Back to the Land - And the Pursuit of Happiness Blog - NYTimes.com

Back to the Land - And the Pursuit of Happiness Blog - NYTimes.com

To Write About Curriculum, Reporters Need Classroom Access - Curriculum Matters - Education Week

To Write About Curriculum, Reporters Need Classroom Access - Curriculum Matters - Education Week:

"A former reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer remarked to my colleague Lesli Maxwell that for journalists to better cover classroom issues in schools, they need to have better access to classrooms. Lesli included the views of Dale Mezzacappa in a story about a report by the Brookings Institution that documents a lack of education stories on the front pages of mainstream newspapers nationwide. The report also concludes that education gets scant attention in the top news stories produced by radio and television reporters.

Mezacappa's remarks resonated with me because I've found that the ability I have to provide examples of how a school's curriculum plays out in the classroom depends on whether I'm permitted to spend a lot of time observing in classrooms."

Interests and Assessment Map - Parent Driven Schools

Interests and Assessment Map - Parent Driven Schools:

"The Interests and Abilities Map is a tool that students and their parents can use to better understand the student’s unique profile of interests, skills, challenges, potential and opportunities.
The IAM empowers the student in the setting and achieving of his or her own educational goals.

Shared with a parent, it can provide the basis for nurturing the child's unique gifts, challenges and interests.

Shared with a teacher, it can become the basis for indivdualizing the educational experience to meet the unique needs of the student."

The Educated Guess » State Board to consider regs for revoking charters

The Educated Guess » State Board to consider regs for revoking charters:

"The State Board of Education is the latest to weigh in with a proposal to weed out low-performing charter schools. It joins the Senate and the Assembly, whose Race to the Top bills differ on the right approach.

Even charter school advocates, including the California Charter Schools Association, agree that mediocre charter schools are undermining the case for expanding successful charters. Their low test scores feed arguments of charter opponents, who cite numbers showing that, on average, charters aren’t outperforming district schools."

The issue has gained importance, because U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is using the $4.3 billion Race to the Top competition as leverage to push the expansion of high-performing charter schools. In response, both Senate and Assembly bills – SBX5-1 and ABX5-8 – would remove California’s limit of 100 new charters per year. While doing so would have no practical effect – the annual cap has never been reached, and unused numbers accumulate – its elimination would earn a few points on California’s Race to the Top application.

Assuming there are no financial irregularities and other problems, charter schools are entitled to have their charters renewed if they satisfy one of several criteria. They include reaching their API targets for the previous year; ranking in the fourth decile or higher for schools with similar demographics; or having API scores that are as high as those of neighborhood district schools. In a district like Los Angeles Unified, that last criteria can be a very low bar.

Chartering authorities – mostly local districts and county offices of education – have the responsibility for renewing and revoking charters. At its Dec. 15 meeting, the State Board of Education will take up proposed regulations would allow the board to intervene and revoke a charter of a school that fails to meet

voiceofsandiego.org

voiceofsandiego.org:

Bright and Early

"Water is falling from the sky. Do not panic. Or if you must, go into your underground bunker and soothe yourself with education news. It's the daily newsblitz!"

•We blog that the people who are helping oversee the $2.1 billion school construction bond for San Diego Unified are going to hold bond auditors to a higher standard after hearing from an outside nonprofit, which alleges that the auditor just hired by the school district has skimped on audits elsewhere.

The Union-Tribune wrote an editorial on it this weekend, too.

•If you missed it on Friday, guest blogger Jim Miller argued that the changes California is trying to make to become more competitive for a second dose of school stimulus dollars are "punitive and ill-considered."

We'll have another viewpoint on the stimulus money today -- stay tuned!

“Guilty As Charged” | Today's Cliche - Marriage, Family, & Work... from BOTH Women's and Men's Perspectives.

“Guilty As Charged” Today's Cliche - Marriage, Family, & Work... from BOTH Women's and Men's Perspectives.:

"Guilty, Guilty, and Guilty

Invincible: What I now admit to thinking when I was as a teenager.

Invincible: What I admit to still be thinking (?) as an adult.

I mean, what ELSE can logically explain how — for some reason — I conceive that there will be no repercussions, each time I text a ‘quick’ response on my iPhone while traveling 75 miles an hour on the beltway?

Don’t you hear the same echo that I do in my head: “C’mon… I just need to look down for one second… one second“?! It’s tempting, isn’t it?"

