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Great new book - What Makes a Great School? by Chris Bonnor

Excerpt:

"We also discuss the schools we like and the ones we reject. We all create narratives to reinforce our choices; our school conversations are about reputation, teaching, results, student care, appearance and discipline. We also adopt and recycle common labels: from top or high-performing schools, to the ordinary, to the under-performing or failing.

In the process we equate the achievement of students with the achievement of their school. Yet over two-thirds of “school” achievement is created, not by the school but in the homes and neighbourhoods of the enrolled students. The schools which snare the most engaged and advantaged students can bathe in the reflected glory that their results create – for the school.

This means that finding out the real difference which is actually made by the school is a much harder task: small wonder that many parents play it safe by opting for a school with an established reputation', regardless of how, or even if, it is earned..."

Full Text of Article: http://newsouthpublishing.com/articles/what-makes-good-school/

Book Available online: http://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/isbn/9781742233291.htm

Chaplains safe despite High Court ruling

Discussion of the high court ruling:
* Commonwealth Funding of Nat. School Chaplaincy Program is technically invalid
* Commonwealth Government may still fund any chaplaincy worker in a state school, but via a REVISED MODEL
(probably through state governments.)

READ HERE:
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/-20nxy.html

HIGH COURT VERDICT ON CHAPLAINCY PROGRAM Handed down

Today, the High Court of Australia delivered their long-awaited judgement. The great news is that chaplains are still welcomed in Australian schools even though the historical funding model will need to be revised.

The Court left open the option for the Government to continue funding either under new legislation or a grant of funds to the states and territories.

As a result, we are working urgently and diligently to see a solution to ensure funding for school chaplains is protected.

There is no doubt that your incredible support for School Chaplaincy has played a huge role, not only in this decision but also in the strong support already being offered across all levels of government.

This decision means the great work chaplains do across the nation will continue as long as communities continue to financially support their chaplain and the Government acts swiftly to ensure the funding continues.

Furthermore, the court unanimously held there is no problem of "church – state" separation regarding chaplaincy and that other funding models are possible.

READ The Age Article for detail:
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/-20nxy.html

Education Policies that neglect the elephant in the classroom

Are we forgetting that the teaching is the super-important activity in getting our children educated? Maybe.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/editorial/policies-neglect-elephant-in-the-classroom-20120617-20i2h.html

Performance Pay Trial: One "winner" is Not in it for the Money

In the trial run for National "Teacher's Performance Pay", one
recipient sees little good to come of her own financial winfall,
and nly flaws in the "measurement" system being applied to
performance assessments of school teachers.


TEXT OF FULL ARTICLE:

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/not-in-it-for-the-money-20120609-203ai.html

VIDEO: Quality Teaching Habits by Al Hewetson

Quality Teaching Habits from Al Hewetson on Vimeo.

A short exploration of what makes really engaged students in a classroom:
it has a lot to do with a quality teacher being in charge of it.
Source - NSW Quality Teaching Framework Discussion Paper
(Department of Education and Communities, 2003.)

Parents are the X Factor in "Education Rankings"

Want some thoughtful stuff to guide your view of the National Literacy/Numeracy
Infomatics Parents are supposed to "measure" their local schools by?

The word is  -  be careful. It's not clear that they are valid - that they measure what they
purport to "measure" about a school community in context.

One taster from an SMH Article by Paul Sheehan from Mon April 9th:

"A friend of mine, a retired school principal, wrote to me after reading a recent column about our 

stratifying school system: 

From my own experience of years in the private system and my 40 years in the public system, including 20 years as a high school principal, the real X-factor which is rarely prominently discussed - the elephant in the room - is not mainly money or autonomy. It is parents.

Whilst private schools and selective schools can separate their students from the undisciplined, the unmotivated, the dysfunctional, the irresponsible, the handicapped - the kids whose parents can't or won't exercise any control on them - we will continue to have a class system in our schools.

'Until classroom teachers and state school executives have the power to set and enforce codes of conduct, discipline and application comparable to the powers taken for granted in private schools we will continue to have one system for the bright, ambitious and/or wealthy and one for the rest.''

Read more: 
Sydney Morning Herald online - full text

Educational Apartheid?

Have a read of a new SMH article
featuring Chris Bonnor about the over representation of HIGH SOCIAL ADVANTAGE families within state selective Schools. The trends in school results data show this unbalance EVEN in areas of Sydney with lower & middle Socio-Educational advantage.

Quotable quote from him:
''It's a form of social segregation based on academic selection,'' he said. ''Selective high schools are a way of multiplying social advantage.''

http://www.smh.com.au/national/-1u9q4.html

Get SRE out of State Schools: Says a Public Lobby Group for Parents in Victoria

HERALD SUN, FEB. 4th, 2012.

PARENTS are stepping up pressure on the Education Department to end religious education in state schools amid claims it is making children isolated and fearful.

A massive billboard has been erected in Bulleen claiming state schools "are not church playgrounds".

It says: "Special religious instruction divides our children".

The billboard was erected by parent-run lobby group FIRIS (Fairness in Religion in Schools), which is calling on education authorities to change the law so that "special religious instruction" is no longer offered in state schools.

Victorian state school children have to attend 30 minutes of special religious instruction unless their parents decline on their behalf.

Those who do not attend have to be supervised by another teacher outside the classroom where the religious lesson is taking place.

It comes ahead of a VCAT case challenging the validity of religious classes in state schools.

Kathy Walker, a leading educational consultant from Early Life Foundations, said dividing children on the basis of their parents' religious beliefs was a form of discrimination.

"For some children the impact will be minimal, but others might feel isolated, anxious or fearful, and being separated would be a blow to their self-esteem," she said.

Parents are also being told the scheme is not workable in its current form.

Julia Brotherton, of Canterbury, said her daughter's school principal told her it was difficult to find staff to supervise children who did not attend religious classes.

This meant her daughter remained in the religious classroom even though she was legally required to be supervised elsewhere.

A spokeswoman for the Education Department said it received several hundred letters and emails on the issue.

A spokeswoman for Access Ministries, the main provider of volunteer religious teachers, had no comment.


VIEW ONLINE:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/parents-lobby-victorian-government-to-ban-bible-in-classrooms/story-fn7x8me2-1226262178252