---

School Board News Bulletin
November 2001

---

School districts may be expected to bail out teacher retirement insurance

Illinois Distinguished Elementary Principal Named

Districts could pay 1/2 to 1 percent in payroll tax

Illinois schools brainstorm with Patrick Dolan

Chicago may reduce principals' hiring power

Plan: Abolish Philly school board, install Edison

TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS

Stanford professor has materials on sleep research

NEWS FROM IASB

Board secretaries often chosen from their board’s membership

School nutrition project underway

RESEARCH REPORTS

Teacher quality a key element of excellent schools

Vouchers unproven: Federal study

THE NATIONAL SCENE

Pledge now more popular in nation’s classrooms

Gates Foundation opening to smaller high schools

Some school leaders rethink crisis response plans

NEWS HEADLINES

LEGISLATIVE ACTION

Legislators hope to ensure 'Crackerjack' teachers for neediest children

WORKSHOPS & MEETINGS

NSBA annual convention set for April 6-9

IASB WEB SITE

Mail handling precautions noted

Upcoming governance meetings listed

FEDERAL UPDATE

Bush education plan, ESEA legislation stall in Congress

School lobbyists are warning schools about legislation that may be introduced to place the funding burden for the Teachers' Retirement Insurance Program (TRIP) largely on local school districts. The Governor's TRIP Task Force met several times in October and November to seek a solution to the state-run insurance program's funding woes, a program currently facing a $30 million deficit.

Lobbyists say the fund deficit will need attention before January 2002 in order to continue paying claims. The Governor's budget director has said he would advise the Governor that the state cannot afford to contribute more to TRIP, and a school district contribution would be a viable option.

The Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance has made clear its opposition to any school district contribution unless a new revenue source is provided to pay for it. Alliance lobbyists have sought to prevent any required school contribution to TRIP from creating a reduction in total school funding.

The funding shortfall facing TRIP has been a hot issue since the spring legislative session. Central Management Services (CMS), the state agency that administers the insurance program for retired teachers, said then that if no new money were made available, insurance premiums for retirees would have to be raised between 45 and 70 percent for fiscal year 2002. Governor Ryan stepped in and ordered the July 1 premium increase be limited to 21 percent. This new funding level was meant to cover the program only until a more permanent fix could be found in the November Veto Session.

CMS now states that if no new program funding is found, retiree insurance premiums will need to be raised nearly 80 percent for the last six months of this fiscal year (January-June 2002). The other funding source for this program is a half of a percent salary contribution from active teachers, with a contribution from the state that matches the aggregate active teacher contribution.

This was the second meeting of the Governor's TRIP Task Force. The panel includes Governor's staff, legislators, and education groups. Michael Johnson, Executive Director of the IASB and Walt Warfield, Executive Director of the IASA, are members of the task force. There is also a Special Senate Committee on TRIP that has met three times over the summer.

The membership of this committee is similar to that of the Governor's group, including seats for Johnson and Warfield. Legislation on TRIP funding will be debated in the Veto Session, which concludes November 27-29.

Table of Contents

The National Distinguished Principal of the Year for 2001-2002 in Illinois is Jerry Vrshek, of Alsip-Hazelgreen-Oakland District 126. Vrshek received a plaque in recognition of that honor from Carter Burns, President of the Illinois Principals Association, October 23 in Peoria.

Vrshek, Principal of Hazelgreen Elementary School, Alsip, will participate in a competition for National Distinguished Principal to be conducted by the National Association of Elementary School Principals.

Vrshek was nominated and judged by a panel of his peers for the award.

Table of Contents

Insiders say the most likely scenario of a school district contribution would be in the form of a Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) "payroll tax." School districts would be billed for a percent (somewhere between half a percent and one percent) of total TRS salaries paid by the district. The average cost per district would be $34,347, with amounts ranging from $1,021 to $679,053 per district. It's likely that no revenue stream would be provided to school districts, therefore creating a new unfunded mandate.

The Alliance is working with other organizations to propose a plan that contains a new funding source for school districts to pay for any local contribution to the insurance
program.

CMS and the Governor's budget personnel are looking to find between $33 million and $40 million to cover the deficit. With this type of short-term fix, even extending a new mandate upon public schools, the TRIP program would be bankrupt again in a couple of years.

What does a $40 million loss to school districts mean? Because of the downturn in the economy, state revenue projections already have been reduced for the coming year. There is a question of whether the state can commit at least 51% of all new revenues for Education in the next fiscal year. Many insiders who watch education funding have said the per-pupil foundation level increase next year will be no more than $100, costing the state about $50 million.

