Plaintiffs in the decades-long Tucson Unified School District desegregation lawsuit filed last week a stipulation with new requirements the district should follow in order to keep five of its schools from losing magnet status.

The stipulation was filed Friday with the U.S. Federal Court, and it stems from a proposal that was presented to all parties in the after a couple of meetings in the beginning of October, according to a magnet lawsuit update by Sylvia Campoy, the representative for the Mendoza plaintiffs in the suit.

In September, Willis Hawley—the special master appointed by the federal court to oversee the district's progress in desegregating—notified TUSD that elementary schools Bonillas and Ochoa; Safford K-8; Utterback Middle School and Cholla High School were at risk of losing magnet status. The lawsuit says no ethnic group can make up more than 70 percent of the student body, and at these schools Latinos continue to be the majority. For instance, at Ochoa, Latinos make up 77 percent of the student body, according to Hawley. The plaintiffs added Holladay Magnet Elementary School to the list of schools that need "immediate support."

While some focused their frustration on Hawley, others argued that the district has, for too long, neglected its magnet schools, and it was only a matter of time before they got an ultimatum. (I wrote about that in the article Magnet Meltdown.)

These days, the Mendoza's legal counsel has been working with TUSD attorneys to "develop a legally binding plan that will gain the highest level of budget support" for the magnet schools. 

Here's what the stipulation asks of TUSD, including filling all vacancies at the magnet schools by November and allocating the funding that was recently taken away from these same schools:

A. The District shall proceed to fill all vacancies at each of the magnet schools (or programs) specifically referred to above by Nov. 1, 2015.

B. The District shall take steps to ensure that the schools or programs above remain fully staffed (as to certificated staff, administrators, and all teaching aids and other personnel identified in the Improvement Plan as contributing to the school’s effort to improve achievement and close the achievement gap between racial groups at the school) prior to the start of the 2016-17 school year.

C. The District shall give its magnet schools and programs priority in the placing of teachers and certificated staff, such as during the spring hiring process. This priority shall include the opportunity for principals at these sites to have access to applicant lists at least 14 days prior to applicant information being made available to principals at non-magnet programs.

D. The District shall fund each magnet school or program at 1) the funding level set in its May 15, 2015 Improvement Plan; or 2) the funding level set in its June 15, 2015 Improvement Plan; or  3) the amount allocated in the July 2015 USP budget, whichever is higher. The District shall aggressively seek to increase integration at all of its magnet schools and programs and shall work with the principals, magnet coordinators, and all other appropriate personnel to increase the integration of their entering classes.

E. By March 1, 2016, the District shall develop and propose initiatives to increase the number of students attending integrated schools within the District.

F. The District shall continue to target initiatives designed to close the achievement gap between ethnic/racial groups at each of its schools, and shall provide special support (as described in paragraph H) to assist the schools or programs listed above and any magnet school or program reported as a “C” or “D” school or program in its Improvement Plan in meeting the academic achievement benchmarks listed in their respective Improvement Plans.

G. Implementation Committee member Dr. Becky Montano shall monitor the District’s compliance with this Stipulation by visiting each of the six magnet schools identified above as frequently as in her professional educational opinion she deems to be appropriate. If, in her judgment, she identifies specific issues that in her professional educational opinion merit immediate attention, she shall report such findings to the District and the Plaintiffs, and she will, at a minimum, provide a progress report to the District and the Plaintiffs no less frequently than quarterly, beginning with the fourth calendar quarter of 2015.

H. Fulfillment of the terms of this Stipulation shall be a priority for the reallocation of any budgeted, but unspent, funds available pursuant to A.R.S.§ 910(G). Such expenses may include recruiting/transfer/retention stipends for teachers, marketing and recruitment expenses beyond those detailed and funded through the magnet schools’ existing Improvement Plans, and targeted academic interventions for students in addition to those detailed and funded through their existing Improvement Plans; and I. In the fall of 2016, 40th day enrollment data will be used to evaluate magnet schools’ progress toward meeting integration goals.

HOT OFF THE PRESSES! Arizona Board of Education voted 6-2 to reject the Common Core Standards, though it said it wouldn't eliminate them immediately, after Ed Supe Diane Douglas presented the idea at the meeting.

"This will send a clear message to the citizens of Arizona and the nation that Arizonans are smart enough, engaged enough, and collaborative enough to control the education of our own children, " said Douglas.

Which means what I just posted a few minutes ago, that "it's unlikely to happen" was dead wrong. I think I'll avoid the racetrack, online betting and poker with the boys today.

Lots of educational bits and pieces I won't be able to get to individually, so here's a list of things which have happened or been talked about recently, or are about to be talked about in the near future.

