Friday, June 11, 2010

Local: In Oakland : Edward Shands School to Close, Adult Education Faces Severe Cutbacks in Oakland (Community Voices)

Edward Shands School to Close, Adult Education Faces Severe Cutbacks in Oakland (Community Voices)

By Oakland Local Contributor Pamela Drake
Thursday night may have been the last graduation the Edward Shands Adult School puts on. After 139 years of free basic adult education and ever-expanding offerings, including its high school diploma program, Oakland Unified School District has decided to close almost the entire adult school department.
All that may be left would be skeletal literacy training for ESL students whose kids attend the school where they study. Some GED programs would be saved, but the complex in East Oakland named after Oakland's beloved adult education leader, Edward Shands, will be shuttered.
Shands has offered ESL programs, nursing assistance training classes, morning and evening GED classes, and the high school subject program in which students may take regular high school

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/inoakland/detail?&entry_id=65568#ixzz0qZCIYDyN

As Teachers Struggle with Obama’s Reform Agenda, ‘Merit Pay’ Gets a Demerit - Working In These Times

As Teachers Struggle with Obama’s Reform Agenda, ‘Merit Pay’ Gets a Demerit

Friday
June 11
11:16 am

By Michelle Chen

Chicago public school students protest looming cuts to the city's school system in April 2010. (Photo by Pepe Lozano/People's World)

More input=more output. Pay more, get a better product. Unfortunately, the rules of the market economy don't translate well in a classroom, where the input may be an overworked, underpaid teacher, and the output springs from an unpredictable mix of fickle young minds, multiple cultures and languages, and the pressure of standardized tests, tattered books and not enough chairs.

Could that exhausted teacher do a better job if she got extra pay? For years, schools and policymakers have experimented with controversial “merit pay” schemes that tie salaries to students' test scores and other measures of

UPDATE: Education Stocks Up On Hopes For Delay In New Rule - WSJ.com

UPDATE: Education Stocks Up On Hopes For Delay In New Rule

(Adds comments from the CCA in the fourth and 11th paragraphs.)

    By Shara Tibken    Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Shares of for-profit education stocks climbed Friday as expectations grew that the government will delay a pending measure penalizing schools for graduating students with high debt-to-income ratios.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Education recommended capping students' debt load at 8% of their average incomes. The proposal is related to the discussion of "gainful employment" and fundamental questions over how well schools prepare their students to get jobs that can cover their educational debt. Investors have worried that the proposal could hurt for-profit colleges with high tuition and default rates.

But news circulated at the annual Career College Association meeting Thursday that the gainful-employment rules wouldn't be part of the draft regulation expected to be released by the Education Department late next week. The chatter originated with leadership of the CCA, the industry's trade group that earlier this week said it is changing its name to the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities.

CCA President Harris Miller told Dow Jones Newswires that he heard about the gainful-employment removal from the draft regulation from "someone I consider a very credible source," but he declined to provide further details of the source's role in the matter.

While analysts said it is difficult to confirm the accuracy of the statement or precise timing of the draft regulation, many analysts, such as William Blair's Brandon Dobell, said "there is a healthy degree of accuracy" in the statements, based on talks with other sources.

"In light of the severely negative sentiment in the group, such a revelation will probably drive a material uptick in valuations," Dobell noted.

The Education Department declined to disclose the specific date on which the draft regulation will be released and also declined to comment

Path to Opportunity – Community Colleges Serving Adult Students – ED.gov Blog

Path to Opportunity – Community Colleges Serving Adult Students

This week we posted short videos about three adult students who are pursuing education at community colleges to secure a good job and a good life:

Claudia Rodriguez, a veteran of the war in Iraq, attends Texas Southmost College in Brownsville. Balancing her responsibilities on the job with the National Guard and at home with her husband and two children, Claudia is completing an associate’s degree. She plans on a career in counseling.

		Tia Marie Gwynn is a single mother of two who overcame a number of obstacles on her way to becoming a student at Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland. Currently enrolled in a certificate program in business office management, Tia says that she plans stay in school to complete her associate’s degree, or perhaps a bachelor’s or master’s.

Eric Patrick is a 40-year-old career changer who is finishing an associate’s degree at Michigan’s Macomb Community College. He left a job in the aerospace industry to study engineering as a full-time student. Eric will finish his associate’s degree soon, and he has already earned a scholarship to a four-year institution where he will continue his studies.

