Inside City Hall: Tretheway blocks mayor's council committee shuffle - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com

Inside City Hall: Tretheway blocks mayor's council committee shuffle - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com:

"Tretheway blocks mayor's council committee shuffle

Mayor Kevin Johnson's attempt to shuffle the City Council subcommittees was scuttled last week. Here's the back story, according the parties involved:

Jeff Dorso, the attorney who chaired the mayor's transition team, stopped by Councilman Ray Tretheway's office 90 minutes before last week's council meeting. Dorso wanted to chat about Johnson's proposed strong-mayor initiative, for which Dorso is a legal adviser.

During the talk, the mayor's proposed realignment of two City Council committees came up. It was on that evening's consent agenda - which is normally approved with little discussion."

UC Leadership Looks Into Alternative Ways To Save Public Universities - California Progress Report

UC Leadership Looks Into Alternative Ways To Save Public Universities - California Progress Report

A little over a week ago, the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of UC Berkeley, Robert Birgeneau and Frank Yeary wrote an op-ed published on both coasts arguing for a new hybrid model as a means to save California's public universities.

They wrote:

"The economic crisis has made this a countrywide phenomenon, with devastating cuts in some states, including California. Historically acclaimed public institutions are struggling to remain true to their mission as tuition rises and in-state students from middle- and low-income families are displaced by out-of-state students from higher socioeconomic brackets who pay steeper fees. While America is fortunate to have many great private universities, we do not need to add to the list by privatizing Berkeley, Illinois, Rutgers, etc. On the contrary, we need to keep our public research and teaching universities excellent and accessible to the vast majority of Americans."
Their proposal is for the federal government should create a hybrid model,

"in which a limited number of our great public research and teaching universities receive basic operating support from the federal government and their respective state governments. Washington might initially choose a representative set of schools, perhaps based on their research achievements, their success in graduating students, commitment to public service and their record in having a student body that is broadly representative of society.

The White House - Blog Post - Streaming at 1:30: National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation

The White House - Blog Post - Streaming at 1:30: National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation:

"From his first days in office the President made clear that science, technology, and innovation would be elevated to core values in his Administration. But the awards being given today are evidence of how deeply rooted these things are in the American tradition.
Watch the event here through WhiteHouse.gov/live

Watch and discuss the event as it's happening through Facebook
The National Medal of Science was created by statute in 1959 and is administered for the White House by the National Science Foundation in recognition of individuals who have made outstanding contributions to science and engineering."

Afterschool Alliance

Afterschool Alliance:

"Each afternoon across the U.S., 15 million children--more than a quarter of our youth--are alone and unsupervised after school. The parents of 18 million would enroll their children in an afterschool program, if one were available. These are some of the key findings from the nation’s most in-depth study of how America’s children spend their afternoons. America After 3 PM was sponsored by the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. The 2009 report, conducted for the Afterschool Alliance, surveyed nearly 30,000 households across the United States.

The survey finds that 8.4 million children participate in an afterschool program, an increase of nearly 3 million children over the past five years. While this is encouraging, there is still work to be done. The number of children left alone after the school day ends has risen to 15.1 million children - an increase of 800,000 children - since the 2004 edition of America After 3PM.

Listen to the Afterschool Alliance's Jodi Grant and the JCPenney Afterschool Fund's Jodi Gibson talk about the new America After 3 PM findings.
Please see the links and map below for America After 3 PM insight into nearly every avenue of afterschool program participation."

Read the full report: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/12734400/America-After-3-PM

Education Week: Survey Finds More Children Unattended After School

Education Week: Survey Finds More Children Unattended After School:

"Thirty percent of those students left alone are middle schoolers, 4 percent are in elementary school, and the remaining 66 percent are students of high school age, according to the nationally representative survey, which included responses from about 30,000 U.S. households during the 2008-09 school year. Most participants were surveyed through the mail with some follow-up phone surveys, and the margin of error for the study is plus or minus sixth-tenths of a percent.

The survey, sponsored by the JCPenney Afterschool Fund, based in Plano, Texas, also found that 88 percent of those surveyed agreed that after-school programs are “an absolute..."

