Sacramento railyard 'shining light' for struggling developer Thomas - The Times-Herald

Sacramento railyard 'shining light' for struggling developer Thomas - The Times-Herald:

"Sacramento officials remain believers in Thomas and the project.

'A number of other projects in our city have been suspended, but this one keeps moving forward,' said Mayor Kevin Johnson.

Yet the partnership between Thomas and the city has been strained by a disagreement over a 2006 land transaction.

To help him buy the land from Union Pacific, the city agreed to pay Thomas a 'placeholder' sum of $55 million for a 33-acre chunk of the site, with the understanding the two sides would negotiate a final price later."

More School - Obama Would Curtail Summer Vacation - NYTimes.com

More School - Obama Would Curtail Summer Vacation - NYTimes.com:

"''Our school calendar is based upon the agrarian economy and not too many of our kids are working the fields today,'' Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

Fifth-grader Nakany Camara is of two minds. She likes the four-week summer program at her school, Brookhaven Elementary School in Rockville, Md. Nakany enjoys seeing her friends there and thinks summer school helped boost her grades from two Cs to the honor roll."

OpEdNews - Article: IF MICHAEL MOORE WAS GERMAN, HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ELECTED CHANCELLOR this SEPTEMBER 2009

OpEdNews - Article: IF MICHAEL MOORE WAS GERMAN, HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ELECTED CHANCELLOR this SEPTEMBER 2009:

"As the title of this article suggests, Michael Moore of the USA is also a strategic thinker and critique of capitalism of 2009 and is seriously calling for change—not just in his homeland: the USA . For this reason, Germans who are tired of capitalism as usual, might invite Michael Moore to lead a coalition of the major three left parties in Germany . For an example of Moors rhetoric, the day his new film on Capitalism opened in New York , Moore stated unequivocally that CAPITALISM of 2009 (as it is now) needs to be suspect and forced to reform. Moore say it is simply a big Pansy or pyramid scheme for the elite (and the very lucky) or well-connected. Speaking on inequality and lack of access to good loan conditions and livelihood for the vast majority, Moore stated “There's the larger crime, though, of course, of how the pie is divided in this country. And the fact that one guy can come to the table and take nine slices of that pie and leave one slice for everyone else at the table to fight over, that is criminal."

More parents signing kids up for free tutoring - The Item - South Carolina

More parents signing kids up for free tutoring - The Item - South Carolina:

"As part of the No Child Left Behind Act, free private tutoring has been offered as a supplemental educational service since the 2002-03 school year for students living in poverty who attend schools that don't make the grade.

Sumter School District 17 Title 1 Coordinator Suzanne Wates said the number of parents opting for academic tutoring has increased in the district, with 240 students receiving tutoring in last school year.

Not all students are eligible.

They must receive free or reduced-price lunch and be enrolled in a Title 1 school that has failed to make 'adequate yearly progress' for three consecutive years and has been identified as being 'in need of improvement' under the federal education law.

Parents are the decision makers. They decide if they want the tutoring for the children, and they determine who provides it. School districts are required to provide a list of the state-approved service providers to qualifying children and their families."

SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICES (SES) FREE TUTORING PARENT FAIRS
For more information please contact (916) 643-9051 or visit:www.scusd.edu/federal_state_prgms

Federal K-12 Law Should Drive School Reforms That Prepare Students for Success

Federal K-12 Law Should Drive School Reforms That Prepare Students for Success:

"In his speech, Duncan said that the NCLB law has significant flaws and that he looks forward to working with Congress to address the law's problems. He said the law puts too much emphasis on standardized tests, unfairly labels many schools as failures, and doesn't account for students' academic growth in its accountability system.

'But the biggest problem with NCLB is that it doesn't encourage high learning standards,' Duncan said. 'In fact, it inadvertently encourages states to lower them. The net effect is that we are lying to children and parents by telling kids they are succeeding when they are not.'"

