SCUSD Observer: Confirmed: Montessori will move to TJ Elementary

SCUSD Observer: Confirmed: Montessori will move to TJ Elementary:

"Confirmed: Montessori will move to TJ Elementary

California Montessori Project will be relocating to the Thomas Jefferson Elementary School located at 2635 Chestnut Hill Drive, Sacramento, CA 95826. School will be closed on Nov. 12th and 13th for the move and will resume on Monday, November 16th. SCUSD will provide bus transportation in the morning and the afternoon beginning Nov. 12th through the end of the school year."

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Guest Blogger: A Day in the Life of School Budget Cuts

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Guest Blogger: A Day in the Life of School Budget Cuts:

"Guest blogger Ashley Hermsmeier is a teacher, runner and writer in her sixth year of teaching English at El Capitan High School in Lakeside. In her blog titled, 'I Run Because I Teach' she discusses the two aspects of life that simultaneously mean the most and frustrate her the most (besides her husband)-- teaching and running.

These are her reflections and opinions, not mine, so if you have burning questions or comments, please contact Ashley via e-mail at amorrow@guhsd.net. Or post a comment here on the blog.
-- EMILY ALPERT

8:02 a.m. Second Period
My students shuffle into the classroom turning off cell phones and stowing iPods in hoodie pockets. As they sit down and begin to unpack their things, I hear pieces of conversations and the occasional cough or sniffle. When I take roll I notice six students are absent. I usually have two empty desks, for a class size of 37, but today the room feels cavernous. I am reminded of the teacher down the hall who doesn’t have enough desks for all her 42 students; I feel lucky to have only 37 students."

Sex education will help gay children | Joseph Galliano | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Sex education will help gay children Joseph Galliano Comment is free guardian.co.uk:

Think B4 You Speak.com

"As a gay child, and in common with many gay children, I was terrified for most of my school life. My earliest sexual encounters – which all occurred before the age of consent (21 at that time) – were unsafe and I constantly felt that I could somehow be 'in trouble' for who I was.

If I did receive any sex education that seemed relevant, though appalling to me, it came in the form of an almost annual scandal – the suspension and expulsion of a couple of boys unfortunate enough to be caught in some forbidden clinch. We were either invisible or bullied by our peers and those in authority, denied information about ourselves and denied the right for our sexuality to be just one of the many things that made us who we were.

Of course, this was almost 25 years ago for me and many positive changes have swept through society since then. We have an equal age of consent, anti-hate crime laws and more positive role models. I am deeply heartened that the government has finally done the decent thing and attempted to make proper sex education available to all schoolchildren and that this will now include information about homosexuality and civil partnerships."

ACLU sues state over county graduation rate -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

ACLU sues state over county graduation rate -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com:

"Palm Beach County's 'poor' high school graduation rate is a result of the state's failure to provide a high-quality education guaranteed under the state constitution, a class-action lawsuit claims.

On behalf of parents and students, the American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday sued state officials in Palm Beach County Circuit Court. A judge dismissed a similar lawsuit against local school officials in June 2008, ruling that they could not be named as defendants.

In the new litigation targeting Gov. Charlie Crist, Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith and others, the ACLU wants the district to improve its graduation rate and to remove a 'significant disparity' between the rates of white students and their black and Hispanic peers."

Z Blogs

Z Blogs:

"On October 24 more than 800 students, teachers, and other workers met to plan how to advance the struggle to defend and transform public education in California and beyond.

The 10/24 conference endorsed the U of California and California State U strike and mobilization on Nov. 17th- 20th and decided to call for statewide solidarity actions on these days.

In addition, Conference participants also called for a 'Strike and Day of Action that is inclusive of all different tactics, including: walkouts, rallies, march to Sacramento, teach ins, occupations, and all other forms of protests chosen by schools and organizations.'"

Golden Gate [X]press : 'Broken California' in need of reboot

Golden Gate [X]press : 'Broken California' in need of reboot:

"More than a hundred people gathered in Knuth Hall Thursday evening to listen to suggestions on how to make California better.

