Native American students seek recognition and test-score reporting - Vallejo Times Herald

Native American students seek recognition and test-score reporting - Vallejo Times Herald:

"Reports about Native American students' test scores, good or bad, typically include no mention of their performance, said Melissa Mendoza, parent advisory chairwoman for the Vallejo school district's Native American Studies Program.

Schools can be light on their history but heavy with what some consider offensive representations of her people, she said.
Vallejo's Native American students, parents and families need more, Mendoza said.

'This is a culture that has donated so much to society as it is,' she said. 'It's not about casinos. It's about knowing who you are and being a part of the American culture and American tapestry.'"

California libraries - where the action is

California libraries - where the action is:

"Libraries are 'one of the last great civic spaces in our society,' as Berkeley librarian Jack Baur aptly puts it - a place where anyone can read the newspaper, check e-mails, do homework or just sit and enjoy a safe and quiet space."


The traditional role of libraries as repositories and purveyors of print materials is shrinking in this digitalizing age. Like newspapers, libraries are trying to figure out how to reinvent themselves beyond the world of hard-copy print. One way they're doing that is to enhance their role as community gathering places. In libraries throughout the state, there's an increased emphasis on providing stimulating programs for people of all ages.

The new library is a kind of community living room, a welcome oasis in an era of social isolation.

The Lafayette Public Library is taking a bold step in that direction on Saturday when it officially opens its sprawling new quarters, a $46 million facility that's a combination library and learning center. The Glenn Seaborg Learning Consortium will feature programs from a dozen Bay Area organizations, including the Oakland Zoo, St. Mary's College and the Lawrence Hall of Science. On opening day, the Chabot Space & Science Center will help kids build rockets they can launch into a simulated version of outer space. On Dec. 1, the Commonwealth Club will bring in political satirist Will Durst.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/08/INJK1ACL2S.DTL#ixzz0WHGm2EXy

Power to maintain educational excellence belongs to voters - Pasadena Star-News

Power to maintain educational excellence belongs to voters - Pasadena Star-News:

"For decades, California has been on the cutting edge of America's social and economic evolution. We are the state that has launched new technologies, a green business climate, personal fitness and entertainment. Californians led the nation in breaking down outdated social mores and advancing equity and social responsibility.

This success story is rooted in education. We built the world's premier multi-tiered public education system, designed to create affordable opportunities for everyone to advance themselves and their families.

The system works when it is a universal priority. An educated workforce gives back by creating jobs that support public funding. But we are now facing a cataclysmic change in priorities, putting California's future at risk."

Sac Schools Open Their Doors - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento

Sac Schools Open Their Doors - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento:

"Sacramento public high schools opened their doors to parents and students Saturday so they could get the opportunity to learn more about what curriculum they have to offer.
At Sacramento's Serna Center, 13-year-old Megan Mengell is shopping for a new high school.

'I'm kind of nervous to go to high school because my school, we are like a family, and so I'm looking around. I have no idea about any of the high schools,' Megan said.
With so many schools and so little time, parents like Mark Mengell said they feel overwhelmed.

'Actually it is pretty challenging. You have a lot of different choices. The philosophies behind some of these schools are extremely different,' Mengell said."

The Associated Press: To defang Taliban, some look to private schools

The Associated Press: To defang Taliban, some look to private schools:

"QUTBAL, Pakistan — The schoolhouse is so tiny that dozens of pupils have to sit outdoors. They're lucky if their teachers have more than a basic education. And the chanting of math equations and Quranic verses gets so loud that the children have a hard time hearing themselves.

Yet the pupils love the Islamia Model School, one of thousands of private schools popping up in Pakistan. Unlike at area public schools, Islamia's seven teachers show up regularly to work. Unlike at religious schools, its curriculum extends well beyond Islam.

Plus, it has desks and chairs — no small thing to the many poor families who enroll their children here."

Pakistan is seeing a surge in private schools, a trend some find hopeful in a country where the government education system is decrepit and the other alternative is religious schools, known here as madrasas, which offer little education beyond memorizing the Quran and are seen as one source of Islamic militancy.

