Girl's wish: N.J. study of reading disorders | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/27/2009

Girl's wish: N.J. study of reading disorders | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/27/2009:

Girl's wish: N.J. study of reading disorders

"The stuff on Samantha Ravelli's holiday wish list was pretty much standard fare for a 12-year-old. A digital camera, a watch, a laptop.

Her number-one wish, however, was in a class of its own.

She wants Gov. Corzine to sign her bill.

'I want to help other children,' she said.

The Ocean City, N.J., seventh grader and her mother, Beth, have been working the last few years to pass a law that would create a task force to better ensure that reading-disabled children like Samantha get the help they need.

The Senate passed her bill Dec. 10; the Assembly approved it in February. Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D., Cape May), a sponsor, said the Assembly needed to approve some changes before the measure went to the governor's desk."

Why the declines at private schools? | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/27/2009

Why the declines at private schools? | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/27/2009:

Why the declines at private schools?

"Some cite the economy and transfers to public schools. Others say it's a shortage of pupils and a long-term trend.

By Dan Hardy
Inquirer Staff Writer

Faced with the recession and rising tuition, are more parents at area private schools and their diocesan counterparts transferring their children to public schools to ease the strain on their pocketbooks?

Maybe.

School officials say it is difficult to measure the effect of the economy on enrollment because other factors are involved, including a declining number of school-age children and a long-term drop in the number of children in nonpublic schools.

But for Jacqui Coughlin and John Dewees, the answer is yes."

Charters’ funding is the fly in ed reform ointment - The Boston Globe

Charters’ funding is the fly in ed reform ointment - The Boston Globe:

"IT’S IRONIC that, just a week or two before state lawmakers vote on an education reform bill that would lift the cap on charter schools, two applications for charters in Lynn and one in Berkshire County are facing intense community opposition, while two existing charter schools in Springfield and Lowell face shutdowns."

When a sixth-grader at the C.T. Plunkett Elementary School in Adams asked Governor Deval Patrick during a recent visit why public money goes to charter schools, he explained that they are public schools, adding: “There are good ones and not so good ones, just as there are district schools that are good while others are not. We have a funding formula that is not good enough and needs to be fixed so that we’re not taking money away from district schools but supporting education in all different types of schools.’’

Patrick views the reform bill as aimed at “chronically underperforming’’ school districts. He acknowledges that the state lacks the money to support several proposed solutions for the charter school funding quandary.

As colleges add green majors and minors, classes fill up - USATODAY.com

As colleges add green majors and minors, classes fill up - USATODAY.com:

"Colleges are rapidly adding new majors and minors in green studies, and students are filling them fast.

Nationwide, more than 100 majors, minors or certificates were created this year in energy and sustainability-focused programs at colleges big and small, says the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. That's up from just three programs added in 2005.

Two factors are driving the surge: Students want the courses, and employers want the trained students, says Paul Rowland, the association's executive director.

'There's a great perception that there's a sweet spot with energy to do good and do well, and it appears to be the place of job growth,' says Rob Melnick, executive dean of the Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University."

Learning from afar taking UNLV far - Monday, Dec. 28, 2009 | 2 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun

Learning from afar taking UNLV far - Monday, Dec. 28, 2009 | 2 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun:

"Kimberly Townsend Little walked the stage at UNLV’s winter commencement ceremonies this month and picked up her doctorate in nursing.

For her, it was a rare visit to the campus.

She lives in North Carolina and completed her course work entirely online.

For Little, leaving home in pursuit of her doctorate wasn’t an option. She is not only an assistant professor of nursing education at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences in Concord, N.C., but also a single mother of three daughters — ages 17, 10 and 5."

To get federal funds, schools must apply stronger measures to struggling schools - washingtonpost.com

To get federal funds, schools must apply stronger measures to struggling schools - washingtonpost.com:

"If a public school struggles year after year, is the solution to shut it down? Fire everyone and start over? Hand the reins to a contractor? Or help teachers and principals raise their game?

As the federal government offers school systems an unprecedented $3.5 billion to revive schools, a huge increase for a reform program launched with $125 million in 2007, policymakers increasingly are prescribing stronger medicine for the lowest performers.

In years past, educators generally opted for the least invasive remedies. Most shied from state takeovers, shutdowns, conversion to a charter school and the like"

Restoring an educational gem's luster -- latimes.com

Restoring an educational gem's luster -- latimes.com:

"Great beaches, a gentle climate and the best system of public higher education in the country, maybe the world. California is famous for all three, but what it deserves abundant praise for is the last of those. How long it will continue to earn that praise is another matter. The state's visionary Master Plan for Higher Education, the engine that for years drove California toward educational leadership, and, as a result, economic leadership, is about to turn 50. It is not aging well.

The plan itself isn't to blame so much as the lack of money to carry it out. Right now, the dismal economy is driving deep cuts in higher education. But California has been giving short shrift to its public colleges and universities for years now, inching away from the promise of equal and affordable access based on merit."

Young journalists face real challenges | cincinnati.com | Cincinnati.Com

Young journalists face real challenges | cincinnati.com | Cincinnati.Com:

"It's quite possible that Lakota East seniors Kevin Li and Dana Sand will never earn a paycheck for journalism in their lives."

But that's irrelevant when the monthly deadline approaches for the duo's award-winning news magazine, Spark. Just as generations of high school journalists before them, the co-editors stay at school past 11 p.m. for weeks, corralling a staff of dozens, proofreading pages and making sure that last graphic is just right.

Spark - one of the country's best high school journalism publications - faces many of the same struggles professional journalism has:

Advertising sales are down more than 30 percent since 2005.

Printing costs soared.

The staff struggles with how to adapt to an evolving media environment and keep the attention of an elusive audience.

Freshman academies ease high school transition | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal

Freshman academies ease high school transition | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal:

"In a Fairdale High School classroom, a group of juniors and seniors counted out fake money for a special freshman activity — an auction in which the underclassmen would be encouraged to bid on the philosophical priorities that are important to them."

The auction's objective was twofold: to help establish a bond with the younger students, while teaching them an important lesson that will help them make the often intimidating leap to high school.

“We want them to have some fun with it, but we also want them to realize the importance of prioritizing certain things in their lives,” said 17-year-old senior Stacy Colmore. “It's something I wish I had learned when I was a freshman.”

The mentoring is one of many components of Fairdale's Freshman Academy — a program that provides a structured environment to help new students — and their families — so they are less likely to stumble when making the move from eighth grade to high school.

R.I. educators seek expanded ties with China | Education | projo.com | The Providence Journal

R.I. educators seek expanded ties with China | Education | projo.com | The Providence Journal:

"SMITHFIELD — School Supt. Robert M. O’Brien is still trying to adjust to the time change.

He, along with a contingent of educators from Smithfield, Lincoln, the Southern Regional Collaborative and the Rhode Island Superintendents Association, traveled to Beijing for a week earlier this month to attend the Fourth Confucius Institute Conference. It was the conversations with his counterparts in other parts of the world that amazed him.

“We were talking about things the commissioner was talking about in Rhode Island,” he said, “teacher quality, how to assess programs, a lot of the things we’re talking about in the United States, they were talking about globally.”"

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."