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Item(s) found: 1332
Hearing on “How Emerging Technology Affects Student Privacy"
Date CapturedMonday February 16 2015, 12:24 PM
United States House of Representatives 114th Congress, 1st Session; Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Hearing on “How Emerging Technology Affects Student Privacy" February 12, 2015 Statement of Joel R. Reidenberg Stanley D. and Nikki Waxberg Chair and Professor of Law Founding Academic Director, Center on Law and Information Policy Fordham University New York, NY Good morning Chairman Rokita, Ranking Member Fudge and distinguished
The PII Problem: Privacy and a New Concept of Personally Identifiable Information
Date CapturedFriday November 14 2014, 6:32 AM
Paul M. Schwartz University of California, Berkeley - School of Law; Daniel J. Solove George Washington University Law School; December 5, 2011; New York University Law Review, Vol. 86, p. 1814, 2011; UC Berkeley Public Law Research Paper No. 1909366; GWU Legal Studies Research Paper No. 584; GWU Law School Public Law Research Paper No. 584; We show how existing approaches to PII impede the effective regulation of behavioral marketing, and how PII 2.0 would resolve these problems.
Politics Trumped Facts in the Fight To Kill InBloom in New York
Date CapturedFriday October 10 2014, 11:25 AM
Access Controls Over Student Information Systems
Date CapturedTuesday August 19 2014, 1:28 PM
Final report - March 2014 -Employees in six upstate New York school districts had inappropriate computer access to sensitive student data and were able to change student grades and attendance records without proper authorization, according to an audit released by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
“How Data Mining Threatens Student Privacy"
Date CapturedThursday June 26 2014, 10:19 AM
1 United States House of Representatives 113th Congress, 2nd Session Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Security Technologies and Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Hearing on “How Data Mining Threatens Student Privacy" June 25, 2014 Statement of Joel R. Reidenberg Stanley D. and Nikki Waxberg Chair and Professor of Law Founding Academic Director, Center on Law and Information Policy Fordham University New York, NY
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Date CapturedFriday March 28 2014, 2:18 PM
New York State Education Department Request for Information (RFI) for an Enterprise Identity and Access Management System
Press Release Re: the Common Core State Standards
Date CapturedThursday December 12 2013, 5:37 PM
Issued by the United Black Men’s Think Tank 251 East Delavan Ave. Buffalo, New York 14208, 716-884-3312 or 881-5150 L. Nathan Hare, Chairperson
STOP COMMON CORE IN NEW YORK STATE (Facebook Page)
Date CapturedSunday May 19 2013, 3:20 PM
Facebook Page
Stop Common Core in New York State
Date CapturedSunday May 19 2013, 3:09 PM
Stop Common Core New York
Date CapturedMonday May 13 2013, 3:59 PM
New York State Education Department (NYSED) engaged in a major, four-year reform and expansion of the P-12 data system. The following is a status update with next steps identified.
Date CapturedSaturday March 30 2013, 7:55 PM
Genetic Testing and Screening in the Age of Genomic Medicine
Date CapturedThursday October 18 2012, 8:38 AM
Most states, including New York, have added tests to their newborn screening panels without formal criteria or processes to guide them. Many commentators recommend that newborn screening programs form advisory committees composed of medical and laboratory professionals and community participants to establish criteria for screening tests and to review screening test panels and program outcomes.
PROCEDURE FOR NY PARENTS TO REQUEST PARTIAL DESTRUCTION OF BABY DNA - NEW YORK DEPT OF HEALTH
Date CapturedThursday October 18 2012, 8:23 AM
2010-11 Beta Growth Model for Educator Evaluation Technical Report
Date CapturedFriday August 24 2012, 2:34 PM
2010-11 Beta Growth Model for Educator Evaluation Technical Report New York State Education Department
New York’s Definitive Cyberbullying Census
Date CapturedThursday June 14 2012, 8:20 AM
New York Shared Learning Collaborative Screen Shot
Date CapturedSunday April 29 2012, 4:45 PM
Gates Foundation COOPER on data sharing
Date CapturedThursday April 26 2012, 3:09 PM
The SLC, co-funded by the Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, "is working to change the way educational data is gathered," Cooper explained. "All of these different technologies have created islands within the schools"--islands which prevent the holistic examination of a student's data during their educational path. Even if one school has its act together and can effectively track a student in that school, what happens if that student transfers to another school? Or wants to take additional classes as an institution like the Khan Academy or Maker Faire, Cooper asked. Right now, such extracurricular learning opportunities are rarely tracked.
NYS State Technology Law § 208 (Current as of 9/16/2011)
Date CapturedMonday March 12 2012, 6:12 PM
"State entity" shall mean any state board, bureau, division, committee, commission, council, department, public authority, public benefit corporation, office or other governmental entity performing a governmental or proprietary function for the state of New York, except: (1) the judiciary; and (2) all cities, counties, municipalities, villages, towns, and other local agencies.
New York Race to Top Budget Summary
Date CapturedTuesday February 14 2012, 11:02 AM
New York State Race to the Top Subgrants to Participating LEAs NOV 2010
Date CapturedTuesday February 14 2012, 12:08 AM
Race to the Top Subgrants to Participating LEA's (50% of Total) Based on Receipt of Letters of Intent total $348,323,000 in 2010.
Student Weight Status Category Report: 2008-2010 New York State (Exclusive of New York City)
Date CapturedThursday January 26 2012, 9:31 AM
New York School Districts Selected for the 2011-2012 School Year Student Weight Status Category Reporting
Date CapturedThursday January 26 2012, 9:15 AM
New York Department of Health Letter to Schools regarding BMI
Date CapturedThursday January 26 2012, 9:12 AM
New York State Sample Parental Notice Language for 2011-2012 School Year
Date CapturedTuesday January 24 2012, 1:44 PM
If you do not wish to have your child’s weight status group information included as part of the Health Department’s survey this year, please print and sign your name below and return this form:
NEW YORK: RACE TO THE TOP ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT
Date CapturedFriday January 20 2012, 2:57 PM
New York faces the ongoing challenge of communicating and collaborating with its various stakeholders. Similarly, the complexity of reviewing and approving Scopes of Work, budgets, expenditures, and evaluation plans for all of the State’s participating LEAs presented a formidable task that required a high level of strategic planning and logistical coordination by NYSED leadership. The State is working to overcome these challenges by investing in communication tools and leveraging other quality-control methods (such as a new online expenditure reporting tool) in order to increase its responsiveness and efficiency in the future.
EDUCATION INTERRUPTED: The Growing Use of Suspensions in New York City’s Public Schools
Date CapturedThursday October 13 2011, 4:16 PM
This report analyzes 449,513 suspensions served by New York City students from 1999 to 2009 to draw a picture of zero tolerance practices in the nation’s largest school district. The number of suspensions served each school year has nearly doubled in a decade—even though the student population has decreased over the same period—sending a clear message that public education is a reward for “good” behavior, rather than a fundamental right. This section explains the methodology we used to analyze the suspension data, and provides valuable background on zero tolerance discipline. Section II provides an overview of New York City disciplinary policies and practices. It examines the ever- increasing emphasis on out-of-class and out-of-school suspensions in New York City’s Discipline Code, which governs student behavior. This section also analyzes the impact that NYPD school safety officers have had on the increasing reliance on suspensions and arrests as primary disciplinary tools. Section III analyzes 10 years of school discipline data in New York City, explaining the data behind our conclusions. Finally, the report concludes with our recommendations for the DOE, as well as city and state lawmakers.
New York Senate; S.2357-B
Date CapturedTuesday June 07 2011, 12:07 PM
This bill, sponsored by Sen. Oppenheimer, restricts the sale of student PII and requires affirmative consent for the release of sensitive information.
Education New York comments re Student Privacy submitted to FERPA NPRM - May 23, 2011
Date CapturedMonday May 23 2011, 9:22 PM
Document ID: ED-2011-OM-0002-0001: Family Educational Rights and Privacy. The proposed changes to FERPA do not adequately address the capacity of marketers and other commercial enterprises to capture, use, and re-sell student information. Even with privacy controls in place, it is also far too easy for individuals to get a hold of student information and use it for illegal purposes, including identity theft, child abduction in custody battles, and domestic violence. Few parents are aware, for example, that anyone can request -- and receive -- a student directory from a school. Data and information breaches occur every day in Pre-K-20 schools across the country, so that protecting student privacy has become a matter of plugging holes in a dyke rather than advancing a comprehensive policy that makes student privacy protection the priority.
New York State Race to the Top Application
Date CapturedWednesday March 16 2011, 10:54 AM
New York State submitted its Phase II Race to the Top application to the U.S. Department of Education on June 1. On August 24, the U.S. Department of Education announced that New York State had been awarded $696,646,000 as a winner in the second round of the federal Race to the Top competition. The application and related documents are posted below: Selection Criteria and Competition Priorities (4.05 MB) Appendices (28.88 MB) Participating LEA Memorandum of Understanding and Preliminary Scope of Work (Exhibit I) (63 KB) Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (57 KB) The Regents Education Reform Plan and New York State's Race to the Top (RTTT) Application Summary | PDF (41 KB) Legislation in Support of Race to the Top Application
United States House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor Hearing on “How Data Can be Used to Inform Educational Outcomes” April 14, 2010
Date CapturedMonday March 14 2011, 7:36 PM
1. States are warehousing sensitive information about identifiable children. 2. The Fordham CLIP study documents that privacy protections are lacking and rules need to be developed and implemented to assure that children’s educational records are adequately protected. 3. As part of basic privacy standards, strong data security is necessary to minimize the risks of data invasions, scandals and melt-downs from centralized databases of children’s personal information. Statement of Joel R. Reidenberg, Professor of Law and Founding Academic Director Center on Law and Information Policy, Fordham University School of Law New York, NY
NEW YORK PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW, ARTICLE 6 SECTIONS 84-90 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW
Date CapturedMonday March 14 2011, 6:20 PM
Freedom of Information Law PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW, ARTICLE 6 SECTIONS 84-90 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW: [iii. sale or release of lists of names and addresses if such lists would be used for solicitation or fund-raising purposes;]
CONFIDENTIALITY AND RELEASE OF STUDENT RECORDS; RECORDS RETENTION
Date CapturedSunday February 13 2011, 3:13 PM
This regulation supersedes New York City Chancellor’s Regulation A-820 dated July 8, 2008. Changes: • The regulation was revised to conform to amendments to federal regulations under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”).
New York State Student Information Repository System (SIRS) Manual
Date CapturedWednesday December 22 2010, 8:44 PM
New York State Student t Information Repository System (SIRS) Manual; Reporting Data for the 2010–11 School Year (SEE APPENDIX 19)
NEW YORK STATE’S Essential Elements: Schools-to-Watch Recognition Program for 2011-12
Date CapturedTuesday December 21 2010, 12:31 AM
New York State’s Essential Elements: Schools-to-Watch (EE: STW) recognition program seeks to identify and recognize diverse, high-performing model middle-level schools that demonstrate what all schools with middle-level grades should be and are capable of achieving.
“The Right to Privacy”
Date CapturedSaturday December 11 2010, 5:58 PM
Warren and Brandeis - Harvard Law Review. Vol. IV - December 15, 1890 - No. 5 [Recent inventions and business methods call attention to the next step which must be taken for the protection of the person, and for securing to the individual what Judge Cooley calls the right "to be let alone" [10] Instantaneous photographs and newspaper enterprise have invaded the sacred precincts of private and domestic life; and numerous mechanical devices threaten to make good the prediction that "what is whispered in the closet shall be proclaimed from the house-tops." For years there has been a feeling that the law must afford some remedy for the unauthorized circulation of portraits of private persons;[11] and the evil of invasion of privacy by the newspapers, long keenly felt, has been but recently discussed by an able writer.[12] The alleged facts of a somewhat notorious case brought before an inferior tribunal in New York a few months ago,[13] directly involved the consideration of the right of circulating portraits; and the question whether our law will recognize and protect the right to privacy in this and in other respects must soon come before our courts for consideration.]
Wright: Erosion of privacy may save journalism
Date CapturedWednesday October 20 2010, 8:57 PM
sfnblog.com -- Posted by Leah McBride Mensching - [HTML 5, the latest version of code used to create websites, is expected to further erode users' privacy, by letting sites know where users are physically located, as well as better track browsing histories. Consumer activists and privacy advocates are certain to be against these privacy threats, but those in the journalism world may find it to be their "salvation," writes The New York Times's Robert Wright.]
FERPA Legislative History
Date CapturedWednesday May 05 2010, 10:21 AM
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (“FERPA”), § 513 of P.L. 93- 380 (The Education Amendments of 1974), was signed into law by President Ford on August 21, 1974, with an effective date of November 19, 1974, 90 days after enactment. FERPA was enacted as a new § 4381 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) called “Protection of the Rights and Privacy of Parents and Students,” and codified at 20 U.S.C. § 1232g.2 It was also commonly referred to as the “Buckley Amendment” after its principal sponsor, Senator James Buckley of New York. FERPA was offered as an amendment on the Senate floor and was not the subject of Committee consideration. Accordingly, traditional legislative history for FERPA as first enacted is unavailable.
Brandeis in Italy: The Privacy Issues in the Google Video Case
Date CapturedWednesday March 10 2010, 3:59 PM
Huffington Post - Marc Rotenberg writes [I don't think this is really a case about ISP liability at all. It is a case about the use of a person's image, without their consent, that generates commercial value for someone else. That is the essence of the Italian law at issue in this case. It is also how the right of privacy was first established in the United States. The video at the center of this case was very popular in Italy and drove lots of users to the Google Video site. This boosted advertising and support for other Google services. As a consequence, Google actually had an incentive not to respond to the many requests it received before it actually took down the video. Back in the U.S., here is the relevant history: after Brandeis and Warren published their famous article on the right to privacy in 1890, state courts struggled with its application. In a New York state case in 1902, a court rejected the newly proposed right. In a second case, a Georgia state court in 1905 endorsed it.] Marc Rotenberg is the Executive Director, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC).
Bloggers Now Eligible For Press Passes In NYC
Date CapturedTuesday March 02 2010, 8:02 PM
Wendy David writes [Under the new proposed policy, the New York Police Department would be able to issue press passes good for two years to any journalist who has personally attended and reported on at least six qualified events in the city in the preceding two years, regardless of whether the reports were published online, in print newspapers, magazines, books or other media. Events that will qualify include city-sponsored activity -- like a press conference or parade -- as well as emergencies where the city has set up do-not-cross lines. The proposal also allows inexperienced journalists to obtain single-use press passes.]
A Facebook ‘Bug’ Revealed Personal E-mail Addresses
Date CapturedThursday May 07 2009, 7:12 PM
NY Times -- Gadget -- Riva Richmond [“In the course of one day I had Facebook go through over 10,000 e-mail addresses; ranging from reporters of prominent newspapers and CNN, to board of directors of Microsoft, Google, and Gates Foundation, and even the entire staff directories of government organizations and the World Bank,” Mr. Sheppard said in an e-mail message to a New York Times editor. “Of those it did find on Facebook, over 30% had their personal email addresses listed, which Facebook gladly gave me, without any of [the Facebook users] knowing.”]
Careful what you search for
Date CapturedThursday January 01 2009, 5:15 PM
Fortune Jia Lynn Yang [So if you're a 33-year-old working female who lives in New York City and who likes to search for Jimmy Choo pumps, you might see ads for a local shoe store - thanks to the personal information the search engines have about you. "There are many free online tools, but they're not really free," explained Greg Conti, a professor of computer science at West Point and the author of Googling Security: How Much Does Google Know About You? "We end up paying for them with micro-payments of personal information which, in turn, are captured and used for data mining and targeted advertising."]
New York State Consumer Protection Board (CPB)
Date CapturedFriday December 26 2008, 5:07 PM
The Consumer Protection Board, established in 1970 by the New York State Legislature, is the State's top consumer watchdog and "think tank." The CPB's core mission is to protect New Yorkers by publicizing unscrupulous and questionable business practices and product recalls; conducting investigations and hearings; enforcing the "Do Not Call Law"; researching issues; developing legislation; creating consumer education programs and materials; responding to individual marketplace complaints by securing voluntary agreements; and, representing the interests of consumers before the Public Service Commission (PSC) and other State and federal agencies.
"Business Privacy Guide: How to Handle Personal Identifiable Information and Limit the Prospects of Identity Theft"
Date CapturedFriday December 26 2008, 5:04 PM
Rome Sentinel [The New York State Consumer Protection Board has issued its first "Business Privacy Guide: How to Handle Personal Identifiable Information and Limit the Prospects of Identity Theft." The Business Privacy Guide and additional information about privacy, data breach, security freeze and other identity theft related materials may be found on the CPB’s website at www.nysconsumer.gov along with other consumer and business tools, including training materials on Do Not Call compliance for business.]
What If Samuel D. Warren Hadn’t Married A Senator’s Daughter?: Uncovering The Press Coverage That Led To The Right To Privacy
Date CapturedThursday June 05 2008, 6:42 PM
Modern tort protection for personal privacy is commonly traced back to Samuel Warren and Louis Brandeis’1890 law review article, The Right of Privacy, yet scholars have long been uncertain what prompted Warren and Brandeis’ impassioned attack on invasive press practices, unable to point to any news coverage of Warren that might convincingly explain his evident outrage at the press. This Article attempts to solve that mystery by examining approximately 60 newspaper stories from Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C., most never before analyzed, that report on the personal lives of Warren and his family. These stories—including some particularly intrusive coverage of Warren family tragedies—very plausibly explain what Warren had in mind when he wrote that ruthless gossip regarding private matters had become a social blight requiring legal remedy. This Article, part of a symposium dedicated to exploring how modern law might have developed differently without catalytic events, concludes that Warren and Brandeis’ landmark article would not have been written if Warren had not married into a political family in the public eye.
Lawrence Ponemon
Date CapturedWednesday June 04 2008, 6:06 PM
Dr. Ponemon was appointed to the Online Access and Security Advisory Committee of the United States Federal Trade Commission. He was also appointed to two California State task forces on privacy and data security laws. Dr. Ponemon was recently appointed to the Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee of the Department of Homeland Security. Dr. Ponemon earned his Ph.D. at Union College in Schenectady, New York. He has a Master's degree from Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and attended the doctoral program in system sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Ponemon earned his Bachelors with Highest Distinction from the University of Arizona.
N.Y. opts for hybrid driver’s licenses
Date CapturedTuesday June 03 2008, 2:03 PM
Washington Technology reports, "Some of the enhanced licenses have been controversial because of privacy concerns. Washington, which was the first state to begin producing the new licenses, includes a radio frequency identification microchip on the licenses. The RFID chips, which can be read wirelessly from 20 feet to 30 feet away, have been criticized for their potential to be scanned without authorization, risking identity theft and loss of privacy. It is not clear whether New York’s licenses will include the RFID chip. Information was not immediately available from a spokesman for the state Department of Motor Vehicles."
Hug the kids, turn the page
Date CapturedSunday September 02 2007, 10:00 AM
Times Herald-Record opines, "For parents worrying about how they are going to fit in soccer practice and choir rehearsal, how about adding another stop to the itinerary — a weekly trip to the library, a few hours reading and talking about what was in the books. Let's face it, the kid is not going to make it in the MSL or the WNBA or the New York City Ballet. Reading, writing and communicating are the keys to the future. Think about 'no child left behind' not as a law or a line item in a budget but as a philosophy. Lobby the government to provide funding, show up at school events to show support. It's the start of a new school year. Time to read with the kids."
Confront obesity in schools, too
Date CapturedMonday August 27 2007, 7:42 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal opines, "With childhood obesity's alarming growth, New York must help reverse the trend by creating a healthier eating atmosphere in its schools. That, in turn, could help children develop good habits that could last a lifetime."
The Impact of School-District Consolidation on Property Values
Date CapturedThursday August 23 2007, 10:32 AM
A Monthly Column by EFAP Director John Yinger. Yinger writes, "Overall, this evidence implies that consolidation yields net benefits to the average household in a small rural school district, but that consolidation is not popular with high-income households anywhere in rural New York."
THE CHARTER DIFFERENCE
Date CapturedThursday August 23 2007, 8:03 AM
NY Post op-ed contributor Malcolm A. Smith, state Senate minority leader and founder of two public-charter schools opines, "Her [Harvard economist Caroline Hoxby] team also found that public charters disproportionately serve poor and minority students. In fact, nearly 70 percent of New York City's 12,000 charter-school students are black, vs. 32 percent of the city's general student population. Ninety-one percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, compared with 73 percent citywide. In practical terms, this means that the most rapidly improving public-school students in New York City are black, poor or both. Charter schools are standing the traditional racial-achievement gap on its head. At a time when less than half of the city's black and Latino students graduate with a Regents diploma, and those who do lag four grade levels behind their high-income peers, these results should get our attention."
27 Schools Named As “Persistently Dangerous” Under NCLB
Date CapturedWednesday August 22 2007, 7:58 AM
All schools designated as “persistently dangerous” must provide school choice to students where transfer options exist. Each school also receives a $100,000 grant to help improve school safety. School districts must also submit an Incident Reduction Plan for each school to show the specific steps that the district will take to reduce the number of violent incidents and improve safety at the school. Staff from the New York State Center for School Safety and Regional School Support Centers also provide help to each school to improve safety.
Schools in Crisis
Date CapturedSunday August 19 2007, 9:58 AM
Post-Standard opines, "The Syracuse community hasn't ignored the plight of troubled middle schools. A civic-minded group rallied behind the failing Shea Middle School. Shea is being phased out and will become the Bellevue Middle School Academy in September, but the work of the group lives on in the West Side Community School Strategy, a more expansive project, focusing on schools and neighborhoods. But such efforts must be communitywide. Local leaders - and not just school district leaders - must recognize that as go the middle schools, so go the school district, the city and the region. They should do as New York City leaders have done: Declare a crisis and determine to fix it - together."
6 colleges from Empire State in mag's top 50
Date CapturedFriday August 17 2007, 9:20 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Six New York universities, including Columbia, Cornell and NYU, are among the 50 best schools in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report."" Additionally, "Seven New York colleges made the top 50 liberal arts list, including Vassar, Colgate and Hamilton. Also making the liberal arts list for the first time this year was the U.S. Military Academy at West Point."
Commercial College Ordered to Repay U.S. $2.5 Million
Date CapturedFriday August 17 2007, 9:01 AM
NY Times reports, "The parent company of Interboro Institute, a commercial college in New York City that a state investigation found had cheated in determining student eligibility for government financial aid, has been ordered to repay the federal government about $2.5 million, the company said yesterday."
The Determinants of Teacher Attrition in Upstate New York
Date CapturedWednesday August 15 2007, 1:19 PM
A Monthly Column by EFAP Director John Yinger. Yinger writes, "School quality depends, among other things, on a school’s ability to attract and retain high-quality teachers. A recent paper by two of my colleagues and me examines one dimension of this topic, teacher attrition, using data for all teachers who started teaching in Upstate New York between 1985 and 1998."
Starting crime fight early
Date CapturedWednesday August 15 2007, 7:19 AM
Times Union reports, "Fight Crime: Invest in Kids New York, which includes police, prosecutors and crime survivors, wants districts to tap into $146 million set aside in the state budget for pre-kindergarten programs. The group said high-quality pre-K, for children around age 4, not only prepares the boys and girls for years of schooling, but also deters them becoming criminals. At-risk youth are five times more likely to become chronic lawbreakers when excluded from pre-kindergarten, they also were more than twice as likely to become career criminals -- with 10 arrests or more -- by age 40, statistics cited by Fight Crime show. The data are from a long-term study performed at the Perry Pre-School Program in Michigan."
Relocating Poor Families to More-Affluent Neighborhoods Doesn’t Necessarily Lead to Improved Student Achievement
Date CapturedTuesday August 14 2007, 10:21 AM
A randomized evaluation of the Moving to Opportunity (MTO) program--a federal housing program piloted in five major U.S. cities that sought to relocate poor families by providing housing vouchers--shows that, contrary to expectations, moving families out of high-poverty neighborhoods has no overall positive impact on children’s learning. Using data on more than 5,000 children between the ages of 6 and 20, researchers Lisa Sanbonmatsu, Jeffrey Kling, Greg Duncan, and Jeanne Brooks-Gunn compared the educational outcomes of children whose families were offered housing vouchers through a lottery with those of children in families who entered the lottery but were not offered vouchers. During the first four years of the program, more than 4,000 families applied for the housing vouchers in the five pilot cities--Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York.
Working To Learn, Learning to Work: Unlocking the Potential of New York's Adult College Students
Date CapturedTuesday August 14 2007, 7:36 AM
Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy (SCAA) and the Center for an Urban Future (CUF) study, "Specific recommendations include: * Provide financial aid to part-time students in their first year. In 2006, the New York State Legislature took the first step towards assisting working adults by establishing a 'part-time TAP' program. However, New York should abolish the pointless requirement that students study full-time in the first year to qualify for part-time TAP. * Abolish discriminatory TAP benefits and income thresholds for unmarried childless adults, so that they can receive the same benefits at the same income thresholds as all other students. * Abolish all previous financial aid schedules and get rid of the 'don’t come back' rule, which ties students who leave college and return later to the income and benefit schedule in effect when they first entered college. Since schedules are improved every few years, older schedules are considerably less generous than current ones. * Create a remedial education financing program outside of TAP, so that students can enhance their opportunity for academic success while preserving TAP eligibility for creditworthy classes."
Adult student population shrinking
Date CapturedTuesday August 14 2007, 7:30 AM
Times Union reports, "The report takes an especially close look at the affordability of community colleges. Its findings: Costs at New York's community colleges are the sixth-highest in the nation and more than 50 percent above the national average. SUNY's community college tuition averaged $2,900 in 2004-05, with three campuses cracking $3,000. The national average is $2,272. Nearly half of New York's full-time adult community college students also work full time, compared with one-third in other states. The state covered only 31 percent of community college expenses in 2006."
School Translators Can Help Parents Lost in the System
Date CapturedMonday August 13 2007, 8:37 AM
NY Times reports, "Forty-two percent of the parents of children in the school system [New York City schools], the country’s largest, are not native English speakers, and communicating with them is an immense challenge. That is especially the case at a time when the system is offering ever-increasing school choices but is also requiring students to go through a complex admissions process for high school and certain programs. So prodded by advocates for immigrants, Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein created a unit three years ago to translate a never-ending flow of school documents, like press releases, report cards and parent surveys, into the eight languages most commonly spoken in New York, after English: Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Bengali, Arabic, Urdu, Korean and Haitian Creole. It has since expanded to an office with 40 employees and a $4.5 million budget, and is the largest of its kind in any school system in the United States, said Kleber Palma, the unit’s director."
Truth about School Construction Authority
Date CapturedFriday August 10 2007, 9:13 AM
Queens Courier letter to editor contributor Joel I. Klein, Chancellor of New York City Public Schools opines, "We are pleased that Senator Padavan, and environmental advocates, recognize that our present environmental review vastly improves on procedures in place before this administration. The Bloomberg Administration remains committed to protecting public interest and safety."
BREAKFAST FLUB
Date CapturedWednesday August 08 2007, 6:35 AM
NY Post opines, "Twenty-nine percent of kids from low-income families - or about 150,000 of the more than 750,000 students eligible for free or discounted meals - take advantage of the breakfast program. About 65 percent do so at lunch. Joel Berg, executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, called on the city to expand participation by serving breakfast in classrooms, rather than cafeterias."
New York State Bar Association Holds Mock Trial Camp for High School Students
Date CapturedTuesday August 07 2007, 9:05 AM
Media are invited to the Doane Stuart School in Albany on Wednesday, August 8, 2007 from 9:30 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. for the New York State Bar Association’s Law, Youth and Citizenship Mock Trial Camp Program. The Association is hosting its annual week-long trial camp for high school students from across the state. This exciting event enables the best and the brightest high school students in New York State to spend an entire week in Albany, learning about the legal process from experienced attorneys and experts in their field.
NY's Cuomo expands student loan probe to athletic departments
Date CapturedFriday August 03 2007, 8:22 AM
Newsday AP reports, "New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday he's investigating whether top college athletic departments steered athletes and other students to education lenders in exchange for kickbacks. He served 39 universities with subpoenas and requests for documents about deals between their athletic departments and Student Financial Services Inc., which operates as University Financial Services. He said he's looking at how team names, mascots and colors were used to suggest the company was the college's preferred lender."
Checking on child care is duty of providers, the state, parents
Date CapturedThursday August 02 2007, 9:30 AM
Rochester and Democrat Chronicle Op-ed contributor Barbara-Ann Mattle, CEO of Child Care Council Inc. opines, "Parents have the responsibility to perform due diligence in selecting care for their children. This process can include a call to a child care consultant at the Child Care Council. Parents may also do an online search of the Council's Web site. Parents then should visit programs to determine their own and their child's comfort level. The New York State Office of Children and Family Services maintains a Web site that contains information on all complaints (resolved and unresolved) for any licensed or registered child care provider or program. This data base is available to parents as an additional research tool at www.ocfs.state.ny.us. Parents are the most consistent monitors of the child care system. They may visit their children at any time throughout the day. New York state regulations emphasize this 'open door policy.' The state Bureau of Early Childhood Services also continues to monitor the effectiveness of the regulatory system and to make adjustments that reflect the changing environment of care."
New York State ranks 44th in graduation rate
Date CapturedThursday August 02 2007, 8:15 AM
Times Union reports, "'We're a lot more honest, I think, than others,' said Education Department spokesman Tom Dunn. But he conceded that 'expectations must be much higher.' Yet the report found that New York, like many states, actually exaggerates its graduation rate in some instances. The report says the state told the U.S. Department of Education that 77 percent of its high school freshmen graduated in four years. But by what the report says is a more accurate measure, the figure was 12 points lower."
TC3 tuition program helps
Date CapturedWednesday August 01 2007, 9:36 AM
Ithaca Journal opines, "Though there is an abundance of state and federal tuition assistance programs for returning veterans who want to seek an education, Tompkins County Community College has initiated a new financial aid program that addresses the difficulties veterans may face upon immediate return from duty. While the Department of Veterans Affairs offers veterans up to $1,000 per semester for full-time study and the federal Montgomery GI Bill provides educational benefits, TC3's program takes these ideas one step further. Beginning this fall, TC3's “Welcome Home” program allows the college to waive one semester of tuition for New York state residents returning from Iraq and Afghanistan combat zones. The program is especially beneficial because it allows veterans to immediately pursue an education upon return to the United States rather than waiting for the government to process their VA benefits or needing to compile income information for financial aid offices."
State is on guard to keep schools safe
Date CapturedWednesday August 01 2007, 8:52 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle guest essayist Alan Ray, director of communications and policy development, New York State Education Department opines, "During the past year, we have: *Provided help to Rochester's and other schools to create safer, more supportive learning environments and prevent bullying. *Held focus groups with parents, students, teachers and administrators to get more ideas on how to make schools safer. *Given uniform training to school personnel statewide on accurate reporting. *Made site visits to nearly 100 schools statewide to determine the accuracy of their data. *Provided detailed guidelines on the Internet so school officials can refer to them easily as needed. We are constantly adding to a question-and-answer document on the Web site as people seek additional guidance. *Developed a fully automated incident reporting system so schools can submit data electronically. This system has controls to help schools check the accuracy of their data and omit inadvertent errors."
No verdict in Ithaca City School District (ICSD) busing appeal
Date CapturedMonday July 30 2007, 8:24 AM
Ithaca Journal reports, "New York state law requires public schools to transport children who live within the district but attend nonpublic schools within 15 miles of their homes, the same standard mileage limit for public school students. The school district changed its bus schedule to accommodate new start and stop times implemented at schools throughout the district. Gorsky challenged Ithaca's new schedule because it didn't synchronize with Immaculate Conception's schedule and made impractical for Immaculate Conception students to ride the bus. Gorsky filed an appeal with the Commissioner of Education at the end of October."
THE CITY OF NEW YORK OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER BUREAU OF MANAGEMENT AUDIT : AUDIT REPORT ON THE MONITORING AND TRACKING OF SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Date CapturedThursday July 26 2007, 9:55 AM
MD06-073A -- June 29, 2007. "Based on our findings, we make nine recommendations, five of which are listed below. DOE should: Develop and enforce written formal policies and procedures to ensure that services are provided according to the provisions of each student’s IEP. Develop policies to ensure that all attendance forms and summaries are maintained as evidence of services provided. Ensure that providers fill in all required information on the special education attendance forms and sign the forms as certification of the delivery of services. Ensure that supervisory review of attendance records is performed and documented. Institute a control (e.g., periodically reconcile special education attendance forms with general education attendance forms) to help ensure that the days that services are provided are accurately recorded."
Rural schools gather to enhance programs
Date CapturedTuesday July 24 2007, 7:14 AM
Ithaca Journal reports, "Nearly 100 educators, principals, superintendents and students from rural school districts in Central New York gathered at Cornell University's Becker House Monday for the beginning of a two-day conference focused on improving rural student achievement. The conference is focused on increasing graduation rates among low-income, rural students and preparing rural students for higher education."
Large Student Lender Agrees to Code of Conduct, Settling New York Inquiry
Date CapturedFriday July 20 2007, 8:22 AM
NY Times reports, "The company signed a 'code of conduct' developed by Mr. Cuomo’s (New York State Attorney General) office that bars lenders from giving anything of value to a college or university in exchange for help marketing loans to students."
Cornell works with rural schools to increase grad rates
Date CapturedFriday July 20 2007, 8:09 AM
Ithaca Journal reports, "About 100 representatives from 18 rural school districts in Central New York will attend a two-day conference starting Monday at Cornell University to discuss ways the university can help the districts improve student achievement. The conference will also focus on increasing graduation rates among low-income rural students and preparing rural students for higher education."
Girls charter school awaits an OK
Date CapturedThursday July 19 2007, 8:30 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Previously, New York had reached its limit of 100 charter schools statewide. But state legislation that took effect July 1 authorizes an additional 100 charter schools — 50 to be approved by the SUNY panel and 50 to be approved by the state Education Department."
Chancellor Answers Critics on School Financing Data
Date CapturedWednesday July 18 2007, 8:34 AM
NY Times reports, "The city (New York City) this month said that it would use nearly half the funds to reduce class sizes. Detailed figures released by the city yesterday showed how much extra financing school districts and individual schools would receive, but still did not specify where class sizes would be cut. Critics say the distribution raises the question of whether schools that are relatively high-performing are getting too much of the money."
Regents exam: American history for dummies
Date CapturedWednesday July 18 2007, 8:29 AM
NY Daily News guest contributor Marc Epstein opines, "Before Mayor Bloomberg starts shelling out money to high school juniors for passing their New York State Regents exams, he would do well to bring as much scrutiny to the content of these tests as he does to the quantity of trans fats in restaurant food."
EYE$ ON SIZE
Date CapturedWednesday July 18 2007, 7:44 AM
NY Post Chuck Bennett reports, "Parents and advocates will be able to look at how the money is used in every targeted school — a move they had been loudly demanding for some time. Still, leaders of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, the coalition of school and parent groups that initiated the suit against the state, were cautious in giving their thumbs up to the latest proposal, noting they still want to comb through the fine print. In all, the New York City school system will receive $1 billion extra in city and state funding for the 2007-08 school year. "
Pre-K programs growing throughout Tier
Date CapturedTuesday July 17 2007, 9:16 AM
Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "New York began its Universal Pre-Kindergarten program in 1997. But, in the 2002-03 school year, fewer than 250 of the state's 700 districts administered pre-kindergarten programs, according to the National Child Care Information Center. And grants had been frozen since 2001, meaning districts could not get into the program, said Cindy Gallagher, coordinator of the Office of Early Education and Reading Initiatives for the state Education Department. By contrast, this year's state budget boosted spending for Universal Pre-Kindergarten by $145.9 million to $438 million. The additional money means 44,000 slots were added to the 73,000 slots available in the last school term, state figures indicate. The state has about 240,000 4-year-olds, Gallagher said."
'PS' I LOVE YOU: $80M IN GIFTS GO TO SCHOOLS
Date CapturedSunday July 15 2007, 7:10 AM
NY Post reports, "Public schools are cashing in. The New York City school system netted about $80 million in private donations in Fiscal Year 2007. About $34.2 million came in through the Fund for Public Schools, a non-profit organization and the biggest provider of private money to the $15 billion school system."
Teachers, on Paper: The Chancellor’s View
Date CapturedSaturday July 14 2007, 9:55 AM
NY Times op-ed contributor Joel I. Klein, Chancellor, New York City Department of Education responds to “So Much Paperwork, So Little Time to Teach,” by Samuel G. Freedman. Klein writes, "He [Freedman] turns 'paperwork' into a dirty word. But when teachers track student performance, they can spot trends, tailor instruction to the needs of students and take corrective action. We have worked to eliminate busywork and have created easy-to-use tools that give teachers constructive information that makes them more effective. Our city is attracting, and holding on to, great teachers, and they are making a difference for our children"
Keep reform simple
Date CapturedSaturday July 14 2007, 9:43 AM
The Adirondack Daily Enterprise opines, "In New York, we vote on our school district budgets, but in Massachusetts, they vote on any local government budget that would increase its property tax levy by more than 2.5 percent. We have yet to see a downside to that. Schools are special, so maybe it's time the state takes over all basic K-12 education costs, letting individual school districts use property taxes to pay for extras."
The Education Gadfly
Date CapturedFriday July 13 2007, 11:06 AM
A Weekly Bulletin of News and Analysis from the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation -- July 12, 2007, Volume 7, Number 26 . Gotham City showdown: Ravitch and Cantor on NYC reading scores. Diane Ravitch's June 7 Gadfly article took the New York City Department of Education to task for hyping the most recent reading scores for students in grades 3-8. "The scores," she wrote, "were mainly flat or declining." And the much-ballyhooed rise in eighth-grade reading "downplayed the curious fact that eighth grade scores were up across the state." Her interpretation drew a critical review from David Cantor, the NYC Department of Education's Press Secretary. His critique and Ravitch's response follow.
Long Island Schools Consider Pooling Resources and Investments
Date CapturedThursday July 12 2007, 8:35 AM
NY Times reports, "School and government officials on Long Island want to pool their resources and financial investments to operate more efficiently and tap into higher interest rates in what they say could become a model for the rest of New York State."
Reform needed for school funding
Date CapturedMonday July 09 2007, 8:53 AM
Ithaca Journal op-ed contributor Ron Mac Lean, on behalf of Citizens Advisory Committee, Political Action Concerning Education and the Trumansburg Central School District opines, "For many years, numerous organized attempts have been made to convince our legislators that the School Aid Formula is not fair and equitable to all students throughout New York. Under the present method of school aid distribution, the “wealthier” school districts continue to prosper with curriculum, costs per student and tax levy disproportionate to 'poorer' districts. A recent New York Times article noted that in 2005, of the 100 highest-spending districts in the nation, 25 are in Westchester County and 38 are on Long Island. This year Albany did take a step in the right direction by revising portions of the funding formula."
Closed-door sessions are lawful
Date CapturedMonday July 09 2007, 8:33 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle guest essayists Joe Moscato and Frank Oberg opine, "Your editorial accuses us of being fond of the use of executive session. We did not invent the executive session. It is prescribed by law. The law clearly defines matters that may be discussed in executive session. They fall into two categories: mandatory and permitted. It's noteworthy to observe that all school districts in New York state use this process. Executive sessions are usually requested by the superintendent and are rarely initiated by the board."
Middle Class STAR
Date CapturedThursday July 05 2007, 12:30 PM
Monthly Column by EFAP Director John Yinger. Yinger writes, "This spring New York State passed a new property tax relief program called Middle Class STAR, which is an extension of the original STAR (School Tax Relief) program with some modifications. This column takes a look at Middle Class Star (MC STAR) and, in particular, asks whether it has the same shortcomings as the original, which have been explored in several of my previous columns."
Never-ending story -- Reading shouldn't take a 'summer vacation'
Date CapturedMonday July 02 2007, 8:51 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin GUEST VIEWPOINT contributor Maria Neira, former bilingual elementary school teacher and vice president of New York State United Teachers opines, "By encouraging their children to read -- and by reading to and with their children -- parents can help children close the achievement gap and do better in school by avoiding the 'summer slump.' Any time that parents spend reading with their children is helpful to the learning process. Parents should also encourage discussion about plot, characters and themes. Talking to children about their favorite characters, or about the parts of a book they liked best, is a way to help develop reading comprehension skills."
Money for Nothing
Date CapturedMonday July 02 2007, 8:26 AM
NY Times Op-Ed contributor BARRY SCHWARTZ opines, "Obviously, the intrinsic rewards of learning aren’t working in New York’s schools, at least not for a lot of children. It may be that the current state of achievement is low enough that desperate measures are called for, and it’s worth trying anything. And we don’t know whether in this case, motives will complement or compete. But it is plausible that when students get paid to go to class and show up for tests, they will be even less interested in the work than they would be if no incentives were present. If that happens, the incentive system will make the learning problem worse in the long run, even if it improves achievement in the short run — unless we’re prepared to follow these children through life, giving them a pat on the head, or an M&M or a check every time they learn something new. Perhaps worse, the plan will distract us from investigating a more pertinent set of questions: why don’t children get intrinsic satisfaction from learning in school, and how can this failing of education be fixed? Virtually all kindergartners are eager to learn. But by fourth grade, many students need to be bribed. What makes our schools so dystopian that they produce this powerful transformation, almost overnight?"
What Yesterday's Supreme Court Decision Means For NYC Schools
Date CapturedFriday June 29 2007, 6:44 PM
The Politicker's Andrew Mangino writes, "That profoundly insightful excerpt is proof that the court — or at least one middle-road justice on it – is trying to update the law for the 21st Century. Justice Kennedy here is calling for community forums to solve the issues with new solutions that consider race but do not give it more weight than it deserves at the cost of other factors ranging from heritage to economic background to ideological perspective. It is advice directly aimed at a city like New York."
Local governments stripped of some community college budget control
Date CapturedFriday June 29 2007, 8:45 AM
AP reports, "Local governments, which pay a third of the cost for their local community colleges, have lost some fiscal control over the two-year schools under a court ruling Thursday. The state Court of Appeals rejected an attempt by Westchester County and the New York State Association of Counties to annul regulations that the State University of New York Board of Trustees made in 2003. As a result, counties and other local sponsoring governments would no longer have the authority to change specific lines and areas of spending within a budget. The college board could also transfer spending within a budget without approval by the local government sponsor."
Union to Help Charter Firm Start School in the Bronx
Date CapturedThursday June 28 2007, 8:46 AM
NY Times reports, "Green Dot Public Schools, a charter school operator from Los Angeles, is seeking to expand into New York with the cooperation of the teachers’ union. Under the proposal, Green Dot, which is heavily financed by the billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad, would open a high school in the South Bronx. The school, which must be approved by the state, would become one of only a handful of charter schools in the city to use a union contract."
Laws Governing the Employment of Minors
Date CapturedMonday June 25 2007, 8:57 PM
New York State Department of Labor
Workplace Rules for Students
Date CapturedMonday June 25 2007, 8:50 PM
New York State Department of Labor
Students With Disabilities Make Gains, But Overall Achievement and Graduation Rates Still Too Low
Date CapturedMonday June 25 2007, 4:47 PM
New York State Education Department PRESS RELEASE: Data on the performance of special education students released today shows progress in the following areas: * Achievement has improved in grades 3-8 English and math. * Fewer students are being educated in separate settings. * More are taking and passing Regents exams each year. * More are graduating and earning Regents Diplomas each year. * And more are going to college than a decade ago.
Priorities set, chairs named for Children’s Cabinet
Date CapturedMonday June 25 2007, 7:59 AM
Legislative Gazette reports, "The governor has named the leaders of his new Children’s Cabinet and announced that health care for New York’s uninsured children and higher quality pre-kindergarten would be the panel’s top priorities. In an executive order issued earlier this month, Gov. Eliot Spitzer established the Children’s Cabinet and announced its ultimate goal would be the reform of children’s programs in the state."
HIGHER EDUCATION ASSISTANCE PLAN
Date CapturedTuesday June 19 2007, 12:18 PM
The bill includes expanding the eligibility for the state’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), enhancing the tuition tax credit for families, establishing a student loan debt relief program, providing assistance to help our veterans afford college tuition and creating a math, science and engineering technology retention initiative for New York’s students.
SENATORS ANNOUNCE NEW LEGISLATION TO COMBAT CASES OF TEACHER-STUDENT SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
Date CapturedTuesday June 19 2007, 12:14 PM
Members of the Senate Majority Conference today announced legislation will be advanced to help combat the sexual abuse of students in New York State. The bill would require the immediate decertification of teachers following a conviction for a serious crime against a child, and also includes a provision that will require schools to contact both the parents of an alleged child victim, as well as law enforcement, whenever a report of abuse is made.
State bill would require campus security plans
Date CapturedTuesday June 19 2007, 9:43 AM
Newsday reports, "State Sen. Kenneth P. LaValle has introduced 'comprehensive campus security plan' legislation that would require all public and private colleges in New York to develop emergency plans, have a relationship with local law enforcement and conduct emergency drills. The bill would also provide $7.1 million to finance more mental health counselors for the state's public colleges in the aftermath of the April massacre at Virginia Tech."
Endangered After-School Programs
Date CapturedTuesday June 19 2007, 9:37 AM
NY Times opines, "More than 200 after-school programs serving kindergarteners through high-school students will have to drastically reduce operations or close unless $30 million can be raised before September. In New York City, the fate of 118 after-school programs, serving almost 20,000 children, is up in the air."
Bloomberg to pay the poorest to learn and work
Date CapturedTuesday June 19 2007, 8:43 AM
NY Daily News reports, "The city is dangling a big fat carrot in front of New York's poorest kids, offering them $600 for every tough Regents exam they pass as part of Mayor Bloomberg's ambitious $53 million anti-poverty program. And it's not just hitting the books that pays off. Families who do what's right - such as going to the doctor, getting a job and even showing up for parent-teacher conferences - can make between $4,000 and $6,000 a year, tax-free."
Most Rockland districts opt for universal pre-k next year
Date CapturedMonday June 18 2007, 9:14 AM
The Journal News reports, "Like Pataki, Gov. Eliot Spitzer has promised increased funds over the next four years until all of New York's 4-year-olds can be part of the program. There are some changes from the original version, however. For the first time, school districts can send a child to a program outside their district, giving parents and districts a wider range of options. Two other pre-kindergarten programs, including the decades-old Experimental (now Targeted) preschool program, have been rolled into Universal pre-K and will share in the same money pool. And instead of a set amount for each participating district, regardless of economic need or location, the state created a sliding scale. School districts can receive anywhere from $2,000 to $5,700 per child. So what's the downside that has some schools refusing the money? It doesn't begin to cover the real costs of child care, which Brown said ran to about $11,000 a year for an infant and $10,500 a year for a pre-schooler in Rockland."
Mr. Rivera Goes to Albany -- Is Spitzer’s new education lieutenant a genuine reformer?
Date CapturedSunday June 17 2007, 11:21 AM
City Journal contributor Peter Meyer (Contributing Editor of Education Next) writes, "It was a promising sign, perhaps, that the 57-year-old Rivera, a grandfather, had turned down a cushy $300,000 offer to take the reins of Boston’s 150-school district in order to try to fix—with no real power and a mere $169,000 salary—New York’s 4,448 schools. He had to be nuts—a plus when doing real education reform."
SCHOOL WEAPON-SCAN 'SUCCESS'
Date CapturedSunday June 17 2007, 9:41 AM
NY Post reports, "Students checked more than 1,500 guns, knives and other dangerous items at the door at New York City schools this year - down 18 percent from last year."
Good News on Math
Date CapturedFriday June 15 2007, 9:54 AM
NY Times opines, "The new scores won’t be considered fully legitimate until New York’s students are judged on the federally backed National Assessment of Educational Progress. That’s the country’s most rigorous exam and the yardstick for measuring state standards and tests. Even so, all signs suggest that the city and state are on the right track."
School tax elimination proposal widely booed but ignites debate
Date CapturedFriday June 15 2007, 8:21 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "McMahon [director of the Empire Center for New York State Policy] said the proposal was unrealistic because it could essentially force the state to raise income taxes by 25 percent, a move that would further hurt the state's business competitiveness and hammer people who rent rather than own homes. Also, the proposal doesn't include businesses that pay property taxes."
Senate approves measure to end property taxes for homeowners
Date CapturedThursday June 14 2007, 9:07 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "The head of the state's largest teacher union said he is concerned districts won't receive adequate funding. 'While we understand property tax is something everyone is struggling with ... we don't want to wind up eliminating the property tax and the ability to properly fund schools,' said Richard Iannuzzi, president of New York State United Teachers. Senate Education Committee Chairman Steve Saland, R-Poughkeepsie, said a state takeover of funding would not reduce traditional state aid to schools, though it could limit how much districts spend."
This Is a Test. Results May Vary.
Date CapturedWednesday June 13 2007, 10:25 AM
NY Times reports, "Mr. Tobias [directs the Center for Research on Teaching and Learning at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education} said officials generally did not analyze high scores as aggressively as falling ones, and his remark betrays a weary understanding of educational politics. 'Why would you take away your own good story?' he said."
New York City math scores climb
Date CapturedTuesday June 12 2007, 7:46 AM
NY Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, "Fourth-graders did better than last year, but their 74.1% passing rate was less than their peers in 2005, when 77.4% passed. This year's eighth-graders had the highest passing rate since 1999 with 45.7% passing, compared with the previous high of 42.4% in 2004. In 1999, 2000 and 2001, less than 23% of eighth-graders passed. Sol Stern, a frequent Bloomberg critic and a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, said the scores 'are better than being flat,' but grumbled: 'If that's all you can produce with 15 extra school days [the sum of 37-1/2 minutes over a year], 4 billion extra dollars, thousands of extra teachers and a greater emphasis on test preparation, I don't think it's spectacular. It's not worth the Nobel Prize.'"
Protecting Children In The Internet Age
Date CapturedMonday June 11 2007, 1:50 PM
New York State Senate Task Force On Critical Choices
New York Suburban School Districts Among Top Spenders
Date CapturedSunday June 10 2007, 10:43 AM
NY Times reports, "New York’s high teacher costs are partly attributable to smaller class sizes: The state’s suburban districts, for instance, employ far more teachers than the rest of the country — 76 per 1,000 students, compared with the national average of 60 — but only slightly more than the New Jersey suburbs, at 74, and Fairfield, at 70. New York’s suburban districts, though, pay more for each teacher, even compared with New Jersey and Connecticut — about $133,000 in salary and benefits for each full-time teacher, compared with $94,000 in northern New Jersey and $100,000 in Fairfield, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Mr. Ernst said teacher salaries reflect higher costs in the state, and a more favorable legal and political atmosphere for labor in New York that makes it difficult to get concessions in years when money is tight. But Richard C. Iannuzzi, president of the New York State United Teachers, said teacher salaries were simply a further demonstration of the state’s commitment to education."
Send charter law to reform school
Date CapturedSunday June 10 2007, 9:44 AM
Times Union op-ed contributor Thomas Rogers, executive director of the New York State Council of School Superintendents opines, "Until the state pays the bulk of the costs, local districts -- whose taxpayers finance charter schools -- must have more say regarding charter school approval and renewal. The current system makes charter schools and district schools into enemies, instead of collaborators. Other statutory reforms must include: Robust oversight and consequences for academic failure. A state-financed safety net to accommodate enrollment fluctuations. Penalties for charter schools that plan poorly or send students back to the district schools. Downward recalculations in funding if charters do not enroll disabled students in proportions similar to district schools. Timelines for major decisions, scheduled to permit adequate planning by school districts and informed voting by the public. Prohibitions on management companies taking profits from academically failing schools."
STATE VS. NAEP COMPARISONS RELEASED TODAY
Date CapturedFriday June 08 2007, 10:24 AM
The comparison shows that New York ranks as follows: * 9th among 32 states in grade 4 reading (The state test in grade 4 and 8 is actually a test of reading and writing.) * 3rd among 34 states in grade 8 reading * 29th among 33 states in grade 4 math * 13th among 36 states in grade 8 math.
It's a cash course
Date CapturedFriday June 08 2007, 8:12 AM
NY Daily News Juan Gonzalez writes, "Under the unusual program, pupils in as many as 400 autonomous public schools that are part of Chancellor Joel Klein's Empowerment Schools program will be rewarded with money for results. Fourthgraders would get $25 and seventh-graders would get $50 for nailing a perfect score on a new battery of assessment tests from CTB/McGraw-Hill. The new assessments, announced by the Department of Education last week, will be administered a whopping five times a year to all city students from the third to the eighth grades. This will be in addition to the existing high-stakes New York state English language and math tests, though the McGraw-Hill tests are not meant to determine student placement, officials say. Under the cash incentive plan, all participating students will receive smaller amounts of money just to take the McGraw-Hill tests, according to internal Department of Education memos obtained by the Daily News."
How 8 CNY schools made Newsweek's list
Date CapturedThursday June 07 2007, 10:05 AM
The Post-Standard reports, "Among the batches of lists and rankings out there of schools, colleges and communities, Newsweek puts out an annual list of the best public high schools in the nation. The list is based on Advanced Placement and other college-level programs. For the past few years, a handful of Central New York schools found their way onto that list. This year, eight local schools were among the group."
City Nonprofit Group Gets Money for Merit Pay at Charter Schools
Date CapturedThursday June 07 2007, 10:05 AM
NY Times reports, "The United States Department of Education has awarded a $10.5 million grant to a New York City nonprofit group to create merit pay systems in 10 local charter schools, local and federal education officials announced yesterday. The grant, to be spent over five years, will allow the charter schools to pay annual performance bonuses of up to $8,000 for school supervisors, $6,000 for teachers and $2,000 for aides."
Four simple steps can boost grad rate Reworking Rochester: Schools
Date CapturedThursday June 07 2007, 6:41 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle guest essayist Michael Christman, president of the New York State Institute of Educational Excellence opines, "An examination of district data provides us with four simple steps that can be accomplished now: Ensure that all students attend school regularly; ensure that all students are safe while at school; ensure that all students take the coursework necessary to graduate; and ensure that everyone is held accountable for the outcome."
Boosting safety on campuses
Date CapturedThursday June 07 2007, 6:33 AM
Newsday reports, "James McCartney, president of the New York State University Police Officers Union, which represents about 400 university police officers and investigators, said more officers are needed, and some officers on smaller campuses in particular are not adequately trained."
Raising the bar at SUNY
Date CapturedSunday June 03 2007, 9:51 AM
Times Union opines, "More full-time faculty will make it possible to lure more top-flight academics to campuses throughout New York. As as the quality of the faculty rises, so will the number of top-achieving students seeking to enroll. In short, quality breeds quality."
Report shows schools' progress under No Child Left Behind Act
Date CapturedThursday May 31 2007, 7:55 PM
AP reports, "Almost half the eligible schools in New York received ratings of 'High Performing/Gap Closing' for the 2005-2006 school year under the No Child Left Behind Act, state education officials said Thursday. The 1,658 public schools, 14 charter schools and 288 public school districts got the designation for meeting all applicable state standards and showing adequate progress in English and math for two years. They included 1,120 elementary schools, 301 middle and 251 high schools. Another 220 public schools, six charter schools and 26 districts were designated 'Rapidly Improving' -- about 6 percent of those eligible -- because they were below state standards in at least one subject but improving. The 148 elementary, 44 middle and 34 high schools improved for three straight school years."
New Covenant's fate
Date CapturedThursday May 31 2007, 9:29 AM
Times Union opines, "Whatever meeting, or review, is planned should have been held long ago, before New Covenant officials decided to announce the school's closing. As for any new information that might be presented, it is beside the point. What matters is what has long been known about New Covenant -- some of the lowest test scores in the Capital Region and, in view of the State University of New York, which granted the charter, a chaotic environment. New Covenant has had time enough to prove itself. It hasn't."
New York Is Top State in Dollars Per Student
Date CapturedWednesday May 30 2007, 9:23 AM
NY Times reports, "Nationwide, public school districts spent an average of $8,701 per student on elementary and secondary education in the 2005 fiscal year, 5 percent more than in the previous year. New York, which also came in highest last year, spent $14,119 per student, followed by New Jersey at $13,800, Vermont at $11,838 and Connecticut at $11,572."
Literacy, really
Date CapturedMonday May 28 2007, 8:59 AM
The Journal News opines, "For starters, school leaders must have high expectations for all staff and students, and quickly supply academic interventions for struggling students. Mills [New York State Commissioner of education] also said that infusing literacy, the ability to read and write well, into every facet of schooling must be paramount. Written answers, say, on a chemistry test, actually have to be properly constructed with correct spelling and grammar. "Literacy,'' Mills said, "must be emphasized across all subjects.'' The other testing area that "most people predicted doom in,'' the commissioner said, was the performance this year of "English Language Learners'' who have been in the country at least a year and now are required by NCLB to take the same English tests as peers; previously students could get a waiver of three years of more. More than double the number of such students took the tests this year - 72,000-plus - yet a higher percentage met or exceeded the standard than last year, 18 percent to 16.2 percent statewide. Not great, but not doom."
A property tax outcry, but little else
Date CapturedMonday May 28 2007, 8:40 AM
Times Union reports, ""We are bombarding Farrell, saying get that bill out of Ways and Means,' said tax activist Gioia Shebar. Farrell, a former state Democratic chairman, heads the Ways and Means Committee, which controls tax policy bills in the Assembly. A top aide to the Assemblyman says Farrell hasn't ruled out action on the bill. But Farrell's constituents live in Manhattan, and property taxes probably aren't a top priority among them. New York City schools rely far less on property taxes, so tax rates in the city are lower than in the rest of the state. Of the 107 Democrats who control the 150-seat Assembly, 65 represent districts in New York City. Assembly Democrats also are closely aligned with the state's major teachers union, New York State United Teachers, which is cautious about moving away from property taxes to finance schools. One factor behind policymakers' preference for the property tax is its stability. Revenue from income taxes tends to fluctuate with the economy, while property taxes, which people will pay before they pay other bills, are reliable. 'One of the things we've always been concerned about is a stable funding source for schools,' said NYSUT spokesman Carl Korn."
COLLEGE CRISIS
Date CapturedSaturday May 26 2007, 8:17 AM
NY Post op-ed contributor Matthew Goldstein, chancellor of The City University of New York opines, "The graduate students forming the next generation of postsecondary instructors come increasingly from foreign lands. This has two serious adverse consequences for our students. First, once trained, many of these accomplished individuals leave the United States to pursue opportunities in their home countries. And among those who may remain, many have significant difficulties speaking English. Even as we face these challenges in replacing faculty, we expect the trend of increased student enrollment to continue."
GOLD-PLATED SCHOOLS
Date CapturedFriday May 25 2007, 10:11 AM
NY Post opines, "To be sure, Mayor Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein have made some gains in New York's schools. But the tax burden - in the suburbs and upstate in particular - has long since passed acceptable levels. The state's economy, outside Manhattan, is suffering dearly for it. Bottom line? Potential investors in New York - the kind who create jobs - got a heads-up from the Census Bureau yesterday: Look elsewhere."
N.Y. SCHOOLKIDS AT HEAD OF THE CLA$$
Date CapturedFriday May 25 2007, 8:59 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "According to the data, which considered the 2004-05 school year, New York state spent $14,119 per student, outpacing its neighbors and leaving the national average of $8,701 in the dust."
$CHOOL HOLY WAR
Date CapturedThursday May 24 2007, 7:36 AM
NY Post reports, "The atheist philanthropist who gave the New York Archdiocese $22.5 million for Catholic school scholarships yesterday blasted the city's public school system as 'lousy.' Robert Wilson laid the blame for the state of the public schools on the United Federation of Teachers, the union that represents teachers at city schools. Wilson, 80, told Bloomberg News that his huge donation 'was a chance for a very modest amount of money to get kids out of a lousy school system, and into a good school system.'"
A GLIMMER OF HOPE
Date CapturedThursday May 24 2007, 7:26 AM
NY Post opines, "Previously, English as a Second Language (ESL) students didn't have to take the reading test until after their third year in a U.S. school. In New York City, this meant a sudden jump in students taking the test despite not being proficient in English - from 24,000 last year to nearly 55,000. Obviously, kids still learning the language will have trouble passing an English reading test. Factor out those students, and the city's third-grade pass rate is virtually unchanged from last year. The total results for all kids in grades 3-8 in city schools were also virtually unchanged - 50.7 percent passing last year, 50.8 percent this year. Take ESL students out of that mix, and it becomes a rise from 53.2 percent to 56 percent."
Secretary Spellings Delivers Remarks at Manhattan Institute Education Conference
Date CapturedTuesday May 22 2007, 3:17 PM
Today in New York City, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings spoke at the Manhattan Institute Education Reform Conference to discuss the need to reauthorize No Child Left Behind (NCLB) this year. Following are her prepared remarks:
Transition Leader Is Named for Ailing Roosevelt Schools
Date CapturedTuesday May 22 2007, 9:02 AM
NY Times WINNIE HU reports, "State education officials have asked a veteran school administrator who is a former president of the New York State Council of School Superintendents to oversee a transition period for the troubled Roosevelt Union Free School District on Long Island. The administrator, William Brosnan, will lead transition efforts until a new superintendent is appointed, Richard P. Mills, the state education commissioner, said yesterday."
A push to raise bar for school smarts
Date CapturedSunday May 20 2007, 10:31 AM
Newsday JOHN HILDEBRAND AND MARY ELLEN PEREIRA report, "Scholastic standards set by New York and other states for their students fall far short of national standards, according to educational activists with deep pockets who are pushing for higher expectations."
Civics Exam: Schools of choice boost civic values
Date CapturedSunday May 20 2007, 9:23 AM
Patrick J. Wolf, professor of education reform and 21st century chair in school choice at the University of Arkansas College of Education and Health Professions writes, "In summary, the empirical studies to date counter the claims of school choice opponents that private schooling inherently and inevitably undermines the fostering of civic values. The statistical record suggests that private schooling and school choice often enhance the realization of the civic values that are central to a well-functioning democracy. This seems to be the case particularly among ethnic minorities (such as Latinos) in places with great ethnic diversity (such as New York City and Texas), and when Catholic schools are the schools of choice. Choice programs targeted to such constituencies seem to hold the greatest promise of enhancing the civic values of the next generation of American citizens."
Principals Act in Plan to Reduce Bureaucracy
Date CapturedFriday May 18 2007, 9:53 AM
NY Times reports, "More than a third of New York City’s public school principals embraced a challenge from Chancellor Joel I. Klein to free themselves as much as possible from outside oversight under a new reorganization and become full stewards of their individual schools, the city said yesterday. But few took up the chancellor’s offer to work with a private nonprofit group. And a great majority chose to align themselves with veteran schools superintendents from the traditional schools bureaucracy."
STATE OF NEW YORK COMMISSION OF INVESTIGATION CYBER CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN
Date CapturedFriday May 18 2007, 9:18 AM
Orange-Ulster BOCES Attendance Policy
Date CapturedFriday May 18 2007, 9:17 AM
New York State School and District Report Cards for School Year 2005-2006
Date CapturedFriday May 18 2007, 8:45 AM
These Report Cards are produced to inform the people of New York State about the performance of public schools and districts. We hope that these reports are used in constructive conversations which lead to improved education for all children in the State. Select a county to access school and district reports:
School leaders blame charter schools for Albany's budget failure
Date CapturedThursday May 17 2007, 9:22 AM
Capital News 9 reports, "According to the State Charter School Association, there are seven charters currently up and running with two more on the way. They said the superintendent is making charter schools scapegoats for the district's shortcomings. 'What they really need to do is adjust to the reality that for the last 7 years parents have been taking their children out to new opportunities. She can't continue to run a district that assumes 10,000 kids when in fact it's 1,500, 1,600 children fewer,' said New York Charter School Association Policy Director Peter Murphy. He said 16 percent of the district's kids are in charter schools while they only get 10 percent of the budget, and the district gets transitional aid to boot."
PRINCIPAL PACT
Date CapturedThursday May 17 2007, 9:14 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "New York City public-school principals and other administrators overwhelmingly ratified their contract deal with the city that calls for a 23 percent raise in exchange for fewer seniority rights, their union announced yesterday."
New York Statewide Annual School District Budget Voting Results
Date CapturedThursday May 17 2007, 8:33 AM
(Listed by BOCES Region)
When the schoolhouse feels like a jailhouse: Relationships between attendance, school environment and violence in New York city public schools
Date CapturedTuesday May 15 2007, 1:04 AM
By: Sharon Balmer [2006] -- This quasi-experimental study was conducted to examine whether the implementation of a punitive discipline policy, known as the Impact Schools intervention, in ten New York City high schools was successful in increasing attendance rate.
New York State Technology Law § 208
Date CapturedMonday May 14 2007, 7:33 PM
"Private information" does not include publicly available information that is lawfully made available to the general public from federal, state, or local government records.
The Virtual Y: A Ray of Sunshine for Urban Public Elementary School Children
Date CapturedMonday May 14 2007, 2:51 PM
(See page 30 of document for chart of factors impacting attendance). The National Center for Schools and Communities at Fordham University report presenting the results of seven years of evaluation for the YMCA of Greater New York’s Virtual Y after school program finding, "Third and fourth grade Virtual Y participants outperformed the comparison group in school attendance. We controlled for students’ gender, race, age, and prior school attendance in our analyses. • The average school attendance of third grade children (94.4 percent) and fourth grade children (94.9 percent) participating in the Virtual Y exceeded the average attendance of children in the comparison group (93.9 percent and 94.2 percent respectively) taking into account initial differences in student attendance and demographic background. • The difference between the mean school attendance of second grade Virtual Y students (93.7 percent) and comparison group students (93.4 percent) was positive but not significant.
