Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Goldman to Lend $25 Million for Charter Schools - Bloomberg

Goldman to Lend $25 Million for Charter Schools

By Esmé E. Deprez - Nov 9, 2010 11:31 AM PT

Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the most profitable Wall Street firm, will lend $25 million to a nonprofit community-development organization to finance 16 charter schools in New York City and New Jersey.

The nonprofit group, Local Initiatives Support Corp., will make the money available to the school operators during the next two years, Goldman Sachs and LISC, both based in New York, said today in a statement. The chairman of LISC, according to the group’s website, is Robert E. Rubin, former U.S. Treasury secretary.

Charter schools are nonsectarian, public institutions that operate independently of local boards of education in the U.S. under special charters. Goldman Sachs’s Urban Investment Group has

Ezra Klein - Early thoughts on Joel Klein, Cathie Black and education reform in New York York

Early thoughts on Joel Klein, Cathie Black and education reform in New York York

By Dana Goldstein

New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein stepped down today after eight years on the job and will be replaced by Hearst chairwoman Cathie Black. In the coming days, we’ll see many assessments of Klein’s legacy; what’s clear is that he succeeded in projecting an image of order, organization and improvement in the nation’s largest public school system, which educates 1 million children and employs 80,000 teachers. Klein oversaw the establishment of about 100 new charter schools; broke up large comprehensive high schools into smaller, themed schools; and raised the on-time high school graduation rate to 60 percent from about 44 percent in the class of 2004.

What’s less clear is how well-prepared the typical New York City public school grad is for higher education or the workplace; much of the district’s proudly touted gains on state tests disappeared earlier this year when New York declared the tests too easy and recalibrated proficiency rates. On NAEP, the only national test of students’ skills, New York City fourth-graders have improved modestly, but eighth-

Christie sets sights on Parsippany school chief - NorthJersey.com

Christie sets sights on Parsippany school chief

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

THE RECORD

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

TRENTON — Governor Christie has lashed out at a northern New Jersey school superintendent for seeking to extend his contract before a salary cap ordered by the governor goes into effect.

Christie repeatedly singled out Parsippany Superintendent Lee Seitz by name at a town hall event Tuesday, calling him the "new poster boy for all that is wrong with the public school system."

Seitz is seeking a five-year contract extension that would see his annual salary rise to $234,065.

Under the new pay scale that starts Feb. 7, superintendents would earn up to

Teacher’s Death Exposes Tensions on School Reform in L.A. - NYTimes.com

Teacher’s Death Exposes Tensions in L.A. Schools

By IAN LOVETT

Published: November 9, 2010

REPRINTS

LOS ANGELES — Colleagues of Rigoberto Ruelas were alarmed when he failed to show up for work one day in September. They described him as a devoted teacher who tutored students before school, stayed with them after and, on weekends, took students from his South Los Angeles elementary school to the beach.

Formula to Grade Teachers’ Skill Gains Acceptance, and Critics(September 1, 2010)

When his body was found in a ravine in the Angeles National Forest, and the coroner ruled it a suicide, Mr. Ruelas’s death became a flashpoint, drawing the city’s largest newspaper into the middle of the debate over reforming the nation’s second-largest school district.

When The Los Angeles Times released a database of “value-added analysis” of every teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District in August, Mr. Ruelas was rated “less effective than average.” Colleagues said he became noticeably depressed, and family

NJEA president calls Christie 'irresponsible' after he blamed teachers for lack of school supplies | NJ.com

NJEA president calls Christie 'irresponsible' after he blamed teachers for lack of school supplies

Published: Tuesday, November 09, 2010, 5:36 PM Updated: Tuesday, November 09, 2010, 5:36 PM

Jessica Calefati/The Star-Ledger
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Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerNJEA President Barbara Keshishian stands in the doorway of the Governor's Office at the Statehouse while waiting to enter for a meeting with Gov. Chris Christie, in this April 2010 file photo.

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TRENTON — The public battle between the state’s chief executive and its largest teachers union rolled on today with New Jersey Education President Barbara Keshishian labeling Gov. Chris Christie “irresponsible and out of control” following his comments about the union to students in Trenton last Friday.

Speaking at the Boys & Girls Club of Trenton and Mercer County, Christie told students their schools were short on needed supplies because of greedy teachers and union officials — not because of state aid cuts.

“Not only is he lying to students about the obvious impact of his massive cuts to public schools, but it is inconceivable that a governor would use such language with students in order to advance

Schools Matter: Klein Scrams From Bloomberg to Join Murdoch, Aarrgh

Klein Scrams From Bloomberg to Join Murdoch, Aarrgh

by Jim Horn

Quicker than you say Rhee is history, Klein is, too. After eight years as Bloomberg's edu-stooge, Joel (Gradgrind) Klein is moving into the boardroom of News Corp. as senior advisor to Rupert Murdoch. Does this mean that Fox News will take the leading propaganda role in the takeover of public schools by the hedge funders and casino capitalists? Could be. Does Bloomberg take this opportunity to hire a schools chief who knows something, anything, about schools or education? Don't be silly. From the Times:

Joel I. Klein, the New York City schools chancellor, is resigning and leaving city government, and will be replaced by Cathleen P. Black, the chairwoman of Hearst Magazines, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced at City Hall Tuesday afternoon.

Mr. Klein, in turn, will become an executive vice president of the News Corporation.

The mayor called Ms. Black “a superstar manager who has succeeded spectacularly in the private sector” and added, “There’s no one who knows more about the skills our children will need to

NYC Public School Parents: Joel Klein's resignation: it's about time

Joel Klein's resignation: it's about time

by Leonie Haimson

Many parents will be glad to see Joel Klein leave as chancellor, who had no respect for their views or priorities. In DOE’s own surveys, parents said that class size reduction was their greatest wish for their children, and yet class sizes have risen sharply under his leadership.

He also showed very little regard for the rule of law; and faced multiple lawsuits as a result, including one triggered by his refusal to reduce class size despite receiving more than $2 billion in additional state funds in exchange for promising to do so. He misspent that $2 billion, and stole our children’s futures.

Judge in Mass. upholds hazing suspensions - Boston.com

Judge in Mass. upholds hazing suspensions

November 9, 2010

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NEEDHAM, Mass.—A judge has refused to overturn the hazing suspensions of five players on Needham High School's girls soccer team.

As a result, the players will not be allowed on the field for Tuesday's state tournament game against Brockton.

WBZ-TV reported that four seniors and one freshmen were suspended following the hazing incident and the team's coach placed on leave.

The station reported that the hazing victims were blindfolded and led around on dog leashes, then hit in their faces with pies.

Parents of the suspended students sought an injunction

Hechinger Report | How many students leave charter schools, and why do they go?

How many students leave charter schools, and why do they go?

by Linda Lutton

Charter schools are being talked about a lot lately as a strategy for improving urban education. In Chicago, families line up for the chance to get their kids into these schools, drawn by tougher discipline and academic standards; 11,000 kids are currently on waiting lists. But students also leave Chicago charter schools in surprisingly high numbers. WBEZ’s Linda Lutton looks into claims that charters move out students who are toughest to educate—kids with behavior problems, or kids who struggle academically. This story was co-reported with Sarah Karp of Catalyst Magazine.

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Nobody told Alberto Rodriguez to leave his Noble Street charter school.

Nobody had to.

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Tuesday, November 9, 2010