Friday, December 11, 2009

Caleb Greenwood Flapjack 5k and Short Stack Fun Runs - Sacramento, CA

The 5k (3.1 mile) course takes runners/walkers on a scenic path through the beautiful tree-lined streets of River Park. The course is paved and relatively flat with visible mile markers. Start & finish on the Camellia Avenue side of Caleb Greenwood School. One water station on the 5k course just prior to the midway mark; water and EnergyBar given to all 5k finishers.

Education Week: The Hole in 'Race to the Top'

Education Week: The Hole in 'Race to the Top':

"It seems almost peevish to criticize U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s game-changing Race to the Top plan that dangles $4 billion in new competitive-grant funding before states willing to reform their schools. But in truth, the plan has a hole that eventually will surface. Might as well be peevish now.

First, it should be conceded that Duncan has a great idea, rewarding states willing to undertake reforms such as launching high-quality charter schools (while closing bad ones) and using data to evaluate teacher effectiveness. The excitement over the plan is palpable, with states reversing laws that blocked those reforms. How often does that happen?"

Education Week: New Teacher-Evaluation Systems Face Obstacles

Education Week: New Teacher-Evaluation Systems Face Obstacles:

"Buoyed by the promise of federal funding and a burgeoning dialogue about teacher effectiveness, districts are beginning to overhaul their evaluation systems to provide more finely grained information on teacher performance.

Among the places considering, piloting, or implementing teacher-evaluation systems based at least in part on a set of performance-based standards are Ann Arbor, Mich.; Chicago; the District of Columbia; Elgin and Rockford, Ill.; Prince George’s County, Md.; and select districts in states such as Idaho, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

But as those school districts scale up their work, they face a phalanx of obstacles, the greatest of which is probably the paucity of highly regarded models to draw on."

The Educated Reporter: Which part of “PUBLIC schools” don’t you understand?

The Educated Reporter: Which part of “PUBLIC schools” don’t you understand?:

Which part of “PUBLIC schools” don’t you understand?

Major-league kudos to Michael Miner at the Chicago Reader, who writes about the culture of fear in that city’s school system that shuts out reporters—and, by virtue, the public. Reporters around the country tell me it has gotten worse for them, nowhere moreso than in districts led by big-shot reformers. There is no justification for filtering every single contact between journalists and educators through PR people, or creating a climate in which nobody feels free to talk about ... anything.

Miner writes that the head flack at Chicago schools “spoke of the value of having ‘everybody on the same page.’” Ack. I could rant pretty thoroughly about how creepy and unproductive it is to want everyone in a massive organization to be on the same page—and foray into my loathing of how “being a team player,” which principals say all the time, has come to mean “not questioning anything”—but perhaps today is the day I should start trying to blog shorter.

I’ll just say two things:

1. The “same page” climate means that only the crankiest, most out-there gadflies have the guts to question or criticize, which is not as productive as an honest dialogue among everyone.

2. Reporters should write forthrightly, in the stories themselves or on their blogs, about every roadblock they face in this regard

New speaker, but old school battle lingers - Capitol and California - Fresnobee.com

New speaker, but old school battle lingers Capitol and California- Fresnobee.com:

"The Assembly returned briefly to Sacramento on Thursday, resolved one of its internal squabbles by naming John A. Perez as its newest speaker, but then defied Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on how to respond to pressure from the Obama White House to overhaul education policy.

Assembly leaders, including the newly anointed Perez, jammed through legislation, opposed by Schwarzenegger and some education-reform groups, to qualify the state for a share of Obama administration Race to the Top financing.

The governor, who supports a measure already passed by the Senate, flatly vowed to veto the Assembly's version of the bill if it reaches his desk. 'This is Race to the Top – not race to the status quo,' he said in a statement before the Assembly session, adding, 'The Assembly bill is a step backwards, and if it reaches my desk it will be vetoed.'"

Although there were brief efforts to negotiate the differences, Assembly leaders ultimately decided to push their version through a floor vote, sending it to an uncertain fate in the Senate, which will meet next week. But even if the Senate accepts it – which seems unlikely – Schwarzenegger's veto threat still looms unless a compromise is worked out in the next week.

While it's ostensibly a disagreement over how to seek as much as $700 million in federal funds, it's really an arena for the much-broader, years-long battle over education reform, pitting the powerful California Teachers Association and most Democratic legislators against Schwarzenegger and such groups as EdVoice, a consortium of wealthy education reformers, most of whom are Democrats.

