Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Conservatives on Texas board leaving legacy in schools but losing clout | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

Conservatives on Texas board leaving legacy in schools but losing clout | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News| Latest News

Conservatives on Texas board leaving legacy in schools but losing clout



06:43 AM CDT on Tuesday, May 18, 2010

By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News
tstutz@dallasnews.com
AUSTIN – When social conservatives on the State Board of Education put the final touches on social studies curriculum standards this week, it will be a significant victory in their years-long push to imprint their beliefs upon what Texas students learn.
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But it could also be the peak of their influence. After losses in this spring's primaries, the social conservative bloc is expected to lack the clout to drive the board's decisions on the curriculum, textbooks and other key education issues.
The standards, affecting U.S. history, government and other social studies courses in Texas schools, have been hotly debated for months, triggering interest across the nation as the board's bloc of seven socially conservative Republicans seek to shape the new curriculum.
Democrats, college professors and other critics have called for a delay to allow closer scrutiny of the provisions, and the issue has been raised in the race for governor. But a majority of board members appear ready to finish the job and spell out the standards that will be reflected in textbooks, classroom instruction and achievement tests used over the next decade.
"The standards are looking real good now. We've made some significant improvements, and I am proud of what the board has

Garland's Non-Traditional High School gives at-risk students support they need to graduate

Megan Taylor twirled around after being recognized at Friday’s signing ceremony at Garland’s Non-Traditional High School. At the weekly events, students who’ve completed a class sign the school’s giant whiteboard as friends and teachers cheer them on.
MONA REEDER/DMN
Megan Taylor twirled around after being recognized at Friday’s signing ceremony at Garland’s Non-Traditional High School.
Garland's Non-Traditional High School offers students support and an absolute focus on academics. The Garland program's success in increasing graduation rates led to recent recognition from the Texas Education Agency. Eight traditional schools, including Garland High School, were also honored.
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CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: Prepared Table Charter School

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: Prepared Table Charter School

Prepared Table Charter School

by The Perimeter Primate

This story evolved over nearly three years. Read the full sequence of events.

Church-run charter school may be booted out of Texas program (Church & State, September 1, 2002)

Education officials in Texas have pulled the plug on a church-run charter school that has been embroiled in scandal and financial mismanagement.
In mid July the Texas Education Agency (TEA) held a three-day hearing on the fate of the Prepared Table Charter School, an institution run by the Rev. Harold Wayne Wilcox of the Greater Progressive Tabernacle Baptist Church in Humble. The school, which has been in existence since 1998, has allegedly squandered millions in tax dollars.
On Aug. 16, TEA officials revoked the controversial school's state charter and its lucrative public funding.
Texas lawmakers approved a charter school law in 1997 but officials have been lax in overseeing

KIPP Academy in Fresno

by The Perimeter Primate

Allegations of Inappropriate Discipline Tactics Prompt KIPP Principal to Step Down (KMPH Fox 26, February 20, 2009)
Students and parents lined the streets outside the KIPP Academy in Fresno, outraged over the recent and sudden resignation of their principal Mr. Chi Tsichang…
But at a news conference Friday, the Fresno Unified School District offered a littl
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Tensions grow as Boston prepares for teacher contract talks Education news - Boston Globe - MCAS results - latest education news - Boston.com

Education news - Boston Globe - MCAS results - latest education news - Boston.com

GLOBE EDUCATION NEWS

Tensions grow as Boston prepares for teacher contract talks

Boston parents, students, community activists, and civic groups have launched lobbying campaigns to press for changes to the teachers union contract, in what observers say could be the most acrimonious bargaining climate in a decade. (By James Vaznis, Globe Staff)

Teachers in R.I. subdued but still employed after bargaining

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. — The president of the teachers union said collective bargaining had worked. The school superintendent lauded a new era of collaboration for a failing high school singled out by President Obama. But the bottom line of a labor agreement approved yesterday showed another, hard-edged result. (By Brian MacQuarrie, Globe Staff)

Barring of Chomsky stirs up a political storm in Israel

In a vitriolic address to the United Nations in 2006, President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela assailed US foreign policy and called President George W. Bush the devil. He then held up a copy of Noam Chomsky’s “Hegemony or Survival: America’s Quest for Global Dominance’’ and urged the audience to read it. (By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff)

Misguided makeovers

Ricardo Canuto is 19 years old and when he came here from Cape Verde three years ago he didn’t speak a lick of English. (By Kevin Cullen, Globe Columnist)

