Michael J. Sandel, Harvard Moral Philosopher, to Teach on PBS - NYTimes.com

Michael J. Sandel, Harvard Moral Philosopher, to Teach on PBS - NYTimes.com:

"Many of the 14,000 or so students who have taken Harvard’s wildly popular course “Justice” with Michael J. Sandel over the years have heard the rumor that their professor has a television avatar: Montgomery Burns, Homer Simpson’s soulless ghoul of a boss at Springfield’s nuclear power plant."

A Crazy Idea for Middle Schools - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education

A Crazy Idea for Middle Schools - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education:

"When education pundits like me talk about the American Indian Public Charter School in Oakland, Calif., the conversation is always about the middle school's leader, Ben Chavis. He is very different from us data-sifting eggheads. It is not an exaggeration to call him a wild man. He delights in upbraiding lazy students, outraging inattentive teachers and making wrong-headed visitors to the school wish they had stayed home.

He has the independent spirit of someone who had a successful career in construction, teaching and business before the then-woebegone AIPCS board asked him to rescue the school. He didn’t need the job. He did it mostly as a favor to fellow Native Americans--he was born into a Lumbee Indian family of sharecroppers in North Carolina--and as a challenge. He has many of the habits of some of the best educators I know--a wicked sense of humor, a weakness for shocking the conventionally wise and a deep love of children, particularly those who have had difficult lives."

The Answer Sheet - What's Going On In D.C.?

The Answer Sheet - What's Going On In D.C.?:

"It sounds like a great plot to a movie for kids: A security company that provides guards to public schools goes bankrupt overnight. Anxiety and confusion rule the day when kids go to school and discover that about 300 guards aren’t there. Some kids even get sent home because nobody can monitor the entrances! What fun!

But, as we know, this did just happen in Washington D.C.-- here’s the Post story. And once again we find ourselves asking: Who in the city could or should have foreseen this and why didn’t they?

This line of questioning gets tiresome."

D.C. Schools Lay Off More Than 220 Teachers, Lose 300 Guards - washingtonpost.com

D.C. Schools Lay Off More Than 220 Teachers, Lose 300 Guards - washingtonpost.com:

"In one of the most turbulent days in its recent history, the D.C. public schools system laid off more than 200 teachers Friday and coped with the abrupt loss of its 300 security guards, whose company went out of business overnight Thursday.

The combination of events, which included a skirmish between students and police at McKinley Technology High School that resulted in two arrests, highlighted the challenges faced by Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) as they struggle to reform the troubled system in lean economic times. The layoffs were the deepest cuts for the school system since 2003."

Free online books available

Free online books available:

"A story I wrote last week on a program for free online textbooks has generated a lot of interest from readers, and many have asked where they can go to see all the free books.
The web site for Orange Grove Texts Plus is now up and running and available at www.theorangegrove.org. You can browse the list of more than 120 titles and even read them online if you’d like. You don’t even have to be a student.

Among the selections are “Core Concepts of Marketing,” “Latino American Literature in the Classroom,” “Reading Music: Common Notation” and “Mathematical Tools for Physics.” There’s even one I plan to check out, “Handbook of Independent Journalism.”"

Schools revist absentee policies

Schools revist absentee policies:

"Texas Education Agency officials are encouraging school districts to establish thresholds for what absentee rate would trigger the closing of schools. Meanwhile, Central Texas districts on their own have begun assessing their absence policies, including those that might encourage students to come to school sick.

'We're working on another letter that's working its way through our approvals process this week,' agency spokeswoman Debbie Graves Ratcliffe said. State financing is based on daily student attendance, but districts may apply for waivers to allow them to shorten the number of instructional days without suffering a financial penalty.

Officials with Austin-area districts say that their attendance rates exceed 90 percent in most cases. Ratcliffe said the school districts that have closed have tended to have attendance rates of less than 80 percent."

