San Mateo Daily Journal: District gets charter creative

San Mateo Daily Journal

In a time of state budget cuts, dwindling property taxes and other unexpected loss of funding, school districts are searching for unique ways to raise revenue, including embracing a charter classification. 
San Carlos is home to six schools, of which five are charter schools, at least in classification. Only Central Middle School is without the distinction. Changing to a charter school could mean an increase in funding to the district, a transition currently being explored for that reason. Changes in the economy could mean the financial benefit won’t pencil out. Funding is not the only consideration in this idea that has yet to be publicly vetted by the Board of Trustees past a future budgetary line item.
Superintendent Craig Baker explained the district is working with the state to understand all changes that would occur if Central were converted since changing the school’s classification would also change the district to a charter district. Gathering the information has taken longer than originally anticipated. On Friday, Baker added the change may not occur for another year to ensure the right amount of research is done but that there clearly was an interest from both the community and the Board of Trustees. 
Funding for school districts is complicated. California uses two methods: Revenue limit, or paid per student in the classroom, and basic aid, which is property tax-funded. Charter schools are funded like revenue limit districts, however the formula for per pupil spending is figured out differently. Instead of being granted the state-approved per pupil allocation, charter schools receive an average of the per pupil spending in the state — that amount includes districts with higher revenue so the amount of funding increases.
This was one of the original thoughts behind converting other San Carlos schools.
It seems simple enough, but whether a change would generate more revenue is in question given how drastically the economy has changed. Baker noted the average has dropped drastically in recent years. Savings may not make a change worthwhile.
California became the second state to allow charter schools in 1992, behind Minnesota. Originally, a 100-school limit was placed on such schools. San Carlos became the first to open a charter school with the San Carlos Charter Learning Center, which was granted a charter in

Politics of public education reform - exploring Race to the Top’s charter school emphasis

Politics of public education reform - exploring Race to the Top’s charter school emphasis

President Obama’s Race to the Top(RttT) state competition has brought charter schools to the forefront of public education reform.  Additionally, charter schools are prominent in Obama’s 2011 proposed budget – increasing funding for charter schools and an extra $1.8 billion toward Supporting Student Success (which focuses on Promise Neighborhoods, of which charter schools are the central focus).

RttT relies heavily on charter schoolsas a tool for reform, awarding more points to states which enable charter school creation than to those which do not: 

• In the State Success Factors section, at least 30 points go toward clearing the way legislatively for charter schools to be allowed and encouraged. 
• The Turning Around Lowest Achieving Schools section, representing 35 out of 50 possible points, is the reform model for the lowest schools.   Of the four reform models possible, theturnaround model is the option that will allow a school to be turned into a charter. 

Charter schools slammed - MontereyHerald.com :

Charter schools slammed - MontereyHerald.com ::

"At a time when the Obama administration continues to push for more charter schools, a new study by the Civil Rights Project of the University of California-Los Angeles has concluded they are more segregated than traditional public schools.

Based on analysis of federal data from California and 39 other states, the study concluded that, while enrollment in charter schools is relatively small compared to traditional public schools, they show high levels of minority segregation, for example, high concentrations of Latinos or black students.

In other areas, where Latino students are the majority in the overall student population, they under-enroll in charters, suggesting that the schools serve as 'havens for white flight from public schools,' the study found."

Race to the Top funding faces obstacles - DailyBulletin.com

Race to the Top funding faces obstacles - DailyBulletin.com:

"One battle over a federal education grant program ended last month in Sacramento. Another will begin this spring in hundreds of school districts up and down the state.

Lawmakers in January passed legislation to make California eligible for a chunk of the more than $4billion Race to the Top grant program. But if local districts want to see any of that money, they'll have to reach an agreement with local teachers unions to start judging teachers based, in part, on student test scores.

Teachers' unions have historically opposed any move to link teacher evaluations to student performance, and observers are pessimistic that many unions will go along this time.

'It's not reflective of the teacher's teaching skills because you have to understand that students are different and there are different types of learners,' said Tyra Weis, president of Associated Pomona Teachers."

