Rise & Shine: Metrocard cuts won’t be decided next week after all | GothamSchools

Rise & Shine: Metrocard cuts won’t be decided next week after all | GothamSchools

Rise & Shine: Metrocard cuts won’t be decided next week after all

by Philissa Cramer

• Lawmakers are complaining that the Obama administration’s education plan is too city-focused. (Times)
• Chancellor Klein and Mayor Bloomberg offer their take on Obama’s education plan. (Time)
• George Will says Obama’s goal of universal “college and career readiness” by 2020 is unrealistic. (Post)
• The teachers union’s charter school got a shorter-than-typical charter renewal from the state. (Post)
• The head of the MTA told worried students that Metrocards won’t be voted on next week. (NY1)
• At a medicine-themed high school in the Bronx, students learn the periodic table by rapping. (NY1)
• A program called “Expanding the Walls” lets students explore the city through photography. (Times)
• The Villager praises the city’s indication that it will open a new school downtown sooner than planned.
• Under New Jersey’s proposed school budget cuts, some districts would lose all state funding. (Times)
• Some school districts are trying to earn extra cash by selling ad space on their Web sites. (USA Today)
• To avoid total financial ruin, Detroit is seeking to close 45 schools. (Times, AP)
• J.C. Brizard, the NYC alum who heads Rochester’s schools, dishes on leadership. (City Newspaper)
• The mayor of Harrisburg, Penn., wants to get rid of mayoral control. (Patriot-News)

Writing women back into history | TheUnion.com

Writing women back into history | TheUnion.com
Writing women back into history

To celebrate March as Women's History Month, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) of Nevada County is hosting a showing of the PBS documentary, “Women, Power, and Politics” at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in the Library Building, N6, Room 101, Sierra College in Grass Valley.

The film will be followed by a panel discussion lead by Dr. Kathleen Taylor, Professor of Psychology at Sierra College, and Lynn Medeiros, Professor of History at the college. The public is welcome. There is no charge for admission.

The United States disparity in political representation for women compares unfavorably with many other countries. The film, “Women, Power and Politics” focuses on that disparity and probes into the reasons for it.

The discussion following the film will further explore those issues, and the implications for equity for women and for the quality of governmental decision-making affecting us all.

Dr. Taylor specializes in social-cultural psychology. She has published work and/or performed institutional research in topics ranging from familial abuse and adolescent pregnancy, American Indian education in California, stigmatized social identity, and the stress-disease relationship.

Ms. Medeiros specializes in women's political history. She has a bachelor's and master's degree from California State University, Sacramento.

About Women's History Month and AAUW

As recently as the 1970s, women's history was virtually an unknown topic in the K-12 curriculum or in general public consciousness. To address this situation, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California)

Annie Spiegelman: Healthy School Lunches and Cafeteria Ladies Who Compost

Annie Spiegelman: Healthy School Lunches and Cafeteria Ladies Who Compost

Healthy School Lunches and Cafeteria Ladies Who Compost

Earlier this month, First Lady Michelle Obama addressed hundreds of school nutrition professionals from across the nation to advocate for adequate funds for healthy school meals. The event was part of the School Nutrition Association's (SNA) 38th annual Legislative Action Conference and took place in Washington, DC. SNA represents 55,000 school nutrition professionals and is committed to further improving the nutritional quality of school meals and advancing nutrition education for America's students. Miguel Villarreal, Director of Food and Nutritional Services for the Novato Unified School District, in California, attended the conference and answered some of my questions.

To do your job, you are handed about a buck per student and expected to feed them a nutritious lunch. How often do you want to curl up in a corner of the cafeteria and ease your frustration by devouring a Chocolate Beer and Whiskey cupcake

For each free and reduced-price lunch served, the Federal government provides $2.68 and $2.28 respectively. In 2007, Senate bill (SB) 80 set the state meal reimbursement rate for all free and reduced price meals at $0.2195, and tied state meal reimbursement to meeting certain nutrition standards. However, this rate was reduced to $0.022 for June 2008 because meal participation exceeded the appropriation cap for 2007-08. This year will be even worse with the California Department of Education projecting a rate reduction to less

Marching for CA's Future Through Today's Desolation - NAM

Marching for CA's Future Through Today's Desolation - NAM

Marching for CA's Future Through Today's Desolation

New America Media, News Report , David Bacon, Posted: Mar 18, 2010

TULARE, Calif. -- As the March for California's Future heads up the San Joaquin Valley toward Sacramento, participants are coming up hard against the reality of the economic crisis in rural California. The march began in Bakersfield on March 5, the day after widespread protests swept through the state's schools and universities. It is a protest against the impact of state budget cuts on education and social services, and marchers are finding that valley communities are among those that feel their effects most strongly.

