More time in the classroom won't fix education problems

More time in the classroom won't fix education problems:

"“…greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works.”

President Obama’s latest proposal is to increase classroom time by as much as three hours a day and to open schools on weekends to give kids a safe place to hang out. What is unclear is whether or not this additional time in class would be instructional time. And true to form, the President never discussed the financial impact.

Although unspoken, his reasoning is essentially financial. At a time when most school districts are cutting teacher salaries and benefits, and increasing the student/teacher ratio and pupils per classroom, the unions are negotiating reductions in classroom time as compensation. In other words, less pay translates into less time in class for the children."

Extended School Year Would Have Dire Economic Effects, Critics Say - Political News - FOXNews.com

Extended School Year Would Have Dire Economic Effects, Critics Say - Political News - FOXNews.com:

"If the academic year gets pushed deeper into summer, as President Obama is advocating, the grumbling will not be limited just to students and teachers who will be forced to spend more days in school.

Critics say the president's call for a longer academic calendar and a shorter summer vacation will bring on a host of unintended consequences -- including increased costs for school systems, major cuts to the nation's hotel and tourism industries, and"

The McGraw-Hill Companies :: Connecting Education With Innovation: Leaders Honored With the 22nd Annual McGraw Prize in Education

The McGraw-Hill Companies :: Connecting Education With Innovation: Leaders Honored With the 22nd Annual McGraw Prize in Education:

"The 2009 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education honors Sarita Brown, Linda Darling-Hammond and Joseph Renzulli for their guiding work in accelerating educational success among Latinos, teacher training, and gifted and talented enrichment, respectively. Announced today by Harold McGraw III, chairman, president and chief executive officer of The McGraw-Hill Companies, the honorees will be recognized this evening at a dinner at the New York Public Library.

'Providing an exceptional education to students of all backgrounds and skills sets is critical if we want our country, and our citizens, to succeed in today's global, knowledge-based economy,' said Mr. McGraw. 'In order for our nation to maintain its standing in the world, our educational system needs innovators who are always looking to push beyond boundaries to identify creative, effective solutions to our biggest challenges. Each of this year's recipients has done just that and as a result has made a tremendous difference in the lives of students and educators.'"

Fairsite Elementary School in Galt is now home to successful pre-school program

Fairsite Elementary School in Galt is now home to successful pre-school program:

"First 5-related programs, including a jumpstart kindergarten camp that brought in 40 students in July, have already been operating on the campus, according to Mayo-Whitlock.

A parent-toddler playgroup that starts today has close to 30 enrolled, the group will not only assist parents in learning about other caregiving options before kindergarten, but give them a support system, she said."

College Fairs prove most useful to juniors and seniors - Sacramento Living - Sacramento Food and Wine, Home, Health | Sacramento Bee

College Fairs prove most useful to juniors and seniors - Sacramento Living - Sacramento Food and Wine, Home, Health Sacramento Bee:

"At a single college fair in Rocklin last year, 4,000 to 5,000 people -- teens and parents -- swarmed the tables of college recruiters in the academic equivalent of speed dating.
At such events, colleges bring their most attractive brochures and students bring breathless questions ranging from 'How hard is it to get in?' to 'How far is it to the beach?'"

Op-Ed Columnist - Peering at the Future - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Columnist - Peering at the Future - NYTimes.com:

"Visiting classrooms is like peering into the nation’s future. Right now the view is somewhat frightening. American kids drop out of high school at an average of one every 26 seconds. Only about a third of those who graduate are prepared to move on to a four-year college. And in the savage economic downturn that has gripped the U.S. for the better part of the past two years, retrenchment in public schools and colleges is widespread."

Obama Education Appointee: The Fox Guarding the Hen House

Obama Education Appointee: The Fox Guarding the Hen House:

"A few months ago I wrote about Kevin Jennings, the homosexual activists appointed to a high position within the Department of Education.
Jennings is the the founder and former head of the pro-homosexual Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) organization, a group that pushes the normalization and acceptance of homosexuality despite the moral and health pitfalls of this practice."

