Mayor Bloomberg didn't tell Education Commissioner he was appointing Cathie Black as chancellor

Mayor Bloomberg didn't tell Education Commissioner he was appointing Cathie Black as chancellor

BY ADAM LISBERG AND RACHEL MONAHAN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Saturday, November 13th 2010, 9:50 AM

Seth Wenig

Cathie Black is slated to become the new chancellor of New York City schools.

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• Two city education veterans exit as Cathie Black steps toward schools chancellor post

The state education official who will decide if Cathie Black can take office as city schools chancellor wasn't even consulted before she was named.

Education Commissioner David Steiner has the power to grant a waiver so a noneducator can head the schools, but Mayor Bloomberg left him in the dark.

"The commissioner was taken by surprise by the announcement on Tuesday," said State Education Department spokesman Tom Dunn, who noted the city has not submitted an application for the waiver.

When Bloomberg announced his choice of Joel Klein for chancellor in July 2002, he sent a letter the same day to the state

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Vaccinations against whooping cough encouraged | News10.net | Sacramento, California | Local News

Vaccinations against whooping cough encouraged | News10.net | Sacramento, California | Local News

Vaccinations against whooping cough encouraged

Jennifer Smith Last updated 12 hrs ago Posted: 11/12/2010

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SACRAMENTO, CA - Health officials say whooping cough is an epidemic in California, with the state on pace to suffer the most illnesses and deaths due to pertussis, also known as whooping cough, in 50 years.

To address the epidemic, the Sacramento City Unified School District held a series of free vaccination clinics in collaboration with Vaccines for Children and the Sacramento County Public Health Department. More than 1,000 people were innoculated.

"If a child has had complete set of immunizations to enter kindergarten, then they are immune or very probably immune to pertussis or whooping cough," said school nurse Janene Griffin.

She says the real risk factor is for infants 6 months of age or younger because those children have not had a chance to complete their immunizations and build up their immunity.

"What we want to do is make a cocoon for these babies so their environment is safe," said Griffin. "We are really encouraging anyone who is caring for an infant 6 months of age or younger to get an

California Governor Vetoes Education's Mental Health Funding

California Governor Vetoes Education's Mental Health Funding

Sacramento : CA : USA | Nov 12, 2010

BY Dava Castillo

30

VIEWS: 120

1 of 1

U.S. map and chart show expected state mental health budget cuts; | MENTAL HEALTH CUTS

Advocates File Lawsuit

On Tuesday, several education advocates filed a lawsuit against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) recent veto of mental health services funding for special education students, the Sacramento Bee's "Capitol Alert" reports.

Last month, mental health and disability rights advocates filed a class-action lawsuit against the cuts to student mental health services (California Healthline, 10/25).

When the governor signed the state budget package last month, he used line-item vetoes to cut $133 million intended to pay counties for providing mental health services to about 20,000 special education students. He also suspended a state mandate to

Charter schools’ family ties spark questions | The Salt Lake Tribune

Charter schools’ family ties spark questions | The Salt Lake Tribune

Charter schools’ family ties spark questions

By Lisa Schencker

And Rosemary Winters

The Salt Lake Tribune

Published Nov 12, 2010 09:41PM
Updated Nov 12, 2010 11:22PM

A state school board member is questioning whether family members should be allowed to contract with one another to run charter schools, calling the relationship between a charter-school academy and its management company “not right.”

But the practice of family members running charter schools together is not unique to one school. Charter schools are independently run public schools often started by groups of parents.

Outgoing state school board member Denis Morrill raised the issue at a board meeting this month as the board considered American Preparatory Academy’s request to expand beyond its current plans. The academy pays a charter school management company $986 a year per student to run its tw

Grade school enrollment falls statewide and in L.A. | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

Grade school enrollment falls statewide and in L.A. | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

Grade school enrollment falls statewide and in L.A.

November 12, 2010 | 3:03 pm

Grade school enrollment is declining statewide and locally as Latinos for the first time make up more than half of California's students, officials announced Friday.

The enrollment decline was slight throughout California -- down about 22,000 students from last year to 6.1 million this year. The current figures mark the sixth consecutive year of lower enrollment. Latinos now account for 50.4% of students, an increase of 1.4% over last year.

New federal regulations have added a multiple-race category, and 96,796 students classified themselves as such, or about 1.6% of the total.

In the Los Angeles Unified School District, overall student enrollment was down 6,793 to 671,648, according to figures released by the district. But without independent charter schools, the decline would have been steeper at more than 16,000.

Charters are independently managed and budgeted schools, and their state funding typically does not

NYC School Reform, Bloomberg-Style: Taking Care of Business? - Working In These Times

NYC School Reform, Bloomberg-Style: Taking Care of Business? - Working In These Times

NYC School Reform, Bloomberg-Style: Taking Care of Business?

Friday
Nov 12, 2010
8:30 am

By Michelle Chen

School budget cut protest in Berkeley, Cali., 2009 (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The New York City school system may be short on textbooks and qualified teachers, but it does feature a big, shiny revolving door. Through this entryway, education moguls flow freely between the city's gilded corporate enclaves and its pauperized classrooms.

