Children's advocate Milton Reiterman dies

Children's advocate Milton Reiterman dies

As a turret gunner wedged in the belly of a B-24 bomber, Milton Reiterman dodged the flak that came with each of the 40 combat missions he flew during World War II.

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After one particularly grueling flight, he found 200 holes in the fuselage before he decided to stop counting.
Perhaps the experience steeled him for three decades of dodging San Francisco's political minefields, forging a public service career committed to the city's schools and the welfare of children.
Mr. Reiterman, a top administrator for the San Francisco school district, died Dec. 29 during treatment for a stroke. He was 85.
As a high school football star, teacher, football coach, counselor, administrator and labor negotiator, Mr. Reiterman was dedicated to San Francisco and its schools.
Through the civil rights era, the Summer of Love and the years of desegregation and affirmative action, Mr. Reiterman rose through the ranks at San Francisco Unified, reaching the post of associate superintendent.
He was a key, if controversial, player in the early 1970s under Superintendent Thomas Shaheen, who was highly criticized for an affirmative action policy limiting the promotion of white employees. Mr. Reiterman, who was considered more moderate, had the support of the district's 

Parents organize to fight for prized programs | Washington Examiner

Parents organize to fight for prized programs | Washington Examiner

Parents organize to fight for prized programs

By: LEAH FABEL 
Examiner Staff Writer
January 20, 2010

Angry parents in the Washington suburbs have organized in recent weeks with rare force, determined to save Cadillac school programs from the budget ax.

Their advocacy sets up a quandary for county politicians aiming to balance the needs of a vocal few with those of the less-active majority of residents.

In Fairfax County, Foreign Language Advocacy for Grade Schools, or FLAGS, has collected about 2,000 signatures on a petition to save the county's 13 language-immersion schools, as well as a program in 32 schools that offers two days of foreign language per week.

"If you lose these programs that make our schools a different quality school system, then you've taken away a lot of what attracts people to this area," said Sandy Knox, who said she has been working nearly 60 hours per week as co-leader of the effort.

The Fairfax Arts Coalition for Education, or FACE, organized a rally earlier this month to garner support for the elementary band and orchestra program that serves about 25,000 of the county's upper elementary students. A spiffy Web site lists contact information for co-chairmen representing classes from theater arts to guitar, while a list of "advocacy links" encourages parents to become lobbyists.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Parents-organize-to-fight-for-prized-programs-82118877.html#ixzz0dAK5ptga

Class Struggle - Do federal education dollars work?

Class Struggle- Do federal education dollars work?

Do federal education dollars work?

President Obama is not happy about Texas refusing his Race to the Top money, but I say let's give a languid, scholarly cheer for Gov. Rick Perry (R) and his decision to miss the chance at hundreds of millions of dollars in federal education aid. Texas has, in effect, designated itself a big control group in an interesting test of this haunting question---does increased federal spending make schools better?

The president didn't mention this in his speech at a Fairfax County elementary school today, although his announced plan to add another $1.35 billion to his fund for states and school districts making changes he approves of will just give this scientific exercise another boost. Some districts and states will get the money. Some won't. Which will look better in four or five years?

Does this sound fair?

The National Board of Medical Examiners denied a request by medical student Frederick Romberg to have extra time to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination. Romberg, who has dyslexia, is appealing the decision.

Here is what Romberg told the board, and what the board told him. How would you decide the case?

Romberg, now a 41-year-old student at Yale University’s School of Medicine, had a troubled childhood. His father abandoned the family when he was young, and he was raised, along with his mentally and physically disabled brother, by his alcoholic mother. She died when he was 16. He attended inner city schools where he was sometimes assaulted.

No childhood records were kept on him, but as early as he can remember, Romberg had great difficulty with reading.

Continue reading this post »

HISD may vie for federal school funds after all | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

HISD may vie for federal school funds after all | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"Texas school districts might have a shot at the federal Race to the Top grant money after all.

President Barack Obama announced Tuesday that he would seek $1.35 billion in next year's budget to expand the $4 billion grant contest and let individual school districts — instead of just states — apply.

