Ford Gives Money to Teachers Unions - WSJ.com

Ford Gives Money to Teachers Unions - WSJ.com:

"We hate to say it, but don't be misled by headlines. The biggest headline in education circles last week was that the Ford Foundation is making a whopping $100 million grant 'to transform secondary education in the nation's most disadvantaged schools.'

Our eyes raced to see which piece of the vibrant school-reform movement Ford was going to support. Would it be America's 4,600 charters schools, many outperforming their traditional school peers and some even closing the race gap? Maybe it would be Teach for America, busting at the seams and turning down Ivy League applicants by the hundreds. Or, who knows, maybe Ford's really on the leading edge, and would want to support voucher programs in cities like Washington.

Would you believe the recipients of Ford's largesse are the teachers unions? Yup. The folks at Ford are giving new meaning to the word 'retro.'"

'Kids don't try' at Bx. bummer

'Kids don't try' at Bx. bummer:

"Last year, Peace and Diversity Academy in The Bronx had a respectable 68 percent graduation rate and a B on its first-ever report card.

Seemingly overnight, the school tumbled to an F grade and a preliminary 2009 graduation rate of 38 percent -- a whopping 30 percentage point drop.

'I'm not surprised,' said Shaneeka Bromfield, a 16-year-old junior, who blamed low expectations. 'We'll be in class and say something so simple or answer a simple question and the teacher will act so amazed, like they're surprised that we know something.'

Ariana Gooden, a 15-year-old sophomore who transferred to the school this year from a Catholic school, added, 'Kids don't try here.'

School officials said the academy has faced many obstacles, including massive student turnover, after two location changes since 2004."

About 75% of city high schools receive an A or B; only one receives an F

About 75% of city high schools receive an A or B; only one receives an F:

"Only one school got hit with the dreaded F this year on this year's high school report cards - and some students say the place is so bad they want out.

'I've been making complaints to my mom and my father,' said Shameeka Bromfield, a 10th-grader at Peace and Diversity Academy in the Bronx, which fell to the flunking grade from last year's B. 'I want to transfer.'

Shameeka, 16, said the work at the Morrisania school isn't rigorous enough. Other students complained about the lack of extracurricular programs and said the school has been moved several times, including to buildings where it wasn't wanted."

UC Davis News & Information :: UC Davis Dedicates Historic Native American Garden

UC Davis News & Information :: UC Davis Dedicates Historic Native American Garden:

"California Indian song, bustling tours and quiet, personal moments were all part of the dedication on Nov. 14 of a new outdoor reflective space honoring the Patwin who once lived on the land that would become the University of California, Davis.

The Native American Contemplative Garden is part of a larger UC Davis project -- believed to be the first at any public university in the nation -- to honor the land's original inhabitants and to educate the campus and its visitors about them.

Among those attending the ceremony were Patwin Elder Bill Wright; Charlie Wright, tribal chair of the Cortina Rancheria; Larry Myers, executive secretary of the California Native American Heritage Commission; Martha Macri, professor in the UC Davis Department of Native American Studies and holder of the Rumsey (Yocha Dehe) Endowed Chair in California Indian Studies; and UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi."

'A work of spirit'

Inés Hernández-Avila, a professor of Native American studies and person of Nez Perce and Chicana heritage who collaborated on the garden, calls it "a work of spirit." Under the guidance of Patwin Elder Wright, she said, work on the garden is fostering healing after campus construction projects disturbed native remains.

"The land that UC Davis sits on is ancestrally Patwin land," said Hernández-Avila. "This contemplative garden is a reminder that the connection still exists for the Patwin people who themselves are a living presence in California."

"This recognition is a gift to the campus, to the native community and to everyone," she added. "It's a gift that a lot of people had a part in."
Garden features

The garden sits on the bank of the historic Putah Creek channel and within the UC Davis Arboretum, a living museum with 100 acres of gardens and plant collections known internationally as scientific and horticultural resources.

