Girl's wish: N.J. study of reading disorders | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/27/2009

Girl's wish: N.J. study of reading disorders | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/27/2009:

Girl's wish: N.J. study of reading disorders

"The stuff on Samantha Ravelli's holiday wish list was pretty much standard fare for a 12-year-old. A digital camera, a watch, a laptop.

Her number-one wish, however, was in a class of its own.

She wants Gov. Corzine to sign her bill.

'I want to help other children,' she said.

The Ocean City, N.J., seventh grader and her mother, Beth, have been working the last few years to pass a law that would create a task force to better ensure that reading-disabled children like Samantha get the help they need.

The Senate passed her bill Dec. 10; the Assembly approved it in February. Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D., Cape May), a sponsor, said the Assembly needed to approve some changes before the measure went to the governor's desk."

Why the declines at private schools? | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/27/2009

Why the declines at private schools? | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/27/2009:

Why the declines at private schools?

"Some cite the economy and transfers to public schools. Others say it's a shortage of pupils and a long-term trend.

By Dan Hardy
Inquirer Staff Writer

Faced with the recession and rising tuition, are more parents at area private schools and their diocesan counterparts transferring their children to public schools to ease the strain on their pocketbooks?

Maybe.

School officials say it is difficult to measure the effect of the economy on enrollment because other factors are involved, including a declining number of school-age children and a long-term drop in the number of children in nonpublic schools.

But for Jacqui Coughlin and John Dewees, the answer is yes."

Charters’ funding is the fly in ed reform ointment - The Boston Globe

Charters’ funding is the fly in ed reform ointment - The Boston Globe:

"IT’S IRONIC that, just a week or two before state lawmakers vote on an education reform bill that would lift the cap on charter schools, two applications for charters in Lynn and one in Berkshire County are facing intense community opposition, while two existing charter schools in Springfield and Lowell face shutdowns."

When a sixth-grader at the C.T. Plunkett Elementary School in Adams asked Governor Deval Patrick during a recent visit why public money goes to charter schools, he explained that they are public schools, adding: “There are good ones and not so good ones, just as there are district schools that are good while others are not. We have a funding formula that is not good enough and needs to be fixed so that we’re not taking money away from district schools but supporting education in all different types of schools.’’

Patrick views the reform bill as aimed at “chronically underperforming’’ school districts. He acknowledges that the state lacks the money to support several proposed solutions for the charter school funding quandary.

As colleges add green majors and minors, classes fill up - USATODAY.com

As colleges add green majors and minors, classes fill up - USATODAY.com:

"Colleges are rapidly adding new majors and minors in green studies, and students are filling them fast.

Nationwide, more than 100 majors, minors or certificates were created this year in energy and sustainability-focused programs at colleges big and small, says the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. That's up from just three programs added in 2005.

Two factors are driving the surge: Students want the courses, and employers want the trained students, says Paul Rowland, the association's executive director.

'There's a great perception that there's a sweet spot with energy to do good and do well, and it appears to be the place of job growth,' says Rob Melnick, executive dean of the Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University."

Learning from afar taking UNLV far - Monday, Dec. 28, 2009 | 2 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun

Learning from afar taking UNLV far - Monday, Dec. 28, 2009 | 2 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun:

"Kimberly Townsend Little walked the stage at UNLV’s winter commencement ceremonies this month and picked up her doctorate in nursing.

For her, it was a rare visit to the campus.

She lives in North Carolina and completed her course work entirely online.

For Little, leaving home in pursuit of her doctorate wasn’t an option. She is not only an assistant professor of nursing education at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences in Concord, N.C., but also a single mother of three daughters — ages 17, 10 and 5."

To get federal funds, schools must apply stronger measures to struggling schools - washingtonpost.com

To get federal funds, schools must apply stronger measures to struggling schools - washingtonpost.com:

"If a public school struggles year after year, is the solution to shut it down? Fire everyone and start over? Hand the reins to a contractor? Or help teachers and principals raise their game?

As the federal government offers school systems an unprecedented $3.5 billion to revive schools, a huge increase for a reform program launched with $125 million in 2007, policymakers increasingly are prescribing stronger medicine for the lowest performers.

In years past, educators generally opted for the least invasive remedies. Most shied from state takeovers, shutdowns, conversion to a charter school and the like"

Restoring an educational gem's luster -- latimes.com

Restoring an educational gem's luster -- latimes.com:

"Great beaches, a gentle climate and the best system of public higher education in the country, maybe the world. California is famous for all three, but what it deserves abundant praise for is the last of those. How long it will continue to earn that praise is another matter. The state's visionary Master Plan for Higher Education, the engine that for years drove California toward educational leadership, and, as a result, economic leadership, is about to turn 50. It is not aging well.

