Dan Walters: School reform duel shifts to surrogates - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

Dan Walters: School reform duel shifts to surrogates - Sacramento Politics - California Politics Sacramento Bee:

"One of the more obscure – and probably more important – of California's many political conflicts pits an organization called EdVoice against the California Teachers Association and other school unions.

It centers on our ever-deepening education crisis, manifested in low test scores and high dropout rates, especially among black and Latino kids."

EdVoice, maintained by some wealthy Californians such as Southern California developer Eli Broad and Silicon Valley tycoon Reed Hastings, advocates charter schools, tougher teaching standards and other aggressive approaches.

The CTA and its allies, meanwhile, say California's chief education issue is money, specifically its below-average level of per-pupil spending.

It's not so much a partisan or even ideological conflict – Broad and many other EdVoice leaders are Democrats – as it is one of pedagogic philosophy, but that doesn't make it any less abrasive.

Study: California sets among highest math, reading standards | standards, california, reading, state, math - News - OCRegister.com

Study: California sets among highest math, reading standards standards, california, reading, state, math - News - OCRegister.com:

"California's testing standards for public school students in reading and math are tougher than in most states, a National Center for Education Statistics study reveals.

The federal report released today compared the rigor of different states' standards from 2007 on their own tests, the California Standards Tests here, and also to state performance on National Assessment of Education Progress, dubbed NAEP or the Nation's Report Card exams."

Internet’s 40th anniversary celebrated in US

Internet’s 40th anniversary celebrated in US:

"San Francisco, Oct 30 (IANS) The 40th anniversary of the birth of the Internet was celebrated in the US with events being organised at the University of California and the Computer History Museum in Los Angeles to mark the occasion.

Industry leaders, researchers and analysts, among others, attended the function at the California University Thursday, Xinhua reported.

Computer science professor of the university, Leonard Kleinrock, who on Oct 29, 1969 headed a team to send the first message over the ARPANET, which later came to be known as Internet, also attended the event."

Live This City: ... And the bands played on - Sacramento Entertainment - Sacramento Movie Theaters, Music | Sacramento Bee

Live This City: ... And the bands played on - Sacramento Entertainment - Sacramento Movie Theaters, Music Sacramento Bee:

"If music be the food of love, then students in the Rio Americano High School Band program are preparing for the feast of their lives. Luckily, they have the metabolism – and the heart – to handle all 17 courses.

Next Friday, in a school tradition that spans nearly three decades, Rio Americano's 200 student musicians will perform – with fingers, lungs, and carefully concentrating brains – for 17 continuous hours, from 7 a.m. to midnight, in an effort to connect with the community and to raise funds and awareness for the school's award-winning music program."

California Budget Crisis Diaries: F-bomb controversy

California Budget Crisis Diaries: F-bomb controversy

People surrounding Capitol Hill are wondering whether Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office offered some choice words to an assemblymember, while the state’s chances to qualify for stimulus funds increases.

Increase in charter schools: The number of charter schools in California has risen to 809.


The California Charter Schools Association announced Wednesday that it has opened 88 new public charter schools - adding 56,000 new students to the system. According to the Association, this is the largest single-year enrollment increase in state history.

“California charter schools are experiencing explosive growth, roughly 20 percent growth for two years in a row,” said President Jed Wallace. “This consistent growth is phenomenal given this tough economic climate and it speaks to the choices that both parents and teachers are making and their demand for high-quality educational options.”

The increase in charter schools may look good to President Barack Obama, who has expressed his concern with states who have caps on the number of charter schools. If California removes its cap, the state may be eligible for additional education funds under Obama’s “Race to the Top” stimulus plan.

“As a strong supporter of charter schools I couldn’t be happier to learn that enrollment is breaking records and the number of schools is steadily increasing,” Schwarzenegger said. “Charter schools have proven that their innovative teaching practices are helping California students receive the quality education they deserve and that is why I am working to lift the cap on charter schools entirely - so that parents up and down the state have the option to send their children to a high-quality charter school.”

According to the Association, there are 341,000 students enrolled in the 809 California charter schools.

Read more: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-10-29/politics-city-county-government/california-budget-politics-city-county-government/california-budget-crisis-diaries-f-bomb-controversy#ixzz0VQHlchSX

Sacramento Press / C.H.A.E.D Charter High School of Architecture+Engineering+Design

Sacramento Press / C.H.A.E.D Charter High School of Architecture+Engineering+Design:

"It starts with the premise of caring for high school students’ future by providing them a quality education to be successful. CHAED will deliver innovative methods to improve and achieve academic excellence, reduce the number of high school dropouts, and give students the opportunity to excel in higher learning and compete with today’s challenge.

