Vol. 14, No. 1 www.cgcs.org January 2005

Tsunami Relief Efforts Offer Names Students 'Lesson in Compassion' New Leader Other Districts in Search Erin Glynn, the principal of Eu- gene Field Community School in Min- neapolis, was recently approached by a What do teacher who wanted to do something Houston, Cincin- to help victims of the tsunamis that nati, Pittsburgh, Tampa, St. Louis struck South Asia and East Africa on Dec. 26. and Indianapolis have in common? They decided to start a donation In 2005, their drive at the school and its sister school, school districts Abelardo Saavedra Nathan Hale, to raise funds for relief have or are ex- Students from two Minneapolis schools efforts. present a $10,000 check for tsunami relief pected to have new superintendents. efforts. “We thought that we would just $10,000 from Best Buy, a total of The nation’s seventh largest school collect change,” says Glynn. “But about $20,000 was given to the American Red system, the Houston Independent four days later, we ended up with Cross International Response Fund. continued on page 4+ $10,000.” Other urban schools across the The elementary and middle schools nation also raised funds for tsunami have a combined student population relief efforts. The Denver School of of approximately 1,100, who opened the Arts donated profits from the open- their piggybanks as well as solicited do- ing night of a play to help tsunami vic- nations from family and friends. tims.

“We received so much communi- Students at Tanaka Elementary in ty support,” stresses Glynn. “The ex- Las Vegas will adopt a school in Thai- perience really offered our students a land that was damaged by the tsunami. LEGISLATIVE lesson in compassion.” CONFERENCE And the School District of Phila- School officials then contacted delphia is partnering with the Philadel- electronics retailer Best Buy, which had phia NAACP to help tsunami victims. announced that it would match all con- Money collected at schools will be de- Education Laws tributions up to $1 million to help vic- livered to the American Red Cross as To Be Discussed tims of the tsunami. part of the international relief effort. With the matching contribution of The nation’s urban educators will have an opportunity to discuss the Bush Administration’s second- In this Issue term education agenda at the Coun- cil of the Great City Schools’ An- Boston Offers Tutoring at City Libraries ...... 3 nual Legislative/Policy Conference, 80-Year-Old Principal Going Strong ...... 8 March 12-15, in Washington. Legislative Column: IDEA Act of 2004: Improved?...... 10 continued on page 10+ Inside the Council

Anchorage District Study Finds One-Third of Students Overweight

A newsletter published by the Council of the Great City Schools, A significant number of students in Alaska’s Anchorage school district are representing 64 of the nation's largest overweight, according to a recent state study of children’s height and weight urban public school districts measurements. Albuquerque Memphis Anchorage Miami-Dade Atlanta Milwaukee Researchers from the Alaska Division of Public Health used data collected Austin Minneapolis by school district nurses during health screenings of students from 1998 to 2003 Baltimore Nashville and found that approximately one-third of Anchorage students between the ages Birmingham Newark Boston New Orleans of 5 and 17 are overweight. Broward Co. New York City Buffalo Norfolk According to district officials, the percentage of Anchorage children who are Charleston Oakland overweight is similar to national findings. Charlotte Oklahoma City Chicago Omaha Christina Orlando The study also discovered that about one-third of 5-year-olds in the district Cincinnati Palm Beach enter kindergarten already overweight. In addition, researchers also determined Clark Co. Philadelphia Cleveland Pittsburgh that 75 percent of young, overweight students will remain overweight and possi- Columbus Portland bly gain additional weight during their childhood. Dallas Providence Dayton Richmond The district’s nurses record students’ height and weight in kindergarten and Denver Rochester Des Moines Sacramento grades 3, 5, 7 or 8, and 10 or 11. Prior to the study, data collected by school Detroit St. Louis nurses were used only for individual students’ health files at school. Fort Worth St. Paul Fresno Salt Lake City In an effort to help students achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, the Greensboro San Diego Houston San Francisco Anchorage school system has developed Healthy Futures, an initiative that encour- Indianapolis Seattle ages physical activity for children through organized events. The district also mon- Jackson Shreveport Jacksonville Tampa itors students’ height and weight, provides health and physical instruction in schools Long Beach Toledo and offers a mentoring program between school nurses and overweight children. Los Angeles Tucson Louisville Washington, D.C. “We in the school district must continue to teach our students healthful eating habits and encourage them to be physically active,” said Superintendent Carol Newsletter Staff: Executive Director Michael Casserly Comeau. Editor Henry Duvall Associate Editor Tonya Harris

