Education

Firth must protect NSW from curriculum backwards step

jfield — 2010-03-12T07:43:16Z

Commenting on a report in today's Sydney Morning Herald ('Teachers give poor marks to national curriculum'), Dr Kaye said: "The Science, English and History Teachers Associations have sounded the alarm bells that the draft national curriculum would be less prescriptive and integrated than the existing NSW documents and in some cases unworkable, difficult to use and too crowded.

"Their expert analysis suggests that adopting Julia Gillard's curriculum without major changes would be a step backwards for education in NSW.

"Verity Firth must make it clear to her federal colleague that NSW will reject the national curriculum unless all of these problems are fixed.

"Major reworking of at least three of the disciplines will be required to ensure that NSW students are not forced to accept poorer quality education.

"With just eleven weeks of consultation, it is difficult to see how substantial re-writing can be achieved in time to start rolling out the new contents next year.

"Thanks to decades of hard work by NSW teachers and education experts, this state has a world-leading curriculum that is well suited to the range of needs of students.

"NSW should not be forced to take a backwards step to bolster the political ambitions of the Deputy Prime Minister.

"Verity Firth has promised that NSW students will not lose out in the change to a national curriculum.

"She cannot ignore the expert warnings.

"The NSW minister must make it clear to her federal counterpart that acceptance of any new curriculum is conditional on it being at least as good as the existing documents," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

School promotion hides Scientology links

jfield — 2010-03-08T21:17:16Z

Commenting on a story in today's Sydney Morning Herald (‘School rapped over failure to declare Scientology links') page 6, Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: "The leaflet has been distributed to homes in Sydney's Inner West. It fails to warn parents that this is a private school that uses teaching methods developed by the Scientology organisation.

"The reference to Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard is in tiny unreadable text.

"The only legible clue is a small mention of Applied Scholastics. Parents would need to go to Scientology's US website to learn that this discredited teaching method was developed by the Scientology organisation.

"Serious allegations against the Scientology Church would raise real concerns for most potential parents.

"By disguising its connections with the organisation, the school is trying to lure unsuspecting parents in order to prop up flagging enrolments.

"Parents have a right to know that the school they are considering for their children has a direct link to a Church that has been accused of pressuring its senior members into handing over money and having abortions as well as the use of extreme forms of punishment and forced
labour.

"The Greens are asking the consumer watchdog to direct the school to correct the leaflet to show its links to Scientology. Athena should also issue a correction to all households to which it distributed the original leaflet.

"The NSW government has persistently turned a blind eye to issues surrounding the Athena School. Concerns relating to the use of Scientology's Applied Scholastics teaching methods have been ignored.

"The fresh round of allegations against the organisation on ABC TV's Four Corners this week should shake the NSW Board of Studies and Minister for Education Verity Firth into action," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

Gillard's curriculum leaves door open to creationism in NSW science classes

jfield — 2010-03-04T23:56:34Z

Commenting on a story in today's Sydney Morning Herald ('Creationism could slip into science classes'), Dr Kaye said: "The NSW curriculum explicitly requires schools to present and 'discuss evidence that present-day organisms have evolved from organisms in the distant past' and to 'relate natural selection to the theory of evolution'.

"It leaves no wriggle room to slip in religiously based views on the origin of species as science.

"Julia Gillard's draft curriculum is remarkable silent on the connection between natural selection and the evolution of ancient species into modern forms.

"With a little imagination, a fundamentalist school could teach intelligent design or old-earth creationism. The NSW Board of Studies would be powerless to stop them.

"While the draft national curriculum has all the right words such as the fossil history of five fingered limbs and selection pressures, it lacks the NSW curriculum's iron clad instruction that natural selection and evolution are the driving force behind the diversity of species.

"Whether deliberately or by mistake, the draft opens the floodgates to religious theories that do not withstand the test of evidence to be taught as science.

"The draft national curriculum could reproduce in Australia the same problems faced by the USA where the majority are actively hostile to scientific explanations for the origin of life.

"Every fundamentalist private school in Australia will be emboldened by this document.

"Now that they know that they can get away with it, it will be open season for voodoo science," Dr Kaye said

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

'My school' first step to teacher hiring and firing on test results

jfield — 2010-02-22T03:27:12Z

'Teachers brace for another New York initiative', Sydney Morning herald 22 February 2010

Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: "New York School Chancellor and Julia Gillard mentor Joel Klein has introduced teacher report cards based on year 4 to 8 maths and English test results.

"Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard has refused to rule out introducing the same system in Australia.

"Ms Gillard has already told parents to harass teachers based on the school's performance on her website. Joel Klein is setting the pace with teacher report cards based on class performance.

"It is only a matter of time before 'my school' becomes 'my teacher'.

"Joel Klein's teacher report cards are a recipe for educational disaster. The pressure to teach to the test will force educators to sacrifice important curriculum time for areas not covered in the tests. Staffroom cooperation will be undermined and it will become much harder to find teachers for difficult to educate classes.

"The report cards will be deeply misleading and unfair. There are many factors other than teacher performance that determine test results.

"All the problems with trying to compare 'like schools' will be amplified in identifying 'like classes'. The underlying data is just not accurate enough or sufficiently relevant to make these kinds of judgements.

"Julia Gillard's ideological mentor is proudly playing Russian roulette with teachers' careers.

"In his rush to reduce education to a commodity, Mr Klein is stigmatising dedicated educators and devastating quality outcomes.

"Ms Firth should rule out teacher report cards based on NAPLAN results in NSW schools," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

‘My school’ first step to teacher hiring and firing on test results

jfield — 2010-02-24T05:05:46Z

Background: Klein extends ‘my school’ rankings to teachers

New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein has broken an agreement with teachers and introduced a Teacher Data Report Card[1] system that:

report the average achievement outcomes of students in their classes in year 4 to 8 Maths and English State-wide tests
report on the improvement (“value added”) in these scores compared to similar classes in other schools
‘red flag’ teachers that are in the bottom 25% of value added[2].

Last week (11 Feb 2010) these Teacher Data Report Cards and in particular the red flagging became important considerations in the decision to grant or deny tenure to NYC school teachers.

Significance: Gillard is a Klein-follower

Australian Education Minister Julia Gillard has often quoted[3] Joel Klein and his market-oriented policies as a guiding light in her ‘reforms’ to school education. Her forcing of the ‘my school’ website onto states was directly motivated by Joel Klein’s name-and-shame website.

Julia Gillard has already suggested[4] that parents should use her ‘my school’ website to harass teachers, saying that “We would expect parents to have robust conversations with teachers and principals”.

Issues with Teacher Data Report cards

All the accusations made against the ‘my school’ website apply to ‘my teacher’ report cards. They will

be deeply misleading. Any attempt to say that classes are comparable based on statistical measures will be fraught with errors. Attempts to assign all of the outcomes to teachers is problematic. Large errors in the test result averages (caused by the test itself, factors on the day and normalisation of results) will be amplified into the value added outcomes,
encourage teaching to the test at the expense of important curriculum time for disciplines other than literacy and numeracy,
discourage good teachers from taking on difficult classes where ‘value adding’ is harder to achieve,
unfairly stigmatise good teachers, and
divide staffrooms and damage cooperative behaviour by pitting teacher against teacher.

Comments:

Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: “Education policy in Australia is increasing determined by the market-ideology coming from New York City School Chancellor Joel Klein.

“Joel Klein’s agenda is to set up competition between schools by reducing all educational outcomes to a simple set of numbers. Australia’s Julia Gillard has signed on and having imposed it on schools, her clear next step is teachers.

“Julia Gillard has already told parents to harass teachers based on the school’s performance on her website. Joel Klein is pushing her to the next step with teacher report cards based on class performance. It is only a matter of time before ‘my school’ becomes ‘my teacher’.

“Even if Julia Gillard and Verity Firth deny they have any intention of going down this path, it is the logical conclusion of the ‘my school’ website. It would be open for any future government to move down this path.

“Setting teacher against teacher by reducing their professional work to a single set of numbers will undermine educational outcomes in Australia.

“Joel Klein’s teacher report cards are a recipe for educational disaster. The pressure to teach to the test will force educators to sacrifice important curriculum time for areas not covered in the tests. Staffroom cooperation will be undermined and it will become much harder to find teachers for difficult to educate classes.

“All the problems with trying to compare ‘like schools’ will be amplified in identifying ‘like classes’. The underlying data is just not accurate enough to make these kinds of judgements.

