Four of NY City charter schools will begin a program where students will be paid for achieving scores of 80% on standardize test. There will be additional incentives for students that show improvement. (Ok kids blow the first test on purpose and then earn the big bucks later).

Education experts are mixed on the use of financial incentives in schools,
with some arguing that they discourage kids from embracing learning for the sake
of knowledge.
Alfie Kohn, author of "Punished by Rewards," said students who
receive incentives tied to grades tend to be less interested in learning than
other schoolchildren.
Roland Fryer, a Harvard economics professor who developed the incentive program for KIPP, said there is no evidence to suggest that financial rewards hampers a love for learning. "There are people who are worried about giving kids extra incentives for something that they should intrinsically be able to do," Fryer said. "I understand that, but there is a huge achievement gap in this country, and we have to be proactive." More [Need to log on to the site to read the article. For User email address try: hello@dodgeit.com and "blahblah" for password. Thanks to BugMeNot.com ]

Because charter schools are privately run, the program does not need approval from the city Department of Education. But the agency is watching closely.

NORTHPORT, N.Y. (AP) - In a mirror-lined dance studio, teenagers sashay through a number from the musical "Hairspray." Next door in the weight room, teacher Shawn Scattergood demonstrates proper form on the leg press. At Northport High School on Long Island, physical education also includes yoga, step aerobics and fitness walking, as well as team sports like volleyball and basketball. There are archery targets, soccer fields and a rock-climbing wall where students inscribe their names to show how high they get More

With all of the hype about body weight in schools maybe they should finally focus on phys ed that is about fitness and not competitive sports. Currently the "soccer" "baseball" mentality is counterproductive to this body mass measuring craze, because one is about competing, the other about health.

Now who is going to be the brave soul to suggest that we build a rock climbing wall in the High School Atrium. Come on it would be great entertainment value just to watch some heads start spinning.

Debra Scott's daughter had a birthday wish list typical for kids turning 11 these days. She wanted a cell phone, an iPod, a PlayStation 2 and maybe a new laptop.
Likewise, Scott's dilemma was typical for a contemporary parent: When is the right age to buy kids electronic gadgets?
"It's not really about the money," said Scott, who lives in the Seattle area. "To me, it's about her not being given every little thing she asks for just because her friends have one." MORE

After reading the article and you still want to buy gadgets for Christmas try Amazon. It just so happens that there is a link on this page to save you from all that typing.

The public is invited to the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony

Place: District Topton Elementary
Date: Sunday November 27th
Time: 6pm Caroling, 6:30 event begins
Event: Guest Speakers, Band music, Carols, A special visitor from the North Pole, Complimentary Refreshments afterwards.
Cost: none

Today's Reading Eagle. Sorry Dr. Curtin and Mr. Falcone you two are just speculating the study does have experience and people trained in predicting population growth behind it plus a great track record. After 5 years who knows but for the next few years it is probably very accurate. Doesn't matter now why the High School was built it was and now we have to live with it. Long term readers know we predicted the same results 5 years ago, when we said the High School wasn't needed, when the board at the time confused a short term population bubble with long term growth.

***************

By Phoebe Sweet Reading Eagle

More homes will be built and more people will move into the Brandywine Heights School District, but that doesn't necessarily mean more students will fill the schools.

In fact, enrollment in Brandywine schools is expected to drop over the next decade, according to a draft of a Pennsylvania Economy League study.
Birthrates in the district, which are at some of the lowest levels in 35 years, will impact enrollment, the study showed.
“There's more to your future enrollment than population and housing units,” said Charles W. Watters of the economy league, a nonprofit research firm based in Wilkes-Barre.
“What everyone has to realize is you've had growth over the last five to 10 years ... and these declines (in enrollment) you've been seeing are nothing new,” Watters recently told the school board.
But Dr. John P. Curtin, Brandywine superintendent, and some residents said they're not sure the economy league figures are entirely accurate.

“If you take the numbers exactly as presented by the PEL report, it looks like we're going to have a significant decline in student population over the next five years,” Curtin said. “I don't believe the numbers really reflect what's going to be happening in the school district, with new housing projects.”

The study predicted construction on several large developments planned in Longswamp Township would not begin until nearly 2010 and would be built out over 15 to 20 years.
But Curtin said he thinks the projects will begin much sooner.
“I think they are going to move as quickly as they can,” he said of developers.
Curtin said the district commissioned the study to assist in decision-making about school closings and construction.

