Texas tells teachers' trainers they must make the grade, too | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Texas tells teachers' trainers they must make the grade, too Houston & Texas News Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"Texas is among the first states to toughen its standards for colleges of education and other teacher-training programs amid criticism that too many are “cash cows” that produce weak instructors.

Under a proposed new rating system, the programs would be held accountable for their graduates' effectiveness on the job — especially regarding student achievement. Teacher programs that repeatedly fall short of the standards could lose their state accreditation.

“Those programs that are doing poorly — and the result is poor teachers — ought to get sanctioned,” said state Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, who authored the bill this year requiring the more rigorous accreditation system.

The State Board for Educator Certification gave initial approval to the rules last month and is expected to finalize them in February."

Schools' zero-tolerance policies tested - USATODAY.com

Schools' zero-tolerance policies tested - USATODAY.com:

"Parents and elected officials across the USA are demanding that schools slacken zero-tolerance policies that are meant to reduce violence because strict adherence has lead to some students being forced out of school for bringing items such as eyebrow trimmers and a Cub Scout's camping tool to campus.

The most recent high-profile case involved Zachary Christie, a 6-year-old who was suspended for five days on Sept. 29 after he brought a camping utensil that was part knife, fork and spoon to Downes Elementary in Newark, Del. School officials considered it a dangerous instrument and suspended the boy, adding that he couldn't return to Downes until he completed at least 45 days at an alternative school."

The Thinkers: Teachers offered a lesson in urban vernacular

The Thinkers: Teachers offered a lesson in urban vernacular:

"Arnetha Ball recalls a time when a teacher in a mostly African-American classroom was taking roll and asked if a particular student was absent.

'No, he's not here,' a girl in the class said. 'He be missing the bus.'

The teacher corrected her. 'You mean, he missed the bus.'

'Well,' the girl replied, 'he missed the bus, but that's not what I was saying.'"

By using that particular piece of African-American vernacular, the girl actually meant "he misses the bus all the time," said Dr. Ball, a Stanford University expert in educational linguistics and the inaugural Dr. Barbara A. Sizemore distinguished professor at Duquesne University's School of Education.

Dr. Ball said teachers, especially those in urban schools across the nation, need to start understanding that African-American speech is its own language, with specialized words, grammar and ways of communicating.

"People may think it's all about slang," she said, "but it goes much deeper."

In the case of the roll-call anecdote, when the student said "he be missing the bus, she meant it's a habitual pattern, so when she was corrected by the teacher, she was aware that was not what she had meant to say."

As with any language, she said, "there's a much richer meaning if you can understand the intended colloquial meanings that go with the expressions."
Her years of research on the subject have not been aimed at promoting African-American vernacular at the expense of standard, academic English, but to show how understanding its patterns can enhance communication and teaching.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09306/1010095-53.stm#ixzz0ViYPYmSo

More districts use income, not race, as basis for busing - USATODAY.com

More districts use income, not race, as basis for busing - USATODAY.com:

"Struggling to improve schools that have large populations of poor and minority students and under legal pressure to avoid racial busing, a small but growing group of school districts are integrating schools by income.

More than 60 school systems now use socioeconomic status as a factor in school assignments, says Richard Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, which studies income inequality. Students in Champaign, Ill.; Kalamazoo, Mich.; and Louisville have returned this year to income-based assignments."

Dorothy Rich; educator advocated for parents - The Boston Globe

Dorothy Rich; educator advocated for parents - The Boston Globe:

"WASHINGTON - Dorothy Rich, an educator, author, and lecturer who became one of the nation’s best known and most persistent advocates for mobilizing parents’ interest in their children’s education, died of cancer Oct. 25 at her home in Washington. She was 77.

Parental involvement in the education of school-age children is largely taken for granted. But it was not so when Dr. Rich was a teacher working in New York and Arlington, Va., in the late 1950s and early 1960s. During her teacher training, the word parent was not even mentioned, she once said.

Besides attending PTA meetings, making brownies for bake sales, offering clerical help, and pushing children to do homework, parents were told to keep out of their children’s schooling, she said."

