Podcasts about Student Success Act

Oregon's June Economic and Revenue Forecast was released on Wednesday, May 14. This is the final Forecast of the 2023-25 biennium. The report showed that Net General Fund and Lottery resources available for the 2025-27 biennium are down $798 million from the March 2025 forecast. It further showed that projected revenue from the Corporate Activities Tax, which is the funding source for the Student Success Act, is down $44.4 million. In addition, the state's reserve accounts decreased by over $400 million and are currently projected to sit at $5.09 billion at the end of the 2023-25 biennium. What this means is that the Legislature has less discretionary revenue with which to make new investments in the 2025-27 biennium. That, coupled with ongoing uncertainty about federal funding to states for a variety of initiatives and programs, will likely limit additional support being directed to K-12 education. It also underscores the need to vigorously advocate for a State School Fund allocation of $11.4 billion, and for the programs that assist districts in supporting vulnerable students as well as those helping students reach graduation: the Student Success Act/Student Investment Account, Measure 98 - High School Success, Early Literacy, Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education, and Regional Inclusive Services. This Forecast confirms that HSD made prudent choices in budgeting conservatively for the 2025-26 school year. And while reducing expenses by $20 million is not what anyone would choose, we are grateful that - at this moment - we are not looking at having to make additional reductions. Congratulations are in order for HSD's 93 Class of 2025 Valedictorians and Salutatorians! These students are our highest achievers, and deserve recognition for their hard work and commitment to academic excellence. We honored the students and their accomplishments over a pizza lunch held at Hidden Creek Community Center on Thursday, May 15. Students received congratulations and words of wisdom from Hillsboro Mayor Beach Pace, Washington County Chamber President & CEO Deanna Palm, Hillsboro Schools Foundation Executive Director Aron Carleson, and Superintendent Reiman. At the end of the event, students were asked to share one piece of advice for incoming freshmen; that advice can be found on our website. There will be no school for all students on Monday, May 26 in observance of Memorial Day. Hot News is produced and emailed to HSD families and staff each week school is in session. Please add the address to your “safe sender” list to make sure you always receive the latest issue. Please also bookmark our district website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hsd.k12.or.us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to stay informed about what's happening in our district and schools.

Oregon's March Economic and Revenue Forecast was released on Wednesday, February 26. This is the next-to-last Forecast of 2023-25, and gives a close approximation of how that biennium will wrap up and what the state will be working with for 2025-27. The report showed slight decreases of $109 million in Net General Fund and Lottery Resources for the 2023-25 biennium (compared to the December 2024 Forecast), mostly due to increased expenditures made during the December 2024 Special Session. The projected personal kicker decreased slightly to $1.733 billion and the projected corporate kicker decreased slightly to $993.1 million. Corporate kicker funds are required to be spent on K-12 education during the 2025-27 biennium. Projected Net General Fund and Lottery Resources for the 2025-27 biennium are up $267.5 million, and for the first time have topped $40 billion. The Corporate Activities Tax, which funds the Student Success Act, saw its 2025-27 forecast dip slightly by $9.5 million compared to the December Forecast. Even more than usual, the budget process will likely be a slow one that is not finalized until after the June Revenue Forecast is released in late May. This is due to uncertainty about the possibility of federal-level changes to Medicaid funding, education funding, and many other decisions that could potentially impact Oregon's budget. K-12 advocates still need to make a clear and convincing case to invest in our public schools to meet the increased, and increasingly complex, needs of our students in the 2025 Session. There are significant needs and requests for investments in affordable housing and homeless services, mental health and addiction programs, wildfire fighting capacity, and other critical state services. Learn more and find our advocacy materials on the Budget Matters page of our website. www.hsd.k12.or.us

