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

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

THOMAS W. CARROLL

Who’s Winning the Race to the Top?

An assessment

26 February 2010

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

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

Three states submitted applications that strike me as very 

Sacramento Press / Ariana Huffington celebrates the age of citizen journalists

Sacramento Press / Ariana Huffington celebrates the age of citizen journalists

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

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

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

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

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Support Disaster Relief in Chile

Support Disaster Relief in Chile

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Marching on Sacramento | San Francisco Bay Guardian

Marching on Sacramento | San Francisco Bay Guardian

Marching on Sacramento

Angry parents, hundreds of them, met in Marina Middle School to demand an end to cuts in education.

Angry Muni riders, hundreds of them, jammed City Hall to oppose Muni fare hikes and service cuts.

Angry students from the University of California -- thousands of them -- will hold a huge event March 4th to push for better education funding and lower fees.

There’s something going on here -- because in every case, grassroots activists in huge numbers (numbers that dwarf the so-called Tea Party events) want to force the state of California to change its budget priorities. And they are starting to talk seriously about taxes.

The Republicans are pretty intransigent up in Sacramento. But if these groups -- the public school parents, the UC students, the transit users and the wide range of other middle-class folks who are sick to death of California’s budget mess and how it’s screwing them -- could start working together, we could see a powerful coalition emerging.

And what that coalition needs to do, among other things, is push for Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s legislation to change Prop. 13 and Sen. Mark Leno’s efforts to allow a local vehicle license fee, and a Constitutional amendment to get rid of the two-thirds majority for budget approval and tax hikes.

The Republicans have all signed this no-new-taxes pledge and it’s going to be hard to move them. Any attempt to change Prop. 13 will be met with huge opposition from 

New York: Teachers, Parents and Students Organize Against Education Privatization

New York: Teachers, Parents and Students Organize Against Education Privatization

New York: Teachers, Parents and Students Organize Against Education Privatization
For the U.S. corporate elite, “education reform” – which means privatizing as much as possible of the school system and attacking the collective power of teachers – is a strategic task. To these people, New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg and his henchman, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, are heroes. For eight years, NYC officials have relentlessly sought to tie school performance rankings as well as teacher evaluation and pay to dubious high stakes test data. They have closed 91 schools, overwhelmingly in Black and Hispanic working-class neighborhoods, and opened 100 privately-run charter schools, almost entirely in the same areas. They have allowed the charter operators to take space in public school buildings and to push out public schools, some of them very popular and successful. They did this in the name of helping kids succeed and had some public support for their policies, especially with many parents in poor neighborhoods desperate to give their children a decent future. But public opinion is beginning to shift against privatization, and resistance from parents, teachers, and students is starting to grow as people see through the hype. When Klein announced in December that he wanted to close 19 public schools, this provoked protests of hundreds outside individual schools and crowds of up to 900 at public hearings, overwhelmingly opposed to these destructive proposals. On January 26, thousands gathered to protest at Brooklyn Technical High School where the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP), a rubber-stamp body with eight of thirteen members appointed by Bloomberg, was to decide the fate of the nineteen schools. What followed was nine hours of testimony full of raw working-class anger from parents, students, and teachers. People pointed again and again to the way a two-tier system is being established.

Noose Found Hanging in UCSD Library; Student Suspended - San Diego 6

Noose Found Hanging in UCSD Library; Student Suspended - San Diego 6
SAN DIEGO - The discovery of a noose found hanging in the UC San Diego library prompted police Friday to open a hate-crime investigation and outraged students to storm the chancellor's office.

Authorities received reports about 10:30 p.m. Thursday about the rope noose suspended from a light fixture on the seventh floor of the Geisel Library, according to a bulletin released by the UCSD Police Department.

No one reported seeing the noose being placed in the area, which is next to an aisle and west-facing windows, officials said. This morning, however, a student came forward and admitted that she had put the knotted rope in the library, campus spokesman Rex Graham said.

There was no immediate word on whether she had been arrested, though the incident was being investigated as a hate crime and an act committed "with intent to terrorize," Graham said.

At an afternoon news conference, UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox said the student has been suspended.

"We will not tolerate hate on our campus, and all criminal acts will be punished," 

Besides taxes, few solutions at town hall on education | SF Public Press

Besides taxes, few solutions at town hall on education | SF Public Press

Besides taxes, few solutions at town hall on education

By Kristine Magnuson and Tabitha Harmon

 The organizers of what was billed as a town hall-style meeting on education funding in the Marina Thursday said their intention was to have a conversation with the community about solutions to money woes for the coming school year.

