Education - San Jose Mercury News

Education - San Jose Mercury News

News > Education

Learning to read: Genes play biggest role but teachers matter, study says SEATTLE — Genetics play the biggest role in determining how fast a child learns to read, but a good teacher can make a measurable difference as well, according to a study released Thursday. Fisher: Reading for those who can't Late SJSU prof's 'greenhouse' to go on sale National Hispanic University in E. San Jose sold to for-profit college chain Volcanic fallout: Dozens of Los Gatos High School musicians stranded in Germany Psychedelics conference describes the long strange trip to the lab California's university system: What went wrong? Forty wild horses and burros gallop into the big city to be auctioned off to the public San Jose State to lay off 76 staff and eliminate 49 positions in budget crunch To cut costs, SJSU to lay off 76 staff and eliminate 49 positions UC Berkeley acceptances from outside California hit record high California's university system: What went wrong?

QUICK Hits � The Quick and the Ed

QUICK Hits � The Quick and the Ed

QUICK Hits

from The Quick and the Ed by Forrest Hinton

Quick Hits is a short compilation of question-raising news stories, blog posts, and video clips that Education Sector team members are reading and viewing each day. The content of these Hits is not necessarily endorsed by the organization or any particular team member.

Image from Economix (Rojstaczer & Healy)

Want a higher college GPA? (Economix)
Why can’t the neediest schools in California keep their best teachers? (Mercury News)
Prostitution in Thailand: Just how far should academic and personal freedom extend for college professors?(Inside Higher Ed)
Take your children to work? Please don’t, some school districts urge. (The Core Knowledge Blog)

NorthJersey.com: Education commissioner to town officials: Ask teachers to take one-year wage freeze

NorthJersey.com: Education commissioner to town officials: Ask teachers to take one-year wage freeze

Education commissioner to town officials: Ask teachers to take one-year wage freeze

Thursday, April 22, 2010

BY LESLIE BRODY

THE RECORD

STAFF WRITER

New Jersey Education Commissioner Bret Schundler encouraged town officials Thursday to call on local teachers unions to take one-year wage freezes.
Schundler said that sometimes a third party can help facilitate a discussion between two parties, just as in a marriage. “There are times when I’m discussing something with my wife and we disagree” and getting another perspective is valuable, he said.
Schundler encouraged municipal officials to reach out to union leadership in districts where school boards have failed to win concessions, because “there are times when a third party can be constructive to, if you will, facilitate the parties to look at the other side” when they’re “having difficulties in the heat of the discussion.’’
His comments came in a noon conference call with roughly 700 school and municipal officials seeking help in revising defeated school budgets.
In an historic vote on Tuesday, New Jersey voters rejected 58 percent of the budgets in the state, defeating

CALIFORNIA STATE PTA CONVENTION April 29 - May 2 Don't miss it: Sacramento Convention Center

SACRAMENTO COUNCIL

CALIFORNIA STATE PTA CONVENTION

Don't miss it: Sacramento Convention Center

 April 29 - May 2

Time to invest in your PTA and yourself

DEAR PTA MEMBERS:

You are cordially invited to attend the 111th Annual California State PTA Convention.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND THE CONVENTION? 

The president-elect of each PTA Unit is a delegate to the California State PTA Convention and should attend or assign another Board member to attend; any PTA member interested; students over age 12; teachers; adminstrators; principals.

TO REGISTER ON-LINE:  Click Here 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW CONVENTION BOOKLET

Top 10 Reasons to Come to Convention

1. The California Corporatons Code requires a meeting of all shareholders on an annual basis - Participate in deciding California State PTA's future direction.
2. A multitude of workshops and activities - to enhance leadership abilities.
3. Networking opportunities to share your passion for children and families with others of like mind. 

4. Reflections - View the impressive Reflections program entries and be inspired by the talent of our children and youth.

5.  Rally at the State Capitol at 11:00 am on Friday, April 30 and let our politicians hear your voice for children.

6. Meet and talk with Exhibitors

7  Bylaws and resolution Hearings.

8. Speakers - and spirited debate during general sessions.

9.  Visit the PTA Store for supplies & "thank-you" gifts.

10.  Share what you learned- with your PTA

Volunteer Your Time & Get Free Admission

Volunteer and join the fun! 2nd, 3rd, 18th, 32nd, and Peralta Districts are joining together to host the California State PTA Convention this year!  Volunteer positions are available at General Meetings; Information & Lost & Found Booth; Press Room; PTA Store; Registration; Sign Room; Workshops. Volunteers are entitled to admission to the general meetings, exhibits and workshops (space permitting) on the days they volunteer for at least 1 three or four hour shift. Volunteers from the host districts will be reimbursed for mileage and parking. Volunteers from outside of the host districts will receive free entry and our undying thanks!  Student volunteers must be at least 12 years old and must be accompanied by their parent or a guardian. TO SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER:  CLICK HERE

Scholarships

Third District PTA has a limited number of scholarships available for PTA members who are in need of a scholarship to attend the Convention.  Please submit your request to: saccouncilpta@yahoo.com and we will email you the scholarship application form.  The deadline to apply for a scholarship is March 19.