The school funding formula could receive $50 million, and nearly $40 million would have to be used to bail out the TRIP program.

To compound matters, the TRIP bailout would be a mid-year hit to school budgets. The new tax would begin January 1, 2002, after school budgets are adopted, staff members are in place, and salaries and other fixed costs are set.

Lobbyists say any state contribution to TRIP would also be counted as part of the 51 percent of new monies provided for education.

Source: Alliance Legislative Report (92-30), Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance, October 15, 2001.

Table of Contents

Groups from a dozen school districts, most along the I-74 and I-72 corridors through central Illinois, met October 25-26 in Peoria to brainstorm about improving student achievement and the possible education system redesign that might be necessary to bring it about. Included were school board members, superintendents, teachers' union leadership, educational consultants, media and community representatives, and parent volunteers, as well as representatives from the State Board of Education, Illinois Association of School Boards, Illinois Education Association, Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Farm Bureau.

The meeting, funded by the Illinois Learning Partnership and coordinated by the Peoria County Regional Office of Education, featured W. Patrick Dolan, a nationally recognized change agent and author of Restructuring Our Schools: A Primer on Systemic Change, and Julia Koppich, president of the San Francisco-based education consulting firm that bears her name.

Dolan told the districts they have the power to change their conversations at home to produce a more collaborative effort and design a system of education that helps all children achieve. But, he acknowledged, "It takes courage to walk away from old behaviors."

Koppich stressed that a combination of standards and assessments with improved teacher quality provides the best opportunity for districts and teachers to progress with student achievement. However, that progress also depends on collaboration, finding best practices and using all the data available to make teaching and learning more effective.

John Allen, ILP executive director, said a big portion of the work was just getting like-sized, downstate districts together in a room to discuss their common problems. As part of wrapping up the event, districts indicated a desire to meet again as a group to compare notes and encourage each other toward collaboration and systemic changes.

Source: Linda Dawson, IASB staff.

Table of Contents

State Board of Education Chairman Ronald Gidwitz recently suggested that school districts be given the power to assign the best teachers to the neediest schools, an idea that would strip Chicago principals of some of their hiring power. Many experienced teachers currently bid on the schools where they want to teach. Gidwitz proposed that, instead, districts should be empowered to place their best teachers where they are needed the most.

The proposal responded to findings first reported by the Chicago Sun-Times that the state's neediest children -- those in the lowest-scoring, highest-minority and highest-poverty schools -- were roughly five times more likely to have a teacher who flunked at least one certification
exam.

A legislative hearing October 13 at the Thompson Center was the first of three called by Senate Education Committee Chairman Dan Cronin (R-Elmhurst) on how to get better-qualified teachers for the state's neediest students. The search for fully qualified teachers is most difficult in the lowest-income schools, Chicago school officials testified. Nearly 10 percent of Chicago's teaching force -- or 2,648 teachers -- are working on certificates that can temporarily waive two required teacher tests.

According to Deborah Lynch, president of the Chicago Teachers Union, some Chicago principals try to squirrel away money by hiring less-expensive full-time substitute teachers who have not passed all their certification tests.

Source: "State wants to cut principals' power," Chicago Sun-Times, October 31, 2001.

Table of Contents

A plan outlined October 22 by Pennsylvania Governor Mark S. Schweiker calls for abolishing Philadelphia's local board of education and granting a private company the authority to manage the Philadelphia school district.

Philadelphia school board members immediately expressed anger, complaining they were not consulted fully and questioning the justification for taking such an extreme step. Officials cautioned, however, that no final decision had been reached.

"We've been very polite, very understanding, very politically correct," board member Christine James-Brown said. "The time for that is over."

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, "Plan: Disband school board, install Edison," October 23, 2001.

Table of Contents

---

TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS

---

Stanford University Professor William C. Dement, who shared information on education and sleep research at the Conference, has developed extensive materials for high school instructors wishing to teach a module on the impact of sleep. Materials include The Stanford Sleep Book for College Students, images on slides and other media, additional readings, and videotapes.

If interest is shown by secondary school psychology teachers, Dement says, "there is a good chance of obtaining grant support that will enable distribution of some or all of these materials free" or at a reduced cost. Interested teachers are asked to send their name, school affiliation, address, phone, fax, and e-mail address to him via e-mail at dement@stanford.edu. Source: William C. Dement.

