The current legislative move to reduce soft capital funding for school districts (i.e. textbook, supplies and computer money) isn’t a surprise to East Valley school districts.
In fact, many of them say they planned on it.
Back up several months ago to summer, when the governor’s action gave them a “final” budget for the 2009-10 school year, the word was already spreading that it wasn’t a “final final” budget.
Just like last school year, the districts expected lawmakers to come and take back some of their budgets.
With that in mind, leaders in the Mesa Unified School District just didn’t plan on spending most of the soft capital funds. They put about $12.4 million in a separate line item on the district’s budget.
“If the governor approves the legislative reduction the district’s upcoming budget revision will reflect the results of this action,” the district’s CFO George Zeigler said.
Gov. Jan Brewer also vetoed a 2 percent cut in maintenance and operation spending – money mostly used for salary and benefits. But again, districts didn’t hold their breath.
The $5 million Mesa was told in September would remain in its budget was also put in “one account to be cut” at a later time if needed.
The district already had $1.6 million in cash reserves swept from its account, as part of the budget agreement over the summer.
The House is expected to meet Thursday to discuss the budget. On Wednesday, the Senate put forth a plan to cut $144 million from K-12 education and $155 million from DES. But that won’t be the end of the story.
The midyear deficit is projected to be around $2 billion.
But school districts may be able to dodge any further cuts – “may” being the operative word.
Any more cuts to education could put Arizona in jeopardy of violating the “maintenance of effort” level required to keep federal stimulus dollars.
But word is, the state may also be asking for an exception to that rule.
 Budget update: Districts prepared for some cutsNovember 19th, 2009, 10:21 am by Michelle ReeseCatch of the day: Ed stories worth a readNovember 4th, 2009, 12:28 pm by Michelle Reese
School leader: Change Ariz. teacher certification rules Yuma Union High School District’s superintendent tells the newspaper there are too many hoops teachers have to jump in Arizona to get certified. He suggests easing up the guidelines, especially if a teacher moves here from another state and was certified there. Earlier this month the New York Times did a story on a number of alternative teacher training programs. School left out students’ test scores Iowa schools short half a billion dollars Catch of the day: Ed stories worth a readOctober 29th, 2009, 4:04 pm by Michelle Reese
While I haven’t heard of any closings here, apparently the H1N1 virus is causing havoc enough to close schools in other states. In Ohio, a large number of student absences attributed to flu-like symptoms forced at least two schools to shutter their doors for a few days. Unhappy with your school? Now parents can force changes in L.A. State school cuts may jeopardize stimulus funds Tax credits far from taking a bow from the legal stageOctober 29th, 2009, 3:42 pm by Michelle ReeseTwo separate courts made differing opinions in the last two weeks regarding private school tax credits in Arizona. On Oct. 21, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals refused to overturn a previous ruling that the tax credit program - as it is run in Arizona - is unconstitutional because it gives a great portion of the funds to scholarships for schools with religious ties. That ruling set up a potential U.S. Supreme Court chance to hear the 10-year-old case - again. On Tuesday, the Arizona Supreme Court denied hearing an appeal from opponents to the tax credit program who are trying to get a separate case - one where tax credits have been ruled constitutional - overturned. Two separate cases. Two different decisions. One court saying tax credits are constitutional. One court saying they are not. The legal debate surrounding the tax credits is as old as the credits themselves. In 1997, lawmakers created the individual Private School Tax Credit Program. It gives Arizona taxpayers a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for donations they make to nonprofit groups that in turn give scholarships to students to attend private schools or preschools that serve children with special needs. The first lawsuit was fired off shortly after its creation. In 2006, lawmakers expanded the tax credit to include a program for corporations. The second major lawsuit was fired off just after that. This year, lawmakers expanded the corporate tax credit program to insurance companies and eliminated the program’s sunset. Tim Keller - an attorney with the Institute for Justice representing tax credit proponents - told the Tribune his group will file an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. And tax credit opponent Panfilo Contreras, executive director of the Arizona School Boards Association, said he’s not done with the fight, either. Lawmakers are also taking a look at the tax credits as two separate House committees have formed since the tax credit programs were scrutinized by the media in recent series, including the Tribune’s Rigged Privilege investigation in August. “It’s clear that these programs are broken, and we’re hopeful that the intense public scrutiny of the budgetary and policy failings of both the individual and corporate tuition tax credit programs will encourage our elected representatives to eliminate these programs,” Contreras said in an e-mail Thursday. “At the minimum, the programs needed to be reformed to provide transparency, accountability and to ensure that the low-income students who these programs were designed to help are the ones who are benefitting. That clearly is not the case as the programs stand today.” Keller said his group will continue to fight to keep the tax credits available to maintain school choice options for all students. “School choice programs like Arizona’s Corporate Tuition Tax Credit help fulfill the promise of an equal opportunity for every child to receive a good education,” Keller said. “There is nobody better suited to determine the educational needs of a child than that child’s parent or guardian.” Catch of the day: Ed stories worth a readOctober 25th, 2009, 11:32 am by Michelle Reese
