Contents of this issue:
- Web site offers private funding for classroom supplies
- Ann Arbor district examines schools of choice policy
- Special education teachers lose 'highly qualified' status
- ACLU, students attack Grand Blanc technology policy
- Private foundation grants for first-hand teacher experience
- Comment and win an iPod
WEB SITE OFFERS PRIVATE FUNDING FOR CLASSROOM SUPPLIES
DETROIT — More than 100 teachers statewide have contacted a new
philanthropy Web site that offers private funding for classroom
projects and activities, according to The Detroit News.
The New York-based
www.DonorsChoose.org launched three
months
ago and attempts to link private donors with teachers who want
additional classroom supplies. Requests from 24 teachers in
Michigan have been met, according to the site's teaching
engagement manager, The News reported.
Detroit Public Schools elementary teacher Linda Keteyian applied
to the site to seek funding for a nature-based club. She wanted
each student to have "explore packs" to help them interact with
the outdoors. She figured supplies would cost $1,500 and broke
down the request into two parts on the site. Keteyian submitted
her request on a Friday, and by the following Monday had both
requests funded.
Ann Arbor resident and University of Michigan graduate student
Elizabeth Bartmess, 28, found out about the Web site via an
online promotion and donated $30.
"I was looking for something science-related and ecology-related, and I wanted to help fund a school that had
underprivileged students," Bartmess told The News, while adding
she liked the nature club project because the teacher was
requesting low-cost supplies with many benefits.
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Teachers turn to Web site for classroom
funding," Dec. 4, 2007
https://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071204/SCHOOLS/712040383/1026
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Schools take a second look at
nonprofit foundations as revenue sources," Aug. 15, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8829
ANN ARBOR DISTRICT EXAMINES "SCHOOLS OF CHOICE" POLICY
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Ann Arbor Public Schools board of
education recently set priorities for the upcoming year, one of
which is the marketing of students through schools of choice,
according to The Ann Arbor News.
Although the district is facing decreasing enrollment, it just
opened a new high school and is looking to attract students
assigned to other districts. Opposition to the program in
previous years stemmed from issues of capacity, and also of
funding because AAPS receives the most per-pupil funding in
Washtenaw County. However, Treasurer Randy Friedman said that
gap has been shrinking, The News reported.
SOURCE:
The Ann Arbor News, "Funding, schools of choice likely topics
for A2 board," Dec. 5, 2007
http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2007/12/funding_schools_of_choice_like.html
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Foundation Allowance:
General Education," in "A Michigan School Money Primer for
Policymakers, School Officials, Media and Residents,"
May 31, 2007
https://www.mackinac.org/8628#nonassign
SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS LOSE 'HIGHLY QUALIFIED' STATUS
LANSING, Mich. — Thousands of special education teachers in
Michigan have lost their "highly qualified" designation due to
miscommunication between the state and federal departments of
education, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Special education teachers at the secondary level were allowed
to take an elementary education exam, the Free Press reported.
Those teachers now have until June 30, 2009, to regain highly
qualified status. If not, the state risks possible sanctions and
loss of money for not being in compliance with the federal No
Child Left Behind Act.
Jan Ellis, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Education,
said in an e-mail to the Free Press that, "At the time, this was
believed to be an appropriate means to meet the requirements —
until guidance from the federal government directed us to amend
the requirements."
Stephanie Babyak of the U.S. Department of Education, however,
told the Free Press she did not know of any other states facing
the same dilemma.
"But we will certainly be checking," Babyak said.
Kelly Campbell, a special education teacher at Olivet High
School, says the process has been frustrating.
"I just want Michigan and the federal government to be on the
same page and not make us do things that are useless, not waste
our time," she told the Free Press. "Figure it out and be done
with it."
General education teachers must have a degree in or pass
certification exams for the subjects they teach, according to
the Free Press.
SOURCE:
Detroit Free Press, "Special education teachers lose status,"
Dec. 3, 2007
https://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007712030379
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "A PLUS plan would permit states to
opt out of NCLB," Aug. 15, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8813
ACLU, STUDENTS ATTACK GRAND BLANC TECHNOLOGY POLICY
GRAND BLANC, Mich. — Grand Blanc Public Schools is facing
scrutiny from the American Civil Liberties Union and students
for its technology policy, according to The Flint Journal.
Gregory T. Gibbs, president of the Greater Flint ACLU, sent a
letter to the district claiming the policy is unconstitutional
and a violation of the district's jurisdiction. The letter asked
for the schools to reconsider the policy and revise the sections
where it claims the right to discipline students for libelous or
threatening statements, even if they are posted off campus.
Gibbs has said he will file a federal lawsuit if the district
does not comply, The Journal reported.
"I haven't been contacted by the school in response to the
letter, but I anticipate that we will be. If we are, we will sit
down with their attorneys and come up with a solution that
protects the rights of the students," Gibbs told The Journal.
Some students also agree that this policy is an infringement on
their First Amendment rights. Grand Blanc High School junior
Chris Machielse thinks the school has a right to be concerned,
but not to punish students for off-campus activity.
"I understand they don't want anyone to do or say anything
harmful, but the (policy) wording is so vague. Who gets to
decide what's punishable?" Machielse told The Journal.
Superintendent Michael Newton said it was not the district's
intent to violate any rights.
"We are certainly not interested in trampling on the First
Amendment rights of our students, but we are going to protect
our students and our staff," Newton told The Journal. "The goal
of the agreement is not to silence unfavorable opinions, Newton
said, but to prevent harmful situations from escalating and
disrupting the learning environment."
SOURCE:
The Flint Journal, "Technology policy under fire," Dec. 9, 2007
https://www.mlive.com/flint/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-4/119717877058930.xml&coll=5
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Strange Lessons in School
Discipline," June 10, 2004
https://www.educationreport.org/6659
PRIVATE FOUNDATION GRANTS FOR FIRST-HAND TEACHER EXPERIENCE
PORTAGE, Mich. — An education foundation in Kalamazoo County is
offering grants to teachers for hands-on experience related to
their area of expertise, according to The Kalamazoo Gazette.
Since 1986, 558 teachers from public and independent schools
have received grants from the Kalamazoo County Excellence in
Education Program. Twenty teachers received grants last year and
opportunities ranged from shadowing a crime scene detective to
conducting history research at different sites throughout the
country. A teacher at Kalamazoo Christian High School traveled
to Ethiopia to examine the Coptic and African culture to enhance
his world history and Bible curricula, The Gazette reported.
Portage Northern forensic science instructor Kathy Mirakovits
said this experience helped her figure out how to make her
classroom instruction as real as possible.
"I just want students to have as realistic an experience as they
can within the constraints of a public education," Mirakovits
told The Gazette. "And I wanted to learn from a police officer
so I would know what police officers know."
SOURCE:
The Kalamazoo Gazette, "Thanks to grants, teachers bring first-hand experience to classes," Dec. 9, 2007
https://www.mlive.com/kalamazoo/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-26/119717774658960.xml&coll=7
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Schools take a second look at
nonprofit foundations as revenue sources," Aug. 15, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8829
COMMENT AND WIN AN IPOD
MIDLAND, Mich. — Go to
https://educationreport.org and post a comment for a chance to win one of three iPods.
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education
Report (
https://www.educationreport.org),
a quarterly newspaper
published by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
(
https://www.mackinac.org),
a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan
research and educational institute.
Font size:
