Efficiency in Schools, how to measure it?

Michael Bindas (State needs private schools to boost quality education, June 26) performs something of a sleight of hand in order to support vouchers and parental choice programs for schools.  He asserts that the state�s constitutional duty to provide a system of public education is subordinate to the requirement that the state amply provide for the education of all children.  He apparently draws this conclusion from the fact that the �amply provide� clause comes in Section 9, Article 1 of the state constitution, while the �public system� language follows in Article 2.  

By disconnecting the two provisions and subordinating the idea of a public system, Mr. Bindas can then argue that state money could, and should, be directed toward private schools, especially by way of vouchers.  And why not, private schools provide education for �children with special needs, juvenile inmates and academically at-risk students,� according to Bindas.  But this one�s a headscratcher.  Private schools are notorious for--in richly euphemistic words--�counseling out� low performing or difficult students.   Unless they are created specifically to serve such special needs populations, private schools typically have almost none of these kinds of students.

This odd claim does not discredit, however, an argument that improved efficiency, by way of increased competition, would be helpful.  I suggest, though, that we take care with our application of economic reasoning in the question of education, for providing education services is not the same as, say, macaroni production and distribution.  

The buying and selling of goods and services in a market are discrete processes that, though they may be repeated, are fundamentally independent of other purchases. Further, goods like macaroni are not sentient beings with parents who want particular outcomes from the continuous (not discrete) production process. To put it another way, consumer goods purchases are of much lower consequence than educational processes. To wit, switching schools--even in an environment of high school choice--could never be anywhere as easy as an 89-cent macaroni purchase.

Perhaps, though, this inflexibility of movement reflects the problem--lack of options in school choice--that a more robust market in education could solve.  Then again, perhaps it merely reflects the economies of scale problem. Achieving economies of scale means maximizing on the efficiency that comes from production in larger volumes. This side of the economic analysis is often neglected by the advocates education competition because it takes more account of the reality that a capital and labor intensive activity like community-wide education becomes more efficient when done on a larger scale. Lots of variety in schools (and therefore small schools) means smaller scale and reduced efficiency. In other words, two different strains of economic logic actually work at cross purposes in this case. It would be great to have innumerably different types of schools--and it would be cost-ineffective.  Tacoma is, at this moment, closing schools and agglomerating students in order to cut costs by improving on economies of scale.

We need to take care with applying economic reasoning to education production for another reason. Namely, we lack a good metric for 'efficiency' in education.  Economists let prices do a great deal of both the practical communicating and theoretical measuring in their ideas and prescriptions, but pricing of education production is difficult because 'test score outcomes' are not easily monetized, so the correlation between test scores and profit (the monetary measure reflecting gains in efficiency) is merely arbitrary.  So, when Mr. Bindas employs the �higher test score at lower cost� measurement he may be describing an efficiency measure, but he also invokes the risk of incentivizing educators to focus primarily on the test and de-emphasize other non-tested educational goals and material.

This is not to say that the idea of greater competition and wider variety wouldn't be a good thing. And I have no doubt that vouchers, charters or scholarship programs would generate changes in education.  Some changes will be for the better, some not.  Organizational change always has this dual reality.

In the end, then, Bindas� argument sounds more like one about desires and preferences to have authority over one�s own (children�s) education.  That�s a fair enough desire...as long as we accurately count the costs.

Summer of Forts

There are a couple of things that always let me know that summer is here: oppressive heat (after all they don't call it Hot-lanta for nothing), miraculous popsicles that can produce a smile, no matter what the circumstances, injury or indignity and forts.  Fort building is a cherished pastime by my children.

Every summer, king-sized bedsheets are pulled out of the linen closet and every binder clip in the house is commandeered for fort building.  No more mere draping a sheet over a chair and crawling under.  No, we create tent cities that last for weeks.  My son especially likes to sleep in his fort creations. Last summer he slept on the floor of his room in his fort for over a month.

As the school year ended this year, things were in turmoil.  After all, we were embarking on a whole new endeavor...homeschooling.  Would we ever see these school friends again?  How were things going to work?  What is it going to be like to have Mom for a teacher?  (The kids seemed to be filled with equal parts of trepidation and excitement on that one.)

The moment school let out, I was in a frenzy trying to get all the kids uniforms cleaned and tagged for the school's Used Uniform Sale.  Camps started for the kids.  Everyone was up late.  "Ahh Mom, who needs a bedtime when it is summer?"  Things were starting out kind of chaotically, but in a good way.

