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Jun 23, 2011 – 03:42 PM

Kristen Calis

DURHAM — With the number of full-day kindergarten classes going from 45 to 69 in the coming school year, the Durham District School Board has planned for additional costs in its 2011-2012 budget.

The board passed a balanced budget of $727 million, compared to $618 million in 2010-2011.

The budget includes revenues of $726 million, with funding largely coming from Grants for Student Needs, annual provincial funding that supports programs, services, staffing and maintenance. The GSNs increased from $612 million last year to $637 million in 2011-2012.

“The DDSB’s budget successfully strikes a balance between providing opportunities for students and strong fiscal management,” said Pickering trustee Chris Braney, chairman of the education finance committee, in a press release. “I thank trustees and staff for working to produce a budget that will continue our focus on student achievement and success.”

Nineteen new full-day kindergarten classes will require additional classroom teachers, early childhood educators, and lunchroom supervisors. Funding for full-day kindergarten was $4.9 million in 2010-2011 and is $7.4 million in 2011-2012.

“I would say the biggest investment is the expansion of full-day kindergarten,” said Ed Hodgins, superintendent of education.

The board plans to hire 19 new ECEs to accommodate the change. The cost for ECEs and educational assistants is $6.6 million more than last year. This not only covers the new salaries, but also includes the cost of the additional workload for the EAs across the board who will work seven-hour days instead of 6.25 starting in September.

The full-time equivalent of elementary classroom teachers has increased by five from 2010-2011. There are 2,159 planned for this year compared to 2,154 in 2010-2011. Their budget has increased from $166 million to $175 million over the year.

On the other hand, the number of secondary teachers has decreased by about 30, going from 1,339 compared to an estimate of 1,308 in 2011-2012.

The board also plans to hire five new special education resource teachers and four special education teachers for elementary schools, as well as two new secondary special education teachers.

“From my perspective it’s been a good process and I appreciate the support of my administration collectively and the board in achieving a balanced budget,” Mr. Hodgins said.

The board is also investing in elementary school literacy coaches, focused-teacher training, workshops and professional learning communities. An extra $261,000 in special education equipment will increase assistive technology available for students who need them.

The board has budgeted $8.1 million for facility renewal projects. This will include a roof replacement at Lakeside Public School ($850,000); an elevator installation at Sunderland ($750,000); a parking and drainage upgrade at Henry Street ($450,000); and a ceiling replacement in the Ajax High School cafeteria ($340,000).

The board has also set aside $3.9 million to improve school conditions, including a roof replacement at Lester B. Pearson school($600,000); a washroom upgrade at O’Neill Collegiate ($500,000); and a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning replacement at Ajax HS ($350,000).

The budget can be viewed online at ddsb.durham.edu.on.ca by clicking on ‘About DDSB’ and ‘Financial Report’.

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Last modified: Monday,

June 20,
2011

Joshua Bell joins the Summer Festival Orchestra

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 20, 2011

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The Jacobs School of Music’s 2011 Symphonic Series, a highlight of the Indiana University Summer Festival of the Arts, begins Friday, July 1, at IU Auditorium with a performance by violin virtuoso and Jacobs faculty member Joshua Bell and the Summer Festival Orchestra, conducted by Michael Stern.

Joshua Bell

Print-Quality Photo

Bell, whose career has catapulted him to international stardom since receiving an Artist Diploma from the Jacobs School in 1989, will perform Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy. Additional works on the program are The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Dukas, The Firebird Suite by Stravinsky and Variations on “America” by Ives. All will be under the baton of Stern, now in his sixth season as music director of the Kansas City Symphony. Stern returns to Bloomington following his performance with the Festival Orchestra in 2006.

Marking the two-year anniversary of her first Bloomington performance since her appointment to the Jacobs School faculty, Jorja Fleezanis will serve as concertmaster for the opening concert. She also served as concertmaster for the series’ kickoff the past two years.

The following evening, July 2, the orchestra will repeat the program at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, becoming the first collegiate ensemble to be presented as a featured festival ensemble there.

Other world-class conductors leading this distinguished group of Jacobs School of Music faculty, students and invited guests include Bramwell Tovey and Giancarlo Guerrero.

Tovey, music director of the Vancouver Symphony, conducts a July 21 program including a full orchestral version of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. In addition to his podium duties, he will also be piano soloist for one of his own compositions, Urban
Runway.

Timothy Lees, concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, will serve as concertmaster for the second concert in the series.

Giancarlo Guerrero

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Nashville Symphony Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero returns to Bloomington Aug. 5 to apply his Grammy Award-winning style to Rossini’s William Tell Overture, Respighi’s The Pines of
Rome and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7.