California Learning Resource Network (CLRN)

California Learning Resource Network (CLRN):

"CLRN makes it easy for you to find the standards-aligned software, video and Internet learning resources you need. CLRN experts have identified, reviewed and organized hundreds of Electronic Learning Resources (ELRs) in a searchable database that allows you to compare key features of selected resources. The Web Information Links (WILs) let you search or browse hundreds of free primary, secondary and reference resources. Electronic Learning Assessment Resources (ELARs) are data management programs that simplify delivery, aggregation and disaggregation of assessment data."

t r u t h o u t | David Bacon | The Human Face of Budget Cuts

t r u t h o u t David Bacon The Human Face of Budget Cuts:

"Oakland, California - Cesar Cota was the first in his family to attend college. 'Now it's hard to achieve my dream,' he says, 'because the state put higher fees on us, and cut services and classes.' Cota, a student at Los Angeles City College, was encouraged by the internship program of the LA College Faculty Guild to describe the human cost of budget cuts in the community college system."
David Robinson, who's worked since he was 14, hoped he'd get automotive mechanic training, and a good job at the end of it. "But by cutting these programs and raising fees," he says, "you're cutting opportunity for a lot of people who need it."


Another endangered student is Tina Vinaja, a mother of three teenagers whose husband took a weekend job to help pay her tuition hikes. Monica Mejia, a single mom, wants to get out of the low-wage trap. "Without community college," she says, "I'll end up getting paid minimum wage. I can't afford the fee hikes. I can barely make ends meet now."

Daily 49er - CSUs to make exceptions to keep special programs alive

Daily 49er - CSUs to make exceptions to keep special programs alive:

"The California State University system is planning to prioritize its enrollment by setting aside enrollment slots for athletes, ROTC, musicians and other special-skills students this fall. The decision is being made amidst plans to cut enrollment in the system by 40,000 students next year.

A $564-million budget cut is affecting the CSU campuses this fiscal year. One of the main factors in the decision to prioritize enrollment was to ensure that, despite the budget constraints, various programs in the CSU, such as athletics, engineering and orchestra, are filled.

“If you’re going to have an orchestra, you need to be able to enroll all the students to get a full band,” said CSU Director of Enrollment Management Services Jim Blackburn."

Joining forces : The Collegian Online

Joining forces : The Collegian Online:

"As activism rises on Fresno State’s campus, faculty show support of student involvement

Recent student activism on the California State University, Fresno campus has received support from many faculty members.

Professors could be seen in and outside of the Henry Madden Library during the protest staged after closing hours in November. October’s walkout also featured faculty members who addressed the crowd in the Peace Garden."

Dr. Loretta Kensinger, a professor for the women’s studies program, said that her participation was strictly in support for the students involved. She joined the family and friends of students who stood outside of the library for moral support for the students demonstrating inside, she said.

“I think the students are raising awareness for all of us about what the plight is for the California State University system right now,” Kensinger said.

She said students, as well as faculty, have been impacted by the budget cuts. It is important to support the students as they push for the state to fully fund education, Kensinger said.

Texas colleges counting economic blessings - for now

Texas colleges counting economic blessings - for now:

"SAN ANTONIO — Denise Trauth, president of Texas State University, tries not to gloat. But when she meets with counterparts from across the nation, as she did at the annual gathering of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities recently, she feels fortunate to be in Texas.

Many public colleges and universities across the nation are laying off employees, reducing student financial aid and taking other painful steps to cope with the economic downturn and declining state appropriations"

The University of North Alabama, for example, has raised tuition 9.5 percent in each of the past two years. California State University, Bakersfield, has scaled back academic programs and enrollment in response to a $15 million, or 25 percent, cut in the state portion of its budget. And Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has proposed merging three public, historically black universities to cut costs.

Institutions of higher learning in Texas haven't been immune to the belt-tightening. Hiring for many positions throughout the 15-campus University of Texas System is frozen. UT-Austin is laying off some staff members to free up money to retain and recruit top professors.

But schools in Texas, with its relatively strong economy, have largely been spared the harsh cuts taking place in many other states. Indeed, the Texas Legislature increased higher education funding this spring by $1.2 billion for the two-year budget and boosted financial aid by 35 percent, to $1 billion.

Different approaches considered amid some school officials' unease | San Bernardino County | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California

Different approaches considered amid some school officials' unease San Bernardino County PE.com Southern California News News for Inland Southern California:

"SACRAMENTO - Inland school officials are apprehensive about signing on to any state effort to get school grants from the federal government, with California lawmakers still divided on the issue as next month's application deadline approaches.

Wednesday, the Assembly Education Committee is scheduled to consider bills meant to improve the state's chances at receiving money from the $4.3 billion Race to the Top program, a centerpiece of President Barack Obama's education reform agenda. A vote of the full Assembly is expected Thursday."

WestsideConnect - The West Side's News Source - Professionals find their calling in special education

WestsideConnect - The West Side's News Source - Professionals find their calling in special education:

"NEWMAN – In the daily bustle of activity on local school campuses, one group of educators go about their work with little public fanfare – but with a particularly profound impact on the lives of the students they serve.

