In Case You Missed It – November 13, 2023

Here are links to last week's^† 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.

Be sure to enter your email address in the Follow Us By Email box in the right-hand column of our blog page to be informed when our blog posts are published.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"...depending on the state, homeschooled families might not have to report what they are doing at all.

"...in most states, there is no oversight and no evaluation by anyone of the academic program and of students' progress.

"...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).

HOMESCHOOLING

John Oliver: What You Need to Know About Homeschooling

"...in a perfect world, we'd make sure that homeschooled kids were both safe and actually receiving a functional education..." -- John Oliver

Note that the videos linked below contain language and imagery that might be objectionable to some.

From Diane Ravitch

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.

His analysis of the charter school industry was viewed by millions of people.

This new take on homeschooling is worth your time.

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT

The Plight of the Poorest Students in America’s Public Schools Is Hidden in Plain Sight

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.

From Jan Resseger

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 Sean Reardon showed 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. Reardon also demonstrated 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.

THE NETWORK FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2023

The 2023 Phyllis Bush Award for Grassroots Organizing Goes to PEP

Public Education Partners in Ohio received this year's Phyllis Bush Award for Grassroots Organizing at the NPE National Conference. Here is their statement.

From Public Education Partners

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.

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.

Phyllis Bush Grassroots Group Award

NPE has posted the video of the Phyllis Bush Grassroots Award. As promised, click here to see the video.

From the Network for Public Education

NPE Action Board member presents this annual award in memory of NPE founding board member, Phyllis Bush, to the Ohio Public Education Partners.

Grassroots Education Network- October 2023 Newsletter

The Network for Public Education sends out a Grassroots newsletter every month. This month's newsletter is all about the 2023 NPE National Conference.

From the Network for Public Education

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 Public Schools: Where Democracy Grows.

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.

FORT WAYNE LOCAL NEWS

FWCS talks Ford NGL at Mirro Center dinner

From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**

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.

The nearly 30,000-student district is preparing to implement its 158-page master plan, which calls for public-private partnerships, Mark Daniel said.

“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?”

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.

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.

**Note: 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 fortwayne.com/subscriptions/ [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]

^†Note: NEIFPE's In Case You Missed It is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.

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In Case You Missed It – October 30, 2023

Here are links to last week's^† 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.

Be sure to enter your email address in the Follow Us By Email box in the right-hand column of our blog page to be informed when our blog posts are published.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"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.

"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." -- Phyllis Bush, May 4, 2016, in Where Do We Go From Here?.

2023 PHYLLIS BUSH AWARD

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.

[Note you need a Facebook account to follow the link above. The Network for Public Education often posts videos of their conference. If, or when the video of this presentation becomes available we will share a link for it.]

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 Public Education Partners, this year's award recipients, for their advocacy.

Below is a quote from one of our earliest blog posts, That's a lot of numbers, Grandma! which Phyllis wrote in 2013.

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.

NEIFPE Co-Founder, Phyllis Bush

MOTHERS FOR LIBERTY MISLEAD

M4L Continues to Post Misleading Information

M4L continues the misinterpretation and misuse of test scores that has done so much damage to public education.

From Accountabaloney blog

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.

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:

“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.”
https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/

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.“

“It is an unreasonable expectation, one that ill serves America’s students, parents, and teachers–and the effort to improve America’s schools.“

FORT WAYNE LOCAL NEWS

7 area marching bands to vie for state championships Saturday

From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**

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.

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.

All of the Fort Wayne-area schools but Garrett competed in last year’s state finals.

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.

Fort Wayne Community Schools eyes student recruitment strategies

The Indiana Constitution demands that the legislature provide "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.

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.

From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**

Fort Wayne Community Schools – which saw enrollment decrease by less than 1% this fall – is developing strategies to boost student recruitment.

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.

“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.”

Fort Wayne Community Schools board OKs pay hikes

Our teachers deserve it.

From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**

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.

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.

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.

“We want to reward our teachers and our other staff,” Superintendent Mark Daniel said after the meeting.

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.

A SAMPLING OF EDUCATION HUMOR

Cartoons of Teachers, Parents, and Students Dealing with School

From Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

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!

**Note: 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 fortwayne.com/subscriptions/ [NOTE: NEIFPE has no financial ties to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]

^†Note: NEIFPE's In Case You Missed It is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.

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Another Reason Why I March #RedforEd

NEIFPE member Donna Roof posted this on Facebook.

Another Reason Why I March #RedforEd

Back in 2011, Phyllis Bush and I began to notice that things were changing in public education due to education reform—and not necessarily in good ways for teachers and students. It was at a town hall meeting where Phyllis had her first “Norma Rae moment.” And as the saying goes, the rest is history.