But the evening’s talk, moderated by Michael Krasny, host of KQED-FM’s “Forum,” fell short of those expectations for some parents, educators and others in attendance — as evidenced by booing and hissing that punctuated the meeting.

Everyone knew the outlines of the problem: The San Francisco Unified School District is facing cuts of $113 million over the next two years, resulting from lower state subsidies and higher personnel costs.

The panelists, mostly local and state politicians hailing from San Francisco, focused on solutions involving new taxes, rather than cutting programs, jobs or the length of the school year.

• The long list of prominent Democratic figures — including Mayor Gavin Newsom and state legislators Mark Leno, Leland Yee, Tom Ammiano and Fiona Ma — presented a range of new taxes schemes:

California CIO Issues Use Policy for Facebook, YouTube, Other Social Media

California CIO Issues Use Policy for Facebook, YouTube, Other Social Media

California doesn't want to force its agencies into using social media to better communicate and interact with the public -- it wants to encourage them. And that it's doing with the adoption of a social media policy that outlines the do's and don'ts of online communication tools.

The state officially adopted the use of social media tools Friday, Feb. 26, to promote communication and transparency if agencies choose to use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other sites. The policy, which participating agencies must comply with by July 1, 2010, requires that only authorized users who have been trained regarding their roles, responsibilities and security risks, have access to social media sites while at work as a state employee.

"It requires that due diligence is performed when departments move ahead in their social networking sites," Office of the State Chief Information Officer (OCIO) spokesman Bill Maile said. "This is yet one more way we can use technology to allow better communication and transparency for the many Californians who do business with the state."

In its IT policy letter, the OCIO provides guidelines to managers, such as preventing unnecessary functions like instant messaging or file exchange within social media. Accompanying the policy is a Social Media Standard to help state agencies consider the various risk factors associated with using social media sites.

California District Implements Writing Program Throughout Elementary Schools -- THE Journal

California District Implements Writing Program Throughout Elementary Schools -- THE Journal

Technology-Based Learning Tools

California District Implements Writing Program Throughout Elementary Schools

• By Scott Aronowitz
• 02/26/10

Stanislaus Union School District in Stanislaus, CA, reported that it implement Vantage Learning's MY Access! writing software for the 5th and 6th grades in all of its five elementary schools. The program is being funded through the federal Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program.

The software analyzes more than 350 characteristics of an essay, categorized under semantics, syntax, clarity of discourse, and style and scores the work and provides feedback on it, which is designed to help users to improve focus, organization, content and development, use of language, and overall writing proficiency.

Tom Freeman, principal of the district's Prescott Senior Elementary School, actually a middle school enrolling 700 students in 7th and 8th grades, learned about MY Access! some years back at a middle school partnership meeting. He said he thought the software presented an ideal opportunity for students to practice their writing skills independent of teacher supervision.

"Our teachers have 180 kids a day in their classrooms," said Freeman. "They would 

EDITORIAL: Budget eliminates vocational programs - Opinion

EDITORIAL: Budget eliminates vocational programs - Opinion:

"Recently, Cosumnes River College's partners in spirit - Sierra College - facing an overwhelming budget deficit of $11.2 million, proposed the cutting of their construction, automotive and agricultural programs to help alleviate the damage.

Further, the President of San Joaquin Delta College, Raul Rodriguez, will suggest to the campus' board of trustees the elimination of their GED program, which allows high school dropouts to obtain an equivalency diploma.

Why does this matter?

State leaders and advocates of advancing education - including our very own congresswoman, Doris Matsui - have repeatedly emphasized that colleges should aim to provide three essential course fields - vocational education, remedial education and classes preparing students to transfer to four-year institutions"

New program combines Olympics and innovation to create educational tool - SGVTribune.com

New program combines Olympics and innovation to create educational tool - SGVTribune.com

California Superintendent of Schools Jack O'Connell, speaks to a Life Science class at Clifton Middle School in Monrovia, Friday February 26, 2010. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Walt Mancini)

MONROVIA - With their arms held behind their back as they glide over the ice, Olympic speed skaters make it look so easy.
But when 2006 Olympian Maria Garcia first crouched in that familiar speed skating position, her muscles gave out in about 15 seconds, she said.
It took strenuous muscle training, including crouching for hours at a time, before she was able to summon the muscle power to skate upwards of 30 miles per hour.
On Friday, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, Garcia and educators from the Silicon Valley Education Foundation gave students at Clifton Middle School a high-tech education about the physics of the human body.
The lesson was built around the NBC Learn and

Education

Get the scoop on schools, teachers and students. Visit our Education pagefor more articles and photos.

