Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Voters face tough choice: pay up or shutdown

Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

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Mike Kepka / The Chronicle

Students walk the halls of Encinal High School in Alameda, where if Measure E, a school tax, does not pass, the school could face closure. It is one of two main high schools in the city.

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Alameda voters embark today on a monthlong, mail-only election to decide whether taxes will be raised to support public schools. Both sides describe the outcome as Armageddon for the quiet island city.
Measure E is a parcel tax that would give Alameda some of the highest school taxes in the Bay Area: Homeowners would pay $659 a year and business owners would owe up to $9,500 annually per parcel.
If it passes, many small business owners, already struggling with the recession, say they'll be forced to close, stripping Alameda of its mom-and-pop charm. If the measure fails, the district's superintendent warns that half the schools in town would close.
"If this doesn't pass, all bets are off in Alameda," said Encinal High School Principal Mike Cooper, a fifth-generation Alamedan. "We're watching the collapse of public education. We've been trying to make this work, but something's got to give."

Oregon faces $563 million budget hole, Governor promises layoffs | Oregonlive.com

Oregon faces $563 million budget hole, Governor promises layoffs

By Harry Esteve, The Oregonian

May 25, 2010, 7:51PM

Gov. Ted KulongoskiSALEM – Shock waves from the recession continue to wreak havoc in Oregon, punching a big hole in the state budget and prompting Gov. Ted Kulongoski to order hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts to schools and other state programs.

The cuts, if they stand, could eliminate school days, idle some state police troopers, and lead to pay freezes and benefit rollbacks for state workers.

"There will be layoffs," the governor stated flatly.

Although Congress could come through with additional money for troubled states, Kulongoski said he can't count on a federal bailout.

'Not acceptable:' Nearly one-third of Oregon high school students drop out

By Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian

May 25, 2010, 7:42PM

Torsten Kjellstrand/The OregonianPortland high school student Alex Madsen, 19, focuses on completing an assignment during his lunch break at the Meek campus of Alliance High, a district-run alternative school. A member of the class of 2009, Madsen nearly dropped out during his junior year at Benson High but rallied and will graduate next month. "The big thing the diploma means to me is I got it done. I got to where I need to be."

More Scrutiny for Charter Schools in Debate Over Expansion Education News - The New York Times

Education News - The New York Times

More Scrutiny for Charter Schools in Debate Over Expansion

By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE and JENNIFER MEDINA

A review of public documents shows that many charter schools have spent money in questionable ways.

Yale Patron Held in Scheme That Benefited the University and Its Baseball Team

By JOHN ELIGON

John D. Mazzuto gave the university $1.5 million worth of stock in a company he controlled, but prosecutors said the shares were worthless.

In 2003, Lawrence H. Summers, center, announced Elena Kagan was succeeding Robert C. Clark, left, as dean of Harvard Law.

At Harvard, Kagan Aimed Sights Higher

By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG

Elena Kagan’s dealings with Lawrence H. Summers, a top U.S. economic adviser and the former president of Harvard, reveal intense ambition and political skill.

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Ex-Principal of Arabic School Won’t Sue City

By JENNIFER MEDINA

Debbie Almontaser will not sue the Department of Education, she said Tuesday, despite a ruling from a federal commission that the city discriminated against her by forcing her to resign in 2007.

Rhode Island: Board Approves Reinstating Teachers

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The board of the Central Falls School District approved an agreement on Tuesday to allow teachers at a troubled high school to keep their jobs after all of them were fired.

Elena Kagan got marks that were low — for her — in her first term at Harvard Law.

A B-Minus? The Shock! The Horror!

By CHARLIE SAVAGE and LISA FAYE PETAK

Elena Kagan received marks that were low — for her — in her first term at Harvard Law, but they did not derail her career.

Document: Elena Kagan's 1983 Harvard Law Report Card

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Higher Education and the Pursuit of Living High Off the Hog

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“Tech Transfer” is the deceptively mild title of a mordant satire about scientists and universities and how they do business.

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Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: 'SAVE OUR SCHOOLS!'

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Thousands of Chicago teachers rock City Hall

As they completely surrounded City Hall, some teachers chanted "Hey hey, ho ho, Mayor Daley

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.

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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?

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.

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.

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Headlines from L.A. Now

Memorials of 1969 campus killings unveiled and debated at UCLA05/25/2010, 3:23 p.m.
Bidders can vie for eight schools, including L.A. High; charter schools file lawsuit05/24/2010, 4:55 p.m.
Students protest UCLA’s choice of commencement speaker -- again05/21/2010, 4:15 p.m.
Boy, 15, collapses and dies while playing basketball with his brother at Crescenta Valley High School05/21/2010, 3:10 p.m.
Pau Gasol teams with L.A. firefighters to teach safety tips at Boyle Heights school [Updated]05/20/2010, 8:37 p.m.
Lawsuit filed in 2006 sexual abuse case involving 13-year-old girl at San Bernardino middle school05/20/2010, 6:03 p.m.

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.

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

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

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