Parent groups focus on funding schools | MyDesert.com | The Desert Sun

Parent groups focus on funding schools MyDesert.com The Desert Sun:

"Even though many parents at Ronald Reagan Elementary school in Palm Desert have lost jobs and fallen on hard times, families have joined together to raise enough money to bring back art and music programs this year."

“Our school has a lot of heart,” Parent Teach Organization president Pamela Wise said. “We just dig in and we always deliver.”

As schools across the state and the nation struggle with crippling budget cuts, parent-teacher organizations and their fundraising power are increasingly called on to help pay for everything from staff to books to technology.

“I don't know of a school district that hasn't been impacted and hasn't turned to their parents and community to assist,” said California State Parent Teacher Association President Jo Loss.

This year, Cahuilla Elementary School's PTO decided to shift its focus from field trips and other regular classroom expenses to technology, said PJ Davis-Lewallen, PTO president for the Palm Springs school.

The group still wants to provide those educational trips, but decided with input from teachers and the principal, “let's focus on more things that are more important for education,” she said.

Some schools and all three local districts have established nonprofit educational foundations to help cover costs.

Vulgar Veto Leaves California Laughing While State Collapses - Daily Nexus

Vulgar Veto Leaves California Laughing While State Collapses - Daily Nexus:

"By now you’ve probably all heard about Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s recent veto message spelling out a big “fuck you” to Democratic Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco. If you haven’t heard about this, you might want to start paying more attention to state politics.

Ammiano’s bill, AB 1176, would have given the Port of San Francisco expanded powers to capture and use certain tax revenues to fund infrastructure projects and set aside a portion of the money for stuff like waterfront parks and environmental cleanup. The bill received unanimous approval in both the Assembly and state Senate, which is pretty incredible in our increasingly partisan state legislature."

Schwarzenegger vetoed this bill not for what it was, but for what it was not; it failed to address issues his administration considers most important, such as water reform, prison reform and health care. And, let’s be real, Ammiano probably didn’t help his cause by telling Schwarzenegger to “kiss my gay ass” at a San Francisco Democratic Party fundraiser last month.

The carefully penned veto message is full of bizarre language and doesn’t fit the standard pattern of most veto messages, which tend to justify the veto by detailing problems with the bill itself. Of course, Schwarzenegger’s spokesman swears up and down that it is just a “strange coincidence” that the first letters of each line combine to spell out “fuck you.” Yea, right.

Aside from a few bloggers, the media and, presumably, Californians, most have reacted with nothing more than a laugh and a wink. The Wall Street Journal said Schwarzenegger “just likes to have fun” as governor and went on to list other funny “pranks” he’s pulled during his time in office.

Am I the only one bothered by this?

Victor Garcia: Parent Institute for Quality Education program graduates new class | visaliatimesdelta.com | Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register

Victor Garcia: Parent Institute for Quality Education program graduates new class visaliatimesdelta.com Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register:

"Sixty-eight Visalia Unified School District parents graduated from the Parent Institute for Quality Education last week at Redwood High School."

It is a parent-involvement program where parents learn about SATs and the requirements for children to get into a university.
Each parent received a certificate of completion.

Students of parents who go through the program receive an automatic admission to the California State University system, if they meet all of its requirements.
The organization's goal is to promote family involvement in school.

Newhouse: Student finds favorite teacher at last - San Jose Mercury News

Newhouse: Student finds favorite teacher at last - San Jose Mercury News:

"Mike Bugbee has found his long-lost fourth-grade teacher from the mid-1960s, and I'm beginning to resemble my Halloween costume of Sherlock Holmes.

In my Oct. 22 column, Bugbee spoke of finding that one special teacher in his life, a young woman at Piedmont Avenue School in Oakland who took a dyslexic kid lacking self-esteem and instilled in him the confidence to succeed in education.

On Oct. 23, lost teacher was located. Take that, Magnum P.I.! I received a call from the teacher's sister in Danville, who informed me that Bugbee's favorite educator now lives in Laguna Niguel in Southern California and her name is Anne Hassard Bussey."

My Teacher, My Hero True Stories of Great Teachers

My Teacher, My Hero True Stories of Great Teachers:
"Did you have a great teacher inspire you and change your life?

We all did.My Teacher, My Hero celebrates those teachers.

See stories from leaders around the world and share one of your own!"