Ex-Harvard student accused of living a lie

He crafted an elaborate web of lies to con his way into Harvard University, authorities say, but Adam B. Wheeler wasn’t content to graduate quietly and get away with just a degree. (By John R. Ellement and Tracy Jan, Globe Staff)

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Education - NorthJersey.com

Education - NorthJersey.com

'Race to Top' application gains backers
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
BY CLAIRE HEININGER
THE RECORD
STATE HOUSE BUREAU
The state Legislature is signing on to New Jersey's application for up to $400 million in federal education funding — but without endorsing its most controversial elements, including a plan to base teacher pay on student achievement.
In a shift from what Education Commissioner Bret Schundler initially requested, lawmakers of both parties are expected to pass a resolution Thursday saying they support the state's entry in the Race to the Top competition. The application deadline is June 1.
But the document does not endorse the Christie administration's sweeping plans to overhaul the state's education system and pay teachers based on how their students perform in the classroom.
"Rushing through processes that will change policy in great magnitude doesn't benefit anyone at all," said state Sen. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, chairwoman of the education committee and prime sponsor of the measure. "The resolution is something that everyone is going to support."
The New Jersey Education Association teachers union also backs the resolution, which supporters say was modeled on Delaware's successful application package in the last round of the competition. NJEA spokesman Steve Baker would not say Monday whether the union — which opposes merit pay — will endorse the entire application. The NJEA was accused of dooming the state's chances by refusing to back its first Race to the Top attempt, which was rejected in March, when New Jersey was seeking $200 million
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Education | 226 school districts in Washington join application for federal money | Seattle Times Newspaper

Education | 226 school districts in Washington join application for federal money | Seattle Times Newspaper

226 school districts in Washington join application for federal money

At least 226 of Washington state's 295 school districts have signed on to the state's application for $250 million in federal funding for education reform, state education officials said Monday.
By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP
The Associated Press
At least 226 of Washington state's 295 school districts have signed on to the state's application for $250 million in federal funding for education reform, state education officials said Monday.
A little more than a month ago, Gov. Chris Gregoire asked the districts to join her campaign for Washington to win a grant from the highly competitive federal Race to the Top program, saying, "everybody has to be part of the game for us to qualify."
Monday was the deadline for districts to say whether they would participate, but the governor and the state's education department were expecting more partnership agreements to trickle in over the next few days.
In Seattle, for example, the teachers union didn't vote on the matter until Monday night — and decided to sign on, as long as the district sticks to its agreement that any changes to the teachers' contract be negotiated.
The Seattle School Board had already agreed to join, as had the school district's principals association and

Seattle school district tries to make room for siblings

Seattle Public Schools is trying to make room for all incoming kindergartners who want to attend their older brother or sister's schools, but 148 are on waiting lists, causing consternation among those parents.

Students irked by Eastside Catholic layoffs

When Andrew "A.J." Rehn heard administrators at Eastside Catholic School in Sammamish had laid off some of his favorite teachers, the Eastside senior walked out of class in protest. About 200 students joined Rehn in the private school's courtyard Monday morning in a protest of the layoffs.
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Plumbers union flexes muscle in local campaigns - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

Plumbers union flexes muscle in local campaigns - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

Plumbers union flexes muscle in local campaigns

By Ryan Lillis and Robert Lewis
rlillis@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, May. 18, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 1A
From prison guards to teachers, organized labor wields influence over California politics like an iron pipe. In the Sacramento region, one group's clout rises above the others.
The Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 447 has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into local campaigns over the years. They've groomed young candidates on utility boards, attacked mayoral hopefuls and given heavily to local Democratic organizations.
In the past three years, Local 447 has pumped $758,803 into area candidates, political committees and measure campaigns, records compiled by the secretary of state's office show. That's more than the region's two largest law enforcement unions, the firefighters union and the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce – combined.
Another $470,000 in plumber money has gone to groups and individuals outside the Sacramento region, from the Los Angeles


Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/18/2757891/plumbers-flex-muscle-in-local.html#ixzz0oHYJYzfI
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The Children Are Bright; the Setting, Scruffy Education News - The New York Times

Education News - The New York Times

The Children Are Bright; the Setting, Scruffy

By SHARON OTTERMAN
Kindergarten at TAG Young Scholars, which serves mostly minority students.
Ruby Washington/The New York Times
Kindergarten at TAG Young Scholars, which serves mostly minority students.
At TAG Young Scholars, a citywide school in East Harlem for the talented and gifted, what goes on inside the classroom is praised, but the aesthetics and facilities are, in a word, challenging.