Bridging Differences: Why 'Washington-Driven Standardization' Is NOT Best

Bridging Differences: Why 'Washington-Driven Standardization' Is NOT Best:

"I am somewhat crazed and stressed-out today because my book is due to the publisher, with no more edits allowed. So, needless to say, I am focused on meeting that deadline. But since the book deals with the same issues that we discuss every week, it is not as if I have to turn my attention to a totally different subject. Readers of this blog know that I have often tried out ideas here and benefited by hearing their reactions."

One issue that we have discussed and should discuss more is the regulations embedded in the Race to the Top fund, that sum of $4.3 billion that the U.S. Department of Education is using to stimulate innovation and reform. It may be daring to say this, but I am weary of reform. I think that our schools have been overrun by too many reforms, to the point where it becomes difficult to say what effect any of them has had. Some of our schools are like archeological sites, with layer after layer of reform, one on top of the other. A teacher once said to me that she had "reform fatigue." I wonder if any other nation so regularly reorganizes, reshapes, and reforms its schools.

Inverting Bloom's Taxonomy

Education Week: Inverting Bloom's Taxonomy

The magic of Bloom’s Taxonomy, that familiar classification system for levels of thinking (and hence learning objectives), was that teachers could close their eyes and picture it. And with a little help from entrepreneurial consultants, they didn’t need to close their eyes at all—posters of color-coded pyramids became a standard part of classroom decor. The taxonomy was lean and intuitive, but the image of the pyramid gave it staying power. “Knowledge” formed the wide and stable base. “Evaluation” was the terrain of intellectual mountaineers.

Applebatch: Luring Students Back to Learning

Applebatch: Luring Students Back to Learning:

"Should educators use money to stimulate attendance and create better grades? The New York Times reports that in July of 2009, the French Government released a list of 165 initiatives proposed to stymie high school dropout rates that have led to high youth unemployment in France. Among these initiatives is an incentive-based proposal that has fomented a debate in the teacher community in France since its more public pronunciation by the newspaper Le Parisien last Friday. By committing to an attendance and performance target, high schoolers can earn from €2,000 to €10,000 for their class fund that can then be spent on educational activities such as field trips."

Whitman Q&A Pt. 3: Living with schools cuts - Total Buzz - OCRegister.com

Whitman Q&A Pt. 3: Living with schools cuts - Total Buzz - OCRegister.com:

"In this installment, GOP gubernatorial candidate and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman talks about how we may need to live with the scaled-down education funding for now. She says K-12 needs to move more money from administration to the classroom, get more charter schools, and reward the top teachers. And she says 10 percent cuts of higher ed may actually be an asset, although further cuts are hurtful.

I asked if she thought the teachers union was part of the problem, but she wasn’t going there.

In Part 1, Whitman addresses her spotty voting records. You can also click here for today’s update on that issue.

In Part 2, she addresses the state budget, including her proposals for tax cuts and eliminating 20,000 to 30,000 state jobs."

New school assignment plan cuts parents' choice

New school assignment plan cuts parents' choice:

"For years, parents have been given wide latitude to pick and choose schools for their children in the Seattle Public Schools."

Until now.

Seattle Public Schools administrators Tuesday evening unveiled the proposed new attendance-area boundary maps (click here for high school and here for middle and elementary schools) for the 46,000 students attending 88 public schools. After numerous community meetings, including one this Saturday, the final School Board vote will take place Nov. 18.

The new student-assignment plan, approved by the Board in mid-June, uses a community-based approach towards school assignments, sending students to schools closest to home. These changes are necessary, district officials have said, because Seattle's population density and demographic makeup has shifted considerably and parents have demanded more predictability.

The cash-strapped school district could save a considerable amount of money by changing the way schools are assigned and by reducing transportation costs. (In 2007, we reported that Seattle spends an average of $560.86 per student on transportation, or about $25 million -- more than other large districts in the state).
The plan, however, would also require new capital expenditures. Five closed elementary schools would reopen under the plan.

Education Chief Duncan to Give Innovation Grants - NYTimes.com

Education Chief Duncan to Give Innovation Grants - NYTimes.com:

"The federal Department of Education sketched out a new nationwide competition on Tuesday under which some 2,700 school districts and nonprofit groups are expected to compete for pieces of a $650 million innovation fund.