'I Care' program offers busy parents options to stay involved in their children's education | thetowntalk.com | The Town Talk

'I Care' program offers busy parents options to stay involved in their children's education | thetowntalk.com | The Town Talk:

"For Shterroca and Eric Harvey, being involved in their children's education has always been a must, but they acknowledge that it has been challenging at times."

Like many working parents, Shterroca Harvey juggles work, motherhood and other responsibilities. She said she attends her daughters' school events as much as she can, but it does not always work out.

"Last year due to my job, I missed a few things, and that makes me so sad when I can't be here, but I tried my best," said Mrs. Harvey, 33, a full-time customer service employee at a tax-preparation service company.

This year, however, the Harveys and other parents from L.S. Rugg Elementary School said they are finding innovative ways to be involved in their children's education without having to miss work.

They are participating in the "I Care" curriculum program, designed by a Georgia-based private organization, offered at the school. The program, at Rugg since 2002, helps busy parents stay involved in their children's education from home. About 13 public schools in Rapides Parish have the program.

"We are finding that parents are not able to come to the school as much as they would like to, but it is not because they don't want to be involved.

They just don't have the time, and many of our parents don't have the means to get to the school," said Rugg Principal Vickie H. Smith.

Schwarzenegger touts East Bay food program, talks tough on school reform - Inside Bay Area

Schwarzenegger touts East Bay food program, talks tough on school reform - Inside Bay Area:

"OAKLAND — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke of kindness to one's fellow man but talked tough on education reform Thursday morning during a visit to the Alameda County Community Food Bank.

The governor — in town to tout a 'Million Meals Initiative' he and his wife are championing — said he'll 'never' sign a bill that the Assembly Education Committee put forward a day earlier to meet federal requirements for winning up to $700 million in 'Race to the Top' school funds.

The Assembly was expected to vote on the bill later Thursday.

'It's not a race to mediocrity, it's a race to the top,' he said. 'We want to make sure we get a good bill out there.'"

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence.

Audit Committee: Keep the Fraud Hotline Going

Outside experts who help oversee audits and finances in San Diego Unified agreed unanimously today: Cutting the fraud hotline is a bad idea, even if it saves some money up front.

Getting rid of the hotline was one of many recommendations from an internal team that scrubbed the San Diego Unified budget to find savings as it faces down a deficit that could run up to roughly $200 million.

County Treasurer and Tax Collector Dan McAllister, who chairs the school district audit committee, said it didn't make sense to cut the hotline. Audit director Andrea Niehaus estimates that it cost $11,000 but has helped save more than it cost.

McAllister plans to give their recommendation to the school board on Friday.

-- EMILY ALPERT

Posted in Schooled, This just in on Thursday, December 10, 2009 2:10 pm. Comments (0)

Bright and Early

One of my alma maters, Academic Magnet High School in Charleston, S.C., made it onto the annual ranking of top high schools. Go Raptors! Those and other details in your daily newsblitz:

We blogged that at the third budget forum held by San Diego Unified, some parents called for a halt to testing to save money. There was no big news at the fourth meeting, but you can check out what was said at my Twitter feed.

Elk Grove Citizen : News

Elk Grove Citizen : News:

"It was change of the guard for the officers of the Elk Grove Unified School District Tuesday night as Jeanette Amavisca accepted the president’s gavel from the 2009 board president Bill Lugg.

Priscilla Cox is the board secretary and Pam Irey is the board representative to the county office of education.

With the school district’s budget on the forefront of the newly organized board minds, Jim Smrekar, athletic director, outlined a plan to retain as much of the sports program as possible for the 2010-11 school year.

A proposed volunteer play and pay plan was announced in which an athlete would pay $125 for a season. If another member of the family also participated that fee would be $100."

The Educated Guess Race to Top compromise should be doable

The Educated Guess Race to Top compromise should be doable:

"As expected, the Assembly passed its version of Race to the Top legislation Thursday, largely along partisan lines, 47-25. Even before the vote, Gov. Schwarzenegger vowed to veto the bill, saying, “It’s not a race to mediocrity, it’s a race to the top. We want to make sure we get a good bill out there.”

