A number of readers have asked about the latest Pennsylvania Department of Education’s assessment of the public school districts in Delaware County. The 2011 – 2012 PA DOE Report Card for the 13 public school districts in Delaware County is available online and can be accessed by clicking on the top link under “Education” to the right.
These report cards are an important source of information about performance and accountability, and they allow districts to compare data in a consistent way and highlight opportunities for improvement. The School Report Cards will show not only the achievement of students overall, but also the progress that disaggregated groups are making in closing achievement gaps. Report card data help Pennsylvania school districts and the Pennsylvania Department of Education focus on specific groups of students who are currently not meeting academic standards.
Each District Report Card includes:
• Attendance and Graduation data for the previous school year.
• An Accountability Report showing the district’s performance compared with the goals set by No Child Left Behind. Student results from the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment PSSA).
• Assessment Report compares two years of PSSA academic performance and participation data for this district. These results are displayed by grade, subject, and disaggregated group.
• Adequate Yearly Progress Status showing the schools in the district and AYP status of each.
• Teacher Qualifications includes both numbers and percentages of teachers in the school who are highly qualified.
7 of Delaware County’s 13 school districts met the Department of Education’s Annual Yearly Progress targets in 2012. Report Cards for each school are also available on this site.
MADE AYP
• Garnet Valley School District 4 of 5 schools made AYP
• Haverford Township School District 6 of 7 schools made AYP
• Interboro School District 2 of 5 schools made AYP
• Penn-Delco School District 4 of 6 schools made AYP
• Radnor School District 5 of 5 schools made AYP
• Rose Tree Media School District 6 of 6 schools made AYP
• Wallingford-Swarthmore School District 3 of 5 schools made AYP
FAILED TO MAKE AYP - Status
• Chichester School District Warning 2 of 6 schools made AYP
• Marple Newtown School District Warning 5 of 6 schools made AYP
• Springfield School District Warning 4 of 5 schools made AYP
• William Penn School District Warning 0 of 11 schools made AYP
• Upper Darby School District District Improvement I 2 of 13 schools made AYP
• Chester-Upland School District Corrective Action II - 6th Year 1 of 9 schools made AYP
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
It's not rocket science
A recurring theme of this blog has been … “Successful education, broadly defined as the preparation of our children to compete in the world, is dependent on three systems: Family, Community, and School.” All three of these elements of successful education are facing unprecedented financial challenges, with many facing huge deficits. The sooner we realize that there are no easy answers, the sooner we can start to look for long-term solutions. Viable options will not require rocket science, as some would have us believe, but will require an honest assessment of options. Reversing deficits will require either additional income or lower expenses or a combination of both.
Family. By and large, family income is earned through employment, and the current state of our economy has hit families hard. Across the country, in almost every demographic, Americans earn less today than they did 3 years ago. Since 2009, median household income has dropped 4.8 or about $2,500, and many families in Delaware County have been hit much harder. Many of our neighbors are having trouble making ends meet, and are not in a position to pay any additional taxes.
Community. 26 cities across the commonwealth that are stuck in the state's Act 47 program for financially strapped municipalities. These cities include: Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Reading, Scranton as well as Chester and Millbourne here in Delaware County. Many more cities are likely to join them in the near future. The Pennsylvania Public Employee Retirement Commission reported last year that local government pension plans owe more than $7 billion in unfunded liabilities. Cities across the state are struggling to keep their pension funds solvent and make required payments to retirees.
Schools. After months of anxiety about local school districts budgets and what budget items could be pared, schools are back in session. However the educational funding crisis is far from over. Local school districts did what they had to do to open the schools get the kids back in the classrooms, but the really hard decisions were not made. Educating our children is a very labor-intensive proposition. Personnel costs (salaries and benefits) account for about 70% of most school district budgets. Maintaining buildings, transportation, utilities, books, computers and consumable supplies are about 20% with the remainder paying off loans incurred to build the schools. Projected taxpayer contributions for the Public School Education Retirement System and the State Employees Retirement System will increase from $1.7 billion in 2011-12 to more than $6.2 billion in 2016-17—a 263% increase. The increase breaks down to more than $1,050 in additional tax payments per household/homeowner.
With the current local economies being what they are, the logical direction would seem to demand that cities and school districts cut their spending. Raising taxes and borrowing more money will only exacerbate the problem. Real solutions will require the state legislature and local officials to work together and change state laws to give municipalities the ability to control unaffordable and unsustainable personnel costs. Rather than voting for a candidate based on his or her party, we should make sure that our elected leaders are willing to roll up their sleeves and make the hard decisions that we need. That's the all important first step towards educational success.
Family. By and large, family income is earned through employment, and the current state of our economy has hit families hard. Across the country, in almost every demographic, Americans earn less today than they did 3 years ago. Since 2009, median household income has dropped 4.8 or about $2,500, and many families in Delaware County have been hit much harder. Many of our neighbors are having trouble making ends meet, and are not in a position to pay any additional taxes.
Community. 26 cities across the commonwealth that are stuck in the state's Act 47 program for financially strapped municipalities. These cities include: Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Reading, Scranton as well as Chester and Millbourne here in Delaware County. Many more cities are likely to join them in the near future. The Pennsylvania Public Employee Retirement Commission reported last year that local government pension plans owe more than $7 billion in unfunded liabilities. Cities across the state are struggling to keep their pension funds solvent and make required payments to retirees.
Schools. After months of anxiety about local school districts budgets and what budget items could be pared, schools are back in session. However the educational funding crisis is far from over. Local school districts did what they had to do to open the schools get the kids back in the classrooms, but the really hard decisions were not made. Educating our children is a very labor-intensive proposition. Personnel costs (salaries and benefits) account for about 70% of most school district budgets. Maintaining buildings, transportation, utilities, books, computers and consumable supplies are about 20% with the remainder paying off loans incurred to build the schools. Projected taxpayer contributions for the Public School Education Retirement System and the State Employees Retirement System will increase from $1.7 billion in 2011-12 to more than $6.2 billion in 2016-17—a 263% increase. The increase breaks down to more than $1,050 in additional tax payments per household/homeowner.
With the current local economies being what they are, the logical direction would seem to demand that cities and school districts cut their spending. Raising taxes and borrowing more money will only exacerbate the problem. Real solutions will require the state legislature and local officials to work together and change state laws to give municipalities the ability to control unaffordable and unsustainable personnel costs. Rather than voting for a candidate based on his or her party, we should make sure that our elected leaders are willing to roll up their sleeves and make the hard decisions that we need. That's the all important first step towards educational success.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Tom Corbett's Missed Opportunity
After his election as Governor, I wrote a post entitled “Tom Corbett’s Incredible Opportunity”.
The election cycle in 2010 had been full of partisan rhetoric with labels like conservative, liberal and the relatively new “tea-bagger” being hurled at opponents with great disdain. Tom Corbett had pledged a balanced budget, and with less funding coming into our communities from Harrisburg, the big question was “What will these new political and economic realities mean to local communities?” While a balanced budget presented a tremendous challenge, it also afforded Governor Corbett an incredible opportunity to identify the core mission of state government and perhaps redefine the state’s roles. Local and county governments and school districts were put on notice and prepared for drastic reductions in funding. Last year school boards and administrations throughout the County and Commonwealth scrambled to identify where to cut their budgets.
Tom Corbett’s incredible opportunity turned out to be an opportunity lost. Rather than bringing his leadership to the State’s troubled educational system by engaging local community leaders, school districts and families, a year later we find ourselves in the same situation…. Projected budget deficits with few places to cut and in a very rough economy that has seen many residents lose all or part of their income, little stomach in many communities for any tax increase.
