Marcos Breton: New schools chief may find Sac City a contact sport - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Marcos Breton: New schools chief may find Sac City a contact sport - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"But how would he look in a football helmet?

My man could need one, because presiding over the Sacramento City Unified School District has been a bruising assignment for seasoned educators.
In Raymond we have a rookie superintendent not long removed from a career in labor law and politics.

His past is fascinating. He unsuccessfully ran as a Republican candidate for the 4th Congressional District of Massachusetts against noted liberal Barney Frank. Now he's here, in one of the bluest cities around."

The Latino education challenge - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

The Latino education challenge - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:

"Another fact to remember: There's a serious gap between Latinos' successes in school, including their high school graduation and college-going rates, compared to their white peers. The difference is what educators call the 'achievement gap,' and closing it is the second-greatest challenge facing the country (behind getting the international religion-and-politics equation right so we don't blow each other up).

If we don't close that gap, America's workforce will lack the high-order skills the economy demands. There's no upside to allowing such a fast-growing demographic group trail behind, unless we prefer second-tier nation status."

Inside City Hall: Strong-mayor foes relaunch campaign - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com

Inside City Hall: Strong-mayor foes relaunch campaign - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com:

"After months of near- silence, a campaign against Mayor Kevin Johnson's strong-mayor initiative is back at it.

A group called Support Accountability, Voice and Ethics in Sacramento – or SAVE Sacramento – has taken shape, led by the county Democratic Party and a handful of labor groups. They have a Web site: bossmayor.com."

Sacramento-area schools improve scores but not enough - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento-area schools improve scores but not enough - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"The achievement gap between white and Asian students and their black and Latino classmates narrowed slightly. The average API score for Asians was 878, 828 for whites, 698 for Latinos and 674 for blacks.

The number of California elementary schools that met the federal standard increased from 58 percent to 61 percent. But the number fell from 33 percent to 29 percent for middle schools. It fell most sharply for high schools, from 49 percent to 37 percent."

Making the grade - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Making the grade - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"Academic Performance Index (API): This report is required by the state's Public Schools Accountability act of 1999. It shows how much a school is improving from year to year. A school's API is a number ranging from 200 to 1,000, calculated from statewide test results. The state wants all schools to reach 800. Those that fall short must reach annual growth targets, which vary by school."

Sacramento Press / Mayor plans to address "safe ground" ideas in October

Sacramento Press / Mayor plans to address "safe ground" ideas in October:

"Mayor Kevin Johnson said Tuesday that he plans to deliver a proposal to the City Council in October that would lay out ideas for a “safe ground” site for homeless people.

Johnson told reporters at his weekly press conference on Tuesday that he wants to suggest to the City Council three to five sites as possible locations for a future campground. The campground would be exempt from the city’s rules against outdoor camping. In recent weeks, advocates for the homeless have called for city officials to create a safe ground site."

SCUSD Observer: Strong mayor initiative dissected

SCUSD Observer: Strong mayor initiative dissected

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Strong mayor initiative dissected
At tonight's city council meeting, City Attorney Eileen Teichert will present her report titled, "Strong Mayor Initiative Legal Issues and Options."Read it here.

Boss Mayor

Boss Mayor:

"On June 8, 2010, Sacramento will vote to reject or support Sacramentans for Accountable Government’s 'Boss Mayor' Initiative, which SAG has cleverly disguised as a strong mayor proposal. Don’t let SAG fool you.

The Boss Mayor Initiative is an irresponsible and risky attempt to concentrate virtually all of our city’s power into the hands of a single man. Do not be fooled, this is not the same “Strong Mayor” system in numerous other California cities. The Boss Mayor Initiative gives the Mayor unprecedented power over our city – with no accountability."

Mayor: No Money For Winter Shelters - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento

Mayor: No Money For Winter Shelters - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento:

"Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said Tuesday there is no county money available for winter homeless shelters this year.

Johnson said Sacramento County's general fund is down, and additional cuts have been made to services that affect the homeless shelters.

The mayor said he hopes by the next month to have three or five locations to discuss as possible 'safe grounds.'"