'Something is broken and needs fixing,' said Gerald Eisman, director of the Institute for Civic and Community Engagement.

The town hall meeting in the College of Creative Arts building included five speakers and each one gave their advice on what Californians can do to improve the state.
SF State senior Honora Keller provided a student's perspective for the budget cuts as well as supporting an idea for creating more money for higher education in California."

Misinformation: the Enemy of Excellence - The Daily Californian

Misinformation: the Enemy of Excellence - The Daily Californian:

"Misinformation is the enemy of progress toward solutions that will preserve excellence and access within all 10 campuses of the University of California.

One troubling example is the claim by a UC Santa Cruz faculty union leader that educational fee increases are being implemented to allow the university system and campuses to borrow more money for capital projects.

It's the kind of factually challenged distortion we've come to expect in partisan politics. What makes it troubling is that this and other misleading claims spread like viruses through the UC community. We hope students, faculty and staff recognize it for what it is: nonsense."

Public forum puts focus on career tech education - Daily Democrat Online

Public forum puts focus on career tech education - Daily Democrat Online:

"The Yolo County School Boards Association will be hosting an evening's discussion on the state of career and technical education in Yolo County from 6 to 8 p.m., Monday, Nov. 16, in the community room (Building 800) at Woodland Community College.

Career and technical education is a state-funded program taught by teachers with experience in their related industries.

High school students are eligible and earn grades and credits toward graduation and in some cases, meet University of California 'a through g' requirements and can earn college credits, gain experience required for immediate employment, participate in courses that offer internships, earn certificates of completion, and experience careers that may assist in choosing college majors and enhance college admission applications."

Riverside educator is selected as a California Teacher of the Year

Riverside educator is selected as a California Teacher of the Year:

My Teacher, My Hero True Stories of Great Teachers

"A Riverside Unified School District history teacher was among five grade school educators named today as California “Teachers of the Year.”

Amber Carrow, a seventh-grade world history instructor at Chemawa Middle School, was selected by state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, based on a review conducted by a state selection committee, according to the California Department of Education.

The other four awardees are: Kelly Kovacic, a social studies teacher at The Preuss School in San Diego; Kathy Martin, a physical science teacher at Sierra Vista Middle School in Irvine; Melanie Tolan, an English teacher at the Sarah Anthony School in San Diego; and Valerie Ziegler, a history and economics teacher at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco."

Plain Talk: Kids will never forget Obama visit

Plain Talk: Kids will never forget Obama visit:

"Some random musings about the president's visit to Madison this week:

Over the years, I've attended several events where presidents of the United States have spoken, most of them at American Society of Newspaper Editors' conventions.

Truth be told, the students at Wright Middle School, who were herded into the gym an hour and a half before Barack Obama arrived, showed more patience than those roomfuls of newspaper editors. The kids, mostly 12, 13 and 14 years old, sat on the pulled-out bleachers along one side of the gym and quietly talked among themselves while waiting for the president to show."

Proposed Law Would Fight H1N1 :: WRAL.com

Proposed Law Would Fight H1N1 :: WRAL.com:

"Worried about your family getting the H1N1 flu? Who isn’t? Every day seems to bring changes in which age group is more vulnerable, yet if you’ve called your pediatrician’s office to try to get a shot, you know that the vaccines aren’t coming in fast enough.

We all know that hand washing is our best defense against the flu, but now there’s a plan afoot to tackle the H1N1 pandemic from new angle that makes perfect sense. Under a bill proposed in Congress Tuesday, employers who tell workers to stay home when they are sick will have to give them paid time off for up to five days, Reuters reports. The emergency law would cover the H1N1 flu and other infectious diseases."

Now there’s a real incentive for people to stay home when they’re sick. We’ve all been told to keep our kids home from school when they’re sick and to do the same when we’re ill. The problem is that parents often don’t get paid when they’re sick, so they must choose between earning money and infecting others (while going without rest).

