Coaches and Parents: New Podcast Offers Youth Sports Advice from Football Great Tony Dorsett

Coaches and Parents: New Podcast Offers Youth Sports Advice from Football Great Tony Dorsett:

"Boston, MA (PRWEB) November 16, 2009 –- According to the Institute for Sport Coaching, fewer than 10 percent of the 2.5 million American volunteer coaches, and fewer than one-third of interscholastic coaches have had any type of coaching education. As these coaches and parents turn to the Internet to seek youth sports coaching advice, it’s easy to find drills and sample practices, but more challenging to find effective resources for teaching the more emotional components and values of youth sports. To fill this need, football icon Tony Dorsett discusses the life lessons he learned through sports in the third installment of Liberty Mutual's Responsible Sports Podcast Series released today at ResponsibleSports.com."

Eli Broad expands plans for his Westside museum -- latimes.com

Eli Broad expands plans for his Westside museum -- latimes.com:

"Art collector and philanthropist Eli Broad has nearly doubled the size of the museum he intends to build on the Westside for his 2,000-piece collection of contemporary art, and the cities of Beverly Hills and Santa Monica are vying to be its home.

Broad said Saturday that he isn't playing two municipalities against each other -- and he said a third city is in the running that he declined to name. He said he hopes to accelerate the process of building the headquarters for his Broad Art Foundation by talking to several cities."

Five Things the U.S. Can Learn from China - Yahoo! News

Five Things the U.S. Can Learn from China - Yahoo! News:

"All true - and all, for the most part, beside the point. After decades of investment in an educational system that reaches the remotest peasant villages, the literacy rate in China is now over 90%. (The U.S.'s is 86%.) And in urban China, in particular, students don't just learn to read. They learn math. They learn science. As William McCahill, a former deputy chief of mission in the U.S. embassy in Beijing, says, 'Fundamentally, they are getting the basics right, particularly in math and science. We need to do the same. Their kids are often ahead of ours.' (See pictures of China on the wild side.)

What the Chinese can teach are verities, home truths that have started to make a comeback in the U.S. but that could still use a push. The Chinese understand that there is no substitute for putting in the hours and doing the work. And more than anything else, the kids in China do lots of work. In the U.S., according to a 2007 survey by the Department of Education, 37% of 10th-graders in 2002 spent more than 10 hours on homework each week. That's not bad; in fact, it's much better than it used to be (in 1980 a mere 7% of kids did that much work at home each week). But Chinese students, according to a 2006 report by the Asia Society, spend twice as many hours doing homework as do their U.S. peers."

The American Spectator : No Education Silver Bullets

The American Spectator : No Education Silver Bullets:

"The Latino teens graduating from the Animo Leadership High School just outside Los Angeles probably aren't familiar with the arguments for expanding Head Start and pre-kindergarten programs offered by advocates such as Nobel Laureate James Heckman. And the Latino middle-schoolers being prepared for high school and college success by the KIPP Summit Academy in the working class San Francisco suburb of San Lorenzo aren't up to speed on attempt to link academic achievement and immigration trends offered the Manhattan Institute's Heather Mac Donald and other immigration restrictionists."

Educators wary of federal grants - Local - Modbee.com

Educators wary of federal grants - Local - Modbee.com:

"President Barack Obama is trying to overhaul public education by offering states billions of dollars in stimulus money if they improve student assessments, teacher effectiveness, collection and use of data, and support for struggling schools.

Called Race to the Top, the program provides $4.35 billion in federal stimulus money to public schools if they meet certain requirements, such as linking teacher pay to students' test scores.

The changes are drawing support from politicians — including Gov. Schwarzenegger and State Superintendent Jack O'Connell — and ire from educators, especially teacher unions."

MissionTimesCourier.com | Mission Times Courier | San Diego news, Local community news

MissionTimesCourier.com Mission Times Courier San Diego news, Local community news:

"WHEN THEY CUT…WE ALL BLEED

(Mission Times Courier, San Diego, Ca) - Associated Students (AS) is organizing a student march and rally at San Diego State University (SDSU) on Monday, November 16th from 11:50 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is being held as a protest of the State of California’s cuts to higher education with the goal of sending a strong message to the state legislature.

The slogan for the rally is “WHEN THEY CUT…WE ALL BLEED”. AS believes that students must unite and demand that their voices be heard. At the rally, AS will help facilitate this by setting up an “AS Advocacy Tent” that will give students the opportunity to register to vote, learn about and sign postcards in support of Assembly Bill 656, and by writing letters to legislators."

San Jose Unified's chief nurse sees swine flu vaccines as an education matter - San Jose Mercury News

San Jose Unified's chief nurse sees swine flu vaccines as an education matter - San Jose Mercury News:

"Melinda Landau ran her hands over the white Styrofoam cooler as though it were a treasure chest.

'Do you know what this is?' the chief nurse of San Jose Unified School District asked. 'Our first 300 doses.'

The contents of the container — the scarce and coveted H1N1 vaccine—are ready to be administered Tuesday to the students of Lowell Elementary School in downtown San Jose, the first to partake in an ambitious districtwide program intended to protect its 32,000 students against swine flu."

