. Instead, the state defined readiness using low-level high school graduation exams.
The good news is state officials have developed college-readiness standards, which were incorporated into the Georgia Performance Standards for K-12 public schools. The written guidelines help teachers understand precisely the levels of reading, writing and math skills students need to begin college or career training.
This puts our state ahead of many others. But the boards for the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia need to formally adopt them too, so that we have a seamless system of academic standards from K-16.
All public colleges in Georgia need to specify that they will not require students to take remedial college courses if students score at a certain level on the state’s high school tests. Higher education can help make college readiness a major state priority by taking this step.
This shouldn’t put more pressure on classroom teachers, nor should it get in the way of more people attending college. Rather, it can help teachers raise instruction to a higher level and help more students attend and be successful in college.
Georgia needs better-educated residents. Full implementation of college and career-readiness standards would be a good start.
Today’s guest blogger is the director of communications for the Atlanta-based Southern Regional Education Board, which guides states on education policy. If you would like to be a guest blogger here, send an entry on any education topic to bgutierrez@ajc.com. Include the words “guest blog” in the e-mail’s subject field.
No Boys Allowed: Right Or Wrong?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Single-sex education is growing in metro Atlanta.
Several private schools — including Lovett, Pace Academy and Wesleyan — began separating girls and boys in certain grades for certain subjects this school year. Atlanta Public Schools also opened two single-gender middle schools (one for boys and one for girls) this past August.
Now, the state’s first single-sex public charter school will open next school year.
Ivy Preparatory Academy in Gwinnett County, which will only accept girls, joins Atlanta’s boys-only B.E.S.T. Academy at Benjamin S. Carson and girls-only Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy as the first public schools (in recent years) to cater entirely to one sex.
You may recall that Ivy Prep had a hard time gaining approval for its program. Gwinnett’s Board of Education rejected the proposal twice before the school’s founders sought help from the State Board of Education.
Gwinnett administrators were concerned the campus would be discriminatory because there wasn’t a similar option for boys, as there is in Atlanta. They still hold that view, even though the state board approved the school’s charter this week.
Private schools, of course, can do as they please with their academic programs. But if a public campus — paid for with tax dollars — wants to serve one group of students to the exclusion of another, is that acceptable?
Cox: Focus On Lowest-Scoring Doesn’t Hurt Others
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At the Georgia Board of Education’s monthly meeting this morning, state Superintendent Kathy Cox called out critics who say too much emphasis on special education is hurting more advanced students.
“I’ll challenge anyone anywhere to find a school where they’ve focused on the achievement of special education students [and] the scores of other students have gone down,” Cox said. “You can’t find it.”
As you know, under No Child Left Behind, test scores of special-needs kids count just as much as scores of their non-disabled peers. But, typically, special education students are among the lowest-scoring in a school.
To rectify that, public school principals have been keeping a closer watch on what’s happening in the classroom with special-needs kids.
Cox, in her off-the-cuff remarks, attacked the notion that every student cannot learn to the same high standards.
“Every school,” she said, “that has raised the achievement of their special education students sees the gains in the achievement of every other single group.”
Revolving Door In Fulton Continues
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fulton County’s superintendent is expected to retire just before his three-year contract expires this June, adding to the growing list of schools chiefs who have come and quickly gone from the system in recent years.
According to this story by AJC education reporter Michelle Shaw, James Wilson, a former Cobb County administrator, will step down on June 1 — five days prior to the expiration of his contract, June 6.
Apparently, there was no explanation given for Wilson’s impending departure. County Board of Education members are expected to discuss the search for a new leader next week.
Wilson succeeded Michael Vanairsdale, who left in February 2005 after barely a year on the job. Vanairsdale’s resignation came in the midst of an investigation of cost overruns and questionable accounting practices in the sales-tax-funded school building program.
Fulton’s leader before Vanairsdale, John Haro — recruited from Minnesota — lasted only five months before he abruptly departed for family reasons.
By the time Wilson leaves, Georgia’s fourth largest public school system will have gone through three chief executives in five years.
So has Fulton just run into a string of bad luck or are there more serious issues at play here?
UPDATE: While Fulton County will be searching for a new superintendent, Gwinnett County Board of Education members are holding onto theirs. Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks’ contract, which was set to expire in June, has been extended for two more years. Currently in his 12th year on the job, Wilbanks is the longest-serving schools chief in metro Atlanta.
Money, Money, Money…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This weekend I caught part of a fascinating interview on NPR with a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist who wrote a book about some of the ways governments (local, state and federal) misspend our tax money.
Then last night I saw Republican presidential candidate and Texas congressman Ron Paul on Jay Leno’s late-night talk show, where Paul suggested the federal government can’t fix domestic problems because it’s spending too much on the war in Iraq.