Jacobs faculty member Alexander Kerr will assume concertmaster duties for the final Festival Orchestra concert. Kerr was concertmaster of both the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and is now concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony and principal guest concertmaster of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

Additional faculty members performing with the Festival Orchestra this summer include Stephen Wyrczynski, viola; Kate Lukas and Thomas Robertello, flute; Howard Klug, clarinet; Jeff Nelsen, horn; Edward Cord, John Rommel and Joey Tartell, trumpet; Carl Lenthe and M. Dee Stewart, trombone; Daniel Perantoni, tuba; and John Tafoya, percussion.

Guests musicians include alumni Steven Moeckel, concertmaster of the Phoenix Symphony; Tony Ross, principal cello of the Minnesota Orchestra; and Kristin Ahlstrom, violinist with the St. Louis Symphony; as well as Owen Lee, principal bass of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; William James, principal percussion with the St. Louis Symphony; Jeff Rathbun, oboist with The Cleveland Orchestra; and Marc Vallon, professor of bassoon at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In addition to the three Festival Orchestra performances, the Jacobs School’s Symphony Orchestra will perform two concerts in the IU Auditorium this summer, all led by regular guest conductor Cliff Colnot. Colnot is principal conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s contemporary MusicNOW series and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.

The first Symphony Orchestra concert, July 13, will feature Impromptu for String Orchestra by Sibelius and Symphony No. 10 by Shostakovich. The second and final concert, Aug. 10, will include Haydn’s Symphony in G Major and selections from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet.

All orchestral events during the 2011 IU Summer Festival of the Arts will take place at 8 p.m. at the IU Auditorium. The three performances by the Festival Orchestra cost $15 each for the general public and $8 for any full-time student. The two Symphony Orchestra performances are free.

The IU Auditorium box office is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 812-855-1103 for ticket information, or visit http://www.iuauditorium.com to purchase tickets online.

The Summer Music series within the IU Summer Festival of the Arts is sponsored in part by WFIU Public Radio, WTIU Public TV, the Bloomington Herald-Times and Lamar Outdoor Advertising.

Joe Nathan Column — Regardless of the politics, state funds should keep going to schools.  That’s my conclusion after interviewing about 20 superintendents and principals, Gen Olson, chair of the Minnesota Senate Education Committee (and a Republican) and Charlene Briner, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE).

A shutdown may delay in payments to schools. Jeff  Solomon, ISD 196 Director of Finance and Operations explained that “Our district’s estimated state aid payments for July 15th is $7,774,219.  However we are also anticipating approximately another $1,220,000 on July 13th and 14th.  Our total anticipated mid July payments are approximately $9,000,000.”  Jane Houska, Fiscal Operations Manager for Farmington Area Schools told me that the district expected to receive approximately $1.8 million in state aid payments on July 15.  Michelle Vargas, Chief Financial Officer of Anoka-Hennepin ISD #11, the state’s largest district, reported that the district anticipates a payment of $13.6 million on July 15.  Statewide, Briner of MDE estimated that school districts normally would be paid about $296 million.

What’s the impact of a delay in payments?  Solomon explained, “We would be required to access our line of credit to cash flow our obligations.”    Houska wrote, “With the potential shut down of the State, the District has positioned itself to carry on business for a little while but there are always concerns to be thinking about.  For our short-term solution, we are…setting up a line of credit.  With any borrowing situation comes interest costs and lender fees, which is an additional cost to the district.  Meaning we are not able to spend these funds on the classroom where they were intended to be spent.  If we don’t receive our aid payments for the month of July, we have interest payments on our bonds that are due by the beginning of August which will put us in a cash flow crunch. If the government shutdown is for an extended period of time, we will need to look at other scenarios to keep our business running.”

Jamie Steckart of Northwest Passage in Coon Rapids wrote, “All of our employees are on 10 month contracts but have their pay spread out over 12 months.  The July 15th payments is money they have already earned and is money the state has promised us.  If they want to stop payments to schools then I suggest that they issue the schools the money owed from last year so we can meet past obligations. Currently the state owes our school close to $500,000 from last year’s revenue.

Houska also noted, “Another issue with the shutdown, is ensuring our current teaching staff is able renew their teaching license in a timely manner.  Additionally, any new teachers who are getting their license for the first time, before the government closure, are facing a 6-8 week turn around.  So now what will happen to these individuals if they are not able to obtain a license by the time school starts.

