Saturday, February 13, 2010

Education Notes Online: Millot: Sound Decision or Censorship at TWIE (II)

Please be assured that this isn't really about you or the substance of your post.  Issues of transparency and accountability have been raised by several folks including hess and edweek…

you try and make it seem to yourself like this is about some higher issue, but it's really just ego and refusing to acknowledge your role.

Readers might reasonably guess that the first quote is from someone who supports the argument I made on February 10 in School Matters http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2010/02/millot-sound-decision-or-censorship-at.html; the second from someone who does not. Both quotes can be found here. In a sense they would be right. The first is part of This Week in Education (TWIE)

http://www.thisweekineducation.com/ Editor Andrew Russo’s email to me of 11:06 AM (Saturday the day after he pulled “Three Data Points. Unconnected Dots or a Warning?” . (http://borderland.northernattitude.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/millot_warning.pdf) from his blog. The second, his email of 11:55 PM Monday, sent after firing me from TWIE. (A complete email record can be foundhere. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/26695687/Millot-Russo-Email-Communications-February-5-9-2010)) A new man can emerge over 60 hours – especially when he’s under pressure.

Why did Russo pull the post? The short answer, at least the short answer Russo offered over the phone Saturday, lies in his contract with Scholastic. TWIE is not editorially independent. Scholastic decides what will remain on his blog. On Friday afternoon, Russo’s point of contact at Scholastic

Sacramento Press / Sacramento City Unified School Disrtict Community Budget Forums

The budget and strategic plan survey of the community is complete. These surveys mark the a new commitment by SCUSD to listening to our community, consulting the community on important decisions and providing the public open access to our work in leading the district. The data will be accumulated and we will report on the results of the surveys as soon as possible.

Superentendent Jonathan Raymond announced that the district has scheduled four community forums to discuss the budget. These forums seek to gain recommendations from the public on how the district should deal with a budget shortfall of up to $30 million. “In the end, the school board will make the tough decisions about how to balance the budget and will set a direction for the district with the new strategic plan. But these forums are allowing us to have a conversation with the people of Sacramento – teachers, parents and community members alike – like never before in our history. These conversations are vitally important and are giving us a window into the community’s thoughts and ideas about the kind of schools they want. We want to make sure everyone takes this opportunity to be heard,” Superintendent Raymond said.

Each is scheduled from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

• Feb. 17 – McClatchy High School, 3066 Freeport Blvd.
• Feb. 23 – Rosemont High School, 9594 Kiefer Blvd.
• Feb. 24 – Luther Burbank High School, 3500 Florin Road
• March 3 – location to be announced

"It's absolutely critical that the community is part of these decisions. It's their schools, after all."

Go to the SCUSD Web Site

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence. - Hey Teachers! Do You Use an Interactive Whiteboard?

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence. - Hey Teachers! Do You Use an Interactive Whiteboard?
Hey Teachers! Do You Use an Interactive Whiteboard?

Hey teachers: Do you use an interactive whiteboard in your classroom? Have you found them useful? How has it changed your lessons? I'm writing about the influx of technology in San Diego Unified classrooms and want to know how you are using -- or maybe not using -- these new tools. Please shoot me an e-mail with your thoughts at emily.alpert@voiceofsandiego.org.

-- EMILY ALPERT

read what other members are saying and add your voice

Schools Matter: LAUSD's Cortines on Scholastic's Payroll

LAUSD's Cortines on Scholastic's Payroll

From Southern California Public Radio:

Book supplier paid LAUSD chief $150K last year
Feb. 12, 2010 | Adolfo Guzman-Lopez | KPCC

Ethics watchdogs say they’re troubled that Los Angeles Unified’s superintendent is supplementing his salary with money paid by a large company that sells reading material and services to the school district.
L.A. Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines sits on the board of directors of the New York City-based Scholastic Corporation. The Los Angeles Times reports that federal filings disclosed Cortines earned $151,000 last year from the company, and roughly the same amount the previous two years.

A filing from five months ago indicates that he owns about $100,000 worth of stock in the company. The school district pays him a $250,000 salary.
Scholastic has $16 million in contracts to provide L.A. Unified with reading material. Cortines said he abstains from any school district decisions having to do with the company. Former school board

Education Research Report U.S. Department of Education Releases New Report on Use of Data Systems to Support Reform

Education Research Report:

"U.S. Department of Education Releases New Report on Use of Data Systems to Support Reform

States and districts are making significant progress in building educational data systems and are starting to use that valuable data to change classroom practice and improve student achievement, according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Education.

But school leaders are still searching for the best models to mine the data to discover the best instructional methods for students, the report says.

