California Education Reform: School Choice
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"From Friday through Sunday, Trump continued his now-habitual weekend flooding of social media with fantasies that he is smart, beloved, and powerful" - The post closest to reality on Friday touted the story by Steve Thompson, Federica Cocco, and Christoper Rowland of the Washington Post on Thursday, Augu...4 hours ago
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Video games built for prevention can reduce teen depression - Few parents or teachers are likely to suggest that teenagers could benefit from playing more video games. But a new study suggests that a growing class ...4 hours ago
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FORGET NETFLIX: CALIFORNIA'S CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS ARE THE CRIME DRAMA YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU NEEDED - FORGET NETFLIX: CALIFORNIA'S CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS ARE THE CRIME DRAMA YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU NEEDED *Fraud, billionaires, ghost students, and a cast o...4 hours ago
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Forever Changing - We converted an old, worn out sensory table into a worm bin that lived adjacent to our playground garden. I began by drilling holes in the bottom so it c...6 hours ago
Saturday, December 19, 2009
EducationNews.org - A Leading Global News Source - One percent of U.S. children have autism: study
"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Autism, a brain disorder that interferes with communication and social skills, affected an estimated one in 110 American 8-year-olds in 2006, according to a federal study released Friday.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the medical diagnoses of 307,790 children who were age 8 in 2006. They found 2,757, or 0.9 percent, had been diagnosed with autism.
The CDC team found that autism cases were four to five times higher among boys than girls, with 1 in 70 boys and 1 in 315 girls identified.
The overall ratio is far higher than previous estimates that the incurable family of conditions affected 1 in 150 U.S. children. A few decades ago autism was thought to be rare."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the medical diagnoses of 307,790 children who were age 8 in 2006. They found 2,757, or 0.9 percent, had been diagnosed with autism.
The CDC team found that autism cases were four to five times higher among boys than girls, with 1 in 70 boys and 1 in 315 girls identified.
The overall ratio is far higher than previous estimates that the incurable family of conditions affected 1 in 150 U.S. children. A few decades ago autism was thought to be rare."
Democrats Kill School Choice for the Poor - WSJ.com
"The waiting is finally over for some of the District of Columbia's most ambitious school children and their parents. Democrats in Congress voted to kill the District's Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides 1,700 disadvantaged kids with vouchers worth up to $7,500 per year to attend a private school.
On Sunday the Senate approved a spending bill that phases out funding for the five-year-old program. Several prominent Senators this week sent a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid pleading for a reconsideration. Signed by Independent-Democrat Joe Lieberman, Democrats Robert Byrd and Dianne Feinstein, and Republicans Susan Collins and John Ensign, it asked to save a program that has 'provided a lifeline to many low-income students in the District of Columbia.' President Obama signed the bill Thursday."
On Sunday the Senate approved a spending bill that phases out funding for the five-year-old program. Several prominent Senators this week sent a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid pleading for a reconsideration. Signed by Independent-Democrat Joe Lieberman, Democrats Robert Byrd and Dianne Feinstein, and Republicans Susan Collins and John Ensign, it asked to save a program that has 'provided a lifeline to many low-income students in the District of Columbia.' President Obama signed the bill Thursday."
Defense launched for kids sex books
CZAR WARS
Defense launched for kids sex books
Library group official: Jennings critics 'undermining' democracy
"EDITOR'S NOTE: The following includes descriptions of adult themes and objectionable subject material.
The chairman of the American Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee has launched a defense of Kevin Jennings and the sexually explicit books recommended for children by the homosexual advocacy organization that Jennings started, the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network.
'Though Jennings' and GLSEN's critics claim to be upholding American morals and values by condemning the GLSEN book list, they are actually undermining the values of tolerance, free inquiry, and self-determination that inform and sustain our democratic way of life in the United States,' said Martin Garnar in a statement."
The chairman of the American Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee has launched a defense of Kevin Jennings and the sexually explicit books recommended for children by the homosexual advocacy organization that Jennings started, the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network.
'Though Jennings' and GLSEN's critics claim to be upholding American morals and values by condemning the GLSEN book list, they are actually undermining the values of tolerance, free inquiry, and self-determination that inform and sustain our democratic way of life in the United States,' said Martin Garnar in a statement."
