CPR: News Story | Commentary: Mayor needs to collaborate with neighbors

CPR: News Story Commentary: Mayor needs to collaborate with neighbors:

"A year later, Sacramento’s self proclaimed collaborative mayor announced a winter shelter program for the homeless that included a plan to house 105 homeless men, women, and children in the city of Rancho Cordova. Incredibly, Mayor Johnson made his announcement without bothering to consult with the folks in Rancho Cordova.

When Ken Cooley, a city councilman there, read about the plan, he visited the proposed site and found a collection of dilapidated apartment buildings. Most had no stoves or refrigerators. Some had serious mold. When a city employee who accompanied Cooley poked a pen into the wall of one unit, ants came boiling out. Cooley doesn’t necessarily oppose bringing more homeless to Rancho, but he says there’s got to be a plan that includes decent habitation, security, services and programs."

Listen Listen -->

Sacramento Press / Sacramento Steps Forward initiative announced

Sacramento Press / Sacramento Steps Forward initiative announced:

"Thursday morning, journalist Lisa Ling, members of the City Council and the homeless and formerly-homeless community joined Mayor Kevin Johnson in launching the 'Sacramento Steps Forward' initiative. A crowd of several hundred waved blue initiative flags and cheered as Johnson announced his goal 'to end homelessness and focus on permanent housing.'

He applauded permanent housing shelters such as Mercy Housing, Turning Point and Martin Luther King Jr. Village, 3900 47th Avenue, where the launch was held."

Bill change underscores the need for journalists - Dan Walters - Fresnobee.com

Bill change underscores the need for journalists - Dan Walters - Fresnobee.com:

"A batch of amendments to a massive water bond bill was submitted to the state Senate's clerical desk Monday, and one of them, as it turned out, had nothing to do with water.

Later that evening, as the bond bill was being debated on the Senate floor, Sen. Dave Cox, R-Fair Oaks, asked about the opaquely worded new provision, and was given a vague answer.

However, two reporters for The Sacramento Bee continued to pursue the language on Tuesday because it made an oblique reference to the Sacramento Unified School District. And under questioning, Senate President Pro tem Darrell Steinberg admitted to them that the amendment would earmark $10 million for his pet project, a Sacramento cultural tolerance center."

Sacramento Press / School moving from old Marshall School to Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Sacramento Press / School moving from old Marshall School to Thomas Jefferson Elementary:


"It was confirmed last week California Montessori Project's Capitol Campus will move from the Marshall School to Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in the College Glen neighborhood.

Since August, CMP leased the Marshall School building from the Sacramento City Unified School District, which also oversees its charter. Next Thursday and Friday, the school will be closed for the move and will resume at the new campus on Nov. 16.

SCUSD superintendent Jonathan Raymond met with CMP board members, students and parents Tuesday night at the campus' new location. After stating reasons for the move, he answered questions from parents."

Board of Education Meeting

Board of Education Regular Meeting

Date: November 5, 2009

Time: 4:30 Closed session 6:30 Open Session

Location:Serna Center 5735 47th AvenueSacramento, Ca 95824 Tennessee Community Room

Agenda Items:

Item 7.2 - Carpenters Union 46 Scholarship Program
Item 9.1 - Public Hearing and Approval of Resolution No. 2586: Compliance with the Pupil Textbook and Instructional Materials Incentive Program Act.Item 10.1 - Approve New Board Policy 4311.1 Recruitment and Selection
Item 10.2 Part 1 - Approve/Ratify Facility Use Agreements: Sacramento Charter High School, St. Hope Public School #7 (PS7), Language Academy of Sacramento, and S.A.C. Prep
Item 10.2 Part 2
Item 10.3 - Approve/Ratify Naming of School of Engineering and Science (SES) High School
Item 10.4 - Resolution No. 2593: Ratifying the Facilities Use Agreement for the California Montessori Project Charter School at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School and Determining the Project is Exempt from the California Environment Quality Act.
Item 10.5 - Update on Library Services
Item 12.1a - Approve Grants, Entitlements and Other Income Agreements, Ratification of Other Agreements, Approval of Bid Awards, Approval of Declared Surplus Materials and Equipment, Change Notices and Notices of Completion.
Item 12.1b - Reporting of Williams Complaints for the Period of July through September, 2009
Item 12.1c - Approval to Separate Curriculum from Human Resources, Contracts, and Curriculum Ad Hoc Committee.
Item 12.1d - Resolution No. 2590: Authorizing Delegation of Power to contract to Include Patricia A. Hagemeyer.
Item 12.1e - Resolution No. 2591: Authorization of Personnel to Sign Orders on District Funds.
Item 12.1f - Resolution No. 2592: Authorizing Signature Authority on Documents Transmitted to County Superintendent of Schools.
Item 12.2a - District Personnel Transactions.
Item 13.1 - Business and Financial Information.

During a Regular Board of Education meeting, click HERE to watch the meeting live.

PLEASE NOTE: This video service is designed for high speed internet access.

