Friday, May 14, 2010

Youth religious group seeks 'comfort' in racial divide | life, young, clemente - News - The Orange County Register

Youth religious group seeks 'comfort' in racial divide

Young Life is a religious group that tries to keep teenagers out of trouble. But to do that in a city like San Clemente, where group leaders say teens seem to be more comfortable in their own demographic clusters, the organization is separated on racial lines.

Young Life has been in San Clemente for two decades, but three years ago it began a downtown chapter to focus primarily on Latino teens, a population that wasn't joining the original group based at San Clemente High School. Young Life leaders say their organization, which has hundreds of chapters worldwide and focuses on connecting adolescents to Jesus, is separated in San Clemente because they want teens to feel comfortable. Having a single chapter may discourage one demographic from joining, leaders say.

Young Life Downtown members attend the organization's recent pancake breakfast in San Clemente. Some members say Young Life helps them stay out of trouble.

OLIVER YU, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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"It may seem 1960s to have two different race groups, but the fact of the matter is, until they decide to make changes in their lives, we have to bring it back to their level," said Corey Nissen, director of the downtown chapter.

Young Life Downtown consists of about 75 Latino teens, including current and former gang members, leaders say.

At a recent Young Life pancake breakfast at Max Berg Plaza Park, some students said the nonprofit has changed their lives by steering them away from bad choices. However, many said they wish the two chapters didn't have to be separated.

"There's Hispanics, then there's white people," said Saul Bonea, who was a Young Life member before graduating from high school last year. "I mean, if everybody came (to Young Life) because everybody is a child of God, that's good, but there's still race stuff in existence and it always gets us in trouble."

By trouble, the 19-year-old, who wants to work in ministry, meant fights. Teens said there have long been tensions among certain cliques at the high school, some of which are divided along racial lines. Young Life leaders say they were aware of those tensions and that's why they thought it would be best to make a new chapter. Last school year, San Clemente High enrollment was 73 percent white and 19 percent Latino, according to Capistrano Unified School District data.

"Of course, when we started the downtown group we thought, 'Should we do this separately? It doesn't seem right.' But we knew we had to be where the kids are at," said Mark Thrash, Young Life's San Clemente-area director.

Thrash said it is not uncommon for Young Life to have a downtown group and a suburban group

More Thoughts on Expulsion Rules Education- voiceofsandiego.org

Education

More Thoughts on Expulsion Rules

I've been getting some really interesting feedback on our blog post about the continued frustration at Bell Middle School over the gap between charter school and school district expulsion rules. Cinda Doughty, the principal of Darnall Charter School, offered some thoughts about how the problem can cut both ways: Darnall encountered a student who attempted to enroll in our school last week who had been expelled from a district school. The parent had been told that her son (who allegedly attacked a teacher) could not attend the district school until his expulsion hearing but that in the meantime, she could enroll him in a charter, or Alba, (the

More Burning Questions for the School Board?

Just a heads up for my faithful Twitter followers: I'll be live tweeting a school board candidates' forum tonight at 6:30pm at La Jolla High. Even if you're not on Twitter, you can follow my tweets here.

The Second-Rate Machiavellians at the Alabama Education Assocation | Intercepts

The Second-Rate Machiavellians at the Alabama Education Assocation

by Mike Antonucci

This Alabama gubernatorial primary campaign ad has gotten a lot of attention.

he ad is the product of the True Republican PAC, and it won’t surprise most people to learn that evolution is still a contentious issue in Alabama, or that a politician can be successfully attacked for being insufficiently zealous on the topic.

It did surprise most people that most of the True Republican PAC’s funding comes from theAlabama Education Association. As you can see from the story’s dateline, that news is almost a month old. AEA’s PAC donated money to five PACs, which then donated that money to the True Republican PAC, which then used it to make media buys using the same Denver-

Hurting - Literally - Kids and Seniors To Protect Tax Cuts for the Rich | California Progress Report

Hurting - Literally - Kids and Seniors To Protect Tax Cuts for the Rich

by christine

By Robert Cruickshank
There's no better illustration of the priorities of Arnold Schwarzenegger than this report from Shane Goldmacher and Evan Halper in the LA Times, explaining that today's May Revise is likely to include a proposal to eliminate health care services for children and the elderly:
Administration officials declined to reveal which specific programs the governor would eliminate. But officials involved in the budget process, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly, said they would probably include home healthcare for the elderly and disabled, a nearly $2-billion program that serves 440,000 Californians. Cuts that lawmakers and the governor made to the program in an effort to balance the budget have been blocked by legal rulings over the last year.
read more

Welcome to the Low-Income Economic Experience

by kaldveer

By Kimberly S. Jones
California Reinvestment Coalition

As America’s middle class joins the working poor, Congress has one more reason to do right by financial regulatory reform.
As the fight for regulatory reform plays out with hundreds of lobbyists and millions of dollars, it’s becoming increasingly uncertain whether the Senate will pass a bill that creates meaningful protections for the American economy.
read more

Nation & World | Ground beef in schools this fall will be safer | Seattle Times Newspaper

Nation & World | Ground beef in schools this fall will be safer| Seattle Times Newspaper

Ground beef in schools this fall will be safer

Students will be eating safer beef in school cafeterias when they return to school in the fall.

