Archives June 2000-December 2004

 

 News       June 2000-December 2004 News Archive

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Saturday that the Governor's Blue Task Force on Financing Student Success wrapped up 16 months of work on December 17th without figuring out how Ohio should equitably pay for public education.
 
"What the task force could not determine is how to pay for delivering education, no matter the wealth of the district," the Plain Dealer said. Then, the article went on to say,  the task force is preparing a report for Governor Taft with 15 recommendations. The report is due by the end of December and the Governor figures to use it to determine a budget for K-12 education.

The Plain Dealer also said the task force, without voting, reached a consensus that poor school districts need more money to educate students.

Read the Plain Dealer article. Click: School finance panel has suggestions, no solution 

*   Average tuition at Ohio's state universities this academic year is just over $7,500, well above the national average of $5,132 reported this fall by the College Board. ....Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 20, 2004

*   Ohio’s starting teacher salaries fall short when compared with nearby states, according to an October report by the Legislative Office of Education Oversight. Ohio ranked last when compared with Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. ....Columbus Dispatch, December 20, 2004

*   The federal No Child Left Behind law will label thousands of Ohio special-education teachers, who have state licenses certifying they are trained to teach children with disabilities, as unqualified beginning this school year. And unless they take hours of classes or the law changes, many could lose their jobs by the end of the 2005-06 school year. NCLB requires that special-education teachers be rated as highly certified in up to four subjects, math, English, social studies and science. Most regular high-school teachers need to be certified in just one of those disciplines. ....Columbus Dispatch, December 19, 2004

*   The State Board of Education amended rules relating to Teacher Education and Licensure Standards. The amendments are in response to mandates in Senate Bill 2 and to provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Changes in the rules include the following: (1) Addition of a provision that would permit National Board Certified teachers to renew their licenses one time based on earning National Board certification; (2) Addition of a K-12 gifted endorsement; (3) Addition of the designation “ESEA Qualified” on the educational aide permits of paraprofessionals who meet the No Child Left Behind requirements for paraprofessionals; and (4) Incorporation of provisions to designate teacher-preparatory institutions as effective, conditional or low-performing. ....Ohio Department of Education, December 14, 2004

On Tuesday of this week the National Center for Education Statistics released the results on the performances of U.S. students from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). TIMSS, conducted every four years, is an assessment of fourth and eighth graders in mathematics and science. In 2003, the United States and 44 other countries participated in data collection at two grade levels. Twenty-five nations collected data on fourth-graders and 45 nations collected data on eighth-graders. TIMSS results are reported on a scale from 0 to 1,000, with the international standard deviation set at 100.
 
U.S PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS
 
2003 Performance at Grade Four
U.S. fourth-grade students scored 518 in mathematics, on average, exceeding the international average of 495. (25 nations)
 
2003 Performance at Grade Eight
U.S. eighth-grade students scored 504 in mathematics, on average, exceeding the international average of 466. (45 nations)
 
U.S. PERFORMANCE IN SCIENCE

2003 Performance at Grade Four
U.S. fourth-grade students scored 536 in science, on average, exceeding the international average of 489. (25 nations)

2003 Performance at Grade Eight
U.S. eighth-grade students scored 527 in science, on average, exceeding the international average of 473. (45 nations)

For more information click:  PDF version of the powerpoint presentation for TIMSS 2003

Current School Finance Litigation in the United States

School Finance Litigation
  

The Dayton Daily News said today that the State of Ohio must solve a shortfall of up to $5 billion as it develops a new two-year budget by June 30 of next year........and observers believe the legislature may cut the Local Government Fund by 50 percent over the biennium. The Daily News also reported that House Speaker-elect Jon Husted said local governments shouldn't budget to receive anything from the fund until after the state budget is prepared.

 
The Montgomery County Auditor said if the legislature were to eliminate the Local Government Fund, it would take up to 10.46 additional mills of local property taxes in his county to make up for the lost revenue. There is little doubt that similar results would occur in every Ohio county.
 
What are the implications for school funding? Cuts in state aid to schools? More school levies on the ballot? Increased reliance on local property taxes? More districts with fiscal emergencies? "Again, you're at the discretion of the voters," the Montgomery County Auditor told local school treasurers and government budget officials. "The idea that voters are going to put 10 more mills on themselves is doubtful."

According to a recent article in Education Week, some school choice advocates are worried about Margaret Spellings’ nomination to succeed U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige. They fear their cause will get crowded out in President Bush’s second term by a heightened focus on test-based accountability.

Today's Cleveland Plain Dealer published an article highlighting former State Representative Bryan Flannery's school-funding initiative petition.

 
The Plain Dealer said the Flannery proposal would:

*   Establish a commission that would determine what constitutes an adequate education for all children - special needs, vocational, gifted, poor - and what it would cost. The legislature would be required to pay for all of that cost, minus local property taxes equal to 20 mills (or $20 for every $1,000 of property value.) The makeup of the commission is not outlined in the proposal.

*   Discontinue all local school property taxes over 20 mills, and prohibit districts from going to the ballot to seek tax hikes for operating expenses. For high-wealth districts that lose revenue as a result, the state would be required to make up the difference. Flannery estimates local property taxes would be cut by at least $1.7 billion.

*   More than double Homestead Exemption benefits for elderly and disabled people.

*   Prohibit the state from raising sales, income or other taxes to pay for the commission's recommendation.  

There are only eight days left.Your help is needed to make this happen.

Download petition and instructions from www.flanneryforohio.com and collect signatures. Petitions must be sent to Bryan Flannery, 20169 Bradgate Lane, Strongsville, OH  44149 as soon as possible. The signed petitions must be filed with the state no later than December 21, 2004.      

 
Read the Cleveland Plain Dealer article. Click: New front in school funding battle
The Columbus Dispatch said the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Financing Student Success failed again yesterday to reach a consensus. Controversy over the proposed task force recommendations intensified last month when a draft report was made public. Now, according to the Dispatch, Governor Taft is to meet privately with several educators on the Blue Ribbon Task Force. A spokesperson for the Governor said, "The governor wants to hear their thoughts on the recommendations before the report comes out."
 
The task force is supposed to finish its work December 17th, the Dispatch article said. 
According to a Los Angeles Times article, a provision that has been inserted into a federal spending bill that would require schools to devote at least part of a day each year to teaching about the U.S. Constitution. Schools receiving federal funding would be required to teach about the Constitution on September 17, the anniversary of the document's signing in 1787. The provision would apply to all schools, elementary through college, that receive federal aid.
 
The L.A. Times said education groups are concerned that the provision could be the "opening wedge in a campaign by Washington to influence what schools teach." A spokesperson for American Association of School Administrators (AASA) said, "We think it's great that Congress really wants to make sure that every child understands the Constitution. But we hope that members of Congress will remember the Constitution itself when they make policy. And the 10th Amendment clearly states that education is a state's right."
 
Source: "Mission to Mandate Teaching of Constitution Inserted Into Bill," Los Angeles Times, December 4, 2004

The Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools (CORAS) has 131 active members for the 2004-05 school year. Seventeen of the 29 Ohio Appalachian counties have 100% membership in the Coalition. These counties are Brown, Pike, Gallia, Hocking, Vinton, Perry, Meigs, Morgan, Washington, Noble, Monroe, Muskingum, Guernsey, Coshocton, Holmes, Jefferson and Harrison. Two counties, Athens and Jackson, are just one school district short of having 100% membership. Seven new members, not active in CORAS last year, have joined the Coalition this year.

  Garfield Elementary School, Steubenville City School District, is one of the 14 Ohio schools nominated by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to be considered for the U.S. Department of Education’s 2005 No Child Left Behind—Blue Ribbon Schools award. Garfield was the only school nominated from the 29 county Ohio Appalachian region.  ...Ohio Department of Education, December 3, 2004
 
*   The Ohio Department of Education reported yesterday that 54.5 percent of the 127,737 third-graders who took the Third-Grade Reading Achievement Test in October 2004 passed. Last October (2003), 46.3 percent passed. By the end of the 2003-04 school year, the passage rate had improved to 78 percent.  ...Associated Press, December 7, 2004

The nation's 15-year-olds make a poor showing on a newly released international test of practical math applications, ranking 24th out of 29 industrialized nations, behind South Korea, Japan and most of Europe. U.S. students' scores were comparable to those in Poland, Hungary and Spain. Results of the test, known as the Program for International Student Assessment, were released Monday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a group of industrialized nations. ...USA Today, December 7, 2004

  The topic for discussion at the Tuesday, January 25, 2005 CORAS meeting at the Olde Dutch Restaurant in Logan will be FUNDING OHIO'S SCHOOLS: WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED FOR THE NEXT BIENNIUM (FY 2006-2007) AND BEYOND? , The program will include Susan Tavakolian, Executive Director, Office of Budget and Planning, Ohio Department of Education; Paul Marshall, Executive Director, Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Financing Student Success; Bryan Flannery, Former State Representative and sponsor of the Flannery Education Initiative Petition; and John Brandt, Executive Director, Ohio School Boards Association. Registration materials will be mailed to CORAS members in early January. Mark this date on your calendar.
 
*   On Tuesday, March 15, 2005 the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools and the Southeast Region of the  Ohio School Boards Association will co-sponsor the program SUPERINTENDENTS AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS: AREN'T WE IN THIS THING TOGETHER?  OSBA Director of School Board Development, Rob Delane, will speak on the topic, "Aren't We In This Thing Together?" A panel of superintendents and school board members will conduct a follow-up discussion. The location for this meeting will be announced later. Mark this date on your calendar.
 
*   Planning is currently underway for the Thursday, April 28, 2005 (tentative) Samuel I. Hick Executive-In-Residence program sponsored jointly by CORAS and Ohio University College of Education. The annual CORAS summer meeting and golf outing is set for Tuesday, June 14, 2005 at EagleSticks Golf Club and Inn, Zanesville. Mark these dates on your calendar.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported yesterday that nearly 130 Ohio school districts could be removed from the "needs Improvement" list  under a bill adopting new standards for applying the New Child Left Behind Act. The Ohio Senate approved the bill Wednesday and it now shifts to the House of Representatives where a vote is expected later this month.
 
The Plain Dealer said that current law breaks students into grading groups to track standardized test results. If just one of those groups fails in reading or math, the entire district could be placed into a "needs improvement" category and subjected to sanctions.  The bill that passed the Senate Wednesday states that a failing-grade group, as long as others have shown academic progress over the previous year, will no longer drop a district into the lower category.

"Decades have gone by with school district administrators trying to make ends meet and keep their districts out of debt. Cuts have been made by attrition, or not replacing employees who have retired. Buildings have been consolidated, making districts -- taxpayers -- holders of real estate they don't need or want, but must pay to upkeep. Health insurance rates have skyrocketed for everyone, including districts trying to attract quality teachers. And, since the Ohio Supreme Court washed its hands of DeRolph v. State of Ohio, the issue of school funding has nearly gone all the way back to square one. Lawmakers have not been held accountable for the debacle which is the funding of primary and secondary education." ....from Chillicothe Gazette editorial, December 1, 2004 

From the Bryan Flannery web site.
 
There are three weeks left to make this happen.  Download petitions and instructions. Help change Ohio for the better!

The Ohio Supreme Court issued four DeRolph decisions.  The third decision was reconsidered and thus set aside.  The fourth decision admonished the legislature to give the school funding system a complete systematic overhaul in accordance with the terms of DeRolph I & II

DeRolph I & II clearly stipulated that the system of school funding must undergo a complete systematic overhaul.  Among the factors the Court found that contributed to the unworkability of the system and must be eliminated are:

v     The operation of the school foundation program (no relationship between the level of funding and the actual cost of an adequate education)

v     Emphasis on property tax

v     “Phantom” revenue

v     Unfunded mandates

v     Lack of strict academic standards (which include input standards or standards of opportunity) 

The initiative petition developed by Bryan Flannery, a former State Representative, responds directly to the flaws the Court found in the system.  It requires that the costs for the various categories of students—regular, special education, vocational, gifted, disadvantaged and other special needs—be based on essential learning resources inherent in a thorough and efficient system. 

The petition makes public K-12 education an entitlement that requires the state to fully fund education with the local involvement of 20 mills on property.  The provisions in the Flannery Initiative Petition effectively and succinctly respond to the flaws enumerated in the DeRolph decisions. 

Download the petition from www.flanneryforohio.com and collect signatures at basketball games and other school events.  Petitions must be sent to Bryan Flannery, 20169 Bradgate Lane, Strongsville, OH  44149 by December 15.  

Violent school crime has been cut in half over the past 10 years, according to a report released Monday by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and National Center for Education Statistics. This annual report examines crime occurring in school as well as on the way to and from school. The report said violent crime against students in schools fell by 50% between 1992 and 2002, with young people more often targeted for violence away from school.
 
The report also said:
 
• In 2003, 22% of students in grades 9-12 reported using marijuana during the preceding 30 days. That compares with 18% in 1993 and 27% in 1999.

• About 45% of high school students in 2003 said they had at least one alcoholic drink in the 30 days before they were surveyed, about the same as in 1993 and down from a recent high of 52% in 1995.

• A third of students in grades 9-12 said that someone had offered, given or sold them an illegal drug on school property in 2003. That number has essentially remained the same over the past decade.

Read the report. Click:  NEW! Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2004

*   In addition to their normal progression from elementary to middle school to high school, at least four in 10 students change schools one or more times by the time they are 17 years old. ....Associated Press, November 28, 2004
 
*   An investigation of Head Start agencies by the Columbus Dispatch found that nearly 70 percent of money intended for preschool education of poor children in Ohio is going unspent, and nearly 8,000 eligible children are not receiving help. ....Columbus Dispatch, November 28, 2004 

*   More than 26,500 limited English proficient students were enrolled in the state's elementary and secondary public schools during the 2003-2004 school year, according to the Ohio Department of Education. This represents a 33 percent increase over the number reported three years ago and a 110 percent increase over the number from 10 years ago. ....Dayton Daily News, November 29, 2004

*   In his column today, Lee Leonard said the current "school-funding system will remain for three basic reasons: (1) Ohioans won’t give up their constitutional right to vote on school taxes, (2) property taxes provide a stable source of revenue and (3) the Buckeye State is too diverse for a one-size-fits-all method of distributing the money." ....Columbus Dispatch, November 29, 2004 

"If the governor and lawmakers really believe that education is a key element in improving the state's economy and the state's future -- and they certainly should believe that -- then they should start working with educators instead of fighting them."  ...from an editorial in the Lancaster Eagle Gazette, November 20, 2004.

According to the Ohio Job & Family Services September 2004 Civilian Labor Force Estimates (the latest data by county available) 23 of the 29 Ohio Appalachian counties had unemployment rates above the national average. Unemployment rates in 21 Ohio Appalachian counties exceeded the state average. In six counties, including Coshocton, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum and Perry, the September unemployment rate was above 10 percent,  ranging from 10.3 percent  to 15.8 percent.
 
The Columbus Dispatch reported Saturday  that Ohio’s October 2004 jobless rate was 6.3 percent, almost a full percentage point higher than the U.S. average of 5.5 percent.
Congress has approved and sent to the President a bill updating special education requirements. The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) said the bill will:
 
   Broaden the ways for schools to identify special education pupils, allowing schools to reach children in earlier grades and reduce the relatively high share of minority children who are tracked toward special education. 
 
*   Give districts the flexibility to spend up to 15 percent of federal special education money on services to children who are not in special education, but who may need extra help to succeed in regular classrooms. 
 
*   Regarding the issue of classroom discipline, AASA said the bill maintains federal protections that require schools to show that a disabled child's misbehavior is not a result of a disability or of the school's failure to provide services that could have prevented the outburst. But if a review determines that the misconduct is unrelated to the disability, the school could expel the pupil.
 
The President is expected to sign the bill. 
The Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force On Financing Student Success met yesterday to finalize their report to the Governor. The task force recommended some changes to finance Ohio's public schools. But, according to newspaper reports, legislators instantly dismissed them. The Columbus Dispatch said the group could not reach agreement on even the most-basic issues. The Dispatch added, "The divisions among the 35 lawmakers, educators, and business and community leaders underscore the uncertainty surrounding any proposal."
 
Some published comments:
Senator Jacobson said, "I will work to defeat it." (Akron Beacon Journal and Cincinnati Enquirer) Senator Jacobson told colleagues on the panel that he will work against a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that, if approved by voters, would allow real-estate tax revenues generated in school districts to increase, within limits, as property values grow. (Columbus Dispatch)
 
Senator C. J. Prentiss said, "We spent 16 months working on something that I frankly feel will fail." (Columbus Dispatch) and "I've been saying all along that we need a Plan B because what we are proposing is not going to pass the General Assembly." (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
 
House Minority Leader Chris Redfern said he doubts that many of his fellow Democrats would support the amendment. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
 
Paul Marshall, executive director of the task force, conceded that winning approval for the constitutional amendment wouldn't be easy. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
 
Since it appears the Governor's Task Force is struggling, there is another "game in town." Check out former State Representative Bryan Flannery's website.
 

Participate in the school funding reform petition drive.  Click on http://www.flanneryforohio.com/ to download the official petition and instructions

 

The Governor's Task Force On Financing Student Success will meet this morning to finalize its recommendations. The Columbus Dispatch said the "49-page draft report doesn’t include a magic number and doesn’t promise a quick fix..." but has ".....some significant recommendations aimed at easing the financial burdens on school districts."

The recommendations referred to by the Dispatch would allow real-estate tax revenues generated in school districts to increase, within limits, as property values grow;  would eliminate "phantom revenue;" would provide districts with large numbers of students living in poverty more state aid for all-day kindergarten and smaller class sizes; and  would provide all school districts with more money for professional development, student intervention and the building of databases to evaluate students’ performance. The cost would be about $400 million more a year, according to the Dispatch.

Some panel members say the draft report falls short of the court’s order for a complete, systematic overhaul, the Dispatch said. 

Read the Dispatch article. Click: Panel finalizing school-funding plan

*   The State Board of Education is considering a proposal that would allow students to graduate from high school even if they haven't passed the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT). A report by the Task Force on Quality High Schools for a Lifetime of Opportunity recommends an appeals process that would allow students to graduate if they could show in another way that they have learned the academic standards measured by the graduation test. It suggests using college entrance exams such as the SAT or ACT as an alternative to the OGT.  Any changes would require the approval of the Legislature. ....Associated Press, November 17, 2004

*   School Districts currently must show that students in each of three grade spans (grades K-4, 5-8 and 9-12) improve annually in math and reading, a major tenet of the No Child Left Behind law. A bill introduced in the Ohio Senate yesterday would allow districts to show progress in just one of those grade spans to avoid a series of sanctions. If passed, the bill would be implemented immediately, according to an Ohio Department of Education official. ....Columbus Dispatch, November 17, 2004

*   Ohio high schools need to be revamped, according to a report adopted yesterday by the State Board of Education. The report, by the Task Force on Quality High Schools for a Lifetime of Opportunity, recommends Ohio create smaller, more-personalized schools, offer challenging courses and provide students with more hands-on learning experiences such as internships. ....Columbus Dispatch, November 17, 2004

*   Ohio charter schools will receive more than $376 million in public money this year, based on the state's November payments compiled by the Coalition for Public Education. ....Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 17, 2004

According to a report released yesterday, "Average Isn't Enough: Advancing Working Families to Create an Outstanding Ohio Economy," one in five jobs in Ohio pays less than poverty-level wages. For a family of four, that was $18,392, or $8.84 an hour, according to 2002 census statistics that were used for the report. Education and job training programs are needed to help the state's neediest residents become self-sufficient, the study concludes.