Sebelius: Govt Approves New Swine Flu Vaccine - Health News Story - KCRA Sacramento

Sebelius: Govt Approves New Swine Flu Vaccine - Health News Story - KCRA Sacramento:

"Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the vaccine's approval to Congress -- and said she hopes to get the first limited supplies distributed early in October.

The bulk of vaccine will start arriving Oct. 15, and Sebelius said it should be available at 90,000 sites around the country.

'We will have enough vaccine available for everyone' eventually, Sebelius said -- everyone who wants it, that is."

Dear School-Based Health Care Supporter:

An urgent situation has been brought to our attention by one of our good friends on Capitol Hill. Apparently, some right-wing organizations are conducting a write-in campaign regarding school-based health centers in health care reform legislation. Our Hill contact shared some of the text that is making its way around:

“There are many reasons I urge you to oppose the Health Care Bill (HR3200), but among the most important is that it will put Planned Parenthoodclinics inside the nation's public schools.“Planned Parenthood is the nation's largest abortion provider and the mostdangerous purveyor of the mythical "safe sex" message which has deprivedso many American teens of their sexual innocence and left them withdiseases and unwanted pregnancies.“I am fundamentally opposed to the Health Care Bill (HR 3200) and anyattempt at government take- over of the health care industry. I urge youto oppose the Health Care Bill (HR 3200) or any health care plan thatinvites Planned Parenthood onto our public school campuses.”


This attack on SBHCs demands a strong response – and we are responding with a coordinated sign-on letter intended to demonstrate the breadth and depth of support for SBHCs. The letter is attached. Please consider signing your organization on! And please circulate this email and letter to your networks.

DEADLINE FOR SIGNING ON: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, NOON (Eastern). Please contact Alicia Newell (anewell@nasbhc.org) with sign-ons or questions.

Click this Link to get a copy of the letter: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/11328913/SUPPORT-SCHOOL-BASED-HEALTH-CARE-URGENT-SIGN-ON-LETTER‏

Thomas B. Fordham Institute - The Education Gadfly

Thomas B. Fordham Institute - The Education Gadfly:

"What private dollars can do uniquely and best is stand apart from government: Fund activities that are politically or constitutionally beyond government's reach; underwrite critics, evaluators, and analysts of public policies and programs; pay for inquiry, research, and advocacy that would be inappropriate for the public sector to undertake; and generally distinguish its work from that of government in a truly 'independent sector.' In a Wall Street Journal interview the other day, Eli Broad made clear that his foundation, for one, believes in 'venture philanthropy' to jump-start worthy change, not in waiting for the government to sign on."

Education Week: Growth Model

Education Week: Growth Model:

"“If you build the strongest possible induction model for people that come with this background, and equip them with the technology of teaching, will that help individuals improve? Yes, and I think TFA shows evidence of that,” said Ms. Hirsh, whose group promotes school-based learning teams for professional development. “But is the process one that could be replicated to all teachers in a school and produce schoolwide change? I don’t think so, because it has [teachers]working on isolated instances of practice.”"

Ms. Kopp agrees that creating communities of practice for school improvement is vital to reform, but for TFA, views the issue of as one of limited resources. “Ultimately, our schools and districts should be taking that on,” she said. “It’s simply a question of what we have the bandwidth to do.”

California tax panel set to recommend sweeping, controversial changes - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

California tax panel set to recommend sweeping, controversial changes - Sacramento Politics - California Politics Sacramento Bee:

"'I think inherent in this proposal is a signal to the entire populace, and certainly the Legislature: Please hold your fire, please don't reach a conclusion without further analysis,' said Chairman Gerald Parsky, a lawyer who worked for former Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and served as chairman of the University of California Board of Regents.

The tax proposal's linchpin is a 'business net receipts tax,' or BNRT, for which the closest comparisons are the value-added taxes used in Europe and a variant used in Michigan. When fully implemented, all businesses operating in California would pay a tax of roughly 4 percent on all their revenue minus deductions for capital investments, contractors and possibly health expenditures for employees."

Zombie conservatives at the schoolhouse door - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Zombie conservatives at the schoolhouse door - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:

"A leading Republican congressman recently chirped that things are looking up for the GOP because of people's fear. Another Republican lawmaker indicated distaste for school-speech demagogy but explained that one must understand that Washington is in the middle of a nasty health care fight.

