The school on the old Ambassador Hotel site offers an education in L.A. sociopolitics -- latimes.com

The school on the old Ambassador Hotel site offers an education in L.A. sociopolitics -- latimes.com:

"Like a kindergarten teacher kneeling down to meet her 3-foot-tall charges at eye level, the new elementary school at the Ambassador Hotel site, set to open today, is impeccably attuned to the importance of a first impression.

Designed by the Pasadena firm Gonzalez Goodale Architects, the school extends a friendly, crisply proportioned façade along 8th Street, on the southern edge of the sprawling 76-acre site over which the hotel long presided. Inside, the two-story school wraps 46 classrooms around a pair of generously sized courtyards. It accents its combination of zinc panels and expanses of glass with a number of walls painted Creamsicle orange."

Paul Peterson: What the Public Thinks of Public Schools - WSJ.com

Paul Peterson: What the Public Thinks of Public Schools - WSJ.com:

"Yesterday President Barack Obama delivered a pep talk to America's schoolchildren. The president owes a separate speech to America's parents. They deserve some straight talk on the state of our public schools.

According to the just released Education Next poll put out by the Hoover Institution, public assessment of schools has fallen to the lowest level recorded since Americans were first asked to grade schools in 1981. Just 18% of those surveyed gave schools a grade of an A or a B, down from 30% reported by a Gallup poll as recently as 2005.

No less than 25% of those polled by Education Next gave the schools either an F or a D. (In 2005, only 20% gave schools such low marks.)"

Milwaukee Democrats speak out against mayoral takeover of MPS - JSOnline

Milwaukee Democrats speak out against mayoral takeover of MPS - JSOnline:

"U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, state Democratic lawmakers from Milwaukee and a host of labor and civil rights leaders joined forces Tuesday to speak out against Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's proposal for the mayor to control the Milwaukee Public Schools system.

But because there's no proposed legislation yet in Madison to change state law and transfer power over MPS from the School Board to the mayor, critics such as Moore and several state legislators - Sen. Spencer Coggs, Rep. Fred Kessler, Rep. Barbara Toles and Rep. Annette Polly Williams - were left with few new arguments to make against the plan."

Commentary: Obama on risky ground on schools - CNN.com

Commentary: Obama on risky ground on schools - CNN.com:

"The president's commitment to education is truly remarkable, considering the enormous array of policy challenges confronting the administration. From health care and the economic crisis, to global warming and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the administration is beset by controversies that will not be easily resolved.

The fact that the president and his education secretary, Arne Duncan, have not allowed education to be ignored or placed on the back burner says a great deal about their recognition of its central importance to our nation."

The Associated Press: Gates brings education message to MTV, Nickelodeon

The Associated Press: Gates brings education message to MTV, Nickelodeon:

"People should understand how the system is falling short today and how it really contradicts our commitment to equal opportunity,' Gates told The Associated Press. 'If we don't change it now, it will hurt the future of the country as a whole.'

Only one-third of American high school students graduate with the skills necessary to succeed in college and the nation's workplaces, he said."

Bloomberg's bogus school report cards destroy real progress

Bloomberg's bogus school report cards destroy real progress:

"The latest school grades released by the city's Education Department are bogus. An astonishing 84% of 1,058 elementary and middle schools received an A (compared with 38% last year and 23% in 2007). Another 13% got a B. Only seven schools rated a D or an F.

Four schools labeled 'persistently dangerous' by the state got an A from the city, and three of these deeply troubled schools got a B. Three schools that the city wants to close because of low performance got an A. Every school that got an F last year got an A or B this year."

The Economics Of Education - Forbes.com

The Economics Of Education - Forbes.com:

"On Tuesday President Barack Obama addressed school children across America. Political emotions are running hot, the Drudge Report has highlighted the speech for days and it has been daily fodder for blogs, radio and television.

Personally, we believe that our children should learn to respect and honor the Office of the President of the United States of America--no matter who sits in that office or what their politics are."

In Flatbush, the Campaign Turns Negative (Gotham Gazette, September 9, 2009)

In Flatbush, the Campaign Turns Negative (Gotham Gazette, September 9, 2009):


"To say the Democratic primary for the 40th district City Council seat has gotten ugly is a bit of an understatement. Incumbent Mathieu Eugene and challengers Rock Hackshaw and Leithland Tulloch, while not exactly far apart on the issues, have challenged each other's ability to lead, and things have quickly gotten personal.

An Aug. 26 debate hosted by the New York Post was dominated by accusations of poor leadership and ineffectiveness. Hackshaw, who describes himself as a community activist, has worked as a political adviser, a lecturer and a journalist, among other trades, and also is a popular blogger. He insists Tulloch began the fusillade of negative campaigning. 'Tulloch spent the race spreading lots of lies and beating up me and Eugene. I didn't start the fight but I'm gonna end it,' he said."

Free speech can teach - The York Daily Record

Free speech can teach - The York Daily Record:

"Well now, that wasn't so bad, was it?
In fact, it was pretty good.
Reading through President Obama's speech to schoolchildren Tuesday, it's hard to fathom what all the uproar was about.
Work hard.
Stay in school.
Do your homework.
Don't watch too much TV.
Take personal responsibility for your actions.
Not exactly radical, 'socialist' stuff.
In fact, much of it was boilerplate conservative rhetoric."

