From the editor

I’ll start out with the usual disclaimer affirming that the home-based challenges kids bring to school should not excuse schools from setting the bar high and expecting effort and achievement from all students.

Having said that, however, it’s a bracing splash of cold water to sit in on a faculty “case conference” at an urban high school and hear what teachers and administrators confront each day. It provides a sobering reminder of how profoundly dysfunctional and chaotic many kids’ lives are.

We know this, of course. To those of us who spend any time in urban (or suburban, or, for that matter, rural) schools, the abundance of gut-wrenching stories can come to seem almost mundane. So I’m always impressed by  how the strong teachers in these schools never lose their compassion and determination, regardless of how many heartbreaks they’ve been through with their students.

And for the rest of the world, those who read about stagnant test scores and dropout rates and cavalierly pass judgment on schools and kids, it’s worth hearing some of the stories, and pondering root causes.

Here then, are a few examples of what some Denver-area high school freshmen are going through as the 2007-08 school year grinds to its conclusion. This is just one segment of one high school in one city. Multiply this by untold thousands and you may begin to comprehend the magnitude of the national challenge.

• A girl, M, has run away from home. Unless she reappears immediately, she could lose her baby to social services. The baby currently is with the father’s family, but that is not a healthy situation. M is failing science, math and English. Unless she shows up and agrees to attend summer school, she will be back in ninth grade come fall.

• Another girl, L, is a bright student but more often than not shows up at school high on marijuana. L lives with her grandmother. WhenL’s teachers called a conference with the grandmother recently to express their concern and urge Grandma to get L some help, the grandmother showed up “in a drunken rage.” According to the teachers, she seemed to more interested in discussing the injustice of a past DUI conviction than her granddaughter’s issues. “Lock her up, I don’t care,” the grandmother said. “I’ll sign anything” to make that happen. L is failing science, but has an A in math. She has no major “skill deficits,” but needs to attend summer school to bolster her writing skills.

• A is a girl who had been a decent student. But her family was thrown into upheaval when her father was shot and killed over spring break. She fell far behind in her work, and needs to attend summer school to move on to 10^th grade. Her English teacher argues that “summer school is not in her interest because she wouldn’t come and then she’d really be in a hole.”

• W is a girl who normally is quiet and withdrawn. But she and another girl, Z who is pregnant, have a long-standing feud. In fact, the feud extends back to the two girls’ mothers, long-time enemies. Recently, Z’s mother got a restraining order against W after a near-fight at school. The order requires W always to stay a proscribed distance from Z, in school and out. The school leadership team called a conference with W  and her mother, to explain the situation, and to devise a pattern of movement within the school that would keep the girls always apart. The principal explained to the mother that this was a court order, that violation of it could land W in serious trouble. “We want to work with you so that we can make this work,” the principal said. “Would you like to change anything? We’ll do anything we can to accommodate you.” The mother stood and walked out of the room. When she reached the doorway, she turned around and said “I’ve got nothing to say.” End of conference. W withdrew from the school a short time later.

That’s just a random sample. And yes, there are heart-warming, affirming stories out there as well. But let’s be honest: there are more of the sad stories than the happy ones in urban high schools.

“That’s why my bottle of Patròn is already half empty,” one teacher said as the case conference concluded. But he was smiling when he said it.

Below is the final article from Brenda de Luna, a family liaison at Denver’s Manual High School. Brenda’s contributions this year have been remarkable. Thanks, Brenda.

Looking back, exhausted, as Year One concludes

By Brenda de Luna

It’s mid-May and we have less than two weeks before school lets out for the summer.  You can feel the anxiety, the anticipation, the bottled up energy.  And it’s not just our students that are ready for the school year to be over and for summer to officially begin; the staff and faculty at the school is ready for a break as well.

I wouldn’t say we’re overwhelmed or that we’re sick of this place; that’s not what’s driving us to count down the days.  It’s just that this school year has demanded so much of everyone that we need some time to recharge our batteries.  During one of our professional developments someone referred to the way we’ve operated this year as  “emergency response mode.” That’s a bit extreme -- a lot of what we’ve done actually has been well thought over and planned out.  But there is always something going on here, something big. 

And because we’re a new school, everything we do is new.  We have many first experiences on a daily basis at Manual.  A year’s worth of doing things for the first time is exhausting. Even if these are things that we’ve done and have experience with on an individual level, when we come together and do it collectively as “Manual High School” there is little precedent to rely on. Hey, it’s exciting to be innovative and so cool to be the first of the first, but it really takes a toll on all of us. We need to turn the lights off, pull out the blankies and power nap!

Is this what it’s like when you have your first child?  Instinct kicks in and you kind of know what you’re supposed to do just because you’ve seen other parents do it?  Extending that metaphor, at Manual we are entering the third trimester with our second child – the incoming freshman class --  while our first is about to turn one.  Although a lot of our first-time fears are settled and we’re proud of our babies who are now walking, talking and biting, we’ve got a whole other realm of worries to consider. 

