Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Group will give Jewish families $2.1m for kindergarten - The Boston Globe

Group will give Jewish families $2.1m for kindergarten

Globe Staff / September 21, 2010

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Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston will spend $2.1 million over the next three years to help Jewish families send their children to kindergarten in 1 of 10 local Jewish day schools.

The Discover Day School Initiative will provide financial aid to families earning up to $250,000 annually, but who may not be able to afford the average $16,000 tuition cost at an elementary Jewish day school. Research showed that many middle- to upper-middle-income families felt they would not qualify for aid, an official said.

“We’re trying to change that,’’ said Gil Preuss, executive vice president of Combined Jewish Philanthropies, a nonprofit federation of Jewish agencies. “We’re looking to help people who could use some financial assistance, as well as

Is the Charter School Research any Less Compelling than the Preschool Research? � The Quick and the Ed

Is the Charter School Research any Less Compelling than the Preschool Research?

by Rob Manwaring

In recent article by Daniel Willingham on whether the Obama reform agenda is research based on not, Daniel suggests that the only part of his reform that is researched based is its early childhood education proposal. This got me thinking, is the preschool research really any more compelling than the charter school research? I am a fan of expansion in both areas, but my take on what the research tells us is that for both areas high quality programs can have dramatic impact on student achievement, but low quality programs don’t really do much.

In a report that I wrote for the Governor’s Committee on Education Excellence in California, I summarized the research that made additional investments in quality preschool so compelling (here). The most impressive

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled: The Education Blog

College Newspaper Could Go Back to Presses

Southwestern College officials say they are working with their student newspaper to ensure that it can be printed.

The paper was supposed to go to print last week, but held off after college officials warned that doing so could have unspecified "ramifications."

College officials said the Southwestern Sun had failed to follow college contracting rules when choosing their printer. Students charged that the college was invoking the rules as a smokescreen to stop them from printing critical coverage of the administration before a heated election. The election is just one stage in a drawn out battle between the administration and faculty and students on how to turn the school around.

This weekend the college and the newspaper released a joint statement saying, "The Administration and Sun have identified measures that could allow the paper to be printed until a long-term agreement can be reached."

Max Branscomb, the faculty advisor for the Sun, said the tentative plan is to set up quick

'This Is Not the Season to Raise Taxes'

I just heard back from Scott Barnett, the school board candidate who lost the teachers union endorsement after deciding that he couldn't support a new tax to support San Diego Unified schools.

Barnett has always been skeptical about putting a tax on the ballot in a bad economy, but had earlier said that he would support the tax despite his misgivings. However, Barnett said his worries only deepened after seeing a study from the Center on Policy Initiatives, a left-leaning think tank, that said almost one-third of working households in San Diego County struggle to make ends meet.

"There's a season for everything and this is not the season to raise taxes on working people

Reporter's Notebook: 'Waiting for Superman' and American education reform - latimes.com

Reporter's Notebook: 'Waiting for Superman' and American education reform

By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times

'An Inconvenient Truth' filmmaker Davis Guggenheim once again taps into a crucial issue with a building consensus.

Reporter's Notebook: Education documentaries and plays

California Board of Education addresses teacher evaluation issue

By Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times

Panel votes to create an online database devoted to efforts around the country to measure education effectiveness

L.A. Unified teachers stage protest at Times building

Labor leaders say UC benefits changes would hurt lower-income employees

By Larry Gordon, Los Angeles Times

Regents are expected to OK increases in the amount employees and the university must pay toward retirement benefits. Union leaders say it would be hard to agree to such increases without pay raises.

EDUCATION
Headlines from L.A. Now

UC seeks to intervene in court battle over stem cell research09/20/2010, 7:20 p.m.
Villaraigosa calls on Congress to pass Dream Act as way for thousands to shed illegal immigrant status09/20/2010, 3:10 p.m.
Free eye exams for some students as vision carrier's mobile clinic visits 6 L.A. schools09/20/2010, 9:59 a.m.
Shooting prompts lockdown at Crenshaw High [Updated]09/15/2010, 3:03 p.m.
L.A. teachers union protests Times articles09/14/2010, 7:46 p.m.
Ex-Panorama High School student shot, wounded near campus09/14/2010, 3:39 p.m.
State funding reinstated for autism treatment09/13/2010, 11:27 p.m.
California SAT scores up slightly; national results largely unchanged from 2009 [Updated]09/13/2010, 12:01 p.m.

More ...

A revived DREAM Act, and what it would mean | The Education Report

A revived DREAM Act, and what it would mean

By Katy Murphy
Monday, September 20th, 2010 at 6:33 pm in families, politics
3 Comments »

A proposed amendment to the annual defense bill would give at least temporary legal status to people who were brought to the United States illegally before they turned 16. That is, if they’ve been in the country for five years, if they’re under 35 when the act is passed, and if they’ve earned a high school diploma or GED.

