Class Struggle - Do we need lunch periods, or even cafeterias?

Class Struggle - Do we need lunch periods, or even cafeterias?:

"A flood of emails Monday resisting my suggestion of longer school days to raise achievement leads me to wonder if parts of the regular school day could be put to better use. Is the typical raucous high school lunch period, in an overcrowded and sometimes dangerous cafeteria, really necessary? My colleague Jenna Johnson wrote last week of imaginative principals letting students avoid the cafeteria in favor of staying in classrooms to catch up with work or having club meetings. Can lunch become a time for stress-free learning, rather than Lord of the Flies with tile floors?"

Okay, I confess I have long considered lunch a waste of time. I avoided the cafeteria during high school. My favorite lunch was eating a sandwich in a classroom while convening the student court, of which I was chief justice, so we could sanction some miscreant for stealing corn nuts from the vending machine. (I heard a radio ad for that classmate's business when I was home recently---he has become a successful attorney.) At the office these days I stay in my cubicle and have crackers and fruit juice, maybe a cookie if somebody has brought them from home.

For homeless college students, each day brings tests of will - washingtonpost.com

For homeless college students, each day brings tests of will - washingtonpost.com:

"Lots of college students have special tricks to help them get through these next few weeks of finals. Red Bull, coffee amped up with espresso shots, secret study spots . . .

Ronnell Wilson has learned that this is the time to be extra careful about his backpack. Right before midterms, he lost all of his class work when someone at the shelter swiped his backpack as he slept.

Miracle Lewis front-loads all of her presentations and reports early in the semester, always volunteering to go first and turning her projects in early. All she has left now are final exams in statistics and professional ethics."

Chinese college students flocking to U.S. campuses - USATODAY.com

Chinese college students flocking to U.S. campuses - USATODAY.com:

"LINCOLN, Neb. — Bojaio Sun knew next to nothing about football – or the state of Nebraska, for that matter – until he started looking for U.S. colleges and universities on the Internet. Now, as one of a growing number of Chinese students at the state's flagship university here, he catches every game he can.

'I am very proud to be a 'Husker,' he says.

President Obama announced plans last month to 'dramatically expand' to 100,000 the number of U.S. students who study in China over the next four years, calling such exchanges 'a clear commitment to build ties among our people in the steady pursuit of cooperation that will serve our nations, and the world.' But Sun, who grew up in China's Jiangxi province, is part of a surge already taking place in the other direction. Last year alone, 98,510 Chinese graduate and undergraduate students poured into U.S. colleges and universities, lured by China's emphasis on academic achievement and the prestige of U.S. higher education."

LAUSD facing 5,000-plus job cuts - LA Daily News

LAUSD facing 5,000-plus job cuts - LA Daily News:

"The Los Angeles Unified school board is expected to vote on a two-year budget plan today that calls for the elimination of more than 5,000 district positions unless employee unions agree to furloughs and pay cuts.

The layoffs could be avoided if all district employees were to take an 11.75 percent pay cut, which could come in the form of furloughs or other cuts.

The district is facing a shortfall of some $1.2 billion through 2012, according to a report by Chief Financial Officer Megan Reilly.

The layoffs would include nearly 1,400 teachers, which would balloon class sizes in kindergarten through third grade to a student-teacher ratio of 29 to 1 from 24 to 1."

Nonprofit to offer practical advice to D.C. charter schools - washingtonpost.com

Nonprofit to offer practical advice to D.C. charter schools - washingtonpost.com:

"Charter schools will have a new place to turn for advice next year when members of the D.C. Public Charter School Board start a nonprofit organization that will research how the schools can best be run.

The group will focus on finances and governance and is being set up by Chairman Thomas A. Nida, who steps down from the Charter School Board in February, and Dora Marcus, who was on the board until last month. Both reached their two-term limits."

"There's a lot of focus with academic achievement for schools," Nida said. "There's not nearly as much work done helping establish best practices for financial management and governance."

The Charter School Board has been criticized for tending to shut down charters for financial reasons rather than for academic ones. Nida said that's because it was easier to catch financial problems early and that it underscored the need for more research about how to evaluate charter schools' finances.

