Friday, January 8, 2010

Swearing in California's first-ever Latina... by Gov. Schwarzenegger (@Schwarzenegger) on Vidly

Swearing in California's first-ever Latina... by Gov. Schwarzenegger (@Schwarzenegger) on Vidly:

"Swearing in California's first-ever Latina Director of Finance. Ana, I know you'll be fantastic.
by Gov. Schwarzenegger 4 hours ago from API"

First Latina Finance Director - Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

First Latina Finance Director

By SBHCC Admin Dec 14, 2009 in news

For Immediate Release: Monday, December 14, 2009	Contact: Aaron McLear Kira Heinrichs 916-445-4571 916-445-4571 916-445-4571 916-445-4571
Gov. Schwarzenegger Announces Appointment of Ana Matosantos as First Latina Finance Director Thanks Michael Genest for Dedicated Service

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today extended his deep felt gratitude to Michael Genest for his service to the people of California. Following Genest announcing his resignation, the Governor announced that he will appoint Ana Matosantos as director of the Department of Finance.

"Mike has a long and distinguished career of service to the people of California and he has been a tremendous asset to my Administration," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "As director of the Department of Finance for the past four years, he served a critical role navigating the state through the worst fiscal situation we have seen in decades and I am deeply grateful for his service, dedication and commitment to our state."

"I know Ana is the right person to take on this important role at such a crucial time for California. In the coming year, our state will have to make incredibly challenging and tough budget decisions, and Ana has the knowledge and expertise necessary to guide my Administration through that decision-making process," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "With an extensive history in state finances, she has been an incredible asset as a member of my staff and to the people of this great state and I look forward to continue working with her, as California's first Latina director of the Department of Finance, to move California forward."

Matosantos has served the Department of Finance as chief deputy director since 2008. Prior to that, she served as deputy legislative secretary for health and human services and veterans affairs in the Office of the Governor from 2007 to 2008. From 2006 to 2007, Matosantos served as associate secretary for legislative affairs for the Health and Human Services Agency (HHS) and, from 2004 to 2006, was assistant secretary for program and fiscal affairs at HHS. Prior to that, she was also a consultant to the Senate Committee's on Health and Human Services and Budget and Fiscal Review from 1999 to 2004.

"I am honored the Governor has given me this opportunity to continue serving the people of California," said Ana Matosantos. "I look forward to using my experience working with state government finance to work with the Governor and his Administration to put California on the right track."

Matosantos, 34, of Sacramento, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Stanford University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $175,000. Matosantos is a Democrat.

Jamaica and Columbus High School supporters pack hearings | GothamSchools

Jamaica and Columbus High School supporters pack hearings | GothamSchools:

Jamaica and Columbus High School supporters pack hearings

"From Queens to Brooklyn, hundreds of teachers, students, and alumni poured into auditoriums last night to defend their high schools from closure.

In Queens, supporters of Jamaica High School turned out in droves for the public hearing, a meeting also attended by Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott and some of the Department of Education’s top brass.

The arguments against phasing out Jamaica and replacing it with several small schools in the same building were similar to those voiced at a question-and-answer session with DOE officials held at the school last month, which also drew an angry crowd.

When one speaker pointed out Walcott’s presence in the back of the auditorium, audience members rose from their seats, turned around to face him, and chanted, “Save Jamaica High School.”

The Queens representative on the Panel for Educational Policy, Dmytro Fedkowski, asked the DOE to postpone the board’s vote on the proposals until the department releases more information about how the closure decisions were made.

“These proposals seem to be moving forward at an alarming rate,” he said.

Sacramento Press / Community Partnership Meetings - January 2010

The City of Sacramento, Neighborhood Services Department is hosting bi-monthly Community Partnership Meetings beginning in January 2010. The Community Partnership Meetings are an opportunity for City staff, neighbors, business owners, and other agencies to exchange information and have open dialogue discussing issues, policies, and priorities for Sacramento's diverse neighborhoods.

Important Information . . . Neighborhood Networking . . . Civic Engagement

Got questions? We have the answers . . . Neighborhood Services Department

Meeting dates and locations:

Monday, January 11, 2010, 7:00 - 8:30 P.M., Robertson Community Center, 3525 Norwood Avenue

Wednesday, January 13, 2010, 7:00 - 8:30 P.M., Sanuel Pannell-Meadowview Community Center, 2450 Meadowview Road

Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 7:00 - 8:30 P.M., Coloma Community Center, 4623 T Street

HOT MEETING TOPIC:

*Electronic Message Boards*

If you have additional questions or would like to learn more about the Neighbohrood Services Department, go to www.cityofsacramento.org/ns or call 916-808-6789.

