WSAU | Doyle pushes for education reform

WSAU Doyle pushes for education reform:

"WAUSAU, Wis (WSAU) Governor Jim Doyle is traveling around Wisconsin today to push for major educational reforms. He and state superintendent Tony Evers are urging legislators to pass a bill letting teachers be evaluated in part by the results their students achieve.

The Obama White House requires that change before the state can get a share of four-and-a-third billion dollars in federal stimulus cash in the president’s “Race to the Top” program. Doyle also wants to make it easier for schools to lengthen their school days and their school years – which Obama has also been talking about lately. The governor is also calling for new methods of student testing – giving them more flexibility under the state’s revenue limits – and creating special “children’s zones” in Milwaukee to help kids in poor neighborhoods."

Granholm signs bill cutting school funding by $165 per student | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Granholm signs bill cutting school funding by $165 per student detnews.com The Detroit News:

"Lansing -- Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed a public school aid bill late Monday that spells double trouble for some local districts -- a cut of $165 per student and elimination of money designed to protect them when property tax reform was passed.

The governor vetoed $51.5 million for 51 eligible districts -- including some of the highest spending in the state -- that have received payments since Proposal A reform was approved 16 years ago. Proposal A aimed to eliminate property taxes as the source of funding for school districts and replaced it with basic foundation grants.

The largest cuts among the 26 districts from Metro Detroit will be felt by Dearborn and Livonia, being slashed $4.9 million each, Walled Lake, which would lose $4.7 million, and Warren Consolidated, by $3.7 million."

Media-Newswire.com - Press Release Distribution - PR Agency

Media-Newswire.com - Press Release Distribution - PR Agency:

"Learning Point Associates, a nonprofit education research and consulting organization, has been awarded a five-year contract for Charter School Research and Technical Assistance by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement.

The first task under this umbrella contract is to establish the National Charter School Resource Center, which will provide services and support for the continued development of high-quality, effective charter schools. The charter school center, led by Learning Point Associates, brings together a range of partners with extensive experience both in addressing the unique management needs of the charter school community and in working more broadly with high-need districts and schools to substantially improve teaching and learning.

“We believe in effective systems for all learners. Clearly, effective charter schools are part of the landscape for bringing innovation into high-need communities,” said Gina Burkhardt, chief executive officer of Learning Point Associates. “Improving the quality of charter schools is a priority in the administration’s reform strategy. We are excited to be working with our partners on this unprecedented opportunity to provide access to the best information and tools to help ensure the effectiveness of our nation’s charter schools"

City ineligible for school reform funds- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut

City ineligible for school reform funds- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut:

"Under current guidelines, districts seeking federal Investing in Innovation funds for school reform must meet No Child Left Behind standards for two consecutive years, disqualifying nearly all urban districts in Connecticut.

If left unchanged, the requirement would be a major blow to New Haven, where leaders have closely eyed the Investing in Innovation fund to support school reform.

U.S. Department of Education officials have said legislation has been proposed to change the congressional requirement, but until changes are adopted, the department must proceed with the restriction in place"

Research Indicates Vegetable Juice Can Make It Easy and Enjoyable for People to Increase Vegetable Intake

Research Indicates Vegetable Juice Can Make It Easy and Enjoyable for People to Increase Vegetable Intake:

"Decades of studies have documented the link between eating a diet rich in vegetables and multiple health benefits, yet nearly eight out of 10 people worldwide fall short of the daily recommendation.

1 Research presented at the International Symposium on Human Health Effects of Fruits and Vegetables suggests the best approach may be to focus on the factors that are often behind this vegetable gap.

convenience and enjoyment."

Two studies

2 presented at the symposium found that the addition of vegetable juice in people’s diets was a successful strategy to help them reach the vegetable guidelines (at least 4 servings per day).

3 In fact, the addition of a portable drink, such as V8 ® 100% vegetable juice, was more successful than an approach that focused solely on nutrition education, or offering dietary counseling on ways to increase vegetable intake.Researchers at the University of California-Davis conducted a 12-week study among adults ages 40-65 years.

4 All of the people in the study who drank at least two cups of vegetable juice met daily vegetable recommendations, yet only seven percent of the non-juice drinkers met the goal. The participants in the study with borderline high blood pressure who drank one to two servings of V8 juice lowered their blood pressure significantly.

Media-Newswire.com - Press Release Distribution - PR Agency

Media-Newswire.com - Press Release Distribution - PR Agency:

"(Media-Newswire.com) - The Center to Champion Nursing in America, a joint initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in collaboration with the Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education, will convene leaders from 11 states to demonstrate innovative models of nursing education. These models are helping increase the numbers of new nurses and address the looming national nursing shortage which threatens the quality and safety of health care of hundreds of millions of Americans.

