Powered By Blogger

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Learning is fun ...part two.

DID YOU KNOW?

House Bill 1337

2011 1st Regular Session

Latest Information
 
DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL

Teacher contracts. Extends the use of temporary teacher contracts to hiring for positions funded by grants. Establishes a process for contract cancellation for teachers. Provides that a collective bargaining agreement (agreement) may not include provisions that limit a school employer's ability to restructure schools that do not meet federal or state accountability standards, or that limit a school employer's ability to enter into programs that offer postsecondary credit or dual credits to students. Provides that an agreement may not extend beyond the end of a state budget biennium. Prohibits certain subjects from being bargained collectively, and provides that prohibited subjects and items that lead to deficit financing may not be included in an agreement. Removes provisions concerning discussion subjects. Provides that collective bargaining begins not later than May 1, and makes corresponding changes to related sections. Provides that a school employer may end a status quo period. Provides that if a complaint that is filed alleging an unfair practice is found to be frivolous, the complaining party is liable for costs and attorney's fees. Repeals provisions concerning contract cancellation for teachers, the Indiana education employment relations board, certain definitions, a provision allowing the statutory procedures for refusing to continue or canceling a teacher contract to be modified by an agreement, staff performance evaluation, and subjects of discussion, and makes conforming changes to related sections.
Current Status:
 In Committee - first House

Senate Bill 0001

2011 1st Regular Session

Latest Information
 
DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL

Teacher evaluations and licensing. Eliminates the advisory board of the division of professional standards of the department of education. Provides that not more than 50% of the teachers in a charter school are not required to be licensed as teachers, or be in the process of obtaining a license (unless the state board of education waives the limitation). Requires the department of education to revoke the license of a licensed school employee if the employee is convicted in another state or under federal statutes of an offense that is comparable to the felonies for which the employee's license would be revoked if committed in Indiana. Establishes an annual staff performance evaluation that categorizes teachers as highly effective, effective, improvement necessary, or ineffective. Specifies that a teacher rated ineffective or improvement necessary may not receive a raise or increment for the following year. Repeals references to the advisory board and the existing staff performance evaluation provisions, and makes corresponding changes to related sections.
Current Status:
 In Committee - first House
Posted by at No comments:

Learning is fun...part three.

DID YOU KNOW?

We Believe: Great teachers can make a tremendous difference for students of every background; all children deserve outstanding teachers.

Once inside the school, a great teacher is the single most important factor in a child's education. While there are many factors that influence a student's ability to learn, a great teacher can help any student overcome those barriers and realize their full potential. For this reason, we're doing everything we can to make sure teachers are supported and all schools are able to hire and retain the best teachers possible.

We Believe: Attending a great school should be a matter of fact, not luck; every family should be able to choose an excellent school.

In cities across America, parents are unable to enroll their kids in the best public schools — there just aren't enough seats. We're working to make sure all families have a range of high quality schools to choose from, because our kids shouldn't have to rely on a lottery or a certain Zip code to get a great education.

We Believe: Public dollars belong where they make the biggest difference—on effective instructional programs; we must fight ineffective practices and bureaucracy.

Schools need smart spending — not more money. Tax dollars should go toward programs that help our kids, ensure their long-term success, accurately evaluate teacher performance, and produce results — not layers or bureaucracy that only serve to protect the needs of special interests.

We Believe: Parent and family involvement is key to increased student achievement, but the entire community must be engaged in the effort to improve our schools.

Parental engagement is critical to ensuring student success, so we'll work to get all families more involved in their schools. But lasting reform requires that whole communities get involved in the fight for better schools. Without a widespread, concerted movement that engages all sectors of society, our country will continue to fall further and further behind the rest of the world.
If you agree with our mission, and want to help transform education in your community and throughout America, join us.
Posted by at No comments:

Learning is fun...part two.

Did You Know?

Speaker Bosma authors bill that gives
Hoosier students more options


STATEHOUSE - House Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis) authored House Bill 1002, which will give charter schools an opportunity to thrive and increase student access to public school options.
"This is a major transformation, a revolutionary transformation in charter education in Indiana" said Speaker Bosma, "It is my goal and the shared goal of the coauthors of this bill to make Indiana the top charter school state in the nation with the passage of this legislation."