We attended the Save Our Schools March in Washington, D.C. that summer. We became fan girls of Diane Ravitch. We realized that things happening in Indiana were the exact, same things happening in other states, too. We brought back what we had learned there and then organized with like-minded individuals to form Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education (NEIFPE). If someone had told us then that 8 years later the same fight for public education would be going on, we wouldn’t have believed him.

It is amazing to see so many public education advocates coming together to be at the Statehouse on November 19. Phyllis envisioned such a day when public education advocates from across the state would come together to fight against the reformers and the deleterious legislation that has adversely affected public schools, their teachers, their students, and their communities.

Her public education advocacy was known locally, statewide, and nationally. She also served on the Network for Public Education (NPE) Board of Directors. Despite being retired, she worked tirelessly to inform people about what was happening in/to public schools. When she gave a call to action, she led by example by writing letters to the editor, writing to the legislators, testifying at the Statehouse, and helping and encouraging others to get involved in the fight to save public schools.

Phyllis would be proud of this Day of Action, yet she would also understand the difficult decisions public school officials would face and the effects of such decisions on parents and students. She would know that teachers would be conflicted about taking the day or not out of concern for their students. However, she believed so strongly in public schools that she would see the urgency and necessity of having a Day of Action. Like one of her favorite quotations goes: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; in fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.” (Margaret Mead)

Despite all her worries, she would greatly appreciate all that administrators, teachers, support staff, parents, community members, and students are doing to save public education. Her heart would be filled with pride because she loved teaching.

I am excited to attend this event and see the thousands of people there, yet I have a bit of sadness in knowing she won’t be by my side to experience it, for she passed away on March 19 of this year. However, I know that she will be there in spirit.

November 19 marks 8 months that she has been gone. There will be some of us there wearing a button with her picture to honor her memory and all of her public education advocacy. Over 15,000 people will be there to march on the Statehouse that day! How wonderful is that!

Let’s keep fighting the good fight and keep her legacy alive. It’s the right thing to do for the kids. It’s past time to bring back the joy of learning and teaching!

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NPE Phyllis Bush Memorial Award - Applications now Available

by Donna Roof, NEIFPE

In 2011 Phyllis and I attended the Save Our Schools March in Washington, D.C. Although retired for over 10 years, she still strongly believed in public schools and their teachers and students. Right then and there, she decided that she needed to take the energy from all of those public education advocates back to Indiana. Upon returning home, she gathered friends who also believed in public schools to form the grassroots group, Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education (NEIFPE), to fight against education reform and to bring back the joy of learning and teaching.

Phyllis’ advocacy for public schools, teachers, and students was known not only statewide but also nationally. She encouraged teachers, parents, and concerned citizens to Speak Up! and Speak Out! for public schools, the cornerstone of our democracy.

Do you have a grassroots group that is working to save public education? If so, then complete the Network for Public Education application for the NPE Phyllis Bush Memorial Award.

From the Network for Public Education (NPE):

Applications are now open for The Network for Public Education Phyllis Bush Memorial Award.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VZGSWRG

This annual award that includes a monetary prize is given to a grassroots group that best exemplifies the ideals of Phyllis Bush. We are looking for a grassroots group that has made a substantial difference in fighting the privatization of public education during 2019. The award will be given at our annual conference March 28 and 29 in Philadelphia. All applications are due by January 1, 2020. The winner of the award will be announced at the 2020 NPE conference.

The picture above shows Phyllis with Arizona SOS, the winners of the first annual Phyllis Bush Award for Grassroots organization.

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In Case You Missed It – Oct 7, 2019

Here are links to last week's articles receiving the most attention in NEIFPE's social media. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.

Be sure to enter your email address in the Follow Us By Email box in the right-hand column to be informed when our blog posts are published.

DON'T GIVE UP

A Teacher's Final Lesson

NEIFPE members remember our own Phyllis Bush as we read about this teacher's fight with "Cancer Schmantzer" and her parting words. We remember Phyllis’s call to stand up and fight for what we are passionate about. Don’t waste time on insignificant things...and don't give up.

From Curmudgucation

One positive outcome from having recurrent cancer was that it taught me to let go of the insignificant things and to just enjoy the people and places. After three recurrences, my body finally had enough and I passed away on Sunday, September 22, 2019 at the Cleveland Clinic.

I am extremely grateful for the life that I lived. I was fortunate to have a loving family, supportive friends, a stable and meaningful job, and a house to call my own. My wish for you is to stop letting insignificant situations stress you out. Do what is important to you. Relax and enjoy the company of those around you. What do you value in your life? In the end, that's what matters.

This obituary was written by Ashley preceding her passing as part of the many preparations to make the transition easier on her family.

YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO HATE

Trump administration sides with Catholic school that fired gay teacher

The Catholic Church seems to be fine with accepting a religious tax exemption, and seems to be fine with accepting tax money through vouchers, but abiding by anti-discrimination laws is, apparently, a step too far.

From the Answer Sheet

The Trump administration is backing a Roman Catholic archbishop in Indiana who pushed a Catholic school to fire a gay teacher, saying in a legal document that the First Amendment protects the church’s right to make such decisions.

A HIGH STRESS JOB

Teachers Are More Stressed Out Than You Probably Think

From Gadflyonthewall Blog

When I was just a new teacher, I remember my doctor asking me if I had a high stress job.

I said that I taught middle school, as if that answered his question. But he took it to mean that I had it easy. After all – as he put it – I just played with children all day.

Now after 16 years in the classroom and a series of chronic medical conditions including heart disease, Crohn’s Disease and a recent battle with shingles though I’m only in my 40s, he knows better.

Teaching is one of the most stressful jobs you can have.

THERE IS NEVER ENOUGH TIME...THERE IS NEVER ENOUGH YOU

A Good Teacher Is Not Like A Candle

From Curmudgucation

This is a close relative of the hero teacher myth, and it shares the notion that someone becomes a teacher out of some outsized level of nobility and self-sacrifice. And there are all sorts of problems with this baloney.

One is that, of course, someone who is teaching out of noble impulses of heroic self-sacrifice couldn't possibly be worried about making a living wage or having decent benefits. It's people who buy this sort of baloney who get all pearl-clutchy over teachers who want a decent contract, as if the desire to be able to support a family is sullying their noble calling, distracting from their "personal mission." This model becomes an excuse to take and take and take from teachers-- their money, their time, because, hey, you want to give your all to the kids, right?

More importantly, this is the kind of crap that saddles young teachers with a huge pile of guilt. Six years ago I wrote a piece that is still the most-read piece I've ever written.

MUSIC IS BACK IN MILWAUKEE

Milwaukee School Board Votes to Restore Music Education in Every Public School!

From Diane Ravitch

A great victory for real education in Milwaukee, where the business community and politicians have been obsessed with “choice” for 30 years. From the FB page of the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association.

This is a victory for students!

This is a victory for real education!

TEACH, NOT TEST, IN BOSTON

Boston: New Superintendent Reduces Testing Overload!

From Diane Ravitch

The new superintendent of the Boston Public Schools Brenda Casellius announced a reduction of district tests.

This does not affect the state-mandated tests, but it is a welcome acknowledgement that students need more instruction, not more testing.

School Superintendent Brenda Cassellius has announced a moratorium on district-mandated standardized tests, according to a Sept. 19 memo to school leaders.

To read the memo, click here.

IT'S POVERTY

New Reports Confirm Persistent Child Poverty While Policymakers Blame Educators and Fail to Address Core Problem

Diane Ravitch comment, "Charters and Vouchers address none of these issues."

From Jan Resseger

The correlation of academic achievement with family income has been demonstrated now for half a century, but policymakers, like those in the Ohio legislature who are debating punitive school district takeovers, prefer to blame public school teachers and administrators instead of using the resources of government to assist struggling families who need better access to healthcare, quality childcare, better jobs, and food assistance.

Ohio’s school district grades arrived this week. At the same time, and with less fanfare, arrived a series of reports on the level of federal spending on children, reports documenting that, as Education Week‘s Andrew Uifusa explains: “The share of the federal budget that goes toward children, including education spending, dipped to just below 2 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product in 2018—the lowest level in the decade.”

"No one is too small to make a difference." -- Greta Thunberg

THE WISDOM OF OUR CHILDREN

What Greta Thunberg Told the UN Today

From Diane Ravitch

And a little child shall lead them.

POLITICS AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Pennsylvania: Speaker of the House Berates Public Schools and Their Teachers, Praises Charters

Apparently "loving our public schools" is offensive to some. This Pennsylvania Representative, the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House, doesn't realize that supporting public schools is one of his jobs as a member of the Pennsylvania legislature...he needs to read the state Constitution.

From Diane Ravitch

Once again, we are reminded that charter schools are a Republican cause, and their champion is Betsy DeVos.

Mike Turzai, Republican Speaker of the House in Pennsylvania, was on his way to a meeting with Betsy DeVos when he encountered some public school teachers, who were picketing with signs saying they loved their public schools.

Turzai found this deeply offensive, and he proceeded to lambaste the teachers as a “special interest group” defending a “monopoly.”

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In Case You Missed It – Aug 26, 2019

Here are links to last week's articles receiving the most attention in NEIFPE's social media. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.

Be sure to enter your email address in the Follow Us By Email box in the right-hand column to be informed when our blog posts are published.

