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MORNING NEWS UPDATE: AUGUST 8, 2026 - MORNING NEWS UPDATE: AUGUST 8, 2026 *REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER* *Here are some of the top news stories circulating as of August 8, 2026 (Saturday), drawn ...12 minutes ago
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Tulsa District 7: Lori Decter Wright faces challenge from Dave Perry, Kenny Wogoman - [image: Tulsa City Council District 7]While Tulsa City Council District 7’s three candidates — incumbent Lori Decter Wright and challengers Dave Perry an...8 hours ago
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ACSE Agenda August 19-20, 2026 - Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting agenda.16 hours ago
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But Daddy, He Reads Romance & Eats Puss - A definitive guide to the best T.V. boyfriends/husbands, plus what kind of romance novels each of them would read18 hours ago
Thursday, February 4, 2010
How to Address Corporate Political Spending After Conservative Supreme Court Ruling
In Citizens United v. FEC, the Supreme Court late last month ruled that corporations are permitted to spend unlimited amounts of money on independent political advertising in U.S. elections. While conservatives and libertarians are cheering the ruling as a victory for free speech, many progressives are warning of a coming flood of corporate money buying elections, and pushing for a legislative response.
The Court’s ruling is simple: Laws that prohibit corporations from buying political advertising, simply because they are corporations, violate the First Amendment. Hence, the63-year-old law prohibiting corporations from making “independent expenditures” expressly advocating the election or defeat of a federal candidate, as well as the prohibition of corporate “electioneering communications,” enacted by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, were struck down.
Corporations are now permitted to spend as much as they want to say whatever they want about candidates, at any time and in any medium, provided they do not coordinate their efforts with a candidate. The Court’s holding applies with equal force to the mirror-image laws that had limited the electoral spending of labor unions.
Because the Supreme Court has the final word on whether a law violates the Constitution, Congress cannot simply undo Citizens United. Only a future Supreme Court, or a new constitutional amendment, can take political speech rights back from corporations. It is difficult to predict how much of an effect Citizens United
Spoonful of Sugar: An Equity Fund for ESEA Title I, Part A
Download this memo (pdf)
Report: Bitter Pill, Better Formula: Toward a Single, Fair, and Equitable Formula for ESEA Title I, Part A
Interactive Graphic: Title I Education Spending
It’s never easy for Congress to revise the way a popular federal program is funded, but sometimes a “formula fight” is inevitable. This may be the case for Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act—also called Title I-A—which is already overdue for reauthorization. Some actors may relish a fight for its own sake, but there are constructive reasons for Congress to revisit the way Title I-A funds flow. Appropriations for Title I-A have grown by more than 60 percent in real terms since Congress last tackled this challenge in 1994, well before any accountability system tied the use of Title I-A funds to expectations, results, and consequences. It seems right and prudent to consider evidence that the program is shortchanging some schools before making further investments in it.
Current allocation patterns are hard to reconcile with the purpose of the program: to enhance the educational experience for children living in areas of concentrated poverty. Consider, for example, South Carolina’s Greenville County School District, which received $1,700 per low-income child served for fiscal year 2009, while its Calhoun County School District received only $1,266 per low-income child. Calhoun serves a higher concentration of low-income students than Greenville, so it seems clear that the four formulas currently driving Title I-A funds could better target school districts serving concentrations of low-income students. This example illustrates the formulas’ bias against small school districts. Other examples also show a bias toward wealthy states, especially those spending a relatively modest fraction of public revenue on elementary and secondary education.
"The Future Is Now" In Education Advertising - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.
The following two video ads are not paid ads, nor are they endorsements of any sort. Also, The Daily Riff has no affiliation with these companies. With that being said, the commercials are good:
The first one- minute video below is from Kaplan University (a Washington Post Company and also related to the Kaplan test-prep business). What we liked was its relevance and its "the future is now" message. We saw a Kaplan ad during "Meet The Press" this weekend.