Table of Contents

---

NEWS FROM IASB

---

A study of IASB membership records shows that the vast majority of school boards elect one of their own members to serve as board secretary. Only 2 percent of IASB member school boards appoint the district superintendent as secretary, and 15 percent appoint some other member of the staff to fill the role. The remaining 83 percent elect a board member as secretary.

It seems likely that the actual work of taking minutes at meetings, record keeping and election duties are assigned to a staff member under the supervision of the board member-secretary. Source: Janice Kidd, Assistant Director, IASB Administrative Services.

Table of Contents

The Illinois State Board of Education's Joan LeSueur recently sent IASB division officers a letter announcing free training and resources available to school board members under a two-year grant the state recently obtained. The grant proposal was developed without IASB involvement by the Illinois Nutrition Education and Training program, the Research Division of ISBE. Its purpose is to aid school leaders -- including both board members and administrators -- assess their current school environment and establish local policy and programs that promote good nutrition and physical activity.

"Healthy, well-nourished children are better able to reach their academic potential," LeSueur stated. Specifically, LeSueur is seeking assistance in setting up regional focus groups among IASB member school boards. The focus groups would be designed to help the state "identify the important issues boards face and develop training and resources that will benefit all who participate in this important program," LeSueur wrote.

While IASB does not endorse such projects, good school nutrition programs are a worthy goal. Those interested in learning more or volunteering for focus group service may call Joan LeSueur, ISBE School Business and Nutrition Support Services, at 800/545-7892.

Table of Contents

---

RESEARCH REPORTS

---

Last year's findings from the Metropolitan Life Survey of the American Teacher 2000 revealed "feelings of alienation" prevalent among students, parents and teachers at the secondary school level. It also found that while students held high expectations for their futures, teachers and parents were more pessimistic for what the future holds for their students and children.

The 2001 survey followed up on these findings by examining how teachers, principals and students evaluate their own schools on key measures of an effective school environment. The questions include whether teachers feel satisfied with their career and plan to remain in teaching, and whether students feel they are experiencing high expectations, and high-quality teaching.

The nationally representative survey of 2,049 public school students in grades 7 through 12, 1,273 public school teachers in grades K-12 and 1,004 public school principals asked participants to evaluate teachers in their school on many factors.

From the report: "The survey's findings affirm that teaching counts." For example, students who rate the quality of teaching they receive as a B or C are nearly half as likely as those receiving A quality teaching to report that their school is helping a lot to prepare them for a successful future (41 percent vs. 75 percent). Teachers who rate the overall quality of teaching at their school as B or C are less likely than those who rate the quality as A to report that all or most of their students will achieve their full potential for the school year (65 percent vs. 81 percent).

Students who reported A-level teaching quality are more likely than students reporting lower teaching quality to have high expectations for their future, enjoy school and their classes, really like to learn, often participate in class and report that students in their school care about learning and getting a good education.

Students who give teaching quality at their schools a lower score also report that their schools do not have enough classrooms, are not very safe or clean and are too noisy to be able to concentrate.

The report also concludes that large gaps exist between schools with significant proportions of low-income and minority students and those with few such students. Low-income students are also less likely to report that their principal cares about all the students in their school or makes the school a safe place, that their school is helping to prepare them for the future or that their teachers encourage them very much to do their best.

"The subtle nuances of low expectations for low-income and minority students are troubling," says the report.

Other findings include:

• high-quality teaching is linked to a high-quality school environment
• students experiencing low-quality teaching are more likely than those with high-quality teaching to be boys, low-income and students with low grades
• secondary school teachers and principals report lower quality education than elementary school teacher and principals
• secondary school teachers and principals have lower expectations of their students and secondary school students have even lower expectations
• low-income students have greater needs for support, which often interfere with receiving a high-quality education.

For more information and a copy of the report, visit the Web site at www.ced.org/docs/report/report_survey_american_teacher01.pdf.

Table of Contents

A federal report on the progress of the Cleveland and Milwaukee voucher programs has found no proof vouchers have led to any improvement in academic achievement. However the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) report says none of the studies conducted to date can be considered definitive "because the researchers obtained different results when they used different methods to compensate for weaknesses in the data." Past studies often lacked vital data such as test scores or received inadequate response rates, the GAO report said.

Source: NSBA, School Board News, October 16, 2001.

