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Newsclips August 23 – 27, 2010State news State newsStudy: Black males graduating at lower ratesMatt Hanley, Geneva Sun, 8/23 When he got to East Aurora High School, Jamario Taylor noticed something about most of the girls. "The girls never had a problem going to math tutoring or going to an English teacher to ask about their papers," Taylor said. The boys? Well, for many of them -- especially the black kids, Taylor says -- being smart was something to hide. Don't show nerd in your neighborhood. "If they're smart, they don't want to be proud to be smart," said Taylor, who is black. "Instead of being different, they're afraid to be different. Maybe different is what they need." According to a national study released last week by the Schott Foundation for Education, less than half of black males graduated from high school for the 2007-08 school year. According to the study, while 83 percent of white males graduated from high school in Illinois, only 47 percent of black males did. That's a smaller gap than the Illinois class of 2005-06, when 82 percent of white males graduated, but only 40 percent of black males. (The study did not show any statistics for ethnic groups other than black or white, or other genders.) The overall conclusion is alarming, but not revolutionary: similar studies have shown a similar problem for years. In fact, when East Aurora School District spokesman Clayton Muhammad was graduating from East High in 1993, he was one of just 15 black males to graduate that year. At least four times that number had started with him as freshman. It's a problem all the districts are painfully aware of. Local numbers Local figures on the number of black males graduating were not available. The Illinois School Report Card shows graduation rates divided by gender and ethnicity, but not both. (For example, you can see the percentage of female or Hispanic students who graduated, but not the percentage of Hispanic females.) But the local districts with a significant number of minority students show a gap in graduation rates. At West Aurora High School, 82.9 percent of white students graduated in 2007-08, but just 69.5 percent of black and 62 percent of Hispanic students graduated. At Waubonsie Valley High School in 2007-08, 95.1 percent of white students graduated, but just 86.1 percent of black and 81.3 percent of Hispanic students. Last year at East Aurora, 74 percent of black students graduated. Politicians, educators and even students have been trying to figure why this gap exists and how to change it. The causes and solutions are tied up in so many factors -- income levels, cultural pressures, urban vs. rural, gender stereotypes -- that any proposed solutions are necessarily complex. Theodia Gillespie, CEO of the Quad County Urban League, said it starts at home. Parents have to force the issue. "I don't think kids understand the value of education," she said. "They're always saying they're bored." West Aurora spokesman Mike Chapin pointed out that because of the way schools are funded, districts in mostly white communities can spend more per student than districts in mostly black communities. "The reality is a disparity in the quality of education in Illinois, and it needs to be addressed," Chapin said. "We have a deliberate strategy to improve our teaching and learning... We continue to get better." The Schott Foundation recommends the federal government become more involved in using data systems to track return on public dollars and even out inequities in school district funding. Not a statistic Taylor is one of those who defied the statistics. In high school he joined everything, became class president, was named captain of the basketball team and won the state championship in high jump. He also joined Muhammad's Boys II Men group, a sort of reverse peer pressure organization. There, kids pushed each other to be successful. "We kind of stayed on each other because we didn't want to repeat the same cycle," said Taylor, who graduated from East High in 2009. Now he's on track for a scholarship at Western Illinois University, where two of his best friends go. They stay on each other, keep pushing each other to do better, think bigger. And that, in Taylor's estimation, may be part of the solution to the statistics. Black boys need smart, successful role models to look up to -- not just on TV, but in real life. Taylor's trying to be one of those people. "I want younger kids that look up to me to have a reason to look up to me," he said. Gillespie schools sue Union Pacific over Benld subsidenceDebra Landis, The State Journal-Register, 8/26 GILLESPIE -- The Gillespie School District is suing the Union Pacific Railroad for damages stemming from 2009 mine subsidence that left Benld Elementary School damaged beyond repair. The suit targets the railroad because the Union Pacific’s predecessors were subsidiaries of the company that mined the land upon which Benld Elementary School was eventually built. School district lawyer Rick Verticchio said documents also show that when the coal company disbanded in 1956, the company “passed a resolution that said whatever liabilities exist, we will assume them.” “There is no question that the school was damaged beyond repair by mine subsidence,” Verticchio said. A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 5. When the trial will actually start is uncertain. Verticchio declined comment when asked if a settlement was sought before the lawsuit was filed in Macoupin County Circuit Court. Union Pacific attorneys could not be reached for comment. The school district is seeking $22 million to cover the cost of building a new elementary school, according to Verticchio. School Superintendent Paul Skeans said the Gillespie School Board last