|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Monday July 16, 2007 Volume 5, Issue 14 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. OHIO FAIR SCHOOLS CAMPAIGN UPDATE 2. MEETING WITH GOVERNOR STRICKLAND 3. AMENDMENT UPDATE 4. KNOWLEDGEWORKS CONTINUES ITS WORK ON SMALL SCHOOLS 5. THE LOTTERY AND SCHOOL FUNDING 6. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SPECIAL ED STUDENTS UNDER NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND 7. REPORT ON TEACHER QUALITY 8. ACTION ALERT: DIVERSITY IN SCHOOLS 9. EXTRACURRICULARS BOOST GRADUATION RATES 10. GRANTS OF INTEREST ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. OHIO FAIR SCHOOLS CAMPAIGN UPDATE The Ohio Fair Schools Campaign statewide meeting was held on Saturday, July 14. The focus of the meeting was on strategic planning for the next several years. In addition to input from those who are able to attend our meetings, we are designing a survey to get some ideas from everyone on our list. Look for an invitation to share your views with us in the coming weeks. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2. MEETING WITH GOVERNOR STRICKLAND Debbie Phillips attended a meeting with Governor Strickland and representatives of education organizations on Wednesday. The meeting was called by the Governor to begin the conversation about what needs to be done to fix school funding in Ohio. There was a very positive tone and an open discussion of the major issues. Governor Strickland expressed once again his deep support for public education, and the importance of making sure all of Ohio's children have access to a high quality education, no matter where they live. He plans to meet with individuals and leaders who are concerned about education. "I left the meeting with a strong sense of hope. Governor Strickland's leadership on public education is an unprecedented opportunity to make sure that Ohio will fulfill its constitutional promise to Ohio's children. No matter where a child comes from, that child will have a fair chance to develop their talents and get off to a good start. Every one of us will have to do our part and keep working hard to help make this possible, but the Governor's concern and commitment to a solution provides an excellent starting place." To read related articles, visit: 7/14 Akron Beacon Journal Strickland's education step a rarity http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/17496494.htm 7/14 Akron Beacon Journal Strickland says task is to build a consensus http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/17495241.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3. AMENDMENT UPDATE The education amendment now has more than 145,000 signatures, and 6 counties have enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. Although the campaign announced last week that the issue is unlikely to make the ballot this year, people are continuing to collect signatures. These signatures can count for 2008. If you have been collecting signatures, please turn in whatever you have to the campaign (8050 N. High St., Columbus OH 43235). If you would like to help, Bill Phillis is coordinating a booth at the Ohio State Fair, in early August. Please call him at 614-228-6540 to sign up to work a shift at the fair. To read related articles, visit: 7/13 Tribune Chronicle Education amendment fails to make ballot http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/News/articles.asp?articleID=20152 5/5 Akron Beacon Journal Your moment, governor http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/editorial/17453726.htm 4/4 The Marion Star School funding amendment option stalls http://www.marionstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070704/NEWS01/707040319/1002 4/4 Lima News Local officials down about dropped amendment campaign http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=40251 3/3 Cleveland Plain Dealer Petitions on school funding flop http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1183452004268360.xml&coll=2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4. KNOWLEDGEWORKS CONTINUES ITS WORK ON SMALL SCHOOLS The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation made an additional grant for small schools to the KnowledgeWorks Foundation to strengthen the work of the Ohio High School Transformation Initiative. The $7.4 million investment will strengthen the work to transform large urban high schools throughout Ohio into small academically rigorous schools and prepare up to 15,000 students for success in college and work. To read the full article and learn more about the participating schools visit: http://www.kwfdn.org/enewsletter/knowledgenews/archived_issues/story.asp?sID=119 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5. THE LOTTERY AND SCHOOL FUNDING Many parents and teachers have told us that when they talk about school funding in their communities people always ask about the Ohio Lottery. Wasn't the lottery supposed to help with school funding problems? It's true 100 percent of lottery profits must be spent on education, but according to a recent article in the Akron Beacon Journal "in reality this frees up only a like amount of money to be spent elsewhere by legislators." This year the Lottery Profits Education Fund exceeded expectations by $31.4 million, but according the the article, "lottery profits could have exceeded expectations by $100 million, $500 million, even $1 billion, and the amount of state money flowing to local schools would not necessarily have increased a single penny." To read the article, visit: 7/8 Akron Beacon Journal Ohio still plays lottery shell game http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/17470151.