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Sunday, May 16, 2010

Immigration activists protest Pomona commencement

Immigration activists protest Pomona commencement

Immigration activists protest Pomona commencement

Sunday, May 16, 2010
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(05-16) 14:52 PDT Pomona, Calif. (AP) --
Demonstrators marched at Pomona College to protest Arizona's controversial new immigration law and the policies of commencement speaker Janet Napolitano, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
During Napolitano's speech Sunday, the protestors gathered on the steps of the Andrew Carnegie building, waving signs and chanting "Si, se puede!" (Yes, we can).
Protest organizers say they're upset Napolitano wants to expand Bush-era immigration policies they say violate due process


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/05/16/state/n145208D16.DTL&type=education#ixzz0o8iSmoEX
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CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: Minnesota charter schools

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: Minnesota charter schools


Minnesota charter schools

by The Perimeter Primate

State charter schools program is 'out of control': Junk bonds fuel a building spree, but schools are more crowded, insiders are taking fees, and state regulators can't do much about it. (Star Tribune, November 29, 2009)

Minnesota's charter school movement, which sparked a national rethinking of public schooling nearly two decades ago, has been infected by an out-of-control financing system fueled by junk bonds, insider fees and lax oversight.
State law prohibits charter schools from owning property, but consultants have found a legal loophole, allowing proponents to use millions of dollars in public money to build schools even though the properties remain in the hands of private nonprofit corporations.
The key to making it all work is the state's lease aid program, which was created 11 years ago to

Merrick Academy Charter School

by The Perimeter Primate
Merrick Academy students suffer as State Senate President Malcolm Smith profits from charter school(NY Daily News, March 28, 2010) [NOTE: Merrick Academy pays Victory Schools, Inc. to run its school. Victory is a for-profit Educational Management Organization (EMO).]
Students at Merrick Academy charter school - housed in an old bowling alley in Queens Village - must cross busy Jamaica Ave. for recess in a nearby park because there's no gym or playground.
They also must get used to water leaking into classrooms when it rains and wearing winter coats inside when there's no heat.
"The school is on a very big intersection," said Kenneth Eriaidubor, who has a second-grader and a kindergartner at Merrick. "We are very concerned that leaving a school is not a really safe zone for the children."
"There's a leak, there's heating problems," said Sidney Dasent, whose daughter is a second-grader. "There's even a problem with supplies."
There's also another potential problem - one many parents may not know about: Merrick has served as a source 
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Schools Matter: The Astounding Hypocrisy of Chris "Mad Dog" Christie

Schools Matter: The Astounding Hypocrisy of Chris "Mad Dog" Christie

The Astounding Hypocrisy of Chris "Mad Dog" Christie

by Jim Horn
One of the most humane social programs that New Jersey offers its citizens is the supplemental prescription drug coverage for those retirees trying to make it on Social Security. The new governor now wants oldsters to pay a $310 up front deductible to take advantage of the program. As a result many retired folks living on Social Security will be cut out of the program, which, of course, is what the deductible is about in the first place.

Meanwhile, His Bloatedness continues to talk tough about that "privileged class" fat cat
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DC teachers union election. “Randi almost fell off the chair.” � Fred Klonsky's blog

DC teachers union election. “Randi almost fell off the chair.” � Fred Klonsky's blog

DC teachers union election. “Randi almost fell off the chair.”

by preaprez
Bill Turque is a Washington Post reporter who follows school and teacher union developments in DC.
In his column, DC School Insider, published late last week he offered the following news:
  • Union members will begin voting on their contract on Wednesday and for two weeks after.
  • The ratification vote will be followed by a scheduled election for union president.
  • The present prez, George Parker, is being challenged by two members including current VP Nathan Saunders.
  • Saunders has been vocal in his criticism of Parker’s relationship with DC schools boss Michelle Rhee.
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Conn. schools urged to join reform effort - Boston.com

Conn. schools urged to join reform effort - Boston.com

Conn. schools urged to join reform effort


May 16, 2010
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HARTFORD, Conn.—Connecticut public school districts are being urged to endorse the state's application for special federal funding under President Barack Obama's "Race to the Top" education competition.
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Education Commissioner Mark McQuillan says school districts have until Wednesday to submit documentation that shows they'll participate in the state's far-reaching package of proposed education reforms.
Connecticut was not among the finalists for the first round of funding. State officials have worked to improve their application for the second round. They say the state's chances to receive $175 million in federal funding will be helped by
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2010 Election Parent Picks SAC City DAC Web Site

