Wednesday, January 6, 2010

N.J. scrambles for education stimulus funds | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/06/2010

N.J. scrambles for education stimulus funds | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/06/2010:

"The New Jersey Department of Education offered a glimpse yesterday into its strategy to win up to $400 million in federal Race to the Top stimulus funds.

Highlights include expanding the use of technology and student and teacher assessments to aid instruction and track progress, developing and rewarding outstanding teachers, turning around low-performing schools through support and intervention, and possibly closing those that continue to fail.

Those goals - consistent with federal guidelines for the $4.35 billion mega-pot of education aid - were discussed yesterday in Trenton by state education officials and close to 600 administrators, school board members, and union officials from about 200 districts."

No consensus on prevention at South Phila. High meeting | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/06/2010

No consensus on prevention at South Phila. High meeting | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/06/2010:

"No one disputes that 30 Asian students were victims of racial violence last month at South Philadelphia High School.

Yesterday, however, there was little agreement on the reasons behind the problem, who or what was to blame, or how to prevent it from happening again.

As part of an investigation begun last week, the Pennsylvania Commission on Human Relations called a private meeting with representatives of the Asian community to get their take on the trouble."

The Educated Guess � Open enrollment explained

The Educated Guess � Open enrollment explained:

"Sen. Gloria Romero’s willingness to compromise on the most controversial parental choice provision may have saved her parents rights bill – SBX5-4 – though with not one vote to spare in a critical Assembly vote Tuesday.

Students trapped in persistently bad schools will now have the right to choose an academically better school in another school district. This marks a fundamental shift in school governance. But, during hearings, legislators and lobbyists for school boards and teachers had less of a problem with principle than with the details of how open enrollment would work. The bill lacked specifics.

Amendments satisfied some concerns – and also weakened the program’s potential impact. But a cautious approach makes sense, considering there will"

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter Won't Run For Re-Election - Politics K-12 - Education Week

Colorado's Gov. Bill Ritter, a Democrat whose state is engaged in an all-out campaign for a Race to the Top Fund grant, has decided to not run for re-election.

It's too soon to say what his decision will mean for the Centennial State's chances in the hot competition for a slice of the $4 billion in economic-stimulus program grants. Maybe nothing. Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien told me the state has worked hard to get broad, bipartisan support so that the plan will be carried through no matter who is in office next year.

But some folks had speculated that Colorado might get an edge in the Race to the Top competition, in part to help the endangered Ritter and Sen. Michael Bennet, the former Denver schools chief and a fellow Democrat, who has been on the job for less than a year. (O'Brien and the Department have both made it clear that they don't expect politics to play a role in the competition.)

Tough to say what this might mean for Bennett, too. It can't be a good sign for Colorado Dems in general if

Calif. Education Reform Bills Before State Senate - ABC News

Calif. Education Reform Bills Before State Senate - ABC News:

"Facing a fast-approaching deadline, California senators are being asked to back education reforms that give parents and state officials authority to overhaul the state's worst schools."

The state Senate is scheduled Wednesday to consider a pair of education-reform bills intended to help California qualify for $700 million in competitive federal grants.

"We are not in a position to turn our backs on the potential of $700 million to help kids in high-poverty schools," said Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento.

The money is being offered as part of the Obama administration's Race to the Top initiative and the first deadline is less than two weeks away.

The state Assembly adopted the bills Tuesday night with the slim majority it needed. Senate approval would send the legislative package to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has been pushing lawmakers to act since calling a special session in August.

Schwarzenegger said the measures were needed to ensure California could submit a competitive application for a portion of the $4.3 billion being made available by the federal government.

Lawmakers who support the reforms said the legislation would provide a lifeline to parents and students in California's poorest-performing school districts.

