Big Education Ape: Oct 15, 2009

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Michelle Obama: Teachers Are Key to a Successful Economy - US News and World Report

Michelle Obama: Teachers Are Key to a Successful Economy - US News and World Report:

"Michelle Obama is the first lady of the United States.

This is a busy time of year in the Obama household. Like so many parents all across this country, I watch with a mixture of pride and anxiety as my daughters stuff their backpacks, kiss me goodbye, and move ahead in another school year without so much as a backwards glance. [See photos of the Obama family.]"

My girls are now making new friends, tackling challenging new subjects, and moving closer to becoming the strong, confident women I know they can be. But when I see them come home, bursting with excitement about something they have learned or someone they have met, I can't help but think that some of the most influential people in my daughters' lives won't be the ones they socialize with on the playground or read about in the pages of a book—they will be the people who stand up every day in front of their classrooms.

We all remember the impact a special teacher had on us—a teacher who refused to let us fall through the cracks; who pushed us and believed in us when we doubted ourselves; who sparked in us a lifelong curiosity and passion for learning. Decades later, we remember the way they made us feel and the things they inspired us to do—how they challenged us and changed our lives. So it's not surprising that studies show that the single most important factor affecting students' achievement is the caliber of their teachers. And when we think about the qualities that make an outstanding teacher—boundless energy and endless patience; vision and a sense of purpose; the creativity to help us see the world in a different way; commitment to helping us discover and fulfill our potential—we realize: These are also the qualities of a great leader.

voiceofsandiego.org: Education... How a Controversial Rule Played Out in Other Schools

voiceofsandiego.org: Education... How a Controversial Rule Played Out in Other Schools:

"Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 As bargaining grinds on between San Diego Unified and its teachers union over its expired contract, a public debate has erupted over a few paragraphs of legalese.

Teachers and their union say a new proposal will help kids by preventing teachers from being overloaded with new duties. Opponents say it will allow the union to veto any changes to what teachers do -- even small ones -- by enshrining all existing practices in the contract. It has pitted the principals union against the teachers union, divided and perplexed parents."

Yet both its backers and its critics point out that the proposal, known as "maintenance of standards," is nothing new. Similar rules show up in teachers union agreements as early as the 1970s in New York and have cropped up across Wisconsin and Michigan, spreading to Colorado and even Alaska. They typically state that working conditions "shall be maintained at not less than the highest minimum standards in effect" at the time -- language that isn't always clear to the average person.

That wording has varied, along with its impact. Attorneys and educators tell radically different stories about how the clause works. A Wisconsin attorney calls it "a union trump card." A Minnesota superintendent said it posed no problems. And a New York official said it's sometimes difficult.

Bag Theft Scoop: Mayor Kevin Johnson and his lost garment bag

MacArthur Metro - Money Honeys, Articles, & News

MacArthur Metro - Money Honeys, Articles, & News:

by Sharon Higgins

"Kids eating junk food? That is nothing new. I nag, preach, and explain to my kids that they need to limit the amount of junk food they eat. On some days, they get more than they should. On some days, so do I. Last spring at Bret Harte Middle School, after seeing a young man eat chips for breakfast (which he purchased at the cafeteria that morning), after attending a student-safety meeting and after working on the school's litter problem for almost two years, I decided to find out what the students were eating. For three days I randomly approached 90 students during lunchtime and asked them about their lunches."

"The two other options for kids are to bring lunch from home (18 percent) or to have the tray lunch (14 percent). The tray lunch may be purchased at a reasonable price by any student but rarely is. Usually students have it because their income qualifies them to receive it free or for a reduced price. The tray lunch is subsidized and must adhere to federal dietary guidelines. The students described the food on the tray lunches as "all right." Unfortunately, throughout Oakland in the middle and upper grades, tray lunches are stigmatized by many students and, therefore, avoided. Additionally, some families who would qualify for the lunch are unaware that they are eligible. So the sad fact is that many who can least afford to pay for their lunch will do so."

