Keep An Eye On....

Several elements in today's news caught my eye.  Here are things worth watching more closely...

... A Tennessee bill that would link Temporary Aid to Needy Families to poor children's school performance. Senate Bill 132, which appears to have legs, would cut up to 30% of a family's cash assistance if a child in the family failed to meet satisfactory academic progress in school.  This approach is consistent with a policy trend towards individualizing societal problems and blaming victimless children and their families for collective failures to protect "we" the people.

...Trends in student fees. While most of the country is tracking rising tuition, how many people realize that institutions can fairly easily raise revenue while escaping scrutiny by leaning on fees? What are the links between rising student fees and efforts by colleges and universities to "pay for the party" that they think upper-class students demand?

...Year Up. According to a new report from the UW-Madison Institute for Research on Poverty, an evaluation this popular program is producing some evidence of success, though not with regard to college outcomes.  Since it's visibly implemented on campuses including Miami Dade College, I'm eager to see the longer-run evaluation findings and whether these findings are used in considering further program development.

Teaching and Learning Conditions

I'm catching up on education news and blogging after some well-spent time with our family in New York and Vermont last week....

Both successful Phase One Race to the Top (RttT) states -- Delaware and Tennessee -- plan to conduct a statewide teacher working conditions survey. Was this the secret to each state's victory? Well, not exactly, as the states of Colorado, Kentucky, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Ohio also built such a survey into their applications. Of course, each of those states were among the 16 Phase One semifinalists. So, maybe there is something there.

Independent of RttT, however, such efforts are in line with President Obama’s recent Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which would require states and districts to collect and report teacher survey data on available professional support and working conditions in schools biennially.

Research has demonstrated a connection between positive teaching and learning conditions, teacher retention, and student achievement.

• “There is good evidence to show that teachers’ working conditions matter because they have a direct effect on teachers’ thoughts and feelings—their sense of individual professional efficacy, of collective professional efficacy, of job satisfaction; their organizational commitment, levels of stress and burnout, morale, engagement in the school or profession and their pedagogical content knowledge. These internal states are an important factor in what teachers do and have a direct effect in what happens in the classroom, how well students achieve, and their experience of school.” (Leithwood, 2006)
  
• “Working conditions emerge as highly predictive of teachers’ stated intentions to remain or leave their schools, with leadership emerging as the most salient dimension. Teachers’ perceptions of their working conditions are also predictive of one-year actual departure rates and student achievement, but the predictive power is far lower…Taken together, the working conditions variables account for 10 to 15 percent of the explained variation in math and reading scores across schools, after controlling for individual and school level characteristics of schools.” (Ladd, 2009)
• “[O]ur analysis of teacher mobility showed that salary affects mobility patterns less than do working conditions such as facilities, safety and quality of leadership.” (Hanushek and Rivkin, 2007)
• “…working conditions factors, especially principal support, had more influence on simulated job choice than pay level, implying that money might be better spent to attract, retain or train better principals than to provide higher beginning salaries to teachers in schools with high-poverty or a high proportion of students of color.” (Milanowski et al., 2009)
• A survey of 2,000 educators from California found that 28 percent of teachers who left the profession before retirement indicated that they would come back if improvements were made to teaching and learning conditions. (Futernick, 2007)

Last week's press release from the New Teacher Center goes into greater detail:

“Research has shown that understanding and improving teaching and learning conditions results in increased student success, improved teacher efficacy and motivation, higher teacher retention, and better recruitment strategies that bring educators to hard-to-staff schools,” said Ellen Moir, Chief Executive Officer of the New Teacher Center. “In the past, policymakers have not had the data necessary they need to address educators’ working conditions. Our surveys change this by putting valuable information in the hands of people who make important decisions every day that impact our schools and all those who work and learn in them.”

The New Teacher Center (NTC) assists states and school districts in administering the anonymous, web-based Teaching and Learning Conditions Survey. The NTC has a proven track record of successful administration of teaching and learning conditions surveys in 15 states. In addition to working with state stakeholders to design a customized survey, NTC provides analyses and training materials to help all stakeholders understand and use the Teaching and Learning Conditions Survey results for school improvement.

