Wednesday, May 26, 2010

City panel hears of more targeting of immigrants at schools Philadelphia Education News and Colleges - Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia Education News and Colleges - Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP STORY
Under revised budgets, districts make do with much less
In Cherry Hill, Mount Misery is back, but four Spanish teachers and two reading coaches are out. In Rancocas Valley, an adult-education program that lasted a half-century appears to be truly gone.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Report Card on the Schools
The Inquirer's annual survey of education in the region, with a searchable database of school and district information, and multimedia profiles of area students and high schools.
A Doorway Back
With the dropout problem in Philadelphia at crisis proportions, a chance-of-a-lifetime program offers 40 select students a shot at breaking the cycle of failure. But can they take advantage?
RECENT STORIES
City panel hears of more targeting of immigrants at schools
Refugee students from Iraq are the latest target of violence in the Philadelphia School District, an advocate told a city panel Tuesday.
Lower Merion's laptop tracking system easily hacked
A Seattle-based security firm says it needed just hours to hack into a version of the laptop tracking system that the Lower Merion School District used, suggesting that tech-savvy outsiders could have commandeered the computers and watched students through their webcams.
Ex-S. Phila. principal still on district payroll
Former principal LaGreta Brown is gone from troubled South Philadelphia High School but remains on the School District payroll at $124,000 a year, officials confirmed.
24 South Jersey schools to get state aid
Ten schools in Burlington County and 14 in Camden County are in line for a total of $11.4 million in capital-improvement money, state officials announced Monday.
Ackerman names principals for overhauled schools
Philadelphia Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman on Monday named the principals of the six schools that will be radically overhauled under her supervision.
N.J. taxpayers question school administrators' pay
Lately, when Cheryl Gismonde logs onto her Facebook account, she often finds messages that veer wildly from the usual array of restaurant recommendations and photos of other people's children.
Challenged to ease challenges of others
Who would have a thought a cartoon cow and some high school kids could reach through the silent and remote world of Dennison Perez?
Phila. schoolchildren lag in reading skills
In national urban testing, 61 percent of fourth graders scored below basic in reading.
Philadelphia schoolchildren fall into the middle of the pack or lag other pupils in 17 other big-city districts in reading, according to test scores released Thursday.
Ackerman set to make top-level changes
Under scrutiny in recent months for her administration's handling of violence and other issues, Philadelphia Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman will soon announce major changes to her senior leadership team.
On recheck, thousands of N.J. students fail graduation test
Thousands of New Jersey students may still be in jeopardy of not graduating, based on results of rescored alternative high school exit exams that state education officials released Wednesday.
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UCLA students memorialize 1969 Black Panther slayings - latimes.com

UCLA students memorialize 1969 Black Panther slayings - latimes.com

UCLA students memorialize 1969 Black Panther slayings

By Larry Gordon, Los Angeles Times

The site of a fatal shooting of two UCLA students in 1969 has never been marked. History students obtained plaques in the victims' honor, one of which will be posted in the Campbell Hall classroom.

Cal State fights release of documents on Palin speech

By Carla Rivera, Los Angeles Times

University seeks dismissal of suit, saying that appearance by former Alaska governor was arranged through a private foundation. Critics charge that foundation and university have comingled roles.

Colorado education law may mark a national shift

By Eliza Krigman

The law ties teachers' job reviews to the performances of their students on achievement tests. Similar legislation is pending in other states; federal dollars may be at stake.

EDUCATION
Headlines from L.A. Now

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The Education Report Off again: Contract talks with Oakland teache

The Education Report

Off again: Contract talks with Oakland teachers

By Katy Murphy
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 at 4:54 pm in OEA, OUSD central office, budget, union contract
5 Comments »

Not too long ago, the Oakland teachers union and the district administration were 23 percentage points away from reaching an agreement on teacher pay, with the union asking for a 20 percent increase to the salary schedule and the district proposing a 3 percent cut.

The two sides are much closer now. Unfortunately for anyone hoping for a resolution before the summer break, they’re not quite close enough.

THE OFFER: Yesterday, the union asked for a three-year, 8 percent pay scale hike, plus a shortened work year (no instructional days would be affected). The administration countered with a 2 percent raise and a 25-student class size cap for kindergarten through third grades, though those provisions would be suspended if the state’s per-student funding dropped by 1 percent or more.

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Expanded database shows Oakland school district employee salaries

By Katy Murphy
Monday, May 24th, 2010 at 6:00 pm in OUSD central office, finances, teachers
14 Comments »

Ever wondered what the people at the top — and at the bottom — of the Oakland school district food chain make? Two of my colleagues have added salary information for employees of the Oakland school district and other Bay Area public agencies into a searchable database.