Schwarzenegger urges broad changes to budget, tax, pension systems | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

Schwarzenegger urges broad changes to budget, tax, pension systems | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times:

"Schwarzenegger urges broad changes to budget, tax, pension systems

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, delivering his final State of the State address to lawmakers this morning, will ask them to work with him on broad changes to the state's budget, tax and pension systems, to require that more money be spent on higher education than on prisons, and to pass initiatives he says would create new jobs.

According to his remarks prepared for delivery, Schwarzenegger will also demand that the federal government fix a system that he says gives back to California less in federal tax dollars than it spends, while other states get more.

'We can no longer ignore what is owed to us, or what we are forced to spend on federal mandates,' the governor is expected to say. 'We need to work with the feds so that we can fix the flawed formula that demands that states spend money they do not have.'

He will also ask lawmakers to help him campaign for passage of an $11-billion bond to fix the state's water system, part of the deal they reached with Schwarzenegger in November.

--Michael Rothfeld in Sacramento"

Text of Gov. Schwarzenegger's State of the State address - Capitol and California - Fresnobee.com

Text of Gov. Schwarzenegger's State of the State address- Capitol and California- Fresnobee.com

Text of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's State of the State address

I want to begin with a true story from which we can draw a worthwhile lesson.

As you might guess, the Schwarzenegger household is something of a menagerie.

An Austrian bodybuilder, a TV journalist, four children, a dog, the normal goldfish and hamsters and so forth -- and in recent years we added a miniature pony and a pot-bellied pig.

It's not unusual for me to look up from working on the budget or something to find a pig and a pony standing there staring at me.

Now, the dog's food, which we keep in a canister with a screw-on lid, sits on the top of the dog's kennel.

The pony has learned to knock the canister off the top of the kennel, and then he and the pig wedge it into the corner.

There's this ridge on the lid of the canister, and the pig with his snout pushes this ridge around and around until it loosens, and then they roll the canister around on the floor until the food spills out.

I don't know how they ever figured all of that out.

It's like humans figuring out how to create fire.

But it is the greatest example of teamwork. I love it.

So one lesson to draw from the pig and the pony story is what we can accomplish when we work together.

And last year we here in this room did some great things working together.

We had a pig and pony year.

With Dodd Bowing Out, NCLB Foe May Run for Senate - Politics K-12 - Education Week

With Dodd Bowing Out, NCLB Foe May Run for Senate - Politics K-12 - Education Week:

"Sen. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, a Democrat who has been very active on education issues throughout his decades-long career and came super close to being chairman of the Senate education committee when Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., passed away, plans to announce today that he won't seek re-election.

Dodd has struggled with Connecticut voters who haven't liked his leadership on financial issues. (He's the chairman of the Senate banking committee and helped craft the multibillion-dollar Wall Street bailout/rescue package in fall 2008.)

Interestingly, Dodd's departure might mean more of a role for education in the Senate race, not less. The leading Democratic contender to replace Dodd on the ballot, at least according to published reports, is Richard Blumenthal, the attorney general who initiated the Nutmeg State's lawsuit against the No Child Left Behind Act. He contended that the federal law was an unfunded mandate, because the money appropriated for the law didn't come close to the big increases Congress authorized when they passed it."

Education Week: Detroit Students, Officials Clash Over 9/11 Shirt

Education Week: Detroit Students, Officials Clash Over 9/11 Shirt:

"A group of Arab-American students in the class of 2011 at Dearborn's Edsel Ford High told school officials they were showing pride in their class with their choice of sweatshirts Monday.

But school officials disagreed, confiscating the sweatshirts and scheduling meetings with the students and their parents because the images on the sweatshirts referenced the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. Along with the words, 'You can't bring us down,' the sweatshirts featured the No. 11 as the twin towers with windows included on each digit. The school's mascot, a thunderbird, was flying nearby.

'The whole design gave prominence to the 9/11 tragedy,"

Education Week: The Future of Ed. Schools

Five Lessons From Business Schools

By Robert Maranto, Gary Ritter, & Arthur E. Levine

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently urged the nation’s schools of education to pursue reforms, and particularly to strengthen their teacher-preparation programs. Could the recent history of business schools offer a future for schools of education?

