Newpapers

Newpapers; 3/23/06
Tweet Topic Started: Mar 24 2006, 12:31 AM (85 Views)
NFarquharson	Mar 24 2006, 12:31 AM Post #1
Principal Posts: 4,311 Group: Members Member #103 Joined: November 9, 2005	From the Livonia Observer: http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/.../603230635/1027 Livonia shows its colors in Legacy debate BY STEPHANIE ANGELYN CASOLA STAFF WRITER Red signs and blue signs now color the landscape of neighborhoods within Livonia Public Schools school district. The red signs, which began popping up on lawns early this year, represent dissatisfaction with the Board of Education and show support for a recall of five current trustees. The Citizens for Livonia's Future, a grassroots group opposing the district -- and its Legacy Initiative to close and reconfigure schools -- have made those signs available. In recent weeks, blue signs have been added to lawns across Livonia and Westland, calling instead for support of the school district "for kids' sake." They are the work of Livonia residents like Jerry Kmieciak and his wife, Peggy Fisher Kmieciak, who have spearheaded a Support Livonia campaign. "As everyone looks about the community, there is growing evidence of support," said Kmieciak Monday. He said the appearance of "Support Livonia" buttons "are a reflection of trust in the school district and school board." But some parents said they've purchased both signs. Rather than an indicator of indecision, parent Eileen McDonnell said "a lot of people opposed to the Legacy plan are buying the blue signs too because we do support our community." As the Legacy debate goes on, employees like Tim Bestwetherick are standing up for their school district. As president of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees Local 118, Bestwetherick said the appearance of red recall signs around the community has angered him. He said the current school board has worked to build a bridge and to communicate with unions like his, which represents transportation and maintenance workers. He disagreed with sentiments he's heard from CFLF members. "The Legacy plan is not an agenda," said Bestwetherick. "Our members were involved, too. We stand behind it. We believe in it." But for parents like Colleen Summers, the plan has lead to drastic measures. She informed the school board Monday she plans to take her two children out of the district and has enrolled them in St. Genevieve School. And she isn't the only one. Summers named five Roosevelt students who will go to parochial school next fall. "You can choose to stop this right now," she said. "Stop it before it's too late and invite us to be part of a plan we can all live with and be proud of." Purchase Support Livonia signs by sending e-mail to livoniakids@yahoo.com or calling (734) 953-1044, or purchase Recall signs by sending e-mail to lpsproposalsrbad@sbcglobal.net. scasola@hometownlife.com \| (734) 953-2054 Originally published March 23, 2006 ____________________________________ http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...331/1199/NEWS10 School district aims to keep focus on student learning Student learning is what the school board is about above all other concerns. Student learning should drive all decisions, including hiring, policy and spending. It should be the strict and focused benchmark that we constantly measure ourselves against. What is ironic though, is many of our largest discussions and discourse have become not primarily about STUDENT LEARNING. Take the Legacy Initiative. We have read over and over again that the Legacy Initiative is all about saving money. And while there is some bottom line savings with this well thought-out plan, the Legacy Initiative does so much more than that. This program consolidates buildings and assets so that resources can better be directed to STUDENT LEARNING. The Legacy Initiative, developed through extensive research and collaboration, by the LPS Demographics Committee, gives Livonia Public Schools the tools needed in the continuous improvement cycle. This innovative configuration allows our building staffs to narrow their focus and bring together like grade teachers to collaborate to become more effective experts in our students' education. This reorganization will redeploy staff and assets so that we will improve STUDENT LEARNING. In these times, when districts around us are facing the same financial constraints and dwindling resources that challenge Livonia Public Schools, many are doing all they can to hang on. Livonia Public Schools took a different tact. Rather than simply surviving these tough economic times, the district decided that while we remain fiscally responsible to this community we would develop a plan to improve STUDENT LEARNING. State and federal mandates continue to evolve and far more is being asked to provide our children with broader extensive learning than they have ever been privileged to receive before. The demands for our teaching and learning support staffs have never been this rigorous and they are responding to the challenge. At the same time, this board must continuously strive to offer the best environment and processes, not only to support, but as an innovative springboard in the pursuit of excellence in STUDENT LEARNING. We have been criticized for many things this past couple of months. Citizens have implored us not to move too fast and postpone this plan for another year of study. And understandably, these parents are thinking of their households, their students, their neighborhood and the school in that neighborhood. To reverse this line of thought, if any parent realized that we sat on a plan to improve STUDENT LEARNING, for a year, to study, plan and "ease transition," meaning that our students would lose a year of opportunity, well that would be a severe injustice. And while we certainly understand and acknowledge those parents that are looking out for their own children, neighborhood and school community, the board simply does not have that luxury. This plan creates the best opportunities for improved STUDENT LEARNING for our K-6 students, given the constraints of our budget. Having come to that conclusion, delaying the implementation by one year would be irresponsible. So the LPS board will continue to do what is best for our students. We will continue to challenge the staff and administration to be the very best with the pursuit of excellence through continuous improvement. We will continue to be fiscally responsible to a community that has always wholly supported doing what's best for our children. We will be academically responsible to our students, parents and community by meeting and exceeding ever increasing state and federal measurable mandates. We will continue to push innovation in education, so that our children will be able to successfully compete in the ever-compressing global environment. We will commit to all 17,000-plus students in this district and their families that our decisions will benefit all children. We will pledge to keep what is most important at the forefront of all decisions. And what is most important is STUDENT LEARNING. Kevin Whitehead is a Livonia Public Schools trustee. Originally published March 23, 2006 _____________________________________ http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...329/1199/NEWS10 Oz-has-spoken attitude American author Grace Speare once wrote, "Welcome every problem as an opportunity. Each moment is the great challenge, the best thing that ever happened to you. The more difficult the problem, the greater the challenge in working it out." After reading the many newspaper articles, editorials and letters to the editor, no one can