Gerald Bracey, education advocate and seeker of truth, passes away

Gerald Bracey, education advocate and seeker of truth, passes away:

"Reports are surfacing that nationally known education commentator Gerald Bracey has died. Jerry Bracey was an erudite and courageous voice debunking the clamoring attackers of public education and the mainstream media who gave those attackers a national platform, too often without question or challenge. His many commentaries, including a recent series on the Huffington Post, will live as a tribute to his quest for truth and fairness.

Author Alfie Kohn, who announced Bracey's passing on his Twitter page, commented: 'Spirited crusader for accuracy, integrity; denounced false claims, misuse of stats; made the right enemies.'

The most fitting tribute to Jerry Bracey would be for the voices he was addressing to pause for a minute to listen to him and think.
Jerry's Huffington Post bio is here."

GLSEN allyweek.org - Ally Week FAQs

GLSEN allyweek.org - Ally Week FAQs:

"Ally Week FAQs

What is GLSEN's Ally Week?

GLSEN and students across the county, often as members of Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) or similar student clubs, will celebrate Ally Week on October 19-23 in schools and communities nationwide.

Ally Week involves a week of activities designed to encourage students to be Allies against anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) language, bullying and harassment in America's schools.

Students plan events appropriate to their school community. Some students will participate in or organize ally trainings, discussion groups, rallies or other community projects. Many students will encourage their peers and school staff to sign an Ally Pledge which states:

I believe all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression,
deserve to feel safe and supported.

That means I pledge to:
Not use anti-LGBT language and slurs;

Intervene, if I safely can, in situations where other students are being harassed;
Support efforts to end bullying and harassment."

Education Week: A Dropout's Guide to Education Reform

Education Week: A Dropout's Guide to Education Reform:

"It’s a telling commentary about education reform that just about everyone has been given a forum to talk about ways to address the country’s appalling dropout rate except the dropouts themselves. I say this unabashedly, because I was an urban high school dropout myself. And after much research on the subject, I can tell you firsthand why it happens and how to fix it.

Charter schools, vouchers, smaller class sizes, and standardized testing are definitely not the answer, as they will not make real, systemic change. Until reformers start listening to the students who have dropped out or are currently failing, their attempts to reform schools also will fail.

The first thing to understand is that many students feel school simply does not matter. I, like most of my classmates, thought I would one day become a sports or entertainment star—and you don’t need to know algebra to shoot three-pointers or rap. Once educators understand this fundamental concept—that we don’t care about school—they can..."

Educational Effect of the Stimulus, Through Rose-Tinted Glasses | New America Blogs

Educational Effect of the Stimulus, Through Rose-Tinted Glasses New America Blogs:

"The White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC) with the U.S. Department of Education (ED) this week released the report 'Educational Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.' The report paints a rosy picture of the effect of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds on state education spending and reform.

ARRA funds have no doubt helped states make ends meet during the economic downturn. But our work (here and here) suggests that, despite a positive impact on education spending, the full effects of ARRA remain to be seen due to the slow rate at which states have disbursed funds to school districts."

California Budget Crisis Diaries: From students to unions

California Budget Crisis Diaries: From students to unions:

"Students and their supporters are not putting up with the University of California budget cuts and fee hikes, local governments whose property taxes were borrowed by the state now have recourse, and a majority of California state worker’s union contracts are expired. What does this mean?

Recouping local property taxes: On Monday, Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 67, clean-up legislation that allows local governments to make up for property tax borrowed by the state. A new third party known as California Communities, a coalition between the League of California Cities and California State Association of Counties, is issuing bonds, the proceeds of which will be lent back to cities facing budget gaps."

The Orion - Editorial: Student body holding up well against furlough days

The Orion - Editorial: Student body holding up well against furlough days:

"We’ve heard the opinions of our professors about them, we’ve had two days off because of them and there have been multiple demonstrations on campus against them. Now that we’re a little over halfway through the semester, it’s time to take a look at just how much the state-mandated furlough days are affecting our campus.

