Friday, January 15, 2010

Local News | Cyberbullying leads to suspension of 28 middle-schoolers at McClure | Seattle Times Newspaper

Local News | Cyberbullying leads to suspension of 28 middle-schoolers at McClure | Seattle Times Newspaper:

"Twenty-eight students at McClure Middle School in Seattle have been suspended for allegedly bullying a classmate on the Internet.

School administrators learned Tuesday evening about a Facebook page targeting the victim and investigated Wednesday, said Seattle Public Schools spokeswoman Patti Spencer.

The students were suspended for two to eight days, depending on their alleged level of involvement, Spencer said.

Spencer said there were no threats involved, but if there had been, the district would have contacted Seattle police. She said she didn't know how much, or what exactly, was written about the targeted student."

Education board makes disappointing ruling

Education board makes disappointing ruling:

"The smoke signals from the state Board of Education were unmistakable: This was going to be war.

One by one, significant Latino figures were unceremoniously dumped from certain areas of the social studies curriculum that public school teachers will use starting in 2013. One of the more egregious of all: booting United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta from the third-grade curriculum as an example of a good citizen.

Wednesday's public hearing was foreboding. A board majority ended the proceeding at 6 p.m. even though several dozen people who'd waited all day to speak about proposed changes to the state's social studies curriculum were still in the audience. Some had traveled hundreds of miles. Their arguments probably would have been repetitive. But the SBOE is an elected body. Its members have an obligation to listen."

The Education Report School gardens: one controversy I never thought would see the light of day By Katy Murphy

The Education Report
School gardens: one controversy I never thought would see the light of day

By Katy Murphy

Some light reading for the rainy weekend:

Writer Caitlin Flanagan thinks school gardens are a rotten idea, especially for children of migrant workers. She blasts the Berkeley schools’ initiative in an essay titled “Cultivating Failure” in the January/February issue of the Atlantic.

Andrew Leonard, a Berkeley parent who helped build the garden at Malcolm X School, responded to Flanagan’s essay in a piece for Salon.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Texas education board changes history — for schools, anyway - Politics AP - MiamiHerald.com

Texas education board changes history — for schools, anyway

BY TRACI SHURLEY

FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM

AUSTIN — The Texas State Board of Education decided to postpone a tentative vote on proposed social studies curriculum standards until March, after spending 10 hours adding to and changing the text this week without finishing.

By Friday afternoon, when a vote was originally scheduled, they still had the majority of a draft of high school social studies Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills to evaluate.

"It's obviously a very important subject. We've had many amendments and input. The additional time I think may serve us all well as we go through the process," said Bob Craig, who made the motion to stop discussion.

The board's final vote on the standards will now be pushed to May.

The process has included several public flashpoints — including whether figures like Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall would stay in, what role the faith of the Founding Fathers would play, and whether

yet

Wall Street On Trial: Day 1 Angelides Commission Highlights | California Progress Report

Wall Street On Trial: Day 1 Angelides Commission Highlights California Progress Report:

"Day two of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, chaired by former California Treasurer Phil Angelides, is underway, with such government officials as Attorney General Eric Holder and FDIC Chairwoman Sheila Bair testifying. But I want to return to some of the highlights from yesterday, which generated some coverage, but not nearly enough, considering the primacy of the financial crisis to all of our lives.

I want to highlight two key portions of the testimony. The first came in questioning from Angelides to Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein. Angelides used one of the most apt metaphors I’ve heard to describe what the banks were doing with their mortgage-backed securities:"

RTTT Application Signed - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)

Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Joins Governor, State Board of Education President to Sign California's Race to the Top Application

OMPTON — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and State Board of Education President Ted Mitchell today signed California's official application to enter the Race to the Top (RTTT) competition.

"We are united in signing an application that may qualify California for hundreds of millions of dollars designed to set the state on a bold, new path toward education reform," said O'Connell. "The Race to the Top application outlines how we intend to make systemic changes to our education system in order to accelerate the development of a highly skilled workforce, fuel future innovations, and maintain California's standing as a leading world economy. I am proud of the policies contained in this application and the work that went into the development of the plan, and feel confident that we are delivering a highly competitive application to the U.S. Department of Education."

RTTT is part of the federal stimulus package of bills known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. President Barack Obama and U. S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced last November the eligibility and selection criteria for states to compete for $4.35 billion in the RTTT competition, which is the single largest pool of discretionary funding for education reform in U.S. history.

