U.S. Department of Education Focus on Rural Schools is Encouraging Step

We were heartened to see the focus on rural education earlier this month, when the U.S. Department of Education reported that about 23 percent of the schools selected to receive federal School Improvement grants were located in rural areas.

It is interesting to note that many rural schools are opting to steer clear of the turnaround model, which has been popular among a number of urban school reform leaders.

Rural school leaders have argued that some of the reform methods of the turnaround model are simply not viable for schools in remote areas.

Some of the unique challenges of leaders attempt to turn around chronically low-performing rural schools include:

• Leaders often find it difficult to find effective teachers to fill vacancies created by retirement. The prospect of replacing 50 percent of the school’s teachers, which could be let go under the turnaround model, is all but impossible in isolated areas that already have a tough time filling existing vacancies.
• Charter schools operated by charter management organizations are difficult to open because many charter management organizations are less experienced in handing rural issues. Charter management organizations also seem to prefer working in urban areas, where they can easily locate multiple schools within a region.
• The school closure option offered in turnarounds often is particularly unappealing because the rural school is often the heart of the community – a key meeting place where the community gathers in emergencies and a source of intense community pride. Also, if schools are closed, there often are not other schools in the area that can serve the students of rural communities.
• Educational consultants, including professional development trainers, are often less willing to accept contracts in rural areas, or may charge more for their services because of the travel time required when schools are located far from regional airports.
• Many of the education models in place have been tested and implemented primarily in urban or suburban schools. The models, in some cases, do not take into consideration some of the unique challenges or experiences of rural students and teachers.

Our vision at The Institute for Educational and Social Justice is that all students -- regardless of their geographic location – should have access to a quality public education. By increasing the attention paid to rural schools, which have been all too frequently ignored in the past, we come one step closer to making that vision reality.

"The Light in Me Recognizes the Light in You."

“The light in me recognizes the light in you.”

This quotation, which is a translation of the Hindi greeting, “Namaste,” is a powerful one because it celebrates the ways that people often bring out the best in each other.

When we at The Institute for Educational and Social Justice witness the exciting work being done by educational and social justice advocates across the U.S. and beyond, we are encouraged and inspired to continue the work that we do.

During this holiday season, we encourage you to recognize the “light” around you and, when possible, to encourage the holders of such light by supporting them through money, time or a simple word of encouragement.

In taking these steps, we intensify the glow of the light – both in ourselves and others.

First, the Achievement Gap. Now, the Marriage Gap?

First, the achievement gap.

Now, the marriage gap.

A new gap between the economic classes has been identified in America – the marriage gap.

A study by the Pew Research Center and Time Magazine shows that marriage rates are shifting along class lines. In 2008, a 16-percentage point gap existed between the marriage rates of college graduates and of those with a high school diploma or less.

This shift has happened over time. In 1960, the marriage gap was just four percentage points, with educated people marrying at a rate of 76 percent, compared to 72 percent for those with a high school diploma or less.

Some experts, including those affiliated with the study, say that the shift is occurring because couples who are not educated are struggling financially. And while people with lower education levels are willing to live together while their financial footing is shaky, many feel they do not want to enter marriage until they are financially established.

In some cases, individual debt levels are likely to be a factor, since some potential spouses might be hesitant to take on a marriage partner’s debt. In other cases, couples might stay single so that the person with the higher credit rating can still secure credit when needed.

Some may argue that the marriage gap doesn’t matter – that, perhaps, marriage is an outdated institution, anyway. But the study does not seem to support this notion, particularly since adults with low and high levels of education were both equally likely to say they wanted to get married.

And research has consistently shown that marriage has clear economic benefits.

People, particularly women, who are unmarried are more likely to live in poverty. The cycle soon becomes a vicious, self-perpetuating one, where an increasing number of children nationwide are born to couples in uncertain unions. Those children then are more likely to be raised in poverty and to be less likely to earn an education themselves.