Education Town Hall at Catalina Magnet High. Last Wednesday, a crowd nearly filled the Catalina High auditorium for an education town hall, whose purpose was to explain and discuss the need for more funding for education. Proudly sharing the stage with southern Arizona Democratic legislators were representatives from the Metro Tucson Chamber of Commerce and local realtors. The base of support for increasing our education spending is growing. And it's likely to take center stage this week, because . . .

There may be a deal on the education funding lawsuit. It looks like a tentative, behind-closed-door deal to settle the lawsuit over education funding has been reached. What is it? Only a few people know, and as I write this, none of them are Democratic legislators. The current plan is to hold a special session in the middle of the week. If that happens, that will probably signal they have enough Republican votes to pass a deal Ducey can live with, without needing any Democratic votes they might have to wheel-and-deal to obtain. If they can pass something—a big "if," given the range of views on the Republican side—most of the funding package will likely need ratification from voters, maybe a two part ratification if they plan to sweep funds from First Things First as well as take money from the State Land Trust. If the voters OK the funding—another big "if" (especially in the case of First Things First)—the money won't begin to flow until 2017, unless the legislature decides to put up some money from the general fund now, which wouldn't need voter approval. Lots and lots of moving parts, lots of variables. This is a first, tentative step.

High stakes testing may be scaled back a bit. The Obama administration says it thinks we've gone overboard with our standardized testing regimen. What does that mean? Not a whole lot yet since there aren't many details, and it probably won't mean a whole lot when more details are revealed. One idea is that standardized testing should occupy no more than 2 percent of students' school time. That would mean no more than three-and-a-half days of testing a year, which still sounds like a lot. However, that doesn't include the amount of time spent teaching to the test or giving pretests. Lots and lots of moving parts, lots of variables. The best thing about the statement is the acknowledgement that people have been right to complain about the post-No Child Left Behind emphasis on high stakes testing. That could put a bit of wind in the sails of people who are advocating testing every few years instead of every year, allowing parents to opt their children out of high stakes testing, and making student, teacher and school evaluations include more than a score on a test. And speaking of high stakes tests . . .

Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas says she doesn't support with the U.S. Department of  Education's new recommendations to improve the academic achievement of undocumented youth.

Earlier this week, the department released a guide for secondary schools, community colleges and universities on how to better support undocumented students. With approximately 65,000 undocumented youth graduating high school every year, according to the department, the tool is much-needed because undocumented students are one of the most vulnerable groups in U.S. schools.

Some of the suggestions the federal education department has for secondary schools and higher ed institutions are: To create an open and welcoming environment; build staff capacity and knowledge about undocumented youth; share information and resources with youth and families; engage families and community organizations; provide additional academic supports for undocumented youth if needed. 

Here's the statement from Douglas' office:

The Arizona Department of Education is not involved with, and does not support, activities outlined in a recent publication from the U.S. Department of Education regarding undocumented youth.

The Resource Guide Supporting Undocumented Youth was not published by Arizona Department of Education.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas’s recent AZ Kids Can’t Afford to Wait! Plan addresses the special needs of the undocumented youth who flooded the Arizona education system due to actions by the federal government.

Ah, for the good old days when Arizona was a liberal state. According to a 1940 Arizona guide book:

"Along political and economic lines, a great majority of Arizona people are liberal minded almost to the 'try anything once' point."

Those Arizonans of yesteryear were even developing an environmental bent, at least from a 1940s perspective.

"There is considerable evidence that earlier tendencies to exploit natural resources, to take all that could be taken and move on, are being tempered."

And when it came to education, they spared no expense.

“One direction [Arizona’s] liberalism takes is toward provisions for popular education that might seem almost extravagant, considering population and taxable wealth. Arizona people insist that Arizona schools be of the best, regardless of cost. Parents who never went beyond the grammar grades are determined that their children shall have university diplomas. Arizonans are generous in providing libraries, recreational facilities, especially anything that promises to help children enjoy childhood and become better equipped to meet the battles of later life."

"Generous." "Extravagant." "Regardless of cost." Be still, my beating heart!

So what happened to reverse the "almost extravagant" spending on our children and their educations, and when did it happen? The graph below, created from information in a 2009 study of educational spending put together by the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, gives us a clue.

