eGov monitor - A Policy Dialogue Platform | Promoting Better Governance

eGov monitor - A Policy Dialogue Platform Promoting Better Governance:

"Despite a general improvement in education and training performance in the EU, progress is too slow, which means that the majority of the reform targets set for 2010 will not be reached.
The economic downturn underlines the urgency of reform and continuous targeted investment in education and training systems to meet core economic and social challenges. These are the main conclusions from two reports on the progress of education reforms and European co-operation presented by the European Commission today.

The European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, Maroš Šefčovič, said: “ Education reforms in the EU have come a long way, but we must not lose momentum now. In particular, we need more and better investment in education and training, so that Europeans are better prepared to find jobs, and to increase our ability to innovate in the long term.”"

Healing the World, One School at a Time | Cover Story | Jewish Journal

Healing the World, One School at a Time Cover Story Jewish Journal:

"When Robyn Ritter Simon first checked out Canfield Avenue Elementary School for her sons in 1995, she didn’t like what she saw.

Test scores weren’t stellar. The school grounds needed improvement. And in the heavily Jewish Pico-Robertson area of West Los Angeles, where the public school is located, hardly any Jewish families were sending their kids. Ritter Simon’s eldest son would have been one of few white children — and even fewer Jewish children — in his class."

But while other mothers in her Beverlywood neighborhood were budgeting for private school, Ritter Simon and a group of friends went to work fixing up the school and wooing local families back to the campus. Over a nearly 10-year period, the “Beverlywood Moms” stumped for the school at neighborhood gatherings, organized house meetings and successfully recruited hundreds of local Jewish families back to Canfield. Today, the school her peers once shunned is “an anchor of the neighborhood,” Ritter Simon said, and that enthusiasm has caught on elsewhere.

“We really galvanized parents about public education, which ended up improving elementary schools throughout the Westside,” she said.

Now the group’s model for revitalizing Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) schools is graduating from elementary school to that place that still causes many Jewish parents to bite their nails in anxiety: middle school. And, for the first time, some major Jewish institutions are joining the effort.

Labor Voices: Did Michigan's budget cuts imperil federal education funds? | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Labor Voices: Did Michigan's budget cuts imperil federal education funds? detnews.com The Detroit News:

"In the debate over the federal Race to the Top program, we've heard politicians and pundits argue over money -- and who's to blame if we don't get the dollars we're all hoping for.
What we haven't heard is how Michigan might have already blown any chance at grant money anyway.

As much as the Michigan Education Association would welcome millions of dollars in federal money, our state's draconian budget cuts have put us at a disadvantage compared with other states that invest in their schools."

In a conference call with reporters last Thursday, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan issued a warning for states like Michigan. While acknowledging that times are tough, Duncan said one of his chief criteria for Race to the Top grants would be whether states make education a priority during tight budget years.

If states -- like Michigan -- cut education spending, Duncan said he would ask a simple question.

"Did those cuts help students in the classroom, or did they benefit adults?" The answer, he said, would be a major evaluation tool in this process.

That does not bode well for Michigan schools

A dollar a day per resident could save the California college dream - San Jose Mercury News

A dollar a day per resident could save the California college dream - San Jose Mercury News:

"The University of California now says it will ask state legislators for $913 million more next year than it received in this year's budget. The California State University system will ask for an increase of $884 million.

These requests come as public college and university tuition and other fees are climbing to levels that will soon approach those of top private campuses. What's more, despite the universities' requests, any likelihood of higher education getting more money next year seems like a pipe dream when estimates of next year's state budget deficit range from $7 billion to $24 billion, figures so daunting they helped spur the resignation of the state's finance director, who admits he considered ways to put California into bankruptcy last spring."

LAUSD to halve its local offices - LA Daily News

LAUSD to halve its local offices - LA Daily News:

"In a concession to unions, Los Angeles Unified Schools chief Ramon Cortines said Tuesday he will eliminate half the number of local district offices he helped create a few years ago in a bid to reduce next year's deficit of nearly $500 million.

But Cortines said savings from the move will amount to just $12 million, and tougher cutbacks, including layoffs, will have to be made to balance the budget.

'There is no way to avoid cuts,' Cortines said at a special budget meeting called to inform the school board about the district's worsening financial outlook.
'We have less state and federal money and fewer students ... the district has to adjust.'"

