Public, Private or Charter: Which is the best way to go?

First, let me start by stating that I have worked in public schools for 21 years and am a product of a public school education.  With that said there has been a great movement towards more parental choice in education.  Part of this choice includes parents opting for private or charter schools instead of their local public school.  While there are differences in all three types of school, what makes a good school remains the same.  It is the people.  If you have a high performing staff of professionals who provide a supportive learning environment they can teach in a shoebox.

What is a charter school?  A charter school is a school that receives state funds, however they adhere to the guidelines in their charter.  They are not under the same requirements and policies that public schools are.   This can be a real benefit to support innovative programs without red tape getting in the way of progress.  Many charter schools require parents to become involved as a volunteer.  I am aware of many charter schools in Florida that require parents to log 30 volunteer hours in a school year.  If they are short hours the parents can pay the school for the remainder of hours.  Please note charter schools are expected to be free, but I suppose this is an acceptable practice.  However, there is a benefit to encouraging parent volunteers.  Students whose parents are involved in their education tend to achieve more.  Just as with public schools there are many successful charter schools with a variety of unique programs and there are many unsuccessful ones whose students end up returning to the public school.

In order for students to attend private schools, parents must pay tuition which can sometimes be costly.  While some states have voucher programs it is rarely enough to cover the full cost. Private schools can choose what students they accept, so they can be very selective in regards to the make up of their student body.  Many cite increased teacher attention, more individualized instruction, smaller class size and increased parent communication as benefits to a private school.  It is important that parents research the accreditation of the priviate school, the staff credentials, the rigor of the curriculum and the alignment of the curriculum with the skills students will need upon graduation. While there are many fine private schools there are some who collect the tuition money and tell parents what they want to hear. I recall teaching 4th grade and getting a new student to my class in the middle of the year.  The child was receiving straight A's in language arts, but could not write a paragraph.  The expectation for a 4th grader at that time was to be able to write multiple organized paragraphs. While that could be an isolated incident it illustrates the point that a parent needs to research private schools closely to insure their child will receive a quality education.

Today's public schools have to abide by strict accountability guidelines, school board policies, and provide many services above and beyond education in the classroom.  Public schools must accept any student that is within their boundaries and meet the needs of all children from special needs students to speakers of other languages.  However in many ways public schools have greater resources to meet these needs.  Public schools serve as the hub of many communities. One of the ideals of this nation is a free public education for all. While many reforms are needed to get districts away from teaching to tests and back to teaching for a deeper understanding of content, their are many positive innovations occurring in our public schools.

When considering any school I recommend the following:

1. Research whether the teachers are certified educators.
2. Tour the school to get a sense of their learning environment.
3. Find out  how the curriculum aligns with state standards.
4. Research how the school handles ESE students.
5. Talk to other parents whose children go to the school to get some feedback

Remember charter and private are not automatic synonyms for better, it is best to judge a school on its individual merit no matter what category it falls in.

Let's Talk School Supplies

School Supplies?  Summer has just started, why post about this now?

It can be very helpful and budget friendly to plan ahead.  Many schools already have their school supply list for the 2012-2013 school year available.  So it makes sense to keep your eyes open for when these items go on sale.  Sometimes you can get the best deals well before the "Back to School" sales start.  In addition, getting these items as you see them on sale may help you avoid the mad rush of school supply shopping the first week of school.   Some examples of early sales include Amazon school supply specials, Office Depot and Target.

When buying early for school keep in mind the same cannot be said about school clothes.  At the rate children grow if you buy school clothes to soon they will out grow them before they are even worn.  This happened to us as our son was starting first grade. My wife bought pants on sale a month before school, the night before school started it appeared he was ready for a flood.  In addition you need to research whether your school has a uniform dress code before buying.

When reviewing the school supply list note that some teacher's will ask for  a specific brand of an item.  While that might make a difference in crayons (Crayola's might stand up better than other brands). I do not believe that the brand of tissue, or wet wipes you buy will make a great deal of difference.  I recommend you use your judgment on this.  Also keep in mind that in many classrooms the supplies are pooled and the class uses them as a community.  At many schools the PTA sells school supply packs already set up with the needed items.  While these are very convenient, when you break down the cost it usually is cheaper to get the supplies on your own. Of course, by purchasing the packets you do help support the school's PTA.

