Missourians for Missouri Public Schools

NY Mayor Bloomberg Talks Mayoral Control of School Systems

2009-04-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Chess Club Championship in St. Louis

2009-04-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

St. Louis will host the U.S. Chess Championship this year! From May 7-17, 2009 the leading chess from around the country will compete for over $200,000 in prizes at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis.

Chess has proven to develop memory, improve schoolwork/grades, develop logical thinking, inspire self-motivation and develop social skills. It is awesome that our community gets to share in such a momentous and historic event!

The website for the St. Louis Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis has more on the up-coming tournament, including free ticket information and competitor’s biographies, see: www.saintlouischessclub.org.

St. Louis Public School Board Lifts Deed Restrictions on Charter Schools

2009-04-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

Coverage from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Charter schools will now — at least in theory — be able to buy shuttered St. Louis Public School buildings.

The St. Louis Public School Board voted last night to lift the deed restriction that barred charter groups from buying the former city schools.

District CEO Rick Sullivan said that the board simply bent to legislative pressure.

“The legislature felt very strongly that the provision was unfair or not appropriate,” he said. “We worked with legislative leaders to reach an understanding that I think is good for all parties.”

The ban had angered charter leaders searching for homes for their new schools, as well as dozens of state politicians tired of seeing the old buildings sit unattended in their districts, drawing crime and vandalism. (See prior coverage HERE.)

Word began to leak out at last night’s meeting that board members, in closed session, had voted to lift the ban. St. Louis Public wouldn’t confirm the news, but charter supporters began whispering.

Then, this morning, St. Louis Public made the news official.

State Rep. T.D. El-Amin, a Democrat who represents much of north St. Louis, said so many people were leaning on the board, it was just a matter of time. “We knew it was a levy bound to break,” he said.

Charter school advocates began celebrating early.

“This is a win for families in St. Louis who are seeking better education options for their children and for all of the taxpayers in the city who paid for these buildings,” said Earl Simms, state coordinator for the Children’s Education Alliance of Missouri, a charter advocacy organization. “These buildings can now be sold to organizations seeking to open public charter schools. That not only gives more education options to parents, but the sale of these buildings will also provide more dollars to educate the district’s students.”

Others said the decision will help charter schools open more quickly.

“Charter schools often find alternative facilities to serve students - empty commercial space or other buildings constructed for purposes other than education,” Aaron North, director of the state charter school association, said this morning. “Making unused public school buildings available for purchase or lease will provide new and existing charter schools with more options to best serve the students and families in their charge.”

Still, the practical implications of the board’s decision are unclear.

The move doesn’t require the district to sell to charters, just to consider their offers.

School Choice Video

2009-04-17T18:16:00.000-07:00

Lastest Deed Restriction Video

2009-04-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

The Children’s Education Council of Missouri released a new video today once again highlighting the St. Louis Public Schools’ policy of restricting the sale of closed buildings. The restrictions do not allow purchasers of the buildings to reopen them as public charter schools. This video details the genesis of the issue going into Thursday’s SAB meeting.

I would like to ask you to forward the video on to others that you think may be interested in the issue. Let's make change happen!

Urban Education March & Forum

2009-04-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

A march of concerned citizens will take place Friday (April 17th) in St. Louis to call attention to the issue of urban education. The march begins at St. Louis City Hall at 10:00 AM and proceeds to the offices of St. Louis Public Schools. It will be led by Rev. Horace Sheffield and DFER chairman Kevin Chavous and include many of the panelists From the Urban Education Forum.

The Urban Education Forum is taking place this Saturday (April 18) in St. Louis. It will be a platform for communication and information on education in urban areas. Community leaders, political officials, non-profit organizations and other stakeholders will come together to discuss solutions to the problems specifically facing these schools. It will be at Harris Stowe State University's Emerson Theater from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Radio station Hot 104.1 FM will be broadcasting live.

Panelists include:
Mayor Francis Slay
Dr. Kelvin Adams (Superintendent, St. Louis Public Schools)
Mary Armstrong (AFT Local 420 President)
Dr. Benjamin Chavis (Co-Chairman, Hip-Hop Summit Action Network)
Kevin Chavous (National Reform Author and Activist)
Missouri State Representative T.D. El-Amin (57th District)
Aaron North (Exec. Director, Missouri Charter Public School Assn.)
Mayor Alvin Parks (City of East St. Louis, IL)
Rev. Horace Sheffield (Detroit, MI)
Earl Simms (State Coordinator, Children Education Alliance)
Missouri State Senator Jeff Smith (4th District)
Joe Williams (Exec. Director, Democrats for Education Reform)

DFER-Midwest Director Rodney Hubbard will take any questions:
(314) 402-2517.

Sinquefield/Shock Sue to Lift Deed Restriction

2009-04-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today, Rex Sinquefield and W. Bevis Schock filed a lawsuit against the St. Louis deed restriction in the Missouri District Court.

"These deed restrictions do nothing to help the poor and undeserved children of the City of Saint Louis," Sinquefield said. "In addition to denying young people an important educational opportunity, they contribute to the economic instability of our neighborhoods and create a dangerous situation for families. Clearly, this decision by the SAB is short-sided, and they should completely rescind this egregious disregard for Saint Louis children and the taxpayers who paid for these structures."

Since finding a building is often the hardest part, the current restriction is a blatant attack on charter schools. Unfortunately the victims are our children and our community.

Sinquefield, Schock sue St. Louis Public Schools to lift building sales deed restrictions (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Open Enrollment: Officials Discuss

2009-03-31T19:55:00.000-07:00

New Deed Restriction Video

2009-03-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

Lawmakers speak out against policy that restricts sale of abandoned school buildings. House bill 1040 would prohibit deed restrictions on public property being sold to another public entity. This would remove the St. Louis Public School's deed restrictions on closed buildings and allow the buildings to be purchased by charter schools.

Obama's Calls for Change in Education (Charter Schools & Merit Pay)

2009-03-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

YAY Charter schools! No more limiting them to only the Kansas City or St. Louis areas when children all across the state deserve high-quality education. No longer allowing children to suffer when schools to continually under-preform. And finally giving hopeless parent's a voice and a choice. CHARTER SCHOOLS--let's make it happen!!

"School buildings belong to the community."

2009-03-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan stated in an interview with the Washington Post:

"School buildings don't belong to us. They don't belong to the unions. School buildings belong to the community."

The statement is extremely relevant to the St. Louis Public School deed restriction issue. The public school board and unions need to listen to the outcries of the community.

The current deed restriction is ethically, economically and logically absurd! And those living in the areas with closed/closing schools and even the U.S. Education Secretary publicly agree.

BAEO Battles Deed Restrictions at the State Board Meeting

2009-03-05T15:27:00.000-08:00

The the Black Alliance for Educational Options (Missouri Chapter) battles the St. Louis Public School's deed restrictions at the State Board of Education meeting on February 20, 2009.

"These school buildings were built for education, and we want to see these vacant buildings do wonderful things in our community. Once they are open, they will become an anchor, particularly in the black community."

St. Louis City NEEDS Education Options

2009-03-01T11:05:00.001-08:00

A sad reality for the St. Louis city from the Suburban Journals:

An unseen line separates here from there. Yet this simple, intangible barrier causes strain on the lives of Kelly Polson and her family.

They live in Clifton Heights on the western edge of the city. It's their home and they love it, but with a second son entering Catholic high school and the first of two young daughters readying for pre-school, they have a decision to make. Do they stay and pay tuition or move to St. Louis County to take advantage of the public school options offered there?

With the high cost of Catholic education, Polson would choose public schools in the city, if she thought they were working. She doesn't.

"I realistically cannot send my boys to St. Louis city public schools," she said. "We want to stay in the city. We love our home. It's just the schools are the problem. It's a constant conversation in our house of what we're going to do."

Families have been having similar conversations for years. A large number of them leave the city.

Charter schools have taken some of the enrollment, but not all, said Dan Schmidt, a demographer who worked on the report.

"Children are being born that are leaving the district before they enter a school there," Schmidt said.

The migration to the county started in the 1970s, said Robbyn Wahby, education liaison for Mayor Francis Slay. Even looking at the decline since 2000, Wahby said 9,000 of the students lost went to charter school, but the rest went to the county.

"The greatest competitor to the St. Louis Public Schools are the 25 school districts in the county," she said.

Tracy Garrett, head of school at St. Louis Charter School, said while some parents have chosen charter schools, she is concerned that people are still leaving. A lot of the students who leave the charter schools go to the county, she said, but some never enroll.

"You have young people moving into the city, starting their families and just when they're starting to be a little more economically stable, they move," Garrett said. "They feel they have to move."

Much of the concern comes from parents who are aware of the district's turnover of superintendents and the former feuding of the elected school board, said Kathleen Sullivan Brown, an associate professor in the college of education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

"Parents would look at that and say, 'I don't want to necessarily start my child in a system like that and have to deal with that for all the years my child has to be in school,'" she said.

People have a negative perception about the district, Sullivan Brown said. If people have the financial resources to pick another option, they do.

"If people have no options, the local school is where they have to send their children," she said.

The bottomline: Families need school choice options. Charter school expansion needs greater support. The SLPS district needs reform. And the St. Louis community desperately needs better education options!

Missouri School Board Spending Secrets

2009-02-22T19:52:00.000-08:00

The Columbia Daily Tribune recently ran a report of the Missouri School Board purposely keeping the public in the dark about important money issues, especially at the association's annual forum.

Independence Superintendent Jim Hinson even praised his school board for not paying close attention to the district’s spending habits. Board members are welcome to talk about long-term goals, he said, but shouldn’t get into details of the day-to-day spending."

Independence has thousands of budget codes that school board members “don’t want to know,” he bragged. And, while board members are welcome to ask about district bills in private, they shouldn’t do it at a public meeting, Hinson advised. Apparently, there are "more important things to do at board meetings" than scrutinize district expenditures.

“The board doesn’t get involved in the daily operation of the school district, absolutely not,” Hinson said. “If they did, I wouldn’t work there.”

Shortly after Hinson spoke, Rick Nobles, a consultant with Patron Insights, urged school leaders to be vague when trying to get voters to approve bond issues or tax increases. For instance, he said, rather than telling district patrons that bond money would be used to add six classes, tell them the money would ease overcrowding. Patrons just don’t want to be beat over the head with details, he said.

Among Nobles' advice: Don't tell voters "it's for the children," he said. "That doesn't pull heartstrings the way you think it will."

This is absolutely unacceptable! The public deserves to know specifically how their taxpayer money is being used! This lack of openness just makes everyone assume they have something to hide. Education dollars need to be accounted for!

Even More Against the Deed Restriction

2009-02-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

The community opposition grows against the SLPS deed restrication.
The American Association of Architects (St. Louis Chapter) and the Landmarks Association of St. Louis have joined the fight for our children's education.

Basically, charter schools are currently banned from acquiring any of closing or already empty school properties in the St. Louis School District. Our children or the community were clearly not considered in this ridiculous policy by the Special Administrative Board. Why wouldn't school buildings be allowed to be schools?! No one, including the appointed administration, has an answer.

But for answers to your questions on the issue check out the Children's Education Alliance of Missouri (CEAM) video.

More Deed Restriction Coverage

2009-02-14T18:20:00.001-08:00

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch caught wind of the ridiculous deed restriction clause that stops charter schools from buying closed public school buildings.

Approximately 29 more buildings are supposed to close. There are currently six properties on the market in St. Louis city and 15 others that have been closed and abandoned.

A former school building could be purchased fairly for between $800,000 and $1.5 million, compared to converting a nonschool building, which would cost $2 million to $6 million! This money could be better spent on our children instead.

Community outrage continues to grow. "You losing all these schools," said Lamarr Paige, 38, a father of six. "And all the buildings just sitting there, just sitting there!"

Resolutions has been proposed in Jefferson City and board members have stated that the subject will likely be revisited.

Charter schools ARE public schools, allowing MORE children a BETTER education CLOSE to home.

SLPS Deed Restriction

2009-02-07T20:40:00.000-08:00

Outrageous!!

The Children's Education Alliance of Missouri webpage

Missouri Political News Service Coverage

CEAM Conference: United for Missouri Kids and Communities

2009-02-04T19:46:00.000-08:00

Many leaders from across the state united yesterday for the Children's Education Allence of Missouri's (CEAM) yearly conference to discuss bringing education to our children and hope to our communities.

It is very encouraging to see such a diverse mix--including everyone from Lt. Governor Peter Kinder to groups such as BAEO--coming together to fight--in the both the public and political fields--for education reform.

Supporting charter schools was a main topic. With an increasing number of public school closures all with deed restriction clauses in effect, it is obvious that this school choice NEEDS this support.

School Choice in Columbia

2009-01-28T17:44:00.000-08:00

Columbia Public Schools board member Ines Segert has been receiving criticism lately for her decision to enroll her son in the private Columbia Independent School.

The quality of education at this school is revered throughout the community. Which is obvious given the fact that parents, including Dr. Segert, think it is worth 10 grand a year per child.

Dr. Seger's decision reminds us of the importance of fairness in Missouri's education. As legislation currently stands, Charter Schools (or free public alternative schools) are not allowed in Columbia (or anywhere in the state for that matter--besides Kansas City & St. Louis). Therefore, those that can not afford the cost of private institutions are basically stuck, leaving parents powerless against poor performance or unmotivated teachers.

This controversy can also be used to illustrate that school choice efforts SUPPORT public schools. When parents are given options, ALL schools are held accountable, therefore public schools improve and all children are better educated!

School choice must enter any public and political discussion on education!

School choice up to parents

CEAM Charter School Video

2009-01-20T17:56:00.000-08:00

The Children's Education Alliance of Missouri (CEAM) sets the record straight! After seeing the truth, how could anyone disagree with the promise charter schools offer?! Academie Lafayette is a perfect example of the hope this reform offer can bring.

Missouri needs more charter schools! In fact, as law currently stands, these schools are only allowed in Kansas City and St. Louis. But ALL of Missouri deserves this promising opportunity. ALL families deserve educational options. MORE charter schools in ALL areas of the state will significantly help the current education crisis!!

School Tax Credits Help Kids and the State

2009-01-19T17:30:00.000-08:00

The financial slowdown is prompting many families who can no longer afford both taxes and private school tuition to move their children into public schools. The accelerating closure of private schools in urban areas will only add to the pressure. Public schools will suddenly need to spend more -- even as tax revenues drop. With this kind of budget problem, lawmakers need to take a look at an important benefit of programs that make it easier for families to choose private schools: School choice means huge savings for state and local governments.

