Orange County teachers announce strike over district pay cuts | California Watch

Orange County teachers announce strike over district pay cuts | California Watch

Orange County teachers announce strike over district pay cuts

April 22, 2010 | Corey G. Johnson

Fed up with what they called "stall tactics," the teachers union at the Capistrano Unified School District has gone on strike.

Flickr photo by Adan Garcia

It is the first teacher strike in the state this year and the first in Orange County in a decade, according to theOrange County Register. All 56 district schools will remain open but with drastic changes, as some classes will be canceled.

Sports, drama and most after-school activities will also be canceled, according to the school district's website. School buses won't run, except to transport special education students as required by federal law. All high schools will have a shortened day. Elementary and middle school will be on regular schedule, however.

Just hours earlier, it appeared the months-long impasse between the district and the union had de-escalated.

Schools Matter: Charter Parents Support Charter Hearing; Post Will Still Demonize Perkins

Schools Matter: Charter Parents Support Charter Hearing; Post Will Still Demonize Perkins

Charter Parents Support Charter Hearing; Post Will Still Demonize Perkins

by Kenneth Libby

The New York Post and the various other right-wing papers in NY will undoubtedly portray today's Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions Committee hearing as State Sen. Bill Perkins' personal vendetta against charter schools. The Post already did it here, here, here, and here, but they're neglecting to tell the public about a major supporter of the hearing: the New York Charter Parents Association, a group of self-organized pro-charter parents with concerns about existing charter schools.

Here's a clip of Mona Davids, founder of NYCPA, talking with a local FOX station:

In case you missed it, here's the really important part that the Post and other corporate rags will likely neglect to mention as they pen diatribes against public schools and those questioning charter schools (and we're not even

Charter School Revoloving Door

by Kenneth Libby

The Times Union obviously didn't get the same memo as their peers at the corporate-controlled NY media outlets, the dirty rags that have been hammering State Sen. Bill Perkins about his questioning of charter school policies despite ample evidence of questionable activities and requests from parents (and charter parents, nontheless!). In the piece excerpted below, the Times Union notes the high rate of teacher turnover in a few NY districts and asks one teacher about why she chose public schools over

Who Will Be America's Nick Clegg in '12

by Jim Horn

With a corporate-owned Obama running just one point ahead of Ron Paul in the polls, the time is ripe for a progressive candidate like British liberal, Nick Clegg, to sweep in and steal the show from the Republocrats and Democans in 2012. From HuffPo:

A week ago, most people in Britain considered Nick Clegg, the "little-known leader" of the Liberal Democrats, to be, by all measures, a long shot to become Britain's next prime minister. But that was before "Cleggmania" swept the country.
The origins of Cleggmania can be traced to last week's televised debate -- a first in Great Britain -- in which Clegg was widely considered to have stolen the show from the leaders of Britain's two

NorthJersey.com: North Arlington must await count of provisional ballots

NorthJersey.com: North Arlington must await count of provisional ballots

North Arlington must await count of provisional ballots

Thursday, April 22, 2010

BY NICK CLUNN

THE RECORD

STAFF WRITER

0 Comments

NORTH ARLINGTON — Taxpayers won’t know if they’ll need to pay 5 percent more to support public schools until election workers tally provisional ballots next week.
Voters cast 15 provisional ballots at the polls Tuesday, Bergen County Elections Superintendent Patricia DiCostanzo said, enough to possibly change the outcome in the school budget vote.
The $21.4 million tax levy proposed by the K-12 district appeared to go down by a 946-938 vote. Budgets supported by more than 900 votes usually pass in the borough, Superintendent Oliver Stringham said Wednesday in a posting on the district Web site.
"Yet, this year there was an X-factor emanating from Trenton that made this a historically challenging endeavor for public education," he said.
If the levy is defeated, the Borough Council will either approve it or identify specific spending cuts to lighten or eliminate the proposed tax hike.
Stringham, in comments made during a state Senate hearing on school funding in March, warned of

Sacramento Press / Rally for Social Services at Capitol Ends 365-Mile March From Bakersfield

Sacramento Press / Rally for Social Services at Capitol Ends 365-Mile March From Bakersfield

Rally for Social Services at Capitol Ends 365-Mile March From Bakersfield

housands of people from across California gathered at the Capitol to express their anger over continuing cuts to social services in the state Wednesday afternoon.