The Nursing Education Redesign Conference will showcase education redesign solutions from Oregon, California, Hawaii, New York and North Carolina. Featured initiatives include collaborative partnerships between university and community college nursing programs, the redesign of clinical education, and strategies to increase the number and specific capabilities of faculty to educate nursing students for the challenges of the 21st century health care system.

Why: There is an urgent need to reform nursing education to reflect the realities of providing quality health care to an increasingly diverse patient population, including a rapidly aging citizenry and a changing, evolving health care system. The nursing shortage is being caused, in part, because tens of thousands of qualified applicants are turned away each year due to a lack of enough faculty to teach them. In addition, university and community college curricula are rarely aligned, creating a bottleneck that ultimately prevents new nurses from entering the workforce and diminishes the pool of nurses qualified to become nursing faculty."

Our View: State moves on federal school grants - Our View - Merced Sun-Star

Our View: State moves on federal school grants - Our View - Merced Sun-Star:

"It took the push of money, but President Obama's new 'Race to the Top' competitive grants are getting California's political and educational leaders to act with some urgency on areas long-identified for change.

If testimony at a state Senate education committee hearing last Tuesday is any indication, consensus is building among these leaders that California can leap ahead in the national competition if it demonstrates a sharp focus on turning around the state's chronically underperforming schools.

These are schools where a full range of interventions have failed to raise student performance to acceptable levels and fundamental change is needed to break the cycle of dysfunction."

New Hartnell College mural depicts local education pioneer | thecalifornian.com | The Salinas Californian

New Hartnell College mural depicts local education pioneer thecalifornian.com The Salinas Californian:

"More than 100 people gathered Monday morning at Hartnell College in Salinas for a ceremony to unveil a new mural on the south side of the Merrill Hall science building."

Local muralist John Cerney was commissioned to create the colorful piece, which depicts William Hartnell and his wife, Maria Teresa de la Guerra. Cerney's larger-than-life plywood portraits of everyday characters and local workers grace fields and walls around Monterey County.

Cerney worked closely with Penelope Hartnell, one of William Hartnell's great-great-granddaughters, to ensure the historical accuracy of the 16-foot-by-14-foot mural. Six panels arranged in an arc behind Hartnell and his wife illustrate scenes spanning Hartnell history. A printed metal guide near the mural describes each scene.

The mural is "a link between the past and future of Hartnell," said Juan Martinez, a member of the Hartnell College board of trustees and of a committee that oversaw the mural's production and installation.

Education foundation, 3M honor high school teacher - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Education foundation, 3M honor high school teacher - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"Galt High School teacher Debra Crane is one of 10 Project Lead the Way teachers nationwide who will be honored by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation and 3M at a ceremony in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 12.

The teachers will be honored for 'inspiring students to pursue careers in science, technology and math,' according to a news release from Project Lead the Way.

The organization trains middle and high school teachers to implement hands-on, project-based curriculum.

Crane began the Project Lead the Way program at Galt High eight years ago. She teaches introduction to engineering, digital electronics, computer-integrated manufacturing, civil engineering and architecture to ninth- through 12th-graders.

She will receive $1,000, as well as an interactive white board and digital projector for the classroom."

ABCs of reorganizing spelled out for district - Auburn Journal

ABCs of reorganizing spelled out for district - Auburn Journal:

"Area educators got a crash course in school district reorganization Monday.

The Placer County Office of Education hosted a workshop presented by School Innovation and Advocacy, focusing on the subject.
“This is a discussion that has been going on for years,” Gayle Garbolino-Mojica, Placer County superintendent of schools, said Monday. “We here, at the county office of education, feel we are in a position of support.”

Bill McGuire, School Innovation and Advocacy vice president of professional and fiscal services, started the presentation by saying it isn’t his company’s role to tell districts how to proceed, if considering reorganization.

“What we’re here to tell you is all the things that go into it,” he said.

McGuire and colleague Terry Bradley, vice president of facilities, boundaries and enrollment, gave a brief history of California’s school district organization, discussed trends among the state’s districts and schools, organization and responsibilities of different agencies involved in a potential reorganization, criteria and conditions for reorganization approval, election procedures and other topics pertaining to the subject.

The presentation included case studies involving reorganization between the Fresno Unified and Clovis Unified districts, Trinity Alps Unified and Sacramento County’s Twin Rivers Unified, in addition to the merge between Placer County’s Ophir Elementary and Loomis Union school"

General education may be hit again by the California Budget

General education may be hit again by the California Budget:

"A few years back, when California was having financial trouble the Governor borrowed against Proposition 98, the minimum guarantee for education funding in our state. Essentially money was taken from all school age children in California. However, when the money was repaid a special categorical was set up – The Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA) and the money was allocated to the lowest achieving schools.

