Message to superintendents: Shape up or ship out
Mississippi legislators want to bring greater accountability to their superintendents, telling those in underperforming districts to bring them up to par or leave the course altogether.
The legislation — which must first garner federal approval because election rules are affected — would terminate superintendents whose districts fail to meet academic standards for two consecutive years.
The governor would removed elected superintendents and bar them from running for re-election, while appointed superintendents would be automatically fired.
The proposal has stirred up controversy in Mississippi. I’d like to know what you think.
Should students test scores be used to hold superintendents accountable? Is two years enough time to bring meaningful change? Is it right for a law to require a superintendent’s departure?
Share your thoughts here on NewsOK’s Education Station.
Wendy K. Kleinman
Education Reporter
Which way is best to slim down, shape up?
Gov. Brad Henry recently signed a bill raising the amount of physical education required for schoolchildren.
Students in California are facing a different approach under a law that went into effect this year: the amount of P.E. students must take depends on how fit they are.
In California, high school freshmen who fail more than one of six fitness tests must repeat P.E. classes until they can muscle through the assessment. The results don’t impact their graduation.
There is a notable difference between the state actions — Oklahoma’s applies to elementary and middle schools; California’s to high schools.
But both states’ approaches could be applied to any grade level, so which do you think will turn out to be more effective in helping kids slim down and shape up?
Share your thoughts on the education blog at http://blog.newsok.com/educationstation.
Wendy K. Kleinman
Education Reporter
Back to school, back to court
Two weeks ago, I talked to families in Oklahoma for a national basketball tournament who defended their decision to take part in homeschooling. They were on the defense because of a California court’s ruling that parents without teacher certification cannot constitutionally teach their children at home.
But homeschooling families also went on the offense after the ruling was handed down, and the appellate court has agreed to rehear the case.
The court this time also asked for opinions from the union and state board of education for California, and the union and school district for the city of Los Angeles. Other interested parties were invited to file so-called “friend of the court” briefs.
Judges are scheduled to hear the case again in June.
What do you think the ruling should say this time around? Share your thoughts here at http://blog.newsok.com/educationstation.
Wendy K. Kleinman
Education Reporter
Your thoughts on homeschooling
The Oklahoman published a package of stories and video clips today about homeschooling — why parents choose it, how they feel about recent judicial and legislative moves, what they do to ensure a quality education for their children, how they join together for athletic competitions, and what recent research shows, among other issues.
We’ve shared information with you. Now, we want you to share your thoughts with us. Post your comments here to get a discussion going about these homeschool topics.
(Back)packing heat
Should college students be allowed to carry guns on campus? And would that make them any safer?
It’s a debate that renews after each senseless shooting on a college campus, the most recent being the tragedy at Northern Illinois University in which five students and the gunman died.
Utah is the only state that allows persons with concealed gun permits to pack heat on campus. But several other states have passed or are considering legislation to allow it.
Oklahoma bans weapons on public campuses, and I haven’t heard any talk from administrators about changing that. But what do students, faculty and campus police think about changing the law? It will be hot topic if shootings ever occur on a campus here.
Let’s hope that day never comes.
E-mail me your comments at ssimpson@oklahoman.com
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
Bloggers pick up suspended superintendent story
The story about Oklahoma City Superintendent John Porter’s suspension is more than just front-page news: It’s national news.
By virtue of the fact that Porter used to work for a school district just outside D.C., The Washington Post picked up the story Tuesday. (www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/07/AR2008010702942.html)
Bloggers are picking up the story, too — some from Oklahoma, and some not.
I am not endorsing any opinions expressed on any of the pages, but want to share these as a way to show and promote the continuing dialogue surrounding the recent days’ events.
-The McCarville Report Online: The Gadfly on the Boardroom Wall: “Oklahoma City’s now-suspended school superintendent, John Porter, is fighting tooth and toenail to keep the job he’s held for slightly more than five months. But Porter’s strategy to keep that job, accusing Board of Education Chairman Cliff Hudson of things Hudson said never happened, or happened differently than Porter claims, is a poor way for Porter to wage his campaign.” (Read more: http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/2008/01/gadfly-on-boardroom-wall.html)
-The Green Flame: My Take on John Q. Porter: “I wish that we could say, ‘We’ve all learned a valuable lesson here, and we will do better together in the future.’ That only works in sitcoms. Perhaps the board could allow Dr. Porter the opportunity to state how he would change his procedures to comply with board policy. I think he could become a good community leader. But I fear he has been weakened too much to do the job he was hired to do.” (Read more: http://greenlynn.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-take-on-john-q-porter.html)
-Moving at the Speed of Creativity: Political Fireworks in Oklahoma City Public Schools: “Clearly ‘interesting politics’ are involved in this situation. It will be instructive to follow this news thread in the weeks ahead.” (Read more: www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/01/06/political-fireworks-in-oklahoma-city-public-schools)
-Peyton Wolcott: ‘Family emergency’ – or ‘vacation’? “Could it be that because John was an assistant (superintendent) and information officer in Maryland before taking over the top spot in OKC in July that he was not used to the daily demands of the new job? Or was this a clash of work ethics and cultures? … We’re watching something play out in Oklahoma City Public Schools which goes to the core of one of the most fundamental issues in public education in America today: Who really runs our schools?” (Read more: www.peytonwolcott.com)
Wendy K. Kleinman
Education Reporter
Goodbye Dr. Pennington
A few weeks ago, I dined with a college president. Dr. William Pennington arrived solo at the Spaghetti Warehouse in Bricktown, no entourage in tow. We ate lasagna and talked about the many things happening at Murray State College, a small two-year school in Tishomingo.
