Thursday, March 25, 2010

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

School Board Revisiting Policy on Pregnant Student Privacy

More than two years ago, San Diego Unified sought to change a controversial policyuncovered by voiceofsandiego.org that requires school staff to tell parents when they discover that a student is pregnant or considering an abortion.

The rules -- and the idea of changing them -- caused an uproar across the political spectrum. Then the whole idea was shelved.

But the school district is now rewriting the rules to state that information about student pregnancy is confidential. The newly proposed rules also say parents will not be notified if students wish to leave campus for confidential medical services such as abortions.

"This will give us clarity," said Marge Kleinsmith-Hildebrand, who oversees HIV/AIDS prevention and sex education in the school district. "School staff will be able to support students and follow the Education Code and comply with school district policies and

Remainders: Four schools eliminate their kindergarten wait lists | GothamSchools

Remainders: Four schools eliminate their kindergarten wait lists

by Maura Walz

Four District 2 schools have eliminated their kindergarten wait lists, DOE officials said today.
Miss Brave was pulled into “an emergency UFT meeting” today about the possible impending layoffs.
If there’s no fat left to trim from the DOE budget, Miss Eyre wonders, why is the department hiring?
The winners of Race to the Top will be announced “very soon,” said Ed. Sec. Arne Duncan.
Politics K-12 wonders if states in severe funding crises, as several finalists are, can really Race to the Top.
Today’s entire Morning Joe show was on education reform and featured Bloomberg, Klein and Booker.
Amanda M. Fairbanks thought the MSNBC panel was a little heavy on politicians and light on teachers.
The DOE gave us some updated numbers on how many teachers are in the ATR pool right now.
Federal and city officials chose 5 city schools for a study of PCB hazards in school buildings.
Tucked away into the health care bill: more federal funding for abstinence education.
Illinois is trying to reform its costly teacher pension program. The teachers union there is not too happy.
In general, states that spend a lot on education had high NAEP reading scores, but that’s not always true.
And things may get crazy in New York, but at least teachers here have never faked a school shooting.

Elk Grove Citizen : News

EGUSD trustee meets with leaders on Capitol Hill

y Citizen staff

Published: Thursday, March 25, 2010 4:06 PM PDT

Priscilla Cox, an Elk Grove Unified School District Trustee and California School Boards Association Director Region 6, met with officials last week in Washington, D.C. to advocate for federal education policy that will benefit California’s schoolchildren.

Just days after President Barrack Obama presented his blueprint for reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (known in recent years as the No Child Left Behind Act), Cox visited with Congressional representatives and their staffs, numerous national education groups, and other organizations with vested interests in K-12 public education.

“I can’t emphasize enough how critical it is to invest in our children’s education in order to ensure long-term economic productivity and provide a foundation for informed citizenship,” Cox said. “The visit provides us with the opportunity to voice our concerns and share our experiences with federal officials to inform them about how the decisions they make in Washington, D.C. impact the more than six million schoolchildren in our state.”

Cox’s advocacy efforts are a part of a larger delegation, the Federal Issues Council, on behalf of the California School Boards Association (CSBA). CSBA and the delegates pay for the trip.

The visit to Washington, D.C. allows the delegates to act as liaisons between federal policymakers and California’s schools. The 2010 delegation represented urban, rural and suburban school districts throughout California.

During 30 meetings over three days, delegates addressed a number of issues important to California including the federal role in education, common core standards, full funding of special education mandates and the Race to the Top program.

CSBA delegates also discussed childhood nutrition and obesity with members of The Office o

PACE: Parent Action for Change in Education - Eventbrite

PACE: Parent Action for Change in Education

Event Details: Free

During this two-day* training participants will:

· EXPLORE the education crisis and the role of race

· UNITE with other parents across culture, language and school districts

· BUILD organizing skills

· PREPARE to be leaders at public actions

*Participants are encouraged to attend both days, but may register for just one

Friday & Saturday, April 16^th & 17^th, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Childcare, food and translation provided with RSVP!

Download a flyer in English, Spanish or Chinese.