Successful education, broadly defined as the preparation of our children to compete in the world, is dependent on three systems: Family, Community, and School. A child needs at least one of the systems to be working well if he or she is to have any chance to succeed. With one of the systems functioning, the other two could be overcome. If a school system does its job well, educators could overcome family strife, and could overcome a poor community, and get their students prepared. But schools are only part of the educational process. Family and community have equally important roles in education, and a student coming from a great family support structure, can live in a poor community and go to a poor school, and still have a chance to compete. Ideally our children have strengths in all three systems, but the reality is all three are being strained with some near the breaking point. Schools are feeling financial constraints, as are families, especially single-parent households. Many communities haven’t quite figured out what their role in education is. Success in education requires getting all relevant stakeholders working from the same game plan, and aligning their efforts within a common framework.
We need leaders to step forward and engage ALL of the community’s stakeholders who can hammer out a long-term plan for public education. Our children’s future depends on it.
The election cycle in 2010 had been full of partisan rhetoric with labels like conservative, liberal and the relatively new “tea-bagger” being hurled at opponents with great disdain. Tom Corbett had pledged a balanced budget, and with less funding coming into our communities from Harrisburg, the big question was “What will these new political and economic realities mean to local communities?” While a balanced budget presented a tremendous challenge, it also afforded Governor Corbett an incredible opportunity to identify the core mission of state government and perhaps redefine the state’s roles. Local and county governments and school districts were put on notice and prepared for drastic reductions in funding. Last year school boards and administrations throughout the County and Commonwealth scrambled to identify where to cut their budgets.
Tom Corbett’s incredible opportunity turned out to be an opportunity lost. Rather than bringing his leadership to the State’s troubled educational system by engaging local community leaders, school districts and families, a year later we find ourselves in the same situation…. Projected budget deficits with few places to cut and in a very rough economy that has seen many residents lose all or part of their income, little stomach in many communities for any tax increase.
Successful education, broadly defined as the preparation of our children to compete in the world, is dependent on three systems: Family, Community, and School. A child needs at least one of the systems to be working well if he or she is to have any chance to succeed. With one of the systems functioning, the other two could be overcome. If a school system does its job well, educators could overcome family strife, and could overcome a poor community, and get their students prepared. But schools are only part of the educational process. Family and community have equally important roles in education, and a student coming from a great family support structure, can live in a poor community and go to a poor school, and still have a chance to compete. Ideally our children have strengths in all three systems, but the reality is all three are being strained with some near the breaking point. Schools are feeling financial constraints, as are families, especially single-parent households. Many communities haven’t quite figured out what their role in education is. Success in education requires getting all relevant stakeholders working from the same game plan, and aligning their efforts within a common framework.
We need leaders to step forward and engage ALL of the community’s stakeholders who can hammer out a long-term plan for public education. Our children’s future depends on it.
Monday, April 30, 2012
160 Year Old Education Collaboration
One of the earliest collaborations between community and family coming together to support education here in southeast Pennsylvania started over 160 years ago.
In 1838, 50 years after the ratification of the US Constitution, the Pennsylvania State Legislature passed a law making the Protestant King James Bible a mandatory textbook in public schools. All students began each day with a Bible reading. 4 years later, Philadelphia’s Bishop Kenrick requested that Catholic students be permitted to use the Douai-Rheims version of the bible, and the School Board of Controllers decided that children could use whatever Bible their parents wished. Anti-Catholic and Nativist groups, called “Know Nothings” viewed Bishop Kenrick’s request as an attack against the ”true” Bible, and tensions between Protestant and Catholic escalated. In May of 1844, these tensions erupted into anti-Catholic rioting. Two churches, St. Michael's in Kensington, and St. Augustine's in Southwark, were burned to the ground, along with many Catholic homes. Over 50 Catholics were killed by the rioters, and religious hostility between Protestants and Catholics in Philadelphia would remain until the late 1850’s.
As European immigration swelled the number of Catholics coming to Philadelphia, the challenges to church leaders in providing spiritual and economic direction to their faithful grew. The novelty of American religious freedom required a new way of thinking by Church leaders. Not only were new churches required but institutions to meet the needs of a city life that never existed before were needed. The solution to the needs of Philadelphia’s Catholics would be a blend of ancient church practices and the new strength of American community volunteerism to impact education, health and economics. Some of the new Catholic institutions created during the tense times of the “Know Nothing Riots” include: Villanova College (1842), Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute – “Philo” (1850), St. Joseph’s College (1851), St. Joseph’s Prep (1851), St. Joseph’s Hospital (1851), Beneficial Savings Fund Society (1853).
It was at an 1851 Philo reception, that Bishop Kendrick first began a discussion of the establishment of a parish-based Catholic school system. Philo and its members enthusiastically supported the idea, and the school system was begun the following year under the direction of John Neumann, the 6th Bishop of Philadelphia. Since 1960, the Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute has recognized a Catholic who by achievement and exemplary life has made contributions to Catholic ideals. The Sourin Award, named after the organization’s founder, Edward J. Sourin S.J., has been presented by the Philo to a distinguished list of honorees that includes cardinals, governors, professors, mayors and judges. On April 19th, the 50th Sourin Award was presented to Rosalie Mirenda, President of Neumann University. Congratulations to Rosalie and her husband Tony for this well-deserved honor!
In 1838, 50 years after the ratification of the US Constitution, the Pennsylvania State Legislature passed a law making the Protestant King James Bible a mandatory textbook in public schools. All students began each day with a Bible reading. 4 years later, Philadelphia’s Bishop Kenrick requested that Catholic students be permitted to use the Douai-Rheims version of the bible, and the School Board of Controllers decided that children could use whatever Bible their parents wished. Anti-Catholic and Nativist groups, called “Know Nothings” viewed Bishop Kenrick’s request as an attack against the ”true” Bible, and tensions between Protestant and Catholic escalated. In May of 1844, these tensions erupted into anti-Catholic rioting. Two churches, St. Michael's in Kensington, and St. Augustine's in Southwark, were burned to the ground, along with many Catholic homes. Over 50 Catholics were killed by the rioters, and religious hostility between Protestants and Catholics in Philadelphia would remain until the late 1850’s.
As European immigration swelled the number of Catholics coming to Philadelphia, the challenges to church leaders in providing spiritual and economic direction to their faithful grew. The novelty of American religious freedom required a new way of thinking by Church leaders. Not only were new churches required but institutions to meet the needs of a city life that never existed before were needed. The solution to the needs of Philadelphia’s Catholics would be a blend of ancient church practices and the new strength of American community volunteerism to impact education, health and economics. Some of the new Catholic institutions created during the tense times of the “Know Nothing Riots” include: Villanova College (1842), Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute – “Philo” (1850), St. Joseph’s College (1851), St. Joseph’s Prep (1851), St. Joseph’s Hospital (1851), Beneficial Savings Fund Society (1853).
It was at an 1851 Philo reception, that Bishop Kendrick first began a discussion of the establishment of a parish-based Catholic school system. Philo and its members enthusiastically supported the idea, and the school system was begun the following year under the direction of John Neumann, the 6th Bishop of Philadelphia. Since 1960, the Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute has recognized a Catholic who by achievement and exemplary life has made contributions to Catholic ideals. The Sourin Award, named after the organization’s founder, Edward J. Sourin S.J., has been presented by the Philo to a distinguished list of honorees that includes cardinals, governors, professors, mayors and judges. On April 19th, the 50th Sourin Award was presented to Rosalie Mirenda, President of Neumann University. Congratulations to Rosalie and her husband Tony for this well-deserved honor!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Tom Corbett’s Education Reform Plan
Last year when Tom Corbett won election with a promise to not raise taxes, I wrote that I thought he had a tremendous opportunity to take a step back, evaluate the core mission of state government, and perhaps redefine the state’s role in public education. Six months ago the governor released his first education budget and school districts across the Commonwealth scrambled to replace the millions of dollars which were no longer available for public education. Some districts cut programs, some cut staff, some froze wages, many did a combination of these but all eventually realized that there just wasn’t much more money coming from Harrisburg.
