House Education Committee Chair George Miller, Rep. Mike Thompson Visit Napa New Technology High School

House Education Committee Chair George Miller, Rep. Mike Thompson Visit Napa New Technology High School:

"House Education Committee Chair George Miller, Rep. Mike Thompson Visit Napa New Technology High School


Two of California’s most influential congressmen, Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, and Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, got a glimpse of the future of education Friday during a tour Napa New Technology High School and Napa High School with its Student-Centered 21st-Century classrooms (SC21)."



Napa, CA (Vocus/PRWEB ) February 10, 2010 -- Two of California’s most influential congressmen, Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, and Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, got a glimpse of the future of education Friday during a tour of Napa New Technology High School and Napa High School with its Student-Centered 21st-Century classrooms (SC21).

Rep. George Miller observes a student at Napa New Technology High School.

Miller, who has long been an advocate of education, is chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. Thompson is a member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees all revenue measures in Congress. Their two-hour visit included time spent in an American Studies classroom at Napa New Tech and a Political Studies classroom at Napa High School.
“Napa New Technology High School gives us the opportunity to look at the future,” Miller said. “And it gives students the opportunity to fully engage in the learning process with the full participation of their peers.”
Thompson said he was impressed with the performance of Napa New Tech.
“It was great to tour Napa New Tech High School and Napa High and see the innovativeSC21 programs they've implemented,” Thompson said. “Most impressively, they have real results to show that their model works. The achievement gap has been narrowed, the dropout rate has decreased, and college acceptance has increased. Our community should be commended for creating the public/private partnerships that have made this all possible."
The SC21 community initiative, based in Napa, seeks to provide classroom environments for students where 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, collaboration and creative problem-solving can be introduced, supported and developed.
Founded in 1996, Napa New Technology High School is the flagship high school of the New Tech Network, which now consists of 40 high schools in nine states. All New Tech Network schools are marked by project-based learning in a technology-rich environment. Unlike students in traditional high schools, where most teachers lecture and use textbooks as a teaching approach, teachers in New Tech high schools design rigorous, real-world projects tied to state and district standards and customize them to their location and the interests of students. The result: Students who are deeply engaged in learning and develop important skills such critical thinking and collaboration.

Funds freed; San Marcos, SDSU can add classes - SignOnSanDiego.com

Funds freed; San Marcos, SDSU can add classes - SignOnSanDiego.com

A rare bit of good budgetary news has administrators at San Diego State and Cal State San Marcos preparing to spend millions of dollars in federal stimulus money on additional classes.

Charles B. Reed, chancellor of the California State University system, has announced that $50.9 million will be released to the system’s 23 campuses for the fall.

SDSU is set to receive about $4 million and Cal State San Marcos $1.3 million, campus officials said. They expect the funds will pay for hundreds of new classes, although they haven’t decided which ones.

Course offerings for the CSU system’s 450,000 students were trimmed during the past year because of a $564 million drop in state funding. That has led to overcrowded lecture halls, less individual attention from professors and students not getting the classes they need to graduate.

“Hopefully, this will help to alleviate some of the shortages in classes, and students will be able to make faster progress toward their degree,” Reed said.

Last Chance for Asians to Join Redistricting Commission - NAM

Last Chance for Asians to Join Redistricting Commission - NAM

Apply for the Commission Online—December 15, 2009 through February 16, 2010.Learn about the general application and selection process and timeline. You can apply by clicking on the icon to the right:

Over the next week, ordinary California voters have an unprecedented opportunity to affect political elections in the state for the next 10 years. But as the days tick away, California’s Asian American community is in danger of having its voices shut out.

February 16 is the last day for applications to California’s new Citizens Redistricting Commission--a body that will have sweeping powers over the way state legislative and Board of Equalization district lines are drawn for the next 10 years. In other words, this commission of 14 ordinary Californians—5 Democrats, 5 Republicans, and 4 independents or voters from other parties—will shape California’s political future.

