Teacher's Desk: Why this bean counter?

Denver Public Schools has done it again: expedience versus quality leadership. In selecting chief financial officer Tom Boasberg as superintendent, they continue to place adult wants over children’s needs. The chief education officer position is still empty after Jamie Acquino’s departure in September. Michael Bennet, Mayor Hickenlooper’s choice for superintendent two and a half years ago, may not have been a student of educational reform when he entered 900 Grant, but as a visionary, he quickly grasped the politics of a school system, and made tough, unpopular decisions. He saw, not only the reality of Denver Public Schools, but what Denver Public Schools could be. He became supportive of Denver’s charter schools. His reforms were not sweeping, but were consistent in purpose: quality delivery of educational services in the most financially efficient way.

Tom Boasberg is no Michael Bennet and no friend to charter schools. Four years ago, Cole Middle School closed due to consistent underperformance on CSAP tests. Under state law, the school district needed to turn the school into a charter school. They asked the community to present possible charter programs. When KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) did not come up to the plate because of a difference in organization and DPS’s criteria of students to be served, they asked KIPP to present. They did. DPS wanted their sixth and seventh graders (who the following school year would be seventh and eighth graders) to be served even though KIPP middle school programs generally begin in the fifth grade and add a grade each year through eighth grade.

DPS rented the top floor with lower floor gymnasium access to KIPP- Cole College Prep for $100,000 for the school year and an enrollment of 100. The following year with only 50 eighth graders and half the floor in use, Denver Public Schools refused to renegotiate the lease and charged $100,000 for the school year. Not having a budget to hire enough personnel to prepare eighth graders for the finest schools in the Denver metropolitan area and market to families with fifth graders, KIPP closed Cole College Prep. That is a true travesty for the Cole neighborhood.

Two years ago, Denver Public Schools, with Boasberg at the helm of finance sent a memo out to regular Denver Public Schools employees which said that any school that enrolls a student who previously attended a charter school, will receive a bonus. It is all dollars and no sense to him. I frequently recommend students to programs and high schools run by Denver Public Schools because that is what that student needs!

Then again this past December, Boasberg approved the billing of charter schools for additional monies for Denver School Retirement Program (see my Scrooge blog) and only ten days to find the money! Tom Boasberg is no visionary and no friend to charter schools.

I urge parents to organize and elect members to the Denver Public School Board who place student interests ahead of special interests.

Kathleen Kullback is a licensed special educator at Colorado High School Charter with a M.A. in Educational Leadership. She is a former candidate for the State Board of Education.

Tax holiday a potent plan

"That's real economic stimulus," says John Andrews about GOP tax-holiday proposals in the January round of Head On TV debates. Susan Barnes-Gelt prefers the Keynesian approach, arguing that "shovel-ready projects need funding." John on the right, Susan on the left, also go at it this month over Senate appointee Michael Bennet, state budget woes, the Bush legacy, and Denver schools. Head On has been a daily feature on Colorado Public Television since 1997. Here are all five scripts for January: 1. RECESSION REMEDY: WHAT’S BEST?

Susan: There was neither accountability nor strict guidelines attached to the $700 billion financial bailout. Shame on Congress and the White House. Ditto the billions given to automakers. Shovel ready projects need funding and may be a catalyst for economic recovery. But my confidence in the feds is shaky.

John: As far as guiding the economy, the very words “confidence in the feds” are an oxymoron. Both Washington and New York have forfeited our confidence with years of unwise policies. The best recession remedy now is real tax cuts. Not handing out checks. Not vast construction spending with long lead times.

Susan: Obama's swift action - separating himself from Bill Richardson when the threat of scandal appeared - is a good sign that he will not abide arcane and opaque Beltway practices. With state and local government strapped, the feds must inject significant resources into rebuilding the nation's failing infrastructure.

John: Every American could have a total tax holiday – no income taxes, no payroll taxes – for most of 2009 if Congress would simply pay for government operations out of the unused portion of last year’s $700 billion bailout and this year’s proposed trillion dollar spending spree. That’s real economic stimulus.

2. MICHAEL BENNET NAMED AS U.S. SENATOR

John: Educator and businessman Michael Bennet will be a capable senator. His appointment shows that Colorado Democrats have imagination, youth, and depth. He has many Republican friends, including me. But as an ally of Ritter and Obama, Bennet has a big government vision that’s wrong for America. My vote goes elsewhere in 2010.

