SCUSD Observer: The plot grows thick legs...

SCUSD Observer: The plot grows thick legs...

The plot grows thick legs...

Today, an eye-opening 62-page report was released by two Republican members of Congress, (Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, and Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley) who directed their staff members to gather factual evidence and investigate the June 11, 2009 firing of Inspector General Gerald Walpin.

The report also suggests that Michelle Rhee, the school chancellor in Washington, intervened on behalf of Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, her current fiancé, who was under investigation by Walpin.

"The facts outlined in the referral give rise to reasonable suspicions about potential hush money payments and witness tampering at a federally funded entity," the congressmen wrote.

Editorial on protests at UC Berkeley

Editorial on protests at UC Berkeley:

"It almost feels like 1968 again. Students are occupying buildings at the University of California. The police have strapped on riot gear. Officials are recalcitrant. Even some of the old slogans: 'Fight back!' and 'We can't take it no more!' have made a comeback."

The difference? This time, the students are fighting for a chance to join the system, not break free of it. It's a sign of the times that what the students want - an opportunity to establish a decent life through a college education - seems far more elusive these days than identity battles.

And there's no doubt that the UC regents' decision on Thursday to hike tuition and fees by 32 percent will cost some current students and many potential ones that opportunity. Despite the university's insistence that an expansion of the Blue and Gold Opportunity plan (wherein students who come from households of $70,000 and lower have all their systemwide fees covered if they meet financial aid criteria) will continue to make the UC accessible, there are many current students who haven't even heard of the plan. And there will be many more potential students from struggling middle-class families who will simply look at the skyrocketing sticker price and walk away. When the students say that their future is at stake, they aren't exaggerating.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/20/EDPH1ANVH9.DTL#ixzz0XSVM0eQG

Students Continue to Protest California Tuition Increases - NYTimes.com

Students Continue to Protest California Tuition Increases - NYTimes.com:

"BERKELEY, Calif. — The day after the University of California Board of Regents approved a 32 percent increase in fees that are the equivalent of tuition, protests continued on several campuses, with students occupying buildings at Santa Cruz and Berkeley."

On the Berkeley campus, at least 50 students took over a classroom building, Wheeler Hall, barricading themselves on the second floor. Hundreds of students surrounded the building, huddled under umbrellas, tarps and plastic, chanting slogans like “Fee hike! We strike!”

“We are planning to stay as long as possible,” Andi Walden, a 21-year-old senior in the building, said by cellphone. “It appears the police are getting ready to break down the doors and drag us out. We had to take direct action. The regents won’t respond to anything else.”

Ms. Walden said she and the others sneaked into the building with sleeping bags and food on Thursday night and slept in a classroom, keeping quiet until the police arrived around 7 a.m. Friday. Three students were arrested, she said.

Engaging With Your Child’s School: Q&A with Larry Ferlazzo – SmartBean

Engaging With Your Child’s School: Q&A with Larry Ferlazzo – SmartBean:

"Schools share a symbiotic relationship with parents and homes. They co-exist in an ecosystem wherein, in broad terms, all interests are aligned to achieve a unified goal – the intellectual and emotional well-being of children. No system succeeds without sustained interaction and collaboration between all stakeholders. Schooling, with its 3 key stakeholders – students, parents and school (teachers+administrators) – is no exception. That said, parents are de facto enablers and custodians of their wards’ interests and onus falls on them to kick the fly-wheel of collaboration. They cannot rely on the system to draw them in or on existing processes and protocol to foster closer collaboration; they must reach out and take the initiative to engage with their kids’ schools."

May the Best Teacher Win | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

May the Best Teacher Win LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:

"Teachers should fend for themselves. May the best ones win.

That seems to be the guiding philosophy behind so many school reform ideas lately. No one can shake the really incompetent teachers out of the system, reformers tell us, and gifted teachers can't rise to the top. Listen to some reform advocates, and you'd think that the former far outnumber the latter. So you use carrots and sticks to help the market do its work."

And what about the conditions that help teachers succeed? You don't hear much about those.

The fuss over teachers who sell their lesson plans on the internet offers a case in point. As always happens in discussions of teachers and money, big questions arise about how we value teachers and their work. Do we cheapen the vocation of teaching when we assume teachers are motivated primarily by money? On the other hand, do we damage teaching as a profession when we make altruism the main job qualification? (For a great discussion of these matters, head on over to the Teacher Leaders Network.) For my money, though, blogger Corey Bower asks the most important question: "The right question is why teachers should have to buy lesson plans."

So here's the vision I see emerging from this discussion. Teachers are free agents. They pay their own way, create their own reality. Those who thrive in this marketplace gain influence. Those who do not recede into the background. Stafford Palman at the Fordham Foundation celebrates this brave new world.

The Educated Guess » Feds could penalize budget cuts for education

The Educated Guess » Feds could penalize budget cuts for education:

"How much spending is cut for K-12 schools and higher education next year may be determined not in Sacramento but in Washington, D.C. – and perhaps by the White House.

Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor this week projected an 18-month state budget deficit of $20.7 billion ($6.3 billion for the fiscal year ending June 30 and the rest next year).

Using the roughest rule of thumb, with K-12 schools and community colleges receiving roughly 40 percent of the budget and higher ed an additional 10 percent, one would assume that education could be expected to absorb 50 percent of that deficit – or $10 billion. That assumes, for the moment, no higher fees and taxes and no new budget gimmicks (Haven’t we run out of those by now?)."

Republicans criticize dismissal of AmeriCorps watchdog -- latimes.com

Republicans criticize dismissal of AmeriCorps watchdog -- latimes.com:

"A GOP report contends that the Obama White House was politically motivated when it fired inspector general Gerald Walpin after his 2008 investigation of Kevin Johnson, now Sacramento's mayor."