Regardless of the controversy they’ve caused, the furlough days seem to be working. Though highly annoying because they come on the heels of a 32 percent tuition increase, mandatory furlough days have been a tentatively successful play of the bad hand we were unfairly dealt.

But if the economy doesn’t get better soon — and it probably won’t — we may be left with as many furlough days as actual instructional days"

The Lumberjack - A Call For Priorities

The Lumberjack - A Call For Priorities:

"WTF? Where’s the funding? Nearly 50 HSU students and faculty members banded together at the “Where’s the Funding?” rally this past Wednesday in the Art Quad asking this question. They huddled beneath umbrellas in the pouring rain to protest CSU system-wide fee hikes, furlough days, and overcrowded classrooms.

Amid chants of, “They say cutbacks! We say fight back!” and, “Educate! Don’t incarcerate!” the group marched from the art quad down to the SBS building to spreading its message during lunch. Students and faculty members handed out fliers and waved signs calling for change. “Your priorities have been misplaced Mr. Governor,” read one sign."

HSU Biology Professor and chair of Faculty Rights Committee Milt Boyd looked angry and saddened. He said the increase in fees decreased educational opportunities for students. He urges the community to protest the lack of funding, the 32 percent increase in tuition, and bigger classes with fewer lecturers.

Boyd is a product of the California public school system, and has taught at HSU since 1972. “CSU systems are in serious crisis, which involves the future of students and the future of the state,” said Boyd. “We have the most powerful armed forces in the world, but we are nothing without the caring and compassionate nature of educated students.” As for the torrential downpour during the protest? “The rain won’t stop us, we’re Humboldters,” said Boyd.

S.F. schools' lunch money cut off; rules broken

S.F. schools' lunch money cut off; rules broken:

"School lunches have long been the butt of bad jokes featuring mystery meat and plastic-wrapped bean burritos, but in San Francisco, feeding more than 30,000 children every day - while following strict federal rules - is no laughing matter."


Since April, the school district has had to pony up the $1.5 million monthly cost of the lunch program for low-income students after state inspectors on a surprise visit found violations they deemed so serious and recurring that they cut off the flow of federal reimbursements.

The violations had nothing to do with the quality of food being served, but stem from the school district's inability to follow bureaucratic rules governing the federally subsidized National School Lunch Program, which is administered by the state.

To ensure no child goes without a lunch, the district, meanwhile, has spent more than $11 million, money it will get back once city schools show they can follow the rules - something district officials have been working on since the inspection.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/20/BAJ41A6MFO.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0UZdjfxOh

Insight School of California Receives Certificates of Congressional Recognition for Innovations in Online High School Education | Reuters

Insight School of California Receives Certificates of Congressional Recognition for Innovations in Online High School Education Reuters:

"LOS ANGELES, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ --

Insight School of California has received two special Certificates of Congressional Recognition, one from the office of U.S. Congressman John Campbell (R-CA, 48th District) and another from the
office of U.S. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA, 47th District). The certificates were presented in recognition of the school's innovations in online education and its ongoing dedication to providing an important educational option for high school students from a wide array of situations in northern, central and southern California, including those in danger of
dropping out of school.


'It is very gratifying to receive this recognition from the Congress as we all strive to improve the educational resources available to our children in these very challenging times,' said Sheila Shiebler, Executive Director, Insight School of California. 'The utilization of advanced learning technologies, implemented by an exemplary team of faculty and advisors, creates a unique
environment where our students can focus their efforts toward achievement,
confidence and fulfilling their potential.'"

Hispanic Immigrants’ Children Fall Behind Peers Early, Study Finds - NYTimes.com

Hispanic Immigrants’ Children Fall Behind Peers Early, Study Finds - NYTimes.com:

"HOUSTON — The children of Hispanic immigrants tend to be born healthy and start life on an intellectual par with other American children, but by the age of 2 they begin to lag in linguistic and cognitive skills, a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, shows.

