Turlock Journal - California steps up competition for education grant

Turlock Journal - California steps up competition for education grant:

"Education cuts are coming at state governments left and right leaving local school districts with little to nothing to teach the students of the future. No one has much money and the students of America are suffering.

“It’s time to stop just talking about education reform and start actually doing it,” said President Barack Obama on Nov. 4 in Wisconsin. “It’s time to make education America’s national mission."

Daisy Lee, Galt's new superintendent, a 'team builder'

Daisy Lee, Galt's new superintendent, a 'team builder':

"Daisy Lee, currently an associate superintendent for a Modesto school district, has been named the new superintendent of the Galt Joint Union High School District after an extensive search by an outside firm. The announcement was made to staff on Nov. 13, although the board is not scheduled to officially hire Lee until its Dec. 8 meeting.

She will start Jan. 4, after wrapping up a few projects in her current position.
Nearly two years ago, Lee followed Modesto Superintendent Arturo Flores from the Sacramento City Unified School District. He recently congratulated Lee on her appointment in a letter to administrators, and told the Modesto Bee he was working on a plan to reassign her duties."

I Guess They Don't Actually Want A 2/3 Majority | California Progress Report

I Guess They Don't Actually Want A 2/3 Majority California Progress Report:

"'The 2/3 requirement that we have in this state. I know it's a tired old saw. But when you really think about, that is the cause of so much of the dysfunction in the legislature. you have a minority party that obviously worked in tandem with the governor that cost the state 6-7 billion dollars tonight for no good reason. To somehow improve your negotiating position.
It is without question the most irresponsible act that I have seen in my 15 years of public service...I hope that the significance will truly capture enough attention that the people will decide it is time to change the system that allows the minority to essentially rule the day. That's not just the Senate Republicans, it was the Governor too, who was apparently out to prove a point. And he proved a point.'"

State Senate leader casts doubt on lieutenant governor nominee Abel Maldonado | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

State Senate leader casts doubt on lieutenant governor nominee Abel Maldonado L.A. NOW Los Angeles Times:

"State Sen. Abel Maldonado’s nomination as California’s next lieutenant governor may already be in trouble.

Minutes after a Los Angeles event this morning, with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hailing the moderate Santa Maria Republican as his pick for the office, state Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) released a statement expressing “grave doubts” about the choice. Maldonado needs the approval of the Democratic-dominated Legislature to take the post."

Get Schooled | ajc.com Handing out Bibles at a high school: Why do we keep doing this in Georgia?

Get Schooled ajc.com:

Handing out Bibles at a high school: Why do we keep doing this in Georgia?

"The zest with which Georgia schools test the church-state divide never fails to stun me.

I wonder if other states grapple with this issue or is this unique to the Bible Belt?

With the threat of litigation, public schools ought to think very carefully about allowing any religious group access to students and the possible charge of proselytizing on school grounds."

L.A. Unified school choices are a confusing maze -- latimes.com

L.A. Unified school choices are a confusing maze -- latimes.com:

"Pamela Krys, who moved to Woodland Hills a year ago, made a confession during a school fair this month at Sutter Middle School in Canoga Park.

'I don't understand the points,' she said, referring to one aspect of the application process for magnet programs. 'They don't do points in Florida.'"

Understanding the points system is just one of the complications surrounding school choice in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Although its "choices" website is improving, the school system provides no central location -- online or off -- to help parents manage all their options if they don't want their children to attend their neighborhood school.

Separate programs have different application forms, processes and deadlines. Nor does the district supply some key information, such as student test scores for most magnets. Budget cuts led to the cancellation of districtwide magnet fairs, although some regional administrators have staged smaller events.

The district's "choices" application brochure offers bare-bones magnet descriptions. It does, for example, classify a magnet as a police academy or a math-science-technology program but doesn't go into detail. It also includes how many students applied last year, along with the number of openings this year.

Class Struggle - Too hard to pick the right high school

Class Struggle - Too hard to pick the right high school:

"Near the end of her struggle to find the right high school for a son who did not always share her tastes, Tracey Henley was overjoyed to discover that some of her son’s best friends had endorsed her choice, and his resistance had vanished. “So now we don’t have to forge his signature on the form, always a plus,” she said.

Where had this painful sifting of options occurred? Was it some struggling urban district? No, Henley lives in Montgomery County, like much of suburban Washington a mecca for those seeking the best in public education. Her story illustrates that in even the best possible circumstances, parents often have to work very hard to find the place that fits their child. I, like Henley, wonder if there is a better way to do this."

