Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, October 22, 2009

2 Vacaville Schools Close For H1N1 - Health News Story - KCRA Sacramento


2 Vacaville Schools Close For H1N1 - Health News Story - KCRA Sacramento:

"VACAVILLE, Calif. -- An elementary school and a high school in Vacaville will be closed until next week because of the H1N1 flu.

Browns Valley Elementary School is closed until Tuesday, Oct. 27, and all activities at the campus have been cancelled.

A first-grade student from Browns Valley who died had the H1N1 flu virus; however, authorities haven't determined if it was the cause of the child's death.

'We are extremely saddened and our thoughts go out to the friends and family of this child,' Solano Public Health Officer Dr. Ronald W. Chapman said in a statement."

FLU.GOV




Concerning the deaths in Sedona | Indian Country Today | Opinion


Concerning the deaths in Sedona Indian Country Today Opinion:

"As Keeper of our Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle, I am concerned for the two deaths and illnesses of the many people who participated in a sweat lodge in Sedona, Ariz. that brought our sacred rite under fire in the news. I would like to clarify that this lodge, and many others, are not our ceremonial way of life because of the way they are being conducted.

My prayers go out to the families and loved ones for their loss.

Our ceremonies are about life and healing. From the time this ancient ceremonial rite was given to our people, never has death been a part of our inikaga (life within) when conducted properly. Today, the rite is interpreted as a sweat lodge. It is much more than that. The term does not fit our real meaning of purification."

Mayor Kevin Johnson: The Accountability Rant


It’s all about accountability

I love accountability. And I find it curious when elected officials and the media decide the moment has arrived to wrap their arms around the fundamentals of accountability, for the time being.

They demand accountability -- for everybody but themselves.

They choose which rules they follow -- then attack others without investigation, due process or fact.

They ignore my calls for an independent audit -- only to embrace an audit when it suits their ambitions.

And now, suddenly, conveniently, they are champions of accountability.

Let's talk about accountability. It's a subject I understand. I ran for Mayor on a platform of accountability.

I demand accountability for myself, my staff, and every employee in the city of Sacramento.

But standing alongside accountability is responsibility. Public officials have no claim to accountability if they make accusations without facts and blunder forward in pursuit of personal gain. That is not the definition of acting responsibly.

I've been Mayor of Sacramento for 324 days. Not one day has passed without me talking about accountability.

Some facts: In my first action as Mayor, I convinced a nationally respected firm to send experts to Sacramento and perform an external review of city departments. It was all about accountability.

The company was willing to waive most if not all of its fees -- an unprecedented offer for the city.

How did a majority of the city council respond? With disdain, ridicule and ambivalence.

The council voted against the review – not once, but twice.Today, several council members have rotated 180 degrees. They want an audit of the city's Community Development Department.

To which I say, "Amen," and "Where were you in January? Where were you in June?"

The need for an audit became obvious after the suspension of two city employees after other city officials found problems with building permits in Natomas.

An investigation is underway. When the facts are established, I will do what I have always done: demand swift and appropriate action and protect the taxpayer. In other words, accountability.

Now I am asking the city council for accountability.

At the October 20 city council meeting, in a brief remark, I asked the City Manager to investigate how privileged city documents were being leaked to the media.

My request puts several people in uncomfortable positions. The people who leaked the material are uncomfortable.

And the media are uncomfortable.

But the comfort of those people and organizations is not my concern.

My motive is simple: Leaking privileged documents violates the trust placed in us by the citizens of Sacramento. It destroys the integrity and credibility of municipal government, and the government’s ability to function. It’s sneaky and dishonest.

It’s all about accountability.

Accountability isn’t just for front-line city employees. It runs from top to bottom. I must be accountable. And so must my colleagues.

Yet today we have the possibility that a city council member or council senior staff member decided to violate the spirit if not the letter of our laws, and violate the public trust.

Maybe they have what they consider a good reason. Maybe they believed the media had a right to the documents, despite the fact that they were written under the attorney-client privilege fundamental to our judicial system.

