Thursday, November 18, 2010

Regents Vote to Change Student Fees to Tuition - The Daily Californian

Regents Vote to Change Student Fees to Tuition

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Protestors clash with police at the UC Regents meeting on November 17, 2010.

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Regents Meeting Protest 11/17
Protestors clash with police at the UC Regents mee...

Regents' Meeting Marred by Unrest - 7 hours ago

UC Board of Regents Committee Approves Tuition Name Change - 10 hours ago

Small Protest Precedes Wednesday Regents' Meeting - Tue, Nov 16, 2010

By AAIDA SAMAD
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Category: News > University > Higher Education

SAN FRANCISCO - In a move that has stirred debate and raised questions about California's future financial obligations to its public universities, a joint committee of the UC Board of Regents voted Wednesday to change the name of university educational fees to tuition, acknowledging the state's declining funding for the university system.

While the wording change - which is expected to be approved by the full board today - has no impact on the university's use and level of student charges, opponents of the proposal say the change marks an abandonment of the foundational mission of a tuition-free university. The UC states the change will improve transparency by admitting that fee revenue funds a majority of the university's basic

Capitol Weekly: Schwarzenegger’s odyssey: The powerful personal touch went untapped

Schwarzenegger’s odyssey: The powerful personal touch went untapped

By John Howard and Anthony York | 11/18/10 12:00 AM PST

It was early 2004 and Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson threw himself a goodbye party.

The affable and outgoing Wesson summoned reporters to Capitol Room 319 to say goodbye to the media that had covered his tenure as speaker. California was still reeling from the historic recall election that had swept action star Arnold Schwarzenegger into office and unceremoniously dumped Democrat Gray Davis.

As Wesson faced the crowd, two plainclothes CHP officers appeared at the door and the new governor walked in. These were the days when Arnold Schwarzenegger still sucked the oxygen out of the room. He was still more movie star than governor, and here he was wrapping his arm around the diminutive Wesson, smiling for the cameras.

Schwarzenegger said a few words and then he was gone.

But the impression he left was deep: Here was one of the most famous people in the world performing a common, personal political act. It was the kind of thing that Gray Davis couldn't do to save his life, but seemed so simple. Davis had famously said the Legislature was simply there to implement his vision. Now, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Terminator, was bringing back some of the relationship-based politic

Michelle Rhee Presses for Ed Reform | The Harvard Crimson

SARA JOE WOLANSKY

Former Chancellor of the D.C. Public School System Michelle Rhee addresses an audience at the Harvard Education School. Rhee kept the tone lighthearted, citing a need to confront issues regarding educational reform rather than "sugar-coat" them.

Michelle A. Rhee, former chancellor of the District of Columbia public schools, engaged with a packed auditorium last night, fielding questions, reflecting on her personal life, and elaborating on her polarizing views on education in urban America.

Rhee—who received a master’s of public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School in 1997—shared her experiences with a struggling school system and discussed the leadership tactics she used to make changes in the D.C. schools, during a talk at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Telling anecdotes that mustered hearty laughs from her audience, Rhee recounted her foray into the superintendent’s role three years ago. At the time, there was nothing that she would have liked to do less than be an urban superintendent, she said.

Rhee, who was 37 when she became chancellor, started the job facing skepticism from the

Rethinking Credentials: Who Can Best Run a School System? - TIME

Rethinking Credentials: Who Can Best Run a School System?

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, left, appoints publishing executive Cathleen Black as chancellor of the city's school system.

Edward Reed / Office of Mayor Bloomberg / Sipa Press

0digg

What kind of credentials do you need to run a school district? Especially a really big one? Is a degree in education a better predictor of a superintendent's success than, say, a track record of turning around distressed companies? These are hot questions in the education world right now. Last week, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg surprised everyone (and that includes the senior leaders of his city's school system) by tapping publishing executive Cathleen Black to be the city's new school chancellor. By doing so, Bloomberg set in motion an arcane deliberation process. Because Black has not spent three years working in public schools — in fact, her only education

Thursday churn: Time for DPS vote | EdNewsColorado

Thursday churn: Time for DPS vote

by EdNews staff

What’s churning:

Dueling press conferences are scheduled before tonight’s Denver school board vote on a contentious reform plan for Far Northeast Denver.

