Contrary to what is stated to justify school closings, research shows that predicted cost savings often fail to materialize and students are damaged in significant ways.
Dallas ISD closed eleven schools for what amounts to a drop in the budget bucket. One year later the district has the largest fund balance in history.
****************************************************
"According to the Consortium for Chicago School Research, a leading
research authority on education in Chicago, Arne Duncan's closure of
dozens of schools as part of Renaissance 2010 provided no benefit to
students, since the vast majority were simply transferred from one low-performing school to another.
A recent brief
on closures from CReATE notes actual damage - transferred students, who
felt stigmatized, had lower test scores and higher risks of dropping
out. The Consortium did find improved outcomes for the six percent who
landed in academically strong schools and found supportive teachers, but
that doesn't help the 94 percent who stagnated or lost ground, nor make
up for the disruption to those children and families. It does not
compensate for the spikes in violence when established gang routes were
disrupted, nor for the inability of other schools to cope with repeated
influxes of new, struggling students (some moved four times in just
three years)."
CLICK HERE
Showing posts with label Arne Duncan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arne Duncan. Show all posts
Friday, May 10, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles - "we have to be disruptive"
Friday, April 12, 2013 at Colorado luncheon - Superintendent Mike Miles
"And that's why I like this quotation from Arne Duncan. It came out a couple years ago, but he says, "we have to be disruptive." Education Blog-Mike Miles Recording-Dallas Morning News-4-17-13
"We have to be disruptive."
 | |
| Dallas Mayor's Office Secretary of Education Arne Duncan - Mayor Mike Rawlings - Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles
Superintendent Mike Miles - "It's kinda like what Tony was saying at the beginning of this. We cannot be doing the same thing. We have to be disruptive."
Superintendent Mike Miles - "So Arne Duncan came out to Dallas - actually in December. And I had a chance to talk to him. And we talked about Dallas ISD and I talked to him about needing the will and the capacity."
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan came to Dallas at the invitation of Mayor Mike Rawlings. Arne Duncan openly advocates that Mayor's take over school districts. Duncan was previously appointed Superintendent of Chicago Public Schools by the Mayor.
Mayor Rawlings has previously indicated that he spoke with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan during the Dallas ISD Superintendent Search and passed on several names given to him by Arne Duncan to ProAct Search - the recruiting firm conducting the search. Was Mike Miles name on the list passed on to the Dallas ISD search firm by Mayor Mike Rawlings? I have no idea. That information was not disclosed during the Search. The Mayor and Board President Lew Blackburn were having regular private conversations about Dallas ISD. The Board President never informed the Board about the discussions with the Mayor. However, I recall requesting a list of all names presented to ProAct Search by Mayor Rawlings. ProAct Search never provided that information. I also requested the names and resumes of candidates not presented to the Board of Trustees. That information was never provided by ProAct Search. |
Thursday, April 18, 2013
NSBA President wants to ‘change the conversation’ about public schools
"School board members have watched the efforts to privatize public
education through vouchers and charter schools, and they’ve seen the
authority of local school governance eroded by the decisions of state
and federal policymakers.
"They’ve also watched public education put on the defensive in
national debates—and heard the arguments that the nation’s public
schools are failing and school boards are obstacles to reform.
"But none of this will go unchallenged in the future, NSBA’s new president, David A. Pickler, told attendees at the closing General Session of the annual conference."
CLICK HERE
"The time has come, he said, “to change the conversation—to shape the debate, to challenge the convention wisdom, to confront those who seek to control the agenda, to privatize, to profit, and to usurp” the role of local school governance."
"That spirit exists in school board members, he said. “We as public education leaders have a responsibility to join the fight for this unique American institution of public education … to fight for the civil rights of each child… to fight for local decision-making for local schools.”
"Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan seems to want to set up a Federal Board of Education with himself as Chair."
 |
| David A. Pickler - New NSBA President |
"But none of this will go unchallenged in the future, NSBA’s new president, David A. Pickler, told attendees at the closing General Session of the annual conference."
CLICK HERE
"The time has come, he said, “to change the conversation—to shape the debate, to challenge the convention wisdom, to confront those who seek to control the agenda, to privatize, to profit, and to usurp” the role of local school governance."
"That spirit exists in school board members, he said. “We as public education leaders have a responsibility to join the fight for this unique American institution of public education … to fight for the civil rights of each child… to fight for local decision-making for local schools.”
"Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan seems to want to set up a Federal Board of Education with himself as Chair."
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Protesters from 21 cities say closing schools violates civil rights
Huffington Post - 1-29-2013 - Joy Resmovits
Members of the group, a patchwork of community organizations called the Journey for Justice Movement, have filed several Title VI civil rights complaints with the Education Department Office of Civil Rights, claiming that school districts that shut schools are hurting minority students. While most school closures are decided locally, the Education Department's School Improvement Grant gives under performing school districts money for shakeups or turnarounds, including closures.
