Jersey Jazzman: Pushing The Ethics Envelope

Jersey Jazzman: Pushing The Ethics Envelope:

Pushing The Ethics Envelope

by Duke

Star Ledger Editorial Board

Ruh-roh:

The co-chair of the state legislature’s Joint Committee on the Public Schools (JCPS) says news of acting state education commissioner Christopher Cerf’s meeting secretly in a private residence in 2011 with some Board of Education members and Councilman Steven Fulop to discuss future action on then-superintendent Charles Epps’ contract is something the committee would want to investigate, as is the way in which Jersey City’s new schools superintendent was hired.
 
“This calls for an investigation,” says state Sen. Ronald Rice (D-29) of Newark, co-chair of the 13-member committee, which consists of seven assemblymen and six senators. “A candidate for mayor, Mr. Fulop, arranges a meeting with Cerf, some residents and school board members in someone’s house to discuss pending issues not yet decided by the board? Where’s the transparency?”

According to a report Friday in the Hudson Reporter, Fulop, who has been accused of helping orchestrate the hiring of the new superintendent, Marcia Lyles, convened a secret meeting on May 3, 

IS LAUSD A NOT SO SMART A.L.E.C.? - Perdaily.com

IS LAUSD A NOT SO SMART A.L.E.C.? - Perdaily.com:

IS LAUSD A NOT SO SMART A.L.E.C.?

by Leonard Isenberg

(Mensaje se repite en Español)

(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a prime mover in the race to privatize public education for profit and what they see as the collateral benefit of further dumbing down the American public, so they not only don't think of questioning authority, but literally no longer have the education or vocabulary necessary to do so.

By pushing through enabling legislation at the state level, public education is literally 

Summer Reading: What Congress Needs to Know About Kids in 2012 | First Focus

Summer Reading: What Congress Needs to Know About Kids in 2012 | First Focus:

Top of Our List

Summer Reading: What Congress Needs to Know About Kids in 2012

By Megan Curran

July 26, 2012

As the clock ticks down on the remaining months of the 112th Congress, the series of year-end tax and budget deadlines loom ever larger.

The primary cash assistance program for low-income families with children, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), expires on September 30, 2012. Among the number of tax items due to expire on December 31, 2012 are key components of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) – the loss of which could impact up to 26 million children in low- and moderate-income households. And under the Budget Control Act, January 1, 2013 marks the arrival of “sequestration”, essentially an automatic across-the-board cut to most federal programs, including significant cuts to K-12 and early education, that kicks in if a debt reduction plan is not agreed to beforehand.

The stakes for children are high and policymakers and advocates alike need to know how the decisions above will impact our youngest citizens. Below (in order of release date) are a collection of summer resources at the top of our list:

Children’s Budget Book 2012: A First Focus guide to the more than 180 distinct investments that comprise federal spending on children, excluding the tax code. The 2012 program-by-program analysis finds discretionary spending on children in decline for the second consecutive year, resulting in the direction of less than 8% of the entire federal budget to children.

Kids’ Share 2012: An Urban Institute analysis of the trends from the past 50 years in federal spending and tax expenditures on children. Of particular note – and concern – is the topline finding that in 2011, federal outlays (the sum of all direct federal program spending and all tax refunds, excluding tax reductions) on children fell for the first time since the early 1980s and are projected to decline further in 2012 and beyond. It also includes an analysis of state and local spending trends on children, as well as a peek into the future with a 10-year projection of federal spending on children and the impact of the Budget Control Act.

KIDS COUNT Data Book 2012: The annual go-to guide from our partner, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, provides a national and state-by-state analysis of how children are currently faring across four key areas: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. While children’s health and educational achievement made gains across the country, the 2012 Data Book highlights the factors behind the continued decline of family economic security – a decline threatening American child well-being overall.

