KCBS - State Lawmakers Approve Oil & Gas Tax for Education

KCBS - State Lawmakers Approve Oil & Gas Tax for Education:

"SACRAMENTO (KCBS) -- A state Assembly committee has passed legislation that would tax oil and gas companies who do business in California.

The Revenue and Taxation Committee approved the bill, authored by Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico of Fremont.

The bill would pass the extra tax revenue from oil and gas firms to the state's cash-strapped public higher education institutions.

The legislation now heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee and will be heard on Thursday, January 21st.

Similar legislation has been vetoed by the governor in the past."

Charter leaders must disclose financial details and follow policy on disabled students | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

Charter leaders must disclose financial details and follow policy on disabled students | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times:

"Charter school operators will have to disclose details about their personal financial holdings under a new policy unanimously adopted today by the Los Angeles Unified School District's Board of Education.

Officials also affirmed that charter schools will have to abide by a sweeping court settlement over services to disabled students.

Both requirements were opposed by the California Charter Schools Assn."

'If you've got a trade, you've got it made' - latimes.com

'If you've got a trade, you've got it made' - latimes.com:

"One repeated theme in President Obama's education agenda is that he wants the United States to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. As he put it in an address to a joint session of Congress, 'We expect all our children not only to graduate from high school but to graduate from college and get a good-paying job.'

Although I applaud the president's strong commitment to higher education, he is seriously neglecting the importance of vocational training in school. Not every student needs to go to college. There are plenty of high school kids who find college-prep classes boring and irrelevant. Many drop out because they feel school is not preparing them for anything practical. Most of these kids are not lazy or defiant; they just want to work with their hands, learn a skill and pursue a solid, honorable, blue-collar trade after high school."

Glendale News Press > Education

Glendale News Press > Education:

"GLENDALE — Despite some misgivings, the Glendale Unified School District Board of Education has unanimously affirmed its intent to compete for a share of up to $700 million in federal grants.

But its application could be soiled by the Glendale Teachers Assn., which refused to sign on to the memorandum of understanding last week because of uncertainty in Sacramento. State education officials said the more signatures from each district, the stronger the application for funding.

“It’s the details; things had changed from the last draft, and they’re continuing to be changed,” said Tami Carlson, president of the teachers union.

The deadline for memos to the California Department of Education was Dec. 8 , which meant it was unlikely Glendale Unified’s application would carry the full complement of signatures as other districts."

Challenges abound for schools-over-prisons proposal

Challenges abound for schools-over-prisons proposal:

"Stanford professors say an amendment to the California constitution proposed by Governor Schwarzenegger that would require the state to invest more money in its public universities than its prisons will face many challenges before becoming actual legislation.

The proposal, which has been both lauded and criticized since the governor’s State of the State address last Wednesday, would require California to spend no less than 10 percent of its annual budget on higher education and no more than seven percent on prisons. It would nearly reverse the current situation: 7.5 percent and 11 percent of the budget are allotted to universities and prisons, respectively."

Beverly Hills Blocks Outside Students - NYTimes.com

Beverly Hills Blocks Outside Students - NYTimes.com:

"BEVERLY HILLS — During a contentious meeting ringed by police officers, the Beverly Hills school board voted Tuesday night to dismiss roughly 470 students enrolled in its schools on out-of-district permits.

The school system here has long opened its doors to students who live outside the district — currently about one in seven of its roughly 4,800 students — in large part because they brought a financial windfall for the system. But now, because cash-poor California has reduced local support to schools, including the reimbursements for out-of-district students, the so-called “permit students” are more of a burden to the schools than a boon."

One Hashtag Helps Educators Change Their Schools

One Hashtag Helps Educators Change Their Schools

Every day on Twitter, educators discuss issues they’re facing, share advice and pass on resources. But as Tom Whitbyfound out when he started debates on thesocial network, conversations can be hard to follow, especially when they’re mixed in with a bunch of tweets from other people.

That’s where the hashtag edchat comes in. Whitby worked with Shelly Terrell and Steven W. Anderson to provide a time, a place and a tag for educators to talk about major issues.

“We’re fostering a conversation that needs to be had,” said Anderson, an instructional technologist for 19 schools in North Carolina.
 

Edchat empowers educators to ask questions

When Anderson goes to educational conferences, he hears about all the wonderful things that schools have, such as smartboards and 1-1 laptop programs. But he

The Educated Guess � Race to Top czar: Competition works

The Educated Guess � Race to Top czar: Competition works:

"The woman overseeing Race to the Top for the Obama administration said Monday that federal Department of Education officials have been “stunned” by the impact of the program.