The department already has the 50 states vying for chunks of a $5.4 billion education improvement fund that it calls Race to the Top; the innovation fund is a separate competition.

Federal officials said the Investing in Innovation Fund would be distributed in three categories. Small development grants of up to $5 million will support new, unproven ideas that seem worth exploring, they said. Validation grants of up to $30 million will support existing programs that have shown evidence that they can work. Scale-up grants of up to $50 million will go to programs that have developed a strong track record for improving student achievement, the officials said."

Ohio.com - Willard: Grading education isn't easy

Ohio.com - Willard: Grading education isn't easy:

"COLUMBUS: About a decade ago, this newspaper ran a series of articles about the problems facing public education. In those stories, three reporters, myself included, each spent a day following typical fourth-grade students in three different school districts.

In one classroom, the teacher asked students about a spinnaker, and a young man answered by explaining he had seen the sailing ship on a trip to Turkey. In another classroom, when a teacher asked what was the first thing they smelled when they went to the movies, the students fell silent. When the teacher exclaimed, ''popcorn,'' we learned many of the students had yet to step into a theater.

Students arrive at the doorsteps of schools each day burdened with backpacks and often varied experiences and economic backgrounds. They are at different learning levels, and for this reason, it is difficult to fairly assess just how much teaching is going on in individual classrooms and buildings and across districts."

Doyle signs bill mandating kindergarten -- chicagotribune.com

Doyle signs bill mandating kindergarten -- chicagotribune.com:

"MADISON, Wis. - Starting in 2011 children will be required to complete kindergarten before they can start first grade in Wisconsin.

Gov. Jim Doyle on Tuesday signed a bill making that change.

The bill passed the Legislature last month. Supporters say it's needed to ensure that students who enroll in kindergarten actually attend class.

Because kindergarten isn't mandatory now, students aren't bound by truancy rules.

It won't affect many children.

Each year, an average of just 117 first-graders haven't been to kindergarten. That's about one-third of 1 percent of the total number of first-graders as of last school year.

Students who are home schooled or attend charter schools can get an exemption."

Dyslexia and the reading brain

Dyslexia and the reading brain:

"All of us are born with brains that are designed to think and talk.

But no one is born with a brain that is designed to read.

For that reason, every child who learns to read is adapting older brain structures to a new purpose, and 'it's almost a miracle that so many kids are able to do that effortlessly.'

That's one of the main messages that Dr. Maryanne Wolf, director of the Center for Reading and Language Research at Tufts University, will deliver in a keynote address at a dyslexia conference here on Saturday."

Catalyst Notebook :: Pitfalls with school choice in Chicago, other districts

Catalyst Notebook :: Pitfalls with school choice in Chicago, other districts:

"A new report by The Center on Reinventing Public Education strikes an optimistic note on the emergence of “portfolio schools”—that is, charter and charter-like schools—in Chicago, New Orleans, New York and Washington DC. But the report also offers a long list of potential pitfalls—from the evaporation of philanthropic dollars to shifting political terrain—that threatens any well-oiled network of autonomous school options.

The center is a research collective at the University of Washington that generally takes a constructively critical view of school choice and district decentralization efforts. In this report, the researchers offer little in the way of evaluation of each city’s portfolio initiatives, but they do serve up a good reference tool for understanding the differences in scale and scope of major reform efforts in the country’s hotspots for urban educational change."

Head of D.C. Schools Pushes Need For Reforming Public Education | The Cornell Daily Sun

Head of D.C. Schools Pushes Need For Reforming Public Education The Cornell Daily Sun:

"Michelle Rhee ’92 has a no-nonsense attitude when it comes to improving the Washington, D.C. public schools system. As chancellor of the historically under-performing school district, she has shut down schools and fired teachers en-route to creating an environment in which all students can succeed.

Often seen as a controversial figure in public education, Rhee’s pioneering actions may someday lead to large-scale school reform. The Sun sat down with Rhee on Monday to talk about higher education’s role in innovating public schools, her portrayal in the media and her time at Cornell."