When

Friday, April 16, 2010 at 9:30 PM

- to -

Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 3:30 PM (PT)

Add to my calendar

Where

East Bay Community Foundation Conference Room

353 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza

94612

Other Maps:
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Sacramento church and school face foreclosure | News10.net | Sacramento, California | News

Sacramento church and school face foreclosure | News10.net | Sacramento, California | News:

Sacramento church and school face foreclosure

SACRAMENTO, CA - A church and school that have served generations of families since 1953 face a June 1 mortgage balloon payment they cannot afford.

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church congregation president Ed Marlow said the lender, PremierWest Bank, will not offer an extension on the $770,000 note and will begin foreclosure proceedings on June 2.

Marlow said the congregation has voted to try to sell the seven- acre property before the bank can take it. "There's anger against the bank for doing this to us and the way they've been handling it, but there's also a sense of loss," Marlow said.

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church and School went on the market this week for $2.88 million.

Gloria Dei's mortgage crisis stems from the tremendous growth the school experienced a decade ago, Marlow explained. The church refinanced the property to build additional classrooms to serve a student body of 400, but has since watched attendance steadily decline. Current enrollment in the K-8 school is 102, with many of the students on reduced tuition.

Principal Shelia Gibson has notified parents they should consider other options for the fall. She has

Teachers union elections: who votes and who cares | GothamSchools

Teachers union elections: who votes and who cares

from GothamSchools by Anna Phillips

In the first part of several posts on the upcoming teachers union elections, here’s a look at how voting works and who does it.
Every three years, the UFT contracts its internal election out to the American Arbitration Association, and on March 12, the AAA sent out 167,000 ballots to UFT members. Those ballots went to members who have retired as well as to those who are still working, landing on doorsteps across the five boroughs and in sun-soaked places like Florida and Arizona where retirees often cluster.
The thick packets arrive via snail mail — union officials say this is because they can’t count that retired members will have an internet connection — and contain the names of the 1,485 candidates running for about 900 positions. (We’ll have more on who those people are tomorrow.)
Once a member opens and fills out her ballot, she places it in an envelope marked “secret ballot.” The ballot is sealed, sent to the AAA, and counted on April 7. To help the organization figure out what kinds of UFT members

New elementary school planned as part of NYU expansion | GothamSchools

New elementary school planned as part of NYU expansion

by Maura Walz

A longed-for new elementary school for Greenwich Village families may open in an unexpected location — a new building on a greatly expanded New York University campus.
NYU has committed to building a new 600-seat public elementary school as part of its plan to add 6 million square feet of space to its campus, the university announced today. The school offers a bright bargaining chip to NYU in its battle to expand its campus by 40 percent without alienating the neighboring community. Parents in the Village have complained about overstuffed classrooms and long wait-lists for neighborhood kindergarten seats.
But Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who has been a fierce critic of how the city has handled Manhattan’s school crowding problems, said he is confident that the plan is more than just an attractive ploy.
“The school is now off the table,” Stringer said. “It’s happening.”
Still, many of the details — including where exactly the school will be located, when construction will start or

Assembly Member Alyson Huber to Address FCUSD Families — The Rancho Cordova Post

Assembly Member Alyson Huber to Address FCUSD Families

by STEPHEN NICHOLS on MARCH 25, 2010 · 0 COMMENTS

in SCHOOLS, VIEWPOINTS

The Folsom Cordova Unified School District is delighted to host Assembly Member Alyson Huber at our second and final Support CA Kids Meeting. Get there early to hear her speak on Thursday, March 25, 2010 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at Mitchell Middle School in the Cafeteria located at 2100 Zinfandel Drive.

The State´s budget crisis continues to cripple public education in California. For eight of the last ten years, the Folsom Cordova Unified School District has had to cut essential programs and services for our students and community. Last year the District cut $14.7 million from its General Fund expenditures, including layoffs in all employee groups. The next school year looks even more dismal with an additional $13.9 million budget shortfall projected. Our District looks to mitigate such a budget scenario with potential reductions including increasing class sizes, eliminating electives options for middle school students, funding only a few athletic programs, and still more layoffs from all ranks. This is the unfortunate situation that all districts face.While we are challenged with the current state of the economy, we remain hopeful that we can make a difference.