Oregon's 2019 Student Success Act established Student Success Plan grants to address educational disparities and promote success among historically underserved students.  These grants support programs tailored to improve educational outcomes for specific student groups, including African American/Black, Native American, Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. Funding through these grants will be allocated to a variety of vital resources, including student mentorship programs, summer school programming, and engagement events that bring students, families, and communities together to build meaningful connections.  The grants also provide critical support for social, emotional, and mental health services, specifically designed to serve and uplift Black, African, African American, Latino, Indigenous, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students.  HSD is pleased to announce our SSP awards for 2024-2028, which total more than $3.1 million: Many thanks to the staff members who worked hard to secure these grants, which will be used to implement initiatives that promote equity, increase student achievement, and create inclusive, supportive environments where all students can thrive.  Our featured student is Liberty sophomore Violet Howard. Her health education teacher Stephanie Fink shared an amazing story about how Violet put her learning into action and saved a man's life. The class recently completed their Injury and Safety Prevention Unit, which included training on how to perform CPR. During a practical exercise, Violet shared with Ms. Fink that she had to use these skills in a real-life emergency over Thanksgiving break. While driving with her mom, she witnessed a man collapse on the sidewalk. With remarkable composure, she pulled over and assisted her mother in calling 911. Violet bravely performed CPR on the victim, who was purple and not breathing. Thanks to her quick thinking and training, the man began to regain color and even started breathing with a weak pulse before medical professionals arrived. Outstanding job, Violet! You are a shining example of what makes us Proud to be HSD! This will be the final Hot News issue in 2024! Hot News will return with students after winter break on Monday, January 6, 2025. Hot News is produced and emailed to HSD families and staff each week school is in session. Please add the address to your “safe sender” list to make sure you always receive the latest issue. Please also bookmark our district website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hsd.k12.or.us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to stay informed about what's happening in our district and schools.

In his latest Hearing the Council video interview, At-Large Councilmember Robert White discusses three youth crime prevention bills he recently introduced: his Vocational Education for a New Generation Act, his Youth Mentorship through Community Engagement Act, and his Truancy Reduction for Student Success Act. Through analysis of vocational education needs and impacts, monthly truancy trends, and the pairing of youth experiencing adverse childhood experiences with DC government employees who provide mentorship during one weekly hour of paid community service leave, the thought is some future youth violence could be cut off at the pass before it ever occurs. Plus, which traits he'd borrow from past and present colleagues to craft a perfect Councilmember.

Since Illinois started the Evidence-Based Funding for Student Success Act in 2017, the state has made progress in addressing disparities in educational funding, directing resources to the schools most in need, particularly in lower-income and minority areas.

Cheri Helt is a candidate for Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industry (Labor Commissioner) and a former state representative from Bend. On May 17, she finished in second place in the primary, meaning she will move to the general election in November and face civil rights attorney Christina Stephenson.    While this statewide position is nonpartisan, Cheri is a moderate Republican and business owner. Previously, she served on the Bend-La Pine School Board for nearly a decade. In this episode, we talk about her experience as a moderate Republican in the legislature (including a couple of difficult votes she took on the Student Success Act and vaccines). We also cover her vision for the role of Labor Commissioner (apprenticeships, workforce development, BOLI staffing, etc). We have an interesting exchange on the famous "Sweet Cakes by Melissa" decision on LGBTQ+ rights and religious freedom (which played out under Commissioners Brad Avakian and Val Hoyle, but may be resolved by the next Commissioner) where Helt describes how she would approach the decision.   You can learn more about Cheri Helt on her website: www.cherihelt.com

Tim McCloud is running a historic campaign for the Republican nomination for Oregon Governor. Tim has been a father, a businessman, an early childhood educator, and the chair of a City of Albany bike and pedestrian commission. In a crowded field, I was happy to give this thoughtful fella a chance to talk Oregon issues, especially knowing how less-funded candidates can get drowned out. We discuss child abuse in Oregon's legal system (0:38), commutation of sentences (4:15), campaign challenges and barriers (7:55), "people over party" and closed primaries (14:19), Tim's background (21:14), public narrative vs. leader's reality (26:12), policy recognizing people: Tim's critique (30:02), Student Success Act (32:31), Black Lives Matter and policing (40:33), free expression, protest tactics, automobiles (49:58), Tim's campaign tune and jazz music (1:00:01), campaign finance reform (1:04:20), reproductive rights (1:07:46) and healing Oregon's economic brokenness (1:19:43). We end with the instrumental track "Turtle Hermit" by Cruzer Urameshi, who happens to be next week's guest (1:25:22).  The discussion is on video at https://youtu.be/r2oal5ZjA_4.  Ballots are due in a dropbox by May 17th.  Check out Tim's website: http://www.or4mccloud.com 