What’s the big deal? Well…here’s what’s at stake. The district lines that are drawn could significantly affect election results for the next 10 years. In the past, states like Texas have redrawn the lines so that a majority of the residents in a single district hail from one party. As a result, in those districts there is no real competition in elections—which ultimately decreases the power of individual voters.

In California, state legislative boundaries used to be drawn by lawmakers, but when voters passed Proposition 11 (the Voters FIRST Act) in the November 2008 general election, that responsibility transferred to the people. Unfortunately right now, there is a great danger that this commission will not be truly representative of the people in this state.

A truly representative redistricting commission is one that should look like California. In order to accurately reflect California’s voter demographics, it would mean that at least one of the 14 citizens redistricting commission members would be Asian American. But so far, applications do not come close to representing the diversity of California’s voters. More than 74 percent of the 7,681 registered voters who have applied are non-Hispanic whites. If nothing is done to change this, it could mean that no one from the Asian American community will be a member of this commission.

Asian American voices made a difference in the San Gabriel Valley. Prior to 1990, Asian American communities were divided up between three different Assembly districts, diminishing their ability to make a difference in any one district. Then, Asian Americans got involved in the redistricting process, and those communities were put into one district, greatly improving the ability for Asian Americans to make a difference in the political arena.

Having a greater voice in the decisions of America is critical in so many ways, and the consequences of being left out are devastating. During the 2000 Census, an estimated 1 percent of Asian/Pacific Islanders were left out in Los Angeles County alone—which ended up costing the community hundreds of millions of dollars in lost federal funding. Now, with less than 70 days before Census Day 2010 on April 1, organizations like the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) are gearing up to ensure we do not see a repeat of the year 2000 undercount. With our communities facing some of the toughest times in decades, we 

Community Colleges Collaborate With For-Profit Institutions

Community Colleges Collaborate With For-Profit Institutions

Community Colleges Collaborate With For-Profit Institutions

Compiled By Yaffa Klugerman
February 9, 2010

Overcrowded community colleges grappling with surging demand are beginning to turn to for-profit colleges for help.

California community colleges, which have been forced to close registration to many due to significant state budget cuts and record enrollment, have just teamed up with Kaplan University to help students complete degrees. An agreement will allow California community college graduates to transfer to Kaplan University to complete online bachelor's degrees at a reduced tuition rate. The initiative will mark the first time that Kaplan will be offering single online courses to students.

"Providing single course options for California community college students demonstrates the personalized approach for which Kaplan is known," said Gregory Marino, president of the Kaplan University Group, in a press release. "It also allows California students to pursue their dreams of earning a college degree."

Students in the Kaplan University Community College Connection program will be able to enroll in online Kaplan courses approved by California community colleges and will be eligible for a 42 percent tuition reduction. Textbooks and instructional materials will be provided free.

Additionally, a new program will allow students who complete associate's degrees at California community colleges to easily transfer to a Kaplan online bachelor's degree program. Students enrolling in the Save My Credits Transfer program, as it is being called, will be eligible for a 10 percent tuition 

Stopgap budget plan in play - Capitol and California - fresnobee.com

Stopgap budget plan in play- Capitol and California- fresnobee.com:

"Senate Democrats plan to begin approving a stopgap budget solution today that spares education and social services for now and allows local governments to hike gas prices for transit, according to legislative sources.
The package would solve less than a third of the $19.9 billion budget deficit and avoid most of the politically difficult cuts that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed in his own January budget. Democrats hope to push debate on social service and health cuts into June, while they believe the Legislature should not rejigger the education funding formula until revenues are revised in May.
The Democratic plan could tackle up to $6 billion of the deficit. Democrats have not yet decided whether to pursue a $1.4 billion requirement that businesses and governments withhold taxes on independent contractors, sources said."

