Rep. Rodney Hubbard who championed education reform during his time in Jefferson City is said to be taking a job with Democrats for Education Reform. The group is based out of New York, but is building a national footprint. Hubbard will head up the midwest region.
The Today and Tomorrow Foundation assists parochial and private schools in providing quality, affordable and accessible educational opportunities to disadvantaged students.
"It's about helping St. Louis' disadvantaged children have a better chance in life," said St. Louis native Rex Sinquefield in an online video announcing the donation. In the 1970s, Rex Sinquefield did influential research on historical stock market returns and pioneered many of the nation's first index funds. He lived in an orphanage as a child before being reunited with his mother.
Teachers' Union Targeting Nasheed's Education Bill
Rep. Jamilah Nasheed, who has gamely worked an education bill through the legislative process and is now trying to take it the last mile, now finds her effort the target of the Teachers' Union.
Nasheed and that union have been firm allies in the past.
Nasheed's bill would provide for the SLPS to use the A+ Program despite their lapsed acrreditation status. Because it could help students go to a private vocational college, it is being assailed as a "voucher" bill.
Teach for America to Place 100 Teachers in StL Next Year
From the Business Journal: Teach for America is placing more than 100 of its incoming 3,700 teachers in St. Louis area schools this fall, a 35 percent increase over last year, the organization announced Wednesday.
Combined with last year's members, Teach for America will have more than 170 first- and second-year teachers who will teach nearly 14,500 students in St. Louis public schools during the 2008-09 school year. Teach For America corps members commit to teach two years in high-need public schools around the country.
Teach for America said the record growth in St. Louis corps is partially due to a high percentage of applicants from top universities, including 8 percent of graduating seniors at Washington University in St. Louis.
Looks like HB 2040 will be coming to the Missouri House today.
The most controversial piece of it is a tax credit (80%) for individuals who donate for scholarships for special needs children to go to private schools. It's voucher-lite to its critics. And will be interesting test of whether Rex Sinquefield's political investments are paying off.
Yesterday during debate on SB 993, Senator Jason Crowell summed up the importance of education, telling Sen. Wes Shoemyer on the floor of the Senate, "The only question St. Louis law firms will ask your daughter when she's applying for a job is where she went to high school."
(2) Report to the joint committee on education in January of each year on the district's progress towards meeting its reading goals;
(3) Propose professional development programs as needed to achieve the reading goals;
(4) Work with the teachers of the district to widen the grade span in which reading ability is a chief focus of instruction, beginning with the lower elementary grades, with the ultimate goal of bringing all the district's students to reading at grade level;
(5) Schedule as many public hearings as necessary each time results of the statewide assessments or other significant indicators of academic achievement are released to permit the patrons of the district to ask questions about academic achievement and programs for improvements; and
(6) Act as a liaison with community groups to coordinate literacy efforts.
The column went to quote MOHELA chief that the loan agency would be able to meet Missouri schools' student-loan needs.
However, on the agenda at today's MOHELA meeting is Item 5. "Discussion, consideration and possible vote on a motion authorizing the Executive Director and the Authority staff to delay purchases of loans currently being serviced by the Authority and to make future Authority payment or purchase obilgations contingent on the availability of funds and other relevant criteria."
The bill reads that the department of elementary and secondary education shall develop a plan that includes, but is not limited to, elements that demonstrate effort on the student's part, such as attendance, and maintaining grades and achieving assessment scores consistent with their skills and abilities...If an applicant does not achieve the department standards, the applicant's driver's license test shall be postponed until the applicant demonstrates the department standards have been achieved.
The bill would apply to all school districts in Missouri.
From the NY Times: In Chattanooga, Tenn., the schools have abolished their multitrack curriculum, which pointed only a fraction of students toward college. Every student is now on a college track.
And in the Washington suburb of Prince George’s County, Md., the school district is arranging college tours for students as early as seventh grade, and adding eight core Advanced Placement classes to every high school, including some schools that had none.
Those efforts, and others across the country, reflect a growing sense of urgency among educators that the primary goal of many large high schools serving low-income and urban populations — to move students toward graduation — is no longer enough. Now, educators say, even as they struggle to lift dismal high school graduation rates, they must also prepare the students for college, or some form of post-secondary school training, with the skills to succeed.
While the emphasis in the newspaper is on inter-board politicking and who can sign district checks, the interests of people in the community are more focused on more basic education issues like parent-district communications, improved academics, and in-school safety. At least that was the tenor of the conversation last night at a meeting of families of pre-school age children and residents of Old North Saint Louis with Melanie Adams, the Mayor's appointee to the Special Administrative Board.