DAVID KOCH DIES

David Koch Dies, Funder of Attacks on Public Schools

From Diane Ravitch

David Koch died of cancer a few days ago. He and his brother funded the free-market libertarianism that fueled the rise of the Tea Party and Trumpism. They zealously fought to destroy any government program that helped people, from Medicare to Social Security.

They were major funders of ALEC. They opposed any government regulations.

The story in the New York Times falls to mention that they funded attacks on public education and teacher certification, and they zealously supported charter schools and vouchers.

VIRTUAL CHARTERS GET $47 MILLION, BUT WANT MORE

Teachers who continued to work at failing Indiana virtual schools won’t get a final paycheck

These two virtual charter schools over-collected $47 million yet they can’t find the money to pay their teachers for their last month’s work? They suggest the teachers try to get their money from Daleville.

From Chalkbeat*

When Indiana Virtual School and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy agreed to close amid enrollment scrutiny earlier this summer, special education teacher Andi Helms started looking for another job.

But even after she found a position at another school, Helms kept working for the troubled online schools at night, reviewing special education plans and helping students finish classes and transfer to new schools. Even as the schools began to collapse — their state funding cut off entirely — Helms felt strongly that she couldn’t leave students in the lurch.

“We were pretty sure we weren’t going to get paid,” she said. “They knew there were no funds a month ago. They simply wanted us to finish the job, because they knew we wouldn’t leave our kids high and dry.”

This week, Mary Jane Lapointe, an attorney for the two virtual schools, delivered the anticipated bad news: Teachers wouldn’t be paid for the work they did between July 15 and Aug. 15.

As they ask for more money, two Indiana virtual schools say they are all but closed

From Chalkbeat

...despite painting a picture of schools that are all but shut down, she asked the oversight agency, Daleville Community Schools, for money to finish closing the schools — or even to keep them open, saying the schools’ problems could “go away eventually.” Lapointe also disputed the state auditors’ recent findings that the schools had over-reported enrollment and taken in $47 million more in state funding than they should have.

IMMIGRATION POLICIES HURT CHILDREN

Six ways Trump’s new ‘public benefits’ immigration policies could hurt children and schools

From the Answer Sheet

This post looks at how children and public schools could be harmed by this legislation. It comes from the National Education Policy Center (NEPC) at the University of Colorado at Boulder, which seeks to publish high-quality research on issues affecting education. It is directed by Kevin Welner, who is a professor at the school specializing in educational policy and law.

TIME TO REQUIRE KINDERGARTEN?

Kindergarten has become a critical year of learning, but Indiana still doesn’t require it

Let’s advocate for Kindergarten in our state, but let's make sure the early grades in our schools are developmentally appropriate. Help our legislators know that when we ask for Kindergarten, we are asking for play, music, art, snacks, and stories— and not for sitting at a desk and using a computer screen or a pencil for hours on end.

From Chalkbeat

“The reality is that we have kids who come into kindergarten or first grade classrooms that don’t even know how to hold a book,” McCormick said. “They haven’t been exposed to print. Sometimes they’re not potty trained.”

The sooner those kids can get into a high-quality educational setting, the better, she said.

McCormick said her team will continue to advocate for a variety of strategies to strengthen Indiana’s early childhood education landscape. Mandatory kindergarten is still on the wish list.

TEACHER INSERVICE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR

The Thirteen Presenters Who Will Ruin Your First Day Back

Beginning of the year teacher inservice should be short, informative, and inspirational. Too often, it is none of those things.

From Curmudgucation

It's been a great summer. You've had a chance to recharge and reflect. You've developed some new ideas, units, and materials, and most importantly, away from the dailiness of the job, you have gotten back in touch with all the reasons you love the work. You cannot wait to get back to it., take a couple of in service days to get fully up to speed, and then-- bring on the students!

Unfortunately, your administration thinks that your very first day(s) back should be spent sitting in some professional development sessions. In some lucky few school districts, these sessions will actually be useful and even inspiring. But if you are really unfortunate, you'll spend those sessions with one of these soul-crushing people...

EDUCATING HOLCOMB ON HOW TO RAISE TEACHER SALARIES

‘This is not rocket science’: Indiana educators bring ideas for raising teacher pay to Holcomb’s commission

From Chalkbeat

The suggestions put forth over more than two hours largely reiterated familiar calls: to reallocate funding from charter schools to public schools, strengthen teachers’ power to bargain their contracts, and bring back a pay scale that guarantees more pay for teachers each year they work.

Many teachers said they were thankful for the opportunity to be heard — but said they had shared these suggestions before.

A REMEMBRANCE

Remembering Phyllis

From Facebook and NEIFPE

Teacher, Ohio public education activist, and friend of NEIFPE, Dan Greenberg posted this remembrance of NEIFPE co-founder Phyllis Bush this morning on Facebook.

