Marcos Breton: Was teacher's jailing over the top? - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Marcos Breton: Was teacher's jailing over the top? - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"In the aftermath of the massacre on the Virginia Tech campus – and an alleged homicide at Sacramento State – a college student can now be arrested for making foolish statements.

It happened at UC Davis, where a graduate teaching assistant in the drama department spent four days in jail for making statements that some students in his class took as a bomb threat."

According to Yolo County court documents,James Marchbanks told his class: "I have a bomb, this is the last time I am ever going to see you. I am going to leave class before the bomb goes off, but you are going to stay here until it's done."

The bomb was metaphorical. What Marchbanks slung on the floor were not explosives but forms for roughly 16 students to evaluate him as a student teacher.

Two from UC Davis among 8 protesters arrested - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Two from UC Davis among 8 protesters arrested - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"Eight people, including two art students from the University of California, Davis, were arrested and charged with rioting and other offenses after a Friday night rampage outside the home of UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau.

The students were taken into custody Saturday on suspicion of rioting, threatening an education official, attempted burglary, attempted arson of an occupied building, felony vandalism and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer in Berkeley.

Julia Litman-Cleper of San Francisco and Laura Thatcher of Rolling Hills Estates, listed among those arrested, were identified Sunday as undergraduate students in Davis."

ADHD and Time : The Frontal Cortex

ADHD and Time : The Frontal Cortex:

"I recently learned that many professional graduate schools - law schools, business schools, even medical schools - continue to provide 'test accommodations' to students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. These accommodations usually take the form of extra time on the exam, when time is a crucial resource.

Of course, it's not just grad schools who are struggling with the question of how to treat students with ADHD. Princeton is currently embroiled in a lawsuit:

A learning-disabled freshman suing Princeton University for refusing to allow her extra time to take exams was dealt a setback this week, as a federal judge refused a temporary restraining order on the eve of midterms. But plaintiff Diane Metcalf-Leggette still has a shot at getting a preliminary injunction in January, when final exams begin, if she can show probability of success in her suit under the Americans with Disabilities Act."

Arizona lawmakers angling for “most incompetent” crown � The Quick and the Ed

Arizona lawmakers angling for “most incompetent” crown The Quick and the Ed:

"When I wrote this column for Newsweek a couple of weeks ago about the University of California tuition crisis, condemning California as the worst-governed state in the nation seemed like a pretty safe bet. But now I see that Arizona legislators have also embraced the strategy of cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from public universities, forcing tuition up 24 percent from last year and,according to UA President Robert Shelton, another 34 percent over the next two years.

Putting aside the essential cowardice of eschewing broadly-shared budget-balancing tax increases for equivalent tuition hikes that hurt poor and middle-class students, you’d think that state lawmakers in a budget crisis would look askance at a  program that primarily benefits rich people, cost nearly $400 million over the last decade, and has been rife with illegality and self-dealing, i.e. Arizona’s notorious private school tuition tax credit program, the details of which you can read about here. Instead, a panel of lawmakers voted on Friday to expand the program while rejecting proposals to curb abuses such as private school parents forming cabals to donate dollar-for-dollar tax credits on behalf of each other’s children and refusing to give the state resources to audit the non-profit organizations that adminster the credits and pay their executives lucrative salaries to do so. This may, possibly, have something to with the fact that some of those executives are the state lawmakers who sponsored the legislation in the first place.

The Arizona Republic endorsed expanding this massive boondogle in the teeth of a fiscal crisis, despite admitting that, when it was first proposed twelve years ago,

Tina Thomas Endorses Patrick Kennedy for City Council

Latest Updates

Tina Thomas Endorses Patrick Kennedy for City Council

I have had the pleasure of knowing Tina Thomas for almost 20 years.  We first met when we worked together on Mayor Joe Serna's campaign for Mayor in 1991.  Since then I have often had the privilege of working with Tina as a community leader and a respected member of Sacramento's legal and environmental communities.

Tina's commitment to others, particularly those less fortunate and in need is truly inspirational, and as a longtime resident of Curtis Park her commitment to the neighborhoods of the 5th City Council District runs as deeply as my own. 

For all these reasons, it gives me great personal pride to announce Tina Thomas' support for my campaign for City Council.  I look forward to working closely with her in the coming months, and beyond, to help make Sacramento the best it can be!

Sincerely,

Patrick Kennedy

Facebook | Kevin McCarty for Assembly 2010

Facebook | Kevin McCarty for Assembly 2010

Currently Running For State Assembly

State:

California

District:

9

Party:

Democratic

Current Office

Office:

Sacramento City Council

State:

California

District:

6

Detailed Info

Website:

http://www.cityofsacramento.org/council/...

