Hindus laud prestigious DePauw University over launching a course on Modern Hinduism

Hindus have applauded prestigious DePauw University in Indiana (USA) for approving a new 300-level class on Modern Hinduism in its Religious Studies Department.

Founded in 1837 by the Methodist church, DePauw already offers courses titled "Religions of India" and "Hinduism".

Its students come from 41 countries and 42 states of USA. It is a private, selective, coeducational, and residential university where selection rate is about 17 percent and annual charges per student $42,070.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, described DePauw’s action as “a step in the right direction”.

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, argued that religion was a complex element of our lives and religion comprises much more than one’s own individual experience or specific tradition. God, as a sign of God’s munificence and benevolence, constructively wished presence of different faiths.

Rajan Zed urged the schools/departments of religion of other major American universities to strengthen their Hinduism sections. Hinduism being the oldest religion with rich philosophical thought and a vast array of scriptures needed more exploration. Zed especially asked the Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Columbia, Brown universities and University of Pennsylvania to further enrich their Hinduism resources. According to the latest edition of the university newspaper “The DePauw”, the students in this course will examine "the rise of Hindu modernity from the colonial period to the present day."

The main objective is to "encourage an understanding of the embedded nature of modern Hinduism within the historical matrices of culture, society, politics and economics in South Asia." Girls outnumber boys by about 14 percent in DePauw, which is spread over 695 acres in Greencastle and offers 45 majors and “teaches its students values and habits of mind”.

It boasts of alumni like former US Vice President Dan Quayle, Nobel Prize winner Ferid Murad, many Chief Executive Officers of major companies, prominent authors, etc. President is Brian W. Casey; Board of Trustees chair is R. David Hoover; and chair of Religious Studies Department is Professor Paul Watt.

Health foundations join forces to improve California schools | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

Health foundations join forces to improve California schools L.A. NOW Los Angeles Times:

"The California Education Supports project, a new joint venture between three nonprofit foundations, held its first forum Tuesday to address the effects of mental and physical health on California students. Nearly 100 community leaders, students, health and education professionals piled into a Manual Arts High School classroom to talk about those issues.

The California Endowment, the James Irvine Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, which are funding the $700,000 effort, plan to release policy papers and hold hearings in the next 12 to 24 months on a range of potential issues from childhood obesity to reproductive health.

The project is part of a broader effort to integrate student healthcare with educational goals, said Cecilia Echeverria of the California Endowment."

Education Week: When Teachers Are the Experts

Education Week: When Teachers Are the Experts:

"I think I’m going to miss the coffee and Danish most of all. I won’t miss staring at the clock with my politely disengaged colleagues. And I won’t miss the guy up front, some former principal or ace teacher, who’s going to teach us about some topic that has been deemed important for the entire staff.

These whole-school workshop sessions that many of us have experienced are what I’ll call “old PD”: professional development in the form of an expert up front and teachers listening passively. If improved teaching practice and better student outcomes are the goal, then these methods of keeping teachers up to date and growing professionally are not working."

Education Week: National Panel Urges Upgrades to Teacher Workforce

Education Week: National Panel Urges Upgrades to Teacher Workforce:

"A report from a high-powered education task force that calls for states and school districts to overhaul how they recruit, prepare, evaluate, and compensate teachers has raised the hackles of the American Federation of Teachers, which dismissed many of its recommendations as “top-down” and disrespectful of the profession.

AFT President Randi Weingarten’s sharp criticism of the report, released Tuesday by Strategic Management of Human Capital, came despite the participation of Ms.

Weingarten and two other AFT officers in the 30-member task force that helped shape a series of 20 policy recommendations to improve the teaching corps in the nation’s 100 largest school districts. Some recommendations are aimed at improving the effectiveness of principals, but teachers are the overwhelming focus of the report."

“There weren’t many of us on the task force speaking for teachers, and I think the report reflects that, especially in the lack of emphasis on principal effectiveness,” said Francine Lawrence, the president of the Toledo Federation of Teachers, an AFT affiliate, and a member of the panel. “It doesn’t speak to the professionalization of teaching at all, which is a real disappointment.”

