Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Lone Star State......Takes AIM on DIGITAL!
http://www.eschoolnews.com Contents Copyright 2007 eSchool News. All rights reserved.
TCEA's message: Think, teach creatively Keynote speeches emphasize technology's role in creative process
By Corey Murray, Senior Editor, eSchool News February 19, 2007
The power of technology as a tool to inspire creativity and better engage students was a hot topic in Austin, Texas, Feb. 5-9 as some 8,500 educators, technology coordinators, and other stakeholders gathered for the annual Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) Conference.
With more than 350 sessions aimed at helping educators improve their use of technology in the classroom and an exhibit hall showcasing the solutions of more than 700 school technology vendors, this year's TCEA gave educators from every state and at least three countries an opportunity to try their hand at the latest classroom innovations, while furthering an ongoing dialogue about how best to inspire students--and teachers--to find success.
The event kicked off with an emotional and moving keynote address from former Long Beach, Calif., teacher Erin Gruwell.
Gruwell, a former English teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School, achieved fame with the release of Freedom Writers, a major motion picture that chronicled her relationship with a group of 150 at-risk students in the aftermath of the Rodney King race riots.
Speaking before a packed convention hall of some 3,500 educators, Gruwell recounted the story of how, as a 24-year-old rookie teacher, she walked into one of Los Angeles County's toughest urban high schools committed to helping her students--many of whom were the products of broken homes and gang violence--build a brighter future.
After exhausting nearly every method she could think of, Gruwell says, she stumbled almost accidentally upon a solution--one that would change her life and the lives of her students forever.
Realizing she stood little chance of engaging her students through the standard curriculum, Gruwell began searching for books written by authors to whom she felt her students could relate.
She introduced them to stories such as The Diary of Anne Frank and Elie Wiesel's Night, two horrific accounts of high-school-age children in Nazi Germany.
It wasn't long before her students were reading the books and talking about the characters in class, she said. Having grown up in neighborhoods where survival was something they took seriously, her students empathized with the stories recounted by Wiesel, Frank, and others, Gruwell soon realized.
As an extension of the initial reading program, Gruwell had her students begin writing their own personal stories and essays. She founded a writing workshop at Wilson where students shared their stories anonymously. Growing up in some of the toughest neighborhoods in Long Beach, many of them wrote of violence; others of pain and abuse, or poverty. Whatever the topic, Gruwell said, her students wrote descriptively and with passion, tapping into a creative vein most of them never knew existed.
The initial success of the program gave Gruwell an idea. Through sharing their personal hardships and frustrations, Gruwell wanted to give her students an opportunity to confront their problems--to vent--without feeling intimidated or ashamed. For many of these kids, she said, it was a chance "to wipe the slate clean."
The students eventually compiled their stories into a book. Having recently hit No. 1 on the New York Times Best-Seller List, The Freedom Writers Diary is now the subject of a movie starring Academy Award-winning actress Hilary Swank. Gruwell said the proceeds from the movie and book deals will go toward helping all 150 Freedom Writers earn their college degrees.
To further the adoption of what she calls the "Freedom Writers Method," Gruwell retired from Wilson to start the Freedom Writers Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for underserved youth through scholarships and other educational programs.
Now she's traveling the country challenging other educators, many of whom are confronted with situations similar to her own, to do the same.
In an interview with eSchool News during the TCEA Conference, Gruwell talked about the importance of innovation in the classroom. Understanding that no two schools are the same and that every student has his or her own story to tell, Gruwell said, it's important for educators, no matter where they are in the world, to find ways of engaging their students, both individually and as a class.
She encouraged educators to think about their surroundings and to use new and emerging technologies as a way of "leveling the playing field" and relating to students in many of the same ways students relate to one another.
Her message was driven home throughout the event, as educators from Texas and across the nation attended sessions and took to the exhibit hall in hopes of finding creative solutions for connecting with students back home.
Software 'with a blank screen'
In an afternoon keynote address on Feb. 8, award-winning children's book author and artist Peter H. Reynolds spoke about the importance of innovation in the classroom and the role technology can play in helping unlock students' creative potential.
At a time when high-stakes tests and new standards of accountability have forced many educators to shy away from innovation for fear of losing federal funds, Reynolds called on schools and teachers to be "brave."
A longtime advocate for art and creativity in education, Reynolds is the founder and chief executive officer of Fablevision, a Boston-based arts and animation studio that focuses on technology-based solutions for inspiring students to think creatively.
Where boosting student performance should be a goal of every educator, with or without mandates leveled and measured by marks on standardized exams, art and creativity are essential to helping students discover who they are, Reynolds said--and, perhaps more importantly, who they aspire to be.
Reynolds, who has written an entire series of books dedicated to the importance of empowering children as artists, says the ability to create and to appreciate art is not solely for the aspiring painter or sculptor, but something that exists, at some level, in each and every one of us.
Thanks to the evolution of technology and simple design programs from the likes of Adobe Systems and other software manufacturers, it's easier than ever for teachers to work lessons on art and creativity into the classroom, Reynolds says.
"My favorite piece of software is the kind that comes with a blank screen, because a blank screen needs something--and where is that something going to come from?" Reynolds asked his audience. "It's going to come from you."
Whether it's teaching simple lessons on animation, directing students through interactive art projects, or helping kids write, draw, and produce their own books on computers, there are countless opportunities for teachers to incorporate art and story-telling into core subjects such as English, history, science, and even mathematics, Reynolds says.
"When you think about it, [mathematical] operations are really plot devices," said Reynolds, whose first animated short was designed around a math concept.
Apart from writing and illustrating his own line of children's books, Reynolds also works through Fablevision to help build creative software applications for inspiring students to read and write.
His company recently joined with educational software provider Knowledge Adventure to create a program called Books by You. The interactive learning tool, moderated by award-winning actor John Lithgow, guides students through the process of designing and writing their own storybooks. The books then can be published online at Lulu.com, a self-publishing outlet for aspiring writers.
"Technology represents an ongoing way for kids to express themselves--to tell us who they really are," explained Reynolds.
Whatever the topic--whether it's math or literature, art or science--Reynolds says the key to thinking creatively is in students'--and teachers'--ability to look at life from another perspective.
Like Gruwell, Reynolds believes each and every student has his or her own story to tell. But, before educators can expect students to open up, he said, teachers first must find a way to empower them.
His advice to attendees during TCEA: "Dare kids to make their mark."
News from the exhibit hall
Educators resolved to do just that as they headed to the conference exhibit hall in search of ideas. Here's a review of news from conference exhibitors.
