Complications With New York Teacher Report Cards - NYTimes.com

Complications With New York Teacher Report Cards - NYTimes.com:

"During the last school year, education officials distributed some 12,000 reports that considered how well teachers did in educating students, producing a report for any teacher who taught fourth through eighth grade for the last two years. The reports put New York at the center of a national debate over ways to measure the effectiveness of individual teachers and the role that test scores should play in the evaluations."

The school on the old Ambassador Hotel site offers an education in L.A. sociopolitics -- latimes.com

The school on the old Ambassador Hotel site offers an education in L.A. sociopolitics -- latimes.com:

"Like a kindergarten teacher kneeling down to meet her 3-foot-tall charges at eye level, the new elementary school at the Ambassador Hotel site, set to open today, is impeccably attuned to the importance of a first impression.

Designed by the Pasadena firm Gonzalez Goodale Architects, the school extends a friendly, crisply proportioned façade along 8th Street, on the southern edge of the sprawling 76-acre site over which the hotel long presided. Inside, the two-story school wraps 46 classrooms around a pair of generously sized courtyards. It accents its combination of zinc panels and expanses of glass with a number of walls painted Creamsicle orange."

Paul Peterson: What the Public Thinks of Public Schools - WSJ.com

Paul Peterson: What the Public Thinks of Public Schools - WSJ.com:

"Yesterday President Barack Obama delivered a pep talk to America's schoolchildren. The president owes a separate speech to America's parents. They deserve some straight talk on the state of our public schools.

According to the just released Education Next poll put out by the Hoover Institution, public assessment of schools has fallen to the lowest level recorded since Americans were first asked to grade schools in 1981. Just 18% of those surveyed gave schools a grade of an A or a B, down from 30% reported by a Gallup poll as recently as 2005.

No less than 25% of those polled by Education Next gave the schools either an F or a D. (In 2005, only 20% gave schools such low marks.)"

Milwaukee Democrats speak out against mayoral takeover of MPS - JSOnline

Milwaukee Democrats speak out against mayoral takeover of MPS - JSOnline:

"U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, state Democratic lawmakers from Milwaukee and a host of labor and civil rights leaders joined forces Tuesday to speak out against Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's proposal for the mayor to control the Milwaukee Public Schools system.

But because there's no proposed legislation yet in Madison to change state law and transfer power over MPS from the School Board to the mayor, critics such as Moore and several state legislators - Sen. Spencer Coggs, Rep. Fred Kessler, Rep. Barbara Toles and Rep. Annette Polly Williams - were left with few new arguments to make against the plan."

Commentary: Obama on risky ground on schools - CNN.com

Commentary: Obama on risky ground on schools - CNN.com:

"The president's commitment to education is truly remarkable, considering the enormous array of policy challenges confronting the administration. From health care and the economic crisis, to global warming and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the administration is beset by controversies that will not be easily resolved.

The fact that the president and his education secretary, Arne Duncan, have not allowed education to be ignored or placed on the back burner says a great deal about their recognition of its central importance to our nation."

The Associated Press: Gates brings education message to MTV, Nickelodeon

The Associated Press: Gates brings education message to MTV, Nickelodeon:

"People should understand how the system is falling short today and how it really contradicts our commitment to equal opportunity,' Gates told The Associated Press. 'If we don't change it now, it will hurt the future of the country as a whole.'

Only one-third of American high school students graduate with the skills necessary to succeed in college and the nation's workplaces, he said."

Bloomberg's bogus school report cards destroy real progress

Bloomberg's bogus school report cards destroy real progress:

"The latest school grades released by the city's Education Department are bogus. An astonishing 84% of 1,058 elementary and middle schools received an A (compared with 38% last year and 23% in 2007). Another 13% got a B. Only seven schools rated a D or an F.

Four schools labeled 'persistently dangerous' by the state got an A from the city, and three of these deeply troubled schools got a B. Three schools that the city wants to close because of low performance got an A. Every school that got an F last year got an A or B this year."