Parents protest school closings Laid-off teachers taking over substitute jobs in L.A. Catch of the day: Ed stories worth a readOctober 23rd, 2009, 4:17 pm by Michelle Reese
This story looks at a report that children of Hispanic parents who immigrated to the United States fall behind their peers in school early on. I attended a conference that discussed this very topic a few weeks back and will write more about it soon. Striking teachers agree to pay change Teachers for three small Catholic high schools in New Jersey walked off the job this week, protesting their pay. Friday, the diocese and the teachers reached an agreement. Does anyone know when - or if - this has ever happened in the Valley? Race for Colorado board seats turns ugly There are no board elections in the East Valley this year - though two seats are open through vacancies in Gilbert and Queen Creek. So here’s a story about one election that’s getting lots of attention in our neighboring state. Strongest Man Visits Gilbert SchoolOctober 23rd, 2009, 1:44 pm by Hayley RingleThe youngest World’s Strongest Man competitor, Kevin Nee, visited Gilbert Elementary School Friday to kick off the school’s Red Ribbon Week. Nee, a Phoenix 24-year-old, talked about making healthy choices to grow up big and strong. He wowed the students by bending a steel bar, a frying pan and a cookie sheet, in half. He said he could dead lift 905 pounds, a strongman world record, and flipped a 1,200-pound tire in a competition. Nee said through lots of training, eating good food, making sacrifices and years of dedication and hard work, he was able to compete in the strongman competitions. At 17, Nee was named the strongest teenager in the country. MTV filmed a documentary on him and Nee showed a portion of the show to the students. Nee has been competing for five years in strongman competitions, traveling the world to lift boulders, flip tires and pull trucks. “Basically, I lift heavy things,” Nee said. In 2007, Nee received 7th place in the World’s Strongest Man competition. He was also named one of the “Top 25 Fittest Men in the World” in the June/July 2007 issue of Men’s Fitness Magazine. Nee told the students not to be afraid to accept help and ask for help. He also encouraged students to stay away from drugs, surround yourself with good people, and stay in school. “There’s nothing more powerful than being educated,” he said. Nee has a supply chain management degree from Arizona State University. He is also starting up his own nutritional products line. Nee was asked to come to the school by Gilbert Elementary kindergarten teacher, Lorie Oros. Oros’ daughter, Kaylyn, is Nee’s girlfriend. What does it take to get into college?October 21st, 2009, 2:06 pm by Hayley Ringle
The College Board is launching a monthly syndicated education column, ”Aim, Get Ready, College!” The first column explores deadlines, applications and tests. The College Board is a non-profit that is dedicated to creating programs that enable college access and success. The board’s goal is to help individuals, especially young adults, be prepared for college, get in and once there, to graduate. Here’s the column:
Being a parent isn’t easy, especially when it comes to helping your children achieve their dreams of going to college. Today, higher education is essential for anyone who wants a better quality of life and job success. That’s why it’s so important to ready yourself to help your children in this important phase of their lives. Parents who did not go to college may be uncertain about how to guide their children through the application process. “It’s difficult for me because I never had the opportunity for a college education,” says Rocío García, a Bakersfield mother struggling to help her daughter apply to college. García isn’t alone; more than 60 percent of high school students in the class of 2009 who took the SAT® reported that they were the first in their families to go to college. However, plenty of resources are available for parents. One is the high school counseling office. Counselors are there to help and, in the absence of a counselor, a teacher or an administrator may be serving in this capacity. Start by asking the counselor whether your child is taking the right courses to graduate from high school on time. Colleges will not admit anyone who doesn’t have a high school diploma. “We are here to provide students with information every step of the way, from thinking about which colleges to apply to, to providing fee waivers for applications and entrance exams like the SAT,” says Ansberto Vallejo, lead counselor at Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa. Parents need to be actively involved and make it a priority to check in frequently to take advantage of the counselor’s expertise in planning for college. The College Board, one of the leading providers of college planning guidance, recommends focusing on three key aspects of the planning process: deadlines, applications and tests. “Students absolutely need to be on top of deadlines,” Vallejo says. Starting the process early helps students keep track of test, college application and financial aid deadlines. They need to remember to send their grades and test scores to colleges, ask for letters of recommendation in advance, and write a personal statement. Most students take a standardized college admission exam such as the SAT. It tests students on the skills they learn in high school — mathematics, reading and writing — that are critical to success in college and the workplace. The SAT is offered throughout the year, and many students take it in their junior year. For seniors, it’s especially important to be mindful of colleges’ score-reporting deadlines when they choose their test date for the SAT. Studying hard and taking as many advanced courses as possible are the best ways to prepare for the SAT. Research shows that students who take advanced-level courses score higher on the test than those who don’t. Students can take a free practice test and receive an “SAT Question of the Day” via e-mail. These tools also may be available in the school counselor’s office, so be sure to check there