Danny Glover adds voice for school workers | Philadelphia Daily News | 10/07/2009

Danny Glover adds voice for school workers Philadelphia Daily News 10/07/2009:

"Actor Danny Glover is known for a lot of things, but being an advocate for the Philadelphia School District's lowest-paid workers may not be one of them.

'It's unconscionable,' Glover said yesterday about the meager wages of Philly schools' cafeteria workers and noontime aides.

Surrounded by a group of them at a home near Simon Gratz High, Glover appealed to the decision-makers to 'do better.'"

Legal complaint filed against school district's English Learner policies | 89.3 KPCC

Legal complaint filed against school district's English Learner policies 89.3 KPCC:

"Of the many Southland public school students who study English as a second language, most are Spanish speakers. KPCC’s Adolfo Guzman-Lopez reports that a federal complaint filed Tuesday against an area school district sheds light on the challenges of providing adequate English learner instruction.

Adolfo Guzman-Lopez: One of every four students at Centinela Valley Union High School District east of L.A. International Airport is an English learner. That’s about the statewide average. A Bay Area legal advocacy group alleges that the district discriminated against some of those students by moving English learner services to a campus miles away."

Sophomores on the FAST track to learning at Salinas High | thecalifornian.com | The Salinas Californian

Sophomores on the FAST track to learning at Salinas High thecalifornian.com The Salinas Californian:

"Integrating academic and career technical education.Partnerships with businesses to help with things such as student internships and job shadowing.'Academies have been carefully evaluated and shown to have positive impacts on school performance,' a California Department of Education Web site says.The academy at Salinas High operates this year on a $42,000 grant from the state matched by a similar grant from the Salinas Union High School District."

The Orion - Editorial: College newspapers face move to online-only content

The Orion - Editorial: College newspapers face move to online-only content:

"Have you heard the news about the news? It’s no secret the college newspaper industry is dying. The university systems have to decrease their spending and programs are being cut accordingly. This means any student-run newspaper dependent on its college is in serious danger of losing its funding.

The way in which people receive their information is quickly changing. No longer are we confined to the paper and ink of traditional newspapers. Instead, we utilize pixels, video clips and instant commentary. Where does this leave the future reporters and editors of tomorrow’s newspapers?"

Capitol Center To Close - Daily Nexus

Capitol Center To Close - Daily Nexus:

"In late August, the Sacramento Center received a temporary suspension of its funding and stopped accepting applications indefinitely. The Center — which provided graduate and upper-division undergraduate students with a chance to study in the politically-charged Sacramento atmosphere during the academic and summer quarters — had been operating in the state capitol for less than five years when the decision was made to postpone the program. The decision was ultimately made by acting interim UC Provost Lawrence Pitts and will take effect at the conclusion of this quarter."

Editorial: Vote yes on Measures G and H in Acalanes and Walnut Creek school districts - ContraCostaTimes.com

Editorial: Vote yes on Measures G and H in Acalanes and Walnut Creek school districts - ContraCostaTimes.com:

"Unfortunately, we don't live in such a world. School districts are partially funded by the state and then left to make up shortfalls on their own.

For that reason, we support two parcel taxes on the Nov. 3 ballot, Measure G in the Acalanes Union High School District and Measure H in the Walnut Creek School District.

The Acalanes high school district serves students who are funneled through grades K-8 in the Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette and Walnut Creek school districts.

With Measure G, Acalanes voters are being asked to continue paying an existing $189 a year parcel tax. With Measure H, voters in the Walnut Creek district are being asked to continue paying an existing $82 a year parcel tax.

While we back the measures, which require approval of two-thirds of the voters, we do so with some reservations. Voters should be aware that they are being asked to indefinitely extend existing parcel taxes. The current taxes are due to expire in 2011. Measures G and H have no sunset provisions."

Opinion: Dan Walters: Few would object if governor vetoed all bills on his desk - San Jose Mercury News

Opinion: Dan Walters: Few would object if governor vetoed all bills on his desk - San Jose Mercury News:

"That problematic nature is compounded by the fact that there's nothing of cosmic importance sitting on the governor's desk. While there are some measures of note, such as bills to expand California's commitment to solar, wind and other alternative energy forms, almost none of them need to be enacted this year. The alternative energy measures wouldn't take effect for years, for instance.

