Safe Routes to School Report Aims to Rally State, Local Support

Safe Routes to School Report Aims to Rally State, Local Support:

"A report released this week gives results from 10 pilot projects that offer best practices and lessons learned for communities and schools wishing to tap into federal funds for developing safe biking and walking paths for students, especially in low-income areas with high crime rates."

But first, state departments of transportation must be on board, said Deb Hubsmith, director of the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, which authored the report.
“We need to ensure that state level policies are set up in such a way that they help low-income communities that are most vulnerable to childhood obesity,” she said.

But, while targeting rising rates of childhood obesity remains a key goal, more attention is being turned to keeping children safe from crime on their way to and from school.

The goal of the partnership, which launched in 2005 after the federal Safe Routes to School program was implemented as directed by current surface transportation act, SAFETEA-LU, is to help states to develop action plans and policies and allocate federal and matching state Safe Routes funds for assisting local schools in cite planning and school wellness programs.

Hubsmith added that the report, “Safe Routes to School State Network Project: Final Report, 2007-2009, Making Change Through Partners and Policies,” is designed to help states structure a Safe Routes blueprint that will trickle down to the local level and, in doing so, set a precedence nationwide.


Safe Routes to School National Partnership (SRTSNP).

CCRI is spread too thin to train 21st-century work force, report finds | Rhode Island news | projo.com | The Providence Journal

CCRI is spread too thin to train 21st-century work force, report finds Rhode Island news projo.com The Providence Journal:

"With more than 70,000 Rhode Islanders out of work, hard questions are being asked of the state’s only community college and its ability to train Rhode Islanders for 21st-century jobs.

Is the Community College of Rhode Island preparing students for jobs of the future or the jobs of the past? Is CCRI equipped to lead the state in training students for jobs in allied health, information technology, advanced manufacturing and green industries? Can the state offer the college adequate resources to do what needs to be done?

Can CCRI respond quickly enough to changing market needs?"

Seattle PostGlobe | News | Seattle | State schools chief appears ready to signal big retreat on academic requirements

Seattle PostGlobe News Seattle State schools chief appears ready to signal big retreat on academic requirements:

"Education leaders may have to wait until next Thursday to hear the details, but state Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn will likely call for a big retreat on long-planned science and math requirements for high school graduation. Well-informed education reform sources told the PostGlobe that they expect Dorn to say he wants an indefinite postponement of the science requirement.

It also appears he could ask for more than a year's delay in the requirement that students pass a standardized math test to graduate high school.

The PostGlobe confirmed that a leader of the Office of the Superintendent Public Instruction's work on the science requirements will leave the department. Mary McClellan, the science director of teaching and learning, said she is resigning over 'philosophical' differences. She didn't elaborate and an office spokesman said he could not comment on personnel matters."

Nevada out of ‘race’ for innovation funding - Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009 | 2 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun

Nevada out of ‘race’ for innovation funding - Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009 2 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun:

"It’s official: Nevada has been shut out of the “Race to the Top,” a federal grant program offering $4.35 billion to improve the nation’s public schools.

Keith Rheault, Nevada’s superintendent of public instruction, said Thursday “it’s looking pretty hopeless ... they won’t even let us come to the starting line.”

To compete for the grants, states must, among other qualifying criteria, allow the use of student test scores in the evaluation of their teachers. During a special legislative session in 2003, Nevada lawmakers passed a last-minute bill that explicitly prohibited using test data in teacher evaluations."

Who Needs Mathematicians for Math, Anyway? by Sandra Stotsky, City Journal 13 November 2009

Who Needs Mathematicians for Math, Anyway? by Sandra Stotsky, City Journal 13 November 2009:

"The statistics on U.S. math performance are grim. American eighth-graders ranked 25th out of 30 countries in mathematics achievement on the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which claims to assess application of the mathematical knowledge and skills needed in adult life through problem-solving test items.

We do better on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), whose test items are related to the content of school mathematics curricula. (Differences in participating countries aren’t significant.) But according to Mark Schneider, a former commissioner of education statistics at the Department of Education, the United States lags behind too many countries in “overall mathematics performance and in the performance of our best students.”

And achievement gaps between different student groups within the United States, Schneider says, are “about the same size or even bigger than the gap between the United States and the top-performing countries in TIMSS.”"