The White House - Blog Post - The Story of the White House Garden

The White House - Blog Post - The Story of the White House Garden:

"The Story of the White House Garden
Posted by Jason Djang

Since ground-breaking and initial tilling in March, we've been documenting the progress of the first garden on White House grounds since Eleanor Roosevelt's Victory Garden during World War II. This new garden was planted with the help of local elementary school children and has yielded a constant supply fresh produce for the First Family and White House events. Hear and see the story of the garden first-hand from First Lady Michelle Obama and White House chef Sam Kass."

First 5 California Joins Sid the Science Kid to Talk about the Importance of Immunizations

First 5 California Executive Director Kris Perry joined Sid the Science Kid in a PSA informing young children and parents about the importance of vaccinations.

Come meet Sid and attend a special screening of Sid the Science Kid on Tuesday, October 20 from 3-5 pm. Show starts at 3:30 pm at the Kidspace Children's Museum (480 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91103).

For more information about health, education, services and support, visit www.first5california.com/parents.

NASA hosts lunar robotics competition - UPI.com

NASA hosts lunar robotics competition - UPI.com:

"MOFFIT FIELD, Calif., Oct. 15 (UPI) -- NASA says 23 teams are participating in this weekend's 2009 Regolith Excavation Challenge in California to find better ways of handling moon dust.

The two-day event begins Saturday at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif.

The space agency said the $750,000 prize competition -- part of its Centennial Challenges Program -- will involve 23 teams from across the nation using robots they designed and built to excavate simulated lunar soil, known as regolith. Teams will test their robots in a box approximately 13 feet square and 1 1/2 feet deep that contains eight tons of simulated moon soil."

Welcome to Reporting Transparency in Government Website - State of California

Welcome to Reporting Transparency in Government Website - State of California:

"Welcome to California’s site dedicated to transparency. Governor Schwarzenegger recognizes the importance of making data available to its citizens. Governor Schwarzenegger also believes these data should be easily accessible and easy to view."

Read the report California Budget Transparency 2.0 at : http://www.docstoc.com/docs/13258579/California-Budget-Transparency-20

For Hearing, Sign Language Becomes Classroom Tool - washingtonpost.com

For Hearing, Sign Language Becomes Classroom Tool - washingtonpost.com:

"Teachers come to the classroom with noble goals -- closing the achievement gap, illuminating young minds. But first they must confront a more pressing problem: how to manage children's urgent requests, in the middle of the most carefully planned lessons, for permission to sharpen pencils, get drinks of water or visit the bathroom.

One solution, a growing number of teachers are finding, is learning to speak without making a sound.

'The very first year I taught, I realized how much time I was wasting in my classroom for my students to be constantly raising their hands,' said Fran Nadel, 25, a second-grade teacher at Woodburn School for the Fine and Communicative Arts in Falls Church. 'I realized if they could do this without talking, I could send them somewhere with a flick of my finger.'"

NCES Kids' Zone Home Page

NCES Kids' Zone Home Page:

"The NCES Kids' Zone provides information to help you learn about schools; decide on a college; find a public library; engage in several games, quizzes and skill building about math, probability, graphing, and mathematicians; and to learn many interesting facts about education.

Did you Know?
85% of fourth-graders received five or more hours of mathematics instruction per week.

The Word of the Day
negligible -(adj.).So insignificant as to be unworthy of consideration."

In a Democracy The Majority Rules - California Progress Report

In a Democracy The Majority Rules - California Progress Report:

"A cornerstone of our democracy is when you elect a legislature, the majority rules.

That means when one party gets 50 percent plus one of the vote, they are the majority.

If they agree on a legislative program, they pass it.

If the majority of the people disagree, then they will vote the majority party out and put the other party in power.
We all agree with this. It speaks to our sense of fairness."

Historic: Governor Signs Bill Honoring California Slain Civil Rights Leader Harvey Milk With Special Day - California Progress Report

Historic: Governor Signs Bill Honoring California Slain Civil Rights Leader Harvey Milk With Special Day - California Progress Report:

"Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, citing legislative progress on his multi-billion dollar water canal plan, lifted his veto threat for the 707 bills piled on his desk awaiting signature in time to sign 478 of them into law before the Sunday deadline passed.

