I'll end this discussion of the 'New Economy' conference by stating this: the fact that your politician and mine chooses to openly embrace what everyone knows to be criminal enterprises and flaunt the absence of enforcement is a testiment of American citizen's lack of activism. Make no mistake, these NGOs are shell organizations for laundering money of the wealthy and corporations to projects of their own benefit. MUCH OF THAT MONEY GAINED THROUGH FRAUD AND OUR FUTURE. PERIOD.
I wanted to take the Baltimore City billion dollar school funding plan a step further by reminding people that these charters are not just cute and practical neighborhood education experiments.......these charters are national chain businesses just waiting to go private. Your taxpayer money is being used in every phase of development; the city buys the real estate and sells it to the developer for $1; the city/state gives tax breaks to developers and then fences future taxes to these same enterprise zones; the city provides public services for these developments; the VISTA staff that predominate these NGOs are paid for by Federal taxes or Federal loan forgiveness. At every step, you and I pay for this corporate development. We pay for it through poverty wages, loss of benefits, loss of services and public assets, loss of entitlements including retirement and healthcare, and we lose all control of what our communities and greater society will be.
It is on all of us to get out and shout 'DEMOCRACY IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT'. In Baltimore we are hearing our Comptroller accusing our Mayor of criminal actions with contractors. She is doing that because this year has seen watchdog groups, media, and citizens shout for accountability. WE ALL KNOW THERE IS CONSIDERABLE FRAUD IN OUR CITY AND STATE GOVERNMENT AND WE WILL HOLD OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE. O'Malley says the Center for Public Integrity Study showing Maryland at the bottom for corruption and other studies show the same for fraud........'used faulty data', this as we hear time and again that statistics he uses to advance his career are found to error.
We are at a 'tipping point' as you hear these 1% say and indeed we are. If the people do not find the time and motivation to get involved in their own way........we will be VICTIMS of the 'New Economy'. LOOK AT THE WALL OF SHAME AT THE SITE FOR FINANCIAL REFORM TO SEE WHO VOTED FOR THE END OF GLASS-STEAGALL-----KNOWING THIS INEQUITY AND UNACCOUNTABILITY WOULD RESULT. YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY ELIZABETH WARREN IS A LONE VOICE FOR THIS MUCH NEEDED REFORM! If your elected official is not shouting loudly and strongly to make the 1% our next major export......they are not working for the middle/lower class!
VOTE OUT YOUR INCUMBENT!!!!!
These are good people working with an organization that does good work, but overwhelmingly these private non-profits are getting free employees for work to advance private endeavors.
AmeriCorps VISTA
AmeriCorps VISTA members spend one year in full-time service to address the needs of low-income communities. All projects focus on building permanent infrastructure in organizations to help them more effectively bring individuals and communities out of poverty.
Who can apply:
One consistent goal for every AmeriCorps VISTA project should be the sustainability of the project by the sponsoring agency and the low-income community after AmeriCorps VISTA project sponsorship ends.
How Does My Organization Apply to Become an AmeriCorps VISTA Sponsor? To apply for AmeriCorps VISTA members, a potential sponsor must contact the Corporation State Office covering the area in which the proposed project would be located to discuss application requirements and procedures. AmeriCorps VISTA uses eGrants, the CNCS online application system for single-site project renewals and new applications. The Corporation State Office will provide technical assistance during the application process. You can also download the initial application. The length of the application process varies, but the average time from the initial contact to a final decision is 3-5 months.
The Corporation State Office will review the application for adherence to AmeriCorps VISTA project guidelines and the Corporation State Office's annual plan for project development. You will receive more specific information on the AmeriCorps VISTA program guidelines with your application kit, along with information on cost-sharing your project. The application kit may include the following forms and guidelines:
There is no required match for new AmeriCorps VISTA project sponsors, but there is the option to cost-share.
Cost sharing is not required but is strongly encouraged, particularly in projects wishing to have AmeriCorps VISTA resources beyond the third year. As a cost-share project, your organization contributes the living allowance-about $9,500-for each AmeriCorps VISTA member.
Cost-sharing is an excellent way to leverage additional funding resources and see where the dollars will be matched by AmeriCorps VISTA. In finding funding for your organization's share of the partnership, consider approaching:
For information on becoming a cost-sharing project call (202) 606-5000, ext. 338 or e-mail vista@americorps.gov.
