Education Week: For $20, Kids Can Buy a Better Grade

Education Week: For $20, Kids Can Buy a Better Grade:

"Selling candy didn't raise much money last year, so a North Carolina middle school is selling grades.

A $20 donation to Rosewood Middle School in Goldsboro, N.C., will get a student 20 test points—10 extra points on two tests of the student's choosing. That could raise a B to an A, or a failing grade to a D.

Susie Shepherd, the principal, said a parent advisory council came up with the idea, and she endorsed it. She said the council was looking for a new way to raise money."

"Last year they did chocolates, and it didn't generate anything," Shepherd said.

Shepherd rejected the suggestion that the school is selling grades. Extra points on two tests won't make a difference in a student's final grade, she said.

It's wrong to think that "one particular grade could change the entire focus of nine weeks," Shepherd said.

Patrick Kennedy: November 10th Campaign Update

Patrick Kennedy

November 10th Campaign Update

Oktoberfest Celebration was a Great Success!

Last month, we held our Oktoberfest Celebration at Sierra 2. The event was a great success with over $25,000 raised. This brings us even closer to our fundraising goals. It was a fun evening with friends and neighbors new and old. I was grateful to see a number of community leaders like County Supervisor Roger Dickinson, City Council Member Sandy Sheedy, SMUD Board Member Nancy Bui and Sacramento City School Board Members Ellyne Bell and Donald Terry stop by to enjoy the sauerbraten and beer.

Reaching out to Neighbors

Our outreach to neighbors continues to gain momentum. We recently kicked off our coffee program with a goal of holding a coffee one night every week throughout the District. If you are interested in scheduling a coffee in your home or place of business, please contact Judy at 446-4434. We supply the refreshments and all we ask of you is to invite your neighbors and friends with questions and concerns about your neighborhood and the City. We try to make it very little work for our hosts, plus we always have a good time.

Walking Your Neighborhood

We continue to walk our neighborhoods reaching out to voters throughout the district. Walking door-to-door has shown our neighbors to be engaged and ready to share their opinions – input that will serve me well when on the Council. As always, contact us through our website (www.patrick-kennedy.com) if you want to join us on a neighborhood walk.

And speaking of the website, we recently had our 15,000th visitor! I encourage everybody to sign up through the website (www.patrick-kennedy.com) and our Facebook fan page to ensure you are getting up to date information on the campaign.

Finally, please feel free to contact me personally at patrick@patrick-kennedy.com

or call me at 446-4434 if you have questions of me or if you have information you think would be helpful to the campaign.

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy Asks School Paper to 'Tidy Up' Remarks - NYTimes.com

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy Asks School Paper to 'Tidy Up' Remarks - NYTimes.com:

"WASHINGTON — The school newspaper at Dalton, a private school in Manhattan, contained a cryptic note from its editors last Friday."

“We are not able to cover the recent visit by a Supreme Court justice due to numerous publication constraints,” the note said. It promised “an explanation of the regrettable delay” in the next issue.

It turns out that Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, widely regarded as one of the court’s most vigilant defenders of First Amendment values, had provided the newspaper, The Daltonian, with a lesson about journalistic independence. Justice Kennedy’s office had insisted on approving any article about a talk he gave to an assembly of Dalton high school students on Oct. 28.

A Parent’s Unemployment Stress Trickles Down to the Children - NYTimes.com

A Parent’s Unemployment Stress Trickles Down to the Children - NYTimes.com:

"THE WOODLANDS, Tex. — Paul Bachmuth’s 9-year-old daughter, Rebecca, began pulling out strands of her hair over the summer. His older child, Hannah, 12, has become noticeably angrier, more prone to throwing tantrums."

Initially, Mr. Bachmuth, 45, did not think his children were terribly affected when he lost his job nearly a year ago. But now he cannot ignore the mounting evidence.
“I’m starting to think it’s all my fault,” Mr. Bachmuth said.

As the months have worn on, his job search travails have consumed the family, even though the Bachmuths were outwardly holding up on unemployment benefits, their savings and the income from the part-time job held by Mr. Bachmuth’s wife, Amanda. But beneath the surface, they have been a family on the brink. They have watched their children struggle with behavioral issues and a stress-induced disorder. He finally got a job offer last week, but not before the couple began seeing a therapist to save their marriage

Holiday meal: Nov. 30 sign-up for volunteers - Sacramento Living - Sacramento Food and Wine, Home, Health | Sacramento Bee

Holiday meal: 30 sign-up for volunteers - Sacramento Living - Sacramento Food and Wine, Home, Health Sacramento Bee:

"One of the hottest seasonal banquets around doesn't cost money and isn't taking reservations: It's the annual holiday meal held Dec. 24 at the Veterans Memorial Center in Davis.
Hundreds of diners line up for the chance to enjoy a free buffet and celebrate the season with community members from all walks of life. As Americans focus on enjoying simpler things this holiday season, this Davis tradition stands out like a beacon."

