Two High-Performing, High-Poverty Montgomery Schools Draw National Attention

Education News in Alabama for Nov. 2, 2010

AnchorTwo High-Performing, High-Poverty Montgomery Schools Draw National Attention

An article from the Montgomery Advertiser profiling E.D. Nixon and T.S. Morris, two high-poverty, high-performing elementary schools in the Montgomery Public School district, recently was featured nationally by ASCD (Association of Supervision and Curriculum) in Accomplished Teacher by Smart Brief, an electronic update on best practice and research.

In the article, the Montgomery principals said “that every school can achieve what they have and drive down the state’s dropout rate if they’re willing to stop doing business as usual. “The schools are achieving academic success by setting high expectations for students and teachers. E.D. Nixon Principal Anthony Lewis said “having the right teachers on board is imperative and sometimes those aren’t the ones with the most degrees or the most years in the classroom.” The teams at each school collaborate on lesson plans to ensure that they are meeting the needs of students and that they are making the work rigorous and relevant, with children actively engaged in learning.

Mark Coty, a fourth-grade teacher at Nixon, also noted the importance of relationships, saying “students know their teachers care about their well-being.” Both Lewis and T.S. Morris Principal Tamara Winston stated that “their schools get tremendous community support and work hard to generate as much support from the parents of their students.”

Read the full article from the Montgomery Advertiser here:

AnchorState School Board Highlights

Common Core, Budget Discussed at Oct. 28 Meeting

Members of the state board of education discussed two key issues at their meeting on Thursday, Oct. 28: the adoption of the Common Core Standards and the looming budget crisis.

The Common Core Standards Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). Governors and state superintendents or commissioners of education have involved teachers, and business and higher education leaders across the country in a process to develop a common core of state standards in English language arts and mathematics for grades K-12. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia already have approved the standards, and Alabama is considering adoption at their next board meeting. The standards ensure that what students are learning does not vary from state to state and that they are prepared for college and the workplace.

The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) convened a panel of Alabama educators to review the standards. The members of the panel, most of whom were involved in creating the existing Alabama English and mathematics standards, shared their support for adoption of the standards during a board session in September. The ALSDE also held four public regional hearings in October to discuss the common core standards and gather input. SBOE members were also presented letters of support from state education organizations and groups including the Alabama Mathematics, Science, Technology and Engineering Coalition and the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission.

Those still skeptical of the Common Core Standards, including several State Board members, worry that adopting the standards means more federal oversight. However, according to the National Governor’s Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, the states that have adopted the standards clearly will retain control of the standards, as well as their common efforts to develop assessments of the standards.

A+ Education Partnership supports adoption of the standards because the initiative represents an unprecedented opportunity to share in the resources, professional development and teaching tools that are being created to help teachers implement the standards. This is a cost effective and efficient way to provide hands-on support for local and state efforts to improve student achievement. Read a detailed case statement supporting adoption here.

2011-12 Budget: Officials in the ALSDE are bracing for 2012, when the federal stimulus dollars for education expire. That, coupled with the fact that revenue in the state’s Education Trust for K12 and higher education is down $1.5 billion from 2008, are leading many to believe this will be the worst year for education cuts in recent history. Suggested budget cuts already being discussed include reducing the length of school year, increasing class sizes, and raising length of service and age for retirement in order to balance the budget.

AnchorHot Topic: Seeking Common Ground

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, President of the American Federation of Teachers Randi Weingarten, and President of the National Education Association Dennis Van Roekel announced plans to convene a national education reform conference to highlight opportunities for management and labor to forge reforms at the state and district level.
“In dozens of districts around the country – from Tampa to Pittsburgh to Denver – union leaders and administrators are moving beyond the battles of the past and finding new ways to work together to focus on student success,” Secretary Duncan said. “These districts show us what is possible when adults come together, particularly in tough times, to do the right thing for the kids.”

To learn more about these district and state efforts to include measures of student learning in efforts to support quality teaching, click here.

AnchorFrom the blog:

By John Norton

In September 2010, Piedmont City Schools announced it would become the first Alabama school system “to engage in a bona fide one-to-one laptop initiative that provides a computer for student use 24 hours a day, seven days a week for all students in grades 4-12.”

Dubbed MPower Piedmont, the initiative’s goal, says PSC superintendent Matt Akin, is to strengthen the long-term viability of the Piedmont community by assuring that the young people growing up in the rural community have the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in the 21st century.

In this interview, Akin shares details about the project’s origins and implementation. He also answers questions that many administrators, teachers and community leaders are likely to have about safety, responsibility and the professional development needed to maximize a major technology investment.

To read the entire interview click here.

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