Which means what, exactly? That winning is the only thing, and to hell with the good of the country, civil society and the possibility of intelligent debate about serious matters? Watching the school-speech insanity blow up on the right, a friend who has been deeply involved for decades at the top of Republican politics, e-mailed to say that she was done. The conservative movement is hurtling off a cliff-and she was bailing out."

New Panel for Educational Policy Looks Like the Compliant One of Old - NYTimes.com

New Panel for Educational Policy Looks Like the Compliant One of Old - NYTimes.com:

"One member, Joe Chan, is president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, a real estate group that relies heavily on a city contract that has provided $5.4 million. Another member, Linda Lausell Bryant, is the executive director of a youth services program that has two contracts with the Department of Education, estimated at $382,000. And Gitte Peng, another member, is a former adviser to Mr. Bloomberg’s deputy mayor for education."

Harvard to offer a doctorate in education leadership - The Boston Globe

Harvard to offer a doctorate in education leadership - The Boston Globe:

"The new degree program will be a “catalyst to drive change,’’ McCartney said, producing a new generation of education leaders who are expected to alter education policy debates, forge powerful public-private partnerships, and restore public confidence in the US school system.

Students in the third year of the program will participate in a yearlong residency with partner organizations such as urban public school systems in New York City, Atlanta, and Denver, as well as national organizations focused on changing K-12 education, including Teach for America, New Leaders for New Schools, and the National Center of Education and the Economy."

Critical thinking? You need knowledge - The Boston Globe

Critical thinking? You need knowledge - The Boston Globe:

"THE LATEST fad to sweep K-12 education is called “21st-Century Skills.’’ States - including Massachusetts - are adding them to their learning standards, with the expectation that students will master skills such as cooperative learning and critical thinking and therefore be better able to compete for jobs in the global economy. Inevitably, putting a priority on skills pushes other subjects, including history, literature, and the arts, to the margins. But skill-centered, knowledge-free education has never worked."

Research tells schools to empower parents | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register

Research tells schools to empower parents DesMoinesRegister.com The Des Moines Register:

"The goal is to get more parents into the school and to show them ways to help their children at home.

Research has shown that students whose families play an active role in their education most often are more prepared to enter school, get better grades and perform higher on state standardized tests. A lack of parental involvement has been shown to lead to misbehavior, poor grades and higher dropout rates."

Sacramento News & Review > Blogs > SNOG > Labor growing frustrated with KJ > September 14, 2009

Sacramento News & Review ; Blogs ; SNOG ; Labor growing frustrated with KJ ; September 14, 2009:

"When Kevin Johnson was running for mayor, he told me he was going to win because he had supporters across the political spectrum. He lacked the support of the local Democratic party–and still does. But he did lock up key endorsements with the cops and firefighters, republicans, and critical support from the Sacramento Labor Council.

“While I have developer friends, and I‘ve got the support of the Chamber and the business community, I‘ve also got the support of the Labor Council and the [Building Industry Association] and the Builders Exchange,” Johnson told SN&R at the time."

Hidden Outrages in Overseas Teacher Recruitment - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education

Hidden Outrages in Overseas Teacher Recruitment - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education:

"A new report released by the American Federation of Teachers reminds us of a topic education writers like me almost never address---the unseemly side of the recruitment of teachers abroad for U.S. schools. The AFT report, 'Importing Educators: Causes and Consequences of International Teacher Recruitment,' has some shocking disclosures, and deserves a close reading.

The report says that one recruiter for overseas-educated teachers in Newark, N.J., forced recruits to sign a contract obligating them to kick back 25 percent of their salaries to the recruiter. Other recruiters gouged the teachers they were allegedly helping with 60 percent interest rate loans. Some forbade them to own cars. Some placed the newly arrived teachers in overcrowded, unfinished housing, the report said."

