s'COOL FOOD Initiative

Our Mission
The mission of the s’COOL FOOD Initiative is to create a community of healthy children across Santa Barbara County who make educated food choices throughout their lives.

Footage from Culinary Boot Camp 2009

Footage from Culinary Boot Camp 2009

Study Finds Mercury in High Fructose Corn Syrup

No Lunch Left Behind by Alice Waters and Katrina Heron

s'Cool Food Visits Santa Maria Farms and Friends

Listen to Chef Ann Cooper and Chef Kate Adamick's Latest Podcast

http://www.scoolfood.org/initiative/initiative.cfm?section=initiative

Daily Sound — School menus fill with local fare

Daily Sound — School menus fill with local fare:

"When students in the Goleta Union School District head through the lunch line next week, they’ll have the chance to snag a locally grown, organic apple as part of their meal.

While perhaps not spectacular on the surface, that fact is indicative of a dramatic shift taking place in school cafeterias along the South Coast — a move from highly processed and prepared foods to healthy, from-scratch cooking using local produce.

Spurred on by the Orfalea Fund s’Cool Food Initiative, local school nutrition directors have been tossing out the prepackaged menu items and swapping in freshly prepared meals that frequently include fruits and veggies grown nearby.

“We’re definitely moving in that direction in a major way,” said Sharon Baird, food service director for the Goleta school district."

Comprehensive immigration reform vital to U.S. interests | LoHud.com | The Journal News

Comprehensive immigration reform vital to U.S. interests LoHud.com The Journal News:

"Now is the time to take a stand for comprehensive immigration reform. There is a key window of opportunity to join in and lead our business communities, labor unions, universities, faith-based organizations, law enforcement agencies, civil rights groups and neighbors to speak out for positive solutions. It is time to stand up for the values of our nation and demand a humane, workable immigration system.

There is a growing bipartisan effort, supported by the majority of Americans, many members of Congress and President Barack Obama, mobilizing in favor of effective immigration reform. Indeed, this past Tuesday, thousands of people gathered in Washington and across the country, including at a community vigil in Carmel, to take part in a 'National Procession, Rally and Lobby Day' for comprehensive immigration reform. These actions coincided with U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., announcing principles for an upcoming reform bill."

Schools' zero tolerance policies short on common sense | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Columnist James Ragland | Dallas-Fort Worth News

Schools' zero tolerance policies short on common sense News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News Columnist James Ragland Dallas-Fort Worth News:

"I've never been a fan of so-called zero tolerance policies in our nation's schools.

In my book, the practical translation of these theoretically pure postulations often leads to a much more intolerable reality – zero thinking.

Examples are easy to find, such as the recent case of the Delaware first-grader who took his camping knife to school.

Little Zachary, at the ripe age of 6, soon learned a hard and bitter lesson from zero-thinking school officials who initially subjected him to 45 days in an alternative school for troublemakers.

Innocently enough, Zachary was going to use the combo spoon/fork/knife camping tool to eat his lunch. Can't you just imagine how excited the fresh-faced Cub Scout must've been to show it off?"

United Teachers Los Angeles: Absent from reform -- latimes.com

United Teachers Los Angeles: Absent from reform -- latimes.com:

"It's easy to see why United Teachers Los Angeles doesn't like the new Public School Choice policy at L.A. Unified, which allows outside groups to apply to take over about 250 new or underperforming schools. Those groups are likely to include a large number of charter school operators that would hire their own teachers rather than sign a contract with the teachers union.

What's less understandable is why UTLA would minimize its chances of keeping some of the schools within the district, along with their union jobs. Yet that's what appears to be happening. A rift has developed within the union's leadership over whether to allow more so-called pilot schools, and if so, how many and under what conditions. Pilot schools are similar to charter schools, except that they remain within L.A. Unified, staffed by the district's union employees. The staff is given more independence to make instructional and budgeting decisions in exchange for greater accountability and 'thin contracts,' which contain fewer of the prescriptive work rules that can stultify progress."