Detroit Public Schools to demolish vacant buildings | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Detroit Public Schools to demolish vacant buildings freep.com Detroit Free Press:

"Detroit Public Schools officials announced today they will begin tearing down the most dangerous vacant school buildings beginning in January."

Robert Bobb, the district's emergency financial manager, made the announcement outside the old Sherrard School, which closed in 2007.

The graffiti-marked school is an example of the kind of vacant schools Bobb said are being targeted. Glass and other debris litter the grounds of the school. And stolen windows make it an easy target for thieves -- and neighborhood children -- to enter.

"They have been a real blight," Bobb said of the buildings.

The district will use $3.1 million in money left over from the 1994 bond and nearly $30 million from the bond proposal voters approved in November.

In all, 14 buildings will be demolished, though more may be added to the list, officials said. Among the 14 schools: the old Cass Tech High, Finney High, Chadsey High and Munger Middle.

Portland pushing big-school model for high schools; parents have lots of questions | Portland News - – OregonLive.com

Portland pushing big-school model for high schools; parents have lots of questions Portland News - – OregonLive.com:

Portland Public Schools wants every high school student to have access to band, choir, career pathways and at least 10 college credit courses. Those opportunities don't exist for all students today.

But to implement this new core program, the state's largest school district is going big, making a 180-degree turn from the small school programs it began just five years ago.

Portland proposed this model after gathering feedback from community forums this fall and during the past 18 months. Parents and students overwhelmingly favored the idea of bigger schools where students would have access to a wider variety of courses and opportunities. And Portland's small schools have struggled to meet academic achievement benchmarks and received mixed reviews from students, who say they want more electives and advanced courses.

The district has tried to redesign individual schools before, but this is the first time the district has tried to change its entire system, a move prompted in part by the results of a study that revealed that only 54 percent of students in the class of 2004 graduated within four years. The statewide graduation rate, measured differently, was 68 percent in 2008.

Portland's new model of a neighborhood high school requires each campus have 1,200 to 1,350 students. Bigger schools means fewer schools -- likely six to seven high schools, not the 10 campuses in the district now.

The overall goal is to improve the graduation rate, narrow the achievement gap and eliminate inequities within the system.

WNYC - News - NY Charter Schools Score Well in National Study

WNYC - News - NY Charter Schools Score Well in National Study:

"NEW YORK, NY December 07, 2009 —New York gets higher scores than most other states for the quality of its charter schools, according to a national study.

The Washington- based Center for Education Reform, which supports charters, looked at funding, operations, and limits on charters. The group's President, Jeanne Allen, says schools do well in New York because there's a tough application process.

'They have to demonstrate their ability to teach, they have to demonstrate their ability to pursue their mission, they have to demonstrate that they know what to do with budgets, that they know what to do with law and the regulations that do apply,' Allen says."

City to study ways to improve food system - Crain's New York Business

City to study ways to improve food system - Crain's New York Business:

"While public officials repeatedly talk about reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating jobs in New York, the city's public schools spend nearly $300,000 a year on Romaine lettuce trucked in from California and Maryland.

That's one of the many inconsistencies between political rhetoric and reality that City Council Speaker Christine Quinn hopes to eliminate with a comprehensive reform of city food policy. On Monday she announced a six-month effort to examine the local food system and recommend improvements.

In the case of Romaine lettuce, that could involve building a plant in the city to wash, cut and bag lettuce so it is eligible for purchase by the Department of Education. Jobs would be created at the plant and at farms upstate, and emissions from transporting the lettuce would be reduced."

Sacramento business owners, developers back Kerridge - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com

Sacramento business owners, developers back Kerridge - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com:

"Sacramento's business leaders love the job City Manager Ray Kerridge is doing. They aren't so sure about the City Council.

A letter signed by nearly 60 developers and business owners will be delivered today to Mayor Kevin Johnson and the City Council expressing support for Kerridge and concern that 'petty politics' on the council will hinder the city's drive out of economic turmoil.

The letter was the product of a closed-door meeting last week called by members of the business community.

They expressed concerns that a recent city building department scandal and infighting within the City Council would result in the reversal of city development policies designed to streamline development."