The U.S., for one, says it plans to invest in private schools as part of a multibillion-dollar aid package designed to erode extremism in the nuclear-armed country battered by Taliban attacks.

"The quality of education in the public sector is deteriorating day by day," said T.M. Qureshi, a Ministry of Education official. "When there's a vacuum of quality, someone will fill it."
According to UNESCO figures, Pakistan spends 2.9 percent of its gross domestic product on education, slightly less than India's 3.2 percent and well below the U.S.'s 5.2 percent.

O3b Networks : Mission

O3b Networks : Mission:

"Mission

At O3b Networks, our mission is to make the Internet accessible and affordable to everyone on the planet. We will enrich lives and ensure equal and fair access to information through ubiquitous, high-speed connectivity to the world’s content and applications.

We will accomplish this mission by reducing core transmission costs through innovative solutions for fixed and mobile operators and Internet service providers, enabling them to profitably offer better, faster, and more affordable connectivity to their customers.

The Internet has become the world’s information exchange and everyone should have the opportunity to participate."

“Most economic growth in the developed regions of Europe, North America and the Far East is driven by information and communications technology (ICT). What is less widely understood is that all economies are information economies. The free flow of information lowers the barriers to economic activity and stimulates growth and productivity, even economies that we do not normally regard as fully 'developed.' ... Connectivity is the key enabler of the information flow that defines modern economies. It is also the key enabler of an ongoing economic transformation in many Latin American, Asian and African countries."

-The Connectivity Scorecard

Teacher Incentive Plan a Bust

Teacher Incentive Plan a Bust

Teacher Incentive Plan a Bust
Who needs incentives?

Since when is it necessary to provide teachers with incentives to teach?

I’ve had experience in the two worlds of business and education. In business, I was director of information services in government and the private sector. As a retired teacher, school administrator and university professor, I am insulted by the attempt at the national and state levels to “bribe” professional educators to teach our children “better.”

In fact, all teachers should be insulted and outraged by this latest legislative absurdity. Texas legislators and business leaders determined that teachers should be paid incentives to improve student performance, thereby achieving success in school. It was doomed for failure.

Teaching is NOT an industrial assembly line position in which the more pieces you finish, the more you earn. The whole honorable point of becoming a teacher is that you want to plant a positive educational foundation and a love for learning into each student you teach and then to increase each child’s knowledge in ongoing increments so he or she may move toward a successful future with a positive work ethic.

Furthermore, if the state would provide professional teachers with a professional salary, there would be no need to complement the salary with incentives for additional teacher income.
Follow that up with a more intelligent and productive methodology for improving learning outcomes than the current “pass-the-state-exam” mentality.

Another priority for successful teaching and improving learning outcome must be smaller teacher to student classroom ratios.

The whole idea of incentives for teachers is ludicrous.

Legislators, business leaders and educational administrators had better review their priorities and educational reality before giving teachers an incentive program. Maybe these folks are NOT the ones who should decide how to improve public education, since for the past decade they have been unsuccessful in doing so.

An incentive plan for teachers is irresponsible and inappropriate thinking, and it sends a negative message about the honorable field of teaching.

If we want to start an incentive program, perhaps we should start one by giving legislators incentives for each intelligent proposal they come up with.

###

Peter Stern, a former director of information services, university professor and public school administrator, is a disabled Vietnam veteran who lives in Driftwood.

BofA suspending federal student loan program - Yahoo! News

BofA suspending federal student loan program - Yahoo! News:

"CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) – Bank of America Corp will suspend its federally-backed student loan program by December 5, the company said in a letter to colleges and universities on Friday, as the U.S. gets ready to end the program entirely.

A number of becomes banks have said they would exit the Federal Family Education Loan Program, this year.

The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 would replace the FFELP program with direct government loans. It has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is awaiting a Senate vote, but it strongly supported by President Obama and widely expected to become law."

Supersized classes found in city schools

Supersized classes found in city schools:

"Last year at Aden Bowman Collegiate, 41 kids were in one Grade 10 history class.