Floyd Falcone, a co-founder of the Taxpayers Association of Brandywine Heights, also is skeptical of the economy league's numbers.
“It's primarily speculation,” Falcone said. “I just think that they were wrong. Reality is going to be very, very different from what they think is going to happen.”
Falcone said development in Longswamp Township will result in more children early in the next decade, which could mean the school board will want to build another school.

But Watters said the economy league has done about 100 projects similar to the Brandywine study. Researchers have checked their numbers against more than 600 actual outcomes.
Accuracy rates have been within plus or minus 2.59 percentage points within five years of their studies, he said. Rates were within 3.71 percentage points over 10 years.
The $14,000 Brandywine study, however, is still a draft, and the school district will have the opportunity to submit comments.

Falcone said that if the economy league's numbers are right and enrollment continues to drop, he wants to know why the $31 million high school that was completed in 2003 was necessary.
Curtin said existing enrollment at the high school and middle school made the project necessary, although he was not superintendent when the high school project was approved.
The new high school, he said, also brings the district in line with today's standards in technology and programming.

From Harrisburg to property tax elimnination advocates.

The much anticipated fourth film of the Harry Potter series finally arrives, and does so astonishingly. Now in his fourth year, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) finds that the TriWizard Tournament, a dangerous competition in which three champions from different wizarding schools compete in various tasks, is being held at Hogwarts. The champions are chosen by the Goblet of Fire itself, and, obviously, Harry is chosen as one of them even though he is under the age restriction for the tournament. So, he must compete in three perilous tasks, ending in an unexpected encounter with Harry’s nemesis Lord Voldemort (played impressively and most menacingly by Ralph Fiennes).

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint give their best and most realistic performance yet. The rest of the adult cast, though in many cases only briefly seen, remain as brilliant as ever. The only one who seems off is Michael Gambon whose portrayal of Dumbledore appears a bit rough, although much of that probably has to do with the new director Mike Newell. The film also has astonishing special effects which are especially evident in the scene involving a massive dragon. On another note, don’t expect a perfect replica of the 734 page novel. Even at 157 minutes, the film still cuts out very many things from the book, particularly towards the beginning. Still, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is arguably the best Potter movie yet.

As most are probably aware, this is the first Harry Potter film to receive a PG-13 rating, and, a warning to parents, this rating is fully deserved. It has many intense moments including an unnerving scene of Voldemort’s return and a very creepy maze. It is unlikely that any of these scenes would be extremely frightening to an older audience but could scare many younger children. Having said that, this is still a brilliant film and definitely worth watching.


Four our of four stars for Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire.

Would appear that she liked it and if you haven't read the book:

At the risk of losing all the gentle readers from the end property tax group, you need to call our representatives by Monday. If the Commonwealth Cacus Plan goes through all real control of schools will be placed in the hands of some vague 7 person committee in Harrisburg composed of the idiot brothers-in-law of influential state politicans. This is like one of those Free Money offers you get in the mail, looks gret until you read the fine print.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the Commonwealth Caucus plan on Monday, November 21, 2005. Please contact your legislators no later than Monday morning to voice your concerns about this plan and ask for their opposition. For detailed information on PSBA's position see our web site.

The Commonwealth Caucus plan involves reducing the state sales and use tax from 6% to 5% and expanding the state sales tax base to cover many goods and services. The expansion of the tax could impose new taxes on basic consumer purchases such as food, fuel oil and gas, and clothing. The expansion of the sales and use tax is designed to eliminate local school property taxes in their entirety. Almost all of the sales and use tax monies would be transferred to a new Education Operating Fund.

It is also important to note that the effect of this package of bills on the state’s general fund would be to move both the current sales tax revenue and the current expenditures for basic education of the general fund and into the Education Operating Fund.

While the plan may have garnered populist appeal, a closer look at the plan reveals significant negative impacts to Pennsylvania’s public school system and to the investments our citizens have made in their schools. The following issues are of primary concern:

1. Removing school districts’ multiple school funding streams disenfranchises school districts as viable partners in making decision about local educational programs and jeopardizes their ability to respond to emergencies and risks student safety and learning.

2. School districts require additional authority to levy and collect a greater mix of stable and fair taxes for local support of public school education not less.

3. The Commonwealth must be a more supportive financial partner in funding local education by increasing its share of state funding without undertaking it in its entirety.

