The following exchange of e-mails is between Lawrie Kobza and Johnny Winston Jr., regarding the District's proposed elimination of the equity policy.
As I read the two authors' comments, I become more convinced that board policy changes ought to be discussed first at a Board committee meeting prior to a final vote. The substance of the changes merit public discussion and comment. The District Administration's Questions and Answers sheet on this topic would have been a good place for the School Board to begin their discussions.
Subject: Equity - Response to Johnny Winston, Jr.
Prepared by Lawrie Kobza
The District is saying that the Board's Equity Resource Policy
(Board Policy 9001) has been replaced for all practical purposes by the equity resource formula. There is an important difference, however, between the Equity Policy and the equity resource formula. The Equity Policy is codified as an official Board policy - and therefore the Board should require that the District follow the policy. The equity resource formula, however, does not appear anywhere in Board policy, and therefore, its use appears to be discretionary by the District.
While supplemental allocations have been provided historically, they
are discretionary in nature and could be eliminated. (emphasis
added)."
In the email from Board Member Johnny Winston, Jr., he says that the
change should not be of concern, and that "the essence of the
proposed change is for resources to be distributed based on MATHEMATICAL FORMULAS rather than POLITICS. During these times of fiscal constraints and crisis, it is more important than ever that this occurs."
This statement gives little comfort, however, because while the
supplemental resources are allocated between schools based upon a
mathematical formula, the actual number of supplemental allocations
provided to address equity issues is totally discretionary with the
District, and we have seen that these supplemental allocations have
been disproportionately cut over the last several years.
In fact, the District's consultant, Virchow Krause, stated in its
report dated March 11, 2002, at page 146, that although supplemental
allocations (which result from the equity resource formula) have
been provided historically, they are discretionary in nature and could be eliminated.
More specifically, the Virchow Krause report said the following:
"Supplemental allocations currently exist at varying levels for
elementary, middle and high schools. The number of allocations for
each individual school building is created through formulas based mainly on Educational Need Index (ENI). ENI attributes include EEN/ESL attributes as well as free & reduced, parent education and home status factors.
This allocation methods results in a building with a high index
typically allocated more supplemental positions, while other buildings receive fewer supplemental allocations as a result of low ENI indexes. The supplemental FTE allocations are currently utilized differently by
each building with the most common uses as additional psychologists,
social workers, guidance or clerical staff.
An allocation chart provided by the Administration a year or two ago
shows allocations from 1998/99 to 2003/04. A copy of that document
is attached to this email. That document shows that from 1998/99 to
2002/03, supplemental allocations were cut 58.9% at elementary
schools, while total allocations at elementary schools were cut 6.1%.
Supplemental allocations were cut 27.5% at middle schools, while
total allocations at middle schools were cut 5.5%. And, supplemental allocations were cut 100% at high schools, while total allocations
in the high schools increased 4.6%. So, for high schools, the
mathematical formula applied to zero allocations is zero.
The number of allocations provided by the District to address equity
issues is an important issue. This has been cut disproportionately
over the last several years, and I expect we will see it cut even more at the middle schools for next year. The impact is that our neediest
students take the biggest cut.
Johnny Winston, Jr., letter to Ms. Kozba and I presume other community members who wrote him about the equity policy issue.
> Dear members of the community:
>
> A few days ago an e-mail was distributed to the various list serves
> regarding a policy change for the MMSD (Equity Policy - Board Policy
> 9001).
> The policy that was proposed to be deleted at last Monday's school
> board meeting was outdated in that it has been replaced by the equity resource formula which is now being used to ensure the equitable distribution
> of staff to ALL schools. The formula takes into consideration such
things as the number of students of poverty, the number of English language learners, the number of special education students, mobility etc. at each school to determine the staffing allocations for that particular school.
>
> This change in policy should not be construed that the district is
not committed to equity for all students. Rather, the essence of the
> proposed change is for resources to be distributed based on MATHMATICAL FORMULAS rather than POLITICS. During these times of fiscal constraints and crisis, it is more important than ever that this occurs.
>
> Superintendent Art Rainwater and his staff have produced a "Question
> & Answer" paper regarding the change in the Equity policy. I have a
> copy and would be happy to send it to you.
>
> Thank you for those of you who have expressed your concerns in
writing or just had questions regarding this policy. Your advocacy efforts assist in helping the MMSD provide a quality education for all students.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments or concerns about this issue and any other regarding the Madison Metropolitan School District.
>
> Johnny Winston, Jr.
> Madison School Board Member
> 441-0224
>
JACKSON, Ky., Dec. 3 - As New York City schools celebrate the findings by a court-appointed panel that could bring them $5.6 billion more every year, the schools under the sawed-off mountains here in the heart of coal country tell a hopeful but cautionary tale of what may lie ahead.
Once the Kentucky Supreme Court said the state's school system needed revamping, in a ruling that inspired court cases and decisions around the nation, lawmakers here enacted one of the country's most thorough education overhauls within a year.
