tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35803762048382023072024-03-27T02:35:16.635-04:00Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." -- William Butler YeatsNEIFPEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04785540458733702680noreply@blogger.comBlogger914125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-77109491647871470342024-03-25T05:00:00.194-04:002024-03-25T05:00:00.159-04:00In Case You Missed It – March 25, 2024Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHOzAEZwyzYaqjBgiTL3q4pVW6JPwY1uRlv-C_YNlLRkYA5BZk9irIxIdKGNQkNoLyI6NWlP2bZoSNWAmI-sH9aSq2whnzka27olMswasXurrtGwL_-QRUBOH8PD6DSXLhCLPWeP9w326K-vlNApmPgyagVHiRA153iQvymfDwt11mI16XlJz8Gl3S-K_/s320/policymakersexp.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="320" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHOzAEZwyzYaqjBgiTL3q4pVW6JPwY1uRlv-C_YNlLRkYA5BZk9irIxIdKGNQkNoLyI6NWlP2bZoSNWAmI-sH9aSq2whnzka27olMswasXurrtGwL_-QRUBOH8PD6DSXLhCLPWeP9w326K-vlNApmPgyagVHiRA153iQvymfDwt11mI16XlJz8Gl3S-K_/w200-h138/policymakersexp.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
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<i>"How do you build a world-class human? Well, you give him or her the benefits of a broad, humane, liberal arts education that confers judgment, wisdom, vision, and generosity. Greene shows us, from her own classes over three decades, exactly how that happens.<br />
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And she shows us how, under the “standards”-and-testing occupation, all that is being lost."</i> -- Bob Shepherd, quoted in <a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2024/03/22/bob-shepherd/" target="_blank">Bob Shepherd: Gayle Green on How to Make a Human</a> by Diane Ravitch.<br />
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<u><b>THE CASE FOR NOT TAKING A WRECKING BALL TO WHAT HAS WORKED</b></u><br />
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<b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2024/03/22/bob-shepherd/" target="_blank">Bob Shepherd: Gayle Green on How to Make a Human</a></b><br />
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The so-called "education reform" movement to privatize education has been decimating schools for more than two decades. Has it worked to improve student outcomes?<br />
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From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Bob Shepherd, author, editor, assessment developer, story-teller, and teacher, read a book that he loved. He hopes—and I hope—that you will love it too.<br />
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He writes:<br />
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Like much of Europe between 1939 and 1945, education in the United States, at every level, is now under occupation. The occupation is led by Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation and abetted by countless collaborators like those paid by Gates to create the puerile and failed Common Core (which was not core—that is, central, key, or foundational—and was common only in the sense of being vulgar. The bean counting under the occupation via its demonstrably invalid, pseudoscientific testing regime has made of schooling in the U.S. a diminished thing, with debased and devolved test preppy curricula (teaching materials) and pedagogy (teaching methods).<br />
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In the midst of this, Gayle Greene, a renowned Shakespeare scholar and Professor Emerita at Scripps University, has engaged in some delightful bomb throwing for the Resistance. Her weapon? A new book called Immeasurable Outcomes: Teaching Shakespeare in the Age of the Algorithm.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>SCHOOLS NEED COUNSELORS, NOT CHAPLAINS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2024/03/21/hindu-chaplain-will-move-to-florida-if-desantis-signs-the-bill-to-let-him-guide-students/" target="_blank">Hindu “Statesman” Will Move to Florida if DeSantis Signs the Bill to Let Him Guide Students</a></b><br />
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The founders chose to keep church and state separate. Using chaplains instead of counselors flies in the face of that basic American concept. States should fully fund schools so that qualified counselors can be hired.<br />
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A similar bill failed to pass in this year's Indiana General Assembly, but our guess is that it's not gone forever.<br />
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From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article286601160.html?deviceId=7729BA6D-C659-4231-8942-06B932BC6662&tempKey=value" target="_blank">The Miami Herald reports</a>:<br />
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Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to sign a bill that would allow chaplains to offer counseling in public schools, but one colorful religious figure says he is already eager to volunteer.<br />
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He’s a self-described “Hindu statesman” from Nevada who says he would like to bring “the wisdom of ancient Sanskrit scriptures” to students — perhaps not exactly what Florida lawmakers had in mind when they approved a bill that supporters tout as a way to make up for a shortage of mental health counselors in many schools.<br />
<br />
The offer from Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, may amount to just his latest effort to raise his organization’s profile, but it also underlines concerns from critics. Mainly, that the bill’s vague definition of “counseling” will invite religious groups — whether they are Hindu, Christian or otherwise — to use it as a door to teaching their beliefs in secular school systems.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHNZII-f_JLSQMuJicME-Gc5FK3aW5nks0SHCZweVZ0WJRhhVnLJZk7yTapUZOmJdsoU63Crl70E5L1rq-IuHN3dTDUKpflDegaqbClyA8Epdk574H_OR68hZi_MvjxENoVsFEQkO4-onVPaedKAcmVJQYlnlXbZY_aKYQJgPEI7OMDLkDQYmiZjEMTAO/s2048/Poverty.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1445" data-original-width="2048" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHNZII-f_JLSQMuJicME-Gc5FK3aW5nks0SHCZweVZ0WJRhhVnLJZk7yTapUZOmJdsoU63Crl70E5L1rq-IuHN3dTDUKpflDegaqbClyA8Epdk574H_OR68hZi_MvjxENoVsFEQkO4-onVPaedKAcmVJQYlnlXbZY_aKYQJgPEI7OMDLkDQYmiZjEMTAO/w200-h141/Poverty.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><u><b>IT'S STILL POVERTY</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2024/03/19/will-the-u-s-senate-waste-the-chance-to-reduce-child-poverty/" target="_blank">Will the U.S. Senate Waste this Year’s Opportunity to Reduce Child Poverty?</a></b><br />
<br /><a href="https://bloom-at.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-myth-of-americas-failing-public.html" target="_blank">Child poverty is the number one cause of low student achievement</a> in the US (and worldwide). No amount of scripted lessons, overuse, and misuse of testing, or insulting and demeaning educators will improve student outcomes. We've known this for years.<br />
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"<i>...we are likely to find that the problems of housing and education, instead of preceding the elimination of poverty, will themselves be affected if poverty is first abolished.</i>" -- <a href="http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/628.html" target="_blank">Martin Luther King Jr.</a><br />
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As you read this post, you will see that there is one political party in the US that is more interested in providing tax breaks for businesses than helping poor children. Remember in November.<br />
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From <a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Jan Resseger</a><br />
<blockquote><i>One of three huge structural injustices for American children and their public schools—along with inadequate and unequally distributed school funding across the states and persistent economic and racial segregation—is our society’s outrageous level of child poverty. Right now Congress may squander a real opportunity to begin helping our society’s poorest children.<br />
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Although, on January 31, the U.S. House passed by a large margin a bipartisan compromise bill that would modestly increase the Child Tax Credit along with some business tax breaks that are a Republican priority, the bill has never been brought to the floor of the U.S. Senate for a vote.<br />
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Last week, the NY Times‘ <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/13/us/politics/tax-bill-child-credit-senate.html#:~:text=credit%2Dsenate.html-,Bipartisan%20Tax%20Bill%20Is%20Stuck%20in%20Senate%20Limbo%20After%20Broad,existing%20package%20as%20elections%20loom." target="_blank">Kayla Guo described</a> the impasse and some of the politics: “A bipartisan bill to expand the Child Tax Credit and reinstate a set of business tax breaks has stalled in the Senate after winning overwhelming approval in the House, as Republicans balk at legislation they regard as too generous to low-income families. The delay of the $78 billion tax package has imperiled the measure’s chances and reflects the challenges of passing any major legislation in an election year. Enacting a new tax law would give President Biden and Democrats an achievement to campaign on, something that Republicans may prefer to avoid.”<br />
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The new bill to expand the Child Tax Credit is inferior to what was incorporated in the 2021, COVID relief, American Rescue Plan, which helped America’s poorest families by making the Child Tax Credit fully refundable to families without income or with such meager income that they don’t pay enough federal income taxes to cover the amount of the full Child Tax Credit. When Congress let that expansion of the Child Tax Credit expire at the end of 2021, <a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2022/03/10/33622/" target="_blank">U.S. child poverty increased by 41 percent</a>.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>SCHOOLS CAN BREAK UP ILEARN THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2024/03/21/indiana-schools-get-legislative-green-light-to-break-up-ilearn-testing-throughout-school-year/" target="_blank">Indiana schools get legislative green light to break up ILEARN testing throughout school year</a></b><br />
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The Indiana General Assembly offers some flexibility for schools.<br />
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From <a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com" target="_blank">Indiana Capital Chronicle</a><br />
<blockquote><i>An option for schools to divvy up portions of Indiana’s ILEARN exams was approved by state lawmakers at the end of the 2024 legislative session and will change how thousands of Hoosier students are tested.<br />
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The provision was included in <a href="https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/house/1243/details" target="_blank">House Enrolled Act 1243</a>, an omnibus education bill filled with action items supported by the Indiana Department of Education.<br />
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The assessment plan includes what state education officials call “flexible checkpoints” for schools to administer ILEARN preparation tests in language arts and math before the typical end-of-year summative tests. A dozen other states already have similar models.<br />
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Based on a <a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2023/06/08/indiana-officials-approve-new-streamlined-k-12-education-standards/" target="_blank">plan approved by the Indiana’s State Board of Education last summer</a>, the “checkpoints” will consist of 20 to 25 questions and hone in on four to six state standards. The exams are designed to be administered to students about every three months, but local schools and districts can speed up testing if they wish.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4mpAS3soXg25Fs1FC1W-UZVdp3hcmTXt3MC7X7-vsrdVehFEGQFyurfNpK_91jr4jdjcjHaLbtRUVl6b7i4NOUFm7kk9jElwx1_CVTTFOKYFk_fedjS4DuCEPSK2T9OqhZ3ayNezJdWBB8MYDTDNNZOezfUJm6Ws2PpSezfX6hBkvLoT_slA60FRG_mU/s823/childismore2.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="823" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4mpAS3soXg25Fs1FC1W-UZVdp3hcmTXt3MC7X7-vsrdVehFEGQFyurfNpK_91jr4jdjcjHaLbtRUVl6b7i4NOUFm7kk9jElwx1_CVTTFOKYFk_fedjS4DuCEPSK2T9OqhZ3ayNezJdWBB8MYDTDNNZOezfUJm6Ws2PpSezfX6hBkvLoT_slA60FRG_mU/w200-h199/childismore2.png" width="200" /></a></div>
**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
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<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
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###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-59131950728961980092024-03-18T05:00:00.150-04:002024-03-18T05:00:00.270-04:00In Case You Missed It – March 18, 2024Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDlofmI8YsX7oXgPYJYekA_TlaGHMQp6JYVivEyqgl6GpC0sNiTiFRepWZoMYoG04bpDjPLtRVksnAfXHd4NWBZGG73KLWs7_-x8s_fZdqhAusPkKo3Gdkc6Kga-D4Z5QsL10LYsiYq2jx1NPXAxlXIKe0RZHTAY-0MOEnMGXeAtspJXAuHwcapRgr7tg/s330/public_schools_bus_%281%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="330" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDlofmI8YsX7oXgPYJYekA_TlaGHMQp6JYVivEyqgl6GpC0sNiTiFRepWZoMYoG04bpDjPLtRVksnAfXHd4NWBZGG73KLWs7_-x8s_fZdqhAusPkKo3Gdkc6Kga-D4Z5QsL10LYsiYq2jx1NPXAxlXIKe0RZHTAY-0MOEnMGXeAtspJXAuHwcapRgr7tg/w200-h150/public_schools_bus_(1).jpg" width="200" /></a></div><u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
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<i>"Believing the pandemic brought harmful policy shifts, causing school quality to decline, [Hanushek] sees abandoning standardized test accountability as number one on his pantheon of bad moves. Teachers unions pushing for their preferred education policies seems wrong to Hanushek. After all, what do teachers know about good education? They are not trained MIT economists, like he is!<br />
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"...Learning-loss is not the big danger facing America’s students. The real danger is the likes of McKinsey, NWEA, CREDO and research leaders like Eric Hanushek."</i> -- Tom Ultican in <a href="https://tultican.com/2024/03/12/subterfuge-and-learning-loss-baloney/" target="_blank">Subterfuge and Learning Loss Baloney</a>.<br />
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<u><b>THE STUPIDITY OF RANKING SCHOOLS BY TEST SCORES</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2024/02/15/school-ratings-and-rankings-cause-educational-redlining-and-resegregation/" target="_blank">School Ratings and Rankings Cause Educational Redlining and Resegregation</a></b><br />
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Children, teachers, and schools are more than just the sum of their test scores.<br />
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From <a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Jan Resseger</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Having attended school in a small Montana town, where we all went to the same middle school and high school, and having parented two children who attended our neighborhood elementary and middle school and came together at our community’s only high school here in a Cleveland, Ohio inner suburb, I prefer the old and more radical solution to the whole problem of school choice driven by <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/education/2023/09/greater-cleveland-outdoes-rest-of-the-state-with-5-star-districts-in-newest-ohio-school-report-cards.html" target="_blank">metrics published in the newspaper</a> or school report cards. In fact, for the majority of families in the United States, neighborhood schools are still the norm. A system of neighborhood schools embodies the idea that parents’ responsibility is to help their children embrace the opportunities at the school where they are assigned.<br />
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As parents when my children were in elementary school, we used the PTA meetings as places to strategize about how we could better support innovations and special programs to make school more fun and challenging for all the students. A district-wide school support agency in our community provides a tutoring program for students who need extra help, and there is a community supported, district-wide music camp for a week in June when the high school orchestra director and his staff, along with a raft of graduates from the high school music program, help students from across the middle schools to prepare for joining the high school band and orchestra. People from across the school district turn out for the concert that culminates the summer music camp.<br />
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This kind of community involvement connects parents with the community’s public schools in a qualitative way. When people engage personally with a school, the teachers and the students, parents can learn so much more about a school than any metric can expose.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>LEARNING LOSS BALONEY</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://tultican.com/2024/03/12/subterfuge-and-learning-loss-baloney/" target="_blank">Subterfuge and Learning Loss Baloney</a></b><br />
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There is a widespread panic over "learning loss" from the COVID-19 pandemic. Tom Ultican talks us off the ledge...<br />
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From <a href="https://tultican.com" target="_blank">Tultican</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Crazy pants Eric Hanushek <a href="https://www.the74million.org/article/lost-learning-lost-earning-an-equation-that-could-cost-the-u-s-31-trillion/" target="_blank">claims</a> COVID “learning-loss” could cost American students $31 trillion in future earnings. He burst onto the education world’s consciousness with his <a href="http://hanushek.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Hanushek%201981%20JPAM%201%281%29.pdf" target="_blank">1981 paper</a>, claiming “there is no relationship between expenditures and the achievement of students and that such traditional remedies as reducing class sizes or hiring better trained teachers are unlikely to improve matters.” This played well with billionaires from the Walton family but had no relationship with reality. Likewise, his January 2024 “learning-loss” claims were straight up baloney.<br />
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Learning-Loss Reality<br />
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In the summer and fall of 2020, NWEA, McKinsey, CREDO and others produced unfounded analysis of looming learning-loss disaster caused by school closures. Since there was no data, summer learning-loss was used as a proxy, a bad one. In 2019, Paul von Hippel’s <a href="https://www.educationnext.org/is-summer-learning-loss-real-how-i-lost-faith-education-research-results/" target="_blank">investigation</a> threw great doubt on the 1982 Baltimore study that powerfully supported summer learning-loss belief. He showed using <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/is-summer-learning-loss-real-and-does-it-widen-test-score-gaps-by-family-income/" target="_blank">modern testing analysis</a>, learning-loss was doubtful and in some cases, students gained during the summer. This data, used to trumpet a national education crisis, had no validity.<br />
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Unfortunately, billionaire-financed organizations, out to undermine public schools, do not care.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESSbEuS6fr_StjUnxwf6eTit8b222hFnzDTkmq0vntSKtnCId8oTqJnj0Og_en3Pzok01DbZGMys9CeNlpeS-KPHquanR4YB0uuuy5BGdnC364Pol2v0qn5BFwfd7fK-Bi42WRFutT06odWVGFqPE7DggDmmrAk6hzvfuGUfKXInnc6BUE7UzjjFj-Qe4/s823/childismore2.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="823" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESSbEuS6fr_StjUnxwf6eTit8b222hFnzDTkmq0vntSKtnCId8oTqJnj0Og_en3Pzok01DbZGMys9CeNlpeS-KPHquanR4YB0uuuy5BGdnC364Pol2v0qn5BFwfd7fK-Bi42WRFutT06odWVGFqPE7DggDmmrAk6hzvfuGUfKXInnc6BUE7UzjjFj-Qe4/s200/childismore2.png" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<u><b>CLOSING SCHOOLS DOES NOT FIX THEM</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2024/03/12/john-thompson-the-failure-of-fixing-schools-by-closibg-them/" target="_blank">John Thompson: The Failure of “Fixing” Schools by Closing Them</a></b><br />
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Did school closures help students learn?<br />
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From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>John Thompson, historian and retired teacher in Oklahoma, explains what happened when “reformers,” led by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, advocated for school closures.<br />
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He writes:<br />
<br />
When non-educators watch <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia/2022/4/12/23022788/philadelphia-comegys-teacher-surprised-gma-abbott-elementary-quinta-brunson-good-morning-america/" target="_blank">Abbott Elementary</a>, the television comedy, they are likely to find it hilarious, but I suspect it takes a teacher to fully understand the accuracy of its portrayal of the weird corporate reforms imposed on Philadelphia schools. But, recent research helps explain why many of even the most fervent advocates for test-driven, competition-driven school turnarounds now acknowledge their failures (even though they don’t apologize for them.).<br />
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The third-year premiere of Abbott gave a <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/2024/02/08/abbott-elementary-season-three-premiere-chalkbeat-mention/" target="_blank">shout out</a> to the respected journal, Chalkbeat. And, <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2024/02/23/asd-achievement-school-district-closure-debate-school-turnaround-future/?utm_source=Chalkbeat&utm_campaign=58e27d0570-National+The+turnaround+strategies+that+fizzled&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9091015053-58e27d0570-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=58e27d0570&mc_eid=a52fc40e8f" target="_blank">Chalkbeat</a> is again reporting on failed turnarounds in Philadelphia, Tennessee, and elsewhere, as well as why former supporters of school takeovers are repudiating the reward-and-punish method for rapid, transformative change.<br />
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<a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia/2024/02/28/philadelphia-renaissance-charter-schools-didnt-better-student-performance/?utm_source=Chalkbeat&utm_campaign=58e27d0570-National+The+turnaround+strategies+that+fizzled&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9091015053-58e27d0570-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=58e27d0570&mc_eid=a52fc40e8f" target="_blank">Chalkbeat analyzed</a> the Philadelphia mandate, the 2010 Renaissance Initiative. It “strove to turn around about 10% of Philadelphia’s low-performing district schools by ceding them to charter organizations that promised to do better.” By 2023, however, “the Renaissance charter schools as a group mostly performed worse in standardized tests for elementary and middle schoolers than the district averages.”<br />
<br />
Donna Cooper, executive director of Children First explained, “The goal was to prove that charters would work with any kid, not just about parents who were highly motivated to enter a lottery, and to show that a neighborhood school turned over to a charter organization would do better than if run by the school district.” But, “As far as I can tell, the data didn’t result in that.”</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>KENTUCKY GOP PUSHES VOUCHERS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2024/03/14/kentucky-gop-passes-bill-to-nullify-parts-of-state-constitution-to-allow-vouchers/" target="_blank">Kentucky: GOP Passes Bill to Nullify Parts of State Constitution to Allow Vouchers</a></b><br />
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From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>State Senator Tina Bojanowski, teacher and legislator (@TinaforKentucky), tweeted:<br />
<br />
KY House passes HB2, a bill to change our Constitution to allow vouchers and charters by creating an amendment that allows future legislation to disregard SEVEN sections of our Constitution.
@kyhousedems</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>FORT WAYNE AREA NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/fort-wayne-community-schools-takes-giant-step-forward-with-planned-early-childhood-center/article_ecc906ae-e09b-11ee-9f29-4ffccacca12a.html" target="_blank">
Fort Wayne Community Schools takes 'giant step forward' with planned early childhood center</a></b><br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Fort Wayne Community Schools’ quest to build an early childhood center on the city’s southeast side marked a milestone this week that should fuel the district’s fundraising efforts for the $14.7 million project.<br />
<br />
The school board on Monday approved options to purchase two adjacent parcels totaling 3.5 acres at the northeast intersection of Queen Street and Werling Drive near McMillen Park from the city of Fort Wayne Department of Redevelopment and Village Premier LP.<br />
<br />
The 26,700-square-foot facility will be part of Village Premier, a multiphase mixed-use project that broke ground last year, said Joe Giant, the city’s redevelopment administrator. He told the Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission on Monday afternoon that the early childhood center will help combat the lack of child care in the city’s southeast quadrant.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22PMuDzVLza7vfrh6XiyW3j2am4X5lZfIjYGLlQNp4lRHnD4NHVmci-IH4FIGfUVDTb7Ac3DJLkS-qOc7NJF03em1PN3YTQLfsVr2bQ2yxl0cO9QdmH5b-yXXgKSi1kzkss8jCMJMM64Qxfgciv-FzsKDddCY1nojQDdrqQpgtzWrVWrDrhRUtyg0MUBy/s450/6a00d8341cbf9a53ef0115721e6202970b-450wi.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22PMuDzVLza7vfrh6XiyW3j2am4X5lZfIjYGLlQNp4lRHnD4NHVmci-IH4FIGfUVDTb7Ac3DJLkS-qOc7NJF03em1PN3YTQLfsVr2bQ2yxl0cO9QdmH5b-yXXgKSi1kzkss8jCMJMM64Qxfgciv-FzsKDddCY1nojQDdrqQpgtzWrVWrDrhRUtyg0MUBy/s200/6a00d8341cbf9a53ef0115721e6202970b-450wi.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/fort-wayne-community-schools-prepares-weapons-detection-expansion/article_4266fcda-e018-11ee-bdb9-dfa7510ade6b.html" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Community Schools prepares weapons detection expansion</a></b><br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>The Fort Wayne Community Schools board agreed Monday to spend $1.4 million on weapons detection systems, but the district likely won’t expand its security screenings to every middle and high school until next academic year.<br />
<br />
That’s because the Ceia Opengate weapons detection systems likely won’t be ready until late this academic year, said Matt Schiebel, executive director of safety and community partnerships.<br />
<br />
Implementation is also dependent on having student advocates in place, because the devices require additional personnel, he said, referring to a new staff position funded by the Safer FWCS referendum.<br />
<br />
FWCS piloted the weapons screening device at South Side High School, where no guns have been found this year, Schiebel said.</i></blockquote><br />**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.1393513-32.942410452895388 134.2356487 90 55.4856487tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-49120828339010918052024-03-11T05:00:00.135-04:002024-03-11T05:00:00.134-04:00In Case You Missed It – March 11, 2024Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjelQxvLlIVgQuo9dMx5RU9nJov4yRLxdLGY77hAdm39pZyYfBWL7m3pIp5whA9BgDcEaFbnaHJXWRUN7dccfKDeoqOC1N-EjiGQfOcn2ZoTQ9EUFb8EMSHyYkvBSvsISIA4gVSix2RdrVd7t1Oi28dHe0fYVx8RE8tjpGllrfdyIN85J4fPw-6gSNsXwW/s596/politics_and_education.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjelQxvLlIVgQuo9dMx5RU9nJov4yRLxdLGY77hAdm39pZyYfBWL7m3pIp5whA9BgDcEaFbnaHJXWRUN7dccfKDeoqOC1N-EjiGQfOcn2ZoTQ9EUFb8EMSHyYkvBSvsISIA4gVSix2RdrVd7t1Oi28dHe0fYVx8RE8tjpGllrfdyIN85J4fPw-6gSNsXwW/s320/politics_and_education.jpeg"/></a></div><br />
<u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
<i>"...unanswered questions point us at the nuance missing in the Moms for Liberty outrage and panic factory, the nuance that recognizes that reasonable intelligent people can disagree about the value of certain books. In the real world, there's a huge difference between showing six year olds graphic depictions of the ways one can use a penis and a non-graphic depiction of LGBTQ persons. There's a vast gulf between grooming some small child for sexual abuse and simply acknowledging there are some LGBTQ persons in the world (and possibly in the classroom or the homes of class members). There's a planet-seized difference between saying 'LGBTQ persons are not extraordinary or unnatural' and saying 'You should become an LGBTQ person.' And yet, in the Moms for Liberty universe, there is no difference between any of those things."</i> -- by Peter Greene, <a href="https://curmudgucation.substack.com/p/60-minutes-asked-the-right-questions" target="_blank">60 Minutes Asked Moms for Liberty The Right Questions</a><br /><br />
<u><b>FIGHTING BACK AGAINST M4L</b></u><br />
<br />
<a href="https://curmudgucation.substack.com/p/60-minutes-asked-the-right-questions" target="_blank"><b>60 Minutes Asked Moms for Liberty The Right Questions</b></a><br /><br />
Peter Greene uses his pro-public education voice. This post takes down the misnamed "Moms for Liberty" who want to censor books.<br />
<br />
From Peter Greene, <a href="https://curmudgucation.substack.com" target="_blank">Curmudgucation on Substack</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Reporter Scott Pelley gets right to the heart of several issues. The difference between giving parents the tools to control what their own children can read (something the district also provides in spades) and trying to control what other parents can let their children read. The outrage-enhancing technique of treating isolated mistakes as proof of some widespread conspiracy.<br />
<br />
In the midst of it all, the Moms for Liberty, with Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich finally seen in the footage from an interview they sat for way back in October of 2023.<br />
<br />
The piece is tough on them. The parents that are set up to represent the district are Republican, conservative, combat veterans. Pelley in repeated voice overs points out that the Moms are evasive and avoid answering question but instead retreating to their talking points (he does not point out that they are <a href="https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2023/05/fl-prequel-to-moms-for-liberty-is.html" target="_blank">seasoned political coms professionals</a>, but he doesn't portray them as cookie-baking domestics, either). Some of the talking points were so six months ago. "We don't co-parent with the government," said the women whose demands include forcing the government to help them with the part of parenting that involves keeping an eye on what your children read and watch.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2024/03/04/florida-district-alters-illustrations-in-classic-childrens-books-to-appease-moms-for-liberty/" target="_blank">Florida District Alters Illustrations in Classic Children’s Books to Appease Moms for Liberty</a></b><br /><br />
Diane Ravitch joins the chorus of voices against "Moms for Liberty."<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>The local leader of Moms for Liberty was outraged! There was a book in the elementary school library that depicted a naked child! Another showed the naked butt of a goblin! What depravity!<br />
<br />
Judd Legum and Tesnim Zekeria at Popular Information have the story, which actually happened in Indian River County, Florida, when Jennifer Pippen of Moms for Liberty complained about Maurice Sendak’s classic In the Night Kitchen.<br />
<br />
Pippen said the book was “pornographic” because it showed a naked little boy in a bathtub; if you peered closely, you could see that the little boy had a penis. Shocking!</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kk2QbRN3ZaSyS8jtxOEg9p1BTABE4lLF-HlSWqkq0GdHha33wBKUErU1cIzCnIAhlFghxxcfNSPr6ijtNGEWK6vIgOJGzeTzZKZU1R5T7JIjjIjq3g3akwCydxfhOBY0o5BzW2-zUizArc0y3yeM8txnNIcxzCzXnuyILOvsMPOYRlRCQaSL2Y5pG3td/s700/MoneyinPolitics3.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kk2QbRN3ZaSyS8jtxOEg9p1BTABE4lLF-HlSWqkq0GdHha33wBKUErU1cIzCnIAhlFghxxcfNSPr6ijtNGEWK6vIgOJGzeTzZKZU1R5T7JIjjIjq3g3akwCydxfhOBY0o5BzW2-zUizArc0y3yeM8txnNIcxzCzXnuyILOvsMPOYRlRCQaSL2Y5pG3td/s320/MoneyinPolitics3.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<u><b>INDIANA NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://indianacoalitionforpubliced.org/2024/02/29/vics-statehouse-notes-384-a-new-and-negative-precedent/" target="_blank">Vic’s Statehouse Notes #384 – A new and negative precedent</a></b><br />
<br />
The <a href="https://indianacoalitionforpubliced.org" target="_blank">Indiana Coalition for Public Education</a> provides timely information about what's happening in the State General Assembly.<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://indianacoalitionforpubliced.org" target="_blank">Indiana Coalition for Public Education</a><br />
<blockquote><i>This morning the Senate Appropriations Committee approved HB 1001 which gives state money to parents of general education students who are siblings of special education students currently getting Education Scholarship Accounts (ESA’s) to run unaccountable homeschools.<br />
<br />
The committee’s final vote was 11-3, with Senators Qaddoura, Randolph and Yoder dissenting. Before the final vote, Senator Qaddoura, who strongly supports public education, offered an amendment to delete the entire section giving ESA accounts to siblings. His amendment failed on a party line vote, 4-10.<br />
<br />
Senator Mishler, chair of the Appropriations Committee, has killed ESA proposals more than once in previous sessions. He did not kill this one. He said he was voting yes because the program would fit within the $10 million appropriation already in place for next year.<br />
<br />
This is a sad milestone. It is the first time that general education students, the siblings, have been approved for ESA’s in Indiana.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.wane.com/top-stories/msd-of-steuben-county-may-cut-elementary-school-with-highest-test-scores-cites-lack-of-expected-growth/" target="_blank">MSD of Steuben County may cut elementary school with highest test scores, cites lack of expected growth</a></b><br />
<br />
From <a href="https://www.wane.com" target="_blank">WANE.com</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Residents in small Pleasant Lake, Indiana are up in arms to save one of the town’s oldest residents: Pleasant Lake Elementary.<br />
<br />
In the middle of a Feb. 20 board meeting for the Metropolitan School District (MSD) of Steuben County, the district shared some disconcerting enrollment stats.<br />
<br />
“Given what you do have out there (in Pleasant Lake), household size and people moving in, you’re going to be bouncing between 80 and 100 (students),” said Jerome McKibbon with the McKibbon Group, a demographic research firm. “Just not enough population housing is out there to warrant it.”<br />
<br />
The inability to grow.<br />
<br />
A death sentence for a school building that dates back to 1915, although McKibbon said that’s all the more reason for the district to move on.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>FORT WAYNE AREA NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/sacs-outgoing-superintendent-to-lead-grow-allen/article_4b49c820-dc92-11ee-b1f8-7f167539639c.html" target="_blank">SACS outgoing superintendent to lead Grow Allen</a></b><br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Park Ginder’s involvement in local education will continue after he retires as the Southwest Allen County Schools superintendent in June.<br />
<br />
The longtime public educator will be the inaugural executive director of Grow Allen, the organization announced Thursday.<br />
<br />
The Fort Wayne-based group, which celebrated its launch last fall, is leading an initiative to improve student career development and boost northeast Indiana’s economic vitality.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaOFALLYpGEz8AtFAIA0apQRa6K5bZtxFrcGkh2ayq6eL5imnDwDlY7rdZzuymDrk8HeYpfwn-MvCm781AuvL7V5TfNp9hYyneRx078UfZs0B22Xx32DorQWCnhA1JpnsvptAlkevDPKryoeIhWcflKwsI5SkOyLQsvofR4mGwMgbKMc9xbvPWxZfGOOw/s512/investinamer3.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaOFALLYpGEz8AtFAIA0apQRa6K5bZtxFrcGkh2ayq6eL5imnDwDlY7rdZzuymDrk8HeYpfwn-MvCm781AuvL7V5TfNp9hYyneRx078UfZs0B22Xx32DorQWCnhA1JpnsvptAlkevDPKryoeIhWcflKwsI5SkOyLQsvofR4mGwMgbKMc9xbvPWxZfGOOw/s320/investinamer3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-66397806924717783392024-03-04T05:00:00.187-05:002024-03-04T05:00:00.245-05:00In Case You Missed It – March 4, 2024Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBg6gF02DI188TVkLWWSPFPT27Fww6LyG5o58cqnuwjRkSNQn8SwQM4mZqNGkVTs64QK-4XY98e7TaUCN-wC396f7-t3fhkmn148SSZdUEDP8kCMS7GJJeaatJehyphenhyphendyoPOrR8e46MAUH8F5XfwbfawIcndsUX_O0-foyr1xkHcmdfi9eXiRvUPiws4p-i/s640/local-news-3952384057.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBg6gF02DI188TVkLWWSPFPT27Fww6LyG5o58cqnuwjRkSNQn8SwQM4mZqNGkVTs64QK-4XY98e7TaUCN-wC396f7-t3fhkmn148SSZdUEDP8kCMS7GJJeaatJehyphenhyphendyoPOrR8e46MAUH8F5XfwbfawIcndsUX_O0-foyr1xkHcmdfi9eXiRvUPiws4p-i/s320/local-news-3952384057.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
