Sacramento Press / Feds should get on board with Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project

Sacramento Press / Feds should get on board with Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project:

Feds should get on board with Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project

by Jonathan Raymond, published on October 26, 2012 at 3:41 PM

Storyline: Sacramento City Unified School District 

Community Tags jonathan raymond parents sacramento city unified school district scusd teachers

During his recent bus tour across America, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan met with a group of mayors and superintendents in Sacramento and noted during comments that they (USDOE) had "dropped the ball" when it came to family engagement. This could have been a seminal moment for Mr. Duncan to shine the light on the Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project.

Started in Sacramento over a dozen years ago, the program was developed to improve relationships and communication between schools and families in an effort to end the cycle of teachers and parents blaming each other for a lack of student success. A partnership between Sacramento City Unified School District, Sacramento City Teachers Association, and Sacramento Area Congregations Together, the program, which later developed into a nonprofit organization, provides training, resources and support for teachers to visit students and their families at their homes.

On my first day as superintendent I went on two home visits. It was easy to see how special bonds are formed between the teacher, parent and 

Facts About the No Child Left Behind Waivers | Truth in American Education

Facts About the No Child Left Behind Waivers | Truth in American Education:

Facts About the No Child Left Behind Waivers

by Shane Vander Hart

Jane Robbins, a Senior Fellow for American Principles Projectprovided some facts that you should know about the No Child Left Behind waivers.  States apply for these in order, they say, to free themselves from Federal guidelines and standards under NCLB.  What they’re really doing is substituting federal control with more federal control.

Pretty soon states will probably be asking for waivers for the waivers.

• In September 2011, the U. S. Department of Education announced that it would bypass Congress and allow states to apply for waivers from certain No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements.
• NCLB itself contains provisions governing the granting of waivers from its requirements. USDOE ignored these statutory provisions and created its own.
• Although the Administration has touted the waivers as releasing schools from onerous provisions of NCLB, the only thing they really accomplish is to soften the consequences of failure to meet “adequate 

The horrific and dangerous 60 policies that the Republicans voted for in the last 600 days | Seattle Education

The horrific and dangerous 60 policies that the Republicans voted for in the last 600 days | Seattle Education:

The horrific and dangerous 60 policies that the Republicans voted for in the last 600 days

by seattleducation2011

I usually stay on course providing information and views on education but this information was so horrific that I had to share it.
These votes affect all of us, our families, our children and of course, education.
This information was provided by the US House of Representatives Democratic Caucus and are:

60 votes on final passage, amendments, and motions to recommit House Republicans have taken during the 112th Congress that hurt middle class Americans and weaken the country.

Leaders of the pack. Left to right: Eric Cantor House Majority Leader, John Boehner the 61st Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy the Republican Majority Whip

The Republicans Top 60
Putting corporations that ship American jobs overseas before American workers
1. Protect federal funding for corporations that offshored or outsourced American jobs overseas (H. Res. 38, Roll no. 19)
2. Protect corporations that outsource American jobs overseas in violation of the National Labor Relations Act 

Can someone stop the Board of Regents before they do even more damage? - Wait, What?

Can someone stop the Board of Regents before they do even more damage? - Wait, What?:

Can someone stop the Board of Regents before they do even more damage?

by jonpelto

Last week it was the resignation of the President and Executive Vice President of Connecticut’s new Board of Regents, the group responsible for overseeing the merged system of Connecticut’s State Universities and Community and Technical Colleges.

The solution, we were told, was that the actual Board of Regents would step forward, take control and actually perform the duties allocated to them under state law.

At their first meeting, they reinstate the inappropriate and previously illegal raises for the Vice President for State Universities and the Vice President for Community Colleges.

Then they hire, as expected, former UConn President Phil Austin to run the Board of 

Board of Regents Newsflash: Let’s put in a chief of staff with no public higher education experience

by jonpelto

Categories: Board of Regents, Bridgeport, Malloy, State Politics Tags: Board of Regents, Bridgeport, Malloy, Phil Austin First Governor Malloy selected former UConn President Phil Austin to be the interim President of the Connecticut Board of Regents, despite the fact that he has no experience running community colleges. And today it has  become public that they will be adding a new Chief of Staff with NO EXPERIENCE with public higher education at [...] (Read more...)