Full Report http://www.docstoc.com/docs/11311970/Importing-Educators-Causes-and-Consequences-of-International-Teacher-Recruitment

California needs 'Race to the Top' funds -- latimes.com

California needs 'Race to the Top' funds -- latimes.com:

"Although critics are right to say we have substantial work to do to improve our measures of student progress, they are quite wrong if they claim we can afford to wait until we have perfect assessments before we start down this road. Intentionally blinding ourselves to teachers' effectiveness cannot be the right answer.

Saying yes will require difficult changes. True leadership in this moment means actively piloting systems that connect the work of teachers to the progress of students in smart, thoughtful ways. Any other choice means accepting a different firewall -- one that stands between California's children and hundreds of millions of dollars in desperately needed federal funds, and between our children and the future they deserve"

Rally supports District 6 teachers | Greeley Tribune

Rally supports District 6 teachers Greeley Tribune:

"The district's offer consists of a pay freeze across the board, though it has offered to fund the teachers' retirement and health insurance plans. The teachers union said it would like full funding of its salary schedule as well as a cost-of-living increase and retirement and health costs covered.

At the end of the rally, the teachers union president, Andi Lee, made a point to differentiate teachers from firefighters and police officers, who recently accepted salary freezes. The city, she said, is facing a multimillion-dollar budget deficit while the district received about $6 million more from the state this year than it did last year."

Teacher's Union Has Tentative Agreement With State - KHON2.com

Teacher's Union Has Tentative Agreement With State - KHON2.com:

"A deal is on the table for teachers in what is being called a tentative settlement between the state and teacher's union in a very contentious bargaining year.

The settlement affecting 13,000 teachers is preliminary and needs the Governor's approval, but what happens here could impact other union deals.
For kids and teachers so far, it's been a new school year, with an old contract -- everything still in limbo with a huge deficit stalling contract progress."

William McKenzie: The Latino education challenge | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Opinion: Viewpoints

William McKenzie: The Latino education challenge News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News Opinion: Viewpoints:

"Another fact to remember: There's a serious gap between Latinos' successes in school, including their high school graduation and college-going rates, compared to their white peers. The difference is what educators call the 'achievement gap,' and closing it is the second-greatest challenge facing the country (behind getting the international religion-and-politics equation right so we don't blow each other up)."

Obscure database is key to U.S. educational funds for California -- latimes.com

Obscure database is key to U.S. educational funds for California -- latimes.com:

"California's chance to receive hundreds of millions of federal educational dollars may rest heavily on an obscure and long-neglected piece of education infrastructure: a statewide data system that tracks students, teachers and administrators year to year.

Such education systems are expensive, complex and do not win elections for politicians. But experts say they are essential to learn how much of the nearly $60 billion that California spends on K-12 education makes a difference, a fact that student achievement tests only hint at."

Dear People who care about the future of Sacramento:

Show up to City Council on Tuesday! (Sept. 15th @ 6pm)

Please show up to City Hall tomorrow (September 15th) and urge the Council to vote NO on using public resources to fix legal flaws with the strong mayor initiative.

City Hall is located at 915 I Street and the meeting starts at 6pm. This item is expected to be heard within the first hour.

The City Attorney recently identified a number of legal issues in the Strong Mayor initiative. As a result, she has advised the proponents of this measure to fix those legal flaws in order to avoid any confusion about whether the initiative is constitutional.

This initiative is being funded with private money. Therefore, any band-aid measure needed to fix the legal issues should be paid for with private money. Nonetheless, the proponents of this measure want the public to foot the bill for fixing their mistakes.

Please show up to City Council tomorrow and ask them to use common sense and VOTE NO on bailing out the legally flawed Strong Mayor Initiative.

Thank you!- Stop the Power Grab

Imperial Valley News - California Schools Chief Urges Schools to Compete in Disney's Environmental Challenge Contest

Imperial Valley News - California Schools Chief Urges Schools to Compete in Disney's Environmental Challenge Contest:

"Sacramento, California - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced the California Department of Education is collaborating with The Walt Disney Company and the K-12 Alliance of state and federal agencies on the Disney's Planet Challenge contest.

'California has a legacy of leadership on the environment, science, and technology, that have made the state one of the most hypercompetitive economies in the world,' said O'Connell. 'This contest will offer teachers a new science tool and a fresh way to motivate their students' creativity about how to protect their environment. I urge all schools to challenge themselves and participate in this nationwide competition.'"