In the city's northeast, Centennial Collegiate had 40 kids in a Science 10 class, and across the river at Bishop James Mahoney, one Physics 30 class had 40 students.

Class size is just one of many variables in education, such as the programs a school offers, or the abilities of the teacher."

But within the friendly-looking, class-average sizes in the mid-20s lurk some supersized classes -- and often, those classes are in core subjects such as English, math, social studies and sciences.

The StarPhoenix obtained stacks of class size data from Saskatoon's public and Catholic school divisions that show many high school classes, especially in core subjects, have 30 or more kids in front of one teacher.

'Be There' Campaign Promotes Parental Involvement | Firstcoastnews.com | Local News

'Be There' Campaign Promotes Parental Involvement Firstcoastnews.com Local News:

"JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A campaign is under way on the First Coast to remind parents they are an important link in their child's education.

'Be There,' an initiative that promotes child/parent communication, has the backing of Duval, Clay and St. Johns county schools.

'As I often say, if there is nobody home to sort of put the report card on the refrigerator, why bother? You got to have someone involved to make that connection...,' said Joseph Joyner, St. Johns County school superintendent.

Joyner joined Ed Pratt-Dannals, who leads Duval County Schools, and Ben Wortham, Clay County school superintendent, in a news conference Friday to promote the campaign."

For more information on "Be There," CLICK HERE.

Editorial: A new course for charters | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/07/2009

Editorial: A new course for charters Philadelphia Inquirer 11/07/2009:

"Gee, it only took a federal criminal investigation of at least six charter schools and the jailing of one charter official before the state finally moved to improve financial oversight.

Some of the proposed measures are clearly worthy and long overdue. At the same time, the reforms seem so basic that they should have been in the state charter law when it was written 12 years ago.

For example, the reform legislation aims to limit the hiring of relatives. This seems like a no-brainer concept, except in patronage-laden Pennsylvania, where government work has become a family business for many.

Another measure would give school parents the right to ask the court to remove school board members who fail to follow the law. This is another good idea, considering it shouldn't be too much to ask board members to follow the law."

Blowing up bad Chicago schools did not work for Arne the Duncan

Blowing up bad Chicago schools did not work for Arne the Duncan:

"U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan shut down 61 schools in which students failed to perform at a basic academic level and opened 75 new schools while serving as Chicago’s school superintendent for seven years. The University of Chicago has released a study saying most students who moved to other schools following school shutdowns showed no change in performance. Duncan countered by saying, ‘The reason was that the students moved to a similar level of schools, and students who moved to better schools saw their performances improve.’ All right Mr. Duncan, since you seem to understand this problem, why didn’t you prevent it? Were you just the superintendent for the better schools?"

There are 662 schools in the Chicago Public School (CPS) system. Duncan claims he led a successful school reform initiative by shutting down ten percent of its schools and tossing those kids into other schools that probably should have been closed as well. He closed Carver High in Altgeld Gardens and send the refugees to Fenger. Fine. Nothing in Chicago government works as it should; everything is either broken, like our pothole-laden streets, or costs us more than it does other Americans, like our gasoline. So it is incredible that anyone would expect our schools to be anything other than what they are, abysmal. Fine. There is no crime in being Chicago inept and Cook County obtuse, indeed that is what the body politic here expects. But spreading our convoluted and ineffective methodology to other municipalities makes Duncan the sociological equivalent of Typhoid Mary.

Betraying the California dream | PressDemocrat.com | The Press Democrat | Santa Rosa, CA

Betraying the California dream PressDemocrat.com The Press Democrat Santa Rosa, CA:

"For nearly six years, I have served on the Board of Trustees of the California State University system — the last two as its chairman.

This experience has been more than just professional; it has been a deeply personal one. With my term ending soon, I need to share my concern — and personal pain — that California is on the verge of destroying the very system that once made this state great.

I came to California because of the education system. I grew up in Connecticut and attended college back East on partial scholarships and financial aid. I also worked part time, but by my first year of grad school, I’d maxed out my financial aid and was relying on loans that charged 14 percent interest. Being a lawyer had been my dream, but my wife and I could not afford for me to go to any law schools back East."