EducationNews.org - A Leading Global News Source - UPTON SINCLAIR WINNERS- 2009
"As we look today at education in America, we would concur that today's teaching profession is the product of a mid-twentieth-century labor model; we need to rethink what the teaching profession should look like in the twenty-first century.I am sure UPTON SINCLAIR would agree.
UPTON SINCLAIR WINNERS- 2009
Delia Stafford - Michael F. Shaughessy
As we look today at education in America, we would concur that today's teaching profession is the product of a mid-twentieth-century labor model; we need to rethink what the teaching profession should look like in the twenty-first century.I am sure UPTON SINCLAIR would agree. We know that $68 billion was spent on education in fiscal 2009. What has the economic-stimulus funding actually bought? What would Upton Sinclair say? He would probably conclude, “yes, this is way too much, especially since we have 7,000 students dropping out of school every day in America and many of our schools have become noted as dropout factories.” We need to rethink our schools and find ways to make them client centered, for the sake of the children. Do you think Oprah would help us?”:~)"
UPTON SINCLAIR WINNERS- 2009
Delia Stafford - Michael F. Shaughessy
As we look today at education in America, we would concur that today's teaching profession is the product of a mid-twentieth-century labor model; we need to rethink what the teaching profession should look like in the twenty-first century.I am sure UPTON SINCLAIR would agree. We know that $68 billion was spent on education in fiscal 2009. What has the economic-stimulus funding actually bought? What would Upton Sinclair say? He would probably conclude, “yes, this is way too much, especially since we have 7,000 students dropping out of school every day in America and many of our schools have become noted as dropout factories.” We need to rethink our schools and find ways to make them client centered, for the sake of the children. Do you think Oprah would help us?”:~)"
Grizzly Youth Academy Graduation - Local - SanLuisObispo.com
"On a sunny Friday morning in a Cal Poly parking lot, families from across California gathered to watch 164 Grizzly Youth Academy cadets at the culmination of an intensive program intended to change their lives.
As the uniformed cadets marched proudly in military-style unison, chanting with heads high, it was hard to imagine that six months ago these same youths were at risk of or had already dropped out of high school — some with histories of drug or alcohol abuse or brushes with the law.
In a ceremony that followed at the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly, about 55 students were presented with high school diplomas. An additional 10 earned GEDs, six achieved high school proficiency, and the rest will carry 55 high school credits home with them."
Arts center gets new operating plan - North County - SignOnSanDiego.com
Arts center gets new operating plan
Foundation’s board opposes the change
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2009 AT MIDNIGHT
CALIFORNIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS
What: The Escondido City Council this week approved a new management structure for the arts center, putting the two weakest performers — the theater and the conference concern — under the city manager’s control.
Why: The arts center has lost money every year since it opened in 1994, except for three years. The city, which owns the facility, has had to pay off millions of dollars in debt and loans. In July, the council began negotiating with the Center for the Arts Foundation, which is contracted to operate the city-owned facility, to hand over financial control of the theater and conference center to the city. The board resisted.
The Escondido City Council has adopted a new management model for the insolvent California Center for the Arts that would place the center’s two weakest performers — the theater and conference center — under the city’s control.
The new model, however, will not take effect until the Center for the Arts Foundation, which is contracted by the city to operate the city-owned facility, signs on.
So far, the foundation’s board has resisted the change, first broached in July. This week, it reaffirmed its refusal to sign the new contract in a letter to council members.
“While we remain willing to work with the city to come to terms that we believe will enable us to continue as the management team for the center, we cannot agree to sign the contracts as proposed,” board Chairwoman Kathy Rubesha wrote. She did not return a telephone call seeking elaboration on her comment. Councilman Dick Daniels, who is one of two council members appointed to the Arts Center Subcommittee to negotiate with the foundation board, said he was puzzled by the board’s “last-minute reticence” after months of talks, although he said he is confident that both sides will work something out.The other subcommittee member, Councilwoman Olga Diaz, said that if the foundation refuses to sign the agreement, the city could terminate its relationship with the board when the current contract ends in September.
