Articles in the Governance category

Scandals in charters bound to bind them in red tape, diminishing their autonomy

A_Man_Stuck_In_Red_Tape_Royalty_Free_Clipart_Picture_091110-053150-778042Incidents of nepotism and conflict of interest recently have been uncovered in some New York City charter schools. Meanwhile, a Philadelphia investigation has found questionable financial practices among some of that city’s charters.

Doesn’t worry me.

Why not? One reason is that such nonsense just happens. There are more than 4,600 charter schools in the nation, so it’s inevitable that some charter organizers are going to be inexperienced, incompetent, or even dishonest in their handling of school finances.

The more cynical reason for my indifference is that charters are doomed.

Oh, I’m not predicting that charter schools are going away. Not a chance. A few financial horror stories are not going to diminish the momentum of the charter school movement or undermine the bipartisan political support that charters enjoy today.

No, I’m saying that charter schools are doomed to lose their independence and flexibility. Their promise of innovation is doomed to slow strangulation in bureaucratic red tape.

As I see it, this is inevitable. A few more years, a few more headlines about financial irregularities, and you’ll see state and federal lawmakers begin to push forward legislation to ensure that tax dollars aren’t misspent.

You’ll see state and federal regulators announce a host of rules on how they handle their money and what they can spend it on.
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Naomi Dillon|April 22nd, 2010|Categories: American School Board Journal, Governance, School Reform|Tags: , , |

Corporal punishment still, inexplicably, being meted out some school districts

SpankingIn many cases, a wide sweeping federal mandate is not the best solution for setting policies in schools.  Individual school boards are much better able to evaluate and work with their schools on a personal, local level that national programs just can’t match.

But what about schools that refuse to mandate a change that seems so pressing, and so obviously necessary, that it is a wonder they didn’t do it decades ago? A Washington Post report tells the story of Temple—a city in central Texas that still uses corporal punishment on misbehaving students.

New York Congress member Carolyn McCarthy plans to unveil legislation to put a federal ban on paddling students. One would hope a national ruling against educators striking kids would be unnecessary in modern times (even prisons have outlawed physical forms of punishment), but apparently not. Twenty states still allow corporal punishment and, in Temple, that means paddling.

 John Hancock, the assistant superintendent of administration for Temple schools told the Washington Post, “the school system had banned corporal punishment about six years ago because a state law change made what was permissible uncertain. Follow-up made clear that schools could paddle.”
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Naomi Dillon|April 20th, 2010|Categories: American School Board Journal, Governance|Tags: , , |

Big names, big moments, all a part of NSBA annual conference

DSC_43591-e1271009270864-199x300Let me preface this blog with a confession: I missed Wynton Marsalis’ speech at NSBA’s 70th Annual Conference last weekend in Chicago. I’ve since heard that his speech and performance was one of the best in recent memory at an NSBA event, and we’ve had some pretty darn good speakers in recent years (Bill Clinton, Sydney Portier, Sandra Day O’Connor, to drop a few names).

For me, the most important speech of the conference wasn’t a General Session headliner, it actually took place in a jam-packed room on the fourth floor. But I believe what Diane Ravitch had to say was pretty close to revolutionary in the 15 years I’ve covered education policy. My former NSBA colleague, attorney Tom Hutton, called it a “watershed” moment in education reform.

My second confession: I hadn’t read Ravitch’s new book, “The Death and Life of the Great American School System,” before listening to her speech. I had read lots about it, and how she’s changed her views on issues such as school choice, testing and accountability models, and free enterprise as a model for K-12 education reform.

Fortunately, Ravitch walked the audience through the chapters of the book and explained how she had changed her mind about a lot of the concepts she’d previously endorsed (there’s been a lot more research since the inception of standards-based reform in the 1990s and No Child Left Behind, for one thing).