______________________________________________________________
THESE CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE CHAINS......NOT UNIQUE TO YOUR COMMUNITY!
IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE THAT KIPP IS NOT JUST A SET OF CHARTERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY......THEY ARE A CHAIN OF BUSINESSES THAT WILL BE MADE PRIVATE WITH JUST A PASSAGE OF A LAW. ALL THAT TAXPAYER MONEY IN DEVELOPMENT AND HAVING A STRONG FOOTPRINT.......TAKING ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH THEM. KIPP IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE.
KIPP Baltimore Schools ~
TEACHERS ARE SEEING THEIR WAGES SLASHED BY EXTENDED HOURS AND WAGE AND BENEFIT CUTS, MAKING THESE TEACHING JOBS UNDESIRABLE TO MOST PROFESSIONALS. THEY ARE USING THESE CHARTERS TO CREATE CORPORATE TRAINING SCHOOLS AND MAKING THEM SEEM TO BE ACHIEVING RESULTS BY RELEASING DATA THAT CAN'T BE VERIFIED BECAUSE OF NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS SIGNED BY GOVERNOR O'MALLEY.
KIPP, teachers union reach 10-year agreement Deal cuts school day by half-hour, lowers teacher pay slightly
March 16, 2011|By Liz Bowie, The Baltimore Sun
A Baltimore charter school network that had threatened to shut down in June reached an agreement in principle with the Baltimore Teachers Union minutes before testimony was set to begin in Annapolis on a bill that would have given city charters more flexibility in dealing with union rules.
KIPP, or the Knowledge is Power Program, will stay in Baltimore for the next decade under the agreement that gives the school the long-term stability to invest in its buildings as well as raise money for its schools. KIPP agreed to shorten its workday from 91/2 hours to nine hours and pay teachers 20 percent more than the average city teacher makes, down from 20.5 percent.
"It happened very quickly. We moved into serious conversations this week. We are thrilled that we got to this place," said Steve Mancini, a spokesman for KIPP, a charter school network that has an elementary and a middle school in Baltimore and would like to open more schools in the city.
The school had come into conflict with the union because its program offers students a long school day, after-school activities and Saturday school. The union said that despite the fact that KIPP paid teachers more than any other school in the city, it was not paying them at the same union rate for the longer hours. The new agreement is similar to a one-year agreement that had been struck last year.
"We heard our members loud and clear. KIPP teachers stated they love their school and their students and want to keep working at KIPP. This agreement satisfies everyone and allows the success of our students and our school system to continue," Marietta English, president of the union, said in a statement.
Under the agreement, the teachers will not have to work on Saturday, Mancini said. In addition, the school will set aside money this year to ensure that it can pay teachers an additional 20 percent if education funding for public schools declines this year.
"We can do what we need to do with the nine hours and the summer school. This is sufficient time to deliver on our program," Mancini said. "We feel confident we can continue the track record of success and maintain fiscal stability as well."
The sponsors of the bills, which would allow 80 percent of teachers to vote on their working conditions including pay, will pull the legislation after an agreement has been signed.
While opponents of the bill wearing yellow T-shirts saying Baltimore Teachers Union jammed the hearing room next to parents wearing "KIPP Save Our Schools" buttons, the negotiations continued in Baltimore.
Del. Samuel I. Rosenberg, the bill's sponsor, put the KIPP legislation at the end of a long list of bills being heard Wednesday to give negotiators more time.
But before the bill was called, KIPP parents went to an empty room, where Rosenberg announced that an agreement had been reached. Parents and teachers shouted and began to cry.
"We were so loud that they had to bring security to tell us to calm down. The teachers were excited. And we were happy that we did our part for the school," said Kevin Sherald, parent of a first-grader.
The scene was also emotional for Rosenberg. "To give the news about the agreement to the 100 parents of KIPP students gathered in Annapolis to testify for the bill and share their joy is a moment that I have never experienced before and never will forget," he said.
KIPP's middle school, Ujima Village Academy, opened in 2002 and consistently beats high-performing middle schools like Roland Park Middle on state tests. The school has a high number of students who qualify for subsidized lunches because of poverty. In 2009, KIPP opened an elementary school, KIPP Harmony Academy.