School junk food -- chicagotribune.com

School junk food -- chicagotribune.com:

"I am a pediatrician on Chicago's North Side and have two children who attend a Chicago Public Schools school, Inter-American Magnet. I became the chair of our school's fledgling parent nutrition committee this year.

Our committee hasn't even met once this year yet, but in trying to recruit members, I have been asked several questions by parents regarding the quality and selection of food offered at our school's breakfast and lunch."

One mom of a kindergartener told me that her child comes home with her home-packed lunch uneaten because she is bused to school and then eats Froot Loops and a doughnut for breakfast. As a parent, I rarely let my kids buy school lunch until another parent applied for and won a grant for our school that started a lunchtime salad bar.

Now my kids get salad bar twice a week and love it. (Mind you, they will not eat vegetables I pack from home.) I still do not let them eat the school lunch on other days as it is filled with what I call "carnival food": nachos, pizza, corn dogs. I have had discussions about the food selection and the point has been made that the intersection between healthy school food and food that kids will eat is very narrow.

Education reform tour stops in Baltimore -- baltimoresun.com

Education reform tour stops in Baltimore -- baltimoresun.com:

"An unlikely trio explored several Baltimore schools Friday as part of an effort to highlight education reform and challenges, and called on Maryland to give charter schools more autonomy.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich repeatedly emphasized the need for changes to the state's charter school law, which he called 'too restrictive,' as he, the Rev. Al Sharpton and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan toured three city schools and spoke with students, administrators and others about their schools - and what sets them apart.

'I hope that everybody in Maryland will call the governor, will call the legislators, and will let them know that if they want every child in Baltimore to have the chance to have a quality education ... they have to reform the charter school law,' Gingrich said, standing with Duncan and Sharpton at Hampstead Hill Academy, a neighborhood charter. 'If you have the ability to shape resources, to shape people, to focus time on the students, you really can have a dramatic impact. But to do that, you have to have a more flexible, a more creative charter law.'"

San Clemente plans for Supreme Court in free speech case | court, san, city - News - The Orange County Register

San Clemente plans for Supreme Court in free speech case court, san, city - News - The Orange County Register:

"Handbills under windshield wipers count as litter, not free speech, San Clemente officials say, and they plan to go to the Supreme Court to prove it."

A group opposed to illegal immigration recently sued the city over its ban on leafleting parked cars.

At first, the Central District Court of California sided with the city. Then in early October, 9th Circuit Court judges disagreed on appeal and put an injunction on San Clemente's law.
Now the city has begun the process to petition the Supreme Court for an appeal, which it plans to file as early as next month.

"The City Council is asking themselves, 'What are we to tell the citizens if we just eliminate our anti-littering ordinance because we don't want to be accused of violating someone's First Amendment right?'" said Ed Richards, San Clemente's attorney. "The city gets people complaining about litter all the time. It can't just abdicate its responsibility. It has to deal with this issue."

The case affects all cities in California, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii and Washington that have a similar law. On Monday, dominoes may start to fall. The Los Angeles Central District Court is scheduled to apply the injunction then, and once that happens, it becomes unconstitutional for cities in the 9th Circuit to carry out the law.

Some cities are already on the defense. One nearby city's attorney has recommended that the law be taken off the books. Other Orange County cities such as San Juan Capistrano and Laguna Woods have similar laws but have not made a decision on what they plan to do about this sticky situation.
There's another sticky factor: money.

States turn backs on millions of Race to the Top funds due to educators' concerns

States turn backs on millions of Race to the Top funds due to educators' concerns:

"Some educators won't buy Obama's Race to the Top program, and states are turning down Race to the Top funds from the U.S. Department of Education.
Why would states turn the money down?

Basically, it's because educators don't want to comply with the federal qualifications for the money.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced Thursday the finalization of an application process for the final 4.35 billion dollars."

However, about half of the states will not attempt to accomplish four major reforms to qualify for Race to the Top funds, including:
• Developing teacher evaluations that are tied to student performance,
• Streamlining the process to allow professionals in other fields to gain teacher certification,
• Increasing the number of charter or other alternative schools, and
• Developing methods to deal with failing schools.

So why haven't many states adopted these reforms, especially when the state could land extra millions of dollars?

