Sacramento Press / Knight news challenge grant

Sacramento Press / Knight news challenge grant

South Sacramento is a diverse community that speaks many languages and practices many traditions. Cultural lines and language barriers prevent news and community stories from being told to those outside a small radius.

Access Sacramento, in collaboration with The Sacramento Press, The Sacramento Bee and other regional media organizations have reached the final round in the Knight News Challenge.

Their grant proposal will focus specifically on South Sacramento and its residents. Access Sacramento has applied for a two-year, $316,500 grant to continually achieve their mission of providing a forum for the thoughts, dreams and opinions of community members who are ignored by mainstream media. The grant will allow five sites to be outfitted with the technology needed to achieve their two goals.

"Our first goal is to challenge the current media to educate and teach new citizens," Access Sacramento Executive Director Ron Cooper said. "This will create hyper-local news straight from the community."

Cooper hopes new citizens who aren't covered by traditional new sources to participate as community reporters who are able to cover events in a language other than English. Spanish, Hmong and Tagalog are a few of the main languages spoken by members of the community. Cooper and others believe this language barrier is a main reason for the disconnect.

"There is a lack of personnel engagement in news sources today," Cooper said. "This grant will help us engage the South Sacramento community like never before. Activists, leaders or concerned citizens will all be able to participate."

The second goal of the challenge is to supply the equipment and education necessary for reporting. Computers and Internet access are just the beginning.

Desafío de noticias Knight subvención
Al sur de Sacramento es una comunidad diversa que habla muchos idiomas y las prácticas de muchas tradiciones. Las líneas de barreras culturales y lingüísticas impedir que las noticias e historias de la comunidad de que se diga a los que están fuera de un radio pequeño.

El acceso de Sacramento, en colaboración con La Prensa de Sacramento, el Sacramento Bee y otros medios de comunicación regionales las organizaciones han llegado a la ronda final en el Desafío de Noticias Knight.

Su propuesta de subvención se centrará específicamente en el sur de Sacramento y sus residentes. Acceso de Sacramento ha solicitado dos años, 316.500 dólares de subvención a lograr, su misión de ofrecer un foro para que los pensamientos, los sueños y las opiniones de los miembros de la comunidad que son ignorados por los medios de comunicación. La subvención permitirá cinco sitios a ser equipado con la tecnología necesaria para lograr sus dos objetivos.

"Nuestro primer objetivo es desafiar a los medios de comunicación actuales para educar y enseñar a los nuevos ciudadanos," Acceso Sacramento Director Ejecutivo Ron Cooper. "Esto creará hiper-locales de noticias directamente desde la comunidad".

Cooper espera que los nuevos ciudadanos que no están cubiertos por las fuentes tradicionales de nuevo a participar como reporteros de la comunidad que son capaces de cubrir los acontecimientos en un idioma distinto del Inglés. Español, hmong y tagalo son algunos de los principales idiomas hablados por los miembros de la comunidad. Cooper y otros creen que esta barrera del lenguaje es la principal razón de la desconexión.

"Hay una falta de compromiso personal en las fuentes de las noticias de hoy", dijo Cooper."Esta donación nos ayudará a involucrar a la comunidad del Sur de Sacramento como nunca antes. Activistas, líderes o todos los ciudadanos interesados puedan participar".

El segundo objetivo del desafío es suministrar el equipo y la educación necesaria para la presentación de informes. Computadoras y acceso a Internet son sólo el comienzo.

"Las habilidades para ser un periodista también se enseña", dijo Cooper. "Tenemos que enseñar a la objetividad y no la subjetividad. Los medios de comunicación que actualmente se ejecuta en el sensacionalismo. Este será diferente, no sólo una historia tras otra de los robos y la delincuencia. Esta comunidad necesita una voz para ser escuchado, y no pueden esperar a que ".

Historias recibido del proyecto se mostrará en AsIsOnline.tv. Este nuevo sitio ofrece la posibilidad de texto, imágenes y video para ser subidos y compartidos con el mundo. Noticias e historias en todos los idiomas estarán disponibles para los usuarios de toda la región.