Council Officers: Chair Newark After-School Program Judy Farmer Board Member, Minneapolis Considered the Best

Chair-Elect The Newark Public Schools has In 2003, Elnardo Webster Jr., who Arlene Ackerman received an exemplary evaluation for heads the Newark school district’s Of- Superintendent, San Francisco its after-school program from the Na- fice of Extended School Day Pro- Secretary-Treasurer tional Community Education Associa- grams, won the prestigious national ti- George Thompson III tion. tle of After School Alliance Ambassa- Board Member, Nashville dor. All news items should be submitted to: “We haven’t found any program Urban Educator in the country that surpassed Newark,” The after-school program in New- Council of the Great City Schools says Duane Rupert, senior evaluation ark includes academic, cultural, recre- 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 702 Washington, D.C. 20004 consultant, who co-chairs a key NCEA ational and personal development com- (202) 393-2427 / (202) 393-2400 (Fax) committee. “For the size and the scope ponents. Editor’s E-mail: [email protected] of the program, it’s in a league of its Associate Editor's E-mail: [email protected] own.”

Page 2 Council of the Great City Schools Inside the Council

Council Participates Boston Launches Free Tutoring Program In London Forum At City Libraries On Urban Education Students who visit Boston public libraries not only get to check out books The Council of the Great City for free, but also have the opportunity to receive free tutoring as a result of a Schools participated in a - new program. United Kingdom bilateral conference in mid-December on urban education. Homework Helpers offers free tutoring at neighborhood libraries for all city students in grades K-8. The initiative is the brainchild of Richard Stutman, Twenty-five American and 25 president of the Boston Teachers Union (BTU), which is also funding the British academicians, scholars, re- tutoring initiative with approximately $44,000 collected from membership dues. searchers and education officials con- vened in London. Tutors are members of the BTU who have signed up to participate in the program. According to union officials, many of its members eagerly applied Council Executive Director for the opportunity to become tutors. Michael Casserly addressed the issue of “Who Will Teach in Urban “The opportunity for teachers to provide out-of-school extra help is a Schools?” in a panel discussion. great way for students to receive any additional assistance they may need and to showcase the talents of our teachers and our wonderful public libraries,” He joined Boston Public Schools said Boston Schools Superintendent Thomas Payzant. Superintendent Thomas Payzant, who was one of the conference’s co-chairs, The tutoring program began in November and is operating at all 27 Bos- on the trip to London. Payzant re- ton Public Library locations. cently won the Council’s top award for urban school leaders, the Richard R. Green Award. $5.6-Billion Needed to Pay At the U.S.-UK bilateral confer- ence, Payzant addressed the issue of Shortchanged NYC Schools “How Will Urban Schools Be Gov- A court-appointed panel recently been decided or settled, often in the erned?” on a panel that included the ruled that New York City schools plaintiffs’ favor, according to a recently permanent secretary of the British have been shortchanged by $5.6 bil- released report by Education Week news- Department of Education. lion a year, appearing to settle a long paper. legal battle on whether the state owes In a written statement, British the nation’s largest school system Thirty-one states are considering Prime Minister Tony Blair told con- more money and by how much. major changes in how they fund educa- ferees, “…we are always determined tion, according to the report, Quality to learn from the experience of oth- But a nagging question remains: Counts 2005: No Small Change, Targeting ers.” Where’s the money coming from? Money Toward Student Performance. And 16 states are embroiled in litigation challeng- Blair noted that there's a need to In a court brief, the Council of ing their current school finance systems. reduce the dropout rate and to strength- the Great City Schools had urged the en curriculum and assessment for the panel of special referees to recom- “America’s system for financing ed- 14-19 age group in England. mend a funding increase annually that ucation is at a crossroads,” stresses Vir- is at least equivalent to the plaintiff’s ginia Edwards, editor of the report and As a result of the Council’s par- proposal, which was for $5.6 billion newspaper. ticipation in the conference, Casserly over current state expenditures. notes that a British delegation of edu- Legal arguments on school financ- cators plans to attend the Council’s An- In the past five years, school- ing have shifted from whether states nual Fall Conference in October in At- funding lawsuits in 20 states have lanta. continued on page 12+

