PEN> PEN Weekly NewsBlast for April 4, 2003

From: Gleason Sackmann <gleason@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: K12Newsletters <k12newsletters@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 08:00:25 -0600
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K12NewsLetters - From Educational CyberPlayGround
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From: "Public Education Network" <PEN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: PEN Weekly NewsBlast <newsblast@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 20:46:31 -0800
Subject: PEN Weekly NewsBlast for April 4, 2003
 
Public Education Network Weekly NewsBlast
"Public Involvement. Public Education. Public Benefit."
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BUFFALO SCHOOLS CHART "REVOLUTIONARY" COURSE
Educators differ about the pros and cons, but one thing is certain:
Buffalo is the only school district in the state, and maybe the country,
to consider such a revolutionary change in how it educates its 44,000
students. The city's Board of Education surprised almost everyone last
week by voting to study the idea of district-sponsored charter schools.
And not just one school, but a network of independent charter schools
scattered throughout the city. "This is a phenomenally bold and positive
stroke," said Donald Jacobs, associate dean of the Graduate School of
Education at the University at Buffalo. "This should be viewed by all
parties as a proactive effort to protect education in Buffalo." Of course,
not everyone shares that view. Some educators fear for the future of
traditional public schools and worry that the students left behind will
suffer because of dwindling resources, increased class sizes and fewer
remedial programs.  Charter schools are public schools that operate
independently of the local school district but receive tax money from the
state.  "I'm concerned," said Arnold Gardner, a Buffalo lawyer who serves
on the state Board of Regents. "The system under which charter schools are
funded imposes a substantial negative impact on the public school system
the students come from. I've voted against some charter schools for that
reason." About the only thing both sides agree on is that the School
Board's action was both bold and unexpected.
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20030330/1010946.asp

APRIL FOOLISHNESS
The historic report, "A Nation at Risk," famously declared a crisis in
American education. Even today, 20 years after the report's release, we
cling to its message, which Gerald Bracey shows to be as flawed as it was
compelling. When the report first appeared, universities and education
associations fell over themselves lauding it. The education associations
said that they welcomed the attention after a decade of neglect. "We are
pleased education is back on the American agenda," wrote Paul Salmon,
executive director of the American Association of School Administrators.
They also said, later, that they didn't want to appear defensive by
challenging the report. They also said, much later and in private, that
they were certain that, with all these problems in education, money would
surely follow. They were wrong. As for the universities, well, a crisis in
our schools always presents a great opportunity for educational
researchers seeking to liberate money from foundations and governments.
According to Bracey, "A Nation at Risk" was to the research universities
as September 11 was to the arms and security industries. The National
Commission on Excellence in Education commissioned more than 40 papers
that laid out the crisis. Virtually all of them were written by academics.
Alas, nothing else is new and, indeed, we must recognize that good news
about public schools serves no one's reform agenda -- even if it does make
teachers, students, parents, and administrators feel a little better.
Conservatives want vouchers and tuition tax credits; liberals want more
resources for schools; free marketers want to privatize the schools and
make money; fundamentalists want to teach religion and not worry about the
First Amendment; Catholic schools want to stanch their student hemorrhage;
home schooling advocates want just that; and various groups no doubt just
want to be with "their own kind." All groups believe that they will
improve their chances of getting what they want if they pummel the
publics. Today, the laments are old and tired -- and still false. Today
various special interest groups in education have another treatise to
rally round. It's called No Child Left Behind. Bracey says it is a weapon
of mass destruction, and the target is the public school system. Today,
our public schools are truly at risk.
http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k0304bra.htm

PULLING OUT ALL STOPS TO GET VOTERS TO APPROVE SCHOOL BUDGETS
A year after nearly half of the proposed school budgets in the region
failed at the polls, many administrators have taken a crash course in what
it takes to get a better grade from voters. The assignment has been
daunting. New Jersey school officials face steady increases in fixed
costs, such as teacher salaries and benefits, transportation, and programs
for special-needs students. They also must deal with slim increases -- if
any -- in state aid and dwindling surplus accounts. This means that many
districts must ask voters to again pay higher property taxes, a test they
have been through before. On April 15, the officials will find out if they
pass or flunk. The study plans employed in trying to win budget approval
are varied. In some districts, it is as simple as better communication
with voters by opening up the budget process. Some are trying to get
students turning 18 registered to vote, figuring they would support the
budgets. And some have reached out to senior citizens, who are not the
type of voters schools usually count on for support. Other school
officials have launched an aggressive campaign to get out the vote. They
have presented programs on the local cable station, held budget briefings
for parents at every school in the 6,200-student district, and even placed
messages about the budget on brown paper bags distributed to shoppers at a
supermarket. As the election nears, they plan to conduct a telephone chain
and erect lawn signs.
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/living/education/5529722.htm