"KIPP is going to be in Baltimore for a long time to come," said Sen. Catherine E. Pugh, a Baltimore Democrat who sponsored a companion bill. "Our schools are moving so fast forward and KIPP is one exciting piece of that."
Even though the bill might not have passed, Rosenberg said the hearing was a powerful motivator because "it brings everyone to the bargaining table."
For parents who were in Annapolis to support the bill, the scene was breathtaking, said Sherald. "This is the first time the parents have really been part of something of this nature. … All we knew was that our kids needed an education."
Baltimore Sun reporters Erica L. Green and Julie Bykowicz contributed to this article.
liz.bowie@baltsun.com
____________________________________________________________________
IF YOU READ THIS WHOLE INTERVIEW YOU WILL SEE THE PROGRESSION THIS PRIVATIZATION OF EDUCATION WILL TAKE IF LEFT UNIMPEDED. WE SEE THAT ALL THE BENEFITS OF THIS CHARTER'S MODEL OF HAVING ADEQUATE TEACHING RESOURCES IN THE CLASSROOM (WHICH IS ALL THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE ALWAYS NEEDED!) IS NOW BEING PUSHED TO TECHNOLOGY-BASED LEARNING CAUSED BY EDUCATION BUDGET CUTS. SO WHAT WAS NOW A GOOD, WELL-FINANCED MODEL IS NOW HAVING TO MOVE TOWARDS THE LESS-FUNDED, MORE EFFICIENT MODEL AS THESE CHARTERS BECOME MORE SELECTIVE WITH THEIR STUDENT POPULATIONS THROUGH 'LOTTERIES'.......ALL WHILE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE DATA REMAINS PROTECTED UNDER SPECIAL CHARTER AGREEMENTS THAT SUPERCEDE OPEN POLICY OF PUBLIC EDUCATION. THEY ARE DEVELOPING A CORPORATE MODEL AS THEY ARE DEEMED PUBLIC SCHOOLS, GETTING ALL THE FUNDING FROM TAXPAYERS!
Interview with KIPP Empower Founder Mike Kerr
Posted by dcieslak on Mar 9, 2012 iLearn Project
Last month, we introduced readers to KIPP Empower Academy, a blended elementary school program achieving outstanding results in Los Angeles, CA. Today, we have to honor of sharing an exclusive, in-depth interview with KEA founder Mike Kerr.
10. If a school principal wanted to implement your model, how would you recommend he or she get started? In order to share about our experience with blended learning at KEA, we have developed a suite of informational resources for educators and others curious about implementing blended learning at the elementary level. Included is a case study on our first year of operation, which details the structure of blended learning at KEA, our staffing model, schedule, lessons learned, and frequently asked questions. I would advise anyone interested in replicating our model to start there!
Additionally, it takes more than just computers to make a blended learning model work. In the KEA example, our talented teachers and staff were hired not only for their commitment, leadership, and management capacity, but also for their ability to be flexible and adept at following a meticulously structured schedule that requires a great deal of movement. The teachers and staff received professional development training to follow the rotational schedule to precision. They also need to manage a classroom well in order to facilitate regular, smooth transitions. Furthermore, the teachers must be trained in how to interpret and use student achievement data, especially that which the various computer programs generate.
Schools that adopt a blended learning model must also assign a project manager who will be the point person for vendor management, troubleshooting computer issues, and keeping abreast of any teacher concerns. Ultimately, someone must take ownership over the implementation of the model so that if issues arise such as facilities constraints or bandwidth challenges, someone is responsible for ensuring a speedy resolution.
Allowing for significant implementation lead-time and setting realistic expectations in a school’s first year of implementation are also important. With potential facility-related issues, bandwidth concerns, or hardware challenges, having lead-time allows a school enough of a buffer to remedy these challenges in order to mitigate their effects on student learning when school starts. Additionally, if issues arise, being able to assign or hire someone who can address IT challenges onsite is also valuable. KEA was fortunate to have room in its budget to hire an instructional assistant for technology who could prevent many of the aforementioned challenges from overwhelming school administration.
