Chatter with Children in Grocery Stores

A new study investigates adult chatter with their children while in the grocery store and find that it may help overcome the "word gap"that exists between children entering elementary school.

The Candidates (Yes, R's and D's) on Education

Education Week published this helpful index of the candidates and their plans for education. Read more here: http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/election-guide-5-education-takeaways-from-candidates.html

Georgia Governor's Opportunity School District

Georgia's Governor Nathan Deal  proposed creation of an Opportunity School District (OSD) in early 2015. The OSD would authorize the state to control "chronically failing public schools and rescue children languishing in them" according to press releases. In a March 2015 Frequently Asked Questions, the Governor's Office stated this about the structure of the school district:

The OSD is an organizational unit of the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA),established and administered by the superintendent of the Opportunity School District (OSD) for the purpose of providing oversight and operation of failing schools assigned to the OSD.

The Governor shall appoint a superintendent of the OSD, to be confirmed by the Senate. TheOSD superintendent shall be a direct report to the Governor.

These schools subject to potential control by the OSD include many Atlanta Public Schools, DeKalb County Schools (metro Atlanta), Fulton County Schools (metro Atlanta), Bibb County Schools (Macon, GA), Chatham County Schools (Savannah, GA), Dougherty Country Schools (Albany, GA), Muscogee County Schools (Columbus, GA), and Richmond County Schools (Augusta), including several others. In an interactive map, see the potentially impacted schools across the state of Georgia here: http://www.ajc.com/map-ga-schools-failing/  

To read more about the criteria that would trigger inclusion in the OSD, see the FAQs.

Atlanta Education Guide is Out...

Atlanta's chief business news source, The Atlanta Business Chronicle, has released its full page, stand-alone section on the metro Atlanta schools. It includes key information for elementary, middle, and high schools alike... with performance data from Georgia's Milestones assessment to teacher and student counts to enrollment and tuition numbers for some of the area's "independent" (read private) schools, charter schools, and colleges/universities.

Looks like I'm in for some good leisurely reading...

WAPPP Wire: What Happens to Minorities and Women When We Eliminate Affirmative Action

In a recent study, a researcher empirically looks into a "natural" experiment wherein several states repealed affirmative action policies for state employees. The researcher's results might be expected, but the statistical significance and magnitude are revealing nonetheless:



As covered by WAPPP Wire, see the study of Professor Fidan Ana Kurtulus of UMASS Amherst:

President John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order 10925 in 1961 introducing Affirmative Action to the American workplace. More than 40 years later, the ramifications still deeply affect millions of lives. (...) And while the dataset itself is interesting, the results of her research are even more so. (...)

Atlanta Public Schools (under new leadership) Sues for a Clear Title to Old Schools

Just made public today (but apparently filed at the end of March 2015), Atlanta Public Schools is requesting that the courts declare the legal titles for four elementary schools are clear -- so that APS can sell the old properties (not in current use), recoup the monies, and go on about the business of cleaning up the mess it made better educating children.  At the heart of this lawsuit is a dispute of words and public relations between APS and the City of Atlanta, namely the Mayor of Atlanta. 

Read more about APS's efforts to move forward and the horsetrading the Mayor has attempted to stall APS plans:

http://clatl.com/freshloaf/archives/2015/05/01/aps-files-lawsuit-to-gain-full-control-of-four-vacant-school-deeds

Here are some quotes for context:

Mayor Kasim Reed earlier this year said several vacant schools remain part of the ongoing negotiations in the APS-Atlanta Beltline funding dispute. But APS Superintendent Meria Carstarphen disagreed, saying the deeds weren't part of those discussions. Reed responded to her remarks saying that the superintendent "doesn't know what she's talking about" regarding the dispute, which still remains unresolved.

According to the March 26 filing, which seeks to "establish title against all the world," the city should have transferred over all contracts, orders, leases, and bonds to the Atlanta Board of Education as part of the city's charter adopted in 1973. That shift in responsibility also should have included the ownership of all properties the city had acquired to provide a public education to Atlanta children when it oversaw the school system. Since that time, the lawsuit says, the city's education board has paid millions in costs associated with the upkeep of those four vacant schools.