California's application spells out how the state and participating local educational agency partners will collaborate in unprecedented ways to make systemic changes to help accelerate growth in student achievement and improve public education in four key focus areas:

Refining California's rigorous state standards by adopting internationally benchmarked common core standards and aligned assessments that better prepare students for success in college and the workplace;
Recruiting, developing, and retaining effective teachers and principals in all schools, with particular attention to those schools that need them the most;
Expanding our education data system to support instruction and better measure student success in college and the workforce; and
Dramatically improving the state's persistently lowest-performing schools.

To date, 804 local educational agencies (LEAs) submitted a signed Memorandum of Understanding to partner with California in the RTTT competition. Here are the latest figures on California's local participating partners:

Type	Participating LEAs	Statewide	Percentage of Total Statewide
LEAs	804	1,729	46.5%
Schools	5,755	10,225	56.3%
K-12 Students	3,645,963	6,252,031	58.3%
Students in poverty	1,991,399	3,271,334	60.9%

Of the 804 LEAs, 457 are school districts or county offices of education, 345 are charter schools, and two are Regional Occupational Programs. Of the total number of MOUs, 602, or 78 percent, were signed by the LEA's superintendent and school board president; and 122, or 26 percent, included a signature by the LEAs teachers' union leader.

For more information on Race to the Top, please visit Race to the Top (Outside Source)..

Central District News | News | Parents, kids, staff show support for Madrona principal

This morning three dozen parents, students, and staff braved the wind driven rain to show support for Madrona K-8 Principal Kaaren Andrews, who is facing a potential reassignment to a different school by the Seattle School District.

A major issue with parents is that they only found out about the move yesterday via a short letter from the district, with a tone that was described as "cold" and without any clear reason for the mid-year transfer.

Ruth Medsker, the district's Instructional Director for middle schools, spoke with parents at the school this morning. Although media were not allowed to listen in, parents told us that Medsker agreed that the communication process was mishandled and said that she would take parents' concerns back to district leadership. She also said that she would "negotiate" to keep Principal Andrews at the school until July and avoid "plucking her out" of the school in a way that would be disruptive to learning.

A large group of students formed in a hallway while that meeting was going on, chanting "What do we want? Ms. Andrews! When do we want her? Now!", and "Keep Ms. Andrews! Keep Ms. Andrews!" A student also told the assembled group "[Principal Andrews] has helped me so much, and I hope you help her too." At one point Director Medsker came out of the library and asked the students to go back to class, but was met with an additional refrain of chants in support of the principal.

Madrona PTSA president Rita Sheckler stressed that parents have seen clear educational progress during Principal Andrews' 6-year tenure at the school, and they want to make sure that any staff changes are done carefully, transparently, and in a way that doesn't discourage or disenfranchise existing students within the school. Another parent told me that she has seen a historic lack of support for the school from the wealthier area around it, and is concerned that the strict new student assignment plan may be driving parents outside the school to seek disruptive changes to the way the school is run.

Elk Grove Citizen : New CSD president on parks, fire services in ’10

Elk Grove Citizen : New CSD president on parks, fire services in ’10:

"Elaine Wright said she hates to hear Elk Grove residents say, “There’s nothing for the kids to do.”

This year’s board president of the Cosumnes Community Services District (CSD) stressed the value of her district’s 80-plus parks in Elk Grove. She noted how many local houses have small back yards and there are now more apartments and duplexes than before.

“If you look at a lot of the homes, there’s no place for the kids to play,” Wright said.

She sat down with the Citizen on the year ahead for the CSD, which provides fire and parks services for Elk Grove as well as fire service for Galt.

Wright began her second board presidency since she joined the CSD board in 2000. The board appoints a different member to be president every year. Michelle Orrock is this year’s board vice president."

King Institute Home

KING INSTITUTE PROJECTS

The King Papers Project

The King Papers Project produces a comprehensive multi-volume collection of King’s most important correspondence, sermons, publications, speeches, unpublished manuscripts, and other material and makes its significant research efforts available online and in popular books and audios.

Liberation Curriculum

The Liberation Curriculum (LC) initiative provides document-based lesson plans and resources and professional development workshops to inform teachers about global efforts to achieve social justice, human rights and liberation through nonviolent means, with special emphasis on the modern African American freedom struggle. (Photo by Matt Herron)

KING INSTITUTE NEWS

2010 King Holiday Celebration

January 08, 2010

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute invites you to our 2010 King Holiday Celebrationcommemorating the 25th anniversary of the King Papers Project! A schedule of King Holiday events occurring on campus and in the local area can be viewed here.

