Delaware and Tennessee score in the Top 5 on this list, too

Move over N.J. - Delaware ranked No. 4 on corruption list thanks to top forgery, embezzlement rates

Special Thanks to the Newark Post for the Tip:

The Daily Beast website has given Delaware a No. four ranking when it comes to corruption.

Tennessee ranked No. 1 in the listing, followed by Virginia and Mississippi.  Delaware seemed to earn the rating, due to top rankings for embezzlement, fraud and counterfeiting. Pennsylvania came in 8th, and Maryland ranked 23rd. New Jersey, which is often viewed as a center for corruption, was rated 21st.

Cited was the case of Richard and Carlene Lloyd, who are accused of stealing more than $220,000 from New Castle drywall business.
Check out the ranking here:  http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/1610/1/?redirectURL=

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NCCo Approves Budget -- Property Tax Holds Steady, Sewer Rate Goes Up

Released: 5/25/2010


New Castle County Council approved a budget Tuesday night that contains no property tax increase and tightly controls new spending in the next fiscal year, County Executive Chris Coons announced.

The total operating budget for Fiscal Year 2011 is $235.5 million, which reflects a 2.9 percent increase from the current year’s budget of $228.9 million. The additional $6.6 million in fixed costs comes from rising expenses in employee and retiree healthcare, step merit increases, debt service, pension contribution, electricity rates and the county’s wastewater treatment contract with the city of Wilmington.

The new budget also includes a 4 percent sewer rate increase and an 18 percent light tax increase. The money generated from the sewer rate increase will pay for wastewater treatment with Wilmington and ongoing improvements to the system needed to meet stricter federal guidelines. The light tax increase is needed because of a rise in rates from Delmarva Power, and it will be paid only by residents and business owners who voluntarily incur the light tax.

The $73.5 million approved capital budget will push forward projects that will spur job growth and provide residents with much-needed projects, ranging from library improvements to sewer rehabilitation. The county is using federal stimulus bond money to recoup 45 percent of the interest on $51 million worth of debt service on these projects.

“This is a budget that we can afford,” Coons said Tuesday. “We are continuing to do the hard work to get our deficit under control so this government can live within its means. It’s important to pursue budget discipline through good times and bad. Like the constituents we serve, we have to live within our means.”

The budget cuts personnel costs by continuing a 5 percent salary rollback for all employees. Coons planned to begin layoffs after three AFSCME unions initially rejected the rollbacks. However, union leaders and the administration negotiated over the past two months to reach a resolution that avoids layoffs and saves $2.1 million. The total saved from all rollbacks is $4.3 million.

Chief Administrative Officer Rick Gregory, who led the negotiations, said he was pleased at the positive outcome.

“It is imperative that we cut our personnel costs, but laying off employees was the last thing we wanted to do,” he said. “I really want to thank the union leaders and their membership for continuing to sacrifice.”

Council unanimously approved the sewer rate hike, capital budget and operating budget.

“While this budget sets the course for next year, it represents several years of effort to reduce costs while continuing core services,” Council President Paul Clark said. “The tough decisions made over the last couple of years have sustained our AAA bond rating and kept taxes low while continuing to provide citizens with quality services.”

The new fiscal year begins July 1.

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Okla. gives temporary financial flexibility to struggling districts

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/05/27/357614okxgreducationcutbacks_ap.html?tkn=ZSLF7vgOz%2Bqpb2PAC6iz41oenkoNbB9xom21&cmp=clp-edweek

Okla. Lawmakers Suspend School Improvement Initiatives


Oklahoma City
State lawmakers approved a bill Thursday to roll back several initiatives aimed at improving public education across Oklahoma, like required professional development for teachers, to help schools grapple with declining revenue.

Several Democrats in the Senate voiced concern that the measure would eliminate progress in recent years to improve the state's public school system.
"Do we really want to do away with public education in Oklahoma?" asked Sen. Richard Lerblance, D-Hartshorne. "We're dismantling what we've worked so many years for."

The bill passed the Senate 39-7. It now heads to the governor's desk.

Democrats accused GOP leaders of failing to fund education adequately and expressed fear the two-year moratorium on the initiatives could be made permanent.

Among the initiatives rolled back in the bill are requirements for professional development programs for teachers and administrators, and penalties for schools that don't meet media materials requirements. It also exempts schools from appointing a textbook committee for two years and allows districts to spend textbook money for general operations.

The bill also suspends for two years new applications for a state program that offers a $5,000 annual stipend for teachers who attain National Board certification.

A provision that would have allowed districts to temporarily exceed class-size requirements was removed from the bill.

Senate author James Halligan, R-Stillwater, said the bill will give local districts the flexibility they need to address budget shortfalls and retain more teachers.

"I have a lot of confidence in the people I interact with in the local school boards. I think we ought to give them flexibility," said Halligan, the former Oklahoma State University president. "In two years, I will be opposed to extending these provisions."

But Herb Rozell, a former state senator recently appointed to the state Board of Education, said during a board meeting Thursday the plan was shortsighted.

"For an ex-president of a university to come up with this is about as stupid as I've ever seen," Rozell said.

State Superintendent Sandy Garrett said she agrees with the concept of the bill, given the dire financial situation facing schools in the state.

"We do agree that flexibility needs to happen ... for a couple of years here, until we get through this hard time," Garrett said.

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Charting a course for scaled change at the HS level

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/05/24/33linzey.h29.html?tkn=USRFRZIVdwrvvcjxHHPjzsf%2FvoIpzB3pahB4&cmp=clp-edweek

How to Improve Urban High Schools At Scale

By David Linzey

Graduation rates for minority students in urban districts are unacceptably low, hovering around 50 percent in most cities. Yet the Obama administration’s education plans call for high schools not only to increase these rates, but also to be accountable for students’ ability to succeed in postsecondary education—and all in a climate of growing pressure to restructure failing schools.

It may be a good time to ask some fundamental questions: Why has there been so little success in reforming high schools? What have the myriad reform efforts to date done wrong? Can urban high schools be reformed at scale—and if so, what works?

The answer to that last question is yes—but only under a set of very specific conditions.

The Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools, where I served as chief academic officer, has created these conditions in its work with a network of 11 high schools and five middle schools in Los Angeles. These schools, all located in less-affluent sections of the city, have dramatically outperformed demographically similar district schools—despite spending $1,000 less per student.

The alliance’s efforts have demonstrated that schools with a student population that is 100 percent minority and from disadvantaged backgrounds can rise from the lowest-performing to the highest-performing levels in school achievement and successfully compete with middle-class students from the suburbs. Many of the alliance high schools’ scores on the California Academic Performance Index grew by 100 points in a single year, and all of them achieved a high statewide ranking among similar schools.

Moreover, in excess of 96 percent of these students met the strictest college-admissions requirements when they graduated. We realized how successful we’d become, in fact, when parents in upscale Brentwood, one of the richest communities in the country, asked us to establish a secondary school for their students.
Why were we able to succeed at scale in high school reform when so many others have failed? It is a story of what we didn’t do, as well as what we did. First, the don’ts. We avoided the following pitfalls of many well-intentioned reform efforts:

• We did not underestimate the challenge of urban school improvement and focus only on a few popular reforms. Reforms currently in vogue, such as professional-learning communities, collaborative teams, or standards-based instruction, were not the sole emphasis of our improvement strategy. Nor did we try to tweak existing practices. We found that, in reforming urban schools, good ideas are not good enough by themselves.

• We did not try to reform instruction and learning within the confines of a limited school calendar and daily class schedule.

• We did not rely on outside experts to design the instructional system. Despite all the recommendations from great educational reformers, the country still hasn’t found a successful path to urban high school reform. In finding our own, singular way forward, we did, however, borrow ideas on research-based practices from some key reformers, such as Robert J. Marzano, Willard R. Daggett, and Douglas B. Reeves.