The rally came on the last day of a 48-day, 365-mile march that started in Bakersfield in early March. While there were six main marchers, many other people joined them for certain days or sections of the march. The audience hoped that the march and rally would send a message of discontent with declining funds for social programs including schools, universities and homecare providers.

"This isn't the end of a march, this is the beginning of a movement," said Doug Moore, executive director of the United Domestic Workers of American Homecare Providers. "If we join together, we can restore the American Dream."

"We won't let Wall Street or the auto companies fail, but we are letting our schools fail by forcing them to make Draconian cuts in their budgets," said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. "Fixing the problem will take hard work."

Weingarten said there are three steps that can be taken to fix that problem, the first being to increase taxes on the rich.

"It's time that in the richest state of California, the rich pay their fair share of taxes," she said, getting a loud cheer from the audience. She also suggested closing tax loopholes and allowing the budget to be passed with

Education | Fewer teacher layoffs foreseen in Seattle | Seattle Times Newspaper

Education | Fewer teacher layoffs foreseen in Seattle | Seattle Times Newspaper

Fewer teacher layoffs foreseen in Seattle

The number of teacher layoffs in Seattle looks like it will be much lower this year than last.

By Seatttle Times Staff

The number of teacher layoffs in Seattle looks like it will be much lower this year than last.

Last May, the district sent layoff notices to 172 teachers, counselors, librarians and other certificated staff members. With the help of federal stimulus dollars, all but a few dozen were rehired by fall.

This year, the district is estimating it may send just 30-50 pinks slips to teachers, counselors, librarians and other certificated employees. A final decision is due early next month.

The school district says it is trying to protect the classroom. It has put a freeze on hiring and has eliminated the equivalent of 85 full-time jobs in its central office.

The district is also planning to use about $4.4 million of savings, and to raise about $1 million in

Berkeley’s Israel Divestment Resolution: Round Three � Student Activism

Berkeley’s Israel Divestment Resolution: Round Three � Student Activism

Berkeley’s Israel Divestment Resolution: Round Three

by Angus Johnston

Berkeley’s student government, the Associated Students of the University of California, is meeting tonight for what should be the final consideration of a resolution calling on the university to divest its holdings in two corporations that supply the Israeli military.
ASUC first passed the resolution last month, but it was vetoed by the association’s president. An attempt to override that veto failed in an all-night meeting last week, a meeting which ended with a further two hours’ debate on a motion to reconsider that decision.
Last week’s meeting was moved twice to accommodate the large numbers of students and others who wished to

Budget forecast: Another year of growth | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Budget forecast: Another year of growth | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Budget forecast: Another year of growth

by Paul Socolar on Apr 21 2010 Posted in Eye on the budget

Philadelphia schools can expect an infusion of $52 million in federal stimulus grant dollars for school improvement, Chief Business Officer Michael Masch told the School Reform Commission, as well as a $90 million boost in the state's basic education subsidy if Gov. Ed Rendell's education budget survives what is expected to be a contentious legislative process in Harrisburg.Unlike districts across the country that aregrappling with teacher layoffs and harsh cutbacks, the School District of Philadelphia, in its $3.2 billion draft budget for 2010-11 released Wednesday, projects a third consecutive year of new and expanded offerings.

Masch is expecting overall revenues to rise 5 percent even though District income from local sources is flat.

But grim news is on the horizon: an expected surge in pension costs of more than $150 million over the next three years, coupled with the real possibility that this is the last year the District will get a quarter of a billion dollars of federal stimulus funds for education.

Masch also pointed out that despite recent funding increases, Philadelphia is still thousands of dollars short of its target for an adequate level of funding as measured in the 2007 state "costing-out study."

Asked about contingencies if this year's final state budget delivers less education aid than Rendell proposes, Masch said the governor's proposal is "reasonable" and added, "We should be asking 'What can we all do to persuade legislators to approve the budget the governor proposed?'"

Melinda Grier, attorney at center of Mike Bellotti scandal, on the way out | OregonLive.com

Melinda Grier, attorney at center of Mike Bellotti scandal, on the way out | OregonLive.com

Melinda Grier, attorney at center of Mike Bellotti scandal, on the way out

By Jeff Manning, The Oregonian

April 21, 2010, 11:00PM

Kevin Clark/The Register GuardMelinda Grier, left, hugs Mike Bellotti after the longtime football coach announced his decision last year to step down from coaching to become athletic director. Bellotti's compensation package would later become controversial, when he announced plans to leave the university altogether after less than a year on the job.Melinda Grier, the attorney at the center of a controversy surrounding the University of Oregon athletic department, appears to be on her way out.