  Twenty school districts have reached fiscal watch or fiscal emergency status, according to the Ohio Auditor's office. ....Toledo Blade, November 15, 2004
 
*    "Many groups, including the Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of Schools, and the Coalition of Rural Appalachian Schools, which was formed in 1988, continue to fight for fairness in public school financing." ....Toledo Blade, November 14, 2004  
Read the article. Click: Effort to fix system is decade old 
 
*    Statewide (Ohio), just slightly more than 3,400 of the nearly 8,500 Head Start Plus slots are filled. Enrollment is down this year because of the new eligibility restrictions and a tedious approval process, Head Start Plus directors say.  ....Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 12, 2004 

*   Studies routinely cited as evidence that home-schooled students perform better than public school students don't prove anything because there are huge, untested segments of the home-school population that may be failing, according to many researchers.  ....Akron Beacon Journal, November 15, 2004  Read ABJ article. Click:  Claims of academic success rely on anecdotes, flawed data analysis

Nationally, between 347,000 and 544,000 students in grades 10 through 12 left school each year from 1990 through 2001, according to a national study completed last month, according to the Toledo Blade. The Blade said in the 34,000-student Toledo Public Schools, 3,464 pupils entered high school as freshmen in the fall of 1999. Four years later, there were only 1,532 students in the senior class.
 
On Tuesday, November 16, 2004 at 8:00 p.m. PBS television will broadcast a program highlighting successful dropout prevention efforts. Paint Valley Local School District (Ross County, and a CORAS member) is included in the TV program for their efforts in reducing high school dropouts, according to Superintendent Phil Satterfield. 

The National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) has projected that Ohio's public school enrollment will decrease by 3.2 percent between the years 2001 and 2013. Only New York, North Dakota, Kentucky and West Virginia are projected to have a greater decrease. Nationwide, according to NCES, enrollment in public schools is expected to increase by 4 percent during that same period.

  In 1999, the federal government estimated the number of students being home schooled to be around 850,000. By 2003, the number had jumped to somewhere between 1.7 and 2.1 million students, according to data from the National Home Education Research Institute. Some experts argue that home schooling is the fastest-growing form of education in the country.
 
*   A recent Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll shows that 42 percent of adults favor voucher initiatives while 56 percent oppose them. Government-supported voucher programs are in several states including Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida, Maine, and Vermont.
 
*   According to the Center for Education Reform, an organization that advocates for charter schools, there were nearly 3,000 charter schools in 37 states and the District of Columbia in January 2004. The schools enroll some 685,000 students.
 
*   Public school choice is gaining popularity according to Education Week’s Quality Counts 2004. The report found that 44 states (compared to 32 states the year before) have open-enrollment programs in place.
Did you know that nationwide between 1991-92 and 2001-02 school years there was a 13.4% increase in public school students and a 23.3% increase in the number of teachers?

Source: National Center for Education Statistics

 

A new report by National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shows that while progress was made during the 1970s and 1980s in reducing high school dropout rates and increasing high school completion rates, these rates have since stagnated. The report includes four rates to provide a broad picture of high school dropouts and completers in the United States: the event dropout rate, the status dropout rate, the status completion rate, and the 4-year completion rate. Each rate provides unique information about the state of high school education.
 
Read about each "rate" by clicking on the following.
Event Dropout Rates
Status Dropout Rates
Status Completion Rates
4-Year Completion Rates
Data Considerations
 
To read the full report, Click: NEW REPORT! Dropout Rates In the United States: 2001 
According to the Ohio Department of Education there were 286 school tax issues on the November 2nd ballot. Election results show 144 issues passing and 142 issues failing. The November 2004 passage rate was 50.35%. The five-year, 2000 through 2004, November passage rate is 59.28%.
 
                                    Tax Issues         Passage Rate
November 2004.............286.....................50.35%
November 2003.............221.....................47.96%
November 2002.............189.....................59.26%
November 2001.............162.....................66.67%
November 2000.............252.....................74.60%
 
To view the November 2004 results by school district, Click:  Results by District
The CORAS/COE Leadership & Research Committee met on October 19th to develop and refine their new research project. The primary purpose of the meeting was to assist the researchers in the design of the case study protocols dealing with board-superintendent relationshipsThe overarching research question to be answered is: What is the character of communication between boards and superintendents in school districts with different demographic characteristics?  Five school districts will be selected for case studies from among the highest and lowest socio-economic quartiles in urban, suburban-small town and rural locales in Ohio.
 
The committee agreed on six subordinate research questions, which would provide a beginning point for developing interview questions. Those research questions are:

 

  • What explicit communication strategies are used?
  • What communication approaches are avoided?
  • How does communication work to advance vision-setting and continuous improvement?
  • How is the work of boards evaluated?
  • What procedures are used to evaluate superintendents?
  • How is the superintendent transition handled?
CORAS members will updated periodically on the progress of the research project.
 
For more information on the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools/College of Education research project,

Nearly 42 percent of Ohio districts are on the ballot today seeking tax increases to support public schools.

The study, Funding Gap 2004,  by the Education Trust found that school districts in high-poverty areas in 25 states received less money from state and local sources than their wealthier counterparts. When adjusted to account for additional costs associated with an equal education for children from low-income families, 36 states were found to have funding gaps.

The Education Trust makes several recommendations to states for easing the funding gap:

• Increasing the share of state funding for education;

• Reducing reliance on local property taxes to pay for education;

• Targeting more aid toward children from low-income families; and

• Promoting budget practices that give schools within each district the same amount of per-pupil funding, with adjustments for students living in poverty.

The following message is from the American Association of School Administrators.
 
Inspired by the steps taken by Barrington Public School District in New Hampshire, AASA is starting a nationwide project to bring increased attention to the federal shortfall of funding special education.  AASA has created a template for every district to bill the federal government for their unpaid share of special education funding.
 
In 1975, Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA).  Recognizing that schools were being asked to provide more services, Congress promised to pay 40 percent of the Average per Pupil Expenditure for every student in special education.  Currently, Congress is barely at 19 percent instead of the 40 percent originally promised.  Despite recent increases in IDEA funding, at the rate of increases of $1 billion a year, Congress will never reach its 40 percent commitment.
 
By billing the federal government for their unpaid portion of special education, school districts across the country can send the message that the federal government is passing its burden onto local school districts.  The invoice would be best issued on your school district letterhead.  You can access a template for this invoice by clicking on http://www.aasa.org/government_relations/invoice_for_unpaid_federal_share.xls.  When you get the prompt, you can save the template as a document on your computer.  This prompt will show up when you click on the above link.
 
You will need three pieces of information to fill it out: how many students your district serves under IDEA, how much you received from the federal government for IDEA and how much your district spent in total on special education services.  Just plug them into the above spreadsheet and the outstanding balance will automatically pop up. Please send a copy of this invoice to all of the members of your Congressional Delegation.  You can find your members of Congress by clicking on http://www.congressweb.com/cweb4/index.cfm?orgcode=AASA Also please copy AASA (Attn: Mary Kusler) on what you send to your Congressional Delegations as AASA plans on tracking the efforts of its membership.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact Mary Kusler at mkusler@aasa.org or 703-875-0733. 
Will you be attending the OSBA Capital Conference? The Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools and the Ohio University College of Education have recently completed a series of studies titled, “Who Will Lead Our Schools?” The results of this study will be discussed at the OSBA Conference in November. The session will be held from 9:00 - 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, November 10th at the Columbus Convention Center.  The presentation focuses on “growing your own leadership" — what boards and administrators can do. The CORAS/OU presenters are Aimee Howley, Max Evans, Larry Burgess and Jerry Vinci. Mark this date/time on your calendar! (Pass this information on to members of your Board of Education.)
A member of the U. S. House Education Committee has called for a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation of two U.S. Department of Education grants. The grants were awarded to the Arkansas education department for an online learning project it set up with K12 Inc. and to the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE), a project of the Education Leaders Council (ELC). The grants total almost $45 million, according to Education Week.

EW said the grant involving K12 Inc. was awarded even though the project did not meet U.S. Education Department grant criteria and peer reviewers had ranked at least one other project higher. K12 Inc., based in McLean, Virginia, was founded by William J. Bennett.

The letter calling for the investigation said the ABCTE award disregarded two out of three reviewers’ rejections of the project. Deputy Secretary of Education Eugene W. Hickok was a founding member of the ELC, the Education Week article said.

Twenty-five education, civil rights, and other groups are forming a coalition to propose changing how the No Child Left Behind law measures academic progress, reducing the amount of testing required, and replacing “sanctions that do not have a consistent record of success” with interventions that enable schools to improve student achievement. The American Association of School Administrators, the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders, and the National Education Association are among the organizations signing on to the statement.
The groups emphasize their support for the NCLB objectives of strong academic achievement for all children and elimination of achievement gaps, and support for an accountability system that helps achieve such aims. But they call for “significant corrections” to the law.

Another group called the Achievement Alliance, which includes the Education Trust and the Business Roundtable,  formed a few weeks ago to support the No Child Left Behind law and promote a better understanding of its provisions.

Read the Education Week article. Click: Groups Offer Changes for School Law

The New York Times said yesterday that charter schools "has become one of the most contentious issues in education."  The Times pointed to the following challenges to charter schools.

*   Washington state passed a law in March to allow charter schools, but is now facing a referendum on the November 2nd  ballot that seeks to repeal it. 

*   A Chicago plan to close 100 failing schools and replace some with charter schools has provoked protests.

*   In Detroit, an entrepreneur offered $200 million to create 15 charter schools, but the teachers union and some parents persuaded the State Legislature to block the proposal.

  In Massachusetts and Ohio, school budget problems aggravated by the loss of money to charter schools have touched off a movement against them.

*   Florida and California are tightening regulations after corruption scandals.

Today, there are 3,000  publicly financed, privately managed charter schools operating in 40 states, according to the NY Times. 

Twenty-three Ohio Appalachian counties will be selecting a representative to the State Board of Education on November 2nd. The candidates from District 9, containing 11 Appalachian counties (Perry, Hocking, Muskingum, Coshocton, Morgan, Athens, Meigs, Guernsey, Noble, Monroe and Washington), are: David Daubenmire, 50 Woody Knoll Drive, Thornville,  William E. Moore, 14 1/2 Maple Avenue, Woodsfield, and Jennifer Stewart, 2775 Martin Road, Zanesville.
Colleen D. Grady, 18782 South Inlet Drive, Strongsville, Robin C. Hovis, 188 North Washington Street, Millersburg, and Ed Lepisto, 1842 Fishermans Trail, Madison, are candidates seeking a seat on the state board from District 5. Holmes County is the only Appalachian county in District 5.
Jane Sonenshein, 6143 Kilrenny Drive, Loveland, is the only candidate listed from District 10 with eleven Appalachian counties (Adams, Brown, Clermont, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Ross, Scioto, and Vinton).

*   Moyer and Connally also clashed over the role of the court. Connally, saying she believes the Constitution is a living document, referred to school funding and said the court must enforce its rulings. ....Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 22, 2004

*   Warren Appeals Court Judge William O’Neill broke ranks with the three other associate justice candidates by blasting the state legislature for not fixing school-funding problems.  The Ohio Supreme Court, in four rulings, has found the system of financing public schools unconstitutional.  "I believe the Ohio General Assembly is in contempt of court,’’ O’Neill said. " When the state legislature encroaches on the Constitution," he said, "They are entitled to no deference. They are on forbidden ground."....Columbus Dispatch, October 22, 2004
Average undergraduate tuition at Ohio's four-year public universities was $4,973 in 2001-02, climbing to $6,822 last year. ....Akron Beacon Journal, October 22, 2004

*   More than eight years after they were launched as a bold experiment in education, Texas' charter schools as a whole are performing well below other public schools on state tests, according to a new review of data. ....Dallas Morning News, October 21, 2004

Education Week reports that voters in at least a dozen states will cast ballots November 2nd on whether to force their states to raise school funding, provide lottery or gambling revenues to schools, or restrict taxes that traditionally have raised money for education. The results could mean dramatic increases in K-12 spending in some states and, at the same time, the outcomes could shrink local money available for schools in other states, the article said.Education Week reports that voters in at least a dozen states will cast ballots November 2nd on whether to force their states to raise school funding, provide lottery or gambling revenues to schools, or restrict taxes that traditionally have raised money for education. The results could mean dramatic increases in K-12 spending in some states and, at the same time, the outcomes could shrink local money available for schools in other states, the article said.

Taking the school finance debate directly to voters has become increasingly popular in recent years, say political scientists. "They’re going to the ballot to get priority for education, which they can’t get from the state legislature," said a professor of education at Stanford University.  Advocates will continue to take such questions directly to voters, another expert said, for a simple reason: They often succeed.

Read the Education Week article. Click: Voters Weigh K-12 Finance at Ballot Box  

The Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools (CORAS) held meetings on September 14, 2004 and October 12, 2004 focusing on school funding and candidates seeking statewide offices in the November election. Nearly 90 people attended the two meetings.

The September meeting in Logan offered participants an opportunity to experience the School Funding in Ohio Learning Maps developed by Edventures, Inc. and Ohio Public School Dialogue. Dan Romano, Edventures, Inc. , presented the learning maps. Table coaches were Dick Murray, Keith Richards, Forest Yocum, Paul Mock, Barb Hansen, Rosemary Tolliver, and Barbara Spragg. Ron Bickert and Max Evans represented the Ohio Public School Dialogue.
Presentations at the October meeting in Zanesville included an update on the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Financing Student Success, by Russ Harris, OEA Government Services, a discussion of candidates favorable to public education, led by Paul Folmer, Ohioans for Educational Justice, and a look at the escalating school funding crisis in Ohio, by William L. Phillis, Executive Director, E&A Coalition.
The next CORAS meeting is set for Tuesday, January 25, 2005. The program and location will be announced soon.
The following is an excerpt from an article published Sunday, October 17, 2004, in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Among other things, the article discusses the school-funding issue of equity or adequacy.
The Plain Dealer said:
Lawsuits remain active in 27 states, including Texas, New York and Kansas. Nine states including Ohio have funding systems in place that have been ruled unconstitutional.  The first wave of those lawsuits, which started in California in 1971, focused almost entirely on equity. That shifted in the late 1980s when reformers started to challenge the adequacy of the finance systems. What's the difference? Policy analyst Andrew Rotherham likens equity to Kurt Vonnegut's 1962 story "Harrison Bergeron." The story describes a society in which everyone is equal. Fleet people wear weights to slow them down. Attractive people wear masks. Intelligent people wear devices in their ears that pipe in distracting noise. The point? "Equity" equalizes funding levels in an arbitrary way. "Adequacy," on the other hand, provides the resources children need to meet demanding new academic standards. "I'd argue that adequacy is the best way to ensure equity," said Rotherham,  director of the 21st Century Schools Project at the Progressive Policy Institute. 
Some might question Rotherham's analogy, but whether it be equity or adequacy, the Ohio General Assembly and the Governor may not "deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws," according to the Fourteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution.

Read the full article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Click:  • Educators, lawmakers struggle to find formula that passes test

Jonathan Kozol, who has chronicled the effect of school funding inequities on children throughout the nation, was quoted in the Sunday Cleveland Plain Dealer. Speaking about Ohio's school-funding system, Kozol said, "Ohio is, perhaps, the most shameful example in the nation. The entire system is archaic, undemocratic and ultimately unfixable."

American high school students are no better prepared for college today than they were 10 years ago, according to a new study released yesterday by ACT. The New York Times said the ACT study found that the proportion of students taking a minimum core of college preparatory courses, four years of English and three years each of mathematics, science and social studies, had risen only slightly in 10 years: to 56 percent in 2004, from 54 percent in 1994.
Kati Haycock, director of the Education Trust, said the ACT report was useful in focusing attention on the need to improve high schools. Haycock said, "There has been a belief that if we got kids off to a better start, the problems in high school would fix themselves. That has not happened. What we're learning is that education is not like an inoculation, where if you do it once, you are set for life. It is more like nutrition, where you have to do it right and then keep doing it right."
Read the New York Times Report. Click:  Study of College Readiness Finds No Progress in Decade
Reprinted form the October, 2004 Teachers Magazine.
All responses except the first one are drawn from an annual survey of 800 registered voters conducted by Lake Snell Perry & Associates for Education Week and the Public Education Network. The first question is from a CBS News poll.

4%

consider education the top issue in this year's presidential election, behind the war in Iraq (26 percent), the economy (25 percent), and health care (8 percent).

59%

believe that public schools in their community do not receive enough funding.

14%

are "very willing" to increase taxes to fund public education.  An additional 45 percent are "somewhat willing" to do so.

28%

oppose NCLB, up more than threefold from the 8 percent who opposed the law in 2003. More than one-third—36 percent—favor legislation, and 34 percent have not made up their minds.

59%

would be more likely to vote for a presidential candidate who says that public education would be the centerpiece of his or her administration.  But fewer than half—48 percent—believe such statements are "sincere."

The Associated Press reported yesterday that 278 school districts are asking voters to approve 307 tax issues on November 2nd. The issues include operating levies, school income taxes, permanent improvement levies and bonds for building construction. AP said that an analysis by the Akron Beacon Journal showed the 307 issues are the most on a November ballot since 1976. AP also reported that voters will have been asked to approve 639 school tax issues this year, the highest annual total in two decades.
In August 2004, voters approved only 25 percent of the 103 school tax issues. 
The Associated Press said yesterday the federal government promoted No Child Left Behind (NCLB) by providing TV stations with a video that comes across as a news story. It does not identify the government as the source of the report. It also fails to make clear that the person purporting to be a reporter was hired by the government for the promotional video. According to USA Today, some claimed the government was "sending out videos featuring 'pretend' news reports."
AP said the government used a similar approach this year in promoting the new Medicare law and drew a rebuke from the Government Accounting Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress. GAO found that the videos amounted to propaganda in violation of federal law. A spokesperson said the education department stopped offering the video after the GAO ruling in the Medicare case. 
USA Today also said the U.S. Education Department paid a private firm to provide rankings of newspaper coverage of the No Child Left Behind law. Newspapers and reporters favoring NCLB were awarded points. Stories lost points for negative messages, including claims that the law is not adequately funded or is too tough on states. 
Sunday's Cleveland Plain Dealer printed an article with the sub-title, Ohio's "Complex, unfair system gives generous breaks to some companies." The Plain Dealer referred to the "unfair system" as "the case of the vanishing corporate taxes." Does Ohio have the capability to raise additional revenue to fund public schools and other essential services?  To help answer this question, one might consider what the Plain Dealer article said. 

