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September 2010
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September 2010 | ||
 Dear ABEC friend,“What’s the one thing … the one BIG thing we can focus on to make a difference?” This question was asked at the Business LEADS seminar I attended recently, convened by the Institute for a Competitive Workforce, a subcommittee of the US Chamber of Commerce. This seminar was attended by 50 heads of business or chamber organizations interested in public education. After two-and-a-half full days of hearing from experts on such topics as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) reauthorization, teacher quality, the Common Core Standards, education data systems, charter schools, Career and Technical Education, STEM education, parental engagement, and public policy, attendees were glassy-eyed. “Do you know about all these things?” a chamber friend asked. “This is just overwhelming … It’s like drinking from a fire hose!” said a representative from Kentucky. “Can’t you just tell us one thing we should focus on?”
Of course, there is no silver bullet. There is no one single thing – but there is a way to organize the information and the many initiatives and sort out a likely place where we can each contribute. Our state submitted a plan for the future of education for Race to the Top. That plan is divided into four categories: Expectations, Data Systems, Teacher Quality, and Turnaround Schools. There is work proposed in each area – and linkages between them all. It seems to me that the Race to the Top plan is our framework going forward. Whether we call it “Race to the Top” or “The Arizona Education Plan,” the framework will help us all keep our work relevant and move our state forward to the big picture: educating Arizona children for the next 100 years in order to provide them tools for a good quality of life and to compete successfully in the global economy.
Sincerely,
ABEC ADVOCATES ARIZONA CITIZENS TO VOTE NO ON 302!
By voting “NO,” you are voting to keep First Things First intact and move forward its programs that have already helped over 300,000 children - birth to five years of age - and their families.
A “YES” vote would ELIMINATE First Things First and its programs, and allow legislators to keep the tobacco tax and use it as they want.
Below is text of the argument letter “AGAINST” PROP 302 that was approved by the ABEC board and published in the general election publicity pamphlet:
Dear Voter:
The Arizona Business & Education Coalition (ABEC) advocates “NO” on PROP 302. Arizona needs an infrastructure for a strong workforce and increased quality of life. To achieve increased learning, youngsters must “hit the road, running” in kindergarten to assure reading on grade level by third grade. If they don’t, a new Arizona law will require holding third-graders back. First Things First ensures Arizona’s youngest children begin school healthy and ready to learn, the very foundation for increasing our chances for improving our economy. Eliminating First Things First takes away a key tool educators need to ensure success for every child by third grade.
Funded by a tax on tobacco products, local, informed citizens determine how First Things First money is spent in their community. First Things First is no cost to the state. Conversely, legislators rejected an interest-free, $300 million loan offer this past session – a compromise that would have helped the state budget AND keep First Things First. Instead, legislators want to end the program voters approved in 2006 – but keep the tax – directing the use of the money.
First Things First is an investment in our children’s future. It strategically invests to ensure kids begin school ready to learn, get access to doctors, better teachers and specialized therapists. It invests in parents, too, by providing information and help they may need.
First Things First saves taxpayers money by detecting developmental problems in children, providing quality early education, teaching families about health, and laying a solid foundation for success later in life in order to combat illiteracy, behavioral issues, and child health problems and stop problems before they have a change to take root.
MORE information and to support the NO ON 302 campaign, go to http://savingfirstthingsfirst.org/. READ the official PROP 302 ballot language.
 Arizona can learn from Ohio. In 2009, in response to a funding lawsuit, the Ohio legislature adopted a new system for determining the State’s cost of education. This new system was derived from an “evidence-based model” (EBM) developed by school finance experts Allan Odden, Michael Goetz and Lawrence Picus. The EBM uses academic research to identify the resources and education programs which these experts believe are necessary for a dramatic improvement in student success. To oversee the work, the Ohio School Funding Advisory Council was established. This approach is embedded, too, in the ABEC school finance reform proposals, although our work is not in response to any legal action.The EBM itself is a mechanism to determine the cost of education and allocate resources, operating independently of any reporting and expenditure requirements. It is intended to delineate the resources necessary for all school districts to implement academic strategies that have been proven to increase student achievement.
According to Ohio leaders, this new system will:
The challenge, as with any new, complex state-level policy, is how to put all those elements into practice. Ohio anticipates phasing in this work over the next eight years and is currently working to develop spending and reporting rules associated with the specific elements of the model. ABEC’s own School Finance Reform project manager, Anabel Aportela, is consulting with Ohio, providing examples to local school superintendents of the school funding scenarios in the old model compared to the new. We will monitor Ohio’s experience closely and learn about the strengths, weaknesses and pitfalls to inform our next steps.
ABEC encourages die-hard school finance aficionados to learn more about the Ohio evidence-based model by viewing each of the PDF documents below:
1) Ohio Education Finance Overview (pdf)
2) Ohio Evidence-Based Model Overview (pdf)
3) Components of Ohio's Evidence-Based Model of School Funding (pdf)
Additional resources on Ohio's Evidence-based model> ABEC 3RD ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
ABEC will host its 3rd Annual Golf Tournament on Friday, November 5th at the Foothills Golf Club. This year, our goal is to have more players than any of our previous tournaments. All skill levels are welcome to play – register as a group or as an individual. Even if you do not play golf yourself, encourage your colleagues to play or your sales staff to use our tournament as an opportunity to network with their clients, all while supporting a worthy cause.
 ABEC 3rd Annual Golf Tournament
Friday, November 5, 2010
The Foothills Golf Club
2201 E. Clubhouse Drive | Phoenix, AZ 85048 | 480.460.4653 | www.thefoothillsgc.com Tournament details:
> Four person scramble
> Registration opens at 6:30 a.m.