There is the obvious fact that every time federal dollars come with mandates, they end up costing more in the long run. This alleged to be the case with No Child Left Behind, and many school districts have sued the Department of Education over this issue.

There are other reasons for states electing not to enact the reforms.

Vilsack Announces $13.4 Million in Community Connect Broadband Grants

Vilsack Announces $13.4 Million in Community Connect Broadband Grants:

"WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the selection of 22 projects in 10 states to receive $13.4 million in broadband community connect grant funds.

'The Obama Administration recognizes that modern technology is critical to the expansion of business, education, and health care services in rural areas and the competitiveness of the nation's small towns and rural communities,' Vilsack said. 'The President and USDA are committed to bringing broadband services to communities, including isolated ones, so rural residents have access to quality economic, social and educational opportunities.'

USDA Rural Development's Community Connect program provides financial assistance to furnish broadband service in unserved, often isolated, rural communities. The grants are used to establish broadband service for critical facilities such as fire or police stations, while also providing service to residents and businesses. The project must also include a community center that provides community residents with free broadband service for the first two years."

National Briefing - South - North Carolina - Cash-for-Grades Plan Principal Quits - NYTimes.com

National Briefing - South - North Carolina - Cash-for-Grades Plan Principal Quits - NYTimes.com:

"A middle school principal will retire after school district leaders halted a cash-for-grades fund-raiser she approved. The principal, Susie Shepherd, had planned to allow students to buy 20 test points for a $20 donation. School district officials stopped the fund-raiser this week, saying no students would get extra credit and any donations would be returned."

Students look beyond state - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Students look beyond state - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"The annual race to get into college has begun, and for students who want to attend California's public universities, the competition this year is going to be cutthroat.

The number of high school graduates in California is expected to peak with this year's graduating class. Despite the soaring number of potential college students, the University of California and California State University are cutting back the number of freshmen they admit."

Barrow teacher done in by anonymous “parent” e-mail about her Facebook page | Get Schooled

Barrow teacher done in by anonymous “parent” e-mail about her Facebook page Get Schooled:

"I have spent a good part of this week working on the story about Barrow County teacher Ashley Payne. Payne resigned – under pressure, she alleges — after her principal said she was going to be suspended for her Facebook postings of photos with alcohol and her use of the word “bitch.” She is now suing the system. (See earlier posting on this for more background.)

Payne posted that she was headed out to play Crazy Bitch Bingo, a popular game played weekly at Joe’s On Juniper in Atlanta.

Her photos are just standard tourist shots of Payne on vacation in Europe, sitting at pubs and beer gardens. Of 700 vacation photos, 10 had alcohol in them.

Somehow, the principal told Payne that a student had seen her Facebook page. I asked several times this week for Barrow to explain to me how it learned that a student saw the page since Payne says her buddy list does not include any parents or students. It does include fellow teachers.

Barrow officials told me a parent had brought the information to the superintendent’s attention, but the district would not release the parent’s name."

The Answer Sheet - How well do kids do research today? Should they ever look at Wikipedia?

The Answer Sheet - How well do kids do research today? Should they ever look at Wikipedia?:

"Readers had some interesting responses to yesterday’s post from high school senior Adam Turay about how unexpectedly difficult it was for him to do a research paper using books rather than the Internet.

Parents: How extensively do your children do research for school papers? Does anyone still own encyclopedias?

Teachers: What sources and how many of them do you require when you assign a research paper? Is Wikipedia acceptable as a source?

Posted by: jane100000
Adam, some would say (and I would agree) that neither conducting an on-line search nor consulting an encyclopedia counts as doing a research paper. Google and wikipedia can give a student a great start in gaining some grasp of the issues s/he is planning to address in a paper, but only reading entire chapters (or entire books) and being able to consult journal articles can get you even close to confidence that you’re not missing the boat."

State colleges accepting more nonresidents to keep up revenue - washingtonpost.com

State colleges accepting more nonresidents to keep up revenue - washingtonpost.com:

"Raechel Hanson toiled through high school to build an academic transcript strong enough for admission to the College of William and Mary, the storied 'public Ivy' in Williamsburg. She maintained a 3.9 grade-point average, played flute in the band, presided over the Spanish club and amassed more than 100 hours of community service.

It wasn't enough. She wound up 20 miles away at a less-selective state school, Christopher Newport University."