Más de 2.300 solicitantes de todo el mundo aplica para el Desafío de Noticias Knight.Estimaciones de Cooper que Access Sacramento es uno de los 100 finalistas, pero los ganadores no se darán a conocer hasta junio. El desafío de todo es público: Propuestas de donación que se muestran en la Internet, y todo el software desarrollado para la concesión debe ser convertido en fuente abierta para compartir con el mundo. La Fundación Knight desea propuestas ganadoras fueron copiados y repetidos en todo el mundo. La Fundación Knight quiere inspirar a las comunidades de todo el mundo con estas propuestas.

"Para celebrar la diversidad, tenemos que empezar a realizar los que no participan y averiguar por qué", dijo Cooper. "Esta donación permitirá el acceso de Sacramento para acelerar sus planes para el sur de Sacramento."

奈特新闻挑战金 
南萨克拉门托是一个多样化的社会，精通多国语言和习俗的许多传统。文化线和语言障碍，防止和社区的新闻报道被告知外面的一个小半径。

访问萨克拉门托协作，与萨克拉门托新闻，萨克拉门托蜜蜂和其他组织的区域媒体达到了骑士新闻挑战赛最后一轮。

他们的补助金的建议将集中于南国王和居民特别。访问萨克拉门托已经申请了两年，三一六五○○美元给予不断实现他们提供一个思想，梦想和社区谁是主流媒体忽视成员的意见论坛的使命。这笔赠款将允许5个地点，与来实现其两个目标的技术装备。

“我们的首要目标就是挑战目前的传媒教育和教学的新公民，”访问萨克拉门托执行主任罗恩库珀说。 “这将创造直接从社区超当地新闻。”

库珀希望谁不是由传统的新的来源包括参加社区记者谁能够涵盖的语言不是英语的其他活动的新公民。西班牙，苗族和菲律宾语是一个由社会人士使用的主要语言等等。 Cooper等人则认为，这种语言障碍是一个断开的主要原因。

“有接触的人员在今天的新闻来源不足，”库珀说。 “这笔赠款将帮助我们进行前所未有的南方萨克拉门托社会。活动家，领导或有关公民都可以参加。”

这一挑战的第二个目标是为报告提供的设备和必要的教育。电脑和互联网仅仅是个开始。

“技能是记者也将教，”库珀说。 “我们需要客观和不教主体。媒体目前煽情运行。这将是不同的，并非只是因为抢劫和犯罪故事的故事。这个社会需要的声音被听到，他们不能等待得到它。“

故事收到项目将于AsIsOnline.tv显示。这个新的网站提供文字，图片和视频上载有机会与世界各地分享经验。新闻和所有小说将提供给用户的整个地区。

超过2,300从附近奈特新闻挑战世界申请人申请。库珀估计，访问萨克拉门托是仅有的100名入围者之一，但获奖者将要等到今年6月宣布。整个挑战是公众：格兰特建议，在互联网上展示，并授予必须开源与世界分享开发的所有软件。骑士基金会希望获胜的建议被复制和世界各地的重复。骑士基金会希望激励各地的这些建议全球社区。

“为了庆祝多样性，我们需要开始从事那些没有参与，并找出原因，”库珀说。 “这笔赠款将允许访问萨克拉门托，加快南国王的计划。”

Рыцарь Новости задачу гранта 
Южная Сакраменто это различные сообщества, которые говорят много Языки и практики, многие традиции. Культурным линиям и языковые барьеры не позволяют новостей и историй из сообщества говорят в тех пределах небольшого радиуса.

Доступ Сакраменто, в сотрудничестве с пресс Сакраменто, Sacramento Bee и других региональных организаций, средств массовой информации пришли в финал в Рыцарском Новости Challenge.

Их предоставить предложение будет конкретно по Южной Сакраменто и его жителей.Доступ Сакраменто подал заявку на два года, $ 316500 предоставить свои достижения постоянного представительства в качестве форума для мысли, мечты и мнения членов общины, которые игнорируются средствами массовой информации. Грант позволит пять участков, которые будут оснащены технологиями, необходимыми для их достижения двух целей.

"Наша первая цель состоит в оспаривании текущего медиа воспитывать и обучать новых граждан", доступ Сакраменто исполнительного директора Рона Купер. "Это создаст гипер-местные новости прямо из сообщества".