City Brights: Zennie Abraham : California's education and economic problem; Chevron's aide

City Brights: Zennie Abraham : California's education and economic problem; Chevron's aide:

Aside from jobs, education funding is the most important problem in California. I was surprised to learn that Chevron Oil Company - the company commonly associated for bad things and unfairly so in my view - was behind a $7 million initiative to fund education non-profit organizations in Northern California.

It's called The California Partnership and was developed to help those organizations that were focusing on, and making a difference in, disadvantages neighborhoods, primarily in Northern California.
I was invited to join other media at the San Francisco City Club and frankly learned something shocking. I learned that while other media outlets were invited, at least one organization said they only covered a story involving non-profits if their was something negative, like a staff member stealing funds, for example.

Think about that the next time you see a bad story on a non-profit in the media.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/abraham/detail??blogid=95&entry_id=51194#ixzz0WBZq8JSt

Students, teachers block traffic over cuts

Students, teachers block traffic over cuts:

"The school system in California was once considered a global model for what a public higher education system should look like. Now it is quickly being dismantled by a political system that values repression over education, prisons over schools. The statewide protests that started last spring, following the passage of severe cuts in the California state education budget, are continuing and growing.

The latest pro-education action in San Diego was called by local affiliates of the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, the San Diego/Imperial County Labor Council, and local community and student groups. On Oct. 29 several hundred angry activists rallied in Balboa Park, marched downtown to the State Office Building and sat down in the street outside the building, blocking traffic. They demanded a hearing from a representative of the governor."

School superintendent steps down - Folsom Telegraph

School superintendent steps down - Folsom Telegraph:

"After 36 years as an educator, Patrick Godwin, superintendent of the Folsom Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD), will retire at the conclusion of the current academic year.
Serving as superintendent for the last five years, Godwin’s retirement will be effective on June 30, 2010.

“It has been a pleasure being a part of the FCUSD family, and I will continue to relish the opportunity to work with you for the remainder of this school year. We have many challenges ahead, but we also have the caring, courage, creativity, and intelligence to meet them. However, after 36 years in education, I am ready to take on different challenges and to take time to explore other aspects of life,” said Godwin in a statement."

NEWS FROM BARBARA BOXER, UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM CALIFORNIA

Dear Friend:

As you probably know, Congress passed legislation this week to extend unemployment insurance for nearly 2 million Americans who would have otherwise lost their benefits by the end of the year.

H.R.3548, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009, will extend benefits by 14 weeks for jobless workers across the entire country and by 20 weeks in states with unemployment rates higher than 8.5 percent -- including California, where the unemployment rate is 12.2 percent. The bill also includes a provision to extend homebuyer tax credits and a tax provision to ease the burden of the economic downturn on struggling businesses.

This bill comes at a critical time, when millions of Americans and at least 170,000 Californians are at risk of losing their unemployment benefits. Extending benefits will not only help laid-off workers support their families while they look for jobs, it will also provide a boost to our economy.

Extending unemployment insurance is crucial now because more than one in three jobless workers have been out of work for at least six months, and every day 7,000 Americans lose their unemployment benefits.

Extending unemployment insurance also will help stimulate the economy. Every $1 spent on unemployment benefits generates $1.61 in new economic demand. The legislation is also fiscally responsible, with the Congressional Budget Office concluding that the benefits extension will be fully offset.

H.R.3548 includes a homebuyer tax credit provision that extends the $8,000 tax credit for first-ime homebuyers until April 30, 2010. The bill also gives a $6,500 credit to homebuyers who have been in their current residence for the last five years or more. The homebuyer credit also includes tax relief for military personnel and members of the Foreign Service and intelligence community, and anti-fraud language to prevent abuse of the tax credits.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer

United States Senator

To respond to this message, please click here. This link will take you to a webpage where you can reply to messages that you receive from Senator Boxer’s office.

