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Latest News and Comment from Education
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The Charter Money Trail - Following public dollars through a traditional school district is, by comparison, straightforward. District budgets are public record. Board meetings are o...5 hours ago
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LITTLE HANDS, BIG STAKES: CHILD LABOR, IMMIGRATION, AND THE IRONY OF LABOR DAY 2026 - A unflinching look at who’s really doing America’s dirty work — and how young they are8 hours ago
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LITTLE HANDS, BIG STAKES: CHILD LABOR, IMMIGRATION, AND THE IRONY OF LABOR DAY 2026 - LITTLE HANDS, BIG STAKES: CHILD LABOR, IMMIGRATION, AND THE IRONY OF LABOR DAY 2026 *A unflinching look at who's really doing America's dirty work — and...8 hours ago
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The Tigers broke new ground pledging $4 million to a 12-year-old - Because this story is going to be misunderstood by 95 percent of people that read it, let’s get the basics out of the way: the Detroit Tigers reached a ...10 hours ago
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
New L.A. study affirms benefits of preschool - latimes.com
L.A. study affirms benefits of preschool
Gains at the L.A. Universal Preschool programs were especially significant for learners of English.
Children enrolled in Los Angeles Universal Preschool programs made significant improvements in the social and emotional skills needed to do well in kindergarten, according to a study released Monday. The gains were especially pronounced for English language learners, the study showed.
The findings confirmed observations of preschool teachers that children attending high-quality programs are better prepared for kindergarten. For the first time, the study provided data to back up those observations, officials with the nonprofit preschool organization said.
"This is unique because there's very little research in terms of cognitive progression in the preschool years," said Celia C. Ayala, chief operating officer for Los Angeles Universal Preschool. "We know there are differences, we see the differences, but this gives us a way to assess improvements."
The Los Angeles Universal Preschool is an independent organization funded primarily by a voter-approved tobacco tax and launched in 2005 to provide preschool to 4-year-olds in Los Angeles County. It serves about 10,000 children in 325 preschools.
The study, commissioned by the organization and conducted by the San-Jose-based Applied Survey Research, measured the readiness skills of 437 children at 24 preschools in the fall of 2008 and reassessed 364 of those children in sping 2009.
"This is unique because there's very little research in terms of cognitive progression in the preschool years," said Celia C. Ayala, chief operating officer for Los Angeles Universal Preschool. "We know there are differences, we see the differences, but this gives us a way to assess improvements."
The Los Angeles Universal Preschool is an independent organization funded primarily by a voter-approved tobacco tax and launched in 2005 to provide preschool to 4-year-olds in Los Angeles County. It serves about 10,000 children in 325 preschools.
The study, commissioned by the organization and conducted by the San-Jose-based Applied Survey Research, measured the readiness skills of 437 children at 24 preschools in the fall of 2008 and reassessed 364 of those children in sping 2009.
Day of Silence Still Sparks Protest
Day of Silence Still Sparks Protest
| Day of Silence Still Sparks Protest | | Print | |
| WRITTEN BY JACK KENNY |
| TUESDAY, 20 APRIL 2010 00:00 |
"Parents must actively oppose this hijacking of the classroom for political purposes," Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association, wrote in an e-mail to AFA members. "Parents should no longer passively countenance the political usurpation of public school classrooms through student silence." The National Day of Silence encourages students to "take a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools," according to the Day of Silence website. The commitment is to avoid speaking between classes, during lunch breaks and other free time — and even during classes, if teacher and school administrators allow it. "We recommend that you talk to your teachers ahead of time, tell them what you plan to do, and ask them if it would be okay for you to communicate on that day in writing," was the advice posted on the website. But Wildmon argued that students' observing a vow of silence during classroom discussions or when called on by their teachers would be disruptive and "politicize" the classroom environment. |
It isn't often that parents have occasion to protest an outbreak of silence by their school-age children, but the "Day of Silence" observed by students in schools across the nation on Friday, April 16, sparked a reaction from some pro-family groups that urged parents to keep their children out of school to avoid the event, organized each year by the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network.
Teacher shortage looms - ContraCostaTimes.com
Teacher shortage looms - ContraCostaTimes.com
concern is, will they walk away from the profession and not come back because they hear about layoffs."
Fewer people entering field
Posted: 04/19/2010 06:28:48 PM PDT
Updated: 04/19/2010 10:23:49 PM PDT
Cal State San Bernardino education student Jennifer Kinser spent much of last year debating whether or not she should continue on her path toward becoming a teacher.
She is not alone.
Students in teacher-preparation programs and those considering entering the field are having second thoughts as deep cuts to the state's education budget force school districts statewide to lay off tens of thousands of teachers.
Ultimately, professors in the education field and state officials fear a teacher shortage down the road.
