Truthdig - Reports - Books, Not Bombs

Truthdig - Reports - Books, Not Bombs:

"California campuses have been rocked by protests this past week, provoked by massive student fee increases voted on by the University of California Board of Regents. After a year of sequential budget cuts, faculty and staff dismissals and furloughs, and the elimination of entire academic departments, the 32 percent fee increase proved to be the trigger for statewide actions of an unprecedented scale. With President Barack Obama’s Afghanistan war strategy—which, according to one leak, will include a surge of 35,000 troops—soon to be announced, the juxtaposition of education cuts and military increases is incensing many, and helping to build a movement."

The California story : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

The California story : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis:

"There are definitely different narratives about California, a state blessed with so many riches but which also has fallen into a desperate financial condition. Why?
A letter writer today blames '30 years of relentless tax-cutting.'

She cites the damage done to the state's university system. As a result of that decline, she implies, California no longer will be generating jobs in high-tech industries.

Another narrative is that California remains a high-tax state, and that this and an oppressive regulatory climate actually are driving out industry.

Neither of those narratives is true, although I think the second has more basis in fact.

A recent report from the Public Policy Institute of California addresses some of the issues. I've selected a few key statements:"

Love Triangle: WaPo's top pundit an ex of school chancellor | Washington Examiner

Love Triangle: WaPo's top pundit an ex of school chancellor Washington Examiner


It turns out that The Washington Post's "America's Next Great Pundit" was in bed with a local official.

Literally.

Winner of the Post's columnist contest, Teach for America Executive Kevin Huffman, is the ex-husband of D.C. schools chief Michelle Rhee, according to The Washington Post.

Rhee and Huffman moved to the District from Colorado in 2007 with their two children when Rhee accepted her post as chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools system.

Although the couple are no longer together, Rhee's fiance Kevin Johnson, the mayor of Sacramento, Calif., supported Huffman with an e-mail to friends asking them to vote for the rising pundit, according to the Gotham Schools blog.

Latest Allegations About Former Phoenix Suns Great (and Now Mayor of Sacramento) Kevin Johnson - Phoenix News - Valley Fever

Latest Allegations About Former Phoenix Suns Great (and Now Mayor of Sacramento) Kevin Johnson - Phoenix News - Valley Fever:

"We loved KJ, otherwise known as Kevin Johnson, first as one of the all-time great Phoenix Suns and, later, as the subject of an unseemly New Times cover story entitled 'The Summer of '95.'"


In part, the story described how Johnson allegedly had engaged in sexual petting with a teenage girl at his Phoenix home.

Though the Phoenix cops never pressed charges against the b-ball star, the allegations resurfaced during Johnson's successful 2008 campaign to become mayor of Sacramento, California.

Now this, from a Web site called TheHill.com, which focuses on politics, Washington D.C.-style. It cites a Republican congressional report accusing the White House of inappropriately going to bat for Mayor Johnson, a stauch supporter of President Barack Obama.

Readers here can discover the details for themselves in the attached link, but the political and sexual intrigue is both delicious and disturbing.

Sacramento Press / City Attorney finds "additional issues" to investigate

Sacramento Press / City Attorney finds "additional issues" to investigate


The Sacramento City Council’s audit committee will be busy for awhile.

During a Tuesday night briefing on an investigation into the city’s approval of 35 building permits in a Natomas flood zone, City Attorney Eileen Teichert told the City Council there are more issues to address. She identified one of the issues as the Facilities Permit Program (FPP), but declined to specify the other issues.

“During the course of these initial interviews and documentary review, additional issues have arisen,” Teichert told the City Council.

The FPP became controversial in a recent debate over Nestlé’s move to set up a bottling plant in Sacramento. In three weeks, the city attorney’s office will deliver a report to the City Council on issues related to the FPP, Teichert said.

The office will also give recommendations on how to revise the program to align to related laws, she said.

In addition to the FPP

The Answer Sheet - Willingham: Six practical reasons arts education is more than a luxury

The Answer Sheet - Willingham: Six practical reasons arts education is more than a luxury:

"Johns Hopkins University and the Dana Foundation hosted a conference titled “Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts and the Brain.” As the title implies, the goal was to bring together researchers considering, from an educational point of view, the impact of the arts on the brain. A book-length summary of the May conference just became available as a free pdf, available here.

Some great neuroscientists participated, including Mike Gazzaniga, Liz Spelke, and Mike Posner. The keynote speaker was Jerry Kagan, one of the leading researchers in developmental psychology. His address offered six reasons that the arts should be included in school curricula."