The Teaching & Learning Conditions Survey has the longest history in North Carolina where policymakers at different levels have utilized Survey data in different ways. Local education leaders have used results at the district level to further bond initiatives. At the state level, data was used in rewriting standards for principals and teachers. The Survey initiative has been so expansive that it has supported the creation of additional funding for professional development in low-performing schools. Results also have led to the development of school leadership training which requires administrators to use Survey data in making school-level improvement decisions.

The news article ('Teacher Surveys Aimed at Swaying Policymakers') from Education Week's Stephen Sawchuk provides additional context:

Despite their differing sample sizes and specific questions, the surveys’ findings about what teachers say they need to be successful are remarkably consistent from instrument to instrument. Some of the top findings: Teachers report that the quality of their schools’ leadership, a say in school decisionmaking, and opportunities to work with their peers affect their own capacity as educators.

Race To The Top: Pre-Game

Thomas W. Carroll, the president of the Foundation for Education Reform and Accountability, provides a sound analysis of states' chances of winning Race to the Top funding in phase one. [Hat tip: Alexander Russo]

I would agree that Florida and Louisiana are the likeliest winners in phase one, and would be surprised if Delaware and Tennessee were not, at least, semifinalists. I'm not as keen on Colorado and Michigan, but agree that Georgia is a likely semifinalist as well. Here are some other possible phase one semifinalists from my vantage point: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio and Rhode Island. Much will depend on how many states make the cut (Rick Hess says 10-15) and where Secretary Duncan draws the cut line.

Semifinalists are expected to be announced this coming week, possibly as early as Monday. Teams from those states will be invited to make a formal presentation before a panel of reviewers in Washington, DC sometime in March. Finalists are expected to be announced in April.

Who are your favorites? Which states am I overlooking? Which am I crazy to even be including in my list of possible semifinalists?

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UPDATE: Education Week weighs in with its picks for RttT finalists.

Phase One winner picks: Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Tennessee

Phase One semifinalist picks: all above plus Colorado, Delaware, Indiana, Minnesota, Rhode Island

Wild cards: California, District of Columbia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania

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UPDATE 2: Eduflack weighs in with some picks as well.

Barring any real surprises in the interview stage, I'm going with California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Rhode Island. How does that fare against the $4 billion pool? Cali and Florida will account for $1.4 billion. Ohio picks up $400 million. Indiana and Tennessee get $200 million apiece. Colorado and Louisiana split $300 million. Rhode Island gets $50 million. That's $2.55 billion on the first eight states.

D-Day

Today is the deadline for state applications in the first round of the Race to the Top grant competition. The easy prognostication to make is that the vast majority of the 39 states (and DC) that apply will have their initial applications rejected and all will reapply in round two, due in June. Most will fail then, too.

Despite the publicly released application scoring rubric, it is difficult to know exactly how the application scoring will play out, based upon who the reviewers are, whether Gates Foundation consultant funding helped certain states frame more compelling applications, stated or implicit pressures to fund only a certain number of applications (especially in round one), the importance lent to district and union buy-in from an implementation and sustainability perspective, and the strength of big-state applications versus small-state applications. To the latter point, there's ONLY $4 billion to be spread around, and the largest states could suck up as much as $700 million apiece. Florida, I believe, is very likely to be funded in round one. California and New York have much more of an uphill battle, and Texas, well, if Gov. Goodhair (thanks, Molly Ivins) has his way, may secede from the nation as well as the Race to the Top competition.

As I've said in a past post, my fervant hope is that states that have enacted 11th-hour bailouts of their Race to the Top prospects will not markedly benefit over states that have demonstrated historic commitment to education reform and the student outcomes that go along with it. Those states that have attempted to strengthen their chances by lifting charter caps, intervening in low-performing schools, raising academic standards, and enacting similar reforms should get some credit. But states that have taken these steps prior to Race to the Top influence should be recognized. By my estimation, states such as Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and others would be appropriately rewarded for such sustained commitment and/or demonstrated results.

That all said, President Obama announced today the inclusion of $1.35 billion in his FY 2011 federal budget for a third year of the Race to the Top competition (WaPo story here). What this means exactly is still unclear, and may not be until the two initial rounds of competition are done. My hope would be that the Obama Adminsitration would use new resources to extend funding for leading states rather than broaden the competition and fund some of the reform leggards out there.