George Weber, Pierz area superintendent told me, “I think the financial challenges are only a portion of the problem.  The state has gone down the path of creating punitive measures through No Child Left Behind and other MN policies.  The turmoil created by the inability of the two parties to compromise and the subsequent lack of continuity of direction and support for schools is an even larger challenge.”

Jerry Hansen of Milaca also pointed out that many school districts, including his, do summer construction projects…some districts may not be able to open entire sections or buildings on time if State inspections and certificates of occupancy can not be issued.”

Sen. Gen Olson, chair of the Senate Education Committee (and a Republican) told me that “based on advice from our staff, I believe the governor and MDE already have the authority to make general fund payments to schools.”  She says that the administration would have to designate people as “essential” to actually send the checks to schools.  Ms. Briner wrote, “State aid payments to schools have not been deemed a “priority 1 or 2 critical service” or those which effect life or safety. Ultimately, it is up to the Court to make the final determination on critical services.”

Solomon wrote, “We are hoping and strongly encouraging our state leaders to finish their work and resolve the budget decisions prior to July 1st.”

Briner wrote that Gov. Dayton wants a compromise, not a shutdown.  Olson agree that she wants an agreement, not a shutdown.   The principles are deeply felt and intense.

But I hope the courts conclude that regardless of the debate, state payments to schools should continue.  Educators are trying to do their best for youngsters.  They deserve the best we can do for them, which I think means, hire people and send out the money that schools already have been promised.

Joe Nathan, a former public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change at Macalester College.  He welcomes reactions, jnathan@macalester.edu

Tags: Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota Senate Education Committee

Alameda, CA (PRWEB) June 15, 2011

EduTone Corporation announced today the ET Persona™ family of school-centric tablets to be bundled with a new Mobile Edition of its core, 2011 CODiE award-winning services delivery platform, the EduTone Xchange™ (ETX), aimed at the K-20 Education market. Ranging in price from $179 to $399, the Android™ based ET Persona Tablets will ship in July 2011 with 8 and 10-inch touch-sensitive screen displays. Unlike all of the consumer-centric tablets on the market today, the ET Persona is the first school-centric tablet solution that ships with pre-installed CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act) compliant filtering software and the EduTone Passport™ to enable easy and secure single sign-on wireless access to centrally-provisioned school applications. Together, the ET Persona and the ETX-Mobile Edition deliver the most comprehensive, financially sustainable technology infrastructure solution for personalized mobile learning in the K-20 Education market globally.

The ET Persona tablets will be marketed in North America initially through an innovative and affordable subscription-based pricing that bundles the cost of the device with third-party applications, content and integration services. The ETX-Mobile Edition features role-based provisioning and Single Sign-On capabilities that empower schools to customize services delivery to each unique end-user’s personal mobile device.

Featuring a Web 2.0 Community and Marketplace, the ETX-Mobile Edition will automate the on-demand provisioning of a freemium subscription-based offering, called My EduTone Bundle™, that includes a suite of innovative education-specific third-party applications and online digital content such as Learn360′s™ video streaming resources, Cambridge University Press’s Global Grid for Learning™, Inspiration Software’s newly released Webspiration Classroom™, JDL Horizon’s EduVision™ on-demand video, Big Universe’s™ Reading and Writing Platform, eTap™, Desmos’™ online tutoring and interactive whiteboard, uBoost’s™ online reward system, and many others that will be added to the Bundle in the near future. In addition to the pre-packaged suite of third-party applications, the ETX-Mobile Edition will also offer each school, or school district, a library of 175+ on-demand EduTone Connectors that allows them to integrate and provision their own premise-based enterprise applications such as their Active Directory™ LDAP, Moodle™ LMS, Microsoft’s SharePoint™ Portal, various Student Information Systems, Learning Management Systems, Library Information Systems, or cloud-hosted enterprise applications such Google Apps for Education™, Microsoft Live.Edu™, Pearson Places™, Discovery Education™, Encyclopedia Britannica™, and many more.

“Our ET Persona tablets powered by ETX-Mobile Edition are game changers for education organizations that are ready to personalize their education delivery model” said Robert Iskander, CEO of EduTone Corporation. “Public or private, traditional or Charter, brick-and-mortar or virtual, elementary, secondary or higher education – all schools are in need of an affordable, mobile, manageable, versatile, secure, and integratable one-to-one technology infrastructure solution,” he continued, ” and with an annual contract-based pricing starting at $20 per month per student, we have a complete solution right now, ready for back to school in the Fall of 2011.”

