Education News for 04-18-2013

in

State Education News

  • School funding plan from Ohio House headed to a vote with many details still unclear (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

    • The school funding proposal created by Ohio House leaders is scheduled for a vote Thursday, along with the rest of the state budget…Read more...

  • Patrolman’s substitute-teaching job might start security trend (Columbus Dispatch)

    • When Columbus Police Officer Bret Wilson encountered teens on the job, he found them to be disrespectful, rude to their parents…Read more...

  • Legislator’s sex-ed proposal baffles some educators (Columbus Dispatch)

    • Some local school administrators say it’s unclear how a ban on teaching about “gateway sexual activity” would change sex-education lessons in their districts…Read more...

  • Coleman balks at school-takeover legislation (Columbus Dispatch)

    • Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman opposes a legislative plan that would allow him to pick two of the five members of a state panel that could take over Columbus City Schools…Read more...

  • Teachers see movement in state reading requirements (Mansfield News Journal)

    • Helping struggling readers master the skill is becoming more difficult for some Ohio teachers, even as lawmakers try to make it easier…Read more...

  • Conotton Valley debuts student helpline (New Philadelphia Times-Reporter)

    • Conotton Valley Union Local Schools has launched an anonymous helpline where students can report threats of violence, illegal activity, depression or bullying situations…Read more...

  • Bring Your Own Device pilot starting soon (Newark Advocate)

    • Newark City Schools is running a pilot for the Bring Your Own Device initiative in select classrooms at the high school. The students in the pilot will be encouraged to bring their own…Read more...

  • Budget bill contains proposal for state takeover of schools (Toledo Blade)

    • Proposed legislation could lead to a state takeover of Toledo Public Schools and eight other districts because of its data-reporting practices…Read more...

Local Education News

  • Phila school board gets ‘EverFi’ update (New Philadelphia Times-Reporter)

    • Members of the New Philadelphia Board of Education got an update on the EverFi Program…Read more...

  • Local groups could gain, schools lose under tax exemption (Zanesville Times-Recorder)

    • Some local fraternal organizations could save thousands of dollars each year if they are exempted from paying property taxes, dollars that could be directed to other charitable work in the community…Read more...

Voucher opposition is expanding

in

HB59 as introduced by the Governor and passed out of the House finance committee on a party line vote, would create a statewide voucher program, based solely on household income. Eligibility would only be limited to those with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty line ($46,100 for a family of 4). Initially only covering kindergarten, it expands to first grade the following year.

This expansion would occur even in the highest performing school districts at a time when so many are still reeling from massive budget cuts the legislature is not keen to restore. Furthermore, once a student qualifies for a voucher they will forever qualify regardless of family income.

Previous attempts to expend vouchers statewide (via HB136) met with huge community resistance across at least 400 of Ohio's 60+ school districts (see the list below). Similar opposition is now growing to this provision in the budget. The following districts have all passed a resolution opposing the voucher expansion in HB59

Adena local Millecreek West Unity
Allen East Local Monroeville Local
Anthony Wayne Local Morgan Local
Athens City Muskingum Valley ESC
Austintown Local Oak Hill Union Local
Barnesville EX Vill Oakwood City
Bath Local Old Fort Local
Bellbrook-Sugarcreek National Trail Local
Berea City New Lexington City
Big Walnut Local New Richmond
Bluffton EX Vill Noble Local
Brown Local Northern Local
Chillicothe City Northwood Local
Columbiana Ex Vill Ripley Union Lewis Huntington
Coshocton City Ross Local
Crestview Local Ross-Pike ESC
Cuyahoga Falls St. Clairsville-Richland City
Fairbanks Sheffield-Sheffield Lake
Fairfield Union South Central Ohio ESC
Felicity-Franklin Local Southern Local
Firelands Local Southington Local
Galion City Springfield City
Gallipolis City Tuscarawas Vlley Local
Goshen Local Tuslaw Local
Graham Urbana City
Grand Valley Local Vanlue Local
Granville EX Vill Vantage Career Center
Green Local (Franklin Furnace) Van Wert City
Indian Valley Local Washington-Nile
Keystone Local Waverly
Lancaster City Wayne County Career Center
Licking County ESC Wellston City
Lincolnview Local West Muskingum
Louisville City Wheelersburg
Lynchburg-Clay Local Williamsburg Local
Madeira City Yellow Springs EV
Mathews Local Zane Trace Local

A copy of the resolution can be found here, and reads as follows:

WHEREAS, Governor Kasich’s biennial budget (HB 59) proposes to expand the EdChoice Scholarship Program through two new options that will significantly increase the number of publicly-funded vouchers for students to attend private or parochial schools; and

WHEREAS, one of the programs provides private or parochial school tuition vouchers to any entering kindergarten student of a family with a household income less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, to be used at the parent’s choice of participating private or parochial school; and

WHEREAS, the following year, such vouchers would be expanded to include students in both kindergarten and first grade, totaling $25 million over the biennium; and

WHEREAS, such vouchers would be granted without regard to the academic performance or quality of the public school that the student is assigned to attend; and