Table of Contents

---

THE NATIONAL SCENE

---

Waiting for the national anthem to be gin at the first football game at Oakton High School in Fairfax County, Virginia following the attacks on America Sept. 11, "you could have heard a pin drop," says Principal Charlie Ostlund. The song itself was stronger than ever, he adds. "People were very focused on the flag and singing along. Everyone commented on it."

Students at Oakton also have gotten more serious about another patriotic ritual. For several years, long before it was mandated by the state, students were beginning the school day by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, which is read over the intercom. "Just about everybody, if they are out of the classroom, in the office, or in the hall, is stopping and participating," Ostlund says. "It is a much more serious thing these days."

Source: NSBA News Service, National School Boards Association, Oct. 16, 2001.

Table of Contents

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has targeted a small-school reform model for funding. Tom Vander Ark, as head of the foundation's education division, has awarded more than $200 million in grants to schools intent on creating smaller schools. According to the October 10 Education Week, "That puts the foundation at the forefront of the movement to demolish the 'big is better' mentality that has long dominated high school design."

Rick Lear, director of the Gates-funded small schools project at the University of Washington, briefs grant recipients on the possibilities and the problems associated with moving to smaller schools.

For more information, visit the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at www.gatesfoundation.org. Source: NEGP Weekly, The National Education Goals Panel, October 12, 2001.

Table of Contents

Since congressional offices, media outlets, and post offices have received mail contaminated with anthrax, schools across the nation have been affected by a growing number of copycat hoaxes. Anthrax has not been found in any U.S. schools, but some school officials have ordered intensive investigations of white powdery substances discovered in schools or spread by students as practical jokes.

At the same time, many school leaders have begun to rethink their crisis response plans to cover potential anthrax incidents and other
terrorism.

The Pattonville, Missouri, school district, for example, hasn't had any anthrax-related incidents, but district officials are working with local fire and police departments to revise the district's emergency response plan to cover biological and chemical attacks.

A few districts have issued memos to principals informing them of new procedures to deal with such incidents, especially those related to the recent anthrax scare. Typically this has involved requiring that all mail sent to the school system be screened at a central location and either opened or destroyed.

For example, staff should be advised to avoid touching any suspicious packages that might be contaminated, says John Heskett, an assistant superintendent who oversees security for the Pattonville school system. All students and staff who might have been in contact with the package should be isolated until emergency medical personnel clear them.

"In the case of an external chemical threat," he says, "the new procedures would call for all windows to be closed, the HVAC system to be turned off, and all kids kept inside."

But school administrators generally remain convinced that plans already in place offer the best defense against most conceivable threats, whether terrorist-related or not.

"If you have an armed terrorist attacking a building, it's not much different than an armed student attacking a building," noted Granite City, Illinois Superintendent Steve Balen.

Source: NSBA, "School leaders respond to anthrax threats," School Board News, October 30, 2001.

Table of Contents

---

NEWS HEADLINES

---

Despite recent terrorist attacks, 15 U.S. governors, 35 business leaders and 30 educators convened for the fourth National Education Summit in October to discuss ways to raise standards and achievement in America's schools. The leaders ended up promising to use standardized testing results not just to rank students or embarrass under-achieving schools, but to help earmark resources to boost achievement. Summit participants also urged governors to create more incentives to attract the best teachers to the worst schools. The Bush administration's education bill, now in a House-Senate conference committee, dominated summit discussions. This legislation, the main federal law for K- 12 education, aims to tie federal aid to school performance using annual math and reading tests for students in grades three to eight (The Washington Post, October 10, 2001) ... New McGraw-Hill history textbooks were ready to be printed when terrorists attacked America September 11. In a matter of hours the new editions seemed rather outdated. McGraw-Hill and other firms needed to update the textbooks to reflect the historical significance of the attacks and still meet deadlines that require the books to be on the market by early February. "It's very difficult for the publishers because events are still under way," said Gil Sewell of the American Textbook Council. The new books, which students will not see until the fall of 2002 or 2003, will need to wear well over time, while providing reasonably current information - a seemingly impossible task. (The Associated Press, October 22, 2001) . . . A Title IX discrimination lawsuit settlement should help Elgin High School girl athletes obtain new locker rooms and other facilities and get more equitable scheduling of sporting events. Although the agreement, unanimously approved November 5 by the Elgin District 46 Board of Education, is meant to resolve disparities between the girls and boys Elgin High School sports programs, its effects will be felt throughout the school district and state. The settlement, which won't involve any damage payment, reportedly satisfied the parents and the five female students who filed the suit in federal court April 10. In addition to requiring the upgrade of a girls' locker room facility, the settlement calls for girls' teams to get some games in on weekends, rather than just on Tuesday and Thursday nights. "We've said from the beginning we've been willing and ready to try to make things right," noted Assistant Superintendent Larry Ascough. (The Chicago Tribune, November 6, 2001).

