In Oakland Classrooms, Getting Fed is First Lesson of the Day - The Bay Citizen

In Oakland Classrooms, Getting Fed is First Lesson of the Day - The Bay Citizen:

In Oakland Classrooms, Getting Fed is First Lesson of the Day

As hunger and poverty rise, schools step in to provide meals; 70 percent of students now qualify

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By KATHARINE MIESZKOWSKI on October 8, 2011 - 10:41 a.m. PDT

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Noah Berger for The Bay Citizen

Sandra Miranda, a food services worker with the Oakland School District, hands out free breakfast to high school students at Monroe Academy in Oakland, as part of a free meal provided by the Oakland School District's "universal breakfast" program

On a recent Saturday morning, some 60 teachers and nurses from the Oakland Unified School District gathered at Tilden Education Complex for a daylong seminar on nutrition education.

Markell Lewis, a nutrition policy advocate for California Food Policy Advocates, a nonprofit group based in Oakland, stood at the front of the room. “How many of you have ever given food to a hungry student at school?” she asked the teachers and nurses, as they ate breakfast.

Almost everyone raised a hand.

Recent figures from the United States Census Bureau revealed that Alameda County has a higher percentage of residents living in poverty than any of the other eight counties in the Bay Area. The county has high unemployment and low family incomes, and nearly 70 percent of students in the Oakland school district now qualify for free or reduced-

Source: The Bay Citizen (http://s.tt/13sYX)

Farm Bureau upset that science kit for students contains left-wing book with misinformation about modern farming | MLive.com

Farm Bureau upset that science kit for students contains left-wing book with misinformation about modern farming | MLive.com:

Farm Bureau upset that science kit for students contains left-wing book with misinformation about modern farming

Published: Saturday, October 08, 2011, 6:00 AM Updated: Saturday, October 08, 2011, 9:27 AM

By Julie Mack | Kalamazoo Gazette
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The Michigan Farm Bureau objects that a popular and well-regarded developer of Michigan science curriculums is using a self-published book that has inaccuracies about conventional agricultural methods and pushes an unabashedly liberal agenda.

The book is included in a new seventh-grade science kit marketed by theBattle Creek Area Math and Science Center and is part of the unit on climate change, which the Michigan Department of Education identifies as a required topic in seventh-grade science.

“A Hot Planet Needs Cool Kids” holds up Al Gore as an “eco-hero;” promotes organizations such as Greenpeace and Rainforest Alliance; urges children to persuade their parents to “Vote Green” and buy organic; cautions against new-home construction, the plastics industry and conventional agriculture, and notes “many people believe that it is best for the earth for families to have no more than one child.”

The 88-page book was written by Julie Hall, a resident of Bainbridge, Wash., cofounder of

An Ethic Of Excellence – Introduction « Cooperative Catalyst

An Ethic Of Excellence – Introduction « Cooperative Catalyst:

An Ethic Of Excellence – Introduction

by holisticdancingmonkey

On David L’s recommendation, a number of us are reading or re-reading Ron Berger’s book, An Ethic of Excellence. I hope many of you have read this text or will join us in doing so in the coming weeks. I will volunteer to get the conversation started with my reflection on the book’s introduction, available here:

First, a couple of key points: I completely resonate with the concept of craftsmanship in education. In my study as a traditional hand-tool woodworker, I have also come to deeply value the inherent aesthetic of quality work, well done with honesty and integrity. When we fully commit to our work, give ourselves to work towards the limits of what both the tools and materials can produce (what they want to become, if you will), and work well within these limits, as Berger says, the work itself is transformational as well as sustainable and the product is beautiful. One of my late woodworking mentors, John Brown, wrote about this brilliantly in an article in Fine Woodworking magazine called Good Work, here: (worth the free trial subscription you’ll need to sign up for in order to read it.)