State turns to two-year colleges to house enrollment boom | ajc.com

State turns to two-year colleges to house enrollment boom ajc.com:

"The University System of Georgia expects to enroll between 400,000 and 450,000 students within the next decade and has to find space for the nearly 100,000 additional students."

Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr. said much of the growth must be handled by the state’s two-year colleges. These colleges are cheaper to operate and can quickly add programs and make other changes, officials said.

The challenge is persuading students to attend a two-year college when many think of the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech as their only options. The solution, Davis said, can be found at Atlanta Metropolitan College.

The two-year college used to have a declining enrollment but is now setting records after focusing on students and academics. Fall enrollment at the southwest Atlanta college is 2,688 students, an increase of about 60 percent since 2006.

Ms. Rhee's legal layoffs - washingtonpost.com

Ms. Rhee's legal layoffs - washingtonpost.com:

"THE DECISION by a D.C. Superior Court judge to uphold D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee's dismissal of 388 school employees is more than an important legal victory. It is a refutation of accusations that she manufactured a budget crisis as pretext to fire teachers she didn't want. The unequivocal findings should abash Ms. Rhee's critics and, we hope, help her reach needed accord with the teachers' union."

Judge Judith Bartnoff on Tuesday issued a 23-page decision rejecting a bid by the Washington Teachers' Union to reinstate 266 teachers and other staff members laid off on Oct. 2. The judge ruled that the union failed to prove any of its arguments. She also accepted -- without qualification -- Ms. Rhee's contention that budget cuts by the D.C. Council forced the reduction in force. The judge chronicled the events leading up to the layoffs and concluded there was "undisputed evidence" that the schools budget was sufficient to support existing staff members and newly hired teachers "until the Council reduced the budget by $21 million only two weeks before the new teachers were scheduled to report."

State must reveal, not conceal, school aptitude

State must reveal, not conceal, school aptitude:

"This year marks the 10th anniversary of California's Public Schools Accountability Act, an early legislative triumph of then-Gov. Gray Davis. While some good things have come out of the law, the act has failed in its two key missions: to inform parents and the public about the true performance of schools and students, and to impose widespread tough consequences on failing or underperforming schools."

In contrast to funding-focused measures, such as Proposition 98, the act commendably sought to spotlight school and student outcomes, especially results on the state's standardized tests. While many educators complain about this emphasis on student testing, the real problem turned out to be how the act uses test scores to measure school performance.

The act uses the Academic Performance Index, or API, to measure the performance of schools. Based on student results on the state's California Standards Tests, the API calculates a score on a scale of 200 to 1,000 for every school, with the state designating 800 as the target to which all schools should strive to achieve.

Most Californians have little idea what the API numbers mean because the API doesn't talk about performance in terms that people understand. For example, people understand grade-level proficiency, which basically means that students have full mastery over grade-level subject matter. People can understand proficiency, but they don't understand the API.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/24/EDNO1AN0KA.DTL&type=education#ixzz0Xt7UNMU7

NAACP examines its relevancy | tennessean.com | The Tennessean

NAACP examines its relevancy tennessean.com The Tennessean:

"Fifty-five years after its landmark school integration case, the national NAACP is doing some self-examination about its relevancy to members and the communities it represents. The issue carries particular importance in Nashville as the group tries to negotiate a settlement in its federal case questioning a school-rezoning plan."

The local NAACP contended the plan resegregated North Nashville schools, but the district argued that it put students in schools closer to home without seriously affecting racial balance.

When given the choice to continue sending their children to more racially diverse schools across town or enroll them closer to home, 62 percent of affected families chose neighborhood schools, a report made to the board by school district staff said. That figure led some to wonder whether all affected families are represented in a suit that seeks to undo the rezoning.

Edward Fuqua is helping his girlfriend raise her two children in North Nashville. Both are Metro Schools students they chose to send to Pearl Cohn High in their neighborhood after the rezoning was approved. Until a reporter told him, Fuqua had no idea that the NAACP and Metro Schools spent nearly two weeks in a federal courthouse this month battling over the rezoning. He said he doesn't agree with the argument NAACP attorneys are making.

Michigan schools dig in against dropping out, make pledge | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Michigan schools dig in against dropping out, make pledge freep.com Detroit Free Press:

"School officials across Michigan have taken a crucial pledge to keep struggling students in school.

The goal? Keep these kids from giving up and worsening already troubling statistics that show a quarter of Michigan students fail to graduate on time and 15% drop out.

Nearly 1,100 schools across the state -- including all 172 schools in Detroit Public Schools -- have signed on to a dropout challenge, according to information released this week by the Michigan Department of Education."