<i>"I wonder how many Indiana legislators who have voted to add more testing for Hoosier kids spent hours in their elementary being tested and then evaluated by those standardized tests. Judging by the age of many if not most of them, I would guess very few. I am sure these people must have children/grandchildren in Indiana schools. How is it that they ignore data and expertise that clearly shows testing does not produce good educational results and in that ignorance continue to vote for more tests?"</i> -- NEIFPE member Terry Springer on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NEIFPE/posts/pfbid0XACymPQebuo11Qxnk1ywoYXwKk8G2KweYz7dPWSFHp7V7Hrrvz6HoddLrM33gqYMl" target="_blank">FaceBook</a>.<br />
<br />
<u><b>LOCAL FORT WAYNE AREA NEWS</b></u><br />
<br />
Local stories dominated our social media this week, covering all four of our local school districts, and highlighting the importance of strong local news sources. Please support Fort Wayne area news sources.<br />
<br />
This week's articles target elections, early childhood, and retirements. Subscribe to the <a href="https://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>** and read the full articles online.<br /><br />
<i>"Across the country...fewer eyeballs are probing into whether local and state governments are spending our tax dollars wisely. Fewer feature stories are being written about local people innovatively serving their towns. Fewer editorialists are helping shape a city or state’s agenda."</i> -- William McKenzie, Senior Editorial Advisor at the Bush Institute in <a href="https://www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/restoring-trust-in-institutions/mckenzie-strong-newspapers-strong-democracy" target="_blank">Strong Local Newspapers Are a Key to Strengthening Our Democracy</a><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/residents-push-back-on-northwest-allen-county-schools-election-discussions/article_944e393c-d64f-11ee-989a-77fb63027119.html" target="_blank">Residents push back on Northwest Allen County Schools election discussions</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Early discussion about Northwest Allen County Schools potentially adjusting board elections received pushback this week from residents, but the member instigating the topic said his efforts will continue.<br />
<br />
“At some point, I will put together some sort of plan for this board to look at and decide what makes sense,” Darren Vogt said during Monday’s board meeting. “It will be listening to those folks in the audience and those folks that aren’t here that have talked to me about it as well. This is a community decision. Any plan that I present will be debated and discussed.”<br />
<br />
The five-member school board has two at-large members and three members elected from residency districts – Eel River, Lake and Perry townships. All voters within NACS may vote for all five seats, regardless of their address.<br />
<br />
Vogt, who was elected as an at-large member in 2022, said last month it’s time to revisit the residency districts because the townships vary in population.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/southwest-allen-county-schools-superintendent-announces-retirement/article_a9269ce8-d814-11ee-8076-2fdde955540e.html" target="_blank">Southwest Allen County Schools superintendent announces retirement</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>After an education career of 38 years, the Southwest Allen County Schools superintendent announced his retirement in a letter to parents Friday.<br />
<br />
Park Ginder said he will retire at the end of the school year.<br />
<br />
“I feel fortunate and privileged to collaborate with some of the brightest, most compassionate and dedicated faculty and staff, consistently making extraordinary contributions to the lives of our students and each other,” he said in the letter.<br />
<br />
Ginder became the district’s superintendent in June 2021 after working as the principal at Homestead High School since 2013. He has also worked as principal at DeKalb High School, assistant principal at Carroll High School and department head and art teacher at Northrop High School and Shawnee Middle School.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/east-allen-county-schools-considers-early-childhood-agreement-with-fort-wayne-community-schools/article_51714f16-d5b2-11ee-9ef6-73e4e5112725.html" target="_blank">East Allen County Schools considers early childhood agreement with Fort Wayne Community Schools</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>The East Allen County Schools board could approve an agreement next week with Fort Wayne Community Schools about a proposed early childhood learning center serving the districts’ teen parents.<br />
<br />
The proposed memorandum of understanding indicates the facility is anticipated to be within EACS’ boundaries at Queen Street and Werling Drive in southeast Fort Wayne.<br />
<br />
FWCS would be responsible for costs associated with constructing, equipping and operating the center because the districts anticipate “significantly more” FWCS students would have children attending the facility’s programs, the memorandum states.<br />
<br />
The document further indicates that EACS would pay mutually agreed fees, if any.<br />
<br />
FWCS announced in late 2022 that it planned to open a child care and early learning center to support teens balancing parenthood and high school.</i></blockquote>
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<b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/indiana-tech-guarantees-admission-tuition-for-eligible-fort-wayne-community-schools-grads/article_f7578e9c-d4e8-11ee-8968-d79d694f3e5c.html" target="_blank">Indiana Tech guarantees admission, tuition for eligible Fort Wayne Community Schools grads</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>All Fort Wayne Community Schools students who graduate with a minimum 2.0 GPA will be guaranteed admission to Indiana Tech under a new program announced Monday.<br />
<br />
Promise IT will also cover full tuition and fees for FWCS students who are eligible for full federal Pell Grant and state college aid, Indiana Tech said in a news release. Students who aren’t Pell eligible will have access to other scholarship opportunities at the university to increase affordability.<br />
<br />
The program begins with the next academic year.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/fort-wayne-community-schools-to-part-with-transportation-site/article_dfbb1c16-d512-11ee-aaa8-87bc0d0ad431.html" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Community Schools to part with transportation site</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Fort Wayne Community Schools will soon seek buyers for property related to the recently shuttered South Transportation Center.<br />
<br />
The school board on Monday approved a resolution authorizing the disposal of the 8.53-acre site, 6006 Ardmore Ave. The transportation center closed less than a year ago because of consolidation with the north location along Cook Road.<br />
<br />
The district hired Steffen Group to handle the marketing and sale of the property.<br />
<br />
Online personal property and real estate auctions are scheduled for April with board approval expected May 13, Chief Financial Officer Rosie Shipman said after the meeting.<br />
<br />
Combining the two transportation centers has led to savings in areas including utilities and maintenance costs, said Renee Dawson, transportation director.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>RETENTION IMPACTS ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.wishtv.com/news/education/how-the-reading-retention-bill-moving-through-indiana-statehouse-impacts-english-learners-2/" target="_blank">How the reading retention bill moving through Indiana Statehouse impacts English learners</a></b><br />
<br />
Once again...does retention even help? Most research says no.<br />
<br />
Also note that schools still face a penalty for low test scores...but are constrained by the legislature's micromanagement of schools and curriculum. Do legislators have more expertise than educators in curriculum and teaching methods?<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/indiana/" target="_blank">Chalkbeat</a>* via <a href="https://www.wishtv.com" target="_blank">WISHTV.com</a><br />
<blockquote><i>...The bill includes “good cause” exemptions to retention for several groups of students, including English learners who have received services for less than two years and whose teachers and parents agree that promotion is appropriate.<br />
<br />
But advocates for English learners say that the exemption for this population doesn’t align with what research says about how long it takes for students to learn a new language.<br />
<br />
With a growing population of 93,000 English learners in Indiana, and a history of shortages of educators licensed to teach language learners, advocates worry that English learners will be denied an appropriate education if they’re retained. The state also has an increasing number of immigrant students, some of whom will need language services.<br />
<br />
Advocates also say the provision conflicts with the state’s implementation of the <a href="https://www.in.gov/doe/files/IN-ESSA-Plan-2022-Addendum.pdf" target="_blank">Every Student Succeeds Act</a>, which gives students six years to demonstrate proficiency in English before their schools face a penalty. Federal law also states that English learners should not be retained solely on the basis of their English language proficiency and that they are entitled to age-appropriate curriculum and participation in school programs.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>CURMUDGUCATION WEEKLY READING LISTS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2024/03/icymi-in-like-weasel-edition-33.html" target="_blank">ICYMI: In Like A Weasel Edition (3/3)</a></b><br />
<br />
Like NEIFPE, Peter Greene at Curmudgucation, releases a weekly list of important education-related articles. Check it out.<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://substack.com/@curmudgucation" target="_blank">Peter Greene</a> at <a href="https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Curmudgucation</a><br />
<blockquote><i><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2024/02/26/republicans-cut-public-schools-for-private-kentucky-north-carolina/72670677007/" target="_blank">Welcome to the GOP's new education agenda: Loot our public schools for private vouchers</a><br />
<br />
Governor Roy Cooper and Governor Andy Bashear team up in this USA Today op-ed and they mince no words. If you'd like to see an elected official actually stand up for public education, you'll want to read this.</i></blockquote>
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*<b>Note</b>: Financial sponsors of <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/" target="_blank">Chalkbeat</a> <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/about/supporters/" target="_blank">include pro-privatization foundations and individuals</a> such as Bloomberg Philanthropies, Gates Family Foundation, The Walton Family Foundation, and others.<br />
<br />**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
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###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-21360954281756642232024-02-26T05:00:00.222-05:002024-02-26T05:00:00.142-05:00In Case You Missed It – February 26, 2024Here are links to articles from the last two weeks<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.publicschoolproud.org" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofEVWTf0fMz2ugkkk2NeC4vbcHp_oaPp921s9lYpuHDSPYNXh4dQnS6BkFMbQpeG0XI9Xmf_PczGfIPdXF0KBYYNt9Ho_9hbDV0uTjS7ZbCbSZQ6ANV32WmOGnxBan5snDlvt-tOURJcr8cnSY2ZgQXg5dRyVA53qZl_fnQAVRIHZebuJc7QDtgpWpk46/s320/PubSchoolsWeek.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click the image to view Learning<br />First Alliance's <i>Public Schools Week</i> website.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
<i>“The tests are not measuring how much students learned or can learn. They are predominately measuring the family and community capital of the student.”</i> -- from Christopher Tienken, quoted by Peter Greene in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/petergreene/2024/02/10/research-shows-what-state-standardized-tests-actually-measure/?fbclid=IwAR2DZKFt8cwT95NDn5BBUvSMvAau47yYyNo02wvdjhQEgbpnfkM8DwFoY_A&sh=61cab36b75e5" target="_blank">Research Shows What State Standardized Tests Actually Measure</a><br />
<br /><u><b>TESTING</b></u><br /><br />
Standardized testing is still being overused and misused...and we discover that tests measure family income instead of school quality or teacher success. Spoiler alert: <a href="https://www.bloomation.net/2017/03/the-myth-of-americas-failing-public.html" target="_blank">We've known this for years</a>.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2024/02/13/who-redefined-teaching-as-the-production-of-high-test-scores-and-who-taught-us-to-believe-in-the-myth-of-the-soft-bigotry-of-low-expectations/" target="_blank">Who Redefined Teaching as the Production of High Test Scores and Who Taught Us to Believe in the Myth of the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations?</a></b><br /><br />From Jan Resseger's Blog<br />
<blockquote><i>...many people and many of the state legislators who allocate dollars for public education too easily blame and scapegoat the schoolteachers and the schools and school districts unable to raise test scores upon command. We continue to watch school districts themselves ignore poverty and systemic racism as they close or punish the schools in the poorest neighborhoods, and we continue to watch state legislatures take over “failing” schools or school districts and install so-called turnaround experts. The polls show that most parents are grateful to their child’s own teacher, someone they know personally, but when people think about teachers in general, too many have learned from several generations of school reform to blame the teachers and look down on the so-called “failing” schools that can’t seem to produce high test scores.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2024/02/12/yong-zhao-why-doesnt-the-u-s-scrap-pisa/" target="_blank">Yong Zhao: Why Doesn’t the U.S. Scrap PISA?</a></b><br /><br />
From Diane Ravitch<br />
<blockquote><i>I have studied the results of international assessments such as PISA and TIMSS for years. Eventually, I began to wonder what the connection was—if any—between the test scores of 15-year-old students and the economic productivity of their nation 10, 15, 20 years later. We’ve been bemoaning our scores since the first international tests were given in the 1960s, even as our economy soars way beyond the nations with higher scores on the tests.<br />
<br />
I invited Yong Zhao to share his reaction to the latest PISA scores. His response was as brilliant as I anticipated.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/petergreene/2024/02/10/research-shows-what-state-standardized-tests-actually-measure/" target="_blank">Research Shows What State Standardized Tests Actually Measure</a></b><br /><br />
From Peter Greene in Forbes<br />
<blockquote><i>First, we can once again recognize that the standardized tests used to make definitive statements about student learning and teacher effectiveness, to assess the quality of administrators, to declare a school “failing,” to pinpoint student academic weaknesses and strength— these tests are in fact simply reflecting the demographics of the students’ families. Maroun and Tienkin write:<br />
<br />
The results from the state-mandated standardized tests used in New Jersey have not been independently validated for all of the ways the results are used, yet some education leaders rely on them for decision-making purposes.<br />
<br />
That stands true for every state where big standardized test data is used in these ways.<br />
<br />
Second, if policy makers must insist that the big standardized test scores must be used for this wide variety of policy purposes, research like this suggests that the best way to improve test scores for students from less resource-filled backgrounds might be to provide them with wider and deeper experiences aimed at building background knowledge, rather than bombarding them with test prep exercises and workbooks.<br />
<br />
Education centered around high-stakes testing has been pushing schools down the wrong road for twenty-some years. This study is a reminder that the big standardized test generates data that actually says far more about a school’s demographics than its effectiveness.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinm5qvqmw3biiGmpa85hUw8U16iFEYpwQrJbVUl7ecLBt2Y1sP9b1sgRzvgoaci1TITuzpRoLjm5S8aPtBGmqmd01TcAY0xXBg6dGYrTjnwgp9H9hxgnoFCCETZOpHDuKT7bzxLDUhyphenhyphen-ZmW5cTUT0IC6ucy9vt6M0V52naL7yIwL3rZ2rGy5L2D2vC4-uZ/s276/testimages.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="276" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinm5qvqmw3biiGmpa85hUw8U16iFEYpwQrJbVUl7ecLBt2Y1sP9b1sgRzvgoaci1TITuzpRoLjm5S8aPtBGmqmd01TcAY0xXBg6dGYrTjnwgp9H9hxgnoFCCETZOpHDuKT7bzxLDUhyphenhyphen-ZmW5cTUT0IC6ucy9vt6M0V52naL7yIwL3rZ2rGy5L2D2vC4-uZ/w200-h133/testimages.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><u><b>INDIANA AG GATHERS DATA ON 'NAUGHTY' SCHOOLS</b></u><br /><br /><b><a href="https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2024/02/in-from-ag-another-edu-with-hunt-site.html" target="_blank">IN: From the AG, Another Edu-witch Hunt Site</a></b><br /><br />Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita sets up a web site to intimidate schools and teachers.<br /><br />From Peter Greene in Curmudgucation<br /><blockquote><i>...what this is going to do is add to intimidation of teachers, allow unsubstantiated slamming of schools, increase distrust of public ed, make some political hay for Rokita, and spread smoke without light. All that and waste the time of a lot of people working in public education (which school administrator will draw the task of doing the daily Check For Lies on the AG Website). What it won't do is improve the quality of public education in Indiana.</i></blockquote><br /><u><b>INDIANA LEGISLATORS IGNORE EXPERTS</b></u><br /><br />The Indiana General Assembly seems to think that they know more about education and educating children than the experts -- the teachers of Indiana. This legislation will force teachers to ignore research and provide a one-size-fits-all solution to student achievement.<div><br /><b><a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/indiana/2024/01/17/indiana-third-grade-retention-bill-passes-senate-education-commitee/" target="_blank">Indiana lawmakers advance bill to hold back more third graders who don’t pass reading test</a></b><br /><br />From Chalkbeat*<br /><blockquote><i>A bill to hold back and provide more support to third graders who can’t read proficiently passed the Senate Education and Career Development Committee Wednesday along party lines.<br /><br />Senate Bill 1 would reinforce the state’s policy of holding back students who fail the state’s reading test, while also requiring schools to identify and give remediation to those who are at risk of not passing the exam.<br /><br />Under the provisions <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/indiana/2024/01/12/indiana-gop-bill-on-third-grade-reading-retention-and-literacy/" target="_blank">of the bill</a>, schools would also need to track students’ reading skills beyond third grade, and provide reading instruction rooted in the principles of the science of reading through eighth grade.<br /><br />The legislation continues the state’s recent focus on improving students’ literacy and reading instruction. Last year, Indiana lawmakers enacted a law requiring schools to adopt research-backed curriculum <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/indiana/2023/5/25/23737924/indiana-science-of-reading-standards-law-phonics-requirements-literacy-curriculum-change/" target="_blank">based in the science of reading</a>. The state also <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/indiana/2023/9/19/23879309/indiana-science-of-reading-three-cueing-ban-literacy-law/" target="_blank">prohibited schools</a> from using a reading instruction method known as three-cueing.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2024/02/15/indiana-literacy-overhaul-bill-advances-as-worries-rise-over-provision-to-retain-more-third-graders/" target="_blank">Indiana literacy overhaul bill advances as worries rise over provision to retain more third graders</a></b><br /><br />From Indiana Capital Chronicle<br /><blockquote><i>Numerous parents and educators who testified said that although they support efforts to identify and assist struggling readers earlier, they remained opposed to the legislation due to the mandatory retention provision.<br /><br />“It’s possible to cherry pick a study here and there showing positive effects. But no review of the entire literature has concluded that retention has any positive long term benefits,” said Russ Skiba, professor emeritus at Indiana University, also representing the University Alliance for Racial Justice.<br /><br />Skiba additionally said retention is “likely to cause serious, long-term effects for students,” including failure to complete high school, failure to advance to college, “and even increased crime.” Negative effects of retention “fall hardest” on Black and Latino students, he continued.</i></blockquote>
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<u><b>LOCAL FORT WAYNE AREA NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/peacemaker-program-to-expand-at-fort-wayne-community-schools/article_f76df00c-c9e8-11ee-8298-6b2c452cb632.html" target="_blank">Peacemaker program to expand at Fort Wayne Community Schools</a></b><br /><br />
From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**<br />
<blockquote><i>A program that’s cultivating a culture of peace at South Side High School received Fort Wayne Community Schools board approval Monday to expand.<br />
<br />
The $500,000 contract with Alive Community Outreach formalizes the expectations for the Peacemaker program at each high school, said Matt Schiebel, the district’s executive director of safety and community partnerships.<br />
<br />
Built upon Martin Luther King Jr.’s principles of nonviolence, the program includes a summer Peacemaker Academy for students, a school Peace Club and mentorship through a community volunteer program known as the Peace Grannies and Grampies.<br />
<br />
The experiences give students a deeper understanding of social justice issues and how to develop nonviolent ways to resolve conflict and promote peace.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/northwest-allen-county-schools-pauses-redistricting-plans/article_c5f06c3e-ca93-11ee-be20-e71a0d51fb16.html" target="_blank">Northwest Allen County Schools pauses redistricting plans</a></b><br /><br />
From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**<br />
<blockquote><i>Northwest Allen County Schools won’t alter school attendance areas – for now, that is.<br />
<br />
Superintendent Wayne Barker announced during Monday’s board meeting that postponing rebalancing decisions for one to two years is best.<br />
<br />
“As we look at our current building numbers and capacities in conjunction with the ever-changing plans for housing developments in our district, it was decided that more information and time are needed to aid us in making sound decisions,” Barker said.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/northwest-allen-county-schools-hears-board-election-options/article_c2aa3360-cb8e-11ee-abc2-b71889d1e9a5.html" target="_blank">Northwest Allen County Schools hears board election options</a></b><br /><br />
From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**<br />
<blockquote><i>Northwest Allen County Schools began conversations this week about potentially changing the structure of its elected board.<br />
<br />
The five-member school board comprises two at-large members and three members elected from residency districts – Eel River, Lake and Perry townships. All voters within NACS may vote for all five seats, regardless of their address.<br />
<br />
At-large member Darren Vogt said last month it’s time to revisit the residency districts because the townships vary in population.</i></blockquote>
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*<b>Note</b>: Financial sponsors of <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/" target="_blank">Chalkbeat</a> <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/about/supporters/" target="_blank">include pro-privatization foundations and individuals</a> such as Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Gates Family Foundation, The Walton Family Foundation, and others.<br />
<br />**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
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###</div></div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-86566615989415822612024-02-18T12:07:00.002-05:002024-02-18T12:08:44.090-05:00In Case You Missed It – February 19, 2024NEIFPE's <i>In Case You Missed It</i> is off this week for the President's Day Holiday. We'll be back with more updates on February 26, 2024. Thanks for supporting Public Education.<br />
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Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest in Public Education news.<br />
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<br />
<u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
<i>"...what this is going to do is add to intimidation of teachers, allow unsubstantiated slamming of schools, increase distrust of public ed, make some political hay for Rokita, and spread smoke without light. All that and waste the time of a lot of people working in public education (which school administrator will draw the task of doing the daily Check For Lies on the AG Website). What it won't do is improve the quality of public education in Indiana."</i> -- Peter Greene in Curmudgucation, <a href="https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2024/02/in-from-ag-another-edu-with-hunt-site.html" target="_blank">IN: From the AG, Another Edu-witch Hunt Site</a><br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-85542431773109574392024-02-12T05:00:00.143-05:002024-02-12T05:00:00.145-05:00In Case You Missed It – February 12, 2024Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgdShc_YcBwRahiLhF-CaGeuAvnARbUeGdHshk0dsVQDnFkZxIwOzPa2WbZTCo9aiIcqQXMKT_4x5qNea8xSx1FO8GEOxqISXOfmzZmleCn5FtlDAoGw-Ee_AAXtxYI6y-Zgas6O4kJF5ejZHwtHuwXcydHjydrckNwF9a9eeq2XFjkM7Bqg9mGnG-ayB/s750/moneytovouchers.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="627" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgdShc_YcBwRahiLhF-CaGeuAvnARbUeGdHshk0dsVQDnFkZxIwOzPa2WbZTCo9aiIcqQXMKT_4x5qNea8xSx1FO8GEOxqISXOfmzZmleCn5FtlDAoGw-Ee_AAXtxYI6y-Zgas6O4kJF5ejZHwtHuwXcydHjydrckNwF9a9eeq2XFjkM7Bqg9mGnG-ayB/w168-h200/moneytovouchers.gif" width="168" /></a></div><u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
<i>"For GOP lawmakers who view public education as a quasi-socialist project, the gaping hole in state budgets left by subsidizing private school tuition is a feature, not a bug."</i> -- by Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider in <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/society/school-vouchers-red-state-budgets/" target="_blank">In Red States, the Bill for School Voucher Bait-and-Switch Is Coming Due</a><br />
<br />
<u><b>VOUCHERS BAIT AND SWITCH</b></u><br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/society/school-vouchers-red-state-budgets/" target="_blank">In Red States, the Bill for School Voucher Bait-and-Switch Is Coming Due</a></b><br />
<br />
The Indiana voucher program was supposed to <a href="https://indianapublicmedia.org/stateimpact/2011/11/18/could-indianas-school-vouchers-be-saving-the-state-money/" target="_blank">save the state money</a> and <a href="https://ceep.indiana.edu/education-policy/policy-briefs/2022/evolving-evidence-on-school-voucher-effects.pdf" target="_blank">improve student achievement</a>. Vouchers were supposed to "save children from 'failing schools.'" Sadly, the program doesn't do any of those things. The Bait-and-Switch is coming due.<br />
<br />
From The Nation<br /><blockquote><i>Bait-and-switch is an old retail tactic. You lure customers in with promises of a deep discount, only to inform them that the deal has a catch. The real price tag, it turns out, is quite a bit more.<br /><br />Though it took supporters of school vouchers a while to catch on, they’ve learned quickly that the trick works just as well in education policy as it does in retail sales. Pick a price that will get people in the door, and then break the news once you’ve got them where you want them.<br /><br />In Arizona, taxpayers are now staring down a $400 million shortfall, with an even bigger bill coming due next year. How did the Grand Canyon State go from sitting on a huge cash reserve to facing a rising tide of red ink? Simple. Voucher proponents suggested that paying for private school tuition would cost taxpayers $65 million a year; but as it stands, the program is on track to cost roughly 15 times that. All told, Arizona taxpayers are likely to spend close to a billion dollars reimbursing the cost of tuition and luxury expenses—including ski resort passes, pianos, and theme park tickets—for families whose children were never enrolled in the public schools.<br /><br />It isn’t just Arizona’s problem. Over the past two years, multiple states have enacted universal or near-universal voucher programs that far exceed initial cost projections...</i></blockquote>
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<b><u>FORT WAYNE AND INDIANA NEWS</u></b><br />
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<b><a href="https://inschoolmatters.wordpress.com/2024/02/05/child-labor-is-an-education-issue/" target="_blank">Child labor is an education issue</a></b><br />
<br />
Indiana Republicans want to weaken child labor laws. <br />
<br />
From School Matters<br />
<blockquote><i>UPDATE: Senate Bill 146 was amended Feb. 5 on the Senate floor to remove provisions that conflict with federal child labor law.<br />
<br />
Indiana legislators seem determined to roll back regulations that protect children from exploitative work conditions, even if it means clashing with the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.<br />
<br />
One anti-regulatory bill, <a href="https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/house/1093/details" target="_blank">House Bill 1093</a>, has been approved by the House and sent to the Senate. Another, <a href="https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/senate/146/details" target="_blank">Senate Bill 146</a>, is up for second-reading amendments in the Senate today. Both measures would significantly ease restrictions on the hours that minors can work in Indiana.<br />
<br />
They mark a turning away from a 100-year commitment by state and federal governments to protecting children and enabling them to get an education without being burdened by working for wages.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/homestead-high-school-project-needs-18-9-million-more/article_5eac723c-c55e-11ee-b09e-7fe9887bbdc9.html" target="_blank">Homestead High School project needs $18.9 million more</a></b><br /><br />
From The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**<br />
<blockquote><i>Southwest Allen County Schools expects an additional $18.9 million will be enough to complete the final stages of Homestead High School’s multiyear transformation – a construction project initially said to cost $169 million.<br />
<br />
The board Tuesday approved four resolutions allowing the district to proceed with two taxable general obligation bonds totaling $12.7 million.<br />
<br />
A $6.2 million first mortgage bond is anticipated to provide further funding, said Mark Snyder, director of business. That doesn’t require board action because of previous board approval when SACS first sold bonds to pay for the Homestead additions and renovations project.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8ndgOjHOBxIaDV7SrzIkrSl-BS0ndAeQsouB1gApDBwQ879k3qiJMLwsvy53Ncj2V1zRwZdNKJ84IidFSgOZZPNrWD_t7m67XgMDdLkYwnjcK3ct5ikAaXWtWE1s2eC8R4eiu5QKT4KsCOt6Yr4Ullb-bP9kTsDiU6FySMevODjBaCELG8e0a9nA9XUM/s2000/hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-emoji-monkeys-image1-2078558667.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8ndgOjHOBxIaDV7SrzIkrSl-BS0ndAeQsouB1gApDBwQ879k3qiJMLwsvy53Ncj2V1zRwZdNKJ84IidFSgOZZPNrWD_t7m67XgMDdLkYwnjcK3ct5ikAaXWtWE1s2eC8R4eiu5QKT4KsCOt6Yr4Ullb-bP9kTsDiU6FySMevODjBaCELG8e0a9nA9XUM/s200/hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-emoji-monkeys-image1-2078558667.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/indiana/state-government/indiana-senators-want-to-put-school-boards-in-charge-of-approving-lessons-on-sexuality/article_c1bb30f6-94a6-5352-9dc4-69ee65d88c55.html" target="_blank">Indiana senators want to put school boards in charge of approving lessons on sexuality</a></b><br />
<br />
The move to restrict sex education is growing again with the rise of Moms for Liberty. <br />
<br />
From The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**<br />
<blockquote><i>Indiana lawmakers are considering legislation that would require school boards to approve all lessons and materials on sexuality and require schools to publicly post a list of the teaching material on their websites, prompting concerns about who has the final say in sex education and the definition of sexuality.<br />
<br />
State senators passed <a href="https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/senate/128/details" target="_blank">the bill</a> Tuesday by a vote of 38-10. It now moves to the House for consideration, where Republicans also hold a supermajority.<br />
<br />
The bill would require school boards to approve by July 1 all materials used to instruct students on “human sexuality,” author of the bill and state Sen. Gary Byrne told lawmakers Tuesday. Byrne told senators he intended to make sex education more transparent for parents.<br />
<br />
Schools would also be required to post a list of the materials to their websites and the board must approve what age students will receive instruction, whether students will be taught in a co-ed setting and whether the lesson will be provided by a male or female instructor.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2024/02/06/rokitas-new-eyes-on-education-portal-prompts-pushback-from-indiana-school-officials/" target="_blank">Rokita’s new ‘Eyes on Education’ portal prompts pushback from Indiana school officials</a></b><br />
<br />
Indiana's Attorney General enlists the public to make allegations against public schools without any proof.<br />
<br />
From the Indiana Capital Chronicle<br />
<blockquote><i>A new dashboard unveiled Tuesday by the Indiana Attorney General’s Office makes public more than two dozen allegations of “potentially inappropriate materials” in Hoosier schools, like critical race theory materials and gender identity policies. <br />
<br />
But numerous local officials told the Indiana Capital Chronicle they weren’t made aware of the complaints and contend the allegations were not properly vetted before the portal went live.<br />
<br />
Attorney General Todd Rokita referred to “<a href="https://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/education-liberty/" target="_blank">Eyes on Education</a>” as a transparency tool that intends to “empower parents to further engage in their children’s education” and provide “real examples of indoctrination.”<br />
<br />
The portal accepts submissions pertaining to K-12 classrooms, colleges, universities and “other affiliated academic entities in Indiana.” But it is unclear how, or if, they are vetting the accuracy of the allegations.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2024/02/09/indiana-officials-say-they-want-more-information-about-what-fees-schools-are-charging-families/" target="_blank">Indiana officials say they want more information about what fees schools are charging families</a></b><br /><br />
From the Indiana Capital Chronicle<br />
<blockquote><i>Indiana’s K-12 schools are spending more than state leaders expected on student textbooks — and some are still sending bills to students’ families — prompting lawmakers to request additional information about what’s being expensed.<br />
<br />
The questioning comes a year after the General Assembly dedicated $160 million in the current state budget to eliminate textbook and curriculum fees for Hoosier families, starting with the 2023-24 academic year.<br />
<br />
Based on the funds available in May 2023, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) estimated the per student reimbursement amount to schools would be approximately $151.88. Based on spending in the current academic year, however, the actual per student reimbursement amount came out to $158.21. <br />
<br />
Still, IDOE data obtained by the Indiana Capital Chronicle shows the state reimbursed 395 traditional K-12 districts and charter schools a total of about $159 million for the current academic year — about a million dollars below what was appropriated.<br />
<br />
What’s not clear, though, is the amount each school actually spent on textbooks and other materials overall, or how much individual districts requested in reimbursements from the state.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLBKHjmoJIEOS1lL0bIis_h3uyBiaoi7Niog9Ls1ihvlhSxcIPnyA_dztKU-sb4HgnZaTGEtbbj1X5FO8eMAnF_fyNJ-yQIK4hXRqG7b0qdmn8PpdHqkJajc1YlPZ4kPssBE2kQ7P2u4RbhnauNhNRd5FjqreRkxjwjGz-1Rd-rQ7V-VwkvVW8-eYxS7j/s700/MoneyinPolitics3.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLBKHjmoJIEOS1lL0bIis_h3uyBiaoi7Niog9Ls1ihvlhSxcIPnyA_dztKU-sb4HgnZaTGEtbbj1X5FO8eMAnF_fyNJ-yQIK4hXRqG7b0qdmn8PpdHqkJajc1YlPZ4kPssBE2kQ7P2u4RbhnauNhNRd5FjqreRkxjwjGz-1Rd-rQ7V-VwkvVW8-eYxS7j/s200/MoneyinPolitics3.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-41743408895021187202024-02-05T05:00:00.171-05:002024-02-05T05:00:00.130-05:00In Case You Missed It – February 5, 2024Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXCsHqnjLLddb4JmC6ndxYzjB3_FoBva49PpZ2nQBkaAHbV9Dor38WX_Jff2kP-KzS13hhFPDTWEumhb0JXhqj-s4vV4n0qW4yWjW1unFoB2VJYlMhH4KP1wbbOt-e6nM3Nt8uq4InmBLbKWxoqsbk_TYDqcyh8NjUvnhSSFeVy4Q9e93gLYZlUBTwuJF/s960/Chaplains.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXCsHqnjLLddb4JmC6ndxYzjB3_FoBva49PpZ2nQBkaAHbV9Dor38WX_Jff2kP-KzS13hhFPDTWEumhb0JXhqj-s4vV4n0qW4yWjW1unFoB2VJYlMhH4KP1wbbOt-e6nM3Nt8uq4InmBLbKWxoqsbk_TYDqcyh8NjUvnhSSFeVy4Q9e93gLYZlUBTwuJF/s320/Chaplains.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