Sacramento Press / Hmong New Year celebration

Sacramento Press / Hmong New Year celebration:

"Thanksgiving Day usually means eating turkey. But for thousands of local Hmong, it means eating Hmong sausage, grilled pork and sticky rice while attending the Sacramento Hmong New Year celebration at Cal Expo.

More than 40,000 people are expected to attend the four-day celebration which begins Thursday and ends Sunday, said John Thao, Hmong New Year Committee board member. The board formed six years ago and consists of one representative from each of the 18 Hmong clans which make up Sacramento's community of approximately 26,000 to 28,000 Hmong. Hmong come from the mountainous regions of China and other countries Southeast Asia."

City Hall Memo - Bloomberg and Teachers Wrestle Over 4% Pay Raises - NYTimes.com

City Hall Memo - Bloomberg and Teachers Wrestle Over 4% Pay Raises - NYTimes.com

As he sought to persuade wary voters that he deserved a third term as mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg sold himself as a no-nonsense financial watchdog who was ready to swing the budget ax.

The powerful union is asking the city for 4 percent annual raises for its 87,000 teachers, the same pay increase that the Bloomberg administration gave municipal workers throughout the mayor’s second term.

A year ago, the teachers’ raises seemed inevitable. In fact, the city has already set aside enough money to give teachers 4 percent increases over the next two years.

But the economic landscape has changed drastically, and Mr. Bloomberg is grappling with a tricky question: In a severe economic downturn, can the city justify giving $700 million in raises to teachers?

The decision is rich in symbolism, and will reveal much about how Mr. Bloomberg intends to govern in his third term.

If he snubs teachers and hurts their morale, he risks jeopardizing his signature policy initiative: overhauling the city’s once-troubled schools. If he demands no serious concessions, organized labor may decide he is weak and resist his spending cuts for the next four years. If he is overly combative, he could alienate unions that paved the way for his re-election, either by endorsing him or staying neutral, as the teachers’ union did.

Chicago News Cooperative - To Pay for Longer School Days, Some Parents Try Raising Money - NYTimes.com

Chicago News Cooperative - To Pay for Longer School Days, Some Parents Try Raising Money - NYTimes.com:

"After raising $35,000 for gym mats, musical instruments and other extras last year, parents at Disney II Magnet School in Chicago now face a more daunting price tag — $100,000 — to keep their children in class an extra hour each day."

The city’s public school students have some of the shortest days in the country, as both President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan are encouraging educators to extend school time. The Obama administration is even dangling $4 billion in new education money in front of states that innovate in different areas, including class schedules.

Historically in Chicago, the conversation about extending the school day has been short. To do so for all 417,000 students in the Chicago Public Schools would cost around $280 million, said a system spokeswoman, Ana Vargas, making such a move virtually impossible at a time when the school system faces a deficit that could reach $900 million in the 2010-11 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

“Most people would absolutely say more time is better,” said Erica L. Harris, head of the school system’s Office of Extended Learning Opportunities. But, Ms. Harris added, “That conversation ends before it starts.”

The $100,000 fund-raising drive at Disney II shows how parents at one magnet school are scrambling to make it happen. The cost estimate runs to $385 per student at the 260-student school, but the hours add up to an extra month of school over the course of an academic year.

The Signal - Santa Clarita Valley News - Film bus poses possibilities

The Signal - Santa Clarita Valley News - Film bus poses possibilities:


"With a smile on his face, Clifton Parish stood in front of about 20 Bowman High School students and called on them to give him their best Facebook and MySpace poses.

“What would that look like?” Parish asked the students Tuesday as a fast-paced dance song pumped through the packed RV-sized mobile classroom parked outside the continuation high school.

The students turned to their Apple workstations and channeled their inner models — out came smiles and giggles, pouted lips, hand signs and funky poses."

Sit-in has students fearing Hotel California | theVARSITY.ca

Sit-in has students fearing Hotel California theVARSITY.ca:

"Seventy UC Santa Cruz students occupied an administrative building last Thursday after the university approved a 32 per cent increase in student fees. In June, UC’s board of regents had raised fees by 9.3 per cent effective immediately, after an earlier 10 per cent hike in the same fiscal year.

The University of California is the fourth largest public university system in the U.S. Its 10 campuses have suffered massive budget cuts, resulting in tuition hikes and reduced student services."

The Militant - December 7, 2009 -- Education and the working class

The Militant - December 7, 2009 -- Education and the working class:

"Thousands of students and workers across the University of California system are protesting the imposition of a 32 percent tuition hike and the refusal of the university to negotiate a contract with the campus workers’ union. They deserve the support of all working people.

