Dennis Bakke to Imagine Schools: Pick your board members carefully | The Grade | STLtoday

Dennis Bakke to Imagine Schools: Pick your board members carefully The Grade STLtoday:

"This is the unedited e-mail sent from Virginia-based Imagine Schools CEO Dennis Bakke to his top executives and schools principals."

Sacramento tells Nestle: Stop building bottled water plant - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento tells Nestle: Stop building bottled water plant - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"The city of Sacramento has ordered food giant Nestlé to stop work on construction of a new bottled water plant in south Sacramento while the City Council decides whether to impose new planning requirements on such facilities.

The council is scheduled to vote tonight on whether to require special permits for beverage bottling plants – which means they would have to go through public hearings before the Planning Commission and council.

Stricter environmental regulations could also be placed on the projects if the proposed ordinance is passed, said David Kwong, acting director of the Community Development Department."

Editorial: Nestlé ordinance a bad precedent - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Editorial: Nestlé ordinance a bad precedent - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:

"Over the years, numerous bottling firms and breweries have set up shop in Sacramento.

To date, none of these bottlers – from Alhambra to Coca-Cola – has triggered much opposition for the products they sell or the water rates they pay. Yet both of those issues have bubbled to the surface with the arrival of Nestlé Waters to Sacramento.

Nestlé was welcomed by Mayor Kevin Johnson when it signed a lease in July for a building at the Florin Fruitridge Industrial Park. Since then, the reception has been less welcoming. Activists have targeted Nestlé for its efforts to site a bottling plant in McCloud, in Northern California, and for its threat to sue Miami-Dade County, Fla., over ads promoting city tap water."

Des Moines to consider 'fast-track' diploma to cut dropout rate | desmoinesregister.com | The Des Moines Register

Des Moines to consider 'fast-track' diploma to cut dropout rate desmoinesregister.com The Des Moines Register:

"Some Des Moines students would be able to graduate with 18 credits - five fewer than the 23 now needed - under a committee recommendation school board members will consider in the coming weeks.

Students who receive a 'fast-track' diploma would meet all state and district requirements as well as the entrance criteria at Iowa's three state universities, Superintendent Nancy Sebring said.

The proposal comes when school officials nationwide are searching for ways to keep students on pace to graduate from high school rather than dropping out."

And it comes after a period when many of the country's school districts increased the number of credits required to graduate from high school. Study halls were eliminated and school officials added online and after-school courses and summer school as ways students can earn additional credits or make up credits from failed classes.

"I do believe it was sort of credits gone wild in order to prove our students could learn the most," Sebring said. "Ultimately, I think there is a limit on what is reasonable for high school students."

Sebring and others believe that the increased number of credits needed to graduate play a role in a district's dropout rate. And that belief has prompted some districts to re-examine their course requirements and diploma options for students.

Sacramento County's CEO announces retirement - Latest News - sacbee.com

Sacramento County's CEO announces retirement - Latest News - sacbee.com:

"Terry Schutten, the top administrator in Sacramento County, is retiring at the end of this calendar year.

Schutten has been the county executive officer since June 1999 and has led the county through the Freeport Regional Water project, the airport expansion, increased neighborhood participation and land conservation efforts.

He has also been the man at the helm of the worst county budget in modern history. His announcement comes weeks after the Board of Supervisors finalized this year's budget that has so far led to nearly 800 county workers losing their jobs and social service programs closing down. Schutten spent the past year weathering blistering criticism from the unions and other officials for his handling of the budget. Sheriff John McGinness called for Schutten's firing last spring."

The Perimeter Primate

The Perimeter Primate:

"Jerry Brown wants to have another turn on the Governor of California ride. The 'About' page on his campaign website features a little story about him.

