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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The State of Georgia Has Killed Troy Anthony Davis - Forbes

The State of Georgia Has Killed Troy Anthony Davis - Forbes:


The State of Georgia Has Killed Troy Anthony Davis


Jem Marlowe waits with other Troy Davis suppor...



After a last minute delay of the execution of Troy Davis, the US Supreme Court refused to grant Davis a stay of execution. The state of Georgia killed Davis at 11:08 PM tonight. Davis was convicted for the 1989 murder of an off-duty policeman. He was sentenced to death though his execution was delayed several times. After many of the witnesses who had originally testified against Davis recanted, and doubts were raised about police and prosecutors’ handling of the case, many people came to believe that Davis was innocent.
I do not believe there was enough conclusive evidence to sentence Davis to death. Although I oppose the death penalty in all cases, I oppose it most fervently when a man’s life is on the line for a crime he may not have committed. I can’t say for sure whether Davis was innocent, but much more importantly I don’t believe the state proved that he was guilty. This is a deeply tragic night for Americans and for the world. I cannot help but believe that justice was not served in Georgia, that the death of Davis is yet another tragedy in a long line of tragedies that begun in 1989 and will go on so long as
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Portland-area high schools increasingly require study halls, citing too few teachers to offer students class each period | OregonLive.com

Portland-area high schools increasingly require study halls, citing too few teachers to offer students class each period | OregonLive.com:

Portland-area high schools increasingly require study halls, citing too few teachers to offer students class each period

Published: Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 4:45 PM Updated: Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 4:45 PM
Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian By Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian
bensonstudyhall.jpgView full sizeBrent Wojahn/ The OregonianBenson High freshman Alainya Cordero works on geometry homework during her 90-minute morning study hall, which she shares with about 200 other students.
Required study halls have become common in large Portland-area high schools as budget-slammed schools find they don't have enough teachers to go around.

But Portland Public Schools, which added required study halls to its seven biggest high schools this year after it cut more than 40 teaching jobs, has taken the money-saving measure to a new level. A campus security guard supervises 90-minute study halls packed with as many as 50 (Lincoln), 70 (Franklin), 135 (Grant) or even 200 (Benson) students in the cafeteria or another big room.

Grant High freshman Adanna Earl said she tries to finish assignments during the hour and a half she and dozens of other students spend in the cafeteria
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BreakfastFirst Campaign - Letters (CA Dept of Education)



BreakfastFirst Campaign - Letters (CA Dept of Education):



September 21, 2011
Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, and Nutrition Service Directors:
IMPROVING STUDENT NUTRITION AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
THROUGH SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAMS
I am proud to be the new honorary chair of the BreakfastFirst Campaign. Promoting the School Breakfast Program (SBP) is integral to my Team California for Healthy Kids campaign, which focuses on making healthy choices the easy choices.
In alignment with the Team California goal to promote good eating habits, BreakfastFirst aims to ensure that all students are served an optimally nutritious breakfast using innovative models such as Classroom Breakfast, Grab-and-Go, and Second Chance Breakfast. These models are known to dramatically increase participation, bringing the benefits of school breakfast to the maximum number of students.
Research confirms the clear connection between health, learning, and attendance. Healthy children are more successful in school, miss fewer days of school, are more attentive and well behaved, and are more likely to graduate from high school and go to college. Healthy students not only excel academically, but also are more likely to be positively engaged in social, community, and extra-curricular activities.
The implementation of inventive models like Classroom Breakfast links nutrition to our joint goal of increasing academic achievement in school. In most cases, the breakfast can be completely supported by federal and state meal reimbursement. In addition, as former Superintendent Jack O’Connell and State Controller John Chiang shared in a joint letter last year, “As long as the breakfast is served and eaten in the classroom while otherwise allowable instructional activities are underway, the time will not be considered free time by auditors . . . The SBP is an easy way to enhance children’s health and improve their academic achievement.” The full letter is located on the CDE Breakfast in the Classroom - Letters Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/el/le/yr10jtltr0701.asp.
I urge you to expand your School Breakfast Program (especially outside of the cafeteria) to serve the nutritional needs of your students and to strengthen their academic performance.
If you would like information on innovative breakfast models, visit the California Food Policy Advocates Web site for the BreakfastFirst Campaign at http://www.BreakfastFirst.org (Outside Source). You may also contact your Field Services Unit Child Nutrition Consultant by phone at 916-445-0850 or 800-952-5609.
Sincerely,
Tom Torlakson
TT:cc
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HOPE - NOPE : Obama won't weigh in on Georgia execution

News from The Associated Press:

Obama won't weigh in on Georgia execution

Troy Davis



WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is refusing to weigh in on the pending execution in Georgia of inmate Troy Davis.

Less than half-hour before Davis' scheduled execution Wednesday, White House press secretary Jay Carney issued a statement saying that Obama has long worked to ensure accuracy and fairness in the criminal justice system especially in capital cases. But Carney said it would not be appropriate for the president of the United States to weigh in on specific cases like this one, which is a state prosecution.

