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The so-called education "reform" movement has damaged the teaching profession. "School choice" in Ohio is wasting education dollars. FWCS offers vaccines for students. A failed charter school in Indianapolis is still draining the system of funds. And finally, a report from the Indiana Coalition for Public Education.
"REFORMERS" HAVE DAMAGED TEACHING PROFESSION
New PDK Poll: Esteem of Public Schools Rises But Most Parents Don’t Want Their Children to Become Teachers
The latest PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools shows once again that public school parents are happy with their local schools. Unfortunately, they also recognize the difficulties that teachers face from so-called "reform" efforts.
From Diane Ravitch
The latest Phi Delta Kappa poll about education was released, and it shows the damage that so-called reformers have done to the teaching profession...
Americans’ ratings of their community’s public schools reached a new high dating back 48 years in this year’s PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, while fewer than ever expressed interest in having their child work as a public school teacher.
Results of the 54th annual PDK Poll tell a tale of conflicted views of public schools — local ratings are at nearly a five-decade high and a majority have trust and confidence in teachers, yet there’s wide recognition that the challenges they face make their jobs broadly undesirable.
A teacher shortage, or not?
Fewer young people than ever are going into education, and many who do end up avoiding the classroom due to the "teacher pay penalty."
From Live Long and Prosper
...there is a significant gap between the salaries of teachers and the salaries of other professionals with similar education. This gap, which is continuing to grow, is referred to as the teacher pay penalty and it, too, has been around for quite a while.
Does the pay penalty exist because teaching is traditionally "women's work" and women in the US still, after all these years, make 72 cents for every dollar that men make? Absolutely.
Does the pay penalty continue to grow because Republican legislators in state houses in Indiana and around the county are transferring funding for public education to private and charter schools? Absolutely.
Does the pay penalty continue to grow because those same legislators hate teachers unions and are doing their best to "bust" the unions? Absolutely
The teacher pay penalty has hit a new high
OHIO IS LOSING MONEY ON "CHOICE"
Stephen Dyer: School Choice Costs Ohio More Than Public Schools, with Worse Results
Ohio's "choice" programs for education is costing the state valuable education dollars.
From Diane Ravitch
Stephen Dyer, a former state legislator in Ohio, keeps track of school choice in his state, which has been a costly disaster for students and taxpayers.
He writes in this post that charters and vouchers are actually more expensive than public schools.
I’ve helped document for years how Ohio’s charter schools and voucher program doesn’t lead to better educational outcomes, while it harms the educational opportunities for the 90% of Ohio students who are educated in local public school districts and leads to greater racial segregation.
However, the pro-privatization folks seemed to always have this in their quiver: At least charters and vouchers are cheaper for Ohio’ taxpayers.
Here’s how the Fordham Institute put it:
Even after a massive overhaul of the school funding system, Ohio charter schools are still shortchanged, receiving about 75 cents on the dollar compared to their traditional public school counterparts.So I decided to check out their claim. And it appears that the state’s charter and voucher programs cost about 5-10% more than it would to just have all those students return to their resident public school district.…
VACCINES FOR FWCS STUDENTS
FWCS provides vaccines to students
FWCS offers vaccines for students who need them.
From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**
Northwood Middle School families had a choice this year as they toured the registration tables set up in the gym. Between booths for schedule change requests and athletics, they could make sure their children got the required vaccinations for school.
"We have grabbed so many people that it's unbelievable," longtime school nurse Marilyn Mueller said of the pop-up clinic offered in partnership with the nonprofit agency Super Shot.
Fort Wayne Community Schools families who missed vaccination opportunities at registration don't need to look outside the district to cross those requirements off their to-do lists. The nearly 30,000-student school system is in its fourth year of offering an on-site immunization clinic at the downtown Wendy Y. Robinson Family and Community Engagement Center. Appointments are available year-round on weekdays during school hours except on major holidays. Any FWCS student can be helped, regardless of insurance status.
CHARTER SCHOOL FAILS, GETS NEW LIFE AS AN INDEPENDENT CHARTER
After troubles in IPS, Ignite charter school rebrands
A failing charter school changes its name and continues to drain education dollars from local schools in Indianapolis.
From Chalkbeat- Indiana*
Single-digit proficiency rates. Plummeting attendance. A work environment described in a former employee’s lawsuit as “one big mess.”
Ignite Achievement Academy came to and left Indianapolis Public Schools within just four years under challenging circumstances. Some low test scores from Elder Diggs School 42 — the traditional school Ignite took over — dropped even lower on Ignite’s watch, while attendance fell below the district average and staff retention rates became the worst in the district.
These falling scores and other poor metrics led Ignite to become just the second charter school to not have its partnership renewed with the district’s innovation network.
Yet despite the school’s challenges, the mayor’s Office of Education and Innovation (or OEI) – the school’s authorizer – has allowed the school to continue operating as an independent charter school under a new name.
ICPE'S ANNUAL MEETING
ICPE’s All-Member Meeting: They’re Coming for Your School District
From the Indiana Coalition for Public Education*
Our Board member and former Indiana State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Jennifer McCormick and our lobbyist, Mr. Joel Hand, started us off with a review of what happened the last legislative session–and what to expect in the next.
Remember that it will be a budget session and we need to be prepared to fight for full and adequate funding for our kids in public schools!
- We can expect to see the Public-schools-must-share-referendum- dollars-with-charter-schools bill back.
- We expect to see more push for book banning and control over what teachers do in the classroom next time.
- Also, we have deep concerns that they will expand “education savings accounts” very broadly and create a universal voucher program like Arizona recently did.
- The concern for continued dilution of teacher licensing and certifications is another expectation for the next session.
**Note: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is important, and one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to fortwayne.com/subscriptions/ [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]
†Note: NEIFPE's In Case You Missed It is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.
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