Among the bills signed into law by the governor Sunday was Senate Bill 572, authored by State Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), designating each May 22 Harvey Milk Day in California.

The governor’s endorsement comes just one year after Schwarzenegger vetoed similar legislation intended to create “a special day of significance” for the slain civil rights leader. Schwarzenegger’s veto message then: Milk should be honored, but locally, not statewide."

Then an academy award winning movie about the gay rights pioneer, a posthumously awarded Medal of Freedom to Milk, the highest civilian honor, bestowed by President Barack Obama and finally the governor and first lady’s own decision to induct Milk into the State’s Hall of Fame, combined to change the Governor’s mind and garner his signature Sunday.Openly gay State Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) authored the Harvey Milk Day legislation both years.“It is certainly appropriate the first openly gay elected official in our State, someone who literally gave his life in service to his community, should be recognized in this way,” Senator Leno told the California Progress Report.

What School Parent Groups Do - SchoolFamily.com

What School Parent Groups Do - SchoolFamily.com:

"With a new school year starting, you’re probably flooded with flyers and forms, school lunch menus, supply lists, and announcements. As you sort through the stacks of paper deciding what to keep and what to toss, chances are you’ll come across a letter inviting you to join your school parent-teacher group. Hold onto that one. That letter is a keeper.
The Role of Parent Groups

For many people, the first introduction to their school parent group is through a product fundraiser catalog. And while it’s true that a mission for many PTOs and PTAs is to bring money into the school to pay for extras like playground equipment and cultural arts programs, parent groups contribute much more. They support teachers and staff, enrich the educational experiences of students, and improve schools. Through their efforts, these parent groups turn what could be a mere collection of individuals into a strong and supportive school community."

Teach Your Children to REALLY Finish Their Homework

Teach Your Children to REALLY Finish Their Homework:

"I spend a lot of time talking about what students should do before they sit down to do homework. Today, I'd like to discuss what students should do after they've finished it! I have found that putting everything away is a crucial-but-often-neglected step, resulting in lost assignments and insane mornings. (Can you relate?)
Explain to your children that they're not really, truly, absolutely finished with their homework until they have put:"

EVERY assignment in their homework binder in the correct pocket.

The homework binder INSIDE their backpack.

ALL of their books in their backpack.

ALL materials (pencils, papers, calculator, etc.) that remain home away in a drawer or their handy Magic Homework Box.And, finally...

Their backpack by the front DOOR- or where ever they'd have to step over it before they leave in the morning.

Can you imagine how much easier everybody's life will be when your children complete all of these steps regularly?

Advice for Parents Volunteering at School - WSJ.com

Advice for Parents Volunteering at School - WSJ.com:

"Rosa Rivera receives so many invitations to volunteer at her children's school and other activities that the dozens of daily emails and calls about various projects can be 'just overwhelming,' says the mother of two.

At her children's stage, ages 7 and 9, her top priority is to take the projects that will help them most in school and life, says Ms. Rivera, Austin, Texas. But it can be hard to figure out which projects those are. 'You're pulled and stretched in so many directions, now more than ever,' she says."

Sometimes, of course, it is best to volunteer where a school needs you most. And most school volunteer projects have worthy goals. Fundraisers keep alive arts, sports or music programs. Helping out in the school office fills staffing gaps. Painting classrooms improves kids' environment. Serving on the school board helps shape schools' strategy and direction.

But for parents with limited time and energy, which roles deliver the biggest benefit for your kids? And how does the answer to that question change as a student grows up?

Education and Children | iparticipate.org

Education and Children iparticipate.org:

"Communities In Schools
Tutor, mentor, and or help with after-school enrichment activities in a public school. Short-term or long-term volunteers are needed to support the nation’s largest organization dedicated to helping students achieve.

