Method challenges some education myths -- latimes.com

Method challenges some education myths -- latimes.com:

"For years, schools and students have been judged on raw standardized test scores. Experts say this approach is flawed because they tend to reflect socioeconomic levels more than learning.

The 'value-added' approach attempts to level the playing field by focusing on growth rather than achievement. Using a statistical analysis of test scores, it tracks an individual student's improvement year to year, and uses that progress to estimate the effectiveness of teachers, principals and schools.

Academics have also used the approach to test many assumptions about what matters in schools. Scholars are still puzzling over what makes for a great teacher or school, but their results challenge orthodox assumptions like these:"

All teachers are equal.

More money, more learning.

Teachers can't overcome a student's background.

Class size is key.

Bad teachers tend to teach in poor schools.

Teacher experience matters.

Teacher education matters.

Teacher credentials matter.

Special session: Richardson proposes education cut | session, cut, special - News - Clovis News Journal

Special session: Richardson proposes education cut session, cut, special - News - Clovis News Journal:

"SANTA FE (AP) — Gov. Bill Richardson on Saturday proposed a 1.5 percent cut in education spending as New Mexico lawmakers during a special legislative session decide how to backfill a $650 million hole in this year’s state budget.

The proposal to cut public schools and colleges by at least $40 million was a turnabout for the governor, who had previously said he didn’t want to touch education.
He said the revision reflected the state’s “new budget realities.”

The revenue shortfall is now projected at $650 million. Just weeks ago, it was thought to be $400 million for the fiscal year that began July 1.
“Cuts must include safeguards that classrooms, kids and teachers will not be affected,” Richardson said in a statement."

Pérez, Messing honored for gay rights efforts | MyDesert.com | The Desert Sun

Pérez, Messing honored for gay rights efforts MyDesert.com The Desert Sun:

"Equality California honored Assemblyman V. Manuel Pérez and Emmy award-winning actress Debra Messing Saturday for their work promoting gay civil rights at the nonprofit organization's annual awards ceremony in Palm Springs."

Saturday night's event drew more than 400 people.

The Palm Springs Equality Awards is one of five statewide events to recognize lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender issues, while raising money for the San Francisco-based nonprofit group.
“This raises the funds that allows us to do the work,” said Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California and a part-time Palm Springs resident.
Last year's statewide events raised more than $2 million, organizers said.

Gay civil rights is an important issue in the Palm Springs area, which boasts one of the largest gay populations, per capita, in the United States.

Pérez, D-Coachella, was recognized for championing measures important to the gay community, such as supporting the repeal of Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment that defined marriage as between a man and woman, and establishing a day honoring the nation's first elected openly gay person, Harvey Milk.

eChalk Joins Project RED in New Research Aimed at Demonstrating Technology Can Revolutionize Learning and Save Money in Schools

eChalk Joins Project RED in New Research Aimed at Demonstrating Technology Can Revolutionize Learning and Save Money in Schools:

"New York, NY (PRWEB) October 18, 2009 -- eChalk, the instructional technology company that pioneered online communication tools to connect school leaders, teachers, students and parents, recently signed onto Project RED, joining the ranks of Intel, Apple, Pearson and Qwest. The new project's research and advocacy efforts aim to measure the transformative effects of educational technology in ways that better demonstrate impact and cost savings implications for states, districts and schools."

"We're looking closely at schools and districts that have 1:1 initiatives and who provide Internet access to every student to determine best practices. Thirty years, 40,000,000 computers and $60,000,000,000 after microcomputers first entered U.S. classrooms, we're on the hunt for compelling results and secure funding streams for technology," explains Jeanne Hayes, Project RED management team member and CEO and Founder of The Hayes Connection.

"We believe that properly implemented ubiquitous technology schools can produce dramatic improvements in achievement, be revenue positive at the state and federal level and contribute positively to issues of STEM, 21st Century skills and lifelong learning," added Tom Greaves, Project RED management team member and CEO and Founder of The Greaves Group.

"Success depends on new legislation, new state education policies, implementation of identified success factors, strong leadership from classroom to governor, teachers transforming their classrooms and access to appropriate technology," explains Leslie Wilson, Project RED management team member and President of the One-to-One Institute.

Sacramento Press / City Charter Review Committee Final Town Hall Reveals "Gordian Knot"

Sacramento Press / City Charter Review Committee Final Town Hall Reveals "Gordian Knot":

"The City Charter legally and procedurally defines the City of Sacramento and its operations. Kevin Johnson's Strong Mayor Initiative, which would dramatically change the City Charter, will be on the June 2010 ballot.

Sacramento was founded with a City Charter in 1858. In 1921, during the Progressive Era, in response to rampant corruption, Sacramento changed to the current strong manager/council system to achieve more accountability. Ironically, the current Strong Mayor Initiative proponents have campaigned that accountability is not possible under the current system.