Reopen school talks
Date CapturedSunday May 13 2007, 10:41 AM
Buffalo News opines, "New York State’s schoolchildren received a huge gift when newly elected Gov. Eliot L. Spitzer earmarked millions of dollars in state aid for education. A district still struggling to enhance student performance and meet tough standards must spend as many of those dollars as possible in the classroom. Part of that spending — in the district’s view, $32.8 million — reasonably can go to contracts that improve district employee performance, morale and enthusiasm. Codifying the single-payer plan, which requires the district to match benefits under the previous multiple-insurer array and has worked as promised so far, is one way the unions can help reach that goal. The teachers union has argued that the single-payer plan must be negotiated, not imposed. This is its chance. The district has come up with a reasonable plan that looks several years ahead, and the BTF and other unions should embrace that for the sake of the students."
New Study Says NYC Small High School Reforms Boost Student Performance
Date CapturedSaturday May 12 2007, 10:52 PM
A report examining the first group of the new small high schools in New York City that opened four years ago finds that those schools are making significant progress with impressive graduation rates. According to “Rethinking High School: Inaugural Graduations at New York City’s New High Schools,” these small schools are beating the odds with graduation rates that are 20 percentage points higher than the citywide rate. The schools surveyed also had higher attendance and ninth-grade promotion rates, two predictors of graduation rates, according to WestEd. The most recent data available indicate that the average attendance rate at the 14 new schools was 89% in 2004-05. The ninth-grade promotion rate across the featured schools was 92% in the same year and 91% in 2005-2006, according to the report.
Truancy News and Reports Archives
Date CapturedSaturday May 12 2007, 6:17 PM
Education New York online "truancy" news and reports archives.
Re-Engaging Youth in School: Evaluation of the Truancy Reduction Demonstration Project
Date CapturedSaturday May 12 2007, 5:46 PM
National Center for School Engagement, August 10, 2006. "The following data reflect all seven demonstration sites in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Truancy Prevention project. These sites are located in Suffolk County, New York; Contra Costa, California: Tacoma and Seattle, Washington; Houston, Texas; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Jacksonville, Florida. The purpose of collecting these data was to identify the intervention population and track truant students’ progress. The first set of tables is the aggregate of these seven sites from the projects inception to July 21, 2006. Following these data are the individual site reports. This report includes the following information: • Students Served • Ethnicity of Students • Grades of Students • Age of Students • Gender of Students • IEP status • Discipline Problems • Involvement with Juvenile Justice • Primary Care Giver • Income Eligibility Status • Students who live in home with only one adult • Students who have no working adult in the home • Average Number of children in the home • Unexcused Absences over Time • Excused Absences over Time • Tardies over Time • Days of In-School Suspensions • Days of Out-of-School Suspensions • Overall Academic Performance (over time)" "The overarching goal of truancy prevention is obviously to improve attendance and this effort was successful. In general, while excused daily absences did not change appreciably, unexcused daily absences fell dramatically and tardies declined. Period absences did not change linearly and therefore a meaningful trend isn’t apparent. Of the sites that reported enough update data, the most successful sites were Jacksonville and Honolulu. These sites primarily targeted parents because the target student population were elementary students. All sites had less information for students across time. One reason for this may be that students who no longer needed intervention were no longer tracked. Thus, reported improvements may actually be smaller than what actually occurred." " In general, the elementary-level truancy issues may be easier to deal with because the children are not 'deep-end' yet and the parents are the primary focus. Older truants are likely to have more challenges and thus may require more intensive services."
STATE FORMULA AIDS AND ENTITLEMENTS FOR SCHOOLS IN NEW YORK STATE (AS AMENDED BY CHAPTERS OF THE LAWS OF 2006)
Date CapturedSaturday May 12 2007, 3:40 PM
The University of the State of New York -- THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT -- State Aid Unit -- October, 2006. Some definitions -- A. Total Aidable Pupil Units (TAPU): The total aidable pupil unit is the sum of several pupil counts, each count being assigned a distinct weighting. Weightings are used as a means of reflecting the assumed average cost of educating a particular pupil category. These categories and weightings are further explained by the following: 1. Full Day K-12 Adjusted Average Daily Attendance (Adjusted ADA) (Weighting = 1.00): The Adjusted ADA includes the average number of pupils present on each regular school day, the full-time-equivalent enrollment of resident pupils attending a charter school, the enrollment of pupils with disabilities in full time BOCES programs, and the equivalent attendance of students under the age of 21 not on a regular day school register in programs leading to a high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma. This average is determined by dividing the total number of attendance days of all pupils by the number of days school was in session and attendance was recorded. 2. 1/2-Day K Adjusted Average Daily Attendance (Weighting = 0.50): A 0.50 weighting adjustment to the average daily attendance for half-day kindergarten attendance. 3. Pupils in Dual Enrollment with a Nonpublic School (Weighting = 1.00 * Fraction of Day in Public School Programs): The attendance of nonpublic school pupils in career education, gifted and talented, or special education programs of the public school district as authorized by Section 3602-c of the Education Law. Attendance is weighted by the fraction of the school day that the student is enrolled in the public school programs. 4. Pupils with Special Educational Needs (PSEN)(Additional Weighting = 0.25): The number of pupils with special educational needs attending the public schools of the district is determined by the percentage of pupils below minimum competence as measured by the third and sixth grade pupil evaluation program (PEP) tests in reading and mathematics. The average of the percentage of pupils in a district who scored below the State reference point on these third and sixth grade PEP Tests in 1984 85 and 1985 86 continues to be used to determine the number of pupils with special educational needs. This percentage is multiplied by the district's adjusted ADA to produce the number of pupils for weighting. The PSEN pupil count is equal to the number of eligible pupils multiplied by the 0.25 additional weighting. Since this is an additional weighting, these pupils also would have been counted under average daily attendance. 5. Secondary School Pupils (Additional Weighting = 0.25): Eligible pupils in grades seven through twelve receive an additional weighting of 0.25. Eligible pupils for this weighting are defined as the number of students in average daily attendance in grades seven through twelve excluding any such students whose enrollment generates Public Excess Cost Aid. The eligible pupils are multiplied by 0.25 to produce the additional secondary school weighting. 6. Summer Session Pupils (Weighting = 0.12): Summer session pupils are those pupils who attend Approved programs of instruction operated by the district during the months of July and August, other than pupils with disabilities in twelve month programs. The full weighting of 0.12 is applicable if the student attends a total of 90 hours of class sessions during the summer. B. Adjustment in Computing Total Aidable Pupil Units Based on Enrollment Growth: For TAPU aids payable during 2006-07, attendance in the year prior to the base year is multiplied by the ratio of base year enrollment to year prior to the base year enrollment. Base year is the school year prior to the current year. (Example: For the 2006-07 aid year, 2005-06 is the base year and 2004-05 is the year prior to the base year.) C. Selected TAPU: For the purposes of computing Formula Operating Aid, districts may use the total aidable pupil units as described above or the average of such number and the total aidable pupil units calculated for aid payable in the base year. The higher of these two figures is usually referred to as Selected TAPU.
New York educators critique No Child Left Behind
Date CapturedSaturday May 12 2007, 9:20 AM
Legislative Gazette reports, "At the recent New York State United Teacher’s annual convention, delegates presented a No Child Left Behind initiative based on the results of a survey of teachers statewide. The survey results show teachers are frustrated with the federal law and say it jeopardizes creativity and curriculum not specifically focused on teaching students to succeed on standardized tests."
RADICAL TEACH -- New York City SCHOOLS' NEW FAD
Date CapturedSaturday May 12 2007, 8:39 AM
NY Post contributor Sol Stern, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute opines, "Since gaining control of the city schools in 2002, Mayor Bloomberg has won the plaudits of business leaders for his corporate-style reorganization of the system and for supporting market-oriented initiatives such as charter schools and merit pay for teachers. But there has been a dark side: a hands-off approach to what's actually taught. The result has been travesties like the radical math conference and the proliferation of social-justice schools - and the legitimization of bringing leftist politics into the classroom. It's ironic that, as Mayor Bloomberg extols the benefits of the market approach in education, his schools are becoming rife with radical teachers using the classroom to trash the American system of market capitalism."
Evaluating 'No Child Left Behind'
Date CapturedFriday May 11 2007, 8:35 AM
The Nation contributor Linda Darling-Hammond, the Charles E. Ducommon Professor of Education at Stanford University writes, "Perhaps the most adverse unintended consequence of NCLB is that it creates incentives for schools to rid themselves of students who are not doing well, producing higher scores at the expense of vulnerable students' education. Studies have found that sanctioning schools based on average student scores leads schools to retain students in grade so that grade-level scores will look better (although these students ultimately do less well and drop out at higher rates), exclude low-scoring students from admissions and encourage such students to transfer or drop out. Recent studies in Massachusetts, New York and Texas show how schools have raised test scores while 'losing' large numbers of low-scoring students."
Charter Schools in New York State for School Year 2004-2005
Date CapturedThursday May 10 2007, 10:39 AM
Citywide Budget Data
Date CapturedWednesday May 09 2007, 10:30 AM
As part of the Fair Student Funding initiative, the Department of Education [New York City] is committed to providing more information about school funding levels. This data set shows details pertaining to preliminary school budgets for the 2007-2008 school year. Using this data set, you can see information for 1,391 of New York City’s schools regarding: 07-08 preliminary budget allocations 07-08 adjusted per capita data for comparison to previously released 05-06 data 07-08 Average Teacher Salary (ATS) This data set allows some comparison between different schools’ funding levels. However, the set is neither comprehensive nor perfect. It covers only funds that are recorded on the school budgets that principals monitor and control. Therefore, large amounts of money spent in schools on students do not appear here at all, including centrally funded administrative services such as food, transportation, maintenance, utilities; instructional supports, such as related services in special education’ and fringe benefits for school employees.
NYS Office of Mental Health and Education Department Together Promoting Healthy Child Development
Date CapturedWednesday May 09 2007, 10:02 AM
Michael F. Hogan, Ph.D., Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) and Richard P. Mills, Commissioner of the New York State Education Department (SED), today co-hosted a gathering of parents, school teachers and administrators, pediatricians, mental health providers and advocates, to celebrate National Children's Mental Health Awareness day. Held in the Cultural Education Center's Huxley Theater, the event celebrated children's emotional wellbeing and healthy development, and focused on the shared goals and new directions that OMH and SED are undertaking for the children of New York State.
BOOK WORMS LURK
Date CapturedMonday May 07 2007, 8:42 AM
NY Post DOUGLAS MONTERO reports, "Hundreds of city elementary-school kids are sitting ducks at public libraries where they hang out alone, unsupervised and vulnerable, because their parents can't afford after-school baby sitters or don't want to deal with their own kids. The crisis has turned libraries into impromptu day-care centers and good-hearted librarians into unofficial baby sitters for children who have nowhere to go between 3 and 6 p.m. 'It's a growing problem throughout the state,' said Michael Borges, the executive director of the New York Library Association. 'It's unfortunate that parents are so desperate that they have to use a library as a baby-sitting service.'"
District targets sports conduct
Date CapturedSunday May 06 2007, 9:02 AM
Star-Gazette reports, "The Horseheads Central School District is developing a "cutting edge" code of conduct for student-athletes, coaches and parents/spectators that could become a model for districts all over New York state."
HESC signs code of conduct for student loan guarantors
Date CapturedTuesday May 01 2007, 8:39 AM
News from New York State Higher Education Services Corp. (HESC) -- HESC, the state agency that helps people pay for college, "has always embraced the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct" during the agency's 33 years of guaranteeing student loans and administering the state's grants and scholarship program, said HESC President James C. Ross. "We are pleased to sign this code of conduct and reaffirm our commitment to transparency in all of our dealings with our customers -- students, families, lenders and college financial aid professionals," Ross added. Several lenders and colleges have signed the attorney general's code.
Bundy Aid cuts: Proposal should be rejected
Date CapturedTuesday May 01 2007, 7:56 AM
Ithaca Journal opines, "Cutting aid to all private colleges because some are larger and have more resources doesn't do justice to students who study at colleges in the state. Our Assemblywoman, Barbara Lifton, said it best in Saturday's article. While the Robin Hood philosophy behind Rivera's proposal makes sense in theory, students from all types of socioeconomic backgrounds study at private colleges in New York. Though there are no restrictions on how the aid is spent, Bundy Aid ultimately allows private schools to offer more financial aid to students who need it to attend college. Rivera's efforts would be better spent on trying to fine-tune the Bundy Aid system so that the money does ultimately reach students who need a lot of financial assistance to attend colleges."
FRIEDEN'S NEW FOUL
Date CapturedMonday April 30 2007, 7:45 AM
NY Post op-ed contributor David Yassky, north Brooklyn representative, New York City Council opines, "The rules would cost parochial schools millions of dollars, quite possibly forcing some of them to shut down. Most important, these new rules would cross the line that should separate church and state. Of course, we do want the Health Department to protect children against dangers like lead exposure. But existing rules already do that. Now the Health Department wants to impose much more comprehensive regulations on parochial preschool facilities - mandating a certain number of square feet per child, a certain number of toilets per child and so forth."
Student loan sense
Date CapturedSunday April 29 2007, 9:07 AM
Times Union opines, "Now, here's a reassuring thought. New York, so often held up as an example of how state government shouldn't function, is on the verge of being the first state to impose urgently required restrictions on the $85 billion a year student loan industry. In fact, Congress has taken note and may soon consider federal legislation based on the New York model."
Rochester's 39% graduation rate is worst in N.Y.'s Big 4
Date CapturedThursday April 26 2007, 10:12 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "The City School District's four-year graduation rate of 39 percent is the lowest of New York's big four upstate city districts, according to state Education Department data released Wednesday. The district's rate dropped from 41 percent in 2005, according to the state. The big four city districts — Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo and Yonkers — had an average rate of 45 percent in 2006. Statewide, the average for all schools was 67 percent."
Teachers want change in education policy
Date CapturedThursday April 26 2007, 9:36 AM
Observer-Dispatch reports, "New York teachers are asking Congress to: •Allow states to develop appropriate language-arts tests for English-language learners and special-education students. English-language learners have to take the same language-arts tests as their peers, even though they may not have a full command of English. •Distinguish struggling schools from those that are successful but need limited assistance, rather than putting all schools with problems into the same category. •Stop punishing entire schools and districts based on the low test scores of a small number of students. •Adequately fund testing and accountability mandates in the law. New York received $911 million less in funding last year than what Congress authorized when it passed the legislation in 2002, NYSUT said."
Information & Reporting Services
Date CapturedThursday April 26 2007, 9:15 AM
Graduation Data for New York Public Schools -- includes text and slides.
NEW GRADUATION RESULTS RELEASED FOR HIGH SCHOOLS STATEWIDE
Date CapturedThursday April 26 2007, 9:07 AM
Statewide high school graduation results released today show that: Statewide, 72 percent of the students who started 9th grade in 2001 had graduated after 5 years, by June 30, 2006. Statewide, 67 percent of the students who started 9th grade in 2002 had graduated after 4 years. This is an increase of one percentage point from the 4-year graduation rate of students who started 9th grade in 2001. The 4-year graduation rate of African-American students increased from 44 to 47 percent between 2004 and 2006, although it remains far too low and far below the rate of white students. The 4-year graduation rate of Hispanic students increased from 41 to 45 percent between 2004 and 2006, although it also remains far too low. New York City has increased its 4-year graduation rate from 44 percent in 2004 to 50 percent in 2006.
GRAD TIDINGS: CITY'S RATES UP, BUT 50% OF HS KIDS ARE 'LATE'
Date CapturedThursday April 26 2007, 8:42 AM
NY Post KENNETH LOVETT in Albany and BILL SANDERSON and DAVID SEIFMAN in New York City report, "The new numbers also show that just 19 percent of students with disabilities in New York City graduate in four years compared to a 37 percent statewide average, and that English-language learners have actually seen their on-time graduation rates drop in the last three years, to 27 percent statewide and 22 percent in the city. Also, there is a significant gender gap, with 56 percent of female students and just 43 percent of male students in New York City graduating on time."
Settlement Approved In Lawsuit Against New York City DOE
Date CapturedWednesday April 25 2007, 11:34 AM
NY1 reports, "The settlement creates more classroom slots for the children and the DOE will use an internal monitoring system to make sure kids get in the classes quickly. The children, between ages 3 and 5, were on waiting lists to get into special education classes in city schools. Some of the children spent months or years waiting to get in the classes which provide speech, physical or occupational therapy."
COMMISSIONER MILLS MEETS WITH NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION; DISCUSSES “NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND” REAUTHORIZATION
Date CapturedTuesday April 24 2007, 9:56 PM
State Education Commissioner Richard Mills met with members of New York’s Congressional delegation in Washington D.C. Wednesday to urge key changes in the upcoming renewal of the No Child Left Behind Act.
In U.S. Absence, States Take Lead in Student Loan Cases
Date CapturedTuesday April 24 2007, 9:04 AM
NY Times reports, "State attorneys general around the country are stepping up their scrutiny of college lending practices in the absence of federal enforcement action, following a pattern that experts say has prevailed in some other major consumer investigations in recent years. Yesterday the attorneys general of Illinois and Missouri announced that as a result of investigations into lending practices at three major universities in those states, the universities had agreed to adopt a code of conduct to guide their relations with student lenders. The code will be modeled on one developed by Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, who has been looking into student loan practices for months and who said in an interview that similar investigative efforts were snowballing around the country."
PROGRESS ON PRINCIPALS
Date CapturedTuesday April 24 2007, 8:21 AM
NY Post opines, "So, yes, it's certainly good to see City Hall add a few arrows to its quiver vis-à-vis its relations with the folks who run New York's schools. But the biggest kudos must wait until the schools actually show marked gains. Klein and Bloomberg have 21/2 years left to make that happen."
Ten Accountability Lessons: What Works and What Does Not What Works and What Does Not
Date CapturedSaturday April 21 2007, 9:53 PM
Boosting Accountability in New York’s Schools How to Meet the Governor’s Historic Challenge March 8, 2007 Ten Accountability Lessons: What Works and What Does Not What Works and What Does Not Paul E. Peterson Paul E. Peterson – Harvard University Harvard University Lesson 1: Lesson 1: Overall, accountability seems to have Overall, accountability seems to have positive effects. positive effects. Effect of State Accountability Effect of State Accountability Systems on NAEP Performance Systems on NAEP Performance 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 none with report card with accountability math gains 4th to 8th grade (% of a standard deviation) Change in NAEP Test Scores Change in NAEP Test Scores (All Students, 1992/98 (All Students, 1992/98 - 2005) 2005) 18.5 2.5 10.7 -0.3 25.2 11.2 14.1 1.2 19.7 8.1 13.3 0.3 -10 0 10 20 30 4th Grade Math 4th Grade Reading 8th Grade Math 8th Grade Reading Change in Score (1992/98 to 2005) U.S. Florida New York Note: For 8th Grade Reading, comparison years are 1998 and 2005; for all others, 1992 and 2005. Stars denote changes in the state scores that were significantly higher or lower than the changes in the U.S. overall. Change in NAEP Scores Change in NAEP Scores (Black Students, 1992/98 (Black Students, 1992/98 - 2005) 2005) 27.7 7.9 18 0 35 17.8 14.8 2.4 24.6 8.3 25.2 -3.8 -10 0 10 20 30 40 4th Grade Math 4th Grade Reading 8th Grade Math 8th Grade Reading Change in Score (1992/98 to 2005) U.S. Florida New York Note: For 8th Grade Reading, comparison years are 1998 and 2005; for all others, 1992 and 2005. Stars denote changes in the state scores that were significantly higher or lower than the changes in the U.S. overall. Change in NAEP Scores Change in NAEP Scores (Hispanic Students, 1992/98 (Hispanic Students, 1992/98 - 2005) 2005) 24.2 6.9 14.1 3.5 25.6 12.1 18.4 4.5 29.2 24.2 21.4 3.9 0 10 20 30 40 4th Grade Math 4th Grade Reading 8th Grade Math 8th Grade Reading Change in Score (1992/98 to 2005) U.S. Florida New York Note: For 8th Grade Reading, comparison years are 1998 and 2005; for all others, 1992 and 2005. Lesson 2: Lesson 2: Accountability, as we know it, is not Accountability, as we know it, is not transforming schools. transforming schools. National Assessment of Educational Progress, 1971-2004 Age 17, Math 225 250 275 300 325 1971 1982 1993 2004 Scale Score White Black Hispanic National Assessment of Educational Progress, 1971-2004 Age 17, Reading 225 250 275 300 325 1971 1982 1993 2004 Scale Score White Black Hispanic Lesson 3: Lesson 3: Accountability is cost effective. Accountability is cost effective. Lesson 4: Lesson 4: NCLB NCLB’s measuring stick is flawed measuring stick is flawed – standards vary by state. standards vary by state. Variation in State Variation in State Proficiency Proficiency Standards, 2005 Standards, 2005 Lesson 5: Lesson 5: NCLB NCLB’s measuring stick conflicts measuring stick conflicts with state accountability measures. with state accountability measures. Comparison with Florida Comparison with Florida’s Measuring Stick Measuring Stick Lesson 6: Lesson 6: NCLB does a poor job of identifying NCLB does a poor job of identifying good schools. good schools. Accuracy of Measuring Stick Accuracy of Measuring Stick Lesson 7: Lesson 7: For accountability to work, states For accountability to work, states need to build a data base that can need to build a data base that can track students over time. track students over time. Lesson 8: Lesson 8: Schools respond if accountability Schools respond if accountability contains a penalty. contains a penalty. Florida Student Gains from Being Florida Student Gains from Being Threatened by the Voucher Option Threatened by the Voucher Option 10 percent of a standard deviation 10 percent of a standard deviation (about half the size of the class size reduction, (about half the size of the class size reduction, at little or no cost) at little or no cost) Lesson 9: Lesson 9: Student accountability is more Student accountability is more effective than school accountability. effective than school accountability. “The student is the crucial actor. The student is the crucial actor. Whether we adults like it or not, he or Whether we adults like it or not, he or she decides what has been purveyed. she decides what has been purveyed.” - Theodore Theodore Sizer Sizer High Stakes Testing in Chicago High Stakes Testing in Chicago Math Results Math Results High Stakes Testing in Chicago High Stakes Testing in Chicago Reading Results Reading Results Achievement Trend Achievement Trend – Chicago vs. Chicago vs. Other Large Midwestern Cities Other Large Midwestern Cities Change in Test Score Gains Change in Test Score Gains Resulting from Florida Resulting from Florida’s Retention s Retention Policy Policy – Low Performing Students Low Performing Students Change in Test Score Gains Change in Test Score Gains Resulting from Florida Resulting from Florida’s Retention s Retention Policy Policy – Retained Students Retained Students Impact of School Autonomy and Impact of School Autonomy and Central Exams on Math Test Scores Central Exams on Math Test Scores % of a standard deviation % of a standard deviation % of a standard deviation % of a standard deviation Statewide MCAS Math Results Statewide MCAS Math Results 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 Percentage at or above proficient 4th grade 8th grade 10th grade Lesson 10: Lesson 10: Principals and teachers, not schools, Principals and teachers, not schools, need to be held accountable. need to be held accountable.
For Some Schools and Taxpayers, a Big Relief
Date CapturedSaturday April 21 2007, 10:14 AM
NY Times reports, "'There are two factors that really drove aid downstate,” said Paul Francis, the governor’s budget director. “One is that by sending more money to high-needs districts, that’s going to drive more money downstate because of New York City and certain suburban districts. The other is that a disproportionate amount of aid that was directed in the final negotiations went to New York City and Long Island.'”
Our Children’s Agenda
Date CapturedFriday April 20 2007, 3:22 PM
New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, "If our children’s agenda is to succeed – if we are truly to achieve equal opportunity for every child in New York – we will need your help. We will need the help of parents, teachers, neighbors, communities of faith, and non-profit organizations. Because achieving equal opportunity is just half the battle. We still need to ensure that our children make the most of it."
Charter school finds home, still needs state approval
Date CapturedFriday April 20 2007, 9:22 AM
Kingston Freeman reports, "Washington [co-applicant for the Teaching Wisdom and Responsibility Charter School of Higher Learning] said she has been working on the charter school plan for two years and has secured space on O'Neil Street to house the school. The school would target students at risk of being left behind academically and will only admit students who scored at Levels 1, 2 or a low 3 on New York state's four-level English language arts or math exams. Washington hopes the school eventually will serve grades kindergarten through eight but said it will start with just kindergartners and fifth-graders. The following year, those students would become first and sixth graders and new classes of kindergartners and fifth-graders would come in, she said. The process the would continue until the school served all grades."
Boosting Accountability in New York's Schools
Date CapturedFriday April 20 2007, 9:12 AM
How to Meet the Governor's Historic Challenge, Thursday, March 8, 2007. A panel of state and national education experts gathered at the state Capitol in Albany March 8 to examine and debate Gov. Spitzer's historic education reform plan, which aims to hold New York schools more accountable than ever before. This page features a link to a slide presentation by one of the featured speakers, and also includes streaming audio of the event including John C. Reid, Assistant Secretary for Education State of New York; Thomas W. Carroll, President, Foundation for Education Reform & Accountability; Paul E. Peterson Director, Program on Educational Policy and Governance Kennedy School of Government; Moderator: David F. Shaffer, President, Public Policy Institute of New York State; Panelists: Carl Hayden, Chancellor Emeritus, New York State Board of Regents; Richard C. Iannuzzi, President, New York State United Teachers; Timothy G. Kremer, Executive Director, New York State School Boards Association; Thomas L. Rogers, Executive Director, New York State Council of School Superintendents; Sol Stern, Contributing Editor, City Journal and Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
THE SCHOOL WARS: TEACHERS UNIONS MAULED GOV
Date CapturedFriday April 20 2007, 8:46 AM
NY Post Op-ed contributor Thomas W. Carroll, president of the Foundation for Education Reform and Accountability opines, "In sum, the governor's vision for educational accountability got mangled in the legislative process. The public and educators will get much better student data. But the political process removed the 'teeth' from any consequences for failure. Teachers unions hijacked the infusion of billions of dollars in state money for things they favor - smaller class size (read more dues-paying teachers) - and blocked crucial companion measures like longer school days, longer school years and more flexible work rules that are the sine qua non for successful schools, especially those serving economically disadvantaged populations. At the same time, the governor couldn't expand school choice on anything like the scale of the vast need for alternatives, especially in New York City. The net result: New York state will spend billions more on public schools, and likely produce marginal, if any, changes in outcomes. Eventually, the new assessment system will let us demonstrate this failure conclusively - but that will be faint solace for the generation of children who will be forever damaged by our failure to get reform right."
THE SCHOOL WARS: LESSONS FROM NYC
Date CapturedFriday April 20 2007, 8:40 AM
NY Post Op-ed contributor New York City Mayor Bloomberg opines, "I've always been a strong believer in the idea that if an extra year is necessary in order to learn basic and essential skills and knowledge, then that year is well-spent. And as our program to end social promotion demonstrated real results, the status-quo crowd stopped screaming. Turning around the school system in D.C. won't be any easier than it's been here in New York. But it can be done - and it must be done. The future of our cities, and of our nation, rests on whether we can create schools where children receive the high-quality education they will need to pursue their dreams in the 21st century. Our children deserve nothing less, and we can't settle for anything less."
At city universities, NYPD is vital asset
Date CapturedThursday April 19 2007, 9:35 AM
NY Daily News reports, " A City University of New York official who asked not to be named said that a 2002 internal review by former NYPD commissioner William Bratton encouraged all 22 colleges in the system to establish close relationships with the NYPD, and to use the department without hesitation."
When student lenders compete, New York wins
Date CapturedThursday April 19 2007, 9:06 AM
NY Daily News guest writer MICHAEL DANNENBERG, director of education policy for the New America Foundation, a nonpartisan public policy institute based in Washington opines, "Banks could offer far cheaper federal loans to students. In fact, one small New York company called MyRichUncle currently offers federal loans at a rate that's a full percentage point lower than Sallie Mae's. For the typical federal student loan borrower with $20,000 in debt, that translates into roughly a $1,000 savings over the life of the loan. When MyRichUncle approached colleges to get on their preferred lender lists, it was rejected - because it didn't offer schools kickbacks, stock options, call centers or computer software like Sallie Mae's. It just had a cheaper product for students. You'd think that would be enough. It is in a real market."
Chancellor Klein Specifies Restructuring of New York City Schools
Date CapturedTuesday April 17 2007, 7:48 AM
NY Times reports, "Principals are being asked to choose among three options: empowerment, in which schools are organized into networks and led by network support teams; partner support organizations, in which nine private nonprofit groups can be hired on contract to provide support to schools; and four learning support organizations, run by former regional superintendents, each with a different theme."
NEW YORK CITY HIGH SCHOOL SPURS FUROR WITH CUBA TRIP
Date CapturedMonday April 16 2007, 8:14 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "A group of Manhattan public high-school students and a history teacher with a soft spot for Cuba flouted federal travel restrictions by taking a spring-break field trip to the communist nation - and now face up to $65,000 apiece in fines, The Post has learned. The lesson in socializing and socialism was given to about a dozen students from the selective Beacon School on the Upper West Side, which for years has organized extravagant overseas trips with complementary semester-long classes. Some past destinations include France, Spain, South Africa, Venezuela, Mexico and, according to the school Web site, Cuba in 2004 and 2005."
AFT Salary Survey: Teachers Need 30 Percent Raise
Date CapturedSunday April 15 2007, 5:11 PM
New York dropped to sixth in the nation for its average teacher salary in 2004-05, according to the American Federation of Teachers’ (AFT) annual teacher salary survey released today. Nationally, anemic teacher salary growth continues to lag behind inflation and precludes many teachers from finding affordable housing and paying off student loans. The average teacher salary in New York for the 2004-05 school year was $55,665, up 0.9 percent from the previous year when it was ranked third. New York was ranked fifth in the nation for beginning teacher salary, at $37,321, an increase of 2.5 percent from 2004.
NCLB Changes Could Affect Special Ed
Date CapturedSaturday April 14 2007, 8:58 PM
The Post-Journal (Jamestown, New York) reports, "The Bush Administration is suggesting changes be made to the act which will allow more disabled children to take simpler tests than their peers. Roughly 10 percent of special education students — the majority with the most severe cognitive disabilities — already take alternative assessments. If approved, the changes would bump the number of students taking the alternative exams up to 20 percent."
Restore trust in student loans
Date CapturedFriday April 13 2007, 9:07 AM
Newsday opines, "New York's institutions should implement Cuomo's recommendation for a code of conduct to prevent future abuses. That would be a start to restoring some of the lost trust. "
Charter schools are given a break
Date CapturedFriday April 13 2007, 8:47 AM
Buffalo News reports, "'The victory here is that you’ll have more charter schools and that the law remains largely intact,' said Peter Murphy, policy director for the New York Charter Schools Association. 'The message will get out that we’re now back in business.' At the same time, districts with large concentrations of charter schools — including Buffalo — got some fiscal relief after arguing for years that they suffer under the existing funding formula. A newly created pool of 'transition aid' will provide Buffalo $12 million next school year to cushion the $60 million the district makes in transfer payments to 15 charter schools."
Education Department official's disclosure raises questions about oversight
Date CapturedFriday April 13 2007, 8:40 AM
AP reports, "The student lending industry is already under scrutiny by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who is investigating allegations of possible kickbacks to school officials for steering students to certain lenders. Cuomo's investigators say they have found numerous arrangements that benefited schools and lenders at the expense of students."
Upstate schools strapped for federal cash
Date CapturedThursday April 12 2007, 9:15 AM
Observer-Dispatch reports, "As Upstate New York school districts finalize their budgets for next year, they are facing a nearly $207 million shortfall in federal funds to help low-income students succeed, Sen. Chuck Schumer said Wednesday. That money was promised as part of the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind law, which aims to improve learning in the nation's schools and measure the results through increased testing."
Blowing the whistle
Date CapturedThursday April 12 2007, 8:44 AM
NY Daily News opines, "Weingarten's purposes are particularly transparent in that city laws already protect whistleblowers who report gross mismanagement or abuse of authority, and a special investigator is tasked with investigating school complaints. New York State law also protects whistleblowing teachers. Regardless, the Council Education Committee yesterday voted 14 to 1 in favor of Weingarten's bill. Among those in support was Chairman Robert Jackson, who allowed that he doesn't really know what's covered under existing law but "wholeheartedly supports" Weingarten's bill anyway. If it sounds good for kids, that's good enough for Jackson. But the people it's really good for are teachers who are worried about being subject to hard data analysis of student progress."
Fund the Child: A Better Way to Help Disadvantaged Students
Date CapturedTuesday April 10 2007, 10:55 AM
HumanEvents.com contributor Dan Lips writes, "In January, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed that Gotham adopt three new policies: 'backpack funding,' school-based management, and widespread school choice. This bundle of reforms -- known as the 'weighted student formula' -- embodies a new approach to education finance."
Fixing the School Aid Formula
Date CapturedSunday April 08 2007, 10:24 AM
NY Times opines, "Mr. Spitzer and the Legislature have clearly not removed all the fiddling from the budget process. You can be sure that Westchester lawmakers will fight fiercely to adjust things to their benefit, as they have every right to do. But the bottom line for this year: Westchester made out O.K. Long Island did better than O.K. The New York City schools did well, and will do better in coming years, and so the rigged process that unfairly brought wheelbarrows of cash to Long Island over the years will not be sustainable. The process of adjusting an unjust system is far from over. But at least it has begun."
CITY SUED OVER SCHOOL PLAN FOR TAINTED LAND
Date CapturedSaturday April 07 2007, 8:59 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "A coalition of South Bronx community groups sued yesterday to stop the city from building what would be New York's largest school complex ever - on contaminated ground. The organization claims the city has failed to live up to a deal to adhere to recommendations made by an environmental consultant for the $235 million plan."
New York City readies for eight new charter schools
Date CapturedFriday April 06 2007, 1:10 PM
Crain Communications reports, "Officials at the New York City Department of Education say two new charter schools are scheduled to open in September—Bedford-Stuyvesant Collegiate Charter School in Brooklyn and Carl C. Icahn Charter School Bronx North—because they were approved before the cap was reached in January 2006. Two other schools have received preliminary approval by the DOE and have been sent to the New York State Board of Regents for approval. Six more are under review by Schools Chancellor Joel Klein. "
Probe Targets College Financial Aid Kickbacks
Date CapturedFriday April 06 2007, 11:10 AM
All Things Considered Nancy Solomon reports, "High-ranking financial aid officers at three major universities owned stock in a loan company they recommended as a 'preferred lender,' according to New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo."
Office of Educational Management Services New York State Education Department
Date CapturedThursday April 05 2007, 10:32 AM
POLICY FOR NYSED’s Response To A Pupil Transportation Fatality
LATEST INFORMATION ON THE NEW YORK 2007-2008 STATE BUDGET
Date CapturedThursday April 05 2007, 10:28 AM
New & Notes
Safety first
Date CapturedThursday April 05 2007, 10:01 AM
Staten Island Advance opines, "If Mayor Michael Bloomberg has his way, New York City, which bans smoking in bars, the use of trans fats in restaurants, noisy ice cream trucks and countless other practices and behaviors city officials don't condone, will never ban the use of dangerous metal bats in youth baseball games."
If school funding is locked up, other services will be shut out
Date CapturedThursday April 05 2007, 9:05 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle Op-Ed contributor Lois Giess, president, Rochester City Council opines, "At the last moment during the New York state budget process, a little-noticed bill titled 'Maintenance of Effort' was approved by the state Legislature and apparently will be signed by Gov. Spitzer. This bill has been reintroduced in one form or another virtually every year for more than a decade, and, until Sunday, had successfully been fought by the affected cities. It requires that the city governments in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers continue the current level of funding for public schools, regardless of circumstances. It has been and will be presented as a law intended "for the children," but it is not and never has been. Rather, it is another example of the powerful lobbying influence of New York State United Teachers, which has always placed the salary and job retention demands of its members above all other legitimate governmental responsibilities. It further enshrines in law the failed efforts to "fix" the educational problems in New York by throwing limitless amounts of money at higher staff salaries."
New York State Catholic Conference criticizes state budget decisions
Date CapturedWednesday April 04 2007, 3:01 PM
Catholic News Service reports, "Barnes [Catholic conference executive director] blamed Silver and the state's powerful teachers' unions for the exclusion of the tuition tax deduction from the education portion of the state's $121 billion budget, despite strong support for the credit by the Senate and Gov. Eliot Spitzer. He said New York is ranked second in the nation 'and soon likely to be first' in its per-student cost of more than $15,000 a year for public education, but has 'graduation rates that are a scandalous 48th.' Yet Silver, he said, 'could not see fit to give parents of children in independent and religious schools, who save the state $7.5 billion every single year, a deduction that amounts to about $68 per child.'"
P-16 Education: A Plan for Action
Date CapturedWednesday April 04 2007, 9:10 AM
Improve high school attendance and graduation rates by setting performance targets, promoting promising practices that remove barriers to graduation, and holding schools accountable for dramatic improvements. Problem: Since higher standards were adopted in 1996, the number of high school graduates each year has increased. However, only 64% of students who entered 9th grade in 2001 graduated in four years; 18% were still enrolled and 11% had dropped out. Rates for Black and Hispanic students were below 45%. Data show that graduation rates are closely tied to attendance rates. As attendance declines below 95%, graduation rates decline significantly. And both attendance and graduation rates decline with poverty. New York’s current graduation rate standard is only 55%, one of the lowest in the nation. Schools need to focus on the least served students, such as Black males, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities. Actions: ¦ Set a State graduation rate standard, publish four- and five-year graduation rates by school, and specify a schedule of improvement targets for schools to close the gap between their graduation rate and State standard. Set targets now for the students who entered 9th grade in 2004 and will graduate in 2008. This action is especially important to ensure that more schools intervene to help the most underserved students, such as Black males, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities Research and benchmark other states for effective, innovative strategies that improve high school graduation and attendance rates. Include strategies that begin in middle school and focus on the transition from middle to high school. Emphasize a meaningful curriculum that includes the arts, music, physical education and career and technical programs. Provide effective strategies to schools to enable them to achieve the State targets through regional networks
Message from Johanna Duncan-Poitier, Senior Deputy Commissioner of Education- P-16
Date CapturedWednesday April 04 2007, 9:03 AM
It is an exciting time for education in New York State. For the first time in recent history, we have a solid P-16 action plan for statewide education reform and the resources necessary to fully support our schools and to help all students reach high standards of performance. The Board of Regents have set forth a P-16 agenda to improve graduation rates, strengthen instruction, raise learning standards, and increase accountability. At the same time, the new 2007-08 State budget includes an unprecedented increase of $1.7 billion in aid to school districts across the State. With the action plan and resources as the foundation for the future of education in this State, we are well-positioned to marshal the talent and energy across the Pre-Kindergarten through higher education continuum to achieve greater success for all students.
Schools adopt code for student lending
Date CapturedTuesday April 03 2007, 9:49 AM
Times Union reports, "The schools -- all 29 four-year State University of New York campuses, including University at Albany, New York University, University of Pennsylvania, St. John's University, Syracuse University, Fordham University, St. Lawrence University and Long Island University -- agreed to the code as part of settlements of the nationwide probe by Cuomo's office into student lending. None of the schools admitted any wrongdoing. Cuomo's investigation found that many colleges established questionable 'preferred lender' lists, and entered into revenue sharing and other financial arrangements with those lenders."
Schools budget, gov win cheers for fund formula
Date CapturedTuesday April 03 2007, 9:25 AM
NY Daily News reports, ""What has school reformers excited is a four-year plan to better distribute school dollars using a formula based exclusively on need - not on political clout. That formula will mean that city schools, given New York's poverty rate and the high number of city kids struggling to learn English, could get close to $6 billion more by 2010 - numbers consistent with the ruling of the state's highest court in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit, which ordered a more equitable distribution of school funds."
Bills target gangs that prey on New York state’s students
Date CapturedMonday April 02 2007, 9:48 AM
Legislative Gazette reports, "'Gang Free School Zones,' as the plan has been designated, would amend New York State penal law and increase the penalties for engaging in gang activity on school grounds. But the bills need to be amended to include a definition of what constitutes gang membership because the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that language in some anti-gang bills was too vague, according to Guillermo Martinez, legislative director for Rivera. The Supreme Court determined that under freedom of association, gang membership must be specifically defined in all legislation, said Martinez. Under the new language that is to be added to the bill, gang membership will be defined as a group of three or more people forming a formal or informal alliance, network or arrangement who use common identifying signs, symbols, tattoos, physical markings or a common dress code, and who conduct in or engage in criminal activity."
New York school uniform legislation debated
Date CapturedMonday April 02 2007, 9:42 AM
Legislative Gazette reports, "According to the bill, there is a 'strong co-relation between school gang violence proliferation and the distinctive and casual clothing school kids wear to school.' Proponents say uniforms would decrease the ability of students to show gang affiliation or hide weapons. Uniforms would also impact the social and economic status of families by providing 'inexpensive uniforms' and improving student concentration by placing a greater focus on academics, according to the bill. Jane Hannaway, the director of educational policy at the Urban Institue, said the basic idea of school uniforms is to create school order, which is 'very important.'”
Turn to private and corporate donations
Date CapturedSunday April 01 2007, 10:24 AM
Newsday Op-Ed contributor Timothy P. Mulhearn, president of United New Yorkers for Choice in Education opines, "Private donations could help public schools maintain or expand academic and athletic programs without asking for increased tax revenue or charging players to play on sports teams. The funds could be used to hold tax rates steady. Wealthier individuals or businesses would be encouraged to become engaged with local schools, which can only strengthen the community. As New York State becomes an increasingly expensive place to live and more businesses contemplate relocating, this legislation is a sound attempt to make it a more attractive environment in which people can live, work and raise their families. The sponsors of the Educational Tax Incentives Act have 38 co-sponsors from urban and suburban regional areas of the state. It is in all New Yorkers' interest that the legislature pass it. "
A fund boost for charters?
Date CapturedSaturday March 31 2007, 9:46 AM
Newsday reports, "There are about 4,000 charter schools nationwide, according to the pro-charter Center for Education Reform. The budget agreement between Gov. Eliot Spitzer and the state legislature, which is expected to be passed by Sunday, gives the State University of New York and the state Board of Regents the authority to hand out charters to groups interested in running schools. Bloomberg said Friday he was disappointed the deal did not give the schools chancellor similar authority."
Charter the right course
Date CapturedSaturday March 31 2007, 8:56 AM
NY Daily News opines, "Small, flexible and free to experiment with reforms that would be impossible within the confines of a 600-page union contract, New York City's 47 charters get superior results. Last year, 66% of their elementary kids were up to snuff on standardized math tests, compared with 53% in city-run schools in the same districts. The comparison on English tests was 56% passing in the charters, 48% in city-run schools. Charters are giving low-income, minority children a fighting chance to get ahead in life - and blazing the trail toward better education for all. Lawmakers should do all they can to spread this opportunity far and wide. That means a straightforward expansion of charters without costly mandates and innovation-squashing rules."
New York mayor announces antipoverty experiment
Date CapturedThursday March 29 2007, 5:46 PM
International Herald Tribune reports, "Under the program, which is based on a similar effort in Mexico but is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, families would receive payments every two months for meeting any of 20 or so criteria per individual. The payments would range from perhaps $25 for an elementary school student's attendance to $300 for greatly improved performance on a standardized test, officials said."
Study: Schools lag in technology
Date CapturedThursday March 29 2007, 8:48 AM
Times Union reports, "New York gets a C-minus for the way its schools use technology, putting it in the same league as Missouri, Colorado and New Jersey and behind Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, according to a national survey."
Charter schools deliver success
Date CapturedThursday March 29 2007, 8:39 AM
Times Union contributors Rev. Karim Camara and Sam Hoyt opine, "We cannot afford to ignore promising efforts to increase the supply of quality, high-performing education offerings for New York's children. If anything, we've got to find ways to streamline the application process for successful charter school operators so they are not held back from doing the important work of helping public education live up to its promise to educate all of our children."
Compromises floated as budget deadline approaches
Date CapturedTuesday March 27 2007, 12:42 PM
AP Michael Gormley reports, "One of the Spitzer proposals was pushed Tuesday by a coalition of Catholic bishops, Protestant, Jewish and other Christian leaders. They supported Spitzer's plan for a $1,000 tax deduction to offset the cost of private and parochial school tuition as a break for parents who also pay taxes toward _ but don't use _ public schools. New York Roman Catholic Cardinal Edward Egan said the measure only means $50 to $80 in savings for most parents paying tuition for the 500,000 students statewide attending private or parochial schools, but it's a start to greater state support of taxpayers sending their children to private schools. The measure is strongly opposed by the New York State United Teachers union that stated in lobbying ads that public money shouldn't go to private interests when there is still a need to better fund high-needs, mostly urban schools."
O-A urges drivers to stop when its buses do
Date CapturedMonday March 26 2007, 5:45 PM
Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "On Tuesday, the Owego-Apalachin Central School District will work with local law nforcement to promote Operation Safe Stop Day, a statewide effort to educate motorists about school bus safety. The O-A district has informed the state police, Tioga County Sheriff's Office and Owego Police Department of specific locations where violators are known to pass a school bus, transportation supervisor Anthony Quaranta said. If violators are caught, they will be ticketed, he said. Drivers are supposed to stop for buses in both directions when the red lights are flashing, even if the bus hasn't come to a complete stop. 'New York state estimates 50,000 vehicles a day pass school buses,' Quaranta said."
Spitzer's school BMI plan borders on tyrannical
Date CapturedMonday March 26 2007, 8:54 AM
Times Union contributor and parent SVEN R LARSON, in a Letter to the Editor writes, "Ideas of enforced physical conformity have been practiced before, in a country six time zones east of New York. The results were disastrous. Perhaps the governor should give that some thought before he takes his BMI grade idea any further. He should also consider the risks of an epidemic of eating disorders among our kids. After all, that is the only way most kids will be able to comply with the anatomic standards in Gov. Spitzer's dream world."
Proponents tout legislation on sex education
Date CapturedMonday March 26 2007, 8:45 AM
Times Union reports, "The Healthy Teens Act, a bill before the state Legislature, would establish a fund for school districts that teach abstinence and explain how to use birth control. The federal government offers $13 million for abstinence-only programs but no money for sex education that teaches teenagers how to have safe sex, said JoAnne Smith, president and CEO of Family Planning Advocates of New York State. 'Young people deserve better,' Smith said. 'There is no evidence whatsoever, none, that abstinence programs work.'"
Divvying up the aid
Date CapturedSunday March 25 2007, 10:29 AM
Newsday Op-Ed contributor Leanna Stiefel, professor of economics at New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and an associate director at NYU's Institute for Education and Social Policy writes, "New York has been out front in the amount of political bargaining that determines funding, but is way behind in making the system fairer and more transparent. More than 40 states use some version of a 'foundation' aid formula that bases state aid on student need and district fiscal capacity. Many allow the richer, often suburban districts to supplement the amount with local revenues, but usually an add-on limit is arrived at by a political compromise that keeps the richer suburban districts supporting the entire state system. Few states, though, have no real formula and start as New York does from a determination of shares. New York's citizens and lawmakers have a number of decisions to make. Among them is an answer to the question: Are we a state community? In a time and world that are divided and divisive, do we in this state want to move toward a public school system that provides adequate funds to students who are at particular risk of not making it? Do we want to try to provide equal opportunity for all? Or not?"
Adding taxpayers to charter equation -- now that's reform
Date CapturedSunday March 25 2007, 9:46 AM
Times Union Fred LeBrun opines, "Will the cap on the number of charter schools allowed in the state -- now set at 100 -- be raised? The governor wants 150 more of them, which is stupefying. But that's what he wants, based, presumably, on what New York City wants. The Senate is willing to go along with him. The Assembly is trying to buck the governor, limiting the increase to 50. Frankly, zero is a rounder number. Unfortunately, the steamroller governor has so intimidated the Assembly that it is not clear how resolute it will be on behalf of what I strongly believe to be the majority of upstate New Yorkers who don't want more charters. The tyranny of a powerful minority is propelling charter schools over the will of the majority in this state, and trying to keep the table tilted in favor of imposing charter schools in districts that may not want them. That's indefensible, but they're getting away with it because the governor is aiding and abetting. The reform governor, remember? This is not giving government back to the people, as he promised."
New York City Schools Chancellor KLEIN EDGES TOWARD SCHOOL REVOLUTION
Date CapturedSunday March 25 2007, 9:06 AM
NY Post reports, "Schools Chancellor Joel Klein said during a teaching symposium yesterday that the city should 'take a serious look at some of the recommendations' in a December report by the bipartisan New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce and consider making 'bold, systemic challenges to the status quo.' The report entitled 'Tough Choices or Tough Times' - the subject of yesterday's panel discussion - made several recommendations, including a 'state board qualifying exam' that would be taken by all children after 10th grade to determine the future of their education. Depending on their scores, students would be sent for two years in high-level secondary school or two to three years in regional vocational schools or community or technical colleges. The commission - which counts Klein as a member - also advocated the elimination of school districts and local school funding, a system of 'contract schools; run by independent entities, high-quality universal pre-K, free adult education and an option for teachers to take higher salaries in exchange for fewer pension benefits."
SUNY brings classroom into students' homes
Date CapturedSaturday March 24 2007, 8:07 AM
The Journal News reports, "More than 10 years after the State University of New York started offering distance-learning courses, enrollment has reached 85,000 (100,000 with partly online classes included). Several community colleges boast that they offer more than just a few distance-learning classes in different majors. Technological advancement, SUNY's reputation around the world and an ever-increasing number of courses that don't require trips to campus have expanded their reach."
New York to Take Legal Action Over Steering of Students to Lender
Date CapturedFriday March 23 2007, 8:55 AM
NY Times reports, "Andrew M. Cuomo, New York’s attorney general, announced yesterday that he planned to bring a civil lawsuit against a student lending company for deceptive business practices, accusing it of paying colleges and universities to steer borrowers toward its loans."
District Attorneys, Police Associations, Lawmakers and former Gang Members to Unveil Proposal to Stop Gang Activity in New York Schools, other measures
Date CapturedThursday March 22 2007, 9:00 AM
Increase in gang related criminal activity is on the rise throughout New York State. A state commission report on the growing problem and its recommendations have not been acted upon by the state legislature. Lawmakers and law enforcement agencies will unveil will criminalize gang activity on and near school grounds and renew calls for other anti gang measures lingering in Albany.
Charter school cost aid sought
Date CapturedThursday March 22 2007, 8:28 AM
Times Union reports, "Spitzer, a charter supporter who has proposed increasing the number of such schools allowed in New York, is the first governor to provide transitional aid. Alliance for Quality Education Executive Director Billy Easton called the $15 million a "good first step," but not nearly enough. 'The problem with the mathematics is that it's not enough money,' Easton said. Easton said his group would like to see Spitzer's figure triple. He said the Senate majority proposed adding $7 million worth of transition aid in its one-house budget, but didn't direct it to high-need districts."
Citywide class size cuts would hurt the poor
Date CapturedWednesday March 21 2007, 8:19 AM
NY Daily Guest Op-Ed writes, "While research shows that - all things being equal - smaller classes are good for student achievement, particularly in the lower grades, not everything is ever equal. The truth, therefore, is far more complicated. You see, reducing class size requires the system to hire many more teachers. In a small school district, that's no big problem. But here in the nation's largest school system, which already employs some 80,000 teachers, hiring more teachers means delving deeper into a labor pool that is already stretched thin. If New York City were to reduce class size across the board, many parents would see their children placed with less-qualified teachers. Not exactly what they were promised."
Bruno attacks Spitzer on school aid formula
Date CapturedTuesday March 20 2007, 8:31 AM
Newsday DAN JANISON reports, "Bruno stood at a news conference with David Little, government relations director for the New York State School Boards Association, who praised the Senate's proposed changes in the Spitzer funding formula, particularly relating to special-education aid. Spitzer's proposal would make special-education funding part of the state's basic school-aid distribution formula for the first time. Little praised the Senate for looking to keep it a separate funding stream because this "recognizes the needs of high-needs districts, but doesn't pit high-needs districts against high-tax districts" such as those in Nassau and Suffolk."
Save these students
Date CapturedTuesday March 20 2007, 8:17 AM
NY Daily News columnist Bill Hammond writes, "What is it about charter schools that makes people in Albany so nuts? These privately managed public schools are working miracles in the inner cities of New York, delivering superior education to poor kids at lower cost than many regular public schools. A sane state government would let a thousand charters bloom. Yet Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and his majority Democrats - who claim to represent the downtrodden - are trying to squash the movement."
MATH AND MARXISM, NYC'S WACK-JOB TEACHERS
Date CapturedTuesday March 20 2007, 7:51 AM
NY Post Op-Ed contributor Sol Stern, fellow at the Manhattan Institute writes, "THERE'S a fifth column in New York City's public schools - radical teachers who openly undermine Schools Chancellor Joel Klein's curriculum mandates and use their classrooms to indoctrinate students in left-wing, anti-American ideology. One center for this movement is El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice in Brooklyn, the city's first 'social justice' high school. The school's lead math teacher, Jonathan Osler, is using El Puente as a base from which to organize a three-day conference in April on 'Math Education and Social Justice.'"
Union does disservice to Roosevelt
Date CapturedMonday March 19 2007, 10:24 AM
Newsday Ray J. Keating opines, "Government's failure in terms of educating our children is on sad display in Roosevelt. Lots of hard-earned taxpayer dollars have been wasted. But far worse, so many individuals have failed to reach their full potential due to a lousy education. Why can't we have a school choice plan like Utah's in New York? And why not start in districts like Roosevelt so parents can give their kids a chance by liberating them from failing schools? There is no reason we cannot, except for politicians who cower before the education unions. Our elected officials should be ashamed."
Sex & secrecy in back of the bus
Date CapturedMonday March 19 2007, 9:04 AM
NY Daily News reports, "A four-month Daily News investigation into the troubled network that transports 142,000 New York City public and private school students daily has documented a secret history of physical and emotional abuse, from broken bones to shattered psyches. But the most gutwrenching, nauseating behavior uncovered has been sexual in nature. On many occasions, the sexual abuse victims have been especially vulnerable special-needs students, mercilessly violated within a transportation system designed to protect those most at risk."
NYPD UNCOOL IN SCHOOL, ACTIVISTS CHARGE
Date CapturedMonday March 19 2007, 8:48 AM
NY Post reports AP story, "The New York Civil Liberties Union said that, in recent years, it has received hundreds of complaints from both students and teachers about foul language, rough treatment and unwarranted arrests by the NYPD's 4,827 school-safety agents."
A valuable lesson
Date CapturedSunday March 18 2007, 9:20 AM
Newsday Op-Ed contributor Joseph A. Laria, acting superintendent of the North Babylon Union Free School District opines, "In the effort to restore human and civic values into the fabric of children's lives, schools have a very important role to play. It's easy to forget this in a climate in which standardized testing scores preoccupy state education officials, school boards, administrators, teachers, parents and students. Schools can and must teach values. In fact, New York State education law requires instruction in civility and character education, focusing on basic civic values such as justice, honesty, self-discipline, due process, equality, majority rule with respect for minority rights, and respect for self, others and property. The law speaks for a shared value in our state that education is not just about the basics."
Local Administrator Honored for Outstanding Contributions to Education
Date CapturedSaturday March 17 2007, 10:12 AM
Ira Goldstein, managing coordinator for emerging technology with Capital Region BOCES, has been selected as the recipient for the Leadership and Support Award by the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS).Goldstein will be recognized for his achievements at the SAANYS annual awards ceremony on May 11, 2007 at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Commissioner Mills Announces Actions Regarding 31 Schools
Date CapturedFriday March 16 2007, 4:58 PM
State Education Commissioner Richard Mills today placed 20 Schools Under Registration; reached agreements with New York City, Rochester, and Albany to phase out and close seven schools; and warned that an additional four former SURR schools are at risk of being identified for registration review next year if performance does not improve. The Commissioner also announced the removal of eight schools from registration review. These actions bring the total number of Schools Under Registration Review (SURR schools) to 65 statewide, 35 of them in New York City.
Spitzer plan sacrifices LI schools
Date CapturedFriday March 16 2007, 10:21 AM
Newsday Op-Ed contributor Dean G. Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), New York State Senate deputy majority leader writes, "The Senate Republican plan helps every homeowner and offers significantly greater relief than the governor's proposal. Under Spitzer's scheme, homeowners with household incomes below $80,000 would receive an additional tax exemption equaling 50 percent of their current STAR savings this year, with the savings declining as household income rises. This year, our plan provides every homeowner with a check for approximately 90 percent of the STAR benefit, regardless of household income. The Senate Republican plan also promotes school budget accountability. The governor's proposal would distribute these property-tax relief funds to the school districts, which, in turn, are expected to pass these savings to taxpayers. By providing this benefit directly to homeowners, the Senate Republican plan enables property-tax payers to distinguish between actual school district spending and property-tax relief."
STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT FINANCIAL AID ADMINISTRATORS
Date CapturedFriday March 16 2007, 9:05 AM
The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) agrees with New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo that preferred lender list abuses and real conflicts of interest must end. We agree that greater transparency is needed. In fact, two years ago NASFAA published a document for use by aid administrators in developing a preferred lender list using criteria of "good practices" in choosing among lenders.
Lenders Pay Universities to Influence Loan Choice
Date CapturedFriday March 16 2007, 9:01 AM
NY Times reports, "Dozens of colleges and universities across the country have accepted a variety of financial incentives from student loan companies to steer student business their way, Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo of New York announced yesterday. The deals include cash payments based on loan volume, donations of computers, expense-paid trips to resorts for financial aid officers and even running call centers on behalf of colleges to field students’ questions about financial aid."
School finance reform plan gains support
Date CapturedFriday March 16 2007, 8:41 AM
Post-Standard reports, "[Assemblyman] Magnarelli also said the [Statewide School Finance] consortium's formula is fair and would drive more money into poor urban and rural districts. The consortium developed the formula a decade ago and has been advocating for it ever since. The organization, based in East Syracuse, has almost 300 members, including school districts throughout Onondaga, Cayuga, Madison and Oswego counties, Timbs said. Its formula would establish a per-pupil foundation aid, adjust it for regional cost differences, provide extra aid for high-need students who cost more to educate and include a "save harmless" provision so that no district would lose basic aid. Statewide, about 200 of the 700 or so districts would see no increase and the rest would see their aid go up, said Larry Cummings, executive director of the Central New York School Boards Association, which founded and coordinates the consortium. Most Central New York districts would see increases."
Cuomo details corruption in student loan industry
Date CapturedThursday March 15 2007, 10:43 PM
AP Mark Johnson reports, "Colleges across the country are taking kickbacks from student loan companies and reaping other benefits while making it harder for students to get better deals on their loans, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo charged Thursday. Cuomo said an investigation he began last month into the $85 billion student loan industry found numerous arrangements made to benefit schools and lenders over the students. Cuomo said he notified more than 400 colleges and universities nationwide, including all in New York State, to end such deceptive practices. Cuomo said he is actively investigating at least 100 schools. Cuomo would not divulge which schools were being investigated, but they include some Ivy League institutions."
New York State Education adds 20 schools to most troubled list
Date CapturedThursday March 15 2007, 6:09 PM
AP reports, "The number of schools in serious need of improvement and at risk of being closed is rising, state Education Commissioner Richard Mills said Thursday. His comment came as the state put 20 schools on its list of those in most serious in need of improvement, while removing eight. Mills added nine New York City schools, three each in Buffalo, Syracuse and Rochester, one in Wyandanch on Long Island and one in Yonkers. Mills removed six schools in New York City, one in Hempstead, and one in Yonkers. That's five more schools than were added in 2006, and five more schools removed than in 2006."
State owes $138M in refunds to schools
Date CapturedThursday March 15 2007, 8:04 AM
Times Union reports, "After waiting in some cases as long as seven years, a chorus of school superintendents and BOCES officials on Wednesday demanded the state fork over more than $138 million it owes school districts throughout New York. Districts in the Capital Region are owed $11.7 million. The Education Department and state Division of the Budget appeared to point the blame at each other."
Egan's Eliot edict
Date CapturedWednesday March 14 2007, 8:29 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Despite Egan's support, Spitzer's tax credit plan is opposed by Assembly Democrats, who get campaign donations from teachers unions. The New York State United Teachers launched a $125,000 advertising campaign against the tax credits, saying the state must instead make public schools the priority. A spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said the Assembly will reject Spitzer's tax credit plan because 'we thought that all families with children deserve a break,' not just those who can afford to send their kids to tuition-charging schools. Silver wants to allow more families to benefit from the Empire State Child Tax Credit - a $330 annual tax credit for parents with children ages 4 to 17. Under Silver's plan, the credit would be expanded to parents with kids younger than 4. 'More children would be covered,' said Silver spokesman Charles Carrier. 'Our budget responds to the needs of all young families with children, which we think is important.'"
Access and Storage of Knowledge in the New Millennium: The Google Book Search Library Project and the Future of Libraries
Date CapturedTuesday March 13 2007, 7:29 PM
by Jacob Rooksby. Author writes, "In December of 2004, the publicly traded search engine giant Google announced that it had completed deals with five major libraries to digitize all or parts of their collections. The 'Google 5,' as these libraries came to be known, include four university libraries (Michigan, Stanford, Harvard, and Oxford) as well as one public library (the New York Public Library). Since the initial announcement, four other university libraries have joined the Google 5, including libraries within the University of California system, the Complutense University of Madrid, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and the University of Virginia. The purpose of the mass digitization, or 'Google Book Search Library Project' as Google calls it, is to allow anyone with Internet access the ability to search for and locate books online. Google’s ultimate goal is to add over 15 million library volumes to its electronic index over the next decade, at an estimated cost of $150 million." Teachers College Record, Date Published: January 11, 2007. http://www.tcrecord.org ID Number: 12913, Date Accessed: 3/13/2007 7:30:32 PM
Cardinal Egan calls Spitzer tuition aid just `a beginning'
Date CapturedTuesday March 13 2007, 7:03 PM
AP MICHAEL GORMLEY reports, "[Cardinal Egan] He said families that send children to private schools save taxpayers $7.5 billion a year because they reduce enrollment at public schools. He also said that while the state's four-year graduation rate for public high schools is 64 percent (44 percent in New York City), Catholic high schools in New York City have a "virtually 100 percent" graduation rate. He also said 98 percent of graduates in high-poverty, inner city Catholic high schools go to college. Egan singled out the public school teacher unions as the most powerful opponent of the measure."
New York legislature chooses two new Regents
Date CapturedTuesday March 13 2007, 6:50 PM
AP reports, "Charles Bendit and Natalie Gomez-Velez joined the 16-member Board of Regents following a vote of the Legislature dominated by the Assembly's Democrats. Reappointed were Regents James Tallon and Milton Cofield."
State takes aim on Roosevelt's $12M deficit
Date CapturedTuesday March 13 2007, 6:15 PM
Newsday HERBERT LOWE reports, "The actions include mandating the use of $4.4 million worth of new revenue enhancements and spending reductions, according to a joint release from the state Board of Regents and state Education Department. Other measures: Directing the district's state-appointed fiscal monitor to ensure several specific financial controls; and assigning additional state appointees to help solve the situation. Roosevelt is the first district in New York to be taken over by the state."
This Bush Education Reform Really Works
Date CapturedTuesday March 13 2007, 10:05 AM
Manhattan Institute Sol Stern, in "City Journal" Winter 2007 writes, "Despite New York’s wrong turn, the $6 billion for Reading First has more generally been one of the best investments ever in federal education spending. It has already brought some remarkable reading breakthroughs in many parts of the country and among at-risk students. It has spread awareness of what should be going on in the classrooms and in the teacher-training institutions. It has shown that a comprehensive solution to the nation’s reading crisis is right in front of our noses. If, in another decade, an unacceptable proportion of America’s children still can’t read by fourth grade, don’t blame George Bush. Blame the education leaders in our states and cities who, offered the solution, didn’t grab it."
Students' test rulers don't measure up
Date CapturedTuesday March 13 2007, 7:46 AM
Newsday JOHN HILDEBRAND reports on defective equipment purchased by New York State Education Department, "The problem: 1.1 million plastic protractors mailed out by the state last month with test packets are missing 1/16th of an inch from the four-inch ruler along the bottom of the angle-measuring tools. Moreover, 1.6 million plastic rulers also sent out by the state are irregularly marked, with quarter-inch hash marks that are shorter than three-quarter-inch marks. Those lines are equal on standard rulers."
New York City COMPTROLLER RUINS Chancellor KLEIN'S APPETITE
Date CapturedTuesday March 13 2007, 6:49 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "In a no-holds-barred evisceration of the department's business practices, Thompson[Comptroller] portrayed the agency as one in the midst of a corporate back-room, free-for-all spending spree with none of the accountability to the public that it demands of its schools."
ACCOUNTABILITY for ALL
Date CapturedMonday March 12 2007, 2:41 PM
5 Ways to Reform the Teacher Discipline Process, New York State School Boards Association (2007).
Manhattan: Shortage of High School Seats
Date CapturedMonday March 12 2007, 7:39 AM
NY Times SEWELL CHAN reports, "The New York City Department of Education hopes to improve the high school graduation rate, but has not planned for enough seats to meet that goal, according to a report released yesterday by the city’s public advocate, Betsy Gotbaum."