Of the 1035 words written to summarize Jerry’s long political career, 196 words are dedicated to Brown’s accomplishments while he served as Oakland’s mayor from 1998 to 2006. Of those 196 words, 53 words quite accurately describe Brown’s involvement in education during that time. His interest in the education of Oakland’s school children is explained as such:"

Brown personally founded the Oakland School for the Arts and the Oakland Military Institute. Both schools serve students from the 6th grade through the 12th and are among the best performing schools in Oakland. Their graduates are now studying in such outstanding universities as Yale, Vassar, Stanford, West Point, UCLA and UC Berkeley.

Now, an astute observer will notice something’s missing – namely any mention of the 50,000 or so students who attended the schools which weren’t either of Jerry’s charters. With so little information about his views on public education or any other possible involvement he had had, an independent critical thinker will be curious how the claims on Jerry’s website mesh with reality.

SCUSD Observer: Let's really be bold

SCUSD Observer: Let's really be bold

Let's really be bold

On the editorial pages of the Sacramento Bee recently, writers have touted the successes of local school districts that have acted "boldly" in turning around our failing schools.The reconstitution of Jonas Salk Middle School is cited in one editorial as the brave action that San Juan Unified took to improve its test scores.Another laughable puff piece in the series displays the Bee's continued insistence that Sacramento Charter High School has been transformed by the St. Hope Corporation into a successful school with glowing reviews.

How does rape become a spectator sport at homecoming dance? | Get Schooled

How does rape become a spectator sport at homecoming dance? Get Schooled

Again, I have to ask: What is wrong with us?

How could teenagers at a high school homecoming dance stand by and watch the sexual assault of a young girl? We talked about this a few weeks ago after the school bus beating video, but I still am baffled.

Are the teens fearful of repercussions if they protest?

Are bystanders too drunk themselves to realize what is happening?

Or have we shown our children so much violence in movies and TV that they are unfazed when they see it in person?

I understand more and more the reluctance of schools to host evening events. As this story notes, there were seven adults monitoring this school dance, including four police officers. Yet, this crime occurred undetected outside the homecoming dance.

From the Associated Press:

Police believe as many as a dozen people watched a 15-year-old girl get beaten and gang-raped outside her high school homecoming dance without reporting it.

Two suspects were in custody Monday, but police said as many as five other men attacked the girl over a two-hour period Friday night outside Richmond High School.
“She was raped, beaten, robbed and dehumanized by several suspects who were obviously OK enough with it to behave that way in each other’s presence,” Lt. Mark Gagan said. “What makes it even more disturbing is the presence of others. People came by, saw what was happening and failed to report it.”
The victim remained hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Manuel Ortega, 19, was arrested at the scene and was being held on $800,000 bail for investigation of rape and robbery. He is not a student at the school.
Richmond police Sgt. David Harris said he did not know if Ortega had retained an attorney.

A 15-year-old student also was booked late Monday on one count of sexual assault, Gagan said.

Police said the girl left the dance and was walking to meet her father for a ride home when a classmate invited her to join a group drinking in the courtyard. The victim had drank a large amount of alcohol by the time the assault began, police said.

Officers received a tip about a possible assault on campus and found the girl semi-conscious near a picnic table.

Marin Trujillo, a spokesman for the West Contra Costa Unified School District, said there were four police officers and three school administrators monitoring the dance, but the assault happened away from the gym.

Police say dozen people watched Calif. gang rape | ajc.com

Police say dozen people watched Calif. gang rape ajc.com

RICHMOND, Calif. — Police believe as many as a dozen people watched a 15-year-old girl get beaten and gang-raped outside her high school homecoming dance without reporting it.

Two suspects were in custody Monday, but police said as many as five other men attacked the girl over a two-hour period Friday night outside Richmond High School.

"She was raped, beaten, robbed and dehumanized by several suspects who were obviously OK enough with it to behave that way in each other's presence," Lt. Mark Gagan said. "What makes it even more disturbing is the presence of others. People came by, saw what was happening and failed to report it."

