Archives for the month of: February, 2014
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Rahm, You Forgot About Arts Education!

By dianeravitch
February 26, 2014 //
13

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is known for his love of the arts. But not for children in Chicago Public Schools.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Wendy Katten, 773-704-0336

Raise Your Hand Survey Reveals Arts Instruction Sorely Lacking in CPS

65% of reporting schools do not offer two hours of weekly arts instruction, as stated by Mayor Emanuel

CHICAGO, February 20, 2014 — In a recent survey regarding arts instruction at Chicago Public Schools, education advocacy group, Raise Your Hand found the majority of schools are not able to offer two hours of arts instruction per week, contrary to publicly stated support for this by Mayor Emanuel.

The web-based survey, conducted in January and February 2014 includes responses from parents and teachers representing 170, or nearly one-third of CPS. The survey found other grave inequities in exposure to arts instruction across Chicago. Of 170 schools represented in the survey:
· 14% have no arts instruction
· 51% have less than two hours of arts instruction per week
· 26% have two hours of art instruction
· 9% have more than two hours of arts instruction
· 31% saw a decline in arts instruction this year.

“CPS has an arts plan that supports increased arts instruction but a per pupil funding allocation that barely covers the most basic fundamentals let alone robust arts programming,” said Wendy Katten, Director of Raise Your Hand. “If CPS truly wants all children in Chicago to be exposed to a rich arts curriculum as they state, they will need to increase the per pupil funding rate to allow for this.”

The CPS Arts plan states: “the case for the arts is clear. We know that arts education strongly correlates to substantially better student engagement, academic performance, test scores and college attendance, along with significantly decreased dropout rates and behavior problems. And we know that the correlations are strongest for low-income students…Even more, there is growing recognition that the arts contribute to essential 21st century skills like innovation, creativity, and critical thinking.”

Parent Sherise McDaniel of Manierre Elementary said, “My third grader doesn’t have one art or music class. We were thrilled when our school was taken off the closing list last year but our school has seen significant budget cuts and we lost our art teacher. I wish my son had two hours of art per week, or even one. We also lost our librarian due to budget cuts.”

According to survey responses, many parents are paying out of their own pockets for arts instruction at their children’s schools.

Parent Colleen Dillon from Burr Elementary said, “In order to stretch our budget this year, not only were we forced to have a split classroom for the first time, but we also lost our art teacher. Now, the only arts classes offered at Burr are parent-funded and the amount we can fund certainly does not equal two hours a week.”

In the comment section of the survey, many respondents shared frustration at current school budgets, which have been cut to the bone and do not allow for any kind of shift in priorities.

LSC member Jennifer Gierat of Byrne Elementary said, “At Byrne, we do not offer and have never offered two hours of art per week. And we will never be able to offer two hours of art per week under the current budget. The students receive 45-60 minutes of art per week depending on the grade level, and they receive no music instruction. We have one wonderful art teacher doing a fantastic job. The mayor’s claim that our school is providing more than that in this broken system is a distortion.”

About the survey:
Raise Your Hand conducted a non-scientific, web-based survey during the month of January and February. The survey data is based on responses from 444 people representing 170 CPS elementary schools across the city.

RYH asked its members to report the amount of arts instruction received at their school and members called or emailed other schools for information. Responses were aggregated based on information provided by 170 schools. Schools that did not reply are not included in the analysis. When confronted with contradictory reports on the amount of arts instruction at a single school the higher estimate was used in the data analysis. Therefore, any errors are likely to over-state the amount of arts education rather than under-state it.

About Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education: Raise Your Hand is a growing coalition of Chicago and Illinois public school parents, teachers and concerned citizens advocating for equitable and sustainable education funding, quality programs and instruction for all students and an increased parent voice in policy-making around education. http://www.ilraiseyourhand.org.

Amy Smolensky
amysmolensky@comcast.net
312-485-0053

Categories Arts Education, Chicago

Jonathan Pelto: Steve Perry’s School Performs Below Hartford Public Schools

By dianeravitch
February 26, 2014 //
41

It is a strange world we live in, when schools are compelled to compete for “customers” and when some chain schools hold themselves up as owners of a “secret sauce” to produce high test scores, and some individuals market themselves as savants. We have a plethora of savants, individuals who claim that they alone have cured vexing educational problems. They boast, and their boasting naturally draws scrutiny.

