Community Meeting Tuesday!

Community Meeting
Tuesday, December 1 ~ 7:00 p.m.
Newark High School

Strategic Planning Process
Topic - Excellence and Equity: Accelerating Student Achievement
http://www.christina.k12.de.us/StrategicPlan/index.htm

The first meeting, on the topic of Excellence and Equity: Accelerating Student Achievement, will focus on student achievement and ways the District can strengthen opportunities for all students to achieve their full potential. Participants will be asked, "What do you want to improve?" and "What are the problems we want to solve?" and will work as a group to begin the process of developing action steps to address these questions. In addition to volunteer community members, the group meeting on this topic will include teachers, school principals, administrators, and board members. The two community meetings scheduled on this topic will be held on the following dates:


• Tuesday, December 1 at 7:00 p.m.,
  Newark High School
• Tuesday, December 15 at 7:00 p.m.,
   Bayard Middle School

[Continue Reading]

A Diploma for Shane

Shane's Story:

I first met Shane about two year ago, he was a UD student also employed by the University. By virtue of being a UD student, you know that Shane earned a high school diploma and he is, proudly a graduate of one of Delaware's Vo-Tech High Schools.

But, Shane was not always destined for post-secondary greatness, or post-secondary anything. In fact, it was through a moment of despair that Shane found the strength to achieve. It began with a principal who thought so little of Shane that he flat out told him, "You will never get a diploma from my school." Perhaps such an edict was issued to inspire the student? Shane assures me that this was not the case. The words stung and left Shane feeling helpless and demotivated, as intended. But, that statement also sparked a fire and ultimately it drove Shane to apply himself, to overcome lifelong challenges, and to define his own destination.
Had Shane's principal never issued such a demeaning challenge, this young man would have drifted through high school, his formal education culminating with a Certificate of Performance. Most principals would consider Shane's success a feather in their cap. If only, this administrator had had such noble intentions.

High School Diplomas are revered as interest property. Those who argue for performance certificates assert that it is the integrity of the diploma itself that they are trying to protect. I disagree, let the post-secondary educators sort that out. Young adults are admitted to college based upon more than the ownership of one document; they are judged on their applications, essays, records, and assessments. The possession of a diploma is a formality for students who have truly earned acceptance to college (and I am not by any means devaluing the supreme accomplishment of these students.

In fact, in the 1982 case of Brookhart v. Illinois School Board of Education, the court ruled that " In deciding whether a high-school diploma was a "protective liberty or property interest," the denial of a diploma clearly affects a student's reputation and attaches a stigma that "will have potentially disasterous effects for future employment or educational opportunities." (Don Severner; Edweek.org; January 19, 1983, Special Ed Decision Reversed.)

To that end, a brief query of the Career Builder website found 171 jobs in the Wilmington Region requiring either a High School Diploma or GED, such as jobs working in healthcare facilities doing laundry or serving meals to residents. And herein lies one of the biggest problems for adults with Certificates of Performance: When a potential employee fills out the online job application, the employer's filter to is going to flag it for deletion because that application does not reflect that applicant holds a Diploma/GED. And they don't. However, the last time I checked, it was well within the scope of our many of special education vocational track students to be able to perform either task by age 21.

Let's be clear: No self-respecting adult would give a typical high school student of document entitled Diploma of Attendance, Performance, or Completion. Yet, we are comfortable giving out certificates of such names to student who frequently work harder and longer to learn practical skills than their typical peers work to earn academic credits.

Why?

Why, indeed?

[Continue Reading]

News Journal Looks at MD Universal Pre-K Pilot

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20091128/NEWS03/911280346

A CLOSER LOOK AT PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS IN THE U.S. AND LOCALLY

• Delaware Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP)
• Total state pre-kindergarten spending: $5.73 million
• State spending per child enrolled: $6,795
• Total state program enrollment: 843
• Income requirement: 90 percent of children must be at or below the federal poverty level ($22,050 for a family of four)
• Special-education enrollment: 1,336
• Federally funded Head Start enrollment: 1,639
• State-funded Head Start enrollment: 843 (represents ECAP enrollment; all state-funded Head Start is through ECAP.)

[Continue Reading]

[Continue Reading]

Adapted Physical Education for students reviewed through a new lens.

The following article caught my attention this morning for more than one reason.  Yes, it's uplifting.  Yes, it's about special education students.  Yes, it reveals the ingenuity of the human mind when creativity is allowed to flow forth in education, in physical education. 

But, it also spoke to concerns that I heard voiced by Christina's own REACH parents at a recent meeting.  I have submitted the questions about Adapted Physical Education raised by those in attendance and awaiting a response from our own CSD administration.

In the interim, I'd like to share excerpts from today's Edweek.org article, GAO Probes Access of Students With Disabilities to Sports by Lisa Fine.  Click the headline for the whole article.  It's definitely worth reading!

"Last year, Maryland passed a landmark law, the Fitness and Athletics Equity for Students with Disabilities Act, that requires district boards of education to develop policies to include students with disabilities in their physical education classes and athletic activities. The law requires that students be provided reasonable accommodations to participate, have the chance to try out for school teams, and have access to alternative opportunities such as Special Olympics-type teams or events that include students with and without disabilities. It is the only state law of its kind in the nation..."

"The high-profile case of a high school track-and-field athlete who uses a wheelchair and sued in 2006 for the right to race on the same track as her teammates helped inspire the law, proponents say.



Tatyana McFadden, who is a Paralympics medalist and world-record holder, won a lawsuit against the Howard County, Md., district to be able to compete on the same track, at the same time, as her teammates. She had been required to race alone on a separate track, she says, out of concern that her wheelchair would pose safety concerns.

“They would have everyone else run, and then they would stop the meet and have me run by myself, a person in a wheelchair going around alone,” says Ms. McFadden, now a 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who is majoring in dietetics and takes part in the university’s adapted-sports program. “Having it like that hurt a little bit. People feel sorry for you when they see you like that. People didn’t see how athletic I was.”


U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., says Ms. McFadden’s case made him aware of the need for schools to have guidance on how to offer students with disabilities access to sports..."

"School staff members often lack training and experience in how to adapt physical education classes for students with disabilities—and the quality of services is reduced as a result, says Timothy Davis, an assistant professor of physical education at the State University of New York at Cortland and the chairman of the Adapted Physical Education National Standards, a project established by a professional group to create standards and a certification program for the profession.


Only 13 states suggest additional training for physical educators to teach adapted physical education, according to Mr. Davis. Most states do not require any additional certification.


