Some capital-area school districts sit out race for federal funds - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Some capital-area school districts sit out race for federal funds - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"California politicians scurried for months to pass legislation to ensure state schools have a chance to compete for federal Race to the Top stimulus funds. But many local districts have decided to watch the race from the sidelines.

Roseville City Unified Elementary School District, Camino Union Elementary School District and Sutter Union High School District are just a few that have decided not to apply for a piece of the $4.35 billion funding."

Bill to fix low-performing schools clears panel | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal

Bill to fix low-performing schools clears panel | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal:

"FRANKFORT, Ky. — The House Education Committee passed a bill Thursday morning that officials hope would better position Kentucky to win federal money to improve the academic performance of public schools"

House Bill 176, sponsored by Rep. Carl Rollins, D-Midway, would allow school districts to close low-performing middle and high schools and restart them under the management of a private or non-profit operator, known as an educational-management organization, or EMO.

“I think (the bill) helps us be a little more competitive in the Race to the Top,” Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday said after the committee meeting. “It shows we have a real good plan to help turn around low-performing schools.”

The bill passed 24-1, with two members abstaining. Rollins said he hopes the full House could vote on the measure early next week.

Kentucky could receive up to $200 million through President Barack Obama's Race to the Top contest. The competition pits states against each another and awards those who develop plans to improve student achievement.

House bill would give superintendents more authority - The Boston Globe

House bill would give superintendents more authority - The Boston Globe:

"Superintendents would gain broad new powers to make dramatic changes at the state’s worst schools, including the removal of ineffective teachers, under the education bill approved by the House early yesterday."

The bill, which must now be reconciled with a version approved by the Senate late last year, would also give Boston the right to open and control four charter schools without union approval.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino had aggressively sought that concession for months, making phone calls to key House leaders during their marathon session that ended early yesterday morning.

At a press conference outside his City Hall office yesterday morning, Menino said the bill was “made in heaven.’’

“This is a new era for all of us when it comes to public education,’’ Menino said, surrounded by city school leaders and legislators.

Other education leaders were more reserved in their response as they tried to unravel - and, in some cases, just to get a copy of - the flurry of last-minute 

NY1 | 24 Hour Local News | Education | Hundreds Rally To Keep Queens School Open

NY1 | 24 Hour Local News | Education | Hundreds Rally To Keep Queens School Open:

"A spirited rally was held Thursday night outside Jamaica High School in Queens.
More than 500 parents, students, teachers and alumni rallied against plans to replace the school with several small high schools in the same building.

'We're here to tell them that our school is a viable place, and it's a good school, and it's been around for 118 years. It deserves to be around as Jamaica High School for 118 more,' said Jamaica High School teacher James Eterno.

Inside, more than 100 signed up for speaking slots to tell officials why the doors to Jamaica High should stay open.

'We're here tonight to show our support because Jamaica is a great school. We have great academics, great programs,' said Jamaica High School student Rachael Ali. 'What's not to like here? We have a great atmosphere, we have a great, beautiful campus. Why do they want to close our school down?'

The Department of Education cites the high school's 46 percent graduation rate and falling enrollment, but teachers say statistics are improving."

In Pursuit of School Grants, New York Governor Seeks Changes to Law - NYTimes.com

In Pursuit of School Grants, New York Governor Seeks Changes to Law - NYTimes.com:

"Gov. David A. Paterson on Thursday proposed a host of changes in state education law, including eliminating the cap on the number of charter schools, which he said would make the state more likely to receive $700 million in federal grant money.

The governor’s bill would also repeal a 2008 law that banned the use of standardized test scores in tenure decisions, as well as give the state the ability to pay for charter school construction and allow the state to take over low-performing schools."

Lawmaker predicts MTA student fares won't be cut - NYPOST.com

Lawmaker predicts MTA student fares won't be cut - NYPOST.com:

"A lawmaker with oversight of the MTA predicted today that student fares won’t be cut for hundreds of thousands of students – and that the state and city will be footing the bill.

Assemblyman Richard Brodsky said he agrees that the MTA shouldn’t have to fork over any funds to pay for free and reduced-fare student MetroCards – the transit agency used to be the only in the nation to do so.

'We're confident there's going to be a good outcome,' he said after a committee hearing.

Yet Brodsky, Assemblywoman Joan Millman and Assemblyman Kevin Kavanaugh – who also attended the hearing – were three of the legislators to approve Gov. Paterson’s massive cut to student fares last December, prompting the MTA to cancel the program totally."

Uncharted territory: Success Academy riles another Harlem school with plans to move in next fall

Uncharted territory: Success Academy riles another Harlem school with plans to move in next fall:

"Just months after Eva Moskowitz's Success Academy II had movers break locks off doors to squeeze the charter into a Harlem public school, the charter is slated to move into another unwilling school next fall, the Daily News has learned.

With tensions still simmering at Public School 123 after the charter took over precious classroom space there, parents at the charter's new proposed home - PS 30 in East Harlem - also are worried about losing space and resources.