State cuts give private colleges an edge -- latimes.com

State cuts give private colleges an edge -- latimes.com:

"Thousands of other students might have jumped at the chance to attend UCLA, but not Michael Rodriguez. He passed up his UC acceptance last year in order to attend California Lutheran University, a less well-known but more intimate private campus in Thousand Oaks.

Rodriguez, who is happy with his choice, said one reason for the decision was a financial aid program Cal Lutheran established specifically to lure students who had been admitted to several top UC campuses. A math and physics major from San Fernando, Rodriguez also said he wanted a more personal setting with small classes and hoped to avoid the overcrowding and other problems state budget cuts are causing at UC schools."

Courts caught in state's budget mess - Capitol and California - Fresnobee.com

Courts caught in state's budget mess - Capitol and California - Fresnobee.com:

"When the state assumed full financial responsibility for the court system a decade ago, it was billed as a way of relieving pressure on county finances.

However, much like the state's shouldering the financial burden for schools, judicial centralization has created unintended consequences. In both cases, hitherto independent systems have found that shifting financial responsibility to Sacramento puts them in competition with other sectors of the state budget for increasingly limited dollars.

That's why the California Teachers Association and other school interests created an Education Coalition that wages constant war in political and legal arenas to protect its share of the state budget. And that's why judges now find themselves in the Capitol's political maelstrom – and even squabbling among themselves – as the governor and legislators whack court funds to deal with a deepening budget crisis."

Higher education collapse: Dream now a nightmare - The Reporter

Higher education collapse: Dream now a nightmare - The Reporter:

"Whatever happened to the great California dream -- the promise of a good, affordable education for every qualified, committed student? The dream that in 1960 was hammered into policy as the California Master Plan for Higher Education?

It was a farsighted document that argued that the future economic well-being of California depended upon a well-educated work force that would encourage business investment in the state, as well as drawing smart people. The list of benefits was long and, as it turned out, prophetic.

That dream is now fading. As state funds to colleges and universities have been slashed, classes and programs have been eliminated, faculty and staff have been laid off or required to take furlough days, and student fees have been raised. Even if students can afford their education, they are no longer sure they will be able to get the classes they need in a timely manner."

State officials target new teachers' effectiveness

State officials target new teachers' effectiveness:

"State school officials are proposing two new assessments - or nearly new - to measure the effectiveness of thousands of fledgling teachers in their classrooms before they become fully licensed.

Under the plan to be announced Monday at an Albany news conference, the first assessment would be administered before teachers could obtain initial state certification. The second assessment would come after teachers had spent two years on the job and would include a look at whether the teachers had raised student test scores.

Teachers would have to pass the second assessment to become permanently certified. About 25,000 teachers obtain certification statewide each year."

DonorsChoose.org To Contribute $25 Towards School Projects for Every Person

DonorsChoose.org To Contribute $25 Towards School Projects for Every Person:

"New Partnership Kicks Off American Education Week (November 16-20) with Twitter and Web Contests -- Simply Acknowledging Great Teachers With A Personal Webcam Video Can Help Fund Teacher and Public School Projects Nationwide

NEW YORK, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- My Teacher, My Hero, a social video-driven site dedicated to honoring teachers, today announced a partnership with DonorsChoose.org, an online charity that makes it easy for 'citizen philanthropists' to help public schools in need. Beginning today - to honor the kickoff of the National Education Association's American Education Week - anyone who posts a video thanking their favorite teacher on MyTeacherMyHero.com during the month of November will receive a $25 'Giving Card' from DonorsChoose.org.

The card can then be used towards a donation on the online charity site, which lists requests by schools and individual classrooms across the country for funding special projects and supplies. Just 18 uploaded videos will fully fund the average project budget of $450."

Editorial: Last resort for schools: Closure - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Editorial: Last resort for schools: Closure - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:

"What do you do when year after year after year a school continues to struggle?

You can opt for marginal change, but the school still flails.

Or you can do something dramatic to bring about fundamental change.

That's what California must do to turn around its chronically underperforming schools. It can be done. And despite resistance, some school districts already are doing it."

California Catholic Daily - “You must do something to protect your children”

California Catholic Daily - “You must do something to protect your children”:

"The San Juan Unified School District in Sacramento County is scheduled tomorrow to discuss and vote on a change that would relax an existing policy governing when students may leave campus without parental consent for “confidential medical services,” including abortions.

The San Juan Unified School District, with 49 elementary schools, nine middle schools and nine high schools, represents the latest district to consider the matter in what has become a statewide, district-by-district controversy pitting groups like Planned Parenthood and the ACLU against parental rights advocates."

Michelle Rhee an innovator, not so fast

Michelle Rhee an innovator, not so fast:

"When national newspaper columnists like Mr. Thomas L. Friedman, Mr. Nicholas Kristoff, Mr. Jonathan Capehart, and Ms. JoAnn Armao write about District of Columbia public schools, they do so from a position of intellectual arrogance. When newspaper editorial boards like those of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post publish editorials about DC public schools they do so from a distance of social deception."