Teachers in an undergraduate program for physical education are often required to take one three-credit course in adapted physical education in the last year of the program, he notes. “By the time they get interested in adapted physical education, they are done and they are out student-teaching,” Mr. Davis says. “Then because they have had the one course, they get a job in a district teaching adapted physical education..."


"Because of a lack of training, physical education teachers often feel uncomfortable attending individualized-education-program, or IEP, meetings for students with disabilities—and the absence of those educators troubles him.




“Even if we are not invited to the meeting, we have to knock on the door. It’s your student, in your class,” Mr. Davis says. “If the physical education teacher is not at the meeting, somebody else makes the idea for placement. Somebody else is writing the goals and objectives for physical education. We need to be there; we need the representation.”


Sometimes an attitude shift can make a big difference, he says, in how to teach sports to students with disabilities"


“You focus on ability and not disability,” Mr. Davis says. “Focus on what a kid can do, and you can make it work. If you say, ‘He can’t run, he can’t throw,’ I cringe. Tell me what he can do, and now we can start teaching.”


For students with disabilities, too often being in physical education class or sports has meant being left on the sidelines. Such a student might serve as a “coach” or “scorekeeper,” or receive physical therapy instead of physical education, says David Martinez, who was named the 2009 National Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation.




Mr. Martinez, an adapted physical education specialist in Cherokee County, Ga., says adapted physical educators must think constantly of how to make an activity work for a child, or come up with a piece of equipment or technology that could assist the student.


He researched and built a Frisbee-throwing machine, for instance, that is switch-operated for some of his students. It lets them throw a disc 30 to 40 feet with accuracy.


Talking with students about what they think would be ways to make a sport work for them also can be helpful, Mr. Martinez says...


Noting the reluctance of many students with disabilities to join in sports, he suggests what he says are creative ways to include those students in the athletic culture of high school. The Cherokee County district, for example, created a varsity-letter program for students in Special Olympics. If students complete two seasons of a Special Olympic sport, they can wear a varsity letter in that sport for the school.


“It lets them enjoy a part of high school culture,” Mr. Martinez says. “It lets parents celebrate along with their children. It lets nondisabled peers say, ‘Wow, that’s neat, what did you letter in? What position do you play?’ It creates a true appreciation for individual differences.”

[Continue Reading]

NCLB Worked???

Okay, I happen to feel that NCLB was another calamatous failure of the Bush Administration.  But, hey, I can give credit where due.  The latest observations released show that Math scores improved under NCLB for fourth and eighth graders.  That's fantastic, if American students never have a need to figure out word problems.  Did I mention that the same study failed to find that NCLB improved reading scores?

Yes, I know that I sound a bit cynical here.  And there are some that would argue I shouldn't.  But, NCLB has created such frustration for so many.  Talk about unfunded mandates.  The credit is not due to NCLB but to every state, school district, and teacher that found a way to incorporate the requirements of the act without the appropriate funding to do so. 

Go HERE for an evaluation of the study by Edweek.org

Here's the abstract with link to source:
Thomas Dee, Brian Jacob
NBER Working Paper No. 15531
Issued in November 2009
NBER Program(s): CH ED LS PE

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act compelled states to design school-accountability systems based on annual student assessments. The effect of this Federal legislation on the distribution of student achievement is a highly controversial but centrally important question. This study presents evidence on whether NCLB has influenced student achievement based on an analysis of state-level panel data on student test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The impact of NCLB is identified using a comparative interrupted time series analysis that relies on comparisons of the test-score changes across states that already had school-accountability policies in place prior to NCLB and those that did not. Our results indicate that NCLB generated statistically significant increases in the average math performance of 4th graders (effect size = 0.22 by 2007) as well as improvements at the lower and top percentiles. There is also evidence of improvements in 8th grade math achievement, particularly among traditionally low-achieving groups and at the lower percentiles. However, we find no evidence that NCLB increased reading achievement in either 4th or 8th grade.
You may purchase this paper on-line in .pdf format from SSRN.com ($5) for electronic delivery.

[Continue Reading]

from the News Journal

Delaware Plans Education Changes to Win Federal Grant

State Meets Most Criteria for Race to the Top Funds

Click Headline to Read Article

[Continue Reading]

Do Epidurals Affect the Baby?

In class last week, I had a couple express surprise when I said that all drugs get to the baby, including epidurals. They have friends that are doctors that have said otherwise. I have spent the week looking up several articles and resources, and, my friends, epidurals indeed adversely affect the baby. I do not want to make this an overwhelming post, so I will touch on the highlights of how the babies are affected.

First, it is important to note that the "older" studies with very significant data were largely done by pediatricians. The newer studies, found to not be nearly as complex, have been done by anesthesiologists. Obviously, there is a conflict of interest there!

There are a couple of problems that researchers have run into with these studies. The first is that so many women that have epidurals also have other "pain relieving" drugs in their bodies that also influence and affect the babies. This makes it difficult to assess the effects of just the epidural. In addition, epidurals have different drugs in them. Different anesthesiologists and/or hospitals will often use different drugs in their epidurals.

So many of the effects on the baby have to do with the effects on the mother from the epidural. I am not focusing on the effects for the mother in this post, however, but some of these effects on the mother is what creates a problem for the baby from the epidural. For example, maternal fever is very common and can cause complications for the babies. So is a drop in maternal blood pressure. This is why a woman will receive IV fluids before the epidural is administered -- it is a preventative measure.

Effects of the Epidural on the Baby
Epidurals can change the Fetal Heart Rate (FHR), indicating that the baby is lacking blood and oxygen. This will often occur in the first 30 minutes after an epidural is placed. Opiate drugs, common in spinals and epidurals, are the likely culprit. These changes in FHR will often resolve themselves if the mom is allowed to move a bit or change position. If the baby's heart rate does not bounce back, the woman may have a cesarean section.

The supine position (lying on your back), also contributes to changes in fetal heart rate. A woman with an epidural is mostly in this position, which can deprive the baby of oxygen, affecting the baby's brain. In my case, this is why I nearly had a c-section. I had the epidural, pitocin, etc., etc., and my baby's heart rate would not come up after contractions. Moving from side to side after each contraction is what helped his heart rate. Had I remained on my back, his heart rate would not have come back up, and I would have had surgery. Had my sister-in-law, a doula, not been there, I would have had a c-section. The nurses or doctors certainly weren't telling me what to do. They would have been happy to perform surgery, I have no doubt.