Ordinary citizens are mobilizing an effort that is unprecedented in its attempt to educate and inform the general public about the intricacies of public school financing and what they can do to pressure the State to
make real reforms for California´s educational system. An organization called Support CA Kids seeks to empower parents and the community with the information that they need to

Can States With Such Big Budget Woes Really Race to the Top? - Politics K-12 - Education Week

Can States With Such Big Budget Woes Really Race to the Top?

By Michele McNeil on March 25, 2010 5:31 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

With the Race to the Top winners expected to be announced "very soon," it seems particularly urgent to start thinking about what the winning states will actually do with all of their money. And whether it will do any good...

As I've blogged before, all of the states--except Pennsylvania--asked for more money in their RTT applications than what the Education Department had estimated as a top-of-the-line grant. Which brings up important questions about a state's capacity to deliver on its grand promises, with less money.

This question become even more critical when you look at the potential winners, and just how bad off their overall K-12 budgets are.

In researching an upcoming story about states having trouble meeting basic funding requirements to get their State Fiscal Stabilization Fund dollars, an eagle-eye education policy analyst pointed out something very interesting: the

Voices of Concerned Educators: Who Will Take A Stand? [Monise Seward] — The Jose Vilson

Voices of Concerned Educators: Who Will Take A Stand? [Monise Seward]

by MONISE on MARCH 25, 2010 · 0 COMMENTS

in LIFE

Jaime Escalante

A few weeks ago @billcelis, one of my Twitter friends (still trying to adjust to ‘follower’) posted an article about notable educator Jaime Escalante, the main character in ‘Stand and Deliver.’ I am sure that every educator has seen the movie at least once; I think my count is closer to ten. Anyway, here is alink to the article. Mr. Escalante is very ill; he has been battling cancer for some time now. I was saddened by his story for a number of reasons. First, it appears that he is really suffering and may be near the end of his life. His family is also having a difficult time covering his medical expenses. But I was truly saddened for selfish reasons.

When he is gone, who will take his place?

I don’t mean who will be the next Jaime Escalante, per se, but really, who will be the next educator, parent, politician, etc. to take that type of stand for our kids? After all, he fought to teach his students the higher-level math

Council Endorses School Tax Measure

By Lookout Staff

March 26, 2010 -- The City Council on Tuesday gave its support to Measure A, the $198-per-parcel tax expected to generate $5.7 million for the cash-strapped Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD). The vote was 6-0. Council member Robert Holbrook did not attend the meeting.

Council members did not discuss the item. They heard from several advocates for the tax, including school district officials and activists.

Council member Gleam Davis said in a press release issued after the meeting, “We are fortunate to have excellent public schools, but state budget cuts will erode years of investment and improvement if we don’t pass Measure A and provide reliable local funding for education.”

The SMMUSD is facing a deficit of up to $14 million for the next school year. Its financial hole is mostly due to decreased revenue from Sacramento, the District’s largest financial

The Perimeter Primate

A very important collection of other-statistics

There’s too much talk about the academic attainment of places like Finland and Singapore in education babble these days. We need to forget the international comparisons about student test scores. Instead, Americans need to study the other indicators below, and deeply consider how they are reflective of our attitudes about our families and children. Is isn’t a pretty picture.

We need to stop getting distracted by comparing ourselves to the Joneses and start to deal with our own enormous mess. And we especially need to put an end to the fixation that people have on the supposed inadequacies of public school teachers.

So read up. Thar’s gold in them thar hills.