Steve Perry, who is principal of a magnet school in Hartford, Connecticut, has perfected the style of the boastful savant. He used to be a commentator on CNN, which accepted his self-portrait as a miracle man. He recently created a managent company to open charter schools at a hefty fee. He claims a graduation rate of 100%.

No one has been more relentless in fact-checking Perry’s claims than Connecticut political analyst and blogger Jonathan Pelto. See here and numerous other entries.

In his latest blog, Pelto shows that Perry’s school has lower test scores for African American students than the much-maligned public schools of Hartford. yet Perry now seeks to open more schools.

A couple of years ago, when I checked various “miracle schools,” none turned out to be true. All had high attrition, skimming, or other ways of manufacturing high scores. And then there are charters who get high scores by turning children into “little test-taking machines.” This is the current definition of “success,” but there are no careers that rely on test-taking. It is difficult to see the exaltation of the ability to guess the one right answer as the key to success in college or careers.

Categories Connecticut, Corporate Reformers

Newark Superintendent Cami Anderson Will No Longer Attend Newark School Board Meetings

By dianeravitch
February 25, 2014 //
35

Only a few hours before a school board meeting scheduled for this evening, Newark’s state-appointed Superintendent Cami Anderson announced that neither she nor her leadership team would attend the meetings or any other meetings of the school board. Apparently, she thinks the board is too unruly and she prefers to engage with parents in other (controlled) settings.

This is quite a show of contempt for the Newark school board, which is the closest the people of that city come to having any voice in school affairs. Their district has been under state control since 1995.

Categories Administrators, superintendents, New Jersey

Eva Moskowitz Plans to Fight Mayor de Blasio in Albany

By dianeravitch
February 25, 2014 //
136

Eva Moskowitz, the combative CEO of the Success Academy charter school chain (previously called Harlem Success Academy), anticipates that new Mayor Bill de Blasio may charge rent for her use of public space or may deny some of the co-locations offered in the waning days of the Bloomberg administration. Moskowitz enjoyed preferential treatment when Michael Bloomberg was mayor and had immediate access to Chancellor Joel Klein. Those days are over, as de Blasio has pledged to review all future co-locations and to consult with local communities.

Moskowitz issued a statement promising to take her battle for more schools and more funding to Albany, where she has friends in the Legislature and in Governor Cuomo. According to a report by Geoffrey Decker in Chalkbeat, charter advocates–some of whom are on the board of Eva’s chain–have contributed more than $800,000 to Cuomo. Eva will bring busloads of students to Albany with her to impress the Legislature, something that no public school would be permitted to do. In addition, a charter advocacy group called Families for Excellent Schools will mount a multi-million dollar TV campaign to block de Blasio’s efforts to rein in the charter movement.

Charters in New York City enroll 6% of the pupil population. Many have smaller proportions of students with disabilities and English language learners than public schools, and some charters are known for suspending or expelling students they don’t want, then not accepting new students to take their places.

Categories Charter Schools, Education Industry, New York City, Privatization

CTU Supports School That Opts Out of State Tests; More Likely to Join Test Boycott

By dianeravitch
February 25, 2014 //
11

Teachers at a Chicago elementary school voted to boycott the next round of state testing, and their union supported them.

CTU SUPPORTS TEACHER BOYCOTT OF LOW-STAKES ISAT

CHICAGO – The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) supports teachers and parents at Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy who announced today their intent to boycott the Illinois State Achievement Test (ISAT). Teachers have collected more than 300 opt-out letters and the student council voted to encourage all students to opt out of the exam. Should these courageous educators face disciplinary charges by the district, CTU vowed to mount a strong defense of this collective action.

Saucedo’s action stance against the ISAT could spark a teacher and parent-led movement to “opt-out” throughout the Chicago Public Schools system.