There is a way to avoid getting slammed by huge new demands for public school spending while saving money and improving education: A broad-based, moderate-size education tax credit would help families stay in private schools and save their children from burdening taxpayers with the public schools' (much greater) price tag. The credit would also help others make the switch to the private sector, easing the burden on taxpayers even more.

Education tax credits reduce the amount a taxpayer owes the government for each dollar one spends on his child's education or on scholarships for children who need them. That money comes straight off a person's tax liability, so it's a dollar-for-dollar benefit: You can send it to the government or use it on the kind of education you want to support. Tax credits for donations to scholarship organizations help support school choice for lower-income families.

Legislators and overburdened taxpayers have literally $millions$ of reasons to support school choice!

School Tax Credit Can Help Kids and the State by Adam Schaeffer of the Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom.

Black Neighborhoods Support More Parental Options

2009-01-13T08:59:00.000-08:00

Matching Missouri's 2007 Show-Me institute research, parents in Virgina have high levels of dissatisfaction with their public schools and overwhelmingly support school choice for parents.

The majority black neighborhoods favored a variety of educational reforms including tax credits for personal or corporate donations to K-12 scholarship funds, grants to allow students with disabilities to attend the private school of their choice and public charter schools.

It is inspiring to see this support for fairness of opportunity through school choice. And it is time to provide new options for Missouri children at risk of failure, regardless of ethnicity or income. Give the people what they need!

Survey conducted by the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy and the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO).

Read More on the Issue

Home Schooling is on the Rise

2009-01-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

KSDK Report

Research shows over 1.5 million children are being home-schooled nationwide.

Though traditionally they were seen just as conservative Christians, the survey proved that more and more families are utilizing home-schooling as a means of school choice. Home school can help ensure personal attention and provide an option outside of the public schools.

Theses options are the key to school improvements and ensuring every child receives a proper education.

St. Louis Public Schools Power Struggle Ended

2008-12-23T10:53:00.000-08:00

Missouri Supreme Courts decided earlier this month to judicially validate the takeover of the St. Louis Public School District. The suit, brought forth by previous board members, is just another example of misdirected and self-guided efforts and the denial of the serious education crisis afflicting the district.

The court agreed that the unaccredited status, that went in to effect June 2007, was based on valid criteria and objective information, including the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's evaluation of the district's performance.

Not that the verdict is in, leaders need to unite with a focus on actually improving the schools--fighting for our children, not themselves.

Want more on the topic?

The case

New York Times: Missouri Schools Takeover Upheld

St. Louis Post-Dispatch (story & local comments): Elected city school board loses again

Missouri Lawyers Weekly: Supreme Court upholds state takeover of St. Louis Public School District

Kansas City InfoZine: Missouri Supreme Court Upholds Decision on St. Louis School District’s Loss of Accreditation

KWMU: Mo. Supreme Court upholds state-appointed school board

Parents Review St. Louis Public Schools

2008-12-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

Though the performance statistics prove otherwise, some still try to claim that the St. Louis Public School District is doing just fine. But instead of ignoring the problem all together, let’s look at what those affected have to say.

A review submitted by Annette Peoples, a parent from the Lyon-Blow Middle School:
“No sports…No one really guiding the right why…No one take time…The children’s teachers and principal are always blaming and never trying to get to the root of the problem. Kids attacks each other...This is not right.”

Another review from Buder Elementary School by parent Sarah Kelmendi:
“The teachers tend to be very rude and sarcastic to the kids which in turn lowers the students confidence, making it difficult to learn. Some teachers are down right mean! I make it a point to be at school everyday just to make sure my kids are not being verbally abused. In my opinion teachers should be nurturing and supportive, this is not the case at Buder. Unfortunately I think all St. Louis public schools are like this, I've checked them out.”

Yet another, this one of Sigel Elementary School:
“This school has got to be one of the worst schools in the district. The teachers don't care. They don't teach. All they do is shove piles of worksheets in front of the kids' faces and expect them to know what to do. The behavior and bullying is outrageous. The principal is lacking in credibility and backbone. There is no oversight on her part at all. The test scores were at 3% in all areas, then in 2004 they raised them meeting AYP, only to have them drastically fall the next year. What are they doing? They had tutoring when they were trying to meet AYP then when they did, they cut it out. Are they really for academic success? I don't see evidence of it. Grade F.”

Unfortunately, St. Louis Public Schools are unaccredited for a reason and families are really suffering. Passionate leaders and legislators must fight for education reform to ensure a proper education for all children and stop these unfortunate horror stories.

(The reviews are from http://www.greatschools.net/)

Democrats for Education Reform Chooses Hubbard

2008-12-16T13:25:00.000-08:00

Last week Represenitive Rodney R. Hubbard was named the first Midwest Regional Director of the Democrats for Education Reform.

Hubbard has shown a passion for proven education reforms (such as school choice, charter schools and merit pay), especially with his recent work in the House. He is well-known for working across party lines to improve public schools and provide parents with high-quality choices for the education of their children. As regional director Hubbard will be able to focus all of his time and energy on this issue.

DFER is a national political action committee that is dedicated to improving schools, by encouraging more productive dialogue within the Democratic Party on the need to fundamentally reform American public education. The group operates on all levels of government to educate elected officials and support reform-minded candidates for public office.

The courage and conviction of Hubbard and the other DFER leaders is exactly what we need to fix our failing schools.

For the full press release from the Children's Education Alliance of Missouri: Click here.

Charter School Expansion Statewide

2008-12-12T17:36:00.001-08:00

Bills were prefiled for the next congressional session, which starts January 13. One in particular (Senate Bill 64), expands the current charter school law to any place with "school districts that are not classified as accredited" (as opposed to just the St. Louis and Kansas City areas).

This extension will add an aspect of statewide fairness and significantly improve opportunity for many children. These parents will no longer be stuck in ineffective schools because of this much-deserved school choice!

School Choice: What's Your Style?

2008-12-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

Every school has its own personality and unique teaching policies—just like every student has their own personality and unique learning style. The better these match up the more effective the education. All the more reason why parents should be able to choose the school that fits their child best.

Check out a Wall Street Journal Blog about the different criteria parents look for in a school.

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AFT Endorses UNfairness

2008-11-25T15:29:00.000-08:00

The American Teacher Federation agrees that the Obama's "have every right to make a decision that works for their family and their kids" when it comes to education BUT both AFT and the president-elect still do not support school choice for anyone else. How is this fair?! It is not.

Okay for Obamas to Send Their Kids to Private Schools, Teachers’ Union President Says

Charter School Interest Grows in Columbia, MO

2008-11-23T19:48:00.000-08:00

Current state law only allows charter schools in St. Louis and Kansas City, which is simply not fair!

As a previous blog notes, Columbia Public schools are failing to educate all students adequately. However, most families (especially those with lower income) lack any practical alternative.

There are two people in particular that already expressed interest in providing Columbia parents greater options through charter schools. Myke Gemkow, who plans to open a private Montessori school for low-income children, would definitely look into charter school opportunities. And Joelle Quoirin would open a French immersion school.

Charter schools have proven to produce positive results. A Harvard University researcher found that students in charter schools score significantly higher on reading and math tests than peers in traditional schools. Furthermore, charter schools are among the top performing schools in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas when it comes to Missouri Assessment Program test scores.

Basically, Missouri needs expanded charter school laws for equality for parents and children!

Read the Columbia Tribune Story.

Artistic School Choice Video

2008-11-19T07:48:00.000-08:00

Though 'voucher' has been turned into a dirty word, the underlying school choice theme behind a voucher system is a desirable and actually necessary aspect for any real education improvement.

The video uses simple and artistic means to convey the benefits of competition and accountability. Because parents want only high-performing schools for their children, only those schools that achieve at the top level (and continue to maintain impressive results) will survive. And obviously, any school system that grants ALL children a proper education is the common goal driving families, educators and politicians in the area of education reform.

National School Choice Campaign

2008-11-16T17:55:00.000-08:00

School choice deserves support!

Many groups and individuals are passionately crusading for improvements in education through school choice. The Alliance for School Choice launched a new Let Parents Choose campaign last week with a goal of enlisting 10,000 school choice activists.
Registering at www.letparentschoose.org will get you free school choice bumper stickers, handbooks and magazines. There is also a place for sharing your story, donating money, reading up on education research and social-networking though a facebook group.

Another aspect to the campaign is aimed at not allowing shocking and disturbing statistics of failing public schools go unnoticed. For example, Approximately 4 million children are attending underperforming schools in America, despite the best efforts of many educators. What's more, a child drops out of school every 26 seconds!! That adds up to more then 1 million drop-outs every year!

School Choice for the Obama Family

2008-11-13T20:23:00.000-08:00

As the Obama’s move into the white house they will face the same decision of millions of families across the county will encounter—what school can offer the best education for their children?

Public schools are, of course, the first option. But if these schools are constantly failing to produce results, then this is hardly a contending alternative at all. In fact, being stuck in a public school is more like a parental nightmare!

In some lucky cities there is the publicly funded, privately run option of charter schools. (Obama has thankfully supported this form of parental choice). However, admission is by random by lottery and slots fill up extremely fast.

The other alternative is private schools. Obviously, the Obama’s can financially afford this school choice option, however many families simply can not. The predicted private school decision of the Obama’s will shed pertinent light on the lack of fairness in America’s educational system.

With the future president determining that private schools offer their children superior education, will he still maintain his stance against all private schools voucher models? How could he deny low-income families the same opportunities his children are enjoying? Do his kids deserve more and better opportunity then those with less fortunate economic family circumstance? These questions display the obvious importance of parental school choice.

Clearly it is only morally fair to offer every parent the ability to choose the best for their child. It is extremely important that every child is offered opportunity beyond their family’s income level. Therefore, school choice is the only way to instill the ethical principle of fairness into the education system, while reaping the rewards of improved schools and more educated children!

Want More?

The Chicago Tribune has a comprehensive story on the Obama family and presidential school decisions.

USA Today offers an in-depth look at the specific school options the Obama's will have.

And the Wall Street Journal has a popular blog on the issue.

Columbia Public Schools are Failing Black Students

2008-11-11T20:53:00.000-08:00

The Columbia Daily Tribune: News Story or Blog

The Board of Education dedicated at the meeting last night that the Columbia Public Schools were failing its black students. White students are significantly outperforming their black peers on MAP scores and other achievement statistics throughout the state. However, when comparing achievement statewide based on race, Columbia’s black students are doing well below the state average, while the Columbia’s white students are doing above (which NOT correlate with income level). This means the city suffers from an especially large racial achievement gap.

While it is good that these problems are not being ignored, it is extremely important that something is done about these unfortunate statistics. Every student deserves a proper education! In the face of several failed reforms, school choice remains a viable answer. School choice encourages parents to take an active role in their child’s education by empowering them with options. School choice would, more importantly, offer families outraged at this data the ability to make the proper changes for their children.

Charter Schools Offer Choices for KC Parents

2008-11-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

The parental choice that charter schools offer is becoming an increasingly enticing option for Kansas City families—as 15 percent more students enrolled in charter schools this year.

Charter schools are run by independent boards. This often allows them freedom from ineffective bureaucratic administrations—leading to more efficient fund management and specialized policies. In fact, charter schools are held accountable for maintaining this effectiveness through basic market forces. Parents would not bother to enroll their children in a charter school if at any point they believed the regular public schools would better serve their child. Charter schools also force parents to become more actively involved in their child’s life—significantly improving discipline, by comparison.

Because of the many benefits of school choice--specifically through charter schools--it is extremely promising to see these statistics in Kansas City. According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, around 23 percent of schoolchildren in Kansas City public schools are getting their education at one of the city’s 18 public charter schools—which totals about 7,000 students. That puts the city sixth among U.S. communities in the percentage of public school students enrolled in charter schools.

“Charter Schools on the Rise in KC”—the story from the Kansas City Star

Compition Factor of School Choice

2008-11-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

When going down the cereal isle at any grocery store there is hundreds of different brands to choose from. Why are these companies always coming out with new flavors, improved ingredients and tempting ascetic gimmicks? The answer: COMPETITION. This same marketplace philosophy of improvement though choice MUST be applied to Missouri schools.

With parental choice options public schools will be forced to finally begin must needed system-wide revamping to maintain students. Private schools will also be motivated for high-quality achievement in order to entice local families. With a school choice model, children win. They would no longer be stuck in failing schools.

Some try to argue that school choice will hurt public schools—which is simply not true! Great schools will not be affected. (Aren’t there still Cheerios and Wheaties?). It is only the schools that are currently unacceptable that will be forced to improve.

Though the future of our children is obviously an extremely more important and sensitive subject then breakfast food, today’s economy forces even the most passionate institutions to face this market-driven society. The bottom-line is: our children deserve a first-rate education and this is possible using school choice!

School Choice: A Market Approach to Education Reform

YOUR KIDS ARE LESS LIKELY TO GRADUATE THAN YOU!

2008-11-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

Seriously! Your kids are less likely to graduate than you were! It is startling, scary and unfortunately true reality (according to a recent governmental report). Clearly reform must happen now! Schools need to be held accountable to increase graduation rates—ultimately allowing our children opportunities that only a full education can provide. We must pursue proper reforms, therefore not allowing schools to continue down this slippery slop. The horrendous graduation problem is more then just a statistic. Behind every single dropout number, there is a child with severely inadequate education and limited opportunities, there are families stuck in unfortunate situations and there are the consequences this has one the entire community. Parents need to ensure that state and school officials face these facts and enact the necessary reforms supporting our schools. We need to see more of our students in caps and gowns. Effectively proven education reforms are the answer to the appalling dropout crisis.

More on the graduation crisis from KSDK

Or AP Education Writer: Dropout Improvement

We can't rule out school choice

2008-10-30T16:46:00.000-07:00

The issue of school choice was brought into the public forum by way of the courts this week. A judge dismissed a case of families seeking reimbursement for their tuition to send their children to a public school outside the unaccredited St. Louis Public School District. Though a retrospective lawsuit (that could unpredictably lead to infinitely more cases) is not the way to bring about this reform—the issue of parental choice is serious and extremely necessary! Parents deserve options in the face of failing schools—despite their financial conditions. Plans have been developed for Missouri using economically sound and empirically-proven methods. It is important for parents, the public, school officials and government politicians to come together behind school choice reforms—therefore creating the educational improvements our children deserve.

