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Wednesday, June 9, 2010

While controversy swirls, life goes on for many at West | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

While controversy swirls, life goes on for many at West | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

While controversy swirls, life goes on for many at West

by Benjamin Herold on Jun 08 2010 Posted in Latest news
Yet another battle over the future of West Philadelphia High School broke out Tuesday morning in the school’s auditorium.
But for the moment, at least, the latest struggle didn’t involve any accusations against parents, dire predictions by teachers, District denials, or behind-the-scenes posturing by community groups and consultants - all of which have come to define West’s strange and oft-delayed foray into Superintendent Arlene Ackerman's Renaissance Schools initiative.
That intrigue will apparently resume at Wednesday afternoon's meeting of the School Reform Commission (SRC), according to an announcement by the West School Advisory Council (SAC). Tuesday, the council members made public their demand that the SRC vote to ratify the council's recommendation to match West with turnaround partner Johns Hopkins/Diplomas Now for next year.
But this morning’s drama, part of West’s annual “Move-up Day,” bore no trace of the messy politics that currently cloud West's future. Instead, the battle centered around a dance-off between this year’s outgoing seniors (the self-described “Class of Dimes”) and the juniors who will replace them next year as part of West's Class of 2011 (the "Class with Class").
”At the end of each year, the seniors move up, [the juniors] move into their spots

June, A Time of Reflection � InterACT

June, A Time of Reflection � InterACT

June, A Time of Reflection

As June comes to a close, teachers around the nation take time to reflect on the successes and failures of the school year. June is the time we think back to patterns now recognizable in the instructional delivery, teacher-student connections, and conversations with parents. We think of resources we need to purchase to make a certain unit more understandable to students, organizations we should contact for guest speakers, funding we need to acquire to finesse a certain concept we need to deliver.
We look back to the growth our students have made during the school year, both academic and social, because we are not trying to create an army of crack test-takers; we are trying to encourage, enable, and inspire a new generation of students to hold up America’s ideals of hard-work, creativity, and fair-play. At this point of the year, we wonder if students are mentally prepared for the rigors and expectations of the next grade; will next year’s teachers judge us too harshly if the students do not enter their class with the knowledge required of them?
For public school teachers, many time our self-reflection takes into account the difficulties our students face in their day-to-day lives. One of my students has been absent over 60% of the year due to family issues. When he returned to class this week, half of his face was frozen. “What happened?” I asked. “The doctor says my

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo weighs bigger, badder 'F' | California Watch

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo weighs bigger, badder 'F' | California Watch

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo weighs bigger, badder 'F'

When it comes to college transcripts, an F is an F, right? That might not be the case for long at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
A committee of the university's Academic Senate is drafting a policy that would allow the university to put a special notation on a student's transcript to indicate when an F is for cheating, rather than for honest-to-goodness failure, the Mustang Daily reported. The potential policy shift is part of a growing push among

School documents provide glimpse of 'pay to play' practices

In April 1984, the state Supreme Court ruled that schools violate the state's constitutional guarantee to a free education when they charge children to participate in extracurricular activities.
Nearly 30 years later, a grand jury found numerous examples of San Diego schools charging exorbitant fees for cheerleading and other activities. Some of those included:
  • $4,250 for the marching band at Clairemont High School.
  • $1,833 for the cheerleading program at Madison High School.
  • $1,120 for the cheerleading program at Mira Mesa High School.
The grand jury's rulings piqued our curiousity. We wondered, "Where is the state Department of Education in all of this?" On Monday we received a response. Sort of.
In an e-mail, Pam Slater, a spokeswoman at the department, sent along a helpful policy guide on fees currently in use by school officials in Kern County. But on the central question of whether state authorities could (or would) hold the districts accountable for breaching the law, this was the Slater's reply:
I sent your questions to our Legal Division for a response and they have declined comment

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

This Week In Education: Video: Student Falls Asleep At Obama RTTT Event

This Week In Education: Video: Student Falls Asleep At Obama RTTT Event

Video: Student Falls Asleep At Obama RTTT Event

Watch this Kalamazoo high school junior choir member* fall asleep while President Obama speaks at commencement:
Popout
Talk about bad advance work. Don't they know to make them chug Red Bull before they go onstage? Let's all hope that the Race To the Top Commencement Challenge isn't a harbinger of how things are going to go for RTTT over all. [*Not to worry -- the kid (aka "the guy sleeping behind obama at kalamazoo graduation") got lots of friends on the Facebook page named after him.]