Taking from all and giving to a few seems to be the pattern again in Sacramento. Last week the Senate approved a bill and sent it on to the Assembly that would use the last of the federal support from the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) to backfill cuts made last year to QEIA."

Arianna Huffington: How About a Little Coverage of the Millions of At-Risk Kids Not Trapped in a Balloon (or Hiding in the Attic)?

Arianna Huffington: How About a Little Coverage of the Millions of At-Risk Kids Not Trapped in a Balloon (or Hiding in the Attic)?:

"No matter what happens in the unfolding legal saga of the Heene family, the most appropriate response to the whole matter was that of Falcon Heene. He vomited. Twice. On national TV. Well, let me just say that Falcon speaks for me.

I had to stifle the same urge as I watched so much of the media devote so much of their resources to the story of the boy NOT in the balloon."

And, sure, I know that asking the media to have some sense of perspective on a story like this is like asking a dog not to bark. It's in their nature to give breathless, wall-to-wall coverage to these kinds of stories. But, even knowing this, I was shocked how little changed in the volume and tone of the coverage even after it was known the boy wasn't in the balloon. Even then, after we knew the balloon was empty, they kept running footage of the balloon, hour after hour.

As Bill Maher said on Real Time, "they're calling him Balloon Boy, which is so stupid, because the one thing we know about this kid, is that he was not in a balloon.

"Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/how-about-a-little-covera_b_326472.html

Old Soul coffee house Press Conference, 10.19.09

Old Soul Press Conference

Mayor Johnson announces that the Oak Park space formerly occupied by Starbucks will be housing the new Old Soul coffee house in January 2010

Gov.Schwarzenegger UC Merced Exceeds Enrollment Projections, Topping 2,700 Students

U C Merced - UC Merced Exceeds Enrollment Projections, Topping 2,700 Students:

Chancellor Sung-Mo meets with Governor Schwarzenegger

"Largest freshman class to date means full residence halls, full classrooms, full labs and a bustling campus culture

MERCED - For the second consecutive year, student enrollment at the University of California, Merced, has risen 45 percent compared with the prior year, university officials announced today, Oct. 1.

There are 2,718 students enrolled this fall, up from 1,871 in the fall of 2007 and 875 in the university's inaugural year of 2005. The current total includes 925 new freshmen, 139 new transfer students and 66 new graduate students. Last year's totals were 669 new freshmen, 116 new transfers and 52 new graduate students. Based upon admissions numbers and traditional yield rates, UC Merced officials expected 2,625 students on campus this semester."

Chancellor Sung-Mo

Steve Kang was appointed chancellor of the University of California, Merced, on January 17, 2007 in a regular meeting of the UC Regents. He began his duties in Merced on March 1.

Obama makes surprise visit to Silver Spring school | 44 | washingtonpost.com

Obama makes surprise visit to Silver Spring school 44 washingtonpost.com:

"President Obama paid a surprise lunchtime visit to Viers Mill Elementary School in Silver Spring Monday.

Montgomery County schools spokeswoman Kate Harrison said the visit lasted just 30 to 45 minutes, and that officials had been told to keep it secret. Obama 'really just wanted to interact with students and he wanted to do it during lunch,' Harrison said.

According to a pool report, the president visited with third- and fifth-graders. Ben Finkenbinder, a White House press aide, said Obama chose Viers Mill because in 2005 it became the first Montgomery County school with a large population of low-income students to be designated a National Blue Ribbon School for significantly closing the achievement gap. Such schools qualify for Title I federal funding."

"It's wonderful. I'm just so happy for the kids," Harrison said. "What a thrill. To be just sitting there eating your lunch, and all of a sudden the president of the United States walks in. It's so exciting."

Education News & Comment

Education News & Comment:

"YOUR BEST PARENT INVOLVEMENT YEAR EVER!
CREATING WELCOMING SCHOOLS FOR STUDENT SUCCESS"


Who Should Attend?

The Training is recommended for participants from all schools.

School teams (and individuals) are encouraged to attend. Teams may include: administrators, teachers, front office and school support staff, parent liaisons and parent leaders. School Site Council members, PTA/parent organization members, and community representatives should also attend.

Training Content:

Success in increasing the involvement of parents in their children’s education is directly tied to the actions and policies that schools have in place to welcome all families. One key factor that determines whether parents choose to become involved with their children’s schools is whether they feel their participation is welcomed and needed by the school. This half-day training will position your school to have the best parent involvement year ever! You will:

¨ Learn what research says about the connection of school environment to increasing parent involvement.

