Tennessee wins big in Race to the Top school funding

Update on the 1st Round Winners of RTTT: I thought I would give you all an update on winners of the first round of RTTT for a piece of the $4.35 billion in federal money to jump-start education reforms. Tennessee and Delaware were the winners announced so far. Please review the link below for a story about Tennessee and there is also a link in the story where you can view the application status/scores of all states that applied.

http;//www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/mar/29/feds-pick-tennessee-delaware-race-top-education-gr/

Institutional Autonomy for Public Higher Education Institutions in Virginia By Charlie Runyan

An overwhelming majority of United States higher education institutions claim diversity and free expression as hallmarks to the college experience. These higher education institutions are places where students are challenged to think and act as individuals. No longer under pressure to conform to the societal standards of their hometowns, school districts or families, students are encourage to experiment with who they might want to be and to establish individual identities. For many young people, their college experience may be the first time they can truly express who they are.

For invisible minorities like lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals (LGBT), the above statements may be even more accurate. However, many LGBT campus community members, including students, faculty and staff, often have to hide salient parts of their identities in fear of harassment and discrimination. Susan R. Rankin’s Campus climate for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people: A national perspective (2003) indicates that 20 percent of LGBT identified students, faculty and staff on college campuses “fear for their physical safety due to their perceived sexual orientation and/or gender identity.” Higher education institutions can calm the fears of LGBT individuals by adding sexual orientation and/or gender identity to their nondiscrimination policies. A university’s nondiscrimination policy stands as a visible commitment to and public statement of institutional values for individuality and diversity.

If diversity is a cornerstone and an espoused value of the vast majority of higher education institutions in the United States, then sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression should be included in college nondiscrimination policies. Several Virginia higher education institutions, including the College of William and Mary, George Mason University, James Madison University and the University of Virginia, added sexual orientation to their nondiscrimination policies to support LGBT identified individuals on their campuses. However, Virginia Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, a republican who took office in January, sent a letter on March 4, 2010 expressing his opinion and giving legal advice to the presidents, rectors and visitors (board of trustees) of Virginia’s public colleges and universities. Cuccinelli’s letter said higher education institutions in the state of Virginia do not have the authority to add sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression to their nondiscrimination policies without the approval of the state’s General Assembly.

Cuccinelli explained that Boards of the state’s public higher education institutions only “have the authority to make needful rules and regulations and generally direct the affairs of the college.” In his letter, he also highlighted the Virginia Human Rights Act, which lists race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, or disability as the protected categories of the state. Cuccinelli advised “Boards of each college (that list sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policies) to take appropriate actions to bring their policies in conformance with the law and public policy of Virginia.”

If Boards of Virginia colleges have the right to make “needful rules and regulations and generally direct the affairs of the college,” then why is adding sexual orientation to nondiscrimination policies considered to be violating the authority of the Virginia General Assembly? Protecting university community members from harassment and discrimination seems needful to me. Colleges and universities should have the autonomy to protect their students, faculty and staff from harassment and discrimination.

I encourage all people, who support diversity and equity in higher education, to become active in this issue. As of July 1, 2009, only 21 states had laws banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression. If Virginia sets a precedent, this issue could arrive at many campuses in the near future.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/Cuccinelli.pdf

http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/issue_maps/non_discrimination_7_09_color.pdf

Colson Whitehead for Secretary of Postracial Affairs

Greetings, fellow bloggers:

I just read a hilarious op-ed by Colson Whitehead on the subject of postraciality. He makes excellent use of the absurd by taking the notion of "color blindness" to its logical extreme. Read it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/opinion/04whitehead.html?_r=1
I think my favorite part is the parlor game in which others give you clues for you to guess "what color you were before everything changed." I've laughed for a good twelve minutes now.

The Latino Completion Gap

I saw this in Inside Higher Ed today and thought I'd share: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/03/18/hispanic.

Rethinking Financing Higher Education

Posted for Seher Ahmad

Recently, students in California protested against state budget cuts which may result in as much as 32 percent tuition hikes in some instances. While student protests make news headlines, higher education scholars (for a while) have known that state support to public education has been on the decline for several years and that institutions are left to raise money through other means.