The St. Louis Post Dispatch news coverage

National Financial Crises Meets St. Louis Public School Crisis

2008-10-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

With the economy in an obvious crisis state, education funding will take a hit. Though the impact may very start off in other areas, when states and cities start to see reductions for their projects they will feel the pressure to take from the schools. Unfortunately, government funding reduction for education is a reality that must be faced. That is why it is more important than ever to look outside simply pouring money into inefficient schools or unproven/expensive school reforms. We must make less money produce more results. On the brighter side, this can and has been done! By enacting reforms such as merit pay for teachers or schools choice options we can begin to see higher achievement without having to increase funding at all. We can not let money get in the way improving our children’s education!

School Choice for Cape Girardeau School

2008-08-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

Parents of children attending Cape Girardeau’s Jefferson Elementary school will have the choice to either keep their child in the school, which did not meet targets set by No Child Left Behind, or transfer their child to another, better-performing school, according to the Southeast Missourian.

http://www.semissourian.com/article/20080807/NEWS01/173356109/-1/news01

“Every transfer request will be granted. Letters outlining the procedure to request a transfer are being mailed today. Parents will have to fill out a single form ranking their alternate school choices. Every transfer request will be granted. Letters outlining the procedure to request a transfer are being mailed today. Parents will have to fill out a single form ranking their alternate school choices.”

Though it is a tragedy children have been underserved by Jefferson Elementary School, at least families have been given a choice with regard to the circumstances. This was not true in the unaccredited Saint Louis Public school district, which has developed into an even greater tragedy beginning to reach epic proportions.

Although the choice Cape parents have as far as other schools is limited, it is better than no choice at all. We applaud the school districts effort in doing this, but are still concerned about the trend of failing schools in our state.

What do Education and Economic Growth Have in Common?

2008-07-08T15:07:00.000-07:00

Studies have proven that a good quality education has a strong positive correlation with Economic Growth. A study, Education and Economic Growth, Its not Just Going to School, but Learning Something There That Matters by Eric Hanusheck, Dean Jamison, Eliot Jamison, and Ludger Woessmann, published in Education Next examines the relationship not only between attendance and actual learning, but on the strong relationship between education and economic growth. The study notes that other studies have only looked at the relationship between student attainment and economic growth and hum and human capital. The problem with only examining student attainment falls in the fact that those numbers only quantify the number of years a student was in school, not how much they learned.
While the study did find that student attainment did have a positive correlation with economic growth, more actual learning has a greater effect. As other economists in the past found, the study found that if the average number of years of schooling was higher, the economy grew at a higher rate in the following decades. Studying 50 countries, each additional average year of schooling increased the average 40 year growth rate in the GDP by .37 percentage points. When they examined cognitive skills, which were measured my the performance in math and science tests, the impact is much larger; countries with higher test scores experienced much larger growth rates.
There is obviously a strong correlation between growth and education, but then were does money spent on education come into play? Over the years, more and more money has been poured into education yet these attempts have failed to yield actual improvements. In order to help economic growth (let alone, our children) we need to focus on education reform tactics that truly work.

What's really at stake when we discuss school choice?

2008-07-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

School choice has become a hot topic for debate here in St. Louis, as officials, teachers, politicians, and legislators spar over whether families should given the necessities to choose a school for their children. The real question is, however, should the less fortunate families in St. Louis be able to pick and choose their children’s education? For the most part, wealthier families are not in this quandary of how to find a good education for their family. They have the means—the resources and the mobility—to find those good schools in the area, something that has become increasingly difficult. Thus, when individuals are up in their offices debating whether or not to implement vouchers or tax credits for school choice programs, they need to remember these will be helping the poverty stricken in St. Louis in a way that rules and regulations and police and soup kitchens never will.
Making schools all their own, separate and private entities, would allow them to couple with families and school boards to make the best education available and affordable. First, children must have the option of getting into better schools. Once families are given the resources to place their children into these better areas, they will feel more a part of this education and will make sure and volunteer their time. Thus, efficiency in the school system would be at its peak, with children doing better in quality schools, and parents and teachers joining to make sure these children are getting something out of the education.

Phoenix Rising…

2008-07-08T14:52:00.000-07:00

Phoenix’s East Valley Tribune has an op-ed this week that makes a lot of sense. In Missouri, we should watch Arizona’s school choice case go to state supreme court. We have a stringent so-called Blaine amendment that severely hampers the state from providing any support at all to a religiously-affiliated school.

Many anti-school choice camps have argued that Blaine Amendments (a stricter interpretation of the Establishment Clause found in many state Constitutions) prohibit a state from offering any sort of voucher or tax credit as a means of school choice because public money may come in contact with a religiously affiliated school.

For a long time I’ve believed that line of thinking constitutes a restriction on a family’s freedom of religion: making a family’s wish to raise their child in a school that reflects their beliefs contingent on their ability to pay for it. Pell Grant, the G.I. Bill and student loans are also state money, and yet do not restrict religious schools from receiving those dollars. I can think of plenty of government grants that go to private and religious organizations who are serving an important public interest. We’ve been led to believe that k-12 schooling is somehow different when in fact there are plenty of similar areas where religion and the state may touch shoulders—no excessive entanglement, just cross-purposes driven by concerned citizens. Agostini v. Felton in 1997 sets an interesting precedent about private and secular schools, if like me you geek out on case law.

The op-ed makes the case that because the aid goes to the parent and not to the school, it is not in violation of the Blaine Amendment.

The court has held that in deciding Blaine issues, judges must determine who the “true beneficiary” of a state program is, and in the case of school choice, the court said, the beneficiaries are families, not private schools. The groups who sued to halt the voucher programs — the ACLU Foundation of Arizona, People for the American Way, and the Arizona Education Association — don’t want the public to know who the true beneficiaries are.
What these opponents have accomplished is to rob a small number of disabled students (117 were enrolled this year) and foster children (140 students) and their parents of their civil rights in order to make a political point, and push a false interpretation of the state’s constitution.
Nor have they been intellectually honest enough to acknowledge that the state of Arizona has for years run a school choice program for disabled children very much like the voucher program in question, under the federal Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act. The only difference is that the state assigns special-needs children to the IDEA programs that bureaucrats feel will best serve them. Under the voucher program, parents choose.
That suggests what lies at the heart of this issue: a struggle for power and control. Those who run the government school monopoly want to keep their power instead of sharing it with taxpayers and parents who might not choose their services. The idea of competition can be a scary thing, especially for groups that already enjoy captive audiences. Arizona, which operates four distinct school choice programs, has shown choice really works — and that’s why these groups are targeting it.

The decision is headed to the Arizona Supreme Court on appeal. Since the lower court contradicted itself regarding the state constitution’s Blaine Amendments — saying the programs “aid” religious schools but do not “support” them — it’s reasonable to expect the high court to abide by its own precedents and recognize this case for what it is: a grab for additional power by a fat and callous educational establishment.

Accountability + Options = Charter Schools

2008-07-08T14:13:00.001-07:00

A crucial element to restoring the quality of education in St. Louis is charter schools. Many of the problems—specifically in the St. Louis Public School district—stem from administrative malfunctions. Because these teachers unions and self-interested bureaucrats struggle to maintain unjustified control, proper changes have not been made even in the face of continually failing schools. Charter schools provide the administrative flexibility to provide proper management on fundamental issues such as funding allocation and standards setting.

Accountability is a key concept of charter schools. Failure to meet academic performance standards or any unacceptable fiscal management will lead to charter termination by the state. The state department is required to study and report a charter school’s performance every two years. Furthermore, theses schools undergo annual audits and submit report cards reviewing the year.

The school choice aspect of charter schools will not only hold the charter schools accountable (why would a parent choose to attend a poor school?), it will also provide the motivation for public schools to final begin to implement positive changes. Charter schools provide parents with options concerning the important and emotional issue of their child’s education and future. Parents now have a choice outside failing public schools and expensive—possibly religious—private schools. The concepts of schools choice and accountability will work together to improve the education of our children—therefore making charter schools an essential method.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/editorialcommentary/story/CC2A93EF3538C8678625744400822710?OpenDocument

http://stlcin.missouri.org/education/K12.cfm

What Do Americans Really Know About Education Spending?

2008-06-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

Government spending on education has, without a doubt, increased over the past several decades. Unfortunately, the student achievement levels and graduation rates are not following the same upward slope. I have often wondered the reasoning behind the constant financial increases when there is yet to be evidence of the benefits. Education Next published an article, Is the Price Right? Probing American's knowledge of school spending

By William G. Howell and Martin R. West

This study examines the way people view America’s public education spending. The results are astonishing. 59 percent of those surveyed truly believe more spending on public schools in their districts will increase student achievement. However, while they may feel more spending is needed, most people highly under-estimate how much is already spent. The study asked the respondents to estimate per-pupil expenditures in their districts as well as teacher salaries in their states. The study used actual spending and salaries which were matched geographically to each district and state to compare their estimates with actual spending. The results showed that Americans vastly underestimate the amount spent in their district and on teacher salaries.

The average estimate on per-pupil spending was $4,231 when given no prompt and $5,262 when given the prompt (the prompt “Individual student costs go toward teacher and administrator salaries, building construction and maintenance, extracurricular activities, transportation, etc). The average actual spending through the country is around $10,400. The average guess for teacher salary was $33,054 while the actual national average is $47,424.

While the study did show differences in opinions based on gender, whether they had school age children, and those who own homes and pay property taxes; the number were still well below the real numbers. There are also differences with political party affiliation.

This leads me to believe not only are people convinced we need to spend more to see more because they have not looked into the research on the lack of correlation, but also because they are basing their opinions on inaccurate information. The study noted that those who support increases in spending on public education in their district were guessing per-pupil spending $6,000 less than it is. The same holds true for teacher salary. However, while those who were in favor of decreasing spending were still guessing below the real spending level, they were estimating closer to the actual numbers.

So, now we see Americans underestimate actual spending levels, but does this necessarily prove why many people agree with more spending?

The authors ask one important question: “does the public's understanding of school finance shape their policy preferences, or do the public’s policy preferences shape their understanding of school finance?” This is something that needs answers to get to a solution.

Video: Today and Tomorrow Foundation scholarships offered in St. Louis

2008-05-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

Education's Failings a National Catastrophe

2008-04-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

There is really no surprise when people talk about the schools failing the children. There is however the problem of who will solve it and how it will be solved. All around the world wide web of blogging, people seem to know all the answers to everything. Sometimes, there are great ideas and sometimes there are not. It kills me to read blogs that only want to stick to the status quo...essentially keeping things the way they are. Obviously, the children will not benefit from this.

Education is a highly debated issue among parents, taxpayers, and politicians. I came across this article in the Wall Street Journal I really think people should read. It only reinforces my negative attitude about teachers unions:

OPINION

Main Street

McCain's School Choice Opportunity

By WILLIAM MCGURN

April 29, 2008;

If only Jeremiah Wright had got the right conspiracy.

When Barack Obama's pastor was caught on tape accusing the government of inventing HIV for "genocide against people of color," it was dismissed as another crazy conspiracy theory - which of course it was. But what if the Rev. Wright had used his pulpit to direct a little fire-and-brimstone against a very real outrage: a public-school system that's depriving millions of children of the education they need to compete in the 21st century economy?

Scarcely half of American children in our 50 largest cities will leave their public schools with a high-school diploma in hand, according to a study released by America's Promise Alliance. These children are disproportionately African-American. Their homes are disproportionately located in our largest public school districts. And the failure is a scar on this great land of opportunity.

Alma and Colin Powell, leaders in the alliance that produced this report, spoke about the human blight that can follow the lack of a basic education in an op-ed in the Washington Times. "Students who drop out," they wrote, "are more likely to be incarcerated, to rely on public programs and social services and to go without health insurance than their fellow students who graduate."

That isn't the intent of those who administer this system. But that is the result. And only a latter-day Bull Connor could be happy with the way our inner-city public schools are consigning millions of African Americans to the margins of American opportunity and prosperity.

And it gets worse. One of the few hopeful alternatives in these cities are the Catholic schools, which take the very same students and show that they can learn if given the chance. One University of Chicago researcher found that minority students at Catholic schools are 42% likelier to complete high school than their public school counterparts - and 2 1/2 times more likely to earn a college degree. In difficult circumstances, and for an increasingly non-Catholic student body, these schools are doing heroic work.

Unfortunately, another study released this month, by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, reports that Catholic schools are closing at an alarming rate:

More than 1,300 since 1990. Most are located in our cities.

These numbers were behind the special White House summit on Inner-City Schoolchildren and Faith-Based Schools convened last Thursday. The emphasis on faith-based schools is a reflection of practicality, because turning around a failing public school or starting up a new one is difficult, costly and takes time that these children can't afford.

"Many of the parents I know in D.C. are looking for a safe place for their children," says Virginia Walden-Ford, a summit participant and leader with the Black Alliance for Educational Options. "Their children can't afford to wait - they need a place now."

That's the education problem. The political problem has three parts.

First, though polls show that African Americans generally favor school choice, they tend not to vote for pro-school-choice candidates who are mainly Republican. Second, suburban voters of both parties are not enthusiastic about school choice. Many of these voters see increasing options for inner city kids as enabling blacks and Latinos to find their way into their children's schools. And of course, the teachers unions devote their considerable resources to fighting any measure that increases accountability or gives parents more options.

So when politicians have to choose between a teachers union and some African-American mom who would like to take her son out of a failing public school, guess who usually wins?

This system has had remarkable staying power; but the cracks are appearing.

In cities like Washington, D.C., and Newark, N.J., African-American mayors like Anthony Williams and Cory Booker - Democrats both - have taken courageous stands to offer children more and better school options. And these brave souls are being joined by a growing number of parents, pastors and advocates who recognize that the status quo is cheating their children out of a chance at the American Dream.

There's a good opening here for John McCain. As a senator, he has been a forceful voice for giving lower-income moms and dads the same options for their children that wealthier parents already enjoy. What if he took this campaign into the heart of our cities - and gave a little straight talk about the scandal that their public-school systems represent in this great land of opportunity?

Hillary Clinton can't do it for the same reason that Barack Obama can't:

They cannot offend the teachers unions that are arguably the most powerful constituents in their party. John McCain can.

