12 L.A. schools: Who gets to run them? Key deadline today in reform plan | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

12 L.A. schools: Who gets to run them? Key deadline today in reform plan L.A. NOW Los Angeles Times:

"Today marks the first key deadline for a much-watched school-reform plan that allows groups inside or outside the Los Angeles Unified School District to bid for control of 12 struggling schools as well as 18 newly constructed campuses. Groups must turn in “letters of intent” by the end of the day signaling their plans to submit full-fledged bids by Jan. 11.

The reform effort will be highlighted at two competing news conferences, the first one called by the school district’s teachers union and the other by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

The United Teachers Los Angeles event, at Jefferson High School in Central Alameda, was set to start at 7 a.m., to allow teachers to participate before their classes begin. UTLA has predicted that groups of teachers will submit bids for every school on the list."

Rewriting the Old Script for California’s New Future

Rewriting the Old Script for California’s New Future:

"“What were they thinking in 1978?”

That was one of the questions USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development Professor Dowell Myers answered during a presentation about the future implications for California as a result of the recent 40 percent decline in home values.

Myers discussed how the history and future of Proposition 13 are not headed in the same direction as a part of USC’s ongoing Critical Issues in Public Policy series.

Dramatic raises in house prices in the 1970’s fueled shocking increases in property taxes, and the innovations of Prop. 13 provided much needed solutions. Myers told the audience at the California Chamber of Commerce in Sacramento about the need to look at how the demographics of the state have changed in the 31 years since the proposition was passed, as well as the outlook going forward."

€150m computers scheme unveiled - The Irish Times - Mon, Nov 16, 2009

€150m computers scheme unveiled - The Irish Times - Mon, Nov 16, 2009:

"Every school classroom in the State is to get a laptop, software and a digital projector over the next three years under a €150 million plan to bring Irish schoolchildren “up to speed” with the digital revolution.

Details of the plan were announced by Taoiseach Brian Cowen at the launch today of a report by the hi-tech industry advisory group, chaired by Paul Rellis of Microsoft Ireland.

The Smart Economy, Smart Schools report identified an “infrastructural deficit” in schools’ basic technology systems that needed to be addressed to ensure that Ireland keeps pace with global technological developments."

Education Week: States' Fiscal View: Gloomy, Gloomier

Education Week: States' Fiscal View: Gloomy, Gloomier:

"Ouch!

That may be the simplest way to describe the latest (preliminary) national data on states’ financial pictures, issued last week.

“We are seeing the worst numbers and indicators that we’ve ever seen in terms of state fiscal conditions,” Scott D. Pattison, the executive director of the National Association of State Budget Officers, said at a..."

Read full preliminary report: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/16498553/Fiscal-Survey-of-States-Preliminary-Data

School Board president's body found in Chicago River :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Chicago Crime

School Board president's body found in Chicago River :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Chicago Crime:

"The body of Chicago School Board president Michael Scott was found floating in the Chicago River near the Merchandise Mart early Monday in the River North neighborhood, police sources said.
Scott was reported missing from his home in the Monroe police district on the Near West Side in Chicago Sunday and police believe the body pulled from the river is him, sources said.

His car was found parked near the river where the body was found, police said. NBC5 reported that Scott’s blue Cadillac was found and towed from the scene."

Education Week: Education Department to Demand School Pay Data

Education Week: Education Department to Demand School Pay Data:

"U.S. Department of Education officials plan to require districts receiving economic-stimulus aid to report school-level salaries—a sign, observers say, that the Obama administration might seek key changes to district accounting procedures for federal Title I funds.

The reporting—the first collection of its type undertaken by the federal government—could give a clearer picture about the extent to which district spending on salaries differs between schools that receive Title I dollars for disadvantaged students and those that do not."

The results of the data collection, which is to take place this winter, are likely to give more ammunition to school finance experts and lawmakers who maintain that the Elementary and Secondary Education Act should be changed to require districts to address such disparities before...

Two worlds on one campus -- latimes.com

Two worlds on one campus -- latimes.com:

"On a quiet Sunday in September, a strange scene played out at the school once known simply as Birmingham High.