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SPECIAL ED STUDENTS UNDER NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND According a report by the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), the percent of students receiving special education services in Ohio increased 23.6% between 1990 and 2004. During that same period the number of special education students increased 38.5% in the nation. Over a quarter of a million Ohio students currently receive special education services. NCLD is urging Congress to consider a number of recommendations in the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind law. The recommendations are presented in the report, Rewards Roadblocks: How Special Education Students Are Faring Under No Child Left Behind. To read the report, visit: http://www.ncld.org/images/stories/downloads/advocacy/ncldrewardsandroadblocks.pdf Summary courtesy of CORAS, http://www.coras.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7. REPORT ON TEACHER QUALITY Ohio missed 11 of 27 teacher quality goals and fully met only four, according to a report released in late June by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). The three-year study sought to evaluate state policies on preparation, certification, licensure, compensation and effectiveness of teachers. To do that, the group examined laws and regulations in every state. Ohio fared best in the teacher licensure category, but has the most work to do in preparing special education teachers, the report concluded. Meeting NCLB Teacher Quality Objective - D Teacher Licensure - C Teacher Evaluation and Compensation - D State Approval of Teacher Preparation Programs - D Alternative Routes to Certification - D Preparation of Special Education Teachers - F Read the National Report visit: http://www.nctq.org/stpy/reports/stpy_national.pdf To read the Ohio Report, visit: http://www.nctq.org/stpy/reports/stpy_ohio.pdf Summary courtesy of CORAS, http://www.coras.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8. ACTION ALERT: DIVERSITY IN SCHOOLS Give Kids Good Schools has launched an action alert urging people to write letters to their local newspapers about the value of diversity in schools. Here is the text of the action alert and a link to their website where you can write your letter: "On June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected efforts by Jefferson County, Kentucky and Seattle, Washington school systems to use race in assigning students to public schools. Given the impact of race in American society, this decision will inflict serious damage to our nation's moral compact, now and well into the future." "Integration of America's public schools is crucial to providing each child with a good school and a quality education. Take action to raise awareness about this issue by writing a letter to your local newspaper editor, which will inform your community about the value of continued racial diversity in schools." Visit the link below and type in your zip code to get a list of local newspapers. Then use the form to write your letter which will be sent automatically. http://www.givekidsgoodschools.org/c.llKUL5MUIwG/b.2949097/k.8879/Write_Your_Local_Newspaper_About_the_Value_of_Diversity_In_Schools/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 9. EXTRACURRICULARS BOOST GRADUATION RATES Many times when a local levy fails, sports programs and extra curricular activities get cut or a district may adopt a pay-to-play policy. A recent Newswise article reports that research shows that involvement in extracurricular activities helps in lowering the high school dropout rate, raises grades and gives students better odds of graduating from high school and attending college. Dr. Jason M. Smith, assistant professor of sociology at The University of Alabama in Huntsville asks "Who is this going to affect disproportionately? More than anyone else it is likely to be kids who attend schools in poorer areas with the most frequent funding shortages." To read the related article, visit: 7/10 Newswise Extracurriculars Boost High School Graduation Rates http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531373/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 10. GRANTS OF INTEREST The Dollar General Back-to-School Grants The Dollar General Back-to-School Grants provide funding to assist elementary, middle, and high schools in meeting some of the financial challenges they face in implementing new programs or purchasing new equipment, materials, or software for their school library or literacy program. Funds requested must be used to enhance or expand the school's library, media center, or literacy programs. Applicants must be located in Dollar General's 35-state operating territory and must be within twenty miles of a Dollar General Store. (A store locator is available at the Dollar General Web site.) Grants may be requested in amounts of up to $5,000 each and the deadline to apply is August 10, 2007. For more info, visit: http://www.dollargeneral.com/community/communityinvestments.aspx Disney Minnie Grants The Walt Disney Company and Youth Service America have announced grants of up to $500 each to support youth-led service projects. These grants support youth (ages 5-14) in planning and implementing service projects in their community. Teachers, older youth (15-25), youth-leaders, and youth-serving organizations are also eligible to apply, provided that they that engage younger youth (5-14) in planning and implementing the service. The deadline to apply is August 30, 2007. Grant information is available at: http://ysa.org/AwardsGrants/tabid/58/Default.aspx |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Ohio Fair Schools Campaign, 94 Columbus Road Athens, Ohio 45701 Tel. (740)592-2866 Fax (740)593-5451 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
