Strengthen Our Schools (SOS)
Dedicated to advancing citizen discussion, advocacy, and activism on education issues
Former State Rep. Debi Towns continues to receive the backing from All Children Matter, an organization that remains under a legal cloud in Wisconsin after the State Elections Board determined in November 2006 that they violated rules about express advocacy. Top donors to the lawbreaking pro-private vouchers group have given Towns over $8,000. They have also sent out smear mailings on her behalf and placed a large television buy in her media market.
All Children Matter is the $10 million out-of-state, pro-private school vouchers group financed by right wing billionaires and millionaires, including Dick and Betsy DeVos and the Wal-Mart heirs. All Children Matter, which has blanketed the state with racist attacks against numerous Democratic elected officials and candidates, was fined $5.2 million by the Ohio Elections Commission on April 4 for illegally funneling $870,000 into Ohio campaigns.
Read More »Tuesday was a Happy Day in Milwaukee as most of the original cast of the popular show came to town for the unveiling of the Bronze Fonz. There was a full schedule with a dedication/unveiling, a parade through downtown and a ceremony at Miller Park just before a Brewer game. During the television coverage of the Brewer game the man of the hour, Henry Winkler, was interviewed in the stands. While most of the interview focused on the show and the days activities, the interviewer briefly opened the door to Winkler’s passion, education. Noting that Winkler’s daughter is a teacher that earned her degree in Wisconsin, the interviewer asked him why education is so important to him. For a brief moment he got very passionate and said the following:
Read More »We have No Child Left Behind which is leaving every child behind. Children are raining through cracks in this country. If we don’t do something now - and not just lip service – if we don’t take care of children now, this country is in trouble.
I just wanted to take a moment to explain how to sign up for this group, for "My Own Page" on our site and how to use the available tools successfully.
To sign up for this group you can simply click "Join Group". If you have already registered for our site you must first log in. If you have never registered for our site then please enter the requested info in the sign up section. Once you have signed up you will get an email verifying your information. After verification you can simply sign into "My Own Page."
On the "My Own Page" left column you first have your profile which you can edit as you wish. Do this by clicking the arrow,choosing an option on the drop down menu, and clicking "go."
Below that is your own blog. Simply click the arrow on the drop down menu and choose to manage, view, write, or edit a blog posting. If you select "write" click "go" and let the world know what is on your mind! After writing scroll down and choose the catagory that the post belongs in and what group pages that you would like to display your blog posting on. Read More »
To sign up for this group you can simply click "Join Group". If you have already registered for our site you must first log in. If you have never registered for our site then please enter the requested info in the sign up section. Once you have signed up you will get an email verifying your information. After verification you can simply sign into "My Own Page."
On the "My Own Page" left column you first have your profile which you can edit as you wish. Do this by clicking the arrow,choosing an option on the drop down menu, and clicking "go."
Below that is your own blog. Simply click the arrow on the drop down menu and choose to manage, view, write, or edit a blog posting. If you select "write" click "go" and let the world know what is on your mind! After writing scroll down and choose the catagory that the post belongs in and what group pages that you would like to display your blog posting on. Read More »
This from the Wisconsin Radio network:
Wisconsin school boards would have an easier time firing teachers if State Senator Glenn Grothman has his way. The West Bend Republican is drafting legislation to let districts get rid of what he calls "lemons" in the classroom, without going through years of legal disputes. Grothman says it's getting harder to get rid of teachers unless they do something truly outrageous in the classroom. He says it can take years of legal expenses to terminate a teacher's employment.
Wisconsin Education Association Council President Stan Johnson opposes the idea, saying it singles out public school teachers. Johnson says review policies are already in place to keep bad teachers from staying in Wisconsin schools, and Grothman's legislation would only hurt those who have worked their way through that process. He says a similar proposal was introduced last session, but it failed to pass out of a committee chaired by Grothman.
Another day, another round of problems reported in the MJS today at the School of Humanities. Wednesday included; a dozen cop cars, reports of a fight including a gun, and a 45 minute student lockdown in the afternoon. The front page Metro section story is accompanied by a picture of a student being led away by police to an awaiting police car. To read the entire sad story:
Link
Is this what we have to look forward to with the new small schools?
I think there needs to be answers quickly from administration about what the hell is going on. This is not just a financial problem at this school - which is the stated reason for closing the school by administration. Given that there are serious plans by the current administration to expand the small school model to Vincent, Bay View, and other large MPS high schools, it appears that they need to better explain what is going on with the first model at North Division.