Does the marriage gap matter? How might we as educational and social justice advocates best advocate for change? What policy decisions might make marriage a more attainable goal for lower-income families? How are children and families best served?

What Message Do We REALLY Want to Send about the Importance of Teachers?

“Those who can do. Those who can’t teach.”

This widely repeated saying has been used to get a rise out of educators nationwide for years.

And one way many teachers have come together and battled this attitude has been by becoming increasingly professionalized.

How do teachers grow as professionals? Often, their growth comes in professional developments and in their own informal learning communities, where they learn from mentors at their school sites and beyond. But in many other cases, teachers have advanced their professionalism through formal education, including earning master’s and doctoral degrees.

In graduate school, teachers typically learn more about how to read, analyze and even conduct research. They learn what research is out there, how to access it and how to determine whether it is sound. And in learning more about research, teachers are then equipped to use quality research to inform their day-to-day classroom decisions.

At the same time, teachers working on advanced degrees also typically develop their own leadership skills.

This may come in formal ways, including through classes that focus on topics including leadership styles or through studying case studies on teachers who have brought about improvements through their leadership. And at other times, leadership development has occurred more indirectly, with teachers feeling empowered by their graduate studies and then compelled to take on increasingly influential school and district leadership positions.

Earning advanced degrees also often helps teachers to develop their credibility with students, parents, and the community at large. What parent would not prefer to see their child taught by a teacher holding an advanced degree? And aren’t students often inspired by the examples set by teachers with graduate degrees?

It seems unquestionable: Teachers benefit from earning graduate degrees – and so do their students and communities.

But the practice of rewarding teachers financially for completing graduate school is currently under attack. Some districts have scrapped the practice of paying teachers with advanced degrees more than their peers. And the concept of rewarding teachers for graduate degrees has been questioned in the past two weeks by both Bill Gates and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Eliminating bonuses to teachers with graduate degrees would send a clear message about the value of teaching to teachers, students and others.

And what would that message be? That teaching is a simple job – one that is so menial and mindless that earning a graduate degree can’t possibly have value.

Is this really the message we want to send?

Elimination of School Fees a Key Victory for California Students

Low-income students – particularly those who attend school with a high percentage of more affluent students – are the big winners in a historic court settlement announced last week.

California public schools can no longer charge parents extra fees for textbooks, art supplies, workbooks and other educational supplies under the settlement. Families also can no longer be required to pay for extracurricular expenses, including sports uniforms and choir costumes.

The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed in September by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups concerned with equal access to public school opportunities.

Many low-income and middle class families now find that seemingly small fees quickly added up to big money – easily more than $100 per child, even without extracurricular expenses.

In one school, for example, students were asked to pay about $50 for math workbooks, $30 for art supplies and another $30 or so for novels required for an honors English class.

ACLU officials have said that some families with multiple children have spent more than $800, and some have claimed to have paid as much as $4,000 for extracurricular activities.

The fees are most commonly found in schools where many families have large disposable incomes and can easily afford to pay the fees without sacrificing, according to ACLU officials.

No California school districts actively opposed the lawsuit – in part because a 1980s Supreme Court ruling seemed to make it clear that the fees would ultimately be found unconstitutional. At the same time, ending the fees comes at an admittedly difficult time for many California public schools, which have already been forced to make deep cuts because of the state’s ongoing budget crisis.

That said, the settlement is still an important victory for low-income families – and also for advocates of educational and social justice, who generally consider equal access to education opportunities to be core values.

The message being sent to districts – and to low-income families – is that the public schools truly are there to serve all students, regardless of income, and that all students must have access to the same classes and extracurricular activities. This is an important message, indeed – and one that we hope will soon be received by families in other states as well.

A Real Life Champion

There are times when advocating for the causes of educational and social justice can become frustrating – even maddening.

There are some who are resistant to the causes of equity and equality, choosing instead to cling to the power they feel is rightly theirs. And at other times, such concepts are met not with resistance, but with a sense of apathy – as though the issues of educational and social justice are not worth prioritizing.