The plan itself isn't to blame so much as the lack of money to carry it out. Right now, the dismal economy is driving deep cuts in higher education. But California has been giving short shrift to its public colleges and universities for years now, inching away from the promise of equal and affordable access based on merit."

Young journalists face real challenges | cincinnati.com | Cincinnati.Com

Young journalists face real challenges | cincinnati.com | Cincinnati.Com:

"It's quite possible that Lakota East seniors Kevin Li and Dana Sand will never earn a paycheck for journalism in their lives."

But that's irrelevant when the monthly deadline approaches for the duo's award-winning news magazine, Spark. Just as generations of high school journalists before them, the co-editors stay at school past 11 p.m. for weeks, corralling a staff of dozens, proofreading pages and making sure that last graphic is just right.

Spark - one of the country's best high school journalism publications - faces many of the same struggles professional journalism has:

Advertising sales are down more than 30 percent since 2005.

Printing costs soared.

The staff struggles with how to adapt to an evolving media environment and keep the attention of an elusive audience.

Freshman academies ease high school transition | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal

Freshman academies ease high school transition | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal:

"In a Fairdale High School classroom, a group of juniors and seniors counted out fake money for a special freshman activity — an auction in which the underclassmen would be encouraged to bid on the philosophical priorities that are important to them."

The auction's objective was twofold: to help establish a bond with the younger students, while teaching them an important lesson that will help them make the often intimidating leap to high school.

“We want them to have some fun with it, but we also want them to realize the importance of prioritizing certain things in their lives,” said 17-year-old senior Stacy Colmore. “It's something I wish I had learned when I was a freshman.”

The mentoring is one of many components of Fairdale's Freshman Academy — a program that provides a structured environment to help new students — and their families — so they are less likely to stumble when making the move from eighth grade to high school.

R.I. educators seek expanded ties with China | Education | projo.com | The Providence Journal

R.I. educators seek expanded ties with China | Education | projo.com | The Providence Journal:

"SMITHFIELD — School Supt. Robert M. O’Brien is still trying to adjust to the time change.

He, along with a contingent of educators from Smithfield, Lincoln, the Southern Regional Collaborative and the Rhode Island Superintendents Association, traveled to Beijing for a week earlier this month to attend the Fourth Confucius Institute Conference. It was the conversations with his counterparts in other parts of the world that amazed him.

“We were talking about things the commissioner was talking about in Rhode Island,” he said, “teacher quality, how to assess programs, a lot of the things we’re talking about in the United States, they were talking about globally.”"

Pittsburgh has some common sense, decides not to tax tuition � The Report Card

Pittsburgh has some common sense, decides not to tax tuition The Report Card:

"We all the know the Pennsylvania budget is a disaster. I mean when the mayor of Philadelphia is proposing shutting down courts and weekly trash collection to save money, you know there’s a serious problem.

But sometimes, people look for answers in all the wrong places. In Philadelphia, they decided to start taxing the arts (read the DP editorial that outlines why this is such a bad decision here).

In Pittsburgh, however, they took it to a whole new level of “bad idea:” they considered taxing tuition. In early November, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl proposed a 1 percent tax on tuition to bolster the city’s pension plan. This would have made Pittsburgh the first city in the country to have such a tax."

Legal aid program adds education to cause | Recordnet.com

Legal aid program adds education to cause | Recordnet.com:

"STOCKTON - Have an education issue that requires legal help but no money to hire an attorney?

No problem.

California Rural Legal Assistance, a nonprofit organization that serves the poor, is reaching out to disadvantaged families who need assistance in education matters such as expulsions, graduation issues, suspensions and the translation of important documents to languages other than English."

San Mateo Daily Journal

San Mateo Daily Journal Tough times on the horizon for schools:

Tough times on the horizon for schools

"Less money is expected for education next fall, but many fail to realized the state-issued cuts will be compounded by the loss of millions in one-time federal funds which helped local districts keep a number of programs and jobs this year.
California is predicted to end the current year with a $6.3 billion deficit and faces a $20 billion budget problem in the next year, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Cuts to education will most likely be part of the plan. That coupled with the loss of one-time stimulus money, much of which was used to retain positions and programs, means there are a number of tough budget decisions ahead for local school districts."