"Watsonville has a 27 percent unemployment rate," said Jenn Laskin, a teacher at Renaissance Continuation High School there. "It's the strawberry capital of the world, and strawberries are a luxury. In a recession, people stop buying them, so workers no longer have a job in the fields. I have many students who have both parents out of work, who grow food in our school garden for their families."

But in the Central Valley, she thinks, things seem worse. "The towns we've been passing through feel a lot more desolate," Laskin explains. Those include the small farm worker communities of Shafter, McFarland, Delano, Pixley and Tulare. "I see a lot of fields with nothing planted at all. I was in a Mexican restaurant in Pixley and there was not a Mexican in sight. The problems I see in Watsonville might even be sharper here. I see more need here, and I'm guessing probably fewer services."

She's not far off. The official unemployment rate in December in Kern County was 16 percent. Since Bakersfield, a major urban area, has a lower rate, towns like Shafter and McFarland have even more jobless. Crossing into Kings and Tulare counties, unemployment jumps to more than 17 percent in each.

The march's call to restore the promise of public education is the motivator keeping Laskin, and the march's other Watsonville participant,

Ads appear on school websites - USATODAY.com

Ads appear on school websites - USATODAY.com

Ads appear on school websites Updated 6h 43m ago | Comments 4 | Recommend 3 E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions |

Enlarge A growing number of school districts facing budget cuts look to advertising on their websites as a possible new source of revenue. An add for child care is seen near the top right of John F. Pattie Sr. Elementary School's website in Dumfries, Va. Share Yahoo! Buzz Add to Mixx Facebook Twitter More Subscribe myYahoo iGoogle More By Jeff Martin, USA TODAY A growing number of school districts facing budget cuts are looking to advertising on their websites as a new revenue source. School districts in Virginia and Arizonaalready have ads on their official sites, while officials at districts in South Dakota, Wisconsin and California say they are planning to place ads soon. "Because of the economy, districts are just desperately looking for any source of revenue they can get their hands on," says Dan Domenech, executive director of theAmerican Association of School Administrators. "This is really tricky stuff for school districts, though," says Richard Colvin, director of the Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media at Columbia University in New York. "They have to be very careful about the image that they're projecting." The 130,000-student San Diego Unified School District has lost about 25% of its revenue in the past three years because of state budget cuts, says chief district relations officer Bernie Rhinerson. Officials there are developing a plan they believe could generate at least $100,000 annually by selling ads, he says. "I would like to attract advertisers that have an educational message," Rhinerson says, adding that

Dueling Strategies in the Defense of Public Education, Part I : Indybay

Dueling Strategies in the Defense of Public Education, Part I : Indybay

Dueling Strategies in the Defense of Public Education, Part I

by Workers Action ( sanfrancisco [at] workerscompass.org )
Wednesday Mar 17th, 2010 9:26 PM

The massive turnout across the state of California on March 4 in defense of public education provides indisputable evidence that this movement is just at the beginning stage. And much credit is due to the countless number of students, staff, and teachers who committed many, many hours of their time, tirelessly organizing for March 4; without this dedication, the event would have sputtered to a stop.

The massive turnout across the state of California on March 4 in defense of public education provides indisputable evidence that this movement is just at the beginning stage. And much credit is due to the countless number of students, staff, and teachers who committed many, many hours of their time, tirelessly organizing for March 4; without this dedication, the event would have sputtered to a stop.

Of course, those who participated are eagerly raising the question: What next? But in contemplating the way forward, casting a glance backwards can help illuminate some of the conflicting perspectives that were competing for hegemony in the struggle to defend public education. In this way we can begin to launch a discussion over the underlying strategy and tactics that can best guide our way forward.

The International Students for Social Equality

Although the International Students for Social Equality (ISSE) offered many correct observations, for example, by placing the blame for the decimation of public education at the feet of both Democrats and Republicans, and by connecting the campaign for public education with the need to create jobs, they included in their list of demands the nationalization of banks and major corporations, placing both under the democratic control of working people. Of course, if such a step were implemented, funding for public education would be solved because profits could be diverted from these sectors to public education.

