Friday, April 2, 2010

“Ganas” is a Spanish word meaning “motivation sufficient to act.” It was a word often used by Jaime Escalante, the former Garfield High School teacher who was the inspiration for the movie “Stand and Deliver.” As the education world sadly learned on Tuesday, Jaime lost his valiant battle with bladder cancer at the age of 79 in the company of family and friends. He helped transform a tough East Los Angeles high school by motivating his students to master advanced math and erase the stereotype held by many that inner-city students cannot perform at the highest levels.

Listening to an appreciation of Jaime on NPR as I drove to school, I was again reminded about the selfless deeds of a great educator. It also confirmed the chance we have as teachers to change a student’s life and, quite possibly, an entire education system. An immigrant from Bolivia, Jaime taught AP Calculus and other math courses for 20 years to students from one of the poorest neighborhoods in Los Angeles. His students faced incredible odds. However, Jaime, a tireless advocate and motivator, helped them recognize their true potential, as he broke down even their own misconceptions about what poor and minority students are capable of achieving.

Some Unanswered Questions About ESEA

by David B. Cohen

This post will be the first in a multi-part, multi-blog reflection on this topic. Be sure to read down to the bottom to see who will pick up the discussion after I leave off.

Today I had the opportunity to listen to a webinar conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, which coordinated with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to invite National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) to participate in a discussion of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, (ESEA, also known as No Child Left Behind in its most recent incarnation). In preparation for Congressional work on ESEA, the DOE has released its Blueprint For Reform.

Though I have found myself disappointed in Arne Duncan more often than not, I appreciate his longstanding support for NBPTS. The National Board is one of the best hopes we have for building the profession of teaching across the country, and it is fitting that NBCTs and other teaching experts should be consulted about this important legislation.

Judy Wurtzel spoke on behalf of the DOE, and after using up half of the time presenting the administration’s plan, she took some questions about it. Not exactly a discussion – it sounded more like a friendly press

SCSU to partner with India project | sctimes.com | St Cloud Times

SCSU to partner with India project

TIMES STAFF REPORT • APRIL 2, 2010

St. Cloud State University has been selected as one of 10 U.S. institutions to participate in a pilot project seeking academic partnerships in India.

The Institute of International Education picked St. Cloud State for its International Academic Partnership Program. It is paid for by the U.S. Department of Education and is one of the first initiatives of the IIE and its Center for International Partnerships in Higher Education.

The nine other institutions, selected from a pool of more than 75, are: California State University-San Bernardino; College of William and Mary; Florida Atlantic University; Oakland Community College; Ohio Wesleyan University; Spelman College; University of Tulsa; University of South Carolina; and Winston Salem State University.

St. Cloud State representatives will train for a study tour to India in the fall. The purpose of the tour will be to meet with potential Indian partner campuses.

The university has a well-established relationship with India, which had 118 students enrolled at St. Cloud State this fall.

That group ranked third among fall international student enrollment at St. Cloud State, behind Nepal (293)

Liu ‘91 turned to service on Farm | Stanford Daily

Liu ‘91 turned to service on Farm

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010 | By Elizabeth Rosen

During his days as a Stanford undergraduate, Goodwin Liu ’91 made a lasting impression on those who worked with him in the biological sciences department at the Haas Center for Public Service and in the campus community at large.

Now Liu, 39, is President Obama’s nominee to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, and some of those who knew him at Stanford are hardly surprised.

Goodwin Liu '91. (Courtesy of UC-Berkeley)

Liu is currently a professor at the UC-Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law.

J. Myron Atkin, a professor emeritus in the Stanford School of Education, advised Liu on his undergraduate honors thesis, a study on the tensions in education policy associated with state-level decision-making versus local policy implementation, and said he always knew Liu would do well after school.

Twenty years ago, Atkin wrote a letter on Liu’s behalf praising his “quick, insightful and analytic” mind as well as the obligation he felt, even as an undergraduate, to put his intellect and leadership to use in working for “a gentler world.” Atkin said he feels those words still reflect the Goodwin Liu he knows today.

