Sacramento Press / Grandmother fights for students' safety

Sacramento Press / Grandmother fights for students' safety:

"Located between a low-income housing project and an old industrial zone south of Broadway, Jedediah Smith Elementary and Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School, both on McClatchy Way, attract few passers-by. Before and after school, however, a swarm of students descend upon the street, which badly strains the neighborhood's infrastructure and places the children's lives at risk.

Jean Caruthers has frequently witnessed the street's poor condition. For over two years she has walked her three grandchildren to school along McClatchy Way, and has watched children jaywalk and cars drive by unsafely. 'Kids walk out, looking at their shoes, and cars go by very fast,' she said."

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Principals Won't Be Evaluated with Test Scores

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Principals Won't Be Evaluated with Test Scores:

"Remember the fuss about including school test scores as part of principals' evaluations? It looks like that is now off the table.

This week, the San Diego Unified board approved a plan to keep using the old evaluation for principals this year, before rolling out a new version that doesn't include test scores. That version was piloted by principals last spring, before the school district altered its proposed evaluation to include school performance. That proved controversial with principals, who pushed against it."

Newt Gingrich and Al Sharpton: Odd couple tackles education reform - washingtonpost.com

Newt Gingrich and Al Sharpton: Odd couple tackles education reform - washingtonpost.com:

"BALTIMORE -- On a mission from the president, these special envoys for education reform know their roles and play them well: swoop into a successful school, watch kids and teachers hard at work, ask encouraging questions, maybe slip in a partisan jab at one another for the television cameras and then marvel at how amazing it is that they have teamed up on what they call the civil rights issue of the 21st century.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, liberal Democrat, and former House speaker Newt Gingrich, conservative Republican, did all that here Friday, as they have in several other cities since September. President Obama met with them at the White House in May and urged them to go on tour to promote school innovation."

Take Action: Tell the Senate: Let the Senate Debate Begin for Real Health Care Reform.

Take Action: Tell the Senate: Let the Senate Debate Begin for Real Health Care Reform.


Tell the Senate: Let the Senate Debate Begin for Real Health Care Reform.

We are further along in the process for real health care reform today than we have ever been.

The historic House bill is truly a momentous achievement, but enormous challenges remain.

To keep the process moving forward, it is critical that the Senate start to debate its health care reform bill now. Your signature will be delivered to your senators, as well as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Educated Guess » Race to the Top criteria don’t help laggard California

Educated Guess » Race to the Top criteria don’t help laggard California:

"With the firing of the starting pistol for applying to the federal Race to the Top competition, California’s odds of winning, already low because of a lack of direction and leadership, probably grew slimmer.

Race to the Top’s four pillars of reform haven’t changed. But the feds’ priorities, as outlined in a detailed rating system, have shifted to California’s disadvantage. And other states have already moved purposefully while California has spun its wheels for months."

Those spearheading Race to the Top on behalf of the governor and superintendent of public instruction have said that the state would focus on one priority, turning the lowest achieving schools around. California certainly needs to do that; Sen. Gloria Romero’s SB 5X-1 last week, which the state Senate passed last week, would give the state more authority in that area.

SBA, Six Universities to Offer Business Training for Iraq, Afghanistan Disabled Vets | Kansas City infoZine News | USA

SBA, Six Universities to Offer Business Training for Iraq, Afghanistan Disabled Vets Kansas City infoZine News USA:

"SBA Adds New Training Tools to Increase Opportunities for Vets"

Washington, D.C. - infoZine - The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced a three-year agreement to expand and deliver entrepreneurship training for service-disabled veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.The agreement with SBA’s Office of Veterans Business Development will support the expansion of the year-long Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV).

The expansion of this innovative management training and mentorship program will maximize small business programs for veterans, service-disabled veterans, reserve-component members, and their dependents or survivors.Additionally, this week SBA launched a new online contracting tutorial on http://www.sba.gov/, as part of its ongoing efforts to expand services to veterans and service-disabled veterans.

Veterans and military spouses who own small businesses can utilize this free online course to learn how to identify and take advantage of federal contracting opportunities.

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Need for creativity in classroom

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Need for creativity in classroom:

"I was happy to see the article “I only want to enjoy my childhood, ma” by Inumella Sesikala (Open Page, Nov. 8). I liked the article very much, which is a dream of every child. Creativity of children has to come out from the classroom. Some of us had such opportunities. Our children should go to primary school only at the age of six. Till then, we have to promote creativity of the children with great teachers and an innovative classroom environment.

Yesterday, when I was reading the book Spiritual Intelligence, The Ultimate Intelligence by Danah Zohar and Ian Marshall, I came across the poem, “ The Student’s prayer.”"

The Student’s Prayer
Don’t impose on me what you know,

I want to explore the unknown

And be the source of my own discoveries.

Let the known be my liberation, not my slavery.

The world of your truth can be my limitation;

Your wisdom my negation.

