Pittsburgh has some common sense, decides not to tax tuition � The Report Card

Pittsburgh has some common sense, decides not to tax tuition The Report Card:

"We all the know the Pennsylvania budget is a disaster. I mean when the mayor of Philadelphia is proposing shutting down courts and weekly trash collection to save money, you know there’s a serious problem.

But sometimes, people look for answers in all the wrong places. In Philadelphia, they decided to start taxing the arts (read the DP editorial that outlines why this is such a bad decision here).

In Pittsburgh, however, they took it to a whole new level of “bad idea:” they considered taxing tuition. In early November, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl proposed a 1 percent tax on tuition to bolster the city’s pension plan. This would have made Pittsburgh the first city in the country to have such a tax."

Legal aid program adds education to cause | Recordnet.com

Legal aid program adds education to cause | Recordnet.com:

"STOCKTON - Have an education issue that requires legal help but no money to hire an attorney?

No problem.

California Rural Legal Assistance, a nonprofit organization that serves the poor, is reaching out to disadvantaged families who need assistance in education matters such as expulsions, graduation issues, suspensions and the translation of important documents to languages other than English."

San Mateo Daily Journal

San Mateo Daily Journal Tough times on the horizon for schools:

Tough times on the horizon for schools

"Less money is expected for education next fall, but many fail to realized the state-issued cuts will be compounded by the loss of millions in one-time federal funds which helped local districts keep a number of programs and jobs this year.
California is predicted to end the current year with a $6.3 billion deficit and faces a $20 billion budget problem in the next year, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Cuts to education will most likely be part of the plan. That coupled with the loss of one-time stimulus money, much of which was used to retain positions and programs, means there are a number of tough budget decisions ahead for local school districts."

In California Colleges, Coaches Face Furloughs and Fund-Raising - NYTimes.com

In California Colleges, Coaches Face Furloughs and Fund-Raising - NYTimes.com

"FULLERTON, Calif. — The best work done this year by Jill Hicks, the Cal State Fullerton gymnastics coach, did not involve a balance beam, a pommel horse or uneven parallel bars. It entailed shoe shopping and a manicure. Hicks was out recruiting the Olympic all-around gold medalist Nastia Liukin to ask for her help in saving Fullerton’s program, which the university was threatening to eliminate to make its budget."

The two women, introduced by another college coach, hit it off well enough that Liukin donated her time and a leotard — the one she wore during the 2007 world championships — to a fund-raiser that helped generate close to $30,000 for Hicks’s program.

The $400-a-plate luncheon with Liukin followed by an exhibition with the Fullerton and U.C.L.A. gymnastics teams drew about 1,000 supporters, most of them little girls in pigtails and their parents.

Opinion: Silicon Valley companies' help needed to shore up math education - San Jose Mercury News

Opinion: Silicon Valley companies' help needed to shore up math education - San Jose Mercury News:

"Thirteen-year-old Kayla Savage was failing math. Like many of her classmates in middle school, she hated the subject. Stuck in a large seventh-grade class with a teacher who had little time to offer individual help, Kayla was lost among rational numbers and polynomials.

Her frustration led to a phobia of math, an all-too-common affliction that often starts in middle school and threatens to derail students' future math studies in high school and chances for college.

Kayla is like thousands of students across America who struggle with math. The struggle in California is borne out by this grim U.S. Education Department statistic: Students in California rank 40th in eighth-grade math, a critical year in math learning that sets the path for math success in high school and beyond.

In Santa Clara County, only about 39 percent of eighth-graders meet the California standard for Algebra I proficiency. One study showed that less than one-third of eighth-graders have the skills or interest to pursue a math or science career. Yet these careers are the drivers of our future."

Sacramento joins battle against suit attacking Chicago gun controls - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento joins battle against suit attacking Chicago gun controls - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"The city of Sacramento regulates handguns and ammunition, and the City Council is willing to go to court to continue that role.

It voted recently to join other cities arguing in support of the city of Chicago, whose gun control ordinance is under review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
On March 2, the court will hear oral arguments in the case of McDonald v. Chicago, a case sponsored by the Second Amendment Foundation and the Illinois State Rifle Association."

Sacramento Needs a Focus on Economic Development

Posted: Monday, December 28

There has been quite a bit of conversation recently about the many issues facing our city, particularly those facing the business community. This discussion is both healthy and necessary if we are going to navigate Sacramento through these trying economic times.

Our City, like many communities, has seen a growing trend toward putting politics over policy and divisiveness over decision making. We have to change this culture. Good people will disagree, but there comes a time to put those disagreements aside and get to the business of turning our City around. I am running for City Council because I want to be a part of this change.

I am no stranger to working through volatile issues and times. Early in my days of community service, I served as President of the Oak Park Neighborhood Improvement Association. Working with community leaders we created change in our neighborhood by targeting drug dealers and cleaning up our parks. We fought to open the first new school in Oak Park in 40 years and worked with City leaders to open a neighborhood supermarket when opening a business there was considered a risk.