doubt that the Livonia school district is faced with serious problems. In this regard, it is unfortunate that the Board of Education decided to limit its perception of the district's problems and rush to adopt its own self-interested solutions. Even worse is the board's decision to take on an "Oz-has-spoken!" attitude and stymie all debate on the matter. The school district would be much better served if the board would realize the opportunities that could be gained by approaching the challenge with a perspective like, "There's no place like home." Livonia is a wonderful place to live. It became, and remains, a great place to live because of its talented, resourceful and industrious residents. The outstanding caliber of Livonia's residents is exhibited by the people who have organized under the banner of Citizens For Livonia's Future (CFLF). Being motivated by only the desire to provide the best educational experience for their children, in a few short months, this group has developed a capable leadership team, a communication network, a social organization, a legal defense structure and a growing number of volunteers and supporters. A visit to this group's professional-looking Web site will uncover valuable information ranging from current events to educational resources to invitations to spaghetti dinners and family bowling fund-raisers. It's astounding how much this group has accomplished, and continues to achieve, with only a strong sense of determination and the financial generosity of its supporters. In light of the resourcefulness of the CFLF parents and grandparents, together with the fact that the current and a former mayor of Livonia have aligned with the group, I find it incredible that the board would rather deny the existence of CFLF instead of opening a meaningful dialogue. I truly believe that, by having the entire community working together on our school district's problems, we would realize an opportunity to develop a school system that would likely exceed any one group's expectations. Gary Evanko Livonia School board not the problem I believe in the many freedoms that we in the United States are fortunate enough to enjoy. In my opinion, freedom of speech is one of the most precious. I am happy to see that when people don't agree with the Board of Education's decisions that they will attend board meetings to voice their concerns and make their voices heard. As taxpayers and parents, I feel it is our right to have our questions answered and our concerns addressed by those who are making the decisions regarding the education of our children. I have always felt that our Board of Education has given the parents and residents of Livonia their full consideration in the actions they take. The Legacy Initiative did not happen overnight. Lansing and the federal government for many years have not been funding public education adequately. Dr. Liepa has had to deal with that situation while striving to maintain the quality education that Livonia residents have come to expect. For the last two years, Dr. Liepa has advertised his intentions in districtwide publications that he was interested in hearing from the entire community regarding the future of our children's education and repeatedly invited all citizens to join in the initial formulation of the Legacy Initiative. I feel very fortunate to have a superintendent and board who are genuinely concerned about the community's concerns as well as being diligent in finding out the facts, doing the projections and utilizing accurate data to determine the capability of providing the quality education necessary to guide our children in becoming productive members of our community. Unfortunately, the group of people who took it upon themselves to file a lawsuit against the Board of Education are ultimately harming their own children by forcing the school district to expend funds defending their actions at a time when every penny counts in educating our children. I would like to urge those citizens who are exercising their constitutional rights to undermine our superintendent and Board of Education's efforts to instead focus their energy in contacting our senator and state representatives. They are the ones who are not adequately funding our children's public educations. They are the people who should be held accountable for forcing our district to take the current measures necessary to maintain adequate public education in Livonia. Cecelia A. Bushery Livonia



NFarquharson	Mar 24 2006, 12:34 AM Post #2
Principal Posts: 4,311 Group: Members Member #103 Joined: November 9, 2005	From the Westland Observer: http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...567/1041/NEWS24 Children's lack of motor skills impacts learning BY STEPHANIE ANGELYN CASOLA STAFF WRITER A child's ability to skip and jump rope in kindergarten might mean more to success in school than parents realize. That's a key point made by Bob Sornson, an educator and founder of the Early Learning Foundation, during a presentation March 15 at Garfield Elementary School. Sornson asked parents not to underestimate the importance of early language skills, sensory motor skills and a child's early elementary experience. He said how a child sees himself or herself as a learner, a reader, and a problem-solver by age 9 is "pretty much how you stay the rest of your life." And activities like running, jumping and skipping are important indicators of learning success later on in life. "Many kids are coming to school with language delays," said Sornson. "Many kids are coming to school with sensory motor delays." He explained that children are starting school with poor balance, and social and behavioral issues. He attributed all those concerns to children's exposure to too much television or too many video games -- rather than playing outdoors with other children and being active. "Nothing out there (on TV) is nearly as good as human interaction," he said, "real interaction with real human beings." During his presentation Improving Motor Skills to Strengthen Learning for Life," Sornson shared the following statistics. He said the average elementary student watches more than 30 hours of a television a week, in addition to videos and computer games. The recommended amount of time is under two hours of television, or no television time at all. And Sornson noted that children experience 40 percent less play movement and exercise than kids did 40 years ago. He said that lack of movement can have a significant impact on brain development and on learning. "They're not ready to be successful in the early years," he said. Sornson said children need stimulation in order for their bodies and brains to develop properly. They need to play and to interact. To develop balance, children can ride bicycles, jump rope, walk or inline skate. "Almost everything you do engages your balance system," said Sornson. "We've seen more children with compromised balance systems." A good indicator of motor skill development, according to Sornson, is whether a child can skip smoothly and gracefully by the end of kindergarten. He said skipping requires both sides of the brain to work together, as do jumping jacks. In an effort to promote exercise and movement, some elementary buildings within Livonia Public Schools offer the parent volunteer-based Motor Moms and Dads program. Taking brief breaks from their classroom instruction, children in grades K-2 will run through a series of activities in the hallway. Parents oversee the activities. The stations often include balance beam, hopscotch, sit 'n' spin, balance toss and crossover step. Each activity helps enhance a child's motor skill development. Both the