The garden features naturally shaped basalt columns representing the Patwin people and their strength and resilience; trees and other plants used by the Patwin people; a curving path representing the flow of the creek and the flow of time; and a spiral seating area designed after the coiled start of a Patwin basket.

Going Green in Madrid: When Was the Last Time YOU Rollerbladed? >>

Going Green in Madrid: When Was the Last Time YOU Rollerbladed? :

"Irvine is in the heart of one of the most environmentally friendly areas in California. During the last few months of my stay in Madrid, Spain as a student on the Education Abroad Program, I have found more ways of implanting a sustainable lifestyle.

First and foremost, I am extremely lucky to have access to Madrid’s state-of-the-art Metro system. The metro is one of the things I love most about this city. It allows you to get anywhere around the center of the city within 10 minutes.

Besides public transport, Madrilenos love to use their own methods as well. On a random day in Madrid, I can find a number of people rollerblading or walking. The city is very pedestrian friendly and “paseos” — walks around the open courtyards and terraces — are a way of life."

FORUM: NCT ignored The Classical Academy's success

FORUM: NCT ignored The Classical Academy's success:

"I am perplexed. Where is the reporting when it comes to success being printed in the North County Times?

On Oct. 19, the California Department of Education issued a press release from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell regarding three schools receiving the award for being 'exemplary.'

The Classical Academy in Escondido is the only charter school to receive this recognition this year, and only the second charter school in the state to hold this prestigious award. This information has been printed in other newspapers outside of San Diego County, but not here, where one of the award-winning schools is located.

In a time of increased scrutiny on test scores, student performance measures, and accountability on individual schools, having this accolade aligns with our success as a charter school. Having a high-quality school in our community that provides excellent options for students, dynamic programming that complements core academics, and high test scores where parents are the primary educators sounds like a story worth telling"

Villaraigosa, teacher groups vie for 4 schools -- latimes.com

Villaraigosa, teacher groups vie for 4 schools -- latimes.com:

"Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and groups of teachers backed by the Los Angeles teachers union will compete for control of four campuses, including Jefferson High School, as part of a groundbreaking reform initiative.

The impending face-off emerged Monday as groups inside and outside the Los Angeles Unified School District scrambled to meet a 5 p.m. deadline for applications to run 30 district schools. In separate news conferences, the union and the mayor lauded their own education records as they marked a milestone in the widely watched reform effort.

After filing 'letters of intent' for their targeted schools, the bidders, including charter school operators, now have until Jan. 11 to develop full-fledged proposals."

Educational Policy Expert Receives Urban School Improvement Research Grant : University of Rochester News

Educational Policy Expert Receives Urban School Improvement Research Grant : University of Rochester News:

"Educational policy expert Kara Finnigan, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of Rochester's Warner School of Education, has been awarded a grant from the William T. Grant Foundation with her colleague Alan Daly, an assistant professor at the University of California, San Diego, for a study of how low-performing schools use research evidence in an effort to improve outcomes for youth.

Finnigan and Daly will use the funding—$342,246—to research how urban systems and high schools in need of improvement diagnose problems; identify strategies; and define, acquire, use, and diffuse research evidence to improve under No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This study will be the first attempt to provide an in-depth longitudinal examination of schools under sanctions in two regions of the U.S. representing two distinct types of urban districts. The study will employ mixed methodologies and will take place in secondary schools in San Diego, Calif. and Rochester, N.Y."

Schools to compete for state Distinguished School Awards - DailyBulletin.com

Schools to compete for state Distinguished School Awards - DailyBulletin.com:

"Sixteen Inland Valley elementary schools have been invited to apply for the California School Recognition Program 2010 Distinguished School Awards.

The program identifies and honors schools that have students who demonstrated educational excellence and have shown progress in narrowing the achievement gap.

The school had to meet several qualifications, which include being an elementary school, not having previously been a distinguished school or a state monitored school; and must have been open since 2007-08."

With Texas moving toward online material, is this the final chapter for textbooks? | Top Storie...

With Texas moving toward online material, is this the final chapter for textbooks? Top Storie...:

"Textbooks could be going the way of slide rules and Big Chief tablets within a few years in Texas classrooms.