At a Frontier of School Reform, Getting Millions, Seeking More
Leopold Elementary Needs Donations Of Violins, Violas And Cellos So That All Of The Students In Its Popular Strings Classes Can Take An Instrument Home To Practice.
Read Sandy Cullen's full article:
Wisconsin State Journal :: LOCAL/WISCONSIN :: B1
Visions Of Violins For Christmas
Thursday, December 9, 2004
Sandy Cullen Wisconsin State Journal
Montana's former state fiddle champion is something of a Pied Piper at Leopold Elementary, where so many students have enrolled in his strings classes that the school needs more musical instruments.
"I've got only 20 that are playable," said Pat Kukes, who is seeking donations of instruments for the school's 54 fourth- and fifth-graders learning to play violin, viola and cello.
Last year, about 35 students participated, said Principal Mary Hyde.
Most of his students are low-income, Kukes said, adding, "There's no way they can rent" their own instruments.
The school has enough instruments for students to play in classes that meet three times a week in a hallway foyer in the overcrowded school. But there aren't enough for all students to take one home to practice, so they are taking turns having an instrument on weekends.
"They're frustrated. Little kids are going home and playing on their fingers," Kukes said. "We're struggling simply because we don't have the instruments to take home."
Kukes has shown his students how to practice their fingering on a pencil or another finger.
"It's kind of hard to do it just with a pencil," said fourth-grader Emily Somberg, 9.
The instruments the school has are rundown, said Kukes, who hopes to refurbish some over the holiday break.
"My wish for Christmas is that I can send an instrument home with all the students so they can play for grandpa and grandma," he said.
Kukes is hoping people or businesses will donate instruments. His students need - and -size violins and cellos, and violas that are 14 inches or smaller. Full-size violins also can be used.
"In other years, we had $70,000 of district money to replace instruments," said district spokesman Ken Syke. "As part of our budget cuts this year, we put a moratorium on that."
This year's budget includes $11,000 for music workbooks and $17,000 for instrument repairs, he said, adding that schools have some flexibility in how they address needs not funded by the district.
Schools try to supply every fourth-grader in the strings program with an instrument they can take home to practice, Kukes said. More than 40 of his Leopold students are fourth-graders.
Fifth-graders usually rent their instruments, he said. Four of the school's fifth-graders have their own instruments.
Kukes has enough instruments for his 82 students at Chavez and 38 students at Huegel.
For the first time this year, the district is charging a $50 annual fee for students in the elementary strings program, in addition to rental fees of $20 a semester for fourth-graders and $35 a semester for fifth-graders. Fees are waived for low-income students.
More than 1,800 students participated in the district's strings program last year, Syke said. This year, more than 1,700 are enrolled, he said, adding that two schools, Emerson and Stephens, are in the process of hiring a strings teacher and haven't begun their programs.
\ Longtime teacher
A Montana native, Kukes, 52, taught strings for 25 years in Helena, where he also conducted a youth symphony. But the state's former fiddle champ doesn't consider himself a "typical orchestra person."
He's played in bands that were opening acts for Marshall Tucker, Pure Prairie League and the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, and he appeared as a violinist in the film "Return to Lonesome Dove."
"I went to my first jam session when I was 5 days old," said Kukes, whose mother played accordion and piano and father played bass guitar in country bands.
A "cowboy poet," Kukes recently shared his poem about a bronco-riding Santa with students.
"He has a very good way with teachers, kids and parents," Hyde said.
Kukes started in late October, recruiting students by going class to class, playing "little ditties." Students followed Kukes to his hallway classroom he calls "the fishbowl."
Fourth-grader Luis Rangel, 10, said he was "tired of soccer and baseball" and finds playing the violin more fun than sports.
Natalia Lucero, 10, said she hopes to play in an orchestra, and Becky Xiong, 9, said simply, "I wanted to learn."
Most students said they just thought playing an instrument would be fun.
Kukes believes it's that and more.
"If you get kids in music, it's amazing how much they succeed," he said. "It really helps with their reading. It really helps with their math."
It also develops self-discipline, Kukes said. "Some of these kids, it might be the thing that keeps them out of trouble. I've got so many kids on the fence."
"For some kids, this is a wonderful opportunity to excel," Hyde said.
\ Spring music festival
The School Board is expected to seek a funding referendum this spring to build a second school at Leopold, which has 680 students -- about 20 more than its capacity.
Kukes would like his Leopold students to participate in the district's spring music festival, but he said, "With 20 instruments and 54 students, how do I pick who goes and who doesn't?"
"We can't even do much with a school concert because they can't all play together," he said, adding, "That's what's cool. That's what's fun."
Despite the challenges for Leopold's students, Kukes said, "I haven't lost a single one."
He doesn't even mind the parade of third-graders walking though his hallway classroom.
"It's good recruiting for next year," he said.
\ To donate
If you have an instrument you would like to donate to the strings program at Leopold Elementary School, contact Pat Kukes at 204-4240.