I absolutely agree also with Berger’s emphasis on emphasizing quality of work and quality of experience over

Saturday coffee.+ Old school. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky's blog:

Saturday coffee.

by Fred Klonsky

Yom Kippur. The day of atonement in the Jewish religion.

As quickly as that, in Chicago the leaves have turned. Although it is an 80 degree day, there is no question that it is Fall The temperature drops into the 60s as soon as the sun is gone.

Harley and Matthew run the Chicago marathon tomorrow. I don’t. It is becoming a tradition for them to head for McCormick Place on Friday after school to pick up their bibs and explore the Expo. Then we meet up in

Old school.

by Fred Klonsky

The Byrds.

Florida DOE Gets Caught in Their Own “Choice” Spin | Scathing Purple Musings

Florida DOE Gets Caught in Their Own “Choice” Spin | Scathing Purple Musings:

Florida DOE Gets Caught in Their Own “Choice” Spin

by Bob Sikes

While in the process of promoting its virtual school program, the Florida Department of Education’s blog, Florida Common Ground, had it’s own rhetoric thrown back in their face. After commenter LZ expressed concern that virtual school is not a good option for the unmotivated student or one who had little parental involvment, the DOE responded:

We appreciate your concern. Online learning has been a great medium for many students, helping them earn credits and make up credits through online learning. It has provided opportunities for students who were not successful elsewhere. However, we realize that it might not be a perfect fit for everyone. Online learning is just have one more choice students in Florida. Thanks for your

More Detail on the Problems of Rating Ed Schools by Teachers’ Students’ Outcomes « School Finance 101

More Detail on the Problems of Rating Ed Schools by Teachers’ Students’ Outcomes « School Finance 101:

More Detail on the Problems of Rating Ed Schools by Teachers’ Students’ Outcomes

by schoolfinance101

In my previous post, I explained that the new push to rate schools of education by the student outcome gains of teachers who graduated from certain education schools is a problematic endeavor… one unlikely to yield particularly useful information, and one that may potentially create the wrong incentives for education schools. To reiterate, I laid out 3 reasons (and there are likely many more) why this approach is so problematic. Here, I divide them out a bit more – 4 ways.

1. parsing out individual teacher’s academic backgrounds – that is if teachers hold credentials and degrees from may institutions, which institution is primarily responsible for their effectiveness?
2. the teacher workforce in most states includes a mix of teachers from a multitude of within and out-of-state institutions, public and private, with many of those institutions having only a handful of teachers in some

Keep Your Tea Away From Me! (With apologies to Led Zeppelin)

Keep your tea away from me
You've been drinking I can see
I think I'll have a glass of lemonade
your slash and burn democracy
is not good public policy
it's causing your intelligence to fade
That tea is causing your intelligence to fade

Well I don't want to drink your tea
It causes mass stupidity
Just look who you got playing on your team
Based on what I hear and see
It's clear you've had a glass or three
Your lack of basic understanding makes me want to freakin' SCREAM!

Keep your tea away from me
When it comes to the economy
deficits are not the only key
Just ask your main man Dick Cheney

Remember him, he was your VP
and that's what he said in 2003
When he lied about alleged WMDs
And went out and spent an extra trillion or three

But government ain't JUST military
Just try to start a company
by hiring kids who can barely read
Or distributing product over torn up streets

Look, this land of our has lots of needs
Your got people who ain't worked in 99 weeks
INVESTMENT brings prosperity
Like interstates under Dwight D.

Like the space program under Kennedy
LBJ's Great Society
Medicare and Social Security
Are not some kind of charity

Look, there's a lot stuff on which we agree
Things are screwed up in Dee Cee
We given already public subsidies
To everybody on Wall Street

The banks were rewarded for unbridled greed
'cause the country is ruled by financial elites
It's a 21st century oligarchy
campaign finance gave us corporatocracy


But its not as simple as they'll have you believe
Ask the folks at Moody's or S and P
Ask the veterans who can't get the care they need
Or the storm-ravaged folks that FEMA feeds

You want to improve the economy?
through nothing but fiscal austerity?
You've got it backwards, even the blind can see
balanced budgets don't fix an economy

we need JOBS and GROWTH to heal the country
and the deficit shrinks with more activity
We balanced a budget under Billy C.
Look at the facts, study history!