The Economics Of Education - Forbes.com

The Economics Of Education - Forbes.com:

"On Tuesday President Barack Obama addressed school children across America. Political emotions are running hot, the Drudge Report has highlighted the speech for days and it has been daily fodder for blogs, radio and television.

Personally, we believe that our children should learn to respect and honor the Office of the President of the United States of America--no matter who sits in that office or what their politics are."

In Flatbush, the Campaign Turns Negative (Gotham Gazette, September 9, 2009)

In Flatbush, the Campaign Turns Negative (Gotham Gazette, September 9, 2009):


"To say the Democratic primary for the 40th district City Council seat has gotten ugly is a bit of an understatement. Incumbent Mathieu Eugene and challengers Rock Hackshaw and Leithland Tulloch, while not exactly far apart on the issues, have challenged each other's ability to lead, and things have quickly gotten personal.

An Aug. 26 debate hosted by the New York Post was dominated by accusations of poor leadership and ineffectiveness. Hackshaw, who describes himself as a community activist, has worked as a political adviser, a lecturer and a journalist, among other trades, and also is a popular blogger. He insists Tulloch began the fusillade of negative campaigning. 'Tulloch spent the race spreading lots of lies and beating up me and Eugene. I didn't start the fight but I'm gonna end it,' he said."

Free speech can teach - The York Daily Record

Free speech can teach - The York Daily Record:

"Well now, that wasn't so bad, was it?
In fact, it was pretty good.
Reading through President Obama's speech to schoolchildren Tuesday, it's hard to fathom what all the uproar was about.
Work hard.
Stay in school.
Do your homework.
Don't watch too much TV.
Take personal responsibility for your actions.
Not exactly radical, 'socialist' stuff.
In fact, much of it was boilerplate conservative rhetoric."

Mike Thomas: Will Obama follow through on education? -- OrlandoSentinel.com

Mike Thomas: Will Obama follow through on education? -- OrlandoSentinel.com:

"So Tuesday they saw a black student-body president introduce a black president of the United States of America. He told them that there is value in education, that if they work hard, it can take them anywhere, including the White House.

Obama is a badly needed male role model in a culture that relies far too heavily on sports stars to fill that role.

That makes the symbolic value of his speech incalculable."

Inside City Hall: Sacramento Mayor Johnson wants bigger school role - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com

Inside City Hall: Sacramento Mayor Johnson wants bigger school role - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com:

"Mayor Kevin Johnson has made it very clear he wants to have a bigger hand in the city's public schools than his predecessors in City Hall.

He has held an education summit with policymakers and big thinkers from around the country, helped bring U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to town and has met many times with the heads of the city's public school districts."

Obama speech part of tradition - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Obama speech part of tradition - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:

"The U.S. president has many roles, and among them is expressing moral leadership and values, inspiring people to action. So it should not be surprising that the nation's presidents have taken to the bully pulpit to inspire young children to excel in school, the great engine of opportunity and prosperity in this country.

Here are some excerpts from recent presidents, without names. See if you can match the remarks with the president."

Sacramento students take Obama message to heart: Never give up - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento students take Obama message to heart: Never give up - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"At 9 a.m. Tuesday, a stream of third-graders filed into Room 5 at Sequoia Elementary School in Sacramento.
'Have a seat, we've got the president on the computer right now,' teacher Kelle Marshall told her students as they set their backpacks by the door. 'You've got to listen.'"

Superintendent dishes it out - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Superintendent dishes it out - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee

Jonathan Raymond, Sacramento City Unified School District's new superintendent, serves beans during lunch Tuesday at Woodbine Elementary's cafeteria.

School board member Diana Rodriguez, left, dishes out apple slices and applesauce, and food services assistant Danielle Hilliard, right, serves corn dogs to round out the menu.

Robert Reich Public Option Video

Robert Reich speaks directly on what the 'public option' is and why it is so important to health care reform.

Hometown Station AM 1220 - Santa Clarita Radio - State Top Educator Weighs In On Obama Speech

Hometown Station AM 1220 - Santa Clarita Radio - State Top Educator Weighs In On Obama Speech:

"State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today watched President Obama's back-to-school message with students at Sequoia Elementary School in Sacramento.