In sum, I would make the following recommendations to anyone interested in implementing a model similar to ours:
Economics & Policy February 4, 2010, 5:00PM EST Boomberg Financial
KIPP: Learning a Lesson from Big Business The charter school powerhouse uses motivational techniques inspired by America's top corporations, to impressive effect By Molly Peterson
BW Magazine This Issue February 15, 2010
Touring a branch of the Knowledge Is Power Program in southwest Houston is like dropping into an underage executive boot camp. The building houses three KIPP charter schools spanning pre-kindergarten to 12th grade—each one a showcase for motivational tactics. The youngest kids wear shirts emblazoned with "Class of 2024," the year they plan to start college. Classrooms are named after Yale and other top colleges. Fifth graders chant their multiplication tables in unison. And the corridors of the middle school are lined with slogans such as "No Shortcuts."
The resemblance to executive training—an intense, communal focus on goals—is no coincidence. KIPP's two founders, Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin, drew lessons from some of America's top companies, including Gap (GPS), FedEx (FDX), and Southwest Airlines (LUV), as they built the program. Both men graduated from Ivy League colleges, and both are alumni of Teach for America, a New York nonprofit that funnels college grads into two-year teaching stints in poor neighborhoods. They and many of their principals have also taken business school classes. "KIPP school leaders are small business owners in many respects," says Elliott Witney, the chief academic officer of KIPP's Houston schools, who keeps a copy of Jim Collins' Good to Great in his office.
Started in 1994 as an experiment with 50 fifth graders in Houston's inner city, KIPP has blossomed into the biggest U.S. charter school operator, with 82 schools for poor and minority children in 19 states. The Obama Administration cites KIPP schools as models for some of the education reforms it hopes to spur with $100 billion in stimulus money. The program has gotten "remarkable results from students," Education Secretary Arne Duncan told Bloomberg. It helps kids "who didn't really have a good work ethic start to become extraordinarily successful."
Working overtime is central to KIPP's success, as it is at many corporations. Starting with the Houston experiment, Feinberg and Levin instituted nine-hour school days instead of the usual seven, held classes on some Saturdays, and ran summer sessions. Students often spent 60% more time in class than regular public schools require. After one year, the number of students performing at grade level in reading and math jumped to 90% from 50%.
Results kept improving over the next decade. In 2005, a study by the Educational Policy Institute in Virginia Beach, Va., found "large and significant gains" among fifth graders in KIPP schools nationwide on the Stanford Achievement Test Series, a standardized assessment used by school districts. On a scale of 0 to 99, the students scored an average of 9 to 17 points higher in reading, language, and math than they had the previous year elsewhere.
KIPP now has an 85% college matriculation rate, compared with 40% for low-income students nationwide, according to a 2008 report card KIPP prepared and posted on its Web site. About 90% of KIPP's 20,000 students are black or Hispanic; 80% qualify for subsidized meals.
Principals, teachers, students, and parents stay focused on preparing every child for college, says Feinberg, 41, a University of Pennsylvania graduate who heads up KIPP's 15 Houston schools. (Yale University alumnus Levin, 39, runs the system's six New York City schools.) When KIPP students graduate, "It's not just the high school teachers that walk in the commencement," Feinberg says. "The middle school teachers and the elementary teachers that taught those kids walk as well."
KIPP school leaders, who refer to students and parents as "customers," have more control than traditional public school principals over budgets, staffing, and curriculum, Feinberg says. They also continually assess whether students are likely to succeed in college. Schools that fall short can lose the right to the KIPP brand.
These statistics reflect an artificial inflation meant to make these schools seem more successful and thus a model. KIPP has private investors who add to the school's budget; it selects its students and actively pushes lower performing children out; and statistics have yet to be verified. It's basically like Lance Armstrong winning the Tour de France with all kinds of artificial enhancements. The main point here is that all these enhancements will disappear if their model is adopted. You will then see the business model of maximizing profits.
WELCOME TO THE 1%'s IDEA OF THE 'NEW ECONOMY'
I wanted to take the Baltimore City billion dollar school funding plan a step further by reminding people that these charters are not just cute and practical neighborhood education experiments.......these charters are national chain businesses just waiting to go private. Your taxpayer money is being used in every phase of development; the city buys the real estate and sells it to the developer for $1; the city/state gives tax breaks to developers and then fences future taxes to these same enterprise zones; the city provides public services for these developments; the VISTA staff that predominate these NGOs are paid for by Federal taxes or Federal loan forgiveness. At every step, you and I pay for this corporate development. We pay for it through poverty wages, loss of benefits, loss of services and public assets, loss of entitlements including retirement and healthcare, and we lose all control of what our communities and greater society will be.