Reporting from Washington - When Kevin Johnson, the former NBA star who is now mayor of Sacramento, was under investigation last year for alleged financial misdeeds and inappropriate behavior with female students, he had an important ally behind the scenes.Michelle Rhee, the nationally known education reformer who is now head of the Washington, D.C., public schools, had several conversations with a federal inspector general in which she made the case for Johnson and the school he ran in Sacramento, according to the inspector general.

Rhee, who had served on the board of the school and is now engaged to marry Johnson, said he was "a good guy."Rhee's position had little effect on the inspector general, Gerald Walpin, who filed a criminal referral to the U.S. attorney on Johnson, a self-described friend and supporter of President Obama. But both the Sacramento police and federal attorneys declined to pursue charges.

Walpin, who protested the prosecutors' handling of the case, was ultimately fired by the Obama White House in June.Rhee's previously undisclosed role and the Walpin firing are now part of an unfolding drama in which outspoken Republicans contend that the Obama administration has not faithfully adhered to a law designed to protect executive-branch investigators from political interference.

The Firing of the Inspector General forThe Corporation for National and Community Service Joint Staff Report -

Report says performance of Arizona's charter schools is mixed - washingtonpost.com

Report says performance of Arizona's charter schools is mixed - washingtonpost.com:

"Across the road, teacher Harrison Stratton tramped with his eighth-grade environmental science class through a patch of desert. He showed students how to stake out, with string, a one-meter-square section. Their task was sampling soil; his goal was teaching scientific methods. The class would climb a nearby mountain soon to do the same thing.

'It's a lot of footwork,' he said, 'taking data in a range of environments.' Many of his students will take their first AP tests next spring."

Regular public schools nationwide are gravitating toward AP. But this school and a sister program in Tucson, more than most, make the college-level program a centerpiece. Andrew Shabilla, 17, a senior, said that by the time he graduates he will have taken 11 AP tests and that he relishes the fellowship of a small academic community. "It's a special place, an oasis for learning," he said.

Multiplex academy

To the southwest, Chandler Preparatory Academy is tucked into a former model home showroom and what used to be a 10-screen movie house near a Target. Its 530 students, grades 6 through 12, are immersed in Western culture, from Homer to Dostoevski. The girls in red-and-black plaid skirts and boys in khakis, all wearing red or white knit shirts, convey a preppy ambience without the five-figure tuition and entrance exams.

Program helps Latino families bond over books - Local - SanLuisObispo.com

Program helps Latino families bond over books - Local - SanLuisObispo.com:

"Lorenzo Torres, a 40-year-old Los Osos construction worker, says he loves to read. But that wasn’t always the case.

Now he hopes to inspire his 5-year-old son, Eric, to enjoy books as he learned to do after attending a special program in Los Osos that encourages family literacy.

For the past eight Tuesdays, after long days of work at construction sites countywide, Torres attended the Los Osos Latino Family Literacy Project program with a group of about 30 local parents."

The group last week celebrated its graduation from the free course with the three teachers — Evelyn Frame, Brooke Segler and Rob Banfield.

“I read to my son now about four times per week for about 30 minutes each time,” Torres said. “I really want to prepare him as well as I can for college.”

San Luis Coastal Unified School District’s Adult School, as well as Monarch Grove and Baywood elementary schools, funded the program, which cost about $3,500.

The project, which just completed its second year, encourages Spanish-speaking families to develop reading routines and improve their reading skills.

Each book featured a story printed in English on one page and Spanish on the other to encourage a bilingual experience between parents and children.

Letter to the Wall Street Journal: Education Reform | Newsroom | Ford Foundation

Letter to the Wall Street Journal: Education Reform Newsroom Ford Foundation

The following is a response to a Nov. 17 Wall Street Journal editorial:

NEW YORK, 17 November 2009 — The Wall Street Journal's editorial on reforming America's public schools is right to say that there has been a valuable generation of innovation in our schools. Charter schools and smart reforms by public schools have contributed to a new set of approaches for achieving great education for our children. We've learned that all our schools—public, charter, and private—need four basics in order to succeed: outstanding teaching, sufficient and well-designed learning time, money to pay for it, and strong accountability to make sure both money and time are used well and that our children are getting ahead.

The challenge now is how to bring this generation of innovation to scale for all our young people, especially in our poorest neighborhoods where the challenges are toughest and where few funders have focused resources. Many of the innovations noted in the editorial—successful charter schools and Teach for America, for example—are important illustrations of what's possible, but they lack broad-based impact. We need to find ways to bring the best innovations into every school.

Most of our $100 million in grants over the next seven years will go to entrepreneurs, parent and community organizations, and policy groups working to transform their schools from the ground up—not school districts or unions. We want communities to have the resources to be at the table and have their voices for change heard. Our belief is that empowering consumers, parents and students will help drive change.

One serious disagreement we have with the Journal's editors, however, is their vilification of teachers. The Journal illustrates exactly why the current recriminations-based debate is so counterproductive. How do you transform schools without our committed public school teachers? It's true we provided $500,000 to help the American Federation of Teachers get involved in reform efforts, but we were not alone; the Gates, Broad, Mott and other foundations have stepped up to support the same drive for innovation among teachers. We believe that the pace of reform will hasten if teachers are involved.

Most of the Journal's readers probably grew up at a time when public schools provided a very strong basis for success in life. We believe they can again. The solutions we embrace must work for the majority of students across the country, however, not only a lucky minority. We all know what's at stake for our kids and our country. We're betting that the challenges facing our public schools can be best tackled at the community level, where our funding will support fresh, courageous ways to implement the best ideas.

