District Administration - October 2012 - (Page 32)

Election Special Section net schools, charter schools, teacher-led schools, and career academies. Honoring Teachers President Barack Obama waits with 2012 National Teacher of the Year, Rebecca Mieliwocki, seventh-grade English teacher at Luther Burbank High School, Burbank, Calif., and Education Secretary Arne Duncan in the Green Room of the White House. communities so they have the flexibility and resources they need to improve elementary and secondary education in a way that works best for students. To that end, the president challenged and encouraged states to raise standards so students graduate ready for college or career, and can succeed in a dynamic global economy. Forty-six states responded, leading groundbreaking reforms that will deliver better education to millions of American students. Too many students, particularly students of color and disadvantaged students, drop out of school, and Democrats know we must address the dropout crisis with urgency. The Democratic Party understands the importance of turning around struggling public schools, and will work to expand public school options for low-income youth, including mag- Because there is no substitute for great teachers in classrooms, the president helped school districts save more than 400,000 educator jobs. The Democrats seek to honor our nation’s teachers, who do a heroic job for their students every day, and if we want high-quality education for all our kids, we must listen to the people who are on the front lines. The president laid out a plan to prevent more teacher layoffs while attracting and rewarding great teachers, which includes raising standards for the programs that prepare teachers, recognizing and rewarding good teaching, and retaining good teachers. We also believe in carefully crafted evaluation systems that give struggling teachers a chance to succeed and protect due process if another teacher has to be put in the classroom. We also recognize there is no substitute for parental involvement in their child’s education. (www.democrats.org/democratic-nationalplatform) Official White House Photo by Pete Souza Republican Platform: We Believe in America The Republicans want to “give every child a chance.” P arents are ultimately responsible for the education of their children. We do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to education and support providing broad education choices to parents and children at the state and local level. Maintaining American preeminence requires a worldclass system of education, with high standards in which all students can reach their potential. Today’s education reform movement calls for accountability at every stage of schooling. It affirms higher expectations for all students and rejects the crippling bigotry of low expectations. It recognizes the wisdom of state and local control of our schools, and it wisely sees consumer rights in education—choice—as the most important driving force for renewing our schools. Education is much more than schooling. It is the whole range of activities by which families and communities transmit to a younger generation, not just knowl- edge and skills, but ethical and behavioral norms and traditions. It is the handing over of a personal and cultural identity. That is why education choice has expanded so vigorously. It is also why American education has, for the last several decades, been the focus of constant controversy, as centralizing forces outside the family and community have sought to remake education in order to remake America. They have not succeeded, but they have done immense damage. total of more than $550 billion. That represents more than 4 percent of GDP devoted to K12 education in 2010. Of that amount, federal spending was more than $47 billion. Clearly, if money were the solution, our schools would be problem-free. More money alone does not necessarily equal better performance. What Works Money Does Not Insure Quality Since 1965 the federal government spent $2 trillion on elementary and secondary education with no substantial improvement in academic achievement or high school graduation rates (which currently are 59 percent for African-American students and 63 percent for Hispanics). The U.S. spends an average of more than $10,000 per pupil per year in public schools, for a After years of trial and error, we know what does work, what has actually made a difference in student advancement, and what is powering education reform at the local level all across America: accountability on the part of administrators, parents and teachers; higher academic standards; programs that support the development of character and financial literacy; periodic rigorous assessments on the fundamentals, especially math, science, reading, history, and geography; renewed focus on the Constitution and the writings of the Founding 32 October 2012 District Administration http://www.democrats.org/democratic-national-platform

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - October 2012

District Administration - October 2012
Contents
From the Editor
News Update
Facilities
The Democrats and Republicans’ National Education Platforms
District Profile
Administrator Profile
The Challenge of Assessing Project-Based Learning
Why Teaching Civic Engagement Is Essential
Superintendents’ Frustration Grows, but Intangible Rewards Remain High
Not Your Grandparents’ Vocational School
CIO News
Keeping Pace with Technology Innovation
Managing BYOD Effectively
New Products
Noteworthy Books
Professional Opinion
Professional Opinion
Problem Solution
Going Mobile

District Administration - October 2012