Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The Pulitzer Center — Relevant Learning, Authentic Engagement | Ecology of Education


The Pulitzer Center — Relevant Learning, Authentic Engagement Ecology of Education:

"Where do you point your students for news?

Fox? NBC? NPR? NY Times? CNN?


When you want something a bit different, something less corporate, where do you look?

Media Matters? The Daily Show? Indy Media? Rush? Huffington? Crooks and Liars?"

What if you want ground-breaking, objective, mixed media journalism with a global perspective, that creates connections and collaborations between professional journalists and students, and embodies the integrity of one of the most respected awards in writing? Uh . . . Um . . .

Enter, The Pulitzer Center and the student-friendly Pulitzer Gateway, stage right, providing students (of all ages) with access to stories out of the mainstream, but apposite to challenges both home and abroad.

This is no small feat. Consider that in today’s media there is often a compartmentalization between the subject, the writer, and the reader (at times even by design). Unfortunately, as a result, stories about Darfur, China, or polar bears, come across as distant, abstract, and personally irrelevant to students. Without personal connections to the material there is little for them to engage with, intellectually or emotionally.

Claude Levi-Strauss, the legendary French Anthropologist, studied primitive cultures around the world through the lens of structuralism, seeking to find universal patterns of thought. His overall contribution to the collective knowledge of the world is not just that he chronicled indigenous peoples, but that he made that knowledge relevant and connectible to the everyman by examining approaches to shared needs (even if his rendering of such knowledge was far too abstract for the casual reader). He’s remembered now as the father of modern anthropology because of how he looked at food gathering/preparations, rituals, and dwellings — basic needs we can all relate to.

The Associated Press: College students find support in campus 'posses'




The Associated Press: College students find support in campus 'posses':

"BRYN MAWR, Pa. — When Sharhea Wade arrived at Bryn Mawr College from a big-city high school, it seemed as if every other student on the quiet, leafy campus had graduated from an exclusive private school.

'I felt intimidated by them,' recalled Wade. 'Bryn Mawr is a different world.'

Yet whenever she felt like a fish out of water, Wade could turn to her 'posse' — nine other girls who, like her, had been recruited from struggling Boston-area school districts and sent on full merit scholarship to the elite women's college."

Wade's posse is one of dozens sent to top-tier universities each year by the New York-based Posse Foundation. The combination of monetary and social support is a model that experts say could help move the U.S. toward President Barack Obama's goal of having America lead the world in the percentage of college graduates by 2020. Next fall, the program hits the Ivy League when it debuts at Penn.

So far, Obama's focus has been on increasing access to higher education — especially for minority and low-income students — through expanded Pell grants and simplified financial aid applications.

But paying for college is only part of the battle. Keeping students in school by supporting their psychological and academic needs is equally important, said Laura Perna, an associate professor in the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education.

Posse founder Deborah Bial started the organization in 1989 after a once-promising inner-city student told her, "I never would have dropped out of college if I had my posse with me."
Since then, Posse has sent more than 2,600 students to its partner campuses, including Vanderbilt University, Colby College and the University of California at Berkeley.

WA Open Educational Resources: Webinar: Nov 18 @ 3:00pm (Pacific): Perspectives on Open Textbooks from Two WA Faculty Authors


http://blog.oer.sbctc.edu/2009/11/webinar-nov-18-300pm-pacific.html:

"Webinar: Perspectives on Open Textbooks from Two WA Faculty Authors

Date: 11-18-09 (Wednesday)

Time: 3:00pm

Location: Elluminate:
https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2008170&password=M.0DEEEB8B6C0EAFD7993367D2D9948A

Registration: None – just show up. Cost: $0"

Part 1: “Open Textbooks from an Author's Perspective” (30 min)

Abstract: What motivates someone to write an open textbook? How much of the editorial and production process is within reach of an individual? How is the experience different from writing a traditional textbook? What is different about teaching from an open textbook? I will answer these questions with examples from my experiences writing and publishing a mathematics textbook, "A First Course in Linear Algebra."

Bio: Robert Beezer is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. He joined the faculty there in 1984 after receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. Besides advocating for open textbooks, he is also a developer for Sage, a comprehensive open-source program for mathematics.


Part 2: “Another Perspective on Authoring an Open Textbook” (30 min)

Abstract: I'll discuss my journey of writing an open textbook "Math in Society," including my motivation, how existing open textbooks guided my decisions, using my students as guinea pigs, and my experience with the bookstore. I'll share some general thoughts on openness and collaboration in textbooks that need consistency and accuracy, and some thoughts about license selection.