Given the ideological tilt of the Legislature, it's no surprise that most of the measures now pending are either minor in nature or are important mostly to liberal groups. And that means Republicans and business interests would not be dismayed if Schwarzenegger vetoes every one of the measures now pending, such as those expanding the services that health insurers must offer."

California's Higher Education Needs Transparency - NAM

California's Higher Education Needs Transparency - NAM:

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has until Oct. 11 to sign or veto SB 218.

This is a bill introduced by State Senator Leland Yee, D-Calif., following questions raised about the business practices of foundations on California State University campuses from Fresno to San Francisco, Sonoma to Sacramento.

“Taxpayers and students deserve to know how their public universities are run,” Yee said. He cited several cases where a lack of accountability and transparency has paved the way for abuses by public higher education foundations.

A member of a Fresno State foundation received a no-bid contract connected with building a campus entertainment venue in which he had a financial stake. An executive with the San Francisco City Community College Foundation borrowed money from it for personal consumption. A Sonoma State foundation got stuck with repaying money lent to a former board member unable to make the loan payments."

Education Matters: Obama’s Chance to Spark Real School Funding Reform - NAM

Education Matters: Obama’s Chance to Spark Real School Funding Reform - NAM:


"President Barack Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan have an unprecedented opportunity to lead real school funding reform through the federal stimulus package. They can encourage states like California to fund public schools adequately and equitably. The question is, will they?

While much of the $100-plus billion in education stimulus funding is targeted to stave off teacher layoffs and keep class sizes in check, the so-called “Race to the Top” Fund stands apart. This $4.35 billion pot is the largest infusion of discretionary federal dollars ever into the public education system, bigger than the combined discretionary funds provided to all prior education secretaries over the past 29 years. States have to compete for funding, and not all will win. Money will be doled out on a selective basis to a subset of states that demonstrate their commitment to bold, systemic education reform. The idea is to reward innovation and results in public education and push states to undertake serious reform if they want to access to the pot."

Duncan, Holder in Chicago to discuss teen violence - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Duncan, Holder in Chicago to discuss teen violence - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"CHICAGO -- U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan are set to discuss youth violence in Chicago in the wake of the beating death of a 16-year-old honor student whose attack was caught on cell phone video.

Holder and Duncan plan to meet privately Wednesday with students, parents and school officials. They'll hold a news conference later with Ron Huberman, who replaced Duncan as chief executive officer of Chicago Public Schools.

President Barack Obama sent the two federal officials to Chicago after images emerged of the fatal beating of high school sophomore Derrion Albert. Four teenagers have been charged in his death."

Folsom Cordova district sued over teacher rehiring - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Folsom Cordova district sued over teacher rehiring - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"Five teachers laid off because of budget cuts and the Folsom Cordova Education Association are suing the Folsom Cordova Unified School District board of trustees."

The suit, filed Sept. 18, contends that jobs that should have gone to laid-off teachers went to others. The California Education Code requires that districts put all laid-off teachers on a rehire list and to hire from it on the basis of seniority, according to the suit.

The teachers said the district did hire some laid-off teachers for temporary jobs, but did not hire them in order of seniority.

Call your doctor to get H1N1 vaccination, California officials say - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Call your doctor to get H1N1 vaccination, California officials say - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"Looking to get an H1N1 vaccination soon? Your best bet is to call your doctor.

California's first allotment of 400,000 H1N1 nasal spray vaccine began arriving in doctors' offices Monday, according to the state Department of Public Health. Doses will continue arriving through the end of the week, and go mostly to pediatrician, OB-GYN and family practice offices."

www.KOB.com - Education cuts cause rift

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S1178553.shtml?cat=516:

"Gov. Bill Richardson now says he is not sure he will be able to see eye-to-eye with key lawmakers before this month's budget-balancing special session.

The growing rift between the governor and some key lawmakers is education cuts—and neither side appears ready to budge. Many of those lawmakers said Monday that school funding is a huge part of the budget and if education money doesn't take a hit, all other departments will face deep cuts."

