Teacher in trouble after students don Klan robes

Teacher in trouble after students don Klan robes

By DIONNE WALKER, Associated Press Writer

Monday, May 24, 2010

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(05-24) 17:01 PDT ATLANTA (AP) --
A North Georgia teacher is on administrative leave and could lose her job after she allowed four students to don mock Ku Klux Klan outfits for a final project in a high school class Thursday, administrators said.
The sight of people in Klan-like outfits upset some black students at the school and led at least one parent to complain.
Catherine Ariemma, who teaches the advanced placement course combining U.S. history with film education, could face punishment ranging from suspension to termination, Lumpkin County School Superintendent Dewey Moye said Monday. Ariemma has spent nearly six years teaching in the rural county about 75 miles north of Atlanta.
She told The Associated Press Monday that students were covering an important and sensitive topic — but one that she might handle differently in the future.
"It was poor judgment on my part in allowing them to film at school," Ariemma said. "... That was a hard lesson learned."
The incident happened at Lumpkin County High School. Ariemma said her students spend the year viewing films and later create their own films to watch in class. She said

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/05/24/national/a170122D33.DTL&type=education#ixzz0ouMRz9KV

Michelle Rhee: Mayoral control of schools facilitates reform - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Michelle Rhee: Mayoral control of schools facilitates reform - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Michelle Rhee: Mayoral control of schools facilitates reform

by mgutierrez@sacbee.com (Melody Gutierrez)

MIchelle Rhee speaking at Monday's Press Club event. Rhee, is chancellor of the Washington DC Public Schools system and fiancee of Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. May 24, 2010

Controversial education reformer Michelle Rhee spoke at a Sacramento Press Club event Monday, where she said California schools face an uphill battle without mayoral control.
Rhee, the fiancée of Mayor Kevin Johnson, joked as she acknowledged the nicknames she's garnered as the outspoken chancellor of the Washington D.C. Public Schools system.
"People have called me the terminator, the hammer, the dragon lady," said Rhee, who served on the board of Johnson's St. HOPE Public Schools in 2006 and 2007.
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty hired Rhee in 2007 after persuading his City Council to give him authority over the school system's operations and budget.

City says strapped schools can go without parent coordinators | GothamSchools

City says strapped schools can go without parent coordinators | GothamSchools

City says strapped schools can go without parent coordinators

by Philissa Cramer

Joining 6,400 teachers on the chopping block are 350 parent coordinators whose schools will no longer be required to employ them, Chancellor Joel Klein announced today.
For the first time since the position was created in 2003, high schools will be allowed to go without a parent coordinator, Klein told principals today, saving up to 350 schools just over $40,000 a year each. Parent coordinators whose jobs are eliminated will be at high risk of layoff, according to Department of Education spokeswoman Ann Forte. Elementary and middle schools are still required to keep a parent coordinator on staff.
The instruction is a stark example of how budget cuts could undo some of Mayor Bloomberg’s most ambitious education initiatives. The creation of the parent coordinator position in January 2003 was a central element of Bloomberg and Klein’s early reforms.
Klein also announced today that the Fair Student Funding formula the city devised to fund schools according to their students’ needs no longer covers some schools’ essential costs. To compensate for the outsized cuts at those schools, the department will redistribute money from schools with less lean budgets. While the shift technically does not deconstruct Fair Student Funding, it effectively makes it moot for the time being.
“No school’s FSF budget will be reduced as a result of the shift, and we are, of course, working to ensure it will have only a minimal impact on your schools,” Klein told principals in an email this afternoon.

Remainders: With less money, fewer choices on the lunch line

by Philissa Cramer

• Teachers in withdrawal after last night’s “Lost” finale can try out some lesson plans inspired by the show.
• City Councilman Oliver Koppell showed off a good non-charter school, PS 7, to Mayor Bloomberg today.
• Arguing against seniority layoffs, Chancellor Klein points to Malvola Lewis, a PS 40 teacher who’s at risk.
• Budget cuts could eliminate school choice guides and choices in the cafeteria line for city students.
• The DOE spruced up its homepage a little bit today. Don’t see a difference? Look for the Twitter icons.
• An overview of the myriad reports the DOE puts out about its schools, by a school-searching Mommy.
• Politics, not school quality, appear to have put SUNY in jeopardy as a charter school authorizer.
• New Utrecht HS (which my grandparents attended!) is planning ahead for its 100th birthday in 2015.
• A pro-charter school group reports that unions have long opposed charter schools.
• A Washington Post reporter double-checked some of the data in Steven Brill’s Race to the Top article.
• Randi Weingarten is accusing Brill of fabricating a quote from her. Brill is mystified by the charge.
• Folks who don’t win Race to the Top can at least win Race to High-Quality Research funding.
• Flypaper blogger and USDOE aide Andy Smarick will be New Jersey’s deputy education commissioner.
• PS 29 mom Claiborne Williams Milde reports on celebrity chef Rachel Ray’s visit to the school’s garden.
• Massachusetts, which has tough standards, kind of has to agree to new standards sight unseen. Crazy!
• The coming common standards don’t say anything about English language learners.
• Bad news for the MySpaceTwitterChatroulette generation: Multitasking isn’t good for kids’ brains.