It is on all of us to get out and shout 'DEMOCRACY IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT'. In Baltimore we are hearing our Comptroller accusing our Mayor of criminal actions with contractors. She is doing that because this year has seen watchdog groups, media, and citizens shout for accountability. WE ALL KNOW THERE IS CONSIDERABLE FRAUD IN OUR CITY AND STATE GOVERNMENT AND WE WILL HOLD OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE. O'Malley says the Center for Public Integrity Study showing Maryland at the bottom for corruption and other studies show the same for fraud........'used faulty data', this as we hear time and again that statistics he uses to advance his career are found to error.
We are at a 'tipping point' as you hear these 1% say and indeed we are. If the people do not find the time and motivation to get involved in their own way........we will be VICTIMS of the 'New Economy'. LOOK AT THE WALL OF SHAME AT THE SITE FOR FINANCIAL REFORM TO SEE WHO VOTED FOR THE END OF GLASS-STEAGALL-----KNOWING THIS INEQUITY AND UNACCOUNTABILITY WOULD RESULT. YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY ELIZABETH WARREN IS A LONE VOICE FOR THIS MUCH NEEDED REFORM! If your elected official is not shouting loudly and strongly to make the 1% our next major export......they are not working for the middle/lower class!
VOTE OUT YOUR INCUMBENT!!!!!
These are good people working with an organization that does good work, but overwhelmingly these private non-profits are getting free employees for work to advance private endeavors.
AmeriCorps VISTA
AmeriCorps VISTA members spend one year in full-time service to address the needs of low-income communities. All projects focus on building permanent infrastructure in organizations to help them more effectively bring individuals and communities out of poverty.
Who can apply:
- Public, private, or faith-based nonprofit organizations
- Local, state, or federal agencies
One consistent goal for every AmeriCorps VISTA project should be the sustainability of the project by the sponsoring agency and the low-income community after AmeriCorps VISTA project sponsorship ends.
How Does My Organization Apply to Become an AmeriCorps VISTA Sponsor? To apply for AmeriCorps VISTA members, a potential sponsor must contact the Corporation State Office covering the area in which the proposed project would be located to discuss application requirements and procedures. AmeriCorps VISTA uses eGrants, the CNCS online application system for single-site project renewals and new applications. The Corporation State Office will provide technical assistance during the application process. You can also download the initial application. The length of the application process varies, but the average time from the initial contact to a final decision is 3-5 months.
The Corporation State Office will review the application for adherence to AmeriCorps VISTA project guidelines and the Corporation State Office's annual plan for project development. You will receive more specific information on the AmeriCorps VISTA program guidelines with your application kit, along with information on cost-sharing your project. The application kit may include the following forms and guidelines:
- AmeriCorps VISTA Project Application and Instructions (PDF)
- AmeriCorps VISTA Project Progress Report (PDF)
- AmeriCorps VISTA Standard Budget (PDF)
- AmeriCorps VISTA Support Budget (PDF)
- FY 2012 Program Guidance (PDF)
- Is AmeriCorps VISTA Right for Your Organization? (PDF)
There is no required match for new AmeriCorps VISTA project sponsors, but there is the option to cost-share.
Cost sharing is not required but is strongly encouraged, particularly in projects wishing to have AmeriCorps VISTA resources beyond the third year. As a cost-share project, your organization contributes the living allowance-about $9,500-for each AmeriCorps VISTA member.
Cost-sharing is an excellent way to leverage additional funding resources and see where the dollars will be matched by AmeriCorps VISTA. In finding funding for your organization's share of the partnership, consider approaching:
- Community foundations;
- State government funding sources;
- Municipalities and school districts;
- Colleges and universities; and
- Local corporations.
- A Segal AmeriCorps Education Award or post-service stipend.
- Health coverage for all members assigned to your project - approximately $2,700 per member.
- Payroll services: Members receive their paychecks directly from AmeriCorps VISTA.
- Training in project management and leadership for members and project supervisor.
- Travel costs associated with training. Moving allowance for members relocating to serve.
- Liability coverage for all members, under the Federal Employees Compensation Act and the Federal Torts Claims Act.
- Child care for income-eligible members.
- FICA
- Assistance with recruiting members.
For information on becoming a cost-sharing project call (202) 606-5000, ext. 338 or e-mail vista@americorps.gov.