The second one-minute video below is by the New Zealand Lottery . . . just fun.
Reminds me how much I like the Kiwis (been there and is a great country).
The DC VOICE Ostrich: Community Schools Lead to Better Quality Teaching in the Classroom
The DC VOICE Ostrich: Community Schools Lead to Better Quality Teaching in the Classroom
Community Schools Lead to Better Quality Teaching in the Classroom
|Recently, DC VOICE had a long conversation with a DCPS elementary school teacher, who by all indicators is a high quality teacher. It was a very interesting conversation, and it got us thinking. We started by asking our usual questions concerning how reform has affected schools’ operations and quality of instruction. This time here’s how the answers came back:
Did you get your books and supplies on time? Check.
Class size manageable? Check.
Building repaired? Check.
Administrative and instructional support? Yes.
Sooo…what do you need to improve the quality of your instruction?
Answer: Teachers need a range of supports for the non-academic needs of children: health care, mental health counseling, family supports. High teacher quality will not result in highly effective learning in the classroom, if these other needs are not met.
The solution to the problems that can’t be fixed with more books, spackle, and infinite professional development: community schools. How do community schools improve the quality of teaching? These are schools that have extended their hours and offer multiple services, not just to their students but to families as well. A well implemented community school model directly supports the learning process and helps make classrooms a high quality environment for both students and teachers. By partnering with one or more organizations and agencies that provide medical or social services, the community school can nurture a student’s development holistically. That can mean scheduling an eye exam for
Did you get your books and supplies on time? Check.
Class size manageable? Check.
Building repaired? Check.
Administrative and instructional support? Yes.
Sooo…what do you need to improve the quality of your instruction?
Answer: Teachers need a range of supports for the non-academic needs of children: health care, mental health counseling, family supports. High teacher quality will not result in highly effective learning in the classroom, if these other needs are not met.
The solution to the problems that can’t be fixed with more books, spackle, and infinite professional development: community schools. How do community schools improve the quality of teaching? These are schools that have extended their hours and offer multiple services, not just to their students but to families as well. A well implemented community school model directly supports the learning process and helps make classrooms a high quality environment for both students and teachers. By partnering with one or more organizations and agencies that provide medical or social services, the community school can nurture a student’s development holistically. That can mean scheduling an eye exam for
Yale Plans Staff and Research Cuts to Close $150 Million Gap - NYTimes.com
Yale Plans Staff and Research Cuts to Close $150 Million Gap - NYTimes.com
Yale University announced on Wednesday that it planned a number of steps to close a remaining $150 million budget gap, including cutting staff, freezing salaries for deans and officers, reducing the number of graduate students — even turning down all thermostats to 68 degrees.
In a memo to the faculty and staff,Richard C. Levin, Yale’s president, and Peter Salovey, its provost, said the measures were necessary because of the drop in the endowment to $16.3 billion last June from its peak of $22.9 billion in June 2008.
“Actions taken last year eliminated more than half of the total deficit, but, as we communicated in the fall, a substantial gap of nearly $150 million remained as of last September,” they wrote. “This gap needs to be closed for the next and subsequent years.”
The memo did not specify how many staff positions would be eliminated. Last year, 100 employees, out of a work force of 9,200, were laid off because of similar financial pressures, and several hundred more positions were eliminated through attrition, said Tom Conroy, a Yale spokesman. Those cuts did not affect faculty positions; nor will the current round.
Laura Smith, president of Local 34 of the Federation of University Employees, which represents 3,400 clerical and technical workers at Yale, said the union would try to blunt the impact of any cuts on its members. “It’s disappointing over all that the university feels it has to do more cuts,” she said, noting that the union and Yale had reached agreement last April on a new contract with strong job security, eight months ahead of schedule.
Yale University announced on Wednesday that it planned a number of steps to close a remaining $150 million budget gap, including cutting staff, freezing salaries for deans and officers, reducing the number of graduate students — even turning down all thermostats to 68 degrees.
