Friday, March 26, 2010

Calling All Volunteers! — The Rancho Cordova Post

Calling All Volunteers!

by BOB FARLEY on MARCH 26, 2010 · 0 COMMENTS

The Folsom Cordova Community Partnership is looking for caring, dedicated mentors!

The mentoring program here at the Partnership, called Roots and Horizons, wants you to join our team and help us make a difference in the lives of many children who have a parent/guardian who is incarcerated. Our program requires that each applicant have a valid driver’s license and insurance and a reliable form of transportation. In addition, we ask that each individual commit to a full year of mentoring a child for at least 1 hour per week. It may sound like a long time but when you’re having fun, time flies!

Even if you are not sure about this opportunity, feel free to drop by our upcoming mentor mixer. The mixer will be held on Tuesday, March 30th beginning at 6:30 at the Folsom Cordova Community Partnership located at 10455 Investment Circle, Rancho Cordova.

The mixer will allow time for current mentors to build relationships, introduce potential

CalPERS probe becomes criminal investigation - Sacramento Business, Housing Market News | Sacramento Bee

CalPERS probe becomes criminal investigation

By Dale Kasler
dkasler@sacbee.com

Published: Friday, Mar. 26, 2010 - 9:55 am

The CalPERS influence-peddling probe has turned into a criminal investigation, the Wall Street Journal reported today.

The newspaper, quoting anonymous sources, said U.S. Justice Department investigators in Los Angeles are looking into whether investment decisions at public pensions funds such as CalPERS were influenced by illegal payments.

Six individuals have pleaded guilty to criminal charges in connection with a corruption probe involving New York state's public pension fund, but so far no one has been charged in the CalPERS investigation.

CalPERS officials said today they haven't been contacted by criminal authorities.

"We aren't aware of any criminal investigation," said Brad Pacheco, spokesman for the California Public Employees' Retirement System.

CalPERS hired a Washington law firm last fall to investigate the activities of placement agents after disclosing that one agent - former CalPERS board member Alfred Villalobos - earned roughly $60 million in fees helping clients obtain investments from the big pension fund. CalPERS later revealed that the ten most prolific placement agents earned fees totaling $125 million.

The Journal said criminal investigators are scrutinizing a few individuals for their possible role in

Crowd wants to save principal, Puente Project - Inside Bay Area

Crowd wants to save principal, Puente Project

By Jason Sweeney
The Oakland Tribune

Posted: 03/26/2010 12:00:00 AM PDT

HAYWARD — An overflow crowd turned out for a school board meeting this week to speak up for programs on the chopping block because of budget shortfalls, and for school staff members who have been pink-slipped because the state has designated their schools as "persistently lowest-achieving."

On top of a large budget deficit, three of the Hayward Unified School district's facilities — Burbank Elementary School, Longwood Elementary School and Tennyson High School — received the "lowest-achieving" designation, subjecting them to drastic reforms, including layoffs of staff and possible closure.

The Hayward City Hall council chamber and an overflow room were filled Wednesday night, and dozens of parents, students and teachers rallied in front of City Hall well into the night.

Sandra Escobedo, principal at Burbank Elementary School, is one of those who may not be returning this coming school year because the school's test scores remain in the bottom 5 percent of California schools. Schools identified as persistently low performers are entitled to state grants, but only if they comply with certain mandates, such as replacing their principals.

Escobedo has served as principal at Burbank for about 2½ years and is popular with teachers, students and parents who do not want to see her go. The school has seen its Academic Performance Index score increase by 50 points under her tenure.

Speakers asked the board to take

action to keep Escobedo, including applying for a waiver or exception with the state.

Senate Advances School Lunch Reform: Is A 6 Cent Increase Enough?

MARY CLARE JALONICK | 03/24/10 04:21 PM |

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WASHINGTON — Kids will always grab pizza and dessert in the school lunch line, but those items may be healthier in coming school years if Democrats in Congress succeed in toughening rules governing the nation's school lunches.

