Can Separate Be Equal? | The American Prospect

Can Separate Be Equal? The American Prospect:

"but does Obama have the better poverty-fighting approach? Or can economic integration of schools and neighborhoods become a politically palatable supplement to Obama's innovative but limited community-revitalization agenda?"

Reinventing No Child Left Behind : Indybay

Reinventing No Child Left Behind : Indybay:

"Reinventing No Child Left Behind - by Stephen Lendman

Enacted on January 8, 2002, the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act's (NCLB) sponsors claimed it would close the achievement gap between inner city and rural schools and more affluent suburban ones by setting high reading and math standards, then testing to assure they're achieved. However, the law's real aim is to commodify public education, end government responsibility for it, and make it another business profit center"

Patrick Kennedy

Patrick Kennedy:

"Sacramento Builders Exchange Endorses Patrick"

Posted: Monday, August 17

The Sacramento Builders Exchange, the largest development association in California, has endorsed Patrick Kennedy for Sacramento City Council. In doing so, the Builders Exchange has put its faith in Patrick's economic development message and the leadership he will bring to City Hall.
'Patrick Kennedy is far and away the most qualified candidate for the job. We don't often make endorsements this early, but when you get a candidate like Patrick, the decision is easy,” said Matt Hedges, Director of Public Affairs for the Sacramento Builders Exchange."

Embracing the Precautionary Principle - California Progress Report

Embracing the Precautionary Principle - California Progress Report:

"Children spend nearly one-third of their lives at school—what should be a safe space for learning and growing. However, with the best intentions, many school districts use large amounts of chemicals with serious health concerns, instead of opting for lower-risk alternative methods. Pesticides regularly applied on school grounds and in classrooms off-gas into the air kids breathe and seep into the grass where they play. Ingredients in some pesticides have been linked to cancer, respiratory illness and attention-deficit disorder."

Selecting the best school for your child

Selecting the best school for your child:

"Selecting the best school for our child is probably one of the most difficult tasks parents face. Whether it's day care, elementary school, middle school or high school, there is a lot to consider when choosing the best place for them to receive their care and education.
With waiting lists, applications and so many choices, how does a parent sort through the information to make an informed decision?
Here are five major philosophies that may or may not benefit your child:"

The Middle School Parent Resource

The Middle School Parent Resource:

"Show #217 –Middle School 1st Day tips for kids and parents
Three of my top tips for an incredible first day of middle school. Parents need the support as much as the kids so I included three tips for parents too. Congratulations on making the transition to middle school-one of life’s greatest achievements."

Board Meeting Agenda

Board Meeting Agenda:

"SCUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
August 20, 2009"

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/9986450/SCUSD-Board-Regular-Meeting-Agenda-August-20-2009

Education Secretary Arne Duncan Proposes to Allow States to Use Up to $41 Million of Existing Title I and IDEA Funds to Effectively Administer, Monitor and Report Use of ARRA Funds

Education Secretary Arne Duncan Proposes to Allow States to Use Up to $41 Million of Existing Title I and IDEA Funds to Effectively Administer, Monitor and Report Use of ARRA Funds:

"U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced today that the Education Department will publish a proposal in the Federal Register on Monday, Aug. 17, to allow states to reserve more administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA to defray data collection costs in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) including those related to administering, monitoring and reporting on use of ARRA funds. Title I and IDEA are programs that provide additional educational assistance to academically at-risk students and children with disabilities, respectively. The notice is a proposal, which will be open for public comment for 30 days."

Hard-Hit Schools Try Public-Relations Push - WSJ.com

Hard-Hit Schools Try Public-Relations Push - WSJ.com:

"'Schools are really getting that they can't just expect students to show up any more,' said Lisa Relou, who directs marketing efforts for the Denver Public Schools. 'They have to go out and recruit.'"

Do Teachers Need Education Degrees? - Room for Debate Blog - NYTimes.com

Do Teachers Need Education Degrees? - Room for Debate Blog - NYTimes.com:

"In a Room for Debate forum in June on the value of liberal arts master’s degrees, one group of readers — teachers and education administrators — generally agreed a higher degree was well worth the investment. They pointed out that pay and promotion in public schools were tied to the accumulation of such credentials and credits, specifically from colleges of education."