If so, they should have had the courage to accept accountability, stand up at City Hall and say, “I did this.”

I would respect that person. But they have no courage. And while I won’t speculate as to their motives, their lack of courage and need for secrecy erases any legitimacy of their act.

Accountability is not situational. It can’t be used for political convenience. You are either accountable, or you are not.

The End of California? Dream On! - TIME


The End of California? Dream On! - TIME:

"California, you may have heard, is an apocalyptic mess of raging wildfires, soaring unemployment, mass foreclosures and political paralysis. It's dysfunctional. It's ungovernable. Its bond rating is barely above junk. It's so broke, it had to hand out IOUs while its leaders debated how many prisoners to release and parks to close. Nevada aired ads mocking California's business climate to lure its entrepreneurs. The media portray California as a noir fantasyland of overcrowded schools, perpetual droughts, celebrity breakdowns, illegal immigration, hellish congestion and general malaise, captured in headlines like 'Meltdown on the Ocean' and 'California's Wipeout Economy' and 'Will California Become America's First Failed State?'"

voiceofsandiego.org: Education... Art Supplies: $20. Soccer Uniform: $25. Cost of Public Education? Supposedly Free




voiceofsandiego.org: Education... Art Supplies: $20. Soccer Uniform: $25. Cost of Public Education? Supposedly Free:

By EMILY ALPERT

"Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009 Guadalupe Amro loves soccer -- and so does his teenage son Mario. But he doesn't love the price tag. To play on the team at Serra High School, Amro said he shells out money for a ball and an official school uniform. Ordinary shorts and a T-shirt won't do.

'Those are the rules,' Amro said in Spanish, speaking on the telephone from his City Heights home. He estimated that he spent more than $55 on soccer supplies for his son. 'Children that don't have the school uniform can't play.'"

Parent-U-Turn - Home


Parent-U-Turn - Home:

"For more recommendations outline a comprehensive approach to parent engagement with the potential of making a significant impact to increase academic achievement and provide more equity and access to quality education please email info@californiaparents.net for more information

Founded in 1999 Parent-U-Turn for Leadership in Parent Education has wealth of experience assisting schools and districts that translate into improve students acheivement.. Parent-U-Turn greatest strength is advocacy. Parent -U-Turn show case best practices for parent involvement. Our training support parents as advocate for 21st century. We have develop relevance framework for parent involvement that relevant for all parents. Parent-U-Turn recognizes and respects the uniqueness of each child. The school's primary mission is to foster a love of learning in each student. goal was to assist parents in navigating the school system from grades K-16."

The Parent Survival Guide, sponsored by Congresswoman Linda Sanchez and written by urban parents who have struggled themselves in navigating the school system, is a map which parents of color can use to understand the ins and outs of the public school structure. For example, it breaks down the different offices at the school and their individual responsibilities. This is because most parents complain about how schools frequently send them from one office to another.


This guide also covers such topics as college preparation, scholarships and grants available for undocumented immigrants and African -American students, the ABC’s for student success, special education, and information about how to work within the school structure. The guide also assists immigrant families and parents of color in finding support for their college-bound children with scholarship information (name of organization, requirements, contact information).

Parent-U-Turn programs and services are available to all parents, schools, districts, and community organizations. However, priority is given to school communities in Los Angeles County that are low performing and demonstrate a desire to collaborate with PUT. To the extent possible, program materials are available in the predominant language of the community served.

Duncan to ed schools: End 'mediocre' training - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education


Duncan to ed schools: End 'mediocre' training - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education:

"Education Secretary Arne Duncan, in prepared remarks circulating in advance of a speech Thursday, accuses many of the nation's schools of education of doing 'a mediocre job of preparing teachers for the realities of the 21st-century classroom.'

My colleague Nick Anderson, on the national education beat, and I found the advance text a meaty read.

Duncan's speech, to be delivered at Columbia University, goes further than any other I can remember from an education secretary in ripping into the failure of education schools to ready teachers for the challenges of the day, particularly the demand for academic growth in all students."

The Educated Reporter: What the teacher research DOESN'T say.