¨ Find out how to assess your school’s family friendly factors, including assessing how welcoming your school’s front office is to all families.

¨ Learn how to improve “friendliness” factors and two-way communication between home and school.

¨ Identify the strengths of your diverse school community for building a welcoming school climate.

¨ Learn outreach strategies to connect with under-involved families to improve student outcomes.
¨ Receive ideas, resources and materials to use immediately.

¨ Have opportunities to meet other parent and school leaders to learn about their successful practices.

Contact: Manuel Guillot at (916) 643-7912 or Email: manuelguillot@sac-city.ca.us

SCUSD Observer: Listening or lecturing?

SCUSD Observer: Listening or lecturing?

Monday, October 19, 2009

Listening or lecturing?

This evening, SCUSD Superintendent Jonathan Raymond will visit the Pocket area as part of a continuing campaign of outreach to district stakeholders. Councilman Robbie Waters, Board President Ray Grimes and Raymond will partner to present the "listening and learning tour of the district" tonight at John F. Kennedy High School from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.An opinion piece in the Sacramento Bee yesterday urged local communities to assert a "count us in" approach by informing state legislators of the "barriers that need to be removed in order to achieve dramatic turnaround of the lowest performing schools." The feel-good ideas of reconstitution, transformation, and culture change are bandied about, yet the crux of the matter centers on a very ugly couple of words -- school closures.

Today, the Bee's editorial page is touting the "reconstitution" of Jonas Salk Middle School (San Juan Unified) as a dramatic fix to that particular school's problems of low API scores and chronic underperformance. The editorial, in no small way, credits the miraculous and swift turnaround to performance-based pay for teachers and a corporate partnership with Apple Computer, Inc.

...Continue reading this story at the SCUSD Observer

Cavala: Campaign “Reform” Claims Another Victim - California Progress Report

Cavala: Campaign “Reform” Claims Another Victim - California Progress Report

Bowing to realities, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell announced his withdrawal from the contest for Governor of California. The reason was money.
Under the rules in play through the election of Gray Davis, large contributors could supply the cash needed to run a political campaign to 20,000,000 voters. Now, with a system of contribution limitations in place, no one can run a serious campaign who is not already famous (viz Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jerry Brown) or incredibly rich (Poizner and Whitman).

Was it the intent of the voters to place such limits on their choices for top leadership? I doubt it. The electorate was attempting – as it always does – to limit the influence of big moneyed interests in the process of government. They succeeded only in reducing the total amounts contributed, not the proportions. “Special interests” still contribute disproportionate amounts to candidates for office. But the ability to put the millions behind a favored candidate in a primary election – something the education coalition might have done for O’Connell in a different time – is no more.

O’Connell won his first campaign (for State Assembly) in 1982. His opponent was Brooks Firestone, the heir to the Firestone tire and rubber fortune. With four months before the election, Firestone had already outspent O’Connell 600,000 to 8,000. But the rules of the period allowed the Speaker, Willie Brown, to transfer large sums to candidate’s like O’Connell. He was still outspent by hundreds of thousands, but he had enough wherewithal to make his case – and won.

This Week In Education: Thompson: To Each His Own Evidence

This Week In Education: Thompson: To Each His Own Evidence:

"Claus von Zastrow, recoiling from educational know-nothingism of recent opinion pieces in the Washington Post and the New York Times, suggested 'pay newspaper pundits for their performance. Pay them only for what they get right, or for judgments based on strong evidence'

What would such a grand bargain look like? Merit evaluations would lead to a quick exit of Jonathan Alter’s opinions. Richard Whitmire might avoid burnout and only seeing the worst in educators as a mentor refreshed his memory about journalism's best practices. Also with a little mentoring, Jay Mathews could assess the unhappy sides of stories as well as the uplifting, and I suspect he would rise into the top quintile. But if we evaluate on cold hard accuracy, the top bonuses would go to Gerald Bracey, and think of how blunt Bracey would be after receiving the full recognition he deserves."

Mayor Seeks Input On K Street Blight - Politics News Story - KCRA Sacramento

Mayor Seeks Input On K Street Blight - Politics News Story - KCRA Sacramento:

"Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson is upset over blight on K Street and wants public input on plans to redevelop the area.

'We just can't have that main strip lay dormant,' Johnson said.

Michael Ault, executive director of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, acknowledges that corridor has a 'rough' image, but is hoping to see empty storefronts filled and more outdoor cafes open in the area.

'Downtown has got to be unique,' Ault said. 'It's got to be urban.'

Sean Kohmescher, co-owner of the popular Temple coffeehouse near 10th and K streets, said his business struggles to attract foot traffic after state workers go home for the evening."