So what would it take to get a bill that Democrats and Schwarzenegger could live with? Probably not all that much: some word changes to Assemblywoman Julia Brownley’s ABX5-8 blended with some pieces of Sen. Gloria Romero’s SBX5-1. Specifically:

Charters: ABX5-8 got too cute in eliminating the annual cap of 100 charter schools per year. It includes gratuitous restrictions under the guise of accountability. So eliminate the language that could hinder the growth of high-performance charters and give charter leaders a say in drawing up new rules for auditing charters’ finances."

EDUCATION AT THE CROSSROADS - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

EDUCATION AT THE CROSSROADS - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.:

"Actually, there isn't one, there are three choices that anyone offering higher education
is going to have to make.

Should this be scarce or abundant?

MIT and Stanford are starting to make classes available for free online. The marginal
cost of this is pretty close to zero, so it's easy for them to share. Abundant education is
easy to access and offers motivated individuals a chance to learn.

Scarcity comes from things like accreditation, admissions policies or small classrooms.

Should this be free or expensive?

Wikipedia offers the world's fact base to everyone, for free. So it spreads.

On the other hand, some bar review courses are so expensive the websites don't
even have the guts to list the price."

Sacramento Press / Folsom Technology Group shows what’s new with Windows 7

Folsom Technology Group has a message for computer users everywhere about what the latest Microsoft Windows 7 professional operating system can do to make your life a whole lot easier. That message is that performance, reliability, simplification, and ease of use matter and it is why on Thursday the IT support service company held an “Introducing Windows 7” luncheon seminar surrounding the benefits to using this Windows operating system for your home or business computer use.

FTG Chief Information Officer Chad Peterson facilitated the seminar and outlined many of the latest features that Windows 7 users can utilize that they can’t get from older operating systems such as Windows XP or Vista. Features that include simpler data recovery, transfer of files, innovative multi-media uses, override user windows, easy downloads, record TV on your PC, faster start-up and shutdowns, as well as a host of other system features. “It’s a great way for us to connect with our customers by showing them step by step what capabilities are afforded for their business needs with Windows 7”, says Peterson.

MLA Partner Schools shows promise in turning around Manual Arts High -- latimes.com

MLA Partner Schools shows promise in turning around Manual Arts High -- latimes.com:

"It's difficult keeping track of all the reformers circling the Los Angeles Unified School District, vying to take charge of dozens of schools the district plans to spin off this year.

The school board and Supt. Ray Cortines plan to farm out operations for its 200 lowest-performing schools, in what is either a sign of new openness or an admission that L.A. Unified is incapable of raising achievement at failing schools.

Already, a handful of schools have been siphoned off by charter groups and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. So far, about all they've shown is how hard reform is."

Slowing Expansion, Harvard Suspends Work on Tower - NYTimes.com

Slowing Expansion, Harvard Suspends Work on Tower - NYTimes.com:

"BOSTON — Harvard announced Thursday that it would indefinitely suspend construction on a high-tech science complex in the Allston neighborhood of Boston because of money problems."

“The altered financial landscape of the university, and of the wider world, necessitates a shift away from rapid development in Allston,” Drew Gilpin Faust, Harvard’s president, wrote in a letter released Thursday.

As part of a larger long-term expansion into Allston — a pet project of Lawrence H. Summers, Dr. Faust’s predecessor at Harvard and now President Obama’s chief economic adviser — the university also bought a string of buildings there over the last 20 years. But many have remained vacant, to the chagrin of Allston residents who have accused the university of buying land and holding onto it, a practice known as land banking.

The four-building science center, estimated to cost at least $1 billion, was originally scheduled to be finished in 2011. Dr. Faust’s announcement comes 10 months after she announced plans to slow the pace of the project while the university assessed whether it could continue. Harvard has since disclosed that its endowment declined 27 percent from June 2008 to June 2009, to $26 billion, and the university has made several cost-cutting moves.

Teachers and schools understanding of online communications can help parental involvement

Teachers and schools understanding of online communications can help parental involvement:

"A recent report released by Becta into parent teacher relationships reveals that the vast majority (89 percent) of parents say technology could play a more powerful role in their child’s education if they better understood how to use it. Schools and teachers need to talk to pupil’s parents early on and consider what they want to see. Becta suggests that schools ask parents questions such as what technology do you use most regularly? what technology do you have access to at home? how comfortable are you, or your child, with using the technology you have? Once such questions have been answered, schools can then proceed in making communications as efficient and effective as possible."