Audio Enhancement, a maker of audio and presentation solutions for classroom use, demonstrated its latest line of infrared classroom audio tools. Powered by a remote wireless microphone and speaker setup, the products are intended to enhance their delivery of lectures and learning content in the classroom. Company executives claim teachers can better engage students, reinforce important topics, and help ensure that information is sinking in by using these tools. What's more, they say, unlike expensive investments in laptop computers and other high-end devices, classroom audio systems, once installed, are almost never obsolete. http://www.audioenhancement.com/
Corel Corp. , maker of the Draw X3 product line and other art and design applications for schools, recently unveiled its latest application: Painter X. The product, used by art teachers, computer graphics designers, and others, reportedly gives students access to a wide range of professional painting and design tools used to "blur the line" between traditional art instruction and art in the digital era.
In conjunction with its recent release of Painter X, the company at TCEA unveiled a free digital curriculum designed to help educators make more effective use of the software in their classrooms. Accessible at www.corel.com/paintercourseware, the curriculum is divided into three units, each covering five 45-minute classes. Subject areas include an introduction to the tools, paints, and brushes in Corel Painter X; exploring composition with the new "Divine Proportion" tool; transforming photographs into paintings; and techniques for creating digital characters and painting line drawings. http://www.corel.com/
Dell Inc. , the Round Rock, Texas-based computer manufacturer, said it is aggressively pursuing a number of environmental initiatives. As a recent recipient of the National Recycling Coalition's ninth annual Recycling Works Award, the company prides itself not only on selling computers and other hardware devices for schools, but on providing its customers with safe and responsible disposal options, too. The company's most recent efforts include a free global consumer recycling initiative, several different equipment refurbishing and repurposing efforts, and a Computer Donation program through which companies can donate hardware to nonprofit organizations and schools. http://www.dell.com
eChalk Inc. demonstrated enhancements to its flagship eChalk service and Lesson Planner tool, a product that facilitates curriculum distribution, lesson planning, submission, and review. eChalk provides administrators, teachers, students, and parents with online access to school schedules, homework assignments, academic resources, student discussion boards, curriculum materials, student-safe eMail, and teacher contact information, among other resources--24 hours a day, seven days a week. Enhancements include new web site personalization options that allow schools to build out their web sites within a consistent and professional-looking design. The latest version of eChalk also includes new organizational and planning tools built to save teachers additional time and help them to engage students and parents more effectively, according to the company. http://www.echalk.com/
ELMO USA demonstrated its line of classroom visual presenters for schools, including the "Presenter's Pet." Also known as the EV-2000AF Visual Presenter, the Presenter's Pet lets educators display just about any image or media they want on a large screen and works with a wide array of LCD projectors and monitors. The unit reportedly includes built-in and wireless remote controls and an RS-232C port for computer guidance. http://www.elmousa.com/
Encyclopedia Britannica says it is working to engage educators in the conversation about how traditional, paper-based reference book sellers must change to embrace a growing and evolving online medium. The world of publishing is being transformed by the internet and other digital technologies, and publishers must think and act in new ways if they're to succeed in today's global marketplace, writes Encyclopaedia Britannica executive Michael Ross in a new book on the subject. According to Ross's Publishing Without Boundaries: How to Think, Work, and Win in the Global Marketplace, publishers now have a vast array of new media and worldwide channels for distributing content, and these developments alter the nature of the business. The book, published by the Association of Educational Publishers, is both an analysis of the new business environment and a guidebook for publishers from an industry veteran who is helping to shape publishing's future. http://www.britannica.com/
Educational Testing Service, a producer of high-stakes standardized tests for schools, recently released a new report highlighting three "forces" that could have a negative impact on our nation and the success of its students. The report, "America's Perfect Storm: Three Forces Changing Our Nation's Future," is a product of the company's Policy Information Center and focuses on how three elements--inadequate literacy skills, the continuing evolution of the global economy, and an ongoing shift in the demographics of the United States--are creating a "perfect storm" that, if not addressed, could jeopardize America's standing as a world economic power. "'America's Perfect Storm' is a wake-up call with implications for education, business, policy makers, and every parent and child," says ETS President and CEO Kurt Landgraf. "It describes forces at play in society that will affect all of us in the near future. The American dream is the idea that everyone has the opportunity to make a living, provide for a family, and raise children who will be better educated and better off. If we fail to act now on the warnings sounded in this report, the next generation of children will be worse off than their parents for the first time in our country's history. The American dream could turn into an American tragedy for many." http://www.ets.org
eSped.com highlighted its suite of secure, online applications for creating and managing Individualized Education Plans for students with disabilities, as well as special transition reports and other administrative applications. eSped's products, which can be accessed by educators anywhere they have an internet connection, reportedly are used in hundreds of school districts nationwide. http://www.esped.com/
Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, a publisher of textbooks and web-based learning materials for students in grades 6-12, introduced a new series of online textbooks and corresponding interactive learning materials. With titles in language arts, science, social students, math, and world languages, the new online resources provide teachers with a means of monitoring student progress in specific learning areas and targeting instruction to meet the individual needs of their students. Apart from providing teachers with instant feedback and assessment tools, the online versions also incorporate graphics and other animation designed to make learning more engaging for kids. http://www.hrw.com/
Honest Technology, a maker of digital video and software applications, announced its entrance into the education market by featuring three of its most popular products. The titles include VHS to DVD 3.0, a program for archiving old VHS tapes and other outdated media on DVDs, which also reportedly enables educators to play old VHS recordings on other devices, such as iPods and portable media players; Video Patrol 5.0, a security and surveillance program that works with up to three PC cameras and can be accessed remotely from a PDA or mobile phone; and MY IP-TV & CAM Anywhere, a program for accessing video and television programs and surveillance recordings from anywhere in the world with a broadband connection. http://www.honestech.com
Learners Online, a Dallas-based developer of online learning solutions for K-12 schools, demonstrated its flagship WebLessons product. An eLearning solution originally developed for teaching American history and paid for by schools in select states using money from the federal Teaching American History grant program, the resource--which also includes content for teaching geography and science lessons--now is available to schools throughout the U.S., whether applying for grants or not, company executives say. In a demonstration for eSchool News editors, Learners Online CEO Mary Ashmore explained how the web-based product uses educator-reviewed internet content and rich multimedia, including video and audio clips, to guide students through a series of interactive lessons. Based on a four-pronged philosophy that encourages students to prepare, learn, practice, and apply, the program not only exposes learners to standards-based content, but encourages them through written and other excises to demonstrate their mastery of certain topics before moving on. The program comes with online tracking and assessment features for teachers, as well as training tutorials and other resources designed to help educators make the most of their investment, Ashmore said. http://www.weblessons.com/
