Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Buffalo school board voted against recommendations of Superintendent Brown
The Buffalo School Board in an unusual move voted
3 in favor to 4 against the recommendations of
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Pamela Brown to extend
the probationary period of four school principals and
deny tenure to one assistant high school principal.
Read more about this story by clicking on the
Link above...
3 in favor to 4 against the recommendations of
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Pamela Brown to extend
the probationary period of four school principals and
deny tenure to one assistant high school principal.
Read more about this story by clicking on the
Link above...
John Hopkins University superintendent of four Buffalo schools
According to a Buffalo news story on Friday, district officials that had been called to Albany to work on four school turnaround proposals successfully completed the plans after an all day session lasting seven hours.
Regent Robert Bennett in talking with the News said, "The proposals that were worked on Friday involved a team from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) acting as the operator – or superintendent – of the four schools, while the Buffalo Board of Education will be the monitor, Bennett said.
The four schools cited included Highgate Heights, Buffalo Elementary School of Technology (BEST) Lafayette and East High Schools.
JHU initially was supposed to be the educational partnership organization or EPO of all the above schools except Buffalo Elementary School of Technology under Global Partnership Schools, Dr. Rudy Crew headed until 2011 but remained associated with it until the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York appointed him president of Medgar Evers College, CUNY in June 2013.
Regent Robert Bennett in talking with the News said, "The proposals that were worked on Friday involved a team from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) acting as the operator – or superintendent – of the four schools, while the Buffalo Board of Education will be the monitor, Bennett said.
The four schools cited included Highgate Heights, Buffalo Elementary School of Technology (BEST) Lafayette and East High Schools.
JHU initially was supposed to be the educational partnership organization or EPO of all the above schools except Buffalo Elementary School of Technology under Global Partnership Schools, Dr. Rudy Crew headed until 2011 but remained associated with it until the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York appointed him president of Medgar Evers College, CUNY in June 2013.
The Buffalo News school zone blog wrote January 2012 how "the group includes an assortment of high-profile names in education, including Manny Rivera, former Rochester superintendent; Rudy Crew, former Miami-Dade County superintendent; and McGraw-Hill Education. It submitted proposals for four Buffalo schools, but an advisory committee did not recommend that the group be considered to run the other three schools."
The other partner involved with Crew in the plans to turnaround BEST was Dr. Manny Rivera. He left in July one month after Crew to another post in Connecticut.
And a blog called Nancy on Norwalk posted the story that "The Norwalk Board of Education is expected to confirm the contract to bring Manuel J. Rivera, 61, aboard to lead the school system at its July 9 meeting. BOE Chairman Mike Lyons announced Monday that Rivera and the board had come to a contract agreement and that Rivera would begin work on July 18, 2013.
So it appears JHU is stepping in as the new EPO of BEST since the super star consultants Crew and Rivera found instead lucrative and steady incomes as the former a college president and latter a superintendent of schools. Rivera confessed he tired having to travel so much to make a living.
So a la John Hopkins University we shall all go as the EPO. JHU has had a presence at both Lafayette and East High schools and the roots planted have been supported and welcomed at Lafayette. And the JHU staff have been embedded at Lafayette since the spring even attending the senior prom this year. It appears their work starting with 7 th grade and 9th grade will at least begin to connect the junior high school students to Lafayette that originally they were moved from School #45 to make up an International school that never happened.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Thursday, August 1, 2013
School board decides on turnaround plans for East and Lafayette high schools
School board decides on turnaround plans for East and Lafayette high schools
Although funding the option continues to be a problem, the Buffalo School board voted yesterday afternoon at a special meeting to allow John Hopkins University (JHU) to serve as the Educational Partnership Organization (EPO) for both Lafayette and East High School.
The Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) will also partner with JHU to offer career technical training to students at both Lafayette and East High School.
The NYS education Department last month sent a letter to district officials that mandated it partner with BOCES as the EPO for both East and Lafayette.
