Op-ed In Springfield News Leader

"Missouri Needs Education Reform Now", an opinion piece in the Springfield News Leader, once again shows the urgent need to reform education in Missouri! This is written by Joe Knodell, the state coordinator for the Missouri Education Reform Council:

The state legislature is currently considering school reform issues such as open enrollment and the expansion of charter schools. Performance pay, or merit pay as it is sometimes called, is in the mix, as well.

Missouri is behind many of our neighboring states when it comes to implementing school reform. I could list the statistics that show Missouri lags behind in student achievement and how the USA stacks up against other developed countries in math and science -- but these facts have been in front of us and in the media for quite some time.

We have a new president who advocates reform and is promoting performance pay and charter schools. Time will tell whether President Obama will match the rhetoric with results. New Secretary of Education Arne Duncan also has the credentials of a reformer because of his past work in Chicago.

With all of the momentum for school reform going forward, why is it so hard to pass legislation addressing our failing schools and the need to increase student achievement? Lawmakers from other states that have enacted education reform, including Arkansas and Iowa, can testify that it was not easy. Teachers' unions and the education establishment as a whole do not embrace reform and usually oppose it vigorously. That means state legislators and governors have to enact the needed reforms in spite of the intense lobbying efforts of educators and their organizations. This takes a great deal of intestinal fortitude. Governmental leaders have to look beyond the self interests of the education community and do what is best for students and parents. Whether this can be done in Missouri remains to be seen.

Why does the education community oppose reform? As with any endeavor, there are exceptions to the rule: There are many forward-looking teachers and administrators who understand that the status quo in education is not good enough. They are willing to try new ideas that have proven successful in other states.

But other groups remain opposed to such reforms. Teachers' unions are against the idea of performance pay because they prefer that all teachers make the same salary, no matter the quality of their work. To some, "accountability" is a bad word.

Administrator organizations oppose reforms because they fear the unknown. They wonder if a new charter school, for instance, would hurt their enrollment.

The next couple of months will show Missourians how serious lawmakers are about changing the way our educational system works. Will they send the message that we must do better? Or will legislators bow to the pressure from the establishment and do nothing?

We shall see.

US Chess Tournament Begins

The US Chess Championship begins today. Excitement all over St. Louis and the Central West End as the players begin playing today. The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis is where the games will take place, and where the players will show their moves.
Preceding the start of the games were great events st SLUMA; Wednesday evening was the Marcel Duchamp Art and Chess show and Thursday evening was an amazing reception outside SLUMA where the drawing of the colors took place, with red and white wine glasses set up on a chess board. An incredibly talented teenager will be competing in the tournament (although he refrained from picking up a wine glass). Mayor Francis Slay and Lt. Governor Kinder welcomed the players and the crowd during the opening remarks.
The next week and a half will surely be exhilarating to watch!
Visit http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/ for live coverage of the tournament.

Caroline Hoxby Speaking at SLU about Charter Schools

Caroline Hoxby, a charter school scholar, will present on the Promise of Charter Schools.
The Show Me Institute is sponsoring this event; the fourth speakers series hosted at St. Louis University. It will take place at the John Cook School of Business Anheuser-Busch Auditorium: 3674 Lindell Boulevard.
There is a reception at 5:30 and the presentation at 6pm.

Click here to see event details from the Show Me Institute.

Jay Greene's Update on Effects of Vouchers

Jay Greene, author of "Education Myths, What Special-Interest Groups Want You To Believe About Our Schools - And Why It Isn't So", updates his blog about the systemic effects of vouchers. He has been studying and evaluating the effects of the various voucher programs throughout the country. The article quotes and links several studies about programs in Florida and Milwaukee, with final commentary depicting vouchers in a good light.

The bottom line is that none of the studies of systemic effects from voucher programs finds negative effects on student achievement in public schools from voucher competition. The bulk of the evidence, both from studies of voucher programs and from variation in existing competition among public schools, supports the conclusion that expanding competition improves student achievement.

2009 U.S. Championship Chess Club & Scholastic Center of St.Louis

It is important to support programs that support our schools. On that note, the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis will host the 2009 U.S. Chess Championship this May 7-17. The organization offers many chess resources for our local schools, including an in-school chess curriculum and an after-school chess program.

For more information on both the up-coming Championship and how your school can benefit from chess programs check out their website at: www.saintlouischessclub.org. The tickets are FREE, but you must RSVP on the website.

St. Louis City Could Be in More Trouble

With the economy hurting and the failing schools popping up, why would one city decide to restrict the sale of closed schools? There is no logic in that!

Vouchers Students Testing Better Than Others

The US Education Department released a study yesterday, giving voucher proponents a stronger leg to stand on (if they needed one). It found that DC District students who were given a voucher to attend a private school, they outperformed public students on reading tests. Those scores put them about 4 months ahead of the public school students.

The Washington Post lays out the study findings and how certain elected officials feel about the program. While the article said Obama does not intend to pull students out of the program, but he does not support the continuation.

Since it began, the voucher program has awarded scholarships to more than 3,000 students from low-income families, granting up to $7,500 a year for tuition and other fees at participating schools. This school year, about 1,715 students are participating.

The Bush administration, and many Republicans, have championed the program as a "lifeline" for students in struggling schools.

Supporters hailed the congressionally mandated study as proof the program works. "With concrete evidence in hand that this program is a success, we look forward to reauthorizing it as quickly as possible," Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (Calif.), the top Republican on the House education committee, said in a statement.

The study, conducted by the Education Department's research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences, compared the performance and attitudes of students with scholarships with those of peers who were eligible but weren't chosen in a lottery. Parents of students in the program were more satisfied with their children's new schools and considered the schools safer, the report found. Students showed no difference in their level of satisfaction.