School Leaders Wanted for KIPP Schools

KIPP is searching for a high school leader in the Bay Area, an elementary school leader in Columbus, Ohio and elementary assistant school leaders in Jacksonville, Florida and St. Louis, Missouri. Please see below for more info on each role. If interested, please reach out to Maggie Raible, Manager, National Recruitment for the KIPP Foundation at 215-740-4863 or mraible@kipp.org .
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KIPP Bay Area Schools is searching for a successor leader of KIPP King Collegiate High School. KIPP King Collegiate is ranked in the top two percent of all public high schools and #11 of public high schools in California, according to US News and World Report. With over 28 languages spoken, KIPP King Collegiate truly embodies the diversity of the Bay Area. We are looking for a school leader with proven success in a high school setting serving a low-income and culturally diverse school population. Outstanding candidates will have previous experience coaching, developing and managing new and veteran staff to provide college-focused instruction to students at all levels. 

KIPP Columbus is seeking an experienced school leader for KIPP Columbus Elementary! We're building a better tomorrow for every student in a state-of-the-art facility on one of the most unique campuses in the country. With the support of a strong leadership team and engaged community, the elementary school leader will expand the number of elementary students served from 200 in this it's first year to nearly 1,000 by the end of the decade; building a strong foundation for KIPPsters to climb the mountain to and through for years to come. 

KIPP Jacksonville is looking for an Assistant School Leader to join our dynamic Elementary leadership team and help us continue to put students on a path to and through college. As an Elementary Assistant School Leader, you will be equipped with a supportive team, receive regular coaching, and have a clear vision for growth. The Elementary ASL directly coaches teachers to greater student achievement, runs school-wide initiatives, designs and leads professional development, and collaborates with families. Come thrive both personally and professionally in a region that is easy to call home and rich with opportunity and advancement. 

KIPP St. Louis seeks an Assistant Elementary School Leader grounded in the belief that kids deserve a nurturing, challenging, joyful environment in which to learn, grow and achieve at the highest levels. We will work to ensure that our scholars understand who they are as a person and where they are academically to inform their movement towards their best self. Our scholars will be empowered to see themselves as a person that matters to the world and will be able to voice their needs, thoughts and academic knowledge in a scholarly way. Our mission is to nurture our scholars’ academic knowledge, skills, and character strengths so that our scholars have what they need to excel in post-primary school and college, and build a better tomorrow for themselves and us all. 

New Georgia Law Corrects for Students Who Did Not Pass the Georgia High School Graduation Tests

According to a bill now signed into law, students who took the Georgia high school graduation tests after 1994 but did not pass, and subsequently did not receive a high school diploma because of not passing the tests, are eligible now to get a retroactive high school diploma. According to the law, the diplomas are to be issued by the local school districts and dated retroactively. A person in this position will need to petition the local school board to determine eligibility for the retroactive diploma.

Here's an article with more information: http://getschooled.blog.ajc.com/2015/03/30/governor-signs-bill-today-enabling-8000-georgians-to-receive-high-school-diploma/?ecmp=ajc_social_facebook_2014_sfp

Here's the text of the law (formerly House Bill 91). See Section 5 starting on page 7:  http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20152016/152497.pdf

Harvard Kennedy School Scholarship

The Harvard Kennedy School is recruiting for its second class of Sheila C. Johnson Fellows, emerging leaders committed to addressing disparities in African-American and other underserved domestic communities. It provides FULL TUITION, health insurance and a $10,000 stipend. Step #1: Apply to HKS by December 2, 2014. Step #2: Apply for the fellowship by February 26, 2015. More general info at link below and application info in PDF found here:
https://gallery.mailchimp.com/b7b6ab16714bc6f51fdf5eb87/files/77218199-1979-428c-affd-9f23ead00fd9.pdf

Job Opportunities for Progressive (NEW) Charter School In Jackson, MS

Friends and educators of the world, a close friend and founder of the school is calling for resumes and cover letters for teaching positions at Midtown Public Charter School (one of the first charter schools in Mississippi history) in Jackson, Mississippi for August 2015.