In light of Johnson's own proposals for redefining the checks and balances of power, a public process of charter policy analysis is appropriate. The City Council appointed the Charter Review Committee to explore and recommend potential changes to the City Charter."

The Pueblo Chieftain :: Today's preschoolers will become your best employees in 2025

The Pueblo Chieftain :: Today's preschoolers will become your best employees in 2025:

"We learn many of our best skills in pre-school and kindergarten that set the stage for the rest of our lives: sharing and playing well, self-control and self-direction. The importance of early childhood education is more pronounced when we understand the impacts of what kids don’t learn in those critical young years.

By age three, children whose parents are on welfare have vocabularies of about 500 words, children of working class parents have about 700 words, and children of college-educated parents have vocabularies of about 1,200 words. Yet words are the key to how successfully children make their way in the world."

Joan Rentoul: The golden age of education is a myth - John Rentoul, Commentators - The Independent

Joan Rentoul: The golden age of education is a myth - John Rentoul, Commentators - The Independent:

"We don't half like moaning about how awful life is. Take schools, for instance. Dreadful. Children shouldn't go to them. Not until they are at least six, and possibly 16. Most of them leave school unable to read and write, anyway. And testing. That's a load of rubbish. Scrap the SATs. Then all those children who are not at school but presumably roaming the streets will pick up the three Rs by osmosis. Learning by doing.

What we really like is comparisons that tell us that life is worse than in the 19th century. A minor news story a few years ago reported a claim that the health gap between rich and poor in Britain was greater than in Victorian times. Patent nonsense if given a moment's thought, but we haven't time for that before we're on to the next story about our better yesterdays. Last month Lesley Ward, the new president of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers union, had her 15 minutes of name recognition for the claim that a 'small, significant and growing minority' of children endure a level of poverty 'mirroring the times of Dickens'. No, they don't."

University World News - US: Online education's outrageous fortune?

University World News - US: Online education's outrageous fortune?:

"Imagine training to become a Certified Professional Midwife online. You can at Aviva Institute of Duluth, Minnesota. Opportunities like this may seem promising, especially in the context of economic uncertainty or when full-time, on-campus study is not an option. But should traditional brick-and-mortar universities be concerned?

Kevin Carey, Policy Director for Education Center, thinks they should. In a recent article published in the Washington Monthly, he suggests that many universities risk following the recent experience of newspapers against the tide of new media.

The statistics tend to corroborate his observations: more than four million college students or 20% of those in the US took at least one online class in 2008 and, of these, about one in 10 enrolled in exclusively internet-based programmes."

The Shriver Report released, claims it's a woman's nation

The Shriver Report released, claims it's a woman's nation:

"Maria Shriver has teamed with the Center for American Progress to produce the Shriver Report, a look at the changing nature of women’s roles in society, particularly their rise in the workplace. With chapters ranging from “Invisible yet essential: immigrant women in America” to “Where have you gone, Roseanne Barr?”, and an epilogue by Oprah Winfrey, the report locates women in economic and cultural shifts. The report, which includes research and a survey sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation and Time, also examines how government, businesses, education, faith and media can do a better job of adapting to the increase of working women and the resulting changes in family dynamics."

The “Garden at Eden” grows vegetables, hope for students » Naples Daily News

The “Garden at Eden” grows vegetables, hope for students » Naples Daily News:

"The “Garden at Eden,” taking shape off of County Barn Road in Naples, is expected to bear fruit in a variety of ways. The compact farm, a project of Eden Autism Services Florida, will produce organic vegetables and tropical fruits, giving students at Eden’s Eimerman Education Center food, cash and the opportunity to gain experience selling their crops at local farmers’ markets and restaurants.

Volunteers and friends of Eden Florida gathered on Saturday morning to plant some of the final fruit trees in their new grove and enjoy a light lunch. Rainy skies couldn’t dampen the participants’ enthusiasm; planting continued right through several showers."

Kid's Corner | Learning Computers and Development on MSDN

Kid's Corner Learning Computers and Development on MSDN:

"Are you a cool kid who wants to impress your friends and family with your mad skillz? Check out the Kid's Corner for lots of fun, easy to understand lessons on programming!"

Are you a parent or teacher looking to start your kids learning about computer programming? Start here!

Fake H1N1 Flu Drugs Surface - Health News Story - KPHO Phoenix

Fake H1N1 Flu Drugs Surface - Health News Story - KPHO Phoenix:

"NEW YORK -- A New York congressman has issued a warning about con artists selling fake flu drugs online.

Democrat Anthony Weiner says people may be so worried about the H1N1 flu outbreak and what officials say is a temporary vaccine shortage, that they'll take a risk buying drugs online without thinking about it.