Pennington, 64, didn’t boast about his campus. He simply told me about the growing nursing program, the rise in enrollment at the main campus and at an outreach campus in Ardmore, and an upcoming historical symposium about former Oklahoma Governor “Alfalfa Bill” Murray.
I told him about my rural roots, and the community college I attended and thrived at, many years ago. We talked about his historical portrayals of Murray, a difficult yet brilliant man responsible for drafting much of the state constitution. We talked about Dr. Pennington’s marriage on July 7, 2007 (Lucky 7s) to Marty Pedersen, a professor at East Central University. It seemed to me that at age 64, Dr. Pennington had found great joy and happiness.
I left the meeting wanting to visit Murray State and knowing I could call Dr. Pennington anytime.
The last thing he said to me was that he was sorry he couldn’t buy my lunch that day. (Our company policy prohibits that.) I haven’t turned in that $6 expense yet to my bosses and I probably won’t. It was my pleasure to spend an hour with a man that reminded me a lot of my dad, a down-to earth guy that valued history, family and learning.
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
Lives in Motion
I spent the last week at Columbia University in New York learning about the missions and challenges of community colleges across the nation.
The Hechinger Institute fellowship was an amazing opportunity to hear from college leaders, policy analysts and researchers about two-year colleges, which educate nearly one-half of our nation’s college students.
But one of the most inspirational moments took place not in the historic halls of Columbia’s Teachers College, but on the airplane ride home.
On the short flight from Dallas to Will Rogers, I met a young man named Luis. The high school senior from Boulder, Colo., was enroute to his sister’s home in Oklahoma City and then to apply for enrollment at Oklahoma City Community College.
Luis, who lives in a Colorado housing project, wants to study music and business. American Idol aside, this first-generation American has a passion for singing but knows he needs a college degree to succeed in any field.
He can’t afford the University of Colorado, but was told by a high school counselor to check into community colleges. While out-of-state tuition at OCCC is less than he’ll pay if he stays in Colorado, he hopes to qualify for financial aid as an emancipated minor.
Today, I planned to go through my notes from my week in New York and prepare a schedule of stories about community colleges. Instead I’ve been thinking about Luis and the journey he’s taking. It seems so much more momentous than anything I’ll do.
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
An education in election issues
Presidential campaigns are in full swing. Every candidate wants your vote.
The Oklahoman runs an “On the Campaign Trail” box every day to tell you what the candidates are up to. But if you want to know more about their positions and ideas on education — from big ideas to small comments — there’s a good place for you to find out more.
The Education Writers Association maintains a Web site that chronicles the candidates’ musings on education, which voters consistently rank as a top concern.
The blog entries are short and simple.
Want to know which candidates say they’re comfortable reading “King and King,” a book with a same-sex relationship theme, to their children and other schoolchildren? Or what’s in John Edwards’ “Restoring the Promise of America’s Schools” plan? Or why Rudy Giuliani has a controversial record on higher education?
Visit http://edelection.blogspot.com to find out, and to stay educated on election-related education issues.
A timely task force
An award-winning superintendent from McAlester now has 29 colleagues to help her meet a challenge by state schools Superintendent Sandy Garrett to research the possibility of expanding both the school day and the school year.
Garrett previously announced that Lucy Smith would lead the Time Reform Task Force, and on Thursday she announced the other members of the group.
The task force will look into adding one hour to the school day and at least five days to the school year. Currently, minimums for public schools are six hours of instruction a day for 175 days.
“Oklahoma’s school day and school year are below the national average,” Garrett said in a press release. “This is significant when you consider that our nation’s schools require significantly less instructional time than competing nations in Asia and Europe do.”
Here are the newly named members:
-Don Parker, Bank of Oklahoma’s chief information officer and executive vice president from Tulsa;
-Helen Parker, Norman High School PTA president (no relation to Don Parker);
-Monica Barbour, parent of a special needs child from Tulsa;
-James Branscum, Metro Technology Center superintendent;
-Brooke Bisel, University of Central Oklahoma student;
-Alan Ingram, Oklahoma City Public Schools’ executive director of federal programs;
-Matthew Livingood, Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education member;
-Judith Ann Barber, education consultant from Grove;
-Patricia Hardre, University of Oklahoma faculty member;
-Joe Siano, Norman Public Schools superintendent;
-Lisa Horn, El Reno Public Schools’ director of special services;
-Gene Hunt, retired minister from Oklahoma City;
-Danny Rennels, Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association executive director;
-Bobby Russell, Pauls Valley Public Schools superintendent;
-Teresa Bryant, Cordell teacher representing the Association of Professional Oklahoma Educators;
-Lyndol Fry, retired educator from Hugo;
-Glenda Cobb, Duncan Public Schools assistant superintendent;
-Bruce Demuth, chief of staff for the state Department of Career & Technology Education;
-Silvya Kirk, Midwest City-Del City Public Schools’ high school principal;
-Ken Lease, Oklahoma School of Science & Mathematics’ vice president of academic services;
-David Pennington, Ponca City Public Schools superintendent;
-John Privett, Tahlequah resident and former education reform advocate in Texas;
-Terri Silver, with the Oklahoma State School Boards Association;
-Connie Sloan, 2006 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year finalist from Canadian;
-Kathryn Turner, Fletcher Public Schools superintendent;
-Stan Bryant, Oklahoma City teacher representing the Oklahoma Education Association (no relation to Teresa Bryant);
-Cathy Williams, Vinita Public Schools elementary principal;
-Bill Bentley, Dibble Public Schools superintendent; and
-Ed Allen, president of the Oklahoma chapter of the American Federation of Teachers.