Susan: I don't know that Bennet has a big government vision. Fact is, I don't know what Bennet's vision is. He's not a knee jerk liberal, may oppose card check and certainly is more center than left. Time will tell . . .

John: We don’t know, and that’s the problem. Appointive senators went out with the buggy whip. Ritter could have named Mike Miles, the Democrat runner-up to Salazar in 2004. Or an elder statesman like Dick Lamm or Roy Romer. Voters next year may prefer Bill Owens, Hank Brown, or Scott McInnis.

Susan: Why name a benchwarmer when the Dem's A-list is so good? Still - Bennet is an odd choice, particularly with the uber-talented Andrew Romanoff available - he has all of Bennet's assets - intelligence, thoughtfulness, a moderate, problem-solver plus a proven record and statewide support. Go figure!

3. LEGISLATURE FACES DEEP BUDGET CUTS

John: Weak revenues will force the legislature to find half a billion in painful spending cuts with half the fiscal year gone. Ritter and the Democrats did this to us. Dems ignored Republican warnings to create a rainy day fund years ago, or to reduce spending last spring. Bad show, liberals.

Susan: Colorado's budget, hamstrung by TABOR, makes it impossible to implement the type of investments in infrastructure and the social safety net the state needs going into this tough recession. Every state is hobbled by arcane budget regs creating even greater dependency on the federal government, something you, John, should abhor.

John: Without the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights as a guardrail, Colorado’s deficit would be over the cliff like California’s. TABOR spending limits are currently suspended anyway, Susan, and the problem right now is weak revenues from a soft economy. The 2009 state budget mess came from poor planning by Democrats.

Susan: You're half-right John - weak revenues and a soft economy account for Colorado's budget woes. But 2 years of Democratic leadership aren't to blame. Lack of flexibility, failure to invest in public infrastructure - roads, higher ed, health care - and myopic fiscal policy are the real culprits.

4. BUSH EXITS

Susan: Bush's feeble attempts to recast his legacy in the waning days of his term are pathetic. He took us to the edge of an abyss - economically, internationally, domestically. Who knows how long it will take to rebuild the nation's confidence, reputation abroad and fiscal integrity?

John: President Bush deserves the gratitude of all Americans for courageous wartime leadership against radical Islam. After 9/11 he kept the homeland absolutely safe for seven years. After Congress and the allies agreed Saddam must go, he persisted for victory in Iraq when others favored surrender. History will honor George W. Bush.

Susan: History will revile George W. Bush. His legacy will be defined by Katrina, the burning of Iraq, the re-emergence of a more violent Taliban, Abu Grahb, domestic wire taps, the collapse of Wall Street, Main Street, scandals aplenty and comprehensive incompetence.

John: Susan, Susan. Derangement syndrome does not become you. Take a deep breath. My guy from Texas had a mixed record in his eight years. So did your guy from Arkansas before him. And guess what, your new guy from Illinois will have a mixed record too. America will be just fine.

5. NEW LEADERSHIP FOR DENVER SCHOOLS

Susan: Michael Bennet's departure for Washington leaves Denver Public Schools without leadership at the top. The chief academic officer resigned last fall and there is no deputy or natural successor. The Board of Ed has its work cut out, given the unfinished initiatives on their plate.

John: Inner city kids continue to be cheated of a good education by a Denver teachers union that cares more about pay scales than learning performance. The answer is competition and market forces, charter schools and parental choice. Fortunately, that’s the agenda of Senate President Groff and House Speaker Carroll.

Susan: The Board of Education must consider the needs of its ever-diminishing and continually failing student body and identify leadership with strong credentials and a track record of improving achievement in urban school districts. A non-traditional superintendent may not be the right answer.

John: Denver citizens, especially the black and Hispanic community, should be outraged at a teachers union that recently played chicken with strike threats, like factory workers, while dropout rates remain high and scores remain low. Speaker Carroll and Senator Groff get it. So does Lt. Gov. O’Brien. Gov. Ritter does not.