"The Neighborhood Services Department bridges and engages Sacramento's diverse residents with resources to maintain, revitalize, and promote healthy communities."

Schwarzenegger declares budget emergency, proposes deep cuts - Latest News - sacbee.com

Schwarzenegger declares budget emergency, proposes deep cuts - Latest News - sacbee.com: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled an $82.9 billion state spending plan today that calls for no tax hikes but envisions pay cuts for state workers, reductions in services to California's neediest residents - and on the benevolence of the federal government.

The governor also declared yet another fiscal emergency, and called for yet another special session of the Legislature, designed to keep a projected $19.9 billion budget deficit from growing by another $2.4 billion.

'We must begin our work immediately,' Schwarzenegger said in his message to legislators. 'If we fail to take action in the special session that I have called, our problem will only grow, and the decisions that will be required to make up for lost savings will grow even more difficult than those now before us.'"

Bee Live - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Dan Smith, sacbee:

Here are some of the biggest cuts the governor is proposing...

Welfare: Eliminate CalWORKS welfare to work program. – $1 billion

In-home care: Eliminate In-Home Supportive services program. – $495 million

Mental health: Use Proposition 63 funds to finance mental health. – $847 million

Health care: Eliminate Healthy Families program for children’s health care. – $126 million

Medi-Cal: Elimiante all optional benefits; reduce eligibility to federal minimum. – $532 million

State employees: Eliminate furloughs, reduce pay by 5 percent. – $508 million

Prisons: Eliminate most rehabilitation programs, increase parole agents’ caseloads, expand crimes for which time can be served in county jails – $280 million

Schools: Reduce funding for school district administration – $1.2 billion

Higher education: Eliminate funding for enrollment growth at CSU and UC – $111.9 million

SAC City DAC Education News & Comment

SAC City DAC Education News & Comment:

"The next DAC meeting is Tuesday, January 12, 2010

at the Genesis High School, Multi-purpose Room, adjacent to the Serna Center

from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm."

SCUSD January 2010 Message from DAC Chair Wanda Yanez -

MET Project :: Welcome

MET Project :: Welcome:

How can effective teaching be

identified and developed?

The Measures of Effective Teaching

project aims to find out.

Watch a video to learn about the Measures of Effective Teaching project.

Our Goals

The goal of the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project is to help educators and policymakers identify and support good teaching by improving the quality of information available about teacher practice. With funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, independent education researchers, in partnership with school districts, principals, teachers, and unions, will work to develop a fair and reliable measure of effective teaching.

Current measures of teaching rarely take into account the full range of what teachers do, or the context in which they teach. The MET project is different. It's informed by the real work of real teachers in real classrooms. It goes beyond the exclusive use of student assessments as a proxy for effectiveness and, instead, is geared to developing a set of measures that together serve as an accurate indicator of a teacher's impact on student achievement.

We hope you'll join us in our efforts to improve education in our public schools by identifying, measuring, and supporting great teaching.

AFT - Publications and Reports

AFT Publications and Reports

Links to our periodicals, as well as our latest reports,
appear below.

	American Teacher, our monthly newspaper for AFT Teachers.		Our quarterly magazine, American Educator.

	AFT On Campus, a publication of AFT Higher Education.		Healthwire, the bi-monthly newspaper of the AFT Healthcare division.

	PSRP Reporter, a publication of the Paraprofessional and School-Related Personnel division.		Public Employee Advocate, the bi-monthly newspaper of the AFT Public Employee division.

	AFT Human Rights News, a publication of the Human Rights and Community Relations Department.		American Academic, the policy journal from the AFT Higher Education division.

	The AFT Retirees Electronic Newsletter, produced by the AFT Program on Retirement and Retirees.		See a complete list of AFT e-mail newsletters, each with a link for subscribing.

State Revenue Systems: Options for the Current Fiscal Crisis
This publication provides an explanation of current revenue structures state-by-state and suggests alternatives to improve revenue stability and progressivity.

