Ms. Rhee's show trial - washingtonpost.com

Ms. Rhee's show trial - washingtonpost.com:

"D.C. SCHOOLS Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee stands accused, it seems, of trying to manage her budget in a way that will do the least harm to students. Not a crime, you might think -- unless, like Ms. Rhee's accusers on the D.C. Council, you are more interested in scoring political points than in hearing what she is doing for children.

Ms. Rhee was called before the council Thursday to explain the layoffs of 388 employees, including 266 teachers and other educators. She provided convincing evidence of the budget pressures leading to this month's reduction in force. She offered solid reasons for the hiring of some 900 teachers last spring and summer, and held out an olive branch to the council -- saying she never intended to blame it for the layoffs. She made clear that her goal was to save summer school as an option for as many children as possible."

National Summer Learning Association - Home

National Summer Learning Association - Home:

"Welcome to the National Summer Learning Association

We opened our doors September 1, staffed by former staff of the National Center for Summer Learning. Find out why, and what it means to you. Join the Association.

Secretary Duncan Champions Summer Learning

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan received the Association’s “Champion of Summer Learning” award as part of a recent ceremony in Washington, DC. Duncan, who advocates using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to promote and strengthen summer learning programs, explains the basis for his support.
Funding Available for Summer Learning Programs

Funding is available for summer learning like never before, so make sure your summer programs reap the benefits. Get the information you need to make your case for funding, in the Association’s new policy brief, ARRA, School Improvement and Summer Learning—Funding Blueprint for States and Districts."

Rhee is right--summer learning is vital - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education

Rhee is right--summer learning is vital - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education:

"I don't have a transcript of yesterday's raucous D.C. Council hearing over the disputed layoffs of 266 teachers early this month, but the TV clip I saw had Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray asking D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee if she thought she was smarter than everybody else in deciding not to cut $9 million for the 2010 summer school, as the council told her to do. Anyone who has looked at the data on summer learning loss would have to say Rhee was right, and the council was wrong. That won't solve the communication problem the city government is struggling with, but if you are concerned with raising the achievement of D.C. kids, it is important to emphasize that point."

Take a look at the studies compiled by the National Summer Learning Association and see for yourself. At the very least, there is a one month loss of learning because of the traditional summer vacation. Several studies, including some from Johns Hopkins University, have noted the startling difference in the loss of learning between impoverished urban children---like the majority of kids in the D.C. schools---and affluent suburban kids. Suburban parents manage to inject more learning into their children's summers than low-income urban parents do.

New DPS contract sparks concerns | detnews.com | The Detroit News

New DPS contract sparks concerns detnews.com The Detroit News:

"A $40 million contract with a book publishing company has resurrected concerns over Detroit Public Schools making business deals with former employers of its administrators.

DPS contracted with Boston's Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for a Web-based teaching product called Learning Village, and for curriculum, training and books. Barbara Byrd-Bennett, the district's chief academic and accountability officer, used to work for Harcourt School Publishers.

The contract is the largest single deal ever for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, one of the oldest publishers in the nation."

The agreement follows Bobb's hiring of Public Financial Management Inc., where he was a part-time consultant, under a $972,000, no-bid contract. (The Broad Foundation is paying $450,000 of that contract.) The Philadelphia company was contracted to work on DPS finances.

Byrd-Bennett wasn't available for comment, but DPS spokeswoman Jennifer Mrozowski said the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt contract was competitively bid and the publisher was chosen over the two others that gave the district proposals because it had the highest evaluation from a panel of senior academic staff. Byrd-Bennett was not on this panel, Mrozowski said.

"She was not a part of the bid process or the selection with this company or any of the others," Mrozowski said. "Because she has had relationships with so many (education companies), she deliberately does not participate in the process."

AFP: Harvard University again world's best: Chinese ranking

AFP: Harvard University again world's best: Chinese ranking:

"BEIJING — Harvard University in the United States is once again the world's top institute of higher education for 2009, according to a Chinese ranking that is dominated by American colleges.

Stanford University was second, followed by the University of California at Berkeley, said the annual ranking by the Centre for World-Class Universities and the Institute of Higher Education at Shanghai's Jiaotong University.

The Annual Ranking of World Universities was posted on its website at www.arwu.org."

The Signal - Santa Clarita Valley News - We need education funding reform

The Signal - Santa Clarita Valley News - We need education funding reform:

"I am writing this to raise awareness of a situation that is going on right under our noses that most of us are too blind to see.

Our public education system is flawed. Not only flawed, but it is failing.

As a college student, I know the struggle that students face to find classes. I know how much the increases in fees hurt my wallet.

I know what it is like to pay more for less of an education.

I see teachers getting laid off, and others are getting their pay cut through “furloughs.”"

Dan Walters: School duels, using surrogates - Inside Bay Area

Dan Walters: School duels, using surrogates - Inside Bay Area:

"ONE OF the more obscure — and probably more important — of California's many political conflicts pits an organization called EdVoice against the California Teachers Association and other school unions.

It centers on our ever-deepening education crisis, manifested in low test scores and high dropout rates, especially among black and Latino kids.

EdVoice, maintained by some wealthy Californians such as Southern California developer Eli Broad and Silicon Valley tycoon Reed Hastings, advocates charter schools, tougher teaching standards and other aggressive approaches.