WHEREAS, the second voucher expansion proposed by the Governor in HB 59 expands eligibility for the EdChoice voucher program to Kindergarten through 3rd grade students enrolled in buildings that received a “D” or “F” in the new K-3 Literacy component of the New Report Card in 2 of the 3 most recent report cards; and

WHEREAS, the operation of the proposed programs would effectively reduce funds from the already financially beleaguered local public school districts, resulting in fewer resources for the education of remaining students;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT, AND IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, that the ____________ Board of Education does hereby express its opposition to these provisions in HB 59; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the _________ Board of Education expresses its opposition to any legislation that seeks to transfer public dollars to support private education; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Treasurer be directed to spread this resolution upon the minutes of the Board of Education and that copies of the resolution be forwarded to the Governor and members of the Ohio General Assembly.

Below is a list of the districts that opposed HB136

HB136 Voucher Expansion Opposition

Graph of the week

in

We hear a lot from the Governor and his legislature about the need for students to be "college ready", which is laudable. But there's the rhetoric of "being ready" and the reality of a legislature that is making college harder, especially for students from poor families.

Exhibit A is this graph sent to us by a reader, regarding the states disinvestment in the Ohio College Opportunity Grant

Is an $81 a year tax cut really worth it?

Lawsuit filed over unfair teacher evaluations

in

The Washington Post is reporting on a lawsuit being filed by Florida teachers, that cold shake the foundations of a lot of teacher evaluation systems both in Florida, but across the country, including here in Ohio

A group of teachers and their unions filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Florida officials that challenges the state’s educator evaluation system, under which many teachers are evaluated on the standardized test scores of students they do not teach.

The seven teachers who filed the lawsuit include Kim Cook, who, as this post explains, was evaluated at Irby Elementary, a K-2 school where she works and was named Teacher of the Year last December. But 40 percent of that evaluation was based on test scores of students at Alachua Elementary, a school into which Irby feeds, whom she never taught.

Kim Cook's story is very unneverving

Here’s the crazy story of Kim Cook, a teacher at Irby Elementary, a K-2 school which feeds into Alachua Elementary, for grades 3-5, just down the road in Alachua, Fla. She was recently chosen by the teachers at her school as their Teacher of the Year.

Her plight stems back to last spring when the Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill 736, which mandates that 40 percent of a teacher’s evaluation must be based on student scores on the state’s standardized tests, a method known as the value-added model, or VAM. It is essentially a formula that supposedly tells how much “value” a teacher has added to a student’s test score. Assessment experts say it is a terrible way to evaluate teachers but it has still been adopted by many states with the support of the Obama administration.

Since Cook’s school only goes through second grade, her school district is using the FCAT scores from the third graders at Alachua Elementary School to determine the VAM score for every teacher at her school.

Alachua Elementary School did not do well in 2011-12 evaluations that just came out; it received a D. Under the VAM model, the state awarded that school — and Cook’s school, by default — 10 points out of 100 for their D.

In this school district, there are three components to teacher evaluations:
1. A lesson study worth 20 percent. In the lesson study, small groups of teachers work together to create an exemplary lesson, observe one of the teachers implement it, critique the teacher’s performance and discuss improvement.
2. Principal appraisal worth 40 percent of overall score.
3. VAM data (scores from the standardized Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores for elementary schools) worth 40 percent of the overall score.

Cook received full points on her lesson study: 100 x .20 (20%) = 20 points
Cook received an 88/100 from her former principal: 88/100 x .40 (40%) = 35.2 points
On VAM data — points awarded by the state for the FCAT scores at Alachua Elementary School: 10/100 x .40 (40%) = 4 points
Total points that she received: 59.2 (Unsatisfactory)

Here's a video of Kim speaking on this issue

We imaging this to be the first, not the last legal action against many of the provisions corporate education reformers are trying to cram into teacher evaluations.

Substitute HB59 (budget bill) Analysis

in

The House finance committee moved their substitute budget bill out of committee yesterday along a party line vote. Few changes were made to the education funding and policy piece, leaving the House budget bill underfunding Ohio's public schools by about $200 million less than the Governor's widely panned funding plan.

The House budget bill continues to hand gifts to the private school and for-profit charter school movement. There is a massive expansion of vouchers, only limited by household income needing ot be below 200% of the federal poverty line (currently ~$46,000). This means that for the first time, high performing districts could lose students and dollars to private schools that likely underperform their public school counterparts.

Steve Dyer has a good run down of the giveaways to charter schools, and especially the catastrophically bad eschools.

Permits an e-school that serves at least grades one through eight to divide into two schools as long as the sponsor agrees and the division is accomplished in either the 2013 – 2014 or 2014 – 2015 school year.

My hunch is this will allow one or both of two things to happen: 1) e-Schools to separate out their higher and lower performing schools and 2) e-Schools to collect more money. I'm becoming more and more impressed with William Lager -- the head of the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow. He is fast becoming the state's new David Brennan, giving big checks to politicians accompanied by nice budget carve outs.
[...]
Provides that an e-school is eligible to receive career technical education funding in addition to the core opportunity grant and special education funding.