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Unions sitting out state's second attempt at Race to the Top | California Watch

Unions sitting out state's second attempt at Race to the Top | California Watch

Unions sitting out state's second attempt at Race to the Top

by Corey G. Johnson

On the state's bandwagon for federal reform dollars, many teachers' unions are noticebly absent.

The deadline passed Friday for unions, school districts and charter schools to sign agreements indicating their willingness to implement the state's prescribed reforms and participate in the second round of Race to the Top.

After top state officials waffled on whether to even try again, six school districts persuaded nearly 100 school

Obama touches down in San Francisco for Boxer fundraising encore

by Chase Davis

Apparently undeterred by angry heckling and an eerie history of botched presidential visits, President Barack Obama touched down in San Francisco yesterday for a party or three in honor of Sen. Barbara Boxer, who looks to be facing a tough re-election bid in the fall.

The events, which are expected to raise more than $600,000 for Boxer alone, should add to the long-time incumbent's lead in the money race. Her campaign reported having nearly $10 million on hand in its most recent report, which was filed this week.

Obama was in California last month for a round of Boxer fundraisers in Los Angeles, where he made headlines

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Tuesday, May 25, 2010

CPS students take their books to Daley Plaza to protest cuts. � Fred Klonsky's blog

CPS students take their books to Daley Plaza to protest cuts. � Fred Klonsky's blog

CPS students take their books to Daley Plaza to protest cuts.

MAY 25, 2010
tags: , ,
by preaprez
Back in the day my friends and I headed to the LA Board of Ed building to take part in a study-in. We took our books and homework and sat in the Board hallways to protest the LAUSD’s policy of racially segregated schools.
I flashed back on those high school days over 40 years ago as I heard about
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An unsatisfying half-hour with Duncan The Educated Guess

The Educated Guess

An unsatisfying half-hour with Duncan

Posted in Uncategorized
“I want to find positive things to take from what unfolded, but it is challenging,” was Anthony Cody’s overall assessment of the 30-minute teleconference that he and 11 other teachers had with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on Monday (see preview of the meeting). Cody, who sought the session as an outgrowth of his 2,000 member Facebook page Teachers’ Letters to Obama, reported that half of the time was spent with introductions and remarks by Duncan. That left 15 minutes for compressed presentations by the teachers – and no time for Cody to give his thoughts on restructured schools.
Cody reported on the meeting in his column “Living in Dialogue” at edweek.org. It’s uncertain whether there will be a followup meeting or further discussions.
By John Fensterwald on May 25th, 2010

Unions again balk at Race to the Top

Posted in Race to the Top
The six districts leading the state’s second round Race to the Top application were able to recruit nearly 100 other districts and 200 charter schools to the cause. They failed, however, to persuade their own teachers unions to sign the application. And that lack of union participation will likely doom the state’s already iffy odds of winning a piece of the $3.4 billion that U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has dangled for states in exchange for committing to an agenda of school reforms.
Friday was the last day for districts and unions to sign a memorandum of understanding. Of the half-dozen unified districts that formed the working group for Race to the Top, only unions in Fresno and Sanger, a small rural district, signed on. The big ones – in Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Clovis – in the end said no. Of the 43 unions that signed, about half represented teachers in charter schools.
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By John Fensterwald on May 25th, 2010

Mr. Secretary, listen to us teachers

Posted in Teacher Development
Today, an Oakland Unified science teacher-coach and 11 other teachers will get what they’ve been seeking for six months: the ear of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
The dozen teachers will have a 30-minute teleconference with Duncan to state some of the views they’ve been making on the Facebook page Teachers’ Letters to Obama, which Anthony Cody of Oakland started six months ago out of frustration with the directions that Duncan and President Obama were taking in education. Cody’s hoping this will be the first of a series of dialogues with Duncan, whom he says needs to hear more from teachers in the field.
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By John Fensterwald on May 24th, 2010
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Charter Schools Are Scrutinized in N.Y. Expansion Debate - NYTimes.com

Charter Schools Are Scrutinized in N.Y. Expansion Debate - NYTimes.com

More Scrutiny as Charter Schools Look to Expand


By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE and JENNIFER MEDINA

Published: May 25, 2010

ALBANY — During its first years of operation, the Niagara Charter School in Niagara Falls spent thousands of dollars on plane tickets, restaurant meals and alcohol, and more than $100,000 on no-bid consulting contracts. Yet the school’s teachers resorted to organizing a fund-raiser to buy playground equipment.

