Testing Pressure Pushes Principal Over Brink

Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings probably didn't watch enough Hill Street Blues. Those of us who watched too much will recall Sgt. Esterhaus concluding every shift briefing with "Let's be careful out there." Principal John Burks of the New Braunfels (TX) Middle School concluded a staff meeting with something a little less uplifting: Speculating on the possibility that state assessment scores would not go up, he said "I will kill you all and kill myself. You don't know how ruthless I can be." I like stories like this because they remind me how glad I am to work in South Portland.

The whole story can be found at the San Antonio News.

I linked to it from the Education Intelligence Agency, which is available in the Lynx to the right.

Appropriate Internet Use

Okay, so here's an example of where one needs to strike a delicate balance between understating and overstating a caution. In a conversation with an administrator, the subject of appropriate use of the school department's computers (network, email, internet) came up. I have to admit that I hadn't read the district's policy in a few years, so I went back to read it again.

Part I says that access to the network is provided for educational purposes and research consistent with the school department's educational mission and goals. This might include corresponding about college, sports, activities, and work with former students, right? Wider community and lifelong learners and all that. Does it include swapping recipes? (Research) Kibbutzing about politics? That raunchy photoshopped picture of Britney Spears with Hillary Clinton's face superimposed is probably not included.

Part II notes that access is a privilege, and as such can be suspended.

Part III lists examples of inappropriate use, and allows for other inappropriate uses which are not listed there. That could be broad, and subjective, and for several years I've taken some comfort in the vagueness of it. I'm not sure I should.

PLEASE consider that wastefully using resources and using the network for private financial or commercial gain are explicitly prohibited. So is using the network for private or commercial advertising. [That's the other reason why there are no ads on this blog.]

I've certainly strayed from the proper use before, and I may be doing so with this posting. I put my trust in reasonable folks acting without malice. Nonetheless, having recently had conversations about this subject with an administrator, I think it is good if we all re-read, reflect, and restrain.

Health Insurance Rate Increase

You probably received a letter from the Benefits Trust saying that the rate increase is 4% this year. The letter had charts for the specific rates of each category of coverage. That same rate info will probably be posted online -- perhaps it already is and I just haven't found it yet. I did find lots of info at

http://www.anthem.com/wps/portal/ahpmember?content_path=member/me/f1/s0/t0/pw_070001.htm&label=Welcome%20MEA%20Members%20and%20Retirees&state=me&rootLevel=0

Quick Quote

"The only thing I worry about in education is that the next generation will be split into a tiny group of people who can create things like iPhones, Google, vaccines, robots and space stations, and a vast group of people who are unable to read and understand the directions to operate these things."

-Michael Antonucci, Director(?) of Education Intelligence Agency

Legislative Push - Now

You probably got a postcard from MEA. Scott Trebilcock got one; so did I. His urged him to contact his state senator (Bill Diamond) to press him to vote for LD 1693, the Cliff Bill that would reduce from 6% to 3% the per annum penalty for retirement before age 62. Mine was very similar except that it urged me to contact Senator Joe Brannigan.

LD 1693 is good policy. It is nothing more than a partial restoration of benefits lost in 1993, and this year it will cost the state NOTHING -- the retirement system has the money earmarked to pay for it. I'm urging you to contact your state senator to support LD 1693, and if it makes it through the senate, I will no doubt be urging you to contact your state rep. If you are uncertain who these folks are, contact me and I will help you find out.

A Little Light Bashing

The good folks at the Center for Union Facts have launched a campaign to eliminate the ten worst union-protected teachers in America. They are currently soliciting nominations, and will offer each of the finalists $10,000 to quit or retire. If you missed their full-page ads in USAToday and other papers, you can find out more and nominate your least favorite colleagues at http://www.teachersunionexposed.com/

By the way, these concerned citizens suggest on their Maine profile that Maine teachers unions can strike? C'est vrai? I hadn't thought so, but I've been wrong before.

In other uncomfortable media, some folks in NYC are trying to finish a film entitled The Rubber Room. The title refers to the buildings where teachers are sent when they've been removed from their classrooms. There they wait for a hearing officer to assess their cases and either fire them or return them to their classes. Apparently, NYC spends $25 million a year on rubber rooms. Check the film out at www.rubberroommovie.com.