Photo courtesy of davidavery.wordpress.com

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LATEST RACE TO THE TOP UPDATES

NATIONAL
Summary of state responses to the Race (Washington Post)

Last-minute resistance to the Race (New York Times)

District stances on Race to Top plans vary (Education Week)

Turning this Race into a relay (Eduflack)

Toothless Reform? (The Enterprise Blog)

CALIFORNIA
State files application (San Francisco Chronicle)

COLORADO
State files application, doesn't include new evaluation system, has union support (Denver Post)

New law will track teacher training programs grads (Denver Post)

DELAWARE
State board approves teacher evaluation changes (The News Journal)

ILLINOIS
Governor Quinn signs RttT bills (Catalyst Chicago)

Fear of winning Race? (New York Times)

IOWA
221 of 361 school districts sign on (Des Moines Register blog)

KENTUCKY
State board approves new performance measures (Louisville Courier-Journal)

MASSACHUSETTS
Governor signs RttT, ed reform bill (Boston Globe)

MICHIGAN
State application finalized (Lansing State Journal)

NEW JERSEY
Half of state's districts on board (The Star Ledger)

NEW YORK
Legislature takes no action on charter school bills (New York Times)

Bid goes forward, likely without lift of charter cap (Wall Street Journal)

Mayor Bloomberg signs off on RttT plan (New York Post)

OREGON
State application takes shape, union approved (The Oregonian)

RHODE ISLAND
Providence teachers' union sole union affiliate in state to support application (Providence Journal)

SOUTH DAKOTA
Charter school law proposed (Rapid City Argus Leader)

TENNESSEE
Student achievement will count for half of a teacher's evaluation (The Tennessean)

WISCONSIN
State submits bid (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Governor: Wisconsin 'will likely miss out' because of 'a lack of reform in Milwaukee' (Governor Doyle press release)

Editorial: Milwaukee needs a mulligan (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Updates on the Race: 01-15-2010

Round-one applications are due on January 19, 2010...

CALIFORNIA
Bay Area schools are Racing to the Top (Contra Costa Times)

ILLINOIS
70 percent of districts on board (Peoria Journal Star)

IOWA
RttT bills on the Legislature's agenda today (Des Moines Register Iowa Politics blog)

Seven largest school districts oppose Governor's plans (Des Moines Register)

KENTUCKY
Governor signs low-performing schools bill (Louisville Courier-Journal)

MASSACHUSETTS
Sweeping education bill passes legislature (Boston Globe)

NEW YORK
Unions opposing charter cap lift (New York Post)

RHODE ISLAND
No agreement between state, teachers' unions (Providence Journal)

TENNESSEE
Bill advances in House, headed for Senate vote (The Tennessean)

TEXAS
Editorial: Governor Perry is all 'rhetoric' (Houston Chronicle)

Op-ed: Perry's 'smokescreen' (The Dallas Morning News blog)

UTAH
Three fourths of school districts on board (The Salt Lake Tribune)

WASHINGTON
Governor's reform plan detailed (ABC News)

Editorial: Reforms needed to win round 2 (The Spokesman-Review)

Updates on the Race: 01-14-2010

COLORADO
RttT bill is fast-tracked (Denver Post)

CONNECTICUT
75 school districts on board (New Haven Register)

ILLINOIS
Legislation revamps teacher evaluations; governor's signature expected (The State Journal-Register)

INDIANA
93% of school districts join Race (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)

IOWA
Senate approves RttT bill (Des Moines Register)

KENTUCKY
Governor signs low-performing schools bill (Louisville Courier-Journal)

MASSACHUSETTS
School bill ready for final vote (Boston Globe)

MICHIGAN
State teacher's union won't sign onto application (The Detroit News)

MINNESOTA
Over 250 districts, charter schools on board (Star News)

NEBRASKA
Governor: State's $122 million application includes 'Virtual High School' (Omaha World-Herald)

OREGON
112 school districts on board (Statesman Journal)

PENNSYLVANIA
Requiring local school board and union sign-off (Education Week Teacher Beat)