Will he?

Dance of the Lemons

2008-04-11T11:11:00.001-07:00

An article in Reason Magazine chronicles the difficulty New York State (and other states, I’d imagine)is having firing teachers who haven’t performed well—it’s hard to believe the extent of red tape:

Joel Klein led the Justice Department's attack on Microsoft for its alleged efforts to monopolize the software market. But Microsoft is a hotbed of competition compared to the organization Klein runs now. Klein is chancellor of New York City's public school system, a monopoly so heavily regulated that sometimes it's unable to fire even dangerous teachers.

The series of steps a principal must take to dismiss an instructor is Byzantine. "It's almost impossible," Klein complains.

The rules were well-intended. The union was worried that principals would play favorites, hiring friends and family members while firing good teachers. If public education were subject to the competition of the free market, those bureaucratic rules would be unnecessary, because parents would hold a bad principal accountable by sending their kids to a different school the next year. But government schools never go out of business, and parents' ability to change schools is sharply curtailed. So the education monopoly adopts paralyzing rules instead.

The regulations are so onerous that principals rarely even try to fire a teacher. Most just put the bad ones in pretend-work jobs, or sucker another school into taking them. (They call that the "dance of the lemons.") The city payrolls include hundreds of teachers who have been deemed incompetent, violent, or guilty of sexual misconduct. Since the schools are afraid to let them teach, they put them in so-called "rubber rooms" instead. There they read magazines, play cards, and chat, at a cost to New York taxpayers of $20 million a year.

Once, Klein reports, the school system discovered that a teacher was sending sexual e-mails to a 16-year-old student. "This was the most unbelievable case to me," he says, "because the e-mail was there, he admitted to it. It was so thoroughly offensive." Even with the teacher's confession, it took six years of expensive litigation before the school could fire him. He didn't teach during those six years, but he still got paid—more than $350,000 total.

If I were a teacher, I’d be bent out of shape that teachers either with serious infractions or ineffective plans could continue getting paid for not doing the job they were hired to. And while teaching and how to measure one’s efficacy and efficiency is terrifically hard and controversial, with situations where a teacher has violated trust or been negligent of responsibilities we should not want that kind of person to spend another second around children.

It’s hard to believe that taxpayers will sit idly by as criminals or opportunists suck at the marrow of education funds, but it’s hard when your vote doesn’t reach the people who make these policies, and it’s even harder when your leverage is a tax that you are required to pay. Giving more power to parents, and allowing them to choose how their education dollars are spent and what practices they want to support in their child’s school will make sure that whatever protection is in place for teachers does not infringe on a child’s right to be educated in a safe environment.

The more money we come across the more problems we see

2008-04-07T19:49:00.000-07:00

The Commonwealth Foundation has this article about the savings inherent in school choice programs:

Friday, March 28, 2008

School Choice Tax Credit Saves Money in IL

An analysis by the Illinois Policy Institute of the Illinois Education Expense Tax Credit finds that an increase on the cap for that credit to $4,000 per child would save taxpayers $3.5 billion over 10 years. The savings would occur when families choose lower cost schools of choice rather than public schools (per pupil expense in IL is over $11,000, similar to here in Pennsylvania).

The Illinois tax credit differs from Pennsylvania's EITC, in that it allows parents to take a tax credit for educational expenditures (tuition, books, et. al) for children in grades K-12. (For more details on this program, and others across the country, see The ABCs of School Choice, produced by the Friedman Foundation.

An individual tax credit would be one avenue to reduce property taxes in Pennsylvania, a variation on our model Property Tax Relief Scholarship Act. For how school choice saves PA taxpayers, read The Dollars and Sense of School Choice.

Instead of continuing to spend more and more on public schools where drastic flaws are leaving children far behind, let’s get creative! Three and half billion in savings is what I call getting more bang for your buck. Every year is seems there is a push to get more and more revenue from the same sources, and shuffling the burden around through different types of taxes—but is it perhaps possible to start spending less money to get a quality education rather than continuing to spend more with no change in quality? Competition drives down cost while stimulating achievement, while monopolies drive cost up—which system would you rather see your tax dollars going into?

Speaking of school finance, The John Cook School of Business @ SLU is hosting the Show-Me Institute’s Speaker Series. Thursday, April 17^th is James Guthrie, Ph.D. speaking on “How much money will it take to give America good schools?” A good question indeed. Guthrie is a smart fellow, so it should be an intriguing discussion. It’s 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Cook Hall.

Rep. Scharnhorst discusses Bryce's Law

2008-03-31T11:26:00.000-07:00

Missouri Education: In need of reform

2008-03-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

The need for autism education reform in Missouri (Part 2)

2008-03-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

The need for autism education reform in Missouri

2008-03-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

Bombardiers or Babies?

2008-03-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

Hope the title was catchy enough! When I think of Bombardiers I think of black and white war stills, and, of course, Yossarian in Catch-22.

Our diligent Senators are “working pretty much around the clock,” to create a package to bring the Montreal-based Bombardier Aerospace to Kansas City. With a hurting economy, no one can deny the value of an economic tax credit to create jobs and bring new industry to Missouri. But the entire situation strikes me as odd. They are working around the clock to make Kansas City look sexier than Bombardier’s first choice—a city outside of Montreal—possibly to meet a deal-breaking deadline. While we’ve been told that this tax credit will create lots of secure jobs, there are some small voices cautioning that it may cost the state more than it benefits. Senators have pushed the bill through quickly and left little time for scrutiny.

This push has left Missouri’s scholarship tax credit in its wake, and that has made me wonder about the priorities of our Senators. Tax credit to tax credit, economic development and education are both important—vital—to Missouri. We’re offering more choice for a sector of our economy that is struggling, so I’m wondering what is different about offering more choice for a sector of our education where some children and families are struggling. Why aren’t Senators working around the clock to open up education opportunities for special needs children? Why isn’t there a bipartisan rallying cry for an education tax credit like there is for the Bombardier facility?

Personally, I’d like to make sure the next generation has the chance to develop their skills and work at one of these 2100 new jobs that will be created.

Do what makes sense for students with Autism

2008-03-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

This article had some compelling thoughts about Autism and the need for additional choices in education.

According to a study from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that the rate of autism is much higher than even the frighteningly buoyant numbers we’ve seen in recent years. In fact, as many as 1/500 children have some variation of Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD.

It’s unclear if this is indicative of a real increase, or just an increase in accuracy of diagnosis and awareness of autism, but one thing is certain: educating children with autism is expensive, between 2 to three times the national average per pupil. It’s no wonder then, that many public schools are not equipped to educate children with autism.

Expecting every public school to accommodate the increasing number (real or diagnosed) of children with autism is not fair to teachers, parents and most importantly the students who deserve an appropriate education. It’s not fair to the communities supporting public education to expect them to recreate the vast range of services that are already available to special needs students.

House Bill 1886 offers an equitable and intelligent solution for these problems. Private donations would create a scholarship fund to help special needs students get an education that will prepare them to be active in society and even get back into mainstream public education. A tax credit stimulates the funds available, and makes it available where it can benefit students the most.

Special Needs Legislation in Missouri is the Right Choice

2008-03-22T15:29:00.000-07:00

Missouri’s children deserve the best, children everywhere deserve the best. Unfortunately, not every child has the opportunity for the best available education. Children with special needs face even more problems when it comes to educational services. Yes, there are special needs public schools, but they cannot educate every child in the best way possible. Some children may need something different. Unfortunately for them, their parents may not be able to afford moving to another district to find this or transferring their child into a private school.

There is hope for this situation, if the Missouri Legislature will do the right thing and pass the special needs tax credit scholarship program. This program would give thousands of special needs students around Missouri the chance to get the educational services they need.

The Heartland Institute discusses the legislation:

Under Senate Bill 993, financial contributions made to organizations that provide private scholarships to students with defined physical or mental impairments would reduce an individuals state tax liability by 80 percent on contributions up to $1 million.

To be eligible under the proposal, scholarship organizations would have to demonstrate financial accountability and guarantee students can carry the scholarship between different programs. Qualifying schools would have to meet basic safety and health standards, could not discriminate on the basis of race or religion, and would have to provide regular reports to parents on student progress.

I hope this passes! It would truly give the parents and the special needs children a chance at greatness. Every child has potential and it is up to us to open the window for that potential to blossom. Please, if you are reading this, give these children a chance and support this legislation. Contact your Representatives and voice your support.

Jefferson County draws the line

2008-03-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

The Jefferson County Suburban Journal has a story about school and neighborhood pride and isolationism in Jefferson R-7. A few quotes from the story offer a look at why it’s important to keep opening up communication and options for all students.

“R-7 officials said their only concern was the well-being of the students of the R-7 district, but refusing to consider the potential benefits of even discussing a combined district seems like leaving out the opportunity to find something that might be in the best interest of district students. Part of the reason for the rejection is history. The people of ‘Hornetland’ snubbed the Blue Jay faithful in the past, so the latest turn is payback. However, two wrongs never make something right, they perpetuate more wrongs. Are we really that parochial that we can't find common ground between Crystal Heights and Selma Village?

“Area residents do not have to look far to see undersized districts struggling to provide the total experience for their students. Many of these high schools were created on population projections and growth that is yet to arrive. The fortunes of the housing market are frighteningly evident these days.”

It’s an interesting conundrum I hadn’t considered. I’ve known that in poor areas, good education in the district is hard to get at the public schools, but when even up-and coming neighborhoods are feeling the way that public education can not always accurately reflect the needs of the students they serve. Even more problematic is the idea that keeping the status quo and comfortable parameters is more important than making a smart change that could help students get a better education.

A parent's responsibility to educate; Missouri's responsibility to make it possible

2008-03-17T19:42:00.000-07:00

Helping Children is a Parent’s Responsibility was the title of an insensitive, ill-conceived letter in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch today. The author says,

“At a recent Senate hearing on a bill that would provide tax credits for people who contribute to scholarships for special needs children to attend private school, one parent said it wasn't fair that the family had to make adjustments to educate a special needs child. ‘We shouldn't have to move and rearrange our lives to get what's best for our kids.’

Parents do that all the time. Surely, parents take into consideration the quality of a school district before they move into a neighborhood. Would parents have the same complaint if their child had a physical illness and needed special treatment?

As parents, we often are called on to make sacrifices for our children. The means are available. Getting children the help they need is a parental responsibility, not an entitlement.”

Aside from the pure disappointment that someone who purports to understand the needs of autistic children could so callously dismiss the lengths that parents go to educate a special needs child, I was struck by the pithy and non sequiter arguments the author gave.

I am sure that parents do take into account a school district before buying a home—but how can they take into account the endless possibilities of special needs their child could be born with? Many parents simply do not have the means to live in the best school district, as illustrated by the fact that there are tens of thousands of children enrolled in the failing St. Louis Public schools—surely that is a known fact.

What’s more, the means are not available. Parents have told legislators about multiple moves to find the right school district that could help their child, or of second mortgages, cashed out college funds and 401Ks all to pay for a private school that could help their child learn. That’s to say nothing of parents who have more than one child, or children with different disabilities, careers passed up to move or care for a child, the effect moving can have on some special needs children, and the sheer costs of testing and therapies. What else would the author have them sacrifice? When parents have exercised all of their options and still cannot get an appropriate education for their special needs child, there exists an obligation to give them another choice.

There is a plethora of tax credits in Missouri that assist families with housing, daycare, college tuition—this is one way the state can respond when a need exists that many families cannot meet. It is abhorrent to say that families who are seeking a good education for their children are doing so out of a sense of entitlement. They have advocated for the scholarship tax credit precisely because it is their responsibility to help their child succeed. That deserves respect and support, not scorn.

Finally, if it is a parents' responsibility to educate their child, then parents should be given a choice.

Sen. McKenna: supporter of education

2008-03-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

Senator Ryan McKenna, of Jefferson County, is an obvious supporter of many good causes. He encouraged schools in his district to participate in The Power of 11 Cents program, raising money for a relief fund to help deserving veterans. He was appointed to, and will be serving on, the Mississippi River Parkway Commission, which coordinates both improvements on and preservation of the Mississippi, a valuable part of his region and our state.

Senator McKenna has also been a strong supporter of educational improvement in the state, as evidenced by his cosponsoring SB 443, which forgives loans to graduates who teach in suffering and unaccredited schools throughout our state.

Given Ryan McKenna’s virtuous leadership in the senate, it is both surprising and disappointing to hear he is not in favor of SB 993, a bill that creates scholarships for children with special needs. Often these children are forgotten in their schools, don’t receive appropriate services, and their parents, already struggling with the challenges that come with raising a child that has autism, Asperger’s, or some other special need, often don’t have the money to take care of their child’s education. Though some of these children do very well in public schools, there are often those that do not.

Opponents to this bill have somehow convinced honest senators like McKenna that this bill takes money from the schools. What the bill, in fact, does is set up a scholarship fund to which people may donate money to. Under the auspices of the philanthropic donations of these citizens and administration of the funds by the state, children with special needs and their families are given a lifeline. Money is donated, and given. No money is taken from the tax base. Tax credits are given to people who give, just as they are given to those that give to other nonprofit funds. The bill is a winner all the way.

Some are also intent on saying the bill paves the way for school choice, letting kids attend private schools. This is just another tactic to derail discussion about the bills actual language, to divert media attention. And even if it were the case, Senator McKenna should have no problem with that, given he was given a good education at Saint Pius X, a private school. But then again, it does not matter, because that is not what this bill is about.

Hopefully Senator McKenna will be able see through the opponents’ murky misrepresentation of this bill and gain focus on its reality: a good cause for kids.

Rep. Schlottach, trusted with parents' rights

2008-03-06T14:52:00.000-08:00

I read on Rep. Luke Scavuzzo’s website this quote:

“Trust is not a prize politicians get for winning. It must be earned every day by hard work. I hope I have earned your trust by representing our community with the highest standards, ensuring that our needs and values are heard in Jefferson City. I respect all members of my community and believe they should all be valued equally. I have and will continue to serve my community with the convictions of honesty and integrity.

There is still a lot of work to do. We need to increase economic development and job growth by attracting quality jobs that provide good wages, quality health care and employment security to all Missourians. We need to improve our education system from pre-kindergarten to college.”

