Tuesday, July 20, 2010

More shakeup atop Philly School District | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

More shakeup atop Philly School District

by Dale Mezzacappa on Jul 20 2010 Posted in Latest news

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Arlene Ackerman is shuffling her top leadership team yet again, the Notebook has learned.

Benjamin Rayer, chief charter, partnership and new schools officer, has resigned, sources confirmed.

The schools superintendent is also changing the structure of the business and operations side of the District. Michael Masch, the chief business officer, will will have narrowed responsibilities, concentrating on financial and budget issues rather than overall operations.

Ackerman is hiring a new director of communications. Evelyn Sample-Oates, the present director, will remain in the office, but with more responsibility for internal

U of Phoenix Makes History � The Quick and the Ed

U of Phoenix Makes History

by Ben Miller

According to U.S. Department of Education data released today, the University of Phoenix became the first college in the history of the United States to take in more than a billion dollars worth of Pell Grants disbursements in a single academic year. Students at the for-profit chain received a total of $1,042,372,699.50 spread amongst 304,583 awards in the 2009-10 academic year.
That’s what happens when your average Pell Grant dollar disbursement increase is 62 percent. In 2008-09, Phoenix took in $656 million. The year prior to that it was $398 million and the year before that it was $244 million. Phoenix received more in additional Pell money this year than it got in the entire 2006-07 academic year and almost more than the 2007-08 year as well.
While Phoenix has steadily seen a huge increase in its Pell dollars disbursed, the general growth in the proprietary sector is astounding. For-profits received $7.34 billion in the 2009-10 academic year, or 70 percent

Community Input and Turnaround Schools U.S. Department of #Education

U.S. Department of Education

FRI, JULY 16, 4:07 PM

Early Learning Initiative Web Page

Find information about early learning programs, funding, resources, publications, and more at our new Early Learning Initiative web page.

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THU, JULY 15, 2:37 PM

Jobs and Reform

Secretary Duncan, White House officials, and state superintendents discussed the need for jobs and reform on conference call with reporters.

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THU, JULY 15, 6:43 AM

A College-Bound Culture

Students at two forums in Chicago suggested ways to create a culture that encourages students to go to college.

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MON, JULY 12, 2:27 PM

Rural Transformation

West Carter Middle School improved dramatically and is now in the top 15% of middle schools in Kentucky. How did West Carter do it? Watch this video.

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FRI, JULY 9, 1:55 PM

Reading Institute

The 2010 ED Reading Institute will be held from July 19 to 21 in Anaheim, CA.

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Weekly Update Report Data: Week ending July 16, 2010 (MS Excel)

Community Input and Turnaround Schools

Parent and community input will be a requirement in ED's proposal for turning around low-performing schools, Secretary Duncan said in remarks to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

States to Receive Additional Recovery Funds

Oregon and Alabama are among the states that will receive additional Recovery Act funds to support jobs and drive education reforms.

Turning Around Low-Performing Schools

Massachusetts, Maine and Nebraska are among the states receiving funding under the School Improvement Grants program to turn around persistently lowest achieving schools.

$25 Million for Job Retention Activities

ED announced the availability of $25 million to help loan servicers in the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program retrain and redeploy workers affected by student loan reforms.

Weekly Update Report Data: Week ending June 30, 2010 (MS Excel)

The Answer Sheet - Cutting food stamps for Race to the Top?

Cutting food stamps for Race to the Top?

Here’s how serious the Obama administration is about its $4.3 billion Race to the Top competitive grant competition for school reform: It was, apparently, willing to cut food stamps to keep Race funding intact. That was one of the gems that emerged in an interview with Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.) published on the Fiscal Times Web site and written by Eric Pianin and Adam Graham-Silverman. There is something peculiar -- not to mention inappropriately stubborn -- about the administration’s fierce determination to keep every Race dime that it wants. After all, the $4.35 billion originally devoted to the grant competition was not based on anything scientific, and many of the reforms meant to be taken with the money have not been proven to improve student achievement. As many times as Education Secretary Arne Duncan says that education is the civil rights issue of our time, the fact is that Race

Tuesday, July 20, 2010