January 2005 Page 3 Inside the Council

Continued from page 1 borough County in Hughes was formerly the district’s dep- Houston Names.... Tampa, Fla., Earl Len- uty superintendent and replaces inter- nard recently an- im superintendent Floyd Crues, who School District, recently selected nounced his retire- left the district to take an extended Abelardo Saavedra as its new leader. ment, effective in medical leave. Crues had served as in- He succeeds Kaye Stripling, who re- June. terim superintendent since July 1. tired from the district in August. Earl Lennard Lennard was se- Other big-city school districts also th Saavedra, who was the school sys- lected to lead the nation’s 13 largest seeking new superintendents are Buf- tem’s interim superintendent, is the first school district in 1996 after serving as falo, Dallas, Fresno, Norfolk, Tucson Hispanic to lead the district in its 81- deputy superintendent. He began his and Fort Worth. year history. career with the district in 1963 as a teacher. Anchorage Supt. Receives Saavedra had been the district’s Extension executive deputy superintendent for “I have served in this district for Carol Comeau has been the su- school support services. And from 1993 over 40 years and yet it seems like just perintendent of Alas- to 2000, he served as the superinten- yesterday I was starting out in a class- ka’s Anchorage Inde- dent for the Corpus Christi Indepen- room full of students,” said Lennard in pendent School Dis- dent School District in . a news release. “It has been a wonder- ful experience and one that I wish could trict since 2001, and Departing Leaders go on forever.” during her leadership, student achievement Cincinnati Public Schools is seek- Serving the children of Indianapo- has increased, drop- ing a new superintendent to replace lis for 36 years, Dun- out rates decreased, Alton Frailey, who led the 38,800-stu- can N.P. Pritchett Jr. Carol Comeau and the district adopt- dent district since 2002. has decided to retire as ed a six-year instruc- superintendent of the tional plan. And in 2003, the Alaska Frailey left the district to become largest school district Association of School Administrators superintendent of Texas’ DeSoto In- in Indiana, effective recognized Comeau as Alaska’s Super- dependent School District, an 8,000- June 30. intendent of the Year. student district near Dallas. He has been at Perhaps it's no surprise that the Rosa Blackwell, the school system’s Duncan N.P. the helm since 1997, board of education for the Anchor- deputy superintendent, will be in charge Pritchett age school system recently extended of the day-to-day operations of the working his way to the top from a variety of positions in the her contract for one year to Decem- district. school system, including teacher, prin- ber 31, 2007. Pittsburgh Pub- cipal, elementary education director and In a press release, the board said lic Schools will also chief of staff, as well as interim super- it was pleased with Comeau’s leader- be seeking a new intendent. school superinten- ship of the 49,400-student district. “As “This is a happy/sad time. Being an educator first and foremost, Su- dent to succeed part of the IPS (Indianapolis Public perintendent Comeau is clearly com- John Thompson, whose contract ex- Schools) team for the past 36 years has mitted to improved academic achieve- been extraordinary,” said Pritchett in a ment for all students.” pires in June. John Thompson news release. “I look forward to these The extension of Comeau’s con- Thompson has led the district since next few months as we continue to find tract will make her one of the long- 2000, after serving as superintendent ways to increase student achievement. est-serving big-city superintendents in of Oklahoma’s Tulsa Public Schools. That’s the bottom line.” the nation. According to a report by After serving for more than 40 St. Louis Public Schools recently the Council of the Great City Schools, years in the School District of Hills- chose Pamela Randall Hughes to serve the average tenure for big-city school as the district’s interim superintendent. leaders is approximately three years.