"Everyone is welcome and everyone comes," says Ellen Pontac, a longtime holiday meal volunteer. "Homeless people come, and people who really need a meal, but mostly people who want to get together as a community."

The holiday meal turns 24 this year. Originally begun by two Davis Food Co-op employees far from home at Christmas, the event has grown to gigantic proportions.

Calitics:: Bad: Bonds Sold at 4%, Worse: We Just Put $11 Billion More on the Ballot

Calitics:: Bad: Bonds Sold at 4%, Worse: We Just Put $11 Billion More on the Ballot:

"In a rather disheartening statement about the status of California's debt, the state was forced to pay a shockingly high 4% (tax-free) for about $1.9 Billion in bonds sold this week:

Borrowing $1.9 billion on Tuesday via bonds that mature in June 2013, the state was forced to pay a 4% annualized tax-free yield to lure investors. As recently as Friday the brokerages underwriting the deal, led by Goldman Sachs, had estimated that the bonds could be sold at a yield of 3%.

The boost in the yield demanded by investors reflects the 'saturation' of the market with California debt over the last seven weeks, said George Strickland, a bond fund manager at Thornburg Investment Management in Santa Fe, N.M. Since Sept. 23 the state has sold more than $21 billion in short- and long-term debt for budget-related reasons and to fund infrastructure projects. (LA Times 11/11/09)"

Moving On | California Progress Report

Moving On California Progress Report:

"Tuesday as the California Progress Report ushered in its new site, I am moving on. It was just a year ago in December that I took over as Editor of the California Progress Report as Frank Russo the founder, took a position as Chief of Staff to Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner.

This has been an interesting but tough year for California. We have had multiple budget crises that have seen our school, our social services, and other critical funding cut to the bone. We have seen furloughs and other cuts impact our state workers. And we have been crippled the shortcomings of our legislative process that has on more than one occasion seen the process ground to a halt and real reform fleeting."

David Greenwald is a contributing writer for the California Progress Report. His online journal The People’s Vanguard of Davis uncovers the news in and around the city of Davis.

Reduced Social Security Benefits Penalize Teachers and Public Employees | California Progress Report

Reduced Social Security Benefits Penalize Teachers and Public Employees California Progress Report:

"For many individuals, making a career change from private sector employment to teaching in California results in a lifetime penalty of reduced benefits. This penalizes individuals who want to teach, along with the spouses of these individuals. California is one of 15 states with “public service penalties,” and it has the largest number of employees impacted by these penalties, including teachers, public safety, and local government public servants. That’s why the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) co-sponsored a rally Saturday, November 7, to urge Congress to pass, and President Obama to sign, federal bills SR 484 (Feinstein) and HR 235 (Matsui), the Social Security Fairness Act."

Two Federal bills, House Resolution 235 and Senate Resolution 484, the Social Security Fairness Act, would eliminate the public servant penalties. This year, California's Legislature passed AJR 10 sponsored by the California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA) and Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, urging Congress to repeal these penalties.

In 1977, and then in 1983, Congress passed the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Eliminations Provision in an attempt to control the cost of Social Security. At a time when so many Americans are seeking retraining and acquiring new skills, the penalties are making it more difficult for community colleges to hire experienced vocational faculty and for K-12 schools to attract teachers.

Hotel chain quits talks on winter housing for Sacramento homeless - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Hotel chain quits talks on winter housing for Sacramento homeless - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"A national hotel chain has said 'no, thanks' to Sacramento advocates who hoped to house as many as 100 homeless people in its rooms this winter.

The sudden breakdown in negotiations with Extended Stay America is yet another blow to efforts to quickly find beds for people who, because of Sacramento County budget cuts, no longer will be able to spend their winter nights at Cal Expo.

Advocates are scrambling to find alternative rooms before the weather turns rainy and colder, said Tim Brown, director of the Sacramento Ending Chronic Homelessness Initiative."

Educated Guess » State finds Race to the Top a tough sell

Educated Guess » State finds Race to the Top a tough sell:

"State Deputy Superintendent Rick Miller, who has the dubious honor of being a point man for Race to the Top, revealed the state’s evolving strategy for the federal program during a listening tour of the state this week with Kathryn Radtkey-Gaither, the governor’s Undersecretary of Education. I caught their joint appearance Wednesday in Redwood City at a Race to the Top hearing.

Their strategy is a combination of inducements to districts to participate, such as waiving parts of the onerous state education code, and quiet negotiations to enlist the support of the California Teachers Association and urban superintendents.

The competition among the states for the $4.3 billion grants will be intense. California’s share could be as much as $500 million, assuming 10 or 12 states are chosen, at a time when California is looking at more budget cuts next year."

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)

We've Got Your Back

One year ago, it started with a handshake. Last Veterans Day, in partnership with the Ad Council, we launched a nationwide campaign to welcome veterans home, featuring TV, radio, print, online and outdoor ads. At the campaign's core was the first and only online social network exclusively for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan- a real-life version of the handshake featured in the TV ads.