This meeting of the Sacramento City School Board is being videotaped in its entirety and will be cablecast without interruption on Metro Cable 14, the government affairs channel on the Comcast and SureWest Cable Systems. Today’s meeting will be replayed Friday, November 6 at 1pm & Monday, November 9 at Noon on Channel 14, and will be webcast at www.sacmetrocable.tv. A video copy is also available for check out from any library branch.
Members of the audience wishing to address the Board should fill out a speaker identification form located in the back of community room and give to the Clerk. Please speak into the microphone when addressing the Board, and state your name for the record.

Greenwala - Greenwala Makes List of Top 100 Green Sites for Students

Greenwala - Greenwala Makes List of Top 100 Green Sites for Students:

"Yesterday, OnlineUnversities.com released it's list of 100 Top Green Sites for Students and Greenwala.com was included on the list.

Thanks to OnlineUniversities for including us on this list and of course MAJOR thanks to all the Greenwalas that make this growing communtiy so unique and special.

Here is the list of the Top 100 Green Blogs for Students:"

OpenSecrets | TARP Recipients Paid Out $114 Million for Politicking Last Year - Capital Eye

OpenSecrets TARP Recipients Paid Out $114 Million for Politicking Last Year - Capital Eye:

"WASHINGTON--(This release has been corrected to reflect that Bank of America has received $45 billion, not $55 billion, from the TARP program. The $45 billion includes $10 billion that Merrill Lynch received before being acquired by Bank of America. An earlier version of this release incorrectly added Merrill Lynch's $10 billion to Bank of America's $45 billion. Adjustments to the figures in the original release are in bold below. In addition, the total number of TARP recipients that lobbied in 2008 is 26, rather than 25 as originally stated.) The struggling companies whose freewheeling business practices have contributed to the country's economic woes are getting a lucrative return on at least one of their investments. Beneficiaries of the $700 billion bailout package in the finance and automotive industries have spent a total of $114.2 million on lobbying in the past year and contributions toward the 2008 election, the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics has found. The companies' political activities have, in part, yielded them $295.2 billion from the federal government's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), an extraordinary return of 258,449 percent."

Obama Uses Malia’s Test Scores as a Teaching Example - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com

Obama Uses Malia’s Test Scores as a Teaching Example - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com:

"MADISON, Wisconsin – President Obama marked the first anniversary of his election on Wednesday by calling on states to toughen their education standards – and wound up calling on parents to toughen theirs, too, as he confessed that his 11-year-old daughter, Malia, recently got a 73 on her science test.

(Note to parents: In Malia’s defense, the story has a happy ending: she studied hard and came home on Tuesday with a grade of 95.)

Mr. Obama campaigned for the White House on a promise of revamping “No Child Left Behind,’ the signature education law put in place by his predecessor, George W. Bush. He came to Wisconsin to promote his own education agenda, including “Race to the Top,’’ – a $4.35 billion grant program that requires states to compete for education money."

The big state government that could -- latimes.com

The big state government that could -- latimes.com:

"For example: Sen. John Benoit (R-Palm Desert) wanted to be appointed by the governor to a vacant seat on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. And he was, after providing key votes for the water package.

Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) wants to be considered for the job of lieutenant governor, being vacated by Democrat John Garamendi, who was elected to Congress on Tuesday. Schwarzenegger will appoint Garamendi's replacement, subject to legislative confirmation. Maldonado would have been considered anyway, but he assured himself a finalist spot with his key votes Wednesday night.

The Capitol worked the way it's supposed to when it works.

The governor used the powers of his office.

Steinberg was tenacious and a nonstop negotiator, even siding against fellow Sacramento County and delta politicians who opposed the package.

The Assembly speaker, Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), astutely delegated"

Local governments use program to avoid tax grab by state - DailyBulletin.com

Local governments use program to avoid tax grab by state - DailyBulletin.com:

"Inland Valley cities are turning to a joint powers authority to help them overcome a tax grab by the state.

Because of its budget woes, California is borrowing about 8 percent of each local government's property tax revenues.

California Communities will issue bonds and make the state repay those bonds in the future, said Richard Watson, California Communities operations manager.
The enrollment deadline for the program is Friday.

'Having a third party step up and fill the gap for us is a benefit to us. That way we don't have to use reserves,' Upland City Manager Robb Quincey said. 'That way we can keep our protection in place in the event of something worse happening like a natural disaster.'"

Senate approves education bill, paves way for stimulus money - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

Senate approves education bill, paves way for stimulus money - Sacramento Politics - California Politics Sacramento Bee:

"The California State Senate voted Tuesday to pass Senate Bill X5 1, which would make the state more competitive for federal Race to the Top stimulus funds.

The bill calls for strategies to turn around the bottom five percent of the state's lowest performing schools and authorizes open enrollment at those schools so parents can choose the school their child attends. It encourages school districts to reward teachers who consistently improve student scores and repeal's California's charter school cap. The Obama administration has indicated that these measures would make states more competitive for the $4.35 billion that will be awarded in Race to the Top grants."

Obama addresses Native American leaders | 44 | washingtonpost.com

Obama addresses Native American leaders 44 washingtonpost.com:

"President Obama told what he called the largest gathering of Native American tribal leaders Thursday that 'you will not be forgotten by this White House,' pledging to work with them to address the community's chronic problems with health care, economic development, land management and education.