Page 4 Council of the Great City Schools Inside the Council

Council Launches Second Ad Drive Magnet Programs In Duval County, The Council of the Great City Houston Recognized Schools has launched its second national advertising campaign, called “Tested,” The Duval County Public Schools to build support for the nation’s big- in Jacksonville, Fla., has a diverse mag- city schools. net school program, with some of its 61 schools offering a combination of vo- Much different from the “Thank cational and college preparatory cours- You” campaign in 2003, the “Tested” es. public service announcement has an edge that “recognizes the efforts of The Houston Independent School urban schools and schoolchildren to District’s magnet program offers parents boost performance while dispelling de- and students an opportunity to choose structive stereotypes about urban from dozens of themes in 108 schools. schools and their students,” says Coun- cil Executive Director Michael Casser- These two magnet programs are ly. among the six best in the nation, accord- ing to a publication recently released by Television, radio and print “Test- the U.S. Department of Education. ed” spots have been made available to all 64 of the Council’s member school Creating Successful Magnet Schools Pro- districts at no cost for districts to uti- grams highlights six school districts with lize as they deem appropriate in their NYC Schools exemplary magnet programs that offer respective markets. To Explore City’s innovative programs and decrease mi- nority isolation while increasing student A national distributor has also ‘Cultural Treasures’ achievement. pitched the TV and radio PSAs to na- tional broadcast and cable networks in A new program in New York City Several factors have led to the suc- addition to individual markets along allows educators and students an op- cess of Duval’s magnet program, such with the “Thank You” spot. The dis- portunity to explore the many cul- as well-chosen themes for each school, tributor will be able to monitor ad place- tural sites in the nation’s largest city. having strong leaders committed to the ments and audience size. magnet program and establishing open The New York City Department lines of communication among admin- “Tested” follows the Council’s first- of Education recently launched what istration, staff and parents. ever-advertising campaign that was it calls the Cultural Pass Program, de- launched in the summer of 2003 after signed to encourage schools to take “We’re very happy to have national more than two years in the making. advantage of the “cultural treasures” recognition of what we already know of the city. here in Duval County: that our magnet Both “Tested” and “Thank You,” programs are among the very best in the which thanks local communities for More than 400 principals and lo- country,” said Duval County Public their support while highlighting the re- cal instructional superintendents at- Schools Superintendent John Fryer. sponsibility for everyone to help inner- tended a recent kick-off at the Met- city students succeed, are based on sol- ropolitan Museum of Art to receive The success of Houston’s magnet id research. cultural passes, which provide the school program can be attributed to each school leaders with free general ad- magnet school having a coordinator Messages were tested in a national mission to more than 25 cultural in- whose first priority is to implement the telephone survey, focus groups and stitutions across the city as well as magnet theme. In addition, top levels of journalists’ interviews. special discounts to various perfor- the district—school board members, su- perintendents and central office staff— continued on page 12+ are supportive of magnet schools.

January 2005 Page 5 Inside the Council

St. Paul District Awarded $2.8 Million Urban Educators To Launch Pre-K Program Win Star

Many urban districts are trying to close the racial achievement gap with ef- Teaching Awards forts primarily concentrated on elementary, middle or high school students. Kimberly Harris-Pappin and Rach- But Minnesota’s St. Paul Public Schools has launched a program focusing on el Windler teach at the same elementa- 4-year-olds — preschoolers. ry school in Rochester, N.Y. The two educators also have something else in The new program, Project Early K, is an effort by the school system to develop common: they are winners of the a seamless transition from preschool to kindergarten. American Star Teaching Awards.

Funded by a $2.8 million grant from The McKnight Foundation, nine new The awards were created last year programs have been developed for preschoolers that use curriculum and instruc- by the U.S. Department of Education tion aligned with programs currently used in K-12 district classrooms. to recognize effective classroom teach- ers who are improving student academ- A Project Early K Community Partnership Council has been created to help the ic performance, particularly through district find sites for the new programs, identify students for participation and the use of innovative classroom strat- oversee the development of teacher-training programs. egies.

In addition, community-based child care providers are also included in the The program paid tribute to 58 project to reach as many young children as possible. outstanding teachers nationwide at all grade levels and disciplines. Recipients “Thanks to The McKnight Foundation, we are able to move forward with a were highlighted as representatives of plan that facilitates cooperation between early education providers and K-12 edu- the thousands of teachers who, regard- cators throughout the city,” said St. Paul Schools Superintendent Patricia Harvey. less of the challenges they face, are “We believe that the end result will be students who are more successful.” making a difference in the lives of their students.

Harris-Pappin and Windler teach at Adlai E. Stevenson School No. 29, where they serve as mentors and role models to other educators.

“They have the great gifts required for outstanding teaching: knowledge of subject, ability to communicate, display- ing magic in the classroom and inspir- ing students,” said U.S. Secretary of Richard Hinds, left, is congratulated by award namesake Education in a news state- Bill Wise as 2002 winner David Koch looks on. ment. “I applaud their excellence in teaching and commitment to educa- Miami CFO Receives Award tion.”