Commemorate Human Rights Day

December 09, 2009

Commemorate Human Rights Day December 10th in your classroom with this short LC lesson on global human rights issues during Dr. King's time and today.

Clayborne Carson Receives Martin Luther King, Jr. Research Fellowship Award at Boston University

November 10, 2009

Boston – King Institute Director Clayborne Carson was honored during a Boston University celebration of "The Lasting legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr." Carson received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research Fellowship Award from the university's Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, where many of King's papers are deposited. More

2009 King Institute Brochure

October 01, 2009

Read our new brochure online! Learn about all aspects of the King Institute including the King Papers Project, the Liberation Curriculum, and bios on Scholar in Residence, Clarence B. Jones and Director Clayborne Carson.

Teacher Created KDHP Lessons

September 16, 2009

California teachers selected to participate in the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) funded King Digital History Project created model lesson plans on Dr. King and the African-American freedom struggle, using the King Institute's documentary resources and professional development training.

Online King Records Access (OKRA) Launched

May 18, 2009

The King Research and Education Institute is launching an online database making details and descriptions of over four thousand documents on or about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

KING RESOURCES

Visit the King Resources area of our site for resources including:
• King’s biography and autobiography
• King’s speeches and sermons
• Montgomery Bus Boycott
• March on Washington

King Online Encyclopedia

Search here for information on over 1000 civil rights movement figures, events and organizations.

About Martin Luther King, Jr.

Read a biographical essay on Martin Luther King, Jr., prepared by King Institute director Clayborne Carson and the Institute staff, extensively cross-referenced with links to the King Online Encyclopedia.

A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr.

This volume features the landmark speeches of King's career, spanning from the Montgomery bus boycott to his last speech in Memphis.

Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have a Dream, 28 August 1963

King delivers his iconic speech "I Have a Dream" and urges America to "make real the promises of democracy."(Photo credit UPI/Corbis-Bettman)

Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail, 16 April 1963

King writes an impassioned defense to eight clergymen critical of his involvement in the Birmingham Campaign and calls for the church to support the movement.

Martin Luther King, Jr.,The Drum Major Instinct, 4 February 1968

King's historic sermon at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church was to become his own eulogy two months later.

Race to the Top: Making History | Learning Matters

Race to the Top: Making History | Learning Matters:

"U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has more power than any other education secretary in the nation’s history. Duncan possesses $4.35 billion dollars in discretionary funds to push the reforms his administration believes will turn around the country’s failing schools, such as more charters and higher standards. What’s more, to get a piece of the money states must compete for it.

The competition is called the “Race to the Top,” and it is unlike any education reform efforts of the past. This program starts at the launch of Sputnik in 1957 and traces the growing involvement of the federal government in public education."

EducationCEO's Blog

EducationCEO's Blog:

"DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this blog are those solely of the author (that’s me) and are not shared by any parties listed below (at least I don’t think they do).

Those you who have been following my blogs have probably guessed that I am very passionate about education. Specifically, quality public education for all kids, regardless of their zip code, parents’ social/political affiliations, race, etc. Likewise, I believe that quality education should be provided, ‘By any means necessary.’ Whether it’s high-performing, neighborhood charter schools (not those magnet schools, located in affluent neighborhoods inaccessible to low-income students, disguised as charter schools) or a complete investigation and overhaul of the desegregation orders in some states, namely Georgia, to balance access to high-performing, 21st century schools. Sounds overwhelming, but I honestly believe that it will take something this radical to start on the road to repairing our public education system."

The Educated Guess � Now 46th in nation in per student funding

The Educated Guess � Now 46th in nation in per student funding: "California is still knocking about the bottom in per student K-12 spending at 46th among the states and Washington, D.C., according to Education Week’s much anticipated annual survey. That’s one better than the 47th ranking last year. It might have been spared 51st because Ed Week used data from 2007, before fiscal disaster struck.

Ed Week adjusts spending to reflect regional costs of living, which is one reason why high-cost California ranks so low. In terms of unadjusted dollars, it ranked 24th, according to the last National Education Association survey.

California spent $8,164 in adjusted dollars in 2007, according to Ed Week. That’s half of the $16,386 spent by top-ranked Wyoming, and $2,400 less than the national average. Beating California to the dubious honors were Arizona ($8,010), Texas ($7,934), Nevada ($7,845), Tennessee ($7,756) and Utah ($6,228)."