Today, we're taking it to the next level.

We're premiering a new PSA on IAVA's Facebook fan page. Visit http://www.facebook.com/IAVA.orgto be among the first to see it.

This entire campaign is based on the generosity of media outlets across the country- IAVA doesn't pay a dime. So all of those ads you've seen over the past year- on CNN or MTV, in local papers, or on bus shelters- are the result of someone pitching in to support our efforts. And there's much more to come.

Want to be the first to see the new ad?

Visit http://www.facebook.com/IAVA.orgto become a fan of IAVA on Facebook.

Along with a new PSA, we've also made improvements to the community, now found on our homepage at http://www.iava.org/.

It's easier than ever for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan to join and find resources to help with transitioning home.

Visit http://www.facebook.com/IAVA.orgto watch the ad and be sure to share it with your friends and family. Let's show every veteran in America that we've got their back.

Thank you for standing with us, and Happy Veterans Day.

Sacramento Press / City Council likes idea of Capitol Mall makeover

Sacramento Press / City Council likes idea of Capitol Mall makeover:

"The idea is non-controversial among members of the City Council: They all support the concept of a makeover for Capitol Mall.

And, they all like the idea of the city hosting a design competition for a remodel of the Mall from the riverfront to 9th Street.

The City Council gave its unanimous support to the fledgling plan, which was presented by Beth Tincher of the Economic Development Department Tuesday night. The details of the design competition would be crafted by city staff, the American Institute of Architects and stakeholders, according to a Nov. 10 city staff report."

Educated Guess » Funding suit’s goal: return to local control

Educated Guess » Funding suit’s goal: return to local control:

"In their long-anticipated suit over adequate funding, the California School Boards Assn. and its parter in the Education Coalition, the Association of California School Administrators, will challenge the state not only on how much it spends on public schools — no surprise there — but also how it funds them. They plan to revisit the ’70s, with its historic Serrano decision, which equalized school spending, and Proposition 13, which shifted control funding and power to Sacramento. They’ll argue that it’s time to take another look and this time do it right.


In an interview, CSBA Executive Director Scott Plotkin confirmed the Mercury News story that the two organizations will file suit in coming months over the state’s failure to adequately fund eduction. And he outlined what will be the thrust of the suit: a demand to return to more control. They’re turning to the courts, because the Legislature and voters, by initiative, have severely limited locals’ ability to raise money.An adequacy suit has been talked about for years. The slashing of more than $14,5 billion in K-12 spending in the past two budgets, with additional cuts all but certain this year and next, have made the suit inevitable. California is in the bottom half of states in school funding — 46th if cost of living is factored in, according to Education Week, and may be headed to dead last."

Sacramento Press / Mayor: Facilities permit program "effective"

Sacramento Press / Mayor: Facilities permit program "effective":

"Mayor Kevin Johnson said Tuesday the outcome of the audit of the Community Development Department will be important to how he views the future of a permitting program that has drawn controversy in recent weeks. At the same time, Johnson said he thinks the Facilities Permit Program has been “very effective.”

The FPP, which is part of the Community Development Department, was shuttered Oct. 27 in the midst of public debate over the Nestlé company’s move to establish a water bottling plant in Sacramento. Nestlé’s plant had been approved through the city’s FPP program.

City officials investigated the Community Development Department’s approval of Nestlé’s construction work and temporarily shut down the FPP program. At issue was the approval that Nestlé and contractors received from a city building inspector to start construction work. While the company and its contractors had verbal approval from the city, they did not have a building permit or a “start-work authorization.”"

Inside City Hall: City Hall is buzzing about Kerridge's future - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com

Inside City Hall: City Hall is buzzing about Kerridge's future - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com:

"Rumors of City Manager Ray Kerridge's imminent departure began to spread last week after he sent an e-mail thanking city employees for their work during the past year, while the city grappled with budget reductions, layoffs and controversies involving the building department.

Kerridge followed the Nov. 3 e-mail by taking a few days off, fueling further speculation.

Kerridge's future has been a hot topic in City Hall because he will have been with the city five years in January, making him vested in the retirement system."

Ex-official wants job back as FBI shuts St. HOPE probe - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Ex-official wants job back as FBI shuts St. HOPE probe - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"The FBI probe into whether e-mails were deleted during a separate federal investigation of Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson's St. HOPE Academy has been closed without charges being filed.

Federal officials said Tuesday there was not enough evidence to support allegations that the e-mails were intentionally deleted while Johnson's nonprofit organization was being probed by federal Inspector General Gerald Walpin."

voiceofsandiego.org: This Just In...

voiceofsandiego.org: This Just In...:

Bright and Early

The single classiest moment of the school board meeting last night was when Vincent Gumina, one of the student reps on the board, applauded board President Shelia Jackson and Interim Superintendent Bill Kowba for their military service. Happy Veterans Day, folks, and enjoy the newsblitz:

The San Diego Unified school board was pinching pennies left and right at their meeting last night. We blogged that they decided not to be members of a national school boards group (roughly $13,000 saved), decided not to cover the extra costs for a donated China trip for the school board president (about $800), and announced that they would "brown bag it" at meetings instead of having catered meals (priceless.)They also turned down $20,000 for an outside group to analyze uses for the school district headquarters on Normal Street. KPBS also reports on the spending cutbacks.