This option wasn't feasible because the two high schools had previously formed a relationship with JHU that started last fall and they wanted to continue it with support from the local community, faculty and the Buffalo Teachers Federation (BTF).
Still, there is the problem of how the JHU program as the EPO will be funded now that the State Ed did not approve the district grant application.
And district CFO Barbara Smith responded the total cost will be between $2.2 million and $5.2 million. News blogger Sandra Tan reported Smith explained the funds will come from "reductions elsewhere in the budget, use grant funding, spend from the contingency budget and use some assigned fund balance for things like unsettled union agreements, contracts, etc., " Also, the additional funds for five positions JHU requested will come from sources such as building based budgeting, Title 1, III, and Contract for Excellence funds.
When questioned about possibly funding the JHU project with funds the district set aside for contract negotiations Smith sheepishly responded doesn't think it will happen.
So, JHU prevailed as the EPO though the district has to find a source for funding the project.
And new board member Carl Paladino asked a JHU representative what prior experience they had with the student population over 60% international and ELL enrolled at Lafayette High School.
Since the EPO model hasn't been piloted in other school districts in the state, it will be interesting to see how well it does in an environment not funded by the NYSED.
Although funding the option continues to be a problem, the Buffalo School board voted yesterday afternoon at a special meeting to allow John Hopkins University (JHU) to serve as the Educational Partnership Organization (EPO) for both Lafayette and East High School.
The Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) will also partner with JHU to offer career technical training to students at both Lafayette and East High School.
The NYS education Department last month sent a letter to district officials that mandated it partner with BOCES as the EPO for both East and Lafayette.
This option wasn't feasible because the two high schools had previously formed a relationship with JHU that started last fall and they wanted to continue it with support from the local community, faculty and the Buffalo Teachers Federation (BTF).
Still, there is the problem of how the JHU program as the EPO will be funded now that the State Ed did not approve the district grant application.
And district CFO Barbara Smith responded the total cost will be between $2.2 million and $5.2 million. News blogger Sandra Tan reported Smith explained the funds will come from "reductions elsewhere in the budget, use grant funding, spend from the contingency budget and use some assigned fund balance for things like unsettled union agreements, contracts, etc., " Also, the additional funds for five positions JHU requested will come from sources such as building based budgeting, Title 1, III, and Contract for Excellence funds.
When questioned about possibly funding the JHU project with funds the district set aside for contract negotiations Smith sheepishly responded doesn't think it will happen.
So, JHU prevailed as the EPO though the district has to find a source for funding the project.
And new board member Carl Paladino asked a JHU representative what prior experience they had with the student population over 60% international and ELL enrolled at Lafayette High School.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Regents Research Paper required for graduation
Oh my God! What else is the Board of Regents proposing. I was reading the State Ed site and was surprised to read that students entering grade 9th on September 2013 will be required to write a Regents Research Paper to graduate with a Regents or Local Diploma!
Remember the 2008 freshmen cohort that graduated in 2012-13, unless a special education student, they didn't have the option of a Local Diploma that contributed to lower graduation rates across the State especially among blacks and Latino students.
Now, they have to write a Regents Research Paper to graduate because of time constraints on the examination that can't measure writing standards for college and career readiness skills and Common Core Learning Standards. Once again the class of 2016-17, fewer students will graduate. Is there a hidden agenda here?
Regents Research Paper – The Committee discussed proposed regulatory amendments to Commissioner’s Regulations that would establish a Regents Research Paper requirement as an opportunity for students to demonstrate necessary college and career readiness skills and CCLS writing standards that cannot be measured in an examination setting due to time constraints. The regulation would require the completion of a Regents Research Paper for graduation with a Regents or local high school diploma, beginning with those students who first enter grade 9 in September 2013 or thereafter. Committee members requested that more detailed information be provided to guide the discussion when the proposed amendment is submitted to the Board of Regents for adoption in September. [P-12 (D) 1]
Remember the 2008 freshmen cohort that graduated in 2012-13, unless a special education student, they didn't have the option of a Local Diploma that contributed to lower graduation rates across the State especially among blacks and Latino students.