Increases planned for public schools under Rendell budget plan

Increases planned for public schools under Rendell budget plan

State Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak said the governor's proposed budget for 2010-11 reflects hard choices, including providing more money for public basic education while holding steady the money for public higher education.
"We want to get the fundamentals right. Fundamentals really begin with the basic education system being well done. We've got to do basic education right," Dr. Zahorchak said Tuesday.
He said colleges won't have to provide remedial education if basic education is done right and he anticipates the federal government will increase Pell grants for needy post-secondary students.
He also said that 37 other states have cut higher education assistance to balance their budgets.
The budget calls for a $354.8 million increase in basic education spending -- 7.28 percent -- to be allotted using a formula aimed at providing more resources for school districts that are getting an inadequate share. Basic education funding would total $5.88 billion.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10041/1034704-298.stm#ixzz0f8mtGS10

Quick Takes: Campus Disruptions of Israelis' Speeches Criticized - Inside Higher Ed

Quick Takes: Campus Disruptions of Israelis' Speeches Criticized - Inside Higher Ed

The Anti-Defamation League on Tuesday issued a statement denouncing Monday night's disruptions at the University of California at Irvine of a speech by Israel's ambassador and suggested that a pattern was emerging of "undemocratic, bullying, confrontational tactics" to block Israeli views from being heard. At Irvine, students were arrested for repeatedly interrupting the ambassador's talk. Michael Drake, Irvine's chancellor, on Tuesdayissued a statement on the disruptions, which he called "intolerable." Drake said: "Freedom of speech is among the most fundamental, and among the most cherished of the bedrock values our nation is built upon. A great university depends on the free exchange of ideas. This is non-negotiable. Those who attempt to suppress the rights of others violate core principles that are the foundation of any learning community. We cannot and do not allow such behavior."

The ADL statement also cited a recent incident at the University of California at Los Angeles in which students stood up during a talk by an Israeli to block others from seeing the speaker. The students left after being told 

Catholic Culture : Latest Headlines : Planned Parenthood is sole pregnancy resource in Catholic college’s ‘Youth to College’ handbook

Catholic Culture : Latest Headlines : Planned Parenthood is sole pregnancy resource in Catholic college’s ‘Youth to College’ handbook

The “resource toolkit” of a handbook published by a Catholic college in California includes only one pregnancy-related resource: the Planned Parenthood Kearny Mesa Clinic in San Diego. According to the University of San Diego, “The ‘Youth to College’ program is designed to address the important issue of students from underrepresented groups who do not know that higher education can be a viable option for them.”

In addition, the University of San Diego’s career services office describes the International Planned Parenthood Federation as a “global humanitarian organization” that “provide[s] healthcare to [the] needy,” according to the college’s web site. The office also includes the Planned Parenthood Federation of America among its online resources for international study and work and desribes the organization as providing “reproductive

The State Hornet - EDITORIAL: Why can’t we get help with graduation now?

The State Hornet - EDITORIAL: Why can’t we get help with graduation now?

While The State Hornet supports the California State University system’s initiative to increase graduation rates, we are not completely convinced nor satisfied with the proposal as it is now.

The systemwide initiative is expected to raise CSU graduation rates from 46 to 54 percent by 2016. Each of the system’s 23 campuses will make individual changes to meet this plan.

“Of all of the groups discussing this issue on the 23 CSU campuses, ours probably has the largest number of faculty involved,” said Anthony Sheppard, Sacramento State Faculty Senate chair.

Sac State plans to address this initiative through a series of changes including reforming General Education requirements. Provost and vice president of Academic Affairs Joseph Sheley said the current system is “mainstream” and used by most American universities, but that it no longer works. 

“The problem is that the mainstream has now hit the wall in institutions throughout the country,” Sheley said Jan. 21 at President Alexander Gonzalez’s spring address. “In this vein, I’ve asked the senate executive committee to help me begin serious discussions about revising GE. I’ll be asking them as well to assist me in initiating similar discussion about structuring the size of major requirements, the breadth of major requirements and GE such that our students have far more flexibility in selecting courses under a broader electives category. It’s about giving them more options.”

And that is exactly what it should be about: giving students as many options as possible. But that’s the problem with this initiative; it seems to forget about current students.

How is an initiative to increase graduation rates in 6 years going to benefit students that can’t even get into required classes? Some of us can’t even find enough classes to meet financial aid requirements of at least 12 units per semester.