______________________________________________________________
THESE CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE CHAINS......NOT UNIQUE TO YOUR COMMUNITY!
IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE THAT KIPP IS NOT JUST A SET OF CHARTERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY......THEY ARE A CHAIN OF BUSINESSES THAT WILL BE MADE PRIVATE WITH JUST A PASSAGE OF A LAW. ALL THAT TAXPAYER MONEY IN DEVELOPMENT AND HAVING A STRONG FOOTPRINT.......TAKING ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH THEM. KIPP IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE.
KIPP Baltimore Schools ~
- KIPP Jacksonville Schools
- KIPP Charlotte
- KIPP: Chicago
- KIPP Metro Atlanta
- KIPP LA:
- KIPP Tech Valley
- KIPP: DFW The mission of KIPP Dallas-Fort Worth ("DFW")
- More results from en.wikipedia.org »
- KIPP DC:
TEACHERS ARE SEEING THEIR WAGES SLASHED BY EXTENDED HOURS AND WAGE AND BENEFIT CUTS, MAKING THESE TEACHING JOBS UNDESIRABLE TO MOST PROFESSIONALS. THEY ARE USING THESE CHARTERS TO CREATE CORPORATE TRAINING SCHOOLS AND MAKING THEM SEEM TO BE ACHIEVING RESULTS BY RELEASING DATA THAT CAN'T BE VERIFIED BECAUSE OF NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS SIGNED BY GOVERNOR O'MALLEY.
KIPP, teachers union reach 10-year agreement Deal cuts school day by half-hour, lowers teacher pay slightly
March 16, 2011|By Liz Bowie, The Baltimore Sun
A Baltimore charter school network that had threatened to shut down in June reached an agreement in principle with the Baltimore Teachers Union minutes before testimony was set to begin in Annapolis on a bill that would have given city charters more flexibility in dealing with union rules.
KIPP, or the Knowledge is Power Program, will stay in Baltimore for the next decade under the agreement that gives the school the long-term stability to invest in its buildings as well as raise money for its schools. KIPP agreed to shorten its workday from 91/2 hours to nine hours and pay teachers 20 percent more than the average city teacher makes, down from 20.5 percent.
"It happened very quickly. We moved into serious conversations this week. We are thrilled that we got to this place," said Steve Mancini, a spokesman for KIPP, a charter school network that has an elementary and a middle school in Baltimore and would like to open more schools in the city.
The school had come into conflict with the union because its program offers students a long school day, after-school activities and Saturday school. The union said that despite the fact that KIPP paid teachers more than any other school in the city, it was not paying them at the same union rate for the longer hours. The new agreement is similar to a one-year agreement that had been struck last year.
"We heard our members loud and clear. KIPP teachers stated they love their school and their students and want to keep working at KIPP. This agreement satisfies everyone and allows the success of our students and our school system to continue," Marietta English, president of the union, said in a statement.
Under the agreement, the teachers will not have to work on Saturday, Mancini said. In addition, the school will set aside money this year to ensure that it can pay teachers an additional 20 percent if education funding for public schools declines this year.
"We can do what we need to do with the nine hours and the summer school. This is sufficient time to deliver on our program," Mancini said. "We feel confident we can continue the track record of success and maintain fiscal stability as well."
The sponsors of the bills, which would allow 80 percent of teachers to vote on their working conditions including pay, will pull the legislation after an agreement has been signed.
While opponents of the bill wearing yellow T-shirts saying Baltimore Teachers Union jammed the hearing room next to parents wearing "KIPP Save Our Schools" buttons, the negotiations continued in Baltimore.
Del. Samuel I. Rosenberg, the bill's sponsor, put the KIPP legislation at the end of a long list of bills being heard Wednesday to give negotiators more time.
But before the bill was called, KIPP parents went to an empty room, where Rosenberg announced that an agreement had been reached. Parents and teachers shouted and began to cry.
"We were so loud that they had to bring security to tell us to calm down. The teachers were excited. And we were happy that we did our part for the school," said Kevin Sherald, parent of a first-grader.
The scene was also emotional for Rosenberg. "To give the news about the agreement to the 100 parents of KIPP students gathered in Annapolis to testify for the bill and share their joy is a moment that I have never experienced before and never will forget," he said.
