School Tech Connect: Recapping The President's Education Priorities

School Tech Connect: Recapping The President's Education Priorities

Recapping The President's Education Priorities

by effacethefacade@yahoo.com (Tim)

When you come right down to it, it's about this: the currently in-power reform people want to spend less money on education. As for President Obama's recent comment that he wants to give more money to teachers (for test scores), well, that's not really what his coalition is about. You cannot be in a coalition with people whose domestic policy starts and ends with tax cuts for the wealthy and expect to give more money to public school teachers. It's a self-delusion that he's under, this President.

Anyway, here's the heart of the pension reform published by Education Sector:

ASCD Inservice: Educators Advise Fed's Role in Well-Rounded Education

ASCD Inservice: Educators Advise Fed's Role in Well-Rounded Education

Educators Advise Fed's Role in Well-Rounded Education

"We should be promoting collaboration among the disciplines, not competition," advised Bronx Prep Arts educator Kate Quarfordt at today's Capitol Hill briefing on consensus recommendations for how the federal government can better support all the disciplines, not just math and language arts.

Although Obama's FY11 budget request includes a $38.9 million (or 17%) increase in funding to support teaching and learning in the arts, history, civics, foreign languages, geography, and economics, the administration proposes to combine eight subject-specific grant programs into a single competitive grant program.

Disciplines would compete against each other to receive funds from the $265 million pot of money allocated under "A Well-Rounded Education" on the proposed FY11 budget.

In response to this, and opportunities to reinvent ESEA post-NCLB, more than 20 major organizations, from across disciplines have offered consensus

Turnaround Program Races Ahead Of "Race To The Top" - District 299: Chicago Public Schools Blog

Turnaround Program Races Ahead Of "Race To The Top" - District 299: Chicago Public Schools Blog

Turnaround Program Races Ahead Of "Race To The Top"

by Alexander Russo

Flip to page 22 of this report (PDF) to see the list of Illinois schools eligible for turnaround under the federal School Improvement Grant program. These schools are supposed to be educating 117,000 students but they're apparently not doing such a great job. The report, done by an outside group, criticizes the initiative for being harsh and prescriptive. It's just as big -- $3.5 billion -- as Race To The Top, and goes to all 50 states rather than

AM News: iPads For CSU Frosh (Seriously?)

by Alexander Russo

62 Legislators Violated the Legislative Scholarship Program ChicagoTalks:  Sixty-two members of the Illinois General Assembly broke the law over the course of six years by awarding free tuition to the state's public universities to 122 college students who didn't live in the right legislative district...

New 'Sexting' Law Grants Minors Leniency WBEZ: Psychologist Patrick Tolan tells us how texting sexually implicit material affects children's sexual development... 13-year-old boy shot again and again Sun Times:  He attended Oglesby Elementary School, but when his family moved he transferred him out of the Chicago school system in May...Chicago Community College Budget Calls for Hundreds of Layoffs WBEZ:  Hundreds of non-teaching staff members could be laid off under the new budget proposal for Chicago's community college system...CSU Considers IPads for Freshmen Fox:  Chicago State University is considering whether to give free iPads to all full-time freshmen and the faculty who teach them...More college students are homeless and hungryReporter:  To help combat the problem, UCLA keeps a covert food closet and formed an Economic Crisis Response Team to identify those young adults and make sure they can stay in school.

Parents: End The War On Drugs – For Your KidsCalifornia Progress Report

California Progress Report

Parents: End The War On Drugs – For Your Kids

by kaldveer

By Julia Negron
Moms United to End the War on Drugs
As a person in long-term recovery and a drug treatment professional, I know a thing or two about drugs, addiction and the drug war. As a mother and a grandmother, I know more than I care to about how all of those things affect families – including my own. Addiction is a particularly painful health issue for any family to struggle with.
Like most other chronic health conditions, like cancer and diabetes, it can be treated and managed. But unlike other chronic health conditions, our government is at war with it.
The sad truth is that the war on drugs is a war on people, and they can be people you love.
read more

A Lame Duck Governor Fabricates A Hoped-For Legacy

by kaldveer

By Sheila Kuel
After more than six years of carving up and flushing what used to be referred to as the California Dream, the Governor has looked around at the wreckage and decided to float the story that it wasn't his doing. Many have obediently picked up the narrative and amplified it through the press and online. The story, as set out, for instance, in the New York Times, goes: the Governor is a real independent, neither a rabid left-wing Democrat nor a salivating Tea Partier and, therefore, no one loves him any more. Somehow, even as he stands in the rubble of California, Arnold has spun this to be a good thing, when, instead, he is an embodiment of what Texas gadfly Jim Hightower meant when he said, "There's nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos."
read more

