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Friday, December 11, 2009

The Educated Guess In your spare time, articles worth reading


The Educated Guess In your spare time, articles worth reading



In your spare time, articles worth reading

Posted in Uncategorized
The Educated Guess recognizes that not everyone has the time to scour Rough&Tumble and a multitude education blogs and websites. Here are a few articles that I found interesting over the last week or so.

Why privatizing UC won’t work Excellent column by Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hilzik on the dangers of creeping privatization of the University of California and why UC must not follow the lead of the University of Michigan.

To relieve stress, schools in tough neighborhoods turn to yogaMercury News reporter Sharon Noguchi does a fascinating take on the use of yoga in two low-income, Latino high schools in East San Jose to teach stress reduction and self-control. Along with both schools’ freshman class, the Yerba Buena football team is doing it – the ultimate recommendation.


Microsoft, Google in battle to win over studentsAnother Merc story worth reading: Reporter Mike Swift reports that Google, though its Google Apps Education Edition, and Microsoft, though its Live@edu are offering software to schools in an effort to win over their loyalties for life. Spreadsheets, e-mail, storage, the ability to do personal websites enable students to collaborate and do multimedia presentations.

CSU facing crushing enrollment demand: The Orange County Register, citing a newly released report by the California Postsecondary Education Commission,  notes that demand for enrollment at California State University campuses will jump by 58,000 students over the next five years, to 420,000. This is based on the dubious assumption, however, that CSU fees will remain affordable, and further slashes in state support won’t force enrollment cutbacks.

Will Minnesota opt out of No Child Left Behind laws? | Minnesota Public Radio NewsQ


Will Minnesota opt out of No Child Left Behind laws? | Minnesota Public Radio NewsQ:

"St. Paul, Minn. — Republicans and Democrats in the crowded gubernatorial race say the federal No Child Left Behind law is not working for Minnesota schools.

Many candidates say the state should opt of the regulations, even if that means losing millions of dollars a year in education funding.

The tough accountability and testing requirements of No Child Left Behind have been the law of the land since early 2002."

YourAreHere: Teaching kids to be smarter consumers online


YourAreHere: Teaching kids to be smarter consumers online


Keeping our kids safe in cyberspace has become one of the top priorities for parents. Net Cetera was  launched by the FTC(Federal Trade Commission) for parents.  Net Cetera: Chatting With Kids About Being Online, OnGuard Online gives adults practical tips to help kids navigate the online world. 
Recently YouAreHere: Where Kids Learn to be Smarter consumers was created for kids as a compliment to Net Cetera in continuing to help you keep your kids safe online. This FTC website teaches your kids about privacy and fraud.
The site takes visitors to a virtual mall, where they can play games, watch short animated films, and interact with customers and store owners. As they explore areas of the mall, visitors learn how advertising affects them, how to protect their privacy and avoid identity theft, how to spot and avoid frauds and scams, and how they benefit when businesses compete. For parents and teachers , the site has detailed fact sheets with ideas for related activities.

NEA Today Action |


NEA Today Action

NEA Unveils New Site Design


Report Shows 70% of California Public Universities Violate Speech Laws | California Progress Report


Report Shows 70% of California Public Universities Violate Speech Laws | California Progress Report:


"hile serving in the Assembly and the Senate, I have proudly authored a number of laws to protect student speech rights and provide greater transparency at California school campuses.

AB 2581 (2006) made California the first state in the nation to specifically prohibit censorship of college student press and explicitly granted free speech rights to students. SB 1370 (2008) further protects school employees from retaliation for assisting students in exercising such speech rights.

Although California may lead the nation in providing legal protections for student speech rights, a report released this week showed nearly 70 percent of our public universities are violating state law or the US Constitution through policies restricting free expression."

San Juan trustees vote to close two schools - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee


San Juan trustees vote to close two schools - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"San Juan Unified School District trustees on Tuesday unanimously voted to close Garfield Elementary and Sierra Nueva High School.
District staff had recommended closing the two schools to save $626,000.

Students attending Garfield Elementary would be reassigned to Carmichael, Cameron Park, Starr King, Deterding and Pasadena elementary schools next school year. Students at Sierra Nueva would be reassigned to Encina Preparatory High School."

The People Speak Story - History.com - Dr. Howard Zinn, Matt Damon, Chris Moore



The People Speak Story - History.com - Dr. Howard Zinn, Matt Damon, Chris Moore


Caleb Greenwood Flapjack 5k and Short Stack Fun Runs - Sacramento, CA

Caleb Greenwood Flapjack 5k and Short Stack Fun Runs - Sacramento, CA


Course
The 5k (3.1 mile) course takes runners/walkers on a scenic path through the beautiful tree-lined streets of River Park. The course is paved and relatively flat with visible mile markers. Start & finish on the Camellia Avenue side of Caleb Greenwood School. One water station on the 5k course just prior to the midway mark; water and EnergyBar given to all 5k finishers.
course map
Schedule
Fees & Registration
T-Shirts & Awards
Directions & Parking
For More Information


Education Week: The Hole in 'Race to the Top'



Education Week: The Hole in 'Race to the Top':


"It seems almost peevish to criticize U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s game-changing Race to the Top plan that dangles $4 billion in new competitive-grant funding before states willing to reform their schools. But in truth, the plan has a hole that eventually will surface. Might as well be peevish now.

