Teacher in a Strange Land: Best of Times, Worst of Times, and so on...

Teacher in a Strange Land: Best of Times, Worst of Times, and so on...

Best of Times, Worst of Times, and so on...

I get a real kick out the best-of  lists that pop up at the end of the year. This year, of course there's an extra bit of puffery: the First Decade of the New Millennium has passed into ignominy, so what is the great cosmic takeaway for educators?

Really? While there are transformative events and legislation, most real change in education feels sluggish, rather random and exceedingly difficult to analyze. Education policy thinkers tend to be Covey-esque in the upbeat, step-wise way they approach change: anticipate, arrange, administer and assess. That's the way we got No Child Left Behind, which was supposed to be the Grand Plan to identify inequities, raise and equalize standards (a word meaning different things to different stakeholders), harass teachers into somehow teaching better, and then test diligently to ensure accountability.

But-- no plan on such a scale succeeds unquestionably. NCLB may have changed the tenor of the conversation, but the Decade of No Child has now ended and--aside from Margaret Spellings--who wants to keep arguing about whether the results are marginally data-positive or proof that you can spend billions and not improve the worst troubles in any 

CALPIRG Scorecard - How Did Your Representative Vote? | California Progress Report

CALPIRG Scorecard - How Did Your Representative Vote? | California Progress Report


CALPIRG compiles an annual legislative scorecard for all members of the California legislature, to educate the public about their representatives' voting records and hold elected officials accountable.

Our 2009 scorecard focuses on key consumer votes in the legislature.

Find out how your State Assemblymember voted here.

Find out how your State Senator voted here. 

Thirteen state Senators and twenty-five state Assemblymembers received 100 percent scores for their strong record of voting to protect consumers, rather than special interests.

The average score in the Assembly is 66 percent. The average score in the Senate is 65 percent.

Most of the bills scored here faced tough opposition from insurance companies, banks and/or mortgage brokers, the chemical industry or other powerful interests. Several of the bills succeeded and were signed into law. Unfortunately, many good consumer laws did not make it through the legislature, or were vetoed by the governor.

Successful new laws that we scored include:

AB 260: A new law protecting consumers from

Charter school focusing on Hmong children proposed in Sacramento - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Charter school focusing on Hmong children proposed in Sacramento - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"A group of Sacramento parents, educators and business professionals wants to open a charter school that will focus on teaching Hmong children, who have largely fallen through the cracks at regular public schools.

Hmong students in the Sacramento City Unified School District had the lowest scores – collectively – of all the district's ethnic groups on the English language arts section of standardized tests last year and the year before."

Judge rules Schwarzenegger can't furlough 3 unions - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Judge rules Schwarzenegger can't furlough 3 unions - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"An Alameda Superior Court judge has ordered the Schwarzenegger administration to stop furloughing thousands of state workers who are members of three big public sector unions, including Service Employees International Union Local 1000, offering them a huge legal victory as 2010 begins.

In three rulings released late Thursday, Judge Frank Roesch said the governor's reliance on the state's Emergency Services Act to order three furlough days a month, triggering pays cuts of almost 15 percent, was flawed and illegal"

Sacramento Press / Old Sac welcomes New Year

Sacramento Press / Old Sac welcomes New Year:

"Spectacular fireworks, entertainment and large crowd (as well as the blue moon), bring the New Year in during Old Sacramento's festivities.
Here's some moments:"

Local News | 20 years ago elementary teacher, students set a date to meet | Seattle Times Newspaper

Local News | 20 years ago elementary teacher, students set a date to meet | Seattle Times Newspaper:

"BREMERTON — Twenty years ago, a class of 20 Armin Jahr Elementary students made a pact with their fourth-grade teacher: they would meet at the school's flagpole on Jan. 1, 2010, at noon.

The date, displayed on the classroom white board through the school year in 1990, served as a reminder of the promise the 8- and 9-year-olds made.

They couldn't fathom then what they might be doing when they were almost 30. Would they be married? Probably, said teacher Richard Lewis."