Indiana currently has 62 public charter schools that serve over 22,000 students. Currently, 3,500 students are on charter school waiting lists throughout the state.
HB 1002 expands education opportunities through charter schools by eliminating existing statutory caps on the number of charter schools and by increasing the type of entities that can serve as a sponsor of a charter school, both key points of the 'Strengthen Indiana Plan', the House Republican's legislative agenda for 2011.

The idea of charter schools is something that is not new to Speaker Bosma. He first introduced a bill on charter schools in 1995. Speaker Bosma is joined on the bill by Representative Robert Behning (R-Indianapolis), House Education Chairman; Representative Mary Ann Sullivan (D-Indianapolis), and Representative Cindy Noe (R-Indianapolis), all champions of increasing education options for Hoosier families.

Speaker Bosma began his presentation by tackling many myths that continue to be associated with Charter Schools; such as the student population that they serve. Indiana's public charter schools serve a diverse group of children. Sixty-six percent of students enrolled in charter schools are eligible for free and reduced lunch and seventy-one percent of students are members of ethnic minorities.

"We must take dramatic steps to move education forward and provide Hoosier students with more quality options and opportunities that meet the needs of all children. This is about taking students with the fewest advantages - and giving them the education that they deserve," said Speaker Bosma.
Main provisions introduced in this bill are:
  • Increase the number of entities that can serve as charter school sponsors.
  • Remove all existing caps in statute both for charter and virtual charter schools.
  • Increase access to funding.
  • Provide that charters will be held to the state's public school accountability standards.
  • Require uniform and consistent transfer of credits when students transfer from a charter school to a public school.
  • Allow charter schools to lease or purchase underutilized or unused public school buildings.
  • Allow charters to opt in to the state health insurance plan.
Currently eighty-five percent of the families that have children enrolled in charter schools are satisfied, or extremely satisfied with their education.
"Charter public schools are not an educational silver bullet," said Speaker Bosma, "but a strong charter school system is certainly one key element in a dynamic and improved public school system in Indiana."

and*********************************************************************************



 





Posted by at No comments:

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Learning is fun....

DID YOU KNOW?
Barack Obama 

"As many as a quarter of our students aren’t even finishing high school."

"As many as a quarter of our students aren’t even finishing high school."

Mostly True
A dicey statistic, but prefaced with needed caution

"We now have our kids go to school about a month less than most other advanced countries."

Half-True

AND....********************************************************************************

"The states that actually have lots of teachers in teacher unions tend to be the states that have done the best in terms of academic success in this country."   Randi WeingaHalf-True
Current academic research is inconclusive

AND.....***********************************************

Sharron Angle "would eliminate the Department of Education."
Harry Reid
Harry Reid
True
She's described her rationale in some detail

AND....*************************************************.

"In this country, we have a 25 percent dropout rate."

Arne Duncan
Arne Duncan
Half-True
The measure includes students who didn't actually drop out

AND....*********************************************

Texas "children may have a teacher who never spent one minute practicing teaching."
Mike Villarreal
Mike Villarreal
True
No law to practice teaching in the classroom, but other training is required

and.....***********************************************

"Florida spends more than $300 million a year just on children repeating pre-K through 3rd grade."
Alex Sink
Alex Sink
Mostly True
Big numbers, simple math, claim mostly adds up

and....**********************************************

"The unemployment rate for folks who've never gone to college is almost double what it is for those who have."

Barack Obama
Barack Obama
True
If you're on the fence about attending college...

and...**********************************************

A scheduled speech by President Barack Obama will be "the first time an American president has spoken directly to the nation's school children about persisting and succeeding in school."
Arne Duncan
Arne Duncan
False
President George H.W. Bush did it in '91

AND...***********************************************.

"Tommy Thompson created the first school choice program in the nation, giving thousands of Milwaukee students the choice of where they go to school – no matter where they live or how much money their parents make."
Tommy Thompson
Tommy Thompson
True
He was credited as a "tinkerer"

AND....***********************************************

"Look, I believe in accountability. In 1983, I led the effort in Arkansas to improve our schools."
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton
True
No records, but there are witnesses
*********************************to be continued.........

Posted by at No comments:

Friday, February 4, 2011

education for life...