Last year, less than 5 percent of Ohio's general fund revenue came from the corporation franchise tax, down from 16.3 percent in 1972. Revenues from the tax have declined by about a third since 1998.

Six of the biggest companies doing business in Ohio, each with billions in U.S. sales and an average of $650 million in Ohio, paid a grand total of just $50 each in corporation franchise taxes in 2001.

 In 2002, close to half of the 101,000 non-financial companies that were subject to the corporation franchise tax managed to pay just $50 by using available credits, according to the tax department.

*  Based on projections by the Ohio Department of Taxation, the state lost some $480 million in potential corporation franchise tax revenues for 2003 because of dozens of credits, exemptions and other breaks

*  In 2002, records show, tax credits approved by the General Assembly over the years shaved nearly $18 million, a reduction of more than 80 percent, from the corporation franchise tax liability of Ohio's transportation-equipment manufacturers.  

Ohio's state and local tax collections on corporate income were just $67 per capita, compared with the U.S. average of $124, a state tax-study committee reported last year.

*  More than 77 percent of tax changes added to the budget last year to address the state's chronic revenue shortfall were aimed at individuals, according to a report by the Center for Community Solutions in Cleveland.  

Ohio ranks almost dead last in jobs created since 2000 and accounts for nearly 20 percent of all American job losses since the start of the last recession. 

Read the Cleveland Plain Dealer article. Click:  • Ohio's tangled tax code

The Associated Press reported today that new Census data show Ohio's population of children under 5 years-of-age dropped 2 percent to 740,300 from 2000 to 2003. At the same time, according to AP, Ohio lost 79,011 people aged 20-44, a drop of nearly 2 percent. By contrast, the number of Ohioans, aged 80 to 84, increased to an estimated 234,043 in 2003, up 8 percent from 2000. Overall, the article said, Ohio had 11,435,798 people in 2003, a 0.06 percent increase.

In 36 states, including Ohio, the highest-poverty school districts receive less money than the lowest-poverty districts when we account for what school funding experts say is the extra cost of educating low-income students, a new report has found. Nationwide the disparity exceeds $1,300 per student. The findings, released yesterday by the Education Trust, showed that high-poverty school districts in Ohio received $347 less per student than their counterparts with relatively few poor children did in 2002. And, according to the report, Ohio ranked 35th of the 50 states in State share of state and local revenue in 2002, the latest year for which data is available.
Data from several other states show much greater disparity than Ohio. However, this is not the case in New Jersey where court rulings have forced increases in spending on poor students, and the disparity between districts now favors poor ones, the report said.
Read news release and/or report, The Funding Gap 2004. Click: (Press Release) (Report)
The New York Times reported yesterday that No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires schools to "sharply expand annual testing of students starting next school year." According to a government report, the expanded testing "faces serious obstacles, including unreliable data and a lack of clear and timely guidance from federal officials," the NY Times said.
The report, by the Government Accountability Office (G.A.O.), found wide variation in the rules that States use to measure progress. The report went on to suggest that the variation makes comparisons between states meaningless. According to the G.A.O. report, when the U. S. Department of Education said it had approved plans from all states for carrying out NCLB in June 2003, it had in fact completely approved only 11 plans. The remaining plans received conditional approval. As of July 31, 2004, twenty-three states (including Ohio) and the District of Columbia still had only conditional approval. The investigators said that state officials remained uncertain about how to obtain full approval. 
The G.A.O. report recommends that the U. S. Secretary of Education delineate a written process and timeframes for states to meet conditions for full approval, develop a written plan with steps and timeframes so all states have approved standards and assessment systems by 2006, and further support states’ efforts to gather accurate student data used to determine if goals have been met.
To read the report, No Child Left Behind: Improvements Needed In Education's Process For Tracking States Implementation Of Key 
Provisions, click: GAO-04-734, NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT: Improvements Needed in Education?s Process for ...
*   A recent population survey from the U.S. Census Bureau found that 12.1 percent of Ohioans were living in poverty in 2003, up from 11.9 percent in 2002, and 11 percent in 2001.
*   Last year, according to an article in the today's Canton Repository, it cost roughly $2,000 more than the national average to attend college in Ohio, while the per capita income in Ohio is about 6 percent less than the national average.

*   According to the Columbus Dispatch, State Representatives Claudette J. Woodard, D-Cleveland Heights, and  Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster, will draft bills this year that would require teachers to undergo criminal checks each time they renew their teacher licenses.

*   Ten educators from Hong Kong toured the East Muskingum Local School District yesterday. They are in the United States for the International Alliance for Invitational Education Conference. East Muskingum was chosen as an example of a district which used invitational education. Invitational education is a theory of practice that uses five factors -- people, places, policies, programs and processes -- to create a caring environment to help students realize their potential, according to the Zanesville Times Recorder. 

With four weeks until election day the Ohio Supreme Court race is close, according to a Columbus Dispatch poll. However, the majority of voters are still undecided. The recent Dispatch poll found the following preferences among voters.
*  C. Ellen Connally.................23%
   Thomas J. Moyer................25%
    Undecided.........................52%
Nancy A. Fuerst................18%
   Judith Ann Lanzinger............20%
   Undecided........................62%
*  William O'Neill...................21%
   Terrence O'Donnell..............21%
   Undecided........................58%
Do you want more information? Attend the Tuesday, October 12, 2004 Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools meeting at the Holiday  Inn, Zanesville where several topics will be discussed, including (1) candidates seeking state office in the November election (Paul Folmer), (2) the escalating school funding crisis in Ohio (William L. Phillis) and (3) the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Financing Student Success (Russ Harris). The meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. and will conclude following lunch at approximately 1:00 p.m. To register for the meeting call Lori at (740) 593-4414 or (740) 593-4445. There is a $15.00 registration fee which includes continental breakfast and lunch.
A study by the Education Trust and National Alliance of Black School Educators found that Ohio was second in the nation with 83 percent of its public schools making Adequate Yearly Progress (APY) in reading and math scores in 2003-04. Maryland  led the nation with 86 percent of their public schools achieving AYP, according to the report.
View a PowerPoint on the report. Click: (Results 2004 PowerPoint)
The Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools is sponsoring a seminar on public education funding in Ohio. The program will be held at the Holiday Inn, Zanesville on Tuesday, October 12, 2004. Registration and continental breakfast will begin at 9:00 AM. The program will conclude following lunch at approximately 1:00 PM. The program will include:

“OHIO PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING: A PERSPECTIVE ON THE FUTURE”

 

Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force

 on Financing Student Success Report

&

Funding Ohio's Schools:

Responsibility and Opportunity

 

Presenter

Russ Harris

Government Services, Ohio Education Association

Member of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force

________________________________________________________________

 

 Three Weeks Until Election Day 2004 

How can educators help elect candidates favorable to public education? 

Presenter

Paul Folmer

Ohioans for Educational Justice  

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

The Escalating School Funding Crisis in Ohio

A Reality Check: What lies ahead for school funding in Ohio? What is the role of the E&A Coalition? 

  

Presenter

William L. Phillis, Executive Director

Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding

The Westerville City Schools superintendent, appearing on stage with President Bush in Springfield on Monday, told the President and those in attendance that schools don’t need more money to comply with the No Child Left Behind law. Some people say give us more money. That's not the answer," He said. "It's about accountability." .....Columbus Dispatch, September 28, 2004
   
Several dozen Evergreen Local School District (Fulton County) students go home late each day because there aren't enough buses to take everyone home after classes. The superintendent said three buses that cover regular routes in the morning are needed in the afternoon to pick up students at special education facilities and parochial schools. "The most obvious solution," the superintendent said, "would be to add three buses, but doing so immediately would require funding and drivers not available." .....Toledo Blade, September 29, 2004

Layoffs continue at the Cleveland City schools. Twelve administrators in the central office were mailed layoff notices this past weekend. These will be the last of 36 administrative layoffs since July. About 1,400 positions district wide have been eliminated since last spring. .....Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 28, 2004.

The Dublin Board of Education will cut $4.25 million from next year’s budget if its levy request fails in November. "The cuts are not a threat," the school board president said. "We just don’t have other options." The contingency plan would eliminate up to 100 staff positions; restrict busing to students in kindergarten through eighth grade living 2 or more miles from their school; and increase pay-to-participate fees by 50 percent. .....Columbus Dispatch, September 29, 2004

A judge has removed three school board members from office, ruling the Madison-Plains board members continually abused their authority to the detriment of district students. This is the first time in Ohio that a majority of a school board's members has been ordered to vacate their seats. .....Columbus, Dispatch, September 28, 2004

According to CNN.com, this past Friday  Education Secretary Rod Paige declared "the debate is over" about whether the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act is working.
The CNN article countered Secretary Paige's statement by saying, "In fact, the election-year debate about the law is not over." The article pointed out that critics complain that NCLB demands "enormous progress without providing enough money or cooperation from Washington." CNN went to say the co-director of a national advocacy group said Paige's rosy view of the law is "a wide divorce from reality," and that it rigidly relies on standardized tests and lacks billions of dollars in aid.
Secretary Paige did acknowledge schools' struggles to meet the sweeping demands of NCLB and the greatly expanded role of the federal government in changing schools. However, he apparently offered no solutions other than to stay the course and end the debate.
According to AASA's On-line Newsletter, if a school district has not spent Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) dollars from FY 02 (2002-03 school year), the district will lose the funds on September 30, 2004. AASA said there is about $2 million in unspent funds under the Rural and Small Schools Achievement Program and about $2 million under the Rural and Low-Income Schools Program that has not been used by school districts.
AASA added, "Besides the loss of the funding for these districts, these unspent funds are potentially damaging to the future of REAP. The U.S. Department of Education and Congress look on these unspent dollars as reasoning that rural districts do not need REAP funding."  
Award letters for REAP grants for 2004-05 school year have just recently been mailed to school districts, the AASA newsletter said. 
Nearly 3,800 "house parties" were held across the U.S. on Wednesday in an attempt to restore public education as a political priority in the election year debate. "That's a big order," the Boston Globe said yesterday. "Only 5 percent of voters chose education as their most important issue in voting for president in an AP-Ipsos poll this month." 
According to the Globe, the purpose behind the event was to get people discussing what it will take to improve schools, but it also was promoting a solution....more money. The talking points used by "house party" hosts send a message that sweeping improvement demands greater investment in preschool, after school, school safety, teacher training, college aid, and more.

The "house parties" were part of the National Mobilization Day for Great Public Schools, organized by a coalition of several groups, including the National Education Association. The coalition is planning for more events between now and election day.

According to a report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 38 percent of the 25 to 64 year-old population in the United States has finished at least four years of college, second only to Canada with a 43 percent completion rate. However, the U.S. college-dropout rate of 34 percent is above the 30 percent average of all 30 OECD countries and nearly six times higher than Japan's.
On securing a job, the OCED report said 83 percent of college-educated adults and 75 percent of high-school graduates in the U.S. had jobs in 2002. The employment rate for those who did not finish high school dropped to 57 percent.
Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's new report, "Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators 2004."

Jonathan Kozol, author of Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools, said that for more than a decade he has been following Ohio's struggle to change its system for paying for schools and that he remains stunned that elected leaders have failed to comply with four Ohio Supreme Court rulings that found the system unconstitutional because it relies too much on local property taxes.

 *  "It's the worst possible civics lesson a governor could teach children in public schools: If you don't like the decision of a court, disobey it. It's perhaps the most shameful example in the nation." ....Jonathan Kozol, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 22, 2004

________________________________________

Judge William O’Neill, a candidate for the Ohio Supreme Court, said the General Assembly should be held in contempt of court for not fixing Ohio’s unconstitutional school-funding system.

* "The Supreme Court was dead wrong when they let the legislature off the hook in the school-funding case.  It’s time for the court to decide whether the General Assembly is in contempt. It is my opinion that they are. To say anything less would be to join in the betrayal of the schoolchildren of Ohio." .....Judge William O'Neill, Columbus Dispatch, September 22, 2004

Nationwide, nine in 10 high school graduates from families earning more than $80,000 a year attend college by age 24, compared with just six in 10 from families earning less than $33,000. 
The Century Foundation, a policy institute in Washington, says at the nation's 146 most selective colleges, only 3% of students come from the lowest socioeconomic quarter, 74% come from the top quarter.
Pell Grants, a federal college aid program, generally provides financial assistance to students with family incomes of $40,00 or less. Thirty years ago, the maximum Pell Grant covered 84% of the cost to attend a four-year college or university. Today, at $4050 a year, it covers 40%.
Sources: The Century Foundation and USA Today
In June 2004 the CORAS Legislative Committee mailed a survey to House and Senate candidates seeking to represent Appalachian school districts in the Ohio General Assembly. Thirty-four (34) candidates were asked to respond to specific statements about school funding and the Ohio Supreme Court DeRolph decisions.
Only 10 of the 34, or 29%, returned the survey. Candidates RETURNING the survey were: HOUSE CANDIDATES: Uecker R-66, Dodd D-91, Lang D-92, Hollister R-93, Domenick D-95 and Mason D-97. SENATE CANDIDATES: Schwietering D-14, Padgett R-20, Anderson D-20 and Wilson D-30.
All 10 candidates who returned the survey said the Ohio Supreme Court order in DeRolph has not been adequately addressed by the Governor and the General Assembly and that the Legislature should conduct a complete systematic overhaul of the school funding system as ordered by Court.
Candidates NOT RETURNING the survey were: HOUSE CANDIDATES: Rayl D-1, Blasdel R-1, Boccieri D-61, Pope R-61, Cunningham D-85, Schlicter R-85, Horne D-86, Daniels R-86, Roberts D-87, Evans R-87, Richardson D-88, Bubp R-88, Book D-89, Holt R-89, Hood R-91, Stewart R-92, Garrison D-93, Aslanides R-94, Lanaghan R-95, Sayre D-96, Gerber R-96 and Gibbs R-97. SENATE CANDIDATES: Niehaus R-14, Amstutz R-22 and Stacy R-30.

The study, "Measuring Up 2004: The National Report Card on Higher Education," said that American high school students are generally better prepared for college than a decade ago. Teachers are more qualified, and more students are taking at least one upper-level math or science course.

But, according to the report, many states are providing less financing to help students pay for college, and in many states, fewer students are enrolling. The report was particularly scathing about the high cost of college; it gave 36 states, including Ohio, failing grades on affordability. Only three states received grades better than D or F: California (B), Utah (C) and Minnesota (C-).

OHIO's HIGHER EDUCATION REPORT CARD          

 
2004 REPORT CARD
Preparation
Participation
Affordability
Completion
Benefits
Learning

 PDF Icon Download OHIO Report

Source: National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education

According to a new comparison of 30 industrialized nations by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United States ranked 1st among the adults ages 45 to 64 having earned their high-school diplomas. Among 25 to 34 year-olds, the U.S. ranked only 10th in high school graduation rates. By contrast, Korea ranks 24th for 55-64-year-olds, but 1st for 25-34-year-olds. The OECD report said, "The rates have not declined in the United States. They have simply risen faster in other countries." The huge difference between high-performing and low-performing students in the United States [the achievement gap] has brought down the United States' global standing as measured by the quality of education outcome, according to the OECD Director for Education.
Read the briefing notes on U.S. data. Click: United States
Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's new report, "Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators 2004."
The South East Ohio Center of Excellence for Mathematics and Science (SEO-CEMS) was approved to begin formal activities the spring of 2004. The program is funded by the Ohio Board of Regents for $250,000 per year guaranteed for two-years. SEO-CEMS is designed to function with a regional focus, but is part of a statewide system for improving mathematics and science literacy P-16, including initial preparation and career-long professional development of mathematics and science teachers. SEO-CEMS is a partnership among the school membership of the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools (CORAS) and faculty and administrators  of Ohio University, Shawnee State University, University of Rio Grande.
The SEO-CEMS service area compliments the CORAS service region (Appalachian counties). SEO-CEMS is led by a leadership team of Ralph Martin, Ohio University Department of Education and Jeff Connor, chair-elect of the Ohio University Department of Mathematics. Dr. Connor is replacing Barbara Glover, Ohio University Department of Mathematics, who is retiring. Al Cote is Center Director and there are three Associate Directors: Bonnie Beach, Ohio University Associate Dean, College of Education (mathematics), Bobbie Hatfield, University of Rio Grande, Interim Dean and faculty in mathematics, and Michael Fiske, Shawnee State University, chair of mathematics.
Future SEO-CEMS activities, information and updates will be shared with CORAS members.

 

Michigan teachers on average take home nearly $10,000 more than their Ohio counterparts. The average teacher salary in Michigan was $54,020 for the 2002-03 school year. ....Toledo Blade

Currently, more than half (52 percent) of all U.S. public school students live in states that require that they eventually pass high school exit exams to graduate. By 2009, that percentage will increase to about 70 percent. ....Education Week
Tomorrow (September 14), at its regular monthly meeting, the State Board of Education plans to adopt a policy regarding harassment and bullying in schools.  The Board is responding to recently introduced House Bill 530 and Senate Bill 210. ....ODE Website
The U.S. Agency for International Development has renovated more than 2,000 of Iraq's nearly 15,000 school buildings and distributed more than 8 million textbooks. ....USA Today
The Kansas City, Missouri school district paid just over $1 million in bonuses to some 13,000 summer school students. Those earning grades of C or higher in all subjects received $75. The district also paid attendance incentives of $50, $65, and $75 for a full-day student who missed two days, missed one day, or had perfect attendance. .....Education Week, September 1, 2004
A 2003 study by the College Board found that average tuition and fees have increased 47 percent in the past decade. The study said, "If those tuition increases continue, foundation officials estimate that by 2010 about 4.4 million low-income college-ready students will not be able to attend college."
Currently, according to the report, out of every 100 students in Ohio, 70 graduate from high school on time; 39 directly enter college; 28 are still enrolled their sophomore year; and 17 graduate within 6 years. In addition, the report said 24.2 percent of Ohio's population 25-44 held a bachelor's degree or higher in year 2000.

Source: "COLLISION COURSE: Rising Costs threaten America's future and require shared solutions", A policy brief from Lumina Foundation for Education

To read the report, Click:  "Collision Course: Rising College costs Threaten America's Future,"

A  National Center for Education Statistics report says the federal share of funding support for elementary and secondary schools in the U. S. declined from 12 percent in FY 1980 to 10 percent in FY 2003. During the same period the federal share to post secondary institutions has increased from 18 percent to 19 percent.