Obama fulfilled a campaign pledge by bringing the leaders of the 564 federally recognized Native American tribes to Washington during his first year in office.

He began his remarks with an accounting of the historically troubled relationship between the federal government and Indian Nations, telling them 'few have been marginalized for as long by Washington as Native Americans.'"

Politics K-12: Tribal Leaders Voice ESEA Renewal Ideas

Politics K-12: Tribal Leaders Voice ESEA Renewal Ideas:

"The U.S. Department of Education has taken its Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization tour all the way across the street: to the National Museum of the American Indian, literally across Independence Avenue from department headquarters in Washington.

An event today gave tribal leaders, in town anyway for a White House conference on Native American issues, a chance to share their ideas for renewing ESEA, of which the No Child Left Behind Act is the current version.

As you probably remember, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said recently that the NCLB 'Listening and Learning Tour' has reached a new phase. Instead of just touring the country, Ed Department officials are reaching out to specific stakeholders to find out what they think needs to be in the new version of the law. Two assistant secretaries, Carmel Martin (planning, evaluation, and policy development) and Thelma Melendez (elementary and secondary education), spoke at the event, but they kept their comments brief and mostly listened."

Inside School Research: Texas Merit-Pay Pilot Failed to Boost Student Scores, Study Says

Inside School Research: Texas Merit-Pay Pilot Failed to Boost Student Scores, Study Says:

"Back in August, I told you about some early results from a study of a performance-pay program that was being tested in the Lone Star State.

Piloted between the 2005-06 and the 2008-09 school years, the now-defunct Governor's Educator Excellence Grants, or GEEG, program distributed more than $10 million a year in federal grants to 99 Texas schools that managed to turn in high scores on state tests despite enrolling large numbers of students from low-income families. The program differed from some other merit-pay schemes, though, because it required schools to involve teachers in designing the performance-incentive plans for their own schools."

In the earlier study, which was conducted by researchers from the National Center on Performance Incentives, at Vanderbilt University, we learned that, when given a say, teachers tend to be remarkably egalitarian. They favor relatively modest awards and spread them widely.

In the new study, released just this month by the same group of researchers, we learn whether the pay incentives for teachers translated to any improvements in their students' test scores. The answer, in a word, is no. The third-year findings indicate that, overall, the program had a "weakly positive, negative, or negligible effect on student test-score gains."

JFS Program Gives Students New School Supplies | Education | Jewish Journal

JFS Program Gives Students New School Supplies Education Jewish Journal:

"Jewish Family Service (JFS) of Los Angeles supplied 1,100 disadvantaged children in the Los Angeles Unified School District with new backpacks filled with school supplies through its Tools for Schools program.

The program, now in its third year of operation, provides backpacks with supplies including pens, rulers, erasers, notebooks and other school necessities to children whose families are helped by one of the JFS social service programs. “Due to the financial hardship faced by many in our community, the need for basic school supplies was even higher this year,” said Paul S. Castro, JFS CEO/executive director.

This year, Tools for Schools enlisted the help of campers at Camp Ramah in Ojai, who helped put the backpacks together as part of a social action project."

Neutrality is nothingness | St. Helena Star

Neutrality is nothingness St. Helena Star:

"In our schools, this should be a time of unprecedented celebration, of hand shakes, and congratulations. Over the course of the last five years we have seen steady improvement in our CST scores and have made remarkable advances in what the California Department of Education has made our number one goal: “Closing the Achievement Gap.”

Five years ago, the administration and the school board considered how to ensure that we would keep this goal at the forefront of our teaching and learning, while continuing our march forward in all other areas. In their wisdom, they created a part time (.20) administrative position, English Language Development District Coordinator, to oversee the teaching and learning of our students whose first language is other than English. Having held that position for the five years in question, I can speak to the support this board and our current superintendent, Dr. Robert Haley, have had for our ELD population. They asked for increased collaboration between school sites, a higher percentage of parent involvement, a review and improvement of available resources, increased professional development opportunities, and more."

Obama explains 6th grader's test challenges - Nation - TheState.com

Obama explains 6th grader's test challenges - Nation - TheState.com:

"MADISON, Wis. -- President Barack Obama is making the need for parent involvement personal, citing his own daughter's classroom challenges.
During a speech about his administration's education priorities, he talked about his sixth-grade daughter, Malia, and her study skills. He told a middle school in Wisconsin that Malia came home with a 73 percent on a science test and was disappointed.

The president said he asked her what went wrong. Malia explained that the test didn't match the study guide.

'So, what's your idea here?' Obama remembered telling her.

Malia told her father she had better start reading the whole chapters.

Obama then shared happier news that came this week: Malia came home with high-fives and a 95 percent."

Johnson To Share Plan To Help Homeless - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento

Johnson To Share Plan To Help Homeless - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento:

"Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson will announce a major effort today aimed at ending homelessness in the community.

The mayor is getting help from dozens of businesses for the initiative, known as Sacramento Steps Forward.

