Seattle Schools Community Forum: Fighting Back For Our Schools - It Works!

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Fighting Back For Our Schools - It Works!:

Fighting Back For Our Schools - It Works!

by Melissa Westbrook

On the heels of Seattle public school parents pushback of a new transportation plan (pushed without input or announcement from/to parents), we have some other winning strategies.

The Alabama Legislature, fighting back against a far-reaching charter school bill, defeated it today with just one day left in their regular session.   Alabama is one of the mighty nine states to say no to charters.

From AL.com:
Dr. Henry Mabry, executive secretary of the Alabama Education Association, consistently told lawmakers during the session that the state didn’t need a dual system of schools when it couldn’t afford to adequately fund the single system it has.

“We don’t need to dilute even further the precious little funding for our elementary and secondary students to 

Ed Roundup for 5-11-12 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

Ed Roundup for 5-11-12 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):

Education Roundup for Week Ending May 11, 2012

SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Education (CDE) today issued this week's Education Roundup of education-related announcements of public interest.

Deadline Approaches for Schools to Apply
for Perkins Funds on New Online System

The CDE's Career and College Transition Division has created a new online tool to help local educational agencies apply for Carl D. Perkins Career & Technical Education 2012-13 funding before the 5 p.m. June 1 deadline.

The Perkins Grant Management System is an automated system that allows users to complete the application process in a fraction of the time compared to filling it out by hand. The new software has been prepopulated with school data to expedite the application process and provides error corrections in real time.

The Perkins Grant Management System is designed to help local educational agencies save time and money. It was also created as part of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson's Career Readiness Campaign - Initiatives & Programs designed to support, sustain, and strengthen career and technical education in California.

Carl D. Perkins Career & Technical Education is a federal funding program established to improve career technical education programs, integrate academic and career-technical instruction, serve special populations, and meet gender equity needs.

Students Need Work Permits from
School to Ensure Workplace Safety

Each year, an average of four minors die and another 4,000 are injured in work-related incidents statewide, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations. To help reduce workplace dangers and injuries as students seek summer jobs, the CDE reminds parents and school administrators that most California teens who are subject to the state's compulsory education laws must obtain work permits from their local school authorities.

As part of May's Safe Jobs for Youth Month, the CDE urges all school administrators to revisit their work permit requirements. Work permits are required under state laws to ensure minors get the proper training, and limit their hours and type of work to ensure their safety.

To help young workers get information on professional standards, workplace safety, labor rights, and how to communicate effectively, please visit the California Resource Network for Youth Workers Health and Safety  Web site to download a free Safe Jobs for Youth Resource Kit.

More information about work permits for California minors may be found on the CDE's Work Experience Education (WEE) - Career Technical Education Web page. The Work Experience Education program is part of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson's Career Readiness Campaign - Initiatives & Programs designed to support, sustain, and strengthen career and technical education in California.

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Missouri Education Watchdog: ALEC's Decision on Common Core Standards a Pig-Headed Decision?

Missouri Education Watchdog: ALEC's Decision on Common Core Standards a Pig-Headed Decision?:

ALEC's Decision on Common Core Standards a Pig-Headed Decision?

by stlgretchen

ALEC's decision on the anti-Common Core standards issue

It's a decision that isn't really a decision.  

h/t Big Education Ape: American Principle's Project press release on the ALEC vote today on anti-common core standards legislation. 

Washington, DC – Today, the board of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), after considering anti-Common Core legislation introduced by the American Principles Project (APP), Goldwater Institute and the Washington Policy Center last summer, delayed a decision on whether to endorse the legislation until their next meeting.