The Educated Reporter: What the teacher research DOESN'T say.:

"In his education speech to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in March, President Obama said, “From the moment students enter a school, the most important factor in their success is not the color of their skin or the income of their parents. It’s the person standing at the front of the classroom.”

To put it bluntly: “He’s wrong.”

That assessment comes from noted teacher quality researcher Dale Ballou at Vanderbilt’s National Center on Performance Incentives. As well, Doug Harris at University of Wisconsin, Doug Staiger at Dartmouth—and, well, those are just the first three I called. Not that any of them have any dearth of concern about the variance in teacher quality, or the power of a good teacher to drive improvement. But they agree that in their speeches and writing, politicians, policy makers and journalists often misrepresent what, exactly, the evidence has shown."

Which is: Of the various factors inside school, teacher quality has had more effect on student scores than any other that has been measured. (Principal quality: Nobody’s effectively isolated this yet, that I know of, but I’d venture to guess it makes as much if not more of a difference.) And that an effective teacher can move students of all backgrounds forward. Certainly nobody has ever proven that good teaching matters more than, say, genetic endowment, or home environment.

Linda Perlstein
Location: Washington, DC

As public editor for the Education Writers Association, I help journalists improve coverage of schools and children. I am a former staff writer for The Washington Post and the author of two books, Tested: One American School Struggles to Make the Grade and Not Much Just Chillin': The Hidden Lives of Middle Schoolers.

UC Berkeley to admit more out-of-state students




UC Berkeley to admit more out-of-state students:

"Starting next fall, UC Berkeley will admit hundreds of additional out-of-state residents and international students instead of Californians as a way to make up for state budget cuts."

Chancellor Robert Birgeneau said Tuesday that his campus will be admitting as many as 600 fewer "unfunded" California students a year to offset a 20 percent cut from Sacramento. Those slots will instead go to out-of-staters.

The problem is that the state picks up much of the university's cost of educating California students - only it's not paying for as many students as it used to. Nonresidents, on the other hand, pay their own, higher tuitions that actually cover UC's cost of educating them.

Birgeneau said he understands that people will be angry that Berkeley will be freezing out Californians in favor of students from elsewhere. But, he said, "that upset needs to be directed to Sacramento."

At present, about 14 percent of the 13,000 freshmen who win admission to Berkeley each year are nonresidents. A task force of faculty and administrators recently recommended

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/21/BAFI1A89U6.DTL&type=education#ixzz0UgWlFLPM

The Hamburg Express. Local news for an international community. | New Arguments Against School Reform | Daycare, School, Have, Would


The Hamburg Express. Local news for an international community. New Arguments Against School Reform Daycare, School, Have, Would:

"Regional Parents’ Committee criticizes the senate’s daycare plans

The issue of school reform in Hamburg has been settled for the time being. Despite massive protests of parents, teachers and pupils, the city of Hamburg has agreed on the reform. The re-structuring of the city’s school system is on the way.

Its numerous opponents, however, keep arguing against the school reform. The Regional Parents’ Committee (LEA) has now addressed an open letter to Hamburg’s social authority and school authority. The committee suspects that the after-school daycare which the senate plans as part of the school reform does not quite live up to its promises.

Does the school reform pose a risk to after-school daycare?"

Phila. schools, union extend contract | Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/22/2009


Phila. schools, union extend contract Philadelphia Inquirer 10/22/2009:

"Ten days before the contract of 11,000 Philadelphia School District teachers, nurses, librarians, and support staff was set to expire, officials yesterday announced that they extended the pact a second time for an additional month.

In a statement, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president Jerry Jordan, Superintendent Arlene Ackerman, and School Reform Commission chairman Robert Archie Jr. said the contract would now expire Nov. 30.

Teachers' current salaries, benefits, and working conditions will remain in place.

'The School District and the PFT are continuing to work together to negotiate a multiyear contract that will improve students' academic achievement and create working conditions that help the district recruit and retain the best teachers and staff,' officials said in the statement."