The Democratic president took an indirect jab at Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who said last week that Texas would not compete for as much as $700 million in Race to the Top funds. Obama said that opening up the contest would help “innovative districts like the one in Texas whose reform efforts are being stymied by state decision-makers.”
Obama likely was referring to the Houston Independent School District, which last week adopted a policy linking student test scores to teachers' job evaluations and dismissal decisions — a key part of the president's education reform agenda.

HISD well-positioned

HISD Superintendent Terry Grier, who lobbied the Obama administration for a grant contest for districts after Perry opted out of the competition, said Texas' largest school system would be well positioned to win funds."

Obama to seek $1.35B more for education - USATODAY.com

Obama to seek $1.35B more for education - USATODAY.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Obama announced Tuesday he'll ask Congress for $1.35 billion to extend an education grant program for states, saying that getting schools right "will shape our future as a nation."

Obama outlined the proposal that will be part of his budget request for this year at an elementary school here, where he also held a short discussion with sixth-grade students.

The $787 billion economic stimulus program that Obama signed into law soon after taking office included $4.3 billion in competitive grants for states, nicknamed the "Race to the Top" fund. States must amend education laws and policies to compete for a share of the money.

RACE TO THE TOP: Grants propel reforms

GOV. PERRY: Texas won't seek federal education funds

TEACHERS: Union to propose test scores figure into ratings

The deadline to apply for the program is Tuesday, and officials expect more than 30 states to apply. The Education Department is expected to announce its first of two rounds of awards in April — with Obama saying that not all who enter will get a grant.

The president said that extending the program would allow 

Race to the Top ~ The Race is On! | Learning Matters

Race to the Top ~ The Race is On! | Learning Matters

The deadline has arrived, and the states that are hoping to win a share of a 4.35 billion dollar pie have submitted their applications to what the Obama Administration is calling the “Race to the Top.”

It’s a massive gamble on Washington’s part, an effort to change state and local education policies by dangling the carrot of big dollars in front of states and school districts that are desperately trying to make ends meet. Washington wants more charter schools, merit pay for teachers, and plans for putting the best teachers in the worst schools.

In the weeks before the applications were due, we watched legislators and educators in Colorado, Maryland and other states planning their strategies. Some states changed laws just to qualify to compete, while others rewrote policies in hopes of increasing their chances of winning.

Autism coverage gains momentum in Missouri Legislature - STLtoday.com

Autism coverage gains momentum in Missouri Legislature - STLtoday.com:

"JEFFERSON CITY — Families with autistic children appear likely to gain insurance coverage in Missouri next year, but how much coverage will be the focus of a heated debate that kicked off Tuesday.

In jammed hearing rooms, supporters of an insurance mandate urged legislative committees to make Missouri the 15th state, including Illinois, to require that all health insurance policies pay for diagnosis and treatment of the fast-growing brain disorder.

The issue has been on the front burner since Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, criticized the Republican-led House for killing the bill last year. GOP leaders have promised to make it a priority this year. To get a jump on Nixon, both the House and Senate held autism hearings on the eve of Nixon's 'State of the State' speech, which he will deliver at 7 tonight and which is expected to highlight the issue."

The kids be damned: Cowardly Legislature betrays state's children and taxpayers

The kids be damned: Cowardly Legislature betrays state's children and taxpayers

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Democratic Conference boss John Sampson yesterday betrayed New York's children and taxpayers in the most cowardly and irresponsible fashion possible.

Without taking a single action in public - without voting on the most consequential piece of education legislation in decades - they trashed this bankrupt state's shot at securing as much as $700 million in federal Race to the Top aid.

In the process, Silver (top photo), Sampson (bottom photo) and fellow Democrats told President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan to drop dead, denied thousands of kids the chance for an improved education and shredded what little was left of Albany's credibility as a seat of government.

Read more:http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/01/20/2010-01-20_the_kids_be_damned.html#ixzz0d9zprAA7

Speaker Silver: The teachers' union pet - NYPOST.com

Speaker Silver: The teachers' union pet - NYPOST.com

It was crystal clear yesterday that New York's teachers unions aren't just joined at the hip with Assembly SpeakerSheldon Silver and the Democratic legislative leadership, they ARE part of the leadership.

The tragic evidence of their extraordinary power was out in the open for all to see minutes before the death knell tolled for Gov. Paterson's and Mayor Bloomberg's effort to win $700 million in federal "Race to the Top" education assistance.