 

“ALEC’s delay in endorsing the resolution is troubling and plays into the strategy of the multi-billion dollar private entities that are pushing the Common Core,” said APP’s Emmett McGroarty.  ”This 

Word is that there will be a pension bill next week. « Fred Klonsky

Word is that there will be a pension bill next week. « Fred Klonsky:

Word is that there will be a pension bill next week.

by Fred Klonsky

Popout

Word is circulating that there will be a bill put before the Illinois General Assembly next week.
Will it increase teacher contributions?
Will it move the eligibility age to 67?
Will it reduce or eliminate the COLA?
Will it shift the share of the obligation that the state has to local districts?
Yes? Some?All four? Even worse?
In any case, IEA’s Government Relations Director Jim Reed is warning that the bill can move quickly. He has called on members to recall that the bill to create a two-tier pension system was rammed through the GA by Democratic Speaker Mike Madigan in hours.
In a previous post I warned of pension fatigue.
Get over it.
Get ready.
Are you ready to rumble?

solidaridad: Save LAUSD Adult Education Community Fair May 12, 2012

solidaridad: Save LAUSD Adult Education Community Fair May 12, 2012:

Save LAUSD Adult Education Community Fair May 12, 2012

Save LAUSD Adult Education Community Fair May 12, 2012


A COMMUNITY FAIR TO SAVE ADULT EDUCATION

Saturday, May 12, 2012

12 noon to 4:00 pm

MacArthur Park

(corner of 7^th and Park View)

Saveadulted.org

savingadulted@yahoo.com

213.505.2213

Unprecedented attacks call for unprecedented resistance. Superintendant John Deasy, School Board President Monica Garcia, and other “leaders” are rolling back the HUMAN RIGHT to Adult Education, with plans to summarily shut down programs that serve over 300,000 students—27% of LAUSD’s total population. They stand to save a meager 2% of the budget with these cuts, while they spend 12%—$793 million—on unspecified “Other Operating Expenses”.

On Saturday, students, teachers and community members will go on the offensive by offering a vibrant, bustling Community Fair to SAVE ALL OUR SCHOOLS. There will be a wide array of speakers to share all that Adult Ed means for millions of people. Special booths will allow attendees to record their Stories with a folklorist, create arts and crafts, and get informed and involved with the many facets of Adult Ed. A Family Literacy Coordinator will conduct Family Story Time for children and their caretakers. There will be music, and even a mass Zumba! Class, because healthy minds and healthy bodies go hand-in-hand.

UN EVENTO COMUNITARIO PARA SALVAR LA EDUCACION PARA ADULTOS

Sábado 12 de Mayo, 2012

12:00 a 16:00 horas

Mac Arthur Park
(Esquina Avenidas 7th y Park view)

Saveadulted.org
Savingadulted@yahoo.com
213.505.2213

Ataques sin precedentes llaman a medidas extraordinarias. El Superintendente John Deasy, presidenta del consejo escolar Mónica García, y otros “lideres” crean un revés al DERECHO HUMANO a la educación adulta, con planes de eliminar en forma sumaria programas que prestan servicios a más de 300,000 alumnos – 27% del total de la población de LAUSD. Su postura es eliminar con estos recortes una cifra magra de un 2 % del presupuesto total, mientras gastan un 12 % -793 millones – En “Otros Gastos de Operación” no detallados.

Este sábado miembros de la comunidad, alumnos y profesores lanzaran una ofensiva al ofrecer un vibrante y animado evento comunitario para SALVAR NUESTRAS ESCUELAS. Habrá una amplia gama de oradores quienes compartirán lo que representa la educación para adultos para millones de personas. Puestos especiales permitirán a los presentes grabar sus cuentos con un folklorista, crear artesanías, informase e involucrase con los distintos aspectos de la educación adulta. Un coordinador de alfabetización realizara un tiempo de lectura familiar para niños y sus cuidadores. ¡Habrá música e incluso una clase masiva de ZUMBA! Porque cuerpos sanos y mente sanas van de la mano. 

Is asking about secrets a good way to prod kids to write? | Get Schooled

Is asking about secrets a good way to prod kids to write? | Get Schooled:

Is asking about secrets a good way to prod kids to write?

7:05 pm May 11, 2012, by Maureen Downey

A New Jersey parent complained about a question on a state exam that asked third-graders to write about a secret and why it was hard to keep. His complaints have led the state to re-evaluate the use of the question.

This is the second news story in recent weeks about the integrity of a test question on a standardized exam. A few weeks ago, there was an outcry about a question on an 8th New York reading exam that asked about race between a hare and a talking pineapple. I read the passage and the questions and have to admit they were strange.

