Monday, December 29, 2008

The Progress of Education Reform: Counseling

The Progress of Education Reform: Counseling (PDF) - This issue of Progress of Education Reform takes a closer look at research related to:

* The variation in access of college counseling across schools and the impact of schools, districts, postsecondary institutions and states on the availability and type of college counseling
* The types of information traditionally underserved students need to prepare for postsecondary education
* The varying types of guidance students receive based on their academic pathway or ethnic background.

http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/78/25/7825.pdf
(Jennifer Dounay, Education Commission of the States, June 2008)

Monday, December 22, 2008

Budget and Appropriations

Week of Dec. 22, 2008

The most exciting announcement last week for education advocates was the naming of Arne Duncan, superintendent of Chicago Public Schools, to the position of secretary of education. His nomination by President-Elect Obama was met with high praise and great enthusiasm. Duncan is viewed as a practical reformer who has energized and revamped the troubled Chicago school system. His close personal relationship with the president-elect is further evidence that education will be a priority in the new administration. The full spectrum of the education community endorsed the selection, a sign that Duncan is as skilled a politician as he is a school leader.

With Congress home for the holiday recess, the Capitol was quiet last week. In sharp contrast was Obama's Transition Team. There were countless meetings with stakeholders, many focusing on education plans and promises. In spite of the frightening budgetary climate, it appears the new president is intent on keeping his campaign pledges about more funding for early childhood services, K-12 education programs and reducing the cost of higher education for low-income students.

Those few Hill holdouts were hard at work readying a large economic stimulus package, now estimated at $850 billion, for debate in early January. Appropriations staffers also continued their efforts to finalize the omnibus spending bill for FY 2009. The goal for both of these proposals is to have them on the new president's desk for signing the day he takes office. Education advocates are optimistic that the stimulus will address school construction needs, special education, Pell Grants and perhaps other efforts to help school districts recover from dwindling state revenues.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

President-elect Obama announces Arne Duncan as Secretary of Education

President-elect Obama announces Arne Duncan as Secretary of Education (Update 2: video)
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 05:43pm EST / Posted by Dave Rochelson

For Arne Duncan, CEO of the Chicago school system, "school reform isn't just a theory in a book -- it's the cause of his life," President-elect Obama said in announcing him as his choice for Secretary of Education.

"In the next few years, the decisions we make about how to educate our children will shape our future for generations to come," President-elect Obama said. "And the results aren't just about test scores or statistics, but about whether our children are developing the skills they need to compete with any worker in the world for any job."

Read more and watch a video:

http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/president_elect_obama_announces_arne_duncan_as_secretary_of_education/

Monday, December 15, 2008

Legislative Update

Congress returned to Washington, D.C., last week to continue organizational planning for the 111th Congress and to try to further respond to the country's economic woes. Hearings were held throughout the week at which governors and other experts made the case for a second economic stimulus package. The enormity of the crisis is fueling expectations that this new infusion of cash from the government, set to be taken up by President-Elect Obama on his first day in office, could cost as much as $1 trillion.

The recovery package's scope of payments and investments range from infrastructure projects ($3.5 billion targeted to schools) to Pell Grant supplements. The plans in between include increased funding for Medicaid, hiring teachers through more funding for Title II of the No Child Left Behind Act, funding for IDEA, more money for food stamps, furthering green energy efforts, general fund payments to states, investments related to technology and health-care reform, expanding early childhood education programs and extended unemployment benefits. The congressional leadership and the Obama administration are trying hard to hold down expectations but, so far, without much success.

Obama transition team members are moving at a fever pace. Meetings are being held with stakeholders of every persuasion as transition team members prepare to advise the new president on how he can change policies to accomplish campaign promises and hit the ground running at all government agencies when he takes office on Jan. 20. It is an enormous and complex undertaking that is generating high expectations for new and improved investments in every conceivable domestic arena.

