Shikha Dalmia, Adrian Moore and Adam B. Summers: Don't Blame the Voters for California's Budget Woes - WSJ.com

Shikha Dalmia, Adrian Moore and Adam B. Summers: Don't Blame the Voters for California's Budget Woes - WSJ.com:

"Even this overstates the case against ballot-box budgeting. K-12 spending has remained remarkably stable at around 40% of the budget pre- and post-Prop. 98. Today, California is 24th among the 50 states in terms of the percentage of its general funds it devotes to K-12. This suggests that education spending is not grossly out of line. Prop. 98 aside, Mr. Matsusaka found that only about 2% or 3% of California's budget is frozen as a result of ballot initiatives."

News : Arizona spends money on police and corrections, but is 38th in education - Inside Tucson Business - newspaper, business news, opinion, classifieds

News : Arizona spends money on police and corrections, but is 38th in education - Inside Tucson Business - newspaper, business news, opinion, classifieds:

"Roger Hartley, associate professor of public administration and policy at the University of Arizona, said the money states spend on education correlates with earning potential, while poverty correlates with crime.

“We can see that we’re putting more money into putting people in prison rather than educating and thereby keeping people out of prison,” he said.Kavanagh called that conclusion overreaching, and pointed to Washington, D.C., as evidence.”

They have one of the worst crime rates, and they spend more than just about anybody per student,” he said.

Travis Pratt, an associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at ASU, said crime rates aren’t simple enough to link one-on-one with education, but he said it would be wrong to dismiss any connection with education.

He said spending on law enforcement pays political dividends much sooner than education."

Federal Spending on Academic Research Rose Slightly in 2008 - Government - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Federal Spending on Academic Research Rose Slightly in 2008 - Government - The Chronicle of Higher Education: "

33 U. of California at Davis Number 33

Federal spending on scientific research at universities and colleges rose slightly in 2008, following two years of declines, but the federal share of total academic research spending again dropped, according to figures released on Thursday by the National Science Foundation.
Over all, higher-education institutions reported research-and-development expenditures of $51.9-billion in the 2008 fiscal year, 2.3 percent more than the previous year in inflation-adjusted dollars, the NSF said in a summary of the findings of its latest "Survey of Research and Development Expenditures at Universities and Colleges." The federal government remained the largest source of such funds, providing $31.2-billion in 2008, up from $30.5-billion in 2007. But the figures show a continuing erosion in the federal share of total spending, from 64 percent in 2005 to 60 percent last year.

Cal State LA holds teach-in about cuts - News

Cal State LA holds teach-in about cuts - News:

"The California Faculty Association and the Students for Social Justice/No Cuts Coalition presented a teach-in for California college students regarding recent budget cuts and enrollment fee increases Tuesday at Cal State LA.

Few PCC students were in attendance attempting to inform themselves with information about the various fiscal issues occurring within the California State University system for the upcoming semesters."

Punter Net prostitutes thank Harriet Harman for publicity boost - Home News, UK - The Independent

Punter Net prostitutes thank Harriet Harman for publicity boost - Home News, UK - The Independent:

"Prostitutes who use a website to advertise their services to punters have thanked Harriet Harman for giving them a free publicity boost when she called for the site’s closure earlier this week.

During her speech to the Labour Party Conference on Wednesday the equalities minister challenged California’s governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to shut down Punter Net, a US-based website that allows British prostitutes to advertise themselves and the men who use them to rate their experiences."

Touro fights high school dropout rate of 40 percent - Vallejo Times Herald

Touro fights high school dropout rate of 40 percent - Vallejo Times Herald:

"Toward that aim, Touro has launched its urban education program. It prepares teachers to serve effectively in districts like Vallejo's that struggle with poverty, inadequate resources, low test stores, and diverse languages and cultures, O'Connor said.

Touro also is staging a day-long conference to give those who work with at-risk youth some tools and strategies they can use, O'Connor said. Among those are problem-solving techniques, ways to foster empathy and build listening skills, instilling self-esteem, and strengthening what he called the 'persistence muscle.'"