General sentiments like that, while encouraging, don’t really tell us much. What matters is what happens that support those statements, and it really is hard to tell. Ideologically, many legislators believe they’ve been elected to offer their best judgment on an issue that many voters may not be well-informed on. Others think that their position requires them to root out the leaning of their constituents and try to replicate that sway in the legislature. Probably most are trying to strike a balance.

HB 1886, in my opinion, is one of the issues in which a parent’s view is most important. This legislation will give parents with special needs a choice about what school works best for their child, and what will best help them reach their educational goals. A tax credit scholarship program will give donated funds to special needs students to go to a private school if their parents determine that the current public school isn’t meeting their needs.

Talking to parents is the best way to learn about what struggles they are facing, why they need this choice, and the benefits they’ll be able to get for their children. Parents with special needs children are the experts on the subject, and they are asking for this opportunity for their kids. I hope Rep. Scavuzzo has a chance to ask the experts about how HB 1886 will help their children, and the difference it will make.

Charles Schlottach has been vocal and supportive of giving parents more options when it comes to their children’s education. He’s one of the stalwarts in the House who recognizes that the education we have available today isn’t enough for some, and that instead of implementing long-range plans and putting more money into a system that isn’t working for every student as it’s supposed to, we need to give Missouri parents the ability to vote with their feet and find the best education available for their child, whether it’s from a public school or not.

There’s a big difference between supporting the public schools and supporting public school children—it’s the same as the difference between supporting the diary industry and supporting dairy farmers: they go hand in hand, but if the price of milk is such that farmer’s can’t afford it for their families, what good have we done?

In education it’s the same. We need a public education system. We need to fund it, reform it, staff it, promote it—but if, after we’ve done all those things children still aren’t learning, we can’t just throw up our hands and say well, we tried! Work with what you’ve got! We need to have options for parents who have done all they could working with their public school and still need something else for their child, and we can’t limit it to those families who have the money to afford the cost of private education for special needs students.

I hope to see Charles Schlottach voting again in favor of parents’ rights, and the right that children have to an appropriate education, as he has in the past.

Possibilities

2008-03-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

Paul LeVota is a Representative for Lee’s Summit and a Democrat who leans across the aisle to get things done.

As a member of the Budget committee, Paul is battling for a budget that is reasonable, responsible, increases funding for schools and protects the truly vulnerable of the state of Missouri.

I’s hoping for his support for special needs scholarship tax credit legislation, HB 1886, if caring for the truly vulnerable of Missouri is something he’s passionate about.

Over 12,000 students with IEPs live in Jackson County. I imagine that many are well served and are able to improve within the public school setting, but we desperately need an option in Missouri that takes the burden of those families whose children are not improving with the help that’s available. Rep. LeVota should come out in favor of this measure and speak up for those students, and stop viewing public education as the perfect and only solution.

$300,000 in the bank?

2008-03-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

Margaret Donnelly has spoken briefly about her bid for Attorney General of Missouri, but I have a few nagging concerns. Donnelly has come out swinging (if indirectly) at the special needs legislation proposed in both the house and the senate. HB 1886 would create a tuition tax credit scholarship for special needs students in Missouri, and would allow them to transfer to another public or private school where they could get an education that better fits their extenuating circumstances. If we can take Donnelly at her word, she’ll continue her hard-headed fight against anything that might threaten the imperviousness of the public schools. She’ll continue to do what she’s always done and turn a blind eye to the fact that Missouri’s schools cannot possibly meet the needs of every developmentally disabled or Autistic child.

Rep. Donnelly puts her campaign finance pool at a perky $300,000. Let’s contrast that to the costs facing parents and guardians of autistic children for just a second.

The Harvard School of Public Health puts the total lifetime cost of caring for an individual with autism around $3.2 million. That’s just one person! Caring for all citizens with autism is a $35 billion-a-year tab, and research is sorely underfunded compared to other high-cost diseases and disorders. Autism is growing in prevalence at an alarming rate, and we are not doing enough as a country and as a state to respond to this problem. While Margaret Donnelly is concerned about protecting the public schools, she leaves children with autism vulnerable. The estimated rate of growth of autism diagnoses is between 10% and 17%, and no matter how much money we are able to designate to public schools and their special needs programs, public education will never be able to handle that increase in students.

Looking the other way while parents take on the financial burden of a special needs child isn’t a great way to become know as “the people’s attorney.”

Zweifel + Education = a good match

2008-02-28T13:20:00.000-08:00

Clint Zweifel is running for Missouri Treasurer, currently a Representative from Florissant. I like what he has to say: responsibility to taxpayers, a better understanding of how policy is affecting Missourians in a rocky economic period, reaching across the aisle to “get things done”, I am hopeful for his support on HB 1886, since it seems to embody all those values in addition to helping an oft-overlooked population of special needs students. He says he wants to make a difference, and in this case it’s as simple as a yes vote on this bill, and many special needs children would be able to get an education that can go beyond what their local districts are able to offer. The cost of private tuition for children with special needs is astronomical, and many parents cannot afford that even though it is essential for many learning and developmental disabilities, especially autism.

St. Louis Public Schools need a clean sweep

2008-02-25T18:31:00.001-08:00

It is inconceivable while, over the past few years, the St. Louis Public School District has closed 25 schools,yanking the heart right out of many neighborhoods (see School closings "take the heart" out of urban neighborhoods) that SLPS has also invested over $600,000 in the ludicrous Adequacy Trial trying to sue Missouri taxpayers for more money! While the school boards and educrats in the SLPS would have you believe that more money would fix the problem, in fact, the opposite is true. Stanford Fellow and nationally lauded economics expert extraordinaire, Dr.Eric Hannushek, said recently at a presentation at St. Louis University:

"Now this is where most of the economists in the room start getting a little bit squeamish, at the idea that you develop an incentive system that says: If you fail you get more, and the more you fail the more you get. And if you succeed, you get less."

As long as SLPS remains in the adequacy trial, they continue to commit education dollars that should be spent in classrooms. People in the city should call for more withdraw. Truly people in the city need a clean sweep of their public schools. How long will they continue to cry 'poor' when they are the TOP spenders in the COUNTRY~that's right, in the entire United States of America, SLPS has among the highest per pupil spending and they are actually suing us for more money?

Fair Questions

2008-02-25T18:23:00.001-08:00

Here's an interesting discussion on school choice I happened across...One person who supports the idea of choice in schools. One parent likes an academic approach that another one dislikes~all for different reasons.

I think what the mom is complaining about is this idiotic "6 Trait" writing style fad. I looked at writing curricula to use in our family's homeschool and 99% of what I saw was garbage.

Another, this:

Your daughter may be one of those who have good expressive language and clear and organized thinking to start with.

Unfortunately what I see is most children being encouraged to "express themselves" and having absolutely no clue how to go about writing paragraphs (even sentences) in an organized and coherent way. Frameworks like Step Up to Writing, 6 Traits or Four Square Writing allow them to get a grip on a formula (yes, it is a formula) to produce an acceptable result. As with other skills --writing poems in various formats, playing certain kinds of music -- 3-part inventions, fugues, whatever -- mastery of component skills can lead individuals to a degree of proficiency that ultimately enables them to find their own unique voice and style.

Parents know their children better than any teacher or school system could. Parents can and should have the right to choose on behalf of their children the best academic environment. Whether it's a private school, a public, a charter, a virtual school, home schooling~If a parent does not see the match for a child at a school in their zip code, shouldn't they make the better choice? Shouldn't they still have access to the tax dollars they fed into the system? Shouldn't the system serve the parents instead of the government?

I wanna be superintendent, too!

2008-02-25T18:13:00.000-08:00

I would like to apply for the superintendant's job in Columbia Public Schools, Hazelwood, North Kansas City, Springfield.... If I could have a job like that, I would clear $200,000.00 annually plus bountiful other benefits and the public would have a hard time knowing quite how much I make and where all the money I'm tossing around on behalf of 'education' is going. I wouldn't be held accountable when my school district's children fail to reach academic achievement standards because I can blame the problems on the state's lack of funding and I could even spend educational dollars on the frivolous appeal of the adequacy trial suing the MO taxpayers for more money (an unlikely successful appeal means a $billion tax hike for MO) to fund me and my huge salary~that would keep my opposition busy and make people want to give me more money...

Then, since school districts, boards, DESE, etc. are not really required to fully disclose all of their expenditures of taxpayers' dollars, I won't really have to listen to those pesky, whining parents who complain that they are not getting the services they need (and are entitled to) out of my school~Really! Those parents don't know as well as I would how best to keep this system running and where to place their child~REALLY...we NEED those tax dollars we get off each kid! I can also count on the support of the teachers unions and the school boards to maintain my position. I'll just have to make sure to keep those teachers busy with forms and stuff..

Now, where do I send my resume?!

The Earser, Please

2008-02-21T12:33:00.001-08:00

My sister has three kids. The oldest, Ethan, is a bright boy currently in first grade. Unfortunately, for him, the school that he was to attend was just barely meeting educational standards, with teachers aiming for the middle and barely keeping their classes under control. Because of an imaginary line passing through Ethan’s neighborhood, my sister was told Ethan would have to attend the school that was both further from her house and, for the most part, failing. This, of course, upset my sister, and rightfully so. But since she and her husband didn’t have the money to send Ethan to a private school, there weren’t really any options. She had no choice.

Of course the elementary school that was just down the street, less than a mile from their house, well it was doing wonderfully. Filled with engaged teachers and controlled classrooms, students excelled and exceeded state educational standards. But despite my sister’s reasonable attempts to get her son into the school he deserved, the school system said no. Of course, this was not the right answer. My sister was not going to just passively let Ethan’s right to a good education be thwarted.

Fortunately, for Ethan, his dad’s sister happened to live on the “right” side of the imaginary line. So my sister figured out a way to send Ethan to the better school. She signed over power-of-attorney to her sister-in-law, so that Ethan could attend the best school.

Luckily, my sister and her husband’s sister get along marvelously, so signing over power-of-attorney was really just a formality. Decisions regarding Ethan were still made by his mom. It is, however, unlucky for those millions of kids whom parents don’t have that option.

Millions of kids are affected by these imaginary lines daily. I believe it is time for the lines to be erased.

Choice does work for schools

2008-02-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

This opinion piece in The Register Guard caught my attention. The author does a great job of saying what I think. Here is a bit of it...

Why choice? No particular school can possibly meet the diverse needs of all children. To force a child to attend a school that is a poor fit is bad public policy. Having schools that fit children’s needs is important, as is balancing this with diversity and equity.

When a school district introduces magnet schools, parents’ satisfaction increases because they can find a program that better suits their educational preferences. Neighborhood schools likely will need program modifications to remain attractive to parents, and the quality of schools in the entire system improves as a result.

The author goes over the choice program in Oregon. I encourage all readers to read the rest of the article here. The public school system needs help. People need to be open to the idea of change; the schools are not doing well and something needs to happen. For some reason, various unions and school boards like to claim choice is a horrible idea. Their accusations are misleading and could be devastating of all people believe them.

It truly is bad policy to make children attend schools that do not work for them. Shouldn't every child get access to schooling that is actually effective? Bottom line is that something needs to change, for the sake of all the children.

Giant Steps forward

2008-02-15T11:47:00.000-08:00

February 13th was a great day in the Capital building in Jefferson City. The House and Senate hearings, packed with people displaying bright red "Have a Heart" stickers, discussed special education tax scholarships. There were dozens of testimony for and against the bills, however I would personally like to add the testimonies for the bills were amazing. Parents told stories of their children that evoked tear-filled eyes in the audience. Basically, they showed how the current system was not working for all the special needs children and something needed to be done. The opponents of the bills gave their testimonies, however, they seemed to be beating a dead horse with their reasoning. While many of the testimonies were provoking, there was also the argument by Dave Roland, of the Show-Me Institute. The Show-Me Institute published Dave's testimony he gave during the Senate hearing. It reflects the reasoning behind why such a program would benefit Missouri, how the program would work, and why it does not go against the constitution. Dave Roland had this to say in his show-me daily blog:

The hearings yesterday included moving testimony from parents who have faced (and, in some cases, overcome) enormous obstacles in trying to help their children, as well as testimony from a number of parents, educators, and administrators opposed to changing the status quo. Unfortunately, this morning's news reports missed the opportunity to note that some of the points raised by those opposing the bills were clearly and thoroughly debunked. Articles in the Southeast Missourian and the Post-Dispatch try to present a relatively balanced picture of the issues, as presented at the Senate committee's hearing. Both of these articles, and the one posted at Missourinet, point out concerns raised by some educators that the programs would take money away from public schools — but (as conversations at the House committee hearing made absolutely plain) it would be impossible for the tax credit bills, as written, to divert any money away from the state's educational funding formula. If the special needs tax credit program is adopted, public schools will receive exactly the same level of funding as they would without the program.

More information on the hearing can be seen in this article as well.

The House committee voted last night and it was overwhelming in favor of it. Now, it will head to the House floor for further debate.

This is a huge step in helping the special needs children of Missouri. Let's hope it keeps going in the right direction.

Engage all types of learning

2008-02-13T19:02:00.000-08:00

Edudiva has two recent posts: one a youtube video of students asking some big questions about the relevancy of non-digitally based education in a digital age. I’ve always been a big advocate for more visual and hands-on learning options for students. My younger brother is very gifted, but never excelled at school because our public high school, like many others, is rooted in reading and retaining that information. In visually-oriented and hands-on activities, however, he excelled. He became very interested in culinary arts I think primarily because it was something he could do, and pick up by watching someone else do it, which is the way he retains information best. I’m the reader of the family, so that never bothered me. Once in Physics class as a senior, we had a “Rube Goldberg” project in which we were asked to draw a circle with a certain diameter and incorporate all simple machines. My brother and I sat in a Chinese restaurant after church one day and in an hour had worked out, together, a diagram of what we could do (my brother was still in Middle School at the time). I wonder how many other students would excel if they had a chance at a more visual and hands-on type of instruction.

The second post was about the new KIPP charter schools and their partnership with Washington University in St. Louis. Edudiva is hopeful that Wash U will be an advocate and an active participant as a charter school sponsor, and we can expect a lot of good research and good practices to come out of that relationship. It has become clear to me over the years that more choice is not only good in terms of community impact and the benefits it can have on a group of students, but also on a personal, individual student level. Meeting the individual needs of students is the only way to make a real difference on a population of students, and offering them more choices makes having an individual education possible. Advocates against choice and finding the most appropriate education for each child, be it public, charter, private, virtual or homeschooling, often cite the fact that only public schools are held to testing standards. While that is patently false, in that the only difference is that the state (versus parents or sponsoring entities) holds them accountable, those detractors fail to see state standards as the double-edged sword that they are. A state standard and curriculum has the benefit of setting benchmarks of improvement and success, but it also necessitates a one-size-fits-all education mandate. That leaves many children behind, struggling in classes they might be able to succeed in given different techniques. What’s more, we’re living in a society where the diversity of the job market makes diversity in education and learning styles more and more requisite.