As the management scholar William G. Ouchi pointed out in his 1985 essay “Reflections on Management Education,” from 1961 to 1981 the percentage of undergraduate degrees awarded in business administration nearly doubled (from 13 percent to 22 percent). M.B.A.s more than tripled their market share, from 6 percent to 22 percent. By the 1980s, business schools had become “the largest single component of the modern academy.”

Less noticed was a quantum leap in the quality of the degree, particularly remarkable since the easiest way to grow in quantity is to shrink in quality. In the 1950s, business schools were seen as places for marginal students to skate by, and for privileged students to network into future careers. Yet by the 1980s, business schools were training many of the best and the brightest, and became more prominent within universities. What changed?

Ouchi makes a powerful case that a 1959 Ford Foundation

Patrick Kennedy Update

There has been quite a bit of conversation recently about the many issues facing our city, including those affecting local businesses. This discussion is both healthy and necessary if we are going to navigate Sacramento through these trying economic times.

Our City, like many communities, has seen a growing trend toward putting politics over policy and divisiveness over decision making. Good people will disagree, but there comes a time to put those disagreements aside and get to the business of turning our City around. I am running for City Council because I want to be part of this change.

I am no stranger to working through volatile issues and difficult times. Early in my days of community service, I served as President of the Oak Park Neighborhood Improvement Association. Working with community leaders we created change in our neighborhood by targeting drug dealers and cleaning up parks. We fought to open the first new school in Oak Park in 40 years and to open a neighborhood supermarket when opening a business there was considered too risky.

When I was appointed to the City Planning Commission in 1993, businesses were leaving Sacramento because it was a place where it was simply too difficult to "do business". City leaders embarked upon efforts to fix what was broken, creating the Development Oversight Commission, streamlined processes and consistent policies and practices geared toward removing unnecessary roadblocks and tangled red tape to help business thrive. These coordinated efforts resulted in the creation of jobs and expanded business opportunities.

Now is the time for us to once again come together and identify areas where we can do better.

As a lifelong Sacramentan, public official, and candidate, I welcome the opportunity to work with community leaders to right the ship. Bringing divergent points of view together, I have tackled tough problems, creating solutions through collaboration. I know that we can do the same to address the issues we face today.

Please feel free to call me at 446-4434 or email me at Patrick@patrick-kennedy.com to share with me concrete ideas on how we can work together for a better Sacramento.

Sincerely,

Patrick Kennedy

Groups work to provide more mentors for at-risk L.A. youth | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

Groups work to provide more mentors for at-risk L.A. youth | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times:

Groups work to provide more mentors for at-risk L.A. youth

January 6, 2010 | 8:40 am

Los Angeles-area nonprofit groups are announcing a new initiative today aimed at boosting the number of mentors available to work with at-risk youth.

Children Uniting Nations, a nonprofit that works with foster and at-risk youth in L.A., is the lead agency for the initiative, said Juliette Harris, a spokeswoman for the organization.

Children Uniting Nations has recruited Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater L.A. and the Inland Empire, Los Angeles Cares Mentoring Movement, Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters and Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters to help reach people of various faiths and socioeconomic backgrounds, Harris said.

The effect of long-term mentoring can be crucial to children and teens who might not have any guidance at home, Harris said.

“We have hundreds and thousands of kids in this country that have nobody," she said. "By having that one adult that can keep them on the right track and keep them in school or from using drugs, it’s just so key for Los Angeles right now.”

Children Uniting Nations was created to bring attention to the plight of at-risk and foster youth. The goal is to reach as many children in out-of-home care by offering role-model support, guidance, a sense of community and to promote the importance of an education.

To get more information on how to become a mentor, visit www.childrenunitingnations.org.

