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--- Tuesday --- March 19, 1996 --- Vol. 6 --- No. 28 ---
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THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
A service of the National Education Goals Panel
__________ __________
FAST FACTS | SPOTLIGHT |
Need information on adult | |
education and literacy fast? | DIVORCE: LIBERTARIAN STYLE |
Look no further than the U.S. | |
DoEd's automated document | The state should divorce |
request line called FactsLine. | itself from public educa- |
Dial 202/401-9570 from any | tion, argues The Separation |
touch-tone phone and a voice- | of School and State |
message system will allow you | Alliance. The Alliance is |
to request up to three | seeking the signatures of |
publications per phone call. | Americans nationwide who |
All documents are faxed free- | would embrace the group's |
of-charge. | Proclamation for the |
FactsLine initially began in | Separation of School and |
May 1995. It currently | State. The goal: to catch |
features about 100, ten-page or | the attention of lawmakers |
less documents that include | who could by statute or |
fact sheets, research | legal decision separate |
summaries, adult education | government from schools in |
reference materials, | the same way churches are. |
directories, National Adult | |
Literacy Survey reports and | Marshall Fritz, the |
newsletters covering related | group's founder, urges |
topics. | parents to take "more |
| direct responsibility" for |
"THAT OLD GANG OF MINE" | what their children are |
... is one of six gang | taught. (#7) |
prevention videos available | |
from The Bureau for At-Risk | However, divorce threats |
Youth. Others include "The | have been around for some |
Gang's Not Here," "Graffiti: | time. Two 1970s groups |
The Language of Gangs," and | have pleaded for the |
"Parenting Difficult | separation of state from |
Adolescents." For more info, | school, but to no avail. |
call 800/99-YOUTH. |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"Democracy is a way to govern, not a way to believe, feed,
inform, or educate." -- Marshall Fritz, founder of the
Separation of School and State Alliance. (#7)
_______________________________________________________________
| A service of the National Education Goals Panel |
| Published by the Education Policy Network |
| 1255 22nd Street NW; Wash, D.C.; 20037; 202/632-0952 |
| The DRC hereby authorizes further reproduction and |
| distribution with proper acknowledgement. |
| Publisher: Barbara A. Pape |
Staff Writer: Elizabeth Gage |
|_______________________________________________________________|
============== TABLE OF CONTENTS ==============
GOAL THREE: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CITIZENSHIP
DICK AND JANE TOUR: A trip down memory lane. (#1)
GOAL FIVE: MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE
ORIGIN OF LIFE: Georgia attorney general speaks. (#2)
PARTNERS IN EDUCATION
PILOT PARTNER: NEA lends financial hand to D.C. schools. (#3)
FROM COURTHOUSE TO SCHOOLHOUSE
MINNEAPOLIS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: Still a long road to hoe. (#4)
CHOOSING SCHOOLS
GEORGIA'S CHOICE: Plays to mixed reviews. (#5)
GETTING RELIGION
THE CAMEL'S NOSE?: "Veiled" form of school prayer in Ky. (#6)
SEPARATION: Schools from the state. (#7)
===== GOAL THREE: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CITIZENSHIP =====
*1 DICK AND JANE TOUR: A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE
Dick and Jane characters and stories will be remembered as
people view the exhibit entitled "Dick and Jane Illustrations of
an American Education" (Anderson, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/17). The
exhibit includes page proofs, editors notes, a film entitled
"Whatever Happened to Dick and Jane?" and other memorabilia. The
three-year tour began Saturday in Chicago.
From the 1930s to the 1970s Dick, Jane, baby Sally, Mom,
Dad, Spot and Puff were the first words many students learned to
read. The Dick and Jane Scott Foresman series replaced phonics
with a whole-word, controlled vocabulary approach, writes the
paper. However, Dick and Jane were not able to keep up with the
changing times.
Today's trend in reading instruction favors good literature
that interests children and helps them make sense of their world,
reports the paper. "There's a much bigger thrust on natural
language today, in other words, language that is not so
controlled," said Mary Leu Burns, a first-grade teacher for 23
years at Flossmoor's Western Avenue School.
Today's teachers often opt to use trade books rather than
textbooks, according to the paper. However, some believe there
always will be a place for "Dick and Jane" stories, which give
children plenty of repetition. However, the Dick and Jane stories
may not be interesting enough to hold the attention of today's
students who are used to VCR, cable TV and cyberspace, notes the
TRIBUNE.
"It takes a lot more to stimulate kids today, but the most
important thing is that they can read it themselves," said Burns.
"It could be a book about anything -- a turtle, a motorcycle --
it doesn't matter. It's like 'Hey, this book is cool because I
can read it.' And that excitement never gets old,"
After opening in Chicago, the "Dick and Jane" exhibit will
tour the country for three years.
===== GOAL FIVE: MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE =====
*2 ORIGIN OF LIFE: GEORGIA ATTORNEY GENERAL SPEAKS
Local school systems are permitted to teach a variety of
theories about the origin of life, but they may not promote
religion or mandate the teaching of creationism to offset
theories of evolution, ruled Ga. Attorney General Michael Bowers
(Cumming, ATLANTA JOURNAL, 3/13).