He said his office easily found sites selling fake flu drugs. Weiner says FDA investigators saw some that turned out to be acetominophen, the active ingredient in the over-the-counter pain killer Tylenol.

Weiner said buyers need to be sure an online site is legitimate and requires a prescription."

PR-CANADA.net - Investing in the Future: $2 Million Lilly Endowment Grant to CICP Foundation Will Support Indiana Sc

PR-CANADA.net - Investing in the Future: $2 Million Lilly Endowment Grant to CICP Foundation Will Support Indiana Sc:

"The Indiana Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (I-STEM) Resource Network announced today that a $2 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership Foundation will support the I-STEM Resource Network. The initiative was established in 2007 and partially funded by a $3.4 million grant from the Endowment.

The Network is a statewide consortium of 18 Indiana higher education institutions dedicated to measurably improving K-12 student achievement in the STEM disciplines. Over the last two years, the Network has focused on providing research-based professional development for current Indiana math teachers to help meet statewide academic standards. More than 6,000 teachers, who work with more than 150,000 K-12 students throughout Indiana, have participated in I-STEM professional development programs."

Override funding key to stabilizing FUSD

azdailysun.com Opinion:

"It is not overly dramatic to assert that Arizona's system of mainstream public schools is on the edge of a financial cliff.

Voters in the Flagstaff Unified School District can help pull their community's schools back from the edge by renewing the 10 percent budget override for another seven years on Nov. 3. But even then, the financial ground might still continue to crumble away.

The problem began 25 years ago as part of a statewide taxpayer revolt that resulted in limits being placed on the ability of school districts to raise and spend money from local taxes."

Plagued by politics and unrest, Capistrano Unified shows its academic might | capistrano, year, unified, district, school - News - OCRegister.com

Plagued by politics and unrest, Capistrano Unified shows its academic might capistrano, year, unified, district, school - News - OCRegister.com:

"SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – For once, Capistrano Unified can celebrate – and not because one of its warring parent factions is declaring a political victory over another.

After years of criticism that its test scores should be higher, Capistrano Unified surged this year past neighboring Saddleback Valley Unified and onto a playing field with Orange County's most academically successful districts, including top-ranked Irvine Unified.

'We're in very good company, or rather, they are in very good company,' Capistrano's executive director of assessment and research, Michelle Benham, told trustees at a school board meeting last week. '… Every year, we are very competitive down here, and it is important that we continue to keep pace with our neighbors.'"

Capistrano Unified remains embroiled in a five-year, parent-driven battle for control of the school board, has seen a once-celebrated superintendent indicted on felony corruption charges and has been forced to slash tens of millions of dollars from its budget. It's also under intense scrutiny by parents who criticize its every move, and has even been targeted by outsiders as a poster child for what is wrong with the U.S. public education system.

Our View: Reform requires new attitudes, new dollars | Opinion | Idaho Statesman

Our View: Reform requires new attitudes, new dollars Opinion Idaho Statesman:

"President Obama might yet pull off the impossible. He might actually get American kids to care about politics.

And by using the presidential bully pulpit to advocate a longer school day or a longer school year, Obama has also gotten the attention of parents and educators.

At least Obama is starting a discussion - on an important topic. Do we need to fundamentally rewrite our school calendar in order to make sure American students can compete in a global workplace? Any change would require new thinking, and new dollars to match.

What do we think the school day and school calendar should look like? Following the president's lead, let's discuss that."

Ms Gillard goes to Washington

Ms Gillard goes to Washington:

"But accents aside, Ms Gillard sees much common ground between Australia and the US, particularly when it comes to the challenges they face in reforming their education systems to bridge the gap between black and white, rich and poor.

'We are so much on the same page as the leading thinkers in America about the nature of our school reform agenda,' she says. This may sound ominous for teachers' unions, which are resisting Ms Gillard's moves to publish school performance data, and who fear the impact of an aggressive American-style approach to teacher accountability.

Ms Gillard cites common ground on the need for transparency to drive school improvement, a focus on literacy and numeracy, and a push to lift teacher quality and school leadership."

CONGRESSMAN HONDA & CHIVUKULA & NJ ASIAN AMERICAN LEADERS CAMPAIGN TO STRENGTHEN SUPPORT FOR CORZINE/WEINBERG & DEMOCRATS | Politicker NJ

CONGRESSMAN HONDA & CHIVUKULA & NJ ASIAN AMERICAN LEADERS CAMPAIGN TO STRENGTHEN SUPPORT FOR CORZINE/WEINBERG & DEMOCRATS Politicker NJ:

"(EDISON) -- U.S. Representative Michael Honda (CA-15), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, today joined Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula (D-Union) and Asian American leaders from across New Jersey at several cultural celebrations across the state of New Jersey to campaign for Governor Jon S. Corzine, Senator Loretta Weinberg and New Jersey Democrats running for office at all levels to solidify support among New Jersey’s Asian American voters.