In the current capitalist economic crisis many of the attacks on the living standard of working people are being carried out by state and city governments. Four months ago California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a “budget balancing” package that included unpaid furloughs for state workers, closing of parks, and massive cuts in health and welfare programs."

Capitalist politicians in the state—Democrats and Republicans—are preparing a new round of cuts, which they justify on the basis of a budget deficit. From the Schwarzenegger administration in California to that of Gov. David Paterson in New York this is a fake and a fraud to protect the wealthy holders of the states’ bonds. The government in California

paid out $41 million in cash in July to its bondholders, who by law are the first creditors to be paid. In June the California treasurer promised that short of “thermonuclear war” the bondholders would be paid in full.

The sweeping tuition hike at the University of California system highlights the fact that the capitalist rulers don’t think that workers need, much less have a right to, education. The broader access to a college education by the working class was a concession wrenched from the rulers by mass social struggles— most recently as part of the fight for Black civil rights in the 1960s and ’70s.

Under capitalism there can be no meaningful education. As Socialist Workers Party national secretary Jack Barnes explains in the pamphlet The Working Class and the Transformation of Learning: The Fraud of Education Reform Under Capitalism, “The purpose of education is to give ‘the educated’ a stake in thinking they are going to be different—slightly better off, slightly more white collar—than other people who work all their lives. In the process, the rulers hope to make those who manage to get a college degree more dependable supporters of the status quo.”

The opposite is the case for workers. “They need us to be obedient, not to be educated,” Barnes says.

As the U.S. capitalist rulers face the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, they aim to resolve it on the backs of working people around the world. They must roll back the social wage won by our class, from schools to Social Security to Medicare and Medicaid and to health care more broadly. This is the logic of the rule of the billionaire families, the dictatorship of capital. We must answer their dictatorship by taking political power out of their hands and establishing the dictatorship of the working majority where education is a universal right, a human activity from cradle to grave.

My View: 'Race to Top' funds would carry strings - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

My View: 'Race to Top' funds would carry strings - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:

"Beware educrats bearing gifts. The U.S. Education Department is dangling up to $500 million in 'Race to the Top' grants in front of a cash-strapped California. That has desperate legislators debating a bill that would enact certain reforms in exchange for the money. But though the reforms may be laudable, and a half-billion dollars isn't something to scoff at in tough fiscal times, some skepticism is in order."


Popular Comment

Raising the cap on charter schools is BAD idea. These charter schools are run by corporate interests with one thing in mind - hand picking their students while leaving others behind. These charter school boards are also not accountable under the Brown act and do not have to hold public meetings, therefore transparency is non exisistent. It is shameful that so called Democrats like Al Sharpton and others side with Newt Gingrich in the name of so-called choice when in fact the only thing on the agenda is to dismantle public education. This one time shot in the arm is not worth risking our public education system over. Furthermore, all you have to do is take a look at St. Hope. Hear the sound of the toilet flushing? It is the sound of 4.3 billion dollars going right down the commode in the name of reform SB x5 should be rejected by the Assembly Education in california is going to end up like being employed at wal mart low wages no benefits with no future.

-- The_Ghost_of_Belle_Cooledge

California faces $20.7 billion deficit, again | billion, california, deficit - Local News - Victorville Daily Press

California faces $20.7 billion deficit, again billion, california, deficit - Local News - Victorville Daily Press:

"SACRAMENTO • Four months after closing a $26 billion budget shortfall, California lawmakers are faced with another $20.7 billion budget gap through 2011 — and tens of billions of dollars more until revenue rebounds in 2014, according to a recent report by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.

“Our problem is, rather than making the hard decisions 18 months ago, we keep putting it off and so it only makes it that much more difficult,” said Sen. George Runner, R-Lancaster. “Hopefully we’ll just get a plain, old reality check, because we’re running out of options...”"

Educational Results Partnership Welcome

Educational Results Partnership Welcome:

"Welcome to EdResults.org

A free school improvement system
for actionable data and
best practices to raise student
achievement and close achievement gaps."

Welcome to EdResults.org A free school improvement systemfor actionable data and best practices web site -

My Word: Awful school funding formula plagues Alameda County - Inside Bay Area

My Word: Awful school funding formula plagues Alameda County - Inside Bay Area:

"CALIFORNIA'S FISCAL outlook continues to worsen.

Concern is mounting over the impact the state's budget deficit will have on education funding.

The California Teachers Association (CTA), along with state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, claims California's per-pupil funding now ranks 47th nationally. In reality, most experts agree California is around the middle of the pack when it comes to school funding, including the CTA's own parent organization, the National Education Association.

But what matters to most California parents isn't how much other states are spending — it's the results their children's school districts are getting compared to other school districts in California."