Solving the teacher pay issue could help students | Kalamazoo News - - MLive.com

Solving the teacher pay issue could help students Kalamazoo News - - MLive.com:

"Consider, for instance, that teacher pay now is typically based on seniority and whether the teacher has a master’s degree. Yet a teacher with five years of experience and a bachelor’s degree may well be superior to the 20-year veteran with a master’s.

Likewise, teacher contracts tend to treat employees the same regardless of what they teach or how they teach. That makes it hard to recruit teachers in math and science — fields with many other, more lucrative career options. It also is arguably unfair to English teachers who have a tremendous homework load if they are serious about writing instruction — you try grading 120 research papers. And what’s the incentive to assign those papers if the English teacher next door is showing movies — and making the same salary as his hard-working colleague?"

College degree no longer spells immunity from unemployment - BostonHerald.com

College degree no longer spells immunity from unemployment - BostonHerald.com:

"'Recessions are becoming a bit more egalitarian,' Adams said. 'It certainly has been hitting people of all education levels. And no longer is it the case that just having a bachelor’s degree shields you from economic downturns.'

After four months of reports in which analysts cited an easing up of recession, the release Friday signaled a setback.

U.S. employers cut another 263,000 jobs last month, up more than 40 percent from what analysts had forecast and another reminder that, as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has suggested, the recession might be over technically but its fallout will linger."

Most of Oregon's 2,400 new teachers unable to find jobs this fall | Oregon Education - OregonLive.com

Most of Oregon's 2,400 new teachers unable to find jobs this fall Oregon Education - OregonLive.com:

"Most of the estimated 2,400 newly minted teachers who graduated from Oregon colleges of education this year were unable to get hired anywhere in Oregon, proving that a job often billed as recession-proof is not.

Education deans and others who monitor the job market say this was the state's worst hiring season for new teachers in at least a generation.

With schools offering jobs to only about one-third as many teachers as normal, there was fierce competition for nearly every opening, and brand-new teachers brimming with idealism but lacking professional experience often got shut out."

New formula to shrink graduation rates - Salt Lake Tribune

New formula to shrink graduation rates - Salt Lake Tribune:

"Utah's high school graduation rates won't likely seem as impressive once the federal government starts making all states crunch the numbers the same way in 2011.

Starting next school year, the federal government will make all states use the same formula and rules to calculate graduation rates in an effort to make sure rates aren't inflated and make comparisons between states easier. Under that new formula, however, Utah's graduation rates will likely be significantly lower than they have been.

For example, the state's 2008 graduation rate of 87.8 percent would drop to 78 percent if the federal formula were applied today, according to the State Office of Education. That's because each formula counts different types of students as dropouts or graduates, or doesn't count them at all."

NY1 | 24 Hour Local News | Health | Some Parents Conflicted Over Flu Vaccines

NY1 24 Hour Local News Health Some Parents Conflicted Over Flu Vaccines:

"In spite of what most medical professionals say, some parents are reluctant to have their kids vaccinated against swine flu and say such vaccinations put their children at risk. NY1's Education reporter Lindsey Christ filed the following report.

Public schools will be turned into vaccination centers this fall in an effort to combat the H1N1 virus, which is expected to make a return visit. City officials are urging parents to have all children vaccinated, but some parents have decided to opt out.

'We don't think there has been enough research done to convincingly say that this is something that is safe,' says Stuart Flaum of the National Autism Association.
There's been a longstanding concern among some that vaccines like the one against the H1N1 virus might somehow be connected to an increased risk of autism. Doctors say that fear is completely unfounded."

Washington College | The Elm Student Newspaper

Washington College The Elm Student Newspaper:

"The Republicans have unfortunately obtained a small but effective victory. They and a majority of Democrats were able to cut off federal funding to the community activist group, Association of Community Organizations of Reform Now (ACORN). Republicans have done this in response to some videos, initially circulated on Fox News, and I have to stress that the word news must be used very loosely when talking about that organization, that showed two conservative activists attempting to get ACORN workers to commit illegal crimes. One of them in particular showed the activists pretending to be a pimp and the other one pretending to be an underage prostitute who was trying to arrange a deal with their Baltimore office. There were others just as controversial but that still did not justify cutting their federal funding. This is essentially a good organization that did not deserve the treatment that it has received."

