Big Education Ape

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Earnings Gap Between College and High School Grads Small - WSJ.com

Earnings Gap Between College and High School Grads Small - WSJ.com:

"A college education may not be worth as much as you think.

For years, higher education was touted as a safe path to professional and financial success. Easy money, in the form of student loans, flowed to help parents and students finance degrees, with the implication that in the long run, a bachelor's degree was a good bet. Graduates, it has long been argued, would be able to build solid careers that would earn them far more than their high-school educated counterparts."

The numbers appeared to back it up. In recent years, the nonprofit College Board touted the difference in lifetime earnings of college grads over high-school graduates at $800,000, a widely circulated figure. Other estimates topped $1 million.

But now, as tuition continues to skyrocket and many seeking to change careers are heading back to school, some researchers are questioning the methodology behind the high projections.

Most researchers agree that college graduates, even in rough economies, generally fare better than individuals with only high-school diplomas. But just how much better is where the math gets fuzzy.

Two moms uncover plot to deny mental health services to children

Two moms uncover plot to deny mental health services to children:

"Mary Peitso and Ilene Allinger Candreva of Monterey County California, are both Moms of sons that need mental health services. Mary and Ilene joined forces with the non profit agency, Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) lawyer, Maggie Roberts in a compliance complaint against Monterey County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA). The California Department of Education investigated and found multiple violations where children who needed mental health help were systematically denied the services they were entitled to.

Mary's story began two years ago when her son was having a horrible time in school. So much so, that it created a lot of anxiety in him. Her son has Asperger's Syndrome and ADHD, he has always been mainstreamed with extra support (accommodations and social skills training)."

William McGurn: Down But Not Out in Catholic Suburbia - WSJ.com

William McGurn: Down But Not Out in Catholic Suburbia - WSJ.com:

"Tim Busch has an answer to the epidemic of closing Catholic schools. And it has nothing to do with vouchers.

It couldn't come at a more critical moment. Over the next few days, nearly 2.2 million students and their families will celebrate Catholic Schools Week. Though the Catholic school system remains America's largest alternative to public education, the number of both schools and students is roughly half what they were at their peak in the mid-1960s. According to the National Catholic Education Association, the trend continued last year, with 162 Catholic schools consolidating or closing against only 31 new openings.

Amid the gloom Mr. Busch offers a prescription for revival: End the financial dependence on parish or diocese. Build attractive facilities. And compete for students."

FAFSA: Taming the college financial aid form | Kelly Heyboer - NJ.com

It’s been compared to a nightmare, a torture session and a root canal.

Around this time of year, families around the country face the daunting task of filling out the dreaded FAFSA form.

The FAFSA— or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid— is the document all college students and their parents must fill out annually to be eligible for student loans and grants.

But the application, with its complex questions about family finances and assets, has a reputation for being so wickedly confusing that many students and their parents bail on it long before it’s done. An estimated 1.5 million low-income students don’t receive financial aid because they fail to file.

At President Obama’s request, the U.S. Department of Education is trying to overhaul the FAFSA. This month, federal officials debuted a shorter form and simplified website that eliminates dozens of questions for the average applicant.

Reporter Kelly Heyboer spoke to Robert Shireman, the deputy under secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, about the changes. Before joining the Obama Administration, Shireman was founder and president of the Institute for College Access and Success, a California-based advocacy group that pushed for FAFSA reform.

Q: Why has the FAFSA been so complicated in the past?

There are a lot of rules around who can and can not get which types of

Funding for state falls far short of request

Funding for state falls far short of request:

"California's leaders have been looking to Washington, D.C., for budget money they say is owed as a matter of law and fairness, but President Obama's spending proposal released Monday shows he largely disagrees with those assertions."

The president has proposed giving California $1.5 billion of the $6.9 billion that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders had sought during a highly publicized trip to the nation's capital two weeks ago, according to the state Department of Finance.
The governor has warned of the wholesale elimination of social programs for the poor, sick and elderly if Washington isn't forthcoming with the money.
"This represents a down payment on what California is owed, and the governor will continue to work with the state's congressional delegation and federal officials to secure the balance," said H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the Finance Department.
Administration officials had counted on the money as a significant part of the solution to the state's $20 billion budget shortfall.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2010/02/02/MNML1BR1TO.DTL#ixzz0eNv5fVtd

Abstinence-only classes may be effective for young teens - latimes.com

Abstinence-only classes may be effective for young teens - latimes.com:

"Other forms of sex education may work too, though experts call for more studies."

