Friday, January 15, 2010

The Educated Reporter: Sneaking up to the third rail.

The Educated Reporter: Sneaking up to the third rail.:

"Sneaking up to the third rail.

If a ratio were calculated of how much something is griped about in private to how little in public, nothing in the education world would score higher than the 100 percent proficiency provision of No Child Left Behind. So many people think the goal is impossible, yet nobody in elected office says that publicly. Which poor child do you want to not achieve?

States are supposed to increase their proficiency targets over time until 2014, when schools and districts must hit 100 percent in order to make adequate yearly progress. It is no secret that states have tried to backload improvement targets so that they increase as little as possible, as late as possible. But trying to ditch the 100 percent altogether? That takes a whole other level of moxie."

State system could get Phila. campus | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/14/2010

State system could get Phila. campus | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/14/2010:

"Pennsylvania higher-education officials are in talks with Mayor Nutter's office about opening a state university campus in Philadelphia, state and city officials confirmed yesterday.

'It is something we would be interested in participating in,' said Kenn Marshall, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, which oversees 14 universities, including West Chester and Cheyney.

System chancellor John Cavanaugh said shortly after starting the job in 2008 that he planned to explore the idea to help Nutter boost the city's college-degree attainment rate, one of Nutter's inauguration goals."

State may force schools to lend it $1B | StarTribune.com

State may force schools to lend it $1B | StarTribune.com:

"In a sign of the gravity of the state's fiscal crisis, Minnesota budget officials may force public school districts to loan the state money so that it can continue paying its bills.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty's administration could withhold nearly $1 billion in state aid payments to public schools through May, to ensure the state's checkbook doesn't run dry, under a plan unveiled Wednesday at a legislative committee meeting."

Unlikely group teams up on sex education - Salt Lake Tribune

Unlikely group teams up on sex education - Salt Lake Tribune:

"Talk about odd bedfellows.

An unlikely group of lawmakers and organizations has come together to pitch a bill this session to change sex education in Utah. It's a bill that has a Republican senator, a Democratic representative, the Planned Parenthood Action Council (PPAC) and the state PTA working together.

'It's just turned into the most amazing process where people are working together on both sides of the aisle to make sure we're doing whatever we can to make sure our kids have information to keep them safe,' said Melissa Bird, executive director of PPAC.

Now, state law allows educators to teach students about contraceptives, but it prohibits 'advocacy or encouragement' of their use, leading some educators to avoid the topic out of fear of accidentally crossing the line. Sen. Stephen Urquhart's bill, now in draft form, would remove that prohibition and instead require teachers to talk about the limitations and benefits of contraceptives and the importance of parental guidance in such matters."

Passing rates decline on South Jersey high school tests | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/15/2010

Passing rates decline on South Jersey high school tests | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/15/2010:

"The passing rates of three-quarters of South Jersey's high schools dropped in state math tests last year, while nearly a third of the schools saw declines in language-arts scores, according to data released yesterday by New Jersey education officials.

Fifteen out of 60 South Jersey high schools increased their passing rate on the state's math performance test in 2009, down from 39 schools that improved the year before.

On the high school language-arts test, which, like math, is administered to 11th graders, 29 schools improved in 2009, while 31 saw proficiency-rate decreases. In 2008, only 13 schools had increased passing rates."

Study: 'Choking game' more popular with rural kids - NYPOST.com

PORTLAND, Ore. — A new report found that teens in rural areas and those with substance abuse issues or increased mental health risk factors were more likely to take part in the “choking game.”

The dangerous practice involves choking each other to get a feeling of euphoria.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Thursday released the results of the survey done in Oregon.

It suggests that about one out of every 20 eighth-graders in the state has taken part.

More than a third of nearly 8,000 students from 114 Oregon schools who responded to the survey question about the choking game said they had heard about it.

And almost 3 percent of those responding said they had helped someone, while about 6 percent said they had participated themselves.

School dazed: The Race to the Top is on. But Texas isn’t at the starting line | Editorial | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

School dazed: The Race to the Top is on. But Texas isn’t at the starting line | Editorial | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

School dazed

Race to the Top is on. But Texas isn’t at the starting line

"Across the country, states are passing laws, trying to whip their education systems into shape to compete for grants from a new federal program, Race to the Top, intended to reward educational innovation. Texas might have been able to win as much as $700 million for its cash-strapped schools. But we aren't at the starting line. In fact, we're unlacing our shoes.