Their stories reveal the different challenges that adult students face, including the need to balance work schedules and family responsibilities. The videos also tell about the kinds of support – financial and otherwise – that are available to help adult students to succeed.
The experiences of Claudia, Tia, and Eric show that a community college education is about more than getting a better job and a better salary. It’s about acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to get along better in the world, to do more for one’s family, and to be a better citizen. It’s about hope.
John McGrath
Office of Communications and Outreach

Remarks by the First Lady at Anacostia Senior High School Commencement Ceremony | The White House

Remarks by the First Lady at Anacostia Senior High School Commencement Ceremony

by The White House

DAR Constitution Hall
Washington, D.C.
10:35 A.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA: Thank you, all. Thank you so much. And first of all, thank you, Charity. Charity did a great job on that introduction. (Applause.) Love you all, too. So proud.
I want to thank the Anacostia Senior High School Choir for their amazing performances. (Applause.) And I also want to thank Brandon, Annie, and of course your valedictorian Jordan for their amazing remarks. Let’s give them a big hand. (Applause.)
I want to acknowledge a couple of other people: Malik Bazzell, Donald Hense, and all of the community leaders who have joined you all today to celebrate this morning. Let’s give them a round of applause. (Applause.)
I have to tell you that it is a privilege for me to be with you. I have been looking forward to this day for a long time. And as you know, this is the second time that I’ve had a chance to come and spend some time with Anacostia High School students.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Thank you! (Applause.)
MRS. OBAMA: During my first visit with you all when I got to come to the school, I came away just impressed and moved by all of you. That’s why I wanted to be here. I was impressed by the questions you asked, by your work ethic, by your spirit, your attitude. I loved hearing about your lives, and your hopes, and your dreams.
I’ve also enjoyed getting to know my girls, the students who are participating in the White House Mentorship Program that we set up this past year. (Applause.) So all these opportunities have given me a very meaningful connection to many of the amazing students who are at this school and has given me a real appreciation for this community. And I just couldn’t wait to be here in person to say congratulations to the Class of 2010! (Applause.)
I know this has been a long journey to get here, full of warm memories, your friendships and teachers, and maybe not-so-warm memories with rules and papers and tests. And I know for some of you, there may have been times when you weren’t quite sure you’d make it.
But you are here. So I want you all to soak it up. Just soak it up. You’re here! You made it to this day. I want you all graduates to pat yourselves on the back. Do a little patting. I want you to be proud of what you’ve accomplished to get here today, because I know your families are proud of you. Your teachers are proud of you. And I am so proud of you all. I really am.
And looking out at all of you, I’m reminded that many of you have overcome a lot to be here, much like the community of Anacostia itself. Founded back in the 1800s for folks who worked at the Navy Yard across the river, Anacostia eventually became a place where people worked hard as clerks and civil servants, and as teachers and tradesmen, where families looked out for one another, where strong churches were the heart and soul of the community.
And yet, we also know that this community has had its share of struggles. And for a long time, Anacostia was segregated. In its early years, it was even illegal for African Americans to own land in parts of this community. And even after those barriers were torn down, others emerged. Poverty. Violence. Inequality.
But, despite these challenges, Anacostia continues to push forward. And that’s what I admire about this community and what I admire about all of you all. See, in the face of incredible struggles, you refuse to be defined by the hardships or the adversities.
Instead, what defines you is perseverance. What defines you is character. What defines you is the same commitment to education, to hard work, to setting high standards for yourselves that has made this country great.
It’s a commitment reflected in Anacostia alums like Frederick Gregory, who graduated in 1958 from this school, and became the first African American in our history to command a space shuttle.
It’s reflected in the small business owners who’ve opened up furniture stores and theaters in the community, the artists and leaders who have lived in Anacostia throughout the generations, who remain committed to the success of this community.
It’s reflected in a man once called the Sage of Anacostia, lived just a few blocks from this school, in a home called Cedar Hill that I had a chance to take my girls to last summer. It’s a beautiful home.
As all of you know, I’m talking about Frederick Douglass. (Applause.) We remember him today as one of America’s most eloquent and beloved leaders. But I want you all to just think for a moment about what it took

Mormons Found Guilty on 13 Counts of Prop 8 Malfeasance, Fined by FPPC | California Progress Report

Mormons Found Guilty on 13 Counts of Prop 8 Malfeasance, Fined by FPPC

by christine

By Dan Aiello
California Progress Report
On Wednesday, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints became the first religious organization to be fined for political malfeasance, according to Californians Against Hate (CAH), the non-profit organization that filed the complaint after voters narrowly approved the anti-marriage equality initiative, proposition 8, November, 2008.

