Sorry for cutting class:
"Civil rights fight looms on charter schools cap; Citing burden on poor, lawyers ready challenge" by Michael Levenson, Globe Staff March 08, 2015
The highly charged charter school debate, waged for years in the Legislature, could soon become a constitutional court fight, launched by three prominent lawyers who believe students in Boston and other urban districts are being denied their right to a quality education.
Paul F. Ware Jr., Michael B. Keating, and William F. Lee, who are partners at three top law firms, say the lawsuit they will file to overturn the state cap on the number of charter schools will break ground on two fronts.
It will be the first constitutional challenge to a charter school cap in any state and the product of an unusual alliance among lawyers from rival firms — “a unique occurrence in Boston legal history,” according to Lee.
Their decision to challenge the cap in court reflects growing frustration among charter school advocates who have seen recent efforts to expand the number of these schools in Massachusetts defeated by state lawmakers.
“This is, frankly, an issue of civil rights, and this is an issue which the Legislature, for one reason or another, has failed to act on,” said Keating, a past president of the Boston Bar Association. “It is not inappropriate, in those circumstances, to seek judicial relief.”
The lawsuit promises to escalate the long-running battle over charter schools, which are controversial because they do not have to be unionized, operate independently of local districts, and are given more flexibility to set their curriculums, budgets, and staffing.
Supporters say the schools have proven one of the only alternatives for low-income children and families who are unhappy with the traditional school system and unable to afford private or parochial schools. Critics worry about charter schools’ financial impact on local school budgets, because students who attend charter schools take with them a certain amount in state aid from their hometown districts.
I thought it was about the kids. That is what I have been told by school officials all across the board.
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The lawsuit will cite studies, disputed by critics, showing that charter schools often achieve better results than traditional public schools, and will point out that about 40,000 students are on the wait list for charters statewide, including about 18,000 in Boston.
The suit will be filed on behalf of children who want to attend charter schools but could not find seats and had to enroll in underperforming district schools. The lawyers have been interviewing parents and students and plan to name them as plaintiffs if they are rejected in the charter school lottery this week.
Underperforming school districts in this state?
“We don’t think they should be denied that opportunity, and we don’t think the Constitution allows them to be denied that opportunity,” Lee said. “We’d like to see the cap removed so that supply meets demand.”
The lawsuit will cite a landmark 1993 Supreme Judicial Court decision that established that the Massachusetts Constitution requires an adequate education for children, rich and poor, in every city and town. That ruling was based on a clause in the Constitution, dating to 1780, that states that lawmakers and officials must “cherish” the public schools....
That's why so many are in disrepair or given overpriced contracts to build monuments that are not needed.
In 2010, Governor Deval Patrick signed a bill that effectively doubled the number of charter school seats statewide. But that move was driven by a large financial reward: It unlocked $250 million in federal funding.
I thought Obama was the teachers' friend.
Without that sort of financial incentive, momentum for charter schools has waned in recent years.
The most recent expansion plan was rejected by the state Senate in July, after teachers’ unions and parents of traditional public school students argued that charter schools drain money from district schools and create a two-tiered educational system.
Oh, now I see why the paper of money in Bo$ton led with this piece.
The lawsuit could once again increase pressure on lawmakers to raise the cap, rather than face a court mandate that could eliminate it entirely....
All three cast their involvement in altruistic terms, saying they believe in charter schools and see the lawsuit as a vehicle for social justice....
I'm so glad the elite are looking out for us all. Makes you wonder why the world is such a shit hole sometimes, but.....
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Look, I don't have all the answers; does that mean I shouldn't comment on what I see in front of me?
"Charter school foes decry plans to challenge cap; Lawsuit would harm public schools, they say" by Michael Levensonm, Globe Staff March 08, 2015
Charter schools opponents on Sunday blasted an effort by three prominent lawyers to overturn the state cap on charter schools, calling it misguided and potentially harmful to the vast majority of students who attend traditional public schools.
Leaders of several teachers unions said they vehemently disagree with the lawyers’ argument that the cap relegates children, particularly minority students in poor neighborhoods, to failing district schools and thereby violates their constitutional guarantee of an adequate education.
Can we not argue in the cla$$room?
“Any claim that the charter school cap is the basis of Massachusetts children being denied their civil rights is appalling and deceptive,” said Barbara Madeloni, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association. “The real threat to our students — and to our democracy — is the two-tiered school system funded by public dollars that charter proponents will go to any lengths to expand.”
In culling the blogs I found someone who at bottom agrees.
If any civil rights violation exists, it is the lack of adequate funding for traditional public schools, said Richard Stutman, president of the Boston Teachers Union.
I'll addre$$ that below.
“It’s a civil rights issue for the kids who remain in public schools, not a civil rights issue for those who wish to escape,” he said.
