PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California

PE.com Southern California News News for Inland Southern California:

"More than a quarter of English learners don't make it into mainstream classes by the eighth grade in Los Angeles and most of those who don't were born in the United States, according to a study released Wednesday.

The study by Tomas Rivera Policy Institute at the University of Southern California showed 29 percent of English learners in the Los Angeles Unified School District were still in these classes in the eighth grade. More than half of these students were born in the United States and were in classes for English learners for more than eight years.

'They're staying too long' in these classes, Institute President Harry Pachon told reporters.

'It's much easier to be shunted into the ELL (English language learner) classes than it is to be shunted out,' he said."

Daily 49er - Calif. oil, gas tax bill in Assembly

Daily 49er - Calif. oil, gas tax bill in Assembly:

"A bill that could give higher education funding in California a shot in the arm is currently in committee in the Assembly.

Assembly Bill 656, authored by majority leader Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont, would place a 9.9 percent severance tax on oil and gas extracted in California. According to a statement released by Torrico, the bill would raise approximately $1 billion for the University of California, California State University and California Community College systems.

The California Faculty Association has been collecting pledges in support of the bill since Oct. 12. Roughly 5,000 signatures were collected in the first week alone, according to CFA Communications Director Alice Sunshine.

CFA members spoke and collected pledges at Cal State Long Beach on Tuesday. Sunshine said the events have been successful in raising awareness and collecting signatures."

Gazettes Town-News > Opinion > Editorials

Gazettes Town-News > Opinion > Editorials:

"What? They want money again?

They do. And we need to give it to them.

The “they” is the Long Beach Unified School District, and the “they” is us. We need to keep our schools functioning at their current level, and the only way to insure that is to pass Measure T at the special election Tuesday.

Measure T would impose a $92 parcel tax in Long Beach for the next five years. The only property owners to be exempted would be seniors older than 65 who apply for that exemption.

That means we all would share the burden — homeowners, shop owners and factory owners. And you can bet home and business renters will foot part of the bill in the form of increased rent, just as they do every time a property tax comes along."

Classwish

Classwish:

"Our schools simply don’t have the resources our children need to explore their potential and excel.

ClassWish.org, an exciting new nonprofit, offers a simple solution.

Teachers and school leaders create Wish Lists of the items they need, as easily as shopping online. Parents, alumni, local businesses and others see exactly what is needed and how their tax-deductible contribution can help. ClassWish sends the materials to the school at no cost.

The result? Teachers get the support they need. Communities are engaged in supporting classrooms and funding the things they care about. And everyone is united in helping our children learn, grow and perform at their best.

Get Involved: Teachers Parents & Supporters PTA & PTO"

PunjabNewsline.com - Student kicked out from school for wearing traditional nose stud

PunjabNewsline.com - Student kicked out from school for wearing traditional nose stud:

"NEVADA(USA): Indo-Americans have urged Bountiful Junior High School in Utah (USA) to immediately reinstate its student who was reportedly kicked out of school for nose piercing, alleging violation of school dress code.

Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that this student was apparently honoring the tradition of her father, who was reportedly from India, by putting a stud in her pierced nose. Nose piercing and nose ornaments had been a tradition of women of India for centuries and the Hindu goddesses had been depicted wearing nose ornaments."

The DC VOICE Ostrich: Moving the Discussion to Teacher Quality

The DC VOICE Ostrich: Moving the Discussion to Teacher Quality

Teacher quality and effectiveness have long been topics of debate among DC VOICE members and constituents. One positive aspect of the recent RIF (Reduction In Force), school equalization, and DCPS budget discrepancies is that teacher quality has once again been positioned at the forefront of discussion. Chancellor Rhee has stated that this RIF was necessitated by school budget cuts at the City Council level, while many others believed that it was an internal strategy aimed at improving teacher quality beyond the strict confines of the existing, yet outdated, Washington Teacher’s Union Contract. While the RIF will long be argued, DC VOICE believes this is an opportunity to refocus the conversation on overall teacher quality. Budget shortfalls and tenure aside, DCPS students deserve quality, experienced teachers who are continually offered enhanced development and instruction techniques.

Texas Education Agency Launches New Brand and Website for Texas 21st CCLC Program | Business Wire

Texas Education Agency Launches New Brand and Website for Texas 21st CCLC Program Business Wire:

"SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced today a new dynamic brand for the Texas 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Program. The new brand, Afterschool Centers on Education™, referred to as ACE™, communicates the focus of academics through extended learning with the incorporation of “Education” in the program name.

