Make It Viral: Strike to Save Public Education March 4 Schools Matter

Schools Matter

Make It Viral: Strike to Save Public Education March 4

An interesting take from Inside Higher Ed:

The tricky thing about viruses is that it’s impossible to know where they might spread next or what damage they might do if they mutate. The same could be said of “viral” protest movements like the one that started in California months ago.

Talk of a series of March 4 demonstrations across Californiabegan in October, and since that time a loosely connected cyber network of angered faculty and students have planned their own protests across the country. What has emerged is the promise of the collective angst of cash-strapped public education -- from K-12 through the college sector -- bubbling over in hot spots from sea to shining sea.

They may face different levels of budget cuts, hail from different institutions and reside in different states, but these activists are all saying -- in one way or another -- “We’re mad as hell, and we’re not going to take it anymore!” While that’s a message that many college administrators may privately embrace, since they too feel increasingly shortchanged by the state's budget-setters, the fervor of the protest movement presents a delicate dance for campus and system-level leaders trying to promote thei

More collaboration than conflict in Providence over education | Education | projo.com | The Providence Journal

More collaboration than conflict in Providence over education | Education | projo.com | The Providence Journal

PROVIDENCE — In January, after five city schools were named among the worst in Rhode Island, Providence Supt. Tom Brady had a choice: he could reorganize the schools with — or without — the union’s support.

Brady approached Providence Teachers Union President Steve Smith, who was currently suing the district over hiring practices, and asked if he would join him in speaking with teachers at the affected schools.

As they toured the schools, Brady would ask teachers with 20 years in the system to stand up, then those with 10 years and so forth. Each time, Brady said, “You all deserve a round of applause.”

Call it a tale of two cities.

While the superintendent and union president have been going at it in Central Falls, Brady and Smith have worked together on a plan to radically reshape five of the state’s lowest-performing schools.

On Friday, state Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist said that she hopes the partnership between management and labor in Providence is the wave of the future.

“I think that we have to acknowledge that change can be difficult,” she said. “I’m really encouraged to see them working together. Providence teachers are fortunate to have leadership that represents teachers while collaborating on what’s best for students.”

The latest collaboration was no small breakthrough. Last fall, the union sued Brady after then-state Education Commissioner Peter McWalters ordered Providence to abolish seniority, the time-honored way in which teachers are assigned to fill openings.

Teacher's union sues Arizona over policy changes

Teacher's union sues Arizona over policy changes:

"The state's largest teacher's union has joined the throng of plaintiffs suing the state over various actions driven by the state's budget crisis.

The Arizona Education Association's lawsuit, filed Thursday in Maricopa County Superior Court, seeks to overturn actions the Legislature took last summer that affect teachers and employment policy. Those actions were unconstitutional, the union argues, because they were taken during a special legislative session devoted to the state budget. The policy changes had nothing to do with the budget, the suit states.

The teachers are seeking an injunction to stop the policies, noting that many of the law's provisions are already being carried out at school districts across the state.

Among other things, lawmakers removed policies that set deadlines for issuing contracts, allowed seniority to be used as a factor in job-cut decisions and permitted union members to use personal time for union matters.

Legislators also blocked expansion of school districts' 'career-ladder' programs, which pay higher wages for higher-performing teachers.

This is the second time the AEA has taken its complaint to court. Late last year, it sought immediate relief from the Arizona Supreme Court, but the court declined to hear the case."

Daily Kos: Ravitch: �The Death and Life of the Great American School System

Daily Kos: Ravitch: �The Death and Life of the Great American School System

Ravitch:  The Death and Life of the Great American School System

by teacherken

   

Sun Feb 28, 2010 at 02:20:35 AM PST

My support for NCLB remained strong until November 30, 2006.  I can pinpoint the date exactly because that was the day I realized that NCLB was a failure.

This is a book review.  Those words appear on p.99, which however odd a starting point is critical.  I learned about this event contemporaneously from the late Gerald Bracey, who informed some of us by email and many more in this Huffington Post blog.  At a conference at the American Enterprise Institute called to answer the question of whether No Child Left Behind was working, we learn from Bracey

Charged with summarizing the day, former assistant secretary of education for Bush I, Diane Ravitch, declared that the answer to the conference title's question was clearly, "No!"

That began an intellectual transformation that leads to the outstanding new book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education.  I will explore the book, the author and the implications of her transformation.

