Education Notebook

Article: Southeastern Minnesota schools districts toe the line for Race to the Top

The Minnesota Department of Education is finalizing the state’s Race to the Top grant, but southeastern Minnesota schools aren’t exactly jostling for spots at the starting line.

Below is the rest of the article from Friday's paper about Race to the Top. Here is a link of all the districts in Southeastern Minnesota who are participating. I'll link to the print edition when it appears in Friday's paper. I have some pretty lengthy comments from area superintendents, I'll try to post them in full here at a later date if people are interested.

More than 250 districts statewide have joined the state’s competitive bid to receive federal funding from the Race to the Top program, including 20 of the 35 school districts in southeastern Minnesota.

Critics say they can’t support Race to the Top because of requirements for teacher performance pay and possible teacher evaluation tied to test scores. Others, who are supporting it, say they still have unanswered questions about how the grant will materialize.

State officials need to deliver the application by Tuesday in order to be eligible for Race to the Top, which will give a total of $4.35 billion in federal funds to roughly 10 to 15 states for innovation and improvement of K-12 education.

Minnesota’s share
Experts have said Minnesota could receive between $175 million and $250 million if selected by the federal government. About 80 percent to 90 percent of the funds would go to the districts that have signed up, while the remaining funds would go to the state Department of Education.

Minnesota Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said Minnesota’s history of reform, standards and assessment and the merit-pay program Q Comp should put the state in a good position.

“I think we should impress the feds,” Seagren said.

To participate within Minnesota’s bid, school districts needed to complete a memorandum of agreement with the superintendent’s signature. The signatures of school boards and local teachers unions were suggested but not required.

Based on sheer numbers of districts signing up, the grant could be viewed so far as a success. Many in southeastern Minnesota are moving ahead cautiously and approval from teachers unions has proved difficult to secure.  Education Minnesota, the state teacher’s union, does not support the grant in its present state.

Cautious districts
Critics say the program provides little incentive for what they called arduous work, while others, like Blooming Prairie Superintendent Barry Olson, have said Race to the Top is too political. Even with his concerns, Olson still submitted his approval, since the superintendent’s signature allows districts to opt out at a later date. Many have said they might do so.

“We are here really to work for the students, to work for their education. To play all of these policies games they are creating doesn’t really help the students in the classroom,” Olson said. “It takes more time away from that.”

Byron Public Schools will not pursue the grant after their teachers union ruled against signing up for the program. The state three times denied Byron’s proposals for Q Comp, the state’s merit pay program for teachers.

Even though many still have questions about Race to the Top, everyone isn’t negative.

Lake City schools Superintendent Craig Junker said there are many questions surrounding the program, but there isn’t much to lose at this point by endorsing it. “My signature keeps a foot in the door for Lake City,” Junker said.

Rushford-Peterson Superintendent Chuck Ehler said schools should first try to get the grant and then resolve the concerns and issues about requirements. “It’s a competitive world and the State of Minnesota and all the school districts need to do all they can to secure additional federal funds for our schools,” Ehler said.

LINK: Southeastern Minnesota schools that will participate in Race to the Top (.pdf)

Article: Local school districts looking to be buoyed by levies

Here are two articles I wrote about the Austin, Byron, Blooming Prairie and Zumbrota-Mazeppa proposed referenda. The second article breaks down each levy in terms of taxpayer impact and how they compare to each other. The first article compares the amounts to the state averages and also has a Rochester angle.

Link: Area districts look for extra taxpayer funds
Link: Breakdown of local levies

Sound off: No Comment Left Behind (NCLB, AYP reader reactions)

Since you can't throw a rock without hitting a news story about No Child Left Behind and MCA-II scores, I figured it would be a decent time to show some recent reader comments...

Some interesting points being brought up here about parental involvement versus school quality, and some who urge reform of No Child Left Behind.

The following comments came from these recent articles:

Small schools reign large on AYP

13 Rochester schools cited for not hitting No Child Left Behind benchmarks

MCA-II scores from area charter schools

State science scores improve, but nearly half still aren't proficient

Also, thanks again to all of the new readers checking in -- don't be afraid to comment if you want to respond to these, either. (As always, I hope we maintain a level of respect and decorum here. Inclusion of these comments is merely to spark debate - not ignite name calling. Inclusion of comments absolutely does not reflect the views of the writer (me), the Post-Bulletin, or any employees therein.)

Questions? Concerns? E-mail

On to the comments:

Peace
Rochester, MN

Posted on 8/12/2009 at 8:47:53 PM

We used to live in Byron and the schools there were EXCELLENT compared to the ones our kids have attended in Rochester.  And the ones they have attended here are supposedly some of the best in the district.

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mamabear
Chatfield, MN

Posted on 8/12/2009 at 11:58:16 AM

I have a different view from all that I’ve read online the last couple of days. My personal experience with MCAs is that my child passes all the MCAs with no trouble but has difficulty with normal classroom work. The teachers at his school focus so much on the MCAs that when it comes to normal work, we have trouble. Figure that one out.

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YouAreWro
ng
Rochester, MN

 Posted on 7/22/2009 at 4:14:44 PM

The state wants a test all kids should pass.

Then the state should have a curriculum all schools use that matches the test.

I don’t trust the state one bit. I will bet there are a ton of questions the kids have never seen before.

The state of Minnesota should have a state curriculum.

In fact, when Timmy moves from Minneapolis to Rochester, he will just pick up where he left off because everyone is doing the same thing.

This concept though makes too much sense and takes the power out of the hands of the state. It gives the teachers too much power and we can’t have that.