CUTBACKS IMPERIL SCHOOL GAINS
The three new Boston public schools opening this fall are supposed to be
the "education mayor's" crown jewels, helping to fulfill a critical pledge
to bring back neighborhood schools. But before Mayor Thomas M. Menino and
school officials cut the opening ribbons, the school system must weather a
budget crisis that threatens to undo -- or stop dead in its tracks --
years of education improvements. Officials are expected to announce the
names of five schools to be closed to help save money. Then the School
Department is scheduled to send out more than 1,000 notices alerting
school staff that they may be reassigned to another school or laid off --
a vivid contrast to the district's ambitious push to hire more teachers
during the past decade. And initiatives that were heralded by the mayor,
applauded by parents, and hailed nationwide, such as expanding pilot
schools and early education centers, breaking down large high schools into
smaller ones, and new efforts to better prepare students academically
before promoting them, all remain on the chopping block. "It's very
frustrating to me to see all the ground we made over the years slowly
slipping away," said Menino, who has made rebuilding the public schools
for the city's mostly low-income youth the cornerstone of his
administration since he was elected in 1993. The mayor already has agreed
to use city reserves and trim other department budgets to help ease the
school shortfall. Critics say the mayor and school officials should have
been more cautious in spending.
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/090/metro/Cutbacks_imperil_gains_in_schools+.shtml


DALLAS SCHOOLS TO GET ARMED POLICE FORCE
The Dallas school board has voted to spend $1.5 million to create an armed
police force to patrol the district's 218 schools. School trustees
recently voted 7-2 to begin the six-year transition this year. The school
district now uses Dallas Police Department officers. Creation of its own
police force will terminate a roughly $900,000 annual contract with the
Dallas Police Department. Superintendent Mike Moses said the new force
will improve the department's professionalism, while making commissioned
officers accountable to the Dallas Independent School District. The school
district's current security force costs about $7 million. The transition
will cost about $1.5 million over five years and includes money for patrol
cars and salaries for extra officers. Manny Vasquez, security chief for
the school district, said turning his security force into a commissioned
force will make schools safer. Officers will be able to write tickets,
make arrests and carry guns, unlike security officers.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/1840874

RARE BIRDS? MALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS
It's morning in kindergarten. Twenty pairs of wide eyes look straight
ahead, chins tilt up the way they do when children are listening, legs are
crossed a few feet from the teacher. Well over 6 feet tall and dressed in
blue jeans, a T-shirt and a black jacket, Brian Innes begins strumming his
acoustic guitar, jump-starting the day for his class at Frances S. DeMasi
Elementary School. The children sway to a ditty about the days of the
week, happily unaware that their teacher is a rare bird: a man teaching
young children. Innes, 36, rarely gives it a thought, and neither do his
pupils: They "are honest, happy to see you when they come in, and glad to
tell you so," he says. Their parents can be another story. In elementary
schools, male teachers bring diversity -- but face obstacles.
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/living/education/5520930.htm

TAKE OUR DAUGHTERS & SONS TO WORK
The Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work program focuses on expanding
future opportunities for all our nation's daughters and sons in both their
work and family lives. Join the parents, organizers, and workplaces across
the country that have already registered online. The Ms. Foundation
encourages workplaces and individuals to ensure all our nation's daughters
and sons participate in the program by inviting children from housing
authorities and shelters, nieces and nephews, neighbors and friends, and
more, to join them for Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Day. Through
this program, adults can show girls and boys opportunities they would have
otherwise never known existed. Will you or your workplace be participating
on April 24? This is your opportunity to become a part of a national
network.
http://www.daughtersandsonstowork.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=293