<i>"'The primary role of chaplains is to provide pastoral or religious counseling to people in spiritual need,' the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana said in a statement. 'Allowing them to assume official positions — whether paid or voluntary — in public schools will create an environment ripe for religious coercion and indoctrination of students.'<br />
<br />"Without any oversight to prevent chaplains from imposing their own religious viewpoint on the children they counsel, HB 1192 and SB 50 could undermine the religious freedom of students of all faiths and no faith."</i> -- the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>** editorial board.<br />
<br /><u><b>INDIANA GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 2024</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/editorials/faith-based-school-chaplains-would-test-first-amendment/article_15e30ff8-badb-11ee-92a9-0bf8d163adc3.html" target="_blank">Faith-based school chaplains would test First Amendment</a></b><br />
<br />
We included this article from last week's <i>In Case You Missed It</i> again this week. It continues to be read and spread through social media. And now the Senate has passed their version of the bill.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://iga.in.gov/information/find-legislators" target="_blank">Contact your state representative</a> to stop this bill before it goes any further. We need trained counselors in our public schools, not religious indoctrination. Indiana taxpayers already fund sectarian religious instruction through school vouchers. No more.<br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Indiana’s student-to-counselor ratio ranks worst in the nation, according to the 2023 State of the Indiana Girl Report published in September.<br />
<br />
Two bills introduced in the General Assembly — one in the House, the other in the Senate — seek to fill the counselor void, but critics say their solution is unconstitutional and could end up further harming some children’s emotional and mental health.<br />
<br />
...Proponents of HB 1192 and SB 50 likely will tout the proposals as remedies to the mental health needs of Hoosier students.<br />
<br />
Chaplains are trained and certified to provide spiritual and emotional support. Lawmakers should leave mental health care services to the professional school counselors qualified to do that job.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2NAFg-Ufuv_rZh3J9nyT7n6yq8_j0lvpZkEBptD8KAdrDuO_fV1k9glctRkZILB6pNpzPjfZyL2yrgKsKRcJKonowquvV29yiu9eR51ZV9gMzQkQfk72-QaxerKibIxCJFNINv8h6ntjjX1QQi3UhME067XilwfcqnU2uiQ58nWvOZ8F21BB2pzVvp-Q/s476/Religion-in-School3.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2NAFg-Ufuv_rZh3J9nyT7n6yq8_j0lvpZkEBptD8KAdrDuO_fV1k9glctRkZILB6pNpzPjfZyL2yrgKsKRcJKonowquvV29yiu9eR51ZV9gMzQkQfk72-QaxerKibIxCJFNINv8h6ntjjX1QQi3UhME067XilwfcqnU2uiQ58nWvOZ8F21BB2pzVvp-Q/s200/Religion-in-School3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<b><a href="https://www.wane.com/top-stories/fw-school-districts-react-to-bill-aiming-to-address-3rd-graders-who-fail-state-reading-exam/" target="_blank">Allen County school districts react to bill aiming to address 3rd graders who fail state reading exam</a></b><br />
<br />
Does retention even work?<br />
<br />
"Tamyra Kelly, a public information officer for East Allen County Schools, said they’re in favor of any extra support for students learning to read.<br />
<br />
"'In our experience, retention would not be the answer. A bill that could fund earlier intervention and supports would be most favorable to schools and their students,' Kelly said."<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://www.wane.com" target="_blank">WANE.com</a><br /><blockquote><i>School district leaders in the greater Fort Wayne area are reacting to a state bill that focuses on making sure students can read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade.<br /><br />Senate Bill 1 would support holding back students who fail the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination assessment (IREAD-3), a grade three reading assessment developed in accordance with state legislation, while also requiring schools to give remediation to students at risk of not passing.<br /><br />The bill was written by Sen. Linda Rogers (R) and 30 other GOP lawmakers. Once referred to as the “retention bill” by some, Senate Bill 1 has been amended to contain more efforts before getting to retention, with that being more of a last resort.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>CHILD TAX CREDIT EXPANSION</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2024/02/01/u-s-house-passes-child-tax-credit-expansion-bill-heads-to-senate/" target="_blank">U.S. House Passes Child Tax Credit Expansion. Bill Heads to Senate.</a></b><br /><br />
Children learn best when they are safe, well-fed, and well-cared for. The tax credit expansion will help.<br />
<br />
From Jan Resseger's Blog<br />
<blockquote><i>For a long time, the needs of poor children have not been much of a motivator for American social policy reform.<br />
<br />
Many of us remember Bill Clinton “ending welfare as we know it” in 1996, but we have very likely forgotten the title of the bill that ended welfare: the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, a law whose name specifically blamed the poor for a lax attitude about bettering themselves through work. The American Rescue Plan generously expanded the Child Tax Credit and made it fully refundable. That COVID relief bill, passed in March of 2021, reduced child poverty in the United States by 40 percent during that year, but Congress allowed it to expire at the beginning of 2022, when Joe Manchin and the majority of Congressional Republicans said the modest cash payments were discouraging parents from working. This month, the Washington Post reported another example of politicians punishing children for the supposed sins of their parents: Republican governors in 15 states have rejected a new, federally funded program to give food assistance to hungry children during the summer when school is not in session. Nebraska’s governor said: “I don’t believe in welfare.”<br />
<br />
While a lot of politicians have shown themselves willing to overlook the well documented needs of millions of U.S. children, last night the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan compromise tax bill that combines business tax breaks and significant expansion of the Child Tax Credit. The bill will now move to the U.S. Senate.</i></blockquote><br /><u><b>FORT WAYNE AREA NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/southwest-allen-county-schools-begins-strategic-plan-process/article_40e017bc-c0a5-11ee-bf02-f780ae9fb1de.html" target="_blank">Southwest Allen County Schools begins strategic plan process</a></b><br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Small-group conversations Wednesday among Southwest Allen County Schools stakeholders – including students, parents and teachers – marked the beginning of a four-month effort that should end with a roadmap for the district.<br />
<br />
School board President Jennifer Bennett expects the final product – a strategic plan – will ensure that district leaders are basing decisions on a cohesive vision.<br />
<br />
“I’m excited to get this process going,” she told about 40 people gathered at the transportation conference room for the first of four strategic planning sessions.<br />
<br />
Along with collecting feedback from invited participants, SACS will seek input from the broader community via an emailed survey, Superintendent Park Ginder said.</i></blockquote>
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<br /><b><a href="https://www.wane.com/top-stories/bidding-closes-for-nacs-construction-projects/" target="_blank">Bidding closes for NACS construction projects</a><br /></b><br />
From <a href="https://www.wane.com" target="_blank">WANE.com</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Northwest Allen County School Board Members approved maximum price amendments for three construction projects in the district.<br />
<br />
Bids for the Carroll High School additions and renovations, Willow Creek Middle School, and Central Office construction are closed as contracts with Weigand Construction were approved Monday.<br />
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The guaranteed maximum price amendment for the three projects adds up to approximately $130 million. They will be funded through lease financing which will keep the community’s tax rate the same. Wayne Barker, Superintendent of NACS, said the costs are less than what they expected.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/groundbreaking-nears-for-northwest-allen-county-schools-construction-projects/article_bb5a2f9a-bf9d-11ee-ba26-fb530d83b1c3.html" target="_blank">Groundbreaking nears for Northwest Allen County Schools construction projects</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Northwest Allen County Schools expects to celebrate groundbreakings next month as three projects totaling $130 million in construction costs get underway.<br />
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“Countless hours have been spent to get us to here,” Superintendent Wayne Barker told the board Monday, adding that contractors could start moving dirt next week. “It won’t come soon enough because we have students to educate, and they keep coming. So that’s a very good problem.”<br />
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The board agreed last spring to address increasing enrollment by building a third middle school and by expanding and renovating Carroll High School. The elected leaders also approved construction of a central office because it has outgrown its space at Perry Hill Elementary School. That project includes renovations to Perry Hill.<br />
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Board action Monday addressed the projects’ guaranteed maximum price. Willow Creek Middle School will cost about $73.5 million; the Carroll improvements will cost about $41.1 million; and the new central office and Perry Hill renovations will cost about $15.8 million.</i></blockquote>
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<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
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###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.139351312.769039163821155 -120.2956013 69.389506836178839 -49.9831013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-17238362282620979832024-01-29T05:00:00.309-05:002024-01-29T05:00:00.139-05:00In Case You Missed It – January 29, 2024Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
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Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
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<u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
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<i>"'The primary role of chaplains is to provide pastoral or religious counseling to people in spiritual need,' the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana said in a statement. 'Allowing them to assume official positions — whether paid or voluntary — in public schools will create an environment ripe for religious coercion and indoctrination of students.'<br />
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"...Chaplains are trained and certified to provide spiritual and emotional support. Lawmakers should leave mental health care services to the professional school counselors qualified to do that job."</i> -- Editorial in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**<br />
<br /><u><b>SCHOOL CHAPLAINS INSTEAD OF COUNSELORS?</b></u><br />
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Not content with diverting tax dollars meant for public schools to religious and private schools, Indiana Republicans are now trying to open the door to religious proselytization in public schools. Write or call your <a href="https://iga.in.gov/information/find-legislators" target="_blank">local legislators</a> and tell them NO! to chaplains in public schools.<br />
<br /><b><a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2024/01/25/bills-to-employ-school-chaplains-allow-religious-instruction-move-forward-in-indiana-legislature/" target="_blank">Bills to employ school chaplains, allow religious instruction move forward in Indiana legislature</a></b><br />
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From <a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com" target="_blank">Indiana Capital Chronicle</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Lines between church and state blurred at the Indiana Statehouse on Wednesday as lawmakers gave the go-ahead for two education bills that seek to increase students’ access to faith leaders and religious instruction. <br />
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One proposal, <a href="https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/house/1137/details" target="_blank">House Bill 1137</a>, would require schools to approve parental requests for students to leave school during the day for religious instruction. A separate measure, <a href="https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/senate/50/details" target="_blank">Senate Bill 50</a>, could bring paid chaplains into Indiana’s public schools. Both bills advanced from their assigned committees and now head to the respective chambers for further consideration.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/editorials/faith-based-school-chaplains-would-test-first-amendment/article_15e30ff8-badb-11ee-92a9-0bf8d163adc3.html" target="_blank">Faith-based school chaplains would test First Amendment</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Indiana’s student-to-counselor ratio ranks worst in the nation, according to the 2023 State of the Indiana Girl Report published in September.<br />
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Two bills introduced in the General Assembly — one in the House, the other in the Senate — seek to fill the counselor void, but critics say their solution is unconstitutional and could end up further harming some children’s emotional and mental health.<br />
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House Bill 1192 and Senate Bill 50 would allow public and charter schools to employ chaplains, or approve them as volunteers, to counsel students and staff. Though school chaplains wouldn’t be required to divulge privileged or confidential communications, the bills are written to invite skepticism as to the ultimate goal of allowing pastoral care.<br />
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The Senate version, authored by Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport, says a chaplain may only provide secular assistance, unless the student (or their parent or guardian) gives consent for religious advice, guidance and support services. The House proposal of Rep. Doug Miller, R-Elkhart, does not include such language.<br />
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“The primary role of chaplains is to provide pastoral or religious counseling to people in spiritual need,” the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana said in a statement. “Allowing them to assume official positions — whether paid or voluntary — in public schools will create an environment ripe for religious coercion and indoctrination of students.”<br />
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Without any oversight to prevent chaplains from imposing their own religious viewpoint on the children they counsel, HB 1192 and SB 50 could undermine the religious freedom of students of all faiths and no faith.</i></blockquote><br /><u><b>KINDERGARTEN FOR KINDERGARTENERS!</b></u><br /><br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2024/01/23/nancy-bailey-its-time-to-take-back-kindergarten/" target="_blank">Nancy Bailey: It’s Time to Take Back Kindergarten!</a></b><br />
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Play is <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/play-helps-children-practice-key-skills-and-build-their-strengths-202306072944" target="_blank">children's work</a>...for better health, better learning, and happier children!<br /><br />From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br /><blockquote><i>Nancy Bailey is a retired educator who has seen the damage wrought by No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, and the nonsensical grandchild called Every Student Succeeds Act. We can say now with hindsight that many children were left behind, we did not make it to the Top, and every student is not succeeding.<br /><br />Nancy knows that the greatest casualty of these ruinous federal laws and programs are young children. Instead of playing, instead of socializing, instead of living their best lives as children, they are being prepared to take tests. This is nuts!<br /><br /><a href="https://nancyebailey.com/2021/11/18/want-to-rethink-education-its-time-to-take-back-kindergarten/" target="_blank">Nancy explains in this post</a> (originally from 2021 but nothing has changed) why the status quo is harmful to small children and how it should change...</i></blockquote>
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<u><b>INDIANA POLITICS</b></u><br />
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<b><a href="https://npeaction.org/npe-action-endorses-jennifer-mccormick-for-governor-of-indiana/" target="_blank">NPE Action endorses Jennifer McCormick for Governor of Indiana.</a></b><br />
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Jennifer McCormick, former Indiana State Superintendent of Public Instruction, gets NPE-Action's endorsement for Indiana Governor.<br />
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From the <a href="https://npeaction.org" target="_blank">Network for Public Education Action</a><br /><blockquote><i>The Network for Public Education Action gives its strongest endorsement to Jennifer McCormick for Governor of Indiana. Jennifer is a lifelong educator and native of Indiana. <br /><br />Jennifer is a former teacher, principal and school superintendent. She served as State Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2017 to 2021. During that time she took on the legislature, eventually changing political parties. <br /><br />Jennifer told us that as governor, she “will focus on aggressively funding the expansion of quality and affordable childcare as well as universal PreK so all children have the foundational skills necessary to succeed in the K12 environment. She said she “will appoint a Secretary of Education and members of the state board of education that understand the ever-evolving needs of Indiana students and implement programs that develop the skills critical to thrive in a changing world and prepare Hoosier kids for careers, college, and life after high school.”</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>FORT WAYNE AREA NEWS</b></u><br />
<br />We have lots of news from Allen County and Fort Wayne this week. See the link to subscribe to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette at the end of this post.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/columnists/implications-are-imposing-for-education-overhaul-bills/article_ad6cc282-b6d6-11ee-b35a-1b169e9b8351.html" target="_blank">Implications are imposing for education overhaul bills</a></b><br />
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From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Lawmakers are throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks in their quest to educate more Hoosiers — whether through job training or traditional college.<br />
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But some of the discussions carry concerning consequences. Two major proposals this year deserve in-depth examination that a short session likely can’t provide.<br />
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First up is an effort by House Republicans to allow key higher education scholarships and grants to be used for job training instead of toward full-time college credits.<br />
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The legislation impacts the 21st Century Scholars program, Freedom of Choice Grant and the Higher Education Award. Collectively, the current budget includes about $330 million annually in state funding for that aid.<br />
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Each program has slightly different rules, but generally there are GPA and credit completion requirements. And all specify that students must be attending a two-year or four-year program on a full-time basis...<br />
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...The second major proposal is Senate Bill 8, which will blur the line between two- and four-year degree institutions that was set up 20 years ago.<br />
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At that time, under Gov. Mitch Daniels, a study by the Government Efficiency Commission recommended establishing Ivy Tech as a true community college system, and phasing out associate degree programs at other campuses.<br />
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That’s because it would be cheaper to earn an associate degree at Ivy Tech the first two years then transfer to a traditional four-year school for bachelor’s and graduate degrees.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/indiana/state-government/indiana-education-secretary-says-schools-can-get-started-on-proposed-literacy-initiatives/article_0b1b78b2-bc98-11ee-9702-27af37e905fe.html" target="_blank">Indiana education secretary says schools can get started on proposed literacy initiatives</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Will Hoosier schools have the funds to launch new literacy mandates proposed by state lawmakers? Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner this week maintained they do – at least for now.<br />
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She said Thursday the Indiana Department of Education has enough holdover dollars to roll out additional reading tests and expanded summer school options laid out in <a href="https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/senate/1/details" target="_blank">Senate Bill 1</a>, which is under consideration at the Statehouse.<br />
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And more state funds are expected to be requested in the 2025 budget session.</i></blockquote>
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From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Fort Wayne Community Schools will use $750,000 in state funding to help employees pay for child care.<br />
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The program’s implementation should provide the district with information it doesn’t have about its 4,050 workers, said Mitch Sheppard, philanthropy director.<br />
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“If you were to say, ‘What do our employees need? How severe is the child care need?’ We really don’t know,” she told the school board Monday.<br />
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The one-time grant from the Family and Social Services Administration will be distributed on a reimbursement basis to employees using state-licensed child care facilities. The program will launch as soon as possible, Sheppard said.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.wane.com/top-stories/remote-learning-challenges-what-school-officials-in-allen-county-are-considering/" target="_blank">Remote learning challenges: What school officials in Allen County are considering</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://www.wane.com" target="_blank">WANE.com</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Area school district officials told WANE 15 Tuesday they are learning as they go as winter weather challenges have led to more remote learning days.<br />
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WANE 15 spoke with Mark Daniel, superintendent of Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS), and Park Ginder, superintendent of Southwest Allen County Schools (SACS), and Tamyra Kelly, the Public Information Officer at East Allen County Schools (EACS) to see how remote learning days have gone so far...<br />
<br />
...At FWCS, Daniel said there’s a lot of room for improvement. He said they want students more engaged and interactive.<br />
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“Remote learning days are not the same as being in school in person,” Daniel said. “So we know that we’re trying to be flexible, but at the same time, we need our students and our parents and our staff to fully engage.”<br />
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Each school year, each district gets 3 e-learning days where students work independently, but remote learning days that require students to Zoom with a teacher are unlimited.<br />
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Daniel said if things don’t improve, there could be changes.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.wane.com/news/local-news/northwest-allen-county-schools-sees-challenges-due-to-property-tax-cap/" target="_blank">Northwest Allen County Schools sees challenges due to property tax cap</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://www.wane.com" target="_blank">WANE.com</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Northwest Allen County Schools (NACS) is seeing the effects of a property tax cap passed by the Indiana General Assembly in 2023.<br />
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House Bill 1499 capped property taxes at 4% to provide relief for homeowners as home values were skyrocketing over the past few years. That cap has resulted in less money than anticipated being funneled into Indiana schools. Most districts are faring well because their growth in student population is stable. But NACS is an outlier, said Superintendent Wayne Barker.<br />
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According to Barker, the rapidly growing district is losing out on around $1.2 million in tax money over two years due to this cap. As the more people move into the district limits, the district needs more buses, drivers, faculty and staff. All of that requires money. This means other projects will have to wait, Barker said.</i></blockquote>
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From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>A formal campaign should be announced soon for a $14.7 million early learning center benefiting teen parents in Fort Wayne Community Schools, the district’s philanthropy director said.<br />
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About $4 million in contracts and soft commitments has been raised so far, Mitch Sheppard told the school board Monday while presenting a $500,000 Early Learning Indiana grant for approval.<br />
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“We’re bringing this one forward because the donor has asked us to get the grant on the books,” she said. “You’ll be hearing a lot more about (the project) soon as we’ll have some donations of land and significant additional fundraising to back it up.”</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/southwest-allen-county-schools-receives-juul-settlement-payments/article_4c2ee0f6-ba5d-11ee-ac7c-f74159e9ddc7.html" target="_blank">Southwest Allen County Schools receives Juul settlement payments</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Southwest Allen County Schools’ participation in a nationwide lawsuit against electronic cigarette giant Juul Labs Inc. has started paying off.<br />
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The district’s nine traditional schools received a collective $43,193 boost from the settlement’s first installment. The school board approved the distributions Tuesday as part of its consent agenda.<br />
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SACS, Fort Wayne Community Schools, East Allen County Schools and Northwest Allen County Schools were among entities nationwide that accused Juul of designing and marketing its products to appeal to youth.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/fort-wayne-community-schools-to-limit-students-access-to-cellphones/article_af8a9bee-b973-11ee-927a-aba82bef4dcd.html" target="_blank">
Fort Wayne Community Schools to limit students' access to cellphones</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Fort Wayne Community Schools leaders agreed Monday to spend $120,864 on equipment limiting students’ access to their cellphones during the school day.<br />
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The district will pilot the use of magnetic lock-and-release student phone pouches at four middle and high schools beginning this academic year, although the exact timing is unknown, said Jack Byrd, chief systems officer.<br />
<br />
The sealed magnetic devices will allow students to keep their phones in their possession throughout the school day, but the phones will be inaccessible until they can be unlocked by specialized magnets.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHcy2Af-yT5ErHiMwi351QcoptJ71jLd7PwdVbZjWLGW_MYPje6_Bo4Rsqh2KTdIF4cyI8hGqBXeAwDWLBIS8Sy3vM9szURaYX7W6TSq247BF0AX9BOxMtlF4aHN9KfD65Nld7S7nyaShyK3JUeoGGTqzwTxZQBa2VWl5zUpmuJUMiL9J5cXwXgpGxlYB/s474/cellphone.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHcy2Af-yT5ErHiMwi351QcoptJ71jLd7PwdVbZjWLGW_MYPje6_Bo4Rsqh2KTdIF4cyI8hGqBXeAwDWLBIS8Sy3vM9szURaYX7W6TSq247BF0AX9BOxMtlF4aHN9KfD65Nld7S7nyaShyK3JUeoGGTqzwTxZQBa2VWl5zUpmuJUMiL9J5cXwXgpGxlYB/s200/cellphone.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br />**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
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###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.139351312.769039163821155 -120.2956013 69.389506836178839 -49.9831013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-29524178221993652792024-01-22T05:00:00.166-05:002024-01-22T05:00:00.258-05:00In Case You Missed It – January 22, 2024Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfV378Tb23nfRu33jvDV6Bx5RqzxpNYoWWs2wbfUHFrqkRGjh_eRtklBT3gxzkvNWBXepRdwElVyfylA1R1CUWlS2Gan0Qv2mDGkuDkTzNFaDNPv2qAhCcayIqdBX83TREXS9P4t5x6tui-aLdn7Aa6bwqiOfhWFJAMpeqttp8HN8JO-HOWsqctNcnz5r8/s750/moneytovouchers.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="627" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfV378Tb23nfRu33jvDV6Bx5RqzxpNYoWWs2wbfUHFrqkRGjh_eRtklBT3gxzkvNWBXepRdwElVyfylA1R1CUWlS2Gan0Qv2mDGkuDkTzNFaDNPv2qAhCcayIqdBX83TREXS9P4t5x6tui-aLdn7Aa6bwqiOfhWFJAMpeqttp8HN8JO-HOWsqctNcnz5r8/s200/moneytovouchers.gif" /></a></div>
<u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
<i>"Public schools (and free college) made it possible for America to produce an explosion of invention and innovation throughout the mid-20th century; now other countries are surpassing us, as the dumbing-down of our kids has become institutionalized in Red state after Red state.<br />
<br />
And public schools gave many students their first experience of interacting with people who look different from them and grew up under different circumstances, awakening many young people to the discrimination and unfairness inherent in how America has historically treated minorities.<br />
<br />
All of which explains why Republicans so badly want to put an end to public education in America."</i> -- Thom Hartman, quoted by Diane Ravitch in <a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2024/01/18/thom-hartmann-why-rightwingers-oppose-public-schools/" target="_blank">Why Rightwingers Oppose Public Schools</a><br /><br />
<u><b>VOUCHERS AND THE ALL-WHITE "ACADEMY" MOVEMENT</b></u><br />
<br />
<a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2024/01/18/thom-hartmann-why-rightwingers-oppose-public-schools/" target="_blank"><b>Thom Hartmann: Why Rightwingers Oppose Public Schools</b></a><br /><br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>...in 1954, the US Supreme Court upset the education apple cart by declaring in their Brown v Board case that “separate but equal” schools, segregated by race, were anything but “equal.” That decision fueled two movements that live on to this day.<br />
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The first was the rightwing anti-communist movement spearheaded by the John Birch Society, which was heavily funded back then by Fred Koch, the father of Charles and David Koch. They put up billboards across the country demanding that Americans rise up and “Impeach Earl Warren,” who was then the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, for requiring “communist” racial integration of our schools.<br />
<br />
The second was the private, all-white “academy” movement that has morphed over the years into charter schools and the “school choice” movement of today. It received a major boost when the white supremacist co-founder of <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/2525a51e-481c-496f-9c0b-31e802741b9e?j=eyJ1IjoicmxzOCJ9.pJwy2TTXEYwSmvNpP_gTSRSciwi41pWVFZ9UBZrPJHY" target="_blank">neoliberalism</a>, Milton Friedman, published a widely-read and influential <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/0eab69c1-71fa-4b07-a673-654a028d847d?j=eyJ1IjoicmxzOCJ9.pJwy2TTXEYwSmvNpP_gTSRSciwi41pWVFZ9UBZrPJHY" target="_blank">article in 1955</a> explicitly calling for what he called “education vouchers” to fund all-white private schools to “solve the national crisis” the Court had created.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>WHAT REALLY MATTERS TO PUBLIC EDUCATION</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2024/01/17/jan/" target="_blank">Jan Resseger: The Culture Wars Are Obscuring What Really Matters</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Jan Resseger, dedicated champion of social justice, explains that the culture wars are a ruse that diverts [us] from far more important issues. Book-banning and attacks on diversity-equity-inclusion are outrageous, but even more so is our indifference to structural issues, such as adequate funding, persistent racial segregation, and the privatization movement.</i></blockquote>
<br /><u><b>THE INDIANA GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONTINUES ITS ATTACK ON PUBLIC EDUCATION</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://indianacoalitionforpubliced.org/2024/01/15/vics-statehouse-notes-377-not-a-good-start/" target="_blank">It’s Not a Good Start for the Short Session</a></b><br /><br />
Vic Smith provides in-depth coverage of the Indiana General Assembly's continuing quest to privatize public education in Indiana. <a href="https://indianacoalitionforpubliced.org/blog/" target="_blank">Follow him</a> and support the <a href="https://indianacoalitionforpubliced.org" target="_blank">Indiana Coalition for Public Education</a><br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://indianacoalitionforpubliced.org" target="_blank">Indiana Coalition for Public Education</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Two Senate bills, SB 255 and SB 143, directly implement Milton Friedman’s plan to give school funding to parents and not to schools, abruptly ending the way public education in Indiana has been funded for over a century.<br />
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Both bills must be strongly opposed, and promptly. Senate Bill 255 has been scheduled for a hearing on Thursday, January 18 at 9 a.m. in bill author Senator Mishler’s committee, the Senate Appropriations Committee, which meets in Room 431.<br />
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One immediate effect of both bills would have taxpayers for the first time pay $7,000 for ANY student in an unaccredited home school.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKviuyLpfyeYI7t1OR3g_Xbs6xaIOn0ZwJwN96k6DDmKPf1SqM0FDsDLNLdezzRuo4cVWmHmt9zBktsUkyMWqgxq5kKeaL3u2nADpfhaGJ6lVn6AC7_l3d3GsvvuM5kz_gB6R_za8SPcMORKi_812RbLtiFl46K11aYwpyABSPuPDWXg3fwhH7VEL549Oo/s700/MoneyinPolitics3.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKviuyLpfyeYI7t1OR3g_Xbs6xaIOn0ZwJwN96k6DDmKPf1SqM0FDsDLNLdezzRuo4cVWmHmt9zBktsUkyMWqgxq5kKeaL3u2nADpfhaGJ6lVn6AC7_l3d3GsvvuM5kz_gB6R_za8SPcMORKi_812RbLtiFl46K11aYwpyABSPuPDWXg3fwhH7VEL549Oo/s200/MoneyinPolitics3.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><b><a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2024/01/16/indiana-lawmakers-seem-unlikely-to-tackle-school-consolidation-in-2024-session/" target="_blank">Indiana lawmakers seem unlikely to tackle school consolidation in 2024 session</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com" target="_blank">Indiana Capital Chronicle</a><br />
<blockquote><i>A new statewide report is fueling discussions about consolidating Indiana’s smallest school districts, but state lawmakers continue to lack an appetite for action — at least for now.<br />
<br />
For years, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce has asked the General Assembly to move legislation that encourages school districts with fewer than 2,000 students to consolidate.<br />
<br />
Small and rural school officials — longtime critics of the chamber’s lobby for more school consolidation — are pushing back against the new study and the potential for Indiana policies that would require small schools to increase their student population.<br />
<br />
“We don’t have a problem with consolidation, but it needs to be driven by locals — it has to be something they want for it to be successful,” said Chris Lagoni, executive director of the Indiana Small and Rural Schools Association. “Our members do feel like there’s a lot of attacking going on here.”<br />
<br />