“I am honored to have Congressman Honda in New Jersey today,” said Corzine. “He is a national leader and a prominent member of the Asian American community and his efforts today will ensure that even more Asian Americans who call New Jersey home will recognize the hard work of New Jersey Democrats who are dedicated to working for the issues that matter most to all New Jersey families. I am proud of the support I receive from the Asian American community, which is one of the fastest growing segments of our population, and the Democratic Party, in our state.”"

THE CANALIS REPORT: Maria Shriver's `Village' event also star-filled

"California first lady Maria Shriver's annual Women's Conference sold out faster than a Stones concert.

The gathering of marquee speakers from the worlds of business, politics, education, human rights advocacy, the arts, publishing and other fields, is arguably Long Beach's most engaging annual event.

The only problem, as Shriver explained to me earlier this year, is that not enough women are able to attend the program at the Long Beach Convention Center and Arena because demand outstrips capacity.

To address the problem, Shriver expanded an auxiliary event, the Oct. 26 Night at the Village, to accommodate more women and feature more big-name guests. She is billing the Village as a place to network, shop, hear speakers, meet chefs and talk books with authors. It all adds up to a one-evening respite from work and familial responsibilities.

'Night at The Village is a celebration of women and all the things we love,' Shriver said Friday. 'From the very beginning, the vision for this event was to enrich a woman's mind, body and spirit by connecting them to important information, products, services, professional networking and volunteer opportunities, as well as to other women who will empower them to be architects of change in their lives, within their communities and around the world.'"

Green Dot’s toughest test | INDenverTimes

Green Dot’s toughest test INDenverTimes:

"Green Dot Public Schools is perhaps best known for running a dozen small charter high schools, in some of LA’s toughest neighborhoods, that outperform traditional schools in graduation rates and other indicators.

But in July 2008, the network founded by Steve Barr with a stated goal of transforming public education in the nation’s second largest school district, took on a whole different assignment.

With a 51 percent vote of the staff, Green Dot took over Locke High School in Watts, a school where only 22 of every 100 freshmen graduated four years later – and only 12 of those 22 graduated meeting the requirements to apply to California’s university system."

Patrick Welsh -- To Explain the Achievement Gap, Examine the Parenting Gap - washingtonpost.com

Patrick Welsh -- To Explain the Achievement Gap, Examine the Parenting Gap - washingtonpost.com:

"'Why don't you guys study like the kids from Africa?'

In a moment of exasperation last spring, I asked that question to a virtually all-black class of 12th-graders who had done horribly on a test I had just given. A kid who seldom came to class -- and was constantly distracting other students when he did -- shot back: 'It's because they have fathers who kick their butts and make them study.'

Another student angrily challenged me: 'You ask the class, just ask how many of us have our fathers living with us.' When I did, not one hand went up."

Will Schwarzenegger save his legacy before judgment day? - The Daily Breeze

Will Schwarzenegger save his legacy before judgment day? - The Daily Breeze:

"Just a little over one year from today, Californians will elect a successor to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. How will they remember him after that successor takes over?

Will he seem a blustery buffoon who caused far more problems than he resolved, a governator who could not govern? Will he look like a hypocrite who preached against accepting special interest campaign donations, then set records for doing so?

Will the verdict on his appeals for 'post-partisanship' be that they were mere nostrums doing little or nothing to prevent the state Legislature from sliding into its most divisive era ever?

Will he be remembered as the spark behind efforts to reform taxation, budget and water policies in California? Will he leave behind a sharp reduction for the California dream of unfettered opportunity for those brave and visionary enough to settle here?

All these questions remain open, and Schwarzenegger will get ample opportunities over the next year to fix things that have gone wrong and clean up messes made on his watch."

Teachers' unions uneasy with Obama

Fredericksburg.com - Web:

"A skirmish between powerful teachers’ unions and President Barack Obama over nearly $5 billion in education spending is shaping up as a preview of the battle to come over No Child Left Behind in Congress early next year.

But the tables are turned: now the unions are worried that Obama, a Democratic ally, is going to be just as tough on them as President George W. Bush, a longtime foe.

The dispute adds teachers’ unions to a growing list of key Democratic constituencies that have been frustrated by Obama’s lunges toward the political middle, along with gay-rights activists upset Obama won’t lift the ban on gays in the military, and Latino officials who say Obama is slow-walking immigration reform."

Al Jazeera English - Focus - California 'first failed US state'?