The victim remained hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Manuel Ortega, 19, was arrested at thescene and was being held on $800,000 bail for investigation of rape and robbery. He is not a student at the school.

Richmond police Sgt. David Harris said he did not know if Ortega had retained an attorney.

A 15-year-old student also was booked late Monday on one count of sexual assault, Gagan said.

Bridging Differences: What Does the Best and Wisest Parent Want?

Bridging Differences: What Does the Best and Wisest Parent Want?:

"Dear Deborah,

Well, I certainly agree with you that all kids should have the quality of education now available only for students in the best schools. Given how much our nation spends on education, this should not be a pipe dream, but we know that it is not happening and has not happened in the past.

We both recall that John Dewey wrote that what the best and wisest parent wants for his own child is what the community should want for all its children. That's a good starting point. What does the best and wisest parent want for his or her own child?"

Education Week: Turnover in Principalship Focus of Research

Education Week: Turnover in Principalship Focus of Research:

"On good days, Jamie Gillespie loves her job as a high school principal in Edenton, N.C. On bad days, she contemplates switching careers.

Ms. Gillespie has been a principal for six years: one year at Edenton’s John A. Holmes High School and five years previously in Evansville, Wis. New research suggests that she may be one of the survivors in her profession.

Data available from a handful of states suggest that only about half of beginning principals remain in the same job five years later, and that many leave the principalship altogether when they go."

Message to Educonomists: You Can't Ignore the Important Stuff | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

Message to Educonomists: You Can't Ignore the Important Stuff LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:

"Emily and Bryan Hassel have an idea: Don't get too hung up on plans to make teachers better. Instead, figure out how to help the best teachers reach far more students. After all, they argue, the top 20 percent of teachers are three times as effective as the bottom 20 percent.

Try as they might, though, they cannot escape the need to support teachers through good old fashioned staff development, curriculum and assessment. It's time the education economists paid much closer attention to these critical areas, which are just so déclassé these days.

Of course, the Hassels' argument raises all sorts of questions. How do you identify the top 20 percent of teachers? Do we trust test scores? Will teachers stay in the top 20 percent from year to year? Are the 'top' teachers good in every kind of school? Are they effective with every kind of student?"

LAUSD plan to have outsiders run 36 of its schools nears reality - The Daily Breeze

LAUSD plan to have outsiders run 36 of its schools nears reality - The Daily Breeze:

"Pushing aside the threat of lawsuits and complaints about the process, Los Angeles Unified officials today will begin finalizing a controversial reform plan that allows the outside operation of three dozen schools.

The school board will meet today to finalize an application that could be released Wednesday to charter operators and other nonprofit organizations seeking to run 36 new and under-performing campuses.

Locally, Gardena and San Pedro high schools - two of the lowest-performing schools in the South Bay and Harbor Area - are targeted for takeover by outsiders.
District leaders said they refused to see their reform effort derailed by the threat of lawsuits by employee unions and concerns of charter school advocates."

Sacramento Press / Agencies plan to set up 419 winter shelter beds

Sacramento Press / Agencies plan to set up 419 winter shelter beds:

"Despite Sacramento County’s financial crisis, the city and county intend to provide 151 more beds for the homeless this winter than last.

That’s because city officials expect 419 winter shelter beds to be funded through a variety of entities, including the city, nonprofit organizations, the federal government, the county and private donors. Last year, there were 268 winter shelter beds for the homeless.

“The strategy provides for a collaborative public and private solution to increasing winter shelter options for the region's most vulnerable population during the coldest months of the year,” according to an Oct. 27 report to the City Council from Cassandra Jennings, assistant city manager, and La Shelle Dozier, executive director for the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency."

New Haven teachers pact: message to Rhee? - D.C. Wire -

New Haven teachers pact: message to Rhee? - D.C. Wire -:

"Education Secretary Arne Duncan and American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten have been pounding the blackboard in praise of the recently completed New Haven teachers contract, hailing it as a model for what's possible when unions and elected officials collaborate in good faith.

