Friday News Roundup

Happy Flag Day! It’s Friday so it’s time for the News Roundup. Here we go…

Class Time Roulette: Kids Receive Up to Two Years More School Depending on Where They Live (The 74)

The traditional school system might not be so systematic after all. According to The 74 online this week,

“Depending on where they grow up, some American students receive considerably less schooling every year than their peers in other areas, according to newly published research. Worse still, when accounting for student absences, suspensions, and classroom interruptions, much of the time intended for instruction in some districts is simply lost.”

“Seemingly minute differences in the length of a school day or year, whether stemming from state laws or local rules governing school districts, eventually grow into colossal gaps in learning opportunities. Over the course of their K-12 careers, the authors estimate, children living in jurisdictions requiring the most time in school benefit from over two years more education than those living in areas that require the least.”

“’It’s hard for me to understand why some students should have access to a 180-day school year, and others in a district down the road get two weeks less instruction,’ said co-author Matthew Kraft, an economics professor at Brown University. ‘Why would we want that inequity baked into our system?’”

Learning time should depend on a young learner’s learning plan, but still, if you are part of the K-12 system, why is available learning time so variable?

Cellphones Turned My Teaching Career From ‘Awesome’ to Exhausting (EducationWeek)

“Two decades ago, no one could have predicted that a device small enough to fit in a student’s back pocket could upend K-12 education. But in recent years, cellphones have emerged as educators’ No. 1 nemesis.”

“Teachers cite them as a near-constant source of distraction in the classroom. They’re blamed as a culprit in the mental health crisis pervading our nation’s youth. Teachers say trying to compete with cellphones for students’ attention contributes heavily to stress and burnout.”

“Mitchell Rutherford knows this all too well. The Tucson, Arizona-based educator, who just completed his 11^th year as a biology teacher at Sahuaro High School, will not be returning to the classroom next year, in part because of how students’ cellphones use has transformed the nature of the job.”

It’s not known how effective Mr. Rutherford was as a biology teacher, but it’s safe to say that, moving forward, the learning world doesn’t need learning leaders intimidated by everyday technology like cellphones.

If teachers and school leadership took the time to learn how to use cellphones and social media for deeper learning opportunities, then the future for making young learners smarter and stronger becomes brighter.

Why Jay-Z Is a Key Figure in the School Voucher Debate (EducationWeek)

According to EducationWeek online this week,

“Rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z has entered the debate over establishing a school choice voucher system in Pennsylvania, a proposal that has caused a months-long budget feud in the politically divided legislature. The push to create private school vouchers has drawn some unlikely allies – a move at odds with much of his part and public school advocates.”

“And now, Team Roc, the philanthropic arm of Jay-Z’s entertainment company Roc Nation, is putting its support behind the school voucher measure as the state legislature buckles down to pass a budget, due by the end of the month. Jay-Z’s philanthropy has launched a multi-faceted marketing and awareness campaign in Philadelphia to make sure families know about the efforts to provide taxpayer-funded private school options.”

It’s good to see someone like Jay-Z get behind an opportunity for black, brown, and poor families to access better educational options for their children other than the low-performing public schools they are assigned to in most urban school districts, including Philadelphia. But, Team Roc would be wise to advocate for education savings accounts eligible for learning beyond the traditional private school system or charters.

Democrats Think They Can Flip Texas House Seats by Going After GOP’s Education Funding and School Voucher Policies (The Texas Tribune)

The Texas Tribune online reported this week that,

“Texas Democrats are zeroing in on education issues in their bid to flip several state House districts this fall, as they look to blame GOP lawmakers for teacher shortages and school closures and mobilize their base around defeating Governor Greg Abbott’s signature school voucher policy.”

“That approach came into focus last week at the Texas Democratic Convention in El Paso, where party leaders and House candidates repeatedly bashed Abbott’s push to provide taxpayer funds for private school tuition. They also acknowledged the governor’s recent success ousting members of his own party who oppose school vouchers, invoking it as a reason to focus on battleground House races this fall.”

I’m no fan of Greg Abbott or his Republican cronies, but do Texas Democrats really think teacher shortages and school closures are due to a school voucher policy that hasn’t even taken effect in Texas yet?

Sometimes those who defend today’s public education system need to ask themselves this: “What exactly are you defending?”

What Happens if Vermont School Districts Can’t Pass Budgets by July 1? (The Vermont Digger)

Vermont, that idyllic state nestled in The Green Mountains, is facing a tax revolt over school budgets. Vermont Digger reported this week that,

“More than 100 school district budgets in the state have passed this year, but at least six still need voter approval, according to the Vermont Superintendents Association and the Vermont School Boards Association.”

“Those half-dozen are quickly approaching a July 1 deadline, at which point districts face a slate of rarely used state laws.”

…

“Voters have expressed dismay at the anticipated increase in education property taxes, now projected to rise by an average of 13.8%, due in part to a proposed increase of about $180 millions in school spending.”

It will be interesting to see what happens in these six Vermont districts over the next two weeks.

Til Monday. Have a great weekend! SVB