Johnson on Wednesday took journalist Lisa Ling on a tour of the site of a former large homeless encampment at the north end of downtown. The camp is gone, but homelessness remains a major problem in the city.

Ling's earlier report about the camp aired on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show,' drawing international attention to the city's homeless."

McGraw-Hill Education Program Consultant To Take The Stage At National Middle School Association | Reuters

McGraw-Hill Education Program Consultant To Take The Stage At National Middle School Association Reuters: "NEW YORK, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- A top literature program consultant with
McGraw-Hill School Education Group, the leading provider of print and digital
educational materials for Grades PreK-12, will present a thought-provoking
session today at the National Middle School Association's (NMSA) Annual
Conference in Indianapolis.

Dinah Zike, program consultant for McGraw-Hill's Glencoe Literature: Texas
Treasures, will discuss 'Taking the 'DIS' from -Engaged and -Interested With
Self-Made 3-D Interactive Learning Tools.'

Ms. Zike's renowned graphic organizers, Foldables(TM) are incorporated into
Glencoe Literature: Texas Treasures, a comprehensive collection of engaging
literature and nonfiction with integrated skill development and targeted
differentiated instruction for Texas students in Grades 6-12."

School parcel tax measures fall short; incumbents retaining seats - San Jose Mercury News

School parcel tax measures fall short; incumbents retaining seats - San Jose Mercury News:

"Swayed perhaps by the floundering economy, voters threw a wrench into plans by two South Bay school districts to supplement their shaky budgets with an additional tax.
With all precincts counted, voters in the Santa Clara Unified School District and the Fremont Union High School District turned down parcel taxes on their ballots. Santa Clara's Measure C would have taxed each property owner $138 annually for five years, to raise $4 million.

In the Sunnyvale-based Fremont Union High School District, a similar measure, to impose a $98-per-parcel tax fell short.

And in two school districts electing trustees — Cupertino Union and Los Altos — incumbents coasted to victory. Anjali Kausar, Ben Liao and Gary McCue retained their seats in Cupertino. So did Mark Goines in Los Altos, where newcomers Tamara Logan and Douglas Smith grabbed two open seats."

Educated Guess » QEIA’s early promise (and its faults)

Educated Guess » QEIA’s early promise (and its faults):

"The California Teachers Association has issued early data pointing to positive results from a eight-year, $3 billion program for low-performing schools that the union fought hard to create and is fighting equally hard to preserve. Just last week – four months into the fiscal year and after some dragged-out battles – the Assembly passed a bill securing full funding for another year.

I have been a skeptic of the program– the Quality Education Investment Act — since it was created in 2006, although I applaud the CTA for going to the mat on behalf of low-income schools. I have had two problems with QEIA:

It benefited only a third of the approximately 1,500 schools in the bottom two deciles of Academic Performance Index (API) scores."

Enrollment dips at L.A. Unified -- latimes.com

Enrollment dips at L.A. Unified -- latimes.com:

"An apparent exodus of students to charter schools, combined with an overall enrollment decline, is disrupting Los Angeles-area schools and exacerbating an ongoing budget crisis.

Local independently run charter schools added more than 9,500 students this fall, a surge of almost 19% to more than 60,000. At the same time, enrollment is down more than 19,000 students, about 3%, at schools affiliated with the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Total district enrollment has fallen to 678,441, down from a peak of 747,009 in 2003."

The Answer Sheet - Talking Out of School with.... Quincy Jones

The Answer Sheet - Talking Out of School with.... Quincy Jones:

"The following is a conversation about education that I had with legendary producer Quincy Jones at a conference he convened in New York City about music education. Jones has been nominated for more Grammies than any other living artist, with a total of 79 nominations and 27 awards. He also won an Emmy Award, seven Oscar nominations, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

Q) Did you start your music career in school?
A) No. I didn’t pay much attention to music when I was really young. But when I was 11, I broke into an armory and….

Q) Excuse me, you broke into an armory? An armory?
A) Yes, my father was a carpenter for the Jones brothers in Chicago. They were gangsters. We used to play baby gangster. We played war with real machine guns. Real ammo."

Obesity, poor education big obstacles to military recruiting - washingtonpost.com

Obesity, poor education big obstacles to military recruiting - washingtonpost.com:

"It's tough enough selling military service to teenagers who might not be so keen on getting their heads shaved or buy the whole 'we do more by 9 a.m.' line. And the fact that enlisting today could very well mean a visit to the front lines doesn't help, either.

But according to a new report, there are other factors that make recruiters' jobs even more difficult: the country's poor education system and the worsening obesity crisis.

About 75 percent of the country's 17- to 24-year-olds are ineligible for military service, largely because they are poorly educated, overweight and have physical ailments that make them unfit for the armed forces, according to a report to be issued Thursday."

Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » ELEMENTARY EPIDEMIC: 11 Uncovered Videos Show School Children Performing Praises to Obama

Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » ELEMENTARY EPIDEMIC: 11 Uncovered Videos Show School Children Performing Praises to Obama:

"Big Hollywood has already posted a couple disturbing videos of young school children singing/speaking praises to President Obama, but when eleven more dropped in our email box it came as quite a shock. What seemed like an aberration now appears to be a troubling pattern."