The figures are from the well-reviewed site NationMaster which are

Sacramento Press / RETIRE YOUR ATTIRE DRIVE HELPS REDUCE BARRIERS FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

RETIRE YOUR ATTIRE DRIVE HELPS REDUCE BARRIERS FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

On March 24th representatives from Nissan, WEAVE and Capital Public Radio met with key supporters of the 13th Annual Nissan Retire Your Attire Clothing Drive to accept donations of apparel for WEAVE’s Suited for Success program. During the 10 day drive Capitol staffers and elected officials donated thousands of suits, dresses, shirts, shoes and ties to be distributed to victims of domestic violence who are reentering the workforce and working to rebuild their lives.

Beth Hassett, Executive Director of WEAVE, was overwhelmed by the generosity of the Capitol community this year and by the support members have shown for domestic violence services. On March 25th the boxes of clothes will be transported from the Capitol building, local Nissan dealerships and Capital Public Radio to WEAVE’s Suited for Success program site. The clothing will be distributed over the year to men and women who seek services through the program.

Senator Christine Keohoe and Weave Executive Director, Beth Hassett

As ballots come in, a look at the teachers union elections | GothamSchools

As ballots come in, a look at the teachers union elections

from GothamSchools by Anna Phillips

Tonight, as members of New York City’s teachers union celebrate the union’s 50th anniversary with a line up of political and labor celebrities, some of their members will be sitting at home or in schools filling out ballots.
That’s because the United Federation of Teachers is in the midst of an election for its president and governing executive board, as well as hundreds of other positions. To outsiders and even some teachers, UFT elections are a little puzzling. This year, there have been no stump speeches, no public debates, and the only tangible evidence that candidates are campaigning is the fliers distributed in teachers’ school mailboxes and ads printed in the union’s newspaper.
The thousands of ballots counted on April 7 will decide the future leaders of America’s largest union local, and one of the most influential in the state. The UFT’s power to set education policy and craft pension deals in the city and statewide is so formidable, its former leader was once called “governor” in a newspaper editorial. And no matter how much the city detests the union’s policies, even Mayor Bloomberg admitted today that “they are part

Ravitch's Consistent Confusion :: Frederick M. Hess

Ravitch's Consistent Confusion

by Frederick M. Hess
National Review Online
March 25, 2010

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In her new book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, eminent historian Diane Ravitch charges that accountability and school choice have been ineffective, destructive distractions from real school improvement. Given her longtime support for these ideas, her "turncoat" moment has raised quite a stir.

But the resulting debate has been plagued by confusion. Ravitch is no turncoat. Indeed, she is now making the same fundamental mistake, in reverse, that she made previously. Ravitch's stance reflects the misguided premise that chartering and accountability are best seen as ways to improve instruction — like a new curriculum or reading program — rather than ways to create the conditions under which sustained improvement is possible.

Indeed, Ravitch's mistake shines a light on the frailty of current Obama-administration reform efforts. There is a disturbing parallelism when one hears Ravitch or Secretary of Education Arne Duncan discuss merit pay, accountability, or charter schooling. Ravitch is disappointed because she thought accountability and charter schooling were supposed to make schools better, and now sees that they don't. Duncan promises that they willmake schools better. They're both missing the central point: These structural reforms are means, not ends. Choice and accountability can only make it easier to create schools and systems characterized by focus and coherence, where robust curricula, powerful pedagogy, and rich learning thrive.

A lack of choice forces educators to serve families with very different demands and varying responses to discipline simultaneously, making it difficult to establish common norms. A lack of autonomy makes it difficult for principals to assemble teachers who share expectations and instructional principles. Political turbulence

Eduflack: Firing Teachers ... or Improving Teaching?

Firing Teachers ... or Improving Teaching?

by Eduflack

In Rhode Island, they fired an entire high school of teachers because of poor student test scores and a perceived unwillingness to change. In Florida, the legislature is now moving forward with plans to eliminate job security for teachers, essentially putting them on year-to-year contracts. Center for American Progress researchers arewriting about the need to fire bad teachers if we are to improve public education. And officials at The New Teacher Project and Education Trust are calling for an end to last hired, first fired and an collective wave bu-bye to poor teachers in California.

And earlier this year, riding the wave of Race to the Top and the U.S. Department of Education's four education improvement pillars, even the American Federation of Teachers got into the discussion, advocating for greater adoption of teacher performance measures (albeit at a much less high-stakes way than CAP, TNTP, or EdTrust may call for).