In this episode of The Early Link Podcast, host Rafael Otto explores the topic of advocacy and the details of two legislative agendas focused on building an inclusive, equitable, and just public education system. Guests: Amanda Manjarrez is the public policy & government affairs director at Foundations For A Better Oregon. Previously, Amanda served as director of advocacy at Latino Network, and as advocacy director for the Coalition of Communities of Color. Dana Hepper is the director of policy & advocacy at Children's Institute. She oversees the organization's legislative advocacy and community engagement work, including Oregon's Early Childhood Coalition. Coalitions: Oregon Partners for Education Justice is a cross-cultural network of community-based organizations, culturally specific service providers, and education advocates who are championing a racially just and community-centered public education system for Oregon. The coalition believes in the vision, wisdom, and leadership of impacted communities, and advocates for equitable policies and investments that eliminate disparities and empower historically underserved children. Foundations For A Better Oregon is the coalition's coordinating member. Read their 2021 Legislative Agenda. Oregon's Early Childhood Coalition includes more than 40 state and national organizations that work to advocate for young children and families. The coalition asks legislators to commit to continued improvement in early care, education, and supports for all of Oregon's young children and families and to center the voices of those most impacted by legislative actions in their decision-making processes. Children's Institute serves as a coordinating member of the coalition and offers facilitation support. Read their 2021 Legislative Agenda. Summary: In this episode, Amanda Manjarrez and Dana Hepper explain the priorities of the coalition's respective agendas as well as where they overlap. They also share why racial equity is key to an advocacy agenda, and discuss the need to build on the historic investments established in the 2019 Student Success Act.

Judy Ahrens has a lot to say about the way Student Success Act money is being used in some Jo Co school districts - lots of social justice stuff.

In this week's episode, host Rafael Otto talks with local education policy experts about the implementation of the Student Success Act. Guests Scott Nine is the Assistant Superintendent at Oregon Department of Education. He has spent almost two decades organizing, writing, speaking, and learning about what it takes to foster equity for students and remodel public education systems. Parasa Chanramy is the Policy and Implementation Director at Stand for Children. Parasa started her career as a kindergarten teacher at a K-8 charter school in North Minneapolis. After teaching, she went on to work as a Policy and Advocacy fellow at Charter School Partners where she developed a nonprofit business plan to pilot a new parent advocacy organization called EMPOWER: Education Matters—Parents Organizing and Working for Education Reform. Dana Hepper is the Director of Policy and Advocacy at Children's Institute, she oversees the organization's legislative advocacy and community engagement work. Dana started her career as an elementary school and preschool teacher, then she worked at Stand for Children for nine years doing community organizing, policy, and advocacy before joining Children's Institute. Background The Student Success Act (SSA) was passed during the 2019 Legislative Session. It mandates that Oregon will allocate $1 billion in new education investments each year, beginning in the 2020–2021 school year. The SSA investments are allocated into three separate accounts: The Student Investment Account ($500 million) will be used used to meet students' mental and behavioral health needs, and to increase academic achievement and reduce disparities for students of color; students with disabilities; emerging bilingual students; students navigating poverty, homelessness, and foster care; and other students that have historically experienced disparities in our schools. Statewide Investments ($300 million) include High School Success (M98); expansion of nutrition programs; school safety; African American/Black Student Success Statewide Plan; American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Plan; Latinx Student Success Statewide Plan; ESD support for school districts; summer programming; and the High Cost Disability Fund. The Early Learning Account ($200 million) funds will go toward early learning opportunities for kids under 5. Examples include: Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education; Early Head Start; Healthy Families Oregon; Early Childhood Equity Fund; and professional development for early childhood educators.