Bower's opinion was a response to questions posed by state
school Superintendent Linda Schrenko that asked whether
creationism can be taught as part of a school's science
curriculum. Bower based his opinion on the 1987 Supreme Court
case Edwards vs. Aguillard, which overturned a Louisiana
creationism law.
"If we teach only evolution we are at cross purposes with
what many parents teach at home and certainly what is taught in
our churches," Schrenko wrote in a letter to Bowers. "Do we have
the right to do so?"
According to Bowers, educators do have the right to teach
only evolution. However, they also may teach a variety of
theories about the origin of life as long as it enriches "the
effectiveness of science instruction."
The question of evolution vs. creationism has recently been
raised by religious conservatives including members of the Hall
County (Ga.) school board. Hall County wants to purchase science
materials that cover a variety of theories about life's origins.
According to the paper, an amendment to permit the teaching
of creationism is pending in the state Legislature. Bowers
claims that any legislative effort to promote creationism to the
exclusion of evolution "will necessarily be fraught with
constitutional pitfalls." However, Bowers notes that when it
comes to individual teachers and school districts, the court has
allowed "considerable latitude."
===== PARTNERS IN EDUCATION =====
*3 PILOT PARTNER: NEA LENDS FINANCIAL HAND TO D.C. SCHOOLS
National Education Association President Keith Geiger this
week presented a $100,000 check to the District of Columbia
government as part of the city's new community partnership for
tax-exempt organizations (NEA press release, 3/19).
Geiger: "The District of Columbia is a special city because
it is our nation's capital. If ever there was a time for us to
be a good neighbor, now is that time. What our contribution
signifies is our long-held belief in the importance of community.
We know it takes the entire community to build and support good
schools. By the same token, we know that a 'healthy' community
helps breed 'healthy' schools."
City Council Chairman David Clarke said the NEA PILOT
agreement is a "major breakthrough in obtaining revenue from an
existing, but previously untapped, resource in the District. The
District conceived of the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program as a
way to secure funds from non-profits that are not bound to pay
city taxes.
The NEA release noted that while the union hoped the funds
would go to support programs for children and youth, the
contribution cannot be earmarked by the union.
===== FROM COURTHOUSE TO SCHOOLHOUSE =====
*4 MINNEAPOLIS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: STILL A LONG ROAD TO HOE
The Minn. Board of Education granted a two-year waiver to
the Minneapolis School District that frees it from a 23-year-old
desegregation quota system and enables it to proceed with the
community schools plan (Washington, STAR TRIBUNE, 3/12).
The waiver was needed because the proposed community schools
conflicted with existing desegregation quotas, reports the paper.
Minneapolis desegregation rules require that each school's
minority student enrollment must be within 15 percentage points
of the districtwide average. The waiver will allow Minneapolis
schools to exceed the districtwide average by 30 percentage
points, according to the paper. The enrollment leeway was needed
to allow more students to attend schools in their neighborhood.
Mayor Charon Sayles Belton and City Council President Jackie
Cherryhomes testified in support of the waiver. They argued that
the community schools plan is necessary to increase parental
involvement in schools and to strengthen neighborhoods.
The NAACP and minority parents oppose the plan because they
claim many minority students live in neighborhoods that are not
guaranteed access to community schools. John Shulman, an
attorney representing the Minneapolis NAACP, testified that the
plan does not give minority parents the same educational choices
as white parents. "We think this is a long process, and we don't
think it's necessarily over," said Shulman.
District figures show that 62% of minority students would be
guaranteed a community school choice, while 73% of white students
would be given the same choice. According to school
Superintendent Peter Hutchinson, the difference is a function of
school location. He noted that more schools are being built and
that the difference between racial access probably will be
eliminated by 1999, notes the paper.
Board President Jeanne Kling said the central question of
the debate is: Would district predictions about increased levels
of parental involvement offset the racial imbalance? The board
sided with district officials, who supported the waiver.
Meanwhile, districts must devise ways to encourage voluntary
integration.
==== CHOOSING SCHOOLS ====
*5 GEORGIA'S CHOICE: PLAYS TO MIXED REVIEWS
Ga.'s six-month-old school choice plan has garnered mixed
responses (McCarthy, ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 3/14). Some regard it
as a welcome change, while others hold that the costs outweigh
the benefits.
"It's been a stressful process, but if we can be patient and
let it work, I think it will be to the advantage of all children
in Clarke County," said Martee Horne, a parent with three
children in public school.
The "controlled choice" plan was a response to a charge by
the U.S. Office of Civil Rights that Clarke County was busing a
disproportionate number of black children far from home. A
federal order forced the county to create an equitable busing
program, writes the paper.
Under the choice plan, parents submit their top three school
choices. A computer program then assigns students to schools
based on a facility's capacity and its racial composition. The
school board allows schools a variance of 10 percentage points
above or below the entire district's racial balance. Parents who
are unhappy with their child's school assignment can appeal,
reports the paper.
However, school officials are alarmed by the high cost of
transporting students to and from designated schools.