month chose 15 acres of land next to the Gillespie campus as the site of a new elementary school. Appraisal and survey work is under way, and no purchase price has yet been set, according to Skeans. Construction could start in fall 2011. A state law passed in 2009 allows a school district in an emergency to use local revenue and work with the Illinois Capital Development Board on the sale of bonds to pay for construction projects without having to hold a referendum, Skeans said. Should the district win the lawsuit after selling bonds, it would use the proceeds from the lawsuit to reimburse the Capital Development Board, according to Verticchio. Helping with preliminary engineering and architectural expenses is a $250,000 Pepsi grant, awarded when the Benld school came in second in a competition aimed at helping communities, schools, businesses and other organizations with projects seen as having a positive impact on residents. The Gillespie district has received half the grant and will receive the other $125,000 about halfway through the 2010-11 school year, Skeans said. About 1,250 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade are enrolled in the Gillespie School District, which is between Springfield and St. Louis. Grade-school classes have since been housed on the Gillespie campus and at a local Catholic church since Benld Elementary School was closed. Teachers, principals call CPS budget-balancing chaoticRosalind Rossi, Chicago Sun-Times, 8/26 Two different worlds. That's what was described at a Chicago School Board meeting Wednesday, as board officials calmly insisted they would be ready to open schools Sept. 7 with a balanced budget and hundreds of restored jobs -- while teachers and principals complained of chaos in the trenches. The president of the Chicago Principals Association asked "what idiot'' came up with the idea of asking principals planning to retire to do so in January -- eight weeks before critical state tests are given. The earlier retirement would avoid furlough days that would reduce their pensions. "Everything sounds wonderful at this meeting,'' Clarice Berry said after hearing Schools CEO Ron Huberman describe how he closed the final $370 million budget gap and now plans to restore some of 1,250 teaching jobs by Sept. 7. "But when you're running a school, nobody tells you anything, or what they tell you is wrong.'' One laid-off high school teacher complained that some principals didn't show up at 11th-hour job fairs, so there was no one to interview teachers. Another said she believed no one wanted to hire her because her coveted national certification and experience made her too expensive. "Certainly those are not our directions,'' Huberman said. "Our directions are to hire the very best teachers possible.'' Meanwhile Wednesday, board members finally approved a $6.5 billion budget that would draw down the system's reserve piggy-bank to zero. However, in response to criticism, officials said they plan to restructure bonds to avoid hitting zero. Human Capital chief Alicia Winckler said officials want to open the new January pension enhancement window to minimize the pension effects of six newly ordered furlough days for principals. Berry called the idea "stupid," saying most principals retire at the end of the school year. She said more than 40 principals and assistant principals are eligible to retire in January. Doing so could leave their schools scrambling to find replacements in mid-year, she said. Winckler said officials will work with Berry to achieve "an amicable solution.'' But Winckler insisted mid-year retirements are not unusual. By Sept. 7's opening day, the system expects to rescind the layoffs of high school teachers who lost their jobs to class size increases that were ultimately canceled, because of a last-minute influx of federal funds, Winckler said. Some bilingual education jobs also will be restored by then, she said. Teachers with unsatisfactory ratings will not be called back, officials say. Parents face hefty fees as kids return to public schoolKate McCann, SouthtownStar, 8/25 Instructional materials, $169. Technology fee, $50. Driver's education, $350. Mokena mother Karyn Reczek learned there's no such thing as a free education when she shelled out $2400 in fees to send her two sons to public school this year. Some Southland school districts have raised fees substantially for the 2010- 11 school year, partially in response to millions of dollars in delayed payments from the state. Granted, not all fees are created equal, and some parents end up paying two and three times more than others. And that's on top of a hefty chunk of their property tax going to their local school districts. But if you want your 16-year-old to get his driver's license or your 14-year-old is begging to join the marching band, be prepared to dig deep into your pocketbook. Reczek lost her job in the promotional marketing field earlier this year, and money has been tight as the family has adjusted to living on one income. Last Thursday , Reczek spent six hours serving beer to metalheads at Ozzfest just to offset the $1,000 in band fees she owes to Lincoln-Way East High School. Reczek and her husband will have logged about 10 weekend shifts at the First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre in Tinley Park when all is said and done so 15-year-old Mark can play the Sousaphone. "My husband and I have new careers as beer vendors," Reczek laughed. Reczek jumped at the chance offered through her son's school district to work off the band fees, which includes the cost of travel and uniforms, she said. Including band, Mark's fees totaled more than $2,000. Fees for his 11-year-old brother Matt were $195. Mark's total includes optional fees, such as band and driver's education. But in order for