Find Communities In Schools Opportunities"

New Orleans schools' recovery depends on increased federal involvement, report says | New Orleans Metro Education News - - NOLA.com

New Orleans schools' recovery depends on increased federal involvement, report says New Orleans Metro Education News - - NOLA.com:

"If the federal government doesn't do more to assist with the recovery of New Orleans schools, gains made over the past four years will prove unsustainable, according to a new report by the Southern Education Foundation.

Jennifer Zdon/The Times-PicayuneLangston Hughes Academy, a charter elementary school, opened in a new building in August, but the majority of New Orleans public school students remain in outdated buildings.The foundation says that unless the federal government increases its commitment to moving forward, 'the progress made to date could become a 'flash in the pan,' to the detriment of all.' Officials must give particular attention, it said, to rebuilding the city's destroyed school buildings and to supporting instruction within their walls.

Since Katrina, only 4 percent of federal disaster relief aid provided to the Gulf Coast has gone to education, according to the not-for-profit advocacy group and think tank, which is based in Atlanta."

New Orleans schools' recovery depends on increased federal involvement, report says | New Orleans Metro Education News - - NOLA.com

New Orleans schools' recovery depends on increased federal involvement, report says New Orleans Metro Education News - - NOLA.com:

"'That money has been spent, and there's no more in the pipeline,' said Steve Suitts, the foundation's vice president and an author of the report.

Overall, the report says, progress has been made in New Orleans, the only city in the country where a majority of public school students attend charter schools, which are publicly financed but more privately run. It says the federal government has an obligation to continue supporting the rebirth of the city's schools for two main reasons.

First, it says, the federal government was complicit in the destruction of schools, and the unprecedented trauma and dislocation endured by its children, because of its failure to maintain and construct levees properly or respond quickly in the days after they failed.

Also, it says, New Orleans will serve as a crucial test of whether an education system composed primarily of autonomous charter schools can succeed in the long term."

SN&R > Columns > Bites > The ground game > 10.15.09

SN&R > Columns > Bites > The ground game > 10.15.09:

"When Bites heard that Richie Ross would be running the campaign to stop the strong-mayor initiative, Bites thought, “Why not just coronate Kevin Johnson now?”
Ross got creamed running Heather Fargo’s campaign for mayor, in the media, in the debates and on the ground. Christopher Cabaldon’s campaign for state Assembly was Ross’ to lose, and darned if Ross didn’t lose it. The list goes on.

So Bites started calling around and asking, “Why Richie Ross?” Bites even called Richie Ross to ask, “Why Richie Ross?” though that call went unreturned.
Well, apparently Bites wasn’t the only one asking that question, because last week, word came that Ross is out and political consultant Phil Giarrizzo is in, hired by the building trade unions and the Sacramento County Democratic Party to stop the measure.

Giarrizzo is said to bring a real “ground campaign” to the contest. After all, he ran the field operation for the unions that torpedoed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s special-election package back in 2005."

Layoff ax falls in D.C. schools | SocialistWorker.org

Layoff ax falls in D.C. schools SocialistWorker.org:

"ANGER ERUPTED at Washington, D.C., public schools October 2 after Chancellor Michelle Rhee delivered RIF (Reduction in Force) notices to nearly 400 people, abruptly laying off hundreds of mostly long-tenured teachers and support staff a mere five weeks into the new school year.

Though a budget crisis was the reason given for the layoffs, the real reason is plain--Rhee is continuing her campaign to break the teachers' union and further open D.C. schools to privatization."

The community response the day of the layoffs caused what the Washington Post described as "one of the most turbulent days in recent history" in the D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) system. And six days later, thousands of students, teachers and workers rallied in downtown D.C. against Rhee's latest assault. The rally followed a series of smaller actions led largely by students protesting against the massive teacher layoffs.

After hiring more than 900 new teachers in August, Rhee, with the backing of Mayor Adrian Fenty, laid off 388 DCPS teachers and other staff, causing unprecedented disruption and chaos at the start of a new school year. Among those laid off were 229 teachers, plus dozens of guidance counselors and custodial staff. Teachers who received RIF notices were told to pack their things that same day, and many were escorted out of classrooms by D.C. police.