Sincerely,

Luis UbiñasPresident, Ford FoundationNew York

P.S.: On Ford Foundation history the Journal earns an "incomplete." While not all of our grants over the decades have yielded the progress we hoped, many far exceeded our ambitions. Sesame Street, the women's rights movement, the end of apartheid, the fight for freedom in Eastern Europe, and the launch of microfinance are just a few of the successes that began with Ford Foundation grants. If the Journal wants to critique our past, it should draw on all the facts.

Read other responses to the Wall Street Journal by:

The Huffington PostThe Nonprofit Quarterly

A Race to the Bottom | The Big Money

A Race to the Bottom The Big Money:

"The Department of Education is having the most decadent Employee of the Month contest ever. On Thursday it released applications for its $4 billion “Race to the Top” program, a competition designed to reward the states most in line with the Obama administration’s educational values. The idea is to bait states into Obama’s reform agenda with the promise of millions of dollars, and then highlight the ones who do it best. The contest is typical of the way the Education Department has used its stimulus money. With incentives, they think, reform can happen. It’s a grand experiment in behavioral economics.

And they’re right: With incentives, reform will happen. But the incentives are not limitless. There’s only $4 billion to go around, and not all states will get the rewards. (In fact, it’s likely most will not.) And so, for some, the Race to the Top is also a Slide to the Bottom. This is where the administration’s experiment breaks down. What’s the reason for those left behind to keep reforming once the incentives have expired?"

Teacher Unions Win Changes in U.S. Education Grant Rules - Bloomberg.com

Teacher Unions Win Changes in U.S. Education Grant Rules - Bloomberg.com:

"Nov. 12 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Education Department’s final rules in a competition for $4.35 billion in education stimulus grants include union-backed changes to teacher- assessment requirements.

The Obama administration wants public schools to tie teacher evaluations and pay to student performance, and unions have sought to ensure that test scores aren’t the sole measure. While student gains should still be a “significant factor,” educator evaluations should be designed with teacher and principal involvement, the Education Department said yesterday."

“The Department of Education worked hard to strike the right balance between what it takes to get system-wide improvement for schools and kids, and how to measure that improvement,” Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.4 million- member American Federation of Teachers, said yesterday in an e- mailed statement.

The Education Department released a summary of the final rules in Washington. As proposed in July, states would be ineligible to apply for the “Race to the Top” grants if they bar the use of student-performance data in measuring teacher effectiveness.

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, a Democrat, signed a law Nov. 10 that allows the use of student-achievement data in teacher evaluations. The California State Senate voted last week to make a similar change.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who has long pressed for merit-pay programs that reward teachers for gains in student performance, plans to announce the grant rules today. Teachers unions oppose linking pay to pupil test scores, saying they aren’t an accurate measure of teacher effectiveness.

What Was Michelle Rhee’s ‘Damage Control’ for Kevin Johnson? - City Desk - Washington City Paper

What Was Michelle Rhee’s ‘Damage Control’ for Kevin Johnson? - City Desk - Washington City Paper:

"Stories broke this morning in the Los Angeles Times and in the Examiner reporting that D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee took an active role in investigations of her fiance, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.

Allow LL to explicate a little more fully what this is and what Rhee is alleged to have done."

Rhee's involvement in Johnson's dealing has been revealed as part of an investigation by two congressional Republicans into the firing of Gerald Walpin, who had served as inspector general for the federal AmeriCorps program until June. Republicans allege that Walpin was fired by the Obama administration for political reasons---in particular, for pressing his investigation of mismanagement of federal funds by St. Hope, the nonprofit founded by prominent Democrat and Obama ally Johnson.

The Republican report [PDF], released today, concludes that the White House's decision to fire Walpin was "based on incomplete and misleading information"; that a White House lawyer's explanation for the firing is "not credible"; and that the firing "is likely to have a chilling effect on the IG community." In other words, there's a lot of political posturing going on here.

But along with their report, the Republicans also released Walpin's IG report on St. Hope, which includes interview notes indicating that Rhee got involved after a St. Hope employee reported being "touched inappropriately" by Johnson.

Rhee's involvement in the probe stems from the statements of Jacqueline Wong-Hernandez, a former St. Hope staff member, to federal investigators. According to an interview report, Wong-Hernandez told an investigator that Rhee was well known as someone who filled several roles with Johnson's St. Hope organization and would use Johnson's office when she was in town. Wong-Hernandez said that Rhee 'played the role as "Damage Control". When there was a problem at St. HOPE, Ms. Rhee was there the next day taking care of the problem.'

US Census Press Releases

US Census Press Releases

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): Estimates of population and poverty for school districts, as well as income and poverty estimates for states and counties. Included are estimates of the number of poor children ages 5 to 17 in the nation’s 15,000 school districts.

Internet address: <http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/saipe/index.html>.

School District Data: 1995, 1997, 1999 - 2008

Create interactive tables »

Download the data sets »

Latest SAIPE Release

The 2008 school district, county and state estimates were released in November 2009.

Release highlights of 2008 »

School district estimates for 2008 »

State and county estimates for 2008 »

View maps for 2008 »

Despite state subsidies, class sizes begin to rise again in California schools California Watch | Center for Investigative Reporting

California Watch Center for Investigative Reporting:

Despite state subsidies, class sizes begin to rise again in California schools

"California Watch, the largest investigative team operating in the state, was created in 2009 by the nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting. This new team of reporters, editors and multimedia producers will emphasize story telling that holds powerful interests accountable and shines a light on key areas of interest – education, health care, criminal justice, the environment and government oversight. The goal of our reporting is to expose hidden truths, prompt debate and spark change."

Despite state subsidies, class sizes begin to rise again in California schools
Most of California's largest school districts are increasing class sizes in kindergarten through third grade, eroding the most expensive education reform in the state's history.