In a memo to the faculty and staff,Richard C. Levin, Yale’s president, and Peter Salovey, its provost, said the measures were necessary because of the drop in the endowment to $16.3 billion last June from its peak of $22.9 billion in June 2008.“Actions taken last year eliminated more than half of the total deficit, but, as we communicated in the fall, a substantial gap of nearly $150 million remained as of last September,” they wrote. “This gap needs to be closed for the next and subsequent years.”
The memo did not specify how many staff positions would be eliminated. Last year, 100 employees, out of a work force of 9,200, were laid off because of similar financial pressures, and several hundred more positions were eliminated through attrition, said Tom Conroy, a Yale spokesman. Those cuts did not affect faculty positions; nor will the current round.
Laura Smith, president of Local 34 of the Federation of University Employees, which represents 3,400 clerical and technical workers at Yale, said the union would try to blunt the impact of any cuts on its members. “It’s disappointing over all that the university feels it has to do more cuts,” she said, noting that the union and Yale had reached agreement last April on a new contract with strong job security, eight months ahead of schedule.
Education | King County judge rules that state isn't providing ample money for schools | Seattle Times Newspaper
Education | King County judge rules that state isn't providing ample money for schools | Seattle Times Newspaper
A coalition of parents, school districts and teachers has won its argument in King County Superior Court that the state is not providing ample funding for public schools.
King County Superior Court Judge John Erlick presided over a two-month trial that started last September. The case is the biggest lawsuit over school financing in three decades, and most expect that however Erlick were to rule, it will be appealed.
"I think this decision is just the beginning of the conversation," said University of Washington Associate Professor Marge Plecki, an expert in school finance issues.
The plaintiffs sued because they think the Legislature has failed to live up to its duty, under the state Constitution, to provide ample funding for public education, leaving districts struggling to fill the gap with local levies, grants and other means.
Washington's Constitution says the state has a "paramount duty" to make "ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders."
Few — if any — other states are charged with giving education such a high priority. However, Washington ranks 42nd in the nation in per-pupil spending.
The state's attorneys argued that the state is living up to its Constitutional duty and that it's up to the Legislature, not the courts, to determine what's ample when it comes to education.
They also say that the lawsuit is moot because state lawmakers agreed last year to expand state support for public schools, and pledged to add more than $1 billion to the state education budget by 2018.
Eduflack: Finding Value in The Flat World and Education
"This week's Presidential budget is further raising attention on pressing education issues such as teacher quality, closing the achievement gap, and ensuring our communities have the systems in place to drive the levels of improvement we are so desperately thinking. With all of the rhetoric, both this week and in recent years, we seem to be focusing on promising ideas without necessarily looking for the research, evidence, proof, and data that should be separating the good ideas from the great ideas.While Eduflack seems to spend a great deal of my time talking and opining, every so often I do find the time to actually read and learn from others. And even more infrequently, I actually find what I read to be of the sort of import that I want to make sure others are aware of it, positioning the latest book or article so it is influencing the current policy discussions. Today is such a day. The book is 'The Flat World and Education: How America's Commitment to Equity WIll Determine Our Future.' And The Flat World and Education is brought to us by dear Eduflack friend Linda Darling-Hammond (who really needs no introduction)."
The Educated Guess: Report: rescind most mandated programs
Report: rescind most mandated programs
Tags: exit exam, LAO, mandates
Posted in State Budget
Recognizing schools’ financial plight, the Legislature and Gov. Schwarzenegger have given districts considerable latitude over how they can spend money for 40 programs known as categoricals. They include important programs: summer school, teacher training and textbook purchases
But when it comes to dozens of smaller, mandated programs – many unneeded – the governor and legislators have been devious. They have either allotted a token amount in the budget, creating IOUs now totaling more than $3 billion, or they have suspended the mandates year by year, creating headaches and confusion for local districts.