Parent Leadership Conference 2010

Parent Leadership Conference 2010

You Are Invited!

Parents Anonymous^® Inc. and the California State Parent Team in partnership with the California Department of Social Services, Office of Child Abuse Prevention are pleased to invite you to attend the exciting 2010 Parent Leadership Conference. The theme of this one-day event is Parent Leadership: Real Families, Real Involvement, Real Outcomes.

The conference is scheduled on Friday February 26, 2010 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at the DoubleTree Hotel in Ontario, California with a pre-conference workshop the day before on February 25, 2010 from 3:00 pm - 5:30 pm. A Special Networking Reception will follow from 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm on February 25, 2009.

The registration fee is $125.00 per person and includes the pre-conference workshop and Special Networking Reception on February 25th and the continental breakfast, lunch and all conference materials on February 26th. SUBMIT YOUR REGISTRATION TODAY!

TO MAKE A RESERVATION AT THE DOUBLETREE HOTEL, YOU MUST CALL 909-937-0900. Please indicate that you are attending the "Parent Leadership Conference" to receive the special group rate. Our group code is PAI.

Come learn about many new and innovative Parent Leadership and Shared Leadership models and strategies utilized by California Parent Leaders and service providers in their work with children and families. You will have the opportunity to hear about their experiences, lessons learned and outcomes achieved. Since California Parent Leadership Month is celebrated annually all throughout the month of February, this conference will also recognize and honor 2 outstanding Parent Leaders and 1 exemplary staff member and 1 exceptional Parent Leadership Program. The Leadership Awards page has more information on submitting nominations.

Key conference participants include parents and staff from the public and private sector interested in partnering together to strengthen services and policies affecting families. This would include administrators, supervisors, and direct service staff who work with children and families in various systems such as child welfare, early childhood development, education, mental health, health, juvenile justice and other family strengthening organizations; parents/caregivers; Parent Advocates, Parent Partners and other Parent Leaders.

Participants are invited to showcase products and information related to the goals of the conference. Check the appropriate box on the registration page to indicate whether you wish to display materials at our resource tables.

We wish to thank our special Co-Sponsors including: Casey Family Programs, California Department of Social Services, Child and Family Policy Institute of California, County Welfare Directors Association, First 5 California, First 5 San Bernardino, National Association of Social Workers-California Chapter, and Strategies for working with us to make this a great Parent Leadership Conference.

We look forward to seeing you here.

Art Savage Memorial Saturday at Raley Field - The Sac Rag

Art Savage Memorial Saturday at Raley Field - The Sac Rag:

"River Cats owner Art Savage, who passed away last week at age 58, will be remembered Saturday in a public memorial at Raley Field.

From the River Cats:

The entire River Cats family is shocked and deeply saddened by the passing of Art Savage. Art was an extraordinary person whose dedication to his community was only surpassed by his commitment to his own family. All those who were lucky enough to have had their lives touched by Art were far better because of it. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Savage family during this incredibly difficult time."

The Savage family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, those who wish to show their support and honor Art’s memory can do so in the form of a donation to the River Cats Foundation. The River Cats Foundation was created to serve and benefit children and families in need in our community. Donations should be made to:

River Cats Foundation, Inc.
Attn: Dan Vistica, Chairman
400 Ballpark Drive
West Sacramento, CA 95691

Art Savage Memorial Service
Saturday, November 28 – Service begins at 1:00 p.m. (ballpark opens at 12:00 p.m.)
Raley Field
400 Ballpark Drive
West Sacramento, CA 95691

Campaign for High School Equity

Campaign for High School Equity:

"With Focus on Lowest-Performing Schools, Graduation for All Act Will Help All Students Obtain the High-Quality Education that is their Right, says Campaign for High School Equity

WASHINGTON — The Campaign for High School Equity (CHSE), a coalition of civil rights organizations focused on high school education reform, applauds the introduction of The Graduation for All Act of 2009 (H.R. 4122), a bill aimed at improving failing middle and high schools. The legislation, cosponsored by Representatives Miller (D-CA), Davis (D-IL), Grijalva (D-AZ), Kildee (D-MI), Scott (D-VA), Fattah (D-PA), Hinojosa (D-TX), and Loebsack (D-IA), puts action into the assertion that all American students have the right to receive a high-quality education."

Sacramento Press / Fargo: Will she run again?