NEA - NEA commits $6 million to support quality teaching in high-needs schools

NEA - NEA commits $6 million to support quality teaching in high-needs schools:

"WASHINGTON - September 03, 2009 - As school bells ring across the country signaling the start of another school year, many districts struggle to fill thousands of classroom vacancies. High poverty, high need schools have failed to effectively recruit and support a stable and quality staff. The National Education Association (NEA) contends that solutions are at hand if policymakers, parents, and teachers themselves promote thoughtful and comprehensive strategies to address working conditions, school leadership, and teacher quality. That belief has prompted the NEA in partnership with the Center for Teaching Quality to release,“Children of Poverty Deserve Great Teachers: One Union’s Commitment to Changing the Status Quo,” a report that highlights what is needed to identify and develop teachers and to recruit and retain them for high-needs classrooms.

Part of NEA’s “Turn Around for Great Public Schools Initiative,” The Children of Poverty report summarizes NEA’s commitment to principled changes in the status quo — signaling its determination to break ground for new teaching policy and strategic partnerships. The initiative includes an investment of $1 million per year over six years to develop comprehensive strategies and policies to increase teacher effectiveness in high-needs schools."

Op-Ed Columnist - Democrats and Schools - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Columnist - Democrats and Schools - NYTimes.com:

"The Democratic Party has battled for universal health care this year, and over the decades it has admirably led the fight against poverty — except in the one way that would have the greatest impact.

Good schools constitute a far more potent weapon against poverty than welfare, food stamps or housing subsidies. Yet, cowed by teachers’ unions, Democrats have too often resisted reform and stood by as generations of disadvantaged children have been cemented into an underclass by third-rate schools."

President Obama and his education secretary, Arne Duncan, are trying to change that — and one test for the Democrats will be whether they embrace administration reforms that teachers’ unions are already sniping at.

It’s difficult to improve failing schools when you can’t create alternatives such as charter schools and can’t remove inept or abusive teachers. In New York City, for example, unions ordinarily prevent teachers from being dismissed for incompetence — so the schools must pay failed teachers their full salaries to sit year after year doing nothing in centers called “rubber rooms.”

A devastating article in The New Yorker by Steven Brill examined how New York City tried to dismiss a fifth-grade teacher for failing to correct student work, follow the curriculum, manage the class or even fill out report cards. The teacher claimed that she was being punished for union activity, but an independent observer approved by the union confirmed the allegations and declared the teacher incompetent. The school system’s lawyer put it best: “These children were abused in stealth.”

Unions are wary in part because school administrators can be arbitrary and unfair. Yet there are some signs that the unions are rethinking their positions in very welcome ways. The National Education Association has announced an initiative to improve teaching in high-poverty high schools, and the American Federation of Teachers is experimenting with teacher evaluation that includes student performance data.

Neither initiative reflects sufficient urgency. But let’s hope this is a new beginning. I’m hoping the unions will come round and cooperate with evidence-based reforms, using their political clout to push to raise teachers’ salaries rather than to protect ineffective teachers.

Online university -- free for all - Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news source

Online university -- free for all - Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news source:

"It has no campus, no lecture theatres and hardly any paid staff, but the International University of the People, which opened last month, does have one big plus point -- no tuition fees.

This, and the fact that its courses are taught entirely online, is designed to make it accessible to people who, because of poverty, geography or personal restrictions, would not otherwise contemplate university study.

“Hundreds of millions of people deserve to get an education and don’t,” says the university’s founder, Shai Reshef, a California businessman. “We are showing a way that this mass of people can be educated in a very efficient and inexpensive way.”"

Educators' on-campus conduct a concern? - Colfax Record

Educators' on-campus conduct a concern? - Colfax Record:

"An angry crowd flooded Monday night’s Colfax Elementary School board meeting to demand that Superintendent-Principal Jon Ray and seventh-grade teacher Michelle Heimann be placed on administrative leave.

