Survey: Financial worries more common than financial plans | Philly | 09/21/2009

Survey: Financial worries more common than financial plans Philly 09/21/2009:

"'There is no excuse to not have the info you need to get your financial house in order,' Smiley said in an interview this week.

Smiley on Saturday will deliver the keynote speech at a free financial workshop that is part of a five-city tour promoting economic empowerment and financial literacy.

The survey conducted by the Blackstone Group for the Smiley Group found that 31 percent of Sacramentans expect their household situation to be worse a year from now, but only 15 percent say they have written a financial plan, compared with 22 percent nationally. The survey of 1,600 respondents done in January has a margin of error of 7 percentage points."

WireTap Magazine - Black Male Teachers Are a Missing Ingredient

WireTap Magazine - Black Male Teachers Are a Missing Ingredient:

"'I was shocked,' said Alexander 'I had never had a Black male teacher before, except for P.E.' Alexander's experience is remarkably common. Only 2 percent of the nation's 4.8 million teachers are Black men, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The shortage of Black male teachers compounds the difficulties that many African-American boys face in school. About half of Black male students do not complete high school in four years, statistics show. Black males tend to score lower on standardized tests, take fewer Advanced Placement courses and are suspended and expelled at higher rates than other groups officials say."

SCUSD Observer: No child left behind races to the top?

SCUSD Observer: No child left behind races to the top?

No child left behind races to the top?
Last week's release of the AYP Progress report for SCUSD shows that many of the schools in our district are failing to adequately educate Sacramento children according to No Child Left Behind standards.

SCUSD schools in year 1 of program improvement status jumped from 3 in 2008-09 to 15 to 2009-10.

The statistics are troubling. Many of our local high schools are at risk of entering PI status next year.

In last week's Sacramento Bee, Superintendent Raymond describes the vicious cycle of program improvement:

"It's like the Hotel California, you check in but you never check out."

The Common Core State Standards Initiative

The Common Core State Standards Initiative

Common Core State Standards Available for Comment

NGA Center, CCSSO Release First Official Public Draft of the College- and Career-Readiness Standards

Contact: Jodi Omear, 202-624-5346 Office of Communications

WASHINGTON—The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) today released the first official public draft of the college- and career-readiness standards in English-language arts and mathematics as part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a process being led by governors and chief state school officers in 51 states and territories. These standards define the knowledge and skills students should have to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing, academic college courses and in workforce training programs.

The NGA Center and CCSSO are encouraging those interested in the standards to provide feedback, which must be supported by research and evidence, by October 21 at www.corestandards.org.

After the feedback period, the standards are subject to review by the expert Validation Committee. The Validation Committee is comprised of national and international experts on standards. This group will review the standards development process and the substance of the standards to ensure they are research- and evidence-based. Members of the committee are being selected by governors and chiefs and will be formally announced in the coming weeks.
The NGA Center and CCSSO will soon begin the process of developing the K-12 standards that will enable students to meet the validated college and career-readiness standards.

"We are pleased to release the college- and career-readiness standards today and to begin receiving comments on them," said Dane Linn, director of the NGA Center's Education Division. "These standards are vital to ensuring our students are prepared to compete and succeed in a global economy. I would also like to thank Delaware Gov. Jack Markell and Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue for serving as the NGA co-leads on this initiative."

"The college- and career-readiness standards are really just the beginning," stated Gene Wilhoit, executive director of CCSSO. "We need this confirmed, validated goal of fewer, clearer, and higher standards to take on the real work of ensuring students have a roadmap from grades K-12 for achieving these standards."

The college- and career-readiness standards have been informed by input from education and content experts and feedback from participating states. They were developed based on the following guiding considerations:
Fewer, clearer, higher: It is critical that any standards document be translatable to and teachable in the classroom. As such, the standards must cover only those areas that are critical for student success.

Evidence: Each document includes sources of evidence for the standards. Evidence informed what was included in the standards.

Internationally benchmarked: These standards are informed by the content, rigor and organization of standards of high-performing countries and states.
Special populations: In the development of these standards, the inclusion of all types of learners was a priority.

Assessment: The standards will ultimately be the basis for a system of high quality assessments.
Standards and curriculum: Standards are not curriculum. The curriculum that follows will continue to be a local responsibility (or state-led, where appropriate).

21st century skills: The draft English-language arts and mathematics standards have incorporated 21st century skills.

For more information, please visit www.corestandards.org.
###

Founded in 1908, the National Governors Association (NGA) is the collective voice of the nation's governors and one of Washington, D.C.'s most respected public policy organizations. Its members are the governors of the 50 states, three territories and two commonwealths. NGA provides governors and their senior staff members with services that range from representing states on Capitol Hill and before the Administration on key federal issues to developing and implementing innovative solutions to public policy challenges through the NGA Center for Best Practices. For more information, visit www.nga.org.