While many of our neighbors decried the reduction in education, the facts clearly show that money alone isn’t the only or even the best solution to improving our public education. According to the Commonwealth Foundation, public school spending in Pennsylvania had rapidly increased despite declining enrollment, with little growth in academic achievement to show for it. Since 2000, public school spending in Pennsylvania rose 68 percent, from $15.3 billion to $25.8 billion in 2009-10, while enrollment in public schools declined by 26,960 students, and schools hired an additional 32,937 employees. Despite spending more than $14,000 per student, only 40 percent of Pennsylvania's 8th-grade students scored at or above proficiency levels on standardized reading and mathematics exams. In the bottom 5% of high schools, only 53 percent of 11th graders scored above proficiency in reading and math. 53%!
Pennsylvania Corbett unveiled a four-part education reform proposal Tuesday morning that has since received mixed reactions. At a news conference Tuesday Corbett said acting on an education reform agenda is a state priority. The announced agenda focuses on improvements to the charter school system by creating a statewide entity to administer charter schools and makes it easier to convert buildings to charter educational facilities. The Governor’s plan also offers vouchers that assist low-income students attending the lowest-performing 5 percent of schools in Pennsylvania, expands the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program for businesses and overhauls the teacher evaluation process to a more comprehensive method that incorporates classroom observations with student achievement. "When we have failing schools, we know we have failing students," Corbett told The Delaware County Daily Times. "We can't continue down this same path and think we're going to get a different result."
Public education is successful when schools, parents and the community all work together. There are a lot of important decisions being made. Get involved in your school district and make your voice heard. Your kid’s future depends on it!
While many of our neighbors decried the reduction in education, the facts clearly show that money alone isn’t the only or even the best solution to improving our public education. According to the Commonwealth Foundation, public school spending in Pennsylvania had rapidly increased despite declining enrollment, with little growth in academic achievement to show for it. Since 2000, public school spending in Pennsylvania rose 68 percent, from $15.3 billion to $25.8 billion in 2009-10, while enrollment in public schools declined by 26,960 students, and schools hired an additional 32,937 employees. Despite spending more than $14,000 per student, only 40 percent of Pennsylvania's 8th-grade students scored at or above proficiency levels on standardized reading and mathematics exams. In the bottom 5% of high schools, only 53 percent of 11th graders scored above proficiency in reading and math. 53%!
Pennsylvania Corbett unveiled a four-part education reform proposal Tuesday morning that has since received mixed reactions. At a news conference Tuesday Corbett said acting on an education reform agenda is a state priority. The announced agenda focuses on improvements to the charter school system by creating a statewide entity to administer charter schools and makes it easier to convert buildings to charter educational facilities. The Governor’s plan also offers vouchers that assist low-income students attending the lowest-performing 5 percent of schools in Pennsylvania, expands the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program for businesses and overhauls the teacher evaluation process to a more comprehensive method that incorporates classroom observations with student achievement. "When we have failing schools, we know we have failing students," Corbett told The Delaware County Daily Times. "We can't continue down this same path and think we're going to get a different result."
Public education is successful when schools, parents and the community all work together. There are a lot of important decisions being made. Get involved in your school district and make your voice heard. Your kid’s future depends on it!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Valuable Education and Community Links
I was surprised at the number of emails I’ve received during my hiatus from the blog from readers who were looking for web sites offering information and basic data on issues of importance to the community. Listed below are a few sites I’ve recommended to folks, and these have also been added to the side bar on the right.
Education Links:
• PA Department of Education issues a Report Card for each public school, and this link in to their searchable data base.
• openPAgov.org is a project of the Commonwealth Foundation, an independent, non-profit research and educational institute. They present data in a very clear manner, and I’ve included these 4 links to their searchable data base of Pennsylvania’s public schools:
• Tax Data. Offers data on property taxes, taxes per student, analysis of all revenue sources searchable by County or District.
• Payroll Data. Has data on employees’ salaries, highest salaries by district, searchable by employee name, district or school by position and gender.
• Spending Data. Has data on spending and enrollment trends, district spending detail and allows users to compare district information.
• Performance Data. Includes achievement trends by group, school or district. Allows users to analyze district spending and achievement and poverty and achievement
The Community / Non Profit section has two links so far:
• Delaware Valley United Way is a web site offering information on the locally directed United Way organizations.
• Guidestar. With a free registration, Guidestar offers a searchable data base of non-profit organizations and access to information on their governance, mission and financial reporting.
The Government and Politics link are self-explanatory.
Let me know what you think, and if you have a suggestion for a site of interest please pass it on.
Education Links:
• PA Department of Education issues a Report Card for each public school, and this link in to their searchable data base.
• openPAgov.org is a project of the Commonwealth Foundation, an independent, non-profit research and educational institute. They present data in a very clear manner, and I’ve included these 4 links to their searchable data base of Pennsylvania’s public schools:
• Tax Data. Offers data on property taxes, taxes per student, analysis of all revenue sources searchable by County or District.
• Payroll Data. Has data on employees’ salaries, highest salaries by district, searchable by employee name, district or school by position and gender.
• Spending Data. Has data on spending and enrollment trends, district spending detail and allows users to compare district information.
• Performance Data. Includes achievement trends by group, school or district. Allows users to analyze district spending and achievement and poverty and achievement
The Community / Non Profit section has two links so far:
• Delaware Valley United Way is a web site offering information on the locally directed United Way organizations.
• Guidestar. With a free registration, Guidestar offers a searchable data base of non-profit organizations and access to information on their governance, mission and financial reporting.
The Government and Politics link are self-explanatory.
Let me know what you think, and if you have a suggestion for a site of interest please pass it on.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Opportunities for Local Collaboration in Delaware County
One of the more interesting examples of community wide collaboration around education has been having tremendous impact on young people in Cincinnati. 5 years ago childhood educators, school superintendents, college presidents, business leaders, foundation directors and a number of community leaders came together because local students were lagging behind other communities in college attainment rates. Community leaders were concerned about remaining competitive in a global economy if local students weren’t able to get into college and do well. Leaders initially met to discuss college readiness, but the focus quickly shifted to high school freshman and keeping the kids in school…. Then to middle school students …. Then to grade school and eventually focused on the importance of kindergarten and quality early learning experiences. The initial meeting of community and education stakeholders met to discuss college attainment rates but quickly focused on the entire education continuum.
This collaborative was unique both in the quality of the partnership and the nature of the problem being addressed. Partners in a collaborative must come together and agree not just on common goals, but shared ways to measure success towards those goals. They must communicate on a regular basis. And there must be a “backbone” organization, like United Way, that is focused full-time on managing the partnership. The key to making a community collaborative like this work is setting a common vision and finding a common language, and in this case the common language was data. The participants didn’t let each other get focused on ideological or political issues. They focused on the data, and implemented thoughtful data driven programs as a single working collaborative. Everyone worked together from the same playbook.
Three years later the results were dramatic. Kindergarten readiness had jumped 9%, 4th grade reading increased 7% and math increased 14 %; and the high school graduation rate was up 11%. College graduation rates for students from local urban high schools had jumped by 10 %.
Delaware County has hundreds of nonprofit organizations, most of which work independently, and many local, county, state and federal government agencies each focused on a very unique part of the education continuum. When it comes to solving social problems, society often behaves like a drowning man whose arms and legs thrash about wildly in the water. We expend a great deal of energy, but because we don’t work together efficiently, we don’t necessarily move forward. It’s encouraging to see community collaboratives work, and I hope that the educational funding issues we are facing here in Pennsylvania will spur similar local efforts that can better prepare our children for a prosperous future. They deserve it!