In the folder linked below there are three documents:

1. Teacher Position Announcement (Provides Position Details)

2. About Midtown Public (Provides a School Overview )
3. Midtown Public School Design (Provides Insights Into School Building Design)3. Midtown Public School Design (Provides Insights Into School Building Design)

Teaching certification is not required in Mississippi, so take a look and apply if you might be interested in making a big impact with an awesome team!

Here's the link of the file: http://bit.ly/1AG6svW

To get an application, Call Dr. Kristi Hendrix at 601-354-5373.

States with Most K-12 Black Student Graduates

National Center for Education Statistics new study shows that my home state, Georgia, is not among the top states with the most K-12 student graduates who are African-American/Black. Unfortunately, this is no shocker to me, but I do hope for the days where Georgia can proudly make this this. Here are those states that are above the national average of African-American/Black graduates.

National average: 69% graduation rate for African-American/Black students compared to 73% for Hispanic students, 86% for white students, and 88% for Asian students.

In reverse order, according to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

10. South Carolina and Arizona (71%)

9. Vermont and Maine (72%)

8. Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts and Missouri (73%)

7. Iowa, Delaware, Nebraska, West Virginia (74%)

6. Kansas, New Jersey, North Carolina, Virginia (75%)

5. North Dakota, New Hampshire, Hawaii (76%)

4. Maryland (77%)

3. Arkansas (78%)

2. Montana and Tennessee (79%)

1. Texas (84%)

See 2011-2012 data from Governing.com.

Massachusetts Governor's Office is looking for potential candidates to fill positions

A friend shared this with me, now I'm sharing it with you...

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A member of the Diversity in Transition Committee is looking to provide Massachusetts Governor Patrick's successor with access to talented and qualified individuals from communities of color. The office is looking for potential candidates to fill positions in (but not limited to):

- Administration & Finance
- Business & Technology
- Consumer Affairs & Business Regulation
- Economic Development
- Education (K-12 and Higher Education)
- Elders Affairs
- Environmental Affairs
- Health & Human Services
- Housing & Community Development
- Labor & Workforce Development
- Public Safety
- Transportation

If you, or someone you know is interested, please upload resumes or LinkedIn profiles for review by our Committee to http://diversityintransition.com/apply.html . In the questionnaire, indicate whether you are interested in a position or serving on a board or commission within the new Administration. The Committee will organize resumes received and present them to the new Administration in November 2014. 

Please note that submission of a resume does not guarantee a job, nor does it act as an application to a position. Instead, it will help a resume stand out during the transition process and support a formal application in November.

Facebook page at www.facebook.com/diversityintransitioncommittee. 

NewSector.org looking for Fellows

For those who are passionate about social impact, and looking to develop the tools and skills to become an effective social sector leader... New Sector Alliance is looking to recruit Fellows to become the next generation of social impact leaders. It targets college students, recent college grads, and those with 5 years work experience. Applications for New Sector's 2015-2016 programs are now open. The program is in Boston and San Francisco, Chicago and the Twin Cities. Specifically, it's accepting applications for our AmeriCorps RISE, Summer Fellowship and Senior Summer Fellowship programs.

For more information, see here: http://www.newsector.org/content/our-fellows-0 

You can apply now to a New Sector Fellowship Program, by following this: bit.ly/ZQ6CWi  

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U.S. Department of Education orders districts to fix funding disparities

In an official "Dear Colleague Letter" released this week, the U.S. Department of Education basically instructed school districts to have similar academic course offerings for its students, regardless of race, color, origin, etc. The Letter is issued by the Office of Civil Rights, which enforces Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin, in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance).

Chronic and widespread racial disparities in access to rigorous courses, academic programs, and extracurricular activities; stable workforces of effective teachers, leaders, and support staff; safe and appropriate school buildings and facilities; and modern technology and high-quality instructional materials further hinder the education of
students of color today. (Page 2).  

