Archives for category: Budget Cuts
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How to Destroy Public Education: Lessons from Pennsylvania

By dianeravitch
September 27, 2012 //
17

In a brilliant column, Bill White of the Lehigh Valley News compares Governor Tom Corbett’s education policies to carpet-bombing of Vietnam. The goal nearly half a century ago was to “bomb Vietnam back into the stone age.” White says that Corbett is doing the same with public education with his program of budget cuts, charter schools, and voucher proposals, which have thus far produced layoffs, program cuts, falling test scores, and soaring class sizes.

It seems that the Governor’s goal is to drive parents out of public education and into charters or to demand vouchers to escape the mess the Governor is creating.

Charter advocates always say that charters are truly accountable because if they fail, they are closed. That is not the case in Pennsylvania. Once charters are opened, it is expensive and difficult to close them:

The state law is a nightmare. To revoke the charter of a troubled school, the home district must potentially engage in a lengthy legal battle in which local taxpayers must pay for lawyers on both sides. Once a charter school is approved and operational, the law allows it to continue receiving tax dollars even if it loses its school building, lays off its teaching staff or is in the midst of revocation hearings.

I’m not blaming Corbett for the shortcomings of this law, which passed in 1997. I do fault him for policies and priorities that are dragging down public schools, ultimately stacking the deck for more parents to pursue charter schools and other forms of non-public education, which, if his proposals for education “reform” are enacted, will divert even more money from public schools.

Categories Accountability, Budget Cuts, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Education Reform, For-Profit, Pennsylvania, Privatization

Don’t Mess with Texas. The Revolution Begins Here.

By dianeravitch
September 25, 2012 //
12

Texas brought No Child Left Behind to the nation.

Remember that candidate George W. Bush said that Texas had figured out how to fix the schools. He said test every child every year, post the results, reward the schools where scores go up, humiliate those where scores go down. And, wow, a miracle: the scores go up, up, up; the achievement gap closes; graduation rates go up. Win-win-win-win.

Except it didn’t happen. And now the whole country is stuck with a testing regime that is sucking the life out of education.

This report from Texas describes a growing revolution against testing. The schools are up in arms: 77% of the school boards enrolling 86% of all Texas students have passed a resolution opposing high-stakes testing. The Houston superintendent said that 65 days (out of 180) are consumed by testing.

Now a group known as “Moms Against Drunk Testing” has joined the fray. They are mad as hell and they are not going to take it anymore. Last year, the state cut the school budget by $5.4 billion, while handing a fat contract to Pearson for $468 million. Meanwhile the state wants more and more and more testing.

(A few hours after this post appeared, I received the following message: So glad we have support around the country! Our real name is TAMSA (Texans Advocating for Meaningful Student Assessment) and we have a facebook page and a website. Please “like us” and “join in” on our website! The more members and “likers” we have, the stronger we will be in the upcoming legislative session.

website: http://tamsatx.org/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tamsatx)

Go, Texas, go! If the testing vampire is slain, the whole facade of faux reform collapses. No test scores, no merit pay, no evaluation by test scores, no closing schools by scores.

Don’t mess with Texas!

I am speaking on Sunday morning to a joint convention of the Texas School Boards Association and the Texas Association of School Administrators at the Austin Convention Center.

On Sunday from 2-4, I am meeting with parents and teachers to talk about the kind of stuff we discuss on this blog. Eastside Memorial High School. Y’all come!

Categories Budget Cuts, Education Reform, NCLB (No Child Left Behind), Testing, Texas

About Those Pennsylvania Test Scores

By dianeravitch
September 22, 2012 //
1

Scores dropped in Pennsylvania.

Many respected and some not-so-respected schools failed to make AYP.

School officials attributed the drop to budget cuts and anti-cheating measures.

The state Commissioner of Education said that deep budget cuts, loss of programs and personnel, had nothing to do with it.

Categories Budget Cuts, NCLB (No Child Left Behind), Pennsylvania

Scores Down, Beatings Will Continue

By dianeravitch
September 22, 2012 //
0

The following comes from the regular posting by the Keystone State Education Coalition, a pro-public education group that is fighting for public education in Pennsylvania and against budget cuts and privatization.

You can find them here: http://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org

COMMENTARY ON RELEASE OF 2012 PSSAs
Ten years ago when NCLB was passed we talked about unrealistic targets of 100% proficiency that would one day cause all public schools to be labeled “failing”. We are reaching that point. Lower Merion High School, one of the top high schools in the state, in one of the wealthiest school districts in the state, did not make AYP this year.