Купер надежд новых граждан, которые не подпадают под традиционные новые источники для участия в качестве сообщество журналистов, которые способны освещать события на другом языке, кроме английского. Испанском, тагальском хмонг и лишь некоторые из основных Языки общения членов сообщества. Купер и другие считают это языковой барьер является основной причиной отключения.

"Существует нехватка участия персонала в новостных источников сегодня", сказал Купер."Этот грант поможет нам привлечь сообщество Южной Сакраменто, как никогда прежде. Активисты, руководители или заинтересованные граждане все будут иметь возможность участвовать".

Вторая цель этой проблемы является поставка оборудования и образование, необходимые для представления отчетности. Компьютеры и доступ в интернет только начало.

"Навыкам быть репортером будет также учил:" Купер. "Мы должны научить объективности и не субъективность. Массовой информации в настоящее время работает на сенсации. Это будет по-другому, а не только историю за историю грабежей и преступлений. Это сообщество должно голос был услышан, и они не могут ждать, чтобы оно ".

История получила от проекта будет отображаться на AsIsOnline.tv. Это новый веб-сайт дает шанс для текста, изображений и видео для загрузки и делились с миром. Новости и статьи из всех Языки будет доступна пользователям во всем регионе.

За 2300 заявители из разных стран мира применяется для рыцаря Новости Challenge.Купер оценкам, что доступ Сакраменто является одной из 100 финалистов, а победителей не будет объявлено до июня. Вся задача заключается общественности: заявки на гранты выводятся на Интернет, и все программное обеспечение, разработанное для предоставления должно быть открытых источников, чтобы поделиться с миром. Knight Foundation пожелания победы предложений были скопированы и повторяется во всем мире. Рыцарь "хочет, чтобы вдохновить общинах по всему миру с этими предложениями.

"В ознаменование разнообразия, мы должны начать привлечение тех, кто не участвует и выяснить, почему", сказал Купер. "Это позволит предоставить доступ Сакраменто, чтобы ускорить свои планы по Южной Сакраменто".

EducationCEO's Blog

EducationCEO's Blog

Tomorrow we honor a man and his ‘Dream,’ 

but then it’s business as usual

January 18, 2010

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As millions of people across the country prepare to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I can’t help but wonder: How many people truly believe that we are better off because of his efforts and the Civil Rights Movement? How many people will use this one day, out of 365, as an assurance that they are keepers of the dream when in reality, they are dream killers? I am sure that I will strike a few nerves with this post, but c’est la vie! As the saying goes: A hurt dog will yelp. If you cringe while reading this or stop midway then, well..you know.
Almost 8 years ago I made the decision to move to Atlanta. Misguided and misinformed, anxious to leave South Bend, IN behind, I actually thought Atlanta was the place to be! After all, it is the birthplace of Dr. King so of course I expected to meet and interact with some professional, educated, and socially conscious people, Black, White, and everything in-between. (Enter reality, stage left). To say I was and still am disappointed by what I have seen would be an understatement. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that I had stepped inside the DeLorean and traveled back in time by say, oh…..at least 200 years.
Reality #1: Despite legislation, minority law makers, and the educational attainment of many of the African Americans who live and work in the metro Atlanta area, we still have some of the most segregated schools in the country.
Reality #2: Considering the above example, no one is doing anything to change this.
Reality #3: Many high-ranking education officials are aware of the disparities and played-out ‘achievement gap’ but are slow to react, if they react at all.
Reality #4: Too many people are content with their titles, Benz, and house in the burbs. Once they leave the city, they forget about everyone else.
Reality #5: African Americans who admonish others for speaking-up against ‘the system’ for the sake of securing a future in said system. I was once told by an African American administrator, ”If you want to move-up in this system, you need to watch what you say.” I explained that I had no desire to move-up in that system. It wasn’t her fault; she didn’t choose how or where she was raised. That’s how I compartmentalized a lot of African American people I met who were raised in the South: They are victims of their stifling and submissive upbringings.
Add-up these realities and the final result = A disgrace to King’s ‘Dream’

Ohio State president is tops in public college pay - Jan. 18, 2010

Ohio State president is tops in public college pay - Jan. 18, 2010

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Ohio State University is No. 1 again, but not in football or basketball. For the second year in a row, the school's president was the highest paid public university executive in the United States, according to a study published Monday.