Charters schools have long been controversial because they do not have to be unionized, operate independently of local systems, and are given more flexibility to set curriculums, budgets, and staffing.
Critics worry about charter schools’ financial impact on school system budgets, because students who attend charter schools take with them a certain amount in state aid from their home districts.
This year, the Boston public schools are facing a shortfall of $42 million to $51 million, which could lead to the closure of four schools as well as cuts in transportation, food services, and student counseling.
Where did all the money go?
“I see this as something that’s going to detract from the great bulk of students in our public schools,” said Thomas Gosnell, president of the American Federation of Teachers-Massachusetts. He pointed out that only about 4 percent of students in the state attend charter schools.
Supporters say charter schools have proven to be one of the only alternatives for low-income children and families who are unhappy with the traditional school system and unable to afford private or parochial schools.
The lawyers, Paul F. Ware Jr., Michael B. Keating, and William F. Lee, who are all partners at top law firms, plan to file the pro bono lawsuit on behalf of children who want to attend charter schools but could not find seats and had to enroll in underperforming traditional public schools.
The lawsuit will cite studies, disputed by critics, showing that charter schools often achieve better results than traditional public schools; and will point out that about 40,000 students are on the waiting list for charters statewide, including about 18,000 in Boston.
Massachusetts currently has 80 charter schools, and Boston, with 34, has hit the limit.
“It’s a new development and a wild card that might shake things loose, and we’re in need of that after a very disappointing result” in July, when the state Senate rejected an attempt to raise the cap, said Paul Grogan, president of The Boston Foundation, which supports the expansion of charter schools. “I think, if nothing else, it will build moral pressure.”
Marc Kenen, executive director of the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association, called the lawsuit a major step forward.
“This is the argument we’ve been making for 30 years, that charter schools are a proven success, and it seems wrong on all levels, legal as well, to not allow more of these schools to flourish,” he said. “I’m hoping that it will encourage the Legislature to come to the table to figure this out.”
Madeloni said she was worried that the defendants will be James A. Peyser, Governor Charlie Baker’s secretary of education, as well as the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. They are being targeted because, as of January, they are responsible for enforcing the law, even though they disagree with it.
Baker is a strong proponent of lifting the cap and Peyser is a nationally known charter school advocate who has served on the boards of three charter school organizations.
“One deep concern is that the lawsuit will be a stacked deck because Governor Charlie Baker and his education secretary, James Peyser, clearly share the views of the attorneys who say they are preparing to file the claim,” Madeloni said. “Any response to a lawsuit on this issue should be handled by the attorney general’s office, which is best positioned to defend the law as it now exists.”
Corey Welford, a spokesman for Attorney General Maura Healey, declined to comment, pointing out that the lawsuit has not been filed yet.
I'm waiting with bated breath.
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With all due respect, Amerika's ejewkhazion $y$tem is broke and it doesn't matter who they bring in to run it (did he take the advice?).
Just hop on the bus this summer and join the campaign to expose the liars!
What do you mean the school is closed?
"5 Boston schools recommended for closing" by Meghan E. Irons, Globe Staff February 28, 2015
Interim School Superintendent John McDonough is recommending closing five Boston public schools, in an effort to shrink gaping holes in enrollment and facilities that are straining the district.
The proposal would shutter the Elihu Greenwood Leadership Academy in Hyde Park, a turnaround school that once showed signs of promise; the William B. Rogers Middle School, also in Hyde Park; and West Roxbury Academy.
Middle School Academy in South Boston and Community Academy in Jamaica Plain — both alternative schools for troubled students — would also close. Together, the two serve only 129 students, at a cost of $55,000 a year per student, McDonough said.
“This is not a sustainable structure,’’ he said.
The proposed closings, coming days before a new superintendent is scheduled to be selected, would affect 1,402 students, 116 teachers, and 84 staff members, and shave $2 million to $3 million from the budget, school officials said.
Keep that number in mind.
McDonough announced late Friday that he selected the schools, which would close at the end of this school year, based on three key factors: major enrollment declines, low popularity among students, and dismal academic performance. He said his goal is not based solely on the district’s shrinking finances, but on a greater need to put the district on a firmer foundation by tackling inefficiencies at its 128 schools.
He announced it just in time for Slow Saturday?
“This is not a financial decision,’’ McDonough said in an interview. “It’s really a first step’’ in strengthening the school district.
Teachers and staff at the schools were notified this week, some via e-mail. Families were alerted by mail and automated phone calls Friday.
West Roxbury students got the news midmorning Friday.
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Since he became interim superintendent nearly two years ago, McDonough said, his administration has been singling out significant gaps within the district, such as 4,100 empty seats in classrooms across the city. He has said the closings are part of the reality of addressing soaring costs and urgent needs in a school system facing a shortfall of $42 million to $51 million.