Mike Thomas: Will Obama follow through on education? -- OrlandoSentinel.com

Mike Thomas: Will Obama follow through on education? -- OrlandoSentinel.com:

"So Tuesday they saw a black student-body president introduce a black president of the United States of America. He told them that there is value in education, that if they work hard, it can take them anywhere, including the White House.

Obama is a badly needed male role model in a culture that relies far too heavily on sports stars to fill that role.

That makes the symbolic value of his speech incalculable."

Inside City Hall: Sacramento Mayor Johnson wants bigger school role - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com

Inside City Hall: Sacramento Mayor Johnson wants bigger school role - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com:

"Mayor Kevin Johnson has made it very clear he wants to have a bigger hand in the city's public schools than his predecessors in City Hall.

He has held an education summit with policymakers and big thinkers from around the country, helped bring U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to town and has met many times with the heads of the city's public school districts."

Obama speech part of tradition - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Obama speech part of tradition - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:

"The U.S. president has many roles, and among them is expressing moral leadership and values, inspiring people to action. So it should not be surprising that the nation's presidents have taken to the bully pulpit to inspire young children to excel in school, the great engine of opportunity and prosperity in this country.

Here are some excerpts from recent presidents, without names. See if you can match the remarks with the president."

Sacramento students take Obama message to heart: Never give up - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento students take Obama message to heart: Never give up - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"At 9 a.m. Tuesday, a stream of third-graders filed into Room 5 at Sequoia Elementary School in Sacramento.
'Have a seat, we've got the president on the computer right now,' teacher Kelle Marshall told her students as they set their backpacks by the door. 'You've got to listen.'"

Superintendent dishes it out - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Superintendent dishes it out - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee

Jonathan Raymond, Sacramento City Unified School District's new superintendent, serves beans during lunch Tuesday at Woodbine Elementary's cafeteria.

School board member Diana Rodriguez, left, dishes out apple slices and applesauce, and food services assistant Danielle Hilliard, right, serves corn dogs to round out the menu.

Robert Reich Public Option Video

Robert Reich speaks directly on what the 'public option' is and why it is so important to health care reform.

Hometown Station AM 1220 - Santa Clarita Radio - State Top Educator Weighs In On Obama Speech

Hometown Station AM 1220 - Santa Clarita Radio - State Top Educator Weighs In On Obama Speech:

"State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today watched President Obama's back-to-school message with students at Sequoia Elementary School in Sacramento.

'I would like to commend and thank President Obama for taking the time to address our nation's students. These are trying times for America as millions of people continue to cope with the effects of the global economic downturn."

"Unfortunately, our students and educators are not immune to this phenomenon, and cutbacks in education funding across the country - especially here in California - illustrate this reality all too well.

"But the President's message today is just the sort of infusion of inspiration and confidence that I believe can propel our schools to do even more, even better with fewer resources. Furthermore, the President could not be more right in encouraging students to set their educational goals high and commit themselves to reaching and even exceeding those benchmarks.

Obama speech delivered to school students - Latest News - sacbee.com

Obama speech delivered to school students - Latest News - sacbee.com:

"Students in Sacramento City Unified School District returned to school this morning."

And at Sequoia Elementary School, they were joined by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, parents, school administrators and a throng of media to watch President Barack Obama's back-to-school speech.

The speech about the importance of a good education created a furor among some parents, prompting some Sacramento-area school officials to allow students to skip the nationally televised speech.

Mrs. Marshall's third-grade class at Sequoia Elementary school in Sacramento watches President Barack Obama's televised address on Tuesday morning.

Pres. Obama National Address to Students

Pres. Obama delivered a national address to students across the country to talk to them about the importance of education. He spoke to a group of students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, VA.

Obama invokes Ghandi as a personal hero in speech to students | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times

Obama invokes Ghandi as a personal hero in speech to students Top of the Ticket Los Angeles Times:

"The summer of President Obama’s political discontent is drawing to a close, but for those seeking to understand how he wields power as he maneuvers through the tricky maze of autumn’s healthcare battles, he dropped a few clues when he talked to ninth-graders in Virginia.

Obama went to Wakefield High School in Arlington to give a national speech welcoming students back to school. He called for students to take responsibility and to learn from their failures so that they succeed in the end. Despite some conservative misgivings, Obama’s comments were far from controversial. After all, calling on students to work hard and get ahead is as close to mom and apple pie as one can get."

PostPartisan - Staying in School and the 'Socialist Agenda'

PostPartisan - Staying in School and the 'Socialist Agenda':

"We have just gone through one of the most shameful episodes of the young Obama presidency -- shameful because of the behavior of the right wing, shameful because the media played into an extremist agenda, shameful because we proved that our political system has become so dysfunctional that a president gets punished for doing the right thing.

Upon Barack Obama’s election, even my most conservative friends who supported John McCain said Obama could do a world of good for poor children in the country by stressing the importance of education, hard work, staying in school and taking responsibility. Yes, those are often thought of as conservative values."