SILVER'S NEXT STRIKE, CHALLENGES GOV ON CHARTERS
Date CapturedMonday March 12 2007, 7:21 AM
NY Post Op-Ed contributor THOMAS W. CARROLL, president of the Foundation for Education Reform and Accountability writes, "Given the scale of educational failure in New York State - more than a half million students in failing schools - the speaker's unseemly effort to kill off charter schools speaks volumes about how far Gov. Spitzer still has to go before he truly changes the culture of Albany."
New York City Schools Turn To Business Intelligence For Help
Date CapturedSaturday March 10 2007, 11:46 AM
Information Week reports, "The deal, already controversial in New York, likely will face more scrutiny as details are revealed. IBM says ARIS will be a highly secure system, but some parents may voice concerns about a Big Brother approach to tracking the performance of more than 1 million students. And some parties feel the money could be put to better use."
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids New York
Date CapturedSaturday March 10 2007, 8:00 AM
Established in 1999, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids New York is a statewide, bi-partisan, non-profit anti-crime organization of more than 300 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, other law enforcement leaders and violence survivors. We are part of the more than 3,000 member national organization, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Inside Public Education 2007
Date CapturedFriday March 09 2007, 10:56 AM
Inside Public Education reports the results of a survey conducted by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion and funded by the Dyson Foundation. Residents of Dutchess and Ulster Counties in New York were interviewed about the public schools in their communities. They shared their opinions, experiences, and insights about what they consider to be the best and the worst of public education in the school district where they live.
Dial down the nasty, Regent urges angry New York City parents
Date CapturedFriday March 09 2007, 7:48 AM
NY Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, " State Board of Regents member called on city parent leaders yesterday to 'tone down' the rhetoric they're using to oppose the Education Department. Following weeks in which Mayor Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein have met with rising fury from parents who feel they've not been consulted on sweeping changes planned for schools, Regent Merryl Tisch, a longtime Bloomberg ally, visited a citywide parents group to urge calm."
Expert flunks school testing
Date CapturedFriday March 09 2007, 7:03 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "[Foundation for Education Reform and Accountability president] Carroll said New York needs to: Measure students' gains over a period of time, rather than just use a 'snapshot approach' of comparing students in a single grade each year. Use letter grades or a 0-100 grading system, rather than sorting performance into four levels, so the public can better understand results. Label school performance more accurately. Currently, a school with kindergarten through grade 8 with poor performance in just one or two areas will get the same classification — in need of improvement — as a school that fails in a multitude of areas. That 'simply makes no sense and substantially undermines the overall system's credibility,' Carroll said. Remove conflicts of interest by prohibiting teachers, schools and districts from scoring their own exams. Ensure that exam results are reported sooner. The state Education Department reported results of math and English/language arts exams last fall from the previous school year. The agency has promised to release this year's scores before the school year ends. Provide financial incentives for districts that do well, in addition to having serious consequences for those that do not. The recommendations are in a report the foundation is releasing this week."
Crowd fumes as chancellor bolts from forum; A PTA president calls the meeting 'a disgrace,' with only 90 minutes for audience remarks
Date CapturedThursday March 08 2007, 9:44 AM
Staten Island Advance reports, "[New York City Schools Chancellor] Klein's appearance was part of a five-borough series addressing the next phase of Children First, a four-part agenda for school reform that will eliminate regional offices and institute a new student-based school funding formula, a more rigorous teacher tenure review, and greater school accountability measures."
New York City Schools Attendance Memo re: Law and Policy
Date CapturedWednesday March 07 2007, 1:21 PM
The New York City Department of Education is committed to the academic success and social development of all students. Our objective for the 2006 – 2007 school year is to ensure that all students are provided with the necessary intervention and supports that encourage regular school attendance. Regular attendance is critical to successful achievement in school. Conversely, poor attendance is one of the most significant indicators of potential risk. It is our goal to ensure that students are provided with every available resource to support and facilitate their successful completion of school. To this end, the accurate tracking of student attendance is fundamental to the implementation of effective educational services. The Department of Education has established a clearly defined system for recording, tracking and monitoring school attendance. This system is supported and implemented by a series of attendance guidelines and procedures set forth in Chancellor’s Regulations, State Education Laws, and descriptive memoranda distributed to school staff. This Memorandum provides information about attendance law and policy, attendance procedures for this school year, the implementation of attendance services, clearance of register procedures, revised procedures for addressing student absences, requirements for reporting educational neglect and child abuse, and discharge and transfer procedures including the process for conducting and tracking planning interviews on the ATS system. Additionally information about, “ILOG” the new student intervention screen on ATS, will be provided.
New York City Schools Truancy Letter
Date CapturedWednesday March 07 2007, 1:10 PM
As the 2006-2007 school year begins we would like to wish all of our students a successful and productive year. We would also like to take this opportunity to provide important information about our continuing truancy reduction effort, which begins on the end of September 2006. The truancy program, known as TRACK in Brooklyn and Staten Island and PACT in Queens and Manhattan, is a cooperative venture among the New York City District Attorneys’ Offices, the New York City Police Department, the New York City Department of Education and the Police Athletic League. The purpose of the program is to reduce truancy and to keep students safe and in school during regular school hours.
Chancellor Ryan to leave SUNY
Date CapturedWednesday March 07 2007, 12:03 PM
AP MICHAEL GORMLEY reports, "State University of New York Chancellor John Ryan will resign May 31, according to a letter to SUNY officials and employees obtained by The Associated Press. 'It is with mixed emotions that I send this note to all of you,' Ryan wrote in the letter dated Wednesday. 'Later today it will be announced that I will be stepping down as chancellor effective the end of May to become the president and CEO of the Center for Creative Leadership headquartered in Greensboro, N.C.'"
Charter schools a weakness in Spitzer's plan
Date CapturedWednesday March 07 2007, 8:32 AM
Times Union contributor Richard C. Iannuzzi, president of New York State United Teachers opines, "The governor's proposal to expand the number of charter schools is inconsistent with the emphasis on accountability and reform that is central to his aid proposals."
THE CASE OF THE MISSING TEACHERS
Date CapturedWednesday March 07 2007, 8:17 AM
NY Post opines on NYC schools database, "New York City's public schools employ the equivalent of 83,000 full-time teachers to instruct 1.1 million kids. That's 13.25 kids per teacher. Wait, you say - classes are larger than that. Right. So where are all the teachers hiding? Think maybe the database might be useful in finding them? And make it easier to herd a bunch of them back into the classroom - you know, to teach?"
SCHOOL SCI OF RELIEF; CITY WIDE LESSON PLAN
Date CapturedWednesday March 07 2007, 8:03 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports on new citywide science curriculum, "An expert applauded the plan, but cautioned that it won't cure all the city's ills. 'It's a good idea if it's well managed,' said New York University science education professor Pamela Fraser-Abder. 'What is even more critical than having an enforced curriculum is having elementary teachers trained to teach science.' 'Until we get to the stage where people really feel comfortable teaching science, regardless of what structures we put in place, it will not work as well as it could.'"
New York is useful model for school reform; Detroit could learn from switch to small, innovative high schools
Date CapturedTuesday March 06 2007, 10:25 AM
The Detroit News reports, "In New York City, for example, leaders replaced the lowest performing high schools with small schools. They allow for more personalized relationships between students and teachers, who can get to know their students' emotional, social and academic needs. Small specialty schools also use creative approaches to be both efficient and effective, such as team teaching and using trimesters. In the past, Detroit school system leaders have been unwilling to open themselves to such dramatic reforms and there have been no signals that they are now."
Boosting Accountability in New York’s Schools; How to Meet the Governor’s Historic Challenge
Date CapturedTuesday March 06 2007, 9:27 AM
Thursday, March 8, 2007. Governor Spitzer has proposed an historic education-reform package that includes a ringing call for greater accountability in New York’s schools. But this will require an overhaul of the State’s current educational accountability system, which is simply not designed to accomplish the goals the Governor has laid out. How should the state measure the progress of schools, students, principals, and superintendents? Can the state effectively track the progress of individual students over time? Does the federal No Child Left Behind Act need to be amended? Do current state tests need to be redesigned? Should the Legislature delegate key accountablity decisions to the Board of Regents? How quickly can a new accountability system be implemented?
New York City Department of Education Attendance Services
Date CapturedMonday March 05 2007, 9:17 PM
The Office of Attendance is responsible for the oversight of attendance policies, procedures and programs for New York City public school students. This includes the development and implementation of attendance guidelines and procedures, provision of on-going technical assistance and support and collaboration with outside agencies and organizations on attendance-related issues. The office also serves as a resource to the community and the public-at-large. In addition, the office is responsible for: Employment Certification; Attendance Improvement and Dropout Prevention (AIDP) Programs; Truancy Prevention Programs (TRACK, PACT); and home schooling.
SUNY posts record enrollment
Date CapturedMonday March 05 2007, 8:59 PM
Newsday reports, "The State University of New York has announced that student enrollment for Fall 2006 has increased for the ninth consecutive year to 417,583--a record for the 64-campus system. SUNY officials said that in addition to the historic, total enrollment, enrollment among minority students and full-time students grew as well and also represent the highest levels in the history of SUNY, which was established in 1948."
NYSSBA ready to deal with legislators
Date CapturedMonday March 05 2007, 9:23 AM
The Record reports, "Funding, testing and teacher qualifications are issues that are taking center stage this week at the annual State Legislative Issues Conference of the New York State School Boards Association."
Advocates say lack of funding for after-school programs could lead to ‘crisis’
Date CapturedMonday March 05 2007, 8:41 AM
Legislative Gazette reports, "Currently, after-school programs in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Port Chester, Poughkeepsie, Elmira, Niagara Falls, Gowanda, Syracuse, Oswego, Utica, Jamestown, Rome, Yonkers and all five boroughs of New York City are funded through the federal 21st Century Community Learning Program. However, since the purse strings are held by the state Education Department, those programs are at the mercy of the state. Since the beginning of the month, state officials have begun informing the after-school programs that they would not be receiving the federal funding this year at all. The funding is expected to be cycled through other types of programs that qualify for the federal allocation."
Study says New York kids' chance for success is better than average
Date CapturedMonday March 05 2007, 8:10 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "New York state is above the national average in most categories, but is tied at 18th overall with Delaware, and is behind Virginia, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Vermont, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Colorado and South Dakota, respectively. " The study also discusses ensuring education is connected from one stage to the next and reduction of the need for remediation.
NYSUT taking its campaign to public
Date CapturedMonday March 05 2007, 8:05 AM
Times Union reports, "New York State United Teachers, the state's major teachers union, is launching today a media offensive against a proposal for private school tuition tax credits and increasing the number of charter schools allowed in the state."
Recognizing the accomplishments of Western New Yorkers
Date CapturedSunday March 04 2007, 2:48 PM
Buffalo News reports, "Barbara Nevergold, Ph.D., co-founder of the Uncrowned Queens Institute for Research and Education on Women at the University at Buffalo, is one of five people to be honored this year by the State of New York with a 2007 Dr. Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award."
New York City Schools Chancellor: no letting up on school reform
Date CapturedSunday March 04 2007, 9:47 AM
NY Daily News interview with Schools Chancellor Joel Klein.
Deal on day care in offing?
Date CapturedSaturday March 03 2007, 8:55 AM
Times Union reports, "The order would help add tens of thousands of members to the United Federation of Teachers in New York City, NYSUT's biggest local, and the Civil Service Employees Association, the largest state workers union."
SUNY students lobby for more funding, faculty
Date CapturedFriday March 02 2007, 8:18 PM
Legislative Gazette reports, "In his Executive Budget, Gov. Eliot Spitzer proposed SUNY receive $143 million to sustain the growing university system, but according to [SUNY Chancellor]Ryan, the university is in need of much more money. Ryan requested an additional $120.6 million to fund more programs, hire more full-time faculty and to funnel funding into community colleges. New York’s higher education system was given the highest starting ground in two decades and, according to Ryan, this unique opportunity may help the university to receive desperately needed additional funding."
Concerns over funding formula dominate New York education hearing
Date CapturedFriday March 02 2007, 8:09 PM
Legislative Gazette reports, "Concerns over funding for some districts under Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s proposed foundation aid formula dominated discussion at a joint budget public hearing on elementary and secondary education last week. Debate over foundation aid centered on the premise of the formula, which is designed to drive more funding into New York’s high need schools — should New York design a system that tries to address all students or fully fund a system that targets the state’s neediest students? Cases of similar districts receiving different increases in aid are popping up across the state and are raising questions over how the formula will affect those districts that are moderately wealthy."
Chancellor Klein's Testimony Before the Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee
Date CapturedFriday March 02 2007, 12:53 PM
EXCERPT: There is a lot in the budget proposal that we in New York City are happy about. Highlights include: significant increases in overall educational funding that take a major step toward fulfilling the promise of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity; a foundation formula that factors in student need and provides more transparency and stability to school funding; enhanced accountability that ties new education dollars to student performance; the lifting of the charter school cap; and an expansion funding for pre-kindergarten programs. (READ FULL TEXT)
New York State Education Department NEWS & NOTES
Date CapturedFriday March 02 2007, 9:57 AM
From the Desk of Jean C. Stevens, Interim Deputy Commissioner March 1, 2007.
Split over state aid to schools
Date CapturedFriday March 02 2007, 9:03 AM
Newsday John Hildebrand reports, "Under Spitzer's plan, New York City would get a 9.49 percent increase next year, or $637 million. In contrast, Long Island schools would get an average 5.2 percent increase, or $113 million - $29.4 million less than the increase they received this year. That would reduce the Island's share of statewide aid slightly, from 12.5 percent this year to 12.18 percent next year, according to the governor's budget office. Senate Republicans say the Island's share this year is actually slightly larger than that, and that any shrinkage would set a bad precedent."
New York City BOE BOTCHES REGENTS REPEAT
Date CapturedFriday March 02 2007, 8:50 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "A delayed response to a Department of Education directive resulted in 45 students at Lafayette HS in Brooklyn unnecessarily taking the same Regents courses twice."
National chamber finds New York not getting money's worth on education
Date CapturedWednesday February 28 2007, 12:14 PM
The Business Review (Albany) reports, "New York state has the most rigorous standards for public education in the country, according to a new study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. But New York finished in the middle of the pack in terms of overall academic achievement of its students, the chamber found. "
New York City schools Chancellor Klein's boasts fail to impress Albany skeptics
Date CapturedWednesday February 28 2007, 7:14 AM
NY Daily News Joe Mahoney reports, "In his two hours before a state legislative committee yesterday, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein tried to accentuate the positive - but the lawmakers weren't buying it. For every success story Klein spouted, legislators had a parallel horror story, questioning whether mayoral control of schools was working."
Massachusetts leading national effort for longer school days
Date CapturedMonday February 26 2007, 9:16 AM
AP reports, "While Massachusetts is leading in implementing the longer-day model, lawmakers in Minnesota, New Mexico, New York and Washington, D.C., also have been debating whether to lengthen the school day or year. In addition, individual districts such as Miami-Dade are experimenting with added hours in some schools."
Property tax exemption deadline Thursday across Central New York
Date CapturedMonday February 26 2007, 7:50 AM
Post-Standard reports, "Basic STAR exemption: A school tax-related exemption on a primary residence. Apply once. Enhanced STAR exemption: A school tax-related exemption for senior citizens. Apply yearly."
New York City Education Department To Restore 17 School Bus Routes
Date CapturedSunday February 25 2007, 7:57 PM
NY1 reports, "Starting Monday, the Department of Education will bring back 17 of the bus routes it cut last month."
This Is Not Your 1983 Governor’s School Aid Plan
Date CapturedSunday February 25 2007, 10:02 AM
NY Times reports, "Under the governor’s plan, there would be a $1.4 billion increase in state aid, to $19.2 billion this year. An additional $1.5 billion would go to expanding the STAR tax rebate program next year, with the projection that it would grow to $6 billion in three years. The State Court of Appeals, ruling in a 13-year-old education financing case last year, said more had to be spent in New York City and other needier districts. Every district would get at least a 3 percent increase in the basic aid program this year, and some would get much larger jumps. Depending on some smaller, targeted aid programs, a handful of districts would lose money compared with 2006-7. Over all, Long Island’s state aid would increase by 5.2 percent. In comparison, aid for New York City would increase by 9.5 percent, for Brentwood by 12.3 percent and for Hempstead by 9.6 percent."
SCHOOLS MAY GET MORE TIME ON THEIR SIDE: No Child Left Behind law could lead to longer days for students
Date CapturedSunday February 25 2007, 8:52 AM
AP reports, "Although Massachusetts is leading in putting in place the longer-day model, lawmakers in Minnesota, New Mexico, New York and Washington also have debated whether to lengthen the school day or year. In addition, individual districts such as Miami-Dade in Florida are experimenting with added hours in some schools."
New York City principals powerless to quell violence - Public advocate charges DOE is not helping administrators get a handle on woes
Date CapturedSaturday February 24 2007, 2:25 PM
Brooklyn Heights Courier reports, "Some Brooklyn parents suggest that the DOE implement intervention services to prevent disagreements between students from escalating into all-out brawls that put school administrators and staffers in danger. They’ve called for the creation of school-based health centers in more local schools, as the facilities provide medical and psychological care to youths."
'SLIMY TEACHER' WOE WORSENS
Date CapturedSaturday February 24 2007, 9:09 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "The number of teachers in New York facing "moral character" inquiries for having had sex with students or brushes with the law has nearly doubled in the last five years, according to the state Education Department." (READ REPORT on Education New York online at http://www.educationnewyork.com/SearchPublic.aspx?btnSubmit=Go&txtSearch=NYS+Education+Department/)
Some districts to lose aid under Spitzer’s education formula, superintendents say
Date CapturedFriday February 23 2007, 7:59 PM
Legislative Gazette reports, "The New York State Council of School Superintendents said Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s new “foundation aid formula,” which is targeted at putting more funding in high-need schools, has the potential to give different aid increases to similar school districts."
Report to the Professional Standards and Practices Board by the Office of Teaching Initiatives
Date CapturedFriday February 23 2007, 7:38 PM
New York State Education Department -- A five year analysis (2001-2002 through 2005-2006) of Moral Character Cases.
From the Desk of Jean C. Stevens, Interim Deputy Commissioner
Date CapturedFriday February 23 2007, 11:41 AM
New York State Education Department
Breakthrough in School Choice
Date CapturedFriday February 23 2007, 8:20 AM
Adam Schaeffer, policy analyst for the Center for Educational Freedom at the Cato Institute writes, "Utah has just approved the nation's first universal school choice program, and in New York, Eliot Spitzer has become the first Democratic governor to propose a private school choice program in his state budget. These two firsts are a major shot in the arm for education reform, and they offer a glimpse of the possibilities to come."
Math Lessons: How to Make New Funds Count for New York City Public Schools
Date CapturedThursday February 22 2007, 5:40 PM
2/28/2007 8:30 am; The Century Foundation, 41 East 70th Street, Manhattan.
InSight on Education
Date CapturedThursday February 22 2007, 4:24 PM
InSight on Education's Marianne Potter hosts a roundtable discussion with guests Maria DeWald, President of the New York State PTA; Dick Iannuzzi, President of New York State United Teachers; Rick Karlin of the Times Union's Capitol Bureau; and Lori McKenna, Director of Federal and State Programs for the Schenectady School District. Airdate: Thursday, February 22, 2006 at 7:30pm Repeat: Sunday, February 24, 2006 at 12:00am
Admissions Jockeying Starts Earlier in New York
Date CapturedThursday February 22 2007, 7:08 AM
NY Times DAVID M. HERSZENHORN writes, "But some educators say greater school choice primarily benefits students with savvy, motivated parents who are able to spend time figuring out the best schools to list on applications, and puts at a further disadvantage the children with little support at home. 'I think it may in the long run offer more opportunity for better education for kids who aren’t getting it,” said Norm Fruchter of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. “But any choice program or effort gets initially monopolized by people who have the advantages of access and information and the ability to move on what their kids need.'”
Poll: Better New York City schools biggest need
Date CapturedWednesday February 21 2007, 4:03 PM
Newsday HERBERT LOWE reports, "New Yorkers are more widely concerned about the city's high school dropout rate than increasing funds to protect the city from terrorism, according to a survey of low-income residents released yesterday. Three out of four New Yorkers favor raising the age when teenagers may drop out of school from 16 to 17 or 18, reports the survey released by the Community Service Society of New York."
Sen. Clinton on NCLB in Liberty City, FL
Date CapturedWednesday February 21 2007, 7:57 AM
AP reports, "On education, the New York senator and former first lady said more needs to be done to prepare children for school and to get parents involved with their children's' learning."
No Child Left Behind as an Anti-Poverty Measure, Teacher Education Quarterly, Spring 2007
Date CapturedTuesday February 20 2007, 7:06 PM
In the article, Jean Anyon, a professor of educational and social policy and Kiersten Greene, a doctoral student, both with the Doctoral Program in Urban Education of the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York.demonstrate that there are significant economic realities, and existing public policies, that severely curtail the power of education to function as a route out of poverty for poor people."
Pusillanimous Pace
Date CapturedTuesday January 16 2007, 5:44 AM
NY Post opines, "In any event, if the school were truly committed to freedom of expression, the only 'dialogue' needed would be to convey one simple message: Anyone thinking of disrupting the film or committing violence will face severe repercussions. End of discussion. Officials could have used the occasion to make it absolutely clear that no one at Pace can be barred from showing a film - even if it's not a left-wing film. But that wasn't the goal. (Again, Pace is not unique in this regard. Consider how Columbia University responded to violence there last October that kept the founder of the Minutemen Project - a group favoring tough control of U.S. borders - from speaking. New York is still waiting for meaningful action.)"
New York City Education Department Becomes an Open Book
Date CapturedTuesday January 16 2007, 5:37 AM
NY Post David Andreatta writes, "After four years of landmark changes to the school system, the Department of Education is preparing to turn over mounds of data related to its most radical reforms to independent researchers, The Post has learned. A list of top priorities for the new Research Partnership for New York City Schools includes examining the controversial academy for training principals, empowerment schools, and changes to the high-school admissions process."
Panel Urges ‘Marshall Plan’ to Improve New York City Middle Schools
Date CapturedTuesday January 16 2007, 3:18 AM
NY Times ELISSA GOOTMAN reports, "A coalition of community groups is calling for the city Department of Education to develop a 'Marshall Plan for middle-grade schools,' saying that all too often, the sixth through eighth grades become 'pathways to failure.' In a report scheduled to be released at a news conference today, the coalition calls for a rigorous curriculum with advanced course offerings in all middle schools, classes of no more than 20 students each, and the creation of a new position within the department: a deputy chancellor who would focus on 'ensuring proper coordination and alignment' among middle schools, high schools, college and the working world."
SUNY committee predicts more charter schools
Date CapturedMonday January 15 2007, 7:32 AM
Legislative Gazette reports, "The State University of New York Board of Trustees Committee on Charter Schools said last Wednesday they had little doubt the cap on charter schools will be raised by Gov. Eliot Spitzer. The New York State Charter Schools Act includes a statutory cap of 100 charter schools statewide. "
High-Quality Teachers
Date CapturedSunday January 14 2007, 3:10 PM
When asked why some larger districts in the county have a higher percentage of qualified teachers, Fashano said there are not as many job openings at rural schools, and prospective employees apply to larger districts first and then smaller ones second. Fashano said teacher candidates in Jamestown go through a ‘pretty extensive interview process’ and must teach a lesson in front of a committee. ‘'We found that if you spend more time up front and getting good quality candidates, your turnover rate becomes less,’ he said. Maria Neira, New York State United Teachers union vice president, said the Chautauqua County region is ahead of other parts of the state when it comes to teacher quality for a number of reasons. ‘One of the reasons is because you have a stable teaching force,’ she said. ‘You do not have a high turnover rate and the conditions tend to be better.'’’
A promising education
Date CapturedSunday January 14 2007, 9:03 AM
Times Union contributor Frederick J. Frelow, director of the Early College Initiative at the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation in Princeton, N.J. writes, "The next chapter on civil rights in New York will begin in the state's public schools. Indeed, the future of an entire generation of Americans is in the hands of our state leaders right now. They can create national models for education finance, leading the way for 49 other states to meet King's challenges and make good on the Founders' promise. This investment will not only yield a better prepared work force, but make New York's young people ready for true citizenship."
State aid fuels school construction projects
Date CapturedSunday January 14 2007, 8:28 AM
Post-Standard reports, "Each district was allocated a share of EXCEL aid in the state budget, based on enrollment and its financial need.However, districts must submit project applications that meet state criteria in order to collect. The project must involve school expansion or renovation, health and safety, accessibility, energy conservation and education technology. More than a dozen districts in Central New York have passed or are putting expansion and renovation projects before voters in coming months. And other districts are beginning to explore their needs to take advantage of the state's largesse. "
Retention key to student, college success
Date CapturedSaturday January 13 2007, 12:41 PM
Benton County Daily Record reports, "Northwest Arkansas Community College worked with several other colleges statewide to learn how to improve its retention rates during an all-day seminar held Thursday at the college’s Shewmaker Center for Workforce Technologies. The keynote speaker, Vincent Tinto, is a nationally known distinguished professor in the School of Education at Syracuse University in New York. He is an expert on student retention issues. Tinto told the gathered crowd of people from about 10 colleges in the state that colleges need to focus more on what students are learning than on what is being taught. He shared the various conditions that promote student success and what steps community colleges are already taking to promote success. 'Focus on the classroom,' he said. 'The classroom becomes the centerpiece for the learning environment. '”
District to ask voters for fix-up funding
Date CapturedSaturday January 13 2007, 7:07 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Courts have ruled that the state must increase spending in New York City schools to ensure that all pupils receive a 'sound and basic education.' The state Legislature plans to increase funding to all New York schools and has set up the EXCEL fund to provide $1.8 billion to New York City districts for capital renovation projects and $800 million to schools in the rest of the state. Under the formula, which considers enrollment and student needs, East Irondequoit is eligible for $1.1 million. The state already reimburses the East Irondequoit School District 73.4 percent of the cost of renovation projects. The district says EXCEL funding, plus interest earned by investing project money until needed, could eliminate the local share for the $5.1 million worth of improvements. No tax increase is on the table. The district plans to use the money for projects including roof repair at four schools, safety upgrades at Eastridge High School and electrical work. "
SUNY beats deadline by Webcasting meeting
Date CapturedFriday January 12 2007, 5:54 AM
Uticaod.com reports on an executive order to webcast meetings, "'This is an enormous undertaking,' said Gregory Benson, executive director of the New York State Forum at the Rockefeller Institute of Government. Other questions include: •Can the Webcasts just be audio, or do they have to be audio and video, which would allow viewers to see who was speaking? •Do they have to comply with state standards for accessibility? If no special provisions were made, a blind person, for example, might not be able in many cases to identify the speaker. As for money, state officials said there is no way of knowing at this time of what the total price tag will be."
Spitzer's Deal
Date CapturedFriday January 12 2007, 5:06 AM
NY Post columnist Ryan Sager writes, "GOV. Spitzer wants to be the 'reform' governor, taking on Albany's entrenched power brokers on behalf of the people of New York. To do so, he's going to have to stand up to the most cancerous special-interest in all of Democratic politics: the teachers unions. To Spitzer's credit, it looks like he's stepping off on the right foot - by getting ready to push for a deal to expand the number of innovative (and typically non-union) charter schools allowed in the state. But he still risks stepping right in it - by conceding too much to the unions and crushing a promising experiment by over-regulating it."
New York City Schools Chancellor Klein Says Privatizing Not Planned for Schools
Date CapturedFriday January 12 2007, 3:26 AM
NY Times reports, "Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein flatly denied yesterday that he would hire private managers to run city schools, but he did not rule out a wide role for outside groups in advising and supporting networks of schools. The Education Department for months had discussed hiring private managers to do everything from recruiting and training teachers to offering an array of support services. Such a move would be a sharp departure from the traditional structure and already has drawn the opposition of labor unions."
SUNY board approves no smoking policy for dorms
Date CapturedThursday January 11 2007, 5:25 PM
AP reports, "The State University of New York's trustees on Thursday adopted a policy to ban smoking from all dormitories as of July 1. The policy will affect the remaining 9 percent of SUNY residence hall beds where smoking is currently permitted, primarily at Stony Brook, Morrisville and Buffalo State, according to a statement issued by the university board."
SUNY trustees to make meetings available on Web
Date CapturedThursday January 11 2007, 9:18 AM
The Business Review (Albany) reports, "'Increasing access to SUNY meetings will better inform the public about how we educate students, strengthen economic development and train New York's work force,' [Chancellor] Ryan said. 'The more the public knows about SUNY, the stronger will be their support for public higher education.'"
Reforming New York’s Property Tax System: A Report on the January 10 Conference sponsored by the Center for Governmental Research, the Fiscal Policy Institute and the Empire Center of NYS Policy
Date CapturedThursday January 11 2007, 8:58 AM
Empirepage editor Peter G. Pollak suggests as a step in the right direction, "Reform the Star Program to impose a cap on school district spending increases with provisions for enrollment increases and capital spent on new buildings."
Property taxes linked to job growth
Date CapturedThursday January 11 2007, 8:52 AM
Times Union reports, "New York's governments and school districts have been hiring people at a rapid clip in recent years, far outpacing population and school enrollment, according to a speaker [Robert Ward, research director at the Public Policy Institute, which is affiliated with the state Business Council] Wednesday at a symposium on property taxes."
Panel says property taxes key
Date CapturedThursday January 11 2007, 5:19 AM
Newsday reports, "Most residents who testified at three commission hearings last year declared support for introducing an income tax, as a more equitable way to fund schools and relieve the burden on homeowners. One concern: East End towns now depend on summer resort properties for tax revenue, yet many Hamptons homeowners have primary residences in New York City, excusing them from a Suffolk income tax. 'The loss of real-estate tax revenue from second homes without a corresponding income would devastate many of our school districts that are located in resort areas,' the 17-member panel says in its report. Another concern, the commission said, is that the local economy might suffer if wealthy residents move out of Suffolk, taking with them their 'purchasing power' and lowering sales tax revenue. It may also discourage people from moving to Suffolk."
Albany Capital Region's schools want to leave this list behind
Date CapturedThursday January 11 2007, 4:54 AM
Times Union reports, "Because it is so easy to get on the list, school officials have complained that it unfairly tars them. For example, schools can generally be listed if 95 percent of their 'subgroups' aren't tested. But that can be hard for small schools with just a handful of minority students or those with disabilities; one or two absences on test day can skew the results. 'God forbid there is an outbreak of the flu ... and they don't make their 95 percent participation rate they can be put on the list,' said Maria Neira, vice president of the New York State United Teachers, the state's major teachers union, which has long criticized NCLB on several fronts. Additionally, Neira said, the requirement that test scores rise year after year -- even for schools that are already doing well -- seems to set up a lot schools for failure."
506 TITLE I SCHOOLS AND 56 DISTRICTS STATEWIDE ARE “IN NEED OF IMPROVEMENT” UNDER NCLB; 193 SCHOOLS ALSO IDENTIFIED UNDER SEPARATE STATE RULES
Date CapturedWednesday January 10 2007, 6:11 PM
NYSED PRESS RELEASE: A total of 506 schools and 56 districts have been identified by the State Education Department as “In Need of Improvement” under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Of these, 73 schools and 14 districts were newly identified this school year. In addition, 52 schools and 8 districts have been removed from the Title I improvement list because they have made Adequate Yearly Progress for two consecutive years in all areas for which they were identified. Forty-five of the newly identified schools and 27 of the newly removed schools were in New York City. All of these 506 schools and 56 districts receive Title I funds and must take a variety of actions under federal law. A total of 193 schools have also been identified as “Schools Requiring Academic Progress” (SRAP). These schools did not receive Title I funds for the number of years required to be identified as schools “In Need of Improvement” under federal NCLB rules. Of these, 17 schools—6 in New York City—are newly identified. These schools are required to develop a plan for improvement in the area(s) for which they are identified. Thirty-three schools—12 in New York City—in SRAP status in 2005-06 made sufficient progress to be placed in good standing.
NYSUT urges legislators to increase operating aid to public higher education
Date CapturedWednesday January 10 2007, 3:07 PM
New York State United Teachers today urged the Assembly to continue to invest in the State University and City University systems, saying that boosting operating aid to four-year campuses should be a top priority in next year's budget.
Recruiting rules at schools changed
Date CapturedWednesday January 10 2007, 12:37 PM
AP reports, "In settling a lawsuit brought last year by the New York Civil Liberties Union, the government agreed it will no longer disseminate student information to law enforcement, intelligence and other agencies and will stop collecting student Social Security numbers, the group said in a statement."
Go beyond the New York charter school cap
Date CapturedTuesday January 09 2007, 6:31 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opines, "The answer is to create a separate funding stream so charters are supported adequately but not as offshoots of the district. That mingling has created problems that need not persist. And if the funding tension goes away, so might district antipathy to charters. [Gov] Spitzer should also endorse tougher state oversight of charters."
New York Risks Losing Fed Bucks for Education
Date CapturedTuesday January 09 2007, 4:56 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "More New York state public-school teachers than ever are "highly qualified" - but the state could lose millions in federal education aid unless all of its teachers meet the standard by July. State Education Commissioner Richard Mills acknowledged that the deadline, set by the No Child Left Behind law, would be tough to meet, in spite of significant progress over the last year."
Grades up for New York City teachers
Date CapturedTuesday January 09 2007, 4:34 AM
NY Daily News reports, "City education officials credited the jump to the lead teacher program - in which veterans train new hires - as well as the Partnership for Teaching Excellence, a training program with NYU and CUNY. Teachers union President Randi Weingarten credited salary increases, but added, 'In order to increase teacher quality even more, we must lower class size, vigilantly promote safety and create a more cooperative relationship between teachers and principals.'"
NEW DATA SHOW: NEW YORK STATE RAISES PERCENT OF HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS IN EVERY SUBJECT EXCEPT ARTS
Date CapturedMonday January 08 2007, 3:30 PM
NYSED PRESS RELEASE: The gap narrowed especially at the elementary school level, from a 16 percent gap in 2004-05 to a 7 percent gap in 2005-06. In middle and high school, the gap narrowed by 1.7 percent, to a 15.5 percent gap. New York City especially improved, with more highly qualified teachers in every subject. Despite the improvement, several of the Big 5 Cities still have relatively high percentages of teachers in some subjects who are not considered highly qualified under the federal rules of the No Child Left Behind Act
From the Desk of Jean C. Stevens, Interim Deputy Commissioner
Date CapturedMonday January 08 2007, 9:07 AM
New York State Education Department (NYSED) Public Announcement of District/School Data: During the week of January 8, the Department will release to the media and the public a list of public schools and districts in improvement status for the 2006-07 school year and the percentage of core courses taught by teachers who were highly qualified in 2005-06 in each public school district and charter school. Providers of NCLB Supplemental Educational Services: The next application period to become a New York State-approved supplemental educational services provider begins January 19, 2007. On behalf of the Board of Regents, the Department notifies districts of location, public schools, and nonpublic schools in the same geographic area of any actions that the Board of Regents has taken related to charter schools as well as the receipt of any new proposed charter applications, proposed renewal applications, or proposed revisions. The notified districts of location, public schools, and nonpublic schools are encouraged to comment on the proposed action and solicit comments from the community through a public hearing on the proposed action. (Read more announcements here)
Lift SUNY onto honor roll of American universities
Date CapturedMonday January 08 2007, 6:29 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle contributor Ed O'Shea, English professor at SUNY Oswego writes, "During his campaign, Gov. Eliot Spitzer expressed two goals for public higher education in New York: Employ more of the state's college graduates in the state. Enhance the quality and reputation of the State University of New York among other large state systems. I believe the two objectives are closely related. While some of the causes of SUNY's comparative malaise are structural and systemic and not easily addressed, others will respond to intelligent public policy initiatives. Here are my suggestions, gleaned from almost 30 years teaching in SUNY:" READ MORE
Healthy Teens Act a priority for FPA
Date CapturedMonday January 08 2007, 5:57 AM
Legislative Gazette reports, "Clashing ideologically based opinions over how New York’s public schools should be teaching sex education have caused confusion among educators, with some teachers deciding to remain silent when it comes to human reproduction. But advocates of the proposed Healthy Teens Act say its time for state leaders to consider the consequences of remaining in that state of confusion. They say lawmakers must take into account both the impact this confusion is having on their young constituents’ health and the state’s economy when teenagers are having babies, contracting sexually transmitted diseases and getting abortions."
Mayors Seek to Take Charge of Schools
Date CapturedSunday January 07 2007, 10:21 PM
AP reports, "The California Legislature gave the Los Angeles' mayor partial control over schools. But a judge last month struck down that law, saying it violated that state's constitution. The mayor is appealing. Mayoral control of schools is being debated in Albuquerque, N.M., and Seattle too. City leaders and their allies make the case that better schools help make cities prosper. Mayors say they are better equipped to take on the infighting, inertia and high turnover rates associated with school boards and the superintendents who report to them. New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, put it this way when Fenty and members of the District of Columbia City Council visited recently: "There's an old story that a camel is a racehorse designed by a committee and there's a lot more truth to that than not," Bloomberg said. "You don't run things by committee. You don't try to come to consensus when it's our children's future." Such statements have earned Bloomberg criticism from people who say he has failed to seek community input and operate in a transparent way, said David Bloomfield, who heads a program at Brooklyn College that trains school administrators."
NYCLU Urges Spitzer to Implement School-Based Reform, End School Segregation
Date CapturedSaturday January 06 2007, 11:04 PM
ACLU press release: "The recommendation that the state work to decrease racial inequality in the education system arises from Racial Transformation and the Changing Nature of Segregation, a recent study of racial segregation in public schools, prepared by Gary Orfield and Chungmei Lee for the Harvard Civil Rights Project, which showed that '[t]he highest levels of black segregation [are] found in New York, Illinois, California and Michigan. In these states, the average black student attended schools with less than one-quarter white students in 2003.' The NYCLU urged the governor to adopt a vigorous program to combat school segregation, including introducing effective magnet schools and adopting transfer programs that foster integration."
Charter school idea gains traction in New York
Date CapturedSaturday January 06 2007, 2:19 PM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Gov. Eliot Spitzer may have cleared the way for approval of more charter schools by proposing to compensate school districts for potential financial losses, lawmakers said Friday. The Democrat said he wants to increase the number of publicly financed but privately run charter schools. But he said the state should cover school districts that lose students to charters so they don't lose the state aid that goes with them."
Mixed reaction from educators on Spitzer’s school reforms
Date CapturedFriday January 05 2007, 11:46 PM
Legislative Gazette reports, "The plan to reform education in New York outlined by Gov. Eliot Spitzer during his State of the State address Wednesday afternoon was received by parents and educators as a step in the right direction, but many disapprove of his plans to increase the number of charter schools. "
News from The School Administrators Association of New York State: State of State Offers Educational Opportunities
Date CapturedThursday January 04 2007, 7:36 AM
The School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS) applauds Governor Elliot Spitzer's commitment to increase funding and opportunities for all of New York's schools as outlined in today's State of the State message. SAANYS supports the governor's efforts to provide universal pre-kindergarten, smaller class sizes, after school programs, and increases in school funding. SAANYS also supports Spitzer's recognition for strong school accountability measures. SAANYS does not support raising the charter school cap, as the charter school experiment has yet to produce the positive results necessary to validate such an expansion. SAANYS is encouraged by the recognition of the need for transitional aid for districts of existing charter schools.
The state of public education: a state-by-state comparison
Date CapturedThursday January 04 2007, 5:56 AM
The Journal News reports on survey produced by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center and The Pew Center on the States, "New York does better than the national average in terms of elementary and middle school test scores, but has a lower percentage of students who graduate from high school. And while underperforming some states, New York does better than the average on the success index. The state scores higher than the national average on 9 of the 13 success indicators, including family income, percentage of children who have a parent with a college degree, preschool enrollment and college enrollment."
Teahers Taking Wrong 'Train'
Date CapturedWednesday January 03 2007, 5:33 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "According to the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, a coalition of educators aiming to improve middle schools, 43 states offer some sort of middle-school teacher training but only 21 of them require these instructors to have that credential. New York, for instance, began offering a grades 5-9 teaching license in 2000. But it still offers overlapping licenses of grades K-6 and 7-12 and allows teachers with them to teach in middle schools. The result of the overlapping licenses, observers say, are teachers less in tune with the needs of middle-grade students because their formal training leaned to elementary or high school. In New York, the overlap is necessary in part to maintain enough certified teachers to meet state and federal requirements. But the state has begun placing much more emphasis on teacher training across all grades. Requiring teachers to have at least six credit hours of literacy training, introducing training in specific subject areas and tracking the success of teachers as they enter the workforce are just a few changes imposed in recent years."
People reconsider posting personal details on public Web sites
Date CapturedTuesday January 02 2007, 11:30 PM
AP reports, "The walls of an auditorium were covered with thousands of sheets of paper — printouts from MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and other online sites that were filled with back-stabbing gossip, unflattering images, and details about partying and dating exploits. Each posting was easily accessed online, no password needed. But seeing them on paper — and in some cases, being asked to read them aloud — grabbed the attention of members of the North American Federation of Temple Youth, who gathered earlier this year at a camp outside New York City. That each of the members' pages mentioned their organization in some way only made it that much more embarrassing."
NYSED Update on Limited English Proficient/English Language Learner (LEP/ELL
Date CapturedTuesday January 02 2007, 8:09 AM
New York state education Commissioner Mills has issued a field memorandum regarding the Regents and Department's efforts to advocate for change in the federal policy that requires all English language learners (ELLs) who have been in this country for more than one year to take their state's English language arts tests. Even as the Department works to change the U.S. Department of Education's policy, we must follow the law and implement the policy during this coming year. The field memorandum identifies a number of additional steps the Department has undertaken at various levels to help our ELL students.
Plattsburgh fears for funding
Date CapturedTuesday January 02 2007, 6:24 AM
Press Republican reports, "Wachtmeister [Plattsburgh City School Board member] stressed that he is not saying New York City schoolchildren don't need more money, but "the bottom line is New York City is fabulously wealthy." Yet, he said, the people who dominate the power elite are not going to want to pay the taxes. 'Rich people in New York City send their kids to private schools, and that is one of the major reasons New York City doesn't spend as much as it ought to on its own students, because there is no interest in doing so. But they can afford to, given the income and property wealth in New York City.'"
Discord at Suffolk County, New York funding hearing
Date CapturedTuesday January 02 2007, 5:21 AM
Newsday reports, "The grand jury, she [McCormick, Suffolk district attorney's office] said, called for contracts to be posted on school district Web sites in advance of board votes 'to make the information more easily accessible to the public - not to force them to go through a FOI request when to just get through your day, you might not have the time. '"
New York schools wait for aid
Date CapturedSunday December 31 2006, 8:20 AM
Newsday reports, "During his campaign, Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer held out the promise of as much as $8.5 billion annually in new school assistance statewide, to be phased in during four or five years. It would include about $4.7 billion for New York City, along with substantial increases for other needy school systems. Details of his plan are scheduled for release Feb. 1, as part of his first budget message. In the interim, school advocates from Long Island and New York City are putting forth potentially rival claims for large shares of the money."
Art and soul of schools
Date CapturedSunday December 31 2006, 7:35 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Thanks to the WPA [Works Progress Administration of the 1930s and early '40s], the government's most ambitious effort in history to provide employment for the jobless, countless artists were put to work creating paintings and sculptures for libraries, post offices, hospitals, parks and even public housing. The biggest beneficiaries of this effort were public schools, particularly in big cities such as New York."
School tax relief is good, but rest of record is sketchy
Date CapturedFriday December 29 2006, 4:56 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal contributor Edward McCormick, member of the Arlington school board, chairman of the New York State Educational Conference Board and a member of the Dutchess County BOCES board writes, "The enactment of the School Tax Relief (STAR) program was the governor’s most creative and largest statewide accomplishment that affects public schools. STAR now exceeds $3 billion in school tax relief. While not intended to increase school funding, STAR contributed to a period (1998-2001) of unprecedented success for school budget passage at the polls. Three years of record school aid increases, a booming economy, plummeting pension costs and initiation of the statewide voting day helped also. While advantageous to the passage of schools budgets, STAR missed an opportunity for education policy reform."
Face the music
Date CapturedFriday December 29 2006, 4:20 AM
Daily News columnist Errol Louis writes, "Right now, there's no guarantee that a nickel of the new billions from the Campaign for Fiscal Equity will go to putting arts back in New York City schools. Whatever else they do, Bloomberg and Spitzer must not blow this historic opportunity to revive art in the souls of our city's children."
Strides And Setbacks In School Funding Effort
Date CapturedThursday December 28 2006, 10:25 PM
Queens Chronicle reports, "Said Geri Palast, executive director of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, in a statement, 'Spitzer’s commitment to educational excellence, not mere competence and sufficiency, is critical to the future of New York’s schoolchildren, our most valuable human resource.'”
Culture groups, schools studied
Date CapturedThursday December 28 2006, 5:32 AM
Post-Standard reports, "Officials with Partners for Arts Education, a nonprofit that awards grants across Central New York, said this month they plan to embark on a yearlong research project to assess the relationships between local schools and cultural organizations. Among the six schools selected for the study are Hamilton and Madison Central high schools and Madison Central elementary school."
Teachers’ Union Chief Falters in a Pop Quiz on Fractions
Date CapturedThursday December 28 2006, 3:32 AM
NY Times DAVID M. HERSZENHORN reports, "In contract negotiations, Randi Weingarten, the president of the New York City teachers’ union, typically does math in percentages, not fractions — as in 7.1 percent pay raises over two years in a deal that she brokered last month. And with teachers receiving large raises in the last three contracts, many teachers would say they like the way she counts. But Ms. Weingarten, the standard bearer for more than 80,0000 teachers, was left flummoxed by a question about fractions yesterday when she was on “The Brian Lehrer Show” on WNYC radio, to discuss a recent report calling for a reinvention of American public schools. “What is 1/3 plus ¼?” the guest host, Mike Pesca, asked. 'What is 1/3 and ¼?' Ms. Weingarten stalled. 'I would actually have to do it on paper.'"
New York Senate Republicans want to boost property tax rebate program
Date CapturedWednesday December 27 2006, 7:26 PM
AP reports, "This year, the state sent about $875 million in property tax relief checks to homeowners. Another $200 million went to income tax credits for New York City residents. Another part of the plan would allow voters to petition for ballot propositions limiting tax hikes for both local property taxes and school property taxes. If approved, those limits would last for three years. Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said he also wants to create a panel to study ways local governments and school districts could cut costs and help reduce property taxes."
Cyber schools: High costs, low scores
Date CapturedWednesday December 27 2006, 2:09 PM
The York Dispatch reports, "Hoover [PA Distance Learning Charter School CEO] said that in addition to students who are looking to escape from violence at school, cybers offer a refuge to students who are pregnant, those who need to work full-time jobs and need flexibility, and those who are bullied or have learning problems. Hoover said the cyber school administrators are able to monitor the number of hours students are logging. Parents log the hours their child spends working in a textbook in order to make sure the child meets the state's criterion to be educated 180 days per school year. He said the Department of Education closely monitors the cyber schools. 'We are probably held to a higher standard than even the public schools,' he said."
Immigrant Children Shielded From State Tests, but for Whose Protection?
Date CapturedWednesday December 27 2006, 3:37 AM
NY Times reports, "Like Mr. Noguera [professor of sociology at Steinhardt School of Education at New York University], Diane Ravitch, the education historian, says she thinks testing students after one year may not be a bad idea, but is concerned about how the scores are used. Comparing this year’s Port Chester fourth graders with last year’s based on the upcoming test will put this year’s students and the schools needlessly to shame because last year’s classes did not have many immigrant children tested. But comparing how well students do this school year with how those same students do a year later, Ms. Ravitch said, would provide a telling reflection of the school’s progress. The federal government has started a pilot program in such so-called “growth model” comparisons in Tennessee and North Carolina. What many experts seem to agree on is that No Child Left Behind testing policy lacks a fine enough filter for the nuances of immigrant education."
Gender pay gap no longer narrowing
Date CapturedTuesday December 26 2006, 11:00 AM
NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE reports, "Last year, college-educated women between 36 and 45 years old, for example, earned 74.7 cents for every dollar that men in the same group did, according to Labor Department data analyzed by the Economic Policy Institute. A decade earlier, the women earned 75.7 cents."
New York City Makes Charters '2nd Class' Citizens
Date CapturedMonday December 25 2006, 4:19 AM
NY Post David Andreatta writes, "Since the mayoral takeover of the school system, the department has had multimillion-dollar agreements with courier services to shuttle interoffice mail and deliveries between its schools to keep them from having to dip into their administrative budgets for postage. But the destinations never included the growing number of charter schools - publicly funded but independently operated schools that the department champions and lobbies hard to support."
Almost famous in New York
Date CapturedSunday December 24 2006, 9:43 AM
Newsday reports, "Stern, 63, of Flushing, a retired vice president of the defunct Camera Barn retail chain, founded Friends of the New York City Hall of Fame in June 2002. Six months later, the nonprofit organization, which he heads, established a Web site, nychalloffame.org, to take nominations from the public for inductees in these categories: architecture, business development, charitable contribution, cultural contribution, communications, education, entertainment, health and science, heroism or act of bravery, humanitarianism, sports, and volunteerism."
Financial services professionals from Rochester, Albany named to state higher education board
Date CapturedThursday December 21 2006, 9:47 AM
Two New Yorkers with significant financial services experience have been confirmed as the newest additions to the board of trustees of the New York State Higher Education Services Corp. (HESC), the state agency that helps people pay for college. W. Anthony Goodwin, vice president of educational lending at M & T Bank and a resident of the Rochester area, and Thomas J. Murphy, principal of Trailhead Advisors in Albany, were recently appointed to the unpaid positions by Gov. George E. Pataki and confirmed by the state Senate.
Speaking Truth to Power on School Desegregation. Is Power Listening?
Date CapturedThursday December 21 2006, 8:24 AM
TC contributor Amy Stuart Wells, professor of sociology and education and the deputy director for research at the Campaign for Educational Equity at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York City writes, "The Supreme Court will have until the end of June to rule in these cases. At the end of the day, these nine justices will have to decide whether the means used by these two school districts justified their goal of racially balanced schools. No one knows what role the social science research will ultimate play. If the court, especially Justice Kennedy, is bent on ending attempts by school districts or other government entities to acknowledge our country's history of racial inequality and segregation and create race-conscious programs to address that legacy, then they (and he) will do so, regardless of the evidence that this will result in far fewer educational opportunities for poor students of color."
EdTrust Releases Funding Gaps 2006
Date CapturedWednesday December 20 2006, 5:47 PM
On average, states and localities spend $908 less per student in districts educating the most students of color, and $825 less per student in districts educating the most low-income students as compared to what is spent in the wealthiest and whitest districts. After a 40 percent adjustment – the same adjustment used in the Title I formula to analyze state funding policies to low-income students – six states have funding gaps between the lowest and highest poverty districts that exceed $1,000 per child: Illinois, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Mike Bloomberg is blind to promise of school choice
Date CapturedWednesday December 20 2006, 4:25 AM
Daily News contributor Andrew J. Coulson, director of the Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom writes, "Instead of trying to simulate market incentives, why not actually create a free education marketplace? With a simple program of need-based financial assistance - such as the education tax credits supported by both New York's outgoing governor and its governor-elect - families could all be assured access to the schools of their choice. It's time school reformers - and big-city mayors like Bloomberg - stopped ignoring the best hope of preserving America's competitiveness in the global economy."
OASAS Announces Winner of Underage Drinking PSA Contest
Date CapturedTuesday December 19 2006, 10:36 AM
The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) today announced that SUNY Albany has been selected by a panel of judges as the winner of the "Underage Drinking: Not a Minor Problem - College Edition" Public Service Announcement (PSA) Contest. SUNY Albany was chosen based on submissions from 12 colleges throughout the state, each of whom were awarded up to $25,000 by OASAS to develop a PSA for both their college and surrounding community. SUNY Albany will now work with Sawchuck Brown, a professional advertising and marketing firm, to professionalize the campaign and revise it for distribution by OASAS throughout the State of New York. The professionalized PSA will be unveiled at the Statewide College Conference in Albany on March 11, 2007.
There's another path to achieve school integration
Date CapturedTuesday December 19 2006, 6:15 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle columnist Mark Hare writes, "Breaking the cycle of poverty is the way to bring the poor into the mainstream and help them build productive lives. I don't see an easy way to get there. But Richard Kahlenberg, of the New York City-based Century Foundation and a leading researcher on integrating the poor into middle class schools, writes that economic integration faces a much easier court test than racial integration and it typically achieves noticeable improvement — though not miracles — in minority performance. I know, I know. You've heard this from me before. But there is growing awareness that the key to breaking generations of urban poverty is to end the isolation of the poor. I support all the voluntary efforts to do this — all the churches and business providing tutors and mentors, shelters for teen mothers and battered spouses where routine and stability are cultivated as the building blocks of middle-class families. "
Advocates See Hope for More Charter Schools Next Year
Date CapturedTuesday December 19 2006, 4:58 AM
XXXI Karen DeWitt reports, "Peter Murphy, with the New York Charter Schools Association, says he's disappointed that Pataki's plan was not approved, but he has hopes for the future. 'We're going to keep fighting,' he said. Governor-Elect Eliot Spitzer supports expanding charter schools, and Murphy says he hopes something will be worked out. Assembly Speaker Silver agrees there will likely be some kind of charter school expansion in the New Year, with the new governor."
Not Enough Time for Phys Ed, Schools Plead
Date CapturedMonday December 18 2006, 4:54 AM
Post-Standard reports, "The education department's deputy commissioner also reminded all superintendents throughout the state of the physical education requirements and urged them to review their programs to ensure they are in compliance. The reminder was sent in the School Executive's Bulletin. The department sent the letters and reminders after reading an article in The Post-Standard last month that found only one of the school districts in Central New York in compliance with the physical education regulations. 'We learned of the allegation of noncompliance as a result of your reporting,' said Jonathan Burman, of the state Education Department."
Election results push AFT legislative agenda closer to passage
Date CapturedFriday December 15 2006, 8:51 AM
New York Teacher reports on "a working people’s agenda" and revamping the No Child Left Behind Act. "Other AFT legislative goals include: Securing federal assistance to help districts modernize and rebuild schools; Winning greater national investment in education, health care and job training; Reversing the National Labor Relations Board’s ruling that allows employers to deny union rights to workers by classifying them as 'supervisor'; Raising the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, indexed to inflation; Protecting retirement security for all workers; Expanding access to college by halving interest rates for student loans and raising the maximum Pell grant award to at least $4,500."
The N.B.A.’s Push for Reform Leads to Talk of an Academy
Date CapturedThursday December 14 2006, 9:18 AM
NY Times reports, "The idea for an academy came about because of lagging performances by the United States in international competition and, [N.B.A. Commissioner] Stern said, because the American system has 'exploited and exposed' talented players 'all the way up.' Stern ridiculed the system during last season’s N.B.A. finals, and he cited an investigation by The New York Times that revealed some students were receiving easy grades for little work at dubious schools so they could qualify for college scholarships. The developmental academy, as well as who would run and fund it, remains in the discussion phase, and it is considered only part of the solution to complicated problems facing youth basketball. The academy would include basketball training and proper educational opportunities for top players."
New York City Weighs Slight Amendment To School Cell Phone Ban
Date CapturedThursday December 14 2006, 7:57 AM
NY1 reports, "The city said Wednesday that it is considering plans to allow students to bring their cell phones to school as long as they lock them up in coin-operated lockers for a charge of between 25 and 50 cents."
What do you think of New York City Department of Education's school cell phone plan?
Date CapturedThursday December 14 2006, 7:54 AM
NY1 Snap Poll: What do you think of the Department of Education's school cell phone plan? VOTE HERE!
Spitzer’s school plan will benefit all
Date CapturedWednesday December 13 2006, 10:15 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal contributor Billy Easton, executive director of Alliance for Quality Education writes, "Throughout his campaign, Spitzer consistently articulated an education plan based on proven strategies. The elements of his plan will get many more children prepared to succeed as adults. He starts with pre-kindergarten, which increases graduation rates and employment success and reduces crime. He supports smaller classes, which show long-term increases in test scores, graduation rates and college preparedness. Training and recruiting skilled teachers is another Spitzer education priority that is backed by extensive research. He supports producing strong principals to lead our schools. And he advocates helping kids who are falling through the cracks by partnering with community-based organizations (such as after-school programs), expanding literacy programs and improving vocational education. This is a refreshing vision designed to actually address the needs of every child. It is not difficult to imagine it cannot all be done on the cheap. What is the price tag Spitzer has identified to pay for all of this? $8.5 billion. This is for a multiyear statewide solution, not a New York City focused plan."
New York encouraging ACT to challenge SAT
Date CapturedWednesday December 13 2006, 4:26 AM
AP reports, "New York is pushing wider use of the ACT college entrance exam in the Northeast to compete with the SAT exam, which has long dominated in the region, a top state senator said Tuesday."
Advocates call for Early Learning Commission
Date CapturedTuesday December 12 2006, 10:07 AM
A coalition of early care and education advocates is calling on Governor-elect Spitzer to form an Early Learning Commission overseeing New York State’s early childhood programs and services. Winning Beginning NY, the state’s leading early care and learning advocacy coalition, cites the need for coordination and oversight of the state’s programs as a key rationale for the Commission. “The commission is needed to galvanize support for expanded and coherent investment in high quality early childhood services for New York State,” said Karen Schimke, a Winning Beginning NY Co-Convener and President/CEO of the Schuyler Center for Analysis & Advocacy. The state has made progress in recent years toward developing early learning services for New York’s youth, said Schimke, adding, “Launching an Early Learning Commission is the key next step to ensuring both that we make the most of every dollar invested."
New report estimates higher number of school bus injuries
Date CapturedTuesday December 12 2006, 5:58 AM
The Journal News reports, "The study recommends that better supervision on the bus may reduce school-bus related injuries. That means hiring a bus monitor to ride on the bus, which would allow the bus driver to focus on driving and let the monitor concentrate on keeping order on the bus. Districts in the Lower Hudson Valley have varying policies. In Yonkers, for example, about 85 percent of the buses have monitors. In Rockland's Pearl River district, monitors are only used on buses that transport children with special needs. The study was inconclusive over whether the use of seat belts on school buses would make a difference in reducing school-bus related injuries. In New York, school buses built since 1987 are required to have lap belts. School districts can mandate buckling, but only a handful statewide have done so, said state Director of Pupil Transportation Marion Edick."
Sucker Punch
Date CapturedTuesday December 12 2006, 5:11 AM
NY Post Op-Ed contributor Peter Murphy, director of policy for the New York Charter Schools Association writes, "Why is NYSUT so eager to squash the expansion of charters, even to the point of embarrassing itself with this political 'hit' masquerading as a study? Because it can't abide more competition from successful, accountable charter schools that work with less money but are free from union mandates like tenure and dictionary-length labor contracts. Thus the union has used all its political muscle to stack the deck against reform, ever since public charter schools were first proposed in New York in the mid '90s. It's shameful to see this powerful statewide organization denigrate the achievements of so many children, teachers and administrators in New York's charter schools. State legislators, who often portray themselves as standing up for the proverbial 'little guy,' should see NYSUT's bullying tactics for what they are - and do the right thing this week by allowing for more public charter schools."
University of the State of New York, P-16 Education: A Plan For Action
Date CapturedMonday December 11 2006, 1:53 PM
We will confront the data, share it broadly, and use it to define as precisely as possible where resources and energy should be applied. We will recognize the achievements and also declare the problems as clearly as we can. We will engage everyone by listening to the people the education system is supposed to serve, to parents, to educators at every level, to the employers, and to the elected officials who must weigh enormous competing demands for scarce resources. In particular, we will engage students and their parents, and the wider community because educational institutions do not belong to the educators but to the people. We will create a communications plan to listen to, inform, and involve people statewide. We will define measurable objectives so that others can hold us accountable, and we can hold education leaders accountable for improving results. We will study the practices of high performing education systems, states and nations, and adapt the best to New York’s situation. We will examine what actions are most effective, and invite others to learn with us. We will take action focused on systematic change to effect sustained improvement. We know, for example, that closing the achievement gap for students requires correcting the unequal distribution of teaching talent. And we know that in demanding change in educational institutions to achieve better results, we must also build capacity in our own State Education Department to take on its part of this improvement strategy. We will continually renew the alignment of our actions to ensure coherence and effectiveness. For example, academic standards, curriculum, assessment, and instructional practice have to be aligned to be effective. When one element changes, all other elements must be examined to ensure that the system remains effective. We will strengthen USNY, because it has great potential to build more effective transitions for students from one level of the system to the next. We will advocate for State and federal financial resources and legislative actions that will help achieve better educational outcomes. And we will be accountable for the effective use of those resources.
How Do You Spend $1.93 Billion?
Date CapturedSunday December 10 2006, 8:42 AM
NY Times Op-Ed contributor Harold O. Levy, New York City schools chancellor from 2000 until 2002 opines, "Having been a witness for the plaintiffs in the case, I can now say that however much money we ultimately get, the critical question is how we spend it."
New York Teachers Union down on charter schools
Date CapturedSaturday December 09 2006, 7:43 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Peter Murphy of the New York Charter Schools Association called the report bogus and an attempt to sabotage expansion of charters. 'They are acting like a schoolyard bully to this fledgling reform movement that's showing real success for children by coming out with an 11th-hour hit-job, pretending to be a study, that's unworthy of a high-school research class,' he said."
New York state's charter schools breaking their promise
Date CapturedFriday December 08 2006, 4:07 PM
NYSUT Media Release:Most charter schools are underperforming the traditional public schools in their districts, according to a report released today by New York State United Teachers. The report found that only 13 percent of charter schools had shown higher academic achievement than their public school counterparts.
Worker skills a worry
Date CapturedFriday December 08 2006, 5:21 AM
The Post-Standard reports, "About half of local businesses say they'll have to look elsewhere for workers if Central New York doesn't increase its homegrown math and science talent, a survey by the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce found."
Florida Gov. Bush vows national school reform
Date CapturedTuesday December 05 2006, 11:20 AM
"Miami Herald reports, "Flanked by Bloomberg, New York City schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein and Florida Education Commissioner John Winn, Bush said the 5-year-old federal law created by his big brother, President George W. Bush, needs to take after his A-Plus plan. The law is up for renewal by Congress next year."
Amendments to Commissioner's Regulations 120.4 regarding Supplemental Educational Services (SES)
Date CapturedTuesday December 05 2006, 9:56 AM
The New York State Education Department invites you to comment on proposed amendments to Commissioner’s Regulations 120.4 regarding Supplemental Educational Services which have been filed with the Department of State for publication in the State Register on December 6, 2006. The amendments, in their entirety, are available for your review here.
Trolling for students with prizes as the lure
Date CapturedTuesday December 05 2006, 5:34 AM
Times Union reports, "Inducements are increasingly common in the emerging tutoring industry, in which companies compete for kids and the public dollars behind them. Now, New York state officials want to know what rewards are being offered, and they want to be able to approve or deny them."
New York State Education Department
Date CapturedMonday December 04 2006, 2:23 PM
From the Desk of Jean C. Stevens, Interim Deputy Commissioner December 1, 2006.
THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE NEW YORK
Date CapturedMonday December 04 2006, 2:18 PM
Robert G. Bentley, Executive Director of Professional Licensing and Teacher Certification, in a memo writes, "I am writing to let you know of a vacancy on the New York State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching in the following category: School Administrator: A building-level or district-level school leader in a New York State school."
Education New York Reader Writes....
Date CapturedMonday December 04 2006, 1:00 PM
"I truly thought that an act about the school system was a great idea. I thought it was time to change the system. However the child that I was tutoring has started to fall through the cracks. Is this not what this act was in place for! I didn't think that it was when a child couldn't pass our tests that we would send them else where...? This is a frustrating process, that I really believe is not working. There should be more done for the children who work more with their right brain."
Small Schools Exclude Many Immigrants
Date CapturedMonday December 04 2006, 8:37 AM
Gotham Gazette reports, "It is the policy of the New York City Department of Education to allow a small school to exclude English-language learners (and special education students) during its first two years of operation. This is permitted, according to the department, so that the schools can build up the necessary infrastructure to provide the instructional services these students require. But, as it turns out, many of the older small schools still do not offer programs for these students, according to a new report issued by The New York Immigration Coalition (the organization for which we work), Advocates for Children, and seven immigrant community-based organizations."
Michael McGill Chosen NY School Superintendent Of The Year
Date CapturedSaturday December 02 2006, 7:26 AM
Westchester.com reports, "The New York State Council of School Superintendents today announced that Scarsdale's Michael McGill has been chosen as the 2007 New York State School Superintendent of the Year. Dr. McGill was chosen for demonstrating outstanding all-around leadership."
Education Leaders Speak on Schools
Date CapturedWednesday November 29 2006, 8:32 AM
Columbia Spectator reports, "Klein [New York City schools chancellor] focused on charter schools that have been successful in bringing students who were behind up to grade level, describing as politically driven the state-wide charter school cap that prevents New York City from opening any more charter schools. 'I'm a big fan of charter schools,' he said. "They are built on accountability." He also stressed the importance of good teachers over small class size, citing his own experience at Columbia as an example. 'There were people here at Columbia who were wasting my time,' he said. 'One of the reasons those classes were so small is because everyone else had realized that those teachers were a waste of time.'"