The district’s $1 billion spending plan includes deeper cuts, such as consolidating classrooms and slashing hundreds of central staff positions. McDonough is considering revamping the food services program and ending bus service for seventh-graders.
Slashing staff, huh? Interesting.
And now the kids will be more at risk or parents inconvenienced, too, huh?
Mayor Martin J. Walsh said he supports the proposal to close the schools, and acknowledged the disruption the proposed closings would have on families, teachers, and staff. But he and McDonough said the aim is to make critical adjustments to improve the quality of education in all the schools.
“This is about the betterment of the kids, and that’s our goal,’’ Walsh said. “You never want to close a school down. You never want to cut a program. . . . At the end of the day our goal is to make a better school system for our kids.”
And because he says it, it is true. So where are you on charters, Marty?
Boston teachers union president Richard Stutman said facilities and the budget are two critical priorities for the district, but he said he is concerned there is no master plan for the system’s schools.
“I don’t want to know what the first steps are,” Stutman said. “I want to know about the whole plan.”
McDonough proposed the closings earlier this month under a preliminary budget proposal he presented to the School Committee for the next school year. School officials said they initially identified 23 schools that needed a “serious look.’’ They then narrowed the list to nine, then five.
“We asked: Could you justify keeping those schools open?’’ McDonough said.
His most telling choice is the Greenwood, a turnaround school that had previously been targeted for closing and was the center of a years-long effort to help it improve.
In 2008, then-superintendent Carol R. Johnson reversed her recommendation to close the school after an outcry from parents, who vowed to help it turn around. In 2010, the state designated it as underperforming because of low MCAS scores. A new principal was hired, new programs started, and optimism rose.
Since 2009, the school received $1.2 million in state improvement grants and other grants. But a turnaround was elusive. The Greenwood experienced a 12.3 percent decline in enrollment in the past two years and was near the bottom on families’ priority lists for school assignments.
The mayor said he is disappointed many schools designated for a turnaround have been unable to make dramatic strides. But in Greenwood’s case, it is time for a different approach, he said.
It sure is!
“In order to make sure that our kids get the right education, this is the right move for them,’’ Walsh said....
Yeah, it's all about the kids.
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Related:
"McDonough said it is necessary to close the alternative schools and
three others — the Elihu Greenwood Leadership Academy and William B.
Rogers Middle School, both in Hyde Park, and West Roxbury Academy —
because costs of running the city’s schools are rising much faster than revenues. “In the financial world, that’s the definition of a broken business model,” he told those on hand at the Middle School Academy. His explanations failed to satisfy many parents and teachers."
Are you $ati$fied with that lame-a$$ excuse?
Also see: Boston School $y$tem Thinks You Are Stupid
Must have been all the partying -- to the tune of a hundreds of thousands over years, huh?
So how many millions does that add up to?
Maybe we could talk about it over lunch in the cafeteria?
"Plan to curb school meal options draws fire" by James Vaznis, Globe Staff March 16, 2015
A plan by Boston public schools to cut cafeteria costs by reducing the variety and number of offerings is raising concerns among some parents and food service employees, who worry that students will not find anything they like to eat.
That's already the case, but the Globe keeps serving up the slop anyway!
The changes, scheduled to begin next month, affect more than 40 schools with on-site kitchens that typically have served up a wide variety of menu items for breakfast and lunch.
One of the biggest changes will occur at breakfast. No longer will cafeterias offer both a hot and cold breakfast option most mornings. Instead, hot items will be limited to twice a week, and on some mornings, students will receive just a bowl of Cocoa Puffs — a new menu item billed as “vegetarian” — and two pieces of fruit.
Ha-ha-ha-ha-h.... cough, cough, cough. Sorry. Cereal went down wrong pipe.
Aren't Cocoa Puffs loaded with sugar?
At lunch, students will be limited to two or three options, and entree dishes will be rarely served.
It will prepare them for the health care law.
Instead, most cafeterias will offer peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches every day, along with such popular fare as macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, hamburgers, meatball subs, and grilled cheese and cold-cut sandwiches.
That is all the junk food we were told was removed per government standards, blah, blah, blah.
Related: Chemtrails Causing Cooling?
That will sure unblock your arteries!
The switch has alarmed a number of parents and child nutrition experts, some of whom voiced their objections during a school budget hearing last week.
What did they have for a spread?
“I’m so disappointed to hear that decreasing the nutritional value of school lunch by limiting choices and variety to ultimately offering more chicken nuggets, hamburgers, pizza, and hot dogs is under consideration,” Stephanie Shapiro Berkson, an Eliot K-8 School parent and a professor of public health who specializes in childhood obesity, said during testimony.
Amazing how crap food can make you fat while still starving you (must be the GMOs).