Davis was convicted of killing off-duty police officer Mark MacPhail in 1989. His attorneys say key witnesses against him have disputed their testimony. But courts have ruled against granting him a new trial.

Davis appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday evening.

© 2011 The Associa
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Student Support Should Be Our Top Priority in Dealing with School Violence « City School Stories

Student Support Should Be Our Top Priority in Dealing with School Violence « City School Stories:

Student Support Should Be Our Top Priority in Dealing with School Violence

by fmurphy

Notes from the Field

Submitted by Frank Murphy on September 20, 2011

In late March of this year, a seven part investigative series on school violence, titled Assault on Learning, was published in the Philadelphia Inquirer. This report provided a comprehensive and balanced looked at the problems created in classrooms across the city as the result of the disruptive and sometimes criminal behavior of a small group of juvenile offenders.

Throughout this series, the reporters did a good job of describing what school violence looks like to the people who inhabit our public schools. They provided a variety of examples of its ill effects on students, teachers and parents. They also identified the schools having a large number of incidents of school violence.

In addition to detailing the extent and types of serious incidents that have occurred in the district during the last five years, the journalists also attempted to delve into the root causes that contribute to violent student

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Using Project-Based Learning to Engage Parents in the School Community « Whole Child Education

The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education:

Using Project-Based Learning to Engage Parents in the School Community

September 21st, 2011 by

Andrew Miller

Post submitted by Andrew Miller, an international consultant who works independently and for groups such as the Buck Institute for Education and Abeo School Change (formally known as the Small Schools Project). He has taught both online and in the brick-and-mortar setting, incorporating his core tenets of culturally responsive teaching, project-based learning, and game-based learning. Connect with Miller on Twitter @betamiller.

Project-based learning (PBL) is a fantastic way to increase parent and community involvement in your school in a truly authentic way. Instead of finding lots of little strategies to engage parents, PBL provides an opportunity to use one part of your school identity, the curriculum and instruction, as the leverage to have parents present at the physical

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Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Seattle School Board Meeting - My Testimony Tonight

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Seattle School Board Meeting - My Testimony Tonight:

Seattle School Board Meeting - My Testimony Tonight

by Melissa Westbrook

About TFA – what a long, strange trip it has been. It seems apparent at this point that our former superintendent didn’t have any real donors lined up – she just assumed they would materialize. Another in the long list of mistakes she made.

It’s good to have that settled except that the press release doesn’t make it clear whether Seattle Foundation is paying for two years or one. I tried to get confirmation from Communications but they said they didn’t know and I should ask the Foundation and I have been trying with no success. It might be good to iron out that point.

One delicate issue is that the Seattle Foundation named several donors. Among them are two that have contributed heavily to the campaigns of the directors running for reelection.

I would just gently point out that it is one thing to have campaign supporters who you know care about particular
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Work Experience Education and Work Permits - Letters (CA Dept of Education)

Work Experience Education and Work Permits - Letters (CA Dept of Education):

September 21, 2011

Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

WORK EXPERIENCE EDUCATION AND WORK PERMIT AUTHORIZATION

The California Department of Education (CDE) is pleased to announce the adoption of new and amended California Code of Regulations, Title 5 (5 CCR), along with new work permit forms. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) and the State Board of Education (SBE) recently adopted rules and regulations necessary to clarify the standards set by the department in order to better support local educational agencies (LEAs) in Work Experience Education (WEE) programs and regulations associated with the issuance of work permits.

These positive changes include: (1) clarification on WEE statewide program standards; (2) updated program terminology; (3) incorporated by reference the Statement of Intent to Employ a Minor and Request for Work Permit/Certificate of Age (CDE Form B1-1, revised July 2011) as a Certificate of Age; and (4) clarification of work permit requirements pertaining to minors in unpaid training, volunteer, or in-school placement positions.

In light of these recent changes, LEAs are required to update letters of authorization for school personnel responsible with the issuance of work permits to California minors (California Education Code Section 49110) and have on file with the CDE an updated WEE Secondary District Plan (5 CCR 10070). If your WEE Secondary District Plan has not been updated with the CDE within the past 3 years, please submit an updated plan aligned with existing laws and regulations by Friday, December 9, 2011, to:

Kimberly B. Born, Education Programs Consultant
High School Transformation Unit
Secondary, Career, and Adult Learning Division
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Suite 4503
Sacramento, CA 95814-5901

To obtain a copy of the updated Secondary District Plan for WEE template and application, please e-mail your request tokborn@cde.ca.gov.

Please forward this letter to all high school principals in the district.

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact Kimberly B. Born, Education Programs Consultant, High School Transformation Unit, by phone at 916-319-0480 or by e-mail at kborn@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tom Torlakson

TT:pa
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Teacher for Sale - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

Teacher for Sale - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:

Teacher for Sale

by Nancy Flanagan

Many years ago, through no effort (or fault) on my part, I became--temporarily--a Famous Teacher. What was most astonishing about this experience: a wide range of people (from broadcast media figures to the district Superintendent) suddenly paid attention to what I had to say about education. I was phoned and asked my opinion when critical education issues emerged in Michigan. I was offered positions on statewide task forces and columns in the local newspaper. I even shot a TV commercial supporting an education funding initiative, and flew around the state with the Governor on a promotion tour. Good times.