By MARY CLARE JALONICK

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON —

Students will be eating safer beef in school cafeterias when they return to school in the fall.

The Agriculture Department announced Friday that the government will require higher standards for ground beef purchased for schools starting in July. The standards will force producers to test the beef for contamination more often and will prohibit certain trimmings from being used.

USDA, which oversees the school lunch program and coordinates food purchases with schools, will also prohibit the purchase of beef produced on the same day that E. coli O157 or salmonella is found through testing at a plant.

The department announced in February that the National Academy of Sciences will review the government's beef purchases.

"Waiting for Superman" | Philadelphia Public School Notebook Notes from the news, May 14

"Waiting for Superman" | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

"Waiting for Superman"

by Dale Mezzacappa

I am out here in San Francisco where the Education Writers Association, of which I am the current board president, is holding our annual meeting. EWA is a national organization committed to improving the quality of education journalism, and this is our 63rd annual meeting.
Last night, we heard from Davis Guggenheim, director of "An Inconvenient Truth," and saw clips from his movie"Waiting for Superman." In "Waiting" he gives public education the same treatment he gave global warming, in

Notes from the news, May 14

by Erika Owens

South Phila. principal, lacking credential, resigns The Inquirer
LaGreta Brown resigned effective immediately on Thursday, in advance of a scheduled no confidence vote by teachers. Her principal certification is inactive. Springfield Township principal Otis D. Hackney, III will be South Philly's new principal.
See also: S. Philly High principal resigns over missing certification Daily News
South Philadelphia principal steps down WHYY
Reaction to Brown's departure from S. Philly The Notebook blog
Springfield Township High School principal to step down Springfield Sun
Principal of South Philadelphia High School Resigns KYW
LaGreta Brown steps down from S. Philly The Notebook blog
South Phila. High principal steps down 6 ABC
S. Philly High Principal quits Young Philly Politics

Editorial: Justify bonuses The Inquirer
Calls for the SRC and Ackerman to explain the reasoning for Superintendent Ackerman's $65,000 bonus.
Williams' charter school has had rocky times The Inquirer
State Sen. Williams is running for governor with the support of school choice advocates, but his charter school has missed AYP for the past three years and has had financial issues.
See also: Williams campaign driven by school choice, hefty donors WHYY
Hybrid built by West Philadelphia students wins another round WHYY
We want to know what you're thinking The Notebook blog
Improve a School, Improve a Neighborhood Philly School Search
Please email us if we missed anything today or if you have any suggestions of publications, email lists, or other places for us to check for news.
Click here to get Notes from the news in your inbox every day.
Notes from the news

THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

Stephen's Sound Advice: How To Ace The SAT's

We Give "The Colbert Report" A Perfect Score
For His Tips
#1: "Spend A Lot Of Money" . . .

Amidst all the relentless charter school debate and lay-off news over the last couple weeks, we thought a mental health break was due.

Stephen Colbert was in A+ form the other night on "The Colbert Report", prepping our young men and women about to embark on their quest for the highest SAT scores, with a his top tips on "How To Ace The SAT's" in the 5 min. video below:

(For related stories from The Daily Riff, check out: "The Underground Guide: Outsmarting The SAT Test" for resources, and "Florida SB6 - Our High-Stakes Standardized Testing Culture" and skip down to the second half of post with specific books on the subject, such as "Making The Grade: My Misadventures In
Continue Reading at The Daily Riff

Eduflack: The Future of Education Media

The Future of Education Media

by Eduflack

What is the future of education journalism? For the past several years, we have been hearing how national and regional newspapers have either dramatically reduced or downright eliminated their education news teams (with the most recent being the Associated Press' plans to no longer have a single national K-12 education reporter, and instead distribute education responsibilities across a team of six great reporters who already have other responsibilities).

A reduced education reporter pool undoubtedly leads to reduced education coverage. Last year, at a time when all in the education sector were abuzz about Race to the Top, i3, teacher quality, teacher layoffs, and general education reform, Brookings released its Invisible report, finding that only 1.4 percent of the national news in the first three quarters of 2009 was about education. (A caveat, though, there are many who raise questions about

Rural Schools Partnership Conference – ED.gov Blog

Rural Schools Partnership Conference

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Rural Outreach, John White, shares the Department perspective on rural education at the Rural Schools Partnership Conference in Thomasville, MO.

