Today, I will model your upcoming presentation for you…  So pay attention to process as much as product  This powerpoint and the readings are on raidernet under documents  HW – reading on the debate about Teacher Merit Pay System

1. The Purpose of Education 2. Education’s effect on income 3. Access to education 4. Achievement Gap 5. Educational Funding 6. Federal Initiatives 7. Where should the government invest? 8. Teacher Merit Pay System of Education

Why do humans have education systems?

What do you think is the purpose of education in the US?  Social Reproduction - processes which sustain or perpetuate characteristics of a given social structure or tradition over a period of time  Social Revolution – upset the existing socio-economic structures by using education to achieve equal opportunity and egalitarian ideals “Schools are central in the production and maintenance of social inequality. Extentsive research on the relationship between education and social stratification has underscored a host of organizational, institutional, and psychosocial mechanisms through which contemporary pedagogy perpetuates an inequitable distribution of educational credentials, and the economic and social rewards that accompany them. Social class is the crucial axis along which such disadvantage, or privilege, is continually reinforced. Students from divergent class backgrounds encounter very different educational opportunities and experiences, follow distinct academic and professional trajectories, and are accordingly channeled into dissimilar positions within the social hierarchy.” -Butler and Robson (2005)

How does education level affect future income?

Human Capital versus Signaling  Why do people with higher education levels generally get higher paying jobs?  Human capital theorists = workers have enhanced abilities, skills and knowledge, making them better suited for higher paying jobs  Signaling theorists = the education attainment (degree) signals to employers that worker has been certified for high ability and the motivation to get degree (but not necessarily the skills and knowledge)

Access to Education  How has the cost of college risen compared to the rise in income?  How does the cost of college affect access to it for different SES groups?

Sallie Mae/Gallup report What does this chart teach us about how post- secondary students pay for their educations?

“College in Need Closes a Door to Needy Students” New York Times By JONATHAN D. GLATER Published: June 9, 2009 “The admissions team at Reed College, known for its free-spirited students, learned in March that the prospective freshman class it had so carefully composed after weeks of reviewing essays, scores and recommendations was unworkable. Money was the problem. Too many of the students needed financial aid, and the school did not have enough. So the director of financial aid gave the team another task: drop more than 100 needy students before sending out acceptances, and substitute those who could pay full freight…”

“Race” and College

Achievement Gap Gaps exist in students’ achievement on standardized exams, determined by class and “race”

Achievement gap by Race

Dropout Rates

How does Florida compare?

Florida Schools - Facts  67 school districts  3,990 traditional public schools  389 charter schools  7 university research schools  2,628,754 public school students  328,953 full-time employees 58% instructional staff, 39% support, 3% administrative  $22.2 billion budget in 2010  How do you think FL rank in comparison to other states in per pupil expenditure in their public schools?

2005-6

How does the US rank?

Federal Education Initiatives  American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) - $787 billion - included $10 billion to improve public schools, including $4.35 billion for “Race to the Top Fund”  Race to the Top: “a competitive grant program designed to encourage and reward States that are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform; achieving significant improvement in student outcomes…  Florida will receive $600 million to “support education jobs” in Miami-Dade expects to receive $40 million Expected to save 9,000-25,000 teacher jobs state wide

Funding Public Schools in Florida  Approximately 48% local (property tax), 40% state (sales tax, lottery), 12% federal.  State Distribution: Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) – “established state policy on equalized funding to guarantee to each student in the Florida public education system the availability of programs and services…” 2010 State spending & deficit in billions[7] Total spending Pensi on Health care Educati on Welfare Protecti on Transpo rt Deficit Budget gap $67.4$7.1$22.4$8.9$6.1$5.7$7.5$55.9$ Local spending & deficit in billions[7] Total spending Pension Health care Educatio n Welfare Protectio n Transpor t Deficit $112$1$10$37$5$16$9$105

Where should tax dollars be spent to improve achievement?  Smaller class sizes through hiring more teachers  Hire teachers with advanced degrees  Raise teacher pay  Professional development for teachers  Pay teachers more who work in more challenging schools  Improve school buildings and grounds  Enhance technology  More and better books and libraries  Pre-k, after school, and summer programs  Focus $ into low income and minority population schools  Improve communities and work with families  Pay Students for grades

One Florida Initiative  Teacher Merit Pay – paying teachers based on performance, not necessarily on tenure or degrees Vetoed by governor Crist Questions  What makes some teachers better than others?  Does incentive work in the teaching profession? How?  How do we measure good teaching? Who measures it?  How do we know when a student has become educated better?  How do we compare 2 teachers in very different schools and classrooms? Special ed teachers?

Miami herald Article  gov-charlie-crist-vetoes-teacher.html gov-charlie-crist-vetoes-teacher.html