“Data should be part of a feedback loop used to drive improvement at every level of the education system. This study helps us understand the kinds of data that need to be available for teachers and school leaders if they’re going to use data to improve their practice,” said Carmel Martin, assistant secretary for the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development.

In “Use of Education Data at the Local Level: From Accountability to Instructional Improvement,” researchers surveyed officials from 529 districts, conducted in-depth site visits to 36 schools in 12 districts leading the way in data usage, and analyzed secondary data from a survey of over 6,000 teachers to obtain a national picture of current data use practices at the local-level.

Major findings from the report include:"

As Senate works on jobs bill, some states on edge of financial disaster

As Senate works on jobs bill, some states on edge of financial disaster:

"Washington seems to have finally caught on, at least a little bit, to the fact that that jobs are on the forefront of most Americans minds. Whether they are actually able to follow through with doing anything effective is an entirely different matter.

According to http://www.foxnews.com, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid decided that he could reduce an $85 billion jobs bill down to $15 billion.

The higher priced one apparently had some bipartisan support because it included elements that conservative Republicans were interested to extend to the American people. The problem is that when Reid made his changes, he apparently removed those things according to an Associated Press article. So now support for the bill is no longer bipartisan. However, one thing that Reid did include in his scaled down version is a $13 billion payroll tax credit for companies that hire unemployed workers. And with national unemployment being at about 10 percent, companies who can actually afford to hire workers don’t have to worry about a shortage of qualified applicants – just the future of the state in which their company is located."

The Early Literacy Crisis: A Mom Congress Special Report - Parenting.com

The Early Literacy Crisis: A Mom Congress Special Report - Parenting.com:

"The Vanda Early Learning Center in Lubbock, TX, sits between two cotton fields, with a bright-blue sign out front and a globe painted on the sidewalk. It's a cheery spot for the children who come here, nearly all of whom qualify for the federal free-lunch program. With its state-endorsed kindergarten-readiness program, it also represents a critical opportunity for them to avoid ending up like the 22 percent of adults over age 25 in Lubbock who don't have a high school diploma.

Zadrian Rodriguez was at high risk of becoming one of those statistics because his mother, Amelia, was struggling to raise three young kids on her own. 'I was working long hours and I didn't have time to sit down with them or read to them,' she says. Like more than half of the families whose children attend Vanda, Rodriguez also didn't have any books at home. And those are huge problems."

Autism Blog - California’s Invisible Autism Epidemic Continues � Left Brain/Right Brain

California’s Invisible Autism Epidemic Continues

Over a year ago, I wrote a post at Autism Street titled,
“California’s Invisible Autism Epidemic“.

At the time, IDEA child count and population data was available through 2007. Admittedly, what follows is a bit of a repeat, but there is updated information included too.

That January 2009 post asked the following question:

It would seem that many an “autism advocate” has warned us of an impending “crisis” that looms for California’s healthcare systems and schools. If autism caseload is increasing, and it represents a real increase in autism itself, then a next logical conclusion is that, ceteris paribus, similar increases will also be seen in the total numbers of children in special education in California’s schools, right?

And suggested an answer:

Wrong – well, maybe wrong

UC supporters swell to nearly 300,000 strong; large rallies planned / UCLA Today

UC supporters swell to nearly 300,000 strong; large rallies planned / UCLA Today:

"Working to combat a steep slide in state support for higher education, advocates for the University of California are planning large rallies in Sacramento this spring to persuade lawmakers that public higher education should be a funding priority.

Efforts to build support for restoring funding to UC and UCLA have been gaining momentum with the launch of an online, grassroots movement to educate lawmakers and the public about all the ways that UC serves California and its people.

Supporters now number nearly 300,000 strong — with more than 130,000 people added to the list of UCforCA.org advocates since November."

LaJollaLight.com | Annual Hearts and Scholars dinner brings together UCSD students and donors

Scholarship recipients express their gratitude to generous benefactors on Feb. 11

Brennan Pursley never planned to continue his education after high school. Then he experienced first-hand how difficult life was without a degree. Today, Pursley is a double major in physics and applied mathematics at the University of California, San Diego. And he is captivated by physics research, thanks to a scholarship named for a former UC San Diego chancellor-who was a scholarship recipient himself-and his wife.

From cashier to line cook to "sandwich artist" at Subway, Pursley managed to get by after graduating from high school. But the work was often physically tiring, and at the end of the day he barely had spending money even though he still lived at home with his parents. Then he met his future wife and realized what their life together would be like if he did not have a college education, and career. "I knew she was something special and that was motivation enough for me to go back to school," says Pursley.

With a new-found drive, Pursley enrolled in community college with the intention of becoming an engineer. It was there that he discovered his passion for physics.