Babies that are born to mothers who developed a fever from the epidural in labor are more likely to have a low Apgar score -- poor muscle tone, require resuscitation (11.5% versus 3%), or have seizures in the newborn period. One of the most common problems from the maternal fever is that the doctors do not know if the fever was from an infection involving the uterus or from the epidural. They will typically do a sepsis, or evaluation, of the baby. This involves prolonged separation from the mother, invasive tests, and almost always, antibiotics until the test results are available. In a study of first-time mothers, 34% of epidural babies were given a sepsis evaluation, but only 9.8% of nonepidural babies underwent the evaluation.

It is important to note that a newborn's ability to process and get rid of drugs is much less than an adult's. It must also be considered that the drugs are often stored in the newborn's tissues such as the brain and liver where they are more slowly released. Epidural babies are more likely to have jaundice. The reasons are not entirely clear on this, but it is suspected that it is related to an increase in assisted delivery (forceps or vacuum extraction) or to the increase use of pitocin with epidurals.

Neurobehavioral Effects
Epidural babies have been found to have a depressed NBAS (Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Score, devised by pediatricians) Score at five days old, with difficulty "controlling their state." Babies that received pitocin as well as the epidural had even more depressed NBAS scores, as well as higher rates of jaundice. At one month of age, epidural mothers found their babies "less adaptable, more intense, and more bothersome in their behavior."

Other differences between epidural babies and unmedicated babies include: less alertness and ability to orient themselves. The epidural mothers typically spent less time with their babies while in the hospital, finding the more drugs they received, the less time they were with their baby.

In another study, researchers found that at three days old, epidural babies cried more easily and more often and aspects of this continued for the entire six weeks of the study. In the conclusion of this particular study, researchers expressed concern about "the importance of first encounters with a disorganized baby in shaping maternal expectations and interactive styles."

Finally, the effects of an epidural on breastfeeding must be addressed. The first hour is a critical time to establish breastfeeding and if a baby has poor muscle tone or sucking reflex, or mom is hemorrhaging (more likely with an epidural), breastfeeding may be put off until well past that hour. As I write this, I have mixed feelings. It is crucial that mothers understand the effects of their actions in choosing an epidural, but if something happens and for whatever reason you cannot breastfeed immediately, do not give up since you missed out on that first hour. Babies and moms can figure this out! With that being said, I will continue on the effects of the epidural on breastfeeding.

Oxytocin is a breastfeeding hormone. If a mom has been induced with pitocin, administered an epidural, had an instrumental delivery, etc., this hormone was not allowed to be present in its natural form. There were just too many disruptions. This can adversely affect how well breastfeeding gets started. If mom is tired, baby is still feeling the effects of the drugs and not sucking well, the nurses, and even the pediatrician, may be pushing formula on this baby. And then starts the vicious cycle of nipple confusion. The baby doesn't have to work to get milk from the bottle, and when he is put to the breast, gets frustrated. Mom gets frustrated and resorts to those stupid formula samples she's been receiving on her doorstep for months!

Epidural mothers are less likely to breastfeed exclusively compared to nonepidural mothers. Epidural mothers are more likely to report having "not enough milk."

It is unfortunate that doctors are leading people to believe that the epidural is safe for moms and babies and there are no risks. There are risks, not just to our health, but to how we parent our babies. The more attached you are, the better you will appreciate your baby. You will trust your body to breastfeed and your baby will be eager to nurse.

I'd like to end with a quote by musician, Ani DiFranco, talking about her unmedicated birth: "I'm really happy in the end that I felt every last bit of the pain, and was as present as I could be. Whenever you go through something terrifying and come out the other side, you grow and have more self-respect in terms of your own strengths. I wanted that more than I wanted whatever sort of numbing the hospital would have offered."

What's good for mom is good for baby. Just say NO to the epidural! You are strong and powerful. You can do this, just like millions of women before you have done this. Giving birth is giving life. You and your baby deserve the very best start down this new road. Surround yourself with positive people who believe in you and your abilities.

[Continue Reading]

The State of Delaware's High School Graduation Requirements beginning 2011 followed by Christina's

3.0 Graduation Requirements Beginning with the Class of 2011 http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/ddoe/gradreqs/update.shtml


3.1 Beginning with the graduating class of 2011, a public school student shall be granted a State of Delaware Diploma when such student has successfully completed a minimum of twenty two (22) credits in order to graduate including: four (4) credits in English Language Arts, four (4) credits in Mathematics; three (3) credits in Science, three (3) credits in Social Studies, one (1) credit in physical education, one half (1/2) credit in health education, three (3) credits in a Career Pathway, and three and one half (3 ½) credits in elective courses.
3.1.1 Students shall complete mathematics course work that includes no less than the equivalent of the traditional requirements of Geometry, Algebra I and Algebra II courses.
3.1.2 Scientific investigations related to the State Science Standards shall be included in all three science course requirements.
3.1.3 During the senior year students shall maintain a credit load each semester that earns them at least a majority of credits that could be taken that semester including one (1) of the four credits required in Mathematics.
3.1.3.1 Senior year credits shall include regular high school course offerings, the options available in 8.0 or a combination of both.
3.1.3.1.1 Options for the senior year in 3.1.3.1 that the districts and charter schools provide shall be submitted to the Department with a copy to the office of the State Board of Education for review.


Christina School District's High School Graduation Requirements:
http://www.christina.k12.de.us/Students/GraduationRequirements.htm

English ............................................................... 4 credits
Mathematics ...................................................... 4 credits
Science .............................................................. 3 credits
Social Studies ..................................................... 3 credits
Additional Science or Social Studies (choice) .......1 credit
Physical Education .............................................. 1 credit
Health ...............................................................  .50 credit
Computer Literacy .............................................  1 credit*
World Language ................................................. 1 credit
Career Pathway .................................................  3 credits
Electives .............................................................. 4.5 credits*
Senior Project ..................................................... 0 credit
Total Credits Required ....................................... 26 credits
Plus 60 Hours of Community Service

* Students who started with the Class of 2011 or beyond will not require a credit in computer literacy. Instead, those students must complete one additional elective credit for a total of 5.5 elective credits.

[Continue Reading]

Budget 2011, Education Spending Cuts

Delaware Dept. of Education seeks leaner budget
for 2011

Request down $3.68 million from fiscal 2010

[Continue Reading]

Part II: Will a Mandate to Circumcise Newborns Reduce the Spread of HIV in the United States?

I am hoping that you read the last post about the Studies that this possible mandate is based. If not, I encourage you to do so.

I have thought about the statistics all week long. When I hear that circumcision lowers risk for HIV infection by 50-60%, I automatically think in crazy numbers. When worded that way, it leads the reader to think that only 40-50% of the circumcised males may contract the HIV virus. Or that the uncircumcised males have a 50-60% increased risk of contracting HIV.