Editorial: Flexibility should accompany call for innovation (Harrisburg Patriot-News)

RHODE ISLAND
State, teachers union still at 'loggerheads' (Providence Journal)

TENNESSEE
Teacher evaluation bill clears latest hurdle (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

TEXAS
Governor Perry plays 'local control', 'Texas first' cards; rejects Race to the Top (Dallas News)

WEST VIRGINIA
Governor will call for special session if state fails in first round (Business Week)

WISCONSIN
Mayor/gubernatorial candidate offers compromise on mayoral control (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Updates on the Race: 01-13-2010

NATIONAL
AFT chief vows to revise teacher-dismissal process (Education Week)

Strong applications versus stakeholder support? (Flypaper)

RttT fire drills ignore the fact that 52% 0f state application is based on PAST reform and achievement (Eduflack)

ALABAMA
Governor Riley links charters, Race chances (Dothan Eagle)

FLORIDA
53 of 67 school districts on board; only 5 with union backing (Orlando Sentinel School Zone blog)

GEORGIA
Governor Purdue pitches performance pay (Atlanta Journal Constitution blog)

ILLINOIS
Bill to strengthen educator evaluations passes state House (The State Journal-Register)

IOWA
Legislation needed to boost state's competitiveness (Des Moines Register)

Governor Culver presses for RttT legislation in State of the State (Des Moines Register blog)

Bill passes first legislative hurdle (Des Moines Register blog)

KENTUCKY
House passes low-performing schools bill (Louisville Courier-Journal)

LOUISIANA
State board endorses application (The Advocate)

MASSACHUSETTS
Editorial: Hold firm on education reform (Boston Globe)

MICHIGAN
State Board of Education uneasy about application (The Detroit News)

NEW YORK
Legislative action needed (Albany Times Union blog)

Editorial: The governor's desperate dash (Albany Times Union)

Lawmakers will vote on charter cap the day application is due (New York Daily News Daily Politics blog)

OHIO
Less than half of state districts sign on; union support expected (The Columbus Dispatch)

PENNSYLVANIA
Philly teachers support Race (Philadelphia Inquirer)

RHODE ISLAND
Lack of union support could weaken state's chances (Providence Journal)

TENNESSEE
Governor Bredesen unveils legislative plan (The Leaf Chronicle)

Governor Bredesen: "Seize the day" (Education Week via Chattanooga Times Free Press)

Governor, teachers reach compromise on teacher evaluations (The Commercial Appeal)

Union approves teacher evaluation based half on student achievement (Nashville Public Radio)

TEXAS
Out of Race (Austin American-Statesman blog)

WISCONSIN
Milwaukee Children's Zone a state focus (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Updates on the Race: 01-11-2010

Playing catch up following the holidays and the birth of our second child ... here are the major Race to the Top updates a week before round 1 applications are due on January 19th...

NATIONAL
39 States and DC to apply in round one (U.S. Department of Education)

'Race To Top' Viewed as Template for a New ESEA (Education Week)

'Race To Top' Driving Policy Action Across States (Education Week)

Two State Unions Balking at 'Race To Top' Plans (Education Week)

CALIFORNIA
Assembly passes reform bill (Sacramento Bee)

Governor signs bill to improve state eligibility in Race; opposed by teachers' unions (Los Angeles Times)

Governor seeks to ease teacher firings (Los Angeles Times)

COLORADO
Summary of state plan (INDenver Times)

FLORIDA
Unions: State RttT plan is 'fatally flawed' (Orlando Sentinel)

Editorial: Unions must not walk (Miami Herald)

Editorial: Racing to the top (Orlando Sentinel)

ILLINOIS
Editorial: State legislature to be asked to pass teacher evaluation bill (Chicago Tribune)

KENTUCKY
State to be first to adopt new national academic standards (Lexington Herald-Leader)

LOUISIANA
Less than half of school district sign onto plan (New Orleans Times Picayune)

MASSACHUSETTS
House passes reform bill, would empower superintendents (Boston Globe)

MICHIGAN
Governor Signs Reform Legislation (AP)

MEA, AFT Leaders Told Their Support Isn't Needed (The Grand Rapids Press)