Don’t instruct me; let’s walk together.

Let my richness begin where yours ends.

Show me so that I can stand

On your shoulders.

Reveal yourself so that I can be

Something different.

You believe that every human being

Can love and create.

I understand, then, your fear

When I ask you to live according to your wisdom.

You will not know who I am

By listening to yourself.

Don’t instruct me; let me be.

Your failure is that I be identical to you.”

I thought, there is a connectivity among young hearts even beyond ocean — “I only want to enjoy my childhood, ma” and “The Student’s Prayer.”

Kennedy, Hammond to introduce schools superintendent to constituents

Kennedy, Hammond to introduce schools superintendent to constituents

Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Education Vice President
Patrick Kennedy and Vice Mayor Lauren Hammond will sponsor a “meet and greet” to
introduce new SCUSD Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond to their constituents on
Monday, Nov. 16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Leonardo da Vinci Elementary School, 4701
Joaquin Way.

Raymond started as superintendent on Aug. 21. Since then, he has been on a
“listening and learning” tour and will have visited more than 60 schools. He has met with
various student, parent and community members across the district.

Raymond’s prior position was that of chief accountability officer in the Charlotte-
Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). He served there from 2006 to the present. Before joining
CMS, Raymond was president and chief executive officer at the nonprofit
Commonwealth Corporation in Boston. While there, he focused on innovative education
programs, including expanding a successful program for at-risk youth and training 16
school districts in data-driven decision making. Under his leadership, the corporation
moved from a $400,000 deficit to a surplus of $750,000 and doubled its private funding.

During his three years in Charlotte, Raymond was active in civic and community
affairs. He served on the board of directors of the Urban League of the Central Carolinas
and the Mayor’s International Council.

Raymond, a native of Newton, Mass., is married and has three children.

More Oregon students are getting math | Oregon Education - OregonLive.com

More Oregon students are getting math Oregon Education - OregonLive.com:

"Oregon math teachers have moved middle schoolers far enough ahead in math that the typical eighth-grader now can do math at nearly the same level as many high school sophomores.
Middle school students in every racial, ethnic and income group show greater mastery of mathematics -- including algebraic reasoning, statistics and geometry -- than they did three years ago.

Educators attribute much of the progress to Oregon's embracing a national recommendation to drastically scale back the number of math topics covered in each grade.

View full size At the same time, more Oregon middle schools organized teachers into teams that meet regularly to discuss their students' progress and learn from one another's teaching successes and failures"

No Child Left Behind and the Brewing Fight Over Education - US News and World Report

No Child Left Behind and the Brewing Fight Over Education - US News and World Report:

"The languishing reauthorization of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is turning lawmakers into educational Michael Corleones, pulling them back into a business many fervently wish was over. Although the landmark education law is overdue for its scheduled five-year overhaul, contentiousness left the last Congress unable to even get a bill out of committee. This year other issues like the economic recovery bill, healthcare, and the 'card check' unionization bill made it easy for Congress to put off the tough work of revamping the law."

Undeterred, after a national "listening tour" Education Secretary Arne Duncan says he wants to see a new version of the law passed early next year. Duncan's challenge is to ensure that when Congress finally does finish its work, the emphasis on underserved students, accountability, and reform are maintained.

The path to success is daunting because serious fault lines lie just below the surface of the seemingly broad support for reforming America's education system. Debate over No Child reauthorization is likely where they will spill into the open on Capitol Hill.

Because of the structure of the economic recovery act, Congress had little control over what Secretary Duncan did with key parts of the $100 billion in stimulus money dedicated to education. So far Duncan and President Obama have pleasantly surprised many observers by holding a tough line on reform. That, of course, has not endeared them to education's array of interest groups. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten recently derided Duncan's policies as "Bush III" in the Washington Post.

Teacher in a Strange Land: Brave New (Charter) World

Teacher in a Strange Land: Brave New (Charter) World:

"Let’s get biases and politics out of the way first. I am a big fan of the charter school concept—defined as the rich idea that when it comes to schooling, one size does not fit all, and big monolithic districts do not and cannot serve diverse children as well as site-directed, purpose-driven, innovative schools.

If I lived in Detroit, I would choose a magnet school or charter school for my children—and even though I live in a district with fine public schools, one of my children attended a public school and the other attended a private school. Ideologically, I’m with Dewey on this one: I want the best possible education for all children, the kind of carefully chosen options my own children had."

One more thing: I think that positioning charter schools as the opposite of public schools, rather than a necessary supplement to public education, has poisoned the discourse. And—it goes both ways. It’s not just public schools and public school teachers being skeptical (or downright nasty) in their remarks about charter schools.

Public school academies—charters—seem to be bent on repeating the worst sound bites about public schools, whether they’re strictly true or not, thereby displaying the aphorism that your mother repeated when you were seven years old: you don’t make yourself look better by tearing someone else down.