The other morning, I was checking my email when my seven year old son came in and gathered all the pillows off my bed.  It is quite an amusing sight since a king-sized pillow is just about as big as he is.  My curiosity was piqued. "Where are you going with all our pillows?"  Silly me, I should have known the response.  "I'm building a fort in the living room Mommy."  Oh my, how could I have forgotten the siren call of fort building?

I ventured downstairs and found the living room completely blocked off by all of the dining room chairs.  He had dragged in barstools from the kitchen. Pillows were strewn about the whole room.  In each nook and cranny a stuffed animal could be found.  There were Gronkels, Deadly Nadders and of course a Night Fury lounging by the fireplace on those aforementioned pillows dragged from my bed.  (For those of you who missed How to Train Your Dragon, those are dragon stuffies from the movie.)  There were pillows, a sleeping bag, flashlight and the specially beloved stuffies laid out ready for sleeping.  There was a DS corner for electronics accompanied by stuffed chaperones. Everywhere you looked he had put one of his stuffed friends.

That night as I tucked him in downstairs in his entire living room fort, he decided it might be a bit too scary to sleep all alone with no one else on the ground floor.  So we moved him back upstairs with a few key stuffed friends and put him in his own bed with promises to make a fort in his room the next day.

So it is officially summer.  My living room is a fort and my son is sleeping on the floor of his room in another fort.  I think my heart will break a little when my little man is too old for forts.  Even though it is a little difficult (both physically and to one's personal dignity) to crawl in and out of the forts for goodnight kisses, there really isn't anything sweeter than to tuck him into his sleeping bag surrounded by a stuffy army.

Campbell Fellowship for Women Scholar-Practitioners from Developing Nations

The School for Advanced Research on the Human Experience (SAR) and the Vera Campbell Foundation offer the Campbell Fellowship, which provides financial support for one six-month fellowship to a female social scientist from a developing nation. The Campbell fellow can be a PhD candidate or a post-doctoral scholar whose research deals with women�s economic and social empowerment in her home country.

The Campbell Fellowship intends to advance the scholarly careers of women social scientists from developing nations and to support research that addresses issues surrounding gender inequality in the developing world. The Fellow will be selected based on citizenship, academic discipline, research topic, and English fluency.

Fellowship Description:One six-month fellowship is available for a female social scientist from a developing nation, either a PhD candidate or post-doctoral scholar, whose work addresses women�s economic and social empowerment in that nation. The goal of the program is twofold: to advance the scholarly careers of women social scientists from the developing world, and to support research that identifies causes of gender inequity in the developing world and that proposes practical solutions for promoting women�s economic and social empowerment.

In addition to a $4,500/month stipend and housing and office space on the SAR campus, the Campbell Fellow receives travel, shipping, and library resource funds; health insurance; and the support of a mentoring committee of established scholar-practitioners.

Criteria:

• Citizenship: Applicants must be nationals of developing countries that are currently eligible to borrow from the World Bank.


• Academic Discipline: Applicants should be pursuing research in one of the social sciences: anthropology, economics, education, geography, history, law, linguistics, political science, psychology, social work, or sociology, or in an interdisciplinary field that incorporates two or more of these disciplines.


• Research Topic: Projects that identify causes of and/or solutions to gender inequity in the developing world, and thus contribute to women�s social and economic empowerment, will be favored. Sample topics include education and socialization of girls; globalization and the economic status of women; policies and practices toward family, reproduction, and women�s health; impacts of international and civil conflict on women; women�s roles in resolving such conflicts or sustaining civil society; media representations of women and the formation of ideologies of gender; the practice and process of gender-based development; and women in science and technology. SAR will select fellows on the strength of their clearly stated intention to serve their communities and countries of origin.


• English Fluency: To facilitate full engagement in the SAR intellectual community, applicants must demonstrate their fluency in English, such as through their record of professional interaction in written and spoken English.
  
  For more information and application:
  Applications to the Resident Scholar Program (Due on November 1st.)

Attacks on Georgia Charter Schools

Shocking Newsflash:  Our school systems nationwide need help.  Oh wait, that is not news.  There are many people trying to affect positive change in education.  We personally have decided to homeschool our children in our own particular attempt to address our children's individual educational needs. We are not alone by any stretch of the imagination.  Millions are taking the ultimate responsibility for their own children's education.  Others are attempting to affect positive change within the existing framework of schools. Charter schools have been popping up all over the country in the last two decades.