'I would like to commend and thank President Obama for taking the time to address our nation's students. These are trying times for America as millions of people continue to cope with the effects of the global economic downturn."

"Unfortunately, our students and educators are not immune to this phenomenon, and cutbacks in education funding across the country - especially here in California - illustrate this reality all too well.

"But the President's message today is just the sort of infusion of inspiration and confidence that I believe can propel our schools to do even more, even better with fewer resources. Furthermore, the President could not be more right in encouraging students to set their educational goals high and commit themselves to reaching and even exceeding those benchmarks.

Obama speech delivered to school students - Latest News - sacbee.com

Obama speech delivered to school students - Latest News - sacbee.com:

"Students in Sacramento City Unified School District returned to school this morning."

And at Sequoia Elementary School, they were joined by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, parents, school administrators and a throng of media to watch President Barack Obama's back-to-school speech.

The speech about the importance of a good education created a furor among some parents, prompting some Sacramento-area school officials to allow students to skip the nationally televised speech.

Mrs. Marshall's third-grade class at Sequoia Elementary school in Sacramento watches President Barack Obama's televised address on Tuesday morning.

Pres. Obama National Address to Students

Pres. Obama delivered a national address to students across the country to talk to them about the importance of education. He spoke to a group of students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, VA.

Obama invokes Ghandi as a personal hero in speech to students | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times

Obama invokes Ghandi as a personal hero in speech to students Top of the Ticket Los Angeles Times:

"The summer of President Obama’s political discontent is drawing to a close, but for those seeking to understand how he wields power as he maneuvers through the tricky maze of autumn’s healthcare battles, he dropped a few clues when he talked to ninth-graders in Virginia.

Obama went to Wakefield High School in Arlington to give a national speech welcoming students back to school. He called for students to take responsibility and to learn from their failures so that they succeed in the end. Despite some conservative misgivings, Obama’s comments were far from controversial. After all, calling on students to work hard and get ahead is as close to mom and apple pie as one can get."

PostPartisan - Staying in School and the 'Socialist Agenda'

PostPartisan - Staying in School and the 'Socialist Agenda':

"We have just gone through one of the most shameful episodes of the young Obama presidency -- shameful because of the behavior of the right wing, shameful because the media played into an extremist agenda, shameful because we proved that our political system has become so dysfunctional that a president gets punished for doing the right thing.

Upon Barack Obama’s election, even my most conservative friends who supported John McCain said Obama could do a world of good for poor children in the country by stressing the importance of education, hard work, staying in school and taking responsibility. Yes, those are often thought of as conservative values."

President Obama's Back to School Event comes to pass

President Obama's Back to School Event comes to pass:

"Don't let your country down. This is part of President Obama's message to school children across the country today."

ll good advice. These statements do have merit. However, delivery has had much to be desired by many. Parents from coast to coast have spent the weekend discussing the anticipated speech.

The President's remarks were posted on Monday for the world to see, however, that did not seem to be enough to calm to raging waters.

Was it really the content of the speech that caused so much to say? Chris McKenna of the Times Herald-Record reported on September 4, 2009 that New Windsor parent, James Petro says, “If you believe anything this White House says, you need to see a psychiatrist”.

Or was it the omission of the parents in the participation of the speech? PTA Councilperson, Cara Mendelsohn of Dallas, TX says that this approach is, "cutting out the parent".

Or is it the timing as the students and staff are just getting settled in to their new academic year, (unless they start tomorrow, September 9, 2009). Ann Sanner of the AP reports that Loudeoun County, VA school superintendent, Edgar Hatrick told WTOP News in Washington, "I think it is a very good speech,but it's just not on the first day of school very convenient for everybody to stop in the middle of lunch and to stop everything else they're doing and hear the live broadcast."

Davis Food Company-Op Receives 2009 Best of Davis Award

Davis Food Company-Op Receives 2009 Best of Davis Award

U.S. Commerce Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

WASHINGTON D.C., June 8, 2009 -- Davis Food Company-Op has been selected for the 2009 Best of Davis Award in the Health Foods category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Commerce Association

CONTACT:U.S. Commerce Association

Email: PublicRelations@us-ca.org

URL: http://www.us-ca.org

Politics K-12: UPDATED: How Will Critics Respond After Obama Gives His Back-to-School Speech?