The Educated Reporter: Sneaking up to the third rail.

The Educated Reporter: Sneaking up to the third rail.:

"Sneaking up to the third rail.

If a ratio were calculated of how much something is griped about in private to how little in public, nothing in the education world would score higher than the 100 percent proficiency provision of No Child Left Behind. So many people think the goal is impossible, yet nobody in elected office says that publicly. Which poor child do you want to not achieve?

States are supposed to increase their proficiency targets over time until 2014, when schools and districts must hit 100 percent in order to make adequate yearly progress. It is no secret that states have tried to backload improvement targets so that they increase as little as possible, as late as possible. But trying to ditch the 100 percent altogether? That takes a whole other level of moxie."

State system could get Phila. campus | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/14/2010

State system could get Phila. campus | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/14/2010:

"Pennsylvania higher-education officials are in talks with Mayor Nutter's office about opening a state university campus in Philadelphia, state and city officials confirmed yesterday.

'It is something we would be interested in participating in,' said Kenn Marshall, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, which oversees 14 universities, including West Chester and Cheyney.

System chancellor John Cavanaugh said shortly after starting the job in 2008 that he planned to explore the idea to help Nutter boost the city's college-degree attainment rate, one of Nutter's inauguration goals."

State may force schools to lend it $1B | StarTribune.com

State may force schools to lend it $1B | StarTribune.com:

"In a sign of the gravity of the state's fiscal crisis, Minnesota budget officials may force public school districts to loan the state money so that it can continue paying its bills.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty's administration could withhold nearly $1 billion in state aid payments to public schools through May, to ensure the state's checkbook doesn't run dry, under a plan unveiled Wednesday at a legislative committee meeting."

Unlikely group teams up on sex education - Salt Lake Tribune

Unlikely group teams up on sex education - Salt Lake Tribune:

"Talk about odd bedfellows.

An unlikely group of lawmakers and organizations has come together to pitch a bill this session to change sex education in Utah. It's a bill that has a Republican senator, a Democratic representative, the Planned Parenthood Action Council (PPAC) and the state PTA working together.

'It's just turned into the most amazing process where people are working together on both sides of the aisle to make sure we're doing whatever we can to make sure our kids have information to keep them safe,' said Melissa Bird, executive director of PPAC.

Now, state law allows educators to teach students about contraceptives, but it prohibits 'advocacy or encouragement' of their use, leading some educators to avoid the topic out of fear of accidentally crossing the line. Sen. Stephen Urquhart's bill, now in draft form, would remove that prohibition and instead require teachers to talk about the limitations and benefits of contraceptives and the importance of parental guidance in such matters."

Passing rates decline on South Jersey high school tests | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/15/2010

Passing rates decline on South Jersey high school tests | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/15/2010:

"The passing rates of three-quarters of South Jersey's high schools dropped in state math tests last year, while nearly a third of the schools saw declines in language-arts scores, according to data released yesterday by New Jersey education officials.

Fifteen out of 60 South Jersey high schools increased their passing rate on the state's math performance test in 2009, down from 39 schools that improved the year before.

On the high school language-arts test, which, like math, is administered to 11th graders, 29 schools improved in 2009, while 31 saw proficiency-rate decreases. In 2008, only 13 schools had increased passing rates."

Study: 'Choking game' more popular with rural kids - NYPOST.com

PORTLAND, Ore. — A new report found that teens in rural areas and those with substance abuse issues or increased mental health risk factors were more likely to take part in the “choking game.”

The dangerous practice involves choking each other to get a feeling of euphoria.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Thursday released the results of the survey done in Oregon.

It suggests that about one out of every 20 eighth-graders in the state has taken part.

More than a third of nearly 8,000 students from 114 Oregon schools who responded to the survey question about the choking game said they had heard about it.

And almost 3 percent of those responding said they had helped someone, while about 6 percent said they had participated themselves.

School dazed: The Race to the Top is on. But Texas isn’t at the starting line | Editorial | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

School dazed: The Race to the Top is on. But Texas isn’t at the starting line | Editorial | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

School dazed

Race to the Top is on. But Texas isn’t at the starting line

"Across the country, states are passing laws, trying to whip their education systems into shape to compete for grants from a new federal program, Race to the Top, intended to reward educational innovation. Texas might have been able to win as much as $700 million for its cash-strapped schools. But we aren't at the starting line. In fact, we're unlacing our shoes.