No matter that the AYP targets have increased.
No matter that funding has decreased by a billion dollars.
For public school teachers, the beatings will continue.

But this year Pennsylvania’s “failing public schools” narrative has been updated: the lazy, greedy, pension-bloodsucking, incompetent union hacks who don’t care about kids are now also cheaters.

More justification for more charter schools and EITC “scholarships” to private and religious schools that are never subjected to public scrutiny and don’t have to give these damn tests to their students. More justification for increasing the taxpayer funded bailout of our parochial schools while accepting their performance as a matter of faith. More justification for doing nothing to address conditions in our high poverty schools that are required to accept ALL students.

It would be useful for the Governor, the Secretary of Education or perhaps some of the over 100 members of the statewide press corps who receive these KEYSEC emails to go and actually spend a full day (or two) shadowing a teacher in one of our high poverty public schools. Not just a whistle-stop photo op, but a hands-on, roll up your sleeves opportunity to see first hand the challenges that our teachers face every day.

Last year we posted that of 12 PA cyber charters only 2 made AYP, while 8 were in corrective action status. This year only one cyber made AYP. Coincidentally, that school, the 21st Century Cyber Charter, was created and is governed by professional educators – the Chief School Administrators from the four suburban Philadelphia counties’ intermediate units and public school districts. (what a concept!) and has made AYP for 6 out of the past 7 years.

Agora Cyber, run by K12, Inc. continued their streak of never making AYP and is now in their 3rd year of Corrective Action 2 status. A federal lawsuit filed against K12, Inc. in Virginia alleges that:
· The company did not tell investors how much their business depends on “churn,” signing up new students when others drop out. The company also did not reveal that more than half of students at some K12 school did not return the following year.
· The company listed students as inactive rather than sending them back to their home district. That allowed K12 virtual schools to continue collecting that student’s funding.
· Some teachers reported having as many as 400 students.
In 2011 Ron Packard, K12 Inc.’s CEO received $5 million in compensation. Charles Zogby, PA’s Budget Secretary and Former Secretary of Education under Governor Ridge, served as K12’s Senior Vice President of Education and Policy prior to being recruited to serve in the Corbett Administration.

Chester Community Charter, the state’s largest brick and mortar charter did not make AYP this year after being investigated for cheating in prior years. The owner of the management company under contract to run the school is still fighting pending right-to-know requests in court. The charter school reform legislation passed by the State House last June included specific language that would exempt him from the state’s right to know laws. The Philadelphia Education Notebook reports that “Chester Community’s proficiency rates plummeted about 30 points in both reading and math, and the declines were fairly uniform across all grade levels and demographic subgroups. The school, with more than 2,500 students on two campuses, …. is operated for-profit by Gov. Corbett’s single largest campaign contributor, Vahan Gureghian. Its CEO sent a letter to parents blaming the sharp drops on severe state funding cutbacks that caused “sharp declines in services.”

PA Cyber, the state’s largest cyber charter, did not make AYP this year. It’s founder and group of related companies are under investigation by the FBI and IRS.

Categories Budget Cuts, Charter Schools, Education Industry, NCLB (No Child Left Behind), On-Line Education, Pennsylvania

What Is Lean Production?

By dianeravitch
September 19, 2012 //
8

This teacher worked in a New York City public school that won high marks because of its use of teams.

It was an exemplar of “lean production.”

It did all the right things.

Teachers were constantly conferring.

Only problem: the kids weren’t learning.

Read this article and learn about lean production.

With the expanded use of business thinking in education, it’s coming your way.

Categories Accountability, Budget Cuts, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, NYC

The Ugly Face of Reform in New York City

By dianeravitch
September 17, 2012 //
29

The New York City Department of Education decided to kill John Dewey High School in Brooklyn a few years ago. John Dewey (ironic name, no?) had long been considered one of the city’s best non-selective high schools.

When the city began creating small schools and closing large schools, it had to find a place to dump low-performing students so that the small schools would appear successful. So John Dewey became a dumping ground for students unwanted by the new small high schools, which the Bloomberg administration treated as the jewel in its crown.

As more students were assigned to Dewey who were far behind their grade level in basic skills or who have special needs, Dewey’s scores began dropping. Soon Dewey was classified as a failing school.