Schools Look Abroad to Hire Teachers - NYTimes.com

Schools Look Abroad to Hire Teachers - NYTimes.com:

"The report used government data to estimate that 19,000 foreign teachers were working in the United States on temporary visas in 2007, and that the number was rising steadily. There are more than three million teachers in American public schools.

“Overseas-trained teachers are being recruited from nearly all corners of the globe and are being placed primarily in hard-to-staff inner-city or very rural schools teaching the hard-to-fill disciplines of math, science and special education,” said the report, by the American Federation of Teachers."

Local News | Kent strike ends: Teachers overwhelmingly accept deal | Seattle Times Newspaper

Local News Kent strike ends: Teachers overwhelmingly accept deal Seattle Times Newspaper:

"The Kent teachers strike ended shortly before 10 this morning after teachers voted overwhelmingly to accept a tentative contract agreement reached Sunday evening.
Some 1,360 of the members of the Kent Education Association attended this morning's meeting, with 94 percent voting to accept the offer."

Kent school teachers celebrate after voting to ratify a contract ending their two-week-old strike and avoid court-ordered fines.

The Daily Aztec - FLAMING LIBERAL: Meaningful message

The Daily Aztec - FLAMING LIBERAL: Meaningful message:

"Here in San Diego, Trustees of the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District voted to ban the live broadcasting of Obama’s speech because of many negative communications they received from concerned parents. Later in the week, Board President Penny Halgren and trustee Bob Duff apologized for their votes and stated they wished they could go back and allow the students to see the live speech.

This shows the pressure and ultimate damage irrational conservatives may have on students’ opportunity to learn in class. This is telling of the weak character of the trustees, not just in the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District, but across the nation."

'Race to the Top' - we expected better

'Race to the Top' - we expected better:

"What are the ingredients of successful education reform? From the perspective of a classroom teacher, reform must be rooted in classroom practice and supported by research."

For eight years, educators endured No Child Left Behind, an education law that focused on one-size-fits-all standardized testing. We looked forward to the day that a new administration, headed by a president who promised transparency, reliance on research and support for public education, took office.

We are grateful that federal stimulus funds included money to help fill the giant holes left by disappearing tax revenues in state budgets. Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/14/EDUJ19N1PV.DTL#ixzz0R8yLN2Pa

The Principal Story on PBS, September 15 at 10 PM.

Watch The Principal Story on PBS, September 15 at 10 PM. POV is PBS’s award-winning nonfiction film series.

Interested in public school reform? Want to engage attendees at a training or workshop? Looking for an exciting new way to get parents talking about school involvement?
Check out The Principal Story and take an inside look at the challenges facing America's public schools — and the great difference a dedicated principal can make. Tresa Dunbar is a second-year principal at Chicago's Nash Elementary, where 98% of students come from low-income families; in Springfield, Illinois, Kerry Purcell has led Harvard Park Elementary, with similar demographics, for six years. With funding from The Wallace Foundation, The Principal Story takes the viewer along for an emotional ride that reveals what effective educational leadership looks like in the 21st century.

You can also borrow the film and download the discussion guide, for FREE!
To sign up, visit: www.amdoc.org/outreach/events/Our free lending library is available for nonprofits, educational institutions, libraries, and local PBS stations.

Watch the trailer: www.pbs.org/pov/principalstory/

Check your local listings: http://www.pbs.org/pov/tvschedule/

If you are looking for images and photos, you can also browse our Pressroom: http://www.amdoc.org/pressroom_pov2009.php

Ways to Incorporate Daily Reading Activities With Children | Literacy News

Ways to Incorporate Daily Reading Activities With Children Literacy News:

"Today, it seems, everyone is too busy to do much of what we know is important or needed. Just because a parent feels they don’t have 15 or 20 minutes to read to their child for whatever the reason, there are still ways to find the time for what has been called “the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for success in reading is reading aloud to children”. With the help of the Reading is Fundamental Organization’s website (www.rif.org) I’ve compiled a list of ideas to enable parents to find opportunities to read to their children and help them succeed."