First, it should be conceded that Duncan has a great idea, rewarding states willing to undertake reforms such as launching high-quality charter schools (while closing bad ones) and using data to evaluate teacher effectiveness. The excitement over the plan is palpable, with states reversing laws that blocked those reforms. How often does that happen?"

Education Week: New Teacher-Evaluation Systems Face Obstacles



Education Week: New Teacher-Evaluation Systems Face Obstacles:

"Buoyed by the promise of federal funding and a burgeoning dialogue about teacher effectiveness, districts are beginning to overhaul their evaluation systems to provide more finely grained information on teacher performance.

Among the places considering, piloting, or implementing teacher-evaluation systems based at least in part on a set of performance-based standards are Ann Arbor, Mich.; Chicago; the District of Columbia; Elgin and Rockford, Ill.; Prince George’s County, Md.; and select districts in states such as Idaho, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

But as those school districts scale up their work, they face a phalanx of obstacles, the greatest of which is probably the paucity of highly regarded models to draw on."

The Educated Reporter: Which part of “PUBLIC schools” don’t you understand?

The Educated Reporter: Which part of “PUBLIC schools” don’t you understand?:


Which part of “PUBLIC schools” don’t you understand?


Major-league kudos to Michael Miner at the Chicago Reader, who writes about the culture of fear in that city’s school system that shuts out reporters—and, by virtue, the public. Reporters around the country tell me it has gotten worse for them, nowhere moreso than in districts led by big-shot reformers. There is no justification for filtering every single contact between journalists and educators through PR people, or creating a climate in which nobody feels free to talk about ... anything.

Miner writes that the head flack at Chicago schools “spoke of the value of having ‘everybody on the same page.’” Ack. I could rant pretty thoroughly about how creepy and unproductive it is to want everyone in a massive organization to be on the same page—and foray into my loathing of how “being a team player,” which principals say all the time, has come to mean “not questioning anything”—but perhaps today is the day I should start trying to blog shorter.

I’ll just say two things:

1. The “same page” climate means that only the crankiest, most out-there gadflies have the guts to question or criticize, which is not as productive as an honest dialogue among everyone.

2. Reporters should write forthrightly, in the stories themselves or on their blogs, about every roadblock they face in this regard

New speaker, but old school battle lingers - Capitol and California - Fresnobee.com

New speaker, but old school battle lingers Capitol and California- Fresnobee.com:

"The Assembly returned briefly to Sacramento on Thursday, resolved one of its internal squabbles by naming John A. Perez as its newest speaker, but then defied Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on how to respond to pressure from the Obama White House to overhaul education policy.

Assembly leaders, including the newly anointed Perez, jammed through legislation, opposed by Schwarzenegger and some education-reform groups, to qualify the state for a share of Obama administration Race to the Top financing.

The governor, who supports a measure already passed by the Senate, flatly vowed to veto the Assembly's version of the bill if it reaches his desk. 'This is Race to the Top – not race to the status quo,' he said in a statement before the Assembly session, adding, 'The Assembly bill is a step backwards, and if it reaches my desk it will be vetoed.'"



Although there were brief efforts to negotiate the differences, Assembly leaders ultimately decided to push their version through a floor vote, sending it to an uncertain fate in the Senate, which will meet next week. But even if the Senate accepts it – which seems unlikely – Schwarzenegger's veto threat still looms unless a compromise is worked out in the next week.
While it's ostensibly a disagreement over how to seek as much as $700 million in federal funds, it's really an arena for the much-broader, years-long battle over education reform, pitting the powerful California Teachers Association and most Democratic legislators against Schwarzenegger and such groups as EdVoice, a consortium of wealthy education reformers, most of whom are Democrats.

'I Care' program offers busy parents options to stay involved in their children's education | thetowntalk.com | The Town Talk

'I Care' program offers busy parents options to stay involved in their children's education | thetowntalk.com | The Town Talk:

"For Shterroca and Eric Harvey, being involved in their children's education has always been a must, but they acknowledge that it has been challenging at times."