“The state has said we want more private schools, we want more public schools, we want more choice, more choice, more choice,” he continued. “The chamber advocated for those policies. That’s why we’re just having a hard time understanding this issue — because we’re not attacking it equally across all choices.”</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/editorials/some-public-schools-could-face-tax-losses-under-proposed-legislation/article_e4cd7442-b4a1-11ee-9d86-532bc786ee15.html" target="_blank">Some public schools could face tax losses under proposed legislation</a></b><br /><br />This is another attempt to divert public money from public schools to privately run schools.<br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Last week, the Indiana House Ways & Means Committee heard testimony on a proposal extending a cap on referendum levies that could inhibit the ability of public school corporations to convince voters to pay extra property taxes for needed improvements.<br />
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Authored by Ways & Means’ Republican Chair Jeff Thompson of Lizton, House Bill 1120 would still allow public school districts to seek additional funding through referendums, but not more than 3% above the maximum tax a district would have levied in the previous year.<br />
<br />
When it comes to paying for K-12 education, state lawmakers have a history of moving taxpayer money from public school districts to charter schools.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>ANYONE WHO VALUES LIFE...</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2024/01/15/iowa-principal-dan-marburger-dies-defending-his-students/" target="_blank">Iowa: Principal Dan Marburger Dies Defending His Students</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Dan Marburger, who served for almost three decades as principal of the Perry High School, died <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/iowa-perry-high-school-principal-dan-marburger-shot-protecting-students-dies/story?id=106366186" target="_blank">of the wounds he sustained after being shot by a high school student on January 4</a>.<br />
<br />
The high school student killed an 11-year-old sixth grader and wounded several others, then killed himself.<br />
<br />
Mr. Marburger gave his life to save the lives of students.<br />
<br />
In this country, “gun rights” have more protection than the lives of students, teachers, and principals. Don’t believe those politicians who say they protect “life” but oppose gun control. This is a contradiction or outright hypocrisy. Anyone who values life must demand gun control.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>FORT WAYNE AREA NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/schools-101-southwest-allen-warsaw-programs-creates-district-advocates/article_06ad48c4-b49f-11ee-b335-6716e8fcee93.html" target="_blank">Schools 101: Southwest Allen, Warsaw programs creates district advocates</a></b><br /><br />
Teaching the public about public schools.<br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Southwest Allen County Schools parents ask Erin Nash questions about topics such as elearning and snow days as if she’s a district expert.<br />
<br />
“And I’m not,” said Nash, president of Aboite Elementary School’s Parent Teacher Club.<br />
<br />
But she’s more informed about SACS now than she was when the academic year began. She is among 25 people getting an in-depth look at district operations through Southwest Education Advocates, a monthly program that launched in October.<br />
<br />
Sessions address topics including school finance, transportation, technology, maintenance, safety, food service, curriculum, special education, testing, English language learners and guidance programming. Daytime tours of three schools – including lunch at one – are planned for March.<br />
<br />
“We’re trying to help them understand the big picture of what happens not just during a school day, but what it takes to support a school,” Superintendent Park Ginder said after this month’s session. “We want them to have a well-rounded experience about what it takes to support the learning in the classroom.”</i></blockquote>
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**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.139351312.769039163821155 -120.2956013 69.389506836178839 -49.9831013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-12330809565279568312024-01-15T14:19:00.001-05:002024-01-15T14:19:21.216-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #377 – January 15, 2024<p> Vic's Statehouse Notes is a publication of the <a href="https://indianacoalitionforpubliced.org" target="_blank">Indiana Coalition for Public Education</a>.</p><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358scale" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-variant-caps: normal; table-layout: fixed; width: 640px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="margin: 0px; padding: 15px 10px;" valign="top"><span style="color: #888888;"></span><span style="color: #888888;"></span><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 0px; border: 10px solid rgb(134, 145, 152); margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><table bgcolor="#004B8C" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358layout" style="background-color: #004b8c; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_-5877712936105911358column m_-5877712936105911358scale m_-5877712936105911358stack" style="margin: 0px; width: 600px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358text m_-5877712936105911358text--feature" style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_-5877712936105911358text_content-cell m_-5877712936105911358content-padding-horizontal" style="color: #403f42; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px; text-align: center;" valign="top"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: white; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">Number 377 - January 15, 2024</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358layout" style="min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_-5877712936105911358column m_-5877712936105911358scale m_-5877712936105911358stack" style="margin: 0px; width: 300px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358text" style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_-5877712936105911358text_content-cell m_-5877712936105911358content-padding-horizontal" style="color: #403f42; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 10px 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #004b8c; font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold;">Vic's Statehouse Notes</span></div><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #004b8c; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">By Dr. Vic Smith</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td align="center" class="m_-5877712936105911358column m_-5877712936105911358scale m_-5877712936105911358stack" style="margin: 0px; width: 300px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358image--mobile-scale m_-5877712936105911358image--mobile-center" style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_-5877712936105911358image_container" style="margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-top: 10px;" valign="top"><img alt="" class="CToWUd" data-bit="iit" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgUSCy54bdIykWZhMKG7VBwqagn6Ld2EdlDHNZcokIpSOro9pdncEW3_-49_5YiaL2Lh4j7ObO_FYfdTP_ffIemWSmaANWGM5N6NM1KsruqYMNkNOAuRVYdNjseSSpK-VRXpMdygnXu-PW5Xj6kKsNYLSbucxl4-NzuWkZlPZt80pKsz1cKuU7U5_sx6bJOX6YIQAcSxgw=s0-d-e1-ft" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="110" /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table bgcolor="#004B8C" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358layout" style="background-color: #004b8c; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_-5877712936105911358column m_-5877712936105911358scale m_-5877712936105911358stack" style="margin: 0px; width: 600px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 9px; padding-top: 9px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="height: 1px; table-layout: fixed; width: 564px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#869198" height="1" style="background-color: #869198; border-bottom-width: 0px; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" data-bit="iit" height="1" hspace="0" jslog="138226; u014N:xr6bB; 53:WzAsMl0." src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi1AByAlHT_57WtjE566aZUny5wTJhWDMuKbFTaiUmvmkhpDF-istxELMNv2AvL5ZcT_JlliqhWP4XxNJyYRvZSxLE-x_tB7E62cmMPO-d2vQ2XyR3HZsScGq6LQug3ud-cqLF6ddEhRMrqGALENXHeyZpStsX4i1Q1OYUn3fgUDKWd3SZR=s0-d-e1-ft" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table bgcolor="#004B8C" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358layout" style="background-color: #004b8c; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_-5877712936105911358column m_-5877712936105911358scale m_-5877712936105911358stack" style="margin: 0px; width: 600px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 9px; padding-top: 9px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="height: 1px; table-layout: fixed; width: 564px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#869198" height="1" style="background-color: #869198; border-bottom-width: 0px; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" data-bit="iit" height="1" hspace="0" jslog="138226; u014N:xr6bB; 53:WzAsMl0." src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi1AByAlHT_57WtjE566aZUny5wTJhWDMuKbFTaiUmvmkhpDF-istxELMNv2AvL5ZcT_JlliqhWP4XxNJyYRvZSxLE-x_tB7E62cmMPO-d2vQ2XyR3HZsScGq6LQug3ud-cqLF6ddEhRMrqGALENXHeyZpStsX4i1Q1OYUn3fgUDKWd3SZR=s0-d-e1-ft" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358layout" style="min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_-5877712936105911358column m_-5877712936105911358scale m_-5877712936105911358stack" style="margin: 0px; width: 600px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358text" style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_-5877712936105911358text_content-cell m_-5877712936105911358content-padding-horizontal" style="color: #403f42; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #284fa1; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold;">It's Not a Good Start for the Short Session</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table bgcolor="#004B8C" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358layout" style="background-color: #004b8c; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_-5877712936105911358column m_-5877712936105911358scale m_-5877712936105911358stack" style="margin: 0px; width: 600px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 9px; padding-top: 9px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="height: 1px; table-layout: fixed; width: 564px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#869198" height="1" style="background-color: #869198; border-bottom-width: 0px; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" data-bit="iit" height="1" hspace="0" jslog="138226; u014N:xr6bB; 53:WzAsMl0." src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi1AByAlHT_57WtjE566aZUny5wTJhWDMuKbFTaiUmvmkhpDF-istxELMNv2AvL5ZcT_JlliqhWP4XxNJyYRvZSxLE-x_tB7E62cmMPO-d2vQ2XyR3HZsScGq6LQug3ud-cqLF6ddEhRMrqGALENXHeyZpStsX4i1Q1OYUn3fgUDKWd3SZR=s0-d-e1-ft" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358layout" style="min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_-5877712936105911358column m_-5877712936105911358scale m_-5877712936105911358stack" style="margin: 0px; width: 600px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358text" style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_-5877712936105911358text_content-cell m_-5877712936105911358content-padding-horizontal" style="color: #403f42; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358text" style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_-5877712936105911358text_content-cell m_-5877712936105911358content-padding-horizontal" style="color: #403f42; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Two Senate bills, SB 255 and SB 143, directly implement Milton Friedman’s plan to give school funding to parents and not to schools, abruptly ending the way public education in Indiana has been funded for over a century.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Both bills must be strongly opposed, and promptly. Senate Bill 255 has been scheduled for a hearing on Thursday, January 18 at 9 a.m. in bill author Senator Mishler’s committee, the Senate Appropriations Committee, which meets in Room 431.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">One immediate effect of both bills would have taxpayers for the first time pay $7,000 for ANY student in an unaccredited home school.</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table bgcolor="#004B8C" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358layout" style="background-color: #004b8c; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_-5877712936105911358column m_-5877712936105911358scale m_-5877712936105911358stack" style="margin: 0px; width: 600px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 9px; padding-top: 9px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="height: 1px; table-layout: fixed; width: 564px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#869198" height="1" style="background-color: #869198; border-bottom-width: 0px; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" data-bit="iit" height="1" hspace="0" jslog="138226; u014N:xr6bB; 53:WzAsMl0." src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi1AByAlHT_57WtjE566aZUny5wTJhWDMuKbFTaiUmvmkhpDF-istxELMNv2AvL5ZcT_JlliqhWP4XxNJyYRvZSxLE-x_tB7E62cmMPO-d2vQ2XyR3HZsScGq6LQug3ud-cqLF6ddEhRMrqGALENXHeyZpStsX4i1Q1OYUn3fgUDKWd3SZR=s0-d-e1-ft" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358layout" style="min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_-5877712936105911358column m_-5877712936105911358scale m_-5877712936105911358stack" style="margin: 0px; width: 600px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358text" style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_-5877712936105911358text_content-cell m_-5877712936105911358content-padding-horizontal" style="color: #403f42; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">Wow!</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">This blockbuster attack on public schools comes in a session when Republican leaders have been saying that controversial bills would not go forward in this short session.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">This is an existential threat to public education right out of Milton Friedman’s playbook. Education accounts would be available to all parents through an on-line form operated by the Indiana Treasurer to provide $7,000 in services, the approximate amount provided to each student in the local public school.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p align="center" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">This is a blockbuster that would unravel public education just as Milton Friedman’s followers have pushed for.</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table bgcolor="#004B8C" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358layout" style="background-color: #004b8c; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_-5877712936105911358column m_-5877712936105911358scale m_-5877712936105911358stack" style="margin: 0px; width: 600px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 9px; padding-top: 9px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="height: 1px; table-layout: fixed; width: 564px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#869198" height="1" style="background-color: #869198; border-bottom-width: 0px; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" data-bit="iit" height="1" hspace="0" jslog="138226; u014N:xr6bB; 53:WzAsMl0." src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi1AByAlHT_57WtjE566aZUny5wTJhWDMuKbFTaiUmvmkhpDF-istxELMNv2AvL5ZcT_JlliqhWP4XxNJyYRvZSxLE-x_tB7E62cmMPO-d2vQ2XyR3HZsScGq6LQug3ud-cqLF6ddEhRMrqGALENXHeyZpStsX4i1Q1OYUn3fgUDKWd3SZR=s0-d-e1-ft" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358layout" style="min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_-5877712936105911358column m_-5877712936105911358scale m_-5877712936105911358stack" style="margin: 0px; width: 600px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-5877712936105911358text" style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_-5877712936105911358text_content-cell m_-5877712936105911358content-padding-horizontal" style="color: #403f42; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">Context for Senate Bill 255</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">SB 255 expires the Choice Scholarship (Voucher) Program and the Education Scholarship Account (ESA) Program on June 30, 2025, replacing them with the newly named Funding Students First (FSF) Grant Program as a two-year pilot program through June 30, 2027. It allows parents of students who are homeschooled or who attend public or non-public schools to apply to the Treasurer for a grant.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">It is unknown what would happen at the end of the two-year pilot program.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">This is the first time unaccredited home school students would get the same funding now given to private school voucher students. The non-partisan Legislative Services Agency estimates state expenditures would go up by S46.5 million.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">Context for Senate Bill 143</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">SB 143 would extend the ill-advised law passed in the 2021 budget using state money to fund unaccredited home schools for special education students. Parents of a few special education students argued that they needed complete control of their special education student’s schooling. The General Assembly passed this limited program and budgeted $10 million for the Indiana Treasurer to run the on line program. Then only 137 students signed up the first year and 431 in the second year, costing about $5.5 million according to the Legislative Services Agency.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Instead of trimming back the budget which was not being used, SB 143 proposes to spend the rest of the $10 million by opening up the home school funding to ALL home school students, not just special education students, on a first-come, first-served basis.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">This is obviously a “foot in the door” bill to do what Milton Friedman’s followers are trying to do right away in the sweeping Senate Bill 255: give money to parents to choose among private school and home school options. Friedman wanted to end all state involvement in schools and treat education as a private good rather than the public good it currently is, providing the backbone of our communities and our democracy. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">SB 143’s ESA expansion would give public school opponents a toehold to expand the program each year with a bigger budget until eventually every student could have a home school ESA, while public schools shrink and lose their roles as centers of the community and conduits of democracy to the next generation. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">SB 255’s expansion is not incremental but makes all unaccredited home school students eligible for state funding right away. All voucher restrictions based on family income are gone. This goal has been the Holy Grail for Milton Friedman followers, and SB 255 makes it all come true.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">What are some of the problems here?</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">1) Tutors and providers on the list approved by the Indiana Treasurer do not have to have criminal background checks, unlike all teachers and even volunteers in public schools.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">2) Extremist home schooling parents could teach hate, discrimination and autocracy on the taxpayer’s dime. No one would know.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">3) This would be the end of high standards for education in Indiana. Taking the ILEARN test is the only requirement, but there are no consequences to the home school or to the student for a low score. The two-decade push for higher standards in Indiana schools would be over. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">4) There is no supervision and no accountability for the parents running the home school using your tax dollars. They have to select providers from a list approved by the Indiana Treasurer, but the rest of the unaccredited home school has no oversight by anyone.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> 5) This radical change will jolt the Indiana education system so much that highly sought young teachers will choose to go to other states, adding to our teacher shortage.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">6) The non-partisan Legislative Services Agency estimates state expenditures would go up by S46.5 million.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">Can We Risk Our Democracy?</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">State laws ban racial discrimination in our public schools. Private schools offering vouchers must sign a pledge on penalty of perjury to uphold the same laws against discrimination. There are no such laws, however, restricting home schools from teaching discrimination or supporting autocracy. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">These bills put our democracy at risk! </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">How many radically educated students would it take to topple the broad consensus in support of our Constitution?</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">No one will ever know what kind of home schools these parents are operating. They do not have to file reports or host any visitations. The tax payers are shut out of any influence over curriculum. Tax payers pay the bill and then lose all say in the direction of the ESA schools.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">The followers of Milton Friedman are actively supporting the bill because they want no government role in schools except to fund private schools. Let your senator and the following Education Committee members know how strongly you oppose these bills and the funding of unaccredited home schools.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">You can copy these e-mail addresses and paste them into the "TO" field of your email:</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">Senate Education Committee: Senate Bill 143</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="mailto:Senator.Hunley@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Hunley@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">; </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="mailto:Senator.Buchanan@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Buchanan@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">; </span><a href="mailto:Senator.Crane@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Crane@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">;</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="mailto:Senator.Dernulc@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Dernulc@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">; </span><a href="mailto:Senator.Donato@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Donato@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">;</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="mailto:Senator.jdford@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.jdford@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">; </span><a href="mailto:Senator.Leising@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Leising@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">;</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="mailto:Senator.Qaddoura@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Qaddoura@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">; </span><a href="mailto:Senator.Raatz@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Raatz@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">;</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="mailto:Senator.Rogers@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Rogers@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">; </span><a href="mailto:Senator.Deery@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Deery@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">;</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="mailto:Senator.Johnson@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Johnson@iga.in.gov</a><span face="Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 18px;">; </span><a href="mailto:Senator.Yoder@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Yoder@iga.in.gov</a></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">Senate Appropriations Committee: Senate Bill 255</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="mailto:Senator.Mishler@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Mishler@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">; </span><a href="mailto:Senator.Bassler@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Bassler@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">;</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="mailto:Senator.Brown@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Brown@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">; </span><a href="mailto:Senator.Busch@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Busch@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">;</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="mailto:Senator.Charbonneau@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Charbonneau@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;"><wbr></wbr>; </span><a href="mailto:Senator.Crider@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Crider@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">;</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="mailto:Senator.Qaddoura@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Qaddoura@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">; </span><a href="mailto:Senator.Raatz@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Raatz@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">;</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="mailto:Senator.Freeman@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Freeman@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">; </span><a href="mailto:Senator.Garten@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Garten@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">;</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="mailto:Senator.Holdman@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Holdman@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">; </span><a href="mailto:Senator.Yoder@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Yoder@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">; </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="mailto:Senator.Niezgodski@iga.in.gov;Senator.Randolph@iga.in.gov" style="color: #48a199; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Senator.Niezgodski@iga.in.gov;<wbr></wbr>Senator.Randolph@iga.in.gov</a><span style="font-size: 18px;">;</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">Our public schools that have served as the backbone of our democracy for 170 years deserve our support.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana!</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Best wishes,</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Vic Smith <a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">vic790@aol.com</a> </span></p><p style="margin: 0px; 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Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
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Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLr53Q2B475XRB_UdB43vChGDSGBwVSNU1KWQwMqg39LriXluTMtREPNJDWklm_rpUiGwzFDjQ0g78g1FdBjMX3YzUeRgXMnPiV9QYKL6Z-kXjhvyu8IKOOsGGYCccVB8LuyIecQ2hmBHb6VEFmwKXuIp11mGSdI6eNpfrvJo6VSH07NJfpEMHOcNfJBZj/s2048/Banned-books1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLr53Q2B475XRB_UdB43vChGDSGBwVSNU1KWQwMqg39LriXluTMtREPNJDWklm_rpUiGwzFDjQ0g78g1FdBjMX3YzUeRgXMnPiV9QYKL6Z-kXjhvyu8IKOOsGGYCccVB8LuyIecQ2hmBHb6VEFmwKXuIp11mGSdI6eNpfrvJo6VSH07NJfpEMHOcNfJBZj/s200/Banned-books1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
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<i>"PEN America <a href="https://pen.org/escambia-county-florida-banned-books-list/" target="_blank">reported that more than 1,600 books have been removed from circulation</a> until they have received approval from school officials. The big joke in Escambia County [FL] is that a dictionary is in the Escambia list of books that possibly violate the law. Actually, five dictionaries!"</i> -- From Diane Ravitch in <a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2024/01/10/pen-america-escambia-county-florida-banned-more-that-1600-booksincluding-the-dictionary/" target="_blank">PEN America: Escambia County, Florida, Banned More than 1,600 Books, Including 5 Dictionaries!</a><br />
<br /><u><b>BANNING BOOKS IN AMERICA</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2024/01/10/pen-america-escambia-county-florida-banned-more-that-1600-booksincluding-the-dictionary/" target="_blank">PEN America: Escambia County, Florida, Banned More than 1,600 Books, Including 5 Dictionaries!</a></b><br /><br />
Republicans want to be the ones to decide what K-12 students can read.<br />
<br />
(Emphasis in original)<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Five dictionaries are on the district’s list of more than 1,600 books banned pending investigation in December 2023, along with eight different encyclopedias, <b>The Guinness Book of World Records</b>, and <b>Ripley’s Believe it or Not</b> – all due to fears they violate the state’s new laws banning materials with “sexual conduct” from schools.<br />
<br />
Biographies of <b>Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, Nicki Minaj</b>, and <b>Thurgood Marshall</b> are on the list, alongside The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Black Panther comics by <b>Ta-Nehisi Coates</b>. The Feminism Book was banned along with The Teen Vogue Handbook: An Insider’s Guide to Careers in Fashion.<br />
<br />
The list obtained by the <a href="https://www.fftrp.org/" target="_blank">Florida Freedom to Read Project</a> also includes <b>Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl, The Adventures and the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile. The Princess Diaries</b> and 14 other books by <b>Meg Cabot</b> have been taken from libraries, alongside books by <b>David Baldacci, Lee Child, Michael Crichton, Carl Hiassen, Jonathan Franzen, John Green, John Grisham, Stephen King</b> (23 of them), <b>Dean Koontz, Cormac McCarthy, Celeste Ng, James Patterson, Jodi Picoult</b>, and <b>Nicholas Sparks</b>. Conservative pundit <b>Bill O’Reilly’s</b> two books, <b>Killing Jesus</b> and <b>Killing Reagan</b>, were also banned pending investigation.</i></blockquote><br /><u><b>THIRD GRADE RETENTION</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/editorials/gop-lawmakers-look-to-cut-exemptions-to-grade-retentions/article_a84f0804-af2f-11ee-87b3-5b4f9131aefe.html" target="_blank">GOP lawmakers look to cut exemptions to grade retentions</a></b><br />
<br />
Contrary to this editorial, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02724316211010332" target="_blank">retained students are at a higher risk of dropping out</a>. At best, retention doesn't help.<br />
<br />
The writers also cite a New York Times columnist's claim that "retention of third graders [was] 'perhaps the most important single element' of Mississippi’s apparent success" in the state's improved fourth-grade test scores. Could it be that the improved test scores were because low-achieving students were held back in third grade and were no longer included in the fourth-grade cohort?<br />
<br />
Yet states continue to double down on third-grade retention. A student's future should not be determined by a test score.<br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Last school year, more than 65,000 Hoosier third graders – or 81.9% – demonstrated proficient reading skills on the state’s IREAD-3 reading test, according to the Indiana Department of Education.<br />
<br />
In Allen County, 93.1% of third graders in Northwest Allen County Schools, 88.5% at Southwest Allen County Schools, 79.5% at East Allen County Schools and 70.9% at Fort Wayne Community Schools passed IREAD-3. Statewide, scores improved just 0.3%.<br />
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As reading scores have decreased, retention rates also have fallen, causing thousands of students to enter fourth grade unable to read at grade level. State education department data show more than 96% of students who did not pass IREAD-3 advanced to fourth grade.<br />
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Urgent improvement for all student populations will be essential to achieve Gov. Eric Holcomb’s worthy goal of 95% of all Indiana third graders passing IREAD-3 by 2027. He and Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston presented their legislative agendas Monday for the 2024 session. Improving elementary student literacy rates is among their top concerns.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYC7R6CXRvVMY-AjNPZY9pu-rTl-76k5s8qjqH4w44B5wXH2XrLV93LZH5hHAdNOJlyoPhdgrcUv9MQ8XB7iDwKNlRfchGlJQhLpyktFjg-ODHubTfS-hOG-jvPpL833uo1IVEfyEQKQRTYwrs_RmalJaqzszGXlNUpMeb-DRarxGz4YDCUccbktNMg_63/s430/18593.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="430" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYC7R6CXRvVMY-AjNPZY9pu-rTl-76k5s8qjqH4w44B5wXH2XrLV93LZH5hHAdNOJlyoPhdgrcUv9MQ8XB7iDwKNlRfchGlJQhLpyktFjg-ODHubTfS-hOG-jvPpL833uo1IVEfyEQKQRTYwrs_RmalJaqzszGXlNUpMeb-DRarxGz4YDCUccbktNMg_63/w200-h130/18593.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<u><b>LIES, LIES, AND MORE LIES</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2024/01/11/arthur-camins-the-lies-that-protect-the-1/" target="_blank">Arthur Camins: The Lies That Protect the 1%</a></b><br />
<br />
(Emphasis in original)<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i><b>Liar, Liar. Pants on Fire. The lies from the powerful, especially Republicans, have risen to stunningly <a href="https://framelab.substack.com/p/the-orwell-test?r=1xrx25&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web" target="_blank">Orwellian 2 + 2 = 5 levels</a>. The lies that protect their wealth and power have been quite successful at gaining wide acceptance. They keep at it because they know most of us reject a grossly inequitable society in which only some people enjoy a stable secure life. Inevitably, the truth seeps through the cracks in their wall of deceptions. Most Americans want fairness and access to decisions that affect our lives. The purveyors of self-protecting fabrications are afraid of the truth. Increasingly, they resort to authoritarianism, outlawing truth-telling, spreading misinformation, and blocking democratic processes.</b><br />
<br />
The well-trod lies are designed to sound like common sense but are demonstrably false. They include:<br />
<br />
Providing parents with choices through school vouchers and charter schools improves achievement and equity.<br />
<br />
<b>No, they support the privileged, starve and undermine public education, and get the rest of us to fight amongst ourselves for scraps.</b></i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>PUBLIC EDUCATION SALARY INCREASES</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2024/01/08/indiana-teacher-salaries-are-on-the-rise-but-averages-still-fall-short-of-governors-goal/" target="_blank">Indiana teacher salaries are on the rise — but averages still fall short of governor’s goal</a></b><br />
<br />
From <a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com" target="_blank">Indiana Capital Chronicle</a><br />
<blockquote><i>New data shows Indiana’s teacher pay is ticking up — but still trails behind averages in neighboring states — as the debate over Hoosier educator salaries continues.<br />
<br />
The average teacher salary in Indiana is $58,531 — up from about $57,000 the year prior — according to the 2022-23 state teacher compensation report by the Indiana Education Employment Relations Board (IEERB).<br />
<br />
The lowest teacher salary reported was $38,000. The highest is about $108,000.<br />
<br />
More than 31,000 full-time Hoosier teachers earn above the statewide average. Almost 32,000 educators still earn below that margin, per the report.<br />
<br />
Currently, Indiana law requires a minimum salary of $40,000 for each full-time teacher. The Indiana State Teachers Association’s (ISTA) county-by-county map of <a href="https://www.ista-in.org/invest-in-education" target="_blank">average teacher salaries</a> and starting salaries shows most, but not all, Hoosier districts have raised salary minimums during the previous and current school years.<br />
<br />
But representatives from the state’s largest teacher union told the Indiana Capital Chronicle that the latest IEERB report shows “there is still work to be done in achieving the teacher salary goals set by the governor in 2020.”</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/new-custodial-maintenance-transportation-contracts-okd-at-east-allen-county-schools/article_ea85bd34-b0c5-11ee-a89f-a727cc5862f2.html" target="_blank">New custodial, maintenance, transportation contracts OK'd at East Allen County Schools</a></b><br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>East Allen County Schools’ custodial, maintenance and transportation staff will receive bigger paychecks this year, following a school board vote this week.<br />
<br />
The elected leaders approved two-year agreements Tuesday with the EACS Custodian Association, the EACS Maintenance Association and the EACS Transportation Association. The contracts were ratified by each union in December.<br />
<br />