Politics K-12: UPDATED: How Will Critics Respond After Obama Gives His Back-to-School Speech?:

"UPDATED: How Will Critics Respond After Obama Gives His Back-to-School Speech?

When President Obama addresses the nation's students today (or at least those who are allowed to watch), he'll deliver a back-to-school pep talk that surely doesn't live up to the controversy it created.

In prepared remarks, he takes a walk down his own memory lane by recalling early morning tutoring sessions and a dad that wasn't around. He acknowledges that many students out there aren't learning under the best of conditions—that they may live in neighborhoods that aren't safe, or in families affected by job losses."

Education Week: ELL Graduation Rates Often a Mystery

Education Week: ELL Graduation Rates Often a Mystery:

"Across the country, high school graduation rates are bemoaned with regularity. But many states and districts aren’t even tracking the rate for the fastest-growing population of students, or if they are, they aren’t telling the public how many English-language learners are leaving school with a diploma.

The No Child Left Behind Act was supposed to rectify that. Now, nearly eight years after its passage, 13 states and numerous districts still don’t report that information to the U.S. Department of Education. And some of those that do are offering numbers that may not be entirely accurate."

High marks for English immersion program - Local - fresnobee.com

High marks for English immersion program - Local - fresnobee.com:

"A growing number of school districts in the Valley and around the country are reporting dramatic success with an English-immersion program developed by a Clovis educational consultant.

Officials say the program works because it focuses on teaching the language to students with limited English skills -- instead of trying to teach the language as part of instruction in other subjects."

Damage fixed -- Bay Bridge is open - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Damage fixed -- Bay Bridge is open - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"The Bay Bridge opened today after damage to part of the structure was repaired, bridge officials said this morning.
'They have completed all the work,' said Tom Wood of Caltrans' Traffic Management Center."

So far, traffic on the span from Oakland in the East Bay to the San Francisco peninsula has been relatively light, Wood said. "There is no slowdown spot," he said.

The bridge had been shut in both directions since Thursday night as part of a major seismic project and was expected to reopen for today's morning commute.

However, discovery Saturday of a large crack in a steel beam forced emergency repairs requiring the bridge to remain closed and leading to predictiosn that the bridge would not be ready to carry traffic until Wednesday.

Education News & Comment

Education News & Comment:


"THE PRESIDENT TALKS TO STUDENTS

Watch Live on sacdac.org September 8 At 9 AM PT"

Schools Post More on Internet in Push to Go Paperless - NYTimes.com

Schools Post More on Internet in Push to Go Paperless - NYTimes.com:

"The back-to-school packets sent to all 7,800 students here in this hamlet on Long Island’s North Shore grew thicker each year with dozens of pages of notices, fliers and forms — adding up to more than $12,000 in postage alone last year."

But this year, amid a lingering recession and increasing online activity, school officials decided to stop the madness. Teachers and principals were given strict instructions: Limit mailings to a single, first-class envelope per student — and post the overflow on the district’s Web site, in a newly created back-to-school section. The savings: $9,000 in stamps plus $12,000 in salaries for clerks who used to spend up to two weeks assembling the packets.

And, for parents like Debra Miller, a shrinking pile of paperwork to keep up with.

“Since the kids have been in school, there’s never been a pile less than 12 inches high on my kitchen counter,” said Mrs. Miller, a mother of two, who shoves the unsightly pile into a cabinet when she has company. “I can never get out from under the pile, and I’m not alone. We all talk about it.”

New campaign questions reliance on testing - USATODAY.com

New campaign questions reliance on testing - USATODAY.com:

"WASHINGTON — If public schools were baseball teams, says Sam Chaltain, Americans wouldn't have a clue who should be in the playoffs.

That's because our current rating system relies heavily on a single set of test scores for nearly 50 million students, showing how a sample of them perform on a one-day math or reading test each spring."

