Where’s the Evidence? by Neal McCluskey on National Review Online

Where’s the Evidence? by Neal McCluskey on National Review Online:

"If you listen to advocates of national education standards — from the Obama administration to the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute — you’ll seldom hear anything about “evidence” or “research.” You’ll get plenty of assertions about the craziness of having 50 state standards, and how a modern nation must have one bar for all, but zilch about actual, empirical evidence.

So why are these folks — many of whom regularly decry the absence of “scientifically based” policymaking in almost every other facet of education — hawking national standards with nary a whisper about research showing that this monumental reform will actually work? Because there’s hardly any such research to cite. There are very few extant studies comparing educational outcomes in countries with and without national standards — in other words, studies with “treatment” and “control” groups — and what little research does exist is, at best, ambiguous."

Valley assemblyman vice-chair of education | MyDesert.com | The Desert Sun

Valley assemblyman vice-chair of education MyDesert.com The Desert Sun:

"California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, on Wednesday named Assemblyman Brian Nestande, R-Palm Desert, as vice-chair of the Fifth Extraordinary Session Education Committee, Nestande's office announced."

The committee will hold hearings through the end of the year to put California in a favorable position to compete for federal Race to the Top funds.
The U.S. Department of Education will be awarding $4.35 billion in Race to the Top funds to states for programs aimed at improving educational quality and results.

Commentary: The Latino education challenge | McClatchy

Commentary: The Latino education challenge McClatchy:

"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.

Fortunately, the Obama administration gets the problem, as did the Bush administration. In fact, going back to the first Bush presidency, the White House has had an initiative to improve Latinos' educational progress.

Juan Sepuvelda now heads that effort, and the former San Antonio management consultant was in Dallas last week as part of a national listening tour. He's learning what communities are doing to improve Latino success in schools and what they must do to ramp it up."

UC president says CA is building 'toll road to higher education' | 89.3 KPCC

UC president says CA is building 'toll road to higher education' 89.3 KPCC:

"Mark Yudof: 'I’m sorry. I regret it, but the state has stopped building freeways to higher education and it has started building toll roads. That’s what you have. You have a toll road to higher education. I don’t like it but that’s what they’ve done.'"

Letters to the editor - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Letters to the editor - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:

"While Obama is the consensus builder, trying to bring wolves to the table, expecting them to work in a polite and cooperative manner, Johnson is the wolf in Democratic clothing, allied with powerful corporate 'volunteers,' marching toward ever-greater power and demanding mindless servitude from others."

Massive fee hikes planned at University of California - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Massive fee hikes planned at University of California - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"University of California employees and students chanting 'Whose university? Our university!' express outrage over planned fee hikes at the regents' meeting Wednesday in San Francisco as a plainclothes police officer, right, watches over the proceedings."

University of California regents meeting Wednesday in San Francisco said they likely will approve a 32 percent hike in student fees.
The increase would push the price of a year at UC to $10,302 for undergraduates and comes on the heels of a 9.3 percent increase approved in May.

The Associated Press: Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary dead at 72

The Associated Press: Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary dead at 72:

"They were early champions of Bob Dylan and performed his 'Blowin' in the Wind' at the August 1963 March on Washington.

And they were vehement in their opposition to the Vietnam War, managing to stay true to their liberal beliefs while creating music that resonated in the American mainstream.
The group collected five Grammy Awards for their three-part harmony on enduring songs like 'Leaving on a Jet Plane,' 'Puff (The Magic Dragon)' and 'Blowin' in the Wind.'"

Education News & Comment

Education News & Comment:
"SCUSD District Advisory Committee (DAC)
Parent Involvement Committee

...is looking for PARENTS
who want to get INVOLVED!"

If you are interested, please join usat the Serna Center, Arizona Roomon September 16, 20095:00pm - 6:00pm

Impacts of cuts surfacing now school is under way; tattered English book with missing pages tells the story - Redwood Times

Impacts of cuts surfacing now school is under way; tattered English book with missing pages tells the story - Redwood Times:

"”We need this stuff. It’s hard to do our job without it,” she said. She said that the teachers feel awkward engaging in so much fundraising and the academic teachers worry about competing with the sports programs and campus clubs for the same community money. She asked the board to give direction to the teachers. “Do you expect us to be fundraisers?” she asked.

Teacher Melinda Bailey brought a tattered English textbook with missing pages to draw attention to the fact that English has not been included in the rotation schedule for the purchase of new textbooks for math, science and social studies. English textbooks have not been replaced since 1990, she said, and it was an embarrassment for the school."

