No more senior year of high school | detnews.com | The Detroit News

No more senior year of high school detnews.com The Detroit News:

"No more senior year of high school

Idea 34: Eliminate the senior year of high school.

Why: For far too many of Michigan's students, the 12th grade has become nothing more than state-subsidized dating. Educators and parents frequently discuss this 'senioritis,' the so-called disease when students stop worrying about their grades because they have already been accepted to a university or are more concerned about social activities during their last year of high school. Our children have matured at a faster pace, and technological advances have accelerated learning and knowledge exponentially.

AdvertisementBenefits: With the state investing about $1 billion per grade in K-12 education, a portion of these resources could be redirected to our community colleges and universities with a far better outcome for the individual and state."

The 'reform math' problem | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/09/2009

The 'reform math' problem Philadelphia Inquirer 11/09/2009:

"Recent reports put the number of children with autism spectrum disorders at one in 100. Also in the news, following the latest national and state test results, is math education. What has escaped the media's attention is that these two topics are connected.

Their connection begins in the classrooms into which an ever higher proportion of children with autism spectrum disorders are being mainstreamed. More and more of these regular K-12 classrooms are using new 'reform math' programs such as Everyday Math, Investigations, and Connected Mathematics. In the Philadelphia area in particular, it's hard to find a public, private, or charter school that doesn't use reform math.

The prevalence of this curriculum is coinciding with widespread special needs. Students on the autism spectrum, however much they vary, share several basic traits. They don't perform well in unsupervised groups of peers. Many have trouble putting words together, and nearly all struggle with verbal comprehension to some extent."

Mayor at mid-term: How's he doing? | Philadelphia Daily News | 11/09/2009

Mayor at mid-term: How's he doing? Philadelphia Daily News 11/09/2009:

"IN 1991, WHEN Ed Rendell won election as mayor by a landslide, his chief political strategist, Neil Oxman, wrote in a memo: 'Remember, Ed Rendell has won a huge mandate for change. You can take over everything.'

Oxman could have written the same to another client, Michael Nutter, who won his own landslide two years ago last Friday as a wildly popular reformer with no help from labor or any other special-interest groups to succeed John Street.

Rendell, faced with a city on the brink of bankruptcy, charged in, taking on the unions, winning concessions and earning their ire, which didn't derail his future political aspirations.

Street, in his first 12 months, quickly settled his four municipal-union contracts, then did battle with the powerful Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, winning a longer school day and the beginning of a process that made a dent in seniority-based teacher assignments."

The American Spectator : Leaving Parents Behind

The American Spectator : Leaving Parents Behind:

"But school reformers have a long way to go where it counts: Addressing the interests of America's parents, who actually choose the schools to which they entrust their children, and helping them pick the best schools for their children in the first place.

At the moment, school reformers aren't considering situations such as that of the middle-class black couple in East Ridge, Tenn., just outside of Chattanooga, now deciding where to send their four-year-old son once he reaches kindergarten. They are skipping the schools offered by the local school district, Hamilton County Schools, for a private school option, but not because of the district's academic performance. Instead, it's because they don't want their son, who currently attends a nearly-all-white preschool, to continue being the only black male in his school."

Duncan Urges ‘More Active’ Business Role in Education Overhaul - Bloomberg.com

Duncan Urges ‘More Active’ Business Role in Education Overhaul - Bloomberg.com:

"Nov. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who is using $100 billion in stimulus funds to overhaul public schools and expand access to college, urged U.S. businesses to play a “more active” role in the effort.

“You can invest in education, because it’s the best return on investment you will ever make,” Duncan said in prepared remarks for a speech today at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington. “You can help train administrators to run schools efficiently. You can give young people work experience -- both paid and unpaid.”"

Lessons for LAUSD -- latimes.com

Lessons for LAUSD -- latimes.com:

"It's hard to imagine a more trying time for students and teachers at the Los Angeles Unified School District. Even more difficult is determining how much of the current woe was brought on by the district itself and how much reflects the vagaries of demographics, politics and the economy."

Consider the dismal budget year, the large-scale layoffs and the declining population of school-age students, then add to these troubles the students lost to charter schools and the resulting reduction in public school funding from the state. Enrollment in charters doesn't happen in smooth, predictable ways; it's not like an entire class from one school moves to another, with a resulting loss of one teacher position. Instead, it's a few from one school, a few from another, in scattered grades, and suddenly none of those schools can afford all of their teachers. And the students who move to charters aren't usually the most challenging ones to educate; those students tend to remain in the public schools.

That's how the district ended up with situations like the one at Mulholland Middle School, reported on last week by Times staff writer Howard Blume. The Van Nuys school has lost 100 students and 10 teachers. Its teachers and administrators took on heavy new workloads to reduce the number of layoffs. Students feel the pain too, in the form of more restricted course offerings and larger class sizes.

Dan Walters: It's time for a hard look at California tax dodges - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

Dan Walters: It's time for a hard look at California tax dodges - Sacramento Politics - California Politics Sacramento Bee:

"Last June, the Public Policy Institute of California released a highly critical report on California's 'enterprise zone' program that provides big tax breaks to businesses for supposedly hiring workers in areas of high unemployment.

