WaPo Explains It All: Loose Lips Daily - City Desk - Washington City Paper

WaPo Explains It All: Loose Lips Daily - City Desk - Washington City Paper:

"Fenty will grace the first annual Democrats for Education Reform school year calendar. ‘The calendar, entitled “10 Champions for America’s Students,” highlights 10 star reformers who have demonstrated their long-term commitment to education reform in the communities they serve as well as on a national scale. Mayor Fenty has been selected as a champion of America’s students for his efforts to breathe new life into the failing Washington, DC school system. The Mayor is pictured in the calendar with students from John Eaton Elementary School, in Washington, D.C.’ Other honorees: Cory Booker, Kevin Johnson."

Stanford poll: Obama sways public on controversial education issues - San Jose Mercury News

Stanford poll: Obama sways public on controversial education issues - San Jose Mercury News:

"At the height of his popularity, President Obama could significantly sway public opinion on three controversial education issues: charter schools, merit pay and vouchers, a new study has found.

The president's favorable views on charter schools and merit pay for teachers increased approval for those issues by more than 10 percentage points — and by as much as 23 points for African-American respondents.

The findings suggest that Obama's views could gather support for education reform, which he has championed. On Tuesday, the White House announced that Obama would address schoolchildren Tuesday in a nationally broadcast talk to classrooms.

Obama's influence is notable because public opinion usually shifts gradually, according to one of the authors of the survey, which was conducted by Education Next, a journal of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and by the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University."

Top News - Schools get help in using Web 2.0 tools

Top News - Schools get help in using Web 2.0 tools:

"Web 2.0 tools also can enhance schoolwide communication and decision making, said Gordon Dahlby, director of curriculum and technology for the West Des Moines Community School District in Iowa.

One-way communication, in which eMail blasts, newsletters, web posts, or meeting minutes are used to spread the word, 'is so last century,' Dahlby said. Instead, he recommended using Web 2.0 tools to facilitate problem solving and increase collaboration and transparency. 'The committee,' according to Dahlby, 'is dead.' Why choose a group of people to meet and make decisions, he explained, when you can post the question online and let people respond using Web 2.0 tools?

To help educators better understand the different tools available, the EdTechNext report breaks down the different types of Web 2.0 tools into more specific categories, such as:"

City schools that failed Education Department's first two progress reports face changes

City schools that failed Education Department's first two progress reports face changes:

"The United Federation of Teachers, working with parents, successfully sued to block the closure of Public School 194 in Harlem and PS 150 in Brownsville, Brooklyn - even though they had each gotten a D and an F on two progress reports.

'[Parents] felt very connected to their school, which is a good thing,' Mulgrew said. 'They felt they were moving in the right direction.'

Last year's progress report was the first used as part of principals' official evaluation, but the grade counts for just under a third of the determination.
Council of School Supervisors officials noted not all principals who left the schools with bad grades were forced out.

'Many of these people - we would expected to have announced their retirement a long time ago,' said Council of School Supervisors Vice President Peter McNally."

Education | Kent Schools takes teachers to court | Seattle Times Newspaper

Education Kent Schools takes teachers to court Seattle Times Newspaper:

"The Kent School District is seeking an injunction to try to force its striking teachers back to work.

Superintendent Edward Vargas said this afternoon that the teachers strike that began Monday is illegal. He said strikes by public-school employees are against Washington common law.
Vargas told reporters at a 3 p.m. news conference that the district is seeking the injunction for the sake of the students who need to begin school.

The 1,700 teachers voted to strike Aug. 26 and formed picket lines the following day. It is the first strike in Kent School District history and has delayed the opening of school, which was supposed to happen on Monday"

Unions have a big chance to be major players in school reform - STLtoday.com

Unions have a big chance to be major players in school reform - STLtoday.com:

"The National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union, has criticized the program.

The NEA says the initiative has an 'unhealthy focus on standardized tests' and argues that 'it is inappropriate to require that states be able to link data on student achievement to individual teachers for the purpose of teacher and principal evaluation.'

The program encourages the creation of 'high-quality charter schools,' which the NEA sees as proof that 'the administration has decided that charter schools are the only answer to what ails America's public schools.'"