Study of charter schools supported by Romney, Obama shows mixed results | The Raw Story

Study of charter schools supported by Romney, Obama shows mixed results | The Raw Story:

Study of charter schools supported by Romney, Obama shows mixed results

By Jeevan Vasagar, The Guardian
Friday, October 26, 2012 17:05 EDT

 

Topics: new orleans

 

The teacher’s command of his class is total. “Which one is the whole number?” he asks crisply. “Is it seven over three, or is it four?”

He zeroes in on a child who gives the right answer, then the next task: “Seven over three divided by four over one? Hands, please – I’m looking for straight arms.”

The classes at Sci Academy, a charter school in New Orleans, feel like an assembly line; with each task stripped down to component parts, and the teacher orchestrating a brisk interaction that draws in students’ bodies as well as their minds. They click fingers as a substitute for applause, or 

California's campaign finance watchdog agency demands names of donors to shadowy Arizona group - San Jose Mercury News

California's campaign finance watchdog agency demands names of donors to shadowy Arizona group - San Jose Mercury News:

California's campaign finance watchdog agency demands names of donors to shadowy Arizona group

By Steven Harmon

Bay Area News Group

Posted:   10/25/2012 04:25:48 PM PDT

Updated:   10/25/2012 11:27:13 PM PDT

Click photo to enlarge

Ann Ravel, chairwoman of the California Fair Political Practices... (Rich Pedroncelli/AP file)

Related Stories

• Oct 25:
• Mercury News editorial: FPPC's Ann Ravel is fighting for voters' right to know
• Oct 18:
• Shadowy Arizona group inserts itself into California campaigns

SACRAMENTO -- California emerged Thursday at the center of the national debate over the influence of shadowy super PACs, as the state's political watchdog filed suit against a Phoenix group that made an anonymous $11 million contribution to defeat Gov. Jerry Brown's tax-hike initiative and boost an anti-union ballot measure.

The surprise contribution -- believed to be the largest anonymous political donation in state history -- last week stunned the governor and the labor and education groups working to pass Proposition 30, a tax-hike initiative that Gov. Jerry Brown claims is vital to adequately funding K-12 education and state colleges and universities. Under furious assault from negative ads, the measure is sliding in the polls.

Ann Ravel, the chairwoman of the Fair Political Practices Commission, is suing to force disclosure of information about Phoenix-based Americans For Responsible Leadership. That group made the contribution last week to the Small Business Action Committee, a political action committee running ads against Proposition 30 and for Proposition 32, which would bar unions from collecting union dues for political purposes.

"It's incredibly important to the public to know who is spending money on campaigns in California to influence the electorate," Ravel told this newspaper. "People make decisions based on information about the different sides and the identities of different groups. And we're getting so close to the election

that we're asking for expedited action."

Did ALEC buy your state representatives? Now you can find out.

by Teamster Power

Now you can find out for sure. ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, is notorious for bribing paying for state lawmakers and their families to take lavish vacations. At posh resorts like Hilton Head, ALEC makes sure state representatives get babysitting services, fine dining and face time with deep-pocketed corporate contributors.

ALEC calls these free trips "scholarships." Seriously.

Now, our friends at the Center for Media and Democracy issued a new report listing all the corporations that gave money to fund the trips and all the lawmakers who received them, by state.

You can peruse the report here.

We took a quick look. In a matter of minutes we found these interesting items:

• In Wisconsin, right-to-work-for-less advocate Rep. Robin Vos got a bribe scholarship worth $2,223.64 from ALEC. Corporations that contributed to the Wisconsin scholarship fund included T-Mobile USA, PhRMA and Xcel Energy.
• In Maine, Rep. Carol Weston received a $3,828.55 bribe scholarship. She's the Koch brothers chief puppet Americans for Prosperity state director.
• In Georgia, Sen. Don Balfour was granted a bribe scholarship worth $1,536.00. Balfour sponsored the bill earlier this year to make it a felony to conspire to picket. (It failed.)

There's more ALEC news: A former IRS official accuses ALEC of lying about its assets. Roll Call reported yesterday,

The former head of the IRS’ Exempt Organizations division accused the conservative nonprofit American Legislative Exchange Council of lying about its assets in its federal tax filings in a letter sent to the agency Wednesday. 