'This is a good school,' said Whit Scitio, whose daughter Destiny, 9, and son Devin, 5, go to PS30. 'We have a lot of things for our children here. They do"

Minnesota seeks ways to ease safety concerns at new charter schools | StarTribune.com

Minnesota seeks ways to ease safety concerns at new charter schools | StarTribune.com:

"Minnesota's charter schools often open with a host of fire code violations.

Inadequate fire alarm and sprinkler systems, improper exits, lack of firewall protection, and inadequate water supply are among problems fire code inspectors have found when they inspect just-opened charter schools.

The problem, state officials say, is that the law doesn't require schools in leased space -- where charter schools generally are located -- to release building plans to state inspectors prior to signing leases and opening."

Klein announces 1 percent midyear school budget cut | GothamSchools

Klein announces 1 percent midyear school budget cut | GothamSchools:

"The dreaded mid-year school budget cuts have arrived. This morning, Chancellor Joel Klein instructed principals to cut their budgets by 1 percent — about $79 million across the city’s schools — by the end of January.

The Department of Education’s central and field operations budget will also be reduced by 2.5 percent, which will mean layoffs of 5 percent of central staff. (UPDATE: The layoffs will affect approximately 500 central and field office employees, DOE spokeswoman Ann Forte said.)

This is the fifth round of budget cuts the school system has sustained in the last two years, though one set of cuts in June 2008 was limited to the central office budget. In November, Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the DOE to cut its spending by $113 million dollars. When the DOE announced raises to central staff last month, they were smaller than originally allocated in order to lessen cuts in other areas."

Romero Leads California to Race to the Top

Romero Leads California to Race to the Top:

"SACRAMENTO, Calif. - (Business Wire) EdVoice applauds Senator Gloria Romero, Senate Pro Tempore Steinberg, Speaker Bass, the Governor and the courageous legislators on both sides of the aisle for putting politics aside to do what’s best for kids and fair for adults. Senator Gloria Romero’s tireless effort to push California to boldly Race to the Top came to fruition today with the Governor’s signature on a bi-partisan package of education reform. The two bills, SB 5X 1 and SB 5X 4, enable California to compete for a share of the $4.3 billion federal Race to the Top program.

“Senator Romero has made it clear she’s a champion for California kids,” explained Rae Belisle, EdVoice CEO and State Board of Education Member. “It took courage to buck the status quo and give parents real power to drive change in their own neighborhood school and also have the choice to enroll in a higher performing public school in another school district. Senator Gloria Romero, the Governor and leadership in the Senate and Assembly deserve a tremendous amount of respect for this bold action.”"

Top News - Study questions learning-style research

Top News - Study questions learning-style research:

"As educators struggle to define effective 21st-century instruction, one practice that many have viewed as fundamental to teaching and learning has come under new fire: catering to different learning styles.

According to a new review of existing research, scientists have yet to show conclusively that students learn better when they are taught according to their preferred modality—and the study’s authors say it’s time to stop funding a technique that hasn’t been proven effective.

Commissioned by Psychological Science in the Public Interest, the main journal of the Association for Psychological Science, the study is called 'Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence.' It was written by Harold Pashler, professor of psychology at the University of California, San Diego; Mark McDaniel, professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis; Doug Rohrer, professor of psychology at the University of South Florida; and Robert Bjork, distinguished professor and chair of psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles."

Incarceration vs. higher education? Easy choice | mydesert.com | The Desert Sun

Incarceration vs. higher education? Easy choice | mydesert.com | The Desert Sun:

"The biggest headline in the governor's Wednesday morning speech was his declaration that the state should not spend more on prisons than on higher education.

This pledge deserves enthusiastic support. Thirty years ago, 10 percent of the general fund went to colleges and 3 percent to prisons. Today, nearly 11 percent goes to prisons and 7.5 percent goes to colleges.

“Spending 45 percent more on prisons than universities is no way to proceed into the future,” Schwarzenegger said. “What does it say about our state? What does it say about any state that focuses more on prison uniforms than on caps and gowns?”"

Court to decide LAUSD battle with charters - ContraCostaTimes.com

Court to decide LAUSD battle with charters - ContraCostaTimes.com:

"A battle between Los Angeles Unified and charter groups could be decided today when the State Board of Education is expected to rule whether charters statewide can take complete control of educating their special needs students.
Publicly funded and independently run charters have argued that they should control special education funding, as they do for their general education student population. They accuse large school districts like LAUSD of controlling federal special education dollars and obstructing charters from getting their fair share.
But L.A. Unified officials say charters traditionally cherry pick special education students with less severe disabilities and leave LAUSD with severely disabled students who are more expensive to teach."