• We did not give principals and teachers the responsibility of deciding how to reform their schools and classrooms. This goes against one of the most popular refrains of the school improvement mantra, the importance of bottom-up reform. But the problems are too overwhelming, given that a high percentage of students arrive in urban high schools some three to five years below grade level, to expect even the best principals or teachers to solve them individually or with group collaboration. Teacher buy-in, however, is a key feature of successful reform plans.
Here, on the other hand, is our set of do’s—what worked for us:
• We combined academic rigor with a stress on caring relationships and an insistence on zero tolerance for students’ not succeeding. The comprehensive school reform plan we developed was based on the core belief that all students can achieve at a very high level. To fulfill that goal, the schools required all students to take grade-level courses (all 8th graders took Algebra 1, for example), which were taught at a grade-appropriate level of difficulty and in ways that engaged the students. Everything offered was college-prep.

The students then received relentless support from teachers, who maintained a “whatever it takes” attitude in their support for both academic and emotional student needs. Teachers, counselors, and administrators alike were dedicated to each student’s success. If a student did not learn using traditional classroom instruction, other methods were used, such as one-on-one computer-based interactive learning for math, project-based learning, small-group or individual tutoring with college tutors, and computer-based reading programs.

Our goal was to offer a variety of instructional approaches for a limited set of college-prep courses, as opposed to providing a wide variety of electives.

• We varied instructional time according to need. Our mentality was to produce success no matter how long it took. If students did not learn and weren’t able to demonstrate achievement within the school day, we offered them after-school tutoring. Saturday “academic-achievement academies” were also provided. Most of the students attended school longer in the day and week, and had a longer school year. That was the only way to effectively close the huge achievement gap between these students and their more advantaged peers that existed when they entered high school.
• We instituted common, consistent instructional strategies. It is not enough to align instruction with state standards. It also must include advanced instructional techniques that build on one another and are extended to all subsequent coursework. All classes, for example, were expected to incorporate problem-solving, essay writing, research, and project-based learning. While many students struggled initially, over time the planned, consistent instruction bore fruit, and students became proficient

• We made proactive use of summer school. To begin the gap-reduction process as soon as possible, all entering students were expected to attend a “summer bridges” program before starting their first semester. Then, students who did not need to make up failed coursework in subsequent summers used the summer school experience to get a head start on the following year’s courses, increasing their chances to succeed.
• We provided research-based, comprehensive, and ongoing professional development for all teachers, counselors, and administrators. Annual professional-development planning began in the summer with a review of all data from the prior year—including, but not limited to, test scores. Using this information, we mapped out areas that would be the focus of weeklong professional-development sessions that kicked off the school year. New teachers also attended biweekly training sessions throughout the year. As the alliance’s chief academic officer, I walked the classrooms with school administrators as a way to help them shape teacher practices. The process we used might be called professional development and reflection about instructional practice on steroids.

The fact that these schools accomplished what they did with a budget far less per student than what the district was spending in other schools suggests that it does not take infusions of money to create more effective and responsive high schools. Rather, it requires a clear focus on the most effective instructional strategies—and leaders who have a deep understanding of the learning process and a commitment to ensuring that all students receive the types of instructional support they need.

Turning around secondary schools also requires a commitment to using every minute of the instructional day to improve academic skills, increase students’ motivation for post-high-school planning, and develop instructional skills for teachers.

Not only is this route to high-performing inner-city secondary schools possible, but it is also capable of being implemented at scale. Educators and policymakers alike must be dedicated to doing this. The work requires not just having the right school culture, but also having the right instructional DNA and leaders who consistently build and hone both.

The success of the alliance’s program in Los Angeles demonstrates that inner-city students can and will succeed in college-preparatory schools if they are given the right instruction and the necessary social supports to do it.
David Linzey, a former urban high school and middle school principal, was the chief academic officer of the Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools, in Los Angeles. He currently is a consultant specializing in secondary school reform, and can be reached at dlinzey@hotmail.com.

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Judge Puts Abuse Cases Against 4 Districts on Hold

Cases involving public school districts await separate ruling on Child Victims Act

DOVER -- A Kent County judge on Wednesday halted child sexual abuse lawsuits involving several Delaware school districts pending a state Supreme Court ruling on a challenge to the law that allowed victims to sue over what happened decades ago.

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100527/NEWS01/5270353

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Pockets of Positivity in Teaching Turnaround

A Chicago school-turnaround program gets results by working with teachers, not against them.


By Dakarai I. Aarons

Talk of “turning around” troubled schools has become synonymous with firing educators, but a nonprofit in the Windy City is drawing attention for bringing success with a different approach.

In 2006, Strategic Learning Initiatives signed a contract with the Chicago public schools to help 10 schools serving grades K-8. More than 95 percent of the schools’ students were from low-income families. Over a decade, the schools had seen new principals, new teachers, new curricula, and professional development initiatives. Despite the changes, nine were on a list to be restructured or closed.

What Strategic Learning did with the struggling schools, using a process called “Focused Instruction,” was “not rocket science,” says the organization’s chief executive officer, John Simmons. But it worked, according to a recent evaluation by the Washington-based American Institutes for Research. And the approach the group took offers some lessons for teachers and school leaders.

The Focused Instruction Process has four main components: shared leadership, targeted professional development, continuous improvement, and parent engagement. It uses an eight-step process designed to make sure that students master skills by providing focused lessons, formative assessments, re-teaching after assessing where each student stands, and a reassessment to measure student progress.

Facilitators in each school have been trained to monitor the fidelity of the process. Teachers and administrators are expected and encouraged to make changes in the implementation in a way that makes sense for their individual schools. Schools have reorganized the day to allow time both for daily mini-lessons on the skill of the week and for “success time,” in which teachers use differentiated instruction to help students make up or enrich their knowledge of previous skills. And each school also has a leadership team, made up of teachers from each grade level, that meets regularly with administrators.


Each week, students learn about a new skill from a list of 13 that are tied to the state test students take each spring. Those skills include understanding the main idea, characterization, interpreting instructions, drawing conclusions, and summarization.

Supporting Teachers

The U.S. Department of Education’s four models for turning around low-achieving schools using federal stimulus money all require the principal to be fired; one callsfor the school to be closed. But John Simmons argues that it’s less expensive, and often more effective, to invest in the people already in the schools. With the right tools, he says, school staffers can produce different results.

In 2007 and 2008, two schools in the network led the city’s 470-some K-8 schools in gains on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test. By Strategic Learning’s definition, five of the 10 schools were “turned around,” meaning state test scores were improving at a rate at least six times faster than before, and school-level leaders agreed with the progress.


Strategic Learning’s work costs about $150,000 per school, per year, with the Chicago school district and the individual schools contributing about 80 percent; the rest comes from foundations and private donors. Reconstituting a school can cost much more, Simmons said, putting the figure at up to $1 million per school over four years.

Before a school could join the network, SLI requires 80 percent of its faculty members to vote to accept it. This buy-in from teachers has been seen as a key to the program’s success.

A turnaround strategy that supports the needs of teachers and principals is one the Chicago Teachers Union could support, said Rosemaria Genova, a spokeswoman for the affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers.

“We spent all this time and money to attract the best and brightest to Chicago, and then they leave,” Ms. Genova said. “You have to have veteran teachers to support the younger teachers who are hired by the principal, given a key and told ‘Go teach.’ They need mentoring and guidance.”

MORE HERE

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Referendum Unofficial Results are IN!

http://electionsncc.delaware.gov/Christina/2010/ch_ref10.shtml#results

Unofficial results

For Authority to Increase Taxes

For the Tax Increase  3,049
Against the Tax Increase 3,023

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Would you send your child to a "Forest Kindergarten?"

And if you would, I have a backyard for rent!

Preschools in Forests Take Root in the U.S.
Vashon Island, Wash.


When they're outside, the children in Erin Kenny's class don't head for cover if it rains or snows. They stay right where they are — in a private five-acre forest. It's their classroom.

They spend three hours a day, four days a week here, a free-flowing romp through cedar and Douglas fir on Vashon Island in Puget Sound.

The unique "forest kindergarten" at Cedarsong Nature School is among several that have opened in recent years in the U.S., part of movement that originated in Europe to get kids out from in front of televisions and into the natural world.

"American children do not spend much time outdoors anymore," Kenny says. "There's a growing need and an awareness on parents' part that their children really need to do more connecting with nature."

In addition to Kenny's, at least two other schools have been established: one in Portland, Ore., and another in Carbondale, Colo.

Kenny opened Cedarsong's doors in 2008, starting out with five children. She plans to expand the school to five days a week next year. She charges $100 a day, whether it's one day a week or three. Kenny says there's a growing waiting list.