This was a particularly tough year for Virginians seeking entry to William and Mary and several other prestigious public universities because of machinations in the admissions cycle that favored applicants from outside the state.

"I spent most of my life working toward getting in at William and Mary," said Hanson, 19, of Winchester. "I thought I was of the caliber of students who would get in."

Many of the nation's top public universities accepted nonresident students in greater numbers this year, hoping to increase -- or at least sustain -- a pool of incoming freshmen who pay two or three times the tuition charged to locals. At some schools, the push for nonresidents has made it harder for residents to get in.

Teacher shortage gives way to teacher glut - USATODAY.com

Teacher shortage gives way to teacher glut - USATODAY.com:

"LAWRENCE, Kan. — When Lilli Lackey started college, talk of a growing teacher shortage gave her confidence that a job would be waiting for her when she got out.

Now, six months after graduating, she considers herself lucky just to find work as a substitute."

Across the country, droves of people like Lackey are unable to find teaching jobs, in large part because the economy is forcing school systems to slash positions. The teacher shortage that many feared just a few years ago has turned into a teacher glut.

"I always thought that if I didn't find a job, I would be able to sub. And then once that started to be more difficult, it was really kind of devastating," Lackey, an art teacher, said during a career fair for educators at the University of Kansas.

Since last fall, school systems, state education agencies, technical schools and colleges have shed about 125,000 jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

At the same time, many teachers who had planned to retire or switch jobs are staying on because of the recession, and many people who have been laid off in other fields are trying to carve out second careers as teachers or applying to work as substitutes to make ends meet.

L.A. Unified asks union to OK four furlough days this year -- latimes.com

L.A. Unified asks union to OK four furlough days this year -- latimes.com:

"Los Angeles school district officials asked union members Friday to agree to four furlough days this year and a future 12% pay cut to help offset a nearly $500-million budget shortfall next year.

Without the concessions, the district may have to lay off up to 8,500 employees this summer, according to a letter to employees from Supt. Ramon C. Cortines. L.A. Unified, the nation's second-largest district, faces nearly a $60-million deficit this year and a projected $480-million shortfall next year, and Cortines said he expects future reductions in state funding."

Teachers learn write way as penmanship returns | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Teachers learn write way as penmanship returns Houston & Texas News Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"Pencil and paper — that's what Aldine teacher Ebony Brown typically uses to help her 4- and 5-year-old students learn to write.

“It's frustrating for them,” Brown said, noting that many children come to school unable to grip a pencil properly. “They don't have fine-motor skills.”

Brown, like most teachers, never took a college course in handwriting instruction, so on Friday she joined about 60 preschool educators and occupational therapists at a workshop in Houston to gain some pointers. (The first one: Start the young kids with crayons.)

Even in the computer age, handwriting is gaining more attention these days — especially in preschool classes — in part because parents are demanding it, said Katrina Erickson, who led the “Handwriting Without Tears” session."

UC plan to raise fees breaks its own rules

UC plan to raise fees breaks its own rules:

"The University of California is expected to raise fees next week for 24 graduate programs in violation of its own policy against boosting prices higher than competing public institutions."

When it meets in Los Angeles next week, UC's governing Board of Regents is likely to raise fees for 44 graduate programs, including the 24 whose in-state fees would exceed the average price of selected degree programs at other public universities.

UC officials are aware of the violation. Instead of maintaining current fee levels, however, they will reconsider their policy - but not until next year.

"We are finding that this aspect of the policy is not workable in the current fiscal environment," said Ricardo Vazquez, a spokesman for the regents. "We intend to conduct a review of the policy in the next year.

"Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/14/BAJT1AJUT5.DTL#ixzz0WqcHGLN7

Coaches still draw big salaries | hattiesburgamerican.com | Hattiesburg American

Coaches still draw big salaries hattiesburgamerican.com Hattiesburg American:

"BERKELEY, Calif. - Jeff Tedford is a proven, program-building football coach who makes no apologies for the contract extension he landed before this season - and $2.8 million in pay he's guaranteed this year - from the University of California.

He's on board, too, with more than $430 million in planned improvements and additions to Cal's venerable Memorial Stadium.But here and elsewhere across big-time, big-budgeted college athletics, these are sensitive times."