12.18.2009 - Five UC Berkeley academics among new AAAS fellows
12.18.2009 - Five UC Berkeley academics among new AAAS fellows:
"BERKELEY — Four University of California, Berkeley, faculty members, plus an educator with the campus's Museum of Paleontology, have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the largest general scientific society in the world.
The 2009 fellows are among 531 new members selected 'because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications,' according to a press release from the AAAS. They were announced in the Dec. 18 issue of the journal Science.
The new fellows from UC Berkeley are:"
The 2009 fellows are among 531 new members selected 'because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications,' according to a press release from the AAAS. They were announced in the Dec. 18 issue of the journal Science.
The new fellows from UC Berkeley are:"
• W. Zacheus Cande, professor of molecular and cell biology, for "important contributions to our understanding of cell division in eukaryotes."
• Donald J. DePaolo, professor of earth and planetary science and director of the Berkeley Center for Isotope Geochemistry, a center jointly operated by UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), "for sustained contributions in the application of isotope geochemistry to fundamental problems in earth sciences."
• Jeffrey Allen Reimer, the Warren and Katharine Schlinger Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering, and a faculty scientist at LBNL, "for contributions to understanding materials chemistry through the application of sophisticated spectroscopic and physical measurements."
• Judy Scotchmoor, academic coordinator for the UC Museum of Paleontology at UC Berkeley
• Yuen-Ron Shen, professor emeritus of physics and LBNL faculty scientist, "for his pioneering use of lasers to investigate nonlinear interactions of light and matter."
New fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue rosette pin representing, respectively, science and engineering, on Feb. 20 during the 2010 AAAS annual meeting in San Diego.
Founded in 1848, the non-profit AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science. Part of its mission is to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in areas such as science policy; international programs and science education.
DelMarTimes.net | EDUCATION MATTERS: Parent fees for public education come under scrutiny
"One woman with a simple mission has made life very complicated for administrators in the San Diego Unified School District. And what she's stirred up has far-reaching ramifications for all other San Diego County school districts.
A hero to some and a villain to others, Sally Arguilez Smith has challenged San Diego Unified to follow the law and to cease charging parents for curricular and extracurricular materials and activities, including supplies for required courses.
In an interview on the subject, Dan McAllister, San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector, said the issue deserves close attention by the other 41 school districts in the county.
'Other districts must in fact take note of the actions by the largest school district in the county of San Diego, San Diego Unified,' he said."
A hero to some and a villain to others, Sally Arguilez Smith has challenged San Diego Unified to follow the law and to cease charging parents for curricular and extracurricular materials and activities, including supplies for required courses.
In an interview on the subject, Dan McAllister, San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector, said the issue deserves close attention by the other 41 school districts in the county.
'Other districts must in fact take note of the actions by the largest school district in the county of San Diego, San Diego Unified,' he said."
Berkeley thuggery / Assault on chancellor’s home is outrageous - SignOnSanDiego Newsletter - SignOnSanDiego.com
Berkeley thuggery / Assault on chancellor’s home is outrageous - SignOnSanDiego Newsletter - SignOnSanDiego.com:
"On the night of Dec. 11, UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and his wife were nearly killed in their on-campus residence. About 50 to 70 thugs assaulted their home, some smashing its windows, some trying to light it on fire and some trying to break in. A Berkeley spokesman said it was only a “matter of luck” that police arrived before the thugs could get inside. When officers did arrive, some thugs tried to light the police cars on fire.
Now here’s the disgusting twist: The thugs thought they held the moral high ground, chanting “no justice, no peace” as they went about their violent assault. Their anger over UC tuition hikes and budget cuts, you see, meant that terrorizing the Birgeneaus amounted to justice."
Now here’s the disgusting twist: The thugs thought they held the moral high ground, chanting “no justice, no peace” as they went about their violent assault. Their anger over UC tuition hikes and budget cuts, you see, meant that terrorizing the Birgeneaus amounted to justice."
Richmond, California, teachers union pushes through concessions contract
"On December 14, teachers in California’s West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) narrowly passed a contract that includes a pay freeze, larger class sizes and a sharp cut in health care benefits.