Mark to take Spanish and band, his parents had to pay $500 for "zero hour," a period before school begins for students to take elective courses. Last year, zero hour was free. Lincoln-Way High School District 210 logged two other fee increases this year. Driver's education jumped from $125 to $350, and student parking from $50 to $125. A district spokeswoman called the fee increases part of the district's "aggressive approach" to balancing revenue in the wake of the economic downturn and delayed payments from the state. Getting off easy? Compared with the Reczeks, Carol Palmer got off easy. Palmer, a single mom, paid $160 in school fees to send her third-grade son Sean to Anna McDonald School in Manhattan . Last school year, she also paid a $200 bus fee. "I feel like this is nothing compared to what I've heard people are paying for high school. I feel like I got off cheap, but I only have one (student.)" Palmer said. After a failed referendum for a property tax increase in February, Mokena School District 159 recently learned its deficit has risen to $2.7 million, prompting Supt. Karen Perry to compare the district's finances to "running on a skeleton." Fees for District 159's students from fourth through eighth grade rose from $110 to $195. The reason, Perry said, is because the district is no longer able to absorb a portion of the fees due to its budget crisis. "It always hits parents hard at the beginning of the year," Perry said. To ease the burden on parents, District 159 is allowing them to pay fees in increments over a nine-month period. Jenny Dryer also found the fees she paid for her two sons a little steep. The registration fee to send son Jack to Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School and son Kevin to Sward Elementary School is $85 a piece. Total fees for Dryer's two kids were about $230. "I just pay the fees and I think 'wow, it should be lower,'" Dryer said. "We pay a good amount of (property) taxes here." Other districts, like Rich Township High School District 227 did not increase fees this year. Community High School District 218 issued modest increases, such as the $10 bump for textbook rentals. District 218 won voter approval of a property tax increase in 2002, which continues to ease some of the financial burden caused by the economy, district spokesman Bob McParland said. Some districts say they hope to lower school fees once the economy rebounds. In the meantime, parents searching for a distraction from their dwindling bank accounts can always buy a brew from Karyn Reczek at the Tinley Park music theater. But be forewarned: drafts cost $9.50. Illinois misses shot at federal school reform fundsTara Malone and Diane Rado, Chicago Tribune, 8/25 Illinois education leaders had pledged to test every kindergartner, turn around failing schools and revamp how teachers are evaluated across the state. But many of the bold reforms are now uncertain after Illinois lost the federal Race to the Top competition today, missing a shot at $400 million that would have overhauled Illinois public education. The loss dealt a surprise blow to the architects of the state's reform blueprint, which placed fifth in the first round of the competition last spring. It also raised questions about whether Illinois -- with 869 school districts -- could have fared better if more districts and teachers unions had backed the bid. "Of course, it's disappointing for us, but I do have confidence that we're on the right track," said Illinois School Superintendent Christopher Koch. Nine states and the District of Columbia will get about $3.3 billion in the next four years, part of a national effort to reform schools that is President Barack Obama's signature education policy. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan -- Chicago's former schools chief -- announced the winners, including Florida, Hawaii and Massachusetts. Illinois ranked 15th among 19 finalists, earning 426.6 points on the 500-point scale. That's three points higher than in the first round, but other states gained an average 30 points, Duncan said. The cutoff for winners was 440. "It was very, very competitive, and we just simply funded down the slate until we ran out of money," Duncan said. Duncan did not detail each losing state's shortcomings. But U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, a Republican on the House Committee on Education and Labor, spoke with education officials about what happened. She released a statement saying they had raised concerns about "the lack of participation among many Illinois union representatives, schools and districts." Duncan said he requested $1.35 billion to fund a third round of the competition next year. On Tuesday, education officials struggled to determine how to move forward with change given chronic state budget woes. The Race to the Top funding would have launched efforts to boost science and technology education in high schools and create an independent research center to determine what works best in the classroom. For now, those plans are on hold. Other changes will occur despite the Race to the Top outcome. Enticed by hopes of winning the grant at a time of dwindling state revenues, Illinois lawmakers backed five new laws in the last 15 months to bolster the state's application. Among other things, they required that at least half of an educator's evaluation be tied to student learning. Now the evaluation changes will happen more slowly. "Illinois really did everything it needed to do to win," said John Luczak, an education program manager with the Joyce Foundation who worked on the application. In all, 525 of the state's 869 school districts backed the application for the second round. And 234 local teacher unions supported Round 2 compared with 115 before. Both statewide teachers unions