To Chaltain, director of the Washington-based think tank Forum for Education & Democracy, that's like picking playoff teams based on one game's box score.

As Congress gears up to reauthorize No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the 2002 law that spells out how federal, state and local governments rate schools and spend billions of dollars, Chaltain is leading a new and unlikely campaign to shift the USA's education conversation away from one-day tests and toward a larger one, focused on "powerful learning and highly effective teaching."

The forum, along with a handful of education and civil rights groups, launches an online campaign today, asking Americans to write in with personal stories about how and when they got excited about learning — did a teacher get you interested in dinosaurs when you were 9? In politics when you were in middle school? The forum will present it to lawmakers as they rewrite the law.

In its current incarnation, NCLB, which uses the tests to prod improved achievement of low-income and minority students, requires virtually all students in grades 3 through 8 (and one grade in high school) to take annual, state-approved math and reading tests. Based on the percentage of students who score "proficient" or higher, schools get ratings that affect how they can spend federal dollars and whether teachers and administrators keep their jobs. Other factors, such as attendance and graduation rates, matter to a lesser degree.

The new effort aims to change the focus of the reauthorized law.

National Journal Online -- Insider Interviews -- Using NCLB To Retool Struggling Schools

National Journal Online -- Insider Interviews -- Using NCLB To Retool Struggling Schools:

"The third thing is you've got to go mobilize the parents. You can't do it to them, you've got to do it with them. They are ready. My experience has been, in the poorest areas of Los Angeles and the South Bronx, that parents have never been asked to be involved, and when they are asked to be involved, it's usually in something that doesn't have that much meaning to it. I think we have a different population where parents really care, every parent cares for their kids' education. They are willing to roll up their sleeves."

The Associated Press: Report: Obama administration improves openness

The Associated Press: Report: Obama administration improves openness:

"WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's policies on secrecy get higher grades for openness than those of President George W. Bush, yet there's still room for improvement, says a coalition of public interest groups.

In a report issued Tuesday, the coalition says the new administration has made major strides toward more disclosure, including the recent release of Justice Department memos on Bush administration interrogation policies and Obama's embrace of greater openness under the Freedom of Information Act."

Teachers to work without contracts | Detroit Free Press | Freep.com

Teachers to work without contracts Detroit Free Press Freep.com:

"According to the Michigan Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, all three districts -- Woodhaven-Brownstown, Southfield Public Schools and Redford Union Schools -- are on the union's critical list, meaning the union does not see progress in the negotiations."

Local News | Kent teachers union votes to continue strike | Seattle Times Newspaper

Local News Kent teachers union votes to continue strike Seattle Times Newspaper:

"Teachers in Washington state's fourth-largest district voted Monday night to continue their strike, despite a court injunction ordering them back to work Tuesday to prepare for students.

Kent Education Association spokesman Dale Folkerts said 74 percent of union members voted not to return to work until they have a ratified contract.
The teachers 'know there could be consequences' to going against the judge's order, he said. But after a long and heartfelt discussion, 'they decided it was a cause that was important enough to stand up for.'

The teachers' top issues are smaller class sizes and more time with students. Folkerts said class-size limits in Kent are substantially larger than surrounding districts and that overcrowded classrooms create bad learning environments and in some cases, safety risks."

The Early Word: Back to School - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com

The Early Word: Back to School - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com:

"Some conservatives, as The Times’s Sam Dillion reports, have ascribed “dark motives to the White House” in giving the speech, while worried parents have lobbed complaints at school officials across the country. The administration attempted to blunt any controversy over the speech on Monday, posting the text of Mr. Obama’s remarks on the White House Web site.

As The Associated Press points out, the president “makes no reference in his prepared remarks to the uproar surrounding his speech. Nor does he make an appeal for support for tough causes such as his health care overhaul. He uses the talk to tell kids about his at-times clumsy ways as a child and to urge them to set goals and work hard to achieve them.”"