A new study shows for the first time that a sex education class emphasizing abstinence only -- ignoring moral implications of sexual activity -- can reduce sexual activity by nearly a third in 12- and 13-year-olds compared with students who received no sex education.

Other forms of sex education also worked, however, reducing sexual activity by about 20% and reducing multiple sexual partners by about 40%, according to the study reported Monday in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

None of the classes appeared to influence the use of condoms or other birth control when the students did have sex. The children thus remained at risk of pregnancy and disease.

"This study, in our view, is game-changing science," said Bill Albert, chief program officer at the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group based in Washington. "It provides, for the first time, evidence that abstinence-only intervention helped young teens delay sexual activity."

The George W. Bush administration poured tens of millions of dollars into federal funding for abstinence-only programs, most of them religious-oriented, with little or no evidence that they worked. And new data released last week showed that sexual activity, pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases are increasing among teens.

Study finds 'No Child' has low teacher support - Redlands Daily Facts

Study finds 'No Child' has low teacher support - Redlands Daily Facts:

"Many teachers oppose the testing and instructional requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, a new study has found.

The legislation, which became law in 2001, fundamentally changed teaching and education in U.S. schools by requiring annual testing of school children and 'adequate yearly progress' for every subgroup of students.

The act also requires schools to provide after-school tutoring and other services for poor- performing students and mandates that schools hire only 'highly qualified' teachers.

Authors of a study published last week by UC Riverside surveyed 740 board-certified teachers in California to assess the effectiveness and unintended consequences of No Child Left Behind.

The study found that 84 percent reported overall unfavorable attitudes about the act."

Lynda Resnick: Why Art Education Matters

Whenever education budgets get tightened, art programs are the first to get cut. Like the enduring popularity of reality TV, this never ceases to amaze me. So much evidence points to art's importance in a child's development - and not just in the development of abstract thought. Art is a critical component in a well-rounded education. Art is the level playing field - no matter how rich or poor, tall or short, pretty or ugly to the bone, if you can draw, you can find personal fulfillment and build self-confidence. Art is the highest achievement of mankind. And, when art is suppressed, so is the civilization that suppresses it. Remember the monumental Buddhas destroyed by the Taliban in the months leading up to 9/11. Remember the suppression of art in Nazi Germany.

Golden Gate [X]press : Higher education funding halted

A bill aimed at creating revenue for higher education in California was abruptly halted and revised by the Assembly Committee on Appropriations before reaching the Senate on Jan. 28, 2010.

AB 656, written by Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico (D-Fremont), originally proposed the imposition of a 9.9 percent severance tax on California's oil and natural gas, as well as the creation of the California Higher Education Fund and the California Higher Education Endowment Corporation. All of the revenue raised from the tax was to go directly into the fund and be administered by the corporation to the state's three higher education systems in an effort to alleviate the current budget crisis.

According to a fact sheet produced by Torrico's office, California is the only oil producing state without such a tax.

Rather than actually imposing the tax, the committee amended AB 656 to require the State Board of Equalization to report on or before Nov. 1 of each year the estimated amount of revenue a severance tax would raise for the fund. Previous amendments increased the amount of the tax to 12.5 percent and upped the allotment of funds to community colleges from 10 to 25 percent.

"The bill's alive," said Ramón Castellblanch, assistant professor of health education at SF State and president of the local chapter of the California Faculty Association. "With the amendments, it got out of Appropriations."

AB 656 is currently awaiting committee assignment in the Senate.

"The thing will be to see what committee assignment it gets and contact that committee chair," said Castellblanch of what

Governor Schwarzenegger: Prison Reform to help California balance higher education-prison costs

Governor Schwarzenegger: Prison Reform to help California balance higher education-prison costs:

"Governor Schwarzenegger's proposal reported in the San Francisco Chronicle last week is not as out of this world as it has been perceived by some. Saving a billion dollars on the prison costs that are breaking California's back financially with overcrowded prisons which cost the taxpayer $102,730 for each prisoner incarcerated is a serious problem. His plan: we pay Mexico to build the prisons for undocumented prisoners currently being paid for by the state of California, which represents 1/2 the cost of installing a new facility in California, and then once operational in Mexico, it costs 1/2 the amount to run the prison. Tittering and knee slaps were heard when this was first reported, but looking at it more seriously, there are good reasons to investigate this proposal."