Don't miss the candidates forum for Superintendent of Public Instruction

Convention gives an early opportunity to learn about a critical race. Do you have some questions you'd like to ask of the candidates vying to replace State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, who is serving his last term? You can - at a candidates forum during the California State PTA's annual convention. The forum is cosponsored by the League of Women Voters of California. You can submit questions at the forum on April 30, or e-mail them in advance to spiforum@capta.org. The candidates who have been invited to participate include: Larry Aceves, a former teacher, principal, school district superintendent, and a past president of the Association of California School Administrators. Gloria Romero, a former professor, and current state Senator and chair of the Senate Education Committee. Tom Torlakson, former teacher and state Senator, current Assembly member and chair of the assembly's Select Committee on Schools and Community. The candidates forum is just one of the many ways that attending convention will help you to better help children by investing in yourself as a PTA member. Convention also allows you to participate in the important business of the association.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CONVENTION PLEASE CONTACT: Lily Williams, Third District PTA Convention Chair - 916-201-8512

saccouncilpta@yahoo.com

Education Research Report: Summary 4-21

Education Research Report: Summary 4-21

Summary 4-21

by Jonathan Kantrowitz

Below is a summary of some of the most interesting research published in the last few weeks. More complete detail may be found by clicking on each link. More reports, and new reports as they become available can be found 

Cal State students petition to nix summer fee hike | News10.net | Sacramento, California | Education

Cal State students petition to nix summer fee hike | News10.net | Sacramento, California | Education

Cal State students petition to nix summer fee hike

C. Johnson Last updated 2 hrs ago

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OAKLAND, CA (AP) -- A group of California State University students is asking an Alameda County judge to block university officials from charging more for summer and winter classes.

The four students filed the petition on Tuesday in Alameda County Superior Court. One of the students attends California State University, East Bay.

The petition says at least the higher summer fees violate state law, which requires summer courses to cost no more than those in the spring and fall.

But university officials say they can charge more for this summer's classes because many of them are being offered through extended-education programs and not the central campus.

The 430,000-student university system has faced severe budget cuts. Chancellor Charles Reed in

What If We Trained Teachers Like We Trained Doctors? - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

What If We Trained Teachers Like We Trained Doctors? - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

What If We Trained Teachers Like We Trained Doctors?

Okay, NPR wasn't thinking of the ABC show "Scrubs" (above photo), but you get the picture . . .

This in from NPR, with 6 minute podcast below, " Programs Train Teachers Using Medical School Model." Highlights:

"What if we prepared teachers the same way we prepare doctors? . . "

"Tom Payzant had been Boston Public Schools superintendent when he founded the Boston Teacher Residency program. Payzant, who now teaches at Harvard University, says the city desperately needed to attract more talented teachers, especially for hard-to-fill positions like math, science and special education. But it wasn't just about the numbers, Payzant says. It was about the quality of teachers coming out of colleges of education.

Most teacher training institutions focus more on content and less on

Education | Study: Better teachers help children read faster | Seattle Times Newspaper

Education | Study: Better teachers help children read faster| Seattle Times Newspaper

Study: Better teachers help children read faster

Genetics play the biggest role in determining how fast a child learns to read, but a good teacher can make a measurable difference as well, according to a study released Thursday.

By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP

Associated Press Writer

SEATTLE —

Genetics play the biggest role in determining how fast a child learns to read, but a good teacher can make a measurable difference as well, according to a study released Thursday.

Florida State University used twins assigned to different classrooms to develop the conclusions.

Researchers studied more than 550 first- and second-grade classrooms with at least one identical twin and more than 1,000 classes with at least one fraternal twin.

Among the identical twins, 42 pairs out of 280 pairs showed significant differences in reading improvement during the year studied, said lead researcher Jeanette Taylor, an associate professor of psychology at Florida State.

In each case, the teachers also had significantly different quality scores. Twins with similarly good teachers got similar scores.

"If you have identical twins, they should do very similarly in school," Taylor said.

Teachers whose students showed the greatest average one-year improvement in the number of words they could read out loud in one minute were considered the best teachers for the purpose of the study.

The study published in the journal Science was paid for by the National Institute of Child Health and Human

PUSD: We're at impasse with TAP - Paradise Post

PUSD: We're at impasse with TAP - Paradise Post

Print Email Font Resize PUSD: We're at impasse with TAP By Elizabeth de Alwis Posted: 04/22/2010 11:21:13 AM PDT Negotiations between the school district and the local teacher's union may have reached an impasse. Paradise Unified School District Board of Trustees voted in closed session on Tuesday to file an impasse with the state regarding negotiations with the Teacher's Association of Paradise. Board members say they are not getting anywhere in negotiations with TAP and are having trouble getting TAP leadership to the table to discuss possible budget cuts. TAP leaders, on the other hand, say they have offered several times to meet with the district but have been unsuccessful scheduling meetings with them, and unsuccessful reaching a compromise on various proposals. Trustee Tim Titus said the decision to file the impasse was based on the economic crisis, the fact that time is running out, and there is no indication there will be an agreement with TAP anytime soon. The impasse is filed with the state and begins with a hearing, Titus said. If negotiations prove to be fruitful in the meantime, they may be able to work things out, he said. Right now, however, there is no indication they will get where they need to be. "We're a little surprised," TAP president Charles Staser said. "Our assumption was that the school district budget was in good shape (through 2011)." Furthermore, Staser said TAP does not agree an impasse has been reached because they are in the bargaining process and proposals have been exchanged for consideration. He said he believes the district is "fear mongering" in an attempt to force TAP into changing the contract and they are using the budget mess in