This adjustment requires what I’d like to call a ‘pervasive engagement’; from parents, teachers, administrators, the community, business and civic leaders, universities and legislators. It means being responsive to the needs of individuals.

St. Louis Dropout Summit: more than words

2008-02-11T14:41:00.000-08:00

“Dropout” has a terrible connotation. Describing someone, it has an innuendo of “You failed. You gave up.” This weekend, I attended the Mayor’s Dropout Summit at Clyde C. Miller Career Academy in St. Louis, and for the first time I started thinking of that word “dropout” as being about the failures of the school system and the adults and authority figures who are supposed to build and maintain the network of support that will keep students engaged, so to speak. One young gentleman wanted to make a distinction that “engaged” meant interested and involved, not betrothed.

The Career Center is a High School with a career focus, and the students we spoke to seemed pleased to have choices and said their friends and cousins were clamoring to get in after hearing all the pathways it offers—but the waiting list is long.

The Summit itself was more than I thought it would be. At first, I was skeptical that it would be a smattering of adults who think they have the answers and want other adults to know they have the answers. As the speakers came up to the podium, though, students spoke, former dropouts spoke, and one student spontaneously recited a poem that I have posted at the bottom.

There were some powerful thoughts, but what impressed me was that everyone there was feeling the same urgency I was, and was not content to just reiterate the problem. As we broke out into focus groups, I joined one on data systems…I know, sounds boring, right? Well, it was fairly fascinating: the group’s directive was to provide a framework for generating good information, sharing it and mapping results. But where to start? The last Census was in 2000, and data from that is mostly irrelevant 8 years later. We had plenty of questions, like how do we define a “disengaged student” so we’re all talking about the same population? How do we track students between agencies: from school to a juvenile detention center to foster care? How do we pinpoint where students "drop" through the cracks?

It became pretty clear that the info we have available is very unreliable. Depending on your source, somewhere between 19,000 and 23,000 students attend St. Louis Public schools. That’s a pretty large margin of error, and if we are tracking the success of a certain program, how do we know that change has happened, and it’s not just that our numbers were faulty on the front end?

Possibly even more important than that is having longitudinal data—not just on initiatives over time, but on individual students over time. When students drop out, we lost them. We have no idea where they go and what they do. Did they move? Did they get a GED and go to community college? Did they start working? Were they arrested? Did that student seek out help from the agency recommended? How do we share confidential information? How do we map where our dropouts live—many are homeless—and how do we mete out the countless factors that go into one student dropping out of high school?

The questions are daunting, and how to gather it and maintain the privacy of students is a hefty job. But we know that for students to stay engaged we have to plumb the foundation and close the gaps where students fall through. I’m going to keep going back, even though I don’t have a lot of expertise to offer, because I don’t want to be part of the problem of adults recognizing, explaining, bemoaning the rate of kids dropping out of schools, only to turn around and disengage themselves in any concentrated effort to make a difference.

Our Greatest Fear

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other

people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

—Marianne Williamson

WHY? But more importantly, HOW?

2008-02-11T14:40:00.000-08:00

What is happening with Missouri’s public schools? In Saint Louis, apparently they are being closed. Since 2003, at least 18 Saint Louis Public Schools have been shut down. Now 8 more schools are being slated for closure, leaving concerned parent’s asking “Why?” According to Deanna Anderson, Saint Louis Public School’s Chief Operating Officer, “because there’s 43,000 seats in the Saint Louis Public Schools and we have 28,000 students.” This, of course, only answers part of the “Why?”

http://www.myfoxstl.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=5739975&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.8.1

Concerned parents also want to know why the Saint Louis Public School district continues to be engaged in a lawsuit that has already cost its taxpayers millions of dollars. Cole County circuit court Judge Callahan has already ruled in favor of the state, but plaintiff school districts, such as Saint Louis, continue to blindly push the case through the courts with money that could be spent on improving the city’s schools. “Why?”

Well, hopefully some of these questions will be addressed at town hall meetings scheduled this week. Concerned citizens, parents, and children affected by these measures will continue to ask “Why?”

Of course, many of the answers given won’t make any sense, in which case we who pay taxes only to see the money meant for our children’s education frivolously thrown at attorneys engaged in a lawsuit bordering on lunacy, will have to retort “No!” The excuses for such erroneous excesses of spending don’t hold up. Isn’t it time we stop asking “Why?” The real question now is “How?”

How do we stop this? Town hall meetings are:

· Monday, February 11 at 6 p.m.

Lexington Elementary, 5030 Lexington Ave.

· Tuesday, February 12 at 6 p.m.

Wyman Elementary, 1547 S. Theresa Ave.

· Wednesday, February 13 at 6 p.m.

Walbridge Elementary, 5000 Davison Ave.

· Thursday, February 14 at 6 p.m.

Blow Middle, 516 Loughborough Ave.

http://www.slps.org/press/feb_2008/p020708_1.html

Columbia Public Schools Are Not Educating All the Same

2008-02-11T14:31:00.001-08:00

I have often wondered what the differences were, if any, in the education levels of the various races in Columbia. We are a smaller city than St. Louis and Kansas City and we, overall, have much better schools. Some of our schools are considered "one of the nations finest", while that description is to be debated. Nevertheless, wondered what the differences would be for African American students and white students. The Columbia Tribune wrote an article which summed up this for me, "Bridging The Gap, School Officials Try to Improve Academic Performance of Poor Black Students". Janese Heavin writes how black students are overwhelmingly doing worse than the white students.

So far, they haven’t arrived. A stubborn academic achievement gap exists between black students and their white classmates in Columbia Public Schools, mirroring national trends. Interviews with school officials and the students themselves point to several explanations:

● Poverty erodes a culture of education.

● A transient student population has a hard time learning.

● Peer pressure among the students themselves sometimes gets in the way of achievement.

Closing the achievement gap is a top priority for Columbia administrators.

One solution given by Jack Jenson, assistant superintendent of elementary education, would be to give them access to affordable preschool programs. Other solutions have come about that may be helping some of these students, such as having teachers who can truly motivate the students and the MAC (Minority Achievement Committee Scholars) program.

After reading this article, I decided to do some research in my own. DESE posts everything you can think of on their website, although sometimes it may be hard to find. Well, according to what I found, it is worse than I thought! Reading the article is one thing, but looking at hard data is another. In 7th grade, about 9% of white students were below basic in Communications, while there were about 25% of black students below basic. In 10th grade, 18% of white students were below basic in math, while an astounding 50.9% of black students were. These disparities were shown across the various grade levels.

It is even clearer to me now more than ever we need to do something to fix our education program. We have got to try something different, something drastic, and now.

Adequacy Trial continues at expense of students

2008-02-05T17:01:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately, the dreaded adequacy trial still goes on. About half of Missouri public schools districts joined this trial several years ago and many still remain part of the appeals process.

First, I would like to give a standing ovation to those that never joined in the first place. They made the right move there. Secondly, I would like to applaud those districts that made the wise decision to pull out: Ash Grove, Bolivar, Carrollton, Columbia, Community, Fox, Hurley, Liberty, McDonald, Montgomery, Naylor, Richards, St. Joseph, and Zalma. Then I would like to urge the remaining districts to get out now before you waste more of the children's (and the taxpayers') money. Lastly, I should point out the districts that have recently joined...Odessa and So. Reynolds. I could not believe it when I heard districts were decided to join now!

This case has cost millions of dollars and is not over yet. The schools need to learn to be more financially sufficient, and those schools still appealing are not displaying they can do this. The schools (and the boards for that matter) need to realize more money will not fix these schools and they are only delaying a solution.

For the sake of the students, drop this suit now before millions more are wasted!

Survey Says...

2008-02-05T16:39:00.000-08:00

Utah has a scholarship program for children with special needs. It's called the Carson Smith Scholarship for Students with Special Needs. Named for a young child who has severe autism. Carson Smith originally attended public schools but it became apparent that Carson needed to be in a specialized environment.

"By no fault of their own, public school teachers are faced with dealing with all kinds of disabilities, let alone trying to figure out what works for my child, who is different from every other child with autism. I have other children who have prospered in public schools. Carson cannot, " his mother Cheryl said.

Carson was encouraged to enroll in the Pingree School for Children with Autism - it offered a lot of individualized services and attention, but at a hefty price - $23,000 a year.

The Smith family and others were determined to help Carson and other children with disabilities in Utah. Cheryl contacted her state legislator and she and supporters didn't stop their efforts until the Carson Smith Scholarship for Students with Special Needs was created.

The Utah state legislature enacted the program in 2005 to provide limited financial assistance to the families of children with special needs. Students meeting the scholarship qualifications could apply for a partial or full scholarship to pay for a portion of the tuition at a private school selected by the students' parents or guardians. Utah currently has 39 private schools in 13 school districts eligible to participate. The special needs child is not required to live in one of the 13 districts to be considered for the scholarship. In the first year of the program there were 108 participating students. That number grew to 361 in the second year. A growth rate of 49% is projected for the third year of the program.

The Office of the Legislative Auditor General was required by law to conduct an audit of the Carson Smith Scholarship program. According to Utah Code, "parents are best equipped to make decisions for their children, including the educational setting that will service the interests and educational needs of their children." Therefore, the best measure for success of the program is gained from parental evaluation. Overall, the parents participating in the program believe it is a success.

Survey Results:

1. My child's private school provides(ed) services for my child's disability. 91% agree

2. The private school's teachers seem qualified.* 98% agree

3. The private school's teachers seem qualified to address my child's special needs. 94% agree

4. My child's needs were/are met at the private school. 91% agree

5. My child's academic performance increased while at the private school.** 89% agree

6. I am/was satisfied with my child's private school. 89% agree

7. The Carson Smith Scholarship should continue to exist for eligible students. 100% agree

*These results were based on responses from 52 parents. One parent gave a response that could not be evaluated for this question.

**These results were based on responses from 44 parents. Nine parents said the question did not apply to them for reasons including their child's private school did not use a grading system or the student has always gone to private school.

Although the program is still pretty young, it seems obvious that parents are satisfied.

Missouri has a similar opportunity with pending legislation this year. Namely, SB 993 and HB 1886, identical pieces of legislation that would create scholarship tax credit programs for special needs students.

Utah isn't the only state with a scholarship program for special needs students. Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and Ohio also have similar programs. Read more about their programs here.

We paid for it: $124,000 entry way in Normandy School District

2008-02-04T15:37:00.000-08:00

I recently found a You Paid For It segment from Elliot Davis on Fox 2. It seems that Normandy school district paid $124,000 to build a new entry to their high school. The reasoning behind that, according to the interview, was 1) to hide a new AC/heating unit, and 2) to make students feel better about their school. Now, Normandy is hanging on by a thread as provisionally accredited, and they are pitifully below state averages—4% of Normandy 8^th graders were proficient or above in Math compared to the state average of 42%. If I were a student at Normandy, I would rather that expense be spent in the classroom and on teachers. That would make me feel better! Knowing that my school is spending all its resources to give me the best education rather than a swanky brick and iron arch would be a bigger concern, because I can’t take that with me when I graduate.

Charter Schools make sense

2008-01-30T18:58:00.001-08:00

Excerpts from a good sense Charter school article:

Much to the chagrin of teachers unions, charter-school principals have much more flexibility in hiring staff than in traditional, government-run schools. The teachers unions want "years served" in the system as the driver for hiring and pay. But charter-school principals can sign up the best teachers for a school's academic needs - even if a teacher lacks the longest tenure.

In return for this freedom, these schools must achieve a certain level of performance outlined in their "charters," ostensibly a contract with those who use them.

Part of the reason why charters succeed stems from lifting the heavy hand of regulation and letting parents choose to use them instead of traditional pubic schools. Meanwhile, principals and teachers in charter schools get to exercise innovation. They can choose their emphasis. Some emphasize math and science, and others focus on the arts. They choose a curriculum, dress codes and disciplinary standards.

School-choice opponents argue that only well-to-do parents want school choice. They say that enacting school-choice laws in Kentucky would skim the "cream of the crop" from the student body in failing public schools, leaving behind riff-raff.

Not so at Preuss (Charter school). All applicants to attend must be eligible for "Title I" or "Free or Reduced Lunch" programs, the subsidies for students from low-income families. That means 100 percent of the students at Preuss fall into the low-income household category.

These aren't wealthy, white suburban students that critics claim hold the only interest in choice. Every one of the students comes from a low-income home, and 94 percent are Hispanic or black. Oh, yeah, the school ranked No. 10 in the U.S. News lineup.

One of the greatest aspects of charters is that they allow parents access to quality education choices who don't have the financial wherewithal to move to a better school district or pay tuition at a private school. Public money gets used, but if a parent chooses, those dollars go to a charter school that may provide their student with a better education.

So…high standards, great teachers, parental control, massive student achievement, alternatives for low-income students…I’m sold!

Education Week's Annual "Quality Counts" Grades the Schools

2008-01-23T13:34:00.000-08:00

Parental School Choice Group Says Report Reflects Crisis in N.C Schools: PEFNC calls for change following research showing low academic achievement

RALEIGH, NC (January 23, 2008) – In response to a recent report released by national news magazine Education Week, Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, a statewide parental school choice organization, today characterized the results as an indication of the need for serious reform.

According to Education Week’s annual “Quality Counts” evaluation of the nation’s schools, North Carolina received a D+ in K-12 achievement, and ranks 38th in the nation in high school graduation (public high school students who graduated with a diploma in 2004).

North Carolina was given overall letter grades based on ratings in six areas: chance-for-success; K-12 achievement; standards, assessments, and accountability; transitions and alignment; the teaching profession; and school finance.

“The people of North Carolina deserve better from our state’s education system. This report by Education Week should compel our leaders to take no option off the table when discussing education reform,” said Darrell Allison, president of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina.

