Vincent Gray to request extended voting hours in D.C. mayor's race

Vincent Gray to request extended voting hours in D.C. mayor's race

GALLERY

Primary day in D.C.

Voters in D.C. cast ballots Tuesday in the closely watched Democratic primary race for mayor between Adrian Fenty and Vincent C. Gray.

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By Carol Morello and Michael DeBonis

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 14, 2010; 4:31 PM

A request for an extension of voting hours in District precincts that experienced glitches with new touch-screen voting machines will be made late in the afternoon by the campaign of D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray, the leading challenger to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty.

THIS STORY

• Vincent Gray to request extended voting hours in D.C. mayor's race
• Primaries bring low turnout in Md., D.C., some technical glitches in District
• Primary day in D.C.

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Campaign spokesman Traci Hughes said they have received complaints at "a rapid pace," and attorneys have needed time to evaluate them. A letter requesting the Board of Elections and Ethics keep the polls open a little longer in some precincts should be sent "within the hour," she said at about 3 p.m.

Reports of voting problems emerged shortly after polls opened at 7 a.m. Some precincts delayed opening until technicians could arrive to get the touch-screen

Education Research Report: New studies highlight benefits of teacher coaching

Education Research Report: New studies highlight benefits of teacher coaching

New studies highlight benefits of teacher coaching

by Jonathan Kantrowitz

Ω

A set of studies released in this month's special issue of The Elementary School Journal reveals the powerful effect that the coaching of teachers can have on both teachers and students.

"Many in the field have trusted that intuitive feeling that putting a knowledgeable coach in a classroom to work with a teacher will result in improved teacher practices and increased student learning," write the issue's guest editors, Misty Sailors of The University of Texas at San Antonio and Nancy L. Shanklin of University of Colorado, Denver. "The jury of these researchers and the peer reviewers of their work has delivered its verdict: while coaching may be new, it is no longer unproven."

The eight research articles included in the issue span multiple subject areas and grade levels, and suggest that

QUICK Hits � The Quick and the Ed

QUICK Hits � The Quick and the Ed

QUICK Hits

by Forrest Hinton

1 person liked this

Quick Hits is a short compilation of question-raising news stories, blog posts, and video clips that Education Sector team members are reading or viewing each day.

• Why is teacher turnover so high in charter schools? (Center on Reinventing Public Education)
• Which colleges and universities “best prepare students to land jobs that are satisfying, well-paid, and have growth potential?” (Brainstorm)
• Why are student loans increasing, especially for students enrolled in for-profit colleges? Is it a bad recession or bad degrees? (HechingerEd)
• Suzanne Tachney on RTT: “…Why not make the right call rather than the safe one? After all, the safe calls aren’t the ones that foster change.” (Eduwonk)

Obama urges students to 'dream big' in back-to-school speech in Philadelphia

Obama urges students to 'dream big' in back-to-school speech in Philadelphia

VIDEO

Video: Obama tells students to dream big

Delivering a tough-love message, President Barack Obama told students in a back-to-school speech that their job was to show up on time, pay attention in class, do their homework, study and stay out of trouble.

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CAMPAIGN 2010: THE RACES

By Nick Anderson

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 14, 2010; 2:15 PM

PHILADELPHIA - For his second annual back-to-school speech,President Obama chose as his backdrop an elite, selective public school in this city that is a far cry from the turnaround-success stories his administration is seeking to promote.

Obama, in a Tuesday afternoon speech, urged the nation's students to "dream big" and "stay focused" on education in an address that aides described as a nonpolitical event.

But students at Philadelphia's Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School probably are already heeding that advice. The school, with about 1,200 students from grades 5 through 12, draws the city's academic cream through competitive admissions. With nearly all of its graduates headed to four-year colleges and most of its upper-grade students taking a

California Online School Seeks Students, Tax Dollars : NPR

California Online School Seeks Students, Tax Dollars : NPR

California Online School Seeks Students, Tax Dollars

by BEN ADLER

A school district near Sacramento, Calif., is looking outside the box for new revenue sources in these harsh budget times. Elk Grove Unified has opened up its own Virtual Academy offering complete online curricula for grades kindergarten through 12.

Officials hope to attract home-school students and children from other districts, plus the state tax dollars that come with them. But this kind of online education is also raising some red flags.

The New Virtual Academy

For eighth-grader TJ Foster, school can sound like an educational video. But usually, it sounds like the clicking of a computer mouse.

TJ is one of 200 students in the Elk Grove Unified School District's brand-new Virtual Academy. Each day, at his home in the rural farmland south of Sacramento, he signs into a website and takes

HISD board to vote on tighter conflict of interest rules | School Zone | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

HISD board to vote on tighter conflict of interest rules | School Zone | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

HISD board to vote on tighter conflict of interest rules

The Houston school board plans to vote Thursday on a stricter conflict of interest policy that would apply to all employees, rather than just higher-paid administrative staff. The proposal would forbid all employees from accepting any "gift, favor, loan, service, entertainment or anything of more than token value" from any HISD vendor or someone seeking to do business with the district. Allowed are coffee mugs, key chains, caps and other "trinkets."