 As concrete examples, the letter cites:

But schools serving more students of color are less likely to offer advanced courses and gifted and talented programs than schools serving mostly white populations, and students of color are less likely than their white peers to be enrolled in those courses and programs within schools that have those offerings. For example, almost one in five black high school students attend a high school that does not offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses, a higher proportion than any other racial group. Students with limited-English-proficiency (English language learners) are also underrepresented in AP courses according to data from the 2011-12 school year. In that year, English language learners represented five percent of high school students, but only two percent of the students enrolled in an AP course.11 Similarly, of the high schools serving the most black and Latino students in the 2011-12 school year, only 74 percent offered Algebra II and only 66 percent offered chemistry. Comparable high-level opportunities were provided much more often in schools serving the fewest black and Latino students, where 83 percent offered Algebra II courses and 78 percent offered chemistry. (Page 3.)

On the facilities of schools:

The physical spaces where our children are educated are also important resources that influence the learning and development of all students, yet many of our Nation’s schools have fallen into disrepair. Too often, school districts with higher enrollments of students of color invest thousands of dollars less per student in their facilities than those districts with predominantly white enrollments. (Page 4.)

On teacher pay within the same school district:

. . . [D]isparities may be indicative of broader discriminatory policies or practices that, even if facially neutral, disadvantage students of color. For example, teachers in high schools serving the highest percentage of black and Latino students during the 2011-12 school year were paid on average $1,913 less per year than their colleagues in other schools within the same district that serve the lowest percentage of black and Latino students. (Page 5.)

The Letter also recognizes that snap-shot data may not tell the whole story.

The provision of equal opportunities may require more or less funding depending on the location of the school, the condition of existing facilities, and the particular needs of students such as English language learners and students with disabilities. For example, older facilities generally require more money for annual maintenance than do newer facilities. Similarly, greater annual per-pupil library expenditures for one school may reflect an effort to correct years of underfunding of a library collection. Funding disparities that benefit students of a particular race, color, or national origin may also permissibly occur when districts are attempting to remedy past discrimination. (Page 10.)

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I encourage you to read more to find your own gems.

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School's Back in Session -- Free Tutorial Videos

Is your student struggling with a concept?  Would you like an additional way to present material to a learner? Did you know that children (and students generally) often need to see material repeatedly before soaking it in?

Well, here's an E-Learning website with content-specific videos that may assist in the learning process:

www.k12free.com

Disclaimer:  I went to graduate school with the President/CEO of the company, so I can attest that he's one smart, talented guy.

The E-Learning website includes subjects of Math and English, but also includes such subjects as Geology (igneous rocks), Music (articulation, crescendo and descrescendo, forte and piano), Science and Technical (fluid power, types of bridges).

Harvard Rugby women celebrate Body and Strength

Ask someone how much I weigh and his or her answer is probably 20-40 pounds off the mark.  I've always been on the heavier-side -- literally -- than what a mirror might otherwise indicate.  I credit my gymnastic and swimming background for helping me appreciate my muscles, my tendons, my bones, my once-was flexibility, and my physique.  And, for showing me all the amazing things a body can do.  Scales have never been my "friend" -- but they haven't been my foe either.  I learned very quickly that numbers are numbers and you are you, but that you can't ignore one to the detriment of the other.

So, when I see a tumblr like this of the Harvard Rugby team of women who are celebrating themselves, I am proud and warmed.

Here's to "Rugged Grace": http://bdcwire.com/harvard-womens-rugby-team-launches-powerful-rugged-grace-photo-campaign/

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DeKalb County (Atlanta) ranks 15th on School Choice -- Ahead of Boston and Charlotte and Cobb Co. (outside Atlanta) School Districts

A Brookings study released in Q1 2014, purportedly ranks school districts based School Choice, measured by 13 different categories of policy and practice.  Some of the 13 categories include virtual schools (and the % of students enrolled), availability of alternative schools (such as magnets, vouchers, affordable private, and tax credit scholarships), whether there is a policy of restructuring or closing schools, whether there is a common application to enroll, performance data, comparable standards and assessments, and transportation.  The purpose of the study is to "to create public awareness of the differences among districts in their support of school choice."  

A conversation about measurables aside (everyone knows that what you measure often dictates what you find), Brookings ranks the top 107 school districts -- with only New Orleans schools and NYC schools getting overall "A" or "A-" grades and school districts like Atlanta - Fulton County, Clayton County (south of Atlanta) and Shelby County, TN receiving grades of "F."  

