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Small Schools and Equal Access

Many education reformers argue that small schools are better able to serve the needs of their students. Yet students do not always have equal access to small schools.

There are 55 Chicago public schools with fewer than 350 students, and 53 schools with more than 1,000 students. According to the reform magazine Catalyst, 29% of the small schools have a majority of students who come from middle-income families. Yet none of the large schools are majority middle income. Meanwhile, 36% of the small schools scored above average in reading, while only 4% of the large schools scored above average in reading.

An Ugly Contest

The competition was hideous, but St. Anthony School beat out 23 other contenders in the city of Ottawa last spring to win the Ugliest School Yard Contest. The contest was sponsored by Earth Day Ottawa-Carelton as part of Earth Day 1998. As its prize, St. Anthony's won $5,000 to spiff up its playground.

"With its winning combination of chain link fence and mostly paved playground - entirely devoid of trees, shrubs or play structures - St. Anthony School fulfilled all of the ugly requirements of the contest," according to an article in the magazine Green Teacher.

Profitable Prisons

The following was released Oct. 23 by the Associated Press.

NASHVILLE, Tenn (AP) - Publicity over escapes, stabbings and other recent problems at prisons operated by Corrections Corporation of America hasn't made a dent in the company's income or the demand for its services.

"We're simply drowning in business," CCA chief executive officer, chairman and president Doctor R. Crants said Thursday. "We can't get it off the drawing board as fast as it's coming to us. ..."

For the first nine months of 1998, the company reported earnings of $60.6 million, or 68 cents per diluted share, up 62% from last year's $37.3 million, or 42 cents a share. Revenues this year $484.5 million, compared to $329.9 million in 1997.

Educational Mirage Award

"The Phonics Game," a new reading program marketed by A Better Way of Learning, has won the first Educational Mirage Award, given to programs that make claims unsubstantiated by research. A Better Way of Learning had claimed that its phonics game would raise children's IQs, reading levels, and report card grades after only 18 hours of instruction.

The award was given by Educational Achievement Systems, and an expose of "The Phonics Game" was written by Gary Adams and Jan Harleben, both of Educational Achievement Systems.

Anti-Ebonics Ad

The National Head Start Association says an anti-Ebonics advertisement in The New York Times on Oct. 9 was a mistake, and the Head Start board has not taken a position on Ebonics.

The ad shows a symbolic Martin Luther King with his back to the reader, and the headline "I Has a Dream." It calls on readers to "Speak Out Against Ebonics," and lists the Head Start Association as the contact.

The ad was created by Ketchum Advertising in Pittsburgh, and won an award from the Newspaper Association of America. The New York Times ran the ad for free, in recognition of Ketchum Advertising's award.

Huckster Alley?

Consumer activist Ralph Nader has a new name for the popular PBS children's show "Sesame Street." His new moniker? "Huckster Alley."

Nader made his comments after the ground-breaking show decided to accept corporate sponsorship after 30 years of commercial-free broadcasting.

Beginning Nov. 16, "Sesame Street" had "messages" before and after each episode, from the indoor playground company Discovery Zone.

"As 'Sesame Street' turns 30 and adds these Discovery Zone commercials, perhaps it ought to change its name to 'Huckster Alley,'" said Nader.

Rethinking Schools

Winter 1998/99