Could Texas textbook changes end up in California? | News10.net | Sacramento, California | Education

Could Texas textbook changes end up in California? | News10.net | Sacramento, California | Education

Education News Could Texas textbook changes end up in California? Comments After the Texas state school board adopted landmark changes to textbooks last week, one California lawmaker is pushing his proposal to make sure those changes don't end up here. Vacaville music students play 8 hours straight to save their teachers Comments Vacaville played host to an eight-hour music marathon Saturday as students from almost every school in the district came to perform to save music teachers' jobs and music programs. Perfect attendance earns Elk Grove senior a new car Comments Nine graduating seniors in the Elk Grove Unified School District woke up early for the chance to win a new car. California students, districts sue over budget cuts Comments Robles-Wong et al. vs. State of California asks the court to declare the current school finance system unconstitutional because the state doesn't provide enough money to meet its own educational requirements. Grand jury report urges concessions from Sacramento teachers union Comments A grand jury report made public Wednesday singled out the Sacramento City teachers union in Sacramento City Unified School District's budget woes.

more >> More Education News Weird Science: Students celebrate scientists with experiments of their own Judge rules summer fee hikes OK at CSU Elk Grove teachers plan protest over layoffs Teacher of the Month May 2010 - Greg Kalthof Obama delivers speech on education at Hampton University Center Unified parents take saving teaching jobs in their own hands Sacramento's Cristo Rey High celebrates as entire senior class heads for college Taking a closer look at public charter schools Bill seeks to keep 4-year-olds out of California kindergartens

What is Happening in RTT applications? � The Quick and the Ed

What is Happening in RTT applications? � The Quick and the Ed

What is Happening in RTT applications?

by Rob Manwaring

Everyone knows about the huge move that Colorado has made to lanch it into one of the frontrunner spots in the second round of Race to the Top. But, what have other states been doing to improve their chances. Democrats for Education Reform have been keeping a close eye on things. Take a look at what some key states are up to (here).

A Middle Ground on Seniority Policies

by Rob Manwaring

The back and forth in the last couple of weeks over seniority layoff policies goes something like this. When districts are forced to lay off teachers based on seniority policies, those layoffs happen disproportionately at schools serving low income students. Research has shown that high rates of teacher turnover impacts the achievement levels at schools. This results in a civil rights issue because of the disproportionate impact that these policies have on the most disadvantaged students. (SeeNational Journal discussion and new CRPE report for more details on the debate and research).
On the other side, the best argument seems to be that districts do not have good teacher evaluation systems,

A Middle Ground on Seniority Policies � The Quick and the Ed

A Middle Ground on Seniority Policies � The Quick and the Ed

A Middle Ground on Seniority Policies

by Rob Manwaring

The back and forth in the last couple of weeks over seniority layoff policies goes something like this. When districts are forced to lay off teachers based on seniority policies, those layoffs happen disproportionately at schools serving low income students. Research has shown that high rates of teacher turnover impacts the achievement levels at schools. This results in a civil rights issue because of the disproportionate impact that these policies have on the most disadvantaged students. (SeeNational Journal discussion and new CRPE report for more details on the debate and research).
On the other side, the best argument seems to be that districts do not have good teacher evaluation systems, and until such evaluation systems are in place, any policy for teacher layoffs other than based on seniority would end up being arbitrary and could actually discriminate against veteran teachers because they are more expensive. In the long run, clearly districts need to improve the quality of their teacher evaluation systems for a lot of reasons including this one. Then the debate devolves into a fight over what are the right measures for an evaluation system. Over the next couple of years, we will learn a lot about measuring the effectiveness of

Still guessing at size of state cuts, city grows closer to layoffs | GothamSchools

Still guessing at size of state cuts, city grows closer to layoffs | GothamSchools

Still guessing at size of state cuts, city grows closer to layoffs

by Maura Walz

With the clock ticking down toward probable layoffs, school officials say the fiscal picture hasn’t grown clearer in the last month.
Department of Education officials are still aiming to give principals their preliminary school budgets on June 1, Chancellor Joel Klein told City Council today. “That said, things in Albany are changing each day and our situation remains fluid,” said DOE spokeswoman Ann Forte.
As they decide exactly when to release school budgets, officials are seeking to strike a delicate balance. Principals need enough time to plan how to work large cuts into their budgets. But officials are also hesitant to pull the trigger on announcing exact cuts and layoffs too early, for fear of having to retrace their steps if a state budget follows soon thereafter.
City officials are currently anticipating that, unless Albany passes a less austere budget than the governor’s current proposal, the city schools will lose as many as 6,400 teacher positions — 4,400 of them through layoffs — and schools will face cuts that are much larger than the 4.9 percent reductions they saw this year.

