News: New Wave of Student Activism - Inside Higher Ed

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/12/03/activism:

"WASHINGTON -- Students at California public universities have been staging protests against budget cuts and fee hikes all fall, capturing local and national attention with administration building sit-ins, 24-hour library occupations and large outdoor rallies.

Though they’ve been the loudest this fall -- and in particular, over the last few weeks, as the University of California Board of Regents voted to raise tuition by 32 percent -- California’s students aren’t the only ones organizing to protect their financial and educational interests. As institutions and states take red ink to their budgets and green ink to their tuition bills, students in Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York have begun speaking out. Students in Canada, Germany and Austria are also agitating against tuition hikes."

“A new era in student activism has … emerged out of California,” said Victor Sanchez, president of the University of California Student Association (USCA) and a senior at UC Santa Cruz, at the start of a panel discussion here Wednesday hosted by the Campus Progress branch of the left-leaning Center for American Progress. “It’s the beginning of a student movement. It’s a movement against the privatization of our public institutions here in the United States.”

Angus Johnston, a historian who completed his doctorate at the City University of New York earlier this year and studies American student activism, said he sees “a lot more going on beyond California than most people recognize.” When students go to a state capitol or to Congress to lobby for their interests “that’s not something that makes The New York Times, that’s not something you get on NPR for doing.” Smaller campus protests, he added, aren’t getting much coverage beyond campus and local media.

Stress soars in applying for California colleges | PressDemocrat.com | The Press Democrat | Santa Rosa, CA

Stress soars in applying for California colleges PressDemocrat.com The Press Democrat Santa Rosa, CA:

"With record-shattering numbers of applicants vying for a shrinking number of places at California universities, stress is the word of the day for area seniors."

More than 609,000 students submitted undergraduate applications to the California State University system between Oct. 1 and the Nov. 30 deadline, according to CSU officials. On the final day alone, more than 73,680 applications were received.

The deadline for students applying to the UC system was extended from Monday to 11:59 p.m. Wednesday after the online application system crashed in the final hours.

That breakdown — largely symbolic locally because only 1,500 students statewide were online when it crashed — summed up the worry felt by seniors facing one of the bleakest-ever college application seasons.

Capitol Weekly: Could California face a “brain drain” of college students?

Capitol Weekly: Could California face a “brain drain” of college students?:

"In the 2007-2008 academic year, California did something it had not done since the 1980s: sent more college students out of state than it received from elsewhere.

For years, the Golden State’s public universities were a draw, offering a low-cost, high-quality education to its high school graduates and drawing talented people from other states and countries. With fees rising and student slots shrinking in the midst of the state budget crisis, some worry that a process that has helped boost California’s economy will reverse itself -- and do so at a time when the state’s economy needs more educated workers than ever.

“Absolutely the state is moving in the wrong direction in terms of closing the education skills gap,” said Hans Johnson, a demographer with the Public Policy Institute of California."

Last month, the University of California (UC) regents voted to raise fees by 32 percent, to $10,302 a year for in-state students, in the wake of a $1.2 billion cut in state support to the system. The California State University system saw a $564 million cut, forcing widespread layoffs and reduction of 40,000 students for the coming year.

These changes, in turn, have caused a logjam in the California Community Colleges system — both in terms of new admissions, and students trying to transfer a two-year degree to a four-year school.

“As the other two segments also are stressed, people who would otherwise go to UC or CSU also turn to community colleges,” said Assemblyman Ira Ruskin, D-Redwood City. On Monday, Ruskin is convening a joint panel that will review the master plan for California’s higher education systems.

Four-year schools have been making it harder to transfer, including recent changes to give preference to students from community colleges closer to their home campuses. The UC and CSU systems have been raising the GPA needed to get into certain programs and campuses--especially crowded CSUs like San Diego, Pomona, Long Beach and Fullerton--according to Rita Mize, director of state policy and research with Community College League.

Meanwhile, other higher education systems are pursuing California students.

UC dorm aids 'first gen' students | cincinnati.com | Cincinnati.Com

UC dorm aids 'first gen' students cincinnati.com Cincinnati.Com:

"If 18-year-old Demarcus Jones doesn't get up promptly for his 10 o'clock math class at the University of Cincinnati, he'll first get a text message from Judy Mause and then she'll arrive in person, banging on his dormitory door."

Mause calls it "intrusive advising."

Jones is one of 24 UC freshmen living in Gen-1 House, an off-campus residence designated for low-income, first-generation college students. Mause is the program's coordinator and she will do everything from wake-up calls to checking in with professors to make sure Gen-1 students keep their grades up and fit into campus life.

That's because if left to the odds, only three of the 24 Gen-1 House freshmen would graduate.