According to the US Charter Schools website,

"Nearly 3,000 new schools have been launched since state legislatures began passing charter legistlation in the 1990s.  Chartering is a radical educational innovation that is moving states beyond reforming existing schools to creating something entirely new.  Chartering is at the center of a growing movement to challenge traditional notions of what public education means."

According to the State of Georgia's Department of Education, there are 109 charter schools in Georgia. (The statistic does not include schools within a charter system.  Georgia has 8 charter systems comprised of 61 schools.) Georgia's charter schools are public schools of choice that operate under the terms of a contract. They receive public funding, cannot charge tuition, must be secular and are required to serve all student populations.  They have produced results-- real, measurable improvements over their traditional public school counterparts.

So when you have something that is new, different and actually working, what should you do?  Why attack it, of course!  Not only were they attacked in Georgia, but the statutes which authorized their creation have been declared UNCONSTITUTIONAL by the Georgia Supreme Court in  Gwinnett County School Dist. v. Cox.  On May 16, 2011, the majority issued a  twenty-four page opinion outlining why the Georgia Charter Schools Commission Act is  "clearly and palpably unconstitutional."  While the Court acknowledges in their own words that:

"the schools established thereunder represent the efforts of well-intentioned people, motivated by their genuine concern over the current condition of this State's general K-12 public education, to provide the children of this State with an alternative and, in some cases, a superior educational opportunity.  In holding the Act unconstitutional under the unique provisions of this State's Constitution, we do not in any manner denigrate the goals and aspirations that these efforts reflect.  The goals are laudable." (pp. 23-24.)

While the majority may not want to denigrate any goals or aspirations, they have instead, utterly destroyed the efforts, achievements and hopes of Georgia's charter schools.  While reading the majority's opinion, I did not find their reasoning to result in a "clear and palpable" understanding of the Act's unconstitutionality.  In fact, the majority appears to go to great lengths to distort the meanings of a "special school" in order to achieve the result of unconstitutionality.  Hmm...

A cynic (oh goody, I am one) might think that there is something else afoot here.  Charter schools are different from traditional public schools here in Georgia in that they have autonomy and flexibility.  They are not governed by a local board of education, but by an autonomous non-profit board of directors.  Might this have a bit more to do with money???  Money that the local school boards don't get to control.  Money that the local school boards lose when each child who attends a charter school is not registered in one of their own schools... Hmm...

Since the Georgia Charter Schools Commission Act is "clearly and palpably unconstitutional," the majority's logic and arguments must be irrefutable if their finding is so "palpable."  NOT!!!  Actually the more clear and compelling arguments are found in the dissenting opinions.  In Justice Melton's dissent, he concludes that there is something more here than a simple constitutional analysis:

"The Legislature, whom we must presume intended to act in a constitutional manner, created a law to provide for special charter schools to enhance our educational system, and it included evidence on the face of the statute supporting such a constitutional intent.  Nevertheless, the majority looks beyond this basic principle to reach a result that simply cannot be explained in the context of the applicable law and the undisputed facts." (p. 3 of Melton's dissent)

If the majority's reasoning "cannot be explained in the context of the applicable law and the undisputed facts," then what is the majority doing?  A cynic might suggest that they are playing politics which is clearly outside of their purview.  Ah yes, I am a cynic indeed!  For I believe that the majority was in fact playing at politics.  Justice Nahmias has quite a bit to say about why the majority is wrong in its conclusion.  His 75 page dissent is joined by Presiding Justice Carley and Justice Melton.  Perhaps things aren't as "clear and palpable" as the majority would like for us to believe.

"But the policy debate and the political process no longer matter.  The majority of this Court has announced the new policy and removed the issue from the political process, unless the General Assembly and the people of our State bear the delay and enormous burden required to correct the Court's error through a constitutional amendment."  (p. 74 of Nahmias' dissent)

Is it any wonder that the homeschool movement is growing at an exponential rate?  When people try to change the system from within,  Georgia has a very chilling message for them.

School Board

I am running for school board in the district where I live.

Here's the press release sent out yesterday:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Area Teacher to Run for School Board

Tacoma, WA � June 10, 2011 -  Andrew Milton, an 8^th grade teacher and university adjunct professor, today announced his candidacy for the open Director Position 3 on the Board of the Tacoma School District.  Milton has taught Language Arts in a local school district for the last five years, and university political science for the last 11 years.

