Cortines unveils plan to dismantle and rebuild Fremont High -- latimes.com

Cortines unveils plan to dismantle and rebuild Fremont High -- latimes.com:

"L.A.'s top school official on Thursday unveiled his plan to shut down Fremont High and start over from scratch -- a move denounced by the teachers union but applauded by city leaders and the nation's secretary of education.

After quietly alerting the Fremont staff Wednesday afternoon, Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Ramon C. Cortines spoke separately with students, parents, city leaders and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who was in town to promote such school turnarounds.

Fremont, Cortines said, has shown 'some promise, with some of the finest teachers and the right principal . . . but it needed to be given a nudge because the status quo is not acceptable.

'There has to be a sense of urgency,' he said."

California students underutilize School Breakfast Program -- latimes.com

California students underutilize School Breakfast Program -- latimes.com: "More than 1 million low-income California children who receive free or reduced-price school lunches don't get breakfast at school even though they would qualify, and about a fifth of the schools in the state don't even offer breakfast, according to two reports from the Food Research and Action Center.

California ranked 33rd in low-income student participation in the School Breakfast Program for 2008-09, the same ranking it received a year earlier. In terms of the number of schools that offer breakfast, California's ranking fell from 35th to 40th, the Washington, D.C.-based group said. In the 2008-09 school year, 8,756 schools that took part in the National School Lunch Program also offered school breakfast, compared with 8,922 schools the previous year."

Protesters damage Calif. university leader's home - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Protesters damage Calif. university leader's home - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"BERKELEY, Calif. -- Eight people are under arrest after protesters broke windows, lights and planters outside the home of the chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley.

University spokesman Dan Mogulof says 40 to 70 protesters also threw incendiary devices at police cars and the home of Chancellor Robert Birgeneau late Friday. There were no fires or injuries."

The eight arrested on suspicion of rioting, vandalism and attempted arson include two Berkeley students, Mogulof said Saturday.

The protest at the chancellors home came late the same day that police arrested 65 protesters inside a campus classroom building that was partially taken over for several days.

The protesters are demonstrating against state funding cuts that have led to course cutbacks, faculty furloughs and sharp fee increases.

New education standards due in 2010 | cincinnati.com | Cincinnati.Com

New education standards due in 2010 | cincinnati.com | Cincinnati.Com:

"Public schools in Ohio, Kentucky and 46 other states will gain new education standards next year for grades kindergarten through 12, experts say."

Education leaders in 48 states are nearing the final stages of a nationwide plan to adopt common guidelines for English and math. (Ohio also is poised to approve new guidelines for science and social studies.)

The standards are expected to be ready for public comment early in 2010. Then, after more revision, each state's board of education must approve the standards for their state.

If that succeeds, it will mark the first time the states agree on what topics and skills students should master at each grade level. And it could lead to comparing educational achievement across state lines.

That's something No Child Left Behind couldn't accomplish.

That eight-year-old set of federal education rules allowed every state to set its own standards and tests for public schools. Critics said some states set standards too low, producing high school graduates unprepared for college or work.

"Academic standards are too low," U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said at an October education meeting in Cincinnati. "We're lying to our students, that they are being prepared to succeed in college or to compete in the globally competitive workplace."

An international study in 2006 showed America's 15-year-olds scored lower in math literacy than peers in 31 other countries and lower in science than peers in 22 countries. A different test in 2007 concluded U.S. fourth-graders and eighth-graders underperformed peers in several Asian and European countries in math and science.

The new standards are expected to better align U.S. schools with the world. But not all states are on board: Texas and Alaska's leaders have said they prefer to retain their own state goals.

Sacramento - Black Parallel School Board

Sacramento - Black Parallel School Board:

"The Black Parallel School Board (BPSB) is a community organization developed to work parallel to the Sacramento City Unified District Board of Education. Its major responsibility is to support the educational growth and achievement of Black students. In order to do that we will monitor all educational activities and programs of the school district to ensure that they are compatible with the needs of African American students of the district. Additionally, the BPSB provides support services to parents regarding the education of their children. BPSB members will attend school meetings with parents to advocate for their children; BPSB members will also provide workshops for parents interested in learning techniques to make learning more successful."