Bio: David Lippman is a professor of mathematics at Pierce College Ft Steilacoom, a community college in Lakewood, WA, where he has been teaching since 2000. He is best known in the Washington community college math circle as the guy who created WAMAP.org (aka IMathAS), a free, open-source online course management and math assessment system.

-----------------------------------------------------

Please join us and share this invitation with anyone who might be interested. All are welcome.
Cable

News 21 | The Charter Explosion


News 21 The Charter Explosion

Reporting Education -- Through the Charter Lens

Since early 2009, the Columbia News21 team took notebooks, cameras and curiosities to places such as New Orleans, the Twin Cities, Newark, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., to explore the new marketplace of hybrid, public-private schools.

The result is this web site -- a deeply reported, richly multimedia and interactive web site, produced by a dozen Columbia journalism fellows, their editors and a group of new media producers.

Travel History with Our Interactive Timelines
Learn how Catholic school education and American Indian school programs have developed since the country's founding, in our clickable multimedia timelines.

Reshaping Communities

Tapestry of Schools

Unchartered Territory

New Orleans In Depth

Ex-Gates director looks to open a charter school in New York | GothamSchools


Ex-Gates director looks to open a charter school in New York GothamSchools:

"Former Gates Foundation education director Tom Vander Ark is behind one charter school’s application to open in New York City next year.

For years, Vander Ark shaped the educational giving for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, overseeing grants the organization gave to cities that agreed to build small high schools. Now a partner at an education public affairs firm in California, Vander Ark has supported such causes as lifting New York State’s charter cap and bringing more and better technology into classrooms.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Education confirmed that Vander Ark is behind the application for Bedford Preparatory Charter School, a small high school school that, if approved, would open in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn next school year."

Say "NO" to pesticide applications near Kern County's schools




Say "NO" to pesticide applications near Kern County's schools

"I know that pesticides are very dangerous for my son. Not only to his health, but they can also can affect my son’s capacity to learn. In Kern county we have a lot of schools near agricultural operations. That's why I'm asking for your support to get the proposed buffer zones approved. We need to ensure our children are in safe schools in which their health is protected and they are not affected by pesticides. That way my son and other children can have a clean environment in which they can learn and have a really healthy and successful future." --Hector Garcia, Parent
The Kern County Agricultural Commissioner is currently organizing hearings on pesticide buffer zones near schools. These proposed buffer zones are a vital first step in protecting children’s health. Please help.

Approximately 90% of pesticides used in California drift away from their intended targets. Instead they can easily reach nearby homes, schools and businesses. Long-term exposure to pesticides can also cause cancer, reproductive harm and respiratory or nervous system damage. In addition, pesticide exposure can cause immediate poisonings to people close by.

Children are more at risk of adverse health effects from pesticide exposure because their bodies and brains are still developing. Studies have linked pesticide exposure in children with learning disabilities, behavioral issues, lower IQs and other problems.

Current buffer zone rules in Kern County are not adequate. They are set at 1/4 mile for aerial applications of restricted use pesticides around residential areas, occupied labor camps, schools in session and other areas designated by the Agricultural Commissioner. Kern County ranks 2nd in pesticide use in CA. There are no current standard restrictions for ground applications of pesticides--yet they constitute the majority of pesticide applications.

The proposed regulations before the Kern County Agricultural Commissioner would include all agricultural pesticide applications (including ground applications) around schools in session and during school-sponsored activities when children are present.

This is an absolutely vital first step to protecting California's children from pesticide exposure. Schools must be a safe place for kids to play and learn.

This is a good start, but it is not enough. The UFW and a coalition of community groups firmly believe these buffer zones should be larger, and include residences, hospitals, nursing homes and other sensitive sites. However, these regulations are a key first step towards the safety of children in Kern County. They will also set an important precedent for other farm worker counties throughout CA.
Please send your e-mail to the Kern County Ag Commissioner, Ruben J. Arroyo today and tell him to move forward with these proposed regulations as soon as possible.

Region's mayors brainstorm together today - Latest News - sacbee.com


Region's mayors brainstorm together today - Latest News - sacbee.com:

"Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson convenes another gathering of local mayors with a brain-storming breakfast session today.

The second annual Regional Mayor's Breakfast brings mayors from five counties together at 8 a.m. at the Sterling Hotel. The city leaders will discuss their municipal triumphs this year and how they can come together to solve regional challenges."