NCAA's sickle cell test plan raises fears

NCAA's sickle cell test plan raises fears:

"A recent NCAA recommendation to screen college athletes for sickle cell trait - the gene that can cause sickle cell disease - is raising the hackles of some experts who say testing is probably unnecessary, and may even lead to inadvertent discrimination against minority players."

Sickle cell disease is a blood disorder that can cause severe pain, stroke and death, but sickle cell trait is almost always benign, and many people never know whether they carry the gene. About 8 percent of black people and about 1 percent of Latinos have sickle cell trait, but it's rare among white people, affecting only about 1 in 10,000.Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/09/14/MN2P19LCJM.DTL#ixzz0R836OkQJ

2theadvocate.com | News | New school pays for behavior — Baton Rouge, LA

2theadvocate.com News New school pays for behavior — Baton Rouge, LA:

"The students at Children’s Charter’s new middle school get a weekly paycheck to go to school. Sort of.

For the past month, 40 sixth- and seventh-graders have started off with $25 just for showing up. If they behave appropriately, at the end of each class, teachers will add stamps to these paychecks, each one worth another $25. By the end of a week, they can earn as much as $500 which they can then spend at the school’s store."

44 Percent Is Passing Grade on New York Math State Test - NYTimes.com

44 Percent Is Passing Grade on New York Math State Test - NYTimes.com:

"At a time when the tests are assuming an unprecedented role in classrooms across the state — used for everything from analyzing student deficiencies to determining which educators deserve cash bonuses — the debate underscores a central question: How accurate are the exams in measuring student learning and progress, and what skills should a passing grade reflect?"

Education Week: Engaging Schools, Engaging Parents: The School-Community Partnership

Education Week: Engaging Schools, Engaging Parents: The School-Community Partnership:

"Tuesday, September 15, 2 p.m. Eastern time

Sign up below to receive an e-mail reminder about this chat.

At President Barack Obama's urging, and in response to research showing a connection between parental involvement and student achievement, districts nationwide have launched initiatives to increase community engagement with schools. Yet many schools find it difficult to sustain parent involvement beyond the parent-teacher conference. Join two experts, Joyce L. Epstein and Larry Ferlazzo, for an in-depth discussion on the subject. Ms. Epstein is the main author of 'School, Family, and Community Partnerships.' Mr. Ferlazzo co-authored the forthcoming book 'Building Parent Engagement In Schools.'"

http://www.edweek.org/ew/events/chats/2009/09/15/index.html?altcast_code=a1c4dbcff7

Breaking news from afar: Ed-reform darlings Rhee, Barr turn on each other

Breaking news from afar: Ed-reform darlings Rhee, Barr turn on each other:


"A tiny handful of parents from the neighborhood attended the community meeting Barr called to rouse the masses to mutiny against D.C. public schools, my friend reports. “According to Barr, Rhee has cooled to his advances and actually got angry with him on the phone when she learned that he was meeting with community members,” she e-mailed me.
This gets especially interesting because Barr claims that U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan is pulling for him to take over the school, and it’s big news if Duncan – a big supporter of charters and privatization – is facing off against Rhee – also a big supporter of charters and privatization."

Obama school-'safety' chief: How to jam homosexuality

Obama school-'safety' chief: How to jam homosexuality:

"President Obama's choice to monitor school safety once boasted that he introduced homosexual advocacy into the school system in Massachusetts by manipulating the message presented to lawmakers.

The revelations about Kevin Jennings, who was named assistant deputy secretary for the office of Safe & Drug Free Schools in the U.S. Department of Education, come just as several of Obama's 'czars' have come under scrutiny for their actions, opinions and affiliations."

Education Week: How Obama's Pep Talk Became a Publicity Headache

Education Week: How Obama's Pep Talk Became a Publicity Headache:

"But the fuse was lit on Aug. 25, when Secretary Duncan followed up with an open letter to school principals, e-mailed and posted online, that encouraged them and their students to watch the speech, and directed them to a “menu of classroom activities” available online to help teachers in conjunction with the speech. (The letter, once available on the Education Department’s Web site, has been taken down.)"