Century City News: Senate Prepared for Take-off on Race to the Top

Century City News: Senate Prepared for Take-off on Race to the Top:

"The Senate Education Committee will vote on key Race to the Top legislation this Monday, including the most comprehensive bill addressing the reforms, SBX5 1, authored by Senator Gloria Romero (D- East Los Angeles), Chair of the Senate Education Committee, with Senators Bob Huff (R-Glendora), Elaine Alquist (D-Santa Clara), and Mark Wyland (R- Escondido).

“We can’t afford to wait anymore. If we’re not racing to the top, we will be grounded in our failures,” said Senator Romero."

NO on SB 5X 1

CONTACT YOUR STATE SENATOR

This is the info you will need to contact Darrell Steinberg.

District office -telephone - 651-1529FAX --------- 327-8754

Capital office -telephone -- 651-4006FAX ---------- 328-2263

CONTACT YOUR STATE SENATOR

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

Senators' Home Pages

Senators' Addresses

Parents of California raped teen beg: stop the violence (video)

Parents of California raped teen beg: stop the violence (video):

"The recent rape case in California has put into question why the school wasn’t more prepared to help the girl who was raped for two and a half hours last week.

The parents of the 15-year-old girl made a statement yesterday through their church pastor that they do not want the violence to continue, but yet would rather that people do something constructive with their anger about this situation. They suggested volunteering, or helping a neighbor, but to just do something constructive.

The police have stated that ten people were involved in the rape of the 15-year-old girl, and there were at least ten bystanders who watched. In California, a minor is considered a person 14 and under, so the bystanders cannot be charged in any wrong doing for not reporting the incident while it occurred."

23 Private College Presidents Made More Than $1 Million - NYTimes.com

23 Private College Presidents Made More Than $1 Million - NYTimes.com:

"The presidents of the nation’s major private research universities were paid a median compensation of $627,750 in the 2007-8 fiscal year — a 5.5 percent increase from the previous year — according to The Chronicle of Higher Education annual executive compensation survey."

The highest paid private university executive was Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., with a pay package totaling $1,598,247 in fiscal 2008. Ms. Jackson, a physicist and former chairwoman of the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, has been at Rensselaer since 1999, and first became the highest-paid university president just two years later.

In this year’s survey, she was followed by David J. Sargent of Suffolk University in Boston, the top earner in last year’s survey, who took in $1,496,593 in fiscal 2008, and Steadman Upham of the University of Tulsa, whose pay package was $1,485,275.

Executive Compensation

A list of resources from around the Web about Executive Compensation as selected by researchers and editors of The New York Times.

Center for Corporate Policy
Speech by SEC Commissioner Roel C. Campos to the 2007 Summit on Executive Compensation
SEC Spotlight on Options Backdating
Chairman Cox Unveils New Internet Tool With Instant Comparisons of Executive Pay
SEC Dec 2007

Executive Pay Finder
SEC

The Crystal Report on Executive Compensation
Maintained by Graef Crystal, Executive Compensation Specialist
Other Coverage

Reining In the Overpaid (and Underperforming) Chief Executive
Booz Allen Hamilton Strategy + Business Feb 19, 2008

Executive Compensation
Forbes, May 3, 2007

Documents
Executive Pay - Conflicts of Interest Among Compensation Consultants
U.S. House of Representatives Dec. 2007
2007 Summit on Executive Compensation
Highlights
Staff observations in the review of executive compensation disclosure
Securities and Exchange Commission, October 2007
Executive Compensation Disclosure Update
SEC, August 2007
Speech by John White, Division of Corporation Finance
SEC, August 2007
Executive Excess 2007
Institute for Policy Studies
Current Issues in Executive Compensation
NYU Journal of Law and Business June 21, 2007
Executive Compensation: A new view from a long-term perspective, 1936-2005
Federal Reserve Board, 2007
Excessive CEO Pay
CRS Report for Congress, 2007
The Economics of Corporate Executive Pay
CRS Report for Congress, 2007

Community College Proposal May Not Be Enough - Education News Story - WNEM Saginaw

Community College Proposal May Not Be Enough - Education News Story - WNEM Saginaw:

"INDIANAPOLIS -- Arthur Call commutes three hours roundtrip to his anatomy class at community college because similar courses on campuses closer to his Indianapolis home are packed this semester.