I have a number of friends now working in the charter school movement in Detroit, a city where a handful of good charter schools have begun to flourish and bear fruit. Last week, they invited me to attend a showing of “The Providence Effect,” a full-length film depicting a school success story: Providence St. Mel, a K-12 Catholic school on Chicago’s tough west side.

The Answer Sheet - Blasingame: When ‘Twilight’ author Stephenie Meyer visited my class; Why Edward Cullen & other vampires attract readers; What the next big thing is in adolescent lit

The Answer Sheet - Blasingame: When ‘Twilight’ author Stephenie Meyer visited my class; Why Edward Cullen & other vampires attract readers; What the next big thing is in adolescent lit:

"Today, I will explain why I don’t think we’ll ever see a stake driven through the heart of the young adult vampire novel (Sorry about that, but I couldn’t resist).

“New Moon” will be out soon, not a new moon, but The Twilight Saga: New Moon (the movie), and I can’t help but think back to when the book had just come out [in 2006.]
Stephenie Meyer [author of the four-book 'Twilight Saga'] was a guest in my Young Adult Literature class at Arizona State University that month (and it will be a blue moon before Stephenie can easily make public appearances like that again). She asked if we could put on the Eclipse Prom for her at ASU in a gymnasium that would look like the Forks High School gym, or at least like the gym most people would imagine as they read the book."

On Sesame Street, 'C' Is For Controversy : NPR

On Sesame Street, 'C' Is For Controversy : NPR:

"The beloved television show has been educating children for 40 years — but not without plenty of grown-up controversy. From Cookie Monster's unbalanced diet, to Elmo's bad grammar, to Grover's civil disobedience, The Week magazine explains why some days aren't sunny days on Sesame Street.

Dale Hrabi, online editorial director for The Week, walks us through the show's Top 10 Controversies.."

Listen to the Story
Talk of the Nation

Headteacher suspends pupils after being 'cyberbullied' on Facebook group attacking her dress sense | Mail Online

Headteacher suspends pupils after being 'cyberbullied' on Facebook group attacking her dress sense Mail Online:

"A headteacher has suspended three pupils after they set up a Facebook group attacking her dress sense.

Elizabeth Hitch was so incensed by comments on the social networking site that she threatened dozens of others at Beaumont School, St Albans, with disciplinary action. She then fired off letters to parents of students who had participated in the discussions, claiming that the remarks were 'offensive' and some were 'illegal.

'The education authority said that the Facebook site amounted to 'cyberbullying.'"

The drama began after a group of pupils set up a group on Facebook last week which attracted more than 200 members.

It was brought to the attention of Mrs Hitch who immediately suspended the pupils she considered to be the ringleaders.

The school also consulted with police who gave advice about how to get offensive comments removed from the website.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1227246/Headteacher-suspends-pupils-cyberbullied-Facebook-group-attacking-dress-sense.html#ixzz0WklgNKQn

Two-Year Colleges, Swamped, No Longer Welcome All - NYTimes.com

Two-Year Colleges, Swamped, No Longer Welcome All - NYTimes.com:

"Sonja Taylor applied to LaGuardia Community College this summer with every expectation of being admitted. She planned to study business, bringing her closer to her dream of owning a restaurant."

But her application arrived in August, after the college had closed the floodgates because of a surge of interest from prospective students. So Ms. Taylor, 20, became one of thousands of students shut out this fall as most of New York City’s community colleges were forced to abandon their all-are-welcome admissions policies for the first time.

“Enrollment has been growing steadily, but this was a tidal wave for us this fall,” said the college’s president, Gail O. Mellow, pointing out that the student body had risen by almost 50 percent in the past decade. “I’ve never seen anything like this. We used to pretty much be an open door.”

Historically, the city’s six community colleges, which are part of the City University of New York, have taken applications until about a week before the start of classes, allowing time for students to apply for financial aid, get immunized and register for classes.

But this year, all but one of them had to close admissions earlier.

Editorial - The ‘Highly Qualified Teacher’ Dodge - NYTimes.com

Editorial - The ‘Highly Qualified Teacher’ Dodge - NYTimes.com:

"Education Secretary Arne Duncan has been widely held in high regard since he was appointed in January, but no honeymoon lasts forever. Mr. Duncan’s came to an abrupt end earlier this week when he issued long-awaited rules that the states must follow to apply for his $4.3 billion discretionary fund, known as the Race to the Top Fund, and the second round of federal financing under the $49 billion federal stimulus package known as the state fiscal stabilization fund."

The rules for the Race to the Top Fund, which is designed to reward states that embrace reform and bypass those that do not, are generally sound and have been greeted with enthusiasm. But some school reform groups and some in Congress have reacted with dismay to the part of the stabilization fund that was supposed to require the states to end the longstanding and reprehensible practice of shunting unprepared and unqualified teachers into the schools serving the poorest students.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 was clear in requiring states to remedy situations in which high poverty schools were being disproportionately staffed by teachers who were inexperienced, unqualified or teaching in fields that they had not majored in.