It's especially strange because Race to the Top is intended to encourage states to reform their schools in ways that Texas pioneered. Standards-based testing? We've done it for years. Charter schools? We launched them before they were cool. Holding teachers and principals accountable for students' performance on those tests? Merit bonuses are nothing new for the Houston Independent School District. (If HISD could apply for Race to the Top money by itself, independent of Texas, its competitors would tremble.)"

The Answer Sheet - Tell us how MLK inspired you

The Answer Sheet- Tell us how MLK inspired you

Tell us how MLK inspired you

The national holiday that celebrates the life and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King is on Monday. To mark the day, The Post is asking all of you to tell us how Dr. King inspired you. In a video response, please tell us which words of his are most memorable to you and why, or tell us in your own words how he has affected your life. Follow the directions below, and check out what others have produced.

Best education blogs for 2010

Here we go. My blogging Post colleague Valerie Strauss of The Answer Sheet and I realize the weight of our decisions on the best education blogs for this year. These choices will undoubtedly alter the course of the Internet. We sought a mix of the serious and the sublime. We disqualified the legendary ed blogs we already display in the margins of our own blogs.

We divvied up the descriptions, but we both endorse every selection. I said earlier this week, as the excitement mounted, that once you have reviewed our choices, you are obliged tell us where we went wrong. There is always next year.

Continue reading this post »

Education | Governor shares plan for school reform | Seattle Times Newspaper

OLYMPIA — Gov. Chris Gregoire has a long list of education reforms she'd like the Legislature to approve to set Washington up to compete for federal Race to the Top dollars, including a plan to put experienced teachers on probation after several years of poor evaluations.

The governor's K-12 education-policy adviser, Judy Hartmann, presented the plan on Thursday to a group of lawmakers and community leaders gathered to talk about the federal initiative that promises to distribute $4.3 billion to states that embrace school reform.

The governor's plan also includes:

• Extending the probationary period of teachers from two years to three

• Approving the new school-accountability plan from the State Board of Education

EducationNews.org - A Leading Global News Source - Schools prepare to deal with sudden arrivals from Haiti

EducationNews.org - A Leading Global News Source - Schools prepare to deal with sudden arrivals from Haiti:

"Public schools in Miami-Dade and Broward counties plan to open their doors to children arriving from Haiti.

South Florida school districts say they will be ready for the potential influx of Haitian children following this week's earthquake.

The impact on local schools could be significant -- especially if charities move forward with plans to bring thousands of orphaned children to South Florida.

The Miami-Dade school district has already drawn up a specific plan, which includes:

• Establishing three different locations for students needing to attend school. Children will be screened and tested, and given age-appropriate lessons in Haitian Creole. They'll also have access to psychological and support services.

• Readying 320 traditional schools for any new students who may show up for classes."

HISD moves ahead on policy to fire teachers over test scores | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

HISD moves ahead on policy to fire teachers over test scores | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"One of every 300 teachers in the Houston school district was fired for poor performance last year — a number likely to rise under a new policy to hold them more liable for student achievement.

The district's superintendent, Terry Grier, said there's no “magic number” of teachers who should be ousted in a given year, but suggested that the school district's rate seems low given some academic shortcomings.

Last school year, 36 teachers out of nearly 12,000 — about 0.3 percent — were fired for performance reasons, according to data from the Houston Independent School District.
“Quite frankly, if we were that good, why do 100,000 of our kids read below grade level?” Grier said.

The school board on Thursday gave initial approval to a policy that allows the district to dismiss teachers whose students consistently perform below expectations on standardized tests. The change represents a move to make personnel decisions based more on student learning instead of relying solely on principals' classroom observations of teachers."

Michigan must stop its bankrupting ways | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Herbert Stein, President Richard Nixon's chief economic adviser and father of actor Ben Stein ("Ferris Bueller's Day Off"), coined a saying that applies to what ails Michigan. Stein's Law says, "If something cannot go on forever, it will stop." In other words, no one needs to take action; the trend will halt by itself.

Stein's Law poses a challenge for Michigan, where the state's political leaders for too long have avoided making tough and necessary reforms and instead fought to sustain the unsustainable.

An example is the failure to address the out-of-control pension and health care costs of state government, public schools and local governments. These items aren't financially sustainable even in good economic times -- and the state has been stagnating or in recession for almost a decade.