Truthdig - Reports - Blinded by Reform


Truthdig - Reports - Blinded by Reform:

"It’s gotten lost in the splashier news, but big things are going on at the U.S. Department of Education.

Following on the unprecedented federal reach of No Child Left Behind, the Obama administration is extending further and putting serious money behind its education initiatives, inviting states and districts to compete for federal dollars. The department wants to increase the community college graduation rate. For K-12, it wants to stimulate the production of better state standards and tests, measure teacher effectiveness, turn around failing schools and increase the number of charter schools. Through a third initiative it wants to spark innovation and scale up the best of local academic programs."

Parents Design L.A. Parent Involvement Model | Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center


Parents Design L.A. Parent Involvement Model Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center:

"Los Angeles parents have a new tool this fall to help them be more active and engaged in their children’s schools. The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) will be implementing a new model for involving parents in schools that specifically addresses the needs of “parents of colowith kids who struggle in urban schools,” says Mary Johnson, mother of two and executive director of Parent-U-Turn.

The new parent involvement model—developed by Parent-U-Turn, an organization focused on improving parent involvement in schools—aims to “help urban parents advocate for their children, navigate the K-12 system, ask [schools] the right questions, and know about policy,” says Johnson. The LAUSD is implementing the new model this fall—and now schools across California can also adopt it."

Pew Report: Without a Secure Funding Source, Louisiana's Pre-K for All Is Side-Tracked | Reuters


Pew Report: Without a Secure Funding Source, Louisiana's Pre-K for All Is Side-Tracked Reuters:

"WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Just a year after they
committed to making voluntary pre-kindergarten available to all children,
Louisiana lawmakers cut pre-k funding by $5.5 million, according to a
state-by-state analysis by Pre-K Now, a campaign of the Pew Center on the
States. The decrease demonstrates an inherent risk in relying on annual
appropriations to expand children's access to early learning programs.


'Louisiana lawmakers have side-tracked state progress,' said Marci Young,
project director for Pre-K Now. 'This setback will affect the state's ability
to prepare young children to enter school ready to succeed. These decisions
will prevent the state from realizing the proven economic benefits associated
with high-quality early education programs.'


The non-partisan annual report, 'Votes Count: Legislative Action on Pre-K
Fiscal Year 2010,' evaluates state budgets to determine which legislatures
count voluntary, high-quality pre-k among their top education reform
strategies. Using this information, Americans can determine whether their
elected leaders are committing the resources necessary to develop the
successful students and workers central to economic recovery."

Truthdig - Ear to the Ground - A Cruel and Unusual Waste of Money


Truthdig - Ear to the Ground - A Cruel and Unusual Waste of Money:

"Executing people is expensive. A new report by the Death Penalty Information Center says California is spending more than 10 times as much on capital punishment—$137 million a year—as it would on an alternative life-without-parole system. New York and New Jersey repealed the death penalty after spending hundreds of millions without an execution to show for it.

Why is it when states look to cut costs, as California has, they go after positive social programs that benefit the poor, kids and seniors? If we’re going to slash education budgets every time we hit a downturn, then we ought to start thinking about execution as a luxury. It may be wildly popular in this country, but we just can’t afford it. —PZS"

Mix It Up | Teaching Tolerance


Mix It Up Teaching Tolerance:
"Is your school Mixing It Up? Add your school to the Mix It Up map today.

Students thrive—socially and academically—in schools that are inclusive. Yet, for far too many students, schools are hotbeds of exclusion. Social scientists have long maintained that contact between diverse groups helps alleviate tensions and reduce prejudice. Mix It Up seeks to break down the barriers between students and improve intergroup relations so there are fewer misunderstandings that can lead to conflicts, bullying, and harassment.

Teaching Tolerance provides Mix It Up activities for teachers to use to organize a successful Mix It Up at Lunch Day and promote social border crossing all year long.
Join this national movement. You could be named our next Mix It Up Model School."

Mix It Up
Search Mix It Up Activities
Model Schools
Mix it Up at Lunch Day
Downloads

California: Too Big Not to Fail? - Fortune Brainstorm Tech


California: Too Big Not to Fail? - Fortune Brainstorm Tech:

"The state of the state? 'A train wreck,' says one official.