While they will sit and meet with DC Mayor Adrian M. Fenty or DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee and their "reform" supporters, they seem unwilling to sit and meet with District parents and community education advocates critical of Mayor Fenty and Chancellor Rhee. Moreover, Chancellor Rhee appears willing only to preach her brand of education reform religion before faithful audiences and adoring national media. It is unfortunate even some local District reporters and news editors have resorted to selective reporting on DCPS test scores and accomplishments. Following the election of Mayor Fenty, reporting on District public education has been massive, but it has not been accurate, fair, and balanced.

Since the governance change of DCPS, Mayor Fenty and Chancellor Rhee were given great deference to implement their reform efforts free of public participation or media scrutiny. Members of the public and parents who initially gave Chancellor Rhee the opportunity to lead and to succeed began to see what she was doing and spoke out against her policies were frozen out by Chancellor Rhee and ignored by reporters and news editors. Through the misrepresentation of test scores, Chancellor Rhee was viewed as a strong willed and faultless champion of reform.

Helping kids read - South Sound - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington

Helping kids read - South Sound - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington:

"WASHINGTON – There are zero-book children, 1,000-book children, the summer slide, Early Readers, Reading First, Striving Readers, and programs, methods and studies with names and acronyms that won’t quit. It’s all part of the effort to teach the nation’s children to read.

But with state and local funding for education being squeezed, school administrators and classroom teachers are hoping a bill introduced by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., will inject some much-needed cash into what most consider the cornerstone of learning. The bill would provide nearly $12 billion for literacy programs over five years.

“The need for federal funds is critical,” said Patti Banks, superintendent of the University Place School District."

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SCUSD Observer: County will begin series of flu shot clinics at Hiram Johnson

SCUSD Observer: County will begin series of flu shot clinics at Hiram Johnson

County will begin series of flu shot clinics at Hiram Johnson

Sacramento County's series of free public clinics to distribute the vaccine against the H1N1 flu starts on Monday.

For the first two weeks, the vaccine will only be for those in priority groups-Pregnant women-Healthcare workers-Persons caring for children under 6 months of age-Children and young adults aged 6 months to 24 years-Adults aged 24-64 with underlying medical conditionsIf you plan on attending one of the free clinics, you may save time by downloading the consent form and bringing it with you.

Here is a complete schedule of the upcoming clinics:

Hiram Johnson High SchoolMonday, November 16th 3:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.6879 14th AvenueSacramento, CA 95820

Rio Linda High SchoolTuesday, November 17th 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.6309 Dry Creek RoadRio Linda, CA 95673


Loaves & FishesWednesday, November 18th 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.1321 North C StreetSacramento, CA 95814

Casa Roble High SchoolThursday, November 19th 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.9151 Oak AvenueOrangevale, CA 95662

Samuel Pannell Community CenterFriday, November 20th 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.2450 Meadowview RoadSacramento, CA 95832

Town & Country Lutheran ChurchSaturday, November 21st 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.4049 Marconi AvenueSacramento, CA 95821

First Covenant ChurchMonday, November 23rd 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.10933 Progress CourtRancho Cordova, CA 95670

La Sierra Community CenterTuesday, November 24th 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.5325 Engle RoadCarmichael, CA 95608

Scottish Rite Masonic CenterMonday, November 30th 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.6151 H StreetSacramento, CA 95819

North Highlands Community CenterTuesday, December 1st 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.6040 Watt AvenueNorth Highlands, CA 95660
Isleton Elementary SchoolWednesday, December 2nd 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.412 Union StreetIsleton, CA 95641

South Natomas Community CenterThursday, December 3rd 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.2921 Truxel RoadSacramento, CA 95833

Antelope High SchoolFriday, December 4th 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.4635 Elverta RoadAntelope, CA 95843

American River CollegeSaturday, December 5th 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.4700 College Oak DriveSacramento, CA 95841

Sheldon High SchoolMonday, December 7th 3:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.8333 Kingsbridge DriveSacramento, CA 95829

Anthony Pescetti Community Roomat City of Galt Police DepartmentTuesday, December 8th 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.455 Industrial DriveGalt, CA 95632

Burbank High SchoolWednesday, December 9th 3:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.3500 Florin RoadSacramento, CA 95823

Citrus Heights City HallThursday, December 10th 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.6237 Fountain Square DriveCitrus Heights, CA 95621

Florin High SchoolFriday, December 11th 3:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.7956 Cottonwood LaneSacramento, CA 95828

Franklin High SchoolSaturday, December 12th 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.6400 Whitelock ParkwayElk Grove, CA 95757

Mesa Verde High SchoolMonday, December 14th 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.7501 Carriage DriveCitrus Heights, CA 95621

Folsom High SchoolTuesday, December 15th 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.1655 Iron Point RoadFolsom, CA 95630

St. Rose ParishWednesday, December 16th 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.5961 Franklin Blvd.Sacramento, CA 95824

Sacramento High SchoolThursday, December 17th 3:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.2315 34th StreetSacramento, CA 95817

Encina High SchoolFriday, December 18th 3:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.1400 Bell AvenueSacramento, CA 95825