WBFO: Stimulus can't ease job pain for U.S. states and cities (2009-10-02)

WBFO: Stimulus can't ease job pain for U.S. states and cities (2009-10-02):

"Even after receiving billions of dollars of stimulus funds, state governments lost 10,000 jobs -- all in education -- and the trend may get worse in coming months.

'I don't believe that states have bottomed out yet,' said Raymond Scheppach, executive director of the National Governors Association. 'This fiscal year 2010 will be the worst year.'"

Education summit focuses on 'achievement gap' | students, groups, gap, state, achievement - News - OCRegister.com

Education summit focuses on 'achievement gap' students, groups, gap, state, achievement - News - OCRegister.com:

"Panelists spoke about the need to provide greater access for quality preschool especially in urban communities. They also emphasized providing a safe school environment, developing a stronger professional development program for teachers, raising expectations for students, and finding success stories to serve as examples.

But they also admitted the state's financial crisis has hindered the ability to implement some of these efforts. Schools are being hurt by larger class sizes, and fewer librarians, counselors, music and art programs, bus routes and other services, they said."

Robert Reich: The Truth About Jobs That No One Wants to Tell You

Robert Reich: The Truth About Jobs That No One Wants to Tell You:

"You see? The most important thing right now is getting the jobs back, and getting the economy growing again.

People who now obsess about government debt have it backwards. The problem isn't the debt. The problem is just the opposite. It's that at a time like this, when consumers and businesses and exports can't do it, government has to spend more to get Americans back to work and recharge the economy. Then -- after people are working and the economy is growing -- we can pay down that debt.

But if government doesn't spend more right now and get Americans back to work, we could be out of work for years. And the debt will be with us even longer. And politics could get much uglier."

Cal bringing in consultants to help cut millions from budget - ContraCostaTimes.com

Cal bringing in consultants to help cut millions from budget - ContraCostaTimes.com:

"UC Berkeley will hire consultants to help cut tens of millions from the campus budget.
Bain & Co. will spend six months guiding Berkeley leaders through a study of campus finances, Chancellor Robert Birgeneau said Thursday. The university, which had its budget cut by $150 million this year, will pay the Boston-based firm $3 million plus expenses — half this year and the remainder next year.
The Bain collaboration will be part of an effort the university has named 'Operational Excellence' and is modeled after a Bain partnership at the University of North Carolina, which is starting to implement 10 changes recommended by the firm. Cornell University also is working with the company, said Birgeneau, who spoke to the leaders of both schools."

Treating Parents as Our Customers

Parents as Customers

We are often told that we should act more like a business. Setting aside the obvious problem that children are not widgets, you still are left with the chore of sorting out who the customers are.

One of the greatest problems of American education is a confusion over who we serve. Some would argue that the children are the customers. They sit in the seat each day receiving instruction. Others believe the community, big business, colleges or even the military are the customer since they hire or place the student.

I believe the parent is the customer. Customers are the people who can choose to take their business elsewhere. Students are captive to the process and the broader community must live with the product regardless. Students should be considered the workers since it is their productivity that really counts. The broader community, business and the rest are the shareholders. They own stock in the operation. These distinctions become very important when you understand that shareholders have very different expectations and values than customers. Shareholders want return on investment. Customers want value and service.

THANK YOU RACHEL MADDOW

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month

There are a lot of things, especially in these trying times, that we all wished we had more of. For some it’s difficult to see the blessings for the tribulations that cloud our journey. But even amidst all that, I can say that one of the many blessings I cling to is my Hispanic heritage. It is this heritage that has afforded me, a minority female, the opportunity to serve as the first female Cuban-American dean of an ABA accredited law school in the United States.