Arnie terminates textbooks to offer an electronic education | Life & Style

Arnie terminates textbooks to offer an electronic education | Life & Style:

"For schoolchildren it could mean the end of lugging heavy books to school every day, while for parents and schools it could mean big savings.

Electronic books may soon be a common sight in the classroom as schools begin to experiment with them.

The pitch is compelling - rather than having books for every subject, children just take a small, light e-Reader.

They can then download books, type data into worksheets and even browse the web and email their work to teachers - all from their desks. With most electronic books able to store more than 150 traditional books, one device could hold every textbook you'll ever need.

The leading proponent of the move to ebooks in schools is Arnold Schwarzenegger.

When California's high-school pupils return after this year's summer holidays, they will have access to online maths and science textbooks."

Indian Americans' rising political clout | D.C. Now | Los Angeles Times

Indian Americans' rising political clout | D.C. Now | Los Angeles Times:

"There are no Indian Americans in Congress, but Ami Bera hopes to change that.

Bera, a 44-year-old physician from suburban Sacramento, is one of six Indian Americans who are running for Congress this year, a record high. Hauling in half of his contributions from Indian Americans, Bera has raised $871,000, even more than Republican Rep. Dan Lungren, the eight-term incumbent he's trying to replace in California's 3rd Congressional District.

Though Bera's parents and many other Indian Americans of their generation focused mainly on getting good jobs and a good education for their children, today's generation is working its way into politics and public service.

“Politics is the natural transition,” Bera said. “We actually have a chance to give back to the country that benefited us.”

Their efforts are paying off.

President Obama has appointed 20 Indian Americans to his administration, another all-time high. His first state dinner in November honored Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Obama also was the first president to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, in the White House."

For UC's Commission on the Future, nothing is off the table - latimes.com

For UC's Commission on the Future, nothing is off the table - latimes.com:

"With California's public university system shackled to a shrinking budget, a group of chancellors, students and others considers ideas -- from banal to radical -- to keep quality up and costs down."

Why not abolish student fees at the University of California? And in exchange, how about requiring graduates to pay the university a percentage of their income for a while after college?

That may sound outlandish at a time when UC is substantially hiking student fees and the state budget crisis has left the 10-campus system strapped for cash. But that's precisely why UC Berkeley public policy professor Robert Reich raised the idea to a commission trying to chart the university's course into the future.

"We've never been here before, not only the university but the state of California," Reich, a former U.S. Labor Secretary, said in an interview. "So, many ideas that would never before see the light of day are now being examined seriously."

It remains to be seen how seriously UC leaders will examine Reich's proposal, under which more highly paid alumni would, in effect, subsidize others. But it is among the far-reaching, even radical ideas receiving at least a hearing from UC's Commission on the Future, a panel that is studying ways to maintain the university's excellence yet make it more efficient and affordable in an era of shrinking state revenue.

UC Board of Regents Chairman Russell Gould established the 26-member panel last summer and says it is open to all constructive proposals. He serves as its co-chairman, along with UC President Mark G. Yudof. 

City Brights: Rachel Norton : Feb. 25 town meeting will focus on investing in schools

City Brights: Rachel Norton : Feb. 25 town meeting will focus on investing in schools

Feb. 25 town meeting will focus on investing in schools

Last month, Superintendent Garcia announced that the San Francisco Unified School District's expected budget shortfall for the next two fiscal years (2010-11 and 2011-12) had increased to a whopping $113 million. At the January 26 Board of Education meeting, the Superintendent outlined his plans for closing the gap -- including raising class sizes, cutting the school year short and asking for wage and work rule concessions from the district's labor unions.
But a grass-roots network of parents at schools all over the city has decided not to take this bad news lying down. They're mad at the prospect of already cash-strapped schools being forced to cut further, and they're organizing to find solutions -- everything from passing an emergency ballot measure to fund schools, to launching a massive fundraising effort to encourage businesses and city residents to support San Francisco's public schools.
"San Franciscans need to make a decision. Do we want a crime-ridden city with under-educated kids?" asks Crystal Brown, an elementary school parent and PTA member. "Everyone needs to take responsibility for this problem."
The first event in this advocacy campaign is a town hall meeting on February 25, where state legislators, district leaders, business leaders and other advocates will come together to discuss how we got here and ways we might get through this budget crisis. KQED-FM Forum host Michael


