Sun Gazette Newspapers - Arlington > News

Sun Gazette Newspapers - Arlington > News:

"“We need more parents trained to advocate for their kids, and we need volunteers,” said Dr. Talmadge Williams, a former president of the Arlington NAACP and chairman of Parent Allies for Student Success (PASS). The group on Sept. 10 held its second-annual graduation ceremony, honoring 42 parents who spent weeks learning to be a bigger part of their children’s academic lives."

Public school parents’ Bill of Rights proposed > YourNabe.com > Bronx Times Reporter > News

Public school parents’ Bill of Rights proposed; YourNabe.com Bronx Times Reporter News:

"“As a public school parent, I know that our city can do more to bring our public schools to the top of the class,” DeBlasio said. “With the first day of school just a week away, there is no better time to make increasing parental involvement a top priority. As public advocate, I will work to build on the successes of mayoral control and implement much needed reforms.”"

DeBlasio’s 10-point “bill of rights” calls for “honest, respectful two-way communication with local school representatives and Department of Education officials,” “timely and accurate information about opportunities available to students,” and “access to comprehensive and thoughtful information about the performance of children’s schools.”

Can we please act like United States? - National voices - Merced Sun-Star

Can we please act like United States? - National voices - Merced Sun-Star:

"Culture conservatives are adamant about wanting public schools to teach kids values such as respect, hard work, personal responsibility and patriotism. But heaven forbid the president of the United States should talk to students about hard work, personal responsibility and dedication to their goals and to their country. That somehow smacks of indoctrination.
Sheesh!"

Plan would limit charter schools' independence | Philadelphia Daily News | 09/11/2009

Plan would limit charter schools' independence Philadelphia Daily News 09/11/2009:

"Nearly 30 representatives from the city's 60 charter schools gathered last night at the Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School, on Broad Street near Spring Garden, to speak against the amendment, which would peg charter schools' requests for increased enrollment or additional grades to their renewal application.

Currently, the schools, whose charters generally are up for renewal every five years, can request changes to enrollment or grade configuration at any time."

Shorter school year is wrong way to go - MontereyHerald.com :

Shorter school year is wrong way to go - MontereyHerald.com ::

"We do not have any magic solutions for the Salinas schools, no quick fixes, though we do believe that administrators there and elsewhere must look even harder at sports and other extracurricular activities before taking any more money out of the classrooms.

What we do have is concern that eliminating days of classroom instruction, even while the educational bureaucracy is putting more and more emphasis on test scores, could irreversibly speed the public schools into a downward spiral."

Katherine Rea | The value of public education - Opinion

Katherine Rea The value of public education - Opinion:

"California's budget crisis this summer precipitated massive losses for higher education. Facing a $26 billion deficit, the state 'solved' this problem by cutting spending left and right. In response to billion-dollar cuts in funding, the UC system raised student fees by 9 percent, reduced freshman enrollment by 6 percent and slashed millions of dollars from individual campus budgets.

Aside from cuts in access, the quality of education the UCs offer is also threatened."

SN&R > Local Stories > Under pressure > 09.10.09

SN&R > Local Stories > Under pressure > 09.10.09:

"So in the spring, the Sacramento Charter Review Committee was formed, to look at a whole suite of possible reforms. Yes, the committee would consider increasing mayoral power and responsibility. But it would also look at other reforms, like the creation of an ethics commission, putting in place a system of instant runoff voting, term limits or a full-time city council.

Now it appears most of those ideas will be off the table, thanks to the mayor and city council’s insistence that a strong-mayor initiative go on the ballot in the next election in June of 2010"

Education | Kent teachers stunned at district's rejection of union offer | Seattle Times Newspaper

Education Kent teachers stunned at district's rejection of union offer Seattle Times Newspaper:

"When the Kent teachers union made an offer Thursday morning that was $200,000 less than the Kent School District's own bottom line yet would still reduce class sizes, teachers thought they had a solution that would bring an end to the now 16-day strike."

Editorial: Time to get moving on school reform - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Editorial: Time to get moving on school reform - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:

"Legislators end their regular session tonight, but they've got some urgent unfinished business. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called a special session on education reform – and wants action by Oct. 5, less than three weeks away."

Parents take teachers hostage at French primary | World news | guardian.co.uk

Parents take teachers hostage at French primary World news guardian.co.uk:

"First there was a wave of boss-nappings in protest at job-cuts, then workers threatened to blow up factories, now disgruntled French parents are taking their own radical action in protest at school cuts.

Until this week the Elysee Maury primary school at Laroque d'Olmes, a village in the Ariège, was best known as the place where the French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez first kicked a ball. But on Tuesday evening, furious that the authorities were going to scrap a class and move a teacher away, a group of parents took over the school on the edge of the Pyrenees, blocking exits and taking the school's three teachers hostage overnight."

Sacramento Press / Mayor Johnson and Sacramento Schools

Sacramento Press / Mayor Johnson and Sacramento Schools:

"Opponents have argued that one of Mayor Johnson's ultimate goals is to move Sacramento's public schools under the control of the city's mayor, however, the Mayor has consistently insisted that this is not the case.