In a report issued this week, Education Mandates: Overhauling a Broken System, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, says, Enough. Eliminate dozens of the 51 mandated programs that are not critical, start paying back the money owed districts, and clarify the reimbursement system for ones that should be kept, such as expenditures related to the high school exit exam expenditures. Doing so would save the state more than $350 million yearly, the LAO said.
(Read more and comment on this post)
In a report issued this week, Education Mandates: Overhauling a Broken System, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, says, Enough. Eliminate dozens of the 51 mandated programs that are not critical, start paying back the money owed districts, and clarify the reimbursement system for ones that should be kept, such as expenditures related to the high school exit exam expenditures. Doing so would save the state more than $350 million yearly, the LAO said.
(Read more and comment on this post)
voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence.
Thanks to everyone who turned out for our fifth anniversary last night -- it was a blast! It's an honor to be part of something like VOSD. Now for the newsblitz:
- We blog that a demoted Sweetwater schools official could run for school board. We also give you a rundown of how much the candidates have raised and spent on another school board race. And we report that Shelia Jackson won't run for county supervisor.
- Also in our blog: How does teacher pay in San Diego compare to elsewhere? And bits that got left on the cutting room floor from my story on counseling.
- The Union-Tribune reports that students at Southwestern College are worried about their school going on probation.
Elk Grove Citizen : Elk Grove native is guest at State of the Union address
All of these facts impressed Dr. Jill Biden enough to meet Frost and later invite her to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol.
The Elk Grove native sat next to the vice president’s wife during the speech delivered on Jan. 27.
“It was amazing for the lack of a better word,” Frost said during a telephone interview the day after the address. “I was just absolutely honored that (Biden) wanted me of all the people there and of all the community college students in the nation.”
She clapped during points of Obama’s speech along with her fellow V.I.P. guests, citing military courtesy.
“You stand and clap if the person above you stands and claps, unless you’re one of the big
The Educated Reporter And you mean what?
And you mean what?There is so much rhetorical sloppiness swirling around NCLB right now, it is impossible to know what anyone is talking about. Duncan complains that the current law is too prescriptive, but comments indicate new approaches that are even moreso. He calls 100 percent proficiency a utopian goal but wants to replace it with what he says is a higher bar: career and college readiness. How to judge that students are college-ready if not by giving them a test and seeing if 100 percent pass it? You’re awarded money if you make progress, and money if you’re failing. Joanne Jacobs sums some of it up.
What I take out of all the pieces written in the last week is that—aside from a growth model, which we all knew was coming—we really have no idea what
Ignoring violations, parents want to keep a charter school open | GothamSchools
"Parents and students at an East New York charter school are pleading with the Department of Education to keep their school open after an investigation found that the school had violated its charter and its principal was expelling high-needs students.
Charter schools are rarely closed in New York City, but when they are it can inspire as much anger and confusion as the shuttering of a traditional public school. At a hearing at East New York Preparatory on Wednesday night, about 100 parents filled the auditorium to ask questions of DOE officials and speak out against the school’s proposed closure. Its embattled principal Sheila Joseph might have broken a few rules, they said, but in a high-crime, high-poverty neighborhood, a seat in her school was the only way out.
“In this community there aren’t many options for these kids,” said Leon Smillie, the father of a second grader. “This is a good option.”"
“In this community there aren’t many options for these kids,” said Leon Smillie, the father of a second grader. “This is a good option.”"
Schools Matter: The Fast Track to Resegregation: Corporate Charter Schools
Twenty years ago educators believed charter schools could be hothouses of pedagogical innovation outside the normal confines of public education. As with many other good ideas aimed at encouraging diversity of thought, corporate America appropriated the charter school movement as their own and even advertised louder about innovation and letting a thousand flowers bloom. By the end of the Bush reign, however, the charter movement had established a major beachhead with over 4000 schools in 40 states, mostly in urban America. And so by the time Duncan had been anointed by Eli Broad as Secretary, it was time to kill most of the thousand flowers and to scale up the penal pedagogy model based on total compliance that uses unlicensed and unqualified teachers to drill math and reading test prep in schools without libraries or real curriculums. Containment schools based on total compliance and psychological neutering that no parent in the leafy suburbs would dare send their children to.
