Sacramento Press / Opponents say strong mayor initiative faces lawsuit

Sacramento Press / Opponents say strong mayor initiative faces lawsuit:

A group that opposes the “strong mayor” initiative says that a citizen is challenging the initiative through a lawsuit.

The group SAVE Sacramento announced it will hold a press conference about the lawsuit Tuesday at 10 a.m. at City Hall.

Detailed information about the lawsuit was unavailable at press time.

Mayor Kevin Johnson backs the initiative, which would provide him with many new powers.

Matt Kelly, executive secretary of the Sacramento-Sierra Building and Construction Trades Council, talked about the lawsuit Monday.

Sacramento Press / Fall in Sacramento

COMMUNITY JOURNALISM AT ITS BEST

Sacramento Press / Fall in Sacramento:

"images from photographer David Roberts, taken during his bike rides around Sacramento."

More of the best and brightest heading to community college - washingtonpost.com

More of the best and brightest heading to community college - washingtonpost.com:

"Kira Cassels applied to 11 colleges and got in to every one. The kitchen of her Laurel home came to resemble a high school guidance office, the breakfast table buried beneath brochures and financial aid forms from destinations such as the University of Virginia and Franklin & Marshall College.

This Story

• The best and brightest take a detour
• The Answer Sheet: Should two-year community colleges offer bachelor's degrees?
• Your Take: A good way to save cash?

Patrick Awuah on educating leaders | Video on TED.com

Patrick Awuah on educating leaders Video on TED.com:

"Patrick Awuah makes the case that a liberal arts education is critical to forming true leaders.

About Patrick Awuah

After working at Microsoft for almost a decade, Patrick Awuah returned home to Ghana and cofounded Ashesi University, a small liberal arts college that aims to educate Africa's next generation… Full bio and more links"

THE EDUCATION FRONT Blog | The Dallas Morning News

THE EDUCATION FRONT Blog The Dallas Morning News:

"Kay Hutchison finally got into education issues in her gubernatorial campaign last week, and, for the most part, I thought she laid out some good ideas. Rick Perry has been all over her for copying some of his ideas. But, you know, I don't care where ideas come from as long as they can benefit kids in school.

Here are a couple of areas where I think her proposals stand out:"

First, she wants to focus on middle schoolers with strategies that will keep them from dropping out once they get to high school. I doubt anyone's been elected governor because of their middle school policies, but she is really on the mark here. As many educators know, kids tend to make progress in elementary school, then fall off once they hit middle school. In some cases, they fall so far behind, they give up and dropout by the time they reach ninth or tenth grade.

What Hutchison proposes is an "accelerated middle school initiative." Here's what her press release says:

"Hutchison will propose an Accelerated Middle Schools initiative to help middle school students who are behind grade level "catch up" by covering core academic curriculum at an accelerated pace. With individualized e-Learning, and a focus on core subjects necessary for graduation, students one or two years behind grade level will be able to catch up to their peers and stay on track."

VSP Company Hiring for 21 Positions in Rancho Cordova — The Rancho Cordova Post

VSP Company Hiring for 21 Positions in Rancho Cordova — The Rancho Cordova Post:

"Eyefinity/Officemate, a VSP Company, has announced they will be hiring for 23 positions within their company, and 21 of those jobs will be located in Rancho Cordova.

Ten positions are currently available and can be accessed on VSP’s website, and the remaining positions will open early next year. The positions that will be available include ”product managers, implementation specialists and coordinators, training specialists, quality assurance specialists and software support representatives,” VSP Public Relations Officer Jace Duval said."

Superintendent hires teacher as chief of staff

Superintendent hires teacher as chief of staff

Sacramento City Unified School District Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond
announced today he has hired Dr. Teresa Cummings, a district math teacher and instructional expert, as his chief of staff. Cummings will focus on strategic planning to help improve learning district wide and improving support to schools. She begins work in her new position today.

“Dr. Cummings brings an important teacher perspective as chief of staff as well as a strong commitment to involving parents in the education of their children,” Raymond said. “She has had great success in reaching out to and teaching underserved students. The magic and learning happens in the classroom, and Teresa understands that.”