The WCCUSD includes several cities in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, including Richmond, Hercules, Pinole, El Cerrito, San Pablo and parts of El Sobrante and Kensington. The district had insisted on concessions to help close a deficit of about $16 million."
Accompanied by charges of irregularities, the 423-415 vote came after 18 months of discussions in which teachers continued to work without a contract. There is broad opposition to the concessions, which will hurt teachers and students alike.
In August, teachers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, which the union—the United Teachers of Richmond (UTR), an affiliate of the California Teachers Association (CTA)—never called. In November, teachers rejected a very similar contract by a vote of 701-671. That “No” vote was only affirmed after the union acceded to teachers’ demands for a recount.
Only a month later, the UTR leadership returned with a new agreement, and the contract vote was called on extremely short notice. The contract was pushed through in part due to a significant decline in the number of teachers voting. The 423 teachers who voted yes amount to less than one quarter of the membership.
Race on for state education reform deal | detnews.com | The Detroit News
"Lansing -- If the state House and Senate don't pass Race to the Top school reform bills by midnight tonight, it's not going to happen until at least Dec. 31, the Senate has decided.
After a nearly 12-hour legislative session Friday, the Senate recessed until 10 a.m. this morning, saying once the gavel ends tonight's session they won't convene again until Dec. 31.
It's a move that pushes lawmakers to seal the deal on landmark legislation by the end of today -- or put the state at significant risk of missing a Jan. 19 deadline to apply for the first phase of federal Race to the Top funding that could total $400 million or more for the state.
Sen. Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland, said Republicans have had enough nit-picking over drafts of the bills the House and Senate agreed on early Friday."
Opinion: Failing California public schools: It's time to name names - San Jose Mercury News
"I grew up the hard way. I learned what powerlessness did to people.
My father taught me that 'knowledge is power.' From that lesson, I decided I would become an educator.
In college, I supported the United Farm Workers of America and, following graduation, I met Cesar Chavez. He talked about how wrong it was for people to rely on the government. His lifelong belief in self-reliance and empowerment is embodied in his famous slogan: 'Se, se puede.' Yes, we can.
I am authoring Senate Bill 742, simple education reform legislation based on the principles of 'Knowledge is power' and 'Si, se puede.'
SB 742 would require the state superintendent of public instruction and the Board of Education to identify just 10 of the almost 1,000 historically lowest-performing public schools in California, including at least three comprehensive high schools with high dropout rates. It would also require the local school district and the community to develop a major restructuring plan to turn around the school.
Basically, I want to expose the secret names of the secret people who have failed for years — some as many as an entire decade — at running our chronically low-performing schools. I think it's long overdue to put names on the failed report cards of those responsible."
Riverside does not buy into federal education reform plan | Inland News | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California
"Saying they don't have clear information and too little time before the deadline, Riverside school officials Friday declined to sign up for Race To The Top, the federal effort to reform education.
'It appears there's a lack of information on Race To The Top,' said Riverside Unified School District Superintendent Rick Miller.
He said that among his network of superintendents of school districts in Southern and Northern California, none were participating. Among large districts, Deputy Superintendent Mike Fine said only Long Beach planned to participate."
'It appears there's a lack of information on Race To The Top,' said Riverside Unified School District Superintendent Rick Miller.
He said that among his network of superintendents of school districts in Southern and Northern California, none were participating. Among large districts, Deputy Superintendent Mike Fine said only Long Beach planned to participate."
Bass and Solorio Report Progress in Race to the Top Negotiations | California Progress Report
Bass and Solorio Report Progress in Race to the Top Negotiations
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By Assemblymembers Karen Bass and Jose SolorioSACRAMENTO – In this Democratic weekly address, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblymember Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim) report that negotiations between the Assembly and Senate have built consensus on an overwhelming majority of issues surrounding legislation that will bring California schools key reforms and federal funding under President Obama’s Race to the Top education initiative.
Click onto the following link for the English language MP3 file. The running time is 1:14.
Click onto the following link for the Spanish language MP3 file. The running time is 2:10.