Latino students advance at ASU despite recession - Latino Perspectives Magazine - January 2010 - Phoenix, Arizona

Latino students advance at ASU despite recession - Latino Perspectives Magazine - January 2010 - Phoenix, Arizona:

"Higher education has been a stodgy stalwart for the last 1200 years, but a good crisis usually works wonders – we have not seen this kind of turmoil since the original Movimiento Chicano. The University of California system president stated in November that tuition for California residents will go up by “32 percent over the next two years—from $7,788 to $10,302.” Outraged students at Berkeley, UCLA, and elsewhere occupied campus buildings. A crisis is brewing that appears to have legs.

Tuition has gone up at ASU and everywhere, but not like in California. The California budget crisis makes the financial “San Andreas Fault” visible to the naked eye, but the University of California has been in difficult straits for years now. In contrast, the academic environment at ASU has gone straight up since 2002, when Michael Crow took the presidential helm"

5 top issues you'll face in O.C. education in 2010

: News Photo:

"From budget cuts to lawsuits and political unrest, 2010 is likely to be a challenging year for Orange County schools.

At the top of every educator's mind – and many parents' minds – is how painful budget cutting in Sacramento will affect local classrooms."

Orange County schools lost about $300 million in state funding for the current school year, and about $200 million the year prior, forcing officials to slash hundreds of jobs and pare student programs and services, from counseling and libraries to art, music and sports.

Some are predicting the coming year will be even worse.

Adding to local schools' financial burdens are a series of national education reforms being pushed by President Obama, including a plan to tie teacher evaluations to their students' performance.

California is racing to implement those reforms right now and get as many school districts as possible on board.

"Our (school district) superintendents are just overwhelmed at this point in time," Orange County schools Superintendent Bill Habermehl said. "They've got so much on their plate. Next year is going to be really tough financially for them. Even though (Obama's reform agenda) could be a positive thing for them, one more thing is just going to be too much for some of them."

Amazon's sales tax battle with states headed for a rematch

Amazon's sales tax battle with states headed for a rematch:

"Lawmakers in a number of cash-strapped states are poised to revive efforts to make Amazon.com and other internet retailers collect sales tax — efforts that, if successful, could have far-reaching consequences for Amazon’s fast-growing e-commerce business.

Seattle-based Amazon only collects sales tax in a handful of states. But last year, a variety of state legislatures, looking for new sources of revenue to fill budget holes, tried to force Amazon and other internet retailers to collect sales tax on web purchases."

Glendale News Press > Columns

Glendale News Press > Columns:

"For my annual year-end contribution, I’ve separated my hopes into five categories, moving from more-familiar surroundings to the world at large.

I hope the Glendale Unified School District’s replacement of 60 to 70 veteran teachers (myself included) coaxed into early retirement next June will help save about 150 younger teachers from being discharged the next year. That is the district’s plan, and I believe it is a good one. Perhaps our schools will also be able to cap class size at 40 instead of edging up toward 50, as other districts seem to be doing to the great detriment of what and how our children learn.

I hope also that if class offerings were limited to save money, the process begins with technology classes and not with the arts, which are usually the first to go when educational budgets get slashed. Far better to lose some of that “cutting edge” in computer training than to sacrifice the heart and soul of our curricula."

Charter school movement, budget blues highlight ‘09 education trends

Charter school movement, budget blues highlight ‘09 education trends:

"The devastating effects of the state’s miserable financial condition on public schools pre-occupied the minds of education leaders throughout the state in 2009. Never before has public education in California been faced with such a budget crisis. And next year promises to be not much better.

Managing the funding shortfall and juggling priorities were top worries for every San Diego County school district. However, other pressing issues also presented themselves - in abundance, for some districts.

A look back on the education issues covered by SDNN in the 10 months since its inception yields a number of news stories, columns, blogs and opinion pieces on topics of concern to local education leaders, writers, parents, teachers and students.

Charter school movement

For San Diego education leaders, the year"

California's new laws - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

California's new laws - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee:

"Here's an alphabet soup look at some bills that become law on Jan. 1, whether we like them or not:

A is for alligator. SB 609 will extend from 2010 until 2015 a law that allows the importation of products made with alligator and crocodile parts.

B is for bicycles. SB 527 allows the operation of bikes without seats on state roads, as long as the bike was built that way on purpose.

C is for cows. SB 135 makes it a misdemeanor to chop off a cow's tail, except for when it's medically necessary."

