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Tuesday, November 19, 2013









Just a Reminder: 
DBAC (District Advisory Council Budget Advisory Committee) meets
6:30 PM, Tuesday Nov. 19, at Espresso Metro
(2104 11th Ave at Freeport Blvd.)
DAC Nominating Committee meets 8 PM, Tuesday Nov. 19,
at Dad's Kitchen
(2968 Freeport Boulevard Sacramento)
DBAC Meeting Topics for 11/19/13
  • Presentation and discussion of Period 4 (October) fiscal reports on how much your school is receiving and expending.
  • How will parents and school sites have input in how the LCFF funds will be spent at their schools.
  • Open forum on the "Core Waiver" and effects on tutorial funding.
  • Economic impact of the proposed new SCUSD Graduation Requirements 
  • The future of School Site Councils. Will they remain a tool for parents to have an impact on connecting their school's spending to student achievement? 
The DBAC provides an open meeting for school site council, and PTA members to learn and exchange ideas that affect our local schools. All parents, staff, and community members are welcome to attend.
DAC Nominating Committee to decide on candidates for a new board 11/19/13
The District Advisory Council (DAC) executive board was removed at the November meeting. A new board will be elected in December to serve out the term. The Nominating Committee is meeting tonight to select candidates for the office of President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, and Secretary. If you have a desire to run or know someone who is crazy enough to be interested you should attend tonights meeting.
Advisory Committee members please stand and be recognized.
This is an effort to recognize and better communicate with all those who serve on one of the districts many advisory committees, if you are a parent, staff, or other member of a school site council, ELAC, DAC, PTA/PTO, budget, task force, or other district/school advisory body,  please reply with your name, committee name, and title.  We want to insure that you are receiving pertinent information on our schools and the district. Thank you.

Dave Ross
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MAD - Mothers Respond to Duncan | Truth in American Education

MAD - Mothers Respond to Duncan | Truth in American Education:

Truth in American Education



MAD – Mothers Respond to Duncan

Filed in Uncategorized by  on November 19, 2013 • 0 Comments
Press Release: November 19, 2013
FACEBOOK – Miffed Mothers from around the country have their collective hands madon their hips in response to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s foot in mouth indictment of “white, suburban moms.” Just two days after Duncan commented “some of the pushback is coming from, sort of, white suburban moms who – all of a sudden – their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they were…” Georgia moms Teri Sasseville and Meg Norris gave birth to MAD, Moms Against Duncan. “We wanted a place for Moms to vent, but also a place for action,” explains Norris, “We wanted to turn the energy of a country of angry moms into a win for our children.”
In less than 48 hours, working in conjunction with established state and national groups, like Parents and Educators Against Common Core Standards, we have had an impressive response. Over 2,000 moms shared their indignation, joining the Facebook group “Moms Against Duncan (MAD).“ Included in those numbers are also many dads and grandparents. Members have been stern and quite creative in their responses to Secretary Duncan’s ill-advised attack on America’s Moms. (Arne, don’t make us come up there!) Teri Sasseville says “we hope to use this energy to build on the national network that is already in place and make more people aware of Common Core – it is already in our schools.” Norris added, “We want to empower Moms and protect our schools, our teachers and our children from the abuses of Common Core.” Some very specific strategies are being birthed by the MAD Moms. Stay tuned!
Founders:  Teri Sasseville, Meg Norris
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Woman's Dream of Autism Center Doused by Officials - Voice of OC | Orange County's Nonprofit Investigative News Agency: Health News

Woman's Dream of Autism Center Doused by Officials - Voice of OC | Orange County's Nonprofit Investigative News Agency: Health News:

Woman's Dream of Autism Center Doused by Officials

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Posted: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 7:03 am | Updated: 9:56 am, Tue Nov 19, 2013.
By REX DALTON | 2 comments
With her long-held goal in sight, Courtni Laughlin left Placentia City Hall last July with a new permit to create a nonprofit training center for adults with autism, Down syndrome and similar disorders.
The 23-year-old earned a child-adolescent development degree from Cal State Fullerton, has been working and volunteering with individuals with autism for a decade and even helped establish a special education program in Nairobi, Kenya.
Now she is trying to open the No Limits Learning Center, which would provide life skills to high-functioning adults with such challenges. She signed a lease and has spent $40,000 converting a former mattress showroom into classrooms.
But she has hit a bureaucratic wall. Placentia and the Orange County Fire Authority repeatedly changed requirements, then she couldn’t secure the necessary fire safety 
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Hillsboro School District: 3 more storylines from Common Core's rollout | OregonLive.com