Finally, remember teachers should not hold it against students if their families are not able to get school supplies due to financial reasons. Students are entitled to a fair and free public education regardless of economic means. Communication with your child's school or teacher in a matter of this nature would be important so they can provide assistance.  Schools usually have a plan to assist those who have difficulty in getting supplies.

Summer Reading Sizzles

Summer is upon us.  The final bell has rang. Teachers have tidied up their rooms.  Students have headed home with their final report cards. Now the children have two months away from academics.  While summer break is a wonderful time to rest and recharge it is important to keep young minds sharp so they are ready once school resumes in the fall.  One of the best ways to do this is through summer reading.  Did you know that if a child reads grade level appropriate materials twenty minutes a night, every night for a year they will see close to a one year gain in their instructional reading level?  Think about the students who do not read every night.  How far behind will they fall?

I would strongly advise parents to check with their child's school to see if they have a suggested summer reading list. In addition there are lots of other summer reading resources available online.  Let me share just a few with you.

As indicated in the banner at the top of the page, Amazon offers summer reading picks for kids and teens.

Education World, PBS and Family Education.com offer reading lists and suggested reading activities

In addition their are several reading incentive programs that reward children for reading over the summer.

TD Bank will pay $10 to a child if the read 10 books.

Scholastic allows students to earn points they can log on line to win prizes.

Barnes and Noble offers a free book to students who read 8 books over the summer.

Hope this provides some assistance for your summer reading adventures.  Please remember that your comments are welcome and feel free to add your questions to our forum.

Educationese II: RTI

This week our term is RtI.  RtI stands for Response to Intervention.  In many states the RtI model is used as a way of providing more individual strategies to help students who are struggling.  The student may be having academic or behavioral difficulty. 

The strategies or interventions used are classified into Tiers.  Tier I would be strategies included in the general curriculum, which means most students are already experiencing some type of Tier 1 intervention.  Students who are struggling might need Tier 2 interventions, which provide more individualized instruction in some manner.  An example of this might be a struggling reader being double dosed with an extra block of reading instruction.  About 10-15% of students in a classroom would be likely to receive Tier 2 interventions.  Should Tier 2 interventions not be successful Tier 3 interventions are implemented.  Tier 3 interventions are more intense individualized strategies.  Some examples might include but are not limited to one on one assistance,  smaller reading group sizes, or an individual behavior plan. About 5-10% of students in a classroom would be likely to receive Tier 3 interventions.

Throughout the process the teacher is conducting ongoing assessment and graphing the results.  The results are compared to the target of where the student needs to be and where their peers are.  Should the gap in achievement shrink as the interventions are implemented the interventions continue.  If the gap widens or little progress is made then a more intense intervention is recommended.  When it becomes apparent that the various interventions tried are not working, then the school will sometimes recommend an evaluation for a learning or behavioral disability.

RTI is a data driven means to determine a strategies effectiveness.  It allows educators to truly paint a picture of how a student is growing by showing progress in a quantitative manner.

Educationese I: ESE, What Does that Mean?

As educators we have the tendency to use professional jargon and acronyms when talking to parents to show how knowledgable and wonderful we are.  Unfortunately, the parent usually doesn't know what many of these terms mean.  Many parents will pretend to act like they understand the term in order to not be embarrassed. This would be like asking a teacher who has never sat in a cockpit to understand the instrument panel on an F-16.

With this idea in mind, comes my series of Educationese blog posts which will be a regular weekly segment at School Bell Support.  In Educationese we will take a look at commonly used terms schools use and what they mean.  This week we look at the term ESE.