Thousands jump rope for a record

Thousands jump rope for a record:

"The secret to world-class jump-roping, it turns out, comes from Mom's handbook of general advice:"

Wear sturdy shoes.
Try not to fall down.
Smile a lot.

Nearly 200 schoolkids at the San Francisco School proved that Monday as they clomped and hopped their way into what they feel pretty sure will be a spot in the Guinness World Records for jumping rope.
The record they hope to claim is the greatest number of people simultaneously jumping rope at multiple venues in a 10-minute span. It wasn't just the San Francisco School going for it - 85,000 people at 2,000 other schools and businesses across the city, Bay Area and California were also bouncing up and down with the aim of collectively beating the record of 43,772 jumpers, set in Britain in June.
But at the little private school just west of where Interstate 280 and Highway 101 meet,

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/02/BAAI1BQTSI.DTL#ixzz0eNr8EyGe

NorthJersey.com: Nationwide college tuition on the rise

The University of Illinois in Urbana expects to increase tuition by 9 percent this summer.

What it means: New Jersey students leaving the Garden State for tuition bargains elsewhere, even as out-of-state students, might find the pickings a bit slimmer.
The biggest hikes: Florida college students could face annual 15 percent tuition increases for years, and students at the University of Illinois and University of Wisconsin are paying at least 9 percent more. The University of Washington will charge 14 percent more at its flagship campus in Seattle. And in California, tuition increases of more than 30 percent have sparked protests reminiscent of the 1960s.
Modest increases: Some students are relieved at modest tuition increases this year, including 3.5 percent in Ohio, less than 5 percent in Pennsylvania and 3.9 percent at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Holding the line: So far a few states, such as Oklahoma and Missouri, have avoided tuition increases

Monday, February 1, 2010

Sacramento Press / IT’S A CELEBRATION

IT’S A CELEBRATION

Sacramento, CA.…The Black Parallel School Board (BPSB) invites you to attend our “Second (2) Year Anniversary Celebration”, Saturday, February 6, 2010 ,10:00am to 12:00pm. The celebration will be held at our regularly scheduled meeting-place, Oak Park United Methodist Church, 3600 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95817. Please check-in and arrive by 10:00 am.

Our guest speaker is the distinguished Amina R. Merritt, Esquire, a native of Hartford, CT. Ms. Merritt is the founding Attorney at the Merritt Law Clinic, Sacramento, California. The first class of women to graduate from Amherst College in 1980, Amina received her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree, magna cum laude. After a one-year fellowship in the Masters’ Program for Public Administration at Fordham University, NY, Ms. Merritt attended the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, where she earned her Jurist Doctorate (J.D.) degree in 1984.

visit: www.blackparallelschoolboard.com

Protesters Reflect on Success of Student Sit-ins

GREENSBORO N.C. – The four college freshmen walked quietly into a Greensboro dime store on a breezy Monday afternoon, bought a few items, then sat down at the "Whites only" lunch counter and sparked a wave of civil rights protest that changed America.

Violating a social custom as rigid as law, Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, Ezell Blair Jr. and David Richmond sat near an older White woman on the silver-backed stools at the F.W. Woolworth. The Black students had no need to talk; theirs was no spontaneous act. Their actions on Feb. 1, 1960, were meticulously planned, down to buying a few school supplies and toiletries and keeping their receipts as proof that the lunch counter was the only part of the store where racial segregation still ruled.

“The best feeling of my life,” McCain said, was “sitting on that dumb stool.”

“I felt so relieved,” he added. “I felt so at peace and so self-accepted at that very moment. Nothing has ever happened to me since then that topped that good feeling of being clean and fully accepted and feeling proud of me.”

They weren't afraid, even though they had no way of knowing how the sit-ins would

Teachers union sues city to put 19 school closures on pause | GothamSchools

Teachers union sues city to put 19 school closures on pause

by Anna Phillips

The city’s teachers union and the NAACPfiled suit against the Department of Education today, claiming that the city lost the right to close 19 schools when it violated the law that governs school closures.

Those who have read the law — or the “carefully crafted multi-tiered public process,” as the lawsuit states —can testify that it is not a simple one to follow.

