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Wednesday, July 28, 2010

In Surprise Move, School Board Backs Parcel Tax -- Again

In Surprise Move, School Board Backs Parcel Tax -- Again

In Surprise Move, School Board Backs Parcel Tax -- Again

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  • File photo by Sam Hodgson
    Richard Barrera

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Posted: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 8:24 pm
By EMILY ALPERT
In a stunning switch, school board President Richard Barrera decided to forge ahead with a proposed parcel tax that even backers say is an uphill slog, less than a day after he said it was a lost cause. The whirlwind back-and-forth over the tax perplexed onlookers and parents who followed it.
"Amateur hour at San Diego Unified School District. Is this a homeowners association or a school board?" joked school board candidate Scott Barnett, when told about the switch.
The San Diego Unified school board decided to put the school tax on the November ballot two weeks ago, despite critics' crowing that it couldn't pass. Barrera was one of its biggest champions, arguing that parents and teachers would mobilize to pass it. But on Monday,
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Marcos Breton: Ho-hum, taxpayers ripped off again - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Marcos Breton: Ho-hum, taxpayers ripped off again - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Marcos Breton: Ho-hum, taxpayers ripped off again

By Marcos Breton
Published: Wednesday, Jul. 28, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 1B
The most insidious kind of corruption is the mundane lapse of judgment often behind the everyday fleecing of taxpayers in California.
It starts with a tired justification repeated around Sacramento like a mantra – that public officials making obscene compensation packages actually deserve it because they could make more money in the private sector.
Oh, and they work very hard, too!
The lie permeates Sacramento and beyond. In the last week, we learne


Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/28/2919195/marcos-breton-ho-hum-taxpayers.html#ixzz0uyh5iS2a


Chancellor urges UC Davis on a path to distinction
By Laurel Rosenhall - Published: 12:00 am
Nearly a year after becoming chancellor of the University of California, Davis, Linda Katehi has released a massive plan for guiding the university to become more competitive.
New schools chief gets a running start
By Diana Lambert - Published: Tuesday, July 27 2010 - 12:00 am
2M27NATOMAS.JPG
Bobbie Plough officially started as Natomas Unified School District's new superintendent last week, but she has already played a role in making some major changes.
    UC professors raise doubts about online degree plan
    By Laurel Rosenhall - Updated: 6:52 am
    The University of California's interest in offering an online degree is opening a new chapter in the debate over online education.
    Online K-12 education surging, but official says 'it's buyer, beware'
    By Melody Gutierrez - Published: Monday, July 26 2010 - 12:00 am
    Interest in online schools for kindergarten through 12th grade is surging as new virtual offerings flood the market, leading education experts to warn parents that not all programs are equal.


    Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/education/#ixzz0uygg4cmu
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    East Side board to vote on parcel tax - San Jose Mercury News

    East Side board to vote on parcel tax - San Jose Mercury News
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    Rise & Shine: Study finds good kindergarten teachers matter | GothamSchools

    Rise & Shine: Study finds good kindergarten teachers matter | GothamSchools

    Rise & Shine: Study finds good kindergarten teachers matter

    by Philissa Cramer
    • Researchers found that students with good kindergarten teachers do better later in life. (Times)
    • The Daily News says the new, lower-sounding test scores coming out today will be a shock to parents.
    • A new website aims to help New Yorkers prepare to take the high school equivalency exam. (NY1)
    Race to the Top:
    • N.Y. is among 19 Race to the Top finalists. (GothamSchools, Times, Daily News, Post, NY1,WNYC, WSJ)
    • State officials say they won’t be able to execute promised reforms without the money. (GothamSchools)
    • Where states are increasingly united, Congress is divided on education policies. (Washington Post)
    • A Democrats for Education Reform staffer says N.Y. should up charter school funding to win RttT. (Post)
    • Excerpts from Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s RttT speech emphasize the urgency of reform. (Post)
    • The Post says it’s all on Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch to make sure the state brings home money.
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    Millions in delayed education stimulus funds face further stall | California Watch

    Millions in delayed education stimulus funds face further stall | California Watch

    Millions in delayed education stimulus funds face further stall

    July 28, 2010 | Corey G. Johnson
    Flickr photo by Paraflyer
    The fate of $37 million in federal stimulus funds that have been sitting for nearly a year could be delayed even further if the 2010-11 budget talks between the Legislature and the governor turns sour.
    According to Los Angeles Times, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has threatened to leave office in January 2011 without signing the budget if the Legislature doesn't cut back on public-pension payouts and make other reforms. According to the Times, Schwarzenegger told reporters after an event at the LA Chamber of Commerce:


    Tag-team journalism: A case study of the California Watch distribution model

    by Mark Katches
    In Switzerland, children attend school for 228 days a year. In South Korea, it’s 220 days.
    By this measure, California looks like a slacker.
    The typical California school year lasts about 180 days – and it's shrinking. California Watch Senior Reporter

    Report: Students stumble over tricky financial aid verification process

    by Erica Perez
    A new report suggests that many California college students don't receive the federal financial aid they're eligible for in part because of the red tape they encounter after submitting their applications.
    The survey of 13 California Community Colleges, published this week by the Institute for College Access and Success, found that students whose financial aid applications were selected by the college for "verification" –
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    Tuesday, July 27, 2010

    Senate Panel Approves Race to Top Renewal - Politics K-12 - Education Week

    Senate Panel Approves Race to Top Renewal - Politics K-12 - Education Week

    Senate Panel Approves Race to Top Renewal

    by Alyson Klein
    The federal Race to the Top program would be renewed for another year under a spending bill approved today by the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that deals with education spending—but wouldn't receive nearly as much money as President Barack Obama has sought.
    Under the measure, which passed by voice vote with Republicans audibly voting "no," the Obama administration's signature education reform initiative would get $675 million in fiscal 2011 for another round of grants. That's a lot less than the $1.35 billion the administration asked for, and even less than the $800 million provided by a measure approved earlier this month by the Senate subcommittee's House counterpart.
    Still, it looks like the Race to the Top competition, which received $4.35 billion under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, may be on track to stick around for another year. That could be good news for states thatofficially didn't make the list of finalists today in the second round of the grant competition.
    Also under the Senate language, districts would be allowed, for the first time, to compete alongside states for


    18 States & D.C. Named Race to Top Round 2 Finalists

    by Michele McNeil
    Education Secretary Arne Duncan picked 19 finalists, including Hawaii and Arizona as surprise picks, to compete in the interview portion of the Race to the Top Round Two competition. That means each state will assemble a group of five people to come to Washington the week of August 9 to make their final, last-ditch pitches for a portion of the $3.4 billion in federal money still left in the pot.
    The finalists, which beat out 17 other states that applied in the second round, are: Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina. These finalists all scored above 400 points on the 500-point grading scale. Arizona vaulted from a surprising 40th place finish in the 
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