Table of Contents

---

LEGISLATIVE ACTION

---

The Illinois Senate Education Committee is planning a series of hearings to spotlight the thousands of teachers statewide struggling to pass certification tests, with many of those who failed the test still teaching. So says state Senator Daniel Cronin (R-Elmhurst), who chairs the legislative committee that will be holding the hearings.

According to the paper, the hearings were spawned by the newspaper's "Failing Teachers" series (see "More teachers flunking certification exam; Work at same schools with lowest student achievement scores," in the September 2001 News Bulletin). The hearings' central focus will be deciding how to get "'crackerjack' teachers in front of the state's neediest children," according to Cronin.

For more information, visit the General Assembly's Web site at http://www.ilga.gov. Source: Chicago Sun-Times, September 28, 2001.

Table of Contents

---

WORKSHOPS & MEETINGS

---

Beginning April 6, 2002 in New Orleans, school leaders will meet for the National School Boards Association's 62nd Annual Conference. New and veteran school board members will gather with school administrators from across the nation to discuss the educational challenges they face and to share practical solutions to help overcome them.

Through more than 200 clinics, workshops, and speeches, participants will seek the proven tools, tips and information they need to make the best possible decisions for their schools. Among the scheduled conference speakers is Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

This year's event will be headquartered at the New Orleans Hilton Riverside Hotel.

Details on registration, housing, seminars, and New Orleans dining and attractions are available on the NSBA Annual Conference Web page at www.nsba.org/Conference. Or e-mail the NSBA Annual Conference staff at conference@nsba.org.

The NSBA Housing Bureau recently began accepting hotel reservations by phone at 800/616-8210. For additional conference information or to register, call NSBA toll-free at 800/950-6722 and press option "1."

Table of Contents

---

IASB WEB SITE

---

"Although there are no indications that schools are at particular risk, law enforcement and health agencies are recommending certain precautions in the handling of incoming mail and packages." That announcement was posted to the IASB Web site October 19. Superintendents and principals were told they may want to review the following precautions with all staff.

According to law enforcement authorities, certain characteristics make a letter or package seem suspicious:

• No return address or return address doesn't match the postmark
• Excessive postage, no postage, or non-cancelled postage
• Unusual shape or color
• Oily stains
• Weight not consistent with size
• Marked "personal" or "confidential"

If a suspicious letter or package is received:

• Do not open, shake or tamper with the mail or package
• Leave the mail or package where it was found and evacuate the room
• Notify your supervisor and ensure that the police department is contacted immediately by calling 911.

The person who has come in contact with the mail or package should:

• Wash their hands with warm water and soap
• Remain available to be interviewed by law enforcement authorities or health professionals as necessary.

School policy experts say there is no need to formalize such suggestions within official policy or procedures, because these ideas may become outdated rather rapidly. Meanwhile, the Illinois State Board of Education is mailing more detailed information to school districts. Source: IASB home page (click on "Mail Handling Precautions" under the heading "What's New," at www.iasb.com/).

Table of Contents

IASB division governing meetings and other IASB meetings and events are listed on the Association's calendar page on the Web site at www.iasb.com/calendar/calendar.cfm.

Table of Contents

---

FEDERAL UPDATE

---

The anthrax scare in Congress has further delayed action on legislation to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and adopt portions of the Bush Administration's education plan. In the past two weeks, two scheduled meetings of the conference committee to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill were cancelled.

Despite the nation's focus on military and security issues, President Bush met with the key negotiators on the bill -- the chairs of the education committees and the ranking minority members of those committees -- to urge them to complete action on the bill before Congress adjourns for the year.

The ESEA conference committee has not met since Sept. 25, when it agreed to triple funding for the early reading program and addressed some issues involving after-school learning centers, charter schools, and magnet schools.

The conferees have not yet addressed the most controversial issues: increased funding for special education, how to measure whether schools are making adequate yearly progress to raise student achievement, and whether funding should be consolidated at the state or local level.

Source: NSBA, "Congress fails to make progress on ESEA legislation," School Board News, October 30, 2001.

Table of Contents

IASB ARCHIVES HOME

Illinois Association of School Boards

2921 Baker Drive
Springfield, Illinois 62703