Also, an National Public Radio program called This American Life had a story on rubber rooms recently. You can hear that at
http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=350

LD 2121 - Pre-K Certification

A bill intended to change the certification for Pre-K certification is wending its way through the Legislature.

The Early Childhood Teacher section has been amended to establish eligibility for that endorsement for any person who was employed as a teacher in a pre-kindergarten or Kindergarten-third grade program in Maine at any time between February 1, 2007 and February 1, 2008.

MEA supports this amendment but apparently there's another amendment that MEA does not support. I've written back to MEA to ask about that and will edit when I hear back. Anyone who knows more about the bill or has strong feelings about it is encouraged to post responses.

State Budget Cuts & Rally

Governor Baldacci's office has proposed the following cuts to education in response to the most recent budget projections. An overall $34.1 million reduction to General Purpose Aid to Education.

• $23 million of the total will be reducing the allocation to districts.
• The additional $11 million will be cut from bus purchases, debt payments and miscellaneous accounts which include a reduction of $4 million in the learning results implementation monies.
• A $2 million reduction in funding for Maine ’s Community College System for 2008-2009.
• A $7 million reduction in funding for the University of Maine System.

In response to this proposal, MEA will be joining with other interests in a rally entitled Maine Can Do Better. [It lacks the alliterative power of the Pentagon Protest and the Million Man March, but it certainly sounds more pleasant than the Watts Riots or the Tienanmen Square Massacre. Those may have been prophetic descriptions of the events, but talk about setting yourself up for a lousy day. It's amazing anyone was willing to show up to events with names like that.]

Anyway, the rally will be Wednesday, March 12, from 11:30 to 12:30 at the State House. You'll probably be teaching then, but if you're not, consider attending.

If you do plan to be teaching on Wednesday, consider a letter to your legislators asking them to support the Cliff Bill (LD 1693) and also alternatives to the education cuts.

Finally, if you want to get The Activist, the MEA's political action email newsletter, contact Cindy at the address below.
cfabbricatore@nea.org

Smoother Redistricting

I wasn't at last night's School Board workshop on redistricting, but the Press Herald seemed to think it went very smoothly.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=174090&ac=PHnws

Balance the state's budget

Governor Baldacci is a very shrewd man. He has posted a budget-balancing simulation on the state's website to allow folks to play with the numbers. While the exercise is necessarily simplified, a menu on the left offers more information about the specific policy initiatives. Check it out at:

http://www.maine.gov/governor/baldacci/policy/budget/index.html

Local Budget Revision

Jessica Kaplan represented the SPTA at the budget workshop last night. Apparently the folks in Augusta have revised the allocations, allowing SPSD to restore many of the proposed cuts. Dipping into my big bag of cliches, I'd say that was a close shave but we're not out of the woods yet. Eternal vigilance and many millions of dollars are included in the price of an excellent school system. Conversations with parents, board members, city councilors, legislators, and any other citizens have more effect than we often realize. Let's be mindful.

Local Budget & Redistricting

I attended the budget hearing on 3/4/08 in the Memorial Middle School cafetorium. Cuts ranging totalling approximately $1.5 million were presented in three blocks: Tier One, Tier Two, and Extra-curricular activities. The necessity of some of the Tier Two cuts seemed to hinge on whether some critical maintenance at SPHS could be deferred -- never a good choice to have to make -- but it seemed clear that Tier One and extra-curricular cuts were nearly certain.

At the same time, the school board is wrestling with the very thorny issue of yet another round of redistricting. Far more of the parents present were distressed by the redistricting than they were by the cuts, and one went so far as to declare that if he is unsatisfied with the results of the redistricting process he will work to defeat the budget referendum. That referendum, required by state law, is new this year and will probably be held in early April. Given the way the budget has already been slashed, I'd be glad to see it pass on the first ballot -- budgets only move in one direction in years like this.

Graduation Requirement Revisions Withdrawn

In one of the posts below, I urged folks to check out an informational video of Commissioner Gendron discussing her proposals for revisions to the graduation requirements found in Chapter 125, or maybe 127. I always get those chapters confused. Don't you?

Anyway, she has withdrawn the legislation that would have made those changes. According to Cheryl Lunde of the MEA, "the legislation has been withdrawn and the Department will be proposing the creation of a work group to bring back legislation and rule changes simultaneously next legislative session. "