Meru Networks, a provider of wireless network solutions for schools and businesses, says its Wireless LAN (WLAN) System has been implemented and is providing advanced wireless connectivity in more than 50 K-12 school districts across the United States. Compared with other wireless LANs, Meru's system allows more users to be connected at one time and dramatically reduces the time it takes for students to log on to classroom applications simultaneously, according to the company, which says its goal is to enable schools to take advantage of multimedia-rich programs and other bandwidth-intensive applications without interruption or other hindrances that can result from overcrowded networks. http://www.merunetworks.com/
NetSupport Inc. highlighted its suite of desktop management software applications for schools. As the use of computers and the internet in education grows, company executives say, so, too, does the need for managing the learning process in networked classrooms. The company's NetSupport School product is designed to help educators better instruct, monitor, test, and support students in networked environments. The latest version includes a student auto login function, internet co-browsing, new group features and testing options, and several other enhancements intended to maximize productivity in the computer lab, the company says. http://www.netsupport-inc.com/
Novell Inc. announced a recent deal with the 5,200-student Windsor Unified School District in California. Though a relatively small district, Windsor reportedly has been honored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as one of the Golden State's best. Now, with help from Novell, the district looks to improve on its reputation even further by standardizing the entire district on a SUSE Linux-based Enterprise platform. District officials say the move from a mixed Windows- and Macintosh-based proprietary platform to an entirely open-source model will help them reduce costs and improve efficiencies across the network. The district reportedly will used Novell's ZENWorks management suite to help IT staff manage the entire network from a single, centralized location. "We used to spend a lot of money on special software to get our platforms to talk to one another," said Heather Carver, the district's director of technology and information services. "Linux eliminates all platform connectivity issues and gives us the best of both the PC and Macintosh worlds. Our Novell solutions paid for themselves immediately with dramatic reductions in hardware, software licensing, and travel costs. We could not give our students and teachers the same access to technology using any other vendor." http://www.novell.com/
Oki Data America's Inc. , a maker of printing solutions for schools and businesses, recently announced the release of its C6000 Series line of digital color printers. Featuring high-speed printing and "HD Color" technology for improved office productivity in small- to medium-sized workgroups, the C6000 Series is built to provide users with reliable, professional-quality color printing at an attractive price point, company executives said. Key features of the C6000 Series include the capability to print "heavy-weight media," including brochures, banners, and signs; a 55,000-page duty cycle; and printing speeds of up to 20 pages per minute in color and 24 in black and white. Plus, a downloadable WebPrint utility reportedly helps save time and paper. http://www.okidata.com/
Prasolus, a provider of professional development solutions for the digital educator, highlighted its EDDY online learning resource. Designed to help educators take advantage of the many resources at their disposal, EDDY employs a series of online tools for teachers to strengthen their own understanding of technology-based resources, while creating assessments and other digital metrics to gauge how well students grasp important topics. http://www.prasolus.com/
Tangent announced plans to unveil a new line of space-saving "Mini PCs" and "All-in-One" VITA PCs running Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system and featuring touch-screen technology. The new VITA line reportedly combines the CPU and a 17-, 19-, or 22-inch LCD monitor inside an all-in-one chassis built to save space in crowded classrooms. Tangent's new Mini Pro line of computers includes the Mini Pro 915, which features the Intel Pentium M processor, and the Mini Pro 945, which runs the Intel Core Duo processor. Both products are power-optimized and have a "space-saving" form factor of 6.5 square inches, according to the company. http://www.tangent.com/
TeacherWeb, an online service for increasing communication between school and home, provides a place on the web for teachers, parents, and administrators to share information about their schools. The service enables educators to design and build classroom web sites, create and find original webquests for promoting online learning, and organize teacher training activities, the company says. The service is based on a subscription model and comes with a 30-day free trial. http://teacherweb.com/
Links:
TCEAhttp://www.tcea.org/
eSchool News Conference Information Centerhttp://www.eschoolnews.com/cic
An ARTFUL Creative Endeavor in the Name of Accountability!
Inventory of Detroit Public Schools' art is ordered
Detroit school board President Jimmy Womack wants to see what the district's $1.6 million bought
February 27, 2007
Detroit's school board president said Monday he would press school officials to account for at least $1.6 million in artwork the district bought from a downtown Detroit gallery.
Jimmy Womack said he would ask Detroit Public Schools officials for an inventory of the work, and copies of any agreements signed with the Sherry Washington Gallery.
"If the district was wrong, the district needs to be held responsible," Womack said.
The Free Press, which chronicled the art purchases Saturday, has been seeking records of the deals since Feb. 9. Officials say they are still collecting the records.
District spokesman Lekan Oguntoyinbo didn't return calls Monday. He said last week that the district is gathering more than 700 pages of records.
The art, all bought since 2002, was purchased with taxpayer-financed bond money raised to build and renovate schools. It's unclear how much art was bought with the $1.6 million, or where the works are today.
Washington, who opened her high-end gallery in 1989, told the Free Press last week she appraised the art her gallery sold the district, and said the works would benefit students and appreciate in value.
In 2004, it was reported that Cobo Center officials spent $500,000 in bond money on artwork through Washington's gallery, purchases that angered suburban officials who said they were not consulted.
Womack said he also would discuss the deals with Paula Johnson, chairwoman of the board's contracts committee.
"We need to know where that artwork is," Womack said.
Contact JENNIFER DIXON at jbdixon@freepress.com.
Copyright © 2007 Detroit Free Press Inc.
WHAT Was the QUESTION.....in the First Place?
Schools may restart search
More choices for a boss in Detroit sought
February 27, 2007
Nearly half the members of the Detroit school board said Monday they want to restart the search for a new superintendent, a move that could drag the process beyond summer.
The contract for Superintendent William F. Coleman III expires June 30, but five board members said they would vote in favor of a new or expanded search.
Three board members said they did not want to start over, while three could not be reached Monday night.
A search committee is expected to recommend either Coleman, Connie Calloway, superintendent of the 5,700-student district in Normandy, Mo., or Doris Hope-Jackson, school board vice president of the 1,300-student district in Harvey, Ill., to lead Detroit Public Schools. The full board could vote next week on the recommendation.
Some board members said the finalists should remain under consideration while the district looks for candidates who have experience in large, troubled districts. Others worried that the current candidates do not have the community support they would need to be successful.