Leaders of the Mormon Church "failed to timely report making late non-monetary contributions" to the Yes on Prop 8 campaign, an amount totaling $36,928, according to the June 10, 2010 finding by California's Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), announced at the commission's meeting Wednesday in Sacramento. The commission's enforcement included levying a 15% punitive fine against the LDS organization, totaling $5,539 dollars.
read more

Clarifying the role of the school board | THE EDUCATION FRONT Blog | dallasnews.com

Clarifying the role of the school board

by Guest blogger

The following guest blog post is written by Lloyd "Skip" Jenkins, president of the Plano ISD board of trustees. His e-mail address is . lloyd.jenkins@pisd.edu

Recently, the Dallas Morning News wrote two articles about a Board training session attended by Plano ISD Trustees a couple of weeks ago. From the feedback and comments the District and its trustees have been receiving, the articles may have left negative impressions about the Board's relationship with the Superintendent, the Board's willingness to interface with its public, and our responsibilities as Trustees. I'd like to share with you a different perspective.

The Board's relationship with the Superintendent: A School Board's only employee is the Superintendent of Schools. The Board hires and manages the Superintendent by setting the goals for the District and for the Superintendent. It is the Superintendent's responsibility to create the strategies and initiatives necessary to accomplish those goals. The Board governs, and the Superintendent manages. In order for the District to be successful, the Superintendent must be successful. The Board cannot make the Superintendent successful, but I do believe it is the Board's responsibility to put the Superintendent in a position where he can be successful. That is an important distinction. It is our job to challenge him when it is appropriate and to support him when that is appropriate. The success of Plano ISD, and

House may re-instate Philadelphia’s free lunch Notes from the news, June 11 | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Notes from the news, June 11 | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Notes from the news, June 11

by Erika Owens

Climate managers fired, deputy superintendent hired The Inquirer
District officials didn't agree on the need for the climate managers. Union leaders and teachers criticized the cutting of positions designed to help keep order in schools.
See also: Ackerman Makes a New Hire PhillyNow blog
New Position Created to Help Ackerman Run Phila. Schools KYW
Bill would extend Phila. schools' Universal Feeding program The Inquirer
Rep. Sestak and Rep. Fattah introduced a bill in Congress to continue the program that offers free breakfast and lunch to 110,000 students, without the need to fill out an application, for another five years.
See also: House may re-instate Philadelphia’s free lunch WHYY
Congressman Sestak Applauds Introduction of Childhood Nutrition Legislation News Blaze
Liberty Bell Project - life... and the pursuit of happiness The Notebook blog
Teacher Sam Reed's students are working on a Liberty Bell project with the Philadelphia Arts Education Partnership and Liberty Museum.
Students learn education is a tool of empowerment The Inquirer
Universal Companies held a Male Empowerment Workshop at Vare Middle School.
Students bear brunt of delayed overhaul at West Philly High School WHYY
Vicious beatings in S.W. Phila. playground difficult to prosecute The Inquirer
Hamels Foundation donates $90K to schools Philadelphia Business Journal
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

We're back!

by Erika Owens

Our server was down overnight and into this morning, but we're back online! Sorry about any inconvenience caused by the service interruption.

Featured Title:
Sorry for the interruption

Schools Matter: Thernstrom's Anti-Racism Racism

Thernstrom's Anti-Racism Racism

by Jim Horn

Harvard University’s Winthrop Research Professor of History, Stephan Thernstrom has his underwear in a wad, as they say down South, over the W. K. Kellogg Foundation’s spending of $75 million in a national anti-racist campaign called "America Healing Initiative." The Foundation seems to have serious intentions to make amends for the Kellogg family’s documented history as backers of the eugenics movement in the early 20^th Century. For example, Dr. J. H. Kellogg, brother of W. K., was instrumental in founding the Race Betterment Foundation.

Here are a few of the projects currently being funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation:

People’s Grocery, a community organization building a local food system in West

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: Ivy Academia Charter School

Ivy Academia Charter School

by The Perimeter Primate

IVY ACADEMY SLAPPED WITH 38 FRAUD COUNTS, June 6, 2010, Los Angeles Daily News
A husband-and-wife team that run a high-performing West Valley charter school were charged Thursday with 38 criminal counts alleging misuse of public funds, embezzling, money laundering and other crimes.
The Los Angeles District Attorney's Public Integrity Division alleges that Eugene Selivanov, 38, and his wife, Tatyana Berkovich, 32, who operate Ivy Academia Charter School, misused the school's public funds, at times shifting them to a private school the couple operates and at other times putting them to "personal use."
Ivy Academia Charter School is publicly funded and serves 1,100 students on four campuses in Woodland Hills, Winnetka, West Hills and Chatsworth from kindergarten to 12th grade.
The couple was charged with felony and misdemeanor crimes in connection with alleged thefts of more than $200,000, officials from the District Attorney's Office said. The Los Angeles Superior Court complaint details

Lack of oversight, resistance to regulation

by The Perimeter Primate

FAILURES RAISE QUESTIONS FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS, April 5, 2002, The New York Times

