Lodi students must pay $360 to ride the school bus | News10.net | Sacramento, California | Education

Lodi students must pay $360 to ride the school bus | News10.net | Sacramento, California | Education

Lodi students must pay $360 to ride the school bus

Jennifer Smith Last updated 2 hrs ago

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LODI, CA - School starts July 27 in the Lodi Unified School District and this year students will have to pay $360 a year to ride the school bus.

Faced with a big budget deficit, the district's transportation department was forced to trim $2 million, and along with charging to ride the bus, the district is consolidating bus routes to save on gas and mileage.

"In the rural areas, we used to pick up children at their homes," said transportation director Carlos Garcia. "This year we've created what is called a hub stop which is one mass stop where we would cover and pick up most of the kids."

Dawn Carvalho, who has three children attending Lodi schools, is concerned about coming up with $1,000 by the end of the month to pay for bus service for her children. She's also worried about the hub stops.

"Who's going to be here at 6:15 or 6:30 in the morning to supervise this group of kids that are going to be meeting here in the morning? It's a safety issue," Carvalho said.

She is considering pulling her children from the Lodi schools.

"If I'm going to pay for them to ride the bus, I'm going to choose where they go to school," Carvalho said

Secretary Duncan’s Speech To The NAACP | Engaging Parents In School...

Secretary Duncan’s Speech To The NAACP | Engaging Parents In School...

Secretary Duncan’s Speech To The NAACP In his speech to the NAACP this week, Education Secretary Duncan announced “we will revise our ESEA reauthorization proposal to require parent and community input.” You can read his entire speech here, and news reports about it at Ed Weekand the ...

“The Home-School Connection: Lessons Learned in a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community” A review of the book *The Home-School Connection: Lessons Learned in a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community* has just appeared in the journal, *education review // reseñas educativas*. It’s about a family literacy project based in Chicago ...

PTA Launches “Urban Family Engagement Initiative” Readers of this blog might already be aware of this, but I just learned that the PTA has launched what they’re calling an “Urban Family Engagement Initiative.” Here’s how their website describes it: *“… in recognizing that different modalities of ...

My Thieving Student Loan Company � The Quick and the Ed

My Thieving Student Loan Company � The Quick and the Ed

My Thieving Student Loan Company

by Kevin Carey

A couple of weeks ago the mailman dropped a thin envelope with a St. Paul, Minnesota return address through the slot in my front door. It contained a check from my wife’s student lender, Northstar T.H.E. Loans, in the amount of $27.30. In that my extensive personal experience with student loan companies has very consistently been one in which the checks flow in the opposite direction, this made me curious. The check was accompanied by nothing in the way of explanation, other than a single line directing me to a website, www.northstarloansettlement.com.
It turns out that Northstar was returning money it had stolen from us a couple of years ago. When we were choosing a lender all the way back in 2001, Northstar made a big deal out of it’s “Bonus Program” whereby we would pay a lower interest rate if we made our monthly loan payments on time. This seemed like a good deal, so we picked Northstar, and proceeded to make all of our loan payments on time.
Then, in 2008, Northstar decided to suspend the “Bonus Program” on the grounds that it would rather keep the bonus money for itself. It announced this via a confusingly written letter which strongly implied that, while

Indians barred from taking test for US practice - India - The Times of India

Indians barred from taking test for US practice - India - The Times of India

Indians barred from taking test for US practice

Hemali Chhapia, TNN, Jul 15, 2010, 01.28am IST

Article

MUMBAI: Tens of thousands of Indians who went to the United States to cash in on the health industry boom have been served a blow as the federal government has decided against allowing Indians to sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), a licentiate test without which students cannot practice in the US.

The decision was taken by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, a national body, reasoning that it found "systematic and methodical sharing and distribution of recalled questions by significant numbers of graduates of programmes in the affected countries as well as several exam preparation companies specifically targeted to these graduates". Apart from Indians, students from Pakistan, the Philippines and Egypt have also been barred from taking the exam.

"The federation recognizes the significant consequences of this policy decision but feels that it needs to be made clear to all candidates that the federation will not tolerate security breaches," it stated in a notice sent out to all the candidates who had registered to take the NPTE. Candidates will now have to wait for a year, which is when the federation is likely to introduce a more secured version of the test.

A parent from Mumbai whose daughter is enrolled with the University of Pittsburg said the US government's decision was not fair as they had found no evidence against Indian students
sharing the questions with their friends.

Even in the communication released to students, the federation stated, "Evidence was obtained through extensive forensic analyses of exam performances as well as a variety of legal actions

Schools Matter: More on Gates

Schools Matter: More on Gates

More on Gates

by Jim Horn

From Sharon Higgins at Perimeter Primate:

Newsflash! Bill Gates has now been publicly heckled. Watch the July 9 video here.

