Daily News RoundUp—July 26, 2010

EEP and Signatory News

• EEP will be attending the Center for American Progress “Doing What Works” conference in Washington, D.C. tomorrow, so the Daily News RoundUp will return in full force on Wednesday, July 28th!
• EdReformer interviews the Executive Director of Parent Revolution (and EEP board member) Ben Austin about his organization and his vision for the impact of the Parent Revolution.

National

• Major coverage from Washington, D.C., after Chancellor (and EEP board member) Michelle Rhee dismissed 241 teachers based on credentials or low performance on Friday. The Washington Post and the New York Times report on the fault lines and the union response to the firings, Rick Hess from EdWeek reports on the bigger picture and Chancellor Rhee’s commitment to teacher excellence, and the DC Public Schools provide a guidebook with detailed information on the performance-based IMPACT system.
• EdWeek reports that seven leading civil rights groups, including the NAACP and the National Urban League, called on U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to dismantle core pieces of his education agenda, arguing that it is detrimental to low-income and minority children. (For a counter-argument, please see a letter EEP and 20 other education and civil rights groups wrote to the President, Secretary, and Congress about the reauthorization of ESEA and its focus on low-income and minority students.
• U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is planning to make a major speech on education reform at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. tomorrow.  The Secretary is expected to announce the finalists for Race to the Top Round 2 during this event, according to EdWeek. Sec. Duncan’s complete public schedule for the week can be found below.
• The National Journal education blog asks Are Common Core Standards an effective education reform tool? Why or why not?  We will be featuring responses throughout the week.
• The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools released a statement today praising Senate action to eliminate proposed cuts to education reform funding.
• EdWeek tries to make sense of recent research on charter schools’ performance compared to traditional public schools.
• Andy Rotherham at Eduwonk discusses recent reports about Teach for America, and examines how the phenomenon of “study laundering” in pro- and anti-reform studies further “[cloud] already complicated issues.”

From the States

California

EdWeek explores the Common Core Standards’ potential impact on reading instruction in California Public schools if the standards are adopted in the state.

Hawaii

In an addendum of last week’s posting on online testing in Hawaii, it is important to also point out that Hawaii students are allowed to take the math and reading assessments up to three times, with the highest score being used to assess what they are learning in the classroom.

Illinois

The Chicago Tribune highlights the Youth Empowerment Project, which went to Washington, D.C. last week to present ideas for keeping students in school.

Louisiana

EdWeek reports that student performance has declined since Caldwell Parish changed from five- to four-day school weeks, a move that was implemented to save money in 2008.  District Superintendent John Sartin said, however, “the district's larger picture shows increases in district performance scores from 2007.”

Maryland

The Washington Post reports that state education officials have eliminated a policy that allowed elementary and middle school teachers to obtain a sneak peek of standardized tests in the days before they proctored them.

New Jersey

The New York Times reports that the Newark school district will create a special enterprise zone for seven low-performing schools “for an ambitious program of education and social services provided through a coalition of colleges and community groups led by New York University.” This enterprise zone will modeled after (EEP signatory) Geoffrey Canada’s Harlem Children Zone.

New York

• EdWeek’s Teacher Beat reports that differences in which teachers get cut under a seniority-based layoff system compared with one based on teacher effectiveness are large and persistent, a new analysis of the New York City teaching corps finds.
• The Daily News follows a new principal as he prepares to run East Harlem’s first charter school, Renaissance Charter High School. 
• GothamSchools and WNYC report that New York City schools have been preparing for Common Core standards long before the state formally adopted them.

Oregon

Portland Public Schools looks to New York City for inspiration as it tries to reduce its dropout rates and boost student achievement, Oregon Live reports.

Texas

• EdWeek reports that Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott defended a policy Thursday that has allowed schools to boost their state ratings by counting some failed students as passing.
• EdWeek also reports that the State Board of Education voted to use the Public Schools Fund to help charter school construction.

Virginia

The Virginian-Pilot reports that the State Board of Education is planning to weigh student growth in teacher evaluations to bolster the state’s weak teacher accountability provisions.

Public Schedule of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
The Week Ahead: Monday – Sunday, July 26-August 1

Information/Schedule Subject to Change

Monday, July 26

No public events

Tuesday, July 27

1:00 p.m.
The Secretary will make a major speech on education reform at the National Press Club, 529 14th St., N.W., Washington, D.C.

Wednesday, July 28

1:10 p.m.
The Secretary will address the National Center for Education Statistics' Summer Data Conference, Hyatt Regency Hotel, 7400 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, Md.

2:45 p.m.
The Secretary will deliver remarks at the National Urban League's Centennial Town Hall: the Past 100 Years of Black Education, Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Place, Washington, D.C.

4:00 p.m.
The Secretary will meet with the Education Department's 15 new Teaching Ambassador Fellows, LBJ Bldg., (ED Headquarters), 400 Maryland Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C.

Thursday, July 29

11:00 a.m.
The Secretary will participate in a town hall meeting with some 30 teachers, as well as call-in questions from listeners, on the Sirius/XM Satellite Radio Network, details to follow.

Friday, July 30

Noon
The Secretary will read to local school children at the fifth event of the Department's "Let's Read. Let's Move." summer reading program. Actor Quinton Aaron, who portrayed Michael Oher in the movie "The Blind Side" will also participate.

Saturday, July 31

No public events

Sunday, August 1

No public events

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