On that front, California must do better. It's not because there's too little funding. It's because the state's school financing system is illogical and inequitable.

The California School Finance Center database — a new project from the Pacific Research Institute and the Educational Results Partnership (formerly Just for the Kids-California) that compiles data from a dozen California Department of Education sources — helps shed some much-needed light on this reality.

The data show some troubling discrepancies among similar school districts.

GOODMAN: Education cuts spur student organization

GOODMAN: Education cuts spur student organization:

"California campuses have been rocked by protests this past week, provoked by massive student fee increases voted on by the University of California Board of Regents. Following a year of sequential budget cuts, faculty and staff dismissals and furloughs, and the elimination of entire academic departments, the 32 percent fee increase proved to be the trigger for statewide actions of an unprecedented scale.

As President Barack Obama's anticipated Afghanistan war strategy is soon to be announced, which, according to one leak, will include a surge of 35,000 troops, the juxtaposition of education cuts and military increases is incensing many, and helping to build a movement."

Cassidy: Elmo and Intel, helping kids learn - San Jose Mercury News

Cassidy: Elmo and Intel, helping kids learn - San Jose Mercury News:

"Anytime you recruit both Elmo and Craig Barrett to help you with a problem, you know you've got a big problem.

And so it is with the poor performance of American school kids when it comes to math, science and technology. The Obama administration this week announced that the world's most lovable Muppet and the former CEO of the world's largest chipmaker would be among those joining in a vast effort to keep the United States competitive when it comes to building the world's future."

Op-Ed Columnist - The Other Education - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Columnist - The Other Education - NYTimes.com:

"Like many of you, I went to elementary school, high school and college. I took such and such classes, earned such and such grades, and amassed such and such degrees.

But on the night of Feb. 2, 1975, I turned on WMMR in Philadelphia and became mesmerized by a concert the radio station was broadcasting. The concert was by a group I’d never heard of — Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Thus began a part of my second education.

We don’t usually think of this second education. For reasons having to do with the peculiarities of our civilization, we pay a great deal of attention to our scholastic educations, which are formal and supervised, and we devote much less public thought to our emotional educations, which are unsupervised and haphazard. This is odd, since our emotional educations are much more important to our long-term happiness and the quality of our lives.

In any case, over the next few decades Springsteen would become one of the professors in my second education. In album after album he assigned a new course in my emotional curriculum."

BBC News - War of words over teacher numbers

BBC News - War of words over teacher numbers:

"Scotland's education secretary has clashed with local authorities over a drop in the number of teachers north of the border.

The figure fell by 1,348 over the past year, a drop which was described as 'unacceptable' by Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop.

However, her claims were rejected by local authority umbrella body Cosla, which expressed 'surprise and disappointment' at her comments.

Here are their statements in full."

Half of Scotland's councils have delivered improvements in primary school class sizes.

Half have not. What is more, there has been a sharp fall in the number of teachers. That is simply unacceptable.

Letters: On retooling of education | Viewpoints, Outlook | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Letters: On retooling of education Viewpoints, Outlook Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"In response to professor Charles Meisgeier's article about the need to retool education to teach how children learn (“America must make effort to retool education system,” Page B7, Saturday), if he looked around his community he would know there is a highly reputable and successful tool right here in Houston, The Neuhaus Education Center. NEC has taught thousands of teachers a method of teaching any subject, called Multi-Sensory Training."

Ruling on D.C. Teacher Layoffs Raises Broader Issues - Teacher Beat - Education Week

Ruling on D.C. Teacher Layoffs Raises Broader Issues - Teacher Beat - Education Week:

"A Washington superior court judge has backed Chancellor Michelle Rhee in a dispute with the Washington Teachers' Union over layoffs. The union sought a preliminary injunction that would essentially have required Rhee to reinstate teachers who were laid off supposedly due to budget cuts while other legal claims worked their way through the District of Columbia school system.

In essence, the union said that Rhee hired hundreds of young teachers over the summer, more than the district could pay for, thus forcing a later need to make cuts. Because of a series of administrative rulings in the late 1990s, layoffs in D.C. are done not only by seniority but also by performance. In this case, principals laid off many veteran teachers. That precipitated protests, allegations from the WTU that Rhee was bypassing termination procedures in the contract, and hearings with the D.C. Council."

Alaska’s Rural Schools Fight Extinction - NYTimes.com

Alaska’s Rural Schools Fight Extinction - NYTimes.com:

"NIKOLSKI, Alaska — This distant dot in the Aleutian Islands needed just 10 students for its school to dodge a fatal cut from the state budget. It reached across Alaska and beyond but could find only nine."