"In high school, I had been a straight 'C' student," Pursley recalls. "After one semester of college I was a straight 'A' student and I felt rejuvenated. I had to juggle a job with my studies which were getting more difficult, but I knew I was on the right path."

American Chronicle | Fact Sheet: News on the Recovery Act

Fact Sheet: News on the Recovery Act

Congressional Desk

February 13, 2010

The Obama Administration announced a total of nearly $1 billion in Recovery Act awards to help health care providers advance the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology (IT) and train workers for the health care jobs of the future. The awards will help make health IT available to over 100,000 hospitals and primary care physicians by 2014 and train thousands of people for careers in health care and information technology. [2/12/10]

Reuters - Stimulus transport works garner 280k jobs-US panel

More than 12,000 stimulus transportation projects have been put out to bid since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was passed last year, the congressional committee tracking that funding said on Tuesday.

By the committee's count, the road and bridge work has created or saved 280,000 jobs, with a payroll of $1.4 billion, said committee Chairman James Oberstar, a Minnesota Democrat.

Maine leads all states, with 100 percent of its transportation allotment already invested in road and bridge projects that are underway or already completed, according to the committee.

California's revenue bonanza: $1.2 billion higher than expected - San Jose Mercury News

SACRAMENTO — Providing a glimmer of optimism for the state's gloomy financial picture, California's tax revenues soared $1.2 billion higher than expected last month, marking the third time in four months that the state's income topped forecasts.

If that pattern holds, the state's $19.9 billion budget gap might actually shrink this spring — which would be the first time since 2007 that the governor's spring budget update has brought a bit of good economic news.

Although some analysts stress it's still too early to tell, one economist estimates the deficit could shrink by $2 billion to $5 billion, buoyed by Silicon Valley's stock market prowess. Lawmakers have floated similar numbers.

The possibility of such rosy news has quietly emboldened Democrats to put off some of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's harshest proposed cuts to education, social services and health programs.

"There is a reasonable scenario by which we can get through this budget with minimal pain," said Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, noting "hopeful signs" in the state's economy after four years of multibillion-dollar deficits.

"As difficult as this budget is," Steinberg said, "we've been through the worst of the worst."

Others are less sanguine.

Silicon Valley takes big steps to boost business - 2/12/10 - San Francisco News - abc7news.com

Silicon Valley takes big steps to boost business - 2/12/10 - San Francisco News - abc7news.com:

"SAN JOSE, CA (KGO) -- Silicon Valley is planning to hire what some people are calling a secret agent to do 'special ops' -- undercover reconnaissance and intelligence gathering to bolster its competitiveness and to win more federal funding. The special ops person will report to a steering committee made of top Silicon Valley organizations vested in the economic vitality of the region.

Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network president & CEO Russell Hancock and Silicon Valley Community Foundation CEO Emmett Carson made the announcement Friday morning at their 'State of the Valley' conference at McEnery Convention Center in San Jose.

The two organizations on Wednesday released their annual economic report card, and it pointed out a number of danger signs that the region's innovation engine has stalled. Among the key findings: the number of patents registrations has slipped, venture capital investments have dropped 35 percent and the Valley has seen a 25 percent growth in five years of independent contractors who do not employ anyone."

College prerequisite offerings expanded - SignOnSanDiego.com

College prerequisite offerings expanded - SignOnSanDiego.com:

"SAN DIEGO — Starting next year, freshmen in San Diego city schools should take — or at least have access to — four classes that meet entrance requirements for the UC and CSU systems, under a reform effort designed to give every student a fair shot at a college education.

It’s an ambitious undertaking considering that to date, the San Diego Unified School District is not sure how many graduates leave high school with the classes they need to apply to California’s public university systems.

“This is going to be a milestone change for us,” interim Superintendent Bill Kowba said. “We have to make sure that we know what we’re getting into next year.”

The nonprofit Education Trust—West is working with San Diego Unified to get high schools ready for the change in the fall. Representatives from the organization met with the school board to discuss the issue this week.

“We’re all about business right now, and that means making sure the incoming ninth-grade class has what it needs to make this work,” said Tami Pearson of Ed Trust—West."

State schools chief praises gains at Merced-area campuses - Local - MercedSun-Star.com

State schools chief praises gains at Merced-area campuses - Local - MercedSun-Star.com:

"In tough economic times, good news is hard to find, especially in the world of education.

So when Chenoweth Elementary School principal Paula Heupal missed California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell's congratulatory phone call, she was upset.
O'Connell made four other phone calls this week to Merced County schools to praise them for making the needed academic gains to qualify for the Title One Academic Achievement Award."

Yamato Elementary School in Livingston, Peggy Heller Elementary School in Atwater and Schendel Elementary School in Delhi were the other recipients of the award. Luckily, O'Connell left Heupal a message, which she played for the entire school the next day.