With about a dozen kids three and under running around, parents had lots of questions about interfacing with the district and getting into "good" schools. Adams listened as parents expressed frustration about applying to the magnet schools. One has yet to receive a letter either accepting or rejecting her child; another learned after the fact that one of her schools of choice will not operate an early childhood program next year. Adams acknowledged that customer service is an area that needs improvement but chalks much of the problem up to poor communication not poor quality of the schools themselves.
In regards to magnet schools, Adams reminded the predominantly white parents in attendance that a rising tide floats all boats. To wit, if more African-American students apply to and are accepted into magnet schools, then more white students can apply as well because the ratio must remain constant. In other words, if you want to get your kid into a magnet, help us recruit more African-American families to the magnets as well.
Adams also pointed out that if the SLPS can succeed academically and earn parent trust in magnet schools, it certainly can do it in neighborhood schools as well - the key is replicating that success.
When asked about the relationship with the elected board, Adams noted that the SAB simply wants the elected board to acknowledge that the appointed board is now in charge - once that happens she can foresee some sort of relationship established between the two groups. Adams emphasized several times that the SAB will not follow in the footsteps of previous boards who micromanaged the district by questioning every decision of the superintendent. Rather, the SAB is focused on its roles of hiring/firing/managing the superintendent and setting policy for the district to regain accreditation and achieve financial stability.
Adams said the SAB doesn't have a plan to put into action. She even noted that if the SAB had come to the table with a plan it would have been immediately rejected for lack of public input. Instead, she is meeting with groups like the one in ONSL to hear what people are thinking about the district.
According to Adams, she is doing a lot of listening these days, attending meetings in South Hampton, Benton Park West and other neighborhoods in recent days.
While the focus media-wise may be on board-level decisions and personalities, Adams is more concerned with academic achievement. As she says, it would be far more interesting to read in the paper about the successes of students in summer session than the interactions between the SAB and the elected board.
Post article. The St. Louis Public Schools announced today that Bonner was one of 34 employees let go in an effort to balance the district's $332 million operating budget.
In a release, the district said the position of the director of community relations, has been eliminated. Bonner held that position in addition to his coaching duties. The district also said, "Any coaching vacancies will be filled by district teachers." Bonner did not work as a teacher for the district.
Anthony Bonner, former Vashon and SLU star (and longtime New York Knick), will no longer be working out of the SLPS central office as Executive Director of Community Outreach. Apparently, the new SAB has eliminated several positions in the communications and community outreach area. Bonner, however, plans to continue in his role as the Vashon basketball coach.
The discussion surrounding intellectual diversity on college campuses often circulates around notions of a secular environment foisting its secular humanist philosophy on the malleable youth.
Usually, as with Rep. Jane Cunningham's (R-Chesterfield) "Emily Brooker Intellectual Diversity Act" (which stalled out in the legislature this year), the stated purpose is protecting students from libertine professors. Cunningham's bill would mandate that public higher-ed schools establish a grievance policy in addition to the institutions' existing process and to file reports to the state documenting the number of grievances made each year.
The questions that always spring to mind are; is this really a widespread problem and are college students driven towards secularism by their teachers? It's a regular assertion and one believed by some on both sides of the issue. A report in Inside Higher Ed turns those assumptions on their head finding that the greatest number of those who depart from their faith never attended college. And those that complete a bachelor's degree fall off in the lowest numbers.
"'Actually we’ve just been wrong about this for quite a while,' said Mark D. Regnerus, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Austin and one of the authors of a new study that suggests students who attend and graduate from college are more likely than others to hold on to their faith."
Many of the accusations directed at universities as hostile environments for the religiously-minded often point to the declining religiosity of college-age youth as evidence. While the nature of education is likely to challenge some individuals' beliefs, there is little evidence of an active, wide-spread program of indoctrination.
As a student at a Catholic university I saw the school's religious tradition laced into every aspect of the school, yet that did little to temper youthful exuberance.
Emily Brooker, a social work student whom Cunningham's bill is named for, was subject to an unusual level of examination by Missouri State University following her refusal to sign a letter to the Missouri General Assembly endorsing gay adoption. Brooker sued to have her record cleared, and the school settled out of court with Brooker last year.
The Social Work department went too far in reprimanding her for violating the schools' Standards of Essential Functioning in Social Work Education and her refusal to participate in this particular activity should have been let go.