In Inside City Hall, Ryan Lillis gives us some insight into Mayor Johnson's intentions. The mayor maintains that he does not wish to take control of the schools, clarifying, 'what's on my radar is the mayor playing a critical role in our schools.' Fair enough, complete control and 'a critical role' are two very different phrases."

The Mayor then expands on what he has in mind. While he notes that he does not like the term education "czar", the Mayor confirms that he would like to establish an education "liaison". Rather than limiting the position to communication and coordination, as the definition of "liaison" would suggest, the mayor envisions "something very powerful that will unite the school districts under one common vision."

Sacramento News & Review > Blogs > SNOG#BlogPost-1211332

Sacramento News & Review > Blogs > SNOG#BlogPost-1211332:

"Timing is everything in Johnson vs Teichert fight

Time to clear up a couple of questions from earlier posts about the Kevin Johnson vs Eileen Teichert fracas. Or, at least raise a couple more.

Johnson and his hired gun Steve Maviglio are going after Teichert pretty hard, with Maviglio calling on Teichert to “step aside” during discussions of legal issues surrounding KJ’s strong mayor bid–becuase she “lacks the expertise” to offer an opinion. Whew. KJ said he was going to change things in City Hall, and so he has. Now we have open political skirmishes with charter officers. Are we a real city yet?"

Top 25 sacdac.org Post on docstoc.com 9-10-09

Top 25 sacdac.org Post on docstoc.com 9-10-09:

"Top 25 sacdac.org Post on docstoc.com 9-10-09
http://sacdac.org/default.aspx
http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/"

Tenth Annual Historically Black College Recruitment Fair - U Can Go To College - UCAN

Tenth Annual Historically Black College Recruitment Fair - U Can Go To College - UCAN:

"United College Action Network (U-CAN!)
will be recruiting college bound students on-site during the weeklong event. The College Fair locations are scheduled on Monday evening, September 14, 2009 at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Fairfield, Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at Edison High School in Stockton, Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at Grant High School in Sacramento, Thursday, September 17, 2009 in Oakland California, Friday, September 18, 2009 at Sacramento City College in Sacramento, and Saturday, September 19, 2009 at Monterey Trail High School in the Elk Grove Unified School District, Elk Grove."

Obama says he accepts Rep. Wilson's apology | Politics News | Comcast.net

Obama says he accepts Rep. Wilson's apology Politics News Comcast.net:

"President Barack Obama says he accepts Republican Rep. Joe Wilson's apology for shouting 'You lie!' at the president during his speech to Congress Wednesday night.
Obama says Wilson apologized 'quickly and without equivocation.'

Obama also says he's a big believer that 'we all make mistakes.'

Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, shouted at Obama during the speech in the House chamber. Wilson's outburst was an extraordinary breach of decorum for which he swiftly apologized.

Obama addressed the incident with reporters after meeting with his Cabinet on Thursday."

California lawmakers pass a raft of bills as session winds down -- latimes.com

California lawmakers pass a raft of bills as session winds down -- latimes.com:

"Lawmakers also signed off on a bill by Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield (D-Woodland Hills) to expand the use of digital textbooks in public schools by removing restrictions on districts that want to purchase electronic book viewers.

The measure, AB 1398, overcame opposition from the textbook industry.

Blumenfield argued that the measure would save money and literally ease the load on students, who carry up to 40 pounds of textbooks during the school day."

Legislators extend school transfer law - Education and Schools - fresnobee.com

Legislators extend school transfer law - Education and Schools - fresnobee.com:

"SACRAMENTO -- State lawmakers this week approved an extension of a law that allows students to to easily change schools.

More than 370 Valley students take advantage of the 'district of choice' program, which allows students to cross boundaries without getting permission from their home district.

The law had expired July 1. Senate Bill 680, by Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, extends the program to 2017."

Education Week: Harkin New Chair of Senate Education Committee

Education Week: Harkin New Chair of Senate Education Committee:

"U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa today stepped into the chairmanship of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which was left vacant when Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts died last month.

As the chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees education spending, Sen. Harkin—who will give up his post as the chairman of the chamber’s Agriculture Committee—is already in a key player on K-12 policy. He had a lead role in securing some $100 billion for education in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the economic-stimulus bill that passed in February."

Obama Health Care Speech: FULL VIDEO, TEXT

Obama Health Care Speech: FULL VIDEO, TEXT:

"And they knew that when any government measure, no matter how carefully crafted or beneficial, is subject to scorn; when any efforts to help people in need are attacked as un-American; when facts and reason are thrown overboard and only timidity passes for wisdom, and we can no longer even engage in a civil conversation with each other over the things that truly matter -- that at that point we don't merely lose our capacity to solve big challenges. We lose something essential about ourselves."

President Obama: " It is Time To Deliver On Health Reform"

President Obama: " It is Time To Deliver On Health Care Reform" - 09/09/09