“Access to a high-quality education, whether in public or non-public schools, should be a top priority in this state,” Allison continued. “Only by providing parents the freedom to choose the best schools for their children will we begin to transform this system and put all of our children on the road to success.”

While Missouri fared a little better than North Carolina on this grading scale, we need to strive to do better than our C- grade. The breakdown of the grading can be seen in this article. Personally, I was never satisfied if I received a C- in anything, nor would I be happy if my child were to receive that grade. Why should we accept our schools to be getting that grade? While we rank higher in graduation rates, Missouri ranks 18th in the national graduation rates, we rank quite low in other areas. We rank31st in elementary reading and 33rd in middle school mathematics. This should alert Missourians it is time to change the ways things are done. Just as the article said, this should compel our leaders, citizens, and parents to seriously look at every option.

Columbians cut through the...well, you know

2008-01-16T19:27:00.000-08:00

Columbia Daily Tribune’s Class Notes has a note about Columbia School District’s bank account. The story goes that last year, the district dipped into its reserve funds to the tune of $10.4 million, oddly enough the very same amount they now quote as a deficit and are asking taxpayers to replace. Janese Heavin says,

“It's almost like Columbia Public Schools bounced a $10.35 million check and now they need taxpayers to put money back into the account.

As most of you know, the district spent close to $10.4 million from reserves to add positions and increase salaries. Actually, the board spent $10,353,395 -- the exact amount the district is now calling a ‘deficit’.”

Judging by the comments in the article, Columbians are no longer buying the “increased spending equals student improvement” bit. And there is a slue of other lines they are refusing to swallow:

They understand that CPS spending is not nearly as responsible as it could be, and that increases from every angle aren’t making a dent in poor test scores. They see it as a trend of irresponsibility, and can quickly find facts that indicate the superintendent is making twice as much as teacher averages.

The tax increase would pay salaries for 70 new positions added to the district recently. There was a great deal of debate about the efficacy of those positions. They know the district projects $26 million in reserves, and they know they already pay an arm in taxes and want to know what they stand to win if they throw in a leg as well. There were plenty of questions about why they didn’t disclose some very important information about expenditures until it was too late, and questions about why the School Board was negligent with their oversight.

Comments asked to see the administrative cutbacks that had been made. They demonstrated a balance of thought about the tax burden to families in a down-shifting economy, and that a 10.4% increase in taxes per assessed dollar value is sure to be noticed when people go to pay for groceries. They noticed when CPS bought a $500K parcel of land for future use while in the middle of hefty expenditures for lavish new buildings.

They are aware that the more they spend, the more CPS gets, and that to raise a tax rate is to raise the share that the district receives. Even more telling is that some commenters were well aware that the school administration could scare them by threatening cuts to important classes and programs.

These comments speak for themselves. There is a groundswell of mistrust for the current administration that voters will get a chance to do something about. They can vote not to pass this bond, but it won’t make up for this period of fiscal mismanagement. I applaud these citizens for, at least online, demanding drastic changes on their terms; hopefully this will carry over into actions by angry taxpayers and parents who expect more from their decision-makers. I was delighted by their passion and knowledge about what their district is doing—but with such a strong, informed voice, it is even more disappointing that these follies continue to happen.

What we have vs. What we need

2008-01-16T17:39:00.001-08:00

Americans for Prosperity Ads call out Missouri Schools

2008-01-15T18:12:00.000-08:00

The Adequacy lawsuit in Missouri is still making the headlines. Unfortunately it is still getting attention because many schools are still participating in it. Americans for Prosperity (AFP) recently released several ads against the suit. Hopefully, those ads will reach people in the districts still participating and urge their schools to withdraw their participation. Several schools have decided it is not a good idea to stay in. Francis Howell, Liberty, Naylor, St. Joseph, and Columbia School Districts are ones that I know have pulled out. Missouri Political News Services talks about the AFP ads and also has links to them. According to AFP:

Columbia, MO, January 14, 2008 - A $100,000 multi-media ad campaign created by Americans for Prosperity - Missouri (AFP-MO) is causing quite a flurry of phone calls to the organization’s state director and former Missouri House Speaker Pro Tem, Carl Bearden. The first television spot opens with hogs feeding at a trough and accuses many of Missouri public school boards of pigging out in their lawsuit against local taxpayers.

"The lion’s share of the calls that I am receiving from this campaign are very supportive. When taxpayers find out that they are being sued by public school boards for $1 billion without showing how all this extra money is going to improve education for our kids, well people are outraged, to say the least," said Bearden.

I applaud AFP for the release of these ads and agree with the stance they are taking. Let's hope someone is listening to the messaging!

Rural district falls short of standards, may be shut down

2008-01-14T18:33:00.000-08:00

The Wyaconda Elementary School faces possible closing. This rural northeast Missouri school may not be meeting the state's academic standards, possibly being unaccredited. Officials will make this decision on Wednesday. This is not the first school in Missouri to lose their accreditation. This should be a red flag to all Missourians. Its completely obvious there is a problem in our schools. It may seem unfortunate this school has to close, especially when reading the article, but the fact is, if it is not performing well, it is failing. Who wants their children to attend a failing school? The school will be given the opportunity to fix its problems and re-open the doors if it is closed.

Personally, I was upset about St. Louis schools being unaccredited, but it seemed so far away. Living in rural Missouri, I guess I saw it of a big city problem, and now this. It has really hit home for me and something needs to be done!

According to bnb.com and The Associated Press WYACONDA, Mo:

The district has 32 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It pays tuition for another 13 students to attend neighboring districts.

The district was put on unaccredited status in May 2006 for what the state called "consistently low academic performance." State law allows the district two years to improve its performance or face additional sanctions which could include closure.

If the district fails to regain accreditation by June 30, the State Board of Education will have authority to assign students to other districts. The district has 17 employees, including seven certified teachers and one administrator.

Superintendent Karla Matlock said the district worked with the state to develop a progress plan. The district needed to meet at least four performance points, including improvement of scores in the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) test. Improvement was also needed in areas like attendance and grade-point average.

It met some goals, including MAP scores for grades 6-8 in communication arts, attendance and subgroup achievement. It didn't meet standards for grades 3-5 math, grades 3-5 communication arts, grades 6-8 math and grade-point averages for student transitioning to high school.

Matlock said overall MAP test scores rose some last year, but not enough. MAP testing takes place in April, but even if significant improvement is shown by then, it likely won't be enough to keep Wyaconda open, she said.

"By April of this year it will already be decided. We can't wait until June to find out if we're going to close," Matlock said. "This staff is excellent. These kids are getting the education they need. We're just too far down in the hole."

Wyaconda is among three Missouri districts that are unaccredited. The state took control of St. Louis city schools last year. The other is Riverview Gardens in St. Louis County.

"As far as I know, this is the first (school district) recommended to be shut down," said Ron McSorley, area supervisor for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

"This is something that you always hate to see happen. Our responsibilities are what's in the best interest of the students."

The possibility of closure worries some students, primarily because it would mean moving to a bigger school. The most likely options would be nearby districts in Scotland or Clark counties, which is where Wyaconda's high school-age students have gone since Wyaconda closed grades 9-12 in 2002.

Scotland County has 620 students in K-12 and Clark County has 954.

"I'm really upset about it. My whole family went here," said Brock Kirchner, a seventh-grader. "This school is a really great school. We're all just like brothers and sisters. It's like a big 'ole family."

Study outlines benfits of a tuition tax credit program

2008-01-14T18:31:00.000-08:00

The St. Louis based Show Me institute released a study titled "The Fiscal Effects of a Tuition Tax Credit Program in Missouri". A tuition tax credit program has been proposed for Missouri and it looks like it would be a real asset to the state. In the past 10 years, four other states have enacted this law. First, lets remember the St. Louis School District was unaccredited last year. It is a major problem when that happens obviously. But what some don't realize is that those students are stuck there. The constitution says they should be allowed to leave an unaccredited district, which they are, but it does not specify other schools accepting them. So, now these students are left in those failing schools, with no where to go.

A tuition tax credit program would give Missourians who contribute to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) a credit on their state income tax bills. The SGOs then will use these contributions to provide private school scholarships to various students. The Show Me study proves states with this program have reduced inequality of educational services among low income families. Private schools can be expensive, so lower income families cannot afford to send their children to them. So the students are suffering because of it. The study also tries to show how it would save the state millions of dollars.

The fiscal cost of a tuition tax credit program will depend on the number of parents who move their children from public schools to preferred private alternatives. This study assesses how the size of available scholarships would affect state educational spending at various levels of demand. Under the conditions we consider, a tuition tax credit program has the potential to save the state $7 million per year. Savings from a partial tax credit, in which taxpayers receive less than a dollar-for dollar match on their contributions, may be as high as $17 million.

Over the past 8 or so years, many tuition tax credit bills have been introduced, and although none of them have passed so far, there is still hope. This study focuses on the 2007 bill and what it could do for Missouri.

This study explores the economic benefits of a tuition tax credit program for Missouri by discussing the structure of similar programs implemented in other states. We argue that a tuition tax credit program would benefit Missouri by providing low-income families with additional education choices. Surveys demonstrate that Missourians support school choice legislation, and that this support is strongest among low-income households and minorities.8 Improved public education would benefit all Missourians, but the greatest returns would flow to students in economically disadvantaged homes — those traditionally most affected by failing public education.

Hopefully, Missourians will realize the benefits of this type of program. Education is too important not to.

For Kansas City and Independence, the truth was self-evident

2008-01-02T15:05:00.000-08:00

http://www.examiner.net/stories/121407/new_225555034.shtml

The Examiner reports on the celebration following the momentous shift of seven schools from Kansas City school district into the Independence school district, and how lawmakers and citizens reached across party lines and city boundaries to approve a redistricting for the benefit of students. The article notes that 97 percent of Independence voters were in favor of the redistricting, which makes sense given Independence stands to gain revenue and raise property values in the area. But Kansas City voters, who stood to gain little, had to agree with them solely on the virtue of giving children in those schools a better education—and they did: 84 percent voted in favor of the redistricting.

This was, in essence, a testament to how Missourians feel about education and choice. An overwhelming majority could tell that a quality education is more important than revenue, politics, unions, party lines and the status quo. They gave those children a better choice because nothing in this country is so important that the education of our children should be sacrificed for it.

When we erase our territorial lines and step around the walls that political parties build between one another, I believe our priorities will be startlingly similar and the solutions obvious. The article quotes Sen. Victor Callahan offering up a very appropriate quote for this victory of bipartisanship and for education,

"A philosopher said, 'At first, the truth is ridiculed, then it's questioned, and then it becomes self-evident,' " Callahan said. “The truth was self-evident."

As Missouri kicks off this next legislative season, hopefully this kind of leadership, priority and principled work will be commonplace, and divisiveness rare.

2007-12-29T09:42:00.000-08:00

Charter Schools Serve up Education with Ice Cream on Top!

2007-12-29T09:40:00.000-08:00

How sweet it is! While Kansas City and St. Louis Public Schools lose their accreditation, the emerging success of charter schools brings the promise of hope to children in St. Louis. Kids who, prior to attending charter school Lift for Life Academy, were not performing at grade level were accelerated and put back on the path of educational advancement. Some of the children at this middle school are performing at high school levels by graduation. By being empowered to respond rapidly to immediate needs, the schools' administration is able to address individual concerns and steer the school with pinpoint control and quick response to concerns of parents and the needs of children. Something as simple as an ice cream treat can provide incentive to children and a teacher can make the request and in mere moments walk away with a check in hand for 12 ice cream cones--no red tape and paperwork filled out in triplicate. Read more from the St. Louis Post Dispatch about Lift for Life Academy here: "St. Louis in midst of charter school boom" .

Also from the Post Dispatch:

CHARTER SCHOOLS

St. Louis is in the midst of a charter school boom. The mayor has called for dozens more of the privately run, tuition-free public schools. National networks are already targeting the city. Five charters opened this year alone. Now 15 campuses serve 7,700 students. This story is the first in a periodic series profiling each. Charter schoo

ls are only one of many educational alternatives that are causing Americans to rethink how we educate our children. With their continued success here in Missouri, the hope of bright futures shines for those who avail themselves of these new opportunities. Now, how about some charter schools in the county?!

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Doing Something for Education

2007-12-18T14:25:00.000-08:00

We all know that a great education is important. I think some people may not realize a child's elementary education can and will affect their high school achievement, which will then affect if they attend college and how successful they are. According to DESE, fewer than 24 percent of the graduates from St. Louis and Kansas City public schools attend four year colleges and fewer than 40 percent of graduates from rural areas attend either a 2 or a 4 year college. According to DESE, in 2005, fewer than 5 percent of two-year college students transferred to public four year colleges.

Earlier this year, The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation donated $1 million to advise Missouri students in the college process. MU was one of only 10 colleges throughout the country to receive this grant.

"We are squandering a huge national resource when millions of America's best high school graduates never get to college, or fail to advance beyond a two-year community college program," said Foundation Executive Director Matthew J. Quinn. "Our Foundation is committed to addressing the college enrollment gap by providing crucial information to promising students facing financial barriers."

The grant will target rural and urban high schools that do not have Missouri A+ School designation and that fall below the state average in the percentage of their graduates who go to college.

Children in rural areas face certain challenges when it comes to education, whether it be elementary, secondary, or at the collegiate level. Missouri students in rural areas need help. While there are many ways to address these issues, this grant is a great start.

The day for Columbia to Decide

2007-12-17T11:38:00.001-08:00

December 10th, the Columbia Public School Board will meet to decide if they should remain part of the adequacy lawsuit. The lawsuit has already cost Columbia over $81,000 and that total will just get higher. According to the Committee for Educational Equality in this Missourian article, total spending would be less than 10 percent of what has been spent on the appeal thus far. Although, when the case started several years ago, it was said that Columbia would only several thousand. Obviously, they were wrong then, why should we trust them now? Additionally, many districts, such as Francis Howell, St. Joseph, and Liberty have dropped out of the case, which will make the remaining districts bear an increasing share of the bill.

Anyways, that is a moot point. Columbia, not to mention the other districts, has no business being in this suit to begin with. The cost so far is over $4.6 million. The involved districts are using tax dollars to sue the legislature, and the A.G.'s office is using tax dollars to defend the state. Suing the state with its money to get more money, really?

The plaintiffs clearly lost this case, and it is ridiculous to keep fighting it. The Missouri Constitution requires free public schools and that the state must devote at least 25% of revenues towards education. The judge was shown how that is clearly accomplished.