It all started when she decided to have her home office repainted and had to pack up and sort through some 30 years worth of books, papers and memorabilia. It was then that Ravitch, who began her career as an education historian, served in the George H.W. Bush administration, and later became a conservative-leaning analyst, began examining the ideals versus the implementation of NCLB and current political climate.
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Naomi Dillon|April 19th, 2010|Categories: American School Board Journal, Educational Research, Governance, Policy Formation|Tags: , , |

A rich vocabulary, useful in any context

the-power-of-wordsHow many eighth graders can explain the meaning of the word oligarchy? What about antebellum, or insurrection? These are words that eighth-grade students should be familiar with when it comes to their social studies curriculum, and a new plan in Tennessee is working to make sure that this happens, according to the Washington Post.

The purpose of the Academic Vocabulary Project is to close the gap between students from low-income families and their more financially stable peers. The former often lag behind in many areas of school, and vocabulary is an especially stubborn problem.

Two things about this program make it stand out to me: that it was established well before the state came out as a winner last month in the “Race to the Top” program, and that it is not specifically designed to increase standardized test performance. In an education system where federal funding is the Holy Grail, and test scores seem to be the best way to get to it, it’s refreshing to see a program that is truly innovative in its focus on something other than test preparation.
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Naomi Dillon|April 15th, 2010|Categories: American School Board Journal, Curriculum, Governance, Student Achievement|Tags: , , |

Negative narrative hounds education, despite evidence of good work, big challenges

Diane Ravitch speaks at 70th annual NSBA conference

Diane Ravitch one of many speakers at 70th annual NSBA conference

I came away from Chicago feeling much like I have after other NSBA annual conferences: inspired — and frustrated.

Inspired because, corny as it might sound, I really am impressed with the work that you — school board members and administrators – are doing. You know what makes a good school system and, if Chicago’s conference is any indication, are working diligently against difficult odds to improve the education of all students.

I could cite any number of examples, but will just mention one interactive workshop I covered at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday (well-attended, by the way), led by Rob Delane, deputy executive director of the Ohio School Boards Association, titled “What Makes A Great Workplace: The Board’s Role in Ensuring a Positive School Climate.”  If you had listened to the questions and comments, you would have heard board members who were intently focused on improving the climate in their schools and their communication with the public.
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Naomi Dillon|April 14th, 2010|Categories: American School Board Journal, Educational Research, Governance, Policy Formation, School Climate|Tags: , , , |

Exclusion can be hurtful, especially when perpetrated by administrators

formatura-prom-baile-623646-lStories about bullying in schools have taken over headlines these past few weeks.  From cases of students bullying students—as was the case with Phoebe Prince and Alexis Pilkington—or even school administrators bullying teachers, there has been a lot of discussion about what a hostile environment school can be.

But what happens when the taunting and mistreatment move past the level of peer-to-peer? This was the situation that faced Constance McMillen when her Jackson, Miss. High school told her she could not bring a date of the same sex to her senior prom. 

The incident jumped into the national spotlight when “the ACLU sent a demand letter to Superintendent Teresa McNeece in February, saying the rules against same-sex prom dates and girls wearing tuxedos violated McMillen’s constitutional rights. The district responded by withdrawing its sponsorship and canceling the April 2 event,” theWashington Post reported. They later scheduled a private event with school chaperones, which McMillen was free to attend with whomever she chose.

What they didn’t tell her is they also rescheduled the regular prom, and she wasn’t invited. As if cancelling the prom to avoid the sight of two girls dancing together wasn’t outrageous enough, the school and a group of parents conspired to add insult to injury by scheduling an alternative event that McMillen was never formally told about.
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Naomi Dillon|April 13th, 2010|Categories: American School Board Journal, Governance, School Climate|Tags: , |

Districts receive Magna Awards today

School board and district best practices were honored today at the School Leaders Luncheon as 18 Magna Award winners received accolades for their innovative solutions to the challenges faced in public education today. Fifteen districts received honorable mentions.

The three grand prize winners earned $4,000 in scholarship money. The Magna Awards are presented by American School Board Journal and NSBA and they are sponsored through the generous support of Sodexo School Services. 

Kentucky’s Mason County Schools won in the small enrollment category for its Home Visit Initiative, where every student in the district recieves a visit from his or her teacher before the start of school each year.