After waiting close to five hours for an answer, the crowd left the meeting expressing frustration and dissatisfaction.

Many vowed to keep their children home from school, while others threatened to recall the school board.

Following the first of two closed sessions, the board announced that an attorney had been retained to investigate allegations of misconduct, including excessive texting and cell phone calls between the two throughout the school day.

On Wednesday, Ray claimed the picture being painted by the parents is untrue. He defended Heimann, who he described as a close friend and praised her work as a teacher and former school board president."

Stacie Krajchir: The Imagine Bus Project Brings Arts Education To Underserved Youth In San Francisco

Stacie Krajchir: The Imagine Bus Project Brings Arts Education To Underserved Youth In San Francisco:

"Now more than ever it's excruciatingly clear that our educational system is in deep peril. We operate within a system strapped for money, increasingly ruled by standardized tests, underpaid educators and under-performing students. Some might say the concept of arts within schools is simply an extravagance we can't afford and don't need-- and it seems this population of believers is sadly winning, as the arts are being further cut from schools across the country."

I live under the same roof as a veteran educator who works in the private sector consulting, doing professional development in school districts in Southern California-- so I get a daily dose of the numbers involved, the politics of each districts endless list of needs, and a first person account on countless unmotivated teachers in tenure. I also receive an earful as to why arts were originally cut out; because our kids got a little "un-smart" along the way - apparently teachers focused a bit too much on arts, resulting in a slip in math and language; test scores suffered as well, and...you know the story from there. I think that's a cop out.Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stacie-krajchir/the-imagine-bus-project-b_b_321573.html

U.S. illiteracy: Why Johnny still can't read - USATODAY.com

U.S. illiteracy: Why Johnny still can't read - USATODAY.com:

"By the time he was 17, Antonio Rocha had bounced among 11 New York City schools and was reading at a first-grade level.

It wasn't until he told school officials 'I want a lawyer!' that things began to change.

STUDY: 1 in 7 U.S. adults can't read this story

With the help of an advocacy group, Rocha pressured the city to pay for 480 hours of private tutoring, which eventually helped him read at a functional level. Now 20 and working for United Parcel Service, he's one of three people profiled (and the only one comfortable with being identified) in WNYC Radio reporter Beth Fertig's new book, Why Cant U Teach Me 2 Read?."

Golden Gate [X]press : Campus organizations join forces to rally on City Hall

Golden Gate [X]press : Campus organizations join forces to rally on City Hall:

"Campus organizations from colleges across the city are joining together to gather on the steps of City Hall at noon on Oct. 15 to call attention to the mayor's office the fact that higher education was not a topic in the gubernatorial campaign.

The 'Take a Stand' rally is the last event planned for this week's political days of action, October 14 and 15 that tried to bring further attention to this year's budget cuts to higher education across California.

'We expect upwards of 500 students, faculty and staff,' said Brigitte Davila of the raza studies department, who is helping organize the event.

Participants of the rally include SF State's California Faculty Association chapter, Students for Quality Education, City College of San Francisco, Education Budget Advocacy Committee-SFSU and the California State University Employees Union-SFSU."

University ‘forced to ration’ education - SignOnSanDiego.com

University ‘forced to ration’ education - SignOnSanDiego.com:

"“We are being forced to ration educational opportunity,” Weber said at a meeting with the Union-Tribune editorial board, which editors and a reporter attended. The board regularly meets with newsmakers to discuss current events. The university requested the meeting weeks ago, not long after making the policy change in September. The change affects prospective students who are applying now for admission in 2010. Hundreds of qualified applicants — perhaps as many as 1,000 — may lose out on an SDSU education next fall as a result of the policy change, Ethan Singer, associate vice president for academic affairs, said in an interview. Last fall, the university said, about 4,500 members of its freshman class were from the service area that includes high schools south of state Route 56 and all of Imperial County. In the past decade, an average of about 37 percent of SDSU's first-time freshmen came from the service area each year, although that number has topped 54 percent the past two years."