The country would be much further along on the reform trail had the Bush administration followed the law. Instead, it allowed the states to define away the problem by re-labeling the existing, inadequate teacher corps as “highly qualified.”

America's Top College Professor - WSJ.com

America's Top College Professor - WSJ.com:

"Elliott West doesn't seem like the coolest guy on campus. With his tweed coat and thinning hair, he appears to be the stereotype of a studious professor, only truly at home among library stacks or in a dusty archive. But Prof. West, who teaches American history at the University of Arkansas, is in the midst of a heated public competition: He is one of three finalists in a contest that will confer a prize on the best college teacher in America. In the highest sense of the word, Prof. West is a competitive performer."

The prize itself—sponsored by Baylor University and called the Cherry Teaching Award, after the late alumnus whose donation made it possible—is one of the biggest money awards that an American professor can win ($200,000). And its measure of merit is not scholarly output but classroom performance—that crucial aspect of the teaching mission that is so often overshadowed, these days, by the arcana of specialized research and the mad race for publication and tenure.

The Cherry award seeks out college teachers who, according to both students and fellow teachers, are especially good at making clear, forceful, inspiring, knowledge-rich classroom presentations that actually help students to learn. The finalists this year include, in addition to Prof. West, Roger Rosenblatt of Stony Brook University and Edward Burger of Williams College. Each has been asked to deliver a public lecture at Baylor and another lecture on his home campus. The winner—chosen by a panel of Baylor-appointed judges—will have the privilege of spending a semester teaching at Baylor (as well as cashing that hefty award-check).

D.C. school uneasy about Rhee's plans for it - washingtonpost.com

D.C. school uneasy about Rhee's plans for it - washingtonpost.com:

"For much of the past decade, Rose L. Hardy Middle School has been a small gem in the District's public education system, a place where large numbers of sixth- seventh- and eighth-graders have found academic success.

Nearly three-quarters of its students are proficient in reading, according to last spring's standardized test. Its acclaimed fine arts and instrumental music program, built by longtime Principal Patrick Pope, draws students from across the city and has helped develop artists such as bassist Ben Williams, winner of the 2009 Thelonious Monk jazz competition."

Final Rules On Charter Schools In $4 Billion Federal Grants Criticized | AHN

Final Rules On Charter Schools In $4 Billion Federal Grants Criticized AHN:

"Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The Education Department's final rules on its 'Race to the Top' competition for states is being both praised and criticized for its de-emphasis on charter schools and student achievement to measure teacher performance.

The $4.35 billion program announced in July awards grants to states that show a record of undertaking reforms and a plan for further improvements, such raising caps or changing laws that prohibit charter schools, supporting merit pay and using student test scores to evaluate teachers, and establishing effective data systems for students. The funds are part of the $100 billion set aside for education in the administration's stimulus, or $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

But the final rules released by the Education Department on Thursday put less emphasis on the use of test scores and the expansion of charter schools. 'Multiple measures' will now be used to evaluate teachers but these measures 'includ[e] a strong emphasis on the growth in achievement of students.'"


The agency said it made the changes after reviewing comments from more than 1,100 people. "The comments helped us clarify that we want states to think through how they will create a comprehensive agenda to drive reform forward," announced Education Sec. Arne Duncan.

The changes seemed to assuage teachers.

"The Department of Education worked hard to strike the right balance between what it takes to get systemwide improvement for schools and kids, and how to measure that improvement," the American Federation of Teachers said in a statement. "Policy is made in Washington, but reform happens where students are taught-in the classroom. Race to the Top creates a real opportunity, but it will work only if all stakeholders come together to make it work."

Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7016985939?Final%20Rules%20On%20Charter%20Schools%20In%20$4%20Billion%20Federal%20Grants%20Criticized#ixzz0WkcXiGMs

A Key Step for California’s Youngest Learners | California Progress Report

A Key Step for California’s Youngest Learners California Progress Report:

"Earlier this week, early learning advocates were excited to see Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger take a critical step forward for California’s youngest learners by signing an executive order to create the California State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care.

Establishing the council is critical because it positions California to receive millions in federal funds for early education programs.

The new council will ensure efficiency, effectiveness and accountability in California’s early childhood education system. It will lead efforts to develop a high-quality, comprehensive system and strengthen state-level coordination and collaboration among California’s early learning and child care programs."

Program offers students and adults a second chance | fdlreporter.com | Fond du Lac Reporter

Program offers students and adults a second chance fdlreporter.com Fond du Lac Reporter:

"Failure never has to be an option at Fond du Lac High School."

An after school credit recovery program ensures that seniors who have fallen behind can catch up in time to graduate with their class.

Known as E20/20, the Tuesday afternoon and evening offering also invites community residents to come in and earn their high school diploma. Cost for adults is $100.