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

The Educated Guess � Assembly passes monumental reforms

Assembly passes monumental reforms

Posted in Race to the Top, Standardized tests

Talk of Race to the Top will soon be superceded by all-encompassing anxiety over the state budget. But make no mistake: The two bills the Assembly passed Tuesday were historic; they will have long-lasting and far-reaching effects, whether or not California wins a dime of the $4.3 billion Race to the Top competition.
Despite full-bore opposition of the heavies in Sacramento – the school boards’, teachers union’s and school administrators’ lobbies – by this afternoon, the Legislature will have finally adopted measures thought implausible months ago. As a result, the state will be poised to:

Take decisive action to fix the worst performing schools – an action it has resisted, flying in the face of federal law, for years.
Revise its fundamentally sound but far from perfect math and English language curriculum standards. They had been viewed as sacrosanct until now.

Create new nontraditional programs for people interested in teaching science and math, opening up the field to second career candidates with a lot to offer schools.

Require participating districts to revise how they evaluate teachers and principals, incorporating test scores as one factor. Teachers unions that had dismissed any suggestion of “merit pay” will now collaborate in the process.

Give parents stuck in terrible schools a new right to send their children to better schools in other districts. Even in its compromised form, which will give receiving districts ways to avoid their obligations, the parental choice provision marks a shift in governance and establishes a new principle: A child has a basic right to attend a good school anywhere.

Critics of the Race to the Top bills, SBX5-1 and SBX5-4 implied advocates were prostituting their values for one-time federal money that won’t even fill in 10 percent of gap in the K-12 budget for next year. And it’s probably true

Superintendent Godwin Spells Out FCUSD Budget Woes — The Rancho Cordova Post

Superintendent Godwin Spells Out FCUSD Budget Woes — The Rancho Cordova Post:

"The Folsom Cordova Unified School District will be returning from their winter break with the goal of cutting at least $10.6 million from their budget, an update from Superintendent Patrick Godwin said.

Though the amount of potential cuts has been reduced from the original figure of $20 million late in 2009, Godwin said the number could go up if California cuts more funding to education. “There is a strong possibility that the state’s declining revenues will cause the governor to recommend even deeper cuts to education when he proposes his budget in January,” he said.

Godwin noted that the state cut funding to districts for average daily attendance by $250 for the current school year, and the funds were scheduled to be restored for 2010-2011. If the funds are not restored, Godwin said, then the district will need to cut at least $15 million from their budget."

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

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

"The rumors of the death of the superintendency are greatly exaggerated.

While the San Diego Unified board could not legally take any action today, it was clear from their talks today that the school district will seek a single superintendent, abandoning the idea of an alternative vision that could include as many as four school chiefs. Some in the press had speculated that the board might even eliminate the position of superintendent entirely.

But as San Diego Unified faces down a bruising budget crunch, its trustees were reluctant to start talking about dramatically different new plans. Even school board member John de Beck, who crafted the idea, said this was a bad time to bring it up.

'Put it all off,' he said. 'Keep the superintendent.'"

SCUSD Observer: Leave the money on the table

SCUSD Observer: Leave the money on the table:

"Leave the money on the table

While politicians and pseudo-educators clamor and compete for the Race to the Top funding currently working its way through the California legislature, it would behoove the SCUSD Board of Education to keep one thing in mind:

Money often doesn't fill a vacuum, it creates one.

Some California school districts will opt out of the take because the Race to the Top mandates will be difficult to implement and fund with a one-time payout.

The best option for our school district is not to enter in to this financial arrangement with the government -- in the long run, Race to the Top is a bad bargain.
''I believe that this program abandons our neighborhood schools, the children that live there and the people nearby,'' said Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch. ''Even worse, it abandons those very schools that are most in need of our help.''"

Glendale News Press > Politics

Glendale News Press > Politics:

"GLENDALE — The Democratic field to fill the 43rd District state Assembly seat left vacant by Paul Krekorian is growing.

Nayiri Nahabedian, a member of the Glendale Unified School District and a public policy professor at Cal State Los Angeles, confirmed her candidacy Tuesday.