Statewide, only 238 schools made the required academic gains to qualify as winners. Out of the more than 9,000 schools in the state, 6,000 participate in the Title One program.

Title One is the largest federally funded education program in the country.

The program, part of the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, provides funding for students living at or near the federal poverty level as a

Small Class Sizes Fall Victim to Downturn - WSJ.com

Small Class Sizes Fall Victim to Downturn - WSJ.com:

"Laws aimed at lowering class sizes in U.S. public schools are coming under fire as budget shortfalls lead many states to slash education spending.

So far this year, officials in Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma and Nevada have proposed relaxing or eliminating class-size limits. The moves follow California's easing of class-size targets last year, which helped result in around 75% of the state's public elementary schools increasing class sizes this school year, according to estimates from a University of California, Los Angeles, report last month.

Class-size limits, which often target kindergarten through third grade, are coming under the microscope. The benefit is more attention for each student; the downside is the cost. Reducing class size generally requires school districts to pay for more teachers and classroom space."

Rescuing music education in San Diego

We’ve all heard the bad news about music education. Many school music programs are suffering. Budget cuts are brutal. The emphasis on standardized testing has made arts education vulnerable to the chopping block.

Yet there’s also good news. Leading local institutions such as the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, Mainly Mozart and La Jolla Music Society valiantly continue their education efforts.

And three other organizations – the California Music Project and Orchestra Nova San Diego plus the San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory – have distinctive programs that are enlightening and much needed.

“We’re all talking to each other,” says Youth Symphony president and CEO Dalouge Smith. “We’re all pursuing the same goal, which is more music education for kids. We’re each providing a different strategy to achieve that.”

Book supplier paid LAUSD chief $150K last year | 89.3 KPCC

Book supplier paid LAUSD chief $150K last year| 89.3 KPCC:

"Ethics watchdogs say they’re troubled that Los Angeles Unified’s superintendent is supplementing his salary with money paid by a large company that sells reading material and services to the school district.

L.A. Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines sits on the board of directors of the New York City-based Scholastic Corporation. The Los Angeles Times reports that federal filings disclosed Cortines earned $151,000 last year from the company, and roughly the same amount the previous two years."

A filing from five months ago indicates that he owns about $100,000 worth of stock in the company. The school district pays him a $250,000 salary.

Scholastic has $16 million in contracts to provide L.A. Unified with reading material. Cortines said he abstains from any school district decisions having to do with the company. Former school board member Jeff Horton told the L.A. Times that the arrangement puts the district at a disadvantage as it attempts to turn around low reading scores. Other district observers said it gives the company an unfair advantage in its dealings with L.A. Unified.

Despite economy, schools aim for computer programs to include every student - The Boston Globe

Despite economy, schools aim for computer programs to include every student - The Boston Globe:

"Anyone who has ever listened to the incessant tap-tap-tapping of a teenager texting on a cellphone knows that youths these days are wired. Whether by desktop, laptop, cellphone, or smart phone, many students spend their nights and weekends online and in touch."

But much of that interactivity is frozen like a bad computer program the minute they walk into school. In many schools, if a student fires up a smart phone in the middle of class to check something on the Internet, they could be in trouble.

“We say if they pull that out, they get detention,’’ said Michael Cournoyer, Holliston High School’s principal. “It’s kind of silly.’’

As of two years ago, just 1 percent of Massachusetts schools had a computer for every student - even though state guidelines call for 100 percent.

But that could change as Holliston, Natick, Hopkinton and other communities look to integrate technology more intimately into the classroom. They face hurdles, most notably the cost of starting and maintaining such programs.

It’s still early in the plan, but school leaders in Holliston hope to provide a laptop for every student and teacher at the high school, starting with the freshman class of 2012. The transition kicked off last month, when 20 of the high school’s teachers received an Apple MacBook, Superintendent Bradford Jackson said.

Hopkinton is trying out one-to-one computing this year by providing laptops to

L.A. Unified may cut school year by 6 days - latimes.com

L.A. Unified may cut school year by 6 days - latimes.com:

"Los Angeles schools Supt. Ramon C. Cortines proposed Friday cutting six days from the school year to help reduce an estimated $640-million deficit and avoid the need for widespread layoffs in the nation's second-largest school system.

The move, announced by news release Friday evening, would save the district $90 million and could spare up to 5,000 jobs, Cortines said. The alternative to this drastic action, he said, would be to let the district go bankrupt.

'Do I think [this] is good education policy? No,' he said. 'But we are in a real crisis.'

Cortines has repeatedly said that he did not want to shorten the school year. This is the first time in recent history that a Los Angeles school superintendent has made such a suggestion."

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