Class of 2008: Then and now

http://www.thestate.com/education/story/413472.html
An interesting article from Friday's State Newspaper:

Posted on Fri, May. 23, 2008

The high school class of 2008 ventures out into a very different world from when it entered kindergarten in August 1995. Here’s a look at what was happening then and today’s reality.

Average price of a gallon of gas

Then: $1.17

Now: $3.68 (215 percent increase)

Price of a first-class stamp

Then: 32 cents

Now: 42 cents (31 percent increase)

Music

Then: Hootie and the Blowfish scored a Top 10 hit, “Only Wanna Be With You,” from its blockbuster album, “Cracked Rear View.”

Now: Fans of the four lads still “wanna be” with the good-time party band, which kicks off a 2008 summer tour June 26 in Biloxi, Miss.

Movies

Then: Pierce Brosnan starred as James Bond in “GoldenEye,” becoming the fifth actor to play the British MI6 agent on film.

Now: Daniel Craig is the sixth 007; he’s currently filming the 22nd Bond flick, “Quantum of Solace.”

Education

Then: After a protracted legal battle, Shannon Faulkner became the first female member of The Citadel’s Corps of Cadets, but citing stress, withdrew after five days on campus.

Now: Faulkner teaches language arts at the Hughes Academy of Science and Technology, a middle-school magnet program in Greenville County.

Politics

Then: Bill Clinton was half-way through his first term as president; George W. Bush was in his first term as governor of Texas.

Now: Bush is in his last year as president; Clinton has fading hopes to become the nation’s first “First Gentleman.”

Annual in-state tuition at Clemson

Then: $3,112

Now: $9,870 (217 percent increase)

Perseverance

Then: Iron man Cal Ripken set the standard in Major League baseball for consecutive games played (2,131).

Now: Sabrina Buster, Angelina Drumheller and Kyle Tomczak are on track to set the standard for their Irmo High School classmates with 12 years of perfect attendance (2,160 days).

Technology

Then: Microsoft launched “Windows 95,” a software program that revolutionized the use of desktop computers.

Now: Computers are no longer stationary, tied down by wiring and electricity. In fact, they can now fit in the palm of your hand.

Sports

Then: Pitchers John Smoltz and Tom Glavine were stalwarts on the Atlanta Braves, which won its only World Series championship that year against the Cleveland Indians.

Now: Smoltz and Glavine are battling injuries and old age in hopes of repeating that success 13 years ago.

Pop culture

Then: ESPN had two domestic cable outlets, including a spinoff channel, ESPN2.

Now: The “Worldwide Leader” has 15 distinctive TV broadcast operations and is looking to launch a version in Australia.

— Bill Robinson

York legislators named Champions for Public Education

The South Carolina School Boards Association (SCSBA) honored two York County legislators May 12 for their support of public schools and students - not only in York and surrounding counties, but statewide.

Senator Robert "Wes" Hayes, Jr., and the Representative Carl L. Gullick were presented with the SCSBA Champions for Public Education Award by SCSBA General Counsel Scott Price on behalf of the association.

Sen. Hayes and Rep. Gullick were nominated by the four school boards in York County, which commended Hayes and Gullick for their accessibility, openness and responsiveness. The four school boards include York School District One, Clover School District Two, Rock Hill School District Three, and the Fort Mill School District.

"In a time when we are having a tendency in our Legislature to move further and further away from local control of public education, it's encouraging to know that there are people who have the courage to go out on a limb on behalf of public education," said Rock Hill Three Board Chair Bob Norwood.

The award is presented quarterly to community residents, organizations or local businesses/industries whose support of and contributions to public education have significantly benefited the entire school district or public schools statewide. Nominations are open to the state's school boards and judged against the award's criteria to determine eligibility.

The four board chairs stated both Sen. Hayes and Rep. Gullick are always willing to meet with them, discuss legislative issues that impact local schools, and "makes sure that our voice is heard in Columbia."

"Sen. Hayes and Rep. Gullick are always reachable by telephone and approachable in person. They share their viewpoints openly and listen to school board members," said Rock Hill Three Board Member Walter Brown. "They are always supportive of public education, not only for our students but for all students in the state."

