Classroom Success Doesn’t Translate into Corporate Success

USA – A study of women in corporate leadership showed that women account for 15.7 of corporate officer’s positions and 5.2 percent of top earners at fortune 500 companies. Women hold 9.9 percent of the top line corporate positions in these companies. These numbers are in contrast to studies that show that girls outperform boys at all levels of education. The study found that the good girl or good student behavior in fact holds them back in the corporate world or as one person said “good girls don’t advertise” and often they don’t ask for what they deserve. The theory that hard work will be recognized and rewarded doesn’t always work in the corporate world.

Orlando Sentinel May 12, 2004

Parental Survey

Public School Gains 28 Students from Private Schools

Minneapolis, MN – A parental survey in Southwest Minneapolis found that 59 percent of parents rated the public school system good or excellent which is the highest in the city. Latinos give the schools the highest rating of any ethnic block. Confirming these views Burroughs Community School has gained 28 students from private schools this year. While the students in Minneapolis Schools did not do so well on tests, white middle class students out-performed state averages for students of similar incomes from other schools. On some test middle class American Indians outperformed their statewide peers. The district has a very good record on improvement in test scores. The district because of its achievements has done a good job of retaining students and it is using its diversity as a selling point to parents who value diversity.

Star Tribune April 12, 2004

School Nurse

Study Finds School Nurses Feel Isolated

MO – A series of interviews with 25 school nurses from different kinds of schools found that school nurses believe themselves to be the anchor in the school for health care for not only the students but also the staff and parents. They also find themselves to be advocates for children’s health care with teachers, parents and other health care providers. They also find themselves to be isolated within the school community and restricted to the health care room as well as being isolated from other people in the health care community especially other nurses.

Journal of School Health October 1, 2003

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Report

Discipline

Report – Do Discipline Policies …Foster the Public Good?

USA – A report by Public Agenda surveyed parents and teachers on their experiences in maintaining discipline in public schools. Some of the findings in the report (that is available with the link at the end of this article) stated that over half of the teachers tend to back down from assertive parents. Teachers ease up on discipline when they feel they will not get parental support. Eight out of ten teachers believe that schools would function better if troublemakers were removed from the classroom. One out of three thinks of quitting because of discipline. 82% of teachers prefer to work in a school with a supportive administration than for a higher salary.

http://www.publicagenda.org/research/pdfs/teaching_interrupted.pdf

Special Education

Report Says Inferior Special Education

Baltimore Co. MD – A consultant was paid $100,000 to review the County’s Special Education Program to see what is wrong with it and to make recommendations to fix it. The report found that the system is unnecessarily segregating children with disabilities, providing inferior special education classes in poor neighborhoods and disproportionately placing boys in special education classes.

Among its recommendations are:

Place as many as possible disabled students in their neighborhood schools. Special education students are concentrated in 30 of the 161 district schools.

Repair the disparities in the quality of the special education programs in poor neighborhoods.

Make all schools in the system clean, inviting environments.

It is not always cost effective to contract out special education services especially for the most severely handicapped. These contracts should be reviewed.

The special education administration has to be re-organized to accomplish the implementation of the recommendations.

The Baltimore Sun May 26, 2004

Race Relations

Study Finds Blacks Don’t Feel Welcomed

Gloucester Co., NJ – A consultant’s study found a perception among parents, students and school employees that blacks don’t feel welcomed in the schools. It is a perception that is supported by the records of the school system that show blacks are as apt to be disciplined for misbehavior as white students. The school committee is forming a group of parents, students and school personnel to make recommendations to ease the racial disparity as outlined in the report.

The Daily Press June 9, 2004

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Study

Breakfast Program

Breakfast Program One Year Later

Meriden, CT. – A year ago the Board of Education offered breakfast to elementary school students on a trial basis for one year. As the end of the first year approaches it appears that the program is a success. It is not a financial drain on the school department and Board members who disagree with the concept admit that the program has been a success. It has enhanced attendance and helped working parents. Studies have shown that hungry children are more likely to have behavioral and academic problems. ( Harvard Medical School and Mass General Hospital) Principal Anna Cutaia-Leonard of the Pulaski Middle School says that the program is helping her students and other principals say that it helps students stay focused during the day.

Record Journal June 9, 2004

Report Cards

New Report Cards Proposed

Norwalk, CT – The school district is going to introduce new report cards that are detailed, parent-friendly and are aligned with the Connecticut Mastery Test and the district’s undated curriculum benchmarks. The new report card will not only report academic progress but also their effort in areas such as work habits and personal and social development. Academic progress reports will inform parents whether the student is progressing toward proficiency in a subject. One of the major goals is to make progress reports reflective of what is happening in the classroom and another is to enable parent and teacher to have a much more meaningful conversation.

The Advocate June 6, 2004

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