And just three days after being subjected to that humiliation in his hometown of Seattle, the Washington Post rushed in to his defense. Bright and early on the morning of Monday, July 12, WaPo readers opened their papers to find the following: “Gates Foundation playing pivotal role in changes for education system.”

Of course, it is especially important to note that both Melinda Gates and Warren E. Buffett, who is

One School, One ID � The Quick and the Ed

One School, One ID � The Quick and the Ed

One School, One ID

by Ben Miller

The Chronicle of Higher Education’s default rate package this week has a chart showing 20 for-profit colleges that would be at risk for losing federal aid eligibility if a new calculation were in place today. It’s a fine chart, but it also encapsulates a huge weakness in the way cohort default rates are calculated.
The U.S. Department of Education uses two main ways to identify colleges and universities–a six digit identification number that is used for the IPEDS data system and an eight digit number used by the Office of Postsecondary Education known as an OPEID. Each number is used to obtain different kinds of data. IPEDS includes information on enrollment, graduation rates, finances, and most everything else that shows up oncollege navigator. The OPEID meanwhile, is used for all the borrowing data and default rates on the Federal Student Aid Data Center.
Unfortunately, the OPEID and IPEDS numbers are different, so any attempt to analyze borrowing data and other school information requires matching the two figures. That’s doable, but here’s where the fun begins—a single

Remainders: An education reporter joins the school board | GothamSchools

Remainders: An education reporter joins the school board | GothamSchools

Remainders: An education reporter joins the school board

by Elizabeth Green

• A veteran education reporter is now on Baltimore’s school board. (Baltimore Sun via Russo)
• An Astoria principal who served in the rubber room feels mistreated. (Western Queens Gazette)
• Districts receiving school turnaround grants will have to involve parents. (EdWeek)
• In the ed tech battle, the curmudgeons are winning — at least the media vote. (Learning First)
• Arthur Levine, who grew up in the South Bronx, has a book about kids there now. (NPR)
• Bill Gates got boo’d at the AFT convention, but also a lot of cheers. (YouTube)
• Running for reelection, Maryland’s governor offers to cover the cost of AP tests. (EdWeek)
• Creativity scores are declining as IQ scores increase. (Newsweek via Joanne Jacobs)

This Week In Education: Media: New Ed Journalism Conference & Fellowship Program

This Week In Education: Media: New Ed Journalism Conference & Fellowship Program

Media: New Ed Journalism Conference & Fellowship Program

by Alexander Russo

There's going to be a big education journalism conference at the end of September, courtesy of the good folks at the Columbia University J-School in collaboration with the New York Times Institute and two foundations (Spencer and Atlantic). The dates are Sept. 29 –Oct. 2, in New York City. The panelists and speakers are TBD, but the topics and format are all set. Check out the latest information here.The event is also

City and union agree to fewer school colocations in September | GothamSchools

City and union agree to fewer school colocations in September | GothamSchools

City and union agree to fewer school colocations in September

by Anna Phillips

Afraid of another lawsuit from the teachers union, city officials have decided to force fewer new schools to share space this year.
Originally, the Department of Education planned to begin closing 19 schools next September and open 16 schools — most of them brand new — in their buildings. But that plan was put on hold when the union successfully sued to stop the closures. With the court silent on whether new schools could still open, the city announced that it would proceed to open them.
United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said he was concerned that opening new schools while keeping the original schools in business would mean severe overcrowding in some buildings.
Now the two sides have reached an agreement that will change some of the planned colocations and, as part of the deal, the UFT has waived its right to sue over the colocations.
Under the agreement, five new schools that would have co-located with closing schools will open elsewhere, including one in the union’s office. The deal also gives the saved schools more support and possibly more staff,

Education Research Report: WWC Reviews Research on Reading Programs, Head Start Study, and Abstinence-Only Education Study

Education Research Report: WWC Reviews Research on Reading Programs, Head Start Study, and Abstinence-Only Education Study

WWC Reviews Research on Reading Programs, Head Start Study, and Abstinence-Only Education Study

by Jonathan Kantrowitz

Ω

Programs designed to improve reading comprehension and fluency are the focus of two new What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) interventions reports.

Reading Apprenticeship® is an instructional approach targeted to middle, high school, and community college students that aims to improve reading fluency and comprehension through the use of professional development activities for teachers and an emphasis on peer interaction, problem-solving, and knowledge-building for students. Based on the research evidence, the WWC found the approach to have potentially positive effects on comprehension for adolescent learners.


The second intervention report from the WWC reviews the research on READ 180®, a reading program designed for students in grades 3–12 whose reading achievement is below the proficient level. READ 180® aims to

Drug Testing in Schools

by Jonathan Kantrowitz

Ω

Students involved in extracurricular activities and subject to in-school drug testing reported less substance use than comparable students in high schools without drug testing, according to a new evaluation released today by the Institute of Education Sciences.