• teacherken's diary :: ::

First, let me dispense with any necessary disclosures.  My professional association with Diane Ravitch goes back almost a decade to when as a graduate student studying Federal educational policy I was fortunate enough to have an extended phone conversation picking her brain.  Our contact has become more frequent especially in the past year, in part as a result of her transformation, a process she thoroughly explores in her first chapter, "What I Learned About School Reform."  As a result of at least one of those exchanges, I am included in the acknowledgments as one who assisted Ravitch in obtaining information.  I was aware of the general thrust of the book, but until I received a copy to review had no knowledge of the specific contents.

SPECIAL SESSION: Tentative budget deal reached; education spending would be cut 6.9 percent - News - ReviewJournal.com

SPECIAL SESSION: Tentative budget deal reached; education spending would be cut 6.9 percent - News - ReviewJournal.com:

"Carson City -- State spending on education would be cut by 6.9 percent under a budget deal Democrats and Republicans reached late Saturday, a source who had seen the draft budget document said.


The extra revenue would come mostly from the mining and banking industries. Casinos would not have to pay any new taxes or fees, but new licensees would be charged for investigations, according to the document. Because of economic hard times, the gaming industry had strongly objected to paying any more money."

The deal does not include a last-minute Republican Assembly idea to essentially allow private investors to buy unclaimed property the state collects, the source who saw the document said.

Members of the political party caucuses still must agree to the plan, which is part of an effort to close an $887 million budget gap and which could be approved at the special session as soon as today.

The deal, which could mean layoffs or pay cuts for teachers, was reached after five meetings over three days among legislative leaders and Gov. Jim Gibbons on Day 5 of the special session.

State workers fared better when, earlier in the day, the Assembly rejected more cuts to their pay but increased classroom sizes for Nevada's youngest pupils and closed many state offices on Fridays.

State Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said he thought the Republican governor would sign off on the deal.

Protesters march to stop school changes - Wake County - NewsObserver.com

Protesters march to stop school changes - Wake County - NewsObserver.com:

"RALEIGH -- A call for equality in education took on an urgent and personal tone Saturday as protesters decried the potential end to the Wake County school system's policy of busing students for socioeconomic diversity.

The fourth annual march and rally, called HK on J, for Historic Thousands on Jones Street, drew a racially diverse crowd representing a wide range of local and national interests, from immigration reform to job creation. But it was the broad changes pending for the state's largest school district, which opponents condemn as a move to re-segregate schools, that drew some of the most pointed criticism.

'Hey-hey, ho-ho, John Tedesco's got to go,' some shouted, as Duke University historian Tim Tyson led marchers in a chant aimed at the Wake school board member, one in the new majority moving the system toward neighborhood schools. The crowd, which stretched about two city blocks, walked through downtown Raleigh to the Legislative Building, where Tyson stood onstage at the microphone."

Hundreds protest proposed education cuts | Richmond Times-Dispatch

Hundreds protest proposed education cuts | Richmond Times-Dispatch

Singing along with Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It," hundreds of teachers, schoolchildren and supporters rallied at the state Capitol yesterday to protest proposed cuts in K-12 education.

The rally, the brainchild of an Orange County school bus driver, drew educators from counties across the state, such as Hanover and Henrico, Pulaski, Westmoreland and Fairfax.

On a blustery day at the Bell Tower, many held signs with messages such as: "Cuts hurt kids," "You can't spell 'governor' without a teacher," and, sarcastically, "Reopen rest stops -- flush a child's education."

The House of Delegates and the state Senate have two weeks to reconcile rival spending plans that feature deep cuts to K-12 education.

The House would cut aid to K-12 education by $620 million, the Senate by $418 million. Both sides say they would offset some of the cuts through retirement savings for localities.