But in such times, it seems, someone always seems to come along to provide encouragement, reminding us that we are not alone in our efforts and that others are also making difficult choices as they strive to give opportunity to all students – regardless of background.

This encouraging story, which appeared in Monday’s Houston Chronicle, is a reminder that other like-minded people are out there, working hard and making sacrifices so that society can see the changes that are so desperately needed.

Wendell Champion is true to his name – a champion determined to make life better for young people who need him more than most. His story can encourage us all.

Why Public Schools Matter for All

The calm mother of three looked at me coolly, as I explained the work of The Institute for Educational and Social Justice and why we believe public education, ultimately, is one of the last frontiers of the Civil Rights Movement.

“I don’t worry about what goes on in the public schools because my children aren’t in them,” she said flatly. “That’s why I homeschool – so I don’t have to worry about things like that. I control what my children learn, how they learn and who they are friends with. What goes on in the public schools here just isn’t a problem for us and we’re really happy about that.”

It’s an idea I have heard many times through the years, particularly when I have found myself travelling, for one reason or another, in circles with large numbers of private or homeschool families. These parents, who are often bright, caring and engaged in the greater world believe that they can not only opt out of public schools, but avoid being affected by their performance at all.

So, why should the quality of public schools matter to families who homeschool, send their children to private schools or people who do not have school-aged children?

• Public schools dramatically shape the potential for economic development. When corporate decision-makers decide whether to locate new facilities in your community, one of the first things they want to know is whether your local public schools are reputable. Why? Because they know it is far easier to recruit workers to areas with strong public schools. In requesting information, they often want to know about test scores, but also about the appeal of existing school facilities, honors and advanced placement offerings, sports teams and the availability of other extra-curricular activities. They also want to know that your local high school graduates are learning the skills they will need to be successful employees. Clearly, having quality public schools can create more professional opportunities – not just to public school graduates but to private and home-school graduates, too.
• The quality of local public schools drives real estate values. Anyone who has even browsed real estate listings has seen ads proclaiming, “Highly desirable school district!” “Zoned for an exemplary school!” “Great neighborhood school! This one won’t last!” In the home-buying game, the public school zone matters more than just about anything else. Want to see your housing values increase? Do what you can to improve neighborhood schools.
• Quality public schools contribute to the safety of your community. We know that areas surrounding schools with particularly high drop-out rates generally also have higher crime rates. If you live in a neighborhood with a high drop-out rates, your odds of being the victim of burglary, aggravated assault and other crimes is much higher.
• Quality schools contribute to a community’s morale in ways that are difficult to measure. If you think neighborhood schools don’t matter, try being part of a team that is trying to close one. Communities grieve deeply when neighborhood schools are closed, in part because of the sense of community that schools often cultivate. In a crisis, the local high school gym often becomes a gathering place for people – the place that individuals and families come to receive emergency supplies and needed information, or where they come simply to cry together and pray together. Communities – both urban and rural – often rally behind school successes, such as students at a national Academic Decathlon event, championship baseball teams or spelling bee champions. When students from the local school do well, the community’s morale improves and there is a sense that the community can be successful in other more universal ways as well.
• Even in areas with thriving private schools and large home-school communities, the public schools still are almost always responsible for educating the majority. Even if you home-school or support a local private school, odds are good that most of the people you rely upon on a day-to-day basis – people like your nurse, your dentist, the waitress at your favorite neighborhood restaurant, the emergency dispatcher who responds to your frantic 911 call, the manager of your local grocery store, your accountant – were educated by the local public school system. Don’t you want them to have the academic and social foundation needed to do their jobs well?

Public schools matter – not just to the children that are enrolled in them, but to the communities they serve.

Opting out of the public school debate is simply not an option.

Missing Children

The troubling disappearance of three Michigan brothers who vanished the day their father tried to commit suicide has captured the attention of many of us in the U.S. and beyond.