La Opinión - noticias locales, nacionales e internacionales desde Los Ángeles - impre.com - Education saves money

La Opinión - noticias locales, nacionales e internacionales desde Los Ángeles - impre.com - Education saves money:

"Dropping out of school does not automatically lead to a life of crime but data indicates that a large percent of violent crimes are committed by individuals who never finished high school.
The school dropout rate —estimated at 20% and even worse for Latinos— is a serious problem for the education system. The numbers aren’t precise because there isn't an accurate measure of the magnitude of the problem. Given this, we support State Senator Gloria Romero’s SB651, which requires pulling together the fragmented and inconsistent methods for measuring dropout rates into an annual report highlighting early warning indicators of students at high risk of dropping out of school. The bill isn’t a solution but at least it is a start."

Wallace Baine, Baine Street: Do we really value higher education? - Santa Cruz Sentinel

Wallace Baine, Baine Street: Do we really value higher education? - Santa Cruz Sentinel:

"The really painful part of the current crisis is that a UC education used to be free, or at least nominally so. Fees weren't imposed on students until the mid-1950s and then the system was careful not to call such fees 'tuition.' In 1956, those fees were about $42 a semester. And this was for a world-class education, the envy of the world, a beacon to bright young people from all over the planet to come to California to study and eventually to work and live.

That sounds like some silly Disneyland fantasy now. Today, a college education has become a commodity like everything else. What's worse, it's become another wedge in the culture wars, a target for self-defeating class resentments and bogus beefs about elitism. The far right will argue campuses are cesspools of Marxist indoctrination. The far left says that colleges are only interested in producing armies of tame little consumers. And meanwhile, students are exploited for their revenue potential, saddled with crippling loans and pushed into high-paying fields like finance to pay off those loans. Our culture becomes the loser in that deal."

People's Weekly World - Univ. of California community protests cutbacks

People's Weekly World - Univ. of California community protests cutbacks:

"“The UC system is a public resource built over far more than a century with taxpayers’ money, private generosity and shrewdness, and the intellectual energy of generations of students, teachers and staff,” opening rally speaker and art history professor T.J. Clark told the crowd. “A state in its right mind does not destroy that resource when times get tough. But this is what is happening.”"

New Tax Structure? Worth considering since the present one isn't working - The Reporter

New Tax Structure? Worth considering since the present one isn't working - The Reporter:

"Government is a victim of the same economic woes that have felled the business world.

* The state revenue stream relies too heavily on capital gains taxes and, in turn, the fortunes of the stock market, leaving it vulnerable to unpredictably wild swings in revenue.

A year ago, the governor appointed a 14-member panel to study the state's tax structure and make recommendations on how to stabilize it. The Commission on the 21st Century Economy was supposed to make its report a week ago. As of Friday morning, it was still working on the final document. But draft reports had already drawn plenty of naysayers, including one commission member who was reported to have said that he would not sign off on the document."

Oakland campus caters to refugees, immigrants -- latimes.com

Oakland campus caters to refugees, immigrants -- latimes.com:

"Everyone was speaking English and it confused me,' said Kanwea, a lanky student with a wide smile. 'And I felt scared because I think that I was the only one who didn't know how to read.'

New immigrants and refugees have long posed challenges for educators in the United States, but Kanwea and others like him present unique problems because they are often strangers to traditional schools. Academic issues are only one facet of their adjustment. Not only must educators teach them English and move them toward graduation, but they also must counsel many students grappling with the trauma of wars, persecution or poverty."

Anti-bullying effort in Alameda under fire - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Anti-bullying effort in Alameda under fire - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"Jensen, one of the targets of the recall, has subsequently appeared on the Fox News Channel to speak on the controversy. She says she has no misgivings about her vote supporting the lesson, adding that while no student with an LGBT background has yet to formally complain of being bullied, research indicates it's just a matter of time.

The curriculum was created to assist teachers in reacting to incidents of bullying of all students from all classes, protected or not, she said."