According to Duncan, "This is not let a thousand flowers bloom. We only let the best of the best open schools. It should be a very rigorous, competitive process. The chance to educate our children is really a sacred obligation." Yet according to the only national
Paper Chase: DPS board uses letter in defense | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Paper Chase: DPS board uses letter in defense | detnews.com | The Detroit News:
"A four-year-old letter from the state's treasury department to the district's first elected school board after a 1999-2005 state takeover. Current school board members say the letter proves the district's finances went downhill under the state takeover, and it's central to their argument that state oversight should be limited.
The chase
The letter, dated Jan. 10, 2006, shows the district went from a budget surplus to a $48.7 million deficit while under the state's watch. By 2005, the district's debts were refinanced into what amounted to a $216 million loan from the state, according to the letter.
The debate comes as Robert Bobb, the district's emergency financial manager, asks lawmakers to extend his reach to academics. School board members, however, are pleading with Lansing to rein in what some see as an expanded takeover."
"A four-year-old letter from the state's treasury department to the district's first elected school board after a 1999-2005 state takeover. Current school board members say the letter proves the district's finances went downhill under the state takeover, and it's central to their argument that state oversight should be limited.The chase
The letter, dated Jan. 10, 2006, shows the district went from a budget surplus to a $48.7 million deficit while under the state's watch. By 2005, the district's debts were refinanced into what amounted to a $216 million loan from the state, according to the letter.
The debate comes as Robert Bobb, the district's emergency financial manager, asks lawmakers to extend his reach to academics. School board members, however, are pleading with Lansing to rein in what some see as an expanded takeover."
Voters advise L.A. Unified on preferred campus takeovers - latimes.com
Voters advise L.A. Unified on preferred campus takeovers - latimes.com
Elections in Los Angeles schools Tuesday had no age restrictions, no citizenship requirements. Voters could cast ballots more than once if they had more than one child or if they dashed to another polling place.
Welcome to democracy and school reform -- L.A. Unified-style.
A new school board policy, approved in August, allowed groups from inside and outside the Los Angeles Unified School District to bid for control of 12 persistently low-performing campuses and 18 new ones. Parents, teachers, students -- and anyone else who desired -- voted for their favored plans to run the 30 campuses with close to 40,000 students.
The Board of Education will make the final decision for every school, but board members will review the results.
"This is our opportunity to hear directly from the people who will most be affected by the decisions that we . . . will make in just a few weeks," said board member Steve Zimmer, who pushed for the school elections.
Bidders for the campuses include teachers -- frequently working with administrators -- as well as charter-school organizations and other outside groups.
Charters -- which are independently operated and exempt from some rules, including union contracts -- mostly pursued the new campuses. They have argued that they can more effectively run them than the nation's second-largest school system.
Elections in Los Angeles schools Tuesday had no age restrictions, no citizenship requirements. Voters could cast ballots more than once if they had more than one child or if they dashed to another polling place.
Welcome to democracy and school reform -- L.A. Unified-style.
A new school board policy, approved in August, allowed groups from inside and outside the Los Angeles Unified School District to bid for control of 12 persistently low-performing campuses and 18 new ones. Parents, teachers, students -- and anyone else who desired -- voted for their favored plans to run the 30 campuses with close to 40,000 students.
The Board of Education will make the final decision for every school, but board members will review the results.
"This is our opportunity to hear directly from the people who will most be affected by the decisions that we . . . will make in just a few weeks," said board member Steve Zimmer, who pushed for the school elections.
Bidders for the campuses include teachers -- frequently working with administrators -- as well as charter-school organizations and other outside groups.