Teacher broke law by posting top test scores | StarTribune.com


Teacher broke law by posting top test scores StarTribune.com:

"A Northfield teacher who posted the names and grades of students with the best test scores thought it was a good way to praise his high fliers and motivate the rest.Turns out it was against the law, according to state officials."

A Northfield High School teacher who posted the names and grades of students with the best test scores thought it was a good way to praise his high fliers and motivate the rest.

Turns out it was against the law, according to state officials.

In an advisory opinion, the Minnesota Department of Administration agreed with a parent who complained that posting her son's test results in class for all to see was a violation of state law protecting student data.

The Northfield case illustrates how fine the line can seem between celebrating the work of bright students and violating their privacy. According to experts in education law, it's generally OK for schools to announce who makes the honor roll or graduates with the highest class rank. But revealing a student's grade on a class test in math or history -- without written permission -- is a no-no.

The state's advice raised some eyebrows, including those of Charlie Kyte, executive director of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators. The advisory opinion seems like an extreme interpretation of law that "would change a lot of common practices," he said.

"To be able to show students ... the best work in a class seems to be a good thing from my perspective," Kyte said.

Family Educational Rights andPrivacy Act Regulations FERPA : http://www.docstoc.com/docs/16633007/Family-Educational-Rights-andPrivacy-Act-Regulations-FERPA

voiceofsandiego.org: This Just In...


voiceofsandiego.org: This Just In...:

Bright and Early

I'm lamenting the fact that every week isn't the anniversary of a treasured childhood show like Sesame Street. It really cuts down on my chances to incorporate YouTube into Bright and Early. Or does it?

Now for your newsblitz:
We blog that an internal team at San Diego Unified is recommending a slew of cuts, including closing departments for community relations, curriculum, gifted and talented education and race relations. They also want to end testing other than the tests required under No Child Left Behind. Parents of gifted students are already up in arms about the idea.

A teacher at the San Diego High School of International Studies won $25,000 from a foundation in what has been dubbed "the Oscars of Teaching." Here's the deets from the Union-Tribune and KPBS.

KPBS also reports that students at San Diego State staged their second rally in two weeks. They're protesting fees and cutbacks at the college.

Parents in Vista aren't happy about the idea of merging an elementary and a middle school to save money. One sign held by an Olive Elementary parent read "Olive = good; merge=bad."

Babs vs. Carly | California Progress Report


Babs vs. Carly California Progress Report:

"According to a recent LA Times poll, California's U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer is still nearly as popular as her counterpart, Dianne Feinstein.

Nevertheless, Boxer will face a tough battle to retain her senate seat next year against former Hewlett Packard executive Cara Carleton “Carly” Fiorina.

Political handicappers have underestimated Fiorina’s chances, due primarily to her choppy performance as an economic adviser to John McCain and her mixed record as HP’s CEO.

But there are reasons to believe that a Boxer/Fiorina matchup could be a blockbuster. Boxer, a three-term incumbent Democrat, may be vulnerable to the electorate’s sour mood and the traditional midterm election backlash against the incumbent president’s party. Undoubtedly, “Babs” (her nickname used by close friends) will face bruising attacks from Fiorina and her political brain Marty Wilson – a former adviser to Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger."

Rising Protest Against Dismantling of Higher Ed | California Progress Report


Rising Protest Against Dismantling of Higher Ed California Progress Report:

"Students, faculty and staff at California’s public universities are mounting a new wave of protests against tuition hikes and enrollment cuts this week.

As public opinion of the governor and the legislature’s handling of higher education reaches a record low, concern grows that California is systematically dismantling a system of public higher education that was once the model for the nation.

Student organizations at the University of California plan a three day strike to begin on November 18 to coincide with the meeting of the UC Board of Regents at UCLA. UC student organizations and staff unions are descending on the Regents meeting to protest proposed 32 per cent tuition increases. On November 18 and 19, thousands of UC workers represented by University Professional and Technical Employees, CWA local 9119, plan a two day walkout at several campuses to protest unfair labor practices."

The Silent Unraveling of the CSU | California Progress Report


The Silent Unraveling of the CSU California Progress Report:

"Throughout the state, thousands of students are rushing to get their admissions applications into the California State University’s (CSU) 23 campuses before the November 31 priority deadline. Within the first two weeks of the submission period, applications had already exceeded the number of spots available.

Given the CSU decision to decrease enrollment by 40,000 students, compared to its 2008-09 enrollment, and since record numbers of students are applying, there will be tens of thousands of disappointed qualified students."

