District Administration - November/December 2010 - (Page 14)

NewsUpdate School Choice Case Heads to the Supreme Court On nOv. 3, the Supreme COurt heard arguments for a school choice case challenging the precedent set for the establishment Clause—the separation of church and state. Winn v. Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization disputes whether a tax credit program that directs public funds to private religious schools is constitutional. Since 1997, Arizona taxpayers have had the option to divert $500 of their owed taxes to school tuition organizations (StO) for student scholarships. The taxpayers can decide if their money is given to a religious or nonreligious StO. Kathleen Winn and other Arizona taxpayers argue that because an overwhelming amount of money—more than 50 percent in 2009—is given to religious schools, the program doesn’t provide parents with neutral school choice options and violates the establishment Clause. While the taxpayers argued the constitutionality of the program, the state and several StOs argued the mere legal standing of the taxpayers to challenge the use of tax relief in court. In September, the national School Boards Association (nSBA) filed an amicus brief, which adds additional information to the case, urging the Supreme Court to strike down the program. According to Br iefings Chief Justice Elena Kagan (left) and Justice John Roberts at the Supreme Court in Washington D.C. The court is divided on Winn v. Arizona Christian School Tuition Organizaiton. naomi Gittins, deputy general counsel at nSBA, the Arizona program is unusual for a voucher program in that it doesn’t specifically assist low-income students at low-performing schools. “Income requirements haven’t really been a factor here for the StOs,” according to Gittins. “If you look at most of the students who ended up getting scholarships, most were already attending private religious schools.” The precedent for the case, Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, upheld a voucher program in Cleveland because it was the parents—not the state—who decided whether to use the vouchers for religious schools; thus, the program did not violate the establishment Clause. Likewise, supporters of Arizona’s program affirm that it is the citizens determining where their money is directed. The Obama administration joined with Arizona in defending the program. Solicitor General neal Katyal argued that “not a cent, not a fraction of a cent” of taxpayers’ money is used to fund this program unless the individual taxpayers themselves choose to fund it. The case, which was filed in conjunction with Winn v. Arizona Department of Revenue, has left the Supreme Court divided and will most likely not be ruled on until the end of the Supreme Court’s term in June 2011. New Road Map for Turning Around a District A New white pAper, releAseD iN september, chArts how to turn around a district by bolstering academics and creating a new culture of high expectations. “pathways to high performance: turning Around Underperforming public schools” illustrates the progress made in the charlotte-mecklenburg schools (cms) in charlotte, N.c. A district plagued with racial equity issues and low academic performance in the 1990s, their efforts were successful as the percentage of African-American fifth-graders reading at grade level rose from 48 to 70 percent between 1995 and 2001. the achievement gap closed by 18 percent. the white paper affirms that leadership, instructional, and environmental imperatives are all key to reinvigorating morale. in october, cms was named a finalist for the broad prize for Urban education, the nation’s largest prize given to a single school district.—Angela Pascopella District Administration Conducting a science experiment, Tamica Stubbs (middle), a biology teacher in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg (N.C.) Schools, has been recognized as an effective teacher in the district that has undergone a major turnaround over the last decade. 14 November/December 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - November/December 2010

District Administration - November/December 2010
Contents
From the Editor
News Update
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Black Children Still Left Behind
ARRA Funds Empower Schools to Power Down
A Call for Technology Leadership
Readers Pick Top 100 Products of the Year
Going Mobile
Superintendent’s Insights
Supervisor’s Opinion
Professional Opinion
Student Counsel

District Administration - November/December 2010