Charters -- which are independently operated and exempt from some rules, including union contracts -- mostly pursued the new campuses. They have argued that they can more effectively run them than the nation's second-largest school system.
CMS’s Clark gets training to be an 'urban superintendent' - CharlotteObserver.com
CMS’s Clark gets training to be an 'urban superintendent' - CharlotteObserver.com
Clark is one of 14 people nationwide tapped for the Broad Superintendents Academy, which counts CMS Superintendent Peter Gorman among its graduates. She won’t leave her job while attending weekend training sessions on education, finance and other leadership issues. After she completes the training, she’s expected to spend a year as a “cabinet-level” administrator in an urban district, which she’s already doing, Gorman said.
Ann Clark, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ chief academic officer, has been chosen for a 10-month executive training program designed to prepare her to be an urban superintendent.
Clark is one of 14 people nationwide tapped for the Broad Superintendents Academy, which counts CMS Superintendent Peter Gorman among its graduates. She won’t leave her job while attending weekend training sessions on education, finance and other leadership issues. After she completes the training, she’s expected to spend a year as a “cabinet-level” administrator in an urban district, which she’s already doing, Gorman said.Eventually, he said, Clark could lead another district or could be in line to replace him.
The academy, created by philanthropist Eli Broad (it rhymes with “road”), targets leaders inside and outside education. Clark’s 2010 classmates include an Army general, the director of strategic planning for a technology corporation and the former chief of NATO Afghan operations.
Some teacher unions balk at federal program boosting aid to schools - The Boston Globe
Some teacher unions balk at federal program boosting aid to schools - The Boston Globe:
"Although many school districts in Massachusetts have rushed to take part in a federal program that offers new funds in exchange for cooperation on educational reforms, a number of others will have to sit on the sidelines because their teacher unions opted out."
The unions say participation in the program, Race to the Top, would have unfairly tied their jobs to student test scores.
School districts in Brockton, Marshfield, Plymouth, Randolph, and several other communities south of Boston are among the 256 statewide that can look forward to the prospect of funding for new educational services next year. With the federal program structured to give more money to school systems serving greater numbers of lower-income households, Brockton is eligible for an estimated $2.6 million, Plymouth for $440,000, Randolph for $315,000, and Marshfield for $182,000.
But school systems in Braintree, Dedham, Quincy, and Weymouth, among others, are excluded from the funds because they failed to gain union leaders’ signatures on their applications.
“I’m disappointed,’’ said Anne Mahoney, vice chairwoman of the Quincy School Committee and a parent of children in the Quincy schools. “Any opportunity we have to have funds coming in, we should take a good look at it.’’
Christie advisers call for tough new school rules | Philadelphia Inquirer | 02/04/2010
Christie advisers call for tough new school rules | Philadelphia Inquirer | 02/04/2010
In a call for change that has raised eyebrows within the New Jersey education community, Gov. Christie's transition advisers have recommended expanding the number of charter schools, re-evaluating hundreds of education regulations, and radically tightening eligibility for high-school students applying to the NJ STARS college-tuition program.
That's just a start. The education transition subcommittee, in a recent 25-page report, suggested that Christie think about stripping the state Board of Education of policy powers. Ditto for the state Council on Higher Education.
And in a move that snapped union members to attention, it floated the idea of tying teacher and principal raises to student performance and requiring teachers to work for five years, up from three, before they can get tenure.
What the naming of Bret Schundler, the political maverick and conservative school-choice champion, as state education commissioner strongly suggested, the subcommittee's recommendations solidified: The Christie administration plans a radical rethinking of the public education system.
"That's the point," said Christie spokesman Mike Drewniak.
The report - which is advisory, not indicative of definite policies the governor will pursue - has both delighted and concerned interested parties.
Much of it calls for further study. And to enact some changes, legislation would be required. That takes time.
"Overall, we think it's pretty good, and it's pretty tuned in to many of the educational needs of the local districts," said Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, which represents about 100 districts, many in South Jersey.
