State retakes West Fresno school district - Education and Schools - Fresnobee.com

State retakes West Fresno school district- Education and Schools- Fresnobee.com:

"In an unprecedented move, the state has stripped power from West Fresno Elementary School District trustees for a second time.

The state took over the district in 2003 because of poor student performance, fiscal disarray and criminal allegations against board members, among other concerns. Last year, the state decided the district had improved, and officials returned some authority to its board. If progress continued, the state was poised to restore all local control.

State officials were disappointed."

2nd UPDATE: Career Education Falls On US Accreditation Memo - WSJ.com

2nd UPDATE: Career Education Falls On US Accreditation Memo - WSJ.com:

"NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Shares of Career Education Corp. (CECO) fell sharply Thursday afternoon as a government memo questioned the accreditation of one of the for-profit education company's schools.

The memo also raised concerns about the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, a leading accrediting body for many for-profit universities, sending shares of the education sector lower Thursday.

The U.S. Department of Education's office of inspector general sent a memo to the office of postsecondary education, dated Thursday, with concerns about how Career Education's American InterContinental University was accredited."

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."

Elk Grove Citizen : News Dr. Ami Bera

Elk Grove Citizen : News:

"As potential challengers turn to supporters, an Elk Grove resident is focusing more and more on his campaign for Congress.

Dr. Ami Bera, a physician and former medical official, said after a Dec. 15 press conference he’s spending some of the hundreds of thousands of dollars he’s raised so far in his bid for a seat representing the Elk Grove area in the third Congressional District, and he’ll soon spend more.

Bera, who is running for the seat currently held by Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Gold River), became the only remaining Democrat in the race on Nov. 30 when SMUD Director Bill Slaton withdrew. Elk Grove City Council Member Gary Davis withdrew from the race last October.

Bera held a press conference Dec. 15 at American River College in Sacramento to formally accept Slaton’s endorsement; Davis has also endorsed Bera."

News Mirror > Entertainment

News Mirror > Entertainment:

"For high school seniors interested in pursuing a creative arts education, The Art Institute of California — Inland Empire, announces The Art Institutes and Americans for the Arts Poster Design Competition, a program which awards up to a full-tuition scholarship to study at a participating Art Institutes school.

In partnership with the not-for-profit organization Americans for the Arts, The Art Institutes annual Poster Design Competition is an opportunity for talented young artists at the high school level to study graphic design and earn a degree in the creative arts.

The competition is open to high school seniors in the U.S., Canada (excluding Quebec), and Puerto Rico. Contestants will be asked to create original poster artwork that expresses the slogan, “Life is Better With Art In It.”

Deadline for entries into the competition is Feb.5, 2010. Full entry requirements can be downloaded at www.artinstitutes.edu/poster ."

Protect, support public education

Protect, support public education:

"The republican majority on the UC Board of Regents voted to increase tuition to $10,000 annually for the university system. This 32 percent increase is an outrage and displays a hostile attitude toward public education.

Public education in this state is under siege, and it appears that there is a movement to privatize public education by making it as expensive as a private college. The cost will lock out people without ample financial support to attend college."

My Word: We need to take a stand for education - Inside Bay Area

My Word: We need to take a stand for education - Inside Bay Area:

"I TEACH in the Fremont Unified School District and have been appalled that some of the reports on education recently seem completely disconnected from the reality of what the cuts to education mean.

First, the Argus reported, in an article about teacher conferences, that parents complained teachers did not want to meet with them. This doesn't take into consideration that 20- to 30-minute conferences for 32 students would take roughly three days of unpaid labor.

Secondly, I would welcome the likes of Daniel Borenstein, a Bay Area News Group columnist, who believe that kindergarten teachers should use their prep time to do other duties for the school instead of preparing lessons and projects for their students. Has he ever been alone with three 5-year-olds, let alone 20 or 30?"

Power to the Parents! | delawareonline.com | The News Journal

Power to the Parents! | delawareonline.com | The News Journal

Let me tell you about my recent trip to Sacramento, Calif. It is a story about why we need a revolution.

Earlier this month, Senate leaders introduced a “parent trigger” into California’s “Race to the Top”education reform legislation.

Under the policy, parents at a systemically failing school could circulate a petition calling for change. If 51 percent of the parents signed it, the school would be converted to a charter school or reconstituted by the school district, with a new staff and new ways of operating. The concept recognized a truth that school officials often discount: Parents are in the best position to make decisions about what’s right for their kids.

Last week, the parent trigger legislation moved to the Assembly Education Committee, chaired by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley. Thousands of parents sent letters, made calls, staged protests and showed up to testify before her committee about the importance of parents taking back power over our schools.

We told the committee about how 50 percent of kids in Los Angeles’ public schools aren’t graduating and 90 percent aren’t going to college. We talked about innovative models — at both charter and traditional public schools — that apply the same amount of money to the same kind of kids and send them to college instead of prison. We explained that we can’t wait any longer for half-measures and pilot programs because our kids need great schools now.