While many hope that this is only a temporary setback for the CSU in this time of budget shortfalls, the CSU administration is quietly working to overhaul the system so that it will continue to exclude qualified students.

Those students lucky enough to get in may very well find a CSU that is a mere shadow of its former self without basic departments and programs essential to a university. As administrators restructure the university without public knowledge and public debate, they may be creating a second-class institution that does not meet the social, economic, and educational needs of Californians.

Courts caught in state's budget mess - Capitol and California - Fresnobee.com


Courts caught in state's budget mess - Capitol and California - Fresnobee.com:

"When the state assumed full financial responsibility for the court system a decade ago, it was billed as a way of relieving pressure on county finances.

However, much like the state's shouldering the financial burden for schools, judicial centralization has created unintended consequences. In both cases, hitherto independent systems have found that shifting financial responsibility to Sacramento puts them in competition with other sectors of the state budget for increasingly limited dollars."

idsnews.com | Indiana Daily Student |


idsnews.com Indiana Daily Student :

"Lastly, an education plan would need to be created that every state must adopt, allowing for a massive charter school reform and giving every parent the right to choose the best education for their child. Gingrich said he wanted to make education the “first civil right of the 21st Century.”

As America losses its edge in the world, education must be the starting point for regaining its lost position.

Will a second “Contract with America” work? Most likely it will depend on the status of the economy and Afghanistan at the time of the election next year."

Schools In The Dark About Tainted Lunches | wltx.com

Schools In The Dark About Tainted Lunches wltx.com:

"Days would pass before local health officials determined that the tortillas served at Starbuck and four other schools in Racine were to blame for 101 illnesses. An Internet search showed them the stunning particulars: The company that supplied the tortillas had a long history of making children sick.

Before the illnesses in Racine, flour tortillas from Chicago's Del Rey Tortilleria caused similar outbreaks at more than a dozen schools in two other states - in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2006, Del Rey recalled tens of thousands of tortillas after health officials linked them to illnesses at schools in Massachusetts and Illinois. And in a 2006 study of prior outbreaks, a panel of top scientists with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration even offered this warning: 'Flour tortillas manufactured by Del Rey hold the potential to cause illness.'"

Don't save bad schools--terminate them - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education


Don't save bad schools--terminate them - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education:

"This year's hot education topic is fixing what is broken. The first sentence of U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan's July 22 speech was: 'Today, I want to focus on the challenge of turning around our chronically low-achieving schools.' It is a noble quest I have long supported. But I have come to wonder if it might be a big waste of time and money. Most efforts to save such places have been failures.

Why not just close them down and start fresh? Why kill ourselves trying to root out the bad habits of failing schools?"

ACLU sues Cheatham County schools over religious activity | tennessean.com | The Tennessean


ACLU sues Cheatham County schools over religious activity tennessean.com The Tennessean:

"Cheatham County school officials have promoted their own religious beliefs and allowed and encouraged public prayers at school events, according to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU.

Civil rights attorney George Barrett and the Tennessee chapter of the ACLU filed the suit against the Cheatham County School Board in federal court Monday on behalf of four students, listed under aliases.The lawsuit alleges: a planned prayer took place at graduation last spring; the Gideons International were allowed to speak to classes and distribute Bibles; a cross hangs in a classroom; and a history teacher taught that the United States is a 'Christian nation' and decried the separation of church and state.The suit asks the court to stop the activities."

Fairfax schools debate language instruction and its costs - washingtonpost.com


Fairfax schools debate language instruction and its costs - washingtonpost.com:

"The Fairfax County School Board took a sharp detour from America's aversion to learning foreign languages when it adopted an ambitious goal in 2006 that language instruction should start early and graduates should be able to speak two languages.

In an increasingly interconnected world, school leaders reasoned, English is insufficient to succeed at international business or diplomacy. Fairfax County, a cosmopolitan suburb near a seat of world power, where 40 percent of students hear or speak another language at home, seemed a natural place to make foreign language instruction a top priority."

Judge tells Chicago to let students transfer - Yahoo! News


Judge tells Chicago to let students transfer - Yahoo! News:

"CHICAGO – A federal judge says Chicago Public Schools must arrange for the immediate transfer of students who want to leave a South Side high school after an honor student's brutal beating death.

U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman's ruling Monday came in a lawsuit filed last week against the district by 11 students who say they don't feel safe at Christian Fenger Academy High School. Along with the transfers, the students want a judge to order the district to make Fenger safer.