Gov. Bob McDonnell, who had sought $731 million in K-12 cuts, told reporters in Lynchburg on Friday 

Castro: It's about school, kids

Castro: It's about school, kids

Before City Hall, before Harvard Law School, before Stanford University, Mayor Julián Castro was just another Hispanic kid in the San Antonio Independent School District.
His life mirrored that of many in the city's urban schools. He and his twin brother, Joaquín, also Stanford- and Harvard-educated and now a state representative, weren't the first in their family to go to college, but their mom — who has a graduate degree — was the sole financial supporter in their home.
Castro's grandmother took care of the boys while their mother worked. And while Rosie Castro made a name for herself as a community activist, it wasn't a role that brought home much money.
Castro is quick to tell you he wasn't special. He wasn't exceptionally gifted. But he worked hard and had role models around him who encouraged him to do his best and to keep college in his sights.
That's what he hopes to do for thousands of young San Antonians. Castro calls education a top priority and has backed it up with multiple initiatives focused on motivating young people.
“I want every child in San Antonio to be raised with the aspiration and expectation of going to college,” Castro said. “They won't all get there, but it should be everyone's goal.”
Castro isn't the first mayor to focus on education. The city budget has long included money for education, including funding for early-childhood and after-school programs, scholarships, literacy initiatives and job training.
Former Mayor Henry Cisneros was a driving force behind the creation of t

Nation & World | New school board may hit brake on busing | Seattle Times Newspaper

Nation & World | New school board may hit brake on busing | Seattle Times Newspaper

New school board may hit brake on busing

When Rosemarie Wilson moved her family to a wealthy suburb of Raleigh a couple of years ago, the biggest attraction was the prestige of...

By ROBBIE BROWN

The New York Times

RALEIGH, N.C. — When Rosemarie Wilson moved her family to a wealthy suburb of Raleigh a couple of years ago, the biggest attraction was the prestige of the public schools. Then she started talking to neighbors.

Don't believe the hype, they warned. Many were considering private schools. All pointed to an unusual desegregation policy, begun in 2000, in which some children from wealthy neighborhoods were bused to schools in poorer areas, and vice versa, to create economically diverse classrooms.

"Children from the 450 houses in our subdivision were being bused all across the city," said Wilson, for whom the final affront was a proposal by the Wake County Board of Education to send her two daughters to schools 17 miles from home.

She vented her anger at the polls, helping elect four new Republican-backed education board members last fall. Now in the majority, those board members are trying to make good on campaign promises to end Wake's nationally recognized income-based busing policy.

At stake is the direction of the 140,000-student school system, the largest in America to consider family income in school placements. Wake has long been the most prominent example of a district that dropped 

Coyote Chronicle - CSU system joins "Es el Momento" campaign

Coyote Chronicle - CSU system joins "Es el Momento" campaign

The CSU has joined Es El Momento (The Moment Is Now), a national multimedia campaign aimed at advancing the U.S. college graduation goal and increasing high school completion and college readiness among Latinos.

“What the Latino community needs is a set of tangible solutions that mentor Latino youth, educate parents about the nuts and bolts of getting to college, financial aid process and making the most of college,” said CSUSB assistant professor Louie F. Rodriguez.

The multi-year campaign was launched on Feb. 23 at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. and is being led by Univision Communications and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“We need to develop a situation where it is normal and expected that Latino youth will go to college, just like we see in middle-class communities," Rodriguez said.

“Increasing college readiness among Latinos is critical to meeting President Obama’s education goal of making the United States the leading nation in college degree holders by 2020,” said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed. “CSU is committed to supporting this national effort by maintaining several ongoing initiatives to overcome students’ college barriers.”

The three-year effort will focus on creating a college-going culture among U.S. Latinos and setting expectations for high school completion and college readiness.

In this program parents will learn about the structure of California’s educational system, are trained to successfully establish relationships with school principals and teachers, and get tips on how to establish a home environment that is conductive to learning.

School budget cuts harm society - Community Voices - Modbee.com

School budget cuts harm society - Community Voices - Modbee.com

We all recognize that the very foundation of our democratic society is dependent on an educated citizenry. The freedoms we enjoy are contingent on each generation understanding their civic responsibilities. The 21st century global economy demands a highly skilled and educated workforce. Therefore it is incumbent on all of us to maintain the highest possible standards of education to support our leaders of tomorrow.

The reality is that no matter how much we value public education, California is facing an unprecedented inability to fund it adequately. We know that education is not alone in this challenge. Almost every sector of our state's economy is impacted by the financial meltdown. Sadly, many of you have lost your jobs, and we are all watching as essential health and safety services are being scaled back in our communities.

School boards are making extremely difficult decisions and parents are beginning to understand that their local schools may look different in the future. Employees in many school districts have been asked to take furloughs, and negotiations regarding salary concessions and shortened school years have begun in some districts.