Paid sick leave is not required by U.S. laws. If it were, I suspect we’d have a lot less illness being spread.George Miller, the California congressman who introduced the bill and chairs the House Education and Labor Committee, told Reuters that at least 50 million U.S. workers don’t get sick pay, and many of them are in low-paying jobs with direct contact with the public, such as the food-service and hospitality industry, schools and health care fields.

Physical Education Key To Improving Health In Low-income Adolescents

Physical Education Key To Improving Health In Low-income Adolescents:

"ScienceDaily (Nov. 6, 2009) — School-based physical education plays a key role in curbing obesity and improving fitness among adolescents from low-income communities, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and UC Berkeley."

The study, which identifies opportunities for adolescents to improve their health based on routine daily activities, finds that regular participation in PE class is significantly associated with greater cardiovascular fitness and lower body mass index.

"We took an incredibly comprehensive look at all of the opportunities kids have throughout their day to engage in physical activity and determined which are the most strongly linked to fitness and weight status," said first author Kristine Madsen, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of pediatrics at UCSF Children's Hospital. "Obesity continues to be a major public health concern, particularly in low-income communities, so it is imperative that we develop targeted interventions to improve the health of at-risk youth."

UC Officials Voice Concerns in Debate Over Proposed Oil Tax - The Daily Californian

UC Officials Voice Concerns in Debate Over Proposed Oil Tax - The Daily Californian:

"Despite the millions of dollars higher education stands to gain under a bill that would impose oil and gas severance taxes, officials from the University of California have expressed concerns about the extent to which the UC system will benefit if the bill passes.

Assembly Bill 656 would levy a 9.9 percent severance tax on all oil and natural gas extracted by oil companies from the state and its ocean holdings beginning in January 2010.
The bill, first introduced by State Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont, has the potential to raise up to $1 billion that would go to funding public higher education"

Media-Newswire.com - Press Release Distribution - PR Agency

Media-Newswire.com - Press Release Distribution - PR Agency:

"(Media-Newswire.com) - Los Angeles -- The Los Angeles Times and the University of Southern California College of Letters, Arts & Sciences today announced they will jointly sponsor a series of six statewide public opinion polls beginning November 8, 2009, and continuing throughout California's crucial 2010 elections for governor and U.S. Senate. This is the first such cooperative venture of this magnitude between a major newspaper and a major research university in the state of California.

The University of Southern California College of Letters, Arts & Sciences/Los Angeles Times Poll will be taken at regular intervals during the next 14 months, and will be designed to survey California residents' attitudes on a wide range of political, policy, social and cultural issues.

'We are extremely pleased to team up with the Times to offer in-depth insight and analysis of the historic 2010 campaign,' said Howard Gillman, dean of USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences. 'The partnership will provide unique experiential learning opportunities for USC College students, and will also enhance the ability of our faculty to address issues that are critical to California's future.'"

District Dossier: Wedding Bells for Michelle Rhee and Kevin Johnson

District Dossier: Wedding Bells for Michelle Rhee and Kevin Johnson:

"District of Columbia Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee has been awfully coy for more than a year about her bi-coastal romance with Kevin Johnson, the former NBA star, charter school operator, and now, mayor of Sacramento.

But there was no hiding the diamond folks apparently spotted on her left hand Wednesday night at an education reform event in downtown D.C. The Washington Post's gossip columnists got on the case and got Rhee herself to confirm the engagement.

Naturally, the first thing most of us wonder is if Rhee will be leaving Washington soon. After all, KJ is only in his first term as mayor of Sacto, his hometown. He's not likely to leave his job for a move East. Rhee has just been through the stormiest stretch of her nearly two and a half year run as chancellor, brought on mostly by her recent decision to lay off nearly 400 district employees, more than half of them teachers."

The chancellor told The Post that she's not leaving D.C. any time soon, and her steeliness and tenacity to turn around decades of failure in the city's school system seems genuine, even if you disagree with her methods. She doesn't seem like a quitter, even for true love.
Still,anyone want to lay odds on how long for D.C. Michelle Rhee will be?

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.”"