Motor Moms and Dads program and the recent presentation by Sornson are part of a districtwide effort to meet the needs of today's preschool students and early elementary students. Ready Set Go! is an early learning initiative in Livonia Public Schools which supports the development of young children by offering learning activities, strategies for discipline and helpful hints for parents. It grew out of the work of a committee of elementary principals, starting in 1999. Joan Johnson, supervisor of preschool programs at Jackson Early Childhood Center, said the committee has been working to find new and different ways to reach out to parents and to preschoolers. And the initiative continues to grow and expand throughout the district. The next Ready Set Go! event will feature an evening for parents titled Creating Magic, Supporting School -- Success by Reading to Your Preschooler. It will be 6:30-7:45 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, at the Livonia Civic Center Library, Farmington Road south of Five Mile in Livonia. Call (734) 744-2765, Ext. 28103, to register for this free, adults-only program. For more information on Ready Set Go! visit http://www.livonia.k12.mi.us/rsg/events.html. Originally published March 23, 2006



NFarquharson	Mar 24 2006, 12:44 AM Post #3
Principal Posts: 4,311 Group: Members Member #103 Joined: November 9, 2005	From the Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../603230401/1026 Thursday, March 23, 2006 David Coates / The Detroit News Malikha Bell picks up her kids at Dixon Elementary. Hundreds of teachers did not show up Wednesday, and 53 district schools had to shut their doors. Sick-out sends 36,000 kids home About 23 percent of Detroit schools forced to close after hundreds of teachers don't show in pay dispute. Christine MacDonald / The Detroit News W. Edwin Smith/ The Detroit News "If our teachers are out, it's because they are sick," says DFT President Janna Garrison, who wouldn't acknowledge Wednesday teachers were staying away from school in protest. See full image By the numbers About 7,000 classroom teachers and 3,000 support staff work are employed by the district. 235 schools comprise the district. 36,000 students were affected by Wednesday's closings. Nearly 800 Detroit teachers staged a sick-out on Wednesday, resulting in the closure of 54 elementary schools. The action apparently was intended to protest pay raises for principals while teachers are lending the district five days' pay. Is this a reasonable way to protest? Click here to vote DETROIT -- The struggling city school district's often raucous relationship with its largest union boiled over Wednesday, when hundreds of teachers were no-shows in an apparent sick-out over pay increases for principals. The absence of instructors shut down 53 of the district's 235 schools, forcing about 36,000 students to walk home, catch the bus or get picked up by parents. Many parents weren't aware of the school closures until late in the morning because district officials were slow to get a complete list out to local media. Classes are expected to resume today at all schools. The continued strife means the district faces challenging contract negotiations with teachers while grappling with reducing growing debt and stemming student losses. District officials say they won't pay teachers who were out Wednesday, unless they prove they were ill, and they wouldn't rule out pursuing discipline. On Tuesday, an estimated 1,500 teachers indicated they would not be in class. On Wednesday, district officials couldn't say exactly how many were no-shows because the chief human resource officer was out sick, officials said. The average number of teachers who call in sick daily is about 300. Wednesday's closures are the latest in a string of recent run-ins over money between Superintendent William Coleman III and the Detroit Federation of Teachers, which was close to a strike in August before reaching a one-year contract agreement. Tylithia Mack was a charter school parent willing to give Detroit schools another try and enrolled her kids in the district Tuesday. But classes were canceled shortly after she dropped off her four kids. "Every time you turn around there is something about the (Detroit Public Schools)," said Mack, who was forced to lug her kids around the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center for five hours while her husband resolved a court case. "They spend more time out of school than in school. They should have had a plan." Teachers are upset that they are "loaning" the district five days' pay at the same time most principals are expected to get raises ranging from 4.7 percent to 10.6 percent. The loan is part of a one-year contract the DFT reached with the district. Principals argue their pay increase isn't a raise because they took a 10 percent pay cut in the last school year, and administrators say they need the pay boost to keep and attract principals. In addition to higher prescription co-pays and frozen sick days, the average union member this year will see $1,636 less in pay but is expected to get the five days of pay back in future years, as district officials promised. A majority of the district's other unions took wage and benefit concessions of anywhere between 2 to 10 percent last year. On Tuesday, Detroit teachers lent the first of those five days' pay. Teachers have four more pay days in which they'd lose a day's pay, leaving open the possibility the district could see more sick-outs. DFT President Janna Garrison wouldn't acknowledge Wednesday that teachers were staying away from school in protest. "If our teachers are out, it's because they are sick," Garrison said. DFT officials had said Tuesday they were urging their 10,000 members to show up or risk discipline if they couldn't explain their absence. Steve Conn, a Cass Tech high school teacher and the founder of a faction of the DFT called Civil Rights Action Now, said Wednesday's mass absences was a protest and teachers are also upset about large class sizes and a lack of supplies. "There's not doubt this was a protest and it was � a critically needed protest to indicate to the board they have to break with the old appointed board's rotten policies," Conn said. Garrison did say Wednesday that teachers are fed up with Coleman's decision to raise principals' pay. "You can't ask us to sacrifice like this and give raises to someone else," Garrison said. Garrison said Coleman's "lack of integrity" over the principals' pay will make contact negotiations difficult. Coleman said he's committed to resolving the rift but is worried that it could drive more students away. The district lost at least 11,450 students this school year. "We don't believe (teachers) should be taking a contract dispute out on the children of Detroit," he said. Diann Woodard, who represents the district's principals, criticized the teachers' decision to stay home. "We would never hold schools hostage for our own self-aggrandizement," said Woodard, president of the Detroit Organization of School Administrators and Supervisors. Henry McDuffy was frustrated when he picked up his two grandsons from Dixon Elementary.He said he understands the teachers' complaints, but was upset kids were affected. "There has got to be another way to deal with it rather than keep kids out of school," he said. "It's an ugly situation." You can reach Christine MacDonald at (313) 222-2269 or cmacdonald@detnews.com. _____________________________________ http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../603230331/1026 Thursday, March 23, 2006 Fla. teachers' salary tied to test scores Critics say effort won't work because it doesn't