Teacher quality is quickly become issue (and public enemy) number one in education reform debates. For decades now, we have said that teachers are the most important component to school success. You couldn't

Model SARBs Named - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)

State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Announces
2010 Model Programs for Dropout Prevention

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell announced today that six school districts and one county office of education have been designated as Models of Dropout Prevention by the State School Attendance Review Board (State SARB).

"I am delighted to recognize educators and community members who are collaborating to help students who are at risk of dropping out." O'Connell said. "Due to our ongoing state budget crisis, we have fewer attendance supervisors, school nurses, counselors, school social workers, teachers, and administrators. But these excellent partnerships combine the expertise and resources of schools officials with members of the community to diagnose school attendance problems and recommend solutions.

"Effective SARBs include parents, law enforcement, county social workers, and community-based youth service workers who bring back students on the margins of the educational system and guide them back to regular school attendance. These SARBs are demonstrating moral leadership and expert collaboration critical to California's future," O'Connell said.

The State SARB is a panel appointed by the State Superintendent and established by the state Legislature to promote best practices in dropout prevention and statewide policy coordination. County SARBs consist of district representatives nominated by their school district boards and county members appointed by the county superintendent of schools. County SARBs may establish local SARBs and provide consultant services and coordination to local districts. Local SARBs consist of members appointed by local school districts to directly assist students in one district or a combination of districts.

Six school districts and one county office of education were selected for their exemplary SARB programs. This is the first year that a county SARB has been designated as a model SARB. The 2010 Models of Dropout Prevention are: Bellflower/Paramount Unified School Districts, El Dorado County Office of Education, Los Angeles Unified Local District 6, Montebello Unified School District, San Lorenzo Unified School District, and Twin Rivers Unified School District. The list of the model SARB programs and their contacts is attached below.

In selecting the model SARBs, the State SARB looked for excellence in specific content areas, including SARB chairperson leadership; prevention, early identification, and interventions; SARB collaboration; inventory of community resources; goals and objectives; program design and organizational structure; measuring and reporting outcomes; and interpersonal communication.

The districts and the county office recognized for their model dropout prevention programs retain their title through the 2011-12 school year and serve as mentors for other SARBs seeking to improve their programs. This year the model SARBs will be recognized on May 6 at the California Association of Supervisors of Child Welfare and Attendance (CASCWA) in Fresno.

The SARB process for dropout prevention was created by the Legislature more than 30 years ago to develop new ways of coordinating school, community, and home efforts to assist students with persistent school attendance or behavior problems that can lead to dropping out of school. For more information on the SARB process for dropout reduction, please visit the California Department of Education Web site at School Attendance Review Boards-Attendance Improvement at: School Attendance Review Boards - Attendance Improvement.

2010 Model SARB Programs

Bellflower/Paramount Unified School Districts (two districts that combine to form one SARB), Terry Gendreau and James Monico, SARB Chairpersons, Bellflower and Paramount, 562-866-9011 and 562-602-9011, Superintendent/Designee: Rick Kemppainen.
El Dorado County Office of Education, Carolyn Zachry, Ed.D., SARB Chairperson, Placerville, 530-295-2419, Superintendent/Designee: Vicki L. Barber, Ed.D.
Los Angeles Unified District, Local District 6, Velma D. Davis, SARB Chairperson, Cudahy, 323-560-4293, Superintendent/Designee: Dionne Ash.
Montebello Unified School District, Dr. Angel E. Gallardo, SARB Chairperson, Montebello, 323-887-7900, ext. 7924; Superintendent Designee: Robert Henke.
San Lorenzo Unified School District, Linda Freccero, SARB Chairperson, San Lorenzo, 510-317-4763, Superintendent/Designee: Ammar Saheli.
Twin Rivers Unified School District, Jane Claar and Tracey Wiltshire, SARB chairpersons, North Highlands, 916-566-1615, Superintendent/Designee: Frank S. Porter.