Teacher's journal: Dollar dilemma

Individualizing the Colorado education dollar for each student, kindergarten through undergrad, deserves a hard look in 2009. Difficult? Yes, but so liberating if we could ever do it. A friend on Gov. Ritter’s P-20 Commission for education reform discussed with me what the next reform step will be from the legislature and ouch, alas, it will be a funding problem that may pit higher ed against K-12 interests. The same was reported today, January 2, in the Rocky Mountain News. (not on-line yet at http://rockymountainnews.com/news/news/education)

Rep. Keith King (R-Colo. Springs) ran a bill years ago, requiring that state K-12 school funds follow the student, rather than go to the district to be divided up. It didn’t pass because many, mostly liberals, felt that this was the elephant’s nose under the tent for voucher spending. King returns this year as a state senator. Let's hope he tries the idea again.

While attending graduate school to become an administrator, we learned a great deal about school funding, how it differs from state-to-state, and unfortunately, that it truly is an equity fight between the haves and have nots. States like Colorado attempt to equalize funding between wealthier communities and poorer districts, but a survey to the state legislature by me and a school colleague found that the majority of legislators in Colorado for the 2003 session, did not know the difference between equal and equity. Equal funding is exactly that. Each district receives the same per student funding across the board. Equity in funding takes a look at the individual districts and the students who are enrolled and pays the district based on student needs.

While in graduate school, I wrote that we not only need equity in funding, but we need to devise a method so that we base student funding on student needs. A special education student with mild dyslexia has additional funds from the federal government sent to the state, and a special education student with multiple disabilities should have much more. Federal funds are sent to state departments of education and are funneled to districts for poor students, students who parents are migrant workers, English language learners, and students performing significantly below grade level (Title I) to name a few. If state, local, and federal funding for each student followed the student to the student’s school, then we would have equity in funding. But let’s do one better. Schools are funded based on the October 1 count. If a student leaves the school after October 1, the new school does not receive funding for that student. We need to develop a system whereby the student’s school is paid every six weeks so that it can accurately follow students. In migrant and urban communities, student transience is a real issue.

Now, if we figure out how much we fund each student kindergarten through grade 12 with state funds, then we can do the same with the higher education spreading the four year funding over six years beginning at the eleventh grade level if needed. This will allow students who need remediation or who need to take little steps with special programs to get the funding they should be given, and usually do not get. Success breeds success and some students are capable of taking on more post-secondary responsibilities than others. This will give hope to many who have none and allow the brightest to move at an appropriate pace. While other students may decide to take a more traditional route, waiting to attend college after their senior years, they will have more to spend over four years.

I know a little about taking college classes early. If I had stayed in high school for a boring fourth year, I would have graduated in 1971. Instead, before my seventeenth birthday, I attended classes at a local community college. Back in the day, my tuition for a full-time class load was $225.00 per semester plus books! Who knew? It gave me a start and by the time I turned 18, I earned 30 credits. (It is kind of a pain these days getting my transcript, though, from this school since its on microfiche)

To repeat: We need to think outside of the box when it comes to education funding, and truly put student needs first. Individualizing K-16 funding would be a huge step.

Teacher's journal: Remediating & liking it

"I can't wait to get back to work!" Is she sick? Does she get paid $1000 an hour? That's a no to both. I teach remedial education at an alternative charter school in Denver. About 40% of our student population is six or more years under grade level in either or both mathematics and literacy. Another ten to twenty percent have smaller remediation needs. The Rocky Mountain News on 12/27 discussed the deplorable condition of our Colorado high school graduates entering college and needing remediation. They, too, applauded Adams School District 50 on their new innovative efforts at true performance-based education, which I wrote about in a 12/26 post on this site.

I am totally awed with the Wilson Reading System. I began using this reading system three years ago with very impressive results. For students with severe phonemic difficulties, the students have been able to grow a minimum of four months in six weeks. For students acquiring language because English is a second language, I’ve seen one year’s growth for every one week’s instruction, and of course, everything in between the two. I work with students who are at least 16 years old. My students come in reading between the second grade and sixth grade levels. Many have been instructed in local schools for most of their lives. The Wilson Reading System is an intensive phonics program and I use it additionally as a rich vocabulary building program. My first day back, I will be assessing my students’ reading. I hope, even though many are not reading during the two week break, that I will see substantial growth. I usually do.