signed letters in support of the Race to the Top application. And the executive director of the Illinois Education Association traveled to Washington to make a case for Illinois getting the money. "We worked hard for the grants because our students need that support, particularly in this current state budget crisis. That is why today's news is so profoundly disappointing," said IEA President Ken Swanson. The Illinois Association of School Administrators also wrote a letter of support, but executive director Brent Clark said some members expressed concern, in part, about "federal intrusion in local schools." Ben Schwarm, associate executive director of the Illinois Association of School Boards, said his group declined to submit a letter of endorsement. The long, complicated application was difficult to get through, and some school board members were wary about how long the money would last, Schwarm said. In Carpentersville's Dundee-Crown High School, news of the state's loss hit hard. It was one of 19 schools that committed to "bigger, bolder, faster" reforms to increase achievement. The schools would have gotten $20 million for taking the lead in the reforms. Dundee-Crown Principal Lynn McCarthy had hoped to use its share to extend the school day and reduce class size as part of the school's ongoing improvement efforts. "It's been a roller coaster, up and down," McCarthy said. Cell phone use in school zones is a no-noDeborah Donovan, Daily Herald, 8/27 Drivers can't use cell phones in school zones. That was the message Sarah Jerome, superintendent of Arlington Heights Elementary District 25, wanted to spread on Thursday, the first day of school. "I observe at the end of a school day many, many parents are picking up children. Many are on cell phones, and we have the road traffic as well," she said, pointing to a new state law that bans their use. Jerome said she couldn't point to any children injured because of cell phone use near schools, but "If we can appeal to everyone to be as alert and as safe as possible and put away any distractions, I think we'll all be safer." She said she is concerned about the safety of children crossing streets as well as those walking through school parking lots that have moving cars. Rep. John D'Amico, a Democrat from Chicago's 15th District who sponsored the Jan. 1 ban on cell phones in school and construction zones, said Thursday that safety on the roads is a priority of his. He said school parking lots are included in the cell phone ban. Use is prohibited only on school days when children are present. Hands-free phones are allowed, and any phone can be used when the car is in neutral or park. Violating the law is a moving violation, said D'Amico, and fines start at $75 and can be higher at the discretion of the judge. The village of Arlington Heights and the school district made sure all schools were posted with School Zone signs before schools opened, said Jerome. The National Safety Council, based in Itasca, has called for cell phone use to be outlawed for all drivers everywhere. Legislators, while trying to protect schoolchildren, are reluctant to take away what they perceive to be a liberty, said John Ulczycki, group vice president of research, communications and advocacy for the safety council. "A driver using a cell phone is four times more likely to have an accident - whether the phone is hands free or hand held. But no state or city has totally banned all cell phone use," said Ulczycki. Records do not show how many accidents in school zones or elsewhere involved phone use, he said. Observational studies show 11 percent of drivers are using cell phones at any one time, said Ulczycki. More than 50 scientific studies have determined that using cell phones cuts down on what a driver sees, as well as reaction time. "It's not where your hands are, it's where your head is," said the safety council spokesman. Quinn suggests tax switchMonique Garcia and Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 8/27 Gov. Pat Quinn added a new wrinkle Thursday to his current proposal for raising income taxes by 33 percent, saying that if it succeeds, he would ask school districts to cut property taxes in return. "If you get additional new money from Springfield, from the state government, than I think part of the bargain has to be that the local school districts at least roll back a portion of their property taxes," Quinn said. "It's a fair bargain." But Quinn stopped short of endorsing a so-called tax swap promoted by some state lawmakers and interest groups, in which property taxes that fund a large portion of public education would be reduced in conjunction with an income tax increase. Instead, Quinn said he would back separate legislation to reduce property taxes if lawmakers first approved his plan to increase the income tax from 3 percent to 4 percent. "The state of Illinois, according to our constitution, has the primary responsibility of funding schools," Quinn said. "I think we should use the state of Illinois to fund schools more and use the property tax less." But Quinn also used the idea as a way to attack his Republican opponent in the governor's race, state Sen. Bill Brady, of Bloomington, who favors unspecified budget cuts over any tax increase to ease the state's cash crunch. Quinn said Brady would slash education funding, which would lead to higher property taxes. A Brady spokeswoman noted that Quinn proposed slashing education funding by $1 billion last spring. "If in Pat Quinn's logic a decrease in education funding equals a massive property tax increase, then Pat Quinn proposed $1 billion in property tax increases last spring," said spokeswoman Patty Schuh. "But what is consistent is that Pat Quinn wants an income tax increase and Bill Brady opposes a tax increase. Government has to live within its means." Quinn has backed at least four ideas for raising the income tax since taking office in 2009. Quinn and Brady both launched TV ads Thursday with the incumbent criticizing his challenger's opposition to a tough firearm ban while Brady tries to portray himself as someone who can govern from farm to big city. The two TV ads appear to be based on a similar theme — the belief that Brady remains not well-known in the Chicago area after winning the February GOP primary by fewer than 200 votes. 