Richard Hinds, the chief financial The award was sponsored by Other big-city school honorees officer of the Miami-Dade County Deloitte Touche LLP and is given were Sharon Turner, a teacher at Public Schools, was recently presented annually to an outstanding business George Elementary School in Jackson, with the Bill Wise Award in Education official who has demonstrated dis- Miss.; Brandon Phillips, a teacher at at the Council of the Great City tinguished service to urban educa- Dayton’s Bluff Achievement Plus El- Schools' Chief Financial Officers Con- tion. ementary in St. Paul, Minn.; and Tam- ference in San Diego. ara Rhone, who teaches at East High School in Denver.

Page 6 Council of the Great City Schools Inside the Council

Memphis District Ends Corporal Punishment

The Memphis school board recent- get the community involved, develop- ly abolished corporal punishment and ing community-based activities to sup- launched the superintendent’s “Blue port good student behavior, creating Ribbon Behavior Initiative,” composed alternative school options, placing be- of a package of alternative strategies havior specialists in high priority to ensure student discipline. schools, and increasing parental in- Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed, left, awards Indianapolis volvement. teacher Daphne Draa (center) the $25,000 “Over the years, we’ve learned that Milken prize as a Milken official looks on. paddling is not a good solution to Alternative discipline measures to change student behavior,” said board replace corporal punishment will in- member Lora Jobe in a news release. clude restricting students from extra- “Our focus should be to develop pos- curricular activity privileges, such as Urban Educators itive behavior in the classrooms and sports and band participation, as well Win $25,000 not just being reactive when problems as instituting Saturday schools and com- occur in our schools.” munity service. Teaching Award

Memphis City Schools will not al- Thirteen urban educators recently low corporal punishment starting with received very good news: a $25,000 the 2005-2006 school year. Philly School Milken National Educator Award for excellence in teaching. The school system joins a growing District Partners list of big-city school districts nation- With Football Team Dubbed the “Oscars of Teaching” wide that have banned corporal pun- by Teacher Magazine, the awards were ishment. According to Memphis school The landscape of Philadelphia will given to 100 K-12 teachers, principals officials, only three of the top 21 ur- get a little greener as the result of a and education specialists across the na- ban districts — Dallas, Jacksonville, Fla., partnership between the School Dis- tion who have demonstrated exceptional and Tampa, Fla. — still use corporal trict of Philadelphia and the Philadel- educational talent and have developed punishment as a discipline measure. phia Eagles football team. innovative teaching practices that en- gage and inspire students. “Based on national research and The two organizations are joining current district data, we know paddling forces to plant 300 trees at 15 elemen- Urban educators in Anchorage, does not serve as a deterrent to pre- tary schools and five park sites as part Chicago, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, vent bad behavior,” says Memphis of TreeVitalize, a program launched by Greensboro, Philadelphia, Houston, Schools Superintendent Carol Johnson. Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell to Portland, Ore., Washington, D.C., and “We will be looking to adopt the best restore tree cover to the Philadelphia Boston received the $25,000 awards. proactive strategies used by other large region. urban districts and our own 38 schools Two teachers from schools in the that have already done away with pad- The professional football team has District of Columbia and two teachers dling to see what is working well in those donated $125,000 to the district to sup- from Las Vegas won the award. port the tree planting, and program of- schools.” Sponsored by the Milken Family ficials are currently working to select Foundation, the educator awards are the The district will finalize a compre- the schools and park sites where new largest teacher recognition program in hensive plan over the next several trees will be planted. months to implement for the 2005- the nation, with more than $50 million 2006 school year. Some of the pro- Elementary schools located in in cash prizes awarded since the pro- posed strategies include establishing a communities with low tree cover and gram’s inception in 1985. Blue Ribbon Behavior Task Force to continued on page 12+

January 2005 Page 7 Inside the Council

Broward Schools Join Forces 80-Year-Old With Business Community Sacramento Principal Still Going Strong The Broward County Public Schools in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has teamed up with local businesses to pair business executives with school principals to share Virginia Grabbe walks the halls of business planning, benchmarking, strategic planning and other business manage- Sacramento’s Isador Cohen Elemen- ment strategies. tary School everyday. But the 80-year- old is not a volunteer or a concerned The Executive Partnerships program was launched this month with more grandparent, she is the principal of the than two dozen business executives already paired up with an equal number of school. principals. Most of the schools involved in the program are among the lowest performing schools in the district. At a time when most people her age are basking in retirement, Cohen The initiative grew out of a collaboration between the school district and the is helping 359 students receive a qual- Broward Alliance, which is Broward County’s economic development agency. ity education.