account for pupils' total educational experience. Peter Whoriskey / Washington Post HIALEAH, Fla. -- A new pay-for-performance program for Florida's teachers will tie raises and bonuses directly to pupils' standardized-test scores beginning next year, marking the first time a state has so closely linked the wages of individual school personnel to their students' exam results. The effort, now being adopted by local districts, is viewed as a landmark in the movement to restructure American schools by having them face the same kind of competitive pressures placed on private enterprise, and advocates say it could serve as a national model to replace traditional teacher pay plans that award raises based largely on academic degrees and years of experience. Gov. Jeb Bush, R, has characterized the new policy, which bases a teacher's pay on improvements in test scores, as a matter of common sense, asking, "What's wrong about paying good teachers more for doing a better job?" Unions unhappy But teachers unions and some education experts say any effort to evaluate teachers exclusively on test-score improvements will not work, because schools are not factories and their output is not so easily measured. An exam, they say, cannot measure how much teachers have inspired students, or whether they have instilled in them a lifelong curiosity. Moreover, some critics say, the explicit profit motive could overshadow teacher-student relationships. "Standardized tests don't measure everything in a child's life in school," said Andy Ford, president of the Florida Education Association, which is appealing the new pay policy to a state administrative judge. "We should take a look at the total education and not just what they can put on a bubble sheet." Top teachers get bonuses The centerpiece of the new effort, known as E-Comp, requires all school districts in Florida to identify the top 10 percent of each variety of teacher and award them a 5 percent salary supplement. For an educator earning the average teacher salary in Florida of $41,578, that amounts to just over $2,000. Controversy surrounds how that top 10 percent of teachers will be identified. Those who teach state test subjects -- basically math and reading -- will be ranked exclusively according to how much their students have improved their scores over the previous year. Teachers will earn points when they advance their students from one level of proficiency to another. Those who teach other subjects must also be ranked according to "objective" measures that the districts are supposed to design. State officials overseeing those efforts are pushing to have teachers evaluated on test scores and other objective assessments, even for subjects such as music and art. A music test, for example, might involve playing a selection and asking students what type of music was played, officials said. ________________________________________ http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../603230327/1026 Thursday, March 23, 2006 Phil Coale / Associated Press Andrew Zoghbi, 17, left, and his sister, Lila Zoghbi, 15, are honor students at Chiles High School in Tallahassee. But they maintain that they are not getting enough preparation for their careers. Gov. Jeb Bush wants incoming freshman to select a major like they would in college. Fla. may require high school major Gov. Jeb Bush pushes proposal, says it would help prepare students better for the real world. Andrea Fanta / Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Lila and Andrew Zoghbi are bored five days a week in classes at Chiles High School. It's not that they are slackers. In fact, they are honor students with high ambitions. Lila, 15, plans to be an engineer, and her brother, 17, wants to design video games. The problem, they say, is that school is not giving them the career preparation they want. "It's just stuff I don't think I'm really going to need for the job I want," Lila said. "I'd probably like it if I had more things to help me in the future." Students like the Zoghbis would get an education more tailored to their career plans under a proposal from Gov. Jeb Bush that education experts say would make Florida the first state to require incoming high school freshmen to declare a major, just like college students. Real world implications Bush said the plan would help prepare students better for the real world and reduce the dropout rate by making school more interesting. Last year, nearly 3 percent of Florida's 800,000 high school students dropped out. "We don't want them to drop out of school or be unprepared to take on the challenges of the 21st century," the governor said. "It's a really smart way to make high school more relevant and prepare young people for what college will hold." How it would work Under Florida's plan, high school students would be able to major in such subjects as humanities, English, communications, math, science, history, social studies, arts, foreign languages and vocational skills. They would also have to declare a minor. For example, to prepare for her career, Lila would have to earn four credits in major courses like engineering, space technology and physics, 15 core credits in courses like math, science and English and 5 minor credits in elective courses like drama, zoology and Spanish. The plan goes before the state House for a final vote today day and then would have to be approved in the Senate. Support and opposition Some educators support the plan, while others fear it will deprive students of a broad liberal arts education and put even more pressure on young people. "People want to know why college admissions is so frenzied and why kids can't be kids anymore. It's things like this that are at the root of it," said Bari Meltzer Norman, a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling and associate director of college counseling at Ben Lipson Hillel Community High School in North Miami Beach. Mary Exum, a Pensacola area science teacher, warned that most high school freshmen may not be mature enough to decide which track they will follow for four years. Most college students change their majors several times, she said. Under the plan, students could change their majors and still graduate as long as they earned 24 high school credits. Exum said the state should look to teachers, and not a new required program, to relieve classroom boredom. "Schools should provide more vocational and educational opportunities that are missing for students," she said. Burdened counselors feared Even educators who support the plan are worried that school counselors would be overwhelmed in trying to provide the intensive guidance students would need. She and her brother approve of the governor's plan. "It's still a required class -- it's not like it's going to be super-fun -- but at least you're getting stuff out of the way quicker, and getting prepared," Andrew said. At least 13 other states require schools to offer different study tracks, and most offer vocational training, career preparation classes and the opportunity to earn college credit for some courses. But none have gone as far as Florida would with majors and minors, said Sunny Deye, a policy specialist with the National Conference of State Legislatures. _______________________________________ http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../603230349/1026 Thursday, March 23, 2006 Students could start college early, get tuition help Up to $3,437 in state money would follow high-schoolers under bill proposed by House GOP. Associated Press / LANSING -- Students would be able to leave high school for college early and get some money to help pay for it under proposed legislation