Sunday, October 17, 2010

In brief: A look at Bush-era policies today | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | National Politics

In brief: A look at Bush-era policies today

12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, October 17, 2010

Melanie Mason

President George W. Bush left office almost two years ago, but the effects of his policies persist today. Here's a look at some key Bush decisions:

TAX CUTS

Then: The Bush tax cuts, passed in 2001 and 2003, lowered tax rates on income, dividends and capital gains. They also gradually phased out the estate tax and increased tax credits for education and retirement savings.

Citing the budget surplus of the late 1990s, Bush told Congress in 2001, "the people of America have been overcharged and, on their

InsideEd: Union and district leaders to regroup, resell BTU contract - Education news and issues in Baltimore that affect students and teachers, from kindergarten to college - baltimoresun.com

Union and district leaders to regroup, resell BTU contract

The proposed Baltimore Teachers Union contract failed to garner the majority support from the 2,600 educators who voted this week on whether to send it to ratification. Union and district officials said they are confident that once they give teachers more time to digest the contract's radical changes, it will pass with flying colors.

Our editorial board weighed in, agreeing with BTU President Marietta English's take that the defeat of the contract, which educators voted on Wednesday and Thursday, was just a "bump in the road."

However, details were murky Friday about how union and district leaders will address the hundreds of teachers who said they not only needed more than two weeks to comprehend the contact, but more specifics on how its initiatives would be implemented and paid for.

In a follow-up story about the defeat, schools CEO Andres Alonso provided some insight into how much more information teachers may get in the coming weeks. Alonso has declined to speak publicly about the contract since it was presented two weeks ago, saying he did not want to risk violating labor laws by

Teach for America infuses charter schools - JSOnline

Teach for America infuses charter schools

Oct. 16, 2010 |(1) COMMENTS

A funny thing happened on the way to Teach for America trying to give Milwaukee Public Schools an infusion of idealism and energy from some of the best and brightest of America's college graduates:

MPS ran out of jobs for them and for a lot of other young, promising teachers.

So instead, Teach for America's Milwaukee work this year involves infusing itself mostly into charter schools and private schools in the publicly funded voucher program.

In the big picture, you can argue this doesn't make much difference: The corps members, as TFA teachers are called, are still working with thousands of the city's students who need good teachers.

In terms of the individual teachers involved, it doesn't make too much difference either, at least in many

Nuanced Differences Separate Ehrlich, O'Malley on Charter Schools - Southern Maryland Headline News

Nuanced Differences Separate Ehrlich, O'Malley on Charter Schools

ANNAPOLIS (October 16, 2010)—Charter schools are here to stay in Maryland, no matter whether voters re-elect incumbent Gov. Martin O'Malley or former Gov. Bob Ehrlich. But the two would offer slightly different approaches for the future of this mainstay of education reform.

The distinction — notably less stark than the candidates' differences on issues like funding — lies in the emphasis the two assign to charter schools' place in the education system and their role in reforming that system.

Ehrlich, who signed the Maryland Public Charter School Act of 2003 into law, said he would aim to double the number of charter schools and to create a body independent of county school boards that can authorize charters.

"They've given a lot of poor children an opportunity to

Education reform: Teachers can learn from example - latimes.com

Teaching teachers

As educators struggle with the issue of teacher improvement, a program in Tennessee shows that struggling teachers can gain a lot from watching great teachers in action.

By Emily Hanford

October 17, 2010

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Teachers are at the center of the great debate over how to fix American education. We're told the bad ones need to be fired; the good ones, rewarded. But what about the rest? Most teachers are in the middle — not terrible, but they could be better. If every student is going to have a good teacher, then the question of how to help teachers in the middle must be part of the debate.

One reason "teacher improvement" doesn't get more attention is because researchers don't know that much about how teachers get better. Typical professional development programs, in which teachers go to a workshop for a day or two, aren't effective. Even programs that provide longer-term training

More intellectually disabled youths go to college - Boston.com

More intellectually disabled youths go to college

In this photo taken Oct. 19, 2010, Gabe Savage, right, Alex Schaffer, center, and Mallory Graves, walk across campus at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Mo. The three are part of a handful of students participating in a two-year program at the school tailored to students with mental disabilities. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

By Heather Hollingsworth

Associated Press Writer / October 16, 2010

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WARRENSBURG, Mo.—Zach Neff is all high-fives as he walks through his college campus in western Missouri. The 27-year-old with Down syndrome hugs most everybody, repeatedly. He tells teachers he loves them.

"I told Zach we are putting him on a hug diet -- one to say hello and one to say goodbye," said Joyce Downing, who helped start a new program at the University of Central Missouri that serves students with disabilities.

The hope is that polishing up on social skills, like cutting back on the hugs, living in residence halls and going to classes with non-disabled classmates will help

LAUSD report comes as board gets ready to OK $320 million in loans - LA Daily News

LAUSD report comes as board gets ready to OK $320 million in loans

By Connie Llanos, Staff Writer

Posted: 10/16/2010 06:54:24 PM PDT

Updated: 10/16/2010 08:05:24 PM PDT

A new audit of Los Angeles Unified's massive $20 billion building program raises concerns about the district using overly optimistic projections in its budgeting and cautions officials about authorizing new construction projects.

The report comes as the school board is set Tuesday to finalize $320 million in loans for new capital improvement projects such as installing solar panels and relocating a police station.

The report by Capital Program Management, Inc. warns the district that while it expects nearly $900 million in bond funds owed by the state, it should only count on receiving about $220 million for now.

That could force the district to dip into its general fund - used to pay for salaries, programs and supplies - to pay back future loans, rather than count on money it already has on hand in its bond reserves.

The report has at least one board member rethinking Tuesday's scheduled vote. Board member Yolie Flores said the report makes her question whether the board should approve all $320 million, but she acknowledged that

Coming Soon, to a Theater Near You � Failing Schools

Coming Soon, to a Theater Near You

OCTOBER 16, 2010

by mariasallee

I caught these films at a recent screening in an abandoned warehouse, or some other undisclosed location. Here are this season’s offerings and my impression of them:

D.C. Follies

A brash newcomer with little practical experience but plenty of mettle (Michelle Rhee) is abruptly promoted to a position of authority in D.C. Schools. She wastes no time in converting this authority into a bully pulpit, yielding mixed results. The movie has no heart. There is no evidence of growth taking place within the protagonist–she’s just not a very sympathetic

University World News - COLOMBIA: Groups rally to free imprisoned professor

COLOMBIA: Groups rally to free imprisoned professor

Eileen Travers
17 October 2010
Issue: 143

Education International, a Belgium-based global teachers' federation, has ramped up its protest against the incarceration of Colombian professor and trade unionist Miguel Beltrán by launching an online petition to free him. The petition went online after its launch on 10 September at the International Conference on Higher Education and Research in Vancouver, Canada.

Beltrán was tried last year by the Colombian government on charges of 'rebellion' and 'breaking the law for terrorist purposes'. There is no evidence to support the allegations against him, say the organisations that have been gathering signatures across the globe to demand his release.

Beltrán was deported from Mexico in 2008 by the Colombian government for suspected involvement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, commonly known as FARC.

Education International has repeatedly condemned abuses of teachers' human and trade union rights in Colombia. As part of its campaign to release Beltrán, the organisation has written