High court to hear Arizona school case - Boston.com

High court to hear Arizona school case - Boston.com

High court to hear Arizona school case

May 24, 2010

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WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court says it will consider ending a lawsuit that challenges Arizona's tax breaks for donations for private school scholarships.

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The court on Monday said it will hear an appeal filed by the state and supporters of the 13-year-old program that provides dollar-for-dollar income tax breaks for donations to school tuition organizations.

Some Arizona taxpayers challenged the program as unconstitutional because religious organizations award most of the scholarships and require children to enroll in religious schools. The suit says the program amounts to an unconstitutional state endorsement of religion.

The federal appeals court in San Francisco last year ruled that the lawsuit could

Harvard’s paper cuts

by Tracy Jan, Globe Staff

CAMBRIDGE — The thin, tattered book, an 1899 dissertation on Homer, written in French, is tucked into one of the more than 40 shelves devoted to the epic poet in the stacks of Widener Library. Collecting obscure works like this one has helped Harvard amass the world’s largest university library.

Mass. leaders: No "Plan B" if sales tax cut passes

by Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press Writer

It's the fiscal elephant in the room, a ballot question that would cut the Massachusetts sales tax rate by more than half, and none of the state's top political leaders has come up with a plan to deal with it if it passes.

Fla.'s Crist Endorsed by Union - Teacher Beat - Education Week

Fla.'s Crist Endorsed by Union - Teacher Beat - Education Week

Fla.'s Crist Endorsed by Union

by Stephen Sawchuk

Earlier this year, when Florida Gov. Bill Crist supported SB 6—which would have put all teachers on annual contracts and tied half of their pay and evaluations to student test scores—he was Public Enemy No. 1 for the Florida Education Association.
But, at the last moment, the then-Republican governor changed his mind and vetoed the bill. Public adulation by the FEA followed. And now Crist is reaping the FEA's support in the political arena: FEA took the unusual step of endorsing both Crist, now an independent, and a Democrat for a Senate race this fall at an AFL-CIO event.
It's hard to know exactly how this is going to affect the outcome of that race and whether appreciative teachers

Teaching to the Test -- or Just Using a Different One Education voiceofsandiego.org

Education

The Education Newsblitz: Including Kids with Disabilities

The newsblitz never works for the weekend. It yearns to come back:

• San Diego Unified schools are including more children with disabilities in ordinary classes more often, but principals, teachers and parents are worried about having enough staff to help include them effectively. Parents are also concerned by inconsistencies between schools.
• Perfect attendance won cars for two South County teenagers, the Union-Tribune reports.
• School board member John de Beck writes in SDNN that extending the deadline for superintendent shows that the pool of candidates was meager.
• Also in the U-T: Oceanside teachers agreed to six furlough days to help balance their district budget.
• San Diego State students went to Tijuana to protest a CSU-wide ban on study and research there.
• The Los Angeles Times reports on how a Colorado law that ties teacher evaluation to student achievement could create momentum for more such laws across the country.

School Board Forum: Tell Us What You Thought

Our school board candidates forum last night was phenomenal, thanks to all of you! We were amazed by the turnout and the energy in what is supposedly a sleepy race. I had to tell the crowd not to applaud a few times -- which is a heck of a lot better than having to tell them not to fall asleep.

Unfortunately, I forgot last night to thank reader and former school board member Frances O'Neill Zimmerman, who convinced me that we needed to do something like this. Thanks for the great idea!

If you didn't make it, we'll have the audio available on the website soon. In the meantime, you can check out this Twitter feed for commentary from parent Paul Bowers. I'm still sorting through the audio and my notes, but here are some quick impressions and points from the forum:

Your Thoughts on the Testing Conundrum

My readers are so smart. We've already been talking to school district officials about why San Diego scores on a national exam only grew slightly while state test scores jumped. Now you've chimed in with your thoughts:

•Sue Moore, a homeschooling mom who has a doctorate in educational leadership, argues the biggest problem with making sense of test scores, especially the state tests, is "the massaging of raw scores." Let me explain: What I and other reporters usually call state scores are actually a derived score from multiple tests that students take in California schools.

Moore says it's such a nightmare to understand -- and the way that data are reported has changed so often -- that it makes it difficult to draw valid comparisons from one year to the next.

Teaching to the Test -- or Just Using a Different One?

Wondering why San Diego scores stagnated on a national test at the same time its state test scores jumped?

I sure was. Ron Rode, the research czar for San Diego Unified, gave us one theory: The national test just sets the bar higher than the state tests do. That's one explanation. Here are others from folks I chatted with:

• Nellie Meyer, the interim deputy superintendent for San Diego Unified, offered an intriguing version of Rode's theory. Not only is the national test more challenging, it measures different, deeper skills, such as interpreting and synthesizing a written text. So students could shine on a state test that measures simpler thinking at the same time they show few gains on the national exam.