A common theme emerges from all these publications: investing in children works, but future success is not guaranteed. Evidence proves that investments in child health, child nutrition, andeconomic security result in healthier and more successful kids. And more successful kids result in a stronger nation. As the old saying goes, you only get what you pay for – and these achievements can only be sustained with sustained spending on kids. So Congress, read up!

Categories: Child Poverty and Family Economics

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Another anti-teacher film backed by

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Another anti-teacher film backed by:

Another anti-teacher film backed by

by Mike Klonsky

Won't Back Down

Major studio films with celebrity stars have become the latest weapon of choice in the war against teachers and public education. It all began with Waiting for Superman and will be joined in September by Won't Back Down, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal as a parent and Viola Davis as a teacher who work together to organize support for a petition to overhaul the school and resuscitate it academically. The more than obvious parallel here is with the so-called Parent Trigger scheme which enables a group of petitioning-signing parents to turn a public school over 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Banda Won't Vote for Charters?

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Banda Won't Vote for Charters?:

Banda Won't Vote for Charters?

by Melissa Westbrook

Haven't had time to listen but a reliable source tells me that Superintendent Banda, in an interview today on KUOW's The Conversion, said he wouldn't be voting for 1240.  Listen for yourself.

Understand that this is man who already has his hands full - put a few charters in and/or have a charter takeover 

Times Provides Real Data and Real Insights On Funding of 1240

by Melissa Westbrook

Well, it's not exactly hell freezing over but the Times has a very good piece about the small group of big money tech people pushing 1240 and examines the spending from previous charter elections.  To whit:

State voters voted down charter school ballot measures in 1996, 2000, and 2004. But some wealthy individuals are committed to these schools and are funding I-1240. 

Where's the money coming from?

Of the $2.3 million raised by the “Yes on I-1240″ campaign as of the July 6 signature filing deadline$1.6 million 

Chicago Teachers Union Have History of Tension and Strikes | Chicago Detours Blog

Chicago Teachers Union Have History of Tension and Strikes | Chicago Detours Blog:

Teachers on Strike in Chicago? History of Teachers Unions

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Marianna

The hot weather isn’t the only aggressive heat you’ll find in Chicago this summer. The city has been overwhelmed with the feverish debate between Mayor Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools versus the Chicago Teachers Union. The contention between CPS and CTU involves many issues, some of the most talked about are CPS’s intentions to lengthen the school day by 40 minutes and a potential salary raise for teachers despite Chicago’s $665 million deficit. In May somewhere close to 5,000 teachers rallied down the streets of Chicago and  in June, 90% of union teacher members voted ‘yes’ to strike if a compromise could not be reached. While both sides have valid points, let’s take a step out of the hot box and see what light a little history can shed on this issue.

CTU Rally in May 2012

Given the long and tenuous relationship between Chicago and unions, I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that the tense relationship between Chicago and its teachers uni

NYC Public School Parents: Poor planning shown by the Cuomo Commission at their only NYC hearings this morning

NYC Public School Parents: Poor planning shown by the Cuomo Commission at their only NYC hearings this morning:

Poor planning shown by the Cuomo Commission at their only NYC hearings this morning

by Leonie Haimson

Me at the Cuomo Commission hearings with other panelists today

The Cuomo Education Commission had its first and only public hearing in NYC for three scant hours this morning and they packed us all in a small cafeteria room at Hostos College in the Bronx.

There were still people waiting outside the building at 10:15 AM when I was finally let in; not everyone could fit in the tiny space and many who had signed up in advance were denied speaking slots.  One of those 

Andre Agassi’s group reflect shift toward serving a more affluent demographic The Nashville Ledger

The Nashville Ledger:

Charter schools as a west side alternative

Great Hearts Academy, tennis star Andre Agassi’s group reflect shift toward serving a more affluent demographic

By Linda Bryant

 Updated 11:23AM

Print | Front Page | Email this story

There was a time when Nashville’s push for charter schools centered on low- and modest- income neighborhoods and the need to rescue children from failing schools.