America as Texas vs. California, Part III � The Enterprise Blog

America as Texas vs. California, Part III � The Enterprise Blog:

"Responding to my post on Texas vs. California and the better education students get in the Lone Star State, a reader writes:

A new neighbor (former migrant worker from northern California who opened a family business, and had to move to Houston for a young daughter’s cancer treatments) reports to me that when she enrolled her 10 year old in the neighborhood elementary school, they determined that the child was at least a year behind. This is a school with an English-as-a-second-language program, and despite normal demographics which would put it in the bottom rung of schools, won an exemplary rating from the state. The mom pleaded with them to keep her daughter in the higher grade, and promised that she would work with her every day to catch her up. So far so good, but she says she’s never seen a school work her kid so hard. In her words, she thinks Texas is her family’s salvation. Not only did her younger daughter get the cancer treatment she needed at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center here, but her other daughter is now getting a quality education."

Beverly Hills' unwanted out-of-towners - latimes.com

Beverly Hills' unwanted out-of-towners - latimes.com:

"California's formulas for funding schools are labyrinthine, outdated and just plain weird. They have needed a radical makeover for decades, though this year Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unwisely vetoed legislation to begin the process. The most recent victims of this messy situation are students who attend schools in Beverly Hills without living there.

The prestigious public school district was glad to have nearly 500 nonresidents attend under its 'opportunity' permits when each student brought in annual state funding of more than $6,000. But under California's convoluted formulas, Beverly Hills is likely to become one of the state's 90 or so 'basic aid' districts, meaning it will be funded by local property taxes instead of per-pupil dollars. Now the district's financial incentive is to have fewer students, not more."

Most local schools bypassing Race to Top

Most local schools bypassing Race to Top:

"While the California Department of Education and the state Legislature are clearing the track to compete for federal Race To The Top (RTTP) funding, many local agencies have chosen to not step into the starting blocks.

The Santa Maria-Bonita, Santa Maria Joint Union High School, Orcutt Union, Lompoc Unified and Santa Ynez Valley school districts have all decided to not participate in the program.
Locally, only Lucia Mar Unified and Guadalupe Union school districts have filed paperwork to be included in the RTTP.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 set aside $4.35 billion nationally for RTTP funding. California could be eligible for up to $700 million, but it must “compete” with other states for the funds according to the rules set forth by the federal Department of Education."

As We See It: State failing its children - Santa Cruz Sentinel

As We See It: State failing its children - Santa Cruz Sentinel:

"In the aftermath of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's 'State of the State' call for education over incarceration, California must face the reality of how children in the state are faring.

Children Now, a group that lobbies for better health care and education for kids in California, released its annual report card earlier this week and the results were dismal.

Here's a few of the sobering grades:

Health coverage: D

K-12 education: D

Early learning and development: C

Child safety: D

Obesity: C-"

State education plan makes parents responsible

State education plan makes parents responsible:

"Giving parents their choice of schools. Making sure teachers are qualified. Forcing bad schools to improve."



All are tackled in the huge school reform package signed into law Thursday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and approved with lightning speed by state lawmakers this week, to give California a shot at winning $700 million in the national education competition called Race to the Top. The application deadline is Jan. 19.


But to anyone who has spent time in a school over the past decade, such reforms will sound familiar: They have been part of the federal No Child Left Behind Education Act that has strictly governed school accountability since 2001.


California's new Race to the Top plan "sounds very similar to No Child Left Behind," said Mike Kirst, education professor emeritus of Stanford University. "What's different is that NCLB relies on top-down enforcement from the state and federal governments," while the new plan requires parent participation to fix low-scoring schools.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/07/MNT41BEGO3.DTL#ixzz0c1erDyRk

California's education reforms hand more power to parents / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com

California's education reforms hand more power to parents / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com:

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an education reform bill Thursday that lets California vie for federal 'Race to the Top' grants. The reforms, opposed by teachers' unions, would let parents to force changes in failing schools."


Los Angeles

California is now competitive in President Obama’s national $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” education competition. After six months of bipartisan massaging, hand-wringing, and compromise, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed reform legislation Thursday that will ensure the state can vie for up to $700 million in federal funding for its schools.

But the debate over the reforms – which puts more power in the hands of parents – spilled over into the signing at the Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School in south central Los Angeles. Both teachers unions opposing the reforms and parents groups supporting the bill showed up to make their voices heard.

Mr. Obama created the “Race to the Top” education fund last year as part of the stimulus bill investment in critical sectors. The fund rewards states that create the conditions for education innovation and reform and improve student outcomes and graduation rates.

California could not apply for the funds because of a so-called educational “firewall” that kept its students' test scores from being used to evaluate teachers. Two bipartisan measures have cleared away

Autism Clusters Tied to College-Educated Parents : Discovery News

Autism Clusters Tied to College-Educated Parents : Discovery News:

"Highly educated parents may be more likely to have children diagnosed with autism, according to a recent study from the University of California at Davis.

The findings suggest a new, major risk factor for this complex, and still mysterious, developmental disability.

Dr. Karla Van Meter, the lead author for the study published online this month in the journal Autism Research, and her colleagues examined the birth records for 2.4 million live births that took place in California between 1996 and 2000."