This drives me nuts every time I see it happen. The Arizona legislature is purposefully and knowingly starving schools and school districts. There's not enough money to fund current programs adequately or to add new programs. So, whenever a district decides to put money in one place, it's like it's stealing food from one child and putting it in another child's mouth. Schools fight for morsels of funding from the district. Teachers vie to have their administrators throw them a few crumbs. Parents and other community members complain that other people's children are getting more from the district than theirs. Meanwhile, the Republicans in power sit back and watch the fighting. "This is almost as good as the way we pulled TUSD apart by targeting the Mexican American Studies program!" they say, rubbing their hands together with glee. "Not quite as good as the chaos we created over MAS, but close."

Here's a case in point. According to an article in the Star, the TUSD board will be voting on a proposal to add more grades in some of its schools.

Borman, Collier, Drachman, Fruchthendler and Sabino could have grade levels added to their campuses in a proposal the TUSD Governing Board is set to consider Tuesday.

The grade expansions would result in renovation and transportation costs. TUSD estimates it would amount to about $1.5 million if all the school changes are approved.

Let's step back and take a look at the plan in isolation for a moment, separate from TUSD's funding problems, separate from the court's mandated desegregation orders. It's addressing a real issue. TUSD is losing students who, if they stayed in the district, would attend those schools. Currently, a significant number of parents are choosing to leave TUSD and send their children to BASIS or schools in the Vail or Catalina Foothills school district. If TUSD can make the programs at those five schools more attractive, it stands a chance of holding onto some of those students, bringing more money to the district and filling some of the schools' empty classrooms.

If the board votes for the program, will it succeed at increasing district enrollment? I think there's a strong possibility it will. Adding middle school grades at Sabino High and expanding some elementary schools to include more grades is likely to make them more attractive to parents, which means they're more likely to keep their children at TUSD. And the $1.5 million price tag for the expansion really isn't that much in a district the size of TUSD.

To me, looking at the plan in isolation, it sounds like a pretty good idea. Except, nothing exists in isolation at TUSD.

The U.S. Department of Education released a guide for secondary schools, community colleges and universities on how to better support undocumented students. With approximately 65,000 undocumented youth graduating high school every year, according to the department, the tool is much-needed because undocumented students are one of the most vulnerable groups in U.S. schools.

In 2012, President Obama created the program Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or  DACA, which allows youth brought to the U.S. as children—and who meet certain guidelines—to apply for a renewable two-year work permit and permission to be in the country.

"Evidence suggests that DACA has helped to make significant improvements in the lives of undocumented youth educationally and economically," the guide says. "So far, more than 680,000 undocumented young people have received DACA. Some researchers predict that more than 400,000 children will turn 15 and age into possible threshold DACA eligibility in the next few years and another 400,000 undocumented individuals could meet the threshold DACA guidelines, but do not yet meet the threshold education criteria."

Their presence is large, but only about 54 percent  undocumented youth in the country have a high school diploma, compared to 82 percent of U.S. born youth; and merely 5 to 10 percent of undocumented high graduates enroll in a higher ed institution, the guide says. With the right tools, the country could really be taking advantage of the potential undocumented youth posses.

"Despite these significant challenges, many undocumented youth have achieved academic success—graduating from two-and-four-year higher education institutions and empowering other undocumented youth through mentorship and volunteering," the guide says. 

The guide is based off case studies and testimonies from undocumented youth—all pointing to the fact that a major influence in their academic success has been the support of family, educators and other adults in their lives. Research also shows that certain tools, such as extracurricular activities and engaged parents, can "boost resiliency among undocumented youth, and are correlated with greater educational attainment."

From the guide:

"As a nation of immigrants, the United States has benefited tremendously from the talents, values, and contributions of newcomers to our shores. In the face of immense barriers, many undocumented youth have exhibited exemplary perseverance, work ethic, and leadership. Yet hurdles and challenges remain. Many educators, counselors, and school leaders have expressed interest in learning how to better support all children so that they can achieve educational and economic success – regardless of actual or perceived immigration status. Informed by research and promising practices, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) has compiled this Resource Guide to assist and enhance State and local efforts to support undocumented youth at the secondary and postsecondary school levels.

However, high-quality early learning and elementary education is critical to college and career success for all children. Therefore, the Department will in coming months release a separate resource guide on early learning and elementary education that includes promising practices for serving undocumented children and children of undocumented parents. The Department hopes that educators, schools, and campuses will, as they see fit, draw upon the tips and examples in this Guide to better support undocumented youth and, ultimately, move us closer to the promise of college and career readiness for all."

Some of the suggestions  the department has for secondary schools are: To create an open and welcoming environment; build staff capacity and knowledge about undocumented youth; share information and resources with youth and families; engage families and community organizations; provide additional academic supports for undocumented youth if needed. The suggestions for higher ed institutions are similar.

Read the entire guide on the department's website. 