Interestingly, this is exactly what the school board has been pushing for San Diego Unified to do: Focus more on creativity and critical thinking instead of the simpler skills that tests tend to measure.

"We need to stretch students' thinking," Meyer said.

SEED: Public Boarding School For Urban Poor - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

SEED: Public Boarding School For Urban Poor - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

SEED: Public Boarding School For Urban Poor

No One Has Pulled Themselves Up By Their Own Bootstraps . . .
Everyone Has A Story About Someone Who Has Helped Them."
-- SEED Faculty Member

Watch "60 Minutes" Videos Below

Byron Pitts gave an update on the SEED boarding schools last night on "60 Minutes" and it would be hard to find a more empathetic reporter on the subject. PItts was not only a stutterer, but also illiterate until age 12, as he revealed in his best-selling book, "Step Out On Nothing", previously covered by The Daily Riff here. He claims an English professor in college "saved his life" and goes on to describe video below how she had nothing to gain by helping him, but did it anyway. (see 2 min. below - Vid #2).

The importance of available and positive adult role models and mentoring opportunities for our youth is the remarkable parallel between the Pitts and SEED stories. One faculty member emphatically clarified that their mission was not just about raising test scores, but about "changing their (students') values".

Eric Adler and Rajiv Vinnekota created SEED a decade ago from a "brainstorming session

Before Promise Academies, came the Dream Schools. How have they done? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Before Promise Academies, came the Dream Schools. How have they done? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Before Promise Academies, came the Dream Schools. How have they done?

by Ron Whitehorne

Next year Philadelphia will see the first wave of Promise Academies, turnaround schools that will be directed by Superintendent Arlene Ackerman herself.
Ackerman’s conception of a turnaround school with a longer school day, a centrally prescribed set of curricula, interventions and programs, and a contract with parents is not new. She did it before in San Francisco. In 2004,she introduced the first three Dream Schools; 10 schools would become Dream Schools.

Featured Title:

West to decide on its provider recommendation today

Notes from the news, May 24

by Erika Owens

Before Promise Academies, came the Dream Schools. How have they done? The Notebook blog
Dream Schools were Ackerman's office-run turnaround schools in San Francisco. Of the six Dream Schools that remain open today, four are on California's list of lowest-performing schools.
Ackerman's brief tenure does not merit bonus The Inquirer (opinion)
Compares Ackerman to Alfred E. Neuman and says her accomplishments sound like part of a basic job description, not bonus material.
To fight 'dropout factories,' school program starts young USA Today
Profile of Feltonville School of Arts and Sciences and its work with the Diplomas Now program.

Formula could cost Phila.'s needy students free lunch The Inquirer
Philadelphia's universal feeding program again faces uncertainty.

How big is the central office? The Notebook blog
Budget documents show growth in size of 440.
Turnaround charter getting high marks for college prep The Inquirer
Profile of Mastery's turnaround of Thomas Middle School.
How the 'Corrective' program unfolded at one high school The Notebook blog
A current teacher recounts how the roll out of Corrective Reading and Math at his high school disrupted the first quarter of the school year.
Trifecta of bad behavior Daily News (opinion)
The Philly principals who lacked certification should give back the money earned while they were out of compliance.
Different entrances, times for Childs/Barratt pupils Daily News
Childs Elementary is being relocated to Barratt in the fall. The 90 remaining Barratt 8th-graders will have their own floor, separate entrance, and different start/end time.
How to Save Philadelphia Schools A Very Public Education

Are liberals reconsidering school choice? Sun-Sentinel (opinion)
Hot Topic – Helping Your Child Get a Summer Job! The Frankford Gazette
Nikki Giovanni's poetic life: Her journey from civil rights observer to inspirational sage Daily News
Gunfire Erupts During Germantown Celebration CBS 3
Please email us if we missed anything today or if you have any suggestions of publications, email lists, or other places for us to check for news.
Click here to get Notes from the news in your inbox every day.
Notes from the news

9 accused in Obama loan records breach case face arraignment | Seattle Times Newspaper

Nation & World | 9 accused in Obama loan records breach case face arraignment| Seattle Times Newspaper

9 accused in Obama loan records breach case face arraignment

Nine people accused of accessing President Barack Obama's student loan records while employed by a Department of Education contractor in Iowa are to be arraigned on federal charges.

The Associated Press

DAVENPORT, Iowa —

Nine people accused of accessing President Barack Obama's student loan records while employed by a Department of Education contractor in Iowa are to be arraigned on federal charges.

The former employees of Vangent Inc. are accused of accessing Obama's records at the contractor's office in Coralville while he was either a candidate for president, president-elect or president.