“All they have to do is bring in their school transcript and they can start working online or with pass packets. When they’ve earned enough credits, they get a diploma. They can even participate in the ceremony,” said Assistant Principal John Meznarich.

E20/20 started during the second semester of the last school year as a continuation of the alternative education concept offered for years through the Fond du Lac School District. The new twist is wireless access to classes.

Go to the e2020 web site: http://www.e2020inc.com/

11.12.2009 - How to solve California's fiscal crisis? First, don't think of an elephant

11.12.2009 - How to solve California's fiscal crisis? First, don't think of an elephant:

"BERKELEY — If they noticed it at all, readers of the Contra Costa Times must have found the brief announcement utterly commonplace. 'Linguistics expert and UC Berkeley professor George Lakoff will speak at the Nov. 12 meeting of the Lamorinda Democratic Club,' it began, just another routine listing in the paper's 'Political Notes' column. Few would have blinked at its characterization of the evening's topic: Lakoff's ballot proposal to 'eliminate the two-thirds voting requirement for a state budget or new taxes.'

George Lakoff (Peg Skorpinski photo)Yet the item's very innocuousness — with its seemingly neutral reference to taxes — hints at the size of the challenge Lakoff faces in his fledgling quest to end gridlock in Sacramento. For Lakoff, a cognitive scientist best known for his work on 'framing' and for dissecting the political mind in such books as Moral Politics and Don't Think of an Elephant, language is anything but neutral. And for his initiative to have a shot at becoming law, it's crucial that voters don't think of it as a license to boost their taxes."

"This isn't about taxes," he insists, slapping the desk in his small Dwinelle Hall office for emphasis. "It's about democracy."

In that spirit, he's named the initiative, submitted recently to the attorney general's office, "The California Democracy Act." But the newspaper's phrasing underscores a point to which Lakoff returns again and again: The way we think is governed by cognitive frames, largely unconscious metaphors burned into our brains. Thanks to three decades of Republican framing, he explains, "taxes" has come to mean politicians taking citizens' hard-earned money to waste on government. He advises supporters to avoid the term and focus instead on democracy and "revenue."

Change the frames of the budget debate, Lakoff argues, and you can change California history.

To that end, he's crafted a one-sentence, 14-word proposition he aims to get on the November 2010 ballot: "All legislative actions on revenue and budget must be determined by a majority vote." The measure would roll back the two-thirds votes needed to pass a budget and raise taxes in a state that's inarguably an economic basket case — exceptionally high hurdles Lakoff and many others blame for draconian cuts to state-funded programs and services, including the University of California. The provisions were inserted into the state constitution by the granddaddy of all California ballot initiatives, 1978's property-tax-reform Proposition 13.

Is Cloud Computing a Credible Solution for Education? -- Campus Technology

Is Cloud Computing a Credible Solution for Education? -- Campus Technology:

"Can cloud computing live up to its hype, or is it just another empty promise designed to create demand and liberate more funds from already strapped IT budgets?

'Hype aside, cloud computing is nothing new,' according to Bruce Schneier, an internationally renowned security technologist and author of numerous books on the subject. 'It's the modern version of the timesharing model from the 1960s, which was eventually killed by the rise of the personal computer. It's what Hotmail and Gmail have been doing all these years, and it's social networking sites, remote backup companies, and remote e-mail filtering companies such as MessageLabs. Any IT outsourcing--network infrastructure, security monitoring, remote hosting--is a form of cloud computing.'"

Part-time MBA program ranks in national top ten - News

Part-time MBA program ranks in national top ten - News:

"BusinessWeek has ranked the part-time MBA program at Drexel University's LeBow College of Business first in the country for academic quality, and tenth overall in its 2009 rankings. LeBow was the only Philadelphia part-time MBA program to rank within the top thirty.

'The Drexel part-time MBA is committed to exceeding the needs of our students and alumni and is a key factor in their upward mobility, as evidenced by the achievements of our MBA students and alumni,' George Tsetsekos, dean of the LeBow College of Business, stated in an article on the LeBow website.

'To be ranked No. 1 in academic quality by BusinessWeek is a testament to our growing stature as one of the world's leading resources for business education. This ranking validates the rigorous experiential education, leadership assessment, and global perspective that LeBow provides,' Tsetsekos stated."

First release for Napa Valley College | Napa Valley Register

First release for Napa Valley College Napa Valley Register:

"The public is invited to celebrate the first release of Napa Valley College wines for sale at the Napa Valley Vintners’ Teaching Winery, on Monday 5:30-8:30 p.m. The following Napa Valley College Estate wines will be poured for tastings: 2008 Estate Chardonnay, 2008 Estate Pinot Noir, and 2008 Estate Sauvignon Blanc.