The CTA and its allies, meanwhile, say California's chief education issue is money, specifically its below-average level of per-pupil spending."

Claud Evans honored as OSU Distinguished Ag Alumnus

Claud Evans honored as OSU Distinguished Ag Alumnus:

"Dr. Claud Evans of Okemah has been named a 2009 Distinguished Agriculture Alumnus of Oklahoma State University's Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

Evans is perhaps best known to Oklahomans for the 16 years he served as a member of the Board of Regents for Oklahoma State University and the Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges.
'Dr. Evans has certainly had a great influence on our extended OSU family over the years, and the division continues to directly benefit from his expertise and experience through his membership on the Dean's Advisory Council,' said Robert E. Whitson, DASNR dean and director and vice president of agricultural programs at OSU."

PR-USA.net - Barona Tribe Awards 13 Education Grants Totaling $65,000 to Soledad Enrichment Action Charter School

PR-USA.net - Barona Tribe Awards 13 Education Grants Totaling $65,000 to Soledad Enrichment Action Charter School:


"Today, staff and students of 13 Soledad Enrichment Action (SEA) charter schools from Long Beach to Los Angeles to Pomona joined 45th District Assemblymember Kevin de Leon to accept a $65,000 education grant from the Barona Band of Mission Indians. The check was presented by Edwin 'Thorpe' Romero, Chairman of the Barona Band of Mission Indians, and represented $5,000 for each school as part of the Barona Education Grant program.

Since 2006, the Barona Band of Mission Indians has been helping lessen the blow of budget cuts for schools throughout California with the creation of the Barona Education Grant program, which has awarded more than $800,000 to over 165 schools statewide, including $140,000 to the SEA schools over the past two years."

California Forward Action Fund Submits Reform Initiatives | Reuters

California Forward Action Fund Submits Reform Initiatives Reuters:

"The California Forward Action Fund submitted a pair of nonpartisan initiatives
Friday that would bring comprehensive reform to California`s broken budget
process, protect funding for local services and give communities new tools and
resources to set their own priorities and chart their own paths for the future.

'In jobs and technology, education and quality of life, our state has always led
the way. We`ve been to every corner of the state, talked to hundreds of people
from every walk of life and spent months of research refining our proposals.
These reforms get California moving again so California can lead again,' said
Bob Hertzberg, co-chair of the California Forward Action Fund and former
Assembly Speaker.

'Politics as usual won`t solve our problems,' said Thomas McKernan, California
Forward Action Fund co-chair and CEO of the Automobile Club of Southern
California. 'It`s time to focus on common sense - by taking practices that have
proven themselves in business and other states, and putting them to work in
California, balancing the budget, reducing waste and delivering better results.'"

River City High principal hurt trying to quell food fight - Latest News - sacbee.com

River City High principal hurt trying to quell food fight - Latest News - sacbee.com:

"A West Sacramento high school principal spent Thursday and Friday at home resting after suffering a head injury breaking up a food fight Wednesday in his campus cafeteria.
The extent of the head injury to River City High School Principal Stuart McKay is not clear, but a district official said she expected McKay to be fit for duty Monday"

Are you switching your kid from public to private school?

Are you switching your kid from public to private school?:

"A decade ago, going public meant frothy tech IPOs. Now, it's what private school kids do when their parents can no longer pay their tuition. Private school enrollments are down everywhere, from Washington D.C. to Tennessee to California, while requests for financial aid are up. Yet recessionary budget cuts have hit many public schools hard, forcing them to lay off teachers (which increases class size), scale back instruction in art, music and theater, and even shorten the school year. Given the cutbacks, public school parents who can afford it may consider sending their kids to private schools.

Are you thinking of transferring your child from private school to public? Or from public to private? Have you already done so recently? Why? What has the transition been like for your children and family? If your kids are already in a public school, are you seeing an influx of children this year who formerly went to private schools? Has that changed the school in any way?

I'm reporting on this topic for DoubleX and I'd love to get your feedback. Please e-mail your responses to doublexschool@gmail.com. E-mail may be quoted in DoubleX unless the writer stipulates otherwise. If you want to be quoted anonymously, please let us know."

No progress + lower standards = progress (OneNewsNow.com)

No progress + lower standards = progress (OneNewsNow.com):

"The Department of Education has released a new report that shows a disturbing trend in state educational standards.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report found that many states are setting educational standards so low that they can claim they made progress when none was made. States also continue to get federal dollars through the No Child Left Behind program. Neal McClusky, associate director of the Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom, believes the report will be used to argue in favor of stricter federal standards in education."

"Well, if you see almost everybody setting the lowest standards [they] can, [and] almost every politician setting the lowest standards they can set, why would you ever think, 'If we put it at the federal level, then everything we've seen in politics will change, and somehow they'll set high standards?' Of course they won't because all of the incentives are to set low standards, so they're easy to meet," argues McClusky. The Center's associate director contends that control of education needs to be given over to parents so that they can decide which schools their children attend. With control then taken away from the federal and even the state governments, he says schools will have to compete for dollars and students. That way, he says, failing institutions will not be able to survive.

Illinois school test scores: Income-based gap proves hard to close -- chicagotribune.com

Illinois school test scores: Income-based gap proves hard to close -- chicagotribune.com:

"Surrounded by sports fields and suburban lawns, Hadley Junior High School could be the envy of the state.

