Wednesday, April 14, 2010

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SD school board may ease curbs on promotions

This year could mark then end of a policy that keeps failing students in San Diego from being promoted to the next grade level unless they complete summer intervention classes.

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Program that helps kids handle grief honored

An overcast sky underscored the solemnity of a ceremony Tuesday at Oak Crest Intermediate School in the East Central Independent School District, where school officials accepted the first Pacesetter Award from the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center. ...

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Utah students breathe life into resolution

An anti-idling campaign launched by sixth-graders at Morningside Elementary is reaping real-life lessons that extend far beyond the walls of the Millcreek classroom...

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Report: Teacher pension plans shaky

Pennsylvania and its school districts face a daunting enough task meeting significant hikes in teacher pension contributions....

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District chooses 6 nonprofits as potential Renaissance school operators

Six nonprofits have been selected to radically reform nine failing Philadelphia School District schools, officials announced Tuesday. Five organizations currently operate charters and are planning to turn district schools into charter schools. Another wants to take over schools but staff them with district teachers. ...

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Detroit Public Schools to end social promotion

As Detroit Public Schools prepares to end the decades-long practice of automatically passing underperforming students from one grade level to the next, officials may learn lessons from the past. ...

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Gifts of a great teacher

4.14.10 - Kathleen Parker - One of President Obama's consistent education themes has been the wish that every child cross paths with that one teacher who hits the light switch and changes one's ...

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GOP senator worries 'No Child' revamp won't work in rural districts

The Senate's ranking Republican on education policy said Tuesday he fears that the Obama administration's strategy for turning around struggling schools will backfire in rural America. ...

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Race to the Top should help desegregate schools

4.14.10 - President Obama recently promised to marshall more resources to drag into court school systems that have ignored civil rights laws and allowed schools to resegregate. ...

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Holding Prom on a School Night

To try to control after-prom excess this year, Pearl River High School in suburban New York will require next-day school attendance. ...

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Middlebury to Develop Online Language Venture

The Vermont college, known for its rigorous foreign-language programs, is teaming up with K12 Inc. to develop courses for precollege students. ...

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NEW BEDFORD new schools chief promises change

Newly appointed School Superintendent Mary Louise Francis ended the first day in her new role with a calm and orderly School Committee meeting, a sharp contrast to the public recriminations that marked the last week of outgoing... ...

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SD school board may ease curbs on promotions

This year could mark then end of a policy that keeps failing students in San Diego from being promoted to the next grade level unless they complete summer intervention classes. ...

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Experts: Encourage kids to enter math, science fields

Experts: Encourage kids to enter math, science fields ...

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VISTA: VUSD to layoff 48 support employees

Nearly 50 Vista Unified School District support employees are expected to lose their jobs beginning this summer as part of the district's plan to close an $18.3 million budget shortfall for next year. ...

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State teachers union targets education bill

The Florida Education Association is leading a battle to defeat legislation that would overhaul how teachers are paid. ...

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Ex-MPS leaders speak out at forum

Milwaukee Public Schools can be turned around, but it will need a strong, visionary leader to chart a course of action and stick to it despite the pressures of special interests, the School Board and political forces, several former MPS superintendents said Monday night....

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Author: ‘iGeneration’ requires a different approach to instruction

Today’s middle and high school students learn much differently from students just a few years older—and that's mainly because they’ve never known a world without the internet or cell phones, says psychology professor and author Larry D. Rosen,... ...

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Parental notice rule irks Colorado schools

A proposal requiring all Colorado school districts to notify parents within 24 hours if a school employee has been arrested or charged with a serious crime is drawing fire from education groups....

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Some ISTEP results voided at Parkview Middle School

The social studies section of 88 seventh-graders’ ISTEP exams taken in early March at Parkview Middle School have been invalidated by the Indiana Department of Education because their teacher allegedly coached the students on specific information and vocabulary from the test. ...

