Enrolling the Community in Public Schools: or the Community as Hub for Public Schools

1. Enrolling the Community in Public Schools: or the Community as Hub for Public Schools Illinois Community School Forum “Moving Forward/Growing Stronger” October 15, 2010 Chicago, Illinois

2. Arnold F. Fege, Director of Public Engagement and Advocacy Public Education Network afege@publiceducation.org Also, sign up PEN’s Weekly NewsBlast At www.PublicEducation.org

3. Ripen the Times “If the times aren’t ripe, you have to ripen the times.” Dorothy I. Height at her Presidential Medal of Freedom, the White House, 2002

4. What activities should we be focusing on for Federal policy this year What are the key education related issues are the Federal level this year Where do you see Federal policy going next year Address various pieces of federal legislation Maximum participant participation and interaction Objectives of the Session

5. “Acting well alone, important though it is, is not enough. There are things that we can only maintain together.” For Common Things, by Jerediah Purday

6. “Other nations have transformed their education systems expecting and demanding results. In the United States, we have demanded results without first transforming our system. Top down mandates will not get us where we want to go.” US Rep. George Miller (D-CA) and chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, 2007 NCLB School Transformation

7. c A

8. Public Education Environment Economic Security Health Defense Democracy: Common Good

9. Major Educational Transformation Inputs, Process, Equity and Integration To Outcomes, Inequity, Inspection Accountability and Segregation

10. The Debates Will Center on …BIG ISSUE • Market/Corporate Solutions vs. • Public Solutions

11. Current Federal Lay of the Land: September 30, 2010 $140 Billion + Economic Stimulus will be running out 2011 Omnibus $3.5 trillion federal budget-pending Budget Continuing Resolution: Thru Dec. 3 Reauthorization of ESEA/NCLB: uncompleted Reauthorization of Child Nutrition-uncompleted DREAM Act/Immigration Reform—uncompleted Taxes Cuts? Tax Extensions? States expecting $170 billion shortfall _____________________________________________ 2010 Elections/Gridlock!!!???

12. ED Advance Core Reforms: States Must Provide These Assurances 12

13. Blue Print for Education Reform • College- and Career-Ready StudentsCollege- and Career-Ready Students, School Turnaround Grants • Great Teachers and Great LeadersEffective Teachers and Leaders, Teacher and Leader Innovation Fund, Teacher and Leader Pathways • Meeting the Needs of English Learners and Other Diverse LearnersEnglish Learners, Diverse Learners • A Complete EducationLiteracy, STEM, A Well-Rounded Education, College Pathways and Accelerated Learning • Successful, Safe, and Healthy StudentsPromise Neighborhoods, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students • Fostering Innovation and ExcellenceRace to the Top, Investing in Innovation, Supporting Effective Charter Schools, Promoting Public School Choice

15. Where is the community at the US Department of Education? Not here • Race to the Top (RTTT) • School Improvement Grants (SIG) • School Turnaround Grants • Blue Print for Educational Reform • Investment for Innovation (I-3) • US Education Department Priorities, August 5, 2010 Federal Register

16. Preparing the community schools case: Questions policymakers ask about community schools? • What is it? How do we talk about it? • Why is it important? What’s the research? • How to coordinate it? • What are the models of best practice? • What role for the federal government? Why should the federal government assume this role? • How to implement it? • How to evaluate and measure it? • Telling the story

17. The Obama Administration’s Education AgendaHigh Profile Priorities from Real-Time Messages and Blue Print Common Core Standards and Assessment System Teacher Performance Tied to Student Achievement Merit pay for teacher performance/incentivize and reward teachers in difficult schools* Lift the Lids on Charter Schools Innovation Tied to Competitive Grants/Move from Formula Grants (*stimulus money focus)

18. Obama Administration’s Evolving Education AgendaHigh Profile Priorities from Real-Time Messagesand Blue Print for Reform Four stage interventions for the most difficult schools: charter schools, closing schools, restructure schools and turn-around schools Funding targeted to 1000 lowest performing schools/lowest 5 percent each year Comparability between lowest-income schools Equalization of teachers in lowest performing schools Elimination of AYP

19. The Obama Administration’s Education AgendaHigh Profile Priorities from Real-Time Messagesand Blue Print for Reform Early childhood education (universal pre-K, early reading and Striving Readers) More money available for higher education/community colleges National Graduation Rates Recruit/attract teachers with higher pay in difficult schools—differentiated pay for teachers in most difficult schools

20. The Obama Administration’s Education AgendaWhat is Missing Little Mention of Parental Involvement and Community Capacity Building Rural and Smaller Schools Homeless Linking the academic and non-academic Opportunity to Learn Standards Equitable Funding

21. Alternative teacher and administrator preparation (TFA) Diminished resources and increased expectations Alternatives (certification, charters, on-line, home-schooling, privatization) Greater pressure on school performance and less systemic district change Individual choice rather than civic collaboration Lack of understanding about linking schools and community as a reform strategy Attack on teacher/administrator tenure Near Term Federal Trends

22. Major Areas of Community Partnerships: Federal Level • 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) • Full Service Community Schools • Promise Neighborhoods • Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) • Head Start and Early Leaning Grants • Safe and Drug Free Schools • Other Agencies

23. DIPLOMA ACT • Focus on Title I Schools • Create Partnership/Consortia Incentives • Require State Assessment of Multiple School and Student Factors • Promote Collaboration between the NCLB Categorical • Allow Communities to Determine Needs • Non-profit evaluation • S 3595 and HR 6229

