Top News - Schools get help in using Web 2.0 tools

Top News - Schools get help in using Web 2.0 tools:

"Web 2.0 tools also can enhance schoolwide communication and decision making, said Gordon Dahlby, director of curriculum and technology for the West Des Moines Community School District in Iowa.

One-way communication, in which eMail blasts, newsletters, web posts, or meeting minutes are used to spread the word, 'is so last century,' Dahlby said. Instead, he recommended using Web 2.0 tools to facilitate problem solving and increase collaboration and transparency. 'The committee,' according to Dahlby, 'is dead.' Why choose a group of people to meet and make decisions, he explained, when you can post the question online and let people respond using Web 2.0 tools?

To help educators better understand the different tools available, the EdTechNext report breaks down the different types of Web 2.0 tools into more specific categories, such as:"

City schools that failed Education Department's first two progress reports face changes

City schools that failed Education Department's first two progress reports face changes:

"The United Federation of Teachers, working with parents, successfully sued to block the closure of Public School 194 in Harlem and PS 150 in Brownsville, Brooklyn - even though they had each gotten a D and an F on two progress reports.

'[Parents] felt very connected to their school, which is a good thing,' Mulgrew said. 'They felt they were moving in the right direction.'

Last year's progress report was the first used as part of principals' official evaluation, but the grade counts for just under a third of the determination.
Council of School Supervisors officials noted not all principals who left the schools with bad grades were forced out.

'Many of these people - we would expected to have announced their retirement a long time ago,' said Council of School Supervisors Vice President Peter McNally."

Education | Kent Schools takes teachers to court | Seattle Times Newspaper

Education Kent Schools takes teachers to court Seattle Times Newspaper:

"The Kent School District is seeking an injunction to try to force its striking teachers back to work.

Superintendent Edward Vargas said this afternoon that the teachers strike that began Monday is illegal. He said strikes by public-school employees are against Washington common law.
Vargas told reporters at a 3 p.m. news conference that the district is seeking the injunction for the sake of the students who need to begin school.

The 1,700 teachers voted to strike Aug. 26 and formed picket lines the following day. It is the first strike in Kent School District history and has delayed the opening of school, which was supposed to happen on Monday"

Unions have a big chance to be major players in school reform - STLtoday.com

Unions have a big chance to be major players in school reform - STLtoday.com:

"The National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union, has criticized the program.

The NEA says the initiative has an 'unhealthy focus on standardized tests' and argues that 'it is inappropriate to require that states be able to link data on student achievement to individual teachers for the purpose of teacher and principal evaluation.'

The program encourages the creation of 'high-quality charter schools,' which the NEA sees as proof that 'the administration has decided that charter schools are the only answer to what ails America's public schools.'"

Charter school ignores deadline for replacing CEO | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/02/2009

Charter school ignores deadline for replacing CEO Philadelphia Inquirer 09/02/2009:

"The board of the embattled New Media Technology Charter School ignored yesterday's deadline for replacing Ina Walker, the school's chief executive officer, setting up a possible showdown with the Philadelphia School Reform Commission.

Two weeks ago, the commission voted unanimously to require New Media to replace Walker, board chairman Hugh C. Clark, and the rest of its board, and to meet more than 20 other conditions in order to obtain a new, five-year operating charter.

The conditions were designed to address allegations of financial mismanagement and conflicts of interest at the school, which has campuses in the city's Stenton and Germantown sections."

40% of schools fail to make the grade | WWLP.com

40% of schools fail to make the grade WWLP.com:


"Connecticut education officials say 40 percent of the state's public schools failed to meet performance standards this year under the federal No Child Left Behind law.

A report released Tuesday by the state Department of Education says 406 of 987 schools failed to make 'adequate yearly progress' under the federal law. That's down slightly from the 408 schools that didn't meet the standards last year.

The schools on this year's list include some prestigious ones, like Greenwich High School, West Hartford's Hall High School and Glastonbury High School."

