Why I Love My Public School

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Parents for Public Schools -- San Francisco (PPS-SF) is a network of parents working together to build and ensure quality schools for all San Francisco children. We do this by providing parent-to-parent information, news and networking and by developing parent leaders at the school and district level.
http://www.ppssf.org/

CTA representatives, Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), Assembly Majority Leader Kevin Deleon (D-Los Angeles),

This morning, CTA representatives, Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), Assembly Majority Leader Kevin Deleon (D-Los Angeles), and school supporters told reporters at a news conference on the Capitol steps that they are urging Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign a measure that would protect $402 million in funding for the Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA) and district revenue limit appropriations. SCTA President Linda Tuttle spoke about schools in Sacramento that have seen skyrocketing student performance as a result of the tools the QEIA funding helps provide.

Sacramento Press / Mayor in favor of Nestlé water bottling plant

Sacramento Press / Mayor in favor of Nestlé water bottling plant:

"Nestlé water bottling plant

Johnson praised Nestlé’s plan to set up a plant to bottle and sell water from the American River, saying the plant will create jobs.

“I knew that this would bring about 40 to 60 jobs in our community and that’s a good thing,” he said.

Johnson also said he wished he could have been more involved in the process of bringing the plant to Sacramento, but noted that the city manager’s office has jurisdiction on the issue.

But Councilmembers Kevin McCarty and Lauren Hammond disagree. They said they want the City Council to get involved in the issue. McCarty has called Nestlé’s plan “a sweetheart deal.”"

Inside City Hall: Tretheway blocks mayor's council committee shuffle - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com

Inside City Hall: Tretheway blocks mayor's council committee shuffle - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com:

"Tretheway blocks mayor's council committee shuffle

Mayor Kevin Johnson's attempt to shuffle the City Council subcommittees was scuttled last week. Here's the back story, according the parties involved:

Jeff Dorso, the attorney who chaired the mayor's transition team, stopped by Councilman Ray Tretheway's office 90 minutes before last week's council meeting. Dorso wanted to chat about Johnson's proposed strong-mayor initiative, for which Dorso is a legal adviser.

During the talk, the mayor's proposed realignment of two City Council committees came up. It was on that evening's consent agenda - which is normally approved with little discussion."

UC Leadership Looks Into Alternative Ways To Save Public Universities - California Progress Report

UC Leadership Looks Into Alternative Ways To Save Public Universities - California Progress Report

A little over a week ago, the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of UC Berkeley, Robert Birgeneau and Frank Yeary wrote an op-ed published on both coasts arguing for a new hybrid model as a means to save California's public universities.

They wrote:

"The economic crisis has made this a countrywide phenomenon, with devastating cuts in some states, including California. Historically acclaimed public institutions are struggling to remain true to their mission as tuition rises and in-state students from middle- and low-income families are displaced by out-of-state students from higher socioeconomic brackets who pay steeper fees. While America is fortunate to have many great private universities, we do not need to add to the list by privatizing Berkeley, Illinois, Rutgers, etc. On the contrary, we need to keep our public research and teaching universities excellent and accessible to the vast majority of Americans."
Their proposal is for the federal government should create a hybrid model,

"in which a limited number of our great public research and teaching universities receive basic operating support from the federal government and their respective state governments. Washington might initially choose a representative set of schools, perhaps based on their research achievements, their success in graduating students, commitment to public service and their record in having a student body that is broadly representative of society.

The White House - Blog Post - Streaming at 1:30: National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation

The White House - Blog Post - Streaming at 1:30: National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation:

"From his first days in office the President made clear that science, technology, and innovation would be elevated to core values in his Administration. But the awards being given today are evidence of how deeply rooted these things are in the American tradition.
Watch the event here through WhiteHouse.gov/live

Watch and discuss the event as it's happening through Facebook
The National Medal of Science was created by statute in 1959 and is administered for the White House by the National Science Foundation in recognition of individuals who have made outstanding contributions to science and engineering."

Afterschool Alliance

Afterschool Alliance:

"Each afternoon across the U.S., 15 million children--more than a quarter of our youth--are alone and unsupervised after school. The parents of 18 million would enroll their children in an afterschool program, if one were available. These are some of the key findings from the nation’s most in-depth study of how America’s children spend their afternoons. America After 3 PM was sponsored by the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. The 2009 report, conducted for the Afterschool Alliance, surveyed nearly 30,000 households across the United States.

The survey finds that 8.4 million children participate in an afterschool program, an increase of nearly 3 million children over the past five years. While this is encouraging, there is still work to be done. The number of children left alone after the school day ends has risen to 15.1 million children - an increase of 800,000 children - since the 2004 edition of America After 3PM.

Listen to the Afterschool Alliance's Jodi Grant and the JCPenney Afterschool Fund's Jodi Gibson talk about the new America After 3 PM findings.
Please see the links and map below for America After 3 PM insight into nearly every avenue of afterschool program participation."