For More Information on Bullying : http://www.docstoc.com/docs/11567105/2007-National-School-Climate-Survey-GLSEN-the-Gay-Lesbian-and-Straight-Education-Network

Hands On Sacramento Day Renovates Non Profit's Urban Farm for Healthy Communities

Hands On Sacramento Day Renovates Non Profit's Urban Farm for Healthy Communities:

"'Unlike many places around the world, we still have the unique capacity to feed ourselves and create sustainability around good, locally grown food,' explains Shawn Harrison, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Soil Born Farms Urban Agriculture Project. 'Preserving and nourishing this rare opportunity now may be the most important long term health decision we make as a community.'

Community leaders including Mayor Kevin Johnson, Karen Baker with CaliforniaVolunteers, corporate leaders and employees across the Sacramento region came together for this important cause to help support healthy communities and low-cost food sources in our local area."

Sacramento Press / Johnson talks to residents about strong mayor issue

Sacramento Press / Johnson talks to residents about strong mayor issue:

"Kathi Windheim of the Greenhaven / Pocket neighborhood asked the mayor to address controversial legal issues with the strong mayor initiative. The initiative, which will go on the ballot in June 2010, proposes to change the city’s current system of government to a strong mayor system. “It’s alarming -- the problems with the initiative,” Windheim said."

Sacramento Press / Charter Review Committee hold Town Hall Meeting

Sacramento Press / Charter Review Committee hold Town Hall Meeting:

"Sacramento residents voiced their opinions to Charter Review Committee members about the strong-mayor proposal during a Town Hall Meeting in Ben Ali Shrine Temple Thursday evening.

Committee members attentively listened to the responses of the community regarding the possible changes to the mayor position in Sacramento."

Will iMayor be a boon or a bust? | Joe Sacramento

Will iMayor be a boon or a bust? Joe Sacramento:

"After months of delays, cryptic press releases, teaser ads and endless speculation, CH7 Inc.’s wildly anticipated iMayor product launched in November of 2008 in the city of Omastenarc (pronounced: Oh-mass-ten-ark). Since that time the robotics community and investors have monitored its progress with great skepticism in the face of several setbacks, OS updates, and even a few reboots that took it out of commission for weeks at a time. Now the tide might finally be turning."

Education News & Comment

Education News & Comment:

"Revenues for Schools
Limits and Options in California

Throughout the chaos that has characterized California’s budget
process in recent years, education funding has been a central
issue. K–12 schools represent the single largest expenditure in the
state budget. As a result, they are seen by some as a major drain
on state coffers and by others as the hardest hit victims of the
state’s fiscal meltdown."

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Fiorina’s new Web site bashed by Democrats, Republicans « - Blogs from CNN.com

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Fiorina’s new Web site bashed by Democrats, Republicans « - Blogs from CNN.com:

"The left leaning Huffington Post called the site 'really the most insufferable thing she's ever done in her life.' Democrats on Twitter bashed the site as 'embarrassingly awful' and told Fiorina to scale back her use of exclamation points. And a YouTube video mocking the site has so far eclipsed 15,000 views.
But several Web-savvy Republicans are also taking aim."

Reader's View: Tenure necessary and functional in schools - The Saratogian Opinion: Serving the Saratoga Springs, N.Y. region (Saratogian.com)

Reader's View: Tenure necessary and functional in schools - The Saratogian Opinion: Serving the Saratoga Springs, N.Y. region (Saratogian.com):

"This then begs the question: If after an administrator, over a period of nearly three years of supervision, has declared a teacher competent, why should another administrator not have to prove incompetence? Granted, proving incompetence results in chasing a moving target. So does granting tenure."

America's Teacher

America's Teacher: "

400 years from now: 'Look at these people back then. They thought they were free. They called themselves a democracy, but they spent ten hours of every day in a totalitarian situation and they allowed the richest 1 percent to have more financial wealth than the bottom 95 percent combined.'"

