Christie Channels Schwarzenegger as New Jersey Braces for Cuts - BusinessWeek

Christie Channels Schwarzenegger as New Jersey Braces for Cuts - BusinessWeek:

"Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Montclair, New Jersey, where the median family income is almost twice the U.S. average, may have to shut one of its two libraries. The Newark suburb of Irvington is considering firing police officers.

The towns are bracing for the impact of state aid cuts, after Governor-elect Christopher Christie said he may slash spending by as much as 25 percent next year amid declining tax revenue that the Washington-based Pew Center for the States said rivals California. If the proposal for New Jersey pushes costs down to local governments and schools, mayors and educators may have to choose between raising taxes and eliminating park maintenance and trash collection."

20 O.C. school districts get behind Obama education reforms | school, districts, california - News - The Orange County Register

20 O.C. school districts get behind Obama education reforms | school, districts, california - News - The Orange County Register:

"At least 20 of Orange County's 28 school districts have tentatively committed to implementing a series of controversial education reforms outlined under President Obama's competitive Race to the Top grant program for schools.

The reforms, which include evaluating teachers based on their students' academic performance, are necessary for school districts to apply for a slice of a $4.35 billion federal stimulus pie. At least 663 school districts and other educational institutions across California have already signed letters of intent to apply for the Race to the Top funds, according to state education officials. The deadline is Thursday."

The Signal - Santa Clarita Valley News - Hebrew charter school proposed

The Signal - Santa Clarita Valley News - Hebrew charter school proposed

Hebrew charter school proposed

Albert Einstein Academy would be first of its kind in SCV and California

A local rabbi hopes to establish California’s first Hebrew language charter school in the Santa Clarita Valley.

If approved by the Hart district during the Jan. 20 board meeting, the Albert Einstein Academy for Letters, Arts and Sciences would be a college preparatory school planned for a fall 2010 opening, Rabbi Mark Blazer of Temple Beth Ami in Newhall said.

The public charter school would be open to everyone and students would not have to be Jewish to enroll, he said. The school would not have a religious base, he said.

In its first year, Blazer estimates the school would have 75 students in each seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade class. Each year, the school would add a grade until it becomes a 7-12 school, he said.

Academy leaders are still looking for a place to house the academy for the upcoming year.

At full capacity, the school would hold 450 students, he said.

“We have not had a problem getting interest from parents,” Blazer said.

Meeting a need
Local children are able to learn Hebrew at Jewish congregations, but, for Blazer, meeting two or three times a week is not enough.

Sacramento mayor resolves to make peace with City Council - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com

Sacramento mayor resolves to make peace with City Council - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com:

"Like many people hoping to shed a few pounds after the holidays or promising to finally learn a foreign language, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has made a list of resolutions for the new year.

His top one should make at least eight people happy: improving relations with the City Council.

'When I ran, there were a lot of people thinking that City Hall and City Council was a dysfunctional environment. I've been in office for a year and we have not yet improved upon that,' Johnson said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. 'So I want to make sure we do a much better job.'

The mayor announced his goal in a list of 10 'resolutions.'"

Sacramento Press / The Broad Road Show finally comes to Sacramento

Kevin Johnson's Photos - Broad check presentation for Stand Up

Sacramento Press / The Broad Road Show finally comes to Sacramento

Mayor Kevin Johnson announced STAND UP; a new initiative launched on Monday. A $500,000 grant will kick-start the first phase of the new nonprofit's development. It will focus on raising academic achievement and college completion rates by advocating, supporting, and developing excellent public schools. The seed money comes from a national philanthropy group,the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation.

Mayor Johnson said he's looking for a new education liaison; someone who will work with STAND UP. Rumors and speculation has Michelle Rhee, lightening rod Chancellor of Washington DC Public Schools as a leading candidate. Rhee a nimble leader, has played a major role in the Education Reform movement which is currently being promoted by the Obama administration, Governor Schwarzenegger and the Mayor.


 This reform movement promotes privately operated public Charter schools which are opposed by teachers unions and some parent and community groups. Ms Rhee and the Mayor announced their engagement last month.


 Really, what could be better than some rich guy (billionaire) coming to town dropping a cool half million on our public schools in these times of shocking budget cuts. In Sacramento I think there are three schools of thought on that subject:


1) Stand Up
2) Sit Down
3) Shut Up

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence.

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence.:

"What's Next: Education in 2010

Here's my breakdown of the top four issues in local education to watch in 2010. These are the things I'll be focusing on and the unanswered questions worth paying attention to:
Budgets, Budgets, Budgets

How big will deficits actually be? And how will San Diego Unified balance its books if the shortfall really is that bad?