The School Board will open its work session on Tuesday, February 11th, for up to an hour of public comment on HSD’s proposed Student Investment Account, or SIA, budget for the 2020-21 school year. SIA is the portion of money collected through the Student Success Act that is coming directly to K-12 school districts through a non-competitive grant process. Feedback has been sought on priorities for SIA funds since the fall, and the draft budget has been crafted based on that input. The public comment session provides stakeholders one more opportunity to share their thoughts before the Board takes action on the proposed budget on Tuesday, February 25th, during their regular session. The public comment session will occur from approximately 7 to 8 p.m. at the Administration Center, located at 3083 NE 49th Place.

The Oregon Department of Education is here to help school districts and education service districts as the Student Success Act adds public education program funding and puts new demands on school leaders, says Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Colt Gill.

Swati Adarkar discusses the role of Children's Institute in driving educational change in communities across Oregon. She also describes recent legislative wins through the Student Success Act, the power of partnerships that connect practice to policy, and the growing momentum to strengthen early care and education for young children and their families. Concordia University will honor Adarkar with their Governor Victor Atiyeh Leadership in Education Award on February 4, 2020. The award, named for former Oregon Governor Victor Atiyeh in recognition of his life-long passion for and leadership in education, is presented each year to a leader who has profoundly changed the odds for our children to succeed in school and life.

The Student Success Act commands Oregon school districts to consider equity issues. National consultant and former school board member Daryl Dixon addresses why equity is important and how school leaders can approach community conversations.

Location: The Ecotrust Building, 721 NW 9th Ave. For information on parking, please visit Ecotrust's website. Our first Friday Forum of the 2019-2020 season will focus on the Oregon Student Success Act. We'll hear from education leaders from across the state about the specific provisions that they think will make a big difference for low income and underserved children in Oregon. Panel Parasa Chanramy Parasa is the Policy & Implementation Director at Stand for Children in Oregon. In her role, she manages the Oregon affiliate’s legislative work and collaborates with many different stakeholders to ensure that Measure 98 (AKA “High School Success”) and the Student Success Act are implemented well. She’s a proud Cambodian American and Oregonian with nearly a decade of experience in education policy in Oregon, Washington and Minnesota. Before working in education policy, she was a kindergarten teacher in north Minneapolis. Her students and their stories continue to motivate her and her commitment to education equity. Parasa joined the Stand family in late 2012. She holds a B.A. in International Affairs from Lewis & Clark College. Mark Witty has served in education for the past 34 years as a teacher, coach, guidance counselor, athletic director, principal and superintendent. He has a Master’s Degree in Education from Oregon State University and completed his Administrative Licensor through the University of Oregon. Mark is a recognized leader in Oregon serving as the President of the Secondary Schools Association in 2005-06 and is currently serving as the President-Elect for Oregon Association of School Executives. He is in his 5th year serving as the Superintendent of Baker School District which supports 1,700 brick and mortar students, 2,500 students statewide through Baker Web Academy and Baker Early College. Baker School District has also created Baker Technical Institute (BTI) which is a non-profit entity that provides technical training for k-12 students as well as adult learners throughout the Pacific Northwest. Mark has been nominated for Superintendent of the year in 2012, won the President’s Award from COSA in 2017 and serves on numerous state & local committees/boards. He has organized multiple regional Educational Summits in Eastern Oregon to create dialogue between educational organizations and our elected officials. Recently, he was nominated and accepted as an inaugural member of the Future’s Institute along with 49 other superintendents representing 25 states. This organization will act as a “Think Tank” to determine how education can best serve workforce development in a dynamic economic environment. Miriam Calderon is the Early Learning System Director overseeing the Early Learning Division in Oregon. Before coming to Oregon, Miriam served as the Senior Director of Early Learning at the Bainum Family Foundation, where she shaped a new $10 million dollar investment in a birth to three system for the District of Columbia. She also was a senior fellow with the BUILD Initiative, leading BUILD's work related to dual language learners, and serving as a faculty member for BUILD’s Equity Leaders Action Network. Previously, Calderon served as a political appointee in the Obama Administration, advising on early learning policy at the Domestic Policy Council at the White House and at the Department of Health and Human Services. She also served as the Director of Early Childhood Education at DC Public Schools, where she oversaw Head Start and pre-kindergarten programs, including helping to implement universal pre-kindergarten in DC. Calderon was also Associate Director of Education Policy at the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights organization. There she focused specifically on early education policy for Hispanic and dual language learner children. She began her career in early childhood working as a mental health consultant in Head Start programs in Portland, Oregon. She has published several reports on early childhood education. Calderon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Delaware and a Master of Social Work degree from Portland State University.

