Child abuse a national issue | Spokesman.com | Nov 14, 2009

Child abuse a national issue Spokesman.com Nov 14, 2009:

"Too often, the simple joys of a child’s life in Spokane that many of us take for granted in our own families are far beyond the reach of even our closest neighbors.

Tragically, thousands of children die each year in the U.S. at the hands of family members or others living with them. A report out this month from the Every Child Matters Education Fund shows that more than 10,000 children in the U.S. died from abuse and neglect from 2001 to 2007. Experts say that number could be as much as 50 percent higher because of varying definitions of abuse and neglect in the states, as well as inconsistent record-keeping and data-collection methodologies. Child abuse prevention leaders say this makes it almost impossible to know the real number of children experiencing abuse and neglect in America."

Safe Routes to School Report Aims to Rally State, Local Support

Safe Routes to School Report Aims to Rally State, Local Support:

"A report released this week gives results from 10 pilot projects that offer best practices and lessons learned for communities and schools wishing to tap into federal funds for developing safe biking and walking paths for students, especially in low-income areas with high crime rates."

But first, state departments of transportation must be on board, said Deb Hubsmith, director of the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, which authored the report.
“We need to ensure that state level policies are set up in such a way that they help low-income communities that are most vulnerable to childhood obesity,” she said.

But, while targeting rising rates of childhood obesity remains a key goal, more attention is being turned to keeping children safe from crime on their way to and from school.

The goal of the partnership, which launched in 2005 after the federal Safe Routes to School program was implemented as directed by current surface transportation act, SAFETEA-LU, is to help states to develop action plans and policies and allocate federal and matching state Safe Routes funds for assisting local schools in cite planning and school wellness programs.

Hubsmith added that the report, “Safe Routes to School State Network Project: Final Report, 2007-2009, Making Change Through Partners and Policies,” is designed to help states structure a Safe Routes blueprint that will trickle down to the local level and, in doing so, set a precedence nationwide.


Safe Routes to School National Partnership (SRTSNP).

CCRI is spread too thin to train 21st-century work force, report finds | Rhode Island news | projo.com | The Providence Journal

CCRI is spread too thin to train 21st-century work force, report finds Rhode Island news projo.com The Providence Journal:

"With more than 70,000 Rhode Islanders out of work, hard questions are being asked of the state’s only community college and its ability to train Rhode Islanders for 21st-century jobs.

Is the Community College of Rhode Island preparing students for jobs of the future or the jobs of the past? Is CCRI equipped to lead the state in training students for jobs in allied health, information technology, advanced manufacturing and green industries? Can the state offer the college adequate resources to do what needs to be done?

Can CCRI respond quickly enough to changing market needs?"

Seattle PostGlobe | News | Seattle | State schools chief appears ready to signal big retreat on academic requirements

Seattle PostGlobe News Seattle State schools chief appears ready to signal big retreat on academic requirements:

"Education leaders may have to wait until next Thursday to hear the details, but state Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn will likely call for a big retreat on long-planned science and math requirements for high school graduation. Well-informed education reform sources told the PostGlobe that they expect Dorn to say he wants an indefinite postponement of the science requirement.

It also appears he could ask for more than a year's delay in the requirement that students pass a standardized math test to graduate high school.

The PostGlobe confirmed that a leader of the Office of the Superintendent Public Instruction's work on the science requirements will leave the department. Mary McClellan, the science director of teaching and learning, said she is resigning over 'philosophical' differences. She didn't elaborate and an office spokesman said he could not comment on personnel matters."

Nevada out of ‘race’ for innovation funding - Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009 | 2 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun

Nevada out of ‘race’ for innovation funding - Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009 2 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun:

"It’s official: Nevada has been shut out of the “Race to the Top,” a federal grant program offering $4.35 billion to improve the nation’s public schools.

Keith Rheault, Nevada’s superintendent of public instruction, said Thursday “it’s looking pretty hopeless ... they won’t even let us come to the starting line.”

To compete for the grants, states must, among other qualifying criteria, allow the use of student test scores in the evaluation of their teachers. During a special legislative session in 2003, Nevada lawmakers passed a last-minute bill that explicitly prohibited using test data in teacher evaluations."

Who Needs Mathematicians for Math, Anyway? by Sandra Stotsky, City Journal 13 November 2009

Who Needs Mathematicians for Math, Anyway? by Sandra Stotsky, City Journal 13 November 2009:

"The statistics on U.S. math performance are grim. American eighth-graders ranked 25th out of 30 countries in mathematics achievement on the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which claims to assess application of the mathematical knowledge and skills needed in adult life through problem-solving test items.

We do better on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), whose test items are related to the content of school mathematics curricula. (Differences in participating countries aren’t significant.) But according to Mark Schneider, a former commissioner of education statistics at the Department of Education, the United States lags behind too many countries in “overall mathematics performance and in the performance of our best students.”

And achievement gaps between different student groups within the United States, Schneider says, are “about the same size or even bigger than the gap between the United States and the top-performing countries in TIMSS.”"