Shortly before the Assembly planned to convene to at least consider the RTTT legislation, Education Committee Chairwoman Catherine Nolan (D-Queens) was huddled -- in full view of the public -- 30 feet from Silver's office with Carol Gerstl, counsel to the all-powerful United Federation of Teachers.

New Education Funds Spur States to Compete - WSJ.com

New Education Funds Spur States to Compete - WSJ.com

Forty states are seeking federal school funding through a competitive Obama administration program that has prompted educational changes as well as resistance in much of the country.

States have spent months, and in some cases millions of dollars in consulting fees, preparing applications for the first round of the $4.35 billion Race to the Top program, due Tuesday.

The initiative has generated stiff competition among states eager to prove their bona fides as education reformers in a scramble for federal cash. Administration officials promise to award grants worth up to $700 million to states that show the greatest willingness to push innovation and implement tough testing standards in local schools.

The program has met resistance in some quarters. In Florida, eight of the state's 67 counties declined to sign on to the state's application, citing disagreements with the federal policy. Hundreds of districts in California also declined to go along.

Teachers unions in some states, such as Michigan and Minnesota, have urged members to oppose their states' bids. Unity among a state's educators and unions is one of the criteria administration officials will use to grade requests for funding.

At Robeson High, Attendance Rates Don't Add Up - NY1.com

At Robeson High, Attendance Rates Don't Add Up - NY1.com:

"If the city goes ahead as planned, Brooklyn's Paul Robeson High School will close in June, never to reopen and with nothing to take its place. All this week, NY1's Lindsey Christ is taking a behind the scenes look at the school's challenges, its successes and its failures.
Fifteen minutes into Mr. Jacobs' second period U.S. history class, he's the only one in the room. Ten minutes later, two students sit at their desks. By the end of the period, there are five. His roster for the class has more than 30 names. At Paul Robeson High School, teachers say simply getting students into the classrooms may be their biggest challenge.

'It's kind of like if you walk in and out of a movie, you don't know what is going on. A lot of kids have that kind of attendance in school. They're called LTAs -- long term absences. And then when they come back, you are like 'Yeah you're back!' but the kid is lost because he hasn't been here,' said Paul Robeson High School teacher Larry Jacobs."

City, Environmental Protection Agency make deal to test schools for PCB toxin

City, Environmental Protection Agency make deal to test schools for PCB toxin

The city has agreed to test schools for PCBs and, if needed, come up with a plan to protect kids from exposure after a Daily News probe found the toxin in the window caulking of several schools.

The settlement between the city Education Department and the federal Environmental Protection Agency heads off a parents' lawsuit for now - and puts the schools under tougher federal scrutiny.

The deal dictates a million-dollar pilot study of five schools that could lead to much more testing.

"The program outlined in this agreement, along with general EPA guidance on managing the issue, will serve as a model for school systems across the country," said EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck.

Because PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, were routinely added to caulking before the chemicals were outlawed in 1977, buildings nationwide constructed before then are at risk for serious PCB contamination.

Read more:http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/01/20/2010-01-20_city_feds_agree_on_school_pcb_testing.html#ixzz0d9wnDhnh

Public School 15 in Brooklyn one of many struggling against charter schools

Public School 15 in Brooklyn one of many struggling against charter schools

Nothing Schools Chancellor Joel Klein can say will calm the furor and sense of betrayal parents and teachers at Public School 15 in Brooklyn have felt for the past few weeks.

"There is a deliberate attempt [by Klein] to undermine and dismantle a successful public school, and we're going to fight it," Lydia Bellahcene, a leader of the Parents Association and mother of three students at the Red Hook school, vowed Tuesday.

The target here is not a failed school. Even the bureaucrats at Tweed have given PS 15 an A rating for three straight years.

Yet, parents at the school find themselves locked in a neighborhood civil war instigated by the Department of Education. Their nemesis is PAVE Academy, a charter school that shares their building but keeps demanding more space.

The same conflict is being fought out in scores of New York Cityneighborhoods.

It is one of the main reasons Democratic lawmakers in AlbanyTuesday rebuffed intense pressure from Klein, Mayor Bloomberg, Gov. Paterson - even from the Obama White House- to lift the cap on the number of charter schools in the state.

