Training
Elite School Leaders
The University
of Virginia, a prestigious public institution, has been chosen to
train an elite body of school leaders as "turnaround specialists"
in an effort to improve poorly performing schools.
The initiative
follows the trend of other states which are moving strong leaders
to weak schools. The Maryland
Distinguished Principal Fellowships Program pays experienced
principals a higher salary in return for three years leading under-performing
schools in the city of Baltimore.
Read more on
Virginia's plans for Teacher
Retention and Support, including "Turnaround Specialists".
The Chicago
Public Education Fund, established by local civic and business
leaders, has pledged to raise $15 million (£8,242,000*) to
strengthen leadership in schools with the greatest need.
A growing trend
among philanthropies is to model themselves after venture-capital
firms. They tend to be more results-oriented than tradiational foundations,
and be more hands-on with technical advice. One of the many programmes
funded by the Chicago Public Education Fund is New
Leaders for New Schools, a non-profit organisation which trains
principals from non-traditional backgrounds by way of year-long
internships in schools.
*June 04 exchange
rate £1: $1.82
(Source: Education
Week; 28/4/04; 5/5/04)
Back to top
50th Anniversary of Racial Desegragation in Schools
Last month education
media attention focused on the 50th anniversary of the landmark
Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education, which
rendered racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.
Much of the
press coverage focused on the continuing and significant achievement
gap between white students and their black or Hispanic peers: half
of all black high school students do not graduate and black students
in their final year at high school are performing on the national
assessment test (National
Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP) at a much lower
grade level than white students.
The anniversary
has also resulted in a spotlight on the current law aimed at achieving
equity and promoting minority achievement: No Child Left Behind
Act.
Read more at
the Education Trust's
A Dream Deferred: 50 years after Brown v. Board of Education,
the Struggle Continues A 50 State Look at Achievement,
Attainment and Opportunity Gaps
A report from
MDC (Making a Difference in Communities in the South) highlights
the challenges facing the southern USA where schools, the report
claims, are rapidly resegragating - yet the young population is
increasingly Latino and African-American.
Read State
of the South 2004: Fifty Years After Brown v. Board of Education
(Sources: 21st
Century Schools Project Bulletin: Vol 4, No 10; 18/5/04;
PEN Weekly Newsblast 28/5/04)
Back to top
Administration Supports More Same-Sex Education
In 1972 another
landmark law, which led to further integration in US public schools,
was Title IX. It declared discrimination by gender illegal in schools
which receive federal money.
In the past
decade, however, single-sex schools have grown in popularity. Today,
there are 25 same-sex public schools in the nation, almost all formed
after 1996, according to the National
Association for Single Sex Public Education (NASSPE). Another
72 schools offer single-sex classes with another dozen due to open
in the autumn.
In March, the
US Department of Education proposed relaxing some of the restrictions
of Title IX which govern the setting up of same-sex classes and
schools.
Reaction is
mixed, with critics saying there is little research on the true
benefits of single-sex education, while supporters say learning
styles across gender differences should not be ignored.
Read the Christian
Science Monitor's Separating
the sexes: a new direction for public education?
(Source: PEN
Weekly Newsblast; 28/5/04)
Back to top
Reengaging
Disconnected Youth: a toolkit
A toolkit to
assist city leaders reengage disconnected youth has been produced
by the Institute for Youth, Education and Families (YEF Institute)
of the National
League of Cities (NLC).
The NLC is the
oldest and largest national organisation representing municipal
governments throughout the USA. The toolkit highlights steps that
city officials can take to help young people who are not connected
to school, work, or caring adults. Key sections of the action kit
highlight strategies for re-enrolling high school dropouts, expanding
job opportunities for teenagers and young adults, and assisting
foster care youth and young offenders as they make transitions to
adulthood. There are examples of existing city programmes across
the nation.
Download a copy
of Reengaging
Disconnected Youth
(Source: PEN Weekly Newsblast 28/5/04)
Back to top
New
York City Chancellor on Charter Schools
Last month Joel
Klein, the Chancellor of New York City's public schools, addressed
the NY Charter School Association's Conference.
Charter schools
are nonsectarian public schools operated under a contract (i.e.
charter) which allows them freedom from many of the regulations
that apply to traditional public schools (teachers are usually non-unionised,
schools can experiment with innovative teaching methods). The number
of charter schools has been growing rapidly since their inception
ten years ago, and they enjoy generally bi-partisan support.
In his remarks,
Chancellor Klein said: "At their core, charter schools embody
the three ingredients that are necessary for any successful school
-- leadership, autonomy, and accountability."
Read the speech
in full at the Progressive Policy Institute site.
(Source: New Democrats Online: 25/5/04)
Back to top
|
