Thursday, December 31, 2009

National Board Certified Teachers could get bonuses | Get Schooled

National Board Certified Teachers could get bonuses | Get Schooled:

"This is good news for the state’s National Board Certified teachers: Some key folks in the General Assembly want to restore their bonuses.

Some states are debating whether a salary boost for National Board Certified teachers is a good investment, suggesting that bonuses might better go to teachers with proven track records of raising student achievement rather than to teachers who earn the certification. Sometimes, they are one and the same. Sometimes, they are not.

Georgia has been a leader in urging teachers to seek certification ever since ex Gov. Roy Barnes became impressed with the program. (He continues to be a national champion of it.)"

A civil discourse: Choice, charters and money | Get Schooled

A civil discourse: Choice, charters and money | Get Schooled:

"I received this e-mail from a reader named Nate and thought it was provocative on the issues of choice and charters. I am posting Nate’s original note to me, my response and his follow-up. (Pour a cup of coffee as this is long.) He gave me clearance to put it all up here for our discussion.

After reading an Op-Ed piece that you posted in a recent paper titled “School boards: Charter school law violates constitution” I thought to myself… It would be good if an organization like the GA Public Policy Foundation or some similar unbiased organization could publish a paper that details in something akin to layman’s terms, how education funding works within the context of Charter Schools, and other choice legislation in GA. They could highlight a few scenarios:"

Fairfax County may cut back full-day kindergarten - washingtonpost.com

Fairfax County may cut back full-day kindergarten - washingtonpost.com:

"More than a decade after the Fairfax School Board decided to bring full-day kindergarten to the county's 139 elementary schools, nearly a third of them are still waiting for the longer school day. Progress has sputtered and stalled in recent years as the economy soured, and now the board might reverse course.

Fairfax Superintendent Jack D. Dale will unveil a budget proposal for the region's largest school system Jan. 7. An early list of potential cuts compiled by school officials this fall shows that rolling back full-day kindergarten, from 101 schools to 32 that serve the county's poorest communities, could save $13 million and help bridge a $176 million shortfall."

Strategy - Faculty - The Case of the Vanishing Full-Time Professor - NYTimes.com

Strategy - Faculty - The Case of the Vanishing Full-Time Professor - NYTimes.com:

"If you’ve written a few five-figure tuition checks or taken on 10 years’ of debt, you probably think you’re paying to be taught by full-time professors. But it’s entirely possible that most of your teachers are freelancers.

In 1960, 75 percent of college instructors were full-time tenured or tenure-track professors; today only 27 percent are. The rest are graduate students or adjunct and contingent faculty — instructors employed on a per-course or yearly contract basis, usually without benefits and earning a third or less of what their tenured colleagues make. The recession means their numbers are growing."

A teaching model that would make Da Vinci proud - latimes.com

A teaching model that would make Da Vinci proud - latimes.com:

"The Annihilator is a death plunge of a roller coaster that begins by dropping the rider through a wide, fast funnel. It swooshes down a gut-wrenching series of S-curves, flies through a 360-degree loop, slides down a straightaway to another funnel and then -- this is the moment of greatest terror -- free-falls into a basket.

Alas, thrill seekers, you will never ride the Annihilator.

It stands about 4 feet tall and it's made entirely of paper. Only marbles ride the Annihilator, which is intertwined with another paper roller coaster, the Epic Fail, so named because high school teacher Mario Rodriguez seemed unable to test it without having the marble fly off the track"

USC offers America 101 for foreign students - latimes.com

USC offers America 101 for foreign students - latimes.com:

"The topic was baseball and the class members, foreign graduate students recently arrived in the United States to attend USC, were befuddled.

Not only were they struggling to follow the instructor's litany of batting and pitching rules, they were mystified by the title of the hallowed championship games. Why is it called the World Series, one Chinese student wondered aloud, if all the teams in it are from North America?

Instructor Edward Roth was both taken aback and pleased. The grandiose title might reflect America's arrogance about its national pastime, he acknowledged, but he also praised the question. It reflected the type of cross-cultural debate he encourages in a course aimed at helping these newcomers from overseas adjust to life in Los Angeles."

Legislation will take hard look at schools

Legislation will take hard look at schools:

"State Sen. Jeffrey E. Piccola, R-Dauphin, yesterday said he'll introduce legislation to take a firmer line with low-performing school districts, warning that may involve closing some schools and dissolving some districts.

Mr. Piccola, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said other options include merit pay for teachers and administrators, converting struggling schools into charter schools and bringing in outside management groups.

Some of the language reflects the U.S. Department of Education's get-tough stance in inviting states to compete for $4 billion in Race to the Top funds."