Since 2004, Cummings has worked at Hiram Johnson High School where she taught Prealgebra, Algebra 1, physical education and California High School Exit Exam preparation. She also has taught at the middle school, community college and university levels and has been a strong supporter and participant in the district’s Parent Teacher Home Visit Program as a teacher.

“I believe in the direction Superintendent Raymond is moving the district—putting children first,” Cummings said. “I wanted to be part of the change.”

Cummings earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from California State University, Chico. She earned her Ph.D. in education from the University of Illinois, Chicago where her doctoral studies emphasized curriculum design for urban youth.

Cummings lives in the district and is married to a district math teacher. She has three children and has served on the Peter Burnett Elementary School site council as a parent.

“Urban school districts become great by teaching themselves to greatness. With the
contributions and dedication of staff like Teresa, we will get there,” Raymond said.

http://www.scusd.edu/Pages/default.aspx

DIGITAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS: Tools and Technologies for Effective Classrooms

DIGITAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS: Tools and Technologies for Effective Classrooms:

"I’m heading to Austin next week for a summit on 'Redefining Teacher Education for Digital Age Learners'. If you’re an experienced teacher or currently enrolled in a teacher preparation program, your feedback is urgently needed. Now's your chance...

This invitational summit is scheduled for Dec 6-8, 2009, where education leaders from across the US will be gathering to discuss the future of teacher preparation programs (http://www.redefineteachered.org/). While the invited attendees are an impressive and experienced group, I know there are many important perspectives from practicing (or retired or pre-service) teachers that need a voice, too. Here’s how you can help."

Dan Brown: The "Achilles Heel" of Education Reform is Slashed by Michael Bloomberg

Dan Brown: The "Achilles Heel" of Education Reform is Slashed by Michael Bloomberg:

"High-stakes testing is a bullet train barreling through education reform; you're either on the train, on the sidelines, or waving your hands in frantic protest, only to be run over.

Last week's education speech by emboldened New York City Mayor-for-Life Bloomberg (who just dropped nine-figures of his own cash on his re-election bid) is depressing news to people on the ground in schools. Conducting the Testing Express, Bloomberg announced:"

"As [Secretary of Education] Arne [Duncan] had said a number of times, 'A state can't enter Race to the Top if it prohibits schools from using student achievement data to evaluate teachers and that's why California just repealed its prohibition on doing so.'

"In New York, the State Legislature passed a law last year that actually tells principals: You can evaluate teachers on any criteria you want - just not on student achievement data. That's like saying to hospitals: You can evaluate heart surgeons on any criteria you want - just not patient survival rates! You really can't make this up! Thankfully, the law in New York is set to expire this June - but that is not enough.

"We will urge the State not just to prohibit but to require all districts to create data-driven systems to comprehensively evaluate teachers and principals. And we want New York City to lead the way..."

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse | Empowering Consumers. Protecting Privacy.

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse Empowering Consumers. Protecting Privacy.:

"Welcome to Our New Website!

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse is pleased to welcome you to our re-designed website. Our new site incorporates user-oriented features that make it easier for visitors to quickly find and share information. We’ve also updated our widely popular privacy compilations, including our Online Information Brokers List and our nationally-recognized Chronology of Data Breaches.

Using the open source software Drupal, our new site allows PRC's privacy advocates to update the site more frequently - without compromising the privacy of our visitors."

"SAVE Sacramento"

"SAVE Sacramento"

The Sacramento City Teachers Association CTA/NEA announced a press conference to "SAVE Sacramento" tomorrow, Tuesday December 1, 2009 at 10 am in front of City Hall. SCTA President Linda Tuttle is the featured speaker.