Al Jazeera English - Focus - California 'first failed US state'?:

"In July, the state legislature haggled for weeks over how to close a $26bn budget gap. Instead of increasing taxes for corporations or the wealthy, the budget deal that emerged to be signed by Arnold Schwartzenegger, the state's Republican governor, ordered deep spending cuts, laying off tens of thousands of state workers.

Reduced funding for education, coupled with big tuition increases, sparked a student and faculty strike at California's public Universities. Programmes for ex-prison inmates and parolees have been slashed.

And the social safety net of healthcare and services for the poor, children and elderly - the least powerful and least vocal members of society - has been systematically shredded.
'The people that are going to be effected first and foremost will be the poor, those who are in great need,' Williams says sadly. 'They are not considered to be human beings.'"

Bold, rigorous action needed to make schools top-notch | Delawareonline.com | The News Journal

Bold, rigorous action needed to make schools top-notch Delawareonline.com The News Journal:

"Our students compete not only with their peers in Maryland and Pennsylvania or even California and Florida, they compete with young people from Japan and India and Great Britain and Norway and a host of other countries where learning is highly prized and students work hard and succeed in making themselves competitive in the modern world.Can we afford to continue to take small, incremental steps in our efforts to make the schools all that they must be? I don't think we can. We must take bold, rigorous action."

Mood of the voters - all outrage, no action

Mood of the voters - all outrage, no action:

"Californians are convinced that the state is on the wrong track, and they're mad as hell at the dysfunction in Sacramento. But they're not willing to do much about it."


Those were the depressing findings of research released by the respected Field Poll last week. Unfortunately, the surveys should give pause to advocates of a constitutional convention to restructure state government to smooth out the budget process and to buffer the state from wild fluctuations in revenue.

A solid majority of Californians say they favor "fundamental change" to the Constitution. Yet on point after point, when asked about a specific constitutional change, Californians say "no way."

Perhaps the most ominous number for the prospect of reform was the 57 percent of Californians who believe the state can provide about the same level of services by simply eliminating waste and inefficiencies. Only 37 percent disagreed with that notion. This was the perception that candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger advanced in the 2003 recall of Gov. Gray Davis.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/18/INS719K3D7.DTL#ixzz0UIUouBTW

Superintendent spreads the gospel of 'value-added' teacher evaluations -- latimes.com

Superintendent spreads the gospel of 'value-added' teacher evaluations -- latimes.com:

"After nearly two years of grinding battles with the union and school board on this and other issues, Grier recently left for Houston, where the district uses value-added results as a basis for teacher bonuses.

The opposition in San Diego, Grier said mildly, was 'more entrenched than I thought it would be.'

His fight there offers a preview of a debate that is about to engulf the nation's schools.

The Obama administration has made value-added a pillar of its school-reform efforts, including the $4.35-billion federal grant program known as Race to the Top, which requires states to link student scores to teachers"

Editorial: Take big steps for big school changes - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Editorial: Take big steps for big school changes - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:


"It took the push of money, but President Barack Obama's new 'Race to the Top' competitive grants are getting California's political and educational leaders to act with some urgency on areas long-identified for change.

If testimony at a state Senate education committee hearing last Tuesday is any indication, consensus is building among these leaders that California can leap ahead in the national competition if it demonstrates a sharp focus on turning around the state's chronically underperforming schools."

Tell Harry Reid: Don't let the Baucus bill kill the public option

Tell Harry Reid: Don't let the Baucus bill kill the public option:

"On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee, led by Senator Max Baucus, passed a health care reform bill without provisions for a public health insurance option.

This opens the door to procedural shenanigans that could prevent the public option from ever being considered on the floor of the Senate, which would make it much harder for the public option to be included in the final bill that lands on the president's desk."

We can't sit back and let the public option die. Tell Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to make sure a public option is included in the health care reform bill that goes to the floor of the Senate.

As the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid will lead a process to merge the Baucus bill with another health care reform bill passed by the Senate HELP Committee, which does include a public option. The product of this merger will go to the floor of the Senate for a vote.

Besides President Obama, there is nobody in a position to effectively oppose Senator Reid's decision should he choose to include provisions for a public option. But if Senator Reid does not include a public option in the merged bill, it will be difficult to insert the public option at a later stage of the process.

We have the votes to pass a public option in health care reform. We have to make sure the public option is not abandoned before a full Senate vote even takes place.

Join us in asking Senator Reid to keep the public option alive by including it in the bill that comes to the floor of the Senate.

Education News & Comment

Education News & Comment:

"First District Advisory Committee (DAC) General meeting

October 20, 2009

For complete Meeting Information go to:
DAC Chair Update & News A Message from Wanda

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

Recovery.gov

Recovery.gov:

"Recovery.gov is the U.S. government’s official website providing easy access to data
related to Recovery Act spending and allows for the reporting of potential fraud, waste, and abuse."