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks member consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public. www.ccsso.org.

Expert Objects to Rampant Subjectivity in Grading

Expert Objects to Rampant Subjectivity in Grading:

"These schools overhauled the grading system, in part to make sure that students taking the same classes got the same scores. Some of the changes included:

-- Setting learning targets and linking grades to the achievement of those targets.

-- Giving grades based solely on achievement and separately reporting attendance, effort and participation.

-- Grading only individual achievement, not group work.

-- Giving scores only to certain assignments and choosing carefully which scores should be included in the final grade.

-- Making sure students understand how their grades are being determined.

The first step toward change, Reeves said, is eliminating 'dumb errors.'"

Education | Schools, students see impact of cash crunch | Seattle Times Newspaper

Education Schools, students see impact of cash crunch Seattle Times Newspaper:

"Meredith Westerside loved her work as a Bellevue School District librarian. But this year, for the first time in 20 years, she's back teaching English — part of the fallout from the deepest cuts in public-school funding in decades.

With the new school year under way, parents, students, teachers and staff in many districts across the state are feeling those cuts in ways large and small. Classes are bigger, new textbook orders are on hold, fees to play sports are up, music programs shut down and bus service cut back."

Dallas-Fort Worth school districts calculate different ways to use netbooks in classes | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

Dallas-Fort Worth school districts calculate different ways to use netbooks in classes News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News Latest News:

"More local students are using 'netbooks' at school. The small computers are much lighter and cheaper than traditional laptop computers.

One sign of that shift took place when the Irving school district decided in May to begin replacing aging and bulkier student laptops with about 4,600 netbooks.
'It's a lot easier to carry,' said Luis Hernandez, 11, a Travis Middle School student. 'I like how it looks, and it has a camera.'"

Nation's teachers unions feel squeezed by some former allies - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

Nation's teachers unions feel squeezed by some former allies - Sacramento Politics - California Politics Sacramento Bee:

"David Sanchez, president of the 340,000-member California Teachers Association, said teachers had high hopes for Obama but that so far there has been little change.

Indeed, when it comes to education policies, he said it's hard to distinguish Obama from his predecessor, President George W. Bush, who placed a premium on high-stakes student testing.
'To be perfectly honest, it's disappointing again,' Sanchez said. 'Our perception is it's more of the same, and that's not good, because we thought we were going to be able to change something, make some true reform in public education.'"

State politics could block Detroit's chance for educational progress | detnews.com | The Detroit News

State politics could block Detroit's chance for educational progress detnews.com The Detroit News:

"Another barrier to reform: ideological struggles between state Democrats and Republicans, who both try to write legislation to cater to their constituencies (union teachers for the Dems, charter schools for the GOP) rather than agree to research-based reforms that we know work for children. Then there are Michigan's public universities and colleges, which have not been forthcoming with commitments to adopt a K-16 data system that will allow Michigan to track students' graduation rates and other performance measures through college. The universities have avoided such accountability for years, but we rarely hear about them because they happen behind closed doors. Detroit's failures are on display for the world to see. The public universities' failures are covered up behind pretty ivy curtains."

The two worlds of education in America

The two worlds of education in America:

"Approximately two thousand high schools (about 12 percent of American high schools) produce more than half of the nation‘s dropouts. In these ?dropout factories, the number of seniors enrolled is routinely 60 percent or less than the number of freshmen three years earlier…Dropout factories produce 69 percent of all African American dropouts and 63 percent of all Hispanic dropouts, compared to 30 percent of all white dropouts."

Adjudicating School Reform

Adjudicating School Reform:

"The new policies, which the district plans to fully implement by next year, include eliminating seniority from hiring decisions, revising the teacher evaluation system, and offering financial incentives to teachers in low-performing schools. These reforms may be unpopular with some teachers and principals—though eventually all of Philly’s educators did show up for work—but they are the types of policies that are needed to ensure every student has access to an effective teacher."

Philadelphia’s new policies are remarkable for another reason—the district is required to implement the changes as part of a consent agreement that ends a 39-year old desegregation lawsuit. That suit, filed by the Pennsylvania Human Rights Commission, alleged that Philadelphia schools were unlawfully segregated by race and denied minority students educational opportunities equal to white students. The parties agreed to end the lawsuit in July.

These test-score jitters are a sign of high standards - The Boston Globe

These test-score jitters are a sign of high standards - The Boston Globe:

"The federal No Child Left Behind law sets targets requiring every student to reach “proficiency’’ by 2014. States, which set their own proficiency standards, are expected to reach consistently higher points each year along that federal trajectory. It’s a lot easier for states with lower academic standards and easier tests to hit the annual mark. But that’s not the way of education reform in Massachusetts. State education commissioner Mitchell Chester wisely insists that he is “dead opposed’’ to making the MCAS test easier in order to look good on a federal report card. It’s that attitude that elevates Massachusetts students to the top of comparison charts on national and even international standardized tests."