Rose of Cabernet is a special release from the student label series and will also be poured. Light refreshments will be served.
Napa Valley College is the first California community college with a bonded winery, allowing the sale of college wine. However, no wine will be for sale at the event. All of the wine available for sale will be pre-sold online, and pre-sold wine can be picked up at the event. Wine quantities are limited this year, and college wine will be sold on a first- come, first-serve basis. Sale proceeds will be used to help support the program"

Beverly Hills Courier, Beverly Hills Newspaper, News, Celebrity, 90211, 90210: 2010 Report Says: ‘No BHUSD Distinguished Schools’

Beverly Hills Courier, Beverly Hills Newspaper, News, Celebrity, 90211, 90210: 2010 Report Says: ‘No BHUSD Distinguished Schools’:

"Despite increasing API scores for most BHUSD school sites, the district has no eligible candidates for the 2010 California School Recognition Program. The program designates high performing schools in the state as a “distinguished” school, an award BHUSD has received in the past.

New guidelines implemented by the California Department of Education deem Beverly Hills Unified School District as “category 3,” or as containing schools with no numerically significant disadvantaged subgroups. Category 3 schools must have an API in the 75th (above 940) percentile school-wide to qualify. Hawthorne School earned the district’s highest API score in 2009 of 908, 32 points below the designation requirements. With increased diversity, the API requirement drops to 840."

Californians Worry About Education, Sacramento Still Unpopular - Bay Area Blog - NYTimes.com

Californians Worry About Education, Sacramento Still Unpopular - Bay Area Blog - NYTimes.com:

"Update 1:54 p.m. Our colleague over at The Choice blog, Jacques Steinberg, points out that Mark Yudof of the University of California system has been named one of Time Magazine’s “10 Best College Presidents.” Sure, he walked into “one of the toughest jobs in higher education” last year, but the article, which ran with a photo of Mr. Yudof rolling up his sleeves, suggests he’s the right man to guide UC to safe harbor. Thoughts on Mr. Yudof, anyone?

California’s foundering higher education system is a source of both pride and worry for state residents, a new poll finds, but most are wary of tuition and fee hikes."

If you or your family or friends work for, attend or live nearby some of the Bay Area schools, we’d like to get your reaction to the plight of public higher eduction and to the poll by the Public Policy Institute of California.

The poll shows that roughly two in three residents consider the California Community College, California State University and University of California systems “good” or “excellent” — the same level of confidence state-funded higher education has enjoyed for the past two years.

Some interesting divisions along party lines:

California Corrections Teachers Protest Layoffs - 11/13/09 - Fresno News - abc30.com

California Corrections Teachers Protest Layoffs - 11/13/09 - Fresno News - abc30.com:

"Chowchilla, California (KFSN) -- The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is planning to cut between 600 and 900 prison staff members across the state to deal with a more than one billion dollar budget deficit. But employees at the two prisons in Chowchilla say the proposed lay-offs come with too high of a price for the public. Dozens of staff members from the two women's prisons in Chowchilla rallied outside the gates of the Central California Women's Facility in hopes of sending a message to the community. John Plain said, 'The state of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to severely cut the number of teachers who work in prisons and that will severely impact public safety, and we want them to know what's coming"

Watch video: http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/video?id=7116192

Federal schools grant program adds a bit of flexibility - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

Federal schools grant program adds a bit of flexibility - Sacramento Politics - California Politics Sacramento Bee:

"Race to the Top, the nation's largest competition for school grants, quieted some critics by adding flexibility to final rules released by the Obama administration this week – but the fighting is far from over in California.

The stage is set now for school officials to craft competing applications for a slice of $4.35 billion designed to reward innovation in meeting goals ranging from enhancing academic standards to improving teacher effectiveness and turning failing schools around."

News: Liberal Arts in Jeopardy? - Inside Higher Ed

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/11/13/ccas:

"BALTIMORE — As colleges across the country continue to cinch their belts, both administrators and students have been forced to decide which sorts of programs are good investments and which are now unaffordable luxuries. And with students sweating a cutthroat job market that favors specific skills, many in higher education have been left wonder how the recession stands to affect the liberal arts.

That was much on the minds of liberal arts leaders gathered here at the annual meeting of the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences. How to maintain the appeal of “an education for wisdom and virtue” as families and institutions fixate anxiously on their bottom lines was the question of the day."

Numbers Don't Lie - The Daily Californian

Numbers Don't Lie - The Daily Californian:

"Forty thousand spots to be cut in three years. 266,152 total applications for the 2010-11 academic year. A 230-percent increase in transfer applications. The numbers of the ongoing crisis at the California State University are staggering.

The University of California faces similar obstacles: an estimated 4,600 fewer spots in two years and a potential 32 percent fee hike for the next academic year. But the sheer magnitude of the CSU enrollment cuts, especially in the face of a 53-percent increase in total applications, may better represent the dire situation faced by California's public universities."

The CSU system has already slashed nearly 10,000 spots and on Tuesday Chancellor Charles B. Reed announced the system would go forward with further cuts over the next two years.
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, California public colleges plan to cut nearly 300,000 students from their campuses in the next year and a half. For these students, the enrollment cuts could very well make the prospect of attending college an impossibility.

