Sunshine on Salaries
1 day ago
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Excellence in Education Award: Joann Lens, teacher
From the October Board Blue Book:
JOANN LENS recently earned the distinction of Elementary School Teacher of the Year, an honor she shares with another elementary school teacher in the City of Madison. It is a significant honor for which there was competition among teachers statewide. Ms. Lens was considered for the title of Teacher of the Year after having been named a Kohl Teacher Fellow by the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation.
JoAnn Lens is a graduate of Milwaukee’s Marquette University. Her career at MPS extends 18 years. Ms. Lens began her career with the district as a fourth-grade teacher at 35th Street School, after which she became a writing specialist. Ms. Lens joined the staff at Hawley Environmental School in the year 2000 and since that time has taught fourth grade there. In addition to her classroom work, she is a member of the technology and environmental education committees at Hawley.
As a fourth-grade teacher, Ms. Lens and her students work closely with members of the Urban Ecology Center, planting native prairie plants in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley. The focus extends from plants to birds because Ms. Lens and her fourth-graders also work with the International Crane Society in Baraboo, Wisconsin, following the annual whooping crane migration. As a teacher she has excelled in supplementing classroom lessons with field trips that are in line with the school’s environmental focus. JoAnn Lens has for three years worked on providing descriptive feedback and test analysis as part of a mathematics assessment committee under the Milwaukee Math Partnership.
Hawley Environmental School Principal Glen Stavens states that Ms. Lens makes traditional elementary school learning exciting. Principal Stavens reports that Ms. Lens brings herself into the learning process by her continuous interactions with the boys and girls. Ms. Lens ignites the learning process by creating curiosity in students and by encouraging problem solving, personal responsibility, and respect for self, family, and community.
JoAnn Lens is currently working on a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction at National Louis University.
Ms. Lens was surprised by the announcement in early September that she had won the Elementary School Teacher of the Year award from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. In posing with the award later, she chose to have her photo taken with her fourth-grade students. “I do it because of them,” she said.
The Milwaukee Board of School Directors recognizes and honors JoAnn for her dedication, outstanding leadership, and commitment to excellence on behalf of the students of the Milwaukee Public Schools.
Friday, November 20, 2009
School Board OKs closing 27th Street.
The School Board last night approved the closing of Twenty-seventh Street Elementary School at the end of the school year. The vote was 7-2, with Board President Michael Bonds and Director Annie Woodward opposed.
It also looks like the timeline to move the entire Fritsche Middle School program will be accelerated and occur next year. The Board unanimously voted to support the relocation of Fritsche to Bay View as long as the Fritsche governance council agreed to the move through a modification to its governance school contract. The council has indicated its willingness to do that.
The Board also approved converting Garden Homes Elementary to a Montessori program beginning next year.
It also looks like the timeline to move the entire Fritsche Middle School program will be accelerated and occur next year. The Board unanimously voted to support the relocation of Fritsche to Bay View as long as the Fritsche governance council agreed to the move through a modification to its governance school contract. The council has indicated its willingness to do that.
The Board also approved converting Garden Homes Elementary to a Montessori program beginning next year.
Riverside and Gilder-Lehrman present a look at the Hmong experience
The Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History and Riverside University High School will present "Coming to America: The Hmong American Experience in Milwaukee" from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 21 at Riverside University High School, 1615 E. Locust St.
The program, to be held in the library on the third floor, kicks off a four-part series that will explore different aspects of new arrivals to the United States. The African-American experience will be examined in February, and the founders of Milwaukee will be discussed in April and May.
Saturday's seminar includes two guest speakers -- Dr. Chia Vang from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's History Department, who will speak on the history of the Hmong in Southeast Asia, and Pangying Sayaovang, who has worked with the United Nations Refugee Agency in Thailand and who is now an MPS guidance counselor in Milwaukee Public Schools. Sayaovang will speak on the issues related to the transition into United States society.
As well as the lectures and discussion participants will experience a performance of traditional Hmong dance, Paj Ntaub (textiles) and a Hmong Hip-Hop performance. At the end of the event Hmong food will also be served in the Riverside cafeteria free of charge.
Besides the discussion, there will be a performance of Hmong hip-hop and a display of Hmong artwork. Hmong food will be provided.
The program, to be held in the library on the third floor, kicks off a four-part series that will explore different aspects of new arrivals to the United States. The African-American experience will be examined in February, and the founders of Milwaukee will be discussed in April and May.
Saturday's seminar includes two guest speakers -- Dr. Chia Vang from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's History Department, who will speak on the history of the Hmong in Southeast Asia, and Pangying Sayaovang, who has worked with the United Nations Refugee Agency in Thailand and who is now an MPS guidance counselor in Milwaukee Public Schools. Sayaovang will speak on the issues related to the transition into United States society.
As well as the lectures and discussion participants will experience a performance of traditional Hmong dance, Paj Ntaub (textiles) and a Hmong Hip-Hop performance. At the end of the event Hmong food will also be served in the Riverside cafeteria free of charge.
Besides the discussion, there will be a performance of Hmong hip-hop and a display of Hmong artwork. Hmong food will be provided.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
From the SySTEM Now conference
Two partnerships between MPS and local businesses won Excellence in STEM awards, also known as the "Stemmies." P&H Mining Equipment and Fritsche Middle School won for its partnership, and the Urban Ecology Center and the district won an honorable mention. 
The awards were presented at the October SySTEM Now conference. SySTEM stands for "Strengthening our Youth in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics." This year’s conference was presented by Gateway Technical College, Milwaukee area Technical College and Waukesha County Technical College.
MPS coordinator of Career and Technical Education Lauren Baker showed Gov. Jim Doyle around at the conference.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Teaching American History: colonial America with junior historians
About 400 students participated in the Gilder-Lehrman Junior Historian's Forum held last month at Marquette University. The students, from Hamilton, Riverside, Wedgewood Park, Humboldt Park, Victory, US Grant, Milwaukee School of Languages and Fritsche, listened to noted historian John Fea talk about being a kid in colonial America, which wasn't always fun.
An excerpt from Fea's talk is below. The audio of the major portion of his address here.
The Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History is an MPS partner in implementation of the U.S. Department of Education's Teaching American History grant. The grant is designed to raise student achievement by improving teachers' knowledge and understanding of and appreciation for traditional U.S. history. . In MPS, implementation of the Teaching American History grant supports goals one and three of the district's Working Together, Achieving More strategic plan: Students meet and exceed Wisconsin academic standards and graduate prepared for higher education, careers and citizenship and Leaders and staff demonstrate continuous improvement through focused professional development.
An excerpt from Fea's talk is below. The audio of the major portion of his address here.
The Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History is an MPS partner in implementation of the U.S. Department of Education's Teaching American History grant. The grant is designed to raise student achievement by improving teachers' knowledge and understanding of and appreciation for traditional U.S. history. . In MPS, implementation of the Teaching American History grant supports goals one and three of the district's Working Together, Achieving More strategic plan: Students meet and exceed Wisconsin academic standards and graduate prepared for higher education, careers and citizenship and Leaders and staff demonstrate continuous improvement through focused professional development.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
More on the Grigsby/Coggs proposal
SAGE for ninth graders and new schools for disruptive students would be established under MPS reform legislation proposed by State Rep. Tamara Grigsby and State Sen. Spencer Coggs, according to an overview of their plan.
The overview has a lot more detail than does the press release the two issued yesterday, but still leaves a lot of questions to be answered.
In the overview, for example, the legislators call for establishing the ninth grade SAGE program. SAGE, which is a primary grade class size reduction program, limits the student / teacher ratio to 15:1. The overview says federal funds would be used to pay for the ninth grade program, but does identify the funds or provide a cost estimate. The plan also would require the district to create at least two “assistance and transition campuses” for disruptive students, but does not identify sites, provide cost estimates or say how they would be funded.
The legislation also would reach beyond MPS in some areas. It would increase funding for health services and encourage school district to invest in "green" initiatives. It also would require the Milwaukee County Transit System to give students a 33% fare discount, should Milwaukee County get authority to establish a 0.5% sales tax for transit.
The entire overview is here.
The overview has a lot more detail than does the press release the two issued yesterday, but still leaves a lot of questions to be answered.
In the overview, for example, the legislators call for establishing the ninth grade SAGE program. SAGE, which is a primary grade class size reduction program, limits the student / teacher ratio to 15:1. The overview says federal funds would be used to pay for the ninth grade program, but does identify the funds or provide a cost estimate. The plan also would require the district to create at least two “assistance and transition campuses” for disruptive students, but does not identify sites, provide cost estimates or say how they would be funded.
The legislation also would reach beyond MPS in some areas. It would increase funding for health services and encourage school district to invest in "green" initiatives. It also would require the Milwaukee County Transit System to give students a 33% fare discount, should Milwaukee County get authority to establish a 0.5% sales tax for transit.
The entire overview is here.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Grigsby, Coggs unveil MPS proposal
It's called the Reforming and Advancing Children's Education (RACE) for Success Act.
Major provisions, as outlined in a press release issued by State Rep. Tamara Grigsby (D-Milwaukee) and State Sen. Spencer Coggs (D-Milwaukee), and are outlined below.
The Partnership for Success will consist of the MPS School Board and the City of Milwaukee Common Council. Both the mayor and the school board president will serve as co-chairs of the partnership.
• Through the Partnership for Success, both the city and school board would be responsible for maintaining a "Grassroots Education Network" of community organizations aimed at increasing civic and parental engagement with MilwaukeePublic Schools.
• The democratically-elected MPS School Board shall ultimately select the school superintendent, but the mayor will have the power to provide input into the superintendent search and even possibly reject the board's final selection through a new veto authority. Ultimately, that veto would be subject to a potential override by the school board.
• The school board shall maintain its authority over the MPS budget and school policy, but the mayor will be given the ability to control the property tax levy if the school board's budget increased that levy by more than 8%. In such asituation, the mayor would receive line-item veto authority over the school budget that would in turn be subject to a potential veto override by the elected school board.
Major provisions, as outlined in a press release issued by State Rep. Tamara Grigsby (D-Milwaukee) and State Sen. Spencer Coggs (D-Milwaukee), and are outlined below.
The Partnership for Success will consist of the MPS School Board and the City of Milwaukee Common Council. Both the mayor and the school board president will serve as co-chairs of the partnership.
• Through the Partnership for Success, both the city and school board would be responsible for maintaining a "Grassroots Education Network" of community organizations aimed at increasing civic and parental engagement with MilwaukeePublic Schools.
• The democratically-elected MPS School Board shall ultimately select the school superintendent, but the mayor will have the power to provide input into the superintendent search and even possibly reject the board's final selection through a new veto authority. Ultimately, that veto would be subject to a potential override by the school board.
• The school board shall maintain its authority over the MPS budget and school policy, but the mayor will be given the ability to control the property tax levy if the school board's budget increased that levy by more than 8%. In such asituation, the mayor would receive line-item veto authority over the school budget that would in turn be subject to a potential veto override by the elected school board.
Who needs a mayoral takeover?
All we need for improved academic performance are exercise balls!
From the Los Angeles Times:
The inflatable balls are commonly used in Pilates, yoga and exercise classes. Some teachers say they belong in school classrooms too because they sharpen students' attention and improve their posture.
This year, Yehl checked the Internet for ways to help her restless pupils sit still. She stumbled on a story about exercise balls improving concentration. So she replaced her classroom's chairs with bouncy 21-inch-high balls in colors students chose....
Lisa Witt, whose Wisconsin company WittFitt sells exercise ball chairs for classroom use, reports a sharp increase in customers, from one school in 2004 to more than 300 across the country and abroad.
"Some people initially think, 'Are you crazy?' " says Witt, a former elementary school teacher in Colorado. But aside from mental and physical benefits, she says, "it's just plain fun."...
The tiny movements kids make to stay balanced stimulate their brains and help them focus, says Dr. John Ratey, a Harvard University professor and author of "Driven to Distraction" and "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain." Children with attention disorders, he says, have "a sleepy cortex," and exercise combats that mental disengagement."
Just by using their core muscles more, they're flipping [their cortex] on" and increasing their mental activity, Ratey says. "The cerebellum part of their brain is really working to adjust, every millisecond."
From the Los Angeles Times:
The inflatable balls are commonly used in Pilates, yoga and exercise classes. Some teachers say they belong in school classrooms too because they sharpen students' attention and improve their posture.