Rosemont High SchoolMonday, December 21st 3:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.9594 Kiefer Blvd.Sacramento, CA 95827

Natomas High SchoolTuesday, December 22nd 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.3301 Fong Ranch RoadSacramento, CA 95834

Robertson Community CenterMonday, December 28th 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.3525 Norwood AvenueSacramento, CA 95838

Sears - Florin Mall “Drive-Thru”Tuesday, December 29th 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.7000 65th StreetSacramento, CA 95823

St. Anthony's ChurchWednesday, December 30th 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.14012 2nd AvenueWalnut Grove, CA 95690

First Baptist ChurchMonday, January 4th 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.4401 San Juan AvenueFair Oaks, CA 95628

Elk Grove High SchoolTuesday, January 5th 3:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.9800 Elk Grove-Florin RoadElk Grove, CA 95624

Grant Union High SchoolWednesday, January 6th 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.1400 Grand AvenueSacramento, CA 95838

Sunrise Mall “Drive-Thru”Thursday, January 7th 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.6041 Sunrise (behind Sears)Citrus Heights, CA 95610

Inderkum High SchoolFriday, January 8th 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.2500 New Market DriveSacramento, CA 95835

Valley High SchoolMonday, January 11th 3:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.6300 Ehrhardt AvenueSacramento, CA 95823

Sacramento Japanese United Methodist ChurchTuesday, January 12th 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.6929 Franklin Blvd.Sacramento, CA 95823

Christ Community ChurchWednesday, January 13th 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.5025 Manzanita AvenueCarmichael, CA 95608

Sacramento City Public Safety CenterThursday, January 14th 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.5770 Freeport Blvd.Sacramento, CA 95822
County Administrative CenterFriday, January 15th 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.700 H StreetSacramento, CA 95814

Posted by Sac City Schools Observer at 7:30 AM
Labels: H1N1 vaccine, Luther Burbank High School

Pile of Empty Beer Cartons Evolves into Open Air Library | GOOD

Pile of Empty Beer Cartons Evolves into Open Air Library GOOD:

"I would love to see a community library like this in Los Angeles!

“What began as an assemblage of 1,000 empty beer cartons pulled together by residents in East Germany has now evolved into an incredible open air public library. Designed by Karo Architekten in collaboration with local residents, the grassroots project revitalizes a post-industrial district in Magdeburg, Germany by creating a cultural center and pop-up library where books are free to take and leave 24 hours a day. Opened this past June, the project introduces plenty of green space and reuses the facade of an old warehouse to beautiful effect.

Libraries and book lending are a great green practices insofar as they encourage the use of shared resources and cut down on crates of pressed tree pulp circulating the globe. They’re even better when they foster a communal spirit of sharing, as does Magdeburg’s new Open Air Library."

Educators Grow Green Schools | Edutopia

Educators Grow Green Schools Edutopia:

"Green schools are emerging around the country, and they are nothing short of spectacular. Whether built from the ground up or retrofitted, they are awash in daylight and the glow of natural wood, equipped with individualized air, light, and temperature control, and surrounded by rich landscapes designed to shade and regenerate our air and water.

Green schools cost less than 2 percent more than conventional schools to build but provide 20 times the financial benefits, according to author Greg Kats. Even in existing schools that are making smaller changes to lighten their impact on the planet, the benefits are obvious: savings in energy, water, materials, land, and transportation. In a 2006 study of 30 American schools, Kats identified an average 33 percent reduction in energy use and a 32 percent reduction in water use in green schools (as defined by the U.S. Green Building Council) when compared with conventional schools."

GradeFund

GradeFund

Starting a revolution one A at a time.

Our Mission

Our goal is to be the most important resource for students across the world to get a great education. We want students to have a friend who works tirelessly to help make a great education more affordable and more accessible. The GradeFund has also been designed to help students find jobs and internships easier as they contemplate life after school. We have taken the first small steps of a long journey to help students across the world achieve a higher level of education.

Our Values

1. Students should be rewarded for academic excellence.2. A great education should be available to all of the world's students.3. Educational resources should be deployed as efficiently as possible.4. The world needs to be better able to find the talent it needs to solve important problems.

What we do in 100 Words

Students invite their friends and family to sponsor their drive for good grades. Sponsors choose grade levels and sponsorship amounts for each grade (as low as $5). Each semester students upload their transcript. We verify grades, collect money from sponsors, and send it to schools or students depending on sponsor preferences. For individuals or companies that want to create an educational cause, they select the classes and grade levels at the universities they want to sponsor. We send the money to the eligible students who achieve the target performance levels.

Why we do it

We wanted to help all students with a service that encouraged them to pursue higher education and focus on doing well while in school. We love education and think it is the most enjoyable and enriching activity we engage in as humans. It is our hope that we can bring that passion and excitement to students across the country and the world.

Our People

GradeFund's management team includes Zachary Suchin, CEO, and Jason Schutzbank, COO. We are also pleased to have Arup Banerjee and Owen Wendland as our board members. Our team is a dedicated group of individuals seeking to aid students around the country by providing a solution that enables them to put more resources towards their education. We are passionate and always looking for others to help us spread our cause. If you have further questions for our management team please e-mail info@gradefund.com.