In this new case, parent Richard Goldberg objected when his twin 9-year-old sons told him that 

Jersey Jazzman: Massive Tenure Hypocrisy, Moran Style!

Jersey Jazzman: Massive Tenure Hypocrisy, Moran Style!:

Massive Tenure Hypocrisy, Moran Style!

by Duke

Tom Moran, Op-Ed Editor for the largest newspaper in New Jersey, continues to dig a deeper hole for himself:

It was a relief when acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf came to the rescue of Perth Amboy’s embattled superintendent, Janine Caffrey, by reinstating her to her job.

The school board was way out of line in removing Caffrey in the first place. To get the flavor of this fight, know that the man leading the charge against her, board president Samuel Lebreault, is under investigation because he applied to get free lunches for his kids in school, even though he knew he didn’t qualify. Caffrey says he also repeatedly pressed her to make patronage hires and was furious when she refused.

Let's leave aside the journalistic ethics of claiming Caffrey is telling the truth and Lebreault is lying on the basis of Caffrey's word alone. Let's leave aside Moran's obvious disdain for "innocent before proven guilty." Let's leave 

Investing in Healthy Recess to Nurture the Whole Child — Whole Child Education

Investing in Healthy Recess to Nurture the Whole Child — Whole Child Education:

Investing in Healthy Recess to Nurture the Whole Child

by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers

Post submitted by Jill Vialet, founder and CEO of whole child partner Playworks
A healthy, positive school environment transcends what goes on in the classroom. In fact, what happens at recess holds a critical key to developing the whole child. A school that provides time and space for students to run, talk, and play helps to ensure every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Experience and research tell us that active students learn better, and daily recess is proven to help studentsfocus in the classroom.
Unfortunately, recess can also be a headache. Elementary school principals say they face the most behavior issues at recess. Recess supervision can be challenging, compounding the stresses on a staff already spread thin with other responsibilities. And the demands on the schoolyard really are greater than we remember, with students often relying more on adult support in solving conflicts and many children stepping onto the playground knowing fewer games than did previous generations.

Investing in recess can lessen playground headaches and a recent study shows it can even contribute to the overall school climate. Playworks is a national nonprofit that works across the country leveraging recess and play to promote learning and physical activity. By providing both a direct service 

Troubling: ALEC Delays Decision on ‘Common Core’ Education Standards American Principles Project

American Principles Project:

Troubling’ Decision Plays into Multi-Billion Dollar Entities

Washington, DC – Today, the board of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), after considering anti-Common Core legislation introduced by the American Principles Project (APP), Goldwater Institute and the Washington Policy Center last summer, delayed a decision on whether to endorse the legislation until their next meeting.   “ALEC’s delay in endorsing the resolution is troubling and plays into the strategy of the multi-billion dollar private entities that are pushing the Common Core,” said APP’s Emmett McGroarty.  ”This issue has been before ALEC for almost a year.  The resolution was approved by the ALEC Education Task Force overwhelmingly last December, and ALEC has discussed it at three of its national meetings.  The well-financed private entities and the federal government are moving forward with their implementation of the Common Core, and Americans have been cut out of the process.”   Dr. Tony Bennett, the Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, presented the pro-Common Core case to the board of ALEC.   Dr. Bennett is also on the Board of Directors of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), one of the two trade associations managing the Common Core Standards (along with the National Governors Association).  Additionally, he is the Chairman of Chiefs for Change, an initiative of Jeb Bush's Foundation for Excellence in Education.  The Foundation for Excellence in Education and CCSSO have received $1,000,000 and $70,000,000, respectively, from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the primary force financing and pushing the Common Core.   Robert Scott, Texas Commissioner of Education, presented the case for the resolution to the board, which then deliberated behind closed doors.  State Rep. Dave Frizzell of Indiana, ALEC’s National Chairman, reported that the board found that there was much to like about the legislation but decided to send it back to the Education Task Force due to concerns about some of the language.  He stated that the board would forward the details of those concerns to the task force.   This week, APP and Pioneer Institute released a white paper that makes the case against state adoption of the national Common Core State Standards.  Co-sponsored by Pacific Research Institute and the Washington Policy Center, Controlling Education From the Top: Why Common Core Is Bad for America argues in favor of a Common Core withdrawal resolution.   The white paper can be seen here: http://americanprinciplesproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Controlling-Education-From-the-Top.pdf   The Resolution can be seen here: http://americanprinciplesproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Comprehensive-Legislative-Package-Opposing-the-Common-Core-State.pdf   The American Principles Project is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to preserving and propagating the fundamental principles on which our country was founded - universal principles, embracing the notion that we are all, "created equal, endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