Primers for Congressional Hearings on the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act | Alliance for Excellent Education

Primers for Congressional Hearings on the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act | Alliance for Excellent Education

Primers For Congressional Hearings On The Reauthorization Of The Elementary And Secondary Education Act

In the weeks since the Obama administration released its blueprint for revising ESEA on March 13, the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee have held multiple hearings on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind. The Alliance for Excellent Education has prepared primers for each hearing that contain useful facts, flaws in current law, and recommendations for how to improve federal policy on the subject featured in each hearing.

WaPo’s Strauss fact checks the NY Times Mag and Brill’s “last stand.” � Fred Klonsky's blog

WaPo’s Strauss fact checks the NY Times Mag and Brill’s “last stand.” � Fred Klonsky's blog

WaPo’s Strauss fact checks the NY Times Mag and Brill’s “last stand.”

by preaprez

The Reformers (“Reformers,” the “de-reformers,” the “so-called reformers”) went all dewy-eyed over Steven Brill’s less than brilliant anti-union hackery in Sunday’s NY Times Magazine.
But the ever-vigilant Washington Post Answer Sheet columnist, Valerie Strauss was fact checking. Gosh. A reporter doing fact checking. A hell of a concept.

The truth may not be as compelling, but it has the virtue of being, well, true. Some charter schools are excellent and work wonders with kids. Some do an average job, and some are awful. There is no evidence that charter schools are

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: Albuquerque charter schools

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: Albuquerque charter schools

Albuquerque charter schools

by The Perimeter Primate

Most recent story posted first.
APS Questions Charter School Superintendent Salary: APS Raises More Questions About Charter Schools (KOAT.com, March 11, 2010)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The Albuquerque Public School district is questioning why a charter school superintendent makes more money than the mayor of Albuquerque.
Scott Glasrud oversees three charter schools, Southwest Primary, La Luz Del Monte and Southwest Secondary.
According to reports, he oversees slightly fewer than 500 students and gets paid $204,000 per year.
Winston Brooks, superintendent of the Albuquerque Public School district, supervises 94,000 students and makes $256,000 per year.
"I think a $204,000 salary for 500 kids is absolutely outrageous," said Marty Esquivel, president of APS school board.
Esquivel said this raises questions about accountability in the charter school system and

Qoobole! | The Latino Social Network

Qoobole! | The Latino Social Network

Qoobole! unites, empowers & represents Latino culture & community!

Welcome to Qoobole!, the social media portal that connects the Latino community to organizations, programs and causes.

Grand Opening of the Parent Resource Center Education News & Comment

Education News & Comment

Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond

Invites you to attend the

Grand Opening of the Parent Resource Center

Sacramento City Unified School District Parent Resource Center Grand Opening

Race to Top Uber Analyst Smarick Bolts for NJ - Politics K-12 - Education Week

Race to Top Uber Analyst Smarick Bolts for NJ - Politics K-12 - Education Week

Race to Top Uber Analyst Smarick Bolts for NJ

by Michele McNeil

Andy Smarick, the Fordham Fellow who perhaps knows as much about the Race to the Top competition as the folks at the U.S. Department of Education, will have to leave his wonky federal analysis, insights, and general blogginess behind when he takes on a new job as deputy education commissioner in New Jersey.
He'll work as the lone deputy under Commissioner Bret Schundler, who was a controversial pick for newly elected Republican Gov. Christopher Christie.
Smarick officially starts his new role sometime this summer, probably in early August (although if New Jersey were wise, it would tap his expertise as it puts the finishing touches on its Round 2 Race to the Top application, due June 1).
So what prompted Smarick's change from an inside-the-Beltway wonk to state government bureaucrat?
"In my lifetime there hasn't been a more exciting time to work for a state in education reform," he told me this afternoon.
Smarick, a former education department official under President George W. Bush, has cemented his role in the D.C. education wonk world with his writings on Race to the Top and turning around low-performing schools. He's been quoted in the Baltimore Sun, New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and, yes, frequently in EdWeekand on this blog.

NEA Organizes EduJobs Call-In Blitz for Wednesday | Intercepts

NEA Organizes EduJobs Call-In Blitz for Wednesday | Intercepts

NEA Organizes EduJobs Call-In Blitz for Wednesday

by Mike Antonucci

Click here to read:
1) NEA Organizes EduJobs Call-In Blitz for Wednesday
2) Do Early Retirements Actually Save Money?
3) Minnesota Teachers to Receive Pay to Write College Recommendations for Students
4) Cure for Union Apathy: Contested Elections
5) New York Judges Court Teachers’ Union
6) Florida Education Association Endorses Crist and Meek
7) Scheduling Note
8) Last Week’s Intercepts
9) Quote of the Week