Before even a dollar has been handed out, states competing to win a share of the $4.3 billion program have enacted reforms on a level not seen before, Joanne Weiss, director of Race to the Top, told a conference at Stanford on turning failing schools around.

To boost the chances of winning money, states have eliminated limits on charter schools, changed methods for evaluating teachers and principals and enacted aggressive rules on intervening in failing schools. By removing the ban on using standardized test data for teacher evaluations, California took care of a prerequisite to applying for the money. Only Nevada, of 40 states that indicated an intent to apply, has eligibility problems, Weiss said."

From PhilanthropyRoundtable.org

Joanne S. Weiss
Chief Operating Officer
NewSchools Venture Fund

Joanne S. Weiss is partner and chief operating officer atNewSchools Venture Fund. She also sits on the boards of Leadership Public Schools, New Leaders for New Schools, and Teachscape. Ms. Weiss has spent twenty years in the design, development, and marketing of technology-based products and services for education. She was co-founder, interim CEO, and vice president of products and technologies at Academic Systems, a company that helps hundreds of thousands of college students prepare for college-level work in mathematics and English. In the early 1990s, Ms. Weiss was executive vice president of business operations at Wasatch Education Systems, where she led the product development, customer service, and operations organizations for this K-12 educational technology company. She began her career as vice president of education R&D at Wicat Systems, where she was responsible for the development of nearly 100 multimedia curriculum products for K-12 schools.

Education Research Report: 'Essential Supports' for School Reform

Education Research Report:

'Essential Supports' for School Reform

"Leaders looking for ways to improve learning in urban schools can depend on five key factors which, when working together, have proven to boost student achievement, according to a landmark study that led to a new book, Organizing Schools for Improvement, Lessons from Chicago.

The results emerged from a study of 390 Chicago public elementary schools over a seven-year period following the implementation of a 1988 law that increased decision-making at the local school level.

The authors of the study, current and former researchers with the Consortium on Chicago School Research, part of the Urban Education Institute at the University of Chicago, said those five essential supports are school leadership, parent and community ties, professional capacity of the faculty, a student-centered learning climate and a coherent instructional plan. They were effective in a wide variety of schools, including especially troubled ones. By looking closely at the social context in which schools are embedded, the book provides new insight into why schools in communities with high rates of crime and poverty struggle with improving student outcomes."

California Teacher of the Year Among National Finalists - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)

California TOY Among National Finalists - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)

Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Congratulates California
Teacher of the Year Selected as a National Finalist

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today congratulated Kelly Kovacic, a 2010 California Teacher of the Year, for her selection as one of four 2010 National Teacher of the Year finalists.

"Ms. Kovacic's passion for teaching makes her a natural educator," O'Connell said. "During her relatively eight short years in the classroom, she has made a tremendous impact on the lives of her students. Kelly has an innate ability to transcend the boundaries of her students' world and provide them with the education, encouragement, and resolve to overcome hurdles and realize their own potential."

In addition to California, teachers from Florida, Iowa, and Michigan were also named National Teacher of the Year finalists today. The announcement came from the Council of Chief State School Officers, which oversees the program. For more information, please go to: National Teacher of the Year Program (Outside Source).

Ms. Kovacic teaches twelfth grade Advance Placement U.S. Government and Politics and eleventh grade Advanced Placement U.S. History at The Preuss School, a charter school established in 1999 on the University of California, San Diego campus in La Jolla. The school provides a rigorous college-preparatory education for motivated low-income students who all live below the poverty level.

Ms. Kovacic, who is one of four 2010 California Teachers of the Year and also a 2010 Teacher of the Year for the San Diego Unified School District, graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Education from Stanford University, where she also received a California Professional Clear Credential.

"I am extremely honored to be chosen as a finalist," Ms. Kovacic said. "It is an exciting opportunity to be an advocate for teachers, students, and public education.More than anything else, this honor is recognition of the dedicated and hard working students, staff, and teaching colleagues I have the privilege to work with each day at The Preuss School."

Since the National Teacher of the Year Program began in 1952, six National Teachers of the Year have been named from California, including the program's first National Teacher, Geraldine Jones, who taught in Santa Barbara. Chauncey Veatch, a history and social studies teacher at Coachella Valley High School in Thermal, was the most recent California winner who received the honor in 2002.

Ms. Kovacic's selection marks the third consecutive year that a California teacher has reached the national finals. During the two preceding years, Alex Kajitani, a mathematics teacher also known as the Rappin' Mathematician at Mission Middle School in the Escondido Union (Elementary) School District in San Diego County, and Lewis Chappelear, an engineering design teacher at James Monroe High School in North Hills in the Los Angeles Unified School District, were both named National Teacher of the Year finalists.