Hillsboro School District: 3 more storylines from Common Core's rollout | OregonLive.com:

Hillsboro School District: 3 more storylines from Common Core's rollout



Yesterday, I posted a story about College Preparatory Mathematics, or CPM, the math curriculum the Hillsboro School Districtadopted this year to align itself with the new Common Core State Standards. If you missed it,click here.
While reporting the story, I learned some other things about Common Core’s rollout in Hillsboro, particularly at an Oct. 16 information session that the district put on for parents, and during a Nov. 4 visit to the district’s largest elementary school,Witch Hazel.
There have been many arguments both supporting and against Common Core made across the nation and here in Oregon. I won’t get into those here. If you’re interested, here is a list of “frequently asked questions” at the Common Core’s official website, here are some arguments against the standards at a parent-led Oregon group’s website, and here is a PolitiFact post that rates the truth value of the attacks on the standards (it focuses on Florida, but much of the analysis would also apply to Oregon).
And here are three things that didn’t make it into yesterday’s story:
In language-arts, an increased emphasis on language’s function
In Witch Hazel English classes, Common Core drills students on how and when to use 
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Children’s Coverage on the Eve of the Affordable Care Act « MomsRising Blog

Children’s Coverage on the Eve of the Affordable Care Act « MomsRising Blog:

Children’s Coverage on the Eve of the Affordable Care Act

Posted November 19th, 2013 by 
Here’s a good news story on health coverage that the public is largely unaware of. The number of uninsured children continues to decline to historic lows – a remarkable accomplishment given the high childhood poverty rate and tough economic times. Yet a majority of Americans are unaware of this achievement.
In a poll CCF commissioned by PerryUndem Research and Communications, we found only 13% of Americans realize that children are gaining coverage. In fact, a majority of Americans think the number of uninsured children is rising. That’s understandable given the slow economic recovery. Many don’t realize that, behind the scenes, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program have been hard at work meeting the health coverage needs of children.
Today we are releasing our annual look at children’s coverage rates. The report, entitled Children’s Health Coverage on the Eve of the Affordable Care Act, finds that the uninsured rate for children continues to decline reaching 7.2% in 2012. Adults age 18-64 lag far behind with 20.6% uninsured. Coverage expansions coming in 2014 will start moving the adults’ coverage rate in the right direction, but the lesson from our nation’s experience with covering children is that it takes time and a sustained commitment.
The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 paved the way for continued improvements in children’s coverage. The Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, helped reinforce those gains for children by requiring states to hold steady in their commitment to children’s coverage.
This success story for children reflects years of hard work on the part of federal and state leaders, and other stakeholders — including the philanthropic community, children’s advocates, community leaders and health care providers, that worked cooperatively to streamline a path to coverage for uninsured children through Medicaid and CHIP.
Our country’s success is a testament to what states can accomplish when they “lean in,” have adequate funding, and work with the federal government to meet the needs of families.
Speaking of states, our report found some regional disparities that should give policymakers in certain parts of the country pause. An estimated 45.5% of uninsured children live in the South, 29.4% in the West, 15.6% in the Midwest and only 9.4% in the Northeast. Children living in the South and West are at risk of falling further behind in coverage rates if they live in a state that rejects the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid funding to offer coverage to more uninsured parents and other low-wage earners. That may sound counterintuitive but research shows that putting out the welcome mat for uninsured parents is the single most effective strategy states can employ to bring uninsured children in the door to coverage.
Our report also found that Latino children continue to be disproportionately uninsured and that school-age children are more likely to be uninsured than younger children. Interestingly, children living in rural areas were one of the few groups that showed no improvement in their coverage rates – and their coverage rate of 7.8% is higher than the national average of 7.2%.
Full implementation of the Affordable Care Act holds the promise of reducing the number of uninsured children by as much as 40%. The lessons learned from years of sustained effort on improving Medicaid and CHIP for children shows that our country can make this work. And let’s not forget Medicare – which has been at it for even longer – resulting in virtually universal coverage rates (99%) for seniors.
We are not there yet for children and their families, but on the eve of the Affordable Care Act, the success of Medicaid and CHIP reminds us to stay the course for a better tomorrow. When children’s health needs are met, they show up to school better able to learn. When parents don’t have to worry about unpaid medical bills, the whole family is more financially secure. And investing in our children today creates a stronger workforce for tomorrow.
Cross posted from Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families Say Ahhh! blog.