In today’s world, it is important that high school students stay current with technology and information, engage in real life applications, and be discipline in their study in order to be competitive. This school will provide the competitive edge."

Why isn't our union fighting? | SocialistWorker.org

Why isn't our union fighting? SocialistWorker.org:

"A CRISIS is tearing through the American public education system like a tornado. It threatens to uproot and overturn everything in its path.

It's no secret that our schools are in a miserable place, and it's something that can't last indefinitely. No one wants it to. So far, the proposals for change are pretty dismal: More cuts to funding. More high-stakes testing. More shredding of collective bargaining rights. More merit pay. More charter schools.

So where is the California Teachers Association (CTA) in all this?"

California Teacher's Association president visits Tahoe/Truckee schools | SierraSun.com

California Teacher's Association president visits Tahoe/Truckee schools SierraSun.com:

"TRUCKEE, Calif. — Sacramento doesn't take public education funding seriously enough. That's a message that David Sanchez, president of the thousand-plus chapter, 300,000-plus member California Teacher's Association, shared this week with local educators.

However, despite his view that Sacramento lacks leadership, Sanchez said he is amazed by the state's teachers making the best of the situation.

Sanchez on Thursday toured the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District and answered a few questions from the Sierra Sun on the state of education in California.

Sierra Sun: David, when you take these site tours, what concerns do you hear? What positives do you see?"

Sacramento Press / Marshall School Closure Blow to Central City Renaissance

Sacramento Press / Marshall School Closure Blow to Central City Renaissance:

"The sudden directive by Sacramento City Unified School District that California Montessori Project must abandon the Old Marshall Elementary School has done more than disrupt the lives of the students, parents and faculty. It has the potential to strike a major blow to the renaissance of the central city. One of the primary reasons families choose where they live is what schools are available. CMP had operated successfully out of the Pioneer Church for eight years. The site did limit the size of the enrollment. When SCUSD deemed Old Marshall School safe for charter school and offered it to CMP, after careful consideration they accepted the offer. CMP was thrilled to have a beautiful building that could be used for it's original purpose and they could expand to meet the strong demand for more student enrollment. Central city neighborhood leaders also expressed their enthusiasm for Old Marshall School returning as an elementary school with a program that attracted more families to Midtown and the surrounding area. "

Rancho Cordova feels slighted by homeless task force - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Rancho Cordova feels slighted by homeless task force - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"When Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson trumpeted a collaborative plan for sheltering homeless people this winter, he caught some key players by surprise.

In Rancho Cordova, where Johnson announced last week that homeless families could be housed on the Mather Community Campus, city leaders bristled."

Uprooting a fall harvest at the White House kitchen garden | 44 | washingtonpost.com

Uprooting a fall harvest at the White House kitchen garden 44 washingtonpost.com:

"Rarely has a giant sweet potato, a muddy knee and a stubbornly rooted fennel plant caused such a stir. But when first lady Michelle Obama led groups of fifth graders from Bancroft Elementary and Kimball Elementary schools in the fall harvesting of the White House Kitchen Garden Thursday afternoon, much oohing, giggling, cuteness and shutter-clicking ensued."

The students, White House kitchen staff and representatives from Miriam's Kitchen -- which feeds the homeless and was the main beneficiary of the vegetable haul -- gathered on the South Lawn around picnic tables draped in red and white checked tablecloths and topped with baskets of apples. White House assistant chef Sam Kass -- he of the bald pate and the People magazine-worthy physique -- divided the kids into groups of three. A trio of girls from Bancroft were paired with the first lady, who initiated a contest to see which kids could dig up the largest sweet potato. Obama noted that she and her daughters had already harvested a particularly hefty one. "They're huge," she said, underscoring the size of the potatoes by holding her hands approximate 12" apart. "They're huge!"

The first lady -- dressed in a pair of lapis jeans, a purple cardigan and purple sneakers -- and her team of students -- dressed in yellow Bancroft T-shirts -- produced a basket filled with impressive tubers, which she presented to the assembled photographers and reporters for documentation.

Board Policy Review Committee

Board Policy Review Committee:

"The next meeting is:
Thursday, October 29, 2009 Agenda/Minutes

5:30 p.m.