Built by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1939, the little Nikolski School will not be the last in Alaska to close. Four others have closed this fall and at least 30 more are at risk because of dwindling enrollment; one school in remote southeast Alaska survived only by advertising on Craigslist for families with school-aged children.

“We lose one or two every year,” said Eddy Jeans, the director of school finance for the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.

As Alaska celebrates its 50th anniversary of statehood amid new political prominence and urban aspirations, it is confronting a legacy of loss in rural communities that are unlike any others in the United States.

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

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

"Despite the rainy weather, early morning start, and day-before-Thanksgiving scheduling, the CAP event with Secretary Duncan and NYC Mayor Bloomberg was standing room only. Going in it wasn’t at all clear what the actual purpose of the event was (Ed Trust’s Kati Haycock was on the panel as well). As it turned out, it was a stage for Bloomberg to make some important announcements.

Secretary Duncan’s opening speech was generally his ARRA/RTT talking points—not bad by any means, just not hot-off-the-presses new. Of note, he once again name-checked Louisiana for its strong use of data. He also said that RTT isn’t so much about states competing with one another as it is about each state building consensus within its borders for major change."

Accountable Talk: The Surgeon's Knife

Accountable Talk: The Surgeon's Knife:

"Looks like I'm going to lose my bet that the teachers' contract would be announced right before Thanksgiving. Unless you let me count Thanksgiving, 2o10.

Mayor4Life Bloomberg launched an attack on the UFT today, asking for the moon and trying to run an end-around through the state legislature. He wants to tie test scores to tenure, have the right to fire ATRs and in the event of layoffs, to get rid of teachers based on test scores rather than seniority. (All of you who believe that good teachers with high salaries won't get laid off, raise your hands.)"

Blather, Rinse, Repeat at The Core Knowledge Blog

Blather, Rinse, Repeat at The Core Knowledge Blog:

"In a debate on the Education Next website, Joe Williams of Democrats for Education Reform and Pedro Noguera of New York University wrestle with the question, “Should school reformers pay more attention to the non-academic needs of poor children?” The more pertinent question might be which of the two groups Williams and Noguera speak for–the Education Equality Project (Williams) and the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education (Noguera)–is paying attention to the academic needs of poor children. Based on the evidence, it’s hard to say."

CN&R > Local Stories > California meltdown > 11.26.09

CN&R Local Stories California meltdown 11.26.09:

"The meltdown went positively volcanic this week, as UC students by the thousands protested steep tuition hikes, dozens were arrested, and we learned the state again faced a huge budget deficit that would last for at least five years.

Nov. 11: The Sacramento Bee reports that, according to the Pew Center on the States, nine other states are facing “some of the same pressures that have pushed California toward economic disaster.” With California, they represent one-third of the nation’s population and economic output.

Nov. 12: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger warns that the state budget deficit could swell to more than $14 billion, and that deeper spending cuts will be needed to close it."

Mulgrew challenges Bloomberg’s get-tough tactics on tenure | GothamSchools

Mulgrew challenges Bloomberg’s get-tough tactics on tenure GothamSchools:

"WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United Federation of Teachers is indicating it will resist Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s effort to judge city teachers based on their students’ test scores beginning this year.

“When we see an actual proposal in writing we will take appropriate action,” Mulgrew said in an emailed statement. “The new state Commissioner of Education says the state tests are a broken measurement. Are these the tests the Mayor wants to use as a tool to evaluate teachers?”"

Mulgrew also specifically challenged Bloomberg’s effort to make changes that could also made through the teachers union contract, which the union and the city are currently negotiating.

“These issues could have been — and still could be — resolved with better management and hard work, not legislation,” Mulgrew said. “His other proposals deserve thoughtful review by the Legislature, which has demonstrated appropriate skepticism in the past about mayoral initiatives like the failed West Side stadium plan and congestion pricing.”

But Bloomberg’s speech today was a strong signal that the mayor could try to bypass talks with the union and go directly to the state legislature to achieve his goals. The mayor also offered another get-tough tactic: A threat to sue the state if the legislature does not eliminate the charter school cap, which limits the number of those schools permitted to 200.

Council Member David Sander Voices Concerns to Board over School Closures — The Rancho Cordova Post

Council Member David Sander Voices Concerns to Board over School Closures — The Rancho Cordova Post:

Council Member David Sander sent a letter to the FCUSD board, urging them to delay their decision until they have a more complete understanding of their situation. The contents of letter were sent in an email from Save Cordova Lane, an organization of parents who are campaigning to keep their school open."

Board Members:

I’m writing to share some concerns about the elementary school closure proposal that you will be hearing and deciding on Thursday evening.