Enough, already, of the current No Child Left Behind law | Commentary | Minnesota Public Radio NewsQ

Enough, already, of the current No Child Left Behind law Commentary Minnesota Public Radio NewsQ:


"The test data provide a wholly inadequate snapshot of how Minnesota's students and schools are doing on a given day. Think of your driver's license photo. It's actually you in the picture, but how many of us would consider it a true representation of how we look?

NCLB test results are designed in such a way that all Minnesota's schools will be on the failure list by 2014, according to the legislative auditor. The arbitrary standards defy common sense. Schools can fail by missing one of 37 different criteria. If 100 percent of Special Ed kids aren't proficient, the school doesn't meet standards. And every year the standards change."

Dress code for teachers and new committees highlight Cleveland mayoral candidate Kimberly Brown's education agenda - Inside Cleveland City Hall - cleveland.com

Dress code for teachers and new committees highlight Cleveland mayoral candidate Kimberly Brown's education agenda - Inside Cleveland City Hall - cleveland.com:

"Education Steering Committee will be immediately developed/support to assist Board Members with vital decisions being made and parental engagement. More so, an Oversight Committee will be implemented to oversee and monitor policies, procedures and financial responsibilites of the district set forth by state law and community values.

This Committee will report directly to the Mayor per 60 days for appropriate accountability of all services rendered and procured within our school district. The Education Steering Committee will complement the appointed school board - assist the school's CEO (on hands) - support and invest in our teachers - build relationships with our parents - engage and prepare our children"

Sacramento Press / U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan to Boost School Reform in Sacramento Thursday

Sacramento Press / U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan to Boost School Reform in Sacramento Thursday:


"I believe that must change. And to that end, at my invitation, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be in Sacramento on Thursday to bring his message of education reform to our city and to our state’s leadership.

He’ll start his day in the Capitol. I have arranged for him to meet with Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Speaker Karen Bass, the Democratic and Republican Caucuses.

Later that afternoon, Secretary Duncan will meet with Sacramento area superintendents of instruction and the business community. The dialogue will emphasize that education reform takes a concerted effort; it’s everyone’s responsibility."

AFL-CIO NOW BLOG | ‘Young Workers: A Lost Decade’

AFL-CIO NOW BLOG ‘Young Workers: A Lost Decade’:


"These are the findings of a new report, “Young Workers: A Lost Decade.” Conducted in July 2009 by Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the AFL-CIO and our community affiliate Working America, the nationwide survey of 1,156 people follows up on a similar survey the AFL-CIO conducted in 1999. The deterioration of young workers’ economic situation in those 10 years is alarming."

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/10628967/“Young-Workers-A-Lost-Decade”-AFL-CIO--Working-America

President Addresses American Students 9-8-09

President Addresses American Students 9-8-09:

PRESIDENT OBAMA TO DELIVER NATIONALLY BROADCAST ADDRESS TO STUDENTS ON SEPT. 8

The President will deliver a speech about the importance of persisting and succeeding in school on Sept. 8, the first day of school for many children across America.

The Department of Education is encouraging educators, students and parents to use this opportunity to help students get focused and begin the school year strong. The speech will be broadcast live on www.whitehouse.gov at 1 p.m. EDT.

The Department of Education has also asked a group of U.S. Department of Education Teaching Ambassador Fellows to develop some suggested classroom activities around the speech to help engage students and stimulate discussion on the importance of education in their lives.

The suggested classroom activities will be available on http://www.ed.gov/.

Here's how the President described the speech in a recent interview with 11 year-old reporter Damon Weaver yesterday: "On Sept. 8, when young people across the country will have just started or are about to go back to school, I'm going to be making a big speech to young people all across the country about the importance of education, the importance of staying in school, how we want to improve our education system, and why it's so important for the country.
And so I hope everybody tunes in.