My fellow Bay Area News Group reporters Matt O’Brien and Matt Krupnick wrote a story about this legislative move by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. They interviewed Aaron Townsend, principal of Coliseum College Prep, about what it would mean for his students if it passed. Here’s an excerpt: Read the rest of this entry »

Oprah, Aspire and Waiting for Superman

By Katy Murphy
Monday, September 20th, 2010 at 1:30 pm in achievement gap, charter schools,dropouts, teachers
8 Comments »

At 4 p.m. (Pacific Time) today, James Willcox, CEO of the Oakland-based Aspire Public Schools, appears on the Oprah Winfrey Show along with Bill Gates and Director Davis Guggenheim to promote the much-hyped “Waiting for Superman” documentary by Guggenheim, who directed “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Oprah is giving $1 million awards to six organizations, including Aspire, which operates about 30 publicly funded, privately run charter schools in California, including seven in Oakland and Berkeley. Kids and teachers at Lionel Wilson College Prep, a middle and high school in East Oakland run by the charter management organization (API 797), are watching the pre-taped show at the school this afternoon. Here’s a quote from an Aspire news release:

“It’s an honor to be recognized by Oprah’s Angel Network as part of her call to the country to make sure every student has a chance to attend a high-quality public school,” said Aspire Public Schools CEO James Willcox. “The upcoming movie “Waiting for ‘Superman’” will challenge our country to do just that. Our success with the nearly 10,000 students Aspire serves across California is a tribute to our teachers and our team—and a reason to be incredibly optimistic about what we can achieve in every public school across the state and across the country.”

“Waiting for Superman” is about the failures of America’s public education system and why it should matter to the average American. Guggenheim makes the argument that those failures perpetuate societal ills, from national security and crime to poverty, and that it’s essential to “change the odds” for families who can’t afford a private education. He said the idea for the film stemmed from the guilt he felt while driving by his neighborhood school in Los Angeles while dropping his kids off to private schools.

It comes out on Friday.

From the clips I saw at the Education Writers Association conference in May, it promises to be compelling, provocative and heart-wrenching, if a bit simplistic.Read the rest of this entry »

College Is “Un Sue�o Alcanzable”—An Attainable Dream – ED.gov Blog

College Is “Un Sueño Alcanzable”—An Attainable Dream

These days, a college education is not only more important, but more accessible than ever before. That’s the message of a new video produced by the U.S. Department of Education especially for Spanish-speaking families.

The video profiles Samantha Hernandez, a sophomore at California State University Dominguez Hills, and shows the support she receives as she pursues an education to attain her career and life goals. Samantha’s story is told in her own words, as well as those of her fellow students, faculty advisor, college president, and family members—all in Spanish.

The video shows her on campus and at home in South Central Los Angeles, where she lives with her mother and sisters and documents the financial assistance she receives from the U.S. Department of Education and that California State. The financial aid helps ensure that, once students enroll, they can complete their degrees. The video also demonstrates the critical role that the family can play in motivating young people to attend and succeed in the world of higher education.

Entitled “La Universidad: Un Sueño Alcanzable” (“College: An Attainable Dream”), the video runs about 5 minutes and is closed-captioned in Spanish and in English. Just click the “cc” button and select the language option you prefer.

Click here for an accessible version of the video.

Editorial: State needs way to track at-risk pupils - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Editorial: State needs way to track at-risk pupils

Published: Tuesday, Sep. 21, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 12A

Students can't learn if they don't come to school. That makes attendance the most basic predictor of a child's success in school. Chronic absenteeism, particularly in the primary grades, virtually guarantees that a student is at very high risk of dropping out before graduating from high school. Incredibly, California does not track student attendance in any systematic or centralized way.

Senate Bill 1357, authored by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg for the first time would add data on student attendance to the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System. CALPADS already tracks individual student data on such things as race, ethnicity, age, courses

Texas Textbook Debate | KTSM News Channel 9

Texas Textbook Debate

By Monique Griego - Anchor/Reporter

Tuesday, September 21, 2010 - 7:52am

Several members of the Texas State Board of Education want the board to adopt a resolution that would prevent publishers from promoting Islam at the expense of Christianity.
The Texas Education Agency said past textbooks the school board members referred to were phased out ten years ago or were never even used in Texas.
The board just set standards for history and social textbooks earlier this year.
There is no timeline for adopting this resolution right now.
Some of the board members will meet in Austin tomorrow, which is the first time they could discuss the matter.

Notes from the news, Sept. 21 | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Notes from the news, Sept. 21

by Erika Owens

notes from the news image Oprah Winfrey announces $1 million grant for Mastery Charter Schools The Inquirer
On a show about school reform and "Waiting for Superman," Oprah's Angel Network gave grants to six charter networks, including Mastery.

See also: Oprah gives Mastery Charter $1M grant Daily News
Oprah's Gift Highlights Charter Schools Fox 29

Two immigrant students attacked at Bok The Inquirer
The newly arrived Chinese immigrants were sent to the hospital after being beaten during what the District said some students considered "Freshman Day," a day of hazing.

See also: Chinese students attacked at a Philly high school AP via CBS 21

Masterman, Obama, and Ackerman: Part II - Looking for nuance The Notebook blog
Marsha Pincus urges us to step away from the "single story" many people have about how education helps a few students "get out."

Their aim: More education $, less prison $ Daily News
"Mass incarceration is not working," said Jerry Mondesire, president of PA's chapter of the NAACP. Instead, money in the National Criminal Justice Act should be spent on studying alternatives to incarceration.

Ronnie Polaneczky: Though not 1st place, West Philly Hybrid X clearly won Daily News
Since the team's bid for a $10 million prize ended, they've found many other opportunities and you can help with one of thema GE competition includes a public vote.

A Primer on Transfers in the School District of Philadelphia Philly School Search
A Q&A to help you through the transfer process.

Annette John-Hall: For Nutter, time to pay attention to perception The Inquirer

Jóvenes instan llamar a senadores por el DREAM-Act Al Día

President Obama's Inspirational Message at Philadelphia's Masterman School Associated Contet

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Tuesday, September 21, 2010