Governor says racial incidents must stop - SignOnSanDiego.com

Governor says racial incidents must stop - SignOnSanDiego.com:

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the recent “horrific incidents” that have caused racial unrest at the University of California San Diego must stop.

“The acts of racism and intolerance that we have witnessed are completely unacceptable,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement released yesterday. “There is no excuse for this kind of behavior in our system of higher education or anywhere else and it will not be tolerated.”

Three recent episodes with racial overtones involving UCSD students have led many black students and others to say they now fear for their safety on campus.

The turmoil was sparked by an off-campus party Feb. 15, dubbed the “Compton Cookout,” that mocked Black History Month, and further stoked by a show on a student-run TV station that supported the party and called blacks ungrateful, using a racial slur. Then a noose was discovered Thursday night hanging in the UCSD"

Schools in state fired up over Day of Action Hostilities unwanted

Schools in state fired up over Day of Action

March 4th has gone viral.


The upcoming Day of Action to Defend Public Education - rallies, marches, teach-ins, even political theater - began as an idea on the UC Berkeley campus last fall and has caught fire up and down California, from elementary school to graduate school, and across two dozen states.
On the surface, Thursday's Day of Action seems likely to be an unprecedented show of unity among public education advocates at all levels who are angry that politicians and university officials with fingers on purse strings are letting the system decay.


"Everybody's coming together," said Callie Maidhof, a student at UC Berkeley, where students have protested tuition hikes, budget cuts and layoffs since last fall.


But some say the event is already scorched by the threat of violence. At an outdoor dance party early Friday, a crowd of Berkeley campus protesters seized a building, torched trash cans, threw bottles and got into an angry confrontation with police.

Hostilities unwanted

Students said protesters occupied the building in part to call attention to March 4th, and don't expect the hostilities to be repeated Thursday.


"It's important not to inject that level of damage into every action, or you'll alienate lots of people who don't want to act that way," said Xander Lenc, a student at the dance party that got out of hand.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/27/BA2L1C6QNT.DTL#ixzz0gqAfygfN

Durant Hall Communiqu� : Indybay

Durant Hall Communiqu� : Indybay

Durant Hall Communiqué

by ReclaimUC
Saturday Feb 27th, 2010 3:26 PM

Accelerate: we are here to help architecture make the leap to emancipation. The architect John Galen Howard, who designed and oversaw the construction of what is now called Durant Hall at the beginning of the last century, was a hesitant man. We say: the time for fresh personal expression is now! There is no question that we are already the product of other people's assiduously accumulated knowledges, so many that they become impossible to catalog exhaustively. The accumulation of knowledge is a library, perhaps, but it is also a struggle, a movement, a tactic. Likewise, the acquisition of knowledge does not have to be quiet -- next to the sound system, self is forgotten and the commune emerges. The dance party: a distinctly promising sign of present power.

Architecture has, like other growing phenomena, to go to school before it can wisely be emancipated. It is a distinctly promising sign of future power, for a young people . . . to forget self for the time being in the quiet, assiduous acquisition of knowledge already established by others. The time for fresh personal expression will come later.
--John Galen Howard, 1913

Accelerate: we are here to help architecture make the leap to emancipation. The architect John Galen Howard, who designed and oversaw the construction of what is now called Durant Hall at the beginning of the last century, was a hesitant man. We say: the time for fresh personal expression is now! There is no question that we are already the product of other people's assiduously accumulated knowledges, so many that they become impossible to catalog exhaustively. The accumulation of knowledge is a library, perhaps, but it is also a struggle, a movement, a tactic. Likewise, the acquisition of knowledge does not have to be quiet -- next to the sound system, self is forgotten and the commune emerges. The dance party: a distinctly promising sign of present power.

Future power too. On March 4, UC Berkeley students, workers, and faculty will march in solidarity with those from other UCs, CSUs, community colleges, and K-12 schools across California and the country as a whole. Like this building, reclaimed from the graveyard of financial speculation, we will reclaim the streets of Oakland in conjunction with an international day of action for public education to be free and democratic.