"WHO:President Obama

WHAT:Presidential Address To Students

WHEN:1 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009

WHERE:Broadcast live at www.whitehouse.gov

President Addresses American Students 9-8-09

President Addresses American Students 9-8-09:

"President Addresses American Students 9-8-09"

President Obama to Deliver Nationally Broadcast Address to Students Sept. 8
U.S. Department of EducationOffice of Communications & Outreach, Press Office400 Maryland Ave., S.W.Washington, D.C. 20202

MEDIA ADVISORYEVENT DATE:1 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009Contact: Sandra Abrevaya(202) 401-1576 or sandra.abrevaya@ed.gov

PRESIDENT OBAMA TO DELIVER NATIONALLY BROADCAST ADDRESS TO STUDENTS ON SEPT. 8

The President will deliver a speech about the importance of persisting and succeeding in school on Sept. 8, the first day of school for many children across America. The Department of Education is encouraging educators, students and parents to use this opportunity to help students get focused and begin the school year strong. The speech will be broadcast live on www.whitehouse.gov at 1 p.m. EDT.

The Department of Education has also asked a group of U.S. Department of Education Teaching Ambassador Fellows to develop some suggested classroom activities around the speech to help engage students and stimulate discussion on the importance of education in their lives. The suggested classroom activities will be available on http://www.ed.gov/.

Here's how the President described the speech in a recent interview with 11 year-old reporter Damon Weaver yesterday: "On Sept. 8, when young people across the country will have just started or are about to go back to school, I'm going to be making a big speech to young people all across the country about the importance of education, the importance of staying in school, how we want to improve our education system, and why it's so important for the country. And so I hope everybody tunes in.

"WHO:President Obama
WHAT:Presidential Address To Students
WHEN:1 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009
WHERE:Broadcast live at www.whitehouse.gov

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Visit Sacramento

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Visit Sacramento

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Visit Sacramento


On Thursday, September 3rd United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is coming to Sacramento. I admired Arne Duncan’s leadership before he was appointed Secretary of Education. A former Chicago superintendent, Duncan’s district was one of the first to push mutual consent in teacher hiring, ensuring that every school was staffed with high quality teachers. His Renaissance 2010 initiative closed down vacant schools to reopen them with strong options for young people.

Secretary Duncan is now bringing those same ideals and strategies to schools and districts across the nation. He wants to make sure that we are a country that has a common set of rigorous standards, strong data systems linking student and teacher performance, performance and merit pay, and intervention for failing schools.
What does this mean for Sacramento? I firmly believe that if you have great schools, you will have a great city. As Mayor, my commitment is to make sure that the City of Sacramento, our county and our region are known for great public schools.

Sacramento can be one of the leaders in education reform. As the capitol of California, we should be the hotbed of reform and innovation.

We have created an education “white paper” for Sacramento that aligns with Secretary of Education Duncan’s plan for national reform. I encourage you to read the "white paper" and learn more about Secretary of Education Duncan’s visit to Sacramento.

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/10382430/Education-That-Works-Ideas-for-Sacramento

ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS: MEETING THE DEMAND FOR TEACHERS

ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS: MEETING THE DEMAND FOR TEACHERS:

"In recent years, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have established alternative certification programs to help meet this challenge of finding and retaining teachers. But have these programs been successful?

School districts must constantly recruit new teachers due to turnover. According to a nationwide study by the Nebraska State Education Association:
Six percent of teachers leave the profession each year.

One-fifth of new hires quit teaching within three years.

In urban areas, 50 percent of educators quit after five years.

Education researchers Paul E. Peterson and Daniel Nadler found that many states' alternative certification programs require just as many college-level education courses as regular certification. As a result, these programs produce few new teachers. By contrast, less restrictive programs require fewer hours of instruction and produce more teachers.

According to the National Center for Alternative Education, the oldest and most established state programs -- in California, New Jersey and Texas -- produce the most new teachers.

Texas and California report that about one-third of their new teachers come from alternative programs. In New Jersey, it is about 40 percent."

Making the grade

Making the grade:

"The question that's been discussed by school administrators, city officials and concerned citizens is whether the rate of out of school suspensions (OSS) has grown to a point where it is impeding the ability of many students, particularly African Americans, to receive the education to which every student is entitled.