This collaborative was unique both in the quality of the partnership and the nature of the problem being addressed. Partners in a collaborative must come together and agree not just on common goals, but shared ways to measure success towards those goals. They must communicate on a regular basis. And there must be a “backbone” organization, like United Way, that is focused full-time on managing the partnership. The key to making a community collaborative like this work is setting a common vision and finding a common language, and in this case the common language was data. The participants didn’t let each other get focused on ideological or political issues. They focused on the data, and implemented thoughtful data driven programs as a single working collaborative. Everyone worked together from the same playbook.
Three years later the results were dramatic. Kindergarten readiness had jumped 9%, 4th grade reading increased 7% and math increased 14 %; and the high school graduation rate was up 11%. College graduation rates for students from local urban high schools had jumped by 10 %.
Delaware County has hundreds of nonprofit organizations, most of which work independently, and many local, county, state and federal government agencies each focused on a very unique part of the education continuum. When it comes to solving social problems, society often behaves like a drowning man whose arms and legs thrash about wildly in the water. We expend a great deal of energy, but because we don’t work together efficiently, we don’t necessarily move forward. It’s encouraging to see community collaboratives work, and I hope that the educational funding issues we are facing here in Pennsylvania will spur similar local efforts that can better prepare our children for a prosperous future. They deserve it!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Impact of Corbett's Education Budget
Governor Corbett presented his 2011 – 2012 to a joint session of the Pennsylvania Legislature today and he kept his promise of a balanced budget and no new taxes. It isn’t pretty. If you’re interested in the details on which department gets what, the new governor has created an Online Budget Dashboard with the details of his budget proposal which includes some deep cuts in educational support. (http://www.portal.state.pa.us/imageserver/budget2011/GBD_2011.html
As Winston Churchill observed there is an opportunity in every difficulty, and I believe Governor Corbett’s budget will present communities with a tremendous opportunity to strengthen their local education infrastructures.
Successful education is dependent on three very important factors: Family, School District and the local community. With expected deep cuts in state educational support, local districts will be challenged to effectively engage community leaders and parents to participate in and strengthen the education process. If the state budget passes as presented, local school districts will be expected to do more with less, and effective engagement with parents and community leadership organizations will be critical. The financial crisis may well prove to be an incentive for communities to build a collaborative effort of school, community and parent stakeholders, to assess the district’s strengths, community challenges and needs, to develop an educational vision, and to plan the community’s educational future. It’s not rocket science to consider getting people together to discuss an important issue like education, and a few general rules for effectively engaging stakeholders should be considered:
• Establish ownership among participants,
• Build on the strengths of local individuals and organizations,
• Promote participation by community-wide stakeholders,
• Get everyone working together and focused on the same issues,
• Develop specific actions with measurable results.
By engaging diverse stakeholders, including residents, non-profits, businesses and others to develop sustained collaborative efforts to strengthen education, the District could be in a better position to link unique community resources together with its educational resources to provide a more effective, nurturing learning environment. As I said, it isn’t rocket science, but getting a community’s assets all working together to support education could be a very empowering tool.
As Winston Churchill observed there is an opportunity in every difficulty, and I believe Governor Corbett’s budget will present communities with a tremendous opportunity to strengthen their local education infrastructures.
Successful education is dependent on three very important factors: Family, School District and the local community. With expected deep cuts in state educational support, local districts will be challenged to effectively engage community leaders and parents to participate in and strengthen the education process. If the state budget passes as presented, local school districts will be expected to do more with less, and effective engagement with parents and community leadership organizations will be critical. The financial crisis may well prove to be an incentive for communities to build a collaborative effort of school, community and parent stakeholders, to assess the district’s strengths, community challenges and needs, to develop an educational vision, and to plan the community’s educational future. It’s not rocket science to consider getting people together to discuss an important issue like education, and a few general rules for effectively engaging stakeholders should be considered:
• Establish ownership among participants,
• Build on the strengths of local individuals and organizations,
• Promote participation by community-wide stakeholders,
• Get everyone working together and focused on the same issues,
• Develop specific actions with measurable results.
By engaging diverse stakeholders, including residents, non-profits, businesses and others to develop sustained collaborative efforts to strengthen education, the District could be in a better position to link unique community resources together with its educational resources to provide a more effective, nurturing learning environment. As I said, it isn’t rocket science, but getting a community’s assets all working together to support education could be a very empowering tool.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
School Choice Coming to Pennsylvania?
While a pledge to balance his budget presents a tremendous challenge, it also affords Governor-elect Corbett an incredible opportunity to identify the core mission of state government and perhaps redefine the state’s roles in many areas especially public education. One interesting aspect of Governor-elect Tom Corbett's vision for education reform, Pennsylvania schools would be graded "A through F" so parents can clearly gauge how well their children's schools are performing.
Mr. Corbett’s Education Plan also supports flexible funding for students by linking funding directly to students and the schools they choose to attend. The plan considers it critical that students in failing schools be able to choose an educational alternative and the state will allow funding to follow the student’s academic choice. Corbett feels students have a right to attend a good school and not be forced to attend a failing one by virtue of their zip code.
It’s been reported that Pennsylvania Senate Republican leaders are developing a new education bill, which would phase in a school choice / voucher program over 3 years. Year 1 could provide grants of several thousand dollars for low-income students attending public schools graded "F" to attend the public, private or parochial school of their choice. The voucher program would expand in the second year to poor students already in private schools and further expand in year three to include low-income students, regardless of their school district.
School Choice and voucher programs have been debated by Pennsylvanians for years, and it looks as though the debate is starting to heat up. The 2011 Pennsylvania education budget will offer Tom Corbett a very difficult challenge, and educational reform offers Tom Corbett a very unique opportunity for succeeding in refocusing funding of public education in Pennsylvania.
Mr. Corbett’s Education Plan also supports flexible funding for students by linking funding directly to students and the schools they choose to attend. The plan considers it critical that students in failing schools be able to choose an educational alternative and the state will allow funding to follow the student’s academic choice. Corbett feels students have a right to attend a good school and not be forced to attend a failing one by virtue of their zip code.
It’s been reported that Pennsylvania Senate Republican leaders are developing a new education bill, which would phase in a school choice / voucher program over 3 years. Year 1 could provide grants of several thousand dollars for low-income students attending public schools graded "F" to attend the public, private or parochial school of their choice. The voucher program would expand in the second year to poor students already in private schools and further expand in year three to include low-income students, regardless of their school district.
School Choice and voucher programs have been debated by Pennsylvanians for years, and it looks as though the debate is starting to heat up. The 2011 Pennsylvania education budget will offer Tom Corbett a very difficult challenge, and educational reform offers Tom Corbett a very unique opportunity for succeeding in refocusing funding of public education in Pennsylvania.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Tom Corbett's Education Plan
I ended my last post with “while the 2011 Pennsylvania education budget will offer Tom Corbett a very difficult challenge, true educational reform offers Tom Corbett a very unique opportunity for success”. Tom Corbett is on record that he believes Pennsylvania’s economic growth and job creation depend upon one foundation – “a solid education that prepares students to compete in a global economy. All Pennsylvania children, regardless of zip code, race, education or socioeconomic status, deserve access to a first class education to help them achieve their full potential. ”
Given the Commonwealth’s current financial circumstances pitting Mr. Corbett’s pledge of no tax increase against a massive projected deficit, and Mr. Corbett’s belief in the importance of education, what can we expect from the new administration? Over the next couple of posts, I’ll be reviewing some of the publicized highlights of the Corbett Education Plan including:
• Promoting Flexible Funding for Schools and Students by giving greater flexibility to districts and schools and linking funding directly to students and the schools they choose to attend and make that funding transferable with the student.
• Enhancing Educational Opportunities by providing better access to great schools and educational opportunities that prepare our children to succeed in the 21st Century.
• Ensuring Effective Teachers and Leaders by creating a more efficient and fair evaluation system for teachers and school leaders that maximizes growth and education in our schools and among other things links student achievement to compensation.
• Embracing Results-Based Accountability by developing a system of accountability based on student performance which will force schools to place students at the center of our educational system.