Public forum on new Phila. charter policy Tuesday | Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/17/2009

Public forum on new Phila. charter policy Tuesday Philadelphia Inquirer 10/17/2009:

"The Philadelphia School Reform Commission and Superintendent Arlene Ackerman will hold a public forum Tuesday evening to hear comments on a controversial proposed policy on charter school expansions.

The amendment drafted by the district would allow charter schools to apply to add grades and expand enrollment only when their operating charter is up for renewal - generally every five years.

Currently, the commission considers requests from charters on an ad hoc basis and has no policy for evaluating them. The commission has approved changes before a charter is up for renewal.

The district's proposal would require charter schools seeking expansion to demonstrate strong academic performance, successful management, and good financial track records. The charters would also have to show that their facilities could accommodate the requested changes.

The proposal has galvanized opposition from the city's charter community."

Education Professor Honored for Body of Work | UANews.org

Education Professor Honored for Body of Work UANews.org:

"Luis C. Moll, whose research contributions are credited with advancing the understanding of ways that Hispanic students learn, is being honored by the American Educational Research Association.

By La Monica Everett-Haynes, University Communications
October 16, 2009

For decades, Luis C. Moll has investigated the ways Hispanic families' social networks and household environments contribute to the education and success of their children.
Considered pivotal research, the work headed by Moll and his colleagues have challenged long-existing theoretical models that have indicated that people of color are inherently disadvantaged because of their social and cultural backgrounds.

'We learn and develop through our relationships with each other – that is fundamental to the development,' said Moll, a University of Arizona professor in the language, reading and culture department."

Harvard loses $1.8b in cash placed in high-risk investments - The Boston Globe

Harvard loses $1.8b in cash placed in high-risk investments - The Boston Globe:

"Harvard University, one of the world’s richest educational institutions, stumbled into its financial crisis in part by breaking one of the most basic rules of corporate or family finance:

Don’t gamble with the money you need to pay the daily bills."

The university disclosed yesterday that it had lost $1.8 billion in cash - money it relies on for the school’s everyday expenses - by investing it with its endowment fund, instead of keeping it in safe, bank-like accounts. The disclosure was made in the school’s annual report for the fiscal year that ended June 30.

Typically, companies and big institutions manage their cash conservatively in order to have it readily available, by keeping the money in such low-risk investments as money-market mutual funds.

But Harvard placed a large portion of its cash with Harvard Management Co., the entity that runs the university’s endowment and invests in stocks, hedge funds, and other risky assets. It has been widely reported that Harvard Management’s endowment investments were battered in the market crash - down 27 percent in its last fiscal year. Not revealed until yesterday was that the school’s basic cash portfolio had also been caught in the undertow.

Education cuts slice through tightknit community - SignOnSanDiego.com

Education cuts slice through tightknit community - SignOnSanDiego.com:

"ALPINE — From secretaries to school board members, folks in the small Alpine Union School District talk proudly of how everyone knows each other and tries to work like family. Many of the district's employees live in the community off Interstate 8 in the foothills near the Cleveland National Forest. They bump into each other in the grocery store. Their children play sports together after school. “It's very tightknit,” said Superintendent Greg Ryan. When the 2,000-student district was facing a budget crunch last spring, all of its employees, including school board members and administrators, agreed to take 2 percent pay cuts. Teachers also agreed to trim two days from their calendar and nonteaching employees four days to further reduce salaries."

10.16.2009 - Stephen Barnett, California Supreme Court expert, dies at 73

10.16.2009 - Stephen Barnett, California Supreme Court expert, dies at 73:

"BERKELEY — Stephen Barnett, professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, died of complications resulting from cardiac arrest on Tuesday, Oct. 13. He was 73.