Md., Va. dip toes in charter school waters, as D.C. student numbers soar - washingtonpost.com

Md., Va. dip toes in charter school waters, as D.C. student numbers soar - washingtonpost.com:

"The number of charter schools in the District has skyrocketed over the past decade, and charters are on track to claim 38 percent of public school students in the city. The charter scene is a comparative desert in Virginia and Maryland, but that might be changing.

At least two applications are in the works in Montgomery County, which has no charter schools. A charter school that has been approved in Prince George's County is scheduled to open next fall, bringing the total there to five. Although there are no charter schools or applications pending in Northern Virginia, according to the state Department of Education, the subject was a major topic of conversation during the gubernatorial campaign, where both candidates expressed support for them."

Scores up for black, poor teens in CMS - CharlotteObserver.com

Scores up for black, poor teens in CMS - CharlotteObserver.com:

"Black and low-income teens in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are now outperforming their peers statewide and in Wake County, new state report cards show.

It's a dramatic turnaround from five years ago, when statewide comparisons for high-school students sparked local embarrassment and statewide censure, and a judge accused CMS of 'academic genocide.'

Consider: In 2004, CMS black students' pass rate on state high-school exams was 45 percent, 10 percentage points below the state average and 18 points below Wake's black students."

In 2009, CMS black students had a 65 percent pass rate, 12 points above the state and 6 points above Wake's. CMS's low-income and Hispanic students outperformed the same groups statewide and in Wake, though by smaller margins.

Superintendent Peter Gorman said he's pleased by the progress but dismayed that minority and low-income students remain so far behind white and non-poor classmates. Pass rates were well above 80 percent for CMS white students and those who don't qualify for lunch aid to low-income families.

Will 21st century skills weaken our federal education programs? - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education

Will 21st century skills weaken our federal education programs? - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education:

"The Common Core blog, which shares my distrust of the 21st century skills movement, is warning about the appointment of Apple executive Karen Cator as head of the U.S. Education Department's Office of Education Technology. I don't know Cator. Common Core says she once chaired the board of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the movement's leading organization, and might push their agenda in Washington. I think the partnership is led by well-intentioned people, but so far they have done a lousy job showing how their approach will improve schools.

My recent column about a book by two partnership leaders made this case in more detail. Lynne Munson and James Elias, who wrote the Common Core post about Cator, seem to think she would use her new job to divert more education dollars to technology companies and forget about giving students a deep and balanced education."

How Can American Education Compete Globally? -- THE Journal

How Can American Education Compete Globally? -- THE Journal:

"Of the many issues that have sparked the debate over education reform in recent years, one that seems to many to be a bit more abstract is the concern that we may be losing our competitive standing on the world stage, in terms of leadership in innovation, in technology, and in overall math and science proficiency.

Motoko Akiba is an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy analysis at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Along with her research partner, Prof. Gerald LeTendre of the College of Education at Pennsylvania State University, Akiba conducted a comparative study between the nationwide primary and secondary education systems of the United States, Australia, and Japan."

Mayhill Fowler: Bittergate: The Untold Story of the 2008 Campaign

Mayhill Fowler: Bittergate: The Untold Story of the 2008 Campaign:

"In the subsequent town hall meeting, Senator Obama did talk about education, as he always does, although for the Levittown and Bristol teachers he wasn't as detailed and specific, or as impassioned, as he can be on the need to improve education in America. He had arrived late at Truman High and was a bit rushed. This may have been one of those missed opportunities to which all campaigns, due to the rigors of the road, succumb. Having followed the Obama Campaign for almost a year, I have come to believe that education is the lodestar for the direction in which Obama wants to take us. The significant moment in Levittown yesterday was Obama's comment that we must be 'willing to sacrifice on the behalf of future generations.' As I've written before, the call to sacrifice has been a chord, at first muted, now louder, in Obama's speeches from the beginning. But Levittown was the first time I've heard him say anything more specific about that sacrifice--and the implications of 'future generations' for a place like Levittown are many and not least in the field of education."

The Global Leader in News Distribution

The Global Leader in News Distribution:

"Over a thousand Citi India employees will join over 40,000 colleagues on Saturday, November 7, 2009 in more than 90 countries across the world on the company’s fourth “Global Community Day”. An annual event, “Global Community Day” provides Citi employees a unique, global platform to volunteer in their communities. In India, employee groups, accompanied by their families and friends, will be volunteering their special skills and expertise for a variety of projects addressing specific community needs including climate change, literacy, housing, sports, across 27 cities including Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Lucknow, to name a few.

In order to fully leverage the enthusiasm employees have demonstrated for “Global Community Day” and make a meaningful difference to each local community, Citi India has partnered with several leading NGOs in each geographic location to jointly conceptualize day-long volunteering programmes. Some among these are Akanksha Foundation (Mumbai), Friends of Women’s World Banking (Ahmedabad), Pratham (6 cities), SOS Children Village (Bhubaneshwar) and Annamma School in Vijayawada. Each volunteer team, a mix of employees drawn from different Citi businesses across diverse hierarchies and age groups, will accomplish a clearly defined set of tasks assigned to it, such as conducting educational sessions on climate change, construction of houses for underprivileged communities, senior citizen support, cleaning of the Jamuna river and tree plantation."

