4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit
MORE THAN YOU WANT TO KNOW @140 CHARACTERS OR LESS
snarky commentary by smf for 4LAKidsNews 15 Sept 2012 :: In what can generously be called a puff-piece interview in The Huffington Post – Stephanie Abrams, LAUSD Social Media Director, Highlights Back-To-School Success | http://huff.to/TWrrcA – posted Friday - the date of the 3rd or 5th (depending on whether you take your news from Fox or the Daily News …and a KPCC story said 3rd) Annual
HUNDREDS OF LAUSD COUNSELORS MAKE HOME VISITS IN ATTEMPT TO GET TRUANT STUDENTS BACK IN SCHOOL
By Barbara Jones Staff Writer, LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/O5eWKx East Valley High School PSA Counselor Megan Brown, left, talks with truant student Allison Bustamante and her family during a Sept. 14, 2012 home visit as part of LAUSD's Student Recovery Day. (Andy Holzman/Daily News Staff Photographer) 9/14/2012 04:40:21 PM PDT :: Maria and Ponciano Ramos Jr. had done everything they
WISCONSIN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LAW STRUCK DOWN BT COUNTY JUDGE
By SCOTT BAUER , Associated Press – from Huffington Post | http://huff.to/RSGEow 9/14/12 07:46 PM ET MADISON, Wis. :: A Wisconsin judge on Friday struck down nearly all of the state law championed by Gov. Scott Walker that effectively ended collective bargaining rights for most public workers. Walker's administration immediately vowed to appeal, while unions, which have vigorously
ENDGAME IS EYED IN CHICAGO STRIKE + A Timeline
By Stephen Sawchuk, Education Week | http://bit.ly/SMCDch Published Online: September 14, 2012/Published in Print: September 19, 2012 Chicago :: A strike this week by some 29,000 teachers here pushed long-simmering tensions over deeply divisive school improvement ideas—including changes in teacher evaluation and the takeover or closure of underperforming schools—into the national spotlight.
LOAN FROM CALIFORNIA AVERTS BANKRUPTCY FOR INGLEWOOD UNIFIED
Actually, bankruptcy was never an option. In California insolvent school districts are bailed out by emergency state loans – and the administration of the school district goes to an appointed receiver. The receiver has extraordinary authority – including that of setting aside provisions of union contacts. In this instance the teachers union in
CHICAGO MAYOR, TEACHERS REACH TENTATIVE DEAL
By Mary Wisniewski and Greg McCune, Reuters | http://reut.rs/PrwZpy Related News 3:39pm EDT: Chicago school board president says 'framework' deal to end strike CHICAGO | Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:21pm EDT - (Reuters) :: A week-long confrontation between Chicago public school teachers and Mayor Rahm Emanuel moved toward resolution on Friday as the two sides reached a tentative agreement
ADMINISTRATORS’ BARGAINING BULLETIN: Tentative agreement with LAUSD on a one-year MOU on administrator evaluation
●●smf: 4LAKids asked AALA if this agreement was A: the breakthrough proclaimed in the superintendent’s announcement – and heralded in the media as the draft solution to the Chicago Teachers Strike – or B: a “compliance appliance” to satisfy Judge Chalfont’s terms and 12/4 deadline.
LAUSD Superintendent: "IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE RESULTS, FIRE ME"
By Lolita Lopez and John Simerson, NBC Los Angeles●com | http://bit.ly/PAj6sC Lolita Lopez Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 | Updated 7:48 PM PDT :: LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy spoke with community members about the state of education in Los Angeles, improving student education and the dire fiscal times the school district is facing. Lolita Lopez reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Sept. 13,
OUTSIDERS' PROTEST LACKS HEALTH KNOWLEDGE OF LAUSD SCHOOLS
OpEd in Los Angeles Newspaper Group by Tamar Galatzan | http://bit.ly/RR2UPC 9/14/2012 :: Last month Rep. Todd Akin, R-Missouri, triggered a national media firestorm with his comments about "legitimate rape." But those of us at the Los Angeles Unified School District already understood too well how the influence of politicians like Akin, with their sloppy, misogynistic thinking, is playing out
Issues @ ♥: ARE TEACHER EVALUATIONS AT HEART OF CHICAGO STRIKE …OR IS IT CHARTER SCHOOLS? …OR IS IT POLITICS?