For more information, please contact Jameson Cunningham with Shirley & Banister Public Affairs atjcunningham@sbpublicaffairs.com or (703) 739-5920.

Danger signs of a diploma mill | 89.3 KPCC

Danger signs of a diploma mill | 89.3 KPCC:

Danger signs of a diploma mill

May 10, 2012 | By Tami Abdollah

 0  

AFP/AFP/Getty Images

If you're worried that a private postsecondary school you are considering might be a "diploma mill," here are some warning signs.

In general, the institutions are unaccredited, operate for-profit, grant academic degrees and offer substandard or minimal teaching, with little, if any, work or evidence of competency, said Steve Boilard, managing principal analyst for education at the Legislative Analyst's Office.

Cailin Peterson, a spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau serving northeast California, testified at a hearing to lawmakers in Sacramento Wednesday on the issue of diploma mills.

She provided the following warning signs:

• The recruiter uses high-pressure sales tactics, especially with younger students.
• The recruiter exaggerates the possible income or job you could end up with or the cost is 

174 military veterans earn degrees at USC graduation

Pass / Fail - 21 minutes ago

At the University of Southern California today 14,000 people receive their graduate and undergraduate degrees, and 174 of them will get diplomas after serving in the U.S. military. Karla Leyva is one of them. She remembers the mad scramble to pick up her cap, gown and tassel at the USC bookstore a few weeks ago. “It stayed in the bag for about a day,” she said. But when she removed it, memories tumbled out, too. “The fact that, you know, it’s been five years in the making of my degree for me," she says. "To come to this point where all my hard work paying off is just such a rewar... more »

CSU elects new president for Cal State San Bernardino

Pass / Fail - 21 minutes ago

Cal State University trustees have hired a Latino college president from the East Coast to head Cal State San Bernardino. Tomás Morales led the College of Staten Island for five years, but he’s no stranger to Southern California. Earlier in his career Morales held a number of positions at Cal Poly Pomona, including Vice President for Student Affairs. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York, he holds degrees in history and educational administration. His appointment comes amid heightened scrutiny of big salaries paid to CSU presidents as student tuitions are on the rise. San D... more »

Danger signs of a diploma mill

Pass / Fail - 21 minutes ago

If you're worried that a private postsecondary school you are considering might be a "diploma mill," here are some warning signs. In general, the institutions are unaccredited, operate for-profit, grant academic degrees and offer substandard or minimal teaching, with little, if any, work or evidence of competency, said Steve Boilard, managing principal analyst for education at the Legislative Analyst's Office. Cailin Peterson, a spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau serving northeast California, testified at a hearing to lawmakers in Sacramento Wednesday on the issue of diplo... more »

California lawmakers target diploma mills

Pass / Fail - 22 hours ago

California lawmakers are exploring the problem of diploma mills — businesses that offer fraudulent degrees and certificates for little to no work and an often significant fee — and trying to determine how best to identify and root them out without quashing innovation. "Substandard education robs students of their time and money, but customers of diploma mills are more likely to be complicit," said Democratic Assemblyman Roger Dickinson of Sacramento, who chairs the Committee on Accountability and Administrative Review. "The most serious consequences occur when individuals with fak... more »

PTA opens state convention amid budget worries

Pass / Fail - 22 hours ago

Thousands of PTA members from across the state are meeting in Anaheim for their annual convention, and California's PTA is spending the week pushing hard for its first ballot measure to raise money for schools. “Good afternoon PTA!” State schools' chief Tom Torlakson welcomed parents and educators to the three-day convention in Anaheim — just a stone’s throw from the “Happiest Place on Earth.” He dove straight into one of the saddest issues for schools: anemic funding. "Changes are happening," said Torlakson. "They’re detrimental changes in terms of the cutbacks — cutbacks of equ... more »