And there's a third, crucial question: Can schools actually fend off the cuts by protesting to Sacramento? The school board is sounding the alarm and asking parents to fight back. But with little support for tax increases in the state Legislature, it's unclear whether they can turn the tide.

The Next Superintendent"

Census Bureau to hire hundreds in Rancho Cordova - Sacramento Business Journal:

Census Bureau to hire hundreds in Rancho Cordova - Sacramento Business Journal::

"Census Bureau to hire hundreds in Rancho Cordova"

The U.S. Census Bureau needs several hundred qualified applicants to work in the Rancho Cordova area in the spring.

The Census Bureau is now accepting sign ups from prospective workers who would like to test for those jobs, beginning in January.

The part-time temporary jobs will be for Census takers and staff for Census offices and questionnaire assistance centers. Field pay starts at $15 per hour.

Most of the jobs require a valid driver’s license and use of a vehicle. The Census Bureau also wants to find some candidates who can speak Spanish, Russian or another language in addition to English.

Prospective employees must take and pass a 30 minute Census test.

Testing will be conducted at several locations in Rancho Cordova, including at City Hall on Prospect Park Drive, the Folsom Cordova Unified School District’s Adult Education Center on Gadsten Way and the Sacramento Works One Stop on Old Placerville Road.

Candidates can sign up for a test by calling the Elk Grove Census office at 1-800-866-2010 and entering their ZIP code. More information, including a practice test, is available online at 2010censusjobs.gov.

Beverly Hills schools move to cut outside pupils - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Beverly Hills schools move to cut outside pupils - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Beverly Hills schools move to cut outside pupils

Associated Press Writer

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Threats on Facebook, name-calling, security guard escorts - tempers are running high around schools these days in this normally sedate enclave of ostentatious wealth.

The reason: The Beverly Hills school board is preparing to boot out 10 percent of its students as it ends a decades-old practice of allowing out-of-district pupils to attend city schools on "opportunity permits."

The move has upset many so-called permit parents - mostly middle-class families living in the tonier areas of Los Angeles who are loath to send their children to the beleaguered Los Angeles Unified School District, where more than a quarter of high-schoolers drop out.

"Every family on permit is outraged," said Simy Levy, a Los Angeles resident whose two daughters attend school in Beverly Hills. "It's incredibly unfair.

CPR: Feature News Story | Schools Ask For Help In Catching Vandals

CPR: Feature News Story | Schools Ask For Help In Catching Vandals:

"(Sacramento, CA) They say vandalism usually goes up when school’s out-of-session. Vince Matranga heads security for the Sacramento City Unified School District.

“During the two-week winter break we probably average around $5,000 in damages to our school buildings. And that’s primarily graffiti. And at this time with the budgets the way they are for public schools we just cannot afford to be spending our money repairing our buildings because of vandalism.”

Matranga says the district is installing video surveillance cameras at school sites as funding becomes available.

Meanwhile, he’s urging neighbors to be the eyes and ears of the district…and call the police or Sheriff’s Department if they see any suspicious activity."

Troubles persist at several charters | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/28/2009

Troubles persist at several charters | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/28/2009

Troubles persist at several charters

By Martha Woodall

Inquirer Staff Writer

Rosemary DiLacqua's husband was in trouble.


Joseph J. DiLacqua, a captain in the Philadelphia Police Department, had been charged in early 2002 with covering up the drunken-driving accident of a fellow officer, and the family needed $15,000 to pay for a lawyer.


Brien N. Gardiner, founder of the charter school where Rosemary DiLacqua was board president, provided the solution. He secretly lent her the money.

But the money had strings attached, prosecutors said, and accepting it exposed DiLacqua, who was also a police detective, to federal charges.


It was just one part of a web of criminal intrigue that pervaded Philadelphia Academy Charter School. Details came to light earlier this month when Rosemary DiLacqua was sentenced in federal court for taking a total of $34,000 in secret payments from Gardiner and a former chief executive and then giving them raises and lucrative contracts.


A lot happened between spring 2008, when The Inquirer first reported allegations of fiscal mismanagement at the Northeast charter, and Rosemary DiLacqua's sentencing on Dec. 15. 
And the school was not the only one shaken by the revelations of suspected corruption. Reverberations are still felt across Pennsylvania's charter-school landscape.


Federal investigators who began their probe of Philadelphia Academy in May 2008 concluded that Gardiner and Kevin M. O'Shea, the former CEO, had looted the school. Gardiner committed suicide in May when indictments seemed imminent. O'Shea, who pleaded guilty to stealing as much as $1 million, is serving a 37-month sentence in federal prison.