Community Journalism at its Very Best

Sacramento Press / Fargo: Will she run again?:

"Former Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo said she has been considering running for re-election.

In news that would be welcome to many who still call her by her honorary title, Fargo said Friday she has thought about running for the seat she lost a year ago to former NBA star Kevin Johnson.

'I have,' she said. 'Mainly because I'm asked all the time.

'It was clearly a great honor to be elected mayor. It was very painful, very challenging and incredibly rewarding at the same time,' she said during one of her first media interviews since leaving office."

Sac Mayor: Fiancee Wasn't 'Fixer' - Politics News Story - KCRA Sacramento

Sac Mayor: Fiancee Wasn't 'Fixer' - Politics News Story - KCRA Sacramento

Sac Mayor: Fiancee Wasn't 'Fixer'
Congressional Report Released On Former IG's Firing

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson denied Tuesday that his future fiancee played the role of "fixer" during last year's investigation of his St. HOPE organization.

"She was on the [St. HOPE] board at the time," Johnson said Tuesday during his weekly news conference at Sacramento City Hall. "The Inspector General's Office called her in as a board member and she weighed in on it. It was not as a 'fixer.'"

Johnson recently announced his engagement to Michelle Rhee, who is currently the superintendent of schools in Washington, D.C. Rhee's role in the St. HOPE investigation was raised in a report issued last week by two members of Congress.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, have called into question why Inspector General Gerald Walpin was forced to resign earlier this year. Walpin said he had found evidence that St. HOPE had misused federal AmeriCorps funding while Johnson was serving as CEO of the organization.

"It seems a lot of people might have been interested in protecting the AmeriCorps program and the Mayor of Sacramento from an IG who was discovering some unpleasant facts," Sen. Grassley said in a written statement issued with the report.

Spoiled: California Food Safety Legislation Dies On The Vine | California Progress Report

Spoiled: California Food Safety Legislation Dies On The Vine California Progress Report:

"Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez started the year with high hopes that he could transform California’s system of ensuring food safety .

The issue had drawn national attention. “Omnivore’s Dilemma” was atop the best seller lists, while authorities announced they had detected salmonella in hundreds of tainted peanut butter, paste and other products produced by Peanut Corporation of America, prompting a massive recall and a bankruptcy.

Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Calif., voluntarily pulled from the shelves scores of its products after federal authorities discovered they too were fouled by salmonella. Beef producers had recalled hundreds of thousands of pounds of hamburger containing e-coli."

Fast Tracking My Bill to Increase Higher Education Funding | California Progress Report

Fast Tracking My Bill to Increase Higher Education Funding California Progress Report:

"While California is preparing to go into special session next month to consider legislation to help it receive millions in federal Race to the Top Kindergarten-12 education funds, I'm asking the state to also fast track my bill to provide the community colleges and public universities with more than $1.3 billion.

As we have witnessed from the thousands of students, faculty and staff who marched and protested last week, higher education funding is an urgent matter that demands our action. The Race to the Top will lead to a dead end if we deny California’s high school graduates a chance to pursue a higher education in our own state universities and community colleges."

California's New Deal | California Progress Report

California's New Deal

California's New Deal California Progress Report:

"California never had a New Deal. While California voted for FDR in 1932 (and for each of his three reelection bids), state politics were dominated by right-wing factions in both the Republican and Democratic parties for much of the era.

In 1934, when Upton Sinclair won the Democratic nomination on a socialist platform called End Poverty In California, or EPIC, he was unable to overcome a sophisticated campaign machine built by conservative Republican Frank Merriam, which included political ads created by movie studios and shown in cinemas statewide before the election. (A centrist Democrat, Raymond Haight, also ran in the 3-way contest, costing Sinclair anti-conservative votes.)"

In 1938 progressive Democrat Culbert Olson finally broke through. An atheist and friend of labor unions, his term in office was marked by battles with conservative Democrats and Republicans in the legislature, frustrating his plans to bring the New Deal to California, beyond the few dams and bridges that had been initiated earlier in the decade. Moderate Republican Earl Warren beat Olson in the 1942 election, and a true New Deal for California would have to wait until 1958, when Pat Brown got elected governor.