Read more: http://www.momsrising.org/blog/childrens-coverage-on-the-eve-of-the-affordable-care-act/#ixzz2l8x0LlrM
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Parents' Guide to Student Success - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

Parents' Guide to Student Success - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Partnering with California PTA to Provide Common Core Resources to Parents





SACRAMENTO—State education officials are working with the California State PTA to get information on the Common Core State Standards into the hands of parents across California, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.
As part of this effort, the organizations are distributing the Parents' Guide to Student Success—a series of resources designed to help parents understand what their children will be learning at each grade level in English-language arts and mathematics.
The guides are available in English and Spanish on the CDE Common Core State Standards Web page, as well as onCalifornia State PTA External link opens in new window or tab. Web site.
"Parent Involvement Day is the perfect time to release these guides—because we know that well-informed, engaged parents can make all the difference in our work to give every student a world-class education," Torlakson said. "With modern standards and assessments and a new approach to school funding, we have a historic opportunity for serving these students, their families, and our entire state."
"This is a crucial time for public education," said California State PTA President Colleen A.R. You. "The new Common Core standards will help us prepare all students for college and careers, and help them develop vital critical thinking and deeper learning skills. We're delighted to have Superintendent Torlakson's support in sharing information as widely as possible with parents about what the new standards will mean for their children and schools."
Originally developed by the National PTA, each guide includes:
  • An overview of some of the key items students will learn in the Common Core State Standards for English-language arts and mathematics.
  • Ideas for activities that enable parents to support learning at home.
  • Topics of discussion for talking with teachers about student academic progress.
These state-developed standards, which California and 45 other states have voluntarily adopted over the past few years, are designed to provide all students with the deeper learning, critical thinking, and other skills they need to prepare for college and a career. They describe what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.
# # # #
Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100
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Privatization is undoing Brown v. Board of Education - Salon.com

Privatization is undoing Brown v. Board of Education - Salon.com:

Privatization is undoing Brown v. Board of Education

Our school system is increasingly "separate and unequal" -- and we have Michelle Rhee's political allies to thank

, ALTERNET



This article originally appeared on AlterNet.
Heartland Institute President Joseph Bast called the public school system a “socialist regime.” Michelle Rhee cautions us against commending students for their ‘participation’ in sports and other activities.
Privatizers believe that any form of working together as a community is anti-American. To them, individual achievement is all that matters. They’re now applying their winner-take-all profit motive to our children.
We’re Sliding Backwards, Towards “Separate and Unequal”
In 1954, the Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. the Board of Education seemed to place our country on the right track. Chief Justice Earl Warren said that education “is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.” Thurgood Marshall insisted on “the right of every American to an equal start in life.”
But then we got derailed. We’ve become a nation of inequality, worse than ever before, worse than during the racist “separate but equal” policy of Plessy vs. Ferguson in 1896. The Civil Rights Project at UCLA shows that “segregated schools are systematically linked to unequal educational opportunities.” The Economic Policy Institute tells us that “African American students are more isolated than they were 40 years ago.”
The privatizers clamor for vouchers and charters to improve education, but such methods generally don’t serve those who need it most. According to a Center on Education Policy report, private schools serve 12 percent of the nation’s elementary and secondary students, but only one percent of disabled students. Forty-three percent of public school students are from minority 





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Nite Cap 11-19-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."