One can supply at least some rationale for the call to nationalize banks at this historical juncture, given the extraordinary unpopularity among working people in response to the federal government’s bank bailouts. Nevertheless, at this time there is virtually no demand on the part of working people to nationalize banks, let alone corporations, and there is no call among working class organizations (either unions or caucuses within unions or other working class organizations that represent a significant sector of the working class) to institute workers’ control. This slogan was so out of step with the current consciousness of working people in general and the consciousness of those involved in the movement to defend public education in particular that it virtually fell flat and went nowhere.

Quick Takes: Congressional Spat Over Kudos for College Teams - Inside Higher Ed

Quick Takes: Congressional Spat Over Kudos for College Teams - Inside Higher Ed

Congressional Spat Over Kudos for College Teams

Anyone for a Constitutional convention? If the debate over health care wasn't evidence enough of how broken Congress is, try this: the San Francisco Chronicle's account of a disagreement between two members of the House of Representatives over resolutions honoring successful college sports teams. According to the newspaper, Rep. Peter Campbell, a California Republican, delayed a vote this week on a resolution recognizing the University of Maryland's men's basketball team for qualifying for the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I tournament. His formal reason for opposing the resolution was that teams shouldn't be recognized for merely earning a spot in a tournament, but his real motivation, the Chronicle reported, was payback for Rep. Steny Hoyer, the Maryland Democrat who sponsored the resolution. Last fall, Hoyer had (as reported by theOrange County Register) helped scuttle a vote on a Campbell-sponsored resolution recognizing the University of California at Irvine for winning the NCAA's men's volleyball title. Hoyer had acted at the behest of Rep. George

New Times SLO | Publishing Local News and Entertainment for over 20 years in San Luis Obispo County

New Times SLO | Publishing Local News and Entertainment for over 20 years in San Luis Obispo County

Cuesta students will march in Sacramento

BY NICK POWELL

Two busloads of Cuesta College students and staff will join roughly 11,000 other protesters at the state capitol March 22 for a rally against cuts to California’s education system. Despite Cal Poly’s $12 million deficit last year and an overall drop in general funds for California State Universities of $450 million since 2006, the Mustangs will have no organized presence at the event because it takes place over their spring break and student support is lacking.

“It’s unfortunate they couldn’t find a day that works for campuses on the quarter system,” said Kelly Griggs, president of Cal Poly’s student government. “We haven’t heard much interest from our students.”

Griggs said Cal Poly’s administrators did a good job preparing for the budget cuts, minimizing the impacts on students. They initiated weekly furlough days for faculty, a 32 percent fee increase for students, and instituted a 9.5 percent reduction in enrollment.

Added expenses and tighter admissions might not ruffle current Cal Poly students, but for the generally less advantaged community college kids hoping to transfer, the situation is grim.

“We have had to cancel thousands of courses and drastically reduce tutoring and counseling services that students need to be successful,” said Reid Milburn, president of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges. “The average time a student spends at a ‘two-year’ community college is now six years for standard transfer tracks.”

Capitol Weekly: California among lowest in the nation in ratio of government employees

Capitol Weekly: California among lowest in the nation in ratio of government employees

California among lowest in the nation in ratio of government employees

By Capitol Weekly Staff | 03/18/10 12:00 AM PST

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The U.S. Census Bureau has released estimates of state and local government employment, and the results may be surprising to those who believe California has too many government workers.

The Center for the Continuing Study of the California Economy, an independent Palo Alto-based think tank, reported that in 2008 California had the third-lowest number of full-time equivalent state government employees relative to population among all 50 states.

In California there are 103 state employees for every 10,000 residents. Illinois had the lowest ratio at 97.

The U.S. average was 143 state employees per 10,000 residents. California’s ratio of state government employees relative to population was 28 percent below the national average.

Nevada, Arizona and Texas were other states with the lowest ratios of state workers to population. When state and local government employees (including education) are added together, California has the fourth-lowest ratio of employees to population.

California had 484 state and local full-time equivalent employees per 10,000 residents in 2008 compared to the national average of 549.

Nevada was the state with the lowest ratio (440) followed by Michigan (475), Pennsylvania (478), and Utah (493). California’s ratio was 12 percent below the national average.
Texas has 563 state and local government employees per 10,000 residents or slightly above the national average.