What are the needs of our students as 10^th graders as compared to the needs of incoming 9^th graders – social, emotional and academic?  What kind of interactions are we going to foster between the groups to ensure that a healthy, positive relationship is built? How are we going to control these interactions to prevent abuse?  Do some of our current staff members continue with our 10^th graders while others wait to join the new freshman?  And if so, will our older students feel abandoned and resent this change? 

I love our class of 2011. They are the first of my first and will always fill a special place in my heart.  Believe me; I know about this connection. I’m the oldest in my family. 

We watched a five minute excerpt from the documentary in the making that will follow the class of 2011 from Day 1 through graduation and I wanted to fast-forward and see the “end” of it. Not to skip over the hard work, but to see their hard work pay off.  I want to be the proud momma taking pictures as they walk across the stage.  By the time our first batch graduates there will definitely be a sense of family and pride at Manual, shared by the entire community, the way it was back in the good old days.  We are a proud family now, but we’re a new family still trying to figure out where each of us stands. 

I get a feeling that the students (and teachers) who will remain with us next year understand the level of dedication it takes to be a part of this family and have committed to do their part and share their load of responsibility in building Manual.  All of us know that Manual’s not the place for everyone; other schools may offer more of the things they are needing to grow and learn.  But those that know that this is the place for them know, without a doubt, that no other school can do for them what Manual does.  And that, in turn, they can’t do for another school what they do for Manual.

So, school will let out for the summer.  Many of us will remain here for summer school.  Come August we will welcome the class of 2012 and, ready or not, the wheels will keep turning.

Ednews highlights

New law beefs up background checks for charters

By Barry Bortnick

A new law passed this legislative session, but as yet unsigned by the governor, gives charter schools access to more background information on potential employees.

The law also forces charters to take an extra security step before hiring new staff members.

Under the new law, the state's charter schools must have employees run through the Colorado Department of Education's database. The database is shared with other states, which lets schools learn if potential employees have had prior licensing problems due to past errors, offenses or unethical acts.

At present, charter schools must have an employee's fingerprints and criminal history examined. Most, but not all charters, rely the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for the checks. CBI searches can turn up felony and misdemeanor arrests along with the dispositions of those cases.

Charter schools can choose a statewide CBI review or a national one via the FBI. Not all schools opt for the more thorough, and more expensive national check, said Lance Clem, a CBI spokesperson. Most of the state's larger school districts have standing accounts with CBI. But some districts let potential employees bring in their own CBI reviews, Clem said.

Unheralded Escuela de Guadalupe beating the odds

By Gina Bernacchi

Preliminary third-grade 2008 Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) reading scores, released May 1 by the Colorado Department of Education, show that one of the most serious problems facing our nation's education system-closing the achievement gap-is still a major issue for Colorado.

Only 52 percent of the state's Latino third-graders were rated "proficient" or "advanced" at reading on this year's CSAP-meaning they were reading at grade level or better-compared to 81 percent of White students. Those numbers are virtually the same when scores for students who qualify for free and reduced lunch (FRL) are compared to scores for students who don't: Only 53 percent of students who qualify for FRL were "proficient" or "advanced," compared to 81 percent for those who don't.

What these numbers show is that Colorado still struggles to meet the needs of its lower-income, minority students. This crisis is especially worrisome here because Latinos make up almost 20 percent of Colorado's population. And the percentage of minority school-age children is only expected to increase in the next decade.

Clearly, education leaders in Colorado need to address these challenges. One of their first steps should be to take a look at the Escuela de Guadalupe in northwest Denver.

Blog highlights

Big surprise: kids in small schools no smarter

Monday, May 19, 2008

Written by: Captain Haddock

A new study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Ed investigated the positive effects of small schools on student achievement, and found … well, nothing.  According to the press release, “There were no significant trends observed in academic achievement, as measured by either scores on statewide assessments or college entrance exams over the short period of the study.”

The study did come up with some other interesting findings:  students in “small learning communities”, or SLCs, are more likely to be promoted from 9th to 10th grade and are more likely to report that they plan to attend college. But SLC’s were fraught with other problems, especially insufficient SLC-related professional development.

After extensive investment in small schools, including the Fed’s $80 million annual investment and the Gates Foundation’s billion-dollar bet, what has happened?  Why aren’t we seeing more impressive results?  Most likely, the fancy-sounding Big Idea of small school reform was seen as an educational cure-all in and of itself.  Unfortunately, too little attention was placed on whether the reform model was implemented correctly.  Indeed, many schools in the new study did not adequately implement the program for a variety of reasons, including scheduling and logistical issues, physical space, lack of teacher SLC professional development, and school staffing needs, especially in terms of core academic teachers and guidance counselors.