ACE provides extended learning opportunities for students and their families in over 630 Centers across the state that offer innovative, hands-on activities based on research and best practices. A main goal of ACE is to provide engaging out-of-school-time activities to ensure that all students graduate prepared for college and the work place."

http://www.texas21afterschool.org/08/

Education Week: STEM Defection Seen to Occur After High School

Education Week: STEM Defection Seen to Occur After High School:


"Despite popular opinion, the flow of qualified math and science students through the American education pipeline is strong—except among high-achievers, who appear to be defecting to other college majors and fields.
That is the provocative conclusion of a study, released today, which disputes the idea that students are leaving the mathematics and science fields because they lack preparation or ability.

A chorus of elected officials and policymakers have suggested that U.S. schools are not producing students with the talent necessary to make it academically or professionally in the “STEM” fields of science, technology, engineering, and math."

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Talks Begin Quietly on Fixing Schools

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Talks Begin Quietly on Fixing Schools

Education, business and community leaders who earlier aired their concerns about the exit of Superintendent Terry Grier are meeting at the University of San Diego today to go over a new study of test scores, finances and employment in San Diego Unified.

They also plan to talk about improving what happens for kids in the massive school district.

It is the first such gathering after Grier departed, signaling that the alarm about the status quo at the school district hasn't disappeared along with the last superintendent. It could be a reawakening for business leaders, who have shied from school matters in the years since Alan Bersin led the schools, though members stress that the coalition also includes educators, community members and parents outside the business sphere.

Nestle Waters gets partial OK to resume plant construction - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Nestle Waters gets partial OK to resume plant construction - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"Nestlé Waters can resume building its water bottling plant in south Sacramento after City Attorney Eileen Teichert ruled Tuesday the project was exempt from special permits the City Council might pass regulating similar facilities.

City building officials said the company could resume electrical and utilities work at its plant in the Florin Fruitridge Industrial Park today, after part of a stop work order issued Friday was removed. The work stoppage had been ordered while the council considered placing special permits on beverage bottling plants and building officials researched permits issued to Nestlé."

Media-Newswire.com - Press Release Distribution - PR Agency

Media-Newswire.com - Press Release Distribution - PR Agency:

"(Media-Newswire.com) - U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today called for America’s colleges of education to dramatically change how they prepare the next generation of teachers so that they are ready to prepare their future students for success in college and careers.

Noting that America’s schools will need to hire up to 200,000 first-time teachers annually for the next five years, Duncan said that those new teachers need the knowledge and skill to prepare students for success in the global economy.

“By almost any standard, many if not most of the nation’s 1,450 schools, colleges, and departments of education are doing a mediocre job of preparing teachers for the realities of the 21st century classroom,” Duncan said in a major speech at Teachers College, Columbia University. “America’s university-based teacher preparation programs need revolutionary change--not evolutionary tinkering.”"

State Board of Education members accused of not disclosing gifts | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Texas Politics | The Dallas Morning News

State Board of Education members accused of not disclosing gifts News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News Texas Politics The Dallas Morning News:

"AUSTIN – A nonprofit watchdog group filed complaints Monday with the Texas Ethics Commission against two State Board of Education members, saying they failed to disclose gifts they received from a company seeking an investment contract with the board.

Texans for Public Justice said board members Rick Agosto and Rene Nunez, both Democrats, did not disclose gifts they received last year from AEW Capital Management of Boston in their personal financial disclosure statements filed with the ethics commission.

Public officials in Texas are required to disclose gifts they receive valued at more than $250."

After Complaints, Gates Foundation Opens Education Aid Offer to All States - NYTimes.com

After Complaints, Gates Foundation Opens Education Aid Offer to All States - NYTimes.com:

"Last July, Bill Gates sat down with lawmakers from 15 states in a conference room in Philadelphia, and he had good news. His foundation would give their states up to $250,000 each, he said, to help them prepare the kind of sparkling grant proposals that could help their states win hundreds of millions of dollars in federal money.

“He said he’d identified 15 states he’d like to work with, and if you’re in this room, you’re one of the 15 states,” said Senator Nancy C. Detert, chairwoman of the Education Committee in the Florida Senate, one of the lawmakers who attended."

Naturally, the 15 states were delighted. But the other 35, not so much. Some officials complained that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was trying to handpick the winners of the Department of Education’s $4 billion grant competition, known as Race to the Top. The National Conference of State Legislatures was one of several groups that relayed objections.