Part of the mayoral control legislation that barely made it through the state legislature last summer calls for the city to hold hearings at each of the public schools slated for closure, for “stakeholders” to be consulted, and for the city to study and report on the effects closing schools would have on their surrounding communities. All of this had to be completed a certain number of days before the citywide schoolboard, the Panel for

High School Students Will Vie for Coveted Academic Decathlon Trophy in 30th Annual Sacramento County Academic Decathlon — The Rancho Cordova Post

The day before the National Football League crowns a new Super Bowl champion, hundreds of Sacramento County high school students will compete in the local “Super Bowl of Smarts.” A total of 24 teams will compete for Academic Decathlon champion honors at Inderkum High School on Saturday, February 6. Starting in the morning with individual and group tests, this year’s Sacramento County Academic Decathlon concludes with a live Super Quiz showdown at 3:45 p.m. Super Quiz questions will cover the topic: “The French Revolution.” Serving as the 2010 Super Quiz-Master is Fox40 LIVE Morning Host Paul Robins.

Admission to the Super Quiz at Inderkum High School is free. The public is invited to attend. Hundreds of spectators and participants will scream in excitement as they witness triumphs and defeats during the fast-paced Super Quiz. Questions are read aloud, game-show style, and scores immediately posted. Each team’s Super Quiz score will be added to points earned by its members throughout the day in a variety of subjects: economics, fine arts, science, social science, language, literature, mathematics, music, essay, interview and speech.
Sacramento County’s overall top scorers (who win Gold, Silver or Bronze medals) will be announced at the countywide awards banquet Tuesday, February 9, at 6 p.m., in the ballroom at CSU Sacramento. SAFE Credit Union will provide $10,000 earmarked for scholarships to selected Sacramento County Academic Decathlon participants.

City announces broad outlines of a special education overhaul | GothamSchools

City announces broad outlines of a special education overhaul | GothamSchools:

"School officials outlined a plan to change the way city schools serve students with disabilities at a closed-door meeting this morning with special education advocates.

The plan’s first step: Telling schools they have to accept, and “embrace,” students with special needs.

“For too long, educating students with disabilities has meant separating them from their general education peers,” Schools Chancellor Joel Klein said in a statement. “Today we are building on the premise that every school must be able to educate the vast majority of these children.”

That premise represents a badly needed advance for the city schools, according to special education advocates."

Education Week: State Lawmakers Unhappy With Obama Priorities

Education Week: State Lawmakers Unhappy With Obama Priorities:

"State lawmakers want Washington policymakers to back off when it comes to public schools.

Five years after the National Conference of State Legislatures assailed the federal No Child Left Behind Act as a major encroachment on the states’ authority over K-12 education, members of the Denver-based group say that new policies unveiled by the Obama administration are shaping up to be just as prescriptive and intrusive.

The requirements of the No Child Left Behind law on states—such as expanding standardized testing and meting out rewards and penalties for schools based on student performance—have simply been replaced by other, mostly unproven approaches in the programs put forth so far by President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, the lawmakers argue in a new, 35-page report released here Monday."

FY 2011 Budget Summary: Table of Contents

FY 2011 Budget Summary: Table of Contents

OVERVIEW
FY 2011 Budget Summary: Table of Contents

Note: This web version of the Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Summary (in html and pdf) includes minor technical corrections to the print version that was issued on February 1, 2010

Appendices

Appendix 1: Summary of Discretionary Funds, Fiscal Years 2009-2011, in PDF [11KB] and EXCEL [29KB]
Appendix 2: Advance Appropriations for Department of Education, in PDF [8KB]and EXCEL [KB]
Appendix 3: Expenditures for Elementary and Secondary Education in the U.S., in PDF [6KB]
Appendix 4: Detailed Budget Table by Program, in PDF [94KB] and EXCEL [235KB]

This document is also available in portable document format (PDF). To read PDF files you will need Adobe's Acrobat Reader; if you do not have Acrobat you can download a free copy from Adobe.

Fiscal Year 2011 Education Budget Summary and Background Information (PDF [947KB])

Nation & World | Parents, students on edge over soaring tuition | Seattle Times Newspaper

Nation & World | Parents, students on edge over soaring tuition| Seattle Times Newspaper:

"As students around the country anxiously wait for college acceptance letters, their parents are sweating the looming tuition bills at public universities.

Florida college students could face yearly 15 percent tuition increases for years, and University of Illinois students will pay at least 9 percent more. The University of Washington will charge 14 percent more at its flagship campus. And in California, tuition increases of more than 30 percent have sparked protests reminiscent of the 1960s.

Tuition has been trending upward for years, but debate in statehouses and trustee meeting rooms has been more urgent this year as most states struggle their way out of the economic meltdown."

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