By now we know a lot about what makes schools work:  engaged teachers, strong school leaders, decision-making power at the school level, adequate resources, and high expectations for all students.  What matters is that the reform idea – whatever we call it — is implemented correctly.  A fancy name, on its own, is not enough.

Arizona decision highlights challenges for voucher movement

Friday, May 16, 2008

Written by: Pol Econ Ed

I’m not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, but this recent Arizona appellate court decision overturning targeted vouchers for foster and disabled kids struck a chord.

Lots of people who talk casually about vouchers suggest that the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2002 Zelman decision (based upon Cleveland’s voucher plan) essentially okayed vouchers for religious schools (and the majority of private schools in the US are religious), since technically the money goes to parents, not directly to schools, and they are free to choose religious schools, or not.

But that is a very incomplete picture of the legal landscape.  About half the states, including Colorado, have pretty clear state constitutional language that forbids public money from going to private schools in any form.  Some of these are the so-called “ Blaine amendments,” adopted at a time when many suggest the purpose was to reduce the growing power of immigrant Catholics.

Whatever the origins of this language, and whether or not these specific state voucher programs are actually effective, it will be quite hard for voucher advocates to win the legal battle in these states.   Arizona tends to be a pretty pro-school choice state, in most cases. Colorado’s court overturned vouchers in 2004 based upon local control issues, but it did not get to address the religious question, which strikes me as clearly halting vouchers here.

I have heard thoughtful voucher advocates express hope that the U.S Supreme Court will someday overturn a state “ Blaine amendment,” based upon a discrimination rationale.  And I have heard hopes that the language can be parsed to allow vouchers even in Blaine states, on the Zelman-like argument that the voucher money passes through the families, and is not going directly to the schools (although this argument was explicated rejected in yesterday’s Arizona decision).

Of course, while legal debates always must be couched in high falutin’ legal theories, the fact is that most constitutional language allows enough scope for judges to decide nearly whatever they want to decide.  Despite that, it is hard to see how voucher advocates can overcome these high legal barriers, in addition to the significant public opinion opposition they face.

One Response to “ Arizona decision highlights challenges for voucher movement”

1. Uncle Charley Says:

Pol Econ Ed writes: “Lots of people who talk casually about vouchers suggest that the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2002 Zelman decision (based upon Cleveland’s voucher plan) essentially okayed vouchers for religious schools (and the majority of private schools in the US are religious), since technically the money goes to parents, not directly to schools, and they are free to choose religious schools, or not.

“But that is a very incomplete picture of the legal landscape. About half the states, including Colorado, have pretty clear state constitutional language that forbids public money from going to private schools in any form. Some of these are the so-called ‘ Blaine amendments,’ adopted at a time when many suggest the purpose was to reduce the growing power of immigrant Catholics.”

In light of the Arizona decision, this is a fairly accurate assessment. Except for the extraneous qualifier “many suggest” in the last sentence. Because it’s nearly impossible to deny the anti-Catholic motives behind the Blaine Amendment movement of the late 19th century.

And when you think about that, it’s pretty telling. The U.S. Supreme Court has taken down the federal Constitutional objection to parents using vouchers at private schools. Only in many states a legal relic of religious bigotry, free to be manipulated from the bench by unelected judges, stands in the way. Does this pose a legitimate and formidable challenge? Yes, but one that clearly summons parents and other freedom-lovers to strive harder for choice and opportunity.

Ironically, the Arizona decision came down the same week as Georgia enacted a sweeping school choice program. And today, the Wall Street Journal comments on the rising bipartisan tide of support for school choice in Floridahttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB121115787543802417.html?mod=opinion_main_review_and_outlooks): (

“When Florida passed a law in 2001 creating the Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship Program for underprivileged students, all but one Democrat in the state legislature voted against it. Earlier this month, lawmakers extended the program – this time with the help of a full third of Democrats in the Legislature, including 13 of 25 members of the state’s black caucus and every member of the Hispanic caucus. What changed?

“Our guess is that low-income parents in Florida have gotten a taste of the same school choice privileges that middle- and upper-income families have always enjoyed. And they’ve found they like this new educational freedom.”

So when Pol Econ Ed observes beyond the legal barriers that “significant public opinion opposition” to vouchers is likely too much to overcome, he is missing a key point – namely, the contagious power of educational freedom, especially for those in direst need.

Nicole Veltze’s vindication comes with a pricetag

Written by: Alan Gottlieb

Read Susan Green’s column today for a spot-on analysis of the ridiculous case the Denver DA brought against Skinner Middle School Principal Nicole Veltze (see my earlier post on this topic). Thankfully, saner heads prevailed and the case was dismissed. This week, Nicole is back where she belongs, running a school. And DPS is out 100K. That’s enough, as Greene points out, to hire a couple of teachers.

 It would be nice to see DA Mitch Morrisey apologize for his boneheaded bullying. But that’s asking a lot of a politician. Especially in an election year.

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