The school is located in the quirky Seattle bedroom community kept artificially rural by the lack of roads, and county land-use policies.

Cedarsong is basically a camp. It has three cabins, one being a library, another for equipment and the last one for a compost bathroom equipped with child seats (although sometimes the kids prefer to just urinate in selected spots in the forest).

The camp also has trails and play spots, such as Fairyhouse Land, where there is a forest hut covered with ferns.


It also has tables to make mud cakes, buckets and rakes to scoop mud, a small drawer to keep the children's discoveries (fiddlehead ferns, feathers, lichen and insect-chewed leaves) and a spot for campfires. A plan for an outdoor kitchen is being drawn as well.

The kids munch on what the forest provides, calling leaf buds "forest candy."

For Kenny, the preschool is a culmination of years of working with children and a love for the outdoors. She used to be a lawyer, but was inspired to start her school after reading Richard Louv's book Last Child in the Woods.

In the book, Louv coined the phrase "nature-deficit disorder" to explain a lack of connection between the country's children and nature. He argues that the decrease in nature dwelling leads to a rise in childhood obesity, attention disorders and depression.

At such a young age, Kenny says, children shouldn't be taught complicated subjects. They shouldn't be force fed math or language. She says she's often asked what children learn at her school. Her reply is that these children are well versed in basic environmental science.

As time goes by, Kenny says, there will be more evidence that these schools are appropriate models for children.

Kenny says children should be left to explore by themselves. She and her assistant teacher use the children's natural curiosity as opportunities to teach. In her school, the children decide what they're going to do each day, not the teachers.

"They tend to retain the information better because they're actually touching and feeling and tasting the lessons," Kenny says.

One of the key lessons taught here however is not for the kids, but for the parents.

To be in this school, parents must know how to appropriately dress their children for all kinds of weather. That's particularly important in this part of Washington, where rain is nearly constant in the winter and showers and sun alternate seemingly minute to minute in the spring.

So, even in May, kids arrive with rain pants, rain coats, mitten, and gloves. If the weather heats up, the layers come off.

Mom Meghan Magonegil says she wasn't sure at first whether an all-outdoor school would work.

"Once we got here, I would pick Finn up and he'd be wet and muddy and smiling and happy and I knew it was perfect," she says of her son.

Since the school opened, only once have the students sought refuge in a small cabin because of the weather, Kenny says proudly. That day, the snow was too deep to walk around.

On a recent schoolday in May, the kids asked questions about leaves and bugs. They already knew which of these leaves were edible. They climbed trees and ran around the property. At one point, they decided to play music and, later in the day, to make cakes out of mud.

In 4-year-old Lorelei Fitterer's opinion, being outdoors is great, especially when it snows.

"Because I get to paint the snow and stick leaves in it, and I used to even taste it. It was so funny," she says.

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Hooter Hiders

I started to write a post last night, but to be honest, my heart just wasn't in it. This morning, the topic of Hooter Hiders has been brought up a couple of times, and I've gotten fired up.

If you are not familiar with the term "Hooter Hider," (still sexualizing the breast by referring to it as "hooters" and implying that they should be hid for the purpose of breastfeeding) you are probably familiar with what they are. I've seen them called different things - Udder something-or-other (we are not cows and we do not have udders), etc. -- but they are all pretty much the same thing. It's a piece of fabric that ties around a mom's neck and acts as a cover-up while she breastfeeds her baby. They have become quite trendy, like an "accessory" I heard one mom describe, and this is my concern.

One of the reasons I am such as advocate for breastfeeding is because of the closeness this provides for both mom and baby. Baby gazes up into mom's eyes and often smiles while nursing -- getting emotional just remembering this tenderness -- and mom can look into her baby's eyes, stroke her baby's hair or cheek. It's a very comfortable exchange.

By putting this cloth between the two of you, you miss out on that exchange. It becomes only about nourishment, not "nursing." Breastfeeding is hidden, but everyone knows what she's doing. I feel more uncomfortable around a mom using one of these cover-ups than I ever felt with her casually nursing her baby.

Have you ever heard that when a woman nurses her baby around other women, it gets oxytocin flowing in the other women? I love to see a woman nursing her baby, stroking her baby's head, so in love with this baby. In contrast, when I know a baby is under there, all I can think is how hot he must be (I had a baby that sweat like crazy every time he nursed) and how sad it is that he can't look at his mama and she's not looking at him.

So, are women that embarrassed of nursing in public? Are you afraid of offending people? Are you afraid of people seeing part of your breast for a split second? Or are you afraid of the roll of fat hanging over your jeans? (I was always much more conscious and concerned about that!) What has driven women to start using these cover-ups?

I should quickly point out that I would much rather see a mom using a cover-up than a bottle, whether it's breastmilk or formula. If you really can't get over the embarrassment factor, by all means...

I would just like to see women taught by other women how to breastfeed comfortably without all the cover-ups. Breastfeeding should be casual and comfortable for mom and baby. I can't imagine that either one is very comfortable with this cover-up situation, especially baby. Mom might feel more emotionally comfortable, but I highly doubt that she is physically comfortable. Let's get to both places.

There are lots of companies that sell nursing clothing. A few of my favorites include: Motherwear, Expressiva, and Glamourmom. Ladies, this is much more empowering to be able to have a simple opening in your clothing to have access to your breast to nurse your baby. You don't have to lift any clothing. No blankets or cover-ups. No sweating. Your baby will thank you.

Ultimately, let's not hide breastfeeding. Let's make it casual and comfortable, as it's meant to be. Happy nursing!

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Broadcasts aimed at improving scrutiny of schools

Warren to put school board meetings on cable TV

Published: Saturday, May 22, 2010
By Norb Franz
Macomb Daily Staff Writer
http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2010/05/22/news/doc4bf71a9843039662006791.txt

Broadcasts aimed at improving scrutiny of schools

Top decision-makers in six Macomb County school districts will soon get more public exposure and scrutiny.

The city of Warren’s government cable television department plans to record and broadcast meetings of local boards of education. Using city cable crews, Warren will show the elected school officials and top administrators in action, with cable subscribers in the city able to watch from the comfort of home.

“Taxpayers have a right to know what decisions every unit of government is making on their behalf and how their tax dollars are being spent,” said Mayor James Fouts. “Televising school board meetings brings instant transparency and immediate accountability.

“I feel it’s our obligation.”

Fouts said he ordered the city’s Communication Department to begin recording board meetings in response to residents who feel disconnected from board members and school district issues.

The mayor contacted the superintendents in the Fitzgerald, Van Dyke, Warren Woods and Warren Consolidated districts about his plan, hoping for their cooperation. Of the four, only Warren Consolidated televises its board meetings, showing regular sessions live followed by two replays later on the district’s public access channel.

On May 17, a two-person cable crew with one camera recorded the 2 1/2-hour meeting of the Van Dyke school board. The meeting is scheduled to be televised at 8 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. May 29 on Warren’s city channels on Comcast and Wide Open West.

Warren Communications Director Lark Samouelian said the production went smoothly.

“My staff felt it was totally unobtrusive,” she said. “They’re used to being like flies on a wall.”

No tapings have been scheduled yet in Fitzgerald, Warren Woods or Warren Consolidated.

City officials say they only intend to record regularly scheduled board meetings, not special sessions or workshops that also are open to the public.

Superintendent Barbara VanSweden said board members in the southwest corner of the city have questioned the timing of the city’s interest in recording meetings and is expected to discuss the issue further.

In Warren Consolidated, board meetings have been televised since 1997 on the school public access channels. That effort has led to the public being better informed on school matters, said Superintendent Robert Livernois. Meetings are shown live and again on a taped basis two days later and one week later.

Fouts is not pleased with the technical quality of the Warren Consolidated broadcast and told Livernois the city will step in and do a better job if the district can’t improve. Livernois acknowledged the tapings are “very simple in nature” and don’t compare to network television, but work just fine.

“One of my concerns is the duplication of effort that might not be in the best interest of the resources of taxpayers” if city production begins, said the district’s top administrator, adding that he would offer a DVD of the district’s own recordings to city officials for playback on city government channels.

School boards are not required by law to televise their sessions, but under the Michigan Open Meetings Act must post a meeting notice publicly.