In California Colleges, Coaches Face Furloughs and Fund-Raising - NYTimes.com

In California Colleges, Coaches Face Furloughs and Fund-Raising - NYTimes.com

"FULLERTON, Calif. — The best work done this year by Jill Hicks, the Cal State Fullerton gymnastics coach, did not involve a balance beam, a pommel horse or uneven parallel bars. It entailed shoe shopping and a manicure. Hicks was out recruiting the Olympic all-around gold medalist Nastia Liukin to ask for her help in saving Fullerton’s program, which the university was threatening to eliminate to make its budget."

The two women, introduced by another college coach, hit it off well enough that Liukin donated her time and a leotard — the one she wore during the 2007 world championships — to a fund-raiser that helped generate close to $30,000 for Hicks’s program.

The $400-a-plate luncheon with Liukin followed by an exhibition with the Fullerton and U.C.L.A. gymnastics teams drew about 1,000 supporters, most of them little girls in pigtails and their parents.

Opinion: Silicon Valley companies' help needed to shore up math education - San Jose Mercury News

Opinion: Silicon Valley companies' help needed to shore up math education - San Jose Mercury News:

"Thirteen-year-old Kayla Savage was failing math. Like many of her classmates in middle school, she hated the subject. Stuck in a large seventh-grade class with a teacher who had little time to offer individual help, Kayla was lost among rational numbers and polynomials.

Her frustration led to a phobia of math, an all-too-common affliction that often starts in middle school and threatens to derail students' future math studies in high school and chances for college.

Kayla is like thousands of students across America who struggle with math. The struggle in California is borne out by this grim U.S. Education Department statistic: Students in California rank 40th in eighth-grade math, a critical year in math learning that sets the path for math success in high school and beyond.

In Santa Clara County, only about 39 percent of eighth-graders meet the California standard for Algebra I proficiency. One study showed that less than one-third of eighth-graders have the skills or interest to pursue a math or science career. Yet these careers are the drivers of our future."

Sacramento joins battle against suit attacking Chicago gun controls - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento joins battle against suit attacking Chicago gun controls - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"The city of Sacramento regulates handguns and ammunition, and the City Council is willing to go to court to continue that role.

It voted recently to join other cities arguing in support of the city of Chicago, whose gun control ordinance is under review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
On March 2, the court will hear oral arguments in the case of McDonald v. Chicago, a case sponsored by the Second Amendment Foundation and the Illinois State Rifle Association."

Sacramento Needs a Focus on Economic Development

Posted: Monday, December 28

There has been quite a bit of conversation recently about the many issues facing our city, particularly those facing the business community. This discussion is both healthy and necessary if we are going to navigate Sacramento through these trying economic times.

Our City, like many communities, has seen a growing trend toward putting politics over policy and divisiveness over decision making. We have to change this culture. Good people will disagree, but there comes a time to put those disagreements aside and get to the business of turning our City around. I am running for City Council because I want to be a part of this change.

I am no stranger to working through volatile issues and times. Early in my days of community service, I served as President of the Oak Park Neighborhood Improvement Association. Working with community leaders we created change in our neighborhood by targeting drug dealers and cleaning up our parks. We fought to open the first new school in Oak Park in 40 years and worked with City leaders to open a neighborhood supermarket when opening a business there was considered a risk.

When I was appointed to City Planning Commission in 1993, businesses were leaving Sacramento because it was a place where it was simply too difficult to “do business”. City leaders embarked on efforts to fix what was broken, creating the Development Oversight Committee, stream lined processes and consistent policies and practices geared toward removing unnecessary roadblocks and tangled red tape to help business thrive. These coordinated efforts resulted in the creation jobs and opportunities.

Now is the time for us to once again come together and identify areas in which we can do better.

As a lifelong Sacramentan, public official, and candidate, I welcome the opportunity to work with you and others in the community to right the ship. Bringing those with divergent points of view together, I tackled tough problems in our community and worked to create jobs. I know that we can work together on the issues we face today.

Please feel free to call me at 446-4434 or email me at Patrick@patrickkennedylaw.com to share with me concrete ideas how we can work together for a better Sacramento.

Visit the Patrick Kennedy for Council 2010 Web Site

Local News | Students stranded in Beijing get no answers from Seattle-based program | Seattle Times Newspaper

Local News | Students stranded in Beijing get no answers from Seattle-based program | Seattle Times Newspaper:

"When a Seattle-based Chinese language program in Beijing suddenly canceled classes and shut down, more than a dozen students were left stranded, though they had prepaid their tuition and housing.