Continuing the blog roll, we check in on how charter schools have socked money away for a rainy day -- sometimes quite a lot of it. We also report on how the choice to delay school repairs in favor of technology and the schoobrary has angered some parents at Mission Bay High, who say their athletic fields are unsafe and should be replaced first.

Oceanside schools are limiting the number of students who can transfer out to other school districts, the North County Times reports. Keeping kids in the school district can help them save money, but will limit parents' choices.

The hard road of Michelle Rhee's CFOs - D.C. Wire -

The hard road of Michelle Rhee's CFOs - D.C. Wire -:

"D.C. Chief Financial Officer Natwar M. Gandhi named a new interim school system CFO Tuesday. Noel Bravo, a former senior budget adviser to Mayor Anthony A. Williams, replaces Noah Wepman, who resigned or was fired, depending on who you ask.

Bravo is walking into what has become one of District government's most punishing posts. Wepman's departure marks the second time on Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee's watch that the school system's top fiscal officer has left in the wake of questions about the transparency of the agency's budget process.

Wepman and his predecessor, Pamela Graham, took different paths to the exit sign. But both ultimately discovered that trying to keep the numbers straight under Rhee's high-velocity attempt at transformation can be dangerous to your career health."

Autism helper dog allowed in class, judge rules | New Orleans Pets and Animals - - NOLA.com

Autism helper dog allowed in class, judge rules New Orleans Pets and Animals - - NOLA.com:

"A judge has ruled that a first-grader in central Illinois gets to keep his autism helper dog in school.

Associated Press archiveKaleb Drew, 6, and his autism service dog, Chewey, wait to be taken out of the car after Kaleb's first day of school in Villa Grove, Ill. Judge Chris Freese sided Tuesday with the family of Kaleb Drew.

They argued that the boy's yellow Labrador retriever is a service animal allowed in schools under Illinois law, and helps keep him safe and calm in class.
The Villa Grove school district had argued the dog isn't a true service animal.

The case and a separate lawsuit involving an autistic boy in southwestern Illinois are the first challenges to a state law allowing service animals in schools."

t r u t h o u t | Education Reform: Wrong Diagnosis, So Wrong Cure

t r u t h o u t Education Reform: Wrong Diagnosis, So Wrong Cure:

"Sooner or later, a reluctant Congress is going to have to do something about replacing No Child Left Behind. If senators and representatives will listen, they'll learn why Education Secretary Arne Duncan's 'Race to the Top' initiative is a really bad idea, and why thoughtful educators think politicians, business leaders and wealthy philanthropists are bulls in the education china shop.

Back in the 1980's, corporate America, listening to privatizer Milton Friedman, came storming into the shop, not to buy, not to examine or talk about the stock, but to evict educators and take over. With the help of state governors, Congress and the mainstream media, this they did. Professional educators weren't just fired. Convinced that experienced teachers were tainted by 'the soft bigotry of low expectations,' the self-styled 'New Progressives' barred them from the premises."

GETTING PERSONAL: Gates Foundation Invests In Charter Schools - WSJ.com

GETTING PERSONAL: Gates Foundation Invests In Charter Schools - WSJ.com:

"New York (Dow Jones)--Even the country's richest foundation is looking for a way to conserve assets while using them to fulfill its charitable mission.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Wednesday announced it is making $30 million in bond guarantees to high-performing charter schools in Houston. It is part of a new two-year, $400 million push in so-called program-related investments, which can consist of direct loans, equity investments, bond guarantees and other non-traditional forms of financial support.

The first bond guarantees are going to the Knowledge Is Power Program, or KIPP, to help its schools in Houston secure funding in tax-exempt bonds. The financing is aimed at expanding student enrollment from 4,500 in 15 schools to 21,000 students in 42 schools in the next decade. It is the first time a private foundation has backed charter school facility bonds at this scale.

Charter schools, which are publicly funded and typically employ nonunion teachers, are granted more freedom by states in curriculum and hiring but often receive nearly 40% less public funding than conventional district public schools, according to the Center for Education Reform, a Washington advocacy nonprofit."

Will a longer school day help close the achievement gap? | csmonitor.com

Will a longer school day help close the achievement gap? csmonitor.com:

"Chicago - Going to school from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. may sound like a student's nightmare, but Sydney Shaw, a seventh-grader at the Alain Locke Charter Academy on Chicago's West Side, has come to like it – as well as the extra 20 or so days that she's in class a year.

'I'm sure every kid at this school says bad things about the schedule sometimes,' says Sydney, who was at school on Columbus Day, when most Chicago schools had a holiday. 'But deep down, we all know it's for our benefit.'