There are many particularly disturbing elements to the case – the fact that the boys’ father was apparently suicidal and also that he took the boys once before, on the day his wife and the boys’ mother filed for divorce.

The young age of the boys – 5, 7 and 9 years old – also tends to grab our collective attention. And there is the intrigue behind their father’s claim that he left the boys with a woman he initially met online – a woman police say they now believe never existed.

Any decent human being – and certainly any of us concerned with the well-being of America’s children – is surely pulling for the safe return of these baby-faced brothers.

Other cases also have captured our attention through the past few months, of course.

There was Kyron Horman, who mysteriously vanished from his school on the day of the science fair. And the haunting case of 10-year-old Zahra Baker, whose fight with bone cancer left her reliant on a prosthetic leg and hearing aids.

The case of Elizabeth Smart, of course, also troubled us deeply, particularly when we heard her own detailed testimony of how she suffered at the hands of a brutal captor.

As people who care about children – and about the basic safety and decency of modern society – we come to care deeply about these missing children who are in the news. Some of us find ourselves crying when we learn that a child’s remains have been found. And we shed tears of joy when other children are found safe, just when the news seemed most grim.

And yet, we also know that all missing children are not given this level of attention, concern and compassion.

The number of children who go missing each day in the U.S. is staggering. An average of 2,185 children and teens are reported missing each day, according to information from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Of the 797,500 children reported missing in a typical one-year period, about 203,900 are victims of family abductions, and 58,200 are victims of non-family abductions.

Of those missing, 115 children are found to be victims of stereotypical kidnapping – where someone they did not know held them overnight, transported them more than 50 miles, killed the child, demanded ransom or planned to keep the child permanently, according to the Department of Justice statistics.

Many of these missing children never even make it into their hometown newspapers, much less the international network news stations. Research has repeatedly shown that missing minority children and teens, or those from disadvantaged families, often do not have their stories told.

And some missing children – some experts say as many as 100,000 a year -- are never reported at all because their parents or others have sold them into slavery or prostitution and authorities simply never know.

The story of the missing Michigan boys should touch our hearts – because their lives matter. Any available resources should be used to locate them as soon as possible.

But we also should be careful to share the same level of concern for other missing children – whatever their age, ethnicity, economic background, physical appearance or background story.

One Example of Good Teaching in Practice

I love visiting wonderful classrooms.

This week, I spent some time in Amber Carrow's classroom. Not only is Amber a California State Teacher of the Year, she is also one of our Institute's key partners. We're working on a book together and she's an integral part of one of our main inititives - The Teacher Project.

In some ways, Amber's classroom looked like almost any other classroom across the state of California - crowded, filled with students who (if you take the time to look and listen) desperately want to learn.

But I also think there are subtle things that make Amber's classroom practice extraordinary. She asks a lot of questions of her students and holds them to high standards, while at the same time meeting them where they are - in both life and in learning. The lesson I observed on Monday was a fairly simple vocabulary lesson to frontload some of the new words for a unit on China.

But the delivery was anything but simple. Amber made use of the technology in her classroom (interactive white board and laptop) and used pictures, sounds, and stories to help the students discover the meanings of the words. She also stopped to answer students' questions, while gently keeping them focused on the task at hand. Although she was teaching a world history vocabulary lesson, she constantly integrated concepts of math, language arts, and science into her teaching.

And the physical space spoke to the level of comfort that was almost visable as students walked into the room. The classroom reflected an organized and established sense of place. For example, the students were beginning a new world history unit on China on Monday, and as students filed into the classroom, they immediately began asking Amber to explain some of the artifacts on the wall.

But the most remarkable (and unremarkable) thing I observed in Amber's room is, I think, at the heart of good teaching throughout the world - many students and one teacher, engaged in a lot of questioning, and exploration, and discovery. Yes, there's an art to teaching. And yes, Amber is mastering that art. But there's also a beautiful simplicity to it, when students and teachers trust each other and truly care about the process.