The model for the Executive Partnership initiative is actually a partnership Her career in education spans sev- developed three years ago between Patricia Dixon, the principal at Dillard Ele- eral decades — going back to when mentary School, and Philip McNally, the president of RBC Centura Bank. Harry Truman was president. But the veteran educator continues to teach be- Over the years the collaboration between Dixon and McNally has resulted in cause she loves working with people. the revitalization of the school’s PTA; the securing of books for a summer read- ing program; and living assistance for the families of some of the needy students “I’m a people person, and I still who attend the school. have the energy, health, the desire and the expertise,” said Grabbe in an inter- In one case, banker McNally was instrumental in bringing a couple of view with the school district’s newspa- bald eagles to the school for the students to see. This event was important for the per, The Connection. “I don’t ever want students, because the school’s mascot is the bald eagle and many of the students to be sitting around a card table with would not have had the opportunity to see a real eagle. three other 80-year-olds eating pea- nuts.” The program will not only benefit the school district but also the local business community as well, because better performing schools result in an im- Grabbe has taught at Isador Co- provement in the quality of the potential workforce for these businesses. hen since 1976 and has served as prin- cipal for the past six years. In addition District officals hope to identify a local business executive for the more than to being the principal, she also runs the 250 schools and educational centers in the district. continued on page 12+

Columbus Stays the Course

Members of Ohio’s Columbus Serving her sixth year on the Co- Board of Education have elected lumbus school board, Hightower gave Stephanie Hightower as president of a presentation with the district’s chief the school system’s governing body for communications officer, E. Gayle Saun- a fifth consecutive year. ders, at the Council of the Great City Schools’ recent Fall Conference on how This is unusual for the district, says the school system is succeeding in build- a spokeswoman, although it’s not un- ing community support. Isador Cohen Principal Virginia Grabbe precedented among big-city school sys- greets students before school. (Photo by Alicia Altamirano) tems.

Page 8 Council of the Great City Schools Inside the Council

Jackson District Gets Fathers Involved In Education of Their Children

In Jackson, Miss., the school sys- And many children grow up in tem has launched a major initiative to homes without a male role model, and get dads involved in the education of male educators often take that role by their kids as “children are longing for default. However, only 21 percent of the presence of their fathers in school,” the nation’s teachers are male, accord- says the superintendent. ing to a survey by the National Educa- tion Association. Jackson Public Schools has part- nered with the National Center for Interest in the WatchD.O.G.S pro- Jackson parent Thomas Thompson helps Fathering (NCF) in a program aimed gram in Jackson is very high among the prepare his son for a field trip at Dawson at combating violence and providing city’s fathers, school district officials Elementary School. role models for students. indicate.

Called WatchD.O.G.S. (Dads of In January 2004, the Jackson Great Students), the national program school district had more than 800 dads New Scholarship began in 1998 as a response to the attend its first Dads Conference, which Targets Females Jonesboro, Ark., school shootings. was designed to reach out to fathers and provide contacts and resources for A new scholarship for African- Working with a grant from the them to get involved. American females interested in pursu- AmSouth Foundation, Jackson Public ing careers in science, math, engineer- Schools implemented the Mississippi Supreme Court Justice ing or technology fields is now avail- WatchD.O.G.S. program in seven of James E. Graves Jr., the Jackson Pub- able for graduating high school seniors its schools with great success, accord- lic Schools Parent of the Year in 2001, in urban school dis- ing to district officials. Last school year, was the keynote speaker. “I think the tricts that are mem- 489 dads participated in the program. fact that so many fathers showed up is bers of the Council evidence that they are really commit- of the Great City A total of 699 volunteer hours ted to being good dads,” Justice Graves Schools. were contributed in the program said. “They want to know how to do around the district, and 94 men volun- better.” Applications will teered on a regular basis, according to be available beginning Marcia Page the district. The fathers are asked to The conference was so well re- in February for the volunteer at their child’s school for a ceived that a second Dads Conference Texas Instruments day or half a day in any of a number is planned for March 3. Says Fred No- Marcia Page Scholarship for Mathe- of volunteer roles. lan, the Jackson Public Schools’ matics and Science Excellence, recent- WatchD.O.G.S. coordinator, “My goal ly established by the Texas Instruments “It is time we get fathers in the is to make WatchD.O.G.S. one of JPS’s company and the Council. lives of their children,” stresses Jack- most successful programs.” son Schools Superintendent Earl Wat- Named for an executive of the kins. “Children are longing for the pres- Nolan reports that the volunteer company’s Educational and Productiv- ence of their fathers in school and not numbers of the current school year ity and Solutions business, the Marcia just at outside activities.” have almost matched the totals from Page Scholarship will be awarded to the year before with still five months two African-American female students According to a National Center for to go before the 2004-2005 school year who have demonstrated academic Fathering study, 52 percent of fathers ends. And 14 more schools in the dis- achievement in science and math. surveyed never take their kids to trict have met with Nolan to begin pro- school, and 37 percent have not visit- grams for next fall. ed the classroom. continued on page 11+