A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP


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by mike simpson / 9h 
NYC Educator: Secretary of Stupidity Arne Duncan
NYC Educator: Secretary of Stupidity Arne Duncan: Secretary of Stupidity Arne DuncanA few years back, Obama's basketball bud Arne Duncan opened his mouth, and out came words asserting that Katrina was the bestest thing ever to happen to education in New Orleans. This revealed several things. It spoke to a gross incomprehension, indifference, and insensitivity to human suffering. It also told us th
by mike simpson / 9h 
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Sec. Duncan's attempt to silence, intimidate Common Core critics was a miserable failure
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Sec. Duncan's attempt to silence, intimidate Common Core critics was a miserable failure: Sec. Duncan's attempt to silence, intimidate Common Core critics was a miserable failure“It’s fascinating to me that some of the pushback is coming from, sort of, white suburban moms who — all of a sudden — their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they were and their schoo
by mike simpson / 9h 

YESTERDAY

Sabrina Joy Stevens • Arne Duncan isn't just mean. He's wrong.
Sabrina Joy Stevens • Arne Duncan isn't just mean. He's wrong.: Arne Duncan isn’t just mean. He’s wrong.People of all colors and parental statuses are right to be offended by Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s recent comments about “white suburban moms”. But beyond the sexist and racial (note that I didn’t say racist) implications of what he said, there’s another important point to be made that isn
by mike simpson / 17h 
The Educated Reporter: To Boost Student Learning, Should Teacher Quality Trump Class Size?
The Educated Reporter: To Boost Student Learning, Should Teacher Quality Trump Class Size?: To Boost Student Learning, Should Teacher Quality Trump Class Size?When it comes to student success, “smaller is better” has been the conventional wisdom on class size, despite a less-than-persuasive body of research. But what if that concept were turned on its head, with more students per classroom – provi
by mike simpson / 18h 
Schooling in the Ownership Society: An easy slide from Gates to Pearson
Schooling in the Ownership Society: An easy slide from Gates to Pearson: An easy slide from Gates to PearsonKate JamesA week ago I gave the example of Bruce Reed, the assistant to President Barack Obama and chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden, being named president of the Broad Foundation, to illustrate the easy movement between government, corporate reform and power philanthropy. Another e
by mike simpson / 19h 
Arne Is Aiming for Damage Control But Just Can’t Seem to Get It Right | deutsch29
Arne Is Aiming for Damage Control But Just Can’t Seem to Get It Right | deutsch29: Arne Is Aiming for Damage Control But Just Can’t Seem to Get It RightNovember 18, 2013US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s tasteless remarks on Friday about the seeming inability of “White suburban mothers” to come to terms with their children’s limited intellectual ability as such is highlighted by the Duncan-be
by mike simpson / 19h 
Some Kids 'Aren't Brilliant'? Arne Duncan Blunder Is Bigger Than It First Appears | Mercedes Schneider
Some Kids 'Aren't Brilliant'? Arne Duncan Blunder Is Bigger Than It First Appears | Mercedes Schneider: Some Kids 'Aren't Brilliant'? Arne Duncan Blunder Is Bigger Than It First AppearsPosted: 11/18/2013 10:15 am In May 2010, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan spoke at the first annual "Mom Congress" at Georgetown University. Duncan's goal, as reported on the USDOE website, was "to
by mike simpson / 20h 
Architecture 101 Holiday Workshops | Seattle Education
Architecture 101 Holiday Workshops | Seattle Education: Seattle EducationArchitecture 101 Holiday WorkshopsTwice a year I advertise my classes on this website and that’s because it pertains to education and it also helps keep me afloat so that I can continue writing.I enjoy all of the classes I teach but this class is totally joyous and filled with excitement and fun for me and the students.Archit
by mike simpson / 22h 
Nite Cap 11-18-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
James Baldwin said it best: "For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP mark as read11-18-13 @ The Chalk Face@ THE CHALK FACE: Why Keeping Your Kids Home Sends the Wrong MessageToday, a protest took place, which was started by a New York State mom and was aggressively advertised as a move against the Common Core Sta
by mike simpson / 23h 


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