For the last two years, Durant Hall has been little more than a shell, surrounded by piles of rubble and heavy machinery, themselves surrounded by uneven rows of chain-link fencing. No longer is there any trace of the library it once was -- the East Asian Library, now moved across campus to a new building named after an insurance mogul who founded the notorious AIG. Language has been uprooted, pruned, and replanted as well. The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures went with the library, and in the process lost half its Japanese, Korean, and Chinese classes as well as the faculty that taught them -- over 1,500 curious students will be turned away this year. Subtracted from the flow of campus life, Durant Hall has existed only as a barrier, an inconvenience, a silent witness to the frustration of the thousands of students, workers, and faculty protesters who surrounded the neighboring Wheeler Hall and clashed with police last November.

Clash near UC-Berkeley comes ahead of 'Day of Action' over budget cuts - San Jose Mercury News

Clash near UC-Berkeley comes ahead of 'Day of Action' over budget cuts - San Jose Mercury News

BERKELEY — Yet another student protest turned violent at UC-Berkeley late Thursday and into Friday morning, when more than 200 people spilled out of a dance party on campus and trashed university buildings and smashed windows along Telegraph Avenue.

Forty-five officers from several law enforcement agencies responded, including the Berkeley and Oakland police, and the California Highway Patrol, officials said. At least two people — current and former students — were arrested.

Now there is much concern that Berkeley's on-campus violence could be a harbinger of far more damage next Thursday, when demonstrations against education budget cuts will take place all over the state.

"We know there"s going to be a lot of emotion associated with this," said University of California-Berkeley police Capt. Margo Bennett. "It's going to be passionate."

Others fear the protests scheduled for next week may be overshadowed by rogue protests aimed at issues other than the prohibitive costs of higher education. But on Thursday night students attended what was to be a low-key event called the Rolling University. It was part of a series of teach-ins on state and UC budgets and other education issues, followed by a dance at Sproul Plaza. About 11 p.m. trouble started and police were called.

By the time police arrived they found someone had cut a chain on the fence surrounding Durant Hall, a former library in

the center of campus that is closed for renovations, and hung a banner reading "March 4" above the entrance to the building, a reference to Thursday's statewide "Day of Action" to protest education budget cuts.

Sarah Emmert and others: Send a message that funding quality education is essential - Santa Cruz Sentinel

Sarah Emmert and others: Send a message that funding quality education is essential - Santa Cruz Sentinel

Sarah Emmert, Bruce Fihe, Regina Langhout, Pallas Stanford


A high-quality education is only for the rich. This is the message that California is sending our students, from elementary school through higher education, thanks to the state's divestment of public education.


The signs in our county are clear: janitors have been laid off and overworked teachers have to clean as well as teach; there is no summer school for students who need it; books are being replaced less often; rats have been seen in dining halls that get cleaned less frequently; fees and tuition for higher education are increasing astronomically; class sizes are increasing; some low- and middle-income college students are leaving without degrees because they cannot afford to stay, especially AB540 students, who do not qualify for federal, state, or university financial aid.


This is no way to teach and it's no way to learn. Yet, high-quality public education is essential for public wellness and community prosperity.


We therefore urge you to join us on March 4, a day of system- and state-wide actions called by students, staff, and faculty from K-12 schools, the community colleges, the California State University system, and the University of California campuses to demand high-quality public education that is accessible and affordable to all.


You can get involved on March 4 in many ways.


In downtown Santa Cruz, join a community-wide rally for public education organized
by seven local school districts at the Town Clock from 4-5 p.m.




In Watsonville, join a community-wide rally and educational symposium organized by the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers and Viernes Cultural from 3:30-5:30 p.m.; the rally is at La Plaza, and the symposium is at the Cabrillo College Watsonville campus from 4:30 to 5:30.

Marcos Breton: Sacramento city teachers need to share the pain - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Marcos Breton: Sacramento city teachers need to share the pain - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:
 "The time is up.

Since 2002, the Sacramento City Unified School District has cut $144 million from its budget.

An additional $30 million in cutbacks loom. Like many districts around the region, Sac City is poised to blanket the area with pink slips.

For too long, the Sacramento City Teachers Association hasn't lifted a finger or sacrificed a dime as the district has been decimated.

Union leaders in the district focus on wages and benefits. And what benefits: Half the district's teachers pay a $5 co-pay for health insurance but get a $4 rebate on each expenditure.

The other half of the teachers? Their co-pay is $5.

If you're a district teacher for 10 years or more, you get health care benefits for life with no cap on costs.

That has created an unfunded health care liability of $552 million for the district.