Nine of every 10 students at the Glen Ellyn school passed state exams in reading and math, according to the 2009 Illinois School Report Card made public Friday.

But average scores belie a widespread problem the federal government has spent billions trying to fix nationwide: While at least 95 percent of Hadley's well-off students passed the eighth-grade reading and math tests, about half of their low-income classmates met the same goals, revealing an achievement gap that is as persistent as it is pernicious.

Seven years after the federal No Child Left Behind Law ambitiously pledged to eliminate such disparities and invested nearly $6.2 billion in Illinois schools alone, the progress has been modest and isolated."

Sacramento Press / Sacramento Press: Enabling the Community to Offer Food for Thought

Sacramento Press / Sacramento Press: Enabling the Community to Offer Food for Thought:

"Recently I read an article by Mayor Kevin Johnson, 'It's all about accountability,' in which Johnson writes, 'I love accountability ... and I find it curious when elected officials and the media decide the moment has arrived to wrap their arms around the fundamentals of accountability for the time being. They demand accountability for everyone but themselves. They choose which rules they follow .... Let's talk about accountability. It's a subject I understand ... I demand accountability for myself, my staff and every employee in the city of Sacramento.'

Surely we can see how community members can be frustrated when many feel the mayor hasn't been held accountable with mismanagement of St. Hope, with allegations of a relationship with minors, with the $25,000 loan to SAG which was forgiven and became a gift in the midst of controversy and other concerns."

College enrollment up, mostly at 2-year schools • Schools (www.HometownAnnapolis.com - The Capital)

College enrollment up, mostly at 2-year schools • Schools (www.HometownAnnapolis.com - The Capital):

"Some are there because of the recession, and others despite it. Regardless, more young Americans than ever are in college — especially community college, according to a new report."

A record high of about 11.5 million Americans age 18 to 24, or nearly 40 percent, attended college in October 2008, according to a study of Census data released Thursday by the Pew Research Center. Virtually all the increase of 300,000 students over the previous year came at two-year schools, while attendance at four-year schools remained flat.

Community colleges almost certainly saw attendance go up at least that much again this year, though final figures are not yet available. The American Association of Community Colleges reports growth rates of 10 percent and higher have been common this fall on many campuses.

Overall college attendance has been going up for about 30 years; what's new is the sharp uptick at community colleges, driven in large part by recessionary bargain hunting and closer ties between two- and four-year colleges that give students more confidence they'll be able to transfer.

Flu closes some metro schools, but disruptions minimal | StarTribune.com

Flu closes some metro schools, but disruptions minimal StarTribune.com:

"Serious outbreaks of the H1N1 flu are being reported at scattered Twin Cities schools, forcing a few to close and some to alter their instruction to account for all the absent kids.

Statewide, the number of schools with outbreaks has continued to climb since September, reaching 288 last week, according to the state Department of Health. The list includes public and private schools in Minneapolis, White Bear Lake, Richfield, Burnsville, Maplewood, Edina, Apple Valley, Anoka and St. Paul."

Education Week: 'Funding Cliff' Looms Large for States

Education Week: 'Funding Cliff' Looms Large for States:

"Amid a still-shaky economy, a troubling reality is starting to set in for states and school districts: The budget situation may get a lot worse when the federal economic-stimulus spigot runs dry.

The hope of the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress has been that the $787 billion in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act—including some $100 billion for education—would soften the pain of the recession and help drive a recovery.

But as helpful as many state and local officials have found the once-only stimulus aid in coping with current and anticipated revenue shortfalls, it creates some awfully big holes to fill when the money begins to run out late next year in what’s widely known..."

Michelle Obama Reaps Bonanza From White House Garden -- Politics Daily

Michelle Obama Reaps Bonanza From White House Garden -- Politics Daily:

"The White House garden, a project of First Lady Michelle Obama's East Wing, was planted last April. As of Thursday, when Mrs. Obama presided over the fall harvest, it had produced 963 pounds of food.

When the grades come in on President Obama's first year in office -- and next Wednesday marks the anniversary of his election -- the garden on the South Lawn should get an A (as in arugula) because it was one heck of a good idea.

The garden has been great PR for Mrs. Obama, providing a non-controversial, picturesque backdrop to talk about her inter-related issues -- healthy eating, exercise, obesity, eating locally produced food, plugging the Obama health reform plan pending in Congress and opening up the White House to the community."

Amherst Bulletin | Editorial: State applies brakes to school mergers

Amherst Bulletin Editorial: State applies brakes to school mergers:

"The long arm of the law from Boston won't be compelling small school districts like Hadley to find new partners, it turns out. At least not now.

We believe that when done right, school regionalization can widen academic offerings and reduce administrative costs. It has already done so in many area schools, though small districts continue to dot the state's educational landscape.

Now, recent local studies are questioning the money side of the equation. And the state finds itself - in a financially dismal 2009 - unable to bankroll change."

With New York Teachers’ Contract Set to Expire, Talks Are Unusually Quiet - NYTimes.com

With New York Teachers’ Contract Set to Expire, Talks Are Unusually Quiet - NYTimes.com:

"With two days left on the New York City teachers’ contract, it would be reasonable to expect a thunder-and-lightning storm of fists pounding on tables and accusations flying in the press."

But this is no ordinary year for the United Federation of Teachers, the city’s teachers’ union, or for City Hall.