Yet I am not alone in my endeavors, as all across America more Hispanic men and women are embracing their heritage and turning to it as their motivation for success and to help others. Whether it is Nobel Prize-winning physicist Luis Walter Alvarez, political leader Nydia Velázquez or poet and author Julia Alvarez, we all have an opportunity to find our place in this world. But when we do, we must not forget how we got there. We must not forget our Hispanic heritage.

As a lawyer and educator, I can look back and say that it was in my blood. My grandfather, Gilberto Diaz Barreiro, was a respected civil judge in Camaguey, Cuba’s third largest city. His son and my father, Gaston Armando Diaz, was on the verge of earning his law degree at the University of Havana when his career plans were suddenly altered. Forced to move his wife and young children to New Jersey in 1961 to avoid Castro’s regime, my father had to leave Cuba before he could finish his legal education. He had only one class left to take before he would have become a practicing attorney, a dream that was ultimately fulfilled by me, his daughter, many decades later.

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Blogger for a Day: 'Our Plates Are Already Full'

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Blogger for a Day: 'Our Plates Are Already Full':

"As SDEA looked to bargain a reasonable workload model into our contract, we used a standard piece of contract language that is common in many districts and workplaces across the country: 'Maintenance of Standards.'

To explain the concept simply, maintenance of standards means is that if a teacher is required to complete tasks X, Y and Z during the current school year, the District cannot arbitrarily and unilaterally decide that the teacher is now required to complete tasks X, Y, Z and L during the following year (L representing a large quantity of additional hours of work) without either being compensated for task L, or having X, Y or Z removed from the teacher's plate."

Fact-checking Moore's 'Capitalism' | Comcast.net

Fact-checking Moore's 'Capitalism' Comcast.net:

"Despite the title of his new movie, Michael Moore really hates capitalism. He says it's a scheme for businesses to profit at the expense of the little guy.

The provocateur filmmaker is campaigning for an end to what he says is the 'evil' in our economic system and a return to the days when our lives weren't so defined by money. It's an ambitious theme, but some of his arguments in 'Capitalism: A Love Story' fall apart on closer inspection."

Bridging Differences: The Habits of Using Evidence & Reason Can't Wait

Bridging Differences: The Habits of Using Evidence & Reason Can't Wait:

"'To the extent that we can teach students to seek evidence and rational explanations, we will reduce magical thinking and encourage the application of reason and intelligence.' —Diane Ravitch, Bridging Differences, Sept. 29

We agree! That's my 'core.'

We also agree that Arne Duncan's agenda lacks evidence or rational explanations. Why? Partially because he ignores his own privileged schooling as irrelevant for all of those millions of 'others.' He's creating a system, a big business. He forgets that business data doesn't always speak for itself. Witness our current crisis."

Inside School Research: IES Plans Major Study of Stimulus Spending

Inside School Research: IES Plans Major Study of Stimulus Spending:

"A big criticism so far of the U.S. Department of Education's proposals for spending economic-stimulus dollars has been that they don't include a strong evaluation component. How can we learn from all those government-subsidized efforts to turn around failing schools, open up charter schools, build longitudinal data systems, and institute merit-pay programs for teachers and principals if we don't study them? The fear is that the nation will never again have an opportunity like this to study so much experimentation going on in so many places.

Well, it turns out the department is planning to seriously study those efforts after all. In an interview yesterday, the department's research czar, John Q. Easton, told me his agency is developing a multilayered, crosscutting, multimethod study of states' stimulus-powered reform efforts."

Education Week: IG Questions Use of Stimulus Aid for Education

Education Week: IG Questions Use of Stimulus Aid for Education:

"President Barack Obama did not intend for state lawmakers to simply cut state education spending and replace it with stimulus dollars.

But Congress made that tough to enforce, and the Education Department's inspector general said in a memo Thursday that some states are doing it.

That means instead of getting extra help to weather tough times, school districts and colleges could wind up with the same level of state aid or with cuts, even as local tax revenues plummet.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said some states are flouting the president's wishes."