Finding ways to give kids more classroom time, through longer hours, a longer school year, or both, is getting more attention. President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan support a lengthier timetable. Many education reformers agree that more time at school is a key step."

Video: National PTA and Jamba Juice Join Forces to Raise $1 Million for Schools and PTAs Nationwide

Video: National PTA and Jamba Juice Join Forces to Raise $1 Million for Schools and PTAs Nationwide:

"SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The National PTA and Jamba Inc. announced today a three-year partnership to support parents and teachers in creating school-based programs that encourage healthy lifestyle choices. With the goal of raising $1 million to support these initiatives, the partnership between National PTA and Jamba Juice leverages the strengths of both organizations to improve the health and academic performance of the nation’s students by providing local PTAs with additional funding for their wellness programs. The partnership builds upon Jamba’s longtime commitment to supporting local schools through fundraising efforts at the store level and furthers National PTA’s mission to increase family engagement in their children’s school by providing additional funding for local PTAs to create and execute programs that promote physical activity and encourage healthier eating."

Another view: Err on the side of safety - Opinion - USATODAY.com#more

Another view: Err on the side of safety - Opinion - USATODAY.com#more:

"The recent case of Zachary Christie, the Delaware first-grader who received a 45-day suspension for eating lunch with his Cub Scout-issue Swiss Army-type knife, opened a lot of old wounds for principals who endured the zero-tolerance wars in the early part of this decade.

Our minds go back to cases of students who were expelled for taking a Tylenol or packing a knife to cut a birthday cake. How silly it all seemed then — and even more so seems now. After all, student victimization in school is at an all-time low, and schools, where young people spend large percentages of their waking hours together, provide the venue for less than 1% of youth homicides. Schools are safe. Isn't it time to declare victory and lighten up?"

Round Two In The Fight Over Outsourcing Chicago Schools | Progress Illinois

Round Two In The Fight Over Outsourcing Chicago Schools Progress Illinois:

"With less than a week to go before the Chicago Board of Education votes on whether or not to authorize six new charter schools, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) held a round of public hearings last night. School reform advocates have long complained that CPS handpicks which charters will get the green light long before the hearings begin. And the opaque nature of the process generated a lot of criticism last year. As a result, officials are treading more lightly as they move forward this year.

Unlike in the previous years of Mayor Daley's Renaissance 2010 program, only a handful of new charters are being considered this time around. Still, CPS chief Ron Huberman is recommending that an additional 8,130 charters seats be made available next fall, according to an analysis by the Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE). Alexander Russo reports that the established private school operators appear to have a leg-up:"

Tug of war over LA Unified reform models | 89.3 KPCC

Tug of war over LA Unified reform models 89.3 KPCC:


Download

"Groups that want to take over governance of several dozen Los Angeles Unified schools have less than a week to apply. The process is part of a major policy change approved three months ago to improve education by handing over control of up to 300 low-performing and new campuses to groups that submit reform plans.

A coalition of education-focused nonprofits, including one headed by Veronica Melvyn, staged a press conference outside United Teachers Los Angeles headquarters on busy Wilshire Boulevard. She described how people at dozens of L.A. Unified campuses are trying to sully the name of proposed school reform models."

"It’s essentially that parents are being told, for example, that charter schools are private schools, that charter schools don’t serve special ed kids," said Melvyn. "We’ve heard, for example, that they’ll be deported if they sign a charter school petition. We’ve heard on the Pilot Schools that teachers have no rights when they’re part of a Pilot Schools agreement. We even heard something that went so far as to say that charter schools don’t educate black students."

Melvyn’s group and several others at the press conference support all these models. These groups spoke with reporters at about the same time the teachers union also planned to talk to journalists about their effort to submit reform plans for several dozen schools.

LA group says flier threatened school reformers

LA group says flier threatened school reformers:

"Los Angeles school reform supporters and the teachers' union are condemning a flier that falsely warns immigrant parents they'll be deported for supporting a charter school expansion."

No one has claimed credit for distributing the flier, the latest development in a push to turn a third of the campuses in the nation's second-largest school district over to private operators.

Jarad Sanchez of the pro-reform Alliance for a Better Community said Tuesday that one person recently turned in a Spanish-language flier warning that parents who signed a charter petition would be deported.

Sanchez says it's unclear how many fliers were distributed but notes many illegal immigrants would be afraid to speak up.

The flier also was condemned by the United Teachers Los Angeles, which opposes the reform plan.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/11/10/state/n101042S35.DTL&type=politics#ixzz0WZ40W7SA

Shift to year-round school calendar | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Shift to year-round school calendar detnews.com The Detroit News:

"Idea 36: Free Michigan's schools to set up a year-round calendar.
Why: The 10-week vacation from mid-June through the end of August hurts learning and doesn't make students competitive globally with counterparts who have a longer school year. Students tend to lose a month's worth of learning during the summer, according to a Duke neuroscience professor. Students from low-income or second-language families can lose even more learning. The practice is an outdated tradition that traces back to when children were needed on the farm in the summer. More schools are embracing the a year-round school calendar -- about 3,000 nationally teaching 2.1 million students in 2006-07, according to the National Association for Year-Round Education."