Now, the company's Seattle headquarters is closed, its phones disconnected and its Web site claims it has filed bankruptcy. The owners have moved to Sweden.

Most of the 67 students — from all over the world — have either gone home or arranged for classes at other schools in Beijing, at additional expense."

2010 Race to the Top

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Obama gets an ‘A’ for effort from Schwarzenegger � - Blogs from CNN.com

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Obama gets an ‘A’ for effort from Schwarzenegger � - Blogs from CNN.com:

"Washington (CNN) – Not every Republican is a critic of President Obama. At least one thinks the president is doing a fine job – at least when it comes to the effort involved in being the country’s chief executive.

Asked to give Obama a grade as the end of the president’s first year in office approaches, Arnold Schwarzenegger, California’s Republican governor, gave Obama high marks.

“When it comes to effort, [Obama] should get a straight A,” Schwarzenegger told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King in an interview that aired Sunday on State of the Union."

WJBD Radio

WJBD Radio: "A new federal program has lots of those in the educational field talking and reactions are mixed.

Race to the Top is an multi-phase initiative of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and aims to encourage and reward states for implementing significant reforms to education areas. The program is based on competitive entry, with millions of dollars in funding at stake. Districts must decide whether or not to sign on to Phase I of the program by January 11th and the Illinois State Board of Education is preparing the final application for the program which will be turned in January 19th. Awards will be made based on a point system, but the size of awards has yet to be fully determined. Many believe the program will replace the No Child Left Behind initiative.

Regional Superintendent of Schools, Keri Garrett says she has spoken with area district superintendents about the program, but they still have concerns the program's 'unknowns.' She says the bulk of information was released mid-December and the program has been evolving over the past couple of months, causing some confusion."

Educators face new challenges - ContraCostaTimes.com

Educators face new challenges - ContraCostaTimes.com:

"The decade began with ambitious plans for raising the bar on public education and student achievement.


After winning office as the nation's 43rd president, George W. Bush introduced a federal program, dubbed No Child Left Behind, aimed at improving education through higher standards and greater accountability.


For the better part of the decade, educators and school administrators worked diligently to implement the program and meet its expectations.


More recently, however, a recession of historic proportions has taken a heavy toll on the public school system, prompting deep budget cuts, and in some cases, a rethinking of what schools will offer.


'Our future depends on our ability to prepare the next generation for success in the hyper-competitive global economy,' said Jack O'Connell, state superintendent of public instruction. "In order to deliver the quality education our students need, we must get off this budget roller coaster and find a stable, long-term solution to education funding. Our future depends on it."

After years of focusing on state and federal goals aimed at improving public instruction, public school officials over the past year have wrestled with budget reductions brought on by massive state deficits.

In July, facing a $26.3billion shortfall, the state Legislature passed a budget that slashed more than $8billion in education funding.

Districts that had issued scores - and in some cases hundreds - of layoff notices won some reprieve with federal stimulus funding, but the state's financial outlook has not improved. Lawmakers now anticipating a new shortfall that could top $20billion.

In online education, Hartland teacher in a class all her own | livingstondaily.com | Livingston Daily

In online education, Hartland teacher in a class all her own | livingstondaily.com | Livingston Daily:

"Seventh-grade math teacher Melanie Laber uses the only teaching tool of its kind in the Hartland school system, a sort of computer drawing tablet the size of a blackboard linked to the computer on her desk as well as a projector which shine the display onto the tablet to illustrate a geometry problem. Laber also uploads online classes to help students with the lessons taught in the Hartland Middle School at Ore Creek classroom. Laber was honored with the distinction Online Teacher of the Year from the Michigan Virtual School. (Photo by GILLIS BENEDICT/DAILY PRESS & ARGUS)"

Dissident Voice : Neo-liberalism and Charter Schools

Dissident Voice : Neo-liberalism and Charter Schools:

"The Los Angeles Board of Education, little more than a managerial club belonging to LA Mayor Villaraigosa and his privatized charter crew, including Green Dot Schools, other educational maintenance organizations (EMO’s) and deep pocket entrepreneurs approved a resolution in August of 2009 to turn over 12 long-struggling campuses and 18 new ones to bidders from inside or outside the district, including some charter operators.1 The effort is all part and parcel of the capitalist “reform of education” that is sweeping the nation below the radar screen of any national news. It includes using the government, which the neo-liberals say they abhor, to asset strip the public realm; in this case to orchestrate the legal seizure of actual public buildings that house public schools paid for over the decades by public taxpayers."