15 Chicago schools could see longer daysAzam Ahmed, Chicago Tribune, 8/24 In an effort to extend what is one of the nation's shortest school days, Chicago Public Schools plans to add 90 minutes to the schedules of 15 elementary schools using online courses and nonteachers, sources said. By employing nonteachers at a minimal cost to oversee the students, the district can save money and get around the teachers' contract, which limits the length of the school day. Mayor Richard Daley has scheduled an announcement about the "Additional Learning Opportunities" pilot program at Walsh Elementary School in the Pilsen neighborhood. School officials declined to comment on the initiative. The program's cost is expected to exceed $10 million, the majority of which will be spent on capital improvements like technological infrastructure, wiring and broadband, a source said. Five schools will begin the program this fall, and another 10 are expected to begin in the second semester. If the program proves successful, it could be expanded to all schools, a source said. The extra time will be tacked on to the end of the school day. The block will be divided between math and reading, with a short break for a snack and recess, a source said. Much of the cost of the program will be covered by federal economic stimulus money, a source said. The initiative is unpopular with leaders of the Chicago Teachers Union, who view the effort as a way to undermine their contract with the city schools. Because mostly nonteachers will be used to staff the initiative, the district will not have to pay union wages. Many of those who will oversee the classrooms will likely be either after-school providers or community partners. "I'm not against anything that helps children," said Karen Lewis, president of the Chicago Teachers Union. "If this is more drill and kill (testing,) then I am totally against it. "But if it's a way to keep schools open longer and engage parents and the community, I am for it," Lewis added. "I just want to make sure that (kids) are engaged and excited and they're enjoying learning." The district already has a stable of online initiatives, including high school credit recovery programs and summer school courses to help students advance. More than 4,000 students gained credits through online summer school, officials have said. But the new initiative is the product of a separate online pilot program the district launched last year, which provided online math courses to certain elementary school students. In those schools, students were encouraged — but not required — to attend extended school hours. District officials say math scores increased dramatically as a result of the online classes. Nationally, online learning is a white-hot education trend. More than a million students engaged in online learning in the 2008 school year, an almost 50 percent increase over 2006, according to the Sloan Consortium, a group of organizations that support online education. While there is limited research regarding the effectiveness of online schools, what is out there is largely positive. In some cases, research has shown that online learning can be better than face-to-face instruction. Students lobby to use smart phones in classroomsRosalind Rossi, Chicago Sun-Times, 8/23 Smart phones can equal smart kids — that’s what a group of Chicago Mikva Challenge students say. Kids should be able to use now-banned cell phones in Chicago Public School classrooms to look up definitions, do on-the-spot internet searches, record lectures for later review and conduct surveys, among other things, kids said in a 53-page white paper of CPS technology recommendations released Friday. “We’re trying to get teachers and principals to let cell phones be used as an educational tool, not just a distraction,” said one author, Carlos Ballesteros, 17, of Phoenix Military Academy. “We’re hoping to change things for the better.’’ The 15 student members of the Mikva Challenge Education Council also recommended that other Net Generation staples — such as YouTube, Skype, and online games — be woven into CPS lessons. In a report to be presented to Chicago Schools CEO Ron Huberman on Sept. 1, they even offered suggestions for teachers and principals: • Let teachers use now-banned YouTube for educational purposes, such as showing kids videos of veterans describing their experiences in World War II. • Use videoconferencing to allow kids to take classes offered at other schools or to hear guest speakers. • Allow kids to use personal laptops in class for note-taking purposes. • Create a website for teachers to share technology-savvy lessons and educational online games. • Let teachers videotape lessons, to help them improve their delivery but also to allow kids to review them later. Teachers also could videotape special lessons for small groups of students stuck on the same concept. • Require principals to create an annual report on technology spending, so students can see where the money is going. One Mikva Education Council member said her school was spending technology money “frivolously’’ on flat screen TVs. But smart phones in particular represent untapped promise, some authors said, because they are so commonplace. Kids should be allowed to use them for non-educational purposes while changing classes and during lunch, and to use them for educational purposes only during class, the report says. In schools with wireless internet, the many applications on smart phones can be used to do calculations, surveys, charts, web research, and even record teacher lectures for later review. “Most of the things you can do with a laptop you can do with smart phones,’’ Carlos said. “They are way less expensive than getting every kid a laptop.’’ The authors would like to raise outside funding to bring cell phones to every CPS high school student, Carlos said. Without a phone service package, the phones themselves are not that expensive, he noted. The authors also recommended that students sign a contract pledging to use cell phones in class only for educational purposes — and not test cheating. Author Tiffany Witkowski, 16, said her high school — Von Steuben — created a cell phone contract this year, and kids who signed it have a special phone icon in the corner of their student identification badge. “Students spoke out for this,’’ Tiffany said. “They felt, living in the 21st century, students can’t function without their cell phones.’’ Brian Brady, Mikva Challenge executive director, said the authors researched technology innovations at other schools, interviewed teachers and CPS officials, and worked for months on docs.google creating their report. “The students did a lot of complex thinking,’’ Brady said. “These young people are trying to start a conversation about how to get young people ready for college in the 21st Century. I think it’s a really mature report.’’ Dangerous crossingErika Wurst, Beacon News, 8/25 AURORA -- The high-traffic intersection of Eola Road and Ogden Avenue will be harder to cross for Waubonsie Valley Warriors this school year, after budget cuts resulted in slashing the number of crossing guards by half. Instead of four dean's assistants staffing the busy by-ways as in past years, only two yellow-vested guards will be on duty as hundreds of high schoolers scurry to class. It's a decision that has irked several concerned parents whose children will be left to cross the six lanes of Route 34 on their own during early morning traffic. "It's a six-lane, very busy intersection," said Susan Pietrie, whose sophomore daughter walks to school. Pietrie is concerned that the lack of adult supervision could result in disaster. According to WVHS Principal Kristine Marchiando, cutting the number of guards wasn't a welcome decision, but a necessary one. "When we cut (staffing) anywhere there is always some other place that needs supervision that is going to suffer," she said. Parent volunteers, who will be trained by the Aurora Police Department, have stepped up to fill the void, she said, but it is also up to the students and drivers to do their part. Marchiando said students should take off their headphones and put down their cell phones before attempting to cross the intersection, and be aware of impatient motorists who might rush through red or yellow lights. "All of that is very dangerous," she said. "We are working with frustrated and angry people (on the road), but we're going to do the best we can with what we have." But, according to one longtime crossing guard, it's the lack of fear instilled in the teens that makes the situation dire. "I definitely think I'd be OK without any guards," sophomore Michelle Crema said as she waited to cross the four lanes of Eola Road on Tuesday. "I cross here every day." Just seconds later, a car screeched to a halt just feet in front Crema. "That usually never happens," she said, looking startled. For senior Carnell Smith, the crossing guards' presence is comforting. "It's a huge, huge intersection," he said. With four guards, Smith said things roll rather smoothly. Cars stop when they're supposed to, kids cross when they're supposed to, and everyone gets to where they need to go on time, he said. "That's what the guards are here for. They should be here all the time," Smith said. A letter was sent out to parents on Tuesday -- the first day of classes at Waubonsie Valley and the other schools in the Indian Prairie School District -- advising them of the changes. Marchiando said police will be ticketing jaywalking students who attempt to cross illegally. Metamora high school students are hitting the netbooks this yearCatharine Schaidle, Journal Star, 8/24 METAMORA — Metamora Township High School began the school year experimenting with netbooks, allowing the district to reduce expenses on textbooks from $75,000 to $15,000. The netbooks are portable, mini-computers that are connected wirelessly to the Internet in an attempt to improve student education through technology. They are being used by one teacher each in social science, English and foreign language. "We're experimenting with netbooks in three classes prior to making a recommendation to replace textbooks with netbooks for every student," Superintendent Ken Maurer said Monday. "The netbook is $250, as opposed to $1,000 or $1,400 for the Apple." Maurer was referring to the Apple MacBooks, the same computers that Peoria Notre Dame High School introduced for all its students this year. The $1,000 purchase price paid by Notre Dame students is being spread out monthly. "Of course the Mac can do so much more, but this is good enough," Maurer said. "We can download textbooks and the teachers can teach all kinds lessons and do projects on it." The school's technology committee had recommended a netbook lab for the thee areas just to test the waters, Maurer said. Each lab has 30 netbooks, which will remain in the classrooms. The school district has money in its reserve funds to purchase them for the school, if that decision were to be made. "If every student had a netbook, we would not need all of our current computer