The agreement calls for teacher evaluations that use student growth as one of many measures, flexible work rules to help turn around failing schools and peer assistance for struggling educators. It is also described as a not-so-subtle rebuke to Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee over the District's inability to close a deal with its union.

The New Haven contract, approved by membership October 13 by an 842-39 margin, took about four months to complete, AFT officials said. Talks in the District, plagued by accusations of bad faith, are headed for the two-year mark."

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

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

By EMILY ALPERT

"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.

Editorial: Gov. Granholm's attack on Prop A misdirected | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Editorial: Gov. Granholm's attack on Prop A misdirected detnews.com The Detroit News:

"Gov. Jennifer Granholm told a Grand Rapids audience last week she wants to rejigger the state school aid funding formula because it no longer is working. But the real problem is Michigan's moribund economy, which has led to a shortage of money from many tax sources.

Granholm argues that the continual decline in school aid revenue is caused by Proposal A, the landmark 1994 property tax reform that switched the majority of school funding from local districts to state government.

In these tough times, all revenues are shrinking. Michigan's educational property tax revenue is down 16 percent. Revenue from the sales tax, three-quarters of which funds schools, has declined 10 percent."

New Haven teachers’ pact sets standard for school reform - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

New Haven teachers’ pact sets standard for school reform - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star:

"New Haven, Conn., is 800 miles away, but we’re excited about a groundbreaking agreement there last week on a teacher contract.

Education Week said the New Haven contract could be a model for the nation.

What’s important about the contract is its flexibility and potential to advance school reform goals. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, told The Wall Street Journal: “I rarely say that something is a model or a template for something else, but this is both.”"

DPS evaluates school remedies - The Denver Post

DPS evaluates school remedies - The Denver Post:

"Denver Public Schools is the first district in Colorado set to deploy stern academic reforms pushed by a White House education-stimulus program to fix the nation's worst schools.
DPS also is the first to feel the heat.

The district is eyeing federally suggested turnaround strategies that could shut down school programs or remove staff and principals at Greenlee and Philips elementary schools and Lake Middle School. It also is scrutinizing the renewals of three low-performing charter schools: P.S. 1 Charter, Northeast Academy and Skyland Community High School.

Recommendations will be made Nov. 9. The board will vote Nov. 30 on changes to schools."

Nearly 900 California Schools Implement Reading Program -- THE Journal

Nearly 900 California Schools Implement Reading Program -- THE Journal:

"Seeking to make reading proficiency and comprehension a priority, nearly 900 schools throughout California have implemented the Lexia Reading program, which helps students in grades pre-K through 12 improve their reading skills while offering teachers a tool for fully integrated assessment reporting.

Lexia's technology offers more than 800 activities for reading skills development, all of which are age- and skill-specific and conform to federal reading guidelines. A notable feature is the individualized 'branching' technology that determines when a student needs additional practice in each skill and ensures mastery of the skill before the student progresses to the next one."

CalPERS tweets back at 'misinformation' - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:

CalPERS tweets back at 'misinformation' - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals::

"The California Public Employees’ Retirement System wants to get its message out directly, so it launched a Web site that links to its social media posts on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

CalPERS said CalPERSResponds.com offers the nation’s largest public pension fund a way to let its members, employees, employers and others keep up with issues in national health care reform, pensions investments and security.

“There’s a lot of information and misinformation about CalPERS,” said Patricia Macht, CalPERS director of external affairs. “We hope this site will help separate the facts from fiction and provide some education, insight and clarity to these issues.”"

Democrats go back to the well for taxes - ContraCostaTimes.com

Democrats go back to the well for taxes - ContraCostaTimes.com:

"SACRAMENTO — As oil companies continue to reap record profits amid strained state revenues, a pair of Democratic lawmakers are hoping to tap into their deep pockets by installing an oil severance tax that could relieve growing pressures to cut more state services.

Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Long Beach, introduced a bill Monday called the Fair Share Act, that would impose a 10 percent oil severance fee on extractions from California wells to bring in $1.5 billion to the state's coffers.

A similar bill that has already cleared one committee, by Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont, would impose a 9.9 percent fee, but would earmark the revenues to higher education funding."

Poor Math Scores Come as Education Cuts Continue - 10/27/2009 - School Library Journal

Poor Math Scores Come as Education Cuts Continue - 10/27/2009 - School Library Journal:

"California’s budget crisis has come home to roost as the 2009 Nation’s Report Card puts the state lower than the nation’s average for fourth graders and eighth graders on the biennial National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)."

California’s fourth graders earned 232 out of 500 points, compared to an average of 239 for U.S. students overall. The state’s eighth graders averaged 270 points out of 500, still below the nation’s 282 average score.

The $6.1 billion California cut from public school funds during its budget crisis this year can’t help. Already, teachers, school librarians, superintendents, and even parents and students are scrambling as schools lay off educators and increase class size.

David Driscoll, chair of the National Assessment Governing Board, which administers the NAEP, says that math instruction has to be better—and that starts with teacher comprehension. “Classroom teachers, especially at the elementary school level, are crucial to math instruction in many ways,” he says in a statement. “We’re clearly not requiring enough of our math teachers, and we’re not challenging them in pre-service or equipping them as well as we should.”

@issue: the walkout : The Collegian Online

@issue: the walkout : The Collegian Online:

"On last Wednesday afternoon, an estimated 400 student-activists marched on California State University, Fresno’s campus, protesting budget cuts, higher fees and class cuts. The “walkout” was an impressive show of solidarity and as The Fresno Bee put it, “succeeded in publicizing complaints about rising costs and reduced benefits.”

And I, like the majority of my peers, did not participate in it.

Not to be a “Debbie Downer,” but 400 students out of the more than 20,000 that are enrolled at Fresno State is not a very inspiring number."

Tufts Daily - Editorial | Cutting costs, compromising education

Tufts Daily - Editorial Cutting costs, compromising education:

"Universities both public and private are struggling to deal with the financial realities of this national recession without compromising their commitment to education. Economic constraints have made budget cuts unavoidable for most universities, and the California State University (CSU) system, hamstrung by a particularly tight state budget, has cut costs in ways that directly harm student education.

The CSU’s decision was unwise, but all the blame cannot be placed on the schools, subject as they are to California’s capricious state funding.

In response to major funding cuts from the state, professors in the CSU system are now required to take off two teaching days per month and accept a 10 percent salary cut. Students’ testimonies indicate that they are feeling the effects of this decision, and they are not pleased. Teachers faced with less classroom time are forced to slash entire sections from their curricula. In short, students are losing out."

The Signal - Santa Clarita Valley News - Literacy program’s future uncertain

The Signal - Santa Clarita Valley News - Literacy program’s future uncertain:

"Alma Vega wants to create a better future for her two children, ages 2 and 1.

The 17-year-old is struggling to learn English and how to take care of her children. That led her to the Newhall School District's Even Start program earlier this year, where she has been able to learn and befriend other families who face similar struggles.

'I feel comfortable here,' she said. 'I don't feel alone.'"

Is Mayor Bloomberg caving on the UFT contract? | GothamSchools

Is Mayor Bloomberg caving on the UFT contract? GothamSchools:

"New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg — up by 18 points over his opponent in the latest polls and with Election Day next week — apparently is not willing to use his position to forge new ground with the teacher contract he is negotiating with the United Federation of Teachers. The current contract expires Saturday.