Charter school ignores deadline for replacing CEO | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/02/2009

Charter school ignores deadline for replacing CEO Philadelphia Inquirer 09/02/2009:

"The board of the embattled New Media Technology Charter School ignored yesterday's deadline for replacing Ina Walker, the school's chief executive officer, setting up a possible showdown with the Philadelphia School Reform Commission.

Two weeks ago, the commission voted unanimously to require New Media to replace Walker, board chairman Hugh C. Clark, and the rest of its board, and to meet more than 20 other conditions in order to obtain a new, five-year operating charter.

The conditions were designed to address allegations of financial mismanagement and conflicts of interest at the school, which has campuses in the city's Stenton and Germantown sections."

40% of schools fail to make the grade | WWLP.com

40% of schools fail to make the grade WWLP.com:


"Connecticut education officials say 40 percent of the state's public schools failed to meet performance standards this year under the federal No Child Left Behind law.

A report released Tuesday by the state Department of Education says 406 of 987 schools failed to make 'adequate yearly progress' under the federal law. That's down slightly from the 408 schools that didn't meet the standards last year.

The schools on this year's list include some prestigious ones, like Greenwich High School, West Hartford's Hall High School and Glastonbury High School."

Enough, already, of the current No Child Left Behind law | Commentary | Minnesota Public Radio NewsQ

Enough, already, of the current No Child Left Behind law Commentary Minnesota Public Radio NewsQ:


"The test data provide a wholly inadequate snapshot of how Minnesota's students and schools are doing on a given day. Think of your driver's license photo. It's actually you in the picture, but how many of us would consider it a true representation of how we look?

NCLB test results are designed in such a way that all Minnesota's schools will be on the failure list by 2014, according to the legislative auditor. The arbitrary standards defy common sense. Schools can fail by missing one of 37 different criteria. If 100 percent of Special Ed kids aren't proficient, the school doesn't meet standards. And every year the standards change."

Dress code for teachers and new committees highlight Cleveland mayoral candidate Kimberly Brown's education agenda - Inside Cleveland City Hall - cleveland.com

Dress code for teachers and new committees highlight Cleveland mayoral candidate Kimberly Brown's education agenda - Inside Cleveland City Hall - cleveland.com:

"Education Steering Committee will be immediately developed/support to assist Board Members with vital decisions being made and parental engagement. More so, an Oversight Committee will be implemented to oversee and monitor policies, procedures and financial responsibilites of the district set forth by state law and community values.

This Committee will report directly to the Mayor per 60 days for appropriate accountability of all services rendered and procured within our school district. The Education Steering Committee will complement the appointed school board - assist the school's CEO (on hands) - support and invest in our teachers - build relationships with our parents - engage and prepare our children"

Sacramento Press / U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan to Boost School Reform in Sacramento Thursday

Sacramento Press / U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan to Boost School Reform in Sacramento Thursday:


"I believe that must change. And to that end, at my invitation, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be in Sacramento on Thursday to bring his message of education reform to our city and to our state’s leadership.

He’ll start his day in the Capitol. I have arranged for him to meet with Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Speaker Karen Bass, the Democratic and Republican Caucuses.

Later that afternoon, Secretary Duncan will meet with Sacramento area superintendents of instruction and the business community. The dialogue will emphasize that education reform takes a concerted effort; it’s everyone’s responsibility."

AFL-CIO NOW BLOG | ‘Young Workers: A Lost Decade’

AFL-CIO NOW BLOG ‘Young Workers: A Lost Decade’:


"These are the findings of a new report, “Young Workers: A Lost Decade.” Conducted in July 2009 by Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the AFL-CIO and our community affiliate Working America, the nationwide survey of 1,156 people follows up on a similar survey the AFL-CIO conducted in 1999. The deterioration of young workers’ economic situation in those 10 years is alarming."

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/10628967/“Young-Workers-A-Lost-Decade”-AFL-CIO--Working-America

President Addresses American Students 9-8-09

President Addresses American Students 9-8-09:

PRESIDENT OBAMA TO DELIVER NATIONALLY BROADCAST ADDRESS TO STUDENTS ON SEPT. 8

The President will deliver a speech about the importance of persisting and succeeding in school on Sept. 8, the first day of school for many children across America.

The Department of Education is encouraging educators, students and parents to use this opportunity to help students get focused and begin the school year strong. The speech will be broadcast live on www.whitehouse.gov at 1 p.m. EDT.