I'd just like to point out again that this 50-60% rate that keeps getting thrown in our face is based on a HALF PERCENTAGE POINT. There were many factors involved that were not kept track of. The men received extensive counseling on the benefits of using condoms and approximately 98% of the men did not contract the HIV virus.

Circumcising Newborns:
This would be a "preventative" measure that we would not see the effects of for many years. The complication rate ranges from 20%-35% (based on those African studies!), and this must be considered when weighing benefits and risks.

Ironically, we have an HIV epidemic in the US now, and the majority of those males are circumcised. The use of condoms has been shown to reduce the spread of HIV, and there has been no evidence that being circumcised and wearing condoms is any better than just using condoms alone. We have twice as many HIV infected males in the US as does Europe and our circumcision rates are significantly higher. According to many medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, in 2005, stated that the "data on the potential medical benefits of circumcision are not sufficient to recommend routine neonatal circumcision."

The way that HIV is transmitted in the US is so different from Africa, it is hard to even compare the two. We actually have an effective social program in place with education, safe-sex practices, and consistent condom use. These methods do not require surgery, are much more cost-effective, and they work! In fact, consistent condom use reduces the lifetime risk by 20% compared to only 8% for circumcision. A recent report from South Africa shows that condom use is increasing and the HIV rates are beginning to level off. There is no evidence that circumcision will aid in this progress.

Quite honestly, it is irresponsible for the CDC to even consider promoting an intervention that will create a false sense of security, while actually increasing the risk to women. Promoting circumcision will drain resources that should be put into safe-sex education and condom promotion.

[Continue Reading]

Elementary and Secondary Education Act: Comparability provisions may affect teachers

NCLB is overdue for re-authorization and will eventually make its way through Congress at the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). 

From Edweek.org
Education Department to Demand School Pay Data


Goal Is to Find Out How Spending Between Title I and Other Schools Differs

By Stephen Sawchuk

U.S. Department of Education officials plan to require districts receiving economic-stimulus aid to report school-level salaries—a sign, observers say, that the Obama administration might seek key changes to district accounting procedures for federal Title I funds.
The reporting—the first collection of its type undertaken by the federal government—could give a clearer picture about the extent to which district spending on salaries differs between schools that receive Title I dollars for disadvantaged students and those that do not.  Go HERE for the rest of the story...

[Continue Reading]

From the Bird's Nest

My Turn:

Each month, I try to recap the CSD BOE's Public Board Meeting.  As always, this posting is my interpretation of the events of the evening, and does not reflect in any way the views of the Christina School District nor speak for the board itself. These are NOT official minutes.  I do welcome any and all feedback.

Meeting commenced shortly after 7:30 pm with a moment of silence in honor of two CSD students who passed away in the last week, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.  There were no changes to the Agenda and the board approved minutes of the Oct. 13th Executive and Regular Meeting Sessions.

The meeting proceeded to the Honor Roll when we awarded certificates to all Students Achieving All 5's on the the DAPA Assessment Test.  The DAPA Assessment is an alternate assessment tool to the DSTP given to some children in special education.  The Board also commended Fostina Dixon-Kilgoe with the Outstanding Art Educator Award.  Students, Holly Firlein, Jessica Palmer, and Anna Dmytrenko, all of Newark High School, were honored for their achievements with the National Merit Scholarship.

Public Comment (As always, I apologize for any names that may be misspelled.)

Harrie Ellen Minnehan spoke regarding the use of ARRA funds to contract a vendor headquartered overseas to perform a district review and encouraged the district to look inward at it's own resources of Problem Solvers and Innovative Thinkers to perform any review internally.

M.J. Pulaski spoke regarding the CLEAR Review and use of ARRA funds and the perceived lack of community involvement in the decision.  She iterated the that better communication and imput from the community was needed and reminded the district that the measures of testing currently performed take teachers away from their jobs of teaching.

Mac Hatcher spoke on behalf of AFSCME.  He discussed the efforts of the district transportation employees to run a clean campaign for unionization.  He felt that the employees had a positive meeting with Dr. Lyles in which the union agreed it would not "trash" the district if the district remained neutral during the efforts. He expressed that AFSCME has an effective legislative lobby that could be helpful to the district, but was upset with the district for releasing "a union busting memo" after the board pledged , at a previous meeting, its adherence to the laws governing unionization.  He exceeded the time allotted for public comment and drew the ire of some board members who attempted to enforce the rules governing public comment.

Eric Carlin, a transportation employee, spoke on behalf of the employees seeking to unionize, reminding the district they live and work within the district and send their children to district schools.  He state that he "felt intimidated that the administration is against the campaign."

Maria Anderson yielded her time to Rosetta Hamilton who read the district-issued memo regarding unionization into the record.

Richmond Jones, another transportation employee addressed the board and asked "how much is it costing for a union busting lawyer?" and informed the district that a Freedom of Information Act request has been filed for those documents.

Claudia Bock, president of the Christina Education Association, spoke regarding the use of ARRA funding and the CLEAR Review.  She lamented past collaboration with previous superintendents and expressed that the the CEA feels it has been shut-out of decision-making processes in recent months.  She praised the district for participating in the Eastside Community Schools project in the city schools.  She read a letter on behalf of Rep. John Kowalko urging the district to withhold voting on the Cambridge Education Contract and Clear Review until after community sentiment, including that of legislators, could be culled.

One Board Member addressed Ms. Bock at this time and informed her that Cambridge was incorporated in Delaware and is an established entity.  Words were exchanged and Ms. Bock and her supporters left the meeting early.

John Robinson, a parent at Kirk Middle, spoke in support of a state-sponsored voucher program.  He stated that he has received a School Improvement Letter for the second year and urged the district that  the need for action is both "critical and imperative. "

Mindy Cox, a CSD parent spoke regarding the CLEAR Review, stating that the district is "neck-deep in data." and asking why stakeholders were not engaged in discussions of the study.  She asked the Board for a policy regarding community input and cited problems encountered by our schools such as classes that are too big, a need for more staff, and technology deficits.

Superintendent Lyles addressed the public to explain that the CLEAR Review is not a study, but a method for developing a consistent standard to measure our schools.

Public Comment Ended.

Following the board's vote to accept the FRC report, Dr. Lyles presented the Superintendent's Report, a review of her first 100 days in Christina, followed by the kickoff of Christina's Strategic Planning process.