A rally is planned for 6 tonight at the Northwest Activities Center on the west side to drum up support for a new search.
Board member Tyrone Winfrey said Monday the committee stands by the search process. "I think in these three people we have one who will be able to lead this district," Winfrey said.
Board member Jonathan Kinloch said a new search might not woo away a person leading a large district.
Education writer Peggy Walsh-Sarnecki contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2007 Detroit Free Press Inc.
This Conversation Neglects to ADDRESS the ISSUE! Just WHAT Over-valued RESOURCES are Worth the Sharing?
  |
A Bad Report Card
The news from American high schools is not good. The most recent test results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly known as the national report card, finds that American 12th graders are actually performing worse in reading than 12th graders did in 1992, when a comparable exam was given. In addition, 12th-grade performance in reading has been distressingly flat since 2002, even though the states were supposed to be improving the quality of teaching to comply with the No Child Left Behind education act.
The new scores, based on tests given in 2005, show that only about 35 percent of 12th graders are proficient in reading. Simply put, this means that a majority of the country’s 12th graders have trouble understanding what they read fully enough to make inferences, draw conclusions and see connections between what they read and their own experiences. The math scores were even worse, with only 23 percent of 12th graders performing at or above the proficient level.
Marginal literacy and minimal math skills might have been adequate for the industrial age. But these scores mean that many of today’s high school seniors will be locked out of the information economy, where a college degree is the basic price of admission and the ability to read, write and reason is essential for success.
Congress, which is preparing to reauthorize both the No Child Left Behind Act and the Higher Education Act, needs to take a hard look at these scores and move forcefully to demand far-reaching structural changes.
It should start by getting the board that oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress testing to create rigorous national standards for crucial subjects. It should also require the states to raise the bar for teacher qualifications and end the odious practice of supplying the neediest students with the least qualified teachers. This process would also include requiring teachers colleges, which get federal aid, to turn out higher quality graduates and to supply many more teachers in vital areas like math and science. If there’s any doubt about why these reforms are needed, all Congress has to do is read the latest national report card.
The NATIONS REPORT CARD Report
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2007468
GET IN LINE IF YOU WANT TO SHARE YOUR RESOURCES....Jennifer Granholm
Superintendent blasts school funding
Published Monday, February 26, 2007 4:16:06 PM Central Time
By JAN TUCKER
Globe Staff Writer
ONTONAGON -- Ontonagon Area School District Superintendent Matt Lukshaities had some harsh words about the funding of small Michigan schools in a letter to State Rep. Mike Lahti and State Sen. Mike Prusi this week.
He told the representatives "our kids deserve better than three years without an increase in the foundation allowance, a $210 increase that is consumed by rising retirement rates and insurance costs and a possible mid-year cut that surpasses the original $210 increase."
He also had some strong words about the inequity between the small schools of the Upper Peninsula and the rich school downstate.
"Why do schools like Bloomfield Hills with microscopic transportation mileage issues and an abundance of local wealth need $5,000 more per student to operate than schools in rural districts receiving the minimum foundation allowance? What kind of person accepts this position in any other aspect of life? Are their kids worth more? Given the exact same symptoms, would a doctor in triage actually take a kid from Bloomfield Hills to the operating room before a kid from Ontonagon because he is more valuable to society? Where does their train of logic go? Where does it come from? Kids deserve the best statewide, period," the superintendent wrote.
He also had other comparisons.
"If Bloomfield Hills and Grosse Pointe get the funding, why not raise their academic standards but leave ours alone; after all, our kids aren't as valuable in their preposterous arrangement of school funding.
"Because the rich deserve to be rich because they have always been rich begs the question and presents false logic. Proposal A was supposed to fix all the inequity, but no surprise -- those with the dollars have managed to hoard the bulk of the treasure chest for themselves."
Lukshaitis told lawmakers that he supports the Gov. Jennifer Granholm's plan, and urges them to "support any plan that provides for continued investment in our children."
The Ontonagon superintendent had another recommendation, one that might not meet the approval of all school superintendents.
"If you truly want to encourage shared services amongst ISDs (as recommended by the governor), you better mandate it through law," he wrote. "I have tried several times to share services with another school district in my county and with my ISD and the answer has been 'no' due to lack of trust. If it is ordered by law, then I believe you can start realizing a savings across the board. Just remember the GOISD and CCISD are in a different universe compared to Macomb and Oakland. I believe only through legislation can many of possible shared services be fully realized: The strong willed in each pond wishes to retain authority and right all the wrongs according to their current and/or most convenient institutional memory."
Monday, February 26, 2007
A "little something" on Thinking and MEMES
From Ideas to MEMES
Dictionary.com: MEME http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=meme
MEME Introduction: http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MEMIN.HTML
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme
Our Old Friends at Explore Learning "Gizmos"
MVU offers summer online math and science camps:
Michigan Virtual University is offering summer Math and Science Virtual Camps that aim to help middle school students develop a rich repertoire of skills and content knowledge this summer necessary for success in the coming school year.
The camps, intensive two-week online programs, employ innovative math and science simulations called Gizmos. They engage students in the thrill of discovery while using math or science to figure out how things work. Students will be guided by an online instructor as they move through the course content. Both camp subjects use the online Gizmos to answer questions like "How much would you weigh on the moon?" and "Can you analyze a mysterious powder?"
Gizmos bring research-proven instructional to life and correlate to state and national standards. This innovative tool for teaching math and science was developed by ExploreLearning and are licensed by MVU for the camp courses. Math course topics will include fractions, similarity and transformation, ratio and proportions, graphing in the coordinate plane, polynomials and probability; science camp topics include ecosystems, matter and energy, living things and heredity, and the solar system, galaxy and universe. Students will be expected to spend a minimum of two hours a day on course work during the two-week camp period, or about 20 hours total. Two sessions of each camp will be offered in both June and July.
The enrollment fee for either camp is $75, and a limited number of scholarships are available. Financial support for the virtual camps is provided through a federal E- Learning and Virtual School Initiatives Grant and state funding awarded by the Michigan Department of Education.
More at www.mivhs.org/camps.
Explore Learning
http://www.explorelearning.com/
Explore Learning Gizmo Catalog
http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspResourceCatalog
Michigan Virtual University is offering summer Math and Science Virtual Camps that aim to help middle school students develop a rich repertoire of skills and content knowledge this summer necessary for success in the coming school year.
The camps, intensive two-week online programs, employ innovative math and science simulations called Gizmos. They engage students in the thrill of discovery while using math or science to figure out how things work. Students will be guided by an online instructor as they move through the course content. Both camp subjects use the online Gizmos to answer questions like "How much would you weigh on the moon?" and "Can you analyze a mysterious powder?"
Gizmos bring research-proven instructional to life and correlate to state and national standards. This innovative tool for teaching math and science was developed by ExploreLearning and are licensed by MVU for the camp courses. Math course topics will include fractions, similarity and transformation, ratio and proportions, graphing in the coordinate plane, polynomials and probability; science camp topics include ecosystems, matter and energy, living things and heredity, and the solar system, galaxy and universe. Students will be expected to spend a minimum of two hours a day on course work during the two-week camp period, or about 20 hours total. Two sessions of each camp will be offered in both June and July.
The enrollment fee for either camp is $75, and a limited number of scholarships are available. Financial support for the virtual camps is provided through a federal E- Learning and Virtual School Initiatives Grant and state funding awarded by the Michigan Department of Education.
More at www.mivhs.org/camps.
Explore Learning
http://www.explorelearning.com/
Explore Learning Gizmo Catalog
http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspResourceCatalog
Saturday, February 24, 2007
The ART of the DEAL (Caper) (As In Artful Dodgers)
Detroit schools paid big for art
$1.6 million in funds could have gone to repairs
February 24, 2007
Detroit Public Schools spent at least $1.6 million in
bond money -- funds taxpayers approved for building
or repairing decaying city schools -- on professional
artwork for the district.
While spending bond money on art is not illegal, it is
highly unusual. School officials in Chicago, Philadelphia
and other large cities -- as well as in some wealthy
Detroit suburbs -- say they don't spend large sums on
art for their schools.
The purchases identified by the Free Press -- made
through the same Detroit gallery since 2002 -- raise
questions again about the cash-strapped district's
spending decisions. Earlier this month, the Free Press
reported that the district spent more than $1.3 million
in the past year on travel, meeting and catering expenses
even as it closed schools to cut costs.
Most of the Detroit art was purchased under former
schools chief Kenneth Burnley, but the payments
continued after William F. Coleman III was named
chief executive officer of the district in July 2005. It's
unclear how many art pieces were bought, or where
these works are today. Despite repeated requests by
the Free Press, the district has not released an inventory
of the art or invoices for the purchases.
"We are in the process of gathering the data," district
spokesman Lekan Oguntoyinbo said Friday. "We just
don't have it yet."
Coleman did not respond to the Free Press.
But Oguntoyinbo said the art deals were "awarded
under the Burnley administration," even though more
than $280,000 of the art was actually paid for and
delivered on Coleman's watch.
District records obtained independently by the Free
Press show the $1.6 million was paid to the Sherry
Washington Gallery. Washington, the gallery owner,
has sold
contemporary and African-inspired art in downtown
Detroit since 1989, with paintings and other objects
costing thousands of dollars apiece.
While the spending is only a sliver of the $1.5 billion in
bond money taxpayers approved, critics say the
$1.6 million could have been used to patch leaky roofs
or spruce up rickety gymnasiums.
"It's unbelievable, the waste, the absolute waste,"
said Janice Schippert, a first-grade teacher at
William Beckham Academy.
Bobbi Avington-Johnson, mother of two children at
Kosciusko Elementary, which is on a list of schools
that might close, said:
"What are you looking at artwork for when kids need
bathrooms,
roofs and books, and computers in the schoolroom? ...
Really what they're doing is they're stealing from the kids."
John Musso, executive director of the Association of
School Business Officials International in Reston, Va.,
said school renovation and construction projects typically
include funds for furniture and other amenities.
"I've not seen it done, in my experience, relative to artwork,"
Musso said.
Burnley, now a senior resident fellow at the University of
Michigan's School of Education, said he did not
recall approving any contracts with Washington or
her gallery.
"I don't think I specifically authorized that," said Burnley,
who left the district in 2005. "I was aware that she was
commissioned to handle things, was well respected in the art community."
The purchases were made as Detroit Public Schools began
repairing and replacing aging buildings in 2001 with the
bond money. Robert Francis, the district's deputy chief of
facilities and capital improvement at the time, said he
recommended Washington to Burnley.
"Sherry was the only art consultant I knew of with a
prominent corporate portfolio who both lived in Detroit
and had her business there," Francis, now an associate
vice chancellor at the University of Massachusetts,
wrote in an e-mail. "More than anything, she had a
keen grasp of contemporary urban art and artists.
That's why I recommended her."
Francis said Washington also consulted on art for the
district under a "personal service agreement" not
competitively bid.
Washington said Thursday that, although she appraised
art for the district, including art from her own gallery,
she was not a consultant. "I'm a private art dealer," she said.
Washington said she supplied art and artists to the
district for commissioned pieces, and delivered and
installed them. In some cases, she stored the art
until schools were finished. She said she took a 20% to 50% commission, depending on the artists and the artwork.
At Cass Tech High School, for example, artist Nora
Chapa Mendoza was commissioned to create work
showing the school's legacy of excellence. One piece
depicts past principals. Cass also has artwork
commissioned from Dominic Pangborn, the
internationally known artist who has a studio in Detroit.
Washington defended the district's art spending, saying,
"I think kids need to see these symbols. ... You have to
sometimes bring the museum to them."
Virginia Cantrell, president of the Detroit Federation of
Teachers, responded that although art is important,
meeting basic needs should come first.
Detroit Public Schools is in the deepest financial crisis
of any urban district in the country. It has lost 60,000
students in the past decade and has closed roughly three
dozen schools in the past three years.
"A lot of our elementary schools do not have art or music,
and children are entitled to it," Cantrell said. "Any
money that is supposed to be earmarked for school
buildings ... that's where it should be spent."
School board President Jimmy Womack agreed.
Art is inspiring, Womack said, "but do we have that
luxury as a district? Currently we don't. Did they then?
Apparently they thought they did, but look at where we
are today."
All but roughly $12,000 of the art purchases were made
before the current board took office -- and gained
authority over spending -- early last year. Jack Jennings,
president of the Center on Education Policy in Washington,
D.C., called on Detroit school officials to provide specifics on
how art money was spent. "It's taxpayer money, it's not
private money," he said.
Education experts say most districts display students'
art, not professional artists'.
"It's unusual for a school district to go out and buy art,
especially in large numbers," Jennings said.
Marcia Wilkinson, spokeswoman for Birmingham Public
Schools, said art purchases never came up as the district
planned how to spend a $102.8-million bond approved in
2003.