FRESNO, Calif.— After investigators for this fast-growing school district went in search of the 67 students who were, on paper, being educated at one of the experimental public schools known as charters, they found only 23 desks in the building. In Texas, an investigation turned up similar discrepancies and also found that tax money intended for charters was being used to buy Victoria's Secret lingerie. In Arizona, a charter opened its doors to students but did not have a sewer line for its restroom.
Texas, California and Arizona account for nearly 40 percent of the nation's charter schools, the publicly financed, tuition-free schools that operate independently of existing schools and school districts. Now, a decade after helping pioneer the charter concept, the three states are leading efforts to rein in their experimental schools.
''Most charters were started for the wrong reason -- to make money -- and most of them

Beverly High to require costly MacBooks in 2011 - The Boston Globe

Beverly High to require costly MacBooks in ’11

By Steven Rosenberg

Globe Staff / June 11, 2010

Text size – +

BEVERLY — Beverly High School will require all students to bring their own laptop computer to class beginning in fall 2011, a move that school officials say will bring educational advantages in an increasingly high-tech world.

	Discuss
	COMMENTS (23)

But some parents are questioning the requirement because the school has decreed that the laptops must be Apple MacBooks, which cost $900, rather than personal computers, which usually are less expensive.

“I don’t know how people are going to do it. People don’t have the money for that. A lot of people can’t even afford to eat right now. That’s wrong,’’ said Lisa McKenna, who will have two daughters at the high school next year. Her family uses PCs rather than Macs, she said.

The 1,200-student Beverly school will be one of a few in the state to require every student to have his or her own laptop.

Superintendent James Hayes Jr. said the school will help families obtain computers.

Parents will be able to lease MacBooks for $25 per month, with an option to buy.

Children of low-income families will be offered free or discounted computers,

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Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Daley's version of reform--teacherless summer school

Daley's version of reform--teacherless summer school

by Mike Klonsky

"Daley portrayed the online program as yet another example of his handpicked school team “thinking outside the box.”

Funneling millions of dollars, including nearly a million in federal stimulus dollars to virtual ed companies like Bill Bennett's K12 Inc, Chicago's mayor plans to get rid of

The Answer Sheet - Florida education chief ‘outraged’ at Pearson

Florida education chief ‘outraged’ at Pearson

Florida’s Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith has blasted NCS Pearson for a big delay in the reporting of the results of the 2010 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, saying that he is “outraged” and calling it “absolutely unacceptable.”

Earlier this week I wrote about how the delay is making it difficult for school districts to design summer school reading programs as well as make staffing decisions for next fall.

Also this week, Pearson entered into an agreement with Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland in which the huge education publishing company will pay MCPS $2.25 million to develop new curriculum that Pearson can then market as coming from the high-achieving school district. You can read about that here.

Florida education officials are not amused with Pearson, which has a $254 million contract with the state on the FCAT.

Smith made a tough statement, and the state’s chancellor, Frances Haithcock, sent a letter to school district superintendents blaming the delay on Pearson’s database technology. She said that Pearson will reimburse school districts for any expenses incurred related to the mailing of individual student reports to each student’s parent or guardian after school is over.

Here are both documents:

The official statement issued by Smith:

Regarding delays in the reporting of 2010 FCAT results

*The lack of performance by the state’s new testing contractor, NCS Pearson, is absolutely unacceptable, and the delays we have encountered in the reporting of this year’s FCAT results are not indicative of the smooth, expertly-managed experience they promised as a part of the contract procurement process.

*I would like to extend my most sincere apologies to our parents who rely on the timely reporting of this information to determine the appropriate educational services for their child. I would also like to apologize to our educators and school administrators who need this information to ensure every student is receiving the kind of support and assistance they need to be successful. Please be assured that the Department’s focus remains on the integrity and accuracy of the students’ scores that are issued, and although delayed, these results will uphold the same level of quality and reliability that our stakeholders rely upon.

*I am both outraged and frustrated by the situation Pearson has caused

This Week In Education Thompson: Ignoring Poverty At Our Own Peril

This Week In Education

Thompson: Ignoring Poverty At Our Own Peril

by john thompson

It's the current fashion among so-called reformers to say we shouldn't define poverty as the problem because society doesn't have answers for problems of that magnitude and because the War on Poverty was criticized as social engineering. So the Duncan Administration mandates the turnaround of 10% of low-performing schools, dictating untested strategies (and that is not social engineering)?
But think of the advantage of defining the 17%

8:18 AM (17 minutes ago)

Teaching: Remembrance Of Cheating Past

by Alexander Russo

A former teacher reflects on his first time catching a student cheating -- and goes back and interviews her about what happened years later

Quote: "The New Stupidity"

"Young people today are not stupid, they are bright and ambitious, but they are horribly cursed with a breathtakingly narrow frame of reference." -- NY Observer columnist Simon Doonan (The New Stupidity)