Flawed Research: Preschool Juggernaut by Chester Finn

Reroute the Preschool Juggernaut is a new book published online by the Hoover Institution and authored by the Fordham Institution’s Chester Finn. It is an inaccurate and poorly reasoned attack on the movement to secure all children a good preschool education. The book cherry-picks a few weak studies to fit its preconceptions, and it builds the case for targeted programs based on errors, exaggeration, misrepresentation, and logical inconsistency. Below, I set forth 14 points to consider which together demonstrate these flaws and explain why an even-handed review of all costs and benefits tends to support preschool for all.

Would You Teach Here for $125,000?

The Equity Project charter school in New York City’s Washington Heights will open this fall with 120 5th graders chosen by lottery. Preference was given to students from surrounding neighborhoods and to weak academic performers. Most children will be from low-income Hispanic families. The school will grow to 480 children in Grades 5 to 8, with 28 teachers. The eight teachers who will open the school were selected in a nationwide search and will be paid a $125,000 annual salary, with potential bonuses in the second year. [Full Article]

RAA:John Glenn Elementary, Western Heights

This RAA stop found us at John Glenn Elementary School in Western Heights. The teachers and kids just moved into the building this year and it's an awesome facility. Everyone is so proud of their new school.

The Cat read to a number of different classes and no matter how young or old they were, they all loved it. The teachers are doing an awesome job and are an example of the quality found in our classroom all across our state.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

Today is the 105th anniversary of Dr. Seuss' birthday and we celebrated this occasion at Will Rogers Elementary School in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Today's event was put together by Brian Atkins, SOEA/OSU President. The kids and teachers all got a great chuckle as the Cat tried to find someone who could wiggle their ears--without their hands. One one young man did, everyone cheered his efforts.

All of the kids will receive a book from "Feed the Children" and they were all pretty excited as Brian, SOEA/OSU advisor Suzi Parson, OEA Communications Specialist Doug Folks and I passed out books for all the kids. Not to be left out were the Will Rogers teachers who all received a classroom performance chart and the 2009 RAA poster with co-chairs OSU's Zac Robinson and OU's Sam Bradford.

While the kids were disappointed to learn the Zac and Sam weren't able to be at the program (they are in class) I did get to share with the kids how good of students the 2 young men are and how reading has helped get them all the way to college. They all pledged to read, "each day and each night, (because) they know it's the key to growing up right."

While we won't have a program at the other Stillwater schools, all of the kids will be getting books courtesy of "Feed the Children" and Brian who is delivering all of them.

RAA:Lexington

During our RAA trips, we were fortunate to be invited to Lexington Public Schools where we put on two programs for the kids. All of the students were great and we had another tremendous day. A special thanks to President Marcie Cole for all the work she does for her local, and a shout out to Cindy Williamson who helped put the program together and to Principal Butler for allowing us to visit a great school like Lexington.

RAA:Butner

OEA's Read Across America program made today's stop at Butner Elementary School in Cromwell. No matter what the size of the school, kids need to understand the importance of reading. And the kids were excited about the Cat sharing the stories about Dr. Seuss and following with the reading of "Green Eggs and Ham" that beat out "The Butter Battle Book" in a close vote.

Kids are great wherever we go and I see great things for Oklahoma. There are so many awesome teachers all across the state and they are providing our kids with the best possible education. Some of our districts have better access to resources compared to the larger districts, but our smaller schools find ways to get things done.

The kids, teachers, administrators and parents all take great pride in their school and community and Butner patrons were awesome today.

RAA:Meeker

On Friday, the Cat and I presented the OEA program to students and teachers in Meeker. The kids were excited and we had a great time with them. When it came time for the students to select a book to read, for the first time in memory, the kids at Meeker selected Dr. Seuss' "The Butter Battle Book". Usually kids select "Green Eggs and Ham".

A special thanks to Ms. Duncan, Meeker's Elementary School Principal and teacher Joyce Flowers for putting the program together and to all the teachers and support professionals who viewed our shows.

Pictured with the Cat are Debbie Flowers, Jennifer Colvin , and Joyce Flowers.

Arne Duncan and the HELP Committee

On January 13th, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP-which includes Senator Coburn) held a hearing to consider the nomination of Arne Duncan as Secretary of Education. Here is a summary of that hearing.