"Considering the amount of money it takes to renovate
and improve facilities, it's not been a topic that's been
considered," she said of art purchases.
Dave Bolitho, assistant superintendent at Northville
Public Schools, which is using $35.7 million in bond
money to repair schools, said no art was bought.
However, when the district built a new $52-million
Northville High School in 2000, Bolitho said it hired
a brick mason to complete a wall that features a
raised mustang, the school mascot. An art teacher
designed the wall.
New York City, however, requires city-funded projects,
including schools, to spend 1% of the costs of a new
building on art, with a cap of $400,000.
But New York City officials who oversee art commissions
typically deal directly with the artists, and the process
includes input from the community, said Sara Rutkowski,
a city spokeswoman.
Contact JENNIFER DIXON at 313-223-4410 or jbdixon@freepress.com. Contact CHASTITY PRATT at 313-223-4537 or cpratt@freepress.com. Free Press data analyst Victoria Turk contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2007 Detroit Free Press Inc.
PHOTOS
Click thumbnails to zoom
(CHASTITY PRATT/Detroit Free Press)
One of the Detroit district's commissioned pieces hangs at Cass Tech High School, whose new building opened in 2005.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
What other public school districts spent
Detroit Public Schools' spending on artwork compared with others:
Detroit
Project: $1.5-billion bond to build or renovate schools.
District enrollment: 119,000.
Art: At least $1.6 million since 2002.
BirminghamProjects: $102.8-million bond to rebuild or renovate 11 schools; $32-million bond to improve indoor athletic facilities at two high schools.
District enrollment: 8,158.
Art: None.
NorthvilleProject: $35.7-million bond for improvements to one high school, two middle schools and six elementary schools.
District enrollment: 6,829.
Art: None.
ChicagoProject: Construction of $60-million Little Village Lawndale High School campus, which includes four small high schools in one building.
District enrollment: 415,000.
Art: Functioning sundial, about 40 feet tall and 30 to 40 feet wide, was included in project. Its cost was incorporated in the total price of the building, officials say.
PHILADELPHIA
Project: $1.5-billion construction and renovation program.
District enrollment: 195,000.
Art: None.
DenverProject: Ground breaking this year for two high schools.
District enrollment: 73,399.
Art: None.
Cleveland
Project: $1.3 billion to build and repair schools.
District enrollment: 55,000.
Art: None, but funds can be used to salvage from existing buildings art and architectural elements that have historical or community value.
New York City
District enrollment: 1.1 million.
Art: Most of the art in schools is Depression-era Works Progress Administration murals and other pieces. City law requires that 1% of the budget for new city buildings, including schools, be spent on art, up to $400,000 per project. The city seeks community input on art projects.
Jennifer Dixon
Access to records
More than two weeks after the Free Press requested records detailing Detroit Public Schools' purchase of $1.6 million in art, the district still has not provided the records.
District officials said Friday they hadn't finished collecting them. The district previously refused to provide the vast majority of records related to how it spent $1.3 million for conferences, travel and catering.
Herschel Fink, the Free Press' lawyer, has said state law allowing access to public records requires agencies to file and keep records in a reasonable way so that they can be assembled quickly.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Conversation STARTER?
TurningPoint.edu: The Next National Turning Point in Education
The Center for Digital Education offers its newest strategy paper, TurningPoint.edu: The Next National Turning Point in Education, to aid in the pursuit of even greater educational institutions in America. The role technology plays in schools, colleges and universities is increasing at a tremendous rate, yet will move even faster.
This white paper explores the key issues in the American education turning point, the trends shaping the future of American education and a vision for that future.
AIM: BEYOND NCLB!
Commission on No Child Left Behind Releases Report
The Commission on No Child Left Behind released a 230-page bipartisan report that lays out a wide-reaching expansion of the No Child Left Behind law.
The expansion would require schools to ensure all high school seniors are proficient in reading and math and would hold schools accountable for raising test scores in science by 2014. The law requires testing in reading and math in third through eighth grades and once in high school. Schools that fail to make yearly progress face sanctions.
The report also proposes sanctions for teachers with poorly performing students and the creation of new national standards and tests.
BEYOND NCLB REPORT
http://www.aspeninstitute.org/site/c.huLWJeMRKpH/b.938015/k.40DA/Commission_on_No_Child_Left_Behind.htm
AIM: "Might Work Like This"
Indiana Connections Academy to Open for 2007-08 School Year
Indiana Connections Academy (INCA), Indiana’s first statewide virtual charter school for students in grades K-12, was unanimously authorized by Ball State University. INCA will serve students in grades K-12, starting with grades K-11 in the 2007-08 school year.
Students complete their schoolwork under the supervision of a certified Indiana teacher and a parent or other adult working outside of a traditional classroom.
Students will complete a rigorous curriculum that combines high-quality textbooks from leading publishers with cutting-edge, technology-based resources and hands-on materials.
Along with the curriculum, students are provided with a loaned desktop computer, printer and Internet subsidy.
Students also participate in field trips and other in-person activities facilitated by a community coordinator and certified teacher.
Indiana Connections Academy Home Page
http://www.connectionsacademy.com/state/home.asp?sid=in
Virtual Overview
http://www.connectionsacademy.com/demos/LMS_Overview.htm
Indiana Connections Academy (INCA), Indiana’s first statewide virtual charter school for students in grades K-12, was unanimously authorized by Ball State University. INCA will serve students in grades K-12, starting with grades K-11 in the 2007-08 school year.
Students complete their schoolwork under the supervision of a certified Indiana teacher and a parent or other adult working outside of a traditional classroom.
Students will complete a rigorous curriculum that combines high-quality textbooks from leading publishers with cutting-edge, technology-based resources and hands-on materials.
Along with the curriculum, students are provided with a loaned desktop computer, printer and Internet subsidy.
Students also participate in field trips and other in-person activities facilitated by a community coordinator and certified teacher.
Indiana Connections Academy Home Page
http://www.connectionsacademy.com/state/home.asp?sid=in
Virtual Overview
http://www.connectionsacademy.com/demos/LMS_Overview.htm
AIM: "Might Look Like This"
Chula Vista Signs Lease with High Tech High
The Chula Vista City Council in Chula Vista, Calif., recently signed a lease agreement for the city’s first High Tech High School. City leaders voted to locate the charter school on city-owned land within the future University Park and Research Center campus.
