Have eighth-grade graduation festivities become too elaborate?
(Final results)

88% Yes
12% No

Total Votes: 366

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Even presidential candidate Barack Obama has chimed in: “Now hold on a second — this is just eighth grade,” he said. “So, let’s not go over the top. Let’s not have a huge party. Let’s just give them a handshake.” He continued: “You’re supposed to graduate from eighth grade.”

As a recent New York Times article reports, eighth-grade graduation festivities have become increasingly elaborate over the years. So is it time to tone them down? Does an elaborate celebration mark eighth-grade graduation as an end point, and not the transitional point it's intended to be? This poll is now closed, but we invite you to leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 03:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

of Secondary School Principals and the National School Boards Association today joined

together to create one voice to urge Congress to pass H.R. 1108, the Family Smoking

Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which would give the FDA authority to regulate the

tobacco industry.

These three associations, each formed to assist the Nation’s youth, agree that H.R. 1108’s

restrictions on advertising, marketing and sales of tobacco products to children would

dramatically improve the protection of youth’s health.

“Children are the most vulnerable and susceptible to advertising gimmicks,” said Anne L.

Bryant, executive director of the National School Boards Association. “Each day at our

schools, there are 4,000 young people under the age of 18 who try smoking for the first

time simply because tobacco companies continue to send them the message that smoking

is okay.”

“Congress has the power right now to stop those messages,” Bryant continued. “The

American School Health Association, the National Association of Secondary School

Principals and the National School Boards Association are encouraging Congress to pass

H.R. 1108. We cannot wait any longer for Congress to act while more and more children

and young adults try tobacco products.”

H.R. 1108 is currently pending a vote on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The legislation would provide a national approach to insulating children from the $36-

million-a-day advertising initiatives of the tobacco industry by:

· Limiting advertising, marketing and sales of tobacco products to children;

· Banning the sale of cigarette flavored varieties;

· Requiring more meaningful warning labels;

· Mandating disclosure of the ingredients in tobacco products and providing authority for the FDA to remove harmful ingredients;

For more information on each of these associations please visit www.ashaweb.org,

www.principals.org and schoolhealth.nsba.org.

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A recent evaluation of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program – the first and only federally funded private school voucher program – failed to show significant gains in student achievement, adding to the mounting evidence that vouchers are not the best path to improved student performance, and that federal funding would be better used to improve public schools.

The evaluation conducted by the U.S. Department of Education found that after two years, students participating in the program showed no statistically significant gains in either math or reading achievement. Furthermore, while parents of children who participated in the program were less likely to be worried about school safety, there was no difference in the number of dangerous activities reported by the actual students who participated in the program versus those who did not.

Similarly, although participation in the program resulted in higher parental satisfaction with their child’s school, the students themselves were no more likely to be satisfied.

NASSP opposes any proposal that would divert money away from public schools. Although voucher programs are often proposed as a means to respond to low academic achievement, this report proves there is little evidence to support that vouchers lead to a better education. In reality, vouchers serve only to detract from the goal of comprehensive public school reform.

This year, the DC voucher program, which receives nearly $15 million from Congress every year, is set to expire. Through the National Coalition for Public Education, NASSP will work hard to ensure that federal funding is redirected to the public schools that need it most. Stay tuned for updates!

Posted by Mark Ames, NASSP Gov't Relations Mgr at 04:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

On June 11 the House Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would allow more funds to flow to low-income schools to improve school safety.

The School Safety Enhancements Act of 2007 (H.R. 2352) would allow more low-income schools to participate in the Secure Our Schools (SOS) program by lowering the local matching grant requirement to 20%, and increasing the federal share to a maximum of 80%. The bill would also authorize $50 million annually for SOS grants. In addition, the bill would add to the list of allowable uses of grant funds by including a hotline for students and others to report dangerous incidents. Currently funds may be used to help schools pay for metal detectors, lighting, locks, security assessments, training for administrators, students, and teachers, coordination with law enforcement, and other measures designed to improve school safety.