PPIC's study of the 42 zones, which are created by local governments with approval from the state Department of Housing and Community Development, concluded that state and local governments were losing about a half-billion dollars in revenue each year without any discernible impact on joblessness.

'The state can ill-afford to continue the to continue the enterprise zone program without clearer evidence of its benefits or a well-defined plan to make it more effective," said Jed Kolko, co-author of the PPIC study. "

Kids' latest aerosol of choice

Kids' latest aerosol of choice:

"The popularity of the personal computer is having an odd and dangerous side-effect.

'Huffing,' using inhalants to get high, has been known to health practitioners and police for decades, but an article in the current issue of Medtox Journal, published by a drug-testing company, reports that a relatively new form of inhalant abuse called 'dusting' is becoming widespread. It's the practice of inhaling products made to dust off your computer screen, products easily available in office supply and department stores."

The effects of "dusting" are similar in some ways to alcohol intoxication, but the high occurs quickly and wears off within minutes. "Dusters" might spray up to 10 times an hour, inhaling through the thin plastic straw provided with the can. Repeated inhalations can damage the lungs, brain, liver, heart and kidneys. Irreversible hearing loss and brain damage may occur.

High levels of inhalants can cause death by suffocation or heart failure. Children have been found dead with a plastic tube dangling from their lips, victims of "sudden sniffing death," which is possible even after a single session of "dusting."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/08/EDMH1AAQNT.DTL#ixzz0WN004uSU

Massachusetts charter school conflict, it's all about the money

Massachusetts charter school conflict, it's all about the money:

"The debate continues between Gloucester and the State of Massachusetts over the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School. This debate began the moment that the charter school's application became public and will not end until the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education makes a final decision on revoking the charter they granted back May 7,2009.

On Saturday the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education held a special meeting to determine if they should revoke the charter and if so, exactly what basis they needed. This is not simple because of the laws that are in place to protect charter schools from losing their charter."

Tempest over a teacup's worth of federal funding for schools - San Jose Mercury News

Tempest over a teacup's worth of federal funding for schools - San Jose Mercury News:

"Into the kettle that is California's $35.7 billion education budget, Uncle Sam may offer to pour a teacup's worth of specialized stimulus funds to help the most struggling schools.

But to hear the rhetoric as the state tries to grab a share of so-called Race to the Top funds, the teacup might as well be a barrel. Behind the brouhaha is the Obama administration's attempt to not only overhaul failing schools, but also to change how educators confront failure, placing responsibility on teachers, administrators and school boards.

The draft regulations announced for Race to the Top 'challenge the status quo in almost every way,' Ted Mitchell, chair of the state Board of Education, said approvingly. Other supporters include Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Senate Democrats, including Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, who authored a bill that spells out reforms for low-performing schools, such as permitting takeovers by outside groups and allowing children to transfer elsewhere. Romero is sponsoring an informational hearing today in San Jose to discuss Race to the Top."

Gay marriage foes win with message about schools :: EDGE Boston

Gay marriage foes win with message about schools :: EDGE Boston:

"In Maine and California, voters were besieged with ad images of what would supposedly happen if same-sex marriage were legal: students going on a field trip to a lesbian wedding, elementary school kids reading books featuring gay couples, kindergartners learning about homosexuality from their teachers - all without any say from parents.

Critics assailed the messages as blatantly misleading fear-mongering.

'It’s drawing on the fears of the unknown,' said Sandy Maisel, director of the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement at Maine’s Colby College. 'There’s no evidence that it’s going to happen, but there’s very clear evidence that it’s an effective campaign tactic.'

Gay marriage opponents discovered the effectiveness in last year’s successful effort to pass Proposition 8 to outlaw gay marriage in California."

The Gouverneur Times - Your Online News Source

The Gouverneur Times - Your Online News Source:

"What is going on with our children?

In one high school in Palo Alto, Calif., four teenagers, acting separately, killed themselves recently by stepping in front of a train.

And who wasn't stunned by the recent reports, also from California, about a group of 20 high school kids either participating in or standing around watching the brutal two-hour-long gang rape of one of their female classmates? The attack took place outside Richmond High School during the homecoming dance. Not one person bothered to call 911. Police are still struggling to identify those involved."

Class Acts: A Q&A with Dave Fry - Local - Modbee.com

Class Acts: A Q&A with Dave Fry - Local - Modbee.com:

"Jordan Stroud nominated Dave Fry for Class Acts. Stroud said that when he was at Argus High School he could tell just by listening to Fry that he cared about the students. Fry isn't there just for a job, he is there to help a younger generation find a better future, Stroud said.

Name: Dave Fry"

The Associated Press: Industry pushes chocolate milk in schools

The Associated Press: Industry pushes chocolate milk in schools:

"MILWAUKEE — The creators of the 'Got Milk?' campaign are getting ready to make a big push to keep chocolate milk on kids' minds and on school lunch menus, a plan that has some educators and obesity activists none too pleased.