Derrion Albert, a 16-year-old Fenger honor student, was beaten to death in September during a sprawling fight that was caught by a cell phone video camera.
Messages left for a district spokeswoman and lawyer weren't immediately returned."

China fuels US foreign student boom - Yahoo! News


China fuels US foreign student boom - Yahoo! News:

"WASHINGTON (AFP) – Soaring interest by Chinese students has led to record foreign enrollment at US universities, offering a potential boon to the United States both economically and politically, a study said.

Indians remained the biggest group of foreign students in the United States in the last academic year but their numbers appeared to be leveling off, while strong growth came from China, Vietnam and several other emerging economies.

The United States hosts far more foreign students than any other country, owing to their universities' reputation, flexibility and concerted recruitment drives, said the Institute of International Education, an educators' group."

High Schools Struggle When Gender Bends the Dress Code - NYTimes.com


High Schools Struggle When Gender Bends the Dress Code - NYTimes.com:

"BY now, most high school dress codes have just about done away with the guesswork."

Girls: no midriff-baring blouses, stiletto heels, miniskirts.

Boys: no sagging pants, muscle shirts.

But do the math.

“Rules” + “teenager” = “challenges.”

If the skirt is an acceptable length, can a boy wear it?

Can a girl attend her prom in a tuxedo?

In recent years, a growing number of teenagers have been dressing to articulate — or confound — gender identity and sexual orientation. Certainly they have been confounding school officials, whose responses have ranged from indifference to applause to bans.

Last week, a cross-dressing Houston senior was sent home because his wig violated the school’s dress code rule that a boy’s hair may not be “longer than the bottom of a regular shirt collar.” In October, officials at a high school in Cobb County, Ga., sent home a boy who favored wigs, makeup and skinny jeans. In August, a Mississippi student’s senior portrait was barred from her yearbook because she had posed in a tuxedo.

For more information:
Think before you speak. Don't say "That's So Gay.":

Ford Gives Money to Teachers Unions - WSJ.com


Ford Gives Money to Teachers Unions - WSJ.com:

"We hate to say it, but don't be misled by headlines. The biggest headline in education circles last week was that the Ford Foundation is making a whopping $100 million grant 'to transform secondary education in the nation's most disadvantaged schools.'

Our eyes raced to see which piece of the vibrant school-reform movement Ford was going to support. Would it be America's 4,600 charters schools, many outperforming their traditional school peers and some even closing the race gap? Maybe it would be Teach for America, busting at the seams and turning down Ivy League applicants by the hundreds. Or, who knows, maybe Ford's really on the leading edge, and would want to support voucher programs in cities like Washington.

Would you believe the recipients of Ford's largesse are the teachers unions? Yup. The folks at Ford are giving new meaning to the word 'retro.'"

'Kids don't try' at Bx. bummer




"Last year, Peace and Diversity Academy in The Bronx had a respectable 68 percent graduation rate and a B on its first-ever report card.

Seemingly overnight, the school tumbled to an F grade and a preliminary 2009 graduation rate of 38 percent -- a whopping 30 percentage point drop.

'I'm not surprised,' said Shaneeka Bromfield, a 16-year-old junior, who blamed low expectations. 'We'll be in class and say something so simple or answer a simple question and the teacher will act so amazed, like they're surprised that we know something.'

Ariana Gooden, a 15-year-old sophomore who transferred to the school this year from a Catholic school, added, 'Kids don't try here.'

School officials said the academy has faced many obstacles, including massive student turnover, after two location changes since 2004."

About 75% of city high schools receive an A or B; only one receives an F


About 75% of city high schools receive an A or B; only one receives an F:

"Only one school got hit with the dreaded F this year on this year's high school report cards - and some students say the place is so bad they want out.

'I've been making complaints to my mom and my father,' said Shameeka Bromfield, a 10th-grader at Peace and Diversity Academy in the Bronx, which fell to the flunking grade from last year's B. 'I want to transfer.'

Shameeka, 16, said the work at the Morrisania school isn't rigorous enough. Other students complained about the lack of extracurricular programs and said the school has been moved several times, including to buildings where it wasn't wanted."

UC Davis News & Information :: UC Davis Dedicates Historic Native American Garden


UC Davis News & Information :: UC Davis Dedicates Historic Native American Garden:

"California Indian song, bustling tours and quiet, personal moments were all part of the dedication on Nov. 14 of a new outdoor reflective space honoring the Patwin who once lived on the land that would become the University of California, Davis.