highlighted by House Republicans. The legislation would allow students to enroll in community colleges or universities after completing their sophomore year of high school. Half of the state aid that is attached to each student in a Michigan K-12 public school would follow the student to the college, helping to pay for tuition. Students would get their high school diploma if they successfully complete two years of college. The legislation could be folded into the ongoing debate about high school graduation requirements and dual enrollment plans in Michigan. "We need to provide more options for students who want to move ahead in education," Rep. Jack Hoogendyk said Tuesday. The Kalamazoo Republican is a sponsor of the legislation. Hoogendyk introduced similar legislation a few years ago that went nowhere, but said he is hopeful the legislation will be welcomed this time around. His effort has the support of House Speaker Craig DeRoche of Novi, who said it will better prepare Michigan's future work force. Liz Boyd, a spokeswoman for Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm, said the dual high school and college enrollment issue already is being explored. The state last year received a National Governors Association grant to study how to increase the number of students taking college courses during their high school years. It follows a recommendation by a committee exploring how to boost the number of college graduates in the state. "I'm sure the implementation team will look at the (Republican) proposal to see how it measures up," Boyd said. The Hoogendyk legislation would provide students with up to $3,437 a year for college tuition. Students would first have to complete half the high school credits needed for graduation or score in the top 20 percent on a college entrance exam. Students could participate in the program if they are between the ages of 15 and 19 and enrolled in a public school. Supporters say the legislation could make college more affordable for some. Another benefit could be encouraging more students to pursue advanced degrees because they would be able to get early starts on college. "This is about educating the work force," DeRoche said. ____________________________________ http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../603230333/1026 Thursday, March 23, 2006 Schools fight over access to Mideast book Ontario districts limit availability to older children, setting off censorship complaints. Joe Friesen / Toronto Globe and Mail TORONTO -- A book about the lives of Palestinian and Israeli children is the subject of a heated war of words after several school boards decided to restrict pupils' access to it in elementary schools. The book, "Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak," by Canadian author Deborah Ellis, is among 20 books selected by librarians for the Silver Birch award, which is decided by the votes of fourth- through sixth-graders. It contains a passage in which a Palestinian girl discusses her sister's decision to become a suicide bomber. Earlier this year, the Canadian Jewish Congress wrote a letter asking the Ontario Library Association to reconsider whether the book was appropriate for children of all ages. It sent the same letter to school boards across the province. The Toronto District School Board then withdrew the book from library shelves and restricted access to students in seventh grade or higher. School boards in York Region, Niagara, Ottawa and Essex County have also either refused to stock the book, restricted access or discouraged its use. PEN Canada and the Writers' Union have accused the CJC and the school boards of censorship. At a news conference chaired by Patsy Aldana, publisher of Three Wishes, PEN board member Alan Cumyn said his group was dismayed by the Toronto board's decision to limit access to children of a certain age. "We believe it sets a dangerous precedent, practically inviting special-interest groups to bombard school boards and school libraries with protests about other particular groups. We think it's going to open up the floodgates," Cumyn said. "Hiding books is an idea that died a deserved death a long time ago and shouldn't be resurrected by, of all things, a school board." Ron Brown of the Writers' Union called on teachers and librarians to stand up to their boards and resist the imposition of the restrictions. The school board said any group that accuses it of censorship is misguided. Board Chairwoman Sheila Ward said the book is still available to any teacher who wants to use it in class, but it was deemed inappropriate for use by young pupils. "We make those kind of judgments all the time. It's not about censorship, it's about putting books in front of children that they can understand and learn from," Ward said. "Good school boards have done this forever." ____________________________________ http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...40/1026/SCHOOLS Thursday, March 23, 2006 Video games help students love learning They are a fact of life for most kids; there's no proof they improve test scores. Matthew Yi / San Francisco Chronicle It used to take Ariana Gutierrez 11 minutes to run a mile. Now, the 15-year-old says she can do it in seven minutes, thanks to the Dance Dance Revolution video game in her physical education class. "I think it's pretty awesome," said the eighth-grader at Delano Middle School in California's San Joaquin Valley. "It's a better way to work out. P.E. used to be boring, but I really enjoy it now." Video games, once criticized as a waste of time for kids, are becoming increasingly popular among teachers in such subject areas as physical education, social studies and history. Video games have been used in the classroom "on and off for about 10 years. But you really see it happening now and ... you see more teachers doing this," said Kurt Squire, a former Montessori and primary school teacher who is assistant professor of education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. History-based computer games like Civilization and Age of Empires as well as life-simulating titles like Sims 2 and the city planning game SimCity are creeping into the curriculum of many classrooms, Squire said. Konami Digital Entertainment's Dance Dance Revolution received a stamp of approval from West Virginia officials, who announced a deal last month to have the fast-paced dancing game in all of the state's 765 public schools to help combat child obesity. Educators are increasingly recognizing that video games are a big part of the lives of their students. It helps that many younger teachers have also grown up playing video games, experts say. "It is a fact of life for most kids," said Carrie Heeter, professor of digital media design at Michigan State University. "Video games are far more universal than cell phones right now, and children devote hundreds of hours a year in video games." In her survey of 524 fifth- through eighth-graders in Michigan and California, Heeter found that only 7 percent of girls and 3 percent of boys do not play video games on a regular basis. And teachers who are aware of this trend are merely trying to take advantage of the popularity of video games to enhance classroom teaching, Heeter said. Still, there is no comprehensive study that shows whether the use of video games lead to improved learning or better test scores, she added. However, more broadly, video games can benefit students because games have become very sophisticated, and any exposure to the latest technology would be a plus in the fast-changing world, said David Shaffer, an educational psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin.