Who Needs Mathematicians for Math, Anyway? by Sandra Stotsky, City Journal 13 November 2009

Who Needs Mathematicians for Math, Anyway? by Sandra Stotsky, City Journal 13 November 2009:

"The statistics on U.S. math performance are grim. American eighth-graders ranked 25th out of 30 countries in mathematics achievement on the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which claims to assess application of the mathematical knowledge and skills needed in adult life through problem-solving test items. We do better on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), whose test items are related to the content of school mathematics curricula. (Differences in participating countries aren’t significant.) But according to Mark Schneider, a former commissioner of education statistics at the Department of Education, the United States lags behind too many countries in “overall mathematics performance and in the performance of our best students.” And achievement gaps between different student groups within the United States, Schneider says, are “about the same size or even bigger than the gap between the United States and the top-performing countries in TIMSS.”"

The Economic Benefits of Reducing High School Dropout Rates in America's Fifty Largest Cities | Alliance for Excellent Education

The Economic Benefits of Reducing High School Dropout Rates in America's Fifty Largest Cities Alliance for Excellent Education

The Economic Benefits of Reducing High School Dropout Rates in America's Fifty Largest Cities

In the nation's fifty largest cities and their surrounding areas, nearly 600,000 students dropped out from the Class of 2008. These students dropped out at a great cost to themselves, but also to their communities, including the businesses they would have used and the state and local governments to which they would have paid taxes.

Thanks to the model that the Alliance for Excellent Education has developed with the generous support of State Farm® and in partnership with Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc., it can now project how reducing the number of dropouts in half, for just this single high school class, will result in tremendous economic benefits for the business community in those areas and their state and local governments.

This is game-changing research. For the first time ever, the Alliance can demonstrate in dollar terms how every business, every taxpayer and every community benefits when the dropout rate is reduced. It is also able to show that without a doubt, the student is not the only one who benefits from increased educational attainment.
The initial findings from the model answer these and other economic questions for the cities listed below:

How much in additional wages would each metro area benefit from if it reduced the number of high school students who fail to graduate with their class by 50 percent?

What percentage of these new graduates would continue their education after high school? What percentage would earn bachelor's degrees?

How much will annual state and local property, income, and sales tax revenue grow as a result of these new graduates' higher incomes?

To view the combined economic benefits for all fifty cities, read the national analysis.

To view a report for a particular city, please click on it in the list below.

Albuquerque, NM
Memphis, TN
Atlanta, GA
Miami, FL
Austin, TX
Milwaukee, WI
Baltimore, MD
Minneapolis, MN
Boston, MA
Nashville, TN
Charlotte, NC
New York City, NY
Chicago, IL
Oklahoma City, OK
Cleveland, OH
Omaha, NE
Colorado Springs, CO
Philadelphia, PA
Columbus, OH
Phoenix-Mesa, AZ
Dallas-Ft. Worth-Arlington, TX
Portland, OR
Denver, CO
Sacramento, CA
Detroit, MI
San Antonio, TX
El Paso, TX
San Diego, CA
Fresno, CA
San Francisco-Oakland, CA
Honolulu, HI
San Jose, CA
Houston, TX
Seattle, WA
Indianapolis, IN
Tucson, AZ
Jacksonville, FL
Tulsa, OK
Kansas City, MO
Virginia Beach, VA
Las Vegas, NV
Washington, DC
Los Angeles - Long Beach, CA
Wichita, KS
Louisville, KY
National Analysis

Additional Documents

Press Release: Read the national press release from the Alliance for Excellent Education, which includes quotes from Bob Wise, president of the Alliance and former governor of West Virginia, and Ed Rust, Chairman and CEO of State Farm®.

Frequently Asked Questions: The Alliance for Excellent Education has prepared a list of frequently asked questions about the cities included in the analysis, more information about the economic model, and future calculations the Alliance will release from the model, among others.

Technical Notes: The technical notes document includes a more sophisticated explanation of how the model was constructed and how specific calculations were performed.

A Washington State Fight, a Nationwide Debate - Curriculum Matters - Education Week

A Washington State Fight, a Nationwide Debate - Curriculum Matters - Education Week:

"Some readers may already be aware of a battle unfolding in Washington state over tough new graduation requirements in math, science, speaking, and writing. State schools Superintendent Randy Dorn has proposed delaying the implementation of the mandate, which has rankled Gov. Chris Gregoire and members of the state school board. But while the story carries a Washington state dateline, it reflects a fight that has played out with what seems like increasing frequency in state capitals around the country in recent years.

