Ford Foundation gives $100 million to reform urban high schools -- latimes.com

Ford Foundation gives $100 million to reform urban high schools -- latimes.com:

"The Ford Foundation pledged $100 million Wednesday to 'transform' urban high schools in the United States, focusing on seven cities, including Los Angeles.

The seven-year initiative is among the largest philanthropic efforts aimed at improving education in the United States and, as described, could both complement and challenge aspects of the Obama administration's education reform efforts. It will fund research and reform in four areas: teacher quality, student assessment, a longer school day and year, and school funding.

The initiative is being led by Jeannie Oakes, who until recently was head of the Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access at UCLA, where she was a strong advocate for reform aimed at helping disadvantaged students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Besides Los Angeles, the Ford Foundation effort will focus on schools in New York, Newark, N.J., Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit and Denver."

California school boards group snubs state legislators | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

California school boards group snubs state legislators L.A. NOW Los Angeles Times:

"And the winner is ... no one.

That’s right. Nobody won this year’s Legislator of the Year Award from the California School Boards Assn. because schools suffered so much from funding cuts approved by the state Legislature that the group didn't want to single out any lawmaker for praise.

“Sure, there are some legislators who have done good things for education, and others that we admire for their efforts,” Frank Pugh, the group’s president-elect and a board member for Santa Rosa city schools, said in a release. “But for crying out loud, schools have been cut by $2,100 per student. We’d be nuts to present this award to anybody in a year when the cuts are going to have detrimental effects on an entire generation of students. We just have to draw the line somewhere.”"

California might miss swine flu inoculation goal because of vaccine shortage | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

California might miss swine flu inoculation goal because of vaccine shortage L.A. NOW Los Angeles Times:

"If H1N1 flu vaccine shortages persist, California may not be able to vaccinate those most at risk by the end of December, public health officials said today.

Health officials have said that at least 25 city and county health agencies have received less than 45% of the vaccine doses they ordered. The state's goal had been to have all 'high-risk' patients vaccinated by Dec. 31 -- but the shortage of vaccine is putting that goal in jeopardy.

“We may not be able to meet the target if the vaccine does not get here,' said Dr. Gil Chavez, epidemiologist for the California Department of Public Health.

Chavez said state officials are monitoring the problem and plan to deliver more vaccine within two weeks to the agencies with significant shortfalls. “As we move forward, we are actually able to tell who has received vaccine, who has not, and try to bring people to parity,” he said.

“We believe, by and large, that the vaccine is being given to those who should receive it,” he added.

Vaccinations for the so-called swine flue are supposed to be directed to five priority groups: pregnant women, people ages 2-24, healthcare workers, caregivers of babies under 6 months old, and people ages 25-64 with chronic health conditions that put them at increased risk of complications from the flu."

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson gets engaged - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson gets engaged - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has gotten engaged to Washington, D.C., schools chancellor Michelle Rhee.

Johnson's office confirmed the engagement in an e-mailed statement this morning. Spokesman Joaquin McPeek declined to say when or where the engagement happened. He said no wedding date has been set and the couple is planning a long engagement."

"This is an exciting time in our lives, and I feel truly blessed," Johnson said in a statement. "Michelle is an amazing person, and I could not be happier."

The Washington Post's Reliable Source blog reported Rhee, 39, was seen at a Democrats for Education Reform/DC School Reform Event Now event in downtown Washington on Wednesday with a "pretty sparkly thing on her left hand."

Johnson and Rhee have been seen holding hands at several public events in recent months, but the mayor has refused to discuss their personal relationship.

Sacramento Press / Benefit Auctioneer Raises Big Bucks for Area Non-Profits, Despite Tough Economy

Sacramento Press / Benefit Auctioneer Raises Big Bucks for Area Non-Profits, Despite Tough Economy:

"Professional benefit auctioneer David Sobon raised more than $102,000 for charitable causes in a recent three-day weekend of back-to-back live auctions—defying recent economy-driven declines in charitable contributions that have decimated many Sacrament-area non-profits.