When I was appointed to City Planning Commission in 1993, businesses were leaving Sacramento because it was a place where it was simply too difficult to “do business”. City leaders embarked on efforts to fix what was broken, creating the Development Oversight Committee, stream lined processes and consistent policies and practices geared toward removing unnecessary roadblocks and tangled red tape to help business thrive. These coordinated efforts resulted in the creation jobs and opportunities.

Now is the time for us to once again come together and identify areas in which we can do better.

As a lifelong Sacramentan, public official, and candidate, I welcome the opportunity to work with you and others in the community to right the ship. Bringing those with divergent points of view together, I tackled tough problems in our community and worked to create jobs. I know that we can work together on the issues we face today.

Please feel free to call me at 446-4434 or email me at Patrick@patrickkennedylaw.com to share with me concrete ideas how we can work together for a better Sacramento.

Visit the Patrick Kennedy for Council 2010 Web Site

Local News | Students stranded in Beijing get no answers from Seattle-based program | Seattle Times Newspaper

Local News | Students stranded in Beijing get no answers from Seattle-based program | Seattle Times Newspaper:

"When a Seattle-based Chinese language program in Beijing suddenly canceled classes and shut down, more than a dozen students were left stranded, though they had prepaid their tuition and housing.

Now, the company's Seattle headquarters is closed, its phones disconnected and its Web site claims it has filed bankruptcy. The owners have moved to Sweden.

Most of the 67 students — from all over the world — have either gone home or arranged for classes at other schools in Beijing, at additional expense."

2010 Race to the Top

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Obama gets an ‘A’ for effort from Schwarzenegger � - Blogs from CNN.com

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Obama gets an ‘A’ for effort from Schwarzenegger � - Blogs from CNN.com:

"Washington (CNN) – Not every Republican is a critic of President Obama. At least one thinks the president is doing a fine job – at least when it comes to the effort involved in being the country’s chief executive.

Asked to give Obama a grade as the end of the president’s first year in office approaches, Arnold Schwarzenegger, California’s Republican governor, gave Obama high marks.

“When it comes to effort, [Obama] should get a straight A,” Schwarzenegger told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King in an interview that aired Sunday on State of the Union."

WJBD Radio

WJBD Radio: "A new federal program has lots of those in the educational field talking and reactions are mixed.

Race to the Top is an multi-phase initiative of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and aims to encourage and reward states for implementing significant reforms to education areas. The program is based on competitive entry, with millions of dollars in funding at stake. Districts must decide whether or not to sign on to Phase I of the program by January 11th and the Illinois State Board of Education is preparing the final application for the program which will be turned in January 19th. Awards will be made based on a point system, but the size of awards has yet to be fully determined. Many believe the program will replace the No Child Left Behind initiative.

Regional Superintendent of Schools, Keri Garrett says she has spoken with area district superintendents about the program, but they still have concerns the program's 'unknowns.' She says the bulk of information was released mid-December and the program has been evolving over the past couple of months, causing some confusion."

Educators face new challenges - ContraCostaTimes.com

Educators face new challenges - ContraCostaTimes.com:

"The decade began with ambitious plans for raising the bar on public education and student achievement.


After winning office as the nation's 43rd president, George W. Bush introduced a federal program, dubbed No Child Left Behind, aimed at improving education through higher standards and greater accountability.


For the better part of the decade, educators and school administrators worked diligently to implement the program and meet its expectations.


More recently, however, a recession of historic proportions has taken a heavy toll on the public school system, prompting deep budget cuts, and in some cases, a rethinking of what schools will offer.


'Our future depends on our ability to prepare the next generation for success in the hyper-competitive global economy,' said Jack O'Connell, state superintendent of public instruction. "In order to deliver the quality education our students need, we must get off this budget roller coaster and find a stable, long-term solution to education funding. Our future depends on it."

After years of focusing on state and federal goals aimed at improving public instruction, public school officials over the past year have wrestled with budget reductions brought on by massive state deficits.

In July, facing a $26.3billion shortfall, the state Legislature passed a budget that slashed more than $8billion in education funding.

Districts that had issued scores - and in some cases hundreds - of layoff notices won some reprieve with federal stimulus funding, but the state's financial outlook has not improved. Lawmakers now anticipating a new shortfall that could top $20billion.

In online education, Hartland teacher in a class all her own | livingstondaily.com | Livingston Daily

In online education, Hartland teacher in a class all her own | livingstondaily.com | Livingston Daily:

"Seventh-grade math teacher Melanie Laber uses the only teaching tool of its kind in the Hartland school system, a sort of computer drawing tablet the size of a blackboard linked to the computer on her desk as well as a projector which shine the display onto the tablet to illustrate a geometry problem. Laber also uploads online classes to help students with the lessons taught in the Hartland Middle School at Ore Creek classroom. Laber was honored with the distinction Online Teacher of the Year from the Michigan Virtual School. (Photo by GILLIS BENEDICT/DAILY PRESS & ARGUS)"

Dissident Voice : Neo-liberalism and Charter Schools

Dissident Voice : Neo-liberalism and Charter Schools:

"The Los Angeles Board of Education, little more than a managerial club belonging to LA Mayor Villaraigosa and his privatized charter crew, including Green Dot Schools, other educational maintenance organizations (EMO’s) and deep pocket entrepreneurs approved a resolution in August of 2009 to turn over 12 long-struggling campuses and 18 new ones to bidders from inside or outside the district, including some charter operators.1 The effort is all part and parcel of the capitalist “reform of education” that is sweeping the nation below the radar screen of any national news. It includes using the government, which the neo-liberals say they abhor, to asset strip the public realm; in this case to orchestrate the legal seizure of actual public buildings that house public schools paid for over the decades by public taxpayers."

