August 10, 2010
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Articles of Interest...
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Funding Opportunity:
The Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination (AEMDD)
For the full article click here
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Funding Opportunity:
Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems program
For the full article click here
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Contact Us
Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools
33 N. Third Street,
Suite 600
Office: (614) 744-2266
Fax: (614) 744-2255
www.oapcs.org
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Notes from CEO Bill Sims
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Poverty: An Anchor to Ships Sailing for Student Achievement
Setting sail to school improvement and educational reform is an important journey. And it’s a difficult trip given the crosswinds winds of state budget deficits and the inevitable inertia of the status quo. As educators and policymakers chart their course and trim their sails to achieve the best possible outcomes, it would be a mistake not to notice the metaphorical effects of dragging an anchor.
We can sail hard on innovation and reform, teacher quality, school improvement and the “Race to the Top,” but if poverty and a shrinking middle class are adding to the inertia, it’s no wonder schools and states are having a hard time making significant progress on their goals for student achievement and proficiency.
BusinessInsider.com released a story recently titled: “22 Statistics That Prove the Middle Class Is Being Systematically Wiped Out Of Existence In America.” A sampler of statistics cited:
• For the first time in U.S. history, more than 40 million Americans are on food stamps;
• Only the top 5 percent of U.S. households have earned enough additional income to match the rise in housing costs since 1975;
• In 1950, the ratio of the average executive's paycheck to the average worker's paycheck was about 30 to 1 but since the year 2000, that ratio has exploded to between 300 to 500 to one;
• The official federal poverty rate for the US (2008) was about 12.7% (family of 4 below $22,000 or individual below $10,800), and that was before the “Great Recession.” But most sociologists double that number as more realistic; so, for example, the percentage of those living in poverty in New York would realistically be about 32% as of 2007.
The U.S. Department of Education released a report over 10 years ago drawing the connection between poverty and student achievement: “School Poverty and Academic Performance: NAEP Achievement in High-Poverty Schools.” Data in the report show that students generally do less well if they attend a school where the majority of students are from disadvantaged circumstances. Today reformers say that a quality education and student achievement shouldn’t be determined by a family’s zip code; and, I certainly agree.
A May 2010 Annie E. Casey Foundation report concluded among other things that low income trends mean an increased risk of reading deficiencies that increase the risk of failing to graduate from high school. That report spurred Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post to respond that, “Some school reformers like to say that poverty is used as an excuse for the failure of students to progress, but actually, poverty is a condition that most certainly affects the learning dynamic, and any effort to pretend that it isn’t is akin to ignoring the elephant in the room.” Poverty cannot be an excuse for educational progress because there are too many examples of successful student achievement in urban districts and charters today. But frustrations occur because the anchor of poverty drags against progress and diminishes returns.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, speaking before the National Urban League this month asked plaintively, “Why do we allow schools serving low-income students, and students of color, to chronically underperform year after year, without making much progress?”
It’s a good question that has been asked by many educators and policymakers besides our hard-at-work Secretary of Education. High-quality principals and teachers do matter, and a no- excuses approach to educating urban youth must attend our efforts to close the achievement gap. But poverty drags on our efforts.
As we navigate our way to the goal of greater gains in student achievement and closing the achievement gap in America, we must be mindful of the real anchoring effects of trending poverty and a shrinking middle class.
There is an economic dimension to our frustrations with progress in student achievement. But poverty trends shouldn’t be an excuse, nor should they trump the fact that disadvantaged students can and do catch up, graduate from high school and go on to college. Charter schools in Ohio’s urban districts are proving we can do this every day, so, anchors away!
– Bill Sims
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Ohio Charter School Teachers: Resources Available for Your Classroom!
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Need classroom materials to teach and support your students this year (lab equipment, calculators, novels, etc.) Sign up for a free teacher account on DonorsChoose.org to begin requesting these resources now!
How do I participate?
1. First, log in to your teacher account on DonorsChoose.org (if you don't have one, any public school teacher can sign up at www.donorschoose.org/teacher).
2. Once you're logged in, submit a request for the classroom materials you need (microscopes, math manipulatives, models, notebooks – you name it!).
Note: Teachers are especially encouraged to submit projects this summer, as many DonorsChoose.org funders are eager to support requests in the late summer and early fall!
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Midwest Auto Auction, Inc.
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Midwest Auto Auction has been contracted to liquidate all of the surplus property of the Detroit Public Schools, as well as several Charter Schools in the Detroit Metropolitan area. As you are probably aware, the DPS is closing another 30 (+) Schools this year and we have also been contracted to close three Charter Schools with several others pending. This surplus property includes every kind of item that would normally be found in any school and needless to say, the list of items that will be sold is lengthy.
For more information they can view our website at www.midwestauctionsales.com or send us an Email at auctions@midwestautoauction.com.
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Property Available
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Ohio Equities currently has a property for sale at 5120 Godown Road, Columbus, OH 43220. The property is 17,952 square feet and location on .667 acres. For more information please click here.
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Boot Camp for New Community School Leaders
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Ohio Department of Education hosting a Boot Camp for New Community School Leaders. This fall, as many as 40 new community schools are expected to open in Ohio. To assure that all new school leaders receive the best possible information regarding the essential elements of community school operation, legal compliance and professional practice, ODE has invited representatives from these schools to a special training session on Aug. 16 at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus. The meeting, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will present a wealth of information, including governance, transportation, special education, school financial and data reporting requirements. Staff from the Office of Community Schools, as well as other ODE offices, will present information and answer questions about subjects that are critical for success during the first year of operation. Because of limited space, school leaders are asked to enroll no more than two individuals per school.
Registration is available through STARS, the professional development reservation system. You must have a SAFE account to access STARS. To create a SAFE account or log in to an existing one, click here or on the SAFE link at the top of any Web page at education.ohio.gov. Use the Event Search and then look for “OSC” to find the Aug. 16 event.
Sponsors who are working with developers of any community school that is expected to open this fall are asked to forward information about this event to the respective contact person(s). For directions to the State Library of Ohio, click here.
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Parent Membership Program - "Be A Brick"
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The Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools (OAPCS) firmly believes that quality performance is the key to the healthy growth and sustainability of the community charter school movement in Ohio.
Quality performance cannot be achieved without parental engagement. Parents deserve to be able to choose the best school for their child, and they need to be involved, informed and active with organization that can help with school choice. So it stands to reason that we want charter-school parents to be knowledgeable and engaged on matters that relate to their children’s schools. So parents: “Be a Brick.” If every parent becomes a “brick,” we can build strong walls that stand firmly for charter schools.
OAPCS is now offering a Parent Membership program that allows individuals to join our organization. Benefits of being an individual member:
• An association of quality values
• Legislative “Updates” and “Alerts”
• Bi-monthly newsletter
• Content-rich website
• Parent Networking/Newsletter
• Discount on products at all Staples Stores
• E-mail bulletins
• Access to OAPCS Community Boards
Please contact Jennifer Brzoski at jbrzoski@oapcs.org or at (614) 744-2266 ext. 205 to become a Parent Member. |
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Apple in Education
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Apple offers special education pricing on Apple computers, software and select third party products to College Students, or Teachers, Administrators and Staff of all grade levels. Call 1-800-MY-APPLE for more information and to register your school and start saving today.
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Customized Insurance Package for OAPCS Members
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OAPCS members have access to an exclusive program for their schools’ insurance needs. CharterSafe is the first insurance program designed specifically for charter schools by school leaders and school insurance experts. CharterSafe was created as a direct response to schools’ needs of finding insurance options that provided the correct coverage at group reduced rates.
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