> Shotgun start at 8:00 a.m. (Please arrive at least 1 hour before start)
For more details, sponsorship opportunities and to register, go to http://www.azbec.org/golf2010.cfm.
Please register by FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2010!
Corporate Sponsors (to date):
     DECEMBER 6, 2010 – ABEC CRASH COURSEPART I: State revenue structure - How it works and what are the issues 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Location TBD)
Presenter: Dennis Hoffman, Director of WPC Seidman Research Institute at ASU
Learn about the State’s tax revenue structure system and how it works today. Then hear panelists from the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Arizona Tax Research Association, Arizona School Boards Association, Arizona Education Association, and Greater Phoenix Leadership talk about issues with the current system.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. To reserve a seat, contact Karen Kehlenbach at (602) 261-6702 or at karen@azbec.org.
 DECEMBER 14, 2010 – ABEC CRASH COURSEPART II: State revenue structure change – solutions or rhetoric? Reports and recommendations on the table 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Location TBD)
Hear representatives from Arizona Town Hall, Arizona Education Association, and Arizona School Boards Association discuss their reports and recommendations on this topic as well as address the questions:
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. To reserve a seat, contact Karen Kehlenbach at (602) 261-6702 or at karen@azbec.org.
... ABEC “Shadow the Superintendent” Program – Throughout this fall, ABEC is facilitating an opportunity for ABEC business and association members to spend time with an ABEC school superintendent in the district and school setting. This is a chance for business and association members to hear and see first-hand the issues from the practitioner. Superintendents have both the opportunity to share how the issues play out in their districts and to hear about the business/association person’s views and concerns. To accommodate demanding schedules, the day is "your choice!” Any ABEC member wishing to participate should contact Karen Kehlenbach at (602) 261-6702 or at karen@azbec.org.
... Volunteers needed – ASU is seeking volunteers for the FIRST Robotics Competition! For more information, please contact Carol Popovich at 480-792-7938 or go to http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp722954.jsp.
Federal education grant will provide merit pay - azcentral.com, 09/28/10
Maricopa County is embracing a $51.8 million federal grant to launch a pilot program compensating teachers and principals for student performance. More>
Mesa wins Gates grant to boost college education - azcentral.com, 09/27/10
Stung by a finding that only 8 percent of its ninth-graders eventually get a college degree, Mesa jumped at an invitation to compete for a prestigious $3 million grant to fix the problem. More>
Teacher bonuses fail to boost test scores, study says – azcentral.com, 09/21/10
Offering big bonuses to teachers failed to raise students' test scores in a three-year study released Tuesday that calls into question the Obama administration's push for merit pay to improve education. More>
Arizona court turns away suit over school funding – azcentral.com, 09/21/10
The Arizona Supreme Court is turning away a budget challenge that contends the current state budget should have included a full inflation adjustment in funding for K-12 public schools. More>
Canceled school board elections save money – azcentral.com, 09/17/10
School board elections were canceled in 32 districts on Wednesday. More>
Grants kick-start Arizona effort to lift science, math skills – azcentral.com, 09/17/10
About 75 business, government and education leaders met in Phoenix on Thursday to launch a statewide effort to boost science and math education and fuel Arizona's new economy, a move immediately backed by a $100,000 federal stimulus grant and a $500,000 private grant. More>
Advisory Panel to Offer Obama Ideas for Advancing STEM Education – EdWeek, 09/14/10
The co-chairman of a White House advisory panel yesterday provided a sneak preview of a forthcoming report that will recommend to President Obama a series of new federal steps to advance education in the STEM disciplines. More>
Two federal investigations have concluded that Arizona is violating the 1964 Civil Rights Act by shortchanging thousands of students whose first language is not English. More>
EDUCATION SPECIAL REPORTS
Education Nation -
 NBC News explores the U.S. education system and how to fix its shortcomings. With its Scorecard, visitors can look up the schools in your community to get clear, useful information about key performance metrics. More>
The College Board's 2010 "Education Pays" Trends Report (PDF) - Documents the impact of higher education on earnings and employment. According to the report, over the course of a 40-year career, the average college graduate earns about 66 percent more than the typical high-school graduate, and those with advanced degrees earn two to three times as much as a high-school graduate. View report>
2010 College-Bound Seniors: Total Group Profile Report (PDF) -
Results from students in the Class of 2010 who took the SAT through March 2010. View Arizona-specific report>
Report Card on American Education: Ranking State K-12 Performance, Progress, and Reform -
ALEC’s 16th edition of the Report Card on American Education contains a comprehensive overview of educational achievement levels (performance and gains for low-income students). More>
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The Arizona Business & Education Coalition (ABEC) is a 501(c)3 organization providing a balanced forum for business and education leaders to collaborate and improve K-12 education policy, with linkages to pre-kindergarten and postsecondary education. Guiding principles include: increasing public awareness about the relationship between Arizona’s future workforce and the quality of the K-12 system; actively and effectively influencing education policy; and sharing responsibility for the growth of student achievement in Arizona. For more information, visit www.azbec.org. You are receiving this e-mail because you are a member of ABEC, have signed up to receive our eNewsletter, attended an ABEC or ABEC-related event, or have made direct contact with ABEC.
Copyright 2010. Arizona Business & Education Coalition. All Rights Reserved. |
Arizona was not selected as one of the states to receive federal stimulus funding in the Race To The Top (RTTT) competition. Much work has been put into writing the state application, with input from both the business and education communities. Since there is no federal funding for statewide school reform in Arizona, what does that mean for Arizona and the efforts that are already underway and those plans that are detailed in the RTTT state application? We asked two ABEC member organizations to share their response to this question...