Dorn is arguing that the state's students simply aren't ready for the new requirements, that current course requirements don't match the test schedules, and that the mandates need to be phased in more slowly. Here's a sample of his argument, from an op-ed in the Spokesman-Review:"

Our new math and science learning standards won't be tested until spring 2011 (math) and spring 2012 (science). That's... continue reading at edweek.org

Study Sees Little Traction for NCLB's Tutoring Provisions - Inside School Research - Education Week

Study Sees Little Traction for NCLB's Tutoring Provisions - Inside School Research - Education Week:

"A study by the Government Accountability Office made waves a few years ago when it estimated that only about a fifth of students were getting the free tutoring services they were entitled to receive under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. As most of you know by now, the 8-year-old law requires Title I schools that fail to hit their achievement targets under the law for three or more years in a row to offer free tutoring, or supplemental education services, to their students. The GAO report looked at data for the 2004-05 school year and found that only 20 percent of eligible students took advantage of the free tutoring that year. That was an improvement from the previous school year, but it still wasn't good enough."

Now fast-forward two more school years, and what you find is that not much has changed—at least not if you believe the estimates cited in a new report released last week by the National Center for Education Statistics. The report draws on data for the 2006-07 school year from a nationally representative sample of households. It finds that only 22 percent of students in persistently failing, Title I schools received free tutoring services from that year, according to their parents. That compares with 13 percent of students in a comparison group of public schools. (Under the law, states can require all chronically failing schools to offer tutoring, which is why some of the non-Title I schools in this sample provided tutoring, too.)

Education Week: Dropout Costs Priced for 50 Major U.S. Cities

Education Week: Dropout Costs Priced for 50 Major U.S. Cities:

"'The Economic Benefits of Reducing High School Dropout Rates in America’s Fifty Largest Cities'

If half the students who dropped out of the class of 2008 had graduated, they would have generated $4.1 billion more in wages and $536 million in state and local taxes nationally in one average year of their working lives, according..."

Education Week: When Roads Diverge: Tracking the Charter Movement

Education Week: When Roads Diverge: Tracking the Charter Movement:

"When two roads diverge in a yellow wood, in poetry and in life, one must choose. After picking a path to follow, inevitably you ask the unanswerable question: What would have happened if you had chosen the other path?

Now we know what happens, at least in education, thanks to a remarkable study of charter schools in New York City. And that study, released in September, suggests that it’s time to widen one of the roads. ('N.Y.C. Study Finds Gains for Charters,' Sept. 30, 2009.)"

Education Week: New Head of U.S. Research Agency Aims for Relevance

Education Week: New Head of U.S. Research Agency Aims for Relevance:

"If improving the “rigor” of education studies has been the watchword for much of the work carried out by the U.S. Department of Education’s key research agency over the past seven years, “relevance” and “usefulness” seem to be shaping up as twin themes for the half-dozen years ahead."

At least that’s the message John Q. Easton, the new director of the department’s Institute of Education Sciences, is communicating as he speaks to national groups around the country. Five months into his six-year term, the 60-year-old Mr. Easton has perfected what he calls his “five-bullet talk” on his plans for the $617-million-a-year agency, founded in 2002. While not yet a hard and fast agenda, his presentation outlines his own goals for the direction the government plans to take in shepherding federal education research.

One point that Mr. Easton makes clear is that while promoting rigorous research through randomized experiments will be an important part of that agenda, it won’t be the agency’s guiding star as it was under his predecessor, Grover J. “Russ” Whitehurst.

Teacher absences: Are they excessive and do they hurt students? | Get Schooled

Teacher absences: Are they excessive and do they hurt students? Get Schooled:

"Most discussions about school attendance focus on students. Now, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan wants to talk about teachers.

Duncan has made teacher attendance one of the measures to determine which low-achieving schools receive federal improvement funds. So, for the first time, the federal government will collect data on how many days teachers miss classes each year.