Secret Recipes Revealed: Demystifying the Title I Part A Funding Formulas

Secret Recipes Revealed: Demystifying the Title I Part A Funding Formulas:

"The 1965 passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act marked an increased role for the federal government in ensuring equal opportunity in education. Title I, Part A of the act is the centerpiece of this federal role in elementary and secondary education. The law authorizes substantial grants—almost $14 billion for the fiscal year that ended in 2008—to augment the education of children living in areas where low-income families are concentrated. Yet the funding formulas that determine the amount of money granted to each school district are not necessarily compatible with the law’s intent."

Flypaper: Education reform ideas that stick, from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute

Flypaper: Education reform ideas that stick, from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute:

"Posted on November 13, 2009 at 11:41 am by Jamie Davies O'Leary
Ohio keeps its word, will adopt Common Core Standards

For the last month, we’ve been wondering whether Ohio would truly adopt the NGA/CCSSO Common Core State Standards , or whether the Ohio Department of Education would forge its own path in revising academic content standards so as to meet the June 2010 deadline. The issue was one of timing, as Common Core Standards won’t be finalized until January, and this didn’t give Ohio enough time to meet its June 2010 mandate.

Given that Fordham gave Ohio a “D+” in our last State of the State Standards report, and that we think the Common Core Standards are substantially better (see our latest report, “Stars by Which to Navigate“), the possibility of Ohio reneging on the Common Core Initiative was worrisome. Emmy wrote on Flypaper:"

Read the full report: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/16391598/Stars-by-Which-to-Navigate-Scanning-National-and-International-Standards-in-2009

Thomas W. Carroll: Schumer's Role in "Race to the Top": Is the Fix In?

Thomas W. Carroll: Schumer's Role in "Race to the Top": Is the Fix In?:

"For months, rumors have circulated in New York political and educational circles that U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer has received assurances from the Obama administration that New York will receive a 'round one' grant from the highly competitive federal $4 billion Race to the Top competition for educational dollars. This could mean as much as $350 million for the cash-strapped state.

The indefatigable Schumer is the third-ranked Senator in the United States Senate, a possible successor to Harry Reid as Majority Leader (if Reid loses his tenuous re-election bid), and a linchpin for getting Obama-care through the Senate. Schumer also is very close personally to Chancellor Merryl Tisch, who views Race to the Top as a priority. So, the theory has at least surface plausibility."

Hmong charter school has culture of learning - JSOnline

Hmong charter school has culture of learning - JSOnline:

"Give me some adjectives to describe your school, the visitor asked a couple of dozen eighth-graders at the Hmong American Peace Academy one morning last week.
Peaceful, one volunteered.

Dependable, another said.

Successful.
Educational.
Fair.
Respectful.
Hard.
Supportive.

Show me a school where kids volunteer a list like that, and I'll show you a bright spot on Milwaukee's educational landscape. Which is exactly the case with this school, popularly known as HAPA.

Entering its sixth year, HAPA has a kindergarten through eighth-grade enrollment of 435, nearly twice the number when the doors first opened in 2004. That's not counting another 60 in a partner high school, International Peace Academy, that is in its second year and just beginning to grow."

Raise dropout age to 18 - The Boston Globe

Raise dropout age to 18 - The Boston Globe:

"BILLS TO raise the compulsory school age have been kicking around the State House as aimlessly as high school dropouts on graduation day. And like those dropouts, the bills will need to be nurtured carefully if they are ever to amount to anything."

Last week, the Legislature’s Education Committee held a hearing on a bare-bones-bill that would raise the dropout age from 16 to 18. Upping the age when students can leave school makes good sense - but only if lawmakers and educators focus as much on what students need to achieve success as the date on their birth certificates.

Dropping out of high school wasn’t always an irrational act. As late as the 1960s and ’70s, dropouts in Massachusetts could find decent-paying jobs in manufacturing plants. But a high school diploma is now the rock-bottom minimum requirement to establish an independent life.

The Boss - Michael Chasen Sought to Wire Education Before Dot-Com Boom - NYTimes.com

The Boss - Michael Chasen Sought to Wire Education Before Dot-Com Boom - NYTimes.com:

"WHEN I was about 10 years old, my father, an endodontist, bought a Radio Shack-brand TRS Model III computer in order to track billing. At first, it stayed in a guest bedroom that doubled as an office. Within a few months, I had moved it into my bedroom."

My friend Billy Berger and I began to write programs and were soon writing them for local businesses. We got clients by word of mouth. Working on my own in high school, I charged as much as $25 an hour for computer consulting for local companies. I was always interested in technology and knew I wanted to run my own computer company one day.

I got an undergraduate degree in computer science at American University. Then I decided to get an M.B.A. with a specialization in accounting and follow that with a law degree.

Selling Lesson Plans Online, Teachers Raise Cash and Questions - NYTimes.com

Selling Lesson Plans Online, Teachers Raise Cash and Questions - NYTimes.com:

"Between Craigslist and eBay, the Internet is well established as a marketplace where one person’s trash is transformed into another’s treasure. Now, thousands of teachers are cashing in on a commodity they used to give away, selling lesson plans online for exercises as simple as M&M sorting and as sophisticated as Shakespeare."