The state's current obligation for health care benefits for state and school employees alone stands at $40 billion. This does not take into account the billions of unfunded pension obligations that the state Constitution protects.

Klein reverses elimination of schools’ rainy-day funds | GothamSchools

Klein reverses elimination of schools’ rainy-day funds | GothamSchools:

"A week after informing principals that they would be prohibited from saving extra money this year to pad next year’s sure-to-be-slim budget, Chancellor Joel Klein has reversed his decision.

In an e-mail sent to principals this morning, Klein said the city’s budget office had figured out how to let principals roll money forward to next year after all. Only schools whose budgets meet criteria “to prudently set aside money” will be allowed to do so, Klein said.

The reversal puts back on the table a key strategy that many principals use to reduce the impact of imminent budget cuts. About half of principals managed to save money during the 2008-2009 school year, together rolling over $95 million into this year’s budget. The funds mitigated against the 5 percent budget cut announced last May."

Throwing the Race: Assembly must not wreck charter schools and lose federal aid

Throwing the Race: Assembly must not wreck charter schools and lose federal aid:

"With just days to go before the Legislature must pass education reforms for New York to have a shot at up to $700 million in federal Race to the Top aid, fears are mounting that Albany is about to attempt a destructive bait-and-switch con.

The issue is charter schools. Education Secretary Arne Duncan made clear he will deny money to states that limit the growth of these successful, privately run but publicly funded schools.

Here in New York, Democratic lawmakers in the thrall of the teachers union have resisted charters every which way they can. The opposition has been especially strong in Speaker Sheldon Silver's Assembly, which has capped the number of charters at 200."

AFL-CIO backing teachers union against Gov. Paterson's education reform package, putting at risk New York application for federal aid - NYPOST.com

AFL-CIO backing teachers union against Gov. Paterson's education reform package, putting at risk New York application for federal aid - NYPOST.com:

"The state's powerful, 2.5-million-member AFL-CIO is using its muscle in a bid to thwart Gov. Paterson's plan to lift the cap on charter schools and undermine cash-starved New York's effort to qualify for $700 million in federal education aid, sources said.

The drive is targeting all of Paterson's proposals, which include granting charter schools access to public funds for building construction -- and striking a law that bars school districts from weighing student performance in teacher-tenure decisions.

'We're opposed to it,' an AFL-CIO insider said, referring to the governor's legislation.

The AFL-CIO is a massive umbrella labor organization whose membership includes the teachers unions, District Council 37 and the building trades."

Chicago News Cooperative - New Group Pushes to Improve Chicago Literacy Rate - NYTimes.com

Chicago News Cooperative - New Group Pushes to Improve Chicago Literacy Rate - NYTimes.com:

"Twice a month, Ava Zeligson stands in front of 55 strangers and, with her infectious enthusiasm, explains why each of them can make a difference in the battle against Chicago’s deeply entrenched illiteracy rate."

Ms. Zeligson is the volunteer coordinator for Open Books, the latest addition to the city’s crowded field of literacy organizations. The fact that nearly everyone who attends an Open Books orientation session goes on to volunteer is testament, at least in part, to her powers of persuasion. The fact that anyone shows up in the first place shows the wide appeal of Open Books’ mission and its relentlessly upbeat, cheerfully aggressive approach to voluntary recruitment.
“I knew immediately it was the right place for me,” said Erica Hawkinson, 28, a bilingual elementary teacher. Ms. Hawkinson had been shopping for volunteer opportunities at literacy organizations when she saw the Open Books Web site, which, thanks to an abundance of exclamation points, is almost as enthusiastic as Ms. Zeligson’s pitch.

Albany's race to the bottom - NYPOST.com

Albany's race to the bottom - NYPOST.com:

"Once again, lawmakers in Albany are maneuvering to sell out New York's kids -- this time, to the tune of $700 million. Even as the state is grappling with a $7 billion budget deficit.

And all to please their union bosses.

Their specific crime?

Blocking meaningful reforms needed to snag federal funds through the Team Obama's $4.35 billion Race to the Top program -- as Tuesday's deadline to apply for the cash nears.

RTTP winners will be chosen based on how states move to improve schools. By resisting, lawmakers (particularly in the Assembly) not only risk the federal cash, they also lock in inferior schools. Stabbing kids in the back -- twice."

Head Start Study Finds Brief Learning Gains [Education Week, Bethesda, Md.]