K-12 education has the largest number of employees in most states. California has the 5th lowest ratio of K-12 education employees to population. California is 19% below the national average in education employees relative to population despite the fact that California has an above-average percent of K-12 students in the state’s population. Texas ranks 5th highest among states with 275 K-12 employees per 10,000 residents.

The Census Bureau tabulations include limited data on compensation. Data is provided for a single

Education reform: Can poor test scores get a teacher fired? / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com

Education reform: Can poor test scores get a teacher fired? / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com

Education reform: Can poor test scores get a teacher fired?

In Houston, a controversial education reform measure allows teachers to be fired based on their students' test scores. Some parents back the policy, but teachers unions have reservations.

• 

At Houston’s Garden Oaks Elementary School earlier this month, teacher Edson Muraira watched third-graders take a ‘benchmark’ test in preparation for the yearly Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test. Education reform measures may allow schools to let teachers go based on their students' test scores.

Johnny Hanson/Special to the Christian Science Monitor

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Imagine if a computer could identify the weakest-link teachers – the ones who should be told it's time to get out of the classroom.

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• Blog: To improve school performance, fire all the teachers?
• All teachers fired at R.I. school. Will that happen elsewhere?
• Teacher training: what's the best way?

It's not quite so simple, but a new policy in Houston allows teachers to be fired based on data that some experts say isolates a teacher's effect on his or her students' test-score gains.

Reform advocates say school districts should improve teacher quality in part by using such "value added" data. Dozens of districts, including Houston's, have already incorporated the concept into "pay for performance" systems. Education leaders in New York City and the District of Columbia are moving toward linking it to tenure or dismissals. But none has gone ahead as boldly as the Texas district.

"The worst teachers in a school really drag down achievement," says Eric Hanu shek, a senior fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution in California. "The biggest tension is: How much do you rely upon objective statistical information from test scores, and how much do you rely on other measures of teacher performance?"

California Ed funding gets contentious

California Ed funding gets contentious

California Ed funding gets contentious

Posted On March 17, 2010
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By KATY GRIMES

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal for education funding did not sit well with the Assembly education subcommittee. Coming from two vastly different ideological arenas, committee members appeared more open to spending, instead of budget cutting.

Analyzing the governor’s latest budget proposal on California education funding, the Assembly Subcommittee On Education Finance met Tuesday and had the Superintendant of Schools Jack O’Connell as well as the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) give their recommendations for the 2010-11, K-12 education budget.

Superintendant O’Connell compared the U.S. to other countries and was critical California is not addressing the technical needs American CEOs say they must have. According to O’Connell, American CEOs need to hire engineers from other countries because American education is not producing enough technically educated workers. O’Connell also attributed California’s falling to eighth place from fifth in the global economy as the result of California “not investing in education.”

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Charles Muscatine dies at 89; UC Berkeley Chaucer expert fought Red Scare loyalty oath - latimes.com

Charles Muscatine dies at 89; UC Berkeley Chaucer expert fought Red Scare loyalty oath - latimes.com

Charles Muscatine dies at 89; UC Berkeley Chaucer expert fought Red Scare loyalty oath

Muscatine was among 31 professors who were fired in the summer of 1950 after refusing to sign the loyalty oath. In 1952, the state high court ordered them reinstated.

Charles Muscatine was fired in 1950 from UC Berkeley for refusing to sign a loyalty oath. The world-renowned Chaucer scholar was a longtime advocate for higher education reform.

By Dennis McLellan

March 18, 2010

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Charles Muscatine, a world-renowned Chaucer scholar and a longtime advocate for higher education reform who was fired as a young assistant professor of English at UC Berkeley when he refused to sign a loyalty oath during the Red Scare of the 1950s, has died. He was 89.

Muscatine died of an infection March 12 at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Oakland, said his daughter, Lissa Muscatine.

"Chuck Muscatine was a vital figure in the political leadership of the Berkeley faculty all the way from the loyalty oath controversy through the Free Speech Movement," said David A. Hollinger, a professor of history at UC Berkeley.

"He also was a leader in the reform and enrichment of undergraduate education at Berkeley," Hollinger said. "He was the chief author of the [1966] 'Muscatine Report,' which set the frame for thinking about undergraduate education at Berkeley for the last several decades."

A Yale-educated World War II Navy veteran who participated in the D-day landing on Omaha Beach,