The hearing was chaired by Senator Harkin (D-IA) in the absence of Senator Kennedy (D-MA). Also in attendance at the hearing were Senators Mikulski (D-MD), Reed (D-RI), Sanders (I-VT), Murray (D-WA), Enzi (R-WY), Alexander (R-TN), Coburn (R-OK), Roberts (R-KS), Burr (R-NC), Isakson (R-GA), Murkowski (R-AK), and Hatch (R-UT).

Opening Statements Superintendent Duncan was introduced by Senator Durbin (D-IL), who cited Duncan’s success in raising test scores and decreasing dropout rates and in working closely with the business community and unions. Senator Enzi, ranking Member on the Committee, made an opening statement in which he expressed his pleasure at Duncan’s “support for merit pay and charter schools.”

In his opening statement, Superintendent Duncan cited three “deeply held beliefs:”

1. Every child from every background can be successful.
2. When we fail to educate children, we “perpetuate poverty and social failure.”
3. Children have only one chance to be educated – we cannot wait because they cannot wait.

He spoke about wanting to focus on things that are practical, pragmatic, and innovative. His statement focused on the themes of recognizing and rewarding excellence, challenging the status quo, elevating the teaching profession, and scaling up what works. In his written statement submitted to the committee, Duncan stated with regard to NCLB, "I have seen the law's power and its limitations. I agree with the president-elect that we should neither bury NCLB nor praise it without reservation."

Questions and Answers

· Teacher Incentive Fund/Pay-for performance – Senator Alexander asked about Duncan’s views on the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF). Senator Burr asked about expanding pay-for-performance programs. Duncan stated that he is a big fan of TIF, calling it “one of the best things Secretary Spellings did.” He mentioned that he received TIF funds in Chicago and thought it was a highly successful program that rewards talent and helps to attract and keep great teachers where they are needed most. His goal is to reward excellent teachers. He wants to support and potentially expand TIF. Duncan indicated he had a teacher advisory council in Chicago that helped shaped the program and spoke positively about his partnership with the union. He also wants to look for other ways to support teachers and attract them to high-need areas, including career ladders.

· Teach for America – Senator Harkin expressed strong support for Teach for America (TFA). He stated that a “high percentage of Teach for America alumnae stay in teaching and become excellent teachers.” He indicated that TFA needs more money than Congress currently provides ($14 million). Harkin asked Duncan about his familiarity with Wendy Kopp, the head of TFA, and his views on the program. Duncan stated that he is a huge fan of Wendy, calling her “one of a breed of educational entrepreneurs that includes Jonathan Schnur (Executive Director of New Leaders for Schools)” who are “changing the face of public education.” He expressed his strong support for TFA and talked about the partnership Chicago schools had with the program. He called it a “pipeline of talent” and indicated that many TFA alumni are principals in Chicago schools and many are among his advisors. He would like to scale up TFA quickly.

· Teacher retention – Senator Mikulski asked why so many teachers leave the profession after only a few years and what can be done to retain quality teachers. Duncan talked about the need to support new teachers, including through induction and mentoring programs. He also indicated his support for career ladders. Duncan indicated that teaching is an art, not a science, and that it takes 10-15 years to develop excellent teachers.

· Teacher compensation – Senator Roberts indicated that the main reason teachers leave the profession is the need for more money. Duncan did not provide a response to this statement as no question was asked.

· Teacher preparation – In response to a question from Senator Reed, Duncan indicated his desire to work with institutions of higher education to make sure that teachers are prepared. He also stated his support for teacher residency programs. In addition, he stated support for alternative licensure programs.

· Early childhood education – Senators Harkin and Sanders asked questions about early childhood education and the need to ensure that children come to school ready to learn In his responses, Duncan cited the Obama “zero to five” plan and his goals for improving the quality of and access to early childhood programs. Duncan indicated that there is nothing more important than getting kids ready to learn and that early childhood programs need to be much more than glorified babysitting. Duncan also indicated support for a goal of moving to universal access to quality child care.

· Higher education – Senator Murray and Senator Sanders asked about access to and affordability of higher education. Duncan responded that we need to reduce barriers to higher education, including simplifying the federal financial aid application. He also indicated his support for increasing the Pell Grant award, and the American Opportunity Tax Credit. He also stated support for loan forgiveness, cautioning that there has to be mutual responsibility and those who receive loan forgiveness must give back to the community.

Senator Burr asked about higher education matriculation rates and how long the government should have to pay for students to attend higher education. Duncan responded that he did not have a specific answer but would want to look for ways to support people who are trying to take advantage of the opportunity of higher education, including those who may need to take longer to complete their education.