In the first apparent “leak” from the tight-lipped Bloomberg camp, Chris Cerf, now a Bloomberg campaign education advisor and until recently Joel Klein’s deputy chancellor, announced in a WNYC interview yesterday that the Mayor agreed with Bill Thompson that performance bonuses should be handed out to teachers on a school-wide basis, rather than based on the individual merit of teachers. This disclosure, first covered by GothamSchools, likely was a calculated move to dampen expectations before a contract agreement is announced."

The Women's Conference | GlamNest

The Women's Conference GlamNest:

"Today is the 2009 Women’s Conference in Long Beach, California. The annual affair founded and hosted by Maria Shriver is a day of empowerment, inspiration, and transformation for women all around the world. Attendees are fortunate to participate in education and motivational sessions and listen to speeches given by powerful men and women in politics, business, arts, medicine, and pop culture. Madeline Albright, Katie Couric, Elizabeth Edwards, Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger, Alicia Keys, and Maria Shriver are just a few of this year’s speakers.

Shriver encourages women to be “architects of change” and shape the world around them. She wants women to voice their opinions and join the conversation.

Follow the Women’s Conference live HERE, and stay tuned for coverage on Glam."

UCs Governed by Well-Paid Gravedigger - Daily Nexus

UCs Governed by Well-Paid Gravedigger - Daily Nexus:

"Dear President Yudof,

In a recent New York Times interview, you shared your view that “being president of the University of California is like being manager of a cemetery: There are many people under you, but no one is listening.” This is a particularly interesting image; it might be more accurate, however, had you not so detached yourself from the UC’s demise. You are not the manager who thrives above ground. In fact, you are a much more sinister, capitalistic figure who has destroyed the UC system. If we are underground, you are most certainly down under with us, demanding more money for fee hikes. I picture you in the role of the mythological Greek character Charon, who ferried souls across the River Styx to their final resting place in Hades. Charon, however, would only admit the deceased to the underworld after collecting a compensation of one coin from each of the deceased."

Barnidge: There's a reason for legislators' low approval ratings - ContraCostaTimes.com

Barnidge: There's a reason for legislators' low approval ratings - ContraCostaTimes.com:

"BECAUSE legislative gridlock has become an institutional tradition in Sacramento, it would have been a tall order for Darrell Steinberg to remedy the problem in the course of a 75-minute presentation to the Commonwealth Club in Lafayette last week.

Instead, the California Senate president pro tem touched on the root causes. An unwieldy two-thirds-vote requirement annually turns the state budget into a months-long marathon.

Adherence to party ideology — Republicans' aversion to taxes and Democrats' to budget cuts — heightens partisanship. He also mentioned the 'lost art of legislating,' which can be loosely translated as an inability to compromise.
Add it all up, and what do you get?"

Losing Faith - The Daily Californian

Losing Faith - The Daily Californian:

"Facing an increasingly unhelpful (and unreliable) partner in the state government, the University of California is gradually turning to other sources for needed funds. Though ideally public support would be sufficient to fund the university, the decision to seek more private donations demonstrates that administrators are taking the necessary steps to address budget cuts in a realistic way.

On Friday, UC President Mark Yudof announced the kick-off of Project You Can, a systemwide scholarship campaign to raise $1 billion in four years for financial aid. This effort is unprecedented, given that the campuses collectively raise only about $100 million annually in private donations to support students and it indicates how doubtful university leaders are that they can count on government support. And with reason-there's little extra money going around in Sacramento for anything, let alone for a low priority like higher education."

The Challenge in Counting Stimulus Returns - WSJ.com

The Challenge in Counting Stimulus Returns - WSJ.com:

"The Wichita, Kan., government is slated to get more than $26 million from the U.S. economic-stimulus program. By early October, eight months after the stimulus program was signed into law, it had received only about 2% of those funds.

And much of that money went toward cats and dogs.

The city recently launched a $55,000 project to spay and neuter pets owned by low-income residents. Unwanted pets ultimately cost $240 apiece to collect, board and euthanize, the city estimates, so the program covering 800 animals should save taxpayers money in the long run."