VIDEO: How are larger class sizes affecting California teachers?
Teachers and administrators at Plummer Elementary in California's San Fernando Valley discuss how large class sizes affect their instruction.

Are California class sizes increasing?
A California Watch survey of the state's 30 largest, K-12 school districts found that class sizes in kindergarten through third grade are increasing beyond 20 in many districts.

How do California classrooms compare?
Use our interactive graphic to compare California to other states in terms of student-to-teacher ratios for public, K-12 schools.

Rising Class Sizes: Where the story appeared
California Watch’s report on class size appeared in various media, including radio and television broadcasts as well as several newspapers.

FAQ: How class-size reduction works in California
Get the answers to your questions about California's class-size reduction program as well as who to contact
Homeland Security Marked By Waste, Lack of Oversight
Records show that communities across California had difficulty managing millions in anti-terrorism grants handed out by Congress after Sept. 11. Paperwork went missing and purchasing rules weren't followed. Is the state ready for more in stimulus funds if preparedness cash proved so difficult?
Fear and Fortune
Sept. 11 hastened a booming homeland security industry. One southern California company still struggled to get ahead.
How Was The Money Spent?
Reporter G.W. Schulz describes some of the equipment purchased by California agencies with anti-terrorism grants—a catalog of items that range from surveillance devices and Hazmat suits to bomb-diffusing robots.

The Graduation for All Act of 2009 | EdLabor Journal | Committee on Education and Labor

The Graduation for All Act of 2009 EdLabor Journal Committee on Education and Labor:

"Strengthening Our Schools, Our Community and Our Future Competitiveness

The high school dropout crisis poses one of the greatest threats to our nation’s economic growth and competitiveness. Each day 7,000 U.S. students drop out of high school. More than half of all students who drop out are from the so-called “dropout factories” – the 2,000 high schools with dropout rates above 40 percent. Many of these students come from a struggling middle school. President Obama has challenged Congress and the American people to take action by asking every American to commit to at least one year of higher education or training. This will require addressing our nation’s dropout crisis and dramatically improving graduation rates."

The Graduation for All Act (H.R. 4122) will make a down-payment on our future competitiveness by helping our lowest-performing middle and high schools improve student achievement, increase graduation rates, and promote college enrollment. Specifically, the legislation would:

Turn around schools with the highest dropout rates.

Creates a new $2 billion competitive grant program to improve nation’s lowest performing high schools and middle schools.

Provides school districts with clear guidelines on turn around strategies and encourages flexibility in implementing the appropriate model at the school level.

Supports partnerships among school districts and their lowest performing high schools, their feeder middle schools and the local community to help systemically align best practices in turnaround strategies. Provide students at risk of dropping out with the tools to stay in school and succeed.

Combines rigorous coursework with academic and social support services to encourage students and keep them engaged in school.

Helps schools implement a data system to allow teachers and other school staff to identify students at risk of dropping out early on, based on key indicators such as attendance or failing a core course. Promote college enrollment and career readiness.

Prepares students for college by providing them with information about financial aid options, developing graduation and career plans and offering classes on a college campus.

Allows students to earn up to two years of college credit through Early College High Schools or dual enrollment programs while still in high school to increase access to college and employment.How the bill works:An eligible district who receives a grant must:

Identify which schools, middle school and high schools, will be served.

Conduct a needs analysis of a range of factors including graduation rate, capacity, and at-risk students.

Choose a Model of Success, as defined in the bill, to help make the most effective and appropriate changes in the school. These models range from transformation to restarting the school as a charter.

Build a Graduation Improvement Team, including school leaders, teachers, experts and other staff from the school and the community to help carry out the Model of Success.

Implement Early Warning Data Systems to use academic and behavioral indicators to identify students who may be at risk of dropping out, determine which interventions are appropriate, and to monitor the effectiveness of the interventions so that changes can be made as necessary.

Ensure teacher talent is distributed in a fair and equitable manner among schools.

Support for H.R. 4122:

“First Focus Campaign for Children is pleased to support the Graduation for All Act. The legislation provides a critical focus on supporting the nation’s middle and high school students. While we understand that this is a work in progress, the legislation includes a comprehensive approach to strengthening student achievement from which we can build. We applaud this effort, and look forward to working with Congress to support the success of the nation’s young people.”

First Focus Campaign for Children

"National Middle School Association called on policymakers, educators, and business leaders to lead a national effort to transform middle level education and give every young adolescent the opportunity to achieve to the highest standards. The Graduation for All Act is an essential step in meeting that goal. The legislation calls for the bold actions that are needed turn around our lowest performing middle and high schools and make access to quality education for students a reality, not just a promise.

"Betty EdwardsExecutive Director

National Middle School Association

Arrests Made At UC Davis Amid Student Fee Protest - Education News Story - KCRA Sacramento

Arrests Made At UC Davis Amid Student Fee Protest - Education News Story - KCRA Sacramento:

"DAVIS, Calif. -- Police arrested 52 people at UC Davis after hundreds protested a 32 percent increase in undergraduate student fees on Thursday.

The University of California regents on Thursday approved the increase, despite protests by hundreds of demonstrators outside the regents' meeting at UCLA."

By next fall, undergraduate fees will be boosted by $2,500, sending the average annual education cost at a UC campus to more than $10,000. That's triple the amount from a decade ago.

Hundreds of angry students protested Thursday inside and outside Mrak Hall at UC Davis. One person held a sign saying "Question UC Leadership." Another read "Don't Deprive Me Of My Education."

Protesters continued to remain at the scene late Thursday as police gathered around for crowd control.

Police departments from Sacramento, West Sacramento, Woodland, Davis, Vacaville, Winters and UC Davis responded to the protests, along with the Yolo County Sheriff's Department and the California Highway Patrol.