Education Week: The Vanishing Innovation

Education Week: The Vanishing Innovation:

"Unfortunately for education, the interest in getting improvements to spread has been accompanied by a failure to give warranted attention to a second question: How do we get improvements to last? The phrase “scale up and sustain” is also part of our vernacular, but the “sustain” part often gets short shrift. While it is important to understand spread, it is endurance that separates the tipping of fads from meaningful change. Unless the investments we make in innovations have lasting impact, in the end, we have wasted our time and resources and, most importantly, squandered students’ opportunities to learn."

The CEO educator - Oct. 1, 2009

The CEO educator - Oct. 1, 2009:

"You mention differentiating pay -- rewarding teachers who achieve better results. In the business world that's obvious, but it's not the way things have traditionally been done in public education. How hard was it to make that happen?

Public education is an entirely different culture. Fundamentally, the only differentiator is seniority. The power in the system is fundamentally the power of the bureaucracy, of the political forces, of the union.

When I was at Bertelsmann, we were constantly focused on how to incentivize the workforce, inject increasing accountability, deciding where to substitute technology for human capital."

In a public school system it's an entirely different set of questions. And until you get used to the questions, you can't think too well about how you want to answer them.
But one could argue that public school teachers, especially the best ones, aren't in it for the money in the first place. Does paying them for performance really work?

I think it does. We haven't seen enough of it in America to know. But think about it this way: Every university I know pays differently for science teachers than it does for English teachers. But I pay the exact same for a science teacher and a physical education teacher. And then I pay the same whether you work in my highest-need school or in my most successful school.

Look, money isn't the only thing that drives teachers -- indeed, it isn't the only thing that drives school chancellors -- but money is an ingredient in the mix of things that matter to people. Fairly compensating them if they take on the tougher assignments, if they're doing the work where it's harder to attract people, like science and math -- that seems to me a critical component.

California Parent Center

California Parent Center:


"A Technical Assistance Center for School, Family and Community Partnerships

Training Preschool and K-12 Educators and Parent Leaders in California, Arizona, Nevada and
Serving Program Improvement Schools and Districts Across the Nation"

Public Schools Incorporate Art as a Teaching Tool - NYTimes.com

Public Schools Incorporate Art as a Teaching Tool - NYTimes.com:

"The Columbus school incorporates sculpture and other art into nearly every corner of its year-old building with the hope that it will inspire students in this working-class Hispanic neighborhood to learn. It is one of a growing number of newly built or renovated public schools across the country that look more like cultural centers than the austere, utilitarian houses of learning of the past, displaying museum-worthy pieces commissioned from artists alongside more traditional finger paintings and statues of school mascots."

NEA moves to help poor schools with best teachers - USATODAY.com

NEA moves to help poor schools with best teachers - USATODAY.com:

"Testifying Tuesday before the House education committee, National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel said the union, which represents about 3.2 million teachers and other workers, will ask local affiliates to draw up memoranda of understanding with local school districts that would 'waive any contract language that prohibits staffing high-needs schools with great teachers.'

Van Roekel said the move is part of the union's 'Priority Schools' campaign that will also encourage 'the most accomplished teachers-members' to start their teaching careers in high-needs schools, remain there or transfer there."

Education Week: House Panel Targets Teacher Distribution, Pay

Education Week: House Panel Targets Teacher Distribution, Pay:

"Lawmakers and teacher spokesmen had a spirited exchange here this week on the equitable distribution of effective teachers, illuminating the contours of a debate that will likely continue as Congress revisits the issue.

Differing opinions about incentive-pay programs, the role of test scores in pay and evaluation, and how prescriptive the federal government should be in seeking to boost teacher effectiveness were aired at a House hearing. It came as the upcoming renewal of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and implementation of the economic-stimulus law are helping to spur such debate."

