School parcel tax measures fall short; incumbents retaining seats - San Jose Mercury News

School parcel tax measures fall short; incumbents retaining seats - San Jose Mercury News:

"Swayed perhaps by the floundering economy, voters threw a wrench into plans by two South Bay school districts to supplement their shaky budgets with an additional tax.
With all precincts counted, voters in the Santa Clara Unified School District and the Fremont Union High School District turned down parcel taxes on their ballots. Santa Clara's Measure C would have taxed each property owner $138 annually for five years, to raise $4 million.

In the Sunnyvale-based Fremont Union High School District, a similar measure, to impose a $98-per-parcel tax fell short.

And in two school districts electing trustees — Cupertino Union and Los Altos — incumbents coasted to victory. Anjali Kausar, Ben Liao and Gary McCue retained their seats in Cupertino. So did Mark Goines in Los Altos, where newcomers Tamara Logan and Douglas Smith grabbed two open seats."

Educated Guess » QEIA’s early promise (and its faults)

Educated Guess » QEIA’s early promise (and its faults):

"The California Teachers Association has issued early data pointing to positive results from a eight-year, $3 billion program for low-performing schools that the union fought hard to create and is fighting equally hard to preserve. Just last week – four months into the fiscal year and after some dragged-out battles – the Assembly passed a bill securing full funding for another year.

I have been a skeptic of the program– the Quality Education Investment Act — since it was created in 2006, although I applaud the CTA for going to the mat on behalf of low-income schools. I have had two problems with QEIA:

It benefited only a third of the approximately 1,500 schools in the bottom two deciles of Academic Performance Index (API) scores."

Enrollment dips at L.A. Unified -- latimes.com

Enrollment dips at L.A. Unified -- latimes.com:

"An apparent exodus of students to charter schools, combined with an overall enrollment decline, is disrupting Los Angeles-area schools and exacerbating an ongoing budget crisis.

Local independently run charter schools added more than 9,500 students this fall, a surge of almost 19% to more than 60,000. At the same time, enrollment is down more than 19,000 students, about 3%, at schools affiliated with the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Total district enrollment has fallen to 678,441, down from a peak of 747,009 in 2003."

The Answer Sheet - Talking Out of School with.... Quincy Jones

The Answer Sheet - Talking Out of School with.... Quincy Jones:

"The following is a conversation about education that I had with legendary producer Quincy Jones at a conference he convened in New York City about music education. Jones has been nominated for more Grammies than any other living artist, with a total of 79 nominations and 27 awards. He also won an Emmy Award, seven Oscar nominations, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

Q) Did you start your music career in school?
A) No. I didn’t pay much attention to music when I was really young. But when I was 11, I broke into an armory and….

Q) Excuse me, you broke into an armory? An armory?
A) Yes, my father was a carpenter for the Jones brothers in Chicago. They were gangsters. We used to play baby gangster. We played war with real machine guns. Real ammo."

Obesity, poor education big obstacles to military recruiting - washingtonpost.com

Obesity, poor education big obstacles to military recruiting - washingtonpost.com:

"It's tough enough selling military service to teenagers who might not be so keen on getting their heads shaved or buy the whole 'we do more by 9 a.m.' line. And the fact that enlisting today could very well mean a visit to the front lines doesn't help, either.

But according to a new report, there are other factors that make recruiters' jobs even more difficult: the country's poor education system and the worsening obesity crisis.

About 75 percent of the country's 17- to 24-year-olds are ineligible for military service, largely because they are poorly educated, overweight and have physical ailments that make them unfit for the armed forces, according to a report to be issued Thursday."

Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » ELEMENTARY EPIDEMIC: 11 Uncovered Videos Show School Children Performing Praises to Obama

Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » ELEMENTARY EPIDEMIC: 11 Uncovered Videos Show School Children Performing Praises to Obama:

"Big Hollywood has already posted a couple disturbing videos of young school children singing/speaking praises to President Obama, but when eleven more dropped in our email box it came as quite a shock. What seemed like an aberration now appears to be a troubling pattern."