4. Controlling school districts' costs and offering relief from unfunded and underfunded mandates imposed on districts are not addressed.

5. Distribution of monies from the Education Operating Fund is not delineated.

6. Accountability for education must remain invested in locally elected school boards and taxpayers rather than either a School Financing Authority or Education Operating Board with no public accountability.

EDMOND, Okla. (AP) - Tasha Henderson got tired of her 14-year-old daughter's poor grades, her chronic lateness to class and her talking back to her teachers, so she decided to teach the girl a lesson.

She made Coretha stand at a busy Oklahoma City intersection Nov. 4 with a cardboard sign that read: "I don't do my homework and I act up in school, so my parents are preparing me for my future. Will work for food."

"This may not work. I'm not a professional," said Henderson, a 34-year-old mother of three. "But I felt I owed it to my child to at least try." MORE

Based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg, Zathura is by no means perfect, but actually turns out to be quite an entertaining film. Six-year-old Danny (Jonah Bobo) and his older brother Walter (Josh Hutcherson) are rivals and compete for the attention of their divorced father (Tim Robbins). But when their father has to briefly leave them and Danny finds an old board game titled “Zathura” in the basement, the two have no idea that they are about to start a wild adventure filled with meteor showers, an out of control robot, carnivorous, cold-blooded aliens, and a mysterious yet heroic astronaut.

The two child actor stars give decent performances as does Dax Shepard as the astronaut. The visual effects that there are are stunning, although for the most part, director Jon Favreau opts to use more models and large-scale puppets then computer-generated imagery which is not at all a bad thing. Zathura is an action-packed film that is fun enough for all ages to enjoy.


Zathura receives three stars out of four.

These are REAL notes written by PARENTS in a Tennessee school district...
(Spellings have been left intact.)

1-- MY SON IS UNDER A DOCTOR'S CARE AND SHOULD NOT TAKE PE TODAY.
PLEASE EXECUTE HIM.

2-- PLEASE EXKUCE LISA FOR BEING ABSENT SHE WAS SICK AND I HAD HER SHOT.

3-- DEAR SCHOOL: PLEASE ECSC's JOHN BEING ABSENT ON JAN. 28, 29, 30, 31,
32 AND ALSO 33.

4-- PLEASE EXCUSE GLORIA FROM JIM TODAY. SHE IS ADMINISTRATING.

5-- PLEASE EXCUSE ROLAND FROM P.E. FOR A FEW DAYS. YESTERDAY HE FELL OUT
OF A TREE AND MISPLACED HIS HIP.

6-- JOHN HAS BEEN ABSENT BECAUSE HE HAD TWO TEETH TAKEN OUT OF HIS FACE.

7-- CARLOS WAS ABSENT YESTERDAY BECAUSE HE WA S PLAYING FOOTBALL. HE WAS
HURT IN THE GROWING PART.

8-- MEGAN COULD NOT COME TO SCHOOL TODAY BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN BOTHERED BY VERY CLOSE VEINS.

9-- CHRIS WILL NOT BE IN SCHOOL CUS HE HAS AN ACRE IN HIS SIDE.

10-- PLEASE EXCUSE RAY FRIDAY FROM SCHOOL. HE HAS VERY LOOSE VOWELS.

11-- PLEASE EXCUSE PEDRO FROM BEING ABSENT YESTERDAY. HE HAD (DIAHRE,
DYREA, DIREATHE), THE SH**S. NOTE: [WORDS IN ( )'s WERE CROSSED OUT].

12-- PLEASE EXCUSE TOMMY FOR BEING ABSENT YESTERDAY. HE HAD DIARRHEA, AND HIS BOOTS LEAK.

13-- IRVING WAS ABSENT YESTERDAY BECAUSE HE MISSED HIS BUST.

14-- PLEASE EXCUSE JIMMY FOR BEING. IT WAS HIS FATHER'S FAULT. {You know,
this could be legit! }

15-- I KEPT BILLIE HOME BECAUSE SHE HAD TO GO CHRISTMAS SHOPPING BECAUSE I
DON'T KNOW WHAT SIZE SHE WEAR.

16-- PLEASE EXCUSE JENNIFER FOR MISSING SCHOOL YESTERDAY. WE FORGOT TO GET THE SUNDAY PAPER OFF THE PORCH, A ND WHEN WE FOUND IT MONDAY. WE THOUGHT IT WAS SUNDAY.