Read Publication: Click: "Federal Support for Education: Fiscal Years 1980 to 2003,"

According to today's Columbus Dispatch, former state representative Bryan Flannery is circulating a petition to secure a constitutional method of financing public education that doesn’t rely on property taxes. The Flannery website says the proposal would establish a commission, which will define what it costs to educate a child. The state will reduce property taxes $1.7 billion statewide, and make up the school funding difference without increasing the rate of income, sales or property taxes. The state will ensure that no district will suffer a loss from the tax cuts. There will be an end to local campaigns for school operating levies.
The Flannery web site lists six possible ways to pay for the $1.7 billion property tax cut.

(1) Close sales tax loopholes for professional services, for annual savings of $500 million to $2 billion.

(2) Eliminate the property tax rollback, without increasing the property tax burden on any individual, for estimated annual savings for the state of $1.5 billion or more.

(3) Provide gambling in Ohio, for estimated income $.5 to .8 billion to the state.

(4) Reform Medicare over-billing, which the Buckeye Institute estimates will save $1.5 billion for the state in the first year alone, and $100 billion by the year 2025.

(5) Require that a percentage of STAR Ohio monies be invested in Ohio, which the Flannery proposal does, for up to a $500 million annual revenue increase for the state from improved local economies.

(6) Additional savings in the education budget from the tax cut of $200-300 million.

According to the Dispatch, Flannery hopes to present his signed petition to the legislature in January. If the General Assembly fails to enact it within four months, he would secure signatures required to place it on the ballot in November 2005.

Read the Flannery proposal. Click:   http://www.flanneryforohio.com/

According to an Economic Policy Institute (EPI) report, teachers’ wages have slipped behind other workers with similar education and experience by nearly 15 percent since 1993, after adjusting for inflation. In 2003, teachers earned an average of $833 in gross pay a week, compared with $1,078 for other college graduates. The authors of the EPI report said, "Although teachers tend to receive greater benefits, such as health insurance and pensions, those extras are not valuable enough to make up for the differences in wages."
In a related report, the Educational Research Service’s (ERS), National Survey of Salaries and Wages in Public Schools , showed the mean of classroom teachers’ average salaries in unadjusted dollars rose from $36,531 in 1993-94 to $45,646 in 2003-04. After factoring in cost-of-living increases, however, the average teacher salary actually fell by $871, or 1.87 percent during the past decade, according to the ERS. 

Sources: Economic Policy Institute and  Educational Research Service

Almost 1.1 million students were home-schooled in the United States last year, up from 850,00 in 1999. Why do parents home-school their children? According to  the National Center for Educational Statistics, parents responded to this question as follows:
31% said they are concerned about school environment.
30% said they want to provide religious/moral instruction.
16% said they are dissatisfied with academic teaching.
 7% said they have a child with mental/physical health problem.
 7% said they have a child with other special needs.
Sources: National Center for Educational Statistics and USA Today
Changes are coming for the Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT) in March 2005. A College Board web site said, "The new SAT will improve the alignment of the test with current curriculum and institutional practices in high school and college." The new test will have three sections instead of two, and 2400 will be the maximum score, up from the current 1600. The three sections will include: 
* Writing: This new 60-minute section includes multiple-choice questions on grammar and writing. There will also be a 25-minute timed essay, in which students must evaluate and respond to either a pair of quotations or a short paragraph drawn from a text.
* Math: Algebra II-level content will be added and quantitative comparisons eliminated. The math section is 70 minutes and includes 44 multiple-choice questions and 10 with student-produced responses.
* Critical reading: Formerly called verbal, this 70-minute section includes 48 reading-comprehension questions concerning passages 100 to 850 words long, and 19 sentence-completion questions.
Meanwhile, according to results released yesterday by the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program, Ohio students scored above the national average this year on the Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT). The average score for Ohio students on the SAT verbal test was 538, compared to a national average of 508. Ohio's average was 542 on the math test, compared to 518 nationally. The average for Ohio students increased two points on the verbal test and one point on math over last year. The 2004 national average SAT scores increased one point in verbal and decreased one point in math compared to 2003.
Sources: College Board.com for Students and Ohio Department of Education
According to the New York Times, the U. S. Department of Education is "sharply cutting back on the information it collects about charter schools for a periodic report that provides a detailed national profile of public, private and charter schools." The federal report, known as the Schools and Staffing Survey, provides information about charter schools, including the location and number of such schools, their share of low-income students, the qualifications of principals and teachers and the ratio of teachers to students. In the future, the National Center for Education Statistics, which conducts the survey, will cover only a random sample of about 300 charter schools. The sample will include only 10% of the 3000 charter schools in the United States.
The New York Times said confirmation of the change came August 25, 2004  from a spokeswoman for the U. S. Education Department, just one week after the Times reported that the first national comparison of test scores showed students in charter schools largely trailing comparable students in traditional public schools. The article said a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Education wrote, "There is nothing sinister or untoward about this. We are absolutely not cutting back on collecting information on charter schools."
Read the article from The New York Times (requires free registration):. Click: U.S. Cutting Back On Details In Data About Charter Schools  
According to Education Week Web Extra, the Republican Party platform will attempt to rebut criticisms of  the No Child Left Behind law. The Web Extra reported that a Republican platform draft says, “Republicans have transformed the debate on education. We are the party parents can trust to improve schools and provide opportunity for all children, in every neighborhood, regardless of background or income. We are the party willing to embrace new ideas and put them to the test.”
The National Education Association (NEA), with 2.7 million members, counters this claim. The NEA said, "The No Child Left Behind Act presents real obstacles to helping students and strengthening public schools because it focuses on punishments rather than assistance, mandates rather than support for effective programs and privatization rather than teacher-led, family-oriented solutions. Meanwhile, a recent Gallup/Phi Delta Kappa poll found that a greater percentage of people in the U. S. believe the Democratic Party is more interested than the Republican Party in improving public education.
The Gallup Organization and Phi Delta Kappa International conducted the annual poll on school attitudes focused on No Child Left Behind.  Slightly more than half of those polled said the law will improve student achievement in their schools. But people had mixed or even contradictory views about testing, vouchers and other education topics.

Among the findings of the poll: 

At least two in three adults oppose the way test scores in reading and math are used to judge school performance under federal law. Yet almost as many people said schools give the right emphasis to tests or don’t emphasize them enough.
A majority  said the test scores of disabled children should not be counted in determining whether a school made enough progress to satisfy the federal law. 
Most of those polled opposed reporting test scores for all major groups of students, such as poor, minority, disabled or limited-English students. Yet it is those scores that reveal the achievement gap, the same problem deemed important by most of those polled.
Overall, 68 percent of people said they knew nothing or very little about the No Child Left Behind law, and 55 percent said they didn’t know enough to form an opinion of it. Those numbers of uninformed people, although high, did drop since 2003. 
Private-school vouchers continue to lack majority support. Asked if they favor or oppose allowing students and parents to choose a private school to attend at public expense, 54 percent opposed the idea; 42 percent favored it.
47 percent of people said they would give public schools in their community an A or a B. Only 26 percent said they would give those grades to the nation’s schools.

21 percent said lack of money is the biggest problem their schools face. That was the most common answer, with lack of school discipline and school overcrowding coming in next.

42 percent said the Democratic Party is more interested than the Republican Party in improving public education; 35 percent gave the edge to the Republican Party, which has gained ground on that issue since 1996, when 27 percent said the GOP was more interested.

The results of the poll are based on a random phone survey of 1,003 adults in May and June 2004. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

To read the Phi Delta Kappa report, click: 36TH ANNUAL PDK/GALLUP POLL

How do school districts ratings in the 29 Appalachian counties compare with the rest of the state? Check the data below?
Ratings for Ohio Districts (608 School Districts)
117  Excellent 
   
229  Effective   
224  Continuous Improvement  
  34  Academic Watch
    4  Academic Emergency

There are 126 school districts in the 29 Ohio Appalachian counties.

 Ratings for Appalachian Districts (126 School Districts)

  9   Excellent rating

40   Effective   

71   Continuous Improvement   

  6   Academic Watch 

  0   Academic Emergency  

The nine Ohio Appalachian school districts receiving an Excellent rating w  ere: New Philadelphia City (Tuscarawas), Fairland Local (Lawrence), Milford Exempted Village (Clermont), Dawson-Bryant Local (Lawrence), Northern Local (Perry), Wheelersburg Local (Scioto), Garaway Local (Tuscarawas), Columbiana Exempted Village (Columbiana) and Steubenville City (Jefferson). 

How do Ohio Appalachian School Districts compare, by percentage in each category, to all school districts in Ohio and to the non-Appalachian Ohio school Districts in 2003-04?         

                                                                                               All Ohio Districts   /            Appalachian Districts/        Non-Appalachian Districts

                                                                                             ( 608 Districts)             (126 Districts)        (482 Districts)

Excellent................................(17-18)..............................19.2%   (117)             7.1%    (9)            22.4%   (108)

Effective................................(14-16)...............................37.7%   (229)           31.8%  (40)            39.2%   (189)

Continuous Improvement.........(9-13)..... .........................36.8%   (224)           56.3%   (71)           31.8%   (153)

Academic Watch.....................(6-8)...................................5.6%     (34)             4.8%      (6)            5.8%     (28)

Academic Emergency.............(..0-5)..................................0.7%       (4)              0.0%     (0)             0.8%      (4)

 

Other rating factors in 2003-04 included Adequate Yearly Progress, State Indicators and Performance Index Score.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Want to compare these results with last year?

Here are the percentages for 2002-03. 

 

                                                                                        All Ohio Districts          Appalachian Districts    / Non-Appalachian Districts

                                                                                                      (608 Districts)           (126 Districts)        (482 Districts)

Excellent................................(21-22)............................ 14,0%    (85)                      1.6%    (2)            17.2%  (83)

Effective.................................(17-20)......................... ...29.1%   (177)                   18.3%  (23)           32.0% (154)

Continuous Improvement........(11-16)............................ 45.7%   (278)                   61.1%  (77)           41.7% (271)

Academic Watch......................(7-10)................................8.6%   (52)                   16.6%   (21)             6.4%   (31)

Academic Emergency................(0-6).................................2.6%   (16)                      2.4%    (3)              2.7%  (13)

The new education research service, What Works Clearinghouse, began operation in mid-July.  The clearinghouse analyzes research on programs and strategies and publishes the results on a Web site where practitioners and policymakers can easily find them.
During its first month of operation, What Works Clearinghouse, administered by the U.S. Department of Education, has received mixed reviews from one key group: the researchers whose work it features. Education Week said, "While a few among that small group of scholars are happy to see their work reaching a wider audience, some also express concerns about the way it is being presented. They say reviewers are misinterpreting and pigeonholing their studies and sometimes inadvertently casting aspersions on potentially useful research."
Read the EW article. Click: Researchers Question Clearinghouse Choices  
To gain access to the What Works Clearinghouse Website, Click: What Works Clearinghouse or go to http://www.whatworks.ed.gov/
The Ohio Department of Education has announced the results of the 2003-04 Local District Report Cards.  A summary of the results follows.
School Districts
                                             District Ratings
                                      2002-03                2003-04
Excellent.....................................85                          117
Effective...................................177                         229
Continuous Improvement........278                        224
Academic Watch........................52                          34
Academic Emergency.................16                            4
Schools                                      School Ratings
                                       2002-03                 2003-04
Excellent.....................................630                        920
Effective.................................... 771                        906
Continuous Improvement........1242                        1211
Academic Watch........................237                         125
Academic Emergency................338                         222
Overall, 107 of the 608 school districts that get a report card moved up a classification, while 29 districts dropped.
Source: Ohio Department of Education, Columbus Dispatch and Gannett News Service
The study on high school exit exams, State High School Exit Exams: A Maturing Reform, released August 18, 2004 by the Center on Education Policy (CEP), found that 20 of the 50 states now require high school exit exams and five more states will by 2009. An Associated Press article said the study revealed that many high school graduation tests do not measure whether students are ready for college or work, and some states haven't even made clear what the purpose of their test is.
According to the study, Ohio continues to struggle with how to maintain high standards but also achieve high passing rates. The report said, "Although the state [Ohio] has established alternative criteria for students very close to passing the exam, proposals have been floated to develop an appeals process or allow students to substitute test scores from other exams. Additionally, a state task force has suggested replacing the exam with end-of-course exams, though a similar proposal was already rejected by the legislature." The study found that Ohio currently has no provision for alternate assessment, substitute assessment or alternate diploma. Many states provide students with at least one of these options, according to the report. Ohio does, however, offer re-testing and waivers.
The report went on to say, "This year, opposition to exit exams has continued in Florida, Massachusetts, and New York, where passing exit exams is already a graduation requirement. Dissent has also been growing in several states, including Maryland, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, states that have either recently enforced graduation consequences for their exams or soon plan to do so."

The passing scores for the Ohio Graduation Test (math and reading tests) adopted by the Ohio state board of education in June 2004 are:

READING         Cut Score (Out of 48 points)   Percent of Total Points

Limited                                      ---                                                   ---                   

Basic                                      13.5                                                 28%                

Proficient                   20.0                              42%

Accelerated                            31.5                                                 66%

Advanced                               39.0                                                  81%

MATHEMATICS    Cut Score (Out of 46 points)   Percent of Total Points

Limited                                   ---                                                      ---

Basic                                   13.5                                                     29%

Proficient                 19.0                                     41%

Accelerated                         30.0                                                    65%

Advanced                             37.5                                                    82%

To read the full report, Click: http://www.cep-dc.org/  Then Click: PFD after full report under, What's New , State High School Exit Exams: A Maturing Reform.  The Ohio profile is on page 224.

If there are questions or concerns about the new Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) contact Stan Heffner at the Ohio Department of Education, 1-614-995-4839.

Nearly 54 million students across the United States will enroll in kindergarten through 12th grade this fall. ...Newark Advocate
The annual report card on school districts will be released by the Ohio Department of Education on Tuesday, August 24th. Schools will be rated in 18 categories this year. 22 categories were included last year.   ...Columbus Dispatch
Tutoring for elementary, middle school and high school students is on the rise. Some commercial learning centers are even offering pre-kindergarten programs. In 2003, tutoring was a $4 billion business, with the market expected to be $4.56 billion this year and $5.2 billion in 2005. ...Cincinnati Enquirer
* The national average composite score for the ACT college entrance exam increased this year for the first time in seven years. The average score rose a statistically significant one-tenth of a point for 2004 high school graduates, to 20.9 on a scale of 1 through 36. It was 20.8 for each of the past two years. The average score was 21.0 for five consecutive years ending in 2001. Nearly 1.2 million 2004 high school graduates, or about 40% nationwide, took the test. Ohio's overall score remained unchanged at 21.4.  ...USA Today and Cincinnati Enquirer
In Hernando County (Florida) schools just 6 children, of about 7,000 who were eligible, took advantage of the NCLB rules that allow them to switch schools if the school they originally attended failed to make "adequate yearly progress" in the same category (reading, math or writing) for two consecutive years. ...St. Petersburg Times
A state appeals court dealt a blow to Florida's landmark voucher program Monday, striking down the 1999 law that allows students from failing schools to attend private schools using taxpayer money. ...Miami Herald

Yesterday's CORAS email summarized Monday's New York Times article that said the National Assessment of Educational Progress (N.A.E.P.) presented data showing children in charter schools often had lower test scores than comparable students in traditional public schools.

U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige, reacting to the N.A.E.P. findings, issued a statement Tuesday saying he stood by charter schools and challenged the conclusion of recent test data that their performance largely trailed that of regular public schools. The Chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board responded by saying, "The data is probably what it is. N.A.E.P. is pretty accurate. There shouldn't be any question about the results.'' 

The Toledo Blade reported today that the Ohio Federation of Teachers, after analyzing data from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), found that 60 percent of charter schools in Ohio that received a rating from ODE were ranked in academic emergency, the lowest achievement category that can be assigned to school districts and buildings.

About 190 charter schools operate in Ohio. Last year, they received a total of $290 million from the state, according to an Ohio Department of Education spokesman, the Blade reported. In addition, the NY Times said. "The Bush administration has strongly supported charters, running a special Web site promoting them and earmarking about $220 million for them this year."

The first national comparison of test scores among children in charter schools and regular public schools shows charter school students doing worse than comparable students in traditional public schools. The New York Times said the findings, buried in mountains of data the U.S. Department of Education released without public announcement, has dealt a blow to supporters of the charter school movement. The results, based on the 2003 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP),  were unearthed from online data by researchers at the American Federation of Teachers. According to the NY Times, NAEP has historically supported charter schools but has produced research in recent years raising doubts about the expansion of charter schools.  
Read the New York Times article. Click:  Nation's Charter Schools Lagging Behind, U.S. Test Scores Reveal  (requires free registration)
The Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) will replace the Ohio Ninth Grade Proficiency Test as Ohio's high-school exit exam beginning with the class of 2007 (this year's sophomores). According to an Ohio Department of Education official, the OGT exam is about two grade levels more difficult than the ninth-grade proficiency test.

In  May 2004 the  Dayton Daily News ran a series, Flunking the Tests. The newspaper examined the Ohio Graduation Test in detail. According to the Daily News report, the results showed that more than three out of four sophomores statewide failed a trial version of the OGT's math exam in 2003; even after the Ohio Department of Education shortened the test and lowered the passing score to 41 percent, nearly a third still failed this year. All five subject areas of the exam will be given to sophomores in March 2005. 

Special education teachers are projected to remain in high demand as the number of students needing special services continue to rise. There were 433,000 special education teachers on the job in the United States in 2002. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Department of Education project that 584,000 special education teachers will be needed by the year 2012, a 35% increase.
Nearly one-third of the more than 300 job openings listed on the Ohio Department of Education’s teacher employment web site are special education positions, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
A coalition of organizations, led by the National Education Association, introduced a campaign on Wednesday to mobilize opposition to the No Child Left Behind law, to demand more money for public schools and to raise the profile of public education as an election issue.  The campaign, called the National Mobilization for Great Public Schools, said Americans favor expanding pre-schools, smaller class sizes, better training and pay for teachers and strong after-school programs. The campaign wants to make sure these issues "gets mobilized and addressed in the larger policy debate."
Read article in New York Times (requires free registration):  Click: Election Issue Of Education Is Promoted
For more information, click: www.greatpublicschools.org

Every year, 440,000 public school buses travel 4.3 billion miles to transport 23.5 million students to from school and school-related activities in the United States, according to the National School Transportation Association.

The Texas school finance system went on trial Monday as lawyers argued that the system's dependence on local property taxes is flawed and unconstitutional. Texas' education funding system is nicknamed "Robin Hood" because it takes money from rich schools and gives it to poorer ones. School districts have turned to the courts after struggling for years to get the changes they wanted from the Legislature. The Plaintiff's say the system amounts to an unconstitutional statewide property tax.