The bill now goes to the House floor for consideration. Information on when the bill might be considered is not yet available. There is a companion bill in the Senate, S. 1217, however no action has occurred on this bill since its introduction in 2007.

Interested in school safety issues? Visit www.principals.org/safety for a host of resources on school climate, crisis prevention and management, harassment and bullying prevention, and substance and drug abuse prevention.

Posted by Mark Ames, NASSP Gov't Relations Mgr at 07:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

After much deliberation, the Senate adopted the FY 2009 budget resolution by a vote of 48-45 on June 4. The House quickly followed suit on June 5, adopting the budget by a vote of 214-210. The resolution contains $84.3 billion in FY 2009 for education, job training, and social services. Policymakers also agreed to $3.7 billion in advance FY 2010 funding for Title I, special education, school improvement, and career and technical education, bringing the total to approximately $88 billion, which is $8.4 billion more than President Bush requested.

“Passing a budget is no easy task. This, in fact, will be the first time in eight years that Congress has passed a concurrent budget resolution in an election year” said Rep. John Spratt (D-SC), chairman of the House Budget Committee.

“It may not be a grand solution, but this budget moves us in the right direction, enforcing fiscal responsibility but not to the exclusion of other values that we hold dear” Spratt continued.

Although non-binding, the budget resolution serves as a blueprint for the later appropriations process, and acts as a statement of the congressional majorities’ priorities.

Included in the resolution is an NASSP-supported provision that was offered by Sens. Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) that would create a deficit-neutral reserve fund targeting middle school completion, high school dropouts, and preparing high school students for postsecondary education and the workforce.

Deficit-neutral reserve funds are also included for school construction and renovation, reducing teachers' out-of-pocket expenses for classroom supplies, and providing tax incentives for highly qualified teachers to serve in high-need schools.

With the budget resolution behind them, policymakers are now turning their attention to the annual appropriations bills. The first hearing on the FY 2009 Labor-Health and Human Services-Education spending bill is scheduled to occur late next week.

Through our work with the Committee for Education Funding, NASSP is working hard to increase funding for education, and ensure that educators have the resources they need to prepare students for postsecondary education and the workforce. Stay tuned for updates on federal education funding!

Do you have success stories of how federal funding has helped your school? Send them to Mark Ames, NASSP government relations manager at amesm@principals.org, and help NASSP show policymakers that education funding matters!

Posted by Mark Ames, NASSP Gov't Relations Mgr at 01:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What percentage of your teaching staff will turn over before the start of the next school year? (final results)

41% Less than 5%
28% 6-10%
18% 10-20%
  5% 20-30%
  8% More than 30%

Total Votes: 225

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If you have not already done so, take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and let us know what percentage of your teaching staff will be turning over before school opens for the 2008-09 year. Leave your comments on the poll below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 03:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Has your school or district had to curtail events because of rising gas prices?
Final results

No 40%
Yes 60%

Total Votes: 95

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Take a look at the USA Today article featured in this week's Principal's Update and respond to this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org: Has your school had to curtail events because of rising gas prices?

Update: This poll is now closed, but pleae leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 03:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It’s no secret that in recent years the federal government has not provided enough funding for education. This year, Congress is trying to turn over a new leaf and has been hard at work crafting a budget that makes much-needed investments in education, while maintaining sensitivity to the hard economic times the country now finds itself in.

The FY 2009 budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 70) invests in education by providing a deficit-neutral reserve fund that targets middle school completion, high school dropouts, and preparing students for postsecondary education and the workforce. Reserve funds are also included for school construction and renovation, decreasing teachers’ out-of-pocket expenses for classroom supplies, and tax incentives for highly qualified teachers to serve in high-need schools.

The vote is expected to be close, and we need your help to make sure the budget is adopted.

Take action today! Please visit the Principal's Legislative Action Center (PLAC), and take a moment to contact your Representative and Senators and urge them to adopt S. Con. Res. 70. While a draft letter is provided for you, it is strongly recommended that you take a few moments to personalize the letter prior to sending it.

Posted by Mark Ames, NASSP Gov't Relations Mgr at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)