Action Items:
A. The Board voted to accept the Administrative Personnel Recommendations
B. The Board voted 6-1 to accept the class size waivers recommendation.  I initiated conversation regarding the waivers, asking the administration to explain the need for waivers vs making smaller classrooms, which ultimately comes back to funding.  The district utilizes teaching units generated by student census on Sept. 30th.  Funding from those units is shared by the state and local funding.  If the district wants more teaching units, the cost of those units, including benefits, must come solely from local funds.  If we utilize ARRA funding for teaching units, we will be unable to sustain those units (pay those teachers) once the funding runs out in the next 1-2 years.
C. The Consent Agenda presented much conversation.  One board member asked for information regarding the web based Educational Resource System, used by our Douglass Distance Education program, Sarah Pyle Academy, and the three district high schools.  This year the district will also subscribe to a K-8 Prescription package.

I pulled C.7.t. , CLEAR Review for a separate vote.  There was much conversation around the CLEAR Review, it's purpose and the funding source.  The CLEAR Review is intended to evaluate all district schools and programs through the same critical lens, to identify where fidelity in implementation is occurring and what our weaknesses are.  Funding for the project comes ARRA funds granted to our district through the consolidated grant application.

Consent Agenda passed unanimously.
Item C.7.t, the CLEAR Review, was voted on separately, passed 5-2.  Mine was among the dissenting votes.  While I value the desire for the review, I feel that we proceeded too quickly in that there are questions around the recommended vendor, Cambridge Education.  Cambridge is incorporated in Delaware, but is headquartered overseas.  I asked the district/board to consider postponing the vote until we could confirm the use of ARRA funds with such vendor as within the scope of our fiduciary responsibilities.  The Board proceeded to vote citing urgency in improving the education of our students. 

The Board proceeded through the remaining items on the agenda with little fanfare. The night wrapped up with a quick presentation by a representative of the Parent Information Center (PIC) of Delaware which has developed Parent Information Resource Centers (PIRCs) in some of our schools this year.  The PIC is a fantastic resource for families and I encourage all to check out their website at http://www.picofdel.org/.

The meeting adjourned.

And that 's the commentary from the bird's nest.

Final Reminder -- These notes do not reflect the opinions of the district or board and are not official minutes!

[Continue Reading]

From Tennessee:

School Board's Bar on Repetitve Speech Upheld

A federal appeals court today upheld a school district's policy of barring frivolous...

from http://www.edweek.org/:

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/school_law/2009/11/court-upholds-school-boards-re.html#trackbacks

[Continue Reading]

Racing Rules

Courtesy of Edweek.org.

Rules Set for $4 Billion 'Race to Top' Contest

By Michele McNeill

For a good shot at the $4 billion in grants from the federal Race to the Top Fund, states will need to make a persuasive case for their education reform agenda, demonstrate significant buy-in from local school districts, and develop plans to evaluate teachers and principals based on student performance, according to final regulations set for release Thursday by the U.S. Department of Education.

Those three factors will rank as the most important to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and his staff as they weigh states’ applications based on more than 30 criteria, including how friendly their charter school climates are and how well they use data to improve instruction.

At stake for states is a slice of the biggest single discretionary pool of education money in the economic-stimulus package passed by Congress in February—a $4.35 billion prize, of which $350 million has been pledged to help states develop common assessments as part of a separate nationwide effort.

Each winning state’s share of what’s left will depend on its population of children ages 5-17, according to nonbinding estimates provided by the department.

At the high end, the four biggest states—California, Florida, New York, and Texas—could get between $350 million and $700 million each. At the low end are the smallest student-population states, such as New Mexico, Delaware, and Vermont, which could get between $20 million and $75 million each.

Keep Reading HERE!

[Continue Reading]

Part 1: Will Circumcision Prevent HIV?

Two steps forward, three steps back describes the direction circumcision is taking in the United States. We have seen the newborn circumcision rates gradually decrease over the years as parents have researched and discovered that there are benefits to keeping the foreskin intact. In many states, Medicaid, as well as many insurance companies, have stopped paying for circumcisions, declaring it "cosmetic" surgery. The American Academy of Pediatrics took the stand, essentially, to "leave it alone." Is all of this education and hard work about to be dismissed? The possibility is very real thanks to a couple of poorly-done studies. The CDC is said to have an official statement on mandatory circumcision for newborns by the end of this year.

Here's the fuss: The studies have concluded that circumcision reduces the risk of contracting HIV by 50-60% in heterosexual males only. First of all, this group is not the greatest at risk, which is -- no surprise -- men who have sex with other men. If it is truly an issue of a circumcised penis being protected from HIV , wouldn't he be greater "protected" no matter what, no matter who he is having sex with?

The reasons for contracting HIV in Africa are numerous. Heterosexual sex only accounts for about a third of cases. The rest is likely transmitted through unsafe medical procedures, including injections, transfusions, and other contact with infected blood. In fact, in the journal of the American College of Epidemiology, it has been suggested that some HIV infections are resulted from circumcisions themselves.

The Studies:
This is a lot of information and when you read so many numbers, I think a lot of us glaze over. I am going to try to make this as uncomplicated as possible.

Most people are aware that the area of the world hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic is Africa. It is important to note from the beginning that heterosexual sex is NOT the leading cause of contracting HIV in Africa. Conditions are very poor in many parts of the continent.

There were two studies done over a 24 month period, one in Uganda and the the other in Kenya. In Uganda, researches began with almost 5000 men and randomly divided them into 2 groups, circumcising one group and leaving the other group intact. For whatever reason, the intact group of men had almost 50 more men in its numbers than the circumcised group. The men were given extensive counseling on the use of condoms, but the researchers made no attempt to determine the HIV status of their female partners, which is a major flaw with both studies. After the 24 months, both groups were tested for HIV. The circumcised group had 22 positive results, while the uncircumcised group had 45 test positive. The researchers derived a 55% risk-prevention figure from the numbers.

The Kenyan study was very similar. They began with almost 2500 men and divided them evenly, circumcising half of the men. Two years later, 47 of the uncircumcised men and 22 of the circumcised men tested HIV positive.

Concerns with the Studies:
First of all, the number of men tested was such a small number to apply to large populations. In the Ugandan study, 0.8% of the circumcised men tested positive and 1.7% of the non-circumcised men tested positive. The numbers sound quite different when read in actualities. Plus, look at it from the flip-side: About 98% of the men remained HIV negative, possibly because of the extensive counseling about condoms. The actual numbers from the Kenyan study are: 1.5% circumcised men became infected, while 3.3% of the intact men became infected.