FCUSD Approves Closure of Cordova Lane and Riverview Elementaries — The Rancho Cordova Post#more-6927#more-6927

FCUSD Approves Closure of Cordova Lane and Riverview Elementaries — The Rancho Cordova Post#more-6927#more-6927:

"In a decision Board President Ed Short said was “heart-wrenching,” the Folsom Cordova Unified School District Board of Education approved the closure of Cordova Lane and Riverview Elementaries at a meeting held Thursday night.

“I know for me personally, combining schools is not something I want to do,” Short said to the packed audience in the Cordova High School gymnasium.

Council Member Linda Budge expressed her dissatisfaction with the process and the reasoning the district used to come to the decision. “Everyone in government is struggling to do more with less,” she said in reference to the district’s assertion that the state budget has forced the school closures. She also noted that the reports issued by the district about the schools contained conflicting data."

The Grapevine Independent, Newspaper for Rancho Cordova, Sacremento, California with Sacremento, California real estate, antiques, news, and entertainment

The Grapevine Independent, Newspaper for Rancho Cordova, Sacremento, California with Sacremento, California real estate, antiques, news, and entertainment:

"By KRIS MIDDAUGH, Editor - Tensions were high this week as Rancho Cordova residents geared up for what might be the final battle in a war to save local schools.

The regular meeting of the Folsom Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD) Board of Directors is set to take place tonight. At press time, it was unknown if board trustees would approve the recommendation of district Superintendent Pat Godwin to close two local elementary schools, Cordova Lane and Riverview."

There was speculation that given the number of speakers likely to attend the meeting, the item could be continued to the next board meeting, however, with two public forums behind them and time a factor, district officials and board members could opt to simply put questions to rest by voting for or against the closures. (For up-to-the-minute information on the vote, visit the Grapevine’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/GrapevineIndependent.)

Although Rancho Cordova has seen schools close in the past, this particular effort to close two schools—which district officials say is necessary to stay a looming budget crisis—has hit a nerve with local parents, teachers, administrators and community members. And despite the fact that district staff issued a report detailing declining enrollment issues and the need to slash $10 million from next year’s FCUSD budget along with a matrix of criteria used to determine which schools should close, many parents attending two community forums complained that the process was happening to quickly. Still other parents questioned why they had not been involved in the selection process and several also asked why elementary schools in Folsom were not being considered for closure.

Godwin explained that the selection process had been a thorough one and that Folsom elementary schools were facing increasing, rather than declining enrollment, but many parents still faulted district staff for non-transparency in the selection process while also accusing them of favoring Folsom schools. Although local parents have only known about the possibility of schools closing for a few weeks now, they have quickly mobilized to fight against the prospect and have spoken passionately about their schools, teachers and administrators.

Social Media for the Social Good—Non-profits Explore New Methods of Outreach

Social Media for the Social Good—Non-profits Explore New Methods of Outreache

Three local non-profit organizations were featured in a Sacramento Social Media Club panel on Tuesday evening hosted by the Sacramento State College of Continuing Education. The panel included Celia Cortez, Projects and Event Manager for the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Jordan Blair, Board Member for River City Food Bank; and Jon Benorden, Program Coordinator for the Center for AIDS Research, Education and Service (CARES). Lesley Miller, Media Director for 3Fold Communication, also sat on the panel. Moderator Josh Morgan, principal at Morgan/Dorado and program director for the Sacramento Social Media Club, focused the discussion on how non-profits are using social media to educate, engage, and build lasting relationships with their communities.

Facebook was the unanimous point of entry into social media for all three organizations. Cortez said the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber selected Facebook because it was the most popular platform among their member organizations; Blair choose Facebook for River City Food Bank because it is the platform upon which he spends the most time. “Facebook provides an easy way for people to connect with causes and non-profits thanks to its one-click ‘become a fan’ feature, “commented Morgan. River City Food Bank, where many of their long-term contributors are past retirement age, is finding that Facebook helps them to engage with the next generation of donors. However some of their loyal supporters are stepping out into social media as well; an 85 year old volunteer joined Facebook just so he could “friend” the River city Food Bank. Benorden said that their “old school” supporters are beginning to mesh with the new people they’ve engaged through their group & page on Facebook but that CARES still has a long way to go.

Sacramento Press / High school students welcomed to Newton Booth neighborhood

Sacramento Press / High school students welcomed to Newton Booth neighborhood:

"Wednesday night's Newton Booth Neighborhoods Association meeting saw an increase in teenage members.

Held at Temple Coffee's 28th and S streets location, the meeting was attended by Country Day high school students and several faculty members, including headmaster Steve Repsher. Though a long permit process lies ahead, the school is closer to the goal of moving into the vacant Newton Booth School, 2600 V St., by August.

The neighborhood group consisted of residents from three areas: Poverty Ridge, Newton Booth and Alhambra Triangle. Richard 'Bud' Halliday, Newton Booth Neighborhoods Association president, welcomed the school's representatives and invited them to attend future meetings."

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled...Budgeting from Scratch

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled..Budgeting from Scratch.:


"Earlier this week, the San Diego Unified school board decided to go about its budget cuts in a completely different way, building the budget from scratch instead of deciding what to cut from an existing budget loaded with programs and people.

It's called zero-based budgeting. School district staff balked at the idea of doing it by mid-December, the deadline for a financial report on balancing the current school year budget. But the board majority said they wanted it done eventually. The question is whether it can happen quickly enough -- and produce enough savings -- to be a worthwhile step in the middle of coping with the budget crisis.

So what does it take to get to zero? I got an interesting e-mail from Florence Samuels in Santee, who wrote that she worked for the county engineer in the 1970s when it switched to zero-based budgeting. She wrote a manual to help do it:"

Investment firm stands by reports on gifts to State Board of Education member | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Texas Regional News

Investment firm stands by reports on gifts to State Board of Education member News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News Texas Regional News:

"Jeff Horwitz is a freelance writer based in New York. He can be reached at jhorwitz24@yahoo.com.