School reforms — the beginning, not the end | hometownlife.com | the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies

School reforms — the beginning, not the end | hometownlife.com | the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies:

"Our state and our schools need to be reinvented. The governor and Legislature are to be commended for making progress on school reform by striking a deal on landmark legislative ideas that have been kicking around the state capitol for a decade. Clearly, the up to $400 million of “Race to the Top,” U.S. Department of Education dollars provided the right amount of inducement to help strike the deal. The legislation expands the number of high-quality charter schools — including two new e-learning “cyber schools” — raises the dropout age from 16 to 18, and gives the state stronger authority to take over 5 percent of the state's academically worst failing schools."

KHSD board says no to Obama charter school - Bakersfield.com

KHSD board says no to Obama charter school - Bakersfield.com:

"Kern High School District trustees on Wednesday unanimously shot down a petition for a proposed charter school named after our nation's president.

All five board members rejected the idea of Barack H. Obama Leadership Academy based on district input that it did not meet California Education Code standards for the establishment of a charter school.

During a special board meeting, trustees commented that the petition was 'inherently weak,' 'fiscally irresponsible,' 'ill conceived,' 'not feasible' and 'not thought through.' District staff outlined its findings and analysis in a 15-page report."

School districts reluctantly join Race to the Top: Santa Cruz, Pajaro Valley sign up for federal education reform - ContraCostaTimes.com

School districts reluctantly join Race to the Top: Santa Cruz, Pajaro Valley sign up for federal education reform - ContraCostaTimes.com:

"WATSONVILLE - In spite of uncertainty about mandates and funding, Santa Cruz County's two largest school districts are signing on to the latest education reform plan.
The County Office of Education also has signed up for Race to the Top, a $4.3 billion federal program aimed at improving student achievement.

Districts must signal their intention to participate by today and have until Jan. 8 to sign an agreement with the state. More than 700 of the state's approximately 1,000 public school districts had joined the effort by Wednesday.

If California wins a Race to the Top grant - and in the competition between states, there's no guarantee - school districts would get a cut of the money in exchange for implementing new academic standards and accountability measures, including controversial teacher evaluations."

Capitol Alert: California given high marks for charter schools

California given high marks for charter schools

California, Minnesota and the District of Columbia are the only school systems to receive "A" grades on their receptivity to charter schools from the Washington-based Center for Education Reform, a pro-charter school organization.

The state-by-state evaluation was released in response to Race to the Top, President Barack Obama's education reform initiative that includes more emphasis on charter schools, which are public schools that operate independently of school district administration. Its release also coincides with the stateAssembly's debate this week on how to qualify California for Race to the Top grants, in which expansion of charter schools plays a central role.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, among others, favors lifting a state cap on charter schools but teacher unions are generally reluctant. But without loosening or lifting the cap, California may be ineligible for the new federal grants.

"Every state's education law has certain legal components that play key roles in deciding whether that state does what its law's title suggests

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

S C T A Annual Crab Feed

S C T A Annual Crab Feed

Do you like crab? Dancing? Wine?

Bidding on auction prizes? Winning “stuff” in raffles?

The SCTA Annual Crab Dinner is our big event that brings teachers and the community together to raise funds for scholarships.College tuition and fees are higher than ever and our scholarship program is a way that teachers and SCTA can help.

Well then…

S C T A

Sacramento City Teachers Association

Annual Crab Feed

Scholarship Fundraiser

Saturday, February 6 from 5-10pm

Elk's Lodge, 6446 Riverside Blvd in Sacramento, CA

View Google Map

sold out last year, so buy early and often

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

SCTA at 916-452-4591

Education Week: Two State Unions Balking at 'Race to Top' Plans

Education Week: Two State Unions Balking at 'Race to Top' Plans:

"Teachers’ unions in at least two states are threatening to withhold endorsements of their state’s Race to the Top applications, which could jeopardize the states’ chances of winning the coveted federal dollars.

In a letter printed as an advertisement in the Tallahassee Democrat , Florida Education Association President Andy J. Ford discouraged local union affiliates from signing an agreement to implement a state plan that, among other things, would require districts to base teacher evaluations and compensation bonuses heavily on student test scores.
“Any sense of collaboration is absent in your proposal,” Mr. Ford wrote in the Dec. 17 letter to Florida Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith. “Your approach is prescriptive,..."