Black Parallel School Board Meeting

January 9, 2010

Saturday 10:00am

Oak Park United Methodist Church

3600 Broadway

For more information call (916) 484-3729

Email: info@blackparallelschoolboard.com

Center for Multicultural Cooperation - CMC Students Talk with Superintendent O'Connell

Center for Multicultural Cooperation - CMC Students Talk with Superintendent O'Connell:

"Local students Jennifer Gaxiola, Ue Yang and Maricela Hernandez have written a grant to State Farm and received $72,000 in February to start the Youth Graduation Empowerment Project (YGEP) to help solve the drop out crisis in Fresno (Fresno's dropout rate is one of the higest in California). Over the last year this project has included six regional youth summits throughout the state focused on the dropout crisis, a statewide web dialogue which included over 350 students, and a statewide YGEP Summit in Fresno in September. Through these activities, these youth leaders developed specific policy proposals which they believe will lower the high school dropout crisis. On Wednesday, they met with State Superintendent Jack O’Connell at the California Department of Education to discuss the youth recommendations from the year’s work. Superintendent O'Connell praised their work and offered to help them in their efforts to share these recommendations with more policy makers."

CMC-Sacramento Gets a New Home!

The Sacramento Office of Center for Multicultural Cooperation recently moved in to the Sierra Health Foundations Nonprofit Innovation Center (NIC).  According to the NIC brochure, “the vision of the Nonprofit Innovation Center is to assist area nonprofits in becoming more effective so they can better support efforts to improve the lives of residents in our communities.  This collaborative model will inspire nonprofits to work at peak performance by leveraging each other’s wisdom and expertise to powerfully impact the region.” The NIC is located on Garden Highway, overlooking the river.  We are excited to be one of the eight inaugural tenants!

MySpace - Equal Start -CALIFORNIA - myspace.com/equalstart

MySpace - Equal Start- CALIFORNIA - myspace.com/equalstart

Equal Start is an organization that secures equal education for every child. Regardless of location, inner-city or suburbia, children should have the same opportunity to learn. A group gathered in late 2004 and made a commitment to help bring awareness to the plight of so many schools. With a desire to raise funding, Equal Start was represented in the Big Sur International Marathon. Through a successful race campaign, over $20,000 was raised. With a solid partnership with the Sacramento City Unified School District, Equal Start began a long journey to see the lives of students changed one class at a time. Today, over $30,000 and 2000 man hours have been donated to Oak Ridge Elementary School.

Camden alternative school seeks financial help | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/11/2009

Camden alternative school seeks financial help | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/11/2009:

"It was born of necessity at a beauty salon after high school students complained of a particularly bloody week in Camden's schools, some of New Jersey's most dangerous.

With little educational experience and few resources, an African American preacher and a Latino activist created an alternative high school that attracted students by the dozens: Bloods and Crips, middle school dropouts and barely literate adults, African Americans and Latinos."

Union says S. Phila. High needs more full-time officers | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/11/2009

Union says S. Phila. High needs more full-time officers | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/11/2009:

"The president of the union that represents Philadelphia school police said the school district's reliance on nonunion, per-diem officers may have been a factor in allegations that officers failed to prevent attacks on Asian students at South Philadelphia High School last week.

Michael Lodise, president of the School Police Association of Philadelphia, said per-diem officers, who lack medical insurance and other benefits, sometimes think: 'I'm not going to risk myself for $95 a day.'

When at least 30 Asian students were attacked by African American students at the high school Dec. 3, Lodise said, six of the 10 officers on duty were per-diem employees. The district uses them to save money.

Evelyn Sample-Oates, a district spokeswoman, challenged Lodise's numbers. She said records showed that 11 officers and a sergeant were assigned to South Philadelphia High, and that only five of the 11 were per-diem workers."