State Board of Education member Rick Agosto has accused an investment company of incorrectly reporting that it gave him more than $1,000 in gifts before it sought a lucrative contract with the board. But the company has insisted that its disclosures are generally correct and said in letters to the Texas Education Agency that the disagreement may partially result from differences in accounting.

Agosto, a San Antonio Democrat, denied that he accepted golf, football tickets, dinners and entertainment from AEW Capital Management, a real estate investment firm.
'Mr. Agosto disputes all of the items on the AEW report,' said Julie Crothers, Agosto's public relations representative."

Settlement delay costs HISD $82 million for technology | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Settlement delay costs HISD $82 million for technology Houston & Texas News Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"Houston ISD schools have gone without at least $82 million for technology upgrades while the district is under federal investigation for questionable deals with computer equipment vendors.

Superintendent Terry Grier said this week that the district is nearing a legal settlement so that schools can get the funds for much-needed wiring, better Internet access, new servers and more.

The pact, Grier said, would require HISD to pay the federal government about $850,000 to make up for the alleged wrongdoing, which involved former employees accepting gifts from vendors. In exchange, the district no longer would be frozen out of the federal technology grant program called e-rate.

Even with a settlement, criminal charges still could be filed. Grier said he does not believe any current district employees or school board members will face charges.
“I would assume that the feds could continue to pursue previous employees,” he said."

The Answer Sheet - In the Age of 'Twilight': About kids who read fantasy... and ‘readicide’

The Answer Sheet - In the Age of 'Twilight': About kids who read fantasy... and ‘readicide’:

"Does your child read fantasy books, one after the other, whizzing through series after series to the exclusion of any other genre?

You suggest perhaps trying something different and you are met with stiff resistance

There is nothing better, you are told, than series such as 'Game of Thrones,” “The Wheel of Time, “The Bartimaeus Trilogy,” “Harry Potter,” and so many others. And then you start to worry that your child is:

A) living in a fantasy world

b) wasting time on silly themes

c) wasting time reading easy books

These were some of the concerns that expert Lucy Calkins heard from parents at a conference she recently held."

Class Struggle - Why not junk teacher evaluations in favor of more preparation time?

Class Struggle - Why not junk teacher evaluations in favor of more preparation time?:

"I thought rating teachers would be a hot issue, but that was an understatement. Emails and online comments are still popping up on my screen in reaction to the columns I wrote on Nov. 1 and Nov. 8 describing the perils of the District's new teacher evaluation system and the apparent lack of any serious effort towards one in the Washington suburbs. I expect more strenuous comment after next Monday's column, which will explore, for the first time, the secrets of a D.C. teacher's evaluation report.

But in this torrent of interesting feedback on assessing teachers, I have detected rising support among some experts for a radical change of direction that appeals to me."

Blindness is no handicap to great teaching, educator shows

Blindness is no handicap to great teaching, educator shows:

"Though the Yankee parade was in full swing right outside the window, the High School of Economics and Finance’s marine biology class began without any hesitation. Homer Panteloglou, 38, paced up and down the aisle of his classroom. Nobody was talking, on their cell phones, or doodling, even though the kids in the back could easily have gotten away with it. Because Panteloglou can’t see past the first two rows, he usually paces the room to make sure everyone’s engaged and on track.

Working with only one hand and legally blind in both eyes, Panteloglou refuses to slow down. In fact, he’s become one the most popular teachers in the high school. “He’s a little crazy, so we have more fun with him than with any other teacher,” said Gissette Guzman. “He’s not a regular teacher.”

He doesn’t write on the board much because he only has one hand, so PowerPoint has been a longtime teaching tool for him, even before other teachers started to incorporate it into their classrooms. “You know what to do when you see a picture,” he told the class as he pulled it up on the projector. “Write the caption.”

He also teaches honors living environment, A.P. biology, and introduction to business."

After Gerson feud, Downtown club is splitting up

After Gerson feud, Downtown club is splitting up:

"One option for zoning Lower Manhattan’s elementary schools would cut through the Whole Foods building, giving luxury condo owners the key to P.S. 234 while the middle and low-income renters would go to the Spruce Street School half a mile away.

Parents at 89 Murray St., the affordable rental portion of the development, are angry about possibly being excluded from P.S. 234.

“Tribeca is our neighborhood,” said Ilya Mazur, who lives at 89 Murray and has a 2-year-old son. “A lot of us can see [P.S. 234] from our windows. We can hear the school. This breaks the neighborhood for us.”"

Learning to Teach to Bridge the Achievement Gap - NYTimes.com

Learning to Teach to Bridge the Achievement Gap - NYTimes.com:

"Kathleen Martin stood in front of a white board covered with math problems, her class clustered at her feet. As they talked through the solutions together, the students repeated the headings over each problem on the board: “Algebra and Function,” “Probability,” “Data Analysis.”"

“So I see three addends here,” said Mrs. Martin, in her third year of teaching, “and I know I am going to find the sum.” The children then call out the addends — make that the numbers — in unison. They are adding six, four and zero.

Mrs. Martin teaches first grade at Leroy Anderson Elementary School in San Jose, a regular public school. Of its 430 students, 90 percent receive subsidized lunches. For 70 percent, English is a second language and 70 percent are Hispanic.

Those can be the demographic ingredients for a watered-down curriculum and the excuses for academic failure. Indeed, four years ago Anderson was, academically, the worst elementary school in Santa Clara County, with the lowest score on California’s Academic Performance Index. But when scores were released this fall, Anderson had jumped 136 points in a year, to 810 out of a possible 1,000.