From the state's viewpoint, one could argue that during recessions state tax revenues may fall below projected estimates. The state supports multiple social programs (e.g. corrections, health care, and child welfare) and higher education is often the only one that can meet deficits by increasing tuition or through other channels.

Moreover, even before the deepening of the recession, trends showed that the responsibility of paying for higher education has increasingly shifted from government to individual students and/or their families. According to College Board Trends in Student Borrowing 2008, between 2001 and 2006 approximately 60 percent of bachelor's degree recipients were using loans as a way to finance their education.

Recently, I came across a not very nuanced though compelling argument made by Peter Schiff (1). He argued that the reason educational institutions can charge such high prices is because the market can bear it, and the market can bear it because the government is offering low interest student loans. Moreover, if one was to trace the growth in federal funding of higher education, one would find that while the cost of a college degree has gone up, the value of a college degree has decreased. In order to examine his analysis I decided to appraise his claims using two widely known theories in economics: (1) theory of economies of scale, and (2) theory of supply and demand.

The theory of economies of scale states that (over a long period of time), as the demand for a good increases, the fixed cost per head to produce the good decreases. The concept applies to higher education in that higher education too moved from an elitist model to a mass model where substantially more people are being well educated.

The theory of supply and demand states that equilibrium is reached when the demand meets supply. If cost is too high, consumers refuse to buy the product, ultimately driving costs down. In the case of higher education, assuming that it is a "necessity" for the masses, then families and individuals will pay as much as they can. By contrast, the institutions too will be relying on them to bring in revenues. Let's assume that 90 percent of students at MSU would not be able to go to school if they weren't federally funded in some way (2). Next let's say that the state can no longer continue any of its programs, and the majority of students have to drop out. Therefore hypothetically there is no one going to school anymore. In order to stay open, the school will have to slash prices to get at least some revenue flowing. In essence, my analysis supports Peter's claims. I too believe that lack of a third party (the government) will help bring prices down in the long run.

While this analysis seems counter-intuitive especially from a "humanistic" viewpoint, it does make sense and forces us to examine some of our assumptions about higher education (the value and the necessity of a college degree as well as the role of government in making it both accessible and affordable for the masses).

1. Peter holds a degree in business administration and a concentration in finance from Berkeley.
2. Underlying hypothesis: federal funding has expanded access and made college affordable.

College Campus or Corporate Plantation?: The N word in the Classroom

On February 22, an adjunct art professor at Towson University made a decision. In his discussion of how power is portrayed in contemporary art, Allen Zaruba decided to point a critical finger at his institution's use of power over non-tenured professors. Zaruba referred to himself as a "nigger on the corporate plantation" to describe his interpretation of his employment rights.

A student reported Zaruba's use of the n-word to the provost, and three days later, Zaruba was dismissed.

To be clear, I do not condone Zaruba's use of the n-word in his class. The point he was trying to illustrate for his students-the relatively powerless position of adjunct faculty- could have been an enlightening learning moment for students to spur their thinking about issues far beyond contemporary art. It is unfortunate that his linguistic choice likely distracted students from the big picture; that there is much inequality built into the higher education landscape that might be otherwise overlooked if not explored in the classroom.

After consulting with his lawyer, Zaruba informed his students that he had no legal right to object to his dismissal, in effect illustrating his allusion to university-as-slave plantation. Zaruba has no right to a formal hearing. He will never hear the charges against him nor will he have a chance to defend the decision he made in his classroom. Though Zaruba did not have tenure, he was not new to Towson and had taught at the institution for 12 years.

Zaruba's dismissal is justice well served for two reasons. First, unless discussing a topic specific to the contextual origins of the n-word, the word should not be uttered in public or elsewhere, in my opinion. Second, it is ludicrous that on a college campus an adjunct or administrator's use of the n-word in discussion with students would most likely be fired, whereas a tenured professor might assume that use of the word would be tolerated of "covered" by the tenets of academic freedom.