Viewpoints: Dropouts' fate highlights school crisis - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Viewpoints: Dropouts' fate highlights school crisis - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee:

"California's traditional public schools are failing our kids, and every day the Urban League in California deals head-on with the aftermath.

We serve hundreds of thousands of youth and adults who are either in or have passed through the crumbling public education system. We cannot tinker at the margins with changes to a broken system. We need change, we need reform and we need accountability in our public school system – now"

Opinion: California's effort to secure Race to the Top funds is on track - San Jose Mercury News

Opinion: California's effort to secure Race to the Top funds is on track - San Jose Mercury News:

"The state Assembly and Senate are actively negotiating legislation so California can compete for, and win, our share of $4.3 billion in federal Race to the Top funds. More important, we are developing comprehensive, long-term education reforms.

Critics of our effort would do well to see the eventual compromise before racing to conclusions. One premature critic, Margaret Fortune, an appointee of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, wrote a Mercury News op-ed (Opinion, Dec. 16) that mischaracterized issues surrounding the Race to the Top debate and wrongly asserted minority children would be harmed by Assembly proposals. That article ignored the process and the progress of the negotiations, and simply propped up a bill the governor wants that was written before the Race to the Top rules were developed and which would hobble us in the competition."

CPS unveils new rules for school closings :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Education

CPS unveils new rules for school closings :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Education:

"BY ROSALIND ROSSI Education Reporter rrossi@suntimes.com

Since its unveiling five years ago, Mayor Daley's plan to shutter dozens of failing schools and open 100 new ones by 2010 has ignited complaints and even protests.

Now, with the 2010 deadline swiftly approaching, Chicago Schools CEO Ron Huberman has unveiled a proposed 'Student Bill of Rights'' and a new set of closing guidelines that would address some concerns raised by Daley's 'Renaissance 2010' initiative.

During Wednesday's School Board meeting, Huberman also revealed that he would not close any high schools this school year. But he did not rule out using a "turnaround'' model in which all staff at a school could potentially be replaced over a summer.
Under the new closing guidelines, schools would have to miss academic performance targets for two consecutive years to face closure. Some 34 high schools and 47 elementary schools -- including six charter schools -- fell into that category, but several other factors could still spare them from closure.
Other schools could face closure, consolidation or turnaround if they were less than

Lawsuits: Boys With Autism Were Abused Or Mistreated In Their Schools - cbs2chicago.com

Lawsuits: Boys With Autism Were Abused Or Mistreated In Their Schools - cbs2chicago.com

Lawsuits: Boys With Autism Were Abused In Schools

One Lawsuit Says TA Threw Stapler At West Side School, Another Alleges Physical Abuse At Near North Side School

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Two lawsuits filed Monday allege that boys suffering from autism were abused or mistreated by teachers or other staff at two Chicago Public Schools. 

In one lawsuit, Davonte Shaffer, now 13, claims a school staff member threw a stapler at him. 

The lawsuit filed Monday alleged on Nov. 26, 2008, a teacher's aide at Johnson James Weldon Elementary School threw a stapler at Davonte. The boy was also verbal berated and psychologically abused in class at the school, located at 1420 S. Albany Ave., the lawsuit alleged. 

Davonte is a special needs student who has been diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder, the lawsuit said. 

The three-count suit against the Chicago Public Schools -- claiming negligence, willful and wanton conduct and intentional tort -- seeks at least $50,000 plus legal costs. 

In a second lawsuit, the mother of a 6-year-old boy with autism and epilepsy sued the Chicago Board of Education and a teacher whom she claimed inappropriately

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Latin American Herald Tribune - Minority Parents Force Chicago Schools to Extend Magnet Registration

Latin American Herald Tribune - Minority Parents Force Chicago Schools to Extend Magnet Registration:

"CHICAGO – The Chicago Public Schools extended the enrollment period in the city’s magnet schools in the face of protests by African-American and Hispanic parents.

Instead of Dec. 18, parents will have until Jan. 6 to register their children in the 70 specialized magnet and other special schools for gifted students in the public school system, CPS said in a statement.

Meanwhile, education authorities will work out the details of the new enrollment system that will supersede the rules on racial balance that prevailed for 29 years in the public education system in Chicago."

The Associated Press: Calif. Senate passes new compromise education bill

The Associated Press: Calif. Senate passes new compromise education bill:

"SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The state Senate on Thursday approved legislation that would clear the way for California to compete in a $4.3 billion school funding competition from the Obama administration, but the state's chances of securing a slice of the money remained in limbo.

After late-night negotiations lasting several days, state Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, introduced new legislation Thursday that attempted to forge a compromise between the two houses on education reform. Divisions remained, however, and Romero said she would work through the holidays to complete a bill with broad support and which Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger would sign."