The Associated Press reported today that rising food, labor and transportation costs have forced schools nationwide to increase the price of breakfast and lunch, in some cases for the first time in more than a decade and by as much as $1.00. AP said that typical annual food inflation is about 3 percent. However, dairy prices in June 2004 were up 27 percent from a year ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Meat and cheese were up 11 percent, and poultry 9 percent. According to the report, the increases will not affect the nearly 17 million children who get free or reduced price lunches. Free and reduced price lunches accounted for more than half of the 29 million children served by the National School Lunch Program during the 2003-04 school year.

In a report issued in July 2004, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) said, "Exemplary (or high-quality) teacher preparation is necessary for all early childhood educators. Every child from birth to 3 years deserves a teacher with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. Every child between 4 and 8 years of age deserves a teacher with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, and certification in the early childhood field. 
PERCENT OF PRESCHOOL TEACHERS CURRENTLY HOLDING A BACHELOR'S DEGREE OR HIGHER
Public preschool.........................  87%
For-profit programs.................  39%
Head Start..................................  30%
The AACTE president is calling for greater public investment in early childhood education.  According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 35% of public elementary schools in the United States offered per-kindergarten classes last year. Private programs and Head Start took up much of the slack.
Read the AACTE report. Click:  The Early Childhood Challenge: Preparing High Quality Teachers for a Changing Society
Sources: American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, National Center for Education Statistics and USA Today.

The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) website reported that only 26 of 103 school ballot issues passed in the August 3rd election, resulting in a 25.24% passage rate. Yesterday, according to an E & A Coalition email, only 14 of the 90 school issues (15.5%) asking for new money were successful. 

Click below to view ODE August elections data.

               August 5, 2004- Teacher Candidates File Suit Against ETS

 

The Associated Press reported today that two teacher candidates, one from Ohio and the other from Louisiana,  filed a lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court claiming that Educational Testing Service (ETS) violates federal antitrust laws. According to the complaint, ETS, based in Princeton, N.J., is the only company that administers the test of teaching skills and general knowledge that prospective educators must pass to get a teachers license. The lawsuit seeks to stop the alleged monopoly abuse, and the teachers are asking for unspecified monetary damages. The Plaintiffs are asking the Judge to certify the suit as a class action representing about 4,100 people in 19 states affected by incorrect grading. At least four other lawsuits have been filed against ETS over test grading mistakes, but this suit is the first to make the monopoly argument, according to the attorney representing the two teacher candidates.

Almost 1.1 million students were home-schooled in the United States last year. The estimated number of students taught at home has grown 29 percent since 1999, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The 1.1 million home-schooled students accounts for 2.2 percent of the school-age population (aged 5 through 17) in the nation.Almost 1.1 million students were home-schooled in the United States last year. The estimated number of students taught at home has grown 29 percent since 1999, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The 1.1 million home-schooled students accounts for 2.2 percent of the school-age population (aged 5 through 17) in the nation.

The Associated Press reported that parent surveys offered two main reasons for choosing home-schooling: 31 percent cited concerns about the environment of regular schools, and 30 percent wanted the flexibility to teach religious or moral lessons. Third, at 16 percent, was dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools.

                                  August 4, 2004- School Ballot Issues

According election results posted on 10 WBNS-TV website, over 70 percent of the school issues on the August 3rd ballot failed. The website showed over 70 of the 103 school issues as not passing. These results were hand counted from the website and are therefore strictly unofficial. But it would appear that yesterday was not a very good day at the polls for Ohio schools.  More official results should be available later today.

A new website, Left Behind in Ohio, was launched last week by Communities for Quality Education, a newly formed lobbying group. The website provides information/data from Ohio school districts relating to the under-funding of the No Child Left Behind law, state funding cutbacks, the number of teachers laid off, school levies on ballot today, and decreases in per pupil spending.
To visit the web site, click:   www.qualityednow.org/reports/ohio/unfunded

Jennifer Stewart, representing more than a third (11) of the Ohio Appalachian counties on the State Board of Education, has been elected to the National Association of State Boards of Education’s (NASBE) board of directors.  She will begin her two-year term in January 2005. Mrs. Stewart has attended many CORAS meetings since her election to the state board.

Nationally, the number of year-round schools grew 680 percent from 1987 to 2003, from 408 in 14 states to 3,181 in 46 states, according to the National Association for Year-Round Education. About 2.3 million students were in year-round schools last year.

It was announced in July that Ted Sanders, former Superintendent of Public Instruction in Ohio, has resigned as the president of the   Education Commission of the States effective in January 2005.

Special Note: Mark Tuesday,  September 14, 2004 on your calendar. CORAS will sponsor the program, Ohio School Funding Learning Maps, presented by Ohio Public School Dialogue and Edventures, Inc. The meeting will be held at the Olde Dutch Restaurant in Logan. Registration materials will be mailed to CORAS members in mid-August.

"There's no justification for factories down the street from a school resulting in students having more resources, teachers getting more rewards and taxpayers having less of a burden. Unfortunately, that's what happens in the unfair system that currently exists." ...editorial in the Lancaster Eagle Gazette, July 29, 2004

During the past 20 years, those with the most education have had the fastest growth in wages.  
Chart shows 20 year increase in median annual income.
                                                      1982                        2002
Less than high school..........   $9,387               $18,826
High school diploma............. $12,560               $27,280
College degree...................$20,272               $51,194
Advanced degree................$26,915               $72,824
According to USA Today, in the past 20 years the median income for someone with only a high school diploma has risen just 16% in inflation-adjusted dollars, compared with 45% for those with a post-graduate degree.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau and USA Today
A report by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a Washington think tank, says providing adequate funding for schools is the most effective way for states to grow economically. The report, "Smart Money: Educational and Economic Development," examined nearly 180 studies on the connections between education investment and economic development. 
 William Schweke, research director for the Corporation for Enterprise Development and author of the report said, "A compelling body of research links primary and secondary education to economic development and growth. Education increases workers' average earnings and productivity, and it also reduces the incidence of social problems such as drug abuse, crime, welfare dependency, and lack of access to medical care, all of which can weigh heavily on the economy. The research confirms the value of investing in educational programs, particularly in the areas of  pre-school, primary and secondary education and community colleges."
The EPI report says that state and local governments often cut education funding while offering tax incentives to companies to jump-start their local economies. But the report suggests that education cuts hurt local economies.
Read the executive summary. Click: "Smart Money: Education and Economic Development"
House Bill 532, which would change the method for computing the school foundation formula charge-off, was introduced in the Ohio House on July 22, 2004. The bill is sponsored by State Representative Jon Peterson, (R-Delaware). To read the bill as introduced, click: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=125_HB_532
On July 13, 2004, State Representative James Trakas (R-Independence) introduced House Bill 526. The bill, if approved, would grant boards of education limited authority to levy additional, voter-approved property taxes that are not subject to the "HB 920" revenue growth limitation, to permit school boards to apply school district income taxes only to earnings, to prospectively limit the total rate of school district income taxes to 1%, and reauthorizes joint municipal-school district income taxes. To read the bill as introduced, click:
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=125_HB_526 
Read related editorial from the July 19, 2004 Columbus Dispatch.
Click: Lee Leonard: Suburban legislators toss another log onto the school-funding fire
In recent weeks the federal government has been trying to convince the public that sufficient federal funds are being provided for No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and other federal education programs. The governments rationale is that states have not spent the education funds that Congress has already provided. The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) says, not so. The following is reprinted from The AASA Legislative Corps Weekly Report, July 24, 2004.
        _____________________________________________________________________________________
FACT SHEET ON UNEXPENDED EDUCATION FUNDS
Once again the Bush Administration and House Republicans are trying to mislead Americans about the insufficient funding they have provided for key education programs such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and vocational education.  The Republican rationale for their shortfall rests largely on an inaccurate charge that states have not spent the education funds that Congress has already provided.  In addition to being flat out wrong, this charge is disingenuous for the following reasons:

2003 End-of-Year Balances

Agency                         Un-obligated Funds             (in billions of dollars)

Defense..................................52.2
Transportation..........................  9.3
Agriculture..............................  8.2
Homeland Security......................  7.7
Education................................  4.9
Veterans Affairs.......................  4.3
      
Unexpended funds are not unusual for federal agencies.  According to an OMB list of un-obligated balances, the Department of Education - with $4.9 billion -  is not alone.  Even the Bush White House still has $330 million, and the GOP-led Legislative Branch has yet to spend $1.5 billion.  In fact, every federal agency or organization listed by OMB has some un-obligated funds.
States are following the timeframe allowed by law.  Federal law allows states 27 months to obligate most federal K-12 education dollars, and up to 48 months after that to actually pay bills.  This allows for long-term planning and takes into account the fact that states are prohibited from spending funds until after the Department of Education has issued regulations for the operation of each program.  The Department of Education has been slow in issuing NLCB regulations, hampering the ability of states local school districts to spend funds.
States don't get lump-sum payments from the government; they get reimbursed - usually on a monthly basis - for costs they have already incurred for teacher salaries, school books, etc.  States pay-as-they-go, so necessary money for expenses such as teacher salaries often sit in their accounts for many months before the checks are actually written. 
The Republican calculations are misleading because they are blending two issues (1) obligated funds that have not yet been spent - but will be, and (2) funds that are cancelled and returned to the Treasury.   The fact is that very little of the money Congress allocates for education goes unspent.  For FY98, only about one-half of one percent (0.5%) of education funds were returned to the Treasury.  In other words, 99.5 percent of the money Congress allocated to education was spent.  This was $155 million dollars (of $30 billion) - a far cry from the $5.75 billion that the Republicans say states are now "sitting on."  In fact, Administration data indicate that states actually are spending K-12 education funds slightly faster than expected.
The Administration is using a bookkeeping gimmick to justify billions of dollars in education under-funding.  Counting unexpended balances as available money is no different than counting all the money in your checkbook on payday - money committed to mortgages, rent, food, medical care, and clothing - as un-obligated.
President Bush has consistently failed to invest in education by:
                      
- Under-funding NCLB by $9.4 billion next year, for a total funding shortfall of $27 billion;
- Failing to even put us on the path to fully funding special education; and
- Proposing to cut vocational education programs by more than $300 million.

Recently the State of Ohio announced there was an extra $10 million in lottery profits available for schools in FY 2004. According to the Ohio School Boards Association, a news release left the impression this was going to be a "shot-in-the-arm" for school districts. OSBA said the "extra" lottery profits provides just 3 cents per day for each of Ohio's 1.8 million school children.

According to the Education Commission of the States, 48 states have met or are partially on track to meeting 75% of the No Child Left Behind requirements — a 109% increase over 2003. All 50 states have met or are "partially on track" to meeting half of the 40 requirements. Five states — Connecticut, Kentucky, New York, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania — have met or are partially on track to meeting all 40.

On May 12th the General Accounting Office concluded that the No Child Left Behind Act is "not a mandated financial burden on states." Now, a  U.S. Department of Education  website says federal education mandates do not exist at all. The following statement is included as one of the 10 Facts About K-12 Education Funding  listed on a U.S. government website.

"There are no federal education "mandates. Every federal education law is conditioned on a state's decision to accept federal program funds. Despite the occasional use of the term "mandate" when discussing federal program obligations, there is no federal "mandate" to do anything in local schools. All obligations are conditions placed on the receipt of federal funds. Any state that does not want to abide by these requirements need not accept the federal grant money. While most states choose to use the federal funds, a few states in the past have forgone federal funds for various reasons."

The State Board of Education appointed 17 members to the Educator Standards Board at its meeting on Tuesday, July 13. The Educator Standards Board will develop state standards for teachers and principals at all stages of their careers; formulate standards for educator professional development; and recommend policies to close achievement gaps among groups of students.
 

The following individuals (listed with their place of employment and city of residence) will serve on the board:
  • Shawn Jackson, public school teacher, Yellow Springs Exempted Village School District, South Charleston;
  • * Jayne Burger, public school teacher, Gallipolis City School District, Gallipolis;
  • Julia Simmerer, public school teacher, Brunswick City School District, Medina;
  • Mary Villarreal, public school teacher, Fairfield City School District, Liberty Township;
  • Mary Sebenoler, public school teacher, Columbus Public School District, Westerville;
  • William Shriver, public school teacher, Mount Vernon City School District, Mount Vernon;
  • Della Goodwin-Sebron, public school teacher, Cincinnati Public School District, Cincinnati;
  • Eric Eye, public school teacher, Jackson Milton Local School District, Berlin Center;
  • Kathleen Costello, chartered nonpublic school teacher, Diocese of Columbus, Holy Spirit School, Columbus;
  • David Axner, school administrator, Chagrin Falls Exempted Village School District, Solon;
  • Jay Parks, school administrator, Linwood Academy, Cincinnati;
  • Douglas Lowery, school administrator, Hilliard Memorial Middle School, Grove City;
  • Maureen Yoder, school administrator, Bellefontaine High School, Bellefontaine;
  • James Uphoff, school board member, Wright State University, Dayton;
  • * Sue DeWine, higher education, Marietta College, Marietta;
  • Lawrence Johnson, higher education, University of Cincinnati, Loveland;
  • Karen Wells, higher education, Lorain County Community College, Lorain
*  From the Ohio Appalachian Region
Source: Reprinted from the Ohio Department of Education web site.
The Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools first two meetings of the 2004-05 school year will be held on  Tuesday, September 14, 2004 and Tuesday, October 12, 2004. The September 14th meeting will be held at the Olde Dutch Restaurant in Logan. The site of the October 12th meeting has not yet been determined. The focus of both meetings will be on developing better community understanding of school funding in Ohio, the escalating school funding crisis facing Ohio schools and the November 2004 state elections. The program agenda and registration materials for the September meeting will be mailed to CORAS members in mid-August. MARK THESE DATES ON YOUR CALENDAR TODAY!
REMINDERCORAS is conducting its membership drive for the 2004-05 school year. Invoices for membership dues were mailed to schools in mid-June. The 2004-05 membership goal is 140. CORAS currently has 134 member school districts and other educational institutions. Support public education and school children in rural Appalachia Ohio. JOIN CORAS TODAY!
A survey by the American Federation of Teachers found the average teacher salary in the United States in 2002-03 was $45,771, up 3.3 percent from 2001-02. California ($55,693), Michigan ($54,020), Connecticut ($53,962) and New Jersey ($53,872) had the nation's highest average salaries in 2002-03. States at the bottom were South Dakota ($32,414), Oklahoma ($33,277), North Dakota ($33,869) and Mississippi ($35,135).
Ohio's average teachers salary of $45,515 ranked 15th among the states in 2002-03. This represented a 2.8 percent increase over the previous year. Ohio ranked 27th in average beginning teachers salary for the 2003-04 school year. Ohio's average for beginning teachers was $29,790. The U.S. average beginning teachers salary was $30,496.

While salaries made slight gains, the cost of health insurance benefits increased an astounding 13 percent, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report.

Click below to view how the states ranked:    
2002-03 average teachers salary     Table I
2003-04 average beginning teachers salary    Table II
Most Americans say they support redirecting tax revenues to schools in poorer areas to bring greater equity to students, a nationwide survey has found. The poll, "The Equity and Adequacy: Americans Speak on Public School Funding," found that 65 percent of respondents considered it appropriate to allocate tax money to poorer communities even if such revenue came from wealthier areas. Only 26 percent said reallocating the money was a mistake, while 9 percent were undecided.
President & CEO Kurt M. Landgraf of Educational Testing Service, who conducted the poll, said, "...if our goal is fairness as well as adequacy in how we fund our public schools, then we need to get to the core of the funding issue. And that means doing away, once and for all, with the system's over-reliance on local property taxes."

In addition, the poll found that more Americans are aware of the No Child Left Behind Act than they were last year. Of those questioned, 51 percent were at least aware of the law. In May 2003, only 34 percent knew about NCLB. The public was divided, however, on the law’s impact. Thirty-nine percent of respondents viewed it favorably, while 38 percent did not, with 23 percent undecided.   

A summary of "The Equity and Adequacy: Americans Speak on Public School Funding," is available from the Educational Testing Service . (Requires Adobe's Acrobat Reader)

The Educational Testing Service announced Monday that mistakes in scoring the Praxis II examination used by 18 states, including Ohio, to license teachers caused more than 4,000 people (1231 from Ohio) who should have passed it to fail instead. The New York Times said the errors, which occurred from January 2003 to April 2004, may have prevented many from getting full-time jobs as teachers. During that time, the test, the Praxis II, Principles of Learning and Teaching for Grades 7 to 12, was given eight times, to a total of about 40,000 people.

Read the Columbus Dispatch article. Click: Teachers were flunked by mistake

Read the New York Times article. Click: Grading Mistakes Caused More Than 4,000 Would-Be Teachers to Fail Licensing Exam

According to the Ohio Department of Education, 103 school tax issues will appear on the August 2004 ballot, 81 school districts have one issue on the ballot; 7 school districts have 2 issues on the ballot; 1 school districts has 3 issues on the ballot; 1 school district has 5 issues on the ballot.
Since 1995, this years 103 August school tax issues more than doubles any  previous year requests for tax increases. The previous high during the period was 1996, the year before the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Ohio's school funding system unconstitutional, when 42 school tax issues were placed before the voters in August. A ten-year history for August school tax issues follows:
2004.......103  school tax  issues
2003.......  23  school tax issues
2002........ 20  school tax issues
2001........ 19  school tax issues
1999........ 33  school tax issues
1998........ 33  school tax issues
1997........ 26  school tax issues
1996........ 42  school tax issues
1995........ 31  school tax issues 
Source: Ohio Department of Education
According to the Ohio Schools Board Association, there will be 106 school issues on the ballot across the state in August....Zanesville Times Recorder
A Web site containing dozens of statistics for Ohio's 614 public school districts will be up and running later this year, allowing users to compare districts side-by-side. The $40 million site, funded by private foundations and the federal government, is compiled by Standard & Poor's. At a related Standard & Poor's site, http://www.schoolresults.org/ , some test-score information and facts are available for public schools and districts in Ohio and 14 other states....Cincinnati Enquirer
HB 106 changes the procedure for filling a vacancies local boards of education, if the local board fails to do so. Previous law provided that Educational Service Center governing boards fill such vacancies if the local board fails to do so within 30 days. Under HB 106, Probate Court will assume this responsibility for local boards of education, as it currently does for city and exempted village boards....Ohio School Boards Association
* A report released Thursday by the National Endowment for the Arts says the number of non-reading adults increased by more than 17 million between 1992 and 2002. Only 47% of American adults read "literature" (poems, plays, narrative fiction) in 2002, a drop of 7 points from a decade earlier. Those reading any book at all in 2002 fell to 57%, down from 61%. Read newspaper story. Click: Johnny Won't Read: Report Shows Big Drop In Reading  ....USA Today
Ohio will receive a $16.5 million federal grant to help increase charter school enrollment for students who are at risk of failing or dropping out of school, according to today's Cincinnati Enquirer. The program, which is part of  NCLB, is to help states plan, design, operate and distribute information about charter schools. Ten states (California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Texas and Ohio) will share more than $71.7 million in grants the first year of the three-year program.
Responding to the announcement of the award, Sue Taylor, President of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers said, "There are a very few select charter schools that are not in academic emergency. "Where's the accountability? Here's another example of millions of dollars going without any accountability in place."
Ohio has about 180 charter schools and expects about 20 more to open this school year, according to a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Education. Throughout the United States, nearly 3,000 charter schools serve almost 750,000 students in 37 states and Washington, D.C.
According to the Associated Press, Ohio's 41 "cyberschools," with more than 12,000 students taking classes online, received more than $61 million in state and local money last year. 
The AP article reported that low cyberschool test scores prompted the state to place Ohio's largest cyberschool, the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT), in its "academic emergency" category last year after the school met only one of 22 state targets: attendance. Another large cyber operation, the TRECA Digital Academy, was designated for "academic watch," also because of low test scores.
Cyber operators claim "they help students catch-up" and "their schools often include students who have dropped out of traditional schools and are looking for a second chance," the Associated Press said.
"If you have them heavy on civilians, non-legislators, then they can get utopian ideas and they tend to fall by the wayside. If you allow the makeup to include a number of legislators, then they don't get so utopian and they can have some real hard-core results.'' Former President of the Ohio Senate Richard Finan, speaking on the composition of state committees and commissions... Associated Press, June 22, 2004.
"We've literally flooded the system with cash, and it's time to start focusing on improving student achievement instead." U.S. Representative John Boehner, R-Ohio, chairman of the U. S. House Education Committee, arguing that schools are "flush" with federal money... CNN.com, June 29, 2004.
Yesterday Governor Taft announced budget cuts to balance the 2004-05 state budget. The following graphic, showing reductions in the original appropriations, is reprinted from today's Columbus Dispatch.