Gender:

Male

Relationship Status:

Married to Leticia Garcia

Hometown:

Sacramento

Political Views:

Liberal

Religious Views:

Catholic

Activities:

I enjoy working for a better Sacramento, walking the neighborhood with Leticia, the twins, and our crazy dog biko. I also love snowboarding and suffering by rooting for a SF Giants Word Series title.

Interests:

My wife and twins, politics, SF Giants, snowboarding, and advocating for preschool for all California children.

Favorite Music:

U2, Pearl Jam, Garbage, The Who, Neil Young, No Doubt, and Blink 182.

Favorite Movies:

Godfather I and II, Cry Freedom, the Natural, Heat, Gladiator, and Anchorman,

Favorite Books:

Dreams of my Father, Freakanomics, Grapes of Wrath, and Malcolm X.

Favorite TV Shows:

60 Minutes, Sports Center, Giants/49ers Games, Chronicle Live, The Wire, Daily Show, Entourage, 30 Rock, and SNL.

Favorite Quotations:

The time is always right to do what is right. ~Martin Luther King, Jr. You must be the change you wish to see in the world. ~Mahatma Ghandi Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something. ~Author Unknown Leadership is action, not position. ~Donald H. McGannon

About Me:

I currently represent the great citizens of Sacramento City Council District 6 and I am a candidate for California State Assembly District 9 in June 2010. If you would like to support my campaign, you can mail a check or go online: Please make checks payable to: McCarty for Assembly 2010, ID #1313997 1005 12th Street, Ste H Sacramento, CA 95814 For credit and debit card payments please go to:http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/22144

Contact Info

Email:

Green Dot: Helping Schools Make the Grade - US News and World Report

Green Dot: Helping Schools Make the Grade - US News and World Report:

"'Teach them all.' A little-known California law allows a public school to become a privately operated, publicly funded charter school if more than 50 percent of the tenured teachers vote in favor of the switch. Convincing Minix and scores of other skeptical teachers that such a radical change was a good idea, in 2008 Barr took control of Locke and its millions of dollars in federal Title I funding, which goes to schools with high percentages of low-income children. What was once a poorly run school for thousands of students with a graduation rate of just 5 percent is now the Locke Family of Schools, made up of eight small college-prep academies and one technical school. In the brief time since the Green Dot takeover, graduation rates and state test scores have already improved, and student suspensions and expulsions are down. 'We didn't get rid of the knuckleheads and the gangbangers—we figured out a way to teach them all,' says Minix, who now serves as the Locke Family of Schools' athletic director."

Spirit of Autism

Spirit of Autism

About

Welcome to Spirit of Autism!

Parenting a child with Autism, regardless of  where they fall on the spectrum, is a journey filled with many bumps, joys, frustrations, and sometimes exhaustion. There is such an overload of conflicting information, many opinions thrown at you from those who have never walked in your shoes, and naturally, there are times when you may want to throw in the towel and run away to a remote island for a while : )

In my experiences, I was greatly dissatisfied with doctors and specialists making “blanket” diagnoses and judgments without bothering to dig a little deeper and really understand the big picture. Following my internal guidance, I catalogued each leg of this journey, keeping what made sense and discarding the rest.

Based on the teachings of Dr. Robert Melillo, combined with an integrated approach using nutrition and energy work, I have developed a therapy program that can be done AT HOME with your child that will significantly improve brain function.

I have seen amazing results in my journey. My passion is to empower parents, caregivers, schools, and treatment centers to improve and eliminate Autism and related disorders. The brain can change, without medication and years of expensive therapy.

To walk this road with support from other empowered parents, visit Healing the Spectrum. There you’ll find tons of resources, tools, tips, recipes, and a forum to share your experiences and stories.

"Cybrary Man's Educational Web Sites Parent Pages"

Parent Pages:

"Cybrary Man's Educational Web Sites

The internet catalogue for students, teachers, administrators & parents.

Over 20,000 relevant links personally selected by an educator/author with over 30 years of experience."

Parent Pages

Parents, this is your portal to help you with parenting skills
and show you ways to effectively help your children.

Switch to Students, Educators or General Interest page.

BULLYING	CULTURE & PARENTING	FAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCE	MEETINGS & WORKSHOPS	RADIO & TELEVISION
CHILD DEVELOPMENT	DEALING WITH CHILDREN	THE IMPACT OF VIOLENCE	PARENTING	SAFETY LINKS
COMMUNICATING WITH CHILDREN	FAMILY	MARRIAGE PLANNING	POVERTY	TOYS

This web site endeavors to identify useful or interesting resources.
However, I can provide no warranty as to the accuracy, value or
appropriateness of information found on any particular website.
Online resources may change or disappear at any time and I cannot
be responsible for these factors outside of my control.