School junk food -- chicagotribune.com

School junk food -- chicagotribune.com:

"I am a pediatrician on Chicago's North Side and have two children who attend a Chicago Public Schools school, Inter-American Magnet. I became the chair of our school's fledgling parent nutrition committee this year.

Our committee hasn't even met once this year yet, but in trying to recruit members, I have been asked several questions by parents regarding the quality and selection of food offered at our school's breakfast and lunch."

One mom of a kindergartener told me that her child comes home with her home-packed lunch uneaten because she is bused to school and then eats Froot Loops and a doughnut for breakfast. As a parent, I rarely let my kids buy school lunch until another parent applied for and won a grant for our school that started a lunchtime salad bar.

Now my kids get salad bar twice a week and love it. (Mind you, they will not eat vegetables I pack from home.) I still do not let them eat the school lunch on other days as it is filled with what I call "carnival food": nachos, pizza, corn dogs. I have had discussions about the food selection and the point has been made that the intersection between healthy school food and food that kids will eat is very narrow.

Education reform tour stops in Baltimore -- baltimoresun.com

Education reform tour stops in Baltimore -- baltimoresun.com:

"An unlikely trio explored several Baltimore schools Friday as part of an effort to highlight education reform and challenges, and called on Maryland to give charter schools more autonomy.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich repeatedly emphasized the need for changes to the state's charter school law, which he called 'too restrictive,' as he, the Rev. Al Sharpton and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan toured three city schools and spoke with students, administrators and others about their schools - and what sets them apart.

'I hope that everybody in Maryland will call the governor, will call the legislators, and will let them know that if they want every child in Baltimore to have the chance to have a quality education ... they have to reform the charter school law,' Gingrich said, standing with Duncan and Sharpton at Hampstead Hill Academy, a neighborhood charter. 'If you have the ability to shape resources, to shape people, to focus time on the students, you really can have a dramatic impact. But to do that, you have to have a more flexible, a more creative charter law.'"

San Clemente plans for Supreme Court in free speech case | court, san, city - News - The Orange County Register

San Clemente plans for Supreme Court in free speech case court, san, city - News - The Orange County Register:

"Handbills under windshield wipers count as litter, not free speech, San Clemente officials say, and they plan to go to the Supreme Court to prove it."

A group opposed to illegal immigration recently sued the city over its ban on leafleting parked cars.

At first, the Central District Court of California sided with the city. Then in early October, 9th Circuit Court judges disagreed on appeal and put an injunction on San Clemente's law.
Now the city has begun the process to petition the Supreme Court for an appeal, which it plans to file as early as next month.

"The City Council is asking themselves, 'What are we to tell the citizens if we just eliminate our anti-littering ordinance because we don't want to be accused of violating someone's First Amendment right?'" said Ed Richards, San Clemente's attorney. "The city gets people complaining about litter all the time. It can't just abdicate its responsibility. It has to deal with this issue."

The case affects all cities in California, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii and Washington that have a similar law. On Monday, dominoes may start to fall. The Los Angeles Central District Court is scheduled to apply the injunction then, and once that happens, it becomes unconstitutional for cities in the 9th Circuit to carry out the law.

Some cities are already on the defense. One nearby city's attorney has recommended that the law be taken off the books. Other Orange County cities such as San Juan Capistrano and Laguna Woods have similar laws but have not made a decision on what they plan to do about this sticky situation.
There's another sticky factor: money.

States turn backs on millions of Race to the Top funds due to educators' concerns

States turn backs on millions of Race to the Top funds due to educators' concerns:

"Some educators won't buy Obama's Race to the Top program, and states are turning down Race to the Top funds from the U.S. Department of Education.
Why would states turn the money down?

Basically, it's because educators don't want to comply with the federal qualifications for the money.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced Thursday the finalization of an application process for the final 4.35 billion dollars."

However, about half of the states will not attempt to accomplish four major reforms to qualify for Race to the Top funds, including:
• Developing teacher evaluations that are tied to student performance,
• Streamlining the process to allow professionals in other fields to gain teacher certification,
• Increasing the number of charter or other alternative schools, and
• Developing methods to deal with failing schools.

So why haven't many states adopted these reforms, especially when the state could land extra millions of dollars?

There is the obvious fact that every time federal dollars come with mandates, they end up costing more in the long run. This alleged to be the case with No Child Left Behind, and many school districts have sued the Department of Education over this issue.

There are other reasons for states electing not to enact the reforms.

Vilsack Announces $13.4 Million in Community Connect Broadband Grants

Vilsack Announces $13.4 Million in Community Connect Broadband Grants:

"WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the selection of 22 projects in 10 states to receive $13.4 million in broadband community connect grant funds.

'The Obama Administration recognizes that modern technology is critical to the expansion of business, education, and health care services in rural areas and the competitiveness of the nation's small towns and rural communities,' Vilsack said. 'The President and USDA are committed to bringing broadband services to communities, including isolated ones, so rural residents have access to quality economic, social and educational opportunities.'