Becta is the government agency aiming to advertise and implement the productive and innovative use of technology throughout the teaching and learning process. The Schools & Parents: A New Partnership report is part of the ‘Next Generation Learning’ campaign, which encourages the move towards online reporting by using an integrated range of technologies helping parents engage with their child’s learning.

According to the report, forty-eight percent of teachers believe that while parents are a great source of support, they dont always know the best ways to get involved with their child’s education. Forty percent of parents say they think technology could help, however they don’t fully understand the ways in which they can use it. Consequently schools need to review how they currently communicate different types of information with parents by consulting with the parents themselves and establishing whether their current form of communication is suitable.

Education bill has its critics - Education - SignOnSanDiego.com

Education bill has its critics - Education - SignOnSanDiego.com:

"SAN DIEGO — As state lawmakers approved controversial education legislation yesterday that is intended to get California into the race for federal reform funds, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan weighed in on the debate during an appearance in San Diego.

Passed by a 47-25 vote, the legislation by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, would lift the cap on the number of charter schools in California, overhaul state academic standards and target federal funding to the poorest-performing schools."

Although the legislation could make California eligible for up to $700 million in federal funds, many education reformers have criticized it as a weak effort that does little to improve the education for underachieving poor and minority children.

After speaking at the National Conference of State Legislatures in downtown San Diego yesterday, Duncan all but joined the critics. He said California has a chance to regain its long-departed status as a national leader in public education.

New Show about U.S. Success of U.S. Hispanics | Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations website and podcast

New Show about U.S. Success of U.S. Hispanics | Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations website and podcast:

"Fort Lauderdale, FL–(HISPANIC PR WIRE)–May 9, 2005–“Raza de Campeones”, the first and only Spanish-language television show that highlights the achievements and cultural values of U.S. Hispanics premiered in April. Viewers in Los Angeles, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Santa Barbara and Reno, can watch the first season of the show every Sunday during prime time. Currently, syndication negotiations take place with other local broadcast channels in the country, including Puerto Rico, to make this program available to a broader audience."

Raza de Campeones, a production of Picabú Productions, has traveled throughout the United States to meet with Spanish-speaking people that have achieved success in the arts, business, sports and other areas. Moreover, this hour long show includes a street survey about topics of general interest that reflect the lifestyles and culture of the Latin community. The show also presents a section about the Latin traditions incorporated into American culture and reports about social organizations that help Latin people in the United States.

26 Students Arrested in Protest Over Tuition Increases - NYTimes.com

26 Students Arrested in Protest Over Tuition Increases - NYTimes.com:

"SAN FRANCISCO — Twenty-six students were arrested at San Francisco State University before dawn on Thursday after some students barricaded themselves inside a building to protest budget cuts and tuition increases across the state’s public university system."

“The doors were locked with chains from the inside so police broke through a window to get in,” a university spokeswoman, Ellen Griffin, said. “We’re approaching final exams and the end of the semester, and as many as 3,200 students have classes in that building.”
On Wednesday, classes in the building were canceled after the occupation began.
Along with indignation over budget cuts, a blog listing the protesters’ demands included forgiveness of all student loans and ending the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. With demands far beyond the purview of school administrators, negotiations with the students was nearly impossible, Ms. Griffin said.

Texas lawmakers seeking fix for prepaid tuition plan | News | Star-Telegram.com

Texas lawmakers seeking fix for prepaid tuition plan | News | Star-Telegram.com:

"Texas lawmakers plan to look at college costs and tuition deregulation as they try to solve a projected billion-dollar-plus shortfall in a state prepaid college tuition plan.

The Texas House Appropriations Committee will review the Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan in the context of providing more avenues for Texans to get a college education, said state Rep. Richard Pena Raymond, D-Laredo, the committee’s vice chairman. Tuition deregulation will likely be discussed as college expenses soar during hard economic times, he said Thursday.

He said he expects recommendations by next November in preparation for the 2011 legislative session."

The Answer Sheet - The effects of tracking students in school

The Answer Sheet
- The effects of tracking students in school

The effects of tracking students in school

A new report out today makes the case that students do better in school when they are separated into groups based on their achievement.