24. Family, School, Community Policy • Integral part of the instructional program—not an appendage of the PR program • Funding/Allowing CBO’s to be fiscal agents • District Wide, School Building Implementation • School Restructuring/Capacity • Community/Civic Capacity Building • Work linked to achievement/data • Break down silos • Educator/Community Professional Development

25. National Education Dilemma Declining Resources Rising Expectations Community

26. Policy Research Practice ACTION (NCLB)

27. Policy Research Practice ACTION (Should Be)

28. School/Civic Community/Service Community Capacity Necessary for Quality Public Schools • Community Services • Social Services • Youth • Juvenile Justice • Early Childhood • Health • Business • Housing • Law Enforcement Civic Community Public School/District Capacity Information Will • Decision Making • Pedagogy • Performance Data • Teaching • Community Inclusive/Diverse • Academic & Civic Knowledge • Building Resources/Supports • Practice • Communications • Leadership • Involvement/Engagement • Access/Opportunity • Organization/Mobilization • Inclusion/Diversity • Accountability • Parental Involvement • Resources/Supports •

29. No Child Left Behind is … • Signed into law: January 8, 2002 • Over 1,000 Pages • Over 1,500 pages of regulations & 10,000 pages of guidance • Comprises 10 Titles, over 40 programs • Affects every public school district in the country

30. What Is Reauthorization? • NCLB not new: amended the 1965 ESEA law • ESEA reauthorized 5 times since 1965 • Broad principles thus far, but………… • Currently no consensus • US House Education and Labor Committee Holding Hearings • US Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee Holding Hearings • Committees beginning to draft

31. ESEA/NCLB ReauthorizationA Law in Limbo: The Perfect Storm and the Negative Coalition:CHALLENGE: developing a new bill that receives the majority vote of the committees, conference, pressure groups, and approval of White House

32. Where Common Agreements May Be (1)… • NCLB Needs to Change • Continued Disaggregated Data • Provide Principal/Teacher Professional Development • Focus on the Most Difficult Schools • Progress model to replace AYP (target) • Adding Middle School and High School Reform Initiatives • Need to link academic & non academic factors—Whole Child and School Climate

33. Where Common Agreements May Be (2)… • Research more effective assessments • Early Learning Programs • Promise Neighborhoods • Turn-around schools model • Integration of categorical services • Building School/District Capacity for Change • Building of Community Civic Capacity • Broadening of the Curriculum • Equalization of effective teachers

34. Where Common Agreements May Be (3)… • Effective Teacher Equaliz- zation • Comparability of Funding • Parental Involvement • Community Schools • National Graduation Data Framework • K-20 Development • Adequate Funding • School Safety • Common Opportunities for Common Standards

35. WHAT DO WE MEAN BY“EDUCATION TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY”?ORWhat Conditions Need to Exist for Our Nation to Provide Quality Schools for Every Child

36. Reauthorization Options………… • No change—keep law as is • Abandon the law • Completely restructure the law • Make minimal changes to the law • Keep the law, but weaken it • Keep the law, but strengthen it • ALL DEPENDS ON POLICY LENS!!!!

37. The Debates Will Center on …BIG ISSUES (1) • ACCOUNTABILITY • Testing, Testing • Multiple Measures vs. Single High Stakes Test • Growth Model Measuring Progress and Not Targets • Coordination with IDEA and Special Needs Children • Formula Based on Needs vs. Competitive Grants • Needs of Rural Schools

38. The Debates Will Center on …BIG ISSUES (2) • Interventions for Targeted Schools • Charter Schools • Closing Schools • Firing Teachers • Recalibration of Local, State and Federal • Top-Down/Bottom Up • Common Core Standards • Requiring ELL Children to Take Grade Level Tests When They Do Not Speak English 38

39. The Debates Will Center on …BIG ISSUES (3) • Vouchers • Consolidation of Programs • Redevelopment of Funding Formula • Top-Down/Bottom Up • Common Core Standards • Teacher/principal Performance • Linking to Student Performance • Merit Pay • New Evaluations • Community/Civic Capacity 39

40. Provided a platform for national discussion of issues of equity and quality Articulated the problem, sharpened the focus on the achievement gap. Laudatory goals of holding schools accountable for performance Riveted national attention on low performing schools and strategies for improvement Began a system of data-based collection and improvement NCLB: The Good

41. Served to narrow the curriculum to those subjects tested for primarily kids in the most difficult schools Feds and states did not follow up on providing low performing schools TA and models of improvement Used punitive strategies for improvement Labeled subgroups for failing, ie special education, ethnic groups, ESL, poverty Does not measure progress; only targets NCLB: The Bad

42. Underfunded NCLB by over $40 billion Sporadic sets of state standards Built the outcomes first, rather than building school capacity for reform and opportunity Frequently ignored non-academic factors (poverty, racism, equity, health) Bashed public schools, teachers and professionals without providing support/investment Reduced public engagement and parental involvement—centralized decision-making Served to focus on the test, rather than the learning and developmental needs of the student NCLB: The Ugly

43. Children in the Budget: The 2009 Stimulus Package 60 60 55 Billions of 2004 Dollars 50 45 2009 2008 2005 2006 2007 Only 10% of ARRA education money will be spent this year. Even so, the stimulus package will mean a big increase in federal support for education. Funding for Children’s Education Nominal Funding Inflation Adjusted to 2005 $

45. Children in the Budget: Children’s Health US Census Bureau Income, Poverty & Health Insurance Coverage in 2008 U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics AdministrationU.S. Census Bureau Issued September 2009