Once again, kudos to William Lager for getting e-School hands into another pot of public money! While Career-Tech money only constitutes about $120 million over the budget cycle, it will only add to e-School profits. I mean, what better way to learn woodworking than over a computer! I know watching those YouTube demonstrations of how to cut outside mitres have really helped my carpentry. Ask my wife!
[...]
Permits a community school to charge tuition to a student who is not an Ohio resident.

The addition to the Houses's budget bill that caught the most attention however was a move to criminalize the teacher of sex education

The sex education amendment would ban instructors from endorsing anything other than abstinence as acceptable behavior.

The measure also would prohibit handing out contraception on school property.

A parent could sue an instructor who violates the provision and receive damages and attorney fees. And a court could issue a civil fine against the instructor of up to $5,000.
[...]
Moments before taking a vote on the amended bill, committee Chairman Ron Amstutz assured the budget was not about ideology.

When asked what motivated GOP lawmakers to propose the sex education changes, Amstutz said he didn't "have much to offer," adding that he would have to take another look at the bill's language.

"There's been a lot of questions about that," Amstutz said.

The amendment's language prohibits instruction by those who endorse "non-abstinence" or "gateway sexual activity." It defines "gateway sexual activity" by citing the Ohio Revised Code's definition of "sexual contact" listed under the section on sexual offenses. It describes such activity as any touching of an erogenous zone for the purpose of sexual satisfaction.

Innovation Ohio has a good rundown of this ridiculous piece of legislation.

The language also states that class instruction in Ohio may not provide materials that condone sexual activity among unmarried students. It even allows a parent to sue if an educator violates the restrictive provisions in the law.

In short, the state budget now mandates that Ohio adopt an abstinence-only approach to sex education program.

But abstinence education doesn’t work. Research shows this. Teen pregnancies are highest in states with abstinence-only sex education. By contrast, teens who have had comprehensive sex education are 60 percent less likely to become pregnant.

In a state budget that already defunds Planned Parenthood and directs tax dollars to Crisis Pregnancy Centers that lie to women, Ohio lawmakers are moving the state in the wrong direction for Ohio’s women and young people.

Here's the Ohio Legislative Service Commissions document that compares the House version of the budget bill to that of the Governor's , in somewhat plain English

HB59 Comparison Document House

Education News for 04-17-2013

in

State Education News

  • Columbus schools could face takeover under plan (Columbus Dispatch)

    • Columbus City Schools would sit directly in the path of a state takeover under an amendment to the state budget bill proposed yesterday…Read more...

  • Senate approves bill for school security funding (Lorain Morning Journal)

    • The Ohio Senate has approved a bill that would allow school districts to use money raise through a levy for school security…Read more...

  • Lorain academic distress commission meets Monday (Lorain Morning Journal)

    • The first meeting of the Academic Distress Commission for the Lorain City School District State Superintendent of Public Instruction will take place…Read more...

  • Schools project deficit (Mansfield News Journal)

    • State officials say there is little hope for Mansfield City Schools to be removed from fiscal watch unless the district’s upcoming levy passes…Read more...

  • Uncertainty of state dollars lead Perrysburg school board to reconsider all-day kindergarten plan (Toledo Blade)

    • With the uncertainty of state dollars coming in next year after a revised statehouse budget was placed on the legislative table…Read more...

Local Education News

  • Medina rescinds school superintendent's contract (Canton Repository)

    • A city school district in northern Ohio has rescinded a superintendent’s contract because officials say the process violated the state’s Sunshine Laws…Read more...

  • District to take control of Gahanna charter (Columbus Dispatch)

    • A charter school that the Gahanna-Jefferson district created to take advantage of state grant money will return to the district’s control because the money has dried up…Read more...

  • Reynoldsburg a national example again (Columbus Dispatch)

    • The U.S. Department of Education has — once again — recognized Reynoldsburg schools…Read more...

  • Crowd wants fairness in Ottawa-Glandorf retire/rehire (Lima News)

    • More than 50 people attended Tuesday’s Ottawa-Glandorf School Board meeting to discuss re-hiring Superintendent Kevin Brinkman while he receives retirement benefits…Read more...

  • School success (Marietta Times)

    • In addition to receiving an excellent rating on its 2011-12 report card, Beverly-Center Elementary School has been recognized by the state for the success…Read more...

  • Ridgedale's Larson to lead state delegation (Marion Star)

    • The newly elected governor of Ohio YMCA’s Youth in Government program may have won the office, but she isn’t done campaigning…Read more...

  • Strongsville school board will hold April 18 (Sun Newspapers)

    • Fifty-six days since their last public meeting, the school board will hold its April 18 meeting at the Strongsville High School…Read more...

  • Police, Lakeview school officials investigate Facebook page (Youngstown Vindicator)

    • The Cortland Police Department suspects that an adult created a phony Facebook page for a female teacher at Lakeview High School…Read more...