“Julia Gillard’s ideological mentor is proudly playing Russian roulette with teachers’ careers. In his rush to reduce education to a commodity, he is stigmatising dedicated educators and devastating quality outcomes,” Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

Comments also available from Trevor Cobbold Save Our Schools on 0410 121 640

[1] http://schools.nyc.gov/Teachers/Spotlight/tenure_letter_2-11-10.htm

[2] http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/D866D9E6-0240-407B-BA3D-E58D49F52B70/77479/FINALTeacherFAQ21110.pdf

[3] For example, "Joel Klein's model has made a difference to those pockets of poverty and disadvantage," and "When you see a model that is working in some of those tough suburbs in New York, I think you've got to take notice of it," Ms Gillard said. (http://news.smh.com.au/national/gillard-mum-on-schools-money-ration-20080831-467a.html)

[4] http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/tell-off-deficient-teachers-gillard-20100125-muk7.html

US experience points finger at 'My school' website

jfield — 2010-02-17T22:05:55Z

Commenting in today's Sydney Morning Herald ('Better supervision of tests needed to stop cheats, say schools', p4), Dr Kaye said: "NSW Education Minister Verity Firth and her federal colleague Julia Gillard have created yet more misery for disadvantaged schools.

"Teachers and school leaders doing the right thing will be forced to watch their reputation being trashed while a small minority of schools enhance their reputations by altering their students' results.

"The Rudd government's 'name and shame' policies will increasingly punish schools that do the right thing.

"While the overwhelming majority of teachers will resist the temptation to alter test scores, schools that cheat will add to the already substantial unreliability of the my school website.

"The longer this charade is allowed to run, the less meaning the website will have. Julia Gillard is putting enormous pressure on the profession to teach to the test and to alter scores.

"This is further evidence that the 'my school' circus will distort learning outcomes and fail to provide accountability and school improvement.

"Test cheating in Georgia and the massive discrepancy between school test results in New York state and national tests should sound very loud alarm bells for Education Ministers Julia Gillard and Verity Firth.

"Their name-and-shame policies are a poor substitute for supporting public schools," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

Inexcusable inaction on unflued gas heaters in public schools

jfield — 2010-02-17T02:36:41Z

Commenting on a story on page 1 of today's Sydney Morning Herald, Dr Kaye said: "Education Minister Verity
Firth cannot claim to be ignorant of the impacts on the health of students
and teachers from dangerous levels of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and
formaldehyde.

"She is deliberately ignoring a June 2004 warning from the Department of
Health that 'research on children exposed to unflued gas heating
consistently demonstrates increased rates of coughs, colds and asthma
symptoms'.

"A Hunter New England Health study told private schools to phase out unflued
gas heaters, including the so-called 'low nox' models.

"Children in public education deserve at least the same standard of care as
those in private schools.

"With 51 thousand unflued gas heaters in public schools, it is time to start
replacing them with flued models or with furnace heaters.

"There is no excuse for installing new unflued gas heaters.

"Victoria bit the bullet in the 1970s and ensured every student was
protected from gas heater fumes.

"The Department's cross-flow ventilation solution to gas heaters is absurd.
Not only is it a criminal waste of energy but it condemns many children to
freezing conditions.

"Learning and health are being compromised by a government that is more
fixated on the budget bottom line than the well-being of students and
teachers in public education," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

Literacy school closure mess needs urgent resolution

jfield — 2010-02-05T00:38:49Z

Commenting on a story on page 1 of today's Sydney Morning Herald ('Keneally slammed on school closure'), Dr Kaye said: "The future of Dalwood diagnosis and Palm Ave school are now mired in confusion, thanks to Verity Firth losing control over the education bureaucracy.

"Young people from remote NSW face an uncertain future as the Education Department and its Minister continue to put out conflicting stories.

"The Minister has allowed the residential staff to be sacked and the health team to be broken up.

"There is no site or staff for the residential program for term 1 and parents are being told it will not be an option, despite the Minister's assertions that it will be available.

"Ms Firth continues to spread misinformation about the success of the unique one month residential program.

"The highly effective face-to-face diagnosis and intensive teaching has a stunning track record. Children receive a massive boost to their literacy skills and continue to improve with follow-up support once they return home.

"Ms Firth wants to replace the proven winner with a 'connected classroom' model where students receive specialist assistance over the internet and electronic smart boards.

"The Greens challenge the Minister to produce any evidence that remote teaching will work, especially given that many of these children have other learning challenges, including language delay and ADHD.

"The Minister is allowing an evidence-based program to be replaced by a service that is unlikely to succeed.