The timing of the release of these results is significant. They were released to the media in conjunction with UN World AIDS Day, 2 months before being released anywhere else. This unusual move "produced world-wide publicity that was heavy on eye-catching headlines and light on details because, in the absence of the published studies themselves, few journalists took the time to dig beyond the press releases made available to them."

Another concern is the short duration of the studies. Short time span and small numbers. The men who participated in the study were paid, which was significant, also, because more than half of them were unemployed when they signed up. They also received free health care for 2 years. For these reasons, it is impossible for their experience to reflect the larger population in other parts of Africa. In addition, there are more than 60 pre-existing conditions that can trigger an HIV false-positive result, including pregnancy, influenza, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and malaria.

There are other findings in the study. Circumcision does not appear to protect women. As mentioned earlier, it does not protect gay men either. Here's the reasoning behind believing that circumcision protects against HIV: "The mucosal tissue of the foreskin is more susceptible to HIV and can be an entry portal for the virus." More research has been done and has found the following: Langerhans cells in the foreskin have a protective effect against pathogens (including HIV) by secreting langerin. The original idea, stated earlier, believed these cells were an entrance point for viruses, and while this is partially true, the true mechanism at work is the cells set a trap for viruses in order to destroy them with langerin.

HIV infection is about behavior, not biology! Circumcision cannot prevent the spread of HIV. In fact, if men believe that they are safe because they are circumcised, that could make the problem worse! Circumcised men do contract HIV, they transmit HIV, and circumcised men die of AIDS. Anyone who participates in high-risk behavior, intact or not, carries a risk of contracting HIV and other STDs.

[Continue Reading]

From the Newark Post:

http://www.newarkpostonline.com/

Thanks Louviers for Partnering with Newark High!

Challenge Program


Last month, Louviers Federal Credit Union participated in The Challenge Program's Orientation for Newark High School. The Challenge Program brings together high school students and the business community by providing incentives to students for successes they achieve while in school.

The Challenge Program's theme of this year's Orientation was "Preparing Students to be Competitive in the Global Job Market." The program began with a video of facts and statistics about how technology, populations, job markets, etc. are changing. After the video, an overview of the Challenge Program was presented to the students.

Louviers Federal Credit Union is the Business Ambassador sponsoring the Newark High School program. Marketing Coordinator, Faith Simpers, spoke to the students about her experiences with changing working environments and how good habits they form in high school now -- showing up for school, striving for improvement, always willing to learn new things and being involved in the community -- will help them to become the type of employee organizations are looking to hire in the future.
LFCU and TCP will return later in the school year and award four students from each of the sophomore, junior and senior classes a $250 check for the following categories: Most Improved in the Class, Attendance, Community Service and Best Overall GPA in the class.

[Continue Reading]

Delaware's Report Card on Educational Innovation

From the "Leaders and Laggards, A State-by-State Report Card of Educational Innovation," commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and issued Monday:

"What Is Educational Innovation?

In our view, educational innovation means discarding policies and practices that no longer serve students while creating opportunities for smart, entrepreneurial problem-solvers to help children learn."

Delaware
C  School Management                                             
C  Finance                                                               
B  Staffing: Hiring & Evaluation                        
D  Staffing: Removing Ineffective Teachers
B  Data
D  Pipeline to Postsecondary
D  Technology
?   State Reform Environment
?   Gold Stars

School Management. Delaware does an average job managing its schools in a way that encourages thoughtful innovation. While 89% of teachers report that routine duties and paperwork interfere with their teaching, the state has established strong charter school laws.

Finance. Overall, Delaware earns a middling grade in this category. While the state gets a very low mark for the simplicity of its state funding mechanism, it receives an excellent score for the online accessibility of its financial data.

Staffing: Hiring & Evaluation. Delaware receives a good mark for its teacher hiring and evaluation system. Ten percent of teachers enter the profession through an alternative certification program, compared with the national average of 13%.

Also, Delaware requires incoming teachers to pass basic skills and subject-knowledge tests.

Staffing: Removing Ineffective Teachers. Delaware receives a below-average score on the ability to remove poor-performing teachers from the classroom. Seventy-one percent of principals say that teacher unions or associations are a barrier to the removal of ineffective teachers, higher than the national average of 61%. In addition, 67% of principals report that the length of time required for the termination process is a barrier to removing poor-performing teachers.

Data. Delaware gets a solid mark for its state data system. The state has a teacher-identifier system with the ability to match teachers to students and also has the ability to match individual students’ test records from year to year.

Pipeline to Postsecondary. Delaware receives a below-average mark for its efforts to improve college and career readiness. Only 24% of its schools report offering dual-enrollment programs, which allow students to earn high school and college credits simultaneously. That is 41 percentage points below the national average of 65%. Also, only 55% of Delaware schools report offering work-based internships.

Technology. Delaware receives a low grade in this category. The state does not offer a computer-based assessment,and it does not require technology testing for teachers. Delaware also needs to significantly improve how it evaluates its return on investments in technology.

State Reform Environment. There are few reliable state-by-state data on local education advocacy and research efforts—a reflection of the lack of overall commitment to this issue. As a result, we are unable to issue a meaningful grade.

However, the Rodel Foundation of Delaware is a member of the forward-thinking Policy Innovators in Education Network, and the state supports common academic standards.

[Continue Reading]

Public Board Meeting Tonight!

Tuesday, November 10 - 7:30 PM


Board of Education
General Business Meeting
Bayard Middle School
200 South DuPont Street
Wilmington, DE

Agenda

[Continue Reading]

Why Take a Children at Birth Class

I had the privilege of spending time with a family this morning who is due with their fourth baby in a couple of weeks. This particular mom had an epidural with her first 3 babies and has decided that she wants to give birth without medication this go-round. Her and her husband have been taking my class by DVD, but we added a couple of live classes too: Techniques of Relaxation and Children at Birth.

I rarely have the opportunity to teach my Children at Birth class. As you may have noticed, there's not a lot of demand for a class preparing children for witnessing the birth of their sibling!

I've been thinking about this topic a lot lately, knowing that I would be teaching this class. There is something very special about a mom who wants her other children to be present for the birth of her new baby. It becomes the birth of a family, really. With each child the family dynamics change, and inviting older children to be a part of that is so special. Sacred, really. She is placing enormous value on her older children by allowing them this opportunity to be a part of this wonderful, life-changing event.