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/rnorton/detail?entry_id=56818#ixzz0ewuUtVtO

Statewide Efforts To Pass School Parcel Tax Move Forward | KPBS.org

Statewide Efforts To Pass School Parcel Tax Move Forward | KPBS.org:

"SAN DIEGO — Education advocates in California are moving forward with efforts to lower the threshold in the legislature to pass a parcel tax for schools.

One of the ideas to lower the threshold is for a constitutional amendment in the State Legislature. The other is an initiative on the November ballot.

A parcel tax has become a popular measure for school districts during tough budget times because all the money levied goes directly to the districts. School officials can use the money to pay for teacher salaries, programs, books and supplies.

Both efforts would lower the threshold for the passage of a parcel tax to 55 percent. Currently it takes a two-thirds vote to pass a parcel tax.

The California State PTA is mobilizing its nearly one million members to support the ballot initiative. Debbie Look is the legislative director for the state PTA. She says parents want to send their tax dollars to local schools."

With Federal Stimulus Money Gone, Many Schools Face Budget Gaps - NYTimes.com

With Federal Stimulus Money Gone, Many Schools Face Budget Gaps - NYTimes.com:

"Federal stimulus money has helped avoid drastic cuts at public schools in most parts of the nation, at least so far. But with the federal money running out, many of the nation’s schools are approaching what officials are calling a “funding cliff.”"



Congress included about $100 billion for education in the stimulus law last year to cushion the recession’s impact on schools and to help fuel an economic recovery. New studies show that many states will spend all or nearly all that is left between now and the end of this school term.
With state and local tax revenues still in decline, the end of the federal money will leave big holes in education budgets from Massachusetts and Florida to California and Washington, experts said.
“States are going to face a huge problem because they’ll have to find some way to replace these billions, either with cuts to their K-12 systems or by finding alternative revenues,” said Bruce Baker, an education professor atRutgers University.
The stimulus program was the largest one-time infusion of federal education dollars to states and districts in the nation’s history. As the program took shape last year, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and other officials repeatedly warned states and districts to avoid spending the money in ways that could lead to dislocations when the gush of federal money came to an end.

Sacramento Realtors worry about school-closure effects - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Realtors worry about school-closure effects - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Realtor Susie Dunning thinks she knows why she hasn't received a single offer on a two-story home in South Land Park. The property in the 7400 block of Windbridge Drive backs up to Lisbon Elementary, one of four schools closed last year by Sacramento City Unified School District.

"We are the lowest price property in that area and still nothing," said Dunning, a real estate agent with Lyon.

Realtors and homeowners say trying to sell a home near a vacated school is difficult. Buyers don't like the uncertainty of whether the property will be neglected or who may lease it. And those concerns will likely spread as school districts throughout the region close more campuses.

San Juan, Twin Rivers, Natomas and Folsom Cordova school districts have plans to close at least 11 schools over the next three years because of budget deficits and low enrollment.

Since the 2006-2007 school year, 10 Sacramento-area schools have been closed.

Real estate agents say it's hard to determine exactly how much school closures have affected home sales because of the tumultuous housing market. What they do know is that buyers – especially young married couples – are influenced by the quality of the school district and proximity to schools when purchasing a home.

According to the 2009 National Association of Realtors home buyers and sellers report, one-third of people buying a home in a suburban area considered the quality of the school district an important factor. And buyers question the quality of a district pocked with defunct campuses.

Cynthia Chavez said she and her husband bought their home in North Natomas because it 

School districts in the Sacramento region have closed several campuses since the 2006-2007 school year and are considering closing more because of shrinking budgets and declining enrollment. 

Sacramento City Unified 

• Bear Flag Elementary, closed in 2007 (vacant). 

• Marian Anderson Elementary, 2007 (therapeutic center for emotionally disturbed students, Success Academy). 