Marcus Owens, a lawyer at Caplin & Drysdale who for a decade directed the IRS division responsible for approving organizations’ charity statuses, said ALEC made conflicting statements to federal and state regulators in an attempt to maintain its status as a tax-exempt charitable nonprofit. A copy of the letter was obtained by Roll Call. 

It’s the second complaint against ALEC that Owens has filed with the IRS this year on behalf of Clergy Voice, a coalition of Christian progressive ministers in the battleground state of Ohio. The clergy group is concerned that ALEC is violating its tax status and that the strict voter identification laws it promotes ultimately disenfranchise voters.

Sounds like trouble in ALEC Land. Heh-heh.

Jersey Jazzman: Busting Unions: The Path To Reforminess

Jersey Jazzman: Busting Unions: The Path To Reforminess:

Busting Unions: The Path To Reforminess

by Duke

Bust Unions 2nd

Let's stop calling StudentsFirst an "education reform group," because they're not. They are a political organization:

Now, the political action committee of StudentsFirst is pumping $500,000 into a campaign against Michigan's Proposal 2, a ballot measure that would protect collective bargaining by enshrining it in the state's constitution. Mlive.com first reported the contribution Thursday morning. StudentsFirst is a national lobbying and advocacy shop based in Sacramento, Calif., that has received heavy support from bundlers for both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Under Proposal 2, any 

The enemies of public employee pensions were handed a PR gift today. But it’s just smoke. « Fred Klonsky

The enemies of public employee pensions were handed a PR gift today. But it’s just smoke. « Fred Klonsky:

The enemies of public employee pensions were handed a PR gift today. But it’s just smoke.

by Fred Klonsky

It came as shocking news.
Illinois’ Teacher Retirement System reported out that their return on investment was .76% for fiscal year 2012. Holy crap. That’s less than 1%! Last year the return was 23.6%.
And it isn’t just Illinois.
Bloomberg reports today:

U.S. state and local-government pensions ended the 2012 fiscal year with a median gain of 1.15 percent as the European debt crisis and a slowing global economy damped stock returns, Wilshire Associates said.

It was a reversal after two years of gains for the retirement funds, which have 

The in box. Cinda Klickna’s two hats.

by Fred Klonsky

Fred,
I personally do not have a problem with the president of IEA being a TRS trustees.
That person must realize that they wear one hat as a trustee and another as IEA president.
However, regarding the actions of Mr. Ingram, regardless of which hat that person wears, she/he should not tolerate Mr. Ingram’s antics. This is especially true in light of the revised March 30th Trustee Resolution which provides that any pension legislation needs to adhere to the guaranteed statutorily prescribed benefits. Mr. Ingram has definitely violated the resolution, and continually 

Ten minute drawing. Today’s GOP.

by Fred Klonsky

Best Questions: School Culture — Whole Child Education

Best Questions: School Culture — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Best Questions: School Culture

October 26, 2012 by Molly McCloskey

We live in a parallel universe. Here at ASCD, we are committed to ensuring that each child, in each school and in each community, is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. And, one of the things we know for sure is that in order for that to happen for kids, the adults around them must also be healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. That parallel need is particularly striking this month as we consider the best questions about school culture.

Culture—school, community, workplace, political, etc.—is a direct reflection of adult behaviors. Where adults bully, children will bully. Where adults cheat, children will cheat. Where adults feel and act helpless, children will feel and act helpless. Where adults are motivated to work hard, children will work hard. Where adults are supported by supervisors and colleagues, neighbors and friends, children will be supported. It's exactly that simple and exactly that complex.

From the Indicators of a Whole Child Approach

• Healthy: Our school addresses the health and well-being of each staff member.
• Safe: Our school teaches, models, and provides opportunities to practice social-emotional skills, including effective listening, conflict 

Education coalition holds first of three forums to discuss school reform | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Education coalition holds first of three forums to discuss school reform | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Education coalition holds first of three forums to discuss school reform

by thenotebook on Oct 26 2012 Posted in Latest news

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Tags:

• activism
 
• community organizing
• parent involvement
 
• parent organizing
 
• student activism
• William Hite
 
• Philadelphia Federation of Teachers
 
• school closing

by Charlotte Pope

“We are in this together. This fight you are not fighting alone.”

These are the words Philadelphia Federation of Teachers member Denise Turner used to encourage a crowd of concerned parents, educators, and caregivers who attended a meeting Thursday held by the Philadelphia Coalition Advocating for Public Schools (PCAPS).