The winner in the medium enrollment category, Madison County School District in Phoenix, Ariz., developed three professional development programs for teachers so they could take advantage of the influx of new technology coming into their classrooms.

St. Tammany Parish Public Schools in Louisiana took the grand prize in the large district category for an energy savings program that allowed the district to save $4.4 million in energy costs and send that money back to the classrooms.

Read about all of the award-winning programs at www.asbj.com/magna. You’ll also find a searchable database of past winners and high-scoring applications

Grand Prize Winner, Category 1 — under 5,000 enrollment

Mason County Schools, Maysville, Ky.

Grand Prize Winner, Category 2 — 5,000-20,000 enrollment

Madison School District, Phoenix, Ariz.

Grand Prize Winner, Category 3 — over 20,000 enrollment

St. Tammany Parish Public School System, Covington, La.

Winners, Category 1 — under 5,000 enrollment

Ferndale Public Schools, Ferndale, Mich.

High Point Regional High School District, Sussex, N.J.

Lexington City Schools, Lexington, N.C.

Trussville City Schools, Trussville, Ala.

Valley View Independent School District, Pharr, Texas

Winners, Category 2 — 5,000-20,000 enrollment

Blue Springs R-IV School District, Blue Springs, Mo.

Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

Montrose County School District Re-1J, Montrose, Colo.

School District of La Crosse, La Crosse, Wis.

St. Charles Parish Public Schools, Luling, La.

Winners, Category 3 — over 20,000 enrollment

Austin Independent School District, Austin, Texas

Polk County Public Schools, Bartow, Fla.

San Bernardino City Unified School District, San Bernardino, Calif.

West Contra Costa Unified School District, Richmond, Calif.

Yonkers Public Schools, Yonkers, N.Y.

Honorable Mention, Category 1 — under 5,000 enrollment

Flossmoor School District 161, Flossmoor, Ill.

Greene County School System, Greensboro, Ga.

Katonah-Lewisboro School District, Katonah, N.Y.

Las Vegas City Schools, Las Vegas, N.M.

Normandy School District, St. Louis, Mo.

Honorable Mention, Category 2 — 5,000-20,000 enrollment

Encinitas Union School District, Encinitas, Calif.

Flowing Wells Unified School District, Tucson, Ariz.

Friendswood Independent School District, Friendswood, Texas

Parma City School District, Parma, Ohio

Rockdale County Public Schools, Conyers, Ga.

Honorable Mention, Category 3 — over 20,000 enrollment

Cumberland County Schools, Fayetteville, N.C.

Horry County Schools, Conway, S.C.

Jackson County Intermediate School District, Jackson, Mich.

Mesquite Independent School District, Mesquite, Texas

Newport News Public Schools, Newport News, Va.

Kathleen Vail|April 12th, 2010|Categories: Governance, NSBA Annual Conference 2010, School Board News, School Boards|

Leveling the field

Adams County School District 50 started a revolution of sorts last fall when it eliminated grade levels for its elementary school and middle school students and will move the reform to the high school this fall.

Grouping students by skills level instead of by age allows the district, which serves 10,000 students just north of Denver, to give extra help to students who need more time to master skills. Students who master the skills and concepts more quickly can move on to more challenging levels.

Adams 50 Superintendent Roberta Selleck and school board President Vicky Marshall discussed their district’s journey through standards-based education reform at an early morning session today at NA Central. The session was sponsored by American School Board Journal, the monthly magazine published by NSBA.

Adams 50 is following what had been referred to at the Chugach Model and is now the Re-Invention Schools Coalition (RISC) model, created by former Chugach, Alaska, school superintendent Rich DeLorenzo.

 Explaining the basics of the reform, Selleck and Marshall put their district’s transformation in context. They also discussed how to lay the ground work for reform, as well as getting the all-important buy-in from their teachers, parents, administrators, and community members. The model calls for 80 percent of teachers to agree to the reform–a percentage that Adams achieved through meetings, training, and even a school-sponsored trip to Chugach for a handful of teachers.

Read ASBJ’s March cover story on Adams 50, Leveling the Field. 