Transportation costs were estimated at $4.3M this year, a $1.2M
increase from last year. To meet the increased busing needs of
students, 30 buses were added and 20 additional drivers hired,
explained Bob Millans, transportation director. According to
the paper, controlled choice will be more limited next year
because the board of education is intent on cutting costs. For
example, in order to save $250,000 to $300,000, the county will
be split into two attendance zones. Students will be allowed to
attend a school outside of their zone, but transportation will
not be provided. The board is brainstorming for additional ways
to cut costs, writes the paper.
"I think we're caught between a rock and hard place, said
board member Svea Boque. "I think citizens and families like the
controlled choice plan. It's working, but there's this tension
surrounding it, an underlying hum to save money. We have to have
the strength to move on and believe the program is a good one."
==== GETTING RELIGION ====
*6 THE CAMEL'S NOSE?: "VEILED" FORM OF SCHOOL PRAYER IN KY.
The Kentucky Senate passed a resolution earlier this month
that permits a "veiled form of school prayer." (AP\The
CINCINNATI POST, 3/4). The resolution offered by Sen. Dick
Roeding (R) calls for the reading of the preamble to the state
constitution at the start of each school day. The preamble
"opens with thanksgiving to God," explains the paper.
Roeding points out an educational aspect of his resolution:
"Many students don't even know there is a preamble, let alone a
constitution." However, Everett Hoffman, director of the
American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, charges that
Roeding's motives are more religious than secular. "I think Sen.
Roeding knows that it would be unconstitutional for school
officials to begin the school day with prayer. And he thinks
he's found some clever language to get around that prohibition,"
Hoffman said. "If school officials were to follow this
directive, you would really have to look at it on a case-by-case
basis and determine if the particular schoolteacher or the
particular principal were doing this with a legitimate secular
purpose, or whether it was just to promote religion in the
classroom," he added.
Kentucky School Board Association Spokesman Brad Hughes said
that if asked his agency would inform schools that the resolution
is non-binding. There is no legal requirement forcing school
officials to comply with the resolution, writes the paper.
Hughes: "It is a public document, and beyond that, then the
folks at the local school council level will have to make a
decision as to the educational merit of the Senate's request."
*7 SEPARATION: SCHOOLS FROM THE STATE
The Separation of School and State Alliance embraces the
notion that the state should get out of the business of
schooling. The Fresno, Calif.-based group claims to have over
1,000 members nationwide (Eppstein, THE DAILY REVIEW (Hayward,
Calif.), 2/19). "Democracy is a way to govern, not a way to
believe, feed, inform, or educate," said Marshall Fritz, a former
IBM salesman and founder of the alliance.
The alliance's current goal is to collect the signatures of
25 million people on the Proclamation for the Separation of
School and State. Fritz hopes such a groundswell of support
would catch the eye of lawmakers that "schools should be separate
from government in the same way churches, temples and mosques
are," writes the paper.
Fritz urges parents to take more direct responsibility in
determining what is appropriate to teach their children, reports
the paper. "Americans have bought into the falsehood that you
are not responsible for educating children -- the state is," he
said. Fritz also challenges the notion that children have a
right to a quality education at taxpayer expense, according to
the paper.
However, alliance critics raise the issue of who will
provide the education needs of disadvantaged children. Another
concern is what will happen to the millions of public school
teachers who would lose their jobs. And they question whether
"cultural tolerance will be ignored in private schools," reports
the REVIEW.
George Pearson, founding member of the Center for
Independent Education, a 1970s group espousing the separation of
school from government goal, explains that this debate has been
ongoing for 25 years. Pearson and his colleagues explored sundry
options to public education, including independent schools to the
voucher system. "We were hoping to establish the importance of
education outside the public domain," he explained. Eventually,
the group merged with the Voucher Institute of Michigan.
Bob Marlowe, a Md. education consultant, was another early
voice for separation of school from state. According to the
paper, he and colleagues at Long Island's Delphi U expressed
concern over the nation's school consolidation movement, spanning
the 1940s through the 70s. The REVIEW reports that 118,000
school districts existed nationwide in 1940, dwindling to 14,800
today. "Consolidation allows government to [better] manage
[character] values," said Marlowe. In 1974, Marlowe and others
formed the Council for Education Freedom in America, which called
for the separation of government from education. Council members
railed against U.S. Supreme Court decisions that "took religion
out of public schools and required 'values-neutral' programs,"
writes the paper. However, the council closed its doors in 1989
when its benefactor died.
Stanford U education Professor David Tyack acknowledges the
importance of local control over education, but also lauds the
value of public education. Tyack: "Schools would not have
spread into rural areas if not for public education." He
continued by saying that many right-wing causes "tap the feel-
good approach of taking government out of things, but are not
cogent as far as addressing the problems of American education"
The Separation of School and State Alliance is located at
4578 N. First; #310; Fresno, Calif. 93726; 209/292-1776; email:
Separate@sepschool.org; Home Page: http://www.sepschool.org.
They publish a monthly newsletter "The Education Liberator,"
which is available for $25 a year.
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