As you know, it is THE major goal of Rancho Cordova to improve the quality of life in our community, making up for years of decline before our incorporation as an independent city.

Your proposal to close two of our elementary schools obviously does not assist us in seeking this goal of improving our community. Closed school are by their very nature a blight on a community. There has been a good deal of speculation that a closed school could be used for some other purpose, and I agree that it may be possible — eventually. It is extremely unlikely however the City of Rancho Cordova or the Park District will find the resources necessary to do so. These will be empty campuses, damaging our neighborhoods and our property values and our morale and image.

I have many concerns about these proposed closures, and I’d like to address a few of the to you in writing:

Process Concerns

My biggest concern about this proposal is the process I’ve observed to date. Within a very short period of time, less than one month, my community has been asked to accept the closure of two elementary schools. We have been given no real alternatives which make this proposal sound more like an ultimatum than a community and school district decision. Meetings have been held at the same time as City Council meetings — and while public participation has been robust the public has not had much time to assess and make recommendations on this proposal.

I don’t see any reason for this rush to decision. Surely, last year such a study could have been made if the case is so strong for closure. Or the year before that. Why now, and why require a board decision in such a short period of time? This feels like a rush to judgement – or a deliberate attempt to limit public review of the decision. Either way, not a good process. Our community hasn’t had time to reflect on it, understand it, or balance it with any other priorities. If there was a deadline – why wait so long to talk about this?

False Choice?

I can understand your fiscal position – you have very significant cuts to make — but I haven’t, and my community hasn’t seen an analysis of what your other options are. What we see is a choice of choosing one neighborhood disaster or a different neighborhood disaster — it feels like a false choice.

We need to know what the real alternatives are. School athletics have also been held out as an option for cuts, along with class size increases, limits on electives, etc. – but none directly offered as an alternative to these closures. If the decision is not to close schools, then what’s the next option? What can parents and school staff do to increase efficiency and stretch existing dollars? Asking us to choose our poison without demonstrating that it is absolutely necessary is presenting my community with a false choice.

Big Picture

Rancho Cordovans also need a picture of the situation larger than just our end of the district. Many of my constituents are now saying something to the effect of – “Great – they close two Rancho Cordova Schools, and therefore don’t have to make similar cuts in Folsom!”. We need an answer to these sorts of points. Is any of the closed-school equipment (paid for by Rancho Cordova taxpayers only) going to be shipped to Folsom? Where are the commensurate cuts occurring only on the Folsom end of the District?

If school closures are the best means of balancing the budget – why only propose closing two? Wouldn’t four save twice as much money and therefore be better? We need to see the big picture situation and the full options to answer these questions. Why wasn’t this studied in previous years when real alternatives could have been discussed? It would be far easier to have this discussion if we knew that a charter or magnet school would be coming to our community as a result of the closure – that could be a net benefit rather than this proposed pure loss.

Metrics

Why close the large higher scoring schools and move the students to smaller lower performing schools? We seem to be punishing success and rewarding relative failure with these choices. Wouldn’t it make more sense to put the lowest scoring schools higher on the hit list? Why are test scores and ratings not under consideration? These metrics are a very big deal for us in Rancho Cordova where our school test scores are a major source of problems for our real-estate values and economic development. We know the District is capable of producing higher scores, and we’re patiently waiting for them — but closing the higher-scoring schools is a step in the wrong direction.

Recommendation

My recommendation for School Board Members is that you delay your decision until such time as you have real alternatives and a real choice in front of you. Wait until you can answer the questions posed here, and until you have scrubbed the budget in total and have a complete plan. Wait until you can be sure of the big picture, and our community has time to understand your situation and to work with you for better solutions.

A rushed decision taken now is likely to be a very poor decision. None of us can afford that.

Sincerely,

David M. Sander, Ph.D.
Councilman, City of Rancho Cordova

Coming to a Voting Booth Near You... | California Progress Report

Coming to a Voting Booth Near You... California Progress Report:

"Unless the weak array of other candidates sucks Dianne Feinstein into the race for governor – you can take that verb in several ways, all descriptive – the most important decision for voters next year may not be the Tweedle-dee vs. Tweedle-dum run for governor.

It could be the contest over one or several of the 76 initiatives – yes 76 -- that may appear on the same ballot. Some are promising. Some are awful. Some are initiatives voters have rejected before, in some cases not long ago, that seem to be designed largely to harass and force opponents to spend resources they could otherwise spend in other ways."