How to get the best teachers possible | Philadelphia Daily News | 09/08/2009

How to get the best teachers possible Philadelphia Daily News 09/08/2009:

"We also have a coalition of civic and community groups that are pressing both parties to ratify commonsense solutions for change outlined in a campaign called Effective Teaching for Every Child. We must not turn our back on this convergence of good fortune.

We believe that there are things that can be done immediately:

Our schools should be dominated neither by veteran teachers nor novices, but a rich mix of both - where the energy of a new teacher blends with the knowledge of an experienced one to provide a balance of skill and enthusiasm.

First, put the best principals in the hardest-to-staff schools. Give them autonomy, professional development support for themselves and their staff, and a salary bump for taking on the task of making those schools good places to teach and learn. Strong school leadership is an essential component of any school-reform effort, and this must be at the top of the district's must-do list.

Then adopt full school-based hiring ('site selection') districtwide."

In site-selection schools, teacher vacancies are open for all eligible candidates to apply - veteran and novice teachers alike, and applicants receive equal weight in their candidacy, unlike the current system that allows many vacancies to be filled first by more-senior teachers exercising their automatic transfer rights. In that system, the number of years of service trumps everything else, including performance.

To attract the best teachers to hard-to-staff schools, institute a series of strong incentives such as smaller classes, strong school leadership, access to continuing education on-site and salary boosts. Preferred incentives vary among teachers and schools, so the school district needs to offer various motivations that might draw a dedicated teacher to a difficult school. These changes benefit union members who will still have a choice whether they want to apply.

There is, of course, more to be done, but these three steps would be a powerful beginning, and what's more, they are doable. There is abundant research to support all of these actions.

Local News | Wash. lawmakers take next step toward ed reform | Seattle Times Newspaper

Local News Wash. lawmakers take next step toward ed reform Seattle Times Newspaper:

"First came the governor's Washington Learns task force that published an ambitious plan to improve education in 2006. That report led to the state's new Early Learning Department, but the Legislature could not find the money to implement most of the other ideas.

Then came the reinvented State Board of Education, which moved ahead on some related ideas, including new high school math requirements and a proposal to require high school students to earn 24 credits instead of 19 to graduate."

"I'm hopeful we'll be able to make some real progress," Chopp said, adding that he is optimistic about the group's chances of completing the jobs assigned by the 2009 Legislature.

Those jobs include:

• Finding new sources of revenue for public schools.
• Building a framework for distributing dollars based on the idea of a "protypical school," and creating a timeline for transforming the current system toward one based on model schools.
• Establishing a new definition of basic education for the state, and deciding whether expenses like transportation, technology and preschool should be included.
• Demystifying the way the state allocates education dollars so any parent could understand their school district's budget and track the money the state sends to their community.
• Considering a new mentoring and support system for beginning teachers.
• Creating a new salary schedule for teachers based on how much people in similar fields make in different labor markets throughout the state.

Obama’s Speech 101: Can Parents Unite?

Obama’s Speech 101: Can Parents Unite?:


"Parents on both sides of President Barack Obama’s address to the nation’s students during the school day can unite under one global truth: You are your child’s first and still most important teacher.

Even if President Obama’s address is the most exceptional address ever made to American students, your child’s most influential learning environment is still his home. Your child still needs to know that his education is important to you. Children benefit the most when parents work as partners with their children’s school."

timestranscript.com - The 'new stupid': assessing education efforts | Mary Laltoo - Breaking News, New Brunswick, Canada

timestranscript.com - The 'new stupid': assessing education efforts Mary Laltoo - Breaking News, New Brunswick, Canada:


"His article in Educational Leadership, titled 'The New Stupid,' examines how the phrases 'data driven decision making' and 'research based practice' have become convenient buzzwords which are used to justify incoherent proposals, to stand in for thoughtful reflection, and to dress up the same old fads.

According to Hess, there are three key elements to the new stupid.

1. Using data in half-baked ways."

An Education Primer for Parents, Part II: What's in those textbooks, anyway?

An Education Primer for Parents, Part II: What's in those textbooks, anyway?:

"There is a reason we’ve had wave after wave of “education reform” in this country, and it’s the same reason so many of us dubbed George Bush’s “No Child Left Behind Act” as the “No Administrator Without a Job Act.”