School officials emphasized in interviews Friday that all the menu items meet federal school-nutrition guidelines. That goes for both of the new cereal items — Cocoa Puffs and Trix — which they said contain less sugar than the varieties sold in grocery stores.
Oh, Trix, too! Trix are for kids!
And just because school officials say there is less sugar doesn't mean there is. I'm sure General Mills has reconfigured their whole operation for the Boston school system.
Btw, when do you kids and parents stop believing the $hit that comes out their mouth?
Menu choices, they said, reflect popular demand and streamlining the choices is part of a concerted effort to reduce the amount of food thrown out and to increase participation in the breakfast and lunch programs. The officials also said the changes bring schools with full kitchens in line with approximately 80 other schools where meals are shipped in, and therefore already have limited choices.
The rational strikes me as odd. Other kids don't have it so good so what are you complaining about?
“If you have fewer choices, you gain more efficiencies in ordering,” said Naveen Reddy, the school system’s director of business improvement.
That certainly flies in the face of the free market capitalism I was taught and told was the best economic system ever devised.
Maybe you could apply that to the automobile market, banking industry, etc, etc, etc.
Kids must get sick of the mixed me$$ages wrapped in $hit from $chool officials.
But Boston is pursuing the cost-cutting measures as it contends with an operating deficit in its food service program. During the past eight years, the program has lost more than $20 million.
Where did all the money go?
This year, the program was initially on track to lose another $4 million, but the School Department cut losses to $2.3 million by enacting a hiring freeze and other measures, and is hoping the deficit will shrink more by June.
Much of the shortfall is due to food costs, school officials said. About 60 percent of its budget is devoted to the cost of food, while the industry standard for school food service programs is between 40 percent to 45 percent.
How can that be when a) food costs have come down, at least that is what I've been told, and b) Bo$ton's economy is allegedly booming?
Part of the problem is the cost of shipping meals to the schools without kitchens.
Gas prices have dropped dramatically so why would.... oooooooooh!
Those meals come from an outside contractor and arrive frozen. Cafeteria workers heat them up in ovens, and students eat them either in classrooms or in an all-purpose room.
Another factor has been the School Department’s failure to use free commodities — including fresh fruit — from the federal government. School officials plan to take advantage of that option now that they have established a new system for receiving those items at a warehouse and setting up the transportation to distribute them to schools.
????????
The school system also has experienced difficulty in gauging which meal choices students might select, creating waste.
A scathing independent review last year of Boston’s food service program found wide dysfunction, a “hostile work environment” for employees, and a lack of basic financial protocols.
Some food service employees have expressed skepticism about the menu change and predicted that some students would not eat at all while others might simply go with peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches most of the time. Those employees asked not to be identified out of fear of reprisal.
“Unfortunately, the kids will suffer because of the program’s mismanagement,” one of the employees said.
But at least the administrators have millions to party over at the Plaza.
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Maybe you would just rather go without?
I hope you can choke this next item down:
"City payroll expands during Marty Walsh’s tenure as mayor; Schools add 125 workers in a year" by Meghan E. Irons, Globe Staff March 12, 2015
The ranks of city employees swelled in the first year of Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s administration, with the largest increase in the School Department, according to a report issued Thursday from the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, a fiscal watchdog underwritten by businesses and nonprofit institutions.
The report said the School Department accounted for nearly all of that increase, with 125 new employees.
In addition to paying teachers not to teach -- and now they are millions in deficit.
City administrators must have failed math when they were in school.
The report noted that several factors contributed to School Department additions, such as a growing number of students in special education, and an improved teacher-assignment initiative.
The Research Bureau’s report said that as the Walsh administration prepares its first complete operating budget for 2016, officials will need to balance the mayor’s priorities and initiatives with the need to deliver basic city services.
The report also examined longer-term trends in hiring, and found that between January 2012 and January 2015, the number of city workers increased by 943, or 5.8 percent, with the school, police, and fire departments accounting for 86.7 percent of this increase.
That period includes the final years of the administration of former mayor Thomas M. Menino.
The city’s 44 other departments added 125 employees during that period. Those departments included 22 percent of the city-funded workforce as of January 2015, down from 25 percent in 2002, the Municipal Research Bureau said.
The report, released annually, found that spending for employee salaries and benefits totaled roughly $1.9 billion, accounting for about 68 percent of the city’s $2.7 billion fiscal 2015 operating budget.
No wonder there is no money left for anything else!
Over the past three years, expenditures on employees increased $193.1 million, or 11.6 percent, with salaries responsible for 82.4 percent of that increase and benefits 17.6 percent, the report said.
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And now it is time for me to take a lunch and shut this blog down for the day. I have a basketball game to play again tonight and have to take care of some other things this afternoon. Sorry.
UPDATE: Boston’s charter schools show striking gains
