School Technical Ideas

Some virtual education advocates insist that negative press befalling their field is just a consequence of the field crossing from the fringes of K-12 education into the mainstream.

But there are perhaps some cases where negative press could potentially have a concrete impact on any organization’s health, and especially a private company.

For example, the recent New York Times article criticizing virtual school operator K12 Inc. appears to have sparked a class-action lawsuit against the Herndon, Va.-based company.

The suit, filed by a K12 shareholder on Jan. 30, argues that the company’s stock traded at artificially high prices prior to the Times story, because K12 officials misinformed investors about the schools’ academic performance and business practices, which the suit alleges violates securities law. And during the week after the story’s release, from Dec. 12 to Dec. 16, the stock plunged 34.4 percent, though it has since somewhat recovered.

Moreover, the suit alleges, the Times itself uncovered some of that deception, reporting that K12 chief executive officer Ronald J. Packard told investors student performances on standardized tests at Devon, Pa.-based Agora Cyber Charter School exceeded those at other schools. But data showed the school’s performance to actually lag behind the state average in both reading and math, according to the Times.

From the beginning, K12 Inc. has objected, saying the story “is unfair and one-sided, and advances an anti-parent choice policy agenda” in a company statement. It also questioned many of the Times‘ conclusions about achievement at Agora, based on the federal measure of adequate yearly progress, or AYP.

The speed and breadth of K12′s response in its statement suggests that, while press pushback may be a symptom of entering the mainstream, virtual education companies see media image as important.

Meanwhile, the Idaho Statesman has questioned Idaho state schools superintendent Tom Luna about the lawsuit, in part because of $44,000 in campaign contributions made by K12 to Luna’s successful re-election bid in 2010. Under Luna, Idaho’s board of education has pushed legislation requiring students to take two high school credits online to graduate.

It’s unclear whether the media firestorm will spread, though I wouldn’t bet against it. However, if things look bad for K12 now, remember back to last summer when education technology solutions company Wireless Generation seemed to be under constant media pressure because of its sale to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation Conglomerate.

The residue from that episode has mostly faded now, to the point where Wireless Generation was noted as one of the federal governments key partners in its educational technology efforts during Wednesday’s national town hall meeting for Digital Learning Day.

Pupils at five Catholic post-primary schools in Northern Ireland will return from a mid-term break to learn their schools will not reopen after the summer holidays.

The Northern Ireland Commission for Catholic Education released detailed plans for the future of every Catholic post-primary school including closing five and amalgamating others.

Crippling budget cuts and falling pupil numbers prompted the review, which began in 2010.

There is still confusion as to where the students currently enrolled at St Gemma’s High School, Belfast, Drumcree College Portadown, St Peter’s High School, Londonderry, St Mary’s High School, Belleek, and St Eugene’s, Castlederg, will continue their education.

SDLP MLA Dolores Kelly said: “Parents, staff and pupils of Drumcree College are extremely upset to learn that their school is to close in June of this year.

“It is very disappointing that CCMS has concluded this review without any apparent consideration being given to shared education in the Portadown area with the State sector.”

Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly said of St Gemma’s: “It is never an easy decision to close a school, however, I am confident that all options will be fully considered.”

28 Catholic schools to disappear in major education review

Almost 30 schools are set to disappear in a radical shake-up of Catholic post-primary education.

In a report published yesterday, the Northern Ireland Commission for Catholic Education (NICCE) provided detailed recommendations for the future of schools in the sector.

Every single Catholic post-primary school has been included in the review, which could see five closures and a further 23 schools disappear through mergers and amalgamations.

Crippling budget cuts and falling pupil numbers prompted the review, which began in 2010.

DOWN AND CONNOR DIOCESE

Ballymoney, Coleraine, Portstewart

Dominican College Portstewart, Loreto College Coleraine, Our Lady of Lourdes High School Ballymoney, St Joseph’s College Coleraine will be reduced to two schools, one in Coleraine and one in Portstewart. Propsals to keep a secondary school in Ballymoney will be monitored.

Co Antrim

Cross and Passion College, Ballycastle and St Killians’ College, Carnlough will remain unchanged, while St Benedict’s College Randalstown, St Louis Grammar Ballymena and St Patrick’s College Ballymena will form a partnership leading to one school but with provision in each town.

Co Down

St Malachy’s High School Castlewellan, remains unchanged.

St Columban’s College Kilkeel and St Louis Grammar Kilkeel will merge into one school.

De La Salle High School Downpatrick (boys), St Mary’s High School Downpatrick (girls), and St Patrick’s Grammar Downpatrick will form a partnership, while Assumption Grammar, Ballynahinch (girls) and St Colman’s High School Ballynahinch, will collaborate.

St Colmcille’s High School Crossgar will be “monitored” and St Columba’s College Portaferry, “reviewed”.