All of this got me thinking about government spending priorities and how every policy decision comes down to a question of money: How much is there and where should it be spent?
Of course, this is particularly important for public schools, which rely on tax dollars to operate.
Georgia’s public education advocates are seriously concerned about proposals to alter the state’s tax system and they’re equally anxious about what the governor’s Education Finance Task Force is going to do (or not do, as the case may be).
The question: When it comes to public education, are state officials spending the way they should?
UPDATE: Maureen Downey points out problems with the state’s education funding situation in a new AJC editorial, while columnist Jim Wooten suggests that there’s no need for alarm.
Outdated Teaching Contracts Are Weighing Schools Down
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A new calendar year has begun, teachers are returning for the start of a new semester and in just a few weeks school systems will be requiring teachers to sign a contract if they wish to continue in their jobs next school year.
The early issuance of contracts — now nearly six months ahead of the new contract year — is a human resources strategy that verges on desperation. School systems are seeking to preserve the staff they have, but they’re doing little to improve it.
No corporation would ever secure or maintain staff in the manner that our public schools do. While the non-merit-based pay scale needs an overhaul, so do the contracts associated with it.
One major improvement would be to offer multi-year contracts to exemplary teachers. These longer contracts could offer bonuses upon the completion of a two, three or even five-year term. If a teacher wanted to explore other opportunities, they could reserve that option with some penalty for signing a contract late in the year. Staff members whose work is questionable could be offered short-term contracts contingent upon improving their classroom performance.
While working in a private school, I once countered a contract offer by requesting a 15 percent pay increase. I succeeded in my negotiations and secured the raise.
I could never do that in a public school.
Instead, teacher contracts and pay scales are standardized at the expense of improving quality and creating a dynamic work force. The way contracts are used it’s impossible to distinguish the most effective teachers from the mediocre.
As lawmakers seek to make changes in public education this year, perhaps they should start looking at our outdated contracts.
Today’s guest blogger has worked as a media specialist in public and private schools for 15 years. If you would like to be a guest blogger here, send an entry on any education topic to bgutierrez@ajc.com. Include the words “guest blog” in the e-mail’s subject field.
No Teacher Left Behind
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I received an e-mail this morning from the folks at Education Week, alerting me to their annual Quality Counts report, which they’ll release publicly next Wednesday.
Every year, reporters and researchers at the publication grade states on their education policies and practices. They also typically focus articles in the special issue on a particular theme, which this year appears to be teaching.
According to the press release, researchers analyzed “the best thinking and current practices” in the teaching field and found that states could be doing more to strengthen the profession.
Coincidentally, the other day I was nosing around the Georgia Professional Standards Commission’s Web site and stumbled upon this online survey of the state’s public school teachers.
Apparently the purpose of the survey, conducted last school year, was to understand what makes teachers leave the classroom so education officials can reduce turnover.
With the exception of annual raises, teachers seemed to be generally satisfied with their heath and retirement benefits, base compensation and opportunities to earn extra cash or advance their careers.
Student discipline and motivation and parental or administrative support also don’t appear to be major factors for most of the 21,000 educators who responded to the questionnaire.
So what was the biggest problem?
President Bush’s No Child Left Behind law.
In fact, 68.6 percent of the teachers surveyed said the effects of the law were either “one of the worst” or just plain “bad” aspects of their jobs. That was, by far, the most negative response to any of the questions.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure what state officials can do about that one. But what would happen if those teachers (or parents, for that matter) actually got together and demanded a change?
The Get Schooled Resolution: Now An Annual Tradition!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For a while now, I’ve been meaning to remind y’all about the tenor of your comments on Get Schooled. Of course, the first day of a new year seemed the best time with all the annual time-to-reflect resolutions floating around.
Some days we manage to get through a topic here without the petty personal attacks. Far too often, however, the conversation degenerates into name-calling and put-downs of the schoolyard variety.
As I’ve said before, I’m not here to play the role of disciplinarian. This is a free speech forum, after all, and I won’t step on anyone’s right to be a verbal bully.
Unfortunately, there were a couple times last year where I had to shut down commenting because the discussion had deteriorated so badly. So consider renewing the simple resolution you took 12 months ago: To think before you post.
Your fellow bloggers will thank you for it.
UPDATE: In case you’ve forgotten, ajc.com does have a feature now in which you may request that an offensive comment be removed. I am loathe to delete comments myself and do so only in extreme cases. But I’m not able to catch every one, either. So, if you see something you think should be taken down, try using this form.
You might also re-familiarize yourself with the Web site’s visitor agreement, which outlines instances in which we may end your participation here.
So consider yourselves fairly warned and fully schooled. Now, on to 2008…
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