“The Saucedo educators have taken a bold step in refusing to administer a test that is of no use to students and will be junked by the district next year,” said CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey. “Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett has already said the ISAT will not be used for selective enrollment, and therefore this serves no purpose other than to give students another standardized test. We know that parents all over the city are opting their children out of this unnecessary test, and we commend them for doing what is in the best interests of their children.”

The ‘low stakes’ test is expected to be administered over the course of eight days in all elementary schools starting March 3rd. Formerly used to help qualify 7th grade students for selective enrollment high schools. The district recently issued a memorandum to teachers stressing the value of “rigorous, high-quality assessments,” in measuring student progress. The ISAT, however, is not aligned to any CPS curriculum, and in Chicago, it is no longer used to measure student progress, school performance, promotion, or for any other purpose.

For the last decade, since the implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the ISAT test has been the primary lever used by CPS for its destructive, destabilizing policies of closures and turnarounds. System-wide, the ISAT has infected the vigor and breadth of curriculum as teachers and students became stymied by the requirements of a narrow test-based approach to learning. NCLB has now been panned as a broad failure, but with the transition into more new tests, CPS threatens to double-down on the failed policy of standardized-test based accountability.

###

Categories Chicago, Resistance, Testing

Michelle Rhee Spends Freely for Anti-Teacher Lobbyist

By dianeravitch
February 25, 2014 //
63

Michelle Rhee is on a national vendetta against teachers. According to an investigation by a special unit of Al Jazeera, Rhee has poured large sums into a campaign to attack unions and teachers in California, using the services of a politically powerful lobbyist in Sacramento.

Since there is no research to support her campaign to destroy unions and to eliminate due process from teachers, her crusade is either an ego trip or payback for her failure to crush the teachers in DC.

.

Categories California, Rhee, Michelle, StudentsFirst, Teacher Evaluations, Teacher Tenure, Testing

New Jersey: Time to Investigate Christie Administration’s Failed Reforms

By dianeravitch
February 25, 2014 //
9

Jim O’Neill, interim superintendent of West Orange, New Jersey, did something remarkable, something we expect from retired educators, not those in the field. He spoke up. He denounced the failed reforms of the Christie administration whose purpose is not to improve education but to open up the school budget for privatization. For his courage and candor, based on experience and wisdom, he joins the honor roll as a hero of public education.

Time for an investigation, he writes:

“The Bridgegate investigation led from Fort Lee to Hoboken, the Hunterdon County Sheriff’s Office, Sandy ads, Sandy funds and the ARC tunnel. After four years of being intimidated by the crass talking intimidator-in-chief, our elected representatives and investigative journalists have their mojo back and should hurry to investigate the highly touted education reforms in NJ. Articulated and spearheaded by a private school advocate clothed in the powers of state education commissioner, the soon to be departed Chris Cerf leaves NJ teachers and students suffering from a debilitating hangover.

“Cerf learned from our governor that, if you say the same thing often enough, say it forcefully enough and demonize all those who raise a hand to disagree, you will attract attention and true believers. The naysayers were painted as out of date fat cat public employees only interested in themselves and not the health, welfare, or academic well-being of the students in our schools. Fortunately for the parents of over one million students in NJ public schools, nothing could be further from the truth.

“The reforms foisted on NJ and other states lack intellectual credibility because the advocates refuse to entertain alternate ideas or facts. The “we know we are right” attitude confirms an insular mentality and a deep-seated insecurity, which also blinded those in the governor’s circle of trust. Platitudes about closing failing schools and all children succeeding are the public catch phrases of a political agenda masquerading as education reforms.”

Read on.

Categories Education Industry, Honor Roll, New Jersey

“Democrats for Education Reform” Oppose de Blasio Plan to Fund Universal Pre-K

By dianeravitch
February 25, 2014 //
53

This morning, Joe Williams, the executive director of the hedge-fund managers’ “education reform” front group (“Democrats for Education Reform”) published an opinion piece in the New York Daily News opposing Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to fund universal pre-kindergarten by taxing incomes over $500,000. As Mayor de Blasio has pointed out, the incremental tax to pay for U-PK would be the equivalent of a soy latte at Starbucks every day, about $1,000 a year for the city’s wealthiest residents. But the hedge fund managers say no. This may explain why the California Democratic party called out DFER last year and urged them to stop calling themselves “Democrats” when they are fronts for Republicans and corporate interests. Imagine someone who has a take home pay of half a million a year unwilling to pay another $1,000 to ensure that every child in the city has pre-kindergarten class. How embarrassing for DFER. Why not just call themselves Hedge Funders for Education Reform and drop the pretense. They are making war on the signature proposal of the city’s wildly popular new progressive mayor.