What it would take for state to reform education | MyDesert.com | The Desert Sun

What it would take for state to reform education MyDesert.com The Desert Sun:

"Assemblyman Brian Nestande's blueprint for education reform (Valley Voice, Sept. 28) is flawed and has the potential for destroying public schools, meaning that education in the future will be reserved only for those who can afford it. Every argument he makes is based on false premises.

Using test results to evaluate teachers is not “necessary.” Parental involvement, public safety and language barriers are not within the control of teachers, so linking test scores and teacher evaluation does not measure what a teacher is doing in the classroom. If you've ever said, “I don't do well on tests” you acknowledge that a single test administered on a given day doesn't measure what a child has actually learned, in a single year or over a lifetime"

Test scores are not tied to promotion or graduation in any way, so unless a student is intrinsically motivated to perform at a high level, there is no motivation to do so. Excessive testing causes students to fill in bubbles on their answer sheets creating patterns or spelling out words.

Third-grade teachers must spend valuable instructional time teaching students how to fill in bubbles so responses will be recorded accurately. None of these measure student learning, thus cannot be a valid measure of teacher effectiveness.

The “enhanced accountability” model is archaic, deceptive and undemocratic. Successful school models encourage collaboration amongst teachers searching for best practices to increase student learning. Framing principal autocracy as “accountability” would allow teachers to be fired simply for disagreeing or clashing personally with a single supervisor. This would breed a culture of fear amongst teachers, so their focus would be on retaining their jobs instead of doing what's needed to help children learn.

South Bend Tribune: Kids left behind

South Bend Tribune: Kids left behind:

"Fortunately, Education Secretary Arne Duncan has started talking about overhauling No Child Left Behind. Though the details have not been worked out, Duncan has found the right focus: The law's method of determining whether schools have met their goals is rigid, unrealistic and counterproductive.

Under the 7-year-old law, a school is considered to be 'failing' unless a certain percentage of students score as proficient on standardized state tests each year. And raising the number of proficient students isn't enough; schools are given targets for each demographic group, including ethnicity, socioeconomic level and special education needs. A school that misses any of the targets lands in the failure category."

Under these restrictive rules, many a school that is making real headway is nonetheless tarred. And because the law gives states the authority to define proficiency, they have an incentive to set the bar low. Some of them have.With its insistence on proficiency as the only determiner of progress, the law is out of touch with the realities of struggling schools. It is practically impossible for students who start out at the bottom levels of achievement to rise to proficiency within a year or two, but schools get no credit for significant improvements that fall short of that mark.

The result: Many schools put their biggest efforts into raising the achievement of students who are just below proficient, because those students give them the best chance of meeting federal targets.

Most States Fail to Adequately Protect the Legal Rights of Abused Children, New Study Finds | Reuters

Most States Fail to Adequately Protect the Legal Rights of Abused Children, New Study Finds Reuters:

"The peer-reviewed study -- A Child's Right to Counsel: A National Report Card
on Legal Representation for Abused and Neglected Children -- was released
today on Capitol Hill by First Star and the Children's Advocacy Institute at
the University of San Diego School of Law (CAI). To view the full report,
visit www.firststar.org, or www.caichildlaw.org.

'The federal government reported that nearly 800,000 children were abused or
neglected in 2007,' said Amy Harfeld, Executive Director of First Star. 'In
the current economic recession, these children are suffering more than ever -
reports of child abuse have skyrocketed while resources to help them have been
placed in jeopardy. Most of these children will go through court proceedings
that will determine their lives and futures. Yet while the state and the
allegedly abusive or neglectful parent stand in court with attorneys by their
sides, the children often stand alone and silent. They are herded through the
system without a strong voice to advocate on their behalf. This is a troubling
double-standard.'"

WSN-US of A News-California Governor Vetoes Kirpan Bill

WSN-US of A News-California Governor Vetoes Kirpan Bill:

"SACRAMENTO: In a surprise blow to the Sikh community, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a bill that would have made it mandatory for law enforcement officers to be educated about Sikh kirpans.