Nev. governor responds to state worker suggestions - Yahoo! News

Nev. governor responds to state worker suggestions - Yahoo! News:

"CARSON CITY, Nev. – Nevada public schools and the higher education system receive the bulk of state general fund money and should share in any new rounds of budget cut pain, Gov. Jim Gibbons said.

'We want to protect education as much as we can,' Gibbons said Tuesday in a letter to state workers, 'however, we cannot continue to take virtually all of the budget cuts out of the remaining 46 percent of the state budget that funds the other state agencies.

'We must strike a balance to preserve as many jobs as possible, both in education and in state government,' he wrote.

The letter was a response to suggestions his office sought and received from state employees on how to deal with Nevada's growing budget deficit."

America's Best High Schools Heads to Times Square - Morse Code: Inside the College Rankings (usnews.com)

America's Best High Schools Heads to Times Square - Morse Code: Inside the College Rankings (usnews.com):

"America's Best High Schools Heads to Times Square

The recent release of our 2010 America's Best High Schools rankings continues to draw lots of attention in local communities nationally. These rankings will now get global visibility on a different stage, New York's Times Square, as part of tonight's New Year's Eve celebration.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently announced that he will be joined in Times Square on New Year's Eve to push the button for the ceremonial lowering of the New Year's Eve ball by students from the 12 New York City public high schools that earned a spot on the America's Best High Schools' Top 100 'Gold Medal' List. The schools represent all parts of New York since each of the city's five boroughs is home to at least one of these top-ranked high schools."

Teacher threatened with deportation gets reprieve | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Teacher threatened with deportation gets reprieve | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"After years of fearing she could be deported at any moment, immigration officials have granted a Houston middle school teacher a one-year reprieve.

Marie Baptiste, 30, said she was told just before Christmas by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials that she had been granted “deferred action” for one year, meaning they will not try and deport her during that time.

“I thank God,” said Baptiste, whose relatives brought her to the U.S. from Haiti when she was 9 years old. “We're a little bit less tense.”

Baptiste, now a middle school science teacher in Houston, said she didn't realize she was in the country illegally until she was about to graduate from high school. She went on to earn a degree from the University of Houston and then a teaching certificate."

State gives Lynn charter school OK to expand - The Boston Globe

State gives Lynn charter school OK to expand - The Boston Globe:

"KIPP Academy Lynn, which currently consists of a grades 5-to-8 middle school, will gradually add a high school (grades 9 to 12) and expand enrollment by 430 students to a maximum of 750.

The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted 8 to 2 on Dec. 15 to approve an amendment to the Lynn school’s charter that allows the expansion.

The Lynn academy is part of a nationwide network of 82 KIPP charter schools that share core principles and methods, including providing its mostly low-income students with a longer school day.

“We are thrilled with this vote of confidence from the Board of Education,’’ said Steve Mancini, spokesman for KIPP, which stands for Knowledge is Power Program, the national organization that provides training and other support to schools in the network."

Cochise District says no to stimulus

Cochise District says no to stimulus: "In this season of federal largesse, Arizona schools received about $1 billion in economic stimulus grants.

But one school district has decided that when it comes to the federal government, it is better to give back than to receive.

Cochise Elementary District is in the tiny community of Cochise, east of Tucson. Its 100 K-8 students enjoy small classes and well-paid teachers, thanks to a large amount of school property taxes paid by a nearby power plant. The district has a budget of $500,000 and turned down its share of stimulus funds: $12,865.64, or $128.65 per student."

Concord Monitor - New grade scale raises questions

Concord Monitor - New grade scale raises questions:

"Concord High School has begun rolling out a new grading system aimed at encouraging progress rather than marking achievement. But two years after the new 1-to-5 grade scale saw its first limited use, major questions remain about how competency-based education will work in Concord.

Parents demanded answers last week at a meeting about the new system, asking whether siphoning work into only five levels could hinder applications to competitive colleges. Some asked whether students would develop a false sense of security in lower grades.

The high school has prepared for two years to shift its academic criteria from traditional standards to broader competencies, a move requested by the New England accrediting body and required by the state. Teachers had to prepare lists of competencies before classes began this fall, though the system will not be fully implemented for at least two more years."