 

California Categorical Programs Directors' Meeting AGENDA

Categorical Programs Directors' Meeting

AGENDA

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

California Department of Education

1430 N Street, Room 1101

Sacramento, California

9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

7:30 a.m.          No Host Networking Breakfast                          Hyatt Regency

                                                                                                1209 L Street, Sacramento

9:30 a.m.          Welcome                                                          Linda Cook, Director, Student Learning Assistance, San Juan USD

                                                                                                lindacook@sanjuan.edu

                                                                                                916-971-7202

                                                           

9:35 a.m.          Title I Allocations of Equitable Services           Jyoti Singh, Consultant

                        for Private School Children                              Title I Accountability & Partnerships

                                                                                                jysingh@cde.ca.gov

                                                                                                916-319-0372

10  a.m.            Title I Reception and Banquet                          Char Keuscher-Barkman, Consultant

                                                                                                Awards Unit

                                                                                                ckeuscherbarkman@cde.ca.gov

                                                                                                916-319-0408

10:05  a.m.       ConApp Update                                                Ernie Thornberg, Consultant

                                                                                                Data Management Division

                                                                                                ethrongbe@cde.ca.gov

                                                                                                916-319-0294

10:30 a.m.        Legislative Update                                            Cathy McBride, Acting Director

                                                                                                Governmental Affairs

                                                                                                cmcbride@cde.ca.gov

                                                                                                916-319-0650

                                                                                                              

10:45 a.m.        Budget Update                                                 Carol Bingham, Director

                                                                                                Fiscal Policy

                                                                                                cbingham@cde.ca.gov

                                                                                                916-324-4748

11 a.m.             Single Plan for Student Achievement               Richard Graham, Consultant

                        Update                                                             Regional Coordination and Support

                                                                                                rgraham@cde.ca.gov

                                                                                                916-319-0303    

11:15 a.m.        Categorical Program Monitoring                      Patrick McMenamin, Administrator

                        Update                                                             Categorical Compliance Division

                                                                                                pmcmenam@cde.ca.gov

                                                                                                916-319-0357                            

11:30 a.m.        Adjourn

The Educated Guess Study finds teachers lack skills needed for high school reforms

The Educated Guess Study finds teachers lack skills needed for high school reforms:

"The demands on 21st century high school teachers in California are changing dramatically.

The era of teaching a single subject in an isolated classroom is ending. Under ambitious high school reforms, teachers are being asked to lead interdisciplinary courses in small learning communities and career academies. They’re expected to inject real-world relevancy into their courses, to individualize instruction in classes with a wide range of students, to require complex portfolios of their students’ work and to do the jobs that counselors once did.

That’s a lot to ask, and, according to a study released today, many aren’t up to the challenges."

The Educated Guess � Underprepared teachers still bunched in poor schools

The Educated Guess Underprepared teachers still bunched in poor schools:

"There has been an impressive reduction in the number of underprepared teachers – those without a preliminary teaching credential — in California schools. In 2000, they numbered 42,000. Last year, it was 11,000.

But these teachers, comprising 2.5 percent of the workforce, remain concentrated in urban, low-income schools. Twenty percent can be found in 2 percent of the state’s 10,000 schools, according to The Status of the Teaching Profession 2009, an annual report by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning in Santa Cruz.


Charter schools comprised 59 percent of these 219 schools. Some may have intentionally hired Teach for America fellows, smart college graduates who pursue their credential after they are hired. The study doesn’t say."

Computer Science Via Interactive Journalism | Kansas City infoZine News | USA

Computer Science Via Interactive Journalism | Kansas City infoZine News | USA:

"Washington, D.C. - infoZine - Do only computer scientists need an education in computer science? In today's innovation-driven economy, the answer is 'not anymore'.

Since the skills learned in computer science, like complex problem solving and analytical reasoning skills, are important for building a foundation for numerous careers including jobs in science and technology, as well as jobs in marketing, journalism and the creative arts, most people will need an education in computer science. Even though the United States is a leader in the field of computer science at the college level, most middle and high school students receive no exposure to computer science. One major obstacle to educating young students in computer science is finding a space for a computer science class in an already overburdened K-12 curriculum."

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence. - Why Schools Treat Teachers Like Widgets

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence. - Why Schools Treat Teachers Like Widgets:

"Critics loath the practice of not allowing schools to their teachers freely. But the system evolved this way for a reason.

Up until the Great Depression, principals had wide latitude in hiring. They could handpick whose salaries would rise and whose would fall, said Henry Levin, economics professor at Teachers College of Columbia University. They could fire teachers for going to a Baptist church instead of a Lutheran one. Labor unions fought for clear and consistent rules, tying salaries and transfer rights to seniority.

Camille Zombro, president of the San Diego teachers union, said seniority is useful as a 'blind criterion' for painful choices such as deciding who has to leave when a school enrolls fewer children.

Others argue that the resulting systems are willfully blind. The New Teacher Project, a national nonprofit, decries the limits on hiring as an example of 'the widget effect' -- institutionally treating teachers as interchangeable and overlooking their unique skills."