Conn. man arraigned on NYC class-trip sex charges - Boston.com

Conn. man arraigned on NYC class-trip sex charges - Boston.com

Blog U.: Closing the Idea-to-Curriculum Gap - Technology and Learning - Inside Higher Ed

Blog U.: Closing the Idea-to-Curriculum Gap - Technology and Learning - Inside Higher Ed


  • Closing the Idea-to-Curriculum Gap

    By Joshua Kim June 8, 2010 9:26 pm
    One advantage of learning technology is it can help us close the gap between and idea and curriculum. When I first started teaching (in grad school in 1993) the task of finding teaching materials was extremely time consuming. I remember spending lots of time at the photocopy machine, transferring charts and graphs to plastic transparencies that I'd display in class with the overhead. Collecting VHS tapes to show video segments in class was a particular passion of mine - leading my (shared) grad student office that was cluttered with tapes. Good teaching content was a scarce and valuable commodity, and it was difficult to rapidly locate and process "just in time" non-text based curriculum.
    Today we are able to find and share rich curricular materials with amazing agility and ease. YouTube, Google Image Search, and FlickR, combined with the ease of sharing these materials in the LMS (as links or embed code), has moved rich curricular development from a scarce to an abundant good. Where in the past we may have shared with our students only a

Portland the site for launch of national teen anti-drug campaign | OregonLive.com

Portland the site for launch of national teen anti-drug campaign | OregonLive.com

Portland the site for launch of national teen anti-drug campaign

By Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian

June 08, 2010, 7:43PM
kerlikowske.jpgView full sizeGil Kirlikowske, director of national drug control policy, talked with Portland-area students about drug and alcohol issues Tuesday. Among the students who talked with Kirlikowske are (from left) Cleveland High freshman Vanessa Altree, McCoy Academy senior Joshua Slaney, Wilson High freshman Gerhett Moser and Wilson senior Chloe Jones.
A new White House-backed teen anti-drug campaign, designed in part by Portland high school students, has hit screens and the streets across the Portland area and will soon go nationwide.

The campaign, officially launched by White House Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske in the Bronx on Monday and at Portland's Wilson High on Tuesday, will be very different from the one that preceded it.

Dubbed "Above the Influence," it is designed to give teens the chance to talk and interact about the positive influences that keep them above drug and alcohol use and ways to counter the negative influences that tempt them in that direction.

Already, the distinctive upward-pointing arrow of the campaign has been plastered on billboards, bus shelters and benches around the Portland area. Look for it on TV, on video panels at Lloyd Center and on your smart phone, your FaceBook page and in other new media displays.

Vote for Community Vote for Patrick and Ray!


Vote for Community Vote for Patrick and Ray!
Sacramento City Council 2010
Hi I am the Big Education Ape-A. P.arent E.ngaged. I am also known as Mike Simpson. I have been a Sacramento area resident since 1982. I have had the good fortune to live, work and to be a part of this wonderful community. I think it is called being blessed. In my years in this community I have had the honor of working with some of the most excellent leaders in government, education and the private sector.

I have the special privilege to call two of these excellent leaders, Ray Tretheway and Patrick Kennedy, my friend.

I worked for Ray Tretheway at the Sacramento Tree Foundation. It was Ray that taught me how to love the community I live in, Ray taught me to “get involved, participate, and make the community better”.  If you love our City of Trees you can thank Ray (and SMUD).

I got to know Patrick Kennedy when he was running for School Board Member for Area 7. My wife Vicki Simpson was running for Area 3 and thankfully lost to our super Area 3 School Board Member Donald Terry. If there was a theme for this election, it was Community and Parent Engagement and it became the litmus test. Patrick Kennedy got an A+ on the test. I have got to know Patrick as a proud Dad, bragging on our kid’s successes and as a School Board Member working hard to improve public education in our community. Patrick is the Sacramento version of the Energizer Bunny; he keeps on and keeps on finding new ways to serve the Sacramento Community.