· 21st Century skills – In response to a question from Senator Murray about preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow, Duncan highlighted the disconnect between the business community and education and his hopes for bridging those gaps. He stated his concern about the need to prepare students for 21st Century skills and gave the example of nursing, which cannot be outsourced.

· IDEA special education – Senator Roberts asked about IDEA funding, indicating that IDEA is currently the “biggest unfunded mandate foisted on schools.” Roberts indicated his strong support for increasing the federal share of IDEA costs. Duncan spoke about living on “the other side of the unfunded mandate” and the high price that mandate has had in Chicago’s schools.

· Highly qualified teachers/Special education --- Senator Coburn raised concerns about the impact of the definition of “highly qualified teacher” on special educators and the loss of teachers due to this problem. Senator Isakson later followed up with a similar question. In response, Duncan indicated that we need to take another look at things that are impractical and we need to be more pragmatic.

· Assessments for students with disabilities – Senator Isakson raised the issue of assessing students with disabilities and his belief that the IEP should determine the type of assessment. In response Duncan stated, “I tend to agree with you. We need to be practical.” He further added, “For English Language Learners, we need assessments that test knowledge. If we give an assessment they cannot read, what good is it?”

Senator Harkin raised the “one percent” and “two percent” rules, which limit the number of students with disabilities who can be tested with alternative assessments and count toward AYP. Harkin was concerned that these rules “leave as many as 30% of students with disabilities not counted.” Duncan stated that he “philosophically agrees” with the Senator.

· Adequate Yearly Progress – Senator Isakson raised concerns about judging schools on the failure of one subgroup. Duncan indicated his support for disaggregated data and growth models, but that it is too blunt an instrument to measure a school because of one student in one subgroup.

· Charter schools -- In response to a question from Senator Alexander, Duncan indicated that he is a great supporter of charter schools. However, he believes in holding charter schools accountable and does not believe that just anyone should be able to open a charter school. In Chicago, he stated that charters were successful because they had “rigorous strict standards up front.” In short, he supports creating schools in any format that works.

· Community schools – Senator Sanders asked about the provision of health services in schools. Duncan responded that schools should be community centers and provide services to the whole community. They should be open for 12 hours, not 6, to allow access for working parents.

· Dropout/Graduation rates – Senator Burr asked about the dropout rate problem. Duncan responded that the U.S. hasn’t so much fallen behind other countries as other countries have surpassed us. He stated that we do not need to look overseas to find good models for reducing dropout rates. He wants to “shine a light” on excellent programs in the United States and scale up what is working.

· Physical education – Senator Harkin spoke about the importance of physical education programs and the problems of childhood obesity. Duncan agreed, noting that his wife is a PE teacher.

· Challenges in rural areas – Senator Murkowski mentioned the challenges of education in a vast rural state like Alaska, and invited Duncan to visit Alaska to see these challenges first hand. She asked about a focus on middle school. Duncan indicated that there is “no magic bullet” as to which grade levels are most important and reiterated his themes of being practical, pragmatic, and focusing on what works.

Closing Statement
Senator Harkin closed the hearing by indicating his hope and expectation that Duncan would be confirmed unanimously by the full Senate.

Presidential Politics:Education

The latest on the Federal role of education dealing with Senator Obama and Senator McCain's ideas. The links require a free sign-up.

Education Week: NCLB Debate at the Sidelines(David Hoff, News, National)“In their education proposals, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain have outlined specific plans to address provisions of the almost 7-year-old federal education law. Both would refocus the teacher-quality section to bolster the recruitment of new teachers and to experiment with new forms of teacher pay. Sen. McCain promises to make school choice and tutoring available to students in struggling schools sooner than the current law allows. But neither candidate has said what he would do to address significant questions about the NCLB law’s future, such as whether to keep its goal of universal student proficiency in reading and mathematics by the end of the 2013-14 school year, how to increase the rigor of states’ academic standards, and how to improve the interventions in schools failing to meet achievement goals.”

Education Week’s Campaign K-12: Obama vs. McCain: The Budget Battle Lines Are Drawn (Michele McNeil, Blog)“Specifically, Obama--who listed education third in his list of priorities--said: "We have to make sure our children are competing in math and science." In addition, he said college must be affordable. In all, he wants to spend an additional $18 billion on education. And a little later, Obama said he would prefer to see more investments in early education rather than subsidies to private companies that participate in Medicare.”