"Even though times are tough, people are still passionate about wanting to teach kids," said Sue Spitzer, director of the multiple-subject credential program at Cal State San Bernardino. "Our biggest
Esther Daniels, 28, of San Bernardino, right, and classmates Melissa Velez, 22, of Fontana, left, and Sarah Flexen, 24, also of Fontana use mirrors in an attempt to bring a beam of sunlight into the classroom to hit a bull's-eye drawn on the board during a science methods class on April 13 at Cal State San Bernardino. (Micah Escamilla/Correspondent)
According to The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning, a nonprofit devoted to strengthening teacher development, California has seen a drop in prospective teachers in the pipeline just as thousands of veteran teachers become eligible for retirement and the number of new credentials is in decline.
This year, budget cuts forced school districts to issue preliminary layoff notices or pink slips to 26,004 teachers and other certificated staff.
More than 16,000 teachers lost their jobs due to budget cuts last year and approximately 10,000 classified - non-teaching - school employees were laid off.
"The downstream effects of pink slipping are worth considering, because history tells us when pink slips are issued, there is a concurrent decline in the number of individuals preparing to become teachers and fewer teacher credentials issued to those who complete their
Students And Families Hit Hard By Public College Tuition Hikes - Forbes.com
Students And Families Hit Hard By Public College Tuition Hikes - Forbes.com
Students And Families Hit Hard By Public College Tuition Hikes
Archana Rajan, 04.20.10, 06:00 AM EDTCosts soar as states jack up tuition and fees amid budget woes.
It wasn't quite a 1960s re-enactment, but the Day of Action to Defend Education protest held by university students on March 4 had some serious pep.
"Public education is under attack, fight back," and "Education is a right, fight," declared banners across the country. Unfortunately for students intent on keeping college affordable, they're battling against formidable financial odds--so formidable, in fact, that a growing number of students and parents may have to start asking themselves whether higher education is worth the cost.
As lawmakers vote to bridge budget shortfalls, they're leaning on public colleges to share Lagging tax revenues and double-digit unemployment have left states battered, and students are feeling the heat. Unlike private universities, many of which are bolstered by large endowments and private donors, public universities rely heavily on state funding.
Marchers trek over 300 miles to protest school cuts | News10.net | Sacramento, California | News
Marchers trek over 300 miles to protest school cuts | News10.net | Sacramento, California | News
Marchers trek over 300 miles to protest school cuts
Karen Massie 
Last updated 6 hrs ago
Last updated 6 hrs ago
SACRAMENTO, CA - Marchers taking part in a statewide demonstration against education cuts arrived at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento Monday.
They began their trek March 5 in Bakersfield and held rallies along the way to the Sacramento.
The marchers admitted they were a bit tired but united in their message that state budget cuts have devastated California public schools and colleges.
Substitute teacher David Lyell was among six demonstrators who have been with the march the entire way. "It's been really painful seeing all my friends pretty much receive pink slips," he said. "They're living in a state of crisis; of not knowing if they're going to be fired."
San Diego Community College instructor Jim Miller said $840 million in state funding cuts since 2008 have shut thousands of students out of community colleges. "At my college in San Diego, we've got students banging on the door to get in and we don't have the space. We don't have the seats to offer them because of the budget cuts."
Students at Cosumnes River College where protestors held a rally said they have also felt the impact of budget cuts. "If I could march with them the whole way I would," said 18-year-old freshman Jacqueline Johnston. "I've been wait-listed for almost every class that I tried to enroll in. The appointment dates to get classes are sporadic. The teachers want to admit more students but they're just not able to."
Demonstrators said education cuts will make it tougher for students to graduate from high school. Irene Gonzalez, a Los Angeles County probation officer, said a good chunk of her caseload are high school
Yee: Public Money Used For CSU Stanislaus Foundation - Politics News Story - KCRA Sacramento
Yee: Public Money Used For CSU Stanislaus Foundation - Politics News Story - KCRA Sacramento
Yee: Public Money Used For CSU Stanislaus Foundation
Foundation Says State Senator Is 'Misinformed'
The back-and-forth battle between a California State University foundation and a state senator logged a new chapter Monday, with the senator claiming public funds are being used to run the private foundation.
Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, alleged records from the state and Internal Revenue Service contradict a claim that only private money is being used for the CSU Stanislaus Foundation and an upcoming campus visit by former GOP vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.Millions of dollars in public funds are being used to run the foundation that's hosting the Turlock university's 50th anniversary gala in June, which will feature the former Alaska governor, according to Yee.Yee's allegation is the latest news in an ongoing controversy surrounding the Palin speech contract, which the foundation said is a private matter.Citing documents, Yee said that in 2009, more than $1.5 million in taxpayer money went to salaries of staff and board members of the foundation.
The Daily Bruin | Keep Our Educators Working Act proposes $23 billion to fund education
The Daily Bruin | Keep Our Educators Working Act proposes $23 billion to fund education
Keep Our Educators Working Act proposes $23 billion to fund education
A bill that could provide $23 billion in education funding for states was introduced in the Senate Wednesday.
The Keep Our Educators Working Act would prevent the layoffs of teachers, librarians and school personnel in states facing budget shortfalls in education.
In addition, the bill could fund the retention and hiring of new educators or on-the-job training for education-related careers, according to a statement from Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the bill’s sponsor.
The University of California system is still analyzing the bill, but, as of now, the bill is targeted primarily at K-12 education, said Carolyn Henrich, legislative director of education at the UC office of federal government relations.
The $23 billion appropriated from the bill would go to a general fund, part of which would be used to protect educators who would otherwise be laid off. As a result, the impact it would have on the UC system would be limited, since the biggest deficits are on K-12 education, Henrich said. Furthermore, any funding would go toward the creation and retention of education jobs, not programs, she added.
Christopher Harrington, director of the UC Office of the President national media communications, said the office believes this bill will have limited impact on the UC
National Hispanic University in East San Jose sold to giant, for-profit chain of colleges. - San Jose Mercury News
National Hispanic University in East San Jose sold to giant, for-profit chain of colleges. - San Jose Mercury News
National Hispanic University in East San Jose sold to giant, for-profit chain of colleges
One of the world's largest owners of for-profit colleges has bought East San Jose's National Hispanic University, throwing the idealistic but struggling campus into the growing and controversial world of corporate education.
Laureate Education is expected to announce the purchase today from its headquarters in Baltimore. The company, valued at $3.5 billion, owns more than 50 accredited colleges with about 500,000 students around the world.
"At first my thoughts were negative," said Michael Mooney, a professor at the Story Road school that's graduated hundreds of low-income students and hoped to become the nation's preeminent Latino university. "We were selling our soul."
But after researching Laureate online, he and others pronounced themselves satisfied and even optimistic about the company's plans.
Although Laureate is a major player in for-profit education, the vast majority of its students study on campuses unfamiliar to Americans. They range from Les Roches International School of Hotel Management in Switzerland to Kendall College, a culinary school in Chicago. Its few online schools include Walden University in Minnesota, with more than 40,000 students.
By comparison, NHU currently enrolls about 600 students on a budget of $7 million. Laureate plans to add up to 8,000 students online within five years. Beyond that, it may open sister campuses across the country.
While Laureate doesn't reveal how much it pays for
colleges, NHU officials described the deal as unusually favorable because they will retain ownership of the physical campus and have a say in the college's future.
Bill Gates talks philanthropy, science, child rearing at Stanford - San Jose Mercury News
Bill Gates talks philanthropy, science, child rearing at Stanford - San Jose Mercury News
Bill Gates talks philanthropy, science, child rearing at Stanford
Posted: 04/19/2010 09:32:23 PM PDT
Updated: 04/20/2010 04:52:04 AM PDT
Billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates yearns to return to college.
He fulfilled that dream on Monday by speaking — not studying — at Stanford University, offering opinions on topics ranging from career paths to child rearing.
As chairman of the world's largest foundation, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he implored students to apply the same energy to tackle challenges like improving education and boosting international health.
"I'd like to go back to college, so I'm doing that a day at a time," appealing to students to think big. "We need the brightest minds working on the most important problems."
Gates, who is touring across the country at various universities since shifting full time to his charitable foundation, also spoke at UC Berkeley on Monday.
Relaxed and engaging, he noted that a lot of today's young talent devote energy to entertainment, financial markets, sports and lifestyle pharmaceuticals, like baldness drugs, fields "that don't address the worlds' most important problems.
"I love movies. I know people who could benefit from baldness drugs. But we need to shift those talents to bigger problems," he said. "If we do that, we might delay the next security derivatives design. Or the next baldness cure. But what we can do in return is a good
California charter schools draw bipartisan support, but fail to live up to the hype | CAIVN
California charter schools draw bipartisan support, but fail to live up to the hype | CAIVN
CALIFORNIA CHARTER SCHOOLS DRAW BIPARTISAN SUPPORT, BUT FAIL TO LIVE UP TO THE HYPE
City Brights: Rachel Norton : What to do with 'persistently underperforming' schools?
City Brights: Rachel Norton : What to do with 'persistently underperforming' schools?
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/rnorton/detail??blogid=184&entry_id=61653#ixzz0ldoWTdrh
What to do with 'persistently underperforming' schools?
Secretary Arne Duncan
On April 20, the San Francisco Board of Education will convene a policy discussion to discuss the Superintendent's plans for our 10 schools labeled "persistently underperforming" by the state of California.