A locksmith strode onto campus, escorted by Los Angeles Unified School District police. They made their way along outdoor corridors to Room G-44, a large classroom wired as a computer lab. The locks were replaced with shiny new ones. Furniture was removed.

Mission accomplished, the group left."

Fairport battles gender gap with all-girls tech program | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle

Fairport battles gender gap with all-girls tech program democratandchronicle.com Democrat and Chronicle:

"The Fairport Central School District has approved an aggressive approach to counteract the gender gap in technology classes.

The district will begin a two-year pilot program starting next fall to create four all-girl technology courses — one each at Fairport High School, Minerva DeLand School (ninth grade), and Martha Brown and Johanna Perrin middle schools. Enrollment will be voluntary in compliance with Title IX."

"Girls sometimes won't take technology classes because they don't want to be the only girl in a class or in a technology club," said Dave Allyn, a special assignment administrator for the Fairport school district. "Job growth is happening in engineering and some of the sciences where old stereotypes persist about those male-dominated fields, and we need to make our young women aware that there is an opportunity for them."

Women make up more than half of the work force but hold 28 percent of technology positions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the number of young women studying computer science has fallen by more than 40 percent in the past two decades. With computer support specialist, systems administrator and engineering positions expected to grow significantly by 2016, educators and employers worry that young women are failing to gain the necessary skills for those jobs. Both the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology have less than 30 percent female enrollment in their undergraduate engineering programs.

The Media Equation - Illinois Prosecutors Take Aim at the Medill Innocence Project - NYTimes.com

The Media Equation - Illinois Prosecutors Take Aim at the Medill Innocence Project - NYTimes.com:

"Since 1992, Prof. David Protess at the Medill school at Northwestern University has worked with undergraduate journalism students to investigate cases in which prosecutors appear to have taken aim at the wrong people. That might be about to happen again, only this time the students themselves would be the targets.

In one of the most recent cases, students working with the effort, which became the Medill Innocence Project in 1999, uncovered evidence that suggested Anthony McKinney had been wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for almost three decades for the murder of a security guard in 1978.

Mr. McKinney was running by the scene of the crime, was questioned and later charged. He confessed, but later said he had been beaten with a pipe — an interrogation technique not without precedent in Chicago — and forced to sign a confession.

International Students in the US

International Students in the US

Total foreign student numbers increased 8% in 2008/09; New enrollments up by 16%Largest percentage increase in international enrollments since 1980 India remained leading sending country, up 9%; China up by 21% USC top host university; California top host state; NYC top host city;Business and Management, Engineering remain top fields of study

WASHINGTON D.C., November 16, 2009 -- The number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by 8% to an all-time high of 671,616 in the 2008/09 academic year, according to the Open Doors report, which is published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This is the largest percentage increase in international student enrollments since 1980/81, and marks the third consecutive year of significant growth (with increases of 7% in 2007/08 and 3% in 2006/07). The total international student count exceeds by 14.5% the prior peak enrollment year (2002/03).

Open Doors 2009 data also show the number of “new” international students -- those enrolled for the first time at a U.S. college or university in fall 2008 – increasing by 16%, following two years of 10% increases. The largest growth was seen in undergraduate enrollments, which increased by 11%, compared to a 2% increase in graduate enrollments. This growth was driven largely by increases in undergraduate students from China.

The Open Doors 2009 data reports on enrollments in academic year 2008/09 based on a comprehensive survey of approximately 3,000 accredited U.S higher education institutions of all types and sizes, regarding international students at all levels of study. The findings do not reflect the full impact of the past year’s economic downturn, since decisions to come to the United States to study were made before the financial effects were fully felt in the sending countries.

To provide a “snapshot” look at what U.S. campuses are reporting in Fall 2009, IIE conducted an online survey, in cooperation with seven other higher education associations, asking if international enrollments for Fall 2009 have increased or decreased. This survey indicates a mixed picture for this Fall, with international enrollments varying according to different countries of origin and types and sizes of host institutions: 50% of responding campuses are continuing to see increases in international student enrollments (down from 57% who saw increases the previous year), while 24% reported declines, and 26% reported levels about the same as for the prior Fall. The campuses seeing declines noted varied effects of the current economic conditions and students’ concerns about the H1N1 virus, while those reporting increases cited increased recruitment efforts and the growing reputation and visibility of U.S. campuses abroad.