University President Richard Lariviere and Oregon Attorney General John Kroger have reached out to a handful of potential replacements as UO's general counsel in recent days. Officially, the university's general counsel is part of Kroger's staff.

Neither Lariviere nor Kroger would comment, but four sources confirmed that the university president is searching for a successor. Paul Kelly Jr., a Portland attorney and president of the State Board of Higher Education, said he learned Wednesday that Lariviere had made the decision. The other sources asked to remain anonymous.

Lariviere initially hoped to name Grier's successor Friday. But it appears that

Electron microscopic photos show the ocean's beauty up close, not a bad reminder on Earth Day

by Katy Muldoon, The Oregonian

Carla Stehr's photos reveal sea creatures and plant life that typically can't be seen by the naked eye. But magnified 30,000 times or so, they look intricate and otherworldly. Some images seem as tame and orderly as the weave of fine fabric, while others loom B-movie scary.

Double sweet for Portland teen to make it to national semi-finals in young investor contest

by Larry Bingham, The Oregonian

Meredith Loy is among 15 national semi-finalists in a contest for young inventors asked to find new uses for bubble wrap

Schools in New Jersey Plan Heavy Cuts After Voters Reject Most Budgets - NYTimes.com

Schools in New Jersey Plan Heavy Cuts After Voters Reject Most Budgets - NYTimes.com

Schools in New Jersey Plan Heavy Cuts After Voters Reject Most Budgets

By WINNIE HU

Published: April 21, 2010

School officials across New Jersey said on Wednesday that they would most likely have to lay off hundreds of teachers, increase class sizes, eliminate sports teams and Advanced Placement classes, cutkindergarten hours and take other radical steps to reduce spending after 58 percent of districts’ budgets were rejected by voters on Tuesday, the most in at least 35 years.

Residents went to the polls in record numbers for the normally low-profile school-budget elections, and rejected 316 of the 541 budgets on the ballot. They were angered by higher property taxes that were sought to make up for unusually large state aid reductions proposed by Gov.Christopher J. Christie, along with resentment toward teachers’ unions for not agreeing to wage freezes or concessions.

The message of “enough is enough” resounded across the state, from urban to rural districts, and even in well-to-do suburban communities like Ridgewood, where residents are particularly proud of their schools. It was a drastic change from a year ago, when voters approved nearly three-quarters of the school budgets during the height of the economic downturn.

The election results sent school officials hurrying to prepare contingency plans to present to their town councils, or local municipal boards, which now must review the budgets and

Museums Take Their Lessons to the Schools

by By TAMAR LEWIN

To make up for a decline in visits, many museums are going to the classroom, through traveling programs, videoconferencing or computer-based lessons.

Ten Ways to 'Go Green' and Mark Earth Day

by By CATHERINE HUTCHINGS and HOLLY EPSTEIN OJALVO

2 people liked this

Lesson Plan | Ideas and resources for commemorating the 40th annual Earth Day.

Recording Of Last Night’s Interview With Me | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

Recording Of Last Night’s Interview With Me | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

Recording Of Last Night’s Interview With Me

by Larry Ferlazzo

I had a fun interview and discussion with Steve Hargadon and many others last night in his Future of Educationevent.
If you’re interested in hearing/watching it, which was focused on my book and teaching English Language Learners, the recording can be watched/listened to here.

Let’s Write A Book Together!

“Top 40 Nature Photographs Of All Time”

Mother’s Day

Another Nice Review Of My ELL Book

More On Earth Day

Data From The World Bank

Geography Resources

A Few More Volcano Links

Filing states student broke rules and had no expectation of privacy | Philadelphia Inquirer | 04/21/2010

Filing states student broke rules and had no expectation of privacy | Philadelphia Inquirer | 04/21/2010

Filing states student broke rules and had no expectation of privacy

Blake Robbins should not have brought home the laptop that took his picture, the L. Merion district official said.