89 Percent of State Schools on Board (The Detroit News)

NEVADA
Governor proposes ban on collective bargaining, repeal of data firewall law (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

NEW JERSEY
Out-going, in-coming governors complicate state application (Eduflack)

Editorial: Race to the bottom (Bergen Record)

NEW YORK
Governor presses for education reforms, including lift of charter cap (New York Times)

City wants state charter cap lifted before signing onto RttT application (Gotham Schools)

OHIO
State seeks to avoid union controversy? (Flypaper via Teacher Beat)

RHODE ISLAND
Teachers unions balking at supporting application (Providence Journal)

TENNESSEE
Teachers' unions sign onto plan to tie student test scores to teacher evaluations (The Commercial Appeal)

Governor's education bills to be consider during special legislative session (The Tennessean In Session blog)

Special session on Race to the Top begins tomorrow (Memphis Daily News)

UTAH
Plan unveiled (The Salt Lake Tribune)

WISCONSIN
State lagging in Race to the Top (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

State seeks $254 million; application won't address mayoral control in Milwaukee (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

WYOMING
State finalizes application (Casper Star-Tribune)

Updates on the Race: 12-16-2009

NATIONAL
Is Race to Top an Urban Game? (Education Week Politics K-12 Blog)

Some state officials have a sneaking suspicion that Race to the Top is an urban state's game and that has made some question whether they should apply, at least in Round 1. For instance, Vermont had originally planned to apply for Round 1 of the competition, but is now going to hold off for Round 2.... The state decided to sit out the first round because of the competition's rules on charter schools. Vermont, a largely rural state, doesn't have them, but it does have some other innovative public schools, Knopf said. But, under the RttT regulations, the state can only get up to eight points for its innovative schools, out of a possible 40, since it doesn't have a charter school law.

In North Dakota, state education superintendent Wayne Sanstead told Michele that it can't move quickly enough to make the Jan. 19 deadline for Round 1. Still, when the state applies in Round 2, it will develop a North Dakota-kind-of-plan, he said, which will probably be a lot different than other states' plans because of the rural nature of his state.

Jockeying for Race's Post Position (Eduflack)

Of the 15 states receiving significant help from the Gates Foundation to prepare their applications, 13 are planning on Phase One apps. Not surprisingly, Texas is not on the early intent list (as the Republic of Texas is likely trying to figure out how to make up points for the big dings it will take over its resistance to common core standards. Surprisingly, North Carolina has NOT indicated its intent to submit in Phase One, despite the Tar Heel State's reputation for being a true leader in education reforms over the past three decades.

While the official RttT scoring makes clear that past accomplishments are worth more points than plans for the future, we see a number of states that have made major changes in recent months (firewalls, charter caps, etc.) just to be compliant with Race requirements. States like California, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, and Wisconsin will have to demonstrate — in just a few short weeks — that recent legislative action is the culmination of a commitment to school improvement, and not simply fast action to win some quick money.

And who is missing from the list, besides North Carolina? Rhode Island is not there, probably indicating that State Supe Deborah Gist is working to do it right (with regard to detailing her aggressive reform agenda in a few hundred pages of prose). But otherwise, the early app list reads like a list of those most likely to win and those most hopeful to win a major prize.

CALIFORNIA
Politics slows reform (USA Today)

School districts wary of Race (Contra Costa Times)

LOUISIANA
School boards association opposes Race (Shreveport Times)

MICHIGAN
Reform jump started but incomplete (Detroit Free Press)

NEW YORK
Regents propose reforms with an eye toward Race to the Top (New York Times City Room blog)

TENNESSEE
Governor calls special session to address state's firewall law (The Tennessean)

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Past Updates on the Race to the Top

Updates on the Race: 12-14-2009

NATIONAL:
Who Would Have Guessed The Race Would Look Like This? (Democrats for Education Reform)

36 States to Apply in Round 1 (Education Week Politics K-12 blog)

CALIFORNIA:
Campaign cash from charters driving Governor's, state's goals? (Contra Costa Times)

Editorial: Schools race to -- where, exactly? (Los Angeles Times)

Politics, politics (AP)

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: DC gets to apply, too (Washington Post)