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND: FEDERALISM OR FEDERAL CONTROL?
Education is a long-standing and protected state right.  It is a triumph
of federalism and local control, but the new federal education law, No
Child Left Behind (NCLB), may change that.  NCLB critics believe that the
law is too intrusive.  It is an enlarged federal role that is an
unnecessary offense to the Tenth Amendment which reserves powers to the
states that are not delegated to the federal government.  On the other
hand, NCLB only outlines broad goals of academic progress and
accountability.  How most of the law's provisions are defined and
implemented is, largely, left to the states and districts. Most provisions
of the law only apply if the states and districts take the federal money,
and that is not required.  As such, this respects the Tenth Amendment and
local control of education. The truth lies, uncomfortably, somewhere
between the two positions. According to Denis Doyle, the recent
publication of the non-regulatory guidance for charter schools under NCLB
highlights and contributes to this discomfort
http://www.thedoylereport.com/spotlight/feature#3663

NO "FREAKING" AT SCHOOLS ALLOWED
What some California school officials want to see at the junior prom is
students decked out in their gowns and tuxedos. What they don't want to
see is students freak dancing. Over the past few years, the sexually
provocative style of dancing, long a staple of nightclubs and music
videos, has moved into high schools and even some middle schools. On dance
floors around the country, students are bumping and grinding against one
another to the beat of hip-hop and rap tunes. They're straddling each
other, sandwiching each other, even gyrating over partners lying on the
floor. Now, after two years of trying to control it, one high school has
had enough. Two months ago, officials began requiring students attending
school dances to sign a contract agreeing not to dance inappropriately or
mimic sex acts, otherwise known as freaking. If they do, the music could
come to a screeching halt.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/education/story/6354624p-7307601c.html

LAWMAKERS WANT OUT OF NO CHILD ACT
Hawaiian lawmakers have tentatively approved a resolution urging education
officials to consider declining participation in the No Child Left Behind
Act of 2001 and to return federal money for the act unless Congress fully
pays for the costs to comply. The resolution does not have the binding
effect of law. The resolution said while "the state lauds the goal and
intent of the act ... it cannot condone what amounts to yet another
inadequately funded state mandate." "Federal funding for the act is far
below the amount that was agreed to during negotiations with Congress and
this shortfall will hinder the state's ability to continue carrying out
the goal of the act." Department of Education spokesman Greg Knudsen said
states can opt out of participating in the act, but that it would severely
affect federal money at many levels. All Republicans and one Democrat
ultimately opposed the controversial resolution.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Apr/03/ln/ln53a.html

DO WE OVERLOOK THE "GOOD" STUDENTS?
One hears so many complaints about the quality of college students these
days. Allegedly, they can't read or write or do basic math. They are rude.
They don't pay attention in class.  They demand a passing grade despite a
lack of competence in the material they are supposed to have mastered.
All of these complaints are true in far too many cases. Beth Clarkson does
not wish to denigrate those problems. She sees these issues as very real
and very serious. But it's easy to forget that these problem students
aren't the whole story. According to Clarkson, the good students can be,
and often are, ignored. They don't present us with problems that need to
be solved; they do not demand our attention in the same way. In this
article, she intentionally spends a few words giving some recognition to
the good students. They deserve it. They provide Ms. Clarkson, and myriad
other educators, with inspiration and hope for the future of our society.
http://irascibleprofessor.com/comments-04-02-03.htm

THE FATE OF OUR SCHOOLS
Much has been made lately over the requirements of No Child Left Behind
(NCLB). Among the biggest controversies is the NCLB requirement that
states set a 12-year goal for all students to meet state proficiency
standards in math and reading. Schools must make steady progress towards
meeting this goal, or adopt increasingly rigorous reforms aimed at
improving student achievement and targeting resources where they are most
needed. According to Congressman George Miller and Russlynn Ali, the
problem is, now that California has seen success in meeting its own
standards-based goals, a chorus of voices wants to wave the white flag
rather than continue, and intensify, the state's increasingly successful
efforts. Widespread misinformation and false claims threaten to undo the
state's initial steps in the right direction.  Perhaps the most insidious
myth being perpetuated is that California's demographics make it
impossible to expect much of its kids. This sentiment is more than just
collective apathy. It is bigotry. Schools all over the country, in every
type of community, have shown that all students -- minority and
non-minority, rich and poor -- can succeed if they are held to high
standards and given the requisite resources. It is time to put this myth
to rest for good. These pessimistic views fail to acknowledge California's
culpability for providing less of everything we know that makes a
difference in student achievement -- qualified teachers, rigorous
curriculum and adequate resources -- to our neediest kids. The answer to
the new federal challenge must not be to provide them with less rigorous
standards and goals, too. There is legitimate room for debate about how
the state should implement the new federal requirements. Miller and Ali
have real concerns about whether the state and the federal government will
deliver the resources necessary for all children to have a decent
opportunity to meet California's high expectations. But citizens should
not let myths and misconceptions about the new federal law, or the
capabilities of children -- black, white, Latino, poor or rich -- limit
their ambitions. In both moral and practical terms, far too much is at
stake.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/03/18/ED58562.DTL

HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS UNDER A MICROSCOPE
Dozens of sports teams in North Carolina ran afoul of player-eligibility
rules, forcing them to forfeit games. Did the school's drive for success
on the playing field lure these schools into the biggest high school
sports scandal in the state's history? One school has had to forfeit games
and return nearly $30,000 in prize money from the fall season. On a
basketball team stacked with seniors and expected to compete for the state
championship, only one player was actually eligible to play. The football
team's conference trophy was yanked from a packed display case because
many football players had violated eligibility requirements. Only the
tennis and cross-country teams were unaffected. It's a scandal that has
shaken players, fans, and coaches across the district. For now, the
problems here in North Carolina seem centered on schools in Guilford
County where eleven of the 14 high schools had to scratch entire seasons.
Investigations revealed that dozens of athletes had participated despite
low grades and excessive absences. Poor record-keeping, along with a
policy that expects schools to monitor their own players' eligibility,
combined with a win-at-all-costs culture, may all have played roles in the
controversy. Coaches here say the travails of Guilford County schools are
simply a local problem, not indicative of a deeper trend in American
schools. They point to a recent study that says high school athletes have
half the number of absences of non-athletes.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0401/p17s01-lepr.html

UNTOLERATED: STUDENTS WHO RUN AFOUL OF STRICT DISCIPLINE RULES
To a Michigan honor student named Alex, it was only a joke, a parody he
wrote to poke fun at his high school's new tardy policy and the
administrators who designed it. Never did he think the spoof, read to
friends at the cafeteria table, would get his name added to the growing
list of "good" kids suspended or expelled nationwide under so-called
zero-tolerance (ZT) policies. Enacted in the wake of tragic school
shootings and a spike in violent juvenile crime in the mid-90s, these
policies first targeted guns and drugs. But according to a study by The
Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, well-intentioned efforts have
"spun totally out of control," expanding to include automatic or
exceedingly harsh punishments for minor infractions that pose little or no
threat to school safety. Another study calls the number of students
suspended since the surge in ZT policies "staggering." Data from Kentucky,
the focus of the study, show suspension rates 2 to 17 times greater for
African-Americans than for Caucasians. Other studies have found similar
results for minorities nationwide. "Suspension may be a quick fix, but it
contributes to the achievement gap and starts the chain of events that
leads to kids dropping out," says researcher David Richart. In many
states, offenses related to classroom behavior now merit a call to police
and a trip to juvenile court. Richart sympathizes with educators who
advocate ZT policies in response to school environments with few
resources, overcrowded classrooms, and volatile populations. He advocates
for increased student services and better staff training. Some, however,
believe that ZT punishes students too severely for "stupid teenage
mistakes."
http://www.nea.org/neatoday/0304/learning.html
see also http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/living/education/5544563.htm

IS IT GOOD FOR THE KIDS?
Educators know that students who are not in good health cannot devote
their full attention to learning. Academic achievement depends on schools
helping students overcome their physical, social, and emotional barriers
to learning and fostering a school environment in which students can learn
more effectively. All schools are encouraged to work in collaboration with
students, parents, and community agencies to examine their needs and
empower students to create healthier communities and lifestyles. This
opinion-brief highlights the work of 10 groups of students who
participated in making their schools and communities healthier places, and
argues that such programs are vital to preparing students for their future
lives as healthy adults.
http://www.ascd.org/cms/index.cfm?TheViewID=1684

NURTURING GREAT MINDS
Leah Jacobs writes on the importance and challenge of teaching gifted and
talented children effectively in the regular classroom. Jacobs warns that
though some "gifted and talented students may learn faster, get better
grades," there are also "the ones with low grades, who seem bored and
restless in school, and who refuse to take their work seriously -- or even
do it at all."
http://www.creativeclassroom.org/ma03ttt/index.html