Chicago teen slayings may have roots in school closings that send students across gang lines

Chicago teen slayings may have roots in school closings that send students across gang lines:

"After images of Albert’s death were widely broadcast last week, President Barack Obama is sending his education secretary back to Chicago where, as head of the city’s schools, he implemented that plan. Attorney General Eric Holder will join Arne Duncan on Wednesday when they meet with school officials and students.

Since 2005, dozens of Chicago’s public schools have been closed and thousands of students reassigned to campuses outside their neighborhoods — and often across gang lines — as part of Renaissance 2010, a program launched by Mayor Richard Daley when Duncan was Chicago Public Schools chief.

While the plan has resulted in replacing failing and low-enrollment schools with charter schools and smaller campuses, it has also led to a surge in violence that has increasingly turned deadly, many activists, parents and students say.

Before the 2006 school year, an average of 10-15 public school students were fatally shot each year. That soared to 24 deadly shootings in the 2006-07 school year, 23 deaths and 211 shootings in the 2007-08 school year and 34 deaths and 290 shootings last school year.

Few deaths have occurred on school grounds, but activists say it’s no coincidence that violence spiked after the school closures."

Local politician advocates for correction reform - News

Local politician advocates for correction reform - News:


"The cost of the corrections system in California, and its effect on the state budget and public safety, are weighing upon Assemblymember Nancy Skinner. The local politician visisted campus last Thursday, October 1.

Skinner is the Assemblymember for California's 14th District which includes Moraga as well as surrounding areas such as Walnut Creek, Berkeley and Oakland."

Curriki Calls on California Teachers to Open, Share and Collaborate « Blogs « Literacy News

Curriki Calls on California Teachers to Open, Share and Collaborate « Blogs « Literacy News: "

Curriki, a leading online community for creating and sharing K-12 open source curricula today called on California teachers to join forces to enhance high school curriculum. In response to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Free Digital Text Book Initiative, Curriki will work with California teachers to collaboratively improve free digital textbooks for high school earth science and chemistry courses.

The Governor, State Superintendent Jack O’Connell and the State Board of Education announced in May the Free Digital Textbook Initiative (www.gov.ca.gov/press-release/122225/), a project to provide a list of standards-aligned free digital textbooks for high schools that cover course content in math and science."

The White House - Blog Post - White House to Host Star Party

The White House - Blog Post - White House to Host Star Party:

"The White House has announced that on Wednesday, after honoring 13 of the nation’s top innovators and inventors, President Obama will host an Astronomy Night on the White House South Lawn.

OSTP is a proud co-organizer of the event, which will bring the President together with 150 local middle-school students and two students (a middle-schooler and a high school student) who have already made notable astronomical discoveries. The event will highlight this Administration’s commitment to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

It is also a way to increase awareness of the incredible discoveries, inspiration, and expansion of human knowledge that the field of astronomy can deliver, and we hope that people around the country will take part. The event is to be broadcast on the White House Web site as well as NASA TV, and will be linked with simultaneous events at museums and planetariums across the country."

UC leaders propose state-federal 'hybrid"

UC leaders propose state-federal 'hybrid"

"BERKELEY — The federal government should step in to save chronically underfunded public universities, University of California leaders say.

UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau has proposed that top public research schools become state-federal 'hybrids' that receive basic operating funds from the U.S. government. The federal government also should match private funding raised by universities at a 2-1 ratio, Birgeneau and Vice Chancellor Frank Yeary wrote in opinion pieces published in newspapers on both coasts.

The idea has been well received in Washington, they said in an interview this week, but it is unclear when and if the Obama administration would take it on.

'They were enthusiastic,' said Birgeneau, who said he had spoken with Department of Education officials and was told not to expect any movement for at least the next two years. 'But they told me they had no money.'"

Continue reading at: http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_13499464

Health Insurance Reform Forum hosted by Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui

Dear Friend,

The state of our health insurance system impacts all Americans, insured and uninsured alike. Throughout the national debate over health insurance reform, I have listened to and visited with many Sacramentans including community members, families, seniors, doctors, nurses and small business owners. As the debate over health insurance reform continues, I would like to continue hearing from you about your thoughts, recommendations and concerns on this important topic.