At the August 5 School Board meeting, Dr. Quentina Miller-Fields made a presentation outlining two of the biggest issues with students, truancy and discipline, and discussing the actions being taken by the Board of Education. The BOE's goal is 'to reduce the number of infractions that give rise to referrals for suspension and expulsion,' according to the Dr. Miller-Fields report.

The BOE wants to proactively reduce the students' truancy rate - the number of students with more than five unexcused absences - from 14%, the level during school year 07-08, to less than 10.2% by 2012, and to reduce the number of disciplinary infractions almost 30%, from a total of 18,892 in SY 07-08 to less than 13,000 by 2012.

To help achieve their goal, the school system has installed a variety of new programs, including Response to Intervention (RTI), Positive Behavior Support (PBS), and new counseling programs, including a partnership with Gateway Behavioral Health to better evaluate issues students may be facing, whether it's a learning disability or personal problems"

Teacher comments on grade-changing :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Education

Teacher comments on grade-changing :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Education:

"As part of a Chicago Sun-Times/Chicago Teachers Union survey, teachers were given the option of adding 'brief comments about the issue of grade-changing.' Here are some responses:

'Grade-Changing:'
-- 'The principal wanted me to go back to IMPACT [the student information system] to falsify grades.'
-- 'I had students fail, yet they were passed! Who pays the price, next year's teacher and the student who is already frustrated.'
-- 'I was asked to change the grade of a student...[to] maintain their rank in the senior class.'
-- 'Grade changing is a problem. The pressure can come from the administration, dept. chair, parents and sometimes the students.'
-- 'It is certainly a pressing issue in CPS and is as big of an issue as attendance forgery.'
--- 'Every year it takes place w/ Gen. Ed. students!'
-- 'Every school is doing this.'"

Budget crisis looms in teacher contract negotiations - San Jose Mercury News

Budget crisis looms in teacher contract negotiations - San Jose Mercury News:

"When teachers' union negotiators sit down with Sequoia Union High School District administrators today to begin hashing out a new contract, both sides will be thinking about the state budget.

District officials say the latest version of the state budget cut $1.9 million from schools in the new fiscal year that began June 30, on top of $2.5 million in reductions trustees already approved in June.

Union and district officials have contrasting ideas for weathering the latest round of cuts.

The district wants union leaders to agree to concessions, possibly including furlough days and an end to free health benefits, according to the district's initial proposal.
But the union's president says the district should dip into its $11 million reserve fund instead of cutting further from the district's $100 million budget. The state requires school districts to keep a 3 percent reserve.

Greg Gruszynski, president of the Sequoia District Teachers Association, said there 'probably is a need to curtail some spending,' but added that the district could 'go through this whole year without making any cuts' by relying on its reserves. Top district officials say they need to preserve an ample reserve fund to prepare for mid-year state cuts and an anticipated $3.4 million hit in the 2010-11 fiscal year."

Education Week: Obama Education Views Can Sway Public, Poll Says

The Education Next-PEPG poll shows the gap between rank-and-file Democratic voters, who are more likely to be swayed by presidential opinion, and education practitioners, who have been slower to adopt changes such as charter schools, said Charles Barone, a longtime Capitol Hill education staff member and director of federal policy for Democrats for Education Reform, a political action committee in New York City.

“I think because the advent of strong accountability is associated with [Mr.] Bush, for a lot of people on the left, it was easier for them to hate it,” Mr. Barone said, even though efforts were championed by Democrats such as Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., who is the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who later was the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee in the Senate.

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/10624106/2009-Education-Next-PEPG-Survey-of-Public-Opinion

Mayor, please explain this school reform thing - Bill Boyarsky

Mayor, please explain this school reform thing - Bill Boyarsky

If wants parents to support his plan to convert 250 Los Angeles schools into charter schools, he needs to explain why he thinks this would be an improvement.

I sort of understand charter schools. Basically, private organizations—Green Dot is the best known—take over public schools and, using public funds and donations, run them free of many of the LAUSD rules and restrictions. But I can't tell you how they work and I have a lot of questions about them. More important, most parents do too.