More than 30 classroom teachers, aides and specialists – often working closely with general education classroom teachers – devote themselves to serving students with special needs in the Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District.

Today (Thursday), special education professionals across the state are being acknowledged by the California Organization for Special Educators during its designated “Day of the Special Educator.”"

Are educated youth leaving California? - Bakersfield.com

Are educated youth leaving California? - Bakersfield.com:

"CALIFORNIA BRAIN DRAIN?

Here's something new to consider: the high cost of living in California and the rising cost of a university education is leading to a statewide 'brain drain' of college kids out of our state. That's the conclusion of a Capitol Weekly report that said for the first time since the 1980s, California sent more college kids out of state than it received from other states.

This is amazing stuff and points to the increasing cost of a California bachelor's degree combined with other factors like state and local taxes and housing costs that are sending kids elsewhere."

New teachers having trouble finding jobs in a competitive market - Whittier Daily News

New teachers having trouble finding jobs in a competitive market - Whittier Daily News:

"Michael Korte received his teaching credential from Azusa Pacific University in January.

Nearly a year later, with more than 50 applications and two dozen job interviews under his belt, the Glendora resident is still working as a security guard.

'Every semester, I keep telling myself, `well, next semester I'll start getting calls.' I'm always sending out resumes and always looking for jobs online. Now I'm hoping I'll have one by spring,' Korte said."

California Deserves Better Than Yudof's Failed Leadership | California Progress Report

California Deserves Better Than Yudof's Failed Leadership California Progress Report:

"Executives revel in taxpayer-backed bonuses while front-line workers suffer layoffs and wage cuts. Ordinary people see their livelihoods diminished and their children’s futures eroded while the corner office club gets richer. Costs increase for consumers though they get less value in return.

These were the stories you heard following the fallout on Wall Street during the meltdown of AIG and Lehman Brothers. But now they’re just as applicable to result of the misplaced priorities of the University of California under UC President Mark Yudof."

La Opinión - noticias locales, nacionales e internacionales desde Los Ángeles - impre.com - An opportunity for California

La Opinión - noticias locales, nacionales e internacionales desde Los Ángeles - impre.com - An opportunity for California:

"California’s educational system desperately needs additional funds to address the budget crisis while, at the same time, it also must tackle reforms to improve student learning. The State Assembly has the possibility to achieve both of these goals by passing a single legislative bill.

The Obama administration is pushing significant changes in the education system across the country through a program called 'Race to the Top,' which has $4.5 billion to award to states that adopt new standards for student learning and new systems to assess student achievement, that recruit and train effective teachers and principals, and finally, that turn-around low-achieving schools."

Montessori program at S.F. school stirs clash

Montessori program at S.F. school stirs clash:

"When San Francisco school officials opened a public Montessori program in an under-enrolled elementary school adjacent to the city's low-income Western Addition neighborhood in 2005, it sounded like a good idea."

It meant that poor, mostly African American students would have free and convenient access to what often is an expensive private program, out of reach and relatively unknown to inner-city children.
Instead, the effort has turned into a major headache for district administrators who now are embroiled in a bitter community battle over the educational fate of Cobb Elementary School.

At the heart of the fight is a district plan to phase out the school's traditional general education program - now serving predominantly African American students - to convert Cobb to all Montessori. While the program is offered to any family in the city, the intent of placing a Montessori program at Cobb was to better serve the neighborhood's African American families. Yet few parents from the community there seem to know much about the program or want it.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi file=/c/a/2009/12/07/MNLT1APV54.DTL#ixzz0Z0lqG5Te

Three Cheers for Community Colleges -- baltimoresun.com

Three Cheers for Community Colleges -- baltimoresun.com:


"DEAR JOYCE: My nephew's college plans are uncertain. His mother says a small scholarship and student loans can pay for a local private college with a $35,000 annual tuition. When I suggested he start out at a two-year public community college ($2,500 yearly tuition) and later transfer to a state university, she dismissed the idea as 'graduate high school.' Your opinion? -- V.M.

Debt loads for graduating college students are at a record high. The average recent college graduate with debt owes a total of $21,000 -- and the payback figure can be as steep as the high fives. (Debt totals for graduate and professional studies are another jaw-dropping story; research student debt and you'll see what I mean.)"

Bob Williams: UC's withering heights» Redding Record Searchlight

Bob Williams: UC's withering heights» Redding Record Searchlight:

"Back in 1960, California adopted the Master Plan for Higher Education. It was a three-tiered system. At the top was the research and Ph.D.-granting University of California. Next was what is now renamed the California State University. Finally, there were the two-year community colleges.

This plan has worked extremely well and has provided many of the scientists, engineers, doctors, agricultural specialists and others who have made this state an economic and innovative powerhouse that accounts for 13 percent of our nation's gross domestic product. It became a model emulated by other states and, to an extent, other nations."