• Alice Birney Elementary, 2009 (vacant). 

• Thomas Jefferson Elementary, 2009 (California Montessori Project, preschool program, Weight Watchers group). 

• Lisbon Elementary, 2009 (vacant). 

• Genesis High School, 2009 (district programs). 

• District officials previously said six to eight schools would close over next two years, but new administration officials said there are no plans to close schools. 

San Juan Unified 

• Thomas Coleman Elementary, 2006 (three preschool programs). 

• John Holst Elementary, 2006 (LaVista Special Education Center). 

• Billy Mitchell Elementary, 2007 (leased to Choices Charter School and home to district preschool program). 

• Orangevale Open Elementary, 2007 (leased to Pacific Technology Charter School). 

• Garfield Elementary and Sierra Nueva Continuation High to be closed in 2010-2011. 

Natomas Unified 

• Will close one elementary school in 2010-2011. Currently considering closure of Bannon Creek Elementary, Jefferson Elementary or Natomas Park Elementary. 

Twin Rivers Unified 

• Proposed closing at least four schools in 2011-2012 and at least two schools in 2012-2013. 

Folsom Cordova Unified 

• Cordova Lane Elementary and Riverview Elementary to be closed in 2010-2011.

This Week In Education: Media: How To Write A Sure-Fire Education Story

This Week In Education: Media: How To Write A Sure-Fire Education Story
Media: How To Write A Sure-Fire Education Story

"Dust off an anecdotal lede (best if in a classroom), tuck in a summary nut graph, widen to include some national and regional statistics, throw in a couple of expert voices, add an educator and a parent or student to contrast the experts and show you I’ve talked to local people, then circle back to my anecdote, tie it all together and end with a silver-bullet quote.  All in 10 inches or less, guaranteed to run unless we get more obits than budgeted or another 10 inches of snow."

-- Cathy Grimes, education team leader, The Daily Press, Newport News, Va. 

Mayoral control brings big school changes in D.C. | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle

Mayoral control brings big school changes in D.C. | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle:

"WASHINGTON — Classes dismiss at Watkins Elementary School around 3 p.m., and teacher's assistant April Cole-Walton walks a few blocks west, across Pennsylvania Avenue, beneath Capitol Hill, to St. Peter's Interparish School.

That's where her daughter Breanna goes to school.

'I love Watkins,' Cole-Walton said. 'I went to Watkins. My son went to Watkins.'

That was a long time ago. Her son is now grown, she said, and the school system is in such disrepair that she won't send her own child to the beloved school where she works."

Charter School Founder Faces Financial Scrutiny - NYTimes.com

Charter School Founder Faces Financial Scrutiny - NYTimes.com:

"The founder of a public charter school in the East Bay that provides a comfort zone for Muslim students is under attack in the wake of a state audit that uncovered questionable financial practices, including lavish payments to her."


In 2007, compensation for the founder and director of the FAME school in Fremont, Maram Alaiwat, was more than $240,000. This was roughly the same as the total compensation of the Fremont Unified Schools superintendent, who oversees 38 schools.
Ms. Alaiwat’s compensation package included a base salary of $153,702, a $32,500 housing allowance and a mileage stipend of $7,000. She was also given 10 percent of federal grant money that the school received for books and other needs, a stipend worth $30,000. She was paid $18,700 in lieu of vacation, and was provided with the money to buy a $74,820 2007 Mercedes GL 450.
According to the audit, the five-year-old charter school, Families of Alameda for Multi-Cultural/Multi-Lingual Education, had also taken out more than $3 million in loans from private lenders including Ms. Alaiwat’s two brothers and two school board members, at an interest rate significantly higher than commercial lenders charge. In most cases, the private lenders also received a 10 percent fee.
In addition to the compensation and the loans, Ms. Alaiwat rented her new condominium to an employee, whose salary she subsequently increased.
These financial issues and concerns about lagging test scores are expected to be raised

Mayor Johnson under pressure over school board | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger

Mayor Johnson under pressure over school board | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger:

"Community activists and some Jackson City Council members are pressuring Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. to nominate another African American to the school board instead of trying to get Jonathan Larkin reappointed.