The Department of Education has also asked a group of U.S. Department of Education Teaching Ambassador Fellows to develop some suggested classroom activities around the speech to help engage students and stimulate discussion on the importance of education in their lives.

The suggested classroom activities will be available on http://www.ed.gov/.

Here's how the President described the speech in a recent interview with 11 year-old reporter Damon Weaver yesterday: "On Sept. 8, when young people across the country will have just started or are about to go back to school, I'm going to be making a big speech to young people all across the country about the importance of education, the importance of staying in school, how we want to improve our education system, and why it's so important for the country.
And so I hope everybody tunes in.

"WHO:President Obama

WHAT:Presidential Address To Students

WHEN:1 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009

WHERE:Broadcast live at www.whitehouse.gov

President Addresses American Students 9-8-09

President Addresses American Students 9-8-09:

"President Addresses American Students 9-8-09"

President Obama to Deliver Nationally Broadcast Address to Students Sept. 8
U.S. Department of EducationOffice of Communications & Outreach, Press Office400 Maryland Ave., S.W.Washington, D.C. 20202

MEDIA ADVISORYEVENT DATE:1 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009Contact: Sandra Abrevaya(202) 401-1576 or sandra.abrevaya@ed.gov

PRESIDENT OBAMA TO DELIVER NATIONALLY BROADCAST ADDRESS TO STUDENTS ON SEPT. 8

The President will deliver a speech about the importance of persisting and succeeding in school on Sept. 8, the first day of school for many children across America. The Department of Education is encouraging educators, students and parents to use this opportunity to help students get focused and begin the school year strong. The speech will be broadcast live on www.whitehouse.gov at 1 p.m. EDT.

The Department of Education has also asked a group of U.S. Department of Education Teaching Ambassador Fellows to develop some suggested classroom activities around the speech to help engage students and stimulate discussion on the importance of education in their lives. The suggested classroom activities will be available on http://www.ed.gov/.

Here's how the President described the speech in a recent interview with 11 year-old reporter Damon Weaver yesterday: "On Sept. 8, when young people across the country will have just started or are about to go back to school, I'm going to be making a big speech to young people all across the country about the importance of education, the importance of staying in school, how we want to improve our education system, and why it's so important for the country. And so I hope everybody tunes in.

"WHO:President Obama
WHAT:Presidential Address To Students
WHEN:1 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009
WHERE:Broadcast live at www.whitehouse.gov

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Visit Sacramento

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Visit Sacramento

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Visit Sacramento


On Thursday, September 3rd United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is coming to Sacramento. I admired Arne Duncan’s leadership before he was appointed Secretary of Education. A former Chicago superintendent, Duncan’s district was one of the first to push mutual consent in teacher hiring, ensuring that every school was staffed with high quality teachers. His Renaissance 2010 initiative closed down vacant schools to reopen them with strong options for young people.

Secretary Duncan is now bringing those same ideals and strategies to schools and districts across the nation. He wants to make sure that we are a country that has a common set of rigorous standards, strong data systems linking student and teacher performance, performance and merit pay, and intervention for failing schools.
What does this mean for Sacramento? I firmly believe that if you have great schools, you will have a great city. As Mayor, my commitment is to make sure that the City of Sacramento, our county and our region are known for great public schools.

Sacramento can be one of the leaders in education reform. As the capitol of California, we should be the hotbed of reform and innovation.

We have created an education “white paper” for Sacramento that aligns with Secretary of Education Duncan’s plan for national reform. I encourage you to read the "white paper" and learn more about Secretary of Education Duncan’s visit to Sacramento.

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/10382430/Education-That-Works-Ideas-for-Sacramento

ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS: MEETING THE DEMAND FOR TEACHERS

ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS: MEETING THE DEMAND FOR TEACHERS:

"In recent years, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have established alternative certification programs to help meet this challenge of finding and retaining teachers. But have these programs been successful?

School districts must constantly recruit new teachers due to turnover. According to a nationwide study by the Nebraska State Education Association:
Six percent of teachers leave the profession each year.

One-fifth of new hires quit teaching within three years.

In urban areas, 50 percent of educators quit after five years.