'Classes around the state were just full,' says Call, a full-time student who takes the rest of his classes in Indianapolis. 'Thank God it's only Tuesdays. I just have to drive there once a week.'

President Barack Obama wants to invest some $12 billion in community colleges with the aim of seeing an additional 5 million students graduate by 2020. This goal comes while many schools are already bursting at the seams with droves of displaced workers hit by the recession competing with traditional students seeking an education bargain."

It's not just a classroom; it's an adventure - Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review

It's not just a classroom; it's an adventure - Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review:

"As I sat writing this article in my classroom, looking around at my setting, I reflected on the start of this adventure, which began last May, when I was doing what every teacher does – looking forward to summer vacation. But this year was going to be different, I said to myself.

I always start planning the next academic year early so I can enjoy my summer a little more. This approach is nothing new. However, as I was cleaning out my desk this year, I was struck by an article about a recent study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong [1] concerning student learning environments"

Champions for Children's Health Stroller Brigade

Champions for Children's Health Stroller Brigade:

"Nov. 4 - Washington, DC Nov. 6-8 - Across the Country

Join Us In Standing Together for Children: Congress is debating health reform legislation that could leave millions of children worse rather than better off and fails to fix bureaucratic, unfair barriers to care. This must be changed now!

What We Are Demanding: Congress and the President must support changes that provide comprehensive, affordable, accessible care for all children no matter where they live. Changes must build on what works in the system and fix what doesn’t work for children now.

Actions You Can Take: Join children, parents, grandparents and champions for children in a 'stroll' to the Nation's Capitol on November 4 or join stroller brigades in cities across the country November 5 through 8 to ensure that our children are not left behind in health care reform. Can't join a stroller brigade in-person? You can also participate in our Virtual Stroller Brigade!"

Hindus urge Iceland for more balanced approach in teaching religion in schools

Hindus urge Iceland for more balanced approach in teaching religion in schools

Hindus have asked for a more balanced approach on religious instruction in Iceland schools.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that under the subject of religion/theology, Iceland should come up with a comparative religion class teaching basics of all major world religions, including the viewpoint of non-believers.

Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, argued that opening-up the Iceland children to major world religions and non-believers’ viewpoint would make them well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow. It also made a good business sense to know the beliefs of “others” in a global community. Moreover, students should have knowledge of the entire society to become full participants in the European community.

According to International Religious Freedom Report 2009 of U.S. Department of State about Iceland, which was released few days back: School grades 1-10 (ages 6-15) are required by law to include instruction in theology. The law also mandates that general teaching practices be shaped by "the Christian heritage of Icelandic culture, equality, responsibility, concern, tolerance, and respect for human value."

This report further says: The precise content of this instruction can vary, and some observers have claimed that religious indoctrination can take place, as the curriculum is not rigid and teachers often are given wide latitude in the classroom. Lessons on non-Christian religions are part of the curriculum, but teachers focus mostly on Christianity. The compulsory curriculum for Christianity, ethics, and theology, does, however, suggest a multicultural approach to religious education and an emphasis on teaching a variety of beliefs. In secondary schools, theology continued to be taught under the rubric of "community studies" along with sociology, philosophy, and history.

The report points out: Students may be exempted from Christianity classes…There is no obligation for school authorities to offer other religious or secular instruction in place of Christianity classes. Some observers have noted that this discourages students or their parents from requesting such exemptions and may isolate students who seek exemptions or put them at risk of bullying in schools.

The report adds: The Government does not actively promote interfaith understanding and does not sponsor programs or an official church-government council to coordinate interfaith dialogue…

Cinematic Iceland is famous for its active volcanoes, hot springs and geysers; whose settlement began in 874 AD.

No trick! Obamas dole out treats to 2,000 kids - White House

No trick! Obamas dole out treats to 2,000 kids - White House:

"President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama on Saturday doled out presidential M&Ms and dried fruit mixes to more than 2,000 trick-or-treaters, marking their Halloween at a White House event partly aimed at honoring military families.

Dressed as superheroes, pirates, fairies and skeletons, the kids came in with their parents from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., and lined up on the orange-lit White House driveway.