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Rise & Shine: A more dire assessment of teacher pension costs | GothamSchools

Rise & Shine: A more dire assessment of teacher pension costs

by Philissa Cramer

Parents submitted 3,800 applications for 538 seats in yesterday’s Achievement First lottery. (Post)
A family who was shut out of Achievement First’s schools has its hopes pinned on other charters. (Post)
Parents whose son did get into an Achievement First school say he’s destined for greatness. (Post)
A conservative think tank says the city’s teacher pension fund is in worse shape than the city says. (NY1)
Nationwide, teacher pension funds are more than $900 billion in the red, the group found. (USA Today)
An NYC superintendent’s son is among tens of thousands of students waitlisted at elite colleges. (Times)
Teachers at Williamsburg Collegiate Charter produce YouTube videos to help their students. (NY1)
The Daily News says legislation to end “last in, first out” layoffs would protect good teachers.
Some school districts in the region are holding weekday proms to cut down on after parties. (Times)
SUNY’s new strategic plan includes a pipeline stretching from pre-K to college. (NY1, GothamSchools)
A 2-year-old was left alone on a daycare school bus for hours. (Post, Times, Daily News)

Sacramento Press / Meeting Starts Public Discussion on New Sacramento River Crossing

Meeting Starts Public Discussion on New Sacramento River Crossing

A new avenue of crossing the Sacramento River was the topic of discussion Monday night at the first meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee, which is part of the Sacramento River Crossings Alternatives Study.

The meeting, which was held in Kampala Center at the Sacramento Zoo, is the first of five meetings planned throughout the year.

The Stakeholder Advisory Committee is made up of different community members from Sacramento and West Sacramento, and is meant to provide community involvement in the process of determining the need for another method of crossing the river between Sacramento and West Sacramento. While a bridge is an option for the new river crossing, the members of the group are stressing the need to look at alternatives to a bridge.

Among those attending was Maureen Pascoe, the capital improvement manager of the West Sacramento Public Works Department, who said this process was started to get community input into the idea of a new river crossing. This new community aspect came after a previous attempt to get a river crossing didn't work out.

"I think we made a misstep before, where we zeroed in on one location and one concept," Pascoe said. "We figured that we needed to take a step back

Eight students from area gain $20,000 scholarships - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Eight students from area gain $20,000 scholarships

Published: Wednesday, Apr. 14, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 2B

Eight students from the Sacramento area each were awarded $20,000 scholarships from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.

The foundation named 300 students from across the country as Dell Scholars , selecting students from low-income households who had overcome significant obstacles.

To date, 86 students from the Sacramento area have received $1.72 million in scholarships from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.

Those students receive $20,000 to pursue higher education for six years, as well as a laptop, resources and mentoring to help them earn a college degree.

Locals receiving the scholarships were: Vongsri Vang of River City High in West Sacramento, Heather Van of Florin High, Javier Valenzuela of Encina Preparatory High School, Cindy Thao of Grant High School, Rosalva Ponce of River City, Luis Mendoza-Zamora of Encina Preparatory, Ewan Ho of Elk Grove High and Ranny Do of Pleasant Grove High School.

Also named Dell Scholars: Harmanpreet Chauhan of River Valley High in Yuba City, May Chen of Middle College High in Stockton, Chong Lor of Pleasant Valley High in Chico, Priyank Patel of

Local team to compete in robotics championship

Seven local middle school and high school students will compete in the World Championship for robotics beginning Thursday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
The students qualified for the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Lego League after winning the Northern California championship in Newark in January.
The international event will host thousands of people, including middle and high school students. The local team – called Legonauts – consists of students from Sutter Middle School and Folsom and Mira Loma high schools.

Palin's controversial CSU Stanislaus date takes trashy turn

by lrosenhall@sacbee.com (Laurel Rosenhall)

California State University, Stanislaus, students Alicia Lewis, left, and Ashli Briggs move papers – intact and shredded, found in a campus trash bin – Tuesday in the Capitol. They say the papers include part of Sarah Palin's contract to speak at the school in June.

The controversy surrounding Sarah Palin's upcoming speech at CSU Stanislaus took a bizarre turn Tuesday when two students said they had found part of her confidential contract in a campus Dumpster.
By day's end, Attorney General Jerry Brown had vowed to expand his investigation of the nonprofit foundation that financially supports California State University, Stanislaus, looking into how the documents wound up in

Elk Grove teachers agree to two furlough days this year

by dlambert@sacbee.com (Diana Lambert)

The impasse between the Elk Grove Unified School District and its teachers union seems to have thawed – for now.
The Elk Grove Education Association has agreed to take two furlough days this school year, as have district administrators and the union that represents school psychologists and social workers.
In exchange, the area's largest school district will restore 29 counseling positions targeted for elimination next school year.
The district and teachers union, which also represents counselors, librarians and nurses, have been negotiating concessions since September.
The district announced an impasse in March.
But the agreement reached Friday isn't the end of it.
"This is just part one of our negotiations," said Elizabeth Graswich, district spokeswoman.