The Chronicle of Higher Education said E. Gordon Gee, Ohio State's president, took home $1.6 million last year, up from $1.3 million in 2008.

Mark Emmert, president of the University of Washington, was the second highest paid executive in the survey, with total compensation of over $900,000 last year. Patrick Harker, president of the University of Delaware, came in third with over $810,000 in total income.

Gee's office did not immediately respond to calls requesting comment. But The Chronicle said Gee is one of "a growing number" of presidents that have given money back to their institutions, saying he donated $320,850 to help endow a scholarship fund.

The Chronicle, a Washington-based publication focusing on education,surveyed total compensation -- defined as salary and benefits -- for top executives at 185 public universities.

Gee is the only public university president earning more than $1 million. By contrast, The Chronicle reported in November that 23 presidents of the nation's top private universities took home more than $1 million in 2008, the most recent year surveyed.

The survey found that compensation for public university execs overall increased at a much smaller rate in 2009 than in recent years. The median total compensation for chief executives last year was $436,111, up 2.3% from 2008. After adjusting for inflation, however, compensation rose 1.1%.

Bloomberg rips charter school bill

Bloomberg rips charter school bill:

"ALBANY - Legislative leaders defied Gov. Paterson and rolled out a last-minute charter school bill that critics like Mayor Bloomberg say will cost millions in federal aid.

The bill, introduced late Saturday night, would double the state's cap on charter schools to 400 but strips the city schools chancellor of his ability to issue new charters.

Paterson wants lawmakers to raise the charter school cap to 460 schools - allowing the state to qualify for maximum points in the competition for $700 million in federal Race to the Top grants."

Wake split on how to teach poor kids - Education - NewsObserver.com

Wake split on how to teach poor kids - Education - NewsObserver.com:

"RALEIGH -- There is no dispute that the Wake County school system needs to do a better job of educating low-income students, but emotional arguments flare over whether the answer is to end busing for diversity.

The Wake school board's new majority is calling for a return to neighborhood schools and pointing to a task force it has created to try to reduce suspensions and improve test scores and graduation rates among poor and minority students. Opponents of the majority counter that the task force doesn't make up for the de facto resegregation of schools they fear will take place if the diversity policy is eliminated.

The board's new majority has pledged to eliminate the diversity policy and is now controlling the direction of the state's largest school district."

Oregon to peg teacher ratings to student scores | Oregon Education - OregonLive.com

Oregon to peg teacher ratings to student scores | Oregon Education - OregonLive.com:

"Oregon for the first time plans to connect student test scores to the teachers responsible for those students and make the results available to teachers, principals and researchers to help them judge teachers' effectiveness.

Schools will be expected to use those results to improve teaching practices and could use them to help decide which teachers they should promote, give bonuses or let go.

Those plans are laid out in Oregon's application to win a $200 million share of the Obama administration's $4 billion Race to the Top fund.

To compete for the money, states must pledge to take several controversial steps that U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan contends will lead to big gains in student achievement."

Companies donate 300 science books | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal

Companies donate 300 science books | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal:

"Fifth-graders at Minors Lane Elementary wasted no time digging into the piles of new science books stacked in their lab room.

Decoria Curry, 10, flipped through one titled “Not a Drop to Drink: Water for a Thirsty World” by Michael Burgan.

The book was one of 55 science literacy books donated Friday to the school through a partnership between the Louisville Water Co. and CH2M Hill.

“I like science because you get to do experiments,” Decoria said. “This is great so that we can have more books about water for when we want to know stuff about water."

Roundtable looks at racial, ethnic disparities in education | Education | projo.com | The Providence Journal

Roundtable looks at racial, ethnic disparities in education | Education | projo.com | The Providence Journal:

"PROVIDENCE — When Jim E. Albert visits other schools for sports meets or academic competitions, he can see the difference between the haves and the have-nots.

In inner-city schools, he said, he sees few if any computers in classrooms, students use outdated books, and buildings are old and musty.

But in the suburbs, said Albert, a 17-year-old senior at North Providence High School, he sees schools that look more like his own: televisions and computers in each classroom, well-lit corridors and clean locker rooms.