Link
Is this what we have to look forward to with the new small schools?
I think there needs to be answers quickly from administration about what the hell is going on. This is not just a financial problem at this school - which is the stated reason for closing the school by administration. Given that there are serious plans by the current administration to expand the small school model to Vincent, Bay View, and other large MPS high schools, it appears that they need to better explain what is going on with the first model at North Division.
Today's MJS has a disturbing story about one of MPS's new small high schools. For those who are unaware, MPS is in a rapid process of closing traditional large high schools in favor of multiple smaller schools that operate in the old large school. The idea is that smaller schools will lead to smaller learning environments and engagement which will lead to better performance.
However, the school closed yesterday, The School of Humanities, sounds like it was a disaster. The article cites violence, a 92% suspension rate, and an unbelievable 132% truancy rate - that's right over 100%. To read how a school can get such a score: Link
New Deal has had a number of conversations with teachers, administrators, and students in the small schools and there appears to be reason for broader concern about the schools.
Jay or anyone else with insight what are your thoughts on the MPS small schools?
However, the school closed yesterday, The School of Humanities, sounds like it was a disaster. The article cites violence, a 92% suspension rate, and an unbelievable 132% truancy rate - that's right over 100%. To read how a school can get such a score: Link
New Deal has had a number of conversations with teachers, administrators, and students in the small schools and there appears to be reason for broader concern about the schools.
Jay or anyone else with insight what are your thoughts on the MPS small schools?
The recent, depressing, regretable--and remarkably anomalous--rash of school violence has led to what has to be the most hare-brained and addle-pated idea since Uncle Herb decided to let Homer design a car. (I know that was on a TV show. But I can't even think of an example in real life that even comes close.)
That idea--sprung like a sadly defective Athena from the shiny forehead of Representative Frank Lasee (R-Bellevue) (the town, not the mental hospital)--is to arm teachers and other school personnel.
I wonder if Lasee asked a single teacher about the idea, because just about every teacher I know would have told Lasee where he could stick his guns (hint: not the holster). Read More »
That idea--sprung like a sadly defective Athena from the shiny forehead of Representative Frank Lasee (R-Bellevue) (the town, not the mental hospital)--is to arm teachers and other school personnel.
I wonder if Lasee asked a single teacher about the idea, because just about every teacher I know would have told Lasee where he could stick his guns (hint: not the holster). Read More »
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that Milwaukee High School for the Arts is in serious financial situation.
Students at the school will receive with new schedules next week that will reduce offerings in several of the school's specialties.
The school Principal Eugene Humphrey wrote in a letter sent to parents: "It has become apparent that under the current circumstances, the model arts program that was originally established for MHSA can no longer be implemented as conceived. Milwaukee High School of the Arts is in a critical financial situation... To balance the budget and address the deficit for the 2006-'07 school year, it is necessary to reduce the teaching staff. The departments directly affected include creative writing, foreign language, science and theater. Ultimately, however, every program at MHSA is being affected by this reduction in one way or another."
to see the full article:
Link
Students at the school will receive with new schedules next week that will reduce offerings in several of the school's specialties.
The school Principal Eugene Humphrey wrote in a letter sent to parents: "It has become apparent that under the current circumstances, the model arts program that was originally established for MHSA can no longer be implemented as conceived. Milwaukee High School of the Arts is in a critical financial situation... To balance the budget and address the deficit for the 2006-'07 school year, it is necessary to reduce the teaching staff. The departments directly affected include creative writing, foreign language, science and theater. Ultimately, however, every program at MHSA is being affected by this reduction in one way or another."
to see the full article:
Link
The Emergency Campaign for America's Priorities and allied groups released a report yesterday on federal funding and education in Wisconsin. Thought that some of you might be interested in it. Please click the link below (pdf)for the report.
Link
Link
I find it odd the MPS should have to pay for police service when it is cutting core programs.
Question for Jay or anyone else: Is this arrangement unusual? Do other districts have to pay for police service?
Question for Jay or anyone else: Is this arrangement unusual? Do other districts have to pay for police service?
A little-noticed provision--literally no news outlet covered it, as far as I could find--in Mark Green's education proposal (.pdf) from last week is one that would essentially end collective bargaining as we know it between school districts and the unions that represent their teachers. By removing the last incentive for districts to engage in bargaining, Green would encourage districts to unilaterally impose new contracts on their employees without the cooperative spirit that bargaining brings to the process.
Read on for a full explanation of how . . . Read More »
Read on for a full explanation of how . . . Read More »
Too Good to Be True
More money in the classroom without raising taxes! Well, just remember what they say about things that sound too good to be true.
