SPIN FOR AUGUST 15, 2016

 
DON'T MISS THIS!
 
August 22, 2016
NO NOON MEETING!
Golf Outing/Dinner at Autumn Ridge
DINNER AT 6:00 P.M.
FOR MEMBERS AND GUESTS
 
August 29, Noon
 Jonah Crismore, Cinema Center
Creating Community with Film:
Cinema Center’s Mission and Challenges in the 21st Century
 
 
Meeting of August 8, 2016
By Kelly Updike
 
PROVOCATIVE DISCUSSION ENCOURAGED BY FWCS BOARD PRESIDENT
Mark GiaQuinta, president of the Fort Wayne Community Schools board of trustees, provided a passionate presentation on the negative financial impact of vouchers on the FWCS district. Saying “Our efforts are being undermined by policy decisions,” GiaQuinta spelled out five myths regarding education vouchers.
 
First, a little background: GiaQuinta pointed out that his topic is a complex one and can be confusing, as many people do not know the differences between traditional public schools, charter schools (which also are public schools and required to follow the same rules as traditional public schools) and the use of vouchers for private schools. GiaQuinta, who was introduced by Win Moses, limited his comments to the voucher program and presented five myths about vouchers, which are used by families to help pay for private-school tuition.
 
Myth #1: Vouchers save money
While this was initially true and used to “sell the program,” to legislators and others, GiaQuinta said that once the program was under way, a requirement that the child start school in a public school went away. He said most children in the voucher program “have not set foot in a public school.” He also added that the phrase “the money follows the child” is used in support of vouchers but that the expense of maintaining buildings and paying for teachers and staff remains at the public schools.
 
Myth #2: Voucher students leave public schools
GiaQuinta said that more than 50 percent never attended public school.
 
Myth #3: Vouchers will help poor children
With up to a $90,000 family income level for participation, vouchers are now a “middle class entitlement,” GiaQuinta said and are falsely called scholarships.
 
Myth #4: Students use vouchers to leave failing schools
FWCS has three times more students who left A-grade schools than D-grade schools, GiaQuinta says. “Why? It is very likely that there are engaged parents using vouchers to go to a religious school. … When the voucher program was sold, it was sold on the basis of poor children trapped. That is not true of FWCS.”
 
Myth #5: Students in private schools do better
GiaQuinta and guest Sarah Schreiber, an attorney at Haller & Colvin, reported that national studies can be misleading and people need to understand the data and controls behind studies conducted by organizations such as the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress). The two pointed out other reputable sources, such as a Notre Dame study, found that voucher students do worse than those who remain in public schools. And that a recent Michigan State University study has been the only one to follow students over an eight-year period. This study found “public school teachers narrowed the gap” for students’ math and reading scores when compared to parochial students’ scores. The teachers “did more with these students than their Catholic counterparts. Catholic schools are not superior to public schools,” GiaQuinta said.
 
Saying he attended Catholic school, GiaQuinta said it is important for everyone involved in education to be transparent. “If we’re going to fund both religious and public education, let’s be honest about how we’re doing it, with taxpayers’ saying yes, that’s what we want to do.”
 
GiaQuinta noted that an FWCS board goal was to engage the community in discussion and encouraged the club members to visit schools and invite him and other board members to speak to other groups.
 
More information can be found at www.fortwayneschools.org 
 
Come again, soon!
The following folks were at the meeting:
  • Tim Green from the Greenwood Rotary Club
  • Ed Leonard from the Jekyll Island Rotary Club
  • Julie Hollingsworth, FWCS board member, guest of Cathy Friend
  • Laura Corn, FWCS, guest of Wendy Robinson
  • Sarah Schreiber, Haller & Colvin, guest of Win Moses
  • Megan Gearhart, outbound Rotary Youth Exchange student to Taiwan, guest of Ruth Koontz
 

 
 
 
 
They’re beautiful
Our thanks to the club’s PR Committee for the
beautiful new banners at club meetings.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Remember:
  • To proof your information in the new directory draft sent by Secretary Jane Wilks. If you have changes, please tell Jane at fwrotarysecretary@gmail.com
  • That the annual golf outing is Aug. 22 at Autumn Ridge Country Club. Bring a bit of extra cash to the Aug. 15 club meeting to buy raffle tickets for great local restaurants, a Vera Bradley gift bag and a zoo outing. Proceeds from the golf event and raffle benefit the club’s youth programs and projects.
  • Volunteers are still needed for Study Connection (tutors, buddies and substitutes)! See Lori Stinson or Julie Bobay for information.
  • August is MEMBERSHIP MONTH! Bring a friend or colleague to a meeting, get them involved. Membership is everyone’s job.
  • You can change the world by encouraging young people to attend the Aug. 30 Rotary Youth Exchange Open House, 6:30-8 p.m., at the downtown Allen County Public Library.
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
SPIN      AUGUST 15 2016 
 
GREETERS: Tim Gibson (Wells Fargo Advisors) & Jeff Peat (1st Source Bank)           
CASHIER: Steve Staley (Associated Churches)
INVOCATION: Lynne Gilmore (Anthony Wayne Foundation)
SONG LEADER: Ruth Koontz (Literacy Alliance)
SERGEANT:  TBD
SOCIAL MEDIA: Zach Lear (Pro Techs)
HOUSE: Kurt Beuchel  (ONI Risk Partners) & Frank Weaver (Rolf Griffin)
SPIN EDITOR: Barb Wachtman (Retired)
PROGRAM:  District 6540 Governor Ranjan Kini (Board of Directors meets with him at 10:45 am)
Menu: Soup and Salad, Asian Menu & Cookies
 
 
UPCOMING PROGRAMS: Invite a guest to hear…………..
August 22: NO MEETING; GOLF OUTING AT AUTUMN RIDGE; ATTEND THE DINNER FOLLOWING
August 29: Jonah Crismore, Cinema Center Creating Community with Film: Cinema Center’s Mission and Challenges in the 21st Century
September 5: NO MEETING IN HONOR OF LABOR DAY
September 12: Update on Fort Wayne Rotary’s Global Grant in Togo West Africa
September 19: Jeff Thomas, President of FWAC Home Builders Association: New Home Construction in NE Indiana
September 26: Matt Bell, President of Indiana Casino Association
 
 
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
August 15: Board of Directors meets with District Governor Ranjan Kini, 10:45 am
August 23: Board Meeting, 8 am
 
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS…Mark Your Calendar
August 12: Back to School Picnic at Washington Elementary, 4:45 to 7:00 PM;  TGIF afterwards
August 17: Happy Hour at The Embassy Ballroom and Rooftop from 5-9 PM. Tickets will be $5.00 and will be available at the door.
August 20: Polio Plus 5K at Shoaff Park
August 22: Golf Outing at Autumn Ridge Golf Club--$88 pp for golf and dinner: $20 pp for dinner only
September 30: District 6540 Foundation Dinner, Lerner Ballroom, Elkhart IN