Teachers Who Made a Difference - NAM

Teachers Who Made a Difference - NAM:

"Editor’s note: In early September, on schoolyards and in hallways across the country, the same excited, anxious question rings out: “Who'd you get?” Students know that the heart of education beats inside the individual teacher. When NAM asked young people in our youth communications programs to write about the one teacher who’d really made a difference, they barely had to think before the keys were flying. This feature supported by funding from the California Teachers Association."

Coach K Demanded GreatnessBy Roland BallardThe teacher who made the biggest difference in my life would be my high school freshmen P.E. teacher, Keith Norman, better known as Coach K. He was my coach on the basketball team and also the first person to sit and talk to me about college. And he never let up on me. Outside of all the basketball knowledge he passed on to me, he also showed me the ways of a man. He taught me that a man makes sacrifices to be successful.

Ms. G: A Push in the Right DirectionBy Anastasia Freeman Throughout the years I have had a lot of teachers who have greatly affected me. The one who has affected me the most has to be Ms. Grinberg, my English and History teacher. She is the reason I am alive today. When I first came into her class it was because I had gotten kicked out of my old high school. I walked in with my mind made up that I wasn’t doing anything at all. I had just given birth to my daughter, who was a preemie and was still in the hospital. I was only going to school because I was on probation and I didn’t want to go back to jail. So, for two whole marking periods I just sat there and failed.

Mr. Jackson Told Me I Would Go PlacesBy Janet Lagto Michael Jackson. For many people, that name sparks memories of the dancing, performing maestro of pop. For me, however, it strikes up memories of attending high school, and sitting in Mr. Jackson’s stifling classroom that smelled heavily of mildew and glue. This tall, blonde man touched a very special place in my heart. Although I was rarely in school during most of my high school years, when I was there, my favorite place to be was in Mr. Jackson's classroom, listening to him rant and rave in an intellectual and witty way. He knew I had no interest in school. He knew I was picky about what work I would actually do. Yet he placed hope in me and told me things my other teachers never did. He told me that someone as bright as me (imagine, me, bright!) would eventually go places.

Special-ed ruling may mean teacher cutbacks - Cleveland.com

Special-ed ruling may mean teacher cutbacks - Cleveland.com:

"If the Cleveland schools are forced to hire large numbers of special-education teachers, mainstream teachers will be axed to make room on the payroll, Chief Executive Officer Eugene Sanders says.

An arbitrator has ruled that, under union contract, the district must assign both a general-education teacher and special-education teacher to every class that mixes students with disabilities and other children. That could require hiring up to six teachers per building, the union estimates.

At a school board meeting Tuesday, Sanders said the hires would come at the expense of general-education teachers."

Richard Whitmire and Andrew Rotherham explain how teachers unions have been taken to task by the New York Times, the Washington Post and even The New Yorker. - WSJ.com

Richard Whitmire and Andrew Rotherham explain how teachers unions have been taken to task by the New York Times, the Washington Post and even The New Yorker. - WSJ.com:

"Editorial pages of major papers nationwide have begun to demand accountability for schools, despite objections from vested interests. Since the Obama administration took an unexpectedly tough line on school reform, the elite media response has been overwhelmingly positive.

'All the reforms unions oppose—charter schools, testing, accountability, No Child Left Behind, performance pay—have been around for a while now and the disasters the unions predicted have not come to pass,' said Richard Colvin, who runs the Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media in New York. 'The unions are out of touch and are courting irrelevance.'"

Political odd couple fights for school reform

Political odd couple fights for school reform:

"Sharpton says, 'I was raised by a single mother from when I was 10. My father wasn't there--on welfare, the whole 9 yards. But she went to every PTA meeting. She went to every open school week. She had the teachers home numbers.'

Gingrich says, 'They are fully capable of going to the local school board and raising cain. They're 4th, capable of going to their state legislature and asking why they're betraying their children.'"