The meeting became heated at times. "The voices of the people directly impacted can no longer be ignored," said Jitu Brown, an organizer from the South Side of Chicago. "This type of mediocrity is only accepted because of the race of the students who are being served." He called school closures "a violation of our human rights," since many communities are left without neighborhood schools after districts shut them down."
CLICK HERE
“I have been denied the right to a quality education,” said Gavin
Alston, 12, whose Chicago school was shuttered last year. “We have no
middle or elementary schools in my neighborhood anymore.”
Federal Complaint Alleges City Policy Discriminates Against Minorities, Poor - Wall Street Journal
Protesters from 18 cities say closing schools violates civil rights
Education Dept. to Hear School Closing Complaints
School Closures Challenged=Federal Complaint Alleges City Policy Discriminates Against Minorities, Poor
School closings discriminatory, coalition tells U.S. Education Department
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Austin State Judge John Dietz rules Texas School finance system unconstitutional - finding "there is no free lunch"
"The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government." -Thomas JeffersonIt is a good thing that a Texas state Judge has now ruled again that the Texas school finance system adopted by the state legislaturae violates the state constitution by not providing a fair public education to all children.
"The perverse are hard to be corrected, and the number of fools is infinite." -Ecclesiastes 2:16
Of course, the case is not over because the State of Texas will appeal to the Texas Supreme Court.
Since 1984, the Texas Supreme Court has ruled over and over again that the state’s school finance plan is inadequate, inefficient, and unconstitutional. The outcome of the current lawsuit will likely be no different. Why is this the most intractable problem in state government? Class Warfare by Paul Burka - March 2012 - Texas Monthly Click HereWho should be blamed for this mess? Ourselves, Burka opined:
We elected the people who designed the system—the members of the Texas Legislature over the past quarter century. And we stand by while they fail to fix the problem. The constitution and the case law speak clearly about what is required, but in session after session, our lawmakers dig in their heels and refuse to respond.
In Texas and all over America public education is being undermined by the perverse actions of powerful people and the foolish creation of false standards. Both fuel the myth that American public schools are such a failure that any old so-called reform will do. This helps to advance the real objective of privatizing public education for the economic benefit of private profiteers.“Inadequate and Inequitable” Once again a judge rules that the state’s school finance system in unconstitutional. by Sonia Smith Tuesday, February 5, 2013 - Texas Monthly Click Here
This has been going on for decades but never before has the sell-out of public education been so blatant.
What plutocrat or politician or false educator believes that American public schools will reach the unrealistic goals of the test and punish No Child Left Behind Act by the Year 2014?
Duncan: 'No Child Left Behind' creates failure for U.S. schools - Click Here
"Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Wednesday his department estimates that four out of five schools in the United States will not make their "No Child Left Behind" benchmarks by the the law's target year of 2014 ... He blamed that failure rate on the law itself, not on schools."Whatever public education is becoming, it won't be controlled by the public, and it won't be for the benefit of children.
Poor children will remain left behind. The money and resources will be transferred into the pockets of adults pushing the latest test and punish accountability fads and into non-union charter schools that increase racial re-segregation and reduce teacher income and experience, while using public funds - but are being governed by unelected and undemocratic private organizations.
It is a shame.
******************************************************************************************************************
"The system Texas uses to fund public schools violates the state's constitution by not providing enough money to school districts and failing to distribute the money in a fair way, a judge ruled Monday in a landmark decision that could force the Legislature to overhaul the way it pays for education." Associated Press
—Eric Gay/Associated Press
"Attorney Rick Gray, center, who represented more than 400
districts located mostly in poorer areas of the state of Texas, reacts
as he is congratulated following a ruling on Monday in Austin, Texas,
contending that the Texas school finance system violated the state
constitution." By Will Weissert - Associated Press
Click Here - Education Week
From NPR-Click Here
Click Here - Education Week
From NPR-Click Here
"The former lieutenant governor (Bill Ratliff) said it best: Essentially, school districts are being asked to make bricks without straw," said Trachtenberg, whose coalition includes mostly richer districts. "Schools need money for smaller class sizes, particularly in the earlier grades.State Judge John Dietz rules Texas School finance system unconstitutional - Video
"They need money for remediation in the form of tutoring or after-school programs. They need money to retain and hire quality teachers. They need money to have full day pre-K programming. These things all cost money."
******************************************************************************************************************
(Austin, TX)//Senator Rodney Ellis (D-Houston)
today released the following statement on Judge John Dietz's decision in
the Texas school finance system lawsuit:
"Judge Dietz's decision affirms what most of us already know: the state
of Texas continues to shamelessly shortchange our children's schools.
The sad truth is that for years the state has relied on stopgap measures
and focused more on tax relief than strong
schools. Hopefully this latest in a long line of decisions will force
the legislature to truly and systemically address the inequities in our
school finance system to ensure that every child in every school --
regardless of wealth -- has access to a top-notch
education.
"The ruling also reinforces the simple fact that
investment matters. Hopefully that spurs the legislature to take action
and reverse course on last session's disastrous $5 billion cuts to our
kids' schools.