“We expressed concerns that it appeared that Gates people were involved in helping the department pick winners and losers,” said David Shreve, federal affairs counsel at the national conference.

Editorial: New approach needed for funding education | Kalamazoo Opinion - - MLive.com

Editorial: New approach needed for funding education Kalamazoo Opinion - - MLive.com:

"It’s ironic that at a time when schools are showing gains in test scores and other areas, they are also under increasing pressure to cut everywhere.

On the positive side, the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) scores have been on the increase.

The Kalamazoo Public Schools are making great strides in better preparing students, including minorities, for college. A major example is the explosion of numbers of KPS students taking AP classes.

Advanced Placement courses follow a national curriculum and offer college-level academics to high school students who then get college credit for passing a national AP test.

Kalamazoo Public Schools Superintendent Michael Rice recently reported that enrollment in the AP program in his district has increased 71 percent during the two years he has been at the helm. Especially encouraging is that the percentage of minority AP students has tripled. Rice also reported that the goal of doubling the AP enrollment within six years will happen much sooner."

Albert Lea Tribune | Special education services start shortly after boy’s birth

Albert Lea Tribune Special education services start shortly after boy’s birth

At the age of 5 months, Jesus Sifonte became a student of Albert Lea Area Schools. He has been receiving service year-round since Feb. 12, 2007. Jesus was born with Down syndrome, a condition known to hinder development.

Jesus is eligible to receive special education services according to both federal and state statutes. In Minnesota, these services are mandated for school districts to provide.
Services provided included home-based visits by an early childhood special education teacher, occupational therapist, and physical therapist serving him in his home. He also received indirect service from one of the district’s speech/language pathologists. Before Jesus was 2 years old, he had gained enough skills so the services of the occupational therapist and physical therapist have become less direct and more consultative.

http://idea.ed.gov/

Vampire Lit Lures Students at VCU | Articles/Archives | Style Weekly Richmond's alternative for news, arts, culture and opinion

Vampire Lit Lures Students at VCU Articles/Archives Style Weekly Richmond's alternative for news, arts, culture and opinion:

"It’s an old story: Boy meets girl, boy sneaks into girl’s room and gnaws on her neck, girl joins ranks of the undead, boy turns into a large bat and flits out a window.

With one foot in eastern European lore and the other straddling 21st-century popular culture, vampire legends are now the topic of a Virginia Commonwealth University literature course, Vampires from Dracula to Twilight, which explores the birth of the original undead bloodsucker and his seemingly eternal life in pop culture.

The class charts his bizarre evolution from ghastly ghoul to lisping breakfast cereal pitchman to irresistible teen heartthrob."

Obama to visit Madison

Obama to visit Madison:

visit will be about education

"On the anniversary of his historic election November 4, President Obama will visit the Madison area. The White House says Wednesday’s visit will be about education. There’s speculation the event meant to drum up support for a potential gubernatorial run by Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Rumors have circulated that the Obama team is secretly encouraging Barrett to run for the seat

The event also coincides with a bill supported by Governor Doyle and Barrett to have the Milwaukee mayor’s office take control of city schools. Barrett argues such education reforms are looked favorably upon by the US Education Department and would put Wisconsin in better standing for federal stimulus funds.
The scheduled stop will be Obama’s first to the Madison area since November of 2008 while campaigning prior to the Democratic primary."

Ex-member of DPS reform board testifies | Detroit Free Press | Freep.com

Ex-member of DPS reform board testifies Detroit Free Press Freep.com:

"A former member of the city's reform school board testified today that the body had a few reports about the progress of the $1.5-billion bond program but no authority over the spending."

Reginald Turner, who left the Detroit Public Schools reform board in 2003 to join the state school board, also told school officials that he had concerns about the district's move from its former headquarters that it owned outright to the Fisher Building.

The transaction cost the district $24 million for five floors of the Fisher in addition to $17 million in construction costs and $2 million a year in leasing costs.

Turner testified this morning at the third investigative hearing into real estate transactions that occurred during the state takeover using funds from the $1.5-billion bond voters approved in 1994.

Turner said a school official assured him at the time of the transaction - 2002 - that the move to the Fisher Building would result in "significant savings."