The reason is simple: Research shows that students suffer a small, but significant decline in academic performance as a result of teacher absences."

Kids should get moving to avoid obesity | Health | Reuters

Kids should get moving to avoid obesity Health Reuters:

"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Vigorous exercise may be an especially good way to keep kids lean, but sitting around, in and of itself, doesn't appear to have a major role in making them fat, new research shows.

Nevertheless, there are still plenty of reasons to avoid too much sedentary 'screen time,' Dr. Ulf Ekelund of the MRC Epidemiology Unit in Cambridge, UK and colleagues say, given potential negatives including 'violence and aggressive behavior, poor academic performance, and poor body image.'"

Why Parent-Driven Schools - Parent Driven Schools

Why Parent-Driven Schools - Parent Driven Schools


Why Parent Driven Schools

As parents, it can be difficult to obtain information about your children’s education options or to evaluate that information once you have it. Deciphering “education-speak” isn’t easy. But, every parent wants their children to be grounded in an education that opens doors to future opportunity and success.

Nothing will change in schools today if parents do not take control of their children’s education. If your child is in a district or system that is parent-driven, that means you should be driving.

Where does Parent Driven Schools Come in?

We understand that parents are busy people.

That’s why we exist to give you the information, tools and resources you need to become the solution to the education crisis in this country. If you don’t know how to “drive” your school, we do! If you’re not sure what a “market-based education system” is, have no fear. We can get you there.

The Educated Guess » UC students need a teach-in on California’s budget mess

The Educated Guess » UC students need a teach-in on California’s budget mess:

"(The Mercury News published this column on Sunday’s editorial page.)

Two voices called out when I heard that dozens of students on University of California campuses had been arrested for occupying college buildings in protest of the 32 percent fee increase that UC regents had passed.

One was that of the indignant college sophomore who was hauled off to the city jail in Boston in 1970 after refusing to leave the plaza at Government Center during a Vietnam War protest. The other was that of my disbelieving father who asked, “You were taken where for doing what?”"

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled...

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled...:

"Bright and Early

I return to you filled with turkey, cranberry sauce and renewed thankfulness that I get to start my day by combing education news. Now for your newsblitz!

The Union-Tribune reports on two good things going on in North County schools: A Carlsbad private school is building one of the greenest campuses in the country -- and no, we're not talking like Kermit. And Escondido high schools are cooking lunches from scratch.

The Los Angeles Times zeroes in on the city's only single-sex middle school. The hope is that girls and boys both get more attention. But critics question whether it fosters stereotyping.

Critics See Problems in New York City Charter Study

Critics See Problems in New York City Charter Study:

"A report issued by the New York City Charter Schools Evaluation Project in September, and since been held up as clear evidence that charter schools are doing a better job than traditional schools, is now facing criticism that its claim of being an “apples to apples” study just isn’t true.

The report, How New York City’s Charter Schools Affect Achievement, examines the performance of students who applied for openings in New York’s charter schools, which are 94 percent filled through random lotteries. When researchers compared the academic performance of those who were “lotteried in” with those who were “lotteried out,” they discovered a higher rate of achievement in the charter group."

Pricey preschools: Nobody's, everybody's fault

Pricey preschools: Nobody's, everybody's fault:

"It costs $12,000 to $20,000 to send one child to a preschool in San Francisco, a little less if you join a co-op. That's insane."

I'm sure it's not the schools' fault. Schools have to pay San Francisco prices, rent San Francisco space and follow San Francisco regulations. And why shouldn't they reap the benefits of the intense competition that keeps prices high?

I'm sure it's not the regulators' fault. They need to set and enforce the rules that keep our kids safe.