Terms include raises comparable to other negotiated groups. Compensation for 2025 will be revisited during reopeners, said Pat McCann, chief financial officer.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IczU-t0FlDQKDwdsWFZJexdsmiovwKxsl8Ja5EiBEQZP1XXIbdBh045cqkQ90jWw1N2ewJL7gPRykh1tJKruFbb2v_YXJGFz1mZEr_6S0m26sLML8gadpFv_3zexJhWM_GxgqpgvVwWwMzQYaMAC0SlOLlVdQ07l_bwoQd4jC_0ROcapKR8xY4ecvuPm/s800/teacherpay.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IczU-t0FlDQKDwdsWFZJexdsmiovwKxsl8Ja5EiBEQZP1XXIbdBh045cqkQ90jWw1N2ewJL7gPRykh1tJKruFbb2v_YXJGFz1mZEr_6S0m26sLML8gadpFv_3zexJhWM_GxgqpgvVwWwMzQYaMAC0SlOLlVdQ07l_bwoQd4jC_0ROcapKR8xY4ecvuPm/s200/teacherpay.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.139351312.769039163821155 -120.2956013 69.389506836178839 -49.9831013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-82181231638610486592024-01-08T05:00:00.398-05:002024-01-08T05:00:00.252-05:00In Case You Missed It – January 8, 2024Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
<br />
Happy New Year! and welcome back to NEIFPE's <i>In Case You Missed It</i>. This week we bring you more than a dozen articles that received wide attention on our social media platforms over the recent winter holidays. Note that the source for more than half the articles is the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. To support this vital source of local news see the link at the end of this post.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2WKCOQQ90-VUfBlumY4E0omm_BcgGho-5M8B5c-gBiyJMmq69OipNqQHm6gEFdFz-2iTlj25J6xHHDKTajkDiP3uHnRBIqfQSCTbqV9FmrToKj2wDx7VOP-gydUCEi3P7D7-MC2wH1gctizKX4WGdBlf4tPZR1uxODAf8R9xb_S6AHtUQwf54nQLMtsq/s750/moneytovouchers.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="627" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2WKCOQQ90-VUfBlumY4E0omm_BcgGho-5M8B5c-gBiyJMmq69OipNqQHm6gEFdFz-2iTlj25J6xHHDKTajkDiP3uHnRBIqfQSCTbqV9FmrToKj2wDx7VOP-gydUCEi3P7D7-MC2wH1gctizKX4WGdBlf4tPZR1uxODAf8R9xb_S6AHtUQwf54nQLMtsq/s200/moneytovouchers.gif" /></a></div><u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
<i>"Universal ESA vouchers threaten to accomplish in Arizona exactly what they were designed to do: dismantle public education. Arizona would be wise to follow the nation in learning from our mistakes — before it’s too late."</i> -- Beth Lewis and Dr. Sharon Kirsch in <a href="https://www.azmirror.com/2023/12/11/one-year-in-arizonas-universal-school-vouchers-are-a-cautionary-tale-for-the-rest-of-the-nation/" target="_blank">One year in, Arizona’s universal school vouchers are a cautionary tale for the rest of the nation</a>.<br />
<br />
<u><b>VOUCHERS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2023/12/18/josh-cowen-2023-was-a-banner-year-for-vouchers-censorship-and-attacks-on-lgbt-kids/" target="_blank">Josh Cowen: 2023 Was a Banner Year for Vouchers, Censorship, and Attacks on LGBT Kids</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i><a href="https://washingtonspectator.org/the-year-in-review-dark-money-vouchers-are-having-a-moment/" target="_blank">Writing in the Washington Spectator</a>, veteran voucher researcher Josh Cowen reports that 2023 was a good year for some very bad ideas, many supported by prominent rightwingers and Dark Money, whose sources are hidden.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://networkforpubliceducation.org/voucher-scandals/" target="_blank">#SCHOOLVOUCHERSCAM$</a></b><br /><br />
The Network for Public Education's School Voucher Scam$ page, which began in September of 2023 in response to the recent flood of irresponsible universal voucher programs includes a sorting feature that allows you to search charter scandals by state and by 12 categories. You can also search by keyword.<br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://networkforpubliceducation.org" target="_blank">Network for Public Education</a><br />
<br /><br /><b><a href="https://sheilakennedy.net/2023/12/one-more-time-3/" target="_blank">One More Time…</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://sheilakennedy.net" target="_blank">Sheila Kennedy</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Arizona, like Indiana, has a legislature dominated by Republicans, and those legislators sold the concept of universal vouchers by insisting (as they did in Indiana) that it would help low-income students. They also insisted that the additional cost to the state would be negligible.<br />
<br />
As the paper reports, just one year into what it calls “this failed experiment,” it has become apparent that universal ESA vouchers are welfare for the wealthy. They are also on a path that will “devastate the state’s budget and lead to school closures, teacher layoffs, and eventually cuts to services like firefighters, health care, roads and more.”</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>CHARTERS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2024/01/02/south-carolina-moms-for-liberty-will-open-their-own-charter-school-in-affluent-neighborhood/" target="_blank">South Carolina: Moms for Liberty Will Open Their Own Charter School in Affluent Neighborhood</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Steve Bailey, an opinion writer for the Charleston Post and Courier, <a href="https://www.postandcourier.com/opinion/commentary/charleston-moms-for-liberty-opening-charter-school/article_b3941ee6-99d3-11ee-9ab4-dfcb2cb6f7cf.html" target="_blank">wrote recently about the new charter school that will open</a> in an affluent neighborhood in Charleston. It will use the Hillsdale College curriculum. The Moms predict it will be the highest performing school in the area. With the freedom to choose its students and to oust the ones who are problematic, it’s sure to get high gest scores.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>INDIANA NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/indiana-public-schools-learning-loss-recovery-slow-uneven-study/article_2c571fcc-a447-11ee-800f-0bef59a1e29a.html" target="_blank">
Indiana public schools' learning loss recovery slow, uneven: study</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Indiana’s public schools continue to experience the effects of pandemic-related learning loss, with recovery happening at a slow and uneven pace, according to a new study by Ball State University researchers.<br />
<br />
“We were surprised at the persistence of learning loss since COVID,” researcher Michael Hicks said in a statement. “Recovery in test scores has been modest across the state, with little to suggest a full recovery is on the way.”</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/editorials/indiana-joins-new-summer-food-program-for-school-children/article_a0bcd21c-a9a1-11ee-9774-13907ce4e4c6.html" target="_blank">Indiana joins new summer food program for school children</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Last month, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Division of Family Resources notified the federal Department of Agriculture of its intent to participate in the 2024 Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children program.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/23-graduation-rate-is-a-testament-to-resilience-in-youth/article_6dc90abe-ab41-11ee-b717-aba58c0488fb.html" target="_blank">
'23 graduation rate is a testament to resilience in youth</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>As the Indiana General Assembly seeks to remake Hoosier high schools, it would be good to listen closely to educators on what’s promoting or hindering success then work toward prompting holistic strategies rather than punitive policy.<br />
<br />
As for the graduates of 2023 — with a nod to educators and families — here’s a belated congratulations on showing perseverance during a highly anxious time in history.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisa1tGd_CmP59-pdtJJx5BKC6fcG0McZgNVL3sUHXV7mWKYL-AxKi8zB0yHyn4j4NS0mriVTv_G9NM3VP2QxWhKMGw2WRP0-ocWZL6BeV373IB-KkRZODyDiSQQPaC0B_FQPNKFqnwvbUFLC6EnYdiJjbVo0WCZUkrn0ADlHd4VpCRLTXKjjQT0aOb1FMK/s596/politics_and_education_0-1-1135307442.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisa1tGd_CmP59-pdtJJx5BKC6fcG0McZgNVL3sUHXV7mWKYL-AxKi8zB0yHyn4j4NS0mriVTv_G9NM3VP2QxWhKMGw2WRP0-ocWZL6BeV373IB-KkRZODyDiSQQPaC0B_FQPNKFqnwvbUFLC6EnYdiJjbVo0WCZUkrn0ADlHd4VpCRLTXKjjQT0aOb1FMK/s200/politics_and_education_0-1-1135307442.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<b><a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2024/01/03/these-are-the-major-education-topics-indiana-lawmakers-expect-to-focus-on-in-2024/" target="_blank">These are the major education topics Indiana lawmakers expect to focus on in 2024</a></b><br /><br />
Topics include improving third-grade literacy, tackling chronic absenteeism, revisiting career readiness, targeting cell phones, and cracking down on antisemitism.<br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com" target="_blank">Indiana Capital Chronicle</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Although Indiana lawmakers maintain the 2024 legislative session will be quicker, quieter and “noncontroversial,” there’s no shortage of critical — even touchy — education-related topics expected to be prioritized in the coming months.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://sheilakennedy.net/2023/12/jim-banks-and-the-gop-war-on-education/" target="_blank">Jim Banks And The GOP War On Education…</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://sheilakennedy.net" target="_blank">Sheila Kennedy</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Jim Banks–<a href="https://sheilakennedy.net/2023/11/what-is-wrong-with-jim-banks/" target="_blank">aka “Focus on the Family’s Man in Washington</a>“–wants to be the next U.S. Senator from Indiana. During his tenure in the House, he has made most of his agenda very, very clear: a federal ban on abortion with no exceptions; no recognition of, or help for, trans children; no restrictions on gun ownership; no affirmative action or other recognition of the effects of racial disparities (he wants to ban DEI programs); no funding for Ukraine, and–as this last bit of news confirms– a constant war on education.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2023/12/18/why-arent-hoosier-kids-showing-up-to-school-and-what-can-indiana-lawmakers-do-to-help/" target="_blank">Why aren’t Hoosier kids showing up to school — and what can Indiana lawmakers do to help?</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com" target="_blank">Indiana Capital Chronicle</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Indiana lawmakers are adamant that moving bills to help improve student literacy and bolster career readiness is high-priority in the upcoming legislative session. But their efforts could end up fruitless if the state can’t solve another issue plaguing schools: Hoosier kids aren’t showing up to the classroom.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>FORT WAYNE AREA NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/550-whitley-county-children-sign-up-for-free-books-through-expanding-program/article_1e0314dc-a4ea-11ee-bbf2-bf41bec714a6.html" target="_blank">550 Whitley County children sign up for free books through expanding program</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>More than 500 Whitley County children will receive a book every month until they turn 5 through a program that’s expanding statewide, the United Way of Whitley & Kosciusko Counties announced in a news release Wednesday.<br />
<br />
The organization is an affiliate for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a book-gifting program for children younger than 5, regardless of family income. The release said the books grow with the child, progressing from board books to picture books to full-length stories.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/fort-wayne-community-schools-prepares-for-next-major-renovation/article_c91fd820-9acf-11ee-94cf-1f8ba8d43082.html" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Community Schools prepares for next major renovation</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Fort Wayne Community Schools recently checked off an initial step toward its 25th major renovation.</i></blockquote><br /><b>
<a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/sacs-considers-hiring-speaker-to-advance-work-in-creating-culture-of-belonging-understanding/article_715b8fd6-9ede-11ee-939c-5f1424facb6c.html" target="_blank">SACS considers hiring speaker to advance work in creating culture of belonging, understanding</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Southwest Allen County Schools’ relationship with the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism might continue, pending board approval to spend $10,000 to host the nonpartisan group’s leader early next year.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/allen-county-school-districts-find-remedies-for-bus-driver-shortage/article_be4ea8c4-9f5a-11ee-9dd2-cf224173b1fe.html" target="_blank">Allen County school districts find remedies for bus driver shortage</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>When East Allen County Schools is short on bus drivers, Charles Ward is among the first to pick up an additional route to ensure students arrive to school and return home.<br />
<br />...This practice is among the solutions Allen County school districts have used when they lack bus drivers. Other remedies include asking transportation office staff to drive and shifting schools to e-learning, something Fort Wayne Community Schools used once this fall when a significant number of drivers were absent because of personal or family sickness.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/northwest-allen-county-schools-busing-changes-lead-to-benefits/article_3564138a-9dea-11ee-bfc7-3f69b4a30383.html" target="_blank">
Northwest Allen County Schools busing changes 'LEAD' to benefits</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>The Northwest Allen County Schools transportation department has never been busier hiring drivers.<br />
<br />
The district, which has about 6,300 bus riders, welcomed 15 drivers this calendar year – a record high based on the documents available to Natalie Hoffman, transportation director.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOhKpC9J-ZJpbKYmjfDcH5ck9Fk7R09Y8XmkRuPB3QFBmGUiUEXlGfBUn8X5JLJ3unWqzOW-setuvU8toY6f6U3qPKCHX9QAYipt6LK0ewRRtv9GndUHc8Yp0zcKInyXI3LLx6pgiKDCw2fFWHr2VPqGJxDYtbSpG8mk37sAjNNiWGq9_avSA0qtivrwx/s330/public_schools_bus_%281%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOhKpC9J-ZJpbKYmjfDcH5ck9Fk7R09Y8XmkRuPB3QFBmGUiUEXlGfBUn8X5JLJ3unWqzOW-setuvU8toY6f6U3qPKCHX9QAYipt6LK0ewRRtv9GndUHc8Yp0zcKInyXI3LLx6pgiKDCw2fFWHr2VPqGJxDYtbSpG8mk37sAjNNiWGq9_avSA0qtivrwx/s200/public_schools_bus_%281%29.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-13247863233458838852023-12-18T05:00:00.185-05:002023-12-18T05:00:00.137-05:00In Case You Missed It – December 18, 2023Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
<br />
NEIFPE's <i>In Case You Missed It</i> will be on hiatus until January 8. Thank you for your support of public education.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfdLOvxownBXdMyTTxu9ezG4BHtL1PXir0Yn04R9h5LCqXNfdsW7uYx69t_24fbigpntgArdMU_clLkp-_kGB26zyPYoopQ4C7MBX8wrORTlhGktLVOU7CW3Xrc38vJmU0lDhQTlpvzlGDAYzcY4RKiKo66uGoeblOnpDipeHfUf31DZdVYlWFJiOkAq0/s430/18593.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfdLOvxownBXdMyTTxu9ezG4BHtL1PXir0Yn04R9h5LCqXNfdsW7uYx69t_24fbigpntgArdMU_clLkp-_kGB26zyPYoopQ4C7MBX8wrORTlhGktLVOU7CW3Xrc38vJmU0lDhQTlpvzlGDAYzcY4RKiKo66uGoeblOnpDipeHfUf31DZdVYlWFJiOkAq0/s200/18593.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
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<i>"The evidence that grade retention will work over the long run <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/6/12/23758532/grade-retention-social-promotion-studies-reading-research-mississippi/" target="_blank">is mixed, at best</a>. And making students repeat a grade has <a href="https://edtrust.org/resource/holding-students-back-an-inequitable-and-ineffective-response-to-unfinished-learning/" target="_blank">negative social and emotional impacts</a>, especially for poor children and students of color. Let’s hope Indiana officials keep all that in mind in their efforts to improve reading."</i> -- Steve Hinnefeld in <a href="https://inschoolmatters.wordpress.com/2023/12/12/more-on-reading-and-retention/" target="_blank">More on Reading and Retention</a><br />
<br />
<u><b>GRADE RETENTION</b></u><br />
<br />
Retention of students in grade has been used for decades as a way to help slower learners "catch up." In recent years state legislatures have required third-grade students to pass a reading test or be retained. Yet retention alone doesn't seem to help in the long run.<br />
<br />
Do we even know if the tests accurately measure student learning?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2023/12/grade-retention-sleight-of-hand.html" target="_blank"><b>Grade Retention Sleight of Hand</b></a><br /><br />
Peter Greene is a retired English teacher. Here he uses his knowledge to explain how words are used to put a positive spin on grade retention while downplaying the need for additional help for struggling students aside from retention.<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Curmudgucation</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Flunking 8 and 9 year olds because they didn't pass a Big Standardized Test is easy; giving additional supports and resources to students in poor and under-resourced schools is hard. "Flunk everyone who didn't make the cut score," is quick and simple. Broad support systems require investments of time, money, and staffing. And, of course, the retention is a hot new reform idea, while the broad support for students who need it has been the request of teachers since the invention of dirt.<br />
<br />
Maybe this research is solid, or maybe it's just well-packed baloney. I'm not going to get into that now (though my suspicions have a first name). But even if this is legit, the framing of it is irresponsible; it's a sleight of hand trick aimed at getting you to pick the card they want you to pick. Whenever someone brings up this report, ask them why they didn't write the sentence the other way. </i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://inschoolmatters.wordpress.com/2023/12/12/more-on-reading-and-retention/" target="_blank">More on reading and retention</a></b><br /><br />
Steve Hinnefeld at School Matters wants to know if 'parental rights' will be ignored when it comes to the retention of students in grade.<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://inschoolmatters.wordpress.com" target="_blank">School Matters</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Indiana legislators say they want <a href="https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/indiana-lawmakers-bills-on-absenteeism-third-grade-retention-will-mark-2024-session" target="_blank">more children to repeat third grade</a> if they don’t pass the state’s IREAD-3 test. Data released last week suggest that would be a big change in elementary schools.<br />
<br />
According to the Indiana Department of Education, nearly all third-graders who weren’t proficient on IREAD-3 in spring 2023 were promoted to fourth grade anyway. Many of those students had “good-cause exemptions” because they were in special education, were English learners or had previously been held back twice. But even among the 8,337 students without such exemptions, 95% were promoted.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YqG871pvObvylUHjFp0Ob6gcansmoXoI_qQ9KqLCn6lXe85GLmyrpukp1W-wSiB3orgM0H0pSbWkodCqh-vUjEWKc_OQpbXUyX2kjakljjEIggJWxXqLs-f8HcyFgF5ch9kjls6Fcsso0n-g9vF4F8MeaL6WLJBOaMhy-XasaLwa_N4JA6hdmWxLjuEr/s823/childismore2.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="823" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YqG871pvObvylUHjFp0Ob6gcansmoXoI_qQ9KqLCn6lXe85GLmyrpukp1W-wSiB3orgM0H0pSbWkodCqh-vUjEWKc_OQpbXUyX2kjakljjEIggJWxXqLs-f8HcyFgF5ch9kjls6Fcsso0n-g9vF4F8MeaL6WLJBOaMhy-XasaLwa_N4JA6hdmWxLjuEr/s200/childismore2.gif" width="200" /></a></div><br /><u><b>WHAT HAPPENED?</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://progressive.org/public-schools-advocate/rise-and-fall-moms-for-liberty-cunningham-20231214/" target="_blank">The Rise and Fall of Moms For Liberty</a></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/moms-liberty" target="_blank">Moms for Liberty</a> has had some difficulties lately...<br /><br />
From <a href="https://progressive.org/public-schools-advocate" target="_blank">The Progressive: Public Schools Advocate</a><br />
<blockquote><i>On June 30, 2023, a Washington Post headline <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/06/30/moms-for-liberty-republican-candidates-president/" target="_blank">declared</a> “Moms for Liberty didn’t exist three years ago. Now it’s a GOP kingmaker.” On November 10, 2023, after a raft of school board elections across the country, the Post ran another <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/11/10/voters-reject-moms-for-liberty/" target="_blank">headline</a>: “Voters drub Moms for Liberty ‘parental rights’ candidates at the ballot.” Moms for Liberty (M4L) not only didn’t make any kings, it didn’t even make many school board members. What happened?</i></blockquote><br /><u><b>FRACKING OUR ATTENTION</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2023/12/10/john-thompson-the-most-important-lesson-that-students-need-today/" target="_blank">John Thompson: The Most Important Lesson That Students Need Today</a></b><br /><br />Can we restore our attention?<br /><br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>D. Graham Burnett, Alyssa Loh, and Peter Schmidt begin their New York Times opinion piece, “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/24/opinion/attention-economy-education.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20231126&instance_id=108628&nl=the-morning&regi_id=69104564&segment_id=151002&te=1&user_id=6c929bddc294a2bdb1aba6f54d7a93e1" target="_blank">Powerful Forces Are Fracking Our Attention. We Can fight Back</a>,” with an eloquent version of a statement that should have long been obvious:<br />
<blockquote>We are witnessing the dark side of our new technological lives, whose <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/12/opinion/facebook-privacy.html" target="_blank">extractive</a> profit models amount to the systematic fracking of human beings: pumping vast quantities of high-pressure media content into our faces to force up a spume of the vaporous and intimate stuff called attention, which now trades on the open market. Increasingly powerful systems seek to ensure that our attention is never truly ours.</blockquote>Then Burnett, Loh, and Schmidt use equally insightful language to explain why “We Can Fight Back” against “the little satanic mills that live in our pockets.” They recall that “for two centuries, champions of liberal democracy have agreed that individual and collective <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/28/books/a-dangerous-literacy-the-legacy-of-frederick-douglass.html" target="_blank">freedom requires literacy</a>.” Today we face widespread complaints that reading is being undermined by “perpetual distraction,” due to commercial use of digital technologies. They add, “What democracy most needs now is an attentive citizenry — human beings capable of looking up from their screens, together.”</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJi4THr0uRfGwHKfBSeDEdb1eoRO39tHauczOhYEInb6xdSMRdcp86B-AWf2uxhqX6BPN5-VqZIB3abVdJr7iNCRS0V_Vnhr_GqFNseoUJtLwNS-o33NeNIhydVNCYrKgGsqNFjr59PxUlae01lXCxAPtfUePXlzMNvpH3O6lqn_r2pSvGWJHo6vHhn5gj/s600/screens6.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJi4THr0uRfGwHKfBSeDEdb1eoRO39tHauczOhYEInb6xdSMRdcp86B-AWf2uxhqX6BPN5-VqZIB3abVdJr7iNCRS0V_Vnhr_GqFNseoUJtLwNS-o33NeNIhydVNCYrKgGsqNFjr59PxUlae01lXCxAPtfUePXlzMNvpH3O6lqn_r2pSvGWJHo6vHhn5gj/s200/screens6.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<u><b>FORT WAYNE LOCAL NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/fort-wayne-community-schools-board-awards-superintendent-with-raise-bonus/article_7768319a-988a-11ee-b014-93e014db9d44.html" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Community Schools board awards superintendent with raise, bonus</a></b><br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Superintendent Mark Daniel’s salary will increase by 3% under his second raise since returning to Fort Wayne Community Schools more than three years ago.<br />
<br />
Maria Norman, school board president, announced the board’s decision to increase the superintendent’s compensation and award him a $5,000 bonus during Monday’s meeting. She noted the raise aligned with the raises other employees received.</i></blockquote>**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.139351312.769039163821155 -120.2956013 69.389506836178839 -49.9831013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-31856042798706245102023-12-11T05:00:00.132-05:002023-12-11T05:00:00.146-05:00In Case You Missed It – December 11, 2023
Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2vhfTnl3d-j6oQIbWqJDsTqQBy_L1XxBWJu3LxP6MjlWp9tAZxeWiWEY-Gh2LBi5NqDSy-FaW2fcsTAtBUmP6ModiNeOI8TxCb2kF8NcS4iuNl2ZDKd4Yl2OA7XdNMuA9-qProaNjBpxyXeEXIFjeksvkgj0EZkTqwuqIH_CT4DfMyk0Eu2G2TB0Osd3/s750/moneytovouchers.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="627" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2vhfTnl3d-j6oQIbWqJDsTqQBy_L1XxBWJu3LxP6MjlWp9tAZxeWiWEY-Gh2LBi5NqDSy-FaW2fcsTAtBUmP6ModiNeOI8TxCb2kF8NcS4iuNl2ZDKd4Yl2OA7XdNMuA9-qProaNjBpxyXeEXIFjeksvkgj0EZkTqwuqIH_CT4DfMyk0Eu2G2TB0Osd3/s200/moneytovouchers.gif" /></a></div><u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
<i>"Private schools cannot be counted on to protect students’ civil rights...Private schools are always selective. They can select the students they prefer and push out students whose behavior or academic problems challenge staff. Many of the schools created as segregation academies continue to discriminate by race as do many private schools created more recently. Private schools can keep out students whose sexual orientation or gender identity violates the school’s religious preference. Unlike public schools which are required by the Individuals with Disability Education Act to provide services that accommodate the needs of each child, private schools can choose whether to provide appropriate programs and specially trained teachers. Sometimes the schools promise special services but fail to provide qualified staff."</i> -- Jan Resseger in <a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2023/12/05/public-schools-our-essential-democratic-institution/" target="_blank">Public Schools: Our Essential Democratic Institution</a><br /><br />
<u><b>PUBLIC SCHOOLS: ESSENTIAL TO DEMOCRACY</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2023/12/05/public-schools-our-essential-democratic-institution/" target="_blank">Public Schools: Our Essential Democratic Institution</a></b><br /><br />
Public schools are essential to our democracy. What kind of nation do we want?<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Jan Resseger</a><br />
<blockquote><i>For generations, public schooling has been our society’s largest and most widespread civic institution. Back in 1992 when <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Good-Society-Robert-N-Bellah/dp/0679733590" target="_blank">The Good Society</a> was published, Bellah and his colleagues could not have anticipated the widespread expansion of educational individualism in the form private school vouchers state governments are supporting today, but they did notice our society’s ethos of radical individualism as a threat to our essential institutions: “Freedom, for most Americans, is an essential ingredient to a definition of a good society, and one we affirm… But in the great society of today, freedom cannot mean simply getting away from other people. Freedom must exist within and be guaranteed by institutions, and must include the right to participate in the economic and political decisions that affect our lived idea of a good society.” (The Good Society, p. 9)<br />
<br />
Most of us who oppose today’s explosion of bills across the states to establish or expand private school tuition vouchers are skilled enough to argue accurately about the practical detriments of private school tuition vouchers as they <a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2023/11/16/new-book-contrasts-what-voucher-proponents-promise-to-the-inequitable-results/" target="_blank">drive money out of states’ public school budgets</a>. We have learned that today in most states, the <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/22/inside-school-voucher-debate-00128377#:~:text=Republican%2Dcontrolled%20legislatures%20in%20Florida,over%20what%20kids%20are%20taught." target="_blank">students taking the vouchers are already enrolled in a private school</a> and only using the money to discount the tuition their parents are already paying. Researchers have also documented conclusively that on the whole, students lose ground academically when they leave public schools and carry a voucher to a private school. (Chris Lubienski, T. Jameson Brewer, and Joel Malin, “Bait and Switch,” <a href="https://www.tcpress.com/the-school-voucher-illusion-9780807768303" target="_blank">The School Voucher Illusion</a>, pp. 127-147), and (<a href="https://www.shankerinstitute.org/blog/school-vouchers-there-no-upside" target="_blank">Josh Cowen</a>.) We know that <a href="https://publiceducationpartners.org/2023/06/13/a-review-of-public-private-and-charter-school-use-in-ohios-88-counties/" target="_blank">vouchers divert tax dollars away from small towns and rural areas where the population is too small to support any private schools</a>. And we know that many privatized schools fail to provide programming for English learners and special needs students, <a href="https://search.issuelab.org/resources/19451/19451.pdf" target="_blank">leaving behind the most expensive students</a> to educate in the public schools.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>PLAY IS CHILDREN'S WORK</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/is-too-little-play-hurting-our-kids/" target="_blank">Is Too Little Play Hurting Our Kids?</a></b><br /><br />
This fascinating article on children's mental health is a transcript from the Scientific American podcast, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/60-second-science/" target="_blank">Science, Quickly</a>.<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com" target="_blank">Scientific American</a><br />
<blockquote><i>[Joseph] Polidoro: In the <a href="https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476%2823%2900111-7/fulltext" target="_blank">September issue of the Journal of Pediatrics</a>, [Peter] Gray and his co-authors observed a continuous increase in depression, anxiety and suicide rates among children and adolescents since at least 1960. And they link it to a decline in unsupervised play and other independent activities. <br />
<br />
[Peter] Gray: Play is how children pursue what’s fun for them. That’s an immediate source of mental health—part of mental health really means “I’m happy” or “I’m most satisfied with my life right now.”<br />
<br />
Polidoro: Gray says that play and other independent activities also have far-reaching long-term effects on children’s mental health and resilience. <br />
<br />
Gray: I think that the real crisis is that young people are losing a sense of, “I can solve problems, I can deal with bumps in the road of life.” And the way the children learn to do these things is through play where they are responsible to solve their own problems. They negotiate with their peers. They figure out how to solve quarrels among themselves. If somebody gets hurt, they figure out what to do about being hurt.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZPJc7R6N_OqHg8Sv9TeDI1eRbiXDLXN4oRmGJkhU_MHQsjHgfaxIS6YvHZgobDNA1MTv301IpNj02Qd0v3qJB-IFsKZkGUUjO2SUh0ytJHeCtENDlTqBKluUFt3NM8gduKOcKXS7IgsIcOnsLE5cUQUTau-u3ffdNiUDjqos5Ot7PMqWs3YWPcxtDOoR/s450/6a00d8341cbf9a53ef0115721e6202970b-450wi.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZPJc7R6N_OqHg8Sv9TeDI1eRbiXDLXN4oRmGJkhU_MHQsjHgfaxIS6YvHZgobDNA1MTv301IpNj02Qd0v3qJB-IFsKZkGUUjO2SUh0ytJHeCtENDlTqBKluUFt3NM8gduKOcKXS7IgsIcOnsLE5cUQUTau-u3ffdNiUDjqos5Ot7PMqWs3YWPcxtDOoR/s200/6a00d8341cbf9a53ef0115721e6202970b-450wi.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<u><b>CARNEGIE UNIT UNDER FIRE</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2023/12/04/john-thompson-the-carnegie-unit-in-the-line-of-fire/" target="_blank">John Thompson: The Carnegie Unit in the Line of Fire</a></b><br /><br />
"Given the failed track record of the disruptive change, as well as Petrilli’s advocacy for it, we need to pay attention when he goes on record saying that the under-reported story of ‘multiple pathways—via multiple diplomas' could create 'multiple pitfalls.'"<br /><br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>John Thompson, historian and retired teacher in Oklahoma, noticed that the Carnegie Unit is under fire. Do you know what a Carnegie Unit is? It’s a measure of time spent learning a subject. Here’s the definition on the website of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching:<br />
<br />
The unit was developed in 1906 as a measure of the amount of time a student has studied a subject. For example, a total of 120 hours in one subject—meeting 4 or 5 times a week for 40 to 60 minutes, for 36 to 40 weeks each year—earns the student one “unit” of high school credit. Fourteen units were deemed to constitute the minimum amount of preparation that could be interpreted as “four years of academic or high school preparation.”<br />
<br />
Why is this controversial?</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>FWCS TEACHER HONOR ROLL</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/teacher-honor-roll-fwcs-educator-collaborates-to-find-best-plan-for-students/article_a1c58478-8cce-11ee-a19e-43a8a0ae3b18.html" target="_blank">Teacher Honor Roll: FWCS educator collaborates to find best plan for students</a></b><br /><br />
Focus on FWCS teacher, Nicole Block.<br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i><b>Why did you become a teacher?</b> I volunteered at my son’s elementary school and his second grade teacher, who later became my best friend and mentor, encouraged me to pursue teaching. As a volunteer, I directly saw the impact teachers have on children and I was inspired to do the same. My family and I relocated to Fort Wayne, I enrolled in a master’s program in special education, and I met (Snider Principal) Chad Hissong at Purdue’s Educator Career Fair. I have never looked back.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xDSAacSGp1V1Mmu1Fk2pgsrzJh6CXT0JnVdT7WIkAcZl_aVB-jPasd4Ht9V8KQ-dW72HCjmO5sfJ2aDSkiqyIEcZxxDqj5RT9_amfj4gEPvRz6EGtBplHop2TOJbmD-p0d-6C_BfJCGdCMkdLm1Y4erIDfgQOgVHuiqRKoLdkcREPQgyqSBUyucJC1lR/s181/225555_10150181497579885_135083094884_6637815_7580977_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="180" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xDSAacSGp1V1Mmu1Fk2pgsrzJh6CXT0JnVdT7WIkAcZl_aVB-jPasd4Ht9V8KQ-dW72HCjmO5sfJ2aDSkiqyIEcZxxDqj5RT9_amfj4gEPvRz6EGtBplHop2TOJbmD-p0d-6C_BfJCGdCMkdLm1Y4erIDfgQOgVHuiqRKoLdkcREPQgyqSBUyucJC1lR/s200/225555_10150181497579885_135083094884_6637815_7580977_n.jpg" /></a></div><br />**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.139351312.769039163821155 -120.2956013 69.389506836178839 -49.9831013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-51773940193890048522023-12-04T05:00:00.318-05:002023-12-04T05:00:00.137-05:00In Case You Missed It – December 4, 2023Here are links to the last two week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aYC1mKOkTrOH-UcBT_sQ-LOHf7RjFbuyEHDVHL1TSWCgUwOchG-kPddb7IKym1OJknYy0TUBin0e2SP0VvsMX8tUbHbJcPyhMhc3hCxuVcHc5A5sMX92D6I7fwW-ShL1ThlvAHJTSDVFc_yBj1v0al6l3sULMPGb55JoTY3V7j7HizYfpuGa5E092su9/s300/private-vs-public-300x300.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aYC1mKOkTrOH-UcBT_sQ-LOHf7RjFbuyEHDVHL1TSWCgUwOchG-kPddb7IKym1OJknYy0TUBin0e2SP0VvsMX8tUbHbJcPyhMhc3hCxuVcHc5A5sMX92D6I7fwW-ShL1ThlvAHJTSDVFc_yBj1v0al6l3sULMPGb55JoTY3V7j7HizYfpuGa5E092su9/w200-h200/private-vs-public-300x300.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
<i>"Taxpayers can end up paying for the same building multiple times. First, the taxpayers pay for the school district to build it. Then they pay for the charter operator to buy it from the school district. Then, in cases like the White Hat fiasco, they end up not owning the building at all, as the CMO [Charter Management Organization], or some CMO real estate subsidiary, walks off with the building when the charter fails. In the worst of situations, this means that CMOs actually win whether the charter school succeeds or not."</i> -- Peter Greene in <a href="https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2023/11/charter-school-real-estate-profits.html" target="_blank">Charter School Real Estate Profits</a><br />
<br />
<u><b>PRIVATIZATION: CHARTERS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2023/11/charter-school-real-estate-profits.html" target="_blank">Charter School Real Estate Profits</a></b><br /><br />How many times should the public purchase a single school building? With charters managing their own real estate, it can be more than once.<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Curmudgucation</a><br />
<blockquote><i>The ultimate problem with charters getting into the real estate business is that it exacerbates a fundamental flaw of the "run schools like a business" approach of free market based school choice-- if a school is a business, then its interests conflict with the interests of students. Every dollar spent educating students is a dollar not spent enriching the business and its owners, and vice versa. The argument that the free market will punish the business for not spending enough on students is not really valid; in a free market, the challenge for an education-flavored business is not how to provide the very best education for students, but how to find the bare minimum they can get away with and still make a profit. Maximizing profit means minimizing service provided.<br />
<br />