San Gabriel Valley Tribune: Tests don't tell the whole story - National voices - Merced Sun-Star

San Gabriel Valley Tribune: Tests don't tell the whole story - National voices - Merced Sun-Star:

"Good news doesn't come out of nowhere. Credit goes to teachers, to students and to parents as well. And in Baldwin Park, many in the community -- and we would agree -- are giving credit for the scores improvement to Superintendent Mark Skvarna. In tough budgeting times that are forcing layoffs in many districts, Skvarna and his board did not hand out a single pink slip this past year. He said that fact helped morale along with keeping class sizes small. Both are important in fostering a happy and safe learning environment. Skvarna, who has a background in business, also worked on saving energy costs in schools."

A district under siege: Discord continues in Luther Burbank - San Jose Mercury News

A district under siege: Discord continues in Luther Burbank - San Jose Mercury News:

"In the tiny Luther Burbank School District, the office copy/fax machine is on the fritz, the phones go to voicemail for lack of a district secretary and teachers picket after school to protest stalled contract talks.

And yet, while some things in the central San Jose school district may be falling apart, eager students are tackling synonyms and long division, and the staff is celebrating test scores that indicate solid academic progress.

Three months after a scathing grand jury report questioned its very existence, and seven months after a audit critical of its financial practices, the one-campus district has shakily stayed its course, while the larger political and educational community has responded with a shrug of the shoulders.

'It just seems like the board and district are running amok and no one seems to care,' said Don Kawashima, foreman of the grand jury that in June suggested board President Antonio Perez step down, and the 566-student district merge with a neighbor. After alleging the board engaged in conflicts of interest, secrecy, intimidation, questionable spending and election malfeasance, the grand jury concluded that the district could not fix itself."

Tough times catching up to teacher pay, benefits | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/21/2009

Tough times catching up to teacher pay, benefits Philadelphia Inquirer 09/21/2009:

"Nevertheless, Garden State teachers are faring better than school workers on average nationally. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, elementary and secondary school salaries averaged a 2.8 percent increase from June 2008 to June 2009.

And even that is better than the paltry 1.5 percent increases on average being handed out nationally to private-industry workers, according to the labor bureau."

William J. Adelman, 1932-2009: Teacher formed a union at school, became labor history expert -- chicagotribune.com

William J. Adelman, 1932-2009: Teacher formed a union at school, became labor history expert -- chicagotribune.com:

"'We wouldn't be here today if it weren't for Bill and his devotion to preserving our history,' said Larry Spivack, president of the society, the oldest organization of its kind in the United States. 'He was for many years the public face of the labor movement in Illinois.'

Mr. Adelman, 77, who died in his Oak Park home Tuesday, Sept. 15, apparently of a heart attack, became such a renowned labor expert that he often was an adviser, writer and narrator of films and documentaries on the labor movement, particularly those dealing with Chicago's history, family members said."


William J. Adelman

“The popular and peripatetic prophet of labor history; teacher, author, lecturer, and tireless tour leader.”

Throughout his career, Adelman has promoted the history of Chicago labor. For twenty-five years he served as professor at the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations at the University of Illinois. In 1969, he was a co-founder of the ILHS and has published numerous books on labor history: Touring Pullman: Labor Sites in the Chicago Area, Haymarket Revisited, and Pilsen: A Tour Guide. During the 1990s Adelman has lectured on Chicago labor and ethnic history before a variety of unions and community groups.

My vision for a strong MPS - BizTimes

My vision for a strong MPS - BizTimes:

"A strong, reform-minded superintendent - of the caliber that D.C. Mayor Fenty found in Michelle Rhee, New York Mayor Bloomberg identified in Joel Klein and Chicago Mayor Daley (and ultimately President Obama) landed in Arne Duncan - that is looking to come to a district where they can implement real reform.

Such leaders would be frustrated under the current system where they have to cater to the changing directives of board leadership. And they would certainly be frustrated by recent actions by the current school board such as redirecting $300,000 for an office of accountability that shifts key powers away from the administration to an elected board, or redirecting $250,000 to pay private lawyers to support the status quo and resist reform efforts."

Google’s Digitization Gains C.U.’s Support, Despite Suit | The Cornell Daily Sun

Google’s Digitization Gains C.U.’s Support, Despite Suit The Cornell Daily Sun:

"In 2007, Cornell joined five other universities in an agreement with Google to digitize its eight million-volume collection. The goal of the project was to allow Cornell to buy access to Google’s ever-increasing online library. Although copyrighted books — only those published after 1923 — were initially shown in “snippet,” a highly fragmented format, the Association of American Publishers and the Authors Guild filed a lawsuit against Google for copyright violation on Sept. 20, 2005."