Nationally, 89 percent of low-income "first-gens" leave college within six years without a degree. More than a quarter leave after their first year - four times the dropout rate of higher income second-generation students.

Sick Schools 2009: Congress Urged to Help Kids at Risk- Embargoed for Dec 3

Sick Schools 2009: Congress Urged to Help Kids at Risk:

"PR Log (Press Release) – Dec 03, 2009 – Releasing “Sick Schools 2009', national and state advocates for environment and children’s health thanked Senators Boxer, Lautenberg, and Klobuchar, and other members of the Environment Committee for advancing the EPA priorities on children and schools and urged more support for EPA. The report, with contributions from policy advocates in 20 states and the District, offers peer-reviewed studies and compelling evidence of how polluted air inside and outside schools escalate health care costs, increase absenteeism, and reduce test scores."

Vernice Miller-Travis, Vice-Chair, Maryland State Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities said, “The fact that the poorest, highest risk children have the schools in the worst condition has been a civil rights issue going back to Brown v. Education of Topeka in 1954. Today, we know even more: that the impacts from toxic school siting to lead in drinking water to mold infestations and to chemical spills are damaging millions of children every year, taking away their health and their chance for a productive future.” Georges Benjamin, MD, FACP said "Unhealthy conditions in our schools lead to failing grades and failing health." Benjamin is executive director of the American Public Health Association. He added, "Environmental concerns such as asbestos, mold, poor air quality and other hazards affect children's ability to learn and their health, and schools in low-income communities are often disproportionately affected. We must close this gap and ensure that all of our kids are given an opportunity to learn, grow and play in safe, healthy schools."

Healthy Schools Network, Inc. - Who We Are

Healthy Schools Network, Inc. - Who We Are:

"Healthy Schools Network, Inc.

About Us

Healthy Schools Network, Inc. is a 501 c3 national environmental health organization that does research, information, education, coalition-building, and advocacy to ensure that every child has a healthy learning environment that is clean and in good repair.

Founded in 1995,we have documented and publicized school environmental problems; shaped and won new education, health, and environmental policies; fostered dozens of local and state policy groups; won systemic federal and state reforms; and helped thousands of parents and schools make classrooms and buildings healthier through our EPA award-winning Healthy Schools/Healthy Kids Clearinghouse (Information and Referral Services).

Major efforts include: building the platform and the forum for school environments through the collaborative Coalition for Healthier Schools which we founded and convene with more than 400 local, state, and national partners; leading National Healthy Schools Day; offering steady assistance through the Clearinghouse's publications and referrals; and refining our model New York Program. Throughout, we are focused on: 1) High Performance School Design/Construction consistent with children's needs for healthy environments; 2) Greening Existing Schools; and 3) Environmental Public Health for Children who are disproportionately affected by environmental exposures.

Attorney General Holder, Secretary Duncan Meet With Youth Leaders, Parents

Attorney General Holder, Secretary Duncan Meet With Youth Leaders, Parents:

"WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of the Justice Department's year-long commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan met today with teen leaders, their parents and program directors from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships (Start Strong). The discussion around teen dating violence was held in conjunction with nationwide events as part of the 6th It's Time to Talk Day, organized annually by Liz Claiborne Inc. to draw national attention to the importance of talking about domestic violence, teen dating violence and intimate partner abuse.

'We must engage the broadest spectrum of community partners in order to stem youth violence, and a cornerstone of that partnership is young people themselves,' said Attorney General Holder. 'The Department of Justice is committed to working with young people to develop innovative solutions to help prevent teen dating abuse.'"

A 'New Normal' for Higher Education in the 21st Century Announced at the

A 'New Normal' for Higher Education in the 21st Century Announced at the:

"NEW YORK, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- 'The most successful institutions will not be those that ride out the economic downturn by returning to the status quo,' said Madeleine d'Ambrosio, vice president and executive director of the TIAA-CREF Institute, in opening this year's TIAA-CREF Institute conference, 'Smart Leadership in Difficult Times.' More than 150 higher education leaders from around the country were gathered for this timely forum.

Colleges and universities will be forced to 'focus on enrollment, affordability and fund-raising' added d'Ambrosio, who also cited a Moody's report predicting the harshest effects of the economic downturn are likely still ahead for higher education."

The result: a "new normal" for colleges and universities, said keynote speaker David Gergen, professor of public service at Harvard's JFK School of Government and a director of its Center for Public Leadership. Gergen is also editor at large for US News & World Report, and a senior political analyst for CNN.