Education Week: Bill Would Replace Key Federal Literacy Programs

Education Week: Bill Would Replace Key Federal Literacy Programs:

"Long-awaited legislation to replace three federal reading programs—Early Reading First, Reading First, and Striving Readers—was introduced last week by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and would authorize $2.35 billion in funding to improve reading and writing in kindergarten to 12th grade.

As of press time, a similar literacy bill was to be introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Reps. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., and Jared Polis, D-Colo.
The Senate’s comprehensive-literacy bill, if passed and fully funded, would represent a huge boost in federal aid for adolescent literacy."

All We Can Eat - The freakonomics of school lunch

All We Can Eat - The freakonomics of school lunch:

"The easy answer to why it’s hard to improve school lunch is money. The hard answer is, of course, much more complicated.

Yes, schools need more money to buy more fruits and vegetables and to pay staff to replace processed foods with meals made from scratch. But they also need students to want to eat more healthful foods. After all, if a school invests in fresh foods and the kids all head to McDonald's, nobody wins. (Well, except McDonald's.)

A new paper published in Choices Magazine, a publication of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, demonstrates how a close study of behavioral economics could improve what students eat. Better, it won’t cost most school districts a penny."

Education

Education

Top Features

Secret Recipes RevealedRaegen Miller provides some clarity to the formulas used in Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and how they could be improved.

Stimulating ExcellenceReport from CAP, AEI, Public Impact, and New Profit explores how state and federal policy can encourage innovation in education.

The Fiscal Costs of Expanded Learning TimeReport provides a framework for policymakers and practitioners to identify the key cost components involved in expanding the school day.

College-Ready Students, Student-Ready CollegesReport from Louis Soares and Christopher Mazzeo offers solutions for raising degree completion rates through student empowerment and systems change.

Ensuring Equal Opportunity in Public EducationReport addresses ways in which local school district funding practices hurt disadvantaged students and what federal policy can do about it.

Other Education Features

November 4, 2009
The Impact of Community SchoolsSaba Bireda explains how community schools help low-income minority students in their extracurricular activities. By Saba Bireda
November 2, 2009
Schools for the Whole CommunityPrime Minister Tony Blair, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and Rep. Steny Hoyer visit CAP to talk about community schools.
October 30, 2009
Weekly Round Up: October 26 - October 30This week CAP offered insight on community schools, released a report on green-collar jobs, and profiled Afghan power brokers.
October 28, 2009
A Look at Community SchoolsReport from Saba Bireda explains how community schools can alleviate obstacles outside the classroom that hinder student achievement, particularly for those living in poverty. By Saba Bireda
October 28, 2009
Interactive Map: Profiles of Community SchoolsA look at some community school projects across the nation that provide on-site social services, after hours learning opportunities, and a variety of other supports. By Saba Bireda
October 28, 2009
Ask the Expert: A Primer on Community SchoolsSaba Bireda explains what community schools are, how they improve student achievement, and how we can implement them. By Saba Bireda

Support HR 3962! Call Congress TODAY at (877) 235-2465

With just 24 hours left until the big health care reform vote in the U.S. House, we need everyone to call your representative today at (877) 235-2465, and urge them to support HR 3962!

http://www.house.gov/

NBCDI

NBCDI:

"The Sacramento affiliate focuses on the emotional development of young girls, community health awareness, and elementary and secondary education.

One of the affiliate's programs includes the annual DIVA Conference where African American young women in grades 8th - 12th are invited to learn about their physical, mental and emotional selves. The conference introduces young women to health and self-esteem related issues such as the value of physical fitness, positive self images, and the importance of setting goals. If you would like more information on this affiliate, please contact the chapter president."


DETERMlNED, INTELLIGENT, VALUED AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUNG LADY

2009 DIVIA CONFERENCE Calling all young ladies and their friends ages 12-18 ... it's time for the 17th Annual 2009 D.I.V.A. Conference!

Come prepared to be motivated, encouraged and informed on topics important to you and your future.

Please complete the registration form below and invite your parents to attend our parent workshops.