If the world’s eighth-largest economy were a member of the proper religious order, it’d be time to call in a priest to administer last rites.

Name almost any serious malady and the state of California has it: the nation’s highest marginal tax rate coupled with an abysmal public education system; the most home foreclosures; a free-falling commercial real estate sector; lame-duck governor with no legislative support and a disdain for an annual budget process that he refers to as kabuki theater; unemployment somewhere between the official number of 12% and the whisper number of 18%; a 20% drop in year-over-year revenue; municipalities that have either declared bankruptcy (Vallejo) or are on the verge (Los Angeles); and a black-box permitting process that scares away business investment even while every week, 3,000 more taxpayers migrate to greener pastures."

The Associated Press: Analysis: Schwarzenegger reversals erode trust


The Associated Press: Analysis: Schwarzenegger reversals erode trust:

"SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has never shied away from changing his mind. Lately, it seems that's all he's been doing, creating confusion in the capital as he tries to tackle an ambitious policy agenda before his time in office runs out.

Earlier this month, he threatened a mass veto if legislative leaders didn't agree to a comprehensive water deal, then backed down at the last minute and signed two-thirds of the 707 bills before him — similar to his annual record on legislation. After twice rejecting bills to honor slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk, he signed a bill giving him a statewide day of recognition without explanation.

He mocked lawmakers over the summer for wasting time debating bills about cows' tails, honey labeling and a blueberry commission, then approved all three."

Texas leads U.S. in child abuse deaths, study says | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Texas Regional News


Texas leads U.S. in child abuse deaths, study says News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News Texas Regional News:

"A national child advocacy group said in a report released Wednesday that Texas far and away leads the nation in child abuse deaths:

THE NUMBERS: The state had 1,509 children die from abuse and neglect from 2001 through 2007, the years covered by the study, the report from Every Child Matters said. Florida was second with 785. California, the only state larger than Texas in population, had 763. In 2007, Texas had 228 child deaths.

FUNDING: While the report does not directly draw a cause-and-effect correlation, it says that Texas finished close to the bottom among the 50 states in per capita spending to protect children. In recent years, the state has beefed up funding for Child Protective Services in response to reports of children who died despite visits by state"

Chevron Announces California Partnership to Invest in Education and Jobs | Reuters


Chevron Announces California Partnership to Invest in Education and Jobs Reuters:

"Kiva.org, Project Lead the Way and Other Nonprofits Offer Innovative Approaches
to Economic and Social Challenges

SAN RAMON, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) today announced the California Partnership, an
initiative to invest in education and economic development in its home state.
Under the new initiative, Chevron will expand and deepen its partnerships with
nonprofits focused on supporting underserved communities, including
relationships with 18 new nonprofit partners providing programs for education,
entrepreneurs and job training. Additional partners will be introduced
throughout the remainder of 2009.

'Communities in California are facing extraordinary challenges accessing the
resources they need to be successful during these turbulent economic times,'
said Matt Lonner, manager of Global Partnerships and Programs at Chevron.
'Innovative partnerships between private and nonprofit organizations are needed
to invest in opportunities and solutions. Chevron`s California Partnership is a
renewed commitment on the part of our company to work with the organizations
that can deliver the programs that our communities need, and invest in the
future of our home state."

High Value Education Forum to Be Hosted by the Vietnam Consulate General (SF) on November 16th to Explore Cooperation between Vietnam Higher Education and California and U.S. Universities | Reuters


High Value Education Forum to Be Hosted by the Vietnam Consulate General (SF) on November 16th to Explore Cooperation between Vietnam Higher Education and California and U.S. Universities Reuters:

"SAN FRANCISCO--(Business Wire)--
The Government of Vietnam has taken unprecedented steps in the past few years to
modernize and reform the higher education system in Vietnam. H.E. Nguyen Thien
Nhan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Education and Training, is leading a
high level delegation including top ranking officials from the Ministry of
Education and Training, representatives from more than 40 universities
andseveral Vietnamese businesses investing in education in Vietnam to attend the
Higher Education Forum, a centerpiece of the Meet Vietnam Program. Priority
goals of the Ministry of Education and Training to be discussed include the
development of 23 Advanced Programs and establishment of an American-style
university in Vietnam."