A number of her group's recommendations made it into the report, Strickland said, including reviewing regulations adopted over recent years, relaxing some paperwork requirements for high-performing schools, and taking a critical look at funded and unfunded education mandates.
In a call for change that has raised eyebrows within the New Jersey education community, Gov. Christie's transition advisers have recommended expanding the number of charter schools, re-evaluating hundreds of education regulations, and radically tightening eligibility for high-school students applying to the NJ STARS college-tuition program.
That's just a start. The education transition subcommittee, in a recent 25-page report, suggested that Christie think about stripping the state Board of Education of policy powers. Ditto for the state Council on Higher Education.
And in a move that snapped union members to attention, it floated the idea of tying teacher and principal raises to student performance and requiring teachers to work for five years, up from three, before they can get tenure.
What the naming of Bret Schundler, the political maverick and conservative school-choice champion, as state education commissioner strongly suggested, the subcommittee's recommendations solidified: The Christie administration plans a radical rethinking of the public education system.
"That's the point," said Christie spokesman Mike Drewniak.
The report - which is advisory, not indicative of definite policies the governor will pursue - has both delighted and concerned interested parties.
Much of it calls for further study. And to enact some changes, legislation would be required. That takes time.
"Overall, we think it's pretty good, and it's pretty tuned in to many of the educational needs of the local districts," said Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, which represents about 100 districts, many in South Jersey.
A number of her group's recommendations made it into the report, Strickland said, including reviewing regulations adopted over recent years, relaxing some paperwork requirements for high-performing schools, and taking a critical look at funded and unfunded education mandates.
Local News | State's entry idling at start line in Race to Top | Seattle Times Newspaper
Local News | State's entry idling at start line in Race to Top | Seattle Times Newspaper:
"A few weeks ago, 40 states and the District of Columbia jumped into the high-profile education competition known as Race to the Top, submitting applications up to 1,000 pages long to make their case for a share of $4.35 billion in federal prize money.
In Washington state, meanwhile, officials have yet to reach the starting line.
That doesn't mean Washington has no chance at a Race to the Top grant, which could bring anywhere from $150 million to $250 million to a state this size.
The competition will have at least two rounds, with winners in each one.
Washington officials are working on an application for Round 2, which starts in June. As a first step, Gov. Chris Gregoire has brokered bills, now before lawmakers, that would revamp teacher and principal evaluations, give the state power to intervene in failing schools and strengthen other policies aimed at helping Washington compete."
In Washington state, meanwhile, officials have yet to reach the starting line.
That doesn't mean Washington has no chance at a Race to the Top grant, which could bring anywhere from $150 million to $250 million to a state this size.
The competition will have at least two rounds, with winners in each one.
Washington officials are working on an application for Round 2, which starts in June. As a first step, Gov. Chris Gregoire has brokered bills, now before lawmakers, that would revamp teacher and principal evaluations, give the state power to intervene in failing schools and strengthen other policies aimed at helping Washington compete."
Other Phila. schools handle racial, ethnic tensions | Philadelphia Inquirer | 02/04/2010
Other Phila. schools handle racial, ethnic tensions | Philadelphia Inquirer | 02/04/2010:
"Trouble was brewing at Fels High School last school year: Asian students were jumped and beaten. Disabled students were assaulted.
'It was scary,' Eileen Coutts, then an assistant principal, said of the climate at Fels.
Worried that the unrest might escalate, Coutts invited members of community groups to the school. Administrators, parents, students, and activists came up with a list of interventions - class discussions, peer mediation, mentors, an 'international welcome squad,' cultural sensitivity training for staff, a buddy system for new students."
'It was scary,' Eileen Coutts, then an assistant principal, said of the climate at Fels.
Worried that the unrest might escalate, Coutts invited members of community groups to the school. Administrators, parents, students, and activists came up with a list of interventions - class discussions, peer mediation, mentors, an 'international welcome squad,' cultural sensitivity training for staff, a buddy system for new students."
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