labs," Maurer said at a recent School Board meeting. "This could potentially free up one to three classrooms, and keep us from spending dollars remodeling or adding classrooms." The School Board recently approved this year's budget of $8.33 million, a decrease from last year's budget of $7.76 million. The fiscal year began July 1. The district has always been fiscally prudent, Maurer said, and took into consideration the lack of revenue from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which it received last year. "This budget is less for both revenue and expenditures due to the loss of AARA funds and paying off the bleacher bonds," Maurer said. The district's tax levy is $147,049 more than the $8,059,009 levied in fiscal year 2008 and collected in fiscal year 2010, Maurer said. Additionally, he said the tax rate dropped from 2.49 cents per $100 assessed valuation to 2.47 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. If residents' property taxes for the high school increased, it was probably because of an increase in the value of their homes, he said. Teachers evaluated on student learningKate Thayer, Chicago Tribune, 8/23 Teachers in District 211 will be judged on how students are performing rather than on how they're teaching, a system that officials say could be an example to the rest of the state. Robert Grimm, assistant superintendent for personnel, presented details of the pilot program to the school board, saying it will be fully implemented now that it has been tested in the five high schools. A teacher’s review will use test data showing how well students are learning key concepts in that subject area and goals will be set accordingly. Superintendent Nancy Robb said the conceptual change is needed because it is a better indicator of a teacher's effectiveness. “We used to look at how the teacher was teaching,” and now teachers are evaluated on how a student is learning, she said. Grimm said the change is the future of education, which is indicated by goals the State Board of Education has set for schools in coming years. “We’re ahead of the curve,” said Grimm , a member of a state committee that is examining such methods in teacher evaluations. Teachers are evaluated on planning and class preparation, the classroom environment, instruction and professional responsibility. Non-tenured teachers, or teachers in their first four years in the district, will focus on one of those categories each year. Then, once they’re tenured, they’ll be able to set their own goals within the categories each year. Key concepts are identified in each subject area, and student tests in those areas are used to show how a teacher is doing, Grimm said. If a lower percentage of students understand key concepts, the teacher needs to improve, he said. Teachers also will be able to learn from and work with each other as part of the evaluation process, Grimm said. “They’ll be able to sit down together and see what one teacher is doing versus the other,” he said. “I believe people see this as a structured way to have a difficult conversation.” Board member Debra Strauss wondered if the shift in evaluations will lead to a merit-based system of teacher salary raises. Grimm said although that isn’t the practice in District 211 and isn’t part of the pilot program, some of the Chicago Public Schools have started such a system. Robb said the District 211 teachers' union is involved in the evaluation change and is in favor of the pilot program. National NewsThe Littlest Redshirts Sit Out KindergartenPamela Paul, The New York Times, 8/23 AFTER all those attentive early childhood rituals — the flashcards, the Kumon, the Dora the Explorer, the mornings spent in cutting-edge playgrounds — who wouldn’t want to give their children a head start when it’s finally time to set off for school? Suzanne Collier, for one. Rather than send her 5-year-old son, John, to kindergarten this year, the 36-year-old mother from Brea, Calif., enrolled him in a “transitional” kindergarten “without all the rigor.” He’s an active child, Ms. Collier said, “and not quite ready to focus on a full day of classroom work.” Citing a study from “The Tipping Point” about Canadian hockey players, which found that the strongest players were the oldest, she said, “If he’s older, he’ll have the strongest chance to do the best.” Hers is a popular school of thought, and it is not new. “Redshirting” of kindergartners — the term comes from the practice of postponing the participation of college athletes in competitive games — became increasingly widespread in the 1990s, and shows no signs of waning. In 2008, the most recent year for which census data is available, 17 percent of children were 6 or older when they entered the kindergarten classroom. Sand tables have been replaced by worksheets to a degree that’s surprising even by the standards of a decade ago. Blame it on No Child Left Behind and the race to get children test-ready by third grade: Kindergarten has steadily become, as many educators put it, “the new first grade.” What once seemed like an aberration — something that sparked fierce dinner party debates — has come to seem like the norm. But that doesn’t make it any easier for parents. “We agonized over it all year,” said Rachel Tayse Baillieul, a food educator in Columbus, Ohio, where the cutoff date is Oct. 1. Children whose birthdates fall later must wait until the next year to start school. But her daughter, Lillian, 4, was born five days before, on Sept. 25, which would make her one of the youngest in the class. With the wide age spans in kindergarten classrooms, each new generation of preschool parents must grapple with where exactly to slot their children. Wiggly, easily distracted and less mature, boys are more likely to be held back than girls, but delayed enrollment is now