St. Bernard's iPrism Wins Technology & Learning Award of Excellence

St. Bernard's iPrism Wins Technology & Learning Award of Excellence:

"St. Bernard Software, Inc. (OTCBB: SBSW), a leader in Web security appliances, today announced that its iPrism Web Filter appliance was awarded the prestigious 'Award of Excellence' by Technology & Learning Magazine. This recognition further reinforces St. Bernard's commitment to delivering superior security, performance and value across all educational institutions.

The Technology & Learning 'Award of Excellence' is a 27-year-old recognition program that honors software, hardware, network, and web products that break new ground in some significant way, as well as those that prove to demonstrate superiority over similar solutions in the education market. This year, a panel of more than 30 educators, who tested more than 100 entries across the country, chose the winners."

WNYC - News - Obama Gets Tough on Teachers – What Does That Mean for NYC?

WNYC - News - Obama Gets Tough on Teachers – What Does That Mean for NYC?:

"NEW YORK, NY November 05, 2009 —President Obama is praising Wisconsin for changing its law to allow student achievement to be used to evaluate teachers. The president visited Madison, Wisconsin yesterday, to promote his Race-to-the-Top fund which will award over $4-billion in total to states in exchange for reforms. As WNYC’s Beth Fertig reports, that puts pressure on New York, just as the city and the teachers union are negotiating a new contract.

REPORTER: Schools Chancellor Joel Klein talks often about the importance of getting better quality teachers."

House Democrats Introduce H1N1 Flu Emergency Sick-Leave Bill

House Democrats Introduce H1N1 Flu Emergency Sick-Leave Bill:

"WASHINGTON – This week U.S. House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) and Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) introduced H.R. 3991, the Emergency Influenza Containment Act.

H.R. 3991 would apply to employers with 15 or more employees. It would require employers who direct or advise employees to stay home from work due to symptoms of a contagious illness — such as H1N1 flu —to provide up to five days of paid sick leave. Employers that currently offer at least five days of paid sick leave would generally be exempt.

The bill would be effective 15 days after enactment and would sunset in two years. The committee plans to hold a hearing on the bill the week of November 16. The New York Times writes that Miller said in a telephone briefing: “We would like to move it to the floor as soon as possible...The influenza isn’t waiting for the legislative calendar.”"

Editorial: Mayoral arrogance hampers progress - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Editorial: Mayoral arrogance hampers progress - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:

"A year later, Sacramento's self-proclaimed collaborative mayor needlessly offended Rancho Cordova officials when he announced that he planned to house 105 homeless men, women and children this winter in that city without consulting city officials.

Like the rest of Rancho Cordova, Councilman Ken Cooley learned about Johnson's homeless plan for his city from the newspapers. When Cooley went out to examine the proposed site at the old Mather Air Force Base, he found deteriorating apartments probably built in the 1950s. Most had no stoves or refrigerators. Some had mold. A city employee stuck a pen into a wall and ants came boiling out."

SN&R > Columns > Bites > Business as usual > 11.05.09

SN&R > Columns > Bites > Business as usual > 11.05.09:

"Michelle Smira, one of the mayor’s top volunteer advisers, is leaving to run Kevin Johnson’s “strong mayor” campaign and to work as a consultant for Nestlé—and it’s business as usual at City Hall.

On October 22, Smira sent her resignation letter to the mayor, in which she explains that she’s leaving the city post to boost Johnson’s strong-mayor initiative.

“We need to change our antiquated structure and I will be there to help educate our community on the issue,” Smira "wrote in her letter. (You can read the whole letter on SN&R’s news blog, Snog.)

Smira told Bites she doesn’t believe there’s any legal issue with keeping both jobs, but said that if she didn’t quit the City Hall gig, then she wouldn’t have time to run her public-relations business, MMS Strategies.

Well, it just so happens that MMS Strategies was hired, within three days of Smira’s exit from City Hall, by Nestlé Waters. There, she’ll help conduct Nestlé’s public-relations offensive for a controversial water-bottling plant in south Sacramento.

Smira has worked previously on campaigns for U.S. Rep Doug Ose and for presidential candidate John McCain, and has served as the chairwoman for the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce political action committee, Metro PAC.

Sacramento Press / $10m Unity Center funding cut from water bond

Sacramento Press / $10m Unity Center funding cut from water bond:

"The California State Assembly stripped $10 million that had been earmarked for the future California Unity Center from an $11 billion state water bond proposal early Wednesday.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento had requested the money for the center to be built on 16th Street. He defended the provision Tuesday, but agreed to its being slashed from the water bond early Wednesday after its inclusion was stalling the bond from passing in the Assembly, confirmed Nathan Barankin, a Steinberg spokesman. Minutes later, the bond passed.

The session continued until nearly dawn. Later Wednesday, Steinberg told reporters he'd realized the $10-million earmark was threatening to derail the water bond."