Golden Gate [X]press : CSU gets pushy about upping graduation rate

Golden Gate [X]press : CSU gets pushy about upping graduation rate:

"The California State University system announced a graduation initiative at a Board of Trustees meeting on Jan. 27 aimed at raising the system's graduation rates and encouraging underrepresented students to graduate from college.

The initiative is meant to increase the CSU's 46 percent six-year graduation rate to 54 percent in all 23 campuses by 2016. It also plans to cut in half the gap in degree attainment of minority and low-income students.

'The goal of this initiative is to not only increase the number of students who complete their degree, but to also help those from traditionally underrepresented communities who may need additional support to finish,' CSU Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer Jeri Echeverria said in a press release. 'After all, that is the end goal - a college degree.'

In an interview with CSU's Voices and Views blog, she added that there are approximately 460,000 graduate and undergraduate students in the CSU system, but not all of them finish their degrees and graduate. 'A college education will do"

The Orion - Less prison spending means more CSU funds

The Orion - Less prison spending means more CSU funds

The governor recently proposed an amendment to the California Constitution that would cap spending on prisons and raise higher education funds.

This proposal is in addition to a budget that will return millions of dollars to the California State University system.

The proposed California budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will return about $255 million to the CSU system that he withdrew from the 2009-10 budget, said Chico State President Paul Zingg in an e-mail interview.

While it is good to see the funds coming to the system, it is important to remember this is not new money, Zingg said.     

“It would be a restoration of state money for one-time federal money — which partially covered budget cuts in 2008-09,” he said. “So there’s a long history here of under-funding and patchwork coverage.”

The governor is also putting forth an amendment to the California Constitution that would require spending on prisons to be less than spending on higher education at all times.

The amendment would bring at least 10 percent of the annual general fund to the CSU and University of California systems, while requiring that no more than 7 percent goes to the correctional system.

‘Fairness’ in Education - Thomas Sowell - National Review Online

‘Fairness’ in Education - Thomas Sowell - National Review Online

‘Fairness’ in Education
At a Berkeley high school, “equality” means fewer science teachers.

A recent flap in a Berkeley high school reveals what a farce “fairness” can be. Because this is ultra-liberal Berkeley, perhaps we should not be surprised that a proposal has been made to eliminate four jobs as science teachers and use the money saved for programs to help low achievers.

In Berkeley, as in many other communities across the country, black and Latino students are not performing as well as Asian and white students. In fact, the racial gap in academic achievement at Berkeley High School is the highest in California — no doubt a special source of embarrassment in politically correct Berkeley.

Oregon civil rights group offers scholarships to white students - Yahoo! News

Oregon civil rights group offers scholarships to white students - Yahoo! News

San Francisco – In a unique twist to the notion of using educational scholarships to improve minority representation, an Oregon civil rights group says it will offer a $2,000 scholarship to encourage white college students to pursue studies in race relations.

The initiative by the Oregon League of Minority Voters, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group based in Portland, Ore., may well be the first of its kind. College scholarships have long been seen as a vehicle – albeit a controversial one – for improving the condition of minorities, but this appears to be the first time that white students have been singled out for assistance in the name of promoting civil rights.

“We lack white participation in the racial conversation in this state, so we are trying to do something about it,” says Promise King, executive director of the Oregon group. “When we talk about race relations, most of the time in Oregon, most white people are not at the table.”

The focus of his organization remains on empowering minorities, but the group also feels it’s important to have non-minority allies in a state where about 90 percent of the population is white, Mr. King says.

“I’m trying to push for solutions. And that’s what is driving this vision, to really seek out white students who will in the future be at the forefront of civil rights,” he says.

Nevada Goes Nuts, Cutting Spending On Education, Adult Care, Hearing Aids, Speech Therapy, Adult Diapers

Nevada Goes Nuts, Cutting Spending On Education, Adult Care, Hearing Aids, Speech Therapy, Adult Diapers

If the US has its equivalent to the Greeceproblem, it's definitely the state budgets (rather than the Federal one) that we have to worry about.