While some of this extra money is going to buy books and classroom supplies in a time of tight budgets, the new teacher-entrepreneurs are also spending it on dinners out, mortgage payments, credit card bills, vacation travel and even home renovation, leading some school officials to raise questions over who owns material developed for public school classrooms.

“To the extent that school district resources are used, then I think it’s fair to ask whether the district should share in the proceeds,” said Robert N. Lowry, deputy director of the New York State Council of School Superintendents.

The marketplace for educational tips and tricks is too new to have generated policies or guidelines in most places. In Fairfax County, Va., officials had been studying the issue when they discovered this fall that a former football coach was selling his playbook and instructional DVDs online for $197; they investigated but let him keep selling.

How good are schools if students can't get in?: Jarvis DeBerry | Opinions - - NOLA.com

How good are schools if students can't get in?: Jarvis DeBerry Opinions - - NOLA.com:

"Once upon a time in New Orleans, parents had a hard time enrolling their children into a good public school because a good public school was something of an endangered species.

Today, good schools are easier to spot. One might encounter them anywhere. But the difficulty parents have getting their children into a good school lingers. As becomes clear in reporter Sarah Carr's five-day series 'The Challenge of Choice,' our decentralized grouping of schools is difficult for parents and students to access.

Different schools have different application deadlines. Some schools require face-to-face meetings with parents and child during the hours most parents are working."

School choice series: High school search frustrates ambitious student

By Sarah Carr, The Times-Picayune
November 12, 2009, 1:40AM
In the face of rejection, persistence pays off Full story »
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School choice series: Grandmother struggles to navigate system

By Sarah Carr, The Times-Picayune
November 10, 2009, 10:40PM
Gathering information not always easy for working parents Full story »
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School choice series: Mother is determined to find best public pre-K

By Sarah Carr, The Times-Picayune
November 10, 2009, 5:40AM
'When he's older, he'll remember all we did to get him into a good school,' she says of her 4-year-old Full story »
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School choice series: Family works hard to find perfect fit for 12-year-old

By Sarah Carr, The Times-Picayune
November 09, 2009, 5:40AM
Father, aunts, grandmother study all the options Full story »
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School choice is a real test for parents in New Orleans

By Sarah Carr, The Times-Picayune
November 08, 2009, 1:40PM
Navigating the system, finding the right fit for their children can be a frustrating, bewildering process Full story »
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'Positive Parenting' under way | recordonline.com

'Positive Parenting' under way recordonline.com:

"Milford — Parenting isn't easy.

'With love, limits, and lots of involvement, parents can be a major influence in developing happy, healthy, and well-behaved children,' said a spokesman for Penn State Cooperative Extension, which is sponsoring a Positive Parenting workshop this month in two locations, one in Matamoras and another in Milford. 'Parenting education can be the key to building strong families.'

Positive Parenting is a university-developed parent education program providing effective parenting tools and strategies that will benefit families of infants, school-age children and teens."

Alan Pagano, Teaching and Learning: Arne Duncan and No Child Left Behind - Santa Cruz Sentinel

Alan Pagano, Teaching and Learning: Arne Duncan and No Child Left Behind - Santa Cruz Sentinel:

"For those unfamiliar with the name Arne Duncan, he is the current U.S. Secretary of Education, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. According to his resume, Duncan has had extensive experience in the development of education policy and served eight years as the CEO of Chicago Public Schools.

However, Duncan has never been a teacher, counselor or school site administrator. As a result, I am extremely skeptical of his ability to understand the challenges and constraints of local issues.

One of the secretary's most important tasks will be the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. In a previous column, I stated: The federal government instituted the No Child Left Behind legislation, which examines student achievement, provides a status category based on that achievement and if the 'school's' achievement is consistently insufficient, imposes sanctions.

In fact, the punitive nature of NCLB and the absence of a targeted focus on real student reform and change, severely undermine the proposed outcomes of the legislation."

Groups Rally Behind Cesar Chavez As Jobs Are Cut - KRDO.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News, Weather and Sports

Groups Rally Behind Cesar Chavez As Jobs Are Cut - KRDO.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News, Weather and Sports:

"PUEBLO - Job cuts at the Cesar Chavez Academy and Dolores Huerta Preparatory High School took students and staff by surprise on Friday.

NEWSCHANNEL 13 learned that several coaches were let go following the final bell on Friday. It left teams showing up for practice with nothing to do but console each other. According to sources, that upset students and staff alike because of there was such little forewarning.

The job cuts are part of a plan to make up for a $1.5 million dollar budget shortfall. It reportedly includes 29 staff members but only two teacher positions. Administrators, teachers and staff we tried to talk to all refused comment or didn't return our call. Word from the chief financial officer within the network is that they tried to make cuts that would have the least impact on the classroom"

Repeal of school reform law rejected - Bangor Daily News

Repeal of school reform law rejected - Bangor Daily News:

"Maine voters have rejected a move to repeal the state’s school district consolidation law — and they did so in convincing fashion.