I'm sure it's not the parents' fault. They - we - just want the best for our kids, and we're willing to pay for it if possible.
It's nobody's fault. Which makes it everybody's fault.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/29/INSS1AGHA0.DTL&type=education#ixzz0YM90BnNH

'FOX News Reporting: Do You Know What Textbooks Your Children Are Really Reading?' - Specials - FOXNews.com

'FOX News Reporting: Do You Know What Textbooks Your Children Are Really Reading?' - Specials - FOXNews.com:

"FOX News Reporting investigated the $10 billion dollar-a-year textbook industry and how the drive to be politically correct might be taking over American schools.
Host Tucker Carlson, asked experts, teachers, publishers and parents the same question: 'Do you know what is inside your children's textbooks?' From kindergarten through college, we found staggering errors and omissions which may be pushing agendas, hidden and otherwise."

We spoke to the author of “The Language Police,” education historian Diane Ravitch, who said textbook publishers censor images or words they deem to be controversial in children’s textbooks. She told us that publishers pander to special interest groups, and assemble bias and sensitivity review committees. These committees decide what words to ban or redefine, and even what images are deemed offensive.

And we examined some college textbooks both in print and in digital forms. We found a glaring mistake in an expensive history book written by Alan Brinkley, Provost at New York’s Columbia University.

And in Fairfax County Virginia, questions remain about what textbooks are used in the private Islamic Saudi Academy. The ISA teaches about 1000 students each year pre-K — 12. Questions have been raised about its textbooks at least since 2006.

City clears self in bizarre test spike - NYPOST.com

City clears self in bizarre test spike - NYPOST.com:

"The probe of a Bronx elementary school's sudden, unprecedented, one-year gain in reading scores found no evidence of cheating -- but critics are blasting the drawn-out investigation as a 'sham.'

The three-year probe by the city's Department of Education looked at the roller-coasterlike passing rate for fourth-graders at PS 33 in Fordham, which catapulted from 34 percent in 2004 to 83 percent in 2005 before plunging back down to 42 percent in 2006.

The school was heralded by Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the time as a model of the city's dramatic test gains."

Budget cuts cause classroom sizes to grow, kindergartners suffer the most

Budget cuts cause classroom sizes to grow, kindergartners suffer the most:

"Class sizes in city schools jumped by the most in more than a decade this year - and youngest children are getting hit hardest.

The average elementary school class ballooned by about 4% to more than 23 students. Middle and high school classes grew by 1% to 2% to almost 27 students.

'It's a really sad story,' said Leonie Haimson, executive director of Class Size Matters. 'The kids with the highest educational needs tend to fall the furthest back. They benefit most from the individual attention.'"

City’s Schools Share Their Space, and Bitterness - NYTimes.com

City’s Schools Share Their Space, and Bitterness - NYTimes.com:

"Suzanne Tecza had spent a year redesigning the library at Middle School 126 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, including colorful new furniture and elaborate murals of leafy trees. So when her principal decided this year to give the space to the charter high schools that share the building, Ms. Tecza was furious."

Jay Mathews - Jay Mathews: Five strikes against an education writer - washingtonpost.com

Jay Mathews - Jay Mathews: Five strikes against an education writer - washingtonpost.com:

"It's almost December, time to sum up and see whether I added value to life on the planet this year. Others can assess my successes, if any. I prefer to dwell on my failures. Here are five I consider important.

-- I spent too much time covering political and ideological battles. Exhibit A is, of course, the controversy over Michelle A. Rhee's tenure as D.C. schools chancellor, particularly the firing of hundreds of teachers. My colleague Bill Turque has done a terrific job following that story, but I could not resist butting in, both in this column and in my washingtonpost.com/class-struggle blog. The distractions hurt everybody in the short run, something worth noting, but in the long run, such disputes rarely yield policies that raise achievement."

N.Y. lags nationally in virtual education | LoHud.com | The Journal News

N.Y. lags nationally in virtual education LoHud.com The Journal News:

"New York trails most of the country when it comes to one of the hottest trends in education — online classes — a nationwide survey found."

A state-by-state ranking by the Center for Digital Education put New York at 47 at providing access to courses on the Web. Only Connecticut, California and Maine lag behind.

But fears about the swine flu pandemic could prod New York to catch up. Online learning, already taking off across the country, is getting an extra push by alarm about the pandemic.