Public Voting Begins Monday for Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge | The White House

Public Voting Begins Monday for Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge | The White House

Public Voting Begins Monday for Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge

by The White House

President Obama to choose national winner from three finalists selected by public
WASHINGTON – The White House and the Department of Education announced today that voting for the winner of the first annual Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge will begin Monday, April 26.
From 8 a.m. EDT on Monday, April 26th through 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 29, 2010, the public will have an opportunity to review and rate a three-minute video and short essay from each of the six high school finalists at http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/Commencement. President Obama will select the national winner from the three high schools with the highest average ratings. The Commencement Challenge winner will be announced on Tuesday, May 4, 2010 and the President will visit the winning high school to deliver the commencement address later this spring.
Voters are encouraged to rank the finalists based on the criteria of the Commencement Challenge including:
Educational success of the school as an example for other high schools around the country; The ability of the school to engage students in learning and to foster personal responsibility and academic excellence; and The success of the school in preparing students to graduate college and career-ready, to help meet the President’s 2020 goal that America have the highest proportion of college graduates of any nation in the world.
The Commencement Challenge, launched in late February, invited the nation’s public high schools to submit applications showing their dedication to providing students with an excellent education that will prepare them to graduate ready for college and career choices. Applications were judged based on the schools’ performance, four essay questions and supplemental data. The six finalists were selected for their dedication to academic excellence and for showing how they are helping prepare students to graduate college and career ready, and prepared to meet the President’s goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.
Finalists:
Blue Valley Northwest High School (Overland Park, Kansas) Clark Montessori Junior High and High School (Cincinnati, Ohio) Denver School of Science and Technology (Denver, Colorado) Environmental Charter High School (Lawndale, California) Kalamazoo Central High School (Kalamazoo, Michigan) MAST Academy (Miami, Florida)
Complete details of the voting and selection process appear below:
Rating the Finalists
On Monday, April 26, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. EDT, public review and rating of the six high school finalists in President Obama’s High School Commencement Challenge will begin on http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/Commencement. A three-minute video and short essay from each school will highlight how it best satisfies the criteria of the Commencement Challenge. Visitors to the website can view each finalist’s video and written submission, presented in random order. For each school, visitors are encouraged to watch the video and read the essay question before deciding on a rating. Visitors will be allowed to rate the finalists on a scale of 1-5 (with 1 as the lowest rating and 5 as the highest). After a rating is submitted, the next school’s video and essay question will be presented for review and rating until all six schools have been viewed. The ability to rate videos will end at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 29, 2010.
Rating Criteria
Voters are encouraged to rank the finalists based on the criteria of the Commencement Challenge including:
Educational success of the school as an example for other high schools around the country; The ability of the school to engage students in learning and to foster personal responsibility and academic excellence; and The success of the school in preparing students to graduate college and career-ready, to help meet the President’s 2020 goal that America have the highest proportion of college graduates of any nation in the world.
Determining the Winner
At the end of the rating period (April 26, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. EDT to April 29, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EDT), the three schools with the highest average ratings will be submitted to President Obama for final selection. The winner of the Commencement Challenge will be announced on Tuesday, May 4, 2010.

voiceofsandiego.org | A Largely Somali School Is Pushed -- Again -- to Diversify

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence.

A Largely Somali School Is Pushed -- Again -- to Diversify

For the second time in as many years, a largely Somali charter school is being pushed to diversify.

School leaders have tried to draw new students in with advertisements and brochures. Despite those efforts, San Diego Unified staffers say Iftin Charter School is still 96 percent African American -- a much higher share than the population in its City Heights neighborhood and San Diego Unified at large. It was formed by parents, many of them Somali refugees who were unhappy with local schools.

Charter schools, which are independently run and publicly funded, must get approval from school districts to start up and continue to operate. California law requires charters to meet a long list of conditions, including having a racial makeup that reflects their neighborhoods.

That's why San Diego Unified has warned Iftin that it needs to diversify. School district staff wrote that Iftin needs a plan to recruit students from other racial and ethnic groups -- and it needs to put money behind that plan. Failing to do that could put its existence in jeopardy.

This isn't the first time Iftin has faced questions about its diversity: When the school sought to expand into a high school, San Diego Unified staff said the school board should turn it down because in its four years of existence, it had failed to diversify, with a vast majority of Somali American students.

Despite those concerns, the school board narrowly voted last year to let Iftin expand into a