The most unfortunate part of the situation is that Zaruba's word choice deflects attention from the bigger issue of inequitable treatment of professors in the academy. A tenured faculty member in the same incident would likely receive a formal complaint, perhaps be summoned to a disciplinary hearing, and possibly be suspended or fired. My guess is that a tenured faculty member would not be treated as Zaruba was, a second-class citizen bereft of the luxuries afforded by academic freedom.

Zaruba's dismissal makes me uncomfortable. I feel uncomfortable considering how the situation might have unfolded if Zaruba was not White. I feel uncomfortable thinking that anywhere in the United States, one can be fired for using a single word; that a word could end a 12-year career with no chance for defense, dialogue, or reconciliation. I feel uncomfortable about the fact that the n-word still commands such power, despite years of work toward a more equitable society. But most of all, my discomfort stems from recognition that situations like this reveal how painfully far we are as a country from the post-racial utopia touted by many following the election of Barack Obama. Zaruba's situation shows us that racism, fear, and power play a larger role in the everyday workings of higher education than I think most of us would like to believe.


I am eager to hear your thoughts about this incident. Here are a few questions I am still pondering that extend beyond the content of this post:
* What do you think would have happened if Zaruba was Black?
* What if he had chosen to use "slave" in place of the n-word in the incident?
* What are the larger implications of Towson's decision, for their campus, and for the academy?

A "Race to the Top"

This article was in the Chronicle of Higher Education. I thought it might be of interest to everyone.
http://chronicle.com/article/A-Race-to-the-Top-/64520/?sid=wb&utm_source=wb&utm_medium=en

Queer Theory: An Overview

Hi Team,

Below is a quick overview of queer theory provided by Wikipedia (perhaps not the most trustworthy source, but a source nonetheless). I thought it might be helpful for us as we try to understand and make use of today's assigned readings, particularly the recent article by our very own Dr. Kris Renn. I've also included a description of queery theory (Abes & Kasch, 2007) provided in Dr. Renn's article. See you all this afternoon.

"Queer theory is a field of critical theory that emerged in the early 1990s out of the fields of gay and lesbian studies and feminist studies. It is a kind of interpreation devoted to queer reading of texts. Heavily influenced by the work of Michel Foucault, queery theory builds both upon feminist challenges to the idea that gender is part of the essential self and upon gay/lesbian studies' close examination of the socially constructed nature of sexual acts and identifies. Whereas gay/lesbian studies focused its inquiries into "natural" and unnatural" behavior with respect to homosexual behavior, queer theory expands its focus to encompass any kind of sexual activity or identity that falls into perverted, normative, and deviant categories."

Queer theory refers to a collection of theories that "critically analyzes the meaning of identity, focusing on intersections of identities and resisting oppressive social constructions of sexual orienation and gender" (Abes & Kasch, 2007, p. 620).

Chris

Improving Performance in the Classroom: Is it about raising standards? Or raising performance?

This past Monday, President Obama announced a new $900 million proposal to help the nation’s K-12 school system address school districts that are not performing well and seeing many of their students drop out before graduation. His proposal comes at the heels of recent findings that show only 70% of high school freshmen persist to graduation. Breaking down the demographics even further, one can find that students of color, particularly black or Latino/Latina students graduate at a significantly lower rate. The president’s method for addressing the nation’s lowest-performing schools rests heavily on the assumption that standardized testing effectively illustrates student growth and accurately reflects teacher (and ultimately school district) performance. But is standardized testing really an accurate metric for quantifying performance and learning outcomes? And is it really a sound system for determining merit pay for teachers and school appropriations?

Just this week, USA Today published an article detailing the results of a survey administered to over 40,000 teachers across the country, revealing that only 7% of teachers believe standardized testing is a valid measure of teacher performance. Interestingly enough, the results also show that 71% of teachers believe merit pay – a system of financially rewarding teachers for improved student performance – will only have a “moderate” impact or no impact at all. Some research suggests smaller class sizes and increased funding lead to improved teacher and school performance, but other research suggests otherwise. In a recent New York Times article, factors such as per-pupil funding and class size had minimal effect on student performance. Only one factor seemed to have a significant impact on student achievement: exceptional teaching. Controlling for variables such as low-performing school districts, inferior funding, and race, researchers and economists still found that some teachers brought about significantly better results in their students than other teachers in the same building, the same district, and the same grade level.