Fenty Gets the Royal Treatment: Loose Lips Daily - City Desk - Washington City Paper

Fenty Gets the Royal Treatment: Loose Lips Daily - City Desk - Washington City Paper:

"AFTER THE JUMP—WaPo editorial calls for investigation of parks contracts; TV reporters dig in; closed-door council meeting gets testy; key senator refuses to allow D.C. vote on defense approps bill; principal neglects to proofread court filing; judge stalking trial begins

The WaPo opinion page is starting to realize that, with Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, good intentions do not necessarily make good government. Editorialists say that his parks contract maneuverings demand further investigation: ‘Fenty boasts that his administration represents a break from the old ways of doing business in the District, when whom you knew mattered more than what you could do for the city. What, then, to make of reports that the administration bypassed the D.C. Council to award tens of millions of dollars in contracts and that some of the firms may have ties to Mr. Fenty?

…It’s important that the D.C. Council, which plans a roundtable on the issue on Friday, get all the information about the projects in question, determine whether proper procurement steps were indeed followed and then decide how to proceed in protecting the best interests of the city.’ The piece also describes as ‘apt’ Mary Cheh’s comment that the process seems ’sneaky.’"

Power to the principals -- baltimoresun.com

Power to the principals -- baltimoresun.com:

"Most school districts find something that works for one particular teacher for one particular group of kids and then try to force everyone to apply it, as if teachers were robots and kids were interchangeable. It doesn't often result in high-quality education, but it sure makes life easier for central office bureaucrats.

Education is supposed to involve professionals building relationships with kids. Good teachers in good schools get to know their students and then figure out what works for those kids. Good principals are the same. The best ones are empowered leaders who allocate resources based on what their students need - not what the central office wants.

That is the theme of this year's must-read education book, 'The Secret of TSL' by William G. Ouchi, a professor at UCLA and arguably the nation's best management writer. Through the 1970s and 1980s, Mr. Ouchi explained Japanese management to U.S. business. Now, after observing 665 schools across the U.S. and Canada, Mr. Ouchi concludes that, as in business, management matters in schools."

Immigrant Children Lost in Education Reform - NAM

Immigrant Children Lost in Education Reform - NAM:

"Ruby Takanishi, president and chief executive officer of Foundation for Child Development, recently co-edited a new book titled, Immigration, Diversity and Education, with Elena L. Grigorenko. She spoke with New America Media Education Editor Carolyn Ji Jong Goossen about the current challenges facing immigrant children in the United States and the reforms needed to support their future health, wellbeing, and academic success.

Do you feel like the new administration has adequately addressed immigrant children’s issues thus far?

No. The fact of the matter is that immigrant children are not on anybody’s agenda, except in a negative way. First of all, there has already been a decision to exclude many immigrant children and their families from public health insurance access. There is also very little discussion in the education initiatives being presented, including the “Race To The Top” funds, the stimulus funds, and even the No Child Left Behind policy. The opportunities for doing positive social policy is not evident.

I would say that in terms of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics, it does seem to be that the shift from going after employees to going after employers would be less traumatic to children.That’s not to say that undocumented workers won’t still lose their jobs, but at least their parents won’t disappear. I understand that they are trying to change some of their practices of detaining families in detention facilities, so that’s certainly encouraging. But overall, I personally have been very disappointed that the administration had opportunities to do positive things for children of immigrants, but hasn’t done anything so far."

A Look at Community Schools

A Look at Community Schools:

"Children living in poverty face many obstacles outside the classroom that can hinder their success in the classroom. Unaddressed health care needs interfere with learning and cause low attendance. Inadequate and inconsistent housing may deprive students of a safe and quiet place to study. A lack of affordable and accessible child care forces many young adults to sacrifice learning opportunities to care for younger family members. And poverty’s economic stress may cause students to be less engaged and parents to be less involved in their children’s education.

The advent of accountability-based school reform has pushed many high-poverty schools to focus on providing effective instruction and meeting high academic standards. Numerous schools have made progress in these areas but few have been adequately equipped with the tools needed to confront external learning obstacles related to poverty."

Education Week: Chicago School Closings Show Little Academic Gain

Education Week: Chicago School Closings Show Little Academic Gain:

"A majority of Chicago students affected by school closings were sent to schools that were low-performing, just like those they left behind—moves that had no significant impact on performance for most students, a study released today finds.

The study, by the University of Chicago’s Consortium on Chicago School Research , examines the academic effects of the closings on students at 18 elementary schools shut down between 2001 and 2006. To measure the impact, the researchers compared students age 8 and older with their counterparts in schools that had similar characteristics but continued to operate. The schools had a combined enrollment of 5,445 students at the time of their closing."

L.A. Unified to allow parents to initiate school reforms -- latimes.com

L.A. Unified to allow parents to initiate school reforms -- latimes.com:

"For the first time in Los Angeles, parents will be able to initiate major reforms at low-performing individual schools, rather than waiting for the school district to make changes, under a plan unveiled Tuesday.

