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Articles of Interest
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State & Local Policy
Homeless teens share their unique challenges
Richmond Times-Dispatch, June 9, 2014
[Richardson and Bowles] are two of 34 Richmond Public Schools students identified as “independent unaccompanied youth” — homeless teens without a guardian. They double up with family and friends, rotating to spread the burden and potential risks of breaking lease terms.
“I don’t want to wear out my welcome,” Richardson said.
The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates there are about 380,000 high school-age homeless youth nationwide.
Va. House GOP Warns of Cuts to Education Funding
NBC 4 (WRC-TV)
June 4, 2014
Virginia House Republicans said Wednesday that a budget stalemate could lead to $340 million in cuts to local school districts over the next two years and a freeze on construction projects at state universities.
GOP leaders told reporters at the Capitol that the cuts would happen if the General Assembly doesn't pass a budget before July 1 and can't access roughly $675 million from a rainy-day fund.
"If we don't have the rainy-day fund then all bets are off,'' said House Appropriations Committee Chairman S. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk.
Federal Policy
Engaging Students for Success Education Week Research Center, June 2014
Teachers and administrators deem student engagement and motivation to be the most important factor contributing to student achievement, among a range of possible influences on learning.
Only four in ten respondents say the majority of students at their schools are highly engaged and motivated.
Teachers and administrators report facing a broad array of challenges in engaging students, with a lack of parental support and inadequate time and resources among the leading barriers.
While not statistically representative of the nation’s educators, respondents include a diverse group of teachers and administrators who span a wide range of grade levels, experience, and school settings.
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This week in Compass Point we're glad to share with you Dr. Bosher's thoughts on discipline in schools, which was also the topic of a recent news report by NBC 12 and an article by Zachary Reid and the Richmond Times-Dispatch on potential policy changes in Henrico County.
This week's poll snapshot looks at support (or lack thereof) for school takeover mechanisms in Virginia and shares an excerpt from a recent report on how such takeovers in other states have impacted teacher professional development.
An excerpt from Dr. Vacca's annual look ahead at legal issues likely to be relevant for school boards and systems in the next school year delves into the area of school finance.
Sincerely,
CEPI |
Poll Snapshot: School Takeovers
Yesterday an important legislative research panel (JLARC) released a report on low performing schools in urban communities. The notable news within it was a recommendation to repeal the state's takeover school district, created last year by the General Assembly.
A different recent report from the Center for American Progress takes a look at what impact the state takeover of failing schools has on teacher professional development systems.
A close look at state takeover districts in Louisiana, Michigan, and Tennessee reveals the following trends in the governance of teacher professional development:
- Complete autonomy for charter schools. Charter schools are given autonomy to run professional development according to their own standards. The states hold the charter school networks accountable for student performance at the end of each academic year, with consequences connected to low performance.
- Partnerships with outside service providers. Some state takeover districts use part of their allocated federal funds to contract with an outside service provider to enhance teacher professional development.
- Connecting teacher evaluation and professional development. Leaders in the state takeover districts are strategically thinking about how to connect teacher professional development to the new teacher-evaluation systems.
Readers may recall that in 2013 the Virginia legislature approved a mechanism for the state to take over failing school districts. Six districts in Virginia faced potential takeover under the new statute but significant opposition from local school boards resulted in legal suits to stop implementation, leaving the policy in limbo.
The recent CEPI Commonwealth Education Poll asked Virginians whether they favored a mechanism for the takeover of consistantly failing schools.
The responses are summarized in the charts below with a majority (53%) opposing such a mechanism. However in the South Central region of Virginia a majority (53%) did support such a mechanism. Intriguingly, rates of opposition to the mechanism were similar across party identification and racial categories.
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Of the minority (39%) who favored such a takeover, only 32% supported the state government as the entity that should be responsible.
To read the full results of our poll, visit our website.
The questions pertaining to school takeovers are #12 and #12a (topline on page 31-32, crosstab on page 56-57).
http://jlarc.virginia.gov/reports/Rpt454.pdf |
Potential Issues to Watch in 2014-2015
Excerpted from Dr. Vacca's June Ed Law Newsletter
" School Finance. Local school boards will continue to feel the pinch of shrinking budgets and the community’s—especially parents—expectation that the quality of education provided students must continue to improve. Yet, we continue to live in an era where the “red pen” dominates. To put it another way, as next school year unfolds the board of education, school administration, and classroom teachers will be expected to do much more with fewer resources. Plus, next year the competition for financial resources between local school systems and other community agencies (police, fire, mental health, social services) will continue to escalate. In 2014-2015 local school boards will be expected to do infinite things with a shrinking pot of money.
In communities across the country as the population of special needs students continues to grow so too does the need to establish innovative programs and hire more teachers with special qualifications. As this school year recently came to a close there were local school systems where classroom teacher positions went unfilled. The difficulty in finding, competing for and hiring certified teachers in mathematics, science, technology, English as a second language, and special education will continue into next school year.
At the same time local school systems are facing growing budgetary issues associated with maintenance and operation. For example, school buildings, many of which were built several years ago, are in critical need of repair, up-dating, and even replacement. Classroom equipment is in need of up-dating and replacement (especially electronic equipment). So too do school buses need sustained maintenance."
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