Standing outside the White House front door, Obamas smiled, chatted and passed out cellophane goody bags that were also filled with a sweet dough butter cookie made by White House pastry chef Bill Yosses and a National Park Foundation Ranger activity book."

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

European Union funds India studies in Poland

European Union funds India studies in Poland

European Union (EU) has reportedly given 270, 000 Euros to University of Warsaw (Poland) to establish a Contemporary India Studies Centre.

Said to be the first research center of its kind in central Europe, this project reportedly will cover studies of India’s cultural, social, political, and economic issues. Its faculty will include scholars from Europe and India and it will promote cooperation between Europe and India, reports suggest.

Welcoming this gesture, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, urged EU to also fund research in Sanskrit and Indian religions in various countries of Europe.

Cultural mission of the University of Warsaw (Uniwersytet Warszawski) in Warszawa, formed in 1816, is a synthesis of universal and local values. Rector is Professor Katarzyna Chałasińska-Macukow.

All students should be judged on same criteria | Our Views & Yours - PennLive.com -

All students should be judged on same criteria Our Views & Yours - PennLive.com -:

"Education has been called the great equalizer. No matter what your race, creed or ZIP code, every child is entitled to a quality public education.

Yet as Secretary of Education Arne Duncan explained to an audience of aspiring educators at the University of Virginia, as a nation, “we still have not fully achieved the dream of equal educational opportunity.”

Today, nearly 30 percent of students drop out or fail to complete high school on time. These students can’t afford to lag behind in the competitive and ever-changing workplace. It is predicted that by 2016, four out of every 10 new jobs will require advanced education or training."

Honoring the Legacy of Ryan White | The White House

Honoring the Legacy of Ryan White The White House:

"Today, President Obama signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009. It represents our ongoing commitment to ensuring access to needed HIV/AIDS care and treatment. The White House and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) worked very closely with Congress on this bipartisan legislation, and the consensus document developed by the HIV/AIDS advocacy community was an important part of the process. We were so pleased that Jeanne White-Ginder, Ryan White’s mother, was here at the bill signing."



The Ryan White Program is the largest federal program specifically dedicated to providing HIV care and treatment. It funds heavily impacted metropolitan areas, states, and local community-based organizations to provide life-saving medical care, medications, and support services to more than half a million people each year: the uninsured and underinsured, racial and ethnic minorities, people of all ages.

The President also announced today the elimination of the HIV entry ban. Since 1987, HIV-positive travelers and immigrants have been banned from entering or traveling through the United States without a special waiver. In July 2008, Congress removed all legislative barriers to repealing the ban and paved the way for HHS to repeal the ban. A final rule will be published in the Federal Register on Monday, November 2nd and will take effect in early January 2010. That means that people who have HIV and are not U.S. citizens will be able to enter the U.S. starting in January next year. This is a major step in ending the stigma associated with HIV.

While I have been traveling across the country during the past several weeks for our HIV/AIDS Community Discussions, I am hearing from people living with HIV, nurses, case managers, doctors, community-based service providers, and others about how important the program is to ensure access to care and treatment. As we continue our work on developing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, we have many important lessons from the Ryan White Program for increasing access to treatment, helping retain people in care, and improving health outcomes. Addressing the epidemic in the U.S. is a priority for President Obama, and we are renewing our focus on prevention as well as treatment.

As we prepare to mark the 20th anniversary of the Ryan White Program next August, the legacy of Ryan White continues to endure.

Participants at the event:

Jeanne White-Ginder, Ryan White's mother
Senator Tom Harkin, D-IA
Senator Mike Enzi, R-WY
Senator Tom Coburn, R-OK, not confirmed
Representative Henry Waxman, D-CA
Representative Frank Pallone, D-NJ
Representative Joe Barton, R-TX
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, not confirmed
Ernest Hopkins, Policy Chair, Communities Advocating for Emergency AIDS Relief (CAEAR); Federal Affairs Director, San Francisco AIDS Foundation
Frank Oldham, Jr., President and CEO, National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA)
Julie Scofield, Executive Director, National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD)
Jeffrey Crowley is the Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy and Senior Advisor on Disability Policy at the White House