For Sacramento-area students, internships aren't just for summer anymore

“The Greatest Americans” | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

“The Greatest Americans”

by Larry Ferlazzo

The Discovery Channel, along with AOL, did a poll last year to determine who were the “greatest Americans” in history.
They created a website that profiles the top twenty-five in the poll, and they have fairly accessible biographies of each one.

“Jonathan Klein: Photos that changed the world”

Concerns & Questions About The “Talent Transfer Initiative”

by Larry Ferlazzo

The Sacramento City Unified School District is one of a number of districts in the country participating in a federally-funded program called The Talent Transfer Initiative. This program, which I just learned about, pays selected teachers a $20,000 bonus to transfer to a targeted “high-needs school.”
Though I’ve written about my general concerns about extrinsic motivation and financial rewards, that’s not my primary question. After all, teachers who work at high-needs schools have been able to get their student-loans forgiven (as mine were), but I suspect that isn’t a huge reason why people choose to work there.
And, to tell you the truth, I’m not overly concerned right now about how it will be used in our district. I think our Superintendent will try his best to avoid some of the potential dangers that drove me to write this post. However, I’m not so sure about how it will be applied in other districts (and will be very interested in hearing from others who might know more).
One issue is the criteria used to determine eligible teachers. It appears, and I may be wrong, that it’s primarily focused on test scores. I’m not convinced that test scores are the best way to judge teacher quality. On top of that, if some districts are going to use these test scores as the primary criteria, I wonder if they realize that just

Do You Understand My Students? � InterACT

Do You Understand My Students?

by David B. Cohen

In a recent post, I suggested that those who promulgate the use of state test results for teacher evaluation don’t really understand the job I’m supposed to do, and how little the tests relate to my teaching mandate as a California high school English teacher. Now let’s set aside that problem, and say, for the sake of argument, that the tests are still worthwhile – despite how little their content overlaps with the California Standards.

There are many more problems, beyond test quality. Do you, the test-loving policy pundits and accountability acolytes, understand my students? Do you have experience teaching high school English classes? Have you ever administered the tests, and watched the students taking the tests? Let me tell you a bit about some of these students (using some fictional names that might ring a bell for readers who recall advice about walking in someone else’s shoes).

Here’s Jean. Jean was reading before she started school, polished off the Harry Potter series by the end of first grade, and lives in a home that is the picture of stability and language enrichment. Now, there are some issues around the concept of “grade level” – but for the sake of argument, let’s assume it’s a valid notion. According to the tests, Jean was reading at a sixth-grade level in third grade, and beyond high school level by the end of eighth grade. Jean arrived in my class at the start of ninth grade. There is nothing I can teach Jean that will improve test scores, because Jean can already ace every state test coming in the next three years. Kids similar

Diversity issue discussed in L. Merion school case | Philadelphia Inquirer | 04/13/2010

Diversity issue discussed in L. Merion school case

By Bonnie L. Cook

Inquirer Staff Writer

Starting in May 2008, the Lower Merion School District held meetings to find out from citizens which principles should drive a new redistricting plan.
Those concerns included limiting students' time on school buses and maximizing the "walk zone" around one high school.
But one of those values - to "explore and cultivate" diversity in Lower Merion - was central to the work of consultant Ross Haber as he drew attendance zones for school officials to consider in 2008 and early 2009 as plans were made for the opening of two new high schools.
Taking the witness stand on the third day of a racial-bias trial in Philadelphia, Haber said the officials let it be known that values identified by the community should inform his thinking about any scenario, and it did.
"There never came a time when race was not a factor in the process, correct?" asked David G.C. Arnold, attorney for the families of nine African American children whose suit alleges they were singled out for mandatory busing to

Annette John-Hall: Sportsmanship, and its opposite

As a former basketball mom who was well-known for her, uh, overenthusiastic cheerleading, I know all too well how easy it is to get too wrapped up in your child's performance.

Discovery of Palin's contract in college dumpster leads to 'broad investigation' | California Watch

Discovery of Palin's contract in college dumpster leads to 'broad investigation'

by Lance Williams

Photo by Roger H. Goun

Lance Williams

The Turlock educators who allegedly ordered the shredding of public documents to conceal Sarah Palin’s speaking fee now are facing an “expanded inquiry” from the state attorney general’s office.
On Tuesday, hours after state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, presented him with the evidence – bags of shredded papers salvaged from a college dumpster by inquisitive students – Attorney General Jerry Brown ordered his charitable trusts section to begin a “broad investigation” into suspected financial improprieties at CSU Stanislaus.
Investigators will seek to learn whether the CSU Stanislaus Foundation, which booked Palin for a June fundraising event, “is spending its money to benefit the campus, as it promised donors, the university and the