“This shouldn’t be happening in our schools,” Albert said. “We need to start with equality in our schools. When we have that, we can begin to build a more just and equal society.”"

Girls' academic hopes disrupted as family plans return to Afghanistan - washingtonpost.com

Girls' academic hopes disrupted as family plans return to Afghanistan - washingtonpost.com:

"When Hussna Azamy was 5, she began her schooling in the living room of her family's apartment in Herat, Afghanistan. Her only classmate was a sister; their teachers were their parents. For up to five hours a day, they studied the Dari alphabet, fundamentals of math and science, and how to read the Koran."



Hussna and her older sister, Farah, came of school age in Afghanistan in the 1990s, when it was forbidden to educate girls and most of the country's schools had been destroyed. They yearned to see the inside of an actual school.
Their aspirations became real after the Taliban fell in 2001, and later, they carried their academic dreams thousands of miles to a country with one of the world's most renowned education systems.
But after less than a year in the United States -- where Hussna, 17, and her younger sister, Tamana, 13, quickly became A students in Prince William County schools -- the family plans to return to Afghanistan. Their father wants to help rebuild his country, work he has been unable to find here.

EducationNews.org - Obama's billions give school reform shot in arm

EducationNews.org - Obama's billions give school reform shot in arm

To compete for a share of $4 billion in federal education funds, California lawmakers approved a major school reform plan. But in Texas, the governor chose to opt out of the competition, arguing that it would give Washington too much power over education policy.


Obama's billions give school reform shot in arm

Virginia, D.C. will be among applicants for Race to the Top funds.


To compete for a share of $4 billion in federal education funds, California lawmakers approved a major school reform plan. But in Texas, the governor chose to opt out of the competition, arguing that it would give Washington too much power over education policy.

The contrasting approaches from the two most populous states show the political tensions the Obama administration's initiative has provoked as the first application deadline for the Race to the Top school reform fund approaches Tuesday. Virginia and the District are competing in round one, but Maryland is waiting for round two later this year.


Many states have tinkered with laws and policies in recent months to improve their chances in a competition Obama launched last year to shake up the education establishment. California is among the most prominent: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has signed bills to facilitate the use of student test data to evaluate teachers and to take aggressive steps to turn around struggling schools. One provision gives parents the power to bring about change directly through a petition drive.


The influential California Teachers Association opposed elements of the legislation. But there appears to be bipartisan support for the state's application.

On firing bad teachers - latimes.com

On firing bad teachers - latimes.com:

"A note of gratitude is due Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David P. Yaffe for ordering the immediate firing of Matthew Kim after a tortuous seven-year saga. This wasn't the first time that Yaffe tried to inject common sense into the absurdly difficult and expensive task of ridding classrooms of teachers who don't belong there. His previous decision to allow the Los Angeles Unified School District to fire Kim, issued in July, was ignored by the panel that has authority over contested teacher dismissals.

The Kim fiasco is a reminder of just how many thousands of dollars and costly lawyers and innumerable court appearances are currently required to fire incompetent or otherwise troublesome teachers. And, adding insult to injury, Kim has been paid his full salary and benefits since 2003 while doing no work for the district."

Professor Is a Label That Leans to the Left - NYTimes.com

Professor Is a Label That Leans to the Left - NYTimes.com:

"The overwhelmingly liberal tilt of university professors has been explained by everything from outright bias to higher I.Q. scores. Now new research suggests that critics may have been asking the wrong question. Instead of looking at why most professors are liberal, they should ask why so many liberals — and so few conservatives — want to be professors."

A pair of sociologists think they may have an answer: typecasting. Conjure up the classic image of a humanities or social sciences professor, the fields where the imbalance is greatest: tweed jacket, pipe, nerdy, longwinded, secular — and liberal. Even though that may be an outdated stereotype, it influences younger people’s ideas about what they want to be when they grow up.

Jobs can be typecast in different ways, said Neil Gross and Ethan Fosse, who undertook the study. For instance, less than 6 percent of nurses today are men. Discrimination against male candidates may be a factor, but the primary reason for the disparity is that most people consider nursing to be a woman’s career, Mr. Gross said. That means not many men aspire to become nurses in the first place — a point made in the recent Lee Daniels film “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.” When John (Lenny Kravitz) asks the 16-year-old Precious (Gabourey Sidibe) and her friends whether they’ve ever seen a male nurse before, all answer no amid giddy laughter.