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

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

"Among the rumors that seem to persistently surround contract negotiations between the San Diego Education Association and the San Diego Unified School District, there is one allegation that is as troubling as it is untrue. This is the notion that SDEA is attempting to sneak some sort of Machiavellian 'veto power' language into the contract under the guise of a 'maintenance of standards' clause.

Critics have alleged that maintenance of standards would produce catastrophic effects ranging from the somewhat mundane (slower textbook adoptions) to the truly obscene (all education reforms would have to be blessed by the union).

The extent to which the maintenance of standards hysteria has gained traction indicates that those who propagate these rumors are at best intentionally ill-informed and at worse maliciously anti-educator. The facts about SDEA's maintenance of standards proposal are readily accessible, and in no way resemble what we have just described. When we bargain for the working conditions of educators, we are bargaining for an improved learning environment for San Diego's children. We take this dual role very seriously."

Frank D. Yeary and Robert J. Birgeneau: New model needed to keep public universities public

Frank D. Yeary and Robert J. Birgeneau: New model needed to keep public universities public:

"Almost 150 years ago, in an effort to better serve a growing nation, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land Grant Act, which gave struggling states federal land with which they could generate revenue to build colleges. The result of that bold action is a national resource: a structure for higher education that is admired, and copied, around the globe in places such as Japan, Germany and Canada.

We are the only country to have both private and public universities of world renown. Sadly, this amalgam of great public and private research and teaching universities is at risk as economically struggling states progressively disinvest in public higher education."

The new Forbes 400: Provocative wealth amidst social misery

The new Forbes 400: Provocative wealth amidst social misery:

"The personal fortunes of three men, computer magnates Bill Gates and Larry Ellison, and financier Warren Buffett, would each have been more than enough to resolve the 2009-2010 budget deficit of the nation’s most populous state, California, which has been met through deep cuts to social programs and public education, and the furloughing of state workers.

California is home to more than a fifth of the Forbes 400. Eighty-three California oligarchs have a combined net worth of about $234 billion, according to Forbes. That is a multiple of about eight times California’s two-year budget deficit."

Teen Unemployment Hits 25.9%, Congress Lends an Ear - Real Time Economics - WSJ

Teen Unemployment Hits 25.9%, Congress Lends an Ear - Real Time Economics - WSJ:

"The unemployment rate for 16 to 19-year-olds hit 25.9% in September, the highest rate recorded since at least 1948 (the earliest data the Labor Department supplies).
Lately, their plight hasn’t been falling on deaf ears. The House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing earlier this week to address low unemployment among young people.

“Indeed, because of the horrible economy, younger workers are now competing with more experienced workers for positions traditionally [in] the domain of the young and less experienced,” Rep. George Miller, a California Democrat and the committee chairman, said according to prepared remarks. “Until the economy as a whole turns around, younger workers will continue to be hit the hardest.”"

Green California Community College Summit | GreenBiz.com

Green California Community College Summit GreenBiz.com:

"Pasadena, CA — Building Gateways to the Green Economy
California’s community colleges are home to some of nation’s most ambitious green building , renewable energy and green curriculum initiatives. They also account for 79 percent of higher education enrollment in the state, and engaging this diverse student population in green careers is critical to the state’s economic future.

In tough economic times, innovative ideas and new solutions are needed to sustain the growth of the sustainability movement. The second annual Green Community College Summit, October 5-7, 2009 at the Pasadena Convention Center, offers a rare chance for those involved in community college building, operations, and workforce development programs to get up to date on the latest developments in policy, technology and funding."

Bake Sales Are Banned in New York Schools - NYTimes.com

Bake Sales Are Banned in New York Schools - NYTimes.com:

"In an effort to limit how much sugar and fat students put in their bellies at school, the Education Department has effectively banned most bake sales, the lucrative if not quite healthy fund-raising tool for generations of teams and clubs.