The task force had a total of four teachers’ union representatives, including one from the National Education Association.

Which Schools Will 'Race to the Top'?

Which Schools Will 'Race to the Top'?

President Obama Touts Education Reform on Anniversary of Election

Obama Travels to Wisconsin to Promote Competition for Education Funding

By YUNJI DE NIES, KAREN TRAVERS and MARY BRUCE

Nov. 4, 2009—

On the no-year anniversary of his 2008 election, President Obama is heading back to school and encouraging America's educators to think big in order to obtain more federal money.

At Wright Middle School in Madison, Wis., today, Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan will meet with students and the president will speak about education reform and strengthening the nation's schools.

Obama will promote his administration's "Race to the Top" initiative, a $4.35 billion education program funded through the Recovery Act. The program is a national competition among states that the Obama Administration hopes will inspire bold action for education reform.

In the next few weeks the Department of Education will begin accepting applications for grant money.

The awards will start to go out in January, but there will be two rounds of funding, so states that do not qualify or win grants in this first round will be able to apply again later in 2010.

Yesterday the White House said the onus was on states to make the best case for why they deserve funding.

"He's going to talk about his education reform plan and he's going to highlight the importance of innovation and excellence in our public education system," White House Director of the Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes told reporters on Tuesday. "This competition is not based on politics or ideology or interest group preferences. It's based on whether or not a state is ready to do what actually works."

Programmed Designed to Innovate, Inspire

The controversial "Race to the Top" program offers one of the first glimpses into how far the Obama administration is willing to go to create reform.

Through "Race to the Top," Duncan aims to prop up states that innovate and inspire those that have not.

The program centers on four basic "assurances" that states must meet to qualify for a piece of the pie -- turning around low-performing schools, in part by expanding charter schools; enacting rigorous, common academic standards; improving teacher quality and beefing up state data systems.

In July, Duncan told ABC News that while this program "isn't about winners and losers," it is a competition so some states will be left out in the cold.

But Duncan said he hoped that tapping into the competitive spirit of educators and administrators will drive reform.

"I think there'll be tremendous pressure on states, state legislatures where things aren't happening, by parents saying exactly that: 'Our children deserve a slice of the pie, and we want that pressure,'" Duncan said in July. "This isn't about winners and losers... This is about challenging the status quo as a country, getting dramatically better and giving every child in this country a chance they desperately need to have a great, great quality education."

Winners and Losers in Funding Competition

In this race, however, there will be clear winners and losers. States will be judged based on their progress in each of the four areas and -- given the way several states have been using education stimulus money to fill budget gaps rather than to innovate -- it is clear that not all states will be a

Study: H1N1 Poses 'Special Threat' to Obese People - H1N1 - FOXNews.com

Study: H1N1 Poses 'Special Threat' to Obese People - H1N1 - FOXNews.com:

"Swine flu can cause severe disease in people of all ages and appears to pose a special threat to those who are obese, according to an analysis of H1N1 cases in California.
Public health researchers analyzed the state's first 1,088 hospitalized and fatal cases of H1N1 infection between April 23 and August 1.
Like other studies, they found the average patient who was hospitalized with H1N1 flu was younger than what is commonly seen with seasonal flu, but they also found severe disease at both ends of the age spectrum.

'What our study shows was that once you were hospitalized, if you were elderly you have a higher risk of dying,' Dr. Janice Louie of the California Department of Public Health in Richmond, whose study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association."

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Bright and Early

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Bright and Early:

"I am informed that a school news item I picked up yesterday from Indiana was not, in fact, from Indianapolis but rather from the now famed town of Churubusco. Duly chastened, I return to give you another, geographically correct newsblitz:

We bring you the findings from a just-the-facts-ma'am report report that looks at San Diego Unified from test scores to finances. It's meant to be the beginning of a conversation about how parents, philanthropists and business leaders can help improve schools. But the next steps are unclear. Researchers also found that two options floated to revamp schools, mayoral control and expanding the school board, would lead to battles at the ballot box."