School boards seek more power to control costs | thedailyjournal.com | The Daily Journal

School boards seek more power to control costs thedailyjournal.com The Daily Journal:

"School boards need more power at the bargaining table to get a better grip on rising costs, according to Frank Belluscio, communications director for the New Jersey School Boards Association, which includes 4,800 local board members."

UnionLeader.com - New Hampshire news, business and sports - City class sizes: Better, not more, teachers - Tuesday, Sep. 29, 2009

UnionLeader.com - New Hampshire news, business and sports - City class sizes: Better, not more, teachers - Tuesday, Sep. 29, 2009:

"'For me, class size is the most important component in achievement,' school board member Katherine Labanaris said in yesterday's story on the larger classes.
Alderman and mayoral candidate Mark Roy, the official candidate of the Manchester teachers union, says he's 'very deeply' troubled by the larger classes. He wants to find more money to pay more teachers so we can have fewer students in each room."

What your child's math teacher may not be telling you

What your child's math teacher may not be telling you:

"The author points out again one of the best kept secrets in special education masters programs. There is no emphasis in any sort of subject matter, like reading, math, science, etc to teach special education students. No wonder special education students lag way behind their general education peers! The unknowing public taxpayer assumes the reason is because the students are 'retarded' or 'intellectually challenged' even those these children are actually a very small segment of the special education population. Most special education students have average or above intellectual functioning. However, as time marches on and and they are subjected to ineffective teaching methods, they fall further and further behind. It is not because they can't learn, it is just because they have not had access to properly trained teachers.
Our teaching candidate continues:"

Klobuchar introduces National Anti-Truancy legislation

Klobuchar introduces National Anti-Truancy legislation:

"With debate over the reauthorization of major education law heating up, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar today introduced the “Student Attendance Success Act” to help schools better address the challenge of truancy, especially for students in the middle-school years. The bill is cosponsored with North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan, and Klobuchar said she wants it included in the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind.

Citing the need for more effective federal support of the nation’s K-12 schools, Klobuchar also called for significant reform of the No Child Left Behind law, which is up for reauthorization by Congress this year."

“Occupy and Escalate”: Inside the Barricades at UC Santa Cruz : Indybay

“Occupy and Escalate”: Inside the Barricades at UC Santa Cruz : Indybay:

"We work and we borrow in order to work and to borrow. And the jobs we work toward are the jobs we already have. Close to three quarters of students work while in school, many full-time; for most, the level of employment we obtain while students is the same that awaits after graduation. Meanwhile, what we acquire isn’t education; it’s debt. We work to make money we have already spent, and our future labor has already been sold on the worst market around. …Even leisure is a form of job training. The idiot crew of the frat houses drink themselves into a stupor with all the dedication of lawyers working late at the office. Kids who smoked weed and cut class in high school now pop Adderall and get to work. We power the diploma factory on the treadmills in the gym."

whose works have been banned or challenged

whose works have been banned or challenged

Banned Books Week falls on the last week in September every year. To mark it this year, we thought we’d offer a little tribute to Jewish children’s book authors whose works have been banned or challenged. And in homage to one Jewish writer whose books get attacked with great regularity, we decided to do it in verse, a la Shel Silverstein. Silverstein’s 1974 book Where The Sidewalk Ends was challenged at the West Allis-West Milwaukee School Libraries in 1986 because it “suggests drug use, the occult, suicide, death, violence, disrespect for truth, disrespect for legitimate authority, rebellion against parents,” and at the Central Columbia School District in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.,

BeyondChron: San Francisco's Alternative Online Daily News » Gavin Newsom, Cory Booker and the Struggle for Urban America

BeyondChron: San Francisco's Alternative Online Daily News » Gavin Newsom, Cory Booker and the Struggle for Urban America:

"Although San Francisco and Newark, New Jersey appear to have little in common, both have young, high profile mayors trying to revive long distressed urban communities."

More Controversy in the classroom

More Controversy in the classroom:

"As parents we have a real dilemma with some of the curriculum that is being taught to our children in schools. The students in California may be shown pro-gay videos. The posters introducing the videos are displayed in the school now. The videos have been ordered by the various California school boards. There are two films one is of a boy “coming out” by wearing his mom’s bikini and the other is one that uses the spiritualism of Native American’s to cast LGBT (lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender) persons as “two-spirit” people."

