________________________________________  THE VERMONT EDUCATION REPORT August 22, 2005 - Vol. 5, No. 32 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯  Covering education news in Vermont and beyond... Informative, provocative, unique... Published by Vermonters for Better Education  VBE is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to enlist parents and the public at large in achieving quality educational opportunities for all the children of Vermont by monitoring the state of education in Vermont; promoting the value of educational freedoms for all parents; and giving parents the evaluative tools with which to identify excellence. Libby Sternberg, executive director: VTBetterEd@aol.com NEWS & ANALYSIS... SBOE WILL CONTINUE TO REVIEW EARLY ED ISSUE At the August 16 State Board of Education meeting, members decided that they would continue to review the questions raised by the early education issues with a goal in mind of ultimately determining what is the best course of action -- to weigh in with rules or to give direction to the legislature. The SBOE, says one source, "really wants to be involved" in gathering information and making recommendations, "whether it takes the form of rules or being a participant in the legislative process." VT-NEA MAKES PITCH TO CONTROL TEACHER LICENSURE The Vermont NEA, the state's teachers union, made a proposal to the State Board of Education last week that would allow licensed teachers to control educator licensing standards and their enforcement, conferring on the current Professional Standards Board more decision-making authority and removing some of that authority from the SBOE where it currently resides. According to a July 13 memo on this topic from VTNEA Executive Director and General Counsel Joel Cook (to Commissioner of Education Richard Cate), the union proposes giving to the Professional Standards Board the final say on teacher licensing standards, license processing, and enforcement of standards. Currently, the PSB makes recommendations to the SBOE in these cases but doesn't have final say. In the VTNEA's proposal, the SBOE wouldn't be cut out of the process entirely but would play a much more peripheral role. For example, in the case of enforcement (educator disciplinary actions), the SBOE would merely become the appeals board once the PSB rendered a decision. The reason for the VT NEA's request seems to be rooted in low-self esteem. According to Cook's memo, other professional groups handled standards and licensing in this way and "it is time to stop treating Vermont's first class teachers like second class professionals." Cook fails to note that, unlike other professionals, the overwhelming majority of teachers work in the public sector and are funded directly by taxpayers. Cook ended his memo to the SBOE with a veiled threat. "I've been discussing this idea with legislators," he wrote. "Several key players have expressed interest in helping us enact a plan in 2006." He then expresses his wish that the DOE and SBOE join in working "collaboratively" on this project.  LOUISIANA EARLY ED: FROM $15 TO 55 MILL IN FOUR YEARS The Vermont Department of Education's James Squires regularly sends a round-up of news to an "Early Education Steering Committee." In a recent compilation was a clip from Baton Rouge about how Louisiana's preschool program is growing by leaps and bounds. While the article was obviously circulated as an example of an early ed success, here are some sobering statistics directly from the article itself: "Just four years ago, state-funded classes for pre-kindergarten students were virtually nonexistent. The first classes, in a program called LA4, opened in January 2002. "Since then:  About 9,796 students are enrolled, up from about 2,000 in 2002.  State funding for the classes has risen to $55 million, up from $15 million initially.  41 of the state's 68 school districts take part, up from 11 in 2002. "  *   *   * FROM ELSEWHERE... FROM...The Education Intelligence Agency Communique On the web at: http://www.eiaonline.com GLOBE, ASSOCIATED PRESS TEACHER UNION STORIES MISS THE MARK Press coverage of teachers' unions is vastly improved over just five years ago, but sometimes there is backsliding, and we have two examples from the just the past two weeks.  On August 10, the Boston Globe published a story by Anand Vaishnav headlined "Some charter teachers join union," about a concerted effort by the Massachusetts Federation of Teachers (MFT) to organize the state's 2,000 charter school teachers. MFT has an associate member category, which for $58 provides liability insurance, newsletters, and participation in MFT member benefits such as a credit card and "statewide discounts on theme parks, museums, entertainment, and more." More to the point, MFT is looking for charter school teachers who will act as an organizing cadre within their respective schools.  In two months, MFT got 48 charter school teachers to sign up.  In other words, 97.6 percent of them weren't interested. But the Globe story isn't about a spectacular failure. Instead, it called the results "giving the labor group a foothold in schools that have operated free of union influence for a decade."  Michael Goldstein, founder of the MATCH charter school in Boston, summed up the situation brilliantly. "Forty-eight out of 2,000 Massachusetts charter school teachers (spread over 12 schools) got a new 'associate membership,' which means they get a monthly magazine and discounted liability insurance and some pizza coupons, and the union gets a nice newspaper headline," he wrote.  Meanwhile in California, the Associated Press published a August 20 story by political writer Beth Fouhy headlined, "National labor money largely absent from California election," which asserts, "Campaign reports filed earlier this month show that just one national union has made a significant investment in the campaign to defeat initiatives by Schwarzenegger and others seen as anti-union. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees gave $500,000 to the Alliance for a Better California, the labor coalition."  That statement is true only if you don't follow the union money trail properly. The Alliance for a Better California received more than $4.3 million from the California Teachers Association Issues PAC. On April 19, the National Education Association Ballot Measure/Legislative Crises Fund sent $2.5 million to the CTA Issues PAC. What for? According to NEA, the grant was "funds for Phase I of efforts to oppose ballot initiatives on merit pay, teacher tenure, retirement changes and paycheck protection." Coincidentally, the same CTA Issues PAC made a $50,000 donation to Communities for Quality Education (CQE) a mere two days later. CQE is the NEA-created front group to lead "independent" opposition to the No Child Left Behind Act.  The other big recipient of NEA ballot fund largesse this year was the New Jersey Education Association. NJEA also made a contribution to CQE this summer.  *   *   * WE WANT.....EMAIL ADDRESSES! The Vermont Education Report reaches approximately 3,000 subscribers, but we'd like to grow our list. Do you know anyone who would enjoy reading the VER? Tell them to visit this web site to sign up for the VER. Or....have them send their email addresses to us at VTBetterEd@aol.com. Thanks!  FUNDRAISING BONUSES! Thanks to those who've responded to our annual plea for money! We still need more, though, to support the efforts of Vermonters for Better Education. Remember, we're one part-time staffer and a volunteer board - yet we've been able to play a major role in education policy in the state. Here's a special offer of thanks to donors who send in a check of $100 or more.... We'll send you a signed copy of David Kirkpatrick's 1997 booklet "School Choice: An Idea that Can't be Conquered." Kirkpatrick's columns frequently appear in this newsletter. This 30-page booklet was originally published by the Milton and Rose Friedman Foundation. For donors who contribute $300 or more... We'll send you a signed copy of a teen mystery inscribed to the child of your choice (provide the name with your donation) by the Edgar-nominated author herself (who also happens to be the editor of this newsletter). Bonus thank-you gifts are available while supplies last. Donors who sent in contributions in the past two months may request one of the bonus gifts by emailing Mailto:VTBetterEd@aol.com Send in your check today: VBE, 170 Church Street, Rutland, Vermont 05701. (If you'd prefer not to receive the thank-you bonuses, please let us know.) Thanks!   WHO COVERS EDUCATION IN VERMONT? We do! Consider a gift to Vermonters for Better Education, the publisher of the weekly Vermont Education Report, Vermont's ONLY continual source of education news. Send donations to: VBE, 170 Church Street, Rutland, Vermont 05701. VBE is a nonprofit organization and contributions are tax-deductible.  *   *   * The VERMONT EDUCATION REPORT is published by Vermonters for Better Education 170 Church Street, Rutland, VT 05701, 802.773.5240 Contact VTBetterEd@aol.com for more information.   Subscribe Here SubscribeRemove

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