Head Start Study Finds Brief Learning Gains [Education Week, Bethesda, Md.]:

"Jan. 14--Participation in Head Start has positive effects on children's learning while they are in the program, but most of the advantage they gain disappears by the end of 1st grade, a federal impact study of Head Start programs says.

A large-scale randomized control study of nearly 5,000 children released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services this week shows that a group of children who entered Head Start at age 4 benefited from a year in the program, particularly in learning language and literacy. Benefits included learning vocabulary, letter-word recognition, spelling, color identification, and letter naming, compared with children of the same age in a control group who didn't attend Head Start.

Benefits for children who entered Head Start at age 3 were even stronger. By the end of Head Start, the group that had entered at age 3 showed gains in most of the language and learning areas that the 4-year-old group had, but also showed benefits in learning math, pre-writing skills, and perceptual motor skills."

UCSF: Synapse: Current Issue: Synapse Interviews Chancellor Desmond-Hellmann

UCSF: Synapse: Current Issue:

Synapse Interviews Chancellor Desmond-Hellmann

"In a wide-ranging interview, Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann outlined her strategy to rein in student fee increases and enthusiastically expressed her support for “the best and the brightest” who work to make UCSF “this fantastic place.”

When asked about the cycle of student fee increases at the University of California, she responded: “I’m really concerned about this.” In the face of California’s continuing budget crunch, she said, “the legislators – our state – hasn’t adequately funded what we need for education in our state, higher education specifically.”

Better advocacy, holding onto top talent at the university, and more efficiency, she said, are among ways to deal with the problem."

Ca. Gov. Schwarzenegger Issues Statement on Election of New Senate Republican Leader : Thu, 14 Jan 2010 : California Newswire™

Ca. Gov. Schwarzenegger Issues Statement on Election of New Senate Republican Leader : Thu, 14 Jan 2010 : California Newswire™:

"SACRAMENTO /California Newswire/ — Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement congratulating Senator Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga) on his election as the next Senate Republican Leader:

“Senator Bob Dutton has been a tremendous advocate for the Californians in his district and I congratulate him on his election as the next Senate Republican Leader. As vice chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, I am confident that he understands the importance of addressing California’s fiscal challenges as quickly as possible. I look forward to working together with him and my fellow Republicans in the Senate to invest in California’s economy by creating jobs, prioritizing education and getting our state on the right track.”"

Kang: Higher education is a strategic investment - Community Voices - Modbee.com

Kang: Higher education is a strategic investment - Community Voices - Modbee.com:

"Californians can be heartened by Gov. Schwarzenegger's bold call for a constitutional amendment to ensure our state spends more to provide higher education to its people than to imprison them. This common-sense reordering of funding priorities, if successful, may be the most significant accomplishment for California since the invention of the silicon chip.

The simple logic of providing our young people the best possible chance to succeed in this world — so they aren't drawn to a life of criminal behavior — is easy to see. Yet somehow the equation has flipped over the years resulting in an increase in spending to lock people away rather than to unlock their potential.

This has to change. It's not just a matter of fairness. The great success California has enjoyed in so many fields is largely due to our world- renowned public university system. For decades, California's high school graduates have enrolled in the University of California system to get a quality, affordable education and prepare themselves to be productive members of society. Innovation, entrepreneurial genius, economic growth and prosperity quickly followed"

Glendale News Press > Archives > Education > Educators to brace for losses

Glendale News Press > Archives > Education > Educators to brace for losses:

"GLENDALE — For local education officials, the sky keeps falling.

Glendale Unified School District expects a cut of up to $5.8 million, and Burbank Unified stands to lose $3 million annually, according to estimates from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget proposals unveiled Jan. 8.

“We’re looking at five years at least before we begin to think about getting back to what we were getting,” said Lori Ordway-Peck, Burbank Unified School District interim deputy superintendent. “And yet, we’re being asked to do more, achieve greater results and absorb higher costs of operation. Something’s got to give . . . public education is at a point where it cannot continue to do this.”

Factoring in the latest cuts steepens Glendale Unified’s projected deficit to almost $50 million in 2012-13, up from a previous estimate of $32 million. Burbank officials came into 2009-10 having made cuts to reach a balanced three-year budget, but will have to make additional cuts next year to close the $3-million annual loss."