Sacramento Press / Council unlikely to address "strong mayor" issues raised by city attorney

Sacramento Press / Council unlikely to address "strong mayor" issues raised by city attorney:

"Several legal issues in the “strong mayor” initiative that were raised by Sacramento’s city attorney will likely not be addressed by the City Council. After listening to a Tuesday night presentation by City Attorney Eileen Teichert, councilmembers did not suggest taking any future actions to resolve the issues.

Instead of taking action on the legal issues that were raised by Teichert, some councilmembers said they look forward to analyzing the Charter Review Committee’s upcoming recommendations on the strong mayor system of city government. The committee’s ideas may be placed on a future ballot for citizens to decide."

Education Week: Draft Unveiled on Technological Literacy for NAEP

Education Week: Draft Unveiled on Technological Literacy for NAEP:

"A discussion draft of the framework for the national assessment of technological literacy, the first to gauge students’ understanding of and skill in using a range of tools, has been presented to the board that oversees the testing program.

The computer-based National Assessment of Educational Progress in technological literacy, scheduled to be administered to a representative sample of the nation’s 4th, 8th, and 12th graders for the first time in 2012, will evaluate students’ understanding of technology tools and their design, the ways they can be used to gather information and communicate ideas, and their impact on society."

Click here to view this report http://www.docstoc.com/docs/11386736/Draft-Technological-Literacy-for-NAEP

Committee Meetings

Committee Meetings:

"Facilities Committee

The next meeting is:

Wednesday, September 16, 2009 Agenda/Handouts/Minutes
Time: 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Location: Serna Center - Michigan/Minnesota Rooms

Meeting Schedule January - June 2009

Board of Education Members:
Roy Grimes, MPA, MBA, Board President (Area 6)
Patrick Kennedy, Board 2nd Vice President and Committee Chairman (Area 7)

Donald Terry, Board Member (Area 3)"

Walkout called over UC budget cuts

Walkout called over UC budget cuts:

"Hundreds of faculty, students and staff from the University of California's 10 campuses are calling for a systemwide walkout Sept. 24 to protest UC's handling of its budget crisis."

The protest is intended to disrupt classes to call attention to the deep impact of millions of dollars of budget cuts on the quality of education throughout the UC system.
What began in recent weeks as a proposed faculty walkout coinciding with the first day of school next Thursday at some campuses - including UCSF, UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz - has grown to include graduate and undergraduate student groups, and labor unions representing thousands of employees.


"We hope to accomplish a freeze on tuition increases, protection for the most vulnerable employees, and a return to respect for democratic process," said Joshua Clover, an associate professor of English at UC Davis who helped draft a petition urging the walkout that has been signed by 743 faculty members representing each campus.

City Council nixes companion measure to strong-mayor proposal - Latest News - sacbee.com

City Council nixes companion measure to strong-mayor proposal - Latest News - sacbee.com:

"The Sacramento City Council decided Tuesday not to draft a companion measure to Mayor Kevin Johnson's strong-mayor proposal that would address what City Attorney Eileen Teichert described as 'legal issues' with the proposal."

Ohio.com - Grading education isn't easy

Ohio.com - Grading education isn't easy:

"Accountability

In urban public schools, 54.3 percent exceeded the goals for value-added achievement, compared to 46.4 percent in charter schools.

''Everything we see so far by all the measurements is that traditional public schools outperform charter schools,'' said Barb Shaner, Ohio Association of School Business Officials associate executive director.

Shaner, a member of the Coalition for Public Education, is not calling for all charter schools to close, but her organization's members are correctly tired of being labeled failures in urban areas."

Teenage inmates earn high-school diplomas

Teenage inmates earn high-school diplomas:

"It was a ceremony full of contradictions: 'Pomp and Circumstance' blared from a little boom box but filled up the small room; the striped uniforms that are the trademark of many county inmates were visible underneath the gowns the graduates proudly wore; a string of handcuffs lay on the floor near a buffet table full of food to congratulate the teenagers.

Many of the students said if they'd stayed in school on the outside, they wouldn't have ended up in jail. But, by the same token, ending up in jail is the only thing that pushed them to complete their education."

D.C. to Ask Judge to Dismiss Special Education Court Order - washingtonpost.com

D.C. to Ask Judge to Dismiss Special Education Court Order - washingtonpost.com:

"The decree ordered the District to wipe out a backlog of more than 1,000 decisions by hearing officers that had yet to be implemented, which delayed placement of students in programs. It also requires that 80 percent of the decisions reached after July 1, 2008, be executed in timely fashion.