Only a handful of Bay Area schools notched triple digit increases. In the past three years, Anderson’s scores rose 206 points.

Teachers at Some Low-Performing Schools Get Bonuses

W.H. Maxwell Career and Technical Education High School

Teachers at Some Low-Performing Schools Get Bonuses

Teachers at W.H. Maxwell Career and Technical Education High School in Brooklyn were among those at 23 high schools citywide awarded a total of $3.5 million in performance bonuses on Thursday, even though the school received a D on its progress report earlier this week.

The Jane Addams High School for Academic Careers in the Bronx and three other schools earned C’s on their report cards, and their teachers will be getting bonuses, too.
The reason for the discrepancy between the two measures of progress, school officials said, is that the teacher bonuses — awarded by the Department of Education — are determined by individual targets set for each school, and the bonus-eligible schools serve students starting from a very low threshold. It may also be rewarding improvement within each letter grade.

“Maybe a school didn’t go from a D to a C, or stayed at a C, but it’s still making progress,” said Ann Forte, a department spokeswoman, defending both the report cards and the awards program.

Michael Mulgrew, the head of the teachers’ union, the United Federation of Teachers, disagreed, saying that the difference underscored that the report cards are a flawed measurement. “The D.O.E. tools really don’t capture a lot of the challenges that the teachers and students face. There are teachers in the A schools doing a great job, and teachers in the D schools doing a great job,” he said.

School Committee faces angry parents - Littleton, MA - Littleton Independent

School Committee faces angry parents - Littleton, MA - Littleton Independent:

"Littleton - The School Committee faced an angry, cynical but mostly respectful crowd of parents and students Thursday night all of whom object to the decision by Superintendent Diane Bemis not to renew the contract of middle school Principal Kevin Moran.

The schools are still negotiating a new contract with the teachers’ association, or union. But when the news of Moran’s dismissal leaked out, the reaction was immediate and vociferous. Parents pleaded for a reason as to why Bemis would ax a beloved principal, but they got no response.

The committee and Bemis sat in silence in the high school library, citing the confidentiality of personnel matters and the state law.

A petition signed by more than 300 parents asking for reconsideration was presented to School Committee Chairman Charlie Ellis by Rose Wing, who read passages from letters that came in from current and former students at the middle school supporting Moran."

Gov. Deval Patrick to Legislature: Get back to work - BostonHerald.com

Gov. Deval Patrick to Legislature: Get back to work - BostonHerald.com:

"A steamed Gov. Deval Patrick slammed lawmakers yesterday for abruptly clocking out and taking an early holiday break as pending education and crime reforms along with budget cuts hang in the balance.

“The Legislature ought to get back in here and finish this work before they go off for six weeks,” Patrick said at a hastily called afternoon news conference. “Whatever they have to do, it’s my understanding they can get it done in plenty of time and still enjoy their holidays.”

Patrick called both House Speaker Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) and Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) and asked them to come back and vote on key legislation, including education reform and additional cuts to the budget."

Choosing the public they school | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/20/2009

Choosing the public they school Philadelphia Inquirer 11/20/2009:

"Advocates of charter schools claim they can offer something traditional public schools cannot. Each charter school touts its own special conditions for success: longer hours, better approaches, less bureaucracy, etc. Even though six charter schools in Philadelphia are being investigated for irregularities, their improved achievement scores - as well as fewer discipline problems in some cases - seem to be convincing arguments for dismantling traditional schools in favor of charters.

However, as much as we all yearn for a neat answer to our educational problems, the current charter school model is not it. Despite constant claims that charter schools do much more with exactly the same students, they don't.

Recently, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, the Rev. Al Sharpton, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich visited and praised two Philadelphia public schools. They found that the traditional McDaniel Elementary School had made admirable progress. But Mastery Charter Schools' Shoemaker Campus, which was a traditional high school until 2006, had made giant leaps in social and academic progress - all while purportedly educating the same students in the same building."

State rates teacher prep programs - St. Petersburg Times

State rates teacher prep programs - St. Petersburg Times:

"Out of the blue, the FCAT has a new job: measuring the programs across the state that produce teachers.
And it is already waving a red flag at the University of South Florida.

For the first time, the state Department of Education has examined the effectiveness of rookie teachers from a wide variety of teacher preparation programs, using their students' scores on the math and reading portions of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test in 2008. It determined what percentage of graduates from each program had 50 percent or more of their students make a year's worth of progress."

Gates to spend $365m on helping teachers

Gates to spend $365m on helping teachers:

"WASHINGTON: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a $US335 million ($365 million) investment in teacher effectiveness in three large US school systems and some public charter schools.

The grants, which amount to one of the largest privately sponsored school-improvement initiatives in recent years, will focus on experiments in tenure, evaluation, compensation, training and mentoring.

The foundation aims to reshape how policymakers approach teaching, and its goal is to focus on performance rather than qualifications."

VOVNEWS.VN | Success of “Meet Vietnam” in US beyond expectations - Success of “Meet Vietnam” in US beyond expectations

VOVNEWS.VN Success of “Meet Vietnam” in US beyond expectations - Success of “Meet Vietnam” in US beyond expectations:

"The recent “Meet Vietnam 2009' programme in the US has attracted due attention and won great applause from international friends.

Vietnam recently held an exchange programme entitled “Meet Vietnam in San Francisco, California, the US. The event was raised by the Overseas Vietnamese community in the US and by foreign friends. A VOV correspondent in the US interviewed Le Quoc Hung, Vietnam’s Counsellor General in San Francisco, about the event’s outcomes."

Reporter: What is your assessment of the “Meet Vietnam 2009" programme, which was held in California for the first time?