• Creating Safe Learning Environments in Pennsylvania schools.
Tom Corbett has pledged to create a 2011-12 operating budget without any tax increases, an admirable promise that will require some very difficult decisions in Harrisburg with consequences cascading down throughout the region, Delaware County, its school districts and eventually to its local communities. Stay tuned…
Given the Commonwealth’s current financial circumstances pitting Mr. Corbett’s pledge of no tax increase against a massive projected deficit, and Mr. Corbett’s belief in the importance of education, what can we expect from the new administration? Over the next couple of posts, I’ll be reviewing some of the publicized highlights of the Corbett Education Plan including:
• Promoting Flexible Funding for Schools and Students by giving greater flexibility to districts and schools and linking funding directly to students and the schools they choose to attend and make that funding transferable with the student.
• Enhancing Educational Opportunities by providing better access to great schools and educational opportunities that prepare our children to succeed in the 21st Century.
• Ensuring Effective Teachers and Leaders by creating a more efficient and fair evaluation system for teachers and school leaders that maximizes growth and education in our schools and among other things links student achievement to compensation.
• Embracing Results-Based Accountability by developing a system of accountability based on student performance which will force schools to place students at the center of our educational system.
• Creating Safe Learning Environments in Pennsylvania schools.
Tom Corbett has pledged to create a 2011-12 operating budget without any tax increases, an admirable promise that will require some very difficult decisions in Harrisburg with consequences cascading down throughout the region, Delaware County, its school districts and eventually to its local communities. Stay tuned…
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Corbett's Educational Opportunity
I ended my last post with… While a balanced budget presents a tremendous challenge, it also affords Governor Corbett an incredible opportunity to identify the core mission of state government and perhaps redefine the state’s roles. One area which offers the greatest challenges and perhaps the largest opportunity for long-term success is Education. Without a tax increase, funding public education at current levels will be very difficult, if not impossible. The ability of the Corbett administration to take a step back to assess Pennsylvania’s core education mission and its roles in helping to educate our children offers Mr. Corbett an opportunity to significantly transform education in the Keystone State.
A recent report detailed the results of a standardized test in reading, science and math, which was administered to 15 year old students in 65 countries around the globe. With American students coming in 23rd and 24th in most subjects, Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education was quoted as saying "We can quibble, or we can face the brutal truth that we're being out-educated". While they’re mapping Pennsylvania’s educational system in the short-term, I’m hoping that Mr. Corbett’s team looks long and hard at the state’s role in early education.
Child development experts over the last 10 to 20 years have come to understand the importance of a child’s learning from birth through age 5. During these years, a child’s brain is being “hard-wired”, developing social and intellectual skills which will impact that child’s success not only in elementary and secondary schools but into college and beyond.
Unlike past generations with stay at home moms taking on the role of baby’s first teacher, federal statistics show that today 56 percent of mothers with children under the age of 1 are in the labor force. The quality of the early education opportunities of Pennsylvania’s youngest children is wildly inconsistent with some following a curriculum with proven enrichment activities, while others change diapers and feed an occasional snack. Why not develop a stronger role in assuring a quality early care state-wide throughout Pennsylvania that is reasonably priced, and is staffed by excellent teachers offering age-appropriate educational programs better preparing our youngest students for moving up to 1st grade.
As I stated earlier, while the 2011 Pennsylvania education budget will offer Tom Corbett a very difficult challenge, true educational reform offers Tom Corbett a very unique opportunity for success.
A recent report detailed the results of a standardized test in reading, science and math, which was administered to 15 year old students in 65 countries around the globe. With American students coming in 23rd and 24th in most subjects, Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education was quoted as saying "We can quibble, or we can face the brutal truth that we're being out-educated". While they’re mapping Pennsylvania’s educational system in the short-term, I’m hoping that Mr. Corbett’s team looks long and hard at the state’s role in early education.
Child development experts over the last 10 to 20 years have come to understand the importance of a child’s learning from birth through age 5. During these years, a child’s brain is being “hard-wired”, developing social and intellectual skills which will impact that child’s success not only in elementary and secondary schools but into college and beyond.
Unlike past generations with stay at home moms taking on the role of baby’s first teacher, federal statistics show that today 56 percent of mothers with children under the age of 1 are in the labor force. The quality of the early education opportunities of Pennsylvania’s youngest children is wildly inconsistent with some following a curriculum with proven enrichment activities, while others change diapers and feed an occasional snack. Why not develop a stronger role in assuring a quality early care state-wide throughout Pennsylvania that is reasonably priced, and is staffed by excellent teachers offering age-appropriate educational programs better preparing our youngest students for moving up to 1st grade.
As I stated earlier, while the 2011 Pennsylvania education budget will offer Tom Corbett a very difficult challenge, true educational reform offers Tom Corbett a very unique opportunity for success.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Tom Corbett's Incredible Opportunity
It’s often difficult for many of us engrossed in our day to day existence to gauge the real impact of state and national politics on our local communities. The most recent political cycle was again full of partisan rhetoric with labels like conservative, liberal and the relatively new “tea-bagger” being hurled at opponents with great disdain. Back in May I wrote voters should be asking our candidates about their views and not just their political party. Last month many here in Pennsylvania and across the country did just that and a number of seats went to candidates with a decidedly conservative economic view point. The big question is “What will these new political and economic realities mean to local communities?”
On the state level Republicans will control Pennsylvania’s state government with majorities in the House and Senate as well as re-occupying the Governor’s Mansion. Tom Corbett will be a much different governor than Ed Rendell. He has to be. At noon on January 18th when he takes the oath as Pennsylvania's 46th governor, he'll be faced with a budget deficit, which by some estimates could be $4 billion, the largest revenue gap in state history. Tom Corbett has pledged to create a 2011-12 operating budget without any tax increases, an admirable promise that will require some very difficult decisions in Harrisburg with consequences cascading down throughout the region, Delaware County and eventually to its local communities.
Do the math. The last Rendell operating budget totaled $26.6 billion with an additional $2.4 billion in federal fiscal stimulus funds for a total of $29 billion. Education and Health / Human Services each accounted for about 40% of the budget. The remaining 20% went to Public Safety, State Operations, Debt Service and Economic Development and keep in mind that Tom Corbett’s budget must also factor in any increases in mandated costs such as Medicaid, pensions, and prisons. There are only two ways to reduce a deficit, you can increase revenue or reduce spending. Until the new Governor’s team can increase tax revenues by creating an atmosphere for establishing new businesses and expanding existing ones by as State Senator Ted Erickson said recently “The state government needs to get out of the way of business”, we must be prepared to reduce spending. The reality is that there will be less funding coming into our communities from Harrisburg. Period. Local and county governments, school districts, any organization relying on state funding should be prepared to do better with less, a critical situation which makes effective local community collaborations all the more critical.
While a balanced budget presents a tremendous challenge, it also affords Governor Corbett an incredible opportunity to identify the core mission of state government and perhaps redefine the state’s roles. Whether challenge or opportunity, tough decisions must be made and I wish Governor-Elect Corbett every success.
On the state level Republicans will control Pennsylvania’s state government with majorities in the House and Senate as well as re-occupying the Governor’s Mansion. Tom Corbett will be a much different governor than Ed Rendell. He has to be. At noon on January 18th when he takes the oath as Pennsylvania's 46th governor, he'll be faced with a budget deficit, which by some estimates could be $4 billion, the largest revenue gap in state history. Tom Corbett has pledged to create a 2011-12 operating budget without any tax increases, an admirable promise that will require some very difficult decisions in Harrisburg with consequences cascading down throughout the region, Delaware County and eventually to its local communities.