Fouts hopes to eventually add the school boards in the Center Line Public Schools and East Detroit Public Schools — both of which include small portions of Warren — to the city cable department’s programming.

“We’re looking at it as a long-term relationship and not just barging in,” Samouelian added.

The mayor hopes easier and wider access by the public to school board meetings will help residents learn and understand local school issues; increase public input in district decision-making; spur more people to file as candidates for school board; and increase voter turnout for school elections.

In Macomb County, voter turnout for school board elections historically has been low, even in contested races. In the May 4 election in the Center Line Public Schools, only 7.5 percent of the district’s registered voters showed up at the polls as five candidates competed for two board seats. In the L’Anse Creuse Public Schools — located in most of Harrison Township and parts of Chesterfield, Macomb and Clinton townships — fewer than six out of every 100 registered voters cast ballots to decide which two of six candidates should make personnel decisions, set policy and determine the expense of millions of dollars.

In the Fitzgerald school district, where a proposed tax increase was on the May ballot, less than 11 percent of voters participated while rejecting the $68.6 million bond proposal by a 3-1 ratio.

Fouts, who served as a councilman for 26 years before voters elected him to the top post in city government in 2007, retired years ago as a high school government teacher in Warren Consolidated. He said his career as an educator was not a factor in his directive to the city’s cable department to record school board sessions. However, he feels school boards operate in relative obscurity while the majority of property taxes goes to school operations.

“Right now, it’s a hidden entity,” he said. “When public officials know they face the scrutiny of taxpayers, their decisions are going to be more cautious and more deliberate.”

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Limited Turnaround Models Challenged by Congress

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2010/05/school_improvement_models_face.html
School Improvement Models Face Opposition in Congress


By Alyson Klein on May 20, 2010 2:00 PM
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First it was Race to the Top. Now the school improvement models are running into trouble on Capitol Hill.

Flanked by major players in both the national teachers' unions, Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, today announced a framework (not a bill) that would basically ditch the idea of having just four options in favor of a broader array of possible remedies for schools.

Chu wants to use the reauthorization of ESEA to prod schools to promote flexibility and collaboration (such as beefing up mentoring and induction programs), remove barriers to student success (such as increasing community involvement and support), and foster teachers and school leaders (such as increasing the use of support staff like speech therapists and school psychologists). And she wants schools to be given a longer time frame, three to five years, to turn around.

Not surprisingly, Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, who showed up at the press conference, is a huge fan of the proposal. She said closing down schools, probably the most controversial of the department's four models, should still be on the list of options, but it should be considered a last resort. And Lily Eskelsen of the NEA, held up Chu's framework saying "I love this paper!"

But reporters wanted to know whether this approach demonstrates too much flexibility. Would this mean, basically, that schools could do whatever they wanted?

Weingarten, for one, doesn't think so. She said she has seen firsthand the impact that the strategies outlined in Chu's framework have had on struggling schools throughout the country.

Chu told me after the hearing that she thinks some of her Democratic colleagues on the education committee share her concerns about the models. And she'll be meeting with Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee tomorrow to discuss her framework.

Chu's press conference is just the latest bad news development for fans of the four models.

At a hearing yesterday of the House Education and Labor Committee, lawmakers and witnesses, including practioners, expressed skepticism that the four models outlined in the regulations for the School Improvement Grant program have research to back them up, and said that schools may need a broader array of options to help those that are struggling the most, including extended learning time and professional development.

You can get a sense of what committee members are thinking if you read between the lines of this statement, put out by Democratic leaders on the committee yesterday.

Their sentiments echo much of what was said in a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee earlier this spring, during which lawmakers also aired concerns about what they perceive as the rigidity of the models. They said, for instance, that rural schools would have a really hard time implementing them. You can check out a video of that hearing here.

UPDATE: During the House Education and Labor Committee hearing, Rep. Miller was pretty clear that he thinks foundering schools need to think beyond just the four models.

"You can choose to say you're going to turnaround a school you can reconstitute a school, you can close a school," he said. "It won't matter if you don't have [certain] ingredients in place ... [including] collaboration, buy in [from] the community, the empowering and the professional development of teachers. If you don't do these things and you have to more or less do them together you're going not going to turnaround much of anything. .... These four choices are interesting, but they've got to be fleshed out here. There's a portfolio of things you need to bring to this problem."

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"Standing Outside the Fire"

So, I'm cutting onions and jalapenos this morning. No one is home. I have a Garth Brooks box set playing (sorry Tim!) with videos, concert clips, and interviews. I've had it for years but never watched it until this morning. It made the time go so much faster.

They showed the video for "Standing Outside the Fire". I love the song, but had never seen the video. I am such a sucker for sap! I want you to watch the video and then come back to me... (Yes, I have put videos on the blog before, but I can't remember how to do it, but if you click on the song, it'll take you right to the video.)

OK, did you love it? Are you bawling your eyes out? I was really a mess with all the onions!

Everything in my life relates back to birth. But before I went there, I couldn't help but be in awe of this mother's support for her child. The love was so evident and he had so much confidence because of her love and support. It made me think of my own children -- do I support them in their talents and ambitions? Some yes, some, not-so-much. It was a good moment for me as a mom.

Next, I couldn't stop thinking of a woman who plans and prepares for an unmedicated birth. She doesn't want to take the "easy" way out. Nearly all women will "stumble" in labor -- even if it's not obvious, maybe it's thoughts in her own head. What happens from there depends so much on her support team. Do they run to her? Do they cheer her on? Do they tell her, "Get up! You can do it!" Do they tell the doctors to "back off! Let her finish the race!"

What if this young man's parents had just sat in the stand? What would that boy have done? Do you think he would have finished the race? I do not believe he would have. It was his dad's encouragement -- the one who thought he would fail or get hurt -- who was at his side telling him he could do it! The look in the boys eyes -- my dad believes in me! -- was priceless.

And then to finish the race, running into his mother's arms, so proud. The prize at the end of labor, to hold your baby, knowing you did it!

Moms and Dads, it is not just about what mom is able to do. It is so much about her support team (doulas, nurses, midwives, doctors, mothers, mother-in-laws, sisters), cheering her to the finish line. Who would have thought that a Garth Brooks song would lead to such as inspirational birth song and post this morning! Sorry for all the crying. I hope you'll ponder this video and it's meaning in so many areas of our lives. Gotta love Garth! Now get on with your day.

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NJ Editorial Agrees with Gov's Stance on SROs

Not surprising, the NJ ran an editorial today (their own) supporting the removal of SROs from schools and into a to-be-newly-created Highway Patrol while replacing them with "School Resource Agents" with lessor training.    Columnist and Assistant Editorial Editor Ron Williams has thrown his support behind the Highway Patrol pilot, http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20105050303   My comments in Red.

That's because putting fully trained state police officers on school property as a resource officer for disciplinary control is expensive. The schools already pay a share of the state police costs, but it wouldn't be as expensive under the plan outlined in Gov. Markell's budget. 

The five-officer pilot program at the as-yet-undetermined school districts would be classified as school resource agents and would not have the same academy training as state troopers, which makes more sense to me than putting officers in schools with detective and homicide training.

The SRA would be sworn officers and answer to the state police chain of command, but their training would be geared toward the likely problems and environment they would face in schools.

That would free up at least five state troopers initially to go on highway patrol. If the program can convince the superintendents and school boards that it is a a workable program then dozens of other troopers would be freed to volunteer for the highway patrol unit.  Correct -- lessor trained agents with limited experience will cost less than the current SROs. But, moving officers out of the districts and into a new patrol and then backing filling the vacated positions with agents, will result in significantly increased costs ultimately born by the tax payers.  It's just plain wrong to skew the dynamic of the conversation by diverting attention to cost saving in one domain that will be a cost increase when moved to another.   And then when I contemplate the scope of expu lsions, which I cannot disclose particulars of due to privacy laws, I am aware of a distinct need to have the best trained, most experienced officers in our schools.  The truth is the truth, the current system supports school climate and safety efforts.  Anything less is simply not good enough.

May 20, 2010

By all accounts, state troopers assigned as school resource officers have been a rousing success. They have been praised by school administrators, parents and students. The troopers who have taken on the assignments have reported high satisfaction. Some have even gone into teaching or counseling after retiring from the state police.