Sen. Hayes serves as a member of the Senate Education Committee and chairman of the Senate Education K-12 Subcommittee. He has represented District 15, serving York County since 1991. He also served in the House from 1985 to 1991. In addition to chairing the education subcommittee, he chairs the Senate Ethics Committee and serves as a member of the Banking and Insurance Committee, the Corrections and Penology Committee, and Finance Committee.

Rep. Gullick serves as a member of the House Education and Public Works Committee and a member of the K-12 Education Subcommittee. He has represented House District 48, serving York County since 2007.

"The invaluable service and leadership that Sen. Hayes and Rep. Gullick provide to the students not only in York County but statewide is greatly appreciated," said SCSBA Director Paul Krohne. "Both gentlemen recognize the crucial partnership between and State and local school boards. They are to be commended for standing up for public schools and for their continuous support of dedicated teachers, students, and parents who are building our state's future every day."

To receive the award, recipients must meet the following criteria:

§ shows leadership in support either of ongoing or special programs authorized by the school board;

§ demonstrates, through actions, pride for the school district and effectively works for the betterment of the schools in the district as a whole or for public schools statewide;

§ understands public education's importance to democratic society and does his/her/its part to inspire support for quality public schools within the community or state; and

§ makes a difference for the entire school district or schools statewide because of his/her/its involvement.

A nation at risk of distorted school critiques

This was an interesting OP ED in Sundays State Paper.

http://www.thestate.com/editorial-columns/story/408642.html
Posted on Sun, May. 18, 2008
By PAUL THOMAS
Guest Columnist
The 25th anniversary of “A Nation at Risk,” a sweeping condemnation of public education released under the Reagan administration, brings yet another report on the status of education in light of the reform movement spurred by the public outcry over Reagan’s National Commission on Excellence in Education.

The April release of “Democracy at Risk” continues our perennial need to chastise our schools — in this report, noting the failure of schools to reform and succeed despite tremendous and powerful mandates, primarily the No Child Left Behind Act. While “Democracy at Risk” buries some valuable conclusions and data within the report, ultimately it is just the latest in a long string of reports throughout the 20th and 21st centuries that have failed our democracy and our schools.

“A Nation at Risk” was a terribly flawed, politically biased and greatly distorted report. Gerald Holton, a member of the commission responsible for the report, revealed in 2003 that the Reagan administration directly charged the commission with a political agenda — not a research agenda.

In the past five years, Gerald Bracey and Tamim Ansary have also explained that the data used in “A Nation at Risk” to suggest the failure of America’s schools actually do not support the claims. SAT data, when analyzed by subgroups, suggested improvement, they explained. Bracey also revealed that “A Nation at Risk” had nine trendlines of data to consider, but only one of those trendlines was included in the report — the only one that suggested failure by the schools.

Things haven’t changed much in the past 25 years in the way we evaluate schools. Indeed, the problems in this latest report are the same problems that have plagued a generation worth of broad studies, distorting our perceptions of the schools, and thus warping our public policies with regard to them:

• Depending on averages (and simplistic charts) and rankings, which fail to provide any nuanced or substantial conclusions about schools. Averages necessarily distort data, and ranking is itself a fruitless practice when the context and suggestions of the ranking are arbitrary and dishonest. That we can rank does not ensure that we should rank, especially if we compare averages to averages.

• Setting out to directly or indirectly discredit some opposing ideology — instead of maintaining the integrity of assessing education based on the evidence. “Democracy at Risk” masks an indictment of No Child Left Behind as a discussion of school reform. Decade after decade finds political leaders using schools to promote ideology under the guise of resurrecting failing schools.

• Suggesting that schools are in a state of decline, and by inference that some Golden Age of education once existed. Neither is supported by evidence, by the history of public education in the United States. The latest report does point out that it’s not saying schools are worse today than in the “good old days” — but it buries that point, and does nothing to disabuse readers of the decades of blaming schools for our social ills. Regardless of political ideology, a political leader always benefits from proclaiming schools are failing so that leader can save them.