Chula Vista Star News reporter Jon Campbell turned up an amazing story on how Sweetwater Superintendent Jesus Gandara failed to notify the school board and repeatedly denied publicly that he was seeking a job in Austin -- despite the fact that documents from Texas point to him being a candidate. If true, it would be grounds for his termination, the Star News reports. More will certainly come on this story.

KPBS reports that San Diego Unified could get as much as $74 million in federal loans to pay for solar energy projects at schools. The only problem is it has to pay it back -- and if it doesn't think it can reasonably do it, it can't accept all that money. The UT has also reported on this.

Fiorina Running For US Senate - Politics News Story - KCRA Sacramento

Fiorina Running For US Senate - Politics News Story - KCRA Sacramento:

"SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Carly Fiorina said she'll run for the U.S. Senate seat held by California incumbent Barbara Boxer.
Fiorina ended months of speculation Wednesday with an announcement in an opinion piece she wrote for the Orange County Register. She was scheduled to make a formal announcement later in the day.

Fiornia must win the Republican primary before she can challenge Boxer.

In her opinion piece, Fiorina said her priorities as a senator would be creating jobs, cutting government spending and expanding access to health care -- but not through a national health care system."

Charter Schools Help Public School Students - WSJ.com

Charter Schools Help Public School Students - WSJ.com:

"Opponents of school choice are running out of excuses as evidence continues to roll in about the positive impact of charter schools.

Stanford economist Caroline Hoxby recently found that poor urban children who attend a charter school from kindergarten through 8th grade can close the learning gap with affluent suburban kids by 86% in reading and 66% in math. And now Marcus Winters, who follows education for the Manhattan Institute, has released a paper showing that even students who don't attend a charter school benefit academically when their public school is exposed to charter competition."

Mr. Winters focuses on New York City public school students in grades 3 through 8. "For every one percent of a public school's students who leave for a charter," concludes Mr. Winters, "reading proficiency among those who remain increases by about 0.02 standard deviations, a small but not insignificant number, in view of the widely held suspicion that the impact on local public schools . . . would be negative." It tuns out that traditional public schools respond to competition in a way that benefits their students.
Imagine that. Competition works.

Calif. Assembly Passes Water Plan - Politics News Story - KCRA Sacramento

Calif. Assembly Passes Water Plan - Politics News Story - KCRA Sacramento:

"SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The California Assembly has passed a plan aimed at increasing water supply reliability while improving the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the source of drinking water for two-thirds of the state.

The plan includes both a policy package intended to improve water conservation, groundwater monitoring, water rights and governance, as well as a water infrastructure bond to be placed on next year's ballot.

The state Senate approved much of the deal on Tuesday."

"The package includes conservation and storage, groundwater protection, water rights protection, and Delta protection and represents the most significant water infrastructure and policy advances since the State Water Project in the 1960s," Assembly Speaker Karen Bass said in a prepared statement. "This is a responsible plan -- no one is getting 100 percent of what they want. Everyone who gets something has to give something, too. It is the only way to balance the many different individual interests for the overall greater good of having a safe and stable water supply for the entire State of California."

Young Teachers Assess Old Views and Traditional Methods: 7 Out of 10 Gen Y Teachers Open to Incentive Pay, but Only 10 Percent Rate Standardized Testing as Successful Measure | Reuters

Young Teachers Assess Old Views and Traditional Methods: 7 Out of 10 Gen Y Teachers Open to Incentive Pay, but Only 10 Percent Rate Standardized Testing as Successful Measure Reuters:

"NEW YORK, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new study released today paints
a national picture of Generation Y teachers revealing an openness to incentive
pay. Seventy-one percent of Gen Y teachers are open to rewarding teachers
based on incentive pay, whereas only 10 percent of Gen Y teachers think that
student performance on standardized tests is an 'excellent' measure of teacher
success. The nationwide study, Supporting Teacher Talent: The View From
Generation Y, from Public Agenda, a nonprofit research organization, and
Learning Point Associates, a nonprofit education research and consulting
organization, offers a comprehensive and nuanced look at the question of
whether different generations bring different aspirations, concerns, and
perspectives to teaching.