They are charged with exceeding authorized computer access. Their arraignment planned for Monday at the U.S. District Court in Davenport, Iowa.

The charge is punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

High court to hear Arizona school case

The Supreme Court says it will consider ending a lawsuit that challenges Arizona's tax breaks for donations for private school scholarships.

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON —

The Supreme Court says it will consider ending a lawsuit that challenges Arizona's tax breaks for donations for private school scholarships.

The court on Monday said it will hear an appeal filed by the state and supporters of the 13-year-old program that provides dollar-for-dollar income tax breaks for donations to school tuition organizations.

Some Arizona taxpayers challenged the program as unconstitutional because religious organizations award most of the scholarships and require children to enroll in religious schools. The suit says the program amounts to an unconstitutional state endorsement of religion.

AM News: Districts Cutting Summer School This Week In Education

This Week In Education

Media: Mainstream News Outlets Point To Outside Coverage

by Alexander Russo

Last week, the New York Times magazine story about teachers unionslinked out to EdWeek for additional coverage of the RTTT process.  Today, the Washington Post's Ezra Klein links out to the Wall Street Journal's Stephanie Banchero for her story on the NAEP results.  This kind of thing is a small but important shift in the way traditional media outfits have operated for years, refusing in many situations to link out much less acknowledge the existence of other news outlets.  It's a good thing, over all.  Readers know 

AM News: Districts Cutting Summer School

by Alexander Russo

Colorado education law may mark a national shift LA Times: A landmark Colorado law that ties teacher evaluations to the progress of their students on achievement tests could help build momentum for a national movement that seeks to overhaul how instructors' tenure and pay is earned, education leaders say... Cash-strapped districts cutting summer school AP: Amber Bramble had to scramble to arrange summer plans for her 5- and 7-year-old daughters after their suburban Kansas City school district gutted its summer school program this spring...Educators push a college alternative NYT: What’s the key to success in the United States? Short of becoming a reality-TV star, the answer is rote and, some would argue, rather knee-jerk: Earn a college degree... RI to submit new bid for federal education moneyBoston Globe: Rhode Island's getting ready to submit another application in the Race to the Top competition for federal education funding... Texas board approves social studies standards that perceived liberal bias Washington Post: The Texas state school board gave final approval Friday to controversial social studies standards that minimize the separation of church and state and say that America is not a democracy but a "constitutional republic.".. Education" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/fashion/23STUDIED.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(34, 68, 187); ">Studied: Studies Show Bullies Want Friends, Too NYT: Bullies are “looking for attention and affection from their own peer group,” a recent report says.

“Law & Order” Investigates Teachers’ Union | Intercepts

“Law & Order” Investigates Teachers’ Union | Intercepts

“Law & Order” Investigates Teachers’ Union

by Mike Antonucci

While shooting the season finale, the producers of Law & Order were unaware that NBC was about to cancel the long-running hit television series. Otherwise I’m sure they would have chosen a different story for the show’s swan song.
The plot of the finale centers around New York City’s rubber rooms. The villain is an anonymous blogger who threatens to blow up a city school. One plot element features “a site in which city teachers gossip about their jobs.” Edublogging makes the big time!
And there’s a teachers’ union subplot. The detectives visit the headquarters of the fictional “Teachers Union of

Stop the Cuts, Close the Loopholes! | California Progress Report

Stop the Cuts, Close the Loopholes! | California Progress Report

Stop the Cuts, Close the Loopholes!

by christine

By Sara Flocks
California Labor Federation
California was once the envy of the country for our top-notch schools and universities, infrastructure and quality of life. Now California may become the only state in the nation to completely eliminate welfare-to-work assistance and job training for low-income families and their children.
The Governor’s May revision to the state budget proposes $17.9 billion in cuts to state programs, including eliminating welfare-to-work. Over the last two years, state programs have been slashed by $32.5 billion—and there is no relief in sight from this Governor.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The non-partisan Legislative Analysts’ Office clearly presented the Governor and Legislature with other options:
read more

ACA4: A Little Something for Everyone

by kaldveer

By Peter Schrag

Beware of goo-goos bearing gifts. Today’s lesson comes from ACA4, a Christmas tree of proposed constitutional changes in the legislative budget process.
The gift-bearer is California Forward, a foundation-funded collation of fully certified honorable citizens seeking, as they proclaim, to “improve the quality of life for all Californians by creating more responsive, representative and cost-effective government.”
The official sponsor of ACA 4, which comes up for action in the Assembly Budget Committee today (May 24) , is Assembly member Mike Feuer, a Los Angeles Democrat who hopes it “would not only help restore public trust but likely save taxpayers million of dollars as well.”
read more