Feinstein told Channel 5 in San Francisco earlier this month that her decision on the governor’s race will depend on “what precise programs are put forward by various candidates to handle what is a very serious structural budget deficit in this state…It's of major consequence and California is in considerable distress, and there have to be reforms."

Given what we know now about the candidates, she’s in.

California Can’t Help Itself | California Progress Report

California Can’t Help Itself California Progress Report:

"Indulge me for a minute while I talk California state politics. I swear there’s a lesson for everyone…
John Garamendi, the state’s Lieutenant Governor, won election to Congress earlier this month. Arnold Schwarzenegger has the opportunity to appoint a replacement, who must then be confirmed by the Senate. He named that replacement last night on the Jay Leno Show (I’m sure announcing a Constitutional officer in state politics did wonders for Jay’s ratings): a guy named Abel Maldonado."

This is important for one big reason. There are 26 districts out of 40 in the California state Senate which have major Democratic registration advantages. And there are two swing districts. Because of the insane 2/3 rules to pass a budget or raise taxes, Democrats need 27 votes on the most important pieces of legislation. And they even hold one of the swing districts. But they’re two votes short of a 2/3 majority right now because of two seats in the central part of the state, held by Republicans Jeff Denham and…Abel Maldonado.

If Democrats didn’t botch a recall effort against Denham and actually run somebody against Maldonado in 2008, they might have that 2/3 majority already. But Denham is termed out next year, and there’s already a credible Democratic candidate expected to win that seat. So Maldonado getting the LG position and vacating his seat sets Democrats up to win 2/3 in the Senate, without too much trouble.

Ranking Maldonado – A Review of Scorecards | California Progress Report

Ranking Maldonado – A Review of Scorecards California Progress Report:

"Announcing his pick for Lieutenant Governor on the Jay Leno show last night, Governor Schwarzenegger said this about Senator Abel Maldonado “He’s a terrific, loyal man that has worked very hard in public service. But he’s also into bipartisanship and post partisanship, so he can cross the aisle. He makes decisions based on what’s best for the people rather than what’s best for the party.”"


A review of legislative scorecards prepared by organizations across the ideological spectrum shows that Senator Maldonado gravitates somewhat closer to the center than most of his Republican colleagues. These scorecards rank lawmakers on votes cast for or against the organization’s position on a range of bills in the organization’s issue areas. (In several cases 2009 scorecards are not yet available so we looked at 2008 scorecard).

The California Labor Federation gave Maldonado a failing grade of 29% on key labor votes cast in 2008. In contrast, the California Chamber of Commerce’s 2009 scorecard gave Maldonado an 85% pro-business voting record.

The Consumer Federation of California gave Senator Maldonado a 2009 score of 64% on consumer protection bills, and the Congress of California Seniors’ 2009 scorecard gave him a grade of 58% on senior citizen issues. Both were failing grades, but the highest achieved by a Republican lawmaker.

Bloomberg to Klein: use student data in tenure decisions this year | GothamSchools

Bloomberg to Klein: use student data in tenure decisions this year GothamSchools:

"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The city’s Department of Education will use student test scores in teacher tenure decisions this year, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced this morning.

Speaking at the Center for American Progress, Bloomberg asked Schools Chancellor Joel Klein to follow a new interpretation of the state law that bans the use of student performance in tenure decisions. The law only applies to teachers hired after July 1, 2008, Bloomberg said. Teachers up for tenure this year, who were hired in 2007, are not subject to the rule, according to this interpretation, and so will be evaluated using their students’ test score progress as a factor."

voiceofsandiego.org

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled...

This is your last newsblitz for the week before I head up to the Alpert family homestead. Drive safe, be thankful and don't overdose on the cranberry relish:

We blog that the teachers union in San Diego Unified won http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2009/11/24/this_just_in/972workload112409.txt a controversial rule to limit workloads. It had proved one of the toughest issues at the bargaining table between the union and the school district, with critics fearing that the rule would hamstring principals and schools from making changes. Bargaining is still continuing over other issues, nearly a year and a half after teachers' last contract was due to expire.

The Union-Tribune reports that a state appellate court ruled that part of a settlement with a former MiraCosta College president was an illegal expenditure of public money, defying a lower court ruling. You might remember this as part of Palmgate and its aftermath.

The UT also reports on the different ways that schools are handling Thanksgiving, including taking it as an opportunity to teach kids more about American Indian cultures.

Revisit class-size limits -- OrlandoSentinel.com

Revisit class-size limits -- OrlandoSentinel.com:

"Fed up with subpar schools and do-little lawmakers, state voters in 2002 took matters into their own hands.

Relying on promises that leaner classrooms would spur wide-ranging benefits and reform Florida's troubled schools, voters passed Amendment 9. The measure set mandatory class-size limits into constitutional cement.