PUBLIC EDUCATION SHOULD INCLUDE CIVICS

A true public education: To fully prepare students for life outside school, a curriculum of citizenship is essential

From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

For our democracy to thrive, we citizens must be engaged in the community, understand how local, state, and national policies and rhetoric affect our lives, and be informed voters. We must work toward the day when no elected official ever misrepresents American history (even if the teleprompter is covered with raindrops), where elected representatives speak truth to power, and where the average citizen can differentiate between legitimate information and propaganda, real news and fake news, truth and lies.

*Note: Chalkbeat sponsors include pro-charter foundations and individuals such as EdChoice, Gates Family Foundation, The Walton Family Foundation, and others.

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Remembering Phyllis

Dan Greenberg

Teacher, Ohio public education activist, and friend of NEIFPE, Dan Greenberg posted this remembrance of NEIFPE co-founder Phyllis Bush this morning on Facebook.

Just like many of my students, I procrastinated when it came to completing my Summer reading homework for English 9, Tuesday's with Morrie.

It took me two days to complete, but the lessons and ideas will take me a lot longer to sort out and reflect upon.

As I read it, I found myself thinking often of my friend Phyllis Bush, who passed away earlier this year. I thought about the in-person lessons she shared, as well as her heartfelt, often humorous posts about her adventures with "cancer schmantzer." She shared life philosophies and stories about riding the electric carts at the grocery store.

She titled a blog entry from last October "Side Effects: The Gift that Keeps on Giving." Always looking to lighten up the serious subject and the serious disease she was fighting...

Mitch Albom, in his Afterword to Tuesdays with Morrie, wrote "[W]hat I miss most...is the twinkle in Morrie's eyes when I came in the room...[W]hen someone is happy - genuinely happy - to see you, it melts you from the start. It is like going home..."

I got that look many times from Phyllis, including the last time I visited with her, in December. When I was ready to leave, she gave me a long hug, heartfelt words and a huge smile. I knew she was saying goodbye to me for the last time.

When I checked Facebook Memories this morning, the image I saw could not have been more fitting; a picture of Phyllis. It was one year ago that Nicki and I went to her 75th birthday party in Fort Wayne.

Missing you and thinking of you Phyllis, today and always.

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In Case You Missed It – May 13, 2019

Here are links to last week's articles receiving the most attention in NEIFPE's social media. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.

Be sure to enter your email address in the Follow Us By Email box in the right-hand column to be informed when our blog posts are published.

ONE PARTY RULE STIFLES EDUCATION DEBATE IN INDIANA

Education policy deserves debate

Hoosiers, the next governor will appoint nine of eleven members of the Indiana State Board of Education. The voters no longer have any say in education policy making for the state, except through their vote for the governor.

From Jennifer McCormick in the Jeffersonville News and Tribune

Now more than ever, Hoosiers must hold all of Indiana’s elected leaders accountable. From the rhetoric of the campaign trail to the actions in governing, officials must be honest and transparent regarding their position surrounding K-12 policy. Stakeholders must be bold, direct, and persistent in our questioning and expectations for accountability. The 2020 gubernatorial race bears more weight in this new governance structure. Important decisions lie ahead for our state, and most importantly, our students. Education impacts all of us. Our children, families, educators, communities, and businesses deserve a strong, representative voice.

DO YOU WONDER WHY TEACHERS ARE LEAVING INDIANA?

Op-ed: 'Is it any wonder that Indiana teachers are leaving?'

Rocky Killian, superintendent of West Lafayette Community School Corp., understands why Indiana's teaching force is dwindling.

From Lafayette Journal & Courier

If we want to keep our best teachers from leaving Indiana, and if we want to lure the best candidates into the teaching profession, parents and community supporters are going to have step up to support their teachers and public school systems. Also, if legislators are smart, they should be deeply concerned about the grass-roots support of teachers that is happening across the county. I have hope that this is going to happen in Indiana.

TEACHER PAY IS NOT A PRIORITY

Glenda Ritz: Teacher pay hasn’t been priority for state since 2011

From Indianapolis Business Journal

Some 60 of the 289 public school districts will actually get less money in the 2019 budget funding formula due to stable or declining student enrollments. These districts will be hard-pressed to maintain their current programming for students. How are they going to raise teacher pay? Once again, many of the rural districts are hurt the most by this lack of action on the part of our Legislature.

CHARTERS HAVEN'T DELIVERED

Charter Schools Have a Big Problem, and Rebranding Won’t Help

From Peter Greene in the Progressive

Charters promised all sorts of miraculous educational achievements at low, low prices. But those achievements haven’t appeared. More people are understanding that what we’re really talking about is the privatization of our public school system.