USDA Rural Development's Community Connect program provides financial assistance to furnish broadband service in unserved, often isolated, rural communities. The grants are used to establish broadband service for critical facilities such as fire or police stations, while also providing service to residents and businesses. The project must also include a community center that provides community residents with free broadband service for the first two years."

National Briefing - South - North Carolina - Cash-for-Grades Plan Principal Quits - NYTimes.com

National Briefing - South - North Carolina - Cash-for-Grades Plan Principal Quits - NYTimes.com:

"A middle school principal will retire after school district leaders halted a cash-for-grades fund-raiser she approved. The principal, Susie Shepherd, had planned to allow students to buy 20 test points for a $20 donation. School district officials stopped the fund-raiser this week, saying no students would get extra credit and any donations would be returned."

Students look beyond state - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Students look beyond state - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"The annual race to get into college has begun, and for students who want to attend California's public universities, the competition this year is going to be cutthroat.

The number of high school graduates in California is expected to peak with this year's graduating class. Despite the soaring number of potential college students, the University of California and California State University are cutting back the number of freshmen they admit."

Barrow teacher done in by anonymous “parent” e-mail about her Facebook page | Get Schooled

Barrow teacher done in by anonymous “parent” e-mail about her Facebook page Get Schooled:

"I have spent a good part of this week working on the story about Barrow County teacher Ashley Payne. Payne resigned – under pressure, she alleges — after her principal said she was going to be suspended for her Facebook postings of photos with alcohol and her use of the word “bitch.” She is now suing the system. (See earlier posting on this for more background.)

Payne posted that she was headed out to play Crazy Bitch Bingo, a popular game played weekly at Joe’s On Juniper in Atlanta.

Her photos are just standard tourist shots of Payne on vacation in Europe, sitting at pubs and beer gardens. Of 700 vacation photos, 10 had alcohol in them.

Somehow, the principal told Payne that a student had seen her Facebook page. I asked several times this week for Barrow to explain to me how it learned that a student saw the page since Payne says her buddy list does not include any parents or students. It does include fellow teachers.

Barrow officials told me a parent had brought the information to the superintendent’s attention, but the district would not release the parent’s name."

The Answer Sheet - How well do kids do research today? Should they ever look at Wikipedia?

The Answer Sheet - How well do kids do research today? Should they ever look at Wikipedia?:

"Readers had some interesting responses to yesterday’s post from high school senior Adam Turay about how unexpectedly difficult it was for him to do a research paper using books rather than the Internet.

Parents: How extensively do your children do research for school papers? Does anyone still own encyclopedias?

Teachers: What sources and how many of them do you require when you assign a research paper? Is Wikipedia acceptable as a source?

Posted by: jane100000
Adam, some would say (and I would agree) that neither conducting an on-line search nor consulting an encyclopedia counts as doing a research paper. Google and wikipedia can give a student a great start in gaining some grasp of the issues s/he is planning to address in a paper, but only reading entire chapters (or entire books) and being able to consult journal articles can get you even close to confidence that you’re not missing the boat."

State colleges accepting more nonresidents to keep up revenue - washingtonpost.com

State colleges accepting more nonresidents to keep up revenue - washingtonpost.com:

"Raechel Hanson toiled through high school to build an academic transcript strong enough for admission to the College of William and Mary, the storied 'public Ivy' in Williamsburg. She maintained a 3.9 grade-point average, played flute in the band, presided over the Spanish club and amassed more than 100 hours of community service.

It wasn't enough. She wound up 20 miles away at a less-selective state school, Christopher Newport University."

This was a particularly tough year for Virginians seeking entry to William and Mary and several other prestigious public universities because of machinations in the admissions cycle that favored applicants from outside the state.

"I spent most of my life working toward getting in at William and Mary," said Hanson, 19, of Winchester. "I thought I was of the caliber of students who would get in."

Many of the nation's top public universities accepted nonresident students in greater numbers this year, hoping to increase -- or at least sustain -- a pool of incoming freshmen who pay two or three times the tuition charged to locals. At some schools, the push for nonresidents has made it harder for residents to get in.

Teacher shortage gives way to teacher glut - USATODAY.com

Teacher shortage gives way to teacher glut - USATODAY.com:

"LAWRENCE, Kan. — When Lilli Lackey started college, talk of a growing teacher shortage gave her confidence that a job would be waiting for her when she got out.

Now, six months after graduating, she considers herself lucky just to find work as a substitute."

Across the country, droves of people like Lackey are unable to find teaching jobs, in large part because the economy is forcing school systems to slash positions. The teacher shortage that many feared just a few years ago has turned into a teacher glut.

"I always thought that if I didn't find a job, I would be able to sub. And then once that started to be more difficult, it was really kind of devastating," Lackey, an art teacher, said during a career fair for educators at the University of Kansas.

Since last fall, school systems, state education agencies, technical schools and colleges have shed about 125,000 jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

At the same time, many teachers who had planned to retire or switch jobs are staying on because of the recession, and many people who have been laid off in other fields are trying to carve out second careers as teachers or applying to work as substitutes to make ends meet.

