"We thoroughly enjoyed the FOTPS Friend of the Year banquet with Jamie Vollmer. Thank you from Red Oak ISD!" - Adi Bryant, Director of Communications, Red Oak Independent School District   

"I just wanted to let you all know how much we enjoyed the FOTPS Gala this year.  I thought the program was well organized;the choice for Friend of the Year, Jamie Vollmer, was very timely and the food and fellowship

"I am so appreciative of what you and Leslie are doing to make a difference every day for the kids of Texas." - Lowell H. Strike, Ph.D., Deputy Superintendent, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD

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Leslie and Jane,   Just wanted you to know that I had an opportunity to read your book - Hello! My Name is Public School and I Have an Image Problem!  Great job!  Great tips! Well done!  I recognized a few things as some ideas that I have subscribed to for many years.  You did a wonderful job of pulling some terrific thoughts together. I enjoyed and will recommend as a "must read" to others.   Thanks, Mike Moses

Check out our rock star founder of Friends of Texas Public Schools, Leslie Milder! Her new book, "Hello! My Name is Public School and I Have an Image Problem", just released last week and is available on Amazon.

Co-authored with colleague Jane Braddock, this book is a must read for all educators... the best teacher book since The First Days of School.

order the book...  

The U.S. Department of Education recently confirmed that Texas students are out-graduating students in other states with its release of state-by-state high school graduation rates comparisons. African-American students in the Class of 2011 tied for first in the nation with Montana for the highest graduation rate among their peers at 81%. Hispanic students finished second nationally among their peers behind only Maine with a graduation rate of 82%. White students ranked first in the nation with a graduation rate of 92%. 

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he following is an email exchange between Scott Milder, Friends of Texas Public Schools President and CEO, and a campaign staffer of a state legislative candidate seeking office in our Texas House of Representatives.

Campaign Staffer Question: How do you answer the fact that the dropout rate is 35%?

Milder Response: Thank you for contacting Friends of Texas Public Schools. I'm glad you've asked this question. The answer is, quite simply, that 35% is inaccurate. The on-time graduation rate for the Class of 2011 in Texas is 85.9%, and that is 1.6 percentage points higher than the previous year.  That, however, does not mean the dropout rate is 14.1%. The on-time graduation rate in Texas only accounts for students who complete high school by August of the year they are scheduled to graduate. There are many kids who need a 5th year to complete their high school education because, as you know, life happens for some kids. These kids account for an additional 6%. So, though they didn't graduate on time, they did not drop out either. And finally, 1.1% of the students in the Class of 2011 went the GED route. Unfortunately, the way the graduation rates are calculated, you are considered a dropout if you don't complete high school on time or if you complete a GED. Below is a link to this information from the Texas Education Agency, which is the state agency established by the state of Texas to administer education policy and track data.

Would you mind sharing your source for the 35% dropout figure?  

Campaign Staffer Response: That is a widely circulated number and in our view is too high.

Ron Webster, Principal, Klein Oak High School

At Klein Oak High, strong academics are only a part of the school's renowned reputation. All students are strongly encouraged to join a club or organization beginning in their freshman year. At Klein Oak, extra-curricular opportunities involve nearly 2,253 students out of the approximately 3,725 students on campus. The campus' goal is to increase that by at least 400 more students by the end of the year.

According to Principal Ron Webster, these organizations are tied to student courses or involve a tryout process. Clubs, on the other hand, are groups of students that meet together for a particular purpose or common interest. KOHS has more than 70 clubs and student organizations to date, which allows for an array of options for students to find those that best fits their particular interests.

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A teacher in California writes:
 

I am just about finished with your book The Death and Life of the Great American School System, and as a public high school teacher of 22 years, I would like to thank you for your eloquent defense of public education. My wife is also a public school teacher, and we have made it a point to send our two sons to our neighborhood public schools. This means that as teachers and parents we have been eyewitnesses to the injustices that are being done to public schools in the name of "reform."
 

A particularly egregious story comes from our sons' elementary school, Toyon Elementary, in San Jose, California. The school was designated Program Improvement under the terms of NCLB some years ago, and struggled hard to escape the designation. This is not an easy thing to do: the school where I teach is also laboring under the PI designation (and stigma), and my experience suggests that it's a bit like quicksand: the more you struggle to get out, the more you get sucked in.

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