This year, Yehl checked the Internet for ways to help her restless pupils sit still. She stumbled on a story about exercise balls improving concentration. So she replaced her classroom's chairs with bouncy 21-inch-high balls in colors students chose....
Lisa Witt, whose Wisconsin company WittFitt sells exercise ball chairs for classroom use, reports a sharp increase in customers, from one school in 2004 to more than 300 across the country and abroad.
"Some people initially think, 'Are you crazy?' " says Witt, a former elementary school teacher in Colorado. But aside from mental and physical benefits, she says, "it's just plain fun."...
The tiny movements kids make to stay balanced stimulate their brains and help them focus, says Dr. John Ratey, a Harvard University professor and author of "Driven to Distraction" and "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain." Children with attention disorders, he says, have "a sleepy cortex," and exercise combats that mental disengagement."
Just by using their core muscles more, they're flipping [their cortex] on" and increasing their mental activity, Ratey says. "The cerebellum part of their brain is really working to adjust, every millisecond."
Friday, November 13, 2009
LIbrary grant assists 11 schools raise reading achievement
A $500,000 U.S. Department of Education grant is helping 11 schools boost student reading abilities by paying for library / media center materials.
Schools participating in Providing Resources and Opportunities to Promote and Enhance Literacy (PROPEL) this year are Auer, Clement, Eighty-first Street, Hopkins, Mitchell, Sixty-fifth Street, Starms Early Childhood Center, Starms Discovery Learning Center, Townsend, Twenty-first Street and Twenty-seventh Street.
The program is funded through Improving Literacy through School Libraries, which the Department of Education says is designed to help "improve reading achievement by providing students with increased access to up-to-date school library materials; well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media centers; and professionally certified school library media specialists."
The goal of the Milwaukee program is to improve literacy achievement for 2,509 students in kindergarten through third grade by acquiring LMC materials and providing professional development to support certified school library media specialists and by increasing collaboration of the LMS with teachers; administrators; parents; extended day and summer program planners and implementers; and the public library staff.
Schools participating in Providing Resources and Opportunities to Promote and Enhance Literacy (PROPEL) this year are Auer, Clement, Eighty-first Street, Hopkins, Mitchell, Sixty-fifth Street, Starms Early Childhood Center, Starms Discovery Learning Center, Townsend, Twenty-first Street and Twenty-seventh Street.
The program is funded through Improving Literacy through School Libraries, which the Department of Education says is designed to help "improve reading achievement by providing students with increased access to up-to-date school library materials; well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media centers; and professionally certified school library media specialists."
The goal of the Milwaukee program is to improve literacy achievement for 2,509 students in kindergarten through third grade by acquiring LMC materials and providing professional development to support certified school library media specialists and by increasing collaboration of the LMS with teachers; administrators; parents; extended day and summer program planners and implementers; and the public library staff.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
More Race to the Top info released
Wisconsin could qualify for up to $250 million...
From the U.S. Department of Education:
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OPENS RACE TO THE TOP COMPETITION
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today releasedthe final application for more than $4.35 billion from the Race to the Top Fund, which will reward states that have raised student performance in the past and have the capacity to accelerate achievement gains with innovative reforms.
"The president said last week that Race tothe Top will require states to take an all-hands-on-deck approach," Duncan the states that have led the way in reform and will show the way for the rest of the country to follow."
The U.S. Department of Education is asking states to build comprehensive and coherent plans aroundthe four areas of reform outlined in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The application requires states to documentthe ir past success and outline the ir plans to extend the ir reforms by using college- and career-ready standards and assessments, building a workforce of highly effective educators, creating educational data systems to support student achievement, and turning around the ir lowest-performing schools.
The $4.35 billion forthe Race to the Top Fund is an unprecedented federal investment in reform. Duncan
To qualify, states must have no legal barriers to linking student growth and achievement data to teachers and principals forthe purposes of evaluation. They also must have the department's approval for the ir plans for both phases of the Recovery Act's State Fiscal Stabilization Fund prior to being awarded a grant.
The final application released today includes significant changes tothe proposal released by the U.S. Department of Education in July. After reviewing responses to the draft proposals from 1,161 people, who submitted thousands of unique comments, ranging from one paragraph to 67 pages, the U.S. Department of Education restructured the application and changed it to reflect the ideas of the public.
"The public's input on this application was invaluable to us," Duncan the y will create a comprehensive agenda to drive reform forward."
The final application also clarifies that states should use multiple measures to evaluate teachers and principals, including a strong emphasis onthe growth in achievement of the ir students. But it
also reinforces that successful applicants will need to have rigorous teacher and principal evaluation programs and usethe results of teacher evaluations to inform what happens in the schools.
In Race tothe Top, the department will hold two rounds of competition for the grants. For the first round, it will accept states' applications until the middle of January, 2010. Peer reviewers will evaluate the applications and the department will announce the winners of the first round of funding next spring.
Applications forthe second round will be due June 1, 2010, with the announcement of all the winners by Sept. 30, 2010.
POTENTIAL FUNDING AMOUNTS FOR EACH STATE
CATEGORY 1 - $350-700 million
California, Texas, New York, Florida
CATEGORY 2 - $200-400 million
Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, New
Jersey
CATEGORY 3 - $150-250 million
Virginia, Arizona, Indiana, Washington, Tennessee, Massachusetts,
Missouri, Maryland, Wisconsin
CATEGORY 4 - $60-175 million
Minnesota, Colorado, Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina, Puerto Rico,
Kentucky, Oklahoma, Oregon, Connecticut, Utah, Mississippi, Iowa,
Arkansas, Kansas, Nevada
CATEGORY 5 - $20-75 million
New Mexico, Nebraska, Idaho, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Maine,
Hawaii, Rhode Island, Montana, Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska, North
Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, District of Columbia
From the U.S. Department of Education:
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OPENS RACE TO THE TOP COMPETITION
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today released
"The president said last week that Race to
The U.S. Department of Education is asking states to build comprehensive and coherent plans around
The application requires states to document
The $4.35 billion for
To qualify, states must have no legal barriers to linking student growth and achievement data to teachers and principals for
The final application released today includes significant changes to
"The public's input on this application was invaluable to us,"
The final application also clarifies that states should use multiple measures to evaluate teachers and principals, including a strong emphasis on
also reinforces that successful applicants will need to have rigorous teacher and principal evaluation programs and use
In Race to
Applications for
POTENTIAL FUNDING AMOUNTS FOR EACH STATE
CATEGORY 1 - $350-700 million
California, Texas, New York, Florida
CATEGORY 2 - $200-400 million
Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, New
Jersey
CATEGORY 3 - $150-250 million
Virginia, Arizona, Indiana, Washington, Tennessee, Massachusetts,
Missouri, Maryland, Wisconsin
CATEGORY 4 - $60-175 million
Minnesota, Colorado, Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina, Puerto Rico,
Kentucky, Oklahoma, Oregon, Connecticut, Utah, Mississippi, Iowa,
Arkansas, Kansas, Nevada
CATEGORY 5 - $20-75 million
New Mexico, Nebraska, Idaho, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Maine,
Hawaii, Rhode Island, Montana, Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska, North
Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, District of Columbia
Washington High Science Fair is coming up
From our friends in Communications and Public Affairs:
Washington High School of Information Technology (WHS of IT) will host the seventh iFair on Tuesday, Nov.17. The event will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2525 N. Sherman Blvd.