Stephen Barnett (Jim Block photo)Barnett was a prominent expert on intellectual property law; the news media; the legal institutions of California, principally the California Supreme Court; and First Amendment issues.

'In his scholarship, Steve was a devastating critic of the practices of the California Supreme Court and the California State Bar Association,' said Berkeley Law professor Melvin Eisenberg. 'He did a lot of acute, penetrating research that no one else has done regarding judicial transparency and legitimacy.'

Berkeley Law Associate Dean and professor Stephen Sugarman said Barnett 'was probably California's leading analyst and critic of the way the California Supreme Court goes about its business – how promptly it delivers its decisions, when the judges prepare their opinions, the Court's control over the briefs of parties and the role of oral argument, and the role of unpublished opinions and de-published opinions of lower California courts.'"

Education Technology News: Pearson to Advance Learning Systems in Six California Schools

Education Technology News: Pearson to Advance Learning Systems in Six California Schools:

"Pearson, an education and technology services company, will now be offering six California schools dubbed the “Model Innovation Schools” an innovation strategy for maximizing and improving technological education services.

Partnering with the six model schools – Valadez Middle School Academy, VanderMolen Fundamental Elementary, Rosebud Academy Charter School, Ecademy, Woodridge Elementary and Rio Terra Junior High School – Pearson will work with the six educational facilities to have an e-learning system where students can have an alternative route to learning."

Educator sees the value in 'value-added' approach to evaluating teachers -- latimes.com

Educator sees the value in 'value-added' approach to evaluating teachers -- latimes.com:

"When Terry Grier was hired to run San Diego Unified School District in January 2008, he hoped to bring with him a revolutionary tool that had never been tried in a large California school system.

Its name -- 'value-added' -- sounded innocuous enough. But this number-crunching approach threatened to upend many traditional notions of what worked and what didn't in the nation's classrooms.

It was novel because rather than using tests to take a snapshot of overall student achievement, it used scores to track each pupil's academic progress from year to year. What made it incendiary, however, was its potential to single out the best and worst teachers in a nation that currently gives virtually all teachers a passing grade."

Nurses wanting to unionize face unlikely foe: Feinstein - BostonHerald.com

Nurses wanting to unionize face unlikely foe: Feinstein - BostonHerald.com:

"WASHINGTON — The nation’s nurses have an idea for how to improve health care: Allow more of them to unionize.

As they press Congress to approve a bill that would make it easier to organize, however, nurses and other unions have identified a big obstacle in Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

While President Barack Obama and a majority of Senate Democrats are behind the Employee Free Choice Act, Feinstein isn’t. After she scored a perfect 100 rating from the AFL-CIO last year, many union activists are scratching their heads, wondering why Feinstein has parted ways with them on their signature issue."

Studies Show Furloughs Not Saving State - California Progress Report

Studies Show Furloughs Not Saving State - California Progress Report:

"Earlier this week, the Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes released a report that concluded that the furlough savings was illusory at 24.7 facilities, specifically at state hospitals, prisons, and other 24/7 facilities that are under state operation. This finding by itself carries a considerable consequence, but amazingly it is not the only finding of its kind.

But another study done by UC Berkeley's Center for Labor Research and Education released on Thursday found that:

"Much of the savings from California state workers' three-day-a-month mandatory furlough will be offset by reduced revenue and increased costs to the state general fund in future years."

The Berkeley study analyzes the impact of furloughing state employees for three days a month, the equivalent loss of seven weeks of pay. The study concludes that the furlough will save the general fund only 12 cents for every dollar cut in wages.

Government agencies across the state have imposed furloughs as a means to reduce operating costs during the hardship. They range from cities to counties to the higher educational system. It is unclear just how much these findings are generalizable to other situations, but it seems these impacts ought to be examined.

As rehab programs are cut, prisons do less to keep inmates from returning -- latimes.com

As rehab programs are cut, prisons do less to keep inmates from returning -- latimes.com:

"Reporting from Sacramento - Gina Tatum spends her days in a compound surrounded by electrified fence in the sun-baked heart of the Central Valley, hoping to change her life.