Green made headlines with it a month ago when he first floated the idea. It left a lot of us who follow education politics scratching our heads, since the national movement is called the "65% Solution." The idea is to force every school district to spend 65 cents of every education dollar on "in the classroom" expenses as defined by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This could mean, nationally, $13 billion more dollars spent in the classroom without a single extra penny collected in taxes. (Don't get excited--remember, this sounds too good to be true.)
But why the extra 5% in Green's proposal?
Well, the NCES definition leaves out some important things--like librarians and in-service professional development--that Green thinks should be counted as "in the classroom." (You can read his full proposal in .pdf form from his website, where he defines his terms.) When you look at Wisconsin's average spending, factoring those additional items, we spend 66.4% on "in the classroom" expenses, which, even even though I'm not a math teacher, looks greater than 65% already. So Green has to follow the lead of our neighbor to the west, Minnesota, where Republican governor Tim Pawlenty saw similar numbers and became the first person in the nation to up the ante to 70%.
But the 65% solution--or 70%, or 99.9%, or whatever number you want to set it as--is as bogus as the winter is long here in Wisconsin. Even a cursory Googling will turn up all kinds of unsavory information about the people behind the plan and opinions from people in the trenches--from teachers to parents to unbiased researchers to administrators--who don't see how any arbitrary number based around an arbitrary definition makes for good public policy. Let's look at some facts. Read More »
More money in the classroom without raising taxes! Well, just remember what they say about things that sound too good to be true.
Green made headlines with it a month ago when he first floated the idea. It left a lot of us who follow education politics scratching our heads, since the national movement is called the "65% Solution." The idea is to force every school district to spend 65 cents of every education dollar on "in the classroom" expenses as defined by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This could mean, nationally, $13 billion more dollars spent in the classroom without a single extra penny collected in taxes. (Don't get excited--remember, this sounds too good to be true.)
But why the extra 5% in Green's proposal?
Well, the NCES definition leaves out some important things--like librarians and in-service professional development--that Green thinks should be counted as "in the classroom." (You can read his full proposal in .pdf form from his website, where he defines his terms.) When you look at Wisconsin's average spending, factoring those additional items, we spend 66.4% on "in the classroom" expenses, which, even even though I'm not a math teacher, looks greater than 65% already. So Green has to follow the lead of our neighbor to the west, Minnesota, where Republican governor Tim Pawlenty saw similar numbers and became the first person in the nation to up the ante to 70%.
But the 65% solution--or 70%, or 99.9%, or whatever number you want to set it as--is as bogus as the winter is long here in Wisconsin. Even a cursory Googling will turn up all kinds of unsavory information about the people behind the plan and opinions from people in the trenches--from teachers to parents to unbiased researchers to administrators--who don't see how any arbitrary number based around an arbitrary definition makes for good public policy. Let's look at some facts. Read More »
Thanks to Jay for starting this group, Strengthen Our Schools, and giving us a place to discuss and hopefully take action on policy, both proposed and in effect, that relates to quality education in Wisconsin.
Everyone should read Jay's very detailed and instructive post on his blog Folkbum's Rambles and Rants. He takes on Congressman Mark Green's recently announced plans for education in Wisconsin, first showing us the weaknesses of the Congressman Green's so-called 70 percent funding plan. The blog posting describes Congressman Green's expansion of the Private School Voucher Program as a taxpayer-funded bailout of religious schools. It also dispels Green's assertion that the residency requirement in Milwaukee is a problem by citing a statistic that only 5 percent of teachers were bothered by the policy. The blog also highlights how Green's plan would essentially allow school districts to bypass collective bargaining over the issue of health care. Other Green ideas are summarized as a simple rehashings of tired, right wing boiler plate ideas.
Everyone should read Jay's very detailed and instructive post on his blog Folkbum's Rambles and Rants. He takes on Congressman Mark Green's recently announced plans for education in Wisconsin, first showing us the weaknesses of the Congressman Green's so-called 70 percent funding plan. The blog posting describes Congressman Green's expansion of the Private School Voucher Program as a taxpayer-funded bailout of religious schools. It also dispels Green's assertion that the residency requirement in Milwaukee is a problem by citing a statistic that only 5 percent of teachers were bothered by the policy. The blog also highlights how Green's plan would essentially allow school districts to bypass collective bargaining over the issue of health care. Other Green ideas are summarized as a simple rehashings of tired, right wing boiler plate ideas.
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