The National Science Foundation's "Science of the Olympic Winter Games."The new program gives teachers free access to thousands of lesson plans.
"It's a win, win," O'Connell said. "Having the innovation and the fact it is free."
The Foundations "Lessonopoly" program helps teachers organize, plan and create educational activities and lessons.

Colleges’ diversity push heads to church - SignOnSanDiego.com

Colleges’ diversity push heads to church - SignOnSanDiego.com

Colleges’ diversity push heads to church

CSU outreach effort seeks black applicants

BY JOHN WILKENS, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010 AT 12:04 A.M.

Already flooded with enrollment applications, administrators at the two local California State Universitycampuses hardly need to beat the bushes for more.

So why are the schools’ presidents heading out to local churches tomorrow morning, encouraging students to apply?

It’s part of a CSU initiative to increase the number of African-American students — a thorny issue throughout higher education, as evidenced by upheaval at the University of California San Diego that was started by a recent party mocking blacks.

Launched in 2005, the “Super Sunday” program sends university officials to dozens of African-American churches statewide during February, which is Black History Month.

Tomorrow, SDSU President Stephen Weber will be at Christ United Presbyterian Church in the South Park neighborhood of San Diego. On the same day, Cal State San Marcos President Karen Haynes will join the congregation at St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Oceanside.

Reasons to Expect Big Tuition Increases |

Reasons to Expect Big Tuition Increases |

The cost of a college education has increased at a faster pace than the cost of most other goods and services over the past several years. Parents with young children today who plan to fund a four year education during the next twenty years or so can expect to pay in the six-figure range for each child attending college. It used to be that these costs were expected if your child was attending a private institution but there were also public schools that offered tuition at more reasonable rates. A public university is still a more affordable option, but the cost of tuition even at in-state, public schools is expected to skyrocket beginning in 2010.
The average cost of a year of education at a public university this year is expected to be just over $7,000 while the average cost at a private university is now more than $25,000 a year. There are several factors leading to higher college tuition prices for both public and private schools and their impact is going to be felt by college students sooner rather than later. Here are some things to consider.
State Budget Cuts: With the economy just emerging from one of the biggest financial disasters in history, state budgets are a mess. Part of the reason tuition at public universities has been historically cheaper than private universities is that individual states subsidize funding for residents to attend these schools. Budget cuts are looming in most states, and college tuition subsidies are being slashed to make sure that essential programs and services can be maintained. The University Of California, for example, is anticipating tuition rates being between twenty and thirty percent higher this year compared to a year ago because of California’s ongoing budget crisis. States that have been hit the hardest during the most recent recession will probably see their tuition prices increase by the highest amounts but very few universities will be immune from the price hikes.

Education cuts may lead to U.S. brain drain San Francisco Chronicle

Education cuts may lead to U.S. brain drain: 

"While California and other states cut higher education budgets, many countries are spending to boost the number and quality of their graduates, setting the stage for brain drains and brain gains as the global economy emerges from the Great Recession, according to a UC Berkeley research paper."



China, Taiwan, South Korea, Germany, France and Brazil are among the major industrial nations that have continued to boost education spending despite the recession, while the United Kingdom and Ireland have joined the United States in making cuts, said John Aubrey Douglass, who wrote the paper for Berkeley's Center for Studies in Higher Education.
"Over the last decade we have seen higher education elevated to a top policy concern in many nations, where it is seen as vital for economic development and competitiveness," Douglass said.
But the United States has lagged in this regard, partly because its higher education system is decentralized and controlled by state governments, whereas in many other nations the central government coordinates spending, Douglass said.
In economic downturns, some of these international competitors have chosen to borrow to fund education, whereas U.S. states generally can't engage in deficit spending.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/26/BU1E1C7S61.DTL&type=business#ixzz0gjo9LG8B

Late-night protest at UC Berkeley turns violent - washingtonpost.com

Late-night protest at UC Berkeley turns violent - washingtonpost.com

BERKELEY, Calif. -- A late-night demonstration over budget cuts turned violent in Berkeley when protesters broke into a campus building, torched trash cans, smashed windows and threw rocks and bottles at police, authorities said Friday.