“I see that I’m the only candidate who brings local government experience to Sacramento, and that’s something Sacramento really needs right now,” she said. “As a school board member, I have had to deal with repercussions of what Sacramento does, and Sacramento as it is now is not working, but local governments work well because we must and do balance our budget every year. We don’t pass the buck.”

Nahabedian joins fellow Democrats Andrew Westall and Mike Gatto, and Republican Sunder Ramani as official candidates. Speculation swirled around Krekorian’s chief of staff as a likely front-runner, but Adrin Nazarian said he will work alongside Krekorian at City Hall."

Three Salinas Valley school districts face state sanctions | thecalifornian.com | The Salinas Californian

The state Board of Education is scheduled to decide today whether to slap harsher sanctions on three Monterey County school districts for continually failing to meet annual goals for academic growth. Hoping for a reprieve, the superintendents from the Alisal Union, Greenfield Union and King City Union school districts will be in Sacramento to address the state school board to explain why their students haven't met federal standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act, said Fred Balcom, director of the school improvement division for the state Department of Education.

Depending on the information provided by each district — and how the board reacts to the information — one or more of the following actions could take effect:

Replace district personnel
Remove schools from the jurisdiction of the district
Appoint a receiver in charge of the district to replace the local board of trustees
Abolish or restructure the district
Authorize students to transfer to higher-performing schools.

N.J. bill on in-state tuition for illegal immigrants advances | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/05/2010

N.J. bill on in-state tuition for illegal immigrants advances | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/05/2010:

"TRENTON - A bill to allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities cleared committees in both houses of the Legislature yesterday after several hours of impassioned debate.

'It is a matter of simple fairness that students who have grown up in New Jersey, graduated from high school in New Jersey, and are the future of New Jersey, be given the simple dignity of being able to go to college here as well,' said Assemblywoman Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D., Camden), a sponsor.

Eleven states allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition, which in New Jersey can be half the cost of out-of-state rates. Advocates in New Jersey have been working to advance legislation on the issue since at least 2002.

The bill would allow illegal immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition if they attended a New Jersey high school for at least three years, graduated or received the equivalent of a high school diploma from a New Jersey high school, and submitted an affidavit to the college or university stating they had applied to legalize their immigration status.

The bill was released by the Assembly Appropriations Committee, voting 7-4, and the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee by a vote of 8-6 later yesterday."

Eduflack: STEM-ing the Rising Education Tide

Eduflack: STEM-ing the Rising Education Tide:

"It is hard to ignore the momentum that STEM (science-technology-engineering-mathematics) education is gaining these days. For years now, states and school districts have invested heavily in STEM education, first as a proactive step to allow our students to better compete ina flat, global economy and most recently as a reactive step to a changing economy and greatly changing job prospects. No matter the reason, STEM is hot. It is the only instructional area singled out for bonus points in Race to the Top applications. Last fall, the White House announced a new federal initiative directing $250 million in new dollars to STEM efforts. And that doesn't even count the buckets of money that have been committed to the cause from the National Science Foundation, NASA, philanthropies like the Gates Foundation, and countless corporate entities.

Today, President Obama is slated to announce an additional $250 million to 'improve science and math instruction,' essentially doubling the commitment his team made to the topic just a few short months ago in November. The full story can be found here."

Multiple Pathways Report Drafted - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)

State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Announces Availability
of Draft Report on Exploration of Multiple Pathway Programs

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell announced today that pursuant to Assembly Bill 2648 (Chapter 681, Statutes of 2008), a draft report on the feasibility of expanding multiple pathway programs is now available for public comment.

"Multiple pathways offer a promising high school reform approach that will assist in closing the achievement gap and preparing all students for success in the global economy of the 21st century," O'Connell said. "This draft report on California's multiple pathways initiative documents research on improving the effectiveness of our high schools. I am increasingly optimistic that multiple pathways can be an effective turnaround strategy for California's persistently low-achieving schools."