So Many Schools, So Few Options:How Mayor Bloomberg’s Small High School Reforms Deny Full Access to English Language Learners
Date CapturedWednesday November 29 2006, 7:08 AM
Key findings: ELLs Are Not Given Full and Equitable Access to All Small High Schools, Parents of ELLs and Students Reported Barriers in the High School Admissions and Enrollment Process, The Small School Policy for ELLs Appears to be Forcing ELLs to Remain in Large High Schools that Do Not Have Services to Meet Their Needs , Small Schools are Not Being Created in Queens, in which the Largest Number of ELLs Reside. A joint report by: The New York Immigration Coalition & Advocates for Children of New York In collaboration with: Chhaya Community Development Corporation Chinese Progressive Association Chinese-American Planning Council Council of Peoples Organization Haitian Americans United for Progress Make the Road by Walking Metropolitan Russian American Parents Association November 2006.
New York City Schools hit on immigration bar
Date CapturedWednesday November 29 2006, 7:01 AM
NY Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, "The report charges the vast majority of small schools either don't have services for so-called 'English language learners' (ELLs), who comprise almost 12% of the high school population, or exclude them altogether. It also says that immigrant families have less access to information about options for their kids. The city Education Department allows new schools to exclude both ELLs and special-ed students in their first two years because the schools are too new to properly serve those kids. It's a policy being reviewed by the U.S. Education Department's Office for Civil Rights, which launched a probe after a complaint from a citywide group of high school parents. "
KIDS HIT LANGUAGE BARRIER
Date CapturedWednesday November 29 2006, 6:56 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Researchers could not say how many of the 184 new small schools created under Bloomberg exercise the two-year exclusion policy. But they found that 41 percent of 126 small schools surveyed do not offer any English-as-a-Second Language or bilingual services - apparently in violation of city, state and federal laws. 'The problem isn't just access,' said Chung-Wha Hong, director of the New York Immigration Coalition. 'Sometimes they can get in the door but they then face a long-term problem because there are no services for them.' The city Department of Education insisted that only a handful of small schools did not have a single ESL student enrolled."
Fighting gangs from inside, out
Date CapturedTuesday November 28 2006, 8:03 AM
Newsday Mitchell Freedman reports, "Riverhead thus became the first community in New York State to team a jail-based program with a school-based one, also run by the council, a national not-for-profit group. And, the Riverhead Police Department is working to develop a companion anti-gang program with the council. The program is designed to show gang members who are inmates that there is an alternative to street violence, and that gang membership often leads to long jail time, with former gang members sharing their own experiences. It offers job training and remedial education, and it strives to give those who enroll a sense of belonging to a different kind of family."
New Project to Send Musicians Into Schools
Date CapturedTuesday November 28 2006, 7:14 AM
NY Times reports, "Two pillars of the classical musical establishment, Carnegie Hall and the Juilliard School, have joined forces to give birth to a music academy whose fellows will go forth and propagate musicianship in New York public schools. The city’s Education Department is opening its arms to the new program, seeing an inexpensive but valuable source of teaching for a system deprived of comprehensive music training. And the leaders of Carnegie and Juilliard see an opportunity to promote their conviction that a musician in 21st-century America should be more than just a person who plays the notes."
New York State Education Department (NYSED) Application Portal
Date CapturedMonday November 27 2006, 9:33 AM
Gov. cheers, CFE jeers court ruling
Date CapturedMonday November 27 2006, 5:44 AM
Legislative Gazette reports, "After 13 years and three appeals, what might be the final ruling in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity case was issued last week with New York’s highest court ordering the state to budget at least $1.93 billion more for New York City’s public schools."
Elementary school report card: Too many teachers, too few jobs
Date CapturedMonday November 27 2006, 5:14 AM
Post-Standard reports, "A report done this year by the state Education Department shows there is a surplus of elementary and early childhood teachers in the state outside of New York City. The report shows severe shortages in career and technical education, math and physical education teachers in New York City, and in reading and literacy teachers elsewhere in the state. There are so many elementary teachers that local school districts are overflowing with applications for few open jobs."
School aid vows fail arithmetic
Date CapturedSunday November 26 2006, 6:24 PM
Columnist Jay Gallagher writes on CFE and school funding, "Shazam! Add money to New York City schools, but don't subtract any from anywhere else. What could be better? That sounds like a good math problem for the next Regents' math exam, which some New York students have so much trouble mastering. The problem goes something like this: take a pot of money. Divide it up into sections. Then take the same pot of money, and make some of the sections bigger, but don't reduce any of the others."
Taxes key to state schools' decline
Date CapturedSunday November 26 2006, 1:56 PM
Contra Costa Times reports, "California spent $7,860 on each student in its public education system while states across the nation spent an average $8,807 per pupil in the 2003-2004 academic year, according to Ed-Data, published by the state Department of Education. By comparison, New York spent $12,408 per pupil that year. The consequences of this spending shortfall are crowded classrooms with high student-to-teacher ratios, older textbooks and facilities. California's student-to-teacher ratio is 20.6-to-1, while the U.S. average is 15.8-to-1, according to Ed-Data."
New York City's libraries must do a better job of policing Web porn
Date CapturedSunday November 26 2006, 9:15 AM
NY Daily News contributor ROWENA DALY writes, "All city libraries must be in compliance with the Children's Internet Protection Act, or CIPA, which requires them to install Internet-filtering software on their public-access computers to prevent the display of obscene content. Even research libraries are supposed to fall under the CIPA provision. When someone logs on to a computer with his or her library card, the system automatically checks the user's age. No one under 17 is supposed to be able to access adult Web sites. But despite the monitoring, there have been cases when people have been able to break through the filter, according to the Brooklyn and Queens libraries. Library officials need to devise a plan. It may be time to install partitions to divide computers or keep separate banks of terminals for adults and minors."
Schools debate inequity
Date CapturedSaturday November 25 2006, 8:22 AM
Post-Standard reports, "A recent federal ruling dealing with promotion and publicity for girls and boys high school sports teams may be troublesome for some Central New York schools. Most school officials interviewed for this story said they treat boys and girls teams equally in all areas but one cheerleading. They do not have cheerleaders cheer at equal numbers of boys and girls games. The sport most often affected by this is girls basketball."
New York City Schools Figure 'Wrong'
Date CapturedFriday November 24 2006, 4:00 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "In a recent letter to the schools chancellor, Comptroller William Thompson Jr. noted that the steady climb began following a change in the way the city Department of Education defined discharged students in its annual reports beginning in 2002. The change involved omitting a disclaimer that said a student could be considered discharged only after the student was confirmed to have been admitted to a new school outside the city public school system."
Landmark NYC school aid ruling comes up about $3 billion short of lower courts' recommendations
Date CapturedThursday November 23 2006, 8:47 AM
Inside Albany reports, "Surprisingly, the decision’s author was Eugene Pigott, Pataki’s final appointee to the court. Pigott was sworn in a couple of hours before the CFE arguments. Pigott wrote that the trial court had erred in having the panel of retired judges conduct a new review of how much a sound basic education cost. His opinion focused on the separation of the branches of government. 'The role of the courts is not, as Supreme Court assumed, to determine the best way to calculate the cost of a sound basic education in New York City schools, but to determine whether the state’s proposed calculation of that cost is rational.'”
Brentwood's budgetary woes linger
Date CapturedTuesday November 21 2006, 10:28 AM
Newsday JOHN HILDEBRAND reports, "In Brentwood, as in New York City, four students out of every five are poor enough to qualify for discount school lunches. But unlike New York City, Brentwood was awarded no extra money for its schools more than a decade ago, when it sued the state. The court defeat left bitter feelings in this blue-collar district -- Long Island's largest, with 16,600 students -- where per-pupil spending is little more than half what is spent in Gold Coast communities."
SCHOOL SANITY: COURT OPTS FOR RESTRAINT
Date CapturedTuesday November 21 2006, 6:44 AM
NY Post contributor E.J. McMahon, director of the Manhattan Institute's Empire Center for New York State Policy writes, "It will take a determined governor to prevent legislators and the usual special-interest groups from using CFE as an excuse to promote Albany's traditional education 'solution' - lots more money, no reform. But thanks to the Court of Appeals, these issues at least will be contested in the right forum. In one of his more beneficial legacies, Pataki stocked New York's highest court with judges who were unwilling to micromanage policy. They've now kicked the ball back to the Legislature, once and for all. CFE and its allies must turn their attention to direct lobbying of the people's elected representatives - which is just the way it should be."
NYSUT blasts court decision on CFE; looks to Spitzer to do the 'right thing'
Date CapturedTuesday November 21 2006, 6:13 AM
NYSUT PRESS RELEASE: "For more than a decade, the court has repeatedly supported the premise of the CFE case: Every child must receive a sound basic education," Iannuzzi [New York State United Teachers President ]said. "Now, in addition to stripping away accountability measures, the court has basically said to every student in New York, 'Let them eat cake.'"
TOP NEW YORK COURT SUBTRACTS $3.7B FROM SCHOOLS
Date CapturedTuesday November 21 2006, 5:57 AM
NY Post Kenneth Lovett and David Andreatta report, "The school-funding ruling yesterday by the state Court of Appeals: * Requires state to increase operating aid to city schools by a minimum $1.93 billion annually. * Leaves final decision on spending above $1.93 billion with governor and Legislature, not courts. * Rejected state argument for a new office to monitor spending. * Tossed a lower court's order requiring $9.2 billion in additional school capital spending."
COURT BITES JUDGE
Date CapturedTuesday November 21 2006, 5:52 AM
NY Post opined on New York school funding lawsuit, "Gov. Pataki deserves two measures of credit for yesterday's ruling: * For having fought this case for so long - his entire 12-year tenure - in a state practically run by school unions and other special interests. Practically everyone agreed (wrongly) that the city needs billions more for schools. Even though it already spends far more per student than most other cities. And even though there is no credible evidence that extra money can guarantee students learn more. * And for assembling a high court - he appointed five of its members - that doesn't confuse itself with the Legislature."
Breathing Room for Spitzer in Decision on New York City Schools
Date CapturedTuesday November 21 2006, 3:19 AM
NY Times reports, "Certainly, the political tug of war over the issue will provide early tests of Mr. Spitzer’s relationships with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the leaders of the State Legislature. Mr. Spitzer and Mr. Bloomberg have already publicly skirmished over how to divide up the bill for new financing of city schools between the state and city governments. In Albany, the Democratic Assembly will probably want to go well above the court’s $1.9 billion floor, while the Republican Senate, led by upstaters, will most likely rebuff such spending."
New York Court Cuts Aid Sought by City Schools
Date CapturedTuesday November 21 2006, 3:17 AM
NY Times DAVID M. HERSZENHORN reports, "New York State’s highest court ended a landmark legal fight over education financing yesterday, ruling that at least $1.93 billion more must be spent each year on New York City’s public schools — far less than the $4.7 billion that a lower court called the minimum needed to give city children the chance for a sound basic education."
"Photo Finish: Which Teachers Are Better? Certification Status Isn't Going to Tell Us
Date CapturedMonday November 20 2006, 7:47 PM
Economists Thomas J. Kane of Harvard University, Jonah E. Rockoff of Columbia Business School, and Douglas O. Staiger of Dartmouth College, in Education Next, 2007 No. 1 answer the question of whether certification ensures highly effective teachers in the classroom. Researchers write, "The results of our study of New York City public school teachers confirm a simple truth: some teachers are considerably better than others at helping students learn. For example, elementary-school students who have a teacher who performs in the top quartile of all elementary-school teachers learn 33 percent of a standard deviation more (substantially more) in math in a year than students who have a teacher who performs in the bottom quartile. Yet as we embrace this piece of conventional wisdom, we must discard another: the widespread sentiment that there are large differences in effectiveness between traditionally certified teachers and uncertified or alternatively certified teachers. The greatest potential for school districts to improve student achievement seems to rest not in regulating minimum qualifications for new teachers but in selectively retaining those teachers who are most effective during their first years of teaching. "
New York Must Pay Schools $1.93B More a Year
Date CapturedMonday November 20 2006, 10:39 AM
AP reports, "The state Court of Appeals, in a 4-2 decision, set the minimum to be spent, but said the Legislature should be allowed to determine the final total. The Pataki administration had argued that decisions on how to spend public money are the responsibility of the executive and legislative branches, not the courts. 'In fashioning specific remedies for constitutional violations, we must avoid intrusion on the primary domain of another branch of government,' Justice Eugene Pigott wrote for the majority."
New York toughens road to teaching
Date CapturedMonday November 20 2006, 5:48 AM
Star-Gazette reports, "People will no longer be able to receive initial certification in childhood education after Feb. 1, 2007, or in other areas -- including middle childhood education, adolescent education, special subjects and students with disabilities -- through individual evaluation after Feb. 1, 2009. An option is still available to adults -- the more traditional path, a four-year degree leading to certification. State education officials, trying to toughen the requirements for all teachers, said they have had a notice posted on the state education Web site regarding this decision since 2004. Elmira College officials said they were first made aware of this deadline by Board of Cooperative Educational Services officials on Sept. 7, and immediately began to counsel all of the students affected."
Second thoughts
Date CapturedMonday November 20 2006, 5:20 AM
Times Union opined on charter schools, "A more rigid process for approval of charter schools would keep the failure rate lower, though, and spare families the firsthand experiences of such schools. The state Legislature -- yes, the same one that approved charter schools eight years ago, as a condition for a pay raise, of all things -- should keep that in mind before it buckles to pressure again and raises the limit of 100 charter schools allowable in New York."
New York schools' building bonanza
Date CapturedMonday November 20 2006, 5:00 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "A one-time dose of state money injected into local school districts has fueled a frenzy of expansion and construction proposals. Eight districts have either gone to voters recently or plan to do so next month. The state Department of Education expects to see an increase in proposals as well. The state sweetened the pot this year with aid dubbed "Excel," or Expand Our Childrens' Education and Learning aid. Every district in the state can get the money if they have a project that fits: expansion or renovations, technology, health and safety, or access for the disabled. The money is a one-time shot. Districts can wait, but no one knows how much money future Legislatures and governors will set aside for the program."
Tax credits for private school tuition? Yes
Date CapturedSunday November 19 2006, 7:04 PM
NY Daily News contributor CATHERINE HICKEY, superintendent of Catholic schools of the Catholic Archdiocese of New York writes, "For hundreds of thousands of poor and working-class parents, public school is the only economic option. A real tax credit is a reasonable way to ensure that each and every child can obtain a good education in the school of his or her parents' choice."
Certifying readiness for entry-level jobs
Date CapturedSunday November 19 2006, 6:55 PM
Buffalo News reports, "Some 70 companies across the state were consulted in the past four years in developing the test of reading, math, verbal comprehension and judgment. 'The impetus for this whole project came from business. This isn't one of those government things that government cooked up,' said Doug Reamer, principal statistician at the state Department of Labor. The price of a single premature departure, which happens often in entry-level trades, ranges from $2,000 to $5,000 and more in training and recruiting costs, depending on a company's size. Entry-level is defined as jobs that don't require a college degree or involve managing. The category accounts for 51 percent of annual new openings in New York: from hospitality to retail, health care, manufacturing, temp agencies and government."
Puerto Rico official proposes using NYC youth to harvest coffee
Date CapturedSunday November 19 2006, 6:38 PM
AP JOSE FERNANDEZ COLON reports, "Facing a shortage of farmhands, Puerto Rico turned to its prison population last year to help harvest its prized coffee crop. Fearing a similar crisis next year, the Housing Department Secretary has another plan: bring in youth living in public housing in New York City."
After 4 Years of Roosevelt School Takeover, Debate on Its Effect Still Rages
Date CapturedSaturday November 18 2006, 6:49 AM
NY Times reports, "The state’s [New York] ultimate success or failure in turning around the district will have implications far beyond this small suburb on Long Island, since troubled districts throughout New York State and beyond face the prospect of takeovers prescribed by the federal No Child Left Behind Act."
Court Orders Education Dept. Not to Cut 250 Bus Routes Yet
Date CapturedSaturday November 18 2006, 6:44 AM
NY Times DAVID M. HERSZENHORN reports, " State Supreme Court justice yesterday blocked the New York City Education Department from eliminating 250 school bus routes to help save up to $20 million a year. The court order came at the request of school bus companies, which argued that the city’s plan violated their contract. Skip to next paragraph Blogs The Empire Zone Coverage of politics in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The justice, Shirley Werner Kornreich, said she would hear arguments in the case on Dec. 1."
Use of Technology in Education
Date CapturedFriday November 17 2006, 5:46 PM
The Board of Regents created a statewide Technology Policy and Practices Council to study the use of technology in education. As part of this effort, the Metiri Group will be conducting random surveys of school districts and other members of the University of the State of New York. Commissioner Mills urges all selected to participate in the survey process; a letter from him with additional information is available at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/metirisurvey.htm.
New York State Assembly looks to improve education
Date CapturedFriday November 17 2006, 6:59 AM
Capital News 9 reports, "Mills [Commissioner] said the most recent data shows achievement in public schools is improving, but there's still work to be done, especially because one third of students don't graduate high school on time. He also said learning at the middle school level is lagging, which indicates why half of 8th graders don't meet reading and writing standards."
Bear Stearns is Bulli$h on New York City Schools
Date CapturedFriday November 17 2006, 5:18 AM
NY Post reports, "Bear Stearns is underwriting $650 million worth of bonds that will help pay for new city schools, officials announced yesterday."
Firms sue to put brakes on New York City school bus cuts
Date CapturedFriday November 17 2006, 5:11 AM
NY Daily News reports, "A coalition of school bus companies sued the city Education Department yesterday in a last-ditch bid to stop the planned elimination of 250 routes. The 10 bus companies claim in the suit that the Education Department's Dec. 4 reorganization will cause chaos among students. The companies also argued that the cuts violate their contract with City Hall."
Hands off our school!
Date CapturedThursday November 16 2006, 4:55 AM
NY Daily News reports on plans to tear down an upper East Side [New York City], "Supporters say the building, once known as Julia Rikers for its dangerous reputation, has reinvented itself as a home for six notable schools, including a performing arts high school, a school for autistic children and a school created to serve children of people who work in the area. Their objections were highlighted yesterday by Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez.."
Big classroom squeeze in New York City
Date CapturedThursday November 16 2006, 4:23 AM
NY Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, "The average class-size details for kindergarten to eighth grade were released for the first time yesterday under City Council legislation requiring the Department of Education to turn over the data twice a year. High school classroom sizes will be released at a later date, officials said."
Foreign students returning to U.S.
Date CapturedThursday November 16 2006, 4:14 AM
The Washington Times reports, "Among other findings: • The most favorable fields of study for international students in the United States are engineering, business and management, which account for 34 percent of coursework for all international students. • The leading host institutions for international students are the University of Southern California, with 6,881 international students, and Columbia University in New York, with 5,575. They are followed by Indiana's Purdue University, New York University in New York and the University of Texas at Austin."
Report: New York falls short in literacy classes
Date CapturedWednesday November 15 2006, 6:36 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "The Center for an Urban Future and the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy said that while the number of immigrants has increased in the Rochester area, and in nearly every corner of the state, just 5.3 percent of adult New Yorkers with limited English skills had enrolled in state-funded courses to improve their skills in 2005. The report says there were 86,433 seats in state-funded English for Speakers of Other Languages programs last year, and 1.6 million working-age adult immigrants with limited English skills in the state."
New York City parents peeved over cell phone ban
Date CapturedWednesday November 15 2006, 4:59 AM
amNewYork City Michael Clancy reports, "The public school system has prohibited cell phones in school buildings for years, but the policy was generally not enforced at most schools. Last spring, the issue exploded when school officials started performing random searches for weapons systemwide and guards seized hundreds of cell phones. Critics of the ban also say students who attend schools with permanent metal detectors suffer more than children at schools without the detectors because students at those schools are allowed to bend the rules."
New York City parents angry over nixed school meeting
Date CapturedWednesday November 15 2006, 4:55 AM
NY Daily News reports, "They [parents] are concerned the addition of middle-school students will disrupt the character of PS 36, which enrolls children in prekindergarten through second grade, and decried a lack of parent input in the Education Department's decision."
Maritime school's Gov. Island getaway
Date CapturedTuesday November 14 2006, 4:52 AM
NY Daily News reports, "The Department of Education {New York City] and the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corp. are in talks to move the 400-student school from Brooklyn to the 172-acre island off Manhattan's southern tip, officials said."
Education stats show New York City of wise guys, gals
Date CapturedTuesday November 14 2006, 4:39 AM
NY Daily News reports, "The city Education Department attributed rising graduation and lower dropout rates to an increase in programs devoted to keeping kids in school longer, including the Young Adult Borough Centers, targeting high school students who might be considering dropping out."
'Guinea Pig' Kids Stir Furor
Date CapturedMonday November 13 2006, 4:49 AM
NY Post CARL CAMPANILE reports, "City [New York City] education officials last year quietly approved more than 50 research projects related to health, psychology, race, ethnicity, gender and religion - mostly on kids in the poorest neighborhoods, a Post investigation has found. Nearly 200 studies - some of them financed by multimillion-dollar grants - were OK'd. All of the studies were conducted with parental consent. But as an incentive, parents and kids often were compensated. The city allows 'modest cash payments' to parents and teachers and gift certificates for kids, education officials said."
New York City Ed Dept. tells school bigs: Clear all talks first
Date CapturedMonday November 13 2006, 4:37 AM
NY Daily News ERIN EINHORN reports, "The Department of Education has ordered school bigwigs to powwow with a new external-communications team before accepting or declining invitations to speak with community groups or public officials. The new public-appearance protocol is pitched as a way to ensure that DOE reps are fully prepared, according to a memo obtained by the Daily News. 'And it will help them think strategically about how the DOE is publicly presenting itself,' the memo states."
Spitzer gears up for changes in office
Date CapturedSunday November 12 2006, 9:09 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "Governor-elect [New York] Eliot Spitzer pledges to cut property taxes by expanding the 1997 STAR program, which exempts part of a home's assessed value from school taxes. He suggested a three-tier system that cuts more for homes with lower incomes. (The current program - a 'basic' exemption and an 'enhanced' one for seniors - doesn't consider income.)"
Johnny got a raw deal
Date CapturedSunday November 12 2006, 8:23 AM
NY Daily News contributor Joe Williams writes on the New York City teachers contract deal, "By cutting such a deal so early rather than keeping pressure on, Bloomberg has made a statement loud and clear: Only contract nips and tucks are needed from here on out. Major new work-rule changes are unnecessary."
Report spells tighter controls for public colleges
Date CapturedSunday November 12 2006, 8:03 AM
New York Teacher reports, "Another sorely received agenda item in the Spellings report is a 'No Child Left Behind' approach to higher education that could lead to standardized testing similar to that already mandated by NCLB in elementary and middle grades."
Purple Heart Hall of Honor is dedicated in Vails Gate, New York
Date CapturedSaturday November 11 2006, 10:17 AM
Mid-Hudson News reports, "The $6 million facility [Purple Heart Hall of Honor] will recognize the brave men and women who have served their country with dignity and distinction. Their stories will be preserved and shared through a series of exhibits, live and videotaped interviews with veterans themselves, and the Roll of Honor, an interactive computer program detailing the stories of each individual."
New York City Mayor Bloomberg won't blockade military from schools
Date CapturedSaturday November 11 2006, 8:28 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Despite some protests against them, the city won't ban military recruiters from public high schools, Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday."
2006 Essential Elements: Schools-To-Watch
Date CapturedFriday November 10 2006, 8:23 AM
Models of Academic Excellence, Social Equity, Developmental Responsiveness, Organization and Structure. For more information about NY State's Schools to Watch program please visit the New York State Middle School Association Website at http://www.nysmsa.org/.
From the Desk of Jean C. Stevens, Interim Deputy Commissioner, New York State Education Department
Date CapturedFriday November 10 2006, 8:08 AM
ELA and Mathematics Results on the New York State Testing and Accountability Reporting Tool (nySTART): Beginning November 14, authorized users in schools and districts will be able to access parent reports for the grades 3-8 State assessments in mathematics using nySTART. Beginning November 13, files containing the mathematics parent reports will be distributed to Regional Information Centers and the Big 5 school districts. If your district has contracted with a Regional Information Center or BOCES to print the reports, please contact them for information about the printing and distribution schedule. Information about interpreting student scores, particularly the standard performance indices, is available at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/nystart/2006/InterpretingStudentScores_files/frame.htm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Accountability Verification: On November 14, school districts and charter schools will have access to two sets of reports allowing them to verify student data that will be used to determine each district’s and school’s accountability status at the elementary and middle levels for the 2006-07 school year. Each school superintendent, school principal, and staff member with account administrator privileges can access these reports through nySTART, using their personal UserIDs and passwords. The deadline for submitting data changes to your district’s Regional Information Center or Level 1 Repository operator is November 20. More information about the verification process is available at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/nystart/. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Essential Elements Schools to Watch: New York State is one of 14 states that has joined Schools to Watch, a national recognition program developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform. In New York, seven schools were selected for the 2006 group of Schools to Watch by distinguishing themselves in academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity and organization and structure. A list of the schools is available at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/mle/news/schools2watch.htm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reminder of Annual AHERA Notifications to Employees and Parents: The federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) requires all schools to provide public notification regarding inspections and other activities related to asbestos. Schools must also make its asbestos management plan available for public inspection. For more information, go to http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/facplan/AHERA/aheranotifyreminder.htm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VESID Update: National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) and National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC): Guidance regarding NIMAS and NIMAC, as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, is now available at http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/persprep/nimas.htm. NIMAC is designed to streamline access to instructional materials that meet the NIMAS standard for students who are blind or have other print disabilities. Please review and share as appropriate; a response is needed no later than November 30, 2006. Provision of Special Education Services to Parentally Placed Nonpublic Elementary and Secondary School Students with Disabilities: This memorandum, available at http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/policy/ nonpublic.htm, informs school districts of their responsibilities to provide special education services to parentally placed nonpublic school students with disabilities for the 2006-07 school year. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Previous News and Notes: 10/27/06 10/20/06 10/6/06 11/09/2006
'No Secret Deal' in New York City Teacher Pact
Date CapturedFriday November 10 2006, 4:54 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Asked if she would push state lawmakers to reauthorize mayoral control when the law expires in 2009, Weingarten [United Federation of Teachers President ]said it was 'premature to decide.'"
New York City teachers deal not so sweet
Date CapturedFriday November 10 2006, 4:38 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Klein [New York City schools chancellor] has been critical of provisions in the teachers contract that he says protect incompetent teachers. He has called for the ability to alter the length of the school day and for the ability to pay some teachers more than others. He even boasted at a recent event that he was creating a 'new labor-management paradigm' in the school system. But the 24-month contract that teachers seem likely to approve in a formal ratification vote next month - the last teachers contract over which Klein is likely to have any influence - contained virtually none of reforms he has advocated."
New York City schools shakeup fury
Date CapturedFriday November 10 2006, 4:35 AM
NY Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, ""Every single year that I've been involved in the school issue, it's been a fight from one borough to another and from one district to another over a totally insufficient pie,' said Leonie Haimson of the advocacy group Class Size Matters. Officials have proposed cutting seven schools from its five-year construction plan because of increased costs." Hearings on the construction plans will be held.
OSHA Investigating Dispute Over Asbestos Removal at New York City School
Date CapturedFriday November 10 2006, 3:16 AM
NY Times reports, "Last week, the New York State Labor Department, contacted by a lawyer for the custodian, cited the city Department of Education for violating laws on the safe removal of asbestos. It said the Education Department’s asbestos-handling license had expired before some of the tiles were replaced and that the supervisor was not certified to perform the work."
New Life gets new students from Trinity
Date CapturedThursday November 09 2006, 6:34 AM
Times Record reports, "Although New Life is located in Pennsylvania's fastest-growing county, students come from throughout the tri-state area, Whitley said. Many students live in the Port Jervis, Eldred and Minisink school districts in New York and the Montague, N.J., school district."
New York City Principal Pay Delay Union's Fault: Klein
Date CapturedThursday November 09 2006, 5:52 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Principals waiting more than three years for a new contract could enjoy "generous" raises if their union negotiated more like the United Federation of Teachers, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein said yesterday."
Academics unite to protect New York state
Date CapturedThursday November 09 2006, 5:28 AM
Times Union reports, "Protect New York will sponsor panel topics such as the ethics of surveillance and the psychiatric aspects of disaster and organize reviews of current research priorities and educational offerings related to homeland security and disaster planning. The group will host a conference on lessons learned and future directions in the fight against terrorism and natural disasters in New York City in 2007."
SCHENECTADY schools look for repairs
Date CapturedThursday November 09 2006, 5:27 AM
Times Union reports, "Funding for the project would come partially from the 'EXpanding our Children's Education and Learning,' or EXCEL, program, which addresses school facility needs in New York. School officials say they have been earmarked for $7.6 million in EXCEL money. Additionally, the district also enjoys a generous reimbursement rate from the state for facility upgrades, Janiszewski said."
New York City School-bus info hotline
Date CapturedThursday November 09 2006, 4:41 AM
NY Daily News reports, "A new hotline will help parents and teachers negotiate upcoming changes in city school bus service."
New York City student cell ban adds med waiver
Date CapturedThursday November 09 2006, 4:40 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Although a medical exemption to the controversial cell phone ban was already on the books, the Department of Education yesterday set up a formal process to apply for the waiver."
New York City school construction plan loses 7 buildings, 3,000 seats
Date CapturedThursday November 09 2006, 4:39 AM
NY Daily News reports, "'We looked at the demographics and don't need the extra 3,000 seats to alleviate overcrowding,' said Jeff Shear, Klein's chief of staff for finance and administration. Instead, Shear said, the Education Department will build permanent homes for some schools now located in rental buildings. With that construction, the total number of seats built will still be 66,000 - but only 63,000 will be new capacity."
It's cool to stay in school
Date CapturedThursday November 09 2006, 4:33 AM
NY Daily News reports, "The citywide program is funded largely by $14.5 million of state money. It is administered by the United Way of New York City, which in turn contracts with local community groups. The program focuses on students who have 'attendance challenges' and are in danger of dropping out, but who are not so truant that they have fallen drastically behind."
Ap-parent Snub
Date CapturedWednesday November 08 2006, 6:00 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Overall, just 1,189 schools [New York City], or 82 percent, have an operational association, despite rules set by the chancellor that require schools to hold elections for parent officers in June and for each school to have an association in place within a year of its existence."
New York City Mayor Bloomberg Could be Big Winner in UFT Deal
Date CapturedWednesday November 08 2006, 5:51 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Sensitive issues championed publicly by Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, like establishing pay differentials for teachers based on competence and more instructional time for students, were not part of the latest deal - although the city won significant concessions on those fronts in the last contract."
New York City teachers chalk up an early deal
Date CapturedTuesday November 07 2006, 4:41 AM
NY Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, "In a stunning move last night, the city's 120,000-member teachers union inked a tentative deal for a new contract nearly a full year before its current contract expires. The pact jacks the top range of teachers' pay over the $100,000 mark and includes a 7.1% raise over two years. The Bloomberg administration and the United Federation of Teachers reached the deal after just three weeks of closed-door negotiations, a sharp contrast to prior years when teachers angrily worked months without a raise."
Teachers aim for inclusion in school events
Date CapturedMonday November 06 2006, 5:25 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "Teachers shared their ideas about how to celebrate diversity during the Multicultural Education Conference on Friday at the State University of New York at New Paltz. The 12th annual conference was sponsored by the New Paltz college and a number of state and local educational organizations. A total of 275 teachers, administrators, students and community members from the mid-Hudson Valley attended the event, themed 'Opening Minds, Closing the Gap: Fostering Achievement and Equity for All.'"
School thinks global with new class
Date CapturedMonday November 06 2006, 5:17 AM
Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "Though 24 schools in New York state teach Mandarin Chinese, Albany High School is the only upstate school to offer the language, Binghamton officials said. Most of the schools that offer the language are clustered in New York City and its suburbs."
Poor scores test parents' patience
Date CapturedMonday November 06 2006, 4:15 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Angered by the dismal state test scores of the city's eighth-graders, a coalition of 100 parents of middle school kids took its demands for action to elite Stuyvesant High School. The New York City chapter of Coalition for Educational Justice asked the city Education Department to create a task force and take other measures to address poor performance in middle schools."
School Bus Drivers Angered by Corruption in Union
Date CapturedMonday November 06 2006, 3:18 AM
NY Times reports, "Many of New York City’s school bus drivers say their union local is so awash in corruption problems that they want the parent union to appoint a trustee to run it. And some drivers say they are angry and baffled that the parent union has done so little to address their concerns that their union, Local 1181 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, has been sullied by guilty pleas and indictments among its leaders."
New York City kids deserve more same-sex schools
Date CapturedSunday November 05 2006, 7:05 AM
NY Daily News contributors Joel Klein (NYC schools chancellor) and Dennis Walcott (deputy mayor for Education and Community Development) write, "Creating good educational choices is another powerful reason for supporting single-sex schools. We believe New Yorkers should be able to select from a wide array of high-quality public schools: large high schools and small high schools, schools focused on the performing arts and schools focused on business, charter schools and traditional public schools. Single-sex schools ought to be part of that mix."
Feds say New York misdirected $118 million in reading grants
Date CapturedSaturday November 04 2006, 8:05 AM
AP Michael Gormley reports, "The state Education Department was wrong to direct $118 million in federal grants to New York's neediest schools because the money for reading programs was supposed to be broadly applied, according a federal audit issued Friday. The state Education Department 'inappropriately awarded approximately $118 million in Reading First subgrants, of which the nine (school districts) had drawn down approximately $70 million,' according to the audit by the federal Inspector General's Office. Those nine school districts received money intended for other school districts, according to the audit."
Chancellor Cites Favoritism at a New York School
Date CapturedSaturday November 04 2006, 7:31 AM
NY Times ELISSA GOOTMAN reports, "Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein said the school’s practices were a 'stark and different' example of the kind of favoritism that he has been trying to eliminate from the city’s array of coveted schools and gifted programs. Officials say an examination of the school’s most recent kindergarten admissions documents shows that school officials were looking not only at students’ performance, but also at how involved their parents were likely to be."
Test scores under investigation at New York City high school
Date CapturedFriday November 03 2006, 3:45 AM
AP reports, "City and state education officials are investigating claims that a high school tampered with students' scores on key state tests. Teachers at Susan E. Wagner High School in Staten Island say administrators pushed to raise some students' scores on Regents science, English and history exams last June, teachers' union spokesman Stuart Marques said Thursday."
Ithaca City Schools enlists NYU in quest for equity
Date CapturedThursday November 02 2006, 7:51 AM
Ithaca Journal reports, "The Ithaca City School District is receiving help from a New York University program to help the district better serve all of its students. The Equity Assistance Center at New York University's Metro Center is a program aimed at reducing disparities in education."
New York State Education Department PARENT and FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS
Date CapturedTuesday October 31 2006, 5:12 PM
NYSED: Please share your perspective on these Key Questions. Thank you for your thoughtful contribution to informing the Board of Regents and the State Education Department and to improving family partnerships throughout the state of New York.
New York City Education Bigs Eye 'Rebel' Parents
Date CapturedTuesday October 31 2006, 5:42 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "A department spokeswoman said auditors had been trying to review the group's books for weeks, since the principal complained the organization had not filed paperwork with her detailing its fund-raising."
NCAA calls on schools to control sports spending
Date CapturedMonday October 30 2006, 5:50 PM
Indystar.com reports, " More than 50 school presidents worked 18 months on the report. The report reiterates a concern NCAA president Myles Brand has sounded since last year -- that a financial crisis looms because the rate of growth in spending on sports has been higher than that of the university as a whole." (READ FULL REPORT ON EDUCATION NEW YORK ONLINE)
Make youth sports community-based
Date CapturedMonday October 30 2006, 8:44 AM
Times Union contributor JOHN H. MUNSON, New York Home Educators' Network, in a letter to the editor writes "The real solution isn't to allow home-schoolers on public school teams; it's to replace interscholastic sports with community-based sports."
Funding Arts In Education Workshop: November 15th, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Date CapturedSunday October 29 2006, 6:06 AM
Westchester.com reports, "On November 15th, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., classroom teachers, school representatives and administrators will have the opportunity to come together to brainstorm creative ways to keep the funds flowing for enhanced arts education in their schools. The Funding Initiative will feature pointers on how to secure funding for arts in education programs, and offer participants a chance to meet representatives from key funding sources such as the New York State Council on the Arts and the Empire State Partnership. This funding info-fest, hosted by the Westchester Arts Council, takes place at the Arts Exchange, 31 Mamaroneck Avenue in downtown White Plains. For more information, please contact Katie Guilbeau at (914) 428-4220 x333."
Regents Propose State Aid Hike
Date CapturedSunday October 29 2006, 5:55 AM
Post-Journal reports, "Historically, four aids in particular have experienced significant increases as schools report their expenditures: building, transportation, public excess cost for special education and BOCES aids. As a result, the Regents eventual recommendation may vary by as much as $200 million. An update will be available in December. 'Student achievement has been improving, but we have far to go,’' said Robert M. Bennett, regents chancellor. 'To accelerate this progress, we must invest the funds our neediest children deserve so they can all get a good education. The Regents are urging full access to pre-kindergarten for all 4-year-olds. Our total state aid proposal offers a fair and sustainable solution to one of New York’s most critical issues.'’’
FURY OF BOOTED NEW YORK CITY SCHOOL PARENTS
Date CapturedSaturday October 28 2006, 8:16 AM
NY Post David Andreatta writes, "Parents claimed the principal, Olga Livanis, has cut student counseling sessions, single-sex math and science classes and sports programs; failed to supply students with a crossing guard and a nurse; and ignored their complaints. Some suggested Livanis, whose predecessor stood with parents in their loud public fight against the charter school, had a mandate to quash parent involvement."
NYSUT calls for federal relief for new English learners
Date CapturedSaturday October 28 2006, 8:07 AM
New York Teacher reports, "The union [NYSUT] believes the new testing would be a violation of the 1974 landmark civil rights Supreme Court decision Lau v. Nichols. 'It is our opinion that using the same ELA tests designed for, validated and normed on English-proficient students to measure the ELA performance of their ELL peers is to blatantly deny them the civil rights protected under this decision,' Neira [NYSUT Vice President and UFT representative] said. 'It is our opinion that in the United States using the same test is not equal treatment for our ELL students.'"
Columbia Teachers College Alumnus is Project Director For New Columbia High School
Date CapturedSaturday October 28 2006, 8:02 AM
Columbia Teachers College writes, "Maldonado-Rivera's appointment was jointly announced today by Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger and New York City Department of Education Chancellor Joel Klein The new school, which will be operated by the New York City Department of Education in close collaboration with Columbia University, will be initially located in a transitional space and will accept students in the sixth grade, eventually serving approximately 650 students from grades six through 12 in a new building in Manhattanville."
Districts mustn't scrimp on efforts to keep schools safe
Date CapturedFriday October 27 2006, 8:40 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle guest essayist Richard C. Iannuzzi, president, New York State United Teachers writes, "What does it take to build that trust in a school environment? School health professionals — such as nurses, guidance counselors, social workers and psychologists — must be recognized as integral parts of the school team. Along with teachers, they are trained to build relationships; listen; identify warning signs and overcome adolescents' natural reluctance to confide. They must work tirelessly and in unison to create a culture of trust."
SUNY chancellor promotes alcohol awareness
Date CapturedThursday October 26 2006, 12:30 PM
John R. Ryan, Chancellor, State University of New York writes about alcohol awareness programs at SUNY, "In each program, students answer questions about their individual drinking habits and general background, allowing the courses to be developed around each student’s personal risk profile. This interactive approach engages student interest more than other prevention strategies that are designed to treat larger, more generic groups."
All-year school an intriguing idea for East Ramapo
Date CapturedThursday October 26 2006, 6:15 AM
Journal News opined, "The practical gains offered by an all-year academic calendar are particularly enticing for a district like East Ramapo. Students who are just mastering English are not left for two months without speaking their new language. Certainly, this means they lose less ground and test better in their new language. In New York state, those new English speakers must take standardized tests after just a year of instruction."
New York agencies approve Valhalla athletic fields for use
Date CapturedThursday October 26 2006, 6:12 AM
Journal News reports, "State environmental and health officials have given a clean bill of health to a three-acre athletic field at Valhalla High built on loads of dirt and rock."
New York education group merges with Annenberg Institute
Date CapturedWednesday October 25 2006, 9:30 AM
The Brown Daily Herald reports, "The Community Involvement Program, an education policy program previously housed under the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University, merged with Brown's Annenberg Institute for School Reform this September. According to Michael Grady, the deputy director of the Annenberg Institute, the CIP split from NYU because of 'serious policy disagreements,' and officials decided that Brown was the right home for the organization."
Nothing elementary about running school buses
Date CapturedWednesday October 25 2006, 7:38 AM
Daily Freeman reports, "New York state law dictates that districts can allow students in grades K-6 to walk up to 1{ miles to school, and secondary school students up to 3 miles. The Kingston district, however, limits walking to a half-mile for younger students and 1{ miles for older students. At present, the district provides transportation for 8,090 students who travel to 48 schools, including 34 private and parochial schools that state law mandates the district must provide for."
College Cheer for N.Y.: LOWER TUITION HIKES THAN U.S. AVERAGE
Date CapturedWednesday October 25 2006, 4:59 AM
NY Post David Andreatta writes, "College students and their parents can take one consolation in rising tuition costs - they're going up at a slower pace at New York public colleges than they are nationally."
BOARD OF REGENTS PROPOSES MAJOR REFORM IN STATE AID TO NEW YORK STATE SCHOOLS
Date CapturedTuesday October 24 2006, 5:47 PM
The Board of Regents today recommended a $1.48 billion increase in State Aid to schools for 2007-2008. Most of this funding would go to school districts educating the State’s neediest children. The Regents propose an increase in State Aid to schools that is designed to link funding to the cost of a successful education. Like last year’s proposal, the proposal this year features a simple Foundation Formula that would replace 31 separate aid categories: District's State Aid = [Foundation Cost X Pupil Need X Regional Cost Index] – Expected Local Share
2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04): Undergraduate Financial Aid Estimates for 12 States: 2003–04
Date CapturedTuesday October 24 2006, 2:28 PM
In addition to providing national estimates, the NPSAS:04 survey was designed to provide representative samples of undergraduates in public 2-year, public 4-year, and private not-for-profit 4-year institutions in 12 states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Tennessee. Prior NPSAS studies have not been representative at the state level. For the in-state undergraduates in each of these 12 selected states, the tables in this E.D. TAB show the average tuition and fees and total price of attendance, the percentages of undergraduates receiving various types of financial aid and the average amounts received, the average net price of attendance after financial aid, average financial need and remaining need after financial aid, cumulative student loan amounts, earnings from work while enrolled, and other aspects of financing an undergraduate education. Berkner, L., and Wei, C.C. (2006). 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04): Undergraduate Financial Aid Estimates for 12 States: 2003–04 (NCES 2006-158). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved October 24, 2006 from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.
Tips for dealing with No Child Left Behind
Date CapturedTuesday October 24 2006, 10:52 AM
Macon Telegraph prints Washington Post story, "A recent study by the public interest law network Appleseed, based in Washington, found many flaws in how schools deal with parents under the No Child Left Behind law. The report, 'It Takes a Parent,' reached five conclusions." Most of the conclusions were related to communication with parents. READ REPORT ON EDUCATION NEW YORK ONLINE, EDUCATION POLICY PAGE, NCLB FOLDER.
The Fordham Report 2006: NEW YORK STATE
Date CapturedTuesday October 24 2006, 8:05 AM
Thoman B. Fordham Institute report writes, "New York's current state academic standards are solid, and nearly one-quarter of high school students passed at least one Advanced Placement exam, leaving the Empire State second to none in this category. The state is also working diligently to grow the number of minorities taking Advanced Placement exams. Between 1992 and 2003, for example, the number of African-Americans and Hispanics taking the test doubled. Charter school policy is not doing as well. Charter schools have proven wildly popular in New York since 1998, when Governor George Pataki's charter school proposal became law-when it turned out that legislators wanted a pay raise for themselves more than they wanted to follow the teachers union's bidding."
The Fordham Report 2006: How Well Are States Educating Our Neediest Children?
Date CapturedTuesday October 24 2006, 7:51 AM
The Thomas B. Fordham writes, "The Fordham Report 2006: How Well Are States Educating Our Neediest Children? appraises each state according to thirty indicators across three major categories: student achievement for low-income, African-American, and Hispanic students; achievement trends for these same groups over the last 10-15 years; and the state's track record in implementing bold education reforms. In this, the inaugural edition, just six states can claim even moderate success over the past 15 years at boosting the percentage of their poor or minority students who are proficient in reading, math or science. The study also finds that California, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, New York, and Texas are national leaders in education reform--leading the nation with a dedication to solid standards, tough accountability, and greater school choice can yield better classroom results." READ THE REPORT BY CLICKING ON THIS LINK.
Public vs. Private: What's Better?
Date CapturedTuesday October 24 2006, 7:39 AM
Post-Standard reports, "'Education is the only realm where choices are pretty much tied to where one lives, but schools both public and private are very individual and there are wide variations,' said Margarita Mayo, an education policy specialist for the Business Council of New York State. 'The reasons for their choices are numerous and complicated.'"
Museum of Natural History Soon to Grant Degrees, Too
Date CapturedTuesday October 24 2006, 3:13 AM
NY Times reports, "The American Museum of Natural History, which plays host to about 400,000 schoolchildren each year, is about to become a graduate school. The New York State Board of Regents yesterday authorized the museum, on the West Side of Manhattan, to grant master’s degrees and Ph.D.’s in comparative biology, making it the first American museum with its own doctoral degree."
Sign-up for multicultural education conference ends Tuesday
Date CapturedMonday October 23 2006, 7:25 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "The 12th annual Multicultural Education Conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 3 in the Student Union Building Multi-Purpose Room at the State University of New York at New Paltz, 75 S. Manheim Blvd."
Madison district promotes service
Date CapturedMonday October 23 2006, 5:09 AM
Post-Standard reports, "High school Principal Charles Chafee said administrators and teachers are still discussing the high school graduation requirement. He said they have not yet determined the required hours, how the program will be phased in or what the formal policy will look like. He hopes to implement the policy next fall. If the plan is approved, Madison Central will join at least 20 other Central New York school districts that require service hours for a diploma, including Chittenango, Cazenovia, DeRuyter and Otselic Valley."
Children with, without special needs grow at the Stepping Stones Learning Center
Date CapturedSaturday October 21 2006, 8:05 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle guess essayist Mariellen Cupini, CEO, Stepping Stones Learning Center writes, "Each class is staffed by a core team of three: state-certified special education and regular education teachers and a classroom assistant. In addition, during the class, other teachers/therapists assist. These include speech, occupational, physical and music therapists, as well as social workers. While these professionals target the children who receive these services, the entire class benefits.."
New York City Office Will Focus On Continuing Education
Date CapturedFriday October 20 2006, 9:37 PM
NY1 reports, "Losing a career in mid-life can be devastating and this program acts as a bridge back to decent wage jobs for experienced workers with families."
Students need support if expected to succeed
Date CapturedFriday October 20 2006, 7:51 AM
Ithaca Journal contributors Steve Cariddi (Family Advocacy Project) & Kandea Mosley (Village at Ithaca's Youth Services Committee) write, "Ensuring that public education is an engine of social mobility for all Americans — regardless of race or class — requires a concerted effort from every person who has direct or indirect contact with a struggling student, including parents, teachers, administrators, and community members. The obstacles facing children today — poverty, discrimination, racism, inappropriate role models, hopelessness — are not of their doing, and it is unreasonable to expect a 7-year-old child (or even a 17-year-old student) to overcome them without additional support."
New York City principals union chief to retire, go national in '07
Date CapturedFriday October 20 2006, 4:44 AM
NY Daily News reports, "After six years at the helm of the city principals union, Jill Levy announced plans this week to step down when her term ends Jan. 31. She will devote her time to the national union, the American Federation of School Administrators, which elected her president last summer."
NFL Joins Fight Against Child Obesity
Date CapturedThursday October 19 2006, 3:35 PM
AP KAREN MATTHEWS reports, "Some 25,000 middle schools that are participating in the nationwide effort will get lesson plans intended to broaden physical activity in schools. A language arts lesson has students create and perform a rap that demonstrates action verbs. A science lesson has kids play scooter tag, with one group of students representing cholesterol and another representing healthy hearts."
Suspension program aims to keep Ithaca students in school
Date CapturedThursday October 19 2006, 9:42 AM
Ithaca Journal reports, "The first half of a student's day is instructional. The last half is spent discussing what got them suspended."
School Lunch Crunch
Date CapturedThursday October 19 2006, 9:14 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Claiming that students who con their way to a free lunch cost the DOE as much as $5 million annually in federal reimbursements, the agency on Monday will begin requiring more students to pay cash before getting served. The policy is aimed at students whose household income disqualifies them from receiving a free lunch, but who finagle one by preying on compassionate cafeteria cashiers and lax enforcement of eligibility rules."
Upgrade could save Rochester district $1 million annually in costs
Date CapturedThursday October 19 2006, 6:13 AM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Each school will be equipped with a communications platform with embedded voice mail capabilities, making it adjustable to increased user demand, and increasing the chance that district computer needs won't outgrow the computer system's capabilities." The phones have can send text messages in case of emergencies.
Taxpayers, teachers call for school funding reform
Date CapturedThursday October 19 2006, 6:04 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "Trudi Renwick, senior economist from the nonpartisan Fiscal Policy Institute, a research and education organization, said a proper balance needs to be found in funding schools with both state and local money. Rising taxes are not due to district overspending or increasing teacher salaries, but insufficient state aid and the increasing costs of maintaining services, she said."
Goal Set for School Athletes
Date CapturedThursday October 19 2006, 5:22 AM
Post-Standard reports, "Scores of Syracuse high school athletes, males and females, will be trained to recognize and defuse violence against women through a program called Mentors in Violence Prevention. The eventual plan is for those high school students to train middle schoolers and create a school culture in which violence against females is unacceptable."
New York City Mayor Bloomberg Says City Won’t Pay in School Financing Case
Date CapturedThursday October 19 2006, 3:20 AM
NY Times reports, "According to The News, Mr. Spitzer also suggested that the linchpin of the mayor’s education agenda — the Legislature’s decision in 2002 to give the mayor control over the school system — could be a tool used to pressure the city. 'In the background, you have the issue of mayoral control and other factors that will weigh in the balance in terms of how the negotiation plays out,' he said."
Bloomberg and Klein Keep Pushing Ahead
Date CapturedWednesday October 18 2006, 7:31 AM
New York Observer writes, "At the moment, private groups are managing nearly 200 small public schools through a program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. That private funding, however, will expire in June in about 50 schools. The city is considering an idea to continue the private management by using public money as the Gates grants—which were never intended as a permanent funding source—expire."
Binghamton schools get $4.85 million windfall
Date CapturedWednesday October 18 2006, 6:03 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "The state money is coming from EXCEL -- Expanding our Children's Education and Learning -- an allocation that the state Legislature approved in April to help school districts with building projects. The amount is substantial -- $2.6 billion statewide, with $400 million going to high-need districts outside New York City, including Binghamton."
Put N.Y.C.'s lice policies on ice
Date CapturedWednesday October 18 2006, 4:32 AM
NY Daily News contributor Amy Ellen Schwartz:, Professor of Public Policy, New York University writes on NYC schools head lice policy, "Second, schools are now paying for lice removal companies to screen kids for lice and sell the services they offer. It's wrong to open school doors to people hawking remedies for profit. What's next, cold medicine for sale when kids come to class with runny noses?"
Buffalo schools running short of snow days
Date CapturedTuesday October 17 2006, 8:27 PM
Buffalo News reports, "Under state law, districts must have at least 180 days of instruction in order to receive their full share of state aid. Four of those days can be superintendent conference days. Sources said local districts probably will ask State Education Commissioner Richard P. Mills to lower that requirement to 175 days due to last week's crippling storm."
New York State comptroller’s audit alleges school district wasted $12 million in taxpayer money
Date CapturedTuesday October 17 2006, 8:19 PM
Mid-Hudson News reports, "The audit charged the district wasted $12.5 million in taxpayer money because the district did not property address building occupancy levels and declining enrollment, which led to the closure of the Delaware Valley and Narrowsburg school buildings. The audit also said the district did not realize $2.1 million in savings due to economies of scale in staffing levels because it did not have a comprehensive strategic plan in place."
School-funding reform is focus of meeting
Date CapturedTuesday October 17 2006, 6:20 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "Eleven Dutchess County school districts are sponsoring an informational meeting, 'Fixing School Taxes,' on Wednesday at Arlington High School. It's an effort to answer taxpayers' questions and encourage grassroots involvement in school-tax reform. The event has been organized by Help Arlington Lower Taxes, a committee of Arlington board members, employees and local residents."
New York City on hook for $1B in school aid
Date CapturedTuesday October 17 2006, 4:46 AM
NY Daily News reports, "The city [New York City] has long argued that it should not have to pay one penny to make up for the state's historic shortchanging of city schools, and so far the courts have not ordered the city to shell out any of the $5.6 billion they have set as the tab."
Kids' skills aren't adding up
Date CapturedTuesday October 17 2006, 4:41 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Only 25% of the borough [Bronx] schools' eighth-graders performed at grade level on the math exam, the lowest score of all five boroughs. In Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island, nearly 40% or more of eighth-graders hit the mark, with Brooklyn, for example, coming in with a score of 39% at grade level."
New York school aid fix beyond courts
Date CapturedMonday October 16 2006, 9:26 PM
Poughkeepsie Journal opined, "Any realistic, statewide and permanent solution to how schools are funded will have to come from state lawmakers — and, indirectly at least, from the taxpayers who elect them. The courts have a role, but it will be impossible, and wrong, for them to try to micromanage from the bench."
College Volunteering Rises Sharply
Date CapturedMonday October 16 2006, 5:09 PM
AP reporter JUSTIN POPE writes, "Utah, Idaho and Oklahoma had the highest percentage of college students volunteering, while Georgia, New York and Nevada had the lowest."
Ithaca Central School District equity: Identify strengths, weaknesses
Date CapturedMonday October 16 2006, 7:41 AM
Ithaca Journal contributor Melina Carnicelli, assistant superintendent for human resources, Ithaca City School District writes, "I envision ICSD's human resources department as the organizational hub that continuously emphasizes equity through effective workplace policies/practices and professional development at all levels. The HR department sets the tone for the organization and is the point of contact and partnership with community organizations and individuals committed to recruiting, hiring and sustaining a highly qualified and diverse workforce. This vision is not an initiative, program or special project; it is not in addition to the work we do ... it IS the work!"
$5B Headache
Date CapturedMonday October 16 2006, 7:14 AM
NY Post contributor Sol Stern writes on the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) lawsuit, "The high court heard arguments on the case Tuesday; its past rulings suggest it will hold that New York City is entitled to almost $5 billion a year in extra state funding for its schools - close to the amount that the trial court ordered last year. That means a huge political migraine for Spitzer. On the one hand, the forces that backed the lawsuit - the teachers' union, the education-industry interests, New York City Democrats - represent the heart of Spitzer's liberal political base, and eagerly anticipate a big payoff. On the other hand, the billions in higher taxes needed to pay for the increased funding for the city's schools will make it impossible for Spitzer to fulfill his campaign promise to rescue the state from its looming fiscal crisis."
Columbia Students Tutor City Principals
Date CapturedMonday October 16 2006, 7:09 AM
NY Post David Andreatta writes, "As the city has granted principals more authority over budgets and curriculum, principals from 30 schools have turned to Columbia's Education Leadership Consulting Lab for help tackling issues like pooling resources with other schools in shared buildings to measuring students' progress."
School Gruel in Gross Cafeterias
Date CapturedMonday October 16 2006, 7:01 AM
NY Post reports, "A staggering 360 school cafeterias - nearly one out of every three - is infested with mice, according to shocking new health-inspection reports obtained by The Post. In all, 111 schools - nearly one in 10 - were slapped with so many flagrant food violations that they flunked their inspections. That's more than triple the prior year's 3 percent failure rate. And the total number of rodent violations in school food areas jumped 10 percent during the 2005-2006 academic year - to 413 from 370 the prior year."
Cornered on bus stops
Date CapturedMonday October 16 2006, 4:47 AM
Newsday reports, "More than half of the 5,921 [Lawrence] students who ride the buses attend private schools, said district Superintendent John T. Fitzsimons. State law mandates that districts provide transportation to all students, as long as their schools are within 15 miles from the student's home. But in a revelation that has roiled the already divided district, it turns out that for years, in violation of district policy, some 300 stops were in front of homes of private school students and that some parents were bribing drivers with gifts and cash. All the while, most public school kids have had to walk to corner stops."
Why the left fears free speech on campus
Date CapturedMonday October 16 2006, 4:44 AM
NY Daily News guest essayist David French, director of the Alliance Defense Fund's Center for Academic Freedom opined, "In the '60s, the excesses of campus radicals eventually led to a cultural backlash that ushered in the Reagan era. These same excesses committed in an era of blogs, YouTube downloads and talk radio lead to a much more immediate response. So, rather than reveling in last week's momentary triumph, Columbia's leftist radicals find themselves on the defensive, blaming others for the violence and begging the administration not to search the Internet for clues about the protesters' identities."
Waning voter confidence in Buffalo city's schools
Date CapturedSunday October 15 2006, 9:07 AM
Buffalo News reports, "Buffalo voters have been losing confidence in the city's once highly acclaimed public schools, according to a Buffalo News poll conducted earlier this month. More than half of respondents - 54 percent - have an unfavorable opinion of the school district, and only 32 percent have a favorable opinion."
SCHOOLS 'DEVELOP' $TRATEGY
Date CapturedSunday October 15 2006, 7:56 AM
NY Post reports, "Under the program, the city issues bonds to developers to rebuild and expand existing school sites alongside residential, commercial or office space."
It's hard to ax the boss
Date CapturedSunday October 15 2006, 7:47 AM
NY Daily News reports, "But despite the tough talk, Klein's [New York City Schools chancellor] ability to fire a principal - even one who has signed a 'performance agreement' to become an empowerment principal - is severely limited by labor law, civil service rules and contractual agreements."
Teacher, management collaboration a key lesson
Date CapturedSaturday October 14 2006, 9:57 AM
The Providence Journal reports, "Urbanski [director of the Teacher Union Reform Network] argued that you can't accomplish true reform unless you change what happens to children's lives before and after school. That means doing more in the areas of early childhhod education, after-school programs, health care and housing."
Plattsburgh State is considering an ROTC program on campus
Date CapturedSaturday October 14 2006, 8:36 AM
Press Republican reports, "The Student Association has already weighed in on the matter, passing a resolution that states it understands the ROTC program comes with its share of controversy, namely for not allowing homosexuals to openly serve in the military. But the resolution ultimately supported the partnership as an 'opportunity to infuse social change by requiring enlisted students to participate in campus diversity programs.'"
Inside Albany
Date CapturedFriday October 13 2006, 3:33 PM
This week on IA: Billions at stake-Top court hears New York City school funding case that has sweeping implications statewide. Check schedule.
Attendance to make up 10 percent of Buffalo students' grades
Date CapturedFriday October 13 2006, 9:40 AM
Buffalo News reports, "Supporters of the measure described it as an appropriate way to improve poor attendance rates and emphasize the importance of being in school. Opponents said it offers rewards to students for doing what they should be doing anyway."
Integrate University at Buffalo, downtown
Date CapturedFriday October 13 2006, 9:34 AM
Buffalo News opined, "UB students of architecture and urban planning could benefit from a downtown school that would put them near the terra cotta-clad Guaranty Building, art deco City Hall, glimmering Hauptman-Woodward Research Institute and other structural gems. Law students at a downtown school would have easy access to the courts and the area's major law firms. The university could perform a role in helping boost the city's economic development, urban education and neighborhood stabilization. And downtown would benefit from the students' vitality and the attendant economic benefits, from housing to restaurants, that their presence inevitably would bring."
A step backward
Date CapturedFriday October 13 2006, 6:37 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opined, "There's no acceptable way to sugarcoat the latest math test scores coming out of the City [Rochester] School District. Overall, the performance was troubling. This was a step backward in the city's effort to raise standards and to prepare kids in basic academic skills."
Wappingers bus drivers picket school district over contract
Date CapturedFriday October 13 2006, 6:12 AM
The Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "The 131 members of the Wappingers Federation of Workers who participated were a mix of part-time bus drivers and night custodians and mechanics. They said they wanted to express their support for bus safety and protest their expired contract."
Court should not determine school funding
Date CapturedFriday October 13 2006, 5:04 AM
UticaOD.com writes, "Whatever the court decides in this case [Campaign for Fiscal Equity], our children's education is really in our hands. It's up to us to pressure the legislature to take the appropriate steps to reform the school aid formula."
New York City Middle School Admission Studied
Date CapturedFriday October 13 2006, 3:33 AM
NY Times reports, "Speaking to members of the Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Council, Mr. Klein [New York City Schools Chancellor] said he was concerned that the process often unfairly favors savvy and well-connected parents."
Classroom Controversy: Is the First Amendment Relevant in Today's Classroom?
Date CapturedThursday October 12 2006, 7:13 PM
30th Annual LYC Statewide Conference: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 through Friday, October 27, 2006. The Desmond Hotel, Albany, NY. 800.448.3500
Rome: Curriculum changes will help
Date CapturedThursday October 12 2006, 8:06 AM
UticaOD.com reports, "The changes this year included an increased focus on basic concepts of pre-algebra and understanding place value in the fifth- and sixth-grade curriculums. Instead of reviewing and re-learning the concepts in seventh and eighth grades, most students will have mastered these concepts earlier, Simons said. All teachers now will use the same curriculum to ensure students are prepared for what the state tests focus on."
Police to step up enforcement of school-bus laws
Date CapturedThursday October 12 2006, 6:49 AM
The Journal News reports, "The one-day crackdown is part of the statewide 'Operation Safe Stop' - a precursor to 'National School Bus Safety Week,' which is Oct. 15 to 21. Operation Safe Stop is geared toward promoting school bus safety through education and enforcement."
Engaging minds
Date CapturedThursday October 12 2006, 5:30 AM
Times Union writes, "Mr. Hull has launched the Help Yourself Foundation, which is dedicated to helping promising third-graders get a jump start on college. He has a resume to back up his ambitions. While president of Beloit College in Wisconsin, he oversaw an innovative after-school program, beginning with fourth-graders and continuing through high school. The results were impressive: 41 percent of the students stayed with the program, and 95 percent of those who stayed went on to college, compared with 36 percent who did not participate."
New York City Puts Brakes on Planned School Bus Cuts
Date CapturedThursday October 12 2006, 5:19 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Education officials said that just 63 percent of the 110,000 students eligible to take yellow school buses responded to a request to register for the service, indicating that thousands of those unregistered could still need service."
Scores on State Math Tests Dip With Districts’ Income
Date CapturedThursday October 12 2006, 3:40 AM
NY Times reports, "It was the wide gap between poor cities and wealthy districts that Mr. Mills identified as a cause for alarm when he announced the scores in Albany yesterday. While 86.3 percent of students in rich, or so-called low-need districts scored proficiently, only 28.6 percent did so in Buffalo, 30.1 percent in Syracuse, and 33.1 percent in Rochester. 'I am talking about state aid, and it’s a reminder that resources have something to do with this as well,” Mr. Mills said. He added: 'The low-needs school districts, that is, the ones that have the resources, are higher performing — much higher performing.'”
Grade 3-8 Math Tests For First Time Show Year-by-Year Trends in New York Schools Performance
Date CapturedThursday October 12 2006, 12:18 AM
New York State Education Department Press Release: For the first time, students this year took State tests in Grade 3-8 math. Those results, released today, showed a steady and relatively higher level of achievement in the elementary grades and lower achievement starting in Grade 5 and continuing through Grade 8. They also showed that student achievement overall in Grade 3-8 ranged from about 35 percent meeting all the standards in the Big 4 Cities to about 74 percent in Average Need Districts to 86 percent in Low Need Districts.
MIXED REVIEWS FOR BLENDING GENERAL AND SPECIAL-ED STUDENTS
Date CapturedThursday October 12 2006, 12:11 AM
Staten Island Advance reports, "While 75 school districts in New York were warned by the state last week that their work with special education students was deficient, the city Department of Education was singled out for having taken some positive steps. One of the most significant of those has been its determination in recent years to increase the number of classes that mix general and special education students -- known as Collaborative Team Teaching (CTT)."
Lawmakers seek less education spending:State looks to lower education spending
Date CapturedWednesday October 11 2006, 8:16 AM
The Journal News Yancey Roy reports, "Instead of a range of $4.7 billion to $5.6 billion in additional aid, as ordered by a mid-level court, state lawyers want the minimum set at $1.93 billion. State lawyers also want the court to issue its decision in a legally softer way - a "declaratory judgment," rather than a "directive." A directive would provide less wiggle room. But that was met with skepticism by a judge who has seen the case bounce around the legal system for 13 years."
Too Controversial for Columbia
Date CapturedWednesday October 11 2006, 7:30 AM
Wall Street Journal op-ed contributor Ross Kaminsky opined, "It is a remarkable thing about liberals (or, at Columbia, outright leftists) in free societies: They are far more intolerant than conservatives. The protesters hate people who oppose illegal immigration. They accept the use of intimidation and violence to keep such people from speaking, then blame the victim for having been controversial."
Education must evolve to keep America competitive
Date CapturedWednesday October 11 2006, 7:00 AM
The Press Republican reports, "Curriculums must emphasize innovation, problem solving and critical analysis, Rogers [executive director of the New York State Council of School Superintendents] said. Changing the structure entails increasing the school system's efficiency and productivity, developing new curriculums, having more centralized control in education and creating a social agenda to combat poverty."