Rise & Shine: Charter school backers say growth will be costly | GothamSchools

Rise & Shine: Charter school backers say growth will be costly GothamSchools:

"Some schools with interesting art and architecture use them as teaching tools. (Times)
Charter school backers say Mayor Bloomberg will have to put money where his plans are. (Daily News)
In an interview, Joel Klein proposes a song to describe his relationship with the teachers union. (Fortune)
Middle schools help students handle the high school application process. (NY1)
The Post says Bloomberg’s charter school expansion plan is “not only wise policy but wise politics.”"

Charter advocates to Bloomberg: More schools fine, but more money needed

Charter advocates to Bloomberg: More schools fine, but more money needed:

"City Controller William Thompson, Bloomberg's rival in the upcoming election, questioned whether he could add more charters if there isn't space or money available for them.
'I think we are seeing how political Mike really is,' said Thompson mayoral campaign spokesman Mike Murphy."

John de Beck: Just what is a free public education?

John de Beck: Just what is a free public education?:

"Recent complaints by parents about costs they have to pay for student materials, uniforms, and supplies and equipment is creating a review of the school district practice of charging parents for things that schools require for participation in classes, extra curricular activities and competitions by bands, drill squads, and cheerleading teams.

While I am not a lawyer, I have strong concerns about school districts (and mine in particular) requiring any purchases for participation that is not specifically ruled legal by court precidents, or by the constitution itself"

When sick, stay home, cover your cough, wash your hands and don't touch your face. Did we say stay home? - San Jose Mercury News

When sick, stay home, cover your cough, wash your hands and don't touch your face. Did we say stay home? - San Jose Mercury News:

"When the H1N1 virus invaded last spring, health officials sent home students in afflicted schools and improvised policies to combat the newcomer flu strain.

Now, in tandem with drug researchers who are rushing a swine flu vaccine to market, California education officials have scrambled to devise policies to guide schools through an anticipated outbreak.

In announcing the 43-page draft manual Thursday, officials seized on the chance to remind the public that individuals' health habits are the first line of defense."

Karen Symms Gallagher: Seniority? Test Scores? Student Outcomes? The Argument for Rethinking Teacher Compensation

Karen Symms Gallagher: Seniority? Test Scores? Student Outcomes? The Argument for Rethinking Teacher Compensation:

"The federal government often uses carrots and sticks to incentivize reluctant state and local agencies to change their policies and practices. The most current example of this is the Race to the Top legislation. To be eligible for the $4.35 billion in federal 'Race to the Top' funds, states must allow student test scores to be used in decisions about teacher effectiveness. States with laws restricting a link between student data and teacher pay, such as California and New York, are scrambling to change them in order to get a shot at these funds."

Textbooks already outdated in Lodi-area school districts

Textbooks already outdated in Lodi-area school districts:

"Students in California won't read in their U.S. history textbooks about our first black president for another seven years — or more. Science books won't mention the value of stem cell research, and global terrorism might not appear in world history texts used in the classroom.

That was part of the provision struck by the governor and the Legislature in adopting the state's budget earlier this year."

Glendale News Press > Archives > Education > Education bill up to gov.

Glendale News Press > Archives > Education > Education bill up to gov.:

"The legislation “removes any doubt that California is committed to using data to improve instruction and teacher effectiveness,” O’Connell said in a statement.

Using data to improve student achievement is one requirement for states to qualify for the Race to the Top funds, the largest sum of discretionary spending in the history of the federal Department of Education.

But using student performance to judge teacher effectiveness is deeply controversial among teachers and their unions. The state legislation would delete language from the California education code, which union officials said served as a firewall between student performance and teacher efficiency."

Sac City Schools Ramp Up H1N1 Flu Prevention | News10.net | Sacramento, California | News

Sac City Schools Ramp Up H1N1 Flu Prevention News10.net Sacramento, California News:

"SACRAMENTO, CA - Sacramento students began the school year with new classes. They're also getting lessons on H1N1 (swine) flu prevention.

A microbiologist recently visited students at Leonardo da Vinci School. She talked to them about the H1N1 virus. Fifth-grader Destiny Mathis said, 'We learned if you don't take care of it soon, you can get really sick from it and possibly die.'"