Supporters of the proposal go first, at 4:30 p.m., followed by opponents at 5:30 p.m. Both sides say they’re made up of parents, educators and community members. Both events will be at 900 Grant St., where the board meets.

Tonight’s board meeting begins at 5 p.m. and will break for an hour-long public comment session at 6:30 p.m. The board is expected to vote after that. See the full agenda here.

Class Sizes Grew in New York City Despite '07 Deal to Cut Them - NYTimes.com

Class Sizes Grew in City Despite Deal to Cut Them

By SHARON OTTERMAN

Published: November 17, 2010

REPRINTS

Three years after a landmark agreement to cut class sizes in New York City’s public schools, classrooms are swelling across the city, a result of budget cuts and spending decisions that have reduced the teaching force.

According to the city’s Department of Education, elementary schools this year had the largest increases, with average class sizes growing to 23.7 students per class from 22.9 last year. In middle schools, class sizes climbed to 27 from 26.1; high school class sizes held at about 27.

Small classes are increasingly rare. Excluding special education classes, 22.4 percent of elementary and middle school students were in classes of 20 or fewer children two years ago. Now, only 13.7 percent are. Meanwhile, the percentage packed into classrooms with 28 students or more has jumped to 31 percent from 23 percent, according to an analysis by The New York Times.

The increases come despite a city commitment since 2007 to reduce class sizes across all

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: FOUNDATION LEADER APPOINTED INTERIM CHIEF OF CHICAGO SCHOOLS + PICK FOR NYC SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR DRAWS POINTED CRITICISM

FOUNDATION LEADER APPOINTED INTERIM CHIEF OF CHICAGO SCHOOLS + PICK FOR NYC SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR DRAWS POINTED CRITICISM

by smf

Foundation Leader Appointed Interim Chief of Chicago Schools (an educator – what a concept!) By Dakarai Aarons in EdWeek District Dossier Blog | http://bit.ly/9xI0xy By guest blogger Christina A. Samuels November 16, 2010 2:06 PM -- Terry Mazany, the president and the chief executive officer of the Chicago Community Trust, has been appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley to be interim

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Pedro Noguera at the Fall Forum

Pedro Noguera at the Fall Forum

by Mike Klonsky

"Nothing changed" at the DOE

Sadly, I couldn't make it to the Coalition of Essential Schools Fall Forum this year. So I was much interested inthis report from the Forum on Education and Democracy and particularly on Pedro Noguera's keynote speech.

Pedro Noguera has had plenty of access to Obama administration policy makers. In fact, he sat down with 50 people from the U.S. Department of Education, who listened to his thoughts for 90 minutes.

"Then I left and nothing changed," Noguera, a Convener with The Forum for Education and Democracy, said in an opening address last week at the Coalition of Essential Schools Fall Forum. "I realized that the Obama administration was staying the course not just in Afghanistan,

The IEA leadership’s challenge to the members. And what to do. « Fred Klonsky's blog

The IEA leadership’s challenge to the members. And what to do.

by Fred Klonsky

Over the past couple of days I have engaged you in a discussion of three issues that the IEA leadership considers Challenging Issues.

These three issues are: Protection of our retirement benefits, teacher tenure and seniority rights.

All three are under attack by the so-called Reformers. The Reformers have identified them as key obstacles to addressing school improvement and the state’s budget disaster.

It is a hoax. They are a diversion.

Nothing about tenure and seniority impacts student learning. The problems in the state’s budget and economy were not caused by teacher pensions. The state owes a debt to our pension system, but putting a tax on our own benefits after we retire is punitive and a betrayal of a promise made to teachers.