The ET Persona tablets are available now in limited quantities for qualified customers and partners through EduTone’s Early Access Program (EAP). General availability is expected in the fall of 2011. To inquire about EduTone’s EAP or obtain additional information on EduTone and its products please visit us at www.edutone.com or call us at +1 866 901-8663 x9000

About EduTone Corporation

EduTone Corporation provides the sustainable technology schools need in order to deliver the 21st century teaching and learning environments their stakeholders require. Installed in thousands of schools around the world, the EduTone XchangeTM is a 2011 CODiE “Best K-12 Solution” award winning, Web 3.0 Platform-as-a-Service technology that enables on-demand, one-to-one services delivery in the Education Enterprise. EduTone Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of VIP Tone Inc., a privately held corporation headquartered in Alameda, California. For more information, visit www.EduTone.com.

PR Contact:

Yanni Kalajakis +1 866 901-8663 x9019 or email at yanni(at)edutone(dot)com

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2011/6/prweb8570818.htm

U.S. Secretary of Education Secretary Arne Duncan. Photographer: Jay Mallin/Bloomberg

President Barack Obama’s
administration said it would offer states relief from the
nation’s main public-education law if Congress fails to enact
changes by the start of the school year.

States may avoid requirements of the No Child Left Behind
law that, for example, more students pass standardized tests
each year if they agree to administration-backed “reforms,”
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said June 10 in a press
briefing. The Education Department has pushed states to adopt
national academic standards and merit pay for teachers. The law
ties U.S. funding to test results.

Democratic Senator Tom Harkin and Republican Representative
John Kline are among the members of Congress who have criticized
the law’s focus on holding schools accountable only through
testing proficiency. Almost four years ago, Congress released a
draft bill to revamp the law, and in March 2010, the Obama
administration issued a blueprint for change. No legislation has
been formally introduced, giving Congress less than three months
to meet the administration’s deadline.

“Our children get one shot — only one shot — at
education, and they cannot wait any longer for reform,” Duncan
said. He called the law a “slow-motion train wreck for
children, parents and teachers” that risks labeling three-
quarters of U.S. schools as failures.

Bush’s Initiative

No Child Left Behind, signed into law in 2002, is former
President George W. Bush’s signature education initiative.
Officially called the Elementary and Secondary Education Act,
the law requires schools show that all students are proficient
on state standardized reading and math tests by 2014. Schools
also must demonstrate yearly progress toward that goal or risk
losing federal money.

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, whose staff was briefed
on Duncan’s plan, supports the administration’s proposal, said
Raquel Guillory, a spokeswoman. O’Malley, a Democrat, worries
that even high-performing schools could lose federal funds under
the current law if they are labeled as failing, she said.

Meeting federal testing benchmarks “is not the only
measure of school success that should be taken into account,”
Guillory said.

Congress, not the Education Department, should be
responsible for changing the law, said Harkin, the Iowa Democrat
and Senate education committee chairman, and Senator Mike Enzi,
a Wyoming Republican and the committee’s ranking member, in
separate statements.

‘Premature’ Step

“Given the bipartisan commitment in Congress to fixing No
Child Left Behind, it seems premature at this point to take
steps outside the legislative process that would address NCLB’s
problems in a temporary and piecemeal way,” Harkin said in his
statement.

The administration’s first priority is working with
Congress to change and reauthorize the law, Duncan said. If
lawmakers don’t act, the administration would use its power to
grant waivers to states that agree to make changes, Duncan said.

Rather than a “one-off” approach, Duncan said he would
favor giving states a regulatory-relief package in exchange for
what he described as “a set of reforms.” The administration
may ease provisions for states that show they will measure how
much students learn in a given year, rather than meeting
absolute proficiency standards, Duncan said.

Duncan, when asked by reporters about the types of
“reforms” he was referring to, cited the administration’s $5
billion Race to the Top grants that have rewarded states that
incorporate student achievement into teacher evaluations and
adopted common academic standards developed by U.S. governors
and schools chiefs.

Department’s Plan

In March 2010, the department’s blueprint advocated giving
schools credit for showing improvement in student achievement
through a variety of measures, rather than only for reaching a
certain level of proficiency on state standardized tests. Duncan
said then the current system encourages states to lower their
standards so they can qualify for federal money.

Kline, a Minnesota Republican who chairs the House
education committee, supports “enhanced flexibility” for
states and school districts, Jennifer Allen, his spokeswoman,
said in an e-mail.

“However, Chairman Kline remains concerned about any
initiative that would allow the Secretary to pick winners and
losers in the nation’s education system,” Allen said.

To contact the reporters on this story:
John Hechinger in Boston at
jhechinger@bloomberg.net;
John Lauerman in Boston at
jlauerman@bloomberg.net;

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Jonathan Kaufman at
jkaufman17@bloomberg.net