New York Students Predict Hardship if Free Fares Are Cut - NYTimes.com

New York Students Predict Hardship if Free Fares Are Cut - NYTimes.com:

"When Alejandro Velazquez, 15, was selecting a high school last year, he decided on Washington Irving in Manhattan because of its strong Spanish-English bilingual program. It was a 40-minute trip from his home in the Bronx, but his mother assented, in part because he could travel free."

His family’s calculus, he said, would have been different had he needed to pay $40 a month or more to get to and from school, a reality that will begin next fall if budget cuts passed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authorityboard on Wednesday are carried out. His mother, an immigrant from Ecuador, works as a cook in a Bronx restaurant to support him and his 10-year-old brother, and there is little cash to spare.
“If I had to pay for the MetroCard, my mother would have preferred a school closer to me — there’s one right down the block from our house,” he said.
The cuts to the student subsidies for the MetroCards are not yet final. The M.T.A. board will have a public comment period over the

N.Y. must get in the race: $700 million in aid hangs on speedy school reform by Albany

N.Y. must get in the race: $700 million in aid hangs on speedy school reform by Albany

New York State has just one month to get into the running for as much as $700 million in federal education aid - and damn well better make sure it does.

Gov. Paterson and the Legislature face a Jan. 19 deadline for enacting sweeping school reform legislation to become eligible for a share of the Obama administration's Race to the Top money.

This is one task that must not die by Albany dysfunction. There will be hell to pay should the Legislature reject the smart, necessary measures that are required for qualifying or fail to act in time.

Read more:http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/12/18/2009-12-18_ny_must_get_in_the_race.html#ixzz0a2xiSXMi

Charter school's success may not be enough -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY

Charter school's success may not be enough -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY:

"ALBANY -- Years of academic improvement may not be enough to save the New Covenant Charter School."

Despite rapidly rising test scores, the school has not met all the academic terms of its last-ditch reprieve, according to a preliminary report from the State University of New York Charter Schools Institute. That could result in the institute recommending to the SUNY Board of Trustees that the school be closed when they vote next month.

School officials this week pointed to a marked improvement in student scores on the state's standardized English and math exams since Victory Schools Inc. took over the troubled institution in 2006. Much has changed at New Covenant since then, with an increased enrollment and a stability in leadership that has been elusive in a difficult 10-year history, which has seen the school on the brink of closure a number of times. In fact, the business card for Principal Jecrois Jean-Baptiste, who has a reputation for turning around troubled schools and moved here to do the same for New Covenant, now reads "The Miracle on Lark Street."

"This is a school where great things can still happen, especially in a neighborhood that is used to things closing," Jean-Baptiste said.

But it remains to be seen if his hard work will be enough to convince the institute or the SUNY trustees who, on Jan. 15, will vote on whether New Covenant deserves yet another chance. SUNY's Charter School Institute has been hailed as a success by Washington because of its tendency to close troubled schools.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=879325&category=REGION#ixzz0a2vocgSG

L.A. schools chief orders weak new teachers ousted -- latimes.com

L.A. schools chief orders weak new teachers ousted -- latimes.com:

"Los Angeles schools Supt. Ramon C. Cortines ordered administrators Thursday to weed out ineffective new teachers before they become permanent, acknowledging that the nation's second-largest school system has largely failed to adequately evaluate teacher performance.

'This district can be rightly criticized for the promotion of ineffective teachers over the years. That is about to change,' Cortines said. 'We do not owe poor performers a job.'

Taking aim at weak probationary teachers now could spare the district from firing others who are more effective but have slightly less experience next summer when there will probably be another round of layoffs."

We Were Born – It Just Wasn’t Yesterday: How NYCSA Places Ideology Before the Interests of Charter Schools | Edwize

We Were Born – It Just Wasn’t Yesterday: How NYCSA Places Ideology Before the Interests of Charter Schools | Edwize:

"Representatives of the New York Charter School Association have been lobbying against New York State receiving Race to the Top funds, elected officials in Albany and Washington DC have told the UFT. If successful, these efforts would deny funds for important educational reforms to both district and charter schools in New York — at a time when all of these schools are facing draconian cuts in funding.

But NYCSA — and the allied New York City Charter School Center — are once again placing their ideological agenda above the interests of the schools they claim to represent. Their agenda to eliminate the limits on charter school expansion in New York and create a completely deregulated, unfettered charter school sector, such as that in Arizona and"

Researchers Offer Dueling Views on Tracking - Inside School Research - Education Week

Researchers Offer Dueling Views on Tracking - Inside School Research - Education Week:

"In the late 1980s, when I began writing about education, there were lively debates over whether students should be 'tracked' into different academic classes based on their abilities. Some things never change.

The perennial nature of the tracking debate became obvious this week after the Fordham Institute published a report by Tom Loveless on tracking in Massachusetts middle schools. The study's bottom-line finding was that schools with two or three levels of math instruction tended to have higher numbers of students scoring near the top on state math exams than those with only one math track."