The stance of our union should be to protect and defend the rights we have already won.

Seattle School Board rubber-stamps yet another item on its Broad Superintendent’s ed reform agenda: Teach for America, Inc. | Seattle Education 2010

Seattle School Board rubber-stamps yet another item on its Broad Superintendent’s ed reform agenda: Teach for America, Inc. The Seattle School Board voted 6-1 Weds. night to approve the contract between Teach for America, Inc. and Seattle Public Schools. This will allow TFA recruits with only five weeks of training to join the already crowded pool of fully qualified ...

Teach for America and “Clinically Based Teacher Preparation” * * *With Jim Horn’s permission, I am posting his remarks on teaching and Teach for America. Most of the time I add a new link to an article or a blog post but this one was worth posting in its’ entirety.* *Dora* *“Clinically Based Teacher ...

Waiting for Mark Twain - Ed Thoughts

by Sabrina

Some days, I really wish Mark Twain were still around. In a time when schooling is increasingly the biggest thing interfering with children's educations, he'd have a field day quipping about the hot mess that is "education" reform debate. I'd have a blast watching him.

He might be moved to update his thoughts on school boards. Perhaps he could do so with a little Churchillian twist: "School boards are the worst form of district governance...except for mayoral control." (I'm close to burned out on school board politics, so I won't say much more, except that a change in mindset is in order. Please remember, it's not your job to represent the district's interests to the public. It's your job to represent the public'sinterests to the district. You do that by listening to constituents' concerns, being well informed about the issues, and ensuring that district officials are making sound, just decisions in accordance with district policy and the law. You're not players, you're referees. Please, stop trying to score.)

If Twain got to see how education policy decisions are made, and the kind of people who have recently been allowed to make careers influencing them, he'd be ever more convinced that "all you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure." (All the more sure if you're powerful enough to surround yourself with

The Answer Sheet - Teachers give 'Superman' director an earful

Teachers give 'Superman' director an earful

This was written by educator Anthony Cody. After 18 years as a science teacher in inner-city Oakland, he now works with a team of experienced science teacher-coaches who support the many novice teachers in his school district. He is a National Board-certified teacher and an active member of the Teacher Leaders Network. This appeared on his Teachers Magazine blog, Living in Dialogue. By Anthony Cody Waiting for Superman director Davis Guggenheim has fulsome praise for teachers, and on Huffington Post this week he has asked for our feedback. He writes: "Teachers live it everyday so they get it -- the good and the bad. And I am moved by all the reactions: the emotion, the criticism, the longing to help the kids in my documentary." So far, Guggenheim is the one who has been getting it. And the feedback teachers have posted thus far spans the spectrum from critical to

Queens Teacher: Former TFA Teacher Offers Advice

Former TFA Teacher Offers Advice

by Queens Teacher

Seattle Public Schools should avoid 'Teach for Awhile' programBy Jesse Hagopian

Special to The Times

FROM 2001 to 2003, I "taught for America."

After graduating from college, I headed for the Bronx, N.Y., where I underwent Teach for America's (TFA) "teacher boot camp." With just five sleepless weeks of on-the-job training teaching summer school to fourth-graders, team meetings and night classes, I was given the stamp of approval and shipped off to Washington, D.C.

The Seattle School Board is expected to vote Wednesday whether to bring TFA to our school district, and before they decide, they should consider the lessons of my experience.

At 21, I found myself in a public elementary school in the ghetto of South East Washington, D.C. â€” in a

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Why Did a UC Cop Draw His Gun Today? « Student Activism

Why Did a UC Cop Draw His Gun Today?

November 17, 2010 in Students

A University of California police officer drew his gun and pointed it at students protesting meeting of the UC regents this morning, and the UC San Francisco police chief’s explanation as to why doesn’t seem to hold water.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, UCSF police chief Pamela Roskowski told a press conference today that the officer drew his weapon after a protester took his baton and hit him on the head with it, but that claim appears to be contradicted by a video recording of the incident.