That tension is present in all free marketeering of education. But when the most attractive driver of profit is not even the service, but the building the service is housed in, it just makes matters worse.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>PRIVATIZATION: VOUCHERS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2023/10/11/its-time-for-private-schools-to-open-the-books/" target="_blank">It’s time for private schools to open the books</a></b><br /><br />Private schools that use taxpayer dollars need to be open about where the money is being spent. Note, too, that most vouchers go to religious institutions which pay no taxes of their own.<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com" target="_blank">Indiana Capital Chronicle</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Maybe you saw the yard signs this summer? Across the state, a private organization — the Institute for Quality Education — put money toward promoting the dollar amount a child can receive from the state of Indiana to help pay for private school.<br />
<br />
It’s around $6,000 this school year, per the yard signs. In 2023-24, almost all Hoosier children qualify for a private school voucher if they can find a private school that will accept them.<br />
<br />
A program that was founded on the premise of providing opportunities for low-income and minority families has grown significantly since it was first challenged in court in 2012, one year after state legislators passed legislation establishing it. Yet while the program has expanded to include almost all families, the same problems persist: little accountability for taxpayers and few protections for families.<br />
<br />
As the state sends millions more tax dollars to private schools this year — an estimated $500 million, more than 35 times the initial cost to taxpayers in the 2011-12 school year — taxpayers still have no idea how these voucher dollars are being used by the schools that receive them. Is the money going into the classroom to help students? Unsure. Is the school financially distressed? Who knows.<br />
<br />
There are no state-required audits as there are for public schools. There are no public school board meetings in which to ask questions.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://inschoolmatters.wordpress.com/2023/11/20/indiana-vouchers-grew-less-than-expected/" target="_blank">Indiana vouchers grew less than expected</a></b><br /><br />Small comfort...<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://inschoolmatters.wordpress.com" target="_blank">School Matters</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Indiana’s private school voucher program grew by a third this fall, according to data from the state Department of Education. Some 69,271 students were awarded state-funded vouchers to pay for private school tuition. That’s up from 52,614 in fall 2022.<br />
<br />
It’s less of an increase than was expected when the Indiana General Assembly dramatically expanded eligibility for the program. Families now qualify if their income is no more than four times the <a href="https://www.in.gov/doe/nutrition/income-guidelines/" target="_blank">threshold for reduced-price school meals</a>. That’s $220,000 for a family of four.<br />
<br />
An estimated 97% of Hoosier students should qualify. When the voucher expansion passed as part of the state budget, the state Legislative Services Agency projected the program and its cost would <a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2023/04/27/indiana-nears-universal-school-choice-in-new-budget/" target="_blank">grow by over 70%</a>, to over a half billion dollars in 2023-24.<br />
<br />
That seemed like a reasonable guess. According to <a href="https://inschoolmatters.wordpress.com/2023/06/12/voucher-program-grew-in-2022-23/" target="_blank">last year’s state voucher report</a>, over 35,000 students attended private schools with their families paying their own way. If most of those families now qualified and opted for vouchers – and if the increasingly generous program drew more students to private schools – a big increase in the program would be expected.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>TIME TO PAY TEACHERS MORE</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://progressive.org/public-schools-advocate/how-can-anyone-afford-to-teach-anymore-goodwin-20231120/" target="_blank">How Can Anyone Afford to Teach Anymore?</a></b><br /><br />Normally, when there's a shortage of workers, the pay goes up. Not so with teachers. Is it because teachers are <a href="https://usafacts.org/articles/who-are-the-nations-4m-teachers/" target="_blank">mostly women</a>? Is it because privatizers want an employee base of workers who can be replaced cheaply? Whatever the reason, teachers continue to take a pay cut just by their choice of profession. America's priorities need some adjustments.<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://progressive.org/public-schools-advocate" target="_blank">The Progressive</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Teacher shortages have been reported in <a href="https://tsa.ed.gov/#/reports" target="_blank">all fifty states</a>, and <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/10/17/teacher-shortage-2023-us-schools-struggle-hiring/71208579007/" target="_blank">86 percent</a> of public schools are hard pressed to fill vacant teaching positions. Low pay is often cited as a <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/teacher-shortage-schools-low-pay-burnout-incentives/" target="_blank">cause</a> of the shortages. Let’s put that in context.<br />
<br />
On average, teacher pay in the United States is <a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/teacher-pay-penalty-2022/" target="_blank">nearly 25 percent less</a> than what other college graduates receive, according to a study by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). If you are a teacher in New Hampshire, as I am, your paycheck is nearly <a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/teacher-pay-in-2022/" target="_blank">30 percent</a> less than other college graduates. Let that sink in.<br />
<br />
People who go into teaching are taking on the same level of debt as other college graduates (or more), yet they are receiving nowhere near the same financial benefits. The typical U.S. graduate with a four year degree walked away with their diploma and <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/money/blueprint/student-loans/average-student-loan-debt-statistics/" target="_blank">$29,417</a> in debt in 2022. In my home state, the average debt for a bachelor’s degree topped the nation at an astounding $39,928.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>TRUST TEACHERS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://gadflyonthewallblog.com/2023/11/19/standardized-tests-lie/" target="_blank">Standardized Tests Lie</a></b><br /><br />Your child's teacher knows more about education than do the legislators in Indianapolis. Your child's teacher knows more about your child's progress than can be shown on any standardized test. Trust educators.<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://gadflyonthewallblog.com" target="_blank">Gadfly on the Wall</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Whom do you trust?<br />
<br />
So much in life comes down to that simple question.<br />
<br />
When two groups disagree, which one do you believe?<br />
<br />
...Those with the most exposure to the most diverse educational experiences are teachers and testing companies.<br />
<br />
On the one side you have <a href="https://gadflyonthewallblog.com/2016/05/26/the-arrogant-ignorance-of-campbell-brown-education-journalism-in-decline/" target="_blank">teachers who instruct students for at least 180 days a year</a>, giving formal and informal assessments throughout to provide a classroom grade. On the other you have the testing companies that give students a single assessment over a period of hours or days.<br />
<br />
And often they come to different conclusions.<br />
<br />
Many times children get high classroom grades but low scores on the standardized test.<br />
<br />
So let us ask the question that the media never does: which should we believe?</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>FORT WAYNE LOCAL NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/4-northeast-indiana-school-districts-get-state-literacy-grants/article_6dc39ad4-88be-11ee-9c70-cfe92c74b2e2.html" target="_blank">4 northeast Indiana school districts get state literacy grants</a></b><br />
<br />
Indiana has jumped into the Science of Reading Movement. For information, see the Executive Summary of <a href="https://nepc.colorado.edu/sites/default/files/publications/PB%20Thomas_0.pdf" target="_blank">The Science of Reading Movement: The Never-Ending Debate and the Need for a Different Approach To Reading Instruction</a> by Paul Thomas of Furman University, published by the <a href="https://nepc.colorado.edu" target="_blank">National Education Policy Center</a>.<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Indiana has awarded nearly $15 million in grants to support literacy, including more than $850,000 to four northeast school districts.<br />
<br />
The Indiana Department of Education announced on Monday that 72 school corporations would receive the grants, which are expected to reach more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through third grade. The grants are meant to support the implementation of evidence-based practices aligned with science of reading.<br />
<br />
Science of reading integrates instructional practices with efforts focused on phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension, the news release said.</i></blockquote><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/fort-wayne-community-schools-plans-for-success/article_f89e86aa-8e22-11ee-b35d-af67f1e6a819.html" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Community Schools Plans for 'Success'</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>FWCS Superintendent Mark Daniel is looking forward to when the students who are in eighth grade now become high school seniors.<br />
<br />
That’s because the class of 2028 will be the first to experience the Schools of Success, Fort Wayne Community Schools’ new approach to high school.</i></blockquote><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/sports/high-schools/preps-plus/sniders-kurt-tippmann-one-of-five-national-power-of-influence-award-winners/article_1b971f50-8fe5-11ee-bcdf-0f21140c5b14.html" target="_blank">Snider's Kurt Tippmann one of five national Power of Influence Award winners</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Snider football coach Kurt Tippmann is one of five coaches to win the Power of Influence Award, the American Football Coaches Association announced on Thursday. </i></blockquote><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/school-district-donates-land-to-fort-wayne-trail-project/article_c18aa82e-8fc1-11ee-a0bf-877216d6f461.html" target="_blank">School district donates land to Fort Wayne trail project</a></b><br />
<br />
From <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Fort Wayne Community Schools is contributing to the city’s Hanna Street Trail construction efforts.</i></blockquote><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/fort-wayne-community-schools-plans-2-million-in-north-side-stadium-upgrades/article_24767d52-8ee4-11ee-b9e3-b70f57cd038d.html" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Community Schools plans $2 million in North Side stadium upgrades</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>A Fort Wayne high school athletics facility is set for nearly $2 million in upgrades, including installation of synthetic turf.</i></blockquote><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/northwest-allen-county-schools-tweaks-school-capacities-as-redistricting-eyed/article_f63a6a9a-8e14-11ee-94d7-e3b4b0a77f56.html" target="_blank">Northwest Allen County Schools tweaks school capacities as redistricting eyed</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>The demographic firm Northwest Allen County Schools hired to develop redistricting scenarios will have updated school capacity information to consider as it creates options for the growing district.</i></blockquote><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/audit-reveals-equity-priorities-at-fort-wayne-community-schools/article_002a058a-8d96-11ee-9cdb-2b0306e1a9b6.html" target="_blank">Audit reveals equity priorities at Fort Wayne Community Schools</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Fort Wayne Community Schools board members informally indicated their support Monday for requiring culturally diverse training for employees.<br />
<br />
“Diversity is huge in our district,” President Maria Norman said during an hourlong work session about equity. “I think anything that we can do to help people better understand different cultures, different races...”</i></blockquote><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/fort-wayne-community-schools-addresses-student-behavior-with-10-000-grant/article_30469c30-895c-11ee-855a-6ff73ff38eb1.html" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Community Schools addresses student behavior with $10,000 grant</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>A consultant will provide educators at a Fort Wayne middle school with strategies to reduce unwanted student behavior, thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Indiana State Teachers Association Foundation.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXo9xKXFOAjv-lE9Q8eb50fO8urcwaPujwXv963qZ69h79yrSJirM3rDnOpaCDbJ9CTaPcqDF0GsGlPUBLlmZHbwyXssrsKF3k5Jl6oayFI-9PNHK0EU0i0kjg4gEsJgy4b82zGlJUBd8HiNrFgAxZ-l6ehBLXFjqAzFRIgKmrgb9prHX-1hctT70PCoCU/s512/investinamer3.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXo9xKXFOAjv-lE9Q8eb50fO8urcwaPujwXv963qZ69h79yrSJirM3rDnOpaCDbJ9CTaPcqDF0GsGlPUBLlmZHbwyXssrsKF3k5Jl6oayFI-9PNHK0EU0i0kjg4gEsJgy4b82zGlJUBd8HiNrFgAxZ-l6ehBLXFjqAzFRIgKmrgb9prHX-1hctT70PCoCU/s320/investinamer3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
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<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
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###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.139351312.769039163821155 -120.2956013 69.389506836178839 -49.9831013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-72062514191050283052023-11-20T05:00:00.008-05:002023-11-20T05:00:00.147-05:00In Case You Missed It – November 20, 2023Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
<br />
NOTE: NEIFPE's <i>In Case You Missed It</i> will not be published next week. We'll be back with more updates on December 4, 2023. Thanks for supporting Public Education.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzT2mXoP6pTTcYdAW800XWvHhW6QAe2wbMohVJLFBGTWWsmiHDT83jTVFavdfm4dUyHPfGHH__KQOhhbwLOOW7abbSq5gl9RuAB_ONwj6dFmWB7G-Bec1JaN0J4JdBZhgNiEX_IUiWbaUX5U2VS8NUbhCgDnRI5zT7dxeXmaWonuxlmZMDA_rNW3FHRtiq/s276/testimages.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzT2mXoP6pTTcYdAW800XWvHhW6QAe2wbMohVJLFBGTWWsmiHDT83jTVFavdfm4dUyHPfGHH__KQOhhbwLOOW7abbSq5gl9RuAB_ONwj6dFmWB7G-Bec1JaN0J4JdBZhgNiEX_IUiWbaUX5U2VS8NUbhCgDnRI5zT7dxeXmaWonuxlmZMDA_rNW3FHRtiq/s320/testimages.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
<i>"The Finnish and Estonian education systems are far from perfect, and Finland’s PISA scores have dipped a bit in recent years. But both countries have done more than just achieve high rates of high performers — they’ve <a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/school/programmeforinternationalstudentassessmentpisa/pisa2006results.htm" target="_blank">achieved</a> some of the world’s lowest rates of low performers, with remarkably <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/06/is-estonia-the-new-finland/488351/" target="_blank">small</a> performance <a href="https://internationalednews.com/2017/08/02/10-surprises-in-the-high-performing-estonian-education-system/" target="_blank">gaps</a> between schools and between richer and poorer students. Being disadvantaged is less of a disadvantage in Finland and Estonia than almost anywhere else."</i> -- by Adam Grant in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/22/opinion/education-us-teachers-looping.html?unlocked_article_code=1._kw.UDdz.0htMEkDFE_K2&smid=url-share" target="_blank">What Most American Schools Do Wrong</a><br /><br />
<u><b>INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENTS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2023/11/17/adam-grant-what-we-can-learn-from-international-assessments/" target="_blank">Adam Grant: What We Can Learn from International Assessments</a></b><br /><br />
Using techniques developed in the USA, other countries are showing educational performance gains.<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>I have been critical of the focus on international tests because real life teaches us that the test scores of 15-year-old students do not predict future economic success for nations. I find it bizarre that people say that America is a great country but its schools are no good. That doesn’t make sense.<br />
<br />
Adam Grant, a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/22/opinion/education-us-teachers-looping.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare" target="_blank">injects a dose of common sense</a> into that newspaper’s education coverage:<br />
<br />
He writes:<br />
<br />
Which country has the best education system? Since 2000, every three years, 15-year-olds in dozens of countries have taken the Program for International Student Assessment — a standardized test of math, reading and science skills. On the inaugural test, which focused on reading, the top country came as a big surprise: tiny Finland. Finnish students claimed victory again in 2003 (when the focus was on math) and 2006 (when it was on science), all while spending about the same time on homework per week as the typical teenager in Shanghai does in a single day.<br />
<br />
Just over a decade later, Europe had a new champion. Here, too, it wasn’t one of the usual suspects — not a big, wealthy country like Germany or Britain but the small underdog nation of Estonia. Since that time, experts have been searching for the secrets behind these countries’ educational excellence. They recently found one right here in the United States.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>NPE VIDEOS AVAILABLE</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://vimeo.com/showcase/npe-conference" target="_blank">Network for Public Education 2023 Conference Videos</a></b><br /><br />
Videos from the Network for Public Education’s D.C. conference are out! Watch keynote speakers as well as seven of forty-four panels and highlights of previous conferences. <br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://networkforpubliceducation.org" target="_blank">Network for Public Education</a><br />
<br /><br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2023/11/15/watch-this-gloria-ladson-billings-speaks-at-npe-conference-about-attacks-on-public-schools/" target="_blank">Watch This! Gloria Ladson-Billings Speaks at NPE Conference about Attacks on Public Schools</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>If you missed the 10th annual conference of the Network for Public Education, you missed some of the best presentations in our ten years of holding conferences.<br />
<br />
You missed the brilliant Gloria Ladson-Billings, Professor Emerita and formerly the Kellner Family Distinguished Professor of Urban Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/881633418/1d69120cf9" target="_blank">Ladson-Billings gave an outstanding speech</a> that brought an enthusiastic audience to its feet.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFN5z8UC0yXrtWIKdM-j_vAPQeGYnIFOwa7se0__yowZwm2MDd-CT8B9Xbw5SjiEUkK-dfBFgBs68CkqtcG4x48A3NQM39wjSUl6yJCaHJN34aklepzBARNwvj5BZ3NrQzQZJe0doJ5UfMWTbtu9RyNF2xEWldC0J5K3ya-Cgk7oDXqYx-0kdTml0lVv9/s1068/NPELogo.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="1068" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFN5z8UC0yXrtWIKdM-j_vAPQeGYnIFOwa7se0__yowZwm2MDd-CT8B9Xbw5SjiEUkK-dfBFgBs68CkqtcG4x48A3NQM39wjSUl6yJCaHJN34aklepzBARNwvj5BZ3NrQzQZJe0doJ5UfMWTbtu9RyNF2xEWldC0J5K3ya-Cgk7oDXqYx-0kdTml0lVv9/s320/NPELogo.png" width="320" /></a></div><u><b>PRIVATIZATION</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2023/11/15/a-useful-guide-to-the-privatization-movement-please-add-your-nominees/" target="_blank">A Useful Guide to the Privatization Movement: Please Add Your Nominees!</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Maurice Cunningham, a retired professor of political science and an expert on dark money in education elections, prepared A CITIZEN’S GUIDE TO SCHOOL PRIVATIZATION.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://networkforpubliceducation.org/a-citizens-guide-to-school-privatization/" target="_blank">It is posted on the website of the Network for Public Education</a>.<br />
<br />
It is a glossary of the organizations and individuals who lead the effort to privatize education.<br />
<br />
Please open the guide and see if you have names and groups to add.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>FORT WAYNE LOCAL NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/fwcs-board-oks-security-vehicles-purchase-after-successful-referendum/article_5868fc68-8285-11ee-928b-07585e458d80.html" target="_blank">FWCS board OKs security vehicles purchase after successful referendum</a></b><br /><br />
Referendum money at work...<br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>The Fort Wayne Community Schools board on Monday approved a request that voters made possible only days earlier – the purchase of four security vehicles.<br />
<br />
The Ford Explorers will be funded by the safety and well-being referendum, which will generate up to $96 million in additional property tax dollars over eight years or up to $12 million annually. Unofficial results showed 53% of voters last week supported the initiative.<br />
<br />
The district budgeted a $7.2 million spending plan for 2024, and officials are laying the groundwork now to ensure those plans become reality. Matt Schiebel, executive director of safety and community partnerships, described those efforts after the board meeting.<br />
<br />
“It was important to us to show people meaningful change quickly and also to be responsible, fiscally responsible, with the money that we will be given,” he said.<br />
<br />
FWCS’ job listings now include student advocate, a new referendum-funded position responsible for a school’s safety and security. The district eventually wants 56 total student advocates, but Schiebel said it is planning to start with 24, with priority on the middle and high schools.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubTNDCZ4EqmscKJjoQMZTDe7X7vF1aT6DuhdlJP3C2nhm9X4p7Pj_cOg80nelyzQ5SOq0JJTsFC9A4RCdkUVWSf7Z749rniXIkn1bY2_QOWhOUE2SChHU6lmE85YQsAGpNwqSL0YOZw8qwTOM3kFjZaQonvfV8Cr6eD82E13uPFzVu0SooYdvUIuCQVkE/s1610/safe-schools.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubTNDCZ4EqmscKJjoQMZTDe7X7vF1aT6DuhdlJP3C2nhm9X4p7Pj_cOg80nelyzQ5SOq0JJTsFC9A4RCdkUVWSf7Z749rniXIkn1bY2_QOWhOUE2SChHU6lmE85YQsAGpNwqSL0YOZw8qwTOM3kFjZaQonvfV8Cr6eD82E13uPFzVu0SooYdvUIuCQVkE/s320/safe-schools.png" width="320" /></a></div>**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.139351312.769039163821155 -120.2956013 69.389506836178839 -49.9831013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-13005548147592399472023-11-13T05:00:00.001-05:002023-11-13T05:00:00.142-05:00In Case You Missed It – November 13, 2023Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYWVrB_r0AWuXPac8jYPbbgF5NS0gJsdS7I8ooVvFkgdd8ag5CnYuuBe3BhKXeWmHlwbMMctkvk80fFj4ldANvhobbUX6zfaCddf0o9MsRadg_7DteQPXwESDTP_U9tSEJl4IimEgdlmPuHmh8LsAizN0yBJuynqdJZdkNfJDeR9MA3miVnaLc9-UrJxd/s1200/Homeschool3.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYWVrB_r0AWuXPac8jYPbbgF5NS0gJsdS7I8ooVvFkgdd8ag5CnYuuBe3BhKXeWmHlwbMMctkvk80fFj4ldANvhobbUX6zfaCddf0o9MsRadg_7DteQPXwESDTP_U9tSEJl4IimEgdlmPuHmh8LsAizN0yBJuynqdJZdkNfJDeR9MA3miVnaLc9-UrJxd/s320/Homeschool3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
"...depending on the state, homeschooled families might not have to report what they are doing at all.<br />
<br />
"...in most states, there is no oversight and no evaluation by anyone of the academic program and of students' progress.<br />
<br />
"...the truth is, in many states, the rules and oversight can be so lax parents don't ultimately have to teach their kids anything at all." -- John Oliver (see HOMESCHOOLING, below).<br />
<br />
<u><b>HOMESCHOOLING</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2023/11/09/john-oliver-what-you-need-to-know-about-homeschooling/" target="_blank">John Oliver: What You Need to Know About Homeschooling</a></b><br /><br />
"...in a perfect world, we'd make sure that homeschooled kids were both safe and actually receiving a functional education..." -- John Oliver<br />
<br />
Note that the videos linked below contain language and imagery that might be objectionable to some.<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>John Oliver is a brilliant, intelligent comedian who is known for his sharp commentaries on current events. From 2006 to 2013, he was a writer for Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show.<br />
<br />
His <a href="https://youtu.be/l_htSPGAY7I" target="_blank">analysis of the charter school industry</a> was viewed by millions of people.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/lzsZP9o7SlI?si=lyUH43HiYWh0T6Xf" target="_blank">This new take on homeschooling</a> is worth your time.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2023/11/09/the-plight-of-the-poorest-students-in-americas-public-schools-is-hidden-in-plain-sight/" target="_blank">The Plight of the Poorest Students in America’s Public Schools Is Hidden in Plain Sight</a></b><br /><br />
We have forgotten to attend to the needs of our children...or perhaps we, as a nation, just don't have the well-being of our children as a high enough priority.<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Jan Resseger</a><br />
<blockquote><i>For decades research has documented the correlation of family poverty and children’s school achievement. And at the same time, data also show that America’s neighborhoods (and therefore its school districts) have become more segregated by income. Demonstrating these trends a decade ago, Stanford University educational sociologist <a href="http://www.s4.brown.edu/us2010/Data/Report/report111111.pdf" target="_blank">Sean Reardon showed</a> that while in 1970, only 15 percent of families lived in neighborhoods classified as affluent or poor, by 2007, 31 percent of families lived in such neighborhoods. By 2007, fewer families lived in mixed income communities. <a href="https://cepa.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/reardon%20whither%20opportunity%20-%20chapter%205.pdf" target="_blank">Reardon also demonstrated</a> that along with growing residential inequality is a simultaneous jump in an income-inequality school achievement gap. The achievement gap between the children with income in the top ten percent and the children with income in the bottom ten percent, was 30-40 percent wider among children born in 2001 than those born in 1975, and twice as large as the black-white achievement gap.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXZG7KviRjxAPLbkTQmhxwvZQz_Cr09zHofhxZtm_MvfxMtwrhURXifO0p8tcXEnmqyxprs_lZAXelIlOyU_v7sLod2Zf0XOxBPRi4jN70HzSzCBMWoKj9T7_KpEcwTwnW2_rAEZOhxfQIugyp8GPsvCZxYHghlw4Q6DAMj1VI7SSBMjBOfoQGUbAYbXZ/s720/mandelaquote3.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXZG7KviRjxAPLbkTQmhxwvZQz_Cr09zHofhxZtm_MvfxMtwrhURXifO0p8tcXEnmqyxprs_lZAXelIlOyU_v7sLod2Zf0XOxBPRi4jN70HzSzCBMWoKj9T7_KpEcwTwnW2_rAEZOhxfQIugyp8GPsvCZxYHghlw4Q6DAMj1VI7SSBMjBOfoQGUbAYbXZ/s320/mandelaquote3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<u><b>THE NETWORK FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2023</b></u><br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://publiceducationpartners.org/2023/11/08/pep-is-recognized-with-the-phyllis-bush-award-for-grassroots-organizing/" target="_blank">The 2023 Phyllis Bush Award for Grassroots Organizing Goes to PEP</a></b><br /><br />
Public Education Partners in Ohio received this year's Phyllis Bush Award for Grassroots Organizing at the NPE National Conference. Here is their statement.<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://publiceducationpartners.org" target="_blank">Public Education Partners</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Over the years, PEP has organized many community events, such as a statewide conference for public education advocates. Its members have lobbied at the Ohio Statehouse and have testified before the Ohio House and Senate. Board members host PEP rallies at the statehouse. PEP leaders have written countless letters to the editor on subjects like vouchers, charter schools, standardized testing. The organization educates and engages individuals on education issues, as it has grown its social media presence to over 30,000 followers.<br />
<br />
The existence of Public Education Partners and the success PEP has experienced over the past eight years would not have been possible without Phyllis Bush.</i></blockquote><br /><a href="https://vimeo.com/881894875" target="_blank"><b>Phyllis Bush Grassroots Group Award</b></a><br />
<br />
NPE has posted the video of the Phyllis Bush Grassroots Award. As promised, <a href="https://vimeo.com/881894875" target="_blank">click here</a> to see the video.<br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://networkforpubliceducation.org" target="_blank">Network for Public Education</a><br />
<blockquote><i>NPE Action Board member presents this annual award in memory of NPE founding board member, Phyllis Bush, to the Ohio Public Education Partners.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://networkforpubliceducation.org/grassroots-education-network-october-2023-newsletter/" target="_blank">Grassroots Education Network- October 2023 Newsletter</a></b><br /><br />
The Network for Public Education sends out a Grassroots newsletter every month. This month's newsletter is all about the 2023 NPE National Conference.<br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://networkforpubliceducation.org" target="_blank">Network for Public Education</a><br />
<blockquote><i>The NPE/NPE Action Conference, was held October 28 to the 29th, and was attended by over 400 passionate defenders of public education. The conference, held in our nation’s capital, was the 10th Anniversary of the NPE/NPE Action Conference. There were over 195 presenters and over 40 panels. The theme of the conference this year was <b>Public Schools: Where Democracy Grows</b>.<br />
<br />
This newsletter is replacing our monthly Grassroots Network Education Newsletter. It features members of the grassroots network who attended and presented at the conference. A full write-up of the conference that will include all of the panels will be coming out soon on the NPE newsletter. Again, this newsletter highlights only the grassroots groups that presented. Our regular grassroots newsletter will resume in November.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdVeP_8y8fDLvj6DPOZ1sMaLEQeC9MKeMYrQ3MAwHrnNTHebHqX7TO0cwWg6fB-kWpOxBhqk34jWcB0i-_WZKYd9GYzw4LxO5-5mhsbqelM5lA3orJ4w4ZekzSwXCxtr7YSbaxdmkpCYEEK1dBYdZvllmXGapFBboasI5ZCPv0YEvH0c1-3mJSav6tZGN/s1068/NPELogo.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="1068" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdVeP_8y8fDLvj6DPOZ1sMaLEQeC9MKeMYrQ3MAwHrnNTHebHqX7TO0cwWg6fB-kWpOxBhqk34jWcB0i-_WZKYd9GYzw4LxO5-5mhsbqelM5lA3orJ4w4ZekzSwXCxtr7YSbaxdmkpCYEEK1dBYdZvllmXGapFBboasI5ZCPv0YEvH0c1-3mJSav6tZGN/s320/NPELogo.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<u><b>FORT WAYNE LOCAL NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/fwcs-talks-ford-ngl-at-mirro-center-dinner/article_6ced836a-7e94-11ee-a05b-df26b76b2654.html" target="_blank">FWCS talks Ford NGL at Mirro Center dinner</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>The Fort Wayne Community Schools superintendent shared a message Wednesday night for the few hundred stakeholders celebrating the district’s recent designation as a Ford Next Generation Learning community.<br />
<br />
The nearly 30,000-student district is preparing to implement its 158-page master plan, which calls for public-private partnerships, Mark Daniel said.<br />
<br />
“Prior to this, schools have been pretty much on their own, sort of silos, and we’re breaking those silos,” he said. “We’re moving to this new process and way of thinking, which means, how do we bring real world into our classrooms?”<br />
<br />
FWCS was named a Ford NGL community in August after a 16-month process that resulted in a master plan outlining the steps to transform education from pre-K through 12th grade.<br />
<br />
As a member of the Ford NGL community, the district joins a network of schools supported by the Ford Motor Company Fund, which encourages schools to prepare students for success after high school.</i></blockquote><br />**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.139351312.769039163821155 -120.2956013 69.389506836178839 -49.9831013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-40008710972296378322023-11-06T05:00:00.120-05:002023-11-06T05:00:00.144-05:00In Case You Missed It – November 6, 2023Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mzLZxF0qhy5kJRMOnOYuhyphenhyphen4XdCawuHwsvQi5CJ1v7tNDHr9hAP7ZpWKauiotMUr5J4hM77b4qMh2NFjUT0wKFeIaTin75F55GAUttjffs_6g9j-NGSY86tP6rj19d9NwyFVzOVn9RuqiCpEd8IEPvBUOdGHyKtFkF52hA6DrwP3SIdjpf_Y_bRZfWQsr/s512/investinamer3.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mzLZxF0qhy5kJRMOnOYuhyphenhyphen4XdCawuHwsvQi5CJ1v7tNDHr9hAP7ZpWKauiotMUr5J4hM77b4qMh2NFjUT0wKFeIaTin75F55GAUttjffs_6g9j-NGSY86tP6rj19d9NwyFVzOVn9RuqiCpEd8IEPvBUOdGHyKtFkF52hA6DrwP3SIdjpf_Y_bRZfWQsr/s320/investinamer3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
"Somewhere in between our rush to put a man on the moon and the advent of computers in all our classrooms, we lost our “public good” mojo, the generous and very American impulse to stir the melting pot and offer all children, our future citizens, a level playing field, educationally." -- Nancy Flanagan in <a href="https://teacherinastrangeland.blog/2023/10/25/talking-about-public-education-the-good-the-deceptive-and-the-destructive/" target="_blank">Talking About Public Education: The Good, the Deceptive, and the Destructive</a><br />
<br />
<u><b>PUBLIC EDUCATION IS A PUBLIC GOOD</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://teacherinastrangeland.blog/2023/10/25/talking-about-public-education-the-good-the-deceptive-and-the-destructive/" target="_blank">Talking About Public Education: The Good, the Deceptive, and the Destructive</a></b><br /><br />
Have we become so selfish that we no longer consider supporting the Public Good essential?<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://teacherinastrangeland.blog" target="_blank">Nancy Flanagan, Teacher in a Strange Land Blog</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Education is a major major public good where we tax the rich in order to provide a public benefit that you get just by right of being a citizen. When they talk about needing to do away with the entitlement mentality, the most problematic entitlement for them is not Medicare or Social Security. It’s education. Education is even more of a problem for them because teachers are trying to encourage kids to think they can do more. And that’s dangerous.<br />
<br />
The core of the public confusion around schooling has been carefully cultivated for decades.<br />
<br />
It’s worth talking about—the uniquely American principle of a free, high-quality education for every single child—even if the dialogue is heated. We’re in danger of losing the very thing that made us great.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>NEW BATTLES IN THE READING WARS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2023/11/01/phonics-is-important-but-there-is-no-science-of-reading/" target="_blank">Phonics Is Important. But There Is No “Science of Reading”</a></b><br /><br />
Indiana, like other states, is now dumping tax dollars into "the science of reading." Is it worth the money?<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>After the disgrace of the Reading First program, support for phonics dissipated. But in the past few years, journalists (led by Emily Hanford) have trumpeted the idea that the report of the National Reading Panel established the “science of reading.” New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote about the “Mississippi Miracle,“ claiming that the “science of reading” had lifted fourth grade reading scores, and no new spending was needed in a very poorly resourced state. Kristof did not explain why the SOR did not cause a rise in eighth grade scores in Mississippi, nor did he understand that retaining low-scoring third graders raises the percentage of fourth graders who get high test scores. State after state is now mandating the “science of reading.”<br />
<br />
And so the cycle begins again.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerOSFaxgAP1puHxxhrYd3aC8gAsSNx-7R4Yr1ej0xvqA8PjM2qskFGpqguKOfqaDtZkn4gcnYge4wBDSNcNZ95KJEcH6BT-LKBNXWqfdeBfoAzinmGk_zI45_FVxpeN91r6L8sGK7Hw6OycRuaWn4XmeiD3unsVJEp4kHYc-i5InkVDORFOFyelr4kHjh/s507/charter2.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="412" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerOSFaxgAP1puHxxhrYd3aC8gAsSNx-7R4Yr1ej0xvqA8PjM2qskFGpqguKOfqaDtZkn4gcnYge4wBDSNcNZ95KJEcH6BT-LKBNXWqfdeBfoAzinmGk_zI45_FVxpeN91r6L8sGK7Hw6OycRuaWn4XmeiD3unsVJEp4kHYc-i5InkVDORFOFyelr4kHjh/s320/charter2.png" /></a></div>
<u><b>CHARTER SCANDALS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://networkforpubliceducation.org/charter-scandals/" target="_blank">Another Day Another Charter School Scandal</a></b><br /><br />
The <a href="https://networkforpubliceducation.org" target="_blank">Network for Public Education</a> provides an ongoing listing of charter scandals nationwide. Real public schools have the oversight of publicly elected school boards.<br />
<br />