The change is part of a new wellness policy that also limits what can be sold in vending machines and student-run stores, which use profits to help finance activities like pep rallies and proms. The elaborate rules were outlined in a three-page memo issued at the end of June, but in the new school year, principals and parents are just beginning to, well, digest them."

Op-Ed Columnist - Cracks in the Future - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Columnist - Cracks in the Future - NYTimes.com:

"Now there are ominous cracks appearing in that cornerstone of American civilization. Exhibit A is the University of California, Berkeley, the finest public university in the world and undoubtedly one of the two or three best universities in the United States, public or private.

More of Berkeley’s undergraduates go on to get Ph.D.’s than those at any other university in the country. The school is among the nation’s leaders in producing winners of the Nobel Prize. An extraordinary amount of cutting-edge research in a wide variety of critically important fields, including energy and the biological sciences, is taking place here."

Feds investigate allegedly inflated UC Davis crime reports - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Feds investigate allegedly inflated UC Davis crime reports - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"Federal officials said Friday that they are looking into reports of inflated campus crime data by the University of California, Davis.

Representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice are considering whether the school appropriately earned more than $1 million in grants for violence prevention, while the U.S. Department of Education is reviewing statistics that UC Davis reported to the government and that the university now says are false."

SCOE | Sacramento County Teachers of the Year 2010 Announced

SCOE Sacramento County Teachers of the Year 2010 Announced:

"A 6th grade teacher from the San Juan Unified School District and a 2nd grade teacher from the Elk Grove Unified School District are the Sacramento County Teachers of the Year 2010, the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) announced September 2nd at a county-wide teacher recognition banquet.

Deb House, who teaches 6th grade math, science and language arts at Kingswood Elementary School in the San Juan District and JoEllen Shanks, who teaches 2nd grade at Stone Lake Elementary in Elk Grove, were selected from the 15 Sacramento area district Teachers of the Year representing Sacramento County in the California Teachers of the Year competition.
A community selection committee comprised of education professionals, including previous Teachers of the Year, met to interview each local district Teacher of the Year and selected the two finalists.

All 15 Sacramento area teachers will be honored when the Sacramento Kings host the Phoenix Suns on Friday, February 5, 2010 at ARCO Arena. The Sacramento River Cats will also host a special Teacher Appreciation Night on Monday, May 3, 2010 when the River Cats host the Salt Lake Bees"

Lawmakers set to debate education reform issues | MyDesert.com | The Desert Sun

Lawmakers set to debate education reform issues MyDesert.com The Desert Sun:

"A bipartisan effort to reform the state education system and secure federal stimulus dollars is being viewed with skepticism by some local teachers, who fear it will be used to institute what they view as unfair pay-for-performance requirements.

The effort, under way in a special legislative session that's been called by the governor, centers around the state's ability to apply for the $4.35 billion Race to the Top program. State lawmakers estimate California could stand to gain $500 million or more from the program, but wording of current state law renders California ineligible."

Sac City Unified hopes hand washing twice a day keeps flu away - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sac City Unified hopes hand washing twice a day keeps flu away - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"Starting Monday, students at Sacramento City Unified schools will have a new subject to master: hand washing.

On Thursday new district Superintendent Jonathan Raymond announced that a hand-washing campaign will kick off next week. District schools are now required to designate two times a day when all students will get up, go to the nearest sink and wash their hands."

Ex-pupil defends Obama aide over controversial advice in 1988 - CNN.com

Ex-pupil defends Obama aide over controversial advice in 1988 - CNN.com:

"Conservative groups charge that Jennings, who is openly gay, condoned statutory rape and child molestation. That's in reference to an incident in 1988 when Jennings, who was a teacher at the time, did not tell authorities that a 16-year-old student revealed to Jennings that he'd had sex with an older man.