The new ad campaign from the dairy industry, set to launch Monday, emphasizes that sugary flavorings are ways to get kids to drink milk. Without them, some youngsters won't drink regular milk and won't get its nutrients, the ads say.

The 'Raise your hand for chocolate milk' campaign starts Monday with an ad in USA Today featuring chocolatey brown colors and the launch of a Web site that asks people to sign a petition declaring their support for chocolate milk in school."

Forget about rating teachers---rate schools instead. - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education

Forget about rating teachers---rate schools instead. - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education:

"Those unfortunate people in the District may worry about the quality of their teachers, and wait anxiously for the results of the school system’s controversial new evaluation of classroom techniques and test score improvement. But those of us in the Washington area suburbs don’t have to worry because we already know that close to 100 percent of our teachers are entirely satisfactory. How? Our school districts say so.

I asked suburban school officials to share the latest results from their teacher evaluations, which are usually done by principals and subject specialists. Here are the percentages of teachers rated satisfactory, in some cases called meeting or exceeding the standard: Alexandria 99 percent, Calvert 99.8 percent, Charles 98.4 percent, Culpeper 97 percent, Fairfax 99.1 percent, Falls Church 99.55 percent, Loudoun 99 percent, Montgomery 95 percent, Prince George’s 95.56 percent, and Prince William 98.3 percent."

'Cult' program in NYC schools

'Cult' program in NYC schools:

"Thousands of city public-school students and teachers are participating in a 'Brain Education' program run by a group with ties to an alleged cult.

For the past three years, the Department of Education has shelled out nearly $400,000 for 44 schools to participate in the Power Brain Education company's lessons and workshops.
But dozens of former employees of an organization called Dahn Yoga -- whose founder developed the teachings for Brain Education -- said the school program is run by a group that is part of a vast web of interrelated companies conning participants into investing all their time and money in unproven health and healing activities."

The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea - Korean-American School Reformer Engaged to Former NBA Star

The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea - Korean-American School Reformer Engaged to Former NBA Star:

"Michelle Rhee, the Korean-American chancellor of the Washington, D.C. public school system, is engaged to former NBA star and current Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.

Rhee gained fame and controversy for her tough-minded reforms of the city's school system, which involved laying off hundreds of teachers in 2008, including the principal of her daughter's school. Johnson was a point guard for the Phoenix Suns from the late 1980s to the late 1990s."

JOSE DE LA ISLA: The Hoover or Roosevelt of education » Standard-Times

JOSE DE LA ISLA: The Hoover or Roosevelt of education » Standard-Times:

"This is no small question. Marc Tucker, in the same publication, points out that the United States has one of the highest-cost, lowest-performing education systems in the industrial world. He focuses on better teachers being put in charge, in a similar way that doctors run hospitals. He champions a new system that is, mercifully, not called “reform” but “redesign.”
The old matrix of looking at how much money is to be spent is a deceptive measure because we allocate twice as much to secondary education.

Measuring high school graduates, we slide to 18th among the 36 industrialized nations, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. But why expect anything different when our public education was intended for an industrial society that is passing from the scene? Tucker calls it a “dysfunctional design.”

Many Latino advocacy groups and individuals have been either on the wrong side of this debate or they are not up to speed with cutting-edge thinking. This matters because they will soon be invited to the policy casino and asked to turn their nearly 70 percent vote for Obama into chips to play administration poker."

Mogul: How public education changed - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News

Mogul: How public education changed - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News:

"Forty years ago this month, the Task Force on Children out of School held its first meeting to investigate the on-the-street evidence of many children not attending the Boston Public Schools. The Task Force was a citizen-driven body, led by Hubie Jones (then executive director of the Roxbury Multi-Service Center) but it also had the blessing and participation of key city and state officials.

One year later, on Oct. 14, 1970, headlines blared throughout the city of a newly uncovered scandal. Ten thousand or more children were either being systematically excluded from Boston's public education system or warehoused in classrooms or schools that provided inferior or custodial care. The bulk of these children were Spanish-speaking, mainly from Puerto Rico. Thousands were misclassified as mentally retarded. Others had behavior problems too difficult to handle or had been branded as 'unteachable' because of their physical handicaps or other disabilities. Some were girls who had been barred from school simply because they had become pregnant."

Suozzi wants control of schools, wins criticism

Suozzi wants control of schools, wins criticism:

"A proposal by Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi for the executive to control school districts was dismissed out of hand by superintendents and local politicians Saturday.

In an op-ed piece in Newsday Sunday, Suozzi argues Tuesday's election convinced him that the county executive should be in charge of public schools.

Democrat Suozzi, whose re-election race against Republican Edward Mangano will be decided by more than 6,000 absentee ballots, said he believes voters blame him for Nassau's high property taxes even though schools account for 65 percent of their bill.

He suggests using Mayor Michael Bloomberg's takeover of the New York City school system in 2002 as a model for Nassau to achieve savings, though he acknowledges the move needs state approval. 'I'm sure this will be the beginning of a long debate,' Suozzi said Saturday. 'I encourage others to present additional ideas on how to address our property tax problem.'"