The purpose of the iFair is to encourage students in seventh through tenth grades to “Experience the Future” through valuable educational experiences that promote careers in information technology and engineering. More than 130 students from nine Milwaukee Public Schools will participate. Students will be from Audubon, Fritsche, Golda Meir, Green Bay Avenue, Hartford Avenue, Keefe Avenue, Lancaster, Vieau and Washington High School of Information Technology.
More than 25 sponsors, including businesses and education-related agencies, are involved in iFair. Participating business exhibitors include Badger Meter, CH2M Hill, Direct Supply, GE Healthcare, Goodwill - Ability Connection, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Northwestern Mutual, Quad/Graphics, Rockwell Automation, and Wheaton-Franciscan Healthcare. Participating education-oriented organizations include FIRST Robotics, Great Lakes Higher Education Corp., Marquette University, Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) – Computer Simulation Gaming Program, MATC – IT Careers, MPS Division of Technology, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Project Lead The Way, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Significant non-exhibit support comes from: Society for Information Management, NVISIA, Computer Science Teachers Association and Microsoft Corp.
The iFair begins at 9 a.m. when Washington High School of Information Technology students arrive in the exhibit area.At 9:15 a.m. there will be an official welcome by State Rep.Barbara Toles (D-Milwaukee) and other special guests. Students from other schools begin arriving at 9:30 a.m. and the firstthree panel discussions begin at 10:30 a.m. Arrivals and panel discussions are repeated until the last group of students leaves at 1 p.m.
Exhibits include industry IT/engineering, post-secondary opportunities, a Washington High School of Information Technology Project Lead the Way demonstration, a FIRST Robotics demonstration and student programming exhibits. Panel discussions are scheduled at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.and 12:30 p.m.
For more information contact Joe Kmoch, iFair advisory team member, at(414)530-6892.
Washington High School of Information Technology (WHS of IT) will host the seventh iFair on Tuesday, Nov.17. The event will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2525 N. Sherman Blvd.
The purpose of the iFair is to encourage students in seventh through tenth grades to “Experience the Future” through valuable educational experiences that promote careers in information technology and engineering. More than 130 students from nine Milwaukee Public Schools will participate. Students will be from Audubon, Fritsche, Golda Meir, Green Bay Avenue, Hartford Avenue, Keefe Avenue, Lancaster, Vieau and Washington High School of Information Technology.
More than 25 sponsors, including businesses and education-related agencies, are involved in iFair. Participating business exhibitors include Badger Meter, CH2M Hill, Direct Supply, GE Healthcare, Goodwill - Ability Connection, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Northwestern Mutual, Quad/Graphics, Rockwell Automation, and Wheaton-Franciscan Healthcare. Participating education-oriented organizations include FIRST Robotics, Great Lakes Higher Education Corp., Marquette University, Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) – Computer Simulation Gaming Program, MATC – IT Careers, MPS Division of Technology, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Project Lead The Way, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Significant non-exhibit support comes from: Society for Information Management, NVISIA, Computer Science Teachers Association and Microsoft Corp.
The iFair begins at 9 a.m. when Washington High School of Information Technology students arrive in the exhibit area.At 9:15 a.m. there will be an official welcome by State Rep.Barbara Toles (D-Milwaukee) and other special guests. Students from other schools begin arriving at 9:30 a.m. and the firstthree panel discussions begin at 10:30 a.m. Arrivals and panel discussions are repeated until the last group of students leaves at 1 p.m.
Exhibits include industry IT/engineering, post-secondary opportunities, a Washington High School of Information Technology Project Lead the Way demonstration, a FIRST Robotics demonstration and student programming exhibits. Panel discussions are scheduled at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.and 12:30 p.m.
For more information contact Joe Kmoch, iFair advisory team member, at(414)530-6892.
Voices of the Young: Quintus Gore
Quintus Gore I first became interested in joining the military when we had recruiters from the Army, the Navy, the National Guard, the Army Reserves come to our school. They brung along a pull-up bar. I really didn't have intentions of joining. I just wanted to do pull-ups in front of the ladies. So I signed up for every single one of them so I could do the pull-ups.
They started actually calling. They asked me if I was still interested in receiving information about the branch. Just not to be rude, I said yes to all of them. They started telling me how they would pay for my college. I started thinking, "Maybe I should pursue this," and trying to figure out which was the best branch for me.
I want to go to college point-blank. But I was thinking, "How am I going to pay for this?" We're nowhere near having that type of money. I didn't want to get into loans. The National Guard was like, "We'll pay up to University of Wisconsin tuition for you." I was thinking that would be good. That was just my main focus -- getting college paid for.
I got a recruiter named Timothy Montgomery. I started meeting him in person. He would come over, and talk to me about the National Guard, and what types of things I would be doing. I ended up taking a test called the ASFAB. At first I was nervous about it. He said, normally kids from Custer score a 4 or 5, but you need a 31 to qualify. I took the test and ended up getting a 54. My recruiter said "You got a 54! You're good enough to get in the Army. You're good enough to get any job you want. You're good enough to also get the bonuses! You need a 51 to get the bonuses." I got a 54.
My basic family, me and my brothers and my mother -- we're all dispersed through Milwaukee. I rarely get to hear from them or see them. There are 5 of us -- Kenny, JR, Dante, me, and then I have a little brother, Warren, who was put up for adoption.