L.A. Unified asks union to OK four furlough days this year -- latimes.com

L.A. Unified asks union to OK four furlough days this year -- latimes.com:

"Los Angeles school district officials asked union members Friday to agree to four furlough days this year and a future 12% pay cut to help offset a nearly $500-million budget shortfall next year.

Without the concessions, the district may have to lay off up to 8,500 employees this summer, according to a letter to employees from Supt. Ramon C. Cortines. L.A. Unified, the nation's second-largest district, faces nearly a $60-million deficit this year and a projected $480-million shortfall next year, and Cortines said he expects future reductions in state funding."

Teachers learn write way as penmanship returns | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Teachers learn write way as penmanship returns Houston & Texas News Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"Pencil and paper — that's what Aldine teacher Ebony Brown typically uses to help her 4- and 5-year-old students learn to write.

“It's frustrating for them,” Brown said, noting that many children come to school unable to grip a pencil properly. “They don't have fine-motor skills.”

Brown, like most teachers, never took a college course in handwriting instruction, so on Friday she joined about 60 preschool educators and occupational therapists at a workshop in Houston to gain some pointers. (The first one: Start the young kids with crayons.)

Even in the computer age, handwriting is gaining more attention these days — especially in preschool classes — in part because parents are demanding it, said Katrina Erickson, who led the “Handwriting Without Tears” session."

UC plan to raise fees breaks its own rules

UC plan to raise fees breaks its own rules:

"The University of California is expected to raise fees next week for 24 graduate programs in violation of its own policy against boosting prices higher than competing public institutions."

When it meets in Los Angeles next week, UC's governing Board of Regents is likely to raise fees for 44 graduate programs, including the 24 whose in-state fees would exceed the average price of selected degree programs at other public universities.

UC officials are aware of the violation. Instead of maintaining current fee levels, however, they will reconsider their policy - but not until next year.

"We are finding that this aspect of the policy is not workable in the current fiscal environment," said Ricardo Vazquez, a spokesman for the regents. "We intend to conduct a review of the policy in the next year.

"Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/14/BAJT1AJUT5.DTL#ixzz0WqcHGLN7

Coaches still draw big salaries | hattiesburgamerican.com | Hattiesburg American

Coaches still draw big salaries hattiesburgamerican.com Hattiesburg American:

"BERKELEY, Calif. - Jeff Tedford is a proven, program-building football coach who makes no apologies for the contract extension he landed before this season - and $2.8 million in pay he's guaranteed this year - from the University of California.

He's on board, too, with more than $430 million in planned improvements and additions to Cal's venerable Memorial Stadium.But here and elsewhere across big-time, big-budgeted college athletics, these are sensitive times."

Education Notes Online: Bogus Charges Hurt Effort to Remove Teachers Who Should Be Removed: Teacher says, "Take a lap (run)"

Education Notes Online: Bogus Charges Hurt Effort to Remove Teachers Who Should Be Removed: Teacher says, "Take a lap (run)"

....sees words twisted into asking a student to "sit on his lap." DOE turns it into sexual harassment charge and 2nd year rubber room assignment."I have something that I normally say. I say take a lap and sit on your spot.

Students are assigned floor spots. This young lady said, 'Oh, I have to sit on your lap?' and I said, 'No, you heard what I said. You'll take a lap and then sit on your spot,'" Smith said.

See NY1 report.

It is cases like these (and there are so many of them) that undermine and discredit any move to get rid of teachers who should be removed and makes all teachers did in their heels to assure their protection.Some may cast doubt on the teacher's version, but I have no doubt he is telling the truth because of the stories coming in.

Worst-case for California's budget deficit next year? $25 billion - San Jose Mercury News

Worst-case for California's budget deficit next year? $25 billion - San Jose Mercury News:

"SACRAMENTO — With high unemployment continuing to eat at California's tax revenues, and risky budget gimmicks failing to materialize, the state's deficit next year could hit a staggering $25 billion.

If worst-case scenarios hold true, several insiders who track the state's financial picture tell the Mercury News, the deficit through June 2011 would be billions higher than previous estimates.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's best-case estimate earlier this week was half that sum, at $12.4 billion. Assembly Republican leader Sam Blakeslee of San Luis Obispo floated a number as high as $20 billion during water negotiations."

Budget cuts will cripple California colleges and universities

Budget cuts will cripple California colleges and universities:

"From the 1960s to the 1990s the education system in California was second to none. People flocked to this great state so that their children not only had access to the K-12 system, but to a public university system that rivals the Ivy League.

The University of California system is a big player in the world of secondary education; however, with the recent budget cuts – and the plans for more – that may all be changing. This is a travesty and will only serve to tip the scales in the wrong direction."

California's leisurely pace may cost it from qualifying for federal schools funding - San Jose Mercury News

California's leisurely pace may cost it from qualifying for federal schools funding - San Jose Mercury News:

"While the state Assembly takes a leisurely look at education reform, California may miss its chance to compete for a share of $4.35 billion in education stimulus funds.