January 2005 Page 9 Inside the Council

The IDEA Improvement Act of 2004: An Improvement?

By Jeff Simering, Director of Legislation

A House-Senate Conference Com- objectives for each special education dates. The chance to capitalize on many mittee passed the Individuals with Dis- student has been removed for most other reform opportunities in both the abilities Education Improvement Act of students—a major improvement. House and Senate bills was largely 2004 on Nov. 17, and it was signed into Meaningful headway has been made missed. law by President Bush two in each of these areas. weeks later. The Council of In retrospect, the 1997 IDEA re- the Great City Schools sup- Many of the re- authorization produced significant im- ported the reauthorization forms in IDEA’s proce- provements in the legal and financial because the organization dures and requirements provisions of the Act, but did little to believed that it was an im- will necessitate an agree- improve day-to-day operations. The provement over current ment between the school 2004 IDEA reauthorization made fur- law. and the parent but could ther improvements in the Act’s legal result in a more stream- framework, including disciplinary pro- LEGISLATIVE But the Council also lined program. For exam- cedures, but it is unclear that the new noted in a letter to the con- COLUMN ple, the required triennial Act will be much easier to implement. ference chairman that the bill repre- evaluation can be eliminated by agree- How the U.S. Department of Educa- sented an improvement by degree rath- ment. The required number of “IEP tion and the states ultimately regulate er than being the comprehensive re- Team” members can be reduced by on IDEA will answer the question: Was form that we would have preferred. agreement. And, many of the required this Act a sufficent improvement? IDEA meetings can now be held via The bill, to be sure, contained a conference call with agreement be- number of significant improvements. tween the school and the parent. Be- Continued from page 1 Schools now have the authority to in- yond this “reform by agreement” lan- Education Laws.... tervene early with specialized IDEA ser- guage and the short-term objectives, vices in order to remedy instructional however, the Conference Committee The conference, to be held at the or behavior problems before having to reduced few other IDEA require- Washington Marriott Hotel, will also focus on such topics as: identify a child as needing special edu- ments. cation—a provision that the Council led. The implementation of the new A careful reading of the new law, · special education law; The new law also improved the pro- in fact, shows that not a single IDEA cess for resolving disagreements be- requirement has been totally eliminat- tween schools and parents without elab- · Prospects for amending the No ed from the program. The reauthori- Child Left Behind Act; and orate due process procedures or litiga- zation actually adds new requirements tion. And it has “leveled the playing on dealing with private schools and new · The upcoming reauthorizations field” for schools when such due pro- mandates for evaluation and IEP de- in the new 109th Congress regard- cess procedures are used. The federal velopment. The inability to eliminate ing higher education, vocational requirements for addressing discipline unnecessary federal requirements and education, Head Start and the E- issues have also been revised and reduce paperwork is underscored by Rate programs. streamlined. Some additional flexibility the Conference Committee’s decision has been built into the Act to help meet to establish a “Paperwork Reduction Moreover, speakers from the the highly qualified teacher requirements Pilot Program” and a “Multi-year IEP Bush Administration and Capitol Hill under the No Child Left Behind Act and Demonstration Program” in a limited will address urban school leaders at the to loosen the restrictive requirements number of states—the very culprits conference. for related-services personnel. in a long and undistinguished history of piling additional requirements on Registration information can be Finally, the time-consuming re- top of already extensive federal man- found on the Council’s website at quirements for developing short-term www.cgcs.org.

Page 10 Council of the Great City Schools Inside the Council

Night Spot Opens in Newark to Help Continued from page 9 Teens Hone Their Skills New Scholarship....