Oklahoma: Where the News Is Makin’ Lazy Circles in the Sky | Intercepts

Oklahoma: Where the News Is Makin’ Lazy Circles in the Sky | Intercepts

Oklahoma: Where the News Is Makin’ Lazy Circles in the Sky

by Mike Antonucci

On June 30, the National Education Association decided to send $3 million to Oklahoma to support SQ 744, the school funding initiative.
I spent a good part of the next three weeks trying to get confirmation of that information, finally succeeded, andpublished the story on July 26.
Four days later, the Tulsa World files a story with the headline, “NEA gave $3 million for Yes on 744 ballot

Road Show for School District Critics Continues #edu #education

Education

Road Show for School District Critics Continues

San Diegans 4 Great Schools, a newly formed group that is seeking changes to how San Diego Unified is governed, brought its message to a tough crowd at the Ocean Beach Town Council Wednesday night.

A retired teacher called it an overly vague "dog and pony show" that didn't address real problems in schools. "Governance is a minor issue," said Mike Berrill, who used to teach in East County. "You've got a problem that's way bigger than how many board members are squabbling."

Scott Himelstein, who organizes the group of philanthropists, business leaders, parents and other community members, said he respectfully disagreed. "Governance plays a big role," Himelstein said. In light of those other problems, he said, "What have we been doing all these years?"

The meeting is part of a longer road show as the group airs its concerns about the schools and shares findings from a University of San Diego report on school finances and achievement.

Himelstein has repeatedly said the group has no specific plan yet, but it has already been

NCSE | National Center for Science Education - Defending the Teaching of Evolution in Public Schools.

NCSE | National Center for Science Education - Defending the Teaching of Evolution in Public Schools.

Creationist rumblings in Louisiana

• July 26th, 2010

• Read more

Creationism is stirring in Louisiana, with a proposal to teach creationism in Livingston Parish and a call for creationists to scrutinize textbooks proposed for adoption by the state in the headlines.

Reflections on the Scopes trial from HNN

• July 26th, 2010

• Read more

The History News Network commemorated the eighty-fifth anniversary of the Scopes trial — which ended on July 21, 1925 — by commissioning two essays to mark the occasion.

American Academy of Religion on teaching creationism

• July 23rd, 2010

• Read more

It is wrong to teach creation science or intelligent design in the science classroom, according to the American Academy of Religion.

Forrest blasts the LSEA

• July 19th, 2010

• Read more

Barbara Forrest

Writing in the Shreveport Times (July 18, 2010), Barbara Forrest blasted the Louisiana Science Education Act, which opened the door for creationism to be taught in the state's public schools.

What's new on NCSE's YouTube channel

• July 16th, 2010

• Read more

Eugenie C. Scott

NCSE is pleased to announce that a further batch of videos featuring NCSE's executive director Eugenie C. Scott is now available at NCSE's YouTube channel.

Eduwonk � Blog Archive � Tomorrow’s Today’s Problem Today

Eduwonk � Blog Archive � Tomorrow’s Today’s Problem Today

Tomorrow’s Today’s Problem Today" style="color: rgb(88, 123, 123); text-decoration: none; ">Tomorrow’s Today’s Problem Today

August beach reading for you: In a new paper from ES Chad Aldeman and Itake a look at the teacher pension issue (pdf). Punchlines: Big fiscal problems with a few culprits (and you can’t just lay this one at the feet of the unions), the current system out of alignment with the emerging workforce and efforts to improve human capital in education, but all the reform options

Accountabilty. � Fred Klonsky's blog

Accountabilty. � Fred Klonsky's blog

Accountabilty.

by preaprez

As I read President Obama’s speech to the Urban League yesterday I just kept thinking: Huh?
It reminded me of staff development meetings at work. Every couple of years the administration brings in some consultant and inevitably we do the “which color are you?” thing. Or the “which direction are you?”
“Green” = individualist. “East” = Good at collaboration.
A good 90 minutes of staff development time wasted. 90 minutes of your life you won’t get back. And when it’s

Standards decision time for state board | EdNewsColorado

Standards decision time for state board | EdNewsColorado

Standards decision time for state board

by Todd Engdahl

The strength of Colorado’s Race to the Top bid will be in the hands of the State Board of Education Monday when it decides whether to adopt the Common Core Standards in language arts and math.
One board member, Peggy Littleton, R-5th District, has been campaigning for rejection of the standards, and at her request a public hearing will be held at 7:30 a.m. Monday before the board formally convenes to hear a recommendation from education Commissioner Dwight Jones, discuss the issue and vote.
Rejection of the standards could trim points from Colorado’s R2T application.
While several state boards around the country have adopted the standards without controversy, Colorado’s vote

Board seeks to shutter failing charter schools

Board seeks to shutter failing charter schools

Jill Tucker, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, July 30, 2010

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Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle 2005

Oakland's American Indian Public Charter School is cited as one that took a few years to find traction.