NFarquharson	Mar 24 2006, 12:49 AM Post #4
Principal Posts: 4,311 Group: Members Member #103 Joined: November 9, 2005	From the Free Press: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...EWS01/603230548 Detroit Teachers' protest over pay cancels classes March 23, 2006 Email this Print this BY CHASTITY PRATT FREE PRESS EDUCATION WRITER Kenya Greene of Detroit was one of many parents who had to pick up their children from school early on Wednesday. Her daughter, Katila Dickerson, 8, is a second-grader at McMichael Technological Academy in Detroit. (MANDI WRIGHT/Detroit Free Press) Related links: � WHAT DO YOU THINK?: Teacher 'sick out' � When school unexpectedly closes, how do you handle child care? Day might not count About 1,725 teachers and 345 long-term substitutes in the Detroit Public Schools district called in sick Wednesday, leading to the cancellation of classes for about 38,000 students at 54 schools. Superintendent William F. Coleman III said that it is likely that the school year will have to be extended to make up for the day. School staff were still crunching numbers Wednesday evening to confirm that. The school calendar is calculated in terms of hours of instruction; 75% of students need to attend school for a day's instruction hours to count. CHASTITY PRATT The schools that closed Classes at 54 of the district's 231 schools were canceled Wednesday: Atkinson Elementary School Barsamian Preparatory Academy Beaubien Middle School Boykin Continuing Education Center Burns Elementary School Butzel Elementary/Middle School Carleton Elementary School Carver Elementary School Cass Technical High School Cleveland Middle School Cody High School Crary Elementary School Davison Elementary School Denby Tech & Preparatory High School Detroit High School for Technology Dixon Elementary School Earhart Middle School Elementary Academy at Elmdale Emerson Elementary School Ferguson Academy Garvey Academy Gompers Elementary School Hamilton Elementary School Hanneman Elementary School Heilmann Park Middle School Henderson Lower School Henderson Upper School Houghten Elementary School Jemison at Herman School Barbara Jordan Elementary School Joy Middle School Kosciusko Elementary School Mackenzie High School McKenny Elementary School McKinney Day Treatment Center McMichael Technological Academy Miller Middle School Murphy Middle School Murray-Wright High School Northwestern High School Osborn High School Pasteur Elementary School Pershing High School Phoenix Multi-Cultural Academy Priest Elementary School Rogers High School Ruddiman Middle School Sampson Elementary School Von Steuben Elementary School Westside Multicultural Academy White Elementary School Winship Elementary School Winterhalter Elementary School Coleman A Young Elementary School Source: Detroit Public Schools Only 53 buildings closed. Northwestern and Rogers high schools share a building. More than 38,000 Detroit Public Schools students got an unexpected vacation day Wednesday after about a quarter of the district's teachers called in sick after receiving a smaller pay check, raising concerns that the action could be the first in a series of disruptive protests. Staffing is expected to be back to normal in the district today, but 54 schools were closed Wednesday, and parents were told to collect their kids, with 1,724 of the district's 6,543 teachers calling in sick -- about five times the number on a typical day. A day earlier, teachers received the first of five reduced paychecks. Their checks will be short one day's pay every two weeks through mid-May as part of a cost-cutting measure in the financially troubled district. Detroit Public Schools officials have promised to pay the money back to teachers next year. But union leaders and school administrators said that they had heard rumors for weeks that teachers -- angry about losing money when principals and assistant principals are receiving raises -- were planning to call in sick and cripple the district in protest. "I understand what the teachers are doing; I'm a union worker," said parent Debora Jones, whose daughter attends Denby Tech & Preparatory High School. "But what about the kids? There's got to be an easier way to solve this." Jones said she had to leave her Kroger store manager job to pick up her 11th-grader. Superintendent William F. Coleman III said he also had heard rumors that large groups of teachers would continue to call in sick each time their paychecks are docked. "I don't want to believe the teachers will continue to deprive Detroit Public Schools students of an education over a contract dispute," he said, adding that he believes a faction of the Detroit Federation of Teachers union, which represents all teachers in the district, was behind the absences. "The majority of our teachers came to work today. That in itself shows there's dedication," he said. Union president Janna Garrison said the DFT does not condone any mass sick-out and that the union's official position is that teachers who are well should report to school. She noted, however, that she, too, had heard rumors that many teachers were planning to skip school because of the pay cuts. "They're taking our money and giving it to the principals," Garrison said. Garrison said Coleman lied when he maintained Wednesday that the teachers union knew last August that the budget included a pay hike for principals. "You do not ask someone to take a cut and give others a raise. It's not going away, and it needs to be addressed." Concern for kids, teachers Across the city, students were corralled into gyms and auditoriums early in the day as administrators scrambled to figure out what to do without enough teachers. "It's confusing," said Denby sophomore Briana Nelson, who spent an hour in the school auditorium before the school's staff told the students to go home. "Nobody was expecting it." Jones, meanwhile, said she doubted that the dozens of teachers who called in sick at Denby were truly ill and didn't like seeing hundreds of teens released from school at 9:15 a.m. "What are these kids going to do positive today?" she asked. "They're not going to be supervised because the parents didn't expect this and didn't make plans." Others