The study is published by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, is byBrookings institute scholar Tom Loveless. It looks at tracking in Massachusetts middle schools and middle schools there that once had tracking systems but eliminated them.

Loveless found that de-tracked schools have fewer advanced students in math than do tracked schools--and that de-tracking is more popular in schools that serve disadvantaged students.

You can read the report here.

Let's discuss the issue of tracking. Please relate here--or send me attheanswersheet@washpost.com--any experiences you and your children have had with tracking and what you think about its effects.

Follow Valerie’s blog all day, every day athttp://washingtonpost.com/answersheet/

For all the Post’s Education coverage, please seehttp://washingtonpost.com/education

Class Struggle - Finally some sense about 21st century skills--part two, the Wagner book

Class Struggle
- Finally some sense about 21st century skills--part two, the Wagner book:

"My wife was enjoying a quiet flight back to Washington after a week off in California when I, sitting next to her, started thrashing around. I was reading a book, but in a way that any person would find disturbing. I was marking and remarking pages. I was filling margins with unreadable scrawls. I was flipping back and forth. I was talking to myself: 'Whoa! No! Yes!'

'What is that?' she asked.

It's a good question. The simple answer is: the latest book by school improvement activist Tony Wagner: 'The Global Achievement Gap: Why Even Our Best Schools Don't Teach the New Survival Skills Our Children Need.' Wagner is co-director of the Change Leadership Group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is also a great writer and speaker. I consider this book more of an experience than a read."

Illegal Immigrant Students Publicly Take Up a Cause - NYTimes.com

Illegal Immigrant Students Publicly Take Up a Cause - NYTimes.com

It has not been easy for the Obama administration to deport Rigoberto Padilla, a Mexican-born college student in Chicago who has been an illegal immigrant in this country since he was 6.

On Thursday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said they would delay Mr. Padilla’s deportation for one year.

Mr. Padilla’s case had seemed straightforward toimmigration agents who detained him for deportation in January after he was arrested by the Chicago police for running a stop sign and charged with driving under the influence.

But since then, students held two street rallies on his behalf and sent thousands of e-mail messages and faxes to Congress. The Chicago City Council passed a resolution calling for a stay of his deportation and five members of Congress from Illinois came out in support of his cause. One of them was Representative Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat, who offered a private bill to cancel his removal.

Obama administration officials said they would review cases like Mr. Padilla’s as they arose. They said the situation of Mr. Padilla, 21, pointed to the need for an immigration overhaul that would include a path to legal status for people in the United States illegally.

Low-performing Queens high schools face closure after poor grades on city's annual report card

Two Queens high schools that received D grades on the city's annual report card are now on the chopping block.

The city is recommending the closure of Beach Channel High School, in Rockaway Park, and the Business, ComputerApplications and Entrepreneurship High School in CambriaHeights. The Education Department announced its proposal to shutter Jamaica High School last week.

"They're not fulfilling the promise that we make to students and their families that we're going to prepare students for life beyond high school," said Deputy Schools Chancellor John White.

The final decision on whether the schools will be phased out one year at a time lies with the Panel for Educational Policy. A vote is set for Jan. 26.

Both current and former teachers ask judge to nix 'rubber rooms' for teachers booted from classroom

Both current and former teachers ask judge to nix 'rubber rooms' for teachers booted from classroom:

"The infamous�'rubber rooms' where teachers twiddle their thumbs while under investigation are unconstitutional, inhumane and even toxic, a new federal suit charges.

Six current and former teachers are asking a judge to shut down the detention centers for teachers who have been booted from the classroom.

Their lawyer, Joy Hochstadt, said terrible rubber room conditions are designed to humiliate teachers into quitting before a disciplinary hearing."

Adding Value to Discussions About Value-Added

Adding Value to Discussions About Value-Added:

"The quality of the U.S. teacher workforce is under the microscope, and rightly so. Teachers represent the most important school-based resource determining students’ academic success, and a shortage of graduates with knowledge and skills necessary to drive innovation or to command premium wages in a global economy threatens the nation’s economic prosperity. Moreover, children from low-income families and children of color are disproportionately assigned to the least effective teachers, a finding that helps explain yawning gaps between average educational outcomes of groups defined by family income or ethnicity. Broad improvements in teacher quality will thus serve the strategic goals of raising student achievement overall and reducing disparity in achievement between groups."