According to data from the National Survey of Salaries and Wages in Public Schools, released by the Educational Research Service, rural teachers and administrators earn less than their counterparts in other districts. The national survey of education salaries found that school employees in rural schools earned lower average pay in every employment category.  Average salaries for superintendents in 2003-04 were $88,149 for rural districts compared to $108,542 for small towns, and 148,201 for suburban areas.  Rural teacher salaries averaged $41,131 compared to $43,460 for small towns and $50,844 for suburban areas. The Rural and Community Trust said, "Lower salaries in rural schools creates a competitive disadvantage in recruiting and retaining Highly Qualified teachers and effective school leaders." 
Read Education Week article. Click:  http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=41ERS.h23
A Rural Trust publication, "The Competitive Disadvantage:  Teacher Compensation in Rural America," analyzes the causes and impacts of salary disparity.  The brief is available at  http://www.ruraledu.org/newsroom/teachpay.htm.
Sources: Rural School and Community Trust's Rural Form e-mail list and June 23, 2004 Education Week

 The June 2004 Ohio Board of Regents publication, THE ISSUE , asked the question, Are Your High School Constituents Successful in College?  Data is provided to illustrate the connection between high school course-taking and college success. As expected, the data show that college success increases for students who take more rigorous courses while in high school.

* Students with the highest level of preparation had the highest level of retention (92%) and lowest college remediation rates (14%), and had an average grade point average of 3.0 in their first college term.

* Students who took only the minimum college preparatory had lower retention (86%) and significantly higher rates of remediation (32%).

* Students who took less than the minimum core had even lower retention (78%) and much higher remediation rates (52%).

Read the June 2004, THE ISSUE. Click:    Read this month's issue.

A survey released yesterday by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) show how parents view of the nation's public schools has changed since 2001. The percentage of parents who give public schools a grade of A has dropped from 8% in 2001 to 2% today, and only 20% of parents give schools a B, down from 35% in 2001. Meanwhile, 45% of parents give schools a C, up from 33% in 2001.

According to the 2004 survey, public schools rose slightly in the eyes of adults in general since 2001; a few more adults gave schools a B and fewer gave them a C. The percentage who gave schools a D or F was unchanged. As in 2001, 2% of adults gave public schools an A. According to the ETS survey, the following show how adults' view the quality of U.S. schools in 2004.

A: 2% B: 20% C: 47% D: 15% F: 4% Avg. GPA: 2.2

The survey also found that the public is split evenly on the merits of the No Child Left Behind law: 39% have a favorable opinion, 38% unfavorable.

Editorial Note: Keep in mind that research has shown that people generally view their home schools as being better than neighboring schools or schools in their state or nation as a whole.

Sources: Educational Testing Service and USA Today

Speaking at the National Charter School Conference in Miami Beach last Friday, U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige urged the 2400 people in attendance to expand charter schools until they exist "on every street corner in every city in the United States of America.'' Secretary Paige said, ''Every time you find a crowd of more than two, start a discussion of charter schools. Keep pressing forward -- do not turn back.'' Paige added, ''You are doing a big favor for the traditional school system. They need the wake-up call, and they need the competition you supply.''
Source: The Miami Herald, June 19, 2004
Nearly 90 members and guests attended the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools annual summer meeting and golf outing on Tuesday, June 15th at Zanesville's EagleSticks Golf Club and Inn. Featured speakers for the morning session were Roger McCauley, Executive Director of the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development (COAD) and State Senator Joy Padgett, 20th Senate District. CORAS President-elect Thomas Wolfe recognized retiring CORAS superintendents and gave a special recognition to CORAS superintendents' whose district achieved either "excellent" or "effective" on the 2002-03 Local District Report Card. Retiring members of the CORAS Board of Directors, Deryl Well and Mike Crawford, were presented the Board of Director's Plaque. Following bunch, seventy-two members and guests participated in the annual CORAS golf outing, coordinated by Dale Dickson. Judge William O'Neill, candidate for the Ohio Supreme Court, was the featured speaker at the evening dinner session.
The next CORAS meeting is set for Tuesday, September 14, 2004. The program and location will be announced soon.
"Fourth-grade math passage rates jumped from 58 percent in 2003 to 66 percent this year. The jump in sixth grade was even bigger, with 65 percent of this year's students passing, compared with only 52 percent last year." ...Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 16, 2004
"Ninth-graders didn’t take the proficiency test this year — they took the new Ohio Graduation Test as a practice run for next year. But other high-school students who must pass the old test are still trying to get past portions they previously failed or didn’t take. About 20 percent of
tenth-graders, 10 percent of eleventh-graders and 2 percent of the seniors statewide still must pass at least one subject." ...Columbus Dispatch, June 16, 2004

*  A Comparison of charter school results to the state as a whole.

These figures include only the March fourth-grade reading test. In some districts, students who passed in October did not retake test in March.

                                             6th Grade Results (Percentage Passed)

                        Writing    Reading      Math      Citizenship      Science

Charter Schools       78.1      36.4        28.0         31.8           25.5

State *                 90.3       64.3        65.4         67.7           69.2

                                            4th Grade Results (Percentage Passed)

                        Writing    Reading      Math       Citizenship      Science

Charter Schools        58.0      32.9        29.2         25.5            24.9

State *                78.4       63.8        65.7         59.2          64.2

* State results includes charter schools

Data Source: Columbus Dispatch (Ohio Department of Education), June 16, 2004

Graduation exit exams are too easy and do not measure the skills students will need in college, according to a study released last Wednesday. Reading and writing skills these exams test fall two grade levels behind what students see on the ACT college admissions test, says the report by Achieve Inc. In addition, the study found that the math portion of most exit exams focuses on pre-algebra and basic geometry skills that most students tackle in the early years of high school, rather than the more difficult algebra they need for college. On the English portions of the tests, the questions looked less like a college admissions exam than a test that the ACT offers eighth and ninth graders, Achieve said.
The study was based on a detailed analysis of exit exams in six states, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio and Texas.   
To read the Achieve, Inc., report, Do Graduation Tests Measure Up?: A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams (June 2004), Click:  For Full Report   and   News Release
Read related articles: Click: Exit exams comparatively easy  and  State Board Approves Cut Scores for Ohio Graduation Tests 

Ohio will be developing its first charter college, which will train teachers for high-demand areas like math, science and special education. The Ohio Department of Education will provide funding for two or three colleges using $800,000 in federal startup money. ODE will be reviewing proposals beginning Monday from 29 education groups that have applied to run them. Charter college graduates would continue to be licensed by the state, but they could be exempt from certain requirements. Those who sent letters of interest, and are eligible to send a formal proposal by the Monday deadline are: Ashland University; Baldwin-Wallace College; Capital University; CaseNEX LLC; Cleveland State University; College of Mount St. Joseph; Columbus Public Schools; Cuyahoga County Educational Service Center; Denison University; East Liverpool City Schools; Lottridgelegacyschoolnet; Lucas County Educational Service Center; Mahoning County Educational Service Center, Marazon Group; Notre Dame College; Oberlin College; Owens Community College; University of Rio Grande; Scope Academy; Sinclair Community College; Stark County Educational Service Center; The Foundation to Advance Childhood Education; Training Specialists of Ohio; 21st Century Community Developers, LLC; UIW, Ohio; University of Akron; Wood County Educational Service Center; Wright State University; and  Xavier University. .....Source: Ohio Department of Education

CORAS members who attended the March 15, 2004 CORAS meeting in Logan, almost three-months ago, will recall that State Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan T. Zelman provided a "heads-up" on the availability charter college program. She even went so far as to give very positive encouragement to Ohio Appalachian colleges, universities and school districts to submit proposals. Yet only one university and only one school district in the 29 Appalachian counties submitted a letter of intent. The lack of proposals from Appalachia is somewhat disappointing, in light of the fact there is a real shortage of mathematics, science and special education teachers in the region. CORAS applauds and supports the University of Rio Grande and East Liverpool City Schools for their initiative and efforts that may lead to more qualified teachers being available in these critical subject areas.    

American schools have near-universal Internet access, according to a USA Today report. The report said between 1996 and 2002, the percentage of Internet-wired schools rose from 65% to 99%, according to federal statistics. The percentage of wired classrooms rose from 14% to 92%; likewise, the percentage of Internet-connected libraries, from 28% to 95%. The article said educators claim the Internet is vital to help young people do homework, conduct research and compete in a global economy.
"Failing Our Children," by the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, outlines a fundamentally different approach to assessment and accountability that the authors say would better promote needed school reforms. "The current federal law (NCLB) is aggravating, not solving, the real problems that cause many children to be left behind," according to the report's lead author. "NCLB must be thoroughly overhauled if the federal government is to make a useful contribution to enhancing the quality of education in U.S. schools, particularly for low-income and minority group students."
This report goes on to discuss the elements of good assessments and how districts should use assessments to their advantage.
For a summary and a copy of the full report, click: http://www.fairtest.org/Failing_Our_Children_Report.html
Source: Re-printed from AASA's Rural/ Small On Line Newsletter

The Columbus Dispatch reported today that one in four Ohio charter schools whose finances have been examined by state auditors since 2002 ended a fiscal year in the red. Ohio has 179 charter schools. State auditors have completed examinations of only 109. The Dispatch said 14 charter schools across the state have closed since the year 2000, often under financial duress.

*  The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a school board can be held responsible in child abuse cases against employees if schools fail to report earlier abuse by the same worker.  ....Associated Press

A newly formed group backed by the National Education Association began airing television ads in four key election states Wednesday criticizing President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act. Communities for Quality of Education have purchased television time in Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Ohio and plan to begin airing the ads in Pennsylvania next week.   ....Associated Press

*  A growing number of urban districts across the country are doing away with middle schools, replacing them with schools serving kids in kindergarten through eighth grade. According to the National School Boards Association, Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Milwaukee and New Orleans are major urban districts changing to K-8 schools. ....Baltimore Sun

A federal auditing agency has concluded that the No Child Left Behind Act is not a mandated financial burden on states. Yesterday, the Washington Times said, "The General Accounting Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, said the act is 'a well-known example' of a new federal law with significant cost implications for state and local governments, but ruled that it does not meet the definition of a mandate under the 1995 Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 'because the requirements were a condition of federal financial assistance.' "
According to the Washington Times, the GAO concluded in a May 12, 2004 report to the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, that States have the option to accept or reject the federal funding for NCLB. Therefore, the law is not considered an unfunded mandate.
Read the Washington Times article. Click: Education Law Deemed No Mandate
In 2002, 65 percent of high school students enrolled in college right after graduation, up from 50 percent 30 years ago. However, only 63 percent of students who begin at a four-year college will get a bachelor’s degree with in six years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s Beginning Postsecondary Survey.
Source: Testimony by Kati Haycock, Director, The Education Trust, before the National Commission on Accountability on Higher Education, May 10, 2004.
Eighty-three percent of parents give themselves at least a B for involvement in their children's education. But when assessing other parents, seventy-six percent give C's, D's and F'S.
How Parents See Themselves.
Above Average.......83%
Average or Below...17%
How Parents See Other Parents.
Above Average.......21%
Average or Below...76 %
Source: USA Today
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A National PTA Educational Funding Poll conducted in January of this year of 800 public school parents found that 87 percent of parents said they are expected to participate in their children's school fundraising activities.
When Asked How Many School Fundraising Activities They Are Expected to Participate In,
29 % said 1 or 2 fundraising activities;
36 % said 3 or 4 fundraising activities, and
22 % said 5 or more fundraising activities.

Source: National PTA

*  School and community leaders from Belmont County have announced their intention to issue school funding report cards to candidates for the 126th General Assembly.
*   Wisconsin's attorney general said state and local education officials could make a strong case against the No Child Left Behind Law in court. According to Education Week, the Wisconsin attorney general all but invited them to explore the possibility of doing so. Click here to read,  "Top State Lawyer's Analysis."
*   The Ohio House approved a bill Wednesday requiring school districts and community schools receiving donated copies of the mottoes of the United States of America and the State of Ohio to display them in each school building. The requirement applies to the phrase, "In God We Trust" and "With God, All Things Are Possible."

The Kansas Supreme Court has voided a May 11 lower-court ruling in a school-funding case that had ordered the state’s schools to shut down as of June 30, 2004.  The Court’s ruling, issued last Wednesday, reversed a County District Judge's order for the state to close its public school system and stop the flow of state aid to schools. The County District Judge declared  the Kansas school finance system to be unconstitutional.

According to the Associated Press, the Ohio House and Senate have worked out their differences over a proposal to increase oversight of the state's public employee retirement systems. The Governor is expected to sign the bill this week. The compromise would require the state's five public employee retirement systems to develop goals to increase the use of Ohio-based brokers and money managers, but the systems would not be required to set aside a specific amount of business for Ohio firms. AP also said the Ethics Commission ongoing investigation of the State Teachers Retirement System is expected to be completed this summer.

House Bill 265, introduced in the Ohio House last fall, would amend state law by providing immunity from civil liability for school districts, community schools, nonpublic schools, and school employees for an alleged injury to a student caused by school discipline, provided that such discipline does not result in child endangerment.  
Current law protects school personnel if the use of force or physical restraint is reasonable and necessary in self-defense, if the purpose is to protect people and property, to stop a disturbance or to remove weapons and dangerous objects from a student. HB 265 expands the protection to include situations governed by the bill's provision regarding immunity in suits arising out of the discipline of a student. There is no immunity if the action is deemed excessive or carries a substantial risk of serious injury or is administered repeatedly or in a cruel manner. 
Read Bill Analyses, Click: HB 265 As Introduced
According to Education Week the General Accounting Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, has found that at least 463 federal employees, some in the upper ranks of government, hold bogus degrees from diploma mills. Two of them work for the Department of Education. In addition, the report said, GAO investigators found at least 28 high-ranking federal officials held diploma mill degrees. Officials with bogus degrees include managers in the Department of Energy and in the National Nuclear Security Administration, and senior executives in the departments of Transportation and Homeland Security, the EW article said. 

Read the Education Week article. Click: Federal InvestigatorsTarget ‘Diploma Mills’

The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, a Washington-based nonprofit organization, commissioned a poll of teachers in three states to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education. The results of the poll were released last week in the report, Fifty Years After Brown v. Board of Education: A Two-Tiered Education System,

The report said, "The evidence cited by the teachers, school by school, proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that children at risk, who come from families with poorer economic backgrounds, are not being given an opportunity to learn that is equal to that offered to children from the most privileged families."

The poll, reinforcing the obvious, found that children from poorer economic backgrounds have the poorest physical environments, the greatest instability of teachers, the fewest fully qualified teachers, a shortage of textbooks and instructional materials, far less availability of technology in the classroom, overcrowded classes, poor working conditions for the teachers, and fewer teaching/learning resources. The report said, "To compare these schools with those serving the most affluent majority of students is akin to comparing a backward, emerging nation with a highly industrial nation. It is no contest."

The report offers the following remedies.

1. Acknowledge unequal school conditions and marshal the political will to seek solutions.

2. Listen to what teachers and students tell us about conditions in their schools.

3. Establish school standards that sustain quality teaching and learning for every child.

4. Establish funding adequacy formulas based on per-pupil needs in lieu of per-pupil averages.

5. Use better data to report on the relationship between school conditions and student performance.

6. Hire well qualified teachers and principals, support them and reward them for performance.

7. Hold officials publicly accountable for keeping the promise of educational equity.

Read the results of the poll, "Fifty Years After Brown v. Board of Education: A Two-Tiered Education System," from the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future. (Requires Adobe's Acrobat Reader.)

Register now for the June 15, 2004 CORAS meeting at the EagleSticks Golf Club and Inn, Zanesville.  Registration is 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. The program, beginning at 9:00 a.m., will recognize retiring CORAS superintendents. CORAS superintendents/school districts receiving excellent and effective on 2002-03 Local District Report Cards will also be honored..
Featured speakers are Roger McCauley, Executive Director, Corporation of Ohio Appalachian Development (COAD), who will discuss the impact on the Appalachian region if the one-cent sales tax increase is repealed. State Senator Joy Padgett, 20th Senate District, will address the developing school-funding crisis, (i.e. school districts cutting programs, laying off staff, and levy failures).
Following the morning program, CORAS will hold its annual Summer golf outing on the EagleSticks golf course. Golf participants must submit their registration by May 31st. A $45.00 golf registration fee, which includes green fees, cart, golf shirt, prizes and dinner, is required. The registration fee for the morning program is $15.00, which includes brunch.
To register for the meeting and/or the golf outing contact Lori at 740-593-4414 or 740-593-4445 or FAX 740-593-9698 or email stumpl@ohio.edu
For additional information on the golf outing contact Dale Dickson, CORAS Golf Outing Coordinator, at 740-342-3502.
According to an article in the New York Times, one of every seven high school diplomas granted in the United States in recent years has gone to someone who passed the GED test. Nationally, 49 percent of those earning GEDs in 2002 were teenagers, the report said. There were 648,000 GED diplomas awarded in 2001. With a new, harder test in 2002, the number receiving GEDs fell to 330,000. 
The American Council on Education (ACE) claims those who receive the GED diploma outperform at least 40 percent of today's high school seniors. In addition, ACE said more than 95 percent of U.S. employers consider GED graduates the same as traditional high school graduates in regard to hiring, salary and opportunity for advancement.