Over 20 scandals were found in the month of October.<br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://networkforpubliceducation.org" target="_blank">Network for Public Education</a><br />
<blockquote><i>10/06/2023 - Indianapolis charter school closing permanently on Friday
Just weeks into the school year, Vanguard Collegiate has announced it is closing.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wthr.com/video/news/education/indianapolis-charter-school-closing-permanently-on-friday/531-b940782f-b633-41ab-b0b2-0cef326001cf" target="_blank">Read More</a></i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>FORT WAYNE LOCAL NEWS</b></u><br />
<br />
Teacher contracts are in the news...<br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/east-allen-county-schools-could-top-area-districts-in-starting-teacher-pay/article_f7cc55fc-7916-11ee-bf93-1f585dcc45c3.html" target="_blank">East Allen County Schools could top area districts in starting teacher pay</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>East Allen County Schools is poised to offer the highest starting teacher salary – $47,300 – in the county under a tentative agreement presented during a special board meeting Wednesday.<br />
<br />
Raises for individual teachers could total nearly $4,000 in the first year of the two-year contract with the East Allen Educators Association.<br />
<br />
“Overall, I think we’re quite competitive with our neighbors,” said Pat McCann, chief financial officer.<br />
<br />
...Individual raises would be based on a points system that considers performance, experience and education. Teachers could earn up to seven points, which would be worth $555.28 in the first year.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/northwest-allen-county-schools-ratifies-teachers-contract-picks-new-school-name/article_9777d10e-7781-11ee-87ab-430e0c71a9e6.html" target="_blank">Northwest Allen County Schools ratifies teachers contract, picks new school name</a></b><br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>The new Northwest Allen County Schools teachers contract includes compensation that shows respect for educators, the education association said moments after the board on Monday ratified terms including individual salary increases of up to 9.5%.<br />
<br />
The elected leaders also approved the name of the district’s newest school. Construction on Willow Creek Middle School is expected to begin February or March, depending on weather.<br />
<br />
The collective bargaining agreement with the Northwest Allen County Education Association brings the minimum base salary to $46,500 from $44,500.<br />
<br />
The maximum salaries are $74,400 for teachers with bachelor’s degrees and $81,375 for those with master’s degrees. That’s up from $71,200 and $75,650, respectively.<br />
<br />
The contract uses a performance-based salary compensation model, through which eligible teachers will earn increases of about 5.6% to 9.5%.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAdya2Uagy9xhZOzpmIlDAFb5E7VtFWSd9tdu1xbt_4ZwzfXpHjaP-6u7MrT_vJw0sC1IKTU4b_koUtdAdO1xPYiTAwjS9WPLtaNL_9QcsluT4cTi6nm09spPPhpkXKwjNfSg2DVH4Q25FXtjXzGeaw83C83meF9AlqZBQfp_tcrZhP34oNy-6zC6md-T/s800/teacherpay.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAdya2Uagy9xhZOzpmIlDAFb5E7VtFWSd9tdu1xbt_4ZwzfXpHjaP-6u7MrT_vJw0sC1IKTU4b_koUtdAdO1xPYiTAwjS9WPLtaNL_9QcsluT4cTi6nm09spPPhpkXKwjNfSg2DVH4Q25FXtjXzGeaw83C83meF9AlqZBQfp_tcrZhP34oNy-6zC6md-T/s320/teacherpay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.1393513-8.5295416784227882 -155.4518513 90 -14.826851300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-60123049066157985292023-10-30T05:00:00.251-04:002023-10-30T05:00:00.162-04:00In Case You Missed It – October 30, 2023Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGjIDug63SLQtNgDCKJzIZUyWkaUvoyZ-DeOQmoQqooIqoZ2lrXBHWFMg0mhj32R0do_I0vmeHWCLT_-nRpi3WyisaeCuXDrbofjrumy2pLGPd0LGkuydAgJbHah0LxLsOediHm_1so4wmQV3bet6w_5vGVrKu9JWo8hUZXu8anhxa5W_YFr4CZS1Z8A4/s1068/NPELogo.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="1068" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGjIDug63SLQtNgDCKJzIZUyWkaUvoyZ-DeOQmoQqooIqoZ2lrXBHWFMg0mhj32R0do_I0vmeHWCLT_-nRpi3WyisaeCuXDrbofjrumy2pLGPd0LGkuydAgJbHah0LxLsOediHm_1so4wmQV3bet6w_5vGVrKu9JWo8hUZXu8anhxa5W_YFr4CZS1Z8A4/s320/NPELogo.png" width="320" /></a></div><u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
<i>"If anything is ever to change, we need to get off our asses to do the hard work of living in a democracy. We need to get informed, to get engaged, to get involved, to think, and to hold our elected officials to the same standard as we would hold our friends and families.<br />
<br />
"Rather than waiting for Superman, we need to channel our own inner strength and roll up our sleeves to do what is necessary to change the world."</i> -- Phyllis Bush, May 4, 2016, in <a href="https://www.neifpe.org/2016/05/where-do-we-go-from-here.html" target="_blank">Where Do We Go From Here?</a>.<br />
<br />
<u><b>2023 PHYLLIS BUSH AWARD</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=996838954951717" target="_blank">Dan Greenberg presents the Phyllis Bush Memorial Grassroots Award to Public Education Partners at the Network for Public Education 10 Anniversary Conference in Washington, D.C.</a></b><br /><br />
[Note you need a Facebook account to follow the link above. The <a href="https://networkforpubliceducation.org" target="_blank">Network for Public Education</a> often posts videos of their conference. If, or when the video of this presentation becomes available we will share a link for it.]<br />
<br />
Our memories of Phyllis Bush come to life when this award in her honor is presented at the NPE Conference. Her legacy lives on through groups nationwide as they continue their work to fight for public education. Congratulations to Ohio's <a href="https://publiceducationpartners.org" target="_blank">Public Education Partners</a>, this year's award recipients, for their advocacy.<br />
<br />
Below is a quote from one of our earliest blog posts, <a href="https://www.neifpe.org/2013/08/thats-lot-of-numbers-grandma.html" target="_blank"><b>That's a lot of numbers, Grandma!</b></a> which Phyllis wrote in 2013.<br />
<blockquote><i>As I have grown older, I have become more aware of who I am. I will always be a teacher. Helping others discover their strengths and find their own voices is what I love doing. Standing up for, respecting, and defending the voiceless is the fire that has burned within me for as long as I can remember. Pushing back against injustice is what gives me a reason to get up each morning.</i></blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRUrk7Nn1uQTkKIh8OeKtX-Z1Jri2FFwQq_KSeXY6rPjGBWwM-0ROp6pNG6ftBhlc0dReVIboDqWKXNFGCZtcYfDxjezoxpY_i3DXEAoS3J8vs38TWDSgsQ47VweLtFlgh5Rj0xi1Bz-eoyu6UzKyHcgCUPLjerP05vuD7I-c34EaBXZHQeG6sh9pKHRW/s510/Phyllis.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="510" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRUrk7Nn1uQTkKIh8OeKtX-Z1Jri2FFwQq_KSeXY6rPjGBWwM-0ROp6pNG6ftBhlc0dReVIboDqWKXNFGCZtcYfDxjezoxpY_i3DXEAoS3J8vs38TWDSgsQ47VweLtFlgh5Rj0xi1Bz-eoyu6UzKyHcgCUPLjerP05vuD7I-c34EaBXZHQeG6sh9pKHRW/w200-h188/Phyllis.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NEIFPE Co-Founder, Phyllis Bush</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<u><b>MOTHERS FOR LIBERTY MISLEAD</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://accountabaloney.com/index.php/2023/10/21/m4l-continues-to-post-misleading-information/" target="_blank">M4L Continues to Post Misleading Information</a></b><br /><br />
M4L continues the misinterpretation and misuse of test scores that has done so much damage to public education.<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://accountabaloney.com/index.php/blog-posts/" target="_blank">Accountabaloney blog</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Lately, the Moms for Liberty crew has been deflecting from criticism by highlighting the so-called failures of public schools, claiming we are failing to teach students to read. Specifically, they are misusing scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to claim that America’s students cannot do math or reading on grade level.<br />
<br />
NAEP “Proficiency” is NOT a measurement of on-grade level performance, but something much higher. This is made clear on NAEP’s own website which states:<br />
<br />
“Students performing at or above the Proficient level on NAEP assessments demonstrate solid academic performance and competency over challenging subject matter. It should be noted that the NAEP Proficient achievement level does not represent grade level proficiency as determined by other assessment standards (e.g., state or district assessments).” NAEP “Proficiency” is a bar set well above “grade level.”<br />
https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/<br />
<br />
If you need more convincing, Tom Loveless, PhD wrote a great piece in Brookings in 2016, entitled The NAEP Proficiency Myth, where he said, “Confounding NAEP proficient with grade-level is uninformed.“<br />
<br />
“It is an unreasonable expectation, one that ill serves America’s students, parents, and teachers–and the effort to improve America’s schools.“</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>FORT WAYNE LOCAL NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/editorials/7-area-marching-bands-to-vie-for-state-championships-saturday/article_9e5340c0-72aa-11ee-934a-075571f6bdfe.html" target="_blank">7 area marching bands to vie for state championships Saturday</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Marching bands from across the state, including perennial power Homestead and six others from the Fort Wayne area, will take the field Saturday at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium for a chance at one of four state titles.<br />
<br />
Joining Homestead in the Class A finals of the state’s largest schools is Carroll. North Side competes in Class B; Concordia Lutheran, Angola and Garrett face off in Class C; and Adams Central rounds out the northeast Indiana contingent in small-school Class D. Each division has 10 competing bands.<br />
<br />
All of the Fort Wayne-area schools but Garrett competed in last year’s state finals.<br />
<br />
Homestead was the highest-placing area band last year, coming in sixth in Class A. Saturday will mark its 35th straight appearance in the state finals.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/fort-wayne-community-schools-eyes-student-recruitment-strategies/article_dac3521c-7385-11ee-b67c-9b02152c810f.html" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Community Schools eyes student recruitment strategies</a></b><br /><br />
The Indiana Constitution demands that the <a href="https://law.justia.com/constitution/indiana/art8.html" target="_blank">legislature provide</a> "a general and uniform system of Common Schools, wherein tuition shall be without charge, and equally open to all." The public schools are that system. Since 2011, the Indiana General Assembly has diverted billions in tax dollars to private schools and charter schools, shortchanging the vast majority of the state's students who attend the constitutionally mandated public schools.<br />
<br />
Local school systems now have to spend precious dollars -- which should be used for instruction -- to remind the public that there is only one group of schools in the state that accepts every child...the public schools.<br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Fort Wayne Community Schools – which saw enrollment decrease by less than 1% this fall – is developing strategies to boost student recruitment.<br />
<br />
Attracting and retaining students are areas of focus for the nearly 30,000-student district because families have more options regarding their children’s education, said Krista Stockman, the district’s communication and marketing director.<br />
<br />
“Public schools are no longer in the same position as decades ago when students just enrolled in their neighborhood schools,” she said Wednesday. “Parents have many choices, and it is incumbent upon us to make sure parents know about and understand their options. If we don’t actively share our story with parents, they might get misinformation or not be aware of programs offered for free at FWCS.”</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DVuPUrSmdI9Mc4FQxBJ7rbHANDKAm8wXOjePZGqCow0enfKpcARO0VvXgZF_CAkicfKqxccew6M90L9AV2tsvglWF7Iv-rxgPLiMyeuR5LVh-AA9ttspe9qCYH_yw5nEN0Uq8L5CLgqPIa3wbhz95idGyfkug3k_47QuJKJZ56CEjjE7asDqG2ciI5wc/s800/teacherpay.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="800" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DVuPUrSmdI9Mc4FQxBJ7rbHANDKAm8wXOjePZGqCow0enfKpcARO0VvXgZF_CAkicfKqxccew6M90L9AV2tsvglWF7Iv-rxgPLiMyeuR5LVh-AA9ttspe9qCYH_yw5nEN0Uq8L5CLgqPIa3wbhz95idGyfkug3k_47QuJKJZ56CEjjE7asDqG2ciI5wc/w200-h134/teacherpay.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/fort-wayne-community-schools-board-oks-pay-hikes/article_6b4b2d8c-720f-11ee-8b9f-4f0cafcc9ce3.html" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Community Schools board OKs pay hikes</a></b><br /><br />
Our teachers deserve it.<br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>The Fort Wayne Community Schools board ratified a two-year teachers contract Monday that increases the salary schedule by 3% and 1% this year and next.<br />
<br />
Depending on how educators progress on the salary schedule – which considers performance and education levels – individual pay will increase between 5.8% and 9.9% over the two years.<br />
<br />
Teachers aren’t the only district employees getting a raise. After unanimously approving the collective bargaining agreement with the Fort Wayne Education Association, the board voted twice more to boost pay for most other workers.<br />
<br />
“We want to reward our teachers and our other staff,” Superintendent Mark Daniel said after the meeting.<br />
<br />
The agreement with teachers increases the position’s starting salary to $46,627, from $43,998. That had been the lowest starting teacher pay in Allen County.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>A SAMPLING OF EDUCATION HUMOR</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2023/10/24/cartoons-of-teachers-parents-and-students-dealing-with-school-report-cards/" target="_blank">Cartoons of Teachers, Parents, and Students Dealing with School</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://larrycuban.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice</a><br />
<blockquote><i>From time to time, I run across cartoons on teachers bemoaning that time when they make out report cards on their students’ academic progress. Also there are cartoons showing parents trying hard to do their best with their sons and daughters but either advertently or inadvertently putting pressure on their children to do even better in school than they currently are. And cartoons about students reactions to the pressure of getting good grades. Here is a sampling. Enjoy!</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvFbKNSAdKPNnOdOAb0bU5yVcGZnQV9WHiZgaVoNOPeZGEgmEseaNLS8HJmnbk-dHxxHrpJBUY5IdIeLPoAxvPAF79TFLboxMHWSpbJmRhf18zxXedGKdyihfQuaii3srFZR4jxZZMQ1CK7jn6B2yC4V3gcEkiR5aWBE2nOHDSoCA1x_hflj5lh32Pvx3/s1300/education-cartoon-showing-two-teachers-half-my-students-have-post-f2m2db.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1129" data-original-width="1300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvFbKNSAdKPNnOdOAb0bU5yVcGZnQV9WHiZgaVoNOPeZGEgmEseaNLS8HJmnbk-dHxxHrpJBUY5IdIeLPoAxvPAF79TFLboxMHWSpbJmRhf18zxXedGKdyihfQuaii3srFZR4jxZZMQ1CK7jn6B2yC4V3gcEkiR5aWBE2nOHDSoCA1x_hflj5lh32Pvx3/s320/education-cartoon-showing-two-teachers-half-my-students-have-post-f2m2db.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.139351312.769039163821155 -120.2956013 69.389506836178839 -49.9831013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-10131626169925686812023-10-23T05:00:00.131-04:002023-10-23T05:00:00.145-04:00In Case You Missed It – October 23, 2023
Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_3LHGrEexw5cls4uAIqv2AXfKbRDKJphn8Z1XhLMjb2jucYIhz4tp3DcAQCp3NgQFvlHar3sGW4FSnts0EJRDJBcaaMy14aoRP9c9Eml-dPNGjl-b_wKQspdiXN0tV3aC9LjGN5Zh2GuoBEbMBeuO5vl8DvYR7VE4tnTZM0zO7psD-2UIvc9JP_9Mnut/s640/charter.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="640" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_3LHGrEexw5cls4uAIqv2AXfKbRDKJphn8Z1XhLMjb2jucYIhz4tp3DcAQCp3NgQFvlHar3sGW4FSnts0EJRDJBcaaMy14aoRP9c9Eml-dPNGjl-b_wKQspdiXN0tV3aC9LjGN5Zh2GuoBEbMBeuO5vl8DvYR7VE4tnTZM0zO7psD-2UIvc9JP_9Mnut/w320-h237/charter.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
"It seemed like good news for charter schools <a href="https://ncss3.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Credo-NCSS3-Report.pdf" target="_blank">when a study</a> released this summer declared that they get better student outcomes than do traditional public schools — at least from 2015 to 2019, the years for which researchers said they crunched the numbers. The Wall Street Journal editorial board hailed the results as showing “huge learning gains over union schools” (with “union schools” used as a pejorative reference to public schools in traditional school districts). Education Week’s headline declared: “Charter Schools Now Outperform Traditional Public Schools, Sweeping Study Finds.”<br />
<br />
"But the study, it turned out, doesn’t show that at all. The headlines were wrong. For one thing, a close look at the results revealed only tiny improvements in charter schools. That, plus concerns critics have raised about the validity of the methodology and definitions used in the study, render moot the claims of besting traditional public schools." -- <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/" target="_blank">The Answer Sheet</a> blogger, Valerie Strauss in <a href="https://wapo.st/40mlb3j" target="_blank">Why what looked like good news for charter schools actually wasn’t</a><br />
<br />
<u><b>CHARTERS, VOUCHERS, AND PRIVATIZATION</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2023/10/15/valerie-strauss-the-latest-good-news-about-charter-schools-is-a-hoax/" target="_blank">Valerie Strauss: The Latest “Good News” about Charter Schools is a Hoax</a></b><br />
<br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Education Week’s headline declared: “Charter Schools Now Outperform Traditional Public Schools, Sweeping Study Finds.”<br />
<br />
But the study, it turned out, doesn’t show that at all. The headlines were wrong. For one thing, a close look at the results revealed only tiny improvements in charter schools. That, plus concerns critics have raised about the validity of the methodology and definitions used in the study, render moot the claims of besting traditional public schools.<br />
<br />
The “not what they seem” theme of the study results reflect the uncertain position in which charter schools find themselves these days. The vanguard of the “school choice” movement when the first charter opened in 1992 in Minneapolis, these schools have been eclipsed in the national debate about “school choice” by programs that use public money for private and religious schools, including vouchers, tax credit programs and education savings accounts.</i></blockquote>
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2023/10/16/texas-state-commissioner-cracked-down-on-houston-while-ignoring-low-performing-charter-schools/" target="_blank">Texas: State Commissioner Cracked Down on Houston While Ignoring Low-Performing Charter Schools</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Since taking office more than seven years ago, Morath has repeatedly given charters permission to expand, allowing them to serve thousands more students, even when they haven’t met academic performance requirements. On at least 17 occasions, Morath has waived expansion requirements for charter networks that had too many failing campuses to qualify, according to a ProPublica and Texas Tribune analysis of state records. The state’s top education official also has approved five other waivers in cases where the charter had a combination of failing schools and campuses that were not rated because they either only served high-risk populations or had students too young to be tested.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2023/10/20/oklahoma-founders-of-epic-charter-school-charged-with-more-crimes/" target="_blank">Oklahoma: Founders of Epic Charter Schools Charged with More Crimes</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i><blockquote>Founders of Epic Charter Schools are facing new charges of money laundering and presenting false claims to the state, bringing the total number of charges to 15.<br />
<br />
Epic co-founders David Chaney and Ben Harris and Chief Financial Officer Josh Brock, were arrested and charged with a list of felonies in June 2022. Charges included racketeering, embezzlement of state funds, and obtaining money by false pretense.</blockquote>The amount of diverted money so far totals $30 million. Republicans complain about public schools, but no district superintendent or principal has ever been accused of massive crimes like those of EPIC. Let it be noted that virtual charter schools have been the source of the biggest financial crimes.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQGw7aQAdb4XdM3Ipp-Jmvuzdjw2K_t2ObPUchtYvzuC70yIwKdj0oFtpi1qInMPZ7R_aH8NNUEMbjR5KRewvf6C5tr3VFnzxDrfdUWW82vUqAQoxvHJeQ_OsYPdPF8ae65GGCIt6jjXfp72Bh4fTeuluWEEk7FDqtH79msk1i_xO7JG36EZc4bspSZMv/s300/private-vs-public-300x300.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQGw7aQAdb4XdM3Ipp-Jmvuzdjw2K_t2ObPUchtYvzuC70yIwKdj0oFtpi1qInMPZ7R_aH8NNUEMbjR5KRewvf6C5tr3VFnzxDrfdUWW82vUqAQoxvHJeQ_OsYPdPF8ae65GGCIt6jjXfp72Bh4fTeuluWEEk7FDqtH79msk1i_xO7JG36EZc4bspSZMv/w200-h200/private-vs-public-300x300.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2023/10/21/national-education-policy-center-what-does-research-say-about-vouchers/" target="_blank">National Education Policy Center: What Does Research Say About Vouchers?</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>The National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado <a href="https://nepc.colorado.edu/sites/default/files/reviews/NR%20Lubienski_0.pdf" target="_blank">invited scholar Chris Lubienski of Indiana University to review a recent publication</a> of EdChoice (the new name of the Milton and Rose Friedman Foundation), which summarizes what voucher advocates believe about the efficacy of vouchers. The publication is titled “The 123s of School Choice: What the Research Says About Private School Choice Programs, 2023 Edition.”<br />
<br />
Not surprisingly, EdChoice concludes that vouchers are effective. Lubienski, however, is critical of the studies they include and those they exclude. In short, EdChoice engages in cherry-picking to bolster its cause.</i></blockquote>
<br />
<u><b>STUDENTS STEP IN WHERE ADULTS HAVE FAILED THEM</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://teacherinastrangeland.blog/2023/10/15/band-director-quits-and-other-evidence-of-pandemic-aftermath/" target="_blank">Band Director Quits and Other Evidence of Pandemic Aftermath</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://teacherinastrangeland.blog" target="_blank">Teacher in a Strange Land</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Perhaps you’re thinking that the national shortage of teachers is limited to certain sub-specialties, or geographic regions, that no responsible school leader would leave a group of six-year-olds to “teach themselves.” If so, you ought to take a look at the <a href="https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/michigan-school-leaders-decry-explosion-untrained-teachers-classrooms" target="_blank">percentages of students, especially in charter schools, with unqualified substitutes</a>. There are <a href="https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/whos-leading-classes-uncertified-teachers-thousands-michigan-kids" target="_blank">uncertified subs everywhere</a>, in all subjects, k-12, and <a href="https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Jobs/Private-School-Substitute-Teacher/--in-Michigan" target="_blank">unfilled jobs in prestigious private and suburban schools, two months after the start of the school year</a>.<br />
<br />
The loyal-to-band kids in West Virginia do not surprise me. Band students, in my thoroughly biased opinion, are THE BEST, and these kids appear to be like band kids everywhere—self-starters, and leaders. Good kids. There are, of course, good kids in all grades and disciplines, in every school, those who can be trusted to carry on when the chips are down.<br />
<br />
But here’s the thing that doesn’t get mentioned in this feel-good story: the band kids in WV learned how to do the things they have done—writing rules, running rehearsals, playing tunes—from a teacher. By all indications, a pretty good teacher, someone who instilled a spirit of cooperation that led students to try to balance out the band sound by switching instruments.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>FORT WAYNE LOCAL NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/northwest-allen-county-schools-reveals-details-of-proposed-teachers-contract/article_046f6318-6e03-11ee-9883-cb121c1da505.html" target="_blank">
Northwest Allen County Schools reveals details of proposed teachers' contract</a></b><br /><br />From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Northwest Allen County Schools teachers could see their salaries increase up to 9.5% under a tentative collective bargaining agreement set for ratification this month, Superintendent Wayne Barker said Wednesday.<br />
<br />
He shared highlights of the proposed 2023-24 contract during a special public meeting that last about 10 minutes at Carroll High School.<br />
<br />
“We’ve made a significant, positive step in the right direction for what we want to do for our teaching staff,” Barker said afterward, noting NACS has about 520 teachers. “We want them to know they’re valued. We want them to know they’re appreciated.”<br />
<br />
The superintendent cited the district’s increasing enrollment as the reason why the contract applies for one year and not two – the duration of the previous agreement. It’s to the teachers’ benefit, he said. Schools receive state funding per pupil.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cazBlyEUCSjJhQk3yQtuQq9V8Fuk0B1XK3vp5eFHZRbuYzF8Emba-M7lDkk4chmX4RFfy4l9MbvFq8SZ3vVDxOc5d42YAjYURdoHaDC16kes6qzMLoAgpoVE4UT0EeQdQUFdASt823XX7SqnezuTOV1-heCScmjuv11EhHub_prybrX34N4PwgcuEaJy/s512/investinamer3.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="512" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cazBlyEUCSjJhQk3yQtuQq9V8Fuk0B1XK3vp5eFHZRbuYzF8Emba-M7lDkk4chmX4RFfy4l9MbvFq8SZ3vVDxOc5d42YAjYURdoHaDC16kes6qzMLoAgpoVE4UT0EeQdQUFdASt823XX7SqnezuTOV1-heCScmjuv11EhHub_prybrX34N4PwgcuEaJy/w200-h173/investinamer3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
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###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.139351312.769039163821155 -120.2956013 69.389506836178839 -49.9831013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-14287475461450484452023-10-16T05:00:00.183-04:002023-10-16T05:00:00.136-04:00In Case You Missed It – October 16, 2023Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
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<u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
"In our society, teaching is not a high status position. It used to be considered women’s work, probably still is by many people. How wonderful it would be if we had fully transcended the cruelty of the old joke: “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach; those who can’t teach, teach gym.” But we haven’t. I regularly hear legislators in my state explaining that if someone who knew what he was doing were put in charge, teachers would be forced to improve test scores immediately. The implication, of course, is that teaching is simply a matter of the production of test scores, and teachers don’t produce.<br />
<br />
"The tragedy of this kind of thinking is that the same teachers whom people attack and insult are the human beings to whom we trust the formation of our children. The opinion polls tell us that we handle this contradiction by learning to know, respect, and appreciate our own child’s teacher even as we fail to protest the barrage of attacks on teachers in general." -- Jan Resseger in <a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2023/10/12/sylvia-allegretto-documents-large-and-persistent-teacher-pay-penalty/" target="_blank">Sylvia Allegretto Documents Large and Persistent Teacher Pay Penalty</a><br /><br />
<u><b>TEACHERS' PAY PENALTY GROWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2023/10/12/sylvia-allegretto-documents-large-and-persistent-teacher-pay-penalty/" target="_blank">Sylvia Allegretto Documents Large and Persistent Teacher Pay Penalty</a></b><br /><br />
Why is it okay to pay teachers less than other professionals with similar training? Is it because <a href="https://usafacts.org/articles/who-are-the-nations-4m-teachers/" target="_blank">most teachers are women</a>? Is it because we <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/07/why-does-america-invest-so-little-in-its-children/490790/" target="_blank">don't really care about our children</a> after all?<br />
<br />
From Jan Resseger<br />
<blockquote><i>In the introduction to her <a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/teacher-pay-in-2022/#:~:text=Key%20findings,increase%20from%206.1%25%20in%201996." target="_blank">annual report</a> on the teacher pay penalty, published last week by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and the Center for Economic and Policy Research, Sylvia Allegretto acknowledges the challenges teachers face: “Teachers have one of the most consequential jobs in the country—they have the future of the U.S. in front of them every day. But teaching is becoming a less appealing career choice for new college graduates. Not only are levels of compensation low, but teaching is becoming increasingly stressful as teachers are forced to navigate battles over curriculum and COVID-19 related mandates as well as rising incidence of violence in schools. Low pay makes recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers difficult.<br />
<br />
Here are Allegretto’s conclusions about the trend in teachers’ wages and compensation through 2022:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>“The pay penalty for teachers—the gap between the weekly wages of teachers and college graduates working in other professions—grew to a record 26.4% in 2022, a significant increase from 6.1% in 1996.</i></li><li><i>“Although teachers tend to receive better benefits packages than other professionals do, this advantage is not large enough to offset the growing wage penalty for teachers.</i></li><li><i>“On average, teachers earned 73.6 cents for every dollar that other professionals made in 2022. This is much less than the 93.9 cents on the dollar they made in 1996.”</i></li></ul>
Allegretto explains: “Because public school teachers must attain at least a bachelor’s degree to teach in the U.S., this research compares teachers with college graduates working in other professions… Over the past two decades, the weekly wages and total compensation of public school teachers have fallen further and further behind… Recent high inflation has significantly reduced the average weekly wages of teachers but has had less of an effect on other college graduates… The erosion of relative weekly wages for teachers continued apace in 2022.” “Teachers generally receive a higher share of their total compensation as benefits than other professionals do, partially offsetting the weekly wage penalty.” But, “the benefits advantage for teachers has not been enough to offset the growing wage penalty.”</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibe4J0x-4jTZWatliXc66k8ncsRzqP2ysnMAogEXqzjovartpCoUMncrABEa5zOXzCaZGrshrBSx49PMixeaHxBcvEVO96xVsDtwfPcgt_CzFx9zO0MJxHEOnMUhxi3RdAZUnn-M9v9E6B7Y-Vn0Up92hO6t_tVA6F1tjp5r-n1N-jNmtjNUeiKzah2tyh/s512/investinamer3.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="512" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibe4J0x-4jTZWatliXc66k8ncsRzqP2ysnMAogEXqzjovartpCoUMncrABEa5zOXzCaZGrshrBSx49PMixeaHxBcvEVO96xVsDtwfPcgt_CzFx9zO0MJxHEOnMUhxi3RdAZUnn-M9v9E6B7Y-Vn0Up92hO6t_tVA6F1tjp5r-n1N-jNmtjNUeiKzah2tyh/w200-h173/investinamer3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><u><b>SUPPORT PUBLIC EDUCATION</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2023/10/11/the-plot-to-take-down-public-schools/" target="_blank">The Plot to Take Down Public Schools</a></b><br /><br />From Diane Ravitch<br />
<blockquote><i>Recently the Network for Public Education and the Education Law Center <a href="https://youtu.be/6ZAGF9aM8HM" target="_blank">sponsored a zoom conversation with Nick Surgey</a>. Nick is an experienced investigative journalist who works with an organization called Documented, which digs into the Dark Money groups undermining Public schools and other democratic institutions. Nick has done the legwork that identified the money and people behind the home schooling movement, as well as the rightwing Alliance for Defending Freedom. He has worked with the Center for Media and Democracy and other pro-democracy organizations.<br />
<br />
This is a discussion you should definitely tune into.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>INDIANA AND FORT WAYNE LOCAL NEWS</b></u><br />
<br />
Five of our articles this week come from the <a href="https://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>. Please consider subscribing to this important local source of news and information. Remember "all politics is local," and education is funded through politics. See the link at the end of this post.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/columnists/fwcs-referendum-will-help-in-coping-with-school-and-life/article_895d31bc-6936-11ee-aed9-ef5c428d4073.html" target="_blank">FWCS referendum will help in coping with school — and life</a></b><br /><br />
FWCS works to help students cope with mental health issues.<br />
<br />
From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette<br />
<blockquote><i>On Oct. 7, The Journal Gazette’s editorial board questioned the need for Fort Wayne Community Schools’ safety and well-being referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot, asking the question: “Should schools go even deeper into providing for student mental health and wellness?”<br />
<br />
The answer from the SAFER FWCS Political Action Committee is simple:<br />
<br />
If not us, then who?<br />
<br />
The most recent Indiana KIDS COUNT data from the Indiana Youth Institute paints a bleak picture. In 2021, more than 1 in 4 high school students reported having seriously considered attempting suicide, and nearly half of all high school students reported being sad or feeling hopeless every day for at least two weeks.<br />
<br />
These statistics are not surprising to educators, who saw a significant decline in student mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The same report showed teachers at 62% of schools tried to increase student knowledge on suicide prevention in a required course in grades 6-12. That is up from fewer than 20% of schools doing so in 2012.<br />
<br />
Should schools be responsible for solving this mental health crisis? Maybe not, but Fort Wayne Community Schools has never been a district to throw up its hands and say, “It’s not our fault. There is nothing we can do. Someone else needs to fix it.”<br />
<br />
FWCS is already seeing what its plan can do in a pilot at South Side High School.<br />
<br />
In voting to put the referendum on the ballot, the FWCS Board of School Trustees sent a message: Not on our watch. FWCS will not stand by when there are steps that can be taken inside schools to create an even safer learning environment.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/new-indiana-law-stokes-worries-for-lgbtq-students/article_abdef1a4-6232-11ee-bb73-4f13704fa32c.html" target="_blank">New Indiana law stokes worries for LGBTQ+ students</a></b><br /><br />
The new laws affecting LGBTQ+ students impact the daily lives of real people.<br />
<br />
From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette<br />
<blockquote><i>Snider High School’s gay-straight alliance no longer takes attendance or maintains a membership roster, and participants are mindful about what’s visible to their faculty advisers during the club’s weekly one-hour meetings.<br />
<br />
Known as the Rainbow Connection, the group wants to reduce the risk of teachers seeing members’ deadnames – names used before a gender transition – because of state legislation that took effect July 1. It requires school districts to notify a student’s parent or guardian if the student requests a name or pronoun change.<br />
<br />
The new rule interferes with Rainbow Connection’s priority of keeping members safe and letting them be true to themselves, participants say. Students might have parents who are unsupportive or could potentially endanger them for not being cisgender – a term meaning not transgender – or straight, said Phoenix Bodner, co-president.<br />
<br />
“Adjusting to it when the school year started actually delayed Rainbow Connection’s opening by a couple weeks because we needed to find a way to work around the fact that it posed a serious risk to the safety and security of our members,” Bodner said by email.<br />
<br />
Critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana and the Indiana Educational Equity Coalition, raised such concerns when legislators proposed the bill. It also prohibits schools from teaching human sexuality before fourth grade.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiED7Xuhix_PVQWtYebcwyrmZ1J-st5VqR1_OFes1cyOYfyKcyfBkM21Cd3OSE4-xglLLCDrrZiJkXj8sfpqDNjXutWzWTL1TM5aq9PWNtTaqH5-xC0nsQgIbsQh-4m69TvZ1QYW51rcnK4PhU3AYGWEdHBl1l6wXVvhiqY1bHTbZwWRV3VG5VVoKvuF4sU/s1280/Bus-photo-1555103168.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="963" data-original-width="1280" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiED7Xuhix_PVQWtYebcwyrmZ1J-st5VqR1_OFes1cyOYfyKcyfBkM21Cd3OSE4-xglLLCDrrZiJkXj8sfpqDNjXutWzWTL1TM5aq9PWNtTaqH5-xC0nsQgIbsQh-4m69TvZ1QYW51rcnK4PhU3AYGWEdHBl1l6wXVvhiqY1bHTbZwWRV3VG5VVoKvuF4sU/w200-h151/Bus-photo-1555103168.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/south-side-sees-success-with-piloted-safer-fwcs-initiatives/article_7a2a4adc-6877-11ee-9929-8fbe1e2ffa36.html" target="_blank">South Side sees success with piloted Safer FWCS initiatives</a></b><br /><br />