• Focusing on what we spend, how we spend and how we collect, in the latest effort actually making the very first recommendation about funding. Those who care deeply about the status of public education must begin a dialogue that focuses on teaching and learning without directly or indirectly calling for more funding.

Was our nation at risk in 1983? Is our democracy at risk today? And in both cases, is the primary source of those perceived risks the quality of our schools?

If we place these questions in the broad historical context of the 20th century, we see that at any moment over the past 100 years, such crisis rhetoric about schools has flourished — ironically, as the United States stood as the most prosperous and powerful country in the world. Our schools have been called Godless, our graduations rates have been challenged as deplorable, and student achievement always seems to be falling — in virtually ever single decade for a century.

These distorted outcries are primarily political and are ultimately of little value to our schools, our students, or our democracy.

Does our democracy need public schools that are excellent? Yes.
Are our schools successful? Often.
Do our schools fail? Yes. In all human endeavors, we will always have success and failure.
But when our democracy is at risk, it is not because of our schools. Our schools are a reflection of that risk, of all in our society that challenges our nation — poverty, second-language acquisition, careless and uncivil discourse, apathy about our roles as free people within a democracy.

Dr. Thomas, who teaches at Furman University, is the author of Numbers Games.

Email To SC Rep Gary Simrill Concerning Cigarette Tax

Hello again Gary --

 

Good to chat with you yesterday afternoon about the SC cigarette tax situation.

 

Here is some very pertinent and important local information I hope you will carefully consider going into next week's SC House debate on H.3567:

 

1)  As to the need for more annual state funding for youth tobacco health-risk / use-prevention education (viz., that is of sustained high quality and consistently reaches all 46 counties of our state over time):   

Attached is very recent information (in graph form) from Rock Hill Public School District #3 describing the troubling prevalence of under-legal-age, self-reported (so, potentially even these survey numbers are under-reported) tobacco product use by grade level.  Please particularly note the 35% self-reported smoking prevalence among 11th graders -- more than 1 out of every 3 students in that age range! 

[source: "Safe & Drug-Free Schools Survey Results 2007-2008" presentation by Dr. Luanne Kokolis and Susan York (Rock Hill Public School District #3 speakers), at the "All-on-Board" Rock Hill Town Meeting (held on 05/01/2008 from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM)] 

2)  As to your concern about the adverse effects on local small businesses of raising the SC per-pack tax on cigarettes, given that you represent a constituency in a "border county" with North Carolina (that might have a lower per-pack tax on cigarettes if our state were to raise its tax by more than 28-cents at this point in time) --  

a)  In the same Rock Hill Rock Hill Public School District #3 "Safe & Drug-Free Schools Survey" presentation on May 1st that I referenced for you in 1) above, students self-reported that they obtained tobacco products from:

• "Home"      26%
• "Friends"      7% 
• "Store"          4%  

The above numbers imply that we need a lot more effort to find out where the other 63% of the time our local Rock Hill Public School District #3 students, who are under-legal-age for purchasing tobacco products, are actually getting them! 

 

b)  In the "2006 South Carolina Youth Tobacco Survey" [published in June, 2007; full report can be accessed online at http://www.scdhec.net/health/chcdp/tobacco/yts.htms],  statewide data on "Usual Source of Cigarettes" [printed page 18] breaks down as follows:

• Middle School current smokers 
  • Borrowed / "Bummed"                         21.2%
  • OTHER                                                    20.2%
  • Gave someone $ to buy                       19.4% 
  • Took from store or family member      17.7%
  • Given by someone > 18 years old      10.5%
  • Bought in a store                                     9.0 %
  • Bought from a vending machine         1.9% 

• High School current smokers who are under age 18
  • Gave someone $ to buy                       31.6% 
  • Borrowed / "Bummed"                          21.8%
  • Bought in a store                                 21.5 %
  • OTHER                                                     11.2%
  • Given by someone > 18 years old         8.9%
  • Took from store or family member        4.3%
  • Bought from a vending machine         0.7%  

c)  And, also in the "2006 South Carolina Youth Tobacco Survey", statewide data on "Place of Cigarette Purchase" and "ID Request and Refusal to Sell to Minors" [printed pages 19 and 20, respectively -- please see the attached excerpted pages (PDF file) for your convenience] are quite attention-getting.  Note that the survey results displayed on both pages are for "current smokers under 18 years of age":

• Middle schoolers & place of purchase  (see page 19)
  • [Gas stations + Convenience stores]  =  44.7%   yikes!
  • OTHER  =  47.5%     << more effort needed here especially -- statewide!

