Charlie Crist: National Republicans Predict 'Zero Chance' Florida Gov Will Stay In GOP Primary

Charlie Crist: National Republicans Predict 'Zero Chance' Florida Gov Will Stay In GOP Primary

An operative from the National Republican Senatorial Committee predicted on Monday that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) would forfeit his primary battle against Marco Rubio for the state's Republican nomination for Senate.

In an e-mail obtained by CNN, Rob Jesmer, executive director of the NRSC, wrote to political operatives that Crist's surrender is imminent.

From Jesmer's e-mail:

We believe there is zero chance Governor Crist continues running in the Republican primary. It our view that if Governor Crist believes he cannot win a primary then the proper course of action is he drop out of the race and wait for another day. We have communicated this message indirectly and would have given it to the Governor directly had he returned Senator Cornyn's phone call.

Jesmer also explained that the NRSC would support former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio should Crist opt to run as an independent.

But Sen. George LeMieux (R-Fla.), a former Crist adviser, had a different take on the governor's political future.

LeMieux, who served as Chief of Staff to Christ before being appointed by the Florida governor to fill former Sen. Mel Martinez's Senate post when he resigned in 2008, projected that Christ will continue to run as a Republican candidate for Senate.

"I believe Charlie Crist will be a Republican in this race," LeMieux said during an appearance on MSNBC. "I'm not parsing words that carefully. My understanding is that he's a Republican who will

Elk Grove teachers, staff fight layoffs | News10.net | Sacramento, California | Education

Elk Grove teachers, staff fight layoffs | News10.net | Sacramento, California | Education

Elk Grove teachers, staff fight layoffs

ELK GROVE, CA - Elk Grove Unified School District teachers and staff who received layoff notices are arguing their cases before an administrative law judge at district headquarters over the next three days.

Arguments from elementary grade teachers and staff were to be heard Monday. At issue is who should be on the layoff list. The determination will be made on date of hire, advance degrees, credentials, years of service, and who holds single subject credentials.

Tuesday and Wednesday, secondary education teachers will present their cases before Judge

Teachers & Parents: Where Schools Are Headed - Time To Get Our Heads Out Of The Sand - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

Teachers & Parents: Where Schools Are Headed - Time To Get Our Heads Out Of The Sand - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

Teachers & Parents: Where Schools Are Headed - Time To Get Our Heads Out Of The Sand

Watch: Scott McLeod Ph.D. Warns "You Got Bupkas":
Disruptive Innovation & The Status Quo

In this powerful presentation to teachers, Scott McLeod, J.D. & Ph.D. shows us how and why schools and teaching are about to be transformed radically from disruptive technology, and it's a better idea to be on the side of change than to be caught with our heads in the sand.

McLeod races through this compelling and lively chat so even though it runs about twenty minutes, it flies (most slides are only second or two) - if you are really crunched, start about #69 but we recommend the build-up before it.

Sprinkled with frequent laughter by the teachers, McLeod presented his points --many which

Stanford's Big Brains Get the Boot :: Frederick M. Hess

Stanford's Big Brains Get the Boot :: Frederick M. Hess

Frederick M. Hess's Blog

Stanford's Big Brains Get the Boot

by Frederick M. Hess • Apr 19, 2010 at 9:16 am
Cross-posted from Education Week

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In my recent book Education Unbound, I argue that a big problem with "best practices"-style reform is that good ideas often don't play out as intended. Even pedigreed ideas that are cooked up by big-brained professors and prove successful at hand-picked pilot sites often fail to deliver at scale.

Most involved in K-12 schooling, of course, are much more enamored of expertise than I. Those in schools of education, in particular, are generally confident that they can identify the right recipes for professional development, instruction, and curricula--and aren't shy about urging those on policymakers and educators.

This is what made the Stanford University Graduate School of Education's charter school such an interesting test case. After all, here was an acclaimed school of education, stuffed with credentialed experts and spending an extra $3,000 per pupil above the state average. Clearly, as Stanford intended when its first charter opened in 2001, this was a chance for Stanford Ed to showcase its faculty's far-reaching prescriptions. Turns out, not so much.

In a truly brutal lead, Carol Pogash wrote last Thursday in The New York Times, "A charter school created and overseen by Stanford University's School of Education was denied an extension of its charter on Wednesday night after several members of the school board labeled it a failure." Citing poor academic performance and lousy classroom behavior management, the trustees of the Ravenswood City School District voted 3-2 to deny

Sacramento Press / Local organization aims to empower youth through poetry

Sacramento Press / Local organization aims to empower youth through poetry

Local organization aims to empower youth through poetry

A youth mentor for a local educational program said he used poetry to see himself through a difficult past.

Coon, a 15-year-old high school sophomore, was walking home when he was shot three times. One bullet hit his spine and ricocheted into his lung.