first. Additional low-cost study tools are available online and in bookstores. Any college experience is good, but completing a degree is particularly beneficial. In addition to increased family income, there are considerable nonmonetary rewards, including better health, employer-provided health insurance, pension benefits and greater opportunities for the next generation. A college education may also offer long-term financial security. The unemployment rate for those who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher is about half the rate that it is for high school graduates. There’s no question that getting into college requires thoughtful planning and action, but it’s well worth the effort for an experience that pays well over a lifetime. For more information: www.collegeboard.com About the SAT® Fee: $45. Students may be eligible for a fee waiver through their counseling office if they meet low-income guidelines. Test dates: October 2009 through June 2010. Call: 866-756-7346. Catch of the day: School stories worth a readOctober 20th, 2009, 4:35 pm by Michelle Reese
A much-needed vacation put Catch of the Day on hold. But it’s back. And the stories making national headlines have very familiar themes to what’s going on in Arizona. Nation’s districts prepare for school-based flu vaccine clinics According to this story, some of the largest school districts in the country are preparing to administer H1N1 vaccine to its students onsite. At least one, in Maryland, suspended seasonal flu vaccine distribution because of a lack of supply and the arrivial of the H1N1 vaccine. L.A. district leaders go to homes to find students The superintendent of the 680,000-student Los Angeles Unified School District went door-to-door with other district leaders and volunteers recently to track down the nearly 20,000 students who were expected to show up this year but didn’t. Some of them transferred to other schools but did not notify the district. Some of them completed courses and graduated over the summer. Mesa Unified, the largest district in the state with 67,000 students, knew it would probably see about 2,000 fewer students this year. The most recent count actually showed a few more students in classrooms than expected. But with the declines of the past few years and calls for changes in the educational model, the district is taking a hard look at where students are and what parents want in schools. British report: Should children start school later? A recent report out of London suggests students there start school at an older age. The author of the blog states her own concerns about taking that step, given that in some students are going from “nursery” school to “primary” school (about the same as our kindergartners) unable to speak correctly. It’s an interesting read. It also comes just a few weeks after word came out that there are thousands of children in Arizona not in childcare because their parents can’t afford it and state funding has been cut. Not only does that mean parents may have difficulty finding proper care for their children, early childcare proponents say, but it may keep children from getting a jump on early education. The cost of private school tax creditsOctober 14th, 2009, 12:17 pm by CeCe ToddA story in today’s Arizona Republic gets to the heart of an important question surrounding the state’s Private School Tax Credit program: Does it save the state money by allowing more children now in public schools to switch to private schools? Through the program, taxpayers make donations to charities — called School Tuition Organizations or STOs — that then provide scholarships to students for private school tuition. When the program was created in 1997, one argument in its favor was that it would ultimately save the state money by moving children from the public education system to private schools. But the Republic analysis shows that not only did the program fail to save the state money - it actually resulted in a net loss for the state budget. The reason: The program has failed to shift a sizable number of public school students to private schools. The Republic concludes that this means much of the scholarship money provided in this program is going to kids who would have attended private schools anyway - regardless of whether they got a scholarship. This conclusion is similar to the findings of the Tribune’s investigation into private school tax credits, Rigged Privilege, which was published in August. The Tribune found that private schools grew slightly during the tax credit era, though there is little evidence that the program took significant numbers of students out of public schools and off the taxpayer rolls. Statewide, roughly 6,900 more students are educated in private classrooms than in 1996, compared with more than 280,000 additional students who entered public schools, the Tribune reported. In addition, the Tribune found: * The majority of tax credit donations are earmarked for existing private school students. All of this adds up to reveal a program that is failing to improve to any significant degree the access that disadvantaged children have to a private education - as promised when created by lawmakers, the Tribune found. And now, the Republic is offering proof that the program is also draining dollars from the state budget. There is a public hearing today at the state Capitol, where a House committee appointed by Speaker Kirk Adams, R-Mesa, is reviewing the private school tax credit program. Eventually, the committee will hear from STO operators, as well as advocates of the program and parents, who will likely testify that without the tax credit scholarships, they could never afford to send their children to private schools. And indeed, some children from low- to moderate-income families have undoubtedly benefitted from the program. But the reporting done by the Tribune and the Republic shows that lawmakers need to look at the overall picture and get beyond the rhetoric and emotion surrounding this issue.
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Absent again for a few days, I’m going to post stories from the last week that are worth reading!
Schools across country closing because of flu
Chicago schools give dropouts a second chance