It's time to make public policy
Based on a realistic philosophy
Just because you pay taxes doesn't mean you're not free
So please put down that fuckin glass of tea

Keep your tea away from me
Bachmann, Palin, Rick Perry
appeal to folks who're thinking mighty slow
Boehner can't negotiate
It's impossible to legislate
When the only word you'll ever say is "NO"

Online schools need oversight - Loveland Reporter-Herald

Online schools need oversight - Loveland Reporter-Herald:

Online schools need oversight

Posted: 10/07/2011 10:46:37 PM MDT

The Internet offers great opportunities in education. Online schools provide flexible schedules, expanded class offerings and an alternative for students who struggle in traditional school settings.

But there are pitfalls, as a recent investigative report by Education News Colorado and the I-News Network has revealed.

The system of online K-12 schools in Colorado -- offered by GOAL Academy, Hope Online, Insight School of Colorado and other such programs -- has become big business, but it's failing many of the thousands of students who have signed up. The report shows that for every online student who graduates, three drop out. Half of the students who enter online programs in Colorado return to a brick-and-mortar school within a year, though the taxpayer money that follows them to online schools stays there. The online schools are expected to get $100 million in taxpayer money this year.

But the report suggests an even more troubling side of the story.

Some officials of online schools appear to have benefited from political connections, and the programs they operate have almost completely escaped the kind of government oversight that was called for in a state audit five years ago. A former principal of Insight School in the Julesburg school district alleged that Insight "received millions of dollars in

FTA says student diplomas are jeopardized | abc30.com

FTA says student diplomas are jeopardized | abc30.com:

FTA says student diplomas are jeopardized

Saturday, October 08, 2011

TAGS:

fresno unified school district, education, linda mumma

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Linda Mumma
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FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno Teacher's Association is pointing fingers at Fresno Unified. This time, it claims the district knowingly hired non-credentialed instructors to teach at Roosevelt High - without supervision. The union president says the practice jeopardizes the validity of student diplomas.

Roosevelt High is considered one of the premiere performing and visual arts schools in the Valley, but questions are being raised whether it's teachers are qualified to instruct students.

The Fresno Teacher's Association alleges at least seven substitute teachers

Education Report: Tracking student suspensions -- by teacher - San Jose Mercury News

Education Report: Tracking student suspensions -- by teacher - San Jose Mercury News:

Education Report: Tracking student suspensions -- by teacher

By Katy Murphy
Oakland Tribune

Posted: 10/07/2011 04:09:58 PM PDT

Updated: 10/07/2011 08:17:46 PM PDT

This is a sampling of The Education Report, Katy Murphy's Oakland schools blog. Read more atwww.IBAbuzz.com/education. Follow her at Twitter.com/KatyMurphy.

Oct. 5: A new report written by Dan Losen of UCLA's Civil Rights Project says a disproportionate number of minority students nationwide are being suspended from school for relatively minor infractions, such as "disrespect" or "threatening behavior." It calls for school districts to publish student disciplinary statistics by school, race and gender, to help teachers learn how to keep order in their classrooms without removing students, and to create a disciplinary system that doesn't result in many out-of-school suspensions -- particularly, of black students.

A plan proposed by the Oakland school district's African American Male Achievement Task Force would take some of those steps, and even go beyond. Last year, the school district issued roughly 6,000 out-of-school suspensions. About 43 percent were given based on "defiance," according to district data. Black male students received about half of all suspensions in 2010-11, though they made up less than 20 percent of the student body.

One of the task force's recommendations is to identify Oakland teachers with a history of