Greater Belfast area

St Gemma’s High School (girls) to close.

Dominican College (girls), Edmund Rice College, Glengormley (boys), Little Flower Girls School (girls), Our Lady of Mercy (girls), St Malachy’s College (boys), St Patrick’s College (boys) to become just four schools, with at least two co-educational.

Christian Brothers School (boys) and St Mary’s Christian Brothers Grammar (boys) will become one school.

St Dominic’s Grammar (girls) and St Rose’s Dominican College (girls) will form a campus but remain separate schools.

The partnership between De La Salle College (boys) and St Genevieve’s High School (girls) will be extended to include St Colm’s High School.

A collaborative partnership to be explored between Rathmore Grammar and St Patrick’s Academy Lisburn.

Corpus Christi College (boys) is to be kept under review.

St Louise’s Comprehensive College (girls) could become co-educational.

A busness case will look into the need for a new co-educational school to serve the Glenavy, Crumlin and Lisburn areas.

Aquinas Grammar and St Joseph’s College will form one campus, with enhanced curricular collaboration with Our Lady and St Patrick’s College to be exlpored.

A business case to support the continued development of St Columbanus College, Bangor, as a viable and sustainable school will be completed by June.

DROMORE DIOCESE

Greater Newry and district

St Mark’s High School, Warrenpoint and St. Patrick’s College, Banbridge will remain unchanged.

Abbey Grammar School, Newry (boys), Our Lady’s Grammar School, Newry (girls), St Colman’s College, Newry (boys) St Joseph’s High School, Newry (boys) St Mary’s High School, Newry (girls) and Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry (girls) will be subject to an “intense review” over the next two years.

Lurgan and Lismore

Lismore Comprehensive School, Craigavon remains unchanged.

St Mary’s High School, Lurgan (girls), St Michael’s Grammar School, Lurgan and St Paul’s Junior High School, Lurgan (boys) will merge, to be based at the current St Michael’s site.

ARMAGH DIOCESE

Ballygawley

St Ciaran’s College, Ballygawley will continue.

Greater Armagh city and district

Drumcree College, Portadown to close.

St Patrick’s High School, Keady to remain unchanged.

St Brigid’s High School, Armagh (boys), St Catherine’s College, Armagh (girls) and St Patrick’s Grammar School, Armagh (boys) to become two single-sex schools, with the possibility of co-educational schooling to be introduced in the future.

Greater Dungannon area

Holy Trinity College, Cookstown remains unchanged.

St Joseph’s College, Coalisland and St Joseph’s Grammar School, Donaghmore also continue but could later form a partnership.

St Patrick’s Academy Grammar School, Dungannon and St Patrick’s College, Dungannon will develop a shared campus while retaining the identity and status of each.

Magherafelt

St Mary’s Grammar School and St Pius X College to form a single school using both sites.

South Armagh

Both St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook and St Joseph’s High School, Crossmaglen will remain largley unchanged, although st Joseph’s will get a new building.

CLOGHER DIOCESE

Clogher

St Mary’s High School, Brollagh to close.

St Aidan’s High School, Derrylin, St Comhghall’s College, Lisnaskea and St Eugene’s College, Rosslea will amalgamate, with possible provision on more than one site.

Mount Lourdes Grammar School, Enniskillen (girls), St Fanchea’s College, Enniskillen (girls), St Joseph’s College, Enniskillen (boys) and St Michael’s College, Enniskillen (boys) will become two single-sex schools. This may become three in the future.

St Mary’s College, Irvinestown will be subject to a feasibility study.

DERRY DIOCESE

Derry city

St Peter’s High School (boys) to close.

A vision for a partnership of the remaining schools – Immaculate Conception College, Lumen Christi College, St Brigid’s College, St Cecilia’s College (girls), St Columb’s College (boys), St Joseph’s Boys School (boys), St Mary’s College (girls) and Thornhill College (girls) – will be developed.

North Derry

A formal collaboration of two schools, one in Limavady and another at a site still to be determined will replace St Mary’s High School, Limavady

St Patrick’s College, Dungiven and St Patrick’s and St. Brigid’s College, Claudy.

South Derry

St Paul’s College, Kilrea and St Mary’s College, Clady will merge to become one school.

St Colm’s High School, Draperstown and St Patrick’s College, Maghera remain unchanged.

West Tyrone

St. Eugene’s High School Castlederg to close.

Christian Brothers’ Grammar School Omagh (boys), Dean Maguirc College Carrickmore, Loreto Grammar School Omagh (girls), Holy Cross College Strabane, Sacred Heart College Omagh and St. John’s Business and Enterprise College Dromore will be subject to future planning, which will place post-primary school provision in Omagh, Strabane and Carrickmore.

Any alternative models will take into account the proposal for an Educational Campus in Lisanelly.