Sacramento Press / A Look Back: Mayor Johnson- Transparency and Accountability -- or Propaganda?

Sacramento Press / A Look Back: Mayor Johnson- Transparency and Accountability -- or Propaganda?:

"A Look Back: Year One: Mayor Johnson's First 12 Months of Propaganda

The first of several parts in response to Mayor Johnson's recent evaluation of his first year in office.

Part One — Effective Government and Accountability — or Propaganda?"

Propaganda as described by Wikipedia: Propaganda is a form of communication aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position. As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense, presents information primarily to influence an audience. Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or uses loaded messages to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of the attitude toward the subject in the target audience to further a political agenda.

Mayor Kevin Johnson has continued to be a disappointment throughout his first year as mayor of Sacramento. While running for office, he promised transparency. Unfortunately the mayor is transparent in the sense we can see right through his propaganda. Sadly the mayor is not appearing accountable to provide the people of Sacramento a mayor of truth and integrity.

As I read the mayor's blog submission "Year One and A Look Back: Mayor Johnson's First 12 Months," I grew greatly disappointed seeing our mayor blatantly omit truth to communicate with us in a manner that insults and underestimates our intelligence. Below are segments from Johnson's blog posting and the obvious propaganda techniques he uses to sway and influence public interest and opinion. It is my hope that Johnson will learn his fastest move is our slowest, and he should pump his brakes, slow his roll and put as much focus and concern into becoming a world-class, first-tier classy mayor prior to attempting to make Sacramento a world-class city. If a city is a reflection of its mayor, Sacramento is in a world of trouble.

State Laws on Family Engagement in Education | PTA

State Laws on Family Engagement in Education PTA

National PTA developed this publication as a tool for State PTAs and other family and child advocates to increase systemic, effective family engagement in all of our nation’s public schools. Family engagement in education is a critical strategy for ensuring students’ academic achievement, graduation from high school, and overall success in life. Low levels of family engagement in schools must be addressed at the federal, state, and local levels through the development of sound public policy and implementation, evaluation, and replication of best practices.

Implementation of state policies at the local school level is among the most critical components of achieving greater family engagement in education by requiring State Education Agencies (SEAs) to develop effective policy that, in turn, governs activities of the Local Education Agencies (LEAs), or school districts.

The purpose of this reference guide is two-fold:

It provides families and advocates with information on family engagement provisions within state education laws so that they can better advocate for their children’s education on the school and district levels.

It guides policymakers’ and advocates’ development of their legislative reform initiatives as well as their efforts to monitor the implementation of laws already in place.

The reference guide provides key facts, background, analysis, noteworthy statutes, and policy recommendations for crafting successful family engagement legislation at the state level. Finally, the reference guide contains a survey of laws including legal citations pertaining to family engagement in education in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

PTA Resources

State Laws on Family Engagement in Education

Downloadable PDF of PTA's State Laws on Family Engagement Report (full version, 2.5 MB)

The Education Report

The Education Report

Former Oakland school board member dies at 34
By Katy Murphy

Jason Hodge, the youngest person to win a seat on the Oakland school board, died unexpectedly yesterday at age 34. His cause of death was unavailable.

Hodge, a 1992 Skyline High School graduate, was first elected to the board in 1996 at age 21 and served two terms. He later became the public information officer for Vallejo City Unified.

You can read the Tribune story about him here.

"WHAT'S THIS MEDIA WORLD COMING TO?" - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

"WHAT'S THIS MEDIA WORLD COMING TO?" - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.:

"WHAT'S THIS MEDIA WORLD COMING TO?"

"Cable & bloggers talking about education? That's supposed to be reserved for me and the "chosen few"! Don't you think? Cheers." - Dr. D.

"The Brookings Institute Spars with Edu-Blogger


The Brookings Institute raised the ire of education blogger and journalist Alexander Russo, about a report released and presented this week offering 'creative solutions to improve education reporting and to promote quality public discourse.'"

Russo pulled the first punch:

"Perhaps it's the fact that, while I admire Russ Whitehurst and EJ Dionne greatly, I don't think of either of them as particularly expert on the topic of education journalism. These are not folks who've thought long and hard about this issue, or whose knowledge is particularly deep.