From Consumers to Critics and Creators | Edutopia

From Consumers to Critics and Creators Edutopia:

"For many students, what happens in the traditional American classroom is boring. Small wonder, when you compare such relatively inanimate stuff as pencil-and-paper-bound reading, writing, and math drills to the media mix of mind-bending imagery and hair-raising sound that consumes most of their waking hours outside school.

A recent study, 'Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds,' found that students in grades 3-12 spend an average of six hours and twenty-one minutes plugged in to some type of media each day. Accounting for multitasking, the figure jumps to about eight and a half hours including nearly four hours of TV viewing and forty-nine minutes of video game play. Comparatively, homework gets slightly less than fifty minutes of attention."

VETERANS DAY, 2009

VETERANS DAY, 2009
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

We have a sacred trust with those who wear the uniform of the United States of America. From the Minutemen who stood watch over Lexington and Concord to the service members who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, American veterans deserve our deepest appreciation and respect. Our Nation’s servicemen and women are our best and brightest, enlisting in times of peace and war, serving with honor under the most difficult circumstances, and making sacrifices that many of us cannot begin to imagine. Today, we reflect upon the invaluable contributions of our country’s veterans and reaffirm our commitment to provide them and their families with the essential support they were promised and have earned.

Caring for our veterans is more than a way of thanking them for their service. It is an obligation to our fellow citizens who have risked their lives to defend our freedom. This selflessness binds our fates with theirs, and recognizing those who were willing to give their last full measure of devotion for us is a debt of honor for every American.

We also pay tribute to all who have worn the uniform and continue to serve their country as civilians. Many veterans act as coaches, teachers, and mentors in their communities, selflessly volunteering their time and expertise. They visit schools to tell our Nation’s students of their experiences and help counsel our troops returning from the theater of war.

These men and women possess an unwavering belief in the idea of America: no matter where you come from, what you look like, or who your parents are, this is a place where anything is possible. Our veterans continue to stand up for those timeless American ideals of liberty, self-determination, and equal opportunity.

On Veterans Day, we honor the heroes we have lost, and we rededicate ourselves to the next generation of veterans by supporting our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen as they return home from duty. Our grateful Nation must keep our solemn promises to these brave men and women and their families. They have given their unwavering devotion to the American people, and we must keep our covenant with them.

With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our servicemen and women have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor our Nation’s veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2009, as Veterans Day. I encourage all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through appropriate public ceremonies and private prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I call on all Americans, including civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, and communities to support this day with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

Parents, teachers press Lansing to restore education funding | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Parents, teachers press Lansing to restore education funding detnews.com The Detroit News:

"Lansing --Pressure surrounding the largest school cuts ever boiled over in Lansing on Tuesday as lawmakers continued their stalemate on how to fund schools and parents and educators swarmed the capital in anticipation of massive reductions in their December school aid checks.

While lawmakers remain polarized over more than $600 million in cuts to K-12 schools, districts already are dismantling programs in anticipation. Dearborn, for instance, voted Tuesday to cut 200 noninstructional employees on Dec. 1 and 100 teachers in January. The Royal Oak district has said it will use federal stimulus cash to ride out this year, but on Thursday the school board will decide on a possible $780,000 cut to special education programs for the 2010-11 school year."

Duncan's raison d'etre for reform

Duncan's raison d'etre for reform:

"Humans are fallible and have a tendency to repeat past failures. Education is no exception. The pendulum of reform has had its swing back and forth over the decades with minimal progress. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is taking the bull by the horns, purporting that the very teachers, who have entrusted him as their chief, are not to be trusted to do the proper job without close supervision, re-training, and additional monetary rewards. He calls for scrutiny, an uphauling of current educational institutions by employing a trace back system that will mark the culprit, the raison d'etre for the failure of our children.

Duncan's tough, paternal scolding sends a clear message: teachers beware."

Pittsburgh proposes tuition tax | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/11/2009

Pittsburgh proposes tuition tax Philadelphia Inquirer 11/11/2009:

"A 1 percent tuition tax proposed Monday by Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is just a nibble compared with the bite that college fees and tuition hikes take out of student and parent wallets, he argued yesterday.

Ravenstahl's attack on tuition and fee hikes came hours after eight leaders of local postsecondary schools gathered to blast the mayor's higher-education tax plan, saying it was illegal and would hurt the institutions' competitiveness. Ravenstahl said that if there was a competitiveness issue, it was the schools' fault."

Carol Ann Maranto, 1949-2009: Special education teacher, administrator -- chicagotribune.com

Carol Ann Maranto, 1949-2009: Special education teacher, administrator -- chicagotribune.com:

"Carol Ann Maranto worked in the special education program at Proviso East High School in Maywood for 33 years, helping hundreds of developmentally challenged teenagers find jobs and a future.