Read the full report: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/12734400/America-After-3-PM

Education Week: Survey Finds More Children Unattended After School

Education Week: Survey Finds More Children Unattended After School:

"Thirty percent of those students left alone are middle schoolers, 4 percent are in elementary school, and the remaining 66 percent are students of high school age, according to the nationally representative survey, which included responses from about 30,000 U.S. households during the 2008-09 school year. Most participants were surveyed through the mail with some follow-up phone surveys, and the margin of error for the study is plus or minus sixth-tenths of a percent.

The survey, sponsored by the JCPenney Afterschool Fund, based in Plano, Texas, also found that 88 percent of those surveyed agreed that after-school programs are “an absolute..."

Bridging Differences: Why 'Washington-Driven Standardization' Is NOT Best

Bridging Differences: Why 'Washington-Driven Standardization' Is NOT Best:

"I am somewhat crazed and stressed-out today because my book is due to the publisher, with no more edits allowed. So, needless to say, I am focused on meeting that deadline. But since the book deals with the same issues that we discuss every week, it is not as if I have to turn my attention to a totally different subject. Readers of this blog know that I have often tried out ideas here and benefited by hearing their reactions."

One issue that we have discussed and should discuss more is the regulations embedded in the Race to the Top fund, that sum of $4.3 billion that the U.S. Department of Education is using to stimulate innovation and reform. It may be daring to say this, but I am weary of reform. I think that our schools have been overrun by too many reforms, to the point where it becomes difficult to say what effect any of them has had. Some of our schools are like archeological sites, with layer after layer of reform, one on top of the other. A teacher once said to me that she had "reform fatigue." I wonder if any other nation so regularly reorganizes, reshapes, and reforms its schools.

Inverting Bloom's Taxonomy

Education Week: Inverting Bloom's Taxonomy

The magic of Bloom’s Taxonomy, that familiar classification system for levels of thinking (and hence learning objectives), was that teachers could close their eyes and picture it. And with a little help from entrepreneurial consultants, they didn’t need to close their eyes at all—posters of color-coded pyramids became a standard part of classroom decor. The taxonomy was lean and intuitive, but the image of the pyramid gave it staying power. “Knowledge” formed the wide and stable base. “Evaluation” was the terrain of intellectual mountaineers.

Applebatch: Luring Students Back to Learning

Applebatch: Luring Students Back to Learning:

"Should educators use money to stimulate attendance and create better grades? The New York Times reports that in July of 2009, the French Government released a list of 165 initiatives proposed to stymie high school dropout rates that have led to high youth unemployment in France. Among these initiatives is an incentive-based proposal that has fomented a debate in the teacher community in France since its more public pronunciation by the newspaper Le Parisien last Friday. By committing to an attendance and performance target, high schoolers can earn from €2,000 to €10,000 for their class fund that can then be spent on educational activities such as field trips."

Whitman Q&A Pt. 3: Living with schools cuts - Total Buzz - OCRegister.com

Whitman Q&A Pt. 3: Living with schools cuts - Total Buzz - OCRegister.com:

"In this installment, GOP gubernatorial candidate and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman talks about how we may need to live with the scaled-down education funding for now. She says K-12 needs to move more money from administration to the classroom, get more charter schools, and reward the top teachers. And she says 10 percent cuts of higher ed may actually be an asset, although further cuts are hurtful.

I asked if she thought the teachers union was part of the problem, but she wasn’t going there.

In Part 1, Whitman addresses her spotty voting records. You can also click here for today’s update on that issue.

In Part 2, she addresses the state budget, including her proposals for tax cuts and eliminating 20,000 to 30,000 state jobs."

New school assignment plan cuts parents' choice

New school assignment plan cuts parents' choice:

"For years, parents have been given wide latitude to pick and choose schools for their children in the Seattle Public Schools."

Until now.

Seattle Public Schools administrators Tuesday evening unveiled the proposed new attendance-area boundary maps (click here for high school and here for middle and elementary schools) for the 46,000 students attending 88 public schools. After numerous community meetings, including one this Saturday, the final School Board vote will take place Nov. 18.

The new student-assignment plan, approved by the Board in mid-June, uses a community-based approach towards school assignments, sending students to schools closest to home. These changes are necessary, district officials have said, because Seattle's population density and demographic makeup has shifted considerably and parents have demanded more predictability.

The cash-strapped school district could save a considerable amount of money by changing the way schools are assigned and by reducing transportation costs. (In 2007, we reported that Seattle spends an average of $560.86 per student on transportation, or about $25 million -- more than other large districts in the state).
The plan, however, would also require new capital expenditures. Five closed elementary schools would reopen under the plan.

