Principal, PS/MS 124
Principal at PS/MS 124 Osmond Church School, a Title 1 School with about 1,250 students in grades Kindergarten through Eighth
PROFILE
Valarie Lewis
Guest
FROM Valarie Lewis
To the Point
New Orleans, Charter Schools and the Education Reform Charter schools are being touted as the free-market alternative for parents whose kids are stuck in failing institutions, especially in inner cities. In the aftermath of Katrina, with 53% of its public-school students enrolled in charter schools, New Orleans has embraced so many charter schools it's become "ground zero" for the entire movement. It's the logical place for this week's conference of the National Alliance for Public School Charters . We ask New Orleans' superintendent and others what works and what doesn't. Are entrenched bureaucracies being overcome? Are teachers' unions coming around? Most important: are charters upgrading student achievement?
To the Point
Time to Reform No Child Left Behind? No Child Left Behind is called President Bush's crowning domestic achievement, and it passed five years ago with support from liberal Democrats in both houses of Congress. NCLB is supposed to make every American kid "proficient" in reading and math by 2014, but after five years that sounds like a pipe dream. Proficiency standards differ wildly from state to state, and some tests are being made easier so that scores will improve. Schools that have not improved are not being held accountable and angry parents in many places have gone to court. Is it time for national standards? Are test scores the best measures? What about merit pay for teachers?
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To the Point
Firestorms, Federal Relief and Climate Change Victims of California’s fires can apply for assistance, but President Trump had a warning for the state’s residents. He wants to see a change in forest management. Scientists tell us the firestorms are are result of climate change--which the president still denies. Should cities still allow for building in firezones? Later, Warren talks to one Malibu resident about his firsthand experience in the Woolsey fire.
Red State, Blue State
The Enemy of the People Newsrooms have seen threats, suspicious packages, even shootings. Can they win back trust?
The 805
Who will get displaced by a new Santa Barbara police station? The city of Santa Barbara says it needs a new police station, but building one means displacing either farmers or lawn bowlers. The Woolsey has not only destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands of people to evacuate, but it’s displaced a diverse mix of wildlife. And a new contemporary art exhibition takes a deep dive into the most famous art heists in history.
To the Point
The Voting is Over, but the Campaign Continues Women had a major impact on the midterm elections. So did $5 billion in campaign spending. Meantime, Democrats now lead the House while Republicans dominate the Senate, and the politics of division continues on Capitol Hill. We’ll hear how former House Speaker Newt Gingrich helped start an era of gridlock and perpetual campaigning.