Do the math. The last Rendell operating budget totaled $26.6 billion with an additional $2.4 billion in federal fiscal stimulus funds for a total of $29 billion. Education and Health / Human Services each accounted for about 40% of the budget. The remaining 20% went to Public Safety, State Operations, Debt Service and Economic Development and keep in mind that Tom Corbett’s budget must also factor in any increases in mandated costs such as Medicaid, pensions, and prisons. There are only two ways to reduce a deficit, you can increase revenue or reduce spending. Until the new Governor’s team can increase tax revenues by creating an atmosphere for establishing new businesses and expanding existing ones by as State Senator Ted Erickson said recently “The state government needs to get out of the way of business”, we must be prepared to reduce spending. The reality is that there will be less funding coming into our communities from Harrisburg. Period. Local and county governments, school districts, any organization relying on state funding should be prepared to do better with less, a critical situation which makes effective local community collaborations all the more critical.
While a balanced budget presents a tremendous challenge, it also affords Governor Corbett an incredible opportunity to identify the core mission of state government and perhaps redefine the state’s roles. Whether challenge or opportunity, tough decisions must be made and I wish Governor-Elect Corbett every success.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thanks to our veterans
Today is Veteran's Day, a day set aside to thank those who have served in the military. Please take a moment to thanks the veterans in your life and say a prayer for those who made the ultimate sacrifice and died in combat. I’ll be remembering two friends of mine from Grays Ferry who were killed in Viet Nam; John Daly and Jack Donnelly, two guys who died way too young. I’ll also be remembering my favorite veteran, my dad, and what he and his friends on LCT-540 went through on D-Day as they hit Omaha beach at 0720 hours to deliver combat engineers who were to clear obstacles from the beach before the infantry landed. For their action on D-Day, the 17 member crew of LCT-540 earned a Presidential Unit Citation, the highest decoration given to a military combat unit.
The 540’s citation, signed by James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy reads:
For outstanding performance and distinguished service in combat during the assault on the Coast of Normandy, France, launched June 6, 1944. Rocked by the blasts of German 88-mm. Cannon during the approach, her gun turrets wrecked, fires blazing aboard, her officer-In-Charge killed and eight of her men casualties, the U.S. LCT 540 hit the beach on schedule under the heaviest concentration of enemy fire. In gallant response to the urgency of her task, she operated twenty-four hours a day until June 9, beaching her cargo while still under fire and returning repeatedly to place ashore the equipment, supplies and troops vital to the success and the very life of our assault forces. Crippled but undaunted, the LCT pursued her course unwaveringly despite German-emplaced underwater obstacles and terrific gunfire opposition, supplementing the valor and fortitude of her inexperienced officer and her men by her own steadfastness in the fulfillment of a perilous mission.” Based on conversations and notes from crewman, I’ve chronicled the exploits that day on a blog - http://lct540.blogspot.com/. If you’d like to get a glimpse of what the crewman of US amphibious craft experienced on D-Day, feel free to stop by and visit.
Take a moment to thank the veterans in your life. They helped make the freedoms we enjoy possible.
The 540’s citation, signed by James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy reads:
For outstanding performance and distinguished service in combat during the assault on the Coast of Normandy, France, launched June 6, 1944. Rocked by the blasts of German 88-mm. Cannon during the approach, her gun turrets wrecked, fires blazing aboard, her officer-In-Charge killed and eight of her men casualties, the U.S. LCT 540 hit the beach on schedule under the heaviest concentration of enemy fire. In gallant response to the urgency of her task, she operated twenty-four hours a day until June 9, beaching her cargo while still under fire and returning repeatedly to place ashore the equipment, supplies and troops vital to the success and the very life of our assault forces. Crippled but undaunted, the LCT pursued her course unwaveringly despite German-emplaced underwater obstacles and terrific gunfire opposition, supplementing the valor and fortitude of her inexperienced officer and her men by her own steadfastness in the fulfillment of a perilous mission.” Based on conversations and notes from crewman, I’ve chronicled the exploits that day on a blog - http://lct540.blogspot.com/. If you’d like to get a glimpse of what the crewman of US amphibious craft experienced on D-Day, feel free to stop by and visit.
Take a moment to thank the veterans in your life. They helped make the freedoms we enjoy possible.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Family, education key to Chester’s rebirth
I’d like to comment on an editorial which appeared last Friday in the Delco Times entitled “Family, education key to Chester’s rebirth”.
Having spent a number of years directing the United Way in the City of Chester, I had the opportunity to meet and work with a number of hard-working dedicated people focused on Chester’s future. Two people with whom I had the pleasure of working and who I consider as friends were mentioned in the article.
Wendell Butler is a lifelong Chester resident, the Republican Mayor of Chester and its former police chief. Being a police officer in a poor neighborhood gives you a very unique view of the impact of poverty and the importance of the family structure. Something I learned as a cop in West Philly in the 70’s.
Portia West, another life-long resident was elected last year to Chester’s City Council as a Democrat, only the 2nd time a group of Democrats held citywide office in Chester since 1906.
Wendell Butler and Portia West are committed professionals focused on Chester’s future. Both see the importance of the family structure, and both agree that if change is going to happen, the home is where it must start. They know that education does not start in first grade, but begins at home when the child is born and continues in the local community as the child matures.
The Mayor and the Councilwoman are part of the bi-partisan political leadership in Chester, but they cannot be expected to have all the answers. They can, however, be instrumental in pulling the city’s power structure together to find the needed help for Chester’s children. With the assistance of community leadership organizations like United Way, they can help the residents of Chester focus on how to surround its children with a community of support, empowering students to stay in school. Chester should be about connecting students and their families to critical community resources that are tailored to their needs, and all designed to prepare its students to succeed.
Friday’s editorial ended with a suggestion that Chester’s recovery will be accomplished one family at a time. With folks like Wendell Butler and Portia West in leadership positions,and with the help of parents like Darlene, Deneen, Karen and Portia; wonderful young men and women like Donald, Darrell and Juani, Tyrone, Portia and Zaakiyah who have graduated Chester High and are doing very well in college, I’m convinced Chester’s resurgence is coming much sooner than most people think.
Having spent a number of years directing the United Way in the City of Chester, I had the opportunity to meet and work with a number of hard-working dedicated people focused on Chester’s future. Two people with whom I had the pleasure of working and who I consider as friends were mentioned in the article.
Wendell Butler is a lifelong Chester resident, the Republican Mayor of Chester and its former police chief. Being a police officer in a poor neighborhood gives you a very unique view of the impact of poverty and the importance of the family structure. Something I learned as a cop in West Philly in the 70’s.
Portia West, another life-long resident was elected last year to Chester’s City Council as a Democrat, only the 2nd time a group of Democrats held citywide office in Chester since 1906.
Wendell Butler and Portia West are committed professionals focused on Chester’s future. Both see the importance of the family structure, and both agree that if change is going to happen, the home is where it must start. They know that education does not start in first grade, but begins at home when the child is born and continues in the local community as the child matures.
The Mayor and the Councilwoman are part of the bi-partisan political leadership in Chester, but they cannot be expected to have all the answers. They can, however, be instrumental in pulling the city’s power structure together to find the needed help for Chester’s children. With the assistance of community leadership organizations like United Way, they can help the residents of Chester focus on how to surround its children with a community of support, empowering students to stay in school. Chester should be about connecting students and their families to critical community resources that are tailored to their needs, and all designed to prepare its students to succeed.
Friday’s editorial ended with a suggestion that Chester’s recovery will be accomplished one family at a time. With folks like Wendell Butler and Portia West in leadership positions,and with the help of parents like Darlene, Deneen, Karen and Portia; wonderful young men and women like Donald, Darrell and Juani, Tyrone, Portia and Zaakiyah who have graduated Chester High and are doing very well in college, I’m convinced Chester’s resurgence is coming much sooner than most people think.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Waiting for Superman II
“Waiting for Superman” the new film directed by Davis Guggenheim is certainly generating discussions about educational success, although I think the film would have been more impactful by taking a more realistic look at what is needed for true educational reform. The documentary follows five kids in their efforts to secure a good education outside of traditional public school systems, and while charter schools might be a solution for some, widespread educational reform will require hard work and sustained collaboration of a variety of committed stakeholders.