Like many working parents, Shterroca Harvey juggles work, motherhood and other responsibilities. She said she attends her daughters' school events as much as she can, but it does not always work out.
"Last year due to my job, I missed a few things, and that makes me so sad when I can't be here, but I tried my best," said Mrs. Harvey, 33, a full-time customer service employee at a tax-preparation service company.
This year, however, the Harveys and other parents from L.S. Rugg Elementary School said they are finding innovative ways to be involved in their children's education without having to miss work.
They are participating in the "I Care" curriculum program, designed by a Georgia-based private organization, offered at the school. The program, at Rugg since 2002, helps busy parents stay involved in their children's education from home. About 13 public schools in Rapides Parish have the program.
"We are finding that parents are not able to come to the school as much as they would like to, but it is not because they don't want to be involved.
They just don't have the time, and many of our parents don't have the means to get to the school," said Rugg Principal Vickie H. Smith.

Schwarzenegger touts East Bay food program, talks tough on school reform - Inside Bay Area


Schwarzenegger touts East Bay food program, talks tough on school reform - Inside Bay Area:

"OAKLAND — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke of kindness to one's fellow man but talked tough on education reform Thursday morning during a visit to the Alameda County Community Food Bank.

The governor — in town to tout a 'Million Meals Initiative' he and his wife are championing — said he'll 'never' sign a bill that the Assembly Education Committee put forward a day earlier to meet federal requirements for winning up to $700 million in 'Race to the Top' school funds.

The Assembly was expected to vote on the bill later Thursday.

'It's not a race to mediocrity, it's a race to the top,' he said. 'We want to make sure we get a good bill out there.'"

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence.



voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence.


Audit Committee: Keep the Fraud Hotline Going
Outside experts who help oversee audits and finances in San Diego Unified agreed unanimously today: Cutting the fraud hotline is a bad idea, even if it saves some money up front.
Getting rid of the hotline was one of many recommendations from an internal team that scrubbed the San Diego Unified budget to find savings as it faces down a deficit that could run up to roughly $200 million.
County Treasurer and Tax Collector Dan McAllister, who chairs the school district audit committee, said it didn't make sense to cut the hotline. Audit director Andrea Niehaus estimates that it cost $11,000 but has helped save more than it cost.
McAllister plans to give their recommendation to the school board on Friday.
-- EMILY ALPERT
Posted in SchooledThis just in on Thursday, December 10, 2009 2:10 pm. icon Comments (0)
Bright and Early
One of my alma maters, Academic Magnet High School in Charleston, S.C., made it onto the annual ranking of top high schools. Go Raptors! Those and other details in your daily newsblitz:
We blogged that at the third budget forum held by San Diego Unified, some parents called for a halt to testing to save money. There was no big news at the fourth meeting, but you can check out what was said at my Twitter feed.

Elk Grove Citizen : News


Elk Grove Citizen : News:


"It was change of the guard for the officers of the Elk Grove Unified School District Tuesday night as Jeanette Amavisca accepted the president’s gavel from the 2009 board president Bill Lugg.

Priscilla Cox is the board secretary and Pam Irey is the board representative to the county office of education.

With the school district’s budget on the forefront of the newly organized board minds, Jim Smrekar, athletic director, outlined a plan to retain as much of the sports program as possible for the 2010-11 school year.

A proposed volunteer play and pay plan was announced in which an athlete would pay $125 for a season. If another member of the family also participated that fee would be $100."

The Educated Guess Race to Top compromise should be doable


The Educated Guess Race to Top compromise should be doable:

"As expected, the Assembly passed its version of Race to the Top legislation Thursday, largely along partisan lines, 47-25. Even before the vote, Gov. Schwarzenegger vowed to veto the bill, saying, “It’s not a race to mediocrity, it’s a race to the top. We want to make sure we get a good bill out there.”

So what would it take to get a bill that Democrats and Schwarzenegger could live with? Probably not all that much: some word changes to Assemblywoman Julia Brownley’s ABX5-8 blended with some pieces of Sen. Gloria Romero’s SBX5-1. Specifically:

Charters: ABX5-8 got too cute in eliminating the annual cap of 100 charter schools per year. It includes gratuitous restrictions under the guise of accountability. So eliminate the language that could hinder the growth of high-performance charters and give charter leaders a say in drawing up new rules for auditing charters’ finances."

EDUCATION AT THE CROSSROADS - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.





EDUCATION AT THE CROSSROADS - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.:

"Actually, there isn't one, there are three choices that anyone offering higher education
is going to have to make.

Should this be scarce or abundant?

MIT and Stanford are starting to make classes available for free online. The marginal
cost of this is pretty close to zero, so it's easy for them to share. Abundant education is
easy to access and offers motivated individuals a chance to learn.

Scarcity comes from things like accreditation, admissions policies or small classrooms.

Should this be free or expensive?

Wikipedia offers the world's fact base to everyone, for free. So it spreads.

On the other hand, some bar review courses are so expensive the websites don't
even have the guts to list the price."

