State Rep. Bill Dunn (R-Knoxville) has written a decidedly anti-Pre-K editorial in the commercial appeal.  I have a couple thoughts on this.  First, why is a representative from a small government part who represents a constituency on the other side of the state injecting himself in a decidedly local matter that he has no stake in?  Second, he seriously misrepresents the research and provides no links to the studies he cites, which is broken down by Smart City Memphis.  When you actually READ the study he cites (I assume its the vanderbuilt study I found on their site) that (he says) claims that the PreK program in TN hasn’t produced results, you see clearly stated in its executive summary that participants experienced academic gains 38% greater than those who did not participate (a graph can be seen below). Please fact check yourself next time sir.

Richland Elementary Principal Sharon McNary has been selected by the National Association of Elementary School Principals to receive its highest honor in Washington DC. A bit from the article about McNary:

McNary has spent her career in Memphis public schools, starting as a special-education teacher who moved up because even as a new teacher, superiors saw leadership in her.

Congratulations!

TN Ed Report notes that two more counties in TN have voted in favor of resolutions that ask the state to stop using TVAAS in teacher evaluations and licensure.  While I will go on record as saying I support TVAAS’ use in my evaluation and licensure, I do believe that it constitutes too large of a percentage in those decisions (a reduction to 33% in evaluations sounds much more appropriate).  I’m also interested in seeing a suspension of this data’s use in educator evaluations once we implement PARCC until we get the kinks ironed out.

Shelby County educator Joy Singleton-Stevens describes how she continues to be a leader in education while remaining in the classroom.

Last but not least, the commercial appeal reports that the fiscal impact of municipal school districts could sap over $50 million from the unified school district.

On November 21st, residents of Memphis will head to the polls and vote on whether or not to support a sales tax increase to max out the city sales tax (at 9.75%) in order to expand free Pre-K seats by 5,000 throughout our city by raising an additional $30 million.

This tax increase could truly be a game changer for Memphis.  First and foremost, it would mean that we would become one of very few cities in the country to offer free Pre-K education to any family that wants it. This has huge implications for attracting the new talent that we sorely lack to our city. And for anyone who questions the impact of Pre-K education, we’ve already heard from the teacher voice anecdotal on why this could be a game changer via this blog.  And hard evidence suggests again and again that students who receive a quality Pre-K education outperform their peers for years afterwards.  Studies suggest that a $1 invested in Pre-K education can yield ten times that as a return on the investment.  One study estimated a return on the investment as high as $16 for every dollar spent on Pre-K.

And most importantly, I believe that it stands a better chance of passing as a referendum because the city is taking the deliberate actions necessary to make this sales tax increase appealing to the voters.  First and foremost, Mayor Wharton is not only verbally committing the funds to Pre-K, but he has appointed an 8 member board to control the fund created by the tax increase to ensure that it is spent properly and wisely.

This is a smart move because it undercuts the frequent distrust of how our civic government uses its resources here in Shelby County.  When I attended hearings on the property tax increase a couple months back, one of the chief concerns raised was that there was no guarantee that the money would go to public schools.  This was also one of the main concerns last year when a similar sales tax referendum failed to pass.  No such claim can be laid this time.  To quote council member Flinn:

they specifically wanted an outside commission in charge of the program because they think voters will more likely approve it if is not managed by the school board.

These steps will greatly increase the likelihood that this referendum passes.  And if it does, we will be taking a huge step towards a brighter future for the children of Memphis.

ABCs, 123s, red, blue, green, and yellow! These are the least of skills one Kindergarten teacher believes all children should know upon entering her class.  “I would expect a student to know his name, how to spell and recognize it, know the alphabet, letter names, numbers one to ten, colors, and shapes,”  stated D’ Angela Keys, a Kindergarten teacher with the Achievement School District.  Kids are expected to know or to have had some exposure to these skills when they enter kindergarten on day one.   Bethanie Moore, a Pre-K teacher says “The top three skills I most desire for my students to master prior to leaving my classroom are counting to 30 or more using one to one correspondence, recognizing all letters of the alphabet and their sounds, and writing independently.” However, that is not the case for many students. Keys has found herself spending great amounts of time on name recognition and spelling and alphabet recognition and sounds with many of her kindergarteners.

THE IMPACT OF POVERTY ON EDUCATION OUTCOMES: 100% of the students in Keys class are growing up in poverty.  This means academically the odds are against them because they may not have had access to resources needed to develop a solid foundation to be successful learners.  Growing up in poverty means families may have to worry about basic necessities for survival including housing, meals, and healthcare. This may cause families, though not intentionally, to neglect providing a child with the skills needed to progress as successful learners. In the early stages of life, children need to be exposed to reading and to books.  They need to be talked to which helps increase their vocabulary.  They need to interact with peers to develop social skills. Children that do not have these experiences risk entering kindergarten with social, behavior, and academic deficits causing them to fall behind their more affluent peers; thus, widening the achievement gap.