The teachers fought to protect the school, but it was a losing battle. In this article, read how the city has stripped the school of AP courses, electives, foreign languages, etc., and the graduation rate dropped. As the school was picked apart, enrollment fell, and teachers were laid off. This is a death spiral created by the NYC Department of Education. This year’s school opening was marked by scheduling confusion, not only at Dewey, but other so-called “turnaround” schools that are locked in a legal battle over when and if they will get the “turnaround” treatment (meaning, will the staff be fired and the school closed).

It is a war of attrition, and the administration will win.

Next time you hear a story about the “success” of New York City’s small high schools, remember John Dewey High School.

Categories Bloomberg, Michael, Budget Cuts, Corporate Reformers, Curriculum, NYC

NSBA Says: Stop the Budget Cuts!

By dianeravitch
September 9, 2012 //
0

The National School Boards Association has sent out an urgent bulletin to school boards across the nation warning about pending budget cuts by Congress.

If these cuts are not rescinded, every public school will see a new round of budget cuts, with fewer teachers and loss of vital services to children.

Please read this and do what you can to help.

 

NSBA Call to Action:  Urge Congress to Rescind Across-the-Board Cuts to Education (Sequestration)

Federal funding for education faces significant across-the-board cuts of an estimated $4.1 billion on January 2, 2013 unless Congress takes action.

Urge Congress to rescind the across-the-board cuts (sequestration) to education that are scheduled to become effective on January 2, 2013. 

 

The Budget Control Act of 2011 will impose across-the-board cuts of 7.8 percent or more to education and other domestic programs through a process called sequestration (the cancellation of budgetary resources), unless Congress intervenes. 

Please utilize NSBA’s talking points and background information, take the survey, customize and adopt the sample board resolution, edit and send a letter to your local newspaper editor, and write to your senators and representative regarding sequestration.  Your grassroots advocacy is essential to help mitigate these across-the-board cuts to education.

 

The Facts

  • The impact of a 7.8 percent cut to programs such as Title I grants for disadvantaged students would mean a cut of more than $1 billion, affecting nearly two million students. 
  • Special education grants would be reduced by more than $900 million, impacting nearly 500,000 children with disabilities.
  • English Language Acquisition grants would be cut by approximately $60 million, affecting an estimated 377,000 students. 
  • Sequestration’s budget cuts to these and other education programs would mean increased class sizes and less access to programs for children with special needs, as well as summer school, college counselors, early childhood education and after-school programming.

 

Most school districts have experienced significant budget cuts already in recent years, resulting in fewer course offerings, thousands of teacher and staff layoffs, four-day school weeks, loss of extracurricular activities, and reduced transportation services, for example.  If further budget cuts from sequestration were to occur, several school districts would be forced to cut even more essential services over the long term.  As Dr. Billy Walker, Superintendent of the Randolph Field Independent School District in Texas, stated “If sequestration is truly a 10-year project, the devastating budget cuts may force us to close our doors.”

 

Here’s one school board member’s perspective regarding sequestration in a letter she wrote to her representative:

“I understand that as a result of the Budget Control Act, across the board cuts for all programs will be considered.  I write today to give you an idea of what that would mean for our school and to urge you to reject across the board cuts in education…What I want you and the subcommittee to know is that even though they are not large amounts, these federal funds are what enable us to hire a second math teacher and third English teacher in our school.  In our annual budget process, of our $1,875,000 general fund, every single dollar is accounted for down to about $30,000 — the $30,000 is the only flexibility we have for unexpected expenses.  If our Title or IDEA funds are reduced even just a little, we would be looking at reducing a full teaching position because we have nowhere else left to cut.  With less than two math teachers, for instance, we have no chance of supporting enough math classes so that our kids can stay in math classes at least three years throughout high school even though we know that is critical.  With one less English teacher, we would have no real option to have meaningful writing courses in our school even though we know writing skills are also critical to their success beyond high school.”

                   -Sabrina Steketee, Chair, Jefferson High School Board of Trustees, Boulder, MT

 

Let Congress hear from you as well.  Utilize these talking points and background information.  Please take a moment to customize this sample letter and send it to your senators and representative. Also consider customizing and adopting the sample board resolution, take the survey, and edit and send a letter to your local newspaper editor. 

 

Also, please don’t forget to send NSBA a copy of your adopted resolutions on sequestration along with any published letters-to-the-editor that will help illustrate why Congress should reject sequestration and preserve funding for our schools.

Information can be emailed to kbranch@nsba.org. 

NSBA greatly appreciates your advocacy efforts!