Serna Center Washington Conference Room

Board of Education Members:

Ellyne Bell and Diana Rodriguez, Co-Chairs"

Special Board Policy Review Committee
October 29, 2009 - 5:30 p.m.
Washington Conference Room

AGENDA

1. Review and approve minutes from previous meetings:
• August 27, 2009

2. New Board Policy 4311.1, Recruitment and Selection
• Review. This policy defines the Board’s authority to recruit and select the Executive Assistant to the Board of Education. This policy is expected to be on the November 5, 2009 Board meeting agenda as a Conference/Action item.

3. BP 7310, Naming of Facility
• Review to determine if current policy and practice needs to be refined to depoliticize.

4. BB 9270, Conflict of Interest
• Review changes to the list of the District’s designated filers. Changes necessitated by District’s recent re-organization.

5. BP1100, Communication With the Public
• Review policy to determine if language regarding Connect Ed/Blackboard Connect should be added.

Next regular meeting date, time and location TBA

Sacramento Press / Sacramento: A City That Works For Everyone: How Does Central Sacramento Work For Families?

Sacramento Press / Sacramento: A City That Works For Everyone: How Does Central Sacramento Work For Families?

On Monday, October 19th, parents of the charter school California Montessori Project (CMP)-Capitol Campus where surprised to learn through a letter from CMP Director, Gary Bowman, that Mr. Raymond, the new Superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD), was requesting that the Capitol Campus be relocated from the Old Marshall School (2718 G Street), a facility the school had moved into only 3 months prior, because the building was now deemed unsafe.

The Capitol Campus is to be relocated in the Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (in the College Glen area) far from the current location forcing hundreds of families on the roads. Moreover the campus has to leave the premises in a hurry, in the middle of the school year -the move has already been planned for November 11th- even though parents learned through a subsequent letter from Gary Bowman (dated Thursday October 22nd) that there is "no imminent danger" and even though no one has yet seen the full report on which the SCUSD based its decision. Parents were not consulted, either about the time frame or by the choice of the new location.

There is a perception among the parents community that the SCUSD is forcing a hasty decision in order to facilitate some ulterior plan. Read more here

Mayor says task force will pursue new Sacramento sports arena - Latest News - sacbee.com

Mayor says task force will pursue new Sacramento sports arena - Latest News - sacbee.com:

"Mayor Kevin Johnson said today he is forming a task force to explore how to build a new sports arena in Sacramento and will roll out requests for proposals for the project in the coming days.

During a speech on the 25th floor of the U.S. Bank Tower downtown, Johnson outlined his 'rules of the game' for building a new arena. He said he hopes to have a path toward a new facility by the end of the NBA season in the spring."

The White House - Blog Post - Flu.gov Needs You

The White House - Blog Post - Flu.gov Needs You:

"With new content, tools, and resources added daily, Flu.gov provides information on H1N1 and seasonal flu, including symptoms and treatments, vaccines, tips for prevention, and live briefings. At this critical time, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs your help in informing the public about this valuable resource. Here are some simple things you can do to promote Flu.gov:

Provide links from your website or blog to Flu.gov.

Adding links to your homepage or health-related web pages is an easy way for you to direct users to Flu.gov for important H1N1 and seasonal flu information. The Flu.gov site provides information for parents, health care providers, government organizations, schools, businesses and more. It also includes interactive tools for evaluating flu-like symptoms and -- coming soon – more information about vaccination clinic locations. There is also a handy myths and facts section where you can check and see if what your friend and neighbors are telling you about the flu and the flu vaccine is correct and in line with the latest guidance from the CDC, the FDA and NIH."

More Public Voice in Government-Rescued Companies

More Public Voice in Government-Rescued Companies:

"“Taxpayers instinctively continue to dislike the idea that their tax dollars have been used to bail out Wall Street as Main Street continues to suffer,” said Representative Edolphus Towns (D-NY) at a Center for American Progress event on September 16, which was one year to the day of the AIG rescue. Towns shared the public’s outrage that their tax dollars were used to save large companies such as AIG, CitiGroup, and General Motors from bankruptcy. The bailouts also lacked transparency and accountability measures so the public could see that their interests were being protected."

Towns praised a paper from Emma Coleman Jordan, professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, which was released at the event and proposes placing public directors on the boards of private entities that receive substantial public funds. Jordan asserted that placing government officials on the boards of rescued companies would make the companies accountable to the public and ensure that funds are being appropriately spent.

Towns compared the public’s investments to those of Warren Buffet and asked, “Would Warren Buffet invest billions of dollars in a company without getting a seat on the board?” The answer was an unequivocal “no.”