Going Back to School: Fired Staff Is Rehired

By KATIE ZEZIMA
All the staff members of Central Falls High School, who were fired in February as part of a turnaround plan for the underperforming school, will be rehired.
A CONVERSATION WITH JEFFREY L. BADA
Jeffrey L. Bada, 67, is the distinguished professor of marine chemistry at the University of California, San Diego. He studies how life began.

A Marine Chemist Studies How Life Began

By CLAUDIA DREIFUS
Jeffrey L. Bada, a professor in San Diego, says scientists are “closing in” on determining how amino acids became life.

Massachusetts: Student Accused of Faking His Way Into Harvard

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Delaware man has been charged with faking his way into Harvard and duping the university out of $45,000 in financial aid, grants and scholarships.
Boston University held a graduation ceremony for its class of 1970 on Sunday morning. The original commencement was canceled amid a tumultuous spring.

40 Years Later, a Proper Graduation

By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
About 300 members of Boston University’s class of 1970 attended a graduation ceremony on Sunday, four decades after the original was canceled amid political unrest.
OUR TOWNS
Michael J. Hogan

Quick Exit by President of UConn

By PETER APPLEBOME
Michael J. Hogan gave notice to the head of the university trustees by cellphone at 5:30 p.m. the day before his announcement.
WEEK IN REVIEW
GRADUATING Not everyone does.

Plan B: Skip College

By JACQUES STEINBERG
A group of economists argue that it’s time to develop alternatives for students unlikely to succeed in pursuing a higher degree, or who may not be ready to do so.

‘The Death and Life of the Great American School System’

By DIANE RAVITCH
Reviewed by ALAN WOLFE
An expert on schools changes her mind about testing and choice.
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Fallingwater Animation | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

Fallingwater Animation | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

Fallingwater Animation

by Larry Ferlazzo
Fallingwater is the famous house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. You can now see an amazing animation of the home.
I’m adding the link to The Best Images Of Weird, Cool & Neat-Looking Buildings (& Ways To Design Your Own).
Thanks to Flowing Data for the tip.

The Pic Lab


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National Standards: Should We Take a Seat at the Table? � InterACT

National Standards: Should We Take a Seat at the Table? � InterACT

National Standards: Should We Take a Seat at the Table?

by Martha Infante

image from engagingexecutives.com
In the last decade, the talk in the education community has been focused around the buzz words of accountability and reform. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 encouraged schools to aim for high test scores for all of their students, and thus a disproportionate focus was placed on English-Language Arts and Mathematics, the two disciplines most widely tested and measured by NCLB. At that time, the middle school in which I worked quickly jumped on to the test score bandwagon and reduced the number of elective classes for students, in order to increase the amount of instruction in English and Math. “Hey, if the kids can’t read, why should they be fooling around making wooden ducks in shop class!” Gone were the ceramics, drama, wood
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9 Phila. charters under U.S. probe seek Race to the Top money | Philadelphia Inquirer | 05/17/2010

9 Phila. charters under U.S. probe seek Race to the Top money | Philadelphia Inquirer | 05/17/2010

9 Phila. charters under U.S. probe seek Race to the Top money

By Martha Woodall
Inquirer Staff Writer
Nine Philadelphia charter schools under federal investigation for possibly misspending taxpayer money hope to obtain even more public funding.
The schools are included in Pennsylvania's statewide application for $400 million under the federal Race to the Top program, The Inquirer has learned.
But even as the state Department of Education retools its application to meet a June 1 deadline, officials say they do not plan to remove those nine charters from the bid for money to turn around failing schools, revamp teacher evaluations, and help struggling students.
Acting Education Secretary Thomas E. Gluck said it would be unfair to bar schools when no wrongdoing had been found.
"Race to the Top is about bringing bold reform to schools so that all students achieve at high levels," Gluck said in a statement to The Inquirer. "It would be wrong to deny this opportunity to the stu


Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/education/20100517_9_Phila__charters_under_U_S__probe_seek_Race_to_the_Top_money.html#ixzz0oHWOYs00
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For-profit education stocks rally on news that critic is leaving D.C. | California Watch

For-profit education stocks rally on news that critic is leaving D.C. | California Watch

For-profit education stocks rally on news that critic is leaving D.C.

by Erica Perez
Stock prices of for-profit education companies shot up yesterday after news that a federal education official who had closely scrutinized the industry was stepping down from his post.
The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that U.S. Education Deputy Undersecretary Robert Shireman would leave his job this summer. Shireman had focused much of his career on reforming the bank-based federal


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