Welcome to the Chris Johnson 2009 portfolio

Welcome to the Chris Johnson 2009 portfolio

Darlene Anderson If your looking for some one to work on a site or project here is my son's portfolio! http://chrisjohnson.carbonmade.com/

Lawmakers are still ignoring jobs, education

Lawmakers are still ignoring jobs, education: "

• Education: The main threat to California’s future is its growing undereducated work force. It simply isn’t producing enough college-ready high school graduates. For the first time in history, the state’s incoming workers will be less educated than those now starting to retire."

Caps on Charter Schools

Caps on Charter Schools:

"Caps on Charter Schools"

"I call on states to reform their charter rules, and lift caps on the number of allowable charter schools, wherever such caps are in place."
President Barack ObamaMarch 10, 2009

Education at charters is spotty, oversight lax | www.azstarnet.com ®

Education at charters is spotty, oversight lax | www.azstarnet.com ®

investigation has found that state regulators rarely visit charter schools, that sporadic oversight sometimes allows academic and financial issues to continue for years, and that information about charter schools is difficult for parents to come by.

School lunches go vegetarian

"Almost 2 out of 3 U.S. schools now offer vegetarian fare for lunch on a regular basis, according to a new nationwide survey by the School Nutrition Association. That's a nearly 40 percent increase since 2003, the first year veggie meals were tallied."

SSPI Launches New State Testing Program Web site - Year 2009 (CA Dept of Education)

SSPI Launches New State Testing Program Web site - Year 2009 (CA Dept of Education): "California Launches New Web Site to Better Communicate With
Parents and Educators About State Testing Program
SACRAMENTO – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell today launched a new Web site to give parents and teachers a much better understanding of the state’s California Standards Tests that measure how well the California public education system and its students are performing.
“This new on-line resource is the product of parent, teacher, and community member requests for an easy-to-access tool to help parents better understand their children’s test scores,” O’Connell said. “We hope that the information on this Web site will lead to increased collaboration between parents and educators and ultimately increased student learning.”"

Mary B. Henry dies at 82; civil rights activist improved education, healthcare in L.A. -- latimes.com

Mary B. Henry dies at 82; civil rights activist improved education, healthcare in L.A. -- latimes.com: "'She believed every day of her life that we can make our dreams a reality for the coming generations, that we have to rise above division and evilness and do good for mankind,' said Southland civil rights activist Lillian Mobley, who described her friend as 'the fabric of the community.'"

CQ Politics | Some Obama Promises Must Wait

CQ Politics Some Obama Promises Must Wait: "Revise ‘No Child Left Behind’
The 2002 education law (PL 107-110) was passed with bipartisan fanfare and promoted by former President George W. Bush as one of his most important domestic policy achievements. But its focus on standardized testing as the measure of achievement and the way it expanded the federal government’s role into what has been traditionally a local issue prompted heated calls for revision.
During his campaign, Obama said he would overhaul the law “so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them” and pledged to find innovative ways to recruit and reward good teachers.
However, a planned reauthorization has been crowded out by other domestic priorities, particularly Obama’s push to retool the U.S. health care system, making it unlikely that a planned reauthorization will move quickly. Education Secretary Arne Duncan wants to complete a nationwide listening tour before submitting a proposal to Congress. His department is also overseeing the expenditure of about $100 billion in new funding."

Dangling Money, Obama Pushes an Education Shift - NYTimes.com

Dangling Money, Obama Pushes an Education Shift - NYTimes.com: "A recent case is California, where legislative leaders are vowing to do anything necessary, including rewriting a law that prohibits the use of student scores in teacher evaluations, to ensure that the state is eligible for a chunk of the $4.3 billion the federal Education Department will soon award to a dozen or so states. The law had strong backing from the state teachers union."

OpEdNews - Reinventing No Child Left Behind

OpEdNews - Reinventing No Child Left Behind: "it's a thinly veiled scheme to privatize public education, control costs, run schools by marketplace rules, decide what's best for students based on bottom-line considerations, and end a 374 year public education tradition in America."

Local districts look to 'trim' their bus systems - Times-Standard Online

Local districts look to 'trim' their bus systems - Times-Standard Online: "“There's a concept in Sacramento where every child has a neighborhood school, and that's just not the case.”"

My View: Money doesn't give the whole picture in evaluating schools - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

My View: Money doesn't give the whole picture in evaluating schools - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:

"It's because the state's school financing system is illogical and inequitable."