Md., Va. dip toes in charter school waters, as D.C. student numbers soar - washingtonpost.com

Md., Va. dip toes in charter school waters, as D.C. student numbers soar - washingtonpost.com:

"The number of charter schools in the District has skyrocketed over the past decade, and charters are on track to claim 38 percent of public school students in the city. The charter scene is a comparative desert in Virginia and Maryland, but that might be changing.

At least two applications are in the works in Montgomery County, which has no charter schools. A charter school that has been approved in Prince George's County is scheduled to open next fall, bringing the total there to five. Although there are no charter schools or applications pending in Northern Virginia, according to the state Department of Education, the subject was a major topic of conversation during the gubernatorial campaign, where both candidates expressed support for them."

Scores up for black, poor teens in CMS - CharlotteObserver.com

Scores up for black, poor teens in CMS - CharlotteObserver.com:

"Black and low-income teens in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are now outperforming their peers statewide and in Wake County, new state report cards show.

It's a dramatic turnaround from five years ago, when statewide comparisons for high-school students sparked local embarrassment and statewide censure, and a judge accused CMS of 'academic genocide.'

Consider: In 2004, CMS black students' pass rate on state high-school exams was 45 percent, 10 percentage points below the state average and 18 points below Wake's black students."

In 2009, CMS black students had a 65 percent pass rate, 12 points above the state and 6 points above Wake's. CMS's low-income and Hispanic students outperformed the same groups statewide and in Wake, though by smaller margins.

Superintendent Peter Gorman said he's pleased by the progress but dismayed that minority and low-income students remain so far behind white and non-poor classmates. Pass rates were well above 80 percent for CMS white students and those who don't qualify for lunch aid to low-income families.

Will 21st century skills weaken our federal education programs? - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education

Will 21st century skills weaken our federal education programs? - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education:

"The Common Core blog, which shares my distrust of the 21st century skills movement, is warning about the appointment of Apple executive Karen Cator as head of the U.S. Education Department's Office of Education Technology. I don't know Cator. Common Core says she once chaired the board of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the movement's leading organization, and might push their agenda in Washington. I think the partnership is led by well-intentioned people, but so far they have done a lousy job showing how their approach will improve schools.

My recent column about a book by two partnership leaders made this case in more detail. Lynne Munson and James Elias, who wrote the Common Core post about Cator, seem to think she would use her new job to divert more education dollars to technology companies and forget about giving students a deep and balanced education."

How Can American Education Compete Globally? -- THE Journal

How Can American Education Compete Globally? -- THE Journal:

"Of the many issues that have sparked the debate over education reform in recent years, one that seems to many to be a bit more abstract is the concern that we may be losing our competitive standing on the world stage, in terms of leadership in innovation, in technology, and in overall math and science proficiency.

Motoko Akiba is an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy analysis at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Along with her research partner, Prof. Gerald LeTendre of the College of Education at Pennsylvania State University, Akiba conducted a comparative study between the nationwide primary and secondary education systems of the United States, Australia, and Japan."

Mayhill Fowler: Bittergate: The Untold Story of the 2008 Campaign

Mayhill Fowler: Bittergate: The Untold Story of the 2008 Campaign:

"In the subsequent town hall meeting, Senator Obama did talk about education, as he always does, although for the Levittown and Bristol teachers he wasn't as detailed and specific, or as impassioned, as he can be on the need to improve education in America. He had arrived late at Truman High and was a bit rushed. This may have been one of those missed opportunities to which all campaigns, due to the rigors of the road, succumb. Having followed the Obama Campaign for almost a year, I have come to believe that education is the lodestar for the direction in which Obama wants to take us. The significant moment in Levittown yesterday was Obama's comment that we must be 'willing to sacrifice on the behalf of future generations.' As I've written before, the call to sacrifice has been a chord, at first muted, now louder, in Obama's speeches from the beginning. But Levittown was the first time I've heard him say anything more specific about that sacrifice--and the implications of 'future generations' for a place like Levittown are many and not least in the field of education."

