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That Was The Year That Was
 With 2014 now in our rear-view mirrors, several prominent edu-news sources have served up compilations of the preceding year's top education related stories, moments, quotes, and more. Not surprisingly, four of Education Week's ten most frequently viewed articles of 2014 involved the Common Core State Standards. Among them was news of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium's designation of the cutoff scores that will be used to determine whether students have achieved proficiency in each of four achievement areas. That, in itself, may not constitute front-page news. However, the consortium also estimated that only 41 percent of 11th graders will demonstrate proficiency in English/language arts, while a mere 33 percent will do so in math. With disappointing results in the offing when the new assessments are administered in California and 21 other states this year, look for the Common Core to remain front and center in the national spotlight. EdWeek's "Politics K-12" blog lists its "Top Ten Moments of 2014," here. While the Common Core was mentioned in three of the ten leads, the list is more interesting for what it excludes. Despite the fact that the U.S. Department of Education's unveiling of a 50-state teacher equity strategy captures the list's top spot, there is absolutely no mention of the Vergara v. California decision in the accompanying story. EdSource lists its ten most shared stories of 2014, here, and most memorable quotes of the year, here. The "most shared" list features multiple stories involving the Common Core, and a commentary by State Board of Education member Carl Cohn titled, " What's Wrong with the Vergara Ruling." The "memorable quotes" list contains the following statement from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson concerning the Common Core State Standards: "This is not a fad reform, here today and gone tomorrow. It will endure." (The E-Mailer will take note of whether the Common Core will endure beyond Mr. Torlakson's second term, which began earlier this month.) EdSource's most memorable quote of the year came from none other than California Governor Jerry Brown: "California is recognizing that the genius of each child is not how they bubble in an A, B, C and D. Education is not filling a pail. It is lighting a fire in the soul and spirit of every child." In a somewhat different vein, the Education Intelligence Agency offers up a list of its top 10 "Public Education Quotes of the Year," here. Brian Harris, president of the Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff, (an American Federation of Teachers affiliate created to organize charter school employees) achieved 7th place on the list with the following quip: "The charter school movement was founded to deny teachers their labor rights." Coming in at number five on the list was Gera Summerford, president of the Tennessee Education Association, with: "This march to corporatization - that's the word that we've been trying to use because it does sound a little more 'evil' than privatization." EIA's first-place winner was none other than Dr. Diane Ravitch who, in response to the findings of the latest CREDO study from Stanford University showing academic gains for charter school students in Los Angeles, remarked, "Who cares? Who cares?" And what of the year ahead? EdSource presents a list of "10 Issues to Watch," here, and EdWeek's Politics K-12 blog comes up with a tongue-in-cheek list of "10 Headlines You Probably Won't See in 2015," here. Included in the latter list is " IDEA Fully Funded for the First Time Ever," and "Congress Funds the Government for Fiscal 2016 Through the Normal Appropriations Process." It promises to be quite a year. Stay tuned! |
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Big Shoes to Fill at CDE
 Rich Zeiger, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson's Chief Deputy Superintendent and "right-hand man," has announced plans to step down upon the naming of a successor. Mr. Zeiger has served as Superintendent Torlakson's top administrator at the California Department of Education from the outset of Mr. Torlakson's tenure. Their professional relationship predates Torlakson's initial election to the State Superintendent post in 2010, when Zeiger served as Torlakson's Chief of Staff during the latter's terms of office as a member of both the State Assembly and State Senate. For all intents and purposes, the Chief Deputy Superintendent manages the CDE staff and oversees its daily operations. According to this EdSource article, Mr. Zeiger will continue to represent the Superintendent on the boards of the California State Teachers Retirement System, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and the Council of Chief State School Officers. Mr. Zeiger isn't the only senior official to pull up stakes. This past summer, Deputy Superintendent Deb Sigman, who led the CDE's Assessment and Accountability Division, left for a school district position. More recently, Deputy Superintendent Jeannie Oropeza, who oversaw the Department's personnel, accounting and information systems, accepted the top human resources position at the State Senate. The CDE is currently organized into four branches, each headed by a Deputy Superintendent, and each containing a number of divisions. The four branches are: - District, School & Innovation Branch
- Instruction & Learning Support Branch
- Services for Administration, Finance, Technology & Infrastructure Branch
- Student Support and Special Services Branch
Longtime CDE staff member Keric Ashley has been named Interim Deputy Superintendent of the District, School & Innovation Branch, where he continues to serve as Director of the Analysis, Measurement & Accountability Reporting Division. For those readers who may be wondering whether private schools appear in the CDE's organizational structure, the answer is 'yes'. Private schools are listed under the Instruction & Learning Support Branch's Professional Learning Support Division , headed by Carrie Roberts. Ms. Roberts is a relatively new division head, having succeeded Phil LaFontaine following his retirement last spring. A former classroom teacher and consultant, she brings experience in the fields of reading, language and literacy, visual and performing arts, and contributed to the working transition from the California State Standards to the Common Core State Standards. |
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Quick Takes
 Governor Brown Proposes Record Funding for Public Schools
California Governor Jerry Brown's proposed budget for 2015-16 contains a record $65.7 billion for the Golden State's K-14 public schools. The figure represents a $7.8 billion increase over current year funding, or a bump of some 12 percent. That translates to an increase of more than $2,600 per student. A complete outline of the proposed budget can be obtained from the State Department of Finance, here. The Sacramento Bee summarizes the key elements of the Governor's spending blueprint, here. EdSource reports the story, here.