The mayor has to answer these questions. He got the school board to approve the scheme. Here are some questions parents—or grandparents like me—want answered:

Why are charter schools better? Education scholar Diane Ravitch wrote in the Times that "Charter schools vary in quality from excellent to abysmal." You told Patt Morrison on KPCC that the schools would "meet a metrics driven plan" on making improvements. That's no answer.

Will parents have anything say in running the schools? Be specific, without all the clichés about consultation.

Chris Prevatt: Schwarzenegger Sets Trap for Obama's "Race to the Top" Education Initiative

In the 1985 action film, Commando, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays John Matrix, a commando who uses a little humor when taking revenge on the bad guys, "Remember when I said I'd kill you last... I lied!" Though this is a forgettable little line, President Obama should pay attention to it because he is about to be played by someone who really believes he is an action hero.

I first wrote about Arnold Schwarzenegger's plans for education in California in my August 16, 2009 article "The Shock Doctrine hits Public Education". On August 20, Governor Schwarzenegger called on California's legislators to adopt sweeping education reforms that would dramatically reshape the beleaguered public education system and qualify the state for billions of one time monies which President Obama, has dubbed "Race to the Top." A smiling governor, flanked by jubilant education advisors said, "I want to congratulate President Obama for standing up for education reform. I absolutely agree with the four basic education principles he outlined today, including the need for data systems that allow us to measure student and teacher success by the results they achieve."

How To Help Kids With Homework - Education News Story - WEWS Cleveland

As the school year begins, so does the homework season. But homework doesn't just involve students -- parents also should play a role.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, parents should assist their children in daily homework by making sure they have a quiet, well-lit place to complete their assignments.

Parents should also make sure their child has all of the materials he or she needs to complete their homework and they should also help them manage their time to make sure assignments get completed on time.

The U.S. Department of Education also tells parents to know when to help and when to watch. It recommends that parents guide their child without giving them the answers. It also says that when a child brings home an assignment that requires parental involvement, make sure you participate.

It's also important to encourage your child while they do their homework, the U.S. Department of Education says. It suggests to praise your child for good work and to also be aware of their frustration level or when they are struggling to understand an assignment. The U.S. Department of Education also recommends staying in touch with your child's teacher so you know what the assignments are and what they are meant to teach.

Bobb wants mayor to run Detroit schools | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Key to his vision is achieving radical reforms in the teachers union contract that would challenge cherished provisions, such as seniority.

"It's the Holy Grail for the union," Bobb said. "For us, it is a monumental problem."

Great teachers with less than 10 years of experience are losing their jobs while some longtime, but ineffective, teachers are retained, he said. Principals need to be able to keep the best teachers, he said.

Using the teachers' contract in New York City as a model, Bobb wants to create a special "chancellor's district" for the lowest performing schools -- an estimated 50-54 schools out of the district's 172. The schools would operate under new rules: no seniority for teachers, extended school days and prescribed teaching techniques.

Performance-based bonuses would be instituted for schools that achieve goals. Everyone, including custodians and cafeteria workers, would be eligible, based on a formula.

The Answer Sheet - New Rules for Back- to-School Night

The Answer Sheet - New Rules for Back- to-School Night:

"This really happened:

An administrator at a school in Montgomery County welcomed several hundred parents at back-to-school night by relating his extensive experience as an educator and as a soldier.
Then he said, “So you can see I am very qualified. So, do I know more than you do about the curriculum? Yes I do. Do I know more about [student] placement? Yes I do. Do I want your opinion? No I don’t.”

The crowd was effectively cowed.

This, admittedly, is not the best way to start off a back- to-school night--but it points to two problems that too often ruin the evening when parents and teachers get together at the start of the near year. The two problems: the parents and the teachers."

Newark school offers alternative path to learning - NJ.com

Newark school offers alternative path to learning - NJ.com:

"'I like hands-on. That's how you learn,' McNeil said. 'They are offering something I cannot get out of regular high school.'