COMMENTARY with TOM WATKINS: Educational excellence and educational genocide | hometownlife.com | the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies

COMMENTARY with TOM WATKINS: Educational excellence and educational genocide | hometownlife.com | the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies:

"We were exposed to the worst and the near best recently in metro Detroit. What a difference a few miles make. Detroit schools sink to a new low while West Bloomfield's International Academy soars.

Parents, teachers, politicians and educational officials from Detroit to Lansing were rattled to the bone as it was revealed that fourth- and eighth-graders in Detroit Public Schools scored the worst in the nation in math according to national test scores. The Detroit scores on the National Assessment of Education Progress, a rigorous national assessment, were the lowest in the test's 40-year history. Among fourth-graders, 69 percent scored below basic levels, as did 77 percent of eighth-graders. Results show 77 percent of eighth-graders and 69 percent of fourth-graders lack basic math skills."

U.S. : Socialism and the defense of public education | Education |Axisoflogic.com

U.S. : Socialism and the defense of public education | Education |Axisoflogic.com:

"The Obama administration is spearheading an unprecedented assault on public education in the United States. While providing trillions of dollars to Wall Street, Obama has starved states and local governments of funding and pressed them to address their soaring budget deficits by closing public schools and opening semi-private charter schools.

In Michigan and other states, school districts are slashing jobs and eliminating essential services such as student transportation. The school week in Hawaii has been reduced to four days due to teacher furloughs. The cutbacks have been extended to higher education as well, with California leading the way by imposing a 32 percent tuition increase."

School funding: Illinois officials sharpen school reform tools as they vie for federal money -- chicagotribune.com

School funding: Illinois officials sharpen school reform tools as they vie for federal money -- chicagotribune.com:

"Enticed by the prize of $4.35 billion in federal money for schools, Illinois and other states are polishing their academic credentials, legislating away obstacles to reform and turning on the charm.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan cautions that the unprecedented competition, called Race to the Top, will have 'winners and losers,' with perhaps 10 to 20 states qualifying for the first round of money plus the prestige of being recognized as a leader in public education reform.

Illinois is vying to be chosen in the first round. If successful, the state stands to gain between $200 million and $400 million during the next four years.

Education experts said this could be Illinois' best chance to afford big-ticket reforms for public schools, with the state beset by financial trouble amid a lingering recession."

Tom Vander Ark: 10 US education reformers that will impact 2010

Tom Vander Ark: 10 US education reformers that will impact 2010:

"1. Arne Duncan is taking advantage of an unbelievably large budget and pushing a tough reform agenda targeting low-income kids and struggling schools. While he'll have his hands full with reauthorization, he has assembled a top notch team.

2. Joanne Weiss leads the mother of all grant program--Race to the Top--with the same skill and diplomacy she exhibited at New Schools.

3. Jim Shelton and sidekick Shivam Shah run grant programs of historically gigantic proportions: i3, Promise Neighborhoods.

4. Gene Wilhoit is pushing state chiefs, supporting common standards, and asking us all to think hard about the future of learning."

Board reflects on trying times, past and future - Vallejo Times Herald

Board reflects on trying times, past and future - Vallejo Times Herald:

"The proverbial hot seat had the Vallejo school board's name stamped on its back all year. If it wasn't one thing, it was two, sometimes even three.

From firing the district's first superintendent in years to embarking on a journey to -- possibly -- close one or more schools, Vallejo City Unified School District board members were busy.

With only a few days left in 2009, four current members and one past one reflected on what has happened, and share their hopes for the new year."

Natomas budget cuts hit classrooms; parents worried - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Natomas budget cuts hit classrooms; parents worried - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"Natomas Unified School District officials have reached deep into classrooms to balance their budget.

They have cut days from the school year, reduced class periods for most juniors and seniors, relaxed graduation requirements and eliminated summer school.

And parents are worried."

Comment:

• 
  coopmike48 wrote on 12/27/2009 07:06:50 AM:

  School Boards have become hit men for the legislature. No matter how committed they are to our kids, our schools, no matter how they regret the cuts, their onerous job has become little more than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. School Board members are public servants for the most part, spending countless hours, doing thankless work for our kids and community. When they fail to do the impossible, it is not for lack of trying. Talk to your school board members, they are on our side. Our communities must come together to support our kids and our schools. Tell the legislature to do their jobs and our school boards will take care of our schools.
  