Multiple pathway programs for high schools have an integrated academic and technical core curriculum, combined with a variety of work-based learning opportunities and support services. These programs can be found in a growing number of California school districts in the form of California partnership academies, regional occupational centers and programs, charter schools, small learning communities, and other career-themed small schools.

"I appreciate the leadership of Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, Assembly members Wilmer Amina Carter and Warren Furutani, and Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg in supporting the exploration of this school improvement strategy," O'Connell said. "I also applaud and thank the James Irvine Foundation for its generous financial support for the research conducted for this report."

Bass, Steinberg, Carter, and Furutani authored Assembly Bill 2648 that required the State Superintendent to develop, with input from various stakeholders, a report that explores the feasibility of establishing and expanding additional multiple pathway programs in California. The California Department of Education contracted with WestEd, a public, non-profit agency specializing in educational research and development, to assist in the preparation of the report.

Fourteen chapters of the multiple pathways report are available for public review now through January 15, 2010. O'Connell emphasized that stakeholder feedback and suggested recommendations are essential to the successful completion of this important project. To review the draft AB 2648 multiple pathways report, please go to the WestEd Web site at (Coming Soon.)

The final report is expected to be transmitted to the Legislature and the Governor in February 2010.

Race to the Top Participants - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)

State Schools Chief O'Connell and Secretary of
Education Thomas Announce Hundreds of Local Educational
Agencies Intend to Participate in Race to the Top

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell and Secretary of Education Glen Thomas today announced that to date, almost 800 local educational agencies (LEAs) have indicated their intent to participate in the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) reforms and support California's RTTT application. Under the Obama Administration's guidelines, in addition to prompting legislative education reforms required for states to compete,Race to the Top calls on LEAs to voluntarily partner with the state through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to implement reforms that improve student outcomes. LEAs that wish to partner with the state's RTTT application were asked to submit letters of intent by December 31, 2009 prior to the January 8, 2010 deadline for submitting their final MOU. California's MOU was developed in accordance with recently released final Obama Administration Race to the Top guidelines.

"The federal Race to the Top competition has spurred tremendous interest among an amazing array of talented educators in California," said O'Connell. "I'm delighted that almost half of our local educational agencies already have stepped up to the challenge and agreed to partner with the state in making the fundamental education reforms called for in the Race to the Top competition. By investing in state and local systems that will accelerate and drive growth in student achievement, the Race to the Top will help California develop a highly skilled workforce, fuel future innovations, and maintain California's standing as a leading world economy."

"Representing more than 3,796,709 students, school districts that have submitted letters of intent demonstrate the collaborative effort it takes to strengthen California's Race to the Top application. However, the California legislature must still pass comprehensive legislation to ensure that California is highly competitive for this much-needed funding," said Thomas. "The leadership shown by these school district superintendents, board members, and stakeholders is truly commendable. The administration looks forward to receiving their final MOUs."

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides $4.35 billion nationally for RTTT. California may be eligible for up to $700 million. The competitive grant program is designed to encourage and reward states and LEAs that are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform with a specific focus in four core areas:

Adopting internationally benchmarked standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and the workplace;
Recruiting, developing, retaining, and rewarding effective teachers and principals;
Building data systems that measure student success and inform teachers and principals how they can improve their practices; and
Turning around the lowest-performing schools.

LEAs are invited to participate in California's RTTT application by signing an MOU that establishes a framework of collaboration and articulates specific roles and responsibilities for the LEA and the state in the implementation of an approved RTTT grant. The number of local educational agencies that have indicated their intent to sign the RTTT MOU represent nearly half of the school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools throughout the state. LEAs that want to be part of California's RTTT application have been asked to submit their signed MOU by January 8, 2010 in order for the state to prepare its application to the U.S. Department of Education for RTTT funds that is due by January 19, 2010.

For a complete list of local educational agencies that have submitted their intent to participate, please visit Race to the Top (Outside Source). For a sample of the Memorandum of Understanding, please visit Memo of Understanding Letter - Letters.