Sacramento Press / Folsom Technology Group shows what’s new with Windows 7


Sacramento Press / Folsom Technology Group shows what’s new with Windows 7



Folsom Technology Group has a message for computer users everywhere about what the latest Microsoft Windows 7 professional operating system can do to make your life a whole lot easier. That message is that performance, reliability, simplification, and ease of use matter and it is why on Thursday the IT support service company held an “Introducing Windows 7” luncheon seminar surrounding the benefits to using this Windows operating system for your home or business computer use.
FTG Chief Information Officer Chad Peterson facilitated the seminar and outlined many of the latest features that Windows 7 users can utilize that they can’t get from older operating systems such as Windows XP or Vista. Features that include simpler data recovery, transfer of files, innovative multi-media uses, override user windows, easy downloads, record TV on your PC, faster start-up and shutdowns, as well as a host of other system features. “It’s a great way for us to connect with our customers by showing them step by step what capabilities are afforded for their business needs with Windows 7”, says Peterson.

MLA Partner Schools shows promise in turning around Manual Arts High -- latimes.com


MLA Partner Schools shows promise in turning around Manual Arts High -- latimes.com:

"It's difficult keeping track of all the reformers circling the Los Angeles Unified School District, vying to take charge of dozens of schools the district plans to spin off this year.

The school board and Supt. Ray Cortines plan to farm out operations for its 200 lowest-performing schools, in what is either a sign of new openness or an admission that L.A. Unified is incapable of raising achievement at failing schools.

Already, a handful of schools have been siphoned off by charter groups and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. So far, about all they've shown is how hard reform is."

Slowing Expansion, Harvard Suspends Work on Tower - NYTimes.com


Slowing Expansion, Harvard Suspends Work on Tower - NYTimes.com:

"BOSTON — Harvard announced Thursday that it would indefinitely suspend construction on a high-tech science complex in the Allston neighborhood of Boston because of money problems."


“The altered financial landscape of the university, and of the wider world, necessitates a shift away from rapid development in Allston,” Drew Gilpin Faust, Harvard’s president, wrote in a letter released Thursday.

As part of a larger long-term expansion into Allston — a pet project of Lawrence H. Summers, Dr. Faust’s predecessor at Harvard and now President Obama’s chief economic adviser — the university also bought a string of buildings there over the last 20 years. But many have remained vacant, to the chagrin of Allston residents who have accused the university of buying land and holding onto it, a practice known as land banking.

The four-building science center, estimated to cost at least $1 billion, was originally scheduled to be finished in 2011. Dr. Faust’s announcement comes 10 months after she announced plans to slow the pace of the project while the university assessed whether it could continue. Harvard has since disclosed that its endowment declined 27 percent from June 2008 to June 2009, to $26 billion, and the university has made several cost-cutting moves.

Teachers and schools understanding of online communications can help parental involvement


Teachers and schools understanding of online communications can help parental involvement:


"A recent report released by Becta into parent teacher relationships reveals that the vast majority (89 percent) of parents say technology could play a more powerful role in their child’s education if they better understood how to use it. Schools and teachers need to talk to pupil’s parents early on and consider what they want to see. Becta suggests that schools ask parents questions such as what technology do you use most regularly? what technology do you have access to at home? how comfortable are you, or your child, with using the technology you have? Once such questions have been answered, schools can then proceed in making communications as efficient and effective as possible."



Becta is the government agency aiming to advertise and implement the productive and innovative use of technology throughout the teaching and learning process. The Schools & Parents: A New Partnership report is part of the ‘Next Generation Learning’ campaign, which encourages the move towards online reporting by using an integrated range of technologies helping parents engage with their child’s learning.
According to the report, forty-eight percent of teachers believe that while parents are a great source of support, they dont always know the best ways to get involved with their child’s education. Forty percent of parents say they think technology could help, however they don’t fully understand the ways in which they can use it. Consequently schools need to review how they currently communicate different types of information with parents by consulting with the parents themselves and establishing whether their current form of communication is suitable.

Education bill has its critics - Education - SignOnSanDiego.com


Education bill has its critics - Education - SignOnSanDiego.com:

"SAN DIEGO — As state lawmakers approved controversial education legislation yesterday that is intended to get California into the race for federal reform funds, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan weighed in on the debate during an appearance in San Diego.

Passed by a 47-25 vote, the legislation by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, would lift the cap on the number of charter schools in California, overhaul state academic standards and target federal funding to the poorest-performing schools."


Although the legislation could make California eligible for up to $700 million in federal funds, many education reformers have criticized it as a weak effort that does little to improve the education for underachieving poor and minority children.
After speaking at the National Conference of State Legislatures in downtown San Diego yesterday, Duncan all but joined the critics. He said California has a chance to regain its long-departed status as a national leader in public education.