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Independence Institute 2011 School Board Candidates Briefing

Independence Institute 2011 School Board Candidates Briefing. Pam Benigno, Education Policy Center Director Ben DeGrow, Senior Education Policy Analyst. Education Policy Center. http://Education.i2i.org http://www.SchoolChoiceforKids.org http://www.EdIsWatching.org

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Independence Institute 2011 School Board Candidates Briefing

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  1. Independence Institute 2011 School Board Candidates Briefing Pam Benigno, Education Policy Center Director Ben DeGrow, Senior Education Policy Analyst

  2. Education Policy Center • http://Education.i2i.org • http://www.SchoolChoiceforKids.org • http://www.EdIsWatching.org • http://www.IndependentTeachers.org

  3. Topics • Digital Learning • Douglas County Blueprint for Choice • Innovation Schools Act • SB 191 / Changing Educator Pay • School District Financial Transparency • Collective Bargaining Reform

  4. Advantages in ColoradoThe Wild, Wild West • Local school boards have control over instruction • No state control over textbooks • No state-mandated collective bargaining • No state-mandated teacher union membership • Intra- and Inter-district open enrollment • Strong charter school law • Strong education reform community

  5. Open Enrollment Intra-district and Inter-district The Foundation for Choice

  6. Options • Neighborhood schools • Magnet / Option / Focus schools • Charter schools • Programs within schools • Contract schools • Home school programs • Online schools

  7. Full-time Online Learning • 22 full-time, multi-district programs • 23 single-district programs

  8. Blended Learning • Model 1: Face–to-Face Driver • Model 2: Rotation • Model 3: Flex • Model 4: Online Lab • Model 5: Self blended • Model 6: Online Driver The Rise of K-12 Blended Learning Innosight Institute January 2011

  9. 10 Elements of High Quality Digital Learning • Student Eligibility • Student Access • Personalized Learning • Advancement • Content • Instruction • Providers • Assessment and Accountability • Funding • Delivery Digital Learning Now!Foundation for Excellence in Education December 1, 2010

  10. Douglas County School Choice Task Force • President and VP spearheaded effort • Open to community: June 2010 • Task force gave recommendations at board retreat: November 2010 • Supportive superintendent • Unanimous board support: March 2011

  11. Douglas County Blueprint for Choice • Charter schools • Home education partnerships • Contract schools • “Choice Scholarships” • Neighborhood school empowerment • Online learning • Open enrollment policy reform

  12. Douglas County Open Enrollment Policy Reform Highlights • Changed “tone” of open enrollment policy to be more supportive of choice • Added a second-round application period • Added a new student choice option • Added an appeals process • Treat family members as a unit in selection process • Increased the number of days for first round period

  13. Innovation Schools Act 2008 • School or group of schools may implement innovations • Innovations may include but not limited to: • Educational services • Budgeting • Personnel administration • Personnel decision making • District may request waivers from allowable statutes and regulations • Requires collective bargaining agreements to allow for waivers of terms with 60% support

  14. Approved Innovation Schools or Districts • Denver: 18 Innovation Schools • Colo. Springs 11: 1 Innovation School • Kit Carson : 2 Innovation Schools

  15. Falcon School District Board’s Unique Reforms • Innovation school district in process • Developed four zones of innovation led by high school principals (three feeder areas and “innovation zone” of virtual, charters, etc.) • Innovation plans to be submitted this fall • Projected savings of $11.8M over 5 years • Reduced administration • Contracted transportation services • “Backpack funding”: money follows student to school / program of choice

  16. SB 191: Educator Effectiveness • Define teacher and principal “effectiveness” • 50% of evaluations tied to student growth • Weaken legal promise of tenure • Gaining & keeping tenure based on effectiveness • Principal consent in direct placement; seniority less factor

  17. Going Forward… • State Implementation • State Board rulemaking (November) • Legislature reviews and approves rules (February) • Pilot period: districts selected (2012-13) • Local opportunities • Replace seniority with performance [“Bargaining Reform”] • Performance evaluations = performance pay

  18. The single-salary schedule is unsustainable and unproductive Teacher skills don’t typically improve beyond first 3 to 5 years of experience ZERO correlation between masters degrees and effective learning results Nearly 2% of Colo. K-12 operating budgets spent on “masters bumps” Teacher Compensation Reform