Parents hailed its approval as a crowning feat, while others predicted a crushing folly. Florida TaxWatch, a respected financial watchdog group, said passing Amendment 9 would be a 'blunder of major fiscal proportions.'

Seven years later, that warning is coming true."

eGov monitor - A Policy Dialogue Platform | Promoting Better Governance

eGov monitor - A Policy Dialogue Platform Promoting Better Governance:

"Despite a general improvement in education and training performance in the EU, progress is too slow, which means that the majority of the reform targets set for 2010 will not be reached.
The economic downturn underlines the urgency of reform and continuous targeted investment in education and training systems to meet core economic and social challenges. These are the main conclusions from two reports on the progress of education reforms and European co-operation presented by the European Commission today.

The European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, Maroš Šefčovič, said: “ Education reforms in the EU have come a long way, but we must not lose momentum now. In particular, we need more and better investment in education and training, so that Europeans are better prepared to find jobs, and to increase our ability to innovate in the long term.”"

Healing the World, One School at a Time | Cover Story | Jewish Journal

Healing the World, One School at a Time Cover Story Jewish Journal:

"When Robyn Ritter Simon first checked out Canfield Avenue Elementary School for her sons in 1995, she didn’t like what she saw.

Test scores weren’t stellar. The school grounds needed improvement. And in the heavily Jewish Pico-Robertson area of West Los Angeles, where the public school is located, hardly any Jewish families were sending their kids. Ritter Simon’s eldest son would have been one of few white children — and even fewer Jewish children — in his class."

But while other mothers in her Beverlywood neighborhood were budgeting for private school, Ritter Simon and a group of friends went to work fixing up the school and wooing local families back to the campus. Over a nearly 10-year period, the “Beverlywood Moms” stumped for the school at neighborhood gatherings, organized house meetings and successfully recruited hundreds of local Jewish families back to Canfield. Today, the school her peers once shunned is “an anchor of the neighborhood,” Ritter Simon said, and that enthusiasm has caught on elsewhere.

“We really galvanized parents about public education, which ended up improving elementary schools throughout the Westside,” she said.

Now the group’s model for revitalizing Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) schools is graduating from elementary school to that place that still causes many Jewish parents to bite their nails in anxiety: middle school. And, for the first time, some major Jewish institutions are joining the effort.

Labor Voices: Did Michigan's budget cuts imperil federal education funds? | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Labor Voices: Did Michigan's budget cuts imperil federal education funds? detnews.com The Detroit News:

"In the debate over the federal Race to the Top program, we've heard politicians and pundits argue over money -- and who's to blame if we don't get the dollars we're all hoping for.
What we haven't heard is how Michigan might have already blown any chance at grant money anyway.

As much as the Michigan Education Association would welcome millions of dollars in federal money, our state's draconian budget cuts have put us at a disadvantage compared with other states that invest in their schools."

In a conference call with reporters last Thursday, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan issued a warning for states like Michigan. While acknowledging that times are tough, Duncan said one of his chief criteria for Race to the Top grants would be whether states make education a priority during tight budget years.

If states -- like Michigan -- cut education spending, Duncan said he would ask a simple question.

"Did those cuts help students in the classroom, or did they benefit adults?" The answer, he said, would be a major evaluation tool in this process.

That does not bode well for Michigan schools

A dollar a day per resident could save the California college dream - San Jose Mercury News

A dollar a day per resident could save the California college dream - San Jose Mercury News:

"The University of California now says it will ask state legislators for $913 million more next year than it received in this year's budget. The California State University system will ask for an increase of $884 million.

These requests come as public college and university tuition and other fees are climbing to levels that will soon approach those of top private campuses. What's more, despite the universities' requests, any likelihood of higher education getting more money next year seems like a pipe dream when estimates of next year's state budget deficit range from $7 billion to $24 billion, figures so daunting they helped spur the resignation of the state's finance director, who admits he considered ways to put California into bankruptcy last spring."

LAUSD to halve its local offices - LA Daily News

LAUSD to halve its local offices - LA Daily News:

"In a concession to unions, Los Angeles Unified Schools chief Ramon Cortines said Tuesday he will eliminate half the number of local district offices he helped create a few years ago in a bid to reduce next year's deficit of nearly $500 million.

But Cortines said savings from the move will amount to just $12 million, and tougher cutbacks, including layoffs, will have to be made to balance the budget.

'There is no way to avoid cuts,' Cortines said at a special budget meeting called to inform the school board about the district's worsening financial outlook.
'We have less state and federal money and fewer students ... the district has to adjust.'"