COMMENTARY with TOM WATKINS: Educational excellence and educational genocide | hometownlife.com | the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies

COMMENTARY with TOM WATKINS: Educational excellence and educational genocide | hometownlife.com | the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies:

"We were exposed to the worst and the near best recently in metro Detroit. What a difference a few miles make. Detroit schools sink to a new low while West Bloomfield's International Academy soars.

Parents, teachers, politicians and educational officials from Detroit to Lansing were rattled to the bone as it was revealed that fourth- and eighth-graders in Detroit Public Schools scored the worst in the nation in math according to national test scores. The Detroit scores on the National Assessment of Education Progress, a rigorous national assessment, were the lowest in the test's 40-year history. Among fourth-graders, 69 percent scored below basic levels, as did 77 percent of eighth-graders. Results show 77 percent of eighth-graders and 69 percent of fourth-graders lack basic math skills."

U.S. : Socialism and the defense of public education | Education |Axisoflogic.com

U.S. : Socialism and the defense of public education | Education |Axisoflogic.com:

"The Obama administration is spearheading an unprecedented assault on public education in the United States. While providing trillions of dollars to Wall Street, Obama has starved states and local governments of funding and pressed them to address their soaring budget deficits by closing public schools and opening semi-private charter schools.

In Michigan and other states, school districts are slashing jobs and eliminating essential services such as student transportation. The school week in Hawaii has been reduced to four days due to teacher furloughs. The cutbacks have been extended to higher education as well, with California leading the way by imposing a 32 percent tuition increase."

School funding: Illinois officials sharpen school reform tools as they vie for federal money -- chicagotribune.com

School funding: Illinois officials sharpen school reform tools as they vie for federal money -- chicagotribune.com:

"Enticed by the prize of $4.35 billion in federal money for schools, Illinois and other states are polishing their academic credentials, legislating away obstacles to reform and turning on the charm.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan cautions that the unprecedented competition, called Race to the Top, will have 'winners and losers,' with perhaps 10 to 20 states qualifying for the first round of money plus the prestige of being recognized as a leader in public education reform.

Illinois is vying to be chosen in the first round. If successful, the state stands to gain between $200 million and $400 million during the next four years.

Education experts said this could be Illinois' best chance to afford big-ticket reforms for public schools, with the state beset by financial trouble amid a lingering recession."

Tom Vander Ark: 10 US education reformers that will impact 2010

Tom Vander Ark: 10 US education reformers that will impact 2010:

"1. Arne Duncan is taking advantage of an unbelievably large budget and pushing a tough reform agenda targeting low-income kids and struggling schools. While he'll have his hands full with reauthorization, he has assembled a top notch team.

2. Joanne Weiss leads the mother of all grant program--Race to the Top--with the same skill and diplomacy she exhibited at New Schools.

3. Jim Shelton and sidekick Shivam Shah run grant programs of historically gigantic proportions: i3, Promise Neighborhoods.

4. Gene Wilhoit is pushing state chiefs, supporting common standards, and asking us all to think hard about the future of learning."

Board reflects on trying times, past and future - Vallejo Times Herald

Board reflects on trying times, past and future - Vallejo Times Herald:

"The proverbial hot seat had the Vallejo school board's name stamped on its back all year. If it wasn't one thing, it was two, sometimes even three.

From firing the district's first superintendent in years to embarking on a journey to -- possibly -- close one or more schools, Vallejo City Unified School District board members were busy.

With only a few days left in 2009, four current members and one past one reflected on what has happened, and share their hopes for the new year."

Natomas budget cuts hit classrooms; parents worried - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Natomas budget cuts hit classrooms; parents worried - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"Natomas Unified School District officials have reached deep into classrooms to balance their budget.

They have cut days from the school year, reduced class periods for most juniors and seniors, relaxed graduation requirements and eliminated summer school.

And parents are worried."

Comment:

• 
  coopmike48 wrote on 12/27/2009 07:06:50 AM:

  School Boards have become hit men for the legislature. No matter how committed they are to our kids, our schools, no matter how they regret the cuts, their onerous job has become little more than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. School Board members are public servants for the most part, spending countless hours, doing thankless work for our kids and community. When they fail to do the impossible, it is not for lack of trying. Talk to your school board members, they are on our side. Our communities must come together to support our kids and our schools. Tell the legislature to do their jobs and our school boards will take care of our schools.