ESE stands for Exceptional Student Education.  When parents receive any documents with ESE on it panic sets in, "Will my child be labeled?, Is their brain not working right?, What did I do wrong?,  Is the government going to dissect my child?, "  My advice, just breath!  ESE designations cover a wide range of student needs.  Speech, Language Impaired,  Gifted, Leaning Disabled, Emotionally Behaviorly Disabled and Austism Spectrum are just a few designations that fall under the ESE umbrella. When the school recommends testing for ESE it could be for any of a wide range of concerns.  Some needs require more assistance than others.  Be aware it is through ESE funding that schools can get the services needed in order to provide for students specific learning needs.  If your child has a special need, this will be the avenue the school uses to get services for them. Remember nothing is done with your child regarding ESE evaluations or program placement without your consent.  The school keeps those parents informed and involved in the process.  While today we focused on the meaning of ESE, we will examine this topic more closely in future posts.

Bullying and Schools: What You Need to Know?

You send your child off to school with the hope that they will have a wonderful day and learn as much as they can. Your child comes home crying because they are being picked on, you feel helpless.  What do you do?  Do you ignore it? Call the school?  Tell your child to retaliate?   Unfortunately kids across the nation are dealing with the issue of bullying.  There has been plenty of media attention on the subject.  It is an issue that schools take seriously.

Speaking personally as an educator in Florida, I have first hand experience in working with my districts anti-bullying policy.  It is a policy based on the Jeffrey Johnson Stand up For All Kids Act which was adopted into law in the state of Florida.  It requires educators to report bullying and districts to have a set policy in handling bullying.  In our district we actually have a database to track cases to look for patterns of bullying and outline the steps the school has taken.  Many districts across the district have similiar policies.  Parents can be encouraged that standing up against bullying is being emphasized among school staff.

What is the definition of bullying.  Bullying is simply more than name calling.  Bullying is a repeated hurtful action done with the intent of causing harm (emotional or physical) to the victim. There is an imbalance of power of some sort (popularity, phyisical size, strength, aggressiveness). Bullying creates an intimidating environment that gets in the way of student learning.  Cyberbullying is a bullying action which are acted upon using technology such as texting, e-mails, social networks and websites.  If cyberbullying occurs and it spills over to interfering with the school learning environment schools can take action.

The participants in a bullying situation form what is known as the bullying triangle.  Involved are the bully, the victim and the bystanders.  The most powerful part of the triangle is the bystander.  They are the bully's audience.  By their inaction they are stating that what the bully is doing is ok.  If the bystanders encourage the bully that makes the situation worse.  If the bystanders stand together and tell the bully to stop, tell a school staff member, or talk to the victim and get them to walk away from the bully they are telling the bully that this behavior is not ok.  Many schools have anonymous reporting methods so that a bystander who tells will not be viewed as a snitch.

So what do you do with your children when it relates to bullying? If your child is being bullied tell the school. Schools can't stop what they don't know about. Bullying does not stop when people stay quiet. Encourage your child not to be a bystander to bullying.  Explain the difference between tattling and telling. Remember telling helps, tattling is an effort  to just get someone in trouble. Remember the goal is to get the bullying to stop.  The school will investigate all sides of the alleged bullying.  A conflict is very different than one sided bullying.  Finally teach your children tolerance for others. Let them know that no one has ever gotten ahead by putting someone down.

Understanding Standardized Test Results

As we close in on the end of the school year many students are receiving standardized test results. Many parents might ask what do these results mean and how do they affect my child.

First let's start with the types of results you might see. One type of test result you might see comes in the form of a percentile. This score comes from what is known as a norm-referenced test. On this test students are scored based on comparisons to other students. A child who scores in the 60th percentile scored better than 60% of the students who took the test. The other type of test is a criterian-referenced test. On this type test students are scored based on the mastery of specific standards. These scores might be reported in points, levels or possibly a scale score. How these scores are reported vary by state.

These scores are used in a variety of ways. In some states these scores can affect promotion criteria. Your child's teacher will advise you if this is a concern. Schools use these scores as a guide to help determine what skills need to have a greater instructional focus. These scores are also used in some states to determine school grades. The federal government uses these scores to determine if a school is making adequate yearly progress under "No Child Left Behind."

It is important to remember that a test score derived from one week of testing out of an entire school year should not be the judge of how successful your child's school year was. I would advise parents to use these scores as a tool to find weak areas that may need extra support.