On February 13, 2009, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Four days later, the President signed the legislation into law. The Recovery Act’s three main goals are to:

Create and save jobs

Spur economic activity and invest in long-term economic growth

Foster unprecedented levels of accountability and transparency in government spending

This $787 billion Recovery plan includes federal tax cuts and incentives, an expansion of unemployment benefits, and other spending on social entitlement programs. In addition, federal agencies are using Recovery funds to award contracts, grants, and loans around the country.

The Recovery Act’s longer-term economic investment goals include:

Initiating a process to computerize health records to reduce medical errors and save on health care costs

Investing in the domestic renewable energy industry

Weatherizing 75 percent of federal buildings and more than one million homes

Increasing college affordability for seven million students by funding the shortfall in Pell Grants, raising the maximum grant level by $500, and providing a higher education tax cut to nearly four million students

Cutting taxes for 129 million working households by providing an $800 Making Work Pay tax credit

Expanding the Child Tax Credit

The Recovery Act was intended to jumpstart the economy but many of the projects funded by Recovery money, especially those involving infrastructure improvements, are expected to contribute to economic growth for many years.

To view the full bill, click here.

NJ gubernatorial candidates highlight differences | AP | 10/16/2009

NJ gubernatorial candidates highlight differences AP 10/16/2009:

"The three touched on issues from how to lower taxes (cut spending, encourage shared services, cap municipal spending) to whether to allow gay marriage. (Corzine and Daggett approve; Christie favors civil unions.) But the issue of education reform typified their respective lines of attack.

Christie accused the Corzine administration of failing urban children and promised reforms including more charter schools and school vouchers. Corzine defended himself, saying New Jersey schools are among the best-performing in the country and saying he would continue to push for universal pre-kindergarten. Daggett stressed his credentials , both he and his lieutenant governor candidate, Frank Esposito, have doctorates in education , and said he's got the most know-how of the three to achieve a major educational overhaul.

The debate also featured novel moments. Corzine acknowledged that his failed plan to fund highway projects through massive toll increases was 'too much, too fast.' And Christie responded to a Corzine ad that accuses him of 'throwing his weight around,' by saying, 'I think tonight would be a good night to let everyone in on a little secret. ... I'm slightly overweight.''"

1 in 8 female students at Chicago High School ‘pregnant’

1 in 8 female students at Chicago High School ‘pregnant’:

"Washington, Oct 17 (ANI): One in eight of Chicago High School’s female students are pregnant, it has been revealed.

CBS2Chicago.com has reported that out of the 800 female students at Paul Robeson High School in Chicago, Ill., 115 are expectant mothers.

Principal Gerald Morrow said that the staggering number can be attributed to various factors inside the home, not the school.

“It can be a lot of things that are happening in the home or not happening in the home, if you will,” Fox News quoted Morrow as telling the network.
Morrow said that ‘absentee fathers’ are another factor in the school’s high number of teen pregnancies.

According to a March 18 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, the birth rate for teens ages 15 to 19 increased 5 percent from 2005 to 2007. (ANI)"

Dissident Voice : Code Words and Green Dot’s Pandering to Westside Racism

Dissident Voice : Code Words and Green Dot’s Pandering to Westside Racism:

"There’s nothing the matter with teachers that a little less unionization and more COMPETITION couldn’t cure.
– Ann Coulter (racist reactionary right wing pundit)

It would force the district to learn how to run great schools by forcing them to COMPETE.
– Ben Austin (Executive Director LAPU/PR)

Several Emerson Middle School parents, activists, and teachers recently contacted me. They informed me LAPU/Parent (counter)Revolution has an “organizer” going door-to-door gathering signatures to privatize their school, this despite the fact Emerson isn’t on LAUSD Superintendent Cortines’ current privatization list. I asked them to describe the “organizer,” expecting LAPU/PR to have committed one of their most experienced employees, Shirley Ford or Mary Najara, to a project so ideologically important to chief privatizer Ben Austin."
The person gathering signatures they described, while initially unexpected, made complete sense in the context of the class character and demographics of where the canvassing is occurring. We’ll get back to this shortly.

Anyone over the age of 30 should recall phrases including “school choice” were the clarion call of segregationists and southern dixiecrats. It’s no small irony that one of Ben Austin’s Georgetown University Law School predecessors, Milton Korman, argued on the Jim Crow side of Brown vs. Board of Education. While the context of modern white flight isn’t directly comparable to that of the segregationists, its character and motivations are the same. Let’s look at the subtle, insidious racism that fuels the charter/voucher movement.