Education in the United States is mainly provided by the public sector, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. Child education is compulsory.
Public education is universally available. School curricula, funding, teaching, employment, and other policies are set through locally elected school boards with jurisdiction over school districts with many directives from state legislatures. School districts are usually separate from other local jurisdictions, with independent officials and budgets. Educational standards and standardized testing decisions are usually made by state governments.
The ages for compulsory education vary by state. It begins from ages five to eight and ends from ages fourteen to eighteen.[3]
Compulsory education requirements can generally be satisfied by educating children in public schools, state-certified private schools, or an approved home school program. In most public and private schools, education is divided into three levels: elementary school, middle school (sometimes called junior high school), and high school (sometimes referred to as secondary education). In almost all schools at these levels, children are divided by age groups into grades, ranging from kindergarten (followed by first grade) for the youngest children in elementary school, up to twelfth grade, the final year of high school. The exact age range of students in these grade levels varies slightly from area to area.

In the year 2000, there were 76.6 million students enrolled in schools from kindergarten through graduate schools. Of these, 72 percent aged 12 to 17 were judged academically "on track" for their age (enrolled in school at or above grade level). Of those enrolled in compulsory education, 5.2 million (10.4 percent) were attending private schools.
Among the country's adult population, over 85 percent have completed high school and 27 percent have received a bachelor's degree or higher. The average salary for college or university graduates is greater than $51,000, exceeding the national average of those without a high school diploma by more than $23,000, according to a 2005 study by the U.S. Census Bureau.[4] The 2010 unemployment rate for high school graduates was 10.8%; the rate for college graduates was 4.9%.[5]
The country has a reading literacy rate at 99% of the population over age 15,[6] while ranking below average in science and mathematics understanding compared to other developed countries.[7] In 2008, there was a 77% graduation rate from high school, below that of most developed countries.[8]
The poor performance has pushed public and private efforts such as the No Child Left Behind Act. In addition, the ratio of college-educated adults entering the workforce to general population (33%) is slightly below the mean of other developed countries (35%)[9] and rate of participation of the labor force in continuing education is high.[10] A 2000s study by Jon Miller of Michigan State University concluded that "A slightly higher proportion of American adults qualify as scientifically literate than European or Japanese adults".[11]

Home schooling
Main article: Homeschooling in the United States
In 2007, approximately 1.5 million children were homeschooled, up 74% from 1999 when the U.S. Department of Education first started keeping statistics. This was 2.9% of all children.[35]
Many select moral or religious reasons for homeschooling their children. The second main category is "unschooling," those who prefer a non-standard approach to education.[35]
Most homeschooling advocates are wary of the established educational institutions for various reasons. Some are religious conservatives who see nonreligious education as contrary to their moral or religious systems, or who wish to add religious instruction to the educational curriculum (and who may be unable to afford a church-operated private school, or where the only available school may teach views contrary to those of the parents). Others feel that they can more effectively tailor a curriculum to suit an individual student’s academic strengths and weaknesses, especially those with singular needs or disabilities. Still others feel that the negative social pressures of schools (such as bullying, drugs, crime, sex, and other school-related problems) are detrimental to a child’s proper development. Parents often form groups to help each other in the homeschooling process, and may even assign classes to different parents, similar to public and private schools.
Opposition to homeschooling comes from varied sources, including teachers' organizations and school districts. The National Education Association, the largest labor union in the United States, has been particularly vocal in the past.[36] Opponents' stated concerns fall into several broad categories, including fears of poor academic quality, loss of income for the schools, and religious or social extremism, or lack of socialization with others. At this time, over half of states have oversight into monitoring or measuring the academic progress of home schooled students, with all but ten requiring some form of notification to the state.[
Funding