The charter school’s emphasis will be environmental subjects and programs. According to the lease agreement, eight acres have been set aside for High Tech High Environmental and a related environmental research center. Also spelled out in the agreement is an option to develop a companion school -- a middle school with an emphasis on global environmental issues -- on an adjoining 2.7-acre site.
The school will open in a temporary location in September 2007 with the permanent facility expected to open in September 2008.
High Tech High Example
http://www.hightechhigh.org/about/facilities.php
The Chula Vista City Council in Chula Vista, Calif., recently signed a lease agreement for the city’s first High Tech High School. City leaders voted to locate the charter school on city-owned land within the future University Park and Research Center campus.
The charter school’s emphasis will be environmental subjects and programs. According to the lease agreement, eight acres have been set aside for High Tech High Environmental and a related environmental research center. Also spelled out in the agreement is an option to develop a companion school -- a middle school with an emphasis on global environmental issues -- on an adjoining 2.7-acre site.
The school will open in a temporary location in September 2007 with the permanent facility expected to open in September 2008.
High Tech High Example
http://www.hightechhigh.org/about/facilities.php
With AIM..........make that SEVEN (a very lucky number)!
Mich. teens to get 6 more early colleges
They get diploma, degree in 5 years
February 22, 2007
A half-dozen schools slated to open in the fall could help solve a nagging problem for Michigan by allowing high school students to simultaneously receive diplomas as well as associate's degrees in areas where the state faces a shortage of qualified workers.
The schools -- known as middle colleges and early colleges -- will focus on health-care careers, where Michigan faces a critical shortage. Students would get a degree and a diploma in five years, saving a year.
"If we can get well-trained students who are happy in doing what they want to do and they can be placed in jobs that can contribute to employment, it will be a plus for the economy," said Kathleen Straus, president of the state Board of Education.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm touted the schools as "revolutionary" in her State of the State address earlier this month. In other states, such schools emphasize fields like technology and international studies.
Start-up money for the schools opening this fall came from a grant the Legislature approved last fall. Granholm has included more money for those six schools -- as well as money to help create five to six additional ones -- in her proposed budget for 2008.
The schools are expected to be a boon for health-care providers such as the Henry Ford Health System, which is partnering with Dearborn Public Schools and Henry Ford Community College to create one of the new schools.
There, shortages are deep in areas such as respiratory therapy, radiology and pharmacy technicians. And they'll only get worse. William Schramm, senior vice president for strategic business development, said the use of CAT scans is rising 10% to 15% annually, requiring more technicians. But there aren't enough of them to fill the positions.
"We would certainly be in a position to offer just about every student, if not every student, a job. We've got significant shortages," he said.
Michigan already has two similar schools -- in Washtenaw and Genesee counties -- that are models for the planned schools. But these schools are not focused on the health-care field.
Still, students say they're gaining an edge over their peers in traditional high schools.
"It gives you a better opportunity," said Joseph Dear, 18, of Canton, a student at Washtenaw Technical Middle College, or WTMC.
Schools' requirements
The new schools would require students to enroll as ninth-graders, study on college campuses and earn a degree. And while they aren't a new concept, there's been a recent surge of interest as educators struggle to find innovative ways to reform the traditional high school.
Nationwide, the number of early colleges has exploded since 2002, when the first one began. There are now 129 early colleges, and that number is likely to soar to about 300 during the next five years, said Michael Webb, associate vice president of the Early College High School Initiative, a Boston program created by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Lee Schleicher, the dean at WTMC, said the programs work because they put the focus back where it belongs: on the students and their needs. Half of his students earn a community college certificate; the other half earns an associate's degree. About 80% complete the program, Schleicher said.
WTMC began in 1997 and sits on the campus of Washtenaw Community College. It recently completed a five-year study of its first graduating class, finding that 71% had gone on and earned a bachelor's degree, while 29% were still working on one.
The Dearborn district -- as well as other districts statewide -- already allows students to take college courses through dual enrollment. But that option doesn't match the magnitude of what they can achieve through early and middle college programs.
"This is probably a mode of delivering education that is going to be a model for future things," said Paul Smith, director of secondary education.
The schools are not geared toward the most academically talented students. They were born, in fact, out of a desire to help students who were at risk of dropping out of school or who needed motivation. Now, most programs cater to a mix of students.
"We have found that when students are on a college campus, they are more focused and will start to look at college as a possibility," said Juanita Clay Chambers, associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction for Detroit Public Schools. The district is working with Detroit Medical Center and Wayne County Community College to create an early college for Kettering High School students.
DPS has some experience, with students at Finney, Osborn, Mumford and Redford high schools participating in programs in which they spend much of their school day on WCCC campuses.
At the Washtenaw campus, 320 middle college students from a range of backgrounds are enrolled. Dear was homeschooled prior to enrolling there. He said the program seemed like a good opportunity to earn college credit without having to pay tuition.
"We're getting a jump start on a degree," he said.
For Kuzida Masri, 18, it was a chance to escape negative peer pressure. She had attended Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor and was hanging with kids more concerned about their social status than about their grades.
"I wasn't doing well in school," Kuzida said. "I wanted a fresh start."
That fresh start comes with some trade-offs, including giving up extracurricular activities. Middle colleges and early colleges don't have the sports teams traditional high schools have. But being on a college campus gives students access to college-level activities, as well as leadership opportunities. A few years, two WTMC students served as president and vice president of the National Community College Honor Society chapter on the Washtenaw campus.
Some college instructors may be leery about having high school students in their classes. But no more than six WTMC students can be enrolled in a given college course at the same time. Schleicher said the lessons on good attendance, communication, follow-through and responsibility are a key part of the program.
"We're on a campus of 11,000 college students. These kids have to make sound, behavioral decisions," Schleicher said.
It may be tempting to skip class or blow off an assignment. But the students say that isn't an option. Not if they want to succeed.
"If you don't go to class or do your work, you're going to fail," said Rachel Schober, 19, of Ann Arbor, who will graduate from the program in May.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
6 schools on way
Michigan awarded grants to six school districts last fall to create early colleges that are expected to open for the 2007-08 school year. Here are the districts that received the money and their partners.
• Detroit Public Schools: Detroit Medical Center, Wayne County Community College
• Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency: Dearborn Public Schools, Henry Ford Health System, Henry Ford Community College
• Washtenaw Intermediate School District: Four local districts, Eastern Michigan University; St. Joseph Mercy Health System, University of Michigan Health System
• Clare-Gladwin Regional Education Service District: Five local districts, Mid Michigan Community College, MidMichigan Health
• Delta-Schoolcraft Intermediate School District: Eight local school districts, Bay College, OSF St. Francis Hospital
• Genesee Intermediate School District: 21 local school districts, University of Michigan-Flint, Baker College of Flint, Kettering University, Mott Community College, Greater Flint Health Coalition
Dearborn Schools plan to begin promoting its early college next month, while Detroit is unsure when it will announce enrollment information for its school.