Here are three education-related events coming up this week and next, two in Tucson, one in Scottsdale.

Education Town Hall, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7-8:30, Catalina High School (3645 E. Pima Street). The subject is the current state and future of K-12 education in Arizona.

"All Southern Arizonans are encouraged to attend, share stories about how education cuts have affected them, and discuss how we can work together to solve our state’s education funding crisis."

Education Excellence Expo, Saturday, Oct. 24, Begins 10:30am, Salt River Fields (7555 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale, AZ). The Education Excellence Expo will precede an Arizona Fall League professional baseball game. TIckets for the expo and the game are $8. (More information on the Support our Schools website)

"The E3 Expo will provide a visual and experiential showcase of the top achievements/projects produced by public school students throughout Arizona.  Attendees, including, students, teachers, families, legislators and community members, will see for themselves, the outstanding caliber of so many programs taking place throughout our Arizona Public School District System."

Classrooms First Initiative Council meeting, Thursday, Oct. 29, Begins 10am, TUSD's Duffy Family Community Center (5145 E. Fifth Street). Governor Ducey's education council, which is putting together a list of recommendations for ways to change the funding and educational programs for Arizona's K-12 schools, will hold a meeting in Tucson.

Meetings 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Full Council Meeting 2:30 pm
*All meetings are open to the public.*

Another day, more news about Arizona's education funding problems. I'll have the Quote of the Day and the Email of the Day a bit later, but first, the most important News of the Day, from the front page of the Star.

The Tucson Values Teachers study, sponsored by the University of Arizona’s College of Education and the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, revealed the median annual wage for secondary teachers in Tucson when cost of living is factored in is more than $16,000 below the national average for secondary teachers and the lowest in a comparison of nearly a dozen major western cities, including Phoenix.

Wow. That number is far higher than I imagined, and I knew it was bad. If Tucson teachers made $8,000 less than the national average when adjusted for cost of living, that would be outrageous, scandalous. But $16,000? Wow.

Thanks to Tucson Values Teachers and the Southern Arizona Leadership Council for joining up with the UA College of Education to put together the study (and the Star for realizing this is front page news). It's good to see business-oriented groups putting their efforts behind exposing how poorly our local teachers are paid. To move the ball forward on school funding in general and teacher compensation in particular is going to take a broad coalition, which has to include a sizable portion of the business community.

One bit of information that came from Marian Salzman, executive chair of Tucson Values Teachers, struck me as especially telling.

“At Raytheon there are over 400 professional jobs open right now which would equal $60 million into the local economy,” Salzman said. “One of the top reasons they feel they can’t fill those jobs is they have a difficult time recruiting people who are coming with families to come to this area because of the questions around the schools. That’s an awful lot of income tax and property tax that isn’t getting paid into the community.”

Four hundred jobs. That's exactly the number the Rosemont Mine folks throw around. "Let us wreak havoc on the Arizona landscape and the environment," they say, "and we'll bring you 400 jobs!" Here's a better idea. Let's put some desperately needed money into our education system and attract educated people and high wage businesses to the state. Unlike the Rosemont Mine, those jobs won't disappear when it's no longer profitable to dig copper out of the ground.

Education funding proposals are making news, if not progress. Doug Ducey is touting his plan to take $325 million a year from the state land trust. He held a telephone town hall in Peoria (One of his grandiose statements was trashed in an AZ Republic fact check). And his office put out a video which could stand a bit more substance, not to mention higher production values. His dark money friends have more cash, so I'm guessing they've got something more professional in the works.

Senate President Andy Biggs and House Speaker David Gowan have a plan of their own, as do the Democrats and Diane Douglas. Douglas is trying to get the word out on her funding and other proposals with her "We Heard You" tour, a follow-up to her "We Are Listening" tour (She's scheduled to hit Tucson Nov. 19). In a "strange bedfellows" twist, Douglas said she wants to find ways to collaborate with people she's clashed with, by which she means Doug Ducey and the State Board of Ed. Meanwhile, she says she talked with the Arizona Education Association when she was putting together her proposals and apparently received a more positive reception. AEA President Andrew Morrill had some good things to say about her approach.

Andrew Morrill, president of the association, said the report covers some topics like student poverty he feels have been widely swept under the rug.

"Here’s an elected leader of education, and one I know has been in the press for a variety of reasons, but who says we better have a conversation about students not only about how they learn but how they live," Morrill said of Douglas.

There's a headline for you. Tea Party Meets Teachers Union. Handshakes Follow. It's not a marriage made in heaven—there are lots of areas of disagreement—but Douglas and the AEA have found some common ground, grounded in trying to do what's best for Arizona's children.