As any teacher who finds herself publicly distinguished knows, however--opportunities to "speak for teachers" are almost always accompanied by some questionable baggage. There's the token teacher experience, where

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Big Education Ape: 9-21-11 PM Troy Davis nears Georgia execution despite protests EDition

Big Education Ape: Ed News Now:

Published by Coopmike48 – 7 news spotters today

US death row inmate's appeal fails - Americas

english.aljazeera.net - Georgia's board of pardons has rejected a last-ditch clemency bid from Troy Davis, a day before his scheduled execution in a racially charged case where his supporters claim he was wrongly convicte...
mikeklonsky

A Day of Shame for Georgia

readersupportednews.org - Bianca Jagger writes: "The execution of Troy Davis is nothing less than state-sanctioned murder. Today, the 20th of September 2011, the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles refused clemency t...
mikeklonsky

Oprah-Backed Charter School Denying Disabled

bloomberg.com - Enlarge image Charter School Accused of Shunning Disabled Lawrence Melrose, 16, left, and his guardian and great uncle, Shelton Joseph, in their New Orleans home. A lawsuit said Lawrence was left o...
DianeRavitch

Hot News & Views | AlterNet

alternet.org - It's bedtime, children, so put on your jammies, scootch under the covers, and I'll tell you another "Perry Tale."Once again, the Texas-governor-who-wants-to-be-your-president is flitting hither, th...
mikeklonsky

New Focus on Middle Schools

online.wsj.com - Soon after he gained control of the city's public schools, Mayor Michael Bloomberg pushed to shut down enormous high schools and replace them with smaller schools. Now, his administration is pledgi...
leoniehaimson

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EducationSee all

Low poverty rates = high scores on int'l tests

michaelklonsky.blogspot.com - An email from a colleague in California caused me to reflect once again on the results of the 2009 PISA exams. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a worldwide evaluation o...
mikeklonsky

What I Did Last Summer, Part Two - Bridging Differences

blogs.edweek.org - Dear Deborah,Okay, I promise, this is the last time I will give you a report on what I did last summer. But this event was so remarkable that I couldn't help but tell you about it. You would have e...
mikeklonsky

SocietySee all

Fischer Interview on New Orleans Charter Schools - Video

bloomberg.com - Sept. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Kelly Fischer, one of the plaintiffs in a special-education discrimination lawsuit against the state of Louisiana, says last year she was discouraged by a number of charter ...
leoniehaimson

PoliticsSee all

‘Unfailing’ ignorance - NYPOST.com

nypost.com - On the scale of dumb and dumber, it is hard to top this one: a football player, his team losing by 50 points, scores a TD and spikes the ball in the end zone in macho triumph. Or this one: New York...
leoniehaimson

Rupert Murdoch giving keynote at Jeb Bush’s ed reform summit

schoolingintheownershipsociety.blogspot.com - “We were motivated to invite Mr. Murdoch after reading his eloquent speech before G8 Summit on leveraging the power of technology to improve education.” -- Jaryn Emhof, communications director fo...
mikeklonsky

When 2,000 protesters are, or aren't, a big deal

uppitywis.org - Progressive blogger Amy Goodman at Truthdig makes a trenchant observation about the way the mainstream media sometimes cover right-wing versus left-wing events. The "nut" graph: If 2,000 Tea Party ...
coopmike48

StoriesSee all

Liberal Hero of the Day: Elizabeth Warren 9-21-2011

addictinginfo.org - It’s official: I’m an Elizabeth Warren groupie! If you don’t know why the Corporate Right hates her so much, this video really should clear it up:Not only is she passionate, intelligent and articul...
coopmike48

CrimeSee all

Troy Davis wants polygraph ahead of execution

reuters.com - ATLANTA | Wed Sep 21, 2011 8:59am EDT ATLANTA (Reuters) - A condemned man set to be executed by lethal injection on Wednesday for killing a Georgia police officer in a high-profile case wants a pol...
leoniehaimson

Troy Davis asks Supreme Court to stop execution

denverpost.com - JACKSON, Ga.—Troy Davis, the condemned inmate who convinced hundreds of thousands of people but not the justice system of his innocence, filed an eleventh-hour plea Wednesday asking the U.S. Suprem...
coopmike48

Troy Davis wants polygraph ahead of execution | Reuters

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Troy Davis wants polygraph ahead of execution | Reuters: Troy Davis wants polygraph ahead of executionChris Brown of Atlanta holds a placard as protesters show their support for death row inmate Tr...
coopmike48

Art & EntertainmentSee all

Home - Inside Higher Ed

insidehighered.com - February 24, 2011 The return of ROTC to some campuses -- seemingly assured by the end of the military's policy against gay service members -- may be hitting a few bumps.More February 24, 2011 City ...
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