Columbia may actually end up worse off if the case were won. It is a wealthier district and it could very well lose money if the state were to reallocate funding to other districts. And there is more...other state programs would hurt too. If the state is required to give more money to education, it will be at the expense of other programs. MU, Medicare, social services, and others, could they survive with a huge budget cut? It would be very hard and more people would suffer because of it.

One major point I would like to get to is that more funding is not directly correlated with increased achievement. In layman's terms, the students will not do better with more money.

There are countless reasons why Columbia and Missouri should not be a part of this case. I hope, for the sake of our children, they stop wasting their money. I hope for the sake of the state and all the services it provides, they stop wasting our money.

School board votes to discontinue statewide school funding suit

2007-12-12T15:09:00.000-08:00

School board votes to discontinue statewide school funding suit

Columbia Missourian

By Tori Moss

Columbia Public Schools will not participate in the Committee for Educational Equality's future appeal of the Missouri Supreme Court's ruling on the statewide school funding lawsuit.

The school board voted to discontinue association with the CEE during its Monday night meeting.

The district joined the lawsuit with the CEE, along with 259 other Missouri school districts, in December 2003. The school districts sued the state, reasoning that Missouri public schools do not adequately receive state funding as required by the Missouri Constitution.

Alex Bartlett, the attorney representing the CEE, spoke to the board on Monday about the appeal and suggested that no decision be made at the time.

Although several board members expressed appreciation for the attention the CEE has brought to school funding in Missouri, no member voted to continue the lawsuit.

Board member Michelle Gadbois said that the intent behind the CEE lawsuit was stellar, but she doubted the possibility for success.

Board member Jan Mees said there must be other ways to get more funding from the state.

Board President Karla DeSpain agreed that other funding sources need to be found and urged citizens to contact their legislators.

"I am not a fan of litigation," DeSpain said. "I would prefer to use other means of trying to accomplish those ends."

Representing in Springfield

2007-12-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

Springfield Public Schools has employed a “consultant” Jerry McCall to offer solutions and suggestions about why school board members should vote in favor of an $8 million new school building. Many have been upset about his report, arguing that the numbers don’t add up and that his report isn’t feasible, responsible or well-researched. So why is he being paid [a lot of money] for unsatisfactory information?

I recall learning about Yellow Journalism and the powerful vehicle that press was in controlling public opinion. We all know that the press has gotten more and more pervasive and comprehensive along with knowledge in general, but I think the journalism of today is less “Yellow” and more “Transparent”.

A lot of the journalism I read from day to day is about occurrences like this that concerned citizens may need or want to know about and hold someone accountable for. It’s baffling that people in positions of responsibility would continue to be negligent. Part of that, I believe, is a disconnect between being outraged and actually holding someone accountable. I can say “Hey, Mister, I’m holding you accountable for this or that…” but when I don’t have a vote I can exercise or a way to actually punish someone for that negligence, how do I really act on that outrage?

I’d suggest making the press work for you and me. Write to those people who do have the power. Instead of merely saying “that upsets me” we can put it on paper, on a website, on a blog and say “that upsets me and Norm Ridder, Springfield City Council and School Board, you need to hold this person and the system you work within to a higher standard of accountability. Let’s make sure that the actions of our officials, especially in education and city government, is as efficient and effective as possible, so if an $8 million school is needed, that’s the most cost effective choice and we put the $10,000 that could have gone to a consultant to a better use that is more closely related to what that money was intended for.

Columbia School Board to Meet Tonight!

2007-12-10T11:04:00.001-08:00

About three years ago, the Columbia Public School Board decided to join about 240 other districts to sue the state for more money. Interesting enough, they were using state money to sue the state for more money.

Tonight is the night for Columbia to decide if they will remain part of the appeal. TheColumbia Tribune describes the opinions of the board members. Several board members disagree with the case and will vote against appealing. Some other board members have expressed concern but have not said which way they will vote.

One concern is for a request on the April ballot. The district would like to seek an operating levy increase. If they continue with this case and waste more money, voters may see this as being inappropriate with their spending. And I agree.

I adamantly hope they pull out of this case. The money that has already been spent is over $4.6 million and that will just increase the longer the case continues. Our schools are facing hard times right now. We need to focus our energy on a solution, not throw money on top of the problem. Research has shown that more funding does not result in increased achievement or graduation rates.

Unfortunately, the money already spent on this case is gone. But there is still hope to not waste anymore. I guess we will see tonight how the school board votes.

Today is the day for Columbia to Decide

2007-12-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

Today, the Columbia Public School Board will meet to decide if they should remain part of the adequacy lawsuit. The lawsuit has already cost Columbia over $81,000 and that total will just get higher. According to the Committee for Educational Equality in this Missourian article, total spending would be less than 10 percent of what has been spent on the appeal thus far. Although, when the case started several years ago, it was said that Columbia would only several thousand. Obviously, they were wrong then, why should we trust them now? Additionally, many districts, such as Francis Howell, St. Joseph, and Liberty have dropped out of the case, which will make the remaining districts bear an increasing share of the bill.

Anyways, that is a moot point. Columbia, not to mention the other districts, has no business being in this suit to begin with. The cost so far is over $4.6 million. The involved districts are using tax dollars to sue the legislature, and the A.G.’s office is using tax dollars to defend the state. Suing the state with its money to get more money, really?

Columbia may actually end up worse off if the case were won. It is a wealthier district and it could very well lose money if the state were to reallocate funding to other districts. And there is more…other state programs would hurt too. If the state is required to give more money to education, it will be at the expense of other programs. MU, Medicare, social services, and others, could they survive with a huge budget cut? It would be very hard and more people would suffer because of it.

One major point I would like to get to is that more funding is not directly correlated with increased achievement. In layman’s terms, the students will not do better with more money.

Some States Have Choice for IEP Students

2007-12-10T10:50:00.000-08:00

Florida and Ohio are a few of the states that offer choice to a child diagnosed with autism or another disability. A special education child has special needs that may not always be met by the schools they are in.

The bill in Ohio is to “provide to the parent of any qualified special education child a scholarship in order that he or she may receive special education and/or related services that implements the child’s individualized education program (IEP) and that is operated by a school district other than the school district in which the child is entitled to attend school or by another eligible public entity, or by a registered private provider.” An IEP student has a detailed and thorough learning plan. Teachers, administrators, parents, counselors, and children are all involved with the plan. If the school is not working, none of these people will be able to fix it. The child simply needs to option of going to another school, even if it is outside their district. Special education students deserve the chance at a decent education too.

Missouri needs something similar. The government created the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), but unfortunately, it does not seem to reach every special education student. There need to be additional options to help these children.

Columbia School District sets it Priorities

2007-12-10T10:49:00.000-08:00

Adequate funding for the district is the top priority of the Columbia School District. I hope that the board members think about this seriously. Obviously, funding is absolutely crucial for the schools. However, I find it slightly strange that so many districts around Missouri have found it necessary to waste the funding they were given on a lawsuit. Many districts seem so concerned about getting more money, yet total the lawsuit has cost over $4.6 million. This money could have been used in the schools, buying books, paying salaries, or doing renovations. Instead, it is sitting the bank accounts of lawyers.

Columbia has spent tens of thousands of dollars on this suit so far. As to whether they will stay part of the appeal is still up for debate. I was hoping to learn from the Tribune article that Columbia decided to pull out of it. My town, not far from Columbia, is thankfully not part of the suit. I still do not like to see the children’s education money being thrown away like it is. I know several school board members in Columbia would like to withdraw from the case, let’s hope they convince the rest of them. They need to pull out now before they waste any more money.

One other big priority for Columbia Public schools is asking legislators to oppose tuition tax credits and school choice. I think this is a huge mistake. Choice should be available for the parents and the children. Representative Ed Robb is for tuition tax credits and charter schools; he has and will continue to push for these. St. Louis and Kansas City are the only two cities in Missouri allowed to operate charter schools, but hopefully this will change soon.

Columbia is an amazing town, and I love having that type of community within 30 minutes of my rural home. Hopefully, they can make the right decisions.

Name Change

2007-12-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

This blog, for reasons beyond our control, will undergo a name change. It will temporarily be called Missourians for Missouri Public Schools.

Is YOUR district still in?

2007-12-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

We have alot of money being mismanaged in our public education system and the sooner we get a handle on it, the sooner our kids will benefit. Our public education leaders--the superintendents, the teachers and their unions, administrators--all need to get focussed on a new approach to education reform. For districts who remain committed to funding the appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court (see CEE vs. State of Missouri) the prospect of improving education is threatened.

Instead of looking at their school funding and finding the HUGE amount of waste that most certainly exists, as pointed out by Jack Wenders, a School Choice Activist, our educrats insist on suing taxpayers with their own money. We/they should, instead, be focussed on creative solutions to education reform including, but not limited to, parental choice and involvement, merit pay for teachers, charter schools, virtual education, support for special needs and competition in the public education system.

Only 61 cents of every tax payer dollar reaches the classroom (see First Class Education ). "By raising that figure just four cents to 65 cents on the dollar, we could have put an additional $272 million more into Missouri classrooms without a tax increase. That's an average of $304 per student or $6,080 for each class of 20."

Challenging the adequacy of school funding is just a distraction from the root cause of inefficient spending enforced by the public school bureaucracy. Missouri schools can and should do better.

Problems within Rural Schools

2007-12-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

Rural education faces many roadblocks, ones that make it difficult to accomplish the job. On the college level, it faces several constraints as well. According to the Waynesville Daily Guide, the commissioners of Pulaski County has agreed they support vocational and technical schools in rural Missouri, but they could not all agree on how this should be accomplished.

Problems in rural education like this are quite common. Administrations have problems agreeing. Because of this, there seem to be problems with their accountability. Children in rural areas face certain hardships as a result. The schools need to be fiscally responsible and be sure their limited funds are allocated properly to best benefit the children. Many of the rural schools do not have funding to properly educate students with various needs so their managing of funds is even more crucial.

Unfortunately, children are stuck in those schools even if they cannot educate them well. The children, whose needs are not being met, should have the option of switching to another school. Just because they live in one rural school district, does it mean they are not entitled to a quality education?

Adequacy Case from a Rural Viewpoint

2007-11-27T15:04:00.000-08:00

The adequacy case, against the state of Missouri, has gone over for several years and still continues, costing us millions of dollars so far. To date, the total money wasted hovers around $4.6 million. In 2004, the Committee for Educational Equality (CEE) claimed that the State was not paying enough into the education program, the minimum being set at 25%. During the trial, experts testified the state was actually spending over the required amount, almost 36%. The Committee to Fund Excellent Schools (CFES) and the St. Louis School board join this fight with the CEE, involving about half of the 524 school districts in Missouri. Judge Callahan ruled against them, saying the state is paying the required amount and saying the legislature has the power to set any such funding formula. Many districts have pulled out of this case, realizing it will just waste more of their students’ dollars. Columbia, a city near mine, is in unsure of their decision. Tom Rose, Karla DeSpain, and Michelle Gadbois, of the Columbia School Board, are all questioning Columbia’s involvement in the case.

Once Columbia pulls out, it will hopefully influence the surrounding small towns to follow suit. Our school has a limited budget and I am appalled to see that have wasted money on this case.

School funding does not have a direct correlation to student achievement. Study after study has shown that more spending does not increase achievement or graduation rates. Hopefully, the districts will realize this and stop wasting the tax dollars on this suit.

The Adequacy Case, Paid for by the State, not the Teachers

2007-11-26T14:53:00.000-08:00

Using the schools’ money to sue the state is a breach of faith. Taxpayers assumed this money was being used directly in the schools and did not approve it to be used for this lawsuit.

However, the school adequacy case is a nice deal for the school unions. While they use money given to the schools to sue the state, they only managed to donate about $7,100 to this case. All the while, they spent over $4.6 million of the taxpayers’ dollars. Suing the state cost double what it cost to defend the state. Either way you look at it, it was all money wasted.

They argue it is a case fought for the children, but it would actually raise wages for the teachers. Furthermore, if the case was won, the money would have to be siphoned from another area, such as higher education, Medicare, mental health, etc.

Tax Dollars Spent on this Case:

Local School Districts have spent $3.2 million, which excludes district personal time. The state, from the Attorney general’s office, has spent $1.4 million, which excludes any state personal time. According to the CEE, the total contributions from the teachers’ unions total just over $7,000:

Missouri Association for Rural Education $3,500

Missouri State Teachers Association $1,000

Missouri Retired Teacher’s Association and Public

School Personnel $200

Missouri Nation Education Association $1,500

Missouri K-* Schools Association $900

If the teacher unions were so concerned with the welfare of the children, why did they use money allocated to them to sue the state instead of acquiring more donations of their end?

This lawsuit needs to come to an end and stop wasting money. Many school districts are planning an appeal. However, there are several districts that have pulled out of the case. Hopefully, the other districts will follow their example.

How are we spending our money in our public educracy?

2007-11-24T14:02:00.000-08:00

My family moved from the city to the county when I was a child--we, like many 'white-flighters' from the city, left in pursuit of a better life--safer community, better schools, promise of a future. We pay our taxes--plenty of taxes. Now, though we've been feeding the community pot for generations, we are left wondering why the promise of a better future through public education is not delivered?

It's time we look at alternatives to the standard inferior model of public education. What's working elsewhere that could work here? And why are we not accomplishing more? I found very exciting information on educational reform in Chicago. With the introduction of 80 new PUBLIC charter schools in a depressed city demographic, they are seeing results.

In an area where only 45% of Chicago Public School students graduate from highschool and only 3 out of every 100 African-American and Latino males earn a college degree, the introduction of competing schools has raised the standards of academic achievement dramatically.

They are now seeing the percentage of Kindergarteners reading at grade level rise from 18% to 84%! A 400% jump in just one year! Prior to the new competition, college prep schools for boys were only available to families who could afford tuition.

The approach to teaching in these newly created schools allows the following:

Innovative and rigorous academic curriculum
School leaders with a strong record of performance
High expectations for every student
More classroom instruction through longer school days
High levels of parent involvement and support
Safe, healthy and supportive learning environment
Sufficient resources to help all students achieve
for the boys' prep school: small classes, positive male role models, 6-week summer program

Parents get to choose which schools to apply to! How do you like that?! School choice by PARENTS! Who would have thought of that?! Why aren't we doing this in Missouri!?