Sobon, a partner in Maximum Benefits Auctions, presided at a live auction Friday, Oct. 16, that raised more than $25,000 for Faces of Tomorrow, a Yolo County organization that funds facial surgery for Ecuadoran children with cleft palate. A second live auction Saturday, Oct. 17, raised more than $23,000 for the Woodland Sunrise Rotary’s project to provide cooking stoves for impoverished families in Guatemala; and a third live auction Sunday, Oct. 18, raised more than $56,000 for the Susan G. Komen Sacramento Valley Affiliate."

Reliable Source - Michelle Rhee and Kevin Johnson get engaged

Reliable Source - Michelle Rhee and Kevin Johnson get engaged:

"To say that Michelle Rhee and Kevin Johnson rolled out their relationship carefully is an understatement. Last winter, the D.C. schools chief declined to say whether she and the mayor of Sacramento -- a longtime friend and close political ally -- were dating.

Not even after we saw them holding hands during the inauguration! ('I don't comment on my personal life,' she said at the time.)
But seems as though they're officially a couple now. In fact, she confirmed for us, they're engaged.

Rhee, 39, spoke Wednesday night at a Democrats for Education Reform/DC School Reform Now event downtown, and a pretty sparkly thing on her left hand caught the eye of more than one audience member. Seems fitting, since this is a relationship we've largely followed via sightings of the two at various policy-wonk confabs."

» ‘Iron Chef America’ Comes to the White House Row 2, Seat 4 « FOXNews.com

» ‘Iron Chef America’ Comes to the White House Row 2, Seat 4 « FOXNews.com:

"Set your Tivos and DVRs: the Food Network is airing a 'Super Chef Special' two-hour episode of Iron Chef America on January 3rd that will feature not only the White House Kitchen Garden but First Lady Michelle Obama and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford."

Food Network celebrity chefs Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse were in Washington last month for the special taping at the White House, confirms the First Lady's office.

In the episode, the chefs are greeted by the First Lady and are given their Super Chef Challenge: "create a meal for America using the White House Kitchen Garden's produce as their secret ingredients," announced the Food Network in a statement.

The chefs will compete in teams: Flay and Comerford versus Batali and Lagasse. Armed with their secret White House Kitchen Garden ingredients, the four chefs then head to New York to 'Kitchen Stadium' for the actual battle.

According to the Food Network statement, "each team must produce five dishes that showcase the ingredients they selected from the garden and that represent the ultimate American meal."

The battle's judges will include chef Nigella Lawson, Olympic gold medalist Natalie Coughlin; and actress Jane Seymour.
Mrs. Obama recently had 5th graders from a local school come to the Garden for a harvesting event.

Virtual schools chart new course | ajc.com

Virtual schools chart new course ajc.com:

"Representatives of five would-be virtual charter schools will file into the administrative towers of the Georgia Department of Education today to pitch their brand of public education, which lets students study at home computers in their pajamas."

Some contenders will come with national representatives from education management companies touting their records of student achievement in other states. Some will rely on the moms and dads who sit on the boards of petitioning schools to make their case.

If they’re successful, they stand to be funded just as any other Georgia public school. Some state officials, however, aren’t ready to prop open the door of school choice and let more cyber campuses in without first doing more homework on the subject.

Tuesday, the state Board of Education stifled the plans of the state’s only existing virtual charter school, which asked for the opportunity to compete for full funding from the Georgia Charter Schools Commission. The state school board tabled the request so it could study the issue.

The five newcomers, however, did not have to seek permission to petition the commission. They have bypassed traditional routes to charter authorization in Georgia, which is first seeking approval from a local school district and then, if denied, appealing to the state Board of Education. With a second charter authorizer in the state up and running, new pathways are being created for charter school hopefuls.

Bridging Differences: Simplify Everything Else, Not Kids & Subject Matter

Bridging Differences: Simplify Everything Else, Not Kids & Subject Matter:

"Dear Diane,

The absurdities you describe are on the mark and ought to kill the idea of paying teachers based on their students' test scores. But we both know the idea won't die that easily. Even the most renowned of testing experts argue that we're nowhere near being able to produce tests that can do the job of pay-by-score that folks want. I do wonder at times what 'they' think they are doing?