Instead, there is near silence. While the union and city officials are indeed negotiating, few expect any agreement before Tuesday, which is Election Day. The union is all but certain to stay neutral in the mayoral race — a boon for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who has been widely criticized among the rank and file. And despite nearly constant calls for changes by the schools chancellor, Joel I. Klein, observers are doubtful that the new contract will contain radical changes in the way teachers are employed and paid.

L.A. schools leader considers shortened school year to balance budget | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

L.A. schools leader considers shortened school year to balance budget L.A. NOW Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles schools Supt. Ramon C. Cortines has asked his chief financial officer to study the possibility of shortening the school year to offset part of an expected shortfall of at least $500 million, The Times has learned.

The strategy, if adopted for the 2010-11 school year, would run counter both to the direction of national reform efforts and to the wishes of Cortines, who agrees with research touting the benefits of an extended academic calendar.

"You know I fought fiercely for a longer school year and a longer school day," Cortines said.

At this week's school board meeting, Cortines said he had no alternative but to consider all options. He added that some strategies had to remain off the table. He’s unwilling, for example, to make class sizes larger in middle and high schools. Classes are too large already, he said. Nor would employee furlough days be sufficient to make up the dollar shortfall. Cortines also stipulated that he would not shorten the school year for overcrowded, year-round schools, which operate on overlapping schedules that reduce each student's school year by 17 days.

Furlough days and shortening the school year would have to be negotiated with employee unions, said district spokeswoman Lydia Ramos. Cortines will review the internal analysis from Chief Financial Officer Megan Reilly when he returns from a weeklong trip to China, which began today, Ramos said.

-- Howard Blume

State budget nears completion | detnews.com | The Detroit News

State budget nears completion detnews.com The Detroit News:

"Lansing -- Gov. Jennifer Granholm intends today to sign the final six budget bills, which are most contentious and likely to include line-item vetoes.

One line that won't be vetoed in the higher education budget is for agricultural extension and experiment station programs. Granholm and Michigan State University officials struck a deal announced Thursday that continues funding for those programs and changes their focus to support the green economy."

The budgets awaiting the governor's approval cover higher education, State Police, human services, community health, general government and energy, labor and economic growth. The bills include steep cuts to programs and services including Promise Grants for college students, Medicaid and revenue sharing to help local governments pay for police and fire service. Granholm wielded her veto pen on earlier bills, the most significant one slashing from the school aid budget $52 million in funding for the state's highest spending school districts. Matt Marsden, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, said Granholm can veto what she wants out of the final six bills, but it won't force Republicans to raise taxes.

"If she chooses to use the veto to cut further, we've made it clear she's within her right to do that -- but we've also been clear we have no intention of passing tax increases to fund her line items," Marsden said. "Any additional veto cuts will result in unfunded lines and we'll consider that to be savings for the next fiscal year."

School Hearing Not an Executive Thing: Fenty | NBC Washington

School Hearing Not an Executive Thing: Fenty NBC Washington:

"Noisy protesters greeted District Council members before a special meeting on school reform Thursday morning.

Council members and community residents had asked D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty to attend the hearing, but the mayor said he doesn't go to hearings in D.C. for the same reason that executives across the country, including the president, don't go to legislative hearings.

Responding to an editorial in the Washington Post that called him 'a child who's too obtuse to his obligations to work cooperatively,' Fenty said, 'I don't go to hearings in D.C. [for] the same reason that Mayor Bloomberg in New York, or Mayor Daley in Chicago, Governor Patrick in Massachusetts, President Obama in the country... executives don't go to legislative hearings.'"

William R. Hite Jr. and Donald J. Briscoe - How performance pay works in the Prince George's schools - washingtonpost.com

William R. Hite Jr. and Donald J. Briscoe - How performance pay works in the Prince George's schools - washingtonpost.com:

"Performance pay is supposed to be the third rail of education reform. But in Prince George's County, we have shown that it doesn't have to be.

Two years ago, we agreed to reward teachers and principals who elevate student achievement in high-need schools. Our program shows that the government can be a catalyst for school reform and that the Obama administration's plans to dramatically expand incentive programs are essential to changing school systems that currently fail, or cannot afford, to reward effective teaching."

New Haven Education Experiment Could Be A Leading Light For Schools Around Nation -- Courant.com

New Haven Education Experiment Could Be A Leading Light For Schools Around Nation -- Courant.com:

"New Haven, increasingly a model city for the state, is about to begin an education experiment that could lead school reform efforts around the nation.

Teachers will be evaluated, at least in part, on how well students perform. Classroom teachers who struggle will be asssisted and bad ones may be given the boot. It's also possible teachers will get bonus pay if students perform well. Failing schools may close and new ones could open. The union will not be able to block school reforms.

And teachers, for a change, will play an active part in making decisions."

Dan Walters: School reform duel shifts to surrogates - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

Dan Walters: School reform duel shifts to surrogates - Sacramento Politics - California Politics Sacramento Bee:

"One of the more obscure – and probably more important – of California's many political conflicts pits an organization called EdVoice against the California Teachers Association and other school unions.

It centers on our ever-deepening education crisis, manifested in low test scores and high dropout rates, especially among black and Latino kids."

EdVoice, maintained by some wealthy Californians such as Southern California developer Eli Broad and Silicon Valley tycoon Reed Hastings, advocates charter schools, tougher teaching standards and other aggressive approaches.