But the 29 statewide SROs are fully trained state police officers, with skills in everything from traffic control to intelligence operations. For the most part, they are overqualified for the SRO positions.

State police Superintendent Col. Robert M. Coupe and Gov. Jack Markell want to establish new criteria for school officers and reclassify them as school resource agents.

While they would have much of the same training at the state police academy as troopers, their curriculum would be geared more toward the school and classroom environment, not traffic control. That makes sense.

The SRAs would be better trained to handle the everyday circumstances likely to arise at schools. Their salaries also would be lower, saving the state and school districts money.

The SROs would be phased out at about five a year, with those trooper positions assigned to a new state highway patrol division. Delaware needs more highway troopers, and this is an excellent way to accomplish that goal.

The Joint Finance Committee should approve the governor's proposal for new SRAs.

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NJ Interview with board member-elect, Eric Anderson

http://blogs.delawareonline.com/delawareed/2010/05/17/a-new-face-on-christinas-school-board/

We caught up with Eric M. Anderson, who beat a nearly 30-year incumbent for a seat on the Christina school board.


When did you decided to run for school board and why?

I decided to run for the seat in December. I have been involved with the Christina Community for the past 20 years as a student, substitute, paraprofessional, teacher, and coach. When I left the district in June 2009 to take a job with the Charter School of Wilmington, I left with many sentiments. I moved to Wilmington in August of 2009, and happy with my new job, I still wanted to be a part of the Christina school district. I knew that the seat was up for grabs in 2010 and I made the decision to run. I knew that running for the seat would be a challenge since I was running against a 30 year incumbent, it wasn’t until I had started campaigning and talking to the community that I realized that change wasn’t just needed, but wanted.

You won by a huge margin against a nearly 30-year incumbent. What did you do when you heard the results?

Going into election day I felt good about the amount of support I had behind me in the Christina Community, but the only thing that matters on election day is if your supporters show up at the polls. When the polls closed at 8, I returned home with a group of my closest friends, my father and we waited for the results to come in. I just remember all of us shouting, jumping, and hugging in my living room and immediately our cell phones began to ring. I was truly surprised not only by the huge margin I won by, but also how many people actually came out to vote when compared to previous Christina elections.

You have more than 900 friends on your candidate Facebook page. What made you decide to use social media in your campaign? Do you think it was effective?

It was my plan to use the social media to generate support from the younger members of the Christina, such as former students. The younger generation relies so heavily on social networking, I knew that facebook would be effective in getting an awareness out there that I was running. It was difficult to for me to have the link, due to its length, printed on my personal palm cards, so in the future I think a regular webpage with a simple URL will be more effective social media tool to use.

A couple board members have blogs and twitter accounts that they use to share information with their constituents. Do you plan to do anything like that?

I plan to keep the Facebook page that I had through my campaign, and I also am looking into creating a blog as well, not only to communicate with constituents, but also to keep up-to-date on important community issues and how others feel about those issues.

Some people have noted that you were endorsed by the union. What did the endorsement mean to you?

I was a little disappointed in the direction the News Journal chose to take on reporting the role of the union’s support in the various campaigns. In my race all three candidates were contacted by the union and told if we wanted to be considered for the endorsement to fill out a questionnaire and attend an interview. We all opted to be considered and went through the process. During the process we were aware that the union endorsed candidate would have union support through their desired means in reaching out to their membership. I was fortunate enough to earn the endorsement of the union. I really was a surprised and grateful when I saw their expenses published in the News Journal and glad I won the endorsement. As a teacher myself, it was extremely important for me to earn the endorsement because I believe I wouldn’t have had a leg to stand on if I was not supported by teachers.

What is one of the biggest and/or most important issues facing Christina School District?

I believe the most important issue facing the Christina School District pertains to the retention of students and staff. I believe that once an environment is created where we see the district strongly competing with Charter, private, and other public schools to draw students and staff, that will be the evidence that the district is steering in the right direction.

What’s the biggest challenge in taking on that issue?

The challenges here are unlimited, but the most important are: the creation and retention of diversified learning programs, adequate funding and financial management to up keep these programs, and an on going effort in reaching out to the community to rebuild relationships and instill confidence that Christina schools will consistently, and effectively, provide the necessary resources to educate each student to meet their full potential

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Edweek Commentary: Cry Wolf! This Budget Crunch is for Real

Four possible futures regarding education jobs loss...  food for thought...

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/05/19/32hanushek.h29.html?tkn=QNWFf5%2FkNVbjkWLcliVeM0sz6T8mysSJ97ly&cmp=clp-edweek

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R.I. School District Agrees to Rehire Fired Teachers

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/05/16/355060usentireschoolfired_ap.html?tkn=PPTFz5p1Q5vufJ6og%2BzN1JIqCRNayAf14g00&cmp=clp-edweek

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JFC to Restore State Worker's Pay

Teachers pay will be restored, now if only I could depend on the state's share of transportation funding to get my kids to school???


http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100517/NEWS/100517030/Finance-panel-acts-to-boost-state-workers-pay
From the News Journal:

DOVER -- The General Assembly’s Joint Finance Committee voted unanimously today to restore the 2.5 percent state employee pay cut that was implemented last year.
If approved by the full Legislature, the $35 million increase will take effect July 4, the first day of the first pay cycle of the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Restoration of the cut, which was achieved through furlough days, is a top priority of legislators and Gov. Jack Markell alike. It became financially feasible when the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council raised revenue estimates for the current budget year by $39 million, and estimates for the next year by $64.6 million.

DEFAC is meeting this afternoon to approve those estimates. By law, the General Assembly must use the June DEFAC revenue estimate to set its budget.

Under the proposal approved today, merit and merit-comparable employees will see a 2.57 percent “salary restoration” starting July 4. Education employees will get 1.56 percent, plus the restoration of two professional development days that were eliminated last year. That translates to an effective 2.63 percent increase.

Employees at Delaware Technical and Community College will receive 2.57 percent, and the JFC voted to fund the equivalent increase for employees at Delaware State University and the University of Delaware. Those two institutions receive state money, but set their own pay levels

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Due Dates

I just wanted to make a couple of comments about due dates. I've had two students -- one who is a Bradley instructor now -- give birth this weekend. Both were "overdue." There was some anxiety leading up to the actual birth day, which I believe was inflicted by society's expectation of when the baby should be here. Surely it's dangerous to go past 40 weeks, right? 40 weeks is considered overdue in some circles these days.

I always joke that the baby doesn't have a little calendar in the womb with a little red pen with his/her due date circled like you do. You've probably heard the numbers on this one: only 5% of babies are actually born on their due date. And yet, so much hinges on that date.

If you have been given more than one due date, you always want to go with the later one, not the earlier one. This buys you time at the end of pregnancy. You may not think this is a big deal right now at 21 weeks -- surely you'll have your baby early -- but as 40 weeks comes and goes, it becomes a big deal.

You need to know your care provider's policy on going past 40 weeks. Maybe they won't even allow that to happen (red flag - get out of there!). Maybe it's one week, 10 days, or maybe they'll "allow" you the full 2 weeks. What if you have 2 dates that are, say, 4 days apart. At the end of pregnancy, every day is significant. This all goes back to believing that your body knows what it's doing. There is evidence that shows that it is the baby that triggers labor, so that must mean that the baby comes when he/she is ready. Labor will be better and baby will do better when he/she is born.

One of these moms that had her baby today had been induced with her other children. What I usually see in these situations is that the mom truly believes that her body is incapable of starting labor on its own. That was not necessarily the case with this particular mom, but I see/hear this quite often. Induction really does a number on a mom's confidence with future babies. This mom declined having her membranes stripped and water broken because she believed in her body. After weeks of contractions, her water broke last night, contractions picked up, they headed for the birth center, and had their baby 6 hours later. Beautiful.

The other mom I referred to, had her first baby at 42 weeks and was quite convinced that this one would come early. Needless to say, she was inching very close to that 42 week mark again! She may have all her babies closer to 42 weeks than 40. All 4 of mine came between 39 and 40 weeks. The more regular your cycle, the more likely you are to be closer to 40 weeks. I am exactly 28 days.