CREATING A SCHOOL COMMUNITY
A growing body of research confirms the benefits of building a sense of
community in school. Students in schools with a strong sense of community
are more likely to be academically motivated; to act ethically and; to
develop social and emotional competencies; and to avoid a number of
problem behaviors, including drug use and violence. These benefits are
often lasting. Researchers have found that the positive effects of certain
community-building programs for elementary schools persist through middle
and high school. Unfortunately, schools with a strong sense of community
are fairly rare. In fact, most schools that survey students' perceptions
of community wind up with mediocre mean scores. Of further concern is the
fact that low-income students and students of color usually report a lower
level of community in school than do affluent or white students. Many
schools appear to be ill-equipped to provide community for the students
who may need it most. In this article, Eric Schaps outlines a series of
community-building approaches.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/ed_lead/200303/schaps.html

TEACHERS PUT OBJECTIONS TO BUDGET CUTS INTO TV ADS
As lawmakers struggle with the state's budget, the 76,000-member
Washington Education Association is mounting an advertising campaign to
protect education spending -- especially the yearly cost-of-living
increases the teachers union won at the ballot box. The ads, which began
airing last week on radio and television stations statewide, urge people
to fight Gov. Gary Locke's proposed cuts, including his plan to freeze the
pay raises required by Initiative 732, or class-size-reduction efforts
tied to Initiative 728. Both initiatives were adopted by voters in 2000.
"If public education's important to you, call your legislators, tell them
we need to do better," the announcer's voice says in the 30-second TV ads,
over images of schoolchildren and pictures of Locke. Locke's budget
proposal came out months ago; WEA officials say the ads really are meant
for the Legislature, which gets to write the final budget. "This is a
crucial time. This is when budgets are being written and opinions are
being formed by lawmakers," said Charles Hasse, union president. "We're
hoping to convert strong public opinion into positive action in Olympia."
The union isn't saying how much is being spent on the campaign, except
that the amount is in the "six figures," said Rich Wood, WEA spokesman.
Kirsten Kendrick, a spokeswoman for Locke, said the ads are misleading.
"The implication is made (that Locke is) doing away with (the initiatives)
or somehow gutting them. He's just looking to suspend them," Kendrick
said.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/134665675_weaads31m.html

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS FACE STIFFEST NCLB CHALLENGE IN THE MIDDLE GRADES
The success or failure of plans for systematic improvement under No Child
Left Behind (NCLB) will largely rest on the middle grades, according to a
new report from the Middle Start National Center. That's because the
majority of students newly tested under the law will be middle graders.
Given this emphasis on middle grades performance, the Middle Start Center
calls on schools and officials to take a closer look at the proven tools
and methodologies that have produced outstanding results in middle grades
across the country.  The success or failure of plans for systematic
improvement under NCLB will largely rest on the middle grades. The Middle
Start initiative places particular emphasis on improving middle-grades
student performance in literacy and math skills. Their four pillars of
effective middle-grades education have helped schools post dramatic
improvements both areas: (1) Middle-grades students are capable of
learning and achieving at high levels and with challenging curricula; they
respond positively to a variety of approaches to teaching and learning;
(2) Teachers should engage in appropriate professional development in
order to become more effective and provide support to all students; (3)
Small learning communities are an integral aspect of a successful
middle-grades experience; (4) Data-driven decision-making is key to
ensuring that schools with middle grades are providing the instruction all
students need to move successfully forward to high school, college and the
workforce. Middle Start works closely with the National Forum to
Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, an alliance of educators, researchers,
national associations, and officers of professional organizations and
foundations dedicated to mobilizing support for schools committed to
meeting the unique needs of middle-grades students.
http://www.middlestart.org/model.htm#principles

AVERAGE SALARIES OF PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS
Teacher salaries grew slower than the economy (5.9%), with an average
increase of just 2.7% for the 2001-02 school year. The average salary of a
U.S. public school teacher for the 2001-02 school year was $44,499 -- with
36 states below the average. California, the state with highest average
teacher salary, also has the highest number of student enrolled in public
schools -- 6,247,889. Click before for a chart that shows the states with
the Top and Bottom 5 states in terms of teacher salaries.
http://www.districtadministration.com/page.cfm?id=325