The federal government this week detailed how it will judge applications for Race to the Top grants, due Jan. 19. To boost its application, California must show it's serious about judging teacher and principal effectiveness, improving its data systems and turning around low-performing schools. That all requires new state laws.

However, despite a special session called by the governor, the Assembly isn't meeting and Speaker Karen Bass said she won't reconvene it until Jan. 4."

Burbank Leader > Politics

Burbank Leader > Politics:

"GLENDALE — An additional tax that could steer Glendale and Burbank school districts away from a looming funding cliff has piqued the interest of administrators, especially with the latest warning coming down from Sacramento.

A parcel tax, which recently won in Culver City and failed in Long Beach, could preserve teaching jobs, class sizes, and arts and athletic programs that might otherwise face additional cuts as state financing fails to meet budget projections.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger predicted Tuesday that there would be additional cuts in education and other funding as the state continues to grapple with a budget cap between $5 billion and $7 billion."

Sacramento Press / Grandmother fights for students' safety

Sacramento Press / Grandmother fights for students' safety:

"Located between a low-income housing project and an old industrial zone south of Broadway, Jedediah Smith Elementary and Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School, both on McClatchy Way, attract few passers-by. Before and after school, however, a swarm of students descend upon the street, which badly strains the neighborhood's infrastructure and places the children's lives at risk.

Jean Caruthers has frequently witnessed the street's poor condition. For over two years she has walked her three grandchildren to school along McClatchy Way, and has watched children jaywalk and cars drive by unsafely. 'Kids walk out, looking at their shoes, and cars go by very fast,' she said."

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Principals Won't Be Evaluated with Test Scores

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Principals Won't Be Evaluated with Test Scores:

"Remember the fuss about including school test scores as part of principals' evaluations? It looks like that is now off the table.

This week, the San Diego Unified board approved a plan to keep using the old evaluation for principals this year, before rolling out a new version that doesn't include test scores. That version was piloted by principals last spring, before the school district altered its proposed evaluation to include school performance. That proved controversial with principals, who pushed against it."

Newt Gingrich and Al Sharpton: Odd couple tackles education reform - washingtonpost.com

Newt Gingrich and Al Sharpton: Odd couple tackles education reform - washingtonpost.com:

"BALTIMORE -- On a mission from the president, these special envoys for education reform know their roles and play them well: swoop into a successful school, watch kids and teachers hard at work, ask encouraging questions, maybe slip in a partisan jab at one another for the television cameras and then marvel at how amazing it is that they have teamed up on what they call the civil rights issue of the 21st century.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, liberal Democrat, and former House speaker Newt Gingrich, conservative Republican, did all that here Friday, as they have in several other cities since September. President Obama met with them at the White House in May and urged them to go on tour to promote school innovation."

Take Action: Tell the Senate: Let the Senate Debate Begin for Real Health Care Reform.

Take Action: Tell the Senate: Let the Senate Debate Begin for Real Health Care Reform.


Tell the Senate: Let the Senate Debate Begin for Real Health Care Reform.

We are further along in the process for real health care reform today than we have ever been.

The historic House bill is truly a momentous achievement, but enormous challenges remain.

To keep the process moving forward, it is critical that the Senate start to debate its health care reform bill now. Your signature will be delivered to your senators, as well as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Educated Guess » Race to the Top criteria don’t help laggard California

Educated Guess » Race to the Top criteria don’t help laggard California:

"With the firing of the starting pistol for applying to the federal Race to the Top competition, California’s odds of winning, already low because of a lack of direction and leadership, probably grew slimmer.

Race to the Top’s four pillars of reform haven’t changed. But the feds’ priorities, as outlined in a detailed rating system, have shifted to California’s disadvantage. And other states have already moved purposefully while California has spun its wheels for months."

Those spearheading Race to the Top on behalf of the governor and superintendent of public instruction have said that the state would focus on one priority, turning the lowest achieving schools around. California certainly needs to do that; Sen. Gloria Romero’s SB 5X-1 last week, which the state Senate passed last week, would give the state more authority in that area.

SBA, Six Universities to Offer Business Training for Iraq, Afghanistan Disabled Vets | Kansas City infoZine News | USA

SBA, Six Universities to Offer Business Training for Iraq, Afghanistan Disabled Vets Kansas City infoZine News USA:

"SBA Adds New Training Tools to Increase Opportunities for Vets"

Washington, D.C. - infoZine - The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced a three-year agreement to expand and deliver entrepreneurship training for service-disabled veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.The agreement with SBA’s Office of Veterans Business Development will support the expansion of the year-long Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV).

The expansion of this innovative management training and mentorship program will maximize small business programs for veterans, service-disabled veterans, reserve-component members, and their dependents or survivors.Additionally, this week SBA launched a new online contracting tutorial on http://www.sba.gov/, as part of its ongoing efforts to expand services to veterans and service-disabled veterans.

Veterans and military spouses who own small businesses can utilize this free online course to learn how to identify and take advantage of federal contracting opportunities.