The Global Leader in News Distribution

The Global Leader in News Distribution:

"Over a thousand Citi India employees will join over 40,000 colleagues on Saturday, November 7, 2009 in more than 90 countries across the world on the company’s fourth “Global Community Day”. An annual event, “Global Community Day” provides Citi employees a unique, global platform to volunteer in their communities. In India, employee groups, accompanied by their families and friends, will be volunteering their special skills and expertise for a variety of projects addressing specific community needs including climate change, literacy, housing, sports, across 27 cities including Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Lucknow, to name a few.

In order to fully leverage the enthusiasm employees have demonstrated for “Global Community Day” and make a meaningful difference to each local community, Citi India has partnered with several leading NGOs in each geographic location to jointly conceptualize day-long volunteering programmes. Some among these are Akanksha Foundation (Mumbai), Friends of Women’s World Banking (Ahmedabad), Pratham (6 cities), SOS Children Village (Bhubaneshwar) and Annamma School in Vijayawada. Each volunteer team, a mix of employees drawn from different Citi businesses across diverse hierarchies and age groups, will accomplish a clearly defined set of tasks assigned to it, such as conducting educational sessions on climate change, construction of houses for underprivileged communities, senior citizen support, cleaning of the Jamuna river and tree plantation."

St. Bernard's iPrism Wins Technology & Learning Award of Excellence

St. Bernard's iPrism Wins Technology & Learning Award of Excellence:

"St. Bernard Software, Inc. (OTCBB: SBSW), a leader in Web security appliances, today announced that its iPrism Web Filter appliance was awarded the prestigious 'Award of Excellence' by Technology & Learning Magazine. This recognition further reinforces St. Bernard's commitment to delivering superior security, performance and value across all educational institutions.

The Technology & Learning 'Award of Excellence' is a 27-year-old recognition program that honors software, hardware, network, and web products that break new ground in some significant way, as well as those that prove to demonstrate superiority over similar solutions in the education market. This year, a panel of more than 30 educators, who tested more than 100 entries across the country, chose the winners."

WNYC - News - Obama Gets Tough on Teachers – What Does That Mean for NYC?

WNYC - News - Obama Gets Tough on Teachers – What Does That Mean for NYC?:

"NEW YORK, NY November 05, 2009 —President Obama is praising Wisconsin for changing its law to allow student achievement to be used to evaluate teachers. The president visited Madison, Wisconsin yesterday, to promote his Race-to-the-Top fund which will award over $4-billion in total to states in exchange for reforms. As WNYC’s Beth Fertig reports, that puts pressure on New York, just as the city and the teachers union are negotiating a new contract.

REPORTER: Schools Chancellor Joel Klein talks often about the importance of getting better quality teachers."

House Democrats Introduce H1N1 Flu Emergency Sick-Leave Bill

House Democrats Introduce H1N1 Flu Emergency Sick-Leave Bill:

"WASHINGTON – This week U.S. House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) and Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) introduced H.R. 3991, the Emergency Influenza Containment Act.

H.R. 3991 would apply to employers with 15 or more employees. It would require employers who direct or advise employees to stay home from work due to symptoms of a contagious illness — such as H1N1 flu —to provide up to five days of paid sick leave. Employers that currently offer at least five days of paid sick leave would generally be exempt.

The bill would be effective 15 days after enactment and would sunset in two years. The committee plans to hold a hearing on the bill the week of November 16. The New York Times writes that Miller said in a telephone briefing: “We would like to move it to the floor as soon as possible...The influenza isn’t waiting for the legislative calendar.”"

Editorial: Mayoral arrogance hampers progress - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Editorial: Mayoral arrogance hampers progress - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:

"A year later, Sacramento's self-proclaimed collaborative mayor needlessly offended Rancho Cordova officials when he announced that he planned to house 105 homeless men, women and children this winter in that city without consulting city officials.