sympathized with the teachers. "I don't like that they don't have school," said Anthony Parham, who picked up his cousin at Carleton Elementary. But, he said, teachers "don't get paid enough. If they want to do a sick-out, do what you need to do. Get your money." At McMichael Technological Academy, parent Kenya Greene said teachers have to put up with lots of poor student behavior and deserve to be paid more. "If it's a choice between giving money to the principals or the teachers, I say give it to the teachers." Contract dispute Last August, the school district wanted the union to take an 11% pay cut. But a strike was averted when the union and administrators agreed to a 1-year contract that stipulated the teachers would loan the school district five days of pay and freeze five sick days. Newer teachers, who were supposed to get step increases, also did not get them. The teachers have not received a cost-of-living increase in more than three years. The contract expires June 30 and negotiations began this month. Garrison said the district will save $3 million for each of the 5 days the teachers' paychecks are cut by one day's pay. Last year, principals and assistant principals lost 10% of their pay but were told in December that they would get a pay adjustment of 4.7% to 10.6%, depending on experience. The teachers earn an average of $63,820 per year, compared with $77,600 for assistant principals and $96,500 for principals. Coleman said the budget included a raise for the principals, and that the district gave the teachers union all of the financial documentation it requested prior to inking the teacher contract last year. If the teachers continue to call in sick en masse, the school year could be extended to make up for the lost days, Coleman said. The district sent a memo to schools Wednesday saying that teachers who were out sick would not be paid, though Coleman said they would be paid if they had a doctor's excuse. Union officials said their contract does not require a doctor's excuse for every absence. Contact CHASTITY PRATT at 313-223-4537 or pratt@freepress.com __________________________________ http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...CFP10/603230410 CFP Birmingham BIRMINGHAM: Everyone gets a part Moms make sure Seaholm students get in the play March 23, 2006 Email this Print this BY NANCY CHIPMAN POWERS COMMUNITY FREE PRESS Appearing in Birmingham Seaholm High School's production of "Beauty and the Beast" are, from left, Mike Stuart as Cogsworth, Erica Harte as Belle and Allison Brown as the Wardrobe. (PAT ZIKAKIS) They started out as moms who wanted to get involved in their kids' schools. Now, even after their kids have graduated and moved on, Debi Green of Birmingham, Kathy Parker of Bloomfield Township and Lee Green of Birmingham are working on their 10th musical at Seaholm High School. This year's show, "Beauty and the Beast," opens Saturday. The three women have been involved in plays at Birmingham district schools for about 16 years. "When you look for ways to get involved with your kids, you look for something you're good at," said Debi Green, who is directing the play. "One thing that has appealed to us is that we found a common ground with our kids." It is also important to Green and her colleagues that every student who wants to be in a play will be in it. Nobody is ever cut. "Every kid who has a desire to perform will," said Green emphatically. "You never know what they will take away from it." "That's kind of the magic of our productions: you'll always find a place," agreed senior Chris Kabot of Bloomfield Hills who plays the comical candlestick Lumiere. "It is what I love to do, being funny and making people laugh," he said. "It's great." "Beauty and the Beast" is a huge undertaking with 90 students onstage in intricate costumes. There are also 30 students in the set crew, 20 students in the technical crew and 40 students in the orchestra pit. The choreographer is Jennifer Palmer of Bloomfield Township, back for her fourth season. Seaholm and Derby Middle School orchestra director Tony Krempa is back for his eighth season conducting the all-student orchestra. "It is probably the single largest school activity," said Green. The cast includes senior Sam Zikakis of Birmingham, who plays the big and boisterous Gaston. "It is like no other part I've played," said Sam, who has been in plays since elementary school. "There's lots of singing and dancing parts and that's what I like to do onstage." Senior Erica Harte of Huntington Woods is cast as Belle. "It is actually kind of funny to get to play the ingenue pretty girl, but I'm comfortable in the part," said Erica. "It's great playing opposite Sam, because we challenge each other to see who can dominate the scene." This is the first time onstage, ever, for senior Zack Meisner of Bloomfield Hills, who plays the Beast. He tried out for the role so he could spend time with his girlfriend Kelsey Shultis of Birmingham, who plays a dancing napkin. "She's the best dancing napkin there is," said Zack. As the Beast, Zack will be in some pretty intense makeup, a wig with horns and an elaborate body suit with hair. "The closer it gets, the more nervous I am," he admitted about the upcoming show. "When I get in front of people, I'll be more energized. It will be so much fun. I can't even imagine." "Beauty and the Beast" comes to life onstage at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through April 1 in the high school's auditorium, 2436 W. Lincoln, Birmingham. Additional shows have been added including 2 p.m. Sunday and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 29. Tickets cost $12 and $10 for students. For more ticket information, call 248-203-3701. Contact NANCY CHIPMAN POWERS at 248-351-3680 or nchipman@freepress.com. __________________________________ http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...CFP07/603230364 CFP Warren WARREN: Auto Show Trek techies do Fitzgerald proud Students take 1st, 3rd and 4th place March 23, 2006 Email this Print this BY ROBERT ALAN GLOVER FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER Fitzgerald Auto Science Tech instructors Nathan Hlavaty, left, and Ralph Romain hold the diagnostic