South Bend Tribune: Parents help their children make the grade


South Bend Tribune: Parents help their children make the grade:

"WASHINGTON — 'Why don't you guys study like the kids from Africa?'

In a moment of exasperation last spring, I asked that question to a virtually all-black class of 12th-graders who had done horribly on a test I had just given. A kid who seldom came to class — and was constantly distracting other students when he did — shot back: 'It's because they have fathers who kick their butts and make them study.'

Another student angrily challenged me: 'You ask the class, just ask how many of us have our fathers living with us.' When I did, not one hand went up."

Golden Gate [X]press : Oil tax proposed to fund higher education




Golden Gate [X]press : Oil tax proposed to fund higher education:

"The majority leader for the California State Assembly kicked off his tour of eight California State University schools Oct. 12 to promote a bill that could solve California's public higher education budget crisis.

Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont, kicked off his 'Fair Share for Fair Tuition' tour at Cal State East Bay in support of his bill, AB 656, which would increase tax oil companies 10 percent for oil and gas extraction.

'The oil doesn't belong to the oil companies, it belongs to the people of the state - and if you're going to take it, you're going to pay,' Torrico told the crowd, which consisted of about 200 people, in front of the university's administration building, Warren Hall.

The bill would create the California Higher Education Fund in which 60 percent of the money garnered from the tax would be given to the California State University system. Thirty percent will be given to the University of California system and 10 percent to California Community Colleges."

UPDATE 2-Corinthian to buy Heald Capital for $395 mln | Deals | Mergers & Acquisitions | Reuters


UPDATE 2-Corinthian to buy Heald Capital for $395 mln Deals Mergers & Acquisitions Reuters:

"BANGALORE, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Education provider Corinthian Colleges Inc (COCO.O) said it agreed to acquire Heald Capital, the parent company of Heald Colleges, in a cash deal valued at about $395 million, including debt.

Heald, which is based in San Francisco, California, currently operates 11 campuses and offers courses in healthcare, legal and technology to about 12,300 students.
Corinthian, which provides short-term courses in fields such as healthcare, criminal justice and mechanical, said it would use its $280 million credit facility and available cash to finance the acquisition.

Heald will operate as a separate division after the acquisition is complete, Corinthian said on a conference call with analysts"

Sacramento Press / Safe Ground Now!


Sacramento Press / Safe Ground Now!:

"The homeless are speaking out against the city’s closure of tent city. On Tuesday, Oct.13, The City Council’s weekly meeting was overrun by homeless people calling for safe ground.The first big storm of the season had just hit the Sacramento area. In fact it was still rainingwhen the meeting was taking place.

The City Council meets every week and anyone can attend. At the beginning of every meeting there is an allotted amount time for citizens to address The City Council. The homeless people of Sacramento did just that.There were about 10 homeless people sitting in the front row and each of them addressed The City Council for 2 minutes each.

Many homeless had taken up residence in an open field north west of downtown Sacramento. It was coined tent city. Recently tent city was closed off and the peoplestaying there were told to move."

SN&R > Columns > Bites > Tapped out and boxed up > 10.22.09




SN&R > Columns > Bites > Tapped out and boxed up > 10.22.09:

"City councilman Kevin McCarty is pushing for new rules for bottled-water plants—like the one NestlĂ© Waters North America wants to open in south Sacramento.

The new plant was promoted by Mayor Kevin Johnson and the city’s Economic Development Department, but has provoked skepticism from the public and some members of the city council.

“Sure, I’ve heard it will create anywhere from 15 to 40 jobs. But at what cost?” McCarty said. “I’m not sure if this makes the most sense for our community in terms of the costs and benefits.”

McCarty is planning to introduce an “urgency ordinance” that would require water-bottling plants like NestlĂ©’s to have special permits before they begin operation."