Akil Bakari, state coordinator of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, said the recent appointment of retired cardiologist George Schimmel to replace H. Ann Jones tilted the racial balance of the five-member board.

Schimmel is white; Jones is black. The board now consists of two whites and three African Americans."

Plan to alter 11th-grade history course protested - CharlotteObserver.com

Plan to alter 11th-grade history course protested - CharlotteObserver.com

When Fox News ran a story last week about an N.C. proposal that would focus high school U.S. history classes on the last 132 years, phones started ringing and e-mail accounts brimmed.

Angry voices asked: Will schools forget about the Founding Fathers? Is the Boston Tea Party getting dumped? Will the Revolutionary War be muzzled?

Under the proposal for teaching social studies, which would have to be approved by the State Board of Education, American history would be spread across several grades. Students would start learning American history in elementary school, as they do now, and continue through middle school and high school. The big junior-year survey would cover the years after Reconstruction.

State school officials said students will still get early American history, but it won't all be crammed into the 11th grade.

Worker: School banned Spanish - CharlotteObserver.com

Worker: School banned Spanish - CharlotteObserver.com:

"A former school secretary has sued Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, saying she lost her job at Devonshire Elementary when a new principal banned her from speaking Spanish to parents who can't speak English.

Ana Ligia Mateo claims she was hired as a bilingual secretary for the east Charlotte school in 2006. But when Suzanne Gimenez took over as principal in 2008, the lawsuit says, Gimenez 'announced in a staff meeting that she would no longer allow Spanish to be spoken to parents by any of the faculty or staff.'

This year 42 percent of Devonshire's 500 students are Hispanic. The school's Web site says that the school theme is 'Academy of Cultural and Academic Diversity.'"

Districts plead with electorate for funding

Districts plead with electorate for funding:

"Sierra Linda High School's 2-year-old basketball team is just starting to grow. Next year, the southwest Valley school hopes to play against other varsity teams.

But all junior varsity and freshman sports will be on the chopping block if Tolleson Union High School District's budget override fails March 9.

Faced with unprecedented state budget cuts and declining enrollment amid the recession, Tolleson and 11 other Maricopa County school districts are asking voters to approve a budget increase.

But some are asking for more money than ever: as much as a 15 percent increase.

Residents have until Monday to register to vote and to weigh in on the issue. Early voting begins Thursday."

Can an interview determine if a teacher will be good? | Education | projo.com | The Providence Journal

Can an interview determine if a teacher will be good? | Education | projo.com | The Providence Journal:

"Since 1994, trainers at the Haberman Educational Foundation in Houston have been teaching the fine art of interviewing prospective teachers to more than 300 schools and districts. Martin Haberman’s half-century of research in the field of teacher training has concluded that beyond content background, two things stand out as key characteristics of good teachers: certain core beliefs, and the ability to persist in the face of student resistance.

Delia Stafford, now CEO and president of the foundation, says, “Our questions are predictive of how teachers will perform in the classroom.”

With a Harvard research study, 10 dissertations, empirical data and ongoing success, Haberman’s training is very much in demand. Recently, they’ve trained the GreenDot and the KIPP charter-school networks, the districts of Guilford City, N.C., San Diego, Newark, Rochester and Memphis, just to name a few. They teach whoever will"

History lessons vary for Colorado students - The Denver Post

History lessons vary for Colorado students - The Denver Post:

"The Great Depression. Stomach-churning slaughterhouse depictions from Upton Sinclair. Immigration. Cubans, the U.S.S. Maine and muckrakers. Prisoners buried alive, upside down, by barbarians.

Welcome to history, U.S. and otherwise, as offered in Colorado high schools. It is taught in classrooms with flat-screen TVs and classrooms barely up to code, to students relaxing in armchairs, students with keen interest and big aspirations and students blocking out the whole business with headphones.

If government mandates, No Child Left Behind and the Colorado Student Assessment Program have created lock- step, fill-in-the-blank curricula for math and reading, as some claim, there can be no such complaints about history."