U.S. Education Secretary Duncan urges change for NCAA, NBA - washingtonpost.com

U.S. Education Secretary Duncan urges change for NCAA, NBA - washingtonpost.com:

"Amid a flurry of scandals and controversial coaching moves in college sports, Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Thursday urged the NCAA to hold coaches more accountable for nefarious behavior and for the NBA to drop its age restriction that essentially forces players to attend college for at least one year.

In a speech made during the NCAA Convention in Atlanta, Duncan, a former co-captain of the Harvard basketball team, said the NCAA should ban teams with low graduation rates from postseason play and suspend coaches who run afoul of the rules. In a telephone interview, Duncan later added that 'some of this insanity we are seeing around the country' stains college athletics."

State faces slow economic recovery: Chiang paints gloomy picture of state's future - Oroville Mercury Register

State faces slow economic recovery: Chiang paints gloomy picture of state's future - Oroville Mercury Register:

"CHICO -- Anyone looking for upbeat news in California State Controller John Chiang's words Thursday had to dig deep.
There are solutions to California's fiscal woes, Chiang suggested, but California legislators and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger need to make 'hard decisions' to get there.

'Over the next couple of months, the governor and Legislature need to act strongly,' predicting that at the end of March, California will fall below its cash cushion to pay the bills unless steps are taken."

Capitol Weekly: The state budget: a mixture of hope and hard choices

Capitol Weekly: The state budget: a mixture of hope and hard choices:

"Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger presented his $83 billion 2009-2010 budget last week. This budget is based on hope and hard choices.

The hope is for economic recovery and for nearly $7 billion in help from Washington. The hard choices are more cuts in government spending. Almost every part of government will experience additional cuts with the exception of higher education that receives a slight increase.

I agree with the Governor that the Legislature must act with great urgency to bring our current year budget into balance. Our budget problems are so severe that we cannot afford to wait to make the honest budget choices required to get our state’s finances back on track. Also, it is imprudent, at best, to believe that California will receive any meaningful support from Washington for legitimate federal expenses born by the state, such as those associated with the incarceration of criminal illegal aliens in our prisons. It’s critical that we get to work immediately to address $21 billion in deficits this year and next through a mixture of cuts, efficiencies and reforms. The long-term solution to this crisis is to remove governmental barriers to economic growth and make California job creation the state’s number one goal."

University of California applications set record - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

University of California applications set record - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"University of California campuses from Davis to San Diego saw dramatic increases in the number of transfer students applying for the fall of 2010, fueling a rise in applications statewide to their largest number ever despite steep hikes in student fees, according to data released Thursday by UC's Office of the President.

A record 134,029 students applied to UC during the application period that closed Nov. 30 – even though regents voted earlier in November to raise fees by 32 percent. The increase in freshmen applicants was modest – 2.4 percent. In contrast, transfer applications were up 17.5 percent statewide."

K-State Collegian - K-State hosts historic speech

K-State Collegian - K-State hosts historic speech:

"On Jan. 19, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to a crowd of over 7,000 in Ahearn Field House on the campus of K-State University; the title of his speech was “The Future of Integration.” He was invited to present an “all University Convocation,” although today it is often assumed that he was a speaker in the Alfred M. Landon Lecture Series on Public Issues. It is worth noting that the Landon Lecture Series was in its infancy at that time with Alf Landon giving the inaugural presentation on Dec. 13, 1966, followed by three speakers in 1967. As early as July 1967, King was invited to be a Convocations speaker in January of 1968. The Convocations Series had been established in 1963 with Harry Golden, an American Jewish author and publisher, delivering the first talk on April 3. The subject of his remarks was racial equality!"

Kathryn Matayoshi - Name in the News - Starbulletin.com

Kathryn Matayoshi - Name in the News - Starbulletin.com:

"Never let it be said that Kathryn Matayoshi shrinks from a challenge. After only six months with the state Department of Education, the Hilo native finds herself leading the nation's 10th-largest school district during a painful cost-cutting era."

The 52-year-old attorney was catapulted into the top job by the abrupt retirement of Pat Hamamoto, who had recruited her as deputy superintendent last July from the Hawaii Business Roundtable, where she was executive director.

As deputy, Matayoshi spearheaded the DOE's pending request for highly competitive federal education grants known as "Race to the Top." Now, as interim superintendent, she oversees the statewide public school system — 258 schools serving 172,000 students — as it copes with Furlough Fridays that have slashed class time and faces more budget cuts over the next two years that could force layoffs and school closures.