This Saturday, October 10th, I will be hosting a public forum to discuss the health insurance reform legislation that is currently pending in Congress. This forum will be held at Sutter Middle School in Sacramento, and will begin promptly at 11:00 AM. Your input will play an important role as I consider the provisions of the proposed legislation.

Health Insurance Reform Forum hosted by Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Saturday, October 10th

Sutter Middle School Multipurpose Room

3150 I Street, Sacramento

Public transit is available via bus lines 30 and 34. On-site parking is also available.

I hope to see you on Saturday.

Please contact my office at (916) 498-5600 if you have any questions.
Sincerely,

DORIS O. MATSUI
Member of Congress

PS - If you have not already, please take a minute to answer my health care survey.

To ensure that you continue to receive periodic updates on my work in Congress, please click here.

Sacramento Press / Welcome to The Sacramento Press Journalism Open!

Sacramento Press / Welcome to The Sacramento Press Journalism Open!

We're so glad you're interested in The Sacramento Press Journalism Open! Not only can you win some great prizes, you can also have an effect on your community and gain some skills in the bargain! Contributing to our site is quick and easy - we can show you everything you need to know to take the act of making journalism into your own hands!

I'm David Watts Barton, the managing editor of The Sacramento Press, our area's top hyper-local, citizen-written news website, where we focus on up-close, in-depth coverage of neighborhoods like yours. We aim to spread the traditional habits of good journalism - accuracy, fairness and a diversity of opinion - across the Web. We do it with a mix of professional and amateur writing from around the community.

We're hosting this contest because we want you to join us! The future of journalism may depend on you: Your ideas, your questions, and the answers you find will increase the amount of good, local information you and your fellow citizens need to make informed decisions, whether it's about city government or where to go for entertainment. And once you've asked the questions you want answered, we want you to write for The Sacramento Press - because citizens like you are The Sacramento Press!

This contest is a pro-am, where writers of all skill levels and points of view are welcome to write about what you know and about what interests you.

California Budget Crisis Diaries: Costly lawsuits and late payment fees

California Budget Crisis Diaries: Costly lawsuits and late payment fees

The number of lawsuits being filed against state lawmakers and the state offices making late payments show millions of dollars down the drain. But there may be a light at the end of the tunnel as the various gubernatorial candidates put forth their ideas for fixing the budget.

The possibility of unlawful cuts: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers have been inundated with lawsuits since they reached a budget agreement in July. Even Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) filed a lawsuit against the governor.
If Schwarzenegger and the state lose all the lawsuits filed against them, the state could lose $4.7 billion, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

“While legal battles are common in every budget cycle, the unusually high number this year - and their potential to wreak exceptional fiscal havoc - is a testament to the drastic, even risky, measures employed to solve deficits amounting to some $60 billion,” according to the Mercury News.

“This year’s bevy of lawsuits also is the legacy of an annual budgeting process in which tax increases have become anathema and in which certain spending obligations, such as money for education, are set in stone during boom years, without any provision to pay them when revenues slip.”Read more: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-10-06/news/california-budget-crisis-diaries-costly-lawsuits-and-late-payment-fees#ixzz0TBb9s3Vq

Online Sexual Exploitation - Bulletin Board

What is named as the top school trouble of kids 8-15? Homework? Cafeteria food? Neither it's bullying. And with the rapid rise in electronic communications, cyberbullying using the Internet or mobile devices to send or post harmful or cruel text or images has become a serious issue.

The cyberbullying prevention campaign targets 12 and 13-year-olds, particularly girls, urging them to put an end to the cyberbullying chain. Tweens and teens can be lured into such behavior because it takes place in a virtual world. In fact, because they don't realize the tangible consequences, some don't even recognize these hurtful actions as bullying. These new PSAs including viral videos help them realize that if they wouldn't say it in person, they shouldn't say it online.

The bullying prevention campaign, launched in September 2004, features NCPC's beloved crime dog, McGruff. It is designed to counteract bullying at a young age by encouraging victims, witnesses and parents to take action to prevent the problem. Visitors to www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying can learn more about cyberbullying.