Mr. Milton wants to bring his varied experience in education to the board position, saying, �As a teacher, I have insight into what works and what doesn�t.  Even more importantly, I know the need for effective collaboration among the community, school staff and administration.�

He acknowledges that the administrative controversies which have recently embroiled so many local districts are ultimately counterproductive, and wants to work to mitigate such conflicts.  �I see myself as something of an insider with perspective�possessing an understanding of the dynamics of school life, and a commitment to serving the students and families of the school community.�  

Andrew Milton teaches in the Steilacoom Historical School District and at Troy University (on Joint Base Lewis McChord).

Contact:

Andrew Milton

amilton1000@gmail.com

###

Qatar Airways creates new National Scholarship Program for Qatari youth

Qatar Airways has created a dedicated new National Scholarship Program targeted at talented Qatari high school graduates. The long-term initiative is aimed at supporting their education to develop the right set of skills required by the airline and to qualify them for senior commercial and leadership positions at Qatar Airways.

The new scholarship for Qatari nationals has a strong focus on business-centered degrees in majors such as Business Administration and Management, Marketing and Communications, Computer Science, Human Resources, Finance and Accounting, Logistics and Law.

It complements an existing scheme the airline runs in collaboration with Qatar's Aeronautical College, which prepares Qatari students to take on various roles within the aviation industry covering areas such as engineering, passenger services, airport operations, cargo and pilots.

Building on this success, the newly-introduced scholarship program is yet another step taken by Qatar Airways to provide Qataris with support for educational success and enhanced career prospects within the national airline.

It is also a strategic business initiative in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, which highlights the importance of investing in the country's human development in order for Qatar to become an advanced, knowledge-based and diversified economy. With this national vision in mind, the airline plans to grant up to 50 Qatari students with scholarships this year and increasing the numbers each year thereafter.

The Qatar Airways National Scholarship Program will mark its official debut on June 12 at the Oryx Rotana Hotel in Doha, where Dr. Kholode Al-Obaidli, recently appointed to head up the scheme, will brief students, parents and scholars on its objectives, admission requirements, selection process and the scholarship benefits.

The event is open to Qatari grade 12 students, their parents, as well as Deans, Principals and Career Counselors of local schools and universities.

Still in its early stages, the initiative is already receiving a great response. "Since we started advertising the new program in local media, applications are coming in on a daily basis," said Dr. Al-Obaidli, Senior Manager Qatar Airways National Scholarship Program.

Watch for more details!

Alice Cooper and Homeschooling?!?!?

It is official.  School is out.  My children are no longer enrolled in an accredited school, nor are they going to be.  We are now on our own.


As you can imagine, the final day of school was quite emotional.  My daughter had been at her private school for five years.  She said on the way home this afternoon that her whole life is changing.  It is true.  No wonder she has such mixed feelings and is emotional.  It is a huge upheaval.  Then out of the mouth of babes... "It's no big deal for you Mom, you're not going anywhere new."  My calm response was a shouted, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME???  (Deep Breath-- followed by a much calmer response) I may not be "going" anywhere, but I am taking on a HUGE new responsibility.  There is nothing more important to your Daddy and I than your education."


[Gulp!]  At least my brain filter was working well enough not to speak my next thoughts aloud... "Oh *#@&, what have I gotten my self into now?"  Just about every parent at the class parties asked if I was ready for my "new adventure." My joking response was that I should have stopped by the liquor store yesterday and stocked up before the kids got out of school.  We all laughed at the idea of homeschooling via Margaritaville.


I can honestly say that the parents of my children's classmates, their teachers and the principal have been remarkably supportive and encouraging.  I do, however, feel quite confident in my telepathic abilities on reading quite a few of the parents.  Their thoughts came through loud and clear... "Better you than me, Sister!" Maybe so...

What kid hasn't sung "No more pencils, No more books, No more teacher's dirty looks" on the last day of school?  It is a ritual to mark the end of each school year. This year, however, Alice Cooper and I have a bit more in common with homeschooling in our future.  That is about as frightening as a picture of Alice Cooper! Brrr!  Never thought I would have much in common with Alice Cooper...  (In all honesty, I probably still don't but the lyrics of the song "School's Out" are quite telling.)




School's out for summer
School's out forever
School's been blown to pieces

No more pencils
No more books
No more teacher's dirty looks

Out for summer
Out till fall
We might not go back at all


Indeed our family might not go back at all... Who knows what homeschooling will be like for us?  Hopefully it will not be a Grand Failed Experiment.  Only time will tell.