"For universities the new normal means the budget crunch is not going away," Gergen said. Seventy percent of all U.S. college and university students go to public institutions using state funding from budgets so stressed that "more than half of the states anticipate deficits for fiscal year 2011," added Muriel Howard, president, AASCU. "We're not going to spend our way out of this budget crunch," Gergen said. "We're not going to tax our way out of it. We're going to have to innovate our way out of it as a country."

Creating opportunities for parent involvement | delmarvanow.com | The Daily Times

Creating opportunities for parent involvement delmarvanow.com The Daily Times:

"In Worcester County Public Schools, we understand the connection between parental involvement and student achievement. Research shows that children who receive educational encouragement and support from their parents and guardians are likely to achieve at their highest potential."

At Buckingham Elementary School, we celebrate parent involvement. In fact, one of our parents, Gary Williams, won the inaugural Comcast Parent Involvement Matters award for Worcester County. As a member of our School Improvement Advisory Committee, Williams saw a need; he wanted our students to have access to digital cameras. Using his expertise in the area of electronics, he purchased cameras on eBay, refurbished them and created a camera lab for us. Because of his caring and creativity, our students have been further enriched.

Parents, however, do not need a specific set of skills in order to be involved in their child's education. Indeed, a parent is their child's first teacher. Throughout a child's education, as the child moves from grade level to grade level and from teacher to teacher, parents are the one constant. Parents act as an advocate, coach, and source of inspiration for their child.

As a Title I school having 59 percent of our students coming from households of poverty, Buckingham Elementary has a plan for parent involvement. We establish our goals and identify our resources for achieving them. For example, we partner with the Berlin Head Start in order to ensure that each student has a great beginning to their education.

South Bend Tribune: Michigan mother camps out for more schools cash

South Bend Tribune: Michigan mother camps out for more schools cash:

"LANSING (AP) — Michigan parents, teachers and school officials have held rallies and even bake sales at the state Capitol in efforts to persuade lawmakers to raise more money for education.

Dee Lindeman is taking it to another level.

The mother of three Center Line schools students has set up a tent and is camping in front of the Capitol from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. She leaves at night only because security guards tell her she has to go.

Lindeman is planning her third day of camping at the Capitol on Thursday. She plans to camp out through Dec. 10 unless lawmakers restore recent funding cuts to schools before then."

Mayor's First Year Nets Mixed Record - Politics News Story - KCRA Sacramento

Mayor's First Year Nets Mixed Record - Politics News Story - KCRA Sacramento:

"SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento's mayor, Kevin Johnson, is completing his first year as mayor with a mixed record.

In many ways, says communications expert and Sacramento State professor Barbara O'Connor, it's been a missed opportunity.

'It's always a trade-off of, you have all this enthusiasm and new ideas, and you don't know how to manage,' O'Connor said. 'And that's really what can be said of the mayor's first year.'
Johnson has been linked to investigations of alleged misconduct with girls, and money questions have surfaced about his nonprofit foundation, St. HOPE."

CPR: Feature News Story | Johnson's First Year: Struggle to Build Consensus Slows Agenda

CPR: Feature News Story Johnson's First Year: Struggle to Build Consensus Slows Agenda:

"This week marks one year since Kevin Johnson became mayor of Sacramento. It’s Johnson’s first elected office, so he’s had to learn on the job. Over the last year, Johnson has made progress on several fronts: He addressed Sacramento’s highly publicized homelessness problem and helped the city avoid police and fire layoffs. But Johnson’s struggle to build consensus at City Hall is slowing his agenda.

One Year Through the Lens of a Single Week

If you want to know what Kevin Johnson’s first year as mayor has been like, check out two starkly different events from the first week of November, 2009."

Sacramento Press / Johnson reviews his first year as mayor

Sacramento Press / Johnson reviews his first year as mayor:

"Mayor Kevin Johnson has been at the helm of the city for one full year.

Johnson made remarks to reporters Tuesday about his past year in office, saying that his volunteer program and a drop in crime are among his accomplishments, and that the city’s business climate and City Council disagreements are some of his shortfalls. His one-year anniversary as mayor was Dec. 2.

“I’ve been in office 365 days,” Johnson said at his Tuesday meeting with reporters. “And I’m just as excited today as when I got elected.”"

SN&R > Columns > Bites > Lies, damn lies and the mayor’s blog > 12.03.09

SN&R > Columns > Bites > Lies, damn lies and the mayor’s blog > 12.03.09:

"“Numbers can be made to say almost anything,” warns Mayor Kevin Johnson, opening a recent entry on his always informative and entertaining blog (www.kevinjohnsonformayor.com/kjfm). And then he proves it.

“But here’s a number we should celebrate. By one measure, Sacramento is becoming a safer city. We moved seven positions—in the right direction—in a national safety survey that looks at hundreds of U.S. cities.”