The trouble is that when I start down that path I see conspiracies everywhere—for example, that these schemes justify hiring inexperienced and low-paid teachers—who can do scripted test-prep as well as the next guy. It has the handy side effect of destroying solidarity which from a businessman's perspective (perhaps) is a good thing, and keeps teachers away from controversial subjects—and tightly aligned to the stuff being tested. It probably weakens unions. And finally, it paves the way for a marketplace system of schooling instead of a public one (which is then relabeled a bureaucratic monopolistic model). Of course, the latter can be true—and as you know I was an early champion of choice and increased school autonomy for just that reason—within the public sector."

Michelle Obama at "Science Bowl" "I'm like Alex Trebek" Transcript, Pool report - Lynn Sweet

Michelle Obama at "Science Bowl" "I'm like Alex Trebek" Transcript, Pool report - Lynn Sweet:

"Ten students from two Maryland middle schools held a high-stakes practice for the regional Science Bowl competition Thursday in Washington. There were no prizes on the line, just a moderator who promised to report the results of the competition to her husband - the president.

First Lady Michelle Obama hosted the practice competition in an auditorium at the Department of Energy, where longtime DoE employees made up the audience. The event was part of Obama's tour of federal agencies. The first lady was originally scheduled to visit the Department of Energy in February, but Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu, who introduced Obama, said the White House canceled her appearance at the last minute and sent a 'substitute.'

'The president did an admirable job of filling in,' Chu said to laughter. 'But today we have the real deal.'"

More report cards go online - USATODAY.com

More report cards go online - USATODAY.com:

"CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — When report cards went out for students in the Clarksville-Montgomery County school district in October, most of the 29,000-plus students did not have a printed version for their parents to sign.

That's because the district went largely paperless with its report cards for the first time, making grades available to parents with secure accounts online, says communications manager Michelle Newell.

A growing number of districts nationwide are making the change says Ann Flynn, director of education technology with the National School Boards Association."

District takes close look at co-op - Daily Democrat Online

District takes close look at co-op - Daily Democrat Online:

"While funding for the Woodland Parent Nursery School only accounts for a fraction of the about $3 million in the school district's necessary cuts for 2010-11, outcry among parents is 100 percent.

The Woodland Parent Nursery School is a 55-year-old cooperative that enables parents to work for reduced fees while playing an instrumental role in their child's education.

The preschool is overseen by the district's Adult Education program, which pays for a full-time director and teacher, amounting to $29,885 of the districts general fund.
The preschool is one of four Adult Education programs on the chopping block, equating to half a million dollars in potential cuts to the school."

Give Obama A+ for school reform ideas - CNN.com

Give Obama A+ for school reform ideas - CNN.com:

"San Diego, California (CNN) -- President Obama deserves an A+ for his agenda for education reform. His decision to nominate Arne Duncan as U.S. education secretary was inspired, and his comments on holding the system accountable are honest, refreshing and insightful.

Obama showed that again this week with a powerful speech at James C. Wright Middle School in Madison, Wisconsin.

He announced that, in the coming weeks, states would be able to compete for their share of more than $4 billion in funding through the administration's Race to the Top initiative. But in order to do that, he said, the states have to demonstrate that they're serious about increasing accountability by doing things like tearing down 'firewall laws' that prevent districts from factoring in student performance when evaluating teachers."

SCUSD Observer: Confirmed: Montessori will move to TJ Elementary

SCUSD Observer: Confirmed: Montessori will move to TJ Elementary:

"Confirmed: Montessori will move to TJ Elementary

California Montessori Project will be relocating to the Thomas Jefferson Elementary School located at 2635 Chestnut Hill Drive, Sacramento, CA 95826. School will be closed on Nov. 12th and 13th for the move and will resume on Monday, November 16th. SCUSD will provide bus transportation in the morning and the afternoon beginning Nov. 12th through the end of the school year."

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Guest Blogger: A Day in the Life of School Budget Cuts

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Guest Blogger: A Day in the Life of School Budget Cuts:

"Guest blogger Ashley Hermsmeier is a teacher, runner and writer in her sixth year of teaching English at El Capitan High School in Lakeside. In her blog titled, 'I Run Because I Teach' she discusses the two aspects of life that simultaneously mean the most and frustrate her the most (besides her husband)-- teaching and running.