 

The Alliance for Quality Education, which advocates on behalf of the city’s children, fired off a press release:

 

 

“On Pre-K, Parents Blast Corporate Education Front-Groups for ‘Putting the Rich First’ Over Students 

 

NY, NY— Following the Daily News op-ed by DFER’s Joe Williams, a national leader in the education corporate reform agenda, which revealed they are advocating against Mayor de Blasio’s tax plan to fund pre-K, Zakiyah Ansari, Advocacy Director for the Alliance for Quality Education, & Celia Green from New York Communities for Change released the following statement:

 

“Shame on the corporate front-groups for trying to get in the way of pre-K for New York City. They are simply ‘putting the rich first’ and shortchanging four year olds. The best plan would be to combine both the mayor’s and the governor’s plans—that would serve more kids in New York City and throughout the state. Mr. Williams is misrepresenting the facts when he says the Governor’s plan is more equitable; there is nothing equitable about leaving tens of thousands of four year olds out in the cold on pre-K. Every single child deserves to have access to high-quality pre-K, not just the rich who can afford to pay for it,” said Zakiyah Ansari, Advocacy Director for the Alliance for Quality Education. 

 

“The corporate reform agenda was rejected in New York City, and now their front-group spokesman is cozying up to the Governor and millionaires. Opposing the Mayor’s plan because it will slightly raise taxes is out-of-touch with not only families across the city, but with the countless wealthy individuals in the city who support the Mayor’s plan. The bottom line is that I’m tired of protesting cuts to programs or living in fear as to whether they will still be there next year– that’s why we need a reliable funding stream through a small tax increase on the wealthy,” said Celia Green, parent leader with New York Communities for Change.

 

Categories Bill de Blasio, Childhood, Pre-K, K, Democrats for Education Reform, New York City

Edushyster: When the Excellence Brigade Came To Minneapolis

By dianeravitch
February 25, 2014 //
43

On February 6, Michelle Rhee preferred to speak to the Minneapolis business leadership instead of debating me.

But fortunately, I got a first-hand report from someone who attended the event and explained who spoke and what they said.

Rhee, as is her custom, advised the audience that the path to excellence begins with eliminating tenure or due process for all teachers. That way, they can be fired immediately, for any reason, with no hearing. I wondered if anyone in the audience asked for examples of states or districts that have no due process for teachers and have achieved outstanding results.

There was, of course, a lot of talk about data, data, data. Big data will solve all problems since children are interchangeable widgets.

The last speaker, Kati Haycock, warned that low-income students were assigned far too many inexperienced teachers. The reporter wondered if she was talking about TFA, which is a dominant force in Minneapolis.

Categories Minnesota, Rhee, Michelle, Teach for America, Teacher Tenure

Obama Invites Dr. James Comer to Join Advisory Panel

By dianeravitch
February 25, 2014 //
32

This is really good news.

President Obama appointed famed Yale child psychologist Dr. James Comer to join an advisory panel, where he will be

 

“one of 15 appointees to a new President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

The commission is tasked with “improving educational outcomes for African Americans to ensure that all African Americans receive an education that prepares them for college, productive careers, and satisfying lives.”

Comer said he will stress to the committee the central importance of child development in helping disadvantaged minority kids succeed.

“The modern school reform movement that focuses on math and reading,” Comer said, “misses what schools are about. Schools are to prepare students to be successful in life.”

 

Dr. Comer has devoted his career to helping children by focusing on their social and emotional development and their relationship to their family and community.

He is not an admirer of the punitive stress of high-stakes testing, which harms children’s development. Dr. Comer understands that Race to the Top ignores what matters most in healthy child development.

Here is hoping that the President and his advisors take the sage advice of Dr. Comer.

Categories Education Industry, Students, Testing
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