That survey is the annual City Crime Rankings put out by CQ Press. This year, Sacramento moved from the 51st most dangerous city in America to being the 57th most dangerous city in America."

LaJollaLight.com | Board of Education calls on state to solve its budget woes

LaJollaLight.com Board of Education calls on state to solve its budget woes:

"The San Diego Unified School District's Board of Education Tuesday night unanimously passed a resolution calling for the state government to solve its budget woes without placing further financial burdens on education.

The resolution, sponsored by board member Richard Barrera, calls for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature to take 'a balanced approach' to solving fiscal problems 'that includes both new revenues and budget cuts to reduce the negative impacts of excessive cuts to education.'

The resolution promises the district will advocate 'progressive tax policies,' and for simple majorities for the Legislature to raise taxes and pass an annual budget. The Assembly and Senate require two-thirds majorities to do both."

Houston sixth-graders' heart screenings shock researchers | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Houston sixth-graders' heart screenings shock researchers Houston & Texas News Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"Heart screenings offered to sixth-graders at a Houston middle school revealed seven with undiagnosed heart conditions — two of which required surgery — and the results shocked researchers who want to see such tests offered at every campus.

Those 94 students at Key Middle School were the first tested in a study led by Houston cardiologist Dr. John Higgins. On Wednesday, his group began screening 150 students at Houston's Fleming Middle School.

Higgins is hoping the findings will win support for his crusade to make heart exams routine for all U.S. sixth-graders.

“Usually, the first time these kids have symptoms is during cardiac arrest,” said Higgins. “We had at least two cases in Houston last year where it was the first episode and they died.”
While other studies have focused on athletes, this project includes all students."

Sticking with magnet schools to strengthen poor kids' scores - washingtonpost.com

Sticking with magnet schools to strengthen poor kids' scores - washingtonpost.com:

"Aleader in the national effort to raise the achievement of low-income children once told me how she became, to her amused surprise, one of those rare suburban Washington parents who pay tuition to send their children to D.C. public schools.

She grew up in a white, blue-collar family far from Washington. Her children attended economically diverse schools, but when she got a big job in the District, the people at her new office, despite their shared commitment to improving urban education, told her she would be nuts to put her kids in the D.C. system. Uncertain what to do in a strange new city, she bowed to this unanimous view and bought a house in Montgomery County, never anticipating what would happen next."

Texas students struggle on early versions of end-of-course tests | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

Texas students struggle on early versions of end-of-course tests News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News Latest News:

"AUSTIN – As hundreds of Texas school districts get a jump on the end-of-course tests that will debut statewide in two years, preliminary results indicate a large number of students will have trouble passing the exams."

High school students will be required to pass the battery of 12 end-of-course tests beginning with freshmen entering high school in the 2011-12 school year. But many districts are already giving early versions of the tests to their students, and some are even using them as final exams in Algebra I and four other courses.

The Algebra I test was administered to nearly 79,000 students earlier this year, and just 57 percent of those students passed the 50-question exam. About 11 percent achieved "commended performance" for answering most of the items correctly.

Results were similar on four other tests measuring knowledge and skills in biology, chemistry, geometry and U.S. history. In biology, the 58,000 who took the exam answered about 60 percent of the questions correctly.

Harvard Law School Suspends Program Giving Students Free Tuition - NYTimes.com

Harvard Law School Suspends Program Giving Students Free Tuition - NYTimes.com:

"Less than two years after announcing that it would waive tuition for third-year students who pledge to spend five years working for nonprofit organizations or for the government, Harvard Law School is suspending the program — in part because almost twice as many students as expected signed up."

“This was always an experiment and just one of many ways we were trying to encourage students to explore public interest careers,” said Martha Minow, the dean of the law school, adding, “What we found is that we had less trouble than we thought encouraging that.”

But the recession was also a factor. “It’s really a function of the endowment going down drastically,” said Robb London, the law school’s assistant dean for communications.

Harvard’s endowment declined 27 percent between June 2008 and June 2009, falling to $26 billion, and the university has adopted a number of cost-cutting moves. In fact, on Tuesday, Harvard’s largest division, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, announced a voluntary retirement plan for professors. Other schools will offer similar packages in the near future.

The Answer Sheet - A teachable moment for and about the Secret Service

The Answer Sheet - A teachable moment for and about the Secret Service:

"Every second of every day its agents put their lives on the line to protect our federal officials and, out of nowhere, up comes a super tall, super thin, super blond woman to a White House state dinner and is allowed in by Secret Service agents even though she and her husband aren’t on the official guest list.

Scandal ensues. Michaele and Tareq Salahi become household names (actually I had to look them up; I know them only as “the gate crashers”). The reputation of the Secret Service is sullied."