Businesses join to provide scholarships for Dutchess Community College (DCC) students
Date CapturedWednesday October 11 2006, 6:48 AM
The Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "He [King, executive vice president of the Council of Industry of Southeastern New York], spoke about the Hudson Valley Community College Consortium, founded in 2003, which links Dutchess, Ulster, Orange and Sullivan community colleges. The program brings workers from existing companies into college classes to help further their careers. Courses include leadership, problem-solving and basics of financial management, King said."
Group pushes student exchanges
Date CapturedWednesday October 11 2006, 6:45 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "As long as the P.E.A.C.E. representatives stick to educational topics while at the schools, no problem exists with church and state issues, said Robert Boston, assistant to the director of communications for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. But officials should make it clear up front that the group cannot proselytize, Boston said. P.E.A.C.E. is a State Department-designated exchange program that Page and his wife started in 1988, Page said. The program is bringing some 85 students to the United States this year from Latin America."
Schools bridge culture gap
Date CapturedWednesday October 11 2006, 6:15 AM
The Journal News reports, "The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires school districts to work on parental involvement and to devote 1 percent of Title I funding toward such efforts. For immigrants and other parent groups, the efforts go beyond the traditional PTA structure into new kinds of organizations. All the efforts have grown out of research that ties parental involvement to academic performance."
School Grades May Get F: Gov. Jeb Bush
Date CapturedWednesday October 11 2006, 6:00 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Under the city's plan, each of the 1,450 schools would be graded on student progress, performance on standardized exams and school environment."
School dollars back on court docket
Date CapturedWednesday October 11 2006, 5:15 AM
Times Union reports, "The Court of Appeals in 2003 ruled on CFE's behalf, agreeing the approximately 1.1 million-student New York City system had been shortchanged over the years and should get more funding. Since then, however, Gov. George Pataki and the state Legislature missed a court-ordered deadline to solve the funding problem and litigants have been back to both local and state courts several times in what could best be described as a classic legal saga of briefs, arguments, court rulings and appeals."
New York City Mayor Bloomberg defends do-or-die tests
Date CapturedWednesday October 11 2006, 4:22 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Mayor Bloomberg lashed out yesterday at critics who object to his emphasis on using standardized exams to gauge students' performance in the city schools - saying 'high-stakes tests are a part of life.'"
School Financing Case Argued Before New York State’s Highest Court
Date CapturedTuesday October 10 2006, 11:29 PM
NY Times reports, "Lawyers on opposing sides of a lawsuit that challenges the fairness of the state’s education financing system argued before the Court of Appeals on Tuesday over how much more money it would cost to give New York City’s schoolchildren a decent education — at least $4.7 billion or only $1.93 billion."
Florida's Gov. Bush joins New York City mayor to push education changes
Date CapturedTuesday October 10 2006, 10:44 PM
AP reports, "Bush and Bloomberg are also campaigning for measures that connect teacher pay with performance, with rewards for progress. Bush noted that Florida will begin rewarding its teachers next year with merit bonuses, and Bloomberg said New York City is considering the idea."
Courting Failure: How School Finance Lawsuits Exploit Judges' Good Intentions and Harm our Children
Date CapturedTuesday October 10 2006, 9:20 AM
Read "Courting Failure: How School Finance Lawsuits Exploit Judges' Good Intentions and Harm our Children" by Eric Hanushek. This link allows the reader to read the book by chapters.
Courting Failure: How School Finance Lawsuits Exploit Judges' Good Intentions and Harm our Children (CHAPTER 1)
Date CapturedTuesday October 10 2006, 9:13 AM
By Eric Hanushek. Read chapter 1, by Sol Stern. Campaign for Fiscal Equity v. New York: The March of Folly.
Bus carries school spending drive
Date CapturedTuesday October 10 2006, 6:21 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "Some critics contend the existing court ruling would not help other low-income districts and would only apply to funding for the city. 'They couldn't be wronger,' Ulster County legislator Susan Zimit said. She cited several Mid-Hudson Valley schools that would receive increased funding if the court supports the AQE/CFE formula."
CFE Supporters Rally for Aid Formula
Date CapturedTuesday October 10 2006, 6:16 AM
WXXI reports, "People demanding a new state school aid formula cheered as members of two pro-education groups pulled into Rochester Monday on board a school bus. Members of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity and the Alliance for Quality Education are touring the state on their way to Albany."
$150,000 in state funding for Mahopac sports
Date CapturedTuesday October 10 2006, 6:12 AM
The Journal News reports, " High and middle school students are paying $408 for every sport while elementary school children are being charged an extra $100 to participate in the MSA's [Mahopac Sports Association] youth sports programs."
Teacher standards
Date CapturedTuesday October 10 2006, 5:44 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opined, "A new study of teacher readiness across America found startling weaknesses in getting the best and brightest into the profession, preparing them well and paying them accordingly. If New York bucks that trend, and lets it be known that it does, that could help bring families and businesses here. But the state has to do a better job laying out the facts."
School Financing Case Plays Out in Court, and in Classrooms
Date CapturedTuesday October 10 2006, 3:21 AM
NY Times reports, "Geri D. Palast, the director of the fiscal equity group, said it had asked the court to impose strict controls to make sure the money was spent wisely. 'Accountability is at the core of this,' she said."
October Proclaimed Cyber Security Awareness Month in New York State
Date CapturedMonday October 09 2006, 1:50 PM
Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure: "Whereas, each of us has a critical role in maintaining the security of cyberspace, and a greater awareness of computer-associated risks will improve the integrity of New York State’s information infrastructure and economy; the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, the US Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance have designated October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and New York State joins in the observance of this worthy cause and in support of its crucial goals;"
New York state and Guardian Angels partner in online safety prgram
Date CapturedMonday October 09 2006, 1:45 PM
AP reports, "Teachers will also be taught to make sure students' work has not been plagiarized and learn how to detect and stop cyber-bullying: attacks on children by other children through e-mail, instant messaging or rumors on Web sites."
Courting Failure: Education Experts Expose the Politics behind the Nation's School Finance Lawsuits
Date CapturedMonday October 09 2006, 10:08 AM
The Hoover Institute writes, "One of the most devastating elements in these [school funding equity] trials is the high-profile 'costing out' studies used to calculate the price tag of an adequate education. None of the studies effectively deals with any of the inefficiencies that currently exist in public schools, presuming that what is needed to get the desired student outcomes is simply more of the same -- and more money to support it. Indeed, some of the studies explicitly choose the most expensive way of running an educational program rather than the least expensive, inflating the costs and completely ignoring any possible change in the incentives or operations of public schools. Unfortunately, the courts have frequently sided with these recommendations."
Grants aid push for AP courses in Niagara Falls School District
Date CapturedMonday October 09 2006, 9:55 AM
Buffalo News reports, "The goal is to bring more students, including minority students, into AP courses, chief school administrator Mark Laurrie said last week."
SUNY at Buffalo (UB) plans major expansion project
Date CapturedMonday October 09 2006, 8:31 AM
The Legislative Gazette writes, "Page [spokesman for SUNY at Buffalo] said UB is ranked 11th out of 3,000 U.S. universities in the number of foreign students attending. Half of the foreign students at UB are from Asian countries; 500 of those are Chinese students. Page said Chinese students are important to UB because it was the first U.S. university to establish an exchange relationship with China after the normalization of relations between the two countries. They have had a strong working relationship for 25 years."
Advocates call for solution to fiscal equity lawsuit
Date CapturedMonday October 09 2006, 8:23 AM
AP reports, "Tomorrow, the latest appeal will be heard, but a negotiated solution may extend beyond the end of Pataki's third term."
Twin Tiers Outstanding Educator Award
Date CapturedMonday October 09 2006, 7:49 AM
The Star-Gazette reports on award recipient John Cain, "'He [social studies teacher John Cain] encourages debate and discussion so the students will be able to develop their own ideas and opinions,' she [Andrea Morrell] wrote in nominating him for the award. 'Research is an element in his classroom and his students always have to back up their positions with data.'"
Hudson Valley schools face crowding
Date CapturedMonday October 09 2006, 7:33 AM
The Times Herald-Record reports, "Of 136 school buildings, nine had their space adequacy rated as 'poor' — the lowest ranking — while 48 were rated 'fair' by professional engineers and architects who conducted the surveys last year. The rest earned the top ranking of 'good.' The classroom crunch might surprise taxpayers who, through borrowing, have funded a construction boom for nearly the past two decades. From 1987 to 2005, school districts in Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties have spent more than $1.2 billion for new buildings, renovations, alterations and additions. Those projects added about 14.5 million square feet of space, according to state Education Department figures. That's roughly the equivalent of 70 super Wal-Mart stores."
Recreate New York high schools
Date CapturedMonday October 09 2006, 7:31 AM
The Journal News writes, "Today's students can't wait decades for high school to become meaningful schooling — it has to be aggressively restructured now. With tougher standards, expanding curriculum and new technology demands in their faces, that means high-schoolers should be supported in taking five, even six years to earn high school diplomas — including those who aren't classified 'special-ed' or pegged as English-learners. And bright or otherwise gifted students should be allowed opportunities to graduate in less than four years."
Fighting for dollars and sense
Date CapturedMonday October 09 2006, 5:45 AM
Newsday JOHN HILDEBRAND reports, "Lower courts already have ruled that the city shortchanges its students in that amount - for example, by employing thousands of uncertified teachers. Supporters hope a ruling in favor of city schools would also reap more money for needy districts elsewhere in the state, including Long Island. They base their hope on a political calculation: They assume that if the court orders the governor and legislature to distribute the money, that individual lawmakers then would demand that other needy districts also benefit from the windfall."
Making the grades
Date CapturedMonday October 09 2006, 4:58 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Teachers and principals have publicly worried that the department [New York City Department of Education] will oversimplify their efforts, dismissing the many subtleties of creating a safe and successful school."
New York Home-schoolers want to play too
Date CapturedSunday October 08 2006, 7:21 PM
Times Union reports, "The New York State Public High School Athletic Association, which sets policy for high school sports -- and which, despite its name, is a private entity -- has a long-standing rule prohibiting home-schoolers from participating in interscholastic sports."
FOR THE CHILDREN
Date CapturedSunday October 08 2006, 8:59 AM
NY Post opined, "Klein [New York City schools chancellor] is to be applauded for looking to breathe fresh air into a stale system. For years, he's been hoping to shake up school management through such promising ideas as charter schools - only to be stymied by the educrats and their puppets in Albany. Clearly, he's not giving up."
Punish parents when kids are tardy? No
Date CapturedSunday October 08 2006, 8:51 AM
NY Daily News op-ed contributors John Beam, Executive Director of the National Center for Schools and Communities at Fordham University and Cecelia Blewer, co-founder of the Independent Commission on Public Education in New York City write, "Of course students should get to school on time and show up every day they can. Our experience as researchers and parents - and plain common sense - suggests that strong attendance goes hand in hand with other positive results in schools, from fewer discipline issues to higher academic achievement. But humiliating parents for their children's attendance and tardiness problems is a big mistake - one that puts shortsighted punitive instincts before the good of parents, children and schools."
Up to court to end sellout of New York City schools
Date CapturedSunday October 08 2006, 8:46 AM
NY Daily News op-ed contributor Robert Jackson, plaintiff in CFE vs. State of New York and chairman of the Education Committee of the New York City Council writes, "It is to the enduring shame of this nation that millions of schoolchildren still struggle to learn in overcrowded classrooms with uncertified teachers, using outdated textbooks, and emerge bereft of a chance in life. These are conditions that demoralize, insult and crush young spirits, that breed despair, ignorance and civic alienation. The enduring social cost is enormous."
Manhattanville College student teachers get more time in the classroom
Date CapturedSunday October 08 2006, 8:38 AM
JOURNAL NEWS reports, "If there's one thing a new school teacher has to learn, it's how to improvise in the classroom. That's one reason why Manhattanville College's School of Education is sending more of its teaching students every year into classrooms at the Thomas A. Edison Community School in Port Chester, a short drive away."
Regulations put resolve to the test: Home-schooled New Yorkers need GED
Date CapturedSunday October 08 2006, 8:14 AM
Times Union reports, "All athletes must be declared eligible by the NCAA Clearinghouse. Living in New York doesn't make it any easier for home-schoolers. New York is the only state that does not accept a home-school diploma as proof of graduation. Because there is no other way to certify a substantial equivalent of a four-year high school diploma, home-schoolers are required to take and pass the General Education Development test in order to meet the NCAA's graduation requirement."
SUNY Brockport opens college door
Date CapturedSunday October 08 2006, 8:06 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle guest essayist Christine E. Murray, dean, School of Professions, State University College at Brockport writes, "The college [SUNY Brockport] is moving forward to collaborate with the CSD's effort to create small secondary schools focusing on college preparation. For three years, the college's Computational Math, Science and Technology Institute has offered professional development to teachers, introducing new ways to teach these vital subjects."
Wheels in motion for Rochester district to keep advancing to success
Date CapturedSunday October 08 2006, 7:59 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle guest essayist Manuel Rivera, superintendent, Rochester School District writes, "The gains of our students and the progress of our district is a direct result of people working together toward a common goal, and that includes the Board of Education, our union leaders, staff, parents, the higher education, faith and business communities and many involved citizens."
Alternative Buffalo school called 'explosive'
Date CapturedSaturday October 07 2006, 2:55 PM
Buffalo News reports, "Shortages in staffing, security, supplies and instruction have created an "explosive situation" at Buffalo's new alternative school for troubled students, the president of the Buffalo Teachers Federation has charged."
Rochester School Without Walls reflects
Date CapturedSaturday October 07 2006, 8:38 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "These days, School Without Walls has 385 students in seventh through 12th grades, and differs from other city high schools in that it veers its focus away from conventional classroom learning. It continues the tradition of requiring students to complete 300 hours of community service from grades nine to 12, and submit a senior project, which is voted on by a six-person jury, as a graduation requirement."
COLUMBIA PREZ TALKS TOUGH
Date CapturedSaturday October 07 2006, 7:47 AM
NY Post opined on Columbia University event, "During the fracas, hooligans didn't merely shout down a speaker who happened to oppose illegal immigration; they physically attacked him, forced him to flee and sparked an outright brawl."
New Policy To Oversee Jamestown HS Volunteers
Date CapturedSaturday October 07 2006, 7:31 AM
The Post-Journal reports, "While infrequent volunteers only need a building principal’s clearance, those working in the classroom on a near daily basis will now need to be fingerprinted and approved by the school board."
Five Buffalo area districts draw warnings on special ed
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 10:28 AM
Buffalo News reports, "Lake Shore also has begun hand-delivering invitations to high school students to attend the annual special education committee meeting that evaluates their situation. That likely will help students in their transition out of high school, because they will be involved in the process leading up to it, Capell [director of special education] said."
Five Buffalo area districts draw warnings on special ed
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 10:28 AM
Buffalo News reports, "Lake Shore also has begun hand-delivering invitations to high school students to attend the annual special education committee meeting that evaluates their situation. That likely will help students in their transition out of high school, because they will be involved in the process leading up to it, Capell [director of special education] said."
U.S. grant will fund 3 Buffalo centers
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 10:23 AM
Buffalo News reports, "A Buffalo nonprofit group that trains parents to help their children succeed in school has received a $4.5 million, five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education to open new centers in Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers. EPIC (Every Person Influences Children) estimates that the grant will allow it to work directly with more than 325,000 families in the next five years, most of them low-income and minority."
Columbia University Investigation to Look at Facebook
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 9:11 AM
Columbia Spectator reports, "The investigation comes after a violent protest broke out in Roone Arledge Auditorium during a speech by Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project, an organization that patrols the U.S.-Mexican border for illegal immigrants. Shortly after the speaker took the stage, several audience members rushed onto the stage with banners, sparking a physical conflict and prompting the early cancellation of the speech."
Ithaca Central School District on state special education-improvement list
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 7:16 AM
The Ithaca Journal reports, "McEnery [director of special education] said the state's graduation numbers also may not give the whole picture. 'They're talking about students who achieved a local or Regents diploma,' she said. 'It does not include students that graduated in five years, it does not include students who exited with a special education diploma and it does not include students who completed the requirements for a GED.'”
Plattsburgh City School students with disabilities not meeting standards, report says
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 6:55 AM
The Press-Republican reports, "Plattsburgh City School officials were not surprised by Thursday's report. 'The report is based on 2004-05 data of which the district not only was aware of but had already begun taking measures to address issues a year ago,' Short [Plattsburgh City School Superintendent] said. 'Throughout this past summer a team of teachers have further worked on a Gap Closing Committee specifically created to address district needs.'"
Nanuet turns to text-messaging to notify parents
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 6:37 AM
The Journal News reports, "It used to be that phone calls and, more recently, e-mails were the only way to reach parents during school emergencies. The Nanuet school district is adding a new tool to its communications arsenal: text messaging."
Report: Special education lags in 4 districts
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 6:29 AM
The Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "Students with disabilities aren't doing as well as they should be in four Dutchess County school districts, so state education officials said they'll be stepping in to help." Poughkeepsie students with disabilities had the second lowest reported graduation rate in the state.
8 mid-Hudson schools on notice
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 6:19 AM
The Times Herald-Record reports, "The state [New York] has promised to provide special-education experts to help local districts. School districts stand to lose federal funds if they fail to make progress."
Spota backs Sen. LaValle on schools czar
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 5:09 AM
Newsday reports, "LaValle said he was especially aggrieved that his bill is opposed by the state School Boards Association. 'The very people we want oversight over are the ones blocking the legislation,' he said."
Columbia University's Speech Thugs
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 4:57 AM
NY Post opined, "Can it be true that free speech at Columbia applies only to those who are deemed 'legitimate' by a self-proclaimed group of political purists? So it would seem. And, sad to say, Wednesday night's fracas was no isolated incident."
CUNY hiring bias alleged
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 4:37 AM
NY Daily News reports, "As Columbus Day approaches, a number of prominent Italian-Americans are expressing concern that the City University of New York has a vendetta against them. Nearly 30 years after that ethnic group was included in CUNY's affirmative action program, Italian-Americans still face discrimination there, according to a university-commissioned report."
New York City Schools Find Millions in the Bus Rides Not Taken
Date CapturedFriday October 06 2006, 3:17 AM
NY Times reports, "To halt the waste, officials said, the city is requiring for the first time that the children who are eligible for bus service must register for it. In addition, bus companies would be paid only for children who actually ride buses. Children who receive free public transportation must also register to receive MetroCards."
Call For School Spending Oversight
Date CapturedThursday October 05 2006, 6:52 PM
AP reports, "It is not unusual for homeowners in suburban New York school districts to pay $500 to $800 a month in school taxes alone."
75 New York School Districts Identified for Low Performance Among Students with Disabilities
Date CapturedThursday October 05 2006, 5:46 PM
New York State Education Department Press Release: The State Education Department has identified 75 school districts as “In Need of Assistance or Intervention” because of low performance among students with disabilities, Commissioner Richard Mills announced today.
Vigilance at school is everyone's responsibility
Date CapturedThursday October 05 2006, 8:20 AM
The Press-Republican opined, "The public also needs to be watchful. Whether you have kids in school, our communities need to have their members be aware of the potential dangers that daily face their school staff and students. Observe and report what you might consider to be untoward or unusual behavior. We don't want to be alarmists. However, recent events compel us to be ever more vigilant in and around our schools. Our kids are depending on us."
Alliance grows; Syracuse schools benefit
Date CapturedThursday October 05 2006, 7:31 AM
"The institutions [Le Moyne College, Onondaga Community College, the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and SUNY Upstate Medical University] will support the 'smaller learning communities' within the high schools; help prepare city students for college; and prepare teachers to work in an urban school. The partnership will work with the district to figure out exactly what its role will be."
North Rockland meetings on TV
Date CapturedThursday October 05 2006, 6:50 AM
The Journal News reports, "He [North Rockland Schools Superintendent ] said he couldn't guarantee how many people would watch North Rockland's school board meetings, but he wanted them available to the public. 'Under the circumstances, it seems the more information people have, the better for everybody,' he said."
Nonprofit builds new school playground
Date CapturedThursday October 05 2006, 6:35 AM
The Daily News reports, "It's the first project completed by Out2Play, dedicated to building and refurbishing city public school playgrounds. 'A lot of schools don't have gymnasiums or that kind of thing," she said. "We want to give them an outdoor space where they're encouraged to be physically active'"
New York City Considers Plan to Let Outsiders Run Schools
Date CapturedThursday October 05 2006, 3:19 AM
NY Times reports, "Randi Weingarten, the teachers’ union president, urged the administration to make its discussions more public. 'I have been concerned about the sub rosa debate on whether to privatize the management of the school system for quite a while,' she said. 'On an issue that is this transcendent there has to be a real public debate.'”
Recent School Shootings Raise Questions About New York City Schools Cell Phone Policy
Date CapturedWednesday October 04 2006, 7:30 PM
NY1 reports, "He [NYC Mayor Bloomberg] says the city has taken the appropriate steps to help make children safe in the classroom, with school safety officers at all schools and police walking the beat near every junior high and high school in the city. And the mayor says cell phones can actually do more harm than good."
Education gains start with widespread literacy
Date CapturedWednesday October 04 2006, 9:53 AM
Buffalo News contributor Sherry L. Byrnes, family literacy coordinator at Literacy Volunteers of Buffalo & Erie County writes, "Literacy is essential to that task, but it cannot develop meaningfully in a "school vacuum." For this reason, I encourage everyone - our civic leaders and businesses, grass-roots block clubs and churches, and every person who just wants to live in a decent community - to get involved. Our children and our city are at serious risk. In January, the Buffalo Reads Coalition will launch a citywide strategic initiative for literacy that will require every person to ask how he or she can take part in solving our city's literacy challenge - and to act."
Cyber Bullying has become a trend that can't be ignored
Date CapturedWednesday October 04 2006, 6:24 AM
The Press Republican reports, "McBride [educator and expert] asked students what would happen if there were laws preventing youths from purchasing cell phones until they were 17 and requiring parental oversight and approval before sending e-mails. Cyber bullying, she said, is causing adults around the world to consider such laws. 'You are taking this technology stuff to another level, and you understand this technology better than we do. We are not being overprotective; we are trying to get to the level where we can protect you.'"
Regrading grades
Date CapturedWednesday October 04 2006, 6:18 AM
Star-Gazette opined, "Typically, a weighted grade, an A for instance, is multiplied times a factor of 1.01 or more in figuring a mathematical grade point average. The unweighted courses are multiplied by 1. Some districts use different multipliers for more challenging courses -- honors or accelerated -- while others might add bonus points to final averages for specific courses. Whatever the technique, it should be made clear to students and parents what courses carry extra numerical weight."
Demoting Advanced Placement
Date CapturedWednesday October 04 2006, 3:34 AM
NY Times JOE BERGER writes, "The high school years have been distorted enough by the frenzied rounds of college visits, applications and S.A.T. cram courses. At an evening forum last week to acquaint Scarsdale parents with the faculty proposal, critics of A.P. courses asked: Is our mission to steal a head start on college? Or should we be cultivating habits of mind like tolerance of ambiguity, persistence in the face of setbacks, the ability to work with others on complex problems? Nevertheless, questions from parents signaled some considerable anxiety about dropping a program that has reliably gotten Scarsdale students into top colleges."
NYSUT partners with baseball museum for education program
Date CapturedTuesday October 03 2006, 9:57 PM
New York Teacher reports, "NYSUT is a partner in the Hall of Fame's 'America Grows Inning by Inning' education program. Besides providing financial support — the program gets most of its funding from the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Museum and Library Services — NYSUT members and staff also help develop the standards-based curriculum and market the program to their colleagues."
Ministers and school union reps convene
Date CapturedTuesday October 03 2006, 6:05 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "For the first time ever, City School District union heads and a ministers group met to address the concerns of current and former African-American school district employees. And in the first agreement in what could be a long dialogue, Rochester-area black ministers and union representatives agreed that the mix of approximately 85 percent white teachers and 85 percent black or Hispanic students needs to change."
Endicott principal shows value of warning system
Date CapturedMonday October 02 2006, 7:06 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "Tomic, who received national recognition for his conduct, was alerted by a hazard warning radio activated by a National Weather Service signal that automatically turns the radio on and announces a potential hazard. They are installed in many schools -- and required in six states (but not New York or Pennsylvania) -- but now the Homeland Security Department has decided to provide $5 million to make sure the radios are in every public school in the United States, some 97,000 in all."
Conditions at many schools 'unsatisfactory,' surveys find
Date CapturedMonday October 02 2006, 6:58 AM
Times Herald-Record Kristina Wells reports, "Roughly 20 percent of the region's schools {mid-Hudson Valley] were rated overall 'unsatisfactory' for having outdated or inoperable smoke alarm systems, sagging floors or ceilings, antiquated fire escapes and even vermin infestation, according to comprehensive building condition surveys conducted a year ago."
Make policy clear, apply to everyone
Date CapturedMonday October 02 2006, 6:52 AM
Utica.com opined on school policy, "Ideally, establishing policies would be a joint effort by school officials, parents, community and students. Definite boundaries should be set, and the final policy should not only be part of the student handbook, but included in the district newsletter so all taxpayers are aware of it."
Create Inspector General for schools
Date CapturedMonday October 02 2006, 6:14 AM
Newsday opined on IG for schools, "Taxpayers and even insiders often find the budget and bureaucracy to be impenetrable. And they may feel reluctant to bring their concerns of wrongdoing to the very school officials they suspect. An inspector general would be the place to go."
Manhattan school gives parents detention with tardy children
Date CapturedMonday October 02 2006, 5:17 AM
Newsday reports, "Under the new rule at the Manhattan School for Children, parents who don't drop off their children by 8:25 a.m. have to pick up late slips from the principal's office and go to the auditorium to serve 20 minutes of detention with them."
Belts and Suspenders
Date CapturedSunday October 01 2006, 11:39 PM
NY Times opined on accountability in schools, "The lapses in accountability have taken a harsh toll in public confidence, increasing taxpayers’ hostility to otherwise worthy school budgets and fostering an unhealthy mix of anger and apathy. For the sake of robustness and transparency in public education, the State Legislature should look closely at the recommendations coming out of Suffolk County."
New Rochelle museum to open with Rockwell exhibit
Date CapturedSunday October 01 2006, 10:16 AM
THE JOURNAL NEWS reports, "The city's [New Rochelle] newest public space for displaying art, historical artifacts and other cultural works is scheduled to open in just over a week at New Rochelle High School. Filling two gallery rooms in the school's new wing, the museum will be free and open to the public. The first exhibit in the Museum of Arts and Culture will display dozens of works by New Rochelle notable Norman Rockwell, the painter famed for his depictions of small-town Americana."
Letter grades may take on more weight in Elmira schools
Date CapturedSunday October 01 2006, 10:10 AM
The Star-Gazette reports, "The state [New York] Education Department does not keep track of the number of New York schools that weigh grades. However, nationally about half of America's school systems weight student grades, according to a paper on the subject written in 2000 by Gail C. Downs of the Center for Research and Evaluation."
THE BIG PLAY
Date CapturedSaturday September 30 2006, 7:56 AM
NY Post reports on new "Playworks" installation at the Children's Museum of Manhattan, "'Playing with your child is the best foundation for learning,' says Leslie Bushara, CMOM's deputy director of education."
October 18, 2006 is School Bus Driver Appreciation Day in New York State
Date CapturedSaturday September 30 2006, 2:38 AM
New York State Education Department Press Release: "WHEREAS, The position of a school bus driver requires tremendous responsibility; they have to maneuver through traffic regardless of road conditions while maintaining the conduct of the children on the bus and are looked upon for leadership and life-saving decision-making in the event of an emergency; and WHEREAS, School bus drivers delicately direct these children while they are exiting the bus at their destination; when an adult is normally at a bus stop to meet a child and is not present, they will keep that child in their safe care until adult supervision is located or the child can be returned to school; and WHEREAS, Furthermore, school bus drivers may also be an important aid in the fight against terrorism; they are able to observe any suspicious activity or people along their bus route and communicate that information to the proper authorities;"
Educators criticize potential federal cuts to education
Date CapturedFriday September 29 2006, 9:47 AM
Mid-Hudson News reports, "Dutchess and Orange County educators Thursday called on area members of Congress to resist funding cuts to education."
Academic reforms needed to help athletes graduate
Date CapturedFriday September 29 2006, 7:06 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opined, "A newly released study of 93,000 Division I athletes showed 77 percent of them graduated within six years, up from 76 percent last year. That kind of progress among mostly scholarship athletes who entered college from 1996 to 1999 speaks to the merit of academic reforms adopted by the NCAA in recent years. It's also a solid model for local school districts such as Rochester's to improve the graduation rates of high school athletes. The sooner student athletes understand that they're students first, the better their chances of succeeding on the college level. Fortunately, there is already talk in Rochester about finding new ways to improve the graduation rate among student athletes."
A Good 'Read'
Date CapturedFriday September 29 2006, 5:42 AM
NY Post DAVID ANDREATTA writes, "Students in city [New York City] charter schools are more likely to be reading at or above grade level than their counterparts in traditional public schools in the same neighborhood, a new analysis reveals. The findings, by the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence, show that more than two-thirds of charter schools subjected to state reading tests this year outperformed public schools in the same district."
It's time for testing in schools
Date CapturedFriday September 29 2006, 5:34 AM
Times Union Brian Ettkin opined, "New York legislation that would allow each school district to decide if it chooses to test for steroids -- and provide for a $5 million school grant program -- passed the Senate and is in the Assembly Codes Committee."
September 28, 2006 Press Release - Closure of Taylor Business Institute
Date CapturedFriday September 29 2006, 12:01 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, SEPTEMBER 28, 2006: “We identified several areas of consistent non-compliance at Taylor. These areas include inadequate rigor, level and content of coursework that could impact a student’s ability to transfer credits to other degree-granting institutions; inadequate investments in critical educational services, such as faculty, library resources, equipment and support services; rapid turnover of staff and faculty; understaffed student support services; and hiring of staff and faculty who lack requisite skills and experience. In short, the students at Taylor are not receiving the college-level education that they are paying for,” said Johanna Duncan-Poitier, Deputy Commissioner for Higher Education and the Professions. "The State Education Department will directly contact all Taylor students to inform them about the school’s closure and detail all options for continuing their education at other institutions. The Department has arranged a College Transfer Fair for the Taylor students on October 18th from 2-7 p.m. at the CUNY Graduate Center. Representatives of other educational institutions will be there to discuss transfer opportunities. Information and guidance about State and Federal student financial aid will also be provided. “We want the transition to go smoothly so that students will choose to continue their education and graduate,” said Duncan-Poitier. "The Department has also created a page on its Web site for Taylor students."
Buffalo alternative school off to a rough start
Date CapturedThursday September 28 2006, 12:33 PM
Buffalo News reports, "'These are youngsters who have not had success, period,' he [Superintendent] said. 'These are 17, 16 years old and they have some serious problems embedded in their personalities. They don't know right from wrong.' Teachers at the school are devoted and hard-working, but have not yet received proper training, Collier [associate superintendent for student support services] said."
The Invisible Face of CFE: New York’s Small City School Districts in Crisis
Date CapturedThursday September 28 2006, 7:47 AM
Prepared by Robert Biggerstaff, New York State Association of Small City School Districts' and written by Charles A. Winters, former Newburgh administrator, study concludes students in small New York state urban settings suffer as much or more than children in New York City from chronic underfunding. Small-city districts have comparable poverty levels, draw from a less wealthy tax base and students fail just as much, if not more, than New York City children.
Help Rochester student athletes make grade
Date CapturedThursday September 28 2006, 6:36 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle guest essayists and parents Jim Greco and Bowers, former school board member write, "The school must provide opportunities for probationary athletes to receive academic assistance or tutoring. It directs the coach of the sport in which the student participates; his or her guidance counselors, teacher or teachers and the school's athletic and academy directors to collectively monitor the probationary athlete's academic progress. "
Rochester area colleges light the way to economic vitality for region
Date CapturedThursday September 28 2006, 6:34 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle guest essayists Joel Seligman, president of University of Rochester and Braveman, president of Nazareth College write, "Area colleges contribute to the quality of the community's social, educational and cultural life. Recent studies have shown that knowledge workers are drawn to a climate in which the arts are thriving. The myriad arts offerings from the Eastman School of Music, the Nazareth College Arts Center and other local colleges provide affordable access to some of the world's most renowned performers and artists, bring thousands of visitors to the area and create an atmosphere that can help attract and retain talent. As local leaders discuss economic development, it is important that they recognize the tremendous opportunities and potential offered by Rochester area colleges. By taking full advantage of university research, university-generated human capital, local business creativity and the full support of all local entities, we can create the kind of environment in which the Rochester economy can flourish and our talented young people will want to build their lives."
Report stresses woes of schools in smaller New York state cities
Date CapturedThursday September 28 2006, 5:54 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "Released yesterday by the New York State Association of Small City School Districts, the study says students in urban settings like Newburgh, Middletown and Kingston are suffering as much — or more — as kids in New York City from chronic underfunding."
State orders commercial school in NYC closed, citing poor quality
Date CapturedThursday September 28 2006, 4:08 AM
Newsday reports, "Their [group of educators] report stated that 'the institute operates more as a high school equivalency preparation enterprise than as a college.' The report also questioned whether the public investment in the school is worth it."
Small cities sue New York state over school funding
Date CapturedWednesday September 27 2006, 3:57 PM
WNYT reports, "A total of 19 small city districts are challenging the way state aid for education is handed out. Those districts include Albany, Schenectady, Glens Falls and Cohoes." (news video)
New York City Teachers Union Files Grievance Over Overcrowded Classrooms
Date CapturedWednesday September 27 2006, 3:20 PM
NY1 reports, "The [New York] City Education Department calls the union's data "unreliable" and said the majority of oversized classes are addressed during the first two weeks of school."
Who Controls the Schools?
Date CapturedWednesday September 27 2006, 7:57 AM
New York Observer opined on mayoral control of schools, "Historically, Albany resents strong Mayors in New York City and often sees itself as a counterbalance to figures like Mr. Bloomberg and his predecessor, Rudolph Giuliani. Already, some legislators are whispering that the Mayor has too much control over the schools."
School board formulates policy on religion
Date CapturedWednesday September 27 2006, 7:45 AM
The Daily Freeman reports, "School officials say teachers must maintain neutrality on religious issues while recognizing that some concepts can only be taught with a limited number of cultural references."
Charter schools are not a drain on public schools
Date CapturedWednesday September 27 2006, 6:21 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle contributor John Bliss, founder and director of instruction, Urban Choice Charter School in Rochester writes, "Here are the facts: Charter schools were designed to provide parents with badly needed options. Charter schools are just as 'public' as any other public school. Charter schools do not drain money from other public schools. In fact, their existence helps other public schools financially and this is the point that no one seems to really get."
Cayuga Community College boss to head state's community colleges
Date CapturedWednesday September 27 2006, 5:35 AM
"'Dennis Golladay's successful leadership of Cayuga Community College, combined with more than 26 years as an educator and administrator in public higher education makes him the ideal choice for this important position,' said Thomas F. Egan, chairman of the SUNY board."
Classrooms bursting at seams - union
Date CapturedWednesday September 27 2006, 4:46 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Thousands of city classrooms are severely overcrowded with kids sitting on radiators and teachers struggling to learn three dozen names each period, union officials charged yesterday."
SUNY to pay new provost $300,000 plus $5,000 monthly for expenses
Date CapturedWednesday September 27 2006, 1:47 AM
AP MICHAEL GORMLEY reports, "The board hired Risa Palm of Louisiana State University as provost and chief academic officer of the public university system, said SUNY spokesman David Henahan. She will also get a car and be paid $83,000 a year more than her predecessor. Palm has been the provost at Louisiana and before that worked at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was chosen after a nationwide search and interviews of 39 candidates by board members, Henahan said."
Kingston teacher wins regional recognition
Date CapturedTuesday September 26 2006, 6:58 AM
The Daily Freeman reports, "June Wolfersteig, a home and career skills teacher at J. Watson Bailey Middle School, has been honored as 'Regional Teacher of the Year' by the New York Association for Family and Consumer Science Educators."
Pilot program will screen Plattsburgh High School sophomores for depression
Date CapturedTuesday September 26 2006, 6:49 AM
Press Republican reports, "The licensed clinical social worker [Mary Anne Cox], whose mental-health experience includes crisis intervention and intensive-case management, is coordinating a pilot program about to take wing at Plattsburgh High School called Columbia Teen Screen that will give mental-health checkups this fall to 10th-graders and, next spring, to eighth-graders."
Hornell City School District to offer Mandarin Chinese
Date CapturedTuesday September 26 2006, 6:45 AM
The Star-Gazette reports, "The Foreign Language Assistance Program-Local Education Agency Grant provides federal funding for foreign language instruction in less commonly taught languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian and some Indic, Iranian and Turkic languages, the release said."
NCLB's flaws cast Binghamton High in bad light
Date CapturedTuesday September 26 2006, 6:33 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin contributors Donald Loewen, assistant professor of Russian and Dale Tomich, professor of sociology at Binghamton University write, "Students who move out of the area are still considered Binghamton's responsibility if they don't officially register at another school. And students who move into Binghamton are considered the school's responsibility immediately, even if they show up a week before a mandatory test and the school has no chance to prepare them."
Yes to collaboration between City Hall, Rochester city schools
Date CapturedTuesday September 26 2006, 6:25 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle contributors Malik Evans, vice president, Rochester Board of Education and board member Tom Brennan write, "The school board has encouraged and will continue to support a strong working relationship with our friends in city government. The CSD and City Hall are mutually dependent in their efforts to build stronger communities."
Suffolk County Court Special Grand Jury
Date CapturedTuesday September 26 2006, 5:52 AM
September 19, 2005; Term 1E. Grand Jury Report, CPL 190.85(1)(c). READ REPORT ON EDUCATION NEW YORK ONLINE.
Calling for a watchdog: Suffolk County grand jury urges New York state to create monitor of schools' spending
Date CapturedTuesday September 26 2006, 4:57 AM
Newsday reports on Suffolk County's grand jury's recommendation to create a new state office of Inspector General for Education and a "New state law requiring school boards to post on their Web sites, or provide copies in libraries and district offices, all employment contracts and any amendments at least one month before any board vote."
New York City Schools Even Odds for Gifted Kids
Date CapturedTuesday September 26 2006, 4:49 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports on a uniform application procedure for gifted children, "Citing an unreliable hodgepodge of selection criteria that varied from school to school and district to district, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein said that a standardized system would ensure equity."
Aid for Teachers Urged
Date CapturedTuesday September 26 2006, 4:44 AM
NY Post DAVID ANDREATTA reports on the lack of diversity of NYC teachers, "Initiatives that help paraprofessionals become teachers and other incentives that offer financial aid in the form of loan forgiveness or housing aid are attractive and would better diversify the workforce if they were broadened, she [Randi Weingarten, president of the United Federation of Teachers] said."
School Principals Criticize Union Leaders
Date CapturedTuesday September 26 2006, 3:21 AM
NY Times reports, "In a sign of open rebellion against their union, whose contract expired more than three years ago, 31 New York City public school principals have written a scathing letter, citing 'grave concerns' about the union’s 'ineffectiveness,' and accusing its leaders of being increasingly 'out of touch' with members."
Court OKs Buffalo wage freeze
Date CapturedMonday September 25 2006, 12:59 PM
Buffalo News reports, "'We find no need to second-guess the wisdom of picking the wage freeze over other policy alternatives, especially those that appear more Draconian, such as further layoffs or elimination of essential services, the court [2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City ] ruled.
Students, residents at odds
Date CapturedMonday September 25 2006, 6:57 AM
The Daily Star reports on collegetown neighborhoods, "Both schools [State University College at Oneonta and Hartwick College] collaborated last semester on OH-Fest, a free festival and concert in Neahwa Park, designed to bring the two campuses and the year-round Oneonta community together, and the schools regularly participate in community-service activities."
Now read this
Date CapturedMonday September 25 2006, 5:56 AM
Journal News opined on New York State Education Department results of English Language Arts test, "State Education Commissioner Richard Mills worried Thursday about the slacking off in literacy instruction. It apparently begins in fifth grade — not the abrupt nosedive New Yorkers had come to expect in eighth. Said Mills: 'Adult literacy scores are too low, but this is where it begins.' So must the response, starting with unplugging students from electronics, and plugging them into reading books, writing clearly and speaking their minds, coherently."
Elmira student information available online (second story)
Date CapturedMonday September 25 2006, 5:32 AM
Star-Gazette reports, "Parents of Elmira City School District students may register at any time for ParentCONNECT, an online program that allows them to view information about their child's attendance, classes and grades as well as their discipline and attendance records."
Taking a look at longer classes
Date CapturedMonday September 25 2006, 5:19 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin "A main roadblock to extending the year is financial concerns. Any move to add days to the school year, or hours to the school day, would have to be negotiated with labor unions, including teachers' associations, officials said. And this would mean higher labor costs. 'If you extend the school year, I would assume people would expect addition compensation,' Busch said."
Albany High security tighter after incident
Date CapturedMonday September 25 2006, 4:58 AM
Times Union writes, "Melissa Mackey said it was hypocritical of school officials to call for more parent involvement and ban parents from Sunday's meeting. Mackey, who is involved with the group Community United for Quality Education and has a daughter at Albany High, said school officials should engage students and parents in an effort to stop the violence."
Late for schools: It took state four years after takeover to appoint monitor for Roosevelt district, now $4M in the red
Date CapturedMonday September 25 2006, 4:38 AM
Newsday JOHN HILDEBRAND writes, "A review of Roosevelt's records reveals numerous early warning signs. During the summer, for example, the district laid off teachers and cut services including full-day kindergarten, after local voters twice rejected its budget. The second 'no' vote followed a state audit's revelation of irregular spending, sloppy bookkeeping and loose financial controls. At the time, the district's business office was in turmoil. It had undergone three changes of leadership in four months."
Flap Over New York City School Computer Dump
Date CapturedMonday September 25 2006, 4:31 AM
NY Post DAVID ANDREATTA and JANA WINTER write, "Administrators at Walt Whitman Intermediate School in Flatbush trashed scores of computer monitors, keyboards, hard drives, printers and desks, leaving them outside like high-tech gravestones."
Grim Minority Report Card on New York City Teachers
Date CapturedMonday September 25 2006, 4:28 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Christopher Brown, an executive with the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, said the federal No Child Left Behind law has hampered recruitment of minorities because teaching licenses are now not as easily transferable from state to state. 'The majority of blacks in this nation attend traditionally black colleges, most of which are in the South,' Brown said. 'We're seeing an increasing number of teacher candidates remaining in the states where they earned their degrees, because that's where they get certified.'"
Save the kids caught in the middle
Date CapturedMonday September 25 2006, 4:24 AM
NY Daily News opined on middle schools, "Klein [chancellor] is all too aware of the middle-school miasma. It is one of the reasons why he is establishing school-by-school accountability measures, pushing to expand the number of charter schools and seeking to empower principals. If anything, these dismal test results should give him more muscle in a fight to stop teachers and principals from treating kids as if they naturally become dull at the age of 12."
Maine-Endwell Central School District Board of Education decision reflects the district's needs
Date CapturedSunday September 24 2006, 9:56 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin contributor Waneta Griffin, president of the Maine-Endwell Board of Education writes, "The board developed the proposed capital improvement plan after receiving input from a volunteer group of residents called the Capital Project Facilities Committee. The project contains work identified by that group. The district also held two public meetings where comments were encouraged and recorded. Further, district administrators, board members and project professionals requested and received community feedback through surveys and other communications. The project team worked diligently to create a plan that addresses the district's education and infrastructure needs, and maintains fiscal responsibility."
Schools get space-d out
Date CapturedSunday September 24 2006, 7:39 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Plans to build schools in the Rockaways are far behind the number of new homes already built, Hooks and others on the education council said. As part of Mayor Bloomberg's multibillion-dollar school construction plan to relieve overcrowding in city schools, 2,597 new seats are planned for District 27, which includes the Rockaways, by 2009. Exactly where those seats will be, and what form they will take, has not been determined, said Kelly Devers, an Education Department spokeswoman. At least one new charter school, which is expected to serve up to 800 kindergarten- grade 8 students, has been planned in conjunction with the construction of Arverne by the Sea, a multimillion-dollar, 2,300-unit condo development on the eastern end of the peninsula."
New York City charter schools grounded
Date CapturedSunday September 24 2006, 7:28 AM
NY Daily News reports, "What Imagine Schools and other groups weren't told is that eight of the state's 100 charters are going unused - even though 22,000 New York children are on waiting lists for seats in charter schools. The eight unused charters are being held hostage by a wrinkle in state law."
TEST-SCORE BLUNDER PUTS NEW YORK CITY CHILDREN IN LIMBO
Date CapturedSunday September 24 2006, 7:17 AM
NY Post reports, "Educators (New York City) admitted Friday they overestimated how many fifth-graders should not be promoted - after basing their estimate on preliminary, rather than actual, statewide exams scores from January."
Buffalo exhibit to honor 10 black educators
Date CapturedSaturday September 23 2006, 1:34 PM
Buffalo News reports, "Ten African-American educators, portrayed as both pioneers and role models for younger generations, will be honored for their contributions to the Buffalo Public Schools with an exhibit that opens today."
New York City Says 339 Students Were Left Back Unnecessarily
Date CapturedSaturday September 23 2006, 1:27 PM
NY Times DAVID M. HERSZENHORN reports, "A day after New York State released results of the 2005-6 reading and writing exam, city officials said the scores showed that they had required 339 students to repeat fifth grade even though, it turned out, they had scored high enough on the English test to be promoted."
That's Edu-tainment
Date CapturedSaturday September 23 2006, 8:16 AM
NY Daily News reports on a New York City children's museum, "The museum has just launched a first-of-its-kind interactive Playworks exhibit that focuses on ­early childhood learning. Designed for children from infancy to age 4 and catering also to blind and hearing-impaired children, the focus is on 'earning through play.'" The Children's Museum of Manhattan is at the Tisch Building, 212 W. 83rd St., (212) 721-1223.
KIDS ARE 'READ HOT' IN BROOKLYN AND QUEENS
Date CapturedSaturday September 23 2006, 8:05 AM
NY Post reports, "PS 108 Principal Constance Hahn attributed their success to parent involvement and intensive professional development for teachers. Newer teachers are mentored by veterans weekly, and all teachers collaborate on classroom strategies for 45 minutes a week. 'It really is a joint effort,' Hahn said. 'The parents, the staff, they're all wonderful. Once you show that this or that will help a child, people listen.'"
News and Notes
Date CapturedFriday September 22 2006, 11:22 PM
From the Desk of Jean C. Stevens, Interim Deputy Commissioner, New York State Education Department.
Upstate New York educator recommended as Boston schools chief
Date CapturedFriday September 22 2006, 7:37 PM
AP reports, "Manuel Rivera, superintendent of the Rochester, N.Y., school district, met Friday morning with principals in Rochester and told them of the move."
Buffalo Teachers Federation now affiliated with NYS United Teachers
Date CapturedFriday September 22 2006, 8:19 AM
Business First of Buffalo reports, "The 3,700-member BTF Thursday officially joined with the New York State United Teachers, the Albany-based group that represents 575,000 educators and school personnel. NYSUT said in a statement it would immediately begin working with the BTF leadership in its struggle with the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority for a fair contract."
Ithaca and educational equity
Date CapturedFriday September 22 2006, 7:58 AM
Ithaca Journal guest columnist Patrice Lockert Anthony opined, "The effects of individualism and its impact on racism, on society's psyche, are deeply ingrained. To positively impact our future we need a community-wide commitment to change, equity and excellence for all. Without that commitment, like the Ithaca City School District's commitment to equity, promises and laws are just words on paper."
It's deja vu for some test questions
Date CapturedFriday September 22 2006, 5:41 AM
Newsday John Hildebrand reports, "When the state's [New York]first fourth-grade tests came out in 1999, published reports quoted some Coney Island schoolchildren as exulting because they already had read most of the passages. On Long Island, educators continue hearing similar stories. Said Neil Lederer, superintendent of Lindenhurst schools, 'I would imagine that where students are exposed to that, it gives those students a real advantage.'"
New York Reading Skills Drop After 5th Grade
Date CapturedThursday September 21 2006, 3:30 PM
NY Times DAVID M. HERSZENHORN reports, "The pattern of success in elementary school but failure in the middle grades, while hardly new, offered the most pessimistic assessment yet of New York State’s chances of meeting the goal of the No Child Left Behind law, which seeks 100 percent proficiency in reading and math among all categories of students by the 2013-14 school year, or even of a more realistic target of 80 percent proficiency for students without special needs."
New York State Department of Education: Grade 3-8 Tests For First Time Show
Date CapturedThursday September 21 2006, 2:57 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, September 21, 2006: For the first time, students this year took State tests in Grade 3-8. Those results, released today, showed a steady and relatively higher level of achievement in the elementary grades and lower achievement starting in Grade 6 and continuing through Grade 8. They also showed that student achievement overall in Grade 3-8 ranged from about 50 percent meeting all the standards in Urban High Need Districts to about 69 percent in Average Need Districts to 83 percent in Low Need Districts. There are substantial differences in performance among the Big 5 Cities. New York City was highest in Grade 3, with 62 percent meeting al the standards, and at Grade 8, with 37 percent meeting all the standards. Yonkers was not far behind in those grades. New York City and Yonkers both had about 51 percent of all students throughout Grade 3-8 meeting all the standards.
Results show English scores dropping as New York children get older
Date CapturedThursday September 21 2006, 1:36 PM
Newsday JOHN HILDEBRAND AND STACEY ALTHERR report, "State education officials declared at a morning news conference the latest results underline an essential point: that public middle schools need to do more to challenge students academically. Research studies have shown that scores in parochial and private schools don't take the same dip in the later grades as the public sector's."
‘We're always going to have to fight'
Date CapturedThursday September 21 2006, 9:58 AM
The Citizen reports on Title IX panel (Peter Liddell, Athletic Director of Cayuga Community College, Joan Sitterly, Athletic Director of SUNY Cortland, Shelly Connors, a physical education teacher and coach and Dr. Chris Mack, a professor at SUNY Oswego and panel mediator) discussion, "The panel discussed the effects of title IX on local schools across Central New York. Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 banned sex discrimination in schools, whether is [it] be in academics or athletics."
'Dangerous' special ed controversy
Date CapturedThursday September 21 2006, 4:57 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Parent leaders and educators are steamed about a state list that labels three special education schools in Queens 'persistently dangerous.' They charge the report is inaccurate and has needlessly upset parents."
Mayor Bloomberg In California For Education Announcement
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 11:31 AM
NY1 reports on mayoral control of schools, "The jury is still out on whether putting the mayor in charge of schools was a total success."
CHARTERS BY NUMBERS
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 11:25 AM
Center for Education Reform reports, "Charter schools again experienced double-digit growth this year. Despite caps deflating the number that can open in states from North Carolina to New York, the number of charters in 40 states and the District of Columbia rose 11 percent from 3,600 to 3,977 nationwide. There are now approximately 1.15 million students attending charter schools across the country."
New York charter school eyes sanctions over hazard
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 9:43 AM
Newsday JOHN HILDEBRAND writes, "State monitors are urging that a Roosevelt charter school acclaimed for its academic prowess be put on probation, after the school allowed 150 students to start classes in a building that has no fire-sprinkler system."
New York community college tuition up statewide
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 9:02 AM
The Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "Tuition at 27 of 30 community colleges in the state went up an average of 2.3 percent this year, despite a 7.5 percent increase in state operating aid and 6.9 percent hike in local funding, according to an analysis released Tuesday by the State University of New York. At the same time, the percentage of the total education cost students pay decreased from an average of 39.2 percent last year to 38.1 percent, the report said. The state raised its contribution $175 this year to $2,525 per student."
Community needs to analyze bond requests
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 7:50 AM
Ithaca Journal guest columnist Allen Lambert, former member of the Ithaca City School District Board of Education writes, "Of what use is a public hearing when citizens do not have details to comment on, or when it is too late to influence a decision? No information was available to the public until the evening of Sept. 7. And little detail has been published in newspapers so citizens can begin to examine particulars. Yet, the board of education is expected to make a huge decision without adequate time for itself or the community."
Is Ithaca Central School District really committed to equity?
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 7:49 AM
Ithaca Journal Op-Ed contributor Audrey Cooper, on behalf of ACTION: Activists Committed To Interrupting Oppression Now! writes, “'Continue efforts to recruit and retain a staff that is ethnically and culturally diverse. Ensure that all search committees see this as a key district goal, and enlist the support of the community in attracting and retaining staff of color at all levels. Train supervisors to insure (sic) that the workplace is free of bias, harassment, prejudice, or discrimination and is a safe and welcoming place for all employees.' Despite the intentions implied in the above words, many of the superintendent's actions indicate a lack of commitment to such recruitment and retention."
Ithaca Central School District bond project: Focus on discussion, not false deadlines
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 7:48 AM
Ithaca Journal opined, "With no pressing crisis to resolve, district officials, board members and ICSD residents must spend the time needed to thoroughly analyze options and build community consensus on how to proceed — and let the timeline assemble itself as it may."
School tax changes needed
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 6:57 AM
The Poughkeepsie Journal opined, "The courts have mandated the state improve spending for New York City schools. But the state can't answer that by simply diverting funding away from other districts around the state. Inequities in state funding for schools all across the state need to be addressed."
Local Dutchess County schools get state aid for tech upgrades
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 6:56 AM
The Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "Dutchess County schools will receive almost three-quarters of a million dollars for their technology programs, officials announced Tuesday. The money — $712,676 total — will be divided among nine school districts. The amount each school district receives was partly based on enrollment figures."
SUNY to offer 'disaster degree'
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 6:44 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "The program — officially called the Hudson Valley Domestic Preparedness Community College Consortium — will offer students from the four colleges degrees in emergency management, fire protection services, paramedic and cybersecurity, as well as classes on basic police training."
Area New York BOCES play key role in ensuring no child is left behind
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 6:18 AM
The Journal News reports on changes at BOCES, "The biggest changes began about five years ago, when the federal education law dubbed 'No Child Left Behind' took effect. The law, among other things, required that schools provide highly qualified teachers, demanded that states create English and math accountability tests for all children from third through eighth grades and insisted that special-needs students be given the same academic tests as other students."
Rivera addresses racism concerns
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 5:27 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Rochester School Superintendent Manuel Rivera pledged Tuesday to investigate charges of institutional racism in the City School District and create a better system for employees to raise workplace concerns without fear of retaliation."
Mayor Bloomberg Re-emphasizes School Control
Date CapturedWednesday September 20 2006, 3:16 AM
NY Times reports, "In addition, education advocates and elected officials say, Mr. Bloomberg has alienated many parents — precisely the public needed to bring pressure on legislators — who feel excluded from influencing decisions about the system."
Boston schools win top education award; Jersey City a finalist
Date CapturedTuesday September 19 2006, 8:48 PM
AP reports, "The Boston public school system won the nation's largest prize in public education Tuesday, earning $500,000 in college scholarships for making steady gains in the classroom. Jersey City's school system was a finalist for the award and will receive $125,000."The other four finalists will each receive $125,00. They are Bridgeport Public Schools in Connecticut, Jersey City School District in New Jersey, Miami Dade County Public Schools and the New York City Department of Education.
Columbia Alters Financial Aid for Low-Income Students
Date CapturedTuesday September 19 2006, 7:16 PM
NY Times KAREN W. ARENSON reports, "Columbia officials said that even though the campus already has the most socio-economically diverse student body in the Ivy League, the move to replace loans with grants for low-income students will enhance that diversity further."
The schoolyard bully
Date CapturedTuesday September 19 2006, 12:16 PM
Dick Iannuzzi, President, New York State United Teachers writes, "President Bush and his supporters in Congress have used NCLB as a weapon to punish schools instead of as a tool to improve them. Now they've turned that weapon on children with disabilities and children trying to learn English and adapt to a new culture." Iannuzzi additionally criticizes New York State Education Department (SED).
Consolidation will cut school bus costs by 21 percent this year
Date CapturedTuesday September 19 2006, 9:25 AM
Daily and Sunday Review reports, "Due to the Towanda School District’s school consolidation project, which closed three elementary schools last June, the Towanda School District was able to eliminate three yellow school bus routes this year, along with one van route, school district Business Manager Doreen Secor said at Monday’s School board meeting. Consequently, the school district’s expense of paying bus contractors to transport students to and from school this year will be $918,000, which is $245,000 less than the $1.16 million that the school district paid last year for the school bus service, Secor said."
State audits Port Jervis schools and finds $27,000 food tab
Date CapturedTuesday September 19 2006, 6:55 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "According to a state comptroller's audit, the Port Jervis School District has lacked written policies on items such as district food expenses, cell phone usage and employee contracts."
New turf fields mean more playing time for Suffern athletes
Date CapturedTuesday September 19 2006, 6:23 AM
The Journal News reports, "Two new artificial-turf fields have been installed at Suffern Middle School, part of the Ramapo Central School District's $5.2 million project to upgrade its middle school athletic complex."
Drive urges reworking school aid
Date CapturedTuesday September 19 2006, 5:32 AM
Times Union reports, "Stratton [Schenectady mayor] said the resolution of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit could add $60 million in state aid to Schenectady City Schools over the next four years. That is the figure included in a proposed settlement of the lawsuit, according to the Alliance for Quality Education, a statewide group that advocates for more school funding."
Classes at West Side School End with Bang
Date CapturedTuesday September 19 2006, 4:56 AM
NY Post DAVID ANDREATTA and C.J. SULLIVAN report on use of dynamite near a New York City school, "A Department of Education spokeswoman said the school - at West End Avenue and West 70th Street - and its students were safe. But parents insisted the blasting caught them off guard, saying they learned of it from the school's principal only yesterday."
Secretary Spellings Delivered Remarks at the White House Conference on Global Literacy
Date CapturedMonday September 18 2006, 8:02 PM
U.S. Department of Education press release: U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today joined First Lady Laura Bush at the first-ever White House Conference on Global Literacy in New York City. Secretary Spellings hosted a panel on Mother-Child Literacy and Intergenerational Learning.
School Days
Date CapturedMonday September 18 2006, 12:28 PM
Fastcompany.com interview: Should for-profit companies run public schools? An entrepreneur and a principal weigh in.
Special ed poses a challenge
Date CapturedMonday September 18 2006, 12:18 PM
Buffalo News opined on special education, "The problem is this: While virtually all students in special ed need help, not all of them need this help. Some may merely need remedial instruction, for example - help that should certainly be provided, but not in the expensive, bureaucratic context of special education."
Sen. Schumer presses for more school aid
Date CapturedMonday September 18 2006, 12:10 PM
Buffalo News reports, "'I think the plan is to have public schools fail so we can start shifting more and more money to charter schools and voucher programs,' Sloan Superintendent James P. Mazgajewski said. 'I think what they're trying to do is break down the system.'"
School-tax rebates on the way soon
Date CapturedMonday September 18 2006, 6:55 AM
The Daily Star reports on property taxes, "Homeowners who receive a basic or enhanced School Tax Relief (STAR) exemption on their 2006-2007 school-tax bill are eligible to receive the rebate. The amount of the rebate will be determined based on the school district of the eligible homeowner."
Paying in pieces
Date CapturedMonday September 18 2006, 5:21 AM
The Journal News reports, "If a district can collect all of its taxes on time, it can invest the money at a better rate, providing it more income. East Ramapo, for instance, this year had enough investment profit to help keep its tax rate increase below 1 percent, when that was added to some grant money, additional state aid and cost-cutting. The investments saved all the taxpayers in the district money, since it offset some of the budget increases. In fact, all eight of Rockland's school districts do this."
Success in Philly Could Spread Here
Date CapturedMonday September 18 2006, 3:51 AM
NY Post reports, "The New York STD school-testing program is modeled after that of Philadelphia, which in 2003 found more than 17,000 cases of chlamydia - more than double the number reported a decade earlier."
Rochester District advice council to meet
Date CapturedSunday September 17 2006, 7:10 PM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "All parents and guardians of district students are welcome to attend. Topics will include a review of the opening of schools and organizing standing committees. DACT works with state and national coalitions supporting programs under the federal No Child Left Behind Act."
Turn city schools into magnets
Date CapturedSunday September 17 2006, 12:12 PM
The York Daily contributor and home-schooling parent NANCY SNYDER writes, "There was a time when I taught my children everything they knew. Now, when I can't find a solution to a problem, I go to my children. So I recently asked them, 'What can be done for our city schools?' Noah responded quickly, 'Set up a cooperative system throughout the county. Turn the city schools into magnet schools that will attract students from middle-class families throughout the county. Bus city students who aren't in the magnet schools to nearby suburban schools.'"
Start of school year is always a big thrill
Date CapturedSunday September 17 2006, 10:40 AM
Buffalo News contributor and teacher MARGIE HERBERGER writes, "It was late August and I was excited. Every table in my study, dining room and living room was littered with pads, notebooks and texts about teaching. I fluttered from one to the other like a crazed butterfly, alighting on one pile, finding a paper, making a note and moving on to the next pile. What was I doing? Planning. I'm an English teacher, September was coming and I couldn't wait."
Johnson City schools seek input on funds
Date CapturedSunday September 17 2006, 9:42 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports on EXCEL, a one-time allocation to help school districts fund new building projects, "The Johnson City Central School District received an unexpected gift in April when state lawmakers approved $2 million more in building aid for the district. Now, school board members are asking the public to help determine how to spend the money. They are asking district residents to participate in focus group sessions in October to get feedback on the best use of the $2,030,375 coming to Johnson City under EXCEL, or Expanding our Children's Education and Learning."
Toughen home day care enforcement? No
Date CapturedSunday September 17 2006, 9:12 AM
NY Daily News Op-Ed contributors Sandra Robinson, family day-care provider in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Ilana Berger, Director of Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE) opined, "Ironically, rather than improving safety conditions, the new rules would force desperate parents to leave children in more dangerous situations. They would have to scramble to find ad hoc care or potentially leave their kids entirely unsupervised."
Toughen home day care enforcement? Yes
Date CapturedSunday September 17 2006, 8:56 AM
NY Daily News Op-Ed contributor ELLIOTT MARCUS, associate commissioner overseeing the city Health Department's Bureau of Day Care opined, "An example of an issue we reviewed was what's called the "egress" policy. City and state laws require two means of exiting any building that houses a child-care center. The rule is meant to ensure that in the event of an emergency, children can be evacuated quickly and safely. We looked carefully at the policy's implementation, working closely with the New York State Office of Children and Family Services and the Fire Department. We met with community groups and considered the characteristics of the city's housing stock as well as the economic interests of providers who offer care in their homes."
Protecting our children
Date CapturedSaturday September 16 2006, 9:23 AM
The Journal News reports, "This county's added traffic volume and the bad habits of some drivers increase the chances of pedestrian accidents, especially involving children. While most Rockland youngsters take buses and vans to school these days, and a large number are privately driven by parents, there are those living near schools who walk, who cross streets after class to play, who may or may not pay attention, just as drivers may or may not do so."
School bus study finds lower-cost alternative: 2 New York school districts to weigh joint maintenance
Date CapturedSaturday September 16 2006, 9:18 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "But a joint transportation garage would not work for several reasons, according to the report. They include: * Differences in the program. For example, Maine-Endwell's transportation employees are unionized while Union-Endicott's employees are not. * Maine-Endwell's bus garage off Church Street in Maine isn't large enough to support a 100-vehicle, 25- to 30-acre facility to house the buses. * Union-Endicott's bus garage on Bradley Creek Road in Maine is large enough but does not have access to water or sewer lines and is too hilly to support an increase in bus traffic."
Volunteers sought to research school configuration
Date CapturedFriday September 15 2006, 6:48 PM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "The Susquehanna Valley Board of Education is still looking for volunteers to research a possible reconfiguration of the school district's two elementary schools. The volunteers will study having one of the schools house kindergarten through second grade students, and the other school house third through fifth grade students, district officials said."
New York City school features British curriculum
Date CapturedFriday September 15 2006, 12:47 PM
AP reports, "About 50 grade-school pupils arrived Thursday for the first day of classes at the new British International School of New York, the city's only school centered on Britain's national curriculum."
New York State Education Department News and Notes
Date CapturedFriday September 15 2006, 8:50 AM
Education news from the Desk of Jean C. Stevens, Interim Deputy Commissioner.
CFE Gears Up for Court Date
Date CapturedFriday September 15 2006, 7:57 AM
WXXI Karen DeWitt reports, "CFE wants the State's [New York] highest court to affirm the lower court's finding that around $5 billion additional dollars per year will be required. And Wayland [CFE attorney] says he wants the state's highest court to make clear that the legislature and governor must comply with the court's order."
Charter schools help improve public education
Date CapturedFriday September 15 2006, 7:34 AM
Times Union Op-Ed contributor Peter Murphy, NY Charter Schools Association policy director writes, "The fact is that most charter schools in the state now outperform district-run schools as measured by results on state exams, yet the Times Union continues to cloud this fact with its incessant campaign against New Covenant Charter School. The reality is that struggling charter schools will have one of two outcomes: improve or be closed. Such has been the record of charter school accountability in New York state."
'He saved lives': Tier principal Charles F. Johnson wins national award
Date CapturedFriday September 15 2006, 7:11 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "The Mark Trail Award, which is presented annually by the federal agency and Congress, recognizes individuals and organizations that use the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's alert systems to save lives and protect property."
Sullivan pledges $7.5M for a greener Sullivan County Community College
Date CapturedFriday September 15 2006, 6:57 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "The high-performance building would house new programs for students in environmental technology, energy services technology, wind power and environmental science."