The study highlights a paradox that has bedeviled educators and Hispanic families for some time. By and large, mothers from Latin American countries take care of their health during their pregnancies and give birth to robust children, but those children fall behind their peers in mental development by the time they reach grade school, and the gap tends to widen as they get older."

Sacramento Press / Funding California's Future

Sacramento Press / Funding California's Future:

"Times are tough for college students in California.

State grants are being cut drastically due to budget cuts and Furloughs are closing down entire campuses on non-holidays. It is looking grim for the future of higher education.
Assembly Bill 656, introduced by Majority Leader Alberto Torrico, proposes a gas and oil severance tax in California that could make for a brighter future.

AB 656 was introduced on Feb. 25 and had minor alterations since, the last being on July 7. Currently states with oil supplies, such as Alaska and Texas, have oil severance taxes that help fund higher education and proponents of AB 656 are looking to do the same."

Imperial Valley News - California Recognizes Three Schools for Exemplary Independent Study Programs

Imperial Valley News - California Recognizes Three Schools for Exemplary Independent Study Programs:

"Sacramento, California - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today congratulated three California public schools selected by a joint project of the California Consortium for Independent Study and the California Department of Education to receive the Exemplary Independent Study Recognition Award (EISRA).

'California's public school system provides viable options that parents can use to create the best learning environment for their children,' said O'Connell. 'The Classical Academy, La Entrada High School, and Tamiscal High School have exemplary independent study programs that challenge students with a rigorous academic program, and provide flexibility and personalization. This individualized approach is the right fit for some students, and these schools have a great track record of helping such students succeed academically. By receiving this award, these schools are designated as shining examples for other independent study programs to emulate.'"

Paly Voice - Cut policy violates state educational codes

Paly Voice - Cut policy violates state educational codes:

"The Palo Alto High School administration has initiated a truancy policy to discourage Paly students from cutting classes.

The policy currently states that any student with an unexcused absence is required to attend one hour of Saturday School for each unexcused absence. During the 2008-09 school year, 69 percent of Paly students were legally considered truants.

The administration arranged the new policy in response to these statics.

'A group of teachers got together with the attendance office and we discussed ways to get kids to go to class,' Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson said."

Palo Alto Online : Experts to discuss special ed in hard $$ times

Palo Alto Online : Experts to discuss special ed in hard $$ times:

"Providing for special needs children in lean times -- such as facing state budget cuts -- will be the topic at a gathering of experts in Palo Alto Thursday.

'Crisis and Opportunity: A Policy Forum about Early Intervention Services for Children with Special Needs' will begin at 6 p.m. at the Koret Family Resource Center of Jewish Family and Children's Services, 200 Channing Ave.

The forum's target audience is education professionals and policymakers, but is open to the public, according to organizers.

State funding for services for children with special needs has been cut."

Symbolism? German Solar Team Bests U.S. In Shadow of U.S. Capitol - Scitizen

Symbolism? German Solar Team Bests U.S. In Shadow of U.S. Capitol - Scitizen:

"Team Germany has emerged victorious from the three-week Solar Decathlon that overtook the National Mall in D.C., shedding a solar-powered spotlight on young clean technology innovators. But the German victory in a U.S. dominated competition may be a portent for the future of U.S. leadership in clean energy innovation."

The Solar Decathlon, in its fourth iteration, involved twenty teams of college students from all over the U.S. as well as Germany, Spain, and Canada. Each team submitted a solar-powered house for competition in 10 individual contests. Importantly, Team Germany succeeded in edging out the closest competition, Illinois and Team California in the net-metering contest, which a test to see how much power a house generates relative to how much it consumes.

The victory, while certainly well deserved, seems particularly poignant in the context of concerns about U.S. economic competitiveness in clean energy technology innovation. Given that this year is the first in which international teams competed in the Solar Decathlon, it seems to be a harbinger of what's to come in the clean energy sector as technologies mature and the markets continue to develop.