PRE-K MAKES A DIFFERENCE: When a child enters Kindergarten lacking the necessary skills to be successful, it becomes difficult to move him or her forward.  When a teacher gets a child who cannot express himself or herself because of limited vocabulary or a child that does not know how to follow directions or positively interact with his or her peers, it affects her ability to teach the kindergarten curriculum because she has to help build the foundation that should have been built before entering kindergarten.   Ms. Keys stated that she notices a difference between students who have had access to some type of quality pre- kindergarten experience and those that have not. “If the student attended an effective pre-k program then there is a difference between him or her and the students that did not.  I also saw more success with students who had parents that really invested a lot of time and energy into their child’s future,” says Keys. From my experience, students that have positive developmental experiences have a higher vocabulary, are more able to follow directions, are more confident, and have the ability to soar high.  I worry about students that are behind.  They have a higher chance of being referred to special education, performing low on achievement tests, and falling further and further behind which could lead to dropping out of high school.

WHY SHOULD TAX DOLLARS GO TO PRE-K: I remember explaining to a voter why she should support a sales tax increase that would provide funds for children in Memphis to attend Pre-K that otherwise cannot. I told her to view it as an investment in public education in our city.  I assured her that she would much rather pay a little extra in taxes now to provide an underprivileged child with a quality education than to pay for it later when she’s paying for that child to receive public benefits or if she happens to be a victim of a criminal act committed by that child.   It is important for citizens to understand that education helps eradicate poverty and if we invest in pre-k we are implementing a preventative measure.  This preventative measure will work toward providing opportunities and resources to our children that will ameliorate their future living conditions.  Investing in Pre-K will help close the achievement gap, increase the graduation rate, create productive citizens, and make Memphis a city where all children have access to a quality education.  We must be pro-active and not reactive.  We must be exponents for our children and do what is necessary to ensure that they receive a quality education beginning with an effective Pre-K program and ending with a high school diploma, prepared for and with access to a high education institution.  I encourage you to reach out in our community and determine how you can become a zealot for universal Pre-K programs in Shelby County.  Below are quotes directly from Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers explaining the importance of a quality pre-kindergarten program.

“Students who are given the advantage of attending a Pre-K program develop much needed emotional, academic, and social skills they may otherwise lack when entering kindergarten. Students who develop self-regulation skills gain confidence as they master academic concepts, and learn to cooperate with their peers in Pre-K will be far better prepared to enter Kindergarten.  This is particularly true for students who are already at a disadvantage in any or all of these areas which is often the case with the current optional Pre-K system.” Bethanie Moore, Achievement School District, Memphis,  TN.

“Pre-K is so so important because this early in the game, students’ brains are SPONGY.  They’re ready to soak up all you have to offer and you get a fresh start with kids and are able to foster a love for school and learning. Everyone should have access to Pre-K.  It makes all the difference in a child’s education.” Meagan Fowler, Achievement School District, Memphis TN.

“Pre-K is important because it provides a great foundation for kindergarten,  It also exposes children to an educational environment.  Many students need that extra year to become accustomed to a classroom and learn how to play with other children. Pre-K gives children a chance to develop and grow while also learning skills needed to be successful for the rest of their lives.” D’ Angela Keys, Achievement School District, Memphis, TN.

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Tamera Malone has been a teacher in Memphis for five years. She taught high school special education for the last four years in Shelby County Schools.  Tamera currently works as a Lead Education Specialist for Aspire Public Schools in the Achievement School District at Hanley Elementary.  Tamera can be contacted at [email protected].

Shelby County Schools has released the salaries of the current superintendent’s cabinet members.  Turns out or salaries are similar to other school districts of a similar size.

Judge Mays rules that the Shelby County Board of Education will consist of only seven members for the next year.  New elections must wait until September 1st, 2014 for the six new seats.  The 16 at large members will leave the board at the end of this month,  leaving only Chris Caldwell, Dave Pickler, David Reaves, Billy Orgel, Kevin Woods and Teresa Jones.  One additional member remains to be selected by the County Commission.

No details are given on how district lines will be drawn.  It will be interesting to watch redistricting following municipal school board elections come November.

We posted on this earlier this week, but a Study by Vanderbilt gives more strength to the argument for universal pre-K education in Shelby County.  We look forward to the City Council’s vote on a sales tax to support this initiative.

In third grade, for instance, children from poor families receiving services from both programs scored 39 percent proficient in reading compared to 36.9 in the control group. In math, 41.6 percent of the children were proficient in math, compared to the 30 percent in the control group.

From Eduwonk, a report on the dramatic drop in New York’s proficiency rates under the new common core exams.  I’ll be very interested in seeing how the transition to common core collectively impacts Tennessee test scores, especially given that our state was just ranked near the top of the pack comparing our state standards to national standards on the NAEP exam.

Memphis voters will consider this fall a sales-tax increase designed to fund a pre-kindergarten program and lower the property-tax rate.

The Memphis City Council unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday for a referendum in October or early November asking voters to raise the city sales-tax rate half a percentage point from 2.25 percent to 2.75 percent.

If approved, the total sales-tax rate in Memphis would be 9.75 percent, the highest allowed in Tennessee.