common for both sexes. “Technically, Lillian could go to kindergarten,” Ms. Tayse Baillieul said. Moving her up from part-time preschool would allow Ms. Tayse Baillieul to return to work and earn income. But Lillian’s preschool teachers counseled her to hold Lillian back. “They said staying in preschool a year longer will probably never hurt and will probably always help, especially with social and emotional development.” Regardless, a classroom with an 18-month age spread will create social disparities. “Someone has to be the youngest in class,” pointed out Susan Messina, a 46-year-old mother in Washington. “No matter how you slice it.” When Clare, her daughter, who is now 9, entered kindergarten at 4, Ms. Messina was aware of widespread redshirting. “I thought, I’m not breaking the rules, I’m not pushing her ahead, we’re doing exactly what we’re supposed to do,” she said. “Then it dawned on me that in this day and age, there’s a move to keep your brilliant angel in preschool longer so they could be smarter and taller for the basketball team. But my daughter doesn’t need a leg up. She’s fine.” Still, it bothers her that children in the same class are as much as a year and a half older than Clare. “She has friends who are 11 who are going to get their periods this year, and she’s still playing with American Girl dolls.” Another mother complained that her 4-year-old became hooked on Hannah Montana by her aspiring-tween classmates. A 6-year-old wielding a light saber can be awfully intimidating to a boy who still sleeps with his teddy. At the other tip of the age span, parents who promote children to kindergarten before 5 are often seen as pushy, “even ogre-ish,” Ms. Messina said. But suppose your child is already reading at 4? Do you hold her back where she may be bored to tears in preschool or send her into a classroom of hulking 6-year-old boys? In 1970, 14.4 percent of kindergartners started at age 4. That figure has dropped to less than 10 percent. The self-esteem movement has inspired parents to care as much about emotional well-being as academic achievement, and with fragile self-images still in the making, the worst fear for parents is setting up their children for failure. One Connecticut mother in Fairfield County sent her October-born son to kindergarten at 4, despite “the informal rule of thumb that everyone holds back their September to December boys.” Kindergarten seemed to go well, but when her son entered first grade, she said, “I got hit over the head. They told me he was way behind.” She watched in horror as her son’s self-confidence tanked. “He was spinning his wheels just to keep up,” she recalled. “He even got pulled out of class for poor handwriting.” At the end of a miserable second-grade year, she withdrew him to repeat the grade at a private school. “It’s been a long and difficult journey,” she said. “I totally regret starting him on kindergarten at 4.” Many parents feel compelled to redshirt by what they see as unreasonable academic demands for 4- and 5-year-olds. But keeping children in preschool, according to both academic research and parental experience, doesn’t necessarily offer every advantage. Jennifer Harrison, a mother of two from Folsom, Calif., held her October-born son, Elliott, back so he “wouldn’t get labeled as out of control.” Over all, she said, it was the right decision. “But his math skills are far above those of his classmates.” How to attend to a child’s myriad needs, and which should be the priority? “There don’t seem to be any rules,” said Rebecca Meekma, a mother of two from Laguna Beach, Calif. “People are saying, ‘I want him to be big in high school for sports!’ What is that? You can’t know who they’ll be in high school.” And what about children who aren’t Leo the Late Bloomer? “I have met mom after mom who is intentionally holding her child back a year,” said Jennifer Finke, a mother of two in Englewood, Colo. “They say they don’t want their kids to be the youngest or shortest. Is that right? Is it fair?” Ms. Finke’s son, Benjamin, is soon to start kindergarten at 5. “There will be boys in his class who are a year or more older than him. They’ll be bored in class and then the bar will be set higher, and the kids who are the right age will find that they can’t keep up.” What will happen in gym when the larger boys are picked first for brute force, leaving the pipsqueaks languishing? “I’m afraid my children will feel inferior.” Not all parents can choose when their children begin kindergarten. “Though redshirting is common in the suburbs, in Manhattan, it’s the schools — not parents — who decide,” said Emily Glickman, whose company, Abacus Guide Educational Consulting, advises parents on kindergarten admissions. At New York City private schools, the cutoff date is Sept. 1; in practice, summer babies, particularly boys, generally enter kindergarten at age 6. “It’s a ramped-up world,” Ms. Glickman said. “And the easiest way for schools to assure that their kids do better is for them to be older and more mature.” Meanwhile, New York City public schools have a firm age cutoff date of Dec. 31. Kindergarten isn’t required by the state, so parents could keep their children out, but then they would have to start the following year at first grade. And not everyone can afford two to three years of nursery school or day care. “Among parents here, there’s a tremendous demand for kindergarten earlier,” said Eva Moskowitz, founder of the Harlem Success Academy Charter School, which pushed its cutoff back to Dec. 1. “If these parents could start their kids at 2, they would.” Not everyone, alas, defines academic privilege the same way.
Compilation Copyright © 2010 Illinois State Board of Education. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission. Illinois State Board of Education |