Teacher in a Strange Land: The Rusty Gate

Teacher in a Strange Land: The Rusty Gate

Do teachers have a responsibility to be the gatekeepers of their profession? Can we settle for allowing our colleagues to give students less than they deserve?

Teachers ought to serve as gatekeepers for admission into the profession--and until that happens, we can't lay claim to being fully professional. I'm all for raising the bar for entrance to teaching (using better tools than SAT or Praxis scores), and investing more time, resources and research on effective teacher development.

In the meantime, however, we have teachers who are not doing the job well enough. Some of them should be gone--tomorrow; others have plenty of untapped potential but are floundering. No point in repairing the rusty gate granting access to teach unless we pay attention to supporting teachers once they're in the field.

Struggling teachers come in two basic flavors: #1) teachers who haven't had sufficient experience or training to do the job well and #2) teachers who once had the disposition and tools to be good teachers, but have checked out due to cynicism, fatigue, bitterness and unforgiving working conditions.

The first group is not necessarily easier to deal with. In some environments, "professional development" is seen as an administrative duty, and early-career teachers are threatened by the idea that their performance might be evaluated and found wanting. Their daily practice is marked by the overriding desire to keep a low profile. All teachers--from rank newbies to award-winning veterans--must consider themselves collaborative learners and practitioners. All of us are

Fredericktown reading program honored / Mount Vernon News

Fredericktown reading program honored / Mount Vernon News

FREDERICKTOWN — As part of its 25th anniversary celebration, the Reading Recovery community in North America has honored the outstanding success of the program in Fredericktown Elementary School.

The school’s Reading Recovery program was one of the first of its kind in the nation, as well as in Ohio, and, since the 1986-87 school year, has been helping struggling first-graders improve in fluency, comprehension, alphabetic skills and general reading achievement.

There are documented long-term benefits from the program. For example, on the most recent third-grade Ohio Achievement reading test, 24 of the 26 pupils who participated in Reading Recovery in first grade achieved a passing score on the test; six were rated proficient and 18 placed in the advanced or accelerated ranges.

“The fact that the district has made a commitment to have three full-time reading teachers, has a huge impact on our really excellent, excellent reading scores in the district,” said elementary principal Emily Funston. “It starts in primary school, and because the children are reading well when they leave primary school, the reading scores are high all across the district.”

Read more about Reading Recovery at http://www.readingrecovery.org/

Nuggets of Green Goodness in the Healthcare Bill : TreeHugger

Nuggets of Green Goodness in the Healthcare Bill : TreeHugger:

"Conservative commentator David Frum describes the American health care system: 'The U.S. health care system costs too much, delivers too little and excludes too many. Americans pay 60 percent more per person for health care than any other nation. Yet Americans rank only 41st in life expectancy and live with the paralyzing fear that the loss of a job means the loss of coverage.'

Frum doesn't think much of the bill that was passed, but then he is Canadian, as am I, where we have rather good health care, job mobility, universal coverage and our businesses have a nice competitive advantage. Another big benefit of the government paying the bills is that it gets really concerned about the health of its citizens. For example, where I live, the government banned jun"

2010 Education Reform Bowl

Parent Involvement 2010

Parent Involvement 2010:

Parent Involvement 2010

What happens … begins in the council chamber, the school board meeting room, the state house, the U.S. Capitol, and the White House. "Every decision is a political decision," says NEA President Reg Weaver (speaking of teachers but applies even more for parents). "We should no longer accept people making decisions for us, about us, and without us."

How Can Schools, Families and Community Groups Put these Goals into Action?

• Recognize that all parents, regardless of income, education or cultural background, are involved in their children's learning and want their children to do well.

• Design programs that will support families to guide their children's learning, from preschool through high school.

• Develop the capacity of school staff and families to work together.

• Link activities and programs for families to improving student learning.

• Focus on developing trusting and respectful relationships among staff and families.

• Build families' social and political connections.

• Embrace a philosophy of partnership and be willing to share power.

• Make sure that parents, school staff, and community members understand that the responsibility for children's educational development is a collaborative enterprise.

• Build strong connections between schools and community organizations.

• Include families in all strategies to reduce the achievement gap between white, middle-class students and low-income students and students of color.