Although illicit substance use among adolescents has declined over the past decade, it remains a concern. Under one approach to address this problem, students and their parents agree to students being tested for drugs (and in some cases, tobacco or alcohol) on a random basis as a condition of participation in athletic or other school-sponsored competitive extracurricular activities.

The study, The Effectiveness of Mandatory- Random Student Drug Testing, examined 7 districts that were awarded grants in 2006 by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools to

THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: Like lambs being led to the slaughter

THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: Like lambs being led to the slaughter

Like lambs being led to the slaughter

by The Perimeter Primate

Newsflash! Bill Gates has now been publicly heckled. Watch the July 9 video here.
And just three days after being subjected to that humiliation in his hometown of Seattle, the Washington Post rushed in to his defense. Bright and early on the morning of Monday, July 12, WaPo readers opened their papers to find the following: “Gates Foundation playing pivotal role in changes for education system.”
Of course, it is especially important to note that both Melinda Gates and Warren E. Buffett (a major donor to the Gates Foundation) both sit on the board of directors of The Washington Post Co.
The reason Bill Gates was heckled by a group of teacher protesters during his appearance at the AFT convention is because they oppose the enormous role which the Gates Foundation is playing re the privatization of public education and the weakening of the teachers' unions. Among other efforts, the foundation has poured millions of

Announcing the Family Friendly Schools 2010 Engage! All Families Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada! (October 6-7, 2010) #edu #education

The Engage! Monthly 7/8/2010 In this issue: 2010 Family Engagement Conference Grant$ Corner On Sale Now! The Parent Connection Contact Us Special 25% Discount! Dr. Joni's latest book, The Parent Connection: An Educator's Guide to Family Engagement is available for discounted purchase at the Family Friendly Schools on-line store. Get 25% off the MSRP for a limited time. Click on The Parent Connection to get your copy today!    The Parent Connection: Now More than Just a Great Book! Dr. Joni Samples' highly-acclaimed book, The Parent Connection: An Educator's Guide to Family Engagement, is now a focused, practical, and inspiring one or two-day workshop! Do you have an upcoming Professional Development Day and want to make the most of it? We guarantee not to waste your time and we are confident you will find this workshop both insightful and affordable. Check out our on-line brochure The Parent Connection Workshop or just give us a call at 1-800-890-7794 to schedule your Parent Connection Workshop today. Announcing the Family Friendly Schools 2010 Engage! All Families Conference  in Las Vegas, Nevada!   (October 6-7, 2010) Family Friendly Schools is excited toannounce the location and schedule of our 2010 National family engagement conference! This year's 2-Day conference promises to be not only the most affordable conference we've ever conducted, but it also includes more hands-on content and planning curriculum than ever before.  In addition to the general group sessions on Why Family Engagement Works and "Ed" Coaching for Long Term Success, we have scheduled rotating workshops around the four primary elements of Family Engagement: 1.                               The Welcoming Environment 2.                               Support for Home Learning 3.                               Effective Two-way Communication 4.                               Degree of Engagement Make plans to join us in always exciting Las Vegas, Nevada October 6 and 7, 2010 for a fun, practical, engaging and rewarding conference that will help you plot your course for effective Family Engagement initiatives in your school and district. For more information and to register, follow this link to the FFS 2010 Engage! All Families Conference. See you in Las Vegas! Welcome to FFS's Grant$ Corner - By Dr. Christine Rowe  Two things are important for successful family engagement, an effective program and the money to fund it. I am all about getting the funding you need for your success. My grant-getting success is simple: long term relationships, hard work, innovative thinking and 25 years of success with school and social service programs. Summer is a great time to apply for grants. Why? Most educators tend to apply in May or September, so there is less competition. You have fewer distractions over the summer, making it easier to focus. And you don't have to give up your vacation up either. Just one week of your attention may be all you need to be grant-ready for the next school year. Besides the state and federal grants available, most foundation grants have at least one of their deadlines during the summer, or no deadlines at all. Foundation grant applications are shorter and simpler than state or federal applications so you can apply for more of them. Pepsi Refresh Project is a corporate option that may work for you athttp://www.refresheverything.com/. Pepsi accepts proposals every month from people, businesses, and non-profits with ideas that will positively impact their communities. Awards range from $5000 to $250,000. The challenge is that you win an award based on the online votes you get during that month. So you need a vote-getting strategy too. The good news is that you can reapply. I have an open-door policy for Family Friendly School clients. If you have any questions, especially about proposal writing, grant seeking, program development or evaluation, please give me a call. I am always happy to talk with you. Fund Your Ideas into Action! Christine Rowe  530-345-6549 christine@familyfriendlyschools.com   Contact Us: Remember, you can always reach us toll free in the U.S. at 1-800-890-7794 or by our local number at 1-276-236-9979. Or you can also email us 24 hours a day, seven days a week at info@familyfriendlyschools.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Family Friendly Schools, 411 N. Main Street, Galax , VA 24333 276-236-9977