Bay Area school districts apply for Race to the Top - Inside Bay Area

Bay Area school districts apply for Race to the Top - Inside Bay Area:

"SACRAMENTO — Dozens of school districts have joined their county offices of education in bids to be part of the historic national Race to the Top education reform program.
In Alameda, Contra Costa and San Mateo counties, all three offices of education are on board, along with more than half of each county's districts. Statewide, 760 local educational agencies representing 57 percent of kindergarten-through-12th grade students attending public schools have signed on to partner in California's Race to the Top application, which will seek a share of $4.35 billion in funding that could total about $700 million for the state."

Thursday, January 14, 2010

SAC CHARTERGATE: Judge Blocks Strong Mayor Initiative from June Ballot

Judge Blocks Strong Mayor Initiative from June Ballot

In a preliminary ruling issued today, the court declared that the initiative process cannot be used to revise the Sacramento City Charter, embracing a key argument brought by former Johnson backer Bill Camp.

The Sacramento Bee has the story. Strong mayor backers will work to seek a reversal at a hearing tomorrow afternoon.

The Sacramento Press reports Johnson's reaction:

“I think it was a temporary setback,

Mayor Kevin Johnson Statement regarding tentative ruling on strong mayor initiative

Good Evening-

As you may know, a judge issued a tentative ruling this afternoon blocking the strong mayor initiative from appearing on the June ballot.

Click here to read the Sacramento Bee article on Judge McMaster’s ruling.

Sacramentans for Accountable Government legal counsel, Tom Hiltachk, released the following statement:

“We are disappointed with the court’s tentative ruling but we are confident that this is only a temporary setback and that the strong mayor initiative will still be on the June ballot. Our first step will be to appear in court tomorrow and try to convince the judge to reverse this tentative ruling.”

Click here to read Tom Hiltachk’s statement in its entirety.

The next step is a hearing tomorrow afternoon. Please check the Sacramentans for Accountable Government website for updates.

Sacramento City schools facing "devastating" cuts | News10.net | Sacramento, California | News

SACRAMENTO, CA - The Sacramento City Unified School District is looking at huge budget cuts, described by its new superintendent as "devastating."

Supt. Jonathan Raymond said after studying Gov. Schwarzenegger's budget proposal, the district's target for cuts went from $18.5 million to what could be $28-$30 million.

"Those are devastating figures on top of $144 million which we've cut over the last six to seven years," said Raymond "All bets are off. Everything is on the table."

Raymond said SCUSD is seeking ideas from the community. A community forum was held this week, and next Tuesday, Jan. 19, the district will launch an online survey to get ideas from members of the community. Raymond is also talking with teacher and staff unions as he works to come up with a balanced budget plan.

Collaboration leads to new direction for SCUSD charter school petitioners

Sacramento City Unified School District

Collaboration leads to new direction for SCUSD charter school petitioners

Yav Pem Suab Academy sets asides petition to work with district

Sacramento City Unified School Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond today announced that organizers for the Yav Pem Suab Academy agreed on Tuesday to set aside their petition to start an independent charter school in the district.

At a special board of education meeting on Tuesday night, petitioners said they would work with the district to create a school that remains part of the district as a “dependent” charter school, a charter that would remain under district governance, but would be allowed greater flexibility to use a longer school day or other departures from traditional school practice.

Independent charters are schools that also enjoy variances from traditional school practices but are not governed by school district boards of education.

Raymond praised the collaborative effort and the opportunity the petitioners, mostly from the Hmong community, are offering the district. “We haven’t served the needs of all our kids, especially our Hmong, Latino and African American students,” Raymond said. He noted while many details remain to be worked out with the district and Sacramento City Teachers

Association, the new opportunity will allow the district and petitioners to create a “win-win.” Raymond added, “This is an exciting opportunity for us to be bold and move in a direction that can set the model for closing the achievement gap for all students. This decision will let the district better serve the needs of students with an innovative program and allows us to retain students who might wish to attend such a charter program.”

He added, “Hope is not a strategy. We will need to all work together to make this dream a reality for our community.”

Distinguished School Nominees - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)

Distinguished School Nominees - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education):

"O'Connell Nominates Two California NCLB Title I Schools for National Honor"

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced the nomination of two California public schools for the 2009-10 National No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Title I Distinguished Schools Recognition Award.

The California schools are the American Indian Public Charter School in the Oakland Unified School District, Alameda County; and Camino Elementary School in the Camino Union Elementary School District, El Dorado County.