KIPP's middle school, Ujima Village Academy, opened in 2002 and consistently beats high-performing middle schools like Roland Park Middle on state tests. The school has a high number of students who qualify for subsidized lunches because of poverty. In 2009, KIPP opened an elementary school, KIPP Harmony Academy.
"KIPP is going to be in Baltimore for a long time to come," said Sen. Catherine E. Pugh, a Baltimore Democrat who sponsored a companion bill. "Our schools are moving so fast forward and KIPP is one exciting piece of that."
Even though the bill might not have passed, Rosenberg said the hearing was a powerful motivator because "it brings everyone to the bargaining table."
For parents who were in Annapolis to support the bill, the scene was breathtaking, said Sherald. "This is the first time the parents have really been part of something of this nature. … All we knew was that our kids needed an education."
Baltimore Sun reporters Erica L. Green and Julie Bykowicz contributed to this article.
liz.bowie@baltsun.com
____________________________________________________________________
IF YOU READ THIS WHOLE INTERVIEW YOU WILL SEE THE PROGRESSION THIS PRIVATIZATION OF EDUCATION WILL TAKE IF LEFT UNIMPEDED. WE SEE THAT ALL THE BENEFITS OF THIS CHARTER'S MODEL OF HAVING ADEQUATE TEACHING RESOURCES IN THE CLASSROOM (WHICH IS ALL THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE ALWAYS NEEDED!) IS NOW BEING PUSHED TO TECHNOLOGY-BASED LEARNING CAUSED BY EDUCATION BUDGET CUTS. SO WHAT WAS NOW A GOOD, WELL-FINANCED MODEL IS NOW HAVING TO MOVE TOWARDS THE LESS-FUNDED, MORE EFFICIENT MODEL AS THESE CHARTERS BECOME MORE SELECTIVE WITH THEIR STUDENT POPULATIONS THROUGH 'LOTTERIES'.......ALL WHILE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE DATA REMAINS PROTECTED UNDER SPECIAL CHARTER AGREEMENTS THAT SUPERCEDE OPEN POLICY OF PUBLIC EDUCATION. THEY ARE DEVELOPING A CORPORATE MODEL AS THEY ARE DEEMED PUBLIC SCHOOLS, GETTING ALL THE FUNDING FROM TAXPAYERS!
Interview with KIPP Empower Founder Mike Kerr
Posted by dcieslak on Mar 9, 2012 iLearn Project
Last month, we introduced readers to KIPP Empower Academy, a blended elementary school program achieving outstanding results in Los Angeles, CA. Today, we have to honor of sharing an exclusive, in-depth interview with KEA founder Mike Kerr.
10. If a school principal wanted to implement your model, how would you recommend he or she get started? In order to share about our experience with blended learning at KEA, we have developed a suite of informational resources for educators and others curious about implementing blended learning at the elementary level. Included is a case study on our first year of operation, which details the structure of blended learning at KEA, our staffing model, schedule, lessons learned, and frequently asked questions. I would advise anyone interested in replicating our model to start there!
Additionally, it takes more than just computers to make a blended learning model work. In the KEA example, our talented teachers and staff were hired not only for their commitment, leadership, and management capacity, but also for their ability to be flexible and adept at following a meticulously structured schedule that requires a great deal of movement. The teachers and staff received professional development training to follow the rotational schedule to precision. They also need to manage a classroom well in order to facilitate regular, smooth transitions. Furthermore, the teachers must be trained in how to interpret and use student achievement data, especially that which the various computer programs generate.
Schools that adopt a blended learning model must also assign a project manager who will be the point person for vendor management, troubleshooting computer issues, and keeping abreast of any teacher concerns. Ultimately, someone must take ownership over the implementation of the model so that if issues arise such as facilities constraints or bandwidth challenges, someone is responsible for ensuring a speedy resolution.
Allowing for significant implementation lead-time and setting realistic expectations in a school’s first year of implementation are also important. With potential facility-related issues, bandwidth concerns, or hardware challenges, having lead-time allows a school enough of a buffer to remedy these challenges in order to mitigate their effects on student learning when school starts. Additionally, if issues arise, being able to assign or hire someone who can address IT challenges onsite is also valuable. KEA was fortunate to have room in its budget to hire an instructional assistant for technology who could prevent many of the aforementioned challenges from overwhelming school administration.