17 Pinellas principals run pilot program on decentralized decisionmaking - St. Petersburg Times

17 Pinellas principals run pilot program on decentralized decisionmaking - St. Petersburg Times:

"Teacher participation is crucial to school-based decisionmaking, Nelson said. The trick will be to get everyone involved in the new plan without putting more on anyone's already crowded plate.
Research indicates that achievement improves when those closest to the students — principals, teachers, parents — are making the decisions.
It's a philosophy the Pinellas Education Foundation embraces, along with the idea that the business community can teach educators a thing or two about how to run schools."

N.Y. could lose chance at school funding, educator says | pressconnects.com | Press & Sun-Bulletin

N.Y. could lose chance at school funding, educator says pressconnects.com Press & Sun-Bulletin:

"Kremer said he's concerned New York could be at a disadvantage because Obama and Duncan have warned they will not dole out the stimulus dollars to states that don't allow the use of student test data in evaluating teachers.While Krenner's warning has gone mostly unheard, he is receiving support from Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, D-Buffalo. Hoyt said he plans to submit legislation to make New York more competitive in applying for 'Race to the Top.'"

Valley middle school on list for takeover - LA Daily News

Valley middle school on list for takeover - LA Daily News:

"United Teachers Los Angeles President A.J. Duffy said he also believes politics influenced the selection process.

'We should be focusing solely on failing schools. That is where we should spend our time and efforts and four of these have not been (failing) for more than four years.'
Duffy said the union plans to legally challenge the district's decision to include new schools in the bidding process, because the current teacher contract guarantees jobs to educators who move to new schools that relieve overcrowding."

COMMENTARY: Are some in our society losing their minds? | NevadaAppeal.com

COMMENTARY: Are some in our society losing their minds? NevadaAppeal.com:

"Allegations of “socialist brain washing” and (some) parents' refusal to allow President Obama (presumably because he is a Democrat) to talk with our children about personal responsibility, hard work and staying healthy, are alarming. These are strong conservative values (all critical to school success) with which most all agree. How could any reasonable person disagree?

President Obama delivered the speech; the students listened; and the vast population of parents and school officials were pleased with the message. The Congressional Republicans who led the attack ran for cover. Their National Republican Committee Chair claimed it was a wonderful speech. Several other Congressi-onal Republican leaders joined in the praise."

Acorn and the media | The Stump - - OregonLive.com

Acorn and the media The Stump - - OregonLive.com:

"What's been obscured amid all the polemics, or the polemics passing as news reports, is what Acorn is and does. Founded in Little Rock, Ark., in 1970 as an organization agitating for free school lunches, Vietnam veterans' rights and more hospital emergency rooms, Acorn has grown in the past four decades into the nation's largest community-organizing group. Based in low-income neighborhoods, it has nearly 500,000 dues-paying members, recruited by door-to-door canvassers, with chapters in 110 cities in 40 states. Nationwide, it has more than 1,000 staffers."

ANDERSON BILL ON GOVERNOR’S DESK WOULD MAKE WORK PERMITS EASIER FOR HOME-SCHOOLED AND CHARTER SCHOOL STUDENTS TO OBTAIN | East County Magazine

ANDERSON BILL ON GOVERNOR’S DESK WOULD MAKE WORK PERMITS EASIER FOR HOME-SCHOOLED AND CHARTER SCHOOL STUDENTS TO OBTAIN East County Magazine:

"“The current system is a perfect example of what happens when Sacramento takes away local control,” said Anderson. “Rather than protecting our children’s education, the State damages it.”
AB 66 fixes this flaw by creating a flexible, locally-controlled system for issuing work permits. It gives every school the authority to issue permits to their own students.

“This bill protects the welfare of students and ensures those educators that know the students best are making these important decisions – plus it removes an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy in the education system,” said Rob Shield, President of the Grossmont Union High School District Board of Trustees."

San Mateo Daily Journal

San Mateo Daily Journal:

"Monetary support for candidates hoping to lead local school districts is starting to pile up with campaign financial forms for those running for office due Thursday."