Liu began his career at Stanford as a biological sciences major determined to go to medical school and become a doctor. However, his work on education policy at the Haas Center for Public Service motivated him to reconsider this decision and look instead at a career in law.

Atkin said he recalled Liu being torn between the two career paths — though former Haas Center Director Catherine Milton, who worked extensively with Liu, told the Daily that “he always had time

Imperial Valley News - Governor Schwarzenegger Announces State Board of Education Appointments

Governor Schwarzenegger Announces State Board Of Education Appointments

Written by Imperial Valley News
Thursday, 01 April 2010
Sacramento California - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the following appointments to the State Board of Education: Alan Arkatov, Benjamin Austin, David P. Lopez and Jeannie Oropeza. Alan Arkatov, 48, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the State Board of Education. He has served as president of Changing.edu since 2008. Previously, Arkatov was chief strategy officer for The Rogers Group from 2005 to 2008 and national education practice chair and Southern California chief executive officer for Burson-Marsteller from 2003 to 2005. He was president of eEducation Group from 2001 to 2003 and founder and chairman of OnlineLearning.net from 1991 to 2001. Arkatov served as vice president and West Coast director for Doak and Shrum from 1985 to 1991. He is a member of the Alliance for College Ready Public Schools and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. This position requires Senate confirmation and compensation is $100 per diem. Arkatov is a Democrat. Benjamin Austin, 40, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the State Board of Education. He has served as executive director of the Los Angeles Parents Union and Parents Revolution since 2008 and as an assistant city attorney for Los Angeles since 2006. Previously, he was a consultant for Green Dot Public Schools from 2006 to 2008. Austin was consultant for First 5 California and Rob Reiner from 2002 to 2006 and assistant city attorney for Los Angeles from 2001 to 2002. He served as deputy mayor for Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan from 2000 to 2001 and was communication director of the Host Committee for the 2000 Democratic National Convention from 1999 to 2000. Austin was a litigation associate for Irell and Manella from 1998 to 1999. Prior to that, he served the White House in the Office of Presidential Advance from 1993 to 1999 and as a deputy in the Office of Political Affairs from 1994 to 1995. Austin was a media relations deputy for the U.S. General Services Administration from 1993 to 1994, press advance for the Presidential Inaugural Committee from 1992 to 1993 and advance for Clinton/Gore ’92. This position requires Senate confirmation and compensation is $100 per diem. Austin is a Democrat. David P. Lopez, Ed.D., 57, of San Jose, has been reappointed to the State Board of Education, where he has served as a member since 2006. He has served as president of The National Hispanic University since 2003. Previously, Lopez served as professor and administrator at California State University, Fresno from 1981 to 2003. He served New Mexico State University as assistant and professor from 1978 to 1981 and doctorial candidate in curriculum and instruction from 1976 to 1979. Lopez was an intern and teacher for the West Las Vegas School District from 1974 to 1976 and instructional aide and intern for Albuquerque Public Schools from 1970 to 1974. Lopez is a member of the Silicon Valley Children’s Fund, the National Council of La Raza, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and the California Postsecondary Education Commission. This position requires Senate confirmation and the

Undocumented Cal Student Sheds Light On Life In The Shadows - News Story - KTVU San Francisco

Undocumented Cal Student Sheds Light On Life In The Shadows

BERKELEY, Calif. -- In the hallways of public universities throughout California, a large, discreet group of undocumented students is struggling to overcome harrowing obstacles by finishing college while living in the shadows of U.S. law.

These students are no strangers to living in poverty or constant fear of deportation. But they also have fought to forge their own fate by doing what their parents did not do: graduate from college. Indeed, it is that very tenacity that some educators say makes them ideal students.

One of those students, Emily Estevan, has placed her hope for finishing her education in a fragile piece of legislation: the California DREAM Act.

Emily (her name has been changed at her request), along with the other 65,000 undocumented immigrants graduating from U.S. high schools every year (40% of whom live in the state of California), is not eligible for any state or federal financial aid to pay for college--a problem for her and others like her, as many come from some of the state's lowest income families.

