BRIARCRIER
May 13, 2011 Friday at 12:00, Briarcliff Rec Dept, Briarcliff Manor NY ROTARY CLUB
GUEST - Ann Cargill, Clinical Consultant and Potential Member
HAPPY THOUGHTS -.Mark Seiden ate alone at his table and loved it., Bob Maher was interviewed by the NY Times about his arts festival. Fran Wills - Congratulations to Bob Maher. Dean Dykeman - his daughter has returned from college and drove herself home safely in 10 hours. Chris - Osama Bin Laden!, great vacation at a working ranch, family visiting until September. Depressing thought by Chris was that it is open season on consumers due to the denial of the right to go to court for small claims.
ANNOUNCEMENTS - Ernie P is recovering well from surgery, Eric Lebenson sustained a knee injury. The new car wash on North State Road will hold a fundraiser for the Briarcliff SPCA with a kids fair and fire safety demonstrations by the Briarcliff Manor Fire Dept on May 21st from 10:00 a.m to 3:00 pm. The flyer for Disaster Relief sponsored by the Rotary will be coming out next week.
SPEAKER AND SUBJECT - Dr. Fran Wills - Race to the Top
SUMMARY OF TALK
The major concern is inequity in the education system with reference to minorities. It is being seen as an intractable problem. It is seen more with test results and the learning taking place which has become more about poverty than ethnicity when it is really examined. Race to the Top started with the program of No Child Left Behind.
In the 1950's - only 50% of students graduated. In the 1960's there was a failure to address education. In the 1970's there were further failures. In the 1980's the nation was at risk. Our public education is one of the best in the world. The need is to tackle equity in education, particularly in poverty.
The Federal Government has challenged states for changes to equity issues. The States fund more for education that the Federal Government. As of now, the Federal Government still has ongoing testing for rating schools and it should be used to improve schools. New Issues - reform is being addressed with guidelines for better teachers by using test grades and growth analysis is being addressed where scores for teachers come from students achievement and student population.
3012C is a new legislation standard way of teachers being evaluated from test scores, part local, part practical and part observations from administrators. Results are in a composite score for every teacher and administrator. The Federal Government has to determine how to eliminate ineffective teachers after two years of trying to improve their methods.
New Law being discussed - Due process for tenure.
This was a wonderful and informative lecture and I apologize, in advance, if I could not capture everything she educated us on.
Reporter Rachel Leihbacher
Next Friday -- Children With HIV/AIDS in India -- Shobha Vanchiswar
###