Byron Georgiou of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission—the group charged with investigating the causes of the collapse of each major financial institution—thought that Jordan’s proposal was sound if taxpayers were considered to be investors in the traditional sense, like Buffet. However, he questioned whether taxpayers were really just donating money to financial institutions and making the judgment that they had to save the institutions because they were “too big to fail.”

A Place Called Home

A Place Called Home:

"A Place Called Home is a dynamic, non-profit youth center located in South Central Los Angeles. APCH provides educational programs, counseling, mentoring, music, dance and art classes. We also have a recreation and athletic department. One on one attention is at the heart of all APCH programs and activities. This reflects the belief that each member arrives at our center with skills and abilities that have not fully been realized. As youth participate in our programs, they discover their interests and talents. APCH strives to help youth achieve a better sense of themselves and the world around them. Our goal is to increase the likelihood that they will stay in school and go on to higher education and viable jobs.

Please find yourselves at home at A Place Called Home and feel free to contact us to find out how you can make a difference too! Click here to see for yourself everything that A Place Called Home does for our kids."

Arianna Huffington: Making An Impact: Help a Kid Take the Leap from the Mean Streets of L.A. to a College Campus

Arianna Huffington: Making An Impact: Help a Kid Take the Leap from the Mean Streets of L.A. to a College Campus:

"When we launched HuffPost Impact, our new section devoted to service, causes, and giving back, I wrote about my longstanding (and, now, finally realized) desire to put the spotlight -- 24/7 -- on the work of nonprofit groups in a way that enables people to be inspired and immediately take action to address the urgent needs in our society.
To this end, we have decided to regularly feature nonprofit groups that are working in the trenches every day to help turn people's lives around."

To kick things off, I've decided to pick an organization very close to my heart, A Place Called Home.
A Place Called Home is a remarkable place, with a remarkable backstory.

Back in the early 90s, Debrah Constance was a successful real estate agent, earning over $100,000 a year. She also had a serious drinking problem, for which she was eventually hospitalized. Her recovery inspired her to find a new focus for her life: service.

Determined to make her life about something larger than herself, she met with a consultant for nonprofits who stopped her in her tracks by asking: "What do you really want to do with your life?"

The answer came to her in an instant: "All I want to do is open a safe house for children who live around Jefferson High School, in South Central Los Angeles, where they can get off the street, get a healthy snack, watch TV and do their homework."

The next day, she told her boss she was quitting. He gave her six months severance pay and an office. Six months later, she opened A Place Called Home (APCH).

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/making-an-impact-help-a-k_b_318420.html

Teacher Magazine: Making Professional Development an Inside Job

Teacher Magazine: Making Professional Development an Inside Job

Making Professional Development an Inside Job
By Anthony Cody

Why is it that school districts continue to hire outside consultants to conduct professional development when local classroom teachers often have greater levels of expertise?

Twice in the past two months I have participated in teacher professional development sessions where outside consultants were brought in to share innovative practices with teachers who teach in struggling urban districts. In the first case, I was one of the outsiders. In the second, I was among the participants. In both scenarios, I felt the districts involved were missing a big chance to strengthen local leadership.

In the first instance, I was part of team brought to a district to work with teachers on a Problem-Based Learning approach. The district leadership had decided this was how they wanted teachers to spend the two days prior to the start of school. So we shared an overview to PBL and went to work with teams of teachers broken out in five different classrooms. I was a bit taken aback when the classroom to which we had been sent filled up with teachers but nobody stepped forward to convene the work. The district curriculum administrator had to come around to each of the five classrooms to get us started.

Montgomery County residents fight school's closure - washingtonpost.com

Montgomery County residents fight school's closure - washingtonpost.com:

"More than 100 northwestern Montgomery County residents began mobilizing Wednesday night to oppose the proposed closure of Monocacy Elementary School, arguing that the move would hurt their community and possibly backfire against the school system."

A standing-room-only crowd of parents, children and local officials packed the Poolesville Town Hall meeting room, with another dozen listening outside in an overflow room. Many wore the striped blue T-shirt of the Monocacy Bobcats, the school's mascot.

All who spoke argued for preserving Monocacy Elementary, which school system officials announced last week would be closed under a capital budget plan proposed by Superintendent Jerry D. Weast.

Citing declining enrollment and the need to save money, Weast would send students from Monocacy Elementary School eight miles south to Poolesville Elementary School for the beginning of the next school year. Weast said the measure could save $1 million a year if it is approved by the Board of Education.