Cal State Fullerton graduates more Hispanics that any other college in state

Pass / Fail - 1 day ago

For the second year in a row, Cal State Fullerton is the top California school to award bachelors degrees to Hispanics. One out of three students walking out with a diploma identifies as Hispanic. The latest issue of "Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education" studied data from the US Department of Education and found that almost 2,000 Hispanics earned their bachelor’s degrees at Cal State Fullerton. That’s number four on a list of 100 colleges trying to reduce the Latino college dropout rate nationwide. Within California, Cal State Fullerton is at the top. Hispanics make up the faste... more »

All LA County Informal Juvenile and Traffic Courts to close June 15

Pass / Fail - 1 day ago

All 13 Informal Juvenile and Traffic Courts are scheduled to close June 15 and those cases instead routed through adult traffic courts or to the Probation Department as part of an effort to contend with deep state funding cuts and reduce the Los Angeles County Superior Courts spending by $30 million. The change means 65,000 cases that involve typically lower-level offenses that students are cited for in and around school campuses, for example daytime curfew violations or disorderly conduct, will be sent to the Probation Department, which can determine whether to dismiss them, dive... more »

LA Unified approves college prep requirements for all students

Pass / Fail - 2 days ago

After hours of debate and a couple of amendments, the LAUSD school board approved a sweeping plan on Tuesday to reduce credit requirements for graduation. But as part of the reduction, students in the district will need Cs instead of Ds to earn their high school diplomas. Next year’s high school freshmen will have to take every class required to meet the minimum application standards for the University of California and Cal State systems. L.A. Unified Superintendent John Deasy says the new requirements are part of the district’s commitment to advancing civil rights and social ju... more »

UTLA files more than 600 complaints with LAUSD

Pass / Fail - 2 days ago

United Teachers Los Angeles has filed more than 600 Williams Complaints with L.A. Unified stating that the district is failing to provide equal and sufficient critical services to students. The complaints written by teachers and parents are from more than a hundred schools in the district. The union held a 4:30 p.m. press conference to deliver the forms, which assert the district is not following state law. "I have in my hand 600 forms representing 175 schools that have been identified as lacking in school nurses, librarians, counselors," said Unified Teachers L.A. treasurer Arle... more »

UTLA to file 600 complaint forms to report lack of critical student services

Pass / Fail - 2 days ago

United Teachers Los Angeles plans to file more than 600 complaint forms today from hundreds of schools with the Los Angeles Unified School District to report a lack of equal and sufficient critical services for students. State law requires schools provide sufficient textbooks and instructional materials; that school facilities are clean, safe and maintained; and that there be no teacher vacancies or misassignments, such as ensuring teachers have the proper certification and credential to teach a course. When these conditions are not met, a Williams Complaint Form can be filed. The... more »

CSU faculty union protests trustees after weekend negotiations break down

Pass / Fail - 2 days ago

About 40 members of the Cal State University faculty union protested administrators’ contract negotiating tactics outside Tuesday's trustees meeting in Long Beach. Members of the board were discussing potential salary freezes for top administrators, and the possibility of closing one of Cal State’s 23 campuses. California Faculty Association members let their picket signs do the talking. "I don’t want to strike," read the educators' placards, "But I will!" Union members say they’re frustrated and disappointed after contract talks broke down over the weekend. No new talks are sc... more »

Deasy to propose tougher LA Unified credit requirements

Pass / Fail - 3 days ago

An “educational equity” policy the LAUSD school board passed seven years ago may take effect this fall. Critics say the new plan, intended to level the playing field for Latino and Black students, could actually increase their dropout rate. LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy acknowledges that the University of California won’t accept every graduate from his district, but he wants all of them to qualify for admission. That’s why at the next board meeting he’ll propose revised graduation requirements for all students starting with the Class of 2016. Under the new plan, every studen... more »