I live with my auntie. With my family, the way I always view it is -- our family was like a marble. And this giant rock came down and crushed it. When that happened, all the pieces were scattered. I kind of have resentment towards my mother because of that -- because of her drug addiction, and the way she used her money. It just caused us all to scatter. Me and my brother Dante ended up going to a foster home when I was 5. Most of our lives were in foster homes just moving from home to home to home.
Once we hit 12, we got a chance to go back home. So I went back home with my mother for another year. I realized there was the same stuff going on that got us taken away in the first place. I just thought, "I don't need this stuff." I was trying to get into high school. I ended up moving in with my oldest brother, Kenny. He was 28 at the time. I lived with him my whole freshman year, and then I cam back to my auntie because I didn't have nowhere else to go. So I ended up coming to my auntie.
There with my auntie I was able to focus on being a normal kid. I didn't have to worry about, "What am I going to eat tonight?" or, "I got no detergent to clean my clothes." I could start playing football. I could start paying attention to school. I could start talking to girls. I could just be a normal kid. That's where I'm at now--just being Quintus Gore with my auntie.
I know I'm most likely going to go to Iraq sooner or later. I know there's a chance I could lose my life. But there's a big chance I could come back home. I figure that I'm going to do this contract. Get college paid for, and I'm going to walk away and just forget that whole 8 years.
One of the things I'm worried about -- I'm not hardcore religious -- but I do believe in God, is wondering if I kill somebody, if that's counts as a sin. If I'm called upon to kill a female or a young child, I worry about that because that kid or that woman is another person's kid, or another person's wife, or husband or son. Could I handle that? Could I handle a kid who's running at me with an IED strapped to him, who's probably like 12-years-old, who doesn't really understand the situation? Would I be able to take that person's life? I don't really know how I'm going to handle that yet.
They started actually calling. They asked me if I was still interested in receiving information about the branch. Just not to be rude, I said yes to all of them. They started telling me how they would pay for my college. I started thinking, "Maybe I should pursue this," and trying to figure out which was the best branch for me.
I want to go to college point-blank. But I was thinking, "How am I going to pay for this?" We're nowhere near having that type of money. I didn't want to get into loans. The National Guard was like, "We'll pay up to University of Wisconsin tuition for you." I was thinking that would be good. That was just my main focus -- getting college paid for.
I got a recruiter named Timothy Montgomery. I started meeting him in person. He would come over, and talk to me about the National Guard, and what types of things I would be doing. I ended up taking a test called the ASFAB. At first I was nervous about it. He said, normally kids from Custer score a 4 or 5, but you need a 31 to qualify. I took the test and ended up getting a 54. My recruiter said "You got a 54! You're good enough to get in the Army. You're good enough to get any job you want. You're good enough to also get the bonuses! You need a 51 to get the bonuses." I got a 54.
My basic family, me and my brothers and my mother -- we're all dispersed through Milwaukee. I rarely get to hear from them or see them. There are 5 of us -- Kenny, JR, Dante, me, and then I have a little brother, Warren, who was put up for adoption.
I live with my auntie. With my family, the way I always view it is -- our family was like a marble. And this giant rock came down and crushed it. When that happened, all the pieces were scattered. I kind of have resentment towards my mother because of that -- because of her drug addiction, and the way she used her money. It just caused us all to scatter. Me and my brother Dante ended up going to a foster home when I was 5. Most of our lives were in foster homes just moving from home to home to home.
Once we hit 12, we got a chance to go back home. So I went back home with my mother for another year. I realized there was the same stuff going on that got us taken away in the first place. I just thought, "I don't need this stuff." I was trying to get into high school. I ended up moving in with my oldest brother, Kenny. He was 28 at the time. I lived with him my whole freshman year, and then I cam back to my auntie because I didn't have nowhere else to go. So I ended up coming to my auntie.
There with my auntie I was able to focus on being a normal kid. I didn't have to worry about, "What am I going to eat tonight?" or, "I got no detergent to clean my clothes." I could start playing football. I could start paying attention to school. I could start talking to girls. I could just be a normal kid. That's where I'm at now--just being Quintus Gore with my auntie.
I know I'm most likely going to go to Iraq sooner or later. I know there's a chance I could lose my life. But there's a big chance I could come back home. I figure that I'm going to do this contract. Get college paid for, and I'm going to walk away and just forget that whole 8 years.
One of the things I'm worried about -- I'm not hardcore religious -- but I do believe in God, is wondering if I kill somebody, if that's counts as a sin. If I'm called upon to kill a female or a young child, I worry about that because that kid or that woman is another person's kid, or another person's wife, or husband or son. Could I handle that? Could I handle a kid who's running at me with an IED strapped to him, who's probably like 12-years-old, who doesn't really understand the situation? Would I be able to take that person's life? I don't really know how I'm going to handle that yet.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Committee recommends closing Twenty-seventh Street School
A School Board committee last night recommended that Twenty-seventh Street School be closed at the end of the school year. A previous post on the issue is here.
The Innovation/School Reform committee also recommended that the traditional program at Garden Holmes elementary be phased out and replaced with a Montessori program.
The committee sent to the full board without recommendation an administration proposal to accelerate the blending of Fritsche Middle School and Bay View High School programs at the Bay View building. Board members expressed concerns that parents did not have ample opportunity to study or provide input to the proposal. Under the administration's proposal, all Fritsche students would attend the Bay View building in 2010-11, rather than in 2011-12, as originally planned.
The Journal Sentinel story on the meeting is here.
The Innovation/School Reform committee also recommended that the traditional program at Garden Holmes elementary be phased out and replaced with a Montessori program.
The committee sent to the full board without recommendation an administration proposal to accelerate the blending of Fritsche Middle School and Bay View High School programs at the Bay View building. Board members expressed concerns that parents did not have ample opportunity to study or provide input to the proposal. Under the administration's proposal, all Fritsche students would attend the Bay View building in 2010-11, rather than in 2011-12, as originally planned.
The Journal Sentinel story on the meeting is here.
Monday, November 9, 2009
The school closing discussion, part 4
In this segment, School Board Annie Woodward expresses her concern that most of the schools on the list for possible closure on on the north side.