This list was created as part of the state's efforts to qualify for Race to the Top. It designates five percent of the state's schools as failing, and prescribes one of four turnaround models for districts to take. There's no choice in the matter, though it's unclear under state law when these actions would have to be taken. If, however, a district wants to apply for Federal funds to help implement one of the turnaround models, it must submit a plan in the next few weeks--and begin the work within six months.
I am not crazy about any of the turnaround models. They assume that school leaders are so stupid that--D'oh! We never thought of replacing principals! We never thought of reconstitution (which we tried in this district and which failed, miserably)! Charter schools! Wow! (Even though charter schools have as mixed a record as traditional public schools--no miracles here.) School closure! (How does closing a school affect the achievement of its former
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/rnorton/detail??blogid=184&entry_id=61653#ixzz0ldoWTdrh
Arts, Briefly - Compulsory Education for a Museum Board - NYTimes.com
Arts, Briefly - Compulsory Education for a Museum Board - NYTimes.com
Compulsory Education for a Museum Board
The California Attorney General’s office ordered the board members of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, which came close to a financial collapse in 2008, to undergo special fiduciary training last year after determining that the museum flouted state law in the way it managed its budget, The Los Angeles Times reported. The museum lost more than $30 million from its investment portfolio over several years, ending up with only $5 million on hand in 2008; it also broke state law when it paid general expenses from restricted endowment funds, according to the newspaper, which obtained a two-page letter sent to the museum by the attorney general’s office in November. In December 2008 the museum negotiated a $30 million bailout from Eli Broad, Los Angeles’s leading cultural patron, which allowed it to maintain its facilities and avoid
Elisa Stephens: Higher Education and America's Economic Growth
Elisa Stephens: Higher Education and America's Economic Growth
America's ability to educate our people for the jobs of the 21st Century is going to be the determining factor in our country's economic future. Everyone knows that is a fact -- from the President of the United States and academics to the business and educational communities around the country.
Higher education institutions are playing a critical role in preparing students for the jobs in today's global economy and it is important for these institutions to play a leadership role in tackling the economic challenges that America faces today. Not only do these institutions have the best understanding of what skills Americans need to compete for -- and win -- jobs today, but they also have a huge economic impact on the communities where they are located.
This is exactly why we are seeing a new trend of higher education institutions looking to expand their reach -- both online and through opening campuses in new markets -- and why cities are welcoming these campuses with open arms.
Over the last several years, we've seen schools expand throughout the country and even around the world. Pepperdine University has campuses in Southern California, Northern California and international locations. Drexel University, based in Pennsylvania, recently
Students rally before STAR tests begin | students, rally, - Local News - Appeal-Democrat
Students rally before STAR tests begin | students, rally, - Local News - Appeal-Democrat
April 20, 2010 12:01:00 AM
Students rally before STAR tests begin
Comments | Recommend
A former student who appeared this year on movie screens spoke Monday in Linda — and so did the unmasked school mascot for Cedar Lane Elementary as state testing starts in the Yuba-Sutter area.
"Get a lot of sleep," Keegan Alan, 17, urged more than 500 students at Cedar Lane. "Have a good breakfast."
Alan, featured in a Sony promotion shown in movie theaters, remembered his first grade teacher Craig Jones and praised Cedar Lane students for their previous scores on the state Standardized Testing and Reporting exams.
STAR testing begins today at the Linda school and others in the Marysville Joint Unified School District.
Rob Gregor, principal at Cedar Lane, remembers taking the U.S. Constitution test as a student in Tulare County. He said the six days of testing, beginning with the start of school in Linda and
Why are sausage pizzas and corn dogs sold in Sacramento's elementary schools?
Why are sausage pizzas and corn dogs sold in Sacramento's elementary schools?
Why are sausage pizzas and corn dogs sold in Sacramento's elementary schools?
Kids are lining up daily for breakfasts of sausage pizzas and corn dogs at Sacramento elementary schools, according to the April 18, 2010 Sacramento Bee article, by Melody Gutierrez, "Sacramento area schools try to serve healthier food."
If the only place parents and teachers have to look is the U.S. Senate, then the nutrition guidelines pending there currently may be a step toward getting salty, fatty, and sugary processed foods out of public school lunch menus in Sacramento. You have to contend with what kids eat for breakfast in school and what they eat for lunch.
School meals are a big issue with the government. Michelle Obama has been traveling across the USA or broadcasting on television for schools and families to take some action to prevent or reverse childhood obesity. Our children will be the first generation to develop chronic diseases related to diet and lifestyle at an earlier age than our grandparents did in the 1940s.
You can't turn on your TV set without seeing reality shows about school cafeteria workers or
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