scan tool that students (back, from left) Jonathan Ognian, Jason Kleiner, Dang Lor and Jeremy Kleiner helped win for the school after their success- ful showing at the North American International Auto Show Tech Trek. (Warren Fitzgerald High School) Dang Lor, 18, of Warren, spends hours each weekday fixing cars. The senior works three hours a day in Fitzgerald High School's Auto Science Technology program and then works after school at Galeana's Van Dyke Dodge as an apprentice in training. "I first started working on cars at home with my father, and got to like it a lot, and now I've enjoyed the program at Fitzgerald because it is a hands-on approach to repairing cars," said Lor, who plans to pursue an associate's degree at Macomb Community College. Lor is one of 200 students in Fitzgerald's AST program, which is still reaping the benefits of a successful showing at the North American International Auto Show Tech Trek. Lor and classmate Joshua Botruff, 17, of Warren, took first; brothers Jason Kleiner, 18, and Jeremy Kleiner, 17, both of Warren, were third, and Jonathan Ognian , 17, of Warren was fourth at the event, held Jan. 12 at Cobo Center in Detroit. In the event's five-year history, no school has placed more students in the top 10, according to Fitzgerald spokesperson Kevin Lane. The school's reward was a $3,000 scan tool made by Snap-On Tools. Each team had to answer 50 questions compiled by instructors and auto industry experts. The top 10 teams at Tech Trek each won different tools, along with cash prizes ranging from $75 to $25, the latter a private donation from an area auto dealership. The big reward, however, was the scan tool, which was delivered to the school about three weeks ago. Nathan Hlavaty, the program's instructor, said the scan tool is "a diagnostic device that, once hooked up, talks to the vehicle the same way that a lot of the computers currently used by dealerships do, tuning in to all the different sensors that a vehicle has." Hlavaty said most of the students who competed in the Tech Trek were in the Auto Shop Technology II class. The students will not be working with the scan tool until next week; they are still in the classroom phase, preparing for lab work in which the scan tool will be used. "Dang and I got 46 out of 50 questions right," Botruff said of the test. "The questions had a lot to do with the automakers and the kinds of cars being showcased, like the Hummer, which was inside a water display, or what motor a certain car had in it, or how many timing chains a BMW's engine contained." Like Lor, Botruff and Jason Kleiner work on cars outside of class. Botruff, who works at Tri-County International Dodge of Warren after school, said he plans on staying with the shop after graduation. Jason Kleiner works at Bob Thibodeau Ford and plans to attend college to study engineering. ____________________________________ http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...CFP13/603230443 CFP Southeast Oakland 'HE HAD SUCH BIG TEETH!': Fairy tale characters have day in court Kids act out mock trials, see judicial system in action on Royal Oak trip March 23, 2006 Email this Print this BY JOSEPH HAYES FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER Second-grader Anna Middleton, playing the harp in Jack and the Beanstalk, is sworn in by bailiff Jake Bethards before giving testimony. (Photos by MARY SCHROEDER/Detroit Free Press) After successfully prosecuting his first case, Jacob Smith smiled and shook hands with his clients -- the Three Bears. Jacob's victory was in a jury trial that found Goldie Locks guilty of breaking into and entering the Three Bears' house. The trial was part of three mock court cases that took place March 14 in the courtroom of Judge Daniel Sawicki, in Royal Oak's 44th District Court. "This was very fun," said Jacob, 8, from Hamilton Elementary School in Troy. "I want to do this again with a different script next year." For the fifth straight year, second-grade students from the elementary school made the trip to the courthouse to act out the trials. This time, three second-grade classes participated. As part of the mock trials, students played the central roles in a courthouse. They took over the roles of the judge, the attorneys, the jury members and even the court-appointed police officer. "I loved my role," said Kierstin Smith, 7, who played a TV reporter. "I really learned a lot." That's exactly what Hamilton Elementary School Principal Pam Mathers was hoping for. "They get their first look at the judiciary system and they all seem to have a great time," she said. Two other mock trials took place during the field trip. They included a case against Jack of the Jack and the Beanstalk. He stood accused of stealing the giant's possessions. The other case involved the wolf from the story about the Three Little Pigs. The wolf sued the pigs for trying to bake him. Sawicki received the scripts for the mock trials from the American Bar Association, and the students' teachers worked with them to perfect the acting. "I hope this experience shows these kids that the court system is not a scary thing at all," Sawicki said. "It's easy to form bad opinions about it from what they see on TV, but I hope they all enjoyed being here today." As part of the school's social studies curriculum, the second-grade students studied the core democratic values of the justice system before the field trip, as well as literature about fairy tales. "There isn't a better way to help these kids understand on their own level the justice system," second-grade teacher Betsy Murphy said. "We studied the justice system in class leading up to today's field trip so they would have a very good understanding of it before coming. "We will also do a follow-up session at school and have them write a response paper about their experience." Also on hand last week were students from Dondero High School in Royal Oak. The students participated in the second-graders' mock trials by operating four different cameras and taping the trials.

ZetaBoards gives you all the tools to create a successful discussion community. Learn More · Register for Free
« Previous Topic · Livonia Neighbors Archive · Next Topic »