School systems are only part of the educational process. Successful education is dependent on three systems: School, Family and Community. A child needs at least one of the systems to be working well if he or she is to have any chance to succeed. If a school system does its job well, educators could overcome family strife, and could overcome a poor community, and get their students prepared. Family and community have equally important roles in education, a fact that seems to get left out of many discussions on education reform.
The unfortunate reality is that many students come to school with needs that hinder their ability to do well in school. An idea that has gained traction in some communities is the concept of community schools which bring together, under one roof, the services and activities our children and their families need to reach their potential. School buildings are open all day and evening for tutoring, homework assistance and recreational activities. Medical, dental, English language instruction, employment counseling, citizenship programs and GED programs and child care services could also be available to meet the community’s needs. Having these programs and social services in schools could encourage parents to get more involved in their children’s education, and help to stabilize families so they can better support their children’s learning. It’s one idea of many.
Local educational reform must start with a collaborative effort between school districts, parents, businesses, labor, religious, civic and neighborhood groups and their leaders. Every aspect of the community must be involved for reform efforts to be successful, because educational success doesn’t take place only at school. It starts at home and continues in the community.
If you get a chance, go to see the movie, then add your voice to the discussion. We owe it to our children to provide them with the best education possible.
School systems are only part of the educational process. Successful education is dependent on three systems: School, Family and Community. A child needs at least one of the systems to be working well if he or she is to have any chance to succeed. If a school system does its job well, educators could overcome family strife, and could overcome a poor community, and get their students prepared. Family and community have equally important roles in education, a fact that seems to get left out of many discussions on education reform.
The unfortunate reality is that many students come to school with needs that hinder their ability to do well in school. An idea that has gained traction in some communities is the concept of community schools which bring together, under one roof, the services and activities our children and their families need to reach their potential. School buildings are open all day and evening for tutoring, homework assistance and recreational activities. Medical, dental, English language instruction, employment counseling, citizenship programs and GED programs and child care services could also be available to meet the community’s needs. Having these programs and social services in schools could encourage parents to get more involved in their children’s education, and help to stabilize families so they can better support their children’s learning. It’s one idea of many.
Local educational reform must start with a collaborative effort between school districts, parents, businesses, labor, religious, civic and neighborhood groups and their leaders. Every aspect of the community must be involved for reform efforts to be successful, because educational success doesn’t take place only at school. It starts at home and continues in the community.
If you get a chance, go to see the movie, then add your voice to the discussion. We owe it to our children to provide them with the best education possible.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Waiting For Superman
Have you heard the buzz on Davis Guggenheim’s new movie “Waiting for Superman", which premiered last week? You might remember Guggenheim’s best known work, “An Inconvenient Truth” the documentary on Al Gore's campaign to make the global warming a worldwide issue. “Waiting for Superman" is an exploration of public education in the U.S. and how today’s educational opportunities affect our children.
The film follows five unforgettable kids whose futures depend on charter school lotteries in their search for a better education, and through the film Guggenheim aims to spark a national conversation about public education, and how communities might transform their local school systems. Public education is one of those issues with the potential to bring people together on its own, and the hope is that community leadership organizations like United Way will convene diverse stakeholders to discuss common-ground efforts to provide every child with a quality education.
By engaging diverse stakeholders, including residents, non-profits, businesses and others to develop sustained collaborative efforts to strengthen education, community leadership organizations could be in a better position to link unique local resources together with its educational resources to provide a more effective, nurturing learning environment. As I‘ve written before, it isn’t rocket science, but getting a community’s assets all working together to support education, could be a very empowering tool.
If you get a chance, go to see the movie, then add your voice to the discussion. We owe it to our children to provide them with the best education possible.
The film follows five unforgettable kids whose futures depend on charter school lotteries in their search for a better education, and through the film Guggenheim aims to spark a national conversation about public education, and how communities might transform their local school systems. Public education is one of those issues with the potential to bring people together on its own, and the hope is that community leadership organizations like United Way will convene diverse stakeholders to discuss common-ground efforts to provide every child with a quality education.
By engaging diverse stakeholders, including residents, non-profits, businesses and others to develop sustained collaborative efforts to strengthen education, community leadership organizations could be in a better position to link unique local resources together with its educational resources to provide a more effective, nurturing learning environment. As I‘ve written before, it isn’t rocket science, but getting a community’s assets all working together to support education, could be a very empowering tool.
If you get a chance, go to see the movie, then add your voice to the discussion. We owe it to our children to provide them with the best education possible.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Transparency
As I stated in my last post, we should be demanding that our political and community leaders demonstrate what they have accomplished, not what they can’t be blamed for. Our political leaders will again go through their regular evaluation on Election Day. Since most employees go through a job evaluation annually, it’s only fitting that elected officials do, although a dramatic Yes or No final decision is not for the feint of heart.
Since we support government programs through our tax dollars and non-profit programs through our contributions, shouldn’t we know if the funded program was worth the money spent on it? I wonder how much the public sector might change if we had a similar evaluation for publicly supported programs. Not a general election, but a realistic evaluation to determine if a program is not performing as advertised. I’d like to think that in order to secure funding, funded programs have not only identified goals, but have established some sort measurement tools to gauge their effectiveness in meeting those goals. I’d also like to think that these programs were funded because each created a collaboration of committed partners to re-define how they work together in order to accomplish those goals, and that political connections were not a consideration. No, I don’t believe in the tooth fairy.
Most of us could appreciate a report on funded programs. Nothing too elaborate, but something that shows what the program goals were, who were the partners, what was accomplished, what did it cost and what do we do now. Wouldn’t you like to see how your tax dollars have worked for you? Kudos to the programs that show success; “Sorry Charlie” for those that don’t.
I think an increase in transparency could go a long way to building additional support for effective programs, and reducing the continuation of weak programs. The current economic and social conditions in our local communities require us to maximize use of our tax and charitable dollars, and we should demand more from our elected or non-profit leadership. The strength of our local communities depends on these leaders and the decisions they make!
Since we support government programs through our tax dollars and non-profit programs through our contributions, shouldn’t we know if the funded program was worth the money spent on it? I wonder how much the public sector might change if we had a similar evaluation for publicly supported programs. Not a general election, but a realistic evaluation to determine if a program is not performing as advertised. I’d like to think that in order to secure funding, funded programs have not only identified goals, but have established some sort measurement tools to gauge their effectiveness in meeting those goals. I’d also like to think that these programs were funded because each created a collaboration of committed partners to re-define how they work together in order to accomplish those goals, and that political connections were not a consideration. No, I don’t believe in the tooth fairy.
Most of us could appreciate a report on funded programs. Nothing too elaborate, but something that shows what the program goals were, who were the partners, what was accomplished, what did it cost and what do we do now. Wouldn’t you like to see how your tax dollars have worked for you? Kudos to the programs that show success; “Sorry Charlie” for those that don’t.
I think an increase in transparency could go a long way to building additional support for effective programs, and reducing the continuation of weak programs. The current economic and social conditions in our local communities require us to maximize use of our tax and charitable dollars, and we should demand more from our elected or non-profit leadership. The strength of our local communities depends on these leaders and the decisions they make!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Listen before you call him an idiot!
The Saturday of Labor Day weekend in 1970 had two big events in the Philadelphia area. An anti-war rally was held at Valley Forge featuring Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, and a young speaker named John Kerry. Most of my focus, however, was on north Philly, because that same day on Temple’s campus the Black Panther Party was hosting their national convention. Tensions were extraordinarily high in Philadelphia late that summer. On August 29th, Fairmount Park Police Sgt. Frank von Colln was murdered by 5 members of the Black Panthers while sitting at his desk at 63rd and Catherine, 2 other cops were shot by the Panthers that same day in West Philly, and these shootings came a few days after 2 other cops were shot. 5 cops shot in one week!