Ms. Maranto, 60, died of complications from ovarian cancer on Wednesday, Nov. 4, in West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, her home town, said her sister Rose Marie Anichini.

With a degree in psychology from Eastern Illinois University, Ms. Maranto started her career at Proviso East in 1971 as a resource teacher, working with small groups of students. She found strong support in the school district for the special education department and enjoyed the work, her sister said."

New Haven Independent | Parents Challenged To Join Reform Drive

New Haven Independent Parents Challenged To Join Reform Drive:

"As parents leaped into New Haven’s ambitious school change campaign, Tesha Todman offered suggestions: Dock students’ grades if their parents don’t show up to report card night. And make the parents learn to use computers.

“There needs to be some kind of consequences” for parents who don’t get involved, she argued. “They make it too easy for parents not to come out.”"

Todman (at left in photo) the suggestion as she joined about 100 other parents at Wilbur Cross High School Thursday night. Two parents from each city school were summoned there by the schools superintendent to revive the Citywide Parent Teacher Organization, which fizzled in the mid-1990s.

Also Thursday, officials announced that two parents, Mary Rosario and Erik Clemons (LEAP’s executive director), have been named to the committee that’s overseeing the mayor’s school reform drive.

Taken together, the two developments marked another front in New Haven’s fast-developing, nationally-watched reform campaign:

Involving, and setting high expectations for, parents.

New York flunks GED: HS equivalency exam pass rate is shameful last in nation

New York flunks GED: HS equivalency exam pass rate is shameful last in nation:

"It is a shame of the Empire State: New York ranks dead last in the percentage of test-takers who pass the exam for a general equivalency diploma.

This is a huge problem in a city where 1.6 million young men and women are no longer in school and lack a high school diploma. For them, as well as for adult learners and immigrants, getting a GED is a crucial milestone on the way to getting a job, entering college or joining the military.

But the state Education Department funnels GED-testing money to schools, libraries and nonprofits with scant or nonexistent quality control."

Volunteers Counter Military Recruiting in High Schools | The Uptowner

Volunteers Counter Military Recruiting in High Schools The Uptowner:

"Ann Smith couldn’t walk more than 50-feet to the front door of her son’s high school before counter-recruiting volunteers approached her.

With yellow and white fliers in hand, a volunteer walked backwards and quizzed Smith on new mandates restricting military recruiters while she headed to the school.

“Are you a parent of a student?” asked Mary Ann Preston, a volunteer with United for Peace’s counter-recruiting efforts. Smith nodded yes and mentioned her son, who attends the school for a law program."

25 Chicago Students Arrested for a Middle-School Food Fight - NYTimes.com

25 Chicago Students Arrested for a Middle-School Food Fight - NYTimes.com:

"CHICAGO — The food fight here started the way such bouts do in school lunchrooms most anywhere: an apple was tossed, a cookie turned into a torpedo, and an orange plunked someone in the head. Within minutes, dozens of middle-school students had joined in the ruckus, and spattered adults were ducking for cover.

By the end of the day, 25 of the students, ages 11 to 15, had been rounded up, arrested, taken from school and put in jail. A spokesman for the Chicago police said the charges were reckless conduct, a misdemeanor."

States Compete for Federal School Dollars - NYTimes.com

States Compete for Federal School Dollars - NYTimes.com:

"DENVER — Colorado’s lieutenant governor, Barbara O’Brien, has been parsing every public statement by Education Secretary Arne Duncan for nuances that could help her position the state as a winner in the $4 billion competition for federal school dollars known as Race to the Top."

And officials in dozens of other states have been doing the same, said Gene Wilhoit, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers, a nonpartisan association of state superintendents of education.

“Whenever we have a conversation about any issue these days, Race to the Top is the gorilla in the room,” Mr. Wilhoit said.

The last time education officials were reading tea leaves so obsessively was after the 2001 No Child Left Behind law reshaped America’s public school landscape. Now Race to the Top is again redefining what Washington calls reform, setting in motion a new cycle of federal school

Schools lose 500 aides at end of week despite tough fight from union

Schools lose 500 aides at end of week despite tough fight from union:

"Friday will be the last day for more than 500 low-paid public school aides.

Despite a tough fight from their union, the city told principals on Tuesday that the aides, who make an average of $20,000 a year, were losing their jobs.

The leader of District Council 37 said the layoffs are devastating, not only for the workers, but students as well.

'Thousands of children in the city's poorest communities have lost the support staff they need to make the most of their educational experience,' said District Council 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts."

Valley Star - Rally Against the Machine: Students Protest Budget Cuts

Valley Star - Rally Against the Machine: Students Protest Budget Cuts:

"Students gathered in Valley’s main entrance Wednesday to rally against rising fees, expensive textbooks, the cutting of numerous classes, and other consequences caused by cuts to education.
The Political Action Coalition organized students and teachers to speak at the rally while collecting signatures on petition cards that are to be sent to Sacramento.