"Every school has a story," Superintendent William Andrekopoulos said. "There's some on here if I would have done it by stories or something I probably wouldn't have put it on the list, but we wanted to do it without having a story, without any subjectivity. We wanted to do it strictly objectively, by the data."
He added: "Some of these schools that are low academic achievement are the very schools where we put extra resources in...not only did we put in additional financial resources but we put additional personnel in these schools. We have worked very hard to improve the performance of the schools."
The School Board's Innovation / School Reform Committee is scheduled to discuss during its meeting tomorrow night the administration's recommendation to close Twenty-seventh Street School after this school year. The ISR committee is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the central services building, 5225 W. Vliet St.
The video below is from the September School Board meeting and is offered to provide context for school closing debates. Part 1 is here; part 2, here; and part 3, here.
"Every school has a story," Superintendent William Andrekopoulos said. "There's some on here if I would have done it by stories or something I probably wouldn't have put it on the list, but we wanted to do it without having a story, without any subjectivity. We wanted to do it strictly objectively, by the data."
He added: "Some of these schools that are low academic achievement are the very schools where we put extra resources in...not only did we put in additional financial resources but we put additional personnel in these schools. We have worked very hard to improve the performance of the schools."
The School Board's Innovation / School Reform Committee is scheduled to discuss during its meeting tomorrow night the administration's recommendation to close Twenty-seventh Street School after this school year. The ISR committee is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the central services building, 5225 W. Vliet St.
The video below is from the September School Board meeting and is offered to provide context for school closing debates. Part 1 is here; part 2, here; and part 3, here.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Special session on MPS likely, Doyle says
Gov. Jim Doyle said Saturday that is very likely that he will call a special session of the Legislature to deal with MPS governance, according to wispolitics.com.
Doyle said President Barack Obama, with his nondescript speech in Madison last week, and discussions with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan made clear that governance changes would help the state with its Race to the Top application.
The Legislature last week approved a bill that would allow student test data to be used in teacher evaluations, but not to dismiss or discipline an educator. The Journal Sentinel story is here.
Doyle said President Barack Obama, with his nondescript speech in Madison last week, and discussions with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan made clear that governance changes would help the state with its Race to the Top application.
The Legislature last week approved a bill that would allow student test data to be used in teacher evaluations, but not to dismiss or discipline an educator. The Journal Sentinel story is here.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Board would lose budget power in takeover proposal
The School Board would be stripped of its power to amend the superintendent's proposed budget, under a mayoral takeover bill containing provisions circulated by State Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee).
"The board has 15 days to review the budget and, by majority vote, the board could object to any portion of the proposal," according to a memo Taylor sent to her colleagues seeking co-sponsors for the legislation, which has yet to be drafted. "By objecting, the board would have the authority to request specific or unspecified modifications to the Superintendent’s proposal. The board could not, however, amend the proposal."
Taylor appeared with Gov. Doyle at a press conference last week when Doyle announced provisions of a bill that would give the mayor hiring and firing power over the superintendent.
The provisions Taylor is circulating would retain an elected Board, but greatly reduce its authority. The Board would retain authority over community organization, student expulsions, and pupil discrimination policies and corporal punishment.
"The board shall have responsibility for the development of recommendations related to adults as it relates to evening schools, vacation schools, reading rooms, library stations, debating clubs, gymnasiums, public playgrounds, public baths and similar accommodations," Taylor's memo said. "The board shall submit a budget to the superintendent for these activities. The superintendent will evaluate that information and combine it with his or her recommendations in these same areas to set the community service levy."
The entire text of Taylor's memo is below.
Colleagues:
As concerned Milwaukee area legislators, we are circulating the Milwaukee Transforms Education for All Our Children (TEACH) Act, which would create mayoral accountability and a change in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) governance as part of a comprehensive and urgent effort to improve educational outcomes we are providing for our children.
Let us state the facts about student educational outcomes in MPS. The 85,000 children in Milwaukee Public Schools are attending a school district that has been categorized as a District Identified for Improvement (DIFI) for 5 consecutive years for failing to achieve proficiency in reading and math across all grade levels. Over 82% of tenth graders in MPS did not achieve proficiency in mathematics OR reading this past year. (DPI Annual Performance Review 2008-09, attached) In addition, a report from the National Center for Education Statistics shows Wisconsin’s minority achievement gap is the worst in the nation in 8th grade reading and second worst in 4th grade reading. We had the second worst achievement gap in 4th and 8th grade mathematics compared to the rest of the nation. The report shows that the average scores for both math and reading for African-American students in Wisconsin was lower than for African-Americans in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, or any other Southern state. (National Center for Education Statistics)
The current data we see in MPS leads us to transform governance in an effort to demand political accountability for these results. On Wednesday, while speaking in our state, President Barack Obama called for drastic, vigorous strategies that are necessary to turn around our most troubled schools. As we evaluate our Race to the Top application, President Obama has clearly laid out that one of the application’s criteria is the state’s ability to create a plan to turn around low-performing schools. Milwaukee is the lowest-performing district in our state and the success of our state application will hinge on our success in this challenge regarding MPS.
The Milwaukee TEACH Act will provide mayoral accountability over MPS by granting the Mayor the major responsibilities for education in Milwaukee, while maintaining the elected school board with modified powers. Below is a list of items that are included in the draft of our proposal. We will release the draft as soon as it is available.
1) Mayoral appointment of the MPS Superintendent
a) Mayor has full hire and fire authority of the Superintendent.
2) Elected board remains, with modified duties and structure:
a) The Board would advise the superintendent on matters related to instruction and the progress of pupils.
b) The Board would have the authority and responsibility to review the budget under an administrative rules type process:
i) The Superintendent is required to introduce the annual budget to the board.
ii) The board has 15 days to review the budget and, by majority vote, the board could object to any portion of the proposal.
iii) By objecting, the board would have the authority to request specific or unspecified modifications to the Superintendent’s proposal. The board could not, however, amend the proposal.
iv) Once an objection is registered, the Superintendent would have 25 days to respond to the request.
v) The board could then compel the Superintendent or representative to attend a public hearing on the matter within 15 days of that response.
vi) At the end of 15 days after the superintendent’s response to the board, the budget could go forward to the common council at the pleasure of the superintendent, with or without modifications.
c) The superintendent is required to submit a list of school closings to the board. That list is reviewed by the board and follows the same process as outlined above.
d) Other duties would remain entirely within the authority of the elected board including:
vii) Community and parental organization and relations
viii) Adjudication of student expulsions
ix) Corporal punishment – maintain policies regarding corporal punishment with the board
x) Pupil discrimination policy – maintain policies and procedures development with the board
xi) The board shall have responsibility for the development of recommendations related to adults as it relates to evening schools, vacation schools, reading rooms, library stations, debating clubs, gymnasiums, public playgrounds, public baths and similar accommodations. The board shall submit a budget to the superintendent for these activities. The superintendent will evaluate that information and combine it with his or her recommendations in these same areas to set the community service levy.