The Native American Contemplative Garden is part of a larger UC Davis project -- believed to be the first at any public university in the nation -- to honor the land's original inhabitants and to educate the campus and its visitors about them.

Among those attending the ceremony were Patwin Elder Bill Wright; Charlie Wright, tribal chair of the Cortina Rancheria; Larry Myers, executive secretary of the California Native American Heritage Commission; Martha Macri, professor in the UC Davis Department of Native American Studies and holder of the Rumsey (Yocha Dehe) Endowed Chair in California Indian Studies; and UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi."

'A work of spirit'

Inés Hernández-Avila, a professor of Native American studies and person of Nez Perce and Chicana heritage who collaborated on the garden, calls it "a work of spirit." Under the guidance of Patwin Elder Wright, she said, work on the garden is fostering healing after campus construction projects disturbed native remains.

"The land that UC Davis sits on is ancestrally Patwin land," said Hernández-Avila. "This contemplative garden is a reminder that the connection still exists for the Patwin people who themselves are a living presence in California."

"This recognition is a gift to the campus, to the native community and to everyone," she added. "It's a gift that a lot of people had a part in."
Garden features

The garden sits on the bank of the historic Putah Creek channel and within the UC Davis Arboretum, a living museum with 100 acres of gardens and plant collections known internationally as scientific and horticultural resources.

The garden features naturally shaped basalt columns representing the Patwin people and their strength and resilience; trees and other plants used by the Patwin people; a curving path representing the flow of the creek and the flow of time; and a spiral seating area designed after the coiled start of a Patwin basket.

Going Green in Madrid: When Was the Last Time YOU Rollerbladed? >>


Going Green in Madrid: When Was the Last Time YOU Rollerbladed? :

"Irvine is in the heart of one of the most environmentally friendly areas in California. During the last few months of my stay in Madrid, Spain as a student on the Education Abroad Program, I have found more ways of implanting a sustainable lifestyle.

First and foremost, I am extremely lucky to have access to Madrid’s state-of-the-art Metro system. The metro is one of the things I love most about this city. It allows you to get anywhere around the center of the city within 10 minutes.

Besides public transport, Madrilenos love to use their own methods as well. On a random day in Madrid, I can find a number of people rollerblading or walking. The city is very pedestrian friendly and “paseos” — walks around the open courtyards and terraces — are a way of life."

FORUM: NCT ignored The Classical Academy's success


FORUM: NCT ignored The Classical Academy's success:

"I am perplexed. Where is the reporting when it comes to success being printed in the North County Times?

On Oct. 19, the California Department of Education issued a press release from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell regarding three schools receiving the award for being 'exemplary.'

The Classical Academy in Escondido is the only charter school to receive this recognition this year, and only the second charter school in the state to hold this prestigious award. This information has been printed in other newspapers outside of San Diego County, but not here, where one of the award-winning schools is located.

In a time of increased scrutiny on test scores, student performance measures, and accountability on individual schools, having this accolade aligns with our success as a charter school. Having a high-quality school in our community that provides excellent options for students, dynamic programming that complements core academics, and high test scores where parents are the primary educators sounds like a story worth telling"

Villaraigosa, teacher groups vie for 4 schools -- latimes.com


Villaraigosa, teacher groups vie for 4 schools -- latimes.com:

"Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and groups of teachers backed by the Los Angeles teachers union will compete for control of four campuses, including Jefferson High School, as part of a groundbreaking reform initiative.

The impending face-off emerged Monday as groups inside and outside the Los Angeles Unified School District scrambled to meet a 5 p.m. deadline for applications to run 30 district schools. In separate news conferences, the union and the mayor lauded their own education records as they marked a milestone in the widely watched reform effort.

After filing 'letters of intent' for their targeted schools, the bidders, including charter school operators, now have until Jan. 11 to develop full-fledged proposals."

Educational Policy Expert Receives Urban School Improvement Research Grant : University of Rochester News


Educational Policy Expert Receives Urban School Improvement Research Grant : University of Rochester News:

"Educational policy expert Kara Finnigan, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of Rochester's Warner School of Education, has been awarded a grant from the William T. Grant Foundation with her colleague Alan Daly, an assistant professor at the University of California, San Diego, for a study of how low-performing schools use research evidence in an effort to improve outcomes for youth.

Finnigan and Daly will use the funding—$342,246—to research how urban systems and high schools in need of improvement diagnose problems; identify strategies; and define, acquire, use, and diffuse research evidence to improve under No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This study will be the first attempt to provide an in-depth longitudinal examination of schools under sanctions in two regions of the U.S. representing two distinct types of urban districts. The study will employ mixed methodologies and will take place in secondary schools in San Diego, Calif. and Rochester, N.Y."

