Norman breaks ground on new school
The $10.5 million school is scheduled to open by 2010. It is expected to help ease overcrowding on the district’s west side.
The 64,948-square-foot building will house about 520 students in prekindergarten through second grade. The new school will be paid for with 2007 bond money.
Stories that caught my attention: layoffs, boycott and confusion
-PERSONAL LOOK AT DISTRICT LAYOFFS: More than 60 central office employees in the Dallas school district were shown the door at the start of this week, and more cuts – including teachers - could be on the way later today as officials try to remedy an $84 million budget shortfall. Here’s a view on the situation from Donald Claxton, who briefly headed the communications department at Oklahoma City Public Schools under former Superintendent John Porter after working in the Dallas district.
-BOYCOTT MOVES TO THE BALL FIELD: An Illinois state senator from Chicago 
took his stab at school funding reform to last night’s playoff game between the Cubs and the Dodgers last night. Sen. James Meeks also led a student boycott of lower performing schools at the start of the year.
-CONFUSING STUDENT ASSESSMENTS: This Washington Post story talks about a literacy program’s assessments that start on a seemingly arbitrary scale of 2 to 16 and then switch to the letters J through P. I’m not questioning the scale or the program there, but the article did make me think about whether parents can always understand how their students are evaluated.
Wendy Kleinman
Education Reporter
What’s the purpose of a school board?
I blogged yesterday about the role public comments play at school board meetings. Today I’m following up with an answer for Kandis, who commented on the entry to ask for a defined purpose of a school board.
To answer her question, I called Jeff Mills, the new executive director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association.
I’ll start with his response about what a school board is: a local governing body of a school district whose members are either elected or appointed to represent the public. Now on to what they do.
“One of their main functions is to hire a superintendent or a CEO to run that organization. … Their other major responsibility is setting policy,” Mills told me.
He went on to explain: “If I’m a superintendent, I can set a directive or I can set an interoffice activity, but the board is responsible to set legal and legislative type policy to manage the district. … A school board wouldn’t necessarily be involved in the day-to-day operations — that’s what the superintendent or CEO is for.”
Now if you’re wondering just what types of policies he’s referring to, don’t worry, he elaborated. Such policy responsibilities can include everything from school safety to budgeting and expenditures, he said.
Oklahoma City School Board meeting, Sept. 2, 2008 / By Wendy K. Kleinman, The Oklahoman
Mills also talked about the public comments issue that started this conversation.
“There are public participation policies out there, and some of those may limit (comments) to three minutes or so — each one will vary — and they may limit the number of people who may speak on one topic,” Mills said, “for the simple reason that if you have no order you could be there all night.”
UPDATE: To answer a question this entry prompted, school board members’ phone numbers and addresses, at least for Oklahoma City Public Schools, are available to the public. They are listed on this site.
Keep the comments and questions coming!
Wendy Kleinman
Education Reporter
Former OKC superintendent Payzant in the news
I got word of the following story from a fellow reporter in Oregon:
The Register-Guard newspaper published an interesting profile today on Thomas Payzant, who led the Oklahoma City School District from 1979 to 1982. Payzant recently visited Eugene, Oregon, where he was a superintendent before coming to the Sooner State. He’s now a professor at Harvard University.
Wendy Kleinman
Education Reporter
Principals as ‘transformers’
Education Week recently posted an interesting commentary on school leadership, separating principals of struggling schools into “copers” and “transformers.”
Those in the “copers” camp are struggling, too, overwhelmed by the challenges they face in straightening out their school. Those in the “transformers” camp have a vision and a plan to get it accomplished.
You can read the full article here.
Then share: Which camp does your school principal fall into? Can a “coper” be changed into a “transformer,” and might “transformers” be jaded over time into “copers?” And does it affect student performance?
Wendy Kleinman
Education Reporter
Springer, Ballard: Subject to the same process?
Oklahoma’s two largest school districts both will have new superintendents by the end of the calendar year.
Last night, the Tulsa School Board voted to offer a contract to Keith Ballard to take the place of Michael Zolkoski.