An activist turns a page - The Globe and Mail

An activist turns a page - The Globe and Mail:

"Ralph Nader, the consumer activist and corporate scourge, is saying nice things about the kind of folks you'd expect him to despise.
“Never in America have there been more super-rich people with relatively enlightened views,” says Nader, lean and hopeful at age 75, dark eyes aglow as he speaks at the offices of Public Citizen, the progressive research and advocacy group he founded nearly 40 years ago.
“Not all the super-rich are craven greedhounds, dominators and bullies. Some of them take on their counterpart greedhounds, dominators and bullies.”
It's as if Glenn Beck had found the bright side of socialism."

From K-12, students can opt to take their classes in cyberspace | Family | Wichita Eagle

From K-12, students can opt to take their classes in cyberspace Family Wichita Eagle:

"Officials project that 310 public middle and high school students will take all of their classes online this year, with 200 other students choosing to supplement their traditional or home-school studies with virtual courses. Their teachers work for the county's virtual school, based in Davie. Broward Virtual School contracts with Florida Virtual School for its middle and high school courses. Florida Virtual operates out of Orlando."

Wing nuts are too stupid to win their fake Civil War

Wing nuts are too stupid to win their fake Civil War:

"Even so, with a long social history of being looked down upon by the slave owners and valued below their expensive chattel, the so-called white trash class was full of believers quick to identify with those above them in wealth, power and education. The trash was convinced of their rightness, once the mythology got up a good head of steam, to the point of suicidal obnoxiousness. These men actually thought that their constitutional rights would be torn asunder if slavery ended.

But you know how it goes: The rough and ready fighting men were taken into meat grinders like Gettysburg. After three days of battle in that small Pennsylvania town, Robert E. Lee discovered that the men he commanded were far from invincible."

Health Officials: Vaccine is Best Protection against H1N1 - Pravda.Ru

Health Officials: Vaccine is Best Protection against H1N1 - Pravda.Ru:

"The only thing experts can say for sure about this flu season is that it won't be similar to any other. There will be multiple flu viruses circulating, one of which most people are defenseless against. 'This year we are in uncharted territory,' says Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Thomas Frieden. 'What will happen in the coming weeks and months will only become clear in the weeks and months ahead.' Here is a handy guide to prepare for flu season by USA TODAY's Steve Sternberg, compiled from information provided by the CDC and other sources."

Education Technology News: Verizon Offers Free Online Resources for California Educators

Education Technology News: Verizon Offers Free Online Resources for California Educators:

"A new initiative from the California K-12 High Speed Network, or K12HSN, a state-funded education program, and the Verizon Foundation will reportedly provide free online resources for California teachers, parents and students, through Verizon's (News - Alert) Thinkfinity.org."

Young people should strive for a more complete skill set - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Young people should strive for a more complete skill set - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:

"If we are going to educate a new generation of informed, responsible Americans who are ready to work in an increasingly interdependent world, Sorensen says, we must start with a basic grounding in subjects such as history and political science. In addition, she promotes the teaching of foreign languages, so each student reaches a point of fluency in at least one of them. Later, as students move into the university, Sorensen believes they should take one or more courses in economics, and develop as broad a base as possible in world literature and culture.

How does one accommodate such needs in already crowded curricula at the secondary-school level?"

Education: Report forecasts surge of new students for community colleges – North San Francisco Bay Area, Sonoma, Marin, Napa counties - North Bay Business Journal - Archive

Education: Report forecasts surge of new students for community colleges – North San Francisco Bay Area, Sonoma, Marin, Napa counties - North Bay Business Journal - Archive:

"The report, entitled “Ready or Not, Here They Come,” will be presented at the commission’s quarterly meeting to be held later this month in Sacramento.

According to the report, the state’s 110 community colleges will need to increase their capacity over the next decade in order not to turn away the 222,000 additional students who will seek to enroll. It estimates that the number of students during the next decade will increase by 12.3 percent."

The Conversation: Education chief wants a transformation - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

The Conversation: Education chief wants a transformation - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:

"Join the conversation: Should teacher pay be linked to student performance? Leave your comments in our forum.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is a man in a hurry. Children, he says, have only one chance to get an education: 'We cannot wait because our children cannot wait.'"

Sacramento committee plan opposes strong-mayor proposal - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento committee plan opposes strong-mayor proposal - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"A draft report by the Charter Review Committee recommends keeping the city governance structure virtually untouched, except for granting the mayor the power to appoint – but not have final approval over – a nomination for city manager."