An Open Letter to Florida Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith -

Finally, the Arne Duncan Chicago Schools reform myth is exposed

Finally, the Arne Duncan Chicago Schools reform myth is exposed:

"However, what I do find contemptuous is when guys who are lucky enough to get a chip in the big game without earning it look back at those who haven’t and say: Pull yourself up by your bootstraps like I did. Duncan has spent the better part of last year traveling the country and challenging ‘ate up’ urban educators to duplicate his Chicago Public Schools (CPS) success by doing as he did. The problem is, there was no success. And those of us, who call the People’s Republic of Chicago, home, know it. Finally, the cardboard school reform of the Duncan era, which followed the smoke-and-mirrors of the Paul Vallas regime, has been officially ‘outed.’"

2009 Local News in Review, Part 1 — The Rancho Cordova Post

2009 Local News in Review, Part 1 — The Rancho Cordova Post:

"Rancho Cordova community members have experienced their fair share of joy and struggles during the past year. Over the next few days we will be re-capping the biggest news stories of the year. From a series of attempted kidnappings near Rancho Cordova schools in January to the release of the NTSB investigation of the Christmas Eve explosion that rocked a Rancho neighborhood just last week, we’ll be covering the stories that are the most relevant and important to you.

In January, a Rancho Cordova man shot a female neighbor then shot himself. The apartment complex in which the man lived was evacuated and it was later learned that the woman who was shot had threatened to report the man to Child Protective Services. January also saw the permanent appointment of Kathleen E. Redd, as the Chief Financial Officer of GenCorp Inc. Two Rancho Cordova teen mothers with their infant children went missing at the end of January, but were found days later."

9 California mayors press for Race to the Top bill

9 California mayors press for Race to the Top bill:

"The mayors of California's biggest cities are urging Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers to meet a fast-approaching deadline to compete for federal education funds."

The mayors of Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Sacramento released a joint letter on the issue Tuesday. They were joined by the mayors of San Jose, Fresno, Long Beach, Santa Ana and Anaheim.
The mayors are asking state leaders to pass a bill that would allow California to compete for a share of $4.3 billion in education reform funding. The competition — known as "Race to the Top" — was set up by the Obama administration to improve schools.
California has three weeks left to qualify for the competition. Lawmakers have indicated they plan to take up the measure in the new year.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/12/29/state/n185153S79.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0bBVYGuNm

Class Struggle - Foreign language teaching is becoming just Spanish

Class Struggle- Foreign language teaching is becoming just Spanish:

"Foreign language teaching is becoming just Spanish

Stuck at the bottom of the bag of reports I promised to read over the holidays is a survey by Nancy C. Rhodes and Ingrid Pufahl of the Center for Applied Linguistics, entitled 'Foreign Language Teaching in U.S. Schools.' It has a clear message, part good, part bad.

The good news: Spanish language instruction is growing, something to cheer because we share this hemisphere mostly with people who speak that language. Two of my children are fluent in Spanish and use it in their jobs, which makes me proud and hopeful for the future.

The bad news: all the other languages important to the future of the planet are either losing popularity in our schools, or making only tiny gains from very low levels. The only language in which I have any facility is Mandarin Chinese, certainly a biggie in international affairs but a pygmy in American education. It is taught in only 3 percent of elementary schools and 4 percent of high schools with foreign language programs."

Superintendent to regents: Providence can’t afford Hope High School reforms | Education | projo.com | The Providence Journal

Superintendent to regents: Providence can’t afford Hope High School reforms | Education | projo.com | The Providence Journal:

"PROVIDENCE — While acknowledging that Hope High School has made dramatic gains, Schools Supt. Tom Brady says the district can no longer afford to devote so many resources to one of the city’s many high schools.

In a letter to the Rhode Island Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education, Brady recognized that Hope’s teachers and leaders have made significant strides in improving the school’s climate and culture but said that the academic model adopted five years ago is too costly to maintain.

The regents asked for an update on Hope after more than 50 teachers, students and staff implored them to prevent the high school’s academic model from being dismantled."

Cleveland schools CEO Sanders and union leader need to talk, right away -- editorial | Opinion, Editorials, Letters and Columns from The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com - - Opinions, Editorials, Letters and Columns from The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com

Cleveland schools CEO Sanders and union leader need to talk, right away -- editorial | Opinion, Editorials, Letters and Columns from The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com - -Opinions, Editorials, Letters and Columns from The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com:

"One of the first things we learn as children is how to play nice.

We learn to share. We learn to listen.

That kind of respect means fewer meltdowns on the playground -- and, later, on the job.

It is a lesson that high-ranking adults in the Cleveland schools need to review. Immediately.

CEO Eugene Sanders' long-awaited strategy for transforming the schools hasn't yet been revealed, but the work leading up to it didn't go as well as anyone would have hoped. The district's information sessions with parents fell short of expectations -- on both sides -- and the Cleveland Teachers Union has become increasingly restless about what it calls a lack of involvement in the planning and designing."

Latest News and Comment from Education