INDIANA GENERAL ASSEMBLY INSULTS TEACHERS

Legislature Adds Additional Hurdle for Teacher Professional Growth Plans

The Indiana General Assembly sneaks in a requirement that teachers serve as local business interns for "the experience."

From the Indiana State Teachers Association

License holders starting a PGP for renewal in their Licensing Verification and Information System (LVIS) accounts after July 1, 2019 are required to complete 15 of the 90 PGP points required for renewal in one or more of these areas:

• An externship with a company;

• Professional development provided by the state, a local business, or a community partner that provides opportunities for school and employers to partner in promoting career navigation;

• Professional development provided by the state, a local business, or a community partner that outlines:

°current and future economic needs of the community, state, nation, and globe; and

°ways in which current and future economic needs described in (A) can be disseminated to students.

DEVOS, PLEASE RESIGN!

Teachers to DeVos: Please Resign

Actual teachers respond to DeVos's comments.

From Diane Ravitch

Betsy DeVos tweeted a thank you to teachers whose public schools she reviles.

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

Ten Thoughts on Teacher Appreciation

From Live Long and Prosper

VOUCHERS DIMINISH PUBLIC EDUCATION

The Problem With Tax Credit Scholarships

We, here in Indiana, need to understand that our GOP legislators are twisting the truth or lying. Curmudgucation explains it all with lunch.

From Curmudgucation

So when somebody (like, say, the Secretary of Education) tries to argue that this type of voucher doesn't take anything away from public education, understand that they are, at best, twisting the truth or, at worst, lying.

GOOD FOR MAINE!

Maine Dumps Test-Centered Teacher Evaluation

It would certainly be nice if Hoosier legislators would also realize that coming after teachers with chainsaws has always been a bad idea. Good for Maine!

From Curmudgucation

Maine has broken with the status quo of test-centered accountability for teachers.
Beginning with No Child Left Behind, public schools have committed to test-centered accountability, using student results on a single standardized math and reading test to drive assessment of districts, schools and ultimately teachers. For years, the prevailing definition of a good teacher in this country has been one whose students score well on that standardized test.

FEDERAL CHARTER SCHOOLS PROGRAM GETS A CUT

Setback for Federal Charter Schools Program! DeVos Request for $500 Million Trimmed to $400 Million!

From Diane Ravitch

This is good news!

The House Appropriations Committee issued its budget report. Betsy DeVos requested an increase for the federal Charter Schools Program, from $440 million a year to $500 million. But the education appropriations subcommittee cut the appropriation to $400 million. This is a program that is riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse, as the Department of Education’s own Inspector General pointed out in the past, and as the Network for Public Education pointed out in its recent report called “Asleep at the Wheel: How the Federal Charter Schools Program Recklessly Takes Taxpayers and Students for a Ride.”

DEVOS STILL HATES PUBLIC EDUCATION

Betsy DeVos: ‘There is no such thing as public money’ and 5 other revealing things she just said -- or wouldn’t say

From the Answer Sheet

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos schooled education reporters Monday during a rare appearance at their convention in Baltimore, telling them that too many articles do not accurately portray her newest school choice program proposal. She also said that “public education” needs to be redefined and that “there is no such thing as public money.”

A TRIBUTE TO PHYLLIS BUSH

She lived a life of love and learning

Another tribute to NEIFPE's Phyllis Bush!

From the Fort Dodge (IA) Messenger

In the obituary, Bush wrote, “I am fortunate to be surrounded by family and friends whose love and support made me realize that there is good in the world, and it is worth fighting for. When you come to celebrate my life, you will meet people who have influenced my life and/or have been a major part of it. It is then that you will know who I am, and who I’ve been.”

DANIELS MESSES WITH PURDUE

Online folly deprives regional campuses

Mitch Daniels continues to mess with public dollars going to education...

From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

In 2017, Purdue University, one of the most prestigious universities in the world, purchased the failing for-profit, on-line entity, Kaplan University. Purdue promised that Kaplan, renamed “Purdue Global,” would deliver a “world-class” education to a broader range of students.

Two years later, Purdue Global has lost millions of dollars, the Purdue system is bleeding its regional campuses dry, and the quality of education Purdue Global provides has seriously shortchanged the citizens of Indiana who were told they would be the first to benefit.

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In Case You Missed It – May 6, 2019

Here are links to last week's articles receiving the most attention in NEIFPE's social media. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.

Be sure to enter your email address in the Follow Us By Email box in the right-hand column to be informed when our blog posts are published.