Urban Academy is one of five alternative high schools the Newark school district, in partnership with several nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, will open Thursday.
The five are in addition to two alternative programs that started last year. Plans are in the works to open three more next fall.

This year, the five new high school programs, which will be run at district facilities around the city, will accommodate 875 students who have dropped out or are at-risk of leaving school. The models replace the decade-old Twilight program, which offered night courses for dropouts."

Innovation proposals aim to transform Michigan education | Detroit Free Press | Freep.com

Innovation proposals aim to transform Michigan education Detroit Free Press Freep.com:

"This reimagine process has the potential to radically transform education in Michigan, where a quarter of students fail to graduate high school on time. Student achievement has seen only modest gains in some subjects, and has actually worsened in others. A troubling 40% of high school students failed the reading portion of the Michigan Merit Exam the last two years.

The reimagine plans could help Michigan win a slice of more than $4 billion in federal funds pledged for states with promising plans to innovate education."

Ethics in the Classroom: What You Need to Know

Ethics in the Classroom: What You Need to Know:


Ethics and morals are often associated with religion, but schools can also provide important lessons in ethical thinking and action.

“There’s a big fear out there that somehow teaching ethics in school will seep into students a particular religious viewpoint,” says Dr. Bruce Weinstein, aka The Ethics Guy. “But ethics must be taught and are being taught in school. It’s impossible not to teach ethics in a school.”

Weinstein, who writes a weekly column for BusinessWeek.com and recently released the popular book Is It Still Cheating if I Don’t Get Caught?, says if schools have a code of conduct, they are teaching ethics.

"According to Weinstein, there are five basic principles of ethics that are common to all faiths:
Do no harm
Make things better
Respect others
Be fair
Be loving"

SCUSD Observer: Corporate "School Reform" comes to Sacramento Thursday

SCUSD Observer: Corporate "School Reform" comes to Sacramento Thursday

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visits Sacramento this Thursday, September 3 to headline Kevin Johnson's Education Summit.Following last week's release of Johnson's white paper, which supposedly "aligns with Secretary of Education Duncan’s plan for national reform", Duncan will be sharing his plan this Thursday at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria at 5:00 p.m.

September 3, 2009 Meeting

September 3, 2009 Meeting: "September 3, 2009 Meeting



Regular Meeting

Agenda Now Available
Time: Location:
September 3, 20094:30 Closed session
6:30 Open Session Serna Center Community Rooms
5735 47th Ave.
Meeting Documents:Online meeting Video/Archive
Agenda
Minutes
During a Regular Board of Education meeting, click HERE to watch the meeting live.
PLEASE NOTE: This video service is designed for high speed internet access.

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This meeting of the Sacramento City School Board is being videotaped in its entirety and will be cablecast without interruption on Metro Cable 14, the government affairs channel on the Comcast and SureWest Cable Systems. Today’s meeting will be replayed Sunday, September 6 at 9am & Monday, September 7 at Noon on Channel 14, and will be webcast at www.sacmetrocable.tv. A video copy is also available for check out from any library branch.
Members of the audience wishing to address the Board should fill out a speaker identification form located in the back of community room and give to the Clerk. Please speak into the microphone when addressing the Board, and state your name for the record."

CAForward

CAForward:

"It’s Time to Move California Forward
Californians are fed up — with a broken system of government that caters to the special interests rather than people, with politicians who spend more time fighting than solving problems, and with spending too much on things that don’t work while short-changing real priorities.
California Forward is bringing people together to reclaim our power as citizens to make our government work again. But we need your help today to reform California.
Our goal is simple: government that’s small enough to listen, big enough to tackle real problems, smart enough to spend money wisely in good times and bad, and honest enough to be held accountable for results.
Please stand with us: Sign our online petition to the right, and help us show the politicians in Sacramento that Californians are demanding real change."

Say NO to Censorship - Let's Not Rewrite American History

Say NO to Censorship - Let's Not Rewrite American History (Education - Change.org)

There is an education war going on in Texas that you need to know about and get involved with. The TX State Board of Education is currently preparing to adopt new social studies curriculum standards. These standards have major national implications as Texas is such a major purchaser of textbooks and their state’s required curriculum drives the content of textbooks produced nationwide.

