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Balance Wheel: achievement gap or the opportunity gap
In this brief published by the National Educational Policy Center, Jennifer Rice expands on Horace Mann’s view of what it would take to provide equal opportunity in our schools. She asks: What is equal opportunity with respect to education and how to we measure it?
Her argument is expansive. It requires policy makers and the public to formalize policies that account for the social and economic role of schools in determining students’ life chances. She argues that if we commit schools to providing equal opportunity, it will broaden the evaluation of schools from a narrow academic achievement focus.
Providing equity requires a whole community to participate. Rice explains how. I give an example of a school in Orlando that shows this concept at work. It is startling! If it works so well in one school, how can a community plan differently to help all schools?
Making Your Voices Heard
There are many ways to be heard. Responding to the DOE webinar and survey is one. Writing your legislators both at the state and national levels is another. Showing up at school board meetings can help. In the end, we will also need the courts.
There is a lawsuit: Citizens for Strong Schools that comes to trial in March. The suit supports public schools based on Florida’s constitutional requirement for a unified, strong, efficient, high quality system. Note the word ‘unified’. The school reform movement advocates privatizing our schools by creating charters and tax credit scholarships to private schools.
Testing is the accountability strategy for school reform.
Southern Legal Counsel is the firm that has filed the Citizen’s for Strong Schools lawsuit. They are operating pro bono. If you can help them raise money to cover expenses, then go to their website. You can donate there. Just click the DONATE button. Any amount can help.
DOE Webinar on FSA Cut Scores: Watch
The new FSA cut scores have been released. There is a WEBINAR tomorrow about them. I signed up. You can too. Go to: FSA Cut Scores You need to register.
There is a SURVEY to complete for the DOE to give your feedback. You do not have to watch to complete the survey. The input survey is here.
Broad Academy Graduates On The March to Charters
Carol told me that in his application for Superintendent in Palm Beach County, Robert Avossa spoke of his passion for public education. He did not suggest he would turn Palm Beach into a charter school district. Now, this is exactly what he wants the Florida legislature to do. Fulton District Schools in Georgia, where Avossa was Superintendent, became a charter district under his watch. Carol says she has a wonderful blues CD by BB King performing at San Quentin prison. He sings ” Nobody loves me but my mother , and she could be jiving me too”.Warning: Array to string conversion in /home/lwveducation/public_html/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 1096
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- League Members visit the office of Senator Marco Rubio
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- League Members wait to see Senator Bill Nelson
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- Education Team at the Department of Education
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