The Governor’s decision came as a shock to dozens of organizations, individuals and lawmakers who supported the bill."

The veto that came Sunday night was particularly surprising given the unanimous, bipartisan votes in favor of the bill through both houses of the legislature (77-0 and 36-0 in the Assembly and Senate respectively).

“This loss for the Sikh community is a reminder of our serious lack of political clout in this state. After months of hard work and 100% support from our lawmakers, the Sikh voice was still not strong enough to overcome the whim of one man. We have been here for over 100 years. We need to learn to exercise our political muscle. It’s a shame that we haven’t been able to get even a basic education bill passed,” said Prabhjot Singh, the Sikh Coalition Board Chairman.

'USF Steps Up' to Offer Half Price Courses | Reuters

'USF Steps Up' to Offer Half Price Courses Reuters:

"The University of San Francisco, a private Jesuit university, will offer a limited number of general
education courses for half price at its regional campuses starting in January
2010. The courses are offered through USF Steps Up, a new program to help
non-USF students trapped by the devastating budget cuts at California's public
universities and give them the classes they need to graduate.

Budget cuts at the University of California and California State University
systems have resulted in layoffs, course reductions, and higher fees and left
students scrambling for classes, many of which have been cancelled. 'I've
heard heartbreaking stories from my colleagues at state schools,' says
Jennifer Turpin, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of
San Francisco. 'Students are begging to get into classes, but they can't
graduate because they can't get the classes they need. We realized we could
help these students and California by offering these classes at our regional
campuses, where USF already has a presence.'"

Opinion: What California, New York can learn from one another - San Jose Mercury News

Opinion: What California, New York can learn from one another - San Jose Mercury News:

"What New York teaches California, in turn, is that a constitutional convention can fail to achieve any reform at all, as happened in the Empire State in 1967. New Yorkers called a convention charged with reapportioning the state's legislative districts, but the debate quickly expanded into bitter fights over welfare policy, state funding of religious schools and racial discrimination in education. Voters split along partisan and geographic lines when convention delegates presented them with an omnibus package of proposed constitutional changes, and they rejected it at the polls.

California cannot afford to waste this moment of reform by failing to learn the lessons of New York. That is why scholars and political practitioners from New York and across the country are coming to Sacramento this week to inform California's constitutional debate at a conference, jointly convened by Stanford University, the University of California-Berkeley and Sacramento State University and to be broadcast on the California Channel."

BeyondChron: San Francisco's Alternative Online Daily News » School Beat: The Fiduciary Responsibility of School Administrators

BeyondChron: San Francisco's Alternative Online Daily News » School Beat: The Fiduciary Responsibility of School Administrators:

"Last year, the principal of Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy, Sandy Leigh, and teacher Kelly Clark, walked 109 miles to Sacramento to bring attention to the fact that their school site had only 32 dollars in the budget for school supplies for the whole year. 32 dollars for all the paper, pencils, erasers, markers, and everything else the 215 children at their school would require for an entire year. So Ms. Leigh, Ms. Clark, and a few parents walked, for 5 days, with blistered feet, in 90-degree heat, to let our governor know that this situation was unacceptable."

Through a recent standard “request for Information" form request resulting in 450 pages and a $45 charge at 10 cents per page, San Francisco public school parents have uncovered a host of indefensible spending practices that have occurred at the same moment when our schools are too strapped to cover the basics.For instance, just one month before Ms. Leigh began her walk to Sacramento, seven SFUSD administrators were at the Claremont Resort and Spa in Berkeley, to “discuss” leadership. This lavish weekend retreat cost the students of SFUSD thousands of dollars. They ordered a 200-dollar cheese tray and a 120-dollar dessert platter. An elementary school in SFUSD had only 15 cents per student for supplies -- yet SFUSD administrators sat on the veranda at the Claremont Resort, ordering seven deluxe “boxed lunches” at 35 dollars each and 6-dollar bottles of water.