While I commend President Obama for his willingness to address the achievement gaps in American K-12 education with new levels of reform – and I agree that his intentions behind merit pay and holding schools accountable are admirable – I believe his methodology is not well-calculated and ultimately misguided. Using standardized testing as the primary indicator of student performance and teacher performance is faulty logic because it does not account for the racial and societal inequalities that still exist today in the United States. Therefore, raising standards for schools and using test scores as the foundation for federal appropriations will have minimal, if any, impact on student learning outcomes and the extent to which teachers instruct effectively. The same can be said for merit-pay for teachers.

Instead of devoting hundreds of millions of dollars to initiatives focused on curriculum design, per pupil funding, and assessment of teachers and students based on standardized tests, we should look to teacher preparation programs as a means of teacher and student performance across the board. In the recent NY Times article, exceptional teaching is identified as a primary indicator of student achievement. Teachers who are immersed in comprehensive preparation programs that address multiple methods for taking control of a classroom and becoming a catalyst for student learning – regardless of content or age group – are shown to have the best chances of impacting student performance.

If we can all agree that more effective K-12 education is one way of improving access to higher education, then we must focus our efforts using sound logic. Utilizing standardized test scores as a means of verifying teacher performance and student achievement will only exaggerate American’s educational woes. If we are to really address the problem of inferior school districts, poor performance in the classroom, and lack of access to higher education, then we must first start with the educators of today’s youth. Reform, increased funding, and improvements in preparation programs for teachers are essential to improving performance in our schools.

~Chris Sell

Obama Supports HBCUs & Proposes School Turnaround Plan

I thought you all might be interested in reading about President Obama's "Promoting Excellence, Innovation, and Sustainability at Historically Black Colleges and Universities" executive order, which was released on Friday. If you haven't already seen it, here is a link. "The Initiative shall work with executive departments, agencies, and offices, the private sector, educational associations, philanthropic organizations, and other partners to increase the capacity of HBCUs to provide the highest-quality education to a greater number of students, and to take advantage of these institutions' capabilities in serving the Nation's needs."

The President sees HBCUs as an important piece of the overall mission to significantly increase the proportion of college graduates in America by 2020.

In addition to this news, the President also has proposed a $900 million plan to curb high school drop out rates and improve or shut down the nation's worst performing schools. In the plan, four approaches are outlined that failing schools can adopt in order to receive School Turnaround Grant funding:

— Turnaround Model: The school district must replace the principal and at least half of the school staff, adopt a new governance structure for the school, and implement a new or revised instructional program.

— Restart Model: The school district must close and reopen the school under the management of a charter school operator, a charter management organization or an educational management organization. A restarted school would be required to enroll, within the grades it serves, former students who wish to attend.

— School Closure: The school district must close the failing school and enroll the students in other, higher-achieving schools in the district.

— Transformational Model: The school must address four areas, including teacher effectiveness, instruction, learning and teacher planning time, and operational flexibility.

I'll be interested to talk more about the President's contined unfurling of educational initiatives in class with you.

RTTT and Corey's ideas

Not bad Corey. In some ways, I agree with you especially concerning the vastness of the federal policies intended to address very local issues. In my mind, urban education is THE most pressing problem in all of education. If not the Obama agenda then what needs to happen to truly reform K-12 education in this country? We all could holler “here we go again…” another president, another program. As well-intentioned as RTTT is, it is likely that the American K-12 system will not look or operate much different than it does now, even after an anticipated second term in office. In a bolder statement, I might suggest we spend as much energy focusing on the forces interested in maintaining the status quo. There is silent opposition to educational equity you know.

My wife recently bought me XM radio as a gift. In my car last week I was listening to a town hall meeting in which the superintendent of DC public schools mentioned an enrollment lottery that caught my attention. She argued that our public schools would improve fundamentally if we placed the sons and daughters of Georgetown's elite in the worse schools in our district. I knew she was making a point rather than pitching a real proposal given that it would never pass. Too much opposition.