On the more realistic front, Appropriations Committee staffers in the House and Senate are working hard behind the scenes to reach agreement on FY 2009 spending bills for all federal agencies. The goal appears to be debating an omnibus conference agreement in early January that can then be presented to the new president well before the continuing resolution expires March 6, 2009. If this bill includes the additional $25 billion that was a point of disagreement between President Bush and the 110th Congress, it will mark a small but important victory for education advocates who objected strongly to the education cuts the administration's FY 2009 budget proposed. It is uplifting to imagine billions of dollars of important new investments in education having the support of the new president and his team. It is also hard to imagine that the Treasury Department can print money fast enough to keep up with the new expectations and promises.

 

Friday, December 12, 2008

Various Updates from PEN Weekly NewsBlast for December 12, 2008

Excerpted from PEN Weekly NewsBlast for December 12, 2008

 

Best education stories of 2008
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development SmartBrief Editors offer a list of reader choices for the most compelling education stories of 2008.


No more maneuvering around school districts to create Florida charters
A state appellate court has ruled that Florida Schools of Excellence Commission, an agency created by the state to charter new schools, is "facially unconstitutional," returning exclusive power to grant charters to local school districts, many of whom sued to retain that control.

 

When it comes to funding education, lawmakers "lie" about valuing Florida students
When Florida lawmakers say they care about the state's children, the president of the state's school superintendent association tells them, based on the fact that Florida pays the least per student in the country for education, "You lie."

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

FSCA Legislative Update

NEW STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBER NAMED

The Governor has appointed Peter Boulware of Tallahassee to a seat on the seven-member state Board of Education that was vacated when Donna Callaway resigned in June. Boulware, 33, is an FSU graduate and former linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens who currently owns and operates an automobile dealership. He lost a close state House election last month to Democratic opponent Michelle Rehwinkel of Vasilinda. He was selected from 13 applicants.

Full story in the Tallahassee Democrat at http://tallahassee.com/article/20081208/BREAKINGNEWS/81208014&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

* * * * *

NEW LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP LINE-UP NAMED

I've discussed this in bits and pieces previously, but as it stands now, here's your full Florida Legislature leadership for the 2009 session (including the just-in House positions).

Florida House of Representatives:

Speaker of the House: Ray Sansom (R-Destin)

Speaker Pro Tempore: Larry Cretul (R-Ocala)

Rules & Calendar Chair: Bill Galvano (R-Bradenton)

Majority Leader: Adam Hasner (R-Delray Beach)

Deputy Majority: Leader Ron Reagan (R-Sarasota)

Minority Leader: Franklin Sands (D-Weston)

Minority Leader: Pro Tempore Geraldine Thompson (D-Orlando)

Education Council Chair: Faye Culp (R-Tampa)

Education Council Vice-Chair: Marti Coley (R-Marianna)

Education Appropriations Chair: Anitere Flores (R-Miami)

Education Appropriations Vice-Chair: John Legg (R-Port Richey)

Florida Senate:

President: Jeff Atwater (R-Palm Beach Gardens)

President Pro Tempore: Mike Fasano (R-New Port Richey)

Rules Chair: Alex Villalobos (R-Miami)

Senate Majority Leader: Ken Pruitt (R- Port St. Lucie)

Minority Leader: Al Lawson (D-Tallahassee)

Minority Leader Pro Tempore: Charlie Justice (D-St. Petersburg)

Education Committee Chair: Nancy Detert (R-Venice)

Education Committee Vice-Chair: Frederica Wilson (D-Miami Gardens)

Education Appropriations Chair: Stephen Wise (R-Jacksonville)

Education Appropriations Vice-Chair: Gary Siplin (D-Orlando)

 

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Spellings Announces Priorities for Education Grants

Spellings Announces Priorities for Education Grants

In one of her last acts as U.S. Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings announced on November 21 that in discretionary grant competitions for FY 2009, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) will continue its focus on: secondary schools; professional development for secondary school teachers; school districts with schools in need of improvement, corrective action, or restructuring; student data systems; state data systems; mathematics; science; and critical-need languages (i.e. Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Turkish).

To view the notice, visit http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-27744.pdf.