However, given that in social work you don't always get to chose your cases, it's likely they were legitimately challenging her ability to serve as an advocate for someone she may personally disagree with. That said, the Standards of Essential Functioning makes no mention of homosexuality.
One case, however, does not a conspiracy make.
Debates over philosophy should rage on campuses, its in the clash of ideas where good minds are forged. The intellectual diversity acts seem questionable on their face and given the evidence that those who attend higher-ed are more likely to remain affiliated with their religion, they seem unnecessary as well.
Correction: I mistakenly identified the University of Missouri as the school involved, Missouri State University was the school Brooker attended. It's corrected in the text of the story.
Mayor Francis Slay (naturally) endorses the court's decision today to reject the St. Louis School Board's argument that the state should not take control of the district Friday just a few short hours from now.
The Mayor argued before the State School Board earlier in the year that the current city School Board was failing its students and the city.
Chaotic would be a generous way to describe the Board's recent history. While the state has solid case that the district has not performed adequately, the district's rebuttal that the state is interfering with the electoral will of the voters is compelling. That said, the state has argued it has the legal right to do so, backed by today's ruling. From the Mayor's Blog: "A circuit court judge in Cole County has denied the request of some St. Louis School Board members to block Friday’s scheduled shift of authority over the SLPS to a three person transitional governance board. The judge’s clear decision means that Rick Sullivan, Melanie Adams, and Richard Gaines will face no legal obstacles when they begin work tomorrow.
That’s a good thing. No City student is going to get better educated in a courtroom than she is in a classroom.
Every person testifying in Cole County this past week claimed to have the students’ best interests at stake. Tomorrow, they’ll all have the chance to prove it. If the old School Board acknowledges the judge’s decision and steps back now, there’s enough time and talent in St. Louis to complete the summer session and ready the district’s staff, schools, cafeterias, gyms, and buses for the fall school term. If it does not, we’ll be right back in court again."
ST. LOUIS — President of the Board of Aldermen Lewis Reed today announced Richard K. Gaines as his selection to the three-member team charged with leading the Transitional School District of the City of St. Louis.
According to MayorSlay.com, Melanie Adams is the Mayor's appointment to the Transitional Board.
Adams, though relatively young, has a long resume which includes a stint as executive director of Teach for America in St. Louis. I served with her on the steering committee of Metropolis St. Louis in the late 90s. She's a city resident who has succeeded in every organization of which she's been a part.
> Hey Dave, > > I don't know if this is too insider baseball stuff, but I thought I > would share with you some thoughts you can take or leave. > > Mike Gibbons uses words like bipartisan and cooperation, but that > couldn't be further from the truth in the way the senate was run this > year...and continues to operate. The latest example is the > appointment of Derio Gambaro. > > I see from reviewing the tape shot by PubDef that Gibbons was there, > standing behind Derio and the Governor, all smiles. No other senator > was invited to the event, not even Jeff Smith who worked (too hard, I > say) in a bipartisan fashion with the Governor's office and Republican > leadership to get some education proposals passed. > > It is bizarre that the Governor appoints Smith's opponent to the state > board and don't even invite him to the announcement that is held in > his district and that he is going to have to sponsor the make happen. > They didn't invite Maida or Harry either. > > I don't know what Derio's deal is....but it seems to me that a deal > has been made over his appointment since the Governor and Gibbons > excluded Smith and Maida from the announcement (not even a courtesy > call). > > Am I making any sense at all?
According to the Governor's press release, the lead endorsement for Gambaro for State Board of Education comes from a sports talk radio host!
"I have known Derio Gambaro and his family for 15 years. He is an outstanding individual who uses his God given talents with the rest of the community at large. His ability to work with others makes him a perfect choice for the Board of Education. Hopefully he will help put the city school system back on track. Thank you governor for appointing Derio to the State Board of Education."
Mike Claiborne KTRS Radio, Sports Announcer
Can't wait to see who Claiborne supports for Supreme Court!
Senator Jeff Smith's Statement on the Appointment of Derio Gambaro to the State Board of Education:*
"Derio Gambaro was a worthy opponent in our race for the 4th District Senate seat and a dedicated public servant during his tenure in the state House.
"However, given the specificity with which I outlined my substantive concerns about the Governor's earlier nominee, I am disappointed that the administration chose to ignore rather than address the issues I raised. It is unfortunate as well that the administration refused my repeated offers for consultation on this appointment, particularly since I worked throughout the session in a bipartisan fashion on education issues.
"Since it is important that the city be represented on the State board, I will look forward to learning more about Mr. Gambaro's educational philosophy and qualifications."