These are her reflections and opinions, not mine, so if you have burning questions or comments, please contact Ashley via e-mail at amorrow@guhsd.net. Or post a comment here on the blog.
-- EMILY ALPERT

8:02 a.m. Second Period
My students shuffle into the classroom turning off cell phones and stowing iPods in hoodie pockets. As they sit down and begin to unpack their things, I hear pieces of conversations and the occasional cough or sniffle. When I take roll I notice six students are absent. I usually have two empty desks, for a class size of 37, but today the room feels cavernous. I am reminded of the teacher down the hall who doesn’t have enough desks for all her 42 students; I feel lucky to have only 37 students."

Sex education will help gay children | Joseph Galliano | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Sex education will help gay children Joseph Galliano Comment is free guardian.co.uk:

Think B4 You Speak.com

"As a gay child, and in common with many gay children, I was terrified for most of my school life. My earliest sexual encounters – which all occurred before the age of consent (21 at that time) – were unsafe and I constantly felt that I could somehow be 'in trouble' for who I was.

If I did receive any sex education that seemed relevant, though appalling to me, it came in the form of an almost annual scandal – the suspension and expulsion of a couple of boys unfortunate enough to be caught in some forbidden clinch. We were either invisible or bullied by our peers and those in authority, denied information about ourselves and denied the right for our sexuality to be just one of the many things that made us who we were.

Of course, this was almost 25 years ago for me and many positive changes have swept through society since then. We have an equal age of consent, anti-hate crime laws and more positive role models. I am deeply heartened that the government has finally done the decent thing and attempted to make proper sex education available to all schoolchildren and that this will now include information about homosexuality and civil partnerships."

ACLU sues state over county graduation rate -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

ACLU sues state over county graduation rate -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com:

"Palm Beach County's 'poor' high school graduation rate is a result of the state's failure to provide a high-quality education guaranteed under the state constitution, a class-action lawsuit claims.

On behalf of parents and students, the American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday sued state officials in Palm Beach County Circuit Court. A judge dismissed a similar lawsuit against local school officials in June 2008, ruling that they could not be named as defendants.

In the new litigation targeting Gov. Charlie Crist, Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith and others, the ACLU wants the district to improve its graduation rate and to remove a 'significant disparity' between the rates of white students and their black and Hispanic peers."

Z Blogs

Z Blogs:

"On October 24 more than 800 students, teachers, and other workers met to plan how to advance the struggle to defend and transform public education in California and beyond.

The 10/24 conference endorsed the U of California and California State U strike and mobilization on Nov. 17th- 20th and decided to call for statewide solidarity actions on these days.

In addition, Conference participants also called for a 'Strike and Day of Action that is inclusive of all different tactics, including: walkouts, rallies, march to Sacramento, teach ins, occupations, and all other forms of protests chosen by schools and organizations.'"

Golden Gate [X]press : 'Broken California' in need of reboot

Golden Gate [X]press : 'Broken California' in need of reboot:

"More than a hundred people gathered in Knuth Hall Thursday evening to listen to suggestions on how to make California better.

'Something is broken and needs fixing,' said Gerald Eisman, director of the Institute for Civic and Community Engagement.

The town hall meeting in the College of Creative Arts building included five speakers and each one gave their advice on what Californians can do to improve the state.
SF State senior Honora Keller provided a student's perspective for the budget cuts as well as supporting an idea for creating more money for higher education in California."

Misinformation: the Enemy of Excellence - The Daily Californian

Misinformation: the Enemy of Excellence - The Daily Californian:

"Misinformation is the enemy of progress toward solutions that will preserve excellence and access within all 10 campuses of the University of California.

One troubling example is the claim by a UC Santa Cruz faculty union leader that educational fee increases are being implemented to allow the university system and campuses to borrow more money for capital projects.

It's the kind of factually challenged distortion we've come to expect in partisan politics. What makes it troubling is that this and other misleading claims spread like viruses through the UC community. We hope students, faculty and staff recognize it for what it is: nonsense."