A few years ago, I had a dear friend who was pregnant with her fourth baby. When she told her children that they were going to have another baby, it was the oldest child that had the hardest time with it. After days of crying and consoling, she finally got to the root of what the real issue was that he was struggling with -- he remembered her going to the hospital and being gone for a long time, someone else taking care of him and the house, and then mom coming home with a baby that took up all her time! And to think, we worry about the younger babies and how they will handle a new sibling! We often think that the older ones have done this before and will be just fine. I've often wondered, if he had been invited to the birth, even after leaving the hospital after the birth, he probably would have been okay with Grandma, or whoever, running the house for a couple of days.

When I was pregnant with our last baby, we had not had any ultrasounds during the pregnancy. We just knew she'd be a boy! Two out of three of our children chose to be present for the birth. Had our only boy not been there, I think it would have been much more devastating that "he" was a "she." He found out with the rest of us. He felt a part of it. He was the first child downstairs the next morning, climbing into bed to snuggle up next to the baby, declaring, "I love her more than anything in the world." I have replayed this over and over in my mind over the years and it always comes back to him being a part of the birth.

I so enjoyed the children I met with today. The oldest was a 10-year-old boy and the younger (invited) child is a 6-year-old girl. The two-year-old will NOT be attending the birth! We talked about the process of labor and their roles and what mom will need from them. We talked about the sounds and facial expressions mom might make. We talked about the placenta, the umbilical cord, vernix, IVs, and monitoring. We watched a video where children are present for the births of their siblings. It's so good to see how these other children are "handling" birth. It's quite different to talk about birth versus actually seeing a birth. In the end, the 6-year-old decided that she may not want to be there. (My one child who chose not to be there was also six at the time.)

It is so important that children be allowed to make that decision. But how wonderful to be invited to a birth. It's an honor, no matter your age or profession, but a very rare opportunity for a sibling.

Thank you, Katie and Nick, for inviting me into your home today to teach your children. It is a special thing you are doing, not only for them, but for yourselves and your family. Make sure everyone records it in their own special way. Good luck and I'll be looking forward to hearing about this wonderful birth.

[Continue Reading]

Free Pregnancy e-newsletter Through Mothering

I just stumbled upon a great resource for pregnant moms and I wanted to share. When you put in your due date, it will be "tailored to the timing of your pregnancy." Best of all, it's FREE, and second best, it's put on by Mothering.

To sign up, click here.

Find out what's happening in your body and what's happening with your baby. Lots of great info to help you along this journey and to make the most of this special, sacred experience.

[Continue Reading]

Petition to CDC: Do Not Make Circumcision Required for Newborns

It took me about 2 minutes to add my name to this petition. I have done my research -- I just haven't sat down to write a post about this topic. The CDC is declaring, falsely by many accounts, that circumcision might reduce the risk of HIV for males. There is a lot to talk about, as you can imagine. In the meantime, add your name to the petition.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/760537185?z00m=19802998

Thanks.

[Continue Reading]

"The Turnaround Dilemma: Convert or Close Down?"

Twenty-Six Delaware schools are classified as "Under Improvement."
Nineteen schools actually regressed in the last testing cycle.
With Race to the Top funding on the line, and more importantly, the futures of so many children, Delaware's educators can't help but wonder ... Convert or Close?  We're not the only ones.

From Edweek.org:  http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-research/2009/11/the_turnaround_dilemma_convert.html

Posted by Debra Viadero on November 2, 2009 11:18 AM


Veteran reporter Debra Viadero has written more than 1,400 stories for Education Week and most of them have been about research. Not bored yet, she translates, shares, and dissects research findings on schools and learning, along with news about education research, for audiences that extend far beyond the Ivory Tower.

The Turnaround Dilemma: Convert or Close Down?

The report out last week on the results of a study looking at Chicago's efforts to close down failing schools got me thinking. In its study, the Consortium on Chicago School Research examined the impact on students of shutting down 18 chronically low-performing elementary schools in the Windy City. (Check out my colleague Dakarai Aarons' article on the study, if you haven't already.) The bottom line, according to this study, was that the students who were displaced by the closings just ended up at other low-performing schools in the district. Their achievement, as measured by test scores, did not improve all that much, compared to that of students who continued to attend similarly low-performing schools.

The findings are important because Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who presided over the turnaround efforts in Chicago, is pushing a similar effort at the national level. Districts won't be required to close down schools to qualify for the new federal turnaround grants, but it's clear from the draft guidelines issued so far that the federal government really likes that approach.

That means school superintendents faced with failing schools have a difficult choice to make: Transform the schools or shut them down and start from scratch? Over at the Institute for Research and Reform in Education, founder Jim Connell has developed a simulation tool to help school superintendents chip away at that question.

First off, you should know that the nonprofit institute has a little skin in this game. It developed the First Things First program for improving high schools—a strategy that has historically tended to focus on converting existing high schools.

For argument's sake, though, let's play along. Imagine that you're a superintendent of a 14,300-student district and you want to boost the on-time graduation rates in your five lowest-performing high schools by 20 percent within five years. Would it be better to replace the schools or convert them? You could get some idea by plugging data about your schools into the spreadsheet that Connell developed based on his experience with First Things First schools. If the replacement schools enrolled 200 students a year, the calculator would tell you, it would take 11 new schools to match the success rate that you could get from transforming the existing schools instead.

That figure is based on lots of assumptions, of course, some of which may not apply in every district. Connell explains the thinking behind his analytic tool in a paper soon to be posted on the IRRE Web site. Contact him directly to try the calculator out for free.
Comments

Let me guess--transforming schools almost always comes out first, and the First Things First model is at the top of the list. First Things First has been a DISASTER in Texas. But good marketing can overcome reality any day of the week.

Posted by: Bill Martin
November 2, 2009 4:45 PM

[Continue Reading]

H1N1 Vaccination Schedule

The State of Delaware will begin Swine Flu vaccinations this week for students in their public schools. Permission forms were due in October for children to be eligible for the innoculations.
Vaccination Date      