Erick Flores, an Oregon teacher and school board member, offers his personal observations about how the Student Success Act will help schools provide more opportunities for their students.

Dana Hepper from Children's Institute and James Barta from Children First for Oregon provide a legislative recap to close out the 2019 session. In this segment, they discuss the final days that resulted in passage of nearly 150 bills, including all remaining bills from the Early Childhood Coalition legislative agenda. Among the highlights are bills that fund universally available voluntary home visiting and create a task force on child care. Oregon also passed HB 2005 which creates a paid family and medical leave insurance program by 2023.While the 2019 legislative session resulted in historic investments in children and families, Dana and James reflect on the work ahead. That includes advocacy efforts to support the Student Success Act. The way in which this bill is funded will likely be referred to voters in January 2020. It also includes the work of implementing new programs, a focus on ensuring program quality, and continued advocacy in the months and years ahead.

Evan Worrell is a GOP WV House Member from Cabell Co.

Brian Dayton from the WV Chamber of Commerce discusses why the omnibus education reform bill passed by the WV Senate should become law.

Ron is a political columnist with the Herald Dispatch.

Mike Folk is a former Delegate running for the GOP nomination for WV Governor in 2020.

WV GOP Senator Eric Tarr is from Putnam Co. He voted in favor of the amendment that would prohibit teacher strikes & closing school in anticipation of a walk-out. Sen. Tarr also talked about the Student Success Act which is set for a vote today in special session.

Jason Huffman of Americans for Prosperity - WV discusses the Student Success Act being debated in the WV Senate and education reform in general. He says school choice is a must if WV students are to succeed.

On this week's episode, we talk about rare earth minerals, take a look at proposed education reform, and there is a House of Delegates campaign announcement. In segment 1, Congressman Alex Mooney (R-West Virginia), talks about rare earth minerals and their impact on West Virginia. In segment 2, State Senate President Mitch Carmichael (R-Jackson), talks about his education reform plan, the Student Success Act. In segment 3, West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee, gives his thoughts on Sen. Carmichael's education reform plan, the Student Success Act. In segment 4, Rusty Williams, the patient advocate on the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Advisory Board, announces he running for the 35th District's seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates. More Inside West Virginia Politics at wowktv.com/iwvp

Mike Azinger (R-Wood) comments on the Student Success Act. He says it provides local control and parental choice. He also comments on a Charleston City ordinance that will infringe on 1st Amendment Rights.

This Saturday, the WV Senate will take up an omnibus education reform bill. Listen as Sen. Patricia Rucker explains some of the aspects of the measure.

Sen. Golden and Sen. Fagan discuss the previous week in the Legislature and what's next for the Student Success Act.

On this edition of the Source Weekly update, the Student Success Act heading to Governor Kate Brown's desk; naked in nature, knowing the rules; festival season kicks off with Central Oregon Beer Week!

Oregon senators negotiated an end to the standoff that started when Republicans refused to show up to vote on a school funding bill last week. Without a quorum, senators couldn’t vote on anything, and they were most focused on the Student Success Act, which would raise $2 billion for schools through new business taxes. In order to get Republicans back for the vote, Democrats made some concessions. They agreed to kill two high profile bills dealing with gun safety and vaccines. State Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, D-Portland, and OPB political reporter Dirk Vanderhart join us. We also reached out to Senate Republicans, but they said no one was available.

Sen. Fagan and Sen. Golden recap the hours long debate over the Student Success Act in the House and where it goes from here.

The Student Success Act, a bill to create a significant and stable investment in Oregon's schools, is working its way through the Legislature, offering real hope for district leaders. OSBA Executive Director Jim Green explains how the legislation works and what it means for communities.

Rep. Barbara Smith Warner joins the show to discuss the Student Success Act and what it means for Oregon schools moving forward.