This new parental power has emerged as part of a school-control resolution that allows for groups inside and outside the Los Angeles Unified School District to take over campuses. Supt. Ramon C. Cortines has included 12 underachieving schools and 18 new campuses in the process, but the parent option could add others to the list, especially in future years."

American Thinker: What Bill Ayers Saw in Barack Obama

American Thinker: What Bill Ayers Saw in Barack Obama:

"In 1994, while Barack Obama's memoir Dreams From My Father was being polished off, Bill Ayers co-authored an essay whose title befits a former merchant seaman: 'Navigating a restless sea: The continuing struggle to achieve a decent education for African American youngsters in Chicago.'

In 'Navigating,' Ayers and his nominal co-author, former New Communist Movement leader Michael Klonsky, offer a detailed analysis of the Chicago school system and a discussion of potential reforms. Curiously, so too does Obama in Dreams."

Taking educators to school | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star

Taking educators to school IndyStar.com The Indianapolis Star:

"I can't remember the last time a politician told Indiana's medical school or law schools they had too much say in how doctors and lawyers were educated.Or that we needed to make it easier for laypersons to become doctors, lawyers, even chiefs of surgery and judges."

Yet there's manifest and manifold political support for state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett's siege upon the Indiana education "establishment," which would be the university education schools and the teacher associations.

The idea is that unsatisfactory student achievement is the fault of a closed teaching society that is loath to change with the times and dedicated to the welfare of salaried adults rather than the needs of children.

Refutation of these presumptions is ample. Innovation and self-criticism are staples of teacher education and are reflected in state accountability law that predates Bennett. Dedicated teachers, even those protected by unions from arbitrary firing, are not the exception.

The Turnaround Fallacy : Education Next

The Turnaround Fallacy : Education Next:

"For as long as there have been struggling schools in America’s cities, there have been efforts to turn them around. The lure of dramatic improvement runs through Morgan Freeman’s big-screen portrayal of bat-wielding principal Joe Clark, philanthropic initiatives like the Gates Foundation’s “small schools” project, and No Child Left Behind (NCLB)’s restructuring mandate. The Obama administration hopes to extend this thread even further, making school turnarounds a top priority.

But overall, school turnaround efforts have consistently fallen far short of hopes and expectations. Quite simply, turnarounds are not a scalable strategy for fixing America’s troubled urban school systems."

Rhee has asked how to regain teachers' trust, principals say - washingtonpost.com

Rhee has asked how to regain teachers' trust, principals say - washingtonpost.com:

"Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee, facing a showdown Thursday with the D.C. Council over layoffs and budget cuts, has asked principals what she can do to 'regain the trust' of the school system's teachers, some principals say.

Rhee posed the question last week during the monthly meeting of her school leadership at Gallaudet University's Kellogg Conference Center, according to two participants and a third source who was briefed later by others who attended. The two principals, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing internal deliberations, said Rhee expressed concern that even her best teachers have been shaken by the turmoil surrounding the Oct. 2 layoffs of 266 educators and the introduction of a rigorous evaluation system."

Inside City Hall: East Sacramento candidate would get a haircut for job - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

Inside City Hall: East Sacramento candidate would get a haircut for job - Sacramento Politics - California Politics Sacramento Bee:

"After months of speculation that he would jump into the race, former mayoral candidate Shawn Eldredge is taking a run at the District 3 seat held by Councilman Steve Cohn.

Eldredge, a small-business owner who lives and works in midtown, was known on last year's mayoral campaign trail as the guy with the long hair who wore Led Zeppelin T-shirts to debates. The hair is as lush as ever – for now – although Eldredge says he's shopping for business suits.

'I'm not going to sell out or change who I am to be in office,' he said. 'However, I want the job more than I need to keep my hair. If somebody tells me you can have the job if you cut your hair, I will.'"

Sacramento Press / Mayor clashes with city staff over Nestlé decision-making

Sacramento Press / Mayor clashes with city staff over Nestlé decision-making:

"Mayor Kevin Johnson said the city’s order to halt construction work at the plant Nestlé plans to use for a water-bottling operation is bad for business in Sacramento.

Johnson has praised the jobs that Nestlé will bring to Sacramento, while Councilman Kevin McCarty opposes the plant's plan to bottle and sell water from the American River. Councilwoman Lauren Hammond has also raised concerns about Nestlé's plans."