  19. Colo. Compensation Reforms • Merit pay (“First” generation) • Forced ranking systems, bonus pay-outs • Charter variations: Cherry Creek Academy; Liberty Common; Platte River Academy • Strategic compensation: an evolution • Eagle County & The Classical Academy • Merit pay discarded: subjective, opaque • Denver ProComp (Results-based pay) • Some positive results, esp. from newer teachers • Salary schedule kept, some rewards misaligned

  20. Pay Innovation to Watch • Harrison 2 Effectiveness and Results • Performance Pay, NOT Incentive Pay • Comprehensive: principal training; evaluation tools; data systems; smart professional development

  21. Douglas Co. Pay for Performance • Next generation?: Work in progress • Market-based salaries • Objective standards, no quotas • Triangulation of data (tests, evaluation, targets) • High earnings for highest performers • Salary-building, not bonuses • Opt-in with “test drive” / “audit” option • To-do list • Defining details • Common assessments • Data structure

  22. The Goal: Performance-Based System • Don’t limit performance pay & evaluations to teachers • Principals and building administrators • Support staff • Central office • Focus on results, invest in success!

  23. Model Financial Transparency • Expenditures easy to find, detailed and searchable • Expenditures clearly linked to revenue sources • Exemplary Districts • Jefferson County • Douglas County • Adams 12 • Cherry Creek • Subscription service • Archived data

  24. Financial Transparency: It’s the Law! • House Bill 10-1036: Post finances online • Current budget • Most recent financial audit • Quarterly or monthly financial reports • Salary schedules / policies • Expenditures: check registers & purchase cards • Investment reports (starting 7/1/2012) • Other requirements • Post within 60 days • Two prior years’ budgets • Link to CDE site

  25. To Comply or Not To Comply? • Real Accreditation Consequences • Drop to “priority improvement” / “turnaround” • Enforcement Depends on Self-Reporting • Primarily citizen-driven accountability • I.I. Review of District & BOCES sites (7/2011) • 2010 requirements: 24 fully compliant; 36 mostly compliant – out of 193 • 2011 requirements: 8 fully compliant; 36 mostly compliant – out of 193

  26. Loopholes and Other Issues • 60-day issue • What does July 1, 2011 really mean? • Challenges for smaller districts / charters? • CDE template solves most of the problem • Wire transfers & spirit of spending transparency • Aurora sending funds to union (private info?)

  27. Collective Bargaining Reform • Colorado Context • One of nine states with discretionary bargaining • 41 of 178 districts = exclusive union representation • Other districts practice “meet and confer” or have no formal negotiation structure at all • What Reform May Offer • Management flexibility • Fiscal savings • Employee fairness • Academic gains, esp. for low-income students (limited research)

  28. Open Negotiations to Public • Good government: keep contracts in view • Remind employees whose interests they bargain against • Keep citizens engaged in reform process: observe, not participate • Of 41 districts, only Poudre and Colorado Springs 11 ensure open negotiations

  29. Payroll Deduction Power • Automatic deductions = conflicted interests, politics, negotiations • 30 districts: Opt in any time, brief opt out windows (many have to ask union) • 6 districts: Non-union members opt out each year or pay full “dues equivalency”

  30. Real Victims…

  31. Union Release Time Privileges • Release day allotments • Professional development, grievance, negotiations, membership drives, lobbying, political activities? • Jeffco (275 days a year): district pays teacher and sub; days used to lobby against SB 191 • Define and document acceptable uses; require reimbursement for substitutes / end practice • Union presidents and other officers • Poudre: $67,763 taxpayer subsidy (10-11) • Adams 12:$187,000 subsidy for 3 officers (09-10) • 5 districts require union to pay in full

  32. Other Bargaining Opportunities • Remove Seniority from Teacher Placement • “Last In, First Out” (LIFO): costly, ineffective • Neediest students get least effective instructors • Tiebreakers (Jeffco): Coin flip, drawing lots • Equal Access • Many districts give unions exclusive privileges: Emails, bulletin boards, equipment, facilities • Teachers’ “Right to Know” • Bargaining Alternatives • Park County ended agreement • Gilcrest (Weld Re-1) ended meet & confer

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