| Day of Silence Still Sparks Protest | | Print | |
| WRITTEN BY JACK KENNY |
| TUESDAY, 20 APRIL 2010 00:00 |
"Parents must actively oppose this hijacking of the classroom for political purposes," Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association, wrote in an e-mail to AFA members. "Parents should no longer passively countenance the political usurpation of public school classrooms through student silence." The National Day of Silence encourages students to "take a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools," according to the Day of Silence website. The commitment is to avoid speaking between classes, during lunch breaks and other free time — and even during classes, if teacher and school administrators allow it. "We recommend that you talk to your teachers ahead of time, tell them what you plan to do, and ask them if it would be okay for you to communicate on that day in writing," was the advice posted on the website. But Wildmon argued that students' observing a vow of silence during classroom discussions or when called on by their teachers would be disruptive and "politicize" the classroom environment. |
She is not alone.
Students in teacher-preparation programs and those considering entering the field are having second thoughts as deep cuts to the state's education budget force school districts statewide to lay off tens of thousands of teachers.
Ultimately, professors in the education field and state officials fear a teacher shortage down the road.
"Even though times are tough, people are still passionate about wanting to teach kids," said Sue Spitzer, director of the multiple-subject credential program at Cal State San Bernardino. "Our biggest
According to The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning, a nonprofit devoted to strengthening teacher development, California has seen a drop in prospective teachers in the pipeline just as thousands of veteran teachers become eligible for retirement and the number of new credentials is in decline.
This year, budget cuts forced school districts to issue preliminary layoff notices or pink slips to 26,004 teachers and other certificated staff.
More than 16,000 teachers lost their jobs due to budget cuts last year and approximately 10,000 classified - non-teaching - school employees were laid off.
"The downstream effects of pink slipping are worth considering, because history tells us when pink slips are issued, there is a concurrent decline in the number of individuals preparing to become teachers and fewer teacher credentials issued to those who complete their
Last updated 6 hrs ago
A bill that could provide $23 billion in education funding for states was introduced in the Senate Wednesday.
The Keep Our Educators Working Act would prevent the layoffs of teachers, librarians and school personnel in states facing budget shortfalls in education.
In addition, the bill could fund the retention and hiring of new educators or on-the-job training for education-related careers, according to a statement from Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the bill’s sponsor.
The University of California system is still analyzing the bill, but, as of now, the bill is targeted primarily at K-12 education, said Carolyn Henrich, legislative director of education at the UC office of federal government relations.
The $23 billion appropriated from the bill would go to a general fund, part of which would be used to protect educators who would otherwise be laid off. As a result, the impact it would have on the UC system would be limited, since the biggest deficits are on K-12 education, Henrich said. Furthermore, any funding would go toward the creation and retention of education jobs, not programs, she added.
Christopher Harrington, director of the UC Office of the President national media communications, said the office believes this bill will have limited impact on the UC
Secretary Arne Duncan
On April 20, the San Francisco Board of Education will convene a policy discussion to discuss the Superintendent's plans for our 10 schools labeled "persistently underperforming" by the state of California.
This list was created as part of the state's efforts to qualify for Race to the Top. It designates five percent of the state's schools as failing, and prescribes one of four turnaround models for districts to take. There's no choice in the matter, though it's unclear under state law when these actions would have to be taken. If, however, a district wants to apply for Federal funds to help implement one of the turnaround models, it must submit a plan in the next few weeks--and begin the work within six months.
I am not crazy about any of the turnaround models. They assume that school leaders are so stupid that--D'oh! We never thought of replacing principals! We never thought of reconstitution (which we tried in this district and which failed, miserably)! Charter schools! Wow! (Even though charter schools have as mixed a record as traditional public schools--no miracles here.) School closure! (How does closing a school affect the achievement of its former
The California Attorney General’s office ordered the board members of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, which came close to a financial collapse in 2008, to undergo special fiduciary training last year after determining that the museum flouted state law in the way it managed its budget, The Los Angeles Times reported. The museum lost more than $30 million from its investment portfolio over several years, ending up with only $5 million on hand in 2008; it also broke state law when it paid general expenses from restricted endowment funds, according to the newspaper, which obtained a two-page letter sent to the museum by the attorney general’s office in November. In December 2008 the museum negotiated a $30 million bailout from Eli Broad, Los Angeles’s leading cultural patron, which allowed it to maintain its facilities and avoid
America's ability to educate our people for the jobs of the 21st Century is going to be the determining factor in our country's economic future. Everyone knows that is a fact -- from the President of the United States and academics to the business and educational communities around the country.
Higher education institutions are playing a critical role in preparing students for the jobs in today's global economy and it is important for these institutions to play a leadership role in tackling the economic challenges that America faces today. Not only do these institutions have the best understanding of what skills Americans need to compete for -- and win -- jobs today, but they also have a huge economic impact on the communities where they are located.
This is exactly why we are seeing a new trend of higher education institutions looking to expand their reach -- both online and through opening campuses in new markets -- and why cities are welcoming these campuses with open arms.
Over the last several years, we've seen schools expand throughout the country and even around the world. Pepperdine University has campuses in Southern California, Northern California and international locations. Drexel University, based in Pennsylvania, recently
Kids are lining up daily for breakfasts of sausage pizzas and corn dogs at Sacramento elementary schools, according to the April 18, 2010 Sacramento Bee article, by Melody Gutierrez, "Sacramento area schools try to serve healthier food."
If the only place parents and teachers have to look is the U.S. Senate, then the nutrition guidelines pending there currently may be a step toward getting salty, fatty, and sugary processed foods out of public school lunch menus in Sacramento. You have to contend with what kids eat for breakfast in school and what they eat for lunch.
School meals are a big issue with the government. Michelle Obama has been traveling across the USA or broadcasting on television for schools and families to take some action to prevent or reverse childhood obesity. Our children will be the first generation to develop chronic diseases related to diet and lifestyle at an earlier age than our grandparents did in the 1940s.
You can't turn on your TV set without seeing reality shows about school cafeteria workers or
It isn't often that parents have occasion to protest an outbreak of silence by their school-age children, but the "Day of Silence" observed by students in schools across the nation on Friday, April 16, sparked a reaction from some pro-family groups that urged parents to keep their children out of school to avoid the event, organized each year by the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network.