The substantial increase is seen by many as a "catch-up" measure designed to compensate the state's public schools for the disproportionate reductions in funding they suffered, during the most recent economic downturn. Be that as it may, the Governor's proposal will significantly raise the "floor" amount the state is obligated to spend on K-14 education under terms of Proposition 98. Which means that when the next shortfall comes - as it invariably will - the state will once again be hard pressed to make good on its obligation. Knowing this to be the case, Mr.Brown plans to reserve a portion of the "new" money for "one-time" uses. He has thus proposed that $1.1 billion be earmarked to support the implementation of elements of the Common Core State Standards. (Two years ago, $1.25 billion was allocated for similar purposes.)
Ironically, the greater threat to the future stability of state spending in California comes with boom years and budgetary expansion. The establishment of a "rainy day fund," with the passage of Proposition 2 this past November, will help. Indeed, that fund may prove necessary when the additional revenues generated by Proposition 30 dry up. For now, however, public schools are looking ahead to a banner budget year.
2015 RHSU Edu-Scholar
Public Influence Rankings
Who are the 200 most influential education scholars in the United States? The American Enterprise Institute's Rick Hess has developed an interesting rubric which he employs to answer the question. Drawing an analogy to a "five-tool" baseball player who can run, field, throw, hit, and hit with power, Dr. Hess has designed measures which he uses to identify university professors who excel in the following five-areas: disciplinary scholarship, policy analysis and popular writing, convening and shepherding collaborations, providing incisive commentary, and speaking in the public square. This year's results can be found on the Rick Hess Straight Up (RHSU) blog, here. The author was assisted by a selection committee comprised of 31 distinguished scholars.
Drawing from a field of more than 20,000 university-based faculty who address education issues, the 200 most influential scholars were ranked on the basis of a rubric whose components include Google Scholar Scores, Book Points, Highest Amazon Ranking, Education Press Mentions, Web Mentions, Newspaper Mentions, Congressional Record Mentions, and what Hess labels a "Klout Score" (essentially, an indication of presence and influence on Twitter). Explanations of all rubric components can be found, here. Should you be inclined to parse the rankings, an enterprising reader of Dr. Hess's blog has produced a nifty interactive chart that can be viewed, here.
So who topped this year's list? None other than the peripatetic Diane Ravitch, who amassed a thundering Klout Point score of 8.3. (If you're not aware of the New York University professor's presence, you haven't been paying attention!) Rounding out the top ten are: Linda Darling-Hammond (Stanford - who does double-duty as Chair of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing), Howard Gardner (Harvard), Gary Orfield (UCLA), Paul E. Peterson (Harvard), Andy Hargreaves (Boston College), David Berliner (Arizona State), Larry Cuban (Stanford), Yong Zhao (Oregon), and Gene V. Glass (Arizona State). If this were sports, we'd note that six of the top-10 hail from PAC-12 member institutions.
USDE Offers Fellowships From the U.S. Department of Education
Office of Non-Public Education
There is still time to apply for a fellowship at the U.S. Department of Education. In fact, ONPE encourages private school teachers and principals to apply for the 2015-2016 Teaching Ambassador Fellowship or Principal Ambassador Fellowship programs.
Applications are available for the 2015-2016 cohort of Teaching and Principal Ambassador Fellows and the process will close on January 20, 2015 at 11:59 pm EST. Full-time fellows work in Washington, DC, at the Department and part-time fellows remain at their school campus location. For more information about the application process, visit our Teaching and Principal Ambassador Fellows program pages or go directly to the applications for the Teaching and Principal Fellowships on USAJobs.gov
Since 2008, the Department has employed dozens of outstanding teachers on a full- or part-time basis through the Teaching Ambassador Fellowship program. Last year, the Department piloted a Principal Ambassador Fellowship that brought highly-talented principals to work for the Department on a full- and part-time basis. Private school teachers and principals are eligible to apply for both fellowships.
Deadline
The application process will close on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST. Private school professionals seeking additional information about the process may contact ONPE at onpe@ed.gov.