Here's what it looks like when a state has to make the hard choices, in this case Nevada.

Yesterday the state announced deep cuts in education and health and human services, eliminating hearing aids, adult care, and speech therapy, just to name a few things.Dentures and adult diapers are gone too.

Just like in Greece, there was a strike (among UNLV students, so we doubt it had a huge impact). Of course this is just one such situation.

Los Angeles votes on school restructuring initiatives

Los Angeles votes on school restructuring initiatives
The crisis of public education in California

Los Angeles votes on school restructuring initiatives

By Dan Conway 
10 February 2010

Schools throughout Los Angeles held community elections last week to decide whether or not to restructure public schools in accordance with provisions of the city’s recently drafted Public School Choice initiative. The vote—which was non-binding and thus does not force the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to actually heed the expressed sentiments of parents, teachers, and students—took place on Tuesday and Saturday of last week. While the district initially promised that results would be announced on Saturday afternoon, LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines has delayed their posting until February 12.

The Public School Choice initiative was drafted in response to recent legislation passed by state government that is intended to make California eligible for up to $700 million in awards under the Obama administration’s “Race to the Top” education program. The passage of the legislature—which allows the state to close public schools and convert them to charter schools—links teacher and administrator work evaluations to student test performance, gives parents greater freedom to take their children out of supposedly poorly-performing public schools and transfer them to newly created charters, and permits parents to petition for the replacement and firing administrators and teachers—does not guarantee that California will actually receive any of the “Race to the Top” money, only that it will be in competition with various other near-bankrupt states for the funds.

Three days before signing the bill, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed a budget for the state that included more than $2.4 billion in cuts to K-12 education. If passed, these will follow on the heels of upwards of $20 billion in cuts to the school system in 2009.

At the school polls in Los Angeles last week, voters were asked to indicate which private or semi-private charter school company should be awar

Ending Poverty through Education, By Michelle Rhee, Chancellor, District of Columbia Public Schools - Spotlight On Poverty

Ending Poverty through Education, By Michelle Rhee, Chancellor, District of Columbia Public Schools - Spotlight On Poverty

“I remember in elementary school – did you guys do this? – switching clothes every other morning with my best friends. That way nobody could tell we each only had one pair of jeans and a t-shirt.” Heads nodded in recognition at this meeting of DC public school seniors reflecting on their early years.


Students in our public schools are my best sources on what it is like to strive in a school system that has not given them an equal shot in life. With 70 percent of them receiving a free or reduced-price lunch and with DC’s child poverty rate well above the national average, poverty is a mountain that children in our nation’s capital climb daily.


This particular group of students had beaten the odds, and they were advancing to college. But they worried that they were unprepared. With only 9 percent of our entering high school freshmen graduating from college within 5 years of high school, and an unemployment rate that has more than doubled with the recession, they were right to be concerned.


I believe we can solve the problems of urban education in our lifetimes and actualize education’s power to reverse generational poverty. But I am learning that it is a radical concept to even suggest this. Warren Buffett framed the problem for me once in a way that clarified how basic our most stubborn obstacles are. He said it would be easy to solve today’s problems in urban education.


“Make private schools illegal,” he said, “and assign every child to a public school by random lottery.” Think about what this would mean. CEOs’ children, diplomats’ children, many would be going to schools in Anacostia and east of the river, where most of our schools are. I guarantee we would never see a faster moving of resources from one end of the city to the other. I also guarantee we would soon have a system of high-quality schools.


Read more:

Ending Poverty through Education, By Michelle Rhee, Chancellor, District of Columbia Public Schools

Sacramento Press / Feb. 17 Intro to Journalism workshop

Sacramento Press / Feb. 17 Intro to Journalism workshop:

"It's very exciting to see the number of our community contributors continue to grow. We now have close to 800. With so many new writers, we want to make sure we offer you the tools and resources to improve your writing and help you feel more confident posting on our site.

We've held many journalism-related workshops in 2009 ranging from Interviewing Techniques, Bias in Media, Journalism Ethics, among others.