Some colleges charge student demonstrators for protest damage

by Erica Perez

Flickr photo by stuartpilbrow

Erica Perez

Students in the UC and CSU systems have staged protests and occupied buildings on campus this year to rally against staggering fee increases. Those activities, in turn, have created thousands of dollars in costs for universities, from police overtime to, in some cases, repair fees for damaged property.
Some universities are covering the costs with campus funds, while a couple others have demanded small groups of students pay restitution for varying parts of the price tag.
UC Santa Cruz this week hit 36 students with fines of $944 each to cover the cost of cleaning up and repairing

Orange County budget cuts spark protest, possible strike

by Corey G. Johnson

Corey G. Johnson

The budget crisis has pushed the Capistrano Unified School District to the edge of a potential explosion.
An estimated 3,880 students didn't show up for school Tuesday in protest of a CUSD decision to impose a permanent 10 percent salary reduction on the district's 2,300 teachers. The elementary schools were the hardest hit by the self-described "sickout." Approximately 3,609 elementary school students, 77 middle school students and 194 high schoolers took part.
Then, late Tuesday, another 900 students, teachers and parents went to the district headquarters to further

News10.net | Sacramento, California | Education Home

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Teacher of the Month April 2010 - Richard Nystrom

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Richard Nystrom made good on a promise to give back. He helps students with learning disabilities make the grade.

News10's 'State of Education: College' airs Wednesday

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News10's ongoing look at the state of education in California resumes this Wednesday with the

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AFL-CIO NOW BLOG | Retired Teacher Marches for California’s Schools and State’s Future

Retired Teacher Marches for California’s Schools and State’s Future

by Mike Hall, Apr 13, 2010

Gavin Riley taught in California’s public schools for 37 years. Today, the retired California Federation of Teachers member is in the 40th day of a 48-day, 250-mile March for California’s Future. Riley wants nothing less than to save the school system that educated him in the 1950s and 1960s, and where he in turn taught thousands more.

Sponsored by the California Federation of Teachers (CFT), AFSCME and a coalitionof labor, education and faith groups, the march is drawing attention to the state’s budget crisis and the devastating impact of budget cuts on Californians now and into the future.

At the California Progress Report, Riley writes that during the weeks he and the other marchers have been on the road from Bakersfield, through the San Joaquin Valley and then onto Sacramento,

[o]ur walk has allowed us to see ample evidence of the crisis: crumbling road and irrigation systems, high unemployment, foreclosed houses everywhere, overcrowded classrooms courtesy of teacher layoffs, people living under highway overpasses with few social services available, fallow farm fields and closed processing plants, to name just a few. About the only thing growing seems to be the number of new prisons in the Valley, an ironic epitome of the problem.

He recalls famous marches for justice in the 1960s, especially the 1966 march from Delano to Sacramento by César Chávez and the Farm Workers. Their march raised Californians’

Jim Miller: Funding California's Future

Jim Miller

English and Labor Studies instructor, San Diego City College

Posted: April 13, 2010 02:42 PM

Funding California's Future

As our March for California's Future makes its way closer to Sacramento the bottom line is this: we need to get serious and decide what kind of future we want for our children and our children's children. Do we want to spend more money on prisons than on schools? Do we want to sacrifice opportunity for the majority of Californians so those at the top of the economic ladder and some of the most powerful corporations do not have to make any sacrifices at all?

Consider the fact that the top one percent of earners in California has nearly doubled its share of income over the past twenty years from 13 percent to 25 percent. Ponder the reality that, despite the mantra of the anti-tax zealots, taxes are not higher now in California than they have ever been. In 1993, for instance, the highest marginal tax bracket in California was 11 percent while today it is only 9.3 percent. (There is a temporary 1 percent surcharge on people who make $1 million a year due to the budget deal of two years ago, but that expires this year). Restoring the top brackets to what they were in the 1990s would bring in $5 billion per year.

If we look at corporate taxes, a recent report by Forbes documented how many of the most powerful corporations in the United States pay no taxes. For example, General Electric made over $10 billion dollars last year and actually got over $1 billion back in Federal tax rebates. Many other big corporations pay no taxes while you and I are left to carry the load.

In California, corporations only contribute 11% of the state budget whereas, in 1980, they

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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

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Meeting Starts Public Discussion on New Sacramento River Crossing

Eight students from area gain $20,000 scholarships

Diversity issue discussed in L. Merion school case

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Retired Teacher Marches for California’s Schools and State’s Future