"It's Time/or Change"

WHEN: FRIDAY, Nov 20,2009 (6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.) & SATURDAY, NOV 21, 2009 (7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.)

WHERE:COSUMNES RIVER COLLEGE (THEATER ARTS BUILDING) 8401 CENTER PARK WAY, SACRAMENTO, CA

COST: Pre-Registration $20 per person before 11/6/09 (Includes continental breakfast and lunch)

Registration $25 per person after 11/6/09 (Includes continental breakfast and lunch)

*Please contact Barbara Curry at 916-344-4453 or Jo Watts at 916- 646-1763 for information*

Ford Foundation gives $100 million to reform urban high schools -- latimes.com

Ford Foundation gives $100 million to reform urban high schools -- latimes.com:

"The Ford Foundation pledged $100 million Wednesday to 'transform' urban high schools in the United States, focusing on seven cities, including Los Angeles.

The seven-year initiative is among the largest philanthropic efforts aimed at improving education in the United States and, as described, could both complement and challenge aspects of the Obama administration's education reform efforts. It will fund research and reform in four areas: teacher quality, student assessment, a longer school day and year, and school funding.

The initiative is being led by Jeannie Oakes, who until recently was head of the Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access at UCLA, where she was a strong advocate for reform aimed at helping disadvantaged students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Besides Los Angeles, the Ford Foundation effort will focus on schools in New York, Newark, N.J., Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit and Denver."

California school boards group snubs state legislators | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

California school boards group snubs state legislators L.A. NOW Los Angeles Times:

"And the winner is ... no one.

That’s right. Nobody won this year’s Legislator of the Year Award from the California School Boards Assn. because schools suffered so much from funding cuts approved by the state Legislature that the group didn't want to single out any lawmaker for praise.

“Sure, there are some legislators who have done good things for education, and others that we admire for their efforts,” Frank Pugh, the group’s president-elect and a board member for Santa Rosa city schools, said in a release. “But for crying out loud, schools have been cut by $2,100 per student. We’d be nuts to present this award to anybody in a year when the cuts are going to have detrimental effects on an entire generation of students. We just have to draw the line somewhere.”"

California might miss swine flu inoculation goal because of vaccine shortage | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

California might miss swine flu inoculation goal because of vaccine shortage L.A. NOW Los Angeles Times:

"If H1N1 flu vaccine shortages persist, California may not be able to vaccinate those most at risk by the end of December, public health officials said today.

Health officials have said that at least 25 city and county health agencies have received less than 45% of the vaccine doses they ordered. The state's goal had been to have all 'high-risk' patients vaccinated by Dec. 31 -- but the shortage of vaccine is putting that goal in jeopardy.

“We may not be able to meet the target if the vaccine does not get here,' said Dr. Gil Chavez, epidemiologist for the California Department of Public Health.

Chavez said state officials are monitoring the problem and plan to deliver more vaccine within two weeks to the agencies with significant shortfalls. “As we move forward, we are actually able to tell who has received vaccine, who has not, and try to bring people to parity,” he said.

“We believe, by and large, that the vaccine is being given to those who should receive it,” he added.

Vaccinations for the so-called swine flue are supposed to be directed to five priority groups: pregnant women, people ages 2-24, healthcare workers, caregivers of babies under 6 months old, and people ages 25-64 with chronic health conditions that put them at increased risk of complications from the flu."

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson gets engaged - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson gets engaged - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has gotten engaged to Washington, D.C., schools chancellor Michelle Rhee.

Johnson's office confirmed the engagement in an e-mailed statement this morning. Spokesman Joaquin McPeek declined to say when or where the engagement happened. He said no wedding date has been set and the couple is planning a long engagement."

"This is an exciting time in our lives, and I feel truly blessed," Johnson said in a statement. "Michelle is an amazing person, and I could not be happier."

The Washington Post's Reliable Source blog reported Rhee, 39, was seen at a Democrats for Education Reform/DC School Reform Event Now event in downtown Washington on Wednesday with a "pretty sparkly thing on her left hand."