"I am proud of both of these schools for beating the odds through a genuine respect for education and a true belief in their students," O’Connell said. "The American Indian Public Charter School is a remarkable place that holds clearly expressed high expectations for all students. Camino Elementary School maintains a tradition of rigorous instruction and high achievement."

Each state may nominate two schools, one in each of two categories: (1.) for having the greatest percentage of students at or above the proficient level for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in English-language arts and mathematics, and, (2.) for making the most progress in closing the achievement gap among numerically significant subgroups. These subgroups consist of students who are poor, minorities, disabled, or have limited-English proficiency.

The American Indian Public Charter was nominated as the California Title I school with the greatest percentage of students at or above the proficient level. Camino Elementary was nominated as the California Title I school with the most success in closing the achievement gap between its student groups.

The two California schools will be recognized January 21–24, 2010 in Washington, D.C. at the National Association of State Title I Directors annual conference. National Association of State Title I Directors will honor the 57 Title I schools that have been nominated by 36 states. The award has been given since 1996.

The American Indian Public Charter School is a locally funded charter middle school serving students in grades six through eight. Nearly 98 percent of its students come from a minority background and more than 95 of its students live in poverty. Yet the school has outstanding student achievement. For five consecutive years, the school has been named as a Title I Academic Achievement Award School. For more information about the American Indian Public Charter, please visit American Indian Model Schools (Outside Source).

Camino Elementary serves kindergarten through grade eight students in a one-school district in rural El Dorado County. About 43 percent of its students live in poverty. Camino Elementary School provides a family-centered environment dedicated to academic success for its diverse student body. Camino Elementary has been recognized as a 2002 California Distinguished School, and is the winner of the 2002 Early Intervention for School Success Award for Innovation. For more information about Camino Elementary, please visit Camino Union School District (Outside Source).

Both schools were nominated based on their 2007-08 and 2008-09 academic achievement data. California has about 6,000 Title I schools.

Title I is the largest federal-aid program in K-12 education with more than $14 billion awarded annually through formula and discretionary grants. Title I funds are used to improve the education of all students in high-poverty Title I schools. Since 1965, the Title I program has served more than 150 million children in need of extra academic support in reading, writing, and math.

The Title I program, a part of the federal NCLB law, is designed to give academically at-risk children equity and access to a high-quality education in order to reach proficiency on state content standards as measured by state academic assessments.

The Title I Distinguished School Program is sponsored by the National Association of State Title I Directors, and is designed to recognize outstanding Title I schools that are considered to be national models of excellence.

Mulgrew calls for panel meeting to be on school closings only | GothamSchools

Mulgrew calls for panel meeting to be on school closings only | GothamSchools:

"Teachers union chief Michael Mulgrew does not want to spend a whole night at a meeting in Brooklyn.

Mulgrew is asking the city to clear a long list of scheduled discussions at the upcoming citywide school board meeting at Brooklyn Tech in order to focus on his priority: protests against school closures.

Right now the agenda includes, on top of the proposed closures, a long list that ranges from approval of 37 contracts to new rules about how schools involve parents and teachers in setting plans and budgets. Some of those changes are themselves contentious and could prompt lengthy discussion."

Sacramento Press / Sacramento Urban Search & Rescue Team Deployed to Haiti

The Regions Urban Search and Rescue Team, California Task Force 7, was activated late last night and they are now on their way to help out with the rescue efforts in Haiti. Firefighters from Fire Agencies in the Sacramento region and some civilians make up the 72 person team. These individuals are highly trained in search and rescue, specifically in building collapses. The team has rescue dogs, Doctors, Nurses, Rescue Specialists and many other highly trained individuals. This team, like every other USAR Team across the nation are able to be fully self sufficient for a minimum of 3 days.

They left their storage facility at McClellan Air Park very early this morning and headed off to Travis AFB to await their flight to Haiti. It is not known at this time how long their deployment will be. They train for these missions constantly and always look forward to being called so that they can serve what ever community needs their help.

This activation was a little bit different than most. Most USAR activations are initiated by FEMA, but this is an International disaster and the orders come from the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. There are many USAR Teams across the Nation, but only two teams are designated as International Teams, They are Fairfax County, Virginia and Los Angeles County. All other teams can be deployed to respond to international incidents, but the orders have to come from O.F.D.A. Sacramento’s team received these orders along with 5 other USAR Teams.

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