My favorite example when talking about due dates is comparing babies to popcorn. We pop popcorn every Sunday night for dinner in a Stir Crazy popcorn popper. You'll always hear a kernel or two pop much sooner than the others, but generally, they all pop real close together. Despite being exposed to the oil and the heat the same amount of time, there will always be several kernels that pop after all the rest are finished, even when I'm pulling the plug on the popper. And so it is with babies. They generally come around the same time, but it's impossible for the kernels to pop all at once -- that would be quite a sight in the popcorn popper! Some babies need more time than others, some a little less. Let's be respectful of the time they need to "cook." I know that some women truly believe they would have stayed pregnant forever, but I promise, it just ain't so!

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Better Budget Forecast: Should Mark-up Restore Pay Cuts?

or EDUCATION FUNDING???

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100515/NEWS02/5150322

Dover,
All conjecture aside, please restore funding for math and literacy specialists and eliminate proposed education funding cuts for the next fiscal year!  With a 100 mil likely to come in, our legislators have the power and resources to make education the primary priority.  Please put teachers back in the classrooms, first! Delaware, they need to hear from you!

Lawmakers are expected to place rolling back the pay cut high on their agenda when they head into markup next week.

The Legislature adjourned for a two-week break Thursday to allow members of the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee to meet and make revisions to the budget. The General Assembly must complete the budget approval process by June 30. DEFAC will meet one more time in June to approve the final numbers

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Christina Community Forum

Thursday, May 13

2010 Operating Referendum
Our Kids - Worth the Investment
7:00 pm
Leasure Elementary School

http://www.christina.k12.de.us/Referendum/

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Sweet and Smooth

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Anderson WINS!!!

Eric M. Anderson  869
George E. Evans 217
Paul J. Falkowski  104

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Red Clay Unofficial Results Are In!!!

B
Richard H. Cross, Jr.  479
Martin A. Wilson, Sr.  869


G
William Doolittle 254
Catherine Thompson  1086



http://electionsncc.delaware.gov/Red_Clay/2010/rc_mbr10.shtml

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Polls Closed, Halfway There...

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VOTE! Tuesday, May 11th!

Christina Candidates:

Term expires June 30, 2015

George E. Evans

Eric M. Anderson

Paul J. Falkowski

Who Votes:

•Are a U.S. and Delaware citizen;
•Are 18 years old; and
•Live ANYWHERE  in the Christina School District

When and Where:
People may vote at any Polling Places from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 11th.

Bancroft Elementary School
700 N Lombard St Wilmington 19801

Bayard Elementary School
200 S duPont St Wilmington 19805

Brookside Elementary School
800 Marrows Rd Newark 19713

Christiana High School
190 Salem Church Rd Newark 19713

Downes Elementary School
299 Casho Mill Rd Newark 19711

Elbert-Palmer Elementary School
1200 Lobdell St Wilmington 19801

Gallaher Elementary School
800 Brownleaf Rd Newark 19713

Glasgow High School
1901 S College Ave Newark 19702

Jones Elementary School
35 West Main St, Christiana/Newark 19702

Keene Elementary School
200 LaGrange Ave Newark 19702

Maclary Elementary School
300 St Regis Dr Newark 19713

Marshall Elementary School
101 Barrett Run Rd Newark 19702

McVey Elementary School
908 Janice Dr Newark 19713

Newark High School
401 E Delaware Ave Newark 19711

Quaker Hill Place Apartments
200 N Washington St Wilmington 19801

Shue-Medill Middle School
1500 Capitol Trail Newark 19711

Wilson Elementary School
14 Forge Rd Newark 19711

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Four Truths that lead to an Endorsement for Eric Anderson

Dear Christina,

Elections are looming.  A referendum is in our midst.  Teachers have been RIF'd.  An A.G. opinion supports a FOIA petition.  Program cuts are real and our students have walked out.

It's time to lay the cards on the table.

How about we start with some grandstanding; it's the word of the day in the blogosphere.  I've tried to walk the high road in this political nightmare, sticking to transparency and honesty. 

But, recently, a candidate for Christina's school board pulled me into the election.  It wasn't the FOIA that he targeted, though I would not have blamed him if he did, it directly involved his judgment as board president.  It was this blog and others like it.  Precisely, it was this statement, "I don't think I'm running against Eric Anderson for re-election, I'm campaigning against John Young and Elizabeth Steinberg."   The issue: the blogs and the idea that if you arrive at the same conclusions as those vocalized on Transparent Christina or Children & Educators First, then you are unable to think for yourself.

Flip the logic on it's head:  It's the equivalent of denouncing those who rubber stamp every vote that comes before them as board members on a stage.  The truth: every vote is sacred, and each board member arrives at theirs through their own personal means. And some put that logic to the public in the interest of transparency.  I do not ever lay a vote on the table without having arrived at it 10 ways to Sunday, or in this case, 10 ways to Mother's Day.  There have been close ones, painful ones, like the decision to dissent on the CLEAR Review, a tool I believe will benefit our district, but came with a hefty price tag and a groundswell of concern from parents and teachers.  We could have handled it differently, bringing the issue to the public for comment and debate.  We didn't and the result is haunting.  We've approved a strategic plan that in places relies heavily on the results of that review, yet unknown.  It reminds me of something I read recently regarding the perception by students of  bullying and fighting in schools:  The winner goes to the office, the loser goes to the nurse.

For too long, Christina has been on the losing side of an education battle.  We live in triage.  Well before Joe Wise crippled the district, Christina was fighting rising drop-out rates and achievement gaps.  The DSTP made it evident, No Child Left Behind made it news, and Joe Wise put it on the front page.  Despite it all, we have had teachers on the front lines, in many cases fighting poverty and despair, struggling to undue 16 hours/day of neglect and blight, in 8 hours of educational intensity.

Christina has struggled to rise above it's financial nightmare.  Really, it was and is a nightmare.  They were forced to turn to the state for a loan and have been solvent in repayment according to the five year terms.  Our final payment comes due next year.  I can argue for more transparency, but I can also assure you, our constituents, that Christina has been responsible in repayment.  This I thoroughly believe.  I can find no documentation to contest it and every document to support it.

But, what's the purpose of talking about loans when we are laying off teachers?  Because there is a misconception and our children are impacted by it.  Today, I read a letter in the News Journal, taking my district to task for cutting text book funding to help mitigate the very real deficit.   In fact, the state has offered two peas in the way of funding for books for years.  The majority of money that buys books comes from the local share of school taxes.  If the local share must go to operating buildings, energy costs, and payroll for those very valuable teachers that we are struggling to keep, then something must go.  Textbooks?  Truth:  Christina cut out a lot of "fat" when Wise toppled the finances.  Is there still fat?  Maybe.  But, not enough to save 43 teachers.  That much, I believe.  As far as books, our district has not been able to afford to purchase books, aside piecemeal, for years.  Those who have children in our district know that.  And they know it, because few if any children bring those books home.

Very real story:  My daughter struggled with reading this year. Those who read my blog know that I do not often bring my own children into the political story of Christina.  And sometimes, I don't have a choice.  My daughter started her year in a regular reading class.  In early fall, she was pulled back to her special ed classroom's small reading group because she was falling behind.  I begged, pleaded, and argued for her text to come home so that I could work with her.  The answer was "no." During winter, her IEP rolled around and it took an administrator from her program to call down the guard and concede the book.  Why the fight?  The fear that dictates it's too expensive to send a book home and not get it back.  The concern that books are no longer in publication and therefore cannot be replaced is very real.  Meanwhile, my daughter has continued to learn at a slower pace.  She's learning, but way behind her typical peers.  Do I blame her team?  her school?  No.  If I had to pluck someone out of the air to blame, it would be Dr. Wise.  Myself, I'm a close second.  If a school board member can't get the book home, then what does that say about the plight of our parents at large? 

The truth: a referendum will provide for the textbook or technology purchase needed to put supplies back into our students hands. The next truth:   the suggestions I've made to our administration, the requests, and questions, would likely not amount to enough money to keep us floating.  I concede this, but it does not mean that I am done asking for those efficiencies.  I highlight this because I believe we need to continue our fight for change in Christina, for openness, and accountability.  The nearing election, Tuesday, May 11th, provides the next opportunity for voters to voice their opinions.