Now, with the help of the state legislature, charters are open to all students, and the focus is shifting to the more affluent west side of town. Discussions of LEAD Academy, Liberty Collegiate and Nashville Prep, all part of a first wave of charters established as alternatives to failing schools, are being overshadowed by the 

BLUSHING… - Wait, What?

BLUSHING… - Wait, What?:

BLUSHING…

by jonpelto

Diane Ravitch, a true American hero and the Patron Saint to all of us who believe in the importance of saving and improving American Education

No, the red in my checks is not a sun burn.  And yes, I know our society frowns on grown men blushing…

But who wouldn’t blush when confronted by the extraordinarily generous words of Diane Ravitch, a true American hero and the Patron Saint to all of us who believe in the importance of saving and improving American Education.

Diane Ravitch’s blog at http://dianeravitch.net/ is the first thing I read when I get up in the morning and the last thing I read before I go to bed.  (Not to mention checking it multiple times throughout the day.)

Thanks to the blogging she has been doing over the last three months, I’ve learned more about education policy and politics then I had over 35 years of work in and around government.

There is simply nobody in the nation who is doing more to battle the forces of evil that 

GOT CREAM? Cityview leaves North Minneapolis special education students behind | Twin Cities Daily Planet

Cityview leaves North Minneapolis special education students behind | Twin Cities Daily Planet:

Cityview leaves North Minneapolis special education students behind

BY ALLEEN BROWN, TC DAILY PLANET

July 24, 2012

Last week, the families of 40 Minneapolis students with significant special needs received an unwelcome phone call. The promise that their children would be able to return to their North Minneapolis classrooms when school starts in just over a month would be broken. The children, who have disabilities such as autism and Downs syndrome that make transitions particularly difficult, will not be welcomed back to the one-year-old charter Minnesota School of Science, which took over the district's Cityview Elementary School in August 2011. 

In 2010, when No Child Left Behind mandated that the Minneapolis school district take drastic action to improve Cityview's test scores, the district school board voted to usher Cityview out and turn over the space to the charter Minnesota School of Science the following year.

The plan called for special education classrooms to stay in the building. Their occupants would remain Minneapolis Public School students in name. A one-year contract obligated MSS to provide opportunities for the high-needs students to mingle with 

Executive Order -- White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans | The White House

Executive Order -- White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans | The White House:

President Obama Signs New Initiative to Improve Educational Outcomes for African Americans

Executive Order Establishes the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans

On Wednesday, during his remarks at the National Urban League conference in New Orleans, LA, President Obama announced he would sign an Executive Order today to improve outcomes and advance educational opportunities for African Americans.

The President has made providing a complete and competitive education for all Americans – from cradle to career – a top priority.  The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans will work across Federal agencies and with partners and communities nationwide to produce a more effective continuum of education programs for African American students.  The Initiative aims to ensure that all African American students receive an education that fully prepares them for high school graduation, college completion, and productive careers.

In the nearly 60 years since the Brown v. Board of Education decision put America on a path toward equal educational opportunity, America’s educational system has undergone a remarkable transformation.  Many African American children who attended substandard, segregated schools in the 1950s have grown up to see their children attend integrated and effective elementary and secondary schools, colleges, and universities.  Nonetheless, substantial obstacles to equal educational opportunity still remain in America’s educational system.  African American students lack equal access to highly effective teachers and principals, safe schools, and challenging college-preparatory classes, and they disproportionately experience school discipline and referrals to special education.

Significantly improving the educational outcomes of African Americans will provide substantial benefits for our country by advancing important outcomes, like increasing college completion rates, employment rates, and the number of African American teachers.  Enhanced educational outcomes for African Americans will lead to more productive careers, improved economic mobility and security, and greater social well-being for all Americans. 