"I remember when I first applied to Cal and I got in," she said. "I told my dad that I was really excited, I was crying, I told him I really wanted to go there, and he told me, 'Well, how are you going to go about paying for school, I only make $10,000 a year, which barely is enough to pay for the bills right now."

Emily eventually found a way to attend Berkeley: like most of these students, she worked.

During her freshman year, she took a job working 20 hours a week and commuted every day from Davis-- four hours

KVCR program looks at Southern California Indian history | San Bernardino County | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California

KVCR program looks at Southern California Indian history


		Download story podcast

10:00 PM PDT on Thursday, April 1, 2010

By DAVID OLSON
The Press-Enterprise

Long before the arrival of the Europeans, the nomadic Serrano people lived throughout huge swaths of mountains and desert in what is now known as San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

Then came the Spanish explorers, who pushed them off most of their land, kidnapped their children and brought diseases that killed many. The Mexican and later U.S. takeover of Serrano lands led to more abuses and deaths, including killing sprees in the 1860s carried out by settler militias from San Bernardino.

One of the tribes of Serrano people, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, wants to ensure their devastating history, and that of other California Indians, is not lost.

The tribe is sponsoring a four-part television series, starting Monday on KVCR, that examines Native American history in the state.

The murders, land grabs, broken treaties and forced assimilation that California's native people suffered are unknown by many, said Edward Castillo, a professor of

Day of Action highlights larger problems in California schools | The Campanil

Day of Action highlights larger problems in California schools

By Sahar Shirazi
Posted in Opinions
Posted on April 1, 2010

The Emerson Elementary students, along with thousands of students and educators in 33 states across the country, staged demonstrations in a national day of protest against cuts in public education funding.California alone has seen $17 billion in cuts to its public school system, and may be facing almost $3 billion more.I got out of the shower early Thursday morning on March 4 to the sound of hundreds of little voices chanting “Save Our School!” As I pulled out of the driveway, I saw the Emerson Elementary School kids from across the street from my house marching on Lawton Avenue and down 45th Street, kids as young as five that held signs reading “Save my school.” The sight was heartbreaking, and an example of a larger phenomena occurring throughout the state and country.

While the economy’s downward spiral has affected all areas of public finance, public education is facing disproportionate cuts. Education spending accounts for about 40 percent of the state budget, but schools have experienced about 60 percent of the statewide cuts to deal with the economy.

Few would call this a simple problem. The entire country is in the middle of a prolonged and devastating recession. Still, California’s own economic woes began before t

The Western Front - School district chooses new superintendent

School district chooses new superintendent

by Dan Balmer
Friday, April 02, 2010
Gregory Baker, a finalist in the search for for Bellingham School District's next superintendent, mingles with community members after he addressed a panel of students and faculty during a presentation at Bellingham High School on March 29, 2010. — photo by Carey Rose The Bellingham School Board unanimously selected Gregory Baker as the district's new superintendent at a special public meeting March 31. Baker, a Western alumnus, is currently the deputy superintendent for Portland Public Schools. Baker will finish the school year in Portland and become the Bellingham superintendent effective July 1, replacing interim superintendent Sherrie Brown. “I am very excited to be a part of a community that embraces the school system,” Baker said. “In my career, every time I have had an opportunity to learn, I have always risen to the occasion. My path to Bellingham gives me a good foundation of perspectives to help this district move forward.” On Monday, he visited schools in Bellingham and answered questions from a community panel as the last remaining finalist. Baker was one of two finalists remaining from 33 applicants reviewed by the Bellingham School District Board. On March 27, the other finalist for the job, Dr. Steven Herzog, withdrew his candidacy to accept another superintendent position in the San Francisco Bay area. Herzog said he was offered the Bay area position before the Bellingham process was complete, and felt he had the support needed to move that district forward. He watched Baker’s video interview from Monday and said the community is lucky to have a talented leader who is well-suited for Bellingham. “The process is like a marriage proposal,” said Kenneth Gass, president of the board. “We want to hire someone who wants to be here.” Gass said the total annual salary package for Bellingham’s superintendent position is about $200,000 — significantly less than what

Latest News and Comment from Education

Friday, April 2, 2010

It Takes Ganas � InterACT

It Takes Ganas