The Perimeter Primate: Paving the Way to Privatization of the School Lunch Program

The Perimeter Primate: Paving the Way to Privatization of the School Lunch Program

This is the first guest post on The Perimeter Primate by Caroline Grannan . Grannan was an editor at the San Jose Mercury News for 12 years. Currently she contributes to a number of Internet sites dealing with education and schools. She is a San Francisco public school parent, advocate, and volunteer and has followed education politics locally and nationwide.-- P.P.

On Revolution Foods

I’m a veteran of several years on the frontlines of the battle to improve school food. So of course I read the press coverage, including a sudden explosion of glowing news reports on a company called Revolution Foods -- a progressive-sounding effort to privatize school meals.

Almost all of that coverage is by confused reporters who don’t understand the economics of funding school meals and who buy Revolution’s misleading claim that its meals cost only a little more than the federal funding for school meals. Here’s a quote from a Sept. 30 Washington Post story about Revolution: “The price, between $2.90 and $3 per lunch, is not much higher than the current $2.68 the government pays.” The assumption is that the school district or the student has to come up with a mere 22 to 32 cents. But that’s misleading, because actually, the $2.68 government reimbursement also has to cover labor and other costs of running a school cafeteria.

California’s Civil Rights Heroes: Honoring the Legacies of Cesar Chavez and Harvey Milk - California Progress Report

California’s Civil Rights Heroes: Honoring the Legacies of Cesar Chavez and Harvey Milk - California Progress Report:

"Every year on March 31 Californians celebrate the life and legacy of my grandfather, Cesar E. Chavez. A Mexican-American son of migrant workers, he grew up at time when Latinos were treated as second class citizens. Having personally experienced injustice, he dedicated his life to achieving dignity and equality not only for Latino and farm worker communities but for all who suffered discrimination. He inspired millions to stand with pride in the face of adversity, and lives on in our memories as a figure who changed California and the world for the better."

Harvey Milk was a similar transformative leader at a time when lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people’s most basic humanity was denied. One of the nation’s first openly gay elected officials, he mobilized thousands in the LGBT community to fight against discriminatory policies, including the Briggs Initiative, which would have made it legal to fire school teachers simply because they were gay or supported equal rights. He also authored one of the nation’s first ordinances outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Schwarzenegger Latest Republican To Back Health Care Reform

Schwarzenegger Latest Republican To Back Health Care Reform:

"California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has joined other prominent Republicans in supporting Democratic health care reform legislation.

'As Governor, I have made significant efforts to advance health reform in California,' he said in a statement. 'As the Obama Administration was launching the current debate on health care reform, I hosted a bipartisan forum in our state because I believe in the vital importance of this issue, and that it should be addressed through bipartisan cooperation.'"

Leveraging Title I & Title IID: Maximizing the Impact of Technology in Education

Leveraging Title I & Title IID: Maximizing the Impact of Technology in Education:

"Leveraging Title I & Title IID: Maximizing the Impact of Technology in Education
The first, Leveraging Title I & Title IID: Maximizing the Impact of Technology in Education, outlines some effective ways schools can use technology to improve learning, and provides specific examples from schools and districts that have displayed best practices.
http://www.nationaltitleiassociation.org/?
http://www.setda.org/"

Steve Barr’s crusade to remake failing schools : The New Yorker

Steve Barr’s crusade to remake failing schools : The New Yorker:

"ABSTRACT: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION about Steve Barr’s plan to remake failing schools. Two years ago, Steve Barr asked the Los Angeles Unified School District (L.A.U.S.D.) to give his charter-school management group, Green Dot Public Schools, control of Alain Leroy Locke High School, near Watts, California, and let him help the district turn it around. When the district refused, Green Dot became the first charter group in the country to seize a high school, in a hostile takeover. Locke reopened in September, four months after a riot had paralyzed it, as a half-dozen Green Dot schools. “It’s night and day,” said Ramon Cortines, L.A.U.S.D.’s new superintendent."

msnbc.com:KIPP student: We have to earn everything

msnbc.com:KIPP student: We have to earn everything

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