Charter limbo: First fix the state charter school law, and then lift the cap
Date CapturedFriday September 15 2006, 6:43 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opined, "What's needed in New York is a better law that creates a state funding stream for charters apart from normal school aid. What's needed is a method of charter review and oversight that maximizes potential and minimizes mediocrity. And what's needed, too, is a lift of the 100-school cap so that the experiment may continue, but not at a rate that frustrates assessment and control."
Onteora limits in-school recruitment
Date CapturedFriday September 15 2006, 1:17 AM
Daily Freeman reports, "'The No Child Left Behind Law states that you must allow military recruiters on your school grounds on the same basis that you allow any other recruiters on school grounds, and if you don't allow them, you're going to lose your (federal) Title I funding,' he [board President Marino D'Orazio] said."
Buffalo special education program a "major problem'
Date CapturedThursday September 14 2006, 11:04 AM
Buffalo News reports, "Williams [superintendent] said his staff is preparing to seek bids from outside consultants to assess the system and make recommendations for reform. He did not set a timetable, but called special education his "No. 1 priority" now that a three-year academic improvement plan is taking hold. About 20 percent of Buffalo's students have special education designation, far more than other local school districts and one of the highest rates in the state."
Shortage of Bronx school nurses critical
Date CapturedThursday September 14 2006, 9:01 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Maysoun Freij, an advocate for the New York Immigration Coalition, said, 'New York has the fortune of having a large pool of bilingual and bicultural students who could go on to become nurses and doctors if given the chance.'"
Principal's cell grab is right call: Mayor Bloomberg
Date CapturedThursday September 14 2006, 8:20 AM
NY Daily News reports, "But some students and parents, including a group suing the city over its cell phone ban, maintain the phones are needed in cases of emergency."
Federal cuts concern Oneonta schools
Date CapturedThursday September 14 2006, 7:53 AM
The Daily Star reports, "The funds are used to help pay for a remedial reading program that employs about 10 teachers and licensed teaching assistants, Shea [superintendent] said. If the funding does not keep pace with the increasing costs of the program, 'it will have to be evaluated,' he said."
Educate us about violence, New York City Chancellor Klein tells schools
Date CapturedThursday September 14 2006, 7:51 AM
NY Daily News reports, "The directive came more than a week after the teachers union accused the Education Department of inaccurately recording school crime and began testing an online system that will allow teachers to report violence. The union's criticism was prompted by a state report that classified only 14 of the city's 1,400 schools as 'persistently dangerous.'"
Onteora joins towns' fight to defend property assessments
Date CapturedThursday September 14 2006, 7:48 AM
Daily Freeman reports, "The Onteora school board has agreed to participate with three towns fighting lawsuits that seek an 82 percent assessment reduction on more than $757 million in property owned by New York City and New York state."
Clinton County hit with huge state ed bill
Date CapturedThursday September 14 2006, 7:34 AM
Press Republican reports, "The county must come up with more than $300,000 immediately to satisfy a bill from the State Department of Education for pre-school special education services. Some of the charges go back to 2004."
It's way past time for school funding reform
Date CapturedThursday September 14 2006, 5:56 AM
Times Herald-Record contributor Sue Books, professor in the Department of Secondary Education at SUNY New Paltz opined, "In 2003, the funding gap between the 25 percent of school districts in New York with the most and the least poverty was $2,280 per pupil. Between two high schools with 1,500 students each, this amounts to $3.4 million a year. Funding gaps on this scale mean children in some schools receive much more than others of almost everything money can buy for schools: buildings in good repair; well-qualified and adequately compensated teachers; challenging programs; opportunities to participate in art, music and sports; and enough guidance counselors to help students through the increasingly complex college-application maze."
History-making Syracuse meeting goes virtual
Date CapturedThursday September 14 2006, 5:50 AM
The Post-Standard reports, "Not many people would chortle about getting a chance to participate in a Syracuse school board meeting, but Education Commissioner Nancy McCarty did."
$3.4M Study of New York City Schools
Date CapturedThursday September 14 2006, 4:51 AM
NY Post DAVID ANDREATTA reports, "The city [NYC] has agreed to pay the Rand Corp. roughly $3.4 million to study its effort to end social promotion from the third and fifth grades, The Post has learned."
228 New York High Schools Are Identified As Needing Improvement
Date CapturedWednesday September 13 2006, 9:25 PM
A total of 228 high schools have been identified by the State Education Department as needing improvement under federal and state rules. Of these, 18 high schools were newly identified this school year. In addition, 29 schools have been removed from the list because they have made Adequate Yearly Progress for two consecutive years in all areas for which they were identified. An additional 75 high schools made AYP last year and will be removed from the list if they make AYP in 2006-2007.
Rochester area schools shorted $44M by fed
Date CapturedWednesday September 13 2006, 5:16 PM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "The Rochester area is being shorted $44 million in federal school aid promised under the No Child Left Behind Act, Senator Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said today while announcing a report detailing statewide school funding shortfalls."
Binghamton leaders support new funding plan for education
Date CapturedWednesday September 13 2006, 3:30 PM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "The officials who spoke at a press conference at Binghamton City Hall said lawmakers should come up with a statewide solution that would funnel more state school aid money to less affluent school districts statewide, including those in the Southern Tier."
New York State Education Department Dropout Prevention Resources
Date CapturedWednesday September 13 2006, 11:50 AM
Binghamtom High School still needs improvement
Date CapturedWednesday September 13 2006, 7:20 AM
Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "While most subgroups made adequate progress for the 2005-06 year, students with disabilities did not, Cahill [assistant superintendent of instruction] said. Cahill outlined several strategies to raise scores, including giving teachers more training to help students with disabilities, providing programs for students not reading at grade level and helping educators teach reading in various subjects."
Taking charge, making history: Stewart, Binghamton's first black principal since '80s, brings enthusiasm to Horace Mann
Date CapturedWednesday September 13 2006, 7:18 AM
Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "The district hired Stewart, who worked for five years as principal of Sidney Elementary School in Delaware County, because he's an experienced, successful elementary school principal whose style of collaborating with parents and teachers fits with Binghamton's philosophy, Superintendent Peggy J. Wozniak said. But the fact that Stewart is black is a plus as the region's most racially diverse school district makes efforts to diversify its staff, Wozniak said."
Nine local Mid-Hudson school still get failing marks
Date CapturedWednesday September 13 2006, 7:00 AM
Times-Herald Record reports, "The list is more than name-calling. Districts have to pour resources into the problem areas — resources that local taxpayers often have to pay for. In the long run, teachers and principals might be fired if the failures continue. The federal No Child Left Behind Law sets the rules. It covers not only scores but the performance of various racial, ethnic, and other special groups."
Petition seeks busing for Auburn, New York pupils
Date CapturedWednesday September 13 2006, 6:06 AM
Post-Standard reports, "Another parent with concerns about her child walking was critical of the lack of response to her inquiry about a walk-back pass. Susan Phillips Coe said safety 'should be a top priority, along with communication between the school and parents.'"
'Low'down on New York City High Schools
Date CapturedWednesday September 13 2006, 5:06 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Fewer city high schools got a failing grade from the state this year compared with last, but the dreaded roster included a handful of small schools and its first charter school - both high priorities of Bloomberg's administration."
The Not-So-Public Part of the Public Schools: Lack of Accountability
Date CapturedWednesday September 13 2006, 3:22 AM
NY Times reports, "Their [Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein] reinvented school system has many more private components than ever before, which come under very little outside scrutiny. This not-so-public part of the public school system has received more than $330 million in grants and donations from private sources over the past three years, according to Education Department statistics."
Eleven More New York City schools Fail to Meet State Criteria
Date CapturedWednesday September 13 2006, 1:42 AM
NY Times reports, "The designations mean that students in the schools, including a Manhattan charter school, two schools for recent immigrants, in Manhattan and Queens, which are open only to students with limited English skills, and a Brooklyn school that has won wide acclaim for its work with students at serious risk of dropping out, now have the right to ask for a transfer to a better school."
Angry taxpayers speak out at Haverstraw Town Board meeting
Date CapturedTuesday September 12 2006, 6:19 AM
The Journal News reports, "The higher taxes reflect a combination of a reassessment of property — Haverstraw's first in four decades — and tax repayments to the Mirant Corp., the company that owns the Bowline and Lovett power plants. The plants had been overtaxed for decades. 'If you knew this is going to happen, how come tax increases weren't phased in slightly over the 10-year period?' resident Joel Dietch asked the board last night."
New York Children’s Action Network [CAN] wants state government to make children’s issues a priority
Date CapturedMonday September 11 2006, 1:54 PM
Legislative Gazette reports, " The network’s first step is to create a 'children’s budget,' which will strengthen programs and services that affect children and their families."
Growing Up In New York: Charting the Next Generation of Workers, Citizens and Leaders
Date CapturedMonday September 11 2006, 10:02 AM
A report produced by SCAA, reviews the status of children and youth in New York State through charts and critical data. Authors write, "While many individual students have succeeded in New York’s public education system, students as a group show declining aptitude as they age. The implications for college readiness are obvious and alarming."
Join New York CAN
Date CapturedMonday September 11 2006, 9:55 AM
You have an exciting opportunity to join fellow New Yorkers in providing a strong, unified voice to elevate children’s needs as a priority in New York State. How? Become a part of New York CAN.
Nursery-school students get head start on computers
Date CapturedMonday September 11 2006, 9:32 AM
The Columbus Dispatch reports, "About two-thirds of children in nursery school use computers and 23 percent of them use the Internet, according to a national study." (read study on Education New York Online --- see Education Policy page, Information Policy link)
Cooperstown plans kickoff for new academic targets
Date CapturedMonday September 11 2006, 7:00 AM
Cooperstown Crier reports, "The initiative is designed to push the Cooperstown School District from 'good to great' by 2010, officials said, and has been worked on by committees made up of parents, faculty, staff, administrators, community members and students since February."
Educators say they like new way of reporting test results
Date CapturedMonday September 11 2006, 6:59 AM
The Daily Star reports, "One of the features in the system is a unique 10-digit number being assigned to every child in pre-K through grade 12, according to the release. Previously, test results did not always accurately account for students who might have moved from a district, Gilbertsville-Mount Upton Superintendent Douglas Exley said. But under the new system, the identification numbers will move with the students. This feature is expected to produce better."
White Plains to discuss school bond proposal and property taxes
Date CapturedMonday September 11 2006, 6:05 AM
THE JOURNAL NEWS reports, "'I understand things need to be fixed, but I don't believe that it's a hazardous building, and I don't believe that what they're adding is what the school system needs,' said Charles Lederman, a resident who served on a district budget committee when the plan was under consideration last year. Lederman said the Post Road School plan merely 'spends close to $40 million to make a beautiful, modern schoolhouse that will look very nice in real estate brochures.'"
Albany charter schools display sharing spirit
Date CapturedMonday September 11 2006, 5:08 AM
Times Union Rick Karlin reports, "The schools share a renovated building at 42 S. Dove St. in the city's South End. The Brighter Choice Foundation, which owns the building, helps charter schools get started with financing and advice."
New York City's No-Bid Deal for Schools
Date CapturedSunday September 10 2006, 10:59 AM
NY Times opined, "As they’ve tackled a myriad of education problems, Mr. Bloomberg and Mr. Klein — who both lack previous education management experience — have frequently shown a lack of respect for the education department’s own experts. While both men clearly have the schools’ best interests at heart, it’s sometimes hard to tell whether their eagerness to reach outside for help is based on real need or a simple impatience with people who don’t fit the corporate model. And in the past they have not always been right."
Fordham Graduate School of Education Nets $4.5 Million in Grants
Date CapturedSunday September 10 2006, 10:47 AM
The New York State Education Department has awarded Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education $4.5 million in contracts for two Bilingual Education Technical Assistance Centers (BETACs) to serve more than 51,300 students in grades K-12 in the Bronx and Lower Hudson Valley. The highly competitive awards each total $2.25 million over a five-year period. BETACs were established by the New York State Education Department to assist districts and schools in developing high quality educational programs to help English Language Learners (ELL) or Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students meet New York state’s learning standards.
SAT becoming less important
Date CapturedSunday September 10 2006, 10:27 AM
Buffalo News former editor Murray Light opined, "No matter what admissions option college officials claim, a student submitting a record of very good SAT scores is bound to have an edge over those who have passed on taking the exam or who have not scored too well on the exam. The competition for acceptance in colleges is greater than ever and every bit of positive fodder certainly helps admissions officers make their decision."
SMART PASS NABS SUB-PAR TEACHERS
Date CapturedSunday September 10 2006, 10:13 AM
NY Post reports, " A sophisticated swipe-card system to track the city's army of substitute teachers - and keep criminals away from classrooms - will soon be installed at every public school around the city."
Upstate schools want aid if N.Y.C. gets more funds: September is "Act For Education Month."
Date CapturedSaturday September 09 2006, 8:24 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "In anticipation of next month's hearing in the state Court of Appeals, the groups rallied education and political leaders in Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo and other cities to push for the passage of legislation to increase school funding if the Court of Appeals upholds a ruling to send more school aid to New York City."
KLEIN'S NEW LINE ON NEW YORK CITY CLASS SIZE
Date CapturedSaturday September 09 2006, 8:19 AM
NY Post David Andreatta writes, "Schools Chancellor Joel Klein said yesterday he has the authority to lower class sizes - despite claims of city lawyers this week that Mayor Bloomberg cannot force the school system to reduce them.
CUNY ROLLS ON
Date CapturedSaturday September 09 2006, 8:16 AM
NY Post David Andreatta writes, "The 226,213 students registered at CUNY campuses represent a 2.5 percent increase over last year."
Changes in New York state school funding urged
Date CapturedFriday September 08 2006, 11:51 PM
Mid-Hudson News reports, "Sottile (Kingston mayor) said he feels that richer counties are being favored in the current school funding system, funded by property taxes, and that the poorer, and more in need counties are being left in the dust."
United Federation of Teachers (UFT) chapter leaders excited, but skeptical, about New York City Empowerment Schools
Date CapturedFriday September 08 2006, 10:52 PM
New York Teacher reports, "Several chapter leaders wondered if the sink-or-swim method of success imposed on the principals — and therefore on the entire school — wasn’t a way for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, 'the accountability mayor,' to dodge accountability."
Part 100 of the Commissioner's Regulations - Basic Regulations Regarding Public and Non-Public Schools in New York State
Date CapturedFriday September 08 2006, 8:56 PM
These documents do not include text for the entire Part 100 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. Copies of other sections and the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York (Volumes A, A1 and B, Title 8, Education) may be obtained from school or public libraries.
The Future of SUNY
Date CapturedFriday September 08 2006, 9:28 AM
Chancellor John Ryan writes, "After the fall elections, I will urge our state leaders to establish a Blue Ribbon commission that would be made up of a cross-section of stakeholders: business leaders, experienced educators and administrative leaders from New York and comparable states, as well as both a student representative and an international higher education official. The commission would take a comprehensive look at what works best in higher education, not just in New York State, but throughout the country and internationally. After it conducts broad research on SUNY and best practices throughout higher education, the commission would make a series of recommendations regarding SUNY to the governor, the legislature, and SUNY Trustees. These recommendations could then serve as a blueprint for the future of the State University."
New York school funding reform efforts
Date CapturedFriday September 08 2006, 9:21 AM
Millbrook Round Table reports, "The current public school funding mechanisms are failing. Meeting participants felt that state-wide long-term funding reform is needed. Achievement of long-term reform will require a monumental effort and must be supported by the majority of residents in the state."
Overcrowded New York City schools still big problem
Date CapturedFriday September 08 2006, 8:26 AM
Queens Courier reports, "By 2009, an additional 50,000 seats will have been added citywide - in both new and restructured schools - at an estimated cost of $10.5 billion."
Time to reform the New York state school aid formula
Date CapturedFriday September 08 2006, 8:17 AM
Ithaca Journal Op-Ed contributor Ronald Mac Lean writes, "During our [citizens advisory group] initial year, an initiative was created to educate taxpayers of the political aspects of education. This initiative emerged as Political Action Concerning Education or PACE. This fall, PACE will concentrate on promoting school aid reform with our New York state political representatives. Beginning Sept. 9, copies of petitions calling for New York state school aid formula reform will be circulating through out the Trumansburg Central School District by PACE volunteers."
City schools hire chief of security
Date CapturedFriday September 08 2006, 7:15 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "Martin [security head] started with the police department as a dispatcher and rose to detective in 1989. She has worked in juvenile ever since. Martin plans to continue her work with young people in the school system."
New York Education Department unveils new student database
Date CapturedFriday September 08 2006, 6:58 AM
Times Record reports, "Teachers are all for the new system if it is used to help students learn, said Ron Simon, president of the New Paltz Teachers union. But he has concerns. 'Are we using it to hold students accountable for their learning, or are we using it to pinpoint teachers?' Simon asked. 'We would hate to see this one day being used to promote things like merit pay'."
Syracuse board hears unions' pitch
Date CapturedFriday September 08 2006, 6:08 AM
Post-Standard reports, "Towsley [Central and Northern New York Building Trades Council] said the arrangement can save money, get Syracuse students trained through union apprenticeship programs, increase women and minority participation and increase safety."
New York schools test scores made easy for parents
Date CapturedFriday September 08 2006, 5:22 AM
Times Union Rick Karlin wites, "'These reports are designed to be parent-friendly,' Martha Musser, coordinator of information and reporting systems for the Education Department, said Thursday as the agency unveiled the new reports. They also will allow parents to track how their children are doing on standardized tests over time, said Acting Deputy Commissioner Jean Stevens."
Albany Common Council backs call for education funding reform
Date CapturedFriday September 08 2006, 12:34 AM
Capital News 9 reports, "The Campaign for Fiscal Equity wants New York State to close the gap in education funding. And the Albany Common Council is backing the cause in declaring September 'Act for Education Month.'"
NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT UNVEILS NEW SYSTEM TO TRACK AND REPORT STUDENT DATA, SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE NEW TOOLS TO IMPROVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Date CapturedThursday September 07 2006, 6:10 PM
Beginning this fall, test results will be delivered directly to schools in an electronic format, giving authorized school administrators and teachers instant access to data regarding individual student performance, performance by groups of students (including breakdowns by race, ethnicity, disability status, gender, English proficiency, economic status, and migrant status), and overall performance by school and school district. This electronic system will give schools interactive reports on all this information. Parents will receive more detailed printed reports explaining their children’s performance on the tests. The reports will not only give the overall score but will also give a more detailed breakdown of a student’s performance on several indicators of achievement. All individual student information will be protected during every phase of data collection and reporting.
New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) on charter schools
Date CapturedThursday September 07 2006, 2:25 PM
Letter from NYSSBA executive director Timothy Kremer to New York State Board of Regents Chancellor Robert Bennett on charter schools accountability, "Article 56 off the Education Law compels the Board of Regents to review 'the educational effectiveness of the charter school approach and the effect of charter schools on public and nonpublic schools systems.' Regrettably, the State Education Department’s recently released annual report on the status of charter schools fails to illuminate whether this strategy is working."
State called on to comply with court ruling on New York City school funding
Date CapturedThursday September 07 2006, 9:05 AM
The Business Review (Albany) reports, "Elected officials in Albany, N.Y., and Schenectady will hold events Thursday designed to pressure the state into complying with the court ruling in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity case."
Plattsburgh State Upward Bound's success rate: 92-percent college attendance with a 60-percent graduation rate
Date CapturedThursday September 07 2006, 7:34 AM
Press Republican opined, "Upward Bound projects provide academic instruction in mathematics, laboratory sciences, composition, literature and foreign languages. The local students experience living in the university's dormitories and move to their classes in real-life collegiate settings. While attending lectures and getting homework in subjects like public speaking, creative writing and foreign languages, the students also participate in a variety of out-of-classroom activites, like attending leadership conferences, hiking and field trips."
Beacon bears brunt of district's tax increase
Date CapturedThursday September 07 2006, 6:59 AM
The Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "Ann Marie Quartironi, the school district's business manager, said new construction in Fishkill is one factor in the new school tax rates, but much of the imbalance this year between the three communities is related to new state data. The state data, known as equalization rates, are updated annually but aren't available until after school budgets are approved in the spring."
Two Catholic schools open Newburgh
Date CapturedThursday September 07 2006, 6:36 AM
Times Herald reports, "Both schools are organized around the San Miguel Academy model — a type of Catholic school introduced to American inner cities in the 1970s. As Catholic schools around the country have become more expensive, the San Miguel academies are a return to the church's tradition of educating America's immigrants and the poor."
Curfew education
Date CapturedThursday September 07 2006, 6:29 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opined on curfew, " Teachers should make sure that kids understand the curfew, and also why city leaders feel it is necessary. Eight people under the age of 18 died violently in Rochester last year and more were injured. In July, there were at least 38 shootings and at one point this summer eight people were killed over as many days. As school starts up again, young people ought to be discussing what they can do to end this plague of violence."
New York state schools told to reach out to at-risk kids
Date CapturedThursday September 07 2006, 6:26 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Johnson, [assistant secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education in the Bush administration], before serving as keynote speaker for a United Way fundraiser at Rochester Country Club on Wednesday, said improving education in urban districts can happen with a rigorous curriculum that applies to all students, excellent teaching, and comprehensive and diagnostic student assessments."
Cost of college too high?
Date CapturedThursday September 07 2006, 5:13 AM
Times Union reports, "Tuition at community colleges is particularly high, noted Finney. Last year, community college tuition averaged $2,800 in New York, compared with $300 in California and just over $1,000 in Washington state."
Taking a byte at teaching
Date CapturedThursday September 07 2006, 4:44 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Martin, 35, is one of 1,700 new recruits in the city's Teaching Fellow program - a joint effort of the Department of Education, the United Federation of Teachers and local universities and schools. The program, which started in 2000, trains professionals and recent graduates to teach subjects with a shortage of teachers, such as math, science and special education. There are now 7,000 teaching fellows."
City’s Lawyers Say Mayor Can’t Control Class Sizes
Date CapturedThursday September 07 2006, 3:46 AM
NY Times ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS reports, "The claim came during a hearing in a case in which parents and teachers are trying to put a referendum on the ballot to force the mayor to hire more teachers and reduce the class sizes in city schools. They argue that smaller classes, in line with those in much of the rest of the state, are the best way to improve education for city students."
Report Finds U.S. Students Lagging in Finishing College
Date CapturedThursday September 07 2006, 3:35 AM
NY Times reports, "The report 'badly miscalculates New York’s TAP program and inaccurately portrays higher education in New York as unaffordable,’' said John R. Ryan, the SUNY chancellor. 'Nothing could be further from the truth.'”
A Not-Quite-New Teacher Starts a New School Year
Date CapturedThursday September 07 2006, 3:34 AM
NY Times reports, "Once the Batavia teacher’s gender identity disorder was diagnosed and she told officials of her intention to continue teaching, the school’s course of action was governed by state law, as well as its own instincts. 'Because it’s a medically diagnosed condition, it fits in as a disability under the New York Human Rights Law,' Mr. Spitz said. 'We have to accommodate the disability and allow the individual to perform the job.'”
Ranking police official to be appointed as chief of Buffalo school safety to curb violence
Date CapturedWednesday September 06 2006, 9:56 AM
Buffalo News reports, "The new position is designed to place a person with extensive police experience in charge of security, to streamline and improve communication between schools and the Police Department and to help prevent violence from spilling into schools from the surrounding neighborhoods."
Welcome to a new school year of building bridges
Date CapturedWednesday September 06 2006, 7:57 AM
Ithaca Journal guest columnist Judith Pastel, superintendent of the Ithaca City School District, writes, "Last year, many ICSD employees worked closely with me to upgrade our internal communications processes, that is, how we communicate with each other. This was the first major step toward a culture of on-going and improved communication. This year, we will build on those initial efforts and make serious headway with our external communication. Community members and the public will read monthly guest columns by district staff. Our goal is to publish a district newsletter during October and during May. Serious review of our Web site is in progress in order to improve accessibility and content. By the end of the school year, I will be asking community members to provide input on our efforts."
NEA head speaks at Ithaca City School District rally
Date CapturedWednesday September 06 2006, 7:52 AM
Ithaca Journal reports, "Weaver [NEA head] stressed the impact educators have on children and told the district's employees that teaching methods must evolve with the students. 'As times change we have to change too,' he said. 'You can't teach in 2006 the same way you did in 1986.' Weaver, who taught middle school for 30 years, talked about his own efforts to change when in the late 1980s he observed his students' home lives becoming more volatile."
District deserves praise for thinking outside the box
Date CapturedWednesday September 06 2006, 7:38 AM
The Troy Record opined on rural school challenges and efforts, "The problems facing this sprawling rural school district, however, remain: decreasing enrollment, inconsistent and dwindling state aid and increased operational costs. Out of this morass of bad news, however, hope has arisen."
Schools keep an eye out for children of the flood
Date CapturedWednesday September 06 2006, 6:19 AM
Post-Standard reports, "The trauma of this summer's flooding is staying with some children, who have seen their possessions destroyed and have spent their summers bouncing between relatives."
Oneida teachers are taught how to reach all pupils
Date CapturedWednesday September 06 2006, 6:14 AM
Post-Standard reports on school orientation and in-service program, "Weber [classroom teacher and an education consultant ] said people who live in poverty are focused primarily on basic survival, so those children come to school with nonverbal, sensory and reactive skills. Schools, however, value verbal, abstract and proactive skills."
Regents urged to stop shocks
Date CapturedWednesday September 06 2006, 5:55 AM
Times Union Rick Karlin reports, "In addition to shock treatment, the regulations would govern the use of noxious sprays, withholding food, physical restraints and isolation rooms as ways to control mentally ill or disturbed youngsters. Such practices are unregulated by the Education Department, but the agency spends millions of dollars a year to send children to special schools, many of which are out of state, that have used some of these techniques."
New York City parents know the truth about charters
Date CapturedWednesday September 06 2006, 4:45 AM
NY Daily News guest columnist Paula Gavin, CEO of the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence opined, "Opponents argue that charter schools accept only the best students. Not true: Students are admitted through an open lottery. And opponents claim charter schools aren't real public schools. Wrong: They are just as public as your corner PS - but they happen to be run by parents and community groups."
9/11 Leaves Its Mark on History Classes
Date CapturedWednesday September 06 2006, 3:39 AM
NY Times JANNY SCOTT writes, "While many historians say 9/11 accelerated a push toward 'internationalizing' American history — looking at what Thomas Bender, a professor of history at New York University, called 'a common history with common causes for central events in American history' — some others said 9/11 had renewed their interest in an almost opposite idea, that of American exceptionalism. American exceptionalism, the view that the United States is fundamentally different from other developed countries and has a special role in the world, fell out of favor around the time of the rise of the new social history in the late 1960’s, said Stephan Thernstrom, a history professor at Harvard who describes himself as a neoconservative."
Lower class size push launched on first day of school in New York City
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 3:46 PM
The UFT writes, "Research shows that small classes in all grades lead to higher student achievement. The STAR project in Tennessee randomly assigned 6,000 children to small and large classes in kindergarten through third grade and followed them throughout their school careers. The students in small classes did significantly better in the early grades, held on to those gains through high school and were more likely to go to college."
Charter school lessons
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 10:06 AM
Times Union opined on school choice, "The mixed results show that it is far too soon to declare charter schools a success. More time and more studies are necessary to determine whether this experiment has been worth it. More recent national data suggest that fourth graders in charter schools were, at best, keeping pace with their peers in public schools in reading last year, but lagged behind in math."
Ithaca High School Link Crew: Smart idea, perfect time
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 7:19 AM
The Ithaca Journal opined on a new high school program, "Repeated studies by the Education Department and private academic researchers have demonstrated the stress of entering high school has a direct impact on a student's ultimate success. Kids who are less frightened, less confused and more connected with their older peers are less likely to fail and in general perform better academically. Fostering a sense of community and mutual support among teens, well that's just a bonus."
Editorial: The nation's learning curve
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 6:16 AM
The Journal News opined on special education, "Among the high-profile changes in Congress' 2004 reforms now taking effect: States can no longer use the discrepancy formula as the sole reason for rejecting a child as learning disabled. Actually, New York's regulations have said for years that the formula's use was not required; in fact, if it was used, it couldn't be the sole determinant of learning difficulties. However, hundreds of appeals by parents to the state's education commissioners reveal widespread use of the practice by districts. No more. Under the new regulations, no state or district can rely solely on the discrepancy canard. Parents fighting for services for their children should know that."
School Bus Sign-Ups
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 6:15 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Looking to trim fat from its budget, the city Education Department will require some 110,000 general education students eligible for busing to register for the service this year, The Post has learned."
Half-Booked HS a Classic: NEW YORK CITY WAS TOO LATE ON ELITE BROOKLYN LATIN SCHOOL
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 6:07 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports on new high school, "But when the bell rings in the new academic year today, less than half of the 125 seats at the Bushwick school will be occupied, because the city did not introduce it to top students early enough for them to apply."
Obtaining people's trust is district aim: Hyde Park looks to build support
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 6:06 AM
The Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "Stung by budget defeats in May and last year, the school board is determined to gain community support for upcoming votes on building upgrades. These are among the eight goals the Hyde Park school board is proposing to adopt for the 2006-07 school year."
Tier districts see cost of diesel fuel triple over 5 years
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 5:58 AM
Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "Students may go on fewer field trips, and late bus runs may be reduced as school districts across the Southern Tier grapple with rising diesel fuel costs that have more than tripled over the past five years."
Rush-Henrietta district wants to keep in touch: New council, Web site aim to keep bonds among alumni strong
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 5:49 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "About 3,000 of the district's 35,000 graduates already have registered on the Web site and posted updates about their lives, and 75 have done so in the last two weeks of August, said Joe Bellanca, council president and a 1965 graduate."
Safety, kids' smiles are key to crossing guard job
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 5:48 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "'The crossing guards are a part of the neighborhood, ... part of the community,' said community services assistant Douglas Averill, coordinator of the Irondequoit crossing guards. Each school year, crossing guards hired by municipalities and police departments in Monroe County make sure children get to school safely."
A ride to pre-K
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 5:40 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opined, "It is well-known that children in the poorest city neighborhoods are more likely to live with single working parents or parents who don't own cars. This makes transporting children to a 21/2-hour pre-K program difficult, if not impossible. Those few agencies that host prekindergarten programs and use their own resources to transport kids find their services are in demand."
Special ed is honcho's priority
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 4:30 AM
NY Daily News reports on NYC schools chancellor for teaching and learning, "'I'd like to see a sharp increase in the number of kids in inclusive settings,' he [Andres Alonso] said. 'We know that the kids that we see in inclusive settings are outperforming kids in more restrictive environments.' He also hopes to improve achievement for bilingual students, particularly those who come to city schools as teens. But he, added, increasing the graduation rate is 'our greatest challenge.'"
Exam-free rule for religious holidays in New York City schools
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 4:29 AM
NY Daily News reports, "The law was spurred after statewide English exams for third-graders were scheduled during the Muslim holidays of Eid-al-Adha and Eid-al-Fitr during the last school year."
Summer's bell tolls for kids: New schools, rules as class resumes
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 4:26 AM
NY Daily News talks with NYC Chancellor Klein about school choice, teachers, and cellphones, "We have charters that are ready and we could open in the fall of [2007]. We will continue to work with them in the hope and the optimistic sense that this cap will be lifted."
Back to School in a System Being Remade
Date CapturedTuesday September 05 2006, 3:23 AM
NY Times reports on NYC schools reform, "Chancellor Klein said last week that he was intent on moving the school system 'from a culture of excuse to a culture of accountability.' 'Our parents will come to see that the information they’re getting, the quality education their kids are getting, the sense of what it’s like at the school, is going to change,' he added. 'And I think our parents will insist on sustainability.'”
Arizona State University builds key educational bridge with China
Date CapturedMonday September 04 2006, 11:59 AM
East Valley Tribune reports, "Other universities helping to establish the institute are the University of California system, the State University of New York at Albany, the University of Utah and Louisiana State University as well as several other Chinese universities, she [Mariko Silver, director of strategic projects for ASU] said."
2 majors in crime new to college: Roberts Wesleyan College introduces degrees in white-collar issues, forensic science
Date CapturedMonday September 04 2006, 11:28 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports on Roberts program and courses at State University College at Buffalo, Genesee Community College and Hilbert College, "The economic-crime investigation program has courses in criminal justice, accounting and computer science, and students will specialize either in accounting or computers. And for the major, the college is creating courses on white-collar crime, computer forensics and computer network security."
Bus driving more than sitting behind wheel: Special training, annual tests help keep kids safe
Date CapturedMonday September 04 2006, 10:43 AM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Each year, a driver must undergo a physical examination and defensive driving performance review. Also, three bus safety drills must be conducted on each route. Every two years, a driver is required to do a behind-the-wheel road test and a written or oral test, both required by the DMV, and a physical performance test mandated by the state Education Department that involves dragging a 125-pound weight 30 feet. And there are optional advanced courses a driver may take, some of which could lead to a driver becoming a certified driver instructor, for example."
'Twas the night before school and hope sprang eternal
Date CapturedMonday September 04 2006, 10:31 AM
Times Herald contributor Laura Giner Bair , Newburgh Schools teacher, writes "We hope that our children are safe and that they make academic progress. We hope that children are respectful and grow in moral conduct. We hope that teachers are wise and kind and mindful that our children are young and sometimes fragile. We hope that parents are supportive and join us as partners in the education of all our children. We hope that whatever there is that might need to change will change."
Northeastern Clinton Central School estimates costs for facilities improvements
Date CapturedMonday September 04 2006, 10:24 AM
Press Republican reports, "Early estimates show Northeastern Clinton Central School taxpayers' pockets would be harder hit by construction of a completely new consolidated elementary facility than if the existing buildings were expanded and renovated. That's because state aid for the former would come in at about 82 percent versus an estimated 58 percent for a stand-alone building."
COLLEGE PHONE PLAN AN EASY 'CELL'
Date CapturedMonday September 04 2006, 9:13 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Baruch College students searching for an open computer on campus, assignments for a missed class, and even their best friends this fall semester now need only check their mobile phone for the info."
Labor Day lesson: Unions still hurt schoolkids
Date CapturedMonday September 04 2006, 9:01 AM
NY Daily News columnist Stanley Crouch writes on unions, "At this point, we can see that the grand monster and enemy of public education in our fair city has struck again. That monster is the principals union, which almost always seems more concerned with feather beds for its members than quality performance. As we found out last week from Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, a union contract requires the city to keep 44 inept assistant principals to the tune of millions of dollars when what is actually needed amounts to more high quality teachers."
More students come home to Onondaga Community College: With residence halls, college's enrollment rises by about 15 percent
Date CapturedSunday September 03 2006, 2:53 PM
Post-Standard reports, "With the new residence halls, fall enrollment at OCC is about 15 percent higher than last year. There are about 70 students on a waiting list for a dorm room."
CITY'S SCHOOL-SAFETY MATH PROBLEM
Date CapturedSunday September 03 2006, 8:15 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "John Feinblatt, the city's criminal-justice coordinator, explained that the city depends not only on the NYPD to shape school safety policy but also on random inspections of school security procedures. 'We think that when you combine that with crime data, you have a pretty surefire way of judging the health of a school.' He added that staff reports are important but 'just like I would never ask a police officer to grade a paper, I would never ask a teacher to report a crime according to FBI definitions.'"
Back to school, on to the future ... AND ... with smart new leaders (2 editorials)
Date CapturedSunday September 03 2006, 8:02 AM
NY Daily News opined on New York City schools Chancellor Klein and school reform plans, "Even more ambitious, a new computer system will let teachers and administrators check whether a child has improved by a full performance level, or gone down by half a level, and compare results by classroom, by demographic group and by individual student. Success will become readily apparent, as will failure. Performance will finally count."
Standing by their principals: 'Empowerment' bigs win freedom from educrats
Date CapturedSunday September 03 2006, 7:56 AM
NY Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, ""The thing people are really concerned about is where they go if there's a problem,' said Tim Johnson, head of a citywide parents group. 'There doesn't seem to be a clear path of accountability like there is in the current system.' Empowerment principals say they understand the concerns, but they argue that the consequences of failing will drive the schools toward success."
Rochester district to boost security measures: Two 'dangerous' city high schools take extra safety steps
Date CapturedSunday September 03 2006, 7:51 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "As required by the No Child Left Behind Act, the district sent letters to parents and guardians of the more than 2,000 students in both schools to alert them that students can transfer if they wish. The district received about 60 transfer requests before those letters were sent."
Costly defeat for LAUSD
Date CapturedSaturday September 02 2006, 10:05 AM
LA Daily News reports, "Los Angeles Unified has spent more than $350,000 in taxpayer money in its unsuccessful bid to defeat Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's school-takeover legislation, documents obtained by the Daily News show. The expenses include lobbying and consulting contracts, nearly $10,000 to bus hundreds of parents to Sacramento, and thousands of dollars to house school board members in pricey hotel rooms. They also include more than $2,000 for T-shirts for supporters and hundreds of dollars to fly parents opposed to mayoral takeover in from New York and San Francisco."
New York unsafe schools cited
Date CapturedSaturday September 02 2006, 9:42 AM
NY Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, "The union [teachers] is testing an online system that allows teachers to report violent incidents and crimes into its central computer."
At 2-Year Colleges, Students Eager but Unready
Date CapturedSaturday September 02 2006, 9:17 AM
NY Times reports, "Aside from New York City’s higher education system, at least 12 states explicitly bar state universities from providing remedial courses or take other steps like deferred admissions to steer students needing helping toward technical or community colleges. Some students who need to catch up attend two- and four-year institutions simultaneously. The efforts, educators say, have not cut back on the thousands of students who lack basic skills. Instead, the colleges have clustered those students in community colleges, where their chances of succeeding are low and where taxpayers pay a second time to bring them up to college level. The phenomenon has educators struggling with fundamental questions about access to education, standards and equal opportunity."
New York State English test scores delayed
Date CapturedSaturday September 02 2006, 8:54 AM
The Journal News reports, "Under the federal No Child Left Behind Law, students who score '1' or '2' on a four-point scale are required to receive extra help, called 'academic intervention services' for the following year." Chambers said the district would rely on its own assessments for extra help when school starts, and then readjust its program when the scores are released."
COLOR NEW YORK CITY'S SCHOOLS ROSY
Date CapturedSaturday September 02 2006, 8:47 AM
NY Post DAVID ANDREATTA writes, "Beginning this month, high-schoolers will be issued glossy cards outlining the number of credits and Regents exam standards needed to graduate. The cards will be color coded in accordance to the year they entered high school and will date to 2001, for those starting their sixth year of high school."
1,000 New York City schools teachers demoted to subs
Date CapturedSaturday September 02 2006, 8:37 AM
NY Daily News ERIN EINHORN reports, "Klein [Chancellor] said unwanted teachers no longer will be moved around in 'a random and arbitrary fashion.' This school year, no principals will be forced to take on new teachers whom they didn't hire. That's a drastic change from last year, when 2,800 teachers involuntarily moved to a new school by using seniority rules or because their job had been eliminated at another school, Klein said."
Chancellor Klein Reverses Hiring Freeze
Date CapturedFriday September 01 2006, 2:37 PM
New York Public Radio reports, "In this latest memo the chancellor also encouraged principals to consider Assistant Principals that have been excessed. The principals union had complained the day before about a letter in which the chancellor said he was spending millions of dollars creating jobs for more than 40 assistant principals because he didn't want to force them on any schools."
For a longer school year
Date CapturedFriday September 01 2006, 11:48 AM
Buffalo News opined on extended school year, "New York retains that old model with the average public school year at 184 days, historically the standard locally and statewide. An increasingly global economy, where places like Shanghai allow an enriching set of after-school programs that involve music, dance, art and science, demands a high level of academic and personal achievement. That's better obtained with additional time in class."
State Education Commissioner Richard Mills to settle flap over charter school funding
Date CapturedFriday September 01 2006, 10:54 AM
Buffalo News reports, "District officials agree they must pay the charter school about $2.4 million - more than $9,000 per pupil. But they also contend state law only requires them to cover 155 of those pupils with about $1.4 million during the 2006-07 school year because that's how many pupils charter school officials projected the new school would draw from the city's public schools in the charter plan they submitted to the state in 2005. The remaining $1 million would be paid in 2007-08."
Get a job or get out
Date CapturedFriday September 01 2006, 10:38 AM
NY Daily News opined on AP positions, "But union boss Jill Levy rejects the thought of empowering the city's school chiefs. Why? Because assistant principals make up most of her union, and she insists on preserving the job security even of lemons that no one wants. In fact, she takes great umbrage at Klein's characterization of her desk jockeys in the making."
Teachers' contracts stall over health care: District standoffs rise 33%
Date CapturedFriday September 01 2006, 10:27 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "New York State United Teachers, the state's largest teachers union, reported Thursday that 209 local teacher unions and 169 NYSUT-affiliated unions -- cafeteria workers, bus drivers, teacher aides, teaching assistants and other professionals -- will work with expired contracts. Overall, 70,000 employees are in those locals. State law requires that teachers eligible for step raises get them even if the contract is expired."
New York Teachers union opposes new mandate for English language learners
Date CapturedFriday September 01 2006, 8:30 AM
New York Teacher reports, "Until now, students who have attended school in the United States for less than three years were not required to take the ELA exam. The recent ruling by the U.S. Depart-ment of Education contradicts the state's policy and NYSUT is investigating possible actions."
KLEIN BLOWS THE WHISTLE
Date CapturedFriday September 01 2006, 8:20 AM
NY Post opined, "Surely the public would like to hear why these people have to be given "make-work" jobs . . . rather than be let go. Surely the public would like to know why a union would be organized to permit - indeed, encourage - one part of its membership to undermine the efficiency of another."
NO TAKERS FOR 44 ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS
Date CapturedFriday September 01 2006, 8:13 AM
NY Post reports, "'There is one thing perfectly clear: This is not a performance issue,' Gibbons [spokesman for the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators] said. 'Some of the [assistants] were not even informed they [lost their jobs] until this week, and the Department of Education has not yet posted vacancies or tried to place these people.'"
Reminder: School chief serves board
Date CapturedThursday August 31 2006, 9:45 AM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle Op-Ed contributor Cynthia Elliott, member of the Rochester Board of Education writes, "All the district goals should be developed by the board in conjunction with the superintendent, and any assurances that our long-term and strategic goals are achieved should emanate from those elected representatives."
SAT blues: Standardized test scores don't show the whole picture
Date CapturedThursday August 31 2006, 9:38 AM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opined, "There are many ways to judge a student's abilities, from letters of recommendation and grades to personal essays and extra-curricular activities. Students, parents and college admissions officers shouldn't get hung up on SATs. Passing tests shouldn't be an end-all."
Flap over summer reading at least shows engaged parents
Date CapturedThursday August 31 2006, 9:33 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opined, "From hundreds of channels of cable television to satellite radio to the World Wide Web, young people have access to more media than ever. They need parents who are paying attention."
MIXED RECORD ON SCHOOL TAKEOVERS
Date CapturedThursday August 31 2006, 9:21 AM
AP reports, "As [Los Angeles] Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa prepares to assume some control over the nation's second-largest school district, education experts in Chicago and New York said Wednesday that greater city involvement there has achieved mixed grades."
NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS AX 328 JOBS
Date CapturedThursday August 31 2006, 8:39 AM
NY Post DAVID ANDREATTA reports, "The spokesman [NYC schools], David Cantor, said that $87.5 million has been trimmed from jobs related to teaching, counseling and administrative functions."
Late exam results test city parents' patience
Date CapturedThursday August 31 2006, 8:22 AM
NY Daily News ERIN EINHORN and CARRIE MELAGO report, "'When the data are finally released, schools will get the information electronically, which Dunn [state Education Department spokesman] argued would make it 'more useful to them in helping children.' Parents also will be given user-friendly reports that explain how their child fared, he said."
New York City Chancellor Klein: We gotta keep the rejects
Date CapturedThursday August 31 2006, 8:12 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Although the city's 1,400 schools still need to hire 22 assistant principals, none of the 44 administrators will be sent to schools where they aren't wanted. At a cost of $5.2 million, they will get paper-pushing jobs, Education Department officials said. The union contract prohibits administrators from taking teaching positions. The contract and state law also allow administrators to bump less-senior colleagues from their jobs."
Two Monroe County schools land physical education grants
Date CapturedWednesday August 30 2006, 9:43 PM
Rochester Business Journal reports, "The funds are administered by the U.S. Department of Education through the Carol M. White Physical Education Program. The program funds a variety of education agencies and community organizations to start, expand or improve physical education programs for students in grades kindergarten through 12."
Districts feel pinch of gas prices
Date CapturedWednesday August 30 2006, 1:31 PM
Star-Gazette reports, "A state formula provides increases in the amount districts pay contractors to offset increasing costs of diesel fuel."
Buffalo Superintendent Williams pushes for longer school year: Plan, which includes longer school day, is supported by Board of Regents chancellor
Date CapturedWednesday August 30 2006, 12:02 PM
Buffalo News reports, "Bennett (chancellor) said he expects similar efforts across the state. Williams said the longer year and extended day are needed to: Give students more time to tackle increasingly demanding course work and state graduation requirements; Allow more classroom periods for vocational education, art and music, which are getting crowded out by the expansion of instruction in English, math and other 'core subjects'; Provide more time for teacher training and preparation. This school year, teachers report to school on Tuesday, then begin instruction on Wednesday; Allow time during the school day for Advanced Placement and honors courses that are being phased back into Buffalo high schools."
Building bigger, better, costlier schools
Date CapturedWednesday August 30 2006, 11:59 AM
The Journal News reports, "As the school year approaches, a flurry of activity is kicking up at schools throughout the region as districts race to finish summertime construction projects. Following a national trend of schools' spending more money on expanding, renovating and repairing their facilities, local schools are building new labs, adding to instructional space and making renovations to save on energy costs. However, some districts are following another national trend, as they find that construction projects will be more expensive than expected. The unanticipated increases can run from the thousands into the millions of dollars."
Citizens must join call for education aid change
Date CapturedWednesday August 30 2006, 11:53 AM
The Ithaca Journal guest columnist Cosimo Tangorra Jr. writes, "As superintendent of the Trumansburg Central School District, I join the Statewide School Finance Consortium in calling on the State to: * Provide an equitable school aid formula that addresses the disparities between wealthy and poor school districts. * Make the new formula easy to understand and manage. * Bring real fairness to school taxes. * Find a new method for funding education that relies less on property tax. * Make school funding more predictable, so school districts can plan long term."
BRONX SCHOOL TO OPEN DOORS
Date CapturedWednesday August 30 2006, 7:43 AM
NY Post reports, "Some 1,300 Bronx schoolkids will have brand-new facilities next week, Mayor Bloomberg announced yesterday."
Rochester forum looks at troubled students: Duffy, others discuss how to keep kids in school
Date CapturedWednesday August 30 2006, 7:31 AM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "The forum drew wide-ranging support from educators, community activists, parents and students. Linking the dropout rate to economic development in Rochester, Duffy [Rochester mayor] said economic growth in the city is made difficult without an educated work force in place."
Bloomberg defends fat ed rehab tab
Date CapturedWednesday August 30 2006, 7:24 AM
NY Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, "'It's a $17 million contract over a period of time which is trying to save us $200 million a year,' Bloomberg said. 'Think about where you work if they put up a competitive bid for every job. Just getting the lowest person who's willing to work at the lowest price doesn't get you what you want.'"
NY grads low on SAT, but here more take test
Date CapturedTuesday August 29 2006, 8:36 PM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "New Yorkers' scores (SAT) were below the national average. But close to 90 percent of New York's high school graduates take the SAT, the highest percentage of any state, while in many other states only the top kids academically take the college entrance exam."
Policing as Education Policy: A briefing on the initial impact of the Impact Schools program
Date CapturedTuesday August 29 2006, 12:50 PM
Prepared by Sharon Balmer with Travis Dale, Bethany Aaronson, and John M. Beam. Brief on Impact Schools reports, "In addition to having significantly higher rates of suspension and police incidents and significantly lower attendance rates than most non-Impact schools, Impact Schools were significantly different from other city high schools in a number of ways." National Center for Schools and Communities, Fordham University, August 2006.
Rhinebeck schools, town will share facilities
Date CapturedTuesday August 29 2006, 10:34 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "The school district will be able to use the town's athletic fields and other outdoor facilities while the town will be able to use the school district's buildings."
New Rochester charter school looks to build character
Date CapturedTuesday August 29 2006, 8:38 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "True North [new charter school] will start at fifth grade and add one grade level a year until it becomes a grade 5 to 8 school. Shells and Lemov say the school will stress virtues such as compassion and respect. An ethics curriculum calls for teaching character using examples from real-life scenarios. Students here will have a longer school day — nine hours — from 7:40 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. There's also a homework center that lasts until 5:40 p.m. On average, elementary school students in the City School District have a 6 ½-hour school day."
Rev. Al weighs protests: Upset over no-bid Ed deal
Date CapturedTuesday August 29 2006, 8:32 AM
The NY Daily News reports, "'They're privatizing public education in New York without even telling anybody,' Sharpton said. 'If you're going to award something like this to people that have had controversy in the past, you at least want some kind of public discussion.'"
Hyde Park district appeals special ed ruling
Date CapturedTuesday August 29 2006, 8:18 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "The parents, identified under confidentiality rules as Frank G. and Dianne G., disagreed in 2001 with the district's special education committee that the special needs of their son, Anthony, could be met in a regular classroom setting at Ralph R. Smith Elementary School — with the assistance of a full-time aide and other additional services. After writing the district to dispute his placement, the parents in August 2001 placed their son in Upton Lake Christian School in Clinton Corners. The Hyde Park district later refused to reimburse the parents $3,660 in Upton Lake tuition."
Literacy program to expand in Buffalo
Date CapturedMonday August 28 2006, 12:56 PM
Business First of Buffalo reports, "The program will allow Project Flight to establish BookNook programs with on-site libraries and a family literacy resource center, as well as tutors for children, parents and teachers at the two at-risk schools."
Plattsburgh State president discusses the state of the college
Date CapturedMonday August 28 2006, 8:36 AM
Press Republican reports, "If Plattsburgh State doesn't earn accreditation for its teacher-education program the second time around, the result will be catastrophic, college President Dr. John Ettling says. At the very least, enrollment in that area will experience a quick downward spiral, he said, and, ultimately, the State Education Department could pull the program."
SUNY Orange proposal to teach the business side of art
Date CapturedMonday August 28 2006, 8:30 AM
Times-Herald reports, "The program could begin as early as the spring semester, with plans to expand in the following semesters, said proposal author Richard Heppner, associate vice president for liberal arts. But Heppner stressed that nothing is definite and plans to retool it after speaking with Sugar Loaf artists as well as students."
N.Y. school janitors going green: Districts must buy 'environmentally friendly' cleaning supplies
Date CapturedMonday August 28 2006, 8:18 AM
Star-Gazette reports, "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates human exposure to air pollutants indoors can be two to five times higher than outdoor levels. Some of the culprits are cleaners, waxes and deodorizers. Reducing or eliminating potentially harmful ingredients helps protect the environment and water supply, according to the legislation's sponsors."
Private 'whys' in school consults
Date CapturedMonday August 28 2006, 7:55 AM
NY Daily News reports, "The city's decision to dish out millions of school dollars for financial consultants without public scrutiny is the latest reason mayoral control of the education system must be reexamined, the teachers union boss charged yesterday."
A tally to avoid?
Date CapturedSunday August 27 2006, 9:31 AM
The Journal News opined, "The violence-reporting process is more than five years old in New York, and wrought with problems — challenges complicated by the added federal performance requirements of No Child Left Behind, instituted three years ago. Still, New York remains only in a 'training' phase, with its Education Department continuing to clarify criteria and teach local administrators how properly to report violent incidents. Even the state Comptroller's Office is involved now, looking anew over shoulders because random audits of schools earlier this year found reporting compliance abysmal."
Special Mount Saint Mary program helps college freshmen succeed
Date CapturedSunday August 27 2006, 8:49 AM
Times-Herald reports, "Over the summer, the private college in Newburgh took 13 incoming freshmen, all financially or academically disadvantaged, and put them through an intensive prep course. Classes and study time ran from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. There were tests and counseling, designed to help them learn to succeed in the fall semester and beyond."
Schools hired guns' fat checks: No-bid contract doles out $17M in cost-cutting bid
Date CapturedSunday August 27 2006, 8:31 AM
NY Daily News exclusive, ERIN EINHORN and MICHAEL SAUL report, "Seven of the high-powered consultants hired by City Hall to cut fat from the school bureaucracy are charging taxpayers more than a million dollars each for work over the next 18 months, the Daily News has learned."
Exploding the Charter School Myth
Date CapturedSunday August 27 2006, 8:23 AM
NY Times opined on charter schools, NCLB and teacher quality, "One advantage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 was the wave of education studies it started. They offer hope that Congress will look at the record when it considers reauthorizing the law next year. If it does, lawmakers will back away from the part of the act that offers charter schools as a cure-all. They should instead home in on the all-important but largely neglected issue of teacher training and preparation — which trumps everything when it comes to improving student achievement."
Debate continues over content of kids' required reading
Date CapturedSunday August 27 2006, 8:09 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports on censorship in schools, "We face enough problems trying to raise children today. What they see on TV or at the movies is bad enough, but when you give it to them and call it curriculum, we begin to lose the battle," she (a parent) said. 'I don't want to shelter my children from what happens in life, but I think we need to be held accountable for our choices in teaching them life lessons.'"
Shed light on exams: New York should be more parent-friendly in explaining tests
Date CapturedSunday August 27 2006, 8:02 AM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opined, "A lot of this information is now available on the Education (New York) Department's Web site. But getting to it requires weeding through a lot of dense education-speak. The site, which should be regarded as a prime information source for literally millions of New Yorkers, lacks clarity and readability — two standards, by the way, of writing that the state purports to measure."
Plenty kids left in failing New York City schools
Date CapturedSaturday August 26 2006, 8:30 AM
NY Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, "Nearly 11,000 city kids attending rotten public schools applied for emergency transfers to better schools under the federal No Child Left Behind law - but many of them will have to stay put, officials said yesterday."
2007 VESID State Plan Virtual Public Meeting
Date CapturedFriday August 25 2006, 6:31 PM
As part of the Vocational Rehabilitation State Plan development, VESID is seeking public comment on achieving high quality employment outcomes. Discussion will focus on transition, postsecondary education, and individual plan for employment (IEP) development.
Two new schools enhance Binghamton University links to community
Date CapturedFriday August 25 2006, 9:19 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin Op-Ed contributor Binghamton University president Lois B. DeFleur writes, "The School of Education also addresses community needs by preparing outstanding teachers and administrative leaders; by conducting educational research; and by developing new partnerships with school districts."
Nonunion labor courts school job
Date CapturedFriday August 25 2006, 9:06 AM
The Post-Standard reports, "Rebbeca Meinking, president of Associated Builders and Contractors, Empire State Chapter, told the Joint Schools Construction Board Thursday that a PLA would discourage local nonunion contractors from taking part and drive up costs, among other problems. Her association represents 'merit' or nonunion contractors."
Catskill will have police at schools
Date CapturedFriday August 25 2006, 9:01 AM
The Kingston Freeman reports, "The officers will maintain a presence in the school, be a resource to students and staff, assist in peer mediation and conflict resolution, and be positive role models, Farrell said. She added that the officers will not be security guards."
Most parents are not in conflict with special education in school districts
Date CapturedFriday August 25 2006, 8:45 AM
Times Union Op-Ed TIMOTHY G. KREMER, Executive Director, NYS School Boards Association responds to Marc Brandt's commentary, "Let's not forget that the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that parents be integrally involved in program decisions regarding their children from the outset. They bring their perspectives and insights to a meeting of the professionals who make up the rest of the district committee on special education. Together they decide on an appropriate education program for the child. IDEA forbids considerations of cost from entering into the decisions despite the fact that special education costs are rising faster than other education costs."
College tax credit aids rich most, feds say
Date CapturedFriday August 25 2006, 8:14 AM
AP reports, "College tuition tax credits are benefiting wealthier U.S. taxpayers more than the poorest, according to a federal study of the nine-year-old program." Read report on Education New York Online, Education Policy page, Higher Education link on right sidebar.
Dutchess Community College secures federal funding for aviation curriculum
Date CapturedFriday August 25 2006, 8:05 AM
Mid-Hudson News reports, "Sweeney [Congressman] said that he understands the impact community colleges have on the region, the state, and the nation, and that their contribution to education cannot go unnoticed."
POLL CALL FOR CITY SCHOOLS: MASSIVE OPINION SURVEY PLANNED
Date CapturedFriday August 25 2006, 7:37 AM
NY Post DAVID ANDREATTA reports, "The questions will focus on school safety, student-parent-teacher engagement and 'the quality of respectful and collaborative interaction' regarding student achievement."
University at Buffalo's impact on Western New York communities
Date CapturedThursday August 24 2006, 2:55 PM
UB Reporter writes, "In terms of education, Henderson [vice president for external affairs] explains UB encourages the establishment of a "pre-K through 16 education continuum"—an educational pipeline that sets students on a seamless track from grade school to graduate studies."
New York City Mayor Bloomberg and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush discuss accountability in public schools
Date CapturedThursday August 24 2006, 12:51 PM
The Association for a Better New York will host a breakfast meeting on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 where New York City Mayor Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg and Florida Governor Honorable Jeb Bush will discuss increasing accountability and results in public schools. Register today.
Manhattan: Teacher Exam Suit Back to Lower Court
Date CapturedThursday August 24 2006, 8:54 AM
NY Times reports, "In 2003, Federal District Court in Manhattan ruled in favor of the state and the New York City Board of Education, rejecting the class-action suit brought on behalf of hundreds of black and Latino city teachers who were dismissed after failing the tests."
Demand for preschool widens — as does ethnic gap
Date CapturedThursday August 24 2006, 8:41 AM
The Journal News reports, "Hispanic parents tend not to send their children to preschool for a number of reasons. Financial constraints, low educational status and a cultural preference for caring for children at home are among the most common explanations."
New York City public schools splitting at the seams
Date CapturedThursday August 24 2006, 8:18 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Education Department spokesman Keith Kalb said six schools under construction in Queens will provide about 4,000 more student seats over the next two years."
City slapped in special ed lawsuit
Date CapturedThursday August 24 2006, 7:52 AM
NY Daily News reports on class-action lawsuit charging special education children are cheated out of services when disputes erupt, "A lawyer who has represented parents of special education students but is uninvolved with the lawsuit agreed that the hearings are an obstacle, particularly for those who can't afford lawyers."
SMEARING SCHOOLS THAT WORK
Date CapturedThursday August 24 2006, 7:39 AM
NY Post Op-Ed contributor Peter Murphy, New York Charter Schools Association writes, "In the forefront of opposition to charter-school expansion is the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), the statewideteachers' union. Most charter-school faculties have chosen not to unionize - a freedom of choice codified by the state's charter-school law - putting them outside NYSUT's monopoly control. Thus far, NYSUT's raw political opposition to charters has prevailed over the schools' academic merits and the demands of thousands of parents of children on charter waiting lists."
. . . AND FAKING CHARTER FAILURE
Date CapturedThursday August 24 2006, 7:32 AM
NY Post editorial opined on charter schools, "Charter schools proliferate in areas where public schools are dramatically worse than the national standard, like New York City and Washington, D.C. In these places, charters generally outperform their public-school counterparts. It shouldn't be surprising that they fall short when measured against a nationwide public-school average."
LOWBALLING SCHOOL VIOLENCE...
Date CapturedThursday August 24 2006, 7:16 AM
NY Post editorial opined on school violence, "Regardless of the actual number of dangerous schools - 14, 140, or otherwise - zero tolerance on violent behavior must be the policy."
NAACP Hosts Back To School Rally In Brooklyn
Date CapturedWednesday August 23 2006, 4:23 PM
NY1 reports, "Schools Chancellor Joel Klein advised kids to 'read, read, read every day more than you read yesterday' during a back to school rally Wednesday sponsored by Brooklyn's chapter of the NAACP and the Brooklyn Public Library."
Kingston school board trustees limit absences
Date CapturedWednesday August 23 2006, 9:26 AM
The Daily Freeman reports, "After every absence, teachers are required to call parents or guardians notifying them of the absence. After the fifth absence, a high school guidance counselor will be notified, and will schedule a meeting with the parents. If the parents refuse to schedule a conference, a social worker will be requested to visit the student's home, and a letter will be sent home. After the 10th absence, the student's assistant principal will set up a meeting with the student's guidance counselor, assistant principal, psychologist, and social worker and parents. Again, a social worker will visit the parents' home if they refuse to attend the conference."
EXCEL building aid may help taxpayers, school officials say
Date CapturedWednesday August 23 2006, 9:02 AM
The Daily Star reports, "All districts are eligible for Expanding Our Children’s Education and Learning [EXCEL] funds, with some restrictions, according to the website. The amount is determined by enrollment and is funded through the Dormitory Authority of the state of New York. New York City will receive $1.8 billion, with other districts receiving $800 million, according to the site."
Two Rochester city schools on 'dangerous' list
Date CapturedWednesday August 23 2006, 8:55 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Thomas Jefferson High School showed a drop in the number of violent incidents from 87 to 58 in those years. During the same period, the number of violent incidents at Charlotte High School increased from 65 to 68."
CLASS-KICKERS: 'DANGEROUS' SCHOOLS SOAR - AND N.Y. MAY BE LOWBALLING COUNT
Date CapturedWednesday August 23 2006, 8:00 AM
NY Post DAVID ANDREATTA and LEONARD GREENE report, "'Since the school system no longer shares incident data, no one really knows the true state of safety in our schools,' said United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. 'But we do know that having only 14 [city] schools on the 'persistently dangerous' list doesn't make sense.'"
ROSY REPORT ADDS UP TO NONSENSE
Date CapturedWednesday August 23 2006, 7:53 AM
NY Post columnist Ryan Sager writes, "The answer is to give all parents - the people who know whether or not they feel their kids are safe enough at school - a choice. Open more charter schools, give parents vouchers and/or tuition tax credits, open up public-school choice to all families. Then persistently dangerous (and persistently incompetent) schools will be held accountable."
Majority Of State's Most Dangerous Schools Are In New York City
Date CapturedTuesday August 22 2006, 4:35 PM
NY1 reports, "Eleven of them (persistently dangerous) are schools for special education students and city sources say those schools are usually exempt from list."
Rome Free Academy joins state's 'watch list' for potentially dangerous schools
Date CapturedTuesday August 22 2006, 4:24 PM
Observer-Dispatch CARA MATTHEWS reports, "Another 17 schools, including two in Rochester, have been added to the Education Department's list of 'persistently dangerous' institutions after recording a large number of serious incidents for two consecutive years, Commissioner Richard Mills announced."
Seventeen New York Schools Named As "Persistently Dangerous" Under NCLB,
Date CapturedTuesday August 22 2006, 3:57 PM
As required by NCLB: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, AUGUST 22, 2006. Persistently dangerous list includes NYC schools, Rochester, Buffalo charter school, and Berkshire Junior-Senior High School. New York State Education Department press release, "An additional 10 schools have been placed on a 'watch list.'" NYC, Buffalo, Rome, Wyandanch, Greenburg-Graham on "watch list."
Therapy ban's repeal sought: Controversial treatment is best hope for some severely disturbed children, lawsuit says
Date CapturedTuesday August 22 2006, 9:12 AM
Times Union reports, "The litigants claim the panel of experts assembled by the state Education Department to explore the matter was biased and inexperienced. The state's decision not only hamstrings what some believe is an often miraculous therapy, but also violates the students' rights to an appropriate public education and equal protection under the law."
Schools' audit finds corruption
Date CapturedTuesday August 22 2006, 8:20 AM
The NY Daily News reports on misuse of school funds in NYC and Long Island, "Kickbacks. Phantom payments. Using school funds to buy computers and cell phones for private use. Those are some of the more frequent examples of how local educators have mismanaged taxpayer dollars in recent years."
Ed contracts will be eyed after no-bid report
Date CapturedTuesday August 22 2006, 8:14 AM
Daily News reports, "'The fact that the [Department] of Ed is now doing $120 million in no-bid contracts without any form of public review or vote or scrutiny by any outside body is outrageous.'" [Assemblyman James Brennan ]
Free college-prep exams for New Yok City students
Date CapturedTuesday August 22 2006, 8:08 AM
Daily News Erin Einhorn reports, "In addition to helping kids get into college, Klein said, the test and its results will also serve to help teachers and parents to know the areas where each student is struggling and extra attention is needed. The College Board says that similar arrangements in other cities dramatically increased the number of students taking the test and better prepared them for college."
Plattsburgh State requests teacher-education program extension
Date CapturedMonday August 21 2006, 8:30 AM
The Press Republican writes, "Under the Regents amended guidelines, after a college has been reviewed for accreditation and deficiencies have been found, it can apply for an extension by submitting an action plan to the state Education Department, which determines how much longer the school gets."
Binghamton U rates a salute
Date CapturedMonday August 21 2006, 8:26 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin congratulations, "Congratulations to Binghamton University for making the Top 50 list in U.S. News & World Report's 2007 edition of America's Best Colleges. This is the 10th year in a row that BU has earned a spot on the list."
College costs rise in region
Date CapturedMonday August 21 2006, 8:10 AM
The Daily Freeman reports on higher education in the Hudson Valley, "From fuel to food, prices are rising and the cost of a higher education in the Hudson Valley is no exception."