2010 Election Parent Picks
SAC City DAC Editor Mike Simpson recommends parents join me and vote for

Parent Political Picks by the Big Education Ape

Our Area 7 School Board Member and 1st Vice President
Patrick Kennedy
for Sacramento City Council Area 5
A Parent with a plan for Sacramento
Patrick Kennedy Sacramento City Council 5

Go to SAC City DAC Web Site
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The Washington Teacher: WTU's George Parker Fails To Submit Petition For Re-Election Bid For Union President

The Washington Teacher: WTU's George Parker Fails To Submit Petition For Re-Election Bid For Union President

WTU's George Parker Fails To Submit Petition For Re-Election Bid For Union President

by The Wash. Teacher
Breaking News
According to a press release issued today:
For the first time in the history of the Washington Teachers Union (WTU), a sitting union president has failed to submit petitions to run for office in accordance with the requirement of the WTU Constitution and By-Laws rendering him ineligible to run for office. On May 10, 2010, during a special meeting at the headquarters of the American Federation of Teachers, George Parker, current President of the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU), announced to Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Nathan Saunders, presidential candidate for WTU 2010 election and Candi Peterson, general vice presidential candidate for WTU 2010 election and others others that he failed to submit nominating petitions for the upcoming General Election of WTU officers.
As per the WTU Constitution and By-Laws (Article 7, paragraph 2.C) “Official nominating petitions shall be made available to the membership at the March meeting or at the WTU office. Petitions must be returned to the office of the Washington Teachers’ Union on or before the
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Understanding shut-down learners - Academic Skills | GreatSchools

Understanding shut-down learners - Academic Skills | GreatSchools


Mad, bored, or just plain brokenhearted

You've seen them before: The bright child totally zoned out in class. The insolent know-it-all who drives his teachers nuts. These kids did fine in lower grades, so why are they failing now?

According to child psychologist Richard Selznick, these are classic examples of demoralized learners on the path to an academic meltdown. But don't panic: Learn the expert's top seven strategies for opening shut-down minds.


Understanding shut-down learners

Seven strategies to help your child climb from struggles to success.
By Dr. Richard Selznick
Throughout preschool and her early elementary grades, Emma was sunny, confident, and engaged in school. Now 12 and in sixth grade, her teacher’s comments paint a different picture: “Emma enters class pleasantly, and she seems to get along nicely with the other kids. During class, however, Emma never participates, and it seems that her mind is elsewhere. Emma’s work reflects a general lack of effort. It’s almost as if she doesn’t care.”
What happened to the sunny, confident, and engaged Emma?
Jacob, age 9, loves playing with Legos and other hands-on materials. Building elaborate cities and complex scenes, he is confident and very capable. In class, though, Jacob is unenthusiastic. An observer watching Jacob’s lack of connection and energy would probably think his light bulb was dim. Often he looks pained in class — particularly during open-ended writing assignments.
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Poverty has a Powerful Impact on Educational Attainment, or, Don't Trust Ed Trust | FairTest

Poverty has a Powerful Impact on Educational Attainment, or, Don't Trust Ed Trust | FairTest

Poverty has a Powerful Impact on Educational Attainment, or, Don't Trust Ed Trust

Issue:
Jan 2002
by Stephen Krashen, Professor Emeritus, University of Southern California. Published in February 2002 Substance (5132 W. Berteau Ave., Chicago, IL 60641; csubstance@aol.com) and reprinted with permission.
Two critical responses exposing flaws in a report by Education Trust that claims to have found thousands of schools across the U.S. which serve large numbers of low-income children and which score high on standardized tests. See also FairTest Examiner summary and discussion (Winter 2001-02). Richard Rothstein also critiqued the Ed Trust report, with very similar results. His column is at
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/10/education/10LESS.html?pagewanted=print&pos
The powerful impact of poverty on literacy development has been well documented. Children of poverty, in addition to the obvious problems they face, have very little access to reading material ; they have fewer books in the home, inferior public libraries, inferior school libraries,and inferior classroom libraries, (e.g. Duke, 2000; Neuman and Celano, 2001). This means, of course, that they have fewer opportunities to read, and therefore make less progress in developing literacy.
The recent report from Educational Trust West (Ali and Jerald, 2001) appears, at first glance, to show that a significant number of children in poverty have overcome this problem. The report claimed to find 3,592 schools in the US that were "high-performing-high poverty" schools. In California alone, there were 355 high-performing-high poverty school. This result was considered sufficient to "dispel the myth" about
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We’re all individuals! | Reflections on Teaching