Pittsburgh Promise program offering FAFSA, tax help

Pittsburgh Promise program offering FAFSA, tax help:

"The Pittsburgh Promise last night announced a new benefit to families of some high school students -- free tax preparation and help filling out the federal financial aid application.

The services will be offered to about 3,700 families that have incomes of about $52,000 or less and that have children in their junior or senior years in Pittsburgh Public Schools or city charter schools.

Saleem Ghubril, Promise executive director, outlined the services for the city school board Education Committee last night.

Mr. Ghubril said the services will cost about $30,000 and expand two existing programs -- free tax preparation offered to low- and moderate-income residents through United Way of Allegheny County and financial aid expertise offered by NEED, a Downtown nonprofit group.

He said parents of juniors and seniors will be sent postcards providing additional details. Services will be offered at four workshops citywide; the workshops begin next month."

Teachers' union sues Ed Dept. - NYPOST.com

Teachers' union sues Ed Dept. - NYPOST.com:

Teachers sue city

Rip 'misuse' of $760M meant to slash class size

By YOAV GONEN Education Reporter

Last Updated: 5:54 AM, January 6, 2010

Posted: 4:09 AM, January 6, 2010

The city teachers union filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education yesterday, charging officials with misappropriating $760 million in state funds that were earmarked for class-size reduction over the past three school years.

The filing in Bronx Supreme Court says the city DOE's failure to ensure that principals were using the massive funding infusion as promised -- under a so-called "Contracts for Excellence" agreement with the state -- has sent class sizes soaring at an unprecedented rate.

"As far as we're concerned, this is deliberate, and one of the clearest examples of mismanagement we have ever seen in the history of this city," said United Federation of TeachersPresident Michael Mulgrew. "[Class size at] every grade level has gone up. Why are people not being held accountable for this?"

DOE officials said state and city budget cuts over the past two school years have impeded their efforts to reduce class size.

"The charges are without merit," said DOE spokesman David Cantor.

In a September 2008 monitoring report, state education officials said that the city had made some progress toward meeting its class-size targets in 2007-08 but that improvements were needed in the second year of the program.

They didn't release a similar monitoring report in 2009, and declined comment yesterday on the lawsuit.

According to city data, class sizes had been steadily dropping in most grades between kindergarten and eighth grade since at least 2004 before suddenly shooting up considerably over the past two school years.

For example, kindergarten classes went from an average of 20.6 kids in 2007-08 to 21.7 kids this year -- the highest level since 1999-2000, preliminary data shows.

Similarly, fourth-grade class sizes climbed from an average of 23.5 kids in 2007-08 to 24.4 students this year.

Senators hear debate on MPS’ future - JSOnline

Senators hear debate on MPS’ future - JSOnline:

"Dozens of speakers passionately disagreed about how to fix Milwaukee Public Schools during a daylong state Senate hearing Tuesday, with the only consensus being that a solution is unlikely to come soon in Madison.

Several hundred people packed the auditorium at MPS' central office to testify before the Senate Education Committee on a bill that would give the city's mayor more power over Milwaukee Public Schools and a separate measure that would allow the state's school superintendent to more easily intervene in failing schools in Wisconsin.

Like the Milwaukee legislators who have split over the mayoral-control legislation, members of the public at the hearing were fairly evenly divided about whether allowing the mayor, rather than the School Board, to appoint MPS' superintendent was necessary to improve academic performance in the school system or a step backward for democratic representation.

'How in the world does excluding parents from selecting their school leadership encourage them to participate in the education of their children?' Milwaukee resident Mike Rosen said."

LAUSD agrees to state mandate - LA Daily News

LAUSD agrees to state mandate - LA Daily News:

"The Los Angeles Unified school board agreed in principle Tuesday to accept new state accountability standards for teachers, principals and schools, potentially making the district eligible for millions of federal dollars.