She will soon turn 50, and after two decades in and out of prison, she says she is tired of victimizing others, tired of stealing, tired of doing drugs.

'I can't afford any more years up here -- I've lost too many,' said Tatum, who is serving a four-year stint for forgery at the Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla. 'I'm trying to learn things to change my thinking, change everything about me, so I can go home. It's so easy to get caught up here and never leave. I don't want to die in prison.'"

SN&R > Columns > Cut&Paste > City Hall gives no thought to freethought > 10.15.09

SN&R > Columns > Cut&Paste > City Hall gives no thought to freethought > 10.15.09:

"The Kevin Johnson administration is “not comfortable” with a longstanding City Hall tradition of recognizing Freethought Day, an annual celebration of the separation of church and state.

Freethought Day commemorates the day in October of 1692, when Massachusetts Gov. William Phips declared that “spectral evidence” was no longer allowed in court proceedings. That pretty much ended the Salem witch trials, and helped lay the groundwork for the separation of church and state.

And that’s why local atheists, freethinkers and humanists celebrated Freethought Day on Sunday, October 11, at Cesar Chavez Plaza, across from City Hall. Similar celebrations were held around the country on the same day."

Walk To Defeat ALS(TM) Sacramento Chapter:

Walk To Defeat ALS(TM) Sacramento Chapter::

"Hello Specktacular Speck Supporters!

The ALS Association (ALSA) is having a nationwide fundraising walk, The Walk to Defeat ALS, and the Sacramento Chapter is hosting a walk on October 17th at William Land Park in Sacramento.

This online fundraising team was created to walk/donate in support of Cathy Speck and her family. The team is called The Specktaculars. Our goal is to raise $10,000 for the ALS Association."

Chicago charter schools are failing on state tests but not facing turnaround or other sanctions - Substance News

Chicago charter schools are failing on state tests but not facing turnaround or other sanctions - Substance News

Charter school report shows scores of Chicago charters are 'failing' as measured by Illinois tests

Scores of Chicago public schools are being closed for performing poorly on the state tests and replaced by charter schools.

But what if those charter schools that replaced the ‘failing’ public schools are also performing poorly? Should not they be placed on probation, ridiculed and then closed as well?

That question needs to be asked after the Illinois State Board of Education issued the Illinois Charter School Annual Report in January 2009.

According to the Charter School Performance data, there are 12 Chicago charter schools — almost half of the total charters in Chicago — that did not make the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) on the state’s ISAT and PSAE tests during the 2007-2008 school year.

Tea Time

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/10/16/is-michelle-obama-right-about-teachers/

Is Michelle Obama Right about Teachers?

First Lady Michelle Obama wrote yesterday in US News and World Report that we face a teacher shortage. She laments that up to a third of current teachers could retire in the next four years. The solution, she says, is to embark on an aggressive and multifaceted teacher recruitment campaign.

But here’s an interesting thought: What if a million teachers really did retire in the next four years, and we only replaced half of them?

City Brights: Joe D'Alessandro : Take nothing for granted

City Brights: Joe D'Alessandro : Take nothing for granted:

"Even with all that City Hall and the many non-profits around town are doing, we hear complaints from our visitors about dirty streets, aggressive panhandling and public drug dealing.

Sacramento's celebrity Mayor Kevin Johnson had his bag stolen while helping someone into a cab right on Union Square last week. Street safety should be a priority for all of us.

These issues are important not just because they disturb our visitors and residents. The fact is that people are struggling and suffering. If we are truly 'the cool grey city of love,' we can't ignore that.

And we need to do everything we can to preserve the city's quirky 'Only in San Francisco' personality. Other cities may have beautiful hills, bridges and coastlines but only this city is '49 square miles surrounded by reality.'"