“I am delighted to see the large increase in the number of international students who are choosing to study in the United States,” said Judith A. McHale, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

“The all-time high number of international students who studied here in the 2008/09 academic year testifies to the quality and diversity for which American higher education is known around the world. The Department of State actively promotes the benefits of an American education. Our large network of more than 400 EducationUSA advising centers plays a key role in matching international students with a U.S. academic institution that’s just right for them. We strongly encourage international students to study in the United States, and are committed to helping them choose the American college or university that best meets their needs.”

According to Allan E. Goodman, President and CEO of the Institute of International Education, “American higher education continues to be highly valued throughout the world. U.S. campuses offer unparalleled opportunities for creativity, flexibility, and cultural exchange. Students from all over the world contribute substantially to their host campuses and to the U.S. economy. Their active engagement in our classrooms provides U.S. students with valuable skills that will enable them to collaborate across political and cultural borders to address shared global challenges in the years ahead.”

Open Doors 2009 reports increases in foreign student enrollments from seven of the ten leading places of origin, and 19 of the top 25, with increases of more than 20% from four countries. India remains the leading place of origin for the eighth consecutive year, increasing by 9% to 103,260. Students from China, once again the second leading sender, increased 21% for a total of 98,510. South Korea, in third place, increased 9% to 75,065. Canada, the only non-Asian country in the top five, rose to fourth place with an increase of 2% to 29,697, surpassing Japan, now in fifth place after students declined for the fourth consecutive year, decreasing by 14% to 29,264. Taiwan remained in sixth place, with 28,065 students, a 3% decline.

The number of students from Mexico, the seventh-leading sender, remained flat this year, with a total of 14,850. Students from Turkey (#8) increased by 10% to 13,263, while Vietnam jumped into the ninth spot with a dramatic 46% increase to 12,823. Vietnam’s 2008/09 growth follows increases of 45% in 2007/08 and 31% in 2006/07, moving it into the top 10 this year from 20th place only two years ago.

Saudi Arabia, the tenth leading sender, increased by 28% to 12,661, consistent with its substantial investment in government funded scholarships.

Other notable increases were seen in enrollments from Nepal (#11), up 30% to 11,581 students, Germany (#12), up 9% to 9,679, and Brazil (#13), up 16% to 8,767 students in the United States. Slight declines were seen in the numbers of students from Thailand (#14) and Indonesia (#17), -3.0% and -2.4% respectively. The United Kingdom (#15), Hong Kong (#16), France (#18) and Colombia (#19) showed increases of less then 5%. Nigeria was #20, with an increase of 1% to 6,256 and Kenya was #22, with a 1% increase.

According to Open Doors 2009, universities in California hosted the largest number of foreign students with 93,124, up 10%, followed by New York with 74,934, up 7%, and Texas with 58,188, up 12%.

The New York City metropolitan area continues to be the leading city for international students, with 59,322 enrolled in area schools, up 8%. The Los Angeles metropolitan area is in second place with 42,897 international students, up 11%.

For the eighth consecutive year, Open Doors reports that the University of Southern California hosted the largest number of international students, this year reporting 7,482. New York University held in second place with 6,761 international students, and Columbia University, also holding steady in third place, hosted 6,685. Rounding out the top five 2008/09 host institutions are University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (6,570 students) and Purdue University (6,136 students). Open Doors reports that 171 U.S. campuses each hosted more than 1,000 students.

Business and Management remains the most popular field of study for international students in the United States, increasing by 12% and comprising 21% percent of the total, followed by Engineering with an 11% increase and comprising 18% of the total.

Math and Computer Science also increased significantly in 2008/09, up 10% from the prior year. After a 15% increase in 2007/08, Intensive English Language showed a slight decline in popularity, decreasing by 1%.