Kathleen Vail|April 12th, 2010|Categories: Curriculum, Governance, School Board News, School Climate, School Reform, Student Achievement, Teachers|

‘Noses in, fingers out’ helps boards prevent fraud

Charles Trainor asks a lot of questions. He’s an internal auditor and fraud examiner, so asking questions — polite but probing questions — is a big part of his job.

Trainor says that board members should be asking questions too. Because, unfortunately, fraud and financial mismanagement is a lot more common in the public and private sectors — and yes, that includes school districts — than most people could ever imagine.

At a Meet the Experts Session titled “Money Matters,” Trainor, an adviser to school districts and the Money columnist for  American School Board Journal, said the best way to protect your district, cut costs, and get a handle on just where your money is going is to set up an independent audit committee.

“Trust but verify” — that late Cold War, Reagan-era expression — is one of Trainor’s favorite sayings. Applied to school districts, it means that school board members should trust the professionals in their districts to do their jobs — that is, don’t meddle — but at the same time ensure that there is ongoing risk assessment and oversight of district operations.

Or, as Trainor puts it, “noses in, fingers out.” That’s also the job description for members of your audit committee, which should include at least one outsider with expertise in finance and accounting.

Ever heard of a “ghost employee?” That’s someone who used to work in your school district and doesn’t anymore — but is still drawing a paycheck (Make that: Somebody’s drawing that paycheck.) It can happen in school districts that aren’t paying attention to where their funds are going, Trainor said, and it’s just one of a myriad of improprieties that an audit committee can help prevent.

For more information, Trainor recommends the book Audit Committee Effectiveness: What Works Best, from the Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation. The book normally sells for $85 for non-members of the auditors’ group but is available at the Conference bookstore for $29.95.

Lawrence Hardy|April 11th, 2010|Categories: Educational Finance, Governance, NSBA Annual Conference 2010, School Board News, School Boards|

Savoie reflects on term as NSBA president

C.H. “Sonny” Savoie, in his final speech as NSBA’s president, looked back on a “very busy” past 12 months and proclaimed that his “three C’s” theme of culture, climate, and collaboration has been joined by a fourth C: challenges.

“Public education has again come under fire by some who think they know better — can do better — than we do,” he said during the speech at today’s Second General Session. “But you and I know that we are doing what is best for public school children of America in our districts every day.”

Savoie, who serves on the school board in Louisiana’s St. Charles Parish, told of his travels to numerous states and praised the work of fellow school board members.

“Together we’ve continued our work to create a culture of support, we’ve ensured that our work creates a climate where all of our students feel safe and are able to learn, and we have collaborated to take our boards, state associations, and NSBA to their next level of performance,” he said.

He then listed some of the challenges local school boards face daily.

“Our school systems are being asked to do more with less,” Savoie said. “Our teachers are looking for the resources that they need to take our students to the top of their achievement levels. Our administrators need the support of the school board and community to empower their work. On the national level, we have threats of charter schools, privatization, unfunded mandates, and other challenges staring us in the face.

“But, I would say that nothing great was ever achieved without first having to overcome some real challenges.”

He pointed to the New Orleans Saints, the long-beleaguered franchise that finally won the Super Bowl this year, as an example.

“Under new leadership and the teamwork of many talented players, the Saints were able to achieve their goal of becoming the Super Bowl champions,” he said. “This team was embraced by a city, state, and nation because of the relationships that they built with people. They showed us that anything is possible. That blueprint is before us and can be replicated … It is totally up to us.

The way school boards and NSBA can achieve greatness, he said, is by “working together” and “taking advantage of all the resources that our state associations have to offer to us.” Local board members can draw from NSBA’s Federal Relations Network and national advocacy program and use the recently updated Key Work of School Boards as a guide.

“While I stand before you, feeling a tremendous sense of accomplishment as your president, I also feel like I am just at the beginning of what needs to be done,” Savoie said. ” I am energized and inspired … and I look forward to seeing how high this organization flies in the months and years to come.

Glenn Cook|April 11th, 2010|Categories: Governance, NSBA Annual Conference 2010, School Board News, School Boards|
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