National Journal Online -- Education Experts -- Educating A Workforce

National Journal Online -- Education Experts -- Educating A Workforce:

"The Business Roundtable last week released a report contending that the nation faces an urgent need for a better-educated and better-trained workforce. Even with 10 percent unemployment and 2.5 million jobs to fill across the economy, businesses are having trouble finding qualified candidates, William Green, chairman of Accenture, told Politico. Green heads the Business Roundtable's Springboard Project, an initiative aimed at improving training and education to better prepare American workers.

The Springboard Project's report recommended altering federal funding to reward institutions and students based on completion of college and training programs; creating national workforce credentials and certifications; and reworking the delivery systems of higher education to become more effective and efficient.

Do you agree with these recommendations? What changes should be made to the education system to better prepare students for the job market? What can businesses do to help?

-- Eliza Krigman, NationalJournal.com"

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence. - Loopholes and Gaming the System

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence. - Loopholes and Gaming the System:

"Principals don't want to talk about it. But everyone admits it happens. Despite the complex teacher placement rules, some principals can and do hire as they wish. They know the system so well -- and dislike it so much -- that they manipulate it by hiding jobs or tailoring them for specific people.

Principals are supposed to advertise all their openings to give all teachers a shot. But they don't always do that. If principals have new teachers in mind for jobs, they might wait to advertise the positions until veteran or displaced teachers have all been placed, then spring for the new teachers they really want.

Several current principals refused to talk publicly about the practices, but privately admitted that they'd used them to control hiring."

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence. - Charters: Seceding from the System

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence. - Charters: Seceding from the System:

"Frustration with the teacher placement system has fed the stunning growth of charter schools, which tout their hiring freedom as an asset. Local charter leaders say it is one of the biggest factors that push charters to split away from San Diego Unified. It now has the seventh highest share of charter students statewide.

Getting to choose its own teachers was one major reason Gompers Preparatory Academy seceded from the school district four years ago. One of the teachers it picked is Najib Mesdaq, a soothing man who surrounds his classroom with burbling fountains and readily gives preteens a high five and a grin.

He was already working at Gompers, a struggling school in Chollas View, but when it went charter, Mesdaq had to pen an essay and win over a panel of professors and parents. He never actually applied for his original job before Gompers went charter -- the district just sent him.

'It was like night and day,' Mesdaq said. 'I had to really think about, 'Why did I want to be here?''"

Teaching Open Source

Teaching Open Source:

"Open Source is becoming a dominant development model in the software industry. The next generation of software developers, computer scientists, system administrators, analysts, and build engineers need to understand Open Source and must be able to work efficiently within Open Source communities.
This is a neutral collaboration point for professors, institutions, communities, and companies to come together and make the teaching of Open Source a global success.
As a collaboration point, this initiative depends on your participation."

Get Involved

• Join and use this wiki
• Add yourself to the roll call or the FOSS mentor projects list
• Join the mailing list
• Join the planet
• Use the #teachingopensource channel on IRC
• Participate in the monthly conference call
• Contribute to one of the projects underway -- or start one!

Create and edit pages, debate new educational approaches, collaborate on teaching materials, form alliances and partnerships, develop new funding models, and teach the world how to do Open Source.

Learn more about TeachingOpenSource.org

California's neediest high school students have the least prepared teachers, study says -- latimes.com

California's neediest high school students have the least prepared teachers, study says -- latimes.com:

"The neediest students in California high schools are being taught by the least prepared teachers, a new study shows.

Fewer than half the principals in high-poverty schools said their teachers had the skills to encourage critical thinking and problem-solving among their students, while more than two-thirds of their counterparts in wealthier communities said their teachers possessed those abilities, the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning said in a study being released today.

The nonprofit center also found that teachers in the lowest-performing schools are more than twice as likely as those in the highest-achieving schools to be working without at least a preliminary credential.

The center's study, 'The Status of the Teaching Profession 2009,' is the latest to show that the most disadvantaged students don't have access to the same quality of teaching as those in more affluent, high-achieving schools."

Emotional day as UC-Berkeley awards honorary degrees to former internees - San Jose Mercury News

Emotional day as UC-Berkeley awards honorary degrees to former internees - San Jose Mercury News:

"There was no giddy 'wave'' in the stands, no exuberant hat-throwing or silly beachball-tossing.

Laced in leis of blue-and-gold origami cranes, 42 former University of California-Berkeley students whose education was disrupted by World War II internment were awarded honorary degrees on Sunday. Relatives represented 78 more students who had died or were too infirm to attend.

If my father were alive, he, too, would have sat onstage at Haas Pavilion in cap and gown, shaken the hand of Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and heard Norman Mineta, former congressman and U.S. transportation secretary, speak. But Dad died in 1986 at age 63."