In the video, posted on the Chronicle‘s website, the officer lunges into a crowd which is surging toward him. With his baton held in both hands in front of him, he tussles briefly with one protester. For most of the scuffle, which lasts for less than five seconds, the baton is visible in his possession. As he breaks away from the protester he is clutching the baton in his left hand, and he only

NYC Public School Parents: Bloomberg Aides Critical of Poor Process - NY Times

Bloomberg Aides Critical of Poor Process - NY Times

The Times continues its exhaustive coverage of what they've called the "spectacle" of Cathie Black's candidacy for the chancellor's position. Thursday's story includes reports of dissatisfaction from within the administration itself:

Even within the Bloomberg administration, some aides are continuing to express dismay over a highly secretive search and hurried vetting process that was conducted without advice from top aides to the mayor, many of whom met Ms. Black for the first time minutes before she was introduced as the next chancellor.
A former top aide to Mr. Bloomberg said the mayor’s decision to circumvent his own advisers on such a major decision left some of them

Local News | Seattle School Board postpones decision on pulling 'Brave New World' | Seattle Times Newspaper

Seattle School Board postpones decision on pulling 'Brave New World'

A Native American mother of a Seattle Public Schools student appealed to the Seattle School Board Wednesday to remove the novel "Brave New World" from the district's list of approved books for language arts classes.

By Sean Collins Walsh

Seattle Times staff reporter

"We are assembled here today to take a stand against institutional racism," Sarah Sense-Wilson told board members at a special session before their regular meeting Wednesday evening.

Sense-Wilson, whose daughter read the 1932 classic in class at Nathan Hale High School last year, took issue with Aldous Huxley's numerous uses of the word "savage" and negative depictions of Native Americans.

The board ran out of time Wednesday and will schedule another session to deliberate and vote on the issue.

Kathleen Vasquez, who chaired a school-district committee that selected the 75 books on the approved list, told board members that racially charged language in "Brave New World" is satirical. She conceded that

Mayor’s Application for Waiver Calls Chancellor Choice ‘a Visionary’ - NYTimes.com

Mayor Seeks Waiver for Cathleen Black as Chancellor - NYTimes.com

Mayor’s Application for Waiver Calls Chancellor Choice ‘a Visionary’

By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ

Published: November 17, 2010

REPRINTS

By Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s account, there is little Cathleen P. Black has not done.

Chancellor Choice Begins Calling Skeptics (November 18, 2010)

She helped build the first skyscraper after Sept. 11. She established an internship program to bring more minorities into journalism. And she consistently made the list of the most powerful women in business.

In a six-page letter to state education officials on Wednesday, Mr. Bloomberg seemed intent on leaving no accomplishment unmentioned, even citing an award she received for volunteer work after Hurricane Katrina to help offset her lack of experience in education.

Under state law, the chancellor must hold a professional certificate in educational leadership and have at least three years of experience in schools. But the state allows waivers for “exceptionally qualified persons.”

In his letter, Mr. Bloomberg contended that Ms. Black met that threshold because her experience as a top executive at Hearst Magazines had taught her the skills of managing large and unwieldy organizations.

Eight years ago, in a similar letter written on behalf of the current schools chancellor, Joel I. Klein, Mr. Bloomberg praised

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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Regents Vote to Change Student Fees to Tuition

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Schwarzenegger’s odyssey: The powerful personal touch went untapped

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What’s churning:

Class Sizes Grew in City Despite Deal to Cut Them

By SHARON OTTERMAN

Published: November 17, 2010

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Why Did a UC Cop Draw His Gun Today?

Bloomberg Aides Critical of Poor Process - NY Times

Seattle School Board postpones decision on pulling 'Brave New World'

Mayor’s Application for Waiver Calls Chancellor Choice ‘a Visionary’

By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ

Published: November 17, 2010

Related

Chancellor Choice Begins Calling Skeptics (November 18, 2010)