The Lower Hudson Regional Information Center in Elmsford has gotten scores of questions about online courses since swine flu closed schools last year, said Sarah Martabano, a regional coordinator. Classes on the Web would enable students who are sick at home to keep up.

”It gets people thinking: ‘What would we do?' “ Martabano said.

Mike's war for the kids: Albany must pass the mayor's bold program of school reforms

Mike's war for the kids: Albany must pass the mayor's bold program of school reforms:

"Mayor Bloomberg is taking the fight for education reform right to the teachers union and its allies in the state Legislature - and all the more power to him for picking up the cudgels.

Stunningly, in an speech attended by U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Bloomberg said he had ordered Chancellor Joel Klein to start using student performance data in tenure decisions."

Change looms for schools

Change looms for schools:

"First, it was the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Later it became No Child Left Behind in 2002.

But with the Obama administration now in the White House, talk of a new rewrite of the law has already begun. Education Secretary Arne Duncan addressed the issue publicly in September, calling for changes to the landmark law during a speech to education leaders.

Just don't expect to call the next version No Child Left Behind."

A Note From The Chancellor >>

A Note From The Chancellor;:

"Dear Students:

This has been an intense week for our university. Protests against fee hikes have occurred on our campus and throughout the system. The reasons for the protests are clear: the promise of an affordable UC education for all is under siege, victim of a state and nation reeling in the midst of a historic recession.

This is a low point for public higher education in California. Spending for prisons now outpaces that for higher education. UC faculty and staff have already absorbed significant pay cuts and layoffs. Funding is diminishing at every level as we struggle to ensure that you continue to enjoy academic opportunities and experiences commensurate with our world-class reputation.

I understand your frustration. I share it."

Big advantages in schoolbooks going digital» Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Big advantages in schoolbooks going digital» Corpus Christi Caller-Times:

"Digital textbooks are on the way to Texas public schools, perhaps as soon as next fall. As reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in our Nov. 23 edition, the state Legislature has already passed two bills allowing the Texas Education Agency to create a repository of online textbook content. The agency is seeking bids from both online and traditional publishers and planning to have the first open-source textbooks available to students in the fall of 2010.

With California, Virginia and now Texas in the process of going digital, it’s unlikely that the rest of the nation will be far behind. The advantages of digital textbooks are, after all, numerous. For legislators and taxpayers, the chief one is the likely cost savings. In 2007, Texas schools spent $375 million on textbooks. During the 2008-2009 school year, thousands of books were replaced, costing $264 million. By using online, open-source material, like California, Texas plans to develop its own curriculum, and cheaply at that. The open-source material would be purchased — presumably at a reasonable cost — by the state, which could then edit and copy it online to fit its own uses. School districts could then buy from a state-approved list, if they choose to do so."

Daily 49er - Unified student front necessary to salvage Cal higher education

Daily 49er - Unified student front necessary to salvage Cal higher education:

"As students, we stand on the steps of our university and look out at this world with uncertainty. We think times are hard now, but they will only get worse if we do not take action before we suffer the consequences of our indecision.

Students at UCLA, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley protested their board of regents’ recent decision to raise tuition fees by 32 percent. The California State University board of trustees has not made any comments about raising tuition fees, yet. Instead, the trustees are “hopeful” that Schwarzenegger will invest a total of $884 million into the CSUs.

The CSU budget proposal for 2010-11 originally requested $625 million, but on Wednesday, Nov. 18 they decided to ask for more. The board of trustees knows California will have a larger deficit next year."

Mike's challenge - NYPOST.com

Mike's challenge - NYPOST.com:

"New York state will have a better chance of winning federal Race to the Top dollars for its schools if it embraces the seven recommendations Mayor Bloomberg made last week.

Under the final guidelines for the federal Department of Education's $4 billion competition, New York (along with California, Texas and Florida) can apply for $350 million to $700 million in funds -- money that a state in serious fiscal crisis can't afford to lose out on.