We’re all individuals! | Reflections on Teaching

We’re all individuals!

by alicemercer

My autistic family ain’t your autistic family

This one is subtitled, why “least restrictive environment” should not be used as a weapon. First, some background. There are lots of rumors swirling around my district lately. Many of them around moving students out of SDC or small self-contained special ed classes, and “mainstreaming” students into regular education classes, with a bit of time each day in a pull-out special ed class. I was discussing this with a colleague who had one of the first “mainstreamed” developmentally disabled students in her high school class in her second year of teaching. Since she was new, didn’t know much, and didn’t get any guidance or support, she wasn’t sure if the students had gotten much academically from the experience, but she said that what struck her later was that she had intuited that this mainstreaming provided socialization with “normal” peers for the student, but, what struck her was how this had affected those “normal” kids. They had gone along all four years of high school and included the student in things like Prom. By not shutting this student away in a “special” class, this helped
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Schools Matter: Why to Fight SB 191, and How to Get Even With the Prostisuits Who Support It

Schools Matter: Why to Fight SB 191, and How to Get Even With the Prostisuits Who Support It

Why to Fight SB 191, and How to Get Even With the Prostisuits Who Support It

Great primer here by Angela Engel on how to get smart, get angry, and get even against corporate prosti-suits of the Colorado legislature and teacher unions:

Don't just get mad, Get Even - Senate Bill 191 passes colorado legislature

by: Angela Engel

Thu May 13, 2010 at 19:45:19 PM MDT


Corporate Takeover of Public Education
The Formula
Evaluate school according to an unattainable goal (NCLB - 100% proficiency of every student according to a single measure) to ensure the label of "failing schools."
-Standardize all curriculum, nationalizing pu
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College M.I.A.'s #6 - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

College M.I.A.'s #6 - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

College M.I.A.'s #6



"Some of the people coming out of those apprenticeships are in more demand than college graduates," he said, "because they've actually managed things in the workplace."
--- Robert I. Lerman, American University

Not Everyone is College Material
The List: No College or College Dropout


Those of you who have been following The Daily Riff series, College M.I.A.'s -- showcasing notable and/or extremely successful talents who never attended or dropped out of college -- understand our point that college may not be for everyone for a variety of reasons (see previous M.I.A.'s below).

Today's New York Times features this same topic in "top ten most emailed" story aptly titledPlan B: Skip College, well-worth the read in light of the premise stated as: "The idea that four years of higher education will translate into a better job, higher earnings and a happier life - a refrain sure to be repeated this month at graduation ceremonies across the country - has been pounded into the heads of schoolchildren, parents and
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The IEA is just not that into collective bargaining training. � Fred Klonsky's blog

The IEA is just not that into collective bargaining training. � Fred Klonsky's blog


The IEA is just not that into collective bargaining training.

by preaprez
With membership down, attacks on seniority and evaluation procedures increasing and charter school teachers looking for union protection, you would think that the IEA would see the present moment as a prime opportunity for collective bargaining training.
But a number of people who attended this weekend’s IEA Board of Director’s meeting tell me that IEA President Ken Swanson moved to do away with the Collective Bargaining Committee.
Some remember when former IEA President Anne Davis did away with the Winter Bargaining Conference and
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2010 Sac & SCUSD Elections

2010 Sac & SCUSD Elections
2010 Elections
SCUSD Board

Area 1, President
Ellyne Bell
11/06 – 11/10

Thank You Dr. Housman for your past 100 years of EducationExcellence and Service

SCUSD Parents and Community will Miss You!

Area 2
Jerry Houseman, Ed.D
11/04 – 11/10

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