State of the State: K-12 Education - The Daily Californian

State of the State: K-12 Education - The Daily Californian:

"Two years ago, California spent significantly less on schools than most other states. Now we are making deep cuts in educational spending. Two years ago, California ranked nearly last in the nation in the number of adults per student in our schools. Now we are laying off teachers. Two years ago, California faced a severe shortage of college graduates in the coming decade. Now the UC and CSU systems are eliminating classes and restricting enrollments."

No more retreating at CCSF | SocialistWorker.org

No more retreating at CCSF SocialistWorker.org:

"Most of all, the current cuts in funding for all California higher education are not a one-time, temporary loss. Even California Community College Chancellor Jack Scott has warned that further mid-year budget cuts are 'quite likely' as state tax revenues continue to drop in the recession.

Moreover, annual budget deficits will rise unless the state's legislators move beyond 'borrowing and gimmicks.' And City College's current budget plans for more cuts in programs and classes in 2010-11. This means layoffs, sooner or later."

Cal State students, it's time to stand up -- latimes.com

Cal State students, it's time to stand up -- latimes.com:

"These days, the big budget shortfalls in Sacramento have left our Cal State brothers and sisters unprotected. All Californians should fight to protect them. But the students also need a few lessons in standing up for themselves -- or else they'll always be on the losing end of those Capitol funding brawls.

Five faculty members and students made this point on the first day of classes, as part of a day of protest at college campuses all over the state. They held up a series of five words on signs outside the main parking lot:

'When Will You Fight Back?'"

Manteca Bulletin - Longer school days? Where’s the money?

Manteca Bulletin - Longer school days? Where’s the money?:

"With that the Commander-in-Chief believes that students today spend too little time in the classroom. Coming this week, those involved in education at the local level who have had to deal with the crippling economic blow that is still digging into coffers, aren’t quite sure that the concept of longer school days and shorter vacations – while maybe a good theoretical idea – is currently feasible."

“Who Asked Us?” Dear Arnold: Sign onto Education Funding Fairness - NAM

“Who Asked Us?” Dear Arnold: Sign onto Education Funding Fairness - NAM:

"Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,

When is the last time you talked to a public school student?

And I don’t mean one of those meet-and-greet, dog-and-pony shows. I mean, you know, really talked to one of us, like inviting us over to your office in Sacramento or going to lunch at a McDonald’s. To find out what’s really going on in our schools and in our lives."

2 teachers unions take on districts - SignOnSanDiego.com

2 teachers unions take on districts - SignOnSanDiego.com:

"The two largest teachers unions in the county are filing unfair-labor-practice complaints against school districts that increased class sizes this year to deal with unprecedented budget cuts. The Sweetwater Union High School District's union claims the school board failed to negotiate with educators as required before changing last year's 28-to-1 student-teacher ratio to 30-to-1 this year."

Mr. Jackson Told Me I Would Go Places - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Mr. Jackson Told Me I Would Go Places - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos:

"“While parents and politicians worry about crumbling facilities and decimated budgets, students know that the heart of education beats inside the individual teacher. More than spacious playgrounds or sparkling cafeterias; more, even, than top-notch textbooks and state-of-the art computers, it’s the teacher who makes the difference. When NAM asked young people in our youth communications programs to write about the one teacher who’d really made a difference, they barely had to think before the keys were flying. This collection of pieces was underwritten by a project funded through the California Teachers Association.”)"

Sacramento Press / Whole lot of love

Sacramento Press / Whole lot of love:

"The fifth annual Mustard Seed Spin was held yesterday on the American River Trail with guest speaker Mayor Kevin Johnson showing his support for the need to take care of our children and keep what safety nets we do have in place from disappearing."

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Blogger for a Day: Teachers Matter, But How Do You Measure It?

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Blogger for a Day: Teachers Matter, But How Do You Measure It?:

"Guest blogger Rick Beach, president of the San Diego Science Alliance, is taking on the topic of how to measure teacher performance. You might remember that a few bloggers debated this issue last month. We're continuing this conversation with Beach, who questions whether test scores are the right way to gauge teaching."