"In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms." ....Excerpt from the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision of May 17, 1954 that ruled 'separate but equal' has no place in public education, as delivered by Chief Justice Earl Warren.

More evidence of the looming school-funding crisis in Ohio.
Independence reduces busing, lays off 35
Needing to save $1.6 million, Independence schools will lay off 35 workers and cut bus service for hundreds of students. The school board this week approved the job cuts, which include 13 teachers. Their last day of work will be June 30.
Larger tax levy possible
After meeting with a small community group Thursday, the Woodmore school board's finance committee learned they should probably go for a pricier, longer term levy. To go along with that, school officials will make about $200,000 in cuts -- equivalent to about 1.5 mills of real estate tax in the district. The district's 2.9-mill, two year emergency levy will expire at the end of this year. The tax generates about $420,000 per year of an $8.5 million budget. Without a renewal or new levy, Treasurer Anne Arnold predicts a deficit of about $160,000 for the 2004-2005 school year, and about $1 million at the close of the 2005-2006 school year.
Group tries to stave off cutbacks in Holgate
HOLGATE, Ohio - At least 50 concerned citizens plan to attend a Holgate school board meeting tonight to make pleas against possible cuts at the rural school district.
Rossford eyes mobile school units
The Rossford Board of Education is to decide Monday whether to buy two mobile school units, each with two classrooms, and whether to put a new permanent improvement levy on the August ballot.
Ashland schools weigh tax options

Monday, the board discussed the type, size and timing of a levy with facilitator Al Maloy, deputy director of search services and board development for the Ohio School Boards Association. Board members agreed the public is tired of hearing about a levy and probably would not approve an August request. The board discussed the advantages of a property tax versus and income tax. Treasurer Marie Beddow discussed options of a 9.9-mill property tax levy or a 1.25-percent income tax.

Crestline to explore CC merger
CRESTLINE -- Crestline Exempted Village School District might appoint two board members to discuss possible consolidation with the Colonel Crawford School District. Superintendent Randal Harner said the board could decide tonight to appoint two members to meet with Colonel Crawford officials. Crestline district has projected a $6 million deficit by fiscal year 2008. Crestline hoped to pass a 7.55-mill emergency levy to raise $607,200 through 2006. The district also hoped to pass a 1-percent income tax issue. Both issues failed at the polls March 2
City Schools cuts 12 more jobs
MARION -- Marion City Schools Board of Education on Monday voted to put a 10.1-mill, five-year levy on the Aug. 3 special election ballot. In its five-year forecast, the district projected a $4.4 million general fund deficit by the end of next school year. After the March levy defeat, Zwick said the district planned to reduce its work force by 66 employees, laying off 14 teachers in addition to 22 who took up the district's offer of a retirement incentive, 24 classified employees and six administrators. The reduction in force will save $2.9 million.
Dublin voters face two school issues

Dublin voters will decide this fall whether they want to pay higher taxes for school operations and whether to issue bonds to pay for a new elementary school and more classrooms for preschool and middle-school students. The Dublin school board will ask voters to approve a $48.8 million bond issue and a 7.9-mill operating levy on Nov. 2. The money will stave off a projected $20 million deficit expected in 2007.

Newark schools seek bond issue

NEWARK, Ohio — The final piece of a plan to rebuild the city’s aging schools is expected to go before voters in November after action last night by the Newark school board. A resolution approved unanimously by the five-member board asks taxpayers to pay about $70 million in the next 28 years for the district’s share of a $131 million plan to build six bigger schools, renovate seven and close nine.

School budget revisions proposed

Having heard more cost-cutting and cash-generating proposals Wednesday, the Fremont Board of Education's Finance Committee is edging closer to lopping $1.6 million from next year's budget. To reach that figure, officials might cut 12 to 14 food service positions, three custodial positions through attrition, tweak the transportation department and increase fees -- including instructional fees, lunch prices, fees for athletics and student parking at Ross High School.

Fairborn schools plan more cuts

The school board, struggling to avoid a deficit of $3.2 million or more next year, will meet Monday morning at the board of education building for another round of personnel cuts. Superintendent David Scarberry said cuts related primarily to the planned closing of Black Lane Elementary and Wright Elementary next year. The cuts follow board actions in April that eliminated about 100 staffers for the 2004-05 school year and an vote last July to cut 78 administrative and support staff positions.

SUPERINTENDENT PAY
Average superintendent salary nationally: $126,268

Superintendents in districts of 25,000 or more students:  $170,024

Superintendents in districts of 10,000 - 24,999: $138,537

Superintendents in districts of 2,500 - 9,999: $121,853

Superintendents in districts of 300 - 2,499: $98,302

Source: Educational Research Service

The Ohio Department of Education announced yesterday the availability of a new online tool that gives parents, educators and community leaders access to easy-to-understand information about their schools' performance. Every Ohio public school's performance, demographic data and analyses are now featured on a Web site, http://www.schoolresults.org/  The data comply with a requirement under the federal No Child Left Behind Act that information be publicly reported.

*  State Teachers Retirement System board Chairman Eugene Norris was defeated by John Lazares, superintendent of the Warren County Educational Service Center, for a seat on the STRS board.
According to a report in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Ohio High School Athletic Association will name Daniel Ross, superintendent of Avon Lake schools, as its new commissioner at a Thursday news conference in Columbus.
Check-out  the new OSBA website. Click:  http://www.osba-ohio.org/  A New feature is OSBA's Video Update. Click: OSBA's Video Update — the May 7th edition of education news in Ohio to view the latest update.

Interest in "value-added" assessment, the tracking academic progress of individual students over time, has been brought to the forefront in Ohio through the efforts of Jim Mahoney, Battelle for Kids and the research of Dr. William Sanders. In the last issue of Education Week, the article "Value Lessons" pointed out that a growing number of educators in England have been utilizing "value-added" since the early 1980s. Just this year, according to the EW report, the British government began producing "value-added" information and test results for all public schools schools in the country. Read the article in the May 5, 2004 Education Week. Click: Value Lessons

The list continues to grow! This marks the fifth week that CORAS has compiled a list of  Ohio school districts cutting programs and services because of a lack of funding. These listings make it abundantly clear that Ohio is rapidly moving toward a major school-funding crisis. To view previous "Headlines" that are listed on the CORAS website, Click: Current Ohio Education News ...
Madison slashes teachers, busing

MADISON TOWNSHIP -- The Madison Schools budget ax has fallen again -- this time on two dozen teachers and on busing for many students. In another move to slash into its $2.2 million deficit, the district announced it will reduce its force by 24 teachers at the end of the school year. The measure will save just over $1 million, Superintendent Roger Harraman said.

Board meeting emotional for some
Teachers and students expressed their concerns and disappointment at the $1.3 million in cuts announced in March for the Pickaway-Ross Joint Vocational School District at Thursday night's board meeting. The cuts include the elimination of 13 teaching positions and the discontinuation of five business programs, four of which are satellite programs at Circleville, Logan Elm and Chillicothe high schools.

Perkins Local passes resolution to place a property tax on August ballot
SANDUSKY - The Perkins Local school board yesterday passed the first resolution required to place a property tax request on the Aug. 3 ballot.

Huron city schools put under fiscal watch
HURON, Ohio - The Huron City School District was placed under "fiscal watch" by the state auditor's office, which said the district failed to submit an adequate written plan to eliminate projected deficits this year and next.

 Schools tighten belts to get by

Princeton is cutting teachers. Winton Woods and Three Rivers are cutting teachers and high school busing. Sycamore is downsizing.

Franklin to discuss two money issues

FRANKLIN - An Aug. 3 ballot issue that would provide money for day-to-day operations and construction in the Franklin schools will be discussed at a special school board meeting at 7 p.m.

Rossford board asks public input on levy priorities
The Rossford Board of Education passed the first of two resolutions necessary to put a 2-mill permanent improvements levy on the Aug. 3 ballot last night, then asked its audience to offer their opinions on priorities for spending the money.

Mayfield schools cut budget, 40 positions
Mayfield - Eleven teachers, 20 teaching assistants and nine other school district employees will lose their jobs at the end of the school year as part of a $3.3 million budget cut. 

Hudson schools to cut 20 full-time jobs
Hudson- The Hudson School District plans to cut 20 full-time staff positions to offset cuts in state funding and reduced tax collections that are affecting school districts all over the state.

City Schools unions seeing rift
MARION -- Two unions representing Marion City School employees are going to the public with their suggestions for fiscally challenging times while waiting for a chance to give input to the school administration. Marion City Schools Board of Education members suspended the contracts of 14 teachers and a principal, an administrative staff assistant and a program administrator at an April 26 meeting. The move, expected to save $2.9 million by reducing its work force from 694 to 628 including several retirements, is an attempt to offset a projected general fund deficit of $4.4 million by the end of the next school year.

 Dayton schools cut 124 positions, close middle school

DAYTON - The Dayton school board voted Tuesday night to cut 124 jobs - including 82 teaching positions - as part of a cost - saving effort to fend off a projected $7.4 million deficit next year

TPS budget fix would cut 91 teaching jobs
A proposal to eliminate Toledo Public Schools' projected $6 million deficit for the next fiscal year includes cutting 91 teaching positions, according to district documents.


The Associated Press reported yesterday that Ohio is facing a $108 million shortfall for schools for the fiscal year ending June 30. The deficit was blamed on unexpectedly high enrollment and a new way of counting students. According to an ODE official, school enrollments were about 9,000 students more than expected when school districts submitted final numbers in April. In addition, special education enrollments were 7,000 students higher than last year. According to the AP report, Governor Taft said, "We're going to come up with the dollars." Budget Director Tom Johnson said the state wants to fix the deficit by shifting $28 million within ODE's budget internally and asking the Legislature for permission to spend $80 million of the state's year-end balance.

The AP report, posted on the Akron Beacon Journal website at 3:00 PM Wednesday and updated at 7:59 PM said, "The announcement came just hours after hundreds of students, teachers and education advocates rallied at the Statehouse to say Ohio isn't doing enough to help local districts fund schools."

The National Association of Elementary School Principals said the average pay of an elementary principal in the United States is $75,144 for 2003-04, down $147 from $75,291 in 2002-03. According to the NAESP executive director, this is the first salary decline for elementary school principals in over a decade.

The CORAS/Hicks-Executive-in-Residence program was held at the Ohio University Inn, Athens last Thursday, April 29, 2004. Over 60 CORAS members, Ohio University College of Education faculty and guests were in attendance. CORAS President Bob Caldwell recognized the 2004 CORAS Leadership and Service recipients Al Cote, Roger Nehls, Jerry Vinci, Barbara Glover and Ralph Martin. Following preliminary remarks by Mark Chahulski, William Phillis, Mark Hatch and Debbie Phillips, Dr. Max Evans talked about the life of Dr. Samuel I. Hicks, for whom the program memorializes.
Featured speaker, Judge Linton D. Lewis, Jr., trial court judge in DeRolph v. State of Ohio, gave an informative presentation on the DeRolph school-funding litigation. Hicks Executive-in-Residence honoree Dr. Julie Underwood, Deputy Executive Director and General Legal Counsel for the National School Boards Association, discussed school funding in Ohio and across the nation. Both speakers were presented plaques recognizing their support for public education.
The next CORAS meeting is set for Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at the EagleSticks Gold Club and Inn, Zanesville. The speakers will be Roger McCauley, Executive Director, Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development (COAD), and State Senator Joy Padgett, 20th Senate District. The annual CORAS golf outing will follow the program. Registration materials will be mailed to CORAS members this week
The Cincinnati Enquirer reported this morning that school superintendents are retiring in record numbers. The Enquirer said school boards locally and across the country are finding that the pool of applicants to fill those posts has shrunk, and those who do apply often are less qualified. Read the Enquirer article. Click: Fewer want to be superintendents
With teachers, it's a different story. Today's Columbus Dispatch reported that the Ohio Collaborative Policy Center, a research organization that tracks the job market, said the demand for new teachers is at a five-year low. Read the Dispatch article. Click: School’s out for a lot of teachers looking for jobs
Over the past three weeks  CORAS  has listed dozens of newspaper "headlines" that point to the developing school funding crisis in Ohio.....and still more "headlines" have appeared this week.
Shadyside Local School District Cuts 10 Positions  

SHADYSIDE - Ten positions within Shadyside Local School District were eliminated Thursday during a regular meeting of the board of education, as the board unanimously passed a motion to implement Level I of the district's expenditure reduction plan. After being placed under fiscal caution by the Ohio Department of Education last week, Shadyside school officials took immediate action and began working on a financial recovery plan, including three levels of expenditure reductions. Officials have projected a deficit of more than $2.4 million at the end of Fiscal 2006.

Cloverleaf schools put levy on ballot
For the sixth time in two years, Cloverleaf voters will be asked to support a school issue. School board members voted this week to put a levy on the November ballot. They have not decided how much millage to seek. Voters rejected a 9.7-mill, five-year emergency additional levy March 2. It would have generated $4.2 million a year and cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $297 annually. The issue lost by only 26 votes. The district is facing a projected budget deficit of about $500,000 for the 2004-05 school year. School leaders already have decided to close two elementary buildings and cut teaching and support positions.

Oberlin schools keep cutting costs, positions, even after tax hikes pass
Oberlin - The board already has eliminated eight teaching positions and one administrative position in 2003-04. Voters approved a five-year, 8-mill property tax and a 0.25 percent income tax, but Treasurer Diane Wolf said that most of the money will not be collected until the next fiscal school year. By 2005-06, the deficit will be about $430,000, said Wolf  By cutting salaries, benefits, equipment and supplies, the district already has reduced its $10.5 million budget by almost $800,000 over the past two years, said Wolf.

Board says elementary school has to be closed 

Despite the impassioned pleas of several parents carrying signs and wiping away tears, the Madison-Plains Board of Education voted last night to close Fairfield Elementary school in August to avert a financial crisis. To shave almost $1.6 million from its $13 million general-fund budget by mid-2005, the board also voted unanimously to eliminate 18 positions and consider implementing a more expensive pay-to-play system for extracurricular activities. The board also agreed to seek either a 0.75 percent income tax or a 6.5-mill property tax in November to prevent more cuts and the closing of a second elementary school

School financial picture bleak
Community members worried about the finances, facilities and the future of Bucyrus City Schools had a two-hour discussion Monday evening at Bucyrus High School. The school board did not make a decision. The board will meet in a special work session at 6 p.m. today to discuss the financial status of the district and levy options.

 Lakota students will see school fees rise
Assistant Superintendent Michael Taylor has recommended increasing fees for kindergarten students by $5 to $35 next school year. In grades 1-6 the fee is expected to increase $10, to $45 per student. After-school fees for marching band and drama will increase $5 to $55 while athletics will go up $50 to $85 for junior school students and $115 for students in grades 9-12. Each family will be capped at $230 for athletics.

Districts outline need for levies

STONELICK TWP. - Two Clermont County school districts have committed themselves to a levy on the August ballot. In Clermont Northeastern, where the district is facing an $800,000 deficit in the 2005-06 school year, a failure of its 4.9-mill permanent improvement levy will lead to immediate cuts for the 2004-05 school year, said Superintendent Charles Shreve. In nearby Williamsburg, the district is looking at a deficit in the exact amount of its 6.4-mill emergency operating levy request - $260,000 - for the 2004-05 school year. The district isn't talking about cuts for the upcoming school year, but has announced its proposed contingency cuts for the 2005-06 year, said Superintendent Tom Durbin.

Parma schools to drop busing, cut 103 workers
Parma - Cash-strapped Parma schools must cut 103 workers, including 59 teachers, and eliminate busing for more than 1,600 students, School Board President Kevin Kelley said Wednesday.

23 layoffs set in motion by Napoleon
NAPOLEON - The Napoleon Board of Education has moved to enact nearly two dozen employee cuts announced earlier this year.

Ross schools raise fees, make cuts for next year

Increasing pay-to-participate and school fees, combined with spending cuts, will allow the Ross Local Schools to trim about $700,000 during the upcoming school year. Those changes, combined with about $30,000 in spending reductions already imposed following last month's levy defeat, should lessen an anticipated deficit during the 2006-2007 school year for the southwestern Butler County district.

N. Royalton school district off 'fiscal watch' list
North Royalton- The city school district's finances no longer need monitoring, the state auditor announced Thursday. "This doesn't solve the funding issues in North Royalton," Superintendent Baroff said. "Like other districts, we're going to have to go to our community for financial support to stay off the list."

A Florida charter school has been charged with fraud for allegedly hiring out students to work on road crews and pocketing extra money from the state. Escambia Charter School in Gonzalez, Florida is accused of sending students to work on state road projects instead of teaching them. In addition, the charter school submitted false attendance records, schedules, and report cards to obtain state funds.
Students spent only one hour a day in classes for four days a week, working the rest of the time on state road projects. The school had received about $250,000 for students’ labor from the Florida Department of Transportation in the past five years, and pocketed about $40,000 a year after paying students, according to Education Week.
On March 8, 2004 the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) was ordered by Governor Taft to reduce spending in FY 04 by $16.6 million as part of an effort to eliminate a $620 million state budget deficit by June 30, 2005. ODE will make the following reductions:

$9.8 million in ODE operating budget
$2.4 million from cost-savings by ODE
$4.4 million from direct subsidy and programs to school districts, which includes:
         $293,000 - Alternative Education Programs
         $ 80,000 - Tech Prep Consortia Support
         $ 88,000 - GED-testing/Adult High School
         $530,000 - Vocational Education Enhancements
         $3.4 million - Special Education Enhancements
Source: Ohio School Boards Association
"Districts like Cincinnati are expected to fund most of their education through local property taxes, while the state sends more tax dollars to regions with low property values, such as rural and Appalachian districts." .... State Rep. Bill Seitz, (R), Cincinnati, Cincinnati Enquirer, April 26, 2004
"State lawmakers worked seven years under a court order to change the school-funding system. Mainly, they rearranged the deck chairs." ....Lee Leonard, Columbus Dispatch, April 26, 2004
"Teachers could use a hug. On average, those with a bachelor's degree or higher degree earn 44 percent less than other workers with similar levels of education. Nearly 50 percent of new teachers leave their profession by the fifth year, and nearly 16 percent leave each year." ....Scott Stephens, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 27, 2004
The Northwest Evaluation Association recently completed (April 2004) a research project, Individual Growth and School Success, confirming that Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measures do not provide a complete picture for judging school effectiveness. The study identifies significant academic differences among schools judged to be meeting AYP measures, and concludes that academic growth data are essential to give us a complete picture of school success.
To view the Executive Summary,   Click here.
To access the full Report in .pdf format, which you may view or download. Click Here
Visit the Northwest Evaluation Association website at:   www.nwea.org

Over the past two weeks  CORAS  has posted newspaper "headlines" that point to the developing school funding crisis in Ohio.....and more "headlines" appeared this week.