To get information on the Dearborn school, contact the secondary education department at 313-827-3113; for information about the Detroit school, contact the district's main line at 313-873-3111.
What students learn
The state is opening six early colleges next fall that will give students experience taking college courses. Here are some benefits of the new schools:
• Students would earn a high school diploma and an associate's degree in five years, one year faster than they would in traditional schools.
• The schools would be located on community college campuses, giving students easy access to college-level equipment, facilities and faculty.
• Students learn what is expected of college students before they graduate from high school, leaving them better prepared to continue their studies.
Contact LORI HIGGINS at 248-351-3694 or lhiggins@freepress.com.
Copyright © 2007 Detroit Free Press Inc.
FUNNY MONEY! (AND I Don't Feel Any SMARTER)
Get smarter about funding schools
February 21, 2007
As Michigan wrestles with uncertain finances, schools are left vulnerable to dangerously flawed quick-fix strategies. From deciding whether to close schools, how to get students help or what the right funding level is, Michigan is having a hard time making its policies match its oft-stated priority of providing a top notch education for all. The consequences of that struggle are rapidly adding up.
Demand results for tutoring funds
February 21, 2007
The length of time it can take common sense to reach government is astounding.
The Michigan Board of Education made the right move in its recent call for tougher scrutiny of tutoring companies working with struggling low-income students. Requiring more accountability is a sensible fix that should have happened ages ago.
These companies play such a pivotal role in helping underachieving schools meet the demands of No Child Left Behind, it only makes sense to review their credentials and their ability to improve results for students.
And there is plenty of room for improvements, judging from a U.S. Government Accountability Office study last fall. It showed that few of the students in need of help are actually getting it. Only 19% of eligible students nationwide received tutoring.
More pathetic were the results for Michigan, with only 14%, or 11,044 of the 80,971 eligible students, actually receiving tutoring assistance.
Federal law requires Michigan to do better by students in need. Any school where students fail to show annual progress for three years must set aside a portion of its federal funding for tutoring.
Truthfully, the federal standard could be toughened further. It contains a bedeviling loophole allowing districts to use tutoring money in other areas if they are unable find enough students to use the service. The goal is supposed to be encouraging tutoring, not offering cash-starved schools a way around the need.
But until the feds are willing to fix the larger flaw, the Michigan board has taken probably the best available step to ensure that more students in need get the quality help to which they are entitled.
Copyright © 2007 Detroit Free Press Inc.
Reform district spending, or red ink will keep flowing
February 21, 2007
Expecting another mid-year cut in per-pupil state school aid, educators expressed a huge sigh of relief when Gov. Jennifer Granholm instead proposed raising taxes with her 2-cent solution.
The Michigan Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union, appears to be reinvigorated after last year's defeat of Proposal 5 and is promising "an all-out lobbying effort" to support the governor's plan.
But the 2-cent solution won't solve the underlying problem for public schools. Shifting funds or raising taxes only provides a short-term fix, and we'll continue to face these tax increase debates until schools get spending under control.
Data from the state Center for Educational Performance and Information Web site. www.michigan.gov/cepi, shows that total revenue -- and total spending -- for schools in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties has increased more than the rate of inflation for over the past 10 years. And, these increases are despite the "spending cuts" that schools are quick to point out year after year.
See the facts for each county listed in the attached chart. These numbers are state, local, and federal revenue and do not include bond dollars. Note that inflation during this time period was 24.9%.
Michigan taxpayers and businesses attempting to survive in a horrible economy should feel insulted with a tax increase now, especially given that it serves in part to bail out local school boards that refuse to adapt.
But the alternative -- simply holding school boards accountable -- might result in our children paying the price.
So as the debate begins, legislators should make sure that any tax increases be directly coupled with requirements that school boards start spending wisely.
In the 2000-01 school year, schools spent 21.4% of their budgets on benefits, which totaled $2.8 billion. By 2004-05, benefit spending skyrocketed to $3.6 billion and represented 25% of spending. The Legislature bears some responsibility for maintaining an out-of-date retirement system, but school boards are the larger problem, because they continue to approve employee health benefits they cannot afford.
District organization also wastes money. There are scores of high-performing districts around the country with 30,000 to 50,000 pupils, but not in Michigan.
Following that sizing model in the tri-county area suggests 15-20 districts might be appropriate, but there are currently 83. Macomb County has 21, Wayne County has 34, and Oakland County has 28. Just a 1% savings through district consolidation would translate into $60 million more available every year to spend on teachers or programs -- or to avoid layoffs and cuts.
These ideas are nothing new; school boards simply ignore them.
While Granholm chose not to address the benefit problems, she did recognize the value of consolidation. Unfortunately, she wants to rely on incentives, which have been offered in the past without success. This time the governor said she'd consider penalties next year if the incentives don't work.
Under less dire circumstances, incentives would be appropriate, but this budget shortfall demands swift and effective action. School boards are known for neither -- with or without incentives.
Assertive leadership and a coordinated approach with Republican lawmakers could solve much of this now by requiring school finance reform rather than waiting for a definite "maybe" in the future.
Pull the concept of penalties forward a year. Include a similar plan to help drive reform on health benefits. Revamp the retirement system to match what the state does for the rest of its employees. And if there's time left, then finish the job of moving elections to November and return millions to the classroom.
MIKE RENO is an elected trustee of the Rochester Community Schools and president of a software manufacturing firm in Troy. Write him at reno@rcs-reno.com.
Copyright © 2007 Detroit Free Press Inc.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Global Learning Summit APRIL 2007
| ||||||||||||
Newton N. Minow, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Sponsored by the Carnegie, Century, Knight and MacArthur Foundations, and Opens Society Institute, and endorsed by major national education, library, museum and cultural organizations, the Digital Promise Project seeks to establish a nationwide research and development trust fund to transform lifelong learning, education, and training for the 21st century. 
| Are you a part of the IMS/GLC Community? By joining the IMS/GLC Community, you will get access to items such as articles, the usecase repository, best practice information, and ability to download IMS/GLC specifications(pdf), examples and schemas and other great materials. It's free and easy. Sign up now at: http://www.imsglobal.org/register/register.cfm |
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