Importing Educators: Causes and Consequences of International
Teacher Recruitment
The growing number of overseas-educated teachers in U.S. schools has put many talented educators in classrooms, but the trend also has led to a host of concerns about exploitation, questionable hiring practices and harmful effects in the countries that are losing their most qualified teachers. (June 2009)
Read AFT news. | Share your story.

2008 Public Employees Compensation Survey

AFT Public Employees 2008 Compensation Survey
Salaries for state government professionals registered a modest 2.4 percent increase from 2007 to 2008, according to the ninth annual AFT Public Employees Compensation Survey.

Education Week: Incentivizing Educational Ingenuity

Education Week: Incentivizing Educational Ingenuity:

"Over the past 25 years, high-profile school reform efforts have addressed false problems with flawed solutions. By imposing blanket reforms on varying local circumstances, policymakers have stifled educational ingenuity. To actually improve the education of America’s children, state and federal policymakers should formulate and implement policies that provide incentives for problem-solving in local settings.

To do this, they will first need to recognize that some of the “problems” our public schools are called upon to solve are problematic in themselves. These include claims that U.S. productivity lags behind that of other countries, that students’ achievement here is far eclipsed by their international peers’, that academic achievement translates into worker productivity, and that we have a shortage of workers with math and science skills."

The Educated Guess � CTA advises local unions not to sign MOU

The Educated Guess � CTA advises local unions not to sign MOU:

"One day before the deadline for commitments to Race to the Top, state education officials were again encouraging ambivalent school districts to sign on. The California Teachers Association, for the first time, was explicitly encouraging union locals not to. And that could spell trouble for the state’s application.

State officials said they needed signed memorandums of understanding by Friday, so that they could finish the budget for the Race to the Top proposal by Jan. 19, when it’s due in Washington. Nearly 800 superintendents and charter school leaders, in charge of more than 60 percent of state’s students, had indicated they would participate in the program, if California wins a piece of the $4.3 billion competition."

Schools Matter: More Segregated Corporate Charter Schools Approved by MA House

Schools Matter: More Segregated Corporate Charter Schools Approved by MA House:

"The Mayor of Boston was out and about this week using his bully pulpit to urge passage of state legislation intended to remove legal obstacles to the unlimited growth of apartheid corporate charter schools in urban areas of the Commonwealth. Side benefits of the new legislation for the Broad, Gates, and Boston Foundations include the crippling of collective bargaining and tenure for teachers, the limiting of school committee oversight in favor of the CEO model of goverance, and the imposition of teacher evaluation based on test scores. As he walked and talked, Mayor Menino was heard to use the bold corporate reformers' advertising jingle: 'Education is the civil rights issue of this generation.'"

What Race to the Top Tells Us About the Future of the ESEA | NewAmerica.net

On Monday Ed Week published an article positing that the priorities outlined in Race to the Top, a $4.35 billion competitive grant program created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, could be a template for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). One former Department of Education official interviewed for the story suggested that these priorities - including improving supports for struggling schools, quality and distribution of teachers, state data systems, and standards and assessments – could become compulsory for states receiving ESEA Title I funds, a wide departure from the current requirements for these funds that focus on equitable distribution of funds.

While the Race to the Top priorities closely reflect the Obama administration’s agenda for education, the administration made it clear from the beginning that they wanted an ESEA that was strong on outcomes but not on methods. One of No Child Left Behind’s greatest weaknesses, they believed, was that it was very strict about methods (i.e. testing and teacher qualifications) but weak on outcomes (i.e. standards and assessments).

In other words, 50 states currently measure student achievement based on 50 different sets of academic standards, resulting in vastly different ability levels across the county. A reauthorized ESEA that mandates the types of activities supported by Race to the Top would be considered exceptionally strict on methods in addition to being potentially strong on outcomes.

Fluency at issue as ex-teacher's suit goes to SJC - Lowell Sun Online

Fluency at issue as ex-teacher's suit goes to SJC - Lowell Sun Online:

"BOSTON -- Should a teacher who can't speak fluent English to her students be allowed to stay in the classroom?

The outcome of Phanna Rem Robishaw's case against the Lowell School Department and Lowell School Committee holds statewide ramifications for the state's educational system.

Today, the state Supreme Judicial Court was scheduled to hear arguments from Robishaw, a former Lowell teacher who was fired for failing an English-fluency test, after a lower-court judge upheld the firing, saying the teacher's English proficiency was 'utterly incomprehensible.'