It's especially strange because Race to the Top is intended to encourage states to reform their schools in ways that Texas pioneered. Standards-based testing? We've done it for years. Charter schools? We launched them before they were cool. Holding teachers and principals accountable for students' performance on those tests? Merit bonuses are nothing new for the Houston Independent School District. (If HISD could apply for Race to the Top money by itself, independent of Texas, its competitors would tremble.)"

The Answer Sheet - Tell us how MLK inspired you

The Answer Sheet- Tell us how MLK inspired you

Tell us how MLK inspired you

The national holiday that celebrates the life and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King is on Monday. To mark the day, The Post is asking all of you to tell us how Dr. King inspired you. In a video response, please tell us which words of his are most memorable to you and why, or tell us in your own words how he has affected your life. Follow the directions below, and check out what others have produced.

Best education blogs for 2010

Here we go. My blogging Post colleague Valerie Strauss of The Answer Sheet and I realize the weight of our decisions on the best education blogs for this year. These choices will undoubtedly alter the course of the Internet. We sought a mix of the serious and the sublime. We disqualified the legendary ed blogs we already display in the margins of our own blogs.

We divvied up the descriptions, but we both endorse every selection. I said earlier this week, as the excitement mounted, that once you have reviewed our choices, you are obliged tell us where we went wrong. There is always next year.

Continue reading this post »

Education | Governor shares plan for school reform | Seattle Times Newspaper

OLYMPIA — Gov. Chris Gregoire has a long list of education reforms she'd like the Legislature to approve to set Washington up to compete for federal Race to the Top dollars, including a plan to put experienced teachers on probation after several years of poor evaluations.

The governor's K-12 education-policy adviser, Judy Hartmann, presented the plan on Thursday to a group of lawmakers and community leaders gathered to talk about the federal initiative that promises to distribute $4.3 billion to states that embrace school reform.

The governor's plan also includes:

• Extending the probationary period of teachers from two years to three

• Approving the new school-accountability plan from the State Board of Education

EducationNews.org - A Leading Global News Source - Schools prepare to deal with sudden arrivals from Haiti

EducationNews.org - A Leading Global News Source - Schools prepare to deal with sudden arrivals from Haiti:

"Public schools in Miami-Dade and Broward counties plan to open their doors to children arriving from Haiti.

South Florida school districts say they will be ready for the potential influx of Haitian children following this week's earthquake.

The impact on local schools could be significant -- especially if charities move forward with plans to bring thousands of orphaned children to South Florida.

The Miami-Dade school district has already drawn up a specific plan, which includes:

• Establishing three different locations for students needing to attend school. Children will be screened and tested, and given age-appropriate lessons in Haitian Creole. They'll also have access to psychological and support services.

• Readying 320 traditional schools for any new students who may show up for classes."

HISD moves ahead on policy to fire teachers over test scores | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

HISD moves ahead on policy to fire teachers over test scores | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"One of every 300 teachers in the Houston school district was fired for poor performance last year — a number likely to rise under a new policy to hold them more liable for student achievement.

The district's superintendent, Terry Grier, said there's no “magic number” of teachers who should be ousted in a given year, but suggested that the school district's rate seems low given some academic shortcomings.

Last school year, 36 teachers out of nearly 12,000 — about 0.3 percent — were fired for performance reasons, according to data from the Houston Independent School District.
“Quite frankly, if we were that good, why do 100,000 of our kids read below grade level?” Grier said.

The school board on Thursday gave initial approval to a policy that allows the district to dismiss teachers whose students consistently perform below expectations on standardized tests. The change represents a move to make personnel decisions based more on student learning instead of relying solely on principals' classroom observations of teachers."

Michigan must stop its bankrupting ways | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Herbert Stein, President Richard Nixon's chief economic adviser and father of actor Ben Stein ("Ferris Bueller's Day Off"), coined a saying that applies to what ails Michigan. Stein's Law says, "If something cannot go on forever, it will stop." In other words, no one needs to take action; the trend will halt by itself.

Stein's Law poses a challenge for Michigan, where the state's political leaders for too long have avoided making tough and necessary reforms and instead fought to sustain the unsustainable.

An example is the failure to address the out-of-control pension and health care costs of state government, public schools and local governments. These items aren't financially sustainable even in good economic times -- and the state has been stagnating or in recession for almost a decade.

The state's current obligation for health care benefits for state and school employees alone stands at $40 billion. This does not take into account the billions of unfunded pension obligations that the state Constitution protects.

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