We're happy to announce another Intro to Journalism workshop this month, scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 17 6:30 - 8 p.m."

Complimentary E-copy: Teaching as an Act of Love:Thoughts and Recollections of a Former Teacher, Principal and Kid > Richard Lakin's Thanks2Teachers.com - A Wellspring of Teacher Appreciation and Teacher Inspiration > Inspiration for Teachers and Parents

Complimentary E-copy: Teaching as an Act of Love:Thoughts and Recollections of a Former Teacher, Principal and Kid > Richard Lakin's Thanks2Teachers.com - A Wellspring of Teacher Appreciation and Teacher Inspiration > Inspiration for Teachers and Parents



Inspiration for Teachers and Parents

Complimentary E-copy: Teaching as an Act of Love:Thoughts and Recollections of a Former Teacher, Principal and Kid Here's your complimentary e-copy of my book! Click on the title below: Teaching as an Act of Love: Thoughts and Recollections of a Former Teacher, Principal and Kid  This is copyrighted material, but you are free to and encouraged to FORWARD it to anyone you wish--teachers, parents, colleagues, students, friends--as long as you don't make any changes or profit from its use. If you prefer a paperback edition or to give it as a gift to a teacher or a friend, you can purchase it online at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble Thanks, Richard

Presidential Memorandum -- Establishing a Task Force on Childhood Obesity | The White House

Presidential Memorandum -- Establishing a Task Force on Childhood Obesity | The White House

Establishing a Task Force on Childhood Obesity

 Across our country, childhood obesity has reached epidemic rates and, as a result, our children may live shorter lives than their parents. Obesity has been recognized as a problem for decades, but efforts to address this crisis to date have been insufficient. My Administration is committed to redoubling our efforts to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation through a comprehensive approach that builds on effective strategies, engages families and communities, and mobilizes both public and private sector resources.

Nearly one third of children in America are overweight or obese -- a rate that has tripled in adolescents and more than doubled in younger children since 1980.  One third of all individuals born in the year 2000 or later will eventually suffer from diabetes over the course of their lifetime, while too many others will face chronic obesity-related health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma.  Without effective intervention, many more children will endure serious illnesses that will put a strain on our health-care system. We must act now to improve the health of our Nation's children and avoid spending billions of dollars treating preventable disease.

Therefore, I have set a goal to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight. The First Lady will lead a national public awareness effort to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity.  She will encourage involvement by actors from every sector -- the public, nonprofit, and private sectors, as well as parents and youth -- to help support and amplify the work of the Federal Government in improving the health of our children.  But to meet our goal, we must accelerate implementation of successful strategies that will prevent and combat obesity. Such strategies include updating child nutrition policies in a way that addresses the best available scientific information, ensuring access to healthy, affordable food in schools and communities, as well as increasing physical activity and empowering parents and caregivers with the information and tools they need to make good choices for themselves and their families. To succeed, these efforts must be strategically targeted, and accountability should be clear. They will help our children develop lifelong healthy habits, ensuring they reach their greatest potential toward building a healthier and more prosperous America.  To these ends, I hereby direct the following:

Schools Matter: Michelle Rhee Is A Liar, Period

Schools Matter: Michelle Rhee Is A Liar, Period:

Michelle Rhee Is A Liar, Period

From today's Bill Turque piece in WaPo:

. . . .Rhee told Fast Company magazine that some of the 266teachers laid off in October's budget crunch were educators "who had hit children, who had had sex with children, who had missed 78 days of school."

The comment alarmed parents and teachers and District officials because of its implication that a significant portion of the instructors had committed such offenses. When Rhee finally offered numbers to support the claim, they were relatively small: Six of the 266 teachers had been suspended for corporal punishment at some point in their careers, she 

Georgia's Private White Academies Now to Be Financed with Tax Dollars

My first year of teaching was 1971 in Sandersville, Georgia, during the second year of school integration in that part of the apartheid South. Those white children whose parents could afford it had been placed in the private academies that had sprung up around the region like mushrooms in a cow pasture after a spring rain. Now almost 40 years later, we can now see the return of segregation and apartheid, this time taking hold at public expense in the corporate charter schools like Pataula Charter Academy that hoped to be the solution to race mixing. From the Journal-Constitution:

By Maureen Downey

9:12 a.m. Monday, February 8, 2010

In fighting approval of a regional charter school, southwest Georgia superintendents allege that the Pataula Charter Academy would signal a return to the era in Georgia when blacks and whites attended different schools.