In 2002, Massachusetts' voters passed Question 2, requiring all school superintendents to attest to the English fluency and literacy of their teachers where 'the teacher's fluency is not apparent through classroom observation and assessment or interview assessment.'"

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence. - Bright and Early: The Education Newsblitz

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence. - Bright and Early: The Education Newsblitz:

"It's good to be back from vacation. Something just doesn't seem right when I don't start my days combing through educational news. It's what makes your newsblitz:

Vista schools and their teachers union are stalled after three years of bargaining, the Union-Tribune reports. Class sizes in middle and high school and how teachers are transferred are sticking points.

More from Vista: The North County Times writes about the debate over when to transfer students into a brand-new campus, which will be ready in a few months.

I forgot to include this yesterday: OBRag argues that a recent Union-Tribune editorial on the idea of San Diego Unified eliminating the superintendent job got its facts wrong.

New commissioner opens a conversation with R.I.’s best teachers | Education | projo.com | The Providence Journal

New commissioner opens a conversation with R.I.’s best teachers | Education | projo.com | The Providence Journal:

"PROVIDENCE — On a recent visit to North Providence High School, Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist noticed a lanky student with a scruffy haircut slouched in a chair, looking adrift.

Gist said she made a beeline over to him and asked what he was working on.

“He said he was working on his senior project, and he just lit up,” Gist told a gathering of 35 of the state’s best teachers, principals and superintendents on Wednesday. “He told me he was a drummer and his project was on drums, and he started talking about it … I was totally blown away.”"

Gov. Butch Otter warns cuts are coming to Idaho schools | Local News | Idaho Statesman

Gov. Butch Otter warns cuts are coming to Idaho schools | Local News | Idaho Statesman:

"If Idaho public schools are asked to immediately cut spending this year, several local districts say they have the cash reserve to get through it.

It won't be easy, but superintendents say they prefer using their own surplus accounts to getting an advance on next year's appropriation, which is an idea legislative leaders have suggested and Gov. Butch Otter embraces.

Otter said Thursday that he'll announce more funding cuts for this year in Monday's State of the State address, though he won't say how severe they will be or how much they will affect public education. Next year's budget, he said, will hold the line with this new, pared-back spending plan."

Gibbons' education plan would replace voter-elected board - Friday, Jan. 8, 2010 | 1:50 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun

Gibbons' education plan would replace voter-elected board - Friday, Jan. 8, 2010 | 1:50 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun:

"Gov. Jim Gibbons’ proposed overhaul of public education would include the dismantling of the State Board of Education, a 10-member panel elected by voters.

Gibbons’ proposal would replace the State Board with a five-member advisory panel – three people appointed by the governor, with the Assembly speaker and Senate majority leader each getting one pick.

The governor would also choose the state superintendent of public instruction, who is now appointed by the State Board.

The State Board also sets policy for Nevada's 17 school districts. The board can suspend or revoke teacher licenses and is the conduit for federal education money awarded to Nevada."

Bredesen, teachers union at odds over tenure rules | tennessean.com | The Tennessean

Bredesen, teachers union at odds over tenure rules | tennessean.com | The Tennessean:

"Gov. Phil Bredesen will push ahead with a proposal to tie teacher evaluations to test scores without the full support of the state's biggest teachers union, saying Thursday that he doubted he could reach a compromise on a crucial issue before the start of a special legislative session next week."

Bredesen said he will ask the legislature Monday to appoint an independent committee to come up with a new system for deciding whether teachers are awarded tenure in their fourth year. The new system will be based significantly on student test scores, meaning that teachers' careers could soon hinge on whether their students show improvements on standardized tests.

Bredesen plans to move forward without the endorsement of the Tennessee Education Association. The group, which represents more than 55,000 schoolteachers statewide, says it accepts the notion of using test scores in tenure decisions, but it wants to limit the extent to which they are a factor.

The group also says it wants the committee that will devise the new system to include its members and for the legislation to ensure that its recommendations will not be set aside by the State Board of Education.

City schools contract with PFT nearing deadline | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/08/2010

City schools contract with PFT nearing deadline | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/08/2010:

"With a contract deadline next Friday, talks between the Philadelphia School District and its largest union, the 17,000-member Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, are accelerating.
But both sides are also focused on a more immediate date.

By Wednesday, the union and the district must agree to collaborate on sweeping changes for Philadelphia schools to enter the $4.35 billion Race to the Top. The competitive federal program rewards districts that promise to revamp teacher salary structures and evaluations and to turn around failing schools.