DeKalb County (Atlanta) comes out passing with a "C+" at rank number 15.

Article found here:
http://www.brookings.edu/research/interactives/2014/ecci_2013

-E

Apparently, Just as Many Congresspeople attended UGA as Stanford

While legitimately pursuing Huffington Post (for a work assignment, I promise), I came across this little nugget.  According to research and data collection from a company called FindtheBest.com, just as many members of Congress attended the public universities of University of Virginia and the University of Georgia as members attended Stanford University.  Not quite sure whether that elevates those public universities, pulls down Stanford, or says something far less provocative, but I found it interesting -- in a I-might-need-this-as-a-trivia-answer kind of way.  Even more, The University of Texas - Austin has more than any of those schools.  Only Harvard (duh), Yale, and Georgetown have more members of Congress counted as alum.

What about the method?  Well, without a full statistical analysis, it seems that these differentials may even be underestimates.  For example, says FindtheBest.com, the study only counted a member's school once -- so if the member attended undergrad at particular university and then also attended some other graduate or post-secondary program at the same school, the study only counted the school once.  I suspect, if each program were independently counted, Harvard's numbers might be far and away above the others.  But, then again, so could fun public universities.  Thoughts?

-E

How did your Georgia K-8 school do on the CRCTs (End-of-Year Summative Assessments)?

The Georgia Department of Education released the Criterion Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) results on its website.  The CRCT tests 3-8th Graders on grade-level material in math, reading, science and social studies.  (Of course, the CRCT testing was the source of the "cheating scandal" I've written about before, but this is the final year of those tests.)

See this year's testing data here, by state, district, and school results.

The Most Compelling Points of Hobby Lobby (the dissent that is)

In light of the huge decision yesterday from the Supreme Court of the United States in Hobby Lobby et al., here are portions of the dissent where Justice Ginsburg speaks so eloquently on several points -- with which I agree.

On Corporations as "people"

“In a sole proprietorship, the business and its owner are one and the same. By incorporating a business, however, an individual separates herself from the entity and escapes personal responsibility for the entity’s obligations.  One might ask why the separation should hold only when it serves the interest of those who control the corporation.”  – J. Ginsburg (dissent at p. 19).

“The distinction between a community made up of believers in the same religion and one embracing persons of diverse beliefs, clear as it is, constantly escapes the Court’s attention. . . . Again, the Court forgets that religious organizations exist to serve a community of believers. For-profit corporations do not fit that bill.” – J. Ginsburg (dissent at p. 17, 18).

On impact of corporate owner's religious beliefs (permitted to be exercised through a for-profit entity) on third-parties (i.e. employees)

“Women paid significantly more than men for preventive care, the amendment’s proponents noted; in fact, cost barriers operated to block many women from obtaining needed care at all. See, e.g., id., at 29070 (statement of Sen. Feinstein) (“Women of childbearing age spend 68 percent more in out-of-pocket health care costs than men.”); id., at 29302 (statement of Sen. Mikulski) (“co-payments are [often] so high that [women] avoid getting preventative and screening services] in the first place”).” – J. Ginsburg (dissent at p. 4).  “It bears note in this regard that the cost of an IUD is nearly equivalent to a month’s full-time pay for workers earning the minimum wage . . . that almost one-third of women would change their contraceptive method if costs were not a factor . . . and that only one-fourth of women who request an IUD actually have one inserted after finding out how expensive it would be . . . .” – J. Ginsburg (dissent at p. 25).  

“Importantly, the decisions whether to claim benefits under the plans are made not by Hobby Lobby or Conestoga, but by the covered employees and dependents, in consultation with their health care providers. Should an employee of Hobby Lobby or Conestoga share the religious beliefs of the Greens and Hahns, she is of course under no compulsion to use the contraceptives in question. . . . Any decision to use contraceptives made by a woman covered under Hobby Lobby’s or Conestoga’s plan will not be propelled by the Government, it will be the woman’s autonomous choice, informed by the physician she consults.”  – J. Ginsburg (dissent at p. 23).