Teaching reading is relatively new to me, but I have been teaching remedial mathematics for eight years. Mathematics is my relative weakness; however, it may be in my DNA. My youngest son will soon graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering and dual minors in mathematics and physics. Students at my school, who test in the second to fourth grade level on their initial MAPS survey benchmark test, get me for twelve weeks to teach new material, fill in the gaps, or dust out the cobwebs using Globe Fearon’s Pre-Algebra. My “advanced” class is made up of students who have passed the first twelve weeks with me or have failed the same “advanced” class with another instructor using College Preparatory Mathematics curriculum, a literacy-based mathematic curriculum, designed to be used for seventh graders. The last week of school before we left on holiday (Christmas) break, my students increased their grade level mathematics from a minimum of six months in six weeks to a maximum of four years in six weeks. Those who made the most dramatic changes also made the most dramatic changes in organization and their own time on task. These were students who completed all of the problems required whether they were regular problems or literacy-based problems.

I have friends who are curriculum developers for Sopris West Publishers. Recently, they tested ninth graders at one of Denver’s larger, urban high schools. Most of these students tested at the fourth grade level in mathematics. When my friends discussed this with the students, they were not only embarrassed, but said that when the skills and concepts were taught to them, they didn’t realize that they were important skills or concepts that they needed to learn. Another finding from this group was that once the skill or concept was taught, there was never any review. I have also noticed that unless students are recent immigrants from Mexico, they probably do not know their multiplication facts. This is a consequence from a teaching philosophy that the process of multiplication should be learned but the facts are not necessary---the whole language version of mathematics. Not knowing these facts makes division and fractions, then algebra, nearly impossible to complete in a timely fashion. Much like reading, if you spend all the time decoding, you forget what you’re reading!

Another reason why I am so excited about returning to work, even though there is a semester of testing---CELA (language acquisition), CSAP and ACT in April, as well as, a boat load of special education meetings and paperwork: yuck!---is that we are going to start a new mathematics remediation program for those students who do not fall in the regular categories that I teach. For one week, we will pull students from their art class and they will get intervention in a math difficulty whether that is multiplication, division, fractions, decimals or integers (negative numbers). I really believe this may work!

I really love my work. I became a teacher so that I could qualify for a principal’s license. I have the principal’s license, but I’m still teaching!

Adams 50 innovates for kids' sake

Innovation by local educators! Reading of it was like a personal Christmas present to me. The background dates from 2002, when I began an exciting journey in understanding our schools by entering an educational leadership program sponsored by Boulder Public Schools and presented by the University of Colorado at Denver. Every Wednesday I trekked to planet Boulder to be trained as a school principal. At that time, UCD even allowed non-educators, like me, to enroll if a spot was available. There was a spot and my eyes were soon opened to the terminology and day-to-day life of an educator. Most of my colleagues were from Boulder Valley School District. That in itself was a truly a learning experience, yet I found most of my fellow classmates unusually open-minded to others’ points of view.

On our first day of class, our professor from UCD asked us to imagine what kind of school we would like to lead. She gave us clay and other craft objects to physically design our ideas. I was surprised that most of the class designed schools similar to traditional schools. I, on the other hand not having much experience in traditional K-12 schools, designed a school based on performance standards.

In my model, students were differentiated by their ability to meet performance benchmarks. The classes were multi-aged so a bright first-grader could be educated with typical fourth graders if that was what was needed; conversely, a student struggling with literacy, could work at his/her own pace with like students. When a student surpassed building grades’ benchmarks, he/she could log on to a web-based program to continue meeting and surpassing appropriate benchmarks even though he or she may not be developmentally ready to progress to middle or high school.

Many schools are providing instruction for students who are not appropriately meeting benchmarks by adding a Response to Intervention model, but remain the same organizationally. Adams 50 (the five star folks) School District has tried to think outside of the box in some of its pilot schools and is requiring students to meet benchmarks with differentiated classes based on student needs, according to the Denver Post on 12/21.

They are basing this pilot program on Alaska’s Chugach District. Some teachers, where this model was tried in other school districts, complained that tracking student progress was cumbersome, but Adams 50 is teaching students to track themselves on personal charts. When performance standards and district benchmarks were implemented in Aurora Public Schools, many schools showed students how to track their progress and the students learned what each standard or benchmark meant. Voila! Student engagement equals student buy-in. Unfortunately, most of the schools remained traditionally organized.

In Joe Williams’ book, Cheating our Kids: How Politics and Greed Ruin Education, he sites anecdotal information how over and over again; students’ needs are rarely placed as a primary priority in many schools. This time, Adams 50 School District appears to be doing just that! I can not applaud them enough for thinking outside of the box for students’ sakes.