Or maybe it's that the panelists they've gathered for the event include two esteemed former journalists (Richard Colvin and Dale Mezzacappa) whom I would describe as traditional if not downright reactionary in their views on new media such as blogs, plus a think tank guy (Andy Rotherham) who until recently didn't even allow reader comments on his blog. (Still no response, by the way.)Most problematic of all, there's no one currently in a newsroom involved on the panel, nor anyone with a strong background in new media."

Education Week: Philly Students Plan Walkout in Wake of Attacks

Education Week: Philly Students Plan Walkout in Wake of Attacks:

"Philadelphia

Some Philadelphia high school students say they fear for their safety after a series of assaults last week and won't be attending classes.

The president of the Chinese American Student Association at South Philadelphia High School said Sunday that students will meet elsewhere during school hours this week.
Wei Chen says the group will continue to talk with district officials.

Tensions between black and Asian students at the school erupted in assaults last week. Ten students were suspended and several sought medical treatment."

Education Week: Unproved Early-Reading Program Likely to Prevail

Education Week: Unproved Early-Reading Program Likely to Prevail:

"Early Reading First never attracted the same attention as its cousin, Reading First, and proof of its effectiveness is elusive, but advocates of early-childhood education hope the federal government will continue to build on what participants in the grant program have learned."

When Congress zeroed out funding for Reading First—the program authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act for K-3 pupils primarily in disadvantaged schools—it increased spending for Early Reading First, which targets 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families. Reading First received $1 billion per year at its peak, but it was plagued by conflict-of-interest charges, and Congress eliminated funding for it in fiscal 2009. That same year, Early Reading First received $112 million. The Obama administration requested $162.5 million, an increase of $50 million, for the 2010 budget for the early-childhood program.

Education Week: Four Flawed Assumptions of School Reform

Education Week: Four Flawed Assumptions of School Reform:

"The good news: Despite the economic downturn, the U.S. Department of Education is stoking the development of a multitude of initiatives that might help improve schools. The bad news: Many of those initiatives still focus on the same flawed assumptions that have undermined education reform efforts for years. These assumptions reflect a simplistic view of what it takes to improve schools, and they contribute to the repeated failure to address the basic conditions needed to sustain long-lasting improvements in schooling."

Education Week: Study Eyes Effect of Extra Learning Time on Scores

Education Week: Study Eyes Effect of Extra Learning Time on Scores:

"The first national database of schools that have added learning time to their schedules, which was set for release this week, suggests that the extra time might play a role in boosting middle and high school achievement.

The National Center on Time & Learning, which assembled and analyzed the database, found a moderate association between increased time and how well students did on their states’ standardized English and mathematics tests compared with their peers in nearby schools on regular schedules"

Harlem's Education Experiment Gone Right - 60 Minutes - CBS News

Harlem's Education Experiment Gone Right - 60 Minutes - CBS News:

"(CBS) For years, educators have tried and failed to get poor kids from the inner city to do just as well in school as kids from America's more affluent suburbs. Black kids still routinely score well below white kids on national standardized tests.

But a man named Geoffrey Canada may have figured out a way to close that racial achievement gap. What he's doing has been called one of the most ambitious social experiments to alleviate poverty of our lifetime. His laboratory is a 97-block neighborhood in Harlem, which he has flooded with a wide array of social, medical and educational services available for free to the 10,000 children who live there. It is called the 'Harlem Children's Zone.'"

Watch CBS News Videos Online

An Important Message About Education from a sixth grader to President Obama

Watch eleven year old Ethan Matsuda tell the president about the horrific cuts to public education and how going to war in Afghanistan will drain resources away from investing in America's children. As Ethan says, "There's nothing left to cut, Mr. President.." Please forward this far and wide.

This video was made by Ethan Matsuda, who won a CTA Peace and Justice Caucus Youth Activism four years ago when he was in second grade, for his book, The North Pole is Melting, about Global Warming. The next year he wrote The Easter Bunny Breaks His Leg (and has no health insurance).