College chiefs told not to look for bailouts

College chiefs told not to look for bailouts:

"When projected state budget cuts hit in the next couple of years, public university and college presidents can blame the economy when they are forced to close programs or reduce staff.

But they should not depend on the federal government for stopgap money to maintain business as usual, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Tuesday. Instead, they should find creative ways to boost quality and graduation rates in the face of tough economic times.

“We are trying to ... pump unprecedented resources into education at every level. But at the end of the day, if folks think they are going to be able to avoid making hard decisions, I think that is unrealistic,” said Duncan, who spoke to college presidents gathered at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio for a conference of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, a group of 430 public institutions."

The Answer Sheet - Should the National Council of Teachers of English win its own Doublespeak award?

The Answer Sheet - Should the National Council of Teachers of English win its own Doublespeak award?:

"Yesterday I wrote about why the National Council of Teachers of English gave its 2009 “Doublespeak Award” to Glenn Beck for exceptional achievement in using language that is “deceptive, evasive, euphemistic, confusing and self-centered.”

Today I will explain why some educators and researchers are calling for the teachers council to give the award to itself.
Why does this matter to you? Because it involves the way kids in public school will be taught how to read during the Obama administration."

Perry says Texas, not U.S., should set state public education standards | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

Perry says Texas, not U.S., should set state public education standards News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News Latest News:

"AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry still wants no part of a move to establish national standards for English and math instruction in public schools.

Perry issued a letter Tuesday – just as rival Kay Bailey Hutchison was announcing education policy proposals – to state Education Commissioner Robert Scott reiterating his opposition to federal standards."

Texas education officials, with Perry's backing, told the U.S. Department of Education in June that the state would not participate with most other states in developing the standards, spelling out what students at all grade levels should be taught in those subjects.

By doing so, Texas has severely hurt its chances of getting a piece of a $4.35 billion federal grant program for schools, known as "Race to the Top" funds. But Perry said in his letter that that's a price worth paying.

"The citizens of Texas, not the federal government, know what is best for our children," said Perry, who has hammered away at various federal programs as he runs for re-election next year.

Harold E. Ford Jr., Louis V. Gerstner Jr.,And Eli Broad: Race to the Top in Education - WSJ.com

Harold E. Ford Jr., Louis V. Gerstner Jr.,And Eli Broad: Race to the Top in Education - WSJ.com:

"For decades, policy makers have talked about significantly improving public education. The problem has been clear: one-third of public school children fail to graduate, there are embarrassing achievement gaps between middle-class children and poor and minority children, and the gap between our students and those in other countries threatens to undermine our economic competitiveness. Yet for the better part of a quarter century, urgent calls for change have seldom translated into improved public schools.

Now, however, President Barack Obama has launched 'Race to the Top,' a competition that is parceling out $4.35 billion in new education funding to states that are committed to real reform. This program offers us an opportunity to finally move the ball forward."

News: Unnatural Enemies - Inside Higher Ed

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/11/25/california:

"Amid a season of protests across the University of California, the system’s president and the leader of its premiere campus have increasingly found themselves portrayed as the villains. While they are both working to change that, a few recent public relations missteps may complicate their efforts.

Allegations of police brutality during a protest at Berkeley last week and faculty concerns about athletics spending are the latest PR headaches for Robert J. Birgeneau, the campus's chancellor. As for the system’s president, Mark Yudof has been busy defending a 32 percent tuition hike, while suffering additional criticism for joking about his compensation in a New York Times interview."

The Santa Barbara Independent Cesar Chavez Saved for Now

The Santa Barbara Independent Cesar Chavez Saved for Now

Cesar Chavez Saved for Now
Charter Extended Till End of School Year

It isn’t entirely in the clear yet, but after more than a month of late night board meetings, worst case scenario speculations, and passionate “save our school” rallying calls, Cesar Chavez Charter School’s future became a whole lot more secure this week. Faced with a freshly fired principal, an expired charter, and a host of district administrators adamant that the school doesn’t qualify for renewal of its charter—and as a result the very real possibility of a mid-year shut down from the state only a few weeks away—the popular dual-language-immersion elementary school got some much needed breathing room Tuesday night. The Santa Barbara School Board narrowly approved, on a 3-2 vote, a resolution extending Cesar Chavez’s charter through the remainder of the school year, essentially buying time so that the school, working with strong oversight from the district, can figure out its next move.

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.