DR. AMI BERA | BERA FOR CONGRESS
Making Washington Work Sacramento County needs a bold leader who sees Congress as an opportunity to serve. Like the oath I took to become a Doctor, I take another solemn oath to put people first. In Congress, I pledge:
Education Headlines
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
New charter school proposed in Yreka
Hope Charter School would hold classes three days a week from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. for instruction on the core subjects – mathematics and language arts.One class nullifies Westside School's API scores
An eastern Coachella Valley elementary school’s entire student body, composed of nearly 600 children, saw its standardized test scores thrown out this year after a third-grade teacher helped at least some of the kids in her class correct their answers, state documents show.Natomas charter school one of six opening this year in Sacramento area
Leroy Greene Academy in Natomas was among 109 charter schools that opened in California this school year, pushing the number to more than 1,000 charters, according to the California Charter Schools Association.FAQs about charter schools
Charter schools generally are organized by teachers, parents, community groups or nonprofits. The charters are granted by a school district, county office of education or the state for a fixed period of time, usually five years in California. They are exempt from most laws that apply to public schools but must meet student performance goals outlined in their charters.L.A. schools fail to gain union backing for grant application
The teachers union declined to sign the Los Angeles Unified School District's bid for a $40-million grant, a condition for the competition imposed by the federal education department.49ers, South Bay schools denied $30 million settlement by state
Just when the battle between the San Francisco 49ers and South Bay schools was supposed to be over, the state of California has rejected a $30 million settlement that sought to split taxpayer funds between a football stadium and the classroom.Schrag: Texas, California do compete – in funding race to the bottom
Substitute California for Texas and adjust the numbers for population differences and you get the same message. Our state funding for schools, never adequate and as inequitable as Texas’s, has shrunk as much in the past half dozen years.Fensterwald: Boards, teachers must be careful to toe the line on advocacy
The simplest advice that can keep elected officials and public officials out of trouble is campaign on your own dime and your own time. And when on the job or in an official capacity, educate, not advocate.Fresno Unified School District still has a shot at big grant
Days after venting his frustration that the Fresno Teachers Association hadn't signed a $37.3 million federal grant application, Fresno Unified Superintendent Michael Hanson sounded a conciliatory note Monday.S.F., Oakland drop bid for U.S. school funds
Stuck in a standoff with teachers unions, the San Francisco and Oakland school districts have abandoned efforts to bring in up to $15 million each to develop high-quality math classes for upper-elementary and middle school students.Think tank report slams Jerry Brown's school finance plan
Using data from state and federal reports, "Tipping the Scale Towards Equity" says that just giving school districts with high levels of poverty more money won't necessarily help students because of inequitable distribution of funds within districts.Taxing questions on the ballot
What California needs is tax reform that would simplify the system, broaden the tax base and lower the rates while bringing in more revenue, if not in the short term then over time, as the economy grows. If that sort of reform is not possible, then the state ought to have a rainy day fund that forces legislators to set aside money in boom years to cushion the blow when the economy slows. But neither of those options is on the ballot this year.Gov. Jerry Brown has yet to pick a central Prop. 30 sales pitch
Mixed messages about Gov. Jerry Brown's tax-hike initiative underscore his struggle pitching Prop. 30 to voters and have provided fodder for foes.
Monday, October 29, 2012