Rural educators and leaders from across the nation, including Deputy Assistant Secretary for Rural Outreach, John White, recently gathered in Thomasville, Missouri, to discuss rural education issues and share best practices.
The May 6th event, sponsored by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO), took place in a school-turned-community center in the isolated town with an estimated population of 50. Attendees enjoyed a range of events, including speeches, break-out sessions, and recognition of student accomplishments and innovative new programs, such as the Ozark Teachers Corps.

The Ozarks Teacher Corps is a cadre of talented teaching candidates who will explore rural education issues, serve as teacher interns in small schools, and commit to teaching in their respective home communities for at least three years. Awardees receive an annual scholarship of $4,000, must maintain excellent academic credentials, and will be members of the national Rural School and Community Trust’s Rural Schools Innovation Network. The program is made possible by the Chesley and Flora Lea Wallis Scholarship Fund, a $1.7 million CFO charitable fund.
White said he came to the Ozarks to see this new program as a model to help fill critical teacher shortages in rural communities across the country. “One of the things we want to do from Washington is figure out what will be most applicable and will work at a local level,” White said, citing innovations such as using Internet video conferencing technology for distance learning and technology on school buses for learning during long daily commutes. “We want to provide support in different ways instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.”
At the end of the day, remaining participants gathered around a bonfire for one last brainstorming session. Some of the attendees opted to sleep outside in a tent under the star filled sky rather than at the nearest hotel, which was 20 miles away.
To hear more about the day, listen to the following report produced by Ozarks Public Radio. You can also find more information at the following websitehttp://www.ruralschoolspartnership.org/.
Patrick Kerr
Office of Communications and Outreach

This entry was written by pkickbush, posted

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Inside Chicago's school "Renaissance"

Inside Chicago's school "Renaissance"

by Mike Klonsky

“Our Soldiers know how to shoot, but they may not always understand when to shoot — or not to shoot,” Munsey said. “Was there a hostile act? With VBS2, we train on their weaknesses.”

Chicago Public School District representatives met with Combined Arms Center-Training team members at Fort Leavenworth in April to learn first-hand about the U.S. Army’s approach to virtual training. Their goal as members of the school district’s Office of School Turnaround was to learn about possible approaches to help prepare teachers and administrators to succeed in the Windy City’s toughest schools.

“We need to make it so people are constantly growing,” said Dr. Donald Fraynd,

Hawaii wraps up a year of short school weeks - Boston.com

Hawaii wraps up a year of short school weeks

By Mark Niesse

Associated Press Writer / May 14, 2010

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HONOLULU—When Hawaii ran short on money, it made students and teachers pay by slashing 17 Fridays from the school calendar, resulting in three-day weekends and the nation's shortest school year.

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More than 170,000 students in the nation's only statewide school district spent their so-called "furlough Fridays" playing video games, roaming the mall or studying at home. But that ends Friday , the last day off of the school year.

After missing so much class time, students, educators and parents are evaluating what they've lost. They hope the state's elected leaders and teachers union will strike a deal to prevent furloughs next school year, when 17 more days off are scheduled in a public education system that

Archdiocese to help banned student

The Archdiocese of Boston said yesterday that it would help find a new Catholic school for a boy who was barred from a Catholic elementary school in Hingham because his parents are lesbians. (By Lisa Wangsness, Globe Staff)

Teachers union, Johnson reach stalemate on plan

The Boston Teachers Union and School Superintendent Carol R. Johnson have reached stalemate over her plan to extend the school day and make other changes at 12 underperforming schools, pushing the monthlong dispute into the hands of an arbitrator. (By James Vaznis, Globe Staff)

Why are so many moms smitten with today’s teen idols?

Like many mothers and daughters, Mary Irizarry and her 12-year-old argue sometimes. But their disputes aren’t over texting or clothing. They disagree about which male “Twilight’’ star is cuter. (By Beth Teitell, Globe Correspondent)

Wayland mosque opens a dialogue on what it means to be a Muslim in America

WAYLAND — Months ago, the Islamic Center of Boston began planning an open house and lecture, “Everything you wanted to know about Islam but were afraid to ask,’’ to celebrate its 30th anniversary. (By Erica Noonan, Globe Staff)

Schools move to educate staff, students on response to bullying

For the longest time, bullying has fallen into the “kids will be kids’’ category, a negative yet somewhat unavoidable part of growing up. But following the suicides of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, a Springfield 11-year-old who took his own life last year after being bullied, and Phoebe Prince, the 15-year-old Irish immigrant in South Hadley who hanged herself in January ... (By Christine Legere, Globe Correspondent)

LATEST EDUCATION NEWS WIRE UPDATES

Hawaii wraps up a year of short school weeks (AP, 9:09 a.m.)
La. gov't retirement revamp heads to House debate (AP, 8:29 a.m.)
Ludlow Marine remembered as a hero (AP, 8:28 a.m.)
W.Va. lawmakers begin session on ed, health care (AP, 8:24 a.m.)
New Orleans Museum of Art names new director (AP, 5:08 a.m.)

Friday, May 14, 2010