When parents talk to their children about school, expect them to do well, help them plan for college, and make sure that out-of-school activities are constructive, their children do better in school. When schools engage families in ways that are linked to improving learning, and support parent involvement at home and school, students make greater gains. When schools build partnerships with families that respond to their concerns, honor their contributions, and share power, they are able to sustain connections that are aimed at improving student achievement. And when families and communities organize to hold poorly performing schools accountable, school districts make positive changes in policy, practice, and resources.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." ~~ Margaret Mead (1901 - 1978)

Excluding teachers hinders education gains - The Boston Globe

Excluding teachers hinders education gains - The Boston Globe:

"MASSACHUSETTS HAS one of the finest education systems in the world. Our students are not only first in the nation on measures of math and reading, but also performed better than students in every European country on a recent international assessment of math and science skills."

Teachers are justifiably proud of these accomplishments. Teachers also know firsthand that significant achievement gaps remain: Minority, low-income, and special-needs students, along with English language learners, often struggle to meet education standards.

There is no simple formula for eliminating the gaps, but there are strategies that can help. Teachers must be equal partners with administrators, community leaders, and state officials in figuring out solutions. Other institutions in society must also be part of the mix. The three R’s alone cannot overcome the ill effects of poverty.

A complex education bill being debated in the Legislature seeks to address the achievement gaps. Some proposed changes are helpful and long overdue, while others could actually slow reforms by marginalizing the teachers who must

Amid criticism, Obama reaches out to blacks - The Boston Globe

Amid criticism, Obama reaches out to blacks - The Boston Globe:

"WASHINGTON - Stung by accusations from some African-Americans that he has not done enough for urban communities, President Obama has embarked on an effort to soothe a constituency once counted as his fiercest source of support"

In a series of interviews this week with media outlets aimed at African-Americans, Obama said he understands pent-up frustrations about foreclosures, bank bailouts, and festering social issues, while he also challenged assertions that he has given short shrift to cities.

Steps he has taken to improve education, health care, and urban economies, the president said, will improve the day-to-day lives of all Americans, including blacks and other minorities.

“This notion somehow that, because there wasn’t a transformation overnight, that we’ve been neglectful is simply factually not accurate,’’ Obama said in an interview with the American Urban Radio Networks on Monday.

“I can’t pass laws that say I’m just helping black folks. I’m the president of the entire United States,’’ he said. “What I can do is make sure that I am passing laws that help all people, particularly those who are mos

2009 flubs and fiascoes of Mayor Daley :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Politics

2009 flubs and fiascoes of Mayor Daley :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Politics:

"Mayor Daley has endured countless highs and lows in his 20-year reign, but the seesaw seemed to stop in 2009: It was one gigantic downer.

The city's parking meter privatization fiasco drove Daley's approval rating to an all-time low -- and most of the $1.15 billion windfall was drained to fill a massive budget shortfall.

Daley's Olympic dream went up in first-round flames. Chicago learned it's losing talk-show icon Oprah Winfrey, two major trade shows at McCormick Place and the $2.5 billion deal that would have privatized Midway Airport."

The year on campus: change and hard times | digitalBURG.com

The year on campus: change and hard times | digitalBURG.com:

"For higher education, 2009 was a time of lofty goals and harsh realities, of major policy shifts in Washington and financial struggle on campuses nationwide.

In Washington, President Barack Obama called for the United States again to lead the world in college attainment by 2020. Congress poured billions of stimulus dollars into research and student financial aid and reshaped the federal student loan system. Veterans enjoyed vast new benefits and student borrowers with low incomes or public service jobs got new flexibility paying down their debts.

But the defining images of 2009 were thousands of miles away, in California: Students cramming into overcrowded classrooms, parents protesting tuition hikes, activists occupying buildings and breaking windows."

Cutting services for disabled children will be costly | mydesert.com | The Desert Sun

Cutting services for disabled children will be costly | mydesert.com | The Desert Sun:

"For the past 30 years, children younger than 3 with disabilities, their families and the professionals who work on their behalf have seen firsthand the benefits of early intervention. Early intervention is the process of providing therapies and education to babies at risk for disability because of premature birth, autism, drug exposure or other high-risk factors. Early intervention services have been instrumental in reducing special education costs."

In July 2009, the California Legislature signed into law provisions that eliminated early intervention services for babies at risk and raised the eligibility criteria for children with delayed development from 33 percent to 50 percent. The long-term negative fallout from this decision is unimaginable.

The number of children entering the school system at age 3 with significant, though preventable, disabilities will be detrimental to special education and health-care budgets. The cost to taxpayers for long-term care for these children will be astronomical.

Peninsula school districts unsure of 'Race to the Top' proposal - San Jose Mercury News

Peninsula school districts unsure of 'Race to the Top' proposal - San Jose Mercury News:

"School districts are weighing their commitment to a federal program that could bring them millions of dollars but also plenty of uncertainty.