Teachers Get National Certification - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)

Teachers Get National Certification - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)

State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Congratulates California Teachers Who Received Prestigious National Certification

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced 349 California teachers became National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT®s) in November 2009.

The prestigious award of achievement was granted by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS®).

"Congratulations to these educators who have demonstrated their passion and skill for teaching by earning this prestigious distinction," said O'Connell. "NBCTs are leading the way to prepare students for success in the competitive global economy."

National Board Certification is a voluntary assessment program designed to recognize great teachers, reward them, and increase their skills. While state licensing systems set basic requirements to teach in each state, NBCTs have successfully demonstrated advanced teaching knowledge, skills, and practices. The certification process typically takes between one and three years to complete. As part of the process, teachers build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, videotapes, and a thorough analysis of their classroom teaching, including evidence of fairness, equity, and access in meeting student needs. Teachers are also assessed on their knowledge of the subjects they teach.

In California, 63.7 percent of NBCTs teach in Title I eligible schools. Title I schools mean they receive federal funding to help socioeconomically disadvantaged students. This compares to more than half of NBCTs teaching in Title I schools nationwide.

NBCTs comprise about 3 percent of the national teaching force yet have won more than a fourth of the 2008 and 2009 State Teacher of the Year Awards and a third of the 2008 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Examples of awards earned by California NBCTs are:

• Brian Jeffrey, an English teacher at Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga in San Bernardino County, won the 2009 Characters Unite Award from the USA Network.
• Jose Navarro, a social studies and U.S. history teacher at Sylmar Senior High School in Los Angeles County, was a 2009 California Teacher of the Year.
• Brooke Nicolls, a writing teacher at Grant High School in Sacramento County, won the 2009 Outstanding Teacher of America Award from the Carlston Family Foundation.
• Lewis Chappelear, an engineering teacher at James Monroe High School in Los Angeles County, was a 2008 California Teacher of the Year and was nominated to compete for the prestigious National Teacher of the Year honor.
• Shannon Garrison, a general elementary teacher at Solano Avenue Elementary School in Los Angeles County, was a 2008 Milken Educator Award winner.
• Three California NBCTs serve on the NBPTS Board of Directors: Liane Cismowski from the Mount Diablo Unified School District, Michael de la Torre from the Los Angeles Unified School District, and Haydee Rodriguez from the Central Union High School District.

California's 349 newly certified teachers bring the statewide total of NBCTs to 4,581. There are more than 82,000 NBCTs nationwide with California ranking fourth in total number of these accomplished teachers. The top five California school districts with newly named NBCTs are:

School District	Number of New NBCTs in 2009	Total NBCTs
Los Angeles Unified	142	1,357
San Diego Unified	20	167
San Francisco Unified	11	163
Long Beach Unified	21	147
Poway Unified	5	116

California's new NBCTs are helping to further the state's education reform efforts under the federal Race to the Top competition that is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. To help create great teachers and leaders, O'Connell is asking participating local educational agencies to partner with the state to strengthen supports for teachers and school leaders, including deepening teacher and principal evaluations to both strengthen instruction and manage talent.

"We have long known that a key to student success is a great teacher," added O'Connell. "A fundamental step for closing the achievement gap in California is ensuring our most challenged schools are staffed with effective teachers and school leaders. National Board Certified Teachers often serve as leaders and mentors. This program is a great example of effective professional development that will help our teaching force meet and overcome the academic challenges students face in low-achieving schools."

For more information about National Board Certification for Teachers and Principals, please visit National Board for Professional Teaching Standards: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (Outside Source).

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