'Traditionally, teachers have strongly opposed differentiating pay based on
student performance, but we found evidence that those attitudes may be
changing among Gen Y teachers,' said Jane Coggshall, Ph.D., co-principal
investigator for the Supporting Teacher Talent study. 'However, young
teachers, like teachers of all ages, are concerned about using standardized
test scores as the principal criterion.'"

Fears That Lack of Sick Leave Helps Spread Swine Flu - NYTimes.com

Fears That Lack of Sick Leave Helps Spread Swine Flu - NYTimes.com:

"Public health experts worried about the spread of the H1N1 flu are raising concerns that workers who deal with the public, like waiters and child care employees, are jeopardizing others by reporting to work sick because they do not get paid for days they miss for illness."

Tens of millions of people, or about 40 percent of all private-sector workers, do not receive paid sick days, and as a result many of them cannot afford to stay home when they are ill. Even some companies that provide paid sick days have policies that make it difficult to call in sick, like giving demerits each time someone misses a day.

Public health experts say policies like these encourage many people with H1N1, commonly called swine flu, to report to work despite official warnings from the government and most companies that they should stay home.

YOUR VIEW: Early education: Aim for quality across spectrum of providers | SouthCoastToday.com

YOUR VIEW: Early education: Aim for quality across spectrum of providers SouthCoastToday.com:

"Over the years, research has increasingly shown that high-quality early education matters in the long-term educational success of young children. We have learned from neuroscience of the enormous brain development that can occur when children are in low-stress environments that are literacy-rich and nurturing.

Despite the evidence that stresses the need for high-quality early education and care, today only about 25 percent of children have access to subsidized early education and care through public schools, licensed child care in family homes and centers, and Head Start programs."

All citizens must share responsibility for, invest in, and understand the value of the child's beginning years and the foundation these years form in their social, emotional, and academic readiness and success later in life. Learning must start at birth, as this is a critical period and a vital opportunity to level the playing field for all children.

Under the leadership and vision of Governor Patrick, Massachusetts remains committed to providing and promoting quality early learning opportunities for its youngest citizens. This includes access to affordable high-quality education and care, and resources for parents and families who effectively serve as their child's first "teacher."

Robey: 'Readiness' schools: Weighing the pros and cons - Waltham, MA - The Daily News Tribune

Robey: 'Readiness' schools: Weighing the pros and cons - Waltham, MA - The Daily News Tribune:

"As state and national attention becomes ever more focused on student achievement and the corresponding need to redress the persistent achievement gap, Governor Patrick's 'Readiness Schools' proposal is an encouraging venture onto the next stage of education reform.

These school models, which are currently being considered by the legislature, are indicative of a renewed willingness on the part of the state's leadership to think creatively about how to identify and address the problems of underperforming schools and help them better meet the very real-and complex-needs of students at-risk."

New Readiness Schools legislation limits teacher roles Tell your lawmakers: Teachers and their unions are part of the solution.
We all count on teachers to help improve our schools. Public school educators and their unions have helped develop innovative programs that have made Massachusetts schools some of the best in the country. We're committed to helping underperforming schools excel -- and we're proud of our accomplishments.

You count on your union to be your voice at the table. The "Readiness Schools" proposal would establish three new kinds of in-district public schools and in the process weaken protections and lessen the role for teachers in decision-making. Under this new bill, teacher union agreements could be unilaterally canceled, removing our right to collective bargaining. These agreements were reached collaboratively, with all voices at the table. It's not fair to ignore them now -- and it won't help improve our schools.

Tell your lawmakers:

Teachers and their unions are part of the solution. If this new program is going to succeed, it must empower teachers and their unions and keep them involved as we strengthen our schools. Schools work best when there's collaboration between teachers, administrators and parents. By urging lawmakers to protect collective bargaining rights, we can make sure that our teachers can keep doing what they do best: making Massachusetts schools great.

John Steele Gordon: Obama and the Liberal Paradigm - WSJ.com

John Steele Gordon: Obama and the Liberal Paradigm - WSJ.com:

"Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to President Barack Obama, recently explained the White House war on Fox News as an example of 'speaking truth to power.' Much of the American political world collapsed in laughter, pointing out that her boss was president of the United States, the most powerful man on earth. His every word is news around the world. Fox News is a cable channel rarely watched by more than a few million people at a time. How could she have so blithely said something completely out-of-sync with reality?

