September 26 2018
 
September 2018 NewsBlast
SOS NEWSBLAST
News From

 

Texas
Michigan
Tennessee          
New York  
Washington
   

THE WEST
Washington  
 
Red for Ed till 3% is dead
In 2012, the WA State Supreme Court found in favor of The McCleary decision, which was about adequate funding for schools. The legislature had been held in contempt of court for not fulfilling its duty to students . The 2018 Legislature approved another $1 billion for K-12 educator  compensation, as ordered by the Supreme Court in November. That's in addition to the $1 billion for educator salaries that lawmakers approved last year. https://www.washingtonea.org/ourvoice/mccleary-school-funding/
. The money was designated for educators' salaries - nothing else. However, many districts are refusing to acknowledge that in their bargaining, and many strikes loom.... Here's a brief overview of some settled/not settled:
The money was designated for educators' salaries - nothing else. However, many districts are refusing to acknowledge that in their bargaining, and many strikes loom.... Here's a brief overview of some settled/not settled:
Settled :              Bellevue              17.3-25%       increase              Mossyrock              25.9%                    
Bridgeport              21.1%                                   Mossyrock              26-42.4%
STILL HOLDING OUT AS OF SEPTEMBER 20:        Tumwater              Battleground       Union Gap      
 

 
THE MIDWEST
Michigan
 

Let's stop trying to fund two parallel, "separate but equal" school systems, and put a moratorium on the creation of new charter schools until all publicly funded schools are "competing" on level playing fields.

Return control for our public schools to where it belongs: elected school boards made up of concerned citizens from the communities in which their schools are located.

·      Adequately fund all public schools

·      make sure that the school in the inner city is as clean, safe and well-equipped as the one in the wealthiest suburbs.

·      insist all kids be taught by dedicated, committed professionals, with the appropriate coursework, licenses and certifications.

·      demand that all schools offer a rich, engaging curriculum, including music, art and physical education

·      guarantee that every publicly-funded school is held to the same standards, regulations and expectations, that all such schools are required to admit any child who wishes to attend.

·      put a moratorium on the creation of new charter schools until all publicly funded schools are "competing" on level playing fields.
THE SOUTHWEST
Texas
Aldine ISD High School Educator and Student's STEM Adventure Takes Them to the Bahamash


Argonauts and program coordinator Jude Kesl (far left).
Student Keilah South and educator Sean Doyle had an adventure of a lifetime. They along with a select group of JASON Learning Argonauts from Idaho and Virginia traveled to the Bahamas where they spent a week at the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI) and surrounding area.

THE SOUTHEAST
Tennessee

 
Seven years ago, as part of Tennessee's Race To The Top plan, they launched The Achievement School District (ASD).  With a price tag of over $100 million, their mission was to take schools that were in the bottom 5% of schools and, within five years, raise them into the top 25%.
Tennessee received $700 million for winning a Race To The Top grant.  This money was controlled by former commissioner Kevin Huffman, who was a TFA alum, a former TFA Vice President, and a former husband of reform folk-hero Michelle Rhee.  $100 million was spent on the Achievement School District.  For seven years to go by and these original six school making zero progress must be the most ironic - in a sad way - story of education reform gone awry.

THE NORTHEAST
New York 

 New York: Commissioner Elia's Misleading Description of State Tests 

What the commissioner DID NOT say
  • The test scores are released long after the student has left his or her teacher and moved to a different teacher.
  • Most of the questions are released, but the teacher never learns which questions individual students got right or wrong.
  • The tests have NO DIAGNOSTIC VALUE.
  • The tests have NO INSTRUCTIONAL VALUE
  • The tests are just something for principals & superintendents to talk about. THEY HAVE NO INSTRUCTIONAL VALUE.
 
 

SOSDntNwBttn  

 

Save Our Schools is dedicated to public education as the cornerstone of a democratic society. We are committed to education policy and actions that allow students, teachers, families, and communities to work together to meet the needs of all children.