Education Chief Duncan to Give Innovation Grants - NYTimes.com

Education Chief Duncan to Give Innovation Grants - NYTimes.com:

"The federal Department of Education sketched out a new nationwide competition on Tuesday under which some 2,700 school districts and nonprofit groups are expected to compete for pieces of a $650 million innovation fund.

The department already has the 50 states vying for chunks of a $5.4 billion education improvement fund that it calls Race to the Top; the innovation fund is a separate competition.

Federal officials said the Investing in Innovation Fund would be distributed in three categories. Small development grants of up to $5 million will support new, unproven ideas that seem worth exploring, they said. Validation grants of up to $30 million will support existing programs that have shown evidence that they can work. Scale-up grants of up to $50 million will go to programs that have developed a strong track record for improving student achievement, the officials said."

Ohio.com - Willard: Grading education isn't easy

Ohio.com - Willard: Grading education isn't easy:

"COLUMBUS: About a decade ago, this newspaper ran a series of articles about the problems facing public education. In those stories, three reporters, myself included, each spent a day following typical fourth-grade students in three different school districts.

In one classroom, the teacher asked students about a spinnaker, and a young man answered by explaining he had seen the sailing ship on a trip to Turkey. In another classroom, when a teacher asked what was the first thing they smelled when they went to the movies, the students fell silent. When the teacher exclaimed, ''popcorn,'' we learned many of the students had yet to step into a theater.

Students arrive at the doorsteps of schools each day burdened with backpacks and often varied experiences and economic backgrounds. They are at different learning levels, and for this reason, it is difficult to fairly assess just how much teaching is going on in individual classrooms and buildings and across districts."

Doyle signs bill mandating kindergarten -- chicagotribune.com

Doyle signs bill mandating kindergarten -- chicagotribune.com:

"MADISON, Wis. - Starting in 2011 children will be required to complete kindergarten before they can start first grade in Wisconsin.

Gov. Jim Doyle on Tuesday signed a bill making that change.

The bill passed the Legislature last month. Supporters say it's needed to ensure that students who enroll in kindergarten actually attend class.

Because kindergarten isn't mandatory now, students aren't bound by truancy rules.

It won't affect many children.

Each year, an average of just 117 first-graders haven't been to kindergarten. That's about one-third of 1 percent of the total number of first-graders as of last school year.

Students who are home schooled or attend charter schools can get an exemption."

Dyslexia and the reading brain

Dyslexia and the reading brain:

"All of us are born with brains that are designed to think and talk.

But no one is born with a brain that is designed to read.

For that reason, every child who learns to read is adapting older brain structures to a new purpose, and 'it's almost a miracle that so many kids are able to do that effortlessly.'

That's one of the main messages that Dr. Maryanne Wolf, director of the Center for Reading and Language Research at Tufts University, will deliver in a keynote address at a dyslexia conference here on Saturday."

Catalyst Notebook :: Pitfalls with school choice in Chicago, other districts

Catalyst Notebook :: Pitfalls with school choice in Chicago, other districts:

"A new report by The Center on Reinventing Public Education strikes an optimistic note on the emergence of “portfolio schools”—that is, charter and charter-like schools—in Chicago, New Orleans, New York and Washington DC. But the report also offers a long list of potential pitfalls—from the evaporation of philanthropic dollars to shifting political terrain—that threatens any well-oiled network of autonomous school options.

The center is a research collective at the University of Washington that generally takes a constructively critical view of school choice and district decentralization efforts. In this report, the researchers offer little in the way of evaluation of each city’s portfolio initiatives, but they do serve up a good reference tool for understanding the differences in scale and scope of major reform efforts in the country’s hotspots for urban educational change."

Head of D.C. Schools Pushes Need For Reforming Public Education | The Cornell Daily Sun

Head of D.C. Schools Pushes Need For Reforming Public Education The Cornell Daily Sun:

"Michelle Rhee ’92 has a no-nonsense attitude when it comes to improving the Washington, D.C. public schools system. As chancellor of the historically under-performing school district, she has shut down schools and fired teachers en-route to creating an environment in which all students can succeed.

Often seen as a controversial figure in public education, Rhee’s pioneering actions may someday lead to large-scale school reform. The Sun sat down with Rhee on Monday to talk about higher education’s role in innovating public schools, her portrayal in the media and her time at Cornell."

Danny Glover adds voice for school workers | Philadelphia Daily News | 10/07/2009

Danny Glover adds voice for school workers Philadelphia Daily News 10/07/2009:

"Actor Danny Glover is known for a lot of things, but being an advocate for the Philadelphia School District's lowest-paid workers may not be one of them.

'It's unconscionable,' Glover said yesterday about the meager wages of Philly schools' cafeteria workers and noontime aides.

Surrounded by a group of them at a home near Simon Gratz High, Glover appealed to the decision-makers to 'do better.'"