Bloomberg's seven-point plan addresses key areas where New York needs to change its policies to be competitive in the race:"

Charter schools hold promise, but they're no magic bullet -- latimes.com

Charter schools hold promise, but they're no magic bullet -- latimes.com:

"The Obama administration may be over-relying on them as a means of remedying the nation's educational mediocrity."

Charter schools are on the cusp of national stardom. After gaining increased acceptance in the last decade, they now are central to school reform under the Obama administration, which wants states to remove any limits on their growth.

Charter schools are publicly funded but operate free of many state and school district regulations. The idea behind their creation was to empower schools to make their own hiring and curriculum decisions in exchange for guarantees in their contracts -- or charters -- to deliver high scholastic achievement in a certain amount of time or risk closure. The schools were intended to model innovations that might be replicated on a grand scale and to eliminate cumbersome labor contracts that work against better education. They would give disadvantaged students their first real alternative to violence-prone, low-performing public schools and create pressure for those schools to bring about quicker, more dramatic reform lest they lose enrollment.

After a decade of rapid growth, charters have begun delivering on some of these promises. They were among the first smaller, more personal schools; "smaller" has become a rallying cry among urban school districts. Families in low-income areas flocked to the new schools, where expectations were higher and children felt safer. Some have delivered impressive test scores.

University cuts will take long-term toll» Redding Record Searchlight

University cuts will take long-term toll» Redding Record Searchlight:

"University of California students took the streets in the run-up to Thanksgiving to protest the regents' decision - driven by state budget cuts - to raise fees by nearly a third for the coming school year.

It's hard to blame the kids. For the first time, fees will rise north of $10,000 a year. That's steep for in-state tuition at a public school, and the jarring increase will force some students (or their parents) to run the numbers and reassess whether they can still afford UC.

And the worst part? The UC kids are the privileged ones. They might have to pay more to attend Berkeley or Davis, but with the academic talents that got them admitted and the prestige of their degrees, they'll be able to pay back a few thousand dollars more in student loans if they must. At least, for the most part, there are still seats available in the lecture halls."

Autism Treatment Works in Kids as Young as 18 Months - Neurology | Alzheimer's Disease | Stroke - FOXNews.com

Autism Treatment Works in Kids as Young as 18 Months - Neurology Alzheimer's Disease Stroke - FOXNews.com:

"The first rigorous study of behavior treatment in autistic children as young as 18 months found two years of therapy can vastly improve symptoms, often resulting in a milder diagnosis.
The study was small — just 48 children evaluated at the University of Washington — but the results were so encouraging it has been expanded to several other sites, said Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer of the advocacy group Autism Speaks. Dawson, a former University of Washington professor, led the research team.

Early autism treatment has been getting more attention, but it remains controversial because there's scant rigorous evidence showing it really works. The study is thus 'a landmark of great import,' said Tony Charman, an autism education specialist at the Institute of Education in London."

Tufts Daily - The crisis of scientific illiteracy

Tufts Daily - The crisis of scientific illiteracy:

"Today the United States is faced with a serious crisis in scientific literacy and education. In the midst of debate over the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, health care reform and the economy, this issue has receded further and further into the background. And yet the topic remains as salient as it has ever been. Our world is driven by scientific innovation and technology. Twenty-first century economies will be knowledge-based, science-oriented and dependent on workers in sectors like energy, biological sciences and information technology. The early by-products of this paradigm shift are already evident with the advent of personalized genetic testing, pharmacogenomic research, hybrid vehicles, advanced power sources and hundreds of other innovations and discoveries."

A priority of Obama's education plan, charter schools gain traction - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

A priority of Obama's education plan, charter schools gain traction - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"Charter schools have come into vogue as an attractive alternative for parents and kids looking for innovative learning environments and higher test scores.

They've also become a priority in President Barack Obama's plan to overhaul the nation's education system."

And California legislators have pushed through laws that simplify charter funding and lift a cap on how many can operate in the state.

A new report by the California Charter Schools Association shows that more charters have opened this school year than in any year since 1992, when legislation first made them possible. The addition of 88 charter schools this year brings the total to 809 schools in California. Collectively, they enroll 341,000 students – about 5 percent of the state's student population.