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Need for creativity in classroom

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Need for creativity in classroom:

"I was happy to see the article “I only want to enjoy my childhood, ma” by Inumella Sesikala (Open Page, Nov. 8). I liked the article very much, which is a dream of every child. Creativity of children has to come out from the classroom. Some of us had such opportunities. Our children should go to primary school only at the age of six. Till then, we have to promote creativity of the children with great teachers and an innovative classroom environment.

Yesterday, when I was reading the book Spiritual Intelligence, The Ultimate Intelligence by Danah Zohar and Ian Marshall, I came across the poem, “ The Student’s prayer.”"

The Student’s Prayer
Don’t impose on me what you know,

I want to explore the unknown

And be the source of my own discoveries.

Let the known be my liberation, not my slavery.

The world of your truth can be my limitation;

Your wisdom my negation.

Don’t instruct me; let’s walk together.

Let my richness begin where yours ends.

Show me so that I can stand

On your shoulders.

Reveal yourself so that I can be

Something different.

You believe that every human being

Can love and create.

I understand, then, your fear

When I ask you to live according to your wisdom.

You will not know who I am

By listening to yourself.

Don’t instruct me; let me be.

Your failure is that I be identical to you.”

I thought, there is a connectivity among young hearts even beyond ocean — “I only want to enjoy my childhood, ma” and “The Student’s Prayer.”

Kennedy, Hammond to introduce schools superintendent to constituents

Kennedy, Hammond to introduce schools superintendent to constituents

Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Education Vice President
Patrick Kennedy and Vice Mayor Lauren Hammond will sponsor a “meet and greet” to
introduce new SCUSD Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond to their constituents on
Monday, Nov. 16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Leonardo da Vinci Elementary School, 4701
Joaquin Way.

Raymond started as superintendent on Aug. 21. Since then, he has been on a
“listening and learning” tour and will have visited more than 60 schools. He has met with
various student, parent and community members across the district.

Raymond’s prior position was that of chief accountability officer in the Charlotte-
Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). He served there from 2006 to the present. Before joining
CMS, Raymond was president and chief executive officer at the nonprofit
Commonwealth Corporation in Boston. While there, he focused on innovative education
programs, including expanding a successful program for at-risk youth and training 16
school districts in data-driven decision making. Under his leadership, the corporation
moved from a $400,000 deficit to a surplus of $750,000 and doubled its private funding.

During his three years in Charlotte, Raymond was active in civic and community
affairs. He served on the board of directors of the Urban League of the Central Carolinas
and the Mayor’s International Council.

Raymond, a native of Newton, Mass., is married and has three children.

More Oregon students are getting math | Oregon Education - OregonLive.com

More Oregon students are getting math Oregon Education - OregonLive.com:

"Oregon math teachers have moved middle schoolers far enough ahead in math that the typical eighth-grader now can do math at nearly the same level as many high school sophomores.
Middle school students in every racial, ethnic and income group show greater mastery of mathematics -- including algebraic reasoning, statistics and geometry -- than they did three years ago.

Educators attribute much of the progress to Oregon's embracing a national recommendation to drastically scale back the number of math topics covered in each grade.

View full size At the same time, more Oregon middle schools organized teachers into teams that meet regularly to discuss their students' progress and learn from one another's teaching successes and failures"

No Child Left Behind and the Brewing Fight Over Education - US News and World Report

No Child Left Behind and the Brewing Fight Over Education - US News and World Report:

"The languishing reauthorization of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is turning lawmakers into educational Michael Corleones, pulling them back into a business many fervently wish was over. Although the landmark education law is overdue for its scheduled five-year overhaul, contentiousness left the last Congress unable to even get a bill out of committee. This year other issues like the economic recovery bill, healthcare, and the 'card check' unionization bill made it easy for Congress to put off the tough work of revamping the law."

Undeterred, after a national "listening tour" Education Secretary Arne Duncan says he wants to see a new version of the law passed early next year. Duncan's challenge is to ensure that when Congress finally does finish its work, the emphasis on underserved students, accountability, and reform are maintained.

The path to success is daunting because serious fault lines lie just below the surface of the seemingly broad support for reforming America's education system. Debate over No Child reauthorization is likely where they will spill into the open on Capitol Hill.

Because of the structure of the economic recovery act, Congress had little control over what Secretary Duncan did with key parts of the $100 billion in stimulus money dedicated to education. So far Duncan and President Obama have pleasantly surprised many observers by holding a tough line on reform. That, of course, has not endeared them to education's array of interest groups. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten recently derided Duncan's policies as "Bush III" in the Washington Post.

Teacher in a Strange Land: Brave New (Charter) World

Teacher in a Strange Land: Brave New (Charter) World:

"Let’s get biases and politics out of the way first. I am a big fan of the charter school concept—defined as the rich idea that when it comes to schooling, one size does not fit all, and big monolithic districts do not and cannot serve diverse children as well as site-directed, purpose-driven, innovative schools.