By Derrick Nunnally

Inquirer Staff Writer

Blake Robbins should have known better.
So says the official who ran the Lower Merion School District's controversial computer security system when it snapped Robbins' picture in his home and led to his invasion-of-privacy suit against the district.
Even in his own home, the Harriton High School sophomore had "no legitimate expectation of privacy" from the camera on his school-issued laptop, information systems coordinator Carol Cafiero contended in a court filing on Tuesday.
Cafiero - who is on paid leave while the district investigates the laptop controversy - claimed Robbins lost any legal protection from the Web-camera security system when he took a school laptop home without permission.
Robbins had previously broken "at least two" school computers and did not pay the insurance fee required to get permission to take home the Apple MacBook that later snapped his pictures, Cafiero's attorney, Charles Mandracchia, wrote in the filing.
"When you're in the home, you should have a legitimate expectation of privacy," Mandracchia said in an interview. "But if you're taking something without permission, how can you cry foul when you shouldn't have it anyway?"
Mandracchia's court filing and comments came on the heels of the district's latest disclosures about the volume of photos and "screen shots" taken over two years by the high-tech security system that was designed to track lost or stolen laptops.
District officials said Monday that the built-in cameras on students' laptops had been switched on 146 times, taking 56,000 pictures in the process. District lawyer Henry E. Hockeimer said none of the photos appeared to be

Monica Yant Kinney: A musical score for a city school

Oh, to be one of the lucky ducks spending 45 minutes a week in Room 212 at John Welsh Elementary School, where music teacher Maura DiBerardinis has everything a K-8 kid could want to blow, bang, shake, tap, and ogle.

High turnout in many N.J. school races

In the one of the most contentious contests of its kind, tough campaigning led some schools budgets to hard-won victories while others may face even deeper cuts in defeat, according to early returns Tuesday night.

City students campaign against school violence

Jamar Phillips, a senior at Carver High School of Engineering and Science, was firm. "We will not stand for violence in our schools," said Phillips, one of 100 Philadelphia School District students who gathered in Rittenhouse Square Tuesday to draw attention to a youth campaign against school violence.

Do You Understand My School? (Part Two) � InterACT

Do You Understand My School? (Part Two) � InterACT

Do You Understand My School? (Part Two)

by David B. Cohen

Yesterday, I posted “Do You Understand My School (Part One)” and argued that policy makers place unwarranted faith in state test scores as a tool for teacher evaluation. In large part, I believe that happens because they don’t really sufficiently understand how schools operate. The argument continues:

To further complicate matters for the test advocates, they have no formula to account for the students who change classes, teachers, or schools during the year. You can’t just weight the test score according to the percentage of instructional time spent in a class, since classes do not cover the same content and skills all year long. That’s not a trivial matter affecting a small number of students. In some school communities, student transiency is a huge factor; additionally, in some schools, students can drop a class, or be removed from it for disciplinary reasons, but the student still must take the state test in that subject. In some schools, semester long courses mean teacher changes for an entire student body at the middle of the year. How do you use state tests to evaluate a teacher’s performance across semesters when that test is given before the completion of the second semester, but months after the first?

If my school expects me to take on a different teaching assignment, new curriculum, or new methodology next year, am I allowed a one-year grace period on producing test results? After all, the first year of teaching a new curriculum presents some unique challenges during a period of adjustment. Or, should I fight any change to my duties, in order to protect my livelihood? If I’m deemed effective as a teacher of juniors but my principal asks me to teach freshmen, that change might involve some adjustment, or I just might not be as good with one age group as I am with another. Why take a chance? If I teach seniors, they don’t even take a state test, depriving me of a chance to (supposedly) prove my effectiveness.

If I teach courses for two grade levels, will I be evaluated with student test results separated by grade levels?If so, we should be concerned about sample size – how much weight is given to each single student’s results –

Education protestors head to Sacramento - 4/21/10 - Fresno News - abc30.com

Education protestors head to Sacramento - 4/21/10 - Fresno News - abc30.com

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- People in the Valley protesting cuts in education and other programs headed to Sacramento Wednesday morning.

Several hundred people boarded buses Wednesday morning in Northwest Fresno, marking the end of a 48-day march throughout California.
The 360-mile protest trek included six core marchers who say they braved the rain and heat to protest cuts to public education, public health and public safety.
The core group met with hundreds of Californians in the Central Valley as they walked from Bakersfield to Sacramento. The group from Central Fresno is meeting with thousands expected at the state capitol.
The rally is believed to be one of the largest demonstrations in Sacramento in years.