Schools to compete for state Distinguished School Awards - DailyBulletin.com


Schools to compete for state Distinguished School Awards - DailyBulletin.com:

"Sixteen Inland Valley elementary schools have been invited to apply for the California School Recognition Program 2010 Distinguished School Awards.

The program identifies and honors schools that have students who demonstrated educational excellence and have shown progress in narrowing the achievement gap.

The school had to meet several qualifications, which include being an elementary school, not having previously been a distinguished school or a state monitored school; and must have been open since 2007-08."

With Texas moving toward online material, is this the final chapter for textbooks? | Top Storie...


With Texas moving toward online material, is this the final chapter for textbooks? Top Storie...:

"Textbooks could be going the way of slide rules and Big Chief tablets within a few years in Texas classrooms.

State legislation passed in the spring could put up-to-the-minute instructional content at students’ fingertips — either online or in customized printed form — eliminating the mass-market hardback textbook.

The sea change could happen sooner rather than later, beginning as early as the 2010-11 school year.

'This is one of the few times we can do things cheaper, faster and better all at the same time,' said the measure’s author, state Rep. Scott Hochberg, D-Houston."

Education's 5 Big Lies | Philadelphia Daily News | 11/17/2009


Education's 5 Big Lies Philadelphia Daily News 11/17/2009:

"AFTER 30 years of teaching, and 20 of talk radio and participating in dozens of education forums, I've heard 'theories' of education from all over the spectrum - from the innovative to the idiotic. I've concluded that there are five big lies about schools and education that are widespread and damaging.

THE MONEY LIE

The grandaddy of the big lies says our schools are woefully underfunded. If only other interests in society that get adequate funding could be stopped, our schools could get the resources to perform magnificently. This position is summarized by the famous bumper sticker, 'It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber.'

In practical terms, this lie comes down to if only each kid had a laptop, each school an Olympic-size swimming pool and each cafeteria a five-star menu, then students would all be headed off to Princeton."

EDUCATION: Foreign Students Flock Back to U.S - IPS ipsnews.net


EDUCATION: Foreign Students Flock Back to U.S - IPS ipsnews.net:

"WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (IPS) - The number of international students attending colleges and universities in the United States has reached an all-time high of 671,616, largely bolstered by an increasing number of undergraduate students from China, while U.S. students are also studying abroad in higher numbers.

The 2008/2009 academic year marked the largest increase - eight percent – in the number of international students attending U.S. colleges and universities since the 1980/1981 academic year, according to a report released Monday by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

While the ranks of international students in the U.S. are increasing, so to are the numbers of U.S. students choosing to study abroad."

Unite Behind the Strike for UC Workers, Students and Staff - The Daily Californian


Unite Behind the Strike for UC Workers, Students and Staff - The Daily Californian:

"We are currently engaged in a great struggle that will define what the University of California will be in the 21st century. There have been myriad questions about the details of furlough programs, UC reserves, program closures, the number of layoffs and how to challenge them, what temporary layoffs might mean and so on.

It is important that these details do not engross our attention so profoundly that we lose sight of the big picture: that UC President Mark Yudof and the UC Board of Regents are striving to downsize and privatize the university. If they succeed, thousands of jobs will vanish, protections for workers will and access to the university will shift away from the middle classes of California to wealthier people from other parts of the country and indeed the world. Programs that serve the people will be replaced by programs that serve the same corporate interests who back this shift"

Milken Educator Awards take two California teachers by surprise | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times


Milken Educator Awards take two California teachers by surprise L.A. NOW Los Angeles Times:

"Even as she heard cheers explode from students assembled at Richardson Prep Hi Middle School in San Bernardino, the fourth and final California recipient of this year’s Milken Educator Award couldn’t believe she was the winner.

“I really thought it was going to go to a coworker,” said 7th grade English teacher Marisa Rivas, still recovering. “There are people who have worked here since 1987, so I feel like I’m unworthy.”

Complete with a giant, no-strings-attached $25,000 check, the award is not a lifetime achievement award, said Lowell Milken, chair of the Milken Family Foundation. The prize, which will go to 54 educators across the nation this year, is meant to encourage early- and mid-career teaching professionals -- and alleviate some of the financial issues that come with the calling.

The other California winners were Roberto Gonzalez of Virgil Middle School, Ana Higuera of Lynwood High School and San Diego teacher Jaime Enochs."