3) MPS Superintendent Duties
a) Certain powers currently under board authority would move to the Superintendent but still be subject to review by the board including but not limited to:
i) Budget and fiscal issues (setting the levy would be a duty of the common council, as under current law)
ii) Curriculum
(1) Create a new requirement that the superintendent to annually submit to the board a report on academic programs
iii) School closure and facility decisions
iv) Collective bargaining and contractual authority
(1) Within 5 days of the superintendent signing an agreement with a bargaining unit, transmit the agreement to the board
(2) After receipt of the agreement, the board has 30 days to request the superintendent to provide a presentation on the agreement to the board
(3) The board shall have no role in negotiating or approving the agreements with bargaining units
4) Reauthorization referendum set in statute seven years from enactment
5) Financial and Budget Advisory Commission
a) Create a commission of to serve as an advisor to the superintendent on budget development and receive and review the annual GAAP audit of the district.
i) Six members – city comptroller, common council president, school board president or their designees and 2 members appointed by the mayor –
ii) The commission shall have no authorities or powers
iii) The mayoral appointed members shall serve at the pleasure of the mayor
iv) The commission shall follow WI open meeting and open records laws
6) Legal counsel for the board
a) The city attorney’s office shall approve outside legal representation for the board for matters pertaining to board governance and open meetings and open records
7) Elimination of tenure for principals and other administrative managers
8) Milwaukee School Zones
a) Provide framework and expenditure authority (for potential Race to the Top dollars) and governance of wrap-around services. Create appropriation authority.
Mayoral accountability is a proven system of transformational change to produce increased educational outcomes in the nation’s lowest-performing schools. Kenneth K. Wong and Francis X. Shen studied the effects of mayoral accountability and reported in The Education Mayor:
“Cities with a strong form of mayoral control…show consistently stronger gains in student achievement on state assessments relative to other large urban school systems. Improvements in student proficiency associated with strong mayoral leadership of public schools range from one-fifth to one-third of a standard deviation, in high school mathematics and reading respectively.”
Improvement in Proficiencies
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL
Math: .25 Math: .21
Reading: .26 Reading: .34
NOTE: This analysis is drawn from a national database of 104 large urban school districts from 40 states, each of which has a unique state assessment system.
The Milwaukee TEACH Act has been the product of consultation between the authors, the Governor Jim Doyle, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, and other community leaders and stakeholders. We encourage you to join us in offering this plan for transformational growth and change in Milwaukee Public Schools and by doing so, strengthen the state’s Race to the Top application.
If you wish to co-sponsor this legislation, please call Senator Taylor’s office at 6-5810 or Rep. Colon’s office at 7-7669 or reply to this email prior to 12 noon on Wednesday, November 11th.
Thank you.
"The board has 15 days to review the budget and, by majority vote, the board could object to any portion of the proposal," according to a memo Taylor sent to her colleagues seeking co-sponsors for the legislation, which has yet to be drafted. "By objecting, the board would have the authority to request specific or unspecified modifications to the Superintendent’s proposal. The board could not, however, amend the proposal."
Taylor appeared with Gov. Doyle at a press conference last week when Doyle announced provisions of a bill that would give the mayor hiring and firing power over the superintendent.
The provisions Taylor is circulating would retain an elected Board, but greatly reduce its authority. The Board would retain authority over community organization, student expulsions, and pupil discrimination policies and corporal punishment.
"The board shall have responsibility for the development of recommendations related to adults as it relates to evening schools, vacation schools, reading rooms, library stations, debating clubs, gymnasiums, public playgrounds, public baths and similar accommodations," Taylor's memo said. "The board shall submit a budget to the superintendent for these activities. The superintendent will evaluate that information and combine it with his or her recommendations in these same areas to set the community service levy."
The entire text of Taylor's memo is below.
Colleagues:
As concerned Milwaukee area legislators, we are circulating the Milwaukee Transforms Education for All Our Children (TEACH) Act, which would create mayoral accountability and a change in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) governance as part of a comprehensive and urgent effort to improve educational outcomes we are providing for our children.
Let us state the facts about student educational outcomes in MPS. The 85,000 children in Milwaukee Public Schools are attending a school district that has been categorized as a District Identified for Improvement (DIFI) for 5 consecutive years for failing to achieve proficiency in reading and math across all grade levels. Over 82% of tenth graders in MPS did not achieve proficiency in mathematics OR reading this past year. (DPI Annual Performance Review 2008-09, attached) In addition, a report from the National Center for Education Statistics shows Wisconsin’s minority achievement gap is the worst in the nation in 8th grade reading and second worst in 4th grade reading. We had the second worst achievement gap in 4th and 8th grade mathematics compared to the rest of the nation. The report shows that the average scores for both math and reading for African-American students in Wisconsin was lower than for African-Americans in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, or any other Southern state. (National Center for Education Statistics)
The current data we see in MPS leads us to transform governance in an effort to demand political accountability for these results. On Wednesday, while speaking in our state, President Barack Obama called for drastic, vigorous strategies that are necessary to turn around our most troubled schools. As we evaluate our Race to the Top application, President Obama has clearly laid out that one of the application’s criteria is the state’s ability to create a plan to turn around low-performing schools. Milwaukee is the lowest-performing district in our state and the success of our state application will hinge on our success in this challenge regarding MPS.
The Milwaukee TEACH Act will provide mayoral accountability over MPS by granting the Mayor the major responsibilities for education in Milwaukee, while maintaining the elected school board with modified powers. Below is a list of items that are included in the draft of our proposal. We will release the draft as soon as it is available.
1) Mayoral appointment of the MPS Superintendent
a) Mayor has full hire and fire authority of the Superintendent.