• High schoolers & place of purchase  (see page 19)
  • [Gas stations + Convenience stores]  =  61.5%   yikes!
  • OTHER  =  28.1% 

• ID request & Refusal to Sell to Minors  (see page 20) 
  • more than 60% of the time NEITHER ID request NOR sales refusal were reported as happening to the students surveyed -- regardless of whether it was an underage middle schooler or an underage high schooler trying to buy the cigarettes! 

If, as you mentioned to me yesterday, you are legislatively advocating for local small businesses in York County, when you talk with them about their stance on raising our SC cigarette tax in relation to North Carolina's cigarette tax, please first be sure they are doing their part and abiding by the Youth Access to Tobacco Prevention Act of 2006 [Section 16-17-500, as amended, Code of Laws of SC, 1976 (effective August 21, 2006)], which as you well know, states that: 

"... youth under the age of 18 years must not purchase, attempt to purchase, possess, or attempt to possess a tobacco product, or present or offer proof of age that is false or fraudulent for the purpose of purchasing or possessing a tobacco product". 

 

 [for more related info you can pass on to local small businesses, see also, http://www.scdhec.net/health/chcdp/tobacco/access.htm]

As one of your long-time SC House District 46 constituents, thank you very much in advance for your additional, careful attention to the very important issues at hand here related to the fair and properly-appropriated taxation of cigarettes in our state, especially as regards the future health of youth in our state.  And, remember, the single-most effective deterrent to underage youth smokers becoming regular daily smokers is product price.

 

And, thank you also in advance for your careful consideration of my specific concerns regarding our state's management of the major states' Tobacco Settlement Agreement revenues paid into the specially-legislated Healthcare Tobacco Settlement Trust Fund [SC Code of Laws, Section 11-11-170, (B) (1)] since 2002. 

 

As a physician who, over the past couple of decades, has done his part working long-and-hard to try to improve the health of all my individual patients (and especially those who legally purchase and, despite my best preventive health counseling efforts, choose to continue to smoke and/or chew/dip tobacco products); and, who has also worked diligently at the doctor's office and community level to support the education of all youth and young adults throughout our county about the serious health risks of tobacco smoking -- I am now particularly looking for you to work hard from your public-policy-setting vantage point as my state legislator to do the same on the "costly tobacco problem" we all are having to bear in our state.  

 

For the entire 32 years of my medical career, cigarette smoking has remained THE NUMBER ONE preventable cause of disease and death in our state and throughout our nation.    When are "we" as a society going to finally get it together enough to finally knock cigarette smoking out of that #1 preventable cause position!

 

Well, here's your opportunity to provide some inspired, "common sense" leadership in the House debate next week on this historic issue -- Wes Hayes has done his part over the past couple of months in the Senate -- now it's your turn!     

 

Please feel free to call me [CP: 417-2770, 8 AM to 9 PM, Mon.-Sat., 1 PM to 9 PM Sun.] if you have any questions.

 

Best regards,

Dave  Keely 

 

1783 Sharonwood Lane

Rock Hill, SC 29732

 

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The problem with "local control"

Here is a post ( http://www.edexcellence.net/flypaper/index.php/2008/05/the-problem-with-local-control/ )  from Fordham's Education Gadfly Team. I think the truth is somewhere between their position and the position of the National School Boards Association. Read the comment and the articles and tell me what you think.

Jim

"To see but one example of why we can’t trust local school boards to lead meaningful reform efforts, see this post from the National School Boards Association (NSBA). Regarding this recent Wall Street Journal article on No Child Left Behind’s lack of “bite” for failing schools, NSBA says:

If the system that judges school performance is innately flawed, should we be rushing to sanction these “failing” schools or should we be rushing to fix the system? Until NCLB gets its diagnosis right, schools should not be forced to make radical changes that are disruptive to students and their learning environment.