Education News & Comment

Education News & Comment:

"Please mark your calendar

First District Advisory Committee (DAC) General meeting
October 20, 2009

Special Guests to include:
Mr. Jonathan Raymond, New SCUSD Superintendent
Dr. Geni Boyer, the Director of Cambridge Academies/California Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC)"

At this meeting we have the following:

* Our new district superintendent, Mr. Jonathan Raymond will be there to greet you and introduce himself and his vision for the district.

* Guest Speaker Dr. Geni Boyer, the Director of Cambridge Academies/California Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC) 2. She will be speaking about parental engagement, school policies, Section 1118, school compacts, accountability and how school site councils can lead improvement at school sites. She is dedicated to promoting, supporting and sustaining educational opportunities for disadvantaged and at-risk students. Check out PIRC 2 website for helpful information: http://www.calpirc.org/. Dr. Boyer is very knowledgeable. Ask your questions.

* An overview of School Site Council and DAC which will help you know which task are at the local site and which are at the district level.* The Consolidated Application Overview, Part I for 2010-2011 & Part II (2009-2010)

* Welcoming School Training with Jeana Preston, Director of the California Parent Center on October 21, 2009- See attachment.
Website: http://parent.sdsu.edu/

* Special Handouts folder: SES/Choice, District Parent Involvement Policy, District Administrative Regulations (Section 1118), Leadership Academy Applications, School Site Council Overview & Scope, CDE Parent Involvement flyer (also available in Spanish & Chinese), and more.

Wanda Yañez
ChairpersonDistrict Advisory Committee (DAC)
Sacramento City Unified School District
Work: (916) 654-7729

UC Davis Over-Reported Sex Assault Stats - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento

UC Davis Over-Reported Sex Assault Stats - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento:

"DAVIS, Calif. -- The University of California, Davis, said it significantly over-reported the number of forcible sex offenses that were committed on and around campus in 2005, 2006 and 2007."

The findings announced Thursday are based on an internal review and an independent, outside review of the crime statistics the university reports each year to the federal government under the Clery Act, the school said in a news release.

Specifically, in last year's Clery Act statistics, UC Davis reported 48, 68 and 69 forcible sex offenses in 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively.

However, based on the two recent reviews, the university has determined that the correct statistics for each of the years are less than half of the earlier numbers: 21 reported in 2005, 23 in 2006 and 33 in 2007.

The Clery Act requires publication of an annual report that contains specified campus crime statistics for the previous three calendar years.

Education Week: Books Face Extinction as Schools Go High-Tech

Education Week: Books Face Extinction as Schools Go High-Tech:

"Hitting the books is becoming a thing of the past, as more schools across Massachusetts implement virtual classrooms and equip students with laptops.

'If you look at a textbook it's very static. It's very convoluted,' said Hopkinton High math teacher Carla Crisafulli, who will post homework assignments to moodle.org and use Jing to create lesson voice-overs. 'We're going to be able to reach out via the Internet and make geometry come alive.'

Hopkinton High is piloting a physics course that will be conducted exclusively online, said Principal Alyson Geary. For freshman geometry and junior American literature, students will carry laptops instead of textbooks."

http://www.cetpa-k12.org/pub/htdocs//affiliates.html

Teacher Magazine: EPA Warns of Cancer-Causing PCBs in Schools

Teacher Magazine: EPA Warns of Cancer-Causing PCBs in Schools:

"The danger to students is uncertain, and EPA does not know for sure how many schools could be affected. But the agency is telling schools that they should test old caulk and remove it if PCBs turn up in significant amounts.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said PCBs remain in schools and many other buildings built before the chemicals were banned in the late 1970s.

'We're concerned about the potential risks associated with exposure to these PCBs, and we're recommending practical, common sense steps to reduce this exposure as we improve our understanding of the science,' Jackson said in a news release issued Friday."

English Companion

English Companion:

"A place to ask questions and get help. A community dedicated to helping you enjoy your work. A cafe without walls or coffee: just friends."