Especially for Californians of limited means, higher education is increasingly becoming out of reach. The door of opportunity is being shut in the faces of more and more qualified students each year.

Final Race to the Top Documents Released « The Enterprise Blog

Final Race to the Top Documents Released « The Enterprise Blog:

"Today, the Department of Education releases its much-anticipated final criteria for the Race to the Top program (RTT). I’m not as keen on the final versions as I was on the draft “proposed priorities” released a couple months ago, but overall it’s still mostly laudable.

Unions and others roundly criticized the first versions, but reformers were pretty excited by their scope and verve. The amended documents are less intrepid, much more palatable to the establishment. But I don’t think we necessarily need to see this as a loss; elsewhere I compared the shift to the difference between campaigning in poetry and governing in prose.

In terms of timing and process, there will be two competitions, with awards given in the spring and fall of 2010. The few awards will reflect the winning states’ populations (for example, should Wyoming win, it will get far less than California). Education Week does an excellent job providing more details."

Race to the Top Fund Final priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria. -

Race to the Top Program Executive Summary Rules November 2009 -

Higher education master plan getting ignored

Higher education master plan getting ignored:

"California's Master Plan for Higher Education - which set academics ablaze with the promise of a nearly free college education for all who qualified - is limping toward the half-century mark largely ignored by lawmakers who don't even pretend they can live up to its expensive commitment."

That's the finding of a report released Thursday by the state's Office of the Legislative Analyst. It says today's reality of soaring student fees, volatile college budgets and enrollment caps are so far removed from the guiding Master Plan, that something must be done to bring them in line.

The Master Plan was crafted in 1960 to establish a coordinated system of colleges and universities, with the goal of steering students appropriately toward the University of California, California State University or community college largely free of charge.

"Today its assumptions look pretty quaint," said Steve Boilard, the report's author. "There's a big disconnect between what the state's priorities are and what's actually going on.

"Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/13/BADC1AJG4C.DTL#ixzz0WkNuQFPX

Higher education master plan getting ignored

Higher education master plan getting ignored:

"California's Master Plan for Higher Education - which set academics ablaze with the promise of a nearly free college education for all who qualified - is limping toward the half-century mark largely ignored by lawmakers who don't even pretend they can live up to its expensive commitment."

That's the finding of a report released Thursday by the state's Office of the Legislative Analyst. It says today's reality of soaring student fees, volatile college budgets and enrollment caps are so far removed from the guiding Master Plan, that something must be done to bring them in line.

The Master Plan was crafted in 1960 to establish a coordinated system of colleges and universities, with the goal of steering students appropriately toward the University of California, California State University or community college largely free of charge.

"Today its assumptions look pretty quaint," said Steve Boilard, the report's author. "There's a big disconnect between what the state's priorities are and what's actually going on.

"Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/13/BADC1AJG4C.DTL#ixzz0WkNuQFPX

KCBS - CA Competes for Billions in Ed. Stimulus Funds

KCBS - CA Competes for Billions in Ed. Stimulus Funds:

"The announcement was made by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who made it clear that for California to win a chunk of this 'Race to the Top' Grant, the state must show that it has a strong commitment to teacher excellence and student performance.

”We’re going to fund those states that have demonstrated the ability to raise the bar and close the gap,” said Duncan. “But most importantly this is for those who have the capacity to get dramatically better, and take scale of what’s working.”

California has cut funding to education this year to balance the budget, and secretary Duncan says that how the state prioritizes the money it does have will determine whether it wins a piece of this $4.35 billion education stimulus grant."

KCBS’ Barbara Taylor Reports

National Day of Protests for Education Rights | Fight Back! – News and Views from the People's Struggle

National Day of Protests for Education Rights Fight Back! – News and Views from the People's Struggle:

"Students from across the country participated in a National Day of Action for Education Rights, Nov. 10, demanding an end to the budget cuts, layoffs and tuition hikes hitting schools since the economic crisis began.

The Campaign for Education Rights, a working group of the Network to Fight for Economic Justice, organized the protests after the students, faculty and staff of the University of California system held mass walk-outs and occupations in September. “Now is the time to carry the momentum forward into a nationwide movement for education rights,” reads the call to action. Over a dozen organizations endorsed the National Day of Action for Education Rights."

Tom Torlakson, California schools candidate, campaigns at Salinas' Second Chance Youth Center | thecalifornian.com | The Salinas Californian

Tom Torlakson, California schools candidate, campaigns at Salinas' Second Chance Youth Center thecalifornian.com The Salinas Californian:

"A former schoolteacher running for the state's highest education position chose an unusual campaign stop Thursday in Salinas."

Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, who's campaigning to replace state Superintendent Jack O'Connell in 2010, met with local education and youth leaders at the Second Chance Youth Center in east Salinas. The nonprofit has spent 20 years helping young people leave gangs and criminal lifestyles.