GROUP SUES TO HALT PUBLIC DOLLARS FOR "WALDORF" SCHOOLS
John Morse Waldorf School in south Sacramento and the Yuba River Charter
School in Nevada City are targets in a legal battle that seeks to ban any
public school in America from using Waldorf teaching methods. The group
that filed the lawsuit against them contends that the Waldorf system
cannot be separated from founder Rudolf Steiner's religious philosophy --
so the public Waldorf schools are sectarian and ineligible to receive
taxpayer dollars. Debra Snell, president of People for Legal and
Nonsectarian Schools and a former Waldorf parent, said it boils down to a
question of fairness. "If Catholic or Lutheran schools cannot be publicly
funded, then neither can Waldorf," she said. Her organization has filed a
federal lawsuit in Sacramento contending that the public Waldorf schools
violate the constitutional separation of church and state. Those who run
the Waldorf public schools say the lawsuit is unfounded and misses the
point. "We teach about religion, but we don't teach religion," Principal
Cheryl Eining said of her 270-student school in the Sacramento City
Unified School District. About a half-dozen public Waldorf schools operate
in Northern California using teaching methods pioneered by Steiner.
Sacramento City Unified's first Waldorf school was established in 1996. An
unlikely coalition of conservative Christians, agnostics and atheists
joined forces in February 1998 to file the lawsuit. Rudolf Steiner
believed teachers can teach directly to the spirit and that humans can
learn to perceive directly by the spirit. Steiner also believed that
children pass through three seven-year stages, and that education should
be appropriate to the spirit for each stage, he said. Waldorf teaching
methods differ from many public schools' curricula and have encountered
criticism for not teaching children to read until they are older. Waldorf
educators believe that not all children are developmentally ready to read
by kindergarten. Waldorf also stresses socialization skills -- learning
how to get along with other students, being polite and working together.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/education/story/6373630p-7326440c.html

TURNING SUMMER SCHOOL INTO DAY CAMP CAN PAY OFF FOR URBAN STUDENTS
John Schacter describes an innovative summer reading camp model developed
through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and the Milken
Family Foundation.  Each day of the camp, students receive two hours of
reading instruction and spend three hours engaged in enrichment activities
such as sports, swimming, creating art, dancing, and making music.
According to a recent evaluation, children who attended the camp
outperformed control group students by more than 25 percentage points, and
results persisted one year later.
http://www.asbj.com/current/inprint.html

PRINCIPALS ABOUND BUT AVOID CERTAIN SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS
Despite widespread publicity about a shortage of school principals, a new
study finds that there are far more candidates certified to be principals
than there are principal vacancies to fill. Researchers at the University
of Washington found an adequate supply of principals nationwide. "The real
problem is that candidates simply avoid certain schools and districts,
particularly those that offer low salaries and have high-minority and
high-poverty student populations," said study author Marguerite Roza.
Perception of a shortage often looms even when one does not exist, the
study finds and suggests that this is driven by the quality, not quantity,
of candidates. Even though, on average, districts have more than enough
applicants to fill vacancies, 80 percent of superintendents noted that
attracting qualified candidates was a "moderate" or "major" problem.
Because the perceived shortage problem is one of distribution and poor
leadership skills, rather than inadequate supply, reforms aimed at
increasing the principal supply pool are inadequate. Instead, the study
recommends the following: (1) Policymakers should create financial
incentives to attract candidates to less desirable districts and schools;
(2) Human resource directors should align their screening/hiring criteria
with the skills sought by superintendents; (3) School districts should
consider redefining the principal position and experimenting with
alternative leadership arrangements.
http://www.crpe.org/pubs/introMatterOfDefinition.shtml

|---------------GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION--------------|

"2003 KaBOOM!-Computer Associates Challenge Grants"
The 2003 KaBOOM!-Computer Associates (CA) Challenge Grants program will
award twenty (20) $5,000 grants to eligible Community Partners in 2003.
This initiative will help give children safe and accessible places to play
by empowering community-based groups with funding to support their
playground projects.  Designed to be a "challenge" to other fundraising
efforts, these grants should inspire civic groups, individuals and other
businesses to join CA and KaBOOM! in supporting local playground projects.
 Previous winners of KaBOOM! playground challenge grants have gone on to
raise tens of thousands of dollars each for their projects, achieving
their playground goal within months of receiving support of a challenge
grant.  Application deadline: April 30, 2003.
http://www.kaboom.org/nooz.aspx?id=339