Advancing Educational Achievement of African American Students

The President has set the goal for America to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. To reach this ambitious goal, and to ensure equality of access and opportunity in education for all Americans, the Obama Administration is dedicating new resources, through rigorous and well-rounded academic and support services, to enable African American students to improve their educational achievement and prepare for college and career.

The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, housed within the Department of Education, will work with the Executive Office of the President and Cabinet agencies to identify evidence-based best practices to improve African American student achievement in school and college, and to develop a national network of individuals, organizations, and communities that will share and implement these practices.  It will also help ensure that Federal programs and initiatives administered by the Department of Education and other Federal agencies maintain a focus on serving and meeting the educational needs of African Americans. The Initiative will complement the existing White House Initiative that strengthens the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by working with Federal agencies and partners nationwide to provide all African American students with a more effective continuum of education programs.

To deliver a complete and competitive education for all African Americans, the Initiative will promote, encourage, and undertake efforts designed to meet several objectives, including:

• Increasing the percentage of African American children who enter kindergarten ready for success by improving access to high-quality early learning and development programs;
• Ensuring that all African American students have access to high-level, rigorous course work and support services that will prepare them for college, a career, and civic participation;
• Providing African American students with equitable access to effective teachers and principals in pursuit of a high-quality education, and supporting efforts to improve the recruitment, preparation, development, and retention of successful African American teachers and principals;
• Promoting a positive school climate that does not rely on methods that result in disparate use of disciplinary tools, and decreasing the disproportionate number of referrals to special education by addressing root causes of the referrals;
• Reducing the dropout rate of African American students and increasing the proportion of African American students who graduate from high school prepared for college and career;
• Increasing college access, college persistence, and college attainment for African American students;
• Strengthening the capacity of institutions of higher education that serve large numbers of African American students, including community colleges, HBCUs, Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), and other institutions; and
• Improving the quality of, and expanding access to, adult education, literacy, and career and technical education.

The Presidential Advisory Commission and Federal Interagency Working Group to Enhance Educational Outcomes for African American Students

The Executive Order also creates the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans, to aid and advise the work of the Initiative. The Commission will advise President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan on matters pertaining to the educational attainment of the African American community, including the development, implementation, and coordination of resources aimed at improving educational opportunities and outcomes for African Americans of all ages. The Commission will also engage the philanthropic, business, nonprofit, and education communities in a national dialogue on African American student achievement, and work with the Initiative to establish partnerships with stakeholders from these sectors to achieve the objectives of this Executive Order.

The Executive Order also establishes a Federal Interagency Working Group on Educational Excellence for African Americans. The Working Group will be chaired by the Initiative’s Executive Director, and will convene senior officials from the Executive Office of the President and several Cabinet and sub-Cabinet agencies to coordinate the Federal investment in education programs and initiatives aimed at enhancing outcomes for African Americans in early childhood education; elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education; career and technical education; and adult education.

Executive Order -- White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans

EXECUTIVE ORDER

- - - - - - -

WHITE HOUSE INITIATIVE ON EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE
FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, to restore the country to its role as the global leader in education, to strengthen the Nation by improving educational outcomes for African Americans of all ages, and to help ensure that all African Americans receive an education that properly prepares them for college, productive careers, and satisfying lives, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. Over the course of America's history, African American men and women have strengthened our Nation, including by leading reforms, overcoming obstacles, and breaking down barriers. In the less than 60 years since the Brown v. Board of Education decision put America on a path toward equal educational opportunity, America's educational system has undergone a remarkable transformation, and many African American children who attended the substandard segregated schools of the 1950s have grown up to see their children attend integrated elementary and secondary schools, colleges, and universities.

However, substantial obstacles to equal educational opportunity still remain in America's educational system. African Americans lack equal access to highly effective teachers and principals, safe schools, and challenging college-preparatory classes, and they disproportionately experience school discipline and referrals to special education. African American student achievement not only lags behind that of their domestic peers by an average of two grade levels, but also behind students in almost every other developed nation. Over a third of African American students do not graduate from high school on time with a regular high school diploma, and only four percent of African American high school graduates interested in college are college-ready across a range of subjects. An even greater number of African American males do not graduate with a regular high school diploma, and African American males also experience disparate rates of incarceration.