CUNY'S CLASSY TACT-IC TO TEACH GRACES
Date CapturedMonday August 21 2006, 7:41 AM
NY Post education writer David Andreatta reports, "Believing that the curriculum at the esteemed City University of New York business school is second to none, college officials said the new program focuses on refining students in the social graces inborn to country-club kids attending pricey universities. Workshops on dining etiquette, accent reduction, global affairs and presentation skills are on the agenda. There is also talk of offering students golf lessons to prep them for the inevitable day when they will entertain fat cats on the links."
OL' COLLEGE PRY: POL PROBES SCHOOL PORK
Date CapturedMonday August 21 2006, 7:19 AM
NY Post correspondent GEOFF EARLE reports, "A powerful U.S. senator is demanding five New York colleges justify millions in federal pork-barrel funds sent to their campuses and reveal whether they've hired political muscle to get more taxpayer money. Among the schools getting a letter from Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) are New York University, the State University of New York and Columbia University." Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Charles Schumer boasted last year about getting funds for Cornell University's Center for Grape Genetics.
ELITE SCHOOLS UNDER FIRE
Date CapturedMonday August 21 2006, 7:03 AM
NY Post editorial opined on academic achievement and enrollment at CUNY and elite schools, "Lowering admissions standards at elite public high schools - in other words, admitting students who are not able to handle a deliberately difficult and challenging workload - will hardly prepare those students for academically elite colleges and universities."
A no-bid bonanza: City schools awarded $120M in noncompetitive
Date CapturedMonday August 21 2006, 6:50 AM
Daily News Erin Einhorn exclusive, "City rules created to prevent graft and save taxpayer money make it difficult for local agencies to buy products or services without an open process that requires competition. When city agencies award lucrative noncompetitive contracts, public hearings are normally held. But Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein argue that because public schools are regulated by the state - not the city - the Education Department can follow different rules."
Greed, not high standards, shuts students out
Date CapturedMonday August 21 2006, 6:44 AM
NY Daily Post columnist Stanley Crouch opined, "Students need to believe that good teachers, like good doctors or good dentists, are looking out for their best interests. If that is done, children have a much better chance of standing up against the negative influences of a popular culture that is produced by people whose sole concern is material wealth, regardless of the impact it might have on our children."
Independent Colleges and State University System Forge First-Ever Partnership to Create Higher Education Internet Portal Promoting Economic Development in NY
Date CapturedSunday August 20 2006, 3:59 PM
The Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU) and the State University of New York (SUNY) announced, "their first-ever partnership to develop an online 'portal,' which will function as an easy-to-use Internet gateway to approximately 175 higher education institutions. The portal will have significant benefits for New York's businesses and the state economy."
Lack of cheerleaders for girls' sports probed [Binghamton]
Date CapturedSunday August 20 2006, 2:28 PM
AP reports, "Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination against students, requires equal benefits for girls' and boys' teams, including cheerleader and band support, according to the Women's Sports Foundation, an advocacy group."
Family life key to success in school
Date CapturedSunday August 20 2006, 2:16 PM
The Buffalo News former editor Murray B. Light opined on factors that impact learning, "None of the education studies I've reviewed has factored in one of the most dominant elements in American life - television viewing. It most certainly is a factor in the education and intellectual promise of school-age children. Almost every element of American life is now the subject of polls. I have never been satisfied that poll results are meaningful because the respondents may or may not be responding truthfully. Be that as it may, one cannot overlook the enormous influence television is today."
New SUNY provost nominated
Date CapturedSunday August 20 2006, 9:22 AM
AP reports, "State University of New York's chancellor on Saturday said he would nominate Risa Palm as provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs."
Rochester city school board TV
Date CapturedSunday August 20 2006, 8:52 AM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opined, "From now on, busy parents and others who care about public education in the city can tune in to RCTV (Channel 15) and watch the Rochester school board's monthly business meetings. That's a step toward greater public accessibility that ought to be emulated."
Connie Williams Coulianos gets A+ for work with children
Date CapturedSunday August 20 2006, 8:40 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Connie Williams Coulianos, who teaches at Columbia University's Hollingworth Preschool, will be honored in the September issue of Nick Jr. Family magazine. The 53-year-old teacher was selected from among more than 570 instructors, who were nominated by their colleagues, parents and education experts."
Buffalo State, Historical Society form two-year co-op
Date CapturedSaturday August 19 2006, 2:51 PM
Buffalo News reports, "The collaboration is patterned after similar agreements between Northwestern University and the Chicago History Museum and Rutgers University and the New Jersey Historical Society."
Albany charter school hires new manager
Date CapturedSaturday August 19 2006, 9:48 AM
Times Union reports, "New Covenant has been plagued with academic performance and accounting problems. This spring, the State University of New York board of trustees placed New Covenant on probation for being chronically tardy with annual audits of its finances. It was the latest in a line of problems for the school. In 2004, the state forced the school to close its seventh and eighth grades, citing poor test scores and chaotic classrooms. SUNY trustees also placed New Covenant on probation between 2000 and 2002 because of concern over finances. That probation limited the school to 400 students."
Looking beyond textbook learning: Upstate educators urged to embrace innovation at Saint Rose institute
Date CapturedSaturday August 19 2006, 8:21 AM
Times Union reports on seminar, "He [Noguera] is considered by many to be one of the nation's most important voices on education reform and diversity. The institute, formed last year with a $1.6 million federal grant, trains educators to better deal with modern issues affecting schools. Much of Noguera's address focused on creating a solid environment for teaching in urban areas, especially when dealing with low-income and special education students, as well as those who do not speak English. Teachers and administrators, especially in urban school districts, must work hard to create strong relationships with students to interest them in learning, he said."
Girls' sports hit hard by bias - study
Date CapturedFriday August 18 2006, 8:35 AM
NY Daily News reports on gender inequity in sports, fewer college scholarship scouting opportunities for women, and study findings, "According to Gotbaum (public advocate), girls involved in team sports 'are less likely to develop osteoporosis, breast cancer and diabetes as adults, and more likely to adopt long-term exercise programs.' And they're less likely to use drugs, smoke, have unwanted pregnancies or commit suicide, she added."
Minority Students Decline in Top New York Schools
Date CapturedFriday August 18 2006, 8:01 AM
NY Times ELISSA GOOTMAN reports, "More than a decade after the city created a special institute to prepare black and Hispanic students for the mind-bendingly difficult test that determines who gets into New York’s three most elite specialized high schools, the percentage of such students has not only failed to rise, it has declined."
After Katrina, School Reforms Make New Orleans Most Chartered City in U.S.
Date CapturedThursday August 17 2006, 10:50 AM
BUSINESS WIRE announces, "One year after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has become one of the most chartered cities in America, with nearly 70 percent of its public school students in schools of choice, according to a new report in the forthcoming issue of Education Next, on newsstands September 1." [Education New York Online will link to the report when available.]
Hispanics seek bigger cut of Buffalo schools work
Date CapturedThursday August 17 2006, 10:46 AM
Buffalo News reports, "Community leaders, for the second time in as many years, are claiming that Hispanic workers and contractors are being shut out of the huge public works project."
New Millbrook group to get tutorial on school funding on AUGUST 22, 7 PM in Millbrook
Date CapturedThursday August 17 2006, 10:33 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports on scheduled meeting, "State Sen. Steve Saland, R-Poughkeepsie, and Peter Applebee will speak on school financing and spending in the state [on Tuesday, August 22 in Millbrook]. Saland is chairman of the Senate Education Committee. Applebee is assistant director of the Senate Finance Committee."
Tax break on school expenses
Date CapturedThursday August 17 2006, 8:37 AM
The NY Daily News reports, "Unlike the similar 529 college savings account, the money in your Coverdell is not limited to spending on higher education; you can use it for tuition to any K-12 private school. Other educational expenses such as books, supplies, transportation, tutoring and even computers and Internet service also qualify."
Veto harms state's special education students
Date CapturedThursday August 17 2006, 8:01 AM
Times Union Op-Ed contributor Marc Brandt, executive director of NYSARC Inc. opined "Gov. George Pataki's veto of legislation to return the burden of proof in special education hearings to school districts strikes a heavy blow against New York state's most vulnerable families and their children."
Binghamton graduation rates show big gains: Rates up for blacks, impoverished students
Date CapturedWednesday August 16 2006, 5:53 PM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "But the performance of students with disabilities remains a concern, said Mary Cahill, assistant superintendent for instruction. Not only did their graduation rate remain below 50 percent, they failed to meet state targets on the English and math Regents exams. Right now, special education is the group where the district has the most problems, Cahill said."
New York State’s Revised Plan to Enhance Teacher Quality
Date CapturedWednesday August 16 2006, 5:20 PM
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, The New York State Education Department. Albany, 12234, July 2006.
Funding public education tops legislative discussion
Date CapturedWednesday August 16 2006, 5:10 PM
Mid-Hudson News reports, "Perhaps the hottest issue right now is how the state and local officials plan to address the funding for public school districts."
Poughkeepsie schools chief wants coaching program for teachers
Date CapturedWednesday August 16 2006, 10:25 AM
The Poughkeepsie Journal reports on proposed instructional intervention, "The changes come with an estimated price tag of $620,000. Wilson [Superintendent] said America's Choice will charge the district $100,000 to provide training to middle school staff and for other initial staff development. Another $195,000 would fund the three coaching positions and $325,000 would pay for five new teachers at the school."
Census, Rochester has more youth: Experts say city should focus on creating jobs to keep them here
Date CapturedWednesday August 16 2006, 10:08 AM
Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Mildred Vazquez, executive director for Puerto Rican Youth Development, said the numbers alone don't reveal a lot. 'My first question is, are these college graduates. Do they have diplomas?' she said. 'You have a city with a significant number of people with no education and no way of getting an education, who don't have the means to even get a job that pays minimum wage.'"
Elmira school board to get laptops
Date CapturedWednesday August 16 2006, 8:48 AM
Star-Gazette reports, "Most information will now be e-mailed to board members or posted on a Web page protected with a password, according to the district. Each board member will have an e-mail account to allow them to communicate with district employees, parents and community members."
School supervisor is ready to start
Date CapturedWednesday August 16 2006, 8:01 AM
Times Union reports on Corinth Central Schools superintendent, Dan Starr, "Of the groups who interviewed him, which included teachers and support staff, Starr said he was most impressed with the students, a feeling that matched his first impression of Corinth's citizens."
POL PITCH FOR 'TEEN' BOOZE LAW
Date CapturedWednesday August 16 2006, 7:19 AM
NY Post Kenneth Lovett reports, "A Westchester state senator yesterday said he is drafting two bills designed to curb underage drinking, just days after personally checking out the rowdy Chelsea bar scene last weekend with The Post."
Legislative Investigations Committee to Probe New York’s Liquor Laws and Regulations
Date CapturedWednesday August 16 2006, 7:10 AM
The Committee [NY Senate] will explore a number of issues aimed at determining whether the recent series of problems involving problem premises and underage drinking can be combated through stronger laws, regulation, and enforcement.
New York Area Is a Magnet for Graduates
Date CapturedWednesday August 16 2006, 6:51 AM
NY Times reports, "Almost 5 million people over the age of 25 in the New York metropolitan area — more than a third of the region’s population — had at least a bachelor’s degree in 2005, according to the latest data from the Census Bureau. In Manhattan, nearly three out of five residents were college graduates and one out of four had advanced degrees, forming one of the highest concentrations of highly educated people in any American city."
Highlights of the NCLB’s and IDEA’s Requirements for Teachers and Title I Paraprofessionals in New York State August 2006
Date CapturedTuesday August 15 2006, 6:37 PM
This Fact Sheet contains highlights of the New York State Education Department's (SED's) implementation of requirements related to teachers and paraprofessionals in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as reauthorized in December 2004. It is based on laws, regulations, guidance and technical assistance available at the time of its publication and is subject to change in response to additional information. For more detailed information about the NCLB's requirements in New York State, please refer to the series of field memos available online at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/nclbhome.htm
GUIDELINES AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE PROCUREMENT AND USE OF ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE PRODUCTS FOR ALL PUBLIC AND NONPUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NEW YORK STATE
Date CapturedTuesday August 15 2006, 5:37 PM
New York State Office of General Services, August 4, 2006. These Guidelines and Specifications were developed in consultation with representatives of the Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Health, Department of Labor and State Education Department, as directed by Chapter 584 of the Laws of New York, 2005.
Left behind: NCLB needs better accountability
Date CapturedTuesday August 15 2006, 10:27 AM
Tallahassee Democrat opined on Washington Post Op-Ed written by NYC Mayor Bloomberg and Florida Gov. Bush, and Harvard University's Civil Rights Project study, "With growing concern about America's academic competitiveness, it's crucial that No Child Left Behind become more than a political tool for Washington and an inconvenient headache for states and educators. When even its supporters acknowledge the need for reform, it's time for Congress to act."
RIT President Al Simone keeps region on its economic toes
Date CapturedTuesday August 15 2006, 9:17 AM
Guest essayists O'Neil and Lehr, College of Business, RIT opined on President Al Simone, "President Simone inspires RIT to continuously improve, evolve and expand to meet the changing business landscape, whether around the corner or around the world. Likewise, he develops and inspires fellow community and business leaders to step up to the plate and implement new programs within their respective spheres of influence, and he serves as an inspirational and positive force within the flattened and ever-changing business world in which we all live today."
Kermit L. Hall
Date CapturedTuesday August 15 2006, 9:14 AM
NO MORE EXCUSES FOR SCHOOL FAILURE
Date CapturedTuesday August 15 2006, 8:43 AM
NY Post op-ed adapted from speech given by Joel Klein, New York City schools chancellor, "OUR reform strategy, which we call 'Children First,' is premised on the core belief that strong school-level leadership will result in high-functioning schools. Our aim is to accomplish three fundamental cultural shifts."
RPI and Skidmore among 'New Ivies'
Date CapturedTuesday August 15 2006, 8:20 AM
The Record reports, "The guide uses criteria based on admissions statistics and interviews with administrators, faculty and alumni. The categorization signifies the respective schools competitive status as rivaling Ivy League colleges."
Pre-K Set For Oswego Schools
Date CapturedMonday August 14 2006, 12:35 PM
Oswego Daily News reports, "The goals of the Universal Pre-Kindergarten program are to meet the individual needs of four-year-old children in the areas of social, academic, language, emotional and physical development."
Cato-Meridian looks at putting cameras in schools
Date CapturedMonday August 14 2006, 9:51 AM
Post-Standard reports, "'It's an option to consider for enhancing safety,' said Deborah D. Bobo, school superintendent."
All Fridays off
Date CapturedMonday August 14 2006, 9:35 AM
Journal News reports on four-day school week, "No one locally has suggested such a thing. In fact, a four-day school week, if it runs between September and June, is illegal, the way New York education law is written." But nearly a dozen states now allow school districts the option to cut their weeks by a day. Those districts that have done so originally did it to save money, and have kept it in place because they like it."
SUNY Albany loses a beloved leader -- Kermit L. Hall, President
Date CapturedMonday August 14 2006, 9:01 AM
Times Union reflects on the death of Kermit Hall, "'Kermit Hall was a distinguished scholar and mentor to students and faculty alike who, as president for far too short a time, made enormous contributions to the academic advances of the University at Albany,' SUNY Chancellor John Ryan said in a statement."
Oklahoma senator asks University of Rochester: Retrace funding
Date CapturedMonday August 14 2006, 8:15 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "A U.S. senator [Tom Coburn] is demanding that University of Rochester and dozens of other top research universities across the country explain where federal funds earmarked for research went."
WELCOME BACK, KIDS - NOW LET THE TESTS BEGIN
Date CapturedMonday August 14 2006, 8:09 AM
NY Post DAVID ANDREATTA reports, "Incoming ninth- and 10th-graders at nearly half of all city high schools will be tested in reading and math during the first few weeks of school next month, The Post has learned."
Mike joins 1st Bro Jeb to propose school fixes
Date CapturedMonday August 14 2006, 7:44 AM
NY Daily News reports on co-authored Washington Post opinion piece, "Florida and New York City are leaders when it comes to accountability in education," they [Bush and Bloomberg] wrote. The two listed several ways Congress should change the act as it faces reauthorization: Make standards meaningful, encourage student gains, recognize degrees of progress and reward and retain high-quality teachers."
How to Help Our Students: Building on the 'No Child' Law
Date CapturedMonday August 14 2006, 7:18 AM
Washington Post op-ed contributors Florida Gov. Bush and NYC Mayor Bloomberg opined on NCLB, "The opponents of accountability have seized on the problems with the No Child Left Behind Act in an effort to do away with the law altogether. That is wrong. A little common sense could go a long way toward making sure that the nation's accountability system is realistic, tough and fair. Incorporating these four basic lessons will allow us to realize the law's full promise and help children realize their dreams."
Assemblyman Kevin Cahill on tax reform legislation (video)
Date CapturedSunday August 13 2006, 8:03 PM
Tax Reform Effort of Northern Dutchess (TREND) director Vicky Perry interviewed Assemblyman Kevin Cahill on his proposal to reform New York State taxes and school funding.
For Lack of Teachers, Students Are Turned Away From Nursing
Date CapturedSunday August 13 2006, 11:44 AM
NY Times reports on the nursing profession, "The National League for Nursing reported a 16 percent increase in applicants to bachelor’s degree nursing programs and a 28 percent increase in applicants to associate degree programs last year, compared with the year before. Yet nursing schools turned away almost 150,000 qualified applicants in 2005 — up 18 percent over the previous year. The reason? They don’t have enough teachers."
Residents around Plattsburgh campus tired of their quality of life: Citizen group suggests legislation
Date CapturedSunday August 13 2006, 10:28 AM
Press Republican reports, "Plattsburgh residents are asking the city to adopt specific proposals they hope will end the deterioration of their homes and neighborhoods, largely caused by students in off-campus housing." Albany, Binghamton and Oneonta already have plans in place to deal with this problem.
Business group rips schools, says taxpayers don't get good return on investments
Date CapturedSunday August 13 2006, 10:17 AM
Star-Gazette, Jay Gallagher reports, "The state's test scores are improving but more needs to be done to shift money to poorer districts, said a spokesman [Dunn] for the state Education Department. '... Too few dollars still go to the students and the schools with the greatest need, and class sizes are bigger there. The Board of Regents is urging a major reform of the state aid system. This will help tremendously to close the achievement gap,' said spokesman Tom Dunn."
CLASS $TRUGGLE: LITTLE RETURN ON 13G PER STUDENT
Date CapturedSunday August 13 2006, 9:52 AM
NY Post reports on education return on investment, "But despite the dollars being doled out, student achievement per buck was astonishingly low in New York state - which ranked in the bottom five in the U.S., along with New Jersey, Alaska, Connecticut and the District of Columbia, according to a 2004 report by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research."
New sour note for Harlem choir
Date CapturedSunday August 13 2006, 9:33 AM
NY Daily News ERIN EINHORN reports on NYC schools Promise Academy II charter school facility. "'The [Department] of Education is doing this behind parents' backs,' steamed Diana Boyd, a former member of the Choir Academy parent's association. 'This is being done without our consent.' Parents learned that the charter was coming after a city educrat was seen at the building last week checking out the space."
Keeping kids on a (technological) leash
Date CapturedSunday August 13 2006, 9:21 AM
Jerry McGovern, the Press-Republican's coordinator of Newspapers-in-Education opined on school information policy and safety regarding cell phones, "Whatever childhood is, it's not as loose and free as it used to be. And there is no turning back. Parents want to keep their children on shorter leashes, even if they are technological leashes."
Giving students a taste of life on campus
Date CapturedSaturday August 12 2006, 8:25 AM
Times Union reports, "Siena's Urban Scholars Program brings gifted and talented students from the Albany city schools to the campus for Saturday seminars throughout the year. Each seminar runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is focused around a particular theme in science, liberal arts, or business."
Graduation rates must be a focus
Date CapturedSaturday August 12 2006, 7:51 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal opined on graduation, "Statewide testing has shown where the achievement gap exists. While the drop-out rate is significant, especially in some minority communities, lowering expectations is not the answer. Far from a hindrance, these test results are giving the state the opportunity to fix the problems."
Excelsior College launches teaching program in nursing
Date CapturedFriday August 11 2006, 3:35 PM
The Business Review (Albany) announces, "The program, a Master of Science in nursing with a specialization in Nursing Education, is intended to help address the nationwide shortage of nursing faculty, a factor often cited by nursing schools for their inability to accept students into nursing programs."
SUNY may open a new campus in China: No cost to New York taxpayers
Date CapturedFriday August 11 2006, 9:27 AM
Press Republican reports, "The SUNY facility at Nanjing is expected to offer undergraduate degrees in areas, such as accounting, engineering, and environmental and atmospheric studies, Hall said." Graduate degrees would be offered in international trade, molecular biology and nanotechnology. Students would split their studies between the campus in Nanjing and one of the SUNY campuses in New York."
Advocates of education for the gifted slam state's policy
Date CapturedFriday August 11 2006, 8:54 AM
Journal News reports, "With so much emphasis placed on global competition, advocates of gifted education say, children who show intuition, aptitudes and brilliance should be nurtured, not ignored. Others say that gifted children will do fine without anything special."
Digital lessons: Collaborations helped bring life to new student program
Date CapturedFriday August 11 2006, 8:37 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle editorial opined, "Through the Rochester After School Academy, which is coordinating the 'Rochester Digital Ripple' program, the students are getting a stipend while learning about cutting-edge technology. There's another lesson here, though, for the community at large. All kinds of players came together to make this happen in the year that it took to work out details."
Education Dept. puts night high schools to bed
Date CapturedFriday August 11 2006, 8:15 AM
NY Daily News reports, "About $4 million was spent last year to pay the salaries of night school teachers. That money will be made available to individual principals so they can create evening, weekend and tutoring programs tailored to the needs of their students."
Breakfast being offered to all students at Lockport High School
Date CapturedThursday August 10 2006, 9:53 AM
The Buffalo News reports, "'We wanted to make sure all kids can have a nutritious breakfast, so we decided to do it. It's an important program because some kids may not get a good breakfast otherwise,' Board member David Nemi said. He added that it will not affect local property taxes because the state reimburses the district with a lot more aid than what it costs to operate the program."
An education in costs: With project half done, Buffalo schools' overhaul is in jeopardy
Date CapturedThursday August 10 2006, 9:33 AM
The Buffalo news reports, "If the project can't be sustained, some students will benefit while others remain in outdated schools that are ill-equipped to meet the demands of 21st century education. That would raise issues of equity that school officials are determined to avoid."
Manhattan: School's Discipline Code Criticized
Date CapturedThursday August 10 2006, 9:23 AM
NY Times ELISSA GOOTMAN reports on New York City schools Internet use related information policy, "Civil rights advocates criticized proposed changes to the city Education Department’s discipline code yesterday, saying that a proposal to punish students who post 'libelous or defamatory material' on the Internet was unconstitutional."
BLACK SETBACK AT KEY CUNY SCHOOLS
Date CapturedThursday August 10 2006, 8:08 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports, "Dr. Selma Botman, CUNY's chief academic officer, said freshman enrollment among blacks was up 11 percent across the senior colleges and suggested the overall decline at Hunter, Baruch and City was a reflection of a shift in career interests among young blacks."
Special-needs preschool to get more county cash
Date CapturedThursday August 10 2006, 7:46 AM
The Journal News reports on $5 million agreement with Saint Francis Hospital, "'These specialized services not only help our children develop into happy and confident adolescents and young adults, but also greatly enhance the lives of our families dealing with these developmental issues,' he [Dutchess County Executive William Steinhaus] said."
CUNY Seeing Fewer Blacks at Top Schools
Date CapturedThursday August 10 2006, 2:03 AM
NY Times KAREN W. ARENSON reports on equitable access to CUNY, "Laura M. Schachter, the dean for diversity and compliance at Hunter, said that many qualified black and Hispanic students did not know much about Hunter and did not apply. 'It is our job to make them aware,' she said."
Arrogance unaffordable
Date CapturedWednesday August 09 2006, 2:51 PM
The Journal News opined on accountability, "Warning: In the current climate of a growing taxpayer rebellion against high property taxes, particularly in the suburbs, no school board can react to scrutiny of its books with defensiveness. That's just plain offensive — and could lead to contagious doubting of all districts' fiscal management."
TEACH FLUNK SPIRAL: MORE GET BAD RATINGS
Date CapturedWednesday August 09 2006, 8:41 AM
NY Post David Andreatta reports on the increased percentage of NYC tenured teachers graded unsatisfactory or "u-rated", "That spike troubled the president of the United Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, who suggested a correlation between the jump and a growing number of rookie principals, particularly those trained at the city-run Leadership Academy."
NOT A JOB FOR THE SCHOOLS
Date CapturedWednesday August 09 2006, 8:33 AM
NY Post opined on schools' plan to restrict Internet use from home, "It's certainly good to see education brass concerned about the need to assure an unintimidating environment for learning. But don't they have their hands full monitoring activity at school, without trying to police behavior at home, too?"
Some students with limited English skills face new hurdle: State-ordered exam stirs Binghamton concerns
Date CapturedWednesday August 09 2006, 8:18 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "Until now, students with less than three years of U.S. schooling were exempt from the state ELA test, which is used to gauge whether schools are making adequate yearly progress for their students under No Child Left Behind. Instead, they could take a different test, the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test. But the federal government ruled this procedure fails to comply with No Child Left Behind rules, Stevens [Deputy Education Commissioner ] said."
PARENTS DIGGING UP DATA ON TEACHERS
Date CapturedWednesday August 09 2006, 7:37 AM
NY Post exclusive by David Andreatta reports, "The moms and dads are taking advantage of a little-known provision of the federal No Child Left Behind law, which grants parents or guardians of students attending public schools that receive federal poverty aid the right to see the credentials of teachers and their aides."
Governors Island developing....
Date CapturedWednesday August 09 2006, 7:27 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Before ownership of Governors Island was transferred during a Jan. 31, 2003, White House ceremony - after 203 years of federal ownership - the state agreed to a series of deed restrictions. They required that of the 150 acres controlled by GIPEC, 40 acres remain parkland, 20 acres be used for education and 30 acres be used for public benefit. The island's other 22 acres are still administered by the National Park Service."
School nurses cut: Targeted 45 schools with special-needs kids, 40% of them on Staten Island
Date CapturedWednesday August 09 2006, 7:17 AM
NY Daily News reports, "The moves are the result of concessions the city gained from two unions that represent school nurses, the United Federation of Teachers and District Council 37. The concessions, which went into effect July 31, freed the city from stipulations that forced it to put a second nurse in schools with even one special-education student."
Profs, funds added to Westchester Community College budget to attract students
Date CapturedTuesday August 08 2006, 9:32 AM
THE JOURNAL NEWS reports, "To help attract and retain students and to increase the full-time faculty, the Westchester legislature's budget committee added $161,000 to next year's spending plan for Westchester Community College yesterday."
Binghamtom Community College puts focus on professionals: Revamped program to use downtown site
Date CapturedTuesday August 08 2006, 9:19 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "With the new focus will come an emphasis on bringing professionals from outside the area to downtown for conferences and seminars hosted at the center, David [BCC spokesman] said. That kind of use, he said, will boost the region's economic base as professionals spend money here eating, shopping and lodging."
SUNY language institute turning 25 this year: Classes for kids, teens are in works
Date CapturedTuesday August 08 2006, 9:11 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "Though its programs serve only adults, Gallin [director] said she hopes to begin offering programs for children in the future. Her goal is to begin a summer language immersion camp for seventh- to 12th-graders next year."
Here's What You'll Get In New York School Tax Rebate
Date CapturedTuesday August 08 2006, 9:02 AM
The Post-Standard reports, "The STAR or School Tax Relief provides a partial exemption from school property taxes for owner-occupied primary residences. Almost everyone who owns a home is eligible for the basic exemption. Income-eligible homeowners older than 65 are eligible for a larger exemption. The exemptions vary by municipality. The tax rebate checks that will arrive this fall will vary widely by school district."
Special education a top priority for new Groton principal
Date CapturedTuesday August 08 2006, 8:51 AM
The Ithaca Journal reports, "Under the new system there will be a special education coordinator at every grade level, and no student will spend the entire day in an isolated classroom. This will translate to more aides in the classroom and an increase in collaborative teaching."
Govenor Pataki Signs Bill To Allow New York Community Colleges To Grant Honorary Degrees
Date CapturedTuesday August 08 2006, 8:01 AM
Fulton Daily News reports, "This new law provides a means for community colleges throughout the State to recognize the outstanding contributions of distinguished individuals who make a difference in their communities and in the lives of the students who attend these institutions, said Senator DeFrancisco. Many four year colleges in our State already grant such degrees."
School spending called ineffective: New York top in spending, bottom in graduation
Date CapturedTuesday August 08 2006, 7:46 AM
The Journal News reports, "The head of the state's largest teacher union said the findings did not surprise him. 'We do spend a lot on education because we offer a lot,' said Richard Ianuzzi, president of New York State United Teachers. 'In New York state, the cost of living and the quality of curriculum and the toughness of the standards demand a lot.' And he said high standards mean that not everyone will graduate on time."
Official Response from the Board of Education to the Comptroller's Audit (including Appendices)
Date CapturedMonday August 07 2006, 11:35 PM
William Floyd UFSD response to State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller draft Audit Report of Examination dated May 16, 2006, "Given the extraordinary time and money that was invested in improving its practices, the Board, the administration and the taxpayers of the District looked forward to your office conducting a neutral, objective, impartial and constructive audit of our current practices. Specifically, we looked forward to knowing - - in accordance with your stated purpose - - what current practices should be corrected or improved. We hoped to rely on your considerable expertise in following your recommendations as they pertained to 'current and emerging fiscally related problems.'"
Crain’s 2005 Higher Education Directory
Date CapturedMonday August 07 2006, 8:42 PM
Crain’s 2005 Higher Education Directory includes metro New York area four-year accredited colleges and universities offering graduate and continuing education courses in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange and Dutchess Counties in New York State, Fairfield and New Haven Counties in Connecticut and counties in New Jersey.
Diocese awards 23 education grants
Date CapturedMonday August 07 2006, 8:37 PM
Business First of Buffalo reports, "Western New York schools and church programs have received nearly $80,000 in grants from the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese. The grants come through the Catholic Education Funding program, funded through endowments and from the proceeds of the annual Celebrate Catholic Education dinner."
NEW YORK EDUCATION STATISTICS SHOW HIGH SPENDING FOR AVERAGE RESULTS
Date CapturedMonday August 07 2006, 11:34 AM
The Public Policy Institute of NYS "Just the Facts" series shows, "New York's per-pupil spending is the second highest in the nation while the state's graduation rate is near the bottom." Additional data on pupil/teacher ratios, class sizes, teacher salary, student performance on math and reading exams and SATs, and other higher education statistics are included.
Onteora board will mull 'large parcel' law
Date CapturedMonday August 07 2006, 9:00 AM
Daily Freeman reports, "The debate over the issue has been heated over the past three years because reservoir property in Olive was considered by state officials to be overassessed in comparison to other properties in the town. The resulting recalculation has caused significant property tax increases for Olive homeowners."
Cost-saving ratio: Consolidation
Date CapturedMonday August 07 2006, 8:01 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin opined, "There are many differences between Pittsburgh and Broome County -- Roosevelt plans to close 22 schools, in fact -- but the statistics at least show that it's possible for one administration to supervise a collection of high schools. And that's something that tax-strapped Broome County really ought to start considering. It wouldn't mean the end of the Union-Endicott and Vestal football rivalry, or the loss of teachers or schools. But a countywide school district could mean a reduction in administrative costs."
Utica district needs plan for building: Assess how HOPE VI plan fits into district's overall needs
Date CapturedMonday August 07 2006, 7:40 AM
Observer-Dispatch (Utica) opined, "Creating a building plan is something the district should move forward on as soon as possible. The residents of Cornhill, and all district taxpayers, deserve an answer about whether this school is feasible. And input from district residents should certainly be part of the school board's planning process. Regardless of what it says in the HOPE VI plan, the school board is charged with determining what's best for district students and taxpayers, and meeting their needs has to come first."
New York changing test requirements for immigrant kids
Date CapturedMonday August 07 2006, 7:25 AM
The Journal News reports, "Education Commissioner Richard Mills outlined the changes in a letter last week to Assistant Secretary Henry L. Johnson of the U.S. Department of Education. Immigrant students who have been enrolled in U.S. schools for at least a year, as of January 2007, will begin taking the standard English language arts test in grades three to eight."
School districts get more power in suspensions
Date CapturedMonday August 07 2006, 7:20 AM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Previously, local school officials couldn't allow suspended students to return to classes until they served the full penalty, Alesi noted 'This new law corrects that oversight, allowing school districts, the ones who know individual students' needs best, more control in the length of punishment and allowing a student who has voluntarily tried to make amends, to return to school early and continue pursuing their education,' Alesi [Sen.]said in a news release last week."
Gain in Income Is Offset by Rise in Property Tax
Date CapturedSunday August 06 2006, 11:21 PM
NY Times reports, "In the suburbs of New York City, as in many other places across the country, property taxes are the main revenue source for municipal and county governments and, most expensively, their schools. But while property taxes are principally a local government issue, they have major political ramifications in state capitols. And so this sharp reversal in income and property tax growth helps to explain the building murmurs of a tax revolt not only in the New York region but around the country."
Niagara County Community College launches high-tech upgrade
Date CapturedSunday August 06 2006, 4:28 PM
Buffalo News reports, "College technicians will be able to upgrade software in any of the school's 1,000 desktop computers, and discover a software problem on any one of them and fix it without leaving their laboratory. They also will be able to plug security holes in the school's Windows computer operating system to prevent hackers from accessing it."
Mahopac group confident it will raise enough money for sports
Date CapturedSunday August 06 2006, 9:54 AM
The Journal News reports, "The 'pay-to-play' system was put together by the MSA, parents, teachers and the Board of Education after this year's second budget defeat, which required that the school board adopt a $95.8 million contingency budget. The board voted to eliminate all extracurricular activities for a savings of $1,037,000."
Choice of a coach should be based on qualifications, not union membership
Date CapturedSunday August 06 2006, 9:44 AM
The Press Republican reports, "The choice of a coach should belong to the board of education and not be dictated by a union contract. Let the board hire the most qualified applicant with the best chance to do the best job for the students."
Clinton Community College appoints vice president for academic affairs
Date CapturedSunday August 06 2006, 9:32 AM
The Press Republican reports, "Paul Almonte, Ph.D., has been appointed vice president for academic affairs at Clinton Community College, following a nationwide search."
Let's do more for the libraries
Date CapturedSunday August 06 2006, 9:17 AM
NY Daily News opined, "For students, they are homework centers. For the unemployed, they are job centers. For anyone without a computer, they are Internet access. For small children, they are story time. For immigrants, they are the English language."
New government taking shape in Rochester: Huge city schools upgrade requires vigilant oversight
Date CapturedSunday August 06 2006, 9:01 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle opined, " A school construction inspector general may be needed to help audit these local programs. This is a historic overhaul of the city's public schools. The money is huge. The process must be right."
'Bickering' over state aid crucial to Albany city schools
Date CapturedSunday August 06 2006, 8:50 AM
Times Union contributor and Albany City PTA co-chair MARK S. MISHLER opined, "Albany, in particular, has been made into the laboratory for right-wing opponents of public education who have oversaturated the city with charter schools. Close to 10 percent of the charter schools in New York are here, even though Albany has never been determined by the state Education Department to be a 'district in need of improvement.' Why are the charter schools not all in the 50 districts that have been deemed 'in need of improvement'?"
National Fresh School Snack program gets boost in New York
Date CapturedSaturday August 05 2006, 9:46 PM
EmpireStateNews reports, "Senator Hillary Clinton and Congressman Brian Higgins Wednesday announced that they had convened a bipartisan coalition of New York's Congressional Delegation calling for New York State to be included in a national healthy school food program. The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program provides federal funding to schools to allow them to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers and to provide them as healthy snacks for kids during the school day. Currently there are 14 states participating in the program."
Mount Vernon puts school bus line on warning
Date CapturedSaturday August 05 2006, 10:24 AM
The Journal News reports, "Over the past two years, parents and school staff members have registered numerous complaints, according to documents released to the parents under a Freedom of Information request."
Worker evaluations aid schools, taxpayers
Date CapturedSaturday August 05 2006, 10:12 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal op-ed contributors Doug Hieter and Stephen Hughes, trustees of the Hyde Park Central School District opined, "School boards generally recognize the public's frustration with ever-increasing budgets and struggle to balance the cost of education with the community's ability to pay. Not all decisions are popular or readily understood with a casual knowledge of the system. In the long run, individual steps a district takes are important in the context of the direction a district is heading and progress toward its goals. Tying pay to performance is fiscally responsible. Evaluating performance is academically responsible. This is the direction Hyde Park is headed."
Hyde Park schools lose special ed suit: Courts say parents should be repaid
Date CapturedSaturday August 05 2006, 10:04 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "At a meeting before an Impartial Hearing Officer, the district conceded Smith School was not an appropriate placement for [name omitted], according to the decision. While the hearing officer and a state review officer concluded the district didn't have to reimburse the family for tuition, the district court reversed the decision."
Auburn school social worker plan opens rift : District, teachers union split over whether to take on uncertified social workers
Date CapturedSaturday August 05 2006, 9:58 AM
The Post-Standard reports, "John B. Plume, school superintendent, said the benefits of the program, especially social workers in the homes, is worth fighting for. He said the Partnership-hired and trained social workers would be different from the school social workers in that they would work in the homes and after school, which school social workers don't do."
LEP/ELL Student Statewide Assessment Policy/Title I Requirements
Date CapturedSaturday August 05 2006, 1:34 AM
New York State Education Department press release from Jean C. Stevens reads, "New York has been notified by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), based upon USDOE’s NCLB standards and assessment peer review process, that NYSESLAT can no longer be used for Title I accountability purposes, except as described below for students newly arrived in the United States. USDOE determined that New York’s use of NYSESLAT for ELA accountability was not consistent with the requirements of NCLB and directed New York to come into compliance with NCLB by the end of the 2006-07 school year. As a result, New York must administer its ELA assessment to LEP/ELL students who, as of January 3, 2007, have been enrolled in school in the United States (excluding Puerto Rico) for one year or more."
More Students in New York Will Take Regular English Test
Date CapturedSaturday August 05 2006, 12:58 AM
NY Times DAVID M. HERSZENHORN reports, "Ordered by the federal government to improve its testing of students who speak limited English, New York State said yesterday that all children enrolled in school in the United States for at least a year would be required to take the state’s regular English Language Arts exam. The test is given annually in the third through eighth grades.
Niagara schools superintendent presents report
Date CapturedFriday August 04 2006, 1:53 PM
Buffalo News reports, "During a 16-hour retreat, Granto unveiled a thorough demographic report showing the nine board members everything they probably didn't like to see about the city and the school district - but needed to know. It contained startling statistics, including numbers on poverty, unemployment and single-parent families in the city, as well as the dramatically falling student population, rising costs and the impact the Niagara Charter School will have on district revenue during the next five years."
Sullivan County Community College says cuts imminent without $1M from county
Date CapturedFriday August 04 2006, 9:10 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "Some of the possible impacts: closing the Monticello Center, closing the Elderhostel program, cutting work-force education and training, slashing sports programs, leaving an admissions position vacant, not filling positions in nursing and culinary arts and not going ahead with planned health-care programs."
Libraries more crucial than ever
Date CapturedFriday August 04 2006, 8:57 AM
Press-Republican opined, "Perhaps most important, libraries offer Internet services to people who can't afford or for whatever reason don't have a computer. Kids from poor families are thus put onto even footing with their wealthier classmates."
NYC Mayor Bloomberg endorses mayoral control of Los Angeles schools
Date CapturedFriday August 04 2006, 7:42 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Bloomberg and Daley [Chicago mayor] said mayoral takeover of the public school system has resulted in more-empowered principals, improved safety and new programs to support struggling students and schools."
NYSSBA's Opinion - Taylor Law
Date CapturedThursday August 03 2006, 11:08 AM
By Timothy G. Kremer, Executive Director, New York State School Boards Association. Kremer writes on property taxes and the Taylor Law, "The problem is that the Taylor Law contains only a vague definition of bad-faith bargaining. PERB under the current chairman has been even-handed in its rulings, but past PERBS have been friendlier to the unions. The Abbate-Robach bills don’t punish the school board or mayor, but the property taxpayer. And it’s not as if public employees are still underpaid as they once were. A typical teacher earns an average of $53,000 in New York State. Public employees’ health insurance plans and retirement benefits are among the best. That they are somehow being taken advantage of at the bargaining table by cold-hearted local and state governments is pure fiction."
Low enrollment threatens school
Date CapturedThursday August 03 2006, 9:46 AM
The Post-Standard reports, "If St. Daniel closes, it would follow the closing in June of four other schools in the diocese. The closing of Cathedral, St. James and St. Patrick schools in Syracuse and St. Ann in Onondaga were blamed on declining enrollment, changing demographics and increasing operating costs. The closings were part of a consolidation that will create three Bishop's Academies at Most Holy Rosary, Holy Family and St. Charles Borromeo schools and one Cathedral Academy at Our Lady of Pompei School this September."
New study identifies significant private school advantages
Date CapturedThursday August 03 2006, 9:26 AM
Bloomberg News reports, "'We don't interpret our findings as proving that private schools are better,' Peterson [Harvard researcher] said. 'What we do show is that how your results are incredibly sensitive to the exact way you do the analysis.'" READ REFERENCED STUDIES ON EDUCATION NEW YORK ONLINE, EDUCATION POLICY PAGE, SCHOOL CHOICE LINK (http://www.educationnewyork.com/EducationPolicy#CATID55).
Plattsburgh city residents still fuming over rude, noisy college students
Date CapturedThursday August 03 2006, 9:19 AM
The PressRepublican reports, "Residents are calling for stricter enforcement of city ordinances and increased accountability by landlords, some of whom seem more than willing to rent slums to students who, in turn, treat them as such."
Study disputes public school advantage
Date CapturedThursday August 03 2006, 9:00 AM
UPI reports, "'When you use participation in federal programs as a measure of a student's family background, you undercount the number of disadvantaged students in the private sector,' said Paul Peterson, a professor of government and one of the study's authors. By contrast, Harvard's study gave a more accurate picture of student performance in both public and private schools, Peterson said." READ REFERENCED STUDIES ON EDUCATION NEW YORK ONLINE, EDUCATION POLICY PAGE, SCHOOL CHOICE LINK (http://www.educationnewyork.com/EducationPolicy#CATID55).
Clinton Community College library expands databases
Date CapturedThursday August 03 2006, 8:19 AM
PressRepublican.com reports, "SUNYConnect is a joint initiative of the SUNY Provost's Office of Library & Information Services and the libraries of the 64 SUNY campuses to share collections and services across the system, according to the program Web site. The databases are searchable by keywords, subject terms, author name, journal title and other information. Searchers may limit their results by date, language, source material, document type and other criteria."
Helping homeless kids get back to school
Date CapturedThursday August 03 2006, 8:10 AM
NY Daily News reports, "The Newkirk Area Neighborhood Association will prepare bookbags for distribution on Aug. 19. Send funds to help fill them to: NANA c/o Flatbush Development Corp., 1616 Newkirk Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11226."
CUNY programs for immigrants
Date CapturedThursday August 03 2006, 7:13 AM
NY Daily News weekly contributor Allan Wernick writes, "CUNY, like most publicly funded educational institutions, charges a low rate for residents and a higher rate for out-of-state and international students."
Don't abolish minimum attendance rule, school board is urged
Date CapturedThursday August 03 2006, 6:57 AM
Daily Freeman reports, "Parents, teachers, former Board of Education members and several school district residents spoke out Wednesday night against a proposal to eliminate the district's minimum-attendance requirement. The requirement that the Board of Education is considering abolishing mandates that students attend class at least 90 percent of the time to be eligible to pass."
Yonkers schools meet federal standard for teacher quality
Date CapturedThursday August 03 2006, 6:48 AM
The Journal News reports, "The state Education Department has removed Yonkers from a list of schools that missed a federal standard for highly qualified teachers."
In Push to Open Small Schools, a Big Obstacle: Limited Space
Date CapturedThursday August 03 2006, 12:24 AM
NY Times reports, "In the Bronx, 500 students in two high schools are not sure where they will go when classes start next month. The schools were supposed to share a former elementary school, but nonprofit groups that have occupied the building since 1982 refuse to leave and a lawsuit has been filed. The students are likely to end up in trailers outside the building."
New York State Commission on National and Community Service
Date CapturedThursday August 03 2006, 12:11 AM
States, Feds Partner on English Testing
Date CapturedWednesday August 02 2006, 7:45 PM
Infozine reports, "Twenty-four states [including New York] are being invited to work with the U.S. Department of Education to develop acceptable math and reading tests for students with limited English proficiency (LEP). Eighteen were chosen because a review last month found their testing systems, particularly those for LEP students, did not meet standards of the No Child Left Behind law. Six states with approved systems were invited to lend their expertise."
New York Charter School Resource Center
Date CapturedWednesday August 02 2006, 9:40 AM
United Way sets priorities
Date CapturedWednesday August 02 2006, 8:32 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Spending on the Strong Start program, another early childhood initiative that gives extra help to children who enter kindergarten with risks of failure, also will expand to three schools from one. United Way will double its funding for the Hillside Work Scholarship Connection, attempting to reach 200 more kids, and increase the number of school-community partnership programs, such as the one at East High and five other schools. By 2008 there'd be a total of 11 schools with these centers for counseling, mentoring and tutoring. Carpino said these programs reduce drop-out rates. United Way will continue to fund after-school programs that keep children safe and off the street, such as Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Rochester and YMCA."
Northeastern Clinton Central Schools considers building new or closing old buildings
Date CapturedWednesday August 02 2006, 8:20 AM
The Press-Republican reports, "Sometime in December, Northeastern Clinton Central School District voters may be deciding whether to build a consolidated elementary facility."
Students in Victor to get China 'key' pals
Date CapturedWednesday August 02 2006, 7:58 AM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle writes on schools superintendent's trip to China, "Although McElheran did not see the creative spirit found in American industry, he did see a China that realizes the importance of math and science to competing in the global economy. China, he noted, produced about 600,000 engineers in 2005 compared with about 70,000 in the United States."
Kingston High School attendance policy topic of hearing
Date CapturedWednesday August 02 2006, 7:36 AM
Daily Freeman reports, "The current school attendance policy established a minimum standard of attendance whereby any high school student who is illegally absent for 18 days in a full-year course or 9 days in a semester course will be denied course credit. Under the revised attendance policy, 'where a student earns a passing grade, credit will not be denied for the course(s) regardless of the number of absences.'"
Rochester Work in progress: Get Teen Court involved in curfew pilot project
Date CapturedWednesday August 02 2006, 7:25 AM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "The city is working toward a curfew like one in Minneapolis, where the city, county and school district jointly support a curfew center that offers violators a support services network that can help them stay on track. A pilot program can help reveal what kinds of services young people who are out on the streets of Rochester most need."
Why school budgets here are inflated
Date CapturedWednesday August 02 2006, 7:20 AM
The Journal News letter to the editor writes, "Massachusetts law states that public school districts are allowed only one vote, and if it fails they get a flat 2.5 percent increase. Teacher's unions in New York will try to argue that you get a better education here, as opposed to Massachusetts, but we all know that's not true. We're paying twice as much. Are New York's kids twice as smart? I don't think so."
Hundreds protest 'waste' in North Rockland schools
Date CapturedWednesday August 02 2006, 7:15 AM
The Journal News reports, "More than 200 people rallied yesterday to express their frustration over the North Rockland school district's handling of its budget."
Cutback on counselors
Date CapturedWednesday August 02 2006, 6:34 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Klein has pledged to fund the budget increase in the so-called empowerment schools by cutting $80 million this year from the system's central and regional bureaucracy. An added $200million is scheduled to be trimmed by next year."
Nazareth Appoints First Dean of School of Education
Date CapturedTuesday August 01 2006, 1:26 PM
Nazareth College announces, "Nazareth College is pleased to announce that Timothy Glander has been appointed to the new position of Dean of the School of Education. Glander returns to Nazareth College after having been a faculty member from 1990-1999."
Marist College Named a Technology Innovator by Tech Magazine
Date CapturedTuesday August 01 2006, 12:10 PM
PR Newswire reports, "Marist achieved this national distinction in the area of podcasting. Magazine editors noted that Marist stood out from other institutions because Marist is the only college or university to have student-driven course content."
New York Law School Launches $190 Million Expansion and Renovation of TriBeCa Campus
Date CapturedTuesday August 01 2006, 9:48 AM
PRNewswire reports, "Financing for the new academic building came from the sale of $135 million in insured bonds issued through the New York City Industrial Development Agency, which was successfully completed on June 30, 2006. The school's securities were given an A3 credit rating by Moody's and an A-minus rating by S&P, both reflective of the school's stable market position and solid financial condition."
North Country Community College budget headed for approval
Date CapturedTuesday August 01 2006, 8:35 AM
The Press-Republican reports, "'Since that college has been there, we've seen an increase in the number of people who've been downtown,' Supervisor Robert C. Dedrick (R-Ticonderoga) said. 'It's an absolutely gorgeous building. I'm sure they're able to fill their courses.' The college will help revitalize Ticonderoga's downtown, he said."
NO FREE SPEECH FOR SUNY PROFS?
Date CapturedTuesday August 01 2006, 8:02 AM
NY Post op-ed contributors Greg Lukianoff and Robert L. Shibley of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) write, "As the Supreme Court wrote in the landmark opinion of Sweezy v. New Hampshire (1957), 'The essentiality of freedom in the community of American universities is almost self-evident. No one should underestimate the vital role in a democracy that is played by those who guide and train our youth. To impose any straitjacket upon the intellectual leaders in our colleges and universities would imperil the future of our nation.'"
Cornell, Colgate designated gay-friendly; Ithaca, SU also among the 100 best campuses listed in new college guidebook
Date CapturedTuesday August 01 2006, 7:43 AM
Post-Standard reports, "Queer studies, as it is often called, is not yet a staple on campus. Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva are among the relatively few schools to offer a major in Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Studies, although the schools didn't make the new guide."
New York City Independent Budget Office Fiscal Brief, July 2006
Date CapturedTuesday August 01 2006, 7:27 AM
By Paul Lopatto. Study finds, "THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, commonly known as CUNY, is the largest urban public university system in the country, with approximately 450,000 students. Until the city’s fiscal crisis in the 1970s, CUNY charged no tuition. But even with the addition of tuition revenue, CUNY has faced ongoing challenges to its operating budget. CUNY officials say these challenges have hampered their ability to expand and improve the university’s educational programs.IBO’s review of CUNY funding since 1989 finds that the university system has become increasingly reliant on tuition revenue even as it faces year-to-year uncertainty in the sources of its funding and costs to its students."
STATE $TILL FAILING CUNY
Date CapturedTuesday August 01 2006, 7:22 AM
NY Post David Andreatta writes, "The study, released yesterday by the city's Independent Budget Office, confirms what CUNY officials have said for years - that a decline in state support has hampered the university's ability to expand." READ REFERENCED STUDY ON EDUCATION NEW YORK ONLINE, EDUCATION POLICY PAGE, HIGHER EDUCATION LINK.
On-campus community college housing to grow; Monroe Community College, other area community colleges to build more residence halls
Date CapturedTuesday August 01 2006, 7:17 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "About a third of the members of the American Association of Community Colleges offer some kind of housing, said Norma Kent, spokeswoman for the organization in Washington, D.C. The amount of community-college housing has increased notably in the past five years, pushed in large part by growing international student enrollment at the schools, Kent said. "
Pataki veto maintains special ed process
Date CapturedTuesday August 01 2006, 7:13 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Gov. George Pataki has shot down an effort to give families of students with disabilities more power in dealing with schools."
Bill Gates, the Nation's Superintendent of Schools
Date CapturedMonday July 31 2006, 11:55 AM
LA Times contributor Diane Ravitch, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and a professor of education at New York University opined, "In light of the size of the foundation's endowment, Bill Gates is now the nation's superintendent of schools. He can support whatever he wants, based on any theory or philosophy that appeals to him. We must all watch for signs and portents to decipher what lies in store for American education."
Niagara County Community College gets a $6 million summer makeover
Date CapturedMonday July 31 2006, 11:48 AM
Buffalo News reports, "He [Rob Waters] said the State University of New York and the Niagara County Legislature, each contributing half, granted the college $10 million to pay for the improvements."
Buffalo schools' influx of state aid may give taxpayers a break
Date CapturedMonday July 31 2006, 11:43 AM
Buffalo News reports, "Some of that cash is now available, thanks to EXCEL aid, a onetime revenue funded by state taxpayers. Many local districts are considering using the EXCEL money - which stands for Expanding our Children's Education and Learning - to trim local taxpayers' share of renovations, additions or even new buildings."
Educators, unions question vetoes
Date CapturedMonday July 31 2006, 7:55 AM
Star-Gazette reports, "Robert Lowry of the New York State Council of School Superintendents said there is a lot of concern about school property taxes, and the pro-labor bills would not have helped. 'If they want school districts to restrain costs, this is not the direction they ought to be headed in,' he said."
Pataki vetoes special-ed measures; Burden-of-proof legislation was meant to empower parents
Date CapturedMonday July 31 2006, 7:44 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "Gov. George E. Pataki shot down an effort last week to give families of students with disabilities more power in dealing with schools and vetoed a measure to give special- education school districts more financial flexibility."
FIGHTING POVERTY; WHAT N.Y.C. NEEDS TO DO
Date CapturedMonday July 31 2006, 7:35 AM
NY Post contributor Richard D. Parsons, chairman & CEO of Time Warner Inc. and co-chair of Mayor Bloomberg's Commission on Economic Opportunity writes, "We know that poverty rates decrease when education rates increase. That is why the mayor and city schools Chancellor Joel Klein have worked so hard to bring accountability to our public schools and improve high-school graduation rates. While much progress has been made, much more needs to be, and can be, done at all levels. We need to give particular focus to preschoolers, and we need to make it easier for more of our young people to go to college."
U at Buffalo to add online engineering degree
Date CapturedMonday July 31 2006, 7:19 AM
Business First of Buffalo reports, "The program is designed for working professionals and others who have completed the first two years of their education in technical disciplines."
Broome Community College's Educational Opportunity director plays role of mentor to students
Date CapturedSunday July 30 2006, 3:35 PM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "As director of Broome Community College's Educational Opportunity Program, Claudia Clarke helps high-risk students navigate the challenges in their lives to achieve a college education."
How to apply to Empire State College
Date CapturedSunday July 30 2006, 3:20 PM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle writes, "Empire State College has everything from undergraduate degrees in 11 areas of study from the arts to science, mathematics and technology; to six master’s degree programs, including three Master of Arts in policy studies programs, a Master of Arts in liberal studies, a Master of Business Administration degree and Master of Arts in Teaching program for career changers."
Public needs say in library's future
Date CapturedSunday July 30 2006, 12:24 PM
The Journal News writes, "At the heart of the governance of all public libraries in New York state are the people of the communities who pay their taxes to support them and the library boards of trustees that oversee the library operations with the assistance of their library directors. Using the funds collected by either the municipality or the local board of education, the library boards carry out their numerous responsibilities."
School district protest organized
Date CapturedSunday July 30 2006, 12:19 PM
The Journal News reports, "One issue, he [Cole-Hatchard] said, was that when members of the public ask the school board questions during their meetings, no answers are provided. He said even if the answers need to be researched, the school board should provide a response at their next meeting, or on the district's Web site."
Bard aims to boost math teaching
Date CapturedSunday July 30 2006, 12:11 PM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "The one-year program, which has doubled in size since last year, is targeted at students who have recently earned bachelor's degrees and other college graduates who may be seeking career changes to education."
One year brings two views of Buffalo schools superintendent Williams
Date CapturedSunday July 30 2006, 11:46 AM
Buffalo News reports, "After 13 months on the job, Buffalo School Superintendent James A. Williams gets broad credit - from critics and supporters alike - for pinpointing the massive problems facing city schools and launching efforts to tackle them. At the same time, many people charge that he's damaging his chances of boosting student achievement by moving too fast, failing to include key players in the decision-making process and alienating teachers, parents and even some Board of Education members with a blunt, in-your-face style."
To show teens the way, walk their path
Date CapturedSunday July 30 2006, 11:24 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle guest essayist Rod Jones, president and CEO of the Community Place of Greater Rochester writes, "We often deal with youths as if we are all-knowing when really we are ignorant. Likewise, policies, programs and services are often developed without a clear understanding of the lives of youths. We must do more to understand what they are experiencing. Try walking in the shoes of the kid who is."
New York State Assembly School Funding Bill Summary - A08590
Date CapturedSunday July 30 2006, 10:27 AM
Establishes the school property tax elimination act; provides a method whereby school districts may opt into an alternative method of school financing as provided in the article whereby funds are raised through a school income tax in addition to a property tax on "non-primary residence" property.
Reform unites residents, Groups are formed to press for change in taxation system
Date CapturedSunday July 30 2006, 10:12 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "In recent months, community groups focused on school tax reform have been popping up across Dutchess and Ulster counties. Regional groups now exist in northern, southern, eastern and central Dutchess. Most revolve around lobbying legislators at the state level in an effort to change the way schools are funded."
Grant to support diversity education
Date CapturedSunday July 30 2006, 10:07 AM
Post-Standard reports, "Among the highlights are a youth mural project; a trip to the Onondaga Nation; a diversity education session for youth workers - followed by practical application; and a Unity Day Fair, with homegrown examples of diversity, including food, crafts and dance."
Rochester schools project in $1 billion class
Date CapturedSunday July 30 2006, 10:01 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "The project's scope is massive. Eight brand-new schools would be built, neighborhoods around schools would be improved and every school in the district — 50 buildings — would be affected in some way."
Where the wild things are, Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks stocked with fun and education
Date CapturedSunday July 30 2006, 9:37 AM
Times Union reports, "Spread out over 31 acres of integrated indoor and outdoor exhibit spaces, with trails, a pond and a boardwalk along the Raquette River, the mission statement of The Wild Center is 'to inspire a broad public understanding of the natural systems that shape and sustain life in the Adirondacks.'"
Aversive therapy ban pushed
Date CapturedSunday July 30 2006, 9:03 AM
The Patriot Ledger reports, "The electronic decelerator used at Judge Rotenburg Education Center delivers an electric current of 3 to 45 milliamps. (A milliamp is 1/1000th of an amp.) This is how that compares with other electrical shock devices. - Electric dog collar 0.2 milliamp - Brain electroshock therapy 900 milliamps - Nerve stimulation therapy 1 milliamp - Taser pistol 1 amp - Heart defibrillator 1 amp."
Redrawing the College Map
Date CapturedSunday July 30 2006, 8:55 AM
NY Times LA bureau chief Jennifer Steinhauer writes, "In sheer numbers, New York’s array of coveted universities attracts the most students from other states, followed by California and Pennsylvania, according to a March report from the Education Department showing the comings and goings of first-time degree- and certificate-seeking students for fall 2004."
Phasing out ASL course was difficult but needed
Date CapturedSunday July 30 2006, 8:33 AM
Star-Gazette guest contributor Raymond Bryant, superintendent of the Elmira school district writes, "The primary factor in the elimination of [American Sign Language] ASL is the district's difficulty in finding teachers certified to teach it. No Child Left Behind requires a qualified teacher in every classroom, yet of the three teachers teaching ASL in the district this past school year, only one was certified to teach it."
All work & less pay for school nurses
Date CapturedSaturday July 29 2006, 6:33 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Due to a summer payroll glitch, the Department of Education says that 30 occupational and physical therapists at Public School 37 in Staten Island and 65 nurses working at schools around the city were not paid for hours worked in July."
Teachers explore Hudson Valley's challenges
Date CapturedFriday July 28 2006, 7:56 PM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "'School teachers can contribute by helping to build 'a new civic culture, one of engagement,' Nolon said. Teaching the Hudson Valley awarded eight grants to schools from Albany to Westchester county this summer in an effort to give more students more opportunities for field trips to Hudson River parks and historic sites."
Professor claims criticizing policies cost him a promotion
Date CapturedFriday July 28 2006, 7:46 PM
Buffalo News reports, "A Fredonia State College instructor said he is being denied a promotion for speaking out against campus policies in the media."
Inside Albany (IA)
Date CapturedFriday July 28 2006, 11:31 AM
This week on Inside Albany (IA): Suozzi vs. Spitzer -Excerpts of what could be the only debate in the Democratic gubernatorial primary include candidates' exchange over the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) lawsuit, New York's ongoing school funding court case. Check schedule.
REPORT-CARD REVOLUTION
Date CapturedFriday July 28 2006, 8:07 AM
NY Post columnist Ryan Sager writes, "The broad, squishy ideas of 'standards' and 'accountability' have been all the rage in education reform for some time. They were the basis for President Bush's No Child Left Behind law, which theoretically requires all public schools in America to make all students 'proficient' in English and math."
Government requiring New York immigrant kids to take regular English test
Date CapturedFriday July 28 2006, 7:47 AM
The Journal News reports, "New York was faulted over its testing of English learners and disabled students, two groups given special attention under NCLB. The state must submit a plan by Aug. 2 on how it will fix the problems. At stake is $1.2 million in federal school aid."
23 local schools miss federal standard for teacher quality
Date CapturedFriday July 28 2006, 7:38 AM
The Journal News reports, "The schools — from urban districts such as Yonkers and Mount Vernon to the suburban communities of Pleasantville and Clarkstown — had less than 90 percent of their core classes taught by highly qualified teachers, or faculty who are experts in their subject areas, in 2004-05, the latest year for which data is available. The No Child Left Behind law requires that all children be taught by highly qualified teachers — someone who holds at least a bachelor's degree, is certified by the state and demonstrates competence in the areas taught."
All teachers hit top at 5 Mid-Hudson school districts
Date CapturedFriday July 28 2006, 7:26 AM
Times-Herald reports, "Only five of 35 districts in Sullivan, Ulster and Orange counties had all teachers designated as highly qualified. The districts that hit the mark are Minisink Valley, Warwick, Greenwood Lake, Marlboro and Ellenville. With one exception, the rest of the school districts have 90 percent or more of their teachers at the highly qualified level. The other district is Tri-Valley, which had 89 percent of its teachers make the grade."
Maine revised eligibility guidelines for special ed raise concerns
Date CapturedThursday July 27 2006, 10:50 AM
AP reports, "The changes were sought in response to U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby's ruling that a western York County school district must provide special services to a girl who had been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and depressive disorder."
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT: Assistance from Education Could Help States Better Measure Progress of Students with Limited English Proficiency
Date CapturedThursday July 27 2006, 9:57 AM
GAO July 2006 study, "The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLBA) focused attention on the academic achievement of more than 5 million students with limited English proficiency. Obtaining valid test results for these students is challenging, given their language barriers. This report describes (1) the extent to which these students are meeting annual academic progress goals, (2) what states have done to ensure the validity of their academic assessments, (3) what states are doing to ensure the validity of their English language proficiency assessments, and (4) how the U.S. Department of Education (Education) is supporting states’ efforts to meet NCLBA’s assessment requirements for these students."
Women's world? Try colleges; Area schools mirror U.S. trend of males as the student minority.
Date CapturedThursday July 27 2006, 9:17 AM
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "At MCC, women made up 55 percent of the student body in 2004, the most recent year for which federal statistics are available. At the State University College at Geneseo, women accounted for 61 percent. And at Nazareth College and Keuka College, more than 70 percent of the students were women."
School audit results in
Date CapturedThursday July 27 2006, 9:03 AM
The Press Republican reports on Saranac Lake schools audit, "What criticisms the auditors did have were focused on the district's fixed-asset policy — how it accounts for what it owns, especially computer hardware and software. The district has about $1.3 million worth of computer equipment."
26,000 applicants set record for Binghamton U
Date CapturedThursday July 27 2006, 8:59 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "'Increased applications speak to the fact that Binghamton's reputation is growing, and more and more students are considering us as an institution,' said Brian Hazlett, BU's associate director of admissions."
Montessori board now weighs legal options in bus dispute
Date CapturedThursday July 27 2006, 8:53 AM
The Ithaca Journal reports, "The dispute originated with the ICSD Board of Education's decision to change public school hours in September, which creates a need for new bus routes. Elementary schools' hours will be 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and middle and high schools approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., generally reversing the previous schedule. Consequently, the district is able to provide transportation for nonpublic school students — a requirement in New York state — only by sending them with secondary students to a transfer point at Ithaca High School, Superintendent Judith Pastel has said."
Tech learning is hands-on
Date CapturedThursday July 27 2006, 8:45 AM
Times Union reports, "It's all part of the college's Science and Technology Entry Program -- or STEP -- which introduces minority and disadvantaged middle and high school youth to areas of science, math and technology."
Public, private schools are not so comparable after all
Date CapturedThursday July 27 2006, 8:28 AM
Times Herald-Record contributor Gary Heotzler, principal of Leptondale Christian Academy in Newburgh, NY responds to NY Times, "The news article makes it sound as if there is no difference in the quality of education between private and public schools when, in actuality, there is a world of difference."
Guggenheim Study Suggests Arts Education Benefits Literacy Skills
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 11:11 PM
NY Times reports, "The results of the study, which are to be presented today and tomorrow at a conference at the Guggenheim, are likely to stimulate debate at a time when the federal education law known as No Child Left Behind has led schools to increase class time spent on math and reading significantly, often at the expense of other subjects, including art."