The lawmakers did so even though they risked the state's losing hundreds of million of dollars in "Race to the Top" federal school aid.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) showed the most courage. He was

Read more:http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/01/20/2010-01-20_paveing_way_over_bklyn_school.html#ixzz0d9wNnh1m

Choice Education Chiefs - WSJ.com

Choice Education Chiefs - WSJ.com:

"Kudos to the country's two newest governors, Republicans Bob McDonnell of Virginia and Chris Christie of New Jersey, who have tapped strong school choice advocates to head their state education departments.

Last week, Mr. McDonnell chose Gerald Robinson to become Virginia's next Secretary of Education. Mr. Robinson currently heads the Black Alliance for Educational Options, a national nonprofit that backs charter schools and performance pay for teachers. Meanwhile, Mr. Christie has picked former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler to serve as his state's next education commissioner. Mr. Schundler is an unabashed supporter of using education vouchers and charter schools to improve the plight of urban school districts."

At a Brooklyn School, Weeding, Writing and Arithmatic - NYTimes.com

At a Brooklyn School, Weeding, Writing and Arithmatic - NYTimes.com:

"THOSE who believe trends start on the West Coast and are perfected on the East Coast might add to their argument a garden planned for an elementary school in Brooklyn."



This summer, supporters will tear up a quarter-acre of asphalt parking lot behind P.S. 216 in the Gravesend neighborhood and start building the first New York affiliate of the Edible Schoolyard program, developed by the restaurateur Alice Waters of Chez Panisse.
It’s a $1.6-million architect’s dream. A new building, powered by the sun, will hold a kitchen classroom with communal tables where children can share meals they make from food they grow in the garden.
Designers from the Work Architecture Company have incorporated a chicken coop, a composting system, an outdoor pizza oven and a cistern to collect rainwater. A movable greenhouse will be rolled out each fall.

Burbank Leader > Education

Burbank Leader > Education:

"DOWNTOWN — For local education officials, the sky keeps falling.

Burbank Unified stands to lose $3 million annually, according to estimates from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget proposals unveiled Jan. 8. The loss in Glendale Unified is expected to be up to $5.8 million.

“We’re looking at five years at least before we begin to think about getting back to what we were getting,” said Lori Ordway-Peck, Burbank Unified School District interim deputy superintendent. “And yet, we’re being asked to do more, achieve greater results and absorb higher costs of operation. Something’s got to give . . . public education is at a point where it cannot continue to do this.”

Factoring in the latest cuts steepens Glendale Unified’s projected deficit to almost $50 million in 2012-13, up from a previous estimate of $32 million. Burbank officials came into 2009-10 having made cuts to reach a balanced three-year budget, but will have to make additional cuts next year to close the $3-million annual loss."

New Year, New Semester At Bakersfield College - Bakersfield News Story - KERO Bakersfield

New Year, New Semester At Bakersfield College - Bakersfield News Story - KERO Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- There’s nothing more exciting than the hustle and bustle of a new semester at Bakersfield College. Just take one look around the campuses on Panorama Drive in Bakersfield or on Timmons Avenue in Delano, and you’ll see more than 17,000 students walking to classes, looking for books, seeking out old friends and learning their way to a better future.

Over the last four years, Bakersfield College has seen an increase in student enrollment, and early student enrollment numbers for Spring 2010 are indicating that this trend will continue for the near future.
Despite California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget, which made little to no cuts to higher education, Bakersfield College is bracing for continued difficult budget times. Above all else, Bakersfield College is working to provide access to quality, affordable higher education to students.


“The Governor’s budget was a pleasant surprise,” said Dr. Greg Chamberlain, president of Bakersfield College. “But any political analyst, any California resident, anyone who has watched the state budget process, can tell you that we rarely end up with the Governor’s proposed budget as the final budget. Because of this, Bakersfield College continues to closely examine every expenditure. We are working to ensure that we are making the most logical, sound financial decisions possible.”

Louisiana making headway in 'Race to the Top,' President Barack Obama says | New Orleans Metro Education News - - NOLA.com

Louisiana making headway in 'Race to the Top,' President Barack Obama says | New Orleans Metro Education News - - NOLA.com

President Barack Obama on Tuesday again cited Louisiana as one of the state's adopting effective school reform policies as final applications came due for a share of a $4.35 billion education grant program known as the"Race to the Top."