'Ingredients' takes aim at food giants - Hawaii Features - Starbulletin.com

'Ingredients' takes aim at food giants - Hawaii Features - Starbulletin.com:

"Lush with rolling, green hills dotted with free-ranging sheep and flourishing crops punctuated by the vibrant oranges, purples and reds of ripe produce, director/screenwriter Robert Bates' 'Ingredients' articulates visually the fecundity of possibility for America's food system. The documentary travels coast to coast — from California and Oregon to Ohio and New York — to offer a comprehensive view of the local food movement that's taken hold nationally."

The film offers the viewpoints of farmers, chefs, activists, educators and scholars who discuss looming issues of food security in the United States and demonstrate how the growing, selling and consuming of food raised within a 100-mile radius promotes food sustainability, supports local economies and nurtures the environment.

"Ingredients" also delivers the bad news about our current farming system, which it defines as "agribusiness." Based on scientific advances, agribusiness was born during the age of industrialization to feed the masses. The paradigm of agribusiness is big business, relying on the use of chemicals in the fields and fossil fuels to transport food hundreds of miles from where it grows.

Back-yard bounty | StarTribune.com

Back-yard bounty StarTribune.com:

"Mark Campbell has been gardening since he planted a lily of the valley in second grade. But he never planned to make money from it. Or to spend six months living in a tent so he could study sustainable agriculture. Or to fill his Edina yard with so many fruit trees and hostas that he'd need a spreadsheet to keep track of them all.

In many ways, Campbell is an accidental gardener.

He's the kind of guy who worked a stint at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum on a whim. 'I went out to buy apples one day and got a job,' he said."

And it was a love affair with herbs that led him to start a garden-based business in the mid- 1980s.

"I was way into herbs," he said. "I had 13 kinds of basil. I had edible flowers and heirloom tomatoes. I was growing back then the varieties you see now."

The "oddball" offerings from his garden attracted the attention of Lucia Watson, who bought them for her Minneapolis restaurant. And somehow Campbell ended up supplementing his herb business by cooking at Lucia's Restaurant.

Daily Commercial

Daily Commercial:

"Average tuition prices rose sharply again this fall as colleges passed much of the burden of their own financial problems on to recession-battered students and parents.

Average tuition at four-year public colleges rose 6.5 percent, or $429, to $7,020 this fall, according to the College Board's annual 'Trends in College Pricing' report, released Tuesday. At private colleges, the average list price for a year of coursework rose 4.4 percent to $26,273.

Those figures hide wide variations -- public college students in California, Florida, New York and Washington have seen double-digit percentage increases, while the University of Maryland used federal stimulus funds to freeze tuition this year."

UC Davis News & Information :: UC Davis Receives $1 Million to Enhance K-12 Teaching

UC Davis News & Information :: UC Davis Receives $1 Million to Enhance K-12 Teaching:

"The UC Davis School of Education has been awarded a $1 million grant to help small teams of K-12 teachers develop projects that enhance teaching and learning in the classrooms.

The grant from the California Postsecondary Education Commission provides funding for a three-year project headed by Joanne Bookmyer, director of teacher research at the Cooperative Research and Extension Services for Schools (CRESS) Center. The funds will enable the center, working with partners from Humboldt State University and West Sacramento Early College Prep, to manage what it has dubbed the Pacific Coast Teacher Innovation Network.

Through the program, faculty from the schools of education and other departments at both universities will work with teams of teachers at public, private and charter schools to improve their teaching skills and mastery of the subjects they teach."

Montessori Building Deemed Unfit - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento

Montessori Building Deemed Unfit - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento:

"Safety concerns will force students from the Capitol Campus of the California Montessori Project in Sacramento.

Students moved into the Old Marshall School in August from a smaller church space. California Montessori Project leases the building from the Sacramento City Unified School District, which also oversees the charter school.

A top-to-bottom review found the midtown Sacramento building doesn't meet current state building codes or earthquake specifications for building safety, new Sacramento City Unified Superintendent Jonathan Raymond said.

Parents found that out Monday.