Fulton-Montgomery Community College moves to address concerns of accreditation group
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 5:42 PM
The Business Review (Albany) reports, "One is in 'outcomes assessment,' which is the college's process of determining how well students meet the standards F-MCC has set for those earning degrees in various programs. The other is in how well the college is doing at meeting its overriding goals in areas such as student success and economic development."
U.S. Department of Education Awards $15.5 Million to Help Students Develop Strong Character and Good Citizenship
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 4:03 PM
NEW YORK STATE RECIPIENTS: Niagara Falls Niagara Falls City School District ($356,660) Buffalo Buffalo City School District ($533,913) Brooklyn Region 6/District 17 ($352,576) Utica City School District ($494,554)
NYS Education Dept. Office of Professions & Teacher Certification accepting applications for immediate vacancies on the New York State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 3:42 PM
NYS Education Department: Apply for appointment to the Board if you have an interest in helping to shape teaching policy in New York State and if you qualify for appointment in one of the following categories: Higher Education (President or chief academic officer of a NYS college or university that prepares teachers), Teacher (Either a classroom teacher or pupil personnel service professional in a New York State school) Public (Representative of business, parent group, community organization, etc.) Teacher Education Student (Student matriculated in a teacher preparation program at a NYS institution, full-or part-time). Application information here.
AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT FREE TUTORING SERVICES UNDER THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT IN NEW YORK CITY: A FOCUS ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 11:18 AM
Advocates for Children of New York, June, 2006. "This policy brief examines the status of SES in NYC as of the 2004-2005 school year (the most recent year for which data is available) and compares, where possible, results from the first year of implementation. This report also analyzes the extent to which ELLs are eligible based on their attendance in designated schools, their enrollment in SES, and SES providers’ capacity to serve these students."
New pro football league to start up on college campuses
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 10:27 AM
USA Today reports, "A group of former college officials headed by former NCAA President Cedric Dempsey will unveil plans Wednesday in New York for a new spring minor league with a twist — the eight teams will use colleges as their bases, and feature players from those schools and their affiliated conferences and surrounding regions."
Grants will aid museums' exhibits on Hudson Valley
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 9:24 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "The Mid-Hudson Children's Museum and the Clermont State Historic Site have received federal grants from the Museums of America program, the nation's largest federal funding program for museums."
School bus crisis: How could this happen?
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 9:16 AM
Ithaca Journal writes, "Under state law a public school district must offer transportation service to private school students within its borders who, like public students, live within 15 miles of school."
Fight crime; restart 'War on Poverty'
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 8:59 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle guest essayist Dr. Peter Mott writes, "Early studies showed clearly that children did better in school because of Head Start and nutrition programs, and that expensive visits to hospital emergency rooms fell dramatically when primary health care was accessible in neighborhoods."
In Kindergarten Playtime, a New Meaning for ‘Play’
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 8:50 AM
NY Times contributor Clara Hemphill, director of Insideschools.org, a project of Advocates for Children of New York writes, "Now, with an increased emphasis on academic achievement even in the earliest grades, playtime in kindergarten is giving way to worksheets, math drills and fill-in-the-bubble standardized tests."
An Unfailing Belief in the Power of Teaching
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 8:25 AM
NY Times DAVID M. HERSZENHORN writes, in a story about NYC schools' head of instruction, Dr. Alonso, "He hates it when students are referred to as 'at risk,' icily noting that they are at risk only when educators fail. He denounces failed teaching techniques the way a preacher condemns sin. His speeches are dense with jargon."
Demanding vs. Doing
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 8:17 AM
NY Times editorial writes, "One of the law’s most critical provisions requires that all public school teachers in core academic courses be 'highly qualified' by this year. But as The Times’s Sam Dillon reported yesterday, not a single state has met the deadline."
CUNY FACES BIAS PROBE
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 7:58 AM
NY Post reports, "Programs aimed at helping black male students at the City University of New York are the focus of a federal bias probe after a civil rights group charged the programs discriminate against women and non-black students."
SCHOOLS 'NET RIGHTS JAB
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 7:55 AM
NY Post reports, "The head of the New York Civil Liberties Union said yesterday that the group would challenge a city Department of Education proposal to discipline students who post defamatory comments related to their schools online."
$17M Ed Dept. job set without bidding
Date CapturedWednesday July 26 2006, 7:40 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum said the contract 'seems to be part of a pattern' of no-bid deals handed out by the Bloomberg administration. Gotbaum argued that city contracts should only be awarded after a "strenuous" review process."
2 schools secure high marks from education commissioner
Date CapturedTuesday July 25 2006, 9:18 AM
Buffalo News reports, "There may be nothing better school principals can experience than the state education commissioner telling them how great their students and staff are doing. Lockport High School Principal Frank Movalli and Emmet Belknap Middle School Principal Gary Wilson are no exception."
Oswego to have Universal Pre-K
Date CapturedTuesday July 25 2006, 9:07 AM
The Post-Standard reports, "The short-term benefits are readiness for kindergarten, a smoother transition to school and exposure to literacy and numeration. Research shows pre-kindergarten participants are less likely to (fail a grade) or be placed in special education. As adults, they are more likely to get better jobs and earn more money."
Ramapo Community College, other colleges join forces to offer emergency preparedness programs
Date CapturedTuesday July 25 2006, 8:56 AM
The Journal News reports, "RCC is joining with Orange, Sullivan and Ulster community colleges in the Emergency Medical Services/First Responder Education Program, an initiative that would allow students at the participating colleges access to different emergency preparedness programs based at the individual schools."
HOPES ON HOLD, ALBANY HAMSTRINGS SCHOOL REFORM
Date CapturedTuesday July 25 2006, 8:02 AM
NY Post guest op-ed contributor Joel Klein, chancellor of the New York City schools writes, "Charter schools provide high-quality education to some of the poorest communities in our city, giving amazing opportunities to children who are more than 90 percent African-American and Latino."
MYSPACE INVADERS FOR CITY STUDENTS, SCHOOLS TAKE AIM AT NASTY BLOGGERS
Date CapturedTuesday July 25 2006, 7:51 AM
NY Post reports, "The proposed changes to the code have yet to be adopted by the city's Panel for Educational Policy, but civil-rights lawyers are already sounding the alarm over the Internet provision. 'What happens on the Internet at a student's home is not the Department of Education's business," said veteran civil-rights lawyer Elizabeth Fink. 'Any person who believes in the Constitution would have a vast problem with this.'"
Poor pay the price for high museum fees
Date CapturedTuesday July 25 2006, 7:42 AM
Daily News guest contributor David Jones, president and CEO of the nonprofit Community Service Society writes, "More and more, New York is moving toward a city divided by income and class - a culturally segregated city, where many affluent people can afford cultural amenities, while many low-income families, largely minorities, are being priced out. This is unacceptable."
Schools tackle new threats, from Net to stun guns
Date CapturedTuesday July 25 2006, 7:38 AM
NY Daily News reports, "With some kids using the Internet to harass each other or start fights and others bringing items to school - like paint-ball guns - that no one thought to ban before, city educrats are proposing a host of new rules to keep order in city schools."
School districts nationwide gag on 65 percent solution
Date CapturedMonday July 24 2006, 8:06 PM
Edwin C. Dardens writes in New York State School Board Association publication, "Almost uniformly, school leaders across the U.S. say the 65 percent solution is a superficial fix that amounts to an accounting placebo. It looks like 'the real thing' and fools those who might not know better, but ultimately does nothing by itself to improve school performance." Forecast, On Board Online • Volume 7 • No. 11 • June 12, 2006.
Education race
Date CapturedMonday July 24 2006, 2:19 PM
The Boston Globe reports, "The achievement gap between Latino and non-Latino students 'begins before children even enter kindergarten and persists throughout the K-12 years,' according to a new report from Pre-K Now, a nonprofit organization in Washington. These children face a lifelong achievement gap, making it tempting to target preschool to children who are 'at-risk.'" READ REFERENCED REPORT ON EDUCATION NEW YORK ONLINE -- see EARLY LEARNING, IMMIGRATION.
Eight Rockland schools use the sun to save money, teach students
Date CapturedMonday July 24 2006, 8:04 AM
The Journal News reports, "But what has sold the schools on their solar installations is the curriculum that goes along with both the state and O&R's programs. Both programs come with nearly two dozen lesson plans based on solar power that are in line with state learning standards. There are science, physics, math and conservation lessons and an online piece that allows anyone with Internet access the ability to track solar power generation at any installation in the program."
Grading schools
Date CapturedMonday July 24 2006, 7:58 AM
Times Union opined on charter schools, "It's one thing to provide competition for the public schools. It's another to make it all but impossible for them to compete."
Investors Say Flaws at School Are Deeper
Date CapturedMonday July 24 2006, 7:50 AM
NY Times reports, "The problems at Interboro Institute, one of the largest, fastest-growing profit-making colleges in New York State in recent years, were deeper even than those outlined by the State Education Department last year, according to papers filed late on Friday in a class-action securities fraud complaint against Interboro’s parent, EVCI Career Colleges Holding Corporation."
NBA star to Choir rescue?
Date CapturedMonday July 24 2006, 7:08 AM
NY Daily News reports, "[Kevin]Johnson and the Education Department are expected to announce in the next few weeks their partnership in a rigorous, college preparatory school for middle- and high-school students that will focus on music and community service."
Can't wait for state action
Date CapturedSunday July 23 2006, 12:26 PM
The Press Republican opined on registered sex offenders living near schools, "There's been no state leadership on this issue, which many deem important because parents need as many tools as possible to protect their kids."
Binghamton U students studying in Mideast
Date CapturedSunday July 23 2006, 12:22 PM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "BU operates more than 30 study-abroad programs in 13 countries, including Australia, France and Morocco. As many as 20 percent of BU students participate in a study-abroad program before graduating and as many as 550 students study abroad each year, Krebs said."
Group trying to open school
Date CapturedSunday July 23 2006, 9:53 AM
The Post-Standard reports, "'It's a huge undertaking to grow a nonpublic school,' said Tom Hogan, of the state Education Department. 'You can have a lot of very dedicated, well-intentioned people, but many of these attempts don't make it.'"
School deal idles, the CFE school case should be a focus of ongoing campaigns
Date CapturedSunday July 23 2006, 9:41 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle editorial opined on fiscal equity, "Those on the CFE side have expended most of their energy demanding that new billions be allocated. But school quality is not a money issue alone, or even primarily. It's about leadership at every level, beginning with the classroom, properly trained teachers, involved parents."
CUNY'S BRAIN STORM, MORE TOP ENROLLEES
Date CapturedSunday July 23 2006, 8:56 AM
NY Post reports, "The number of 'A' students considering CUNY colleges is a whopping 59.7 percent higher than in 2000, when the university tightened its admission policy by phasing out open enrollment and eliminating remedial courses at its four-year institutions."
Public School Finance Programs of the United States and Canada: 1998–99 (NEW YORK STATE)
Date CapturedSaturday July 22 2006, 10:14 PM
NEW YORK: Funding for public education in New York comes from three sources: approximately 4% from federal sources, 40% from state formula aids and grants, and 56% from local revenues. The descriptive information in this publication is designed to be useful to the education finance research community and fiscal policy analysts whose backgrounds and training are very diverse. Brian O. Brent, Warner Graduate School, University of Rochester. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Public School Finance Programs of the United States and Canada: 1998–99. NCES 2001–309; Compilers Catherine C. Sielke, John Dayton, C. Thomas Holmes, of The University of Georgia and Anne L. Jefferson of the University of Ottawa. William J. Fowler, Jr., Project Officer. Washington, DC: 2001.
New York State Charter Schools Act of 1998, Article 56.
Date CapturedSaturday July 22 2006, 7:53 PM
Article 56 Section 2850. Short title; purpose. 2851. Eligible applicants; applications; submission. 2852. Issuance of charter. 2853. Charter school organization; oversight; facilities. 2854. General requirements. 2855. Causes for revocation or termination. 2856. Financing of charter schools. 2857. Notice; review and assessment.
The Oral Health of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation, 2005
Date CapturedSaturday July 22 2006, 1:13 PM
The National Survey of Children’s Health provides information on the health and well-being of children in the 50 States and the District of Columbia (D.C.). Survey findings for NEW YORK including the percentage of children whose teeth are reported to be in excellent or good condition and the percentage of children who received a preventive dental care visit in the past year are presented on this site. These indicators are also shown by children’s age, family income, race and ethnicity, and sex. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The National Survey of Children's Health 2003. Rockville, Maryland: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2005.
Federal school grant for Yonkers
Date CapturedSaturday July 22 2006, 12:37 PM
Mid-Hudson News reports, "Numerous studies show there is a clear link between the quality of library media programs in schools staffed an experienced school library media specialists and student academic achievement."
Elmira school district takes right approach by postponing decision until next year
Date CapturedSaturday July 22 2006, 8:48 AM
Star Gazette editorial writes, "School uniforms, especially in public schools, are not universally accepted, and district officials, by delaying a decision until 2007, implicitly acknowledged they might be treading in unpopular territory."
NY's Charter Challenge
Date CapturedSaturday July 22 2006, 8:09 AM
NY Post editorial writes on charter schools, "The 1998 charter-school law limits the number of charters - privately managed, publicly funded schools that have greater flexibility in work rules, curricula formation and hours of operation - to just 100 in the whole state. An effort to lift that limit failed to survive the recently completed legislative session."
2004-05 Annual Report on the Status of Charter Schools in New York State
Date CapturedFriday July 21 2006, 10:49 AM
"This report provides data required by §2857(3) of the Education Law and covers the 2004-05 school year, during which a total of 61 charter schools were open for instruction. Of these 61 schools, 16 were chartered by the Board of Regents, 32 were chartered by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York ('SUNY'), 11 were chartered by the Chancellor of the New York City Public Schools, and two were chartered by the Board of Education of the Buffalo City School District. Twenty-one had management companies as partners."
SMARTER CHARTER KIDS
Date CapturedFriday July 21 2006, 10:42 AM
NY Post CARL CAMPANILE reports, "The just-released study by state Education Department found students in 11 of 16 city charter schools outscored kids in nearby public schools on the state's fourth-grade English and math exams in 2005."
You don't always need a classroom
Date CapturedFriday July 21 2006, 9:09 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal columnist and director of Field Work at Vassar College, Peter Leonard, Ph.D., writes, "Now the students won't remember what I said that afternoon, but I bet they won't forget this passionate, unscripted community discussion. Proving, once again, that cities, especially Poughkeepsie, are good for education."
Community can eliminate achievement gap
Date CapturedFriday July 21 2006, 8:32 AM
Ithaca Journal guest columnist Eldred Harris writes, "The Village has built strategic partnerships with existing local programs while filling a few key gaps in services necessary to achieve our goals. It's been a joy working with some of Ithaca's brightest and most dedicated youth, public service professionals, K-12 teachers and administrators, business leaders, ministers, moms, police officers, area college and university faculty and administrators, local and statewide elected officials, as well as countless other community volunteers to accomplish this important work —proving the adage that it does indeed take a Village to raise, affirm and educate a child!"
Senator Clinton frets chips will be put in kids brains
Date CapturedFriday July 21 2006, 7:26 AM
NY Daily News reports, "The New York Democrat said the country was performing a 'massive experiment' on kids who average more than six hours a day with media and advertising, soaking it up through TV, computers, games and iPods."
When activism masquerades as education
Date CapturedFriday July 21 2006, 7:15 AM
NY Daily News guest contributor, Manhattan Institute's senior fellow Sol Stern writes, "Far too many New York City public schools - including some of the new small schools created by Chancellor Joel Klein and funded with money from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - distort education by imbuing social justice into everything they do."
Parents Dismissed: An Analysis of Manhattan"s Community Education Councils and the New York City Department of Education's Role in Engaging Parent Leaders
Date CapturedFriday July 21 2006, 12:08 AM
"This report on Manhattan’s Community Education Councils (CEC) finds significant failures by the City’s Department of Education (DOE) and violations of state law as it pertains to their obligations to adequately provide support and training for the parent councils."
“Parents Dismissed" gives NYC schools failing grade on education councils
Date CapturedThursday July 20 2006, 11:49 PM
The Villager reports, "Borough President Scott Stringer is calling for action from the Department of Education to address what he calls the failing performance of Manhattan’s Community Education Councils."
SAT Group Can Do Better, Says Report It Commissioned
Date CapturedThursday July 20 2006, 11:40 PM
NY Times KAREN W. ARENSON reports, "The College Board should acquire better scanning software, increase training for test center personnel and make other improvements in its procedures to help prevent errors in scoring SAT exams, according to a report released yesterday."
Eastchester school critics forced to change Web site name
Date CapturedThursday July 20 2006, 8:12 AM
The Journal News reports, "A citizens group critical of the Eastchester school board has changed the name of its Web site to avoid a potentially costly legal battle with the school district."
FREE CHILDREN FROM THESE 'PRISONS'
Date CapturedThursday July 20 2006, 7:57 AM
NY Post columnist Ryan Sager writes, "Let this be clear to everyone: Public schools in New York are prisons for low-income families - and the jailers are the city and state teachers unions."
SMARTER CHARTER KIDS, SCORING ABOVE STUDENTS AT NEARBY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Date CapturedThursday July 20 2006, 7:49 AM
NY Post reports, "The academic gap widens in the upper grades, the report said, with kids in five of six upper-grade charter schools faring better on eighth-grade English and math exams."
Kingston High School may drop attendance policy
Date CapturedThursday July 20 2006, 7:30 AM
Daily Freeman reports, "Eliminating the attendance policy would allow students to pass a course if they are able to succeed academically, without a minimum of attendance requirement."
Ithaca schools busing dispute meeting called off
Date CapturedThursday July 20 2006, 7:27 AM
Journal reports, "New York state law requires public school districts like Ithaca to provide transportation for students who live within the district but attend nonpublic schools. Like those attending regular district schools, private and parochial students are entitled to the service if they live within 15 miles of their school. A district must provide equal, but not identical, bus service to public and nonpublic schools, according to state law."
How to Work Less Play More and Still Get the Job Done (SAANYS)
Date CapturedWednesday July 19 2006, 8:58 PM
07/27/2006-07/28/2006 in Saratoga Springs
Career Zone
Date CapturedWednesday July 19 2006, 8:31 PM
CareerZone is a free, career exploration and planning system designed especially for New York State students.
New York City Department of Education
Date CapturedWednesday July 19 2006, 12:48 PM
U Albany courts connections to Chinese counterparts
Date CapturedWednesday July 19 2006, 9:16 AM
Albany Times Union reports, "U Albany is in the final stages of developing a "full-scale academic and entrepreneurial agreement" with East China Normal, Nanjing, Fudan and Sichuan universities, according to Hall. East China Normal signed an agreement with Albany on May 11 for an exchange program for students, faculty and research ideas."
Schools prep for displaced students; Law gives pupils right to stay in home districts
Date CapturedWednesday July 19 2006, 9:10 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "But while the law is clear-cut, the situations faced by students, their families and the districts that serve them aren't. Many school districts that have been hard-hit by flooding are still trying to determine how many students were affected by the flood and what their legal obligations to them are."
Broome Community College has new scholarship program
Date CapturedWednesday July 19 2006, 9:01 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports, "A new scholarship program at Broome Community College could attract as many as 25 additional Broome County students each year and keep them in the area after graduation, college officials say."
Public vs. Private Schools
Date CapturedWednesday July 19 2006, 8:36 AM
New York Times editorial writes, "Instead of arguing about the alleged superiority of one category over another, the country should stay focused on the overarching problem: on average, American schoolchildren are performing at mediocre levels in reading, math and science — wherever they attend school."
Just for the Kids Best Practice Studies: Findings from New York Schools
Date CapturedWednesday July 19 2006, 8:14 AM
Research teams investigated 10 consistently higher performing and five averageperforming elementary schools to determine the differences in practices between higher and average performing elementary schools.
Sun shines in 'No Child' - a class act about NYC schools
Date CapturedWednesday July 19 2006, 7:24 AM
The Daily News reports, "Sun, a native New Yorker who is half-black, half-Puerto Rican, based the work on her outer-boro teaching experiences. It's about a naive instructor (named, natch, Ms. Sun) struggling to stage a 10th-grade class production of 'Our Country's Good,' Timberlake Wertenbaker's drama set in 1788 about Australian convicts doing a play."
'INSPECTORS' TO GRADE EACH SCHOOL
Date CapturedWednesday July 19 2006, 7:17 AM
NY Post reports, "The educational watchdogs will write five-page, 1,500-word "quality reviews" rating the schools based on their two-to-three day observations of classroom instruction, data analysis and building safety."
More college students start businesses
Date CapturedTuesday July 18 2006, 8:51 AM
Ithaca Journal reports, "It's the American dream to be the boss and bring in a good income. More than ever, college students are feeling much bolder about taking the leap into business ownership while in school or immediately after graduation."
Smoking has no place in dormitories
Date CapturedTuesday July 18 2006, 8:11 AM
SUNY Chancellor John Ryan writes, "Our job as leaders of colleges and universities extends beyond the education we provide in class. We also have an obligation to keep our students safe, by helping them continue or embark on a path toward a healthy lifestyle."
'Ringing' in the school year; New York City fights over whether to allow cellphones in schools, echoing a debate nationwide
Date CapturedTuesday July 18 2006, 8:03 AM
Christian Science Monitor reports, "At City Hall, several council members are pushing for a legislative solution. If these efforts fail, the issue may end up in Albany."
Private Performance; The New York Times gets excited
Date CapturedMonday July 17 2006, 11:14 AM
Chester E. Finn Jr., Hoover Institution senior fellow and president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation responds to NY Times article on public vs private school performance, "Private schools have other advantages, too. They are generally smaller, more intimate — and nearly always safe and well disciplined. Many of them attend to character development, values and moral formation as well as cognitive skills and knowledge."
Ulster County Community College will offer fast-track associate's degree
Date CapturedMonday July 17 2006, 10:14 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "In this program, students will attend classes Thursday evening each week, supplemented by online and independent work."
Upgraded status lets Cayuga Community College Fulton offer more
Date CapturedMonday July 17 2006, 9:34 AM
The Post-Standard reports, "Branch-campus status permits the Fulton campus to offer entire degree programs, rather than requiring students to complete some of their course work at the college's Auburn campus."
Off-campus U at Buffalo housing plans draw criticism
Date CapturedMonday July 17 2006, 9:22 AM
Buffalo News reports on student apartments, "Since University Village opened last spring across from Sweet Home High School, Amherst police were called to the apartments 183 times for a variety of incidents, ranging from parking violations and nuisance complaints to sexual assaults and larcenies, police said."
Push becomes shove
Date CapturedMonday July 17 2006, 8:48 AM
The Journal News editorial, "A state senator rightly flexed an underused muscle last week, prevailing upon the College Board to release a report on scoring errors in the SAT college-entrance exam."
Charter schools need objective study
Date CapturedMonday July 17 2006, 8:41 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle op-ed by New York State School Boards Association board of directors member Nespeca, "Let's pause, take a breath and take a comprehensive, objective look at the charter school experiment. If they are as successful as the proponents claim, the facts will speak for themselves."
SCHOOL TO BECOME HOUSING
Date CapturedMonday July 17 2006, 7:52 AM
NY Post (registration) reports, "As the city Department of Education awaits a multibillion-dollar court-ordered windfall to ease overcrowding in schools, it has rejected revamping a storied East Harlem school building - claiming the neighborhood doesn't need the seats. "
Buffalo aternative school's staffing becomes an issue
Date CapturedSunday July 16 2006, 8:44 AM
Buffalo News reports, "When school violence was a hot topic last year, President Philip Rumore of the Buffalo Teachers Federation lobbied relentlessly for a new alternative school for troubled students."
Overview of the 229th Legislative Session
Date CapturedSunday July 16 2006, 8:24 AM
NY Times (registration) reports, "Under significant political pressure from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, lawmakers agreed to borrow $11.2 billion for construction of New York City schools."
Old Man on Campus
Date CapturedSunday July 16 2006, 8:14 AM
NY Times (registration) op-ed contributor and SUNY Purchase president Schwartz writes about adult student housing, "This project is at the heart of the college’s mission: lifelong learning, student engagement for all ages, building audiences for the performing and visual arts and studies of the aging process. Moreover, it offers desperately needed housing for people 55 and older, who make up a significant portion of Westchester County."
Middletown school district awarded federal grant
Date CapturedSunday July 16 2006, 7:59 AM
Mid-Hudson News reports, "The Enlarged Middletown City School District has been awarded a $1.9 million federal grant for a program that will create a safer learning environment, promote healthy childhood development, and prevent youth violence and drug abuse."
A stronger net
Date CapturedSunday July 16 2006, 7:53 AM
The Journal News editorial , "State education officials got formal word recently from the U.S. Department of Education that the testing many New York schools have been doing of students learning English — usually recent immigrants — and special-education students is not on a par with that offered general-education students."
League of Women Voters hosts school tax forum in Somers
Date CapturedSaturday July 15 2006, 4:57 PM
The Patent Trader reports, "The 52 branches of the state's League of Women Voters reached consensus on some methods to finance public education, while splitting on others, according to preliminary results of a study discussed at a July 10 Somers forum."
Charter School Gets Home at Education Headquarters
Date CapturedSaturday July 15 2006, 9:46 AM
NY Times DAVID M. HERSZENHORN reports, "City education officials had wanted the Ross school to share a building on the Lower East Side with the New Explorations Into Science, Technology and Math school. But parents at that school, known as NEST, waged months of protests and filed a lawsuit to block the Ross school from moving in. Their most prominent supporter was Sheldon Silver, the State Assembly speaker, who considers NEST a jewel of his Manhattan district." (registration)
N.J. DAD WANTS TO TEACH FAILING PUBLIC SCHOOLS A HARSH LE$$ON
Date CapturedSaturday July 15 2006, 9:38 AM
NY Post columnist Peyser writes, "Though lawsuits have been filed in Illinois and California, parents have so far been unable to wrest education money from the system's cold, dead hands. In New York, courts have ruled that billions must be pumped into schools, in the mistaken notion that more money equals better education. That notion, too, has failed." (registration required)
Charter school gets cozy with educrats
Date CapturedSaturday July 15 2006, 9:28 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Bloomberg and Klein have been strong supporters of charters and have made space for many of them in public schools, but their decision to put one in the Education Department's headquarters has raised some eyebrows."
Siena College to gain nearby property
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 6:47 PM
The Business Review (Albany) reports, "Siena College has signed a purchase agreement with the state to buy the 13 acres across from its Loudonville, N.Y., campus that now houses the New York State Police's Troop G headquarters."
Columbia Teachers College Shares in $10 million Award for National Federal Research Center on Postsecondary Education
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 6:30 PM
Columbia University reports, "The center will focus its work on the efforts of two- and four-year institutions to improve access to higher education and the rates at which students earn a degree. Studies will investigate the effectiveness of dual enrollment programs and learning communities in preparing low-skill students for success in college."
School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS)
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 2:32 PM
New York State United Teachers
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 2:25 PM
New York State School Boards Association
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 2:17 PM
New York State Educational Conference Board
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 2:11 PM
National Education Association of New York
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 1:59 PM
New York State Association of School Business Officials
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 1:26 PM
New York State Archives
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 12:52 PM
Arlington middle school to get security cameras
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 8:37 AM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "The cameras will be installed in an effort to prevent theft, fights and other incidents in the cafeteria."
Let Principals Lead
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 8:33 AM
New York Times (registration required) editorial writes, "City officials are understandably optimistic about the new principals who have replaced the leavers. But the newcomers cannot simply be told they’re accountable and turned loose. The city needs to provide them with the training, the support and especially the resources that are needed to tackle the gargantuan tasks that lie before them. And while the city is nurturing the new principals on one hand, it must stand firm in its struggles with the union on the other."
New Strong museum explores and celebrates world of play
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 8:20 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Adams, president and CEO of Strong — National Museum of Play writes, "Children at play practice adult roles and learn to solve problems and make decisions. They socialize, discover appropriate ways of self-expression and gain confidence. When we don't play, we are less creative and productive. We are more sedentary, more easily fatigued, more susceptible to obesity and more likely to encounter social and emotional stress and issues."
RIT drive exceeds target at $309M; Eight-year campaign funds major growth, scholarships
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 8:06 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "The campaign also is responsible for seven endowed professorships, two building additions to the Gleason College of Engineering, and construction of the Center for Bioscience Education and Technology. RIT will break ground later this year on a building for some College of Applied Science and Technology engineering programs, Simone said."
Solutions for New York: The Economic Significance of Independent Colleges and Universities in New York State
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 7:40 AM
Prepared for the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities. Kent Gardner, Ph.D. Gardner concludes, "With spillover benefits included, the aggregate economic impact of New York’s independent higher education sector is estimated at $41.4 billion. The largest contribution is made by academic institutions located in New York City—$21.9 billion, 53% of the total."
Independent colleges and universities a boon to Hudson Valley economy, study finds
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 7:22 AM
Mid-Hudson News reports, "In the Hudson Valley, independent colleges and universities contribute an annual $3.4 billion to the economy, including annual construction. Collectively, 17 campuses are directly and indirectly responsible for an estimated 24,000 jobs."
For Freshmen Headed Out of State, New York Is Top Choice
Date CapturedFriday July 14 2006, 7:12 AM
NY Times registration, Sam Roberts reports, "...New York State has emerged as the top destination for freshmen leaving their home states to attend college."
Academic Competitiveness Grants in New York State
Date CapturedThursday July 13 2006, 3:18 PM
The U.S. Department of Education (USED) has released information on the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) Program as included in the Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005 (HERA). These grants are available to certain Pell-eligible college students starting with the 2006-07 academic year.
More money available for UAlbany anti-drinking efforts
Date CapturedThursday July 13 2006, 2:32 PM
Albany Business Journal reports, "The money, in part, is being used to offset UAlbany's reputation as a 'party' school -- a reputation that President Kermit Hall has said diminishes the college's standing among parents, students, potential employers and in the world of academia in general."
Parents to Sue Over Schools’ Cellphone Ban
Date CapturedThursday July 13 2006, 7:27 AM
NY Times registration, ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS reports, "The lawsuit, which the plaintiffs said they intended to file today in Manhattan, will argue that the ban jeopardizes the students’ safety by making it hard for them to keep in touch with their parents before and after school."
Ulster schools buses to get pollution filters
Date CapturedWednesday July 12 2006, 8:55 PM
Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "The diesel particulate filters are being installed as part of a $478,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency that will reduce pollution from 400 school buses across New York."
$31 Million Awarded to 19 School Districts to Promote Safe Schools, Healthy Students
Date CapturedWednesday July 12 2006, 9:37 AM
More than $31 million in grants have been awarded to 19 school districts in 14 states as part of a joint effort by the U.S. departments of Education, Health and Human Services and Justice to support schools in creating safe learning environments that promote healthy childhood development and prevent youth violence and drug use.
Action taken by the Board of Regents
Date CapturedWednesday July 12 2006, 8:46 AM
The Board of Regents must provide appropriate notification of the chartering process at significant stages to the school district in which the charter school is located and to all public and nonpublic schools in the same geographic area.
Gender gap isn't biggest woe
Date CapturedWednesday July 12 2006, 8:23 AM
USA Today op-ed Sara Mead (see study on Education New York Online), "Instead of focusing on differences between male and female college enrollment, California's educational energies would be better spent making sure students of all genders and races have the education and opportunities they need to realize their potential and contribute to California's economy."
Good news for U Albany in new major
Date CapturedWednesday July 12 2006, 7:29 AM
Times Union Campus Notebook writes about new journalism major and student loans.
Teachers, and a Law That Distrusts Them
Date CapturedWednesday July 12 2006, 7:11 AM
NY Times registration, Michael Winerip writes on NCLB and school reforms, "The question is: How successful can an education law be that makes teachers the enemy?"
Senator Subpoenas College Board President Over SAT Errors
Date CapturedWednesday July 12 2006, 7:06 AM
NY Times registration. Karen W. Arenson reports, "In response to those errors, the committee’s chairman, State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, introduced a bill calling for increased oversight of college admissions testing. It was passed by the Senate in June, but not by the Assembly. The senator plans to reintroduce it."
Westchester Community College hopes to raise tuition by $200
Date CapturedTuesday July 11 2006, 8:20 AM
Journal News reports, "The tuition would increase for a full-time student, from $3,150 to $3,350, under a $73.1 million budget proposal submitted yesterday by Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano to the county Board of Legislators."
Albany's charter's first class farewell
Date CapturedTuesday July 11 2006, 7:25 AM
Times Union reports, "The city has six charter schools, with two more expected to open in the fall. Supporters say charter schools, which are funded by taxpayers, provide choice to parents, many of whom don't have the money to send children to private school. Opponents say charters drain revenue from the city school district without accountability."
U.S. Says Language Exam Does Not Comply With Law
Date CapturedTuesday July 11 2006, 7:21 AM
NY Times registration. NY Times reports, "The federal Department of Education has found that New York State’s methods for testing the annual progress of disabled students and students with limited English proficiency do not comply with the No Child Left Behind law and that the state must correct the problems within a year or risk losing $1.2 million in federal school aid."
Standard tests set for special ed kids
Date CapturedTuesday July 11 2006, 7:16 AM
NY Daily News reports, "The U.S. Education Department rejected New York's longstanding practice of giving below-grade-level tests to some special ed students - triggering changes that could lead to lower test scores at some schools."
Generous gift, new name for RIT business college
Date CapturedMonday July 10 2006, 8:45 PM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Rochester Institute of Technology is renaming its College of Business after the donor of a multi-million-dollar gift to the school."
Nonprofit agencies struggle to satisfy growing demands
Date CapturedMonday July 10 2006, 8:56 AM
Business First of Buffalo reports, "Each year, Literacy Volunteers of Buffalo & Erie County provides English language instruction to as many as 400 immigrants and refugees - about half the total population it serves."
Minding the school store
Date CapturedMonday July 10 2006, 7:44 AM
Journal News editorial writes, "You can't help but squirm at the tortuous explanation ..."
REGENTS RACKET
Date CapturedMonday July 10 2006, 7:07 AM
NY Post registration required. NY Post editorial writes, "New York state school officials had a problem: Not enough kids were meeting the standard to graduate with a Regents diploma. So what'd they do? They lowered the standard, of course."
825 CITY TEACHERS EXPELLED
Date CapturedMonday July 10 2006, 6:52 AM
NY Post registration required. NY Post reports, "Under a state mandate last year, uncertified teachers are prohibited from working in the city school system unless they are on track to earn their certification."
Museum to offer high-tech programs, partners with schools, colleges, businesses to fill education gap
Date CapturedMonday July 10 2006, 6:36 AM
Star Gazette reports, "The project will focus on getting students interested in high-tech fields starting in middle school, and will build on the Flying Start summer youth camp launched last year by Wings of Eagles Discovery Center. The effort is designed to fill what organizers see as a gap in local education programs."
Rockland Community College Around the World
Date CapturedSunday July 09 2006, 10:39 AM
The Journal News reports, "Rockland Community College is establishing a scholarship fund for study-abroad students."
Yonkers looks to hammer out deal for teaching assistants
Date CapturedSunday July 09 2006, 10:36 AM
The Journal News reports, "The school district and the city's teachers union have yet to strike an agreement on wages and working conditions for an estimated 80 teaching assistants who are scheduled to begin work in September."
Just 1 Staten Island school opting for incentive plan
Date CapturedSunday July 09 2006, 10:29 AM
Staten Island Advance registration required. Advance reports, "A Department of Education source said the lack of participation among Staten Island principals makes it look like borough administrators are resistant to the initiative. 'I am sure the Chancellor is not happy with that.'"
Get adults into college too, Nation, and New York, need a major improvement in university graduates
Date CapturedSunday July 09 2006, 10:24 AM
Buffalo News reports, "Global competition is rapidly increasing and the best way for America to keep up is to educate all citizens, old and young, well beyond high school. But that will take a different perspective on the outlay, and it will take a different funding schematic that better adheres to this nation's changing demographics."
Hazing disregards gender lines
Date CapturedSunday July 09 2006, 10:14 AM
Times Union reports, "Though experts say conclusive data about hazing remains scarce, a number of national surveys have offered some insight into how widespread hazing has become."
OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK STATE COMPTROLLER DIVISION OF STATE SERVICES STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT REPORTING OF VIOLENT AND DISRUPTIVE INCIDENTS BY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Date CapturedSunday July 09 2006, 9:39 AM
Report 2005-S-38, "We visited a representative sample of high schools and found that, at a majority of the schools, at least one-third of the violent and disruptive incidents documented in the schools’ records were not reported to SED. At several schools, more than 80 percent of the documented incidents were not reported to SED, and in a number of instances, the most serious types of incidents were unreported, such as sexual offenses and incidents involving the use of a weapon."
HOU$EWARMING WOOS TEACHERS, CITY PAYS OUT TO HELP RECRUITS MOVE IN
Date CapturedSunday July 09 2006, 9:09 AM
NY Post registration required, "NY Post reports, "Each teacher accepted gets $5,000 up front for moving or down-payment costs, plus $400 per month for two years. They must teach for three years at a city middle or high school."
BONUS-$$ OUTRAGE AT FAILING SCHOOLS
Date CapturedSunday July 09 2006, 9:03 AM
NY Post registration required. NY Post reports on NYC schools, "Principals of 100 city schools that failed to meet state standards last year - including two so bad that they were ordered closed - are being awarded $887,500 in performance bonuses, city and state education records show."
Schooling project doesn't address real problem
Date CapturedSunday July 09 2006, 8:50 AM
Star-Gazette letter to editor, "It really isn't about truth, but satisfying insatiable wants."
School income tax
Date CapturedSunday July 09 2006, 8:41 AM
The Journal News editorial, "The key is to get Albany, with its vested money interests, to favor a switch from the property tax to income."
Buffalo Dissolves Informatics School, Returns LIS to Education
Date CapturedSaturday July 08 2006, 8:34 AM
ALA reports, "The State University of New York’s University at Buffalo announced June 16 that it was dissolving its School of Informatics, with its two components—the Department of Library and Information Studies and the Department of Communication—moving back to their former homes in the Graduate School of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences, respectively."
Mahopac schools set fees for clubs
Date CapturedSaturday July 08 2006, 8:18 AM
The Journal News reports, "In the wake of this year's second budget defeat, the school board voted to eliminate all interscholastic sports and high schools clubs to save $1 million when it lopped $2.9 million from the unpopular $99 million spending plan."
NEST charter doesn’t fly; Is principal’s goose cooked?
Date CapturedFriday July 07 2006, 9:00 AM
The Villager reports, "The department claims it overturned its original, seemingly steadfast, decision to place Ross Global Academy inside the building because it wants to keep stability in the building after the change of the principal at NEST+m."
Yonkers defiant over critical state audit
Date CapturedFriday July 07 2006, 8:39 AM
The Journal News reports, "State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, a Democrat, yesterday released a 20-page final audit that said city, school and economic development officials illegally shuffled money between accounts to help pay for the construction of a new library and Board of Education headquarters."
RIT leader honored for work force development
Date CapturedFriday July 07 2006, 8:27 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports, "Simone, who will conclude his tenure as RIT's eighth president in mid-2007, received the second annual 'Friend of Business and Workforce' award given by RochesterWorks, a local work force development agency."
The Disability Gap
Date CapturedThursday July 06 2006, 2:41 PM
HuffingtonPost.com reports, "Nationwide, under 2% of students have learning disabilities severe enough to qualify for extra time on the SAT. In private school Manhattan, the percentage is substantially greater. And that means dramatically higher scores."
District 26 Seeks Repeal Of Schools Cellphone Ban
Date CapturedThursday July 06 2006, 1:50 PM
Queens Chronicle reports, "Saying that cellphones improve students’ safety, members of Community District Education Council 26 in Bayside voted last week to have the chancellor repeal the ban in public schools."
Summer school mandated for 5,000
Date CapturedThursday July 06 2006, 11:04 AM
The Buffalo News reports, "More than 5,000 Buffalo pupils have been assigned to mandatory summer school beginning next week, and Superintendent James A. Williams appealed Wednesday to parents to support that landmark effort to boost achievement and end social promotion."
Rejecting the 65-Percent Solution
Date CapturedThursday July 06 2006, 10:34 AM
A Monthly Column by EFAP Director John Yinger, July 2006. Yinger writes, "The real problem is that children in high-poverty schools cannot receive an adequate education unless their district spends far more than other districts on many items, such as counseling, health, nutrition, safety, and parental involvement."
U at Buffalo Graduate School of Education workshop to examine changes in school leadership
Date CapturedThursday July 06 2006, 10:08 AM
UB Reporter, "In New York State, 'There is a real concern about an impending shortage of school superintendents,' according to Stephen L. Jacobson, professor of educational leadership and policy, and workshop organizer."
Northern Country Community College budget includes new account
Date CapturedThursday July 06 2006, 9:00 AM
The PressRepublican.com reports, "For the first time, the college's budget will include a separate capital-improvement fund for future projects and infrastructure upgrades."
Newburgh school plan stalled instate office
Date CapturedThursday July 06 2006, 7:53 AM
Times Herald-Record reports, "The goal was to create smaller, more manageable learning environments. The timetable seemed feasible - until the satellite building plans landed in the state Education Department's facilities planning division."
Schools enroll Health Corps
Date CapturedThursday July 06 2006, 7:48 AM
NY Daily News reports, "An innovative "Health Corps" program designed to motivate students to eat healthy foods and exercise will be expanding in September to high schools in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx with the help of a $250,000 city-state grant."
School Bus Drivers, Bus Companies Reach Tentative Deal
Date CapturedWednesday July 05 2006, 5:26 PM
NY1 reports, "Union representatives for school bus drivers, escorts and mechanics have reached a tentative agreement with the bus companies they work for Wednesday, averting a possible strike that could have left thousands of summer school students looking for alternate modes of transportation."
'Bridging the Academic-Social Gap' subject of Union College symposium
Date CapturedWednesday July 05 2006, 4:25 PM
The symposium will be titled "Bridging the Academic-Social Gap." The keynote address will be given by Richard Light, director of the Harvard Seminar on Assessment at Harvard University, for the Friday, Sept. 15 event.
AUGUST 2006 REGENTS EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
Date CapturedWednesday July 05 2006, 8:50 AM
The University of the State of New York
SUNY is correct to call for a smoking ban in dormitories
Date CapturedWednesday July 05 2006, 8:34 AM
Press Republican reports, "Chancellor John Ryan has ordered an end to smoking in dorms next year. SUNY will come up with a plan to enact the ban."
New York's teachers are public workers looking to be treated fairly
Date CapturedWednesday July 05 2006, 8:24 AM
Times Union includes letter to editor from NYSUT president, "The New York State School Boards Association gets an A in creative fiction for arguing that adding equity to the Taylor Law would increase property taxes ("An education in soaring property taxes," June 29). The specter of higher property taxes is a red herring from an organization that has enjoyed the upper hand in contract negotiations for nearly 40 years and opposes a level playing field for teachers and other school employees."
REGENTS RATE SOARS UNDER EASIER RULES
Date CapturedWednesday July 05 2006, 7:55 AM
NY Post registration required. NY Post reports, "At the same time, the gap between black and Hispanic students and white and Asian students earning a Regents diploma widened last year, despite strong growth across all ethnic lines."
Boro's quality-of-life boost
Date CapturedWednesday July 05 2006, 7:26 AM
NY Daily News reports, "EDUCATION: Almost $3.9 million to schools for new computers, new science labs and a partnership with the Out2Schools Foundation, which will reconstruct several schoolyards across the borough."
Disabled girl wins round on ed funds
Date CapturedWednesday July 05 2006, 7:21 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Somoza has cerebral palsy and is unable to speak or control her hands. She has received three years of a program designed to help her communicate. But the city says it no longer has to pay because Somoza is too old for a free education."
Downtown YWCA to house Buffalo charter school
Date CapturedTuesday July 04 2006, 9:20 AM
Buffalo News reports, "The Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School will move to the building in time for the start of its 2007-08 school year. A renovation effort is planned to convert the 54-year-old building for educational use."
Clarkstown schools continue push to shorten DARE
Date CapturedTuesday July 04 2006, 8:32 AM
The Journal News reports, "The Clarkstown Central School District is pushing ahead with plans to shorten its DARE program to make room for a new anti-bullying program, despite criticism from the Clarkstown Police Department."
Closing schools, while sad, is not the disaster some parents or students fear
Date CapturedTuesday July 04 2006, 8:28 AM
PressRepublican.com reports, "Experience tells us there are few more dispiriting developments in a community's history than the closure of a neighborhood school. It is invariably a change in the area's life that is embraced only by the administrators, who know it is the right thing to do."
Sex-ed bill fails in state Senate
Date CapturedTuesday July 04 2006, 8:16 AM
The Journal News reports, "In New York, schools have to teach students about AIDS and HIV, but sex education is not required. Sex-education programs vary greatly among school districts."
Smaller classes, bigger budgets
Date CapturedTuesday July 04 2006, 8:11 AM
The Citizen reports, "Whatever the causes, falling student populations are changing the face of education in rural areas. Though student numbers are down, costs continue to rise, which presents a major challenge for districts with a disintegrating tax base. In addition, fewer students translates into less state aid to help keep tax levies in check."
Morahan meets with school officials to discuss funding issues
Date CapturedTuesday July 04 2006, 7:36 AM
The Journal News reports, "Other groups — government, students, teachers, taxpayers — will have their chance to talk about the issues at a later date. For this first summit, Morahan just wanted to hear from school decision-makers."
Gender turf battles: What boy crisis?
Date CapturedMonday July 03 2006, 1:38 PM
International Herald Tribune. The New York Times reports, "It's been muttered for some time now in feminist academic circles that the 'boy crisis' - the near- ubiquitous belief that America's boys are being academically neglected and emotionally persecuted by teachers whose training, style and temperament favor girls - is little more than a myth."
Niagara Charter School on its own for transit
Date CapturedMonday July 03 2006, 10:06 AM
The Buffalo News reports, "City School Superintendent Carmen A. Granto said last week that it would be too costly to help with transportation because the district would then have to provide it to everybody attending private schools outside the district."
A yearning for learning
Date CapturedMonday July 03 2006, 7:40 AM
NY Daily News reports, "Charter schools typically have smaller class sizes and more challenging academic regimens than regular public schools. Critics charge that they siphon off the best children in any school district and take money from a system that is already strapped for cash, and do so with little or no accountability."
A teen with class
Date CapturedMonday July 03 2006, 7:37 AM
NY Daily News
School funding solution is in a backpack
Date CapturedMonday July 03 2006, 7:32 AM
NY Daily News reports, "In 1945, U.S. public schools received $1,214 per student, in 2002 dollars; by 2002, they received $8,745 per student, and the number keeps growing."..."Rather than simply pumping more gas into this broken down car, it's time to design a much smarter and more effective way to get from Point A to Point B. A reform idea called 'weighted student funding' does just that, making intelligent use of the resources we already devote to education."
Women Underestimate Their Web Savvy
Date CapturedSunday July 02 2006, 7:03 PM
Read referenced study on Education New York Online EDUCATION POLICY page, GENDER folder.
Special-needs Gersh College Experience moves ahead
Date CapturedSunday July 02 2006, 10:41 AM
Buffalo News
No Child Left Behind to be focus of town hall-style meeting
Date CapturedSunday July 02 2006, 7:55 AM
Journal News
LaFayette: Longer day enhances education
Date CapturedSunday July 02 2006, 7:51 AM
Post-Standard
History on a bus
Date CapturedSunday July 02 2006, 7:46 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
School boards gear up for fall
Date CapturedSunday July 02 2006, 7:43 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Beyond Mahopac's mess
Date CapturedSunday July 02 2006, 7:27 AM
Journal News
BELOW-GRADE ED. DEPT.
Date CapturedSunday July 02 2006, 7:09 AM
NY Post registration required
Power to the principals
Date CapturedSunday July 02 2006, 7:05 AM
NY Daily News
The School Testing Dodge
Date CapturedSaturday July 01 2006, 8:33 PM
NY Times registration required. Read referenced PACE study on Education New York Online EDUCATION POLICY page, NCLB folder.
Closing U at Buffalo School of Informatics is a terrible mistake
Date CapturedSaturday July 01 2006, 7:05 PM
No school bus strike yet
Date CapturedSaturday July 01 2006, 7:31 AM
NY Daily News
Sex education advocates regroup
Date CapturedSaturday July 01 2006, 7:28 AM
Times Union
State invests in future teachers
Date CapturedSaturday July 01 2006, 7:23 AM
Times Union
Not free any more
Date CapturedSaturday July 01 2006, 7:09 AM
Journal News
Put a plug in the summer brain drain
Date CapturedFriday June 30 2006, 11:18 AM
CNN
Community College Transfers Shut Out of Elite Colleges
Date CapturedFriday June 30 2006, 10:20 AM
Read executive summary of referenced report on Education New York Online EDUCATION POLICY page, COMMUNITY COLLEGES folder.
States distort school test scores, researchers say
Date CapturedFriday June 30 2006, 10:04 AM
Read referenced report on Education New York Online EDUCATION POLICY page, NCLB folder.
Sen. Morahan holds Rockland-Orange education spending summit
Date CapturedFriday June 30 2006, 8:56 AM
The Journal News (Education New York Online editor correction to Journal News story: Peter Applebee, New York state Senate Finance Committee)
University of Rochester zaps personal data on Web site
Date CapturedFriday June 30 2006, 8:40 AM
Albany schools claim unfounded
Date CapturedFriday June 30 2006, 8:37 AM
Times Union
New York states legislature helps part-time students get an education
Date CapturedFriday June 30 2006, 8:17 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
The Lure of the Sea, and Science, for Minority Students
Date CapturedFriday June 30 2006, 8:03 AM
NY Times registration
Graduation Rate Improving, Schools Chancellor Says
Date CapturedFriday June 30 2006, 7:58 AM
NY Times registration
City goofs on counting H.S. grads
Date CapturedFriday June 30 2006, 7:54 AM
NY Daily News
Contract Talks Between City, Bus Drivers Tabled For Weekend
Date CapturedThursday June 29 2006, 7:53 PM
Alcohol-awareness education now required for University at Buffalo freshmen
Date CapturedThursday June 29 2006, 2:00 PM
Committee warms to OCCC Newburgh branch campus
Date CapturedThursday June 29 2006, 10:17 AM
GAY IS 'OUT'
Date CapturedThursday June 29 2006, 8:59 AM
NY Post registration
An education in soaring property taxes
Date CapturedThursday June 29 2006, 8:33 AM
Times Union
Teacher unions to merge Sept. 1
Date CapturedThursday June 29 2006, 8:28 AM
The Journal News
Northeastern Clinton Central School Board to discuss student transfers
Date CapturedThursday June 29 2006, 8:23 AM
PressRepublican.com
Senate again let youths down on school funding
Date CapturedThursday June 29 2006, 8:14 AM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
UFT protests the unfair firing of charter school teachers
Date CapturedWednesday June 28 2006, 4:31 PM
New CED Report Shows the “Economic Promise” of Prekindergarten Programs
Date CapturedWednesday June 28 2006, 12:18 PM
read full report on Education New York Online EDUCATION POLICY page, EARLY LEARNING folder.
Albany Ready to Give Union Rights to 52,000 Day Care Workers
Date CapturedWednesday June 28 2006, 8:28 AM
NY Times registration
SUNY to ban smoking in dorms
Date CapturedWednesday June 28 2006, 8:13 AM
Times Union
Ithaca Central School District ‘zeroes in' on causes of inequity
Date CapturedWednesday June 28 2006, 7:58 AM
Ithaca Journal
Small Schools Show Concern Over Proposal to Swap Land
Date CapturedTuesday June 27 2006, 11:52 PM
NY Times registration
SUNY trustees approve new president of college in Johnstown
Date CapturedTuesday June 27 2006, 11:17 PM
Supreme Court: Expert fees not recoverable in Dutchess County case
Date CapturedTuesday June 27 2006, 12:27 PM
Poughkeepsie Journal
Debunking the fictions that block school reform
Date CapturedTuesday June 27 2006, 9:48 AM
Read "The Shape of the Starting Line" on Education New York Online, EDUCATION POLICY link, POVERTY folder.
College grads face huge debts, Average student will owe $19,000, some up to $100K
Date CapturedTuesday June 27 2006, 7:55 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
Reading First grant to help improve reading in Binghamton city schools
Date CapturedTuesday June 27 2006, 7:51 AM
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
Schenectady County Community College presents annual awards to faculty members
Date CapturedTuesday June 27 2006, 7:38 AM
Times Union
Ithaca students more diverse than teachers
Date CapturedTuesday June 27 2006, 7:35 AM
Ithaca Journal
School Bus Strike Threatened For Start Of Summer School
Date CapturedMonday June 26 2006, 7:57 PM
NY1
Schools will end black and white policy on race
Date CapturedMonday June 26 2006, 11:31 AM
Staten Island Advance
What role schools?
Date CapturedMonday June 26 2006, 8:27 AM
The Journal News
Teachable Moment
Date CapturedMonday June 26 2006, 8:23 AM
The Post-Standard
Thousands of Buffalo city pupils face repeating current grade
Date CapturedMonday June 26 2006, 4:17 AM
The Buffalo News
Renewed Push for the Artistic ABC's in New York Schools
Date CapturedMonday June 26 2006, 4:08 AM
NY Times registration
PRINCIPAL PRINCIPLES
Date CapturedMonday June 26 2006, 3:57 AM
NY Post registration
Empire Center for New York State Policy
Date CapturedSunday June 25 2006, 10:47 AM
Helping Kids, Saving Money: How to Reform New York's Special Education System
Date CapturedSunday June 25 2006, 10:31 AM
By Jay P. Greene and Marcus A. Winters with Greg Forster, Empire Center Special Report 02-05. This report shows that New York can reduce special ed costs and enrollment--and improve parental satisfaction with the program as part of the bargain--by adopting two simple reforms: changing the formula funding special education from a "bounty" system to a "lump-sum" system; and implementing a voucher program for children in special education.
New York State PTA
Date CapturedSaturday June 24 2006, 7:29 PM
New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS)
Date CapturedSaturday June 24 2006, 7:18 PM
The Rural Schools Association of New York State
Date CapturedSaturday June 24 2006, 7:15 PM
Failing System
Date CapturedThursday June 22 2006, 8:26 PM
LI Press (see Education New York Online, EDUCATION POLICY link, SCHOOL FUNDING folder for referenced study)
Reading First Grant Awards
Date CapturedTuesday June 20 2006, 4:16 PM
New York State Department of Education
DOES WHOLE-SCHOOL REFORM BOOST STUDENT PERFORMANCE? THE CASE OF NEW YORK CITY
Date CapturedSaturday June 17 2006, 11:52 AM
Robert Bifulco, William Duncombe, John Yinger. Education Finance and Accountability Program (EFAP). Thousands of schools around the country have implemented whole-school reform programs to boost student performance. This paper uses quasi-experimental methods to estimate the impact of whole-school reform on students’ reading performance in New York City, where various reform programs were adopted in dozens of troubled elementary schools in the mid- 1990s. Two popular reform programs—the School Development Program and Success for All—do not significantly increase reading scores but might have if they had been fully implemented. The More Effective Schools program does boost reading scores, particularly for the poorest students, but only when program “trainers” remain in the school and the students are native English speakers.
The New York State Alliance for Family Literacy
Date CapturedSaturday June 17 2006, 11:41 AM
New York State Library
Date CapturedSaturday June 17 2006, 11:29 AM
More than 8,900 New York City fifth graders at risk of repeating grade (NY Times registration)
Date CapturedSaturday June 17 2006, 7:58 AM
Children's Health Series: Children's Nutrition
Date CapturedFriday June 16 2006, 11:22 PM
A four-page white paper, the second in a series on children's health produced by SCAA through its Children's Policy Agenda, to explore programs and policy interventions that support the development of healthy children in New York State.
Moving Forward -- Helping New York’s high mobility students to succeed
Date CapturedWednesday June 14 2006, 10:51 AM
by Sheila Kaplan with Clorinda Valenti. Raising the level of educational achievement among low-income and minority students has been the focus of numerous public and private initiatives and public policy programs over the years. Myriad factors — social, physical, educational, and familial — have been identified to account for persistent low achievement among particular populations. However, an important variable, student mobility, remains understudied and unaddressed in New York state.
$21.6 Million in Charter Schools Facilities Grants Announced
Date CapturedWednesday June 14 2006, 10:21 AM
The Local Initiatives Support Corporation in New York, N.Y., has been awarded a $8.2 million grant.
Tracking Achievement Gaps and Assessing the Impact of NCLB on the Gaps: An In-depth Look into National and State Reading and Math Outcome Trends
Date CapturedWednesday June 14 2006, 9:48 AM
By Jaekyung Lee Graduate School of Education, State University of New York at Buffalo. Foreword by Gary Orfield, June 2006. This report compares the findings from the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) to state assessment results and concludes that that high stakes testing and sanctions required by NCLB are not working as planned under the NCLB. The findings contradict claims of the Bush Administration and some previous studies that showed positive results under NCLB.
Mayor to Give More Control to 331 New York City Schools (NY Times registration)
Date CapturedTuesday June 13 2006, 7:12 AM
When poor kids get poor teachers
Date CapturedMonday June 12 2006, 7:18 AM
see "TEACHING INEQUALITY: HOW POOR AND MINORITY STUDENTS ARE SHORTCHANGED ON TEACHER QUALITY" on education new york online EDUCATION POLICY link, TEACHER QUALITY folder.
Few graduating college in four years
Date CapturedSaturday June 10 2006, 8:00 PM
read "The Toolbox Revisited; Paths to Degree Completion from High School Through College" on education new york online EDUCATION POLICY link, HIGHER EDUCATION/COMMUNITY COLLEGES folders.
Classroom spending includes teacher pay; New York tops spending at 68 percent
Date CapturedSaturday June 10 2006, 8:42 AM
Statement by Senator Barack Obama on NCLB and teacher inequality
Date CapturedThursday June 08 2006, 6:49 PM
Read the report on education new york online EDUCATION POLICY page, TEACHER QUALITY folder.
New York City Council Speaker continues push for full-day Pre-K
Date CapturedFriday June 02 2006, 2:24 PM
CLASS-SIZE ADVOCATES MAKE WAVES (NY Post registration)
Date CapturedThursday June 01 2006, 8:34 AM
see education new york online EDUCATION POLICY page, CLASS SIZE folder for class size studies.
Florida Charter Schools: Hot and Humid with Passing Storms
Date CapturedTuesday May 30 2006, 5:46 PM
read full report on education new york online, EDUCATION POLICY link, SCHOOL CHOICE folder.
Public Policy Institute of New York State, Inc.
Date CapturedSunday May 28 2006, 11:11 AM
Business Council of New York State, Inc.
Date CapturedSunday May 28 2006, 11:08 AM
EDUCATION / JOB TRAINING COMMITTEE
Just for the Kids - New York
Date CapturedSunday May 28 2006, 10:58 AM
New York State Education Agencies
Date CapturedSunday May 28 2006, 10:52 AM
University of the State of New York, State Education Department
Date CapturedSaturday May 27 2006, 1:23 PM
The University of the State of New York (USNY) is the most complete, interconnected system of educational services in the United States.
Dropout Data Raise Questions on 2 Fronts (Washington Post registration)
Date CapturedTuesday May 23 2006, 10:22 AM
see education new york online EDUCATION POLICY link, GRADUATION folder for referenced studies.
OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK STATE COMPTROLLER DIVISION OF STATE SERVICES STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT REPORTING OF VIOLENT AND DISRUPTIVE INCIDENTS BY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Report 2005-S-38
Date CapturedTuesday May 23 2006, 6:44 AM
Violent incidents in New York State high schools have not been accurately reported to the State Education Department (SED) and SED has not done enough to address misreporting problems or to effectively identify schools with serious violence problems, according to an audit released by Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi.
SCHOOL SAFETY
Date CapturedMonday May 22 2006, 3:42 PM
To address issues of school safety and violence prevention, the Safe Schools Against Violence in Education Act (SAVE) was passed by the New York State Legislature and signed into law by Governor George E. Pataki on July 24, 2000. Project SAVE culminates the work of the Task Force on School Violence chaired by Lieutenant Governor Mary Donohue. The New York State Board of Regents approved Regulations of the Commissioner of Education to ensure compliance with the new legislation. This site provides resources to assist schools in the development and maintenance of safe school environments.
Heavy Turnover in New York's Principal Ranks (NY Times registration)
Date CapturedMonday May 22 2006, 9:04 AM
GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN REPORTING VIOLENT AND DISRUPTIVE INCIDENTS
Date CapturedMonday May 22 2006, 8:46 AM
New York State Education Department school safety glossary of terms.
New York State's Dual Crises: Low Graduation Rates and Rising School Taxes
Date CapturedFriday May 19 2006, 9:10 AM
Inadequate state aid to public schools is jeapordizing the future of New York State's two million public school children and driving up local property taxes, according to a new report released today by AQE and the Public Policy and Education Fund.
New York Proposes Special Tax on Commercial Colleges (NY Times registration)
Date CapturedThursday May 18 2006, 8:11 AM
State education report shows that Rochester Central schools are improving
Date CapturedWednesday May 03 2006, 5:19 PM
The New York State School Report Card For School Year 2004-2005
Date CapturedWednesday May 03 2006, 4:10 PM
NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL REPORT CARDS SHOW PROGRESS IN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Date CapturedWednesday May 03 2006, 4:08 PM
New York state needs to renew investment in higher education
Date CapturedTuesday May 02 2006, 6:10 AM
Research Offers Lessons for Improving Low-Performing High Schools; Studies Address Five Challenges Facing Educators
Date CapturedMonday May 01 2006, 11:36 AM
To read full report see education new york online EDUCATION POLICY page, SCHOOL REFORM folder.
National Report: Open to the Public: The Public Speaks Out On No Child Left Behind
Date CapturedMonday May 01 2006, 11:18 AM
Public hearings were held in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, New York City, Orlando, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco. The hearings represent the second of three sets of national forums to be held by PEN and regional partners to help inform the law's reauthorization in 2007. Read report here.
Dominican Immigrants Face Challenges in New York City Public Schools
Date CapturedSunday April 30 2006, 7:52 PM
NEW YORK STATE UNIVERSAL PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM
Date CapturedFriday April 28 2006, 4:14 PM
Former New York City School Board President Praises Educational Initiatives
Date CapturedWednesday April 26 2006, 11:05 PM
New York State Pledges Billions For School Construction, Repairs
Date CapturedMonday April 24 2006, 10:56 PM
Bentley College-Watchfire Survey of Online Privacy Practices in Higher Education Reveals Risk Management Issues
Date CapturedMonday April 24 2006, 1:17 PM
read full report on education new york online, EDUCATION POLICY link, INFORMATION POLICY folder.
Inequities Persist for Women and Non-Tenure-Track Faculty
Date CapturedMonday April 24 2006, 7:00 AM
read The Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession 2005-06 on education new york online, EDUCATION POLICY link, FACULTY folder.
New York City Will Add Schools to Ease Overcrowding, Klein Says
Date CapturedTuesday April 18 2006, 7:52 AM
The Adult Lives of At-Risk Students: The Roles of Attainment and Engagement in High School
Date CapturedFriday April 14 2006, 10:03 AM
Jeremy D. Finn, State University of New York at Buffalo; Jeffrey Owings, Project Officer National Center for Education Statistics. This March 2006 NCES report examines heterogeneity in young adult outcomes among students at risk for school failure due to low socioeconomic status (SES). It addresses the question: “Among students at risk due to status characteristics, what are the relationships of high school engagement and attainments with post-high school outcomes?” Two sets of outcomes are considered: entry and persistence in postsecondary education, and employment and income as a young adult.
Historic Tugboat to Travel Canal System to Promote History of New York's Canals
Date CapturedWednesday April 12 2006, 8:10 AM
In New York Schools, a Plan to Grade the Schools Themselves (NY Times registration)
Date CapturedTuesday April 11 2006, 11:31 PM
Overhaul planned for New York schools
Date CapturedSunday April 09 2006, 3:22 PM
New York Tries Yet More Ways to Fix Schools (NY Times registration)
Date CapturedSaturday April 08 2006, 2:02 PM
New York State Governor's Dr. King Leadership Symposium: Teaching Tolerance Through Education
Date CapturedThursday April 06 2006, 1:47 PM
Bush Enters Fray in New York Over Tuition Tax Credits
Date CapturedThursday April 06 2006, 8:16 AM
Diversity Spreads Out: Metropolitan Shifts in Hispanic, Asian, and Black Populations Since 2000
Date CapturedMonday March 27 2006, 12:33 PM
by William H. Frey, March 2006. Brookings Institution, Metropolitan Policy Program. Analysis of Census Bureau population estimates detailing the distribution of racial and ethnic groups within and across U.S. metropolitan areas since Census 2000 reveals that: Hispanic and Asian populations are spreading out from their traditional metropolitan centers, while the shift of blacks toward the South is accelerating. The Los Angeles and New York metropolitan areas contained 23 percent of the nation's Hispanic population in 2004, down from 30 percent in 1990. Of the nation's 361 metropolitan areas, 111 registered declines in white population from 2000 to 2004, with the largest absolute losses occurring in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
The incidence and impacts of student transiency in upstate New York’s rural school districts
Date CapturedThursday February 16 2006, 1:58 PM
Schafft, K. A. (2005, December 22). The incidence and impacts of student transiency in upstate New York’s rural school districts. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 20(15). Chronic student mobility, and in particular the mobility of students from low-income backgrounds, poses a serious yet underdocumented problem for rural schools. This article combines analyses of state-level school district data with survey and interview data to examine the patterns of low-income student mobility in upstate New York, and to assess the impacts on, and responses by, schools and other community institutions.



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