Series Introduction: Helping Our Teachers : NPR

Series Introduction: Helping Our Teachers : NPR:

"Everyone from President Obama on down seems to agree that a good teacher can make a huge difference in a child's life. American schools have been trying for decades to improve teacher quality. The results are mixed. Over the next year, NPR will explore those efforts and take a look at the latest crop of teachers entering the profession."

Newsom plans college 'savings bond'

Newsom plans college 'savings bond':

"Mayor and new daddy Gavin Newsom will unveil a plan to provide every San Francisco kindergartener with a $50 'savings bond' for college - just as soon as he can figure out how to make sure illegal immigrants can qualify."

The idea behind the Kindergarten to College program would be for San Francisco to seed an account for each of the 4,500 children who enter kindergarten in the city's public schools each year. The students and their families would take it from there.Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/28/BA4019SSEV.DTL&feed=rss.matierandross#ixzz0SSDcBhQZ

Cash for the classrooms -- latimes.com

Cash for the classrooms -- latimes.com:

"The teachers are still mostly young -- well, one tough year older -- and passionate about the mission of teaching disadvantaged students. The big difference: There are 43 more of them than last year, a 25% increase. And a tour of classrooms -- English, math, chemistry -- shows fewer students in each. Average class sizes, which had hovered in the low 30s last year, are now in the mid-20s.

This isn't just a change from the year before; it stands in marked contrast to the Los Angeles Unified School District and many other public school systems that have laid off teachers and increased class sizes because of miserable education funding. At the same time, Green Dot maintains order on what was a traditionally unruly campus by spending hundreds of thousands of dollars more on security than most schools."

Bridge to college | bridge, college - Local News - Victorville Daily Press

Bridge to college bridge, college - Local News - Victorville Daily Press:

"It’s a feat that’s brought tears to the eyes of Sacramento bureaucrats, local educators and proud parents: A whopping 100 percent of Serrano High School’s roughly 500 graduating seniors have accepted their diplomas with plans to go on to post-secondary education or the military for the past two years."

Bottled Water Giant Nestle Coming to Most Threatened River Delta in America? : TreeHugger

Bottled Water Giant Nestle Coming to Most Threatened River Delta in America? : TreeHugger:

"That's right, reports the Sacramento News & Review, - Nestle Waters North America has pulled out of its bid to get water from McCloud, near Mt. Shasta and instead is setting up shop in Sacramento. We reported just this year that this area is the #1 most threatened river basin, so why would a water bottling company come here of all places? Is there anything you can do? Click through the jump to find out more."

Sacramento News & Review,

http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=1263766

ACLU Opposes Surveillance Camera Plan - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento

ACLU Opposes Surveillance Camera Plan - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento:

"'We didn't have $615,000 in our budget for security cameras, but there was Homeland Security money available. I fought for the money and got it. Public safety is a top priority for my administration, and I will use every tool to help reduce crime in our city,' Johnson said in a statement. 'Cameras alone won't solve crime, but they can be part of the solution. If technology helps keep our residents and visitors safe, we'd be foolish not to use it.'"

The School Issue - College - When Your Dorm Goes Green and Local - NYTimes.com

The School Issue - College - When Your Dorm Goes Green and Local - NYTimes.com:

"Thoreau said education often made straight-cut ditches out of meandering brooks. But not at the EcoDorm, which houses 36 undergraduates and is the spiritual heart of Warren Wilson College, a liberal-arts school of fewer than 1,000 students in Swannanoa, N.C."

Up for Debate: Should Kids Be Taught How to Argue? - The Juggle - WSJ

Up for Debate: Should Kids Be Taught How to Argue? - The Juggle - WSJ:

"Studies of high school and college students show they are able to identify the main claims and reasons in an argument only 30% of the time, says M. Anne Britt, a researcher at Northern Illinois University. Much of the time, they wrongly identified the counterclaim as the main argument. Students have an even harder time thinking up logical arguments to weaken an opposing argument. Instead, a Columbia University researcher says, “they tend to … give all the reasons supporting their side, and absolutely ignore the alternative. They say what they have to say, and then say it louder, and hope the other side will go away.” The federal government has funded 13 studies since 2002 on how teachers can instruct students on improving their arguing skills."