Maine voters asked to reverse K-12 school mergers - Fosters

Maine voters asked to reverse K-12 school mergers - Fosters:

"PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Dozens of school districts across the state have merged with the goal of cutting administrative costs under Maine's school district consolidation law. Voters will be asked to decide on Election Day whether to undo the whole thing.

Consolidation supporters say that scuttling the law would make a mess of things, not to mention eliminate millions of dollars in savings. Critics of the law, including House Speaker Hannah Pingree and Senate President Libby Mitchell, say it should be repealed.

'We're not against consolidation. We're against mandatory consolidation — especially if it doesn't make sense,' said Skip Greenlaw, whose Maine Coalition to Save Schools is leading the repeal effort.

School consolidation supporters point to an analysis by the Maine Legislature's Office of Fiscal and Program Review that says repealing the law would cost $37 million a year. But critics say there's no way to quantify those numbers and that the consolidation may be costly in the long run."

PR-USA.net - Applebatch.com is Helping Teachers to Proactively Manage Their Careers

PR-USA.net - Applebatch.com is Helping Teachers to Proactively Manage Their Careers:

"Applebatch.com, a Chicago-based K-12 professional community, is teaching teachers how to network like business professionals. Applebatch connects over 3,400 teachers online and is hosting their first K-12 networking event on Oct. 22nd at Martini Park in downtown Chicago. The event, Ed Cocktail, will enable teachers to network with other teachers, principals and administrators.

“Teaching has been viewed as a job with no career path and many schools don’t utilize best practices from the business world to connect, mentor and retain their employees,” said George Hammer, CEO of Applebatch.com. “Therefore, teachers lack the support network to be successful in their current jobs and the career assistance to help them find new jobs.”

Over 75% of teachers change jobs at Chicago Public Schools in the first two years. And, 70% education majors graduated school in 2009 and are still looking for teaching jobs. Applebatch is hosting Ed Cocktail to help teachers find the job they want through tapping a diverse network. In fact, 80% of the best openings are never published until a principal already has a candidate to fill the role. Teachers need to learn how to network and get the inside track to finding a job."

2,100 volunteers to give H1N1 shots | Cincinnati.com | The Cincinnati Enquirer

2,100 volunteers to give H1N1 shots Cincinnati.com The Cincinnati Enquirer:

"Volunteer nurses, doctors, pharmacists and regular folks will give a massive H1N1 flu vaccination campaign a shot in the arm."

The Tristate Medical Reserve Corps, which includes some 2,100 volunteers, has been called up to help get the vaccinations to everyone who wants one.

The volunteers will help health departments at large-scale vaccination clinics at schools and other sites.

If necessary, they will also staff alternate care sites set up to handle overflow from local hospitals or to help determine which patients need emergency medical care, said Jared Warner, regional director of the Tristate Medical Corps.

Some health departments just don't have enough qualified employees to quickly vaccinate the tens of thousands of people who might want the vaccine.

Television Has Less Effect On Climate Change Education Than Other Media - Science News - redOrbit

Television Has Less Effect On Climate Change Education Than Other Media - Science News - redOrbit:

"Worried about climate change and want to learn more? You probably aren't watching television then. A new study by George Mason University Communication Professor Xiaoquan Zhao suggests that watching television has no significant impact on viewers' knowledge about the issue of climate change. Reading newspapers and using the web, however, seem to contribute to people's knowledge about this issue.

The study, 'Media Use and Global Warming Perceptions: A Snapshot of the Reinforcing Spirals', looked at the relationship between media use and people's perceptions of global warming. The study asked participants how often they watch TV, surf the Web, and read newspapers. They were also asked about their concern and knowledge of global warming and specifically its impact on the polar regions."

Dallas Program Helps Kids With Jailed Parents - cbs11tv.com

Dallas Program Helps Kids With Jailed Parents - cbs11tv.com:

The term 'Amachi' is a Nigerian word meaning 'who knows what God has brought us through this child.' It's also the mantra and name of a newly adopted mentorship program by the Dallas Bar Association.

The program pairs Dallas attorneys with children whose parents are serving time in jail and aims to change young lives.

Eight year old Déjà and attorney Katie Bandy are strangers bounded by a newfound friendship."

"We go to the flight museum and to the restaurants," Déjà said of her mentor and the special connection they share.

"The best thing that we've done is getting to meet each other," Déjà said. Bandy is Déjà's mentor, friend and positive role model.

"It's just great to be able to expose someone else to a life I've really enjoyed," Bandy said.

It's the fundamental belief behind the Dallas Bar Association's involvement with Amachi. The program strives to support the needs of young children whose parents are absent, either serving time in jail or recently out of the system.

Amachi History

The word Amachi is a Nigerian word that means, “Who knows what God has brought us through this child?”