Parents consider paying teachers | HonoluluAdvertiser.com | The Honolulu Advertiser

Parents consider paying teachers HonoluluAdvertiser.com The Honolulu Advertiser:

"Parents at some public schools are looking into the possibility of renting their schools and paying teachers directly to keep their children learning on 'furlough Fridays.'"

The plan has caused some concern that Hawai'i's public school system is opening itself up to a new form of privatized education.

Several Parent Teacher Student Associations around the Islands are trying to figure out how much it would cost per family to pay to have their children's teachers in school during 17 upcoming teacher furlough days — and to keep the school lights on and the air conditioning running, said Valerie Sonoda, president of the Hawai'i State PTSA.

The topic was discussed at a meeting last week at 'Aikahi Elementary School attended by about 50 parents.

Some were concerned that they — and not their tax dollars — would bear the direct costs of educating their children on teacher furlough days.

NEA moves to help poor schools with best teachers - USATODAY.com

NEA moves to help poor schools with best teachers - USATODAY.com:

"Van Roekel said the move is part of the union's 'Priority Schools' campaign that will also encourage 'the most accomplished teachers-members' to start their teaching careers in high-needs schools, remain there or transfer there.

In the past, NEA has come under fire from critics for supporting contracts that allow experienced teachers with more seniority to transfer to schools that serve more middle-class children.

The critics include the Education Trust, a Washington-based advocacy group for low-income and minority students.

'They've said (it's a) local issue,' says Amy Wilkins, the Education Trust's vice president for government affairs. 'That's a non-approach.'
Wilkins on Tuesday said that she welcomes the move but that she's not holding her breath. 'I want to see it,' she said."

D.C. Launches Rigorous Teacher Evaluation System - washingtonpost.com

D.C. Launches Rigorous Teacher Evaluation System - washingtonpost.com:

"Rhee is investing $4 million in the system, called IMPACT, which will also assess teachers against an elaborate new framework of requirements and guidelines that cover a range of factors, including classroom presence and how carefully they check for student understanding of the material.

But IMPACT is likely to be another flash point in Rhee's turbulent relationship with local and national teachers union leaders. They say that growth statistics are too unreliable to include in performance evaluations and that the new assessment system -- which the District can legally impose without union consent -- is an instrument to identify and remove struggling teachers, not a means to help them improve."

Parent involvement in education month celebrated in October | International Falls Daily Journal

Parent involvement in education month celebrated in October International Falls Daily Journal:

"Research shows that students learn more, have higher grades, and have better school attendance when parents are involved.

Try some of the following activities with your child to encourage success:

• Look for upcoming school activities or events that you could be involved in
• Check out books at the library that relate to what your child is learning in school.
• Have a family game night. Have your child keep score.
• Have a family reading night. One person can read aloud, or everyone can read silently.
• Talk with your children about their day. What was the best part?"

Berkeley High School to open yet another academy -- for green energy - Inside Bay Area

Berkeley High School to open yet another academy -- for green energy - Inside Bay Area:

"School launched Green Academy, its own environmentally conscious program. Berkeley High already offers an academy for social justice and ecology, as well as for arts and sciences, community partnerships, and arts and humanities.

Four other California schools were awarded the green energy grant: Foothill High School in Sacramento, Independence High School in Bakersfield, Venture Academy in Stockton and Edison High School in Fresno."

Budget woes, school reform collide - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Budget woes, school reform collide - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"O'Connell said California schools must continue to improve test scores and narrow the achievement gap, despite diminishing budgets.

He's hoping for help for reforms from another pool of federal money, $4.35 billion in competitive federal education grants for the program called Race to the Top. The funds will go to as many as 20 states that can set up winning models for education innovation, according to federal officials. Applications for the funds are due in December. The first round of awards will be given in March.

'The Race to the Top money is an unprecedented amount of federal dollars for systematic change,' O'Connell said."