Legislation approved Wednesday by the Senate Agriculture Committee would allow the Agriculture Department to create new standards for all foods in schools, including vending machine items, to give students healthier meal options. The legislation would spend $4.5 billion more over 10 years for nutrition programs.

New standards are not expected to push popular foods off the cafeteria line completely, just to make them healthier. For example, pizza may be made with whole wheat crust and low-fat mozzarella, while desserts could have fewer calories. Hamburgers could be made with leaner meat, and vending machines could be stocked with less candy and fewer high-calorie sodas.

The legislation would also expand the number of low-income children eligible for free or reduced cost meals, a step Democrats say would help President Barack Obama reach his goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015.

Creation of new standards, which public health advocates have sought for a decade, has unprecedented support from many of the nation's largest food and beverage companies, including Mars Inc. and PepsiCo. The two sides came together on the issue as a heightened interest in nutrition has made it difficult for anyone, especially the companies themselves, to push junk foods in schools.

Still, congressional action is only the first step. Many of the most difficult decisions, including what kinds of foods will be sold and what ingredients may be limited, will be left up to the Agriculture Department.

When New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand offered an amendment to ban artery-clogging trans fats from schools, for example, Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., said

illinois: illinois and education funding: education funding and reform: education funding: funding bias: bias: education: reform: taxes: property taxes: taxpayers: economy: politics: illinois politics: legislation: law: lawsuit: - Chicago Political Commentary

illinois: illinois and education funding: education funding and reform: education funding: funding bias: bias: education: reform: taxes: property taxes: taxpayers: economy: politics: illinois politics: legislation: law: lawsuit: - Chicago Political Commentary

Education Funding Bias in Illinois: Lawsuit Filed

In the State of Illinois, 65% of all education funding comes via property taxes. The state, meanwhile, contributes a measly 28%. Illinois' contribution ranks one of the lowest rates in the nation. Yet, Illinois is still $853.5 Million in arrears to school districts around the state.

Education Funding

Property Tax funding of school districts has long been a controversial issue. The biggest argument, against this method of funding, is that poorer communities must pay higher property taxes in order to meet the minimum cost of educating a student than the affluent ones. Each year, the state must establish a funding "foundation level". From that baseline and depending on property values, communities rely on different tax rates, along with expected state aid to arrive at the minimum cost of educating a student. This year that cost was determined to be $6,119 per pupil.

This method creates serious inequities from district to district. Homeowners in property value poor districts must pay a higher property tax rate than the more affluent districts. That disparity would seem to put this funding method at odds with our State Constitution's Equal Protection Clause. On Wednesday, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of two homeowners, Ron Newell of Cairo and Paul Carr of Chicago Heights, claiming Illinois' education funding system was discriminatory because of where they lived. It also alleges that the state is shirking its' responsibility to properly fund education by relying too heavily on local property taxes.

Scott Lasser, a partner at Sidney Austin, who is the attorney for the plaintiffs, said "It is

A disservice to students — and history - baltimoresun.com

A disservice to students — and history

By Bill Warshaw

March 26, 2010

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Texas Sets a Dangerous Precedent

The Texas State Board of Education recently recommended sweeping alterations for the textbooks it buys, casting American history in a more conservative light. As Texas is the largest single consumer of textbooks because of the nature of its statewide book ordering system, its standards are adopted by the publishing companies, and thus any changes it makes are made to the textbooks that 80 percent of American students read. The changes are typical of Fox News/Glenn Beck extreme-right bias, which is to be expected from a board dominated by ultraconservatives. As a high school student, I find the consequences of this adulteration of history terrifying.

The changes include Latino history and culture being covered meagerly at best; third-party candidates such as Ross Perot and Ralph Nader not being mentioned; Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson being cited as an example of effective leadership; and McCarthyism being given a more positive portrayal. Thomas Jefferson is no longer mentioned as a writer who influenced the intellectual origins of America - apparently due in large part to his espousal of separation between church and state. He is replaced by the likes of Thomas Aquinas andJohn Calvin.

The board also refused to require that "students learn that the Constitution prevents the U.S. government from

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Friday, March 26, 2010