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tcalexand
er
Rochester, MN

Posted on 8/11/2009 at 9:39:56 AM

Maybe it’s time for the government to rethink no-child left behind.  It’s got a huge flaw in it implies that schools are soley responsible for student outcomes.  This is in no way the case.  Student outcomes are determined by the students, the parents, and the schools in that order. 

A much better solution for no child left behind is to require parents to be responsible for their children learning.  Successful students are provided oppertunities and discipline developed through the home to make the whole education oppertunity work.  We for instance do not let our kids play video games until their homework is done and checked.  We also routinely follow up with the school (online) to watch their progress.  If the progress is not sufficient, the spend more time on their homework and the expense of their personal entertainment.  The key is we are ACTIVELY INVOLVED.

IMO if a student is failing the parent needs to make a concious choice to provide the student more guidance outside the school.  If they will not do so willingly, charging them a fee to provide additional mentoring to their student is very reasonable. 

Education is very much that old statement - “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink”.  Same thing, you can bus kids all over the country to give them an education but if they don’t feel like participating and their parents are parenting you can spend trillions of dollars per student and they still won’t learn.

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chimin
rochester, mn

Posted on 8/11/2009 at 10:31:10 AM

Exactly, school is impt, teachers play a fundamental role, but their hands are tied if the parents or guardians don’t support/reinforce the respect and need for a good, solid education. I am a success story of inner city Chicago Public Schools and it was primarily because my parents stressed the need for education.  As an elementary student, my parents checked my homework daily, in high school they discussed grades and school with me, but did not understand the content .. but they still engaged.

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beekeeper
Rochester, MN

Posted on 8/11/2009 at 11:00:37 AM

Lincoln staff worked hard all year to get kids and parents to use Study Island, and it has paid off two years in a row. I don’t think it is Study Island per se that did the trick, although it probably helped. More pertinent, I think, was the attitude that mastering the material is important.

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begivesee
13
Rochester, MN

Posted on 8/12/2009 at 11:17:49 AM

Sideline - Lincoln K-8 serves both elementary and secondary (middle school) students.  Lincoln students in grades 6-8 take the same MCA tests as all other district students in grades 6-8. And these Lincoln middle school students - like their peers at Willow Creek - also made AYP. In fact, Lincoln’s proficiency rate in 2009 was higher in both reading and math than at Willow Creek.  In the current environment, any school that helps its students be proficient deserves congratulations. 

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rvnsea
Rochester, MN

Posted on 8/12/2009 at 7:26:22 AM

Profile: The parents and staff do have the job of helping the kids but the kids need to help themselves. Everyone involved in this need to work at it.

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BT
Rochester, MN

Posted on 8/11/2009 at 11:37:33 PM

... People do need to know that Riverside does have excellent staff at all levels.  They really do!  I also feel they have many kids of all geographical demographics working hard to learn to the best of their ability.  And we also have a group of students that simply do not care!  Have we lost that level of respect of our students to teachers?  Authority?  The law?  Many and I mean many respect it but we have a volume of individuals at all age levels that do not. 

But even #535 can not deny the fact that we also have discipline issues that must be addressed and done so on a CONSISTENT basis!

Here is a comparison to think about; Our curriculum is changing in that what kids were being taught in 4th grade a few years back, well now its taught in grades two or three. Well sadly, the flip side of that coin is that some of the discipline issues that were happening in middle and high school ages are now happening at the elementary school!  We all hear of sad cases of young and I mean very young people getting caught up in crimes we could never imagine.

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YouAreWro
ng
Rochester, MN

Posted on 8/11/2009 at 9:19:53 PM

One small subgroup determines if you made it. If 10 kids are in a group and 3 of them won’t do their homework or get out of bed to come to school, that school is listed.

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Just_Me
Small Town, MN

Posted on 8/11/2009 at 10:55:50 AM

I agree that parents need to be involved, and I am a very involved parent.  But, we cannot ignore the fact that are some teachers and districts that need change, and I’ve been in that situation and tried for more than three years to work with the school and got no where.  Long story short, I ended up transferring my child and he has completely excelled in a new school, and the difference in the schools is unbelievable!

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Commentat
or
Rochester, MN

Posted on 8/11/2009 at 10:18:36 AM

... It is the active parents that have the students who are striving to do their best.  The parents who don’t care about education (thorugh their actions, not their words) are the ones whose child doesn’t care about education either.  That is why none of the choice schools are on the failing list (the parents care enough to find a school they think will be good for their child).  Longfellow does not count because until this year, it has been considered a neighborhood school as well as a choice school.

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Byron, Lanesboro, Mabel-Canton and Spring Grove continue their best Don Larsen (Mark Buehrle?) impressions on No Child Left Behind's annual benchmarks

Four local school districts remain perfect on No Child Left Behind's adequate yearly progress. Since the measure was established in 2003, Byron, Lanesboro, Mabel-Canton and Spring Grove public school districts have each passed every year.

While No Child Left Behind's benchmark system can be debated, and a person can argue that larger schools are worse off due to student sample sizes (an article today and in the following bog post will examine just that), we should still tip our hats to the districts who have been able to make AYP, especially those who have done so every year.

Here are some other districts who have made it several years, with the years missed in parenthesis:

Kasson-Mantorville (2005)
Lewiston-Altura (2004)
Southland (2006)
Zumbrota-Mazeppa (2006).

(Apologies to the youngins who aren't familiar with Don Larsen, or the old-timers who bristle at putting Mark Buehrle in the same sentence.)