"It is time for Ms Firth to admit that she has lost control of the situation and call for help in restoring this important service," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

Feature: What Julia Gillard's 'My School' website won't tell you

jfield — 2010-02-02T04:12:49Z

While Ms Gillard says her site will provide ‘rich contextual information’ against which the numerical results can be interpreted, she and her state and federal colleagues have been prepared to go ahead with the reales of the data without any information about the resources available to individual schools.

Background

The Minister originally promised that the website would contain a breakdown of all sources of income, broken down by source (i.e. government, fees and other).

While the private school lobby objected to the inclusion of funding data, the Minister pushed ahead.

Subsequently, the funding data was dropped on the grounds that it would be administratively too difficult to collect, at least for this year.

Funding

The data that the website does not reveal includes:

42 wealthy private schools receiving more than $2 million a year in state and federal subsidies (see below for the full list), including

Schools such as Trinity, Pymble Ladies College, Barker College, MLC Burwood, Kings, Knox and Newington receiving more than $5 million in public funding per year.

This comes on top of these schools collecting tens of millions in fees, all of which remains hidden on Minister Gillard’s website.

John's Comments:

Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: “The absence of school funding data adds yet another layer of deception to the ‘my school’ website.

“Not only are the school test results deeply misleading, but important information about government subsidies to private schools and private income has been deliberately withheld.

“Without information on the amount of money collected in fees and the subsidies paid by state and federal governments, the website’s claim to provide ‘rich contextual information’ is nonsense.

“The website should not have gone ahead without the full set of data. Along with all the other statistical problems, community members are left guess as to the relative wealth of the schools they are supposed to be judging.

“With schools like Trinity, Pymble Ladies College, MLC Burwood, Kings and Knox receiving more than $5 million a year in subsidies, it is little wonder that the information on both fees and government funding has been suppressed.

“We estimated that at least ten wealthy NSW private schools pulled in more than $35 million a year in fees and other charges as well as government subsidies. That is substantially more than twice the amount equivalent-sized public schools would have spent.

“Community members looking at the ‘my school’ site for schools like Trinity, Barker, Scots, Pymble Ladies College and Sydney Grammar would not know that they earned more than $44 million in government subsidies, fees and other income. They would not know that a typical one thousand student public high school had less than $14 million spent on teachers and other operating costs.

“Julia Gillard and Verity Firth are keen to promote their so-called ‘transparency agenda’ so long as it does not offend the wealthy private school lobby.

“Excuses about the data being too difficult to collect and that it will happen sometime in the future do not excuse the appalling absence of funding details in the first release of the website.

“Parents should treat the ‘my school’ website and the league tables that have been derived from it with the contempt they deserve.

“Excuses about rich contextualised information and full transparency are worthless when important data like the income and subsidies of private schools are hidden from public view,” Dr Kaye said.

'my school' website hides funding inequality

jfield — 2010-02-01T04:36:16Z

Commenting on a story in today's Sydney Morning Herald ('Funding
details not included on site, say teachers', page 6), Dr Kaye said: "The absence of school
financial data adds yet another layer of deception to the 'my school'
website.

"Not only are the school test results deeply misleading, but important
information about government subsidies and income has been withheld.

"The website's claim to provide 'rich contextual information' is nonsense.

"'My school' should not have gone ahead without the full financial
data. Along with all the other statistical problems, community members
are left to guess the relative wealth of the schools they are supposed
to be judging.

"Schools like Trinity, Pymble Ladies College, MLC Burwood, Kings and
Knox receiving more than $5 million a year in government subsidies.

"We estimated that at least ten wealthy NSW private schools pulled in
more than $35 million a year in fees and other charges as well as
government subsidies. That is substantially more than twice the amount
equivalent-sized public schools would have spent.

"Community members looking at the 'my school' pages for Trinity,
Barker, Scots, Pymble Ladies College and Sydney Grammar would not know
that they earned more than $44 million in government subsidies, fees
and other income. They would not know that a typical one thousand
student public high school had less than $14 million spent on teachers
and other operating costs.

"Julia Gillard and Verity Firth are keen to promote their so-called
'transparency agenda' so long as it does not offend the wealthy
private school lobby.

"The education ministers' claims of 'rich contextualised information'
and full transparency are exposed as myths when important data such as
the income and subsidies of private schools are hidden from public
view," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455