But some people in the district are disgruntled over the process, or what they say is a lack thereof, that led to his selection. (The board brought up the possibility of hiring Ballard the same day it agreed to part ways with Zolkoski.)
When the Oklahoma City School District was faced earlier this year with a similar situation — hiring a new leader after the old one departed before the end of his contract — it took a different approach of soliciting community feedback first.
The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools held meetings and compiled a report with patron suggestions.
How about some more feedback now that it’s over?
Do you think that input sincerely influenced the Oklahoma City School Board’s decision to hire Karl Springer this summer? Do you think Tulsa should have taken the same route as Oklahoma City?
Share your thoughts on the superintendent selection processes here.
Wendy Kleinman
Education Reporter
First board meeting for OKC Superintendent
Karl Springer started a new tradition for the Oklahoma City Board of Education tonight during his first board meeting as superintendent.
During each school board meeting, Springer wants time set aside for a “superintendent’s report” – which he says he’ll use to tell the public about what he’s been doing around the district. Springer said he requested this time and received unanimous support from the board members.
“We need to be transparent,” Springer said, during his first report to the board. “We want to cause everybody to rally around the students. . . My politics, my agenda is to make sure every child gets a quality education.”
School board chairman Al Basey applauded Springer’s work during his first six days in the superintendent’s role, calling him “the greatest advocate of employees and kids we’ve ever had in our district.”
As Springer was introduced during the meeting, he received a lively applause from parents and community members in the audience.
Springer appeared enthused about his new role – describing with excitement the various things he’s done during his brief time with the district: media interviews, visits to schools and speaking at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
As several parents and family members of Classen SAS students spoke about the administration issues at the school, Springer sat attentively and seemed interested and responsive in the parents’ feedback.
~ Kristen M. Daum, City Desk intern at The Oklahoman (reporting for The Oklahoman’s Wendy Kleinman).
** Also featured on NewsOK’s intern blog.
Leapfrogging into retirement
Deputy State Superintendent Andy Young is retiring this summer after seven years with the department.
Among his last duties is cleaning out his office — including, he says, a lot of frog figurines, a collection that has drawn many questions over the years.
“I think it’s stood for the fact that the children we serve are symbols of frogs needing to be kissed so they can turn into princes and princesses, and I think (educators) always try to do what they can to reach out and do what they can for kids,” he said.
That work will continue, he added.
“Our challenges have never been few and they will not be fewer. … I’ve been very proud of the efforts of this state and my colleagues here and I want to let you know that I appreciate that very much,” Young said.
As Young ends his time with the department, Betsy Mabry is beginning hers.
Thursday was Mabry’s first meeting as a State Board of Education board member as a representative of Congressional District 3.
Mabry is a science teacher from Enid and the 1993 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year.
Wendy K. Kleinman
Education Reporter
Do you know an outstanding young educator?
Student contest information often comes my way. But this week, I came across an advertisement in Education Week that gives teachers and administrators a chance to shine.
A middle school social studies teacher in New Jersey was named as the 2008 Outstanding Young Educator. Now, the organization that bestows the title – the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development – is taking nominations for 2009.
The organization will, for the first time, honor not only one teacher but also one administrator. Nominations are due Aug. 1; the nominees must be age 40 or younger.
To nominate someone you know, visit www.ascd.org/oyea. And if you’d like, share your stories here about a great educator — young or young at heart – that has crossed your path.
Wendy K. Kleinman
Education Reporter
More on schools’ ‘bad apples’
A little more than a week ago, The Oklahoman ran several stories and graphics about the difficult process involved in terminating underperforming public school teachers.
One part mentioned the Toledo Plan, a unique method of teacher evaluation spearheaded by the Toledo, Ohio, school district.
NPR recently put together an interesting segment about the plan, including conversations with and about teachers who came under the scrutiny in the peer review system.
You can tune in to the “All Things Considered” recording by clicking here and selecting “Listen Now,” and share any comments you have on this blog.
Wendy K. Kleinman
Education Reporter