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(07-29) 19:26 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Failing charter schools across California could be shut down by the state Board of Education under a major policy shift aimed at ensuring that the alternative public schools fulfill their role as models of academic innovation.
Dozens of the state's 850 or so charter schools, which have significant freedom outside the state Education Code, fall among the lowest-performing schools on standardized tests.
That's unacceptable, state Board of Education members say.
"I don't have a lot of tolerance for these schools," said Board of Education member Ben Austin. "We need to be holding charter schools to at least the same standard as regular schools, if not higher."
The Board of Education is expected to finalize the new rules in September after a period of public comment this month. The regulations would require the board to vote on the fate of struggling charters each spring, deciding which underachieving schools should be closed at the end of the academic year and which ones should be forced to jump through hoops

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/30/MN6E1EL9GL.DTL&type=education#ixzz0vB4mAyWE

Quinn Brag Sheet Sent To CPS Employees - District 299: Chicago Public Schools Blog #edu #education

Quinn Brag Sheet Sent To CPS Employees - District 299: Chicago Public Schools Blog

Quinn Brag Sheet Sent To CPS Employees

by Alexander Russo

Is this illegal? Or is it just annoying?

A CPS employee passed along this Pat Quinn email which she says was sent to her at her CPS address without her having signed up.

She worries about being noticed if she unsubscribes -- even if she knew how to do such a thing.

Hello!

This electronic newsletter is an opportunity for you to learn more about what we've accomplished in Illinois

Notes from the news, July 30 | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Notes from the news, July 30 | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Notes from the news, July 30

by Erika Owens

More fun with school district #s It's Our Money
Superintendent Ackerman and her administration continue to receive scrutiny of high salaries.
See also: Ackerman Gives Big Money To New Hires Fox 29
Rumblings: Who’s Afraid of Arlene Ackerman? Philebrity
Because She’s Worth It? Superintendent Ackerman’s Ridiculous Salary PhillyNow
For what it's worth, the Boston Superintendent turned down a pay raise earlier this month It's Our Money
Penny Wise and Pound Foolish? A Good Day Teaching blog
Early-learning center, 40 jobs are budget casualties Daily News
The District will close half of its early-learning centers and demote or lay off support staff in order to make up for a budget shortfall.
Calling student activists: A leadership training opportunity The Notebook blog
PSU grad Candace Carter writes about Building a Youth Movement, PSU's annual summer leadership institute.
New Work Flow with Tech Practical Theory blog
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
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Weingarten Weighs In on Obama Speech - Teacher Beat - Education Week

Weingarten Weighs In on Obama Speech - Teacher Beat - Education Week

Weingarten Weighs In on Obama Speech

by Stephen Sawchuk

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten had a quick briefing with reporters yesterday on all the edu-action this week.
Asked about President Obama's defense of the Race to the Top program to the National Urban League, Weingarten said it's only natural that the president would focus on the $4.35 billion initiative. She also acknowledged that, despite her union's qualms about certain aspects of the program, Race to the Top demonstrates the power of federal education spending.
"This is one of the president's signature initiatives," she said. "The Race to the Top has proven something really important: that the federal government knows how to be a lever for change."
Of course, in the AFT's view, the Race to the Top is not the be-all-end-all of education reform. The president has

Better Benefits � The Quick and the Ed

Better Benefits � The Quick and the Ed

Better Benefits

by Chad Aldeman

After one of the worst decades in stock market history, the Great Recession has left nearly every state pension plan in a precarious position. Recently, the Pew Center on the States reported that 47 states owe more in pension obligations for current and future teacher retirees than they have on hand. Collectively, the gap between what states have and what they will need totals almost $500 billion. And with Americans living longer and teachers more likely to retire at a younger age, the challenge of paying for teacher retirements will only increase.
But the problems with teacher pensions are not just financial. And they do not just affect individual teachers and retirees. The way the plans are structured can negatively influence the teaching work force as a whole. At a time