The 2010 winner is expected to be announced in April.

Schools Matter: Weingarten to Hire Fed Pay Czar to Develop Plan to Fire Teachers

Schools Matter: Weingarten to Hire Fed Pay Czar to Develop Plan to Fire Teachers:

"Everyone who has followed Weingarten's ascendancy to her position as AFT President knew that she had been the pick of the Oligarchs. Her earlier sweet talk about gutting the teaching profession with pay per score plans had earned her the Business Roundtable's seal of approval, and now she is returning the favor by shifting her tepid endorsement of weakening ethical teaching into a full-blown advocacy for busting her own union. Randi Weingarten should be recalled by the AFT membership, and she should be put out to pasture with the other nags."

SCUSD Observer: Dream Money

SCUSD Observer: Dream Money:

"Dream Money

As many school boards in the U.S. hesitate, Race to the Top dollars come under a deadline. Our school board will discuss it tonight.
In Educational Utopia, here is how our board would appropriate this urgent money from the sky, and also how our teachers and parents could shake hands:


E-21 holds up its end-of-the-bargain without private charter monies.
Our teachers and their union work to create a pipeline with state and federal agencies to give their collective more bargaining power.
The test-proofworthy-poorest-ESLL schools remain shielded from"

Mariner and Microsoft Offer Second Interactive Web Series for K-12 Educators

Mariner and Microsoft Offer Second Interactive Web Series for K-12 Educators

Monthly Four-part Series Provides Insight into Data-Driven Initiatives

January 06, 2010 08:00 AM Eastern Time 

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Mariner and Microsoft invite school district and Department of Education leaders to a series of Web sessions, beginning January 19, 2010 and continuing through April 20, 2010. The series, entitled “Managing for Performance: From the School to the State House,” highlights education analytics that improve student achievement and are the backbone of data-driven initiatives in K-12 organizations across the country.

“The effective use of data is essential to the success of managing for performance”

The speakers, including innovative K-12 leaders from several school districts and a state DOE, will share the experiences and knowledge that they have gained in their data-driven and performance management initiatives with Mariner Education Division’s guidance. Scheduled for the third Tuesday of each month from 11:00-11:30a.m. (EST), the sessions will provide participants with an opportunity to interact with school district and Department of Education leaders to learn about strategies to improve student achievement, transparency and accountability. Registration for one or more of the Web Series sessions is available at: www.mariner-usa.com/webseries.htm.

“The effective use of data is essential to the success of managing for performance,” said David “Fitz” Fitzgerald, Mariner’s Education Practice Manager and one of the Web Series’ featured speakers. “We’ve learned from our experiences with districts and DOEs that teachers and principals need easy access to data views and education analytics to drive improvements in instruction and student outcomes.”

From Strategy to Students: Realizing the Visions

Jonathan Raymond, Superintendent, Sacramento Unified School District

Mr. Raymond, advocate and practitioner of data-driven decision making, draws from a powerful combination of wide-ranging and relevant professional experience and a strong commitment to diversity, students, parents, and community engagement in his district leadership role.

Education Research Report: Quality Counts Grades Unfair to Poor States

Education Research Report:

Quality Counts Grades Unfair to Poor States

"As Education Week magazine prepares to release its annual report card for states, Quality Counts 2010, education researcher Margaret Raymond and a team of researchers from CREDO at Stanford University warn that one set of grades on the report card is not reliable.

Quality Counts assigns grades to states in six areas, including “chance-for-success,” which attempts to measure a state’s capacity for helping young people succeed. But according to Raymond and her colleagues, the Chance-for-Success Index does not accurately measure the school system’s contributions to outcomes for students.

“Nowhere do the Quality Counts editors show how or why the Chance-for-Success Index is a good predictor of success,” Raymond and her colleagues write in “Quality Counts and the Chance-for-Success Index.”"

Sacramento Press / Stonewall Democrats Kickoff Election Season with Strong Mayor Forum

Sacramento Press / Stonewall Democrats Kickoff Election Season with Strong Mayor Forum:

"The Stonewall Democratic Club of Greater Sacramento’s voter forum on the Strong Mayor Initiative served as the unofficial kickoff to the 2010 June Election season. Monday, over one hundred Sacramentans listened as the pros and cons of the Strong Mayor Initiative were debated and the majority and minority perspectives on the Charter Review Commission’s report were discussed.