But when my daughter also asked in the car this afternoon, "Mommy can we make a baking soda volcano this summer?"  You must know what my answer was, "You Bet!"  I will just need to do some research so that I can learn how to build a baking soda volcano.  This might be our first homeschooling project.  We can all learn together.  God Bless the internet because I would be lost without it. This homeschooling thing might turn out to be a lot of fun.  If I don't wind up in the psych ward first that is...

War on Teachers?

Cross-posted from JDS Social Issues:

From my inbox almost two months ago:

So, where did this war on teachers, and other public employees come from? I certainly didn't see that coming.

A former colleague (a faculty member in a humanities department) was responding directly to word that Pennsylvania was cutting P-12 funding and slashing state support for public higher education. But her consciousness was framed by events in Wisconsin and elsewhere.

So I have been paying attention to the news in a new way. Is my colleague right? Is there a �war on teachers�? I think she may right that there is a �war� going on but I�m having a little more difficulty determining just what it is we are fighting about and fighting for. Are teachers the target? Or are teachers collateral damage in a larger struggle �because teachers (and their students) don�t fight back and because everybody feels entitled to an �expert� opinion about educational matters generally?

I hope to think more about this over the summer and invite any readers to join in with news items, anecdotes and analyses that help us all figure out where we want to stand in what is clearly a struggle for the social, economic, political and educational terrain within our own communities and our nation.

Here are a couple for starters:

� Randy Turner, commenting on the Huffington Post about new education legislation in Missouri, asks whether public school teachers are an �endangered species�? His question is motivated by regulatory proposals that seem to suggest that all teachers are lazy perverts.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/randy-turner/public-school-teachers-ar_b_861407.html

� Paul Mucci, a fifth grade NBPTS certified teacher, asks

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/may/16/paul-mucci-since-when-did-teachers-become-the/

�since when did teachers become the bad guys?� Mucci is in Florida where education is rapidly being �reformed� on the backs of teachers: �elimination of teacher tenure, teacher pay based on student performance, increasing teacher contributions to the Florida Retirement System, raising the retirement age/years of service, increasing student testing and reducing the number of "core" classes to name a few.�

He conveys his demoralization clearly:

�More important, gone is the respect teachers once had. The steady erosion of respect is palpable in parent conferences, in line at the grocery store and in politicians' statements in the media.

As one legislator said to me, �The public deserves accountability they deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent.� In one respect, he is right, but what good are numbers and test results if we lose our integrity, our compassion, our humanity along the way?�

Mucci notes that it is ironic that the rhetoric is all about �good teachers� but in the process they are destroying any chance of respect [for teachers].

� Bill Haslam, Governor of my new home state of Tennessee apparently hasn�t met any Paul Mucci type teachers. Last week he rejected the Tennessee Education Association�s claim that �teacher morale is flagging,� despite passing measures that limit collective bargaining and proposing others that would end any licensure for educational professionals. (More on events in Tennessee in the days to come.)

http://www.dnj.com/article/20110527/NEWS01/110526017/Haslam-rejects-claims-teacher-morale-flagging

As someone who spends a fair amount of time cultivating partnerships with public schools so that we can jointly (university/school) provide substantive and challenging but guided practical experience for teacher candidates, my sense is that teacher morale is fragile at best. Neither principals nor teachers � no matter how accomplished --generally feel free to take on novice teacher candidates. Even when they can identify the value of teaching collaboratively with a young person with energy and ideas, they are hesitant, even fearful, about jeopardizing their compensation and even their jobs (based largely on student test scores). Everybody is looking over both shoulders at once.

What do these snippets suggest?

Whether or not there is a war on teachers, teachers are feeling under siege. And the march of legislation that targets the teaching profession is undeniable. But the point of the legislation is harder to tease out. Limiting collective bargaining might be a cost-cutting measure. It might be an undercut-the-unions measure (my favorite theory with thanks to Jon Stewart and Rachel Maddow). The undercut-the-unions theory is supported by proposals in Tennessee to get rid of teacher licensure all together. Put this together with the appointment of a new Commissioner of Education with a Teach for America and charter school background and it does appear that the war is not on �teachers� per se but on the public school �establishment� (whatever that is).

The point then is an utterly free market for education? (Odd that we would seek a free market for the development of human capital when we have no such truly free market for any other commodity � oil subsidies, farm subsidies, interstate highway systems anyone?)

But this is a kaleidoscopic phenomenon, I think, and this particular ideological interpretation is just today�s turn of the barrel. What does it look like to you? What will it look like tomorrow?