"I was hanging out with somebody who really wasn't my friend, and I pretty much took on their beef, their issues, and I was guilty by association," he said. "I've never been in a gang or anything like that. You don't have to be (involved) in a gang for something bad to happen to you."

Asking to be referred to only by his last name (and stage name), Coon channeled the pain from his wounds and started taking his writing and poetry seriously as soon as he left the hospital. He joined a musical group and, with his friend TroubleSin, became part of a spoken word team called E-legal Tag Team.

The two are now poet mentors for Sacramento Area Youth Speaks, which uses innovative methods to help Sacramento-area kids learn. Since last year, SAYS, part of the University at California at Davis School of Education, has empowered youth by giving them a voice through poetry.

SAYS will inaugurate its poetry slam season Wednesday night at the Roberts Family Center, and the season will culminate May 7 at the 2010 SAYS Youth Summit at the Mondavi Center. Youth ages 13 to 19 are invited

The Rancho Cordova Post — Local Nonprofit Raising Scholarship Funds for Foster Youth; Annual charity golf tournament set for May 18

The Rancho Cordova Post — Local News, Events, Things to Do

Local Nonprofit Raising Scholarship Funds for Foster Youth; Annual charity golf tournament set for May 18

by MARYANNE KELLY on APRIL 19, 2010 · 0 COMMENTS

in BUSINESS, VIEWPOINTS

Foster youth face challenges unfamiliar to many of us. But some determined young people who aged out of the foster care system are beating the odds, and a local charity golf tournament is doing its part to help.

Results recently released from a long-term survey tell a grim story. Roughly 30,000 youths age out of the foster care system annually. The study found that only half who had turned 18 and “aged out” of foster care were employed by their mid-20s. Six in ten men had been convicted of a crime, and three in four women, many of them with children of their own, were receiving some form of public assistance. Only six in 100 had completed even a community college degree. Read more –>

Crackdown in California � Student Activism

Crackdown in California � Student Activism

Crackdown in California

from Student Activism by Angus Johnston

Last Friday students who were involved in a March 3 building occupation at the California State University, Fullerton received notice that they would be charged with misdemeanor trespass. One student blogger claims that the students were told by police on March 3 that there would be no criminal charges filed against them.
The CSUF development is just the latest in a string of actions by California administrators and public officials in recent weeks intended to squelch student protest by any mechanism available. Elsewhere in the state …

• UC Santa Cruz is imposing fines of $944 each on 36 students who participated in an occupation of the campus’s Kerr Hall last semester.

• UCSC student Brian Glasscock is facing expulsion for his involvement in several non-violent campus actions, including the Kerr Hall takeover.

• San Francisco State University is imposing fines of more than $700 on eleven student activists.

• The ACLU of Northern California recently sent Berkeley administrators a letter charging that disciplinary

Statewide honors go to 17 Sacramento County schools - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Statewide honors go to 17 Sacramento County schools - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Statewide honors go to 17 Sacramento County schools

by mgutierrez@sacbee.com (Melody Gutierrez)

Seventeen elementary schools in Sacramento County have been named 2010 California Distinguished Schools by the California Department of Education.
In all, 484 public schools were selected for the honor, which recognizes academic excellence and narrowing the achievement gap. Five schools in San Juan Unified were selected, four in Sacramento City Unified and three in Elk Grove Unified.
"These schools have persevered despite state budget cutbacks that have cut deeply into the budgets of local districts," said Jack O'Connell, state superintendent of Public Instruction. "I encourage educators throughout our state to review the signature practices that Distinguished Schools are using to improve student achievement."
A full list of schools, including those in Placer and El Dorado counties, can be found online.
Following is a full list of Sacramento County elementary schools, listed by district and school:
• Center Joint Unified - Oak Hill Elementary
• Elk Grove Unified - Carroll Elementary
• Elk Grove Unified - Elitha Donner Elementary
• Elk Grove Unified - Elliott Ranch Elementary
• Folsom-Cordova - Sandra J. Gallardo Elementary
• Galt Joint Union - Lake Canyon Elementary
• Natomas Unified - Witter Ranch Elementary
• River Delta Joint Unified - Bates Elementary
• Sacramento City Unified - Aspire Capitol Heights Academy
• Sacramento City Unified - David Lubin Elementary
• Sacramento City Unified - Matsuyama Elementary
• Sacramento City Unified - St. HOPE Public School 7
• San Juan Unified - Cameron Ranch Elementary
• San Juan Unified - Carriage Drive Elementary
• San Juan Unified - Del Paso Manor Elementary
• San Juan Unified - Grand Oaks Elementary
• San Juan Unified - Green Oaks Fundamental

Building Bridges to Better E-Learning Event Registration (EVENT: 204445)

Event Registration (EVENT: 204445)