Now that former student is speaking out for the first time and telling CNN he did not have sex with that man at all. He did not elaborate on what he told Jennings at the time. Jennings could not be reached for comment late Friday.

In a statement obtained by CNN, the former student, who wanted to be called Brewster, wrote: 'Since I was of legal consent at the time, the 15-minute conversation I had with Mr. Jennings 21 years ago is of nobody's concern but his and mine. However, since the Republican noise machine is so concerned about my 'well-being' and that of America's students, they'll be relieved to know that I was not 'inducted' into homosexuality, assaulted, raped, or sold into sexual slavery.'"

Gay couples challenge federal marriage law as Republicans prepare for battle - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Gay couples challenge federal marriage law as Republicans prepare for battle - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"But they file their federal taxes as single individuals, paying hundreds of dollars more each year. That's because a law called the Defense of Marriage Act bars federal agencies from recognizing gay marriages.

Backers of gay rights are pushing to repeal the law, buoyed by a growing acceptance of same-sex marriage, which is now legal in six states.

But Republicans on Capitol Hill are ready to fight."

KCBS - Adult Classes Fall Short

KCBS - Adult Classes Fall Short:

"A nonprofit advocacy group said Friday state adult education programs are having trouble meeting the demand for classes due in part to California's budget crisis.

'We are seeing that community colleges and adult education programs are having to reduce the number of courses they offer because of budget constraints,' said Vicky Lovell with the California Budget Project. She added that the demand for adult education courses remains high. According to Lovell, 4 out of 5 students entering community colleges and more than half the students in the Cal State University system are ill prepared to do college level work."

Parent Rights under NCLB

Parent Rights under NCLB:

"No Child Left Behind

What Parents Need to Know
School District Policy


No Child Left Behind is the new education plan that was signed into law by President Bush in January of 2002. It’s designed to improve student achievement and help schools do a better job of teaching. The law includes a number of important opportunities for parents to be involved with the schools. This Tip Sheet, from the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC), is designed to help parents understand their rights under the law."

What happens … begins in the council chamber, the school board meeting room, the state house, the U.S. Capitol, and the White House. "Every decision is a political decision," says NEA President Reg Weaver (speaking of teachers but applies even more for parents). "We should no longer accept people making decisions for us, about us, and without us."How Can Schools, Families and Community Groups Put these Goals into Action?
• Recognize that all parents, regardless of income, education or cultural background, are involved in their children's learning and want their children to do well.
• Design programs that will support families to guide their children's learning, from preschool through high school.
• Develop the capacity of school staff and families to work together.
• Link activities and programs for families to improving student learning.
• Focus on developing trusting and respectful relationships among staff and families.
• Build families' social and political connections.
• Embrace a philosophy of partnership and be willing to share power.
• Make sure that parents, school staff, and community members understand that the responsibility for children's educational development is a collaborative enterprise.
• Build strong connections between schools and community organizations.
• Include families in all strategies to reduce the achievement gap between white, middle-class students and low-income students and students of color.
When parents talk to their children about school, expect them to do well, help them plan for college, and make sure that out-of-school activities are constructive, their children do better in school. When schools engage families in ways that are linked to improving learning, and support parent involvement at home and school, students make greater gains. When schools build partnerships with families that respond to their concerns, honor their contributions, and share power, they are able to sustain connections that are aimed at improving student achievement. And when families and communities organize to hold poorly performing schools accountable, school districts make positive changes in policy, practice, and resources.


"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." ~~ Margaret Mead (1901 - 1978)

CSUB To Receive $12.6M Grant To Improve Teacher Quality - Education News Story - KERO Bakersfield

CSUB To Receive $12.6M Grant To Improve Teacher Quality - Education News Story - KERO Bakersfield:

"United States Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, has announced that California State University, Bakersfield is said to receive a $12,595,813 grant to improve teacher quality and reform teacher education at high-need schools in central California.

The federal grant is one of only 28 in the nation, and the largest award in California, to be given as part of the Teacher Quality Partnership aimed at improving instruction in struggling schools."

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."