Nursing is what sociologists call “gender typed.” Mr. Gross said that “professors and a number of other fields are politically typed.” Journalism, art, fashion, social work and therapy are dominated by liberals; while law enforcement, farming, dentistry, medicine and the military attract more conservatives.

Class Struggle - National ed reporting overrated

Class Struggle- National ed reporting overrated:

"Those of us who write about schools were supposed to rise in anger and frustration when the Brookings Institution revealed that during the first nine months of 2009 “only 1.4 percent of national news coverage from television, newspapers, new Web sites and radio dealt with education.” A headline on the Brookings Web site said: “Invisible: 1.4 Percent Coverage for Education is Not Enough.”


I’m not feeling it. To begin with, the headline was misleading. Brookings probably learned that trick from us newspaper people, but still, get real. Maybe national education news is hard to find. Maybe it deserves to be, as boring and repetitive as it can be. But education reporting, at least the local kind that fills most of my days, is alive and well and provides more than 1.4 percent of what Americans read in their newspapers each day."

Listening to 'I Have a Dream'

It is one thing to read the words, “From every mountainside, let freedom ring,” and it is entirely another to hear the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.deliver the magnificent “I Have a Dream” speech that helped change U.S. history.

Once you hear it, it is not possible to forget.

So today, on this national holiday that commemorates King and his impact on this country, sit down with your children and listen.

Where can you hear it?

Continue reading this post »

Obama Honors King, Reflects on Faith

Pres. Barack Obama urged his audience at Washington's Vermont Avenue Baptist Church to "get back to basics" as Americans face the challenges of a new age. He spoke on the eve of a federal holiday marking Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. (Jan. 17)

Gov., charter-school officials criticize Legislature’s “Race to the Top” bill | Politics on the Hudson

Gov., charter-school officials criticize Legislature’s “Race to the Top” bill | Politics on the Hudson:

"Gov. David Paterson announced this afternoon he is calling lawmakers into a special session Monday—a state holiday—to pass legislation New York needs to increase its chances of securing up to $700 million in federal “Race to the Top” funding. The governor is not happy with a joint Senate/Assembly bill that is different than the one he proposed. States’ applications for the competitive grants have to be in Washington by Tuesday afternoon, so New York officials are racing against the clock. Tomorrow’s session is at 8 p.m.

The most critical element the legislation has to include is increasing the cap of 200 charter schools, a limit the state has almost reached, but lawmakers and the governor disagree on what the new number should be and whether there should be changes to the administration and oversight of charters. Charter schools have been controversial in New York because per-pupil state funding follows students who leave traditional public schools for the publicly funded but privately run charter schools, which some believe hurts the traditional public-school system."

George Leonard, Voice of ’60s Counterculture, Dies at 86 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com

George Leonard, Voice of ’60s Counterculture, Dies at 86 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com:

"George Leonard, a former journalist who foresaw the countercultural tides of the 1960s, then dived into them when he helped define the human potential movement at its de facto headquarters, the Esalen Institute, died on Jan. 6 at his home in Mill Valley, Calif. He was 86."


The cause was complications of esophageal cancer, said his wife, Annie Styron Leonard.
Mr. Leonard, as an editor and writer at Look magazine, was one of the first journalists to predict the tumult and idealism of the ’60s when he wrote a January 1961 cover article called “Youth of the Sixties: The Explosive Generation.” A year later he predicted, accurately, that the youth movements would first manifest themselves in California.

At the same time, he found himself wanting to become a part of the changes he had foretold. Shedding the conventions of objectivity in his reporting, he became a voice for an emerging new consciousness.

In 1965 Mr. Leonard met Michael Murphy, a co-founder of Esalen, in San Francisco, where Esalen was opening a learning center. Soon Mr. Leonard was visiting Esalen’s main campus, a seaside complex in the redwood-studded area of central California known as Big Sur.

“Explosion, catharsis, adventure” were the words Mr. Leonard used to describe his first impressions in an interview with U.S. News & World Report in 1992.

He went on to become the president of the institute’s trustees for many years and an important figure in expanding its concerns to include issues of social justice.