The CTA and its allies, meanwhile, say California's chief education issue is money, specifically its below-average level of per-pupil spending.

It's not so much a partisan or even ideological conflict – Broad and many other EdVoice leaders are Democrats – as it is one of pedagogic philosophy, but that doesn't make it any less abrasive.

Study: California sets among highest math, reading standards | standards, california, reading, state, math - News - OCRegister.com

Study: California sets among highest math, reading standards standards, california, reading, state, math - News - OCRegister.com:

"California's testing standards for public school students in reading and math are tougher than in most states, a National Center for Education Statistics study reveals.

The federal report released today compared the rigor of different states' standards from 2007 on their own tests, the California Standards Tests here, and also to state performance on National Assessment of Education Progress, dubbed NAEP or the Nation's Report Card exams."

Internet’s 40th anniversary celebrated in US

Internet’s 40th anniversary celebrated in US:

"San Francisco, Oct 30 (IANS) The 40th anniversary of the birth of the Internet was celebrated in the US with events being organised at the University of California and the Computer History Museum in Los Angeles to mark the occasion.

Industry leaders, researchers and analysts, among others, attended the function at the California University Thursday, Xinhua reported.

Computer science professor of the university, Leonard Kleinrock, who on Oct 29, 1969 headed a team to send the first message over the ARPANET, which later came to be known as Internet, also attended the event."

Live This City: ... And the bands played on - Sacramento Entertainment - Sacramento Movie Theaters, Music | Sacramento Bee

Live This City: ... And the bands played on - Sacramento Entertainment - Sacramento Movie Theaters, Music Sacramento Bee:

"If music be the food of love, then students in the Rio Americano High School Band program are preparing for the feast of their lives. Luckily, they have the metabolism – and the heart – to handle all 17 courses.

Next Friday, in a school tradition that spans nearly three decades, Rio Americano's 200 student musicians will perform – with fingers, lungs, and carefully concentrating brains – for 17 continuous hours, from 7 a.m. to midnight, in an effort to connect with the community and to raise funds and awareness for the school's award-winning music program."

California Budget Crisis Diaries: F-bomb controversy

California Budget Crisis Diaries: F-bomb controversy

People surrounding Capitol Hill are wondering whether Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office offered some choice words to an assemblymember, while the state’s chances to qualify for stimulus funds increases.

Increase in charter schools: The number of charter schools in California has risen to 809.


The California Charter Schools Association announced Wednesday that it has opened 88 new public charter schools - adding 56,000 new students to the system. According to the Association, this is the largest single-year enrollment increase in state history.

“California charter schools are experiencing explosive growth, roughly 20 percent growth for two years in a row,” said President Jed Wallace. “This consistent growth is phenomenal given this tough economic climate and it speaks to the choices that both parents and teachers are making and their demand for high-quality educational options.”

The increase in charter schools may look good to President Barack Obama, who has expressed his concern with states who have caps on the number of charter schools. If California removes its cap, the state may be eligible for additional education funds under Obama’s “Race to the Top” stimulus plan.

“As a strong supporter of charter schools I couldn’t be happier to learn that enrollment is breaking records and the number of schools is steadily increasing,” Schwarzenegger said. “Charter schools have proven that their innovative teaching practices are helping California students receive the quality education they deserve and that is why I am working to lift the cap on charter schools entirely - so that parents up and down the state have the option to send their children to a high-quality charter school.”

According to the Association, there are 341,000 students enrolled in the 809 California charter schools.

Read more: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-10-29/politics-city-county-government/california-budget-politics-city-county-government/california-budget-crisis-diaries-f-bomb-controversy#ixzz0VQHlchSX

Sacramento Press / C.H.A.E.D Charter High School of Architecture+Engineering+Design

Sacramento Press / C.H.A.E.D Charter High School of Architecture+Engineering+Design:

"It starts with the premise of caring for high school students’ future by providing them a quality education to be successful. CHAED will deliver innovative methods to improve and achieve academic excellence, reduce the number of high school dropouts, and give students the opportunity to excel in higher learning and compete with today’s challenge.

In today’s world, it is important that high school students stay current with technology and information, engage in real life applications, and be discipline in their study in order to be competitive. This school will provide the competitive edge."

Why isn't our union fighting? | SocialistWorker.org

Why isn't our union fighting? SocialistWorker.org:

"A CRISIS is tearing through the American public education system like a tornado. It threatens to uproot and overturn everything in its path.

It's no secret that our schools are in a miserable place, and it's something that can't last indefinitely. No one wants it to. So far, the proposals for change are pretty dismal: More cuts to funding. More high-stakes testing. More shredding of collective bargaining rights. More merit pay. More charter schools.

So where is the California Teachers Association (CTA) in all this?"

California Teacher's Association president visits Tahoe/Truckee schools | SierraSun.com

California Teacher's Association president visits Tahoe/Truckee schools SierraSun.com:

"TRUCKEE, Calif. — Sacramento doesn't take public education funding seriously enough. That's a message that David Sanchez, president of the thousand-plus chapter, 300,000-plus member California Teacher's Association, shared this week with local educators.

However, despite his view that Sacramento lacks leadership, Sanchez said he is amazed by the state's teachers making the best of the situation.

Sanchez on Thursday toured the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District and answered a few questions from the Sierra Sun on the state of education in California.

Sierra Sun: David, when you take these site tours, what concerns do you hear? What positives do you see?"