United States - The Ultra-Right Pot Boils Over

United States - The Ultra-Right Pot Boils Over:

"This is another feature of the rise of fascism in Europe in the 1920s and 1930s, a mass gutter press, the 'boulevard papers' in France, and the 'Blaetter' (rags) in Germany. The rightists claim that the great majority of the mass media have a liberal bias, and therefore this right-wing constellation is needed to restore the balance. But the fact is that the big press is all controlled by the corporations and serves their interest. The so-called liberal newspapers have to maintain some credibility for thinking people. That is not true of the right-wing media. They simply reinforce the prejudices of bigots and are now whipping them into a frenzy."

Schools look for balance after race-based decisions banned -- chicagotribune.com

Schools look for balance after race-based decisions banned -- chicagotribune.com:

"The district, which welcomed the ruling, is now leaning toward basing admissions on socioeconomic factors, such as median income of students' neighborhoods. That is similar to what San Francisco did when a consent decree on integration was lifted there in 2005.

The impact of U.S. District Judge Charles Kocoras' opinion on Thursday will mostly be felt in Chicago's roughly 75 magnet and selective schools, where racial quotas until this week meant a minimum of 65 percent of seats in a given school were reserved for minorities. Up to 35 percent were set aside for whites, even though they now are down to 8 percent of the student population."

The case began nearly 29 years ago, when the U.S. government sued the Chicago Public Schools for discriminating against black and Hispanic students. The district agreed to follow a racial integration plan overseen by the courts.

High school dropouts cost California more than $1 billion - 9/25/09 - San Francisco News - abc7news.com

High school dropouts cost California more than $1 billion - 9/25/09 - San Francisco News - abc7news.com:

"California's drop-out statistics vary. The state says it is about 20 percent; other universities studies show it is as much as double that. The Sacramento School District says it was nearly able to cut its dropout rate in half in just two years. 'We've done it through offering choices for students and families; we've got online curriculum, we've got independent study, we've got options at our high schools that offer career-embedded themes,' Associate Superintendent Mary Shelton said"

The Power of Good Schools - washingtonpost.com

The Power of Good Schools - washingtonpost.com:

"In their quest to move out of their rented Rockville townhouse and buy a single-family home, Lisa Hollaender and her husband, Laurent, first considered the Carderock Springs neighborhood of Bethesda, then moved on to Potomac and later explored Olney. They also ventured across the Potomac to Vienna. But they haven't been to a single open house, let alone made an offer."

Seattle Education 2010: Search results for The connection between the Broad Foundation and push for Strong Mayors

Seattle Education 2010: Search results for The connection between the Broad Foundation and push for Strong Mayors:

"The Broad (which rhymes with 'toad') Foundation claims to be a philanthropic organization, created by billionaire Eli Broad. The Broad Foundation supports privately run charter schools and actively develops a system of charter schools in urban areas.

Broad claims it engages in 'venture philanthropy':

'Our Approach to Investing: Venture Philanthropy. We take an untraditional approach to giving. We don't simply write checks to charities. Instead we practice 'venture philanthropy.' And we expect a return on our investment.'"

The Daily Politics - NY Daily News

The Daily Politics - NY Daily News:

"Bill Thompson's campaign is responding to a new TV ad from Mayor Bloomberg that continues to slam his Democratic opponent's tenure as Board of Education president.

I have yet to see the ad, but Thompson spokeswoman Carly Lindauer helpfully provided the script that appears below along with the following comment:

'Republican Mike Bloomberg has gone negative - setting the tone and direction for his campaign. He’s inundating the airwaves and filling the mailboxes of New Yorkers with false claims about Bill Thompson’s record. It’s unfortunate that a two-term incumbent mayor feels he needs to stoop so low.'

The mailer to which Lindauer is referring hit New York City mailboxes last week (right around primary day), and also focused on education. DN City Hall Bureau Chief Adam Lisberg dissected the piece and found some its claims were a bit on the fuzzy side."