Elk Grove Citizen : Archives > News > Solving $42 million school district budget shortfall

Elk Grove Citizen : Archives > News > Solving $42 million school district budget shortfall:

"The Citizen reported last week that there may be a $20 million glimmer of hope in solving some of the projected $42 million shortfall for the Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD) in 2010-11. If approved, it would save a hundred or so jobs.

The school district staff in August asked the seven unions that represent district employees to approve a negotiated plan which would include a reduction of work days, freezing steps and columns, ceasing the lottery payment and other cuts. If approved, it would save nearly $21 million."

For sports, EGUSD Superintendent Dr. Steven Ladd presented a plan at the last public forum that said the district would use $1.5 million of the $3 million saved from changing 12 elementary schools from year-round to traditional schedules.The district, in its proposed budget, planned to cut $800,000 from sports for 2010-11.

Tom Gardner, president of the Elk Grove Education Association (EGEA) and the largest union in the district, said Friday they are not expected to present the plan to their members until January.But he did say his union is considering the furlough days as a definite possibility. However, he said they are still completing negotiations for their contract.

Friends of the North Natomas Regional Park

Just a reminder to join me, the Friends of the North Natomas Regional Park, and the City of Sacramento's Department of Parks and Recreation for a workshop tonight on the North Natomas Regional Park.We will discuss the results of a recent community survey and talk about future development in the Park.

DATE: Tonight, November 4th

TIME: 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM

LOCATION: Inderkum High School
2500 New Market Drive

We look forward to hearing from you. You voice is important, so if you are unable to make tonight's meeting, please feel free to email me with your ideas.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (916) 808-7001.

Sincerely,

Ray TrethewayCouncilmember, District 1

A White House Chef Who Wears Two Hats - NYTimes.com

A White House Chef Who Wears Two Hats - NYTimes.com:

"TWICE a month, President Obama’s senior policy advisers gather at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building to hash out strategies for improving the health of the country’s children. Among the assistant secretaries, chiefs of staff and senior aides sits an unlikely participant: a bald, intense young man who happens to be the newest White House chef.

His name is Sam Kass. And when he’s not grilling fish for the first family or tending tomatillos in the White House garden, he is pondering the details of child nutrition legislation, funding streams for the school lunch program and the best tactics to fight childhood obesity."

Surveillance Video Shows Train Derailment In Davis - KTXL

Surveillance Video Shows Train Derailment In Davis - KTXL: "DAVIS - New surveillance video first broadcast by FOX40 News Wednesday morning shows what happened around 6pm Tuesday when a freight train carrying agricultural lime went off the tracks.

The train spilled approximately 50 pounds of lime, a non-hazardous substance used in construction, according to Davis fire officials.

Doug Walter, membership of the nearby Davis Food Co-Op, told FOX40 News the wheels from one side of a train car appears to be dangling 3-feet off the ground.

Officials with the Davis Fire Department first told FOX40 News they wouldn't likely have the train upright until midnight Thursday. As of 10:00am Thursday, three cars from the train were still off the tracks.

The derailment is not delaying commuter traffic, since the rail line accomodates freight only."

Sacramento Press / Free SMUD trees support the 5 million tree campaign

Sacramento Press / Free SMUD trees support the 5 million tree campaign:

"Tree clean our air and water, store carbon in their trunks, create habitat for wildlife, reduce air pollution, increase property values, and provide countless other benefits. The Sacramento Tree Foundation works to leverage all of the benefits that trees provide to create healthy and sustainable communities through building the best urban forest in the Sacramento region. A major keystone in building the best urban forest is the Greenprint initiative, a multi-decade regional framework created to meet Sacramento's sustainability and livability goals by expanding urban forests and optimizing the benefits of tree canopies. Greenprint partners, comprised of 22 cities and 6 counties, have agreed to double their tree canopy over the next 40 years. In order to achieve this goal, we need to plant 5 million new trees by the year 2025."

Parents Doing Homework?

Parents Doing Homework?:

"The parents of some ninth-grade students in NYC are spending their evenings this fall doing something they thought they had left behind long ago: homework. The ninth graders complete their assignments during class; the parents are supposed to write their responses either on an online blog created by the teacher or through hand written journal entries.

The point is to keep parents involved in their children’s ’ education well into high school. Studies have shown that parental involvement improves the quality of the education a student receives, but teenagers seldom invite that involvement"

Schools get creative to involve parents - News | Reflector.com

Schools get creative to involve parents - News Reflector.com:

"Some of the county's poorest schools continue to come up with creative ways to meet federal requirements for parent involvement.

Federal No Child Left Behind legislation requires schools with a free and reduced lunch rate of more than 40 percent, also known as Title I schools, to implement parent involvement plans with a portion of the additional funding their status earns for them.

There are 22 Title I schools in Pitt County, and Director of Federal Programs Sylvia Mizzelle said each is asked annually to host a minimum of five meetings aimed at increasing parent involvement.

One of the most recent examples of such a meeting was held Thursday at Northwest Elementary. Northwest officials brought in retired teacher and storyteller Ann Lunde to show parents the best techniques for reading to their children and emphasize the importance of it."

