Education Reform Briefs

From the Family Research Council/Ed Facts, 7/27/98

"Dollars to the Classroom" Goes to the House

The Dollars to the Classroom Act (H.R. 3248) passed the House Education and the Workforce Committee with a vote along party lines (19-18) in late June, foreshadowing a close vote in the House. Democrats have opposed the legislation because it eliminates 31 federal programs, making their funding available to states and localities for their local spending priorities. The House is likely to vote on the bill this fall.

The Dollars to the Classroom bill would supply an average of $425 extra per classroom. No state would lose money under this plan; all would receive increased funding, ranging from an additional $1.6 million to $89 million.

From the Las Vegas Sun/Associated Press, 7/28/98

Integration Less Important than Education Basics to White and Black Parents Alike

School integration is a good idea but hardly worth the trouble it brings, according to a survey of black and white parents. They'd rather focus on high standards and tough discipline in their schools.

The survey by Public Agenda found a distinctive "lack of energy and passion for integration" among parents of both races. Black and white parents have "strikingly similar visions of what it takes to educate kids," it said. Parental involvement was a key ingredient in many answers.

Black and white parents alike gave top priority to having schools free of weapons, drugs and gangs. Reading, writing and arithmetic ranked second...

From the U.S. Department of Education, 7/24/98

Sec. Riley Touts Charter School Movement

There is growing parental demand for, and student attendance in, charter schools as shown in "A National Study of Charter Schools," released by President Clinton. The president also announced new Education Department estimates that more than 1,000 charter schools will serve more than 200,000 students in the 1998-99 school year.

The report describes the charter school movement, and documents and analyzes ways in which charter schools are being established and run. Findings include:

• Most charter schools have remained open.
• The number of charter schools is growing.
• Charter schools are in great demand.
• Most common start-up problem -- insufficient funds.
• Legislative trends are moving toward increased flexibility and relaxed limits on number of charter schools.
• Most charter schools are small and have non-traditional grade configurations.

From the CEO America, 7/24/98

CEO's Newest Funding Program -- Miami Inner City Angels

Miami Inner City Angels -- MICA -- announced the creation of south Florida's first privately funded school choice program, Overtown Vouchers for School Choice, on July 1. The program is designed to allow low-income families living in the Overtown neighborhood of Miami the opportunity to choose their child's school.

The MICA project is modeled after CEO of Central Florida, which was organized in 1995 and is based in Orlando. The design of the program follows:

• Families must qualify for assistance under the Federal Free or Reduced Lunch Program and be residents of Overtown.
• Vouchers are available to children entering or currently enrolled in grades K-5.
• The value of the voucher is $1,000 or 50 percent of tuition plus fees and books, whichever is less.
• Vouchers will be awarded on a lottery basis. Ninety percent of the vouchers will go to children currently attending or entering a public school.

From the National Association of State Boards of Education, 7/20/98

Education at a Crossroads Project Report Released

Ending an eighteen month examination of federal education programs, a House Education subcommittee issued its final report last week concluding there is "little evidence" that more than 760 federal education programs costing more than $100 billion annually have helped improve educational achievement. Those figures are widely disputed. The investigation -- the Education at a Crossroads Project -- consisted of 22 hearings conducted around the country. The review criticized bureaucrats and administrative expenses for tying up too many federal dollars and identified 13,400 state personnel supported by federal funds to administer paperwork. These employees, the report said, have created a "shadow Department of Education."

From the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, July 1998

Local Teacher Union Strong Arms Members for Political Contributions

The president of a local Michigan Education Association (MEA) affiliate in the Van Buren school district sent each teacher a fundraising letter stating that they should contribute $60 or more to the union's partisan political efforts "if you expect to be working in this district next year." This amount was to be over and above the teachers' union dues payments.

A July 13, 1998 editorial in The Detroit News criticized the Van Buren MEA affiliate for using such "strong-arm tactics" and "extortionate methods" on its own members.

From the Eagle Forum/Education Reporter, July 1998

NEA Puts Paranoia in Print

The National Education Association defines "The Radical Right" as "a wide range of groups including free-market conservatives, anti-government and anti-union ideologues, and religious fundamentalists with a political agenda." The NEA newsletter called In Brief accuses these groups of "touting Americanism while imposing their rigid religious and political values on the country."

The NEA's newsletter further categorizes the "right wing" as "religious zealots and blatantly racist hate groups" that have been molded into "a slick, politically adroit, well-organized network of activist organizations, think tanks, and private foundations that operate both nationally and, most crucially, at the grassroots.

From the American Federation of Teachers, 7/19/98

AFT's Slant on School Reconstitution

The 3,500 delegates at the American Federation of Teachers' convention approved a resolution that outlines sound and practical steps teachers and other school employees can take to improve low-performing schools, while opposing redesign efforts that simply replace the school staff.

According to the resolution, effective intervention policies include:

• Using specific criteria to identify low-performing schools.
• Addressing the specific needs of the school.
• Selecting a new design based on solid research that demonstrates its effectiveness.
• Setting high academic standards.
• Enforcing high standards of behavior.
• Involving the staff and providing them with the professional development, time, and resources needed to be effective.