If I lived in Detroit, I would choose a magnet school or charter school for my children—and even though I live in a district with fine public schools, one of my children attended a public school and the other attended a private school. Ideologically, I’m with Dewey on this one: I want the best possible education for all children, the kind of carefully chosen options my own children had."

One more thing: I think that positioning charter schools as the opposite of public schools, rather than a necessary supplement to public education, has poisoned the discourse. And—it goes both ways. It’s not just public schools and public school teachers being skeptical (or downright nasty) in their remarks about charter schools.

Public school academies—charters—seem to be bent on repeating the worst sound bites about public schools, whether they’re strictly true or not, thereby displaying the aphorism that your mother repeated when you were seven years old: you don’t make yourself look better by tearing someone else down.

I have a number of friends now working in the charter school movement in Detroit, a city where a handful of good charter schools have begun to flourish and bear fruit. Last week, they invited me to attend a showing of “The Providence Effect,” a full-length film depicting a school success story: Providence St. Mel, a K-12 Catholic school on Chicago’s tough west side.

The Answer Sheet - Blasingame: When ‘Twilight’ author Stephenie Meyer visited my class; Why Edward Cullen & other vampires attract readers; What the next big thing is in adolescent lit

The Answer Sheet - Blasingame: When ‘Twilight’ author Stephenie Meyer visited my class; Why Edward Cullen & other vampires attract readers; What the next big thing is in adolescent lit:

"Today, I will explain why I don’t think we’ll ever see a stake driven through the heart of the young adult vampire novel (Sorry about that, but I couldn’t resist).

“New Moon” will be out soon, not a new moon, but The Twilight Saga: New Moon (the movie), and I can’t help but think back to when the book had just come out [in 2006.]
Stephenie Meyer [author of the four-book 'Twilight Saga'] was a guest in my Young Adult Literature class at Arizona State University that month (and it will be a blue moon before Stephenie can easily make public appearances like that again). She asked if we could put on the Eclipse Prom for her at ASU in a gymnasium that would look like the Forks High School gym, or at least like the gym most people would imagine as they read the book."

On Sesame Street, 'C' Is For Controversy : NPR

On Sesame Street, 'C' Is For Controversy : NPR:

"The beloved television show has been educating children for 40 years — but not without plenty of grown-up controversy. From Cookie Monster's unbalanced diet, to Elmo's bad grammar, to Grover's civil disobedience, The Week magazine explains why some days aren't sunny days on Sesame Street.

Dale Hrabi, online editorial director for The Week, walks us through the show's Top 10 Controversies.."

Listen to the Story
Talk of the Nation

Headteacher suspends pupils after being 'cyberbullied' on Facebook group attacking her dress sense | Mail Online

Headteacher suspends pupils after being 'cyberbullied' on Facebook group attacking her dress sense Mail Online:

"A headteacher has suspended three pupils after they set up a Facebook group attacking her dress sense.

Elizabeth Hitch was so incensed by comments on the social networking site that she threatened dozens of others at Beaumont School, St Albans, with disciplinary action. She then fired off letters to parents of students who had participated in the discussions, claiming that the remarks were 'offensive' and some were 'illegal.

'The education authority said that the Facebook site amounted to 'cyberbullying.'"

The drama began after a group of pupils set up a group on Facebook last week which attracted more than 200 members.

It was brought to the attention of Mrs Hitch who immediately suspended the pupils she considered to be the ringleaders.

The school also consulted with police who gave advice about how to get offensive comments removed from the website.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1227246/Headteacher-suspends-pupils-cyberbullied-Facebook-group-attacking-dress-sense.html#ixzz0WklgNKQn

Two-Year Colleges, Swamped, No Longer Welcome All - NYTimes.com

Two-Year Colleges, Swamped, No Longer Welcome All - NYTimes.com:

"Sonja Taylor applied to LaGuardia Community College this summer with every expectation of being admitted. She planned to study business, bringing her closer to her dream of owning a restaurant."

But her application arrived in August, after the college had closed the floodgates because of a surge of interest from prospective students. So Ms. Taylor, 20, became one of thousands of students shut out this fall as most of New York City’s community colleges were forced to abandon their all-are-welcome admissions policies for the first time.

“Enrollment has been growing steadily, but this was a tidal wave for us this fall,” said the college’s president, Gail O. Mellow, pointing out that the student body had risen by almost 50 percent in the past decade. “I’ve never seen anything like this. We used to pretty much be an open door.”

Historically, the city’s six community colleges, which are part of the City University of New York, have taken applications until about a week before the start of classes, allowing time for students to apply for financial aid, get immunized and register for classes.

But this year, all but one of them had to close admissions earlier.

Editorial - The ‘Highly Qualified Teacher’ Dodge - NYTimes.com

Editorial - The ‘Highly Qualified Teacher’ Dodge - NYTimes.com:

"Education Secretary Arne Duncan has been widely held in high regard since he was appointed in January, but no honeymoon lasts forever. Mr. Duncan’s came to an abrupt end earlier this week when he issued long-awaited rules that the states must follow to apply for his $4.3 billion discretionary fund, known as the Race to the Top Fund, and the second round of federal financing under the $49 billion federal stimulus package known as the state fiscal stabilization fund."