As California sinks deeper into a similar economic crisis some 75 years later, we risk making the same mistake - being unable to overcome a legacy of Hooverism and provide the state with the government-led economic recovery program we so desperately need. So argue California scholars Richard Walker and Gray Brechin in a SF Chronicle op-ed today:

FCUSD Approves Closure of Cordova Lane and Riverview Elementaries — The Rancho Cordova Post#comment-4316#comment-4316

FCUSD Approves Closure of Cordova Lane and Riverview Elementaries — The Rancho Cordova Post#comment-4316#comment-4316:

Join the Conversation

"In a decision Board President Ed Short said was “heart-wrenching,” the Folsom Cordova Unified School District Board of Education approved the closure of Cordova Lane and Riverview Elementaries at a meeting held Thursday night.

“I know for me personally, combining schools is not something I want to do,” Short said to the packed audience in the Cordova High School gymnasium."

Council Member Linda Budge expressed her dissatisfaction with the process and the reasoning the district used to come to the decision. “Everyone in government is struggling to do more with less,” she said in reference to the district’s assertion that the state budget has forced the school closures. She also noted that the reports issued by the district about the schools contained conflicting data.

Budge also admonished the district’s ultimate decision to close the schools. “It will hurt the future of our kids, it will hurt the future of our city,” she said, and she urged board members to stall the decision for two to three months and come up alternative cost-saving measures.

6 Reasons Why Every Student Should Take Shop Class

6 Reasons Why Every Student Should Take Shop Class:

"Shop class, once a staple of American high schools, has been nearly decimated by the digital age. High school students have little time for electives, and when they do, they often choose technology classes. Schools are selling off their circular saws to buy computer labs, and trading in their welding tools for web-cams. After all, why do our kids need to know how to build a birdhouse when they can buy one at Home Depot for $9.99?"

But new voices are calling for the return of shop class. In his 2009 book, Shop Class as Soulcraft, Mathew Crawford praises the benefits of learning how to do manual work. In a time where most of our work is intangible, working with our hands can bring a sense of satisfaction that is lacking in our virtual lives. Even if one doesn’t go into a manual trade, the ability to make and fix the utilities we need can help us “live concretely in an abstract world.”

Mark Leeper was a Civil Engineer before deciding to become a math teacher at Menlo-Atherton High School. Once he got there, he found more personal reward in the hands-on nature of teaching woodshop. After two decades of helping kids learn woodworking, he has seen every type of student benefit from the lessons of practical experience. Here is a list of reasons why every student should consider taking shop class:

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Teachers Union Wins Workload Rules

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Teachers Union Wins Workload Rules

Nearly a year and a half after its last contract expired, the teachers union has reached an agreement with San Diego Unified that will limit their workloads.Union leaders say it will prevent teachers from being overburdened with new responsibilities and push schools to plan for teacher time. Workload rules were one of the most controversial questions for the school district during the protracted negotiations with teachers.

Principals have questioned whether the new rules would hamstring schools from making necessary changes in teachers' duties at all. To address those worries, the union added a section saying that the rule "does not prohibit the District from implementing programs, initiatives or curricular reforms."

Duncan Endorses Efforts to Improve STEM Education

Duncan Endorses Efforts to Improve STEM Education:

"U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today praised corporate and philanthropic leaders for stepping up to support improvements in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

“The president and I believe that ensuring our nation's children are excelling in the STEM fields is essential for our nation's prosperity, security, health and quality of life,” Secretary Duncan said. “All of us need to be engaged in task of improving STEM education. Business leaders and major donors are leading the way, and leaders from other sectors need to join them.”"

Poor Schools or Poor Kids? : Education Next

Poor Schools or Poor Kids? : Education Next:

"Since the run-up to the 2008 election, the Democratic Party has been home to two prominent and very different reform wings. One, spearheaded by the group Democrats for Education Reform and notable school-district chiefs like New York’s Joel Klein and Washington, D.C.’s Michelle Rhee, is the Education Equality Project (EEP). The other, A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education (BBA), is a coalition of education scholars and Democratic thinkers, including Duke University’s Helen Ladd, former president of Columbia University’s Teachers College Arthur Levine, and New York University professor Pedro Noguera."

Top-10 educational toys - Curiosity Cube | GreatSchools

Top-10 educational toys - Curiosity Cube GreatSchools:

"Over 3 billion toys are sold in the United States annually. We'll refrain from guessing how many end up in the back of the closet for years on end and instead recommend a few we think stand a decent chance of grabbing your child's attention. Needless to say, this list isn't the be-all, end-all. Instead, think of these picks as representative of the kind of toy we're especially fond of: educational, fun, and inventive. When new toys make a beeline for the back for the closet, we believe it's because they lack that trio of qualities. So here's to 10 that strive for, and deliver, something more."