Significantly improving the educational outcomes of African Americans will provide substantial benefits for our country by, among other things, increasing college completion rates, productivity, employment rates, and the number of African American teachers. Enhanced educational outcomes lead to more productive careers, improved economic opportunity, and greater social well-being for all Americans. Complementing the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in preparing generations of African American students for

successful careers, and the work of my Administration's separate White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, this new Initiative's focus on improving all the sequential levels of education will produce a more effective educational continuum for all African American students.

To reach the ambitious education goals we have set for our Nation, as well as to ensure equality of access and opportunity for all, we must provide the support that will enable African American students to improve their level of educational achievement through rigorous and well-rounded academic and support services that will prepare them for college, a career, and a lifetime of learning.

Sec. 2. White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

(a) Establishment. There is hereby established the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans (Initiative), to be housed in the Department of Education (Department). There shall be an Executive Director of the Initiative, to be appointed by the Secretary of Education (Secretary). The Initiative shall be supported by the Interagency Working Group established under subsection (c) of this section and advised by the Commission established under section 3 of this order.

(b) Mission and Functions.

(1) The Initiative will help to restore the United States to its role as the global leader in education; strengthen the Nation by improving educational outcomes for African Americans of all ages; and help ensure that African Americans receive a complete and competitive education that prepares them for college, a satisfying career, and productive citizenship.

(2) The Initiative will complement and reinforce the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Initiative established by Executive Order 13532 of February 26, 2010, and together, they both will support enhanced educational outcomes for African Americans at every level of the American education system, including early childhood education; elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education; career and technical education; and adult education.

(3) To help expand educational opportunities, improve educational outcomes, and deliver a complete and competitive education for all African Americans, the Initiative shall, consistent with applicable law, promote, encourage, and undertake efforts designed to meet the following objectives:

(i) increasing general understanding of the causes of the educational challenges faced by African American students, whether they are in urban, suburban, or rural learning environments;

(ii) increasing the percentage of African American children who enter kindergarten ready for success by improving their access to high-quality programs and services that enable early learning and development of children from birth through age 5;

(iii) decreasing the disproportionate number of referrals of African American children from general education to special education by addressing the root causes of the referrals and eradicating discriminatory referrals;

(iv) implementing successful and innovative education reform strategies and practices in America's public schools to ensure that African American students receive a rigorous and well-rounded education in safe and healthy environments, and have access to high-level, rigorous course work and support services that will prepare them for college, a career, and civic participation;

(v) ensuring that all African American students have comparable access to the resources necessary to obtain a high-quality education, including effective teachers and school leaders, in part by supporting efforts to improve the recruitment, preparation, development, and retention of successful African American teachers and school leaders and other effective teachers and school leaders responsible for the education of African American students;

(vi) reducing the dropout rate of African American students and helping African American students graduate from high school prepared for college and a career, in part by promoting a positive school climate that does not rely on methods that result in disparate use of disciplinary tools, and by supporting successful and innovative dropout prevention and recovery strategies that better engage African American youths in their learning, help them catch up academically, and provide those who have left the educational system with pathways to reentry;

(vii) increasing college access and success for African American students and providing support to help ensure that a greater percentage of African Americans complete college and contribute to the goal of having America again lead the world in the proportion of adults who are college graduates by 2020, in part through strategies to strengthen the capacity of institutions of higher education that serve large numbers of African American students, including community colleges, HBCUs, Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), and other institutions; and

(viii) enhancing the educational and life opportunities of African Americans by fostering positive family and community engagement in education; reducing racial isolation and resegregation of elementary and secondary schools to promote understanding and tolerance among all Americans; improving the quality of, and expanding access to, adult education, literacy, and career and technical education; and increasing opportunities for education and career advancement in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