Johnson and Rhee have been seen holding hands at several public events in recent months, but the mayor has refused to discuss their personal relationship.

Sacramento Press / Benefit Auctioneer Raises Big Bucks for Area Non-Profits, Despite Tough Economy

Sacramento Press / Benefit Auctioneer Raises Big Bucks for Area Non-Profits, Despite Tough Economy:

"Professional benefit auctioneer David Sobon raised more than $102,000 for charitable causes in a recent three-day weekend of back-to-back live auctions—defying recent economy-driven declines in charitable contributions that have decimated many Sacrament-area non-profits.

Sobon, a partner in Maximum Benefits Auctions, presided at a live auction Friday, Oct. 16, that raised more than $25,000 for Faces of Tomorrow, a Yolo County organization that funds facial surgery for Ecuadoran children with cleft palate. A second live auction Saturday, Oct. 17, raised more than $23,000 for the Woodland Sunrise Rotary’s project to provide cooking stoves for impoverished families in Guatemala; and a third live auction Sunday, Oct. 18, raised more than $56,000 for the Susan G. Komen Sacramento Valley Affiliate."

Reliable Source - Michelle Rhee and Kevin Johnson get engaged

Reliable Source - Michelle Rhee and Kevin Johnson get engaged:

"To say that Michelle Rhee and Kevin Johnson rolled out their relationship carefully is an understatement. Last winter, the D.C. schools chief declined to say whether she and the mayor of Sacramento -- a longtime friend and close political ally -- were dating.

Not even after we saw them holding hands during the inauguration! ('I don't comment on my personal life,' she said at the time.)
But seems as though they're officially a couple now. In fact, she confirmed for us, they're engaged.

Rhee, 39, spoke Wednesday night at a Democrats for Education Reform/DC School Reform Now event downtown, and a pretty sparkly thing on her left hand caught the eye of more than one audience member. Seems fitting, since this is a relationship we've largely followed via sightings of the two at various policy-wonk confabs."

» ‘Iron Chef America’ Comes to the White House Row 2, Seat 4 « FOXNews.com

» ‘Iron Chef America’ Comes to the White House Row 2, Seat 4 « FOXNews.com:

"Set your Tivos and DVRs: the Food Network is airing a 'Super Chef Special' two-hour episode of Iron Chef America on January 3rd that will feature not only the White House Kitchen Garden but First Lady Michelle Obama and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford."

Food Network celebrity chefs Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse were in Washington last month for the special taping at the White House, confirms the First Lady's office.

In the episode, the chefs are greeted by the First Lady and are given their Super Chef Challenge: "create a meal for America using the White House Kitchen Garden's produce as their secret ingredients," announced the Food Network in a statement.

The chefs will compete in teams: Flay and Comerford versus Batali and Lagasse. Armed with their secret White House Kitchen Garden ingredients, the four chefs then head to New York to 'Kitchen Stadium' for the actual battle.

According to the Food Network statement, "each team must produce five dishes that showcase the ingredients they selected from the garden and that represent the ultimate American meal."

The battle's judges will include chef Nigella Lawson, Olympic gold medalist Natalie Coughlin; and actress Jane Seymour.
Mrs. Obama recently had 5th graders from a local school come to the Garden for a harvesting event.

Virtual schools chart new course | ajc.com

Virtual schools chart new course ajc.com:

"Representatives of five would-be virtual charter schools will file into the administrative towers of the Georgia Department of Education today to pitch their brand of public education, which lets students study at home computers in their pajamas."

Some contenders will come with national representatives from education management companies touting their records of student achievement in other states. Some will rely on the moms and dads who sit on the boards of petitioning schools to make their case.

If they’re successful, they stand to be funded just as any other Georgia public school. Some state officials, however, aren’t ready to prop open the door of school choice and let more cyber campuses in without first doing more homework on the subject.

Tuesday, the state Board of Education stifled the plans of the state’s only existing virtual charter school, which asked for the opportunity to compete for full funding from the Georgia Charter Schools Commission. The state school board tabled the request so it could study the issue.