I've called Christina's a "Board in Transition."  Five years later the sitting board is still in transition from the dark days of Wise and the events that have caused those very real and painful votes the members of the board have had to voice.  But, there's another transition afoot, one I've talked about in past posts -- transparency and accountability.  Though the lesson comes from a piece on Mayoral control of education (you don't like your mayor's decisions, you vote him out after four years.)  When a school board leads, it takes 5 to 7 years and sometimes longer to change a board with whom whose decisions you do not agree (due to the duration of terms.)  I believe I was elected to help steer the leadership in Christina in a new direction. I certainly did not run because I was happy with the course that had been charted for my own children and their peers. 

And by laying my cards down and making these statements, I know that I am not strengthening relationships with some board members.  But, the night the pathetic semblance of my name, and my blog, were used to disparage another candidate, changed the dynamic.  A non-blogging Delaware board member, whom I hold high regard, put it to me this way:  You have nothing left to loose.  They won't work with you anyway.

It's been five years since the news about our finances first broke.   Christina's transition is well entrenched.  It started before me and I hope has been accelerated by the decisions I have made.   To those fighting it:  you are only fooling yourselves.  If nothing else is gained by this post, the constituents will know that someone is LISTENING.  Their voices ARE being heard.

Today, unceremoniously as it is, I break the unspoken pact of boardmanship.  I will join the ranks of two others who have, for their own various reasons, publicly endorsed candidates in their district's elections.   I am not the first and I don't deserve any praise for it.  In fact, I expect a backlash from those whose first instinct is to be wary of change.

Today, I put my support behind Eric Anderson, a former Christina teacher, who I believe has the best interest of our district at heart.  Our current board is enjoined by parents of children in the district, both elementary, secondary, and served by special education and special programs.  There are a combination businessmen, stay-at-home parents, and a member whose children graduated from the district some years back.  But, we lack a crucial partner -- an educator.  I believe that Eric is that educator whose insight is desperately needed in the decision-making process to guide Christina to success.  And with Eric as an elected partner in the process, I believe that a successful referendum will be the next step to creating a financially-sound Christina. 

Today, I urge you, Christina, to get out the vote on Tuesday, May 11th, and again, make your voices heard!!! I will lend my vote to Eric Anderson. I hope you will do the same.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth

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Why Delaware Can't Afford to do without Reading Specialists!

Coaching of Teachers Found to Boost Student Reading

By Debra Viadero

Denver

An innovative study of 17 schools along the East Coast suggests that putting literacy coaches in schools can help boost students’ reading skills by as much as 32 percent over three years.

The study, which was presented here on May 1 during the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, is as notable for its methods as for its results. It’s among the first of what many scholars hope will be a new generation of studies that offer solid clues not only to what works but also when, under what conditions, and to some extent, why.

The study finds that reading gains are greatest in schools where teachers receive a larger amount of coaching. It also finds that the amount of coaching that teachers receive varies widely and is influenced by an array of factors, including relationships among staff members and how teachers envision their roles.
“This shows that this initiative can build networks and build social capacity in schools, and you can actually measure these things,” said Anthony S. Bryk, who led the four-year study with current and former Stanford University graduate students. He is currently the president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, which is located on the university’s campus in California.




The study, which was paid for by the federal Institute of Education Sciences, focused on the Literacy Collaborative, a program developed by researchers at Ohio State University in Columbus. Used in more than 700 schools nationwide, the program trains teachers to become literacy coaches, who then work one-on-one with their colleagues on a half-time basis to spread a set of teaching routines drawn from principles of cognitive science.



Teachers in Literacy Collaborative classrooms might, for example, help walk students through decoding processes as they read aloud or lead children in groups as they read progressively more-difficult texts.
Value-Added Approach

The researchers tracked the implementation of the program in K-2 classroom in 17 schools. The total number of 8,520 students included in the study represented a mix of social and economic characteristics. For example, even though 45 percent of the students in the total sample came from low-income families, the percentages of students in each school who qualified for federally subsidized school meals—a commonly used indicator of family poverty—ranged from a low of 19 percent to a high of 86 percent.

To calculate the program’s learning impact, the researchers used value-added techniques to compare students’ progress on various reading-related tests and tasks with how much students would have been expected to gain on those measures with more-typical instruction.

They found that students’ reading skills grew 16 percent beyond predicted levels the first year, 28 percent more than expected by the second year, and 32 percent more than predicted by the third year.

But, as with many school improvement measures, the results varied widely from school to school, and even more from teacher to teacher within the same schools, said Gina Biancarosa, an assistant professor of education at the University of Oregon, in Eugene, who co-authored the study with Mr. Bryk, along with Allison C. Atteberry and Heather J. Hough, both doctoral students at Stanford University.

One explanation for that variation, the researchers learned, was coaching. Teachers and schools that experienced more coaching sessions tended to spur bigger learning gains in their students. Some teachers received no coaching over the course of the study, while others had as many as 43 sessions.

The teachers who got the most coaching were new teachers, teachers committed to the school and the reform model, and those who were found, through baseline surveys, to be more likely to initiate work-related interactions with other teachers.

“So in some ways, coaching is a voluntary activity,” Ms. Atteberry said.

MORE HERE

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Three Vie for Board Seat in Christina

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100507/NEWS03/5070383

By EDWARD L. KENNEY • The News Journal • May 7, 2010

Voters in the state's largest school district will choose among three candidates for the District A seat in Tuesday's election.

Longtime Christina School Board member and current President George Evans faces challenges from opponents Eric Anderson and Paul Falkowski.

Evans, 62, a lawyer who lives in Wilmington and has served on the board for 29 years, said he supports passage of the almost $19 million referendum May 25 that is intended in part to offset an $8.1 million shortfall. The district can ill afford to take such a hit, he said.

"I am also a strong supporter of safe schools conducive to learning, sound fiscal management and full-day kindergarten," he said. "We are seeking to achieve that with the referendum.

"Equality for all of our students is what I'm seeking to achieve," he said. "A major part of that is closing the achievement gap and placing highly qualified teachers at all of our schools, and to prepare all of the students for career readiness and higher learning.

Anderson, 26, a math teacher at The Charter School of Wilmington who also lives in the city, is running for his first elected office.

"I support the referendum, and I believe there is no way the schools can operate with less," he said. "It's an operating referendum, so it's there to keep teachers in the classroom, and I'm 100 percent behind that.

"And I believe transparency is an issue, communication," said Anderson, who taught in the Christina School District for about seven years. "I believe the board hasn't been transparent enough in regard to the finances and the direction of the district. There hasn't been enough community outreach, not on the district level."

Falkowski, 61, of Wilmington, teaches math at James Groves Adult High School. He ran unsuccessfully for the Christina School Board five years ago.

He also has worked as a computer programmer who advanced to systems analyst in various industries, and he believes that would help him bring an analytical process to the board.

"The top issue for me is recognizing that teaching happens in the class, and everything else should support the teacher in the classroom," said Falkowski, who co-founded the Browntown Community Association in 1989.

"The reason I support the referendum is they need the money," said the retired Army infantry officer. And, he added, "we need new representation on the board to make sure we don't make the same mistakes from the past."

Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Contact Edward L. Kenney at 324-2891 or ekenney@delawareonline.com

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NJ: Future Uncertain for State's Teachers

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100507/NEWS03/5070387/Future-uncertain-for-state-s-teachers

At the root of this fight is a $21 million decrease in federal stimulus funding, which has forced districts to scramble to meet budget shortfalls.

Ann Visalli, director of the state's Office of Management and Budget, said state officials have encouraged superintendents to trim administrator positions and eliminate duplication of services.

"I have been pretty clear with the chiefs that we don't want this to affect the classroom," she said

"We did the dirty work," Mackenzie said. "We had to [lay off] friends and neighbors -- members of our own community."

Christina is holding an operating referendum on about $19 million on May 25. If it passes, some of the employees could be hired back, district officials said.

Visalli specifically questioned Christina's layoffs.

"Christina should have enough money to keep those teachers on," she said. "I would be hard-pressed to say this would be the only option that they had."