The TX State Board of Education has hired 6 "experts" to determine what will be in the books their schools use. Some of these "experts" are arguing that the state’s social studies and history textbooks are giving "too much attention" to some of the most prominent civil rights leaders in US History, namely Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall.

David Barton, one of these "experts," claimed Cesar Chavez "lacks the stature, impact and overall contributions of so many others." He went on to say Chávez is not a role model who "ought to be held up to our children as someone worthy of emulation."

The same "expert" wants to eliminate Thurgood Marshall, a prominent Civil Rights leader who argued the landmark case that resulted in school desegregation and was the first African-American U.S. Supreme Court justice. He wrote that the late justice is "not a strong enough example" of an important historical figure to be presented to Tex

FLASHBACK: "All you have to do is care"—Kennedy's Final Words on Education #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change

"All you have to do is care"—Kennedy's Final Words on Education 

In one of Ted Kennedy's final interviews, with BigThink, he spoke about his ideals and hopes for the future of the education system, explaining that when he goes to schools and colleges, he's struck by the spirit of young people who want to help solve problems. Kennedy stresses that one of the most important parts of the Education Bill just passed is loan forgiveness for those who want to go on work in the community to help solve problems: whether it's as a teacher, nurse, or on an Indian Reservation. Kennedy is saying: If you can get to college, debt shouldn't be a barrier to allowing you go on to help solve the nation's problems. He expressed confidence that this country will be safe as long as the spirit of kids who want to make a difference endures.

You don't have to be a senator to make a difference, all you have to do is care. —Ted Kennedy

Education Week: Ed. Dept. Seeks Stiff Conditions on Turnaround Aid

Education Week: Ed. Dept. Seeks Stiff Conditions on Turnaround Aid

Title I and Turnarounds

Under proposed Education Department guidelines, school districts, with a few exceptions, would have to adopt one of four “rigorous interventions” to qualify for some of the $3.5 billion in Title I school improvement grants that would be spent over the next three years.

Turnaround Model: This would include among other actions, replacing the principal and at least 50 percent of the school’s staff, adopting a new governance structure and implementing a new or revised instructional program.

Restart Model: School districts would close failing schools and reopen them under the management of a charter school operator, a charter management organization or an educational management organization selected through a rigorous review process.

School Closure: The district would shut down a failing school and enroll its students in high-achieving schools in the district.

Transformational Model: Districts would address four specific areas: 1) developing teacher and school leader effectiveness, which includes replacing the principal and requiring student achievement growth to be used to reward and dismiss teachers, 2) implementing comprehensive instructional reform strategies, 3) extending learning and teacher planning time and creating community-oriented schools, and 4) providing operating flexibility and sustained support.

Education Week: Turnaround Schools That Work

Education Week: Turnaround Schools That Work

The regulations under which the federal government will award $3.5 billion in Title I school improvement money, announced by Secretary Duncan last week, include four turnaround models that allow states and districts some flexibility in how they deal with failing schools. But the rules also contain strong incentives to choose the models that focus on changing staff and governance. ("Turnaround Grants Facing Tight Leash," same issue.)

Changing the principal and teachers in a school isn’t enough, in part because many years of research have confirmed what all parents know: Kids learn from one another as well as from the teacher. In high-poverty schools, a child is surrounded by classmates who are less likely to have big dreams and, accordingly, are less academically engaged and more prone to acting out and cutting class. Classmates in high-poverty schools are more likely to move in the middle of the year, creating disruption in the classroom, and they are less likely to have large vocabularies, which can rub off on peers on the playground and in school.

Parents are also an important part of a school community. Students benefit when parents regularly volunteer in the classroom and know how to hold school officials accountable when things go wrong. Low-income parents, who may be working several jobs, may not own a car, and may have had bad experiences themselves as students, are four times less likely to be members of a PTA, and are only half as likely to volunteer.