From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette<br />
<blockquote><i>The South Side High School that student Olivia Soto attends as a senior is different from the South Side that welcomed her as a freshman.<br />
<br />
The atmosphere has transformed from a place where students would walk through hallways with their heads down – phones out and earbuds in – to a vibrant school where teens smile, wave and high-five others.<br />
<br />
“You feel seen and present at the school,” Soto told the Fort Wayne Community Schools board Monday during a presentation about safety updates. “You’re not just there to learn. You’re there making connections, and you’re in this community at South Side.”<br />
<br />
Although the safety presentation included districtwide information, South Side received much of the focus because it is piloting elements that FWCS would like to expand to other schools with referendum funding.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/enrollment-growth-prompts-northwest-allen-county-schools-to-eye-redistricting/article_ddc0bdc4-678c-11ee-8cc4-778a5e1be2ac.html" target="_blank">Enrollment growth prompts Northwest Allen County Schools to eye redistricting</a></b><br /><br />
From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette<br />
<blockquote><i>Enrollment growth in Northwest Allen County Schools this fall exceeded a demographer’s forecast by about 35%, and a surge in elementary students has prompted the district to reexamine its attendance areas.<br />
<br />
Superintendent Wayne Barker stressed to the school board Monday that the overall 2.7% enrollment increase – an addition of 217 students – is positive, especially considering many Indiana districts are experiencing declining enrollment.<br />
<br />
“This is a good thing for Northwest Allen County Schools,” he said.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/fwcs-proposal-would-boost-teacher-pay-including-starting-salary/article_4c9f2e48-66fb-11ee-86b6-832cd4a13bc9.html" target="_blank">FWCS proposal would boost teacher pay, including starting salary</a></b><br /><br />
FWCS has the lowest starting teacher salaries in the county. Increases would put the largest school system in the county in line with the others.<br />
<br />
From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette<br />
<blockquote><i>A tentative two-year teachers contract would increase Fort Wayne Community Schools’ starting salary to $46,627 – making the district more competitive with its Allen County neighbors.<br />
<br />
As proposed, the salary schedule will increase by 3% this academic year and 1% next year. But depending on how educators progress on the salary schedule – which considers performance and education levels – their pay could increase between 5.8% and 9.9% over two years.<br />
<br />
The school board discussed these and other details Monday, two weeks before the elected leaders are expected to ratify the contract.<br />
<br />
“I’m happy to pay them every penny we can,” board member Steve Corona said.</i></blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.adhdawarenessmonth.org" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="1172" height="81" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtn7nOpywv6_Ee-BcRAKn8f_U8AMqfxp-fqIw0DNUny-QkzZMHDPLjiDM64P2uWZv_ctKuLxjEDAYU2jr3cHZFUeCquzV24nb_xKYwOu9ylBbn2L1hiIVpafJi9hNST2KK_-l27Gx7c-TgZk2h-VZcv00bN8PjMw317ccNFzGTRY4lBbEfmyYr9N-RGFcV/w400-h81/ADHDAwareness2023.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">October is ADHD Awareness Month. Click for a link to the ADHD Awareness website.</td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.adhdawarenessmonth.org/myths-and-facts-about-adhd/" target="_blank"><b>Myths and Facts about ADHD</b></a></li></ul>
<br />**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.139351312.769039163821155 -120.2956013 69.389506836178839 -49.9831013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-490230671654268202023-10-09T05:00:00.132-04:002023-10-09T05:00:00.159-04:00In Case You Missed It – October 9, 2023Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
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<u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
"<a href="https://progressive.org/public-schools-advocate/people-power-vs-conservative-education-movement-daigon-23105/" target="_blank">There is a well-resourced and coordinated effort</a> among far-right institutions to undermine public education—whether that is through <a href="https://democracyforward.org/work/ms-leg-funneling-money/" target="_blank">misappropriating funds</a> like the legislature did in Mississippi to divert funds to private schools, or to pass burdensome censorship agenda laws that have led to shortages and burdens on teachers." -- <a href="https://democracyforward.org/team/" target="_blank">Skye Perryman</a>, founder and CEO of <a href="https://democracyforward.org" target="_blank">Democracy Forward</a><br /><br />
<u><b>STANDING UP FOR EDUCATION AGAINST THE FAR-RIGHT</b></u><br />
<br /><a href="https://progressive.org/public-schools-advocate/people-power-vs-conservative-education-movement-daigon-23105/" target="_blank"><b>People Power Vs. the Far Right Education Movement</b></a><br /><br />Last week was "Banned Book Week." Just because the week is over doesn't mean that books won't continue to be attacked by closed minds.<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://progressive.org" target="_blank">The Progressive</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Although book bans are <a href="https://www.ala.org/advocacy/voters-oppose-book-bans-libraries" target="_blank">wildly unpopular</a> with American voters, right-wing pressure groups like <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/may/06/moms-for-liberty-john-birch-society-far-right-book-bans" target="_blank">Moms for Liberty</a> have succeeded in convincing <a href="https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-04-22/book-bans-soaring-schools-new-laws-republican-states" target="_blank">Republican lawmakers</a> to remove titles due to their portrayals of gender diversity or racism. Now that almost all schools have reopened for the new school year, followers of education policy and politics, as well as free speech advocates, are watching closely to see if there will be efforts to pass more of these laws.<br />
<br />
Last school year, at least seven states <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/05/18/school-librarians-jailed-banned-books/" target="_blank">passed</a> ambiguously-worded laws that criminalized school teachers and librarians for exposing students to books that have been deemed as too “obscene.” Governors in two of these states vetoed the new laws, but “[a]nother dozen states considered more than twenty similar bills this year, half of which are likely to come up again in 2024,” <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/05/18/school-librarians-jailed-banned-books/">according to</a> The Washington Post.<br />
<br />
An especially extreme book banning was, the Post reported, “an <a href="https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2FACT372.pdf" target="_blank">Arkansas measure</a> that says school and public librarians, as well as teachers, can be imprisoned for up to six years or fined $10,000 if they distribute obscene or harmful texts.” The law was meant to go into effect on August 1, but in July, a federal judge <a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/92884-federal-judge-blocks-parts-of-arkansas-harmful-to-minors-law.html" target="_blank">blocked</a> it because it imposed a threat to First Amendment rights. The lawsuit that led to the judge’s ruling came from a <a href="https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Filed-Complaint-Fayetteville-Public-Library-et-al.-v.-Crawford-County-et-al.pdf" target="_blank">broad coalition</a> of authors, educators, and publishers that were represented in part by the progressive legal group <a href="https://democracyforward.org/about/" target="_blank">Democracy Forward</a>.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>EDTECH SURVEILLANCE IN SCHOOLS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.aclu.org/report/digital-dystopia-the-danger-in-buying-what-the-edtech-surveillance-industry-is-selling" target="_blank">Digital Dystopia: The Danger in Buying What the EDTech Surveillance Industry is Selling</a></b><br /><br />
Who's watching your child?<br />
<br />
From <a href="https://www.aclu.org" target="_blank">ACLU</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Digital Dystopia: The Danger in Buying What the EdTech Surveillance Industry is Selling, an ACLU research report, examines the EdTech Surveillance (educational technologies used for surveillance) industry in U.S. K-12 schools. Using in-depth investigation into industry products, an incident audit, student focus groups, and national polling, this report scrutinizes industry claims, assesses the efficacy of the products, and explores the impacts EdTech Surveillance has on students and schools. The report concludes by offering concrete actions school districts, elected officials, and community members can take to ensure decisions about using surveillance products are consistent and well-informed. This includes model legislation and decision-making tools, which will often result in the rejection of student surveillance technologies.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>FORT WAYNE LOCAL NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/editorials/yet-another-superintendent-of-the-year-award-reflects-well-on-allen-county/article_da22512a-63ac-11ee-bd6f-47800e17bcbf.html" target="_blank">Yet another Superintendent of the Year award reflects well on Allen County</a></b><br /><br />
EACS Superintendent, Marilyn Hissong is one of Indiana Superintendents of the Year.<br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Allen County’s public schools have been blessed with talented leaders over the years. East Allen County Schools’ Marilyn Hissong is the latest local schools chief to be recognized as among Indiana’s best.<br />
<br />
At a joint conference of the Indiana Association of Public Schools Superintendents and the Indiana School Boards Association Sept. 25, Hissong was one of seven top school administrators announced as the 2024 Superintendents of the Year for their geographic districts.<br />
<br />
A graduate of East Allen schools, Hissong started her career at the district as a teacher and volleyball coach before moving into administrative roles, according to an EACS news release. After Ken Folks retired in 2017, she was promoted to superintendent from assistant superintendent of elementary education.<br />
<br />
“As of July 1, 2023, I had the extreme privilege and honor of completing my 30th year in education, all which has been with East Allen County Schools,” she said in a statement.<br />
<br />
She will represent the state in the national Superintendent of the Year competition.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/44-to-give-input-on-diversity-issues-at-southwest-allen-county-schools/article_1a399b88-62d6-11ee-9c8e-7769e9d5275c.html" target="_blank">44 to give input on diversity issues at Southwest Allen County Schools</a></b><br />
<br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Representatives from the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism, or FAIR, will facilitate the discussions along with others for secondary students, administrators and Parent Teacher Club presidents.<br />
<br />
“The participants are representative of our district and will likely bring differing viewpoints, beliefs and experiences to the sessions,” Fleming said in a statement.<br />
<br />
The school board recently approved a $10,000 listening session agreement with FAIR in response to demonstrations and discussions that disrupted classes at Homestead last academic year.<br />
<br />
That February day, minority students told The Journal Gazette the viral images of a classmate in blackface were the last straw in repeated mistreatment they’ve endured.<br />
<br />
SACS is a predominantly white district. Last academic year, students of color represented 25% of enrollment, with Black and Hispanic students each accounting for 7%, according to state enrollment data. Homestead’s demographics were similar.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/southwest-allen-county-schools-ready-to-give-in-depth-look-to-25-advocates/article_b497c914-5e46-11ee-9a4d-a7eb14814240.html" target="_blank">Southwest Allen County Schools ready to give in-depth look to 25 advocates</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Twenty-five people, mostly parents, will begin their in-depth look at Southwest Allen County Schools operations in October.<br />
<br />
The group is the first class of SACS Education Advocates, a new monthly program that attracted 61 applicants – a response that pleased Superintendent Park Ginder.<br />
<br />
“We hope that applications grow and that new leaders emerge from this process, so I am hopeful that we will continue to host this program and help educate our community concerning all facets of what it entails to run a school district and individual schools,” he said by email this week.<br />
<br />
Several central Indiana districts inspired the program, which should provide insight about what it takes to serve more than 7,500 students, Ginder has said.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLOQlRybZYN9VRx4aT1b7vaMwnFh4oM2LPZPIQ3gX_p0kVQP3d010vGaIn9qi77ZouIWJ8eCrsyDfomrvYjfz6RZYL88mOcY6D6mj12NXTYREYVn7SCbSZqMJKRR_4tW_dSMA7Ka_IDe1Ol6OrErCHBzsq2SvuFOd_GQ8PxOW96u-wFMvoBsUxovtDSau/s512/investinamer3.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLOQlRybZYN9VRx4aT1b7vaMwnFh4oM2LPZPIQ3gX_p0kVQP3d010vGaIn9qi77ZouIWJ8eCrsyDfomrvYjfz6RZYL88mOcY6D6mj12NXTYREYVn7SCbSZqMJKRR_4tW_dSMA7Ka_IDe1Ol6OrErCHBzsq2SvuFOd_GQ8PxOW96u-wFMvoBsUxovtDSau/s320/investinamer3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.139351312.769039163821155 -120.2956013 69.389506836178839 -49.9831013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-72050463120247904892023-10-02T05:00:00.175-04:002023-10-02T05:00:00.158-04:00In Case You Missed It – October 2, 2023Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
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<u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'" -- Isaac Asimov, quoted by Sheila Kennedy in <a href="https://sheilakennedy.net/2023/09/just-wow-2/" target="_blank">Just WOW...</a><br />
<br /><u><b>A LITTLE CHEATING IMPROVES THE BOTTOM LINE</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2023/09/28/gary-rubinstein-will-u-s-news-ban-kipp-from-its-rankings-again-for-cheating/" target="_blank">Gary Rubinstein: Will U.S. News Ban KIPP from Its Rankings Again, for Cheating?</a></b><br />
<br />
The early rationale for the school privatization movement was that public schools were failing. They weren't. The problem with low achievement in America's public schools has always been poverty and race. As long as those issues aren't addressed no amount of tinkering will change the fact that poor kids have more academic difficulties than wealthy kids.<br />
<br />
Charter school providers discovered this when they claimed they could "fix" education by "innovation." They couldn't. Children still score lower on test scores based on their family's income -- whether they go to a private school, a charter school, or a public school.<br />
<br />
In this story, we see a national charter school provider, try to manipulate the system in order to fool their investors into thinking they are succeeding when they're not.<br /><br />
From Diane Ravitch<br />
<blockquote><i>Gary Rubinstein <a href="https://garyrubinstein.wordpress.com/2023/09/25/will-kipp-nyc-be-disqualified-again-from-u-s-news-world-report-best-high-school-rankings/" target="_blank">writes here about KIPP’s clever tactics to win a listing</a> as one of the “best” high schools in New York State. He caught them playing similar games several years ago, and U.S. News heard about it and removed KIPP from its rankings...<br />
<br />
Gary figured out that KIPP gamed the system by placing its high-performing students in one middle school and its underperforming students in another middle school. But only one gets counted by U.S. News...<br />
<br />
Please open the link to understand what a clever move this is. Why do they do it? Gary says it impresses their funders.</i></blockquote><br /><u><b>WHEN CHARTERS CLOSE</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://inschoolmatters.wordpress.com/2023/09/27/no-silver-lining-to-charter-school-closures/" target="_blank">No silver lining to charter school closures</a></b><br />
<br />
Publically run and funded schools provide the stability that private schools and charter schools can't. Support your local public schools.<br /><br />
From School Matters<br />
<blockquote><i>Regardless of what you think about charter schools, it’s bad news when one closes unexpectedly. It’s bad for the staff. It’s bad for the people who were committed to the project. It’s especially bad for the students, who will have to find a new school, learn their way around and make new friends.<br />
<br />
And it’s not a rare occurrence here in Indiana. A list provided by the Indiana Department of Education includes 50 charter schools that have closed or merged since Indiana began allowing charters in 2002...<br />
<br />
What happens to students when their schools close unexpectedly? Research is mixed, but there’s strong evidence that switching schools has negative academic and behavioral impacts, <a href="https://bpb-us-e2.wpmucdn.com/sites.utdallas.edu/dist/0/221/files/wp_hanushek_1999_cost_switching_schools.pdf" target="_blank">especially on students of color</a> and students from low-income families...</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvnFK_4iD8oc2fwy5fZHlegffbzaDRxXb2jAO8uOrP-bC2Sv8dENogPHu3s9cUkONwtaK2215xA4KpQead3F0RWDO-HRH8zSCTQB8ay5TsugnIzrhfC-U4EkBb3gkAA5eS0r2aDQioYk3_fai_GbC4-YRCq2u39uVxn0UTDYYekHkj60UxLODfkZN7NWD/s720/mandelaquote3.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvnFK_4iD8oc2fwy5fZHlegffbzaDRxXb2jAO8uOrP-bC2Sv8dENogPHu3s9cUkONwtaK2215xA4KpQead3F0RWDO-HRH8zSCTQB8ay5TsugnIzrhfC-U4EkBb3gkAA5eS0r2aDQioYk3_fai_GbC4-YRCq2u39uVxn0UTDYYekHkj60UxLODfkZN7NWD/w200-h200/mandelaquote3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><u><b>CHILDCARE COSTS SKYROCKET</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://bloom-at.blogspot.com/2023/09/keep-your-nose-on.html" target="_blank">Keep your nose on</a></b><br />
<br />
What do working parents do when they can no longer afford child care? When will the US put its money where its mouth is when it comes to caring for its children?<br /><br />
From Live Long and Prosper<br />
<blockquote><i>...As a nation, the US doesn't seem to have the inclination or the foresight to provide for its children...or to plan for the future.<br />
<blockquote>A 2023 survey from Arreaza’s organization found that 59% of parents reported <a href="https://parentstogetheraction.org/2023/08/16/with-child-care-cliff-looming-new-survey-reveals-child-care-crisis-as-parents-are-forced-to-cut-back-on-hours-or-resign/" target="_blank">cutting back on hours or leaving a job</a> because they couldn’t find reliable, affordable child care. After losing that source of income, families often cut back on other expenses. Forty-four percent of families said they reduced food costs and over half, 55%, said they couldn’t save while shouldering the cost of child care, which <a href="https://info.childcareaware.org/hubfs/Child%20Care%20Affordability%20Analysis%202021.pdf" target="_blank">rivals the cost of full-time, in-state college tuition</a> in Indiana and elsewhere.</blockquote></i></blockquote><br /><u><b>FORT WAYNE LOCAL NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/east-allen-county-schools-superintendent-named-best-in-state/article_da9f50b2-5bb4-11ee-9bc5-7f668c1ac9b2.html" target="_blank">East Allen County Schools superintendent named best in state</a></b><br />
<br />
East Allen County Superintendent is named the Indiana Superintendent of the Year.<br />
<br />
From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**<br />
<blockquote><i>Allen County is again home to the Indiana Superintendent of the Year.<br />
<br />
Marilyn Hissong of East Allen County Schools received the honor Monday during an annual conference for Indiana school board members, superintendents and administrators.<br />
<br />
She has led the district for six years, making her the longest tenured superintendent currently in Allen County.<br />
<br />
“As of July 1, 2023, I had the extreme privilege and honor of completing my 30th year in education, all which has been with East Allen County Schools,” Hissong said in a statement.</i></blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-top: 1em;"><a href="https://www.adhdawarenessmonth.org" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="455" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsn47g6GsvQk_qVB1S3VfHb0C-Uh-QbqtTdHDXTP9erJsBDoKaufvCgOhRWelCorPYUuA30ckueat-0-uf8Yjs5sIEEQii9miZrGwEdz5pwvXH-dVxWuOHyxeSu6IsSeryfPV84gcK9FcktvQix0QO2JrXCWHau5u-RjX7bNd7dBFj_53JpEGPFwhyphenhyphenoKM/w200-h154/adhdaware.png" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.adhdawarenessmonth.org" target="_blank">October is ADHD Awareness Month.<br />Click here for more information.</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
<br />
<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.139351312.769039163821155 -120.2956013 69.389506836178839 -49.9831013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580376204838202307.post-60856810690189268962023-09-25T05:00:00.219-04:002023-09-25T05:00:00.133-04:00In Case You Missed It – September 25, 2023Here are links to last week's<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup> articles receiving the most attention on NEIFPE's social media accounts. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.<br />
<br />
Be sure to enter your email address in the <u>Follow Us By Email</u> box in the right-hand column of our <a href="https://neifpe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog page</a> to be informed when our blog posts are published.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPi-I1oJ9B97wj456pliTsd-q7w2K2gFdn9h6rZtB4Vr6IqAKuc-hGzfDJumLIWekC00Aw5zfI38LmZM2rTP0y6tInLxSd5FRfVWgIkoO9-5X3qhKcNGbXwAcM8wdlBchK98MRuQW-u42IXXoI1vXYVcn5n28ZXMR4gW5HJ-vGD5rlK0x-V-XOLpqcJZjE/s2048/Poverty.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1445" data-original-width="2048" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPi-I1oJ9B97wj456pliTsd-q7w2K2gFdn9h6rZtB4Vr6IqAKuc-hGzfDJumLIWekC00Aw5zfI38LmZM2rTP0y6tInLxSd5FRfVWgIkoO9-5X3qhKcNGbXwAcM8wdlBchK98MRuQW-u42IXXoI1vXYVcn5n28ZXMR4gW5HJ-vGD5rlK0x-V-XOLpqcJZjE/w200-h141/Poverty.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><u><b>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</b></u><br />
<br />
"...these problems of American education have their start in the tracking of America’s children — but not necessarily by their schools! Our children are tracked into different neighborhoods on the basis of their family’s income, ethnicity, and race. This is where our school problems begin. We seem blind to the fact that housing policies that promote that kind of segregation are educational policies, as well." -- David Berliner in <a href="https://wapo.st/48oX9YW" target="_blank">Education professor: My students asked who I would vote for. Here’s what I told them.</a><br />
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<u><b>SCHOOL PROBLEMS HAVE ROOTS IN POVERTY</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2023/09/19/congress-cancels-2021-child-tax-credit-reforms-pushes-5-1-million-children-back-into-poverty/" target="_blank">Congress Canceled 2021 Child Tax Credit Reforms, Pushed 5.1 Million Children Back into Poverty</a></b><br />
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In his 2009 research report, <a href="https://nepc.colorado.edu/sites/default/files/PB-Berliner-NON-SCHOOL.pdf" target="_blank">Poverty and Potential: Out-of-School Factors and School Success</a>, David Berliner outlined poverty-based factors that contributed to school difficulties. In the 2018 article quoted above, he repeats the call for true educational reform by attacking the real culprit in school problems – Poverty.<br />
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From <a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Jan Resseger</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Very few people are talking about an alarming piece of news from last week: Child poverty in America has more than doubled since 2021. On September 12, the story was in the papers and on PBS and cable news, but after that, it pretty much fell out of our collective consciousness. This news should trouble us all from an educational point of view—on top of what it says about the misery, hunger, and isolation of millions of children and their families.<br />
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David Berliner is an expert, a Regents’ professor emeritus and former dean of the College of Education at Arizona State University and the former president of the American Educational Research Association. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2018/10/22/education-professor-my-students-asked-who-i-would-vote-heres-what-i-told-them/" target="_blank">Berliner is blunt in his analysis of how poverty affects children’s learning at school</a>: “(T)he big problems of American education are not in America’s schools. So, reforming the schools, as Jean Anyon once said, is like trying to clean the air on one side of a screen door. It cannot be done! It’s neither this nation’s teachers nor its curriculum that impede the achievement of our children. The roots of America’s educational problems are in the numbers of Americans who live in poverty. America’s educational problems are predominantly in the numbers of kids and their families who are homeless; whose families have no access to Medicaid or other medical services. These are often families to whom low-birth-weight babies are frequently born, leading to many more children needing special education.<br />
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...Our educational problems have their roots in families where food insecurity or hunger is a regular occurrence, or where those with increased lead levels in their bloodstream get no treatments before arriving at a school’s doorsteps. Our problems also stem from the harsh incarceration laws that break up families instead of counseling them and trying to keep them together. And our problems relate to harsh immigration policies that keep millions of families frightened to seek out better lives for themselves and their children… Although demographics may not be destiny for an individual, it is the best predictor of a school’s outcomes—independent of that school’s teachers, administrators and curriculum.”</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>DFER—BIPARTISAN ATTACK ON PUBLIC EDUCATION</b></u><br />
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Democrats for Education Reform are just another group of millionaires and billionaires who have worked to privatize public education.<br />
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<b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2023/09/18/politico-advises-democrats-to-act-like-gop-on-school-choice/" target="_blank">Politico Advises Democrats to Act Like GOP on School Choice</a></b><br />
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From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Why in the world should Democrats support schools that are free to discriminate, free to hire uncertified and unqualified staff, managed by for-profit entities, and are not as successful as public schools?<br />
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That is bad political advice, which you got by interviewing people whose organizations advocate for charter schools (DFER and the so-called “National Parents Union”). The only pro-public school voices in your article were Randi Weingarten and Miguel Cardona, a union leader and the Secretary of Education.<br />
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Why didn’t you interview parents engaged in the fight to keep public education public? They are in every state, fighting billionaire-funded organizations like DFER and Moms for Liberty.</i></blockquote>
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<b><a href="https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2023/09/time-for-reformster-benefit-poker-again.html" target="_blank">Time for Reformster Benefit Poker Again</a></b><br /><br />
From <a href="https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Curmudgucation</a><br />
<blockquote><i>Want to sponsor a table with ten seats plus a special guest? A Straight Flush Table costs only $100,000. For $50K you can host a Full House Table, and $30K gets you a regular table of ten. If you just want to grab a single seat for yourself, that's a mere $3K. Just want to skip the poker and have some dinner and cocktails while playing some casino games? That's a mere $250. Sadly, I will be busy that day and unable to attend...<br />
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Past celebrities, they note, have included a bunch of big name poker players, sports guys, U.S. Congressman Hakeen Jeffries, Billy Crudup and Kevin Pollak.<br />
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Do people pay that kind of money, some of you may ask, correctly noting that the Straight Flush Table costs more than most teachers make in a year. Well, in 2022 there was one Straight Flush sponsor, three Full House sponsors, and twenty-five table hosts. All of them were either guys who got rich shuffling money or corporations in the capital biz. They raised over $2 million.<br />
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This is the kind of thing that reminds me of the considerable imbalance between reformsters and public school defenders. Many of us are out here doing what we can on a budget of $0.00, and these guys just get together to drop a couple mill playing games for "exotic trips." All things that folks actually working in education can totally relate to.</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>PRIVATIZERS CONTINUE TO ATTACK PUBLIC SCHOOLS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/columnists/insidious-harvest-students-are-the-victims-in-relentless-campaign-to-delegitimize-public-schools/article_fef23eba-56f1-11ee-b078-1b254fbcc766.html" target="_blank">
Insidious harvest': Students are the victims in relentless campaign to delegitimize public schools</a></b><br />
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Schools are underfunded and defunded, teachers are driven from the classroom, professional judgment is replaced by state-sponsored tests and punishment, books are banned, and threats are issued, and then public schools are blamed for "failure."<br />
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From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>We hate being told, “I told you so” – but here it comes in response to the latest NWEA test score announcement that student achievement has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.<br />
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That’s almost like the weather forecaster who predicts with confidence, “There’s 100% chance of darkness tonight, with possible clearing in the morning.”<br />
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Proponents of choice and privatization in education (i.e., vouchers, charters, virtual schools, tax-credit scholarships) lament that “if only” their preferred “fixes” had been prioritized all along, U.S. education would have bounced back much more quickly.<br />
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People who support traditional public education know that these crocodile tears hide a celebration. It turns out that the foes of public education are like carnival barkers: They bluster, shout, entice and preach about the glories of partisan/privatized education despite extensive evidence that such an education does not result in better achievement when compared to public schools.<br />
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But still, the foes of public education celebrate any news that demonstrates the damage done to public education, public educators and public school students.<br />
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In their attempt to sow doubt, confusion and falsehoods, the foes of public education planted several different crops to ensure this insidious harvest...</i></blockquote>
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<u><b>SOME FOREIGN INFLUENCES ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2023/09/20/republicans-hold-congressional-hearings-on-chinese-influence-in-american-schools/" target="_blank">Republicans Hold Congressional Hearings on Chinese Influence in American Schools</a></b><br /><br />
Turkey or China?<br />
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From <a href="https://dianeravitch.net" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a><br />
<blockquote><i>The Republican leadership of the House Education Committee held hearings on the threat posed by Communist China to American public and private schools. Read the summary and ask yourself the following questions: Would red states grant the Confucius Classrooms a charter to run their own schools? Would they let a school organized by the Confucius Classrooms accept voucher students? Are they equally concerned about the scores of Gulen schools that receive public funds and operate as charter schools? Gulen is a Turkish imam who lives in seclusion in Pennsylvania; the board of trustees of his schools are led by Turkish men; the Gulen schools have a large number of Turkish teachers on staff. When will the House Committee on Education investigate the Gulen schools?</i></blockquote><br />
<u><b>FORT WAYNE LOCAL NEWS</b></u><br />
<br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/budget-balanced-trusted-voice-in-indiana-school-finances-closes-book-on-career/article_73cb54f6-5800-11ee-ac70-5f3f8a677b9d.html" target="_blank">Budget balanced: Trusted voice in Indiana school finances closes book on career</a></b><br /><br />
From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Kathy Friend couldn’t let a question after her final Fort Wayne Community Schools budget presentation go unanswered, even though it was about a number two decades old.<br />
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She had the answer for board member Steve Corona the next day. Her first FWCS budget – for the year 2001 – totaled $215.7 million.<br />
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Friend will retire as the district’s chief financial officer on Oct. 31, about a week after the expected adoption of next year’s $365 million budget. By comparison, Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry’s city budget proposal for next year is $235 million.<br />
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Her nearly 24-year tenure at FWCS was about more than managing the district’s money, however. Considered an expert on Indiana’s education funding formula, Friend has mentored many school business officials and effectively lobbied about funding issues at the Statehouse, her colleagues said.</i></blockquote><br /><b><a href="https://www.journalgazette.net/local/schools/southwest-allen-county-schools-projects-tax-rate-will-decrease-in-2024/article_989d5298-572e-11ee-bf7a-574960c79291.html" target="_blank">Southwest Allen County Schools projects tax rate will decrease in 2024</a></b><br />
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From the <a href="https://www.journalgazette.net" target="_blank">Fort Wayne Journal Gazette</a>**<br />
<blockquote><i>Southwest Allen County Schools anticipates its tax rate will decrease by about 4 cents next year despite advertising a rate that reflects a nearly 9-cent increase.<br />
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Mark Snyder, the business director, told the school board Tuesday that the advertised rate – 89.76 cents per $100 in assessed value – is intentionally inflated to ensure SACS captures all available tax dollars. His projected rate is 76.87 cents.<br />
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“We advertise high to make sure we get all the revenue,” he said during his 2024 budget review.</i></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAud3c1zYDQHHJs9UELXkq0BVlSdl-9k3wy0v7-k7ScffGwsGtRWYfx8LnCcjo8GksHuZg_vJXht7tWbpygco1g-o2B2yC-VGquGpJ-wZTpGSzrrwiov1h-CV7HsghVBtjYnGBb0Ozn5rl0Ld4dsh_rBZbwzHjPY1jTYgD8VnctJV9X4uQNVJmguvlg9yn/s150/150px-EducationALEC.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAud3c1zYDQHHJs9UELXkq0BVlSdl-9k3wy0v7-k7ScffGwsGtRWYfx8LnCcjo8GksHuZg_vJXht7tWbpygco1g-o2B2yC-VGquGpJ-wZTpGSzrrwiov1h-CV7HsghVBtjYnGBb0Ozn5rl0Ld4dsh_rBZbwzHjPY1jTYgD8VnctJV9X4uQNVJmguvlg9yn/s320/150px-EducationALEC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>**<b>Note</b>: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette is behind a paywall. Digital access, home delivery, or both are available with a subscription. Staying informed is essential; one way to do that is to support your local newspaper. For subscription information, go to <a href="http://www.fortwayne.com/subscriptions/">fortwayne.com/subscriptions/</a> [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]<br />
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<div><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>†</b></span></sup><b>Note:</b> NEIFPE's <i><u>In Case You Missed It</u></i> is posted by the end of every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.<br /></div><br />
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###</div>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.com0Fort Wayne, IN, USA41.079273 -85.139351312.769039163821155 -120.2956013 69.389506836178839 -49.9831013