The state is asking districts to sign off on its proposed application for funding under the Obama administration's 'Race to the Top' initiative, in which California could earn up to $700 million for school reforms in a competition with other states.


Several local districts, including Jefferson Union High and Sequoia Union High, have told the state they intend to participate in that application although they remain wary of unintended consequences."


"The problem for many of us is it's unclear what the state's play is going to be," said Michael Crilly, superintendent of Jefferson Union in Daly City. "So it's almost signing up for something that you're not totally clear about." 


State lawmakers are hurriedly trying to piece together legislation that would make California eligible for the $4.4 billion program. The deadline for states to submit their application is Jan. 19.


Ahead of that, state education leaders want districts by Jan. 8 to send in a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, that confirms their participation.


"We're trying to get as many on board because it'll help bolster the application to the feds," said Tina Jung, spokeswoman for the state Department of Education.


As of Tuesday morning, 385 educational agencies out of more than 1,000 sent the state a letter of intent, according to the department.


"A portion have already submitted MOUs," Education Department spokeswoman Hilary McLean added. "We expect more MOUs to come in before Jan. 8."

Removing obstacles for the disabled - LA Daily News

Removing obstacles for the disabled - LA Daily News:

"Hizella Martinez felt too wobbly to walk, too scared to join her mom at the market and too awkward in her blindness to have any friends.

But it was all smiles after the Van Nuys toddler discovered the Therapeutic Living Centers for the Blind.

'Sing a song, Hizella,' urged TLC teacher Anne Bell as the beaming youngster two-stepped to a guitar. 'You have a beautiful voice, so beautiful.'

For nearly 35 years, the nonprofit centers in Reseda have been a pillar of support for disabled blind residents and their families."

J.H. Fischer, Educator in Turbulent Times, Is Dead at 99 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com

J.H. Fischer, Educator in Turbulent Times, Is Dead at 99 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com:

"John H. Fischer, whose cool, determined leadership as school superintendent made Baltimore the first large American city to integrate its public schools, and who brought reform and innovation to Teachers College of Columbia University as its dean and president in the 1960s and ’70s, died on Friday at his home in Westwood, Mass. He was 99."

Hispanic College Fund President Steps Down

Hispanic College Fund President Steps Down:

"The president of the Hispanic College Fund (HCF) announced Tuesday she will resign from the position she has held since 2007.

Idalia Fernandez joined the HCF as a volunteer 10 years ago and became a scholarship program manager. Since then she has helped the organization's revenue and programming grow. She moved up to vice president, then chief operating officer in 2001 and was named president two years ago.

'We have transformed this organization from a scholarship-granting entity to an organization that offers targeted, effective support to Hispanic students through all stages of their education,' Fernandez said."

Governor advises education cuts | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger

Governor advises education cuts | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger:

"Gov. Haley Barbour is recommending a 68 percent cut to gifted, special and vo-tech education programs - a move that would result in a loss of $176 million in federal funds"

State Superintendent of Education Tom Burnham said such a cut would take the special ed and vo-tech programs below the minimum funding amounts required for federal support.

The cut is among a recommended $430 million less than fiscal 2010. It is designed to help make up for an estimated $715 million shortfall - $370 million of which state officials plan to make up with stimulus money.

Barbour's proposed budget spells out a recommended cut of 12 percent across the board in K-12 education, but the cut actually would be about 15 percent, House Education Committee Chairman Cecil Brown said. In contrast, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, suggesting $310 million in cuts, is recommending a 5.9 percent cut for K-12 education and a 10 percent cut for most other agencies.

Barbour's budget is only a proposal; it's the job of lawmakers to craft a budget.

Ike Haynes, superintendent of the struggling Jefferson Davis County School District, said a double-digit cut "would put us in jeopardy of giving back all the progress we've made financially. We'd have to look at laying off teachers."

Barbour recently lifted the state o

Florida schools up to feds' challenge - Other Views - MiamiHerald.com

Florida schools up to feds' challenge - Other Views - MiamiHerald.com:

"Florida is taking part in a high-stakes competition with the other 49 states to bring up to $700 million in national education funding to the state. The U.S. Department of Education is sponsoring a $4.35 billion competitive grant program called Race to the Top to reward states for addressing some of the most persistent challenges in public education. First round applications, to be submitted by the governors of each state, are due Jan. 19. Winners will be announced in the spring."