The Philadelphia district could be eligible for as much as $8 million. The grant could pay for changes that Superintendent Arlene Ackerman has long insisted on, and that the union has long opposed."

Minority groups want more input on school books | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Minority groups want more input on school books | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"AUSTIN — Minority advocacy groups urged their members to attend a State Board of Education public hearing next week to appeal for more Hispanic and African-American historical figures in public school textbooks.

Registration to give public testimony starts today for Wednesday's hearing at the William B. Travis Building, where the Texas Education Agency is located.

The 15-member board planned to take a preliminary vote later in the week before final action in March on new standards for the social studies curriculum, which will influence how history and government books are written for the state's 4.7 million public school children.

Hispanic school children already make up a small majority in early elementary grades, and they will soon will be the majority in the entire public school system."

State teachers union lays out plan to improve education

State teachers union lays out plan to improve education:

"The Pennsylvania State Education Association wants to be leading the conversation about improving education, not reacting.

So it has pulled together what it considers the best proven ways to enhance education in a 169-page report intended to reach political candidates and the general public.

The report, released yesterday, is titled 'The Power of a Great Education: PSEA's 20/20 Vision for the Future -- Strong Schools, Successful Children, Vibrant Communities.' It can be found at www.psea.org/vision.

'The primary purpose is we want to get out there as we're entering the 2010 election cycle and engage politicians and policymakers,' said PSEA President James Testerman."

Chesterfield cuts could force closure of governor's schools | Richmond Times-Dispatch

Chesterfield cuts could force closure of governor's schools | Richmond Times-Dispatch:

"Central Virginia's two full-time governor's schools could face severe changes or even closure if Chesterfield County eliminates its participation in them.

Chesterfield school officials sent a survey to its employees Tuesday asking them to choose ways to cut nearly $40 million from its proposed fiscal 2011 budget.

Among the many options is to stop sending students to Appomattox Regional Governor's School for Arts and Technology in Petersburg and Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies in Richmond.

In an impact statement accompanying the survey, Chesterfield acknowledges that if it ends its participation at the governor's schools, a $2 million savings, 'this option would likely result in both schools closing.'"

Some capital-area school districts sit out race for federal funds - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Some capital-area school districts sit out race for federal funds - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"California politicians scurried for months to pass legislation to ensure state schools have a chance to compete for federal Race to the Top stimulus funds. But many local districts have decided to watch the race from the sidelines.

Roseville City Unified Elementary School District, Camino Union Elementary School District and Sutter Union High School District are just a few that have decided not to apply for a piece of the $4.35 billion funding."

Bill to fix low-performing schools clears panel | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal

Bill to fix low-performing schools clears panel | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal:

"FRANKFORT, Ky. — The House Education Committee passed a bill Thursday morning that officials hope would better position Kentucky to win federal money to improve the academic performance of public schools"

House Bill 176, sponsored by Rep. Carl Rollins, D-Midway, would allow school districts to close low-performing middle and high schools and restart them under the management of a private or non-profit operator, known as an educational-management organization, or EMO.

“I think (the bill) helps us be a little more competitive in the Race to the Top,” Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday said after the committee meeting. “It shows we have a real good plan to help turn around low-performing schools.”

The bill passed 24-1, with two members abstaining. Rollins said he hopes the full House could vote on the measure early next week.

Kentucky could receive up to $200 million through President Barack Obama's Race to the Top contest. The competition pits states against each another and awards those who develop plans to improve student achievement.

House bill would give superintendents more authority - The Boston Globe

House bill would give superintendents more authority - The Boston Globe:

"Superintendents would gain broad new powers to make dramatic changes at the state’s worst schools, including the removal of ineffective teachers, under the education bill approved by the House early yesterday."

The bill, which must now be reconciled with a version approved by the Senate late last year, would also give Boston the right to open and control four charter schools without union approval.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino had aggressively sought that concession for months, making phone calls to key House leaders during their marathon session that ended early yesterday morning.

At a press conference outside his City Hall office yesterday morning, Menino said the bill was “made in heaven.’’

“This is a new era for all of us when it comes to public education,’’ Menino said, surrounded by city school leaders and legislators.

Other education leaders were more reserved in their response as they tried to unravel - and, in some cases, just to get a copy of - the flurry of last-minute

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