Do me and the Community a favor:  Vote for Ray and Patrick. We need them both. 

Vote for Dave Jones for Insurance Commissioner!

Tell Your Friends to Vote for Dave Jones for Insurance Commissioner!
Dear Friends,

It's less than a week to Election Day and I need your help!

I'm the only candidate for Insurance Commissioner endorsed by the California Democratic Party, and I've received great endorsements from the Sierra Club, the California Nurses Association, the California Teachers Association and many others, but the most important endorsement I could get is yours.

Your friends, family, work colleagues and acquaintances are getting ready to vote on Election Day. Some are already returning absentee ballots. They are turning to trusted sources to get recommendations on who they should vote for. A few words from you about my candidacy will make all the difference.

Please tell everyone you know that we need an Insurance Commissioner who is not afraid to take on the insurance companies and that's why you're supporting me.

Send your friends a personalized email message about why you're supporting me for Insurance Commissioner or copy and paste the sample text below into an email and send it to everyone in your contact list:


"Election Day is Tuesday, June 8th. I'm writing to you to ask you to vote for Dave Jones for Insurance Commissioner. Insurance Commissioner is one of the most important elected offices in California because not only will it be responsible for overseeing the implementation of national Health Care Reform Legislation, it is also an office that can hold the insurance industry accountable.

As a member of the California State Assembly, Dave Jones is leading the fight to stop health insurance companies like Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield from hiking their health insurance rates. Jones won an award as the state's most effective legislator for his landmark work protecting privacy rights, creating the nation's largest preschool program, and stopping discrimination against women by insurance companies. He is not afraid to take on the insurance companies and we can trust him to stand up for us.

He is the only candidate endorsed by the California Democratic Party and he's also endorsed by the Sierra Club, classroom teachers, nurses, and many others.

I'm voting for Dave Jones for Insurance Commissioner and I hope you will, too. For more information, please go to his website at: http://www.facebook.com/l/34ac3;www.DaveJones2010.com."


Only with your help can we take back the Insurance Commissioner's office. Please send a message to your friends and family today!

Thanks again for your help and support,

DAVE JONES
Only Candidate for Insurance Commissioner Endorsed by the California Democratic Party!

P.S. Please tell your friends and family to support Dave Jones for Insurance Commissioner. We just have one week left to Election Day!

Phil Serna for Sacramento Supervisor 2010, District 1 - Phil Serna for Sacramento Supervisor 2010

Phil Serna for Sacramento Supervisor 2010, District 1 - Phil Serna for Sacramento Supervisor 2010




Phil Serna for Supervisor

Phil Serna, 41, lives and works in Sacramento's Natomas community. Phil grew-up in Sacramento's Curtis Park neighborhood where he attended local schools. Phil earned a B.A. from California State University, Sacramento in 1992 and a Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 1994. While attending graduate school, Phil met his wife Roxanna. They've been happily married for 14 years.
Following graduate school, Phil and Roxanna lived in San Francisco where Phil worked for a consulting firm specializing in environmental, economic and fiscal assessment. Later, Phil took a position with the Home Builders Association of Northern California as its Vice President of Governmental Affairs managing research and advocacy efforts relative to urban planning, environmental mitigation, and regional cooperation. Phil routinely worked with state legislative commissions, environmental and affordable housing advocates, business groups, and local governments to advance smart growth initiatives. Phil was also very active in his local community serving as an appointed member of the San Ramon Planning Commission and Architectural Review Board.
After returning to Sacramento in 2003, Phil established his own project management firm, Serna Consulting, LLC. Serna Consulting offers clients a variety of project management services, including advocacy and government relations. Phil has worked on a number of real estate projects with an emphasis on negotiating "win-win" solutions for both property owners and local governments. Some of his achievements include negotiating a multimillion dollar developer-funded supplemental school fee agreement for new school construction, crafting a first-of-its-kind agreement requiring developers to fund Interstate 5 congestion relief, and securing hundreds of acres of permanent open space and habitat mitigation over and above current regulatory requirements. In addition to his daily responsibilities with Serna Consulting, Phil is also a partner in Revolution Wines, a small commercial winery and tasting room located in Midtown Sacramento.
When Phil isn't working or playing music with several local jazz, folk, and rock-n-roll bands, he commits his time and energy serving on the Board of Directors for the CSUS Serna Center and for Cottage Housing Incorporated, a local non-profit transitional housing provider. Phil has also served as an adjunct faculty member of the CSUS Geography Department where he has taught economic geography and urban planning.