Jim Graham’s Guy Gets Handcuffs: Loose Lips Daily - City Desk - Washington City Paper

Jim Graham’s Guy Gets Handcuffs: Loose Lips Daily - City Desk - Washington City Paper

Inza Rhee said to Michelle, “What is wrong with you? You just don’t care what people think of you!”

‘ That gives way to a discussion of ‘the broom’ (check the outtakes from the Time photo shoot), and the thought from George Parker that ‘no previous superintendent has managed to wreck morale better than Rhee.’

There’s no huge scoop in here, but a lot of great detail about Rhee’s background and her style: ‘Rhee is all about control. She agreed to come to Washington only after being assured greater authority over the schools than any superintendent had ever had.

Almost instantly, she managed to alienate important people.’ Fisher gets details on her manicure habits, too, but not her relationship with Kevin Johnson. Rhee also does video interview with WaPo columnist Steve Pearlstein.

INVITATION - October 24 Mobilizing Conference to Save Public Education

We invite all UC, CSU, JC, and K-12 students, workers, teachers, and their organizations across the state to participate in and collectively build the October 24 Mobilizing Conference to Save Public Education.
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INVITATION October 24 Mobilizing Conference to Save Public Education

We have the power to stop the catastrophic budget cuts, fee hikes, and layoffs — but to save public education in California requires coordinating our actions on a state-wide level.

We invite all UC, CSU, JC, and K-12 students, workers, teachers, and their organizations across the state to participate in and collectively build the October 24 Mobilizing Conference to Save Public Education.

The all-day conference will take place at UC Berkeley (contact us for more logistics).

The purpose of this conference is both simple and extremely urgent: to democratically decide on a state-wide action plan capable of winning this struggle, which will define the future of public education in this state, particularly for the working-class and communities of color.

Why UC Berkeley? On September 24, over 5,000 people massively protested and effectively paralyzed the UCB campus, as part of the UC-wide walkout. A mass General Assembly of over 400 individuals and dozens of organizations met that night and collectively decided to issue this call.

We ask all organizations and individuals in the state who want to save public education to endorse this open conference and help us collectively build it.

Save public education! No budget cuts, fee hikes, or layoffs! For state-wide student, worker, and faculty solidarity!

Please contact oct24conference [at] gmail.com to endorse this conference and to receive more details.

Mix fun with education on Bay Area museum outing - San Jose Mercury News

Mix fun with education on Bay Area museum outing - San Jose Mercury News:

"I've witnessed spontaneous combustion.

Unite my 10-year-old daughter with her two precocious cousins, ages 10 and 13, and it's like putting a lighted match to gunpowder. An explosion of screeching, shouting, jumping and caterwauling follows.

So on a museum outing with all three, I needed to find frivolous fun to balance the mental stimulation. That's how we ended up pairing the cerebral stimulus of a visit to the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park with the lighthearted fun of a stop at the Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia."

Scrutiny rises over NJ kids singing Obama song - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Scrutiny rises over NJ kids singing Obama song - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"That month, a group of smiley and fidgety students at B. Bernice Young School sang a medley of two short songs at an assembly praising the president. The first song begins, 'Mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack Hussein Obama/He said that all must lend a hand/To make this country strong again.'

The second one was set to 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic,' and included the refrain, 'Hooray, Mr. President.'"

Lyrics to the Pro-Barack Obama Song sung by school children in Burlington, New Jersey. Video of the children singing the song was released on YouTube recently. The Drudge Report and other media outlets focused on the video today.