International students contribute $17.8 billion to the U.S. economy, through their expenditures on tuition and living expenses, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Higher education is among the United States’ top service sector exports, as international students provide revenue to the U.S. economy and individual host states for living expenses, including room and board, books and supplies, transportation, health insurance, support for accompanying family members, and other miscellaneous items.

Open Doors 2009 reports that 65% of all international students receive the majority of their funds from personal and family sources.

When other sources of foreign funding are included, such as assistance from their home country governments or universities, 70% of all international students’ primary funding comes from sources outside of the United States.

# # #Highlights from Open Doors 2009: Note: Extensive data tables are available on IIE's website at http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/?p=150808.

Social networks could help community college students - USATODAY.com

Social networks could help community college students - USATODAY.com:

"Social-networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter can help community college students become more engaged in their academics, a report out today finds.

But while large numbers of students say they use such tools in their daily lives, many two-year colleges have yet to mine the potential of the technology.

'The uses of social-networking tools are clearly growing in frequency,' says Kay McClenney, director of the Texas-based Center for Community College Student Engagement, which released the report. But 'colleges are not taking advantage of that particular set of tools for making connections with students to the extent that they could.'"

Exercise balls get education rolling -- latimes.com

Exercise balls get education rolling -- latimes.com:

"Reporting from Chicago - Donna Yehl's fourth-grade students bob behind their desks, heads nodding up and down as if the children were on the deck of a ship.

But they aren't fidgeting.

The two dozen children in Yehl's Elgin, Ill., classroom read and write -- in fact, do all of their classwork -- perched on exercise balls."

Want to eliminate at-risk kids? Call them something else. - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education

Want to eliminate at-risk kids? Call them something else. - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education:

"I sympathize with those who may not be comfortable with the latest plan to rid our schools of at-risk kids. Several educators across the country, including Alexandria city schools superintendent Morton Sherman, have decided not to call them that anymore. Henceforth they will be known as “at-promise” children.

“We use the term ‘at-promise’ in Alexandria City Public Schools to describe children who have the potential to achieve at a higher rate than they are currently achieving,” Sherman said in a July 23 op-ed for the Alexandria Gazette Packet. “Really, all children are at-promise, because we, as educators, have made a promise to each and every child that we will work toward higher achievement for all.”"

Report says performance of Arizona's charter schools is mixed - washingtonpost.com

Report says performance of Arizona's charter schools is mixed - washingtonpost.com:

"SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Here, where suburb meets desert, students are clambering amid the cacti to dig soil samples and take notes on flora and fauna. In an old movie complex in nearby Chandler, others are dissecting a Renaissance tract on human nature. On a South Phoenix campus with a National Football League connection, still others are learning how to pass a basket of bread and help a lady into her chair.

These are just three charter schools among a multitude in the most wide-open public education market in America."

Arizona's flourishing charter school movement underscores the popular appeal of unfettered school choice and the creativity of some educational entrepreneurs. But the state also offers a cautionary lesson as President Obama pushes to dismantle barriers to charter schools elsewhere: It is difficult to promote quantity and quality at the same time.

Under a 1994 law that strongly favors charter schools, 500 of them operate in this state, teaching more than 100,000 students. Those totals account for a quarter of Arizona's public schools and a tenth of its public school enrollment, giving charters a larger market share here than in any other state.

On school aides’ last day, Klein addresses union | GothamSchools

On school aides’ last day, Klein addresses union GothamSchools:

"On the last day of work for over 500 school aides, Chancellor Joel Klein delivered a speech at the aides’ union headquarters that made no mention of the layoffs.

Speaking at District Council 37’s Quality of Work Life Employee Recognition Ceremony this morning, Klein said that “this is a tough time,” and the work school aides do is more necessary than ever before. Then he reminded the aides that “it’s not how much you get, but how much you give.”

“I’m here today to call on all of you to make sure you and all of your colleagues continue the work you’re doing. Our children will depend upon it,” he said."

Academy for Young Writers' students looking for storied internships in the city

Academy for Young Writers' students looking for storied internships in the city:

"Passing state Regents exams is about to pay off for several dozen Brooklyn middle school kids - and possible future colleagues of mine - with your help.

About 40 seniors from the Academy for Young Writers in Williamsburg will skip school for two weeks in January.