The new tax is expected to generate $47 million in new funds annually.

A commission appointed by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton and approved by the City Council would oversee the proposed pre-K program, which would serve only Memphis children.

The commission would bid the work of running the classes out to community and nonprofit organizations, charter schools and child care centers, according to Councilman Jim Strickland, the ordinance co-sponsor.

The program would serve about 5,000 children at a cost of $6,000 per child per year, for a total cost of about $30 million, Strickland said.

Funds generated by the tax beyond the cost of running the program would be sent to the city’s coffers to lower the property-tax rate.

Councilman Shea Flinn, who also sponsored the ordinance, said the referendum lets citizens, rather than the council, decide whether to raise taxes.

The sales-tax hike would lighten the load Memphis property-taxpayers carry for maintaining the city’s government, he said.

“We in Memphis can’t afford not to do this,” Flinn said.

“I wish this could solve all the problems in our city. It can’t.

“But it can start to solve many of them,” Flinn said.

Council member Wanda Halbert had said she wasn’t sure she would support the measure before Tuesday’s council meeting.

“The voters have already spoken, have already voted, to get out of the business of education,” Halbert said, referring to the referendum in 2011 to surrender the Memphis City Schools charter and merge with Shelby County Schools.

“And we find ourselves now (ready) to ask the voters again to take on another education initiative,” she said.

Wharton told council members he supported the pre-K program the tax rate would create.

“The beauty of this approach, contrary to Head Start or pre-K under a state mandate, is that the people in this room will shape (the program) to meet our needs that includes some of the most successful components of the Head Start program,” Wharton said.

Tuesday’s vote was the third and final vote on the ordinance, with the first two held before city budget talks began in April.

Strickland said holding the referendum before November was essential to avoid competing with the county for a tax referendum.

Last year, the Shelby County Commission approved a sales-tax referendum, which voters turned down in November.

Though a county sales-tax referendum would trump one for the city, the county can’t hold another referendum within 12 months of the last vote.

Shelby County’s six other municipalities voted last year to raise their local sales taxes to the maximum 2.75 percent to fund new municipal school districts they hope to establish.

EdWeek: twitter is a great way for teachers to get informed, but only around 5 percent of teachers are on twitter:

Having done some digging around, former English teacher Tom Whitby makes a “calculated guess” that only about 200-300,000 teachers are on Twitter—a relatively small number if you consider that, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are roughly 4 million K-12 teachers in the U.S.

For Whitby, this amounts to a large-scale missed professional opportunity. In his experience, he says, teachers who are active on Twitter and other social-media outlets are better informed and quicker to assimilate new ideas than their less connected peers:

Having discussions about specific topics within education with educators can be very different depending on their amount of connectedness. Those actively connected educators seem to need less relevant background information in order to address a topic. Discussions with the unconnected educators often get bogged down in explanations and definitions before the discussion of the topic can even take place. BYOD and Flipping were connected topics months before they became mainstream. Being connected seems to support relevance because of the ongoing discussion being framed around education. These in-depth discussions may not be taking place the same way in the hallways, or faculty rooms of schools.
Thoughts? That’s a pretty strong generalization. Any non-Twitter-users care to rebut?

Smart City Memphis advocates for Pre-K as essential for our economic future here in Memphis and Shelby County:

For every $1 spent on Pre-K, there is a $5.12 benefit.  By the time children who attended Pre-K are 27 years old, they are three times more likely to own a home than someone who did not attend Pre-K, twice as likely not to receive welfare and social services, and four times more likely to earn a higher annual income. In addition, people without Pre-K are twice as likely to be arrested by the time they are 27 years old.

A school system where children are five and six years old when they enter a classroom has not acted wisely on brain development research, which tells us that the brain is growing to 80 percent of its adult size and that vital learning is taking place before a child is five years old. This is time that cannot be wasted.

For too long, Pre-K has been seen as a worthy thing to do but not as an absolute necessity. Today, we know better. Pre-K can transform children’s lives, resulting in everything from improved vocabulary to improved school attendance to higher graduation rates.

Looks like school board members were serious about asking the state legislature to help compel Memphis to pay the money it owes for schools after voting on a resolution supporting this step July 30th:

Countywide school board members voted Tuesday, July 30, to seek the law from a legislature that has approved defining the schools merger and establishing suburban school systems separate from the merged school system.

“We seem to have the ability to go to the state to solve local issues,” said school board member Kevin Woods. “I’ve steadfastly opposed such options because I think we should be able to resolve our issues locally. But we do need to get these dollars.”

Also from Smart City Memphis, here’s a facts sheet from a Vanderbuilt Study on Tennessee’s Pre-K system. Notably:

* Vanderbilt found that children who attend PreK are promoted from kindergarten to first grade at twice the rate of peers, have higher attendance rates and are therefore less likely to engage in risky behavior and more likely to graduate from high school and be prepared for the workforce.

* Less than 1/3 of our community’s [Memphis] four year olds are enrolled in PreK. It is imperative that we provide the means for every child to attend high quality PreK and that no child will be turned away because of insufficient funds.