PCAPS is an organization that consists of members of the PFT, Philadelphia Student Union (PSU), Youth United for Change (YUC), Action United, and American Federation of Teachers (AFT). The members gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center for the first of three forums designed as town hall meetings.The forums are intended to give community members a chance to participate in the discussion about the future of Philadelphia schools and what can be done to usher in reform that works.

Dawn Hawkins, a parent leader in Action United, shared her experiences in 

The Quick and the Ed » A Matter of Access and Equity: Neighborhood Effects on Student Achievement

The Quick and the Ed » A Matter of Access and Equity: Neighborhood Effects on Student Achievement:

A Matter of Access and Equity: Neighborhood Effects on Student Achievement

by Constance Clark

Location, location, location—it matters in real estate, and the harsh reality is, it matters in student achievement, too. While wealthy Americans can pay for private school or move to a top-ranked district in suburbia, countless other parents are left with their neighborhood public school default. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, of course. But what if the choice is not good enough?

Montgomery County, Maryland, one of the nation’s top 20 wealthiest school districts, has one answer.  Federally subsidized homes have been purchased by the government and used to offer safe rental housing for eligible low-income families. This arrangement sometimes referred to as “inclusionary zoning” or “policy-induced integration,” 

Education: The Blueprint for Change | Maria Shriver | The Open Field Network #UCDAVIS

Education: The Blueprint for Change | Maria Shriver | The Open Field Network:

Education: The Blueprint for Change

By Linda Katehi

When it comes to being an architect of change, I don't know of any more effective blueprint than education.

It opens our eyes to the magic and possibility of the world and gives us the knowledge and tools we need to make something happen for ourselves and our communities.

When I was a young girl growing up on Salamis Island off the coast of Greece, I didn't know anything about how to escape the poverty I saw and make a life for myself. But my mother did.

Despite the fact no girl on my island had ever gone to college, my mother was determined that I would.

I always did well in school and loved to solve math and science problems even at a young age, so she insisted we move to Athens where I could attend a comprehensive high school to be eligible for college.

I graduated from the National Technical University in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering.

With the help of some very supportive mentors, I went on to earn my master's and 

UPDATE: Diane in the Evening 10-26-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Charter Plan to Privatize Public Education in San Antonio

by dianerav

With a favorable rightwing privatizing climate in Texas and bipartisan support in Washington, a group of charters have proposed a bold plan to take over one fourth of all the students in San Antonio. The time is right for privatization on a grand scle.

Is Douglas County, Colorado, on the Cutting Edge of Reform?

by dianerav

EduShyster is always on the lookout for the leading lights of “reform.”
Is Douglas County, Colorado, the one?
Break open a box of wine and enjoy.

The Business Model Does Not Work in Education

by dianerav

Here is the great journalist Juan Gonzalez interviewing CTU President Karen Lewis and Professor Lois Wiener on Race to the Top. Arne Duncan, and privatization.

A Tiny Brush with Greatness

by dianerav

Jacques Barzun, one of the great thinkers of our age, died at the age of 104 in San Antonio, after a long and distinguished career as a thinker, teacher, cultural critic, and author.
The obituary in the New York Times describes his amazing career.
We are not likely to see his like again. Our age moves too swiftly and demands too much interactivity to allow figures like Barzun to grow, ripen and flourish.
He had the unusual ability to transmit his vast knowledge of history to the public.
I did not know him well but I had a small encounter with

Charter school principal gets $519,453 payout (in taxpayer money):

Charter school principal gets $519,453 payout (in taxpayer money)

Posted by Valerie Strauss on October 26, 2012 at 1:44 pm

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 How’s this for outrageous? The principal of a charter school in Orange County, Fla., received a check for $519,453.36 in taxpayer money after the district school board agreed to let the school voluntarily close rather than be shut down for poor performance.

According to a story reported in the Orlando Sentinel, Kelly Young is also being paid thousands of dollars bimonthly — also at taxpayer expense — to finish closing NorthStar High School, which enrolled about 180 mostly at-risk students.

The newspaper said the payment to Young was approved by the charter school’s independent board and seems to be legal, but now the chairman of the school board, Bill Sublette, is complaining that it’s “immoral,” and a state senator is calling for an