Sacramento Press / Marshall School Closure Blow to Central City Renaissance

Sacramento Press / Marshall School Closure Blow to Central City Renaissance:

"The sudden directive by Sacramento City Unified School District that California Montessori Project must abandon the Old Marshall Elementary School has done more than disrupt the lives of the students, parents and faculty. It has the potential to strike a major blow to the renaissance of the central city. One of the primary reasons families choose where they live is what schools are available. CMP had operated successfully out of the Pioneer Church for eight years. The site did limit the size of the enrollment. When SCUSD deemed Old Marshall School safe for charter school and offered it to CMP, after careful consideration they accepted the offer. CMP was thrilled to have a beautiful building that could be used for it's original purpose and they could expand to meet the strong demand for more student enrollment. Central city neighborhood leaders also expressed their enthusiasm for Old Marshall School returning as an elementary school with a program that attracted more families to Midtown and the surrounding area. "

Rancho Cordova feels slighted by homeless task force - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Rancho Cordova feels slighted by homeless task force - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"When Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson trumpeted a collaborative plan for sheltering homeless people this winter, he caught some key players by surprise.

In Rancho Cordova, where Johnson announced last week that homeless families could be housed on the Mather Community Campus, city leaders bristled."

Uprooting a fall harvest at the White House kitchen garden | 44 | washingtonpost.com

Uprooting a fall harvest at the White House kitchen garden 44 washingtonpost.com:

"Rarely has a giant sweet potato, a muddy knee and a stubbornly rooted fennel plant caused such a stir. But when first lady Michelle Obama led groups of fifth graders from Bancroft Elementary and Kimball Elementary schools in the fall harvesting of the White House Kitchen Garden Thursday afternoon, much oohing, giggling, cuteness and shutter-clicking ensued."

The students, White House kitchen staff and representatives from Miriam's Kitchen -- which feeds the homeless and was the main beneficiary of the vegetable haul -- gathered on the South Lawn around picnic tables draped in red and white checked tablecloths and topped with baskets of apples. White House assistant chef Sam Kass -- he of the bald pate and the People magazine-worthy physique -- divided the kids into groups of three. A trio of girls from Bancroft were paired with the first lady, who initiated a contest to see which kids could dig up the largest sweet potato. Obama noted that she and her daughters had already harvested a particularly hefty one. "They're huge," she said, underscoring the size of the potatoes by holding her hands approximate 12" apart. "They're huge!"

The first lady -- dressed in a pair of lapis jeans, a purple cardigan and purple sneakers -- and her team of students -- dressed in yellow Bancroft T-shirts -- produced a basket filled with impressive tubers, which she presented to the assembled photographers and reporters for documentation.

Board Policy Review Committee

Board Policy Review Committee:

"The next meeting is:
Thursday, October 29, 2009 Agenda/Minutes

5:30 p.m.

Serna Center Washington Conference Room

Board of Education Members:

Ellyne Bell and Diana Rodriguez, Co-Chairs"

Special Board Policy Review Committee
October 29, 2009 - 5:30 p.m.
Washington Conference Room

AGENDA

1. Review and approve minutes from previous meetings:
• August 27, 2009

2. New Board Policy 4311.1, Recruitment and Selection
• Review. This policy defines the Board’s authority to recruit and select the Executive Assistant to the Board of Education. This policy is expected to be on the November 5, 2009 Board meeting agenda as a Conference/Action item.

3. BP 7310, Naming of Facility
• Review to determine if current policy and practice needs to be refined to depoliticize.

4. BB 9270, Conflict of Interest
• Review changes to the list of the District’s designated filers. Changes necessitated by District’s recent re-organization.

5. BP1100, Communication With the Public
• Review policy to determine if language regarding Connect Ed/Blackboard Connect should be added.

Next regular meeting date, time and location TBA

Sacramento Press / Sacramento: A City That Works For Everyone: How Does Central Sacramento Work For Families?

Sacramento Press / Sacramento: A City That Works For Everyone: How Does Central Sacramento Work For Families?

On Monday, October 19th, parents of the charter school California Montessori Project (CMP)-Capitol Campus where surprised to learn through a letter from CMP Director, Gary Bowman, that Mr. Raymond, the new Superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD), was requesting that the Capitol Campus be relocated from the Old Marshall School (2718 G Street), a facility the school had moved into only 3 months prior, because the building was now deemed unsafe.

The Capitol Campus is to be relocated in the Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (in the College Glen area) far from the current location forcing hundreds of families on the roads. Moreover the campus has to leave the premises in a hurry, in the middle of the school year -the move has already been planned for November 11th- even though parents learned through a subsequent letter from Gary Bowman (dated Thursday October 22nd) that there is "no imminent danger" and even though no one has yet seen the full report on which the SCUSD based its decision. Parents were not consulted, either about the time frame or by the choice of the new location.

There is a perception among the parents community that the SCUSD is forcing a hasty decision in order to facilitate some ulterior plan. Read more here

Mayor says task force will pursue new Sacramento sports arena - Latest News - sacbee.com

Mayor says task force will pursue new Sacramento sports arena - Latest News - sacbee.com:

"Mayor Kevin Johnson said today he is forming a task force to explore how to build a new sports arena in Sacramento and will roll out requests for proposals for the project in the coming days.