California's education and economic problem; Chevron's aide

California's education and economic problem; Chevron's aide:

"Aside from jobs, education funding is the most important problem in California. I was surprised to learn that Chevron Oil Company - the company commonly associated for bad things and unfairly so in my view - was behind a $7 million initiative to fund education non-profit organizations in Northern California.

It's called The California Partnership and was developed to help those organizations that were focusing on, and making a difference in, disadvantages neighborhoods, primarily in Northern California.

I was invited to join other media at the San Francisco City Club and frankly learned something shocking. I learned that while other media outlets were invited, at least one organization said they only covered a story involving non-profits if their was something negative, like a staff member stealing funds, for example."

Steve Kang: UC Merced: A catalyst for Valley's prosperity | visaliatimesdelta.com | Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register


Steve Kang: UC Merced: A catalyst for Valley's prosperity visaliatimesdelta.com Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register:

"Earlier this fall, the University of California, Merced marked a major milestone as we welcomed our fifth — and by far our largest — incoming class of students. Of the 3,400 students enrolled this fall, compared with just 875 in our inaugural year, nearly 100 are from Kings and Tulare counties. These results should make everyone in the Greater Visalia area very proud."

We all benefit when the doors of higher education are opened to the future leaders of our region, our state and our nation.

While enrollment growth may be the best single measure of year-to-year progress, economic investment may be the best measure of potential long-term impact. Solid growth continues on this front as well. Since UC Merced began administrative operations in 2001, the value of construction contracts awarded to San Joaquin Valley businesses and goods and services purchased within the Valley has reached more than $450 million. In Kings and Tulare counties alone, that number is about $3.3 million, while the statewide total is approaching $1 billion.

Although this growing level of investment hasn't been enough to offset the most difficult financial climate our region has seen in decades, it is clearly helping to stabilize the regional economy, create new jobs and position us well for future financial progress when the underlying state economy rebounds.

Commercial Property Tax-Hike Initiatives Afoot


Commercial Property Tax-Hike Initiatives Afoot:

"SACRAMENTO-Two new potential ballot initiatives are afoot that would drastically change how commercial properties in California are assessed and how much they are taxed. One calls for a 55% increase in the current property tax rate for commercial properties while the other wants commercial properties’ fair market value appraised more frequently. Currently, under Prop. 13, properties are taxed annually at 1% of their appraised value when purchased and may only have its fair market value adjusted after a majority stake is sold.

Attorneys from the San Leandro-based law firm Remcho, Johansen & Purcell LLP filed title and summary language for the proposed 2010 ballot initiatives earlier this month. They are the 'Protect Homeowners and Close Corporate Tax Loopholes Act' and the 'Education and Taxpayer Fairness Act.” In order to qualify as a potential constitutional amendment for the November 2010 ballot, each initiative would have to garner 700,000 signatures by the spring."

Koreans 3rd Largest Group in US Colleges

Koreans 3rd Largest Group in US Colleges
The number of Korean college students in the U.S. has reached a record high of 75,065, while Korea has a total of 50,591 foreigners studying at colleges.

The Institute of International Education (IIE), a U.S.-based education and training organization, announced Tuesday that Koreans formed the third largest group of international students in the 2008-2009 academic year at American colleges after Indians and Chinese.

The number of Korean students rose 8.6 percent from the previous year, accounting for 11.2 percent of the total.


W. Sac principal sidelined by injuries he suffered in breaking up fight - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee


W. Sac principal sidelined by injuries he suffered in breaking up fight - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"The principal of West Sacramento's River City High School is recovering at home from serious injuries he suffered while trying to break up a fight involving a number of students outside the cafeteria Oct. 28.

Stuart MacKay, who had a concussion and neck injuries, said Monday he doesn't remember everything that occurred that Wednesday.

'A couple of kids said I may have been kicked during the incident,' he said. 'They indicated it was on purpose.'"

Crowd packs Sacramento County's first public flu clinic - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee


Crowd packs Sacramento County's first public flu clinic - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"Some people staked out places at Hiram Johnson High School as early as 7:45 a.m. Many brought books to read, toys for the kids, and home-cooked lunches. And most of the 5,000 people who showed up Monday for Sacramento County's first public H1N1 vaccine clinic carried the hope they might shield themselves from what's becoming an aggressive flu season.

Right on cue, the large crowd began filling the school's cafeteria, a makeshift clinic staffed by Sacramento County public health officials, at 3:30 p.m. Monday."