2) Elected board remains, with modified duties and structure:
a) The Board would advise the superintendent on matters related to instruction and the progress of pupils.
b) The Board would have the authority and responsibility to review the budget under an administrative rules type process:
i) The Superintendent is required to introduce the annual budget to the board.
ii) The board has 15 days to review the budget and, by majority vote, the board could object to any portion of the proposal.
iii) By objecting, the board would have the authority to request specific or unspecified modifications to the Superintendent’s proposal. The board could not, however, amend the proposal.
iv) Once an objection is registered, the Superintendent would have 25 days to respond to the request.
v) The board could then compel the Superintendent or representative to attend a public hearing on the matter within 15 days of that response.
vi) At the end of 15 days after the superintendent’s response to the board, the budget could go forward to the common council at the pleasure of the superintendent, with or without modifications.
c) The superintendent is required to submit a list of school closings to the board. That list is reviewed by the board and follows the same process as outlined above.
d) Other duties would remain entirely within the authority of the elected board including:
vii) Community and parental organization and relations
viii) Adjudication of student expulsions
ix) Corporal punishment – maintain policies regarding corporal punishment with the board
x) Pupil discrimination policy – maintain policies and procedures development with the board
xi) The board shall have responsibility for the development of recommendations related to adults as it relates to evening schools, vacation schools, reading rooms, library stations, debating clubs, gymnasiums, public playgrounds, public baths and similar accommodations. The board shall submit a budget to the superintendent for these activities. The superintendent will evaluate that information and combine it with his or her recommendations in these same areas to set the community service levy.
3) MPS Superintendent Duties
a) Certain powers currently under board authority would move to the Superintendent but still be subject to review by the board including but not limited to:
i) Budget and fiscal issues (setting the levy would be a duty of the common council, as under current law)
ii) Curriculum
(1) Create a new requirement that the superintendent to annually submit to the board a report on academic programs
iii) School closure and facility decisions
iv) Collective bargaining and contractual authority
(1) Within 5 days of the superintendent signing an agreement with a bargaining unit, transmit the agreement to the board
(2) After receipt of the agreement, the board has 30 days to request the superintendent to provide a presentation on the agreement to the board
(3) The board shall have no role in negotiating or approving the agreements with bargaining units
4) Reauthorization referendum set in statute seven years from enactment
5) Financial and Budget Advisory Commission
a) Create a commission of to serve as an advisor to the superintendent on budget development and receive and review the annual GAAP audit of the district.
i) Six members – city comptroller, common council president, school board president or their designees and 2 members appointed by the mayor –
ii) The commission shall have no authorities or powers
iii) The mayoral appointed members shall serve at the pleasure of the mayor
iv) The commission shall follow WI open meeting and open records laws
6) Legal counsel for the board
a) The city attorney’s office shall approve outside legal representation for the board for matters pertaining to board governance and open meetings and open records
7) Elimination of tenure for principals and other administrative managers
8) Milwaukee School Zones
a) Provide framework and expenditure authority (for potential Race to the Top dollars) and governance of wrap-around services. Create appropriation authority.
Mayoral accountability is a proven system of transformational change to produce increased educational outcomes in the nation’s lowest-performing schools. Kenneth K. Wong and Francis X. Shen studied the effects of mayoral accountability and reported in The Education Mayor:
“Cities with a strong form of mayoral control…show consistently stronger gains in student achievement on state assessments relative to other large urban school systems. Improvements in student proficiency associated with strong mayoral leadership of public schools range from one-fifth to one-third of a standard deviation, in high school mathematics and reading respectively.”
Improvement in Proficiencies
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL
Math: .25 Math: .21
Reading: .26 Reading: .34
NOTE: This analysis is drawn from a national database of 104 large urban school districts from 40 states, each of which has a unique state assessment system.
The Milwaukee TEACH Act has been the product of consultation between the authors, the Governor Jim Doyle, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, and other community leaders and stakeholders. We encourage you to join us in offering this plan for transformational growth and change in Milwaukee Public Schools and by doing so, strengthen the state’s Race to the Top application.
If you wish to co-sponsor this legislation, please call Senator Taylor’s office at 6-5810 or Rep. Colon’s office at 7-7669 or reply to this email prior to 12 noon on Wednesday, November 11th.
Thank you.
Administration proposes closing Twenty-seventh Street School
Twenty-seventh Street Elementary School should be closed at the end of the school year, according to a recommendation to be considered by a School Board committee next week.
"Enrollment at the school declined by 35% over the last six years," the administration said in a report to the Innovation/School Reform Committee. "The student mobility rate rose from 8.6% in 2007-2008 to 9.3% in 2008-2009. (Mobility is a measure of how many students change schools during the year.) The student stability rate declined from 60.6% in 2007-2008 to 51.6% in 2008-2009. Only half of the student population at Twenty-seventh Street School who should have returned the next year did return. The school had a 20.4% mobility rate in K-5 in 2008-09. The school’s attendance rate decreased from 90.7% in 2007-2008 to 84.5% in 2008-2009."
In addition, the report said, academic achievement at the school is below district average.
Superintendent William Andrekopoulos told the Board in September that 14 schools, including Twenty-seventh Street, would be be considered for closing.
Closing Twenty-seventh would allow the district to distribute $628,400 in operational and administrative savings to other schools.
The entire Board item is posted here. It is number 2 on the agenda.
"Enrollment at the school declined by 35% over the last six years," the administration said in a report to the Innovation/School Reform Committee. "The student mobility rate rose from 8.6% in 2007-2008 to 9.3% in 2008-2009. (Mobility is a measure of how many students change schools during the year.) The student stability rate declined from 60.6% in 2007-2008 to 51.6% in 2008-2009. Only half of the student population at Twenty-seventh Street School who should have returned the next year did return. The school had a 20.4% mobility rate in K-5 in 2008-09. The school’s attendance rate decreased from 90.7% in 2007-2008 to 84.5% in 2008-2009."
In addition, the report said, academic achievement at the school is below district average.
Superintendent William Andrekopoulos told the Board in September that 14 schools, including Twenty-seventh Street, would be be considered for closing.
Closing Twenty-seventh would allow the district to distribute $628,400 in operational and administrative savings to other schools.
The entire Board item is posted here. It is number 2 on the agenda.
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