17-- SALLY WON'T BE IN SCHOOL A WEEK FROM FRIDAY. WE HAVE TO ATTEND HER
FUNERAL.

18-- MY DAUGHTER WAS ABSENT YESTERDAY BECAUSE SHE WAS TIRED. SHE SPENT A
WEEKEND WITH THE MARINES. {I absolutely LOVE that one!}

19-- PLEASE EXCUSE JASON FOR BEING ABSENT YESTERDAY. HE HAD A COLD AND
COULD NOT BREED WELL.

20-- PLEASE EXCUSE MARY FOR BEING ABSENT YESTERDAY. SHE WAS IN BED WITH
GRAMPS.

21-- GLORIA WAS ABSENT YESTERDAY AS SHE WAS HAVING A GANGOVER.

22-- PLEASE EXCUSE BRENDA. SHE HAS BEEN SICK AND UNDER THE DOCTOR.

23-- MARYANN WAS ABSENT DECEMBER 11-16, BECAUSE SHE HAD A FEVER, SORETHROAT, HEADACHE AND UPSET STOMACH. HER SISTER WAS ALSO SICK, FEVER AN SORE THROAT, HER BROTHER HAD A LOW GRADE FEVER AND ACHED ALL OVER. I WASN'T THE BEST EITHER, SORE THROAT AND FEVER. THERE MUST BE SOMETHING GOING AROUND, HER FATHER EVEN GOT HOT LAST NIGHT.

So if you are wondering why we have high taxes in an attempt to educate the next generation. Quit blaming the school board and look around at the local manufactors of the district's raw materials.

I think every one can agree we did better then this school district. Nevermind this is from CA, so it is perfectly normal.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) - The winner of a school board election didn't campaign, attend forums or even go to any school board meetings before the vote - because he was in jail. Randy Logan Hale won 831 votes in Tuesday's election, securing one of three open seats on the Romoland School District Board in a community about 70 miles north of San Diego.

"This is wild, he'll be glad," said his wife, Penny. Hale, 40, was returned to prison in September for violating his parole on 1998 convictions for spousal abuse and drug possession, the California Institution for Men in Chino said, and is due to be released Feb. 15. He declared his candidacy in August. His wife and a district trustee confirmed he was imprisoned. The election of an inmate to the school board is a conundrum for the district, and Superintendent Roland Skumawitz said he's consulting lawyers to figure out how to handle the situation. Shaun Bowler, a political science professor at the University of California, Riverside, said Hale may have gotten votes because he was at the top of the ballot. Source

When a newspaper reports that a teacher contract was settled at a certain percentage that is not exactly the raise each teacher will receive. Also the commonly used phrased "living on a fixed income" is often misused. Both phrases are easy for newspapers and political campaigning but are not necessary very accurate.

The last Brandywine contract was reported to be settled with a 4% yearly increase. Easy thing to report in a paper or put on a post card but you really have to look at all then numbers.

Brandywine teachers work on a 14 step basis. Every year of service for the first 14 years they pay is increased, This increase depending on the number of teachers in each bracket increases the budget 1.5 - 2.5% . The year the contract was signed it was around 1.7. So the budget would have risen around 2% with or without a contract.

Any settlement under that nearly 2% rate would have meant no raises for teachers with 15 or more years of service. With the majority of teachers in this district in that category that would never have been approved, especially when tacking on some contribution to health care. The additional 2% was for those teachers that had or will have maxed out in raises based on experience. In reality it should have been reported that the teachers received a (4-1.7) or a 2.3% increase

Now where school board, the press and the public have to watch is if the reported raise in line with the current contract or in addition to. A neighboring school district with an inexperienced business manager was all set to vote on an early bird settlement of 3.5%. Then someone realized the proposed wording would make it 3.5% in addition to their already 2% or a 5.5% raise.

A lot of upset individuals at the polls on Tuesday complaining about living on a fixed income and teachers getting a 4% raise. The recent COLA adjustment next year for Social Security recipients was announced last month to be 4.1% . So in essence you had people complaining about people receiving 1/2 of the increase that they did. It a wonderful world.

Interesting after this election there are now more females then males on the board 5- 4 and more board members without children currently in the district it is also 5 -4.

Two incumbents and two new members were elected yesterday. The two new members have been regularly attending meetings and will be ready to go at the sound of the gavel.