During a speech on the 25th floor of the U.S. Bank Tower downtown, Johnson outlined his 'rules of the game' for building a new arena. He said he hopes to have a path toward a new facility by the end of the NBA season in the spring."

The White House - Blog Post - Flu.gov Needs You

The White House - Blog Post - Flu.gov Needs You:

"With new content, tools, and resources added daily, Flu.gov provides information on H1N1 and seasonal flu, including symptoms and treatments, vaccines, tips for prevention, and live briefings. At this critical time, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs your help in informing the public about this valuable resource. Here are some simple things you can do to promote Flu.gov:

Provide links from your website or blog to Flu.gov.

Adding links to your homepage or health-related web pages is an easy way for you to direct users to Flu.gov for important H1N1 and seasonal flu information. The Flu.gov site provides information for parents, health care providers, government organizations, schools, businesses and more. It also includes interactive tools for evaluating flu-like symptoms and -- coming soon – more information about vaccination clinic locations. There is also a handy myths and facts section where you can check and see if what your friend and neighbors are telling you about the flu and the flu vaccine is correct and in line with the latest guidance from the CDC, the FDA and NIH."

More Public Voice in Government-Rescued Companies

More Public Voice in Government-Rescued Companies:

"“Taxpayers instinctively continue to dislike the idea that their tax dollars have been used to bail out Wall Street as Main Street continues to suffer,” said Representative Edolphus Towns (D-NY) at a Center for American Progress event on September 16, which was one year to the day of the AIG rescue. Towns shared the public’s outrage that their tax dollars were used to save large companies such as AIG, CitiGroup, and General Motors from bankruptcy. The bailouts also lacked transparency and accountability measures so the public could see that their interests were being protected."

Towns praised a paper from Emma Coleman Jordan, professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, which was released at the event and proposes placing public directors on the boards of private entities that receive substantial public funds. Jordan asserted that placing government officials on the boards of rescued companies would make the companies accountable to the public and ensure that funds are being appropriately spent.

Towns compared the public’s investments to those of Warren Buffet and asked, “Would Warren Buffet invest billions of dollars in a company without getting a seat on the board?” The answer was an unequivocal “no.”

Byron Georgiou of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission—the group charged with investigating the causes of the collapse of each major financial institution—thought that Jordan’s proposal was sound if taxpayers were considered to be investors in the traditional sense, like Buffet. However, he questioned whether taxpayers were really just donating money to financial institutions and making the judgment that they had to save the institutions because they were “too big to fail.”

A Place Called Home

A Place Called Home:

"A Place Called Home is a dynamic, non-profit youth center located in South Central Los Angeles. APCH provides educational programs, counseling, mentoring, music, dance and art classes. We also have a recreation and athletic department. One on one attention is at the heart of all APCH programs and activities. This reflects the belief that each member arrives at our center with skills and abilities that have not fully been realized. As youth participate in our programs, they discover their interests and talents. APCH strives to help youth achieve a better sense of themselves and the world around them. Our goal is to increase the likelihood that they will stay in school and go on to higher education and viable jobs.

Please find yourselves at home at A Place Called Home and feel free to contact us to find out how you can make a difference too! Click here to see for yourself everything that A Place Called Home does for our kids."

Arianna Huffington: Making An Impact: Help a Kid Take the Leap from the Mean Streets of L.A. to a College Campus

Arianna Huffington: Making An Impact: Help a Kid Take the Leap from the Mean Streets of L.A. to a College Campus:

"When we launched HuffPost Impact, our new section devoted to service, causes, and giving back, I wrote about my longstanding (and, now, finally realized) desire to put the spotlight -- 24/7 -- on the work of nonprofit groups in a way that enables people to be inspired and immediately take action to address the urgent needs in our society.
To this end, we have decided to regularly feature nonprofit groups that are working in the trenches every day to help turn people's lives around."

To kick things off, I've decided to pick an organization very close to my heart, A Place Called Home.
A Place Called Home is a remarkable place, with a remarkable backstory.

Back in the early 90s, Debrah Constance was a successful real estate agent, earning over $100,000 a year. She also had a serious drinking problem, for which she was eventually hospitalized. Her recovery inspired her to find a new focus for her life: service.

Determined to make her life about something larger than herself, she met with a consultant for nonprofits who stopped her in her tracks by asking: "What do you really want to do with your life?"

The answer came to her in an instant: "All I want to do is open a safe house for children who live around Jefferson High School, in South Central Los Angeles, where they can get off the street, get a healthy snack, watch TV and do their homework."

The next day, she told her boss she was quitting. He gave her six months severance pay and an office. Six months later, she opened A Place Called Home (APCH).

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/making-an-impact-help-a-k_b_318420.html

Teacher Magazine: Making Professional Development an Inside Job

Teacher Magazine: Making Professional Development an Inside Job

Making Professional Development an Inside Job
By Anthony Cody

Why is it that school districts continue to hire outside consultants to conduct professional development when local classroom teachers often have greater levels of expertise?

Twice in the past two months I have participated in teacher professional development sessions where outside consultants were brought in to share innovative practices with teachers who teach in struggling urban districts. In the first case, I was one of the outsiders. In the second, I was among the participants. In both scenarios, I felt the districts involved were missing a big chance to strengthen local leadership.