Vote Lucas H. Frerichs for Yolo County Democratic Central Committee

Vote Lucas H. Frerichs for Yolo County Democratic Central Committee


Friends/Voters of Yolo District 2-

I am asking for your help on election day this TUESDAY, JUNE 8th. 

I am on the ballot running for Yolo County Democratic Central Committee--(District 2) which serves as the official representative and governing body of the California Democratic Party in Yolo County. 

I have been engaged and involved in the City of Davis and Yolo County since I moved here in 1996. Throughout that time, I have been committed to Democratic values in Yolo County.

I respectfully ask for your support and your vote on June 8th and elect me to represent the voters of District 2 on the Central Committee.


Be sure to vote at the polls June 8th.
You can go to the following url to find your polling place:
http://www.yoloelections.org/voting/polling_place

If you are voting by mail:
Fill out your ballot by June 8th and mail it back.
OR
Drop off your completed ballot to your local polling place on June 8th.

Thank you for your friendship and continued support!
-Lucas

About Dr. Ami Bera | Bera for Congress

About Dr. Ami Bera | Bera for Congress



ABOUT DR. AMI BERA

“As a first generation American, born and raised in California, I benefited from what this state and this country had to offer— equality, opportunity, and the promise that through hard work and education I could reach my potential and create a full and successful life.
“But for many of us this promise no longer rings true. We face a record jobless rate, a health care crisis, and a crumbling school system that is failing our children. We need change because too many career politicians in Washington are bailing out Wall Street instead of helping us.
“I am running for Congress because I know things can be different. Together, we can change our course and begin to create a more compassionate, sensible, and sustainable America.” – Dr. Ami Bera
Ami Bera
Physician and Educator
For over 15 years, Dr. Bera has served the Sacramento region as a physician and educator.
Ami was born and raised in California at a time of great opportunity. He grew up in a vibrant household, benefiting from traditional values of discipline and hard work, solid educational foundations, and an underlying belief in the American dream.
Most recently, Dr. Bera served as Associate Dean for Admissions at the UC Davis School of
Medicine and was the former Chief Medical Officer for the County of Sacramento. Today, at age 45, Ami is running to represent his district in the United States Congress. He lives in Elk Grove with his wife, Janine, and 12-year-old daughter, Sydra.
“As a first generation American, born and raised in California, I benefited from what this state and this country had to offer— equality, opportunity, and the promise that through hard work and education I could reach my potential and create a full and successful life.
“But for many of us this promise no longer rings true. We face a record jobless rate, a health care crisis, and a crumbling school system that is failing our children. We need change because too many career politicians in Washington are bailing out Wall Street instead of helping us.
“I am running for Congress because I know things can be different. Together, we can change our course and begin to create a more compassionate, sensible, and sustainable America.” – Dr. Ami Bera
Ami Bera
Physician and Educator
For over 15 years, Dr. Bera has served the Sacramento region as a physician and educator.
Ami was born and raised in California at a time of great opportunity. He grew up in a vibrant household, benefiting from traditional values of discipline and hard work, solid educational foundations, and an underlying belief in the American dream.
Most recently, Dr. Bera served as Associate Dean for Admissions at the UC Davis School of
Medicine and was the former Chief Medical Officer for the County of Sacramento. Today, at age 45, Ami is running to represent his district in the United States Congress. He lives in Elk Grove with his wife, Janine, and 12-year-old daughter, Sydra.

Tom Torlakson for State Superintendent of Public Instruction 2010

Tom Torlakson for State Superintendent of Public Instruction 2010