It would have been great to ask union boss Linda Tuttle about all this, but she didn't return phone calls."

Sacramento area teachers brace for thousands of pink slips - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento area teachers brace for thousands of pink slips - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento teachers and other school employees are bracing themselves for thousands of pink slips.

Unlike previous years when many layoff notices were rescinded, school officials say more of those employees will likely lose their jobs this year.

"It's heartbreaking," said Steven Ladd, Elk GroveUnified School District superintendent, whose district is expected to send out more than 1,000 pink slips.

Ladd and other administrators say layoffs this year probably can't be avoided. Years of intense budget cutting have left districts so lean that salaries are approaching 90 percent of some districts' budgets.

The rising numbers of pink slips locally are part of a statewide wave. David Sanchez, president of the California Teachers Association, said the deluge could be worse then last year, when 28,000 teachers received pink slips and 16,000 lost their jobs.

Any layoffs would ripple in the local economy. "The wave of layoffs is hurting the community," said General Davie, interim superintendent of the Natomas Unified School District. "A lot of our teachers live in the community, and it's terrible that we're laying these people off and taking away their health insurance."

Area districts are facing massive deficits – some are $30 million to $60 million in the red. School officials said they've cut so many programs in the last two years, there's not much left to cut except salaries.

"All of the easy solutions have been exhausted," said Jonathan Raymond, superintendent of theSacramento City Unified School District. "It's critical that we do something to reduce our costs, largely driven by salaries and health benefits."

Sacramento City Unified officials expect to spend more than 89 percent of the 2010-11 budget on salaries, while the Folsom Cordova Unified School District will spend roughly 87 percent and Natomas Unified about 80.5 percent.

To avoid massive layoffs, school officials say, 

Who's Winning the Race to the Top? by Thomas W. Carroll, City Journal 26 February 2010

Who's Winning the Race to the Top? by Thomas W. Carroll, City Journal 26 February 2010

THOMAS W. CARROLL

Who’s Winning the Race to the Top?

An assessment

26 February 2010

Which states are the leading contenders to get a slice of the Obama administration’s $4 billion Race to the Top initiative, which will reward states with federal dollars if they embrace certain education reforms? Forty states and the District of Columbia have submitted applications; finalists will be announced as early as next week, and the winners in April, after detailed analysis by 58 reviewers. They will rank the applications according to 19 criteria, including the states’ charter-school laws, their track records in implementing education reforms, their use of student data to evaluate teachers, their efforts to raise the quality of teachers and other school officials, and their plans to turn around failing schools. States not selected in the initial round of grants can submit applications by June 1 for a second round.

After reviewing all the available state applications, totaling thousands of pages, I’ve grouped the 40 applying states (and D.C.) into three categories: very competitive (three states); competitive (four states); and likely losers (33 states, including four last-minute flameouts). With luck, both the winners and the losers in Race to the Top will prompt further education reform across the nation.

Three states submitted applications that strike me as very 

Sacramento Press / Ariana Huffington celebrates the age of citizen journalists

Sacramento Press / Ariana Huffington celebrates the age of citizen journalists

Huffington Post founder Ariana Huffington spoke last night at the Mondavi Center at UC Davis, as part of its Distinguished Speakers Series.  Her lecture was a free-flowing, spontaneous take on a variety of topics that fit loosely under the evening’s theme, “The brave new world of the new media: how technology is changing the way we think, learn, play, work, and vote.”

As founder and editor of one of the most highly trafficked news aggregating/blog sites on the internet, Huffington has developed strong opinions about the direction journalism will take in the future.  Citing ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, she told the audience that because things are always in a state of flux, “you can’t step into the same river twice,” meaning that journalists would be wrong to try to recreate news on the web as a slightly tweaked version of news on paper.

Instead, she lobbied for a hybrid journalism emphasizing the “fairness, accuracy and fact-checking” of print and the “transparency, immediacy and openness” of the web.  She called this “the age of Citizen Journalists” (Sacramento Press, anyone?) who can report news more accurately, immediately and locally than traditional news organizations, citing the fact that CNN operations were shut down in Iran’s recent uprisings, while independent citizens freely delivered news from that region through Twitter and Facebook posts too diffused for the government to control.

Huffington argued that because traditional news media enjoy far greater access to newsmakers, traditional reporters often fail to accomplish 

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