Building Bridges to Better E-Learning

This event is scheduled for Wednesday, April 28, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern time. Can school districts build online-only courses that meet state standards and engage students? What’s the best way to use e-courses from outside providers? How should those courses be evaluated? What are the pros and cons of building your own e-courses? How hard is it to create a high-quality, multimedia-rich, online curriculum? Join two leading experts as they discuss the challenges of aligning online courses with brick-and-mortar realities. Presenters: Donna Hutchison, CEO, Idaho Digital Learning Academy (Boise, Idaho) Martha P. Rizzuto, superintendent, Tarrant City Schools (Birmingham, Ala) Moderator: Michelle Davis, senior writer, Education Week

No phone is required to participate in the webinar. An archived version will be available within 24 hours of the presentation. The event is not close-captioned.

This Week In Education

This Week In Education

Thompson: Fifteen Years After

by john thompson

If school reform in Oklahoma City succeeds, it will be a legacy of the cooperation that grew in response to the Murrah Building bombing. Our union president, for instance, was with his students on a field trip to the nearby hospital when the casualities flowed in, and he vowed to never again push away from the bargaining table. At our best, a bipartisan educational reform coalition continued the community spirit and it is exemplified by the nation's seventh Educare. Hard times, however, still damage our most

EWA has me doing a session on social media at SF conference next month http://ow.ly/1AlbJ --What's your best advice advice for ed reporters?

Thursday, May 13

1 P.M. — 3:30 P.M.

• New Media sessions -- Online 201 with Alan Gottlieb of Education News Colorado
• Social Media Reporting Tools -- Mark S. Luckie and Alexander Russo
• Orientation for Reporters New to the Beat
• Special Seminar on Strategic Communications for Associate Members
• Tracking Education Stimulus -- Matt Waite

Distinguished Schools for 2010 - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)

Distinguished Schools for 2010 - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)

State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Announces
2010 California Distinguished Schools

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced 484 exemplary California public elementary schools were selected as 2010 California Distinguished Schools. The list of schools may be viewed online at 2010 Distinguished Elementary Schools - California School Recognition Program.

"It is an honor to recognize the schools, and the students, parents, teachers, and administrators who helped earn this most prestigious distinction," said O'Connell. "The 2010 California Distinguished Schools have been selected because of their academic excellence and for narrowing achievement gaps. These schools have persevered despite state budget cutbacks that have cut deeply into the budgets of local school districts. I encourage educators throughout our state to review the signature practices that Distinguished Schools are using to improve student achievement."

Schools earning the Distinguished School title agree to share their signature practices with other schools and serve as a mentor to other educators who want to replicate the work. An updated searchable database of these signature practices will be available later this spring by the California Department of Education.

The 2010 California Distinguished Schools are geographically diverse with locations in small rural communities, suburban neighborhoods, and large urban cities. Most have significant populations of students living in poverty or learning English. Regardless of the setting, all these schools have teachers and principals committed to ensuring student success.

"I had the privilege to call all the winning schools and personally shared the good news with each principal," O'Connell said. "These dedicated educators I spoke to clearly share a school-wide vision of excellence where every student can succeed and achieve at the very highest levels of performance."

The California School Recognition Program is now in its 24th year and honors the state's most exemplary and inspiring public schools with the California Distinguished School Award. Although participation is voluntary, the award is highly sought after by schools in all areas of the state. Elementary and secondary schools are recognized during alternate years.

Schools were identified for eligibility on the basis of their Academic Performance Index and Adequate Yearly Progressresults, which are the state and federal accountability models, respectively. The applicants were also identified by their success in narrowing the achievement gap that exists between higher-performing and lower-performing students. All applicants underwent a stringent selection process conducted by the California Department of Education with the help of many educators from across the state. Each applicant was required to describe two signature practices that have led to an increase in student achievement and a narrowing of the achievement gap. Applicants were then selected to receive a thorough site visit to validate the signature practices.

The 2010 California Distinguished Schools will be honored during an awards ceremony and dinner at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim on June 4, 2010. For more information about the California Distinguished Schools program, please visit California School Recognition Program.