Education | Critics swoosh down on UW Provost Phyllis Wise over Nike role | Seattle Times Newspaper

Education | Critics swoosh down on UW Provost Phyllis Wise over Nike role | Seattle Times Newspaper:

"University of Washington Provost Phyllis Wise is facing growing criticism from students, faculty and lawmakers for taking a seat on the corporate board of Nike, which last year signed a contract with the UW worth a minimum $35 million to the university.

Some say Wise, the UW's No. 2 administrator, now faces a conflict of interest and should step down from her new role as a director on the board of the clothing and footwear company. Wise defends her appointment, saying it will benefit the university and allow her to push for positive change at Nike."

How to Fight Your School Closing: A Carefully Constructed, Interactive Grassroots Campaign Can/May Save Your School. � Ed In The Apple

How to Fight Your School Closing: A Carefully Constructed, Interactive Grassroots Campaign Can/May Save Your School. Ed In The Apple:

"The Department has proposed the closing of 22 schools, fifteen of them high schools. Although the accompanying press releasesgive “reasons” for the closing of each school the process is baffling in that other schools, with worse data were not recommended for closing.

The new governance law requires a comment period and a public hearing in the district before a final vote by the PEP, the replacement for the central board. A majority of the PEP is appointed by the mayor, and, with the exception of Patrick Sullivan, the Manhattan Boro Prez appointee the panel has routinely approved each and every contract and policy proposed by the chancellor."

Spencer Grants to Seek Critical Look at Schools' Data Use - Inside School Research - Education Week

Spencer Grants to Seek Critical Look at Schools' Data Use - Inside School Research - Education Week:

"Close on the heels of federal efforts to prod states to build and make use of new systems for collecting longitudinal data on students, the Spencer Foundation is rolling out an interesting new grant program that is designed to ask hard questions about what exactly educators are going to do wiith all the data they collect.

Says the foundation:

Educators in K-12 and higher education nationwide are being called to use data and to adopt data-driven decision making as a tool to improve their practices and ultimately to improve student outcomes. ... Yet there is limited, if any, inquiry on what might actually work in these different settings and why. This leaves educators drowning in data and high expectations that improvement will follow without helping them develop a better sense of how to use these data for improvement purposes.'"

The Third Annual NYCDOE Arts in the Schools Report: Cognitive Dissonance - Dewey21C

The Third Annual NYCDOE Arts in the Schools Report: Cognitive Dissonance - Dewey21C:

"This week the NYCDOE released its third Annual Arts in the School Report. Along with about thirty colleagues primarily from the arts field, I attended the report presentation at the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

The document itself must be applauded for all the work that went into it. In this difficult economy, the mere existence of this report must be given its due.

The point of this blog entry is to push the NYCDOE to dig deeper, for the sake of our students and their families."

Sacramento Press / Casspi celebrates Hanukkah with community

Sacramento Press / Casspi celebrates Hanukkah with community

Sacramento Kings forward Omri Casspi scored a career-high 20 points Wednesday, grabbed eight rebounds and notched two assists. Thursday, he noshed and schmoozed with about 200 people at a Hanukkah party at Memorial Auditorium put on by the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region.

Casspi sat in the lobby for nearly an hour signing autographs, talking to fans and posing for photos. He also spoke of how he celebrates the Jewish holiday in Israel.

"I usually (celebrate it with) a small group of family, we get everybody to come together, light the candles, sing songs and pray together," he said. "Usually we do that all week (and) on the last night, we go to my grandparents' house, invite all the family and go out together."

Sacramento Press / State turns over $31 million for RR tracks

Sacramento Press / State turns over $31 million for RR tracks

Helping to save $20 million in local federal stimulus money, the state of California on Thursday ponied up $31 million in Prop. 1B funding for projects connected to Sacramento's future regional transportation center.

The Sacramento Area Council of Governments and the city of Sacramento told the California Transportation Commission this week that the city would lose the federal stimulus funds unless the agency paid out the Prop. 1B money as promised, said Erik Johnson, SACOG spokesman.

The bulk of the $31 million will be used for a $60 million railroad track relocation, the first phase of the train station and public transit center being built in the 244-acre historic railyards adjacent to the Sacramento Valley Station downtown.