In the first instance, I was part of team brought to a district to work with teachers on a Problem-Based Learning approach. The district leadership had decided this was how they wanted teachers to spend the two days prior to the start of school. So we shared an overview to PBL and went to work with teams of teachers broken out in five different classrooms. I was a bit taken aback when the classroom to which we had been sent filled up with teachers but nobody stepped forward to convene the work. The district curriculum administrator had to come around to each of the five classrooms to get us started.

Montgomery County residents fight school's closure - washingtonpost.com

Montgomery County residents fight school's closure - washingtonpost.com:

"More than 100 northwestern Montgomery County residents began mobilizing Wednesday night to oppose the proposed closure of Monocacy Elementary School, arguing that the move would hurt their community and possibly backfire against the school system."

A standing-room-only crowd of parents, children and local officials packed the Poolesville Town Hall meeting room, with another dozen listening outside in an overflow room. Many wore the striped blue T-shirt of the Monocacy Bobcats, the school's mascot.

All who spoke argued for preserving Monocacy Elementary, which school system officials announced last week would be closed under a capital budget plan proposed by Superintendent Jerry D. Weast.

Citing declining enrollment and the need to save money, Weast would send students from Monocacy Elementary School eight miles south to Poolesville Elementary School for the beginning of the next school year. Weast said the measure could save $1 million a year if it is approved by the Board of Education.

At hearing, teachers assail Rhee over layoffs - washingtonpost.com

At hearing, teachers assail Rhee over layoffs - washingtonpost.com:

"Union members, parents and community activists packed the D.C Council chambers Thursday morning for Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee's first detailed account of the teacher layoffs and budget cuts that have placed her under the heaviest political fire of her 28-month tenure.

'A grave injustice has been committed against us,' said Pearlie Christian, a former kindergarten teacher at Barnard Elementary School and one of 388 school system staff laid off Oct. 2 to help close what Rhee said was a $43.9 million shortfall in the school system's 2010 budget.

Union leaders have denounced the move as an illegal mass firing intended to purge older educators. They have gone to court to have the teachers reinstated and returned to the classroom."

David A. Sanchez American Education Week

American Education Week Fact Sheet


The National Education Association's 88th annual American Education Week—November 15-21, 2009—presents all Americans with an opportunity to celebrate public education and honor individuals who are making a difference in ensuring every child receives a quality education. Our AEW tagline, "Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility," reflects NEA's vision of calling upon all Americans to do their part in making public schools great for every child so that they can grow and achieve in the 21st century.

The weeklong celebration will spotlight distinguished individuals who are critical in building great public schools for the nation's 50 million K-12 students. American Education Week's celebration days include:

Monday, November 16: Open House Day. From national commemorations to local community events such as American Education Week house parties, millions of Americans will celebrate public education nationwide.

Tuesday, November 17: Parents Day. Schools will invite parents into the classroom for a hands-on experience of what the day is like for their child.

Wednesday, November 18: Education Support Professionals Day. Individuals who provide invaluable services to schools are recognized for their outstanding work.

Thursday, November 19: Educator for a Day. Community leaders will be invited to serve as educators to get a glimpse at a day in the life of a school employee.

Friday, November 20: Substitute Educators Day. This day honors the educators who are called upon to replace regularly employed teachers.

To help plan and promote American Education Week's celebration days, NEA is offering an online toolkit, complete with promotional materials, activity ideas, and downloadable templates.

The toolkit is available at www.nea.org/aew.

Editorial: City leaders see no evil, read no evil - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Editorial: City leaders see no evil, read no evil - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:

"The city of Sacramento has an unsung hero in the Natomas permit scandal.

It was a Utilities Department employee, still unnamed, who noticed that someone in the development department had approved permits for new home construction in the Natomas flood zone in April – though a federally mandated building moratorium had been in effect since last December. The employee also noticed irregularities with the fees."

That person did the right thing, contacting Assistant City Manager John Dangberg, the city manager and the city attorney. The next day they all met. They realized immediately that this could affect federal funding for Sacramento's levees and flood insurance subsidies. They contacted the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The city attorney drafted a memo on the issue, which was hand-delivered to the mayor and council members, the city manager, the assistant city manager and the head of the development department.

But – and this is the most important part – the public never would have known about that scandal in the development department if someone hadn't leaked the memo to The Bee. It would all have been hush-hush.

Unfortunately, Mayor Kevin Johnson went out of his way to champion secrecy over disclosure. He went so far as to label the leak a "crime" and unsuccessfully attempted to hold a closed session to ferret out the leaker. The council was told Tuesday that disclosure of the memo was not a crime. No closed session.

Education Week: Rediscovering the 'Pygmalion Effect'

Education Week: Rediscovering the 'Pygmalion Effect'

"High expectations" is the mantra of today’s school reformers, who are convinced that the trouble with public education is that students have been allowed to slide by with little effort. Their version of high expectations is requiring college-preparatory courses, advanced subject matter, more-difficult assignments, and a longer school day and year for all students. They believe that research and the records of selected schools show that demanding more of students brings the desired results.
But do they understand the research, or know what successful schools really do?

The original research on teacher expectations tells a far different story from what today’s reformers are calling for. More than 40 years ago, Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson conducted an experiment in a California elementary school that produced what they called, in a reference to Greek mythology and George Bernard Shaw’s famous play, the “Pygmalion Effect”: the amazing transformation of an ordinary person into someone special. In their book Pygmalion in the Classroom , they described the study in detail and interpreted its lessons for education...