“I’m ecstatic about the turnout. It once again shows Sacramentans are committed to civic engagement,' Stonewall President Chris Moore said. 'Far too often very substantial changes to public policy are made via the ballot box without appropriate vetting. Tonight we’re trying to give more opportunity for folks to consider the merits of the initiative that we will be voting on.”

The evening was moderated by Sacramento State Professor of Communications, Jacqueline Irwin who welcomed the group with thoughts of Aristotle and the importance of civic engagement in our city."

Angst Still Felt at South Philly High

Angst Still Felt at South Philly High:

"It has been over a month since the racial attacks erupted at South Philadelphia High School, but students and community leaders said school district officials are refusing to take accountability for the incidents.

Asian Pacific American community organizers said the tension between students began about a year ago when five to six Asian Pacific American students were chased into a subway station and allegedly assaulted. Students reached out for help, according to its organizers. They described routine harassment at school: milk being thrown at them in the cafeteria, kids assaulting them in the cafeteria and bathrooms, money being stolen from them in the bathrooms, and more.

Requests to install security cameras and hire a bilingual security officer were made after that incident, said APA community leaders. It was not until after the highly publicized Dec. 3 attacks, they said, that those requests were addressed."

Report details reversal on school - The Boston Globe

Report details reversal on school - The Boston Globe:

"The state Education Department appeared poised to reject a controversial Gloucester charter school application last year until the Patrick administration intervened, prompting Commissioner Mitchell Chester to abruptly change course, the state inspector general said yesterday as he released new information from his investigation into the issue."

The new evidence, hotly contested by education officials yesterday, consists of a letter and a memorandum drafted by a midlevel official in the department’s charter school office last Feb. 5, a day after her office met with Chester to tell him that the Gloucester application failed to meet the approval criteria.

In the draft letter, addressed to the Gloucester charter school organizers, the department’s new schools development specialist, Ruth Hersh, said that Chester had decided against recommending the school for approval and included an explanation of the application’s problems.

DeKalb school workers protest superintendent's raise �| ajc.com

DeKalb school workers protest superintendent's raise �| ajc.com:

"Shouting in unison Monday night, more than 250 DeKalb County school workers protested their superintendent’s $15,000 pay raise."


Teachers, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians and a few students yelled "Shame on the board!" as the school system held its regular meeting.

Inside, Superintendent Crawford Lewis and all but one of the board members remained quiet about the disgruntlement.

Lewis declined comment and the board vice chairwoman Zepora Roberts said she didn’t have anything to say about the protest or the superintendent’s raise. Roberts said the board would issue a statement, but she declined to say when.

That answer wasn't good enough for bus driver Michelle Favors, who marched for about two hours.

“We’re not going to give up until they hear our voice,” said Favors, a single mom. “We just want some fairness.”

Last week, the board voted to raise Lewis’ pay from $240,000 to $255,000. The board also extended his contract until January 2013.

Op-Ed Columnist - A Serious Proposal - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Columnist - A Serious Proposal - NYTimes.com:

"The president of the American Federation of Teachers says she will urge her members to accept a form of teacher evaluation that takes student achievement into account and that the union has commissioned an independent effort to streamline disciplinary processes and make it easier to fire teachers who are guilty of misconduct."

In a speech to be delivered Tuesday in Washington, Randi Weingarten plans to call for more frequent and more rigorous evaluations of public schoolteachers, and she says she will assert that standardized test scores and other measures of student performance should be an integral part of the evaluation process. The use of student test scores to measure teacher performance has been anathema to many teachers. Ms. Weingarten is not proposing that they be the only — or even the primary — element in determining teacher quality.
But she told me in an interview over the weekend that she wants to “stop this notion” that her membership is in favor of keeping bad teachers in the classroom. “I will try to convince my members that, of course, we have to look at student test scores and student learning,” she said.

Changes for state charter schools? The Post and Courier - Charleston SC newspaper

Changes for state charter schools? The Post and Courier - Charleston SC newspaper:

"The Palmetto State's charter school law would receive a major makeover under a pre-filed bill that's being both lauded and lamented.

Rep. Phil Owens, R-Easley, is the legislation's primary sponsor and has met with supporters and detractors. His main objective was to ensure parity among the state's public schools so that all students would have equal opportunities, regardless of the type of school they attend.

The state's charter school law was passed in 1996, and it hasn't undergone a significant revision since. Owens compared the state's law with the national model and tried to update it to meet that standard.

State education leaders seemed to agree on the need to address some problems within the existing charter school legislation but differed on solutions. Some aspects of the bill have been met with staunch opposition, and those include:"