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When the Roosevelt Children’s Academy, a charter school on Long Island, fired its management company after paying it more than $1 million a year, it hired two of the school’s board members as new managers — and paid them hundreds of thousands of dollars.
And in the Bronx, the Family Life Charter School pays $400,000 annually to rent classroom space from the Latino Pastoral Action Center, a “Christ-centered holistic ministry” led by the Rev. Raymond Rivera. Mr. Rivera also happens to be the school’s founder.
Charter school advocates, including Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, are vigorously lobbyingfor a bill that would more than double the number of charters in New York State and send at least $2 billion in taxpayer money a year into the charter system.
Supporters want the Legislature to pass the bill before the June 1 deadline by which states must apply to win a share in Race to the Top federal education grants that place a
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Marian Wright Edelman will address Portland State University graduates next month | OregonLive.com

Marian Wright Edelman will address Portland State University graduates next month | OregonLive.com

Marian Wright Edelman will address Portland State University graduates next month

By Bill Graves, The Oregonian

May 25, 2010, 4:04PM
Marian Wright Edelman.JPGAssociated PressMarian Wright Edelman
Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, will deliver the commencement speech to the Portland State University Class of 2010 next month.

Edelman will address the largest graduating class in PSU’s history atcommencement ceremonies that begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 13, in Portland’s Rose Garden Arena.

“Marian Wright Edelman has improved the lives of countless children,” said PSU President Wim Wiewel in a prepared statement. “Her message of empowering our nation’s youth through education and outreach is a vision we share at Portland State University.”

Edelman graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta and Yale Law School and became the first African American woman admitted to the Mississippi
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The damage may be done, say West teachers | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

The damage may be done, say West teachers | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

The damage may be done, say West teachers

by Benjamin Herold on May 25 2010

Photo: Benjamin Herold
Teachers at West Philadelphia High say the timeline of the Renaissance Schools selection process has messed with a good thing.
The two-week delay imposed on West Philadelphia High School for choosing a “turnaround” provider under Superintendent Arlene Ackerman’s Renaissance Schoolsprocess could result in the loss of the some of the schools’ best teachers, according to nearly a dozen faculty members.
The result of Monday night’s final vote by West’s School Advisory Council (SAC)will not be made public until Wednesday. The options were Johns Hopkins/Diplomas Now, Ackerman’s own Promise Academy, and Mastery Charter.

The 62 teachers at West – and all 500 teachers at the District’s14 Renaissance Schools – have been “force transferred” out and guaranteed jobs somewhere in
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Remarks by the First Lady at "Let's Move" South Lawn Kick-Off | The White House

Remarks by the First Lady at "Let's Move" South Lawn Kick-Off | The White House

Remarks by the First Lady at "Let's Move" South Lawn Kick-Off

by The White House
4:10 P.M. EDT
MRS. OBAMA: Well, it’s good to see you all again! (Applause.) You are the first in this series. The first! Nobody has done this yet. You’re the very first.
But let me tell you a little bit more about why you’re here. As Shelly said, this is about your health. And we've spent a lot of time this year talking about eating right. And that started when we planted just behind you our garden in the White House. We call it the White House Kitchen Garden, and we planted that last year, and we worked with a lot of kids in the D.C. area. They helped us to plant and to harvest.
And the good thing about the kitchen garden is that it helped us start a conversation about eating right, because the kids got so excited about the garden, we figured that if we can get this group of kids excited about vegetables and gardening, that we might be able to take that nationwide.
So we started this campaign called “Let’s Move.” And the goal is to make sure that kids grow up healthy, eating well, and living better and longer, and that you learn skills that you can then teach your kids when you grow up.
And this is a nationwide campaign. I mean, we’ve got everyone in the country helping. We’ve got your parents
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History of Education, Teacher Training, Teaching, Teachers … | Educational New York

History of Education, Teacher Training, Teaching, Teachers … | Educational New York

History of Education, Teacher Training, Teaching, Teachers …

by Educational America
(La Salle College in Philadelphia, taught education.) New York , Teachers College, founded in 1888, was at Columbia University, 1893, from his college teaching, stating: “Teachers’ Training College is designed to allow for the possibility … Most of the British Commonwealth history, education and training system of teachers, entry into teacher training should be above average education for middle school or secondary education , the British public building or a normal price …

The rest is here:

Sloan Semester :: Degrees :: Bears Guide to Earning College …

by Educational America
The essential reference to alternative education , this book covers it all: night and weekend colleges, foreign medical schools, degress by Internet and other e-mail avenues, and basically every other way of earning a Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate, law, … In two years I obtained an AA degree from the University of the State of New York , while working at my regular job and never attending a college campus except for a few hours to take some monitored tests.

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