It would appear from the preliminary votes that the district has lost the current school board president by 40 votes. As president and member Jim Mabry has always been a true gentleman and a class act. For the past two years he has experienced some very trying times with the sudden depature of Mr. Gilly, necessary tax increases and the teacher contract negoatition. His meetings have always been very open and allowing all views board members and citizens to be expresed. He took the time when the district was withou a superintendent to check at the schools on a regular basis to advise, support and in general provide leadership to ensure the schools were operating as smoothly as possible. His commitment to the district, experience, knowledge of both the district and the people will be sorely missed.

BRANDYWINE HEIGHTS SCHOOL BOARD
100% reporting
Falcone A 1,445 24 %
Lamaestra R 1,079 18 %
Sacks M 1,021 17 %
Bollinger R 999 16 %

Mabry J 959 16 %
Van Tongel R 605 10 %

Congratulations or sympathies to Alane Falcone, Rose Lamaestra, Mike Sacks and Roger Bollinger.

80% reporting Vote for 4
UPDATED AT22:45
Falcone A 965 23 %
Lamaestra R 721 17 %
Sacks M 718 17 %
Bollinger R 664 16 %
Mabry J 659 16 %
Van Tongel R 446 11 %
OK who is holding up the works.

40% reporting
UPDATED AT22:09
Falcone A 404 22 %
Lamaestra R 317 17 %
Sacks M 310 17 %
Mabry J 297 16 %
Bollinger R 283 15 %
Van Tongel R 221 12 %

Looks like District Twp has come in

20% reporting

Van Tongel R 140 21 %
Falcone A 139 21 %
Mabry J 105 16 %
Sacks M 105 16 %
Lamaestra R 99 15 %
Bollinger R 89 13 %

Four seats are up for grabs on the school board. 5/6 of the candidates would make good representatives. The incumbents Mr. sacks, Mr. Mabry and Mr. Bollinger have been doing a good job under trying circumstances. Ms Falcone and Ms Lamaestra are not unknown figures at the school board meetings and would also make good members.

PLEASE DON"T VOTE INDEPENDENT even if you are sick of the regular parties. This is not about party politics but electing the best people for the position to balance both concerns of the taxpayers and the educational needs of the district.

Also Please give special consideration to Mike Sacks. He was fighting for fiscal responsibility and the needs of the students long before the first member of the taxpayers group received their increased bill. Even if you are a yellar dawg democratic for once cross over and vote for Mike.

You Practice!

The Brandywine Choraliers have been selected to perform at Carnegie Hall on Sunday, April 2, 2006. The Field Studies International Festivals at Carnegie Hall selects outstanding high school vocal ensembles from around the country to participate in a three-day festival, culminating in a final concert at the world renowned Carnegie Hall.

In order to pay for the trip, tuition to the classes, meals and transportation, they need to raise $1,000 for each student (NOTE: IT IS NOT COMING OUT OF THE TAXPAYERS POCKETS). There will be various fund raisers so please help if you are able.

Congratulations to the Choraliers for their hard work and to Mrs. Rebecca Rhodes for making this opportunity possible for the students.

The recent blog on support of candidates for school board has been called into question. As was stated previously all the candidates listed on the Republican and/or Democratic ticket would make good board members.

Mr. Mabry and Mr. Bollinger have put in many long hours over the years working to better the school district. Board votes are like politics the art of the possible. It requires weighing the cost of spending versus the educational benefits and what is mandated by state and federal laws. What may be a waste of money to you is often a necessity to your neighbor. Maybe some of their decisions haven't always been popular but they have been made for the right reasons. It is easy to criticize if you don't have to deal with the outcome of your decision.

Ms Falcone and Ms Lamaestra over the past couple of years have attended every board meeting and have brought valid criticisms and suggestions for ways to make the district more fiscally responsible to the taxpayers.

This site main focus has tried to be a way for the community to share common problems and find ways to improve the educational opportunities in this district not just a bitch fest about taxes. Lately we have been overrun with Longswamp sewage issues but that is a stinky mess that will eventually affect everyone in the district.

Mike Sacks was singled out by the editorial board as one that best matched the long term goals of this site. He has always been for improving education and voting against spending that diverted funds from that goal. He was doing this years before the current Tax Payers group was formed.

A lot of people have a tendency to pull one lever on election day. We just ask that for once think about your vote regardless of party. You have four votes next Tuesday for school board. Please make sure that one is for Mr. Sacks both for educational needs and fiscal responsibility.