CNN Town Hall on Fixing America’s Schools – ED.gov Blog

CNN Town Hall on Fixing America’s Schools – ED.gov Blog

CNN Town Hall on Fixing America’s Schools

Secretary Arne Duncan answered questions about standardized testing, the cost of college, and other topics last week in Atlanta in an education town hall with parents, teachers, and students.
CNN sponsored the town hall, “Fixing America’s Schools,” which was hosted by CNN news anchor and reporter Don Lemon. The program was videotaped at Carver Early College High School.
A high school teacher expressed concern that “we are raising a nation of test-takers” and asked how the Administration’s proposals for improving the Elementary and Secondary Education Act would address the situation. A student asked about programs for youth in trouble with the law. And a parent wondered about federal assistance for college in a time of steadily increasing tuition costs.
One former Atlanta teacher in the audience wanted to know how we can encourage educators to go “outside the box and be creative in their teaching so they can reach all needs of the students.”
“I think teachers are unsung heroes,” Secretary Duncan answered. “The vast majority of teachers do an extraordinary job and are working unbelievably hard. We need to do a much better job of supporting those teachers, mentoring them, providing meaningful professional development, meaningful career ladders.”
The program was taped on Friday, April 16, and broadcast on Saturday and Sunday, April 17 and 18.
For video excerpts, go to CNN’s website at http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/04/18/nr.education.town.hall.pt2.cnn?iref=allsearch andhttp://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/04/18/nr.education.town.hall.pt1.cnn?iref=allsearch

GRITtv: Education Inequality in "Liberal" New York

GRITtv: Education Inequality in "Liberal" New York

GRITtv: Education Inequality in

Marian Wright Edelman: A Call for Education Equity

Marian Wright Edelman: A Call for Education Equity

Marian Wright Edelman

President, Children's Defense Fund

Posted: April 19, 2010 10:55 AM

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A Call for Education Equity

Title I was created "to ensure all children a fair and equal opportunity to obtain a high-quality education." However, the formula for distributing Title I funds is stacked against the very children it was most intended to help. The current formula (a complex combination of four formulas) favors large districts regardless of their child poverty rate while children trapped in areas of concentrated poverty in mid-sized cities and rural districts are seriously disadvantaged. The inequities between and within states are blatant and must be rectified in this reauthorization cycle.

Why should Mississippi, the state with the highest concentration of Title I eligible students (27.2%) and the highest concentration of child poverty (30.4%), get an average allocation of $1,318 for each Title I eligible student while Wyoming, with the lowest percent of Title I eligible students (11.6%) and a three times lower child poverty rate (11.6%), receives an average of $3,149 per Title I eligible student—a $1,831 difference per child?

And why should Virginia's Buchanan County Public School District, with over 30% Title I eligible students and a 28% child poverty rate, receive $1,363 per eligible student while Virginia's Henrico County Public Schools, with 9% Title I eligible students and a 10% child poverty rate, receive $1,943—almost $600 more per eligible student?

This is simply wrong and widens the opportunity gap between rich and poor districts and rich and poor children Title I was intended to help close. This resource inequity denies children in areas of concentrated poverty a way out and fuels the cradle-to-prison pipeline which is creating a new American apartheid. A revised and more just allocation must ensure ALL children an equal opportunity to learn and succeed. Injustice to any child or group of

Quality teacher recruitment could be hurt by school cuts, N.J. education leaders warn | NJ.com

Quality teacher recruitment could be hurt by school cuts, N.J. education leaders warn | NJ.com

Quality teacher recruitment could be hurt by school cuts, N.J. education leaders warn

By Bob Braun/Star-Ledger Columnist

April 19, 2010, 5:20AM

Jerry McCrea/ The Star LedgerJaymar Bugg, a Montclair High School physical science teacher; and tutor for eight years; works with Jackqueline Barnes of Montclair, a sophmore; Shayaun Pakizeg, a junior; and Solomon Walker, a junior; in advanced chemistry during a Sunday afternoon tutoring program for Montclair High School students held at the Montclair Library.Teacher education leaders in New Jersey warn the contentious school budget crisis could jeopardize future efforts to recruit instructors.

John Webb, who directs Princeton University’s prestigious Program in Teacher Preparation, said the state faces "the very real danger" the market for new teachers could "collapse" in the face of teacher layoffs caused by budget cuts. Districts letting teachers go won’t hire new teachers, he said.

The dean of the Rutgers University Graduate School of Education says he concurs with Webb’s assessment and adds that changes in attitudes toward teachers both in New Jersey and nationally could transform the nature of pubic school employment.

"The ground is shifting underneath teachers and those who want to become teachers,’’ says Richard De Lisi.

Previous coverage:

• Essex County teachers protest Gov. Christie's school aid cuts at Rutgers Law School

• N.J. teachers union says as many as 30K members could retire soon

• N.J. teacher job fair at Stockton College hosts empty tables amid budget cuts

• Complete coverage of the 2010 New Jersey State Budget

Joseph DePierro, dean of Seton Hall’s College of Education and Human Services, said newly trained teachers face a "major catastrophe" finding jobs this year. It’s as bad, he says, as the 1970s when many teachers were laid off because of declining enrollments.

"It’s a very uncertain time for new teachers,’’ he says.

William Behre, education dean at the College of New Jersey, said he is advising current teacher-education students to go to graduate school before looking for jobs.

"Normally, I would tell them to get a few years of experience before getting graduate degrees, but