Santa Monica Mirror

Santa Monica Mirror:

"The District has several committees working on ways to deal with the deficit which could include reducing expenditures and/or revenue enhancements. They are the Financial Oversight Committee, the Emergency/ Temporary Parcel Tax Feasibility Committee, and the Superintendent’s Budget Committee. Initial recommendations will be discussed at the School Board meeting on December 10.

Cuneo also mentioned that the District is considering having all District staff pay a portion of their health premium with the amount being based upon their salary level in order to save $2.2 million. Currently, the District pays the full premium for its entire staff. This has caused an impasse in District negotiations with its bargaining units so a mediator is being brought in. Another idea is having employees take a reduction in pay so lay offs don’t have to be made and new hires don’t have to made when the budget improves."

Schwarzenegger Airs Medicaid Cost Concerns, but Still Backs Action - WSJ.com

Schwarzenegger Airs Medicaid Cost Concerns, but Still Backs Action - WSJ.com:

"California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday reiterated his call for Congress to pass a bill this year to overhaul the U.S. health-care system, while also expressing concerns about the legislation's potential impact on state budgets.

In a letter sent to congressional leaders, the governor -- one of few prominent Republicans supporting the health effort in Washington -- said he opposed proposals to expand Medicaid to provide health-care coverage to the uninsured. Such expansions, which other governors are also protesting, could cost California more than $1 billion a year, Mr. Schwarzenegger said.

'Our state cannot afford its current Medicaid program as structured and governed by federal rules,' Mr. Schwarzenegger said. 'Mandating the addition of 25% more people into an already fiscally unsustainable program will only worsen our situation.'"

Teacher salaries | Napa Valley Register

Teacher salaries Napa Valley Register:

"No one ever gets rich teaching. I doesn’t matter how good you are or where you work, the rewards of teaching are not financial. That said, I can’t complain that much about my salary. The party line is that teachers are poorly paid, but the truth is more nuanced. It all depends on your perspective.

First of all, teachers are seasonal employees. We work the school year, not the business year. The average American works 50 weeks with around 10 days paid holidays, around 240 days annually. The average teacher works 180 days. So I work about 75 percent of the time the average person does. We are effectively laid off every summer. Having summers off is a perk to some, but to others the loss of income needs to be made up with summer jobs."

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

Democrats go back to the (oil) 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."

Spat Between Schwarzeneggger, Pro-Marriage Equality Lawmaker Gets Creative :: EDGE Boston

Spat Between Schwarzeneggger, Pro-Marriage Equality Lawmaker Gets Creative :: EDGE Boston:

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger typically attaches a message to bills he signs or vetoes telling lawmakers why he took the action.

A Democratic assemblyman who heckled the governor during a recent event in San Francisco actually received two messages: the veto letter itself and a not-so-subtle rebuke creatively hidden within it.

Like a find-the-word puzzle, the second message was visible by stringing together the first letter of each line down the left-hand margin. It consisted of a common four-letter vulgarity followed by the letters 'y-o-u.'

'My goodness. What a coincidence,' said Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear. 'I suppose when you do so many vetoes, something like this is bound to happen.'"

Interim principal takes over at McClatchy High - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Interim principal takes over at McClatchy High - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"McClatchy High School Principal Cynthia Clark will move to the Sacramento City Unified School District administration offices Thursday as a 'principal on special assignment.'
'She will be working with central office administrators to help schools improve curriculum,' said Maria Lopez, district spokesman."

Sacramento Press / Parents split over possible Montessori school move

Sacramento Press / Parents split over possible Montessori school move:

"A five-hour board meeting on the fate of California Montessori Project's Capitol Campus ended around 10:45 p.m. Monday night with a resolution: If an assessment says the Marshall School building in which the school resides is not compliant with state building codes, the school must move 'expeditiously.'

If the assessment, which has still not been made public, says the building does meet minimum state codes, the board will reconvene to decide if the school will move or not."

Programs bring life back to many closed Sacramento-area K-12 campuses - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Programs bring life back to many closed Sacramento-area K-12 campuses - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee

Children no longer play on the jungle gym at 49-year-old Billy Mitchell Elementary School in North Sacramento, but inside its stark white halls teenagers are taking classes in math, computer science and French.

The San Juan Unified School District campus has found new life as Choices Charter School.

The district has shuttered 10 schools in the past five years and is considering closing two more, as are the Sacramento City Unified and Folsom Cordova Unified school districts. Tight budgets and decreasing enrollments are forcing districts to consider school closures, despite their unpopularity.