Website of Assembly Speaker Karen Bass: www.asm.ca.gov/speaker
Website of Assemblymember Jose Solorio: www.asm.ca.gov/solorio
Transcript:
Hello, this is Assembly Speaker Karen Bass.
Viewpoints: Sac City district needs new thinking, bold action to reach heights kids deserve - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee
"'Take risks for kids.'
That advice from a parent a week into my job as superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District remains one of the most profound things I learned during my first 100 days.
After 100 days of listening and learning, visiting 83 schools, meeting with hundreds of students, parents, teachers, and community members, it's clear to me we urgently need to take risks for kids in Sacramento. We must take bold steps to improve learning."
That advice from a parent a week into my job as superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District remains one of the most profound things I learned during my first 100 days.After 100 days of listening and learning, visiting 83 schools, meeting with hundreds of students, parents, teachers, and community members, it's clear to me we urgently need to take risks for kids in Sacramento. We must take bold steps to improve learning."
I have learned that SCUSD has some great programs and people serving children and neighborhoods. But while we have schools that do a good job, at other schools, learning sometimes occurs by happenstance. We have random rather than system-wide excellence.
Many districts across America share the same dilemma. We are too complacent about struggling schools that don't do a good enough job of educating children, especially those classified for three years or more as failing under the federal "No Child Left Behind" law.
While student academic performance has improved in recent years, large gaps in achievement remain between white pupils and students of color, between English learners and native English speakers, between poor kids and children from more prosperous homes, between regular education students and those with special needs.
I am concerned that despite many wonderful people who support our schools and want to see them do well, too many adults remain indifferent or resigned to believing no significant progress will occur in our district – as though struggling schools, like poverty, will always be with us. It is a pernicious and morally reprehensible belief system that holds some kids can't learn. It can, and must, be rejected. In the coming days, those serving the district who subscribe to this unacceptable belief system will either change their behavior or they will no longer work in our schools.
The good news is the district has administrators, teachers and staff who care deeply about students. Those educators have created pockets of success that can and should be expanded and replicated. As U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan observed, "There are great schools out there, and nobody pays them any attention. There are great teachers, and nobody pays them any attention. We need to fundamentally change that."
Earlier this month, I was visiting American Legion High School, a continuation campus. A teacher showed students pictures of a lion and gazelle. He told his students that each animal knows it needs to run faster every day – the lion because it wanted lunch and the gazelle because it didn't want to be lunch. The teacher explained that students need to keep getting better and "running faster" because life is challenging, changing and competitive. The teacher asked his pupils what they wanted to do with their lives and their plans for achieving those goals. This teacher reached out to his students and made them think beyond current circumstances to envision what they desire. He connected; they learned something – and there was magic. Adults need a plan, too, for what we want to see in our schools.
I have presented to our board of education a framework for making Sacramento City Unified a strong, high-performing school district.
Leadership is critical. Our plans calls for a strong principal in every school – someone who can recruit and keep effective teachers, motivate and inspire students and staff, bring in new resources and connect their school to the neighborhood. We must also have an effective teacher in every classroom – a teacher who meets the needs of diverse students with different needs and learning styles. We must take information about each child's academic performance and use it to improve how we teach, and how we intervene and help when children are not learning.
And our school district must engage parents and community. Schools are better when they invite the community – the "outside" – in. This invitation must include activities and services that support students and families – parent centers, clinics, afterschool programs, adult classes,recreational and sports programs. Schools cannot exist as islands adrift from their communities.
During his first 100 days in office, President Franklin D. Roosevelt fundamentally changed the nation's direction to save it from the throes of the Depression. Our job here today in Sacramento is just as important to our children. We must bring genuine improvement to every school and continue the listening and learning.
I pledge to aggressively seek our community's input and involvement in key decisions. This was your school district long before I arrived, and critical decisions must be made with your involvement and counsel. In January we will gather information and recommendations from the public and our employees as we develop a strategic plan, deal with our budget shortfall and make other important decisions. Our work will be transparent, genuine and effective.
What we do together after this first hundred days will shape our community for the next hundred years. Our children are ready. Let's not keep them waiting.
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