[edit] Funding for K–12 schools

According to a 2005 report from the OECD, the United States is tied for first place with Switzerland when it comes to annual spending per student on its public schools, with each of those two countries spending more than $11,000 (in U.S. currency).[78] However, the United States is ranked 37th in the world in education spending as a percentage of gross domestic product. All but seven of the leading countries are in the third world; ranked high because of a low GDP.[79] U.S. public schools lag behind the schools of other developed countries in the areas of reading, math, and science.[80]
According to a 2007 article in The Washington Post, the Washington D.C. public school district spends $12,979 per student per year. This is the third highest level of funding per student out of the 100 biggest school districts in the U.S. Despite this high level of funding, the school district has produced outcomes that are lower than the national average. In reading and math, the district's students score the lowest among 11 major school districts – even when poor children are compared with other poor children. 33% of poor fourth graders in the U.S. lack basic skills in math, but in Washington D.C., it's 62%.[81] In 2004, the U.S. Congress set up a voucher program for low income minority students in Washington D.C. to attend private schools. The vouchers were $7,500 per student per year. The parents said their children were receiving a much better education from the private schools. In 2007, Washington D.C. non-voting delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton said she wanted the voucher program to be eliminated, and that the public schools needed more money.[82] Secretary of Education Arne Duncan supports retaining vouchers for the district only, as do some DC parent groups.[83][84]
According to a 2006 study by the Goldwater Institute, Arizona's public schools spend 50% more per student than Arizona's private schools. The study also says that while teachers constitute 72% of the employees at private schools, they make up less than half of the staff at public schools. According to the study, if Arizona's public schools wanted to be like private schools, they would have to hire approximately 25,000 more teachers, and eliminate 21,210 administration employees.[85]
During the 2006–2007 school year, a private school in Chicago founded by Marva Collins to teach low income minority students charged $5,500 for tuition, and parents said that the school did a much better job than the Chicago public school system.[86] However, Collins' school was forced to close in in 2008 due to lack of sufficient enrollment and funding.[87] Meanwhile, during the 2007–2008 year, Chicago public school officials claimed that their budget of $11,300 per student was not enough.[88]
to be continued....*********************************************************************************************
Posted by at No comments:

The Beauty of Choices...Part Four

DID YOU KNOW?

How much does student reading and mathematics performance improve in the kindergarten through the third grade years?

Response:
The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–99 collects information on a cohort of children who began kindergarten in fall 1998 and follows them through spring 2004, when most will have completed grade 5. The study assesses children’s achievement in reading, mathematics, and general knowledge as they progress through school. From fall 1998 through the end of 3rd grade in spring 2002, children’s average reading scale score increased 81 points, from 27 to 108. The corresponding increase in mathematics was 63 points, from a scale score of 22 in fall 1998 to 85 in spring 2002.1


The number of family risk factors (household below poverty level, non-English primary home language, mother's highest education less than a high school diploma/GED, and single-parent household) is negatively associated with children's achievement gains in reading and mathematics. As the number of family risk factors increased, children experienced smaller gains from the start of kindergarten through the end of 3rd grade in both subject areas. For example, children with no family risk factors had an average gain of 84 points in reading, compared with a 73-point gain among children with 2 or more family risk factors.
Also, Black children demonstrated smaller gains in reading and mathematics than White, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander children. Multivariate analysis shows the same patterns of differences after accounting for differences in the number of family risk factors as well as other selected characteristics (i.e., sex, kindergarten program type, and types of schools attended). While race/ethnicity is related to the number of family risk factors (Zill and West 2001, p. 18), after accounting for the factors examined here, race/ethnicity and the number of family risk factors are independently related to children's gains in reading and mathematics.
At the start of kindergarten in both reading and mathematics, Black children had lower mean achievement scores than other racial/ethnic groups, and children with family risk factors had lower achievement scores than their peers with fewer risk factors. These achievement gaps grew wider from the start of kindergarten in fall 1998 to the end of 3rd grade in spring 2002.
1The fall kindergarten to spring 3rd-grade reading scale gains ranged from 16 to 125 points, with a mean of 81 points and a standard deviation of 16.8 points, and the mathematics scale gains ranged from 17 to 104 points, with a mean of 63 points and a standard deviation of 13.7 points.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2004). The Condition of Education 2004 (NCES 2004–077), Indicator 8.

Question:How does achievement of American students compare to students in other countries?

Response:
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) carries out a variety of activities in order to provide statistical data for international comparisons of education.
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), is carried out under the aegis of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and supported by NCES. TIMSS, conducted every 4 years, is an assessment of fourth-and eighth-graders in mathematics and science.


On the 2007 TIMSS mathematics assessment, U.S. fourth-graders' average score (529) was higher than the average mathematics scores of fourth-graders in 23 of the 35 other participating educational systems, lower than the scores in 8 educational systems, and not measurably different from the scores in the remaining 4 educational systems (Average scale scores from the TIMSS assessment are based on a range of possible scores from 0 to 1,000. Most participating educational systems represent countries; however, some represent subnational entities with separate educational systems, such as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China. The educational systems that outperformed the United States in fourth-grade mathematics—namely, Chinese Taipei, England, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, the Russian Federation, and Singapore—all were located in Asia or Europe. In 2007, U.S. eighth-graders' average mathematics score (508) was higher than the average scores of eighth-graders in 37 of the 47 other participating educational systems, lower than the scores in 5 educational systems, and not measurably different from the scores in the remaining 5 educational systems. All of the educational systems that outperformed the United States in eighth-grade mathematics were in Asia (Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore).

