EduClips: From Contaminants at Hawaii Schools to the Lone Star State’s ‘Broken’ Education Fund, School News You Missed This Week From America’s 15 Biggest Districts
EduClips provides a compilation of the most significant education news from the fifteen largest school districts in the United States. These districts serve more than 4 million students in eight states. You can find previous EduClips editions here.
Broward County – After the tragic Parkland shootings, the Fort Lauderdale Schools have decided not to terminate Superintendent Robert Runcie. The Broward County School Board voted 6-3 to keep Runcie in his position. The decision evaluated Runcie’s overall performance, not just his handling of the mass shooting that took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018. During the meeting, 90 public speakers addressed the board, with almost all supporting Runcie. The speakers included mayors, activists, community leaders, school principals, and parents. It was evident that the debate over Runcie’s career had racial and socioeconomic undertones, with parents from Parkland, a predominantly white and affluent area, presenting different arguments compared to those from the African-American community and central Broward County. (Read the full story at the Miami Herald)
New York City – The charter school sector in New York City has reached its cap on the number of schools allowed, which marks a significant moment for the sector. The city’s Board of Trustees for the State University of New York has approved the opening of the last seven charter schools permitted under the current state-approved cap. This decision is likely to halt the growth of the sector for now. Although charter advocates have been advocating for an increase in the cap, the state legislature is now under full control of Democrats, making this prospect unlikely. (Read the full story at Chalkbeat)
Houston – An investigation conducted by the Houston Chronicle has revealed that Texas’ school fund, created to support public education, is in need of major reform. The Texas Permanent School Fund, valued at $44 billion, has not performed as well as similar endowments, potentially missing out on $12 billion in growth. The investigation found that the fund’s asset allocation is risky, and outside fund managers have charged at least $1 billion in fees over the past decade. Additionally, the fund is distributing less money to schools compared to previous years, with last year’s share being only 2.8 percent of its value, whereas many other endowments distributed double that amount. (Read the full story at The Houston Chronicle)
Los Angeles – Jackie Goldberg, a candidate supported by the teachers’ union, has emerged as the frontrunner in a special election for a seat on the Los Angeles Board of Education. Goldberg garnered widespread public support, especially after the recent six-day teachers’ strike in January. This victory signifies a shift in the district’s dynamics, as the power of the local teachers union appeared to be declining just last year, and charter school advocates dominated the board. Goldberg secured 48 percent of the vote, falling just short of the majority needed for an outright win. However, she remains the strong favorite in the May 14 runoff election, with a second-place finisher trailing her by 35 percentage points. If elected, Goldberg could potentially alter the balance of power on the board. (Read the full story at the Los Angeles Times)
Philadelphia — School Board Rejects New Charter School Applications in a Shift of Policy: In a unanimous vote, the Philadelphia school board denied three new charter school applications, marking a departure from the previous policies of the old School Reform Commission. The board, appointed by Mayor Jim Kenney after the city regained control of its schools from the state, stated that the applicants failed to demonstrate their ability to fulfill their promises. However, the board also indicated that it was taking a broader look at the role of the city’s 87 charter schools, which currently enroll around 70,000 students, accounting for approximately one-third of the district’s public school population. The state-controlled commission, which governed the Philadelphia system for 17 years, was generally supportive of charter schools and approved three new ones last year. (Read at the Philadelphia Inquirer)
Noteworthy Essays & Reflections
CIVICS EDUCATION —Pondiscio: Disturbing Video of Students Confronting Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Green New Deal Highlights the Misuse of Children in Political Debates (Read at The74Million.org)
FREE SPEECH — How to Handle a Student Who Refuses to Recite the Pledge of Allegiance: First and Foremost, Don’t Suggest That They Should Leave the Country (Read at USA Today)
ARTS EDUCATION — Utilizing Arts Education to Enhance Learning Across Subjects (Read at The New York Times)
SCHOOL CHOICE — The Trump Administration’s Audacious New Plan for School Choice (Read at National Review)
PUBERTY — Let’s Stop Avoiding the Realities of Puberty. We’re Only Making It More Uncomfortable (Read at The New York Times)
Quotes of the Week
"The superintendent came to me in a state of panic because he had been confronted by influential and wealthy alumni of the school who were friends of Mr. Trump… He said, ‘You need to obtain that record and give it to me because I need to hand it over to them.’" —Evan Jones, former headmaster of the New York Military Academy, discussing attempts to conceal President Donald Trump’s high school academic records. (Read at The Washington Post)
"The Supreme Court, in a way, allowed this to happen. They made the wrong decision, and now they have the opportunity to correct it." —John Yoo, law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, commenting on a new federal lawsuit challenging New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s efforts to diversify a selection of the city’s specialized high schools. (Read at The74Million.org)
"As a teenager, I feel like the industry is specifically targeting us with a variety of edibles in candy and fruit flavors. It’s genuinely frightening to me." —Carson Ezell, a student at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, expressing concerns about a state proposal to legalize recreational marijuana. (Read at the Chicago Tribune)
"I hate to say it, but many of us are avoiding the harsh reality that this is an issue of privilege. Every community has had to face the tragic loss of a child, whether it be in a school building, across the street from a school, or in a nearby park. But never have we demanded that the mayor, police chief, county commissioners, or even the superintendent be fired as a result." —Darryl Holsendolph, a member of the NAACP and 100 Black Men of South Florida, reflecting on unsuccessful attempts to dismiss Broward County Superintendent Robert Runcie following the deadly shootings at a high school in Parkland last year. (Read at the Miami Herald)
"Without the cap being lifted in Albany, today will be remembered as the day when progress towards providing the excellent public education that our city’s students deserve was arbitrarily halted." —James Merriman, CEO of the NYC Charter School Center, after the final round of charter schools were approved under a cap imposed by the state. (Read at Chalkbeat)
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