 

Kathleen Branch, MEd, CAE

Director, National Advocacy Services

Office of Federal Advocacy & Public Policy

National School Boards Association

703.838.6735

www.nsba.org/advocacy

Categories Budget Cuts

Puzzle in St. Louis

By dianeravitch
September 5, 2012 //
3

Why is St. Louis Mayor Frances Slay a cheerleader for charter schools? Why is he determined to open charters–whose record in St. Louis is worse than the local public schools–instead of rebuilding his city’s public schools? Didn’t the state of Missouri recently close six Imagine charter schools in St. Louis for poor performance?

The article linked here says:

The mayor’s increasingly active engagement in attracting strong charter schools to St. Louis has put him at odds at times with school district officials who are working to revive their struggling school system. As more students leave the system for charter schools, dollars follow the students. More than 10,000 children attend charter schools in the city. Staff reductions and school closures have become an annual expectation for the school district, with enrollment numbers now under 25,000.

Slay has become more than just a cheerleader for the charter school cause. His office has directly solicited or supported the opening of nine charter schools since 2007, nurturing them as they developed and providing support they’ve needed to open their doors. Another three charter schools are scheduled to open this fall — the reason for Slay’s announcement at Gateway Science last week.

“It’s about quality choices for parents,” he said.

Since they first appeared in the city in 2001, the track record of charter schools as a group has been worse than the struggling city school system.

Charters are attracting students away from Catholic schools, which are at risk of closing as they lose students. One that recently closed was Mayor Slay’s alma mater, the Epiphany of Our Lord school. Its building has been leased to the Gateway Science Academy, a charter school that is part of the Gulen network of charter schools, with a board dominated by Turkish educators.

 

Categories Budget Cuts, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Reform

NYC Funds “Pet” Schools, Not Closing Schools

By dianeravitch
September 4, 2012 //
10

Five years ago, New York City adopted a new funding formula, with great fanfare.

It was called, optimistically, “fair student funding.”

However, the New York Daily News released the results of its investigation and discovered that the new schools opened by the Bloomberg administration get full funding, but the struggling schools that the administration wants to close get budget cuts.

This is NOT fair funding. This is a conscious effort to cripple the schools that are already on the disabled list and to destroy them by underfunding them.

The fact that these schools enroll disproportionate numbers of high-needs students underlines the cruelty of this policy.

Expect to see a press release soon on the “success” of the mayor’s new schools.

Categories Accountability, Bloomberg, Michael, Budget Cuts

NCLB Waivers and Junk Science in New York

By dianeravitch
August 31, 2012 //
8

Bruce Baker has another brilliant analysis, this time gauging the validity of school ratings just released by the state of New York. A thumbnail sketch: New York is stiffing its neediest schools and districts.

Here are the takeaways:

1. The waiver process is illegal. It is not the prerogative of any federal official–not even a cabinet member–to decide to disregard a federal law and to substitute his own policies for the ones in the law. If the law stinks, as NCLB does, revise it. That’s the way our legal system works. Once the precedent is set, any future cabinet member may decide to change the laws to suit his or her fancy. That’s wrong.

2. New York state released a list of schools in relation to their “performance.”  Surprise, surprise! Here is what Baker discovered:

Notably, schools in “good standing” are lowest BY FAR in % of children qualified for free lunch, percent of children who are black, or Hispanic, and are also generally lower in percent of children who are limited in their English Language Proficiency. Race and poverty differences are particularly striking!

In short, the Obama/Duncan administration has given NY State officials license to experiment disproportionately on low income and minority children – or for that matter – simply close their schools. No attempt to actually legitimately parse “blame” or consider the possibility that the state itself might share in that blame.

AFTER ALL, NEW YORK STATE CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN ONE OF THE MOST REGRESSIVE STATE SCHOOL FINANCE SYSTEMS IN THE COUNTRY! 

The third takeaway is that the state violates its own funding formula and underfunds all schools, but especially the schools that enroll the neediest students.

“…the current New York State school foundation aid formula is hardly equitable or adequate for meeting the needs of children attending the state’s highest need districts. But to rub salt in the wound – FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE HAVE CHOSEN TO DISREGARD ENTIRELY THEIR OWN WOEFULLY INADEQUATE STATE AID FORMULA.

Even worse, when the Governor and Legislature have levied CUTS TO THAT FORMULA, they have levied those cuts such that they disproportionately cut more state aid per pupil from the higher need districts. As of 2011-12, some high need districts including the city of Albany had shortfalls in state funding (from what would be expected if the foundation formula was actually funded) that were greater than the total foundation aid they were actually receiving.“

Categories Budget Cuts, Cuomo, Andrew, Education Reform, Federal Waiver, New York, Race to the Top
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