Education Week: Rural Areas Perceive Policy Tilt

Education Week: Rural Areas Perceive Policy Tilt

In this rural community where the unemployment rate is nearly 14 percent and there’s no movie theater for miles around, school administrators say money isn’t the recruitment tool it is in the big city.

And when Mr. Duncan talks about states’ needing to embrace charter schools to give parents more educational options, he may not be envisioning places like South Dakota or Montana, where half the school districts have just a few hundred students—and little demand for public school alternatives.

Rural school advocates say the federal priorities emerging under Mr. Duncan—a former chief executive officer of the 408,000-student Chicago public school system—favor education improvement ideas that are best suited to urban settings.

Initiatives such as the Race to the Top Fund competition fail to recognize the distinctive problems facing rural districts, which serve some 13 million students, or about one-quarter of the nation’s public school enrollment, according to the Rural School and Community Trust, based in Arlington, Va

School nurses in short supply

School nurses in short supply Cincinnati.com The Cincinnati Enquirer

Ohio has one nurse for every 2,377 students; Kentucky has one per 1,877, according to a 2007 survey by the National Association of School Nurses. Nationally, each school nurse cares for 1,151 students on average.

Most districts surveyed in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky have more nurses than the statewide average, but they still are far short of government standards.

Schools should have one nurse for every 750 students, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nurses will be able to handle a mass immunization effort, if it is mandated, said Kathy Inderbitzin, an executive board member for the Ohio Association of School Nurses. But there's still a critical shortage, she said.

"We're all kind of on pins and needles yet about the flu, to find out how it's going to affect the kids," Inderbitzin said.

Schools hire a wide range of medical workers to handle school health needs, from registered nurses with advanced degrees to nurse's aides. In both Ohio and Kentucky, nurses must complete a licensure program through the state education department to officially use the "school nurse" title.

In new accelerator schools, a diploma after two years

In new accelerator schools, a diploma after two years -- baltimoresun.com

Program designed for kids who fell behind, lowering drop-out risk

Baltimore Community School Principal Brian Jones said the school will concentrate on teaching students skills they need to graduate. So in English, the students will focus on learning to write coherent sentences and paragraphs as much as on the plot of the book they are reading. And in math, teachers will make sure students have basic arithmetic skills before moving to algebra.

Students choose to go to the school and went through a lengthy interview process this summer, Jones said, and he did reject a number of applicants. He wanted to be assured that the students really wanted to graduate from high school and that they are willing to abide by a few strict rules.

Students must wear uniforms and cannot take cell phones to school even if they are riding an hour across town on the bus, and Jones checks every student at the door in the morning to make sure they are carrying a three-ring binder. The binder is supposed to be evidence they are serious about doing their homework, keeping their papers together and taking notes. The halls of the school are spotless, the classes are small (no more than 22 students) and there is none of the chattering common in a large city public high school.

"So far, I really like the teachers. They are very hands-on, and they work with you. They offer e-mail addresses and coach classes," said Parris.

Learning Shouldn't Be Dictated by the School Calendar - washingtonpost.com

Learning Shouldn't Be Dictated by the School Calendar - washingtonpost.com

The academic calendar inspires similarly bad habits in schools. Parents and teachers conspire each spring to clean up weaknesses in the records of some children so they can be promoted to the next grade. Some urban high school teachers have told me of panic attacks every April, when only half of the senior class appears qualified to graduate. Extra-credit projects materialize. Grade book calculations are readjusted. Magically, the graduating class grows to about the same size as last year's.

Educators have been trying for more than a century to make lessons more like what students will find in real life. Philosopher John Dewey started a movement with a concept he called experiential education. His disciples have tried to introduce projects -- putting out a class newspaper has been a favorite -- so students learn by doing. You can find examples of this in many schools, but the old just-get-through- the-year mentality still reigns. It is difficult to cover all that I wanted to learn as a student, and I wanted my children to learn, in a nontraditional, project-driven format. Deborah Meier, Dennis Littky and other free-thinking educators have made headway with impoverished urban teenagers, but they are exceptions.