GEORGIA: State a 'frontrunner' (Gainesville Times)

LOUISIANA:
State bid would impact teacher evaluation, pay (The Advocate - Baton Rouge)

Educators wary of state plan (The Advocate - Baton Rouge)

MARYLAND: Editorial: Gates rejection a 'wake-up call' (Baltimore Sun)

MASSACHUSETTS: Op-ed from Stand for Children, Black Leaders for Excellence in Education (The Boston Globe)

MICHIGAN:
Race to the trough in Michigan? (Ann Arbor.com)

Editorial: Legislature's 'racing', but to where? (Lansing State Journal)

NEVADA: Editorial: Governor Gibbons' failure to lead (Las Vegas Sun)

NEW YORK:
Strategy to be unveiled (Gotham Schools)

More charters, teacher testing part of plan (Albany Times-Union)

OHIO: State eligibility caught up in budget stand-off? (The Columbus Dispatch)

SOUTH DAKOTA: State probably a 'long shot' (Sioux Falls Argus Leader)

TENNESSEE: State partnership with Battelle to focus on STEM (The Tennesseean)

WASHINGTON: Editorial: 'Beggars can't be whiners' (The News Tribune - Tacoma)

Updates on the Race: 12-11-2009

NATIONAL:
New Teacher-Evaluation Systems Face Obstacles (Education Week)

ALABAMA: Governor touts charter schools (Andalusia Star-News)

CALIFORNIA:
Guvinator will 'veto' Assembly-passed RttT reform bill (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Assembly passes reform bill (Los Angeles Times)

Editorial: 'Assembly failed California's schoolchildren' (San Jose Mercury News)

COLORADO: Educator evaluation changes focus of bill, Race (Denver Post)

DELAWARE: State targeting students at risk of dropping out (The News Journal)

FLORIDA:
State is a serious contender (Eduwonk)

Op-Ed: Ed commish calls Race 'a defining moment' for Florida's schools (Miami Herald)

School districts asked to line up for Race (St. Petersburg Times)

IDAHO: Community meetings focus on RttT (KPVI-TV)

ILLINOIS: Advance Illinois advances RttT blueprint (Catalyst Chicago)

KENTUCKY: State ed dept wil lseek authority to remove superintendents, school board members in struggling districts (Kentucky.com)

LOUISIANA: Controversy surrounds state's revamped RttT proposal (The Advocate - Baton Rouge)

Stronger focus on great teachers and school leaders (New Orleans Times-Picayune)

MARYLAND:
Fordham Foundation calls state 'biggest RttT disappointment' (Flypaper)

Gates Foundation denies state RttT planning support (Baltimore Sun)

State superintendent proposes teacher quality changes (Baltimore Sun)

MICHIGAN: Legislative efforts to strengthen state position in Race on-going (MLive.com)

NEW JERSEY: Outgoing, incoming guv camps scrap over timing of application (The Star-Ledger)

OKLAHOMA: Governor's Office seeks RttT input (The Oklahoman)

TENNESSEE: Governor promotes new partnership to promote math & science (AP)

WEST VIRGINIA: State board calls for RttT reforms (The Charleston Gazette)

WISCONSIN:
State superintendent seeks greater authority to intervene in struggling schools and districts (WisPolitics.com)

Editorial: Mayoral control of city schools the right approach (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

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Past Updates on the Race to the Top

Updates on the Race: 12-03-2009

Michele McNeil at Education Week has a really important story about a new Center on Education Policy report that questions whether states have the capacity to effectively implement proposed Race to the Top reforms -- and suggests that states may be applying for RttT funding primarily because they are short on cash.

...[M]ore than half the states report that their capacity to carry out stimulus-related education changes is a “major problem."

In other news:

DELAWARE: Plan unveiled

ILLINOIS: Gov. Quinn announces leaders of RttT effort

MICHIGAN: Racing to the top or slowing to a crawl?

NEW JERSEY: Not applying in round one

RHODE ISLAND: New laws strengthen RttT effort

TENNESSEE: Is in contention

TEXAS: 'The feds are coming, the feds are coming'

WISCONSIN: Special session could address Milwaukee mayoral takeover