“When they say cut back, we say fight back!” students chanted. Others held up banners reading, “Don’t budget our education.”

Budget cuts affect every sector, not just colleges and universities. Students cannot transfer on time because of cuts to classes, increased fees and overcrowded classes."

Chicago changes criteria for admission to magnet, selective schools -- chicagotribune.com

Chicago changes criteria for admission to magnet, selective schools -- chicagotribune.com:

"In the wake of a federal order placing race off-limits as a key admissions criterion to the city's most competitive schools, the Chicago Public Schools will use a battery of socioeconomic factors to distribute the coveted spots -- a strategy officials hope will maintain racial integration while enhancing economic integration.

It is unclear what the impact of the new policy will be. The district is only putting it in place for a year, after which officials will assess the results.

Skeptics long have been cynical about moves from racial to socioeconomic integration, pointing to other districts where schools became more segregated after the lifting of a federal order to racially integrate, such as in San Francisco, Denver and Norfolk, Va. They think Chicago's plan will be no different."

California finances plummet less than three months after budget passage

California finances plummet less than three months after budget passage:

"California finance officials have announced that the state has a current budget deficit of $1.1 billion. News of the shortfall comes less than 10 weeks after a balanced budget deal was reached by Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the State Legislature.

An October report released by State Controller John Chiang announced that the latest budget deficit was mainly due to a large drop in third quarter income tax collection; revenues were 11 percent lower than initially projected.

The California Department of Finance is also expecting a deficit of $7.4 billion at the start of fiscal year 2010-2011, which begins next July. This could climb to as high as $20 billion by the start of fiscal year 2011-2012."

School closures capture attention from across globe - Hawaii News - Starbulletin.com

School closures capture attention from across globe - Hawaii News - Starbulletin.com:

"It is not the kind of publicity Hawaii wants, but the state's decision to shut public schools for 17 Furlough Fridays has made a big media splash."

"Hawaii's Children, Left Behind," declared the headline of a New York Times editorial. At the Washington Post, education columnist Jay Mathews wrote a piece with the scathing title "Idiocy in Paradise: Hawaii Handles School Budget Cuts Badly."

National television networks have spotlighted the story, along with TIME, the Wall Street Journal and National Public Radio. And the news has gone global. The Guardian of London and the BBC both covered it. A Chinese-language Web site highlighted "Hawaii's Budget Cut: No School Fridays." And Radio Australia recently interviewed the head of the state Board of Education.

Board Chairman Garrett Toguchi said the news coverage tends to sensationalize the issue, but "if the negative press encourages our leaders to put education at the top of our priority list, I'm more than happy to accept it.

"Nobody's happy with having to furlough teachers and have less instructional days," Toguchi said. "But that ignores the economic reality. The economy is not getting any better. So instead of worrying about what we don't have, we need to figure out how we're going to mitigate the continuing negative impacts on the budget next year."

Schwarzenegger creates preschool panel - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

Schwarzenegger creates preschool panel - Sacramento Politics - California Politics Sacramento Bee:

"California now has a California State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and a better chance at a share of $100 million in Head Start stimulus funds.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued an executive order Monday that established the council to make the state eligible for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money.

The program is offering grants of at least $500,000 to support states establishing these councils and developing early childhood education plans, according to a news release from the Governor's Office. California is expected to receive as much as $10.7 million over three years through the program, according to state officials."

Editorial: Assembly must work quickly to pass Race to the Top education reforms - San Jose Mercury News

Editorial: Assembly must work quickly to pass Race to the Top education reforms - San Jose Mercury News:

"The California Senate last week passed a bill paving the way for the state to get its share of $4.35 billion in education grants from the Obama administration — the largest pool of money ever created for education reform.

The Assembly must quickly follow suit. Speaker Karen Bass needs to call members back into session by next month to act — not wait until January, as she's suggested.

The Senate bill, SBX5 1, was proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to ensure that the state meets qualifications for a federal Race to the Top grant. Passing easily on a bipartisan vote, it would eliminate a cap on the number of new charter schools; make it easier for students to transfer out of failing schools; allow the state to tie student test scores to teacher reviews, and lay out specific ways to fix failing schools."

CSU to ask state for $884 million more

CSU to ask state for $884 million more:

"As California State University prepares to close its doors to tens of thousands of qualified students next year, Chancellor Charles Reed said Tuesday he will ask Sacramento for $884 million to meet CSU's budget needs - a long-shot request from the cash-strapped state."

At the same time, a dozen popular CSU campuses - including San Francisco, Sonoma and San Jose in the Bay Area - will limit enrollment by making it harder for certain applicants to qualify, and by setting the application deadline for fall 2010 weeks early, at midnight Nov. 30.

"The California dream is access to higher education," Reed told reporters who asked how he would make his case for a 2010-11 budget that is two-thirds new money, and one-third restoration of funds cut out of the last state budget.

He said he'll ask lawmakers to readjust their priorities.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/11/BAQL1AI2AH.DTL#ixzz0WYVOAmLW