Federal Education Program Spending Figures for 2015
Last month, President Obama signed a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill that provides funding for federal government programs and services through September, 2015. Included are allocations for Elementary and Secondary Education Act programs containing equitable provisions for the participation of private school students, teachers, and other education personnel. The following table provides a breakdown of the national allocations to relevant ESEA programs, as well as funding levels for special education, and career education:
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Program
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FY 2015 Appropriation
| Title I (grants to LEAs)
| $14,410*
| Migrant Education (I-C)
| $375
| Teacher Quality (II-A)
| $2,350
| Math & Science Partnerships (II-B)
| $153
| English Language Acquision (III-A)
| $737
| Community Learning Centers (IV-B)
| $1,152
| Special Education (IDEA-Part B)
| $11,498
| Career Education (Perkins Act)
| $1,117
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*all figures in millions
The cover story in this month's edition of the CAPE Outlook newsletter highlights selected findings drawn from "Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2013," a joint report of the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, and the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics. The report contains data on "victimization, teacher injury, bullying and cyber bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, availability and student use of drugs and alcohol, [and] student perceptions of personal safety at school." The data is filterable by school type, allowing for comparisons between public and private schools. The Outlook article summarizes a number of key findings suggesting that private schools offer superior safety and security.
Also featured in this month's CAPE Outlook:
- Marco Rubio and Condoleezza Rice Promote Parent Choice
- Experts Discuss School Accountability
- School War Truce
- Black Male Success in College...
...and much more!
A free, PDF copy of the newsletter can be accessed, here. The CAPE Outlook is published monthly during the course of the school year by the Council for American Private Education. CAPSO is CAPE's California state affiliate.
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John I. Goodlad (1920 - 2014)
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John I. Goodlad
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In late summer, 1974, I attended an orientation for incoming students at UCLA's Graduate School Of Education. After sitting through a series of welcoming speeches and perfunctory administrative directives, we were escorted outside to a patio area where we were invited to pick up paper plates and plastic eating utensils, and partake of a self-serve, buffet style lunch of franks and beans. That same day, UCLA's law school was also holding it's orientation program. I knew this because one of my best friends was a newly admitted law student. Rather than stand at the end of the long franks-and-beans line, I decided to check out the law school festivities. A few hundred yards away, the members of the incoming law school class were seated at white cloth covered tables where they were being served by a formally dressed wait staff. ( Were those actually wine glasses on the tables? Yes!) While walking back to partake of my hot dog I found myself thinking, somewhat cynically, that my friend and I were experiencing a sort of cultural induction. This is what we could expect from our respective choice of careers. Several years later, I had occasion to recount the experience and my accompanying thoughts to the dean of the school. I remember him to have appeared momentarily puzzled, or taken aback, before responding matter-of-factly, "No. It's just that we prefer to see scarce resources find their way to classrooms." That man was John I. Goodlad, whose recent passing has left the nation bereft of one of its preeminent educators, scholars, leaders and reformers. Rising from humble origins as a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse (encompassing eight grades) in rural British Columbia, John Goodlad went on to achieve a distinguished academic career that produced no fewer than twenty honorary doctorates from institutions throughout the U.S. and Canada. The author of more than 200 scholarly articles and over a dozen books, Dean Goodlad may be best known for his landmark 1984 opus, A Place Called School, a sobering yet inspiring work that many believe to have kick-started the contemporary school reform movement. In both thought and deed, Dean Goodlad proved capable of reconciling idealistic and pragmatic strains of educational philosophy to produce a results-oriented focus that never lost touch with a humanistic view of learners and teachers. Not only was Dean Goodlad capable of bringing apparently disparate streams of thought together; he did the same with people, which is but one of many reasons he proved to be such a gifted and effective leader. Following graduate school he commenced his academic career with an appointment (at the tender age of 29) as head of Emory University's Division of Teacher Education. Thereafter, he returned to the University of Chicago to assume a professorship. In 1960 he moved west, commencing a relationship with UCLA that would persist for a quarter of a century, first as a professor and director of the university's Laboratory School, and then for sixteen years as dean of UCLA's Graduate School of Education. You can read something of an abbreviated biography of the man (produced a decade ago), here, and a brief remembrance published on Education Week's Inside School Research blog, here. Several weeks after the franks and beans "luncheon," Dean Goodlad delivered a lecture to formally commence the new academic year. It marked the first time I saw the man and heard him speak, and I was immediately awe-struck by both his elegance and eloquence. Most remarkably - and I can think of no greater compliment than this - I actually remember what he had to say, to this very day. He spoke of the disconnect between the academy and the classroom, and charged professors and students, alike, with the responsibility of closing the gap between theory and practice, research and results, the ivory tower and the classroom door. Whenever I think of John Goodlad, I picture him commanding the lectern that day. He looked distinguished simply standing there. Charmingly suave, articulate, passionate and noble, it's little wonder he led UCLA's Graduate School of Education to achieve consistent Top-5 rankings. Dare I say that what John Wooden was to UCLA basketball, John Goodlad was to its Graduate School of Education? I do, and I will. Thank you, Dean Goodlad. You will not be forgotten. Ron Reynolds
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Publication Note
The next edition of the CAPSO Midweek E-Mailer will be published February 11, 2015.
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