State legislation passed in the spring could put up-to-the-minute instructional content at students’ fingertips — either online or in customized printed form — eliminating the mass-market hardback textbook.

The sea change could happen sooner rather than later, beginning as early as the 2010-11 school year.

'This is one of the few times we can do things cheaper, faster and better all at the same time,' said the measure’s author, state Rep. Scott Hochberg, D-Houston."

Education's 5 Big Lies | Philadelphia Daily News | 11/17/2009

Education's 5 Big Lies Philadelphia Daily News 11/17/2009:

"AFTER 30 years of teaching, and 20 of talk radio and participating in dozens of education forums, I've heard 'theories' of education from all over the spectrum - from the innovative to the idiotic. I've concluded that there are five big lies about schools and education that are widespread and damaging.

THE MONEY LIE

The grandaddy of the big lies says our schools are woefully underfunded. If only other interests in society that get adequate funding could be stopped, our schools could get the resources to perform magnificently. This position is summarized by the famous bumper sticker, 'It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber.'

In practical terms, this lie comes down to if only each kid had a laptop, each school an Olympic-size swimming pool and each cafeteria a five-star menu, then students would all be headed off to Princeton."

EDUCATION: Foreign Students Flock Back to U.S - IPS ipsnews.net

EDUCATION: Foreign Students Flock Back to U.S - IPS ipsnews.net:

"WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (IPS) - The number of international students attending colleges and universities in the United States has reached an all-time high of 671,616, largely bolstered by an increasing number of undergraduate students from China, while U.S. students are also studying abroad in higher numbers.

The 2008/2009 academic year marked the largest increase - eight percent – in the number of international students attending U.S. colleges and universities since the 1980/1981 academic year, according to a report released Monday by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

While the ranks of international students in the U.S. are increasing, so to are the numbers of U.S. students choosing to study abroad."

Unite Behind the Strike for UC Workers, Students and Staff - The Daily Californian

Unite Behind the Strike for UC Workers, Students and Staff - The Daily Californian:

"We are currently engaged in a great struggle that will define what the University of California will be in the 21st century. There have been myriad questions about the details of furlough programs, UC reserves, program closures, the number of layoffs and how to challenge them, what temporary layoffs might mean and so on.

It is important that these details do not engross our attention so profoundly that we lose sight of the big picture: that UC President Mark Yudof and the UC Board of Regents are striving to downsize and privatize the university. If they succeed, thousands of jobs will vanish, protections for workers will and access to the university will shift away from the middle classes of California to wealthier people from other parts of the country and indeed the world. Programs that serve the people will be replaced by programs that serve the same corporate interests who back this shift"

Milken Educator Awards take two California teachers by surprise | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

Milken Educator Awards take two California teachers by surprise L.A. NOW Los Angeles Times:

"Even as she heard cheers explode from students assembled at Richardson Prep Hi Middle School in San Bernardino, the fourth and final California recipient of this year’s Milken Educator Award couldn’t believe she was the winner.

“I really thought it was going to go to a coworker,” said 7th grade English teacher Marisa Rivas, still recovering. “There are people who have worked here since 1987, so I feel like I’m unworthy.”

Complete with a giant, no-strings-attached $25,000 check, the award is not a lifetime achievement award, said Lowell Milken, chair of the Milken Family Foundation. The prize, which will go to 54 educators across the nation this year, is meant to encourage early- and mid-career teaching professionals -- and alleviate some of the financial issues that come with the calling.

The other California winners were Roberto Gonzalez of Virgil Middle School, Ana Higuera of Lynwood High School and San Diego teacher Jaime Enochs."

California's education and economic problem; Chevron's aide

California's education and economic problem; Chevron's aide:

"Aside from jobs, education funding is the most important problem in California. I was surprised to learn that Chevron Oil Company - the company commonly associated for bad things and unfairly so in my view - was behind a $7 million initiative to fund education non-profit organizations in Northern California.

It's called The California Partnership and was developed to help those organizations that were focusing on, and making a difference in, disadvantages neighborhoods, primarily in Northern California.