These folks are enjoying the ultimate in job security. They have convinced the public that they’re the ones who are best able to fix the very problem that they created."

Traverse City Record-Eagle - Article: Some teachers don't take a break

Traverse City Record-Eagle - Article: Some teachers don't take a break:

"As for how she spent her summer vacation, she worked full time in the pro shop at the Traverse City Golf and Country Club, baby-sat one or two times a week and took two graduate-level courses.

More often than not, a teacher's summer vacation is no vacation at all. Many take summer jobs, summer courses, continuing education classes or part-time work.
Whether it's a matter of supplementing a salary -- a first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree in the Traverse City Area Public Schools earns $32,500 -- or just wanting to keep busy, summer often isn't a time for a teacher to recline in a lawn chair with a mojito."

L.A. Schools Chief Sees Woes as Catalyst - WSJ.com

L.A. Schools Chief Sees Woes as Catalyst - WSJ.com:

"One of his first acts upon taking the job in January was to send all parents a report card that evaluated each school in the district on everything from graduation rates to reading and math proficiency levels. At some schools, as few as 1% of the students were able to do math work at their grade level or above.
His strategy carries risks, including that the increased transparency could expose a failure of his efforts to bring improvements."

But A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, the local union, argues that change has to come from within the system, not outside it. "With this motion, the school board members are abdicating their authority," he said. "We know that our schools desperately need help and we want to push for that help."

Changing California from Oakland #3 - Education

Changing California from Oakland #3 - Education:

"If you've read either of the articles I've written on the subject (budget crisis, sales tax), you know that Prop. 13, as it stands, is a huge problem. The 1978 proposition that restructured California property tax law (effectively gutting state funding and providing massive loopholes for businesses to dodge fair payment) was largely opposed by educators and administrators alike. And they were right - California went from being at the top of national public education rankings to the bottom. So what changed? Obviously, the absence of public money played a role, but to simply blame insufficient funds is inadequate."

Part of what enabled the passage of Prop. 13 was a tremendous increase in property value (driven by an increase in state population from both other states and Mexico) and a lack of desire by the electorate to have their money pooled and distributed by the state, according to the Serrano v Priest decision. In other words, the electorate (and when I say electorate, I do not mean the population - they are very different things) did not want to finance the education system that would be required to support a larger, more diverse student body. For example, in 2003-04, in Oakland, Hispanic children attended schools with a near 56% poverty rate. Black children attended schools with over 57% poverty rates - however, white children attended schools with a rate under 19% of students in poverty.

Bay Bridge to remain closed until Wednesday - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Bay Bridge to remain closed until Wednesday - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will remain closed until Wednesday morning as workers scurry to repair a crack in the bridge's east span near Yerba Buena Island, state highway officials said Monday."

The bridge has been closed in both directions since Thursday night as part of a major seismic repair, and was expected to be reopened for the Tuesday morning commute. That work is near completion.

However, the surprise discovery of a large crack in an "eyebar" this weekend has forced emergency repairs that will require the bridge remain closed longer. Caltrans officials said they now expect to reopen the bridge by 5 a.m. Wednesday.

Commuters traveling into San Francisco can expect delays on other bridges and crowds on BART and bay ferries.

Private sector investing in charter schools - Salon.com

Private sector investing in charter schools - Salon.com:

"'We're not speculators, we're investors, so I have to invest in property making money for me and my customers today,' said Brain, whose trust oversees a $2.6 billion portfolio. 'The charter public schools offer lenders/leaseholders a dependable revenue stream backed by a government payer. It's a very desirable equation.'"

Text of Obama’s Speech to Students

Education News & Comment:

Text of Obama’s Speech to Students

"President Obama’s Address to Students
Across America September 8, 2009"

Watch Live on sacdac.org September 8 At 9 AM PT

“Education Finance Districts” Headed to the Governor at californiascapitol.com

“Education Finance Districts” Headed to the Governor at californiascapitol.com

Awaiting a final vote on the Assembly floor is legislation aimed at making it easier for school districts to raise local revenue.