We need to reinstate that funding as a down-payment on a new Texas
promise to our schools, and then embark on the difficult task of
enacting a comprehensive school finance reform that finally ensures real
investment and real improvement in education."
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Education Secretary Arne Duncan says the No Child Left Behind Act wrongly fails schools
No Child Left Behind has helped to wrongly label public schools as failures.
According to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, an estimated 82 percent of U.S. schools could be labeled as “failing” under the nation’s No Child Left Behind Act this year.
The Department of Education estimates the number of schools not meeting targets will skyrocket from 37 to 82 percent in 2011 because states are toughening their standards to meet the requirements of the law. The schools will face sanctions ranging from offering tutoring to closing their doors.
"No Child Left Behind is broken and we need to fix it now," Duncan said in a statement. "This law has created a thousand ways for schools to fail and very few ways to help them succeed. We should get out of the business of labeling schools as failures and create a new law that is fair and flexible, and focused on the schools and students most at risk.”
More Click Here
According to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, an estimated 82 percent of U.S. schools could be labeled as “failing” under the nation’s No Child Left Behind Act this year.
The Department of Education estimates the number of schools not meeting targets will skyrocket from 37 to 82 percent in 2011 because states are toughening their standards to meet the requirements of the law. The schools will face sanctions ranging from offering tutoring to closing their doors.
"No Child Left Behind is broken and we need to fix it now," Duncan said in a statement. "This law has created a thousand ways for schools to fail and very few ways to help them succeed. We should get out of the business of labeling schools as failures and create a new law that is fair and flexible, and focused on the schools and students most at risk.”
More Click Here
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Read Across America Day
AP Photo/Evan Vucci
First lady Michelle Obama, right, laughs as she reads "Green Eggs and Ham" with Education Secretary Arne Duncan, during the National Education Association's 14th annual Read Across America Day on Wednesday at the Library of Congress.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Education Secretary Arne Duncan Speaks at Dr. King's Church on 81st Birthday of the Legendary Civil Rights Leader
Vows to Reinvigorate Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Education
FOR RELEASE:
FOR RELEASE:
January 15, 2010
Contact: (202) 401-1576 or press@ed.gov
To a full house of more than 1000 elementary, high school and college students who gathered to celebrate the 81st birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan challenged America to realize King's vision through education.
Calling education the "civil rights issue of our generation," Duncan said, "Freedom is the ability to think and to pursue your own path—and only education can give you that freedom."
"If Dr. King were here today, he would call on a new generation of leaders to build on his work by doing the most important thing each of you can do: get an education, learn to think, learn to compete, and learn to win" Duncan said.
The event at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Dr. King and his father served as pastors, was sponsored by the National Action Network. Reverend Al Sharpton joined Duncan along with students from area public schools, Spelman and Morehouse Colleges, and Clark-Atlanta University.
Duncan also highlighted the work of the Office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education, which enforces civil rights laws on behalf of school children with disabilities, and protects against gender and racial discrimination. The Office also provides technical assistance to school districts seeking to promote educational equity.
"In recent years, this office has not been as aggressive as it should be. But that's about to change," Duncan said. This year, for example, the Office of Civil Rights will broaden its data collection process to highlight inequity around issues such as student discipline, distribution of effective teachers, and access to rigorous curriculum. This information will help shape the administration's education equity agenda.
In his remarks, Duncan referenced King's urgent appeal from a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama, saying, "We can't wait five or 10 more years to transform struggling schools. We need to act now and we need to act together. Dr. King showed us the path—and he gave us the vision. Now it's our job to make it real."
To a full house of more than 1000 elementary, high school and college students who gathered to celebrate the 81st birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan challenged America to realize King's vision through education.
Calling education the "civil rights issue of our generation," Duncan said, "Freedom is the ability to think and to pursue your own path—and only education can give you that freedom."
"If Dr. King were here today, he would call on a new generation of leaders to build on his work by doing the most important thing each of you can do: get an education, learn to think, learn to compete, and learn to win" Duncan said.
The event at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Dr. King and his father served as pastors, was sponsored by the National Action Network. Reverend Al Sharpton joined Duncan along with students from area public schools, Spelman and Morehouse Colleges, and Clark-Atlanta University.
Duncan also highlighted the work of the Office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education, which enforces civil rights laws on behalf of school children with disabilities, and protects against gender and racial discrimination. The Office also provides technical assistance to school districts seeking to promote educational equity.
"In recent years, this office has not been as aggressive as it should be. But that's about to change," Duncan said. This year, for example, the Office of Civil Rights will broaden its data collection process to highlight inequity around issues such as student discipline, distribution of effective teachers, and access to rigorous curriculum. This information will help shape the administration's education equity agenda.
In his remarks, Duncan referenced King's urgent appeal from a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama, saying, "We can't wait five or 10 more years to transform struggling schools. We need to act now and we need to act together. Dr. King showed us the path—and he gave us the vision. Now it's our job to make it real."
###
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)