Education researchers Paul E. Peterson and Daniel Nadler found that many states' alternative certification programs require just as many college-level education courses as regular certification. As a result, these programs produce few new teachers. By contrast, less restrictive programs require fewer hours of instruction and produce more teachers.

According to the National Center for Alternative Education, the oldest and most established state programs -- in California, New Jersey and Texas -- produce the most new teachers.

Texas and California report that about one-third of their new teachers come from alternative programs. In New Jersey, it is about 40 percent."

Making the grade

Making the grade:

"The question that's been discussed by school administrators, city officials and concerned citizens is whether the rate of out of school suspensions (OSS) has grown to a point where it is impeding the ability of many students, particularly African Americans, to receive the education to which every student is entitled.

At the August 5 School Board meeting, Dr. Quentina Miller-Fields made a presentation outlining two of the biggest issues with students, truancy and discipline, and discussing the actions being taken by the Board of Education. The BOE's goal is 'to reduce the number of infractions that give rise to referrals for suspension and expulsion,' according to the Dr. Miller-Fields report.

The BOE wants to proactively reduce the students' truancy rate - the number of students with more than five unexcused absences - from 14%, the level during school year 07-08, to less than 10.2% by 2012, and to reduce the number of disciplinary infractions almost 30%, from a total of 18,892 in SY 07-08 to less than 13,000 by 2012.

To help achieve their goal, the school system has installed a variety of new programs, including Response to Intervention (RTI), Positive Behavior Support (PBS), and new counseling programs, including a partnership with Gateway Behavioral Health to better evaluate issues students may be facing, whether it's a learning disability or personal problems"

Teacher comments on grade-changing :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Education

Teacher comments on grade-changing :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Education:

"As part of a Chicago Sun-Times/Chicago Teachers Union survey, teachers were given the option of adding 'brief comments about the issue of grade-changing.' Here are some responses:

'Grade-Changing:'
-- 'The principal wanted me to go back to IMPACT [the student information system] to falsify grades.'
-- 'I had students fail, yet they were passed! Who pays the price, next year's teacher and the student who is already frustrated.'
-- 'I was asked to change the grade of a student...[to] maintain their rank in the senior class.'
-- 'Grade changing is a problem. The pressure can come from the administration, dept. chair, parents and sometimes the students.'
-- 'It is certainly a pressing issue in CPS and is as big of an issue as attendance forgery.'
--- 'Every year it takes place w/ Gen. Ed. students!'
-- 'Every school is doing this.'"

Budget crisis looms in teacher contract negotiations - San Jose Mercury News

Budget crisis looms in teacher contract negotiations - San Jose Mercury News:

"When teachers' union negotiators sit down with Sequoia Union High School District administrators today to begin hashing out a new contract, both sides will be thinking about the state budget.

District officials say the latest version of the state budget cut $1.9 million from schools in the new fiscal year that began June 30, on top of $2.5 million in reductions trustees already approved in June.

Union and district officials have contrasting ideas for weathering the latest round of cuts.

The district wants union leaders to agree to concessions, possibly including furlough days and an end to free health benefits, according to the district's initial proposal.
But the union's president says the district should dip into its $11 million reserve fund instead of cutting further from the district's $100 million budget. The state requires school districts to keep a 3 percent reserve.

Greg Gruszynski, president of the Sequoia District Teachers Association, said there 'probably is a need to curtail some spending,' but added that the district could 'go through this whole year without making any cuts' by relying on its reserves. Top district officials say they need to preserve an ample reserve fund to prepare for mid-year state cuts and an anticipated $3.4 million hit in the 2010-11 fiscal year."

Education Week: Obama Education Views Can Sway Public, Poll Says

The Education Next-PEPG poll shows the gap between rank-and-file Democratic voters, who are more likely to be swayed by presidential opinion, and education practitioners, who have been slower to adopt changes such as charter schools, said Charles Barone, a longtime Capitol Hill education staff member and director of federal policy for Democrats for Education Reform, a political action committee in New York City.

“I think because the advent of strong accountability is associated with [Mr.] Bush, for a lot of people on the left, it was easier for them to hate it,” Mr. Barone said, even though efforts were championed by Democrats such as Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., who is the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who later was the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee in the Senate.

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/10624106/2009-Education-Next-PEPG-Survey-of-Public-Opinion