Its a fundamental starting point for much of education reform. This countrys schools are bad, and education is in trouble, it part because theyre not producing enough students prepared for careers in sciences, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

But America might very well have plenty of STEM specialists already. So many, in fact, that the job prospects for STEM graduates are actually pretty dismal. Perhaps thats the point.

In 2007 Barack Obama said:

In this kind of economy, countries who out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow. Already, China is graduating eight times as many engineers as we are. By twelfth grade, our children score lower on math and science tests than most other kids in the world.

Theres a crisis, right? We need colleges to produce 10,000 more engineers a year. As Richard Stephens of Boeing said to the House Science and Technology Committee in February, 2010:

Our industry needs more innovative young scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians to replace our disproportionately large (compared to the total U.S. workforce) population of Baby Boomers as they retire. At the same time that retirements are increasing, the number of American workers with STEM degrees is declining, as the National Science Board pointed out in 2008. This skills shortage is a global concern across the board in all high-tech sectorspublic as well as private.

Maybe not. According to a piece by Beryl Lieff Benderly in the latest issue of the Columbia Journalism Review, critics may have vastly overstated the real need for STEM experts. As Benderly writes:

Leading experts on the STEM workforce, have said for years that the US produces ample numbers of excellent science students. In fact, according to the National Science Boards authoritative publication Science and Engineering Indicators 2008, the country turns out three times as many STEM degrees as the economy can absorb into jobs related to their majors.

Of course, theres nothing wrong with having too many scientists, right? Scientific minds can invent wonderful things and fuel economic progress. Why would some experts, like the gentleman from Boeing, overstate the need for scientists? Well the more STEM professionals are out there, the cheaper they get. More STEM people means companies dont have to pay them much.

So whats really going on here might not be that we have too few scientists and engineers but that we have too many. According to Benderly, however, this isnt an accident; its policy.

Simply put, a desire for cheap, skilled labor, within the business world and academia, has fueled assertionsbased on flimsy and distorted evidencethat American students lack the interest and ability to pursue careers in science and engineering, and has spurred policies that have flooded the market with foreign STEM workers. This has created a grim reality for the scientific and technical labor force: glutted job markets; few career jobs; low pay, long hours, and dismal job prospects for postdoctoral researchers in university labs; near indentured servitude for holders of temporary work visas.

Its not that Americas science and engineering firms dont have enough applicants. They have plenty. They just want to ensure a steady oversupply of trained STEM professionals so they can continue to employ them cheaply.

Of course that makes a lot of sense for such firms, but lets be careful about using a few companies human resource desires to formulate national education policy.

Building a battery-powered car that can tow 500 grams of sand 3 meters isnt as easy as it looks, students participating in the Edison Tech Challenge realized Saturday.

Many students put hours of work into their vehicles only to suffer disappointment on the starting line when their car failed to perform as it had in practice runs. One cars battery died, anothers towing sled fell apart and a third inched across the required 3-meter track only to run out of time halfway across the finish line.

The crowd of parents, teachers and students watching cheered on the struggling cars and groaned loudly when they failed.

That made it all the more exciting for those who did succeed in reaching the finish line, such as as Emma Hofstetter, a sixth-grader from Royal Palm Academy.

How did that make her feel?

Thrilled. Ecstatic. I dont know, Hofstetter said. We knew when we were practicing that we could achieve something this big.

But in the end it was sort of chaos, added partner Jessica Lussier, a seventh-grader at Royal Palm Academy.

Their team won second place in the middle-school division and received $100 and a free fishing trip sponsored by boating company Southern Instinct Charters.

The competition on Edison State Colleges campus started with a 3-meter drop the hand-made cars powered by D batteries had to survive. Some teams wrapped their cars in towels or inflated balloons to cushion them against impact. Even so, one car broke in half and had to be repaired with duct tape before the towing challenge. Out of 15 teams competing in the middle-school, high-school and college divisions, eight teams completed the 3-meter tow during the three minutes allowed.

Algenol Biofuels was one of the competitions sponsors and organizers. Mitch Ruzek, program director, said the goal of the event was to give back to the community and help train young potential Algenol employees in science, technology, engineering and math. The students competing Saturday displayed a wealth of talent, he said.

Its very inspiring. Its refreshing. Its encouraging. Its all thats positive in education, Ruzek said.

Algenol was one of the sponsors that contributed to the winning teams $500 prize, which went to a team of students from Edison Collegiate High School. Team member Coby Pawlowski, a 10th-grader, said he was going to spend his share of the money on gear for the free fishing trip the prize included. Hard work contributed to his teams success, Pawlowski said.

We worked a lot on this. We worked the last two days straight on this, non-stop, he said. And we had a pretty big motor.

For Ruzek, part of the competitions value was to get students as excited about academics as they typically get about sports. He hopes it will be a recurring event.

Our point is that its cool to be smart – and you get paid, he said.