If enough positions can be found, they will spend those weeks at unpaid internships at businesses around the city.

The two-week job is an extension of Academy's founder and Principal Carolyn Yaffe's education philosophy.

'We are an exhibition-based- on-instruction school,' Yaffe said. 'It is important that students see how what they are doing in the classroom is connected to the world outside the classroom.'"

Regents want teaching improved -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY:1706:

Regents want teaching improved -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY:1706::

"ALBANY -- The state Board of Regents is considering innovations to improve teaching."

The policy-making board will consider new requirements for incoming teachers to demonstrate knowledge of a subject and classroom skills that can be linked to effective instruction.
In addition to performance-based assessments for new teachers, the board will consider assessments for teachers who are two years in the job. It could also take longer for teachers to earn a master's degree.

The board is considering a pilot program of alternatives to colleges for training future teachers. The new options could include museums and cultural institutions.
Regents also want to draw more teachers now employed in the sciences and increase the ranks of highly skilled teachers in poor urban districts, where fewer work.

"Nothing makes more difference than an outstanding teacher," David Steiner said when he was named state education commissioner. He is the former dean of Hunter College School of Education at the City University of New York.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=866201&category=region#ixzz0X21GiFZY

Parents applaud governor on her 'rainy day' reversal | HonoluluAdvertiser.com | The Honolulu Advertiser

Parents applaud governor on her 'rainy day' reversal HonoluluAdvertiser.com The Honolulu Advertiser:

"Parents of some Hawai'i public school students yesterday praised Gov. Linda Lingle's plan to tap into the state's 'rainy day' fund and end teacher furlough days from January through 2011."

"This is the rainy day," said Celia Molina, a mother of a first-grader at Kalei'opu'u Elementary School in Waipahu. "We wish that we didn't need to use it, but given the circumstances and the dire need, this is an appropriate use."

It's a position some parents said Lingle should have held before Hawai'i's estimated 189,783 students lost three instructional days — so far — to furloughs.

Allison Mikuni's daughter attends Kahala Elementary School, and Mikuni said she believes that "No one looked at furloughs from the long-term social costs and implication of not educating your future. They were only looking at the fiscal situation, as a dollar-and-cents issue. I appreciate the fact that the governor looked at what has happened and is making the changes as needed."

Lingle announced yesterday that she wants to end teacher furloughs starting in January by tapping into the state's rainy day fund and converting noninstructional days to classroom days.

Will Peru's next president come from Sonoma County? | PressDemocrat.com | The Press Democrat | Santa Rosa, CA

Will Peru's next president come from Sonoma County? PressDemocrat.com The Press Democrat Santa Rosa, CA:

"An as-yet unannounced candidate for president in Peru’s 2011 election — an Amazon tribal native educated at Stanford and Oxford universities — already has a campaign base in western Sonoma County.
If that scenario seems mind-boggling, you’d have to consider the resume of the candidate, 39-year-old Miguel Hilario-Manenima, who speared giant catfish in the Ucayali River as a boy, got an education in Sonoma County and is now completing his Ph.D. in anthropological sciences at Stanford.
From hunting with a blow gun in the jungle as a Shipibo-Konibo tribesman to handling cell phones, computers and honing a doctoral dissertation, Hilario-Manenima’s life spans cultures and continents."

Coaches and Parents: New Podcast Offers Youth Sports Advice from Football Great Tony Dorsett

Coaches and Parents: New Podcast Offers Youth Sports Advice from Football Great Tony Dorsett:

"Boston, MA (PRWEB) November 16, 2009 –- According to the Institute for Sport Coaching, fewer than 10 percent of the 2.5 million American volunteer coaches, and fewer than one-third of interscholastic coaches have had any type of coaching education. As these coaches and parents turn to the Internet to seek youth sports coaching advice, it’s easy to find drills and sample practices, but more challenging to find effective resources for teaching the more emotional components and values of youth sports. To fill this need, football icon Tony Dorsett discusses the life lessons he learned through sports in the third installment of Liberty Mutual's Responsible Sports Podcast Series released today at ResponsibleSports.com."