I was invited to join other media at the San Francisco City Club and frankly learned something shocking. I learned that while other media outlets were invited, at least one organization said they only covered a story involving non-profits if their was something negative, like a staff member stealing funds, for example."

Steve Kang: UC Merced: A catalyst for Valley's prosperity | visaliatimesdelta.com | Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register

Steve Kang: UC Merced: A catalyst for Valley's prosperity visaliatimesdelta.com Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register:

"Earlier this fall, the University of California, Merced marked a major milestone as we welcomed our fifth — and by far our largest — incoming class of students. Of the 3,400 students enrolled this fall, compared with just 875 in our inaugural year, nearly 100 are from Kings and Tulare counties. These results should make everyone in the Greater Visalia area very proud."

We all benefit when the doors of higher education are opened to the future leaders of our region, our state and our nation.

While enrollment growth may be the best single measure of year-to-year progress, economic investment may be the best measure of potential long-term impact. Solid growth continues on this front as well. Since UC Merced began administrative operations in 2001, the value of construction contracts awarded to San Joaquin Valley businesses and goods and services purchased within the Valley has reached more than $450 million. In Kings and Tulare counties alone, that number is about $3.3 million, while the statewide total is approaching $1 billion.

Although this growing level of investment hasn't been enough to offset the most difficult financial climate our region has seen in decades, it is clearly helping to stabilize the regional economy, create new jobs and position us well for future financial progress when the underlying state economy rebounds.

Commercial Property Tax-Hike Initiatives Afoot

Commercial Property Tax-Hike Initiatives Afoot:

"SACRAMENTO-Two new potential ballot initiatives are afoot that would drastically change how commercial properties in California are assessed and how much they are taxed. One calls for a 55% increase in the current property tax rate for commercial properties while the other wants commercial properties’ fair market value appraised more frequently. Currently, under Prop. 13, properties are taxed annually at 1% of their appraised value when purchased and may only have its fair market value adjusted after a majority stake is sold.

Attorneys from the San Leandro-based law firm Remcho, Johansen & Purcell LLP filed title and summary language for the proposed 2010 ballot initiatives earlier this month. They are the 'Protect Homeowners and Close Corporate Tax Loopholes Act' and the 'Education and Taxpayer Fairness Act.” In order to qualify as a potential constitutional amendment for the November 2010 ballot, each initiative would have to garner 700,000 signatures by the spring."

Koreans 3rd Largest Group in US Colleges

Koreans 3rd Largest Group in US Colleges

The number of Korean college students in the U.S. has reached a record high of 75,065, while Korea has a total of 50,591 foreigners studying at colleges.

The Institute of International Education (IIE), a U.S.-based education and training organization, announced Tuesday that Koreans formed the third largest group of international students in the 2008-2009 academic year at American colleges after Indians and Chinese.

The number of Korean students rose 8.6 percent from the previous year, accounting for 11.2 percent of the total.

W. Sac principal sidelined by injuries he suffered in breaking up fight - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

W. Sac principal sidelined by injuries he suffered in breaking up fight - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"The principal of West Sacramento's River City High School is recovering at home from serious injuries he suffered while trying to break up a fight involving a number of students outside the cafeteria Oct. 28.

Stuart MacKay, who had a concussion and neck injuries, said Monday he doesn't remember everything that occurred that Wednesday.

'A couple of kids said I may have been kicked during the incident,' he said. 'They indicated it was on purpose.'"

Crowd packs Sacramento County's first public flu clinic - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Crowd packs Sacramento County's first public flu clinic - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"Some people staked out places at Hiram Johnson High School as early as 7:45 a.m. Many brought books to read, toys for the kids, and home-cooked lunches. And most of the 5,000 people who showed up Monday for Sacramento County's first public H1N1 vaccine clinic carried the hope they might shield themselves from what's becoming an aggressive flu season.

Right on cue, the large crowd began filling the school's cafeteria, a makeshift clinic staffed by Sacramento County public health officials, at 3:30 p.m. Monday."