"2003 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science
Teaching"
The National Science Foundation is looking for outstanding 7th-12th grade
mathematics and science teachers.  Nominate a teacher for the PAEMST --
the nation's highest honor for mathematics and science teachers, awarded
by the White House. Each Presidential Awardee will receive a $10,000 award
from the National Science Foundation and gifts from donors. Each Awardee
will also be invited to attend, along with a guest, recognition events in
Washington, D.C., in March 2004, which will include: an award ceremony; a
Presidential Citation; meetings with leaders in government and education;
sessions to share ideas and teaching experiences; and receptions and
banquets to honor recipients. Application deadline: May 1, 2003.
https://www.ehr.nsf.gov/pres_awards/Documents/2003_PAEMST_Application.doc

"Carol Fine Professional Development Summer Internship"
The North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) is now accepting
applications for the 2003 Carole Fine Professional Development Internship.
The professional development opportunity is named in memory of an
outstanding employee who believed that professional development is most
meaningful when it is based in authentic experience-experience that
expands horizons and contributes to personal as well as professional
growth. The six-week summer internship offers an exceptional teacher the
opportunity to work side-by-side with other professionals on the forefront
of educational research and development. Application deadline: April 21,
2003.
http://www.ncrel.org/info/cfine/

"NASA Educator Astronauts"
NASA is now accepting applications for Educator Astronauts. An Educator
Astronaut is a fully qualified member of NASA's Astronaut Corps who has an
expertise in K-12 education. Educator Astronauts will be trained to
perform all of the functions and responsibilities (space walks,
International Space Station deployment, experiment management, etc.) that
the Agency's Mission Specialist astronauts are qualified to perform. For
the first time, NASA is recruiting individuals with specific experience
and expertise in K-12 education.  NASA is looking for the Educator
Astronauts to help lead the Agency in the development of new ways to
connect space exploration with the classroom, and to inspire the next
generation of explorers. Application deadline: April 30, 2003.
http://edspace.nasa.gov/home.html

"School Funding Services Grant of the Week"
Each week School Funding Services, a division of New American Schools,
features a new grant on their website.  This week they highlight the
National 4-H Council Literacy Council/Youth Leadership Grant.
http://www.schoolfundingservices.org/newsViewer.asp?docId=2546

"FastWEB"
FastWEB is the largest online scholarship search available, with 600,000
scholarships representing over one billion in scholarship dollars.  It
provides students with accurate, regularly updated information on
scholarships, grants, and fellowships suited to their goals and
qualifications, all at no cost to the student. Students should be advised
that FastWEB collects and sells student information (such as name,
address, e-mail address, date of birth, gender, and country of
citizenship) collected through their site.
http://www.fastweb.com/

"Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE)"
More than 30 Federal agencies formed a working group in 1997 to make
hundreds of federally supported teaching and learning resources easier to
find.  The result of that work is the FREE website.
http://www.ed.gov/free/
 
"Fundsnet Online Services"
A comprehensive website dedicated to providing nonprofit organizations,
colleges, and Universities with information on financial resources
available on the Internet.
http://www.fundsnetservices.com/

"Department of Education Forecast of Funding"
This document lists virtually all programs and competitions under which
the Department of Education has invited or expects to invite applications
for new awards for FY 2003 and provides actual or estimated deadline dates
for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are in
the form of charts -- organized according to the Department's principal
program offices -- and include programs and competitions the Department
has previously announced, as well as those it plans to announce at a later
date.  Note: This document is advisory only and is not an official
application notice of the Department of Education.
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCFO/grants/forecast.html

"eSchool News School Funding Center"
Information on up-to-the-minute grant programs, funding sources, and
technology funding.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/funding/

"Philanthropy News Digest-K-12 Funding Opportunities"
K-12 Funding opportunities with links to grantseeking for teachers,
learning technology, and more.
http://fdncenter.org/funders/

"School Grants"
A collection of resources and tips to help K-12 educators apply for and
obtain special grants for a variety of projects.
http://www.schoolgrants.org

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"American economic competitiveness with Japan and other nations is to a
considerable degree a function of monetary, trade, and industrial policy,
and of decisions made by the President and Congress, the Federal Reserve
Board, and the Federal Departments of the Treasury, Commerce and Labor.
Therefore, to conclude that problems of international competitiveness can
be solved by educational reform, especially educational reform defined
solely as school reform, is not merely utopian and millenialist, it is at
best a foolish and at worst a crass effort to direct attention away from
those truly responsible for doing something about competitiveness and to
lay the burden instead on the schools.  It is a device that has been used
repeatedly in the history of American education."
- Lawrence Cremin (education historian/professor), "Popular Education and
its Discontents"

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