Commentary: School cupboards stocked with parental talent

Commentary: School cupboards stocked with parental talent:

"Backpack? Got it. Spiral notebooks? Plenty of those. Markers, folders and three-ring binders? Check, check and check! Parental talents? Huh?

Why would parental talents be on a child's back-to-school supply list? Here's why: Numerous studies have proven that there is a direct correlation between parental involvement and student achievement.

There are many things that fall under the heading of parental involvement, from the subtle (a parent's attitudes and expectations regarding education), to the more overt (reading to your child), to broader, more visible efforts (volunteering at your child's school)."

Every year, volunteers contribute thousands of hours to local schools. But parent volunteers are doing far more than making brownies for bake sales or chaperoning field trips.

Today's involved parents are using their vocational skills, unique talents and personal interests to benefit schools. And while I may be using the term "parent" here, this can apply to anyone who wants to be involved and volunteer in education: grandparents, other relatives, young adults, family friends and concerned citizens.

As a parent and former PTA officer at Jefferson Lighthouse School, I've had the opportunity there to see a wide range of volunteer talents put to use in the classroom, after school and in the school as a whole. Here are just some examples:

Activision kicks off ratings education program for parents - Game Hunters: In search of video games and interactive awesomeness - USATODAY.com

Activision kicks off ratings education program for parents - Game Hunters: In search of video games and interactive awesomeness - USATODAY.com:

"Activision is pairing up with a top mental health and media expert on an educational program for parents on video games, the publisher announced.

The Ratings Are Not A Game initiative is a collaboration between the Call of Duty and Guitar Hero publisher and Dr. Cheryl Olson, co-director of the Center for Mental Health and Media at the Massachusetts General Hospital. She is also the author of Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do."

Investigation Into Councilman's Son Takes Twist - cbs13.com

Investigation Into Councilman's Son Takes Twist - cbs13.com:

"One of Sacramento's most powerful men is under investigation.

A local political group is calling out Sacramento City Manager Ray Kerridge about his involvement in home construction in a Natomas flood zone that was forbidden to be built in by FEMA.

Kerridge is the latest target in the controversy that has involved Dan Waters, son of City Councilman Robbie Waters.

The Democratic Party of Sacramento County says Kerridge should have known what was going on, and that he had the opportunity to audit that department but chose not to."

Champions Tour pro comes to aid of Elk Grove school district golf - Sacramento Sports - Kings, 49ers, Raiders, High School Sports | Sacramento Bee

Champions Tour pro comes to aid of Elk Grove school district golf - Sacramento Sports - Kings, 49ers, Raiders, High School Sports Sacramento Bee:

"Those who know James Reede III, Julian Woodfork and Will Smartt say they are good junior golfers and impressive young men.

But impressive enough to inspire a professional athlete in one afternoon to donate $35,000 to save nine boys and nine girls golf programs targeted for elimination by the Elk Grove Unified School District?

Apparently so."

After clinching the season-long Champions Tour points title and a $1 million annuity Sunday at the Charles Schwab Cup in Sonoma, Loren Roberts said as much.
"They were just great, great kids," Roberts said. "Good positive attitudes. … So I just got to thinking about it.

"I said, 'Gosh, it just seems like that might be something that maybe, you know, I could be involved in or have a part in.' That's what the Schwab Cup allows us to do."

Dr. James W. Reede Jr. took the boys to Sonoma on Saturday with tickets donated by the PGA Tour to the Northern California Minority Junior Golf Scholarship Association. The younger Reede, Woodfork and Smartt are buddies through the First Tee of Greater Sacramento and the Sacramento Area Black Golf Club. Each is 15 and in the 10th grade. Their cumulative handicap index is 11.

Sacramento Press / Mayor, councilmembers clash over charter committee

Sacramento Press / Mayor, councilmembers clash over charter committee:

"Councilmembers clashed with Mayor Kevin Johnson over the usefulness of the Charter Review Committee’s work after the committee presented its final recommendations on city governance Tuesday. Johnson and Councilwoman Lauren Hammond questioned the value of the charter’s work, while Councilmembers Ray Tretheway, Kevin McCarty and Sandy Sheedy called for the 11-member committee to keep working past its deadline so that it can address additional issues.

The 11-member committee is advising the City Council to keep the city’s current council/manager form of government. The committee’s recommendations oppose the strong mayor form of government that would be established if voters approve an initiative in June."

Water plan has local goodie - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

Water plan has local goodie - Sacramento Politics - California Politics Sacramento Bee:

"A nonprofit tolerance center in midtown Sacramento, championed by state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, could get a vital economic boost from an unlikely source: a mammoth $10 billion water bond proposal.

Nestled among the provisions of a measure approved on a 29-5 vote by the Senate late Monday is language that would earmark 'not less than $10 million' for the California Unity Center."

The center, which is proposed for construction on the site of the old Sacramento City Unified School District headquarters at 16th and N streets, is envisioned as a "statewide hub" to teach tolerance to students and encourage "collaborative problem-solving," according to its Web site.

Language in the bond bill stipulates only that the $10 million "shall be available for capital improvements to nonprofit facilities that provide watershed, environmental justice and urban greening education programs to students in the Sacramento City Unified School District and the surrounding area."