Although the federal probe has spread to at least five other charters in the area, the Philadelphia School District has made only modest changes to increase oversight of the city's 67 charter schools.

In search of the Reflective Practitioner | Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech

In search of the Reflective Practitioner | Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech:

"I began teaching in 1988. It was a tough job and thinking about getting better was superseded by survival instincts. Early on in my career, there were several documents that the province produced in support of improved professional development. I didn't pay much attention to these but one phrase I saw in those documents some 20 years ago stuck with me. Reflective Practitioner. I sort of understood the concept but other than simply thinking about what you did in the classroom, I wasn't at all sure what to do with this term.

When I discovered blogs almost 5 years ago, I soon figured out what that term meant. Since that occasion I have sat down to write close to 1,000 pieces of reflection. While not all would be considered deep, most take me anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours to craft. While it may not"

Hmong Community Becomes an Economic Force - 12/28/09 - Fresno News - abc30.com

Hmong Community Becomes an Economic Force - 12/28/09 - Fresno News - abc30.com:

"Fresno, California -- Thousands of people are in Fresno for the Hmong New Year celebration. And they're bringing plenty of buying power with them. In the thirty years since they arrived in the Valley the Hmong population has grown into a strong economic and social force.

Driving south on Highway 99 through Fresno you'll roll by dozens of billboards, but there is one that will catch your eye like no other. An attractive young woman in traditional Hmong dress is advertising a store ... 'T.C. Fresh Meat Supermarket.'

The young woman works as a cashier ... her boss ... Thong Xiong ... is a young Hmong entrepreneur. 'I love to do something different,' said Xiong.

Xiong bought billboard space around Fresno last month to advertise his three year old business. The businessman knew many eyes would be on his signs this week as thousands of Hmong descend on Fresno for the Hmong New Year celebration."

Community Colleges Consider Offering Bachelor'S Degrees

Community Colleges Consider Offering Bachelor'S Degrees:

"Legislators in California and Michigan are thinking of granting community colleges the authority to offer four-year degrees.

In California, the initiative is largely being considered as a result of massive budget cuts to state universities which have forced institutions to turn away thousands of applicants. The Contra Costa Times reports that the idea was introduced by Assemblyman Marty Block at a December 7 hearing about the future of California's Master Plan for Higher Education.

'We have a lot of well-respected community colleges down in San Diego,' Block was quoted as saying in the Contra Costa Times, 'and they think they could do a fine job offering those next two years to students, at least in certain disciplines.' Block is considering introducing a related bill next year."

UC Hastings Names Frank H. Wu New Chancellor and Dean : AsianWeek

UC Hastings Names Frank H. Wu New Chancellor and Dean : AsianWeek:

"San Francisco — The Board of Directors of UC Hastings College of the Law announced today its new Chancellor and Dean, Frank H. Wu, Professor of Law at Howard University and the former dean at Wayne State University Law School, where he was the nation’s youngest law school Dean. The selection of Wu, who is closely connected to high-level legal, business and political leadership in the Asian and Asian-American world, is viewed as a dramatic and bold step to bring an entirely new level of leadership to Hastings.

“Frank Wu is a brilliant, world-class scholar and national leader in higher education. He was selected because of his powerful strategic vision for raising our 131-year-old law school to a new level. He has the experience and commitment to develop unprecedented private support for the College,” said Bruce Simon, Chair of the Board of Directors of Hastings and co-chair of the Dean Selection Committee, along with Professor Richard Boswell. ”With today’s significant fiscal challenges, UC Hastings needs dynamic, top-flight leadership fully engaged in the legal and greater community at large.”"

College Econ 101: Higher Tuition, Dried-Up Lending | The Lipman Times

College Econ 101: Higher Tuition, Dried-Up Lending | The Lipman Times:

"The Washington Post reports that during the economic crisis, college costs have continued to soar, while options for financing a higher-education have been severely diminished. Many poor and middle-class households are finding it more and more difficult to pay for a college education, and some are finding the new reality quite prohibitive. Even for those who can afford college have to rely on high-interest student loans to get into the most-competitive programs, and some qualified students are having to choose lesser programs to ensure they can pay.

Public universities are suffering greatly from the financial crisis; state funding has nearly vanished, taking the key component in their financing model out of the equation and requiring tuition hikes. The University of California has announced that is will be introducing a 32 percent tuition hike in the next academic year, which prompted student riots and required riot police to protect public school officials."