UNREGULATED PRIVATIZATION LEADS TO INSTABILITY

BASIS Private Schools Sold to Chinese Investors, Parents Object

Public schools, run by a locally elected school board, provide stability, accountability, and transparency. Privately owned charter schools, which benefit from taxpayer funds, ought to have the same transparency and accountability. Charter schools are often opened where an additional school isn't needed, draining resources from the public schools. When they close, or like in this case, when they change owners, students and parents are left in limbo...without a voice.

From Diane Ravitch

More than 190 New York City families at the private Basis Independent Schools sent a letter to its leaders Monday to express concerns about its recent purchase by a company backed by a China-based investment firm.

The letter from parents at the Brooklyn site of Basis questioned whether the sale might prompt the school in Red Hook to change curriculum, lose teachers, boost tuition, increase class size and lose its reputation among top college admissions offices.

DEVOS STILL HATES PUBLIC SCHOOLS, UNFIT FOR JOB

New York City: Betsy DeVos Praises Charters, Condemns Spending More on Public Schools

From Diane Ravitch

Betsy DeVos was honored by the rightwing Manhattan Institute. In her by now well-rehearsed speech, she ridiculed the idea of spending more money on public schools, and extolled school choice.

THE FAILURE OF CYBER CHARTERS

After years of debate, some stronger oversight of virtual schools signed into Indiana law

Clearly, cyber charters are a poor choice for students...even charter school advocacy groups question their value.

From Chalkbeat

The struggle to address Indiana’s troubled virtual schools illustrates the state’s dance between protecting school choice and cracking down on failing schools. On one hand, lawmakers defend online education as a critical option for some of the state’s most challenged students, particularly those who haven’t been successful in traditional brick-and-mortar schools.

But Indiana’s virtual charter schools post below-average graduation rates and test scores. They have largely received D and F grades from the state. And the credit data raises questions over how well online schools are educating students, if at all.

INDIANA TEACHER PAY NEAR BOTTOM

Indiana near bottom in teacher pay, school funding

From School Matters

The National Education Associated released its annual report on teacher salaries this week, and, once again, Indiana doesn’t look very good.

The average salary for an Indiana public school teacher in 2018-19 is $50,937, according to the report, compared with a national average of $61,730.

FOUR-YEAR-OLDS IN KINDERGARTEN?

Local schools consider lower kindergarten start age

From WANE-TV

Indiana parents will now be able to send their children to kindergarten at an earlier age. However, it is up to a school district’s discretion.

Press Secretary for the Indiana Department of Education Adam Baker tells WANE 15 the date for schools to received funding for students is changing.

He says currently, if a child is not five by August 1st of a school year, the school could accept the child into kindergarten, but the school would not receive funding for the student.

Now, the date is changing. For the 2019-20 school year, if a child is five by September 1st, the school will receive funding. For the 2020-21 school year, if a child is five by October 1st, the school will receive funding.

NEIFPE'S PHYLLIS BUSH HONORED

3rd District Democrats honor public education advocate Bush

A well deserved honor for NEIFPE's co-founder.

From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

Public education advocate and activist Phyllis Bush, who died March 19 at the age of 75, was named this year's recipient of the J. Edward Roush Service Award presented by the 3rd Congressional District Democratic Party.

The party honored Bush posthumously at an April 27 dinner at the Eagle Glen Clubhouse in Columbia City. The annual award is for "contribution of time, talent and treasure" to 3rd District Democrats, said Misti Meehan, Allen County Democratic chairwoman.

Bush had taught English at South Side High School in Fort Wayne, founded Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education and was a board member for the Network for Public Education.

TEACHERS TAKE A STAND

Two award-winning teachers boycott White House ceremony to protest Trump policies

From the Answer Sheet

On Tuesday, Dueñas and Holstine explained why they decided to boycott the 2019 event, saying they felt they could not attend in good faith. (See video below.)

“My frustrations with the current administration are the messages and actions and policies and words that are shared about the population of students that I work with,” said Holstine, who teaches immigrant children.

“It impacts and it hurts them, and it hurts them both in their hearts and in the world because they then have to deal with the fallout of all of that discrimination,” she said. “I cannot implicitly support people who hate my kids and who talk about them in the ways they talk about them.”

TEACHER'S SECOND JOB PAYS THE BILLS

This Indianapolis teacher works a second job until 2 a.m. But he doesn’t want to leave the classroom

If the Indiana General Assembly didn't give away tax dollars to charter schools and vouchers that aren’t accountable to us as taxpayers, public schools could afford to pay their teachers closer to what they are worth.

From Chalkbeat

"I wonder, why am I consistently putting in these 50-, 60-hour work weeks as a teacher, trying to make every single day meaningful for my students — just to have to go to my second job whenever life happens? Just to be able to afford to maybe make a trip somewhere, and not even somewhere exciting. I’m talking Michigan! … No shame, Michigan." -- Jack Hesser

DON'T SAY THERE'S A TEACHER SHORTAGE

Why It's Important To Say There Is No Teacher Shortage

From Curmudgucation

...There is no teacher shortage.