(4) In working to fulfill its mission and objectives, the Initiative shall, consistent with applicable law:

(i) identify evidence-based best practices that can provide African American students a rigorous and well-rounded education in safe and healthy environments, as well as access to support services, which will prepare them for college, a career, and civic participation;

(ii) develop a national network of individuals, organizations, and communities to share and implement best practices related to the education of African Americans, including those identified as most at risk;

(iii) help ensure that Federal programs and initiatives administered by the Department and other agencies are serving and meeting the educational needs of African Americans, including by encouraging agencies to incorporate best practices into appropriate discretionary programs where permitted by law;

(iv) work closely with the Executive Office of the President on key Administration priorities related to the education of African Americans;

(v) increase the participation of the African American community, including institutions that serve that community, in the Department's programs and in education-related programs at other agencies;

(vi) advise the officials of the Department and other agencies on issues related to the educational attainment of African Americans;

(vii) advise the Secretary on the development, implementation, and coordination of educational programs and initiatives at the Department and other agencies that are designed to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for African Americans of all ages; and

(viii) encourage and develop partnerships with public, private, philanthropic, and nonprofit stakeholders to improve African Americans' readiness for school, college, and career, as well as their college persistence and completion.

(5) The Initiative shall periodically publish reports on its activities. The Secretary and the Executive Director of the Initiative, in consultation with the Working Group and the Chair of the Commission established under subsection (c) of this section and section 3 of this order, respectively, may develop and submit to the President recommendations designed to advance and promote educational opportunities and attainment for African Americans.

(c) Interagency Working Group.

(1) There is established the Federal Interagency Working Group on Educational Excellence for African Americans (Working Group), which shall be convened and chaired by the Initiative's Executive Director and that shall support the efforts of the Initiative described in subsection (b) of this section.

(2) The Working Group shall consist of senior officials from the Department, the White House Domestic Policy Council, the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, and such additional agencies and offices as the President may subsequently designate. Senior officials shall be designated by the heads of their respective agencies and offices.

(3) The Initiative's Executive Director may establish subgroups of the Working Group to focus on different aspects of the educational system (such as early childhood education, K-12 education, higher education (including HBCUs and PBIs), career and technical education, adult education, or correctional education and reengagement) or educational challenges facing particular populations of African Americans (such as young men, disconnected or out-of-school youth, individuals with disabilities, children identified as gifted and talented, single-parent households, or adults already in the workforce).

(d) Administration. The Department shall provide funding and administrative support for the Initiative and the Working Group, to the extent permitted by law and within existing appropriations. To the extent permitted by law, other agencies and offices represented on the Working Group may detail personnel to the Initiative, to assist the Department in meeting the objectives of this order.

(e) Collaboration Among White House Initiatives. The Initiative may collaborate with the White House Initiatives on American Indian and Alaska Native Education, Educational Excellence for Hispanics, Asian-American and Pacific Islanders, and (consistent with section 3(c) of this order) Historically Black Colleges and Universities, whenever appropriate in light of their shared objectives.

Sec. 3. President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

(a) Establishment. There is established in the Department the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans (Commission).

(b) Commission Mission and Scope. The Commission shall advise the President and the Secretary on matters pertaining to the educational attainment of the African American community, including:

(1) the development, implementation, and coordination of educational programs and initiatives at the Department and other agencies to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for African Americans of all ages;

(2) efforts to increase the participation of the African American community and institutions that serve the African American community in the Department's programs and in education programs at other agencies;

(3) efforts to engage the philanthropic, business, nonprofit, and education communities in a national dialogue on the mission and objectives of this order; and

(4) the establishment of partnerships with public, private, philanthropic, and nonprofit stakeholders to meet the mission and policy objectives of this order.

The Commission shall meet periodically, but at least twice a year.

(c) Commission Membership and Chair.