Texas teachers warned against being 'heterosexist'

Texas teachers warned against being 'heterosexist':

"Candidates for certification to teach in public schools in Texas are being told that they will be held accountable for any 'heterosexist' leanings and must become agents working to change society, according to one candidate who was alarmed by the demands.

The applicant, who requested anonymity for fear of repercussions, told WND part of the teachings on multiculturalism required him to read several online postings about the issue inside the education industry.

One warns that 'teachers and administrators must be held accountable for practices deemed to be racist, sexist, heterosexist, classist, or in any other way discriminatory.' And a second warned that educators must not define education as the basic skills.

'How do we create a better world? How do we do more than simply survive? As educators, we must help people to become committed to social change,' the article demanded."

Long Island’s Commack High School Rethinks Honor Societies - NYTimes.com

Long Island’s Commack High School Rethinks Honor Societies - NYTimes.com:

"COMMACK, N.Y. — There have been so many honor societies created at Commack High School on Long Island in recent years that some students ended up in six or seven of them, racking up memberships like so many merit badges or thanks-for-playing trophies."


But the school reversed course this school year, cutting out its 28-student technology honor society and combining those for sign language, Latin, German and French. That left 11 societies, and a community wondering how much honor is too much.

With so many societies, some students are unable to attend all of the meetings and shirk their duties with the groups, showing up only to collect the “honor cord” — a decorative tassel — to wear at graduation.
Commack is one of many places where educators and parents are re-examining the role of honor societies, which started out as an academic distinction reserved for the top 5 or 10 percent of a class but have become a routine item on college résumés.

While the prestigious National Honor Society still requires members to maintain at least a 3.0 grade-point average (many chapters like Commack set the bar higher), fledgling societies in individual subjects often accept lower grades in other areas.

State tightens the reins on failing schools - STLtoday.com

State tightens the reins on failing schools - STLtoday.com:

"A new law that goes into effect today seeks to prevent school districts in Missouri from bouncing back and forth between barely meeting and not meeting state standards, giving the state more power to take over a struggling district.

Under previous law, a district that lost accreditation had two full years to improve and regain accredited status.

If the district failed to make sufficient progress, it could face sanctions as severe as a state takeover. But if districts made enough improvements to regain partial accreditation, but then lost accreditation again, they would be entitled to yet another two-year grace period."

Student's game challenges players' imaginations as writers

Student's game challenges players' imaginations as writers:

"Stories are all around us, all the time. So why aren't more people writing them?

Tait McKenzie Johnson, a writing major at the University of Pittsburgh, thinks they may be scared of the idea, unsure of where to begin or how to move on from there.

He reasoned that if more folks saw writing as fun instead of difficult or intimidating, they might be interested in doing it. So, for the final project in his Narrative and Technology class, he invented a game to kick-start the players' imaginations.

It's called Unlimited Story Deck, and it consists of 336 cards under five categories: characters (i.e., alien, dictator, hacker); events (apocalypse, flying, playing music); settings (museum, prison, volcano); objects (vehicle, perfume, heirloom); and dynamics (artistic, forbidden, prehistoric).

Players, working alone or with others, draw cards and construct a sto"

Bradley Tech teacher raises money for students' gift: a book - JSOnline

Bradley Tech teacher raises money for students' gift: a book - JSOnline:

"It all started when Megan Krueger, a first-year teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools, was approached by one of her freshmen this winter and asked whether Bradley Tech High School had received any other coats he could try on.

The teenager was small, and the only donated winter jackets in his size looked, as the young man put it, 'like girls' coats.'

An appropriate-sized coat was eventually found, but the story doesn't end there. Instead, it prompted Krueger and one of her friends to think about how they could give something - even something small - to the close to 80 students in Krueger's English classes before the holidays."

Gov. Jennifer Granholm to sign Michigan school law changes Monday | Michigan Politics & Elections - - MLive.com

Gov. Jennifer Granholm to sign Michigan school law changes Monday | Michigan Politics & Elections - - MLive.com:

"Sweeping changes in Michigan education policy will be signed into law by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on Monday.

The legislation recently passed by the Legislature will allow the state to take over districts that are performing poorly in academics. Charter school operators with good track records will be able to open new locations and the state's dropout age will rise from 16 to 18."