In sum, I would make the following recommendations to anyone interested in implementing a model similar to ours:
- Centralize project management
- Anticipate bandwidth / other facilities related issues
- Allow significant implementation lead-time
- Set realistic expectations (e.g. around data usability)
- Prepare for upfront costs associated with implementation
- Prepare for unanticipated staffing needs
- Hire flexible teachers with excellent classroom management and who are bought into the need for personalized learning
Economics & Policy February 4, 2010, 5:00PM EST Boomberg Financial
KIPP: Learning a Lesson from Big Business The charter school powerhouse uses motivational techniques inspired by America's top corporations, to impressive effect By Molly Peterson
BW Magazine This Issue February 15, 2010
Touring a branch of the Knowledge Is Power Program in southwest Houston is like dropping into an underage executive boot camp. The building houses three KIPP charter schools spanning pre-kindergarten to 12th grade—each one a showcase for motivational tactics. The youngest kids wear shirts emblazoned with "Class of 2024," the year they plan to start college. Classrooms are named after Yale and other top colleges. Fifth graders chant their multiplication tables in unison. And the corridors of the middle school are lined with slogans such as "No Shortcuts."
The resemblance to executive training—an intense, communal focus on goals—is no coincidence. KIPP's two founders, Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin, drew lessons from some of America's top companies, including Gap (GPS), FedEx (FDX), and Southwest Airlines (LUV), as they built the program. Both men graduated from Ivy League colleges, and both are alumni of Teach for America, a New York nonprofit that funnels college grads into two-year teaching stints in poor neighborhoods. They and many of their principals have also taken business school classes. "KIPP school leaders are small business owners in many respects," says Elliott Witney, the chief academic officer of KIPP's Houston schools, who keeps a copy of Jim Collins' Good to Great in his office.
Started in 1994 as an experiment with 50 fifth graders in Houston's inner city, KIPP has blossomed into the biggest U.S. charter school operator, with 82 schools for poor and minority children in 19 states. The Obama Administration cites KIPP schools as models for some of the education reforms it hopes to spur with $100 billion in stimulus money. The program has gotten "remarkable results from students," Education Secretary Arne Duncan told Bloomberg. It helps kids "who didn't really have a good work ethic start to become extraordinarily successful."
Working overtime is central to KIPP's success, as it is at many corporations. Starting with the Houston experiment, Feinberg and Levin instituted nine-hour school days instead of the usual seven, held classes on some Saturdays, and ran summer sessions. Students often spent 60% more time in class than regular public schools require. After one year, the number of students performing at grade level in reading and math jumped to 90% from 50%.
Results kept improving over the next decade. In 2005, a study by the Educational Policy Institute in Virginia Beach, Va., found "large and significant gains" among fifth graders in KIPP schools nationwide on the Stanford Achievement Test Series, a standardized assessment used by school districts. On a scale of 0 to 99, the students scored an average of 9 to 17 points higher in reading, language, and math than they had the previous year elsewhere.
KIPP now has an 85% college matriculation rate, compared with 40% for low-income students nationwide, according to a 2008 report card KIPP prepared and posted on its Web site. About 90% of KIPP's 20,000 students are black or Hispanic; 80% qualify for subsidized meals.
Principals, teachers, students, and parents stay focused on preparing every child for college, says Feinberg, 41, a University of Pennsylvania graduate who heads up KIPP's 15 Houston schools. (Yale University alumnus Levin, 39, runs the system's six New York City schools.) When KIPP students graduate, "It's not just the high school teachers that walk in the commencement," Feinberg says. "The middle school teachers and the elementary teachers that taught those kids walk as well."
KIPP school leaders, who refer to students and parents as "customers," have more control than traditional public school principals over budgets, staffing, and curriculum, Feinberg says. They also continually assess whether students are likely to succeed in college. Schools that fall short can lose the right to the KIPP brand.
These statistics reflect an artificial inflation meant to make these schools seem more successful and thus a model. KIPP has private investors who add to the school's budget; it selects its students and actively pushes lower performing children out; and statistics have yet to be verified. It's basically like Lance Armstrong winning the Tour de France with all kinds of artificial enhancements. The main point here is that all these enhancements will disappear if their model is adopted. You will then see the business model of maximizing profits.
WELCOME TO THE 1%'s IDEA OF THE 'NEW ECONOMY'
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