One of the nation’s most popular “Newark has a rich history of tal- Page plans to mentor the scholar- television shows is American Idol, a tal- ented musicians and Mic It Up will al- ship winners. Deadline to apply will be ent show where young people perform low them to enhance their talents and May 1. in front of a live studio audience. hopefully one day join the legendary ranks of celebrities like Sarah Vaughn For an application, check the Coun- Now students in Newark can par- and Whitney Houston,” Bolden point- cil’s web site at www.cgcs.org, or call ticipate in their own version of Ameri- ed out. (202) 393-2427 in February. can Idol by performing at Mic It Up, a nightclub designed just for teens to showcase their singing and musician skills. Council of the Great City Schools District officials have transformed the cafetorium at Harold Wilson School Calendar of Events for Year 2005 into a nightclub rivaling New York’s legendary jazz spots. Executive Commitee Meeting Jan. 14-15 San Francisco, CA The club was conceived by New- ark Schools Superintendent Marion Bolden as an opportunity to provide Personnel Directors Meeting Feb. 2-5 San Diego, CA talented secondary students a place where they can hone their musical and performance skills as well as socialize Legislative/Policy Conference March 12-15 Washington, DC with other teens throughout the district in a safe environment.

“It’s important to provide safe ha- Chief Operating Officers Conference April 6-9 San Diego, CA vens for our teens where they can per- form and support their peers,” said Bolden. Technology Directors Meeting June Boston, MA

In addition to offering students a place to display their talent, the club Curriculum Directors Meeting & July Boston, MA also provides internships in visual and Research/Assessment Symposium performing arts, graphic arts, culinary arts, videography and business and fi- nance. Students also get valuable expe- Public Relations Executives Meeting July 8-10 Boston, MA rience working in the entertainment industry by serving as production man- agers, stagehands, hosts and hostesses. Executive Committee Meeting July Portland, OR

The club receives support from district officials, a local foundation and Annual Fall Conference Oct. 19-23 Atlanta, GA the Police Athletic League. Its hours of operation are 7 - 10 p.m. on select weekends and 3 - 6 p.m. on Sundays. Chief Financial Officers Conference Nov. Fort Lauderdale, FL

January 2005 Page 11 Inside the Council

Continued from page 3 Continued from page 8 Continued from page 7 $5.6-Billion Needed.... 80-Year-Old.... Philly School District.... provide “equitable” funding among cafeteria. Every day during lunch time those that have adequate spacing for their school districts to “adequate” she sits at cafeteria tables and gives each at least 10 trees will be given high pri- funding to educate children to meet child an opportunity to eat with her. ority. Schools will also be chosen if they state education standards. can link planting to an environmental Last spring, the district offered an education program. early retirement package and Grabbe, out of curiosity, attended an informa- In a news statement, Paul Vallas, tional meeting. But when she walked chief executive officer of the Phila- into the meeting, she realized none of delphia school system, thanked the Continued from page 5 the people were in her age group; they Philadelphia Eagles for their generous NYC Schools.... were all in their sixties. contribution to the district’s TreeVital- ize initiative. So after attending the meeting, she mances and concerts. threw the information into the trash “This program will provide trees “The Cultural Pass Program was and drove to school the next morning. to public schools so that teachers and students will use them to enhance the created to better acquaint principals Grabbe has taught hundreds of environment around their schools,” said with the many cultural and arts institu- children throughout her long career. Vallas. tions available to their teachers and stu- And what advice would she give to a dents across the city,” says Schools new principal just starting out? “You The planting projects at the schools Chancellor Joel Klein in a news release. are the leader, the model, and remem- will be managed by the Fairmount Park “Through this program, we hope that ber that you can’t accomplish every- Commission, which oversees the plant- more and more schools will use these thing to everyone’s satisfaction,” said ing and care of 250,000 street trees in organizations as instructional resourc- Grabbe in the Connection. “Stand tall, Philadelphia. es in teaching the arts and other sub- stand on your own convictions, reflect jects to our children.” and soul search all the time. And al- Two Eagles football players recent- ly presented a check to Wright Elemen- The program is made possible by ways know that you are doing your very best.” tary. The school is the first to partici- a grant from Bank of America. pate in the tree planting program.

PRESORT Council of the Great City Schools First Class 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. U.S. Postage Suite 702 PAID Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. 20004 Permit No. 251

Page 12 Council of the Great City Schools