The latest District figures place its timeliness rate at 60 percent for the one-year period ending June 30. Ira Burnim, attorney for the Blackman plaintiffs, said Tuesday that is unacceptable."

State, U.S. disagree on progress at some L.A. schools -- latimes.com

State, U.S. disagree on progress at some L.A. schools -- latimes.com:

"Thirty-nine Los Angeles schools -- a group larger than the entire Glendale school system -- identified as 'failing' under federal standards became eligible Tuesday for takeover under a recent Board of Education policy.

These schools bring the number of Los Angeles Unified School District campuses eligible for takeover to 252. Bidders from inside or outside the nation's second-largest school system could submit proposals to run such schools. The bidding process also applies to 51 new schools set to open over the next four years."

In The News : Milwaukee Area Labor Council AFL-CIO

In The News : Milwaukee Area Labor Council AFL-CIO:

"In a rambling but revealing interview with Wisconsin’s largest newspaper, the new mayor for the city of Milwaukee, Scott Walker, discussed in greater detail his mayoral takeover of public education.

First, Walker said, he would sell 40 public school properties to condominium developers from Waukesha and Burnett counties he has worked with before. Included was the valuable Riverside High School building and its nearby environmental center."

Threatening School Reform - washingtonpost.com

Threatening School Reform - washingtonpost.com:

"The council, returning from summer break next week, will try to override Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's Aug. 26 veto of budget language appropriating nearly $1 million to the State Board of Education. It was the second time the mayor vetoed the measure because of fears that increased autonomy could lead to the board meddling in school operations. Five votes are needed to sustain the mayor's veto, and unfortunately, it appears that some council members are buying the notion that this is a minor matter that won't threaten Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee's reforms. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D), proponent of the change who is also mulling a challenge to Mr. Fenty next year, argues that the board's role in setting citywide educational standards and policy is not being enlarged."

School test results bring confusion

School test results bring confusion:

"State and local education officials are calling for revisions to the No Child Left Behind law in the next few years to help address what they say are untenable benchmarks in the federal system. Schools that receive federal Title I funding and fail to reach those benchmarks for two years are put on a watch list called Program Improvement. Nearly 2,800 schools are now on the list statewide, 1,558 new to it this year.

Five years on that list means local education officials are expected to take drastic steps to turn the school around, which could include a reconstituted staff, new principal, conversion to a charter school or closure. A decision not to participate in the federal program could result in the loss of Title I funding for low-income students, which pays for a range of programs including staff and materials."

Test score conundrum - SignOnSanDiego.com

Test score conundrum - SignOnSanDiego.com:

"State and federal report cards released simultaneously yesterday tell two tales: More than 80 percent of the county's public schools did better on standardized tests last spring than they did in 2008, but an alarming number of campuses are facing federal sanctions for low test scores. That double standard underscores the differences in how the state and federal governments measure success, and it is adding to concerns local educators have about the seven-year-old federal No Child Left Behind Act. The law demands that schools do more for low-scoring students but orders reforms even for schools that already are improving."

Education director speaks out against No Child Left Behind | San Francisco Examiner

Education director speaks out against No Child Left Behind San Francisco Examiner:

"What’s wrong with No Child Left Behind? Nearly everything. No Child Left Behind is an inside-the-Beltway, political mandate that has no relationships with the realities of classrooms. It uses arbitrary gains on low-quality multiple-choice tests as the sole factor for determining educational quality."

Parents involved in curriculum, policy discussions | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register

Parents involved in curriculum, policy discussions DesMoinesRegister.com The Des Moines Register:

"School officials began to work with those at Harris and discovered Harris’ teachers visited families in the afternoon and on weekends and held classes for parents. Similar efforts were replicated at Bernard Long, along with the creation of a team of parents who worked with teachers to brainstorm ways to increase parental involvement and then find ways to make it happen."

Involvement plans pay off in test scores | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register

Involvement plans pay off in test scores DesMoinesRegister.com The Des Moines Register:

"Many times parents fell through the cracks of the educational system themselves, and didn't understand what their responsibilities were when it came to education, she said.

'The problems that we're dealing with didn't happen overnight,' Anderson said. 'You have a demographic that statistics say the majority is just not going to make it, and trying to convince parents of the value of the effort we're trying to make is quite challenging.'"

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."