Lyrics to School Children’s Song to Obama
Mm, mmm, mm!Barack Hussein Obama
He said that all must lend a handTo make this country strong againMmm, mmm, mm!Barack Hussein Obama
He said we must be fair todayEqual work means equal payMmm, mmm, mm!Barack Hussein Obama
He said that we must take a standTo make sure everyone gets a chanceMmm, mmm, mm!Barack Hussein Obama
He said red, yellow, black or whiteAll are equal in his sightMmm, mmm, mm!Barack Hussein Obama
Yes!Mmm, mmm, mmBarack Hussein Obama
Song 2:Hello, Mr. President we honor you today!For all your great accomplishments, we all doth say “hooray!”
Hooray, Mr. President! You’re number one!The first black American to lead this great nation!
Hooray, Mr. President we honor your great plansTo make this country’s economy number one again!
Hooray Mr. President, we’re really proud of you!And we stand for all Americans under the great Red, White, and Blue!
So continue —- Mr. President we know you’ll do the trickSo here’s a hearty hip-hooray —-
Hip, hip hooray!Hip, hip hooray!Hip, hip hooray!

Thousands in California Protest Campus Cuts, Furloughs -- Politics Daily

Thousands in California Protest Campus Cuts, Furloughs -- Politics Daily:

"Thousands of University of California students, faculty members, and employees rallied statewide Thursday to voice their concern about President Mark Yudof's and the regents' handling of the budget crisis (prior Cram coverage here)."

Coalition files legal brief in support of state tuition law | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

Coalition files legal brief in support of state tuition law L.A. NOW Los Angeles Times:

"The state’s highest court is considering the case, Martinez vs. Regents of the University of California, which challenges the 2001 state law, AB 540, allowing documented and undocumented students to pay in-state rather than out-of-state tuition if they attend at least three years of high school in California, graduate from a state high school and promise to apply for permanent residency.
The difference in costs is considerable: In the current school year, for example, typical fees for an out-of-state undergraduate to attend a University of California campus total nearly $30,000, compared with about $8,000 for a resident."

Occupy California! Statement from the UCSC occupation - Infoshop News

Occupy California! Statement from the UCSC occupation - Infoshop News:

"We are occupying this building at the University of California, Santa Cruz, because the current situation has become untenable. Across the state, people are losing their jobs and getting evicted, while social services are slashed. California’s leaders from state officials to university presidents have demonstrated how they will deal with this crisis:

everything and everyone is subordinated to the budget. They insulate themselves from the consequences of their own fiscal mismanagement, while those who can least afford it are left shouldering the burden. Every solution on offer only accelerates the decay of the State of California. It remains for the people to seize what is theirs."

Back to School 101: Meet the teacher in advance

Back to School 101: Meet the teacher in advance:

"For parents, the advantage of meeting a parent in advance is being able to establish some sort of rapport from the very beginning. Take advantage of this quick trip in to get a feel for the teacher and her classroom. Share pertinent information that will help her get to know your child better. Find out when Parent Night is scheduled and the best method for contacting her with any questions, comments, or concerns.

This initial meeting also allows the teacher to connect your face with your child and your name. It makes later communication a bit more personal and can give the teacher some insight into your child and his needs."

How much do central Illinois teachers make? - Peoria, IL - pjstar.com

How much do central Illinois teachers make? - Peoria, IL - pjstar.com:

"Some 93 percent of school districts nationwide decide teacher salaries according to a salary schedule, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. In Illinois, 849 of 868 school districts, or 98 percent, have negotiated contracts.

Most reward teachers for longevity; each year of additional experience often comes with additional pay.

Teachers also can receive additional compensation for continuing education, such as earning a master's degree. That practice, started decades ago, recently has come under question in a report by Raegen Miller, a senior policy analyst at the Center for American Progress, and reported in Education Week."

Critics Assail Obama's 'Safe Schools' Czar, Say He's Wrong Man for the Job - Political News - FOXNews.com

Critics Assail Obama's 'Safe Schools' Czar, Say He's Wrong Man for the Job - Political News - FOXNews.com:

"Jennings was appointed to the position largely because of his longtime record of working to end bullying and discrimination in schools. In 1990, as a teacher in Massachusetts, he founded the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which now has over 40 chapters at schools nationwide. He has also published six books on gay rights and education, including one that describes his own experiences as a closeted gay student."