Woodson High, South County Secondary Leave National PTA - washingtonpost.com

Woodson High, South County Secondary Leave National PTA - washingtonpost.com:

"The growing number of splinter parent groups, which typically focus on an individual school's needs, is a continuing challenge for the 'Every child/one voice' mission of the national PTA.

'People today look more for: 'What's in it for me? How will this help my child?' ' said Melissa Nehrbass, president of the Virginia PTA. Declining PTA membership, she said, means fewer people who will fight for children who don't have a parent speaking out for them."

District Dossier: Tackling Bullying Based on Sexual Identity

District Dossier: Tackling Bullying Based on Sexual Identity:

"School bullying is a serious issue almost everywhere. But there's a growing concern about bullying targeting a particular population of students.

Students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (or who other students assume are) experience not only taunting and ridicule, but physical violence from some of their peers.

A new research brief, published by GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, found many 'GLBT-identifying' middle school students were reporting harassment and hearing homophobic epithets at school on a regular basis."

Read Brief here: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/12223279/THE-EXPERIENCES-OF-LESBIAN-GAY-BISEXUAL-AND-TRANSGENDER-MIDDLE-SCHOOLSTUDENTS-FINDINGS-FROM-THE-2007-NATIONAL-SCHOOL-CLIMATE-SURVEY

Read the full report here: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/11567105/2007-National-School-Climate-Survey-GLSEN-the-Gay-Lesbian-and-Straight-Education-Network

Inside School Research: Post Editorial Says Study 'Demolishes' Anti-Charter Debates

Inside School Research: Post Editorial Says Study 'Demolishes' Anti-Charter Debates:

"That kind of enthusiam might be a little premature. New York is just one city—and one that charter school experts tell me is known for the quality of its authorizing system for charter schools. What's more, the promising practices that the report identifies were merely linked to higher student achievement. Even study author Caroline M. Hoxby points out that her findings don't suggest that things like longer school days, performance pay, or strict classroom management caused the charter school students to outperform their peers in traditional schools."

Education Week: Management Guru Says 'Student Load' Key to Achievement

Education Week: Management Guru Says 'Student Load' Key to Achievement:

"Mr. Ouchi lays out that message in a new book, The Secret of TSL, published this month by Simon & Schuster of New York City. The letters stand for “total student load,” which Mr. Ouchi defines as the number of students that teachers come in contact with each academic term and the number of papers they grade.

In a not-yet-published study of 442 schools in eight large urban districts that have devolved power to local principals, Mr. Ouchi finds that schools that have reduced TSL in measurable ways also tend to have higher passing rates on state exams."

Schools becoming more 'tolerant' as 'zero tolerance' rules end | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | News: Education

Schools becoming more 'tolerant' as 'zero tolerance' rules end News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News News: Education:

"That's welcome news for Robert Hess, whose son Taylor was briefly expelled from L.D. Bell High School in Hurst after a bread knife fell out of a 20-year-old cutlery set bound for Goodwill, and was found in his truck bed on campus.

'That certainly would have saved us an awful lot of trouble,' said Hess, who holds no ill will toward school administrators over the 2002 incident. 'They were bound by their own rules that they had written to dole out this ridiculous punishment, which was one year in alternative education.'"

Despite Test Scores, Shaw Is on the Right Track - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education

Despite Test Scores, Shaw Is on the Right Track - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education:

"Now her poster boy for reform appears to be in trouble, bringing I-told-you-so blog posts from many people who don’t like Rhee, her ideas or her brash style.

How bad was Shaw’s first year? It depends a bit on how you read the data. According to the State Superintendent of Education’s web site, Shaw dropped from 38.7 to 30.5 in the percent of students scoring at least proficient in reading, and from 32.7 to 29.2 in math.
But those were not the numbers Rhee read to Betts over the phone."

Religion remains sticky in social studies debate | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Religion remains sticky in social studies debate Houston & Texas News Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"“It is absolutely right to suggest that Puritans who settled New England came here with a vision for a Christian commonwealth,” Hughes said. “It is absolutely wrong to suggest that America's founders had that same vision. They simply didn't.”