Bookstore Closings in 2010 and the Fallout on the Economy and California's Literacy - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

Bookstore Closings in 2010 and the Fallout on the Economy and California's Literacy - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com:

"Bookstore Closings Offer a Mixed Bag of Emptier Strip Mall Spaces, Unemployment and Creeping Illiteracy

The booklover's calendar in 2010 will hold a number of farewells. B. Dalton, Lighthouse Christian Stores and Waldenbooks are closing their doors in alarming numbers. At the same time, California leads the nation in low prose literacy skills. Coincidence?"

Gone in 2010: All B. Dalton Bookseller Locations, Lighthouse Christian Stores and 200 Waldenbooks Stores (Borders Express)

Dating back to 1966, B. Dalton was a powerhouse of booksellers. When Barnes & Noble bought the chain, its once proud number of 798 stores had dwindled. In October of 2009, CBS 2 out of Chicago confirmed that Barnes & Noble plans on closing all B. Dalton stores by January 31, 2010.

This is bad news for smaller communities that are underserved when it comes to book stores. This is especially true for those with Waldenbooks stores in their areas. Among the other fiscally (and intellectually) impactful events in 2010 is the closure of 200 Waldenbooks stores - as reported by News Record, quoting the AP - which results in about 1,500 job losses.

Another 2010 calendar item to commemorate is the closure of the Lighthouse Christian Bookstores. The Long Beach, CA institution is currently holding its "everything must go" sale, but the Daily Breeze reveals that the gradual closure of this 64 year old business has been in the making for the last four years. While the LB store is still hanging on, it will likely close early in 2010.

What Will 2010 Bookstore Closings Do for California's (Il)Literacy?

Koontz was early advocate for special ed kids | Clovis Independent

Koontz was early advocate for special ed kids | Clovis Independent:

"Before laws required schools to open classrooms to those with special needs, S. Kermit Koontz was lobbying for the children.

He was instrumental in starting the first special-education programs in Fresno County, including one that was held in a church in Biola.

Mr. Koontz, 94, died in his Fresno home Saturday after having a heart attack and a stroke last month.

His son, Dan Koontz of Clovis, said one of the happiest days of his dad’s life was in November, when Kermit Koontz Educational Complex opened on Mariposa Street. “He had more joy watching those kids who were there,” Dan Koontz said. “It was the completion of his career.”

Mr. Koontz was hired at the Fresno County Office of Education 60 years ago to be health coordinator. He was appointed special education director in 1963 and named administrator of special education in Central California in 1968."

Compromise bill good for schools - San Bernardino County Sun

Compromise bill good for schools - San Bernardino County Sun:

"Californians will be a big winner in the Race to the Top competition, regardless of whether the state wins a dime of the $4.3 billion that the Obama administration is encouraging states to compete for.
That's because the governor and Legislature have reached a new compromise on Race to the Top enabling legislation, which the Legislature appears on the verge of passing. It includes elements that school reformers viewed as next to impossible to enact even a few months ago, such as:

Demanding that districts take strong actions to turn around dozens of seemingly incorrigible schools.

Giving students in failing schools the right to attend a better school in another district.

Empowering parents in some of these schools to demand powerful reforms."

‘Race to the Top’ Moves Toward Compromise : Eastern Group Publications

‘Race to the Top’ Moves Toward Compromise : Eastern Group Publications:

"The State Senate’s “Race to the Top” legislation was revived last Thursday Dec. 17 in the form of a second education reform bill SB X5-4, a gutted and amended bill that now carries items from the previous bill that was killed in the Assembly Education committee and some compromises meant to address concerns from the Assembly.

“I am proud that my colleagues in the Senate have again chosen to make the right decisions for our children and keep California alive in the Race to the Top competition,” said State Senator Gloria Romero, Chair of the Senate Education Committee. “Continuing to reach compromise that will allow California to deliver a bold and comprehensive reform package is of utmost importance and our absolute obligation as elected officials.”

The new bill, which will go to the Assembly Education Committee next, tightens up allowances for open enrollment, with students coming only from the “worst of the worst” schools being allowed to change schools."

Math, Tech and the Women Who Don’t Love Them - Bay Area Blog - NYTimes.com

Math, Tech and the Women Who Don’t Love Them - Bay Area Blog - NYTimes.com:

"It’s no secret to anyone in Silicon Valley that math, science and technology fields remain dominated by men, despite some progress by women in recent years. Women make up 46 percent of the American workforce but hold just 25 percent of the jobs in engineering, technology and science, according to the National Science Foundation.

To Sally K. Ride, a former astronaut, that persistent gender gap is a national crisis that will prove to deeply detrimental to America’s global competitiveness.

In recent months, Dr. Ride has served as a visible emissary for President Obama’s broad push to improve science and math education, including the $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” initiative announced in July. The program would identify and fund effective education programs with the aid of corporate partners."