Can Newspaper Muckraking Carry on in Nonprofits? - ABC News

Can Newspaper Muckraking Carry on in Nonprofits? - ABC News:

"Nonprofit groups that specialize in investigative reporting have had some big scoops, cracking the front page of such newspapers as The Washington Post and forcing officials out of their jobs. Now the question is whether these organizations can stay afloat on donations.

As financially strapped newspapers have scaled back, charitable foundations have poured tens of millions of dollars into nonprofit watchdogs in hopes of keeping politicians and businesses in check. These groups figure to do a bigger share of the investigative legwork in the coming years.

But philanthropy probably can't maintain all of these groups forever. And some are still struggling to come up with a financially sustainable plan — just as old-school media are.

Consider the Center for Investigative Reporting, or CIR, which launched a new venture last year called California Watch with $3.7 million in donations from foundations and wealthy individuals. California Watch aims to cover such issues as education, immigration, public safety and the environment, filling holes left by newspapers."

The Tuition Time Bomb | The Texas Tribune

The Tuition Time Bomb | The Texas Tribune:

"Even with the next legislative session a year away, state Rep. Dan Branch, chair of the Higher Education Committee, has been visiting college presidents, delivering a frank warning: Texas families can’t take any more big tuition hikes, and neither can the cash-strapped state bail out bulging college budgets.

Since 2003, when the Legislature deregulated tuition by allowing individual boards of regents to set prices for each school, tuition and fees at four-year state schools has skyrocketed by an average of 63 percent, from $1,934 per semester to $3,150 according to the last state figures, from 2008. At some schools, such as Stephen F. Austin, Prairie View A&M, and Texas A&M Galveston, the cost of an education nearly doubled in that five-year span."

The Amazing Randi by Marcus A. Winters on National Review Online

The Amazing Randi by Marcus A. Winters on National Review Online:

"In what could prove a turning point in favor of education reform, American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten came out in favor of considering student performance on standardized tests as one part of teacher evaluations. If Weingarten turns her words into real actions, and if the teachers’ unions follow Weingarten’s lead, it will improve teacher quality across the country.

Support for using student test scores to evaluate teachers is a departure for Weingarten. Two years ago, when New York City planned to start using test scores as part of its teacher evaluations, it was Weingarten, then head of the city’s teachers’ union, who pushed state lawmakers to ban the city from doing so. The legislature caved. New York’s education reformers are working to eliminate the ban."

EcoCenter may have to close - SignOnSanDiego.com

EcoCenter may have to close - SignOnSanDiego.com:

"SAN DIEGO — An award-winning educational program that has taught thousands of Southern California school children about renewable energy and energy independence could shut down soon because of a lack of funds.

“We are endangered,” said Judy Bishop, executive director of the EcoCenter for Alternative Fuel Education.

Based in a former car dealership on El Cajon Boulevard, the EcoCenter has postponed student tours while it seeks funding to pay its monthly $12,700 rent, Bishop said."

RIMOFTHEWORLD.net - Columns

RIMOFTHEWORLD.net - Columns:

"Mountain Communities - Despite a pledge to spare education from budget cuts, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2010-11 budget proposal includes $1.5 billion in central office administration and maintenance outlays."

For the already financially strapped Rim of the World Unified School District, the reduction in those area could mean a potential loss of $756,610, according to the California Department of Education and the California Department of Finance.

In the 2007-08 year, Rim's non-instructional spending was $7,566,101 representing 19.1 percent of non-instructional general fund spending.

Warning signs - baltimoresun.com

Warning signs - baltimoresun.com:

"Maryland achieved an odd distinction last week. It was rated by Education Week magazine as having the top education system in the nation for the second year in a row. And it was ranked by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools as having the worst charter school law in the country. It would be easy to dismiss the report by the charter schools advocacy group -- after all, if we're No. 1, why bother with charter schools? But the truth is that even if we are as good as Education Week says we are, that's not good enough, and the details of the rankings reveal weaknesses that will prevent our children from competing fully in the global economy for years to come.

