Rating California Schools: Not by Tests Alone
By Peter Schrag
It probably could have been predicted a decade ago: The way the American political system judges schools – indeed the whole center of gravity of educational accountability – is shifting again: From a rigid reliance on test-based numbers, which was the fashion of the big state and federal education laws of the George W. Bush era, the pendulum is slowly swinging back toward breadth, flexibility and moderation.
In California, the most recent example, and the most encouraging, is Senate President pro-tem Darrell Steinberg’s SB 547. The bill would replace API, the 12-year-old Academic Performance Index, which, in rating each school and district, narrowly focused on standardized tests in reading and math, with a much broader set of standards. .
Troy Davis Executed, While CEO Responsible for Deaths of 29 Miners Sails Free
By Mike Elk
Wednesday night at 11:08, Troy Anthony Davis was executed in the State of Georgia for the 1989 murder of a police officer. Much doubt existed in the case as seven of the nine witnesses recanted their testimony (one even claimed that an eighth murder witness was guilty) and no DNA or other physical evidence linked Davis to the crime.
Former FBI Director William Sessions wrote, “The evidence in this case — consisting almost entirely of
SB 202: Better Timing For Ballot Measures
By Anthony Wright
Health Access California
In addition to the handful of health reforms on the Governor's desk, SB202 (Hancock/Gordon) is an important measure on the timing of ballot initiatives. In particular, the bill ensures that ballot measures are scheduled for general elections in November, rather than primaries in June. It also