"In Illinois, Louisiana, Tennessee, California, we've seen changes in laws or policies to let public charter schools expand and succeed," Obama said during an appearance at a Virginia elementary school. Such schools, he said, are given more independence as they are generally formed by teachers, parents and community members.

In announcing the state's application for Race to the Top financing, Louisiana education officials said the state should benefit by having the highest concentration of charter schools among the 50 states and other policies.

But since Obama announced the grant program, other states have engaged in the educational overhaul agenda, meaning Louisiana will face some stiff competition.

In states such as California, Rhode Island, Nevada, Wisconsin and Indiana, officials have either lifted restrictions on charter schools or repealed laws that the Obama administration viewed as harmful to reform efforts. For example, the legislatures in California and Wisconsin repealed laws that banned the linkage of student achievement scores to performance evaluations of teachers.

Teen duck hunter appeals school expulsion | News10.net | Sacramento, California | News

Teen duck hunter appeals school expulsion | News10.net | Sacramento, California | News:

"WILLOWS, CA - The high school junior who was expelled for leaving two shotguns in his pickup truck at the edge of campus has asked the Glenn County, California Board of Education to reinstate him.

Gary Tudesko, 17, was kicked out of Willows High School in November after a school security dog alerted to the shotguns and ammunition in his locked truck on a public street adjacent to school grounds. Tudesko had gone duck-hunting with a friend before classes and told administrators he didn't have time to take the guns home before the first bell.

Tudesko was represented by two attorneys hired by a consortium of gun rights advocates at a Tuesday hearing before the Glenn County Board of Education. The National Rifle Association hired a camera crew from Washington, D.C. to record the event A crowd of supporters wearing ribbons packed the hearing room, some of them wearing hunting gear."

State leaders lobby Congress for federal funds

State leaders lobby Congress for federal funds:

"California's state leaders are in Washington today and Thursday for the first round of visits this year to press the federal government for billions of dollars to help the state's beleaguered budget."

In his budget proposal, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has assumed that the state will get $6.9 billion in federal aid for health care, incarcerating undocumented felons and special education, among other requests.
The governor has maintained the state is not getting its fair share of federal dollars and the four Republican and Democratic leaders of the Legislature are on the East Coast with him to press the argument. If that money does not materialize, Schwarzenegger has proposed the wholesale elimination of programs for the poor, sick and elderly.
So far, though, California's congressional representatives have been cool to the governor's demands, though they have pushed the Obama administration for more money for incarcerating undocumented felons. Schwarzenegger and lawmakers plan to meet with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, along with Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/19/BAQL1BKF9H.DTL#ixzz0d9oVCkJa

Race for Education Funding Poses a Test for States | PBS NewsHour | Jan. 19, 2010 | PBS

Race for Education Funding Poses a Test for States | PBS NewsHour | Jan. 19, 2010 | PBS:

"GWEN IFILL: Now: Billions of dollars are about to come available in new federal education spending, and states are competing for a piece of the pie. The money, part of the government stimulus package, is designed to give public school systems a leg up. But there's a catch.

John Merrow, the 'NewsHour''s special correspondent for education, explains."

JOHN MERROW: President Obama visited a school in Falls Church, Virginia, today to promote his major education initiative known as Race to the Top. The program offers a shot at new funding. But the president was quick to remind the states that not all of them would win the money.

U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: And it's the competitive nature of this initiative that we believe helps make it so effective. We laid out a few key criteria and said, "If you meet these tests, we'll reward you by helping you reform your schools."

JOHN MERROW: Most states have accepted the challenge. Representatives flocked to workshops held in December, eager to learn the rules of a competition that offers a share of $4.35 billion.

JOANNE WEISS, director, Race to the Top: Most of the Department of Education's funding is -- is formulaic funding. It's funding that Congress gives the department, and we have to give it out on a formula basis.

JOHN MERROW: Joanne Weiss is the director of the Race to the Top.

JOANNE WEISS: This program is a competitive program. The states that win Race to the Top, we're hoping that what they do is show the way to the rest of the country for what could and should happen out there.