Well, yes, NCLB surely labels some schools as “needing improvement” that are pretty decent, such as those that are succeeding for most of their students but not for kids with learning disabilities, or those that are not up to standards yet but are making big gains over time. But all evidence indicates that the vast majority of “failing” schools are just that, and we shouldn’t waste any more time (or come up with any more excuses) before we intervene aggressively in them. NSBA’s proposal is a prescription for paralysis. Which is fitting, because most local school boards have resisted real reform forever."

Rock Hill Schools Information for May 14

More Honors for Rock Hill Schools
Rock Hill Schools has been chosen as the Risk Control District of the Year by the S. C. School Boards Insurance Trust. Assoc. Supt. Bill Mabry and Brian Vaughan, facilities manager, will receive the award in Columbia on May 15. RHS has also been cited for implementing safety programs throughout the district and, as a result, qualifies for a five percent credit in the Workers' Compensation premium for the 2008-09 fiscal year.

Our Finance Department has been selected by the Government Finance Officers Assn. to receive a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. This certificate is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

Noteworthy
<"Movers," a summer camp for males interested in non-traditional healthcare careers, will be offered June 9-13 at the Applied Technology Center.

<Congratulations to Col Arthur Ahl and Chief Johnny Neal, from Northwestern, on making the Air Force Junior ROTC Outstanding Instructor listing. This is the highest recognition an AFJROTC instructor can receive.

<On May 9 and 10, Brooke Rice, choral and musical theatre director at Rawlinson Road, led the Festival Singers in the Music in the Parks Music Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. The ensemble of 10 singers received a rating of "excellent" and placed first in the AA Middle School Mixed Choral Ensemble Division.

<The Elementary Honors Choir will present its spring concert at 3:00 p.m. Sun., May 18, in the sanctuary of Oakland Baptist Church. Admission will be free. Directed by Becky Staton (York Road) and accompanied by Gwen Colter (Independence), the choir is comprised of 54 talented fourth and fifth-graders.

<The annual Brett Ringer Golf Tournament, which honors the son of former RHH athletic director, Jim Ringer, has been scheduled for Thursday, June 19, at Pinetuck Golf Course. .

<Zipporah Little, coordinator of the Power of Mentoring program, has scheduled an appreciation drop-in from 5:00-6:30 on Monday, May 19, to honor the mentors currently working in our schools. Also attending will be the mentees and their parents.

<Northwestern High School will have dedication services for their new memorial garden/performing arts area at 2:30 pm on Sunday, May 18

<The Northwestern Boys Soccer Team will play in the South Carolina AAAA championship game on Saturday, May 17 beginning around 7 pm.  The game will be played at the University of South Carolina Soccer Stadium.  This is the 5th time in 6 years that Northwestern has played in the game.  This years opponent - as during the previous two years - will be Spring Valley out of Richland Two School District.

2008 - 09 Rock Hill Schools Budget Information (Preliminary)

Estimated 08-09 Revenue Before any tax increase $125,900,000
Available from a 6 mil tax increase (max allowed)                    1,300,000
Dropping Fund Balance to minimum                             1,200,000
Total available for next years budget                   $128,400,000

Approximate District Budget                             $130,000,000

Shortfall                                                       $   1,600,000

Expected balance from 2007-08 operating year is between $1.5 and $3.0 million. The balance, if any, will not be known until late July or August.

Board Policy - Fund Balance DFAC states, "a positive fund balance will guide the board to maintain a positive balance sufficient to afford 50 - 60 days of operating reserves".  50 days is 13.7% of the budget amount and 60 days is 16.4%. Board Policy - Board-Superintendent Relationship BDD states, "The superintendent will Prepare and submit an annual budget" and policy Annual Budget DB states, "The superintendent will have overall responsibility for budget preparation".

The fund balance currently stands at about $19.2 million. The board can suspend policy and use the  balance to fully fund the 08-09 operating budget or it can hold the line to existing revenues and require the administration to reduce the budget by $4.1 million - or it can do something in between.  What are your thoughts.

Jim