Like the rest of Rancho Cordova, Councilman Ken Cooley learned about Johnson's homeless plan for his city from the newspapers. When Cooley went out to examine the proposed site at the old Mather Air Force Base, he found deteriorating apartments probably built in the 1950s. Most had no stoves or refrigerators. Some had mold. A city employee stuck a pen into a wall and ants came boiling out."

SN&R > Columns > Bites > Business as usual > 11.05.09

SN&R > Columns > Bites > Business as usual > 11.05.09:

"Michelle Smira, one of the mayor’s top volunteer advisers, is leaving to run Kevin Johnson’s “strong mayor” campaign and to work as a consultant for Nestlé—and it’s business as usual at City Hall.

On October 22, Smira sent her resignation letter to the mayor, in which she explains that she’s leaving the city post to boost Johnson’s strong-mayor initiative.

“We need to change our antiquated structure and I will be there to help educate our community on the issue,” Smira "wrote in her letter. (You can read the whole letter on SN&R’s news blog, Snog.)

Smira told Bites she doesn’t believe there’s any legal issue with keeping both jobs, but said that if she didn’t quit the City Hall gig, then she wouldn’t have time to run her public-relations business, MMS Strategies.

Well, it just so happens that MMS Strategies was hired, within three days of Smira’s exit from City Hall, by Nestlé Waters. There, she’ll help conduct Nestlé’s public-relations offensive for a controversial water-bottling plant in south Sacramento.

Smira has worked previously on campaigns for U.S. Rep Doug Ose and for presidential candidate John McCain, and has served as the chairwoman for the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce political action committee, Metro PAC.

Sacramento Press / $10m Unity Center funding cut from water bond

Sacramento Press / $10m Unity Center funding cut from water bond:

"The California State Assembly stripped $10 million that had been earmarked for the future California Unity Center from an $11 billion state water bond proposal early Wednesday.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento had requested the money for the center to be built on 16th Street. He defended the provision Tuesday, but agreed to its being slashed from the water bond early Wednesday after its inclusion was stalling the bond from passing in the Assembly, confirmed Nathan Barankin, a Steinberg spokesman. Minutes later, the bond passed.

The session continued until nearly dawn. Later Wednesday, Steinberg told reporters he'd realized the $10-million earmark was threatening to derail the water bond."

Elk Grove Citizen : Archives > News > Solving $42 million school district budget shortfall

Elk Grove Citizen : Archives > News > Solving $42 million school district budget shortfall:

"The Citizen reported last week that there may be a $20 million glimmer of hope in solving some of the projected $42 million shortfall for the Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD) in 2010-11. If approved, it would save a hundred or so jobs.

The school district staff in August asked the seven unions that represent district employees to approve a negotiated plan which would include a reduction of work days, freezing steps and columns, ceasing the lottery payment and other cuts. If approved, it would save nearly $21 million."

For sports, EGUSD Superintendent Dr. Steven Ladd presented a plan at the last public forum that said the district would use $1.5 million of the $3 million saved from changing 12 elementary schools from year-round to traditional schedules.The district, in its proposed budget, planned to cut $800,000 from sports for 2010-11.

Tom Gardner, president of the Elk Grove Education Association (EGEA) and the largest union in the district, said Friday they are not expected to present the plan to their members until January.But he did say his union is considering the furlough days as a definite possibility. However, he said they are still completing negotiations for their contract.

Friends of the North Natomas Regional Park

Just a reminder to join me, the Friends of the North Natomas Regional Park, and the City of Sacramento's Department of Parks and Recreation for a workshop tonight on the North Natomas Regional Park.We will discuss the results of a recent community survey and talk about future development in the Park.

DATE: Tonight, November 4th

TIME: 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM

LOCATION: Inderkum High School
2500 New Market Drive

We look forward to hearing from you. You voice is important, so if you are unable to make tonight's meeting, please feel free to email me with your ideas.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (916) 808-7001.

Sincerely,

Ray TrethewayCouncilmember, District 1