Le Quoc Hung: The event was more successful than we expected. The programme was of great political significance and received due attention from Overseas Vietnamese people in the US. During the event, we also held two seminars on trade promotion and education, which drew a large number of people. This has demonstrated that many foreigners have an interest in Vietnam’s investment environment and education sector. Many of the participants were also keen to invest in building universities in Vietnam to the standard of developed countries. In addition, we also held a concert and an exhibition to present Vietnam’s traditional culture.

SDUSD Adopts New Guidelines For School Fees - San Diego News Story - KGTV San Diego

SDUSD Adopts New Guidelines For School Fees - San Diego News Story - KGTV San Diego:

"SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Unified School District has adopted new guidelines after a 10News story in September questioned the legality of fees for specialized classes and activities."

Teachers now have strict rules to follow when it comes to requiring students to buy supplies, 10News learned.

"It's a matter of the state constitution; if you got a class then, you provide the materials," said school board member John DeBeck.

On Thursday, SD Unified distributed new guidelines regarding student fees after 10News exposed possible violations by the school district.

The California Constitution mandates public education be provided free of charge, which means no parent or student should be required to pay for supplies to join a class or activity like cheerleading, music or a photography class.

Deficit only real issue in guv race | San Francisco Examiner

Deficit only real issue in guv race San Francisco Examiner:

"As much as voters may want to hear candidates for governor wax rhapsodic on the intricacies of prison overcrowding, global warming and pension reform, only one subject will dominate the race — that is, if anybody’s paying attention.

It’s the economy, stupid, and it will be until 2014 and beyond.

A new legislative analyst report released this week paints a picture for California that definitely does the word “grim” justice. Next year, the state faces a $21 billion budget deficit, $23 billion after that, to be followed by fiscal shortfalls of $20 billion and $18.4 billion. For those keeping score at home, that’s nearly $83 billion during the next four years."

State of the Schools event addresses financial woes

State of the Schools event addresses financial woes:

"OCEAN PARK BLVD. — First the bad news about the local public schools.

A financial predicament is about to become even more problematic for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, which is projecting an operating deficit of $10 million this year and is sure to feel a big hit from an estimated $21 billion state budget shortfall.

The good news is despite the fiscal woes of the district, students are continuing to show improvement in academic achievement, scoring high marks on advanced placement and mandatory state tests."

MexEd Brings Hope Across Educational Borders

MexEd Brings Hope Across Educational Borders:

"Five months ago, students Micaela Lara and Silvia Leon traveled from their home at the University of California, Santa Cruz to help New York immigrant students graduate from high school and go on to college.

Lara and Leon, seniors majoring in community studies and education, came to the Big Apple to intern and work at The Mexican Educational Foundation of New York, or MexEd, which is a non-profit organization devoted to providing academic support with their after school programs and personal support through their mentoring program to Mexican and other immigrant students. The program is small and works out of a cramped office at Baruch Collge but in the last nine years their impact has been strong in young immigrant's lives, they said."

Assemblyman seeks support for Bill 656 : The Collegian Online

Assemblyman seeks support for Bill 656 : The Collegian Online:

"The majority leader of the California State Assembly spoke Wednesday in a meeting open to the public at California State University, Fresno.

Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont, is the author of the recently debated Assembly Bill 656. He is making the rounds to colleges in California to drum up support for his bill. Fresno State is the 10th college campus he has visited in the past two weeks.

Torrico said he wants to gather 100,000 signatures to take to Sacramento to show support for the bill."

Assembly Bill 656 would tax oil companies that extract oil from the state. Torrico said that the bill would specifically prohibit oil companies from passing that cost onto consumers.

“Not only does it prohibit it in the bill, the bill sets up a commission,” Torrico said. “For the first time in California, we’re going to oversee the ongoing operations of oil companies.”

Torrico said California is an anomaly among oil-producing states. He said that a similar bill in Texas raises $400 million per year that funds higher education. He also said that Alaska has a 25 percent tax on companies that extract oil from the state.

KCBS - Teachers Sound the Alarm Over CA Budget

KCBS - Teachers Sound the Alarm Over CA Budget:

"SAN JOSE, Calif. (KCBS) -- The latest bad budget news out of Sacramento has teachers concerned about even deeper cuts to education. To say that California educators are concerned about next year's budget would be an understatement."

”Once again, we are starting to hear that the budget deficit for the State of California is going to impact our schools,” said Rudy Herrera with the Franklyn McKinley School District in San Jose.

He joined other educators to basically sound the alarm early about the more than $20 billion budget deficit projected for fiscal 2010.

Teacher Scott Schulimson says they are still reeling from earlier cuts to education.

”I don’t know how our district will bridge that gap,” said Schulimson. “I don’t know what’s left that can be cut.”

The legislative analysis has estimated the state will face $20 billion deficits through 2015 unless permanent fixes are made.

Don Dawson, California Teachers Association board member says one solution is to tax the wealthy.

”Everyone needs to pay their fair share, and what has happened is that those who have been paying proportionally less as time has gone by, and that’s not right,” said Dawson.
Governor Schwarzenegger has said he will not support any new tax increases.

Elk Grove Citizen : Archives > News > Sen. Steinberg says water package is good for Nor Cal, pledges support for EGUSD

Elk Grove Citizen : Archives & News Sen. Steinberg says water package is good for Nor Cal, pledges support for EGUSD:

"Although the Elk Grove City Council voted last month to oppose the water legislation package championed by State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), the legislator said he doesn’t have any hard feelings toward Elk Grove or any of the other cities that joined together to oppose the bills.

“Now that the laws are passed, it’s incumbent on us to make (them) work,” he said after a town hall meeting held Nov. 17 at the Valley Hi North Laguna Library in Sacramento.

A few dozen people attended the meeting, and Steinberg led with the topic he thought everyone would want to talk about – the package of five water bills that was passed by the state legislature on Nov. 4."