Editorial: Pie fight ignores economic reality - Chico Enterprise Record

Editorial: Pie fight ignores economic reality - Chico Enterprise Record:

"Our view: Everyone agrees the state's colleges need more funding. Nobody can answer where that funding should come from.

As college administrators plead their case, students protest higher fees and legislators get an earful about the state of higher education, it's safe to say there's nearly universal agreement on one thing — California's colleges are in disarray and need more funding.

Who doesn't?

Even legislators would agree that the state is reneging on its contract as written in the 50-year-old Master Plan for Higher Education. A different compact negotiated with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2004 for steady funding in exchange for predictable student-fee hikes has also been thrown out the window."

The Way Forward | California Progress Report

The Way Forward | California Progress Report:

"President Obama's latest speech on the economy and the White House's recent job summit highlight the fragility of the economy. Meanwhile, in California crippling budget cuts and a structural budget deficit have sapped the ability of the state to advance the general welfare of its citizens. Indeed, California is forecast to lag the rest of the nation in economic recovery. That is why Sacramento must take seriously a recent report by the Los Angeles Times that found evidence of billions of dollars of waste associated with the state's use of private contractors."

India Journal - South Asian News for Southern California

India Journal - South Asian News for Southern California:

"SACRAMENTO, CA - The idea to run for California’s 3rd Congressional District office occurred to Dr Amerish “ Ami” Bera about a year ago. When asked why the thought even struck him, he said it was his concern that the opportunities that he had had in this country as a youngster to exploit through access to education and hard work may not be available to the next generations. He believes that consistently, things that are the responsibilities of the Government, are being dismantled which will make it much tougher in the future to achieve a better life. Even educational institutions like Universities which, he said, should be serving the public seem to be losing sight of their mission and the public schools are getting worse by the day in California. He looked back momentarily on his medical education and could not imagine what had cost him only $ 393 a quarter has catapulted today to several thousands annually."

California assembly elects its first openly gay speaker - Politics AP - MiamiHerald.com

California assembly elects its first openly gay speaker - Politics AP - MiamiHerald.com:

"Assembly Democrats this afternoon chose Assemblyman John A. Perez as their new speaker, making the first-term Democrat the first openly gay man to hold the post.

Members emerged from a closed-door caucus at the historic Stanford Mansion to announce that Democrats had chosen Perez, of Los Angeles, on an unanimous vote.

The move came after Assemblyman Kevin de Leon agreed to bow out. A public vote on the Assembly floor is expected later this afternoon."

Duncan Visits San Diego, Pushes Education Reform | KPBS.org

Duncan Visits San Diego, Pushes Education Reform

| KPBS.org:

"SAN DIEGO — U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says the eyes of the nation are on California as Sacramento lawmakers battle to approve legislation aimed at education reform.

Duncan made those remarks during the National Conference of State Legislatures in downtown San Diego yesterday. During his address, Duncan called on legislators around the country to lead education reform by competing for federal education stimulus grants.

States will get the money if they take on reforms outlined by the Obama administration. The reforms include closing struggling schools, lifting bureaucratic roadblocks for charter schools and linking teacher pay to student test scores."

Calif Assembly passes Race to the Top package - San Jose Mercury News

Calif Assembly passes Race to the Top package - San Jose Mercury News:

"SACRAMENTO, Calif.—The California Assembly on Thursday approved a controversial package of legislation that would allow the state to compete for a piece of the $4.3 billion being offered by the Obama administration to reform the nation's worst-performing schools.

By a 47-25 vote, the Assembly approved legislation by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, that would lift the cap on the number of charter schools in California, revamp the state's academic standards and target federal funding to the worst-of-the-worst failing schools.

The legislation is intended to clear the way for California to compete in the Race to the Top program. The state is eligible for up to $700 million."

San Mateo Daily Journal

San Mateo Daily Journal:

"SACRAMENTO — The California Assembly on Thursday approved a controversial package of legislation that would allow the state to compete for a piece of the $4.3 billion being offered by the Obama administration to reform the nation’s worst-performing schools.
By a 47-25 vote, the Assembly approved legislation by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, that would lift the cap on the number of charter schools in California, revamp the state’s academic standards and target federal funding to the worst-of-the-worst failing schools.
The legislation is intended to clear the way for California to compete in the Race to the Top program. The state is eligible for up to $700 million."

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