On the 2007 TIMSS science assessment, U.S. fourth-graders' average score (539) was higher than the average science scores of fourth-graders in 25 of the 35 other participating educational systems, lower than the scores in 4 educational systems (all of them located in Asia), and not measurably different from the scores in the remaining 6 educational systems. The educational systems that outperformed the United States in fourth-grade science were Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, and Singapore. In 2007, U.S. eighth-graders' average science score (520) was higher than the average scores of eighth-graders in 35 of the 47 other educational systems, lower than the scores in 9 educational systems (all located in Asia or Europe), and not measurably different from the scores in the remaining 3 educational systems. The educational systems that outperformed the United States in eighth-grade science were in Chinese Taipei, the Czech Republic, England, Hungary, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Slovenia, and Singapore.

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a system of international assessments that measures 15-year-olds' performance in reading literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy every 3 years. In 2006, fifty-seven jurisdictions participated in PISA, including 30 OECD countries and 27 non-OECD countries.
On the 2006 PISA, the average score of U.S. 15-year-olds in mathematics literacy was 474, which was lower than the OECD average of 498. (Possible scores on PISA assessments range from 0 to 1,000.) The average mathematics literacy score in the United States was lower than the average score in 23 of the other 29 OECD countries for which comparable PISA results were reported, higher than the average score in 4 of the other OECD countries, and not measurably different from the average score in 2 of the OECD countries. Comparable mathematics literacy results were also reported for 27 non-OECD jurisdictions, 8 of which had higher average scores than did the United States. In science literacy, the average score of 15-year-olds in the United States was lower than the average score in 16 of the other 29 OECD countries, higher than the average score in 5 of the other OECD countries, and not measurably different from the average score in 8 of the OECD countries. In 6 of the 27 non-OECD jurisdictions, the science literacy scores of 15-year-olds were higher than the average score in the United States. PISA 2006 reading literacy results were not reported for the United States because of an error in printing the test booklets.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Digest of Education Statistics, 2009

to be contiued....................*****************************************************************
Posted by at No comments:

The Beauty of Choices...Part Three

DID YOU KNOW?

On March 13, the Obama administration released its blueprint for revising the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
The blueprint challenges the nation to embrace education standards that would put America on a path to global leadership. It provides incentives for states to adopt academic standards that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace, and create accountability systems that measure student growth toward meeting the goal that all children graduate and succeed in college.
Read the blueprint or download it PDF (1.9M). Learn how the blueprint empowers educators: read Built for Teachers. See a slideshow comparing the blueprint to No Child Left Behind download files PDF (101K). Find out what the blueprint proposes for...
  • accountability download files PDF (1.03M)
  • a complete education download files PDF (2.10M)
  • college- and career-ready standards and assessments download files PDF (2.24M)
  • diverse learners download files PDF (1.99M)
  • early learning download files PDF (1.17M)
  • families and communities download files PDF (912K)
  • public school choice download files PDF (2.04M)
  • rewarding excellence and promoting innovation download files PDF (2.65M)
  • rural schools download files PDF (737K)
  • science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education download files PDF (833K)
  • teachers download files PDF (851K)
  • turning around low-performing schools. download files PDF (1.77MB)
  • National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL)
    Adults age 16 or older were assessed in three types of literacy (prose, document, and quantitative) in 1992 and 2003. Literacy is defined as "using printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one's goals, and to develop one's knowledge and potential." The average prose and document literacy scores of U.S. adults were not measurably different in 2003 from 1992, but the average quantitative literacy score increased 8 points between these years.
    One measure of literacy is the percentage of adults who perform at four achievement levels: Below Basic, Basic, Intermediate, and Proficient. In each type of literacy, 13 percent of adults were at or above Proficient (indicating they possess the skills necessary to perform complex and challenging literacy activities) in 2003. Twenty-two percent of adults were Below Basic (indicating they possess no more than the most simple and concrete literacy skills) in quantitative literacy, compared with 14 percent in prose literacy and 12 percent in document literacy.
    Differences in average literacy scores were apparent by sex and race/ethnicity. Women scored higher than men on prose and document literacy in 2003, unlike in 1992. Men outperformed women on quantitative literacy in both years. Male scores declined in prose and document literacy from 1992 to 2003, while female scores increased in document and quantitative literacy. In 1992 and 2003, White and Asian/Pacific Islander adults had higher average scores than their Black and Hispanic peers in the three types of literacy assessed. Black performance increased in each type of literacy from 1992 to 2003, while Hispanic average scores declined in prose and document literacy.
    Additional differences in average literacy were apparent by education and age. Educational attainment is positively related to all three types of literacy: those with any education after high school outperformed their peers with less education in 1992 and 2003. Between these years, average prose literacy decreased for most levels of educational attainment, and average document literacy decreased for those with some college, associate’s degrees, and college graduates. From 1992 to 2003, the average prose, document, and quantitative literacy scores of adults ages 50–64 and 65 or older increased.
    SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2007). The Condition of Education 2007 (NCES 2007–064), Indicator 18.
  • TO BE CONTINUED*************************************************************
Posted by at No comments:

The Beauty of Choices...Part Two

DID YOU KNOW?
American public education differs from that of many other nations in that it is primarily the responsibility of the states and individual school districts. The national system of formal education in the United States developed in the 19th century. Jefferson was the first American leader to suggest creating a public school system. His ideas formed the basis of education systems developed in the 19th century.

The most preliminary form of public education was in existence in the 1600s in the New England colonies of Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire. The overriding belief on educating the children was more due to religious reasons and was easy to implement, as the only groups in existence were the Puritans and the Congregationalists. However, the influx of people from many countries and belonging to different faiths led to a weakening of the concept. People refused to learn only in English and opposed the clergy imposing their religious views through public education. By the middle of the eighteenth century, private schooling had become the norm.

After the Declaration of Independence, 14 states had their own constitutions by 1791, and out of the 14, 7 states had specific provisions for education. Jefferson believed that education should be under the control of the government, free from religious biases, and available to all people irrespective of their status in society. Others who vouched for public education around the same time were Benjamin Rush, Noah Webster, Robert Coram and George Washington. It was still very difficult to translate the concept to practice because of the political upheavals, vast immigration, and economic transformations. Thus, even for many more decades, there were many private schools, and charitable and religious institutions dominating the scene.

The advancement in technology and learning methods has brought about a lot of change for the better in the public education. However, other social problems that affect the public schools today are violence, drugs, alcohol, smoking, and sex-related issues. The American public school has always been looked upon as a system that inculcates the ideals of equality and freedom in the individual. It has changed historically according to the upheavals in the society. But the pitiful standard of high school education today has left many educators wondering how to improve the system, so much so that in his first week of ascending the Presidency, Bush introduced his “No child left behind” education plan. It is eventually the role of the public that should influence public education, which is not much prevalent now.

Private schools, also known as independent schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students tuition, rather than relying on public (government) funding, students can get a scholarship into a private school which makes the cost cheaper depending on a talent the student may have e.g. sport scholarship, art scholarship, academic scholarship etc. In the United Kingdom and several other Commonwealth countries, the use of the term is generally restricted to primary and secondary educational levels; it is almost never used of universities and other tertiary institutions. Private education in North America covers the whole gamut of educational activity, ranging from pre-school to tertiary level institutions. Annual tuition fees at K-12 schools range from nothing at so called 'tuition-free' schools to more than $45,000 at several New England prep schools.

The secondary level includes schools offering years 7 through 12 (year twelve is known as lower sixth) and year 13 (upper sixth). This category includes university-preparatory schools or "prep schools", boarding schools and day schools. Tuition at private secondary schools varies from school to school and depends on many factors, including the location of the school, the willingness of parents to pay, peer tuitions and the school's financial endowment. High tuition, schools claim, is used to pay higher salaries for the best teachers and also used to provide enriched learning environments, including a low student to teacher ratio, small class sizes and services, such as libraries, science laboratories and computers. Some private schools are boarding schools and many military academies are privately owned or operated as well.