Police arrested two people near the University of California, Berkeley campus, said Officer Andrew Frankel, a spokesman for the Berkeley Police Department.
The unrest began around 11 p.m. Thursday after a crowd of more than 100 people gathered on campus for an open-air dance party to build support for an upcoming statewide protest over education funding cuts.
Students and activists have staged demonstrations in recent months at public colleges across California to protest deep budget cuts that have led to steep tuition hikes, enrollment cuts, faculty furloughs and reduced course offerings.
In Berkeley, about 50 people broke through a fence surrounding Durant Hall, which is closed for renovation, and about 20 entered and occupied the building, said Cpt. Margo Bennett of the UC Police Department.
The group smashed windows, sprayed graffiti, damaged construction equipment, knocked over portable toilets and hung up a banner promoting the March 4 rally, UC officials said. Others blocked police from entering the building.

Protests could lack focus, but not energy - San Jose Mercury News

Protests could lack focus, but not energy - San Jose Mercury News

BERKELEY — Some worry that the shattered windows at a Subway sandwich shop on Telegraph Avenue could be a harbinger of more damage Thursday, when demonstrations against education budget cuts will take place statewide.

Some hope protests scheduled for that day do not overshadow the message.

The protests will come less than a week after rioters defaced buildings on and around the UC Berkeley campus between late Thursday night and early Friday morning. Some student leaders have urged calm behavior for next week, worrying that Berkeley's protesters could influence widespread riots. Participants in the riots at UC Berkeley posted signs reading "March 4."

"There's a lot of good activism planned for (Thursday)," said Reid Milburn, a student at Sacramento City College and president of the statewide Student Senate for community colleges. "But I'm nervous about the idea of people getting out of control."

Milburn and others were worried even before the Berkeley riot. Rather than backing next week's protests, student-government leaders with the community-college and California State University systems are focusing on a March 22 event in Sacramento.

An October meeting in Berkeley on next week's demonstrations — coined as a "Day of Action" — was chaotic, said Steve Dixon, a Humboldt State senior and president of the California State Student Association.

"We felt the message wasn't totally educational," Dixon said,

Protests could lack focus, but not energy - San Jose Mercury News

Protests could lack focus, but not energy - San Jose Mercury News

Manteca Bulletin - You’ve got to love those #%&•@! state lawmakers

Manteca Bulletin - You’ve got to love those #%&•@! state lawmakers

You’ve got to love those #%&•@! state lawmakers

California has a $20 billion deficit, is releasing tens of thousands of hardcore felons early from prison, education funding is being slashed, public college tuitions are soaring, and unemployment is at 12 percent statewide.

It is against this backdrop that the California Legislature finally takes up a serious subject – cussing.

The Assembly, which has been known to do perverted and obscene things in the name of government has passed a resolution calling for the first week of March to be known as “Cuss Free Week.” If the State Senate agrees next week, California will have become the first state in the nation to take an official stance against cussing.

Now you’re probably asking yourself why are they spending time worrying about cussing when there are county hospitals ready to close, thousands of handicapped people posed to lose benefits, and the ranks of public safety being slashed because of the hi jinks the state has been pulling with our money over the past 20 years that’s finally catching up with Sacramento.

The answer is simple. The #!%&?# politicians are incapable of fixing the #*^%$#%! budget mess they’ve created.

Schools Matter: White Hat Not Renewed in Florida

Schools Matter: White Hat Not Renewed in Florida

White Hat Not Renewed in Florida

by Kenneth Libby

David Brennan and his White Hat charter management company recently had a charter oversight board decide not to renew one of their schools in Florida, and the shenanigans of the Life Skills Center East are truly shocking. You can check off a laundry list of violations the school has racked up, including, but not limited to, accusations of financial mismanagement, failing to education English language learners (only 1 in 72 received a diploma), and the governing board's lack of due diligence in selecting Brennan's management company. This isn't the first closure for one of White Hat's Life Skills Centers - White Hat had their Life Skills Lakeland (just miles from the Center East location) charter pulled, and they billed the oversight board for $500,000 as they exited from the school. It's not about profits, it's all about the kids, right?

Oh - and 97% of all sc