The rules for the Race to the Top Fund, which is designed to reward states that embrace reform and bypass those that do not, are generally sound and have been greeted with enthusiasm. But some school reform groups and some in Congress have reacted with dismay to the part of the stabilization fund that was supposed to require the states to end the longstanding and reprehensible practice of shunting unprepared and unqualified teachers into the schools serving the poorest students.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 was clear in requiring states to remedy situations in which high poverty schools were being disproportionately staffed by teachers who were inexperienced, unqualified or teaching in fields that they had not majored in.

The country would be much further along on the reform trail had the Bush administration followed the law. Instead, it allowed the states to define away the problem by re-labeling the existing, inadequate teacher corps as “highly qualified.”

America's Top College Professor - WSJ.com

America's Top College Professor - WSJ.com:

"Elliott West doesn't seem like the coolest guy on campus. With his tweed coat and thinning hair, he appears to be the stereotype of a studious professor, only truly at home among library stacks or in a dusty archive. But Prof. West, who teaches American history at the University of Arkansas, is in the midst of a heated public competition: He is one of three finalists in a contest that will confer a prize on the best college teacher in America. In the highest sense of the word, Prof. West is a competitive performer."

The prize itself—sponsored by Baylor University and called the Cherry Teaching Award, after the late alumnus whose donation made it possible—is one of the biggest money awards that an American professor can win ($200,000). And its measure of merit is not scholarly output but classroom performance—that crucial aspect of the teaching mission that is so often overshadowed, these days, by the arcana of specialized research and the mad race for publication and tenure.

The Cherry award seeks out college teachers who, according to both students and fellow teachers, are especially good at making clear, forceful, inspiring, knowledge-rich classroom presentations that actually help students to learn. The finalists this year include, in addition to Prof. West, Roger Rosenblatt of Stony Brook University and Edward Burger of Williams College. Each has been asked to deliver a public lecture at Baylor and another lecture on his home campus. The winner—chosen by a panel of Baylor-appointed judges—will have the privilege of spending a semester teaching at Baylor (as well as cashing that hefty award-check).

D.C. school uneasy about Rhee's plans for it - washingtonpost.com

D.C. school uneasy about Rhee's plans for it - washingtonpost.com:

"For much of the past decade, Rose L. Hardy Middle School has been a small gem in the District's public education system, a place where large numbers of sixth- seventh- and eighth-graders have found academic success.

Nearly three-quarters of its students are proficient in reading, according to last spring's standardized test. Its acclaimed fine arts and instrumental music program, built by longtime Principal Patrick Pope, draws students from across the city and has helped develop artists such as bassist Ben Williams, winner of the 2009 Thelonious Monk jazz competition."

Final Rules On Charter Schools In $4 Billion Federal Grants Criticized | AHN

Final Rules On Charter Schools In $4 Billion Federal Grants Criticized AHN:

"Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The Education Department's final rules on its 'Race to the Top' competition for states is being both praised and criticized for its de-emphasis on charter schools and student achievement to measure teacher performance.

The $4.35 billion program announced in July awards grants to states that show a record of undertaking reforms and a plan for further improvements, such raising caps or changing laws that prohibit charter schools, supporting merit pay and using student test scores to evaluate teachers, and establishing effective data systems for students. The funds are part of the $100 billion set aside for education in the administration's stimulus, or $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

But the final rules released by the Education Department on Thursday put less emphasis on the use of test scores and the expansion of charter schools. 'Multiple measures' will now be used to evaluate teachers but these measures 'includ[e] a strong emphasis on the growth in achievement of students.'"


The agency said it made the changes after reviewing comments from more than 1,100 people. "The comments helped us clarify that we want states to think through how they will create a comprehensive agenda to drive reform forward," announced Education Sec. Arne Duncan.

The changes seemed to assuage teachers.

"The Department of Education worked hard to strike the right balance between what it takes to get systemwide improvement for schools and kids, and how to measure that improvement," the American Federation of Teachers said in a statement. "Policy is made in Washington, but reform happens where students are taught-in the classroom. Race to the Top creates a real opportunity, but it will work only if all stakeholders come together to make it work."

Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7016985939?Final%20Rules%20On%20Charter%20Schools%20In%20$4%20Billion%20Federal%20Grants%20Criticized#ixzz0WkcXiGMs

A Key Step for California’s Youngest Learners | California Progress Report

A Key Step for California’s Youngest Learners California Progress Report:

"Earlier this week, early learning advocates were excited to see Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger take a critical step forward for California’s youngest learners by signing an executive order to create the California State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care.

Establishing the council is critical because it positions California to receive millions in federal funds for early education programs.

The new council will ensure efficiency, effectiveness and accountability in California’s early childhood education system. It will lead efforts to develop a high-quality, comprehensive system and strengthen state-level coordination and collaboration among California’s early learning and child care programs."