Simple: She's a liberal.

As a liberal she carries around in her head the liberal paradigm of how the world works and what needs to be done to make it work better. There's nothing wrong with that. We all use paradigms to make sense of what we see around us and couldn't get along without them. Unfortunately, the basic liberal paradigm hasn't shifted in a hundred years, while the world we live in has changed utterly since the late 19th century, when modern liberalism was born."

Local coverage of Obama visit to Madison’s Wright Middle School

Local coverage of Obama visit to Madison’s Wright Middle School:

"President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit Wright Middle School in Madison, WI today, where he will speak on education reform. Attendance is by invitation only; in fact, only 50 parents will be attending, chosen by lottery.

The President’s plane is expected to land at the Dane County regional airport at approximately 12:30pm. Obama’s address is expected to take place at the middle school at approximately 1:30pm."

voiceofsandiego.org: Education... Schools Beset with Problems -- Now What?

voiceofsandiego.org: Education... Schools Beset with Problems -- Now What?:

"Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009 San Diego Unified schools added more administrators while losing students in years past. Its teachers were rarely fired or denied tenure. Today, less than half of its high school juniors are meeting the California standards in reading and writing.

Those are some of the facts from a top-to-bottom study of San Diego Unified that ranges from unsurprising to worrisome. The report, paid for by Rod Dammeyer, a local businessman, gives a mixed picture of the tumultuous district. His goal is to mobilize parents and community leaders to seek change in the school district and understand its woes."

Tackle schools' unique hurdles - Hawaii Editorials - Starbulletin.com

Tackle schools' unique hurdles - Hawaii Editorials - Starbulletin.com:

"Embattled by Furlough Friday furor, a jab by the federal education secretary and national humiliation, Hawaii's school system must find a way to rebound. More important, it should devise a method of keeping up with other schools across the country in the years ahead despite circumstances that will remain uniquely difficult."

Much of the problem with Hawaii's schools derives from the fact that it is the only statewide system and derives its revenue from the state income and excise taxes. Elsewhere in the country, schools are run by counties with revenue primarily from county property taxes, with help from the states.

One consequence of that difference is that the Hawaii State Teachers Association lines up with other public employee unions in adversarial labor negotiations with the state. Another is that important aspects of school policies emanate from labor contracts.

For example, labor contracts in Hawaii determine the number of school days in a year and instructional minutes. In other states, the number of instructional hours per year or minimum school days and hours per day are set by law or regulation. Clearly, those decisions should be made as public policy rather than terms of a union contract.

No way to secure school funding -- latimes.com

No way to secure school funding -- latimes.com:

"If California schools want a piece of $4.2 million in new federal education grants, they'll have to make some changes. Legislation by state Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) and several coauthors would pave the way for those changes, but the bill is so awkwardly constructed at this point, with so many unnecessary and possibly harmful additions, that it doesn't deserve the fast-track passage Romero is seeking.

The bill moves in the right direction in enacting common-sense reforms that were outlined by U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan as requirements for states that want to compete for Race to the Top grants. The grants are intended to spur innovation at lackluster schools across the nation. One prerequisite: eliminating state limits on the number of charter schools that can be created. That's currently 100 per year in California. Romero's bill would lift the limit."

California's higher-education debacle -- latimes.com

California's higher-education debacle -- latimes.com:

"For nearly six years, I have served on the Board of Trustees of the California State University system -- the last two as its chairman. This experience has been more than just professional; it has been a deeply personal one. With my term ending soon, I need to share my concern -- and personal pain -- that California is on the verge of destroying the very system that once made this state great.

I came to California because of the education system. I grew up in Connecticut and attended college back East on partial scholarships and financial aid. I also worked part time, but by my first year of grad school, I'd maxed out my financial aid and was relying on loans that charged 14% interest. Being a lawyer had been my dream, but my wife and I could not afford for me to go to any law schools back East."