11/2/09                                    Booker T Washington Elementary, CAPITAL
11/2/09                                    East Dover Elementary , CAPITAL
11/2/09                                    Brennan School, CHRISTINA
11/2/09                                    Jennie Smith, CHRISTINA
11/2/09                                    Sterck School, CHRISTINA
11/2/09                                    Lake Forest Central Elementary, LAKE FOREST
11/2/09                                    Lake Forest ILC, LAKE FOREST
11/2/09                                    Lake Forest East Elementary, LAKE FOREST
11/3/09                                    Appoquinimink ECC, APPOQUINIMINK
11/3/09                                    Bunker Hill, APPOQUINIMINK
11/3/09                                    Silver Lake Elementary ,APPOQUINIMINK
11/3/09                                    Claymont, BRANDYWINE
11/3/09                                    Maple Lane, BRANDYWINE
11/3/09                                    Milton Elementary, CAPE
11/3/09                                    Frankford Elementary, INDIAN RIVER
11/4/09                                    Fairview Elementary, CAPITAL
11/4/09                                    Hartly Elementary, CAPITAL
11/4/09                                    Brandywine Springs, RED CLAY
11/4/09                                    Odyssey, RED CLAY
11/4/09                                    Sunnyside Elementary, SMYRNA
11/4/09                                    North Smyrna, SMYRNA
11/5/09                                    Alfred G. Waters, APPOQUINIMINK
11/5/09                                    Cedar Lane ECC, APPOQUINIMINK
11/5/09                                    Cedar Lane Elementary, APPOQUINIMINK
11/5/09                                    MOT Charter, APPOQUINIMINK
11/5/09                                    Forwood, BRANDYWINE
11/5/09                                    Harlan, BRANDYWINE
11/5/09                                    Prestige Academy, BRANDYWINE
11/5/09                                    Douglass, CHRISTINA
11/5/09                                    Lake Forest South Elementary, LAKE FOREST
11/5/09                                    Dunbar Elementary, LAUREL
11/5/09                                    Laurel Intermediate School, LAUREL
11/5/09                                    Seaford Central, SEAFORD
11/5/09                                    Blades Elementary, SEAFORD
11/5/09                                    Phillis Wheatley Middle School, WOODBRIDGE
11/6/09                                    Howard T. Ennis, INDIAN RIVER
11/6/09                                    North Georgetown Elementary, INDIAN RIVER
11/6/09                                    Allen School, INDIAN RIVER
11/6/09                                    Linden Hill, RED CLAY

[Continue Reading]

From the News Journal Opinion Pages

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091101/OPINION10/911010312&s=d&page=2#pluckcomments
Parents aren't supporting alternative school
November 1, 2009
Thank you for your article regarding the Douglass Alternative School. To those parents who call it a reform school, wouldn't you like your child to have a 4-1 student-to-teacher ratio? Do you like the mentoring there? A child learns right from wrong. Maybe those parents who stand up and speak falsehoods about the Christina School District need to visit Douglass. Maybe some board members need a visit as well...

Read More HERE

(For the record, I toured Douglass on Oct. 7th in keeping with my plan to visit every school in our district this year. To date I have met with principals and observed classes at:  Douglass, Sarah Pyle, Christina High, Glasgow High, Brader Elem, West Park Elem, Pulaski, Elem and Elbert Palmer Elem.  I am scheduled for Jones Elementary this week.)

[Continue Reading]

CSD Tweets!

Follow the Tweets at

http://twitter.com/ChristinaK12

[Continue Reading]

Ever Wonder How They Do It In Other States?

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/1019488.html

School chief to refuse bonus, cites tough economic times for district


By KATE CERVE
kcerve@beaufortgazette.com
843-706-8177
Published Saturday, October 31, 2009

Beaufort County schools superintendent Valerie Truesdale announced Saturday she will refuse any bonus the Board of Education might award her this year for boosting student achievement and meeting other goals.

"I just don't think that's appropriate," Truesdale said at the board's annual fall retreat.

She said money is tight during these challenging economic times and it would be unreasonable for her to personally gain from the collective efforts of the district, including its teachers and other instructional leaders.

The board met Saturday to evaluate Truesdale's performance during the 2008-09 school year and determine whether she should receive the annual performance-based bonus listed in her contract. Truesdale received a $17,500 bonus last year.

However, after a three-hour closed session, the board said they would postpone Truesdale's formal evaluation until January, when scores on the state-mandated Palmetto Assessment of State Standards are expected to be available from the S.C. Department of Education.

The new test, which third- through eighth-graders took for the first time last school year, replaces the old Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test. The board's academic goals for Truesdale are tied to student performance on PASS tests.

"I would like to personally commend Dr. Truesdale not only for her contributions, for what she has done throughout the year, but for her willingness to forgo a pay bonus for all she has achieved," said board chairman Fred Washington Jr.

Other topics discussed by the board on Saturday included:

Federal desegregation agreement

Washington said the board is negotiating with the federal Office of Civil Rights regarding the district's 1970 desegregation agreement.

"We'd just like to leave it at that," he said.

The desegregation plan became an issue this summer when OCR ruled the projected racial composition of Riverview Charter School in Beaufort did not comply with the plan and required the school to take several steps to boost minority enrollment.

John Reagle, an attorney with Childs & Halligan in Columbia, spoke to board members about what would be required to terminate the district's agreement with OCR and prove it has eliminated vestiges of prior racism.

The process is extensive, Reagle said, and would require a review of several years of data demonstrating the district has fully complied with the desegregation agreement and that the district's programs operate in a non-discriminatory manner.

"This is a very involved, detailed and time-consuming process, and one which, in our view, would not be successful until a couple of years after Whale Branch High School has been operating and the current requirements of the desegregation agreement relating to Riverview have been complied with," Reagle wrote in a Aug. 13 letter to the district.

Reagle also told board members other constitutional and federal regulations prohibit discrimination against any racial group. The authority of the federal government would exist with -- or without -- the desegregation plan, he said.

The plan is a monitoring document that gives the district flexibility, Reagle said.

"On the practical side, what it allows you to do is have greater latitude to take affirmative actions to integrate your schools," he said.

Attendance zones

The board directed district administration to better distribute students among the four existing high schools and Whale Branch High School, slated to open this fall in Seabrook as an "early college" magnet program.

Bluffton and Beaufort high schools are now overcrowded, while there are empty seats on Hilton Head Island and at Battery Creek high schools.

"If we add up the number of kids and seats, we have more seats than kids, but we just don't have them very balanced right now," board vice chairman Bob Arundell said.

The board asked administrators to consider moving some Bluffton High students to Hilton Head High next fall, either by zoning some students who live in Bluffton to that school or allowing students to voluntarily transfer to Hilton Head.

"If there's an option for voluntary movement instead of mandated, let's try that first," board member Laura Bush said.

The board also asked administrators to consider moving some Bluffton High students to high schools north of the Broad River with available space.

The board voted Friday to establish an attendance area and student body for the Whale Branch Early College High School no later than March 15. Rising seniors in the Whale Branch attendance area would stay at their home school next year, the board decided.

The board directed the district to eliminate overcrowding at Beaufort High when setting attendance zones for Whale Branch High, likely by shifting some Beaufort High students to Battery Creek.

"When opening this new school, with the extra space at Whale Branch, we need to solve that," board member Jim Bequette said

[Continue Reading]