Religiously affiliated and denominational schools form a subcategory of private schools. Some such schools teach religious education, together with the usual academic subjects to impress their particular faith's beliefs and traditions in the students who attend. Others use the denomination as more of a general label to describe on what the founders based their belief, while still maintaining a fine distinction between academics and religion. They include parochial schools, a term which is often used to denote Roman Catholic schools. Other religious groups represented in the K-12 private education sector include Protestants, Jews, Muslims and the Orthodox Christians.

Charter schools in the United States are primary or secondary schools that receive public money (and like other schools, may also receive private donations) but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter.[1] Charter schools are opened and attended by choice.[2] While charter schools provide an alternative to other public schools, they are part of the public education system and are not allowed to charge tuition. Where enrollment in a charter school is oversubscribed, admission is frequently allocated by lottery-based admissions. In a 2008 survey of charter schools, 59% of the schools reported that they had a waiting list, averaging 198 students.[3] Some charter schools provide a curriculum that specializes in a certain field — e.g., arts and mathematics. Others attempt to provide a better and more efficient general education than nearby public schools.
Some charter schools are founded by teachers, parents, or activists who feel restricted by traditional public schools.[4] State-authorized charters (schools not chartered by local school districts) are often established by non-profit groups, universities, and some government entities.[5] Additionally, school districts sometimes permit corporations to manage chains of charter schools. The schools themselves are still non-profit, in the same way that public schools may be managed by a for-profit corporation. It does not change the status of the school. In the United States, though the percentage of students educated in charter schools varies by school district, only in the New Orleans Public Schools system are the majority of children educated within independent public charter schools.[6]
******************************************to be continued***************************************
Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, February 3, 2011

The beauty of choices...

Two recent news stories strike me as predominantly positive about living in America. The first one is  about a mother being jailed for lying about her true residence just so she can send her kids to a better school in a better school district. I personally know of another local family who did this for almost three years. The second one is about the arguments in support of opening up more charter schools,  where opponents  must  come up with reliable and compelling reasons why it is not a good idea... At first glance you will say that these two news stories are negative, maybe yes, by virtue of the actions, but by virtue of the outcome and the intent and the results coming from  such stories these are actually positive reasoning.
By wanting to send our kids to a better public school is a positive thing. By wanting to set up more charter schools is also a positive thing. Actually the news stories are exactly interrelated though they did not happen in the same locale. How many parents out there are or have been dreaming of "choices"? as far as where to send their kids to school without having to change residence and without being forced to pay high tuition in private schools? How many parents  are just plainly tired of the public school system for a lot of reasons? How many parents have opted to home-school their kids because of their distrust of public schools?


DID YOU KNOW?
The primary functions of the Department of Education are to formulate and administer federal funding programs involving education, such as college financial aid, collect data on US schools, and to enforce federal educational laws regarding privacy and civil rights.[3][4]
The Department's mission is: to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.[5]
Unlike the systems of most other countries, education in the United States is highly decentralized, and the federal government and Department of Education are not heavily involved in determining curricula or educational standards (with the recent exception of the No Child Left Behind Act). This has been left to state and local school districts. The quality of educational institutions and their degrees is maintained through an informal private process known as accreditation, over which the Department of Education has no direct public jurisdictional control.
President Ronald Reagan promised during the 1980 presidential election to eliminate the Department of Education as a cabinet post,[6] but he was not able to do so with a Democratic House of Representatives. In the 1982 State of the Union Address, he pledged:
“The budget plan I submit to you on Feb. 8 will realize major savings by dismantling the Department of Education.[7]”

Throughout the 1980s, the abolition of the Department of Education was a part of the Republican Party platform, but the administration of President George H. W. Bush declined to implement this idea.
In 1996, the Republican Party made abolition of the Department a cornerstone of their campaign promises, calling it an inappropriate federal intrusion into local, state, and family affairs.[7] The GOP platform read:
“The Federal government has no constitutional authority to be involved in school curricula or to control jobs in the market place. This is why we will abolish the Department of Education, end federal meddling in our schools, and promote family choice at all levels of learning.[7][8]”

During his 1996 presidential run, Senator Bob Dole promised, "We're going to cut out the Department of Education."[8]
In 2000, the Republican Liberty Caucus passed a resolution to abolish the Department of Education.[9]
Abolition of the organization was not pursued under the George W. Bush administration, which made reform of federal education a key priority of the President's first term. In 2008, presidential candidate Ron Paul campaigned in part on an opposition to the Department.[10]

CONTINUED:::::::::::::::::********************************************************************


 

 
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)