Now, they have to write a Regents Research Paper to graduate because of time constraints on the examination that can't measure writing standards for college and career readiness skills and Common Core Learning Standards. Once again the class of 2016-17, fewer students will graduate. Is there a hidden agenda here?
Regents Research Paper – The Committee discussed proposed regulatory amendments to Commissioner’s Regulations that would establish a Regents Research Paper requirement as an opportunity for students to demonstrate necessary college and career readiness skills and CCLS writing standards that cannot be measured in an examination setting due to time constraints. The regulation would require the completion of a Regents Research Paper for graduation with a Regents or local high school diploma, beginning with those students who first enter grade 9 in September 2013 or thereafter. Committee members requested that more detailed information be provided to guide the discussion when the proposed amendment is submitted to the Board of Regents for adoption in September. [P-12 (D) 1]
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Court removed Superintendent Paul Vallas
A state Supreme Court judge in Bridgeport Connecticut on Friday removed Paul Vallas, the superintendent of schools for not completing a leadership graduate course program.
He was required to take the leadership course to meet the requirements to be a superintendent.
And in May the teachers union complained to the state Vallas violated state law in failing to include the participation of the state required councils in local school governance.
Previously he served as the superintendent of Chicago schools in the early nineties. His Chief of Staff was US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Buffalo public school low graduation rates, what happened ?
Buffalo Public School system is in the headline news again for having one of the lowest graduation rates second to Rochester, NY. from among the five big city school districts (Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Yonkers, NYC) in the state. The latest figures the NYS Ed Dept released showed Buffalo Public Schools graduation rate fell below 48%.
Some in the community blamed the low rate on newly appointed Superintendent Dr. Pamela C. Brown such as incoming board member Carl Paladino.
Yet, NYS students graduating in 2012 (who were 9th grade students in 2008) are the first cohort of students required to take all five Regents Exams with a passing score of 65 and obtain a Regents Diploma in order to graduate.
In the past before the Board of Regents changed the playing field, school districts offered the Local Diploma that nearly 15% of NYS public high school students received in 2009. But the graduates most impacted when Board of Regents eliminated the Local Diploma as a pathway to graduation was the class of 2012.
So if you entered as a freshman in 2008, unless classified as a student with disabilities, the cohort was not offered the Local Diploma as a pathway to graduation. This is one reason why the graduation rates in Buffalo Public Schools fell below 48%.
The local diploma as a pathway to graduation must be offered again in NYS. In 2009, nearly 40% of English Language Learners (ELL) and students with disabilities obtained the Local Diploma, while the overall State figure was nearly 15%. Now the dropout rates are higher for these students since the 2008 freshman cohort no longer offered the Local Diploma as a pathway to graduation.
Even the appeals process is challenging requiring students to have attained within 3 points of 65, a 95% attendance rate and other such requirements to get a Regents Diploma. While before NYS students had the Local Diploma now all must meet the requirements of a 65 passing score on the Regents Exams unless it's a students with disabilities still offered a local diploma passing with the old score of 55.
In the BPS other policy changes have impacted graduation rates such as when the School Board eliminated social promotion causing a higher number of students to remain in elementary school until they become overage and drop. Another contributing factor is the School Board policy that required students to stay in school until they complete the school year when they reach 17 instead of the State compulsory age of 16.
Thus, more pathways to graduation are needed because the cookie cutter one the NYS Board of Regents created aggravated the dropout rates in the State stifling the aspirations and dreams of hundreds of students who otherwise could have graduated. Now the pipeline to prison is more of a reality.
Some in the community blamed the low rate on newly appointed Superintendent Dr. Pamela C. Brown such as incoming board member Carl Paladino.
Yet, NYS students graduating in 2012 (who were 9th grade students in 2008) are the first cohort of students required to take all five Regents Exams with a passing score of 65 and obtain a Regents Diploma in order to graduate.