Check out the whole story here:  http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100507/NEWS03/5070387/Future-uncertain-for-state-s-teachers

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'A Board in Transition' Struggles to Support its Students

I dropped this comment on Kilroy's Delaware earlier today in response to a comment thread there.  I think it's worth sharing with my own readers.  But, here's the thread at Kilroy's so that you can get the context: http://kilroysdelaware.wordpress.com/2010/05/05/christina-school-board-eye-gouging/

Kilroy,


I think this all really amounts to Christina being a “board in transition.” Intense cultural change doesn’t happen overnight and it frequently comes with pushback as described by Patrick Lencioni in his best seller, “The Five Disfunctions of a Team.” Not a thriller, but the message gives me hope that at the end of this road, Christina will emerge stronger, more cohesive, and strategically placed to achieve success for our students.

There’s no proven road map for change, even Mass Insight admits that; however, we have to flip the question around and start asking, how do we save teachers? Not how do we cut personnel osts? Something has to give. The deficit appears real to me, regardless of how we got there. But, when eliminating your one Latin teacher in the only Latin program in the district, leaving students in midstream unable to attend the local university b/c their admission standards demand 4 consecutive years of a single language, the action is simply unacceptable. Our administration could not make promises that they would be able to bring in a part-time employee to fulfill the students collegiate needs. With the deadline that was still 11 days away, there was still time to rethink some of our options.

I was also unhappy to learn that our board and administration does not think it appropriate for the board to vote on the elimination of programs, such as the arts, in our schools. That’s micro-managing, we’re told.

It was not offered to the board Tuesday night that these 43 units were eliminated due to attrition. And if that is the case, it illustrates the problem of information not being shared universally with all board members.

These are examples, directly from Tuesday's meeting, that illustrate the type of barriers affecting Christina’s students. It’s just the surface but indicative of the deep directional shift we need to engage in order to have finally righted the ship that the Wise era capsized.

And if that’s showboating, so be it.

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Fiscal Responsibility and Cowardice at the May 4th Board Meeting

Okay, last night, I'll be honest, things were a bit chaotic.  The beginning of the board meeting was a wonderful tribute to those who have given to the district's students, going above and beyond and frequently without recognition.

And from there it all went down, down, down hill.  As usual, I'll post my disclaimer, these are my thoughts and mine alone.  They do not represent the opinion of the CSD board or its administrators, now do they constitute minutes in any fashion.

Last night, I voted no to Rif our teachers.  I was among those who were accused of being fiscally irresponsible and cowardly.  I do not believe that I am either.  I understand that the failure to pass the motion to reduce our teaching staff would have resulted in a budget expenditure that this district may not be able to sustain,  and perhaps forcing us back into the nightmare days following Joe Wise.

I would offer this regarding my vote: A  Fiscally Irresponsible board is what led us to bankruptcy during the Wise era.  They failed to ask the right questions and provide the oversight dictated by the function of the board.  We are still repaying the state loan that kept our district afloat.

CSD may have done everything right once the deficit was discovered.  They may have managed their funding with diligence.  And we cannot escape the effects of the economy on a district that going on 8 eight years without a successful operating referendum. 

However, we can
1) Send a message to our folks in Dover that we, along with many other districts, desparately need the legislature to restore funding that our Governor and the Sec. of Education has proposed to be eliminated.  We can appeal that funding for reading and math specialist, eliminated in the last budget cycle, be restored to the education budget.  We can proactively correspond as a board with our legislators to educating them of reality of the budget cuts in our classrooms.  Essentially, we can LEAD the charge to Dover that Education must be a PRIORITY!
2) Share the burden of the budget through a RIF process that includes district level administration.  If we are to be 160 employees lighter next  year (representing the 40 + eliminated last night in addition to the 120 temporary contracts that we cannot afford to renew)  then perhaps we will require fewer Drew level support employees. 
3) In a year that included the CLEAR Review (yet unseen by the board) and a promise from our superintendent that there would be no new programs this year so that we can evaluate which program work and which do not, this RIF could have been supported by documenting which programs DO NOT achieve the DESIRED results, instead of targeting Arts, Specials, and Languages.
4) Spread the cuts beyond the classroom, languages, and arts, to Athletics. 
5) Eliminate some of our spending on Travel and Consultants.  The fact is that we have a checkbook that's heavy with consultants.
6) Approach the state and ask to defer the loan payments until such time as we successfully pass an operating referendum.

What's the worse that can happen?  They say No.  But, you don't know until you try!

I have repeatedly raised these concerns regarding our budget and the difficult choices that we must make for our schools.  And I have been rebuffed and ignored.  My suggestions have not been taken into consideration by our administration nor have they been respected by some board members.

Essentially, we could have made good on a promise to constituents to protect the classrooms, to support programs that work, that are best practices, and that support acheivement.  My vote was not cowardly or irresponsible.  And though I am in no way advocating violating spending laws mandated by the state and federal government, I am soundly suggesting that we need to insist that the state stop sending Boards to the perp walk, and boldly Lead the state in funding reform.

At the end of the day would any of these suggestions save a single job?  I don't know.  But, we didn't try.  And that's why the only vote I could offer was No.  No, to Dover, we do not support you in devaluing education.  No, to our administration, we do not support centering cuts to teachers.  No, we insist you make good on the message your sent to our constituents in September, October, and November.

At the end of the day, the motion carried.

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In the interest of Transparency, the Christina FOIA Response

Latest from the News Journal: 
http://blogs.delawareonline.com/delawareed/2010/05/03/ags-office-board-failed-to-follow-foia/
NJ article contains links to FOIA Petition, District Reponse, and AG Determination.

CSD's response to A.G. FOIA Petition
http://blogs.delawareonline.com/delawareed/files/2010/05/Boardrespond.pdf




“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
Buddha quotes (Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)                                              

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Board Meeting Reminders for this Week

Monday
Board of Education
Agenda Preparation Meeting
12:00 pm
Drew Education Center
 
Tuesday
Board of Education
General Business Meeting
7:30 pm
Newark High School

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Forced Into a Hospital Birth or Unassisted Homebirth

One of my former students-turned-Bradley-Instructor asked me a question this week on Facebook, in light of all the midwifery issues going on in NY.

If Donna Ryan was forced to have a hospital birth, or an unassisted birth, which would she pick? This was my answer.

First, there are many things to consider. I believe in prenatal care. If you choose unassisted birth, you are likely choosing no prenatal care. A Licensed Midwife evaluates each woman and pregnancy and determines if she is a good candidate for homebirth. Most women are.

I know everyone thinks my answer will be a resounding "Yes, go unassisted!" It's not that simple. I believe in having a good midwife at your side, no matter where you are giving birth. Women have the right to a midwife and they have the right to birth where they feel safest. For many women, this is at home, and for many, it is in the hospital. Educate yourself and make the best decision for you and your family.

As far as what is happening in NYC, the problem is that they are shutting down the hospital where most of the out-of-hospital midwives have backup from an OB. In order to be a LM in NYC, you have to have an OB back you up. St. Vincent was a very midwife-friendly hospital, and they have shut their doors. The midwives cannot practice, legally, without that backup. So, they either need to find other OBs to back them, not practice anymore, or do it illegally.

One of my friends birthed a baby at home in ID before it was legal for midwives to practice openly. (It is legal for them to practice in ID now.) There are still a number of states where homebirth is illegal, but midwifery is alive and well. You know the risks as a midwife, but also as a consumer. I just talked with a local midwife this week who is originally from Missouri, where homebirth is illegal. She would love to go home, but she said she's not ready to deal with the risks of practicing illegally. The state of TX has some great laws in place for out-of-hospital midwives.

So my point is, that a woman doesn't really need to be forced into the hospital if she doesn't want to be there. She also doesn't have to choose an unassisted birth as her only other option. I've known women who have jumped state lines. There are midwives that are willing to risk their own hide so that women have access to homebirth.

I will never tell a woman I think she should have her baby unassisted. That is a risky position for me, as a childbirth educator. I do not give medical advice, but I think my opinion is weighed pretty heavily by a lot of my students. If you know me, you know that I am so NOT a fear monger (trust your body, trust in birth), but I've seen strange things happen in labor, birth, and immediate postpartum. Things that I would want a midwife attending to. I know women who have had unassisted births and everything was great, actually with all of them. And I do believe that it will be fine most of the time. I still like to see a midwife by all womens' side, no matter where they are giving birth, and whether they are practicing legally or illegally.

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