Employees also are prohibited from accepting meals exceeding $100 in a year from any vendor or prospective vendor. Employees must report meals that exceed $50 per year. In addition, employees must report to the district any personal financial or business interests that "in any way creates a substantial conflict with the proper discharge of assigned duties and responsibilities or that creates a conflict with the best of the District."

HISD's current conflict of interest policy is similar except that it applies only to administrative employees above pay grade 14. (I'm checking with the district on that salary amount.) Ann

Catalyst Notebook :: In the News: Blue Ribbon for CPS: national suspension rate disparity

Catalyst Notebook :: In the News: Blue Ribbon for CPS: national suspension rate disparity

Catalyst writers and editors share their perspectives, analyses and the news behind the news on improving Chicago area public schools. Our on-the-ground reports will tell you what’s happening in schools and education circles here and elsewhere. Our views will tell you what to make of it.

In the News: Blue Ribbon for CPS: national suspension rate disparityAndrew Jackson Elementary Language Academy has been named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. The magnet school at 1340 W. Harrison St. is the only Chicago public school to receive the Blue Ribbon honor this year and one of 19 schools from throughout the state of Illinois to receive the designation in 2010.

Continue Reading In the News: Blue Ribbon for CPS: national suspension rate disparity »

Posted By: Cassandra West On Tue Sep 14, 2010 In In the News
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In the News: Obama to give second back-to-school speech; lawsuits filed over school feesPresident Obama will address America's schoolchildren in his second back-to school speech Tuesday in Philadelphia. The president's address will be given at 1 p.m. EST at Julia R. Masterman School, a middle and high school magnet in Philadelphia.

Continue Reading In the News: Obama to give second back-to-school speech; lawsuits filed over school fees »

President Obama's 2010 Back to School Speech | The White House

President Obama's 2010 Back to School Speech | The White House

President Obama's 2010 Back to School Speech

Read the President's remarks as prepared for delivery.

Watch the Speech Live at 1 PM

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/themes/whitehouse/img/facebook_b...) no-repeat; float: left; height: 30px; padding-top: 13px">JOIN THE LIVE CHAT

VISIT WHITEHOUSE.GOV

As students begin their school year, President Barack Obama will deliver his second annual Back to School speech on Tuesday, September 14 at Julia R Masterman Middle-High School in Philadelphia, PA at 1:00 PM ET. The President’s Back to School Speech is an opportunity to speak directly to students across the country. Last year, President Obama encouraged students to study hard, stay in school, and take responsibility for their education.

“Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide,” President Obama said to students last year.

How to Watch the Speech

President Obama’s Back to School will be streamed live on this page and onWhiteHouse.gov/live on September 14, 2010. Embed code for the live stream is posted below. Schools can also view the speech on CNN which has said it plans to take the event live.

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VISIT WHITEHOUSE.GOV

The Root: New Loan Rules Harm Minority Students : NPR

The Root: New Loan Rules Harm Minority Students : NPR

The Root: New Loan Rules Harm Minority Students

y September 13, 2010

Harry C. Alford is president and CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce.

The Department of Education has proposed new rules for students attending career-oriented schools that could disproportionally harm minority students. The rules, which would go into effect in November, could cut off support for those students who need the most financial assistance in getting their education. The new rules would make ineligible for-profit schools that do not meet certain graduation rates or levels of student debt.

While the for-profit college industry — as with any sector — has bad actors, the Department of Education's blanket fix is shaping up to do more harm than good. Student debt is a national problem, one that must be addressed, but imposing regulations on schools that are effectively educating students is unnecessary. Instead, the Department of Education should be encouraged to isolate bad actors — without imposing harmful regulations on schools that are working to train

Oakland teachers union stays neutral on tax The Education Report

The Education Report

Oakland teachers union stays neutral on tax

By Katy Murphy
Monday, September 13th, 2010 at 9:23 pm in OEA, budget, charter schools,initiatives
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The Oakland teachers union opposed the school district’s last (failed) attempt to raise its members’ salaries via local taxation (”Outstanding Teachers for All Oakland Students Act“). But tonight, union leaders decided take a neutral position on a similar initiative, Measure L, according to union President Betty Olson-Jones.

“I think it was the best we could have hoped for, given the track record,” said Peter Fiske, a Chabot Elementary School parent who’s volunteering on the parcel tax campaign.

Rebranded as “Oakland Unified School District’s Student Achievement, Support and Safety Measure,” Measure L would cost Oakland property owners $195 a year and generate an estimated $20 million. Though “teacher” does not appear in the title, most the funds would go to the salaries of teachers and other school-based employees.