There's a slow-motion walkout, a one-by-one exodus, a piecemeal rejection of the terms of employment for educators in 2019.

Why is it important to keep saying this? Why keep harping on this point?

Because if you don't correctly identify the problem, you will not correctly identify a solution...

SCHOOLS NEED A GRANT TO UPDATE LEGISLATURE-NEGLECTED LIBRARIES

These Indianapolis schools are overhauling their libraries to encourage reading

This is great, but wouldn’t it be better if the general assembly made sure all of our public school libraries were well stocked and well-staffed by real librarians?

From Chalkbeat

When it comes to encouraging children to read, it sometimes helps to judge a book by its cover.

Staff at three Indianapolis Public School campuses are “weeding” through their libraries to remove out-of-date books and those that have attracted little interest from students — and to make space for new additions that reflect students’ communities and catch their attention.

The weeding and restocking of the libraries is one piece of the Love of Reading project, which was funded with a grant up to about $1.3 million from Herbert Simon Family Foundation and aims to inspire students and their families to read. In addition to adding to library collections, the grant will pay for three dedicated staff members, library renovations, and programing for families. Books that are removed are available for families to take home.

GOVERNOR HAS YET TO PUT MONEY WHERE HIS MOUTH IS

‘We’re not there yet,’ Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb says on raising teacher pay

News from Indiana Governor Holcomb...making excuses.

From Chalkbeat

For some schools, funding will drop in the coming years. Others will see more significant increases. And some schools say they’re still pinched, sometimes forced to ask voters to approve referendums to drum up the funds they need to operate.

Education groups voiced appreciation for the funding increases, but some said schools still need more.

The Indiana State Teachers Association promised to “continue to fight for increased teacher pay and funding for every student,” the group said in a statement last week. “Our members are just getting started and will continue advocacy efforts into the future.”

HISTORY OF RACISM IN INDY IMPACTS SCHOOLS

How racial bias helped turn Indianapolis into one city with 11 school districts

From Chalkbeat

The racial segregation and declining enrollment that plagues Indianapolis Public Schools today can be traced back to the decision made 46 years ago to merge Indianapolis with its surrounding suburbs.

The celebrated unified government, or “Unigov,” law brought together about a dozen communities in Marion County into a single large city in 1970. The idea was to put a bigger, more powerful Indianapolis onto the national map, simplify city services and grow the city’s tax base.

Indianapolis was not the only city in the country to merge with its surrounding county at that time — but it was the only one to explicitly leave schools out of the deal.

TESTING FOLLIES

The Writer Who Couldn't Answer Standardized Test Questions About Her Own Work (Again)!

The blogger Curmudgucation passes on some advice about tests.

From Peter Greene in Forbes

[Sara] Holbrook, as a poet and an educator, has several thoughts about remedies to these sorts of tests. "Parents, demand to see the test prep materials. Teachers, don't waste time on test prep: you can't teach nonsense. Administrators, take the money you are spending on test prep and spend it on classroom libraries instead. There are no quick fixes. Kids need to read and write voluminously." She advocates for transparency. "If a bike helmet fails top protect a child from injury, consumers can sue the manufacturer. These tests are injurious, but shrouded in secrecy and thereby beyond the reach of most teachers and all parents."

FWCS LOSES MONEY TO INFLATION, PRIVATIZATION WINS

The people's priorities shorted

The Governor and legislators brag about all the additional "money for education," but neglect to mention the large increases for privatization.

From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

...School officials look at per-pupil funding for a more accurate measure of dollars available. For Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS), that's 2.2% next year and 1.1% the following year – much less than the 2.3% and 2% statewide average per pupil.

The total increase in education funding also conceals allocations favoring charter and voucher schools over traditional public schools. Indiana taxpayers are likely to spend an additional $25 million over the next two years by giving larger vouchers to families just above the income limit for free or reduced price lunch. An additional $2.5 million in tax credits also was made available to donors supporting private and parochial school scholarships.

Overall, voucher schools are expected to see a 9.3% increase in 2020 and a 5.6% increase in 2021.

Hamilton Schools Superintendent Tony Cassel said the General Assembly's decision to support voucher and charter schools has had an impact there and across the state. He acknowledged raises are unlikely for his 26 teachers, whose only recent pay increase was a one-time stipend.

“I'm glad there was an increase in funding, but at some point the legislature is going to have to take a look at where the money is going,” Cassel said. “It's a continual attack on public education. When you look at the percentage going to charters and vouchers and – that's been the agenda.”

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