Original Lesson Plan http://www.docstoc.com/docs/10582301/President-Obama’s-Address-to-Students-Across-America-September-8-2009

And We Think Education is Expensive... - California Progress Report

And We Think Education is Expensive... - California Progress Report:

"“What’s arguably more frightening in the long view is that [our children] they’re coming of age in an America so hyper-partisan, shrill, silly and incoherent that a pep talk to school kids — surely the most plain vanilla presidential duty this side of pardoning the turkey at Thanksgiving — gets treated like it was Osama bin Laden giving an al-Qaeda recruitment speech in lower Manhattan on Sept. 11.”"

SCUSD Board Budget Committee

Monday , September 14, 2009

Agenda and Handouts

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

The Serna Center

5735 47th Ave. Sacramento, CA 95824

Indiana Room

George Washington Carver School of Arts and Science

Exciting News!

Carver High School made the greatest improvement of any school in Sacramento City Unified School District for the 2009-2010 school year. The gains were made in every group of students as measured by NCLB. This is fantastic news to show the success of our students in our very first year. We look forward to continued success and achievement for all our students.

Summer Arts Academy

The Sam Mazza Summer Arts Academy 2009 offered performing arts to students interested in drama, music, and poetry. Carver's after-school program director, Shannah Dieckmann, worked with teachers Scott Embrey-Stine and Mme Jennifer Fain to bring several special events to the students. Dahlak Brathwaite offered students a chance to work in the spoken word, in dramatic recitations of original poetry. A few of his students competed for honors in a national competition in Chicago. We were honored to have Nate Hall and Charday Adams perform their competition piece at our showcase for the parents and the community. In cooperation with the Music Circus and their arts education outreach, students were able to go to a performance of Altar Boyz and hear from a performer about his work. Another opportunity came from the Harlem Dance Company, and students were able to hear from two of the principal ballet dancers in the country after seeing a video of their work.

Another innovation for this summer was the help of our Sacramento Waldorf graduates, who worked as recreation assistants, Elise Ali, Sean Embrey-Stine, and Kevin Langham. These young adults worked with students in dramatic exercises, script writing, and acting, as well as music. The assistants led the morning warm-up activities, daily singing, and directed the students in the original play, "Rumplestiltzkin". Working with the gifted song-writer, Ariel Heim, Sean helped Ariel and Brianna Price refine and rehearse Ariel's song, "Teardrops and the Rain", which was performed at the showcase event.

Mme Fain, for many years the drama teacher at the Sacramento Waldorf School trained several students in the art of acting, and they performed A.A. Milne's The Ugly Duckling, a one-act play about a prince and a princess. All of the students worked on other arts as well-- form-drawing and perspective drawing, as well as the work on the set for the two plays. Students new to George Washington Carver School of Arts and Science had an extraordinary opportunity to meet other students, experience the joys and stress of performing, as well as get an introduction to Waldorf methods for the school year to come.We continue the work of the Arts Academy in the Waldorf Core classes for ninth and tenth grades. Plan to attend the summer program next year.

Ruling in Richardson ISD case alters standards for reimbursement when services unavailable to disabled students | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

Ruling in Richardson ISD case alters standards for reimbursement when services unavailable to disabled students News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News Latest News:

"A recent federal appeals court decision is the latest attempt by judges to define the level of public education that disabled students are entitled to receive.

The ruling, in a case involving a girl from Richardson, imposes new standards for parents in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi who seek reimbursement from school districts for some special education services not available from public schools."

The case focused on the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which requires public schools to offer "free and appropriate public education" for disabled children.
More than 450,000 students in Texas receive services under IDEA.

If a local public school cannot supply that education, the district is obligated to pay for some services considered necessary for a legally appropriate education.
But court cases in several federal districts have struggled to define exactly what that obligation means. The Richardson decision, handed down Aug. 21, is the latest.

Bold risk for teachers union - The Boston Globe

Bold risk for teachers union - The Boston Globe:


"THE BOSTON Teachers Union is trying to turn the tables on its critics by opening a pilot school that removes layers of bureaucracy between students and their teachers. Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, warned that “naysayers will be rooting for it to fail.’’ Not likely. If anything, Bostonians and education advocates across the political spectrum are longing for more successful schools, regardless of who runs them."