"Most of these students are still in the K-12 system," Torlakson said, explaining his choice for the stop. "We need to give them the foundation for success. Teachers know the kids who need help, and they know how to help, but they just don't have the resources."

Much of Thursday's discussion focused on trading ideas about bringing more resources to Salinas, such as academic software, career training and more of the wrap-around family mentoring programs now active in Salinas schools.

New York governor sees risk of California bond default | Money & Company | Los Angeles Times

New York governor sees risk of California bond default Money & Company Los Angeles Times:

"Besides understanding his own state’s finances, New York Gov. David Paterson apparently has an excellent grasp of California’s fiscal situation.

So much so, in fact, that Paterson feels confident speculating publicly about the probability of California eventually defaulting on its municipal bond debt.

In a Bloomberg Radio interview on Thursday, Paterson described his plans for dealing with New York’s financial woes, and why it was important to avoid budget 'gimmicks which grind up your credit rating.'

New York still has an 'AA' credit rating from Standard & Poor’s, compared with California’s 'A' rating, which is the lowest of any state."

Student sick days will hurt school finances | student, once, enrollment - Local News - Appeal-Democrat

Student sick days will hurt school finances student, once, enrollment - Local News - Appeal-Democrat:

"An enrollment decline once projected to cost about $268,000 in state funds has leveled off — but a separate spike in student illness is likely to reduce revenue to the Yuba City Unified School District.

About 4,800 more sick days were reported through mid-October than at the same time last year, said Bruce Morton, director of attendance for Yuba City Unified.

The attendance dip affects state aid to the school district because the payments are based on average daily attendance of students.

'If they're in the seat, you get the money,' Morton said of how Sacramento calculates such finances."

Elk Grove Citizen : Archives > News > Momentum continues to build, moving ‘Support CA Kids’ in statewide direction

Elk Grove Citizen : Archives; News; Momentum continues to build, moving ‘Support CA Kids’ in statewide direction:

"It was standing room only Monday night as support for Marie Correa’s “Support CA Kids” has gone from a two-cup coffee meeting to a “coalition.”

Support California Kids has launched a campaign to help parents of public school students communicate with their state legislators. The focus is to bring attention to the negative impact of inadequate education funding.

At the Nov. 9 meeting hosted by Support California Kids and sponsored by the Elk Grove Citizen, Elk Grove parents showed their concern about cuts to education, and their determination to do something about it."

Michael Jackson will be a “subject” at A.R. Rahman’s Music Conservatory

Entertainment icon Michael Jackson will be a subject at Oscar winner musician A.R. Rahman’s (Slumdog Millionaire) KM Music Conservatory, according to reports.

Rahman himself will reportedly give the inaugural lecture on Jackson. Rahman loved Jackson’s music and has said about Jackson in the past: “one of the greatest musicians of our time… pushed the milestone of Pop music to unbelievable levels… I am yet to find an artist with that energy, perfection and vision…”

During their meeting in Los Angeles (USA) earlier this year, when Jackson showed Rahman a five second example of his dance move, Rahman stated: “It was like a lightning strike”. Jackson even reportedly asked Rahman during this meeting to compose a unity anthem. Jackson collaborated with Rahman on Ekam Satyam track in 1999. Rahman is reportedly developing an album in memory of Jackson, which will include musicians from all over the world.

Founded by Rahman (who is also its Principal), KM Music Conservatory in Kodambakkam area of Chennai in Tamil Nadu state of India envisions expanding the horizon of musicians in India by offering education in both Indian and Western music besides music technology and its mission is to provide students with a strong artistic, intellectual, and technical foundation. T. Selvakumar is the Managing Director of this international school of music and music technology whose tagline is "Become the Future of Music".

Conservatory offers Preparatory Program (2-5 years), Foundation Program (1-2 years), and Degree Program (three years) under affiliation of Middlesex University in United Kingdom (UK), and has proposed to offer Diploma Program (one year) for international students) and Masters Program (two years) with concentrations in music performance-composition-technology-education. Many faculty members have degrees from USA and UK. Sound editor Joe E. Rand (Titanic) has lectured here besides demonstration by Vienna Chamber Orchestra.

Acclaimed Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed has applauded Rahman for creating a bridge between the music of east and west and for strengthening the worldwide market and stature of Indian music. Zed, who is the chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, urged Rahman to help nourish the next generation with the richness of Indian music, elements of whose theory were first found in ancient Hindu scripture Sama-Veda. Rajan Zed further said that Michael Jackson’s personal life might had been controversial, but he did provide “joy” to a large populace of the world through his music. One of the ancient Hindu scriptures “Taittiriya Upanishad” talking about “joy” says: From joy are born all creatures, by joy they grow, and to joy they return.

Rahman, who has reportedly recorded sales of over 300 million, was called “Mozart of Madras'' by Time magazine. Rahman sees music “as a way to connect to spirituality and embrace it” and for “creating harmony in troubled times”.