The teachers union, which held a one-day strike in April and has yet to resolve a contract dispute with the district, withdrew Read the rest of this entry »

The good and the bad in Texas SAT scores | THE EDUCATION FRONT Blog | dallasnews.com

The good and the bad in Texas SAT scores | THE EDUCATION FRONT Blog | dallasnews.com

The good and the bad in Texas SAT scores

by William McKenzie/ Editorial Columnist

New SAT scores are in. Here's the good and bad news, from Texas' perspective.

First, the positive part.

1. Math scores either rose in some subgroups or declined only a little in aggregate. Wow. Given the sharp math decline you see during the elementary and middle school years in lesser- performing schools, I wouldn't have expected those math trend lines. Especially since reading and writing scores declined more sharply across the board. Usually, math goes down and reading and writing go up.

2. In Texas, more first-generation and minority students are taking the SAT. In a state as diverse as Texas, that's encouraging news.

3. The tougher core curriculum is paying off for Texas high school students who chose to go for four years of English and three for math, science and social studies. There has been a big debate over the curriculum, but

Local News | Ferndale teachers go back to work | Seattle Times Newspaper

Local News | Ferndale teachers go back to work | Seattle Times Newspaper

Ferndale teachers go back to work

School in Ferndale begins Tuesday as teachers go back to school with a new contract.

The Associated Press

FERNDALE, Wash. —

School in Ferndale begins Tuesday as teachers go back to school with a new contract.

Classes were canceled for three days last week after teachers voted to go on strike.

On Monday, the Ferndale District School Board voted to approve the three-year contract, which was

Viewpoints: What you learn in kindergarten isn't the stuff you'll find on tests - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Viewpoints: What you learn in kindergarten isn't the stuff you'll find on tests - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Viewpoints: What you learn in kindergarten isn't the stuff you'll find on tests

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By Jill Duman
Special to The Bee

Published: Tuesday, Sep. 14, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 15A

Last Modified: Tuesday, Sep. 14, 2010 - 7:57 am

Sometime soon, the governor of California will have to decide whether to sign off on legislation that would create an early cutoff date for kindergarten eligibility. The plan is to require kindergartners to be 5 years old by Sept. 1 rather than Dec. 1 – in keeping with most other states that use an earlier cutoff date.

It seems that kindergarten apparently is no longer the "garden" of play and crafts originally envisioned by European educators in the early 19th century. In 21st-century California, there are pages of academic standards for that first year of public schooling, and younger kids just aren't making the grade academically. With a mere 13 years to make it to college, it seems we just can't afford the lag time.

What a pity.

In old-fashioned kindergarten, the pace is slow, the way it should be when you are young and just starting out. It's a place to become acquainted with details that very quickly disappear into the white noise of a grown-up life: the days of the week; the months of the year; the seasons; pleases and thank-yous; the stuff most of us can't remember without a smart phone.

Kindergarten is more about the journey than the destination. A kindergartner can spend 20

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/14/3026703/what-you-learn-in-kindergarten.html#ixzz0zWDZcq19

CSUS holding preview day for prospective students - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com

CSUS holding preview day for prospective students - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com

CSUS holding preview day for prospective students

By Bill Lindelof - Published: 7:31 am

Prospective students are invited to tour Sacramento State early next month and learn about academic programs and student services.

Sacramento-area state test scores rise, but feds grow impatient

By Diana Lambert and Phillip Reese - Updated: 7:48 am

Schools in the Sacramento region are improving, according to state test scores, but not fast enough for the federal government.

• School test score rollout begins with STAR release
• See API reports by school, district

California bill would ease arts requirement in high schools

By Edward Ortiz - Published: Monday, September 13 2010 - 12:00 am

A bill that seeks to reduce dropout rates by changing high school graduation requirements statewide has arts education advocates bristling.

Sac Charter High's new principal knows politics is part of the job

By Melody Gutierrez - Updated: Monday, September 13 2010 - 7:08 am

Sacramento Charter High School's new principal, Will Jarrell, is juggling the part of his job that requires a politician's polished demeanor with his relaxed, verbose nature.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/education/#ixzz0zWDHezo6

Winooski, Vt., teachers and school facing strike - Boston.com

Winooski, Vt., teachers and school facing strike - Boston.com

Winooski, Vt., teachers and school facing strike

September 14, 2010

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WINOOSKI, Vt.—Teachers and school officials in Winooski, Vt., are going to make one last effort to avoid a strike.

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WCAX-TV says the teachers union and the school board are planning to hold a negotiation session Tuesday.

If no deal is reached teachers will go on strike Wednesday.

Teachers voted last week to go on strike if a new contract

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This Week In Education: Magazines: New Atlantic Covers Autism, "Hacker" Education

This Week In Education: Magazines: New Atlantic Covers Autism, "Hacker" Education

Magazines: New Atlantic Covers Autism, "Hacker" Education

by Alexander Russo

Ever wonder who was the first person diagnosed with autism, and what happened to him? Check out this Atlantic magazine article about the autism