At least 800 other school districts statewide have also agreed to implement new reforms in exchange for a shot at the $4.35 billion available in competitive federal 'Race to the Top' grants. Those reforms could include using test data to evaluate teachers and pushing for the shutdown of low-performing schools - policies long opposed by teacher unions.

The board's approval came as the state Legislature also voted on two bills to change state law to allow some of the controversial reforms required by the Obama administration to qualify for the grants.

'What I am asking you to do today is to approve a placeholder for LAUSD so that if the state gets Race to the Top dollars, we are there to receive them,' said LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines."

$250 million initiative for science, math teachers planned - washingtonpost.com

$250 million initiative for science, math teachers planned - washingtonpost.com

President Obama will announce a $250 million public-private effort Wednesday to improve science and mathematics instruction, aiming to help the nation compete in key fields with global economic rivals.

With funding from high-tech businesses, universities and foundations, the initiative seeks to prepare more than 10,000 new math and science schoolteachers over five years and provide on-the-job training for an additional 100,000 Fin science, technology, engineering and math.
It effectively doubles, to more than $500 million, a philanthropic campaign for STEM education that Obama launched in November. Separately, the government spends about $700 million a year on elementary and secondary education in the STEM fields through agencies such as NASA, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Education Department. But it's unclear how much federal spending can grow in a time of rising budget deficits.

"There is a recognition we can't do everything," said John P. Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. "We really need all hands on deck from the private sector and the philanthropic sector because the government can't foot the whole bill for this."

Education officials blamed in missing charter proposal papers - The Boston Globe

Education officials blamed in missing charter proposal papers - The Boston Globe:

"State education officials have either destroyed or refused to turn over key documents related to the evaluation of a controversial charter school proposal in Gloucester, in violation of the state public records law, according to a report released yesterday by the state inspector general’s office."

The report provides further ammunition to critics who have questioned the legitimacy of the review process and could complicate an already politically charged charter school debate scheduled to begin on Beacon Hill today as part of a sweeping education bill.

At least two members of the panel that reviewed the charter proposal said they may have shredded their evaluation notes, according to the report from Inspector General Gregory W. Sullivan. The department also hampered the investigation by refusing to comply with the office’s repeated requests for a 29-page evaluation of the charter proposal, the report said.

The findings last night prompted Governor Deval Patrick, who has long had concerns about the Gloucester approval process, and Education Secretary Paul Reville to support a legislative amendment that would nullify the charter. A Gloucester state repre sentative has proposed the highly unusual action, which would circumvent the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, as part of the education bill under consideration today.

County schools put complex grading system on hold amid teacher backlash - baltimoresun.com

County schools put complex grading system on hold amid teacher backlash - baltimoresun.com:

"Baltimore County schools Superintendent Joe A. Hairston backed away Tuesday from a directive requiring teachers to start immediate use of a complex online grading system after intense criticism from teachers who say the program is cumbersome, time-consuming and redundant.

Hairston's pronouncement marks a setback for an initiative developed and copyrighted by one of his top administrators who hopes to spread it across the state and beyond.

Blaming 'miscommunication and misinformation' from educators who raised concerns about the Articulated Instruction Module - or AIM - Hairston said he would work to streamline the program and limit the number of teachers who have to use it.

The system as now constructed would require every teacher to judge each student's performance in 100 different skills."

Ohio.com - Math requirements getting harder for Ohio students

Ohio.com - Math requirements getting harder for Ohio students:

"CINCINNATI: Ohio high school students entering their freshman year this fall will face tougher math requirements as part of a growing effort by Ohio and other states to better prepare students for college and careers in the global economy.

Ohio will require the incoming freshmen to complete four units of math for graduation, compared to the three now required. Another new requirement for graduation is that one of those four units must be Algebra II.

''With Algebra II, students will get a stronger background in math going into college, and career-wise — with technology growing at such a fast pace — there is a demand for students to know more math,'' Scott Blake, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Education, said Monday."