Teacher evaluations at center of Chicago strike By SOPHIA TAREEN Associated Press/Seattle Times | http://bit.ly/QL8zKD Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 8:04 AM (AP) CHICAGO :: Educators in Los Angeles just signed a new deal with the city's school district. So, too, did teachers in Boston. Both require performance evaluations based in part on how well students succeed, a system that's making
COMMON CORE THRUSTS LIBRARIANS INTO LEADERSHIP ROLE: Educators help teachers acquire inquiry-based skills integral to standards + smf’s 2¢
By Catherine Gewertz, Education Week | http://bit.ly/Pm2l0H Media specialist Monique German works with students, from left, Destiny Beacham, 11, Chelsie Lee, 12, and Amber Ellis, 11, as they conduct research for a report for a technology class at Powdersville Middle School in Powdersville, S.C. Schools are looking at librarians to help them implement the common-core standards. —Kendrick
DUNCAN TIGHT-LIPPED ON CALIFORNIA NCLB WAIVER
By Kathryn Baron, EdSource Today| http://bit.ly/QIbOCy September 13th, 2012 :: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan wouldn’t reveal even a hint regarding the status of California’s request for a waiver from the most unrealistic provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as No Child Left Behind, in an interview on Wednesday. << U.S. Secretary of Education Arne
CSBA ISSUES POLICY CAUTION OVER MANDATE BLOCK GRANTS
By Tom Chorneau, SI&A Cabinet Report | http://bit.ly/TX44hx Thursday, September 13, 2012 :: Another statewide education association has issued concerns about districts signing up for the state’s new mandate block grant program – a move that requires giving up the right to state reimbursements that can be potentially worth twice as much. In a policy brief issued Wednesday, the
Linked Learning Pilot Program: CDE OFFERS NOVEL PLAN FOR EXPANDING LINKED LEARNING
By Tom Chorneau | SI&A Cabinet Report | http://bit.ly/OjY78Y Wednesday, September 12, 2012 :: A push to expand linked learning in California launched Tuesday with a new state program that offers a slew of support services rather than traditional grant funding. As perhaps a model for jump-starting new initiatives in an era of limited resources, the California Department of Education opened
SB 1540 - BROWN SIGNING OF HANCOCK BILL WILL LEAD TO NEW HISTORY, SOCIAL SCIENCE LESSONS
By Kimberly Beltran | SI&A Cabinet Report | http://bit.ly/Oqwoch Wednesday, September 12, 2012 :: With the state focused on implementing new math and English language arts common core curriculum, a bill signed this week by Gov. Jerry Brown also paves the way for revisions in history and social science as well. SB 1540 by Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Oakland, authorizes the California State Board of
PARKING PROBLEMS A HAZARD AT NEW PORTER RANCH COMMUNITY SCHOOL
By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer, LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/RTRuze Parents and their children walk to their cars from Porter Ranch Community School. The campus has too few parking spots, and parents are leaving their cars in no-stopping zones on Mason Avenue and Sesnon Boulevard. (Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer) Cars line up along Mason Street prior to school letting out for... (Andy
Law enforcement: “Classmates not Cellmates”- SCHOOL DISCIPLINE POLICIES MAKING US LESS SAFE, NOT MORE + Report & dataset
By Daniel Weintraub, California Health Report | http://bit.ly/PaibNx September 11, 2012 (10:30 pm) :: Law enforcement leaders from throughout California said Tuesday that overzealous school disciplinary policies are making the state less safe, not more. The public schools are suspending and expelling too many students for minor offenses, leaving troubled kids on the street without adult
THIS IS NATIONAL ARTS IN EDUCATION WEEK