The Amachi program dates to 2001 and was the result of a collaborative think tank which included the University of Pennsylvania, Pew Charitable Trust, Public Private Ventures, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Then, as now, the mission was/is to break the intergenerational cycle of crime and incarceration and give a forgotten (invisible) group of children the chance to reach their highest potential.

Dr. W. Wilson Goode, Sr., a former two-term mayor of Philadelphia, took the mission to heart and implemented it successfully in Philadelphia and across the country.

PR-CANADA.net - Experts Summarize State of the Science in Autism Disorders

PR-CANADA.net - Experts Summarize State of the Science in Autism Disorders:

"Some recurrent themes of the review are the expanding knowledge of early brain development, and the importance of early diagnosis of ASDs, accompanied by intensive early treatment. The researchers also recognize the important role of parent involvement in early recognition of ASDs and in reinforcing their child's behavioral treatments at home. They also endorse research on methods for supporting families to reduce parental stress.

As evidenced by a long history of family and twin studies, ASDs are the neuropsychiatric disorder most affected by genetic factors. The authors review recent studies performed with the help of sophisticated gene-analyzing tools, and cite the finding earlier this year that a significant percentage of ASD patients have DNA alterations in a genetic area that affects how neurons interconnect in the brain. Combined with other studies of brain anatomy and function, the authors say, 'genetic and neurobiological evidence point to a good causal model of this disorder--namely, genetically mediated abnormal findings of synaptic maturation and connectivity.'"

Flu cases rapidly rising in region - Redlands Daily Facts

Flu cases rapidly rising in region - Redlands Daily Facts:

"A national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of people hospitalized with H1N1 found the number of deaths was highest (39 percent) among people between 25 and 49.

'This week and last have been some the busiest days of the past four or five months,' said Dr. Rodney Borger, ER medical director at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton.
Borger said that if someone is showing signs of the flu now, the odds are better than 80 percent that it is the H1N1 virus."

Union Leaders Press D.C. Council to Probe Rhee's Layoffs - washingtonpost.com

Union Leaders Press D.C. Council to Probe Rhee's Layoffs - washingtonpost.com:

"Union leaders asked the D.C. Council on Friday for an investigation into the layoffs of 266 teachers and staff members, including an independent audit of the school system's decision to hire 934 educators this spring and summer.

Officials of unions representing teachers, principals and other public school personnel assailed the Oct. 2 dismissals as an attempt by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) and Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee to winnow veteran instructors from the system. They said the 934 hires were far in excess of what was necessary to fill job openings and were used to create a budget crisis to justify the firings."

s'COOL FOOD Initiative

Our Mission
The mission of the s’COOL FOOD Initiative is to create a community of healthy children across Santa Barbara County who make educated food choices throughout their lives.

Footage from Culinary Boot Camp 2009

Footage from Culinary Boot Camp 2009

Study Finds Mercury in High Fructose Corn Syrup

No Lunch Left Behind by Alice Waters and Katrina Heron

s'Cool Food Visits Santa Maria Farms and Friends

Listen to Chef Ann Cooper and Chef Kate Adamick's Latest Podcast

http://www.scoolfood.org/initiative/initiative.cfm?section=initiative

Daily Sound — School menus fill with local fare

Daily Sound — School menus fill with local fare:

"When students in the Goleta Union School District head through the lunch line next week, they’ll have the chance to snag a locally grown, organic apple as part of their meal.

While perhaps not spectacular on the surface, that fact is indicative of a dramatic shift taking place in school cafeterias along the South Coast — a move from highly processed and prepared foods to healthy, from-scratch cooking using local produce.

Spurred on by the Orfalea Fund s’Cool Food Initiative, local school nutrition directors have been tossing out the prepackaged menu items and swapping in freshly prepared meals that frequently include fruits and veggies grown nearby.

“We’re definitely moving in that direction in a major way,” said Sharon Baird, food service director for the Goleta school district."

Comprehensive immigration reform vital to U.S. interests | LoHud.com | The Journal News

Comprehensive immigration reform vital to U.S. interests LoHud.com The Journal News:

"Now is the time to take a stand for comprehensive immigration reform. There is a key window of opportunity to join in and lead our business communities, labor unions, universities, faith-based organizations, law enforcement agencies, civil rights groups and neighbors to speak out for positive solutions. It is time to stand up for the values of our nation and demand a humane, workable immigration system.

There is a growing bipartisan effort, supported by the majority of Americans, many members of Congress and President Barack Obama, mobilizing in favor of effective immigration reform. Indeed, this past Tuesday, thousands of people gathered in Washington and across the country, including at a community vigil in Carmel, to take part in a 'National Procession, Rally and Lobby Day' for comprehensive immigration reform. These actions coincided with U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., announcing principles for an upcoming reform bill."