The measure, AB 267, was sent to the Assembly Sept. 3 by the 40-member Senate, which approved it on a party line 23 to 14 vote. The Assembly is expected to send the bill to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger before Sept. 11, the end of the 2009 legislative session.

While it does not lower the two-thirds voter approval necessary to raise taxes both at the state and local level, the bill creates “education finance districts” in which three or more contiguous school districts can band together to try to increase local taxes.

After agreeing on how to divide and spend any new tax revenue, the districts could then collectively place a parcel tax on the ballot for voter approval.
Under current law, only individual school districts can attempt to increase parcel taxes within their district boundaries.

“Our schools are being starved for funding, and communities must be able to act to ensure that the education of our children doesn’t suffer,” said Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, an Antioch Democrat, the bill’s author and a candidate for state superintendent of public instruction in 2010.

“This measure brings local communities together so they can take their case for funding directly to their voters.”

Federal stimulus helps special ed, struggling kids in Portland area – OregonLive.com

Federal stimulus helps special ed, struggling kids in Portland area – OregonLive.com:

"More than half a million Oregon students head back to class this week, beginning a recession-tinged school year that will be marked by teacher furloughs and layoffs, fewer electives and extracurriculars, and swollen class sizes.

What's gotten less attention is federal stimulus money that is enabling many schools to add teachers and beef up programs that educators say will pack an instructional punch.
Oregon schools received roughly $150 million from the stimulus to spend this school year on special education and in schools with concentrations of low-income students. Portland-area districts report they have used the money largely to hire instructional coaches and teachers, hundreds of new jobs in all."

Analysis: Furor over speech typifies polarization - Yahoo! News

Analysis: Furor over speech typifies polarization - Yahoo! News:

"WASHINGTON – The furor over President Barack Obama's start-of-school speech to the nation's students — challenging them to work hard, earn good grades and stay in school — typifies the country's widening rift over politics and social issues.

It's certainly an unwelcome distraction as the president prepares to address both houses of Congress and the nation Wednesday about his embattled attempt to overhaul the health care system, which has taken a hammering from Republicans and some middle-of-the-road Democrats."

Dating back to his campaign for president, some Obama opponents have tried to paint him as a "socialist." Since winning the White House, the attacks have continued over his attempts to invigorate the tumbling economy with a $787 billion stimulus.

Far-right critics now charge that Obama would use his back-to-school remarks Tuesday to indoctrinate youngsters into his alleged "socialist" agenda.

Fox News Channel commentators Michelle Malkin and Glenn Beck have been prominent in attacking the speech. Florida Republican party chairman Jim Greer said he was "absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology."

Even Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, a moderate and potential presidential contender in 2012, said Obama's speech was "uninvited" and raises questions of content and motive.

Schools going green big-time -- baltimoresun.com

Schools going green big-time -- baltimoresun.com:

"CALIFORNIA, Md. - - Approaching Evergreen Elementary, it's clear right away that there's something different about this new school. A pair of silo-like structures squats in front of the two-story brick building - cisterns storing rainwater for flushing the toilets. Then there are the cactuses and other plants growing atop the entrance canopy - put there to soak up more rain."

Evergreen represents the latest in green school design in Maryland. The $20 million elementary school, which started classes last week in this woodsy, suburban community in St. Mary's County, has been designed and built to save bundles of energy and water, and to reduce the building's impact on nearby streams and wetlands. It's also been planned to hammer environmental consciousness home to its 600 students. It is, contends county School Superintendent Michael Martirano, the greenest school in the state.

He might get some argument on that - Montgomery County has built or rebuilt four schools now with enough energy-saving and environmental features to qualify for the second-highest rating given by the U.S. Green Building Council. But there's no doubt that green schools are starting to spread across the state.

St. Mary's school officials say Evergreen, like the Montgomery schools, is in line to get a "gold" rating under the green building council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, rating system. Among other features, it boasts a geothermal heating and cooling system, waterless urinals and low-flow faucets, and a white reflective coating on the flat portions of the roof to keep the building from needing as much air conditioning in warm months.