In the past before the Board of Regents changed the playing field, school districts offered the Local Diploma that nearly 15% of NYS public high school students received in 2009. But the graduates most impacted when Board of Regents eliminated the Local Diploma as a pathway to graduation was the class of 2012.
So if you entered as a freshman in 2008, unless classified as a student with disabilities, the cohort was not offered the Local Diploma as a pathway to graduation. This is one reason why the graduation rates in Buffalo Public Schools fell below 48%.
The local diploma as a pathway to graduation must be offered again in NYS. In 2009, nearly 40% of English Language Learners (ELL) and students with disabilities obtained the Local Diploma, while the overall State figure was nearly 15%. Now the dropout rates are higher for these students since the 2008 freshman cohort no longer offered the Local Diploma as a pathway to graduation.
Even the appeals process is challenging requiring students to have attained within 3 points of 65, a 95% attendance rate and other such requirements to get a Regents Diploma. While before NYS students had the Local Diploma now all must meet the requirements of a 65 passing score on the Regents Exams unless it's a students with disabilities still offered a local diploma passing with the old score of 55.
In the BPS other policy changes have impacted graduation rates such as when the School Board eliminated social promotion causing a higher number of students to remain in elementary school until they become overage and drop. Another contributing factor is the School Board policy that required students to stay in school until they complete the school year when they reach 17 instead of the State compulsory age of 16.
Thus, more pathways to graduation are needed because the cookie cutter one the NYS Board of Regents created aggravated the dropout rates in the State stifling the aspirations and dreams of hundreds of students who otherwise could have graduated. Now the pipeline to prison is more of a reality.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Buffalo school officials and BTF going back to court
The teacher evaluation agreements the NYS Education Department imposed on school districts across the state may have to be revisited after the Buffalo Teachers Federation voted Thursday to challenge the Buffalo school district in court over a dispute about the memorandum of understanding the superintendent and the union signed earlier this year.
Buffalo teacher evaluation plan Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) was among the last ones the State Education Department approved.
This new legal challenge to the district reneging on the MOU to the teacher evaluation agreements may possibly open up a new discussion about the legality of imposing evaluations based on information and documents not readily available to sufficiently evaluate teachers in public school districts throughout the state.
Sadly, the equity firms, banks, and hedge fund investors were the largest donors to politicians including Gov. Andrew Cuomo who sought out Democrats for Education Reform for support and donations. In return these politicians including the NYS Board of Regents coalesced to revamp education law and to install state education commissioners sympathetic to their reform agenda.
And it was to weaken the unions especially teachers and rid the system of tenure by copying a system of employee evaluations developed in the private sector where the vast majority are at-will employees.
Even an attempt now to find information on tenure Education law 3020a is impossible on the NYS Education Department website.
As a result of the changes to rid district of tenure a new teacher and principal evaluation system emerged that Gov. Cuomo signed "chapter 103 of laws of 2010 that added a new section 3012c to Education law that established a comprehensive evaluation system for classroom teachers and principals based on the APPR.
The BTF and district officials should be allowed an opportunity to submit the MOU as part of its agreement if it was not done earlier with the documents it sent to the state to assuage the state education commissioner and the governor.
It's unfortunate that caught in the middle of this tug-of-war between the union, district, SED and the governor are the teachers and the children.
They deserve a less punitive teacher evaluation system, as well as their tenure rights.
They deserve a less punitive teacher evaluation system, as well as their tenure rights.
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Whitney Tilson (3rd background)
"Let’s be honest: we need a lot more well-off, well-educated white folks with a personal stake in both charter schools and education reform in general if we’re going to take reform to the next level, both politically and operationally.Whitney Tilson, hedge fund manager and major funding angel for the school privatizing Democrats for Education Reform, thinks there’s not enough rich, educated white folks.( Preaprez) click photo to his blog.
Arne Duncan
U.S. Secretary of Education, click photo