With 87 percent of the state’s precincts reporting early Wednesday morning, the vote was 284,117 to 201,203 — or 58.5 percent to 41.5 percent — against repealing the law.

“We’re all very disappointed by the vote,” said Skip Greenlaw, chairman of the Maine Coalition to Save Schools, which mounted the drive to repeal the law. “I suppose when you can spend $300,000 on television ads and we had no money for ads, this is what happens. We know we were right, but a lot of people were not able to hear our message, and that’s unfortunate.”"

Pew Identifies States, Like California, in Fiscal Peril

Pew Identifies States, Like California, in Fiscal Peril:

"Washington, D.C. - 11/11/2009 - A report released today by the Pew Center on the States shows that some of the same pressures that have pushed California toward economic disaster are wreaking havoc in a number of other states, with potentially damaging consequences for the entire country. Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin join California as the 10 most troubled states, according to Pew’s analysis, 'Beyond California: States in Fiscal Peril'.

These states' budget troubles can have significant repercussions for their residents: higher taxes or fees; layoffs or furloughs of state workers; longer waits for public services; more crowded classrooms; higher college tuition and less support for the poor or unemployed. They also pose challenges for the nation as a whole. Together, the 10 states account for more than one-third of America's population and economic output. And actions taken by state governments to balance their budgets–such as tax increases and drastic spending cuts—can slow down the country's recovery."

California spends $7,500 per student and a whopping $47,000 per prisoner -- you do the math

California spends $7,500 per student and a whopping $47,000 per prisoner -- you do the math:

"California’s first rate educational system used to be the mark to meet for other states, but those days are long gone. While the powers in Sacramento have not positioned us dead last in per pupil spending – the fifth largest economy in the world does rank a paltry 47th…ahead of only Utah, Nevada, Texas and Arizona.

With more than 6.2 million students California has almost 2 million more students than the next most populous state of Texas. Running a school system of this scope and size is a daunting task and is not the only challenge California faces. The state also has the highest percentage of English learners in the nation and is close to the top in the number of students living below the poverty level."

The Signal - Santa Clarita Valley News - Let teachers teach

The Signal - Santa Clarita Valley News - Let teachers teach:

"Parents, do you know where your teachers are?

If your children attend any of the nine elementary schools within the Sulphur Springs Union School District, your child's teacher may be found performing yard duty instead of the important duties she or he is trained to provide.

This is like a symphony conductor being ordered to become a theater usher, seating all the concert guests before taking the podium to lead the orchestra."

Picture the pilot of a jumbo jet also serving as the baggage handler, or a bank president rolling pennies. You get the picture.Parents, are you aware that your child's teacher is wasting valuable classroom preparation time, parent communication time and extra student attention time on such an inappropriate chore?

If I had a child in the district, I'd be bombarding the district office with e-mail, phone calls and petitions demanding a better solution.Yes, all California schools are in a budget dilemma - but how many other districts are taking their best and brightest assets and squandering their talent?

Education for foster youth is key

Education for foster youth is key:

"Overcrowded prisons continue to be a costly issue for Californians as we struggle with a catastrophic economy and budget crisis. In recent news, we learned that the state is being ordered to cut its inmate population by 44,000. Yet little attention is given to how we got into this crisis. Yes, some have talked about the “three strikes” law and probation problems and the lack of facilities to house prisoners. But few have examined the underlying cause for why so many people are turning to a life of crime.

The answer is lack of educational opportunities. The relationship between the educational path verses the criminal path is a clear one.

Consider one subgroup: foster youth. Surveys report that well over half of California’s inmates were in the foster care system at one time. Even though 70 percent of foster youth desire a college experience, nationally only half of them even get a high school degree. Of those who do, only 3 percent end up on a university campus. Of this 3 percent, only half of them actually succeed in earning a four-year degree. The rest – 98.5 percent are underemployed at best or unemployed, with a disproportionate number on public assistance or homeless – both situations that are often a pathway to crime."

College crisis is a disaster California can't afford

College crisis is a disaster California can't afford:

"In a disaster flick that opened this weekend, supposedly based on prophecies left behind by the Maya, 2012 is the year that California will crash into the Pacific, during a swirl of cataclysmic events that reshapes the world.

Assuming that the Maya or their Hollywood interpreters weren't right and we actually survive 2012, California may face a disaster of its own making within the next 15 years or so, much quieter than the widescreen version but capable of its own form of devastation.

Call it the Education Apocalypse."

Six in 10 California community college students give up transfer plans, never making it to universities - Oroville Mercury Register

Six in 10 California community college students give up transfer plans, never making it to universities - Oroville Mercury Register:

"As California's universities cut back slots for incoming freshman, they are still touting one route to a bachelor's degree that remains wide open: Start off at a community college and then transfer to UC or CSU.

But a new analysis shows that fewer than half the students who undertake that path ever reach their goal, waylaid by financial, personal and procedural potholes.

Only 40 percent of California's degree-seeking students are ready to transfer to universities after community college, according to the state's latest annual accountability report for community colleges. Silicon Valley schools do somewhat better — with success rates that range from 48 percent at San Jose City College to 68 percent at De Anza and Foothill colleges."