In this episode of Teacher Voice, hosts Brendan Sargent & Cyndi Reyes dive deep into the issues surrounding California Assembly Bill 1220, also known as the Teacher and Student Success Act, which seeks to strengthen and preserve permanent status (also known as tenure) in the state. They interview Phylis Hoffman, a 25-year veteran educator in LA public schools, as well as the author of the legislation, California Assemblywoman Dr. Shirley Weber. Hosts: Brendan Sargent and Cyndi Reyes Producer: Jason Crow Music by: Eduardo Reyes Special Thanks: Phylis Hoffman and Dr. Shirley Weber, and the E4E team: Tyler, Vin, Kris, Ciara, Myra, Evan, Sydney, Ama, Jelena, Jennifer, Danielle, Steven, Sarina, Kara, Kevin, Ellen, Cooper, Matthew, Day, and Rafael Created by: Brendan Sargent & Educators for Excellence If you’re in California and would like to attend the Challenging the Status Quo event on February 22, please click here to reserve your seat: https://e4e.org/take-action/attend-an-event/challenging-status-quo

On July 19, 2003, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would largely eliminate the Federal government's role in K-12 education and expand the number of charter schools in the United States. H.R. 5: Student Success Act's stated purpose is to undo a portion of the 2009 stimulus bill (the American Recovery and Re-Investment Act) called Race to the Top, along with a program that Race to the Top helped enact in most of the United States. Common Core Race to the Top was a $4.35 billion contest between the States. Financial prizes were awarded to states based on school performance, teacher performance, data reporting, among other factors; one of the most critical factors was the adoption of Common Core standards. Common Core standards are national minimum standards for English and math education that are intended to be adopted by the entire country. The standards were cleverly implemented. In 2009, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers wrote the standards and then copyrighted the text. By copyrighting the text, the authors ensured that the standards could not be changed by individual states after their adoption, which in effect, created a national standard. The next step was to get the states to adopt the standards. That's where Race to the Top came in. In order to be eligible to participate in the Race to the Top contests, States had to adopt the Common Core standards. All but five states did; Texas, Virginia, Alaska, and Nebraska refused to participate. Minnesota adopted English standards, but not math. Essentially, the States had a choice whether or not they would participate in implementing a national standard for education; Race to the Top gave the States incentives and the push mostly worked. [caption id="attachment_820" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Common Core has been adopted in most states[/caption] Since then, a concentrated effort to stop Common Core has emerged; Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Oklahoma legislatures are actively trying to stop implementation. H.R. 5 would help the haters get rid of the Common Core national standards and put control of education policy firmly in the hands of individual states: States can only receive Federal money if they have developed standards for reading, math, and science and have students take annual math and reading tests. The Secretary of Education must approve a State's plan within 120 days. If it disapproves, the Federal government can't list specific things the State should change. The Federal government is prohibited from directly or indirectly forcing or incentivizing the adoption of national standards, specifically Common  Core. (TITLE V) In fact, the bill aimed to take the Federal government out of all aspects of education: No State would need Federal approval for academic standards to receive Federal money (TITLE V) The Federal government can't influence a State's choice of curriculum (TITLE V) The Federal government can't test students or teachers. (TITLE V) States will fill out their own annual report cards. (Section 111) New school programs would not be required to work specifically with Head Start and other government pre-school programs (Section 115) Charter Schools One aspect of Race to the Top would continue, however, is the provision lifting the caps on the number of charter schools. In fact, the expansion of charter schools is a clearly stated goal of H.R. 5: "It is the purpose of this subpart to - (2) provide financial assistance for the planning, program design, and initial implementation of charter schools; (3) expand the number of high-quality charter schools available to students across the nation; (page 257) Charter schools are sort-of public schools; they are funded by our taxpayer money but they are exempt from some education standards. Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine, described them as "publicly funded institutions run by private entities according to their own rules." Charter schools are allowed to create their own curriculum and often are not required to provide student services such as transportation and meals like the traditional public schools. Funding for charter schools is determined state by state, but often the states fund charter schools by diverting money away from the traditional public school district where the new charter school is built. Charter schools are not allowed to charge tuition or use taxpayer money to upgrade their facilities. Unlike traditional public schools, there are avenues for private profit to be made in the charter school system. Charter schools - whether started by a non-profit, university, or our government- can be managed by for-profit corporations. Highlights of H.R. 5 TITLE III: "Parental Engagement & Local Flexibility" expands the charter school system Charter schools will get as much money as public schools States must pass a law giving charter schools money per student to be eligible for Federal grants No limit on the number or percentage of schools that can be charter schools "Individuals directly involved in the operation of charter schools" need to be consulted by the State while they are developing rules and regulations 15% of funding can be used for facilities and instructional materials Public money will be used to attract private money for property and construction Evaluations will be done on how the government distributed money to charter schools, not what the charter schools do with the money Makes it easier to overhaul entire education systems: Section 115 allows local governments to change their entire education systems; currently, this can only be done in districts where over 40% of the students are from low-income families New programs can be provided by for-profit businesses. Lowers qualification and accountability standards: Data used to evaluate schools would only have to be "evidence based" instead of "scientifically based research" (throughout the bill) Teachers need to be "effective" instead of "highly qualified" (throughout the bill) Repeals minimum qualifications for teachers (Section 119) Gives public money for setting up teacher evaluations systems and furthering teacher education in States; the process can be privatized. (TITLE II) Schools teaching teachers can't be required to have degree-holding faculty, restrictions on infrastructure spending, or accreditation (TITLE II) Addresses some of the criticisms of charter schools: Provides public money for transportation and nutrition services (Section 105) Provides public money for expanding charter school programs for kids with disabilities (Section 131) Provides public money for programs for kids who need to learn English; the administration can be privatized (Section 131) Gives charter school and private businesses a larger role in State education policies : Federal money can only go to states with an educational plan that will be written in part by "public charter school representatives, private sector employers, and entrepreneurs." (Section 111) "Peer review boards" will be created to monitor charter schools. 10-35% of the boards must be "representatives of private sector employers". Federal government employees are prohibited from participating (Section 111) Advisory boards that review regulations will have seats for charter school representatives, charter school teachers, and private school representatives (Section 151) Local governments need to let private schools help write the programs that how much public money private schools get; local governments must explain any disagreements in writing and an appeal process will be established for private schools (Section 120) Expands public funding for education services provided by for-profit organizations: Eliminates a requirement that 90% of funds are to go towards "free public education" - this is called the "maintenance of effort" requirement (Section 121) Provides grants of at least $500,000 to organizations that teach "family engagement policies" (TITLE III) Provides grants to "non-governmental entities" which can be public or private organizations, faith-based organizations, or businesses to "increase academic achievement" of public school students (TITLE III) Provides public money for after school, summer school, and tutoring - both online and on-campus (Section 105, TITLE III) Provides public money for private school students, including tutoring (Section 120) Provides public money to private schools based on the number of students enrolled instead of their number of low-income students, unless this is illegal in that State and this can be waived (Section 120) Creates an ombudsman to make sure private schools get their new, increased share of public money (Section 120) The task of administering public funds can be privatized by the States (Section 120) Ideological provisions: Repeals grants for the Close Up Foundation, which teaches high school students about the democratic process (Section 141) Federal government can't require the distribution of "scientifically or medically false" materials or prohibit the distribution of "scientifically or medically true" materials (TITLE V) Federal money can't be used for sex education that doesn't teach abstinence (TITLE V) Federal money can't pay for contraceptive programs (TITLE V) Local governments accepting Federal money need to give the names, addresses, and phone numbers of high school students to military recruiters unless the parents opt-out in writing. The opt-out expires on the student's 18th birthday (TITLE V) Links to Information & Music Presented in This Episode Intro and Exit Music: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Music: Save Our School by Children of Selsted CE Primary School (found on Music Alley by mevio) ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council's) education page Edison Learning (a school management company that has recently switched its focus to testing, summer school, and tutoring) has 4 lobbyists working for them this year. Sylvan Learning Centers (tutoring services) has 5 lobbyists working for them this year. Rosetta Stone (language learning software) has 7 lobbyists working for them this year. Representatives Quoted in This Episode Rep. Virginia ("Grandma") Foxx of North Carolina