Falling enrollment hurts CPS
Plummeting enrollment is forcing Cincinnati Public Schools to consider trimming staff, cutting the budget and scaling back its $1 billion school construction project before one new school is built.
Swanton schools will ask for bailout
SWANTON - The Swanton Local School District Board of Education last night agreed to seek a $265,764 catastrophic grant from the state to help offset the district's projected deficit.
Fostoria schools eye budget cuts, levy bid
FOSTORIA - School officials last night introduced plans to cut more than $1 million from next year's budget, including the elimination of nearly two dozen employee positions and reductions in bus service.
Lakewood not rehiring 7 teachers in budget move
Lakewood- The Board of Education will not rehire seven teachers, including three vocational-education instructors, despite criticism from some residents.
River View cuts positions
River View’s students will be taught next year by at least 13 fewer teachers. And additional cost savings will be needed to balance the books for the next fiscal year, warned Superintendent Kyle Kanuckel. “We’re not finished yet,” he said Monday night. “We’re looking at personnel, we’re looking at extracurricular activities, we’re looking at supplies.”
Cleveland school administrators propose millions in cuts
Cleveland public school administrators propose eliminating 873 employees - including more than 600 teachers - as part of the latest round of budget cuts. Slicing 618 teaching positions would save $61.5 million, with the other staff reductions adding to that total. The district faces a deficit of up to $100 million because of lower than expected tax collections and state funding.
If August levy fails, fall sports will pay the price, officials say
If district voters again defeat a school levy in August, Preble Shawnee High school will not play fall sports, district officials say.
And elsewhere:
AD Joan Dautell said that Fairborn will not cut any sports due to the defeat of a 9.9-mill, $5.6 million operating levy in March. But, students will face an increased price to participate.
Valley View will institute a $200 per-student per-activity fee beginning in the 2004-05 school year. Sherry Parr, superintendent of Valley View Local Schools, said that number could fall to $50 with a $100 cap per student if a levy passes in August. The sized of that levy have not been determined.
Franklin AD Marvin Sands said the cost of the athletics program is about $430 per participant, and students will have to pay $250 per sport. The rest will be covered by fund-raisers organized by the parent and donations, Sands said. Sands adds that Franklin plans another levy in August of undetermined size. If that levy passes, the pay-to-participate plan will be unnecessary.
Washington schools seek 3.9-mill continuing levy
Aiming for the November ballot, the Washington Local Schools Board of Education last night voted unanimously to ask the Lucas County auditor to certify a new request for a 3.9-mill continuing levy.
Swanton parents raising money for school supplies
SWANTON - As Swanton Local School District officials continue efforts to offset a general operating fund deficit, parents and others in the community are rallying to pay for paper, pens, pencils, and other classroom supplies for the 2004-05 school year.
Henry Co. district to combine grade levels Patrick Henry's levy defeat leads to change
HAMLER, Ohio - Patrick Henry Superintendent Susan Miko called the March 2 ballot request a "status quo" levy, meaning things would stay pretty much the same if voters approved an additional 8.75-mills for the district. But the levy was defeated, and now things are not going to stay the same for the youngest members of the Henry County school district. Beginning this fall, all children in kindergarten, first, and second grades will be bused to Deshler Elementary, and all third and fourth graders will be transported to Malinta-Grelton Elementary.
Tight budgets squeeze more districts
Brecksville-Broadview Heights and South Euclid-Lyndhurst are the latest school districts to deal with a budget crunch. Brecksville-Broadview Heights has laid off 10 teachers and 29 other employees, while the South Euclid- Lyndhurst district has cut 31 teachers and plans to drop another 35 non-teaching positions next month.
3,000 Ohio Teachers to Lose Jobs
10 TV, WBNS Columbus, reported Thursday that the Ohio Education Association said 3,000 Ohio teachers will lose their teaching positions this year because of budget cutbacks.

 

*  State Senator Robert Gardner introduced SB 232 yesterday that requires the State Board of Education to establish the Ohio Regional Education Delivery System by July 1, 2007.

Legislators favoring video gambling have put together a plan for cities to vote on slot machines in Ohio's seven racetracks. According to the Columbus Dispatch, the plan was put together at a House Republican caucus on Tuesday. The proposal would give half the profits to college scholarship programs, 10 percent to early childhood initiatives such as Head Start and 40 percent for public school funding (about $107 per student statewide). The Associated Press reported that House Speaker Larry Householder said he believes cities would view the casino idea as a positive trade-off given that rural areas benefit from racetracks through the sale of grain for horses. Householder said, "So this is a way to allow the urban areas to also have a benefit." Editorial: More gimmickry and some strange reasoning.

Today's Education Week reports that "property-tax problems are occurring in a variety of states and taking several forms." Education Week pointed to Ohio to illustrate one of the problems. The article said, "In Ohio last month, only 46 percent of property-tax levies for districts’ operating or capital expenses gained voter approval. Over the previous four years, 60 percent of such initiatives passed."
Education Week conducted a school-funding survey in the fall of 2003. They asked state officials, "What is the most pressing issue regarding school finance for your state?" The survey found that concerns over property taxes was the most pressing issue in a number of states. 
View survey results. Click: "Survey Results." 

To read the full article, click: Property Tax Feels Weight Of Demands

Source: Education Week...April 21, 2004

The sale of naming rights by public schools may be gaining momentum. The Associated Press said corporate underwriting is common at many schools around the country, citing ads in yearbooks, company sponsored scoreboards and band uniforms. Several states allow some ads on school buses. .
But in recent years, according to AP, school district’s naming rights are going much further. In New Jersey a new grade school gym was named the ShopRite of Brooklawn Center. A local supermarket owner will pay $100,000 over 20 years to have the store’s name displayed on the outside of the gym. In the same district, the naming rights for the new school library were sold to the local family for $100,000. The library is now the Flowers Library and Media Center. The AP article said, "As voters weigh an unpopular property tax increase to balance school budgets, the school is being touted as a model of creative fund-raising."

Read the article. Click:  All names for sale at school

The State Board of Education has granted new charters to Peebles Local School District and Manchester Local School District. Both districts were previously part of the Adams County/Ohio Valley Local School District. According to the Ohio Department of Education, the two new school districts were created earlier this year by the South Central Ohio Educational Service Center. ODE said both new districts have submitted plans to the state department, detailing how they intend to meet state operating standards.
Last week CORAS  listed more than a dozen newspaper "headlines" that point to a developing school funding crisis in Ohio. The following are more "headlines" appearing this week.
N. Ridgeville schools plan cutbacks
The district, facing a $1.5 million shortfall, has decided to reduce busing and overtime, delay new purchase and begin a hiring freeze after last month's defeat of a 4.92-mill operating levy. It may have to eliminate or not fill as many as 67 jobs.

Westerville schools face cuts

The school board is to vote Monday on a plan that would eliminate 36 high school teaching positions, 67 courses and nine programs; increase high-school class sizes to 30; and reduce the number of credits required to graduate to 20.

73 Sylvania school staffers facing layoffs
About 70 employees, more than half of them teachers, will have to be laid off from Sylvania schools so the system can end next school year with a balanced budget, Superintendent Brad Rieger told the Board of Education last night.

Proposed cutbacks at Lakewood schools to affect jobs, some vocational classes
Lakewood -School officials intend to cut as many as 20 employees, including at least seven teachers, to save $1 million.

Lakota schools to cut teachers
One of Ohio's top-rated school districts will have bigger classes this fall, because teacher jobs are being cut - even as enrollment continues to grow.

Lake Local decision on levy likely tonight
The board's goal is to stem a growing deficit in the district's budget that, if not addressed with tax increases or spending cuts, would put the Lake Local School District a projected $847,000 in the red by the end of the 2004-2005 school year, and more than $10 million down by mid-2008. 

President Bush wants to test all high school seniors just before they graduate. The President's plan would give every senior in the nation the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Administration officials said the tests are needed to ensure that students graduating from high school have the skills they need to succeed. Officials also said tests will not be used to determine school sanctions or funding.
Ohio discontinued the statewide 12th grade test three-years ago due to its ineffectiveness. If the new test is approved by Congress, Ohio students would take eight achievement tests during their twelve years of schooling.

The Fair Taxation and Equal Education Task Force, based in Summit County, is sponsoring Project Chalkboard.  About a dozen large chalkboards will be moved to more than 100 locations in Ohio over a period of 7-10 days, arriving in Columbus for a Statehouse event on May 5, 2004.  Already more than 75 “chalkboard stops” have been identified.  At these stops, local school and community persons will conduct school funding information events and news conferences.  Rural Appalachian Ohio school districts need to be more active in this event. Add your school community to the "chalkboard stops." Complete information may be found on http://www.fixtheschools.org/.  You may also contact Mary Ann Isak at maisak@msn.com , 330-753-8552 or 330-697-0194.

A USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll last year found that the property tax is the most despised tax because people view it as unfair.
Property-tax collections have risen an average of 5.7% annually over the past five years to a record $297 billion nationally in 2003,  
    according to the Census Bureau.
Census Bureau figures show that in 2003 state and local governments got 32% of their money from Property taxes, 25% from Sales taxes, 21 % from Income taxes and 22% from other taxes.
Sources: USA Today and U.S. Census Bureau
Tiffin City School District billed the State of Ohio for about $1.2 million to avoid budget cuts after an operating levy failed to pass in the March primary. "Your remittance of the full amount ($1,183,714) is required within 90 days, as the Supreme Court has ruled the state funding system unconstitutional," said the March 30 invoice, which was sent to the governor's office, the Ohio Department of Education and state lawmakers.
An Ohio Department of Education spokesperson said ODE checked with their attorneys who did not believe the department had the statutory authority to pay. The governor's office said they will not be cutting a check either. Tiffin school officials said they didn't really expect the state to send the money. "We were just trying to make the governor aware that the current way we are funding our schools is still not working," the Tiffin school board president said. 

Following are "headlines" that appeared in Ohio newspapers over the last ten days. You will recall  that last week the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives said teachers and principals and superintendents were "pretty pleased' with state efforts to adequately fund Ohio schools. With similar "headlines" appearing almost daily, how could one believe people are pleased?

Elyria school board plans cuts, tax
The school board voted Wednesday to make more than $1.2 million in budget cuts next year.
Mixed reaction to Beachwood school meeting
It was the second meeting in two weeks when the public was given the chance to question the school board about recent layoffs of nine teachers and 21 other employees. People also asked about retirement packages offered to 12 teachers and two other workers.
Cleveland schools' cuts may put more students on foot next year
Cleveland school officials must cut $10 million from the transportation budget, which will probably translate into more students walking to school and middle-schoolers returning to public transportation.
Solon schools will cut 22 jobs to erase deficit
Solon schools will plug next year's projected $1.4 million budget gap by dismissing 22 employees.
 Mentor school board wants tax boost
The Mentor district was placed into state fiscal emergency early this year. School officials reacted to the deficit by laying off more than 220 employees and eliminating some busing and school-funding of athletics and other activities.
Sides try to avoid teacher layoffs
Akron school board, union meet to discuss retirement incentives. School board and union leaders met for two hours behind closed doors Monday evening to discuss a retirement incentive package to avoid teacher layoffs.
Canton City teachers notified of layoffs
Twenty-eight Canton City Schools teachers received layoff letters Thursday -- including six who were let go during the district's last round of budget cuts.
Medina schools weigh cuts
The chief of Medina City Schools on Friday proposed cutting as many as 110 jobs for next school year as part of a plan to save the district between $4 million and $6 million annually.
Music programs, sports off hook under new Columbus school plan  But there will be a price for restoring those programs cut because $66 million still needs to be trimmed from next school year’s budget to help close a total deficit of $85 million.
Hilliard panel suggests ways to ease school overcrowding A committee made up mostly of parents has created 10 possible responses to the overcrowding in Hilliard’s two high schools. Hilliard’s identical high schools were each built to house 1,800 students. Together, they housed 3,926 students as of Thursday.
London schools will try again for income tax
The superintendent predicts that if the November levy issue fails, the board will be forced to borrow money from the state to run the new building and avoid a projected $1.6 million deficit by June 2005.
Swanton to borrow against tax receipts
Facing a $750,000 deficit, the Swanton Local School District Board of Education yesterday voted unanimously to take the first step toward borrowing funds against anticipated revenue from a recently approved income tax levy.
Tiffin school board approves $1.2M in cuts
The Tiffin Board of Education approved nearly $1.2 million in budget cuts last night, including teacher layoffs and deep cuts in extracurricular activities for middle school and high school students.
Genoa schools approve cuts if levy still fails after recount
The Genoa school board voted last night to lay off more than 30 employees, eliminate high school busing, and institute a pay-to-play system for sports and clubs as part of $1.23 million in budget cuts.
OEA President Gary Allen responded  to Ohio House Speaker Householder's comment last week that it was teachers and principals who were "pretty pleased' with state efforts to adequately fund Ohio schools. Allen said, in a letter to the Speaker, "Let me state clearly that the Ohio Education Association, which represents 131,000 teachers, education support and higher education faculty members, IS NOT SATISFIED with the state of school funding in Ohio.  In fact, we are deeply troubled by your statement."

Read OEA President Gary Allen’s letter. Click:  http://www.ohea.org/.

For-profit K-12 education is gaining strength, according to an article in Education Week. The article cites Eduventures, Inc., a research firm that tracks for-profit education businesses and supports the growth of organizations operating in the corporate, post-secondary and pre-K-12 learning markets. Eduventures said K-12 for-profit education companies saw their revenues grow 2.7 percent last year, to $50.1 billion. This compares to a 1 percent increase in revenues in 2002. Eduventures also predicts that fully online education market revenure will grow 38 percent in 2004 to reach $5.1 billion.

The article said one major reason for the growth is the No Child Left Behind law, which has generated opportunities for companies in areas such as supplemental education services, assessment, and professional development. Another reason for the growth, though not mentioned in the article, is access to public funds where for-profit companies can establish charter schools.

Read the Education Week article. Click: Education Industry Eyes Opportunities in ‘No Child’ Law

Nebraska has succeeded in saying no to mandatory statewide tests. As a result, Nebraska education Commissioner Douglas Christensen has been hailed as a visionary and derided as an obstructionist. "I don't give a damn what No Child Left Behind says," Christensen said. "I think education is far too complex to be reduced to a single score. We decided we were going to take No Child Left Behind and integrate it into our plan, not the other way around. If it's bad for kids, we're not going to do it."
Read article. Click: Nebraska shuns mandatory statewide tests

Friday's AASA Legislative Corps Weekly Report said some 23 state legislatures are currently working on some type of action on NCLB.  The legislation passed or under consideration ranges from memorial resolutions asking Congress to revisit the law, to bills that demand no state funds be spent on NCLB activities, to outright prohibitions from participation in NCLB.

On the state level, the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Financing Student Achievement appears to be going nowhere. According to the Associated Press, Governor Taft  warned schools not to forget their own financial obligations. "School funding is still a partnership. As long as we have local control of schools there's a responsibility on the part of local communities to also be a partner in adequately funding school districts," Taft said.
Read article, Click: PERSPECTIVE: Funding committee debates as schools' money worries grow
An annual publication of the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools is "Vital Statistics," a comparison of the 126 school districts in the 29 Appalachian counties to all districts in Ohio. The 2003 edition will be available in May. The following is a brief look at what some of the 2003 data show.
Average  Expenditure Per Pupil (Expenditure Flow Model)
Ohio $7,822               Appalachian $7,329
Average Property Valuation Per Pupil
Ohio $109,403          Appalachian $78,879
Average Teacher Salary
Ohio $43,397            Appalachian $39,499
Median Income (Per State Return 2001)
Ohio $30,196           Appalachian $25,174
Some interesting comparisons between the 2002 and 2003 "Vital Statistics" include:
1. The gap between Ohio and Appalachian districts Average Per Pupil Expenditure decreased by $74.
2. The Average Property Valuation Per Pupil in Appalachian districts decreased by $378.
3. The gap between Ohio and Appalachian districts Average Teacher Salary increased by $198.
4. The Median Income Per State Return 2000 decreased in 2001 by $973 in Ohio and $636 in Appalachian districts.
The full report, containing data in 11 categories for each of the 126 Ohio Appalachian school districts, will be mailed to CORAS members the first of May. The final report will show highs and lows in the Appalachian region, in addition to looking at the Appalachian districts as compared to all school districts in Ohio.  Non-members wanting a copy of the report should e-mail request and mailing address to rfishe5@columbus.rr.com. A summary of the data will also be published on the CORAS website.
Data Source: Ohio Department of Education
The Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools (CORAS) will sponsor a meeting on "School Funding Issues" as part of the annual Hicks Executive-in-Residence program at Ohio University. The "School Funding Issues" program will be held from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Thursday, April 29, 2004 at the Ohio University Inn, Athens. Hicks honoree Dr. Julie Underwood and Perry County Common Pleas Court Judge Linton D. Lewis, Jr. will be the featured speakers. Dr. Underwood, former Dean of the School of Education at Miami University, is now  Deputy Executive Director and General Legal Counsel for the National School Boards Association. Judge Lewis, the trial court judge in the Ohio school funding lawsuit DeRolph v. State of Ohio, ruled in July 1994 that Ohio's school funding system is unconstitutional and that education in Ohio is a fundamental right.
Registration materials will be mailed to CORAS members this week. Others may register by calling Lori at (740) 593-4445. There is a $15.00 registration fee which includes continental breakfast and lunch. CORAS MEMBERS SHOULD REGISTER ASAP! Registrations may be limited because of seating capacity.

State Senator Teresa Fedor, D-Toledo, introduced a bill in the Ohio Senate yesterday that would place a two-year moratorium on the creation of new charter schools not affiliated with public school districts. During the two-year moratorium, a review would be conducted to examine the effectiveness of existing charter schools. In addition, the bill increases the fine from $100 to $1,000 for a charter school failing to report statistical data to the state. According to the Toledo Blade, State Representative Jon Husted, R-Kettering, said he doesn't believe the bill will make it to the Republican-controlled House.

Last evening (March 29) Channel 10 TV in Columbus reported that State Representative John Widowfield, 42nd Ohio House District, is pushing legislation that would allow school officials to place on the ballot a county-wide sales tax. The proceeds would be distributed among all county districts according to pupil population ratios. Rep. Widowfield introduced the bill (H. B. 356) back on December 18, 2003. CORAS reported on the bill at that time.
It has been seven years since the Supreme Court ordered "a complete systematic overhaul" of Ohio's school funding system, Legislators have ignored the ruling, claiming it's too costly. H.B. 356 appears to be another attempt by legislators to s