It's clear from Education Week's analysis that some of the policy decisions Maryland has made have paid off. State schools chief Nancy S. Grasmick has long focused on early childhood education, and that helps boost Maryland's ranking. The relatively small number of school districts in Maryland helps reduce funding inequities, and the massive infusion of state schools spending through the Thornton formula puts the state near the top in financial support for education."

State education chief to give final address - ContraCostaTimes.com

State education chief to give final address - ContraCostaTimes.com:

"After more than seven years serving as the state's superintendent of public instruction, Jack O'Connell gets ready for his swan song.

O'Connell will deliver his seventh and final State of Education address in Sacramento on Friday.

He will discuss the current state of the California public education system and how the future of schools will be shaped by current reform efforts.

In other education news, California Community College Chancellor Jack Scott will pay a visit to Chaffey College's Chino campus Tuesday.

Scott will tour the new community center and host a Chancellor's Circle luncheon.

At the Ontario Convention Center, experts on Tuesday will shed more light on the future of the Meredith property, the 250 acres of undeveloped land near Fourth Street and Vineyard Avenue in Ontario."

Raising the education bar - latimes.com

Raising the education bar - latimes.com:

"What percentage of Georgia's fourth-graders are good readers? It seems to depend on whom you ask. The state will tell you that 85% met or exceeded the proficiency benchmark on its 2007 test. On the other hand, that year only 28% scored high enough to be considered proficient on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, an exam administered by the U.S. Department of Education that is usually regarded as the gold standard. The big difference results from where the two tests set their proficiency bars. Georgia sets its bar pretty low -- so low that barely literate students can score high enough to be deemed proficient. On the NAEP, a student labeled 'proficient' by Georgia could fail to score above 'basic.'

Unfortunately, five states have even lower standards than Georgia's, and eight others are at about the same level. For its part, in 2007, 52% of California's students performed at or above the proficiency benchmark on the state's reading exam, while only 23% met or exceeded the NAEP's proficiency standard."

The Governor’s School Budget: The Race To Mediocrity | California Progress Report

The Governor’s School Budget: The Race To Mediocrity | California Progress Report:

"On Friday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other state officials signed California’s grand, ambitious, 550-page application for federal Race to the Top (RTTT) education funding. It came just a week after the governor submitted a budget plan for the coming year that’s so riddled with holes, misrepresentations and improbabilities that you’d never know they applied to the same state.

The application for RTTT funding boasted that despite the California’s fiscal crisis, the “State has made education funding a priority over the last several years.” But it does not tell the federal reviewers that California is among the lowest three or four states in the nation in what spends per pupil in school funding, and perhaps the lowest and that it’s done almost nothing to change it. ."

Organizers want to see a walk-in at CSUS - Local - Modbee.com

Organizers want to see a walk-in at CSUS - Local - Modbee.com:

"TURLOCK — Rather than have everyone walk out during a statewide demonstration in March, organizers at California State University, Stanislaus, would like to see folks come in to the campus.

A group calling itself Warriors Fight Back met Friday to discuss plans for the Strike/Day of Action set for March 4. The statewide event was scheduled after students at the University of California at Berkeley in October protested budget cuts and increased fees throughout the state's higher education system.

'March 4 is one part of the fight to save public education, and a part of the protest against the tuition increases, layoffs, and cuts to our classes,' student Nikki Boudreau said in an e-mail message."

Willows student's expulsion for gun possession draws national attention - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Willows student's expulsion for gun possession draws national attention - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"Folks in the rural community of Willows remember the days, not long ago, when teenagers would go duck hunting on autumn mornings and then park their pickup trucks on the Willows High School campus with shotguns displayed in racks.

That's why many residents were upset when school officials in November expelled 16-year-old Gary Tudesko for parking his pickup on a street next to campus with shotguns in the back seat after a morning hunting waterfowl."

More students refuse to state race - Local - Fresnobee.com

More students refuse to state race- Local- Fresnobee.com: "

SACRAMENTO -- Martin Luther King Jr. would be pleased by how students in Laguna Creek High School's 'unity class' embody his dream of 'a nation where they will be not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.'

The 37 students in teacher Jeanne Kirchofer's classroom span many combinations of race and ethnicity. About half said they would rather be identified as Americans, erasing race from the boxes.

They reflect a trend in California schools, where growing numbers of students and parents decline to state race on forms and tests."