(1) The Commission shall consist of not more than 25 members appointed by the President. The President shall designate one member of the Commission to serve as Chair. The Executive Director of the Initiative shall also serve as the Executive Director of the Commission and administer the work of the Commission. The Chair of the Commission shall work with the Executive Director to convene regular meetings of the Commission, determine its agenda, and direct its work, consistent with this order.

(2) The Commission may include individuals with relevant experience or subject-matter expertise that the President deems appropriate, as well as individuals who may serve as representatives of a variety of sectors, including the education sector (early childhood education, elementary and secondary education, higher education (including HBCUs and PBIs), career and technical education, and adult education), labor organizations, research

institutions, the military, corporate and financial institutions, public and private philanthropic organizations, and nonprofit and community-based organizations at the national, State, regional, or local levels.

(3) In addition to the 25 members appointed by the President, the Commission shall also include two members from the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Board), designated by the President. In turn, the Board will henceforth include two members from the Commission, designated by the President. This reciprocal arrangement will foster direct communication and vital consultations that will benefit both bodies.

(4) The Executive Director of the Commission and the Executive Director of the Board shall convene at least one annual joint meeting between the Commission and the Board for the purpose of sharing information and forging collaborative courses of action designed to fulfill their respective missions. Such meetings shall be in addition to other prescribed meetings of the Commission or Board.

(5) The Executive Director of the Commission shall be a non-voting, ex officio member of the Board and shall be the Commission's liaison to the Board; and the Executive Director of the Board shall be a non-voting, ex officio member of the Commission and shall be the Board's liaison to the Commission.

(d) Commission Administration. The Department shall provide funding and administrative support for the Commission, to the extent permitted by law and within existing appropriations. Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation but shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law for persons serving intermittently in the Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707). Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.) (the "Act"), may apply to the administration of the Commission, any functions of the President under the Act, except that of reporting to the Congress, shall be performed by the Secretary, in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Administrator of General Services.

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) The heads of agencies shall assist and provide information to the Initiative as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the Initiative, consistent with applicable law.

(b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(1) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or

(2) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(c) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(d) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

BARACK OBAMA

Jersey Jazzman: Zombie Charters Will Not Die!

Jersey Jazzman: Zombie Charters Will Not Die!:

Zombie Charters Will Not Die!

by Duke

It's alive! Alive, I say!

July 26, 2012
RE: Parent Meeting Dear Regis Academy Charter School Parents:
Frederick Douglas once said, “Where there is no struggle, there is no progress”. We are continuing to progress forward with our mission and goal to teach, train and prepare the coming generation of leaders by establishing a learning community that will prepare children for the real world in the classroom and in life.
Additionally, we would like to take this time to express our sincere gratitude for your continued encouragement and support along this journey.
Toward this end, we are requesting your attendance at a very important meeting regarding the status of our appeal and the next steps. Please make every effort to attend this meeting. 

Abolitionists and charter school founders: yeah, they're practically the same thing...

Jersey Jazzman: Chris Cerf Confirmed - What That Means

Jersey Jazzman: Chris Cerf Confirmed - What That Means:

Chris Cerf Confirmed - What That Means

by Duke

First of all, no one should be surprised at the outcome; it was inevitable. You shouldn't hold up a nominee just because you don't like the governor, and the Senators understood that.

While some of the issues I've detailed came up, others did not, and that's bothersome. Senator Weinberg  apparently had her fears about what happened to Cerf in NYC allayed, but the fact is we still don't know all the details, and probably never will. Cerf got to claim his tenure at Edison was a success when all indications are it most certainly was not. The Global Education Advisors brouhaha was mentioned but not really explored, most especially as it relates to Eli Broad's influence on the whole thing.

And that's where I wish the senators had spent more time: talking about this push from outside influences on New Jersey toward "choice" and "privatization" with only the flimsiest of evidence to back it up. This push threatens what is arguably the best school system in the county, if not the world; it should not go unchallenged,