I graduated from the Philadelphia Police Academy on Friday September 4th and was assigned to the 18th District. 6 days before my 20th birthday. You may remember that I wrote back in March that my self-described duties as an “armed social worker” eventually gave me a very unique insight into poverty, crime, education and the importance of a community support structure. 40 years ago today I found myself sitting on a police bus as part of a tactical response effort put together by Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo. With riot helmet and baton in hand, I sat and wondered to myself how I might possibly make a difference when whole communities seemed at odds. Black – White, Young – Old, Anti-war – Pro-war.
As in the Buffalo Springfield song…
“There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong …
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say hooray for our side”
Today’s animosity in social and political discourse is getting in the way of the kind of collaborations our communities need. These tough economical times will not allow bottom-less pockets of money. Times require that we establish wide-spread community engagement to determine what communities can be and what they might accomplish. We need to have our best ideas identified, discussed and evaluated without politics getting in the way. We should be demanding that our elected leaders demonstrate what they have accomplished, not what they can’t be blamed for. A lot has changed in the past 40 years, but unfortunately a lot has stayed the same. If we spent as much time trying to understand the other guy and his or her ideas as we spend figuring out how to label him, we’d be better off. Finding common-ground with your opponent could be a powerful tool, but you have to give a little to gain a little. You have to be ready to give up your held-fast beliefs to gain a better understanding of other ideas and possibly a stronger more-diverse collaborative. Stand up and be heard, but listen to what the other guy is saying before you call him an idiot.
I graduated from the Philadelphia Police Academy on Friday September 4th and was assigned to the 18th District. 6 days before my 20th birthday. You may remember that I wrote back in March that my self-described duties as an “armed social worker” eventually gave me a very unique insight into poverty, crime, education and the importance of a community support structure. 40 years ago today I found myself sitting on a police bus as part of a tactical response effort put together by Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo. With riot helmet and baton in hand, I sat and wondered to myself how I might possibly make a difference when whole communities seemed at odds. Black – White, Young – Old, Anti-war – Pro-war.
As in the Buffalo Springfield song…
“There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong …
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say hooray for our side”
Today’s animosity in social and political discourse is getting in the way of the kind of collaborations our communities need. These tough economical times will not allow bottom-less pockets of money. Times require that we establish wide-spread community engagement to determine what communities can be and what they might accomplish. We need to have our best ideas identified, discussed and evaluated without politics getting in the way. We should be demanding that our elected leaders demonstrate what they have accomplished, not what they can’t be blamed for. A lot has changed in the past 40 years, but unfortunately a lot has stayed the same. If we spent as much time trying to understand the other guy and his or her ideas as we spend figuring out how to label him, we’d be better off. Finding common-ground with your opponent could be a powerful tool, but you have to give a little to gain a little. You have to be ready to give up your held-fast beliefs to gain a better understanding of other ideas and possibly a stronger more-diverse collaborative. Stand up and be heard, but listen to what the other guy is saying before you call him an idiot.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Community Empowerment
There will be a lot of discussion of funding for education over the coming weeks and possibly through to the election. Federal funding isn’t coming in at the amount Governor Rendell had planned, so he now has to adjust for a $282 Million shortfall. Leaders in Harrisburg will be debating which departments get cut, and how much. Education advocates are calling for an increased expenditure for education, while many are just hoping for a flat budget. Given the state of the national and local economies, I think maintaining last year’s education budget would be an accomplishment.
Like many private sector enterprises, local school districts will be expected to do more with less. Underperforming District’s can strengthen their chances of an educational turnaround, by increasing engagement with parents and community leaders. As I wrote back in March, “Education = Family + Community + School”. The Districts’ challenge is getting them to participate in an inclusive process to assess the district’s strengths, challenges and needs, to develop a vision, and a plan to meet those needs. It’s not rocket science to consider getting people together to discuss an issue, but a few general rules for effectively engaging stakeholders should be considered:
• Establish ownership among participants,
• Build on the strengths of local individuals and organizations,
• Promote participation by community-wide stakeholders,
• Get everyone working together and focused on the same issues,
• Develop specific actions with measurable results.
By engaging diverse stakeholders, including residents, non-profits, businesses and others to develop sustained collaborative efforts to strengthen education, the District could be in a better position to link unique community resources together with its educational resources to provide a more effective, nurturing learning environment. As I said, it isn’t rocket science, but getting a community’s assets all working together to support education, or safety, or any community-wide issues could be a very empowering tool.
A tool that is needed now!
Like many private sector enterprises, local school districts will be expected to do more with less. Underperforming District’s can strengthen their chances of an educational turnaround, by increasing engagement with parents and community leaders. As I wrote back in March, “Education = Family + Community + School”. The Districts’ challenge is getting them to participate in an inclusive process to assess the district’s strengths, challenges and needs, to develop a vision, and a plan to meet those needs. It’s not rocket science to consider getting people together to discuss an issue, but a few general rules for effectively engaging stakeholders should be considered:
• Establish ownership among participants,
• Build on the strengths of local individuals and organizations,
• Promote participation by community-wide stakeholders,
• Get everyone working together and focused on the same issues,
• Develop specific actions with measurable results.
By engaging diverse stakeholders, including residents, non-profits, businesses and others to develop sustained collaborative efforts to strengthen education, the District could be in a better position to link unique community resources together with its educational resources to provide a more effective, nurturing learning environment. As I said, it isn’t rocket science, but getting a community’s assets all working together to support education, or safety, or any community-wide issues could be a very empowering tool.
A tool that is needed now!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Education Partnerships Needed
As the summer starts to wind down, I thought I’d end my summer blogging hiatus with a discussion on education, specifically what communities can do to turnaround underperforming school districts. Here in Pennsylvania, there will be a lot of discussion on education funding over the next few weeks, but additional funding in and of itself is not the answer. Local communities must realize that any plans to turnaround underperforming districts can only happen with the community and parents working in partnership with the schools.
Education should be about empowering our children to achieve in life. We all know that education does not start in first grade, but begins at home when the child is born and continues in the local community as the child matures. In order to improve education, parents and community leaders should be part of an inclusive process to assess a district’s strengths, challenges and needs, to develop a vision, and a plan to meet those needs. Local community leadership should be connecting with residents looking for ways to combine their ongoing engagement with the structure of No Child Left Behind in its school district
Each community should be focused on how to surround its children with a community of support, empowering students to stay in school. Each community should be about connecting students and their families to critical community resources that are tailored to their needs, and all designed to prepare those students to succeed. Resources could include “wrap-around” supports for students who cannot learn to their full potential when they are hungry, feel unsafe in school or whose parents cannot support their education at home. Each community should be about identifying how best to link its unique community resources together with its educational resources in order to provide an effective, nurturing learning environment.
It’s not just the money spent on education; it’s about building active and ongoing partnerships between parents, communities and school districts.
Education should be about empowering our children to achieve in life. We all know that education does not start in first grade, but begins at home when the child is born and continues in the local community as the child matures. In order to improve education, parents and community leaders should be part of an inclusive process to assess a district’s strengths, challenges and needs, to develop a vision, and a plan to meet those needs. Local community leadership should be connecting with residents looking for ways to combine their ongoing engagement with the structure of No Child Left Behind in its school district
Each community should be focused on how to surround its children with a community of support, empowering students to stay in school. Each community should be about connecting students and their families to critical community resources that are tailored to their needs, and all designed to prepare those students to succeed. Resources could include “wrap-around” supports for students who cannot learn to their full potential when they are hungry, feel unsafe in school or whose parents cannot support their education at home. Each community should be about identifying how best to link its unique community resources together with its educational resources in order to provide an effective, nurturing learning environment.
It’s not just the money spent on education; it’s about building active and ongoing partnerships between parents, communities and school districts.
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