from California State PTA | http://bit.ly/OGy4ub Join PTA in celebrating National ARTS in Education Week! This week has been specially designed by Congress to highlight the important role the arts play in helping all students be more engaged, creative, empathetic and prepared for 21st-century careers. Let your school and your community know that ART MATTERS. For ideas and resources, click
3 stories: LAUSD REACHES INTERIM DEAL WITH AALA ON ADMINISTRATOR EVALUATION
LAUSD Strikes a Deal with Administrators on Teacher Evaluations By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer. Los Angeles Daily News | from Whittier Daily News | http://bit.ly/QcEDHH 9/11/2012 09:35:42 PM PDT | Los Angeles Unified Superintendent John Deasy announced Tuesday that the district has reached a deal with its administrators union over the use of student achievement and other data in performance
nine eleven / eleven years on: THE NAMES by BILLY COLLINS
Billy Collins was Poet Laureate of the United States on 9/11/2001 from billy collins.com | http://bit.ly/RQYz3u The Names - Billy Collins Yesterday, I lay awake in the palm of the night. A soft rain stole in, unhelped by any breeze, And when I saw the silver glaze on the windows, I started with A, with Ackerman, as it
Free Webinar: LOCAL SCHOOL WELLNESS POLICIES
announcement from California Action for Healthy Kids
L.A. CITY OFFICIALS, LAUSD LAUNCH PROGRAM TO KEEP STUDENTS OUT OF COURT
CBS Los Angeles http://cbsloc.al/ObMMYD September 10, 2012 12:44 PM -- LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles city officials teamed up with the Los Angeles Unified School District to launch a new program Monday that aims to reduce juvenile misconduct on Metro buses. The Transit Juvenile Diversion Program puts schools in charge of disciplining students who smoke, eat, drink, litter or avoid
TASK FORCE ON EDUCATOR EXCELLENCE: Report calls for more teacher training, limiting use of test scores
- Howard Blume, LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/ROjCDI Photo: Mario Covarrubias, a sophomore at Banning High, contemplates a question on the California STAR exam. The test is used to measure schools' achievement each year. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times September 10, 2012 | 10:00 am :: The state needs to focus on recruiting, educating and retaining teachers if it wants to
SB 1016 - THE MANDATE BLOCK GRANT: An invention by the legislature to save the general fund millions presented as some sort of benevolent gesture to help schools?
By Jeff Owen, SI&A Cabinet Report | http://bit.ly/Pj9Zfz Monday, September 10, 2012 :: In the weeks since the initial parameters around the Mandate Block Grant (Senate Bill 1016, Statutes of 2012) were rolled out, I’ve talked to dozens of superintendents and Chief Business Officers across the state. Much of what we talk about is how uncertain the program still appears and how many
STUBBORN FACTS ABOUT OBAMA EDUCATION POLICIES THAT NO AMOUNT OF CONVENTION SUGARCOATING CAN COVER UP
By Mark Naison - With a Brooklyn Accent - from the L.A. Progressive blog | http://bit.ly/O8WhI6 Saturday, 8 September 2012 :: If you watched the Democratic Convention, you would never know that the Obama Administration’s education policies were extremely controversial with America’s teachers and had provoked outrage among many of the nation’s most distinguished education scholars. Chicago
CHICAGO TEACHERS GO ON STRIKE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 25 YEARS, COULD HAVE NATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
By Daniel Politi | Slate. com | http://slate.me/PaRVAS Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the walkout by teachers was "avoidable" and that "this is a strike of choice" Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images Monday, Sept. 10, 2012, at 7:45 AM ET :: The school year has barely started and more than 400,000 students in Chicago will have a day off today as teachers called for the first
STUDY FINDS LITTLE UNIFORMITY IN CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISCIPLINE
By Kathryn Baron, EdSource Today | http://bit.ly/Olphls September 10th, 2012 | There’s little consistency in the way California schools deal with expelling and suspending students, according to a new survey of 315 of the state’s largest school districts. Most districts agree on one thing, however: They need more counselors, support staff, and professional development to provide alternatives to
Winners and Losers: Corrections and Higher Education in California - CALIFORNIA SPENDING MORE ON PRISONS THAN COLLEGES, REPORT SAYS
by Aaron Sankin in The Huffington Post | http://huff.to/QxrR8y Updated: 09/08/2012 4:32 pm :: There's a direct relationship between how much money the Golden State spends on prisons and how much it spends on higher education, according to a report (follows) put out by the non-partisan public policy group California Common Sense. When one goes up, the other goes down. And, at
‘PARENT TRIGGER’ OBSTRUCTIONISM
The Adelanto Elementary School District has done everything it can to stymie the law and block improvements at Desert Trails Elementary. LA Times Editorial | http://lat.ms/U4vaQR Desert Trails principal David Mobley is seen receiving signed petitions from parents in January. Under the "parent trigger" law, parents can force one of several changes in their low-performing schools if half or
CHARTER SCHOOLS CALL PROPOSED L.A. MORATORIUM ILLEGAL
- Howard Blume – LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/RNGR0Q September 7, 2012 | 5:13 pm :: Charter school advocates are mounting a campaign against a proposed moratorium on new charters in the Los Angeles Unified School District. The moratorium is one provision of a resolution, by school board member Steve Zimmer, that is scheduled for discussion on Tuesday. Any moratorium would violate state
ROMNEY’S RADICAL VISION FOR EDUCATION: His voucher plan could transform the way we organize and fund public schools.
Op-Ed in the LA Times by Jonathan Zimmerman | http://lat.ms/Nkrc8s Mitt Romney addresses delegates from the stage of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Fla. (Justin Lane / EPA / August 30, 2012) ALSO: Romney vs. Obama: Getting schooled on education/ May 29, 2012 September 7, 2012 :: As schools around the country open their doors for the fall term, here's a
CHICAGO TEACHERS MAY STRIKE, TEACH POLITICAL LESSON
by Becky Vevea, NPR Weekend Edition Sunday | http://n.pr/NTYCMO Members of community group Parents 4 Teachers display pro-teacher posters outside City Hall Friday in Chicago. The Chicago Teachers Union has threatened to strike Monday if negotiations fail. Sitthixay Ditthavong/AP September 9, 2012 from WBEZ :: Twenty-five thousand Chicago teachers are planning to walk off the job Monday if
Outlook: K-12 FUNDING, LEGISLATION AND THE POLITICAL PLATFORMS
by Fritz Edelstein, from School Planning & Management | August 2012 | http://bit.ly/Q6MJS8 The election will provide some distinct choices for voters on education policy, investment and support of education programs, and how dollars will be structured and delivered to states and districts. This goes for both the presidential and congressional
Report - SKIPPING TO NOWHERE: Students share their views about missing school
a report from GetSchooled.com smf: Next Friday, Sept 14th is Student Recovery Day in LAUSD The are 7 million truants in the United States. That isn’t 7 million students skipping class at a given moment – that’s 7 million students who miss one month or more of school per year. Truancy is taking its toll + The
LAUSD BOARD MEMBER STEVE ZIMMER WANTS TO STRENGTHEN OVERSIGHT OF CHARTER SCHOOLS
By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer, L.A. Daily News | http://bit.ly/P3BMiA 9/7/2012 | 7:35:18 PM PDT :: School board member Steve Zimmer is taking aim at two of the most contentious issues facing Los Angeles Unified, with separate proposals to exclude high-stakes test scores from teacher evaluations and to strengthen the oversight of charter schools. Both resolutions on Tuesday's board agenda