Dads give babies headstart | The Courier-Mail

Dads give babies headstart The Courier-Mail:

"But increasingly research is showing that the things fathers bring to the equation can make enormous differences to their children's lives.

Dr Bruce Robinson, co-ordinator of The Fathering Project at the University of Western Australia, has spoken to thousands of fathers and father figures about ways they can engage with their children and the rewards that it brings.

'In general, mothers tend to spend their time worrying about the kids. 'Have you got clean knickers, have you eaten your vegetables, have you brushed your teeth?'. Whereas dads tend to be a bit more laid-back,' Robinson says.

'Those differences are good, so long as they are two good parts of one thing."

Homeless man has key role in Sacramento debate - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Homeless man has key role in Sacramento debate - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"Rudolph John Kraintz's gray eyes smolder as he stands outside his tent north of downtown Sacramento, rolling a cigarette with tobacco-stained fingers.

'I'm trying to work within the system, but the system is a mess!' he declares.

Scraggly, rumpled and destitute, having lived outdoors for the better part of seven years, Kraintz has become a most unlikely political force."

Rhee Says She's On The Hook For A Fenty Loss - D.C. Wire -

Rhee Says She's On The Hook For A Fenty Loss - D.C. Wire -:

"Rhee Says She's On The Hook For A Fenty Loss
If Mayor Adrian M. Fenty loses his 2010 re-election bid, he will have someone to officially blame--besides himself. D.C. Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee told an audience at the Newseum Friday afternoon that she would feel 'very responsible' if he served only one term.

The admission came at the Bloomberg Washington Summit, a day-and-half series of journalist-conducted conversations with CEOs, elected officials and assorted big thinkers. During her appearance, Washington Post editorial writer Jonathan Capehart reviewed some of the flashpoints of her eventful tenure--including school closures, central office firings and teacher layoffs--and concluded that while she's 'broken some dishes in this town and a lot of folks aren't happy' she still enjoyed the full support of the mayor who appointed her."

........Pressed for details about her recent engagement to Sacramento mayor and former NBA star Kevin Johnson, she said they would discuss a wedding date this weekend and that the imposing diamond on her finger was three carats. Of Johnson's proposal, she said only:
"I have to say it was very effective."

Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age - Day 1

Forty years after the "War on Poverty" and twenty-five years after "A Nation at Risk," a new forum has been designed to advance a new paradigm for learning by harnessing the largely untapped potential of digital media. Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age brought together 200 of the nations top thought leaders in science and technology, informal and formal education, entertainment media, research, philanthropy, and policy to create and act upon a breakthrough strategy for scaling-up effective models of teaching and learning for children.

Check out our opening night including a welcome speech from Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, opening remarks by Martha Kanter, Under Secretary of the US Dept of Ed, and a fiesty panel discussion featuring Linda Darling Hammond, Joel Klein, Mitch Kapor, Jonathan Miller and Ram Sriram.

And don't miss the final event, our keynote speech by Geoff Canada, CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone

For more about the event, please go to: http://www.google.com/events/digitalage
Category: Education

Cornucopia of Primary Sources Links: The National Archives | Ecology of Education

Cornucopia of Primary Sources Links: The National Archives Ecology of Education:

"In a fantastic session at NCSS Annual Conference, a couple of education specialists from the National Archives and Records Administration presented a small sampling of the incredible wealth of primary source materials available for free. From Nixon’s resignation letter to Regan’s landmark Berlin speech (his speaking copy!), they employed resources that can bring history alive for students of all ages."

Below are a host of links provided during the presentation.

National Archives Sites:

Digital Vaults: A rich and varied arm of the National Archives Education wing. (Mixed metaphor, just to keep you on your toes.) Lots to explore and personalize!

Pathways Challenges: Engaging mysteries at several levels of difficulty for exploring resources related to a specific theme.

Create Your Own Pathways Challenge: You can create posters, movies, and other media to engage your students in primary sources around a theme of your creation.

National Archives Education Team’s Delicious Account: Hundreds of links to primary source documents, ideas for teaching with documents, and information about education programs at the National Archives.

National Archives Education Team’s Delicious Account for National History Day: Numerous links to primary sources pertaining to National History Day.

National Archives Education Team’s Delicious Account Primary Sources: Their links to primary sources.

Archival Research Catalogue (ARC): This link will take you to the site for finding resources relevant your course of study or instruction. Deep, rich resources avaialble, as well as a student/teacher page.

US National Archives Flickr Account: Images that bring the history to life. A picture is worth a thousand words, afterall.

National Archives Videoconferences: Bring a professional into your classroom or to fauculty professional development! An opportunity only available thanks to the advent of the internet.

Collaborate with National Archives: Help them help you.

Coming Attractions: Docs Teach (still in development, but will be incredible I think!)

Teachers pick the documents and primary sources they want to use

Then, they assemble the materials on site to create multi-media lessons

Use with students (blow their minds)

Preserve for future use

Or,

Find lessons assembled by other teachers

Create variation to meet specific needs

For more information contact Dave Rosenbaum, Education Specialist (david dot rosenbaum at nara dot gov)

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."