The five newcomers, however, did not have to seek permission to petition the commission. They have bypassed traditional routes to charter authorization in Georgia, which is first seeking approval from a local school district and then, if denied, appealing to the state Board of Education. With a second charter authorizer in the state up and running, new pathways are being created for charter school hopefuls.

Bridging Differences: Simplify Everything Else, Not Kids & Subject Matter

Bridging Differences: Simplify Everything Else, Not Kids & Subject Matter:

"Dear Diane,

The absurdities you describe are on the mark and ought to kill the idea of paying teachers based on their students' test scores. But we both know the idea won't die that easily. Even the most renowned of testing experts argue that we're nowhere near being able to produce tests that can do the job of pay-by-score that folks want. I do wonder at times what 'they' think they are doing?

The trouble is that when I start down that path I see conspiracies everywhere—for example, that these schemes justify hiring inexperienced and low-paid teachers—who can do scripted test-prep as well as the next guy. It has the handy side effect of destroying solidarity which from a businessman's perspective (perhaps) is a good thing, and keeps teachers away from controversial subjects—and tightly aligned to the stuff being tested. It probably weakens unions. And finally, it paves the way for a marketplace system of schooling instead of a public one (which is then relabeled a bureaucratic monopolistic model). Of course, the latter can be true—and as you know I was an early champion of choice and increased school autonomy for just that reason—within the public sector."

Michelle Obama at "Science Bowl" "I'm like Alex Trebek" Transcript, Pool report - Lynn Sweet

Michelle Obama at "Science Bowl" "I'm like Alex Trebek" Transcript, Pool report - Lynn Sweet:

"Ten students from two Maryland middle schools held a high-stakes practice for the regional Science Bowl competition Thursday in Washington. There were no prizes on the line, just a moderator who promised to report the results of the competition to her husband - the president.

First Lady Michelle Obama hosted the practice competition in an auditorium at the Department of Energy, where longtime DoE employees made up the audience. The event was part of Obama's tour of federal agencies. The first lady was originally scheduled to visit the Department of Energy in February, but Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu, who introduced Obama, said the White House canceled her appearance at the last minute and sent a 'substitute.'

'The president did an admirable job of filling in,' Chu said to laughter. 'But today we have the real deal.'"

More report cards go online - USATODAY.com

More report cards go online - USATODAY.com:

"CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — When report cards went out for students in the Clarksville-Montgomery County school district in October, most of the 29,000-plus students did not have a printed version for their parents to sign.

That's because the district went largely paperless with its report cards for the first time, making grades available to parents with secure accounts online, says communications manager Michelle Newell.

A growing number of districts nationwide are making the change says Ann Flynn, director of education technology with the National School Boards Association."

District takes close look at co-op - Daily Democrat Online

District takes close look at co-op - Daily Democrat Online:

"While funding for the Woodland Parent Nursery School only accounts for a fraction of the about $3 million in the school district's necessary cuts for 2010-11, outcry among parents is 100 percent.

The Woodland Parent Nursery School is a 55-year-old cooperative that enables parents to work for reduced fees while playing an instrumental role in their child's education.

The preschool is overseen by the district's Adult Education program, which pays for a full-time director and teacher, amounting to $29,885 of the districts general fund.
The preschool is one of four Adult Education programs on the chopping block, equating to half a million dollars in potential cuts to the school."

Give Obama A+ for school reform ideas - CNN.com

Give Obama A+ for school reform ideas - CNN.com:

"San Diego, California (CNN) -- President Obama deserves an A+ for his agenda for education reform. His decision to nominate Arne Duncan as U.S. education secretary was inspired, and his comments on holding the system accountable are honest, refreshing and insightful.

Obama showed that again this week with a powerful speech at James C. Wright Middle School in Madison, Wisconsin.

He announced that, in the coming weeks, states would be able to compete for their share of more than $4 billion in funding through the administration's Race to the Top initiative. But in order to do that, he said, the states have to demonstrate that they're serious about increasing accountability by doing things like tearing down 'firewall laws' that prevent districts from factoring in student performance when evaluating teachers."

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?