To continue this tradition, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has tapped Cathleen Black, chair of Hearst Magazines, to succeed the outgoing Joel Klein as schools chancellor. The three boast similar corporate-media pedigrees. Bloomberg was a media magnate before his wealth catapulted him into a (legally precarious) three-term reign at Gracie Mansion. Klein was a

At retreat, Douglas County school board hears choices on vouchers - The Denver Post

At retreat, Douglas County school board hears choices on vouchers - The Denver Post

At retreat, Douglas County school board hears choices on vouchers 1111/12/2010Douglas County's school board on Friday began carefully weighing the pros and cons of starting the state's first voucher program. Surging interest in Douglas County's school-choice retreat to be accommodated 5511/12/2010 - Douglas County School District officials say an unexpected level of interest in a retreat exploring school choice today and Saturday is forcing them to add an overflow room and a video feed to allow the public to watch the discussion. Three Denver school-board members face censure vote11/11/2010 - Three Denver school-board members will face a censure vote, accused of violating Colorado's Open Meetings Law by meeting with outside attorneys to discuss the district's school-turnaround plans. Aurora school board rejects view it violated teachers' contract11/09/2010 - The Aurora school board rejected an arbitrator's decision that the district violated its contract with high school teachers when it added an extra period of instruction this year.

Queens Teacher: Is Reform Math Causing Our International Ranking to Plummet?

Queens Teacher: Is Reform Math Causing Our International Ranking to Plummet?

Is Reform Math Causing Our International Ranking to Plummet?

by Queens Teacher

Have you researched your child’s math text lately?
By Beth Schultz
Published:
Friday, September 11, 2009

Does your child use the K-6 “Everyday Math”? (RSU1, RSU5, Yarmouth, etc.) If so, Google “Everyday Math Controversy” and research it.

The Everyday Math text chooses not to teach traditional long division. According to the Teacher’s Edition: “It is simply counter-productive to invest many hours of precious class time on such algorithms. The mathematical payoff is not worth the cost, particularly because quotients can be found quickly and accurately with a calculator.”

Everyday Math, however, teaches only to the state standards (Maine’s standards received a “D” grade by the

Public Selection Processes for a Schools Leader - NYTimes.com

Public Selection Processes for a Schools Leader - NYTimes.com

K.C. Alfred/Union-Tribune

Bill Kowba, a retired Navy admiral, went on TV in San Diego to discuss his vision for the school system before he was selected as superintendent there.

How Cities Pick School Chiefs, for All to See

By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS and WINNIE HU

Despite the secrecy surrounding New York City’s search for a schools chancellor, other cities have gotten unorthodox results through more orthodox means.

• New York City Schools Chancellor Pick to Quit Corporate Boards

Training Grounds for a Chancellor?

Many people complain that Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s pick to head the New York City school system has virtually no direct experience working in education.

TALKING BUSINESS

Lesson Plan From a Departing Schools Chief

By JOE NOCERA

More than a decade ago Joel I. Klein fought a monopoly, Microsoft. He took on another kind of monopoly when he became New York’s schools chief.

Schools Chancellor Pick to Quit Corporate Boards

By SHARON OTTERMAN and MICHAEL BARBARO

If she gets the job, Cathleen Black will give up lucrative seats on two boards because of conflict-of-interest rules.

Blocking, Tackling and Studying Diseases

By KAREN CROUSE

Owen Marecic, the only two-way player in Division I, starts at fullback and linebacker and is an A student studying infectious diseases.

• The Quad: High Praise for Marecic
• The Quad: College Football Matchups | Top 25 Schedule

For Pick to Lead Schools, One Man Left to Persuade

By WINNIE HU

New York’s education commissioner must decide whether to waive normal requirements for a media executive seeking to run New York schools.

Seattle Public Schools community blog: Just to Clear This TFA Public Engagement Issue

Seattle Public Schools community blog: Just to Clear This TFA Public Engagement Issue

Just to Clear This TFA Public Engagement Issue

by Melissa Westbrook

I asked for an expedited public disclosure over any documentation about what the district (not TFA) has done for public engagement about TFA. Here is the reply:

In response to your request below, I have learned that there are no documents related to community outreach done by Seattle Public Schools related to Teach for America. As was stated in the Community Engagement Process of the School Board Action regarding Teach for America, “TFA has done extensive community outreach about coming to the Puget Sound region….”

Also, I could not find any documents in the District’s possession (“minutes, meeting dates, lists of who

Schools Matter: Bloomberg's Lesson for Schoolchildren Everywhere: Democracy Is Embarrassing

Schools Matter: Bloomberg's Lesson for Schoolchildren Everywhere: Democracy Is Embarrassing

Bloomberg's Lesson for Schoolchildren Everywhere: Democracy Is Embarrassing

by Jim Horn

School boards have been seen as stumbling blocks to social efficiency engineers for a hundred years now, and Prince Bloomberg is just the latest and most visible representative of those who share a general disdain for democracy or even a semblance of public voice in choosing leaders for public institutions. Bloomberg's mockery of democratic process is well-established by the past eight years of using his elected office to turn New York City into a corporatocracy run by himself, a small covey of white, stony Brits, and a host of corporate welfare queens trained at Goldman Sachs.

In 2004, for instance, he had his way on testing by firing and replacing three members of the dissenting members of his appointed Panel for Educational Policy, which replaced publicly-elected Boards. Then his crowing could be heard all the way across the river in Jersey:

''This is what mayoral control is all about,'' Mr. Bloomberg said last night. ''In the olden days, we