"In order to receive the $20 million, we had to have all of our funds to move forward," Johnson said. "Congress wanted to have the stimulus funding move quickly. They (the state) understood that need."

EducationNews.org - A Leading Global News Source - “We will look at your union contracts.”

EducationNews.org - A Leading Global News Source - “We will look at your union contracts.”:

"The role of teachers unions in education reform has been on my mind a great deal lately. The issue was front and center when I talked to school board members in California. It looks like Maryland’s union might obstruct that state’s efforts to make changes to teacher policies. And during ED’s Race to the Top technical assistance workshopyesterday, the role of unions and reform came up several times.

I’ve been trying to decipher where Secretary Duncan comes down on all of this, and I’ve reached some tentative conclusions.

First, he has strong reform inclinations. He was willing to talk about reform issues during a speech at this year’s NEA convention, a move that got him booed on several occasions by the organization’s membership. In a little-noticed but important November speech at the Chamber of Commerce, after noting some reform-oriented moves by some local unions, he delivered very pointed words: “Now let me be absolutely clear about this: Labor issues are an impediment in many places, and we must continue to challenge them.” In an article recently published on the NEA website, he challenges antiquated rules on tenure and pay."

Center for autistic children closes

Center for autistic children closes:

"A San Antonio center that treats and educates autistic children has abruptly closed, leaving 35 employees without a job and stunning dozens of families who rely on the facility for its specialized care.

Because of financial difficulties — and more than $100,000 in debt — the Treehouse Pediatric Center & Behavioral Services was forced to shutter Thursday, its officials said, blaming in part its largest payee, a military health insurance manager that officials said hasn't paid in three months.

“I know everyone has a lot of questions. We have a lot of questions, but we don't know all the answers yet,” said Alicia Haff, a local attorney who has served as a Treehouse board member since 2004. “Unfortunately, Treehouse is done, bowing out.”"

EducationNews.org - A Leading Global News Source - Guess where speech censorship runs rampant!

EducationNews.org - A Leading Global News Source - Guess where speech censorship runs rampant!:

"Guess where speech censorship runs rampant!

Seven out of every 10 American colleges and universities censor speech with rules that violate the U.S Constitution, according to a new report from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

The organization's 2010 report on campus speech codes reveals, despite the U.S. Constitution's assurance of freedom of speech and a multitude of court precedents establishing that includes offensive speech, that:

At State University of New York at Brockport, e-mail with 'offensive language or graphics' is banned 'whether or not the receiver objects, since others may come in contact with it.' Also banned is e-mail that might 'inconvenience others.'"

toledoblade.com --

toledoblade.com --:

"THE right to religious liberty and freedom of association are fundamental in America. But what is not is the obligation of public universities to subsidize a religious student group that is committed to discriminating against some students.

As we see it, that is the crux of the dispute between a San Francisco chapter of the Christian Legal Society and the University of California-Hastings college of law in a case now before the U.S. Supreme Court. The society lost its recognition - and funding - as a student group because it refused to abide by the school's anti-discrimination policy.

Under that policy, student organizations must allow fellow students to join and potentially seek leadership positions in any group without regard to 'race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, sex, or sexual orientation.' Society leaders refused to accept gay or lesbian students."

Youth employment program wins 2 awards - SGVTribune.com

Youth employment program wins 2 awards - SGVTribune.com:

"Monrovia's Youth Employment Service (Y.E.S.) summer internship program, which gives at-risk students practical job skills and experience, was honored last week with two prestigious state awards.

The Y.E.S. program was presented with a Golden Bell Award in the category of 'Partnerships and Collaboratives' from the California School Board Association at the organization's annual Education Conference at the San Diego Convention Center.

Monrovia Unified School District Superintendent Linda Wagner, Mayor Mary Ann Lutz and Santa Anita Family YMCA Chief Executive Officer Damon Colaluca were among community officials on hand to accept the award.

The Y.E.S. program also received the 2009 'Cities, Counties and Schools Partnership Award,' which recognizes excellence in building communities through collaboration."