Many of the Founding Fathers were connected with churches and many were not, he said. Letters written by Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, indicated he held the Christian church in utter contempt, the religion professor said. Jefferson viewed Jesus as a moral teacher, but believed that churches had corrupted those teachings, Hughes said."

The Perimeter Primate: Introducing "The Broad Report"

The Perimeter Primate: Introducing "The Broad Report"

I’m not the only one who is bothered by what Eli Broad has been up to over the last several years. Since I started this blog in February 2008, I’ve been contacted by other people via private emails and blog comments. As it turns out, there are many other public school parents, public school teachers, and a variety of people all across the U.S. who are greatly disturbed by things that are happening to the public school systems where they live, courtesy of Eli Broad's "philanthropy." We certainly don’t feel like our communities, or our kids, are benefiting from his largess.

Because the dissatisfaction is definitely out there, I thought it was time to create a place where people could come come together and share what they know. The result is a website I put together over this past weekend called The Broad Report.

Fourth Annual National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week Is Oct. 4 - 10,

Fourth Annual National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week Is Oct. 4 - 10,:

"As part of PACER Center's fourth annual National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week, Oct. 4-10, 2009, children, teens, adults, schools, and communities across the country are encouraged to partner with PACER to prevent bullying. The movement is being given a boost with the launch of PACERTeensAgainstBullying.org -- a relevant, edgy Web site created by and for teens. In addition to videos, stories, blogs, and social networking, the site features a toolbox of things teens and schools can do to address bullying -- from creating their own videos to performing role plays for younger students.

Every day, more than 160,000 children nationwide stay home from school to avoid bullying. Up to one-third of the nation's students are bullied during the academic year, and more than 60 percent witness bullying daily. The results of bullying can be devastating -- or even tragic."

The American Spectator : Running from Reform

The American Spectator : Running from Reform:

"In August, Fenty's integrity took a hit after the mayor -- who makes much of chauffeuring himself around town -- got into a fender-bender. It turns out that Fenty may have violated the spirit (if not the letter) or city regulations by allowing a friend and campaign donor, Keith Lomax, to tool around in city-owned Lincoln Navigators and Smart Cars. Lomax's landscaping firm, by the way, garnered $11 million in city contracts since Fenty took office."

Editorial - Mr. Duncan and That $4.3 Billion - NYTimes.com

Editorial - Mr. Duncan and That $4.3 Billion - NYTimes.com:

"His power to press for reforms was dramatically enhanced earlier this year when Congress gave him control of $4.3 billion in grant money — the Race to the Top fund — that is to be disbursed to the states on a competitive basis. Mr. Duncan will need to resist political pressure and special pleadings and reward only the states that are committed to effective and clearly measurable reform."

Faculty Walkout Teaches an Important Lesson - Daily Nexus

Faculty Walkout Teaches an Important Lesson - Daily Nexus:

"These cuts will have a severely negative impact on all aspects of University operations: Employees will be forced to accept involuntary work reductions (furloughs) and many will even be laid off. There will be much less support for lecturers and TAs, as courses will be cut and many others reduced in size. With fewer classes being taught and less room in the remaining classes, it will take you longer to finish your degrees. The quality of the instruction you receive, indeed, your educational experience as a whole, will also suffer"

Five reasons N.J.'s property tax system is failing you | thedailyjournal.com | The Daily Journal

Five reasons N.J.'s property tax system is failing you thedailyjournal.com The Daily Journal:

"New Jersey's heavy reliance on property taxes as the main source of education funding creates extreme disparities in school funding that the state repeatedly has tried to address.It also pits communities against each other, with residents of suburban districts complaining that too many of the state's resources have been funneled to underperforming urban schools.The state constitution requires local school districts to provide children with a 'thorough and efficient' education from kindergarten through high school, and establishes rules and regulations governing everything from core curriculum to teacher training to class sizes."

WE ARE FAMILY - California's Family Day

WE ARE FAMILY - California's Family Day:

"Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children™ is a national movement launched by The Naitonal Center on Addiction Substance Abuse (CASA) in 2001 based on their research that has consistently found that the more often kids eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink, or use drugs."