PURE» PSAT for 3-6-12: Crunch time for Senate bill 3239

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 3-6-12: Crunch time for Senate bill 3239:

PSAT for 3-6-12: Crunch time for Senate bill 3239

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Tomorrow’s Illinois Senate Education Committee hearing will determine whether the Chicago school closing moratorium bill goes ahead or not.

The hearing will take place in Springfield tomorrow, Tuesday, March 6, at 4 pm in Capitol Hearing Room 409.

Included on the docket as well is SB 3362 which seeks to reduce class size in Chicago schools. Lowering class size is one of four strategies identified by the Institute for Educational Sciences as a proven method for improving achievement.

Please call the committee members today or tomorrow morning (numbers below) to urge their support for these critical bills, and call your own local state senator to ask him/her to sign as a co-sponsor to show support.

Current Senate sponsors of SB 3239 are:

Iris Y. Martinez – Jacqueline Y. Collins – Annazette R. Collins – Mattie Hunter – William Delgado, Kimberly A. Lightford and Emil Jones, III

* CPS has failed to listen to the community concerns about school closings.

* CPS has refused to consider any of the community-based improvement plans.

* CPS continues to impose chaotic, hurried privatized remakes of public schools which have failed to produce the promised “dramatically better” schools.

* CPS refuses to look at better, less disruptive alternatives for improving schools, or acknowledge the strong local research showing that LCS-run school improvement programs are far more successful than turnarounds.

* Meanwhile, CPS has acknowledged that it deliberately withholds needed resources from struggling schools in favor of turnarounds and charters.

Mayor Emanuel, CPS CEO Brizard, and CPS Board of Education members claim that only they have the best interests of children in mind, but WHO REALLY BENEFITS from the CPS policy of privatization and community upheaval? It’[s the 1% of Chicago, not the children.

We ask our elected representatives to represent us - the parents, teachers, and community of the students in the Chicago Public School, the ones who vote for you, not the powerful folks behind the push to destroy public education in the US.

Education Committee members:

Chairperson : James T. Meeks D 708) 862-1515 (217) 782-8066
Vice-Chairperson : Kimberly A. Lightford D 708) 343-7444 (217) 782-8505
Member: Annazette R. Collins D (312) 733-5009 (217) 782-6252
Member: Susan Garrett D (847) 433-2002 (217) 782-3650
Member: Iris Y. Martinez D (773) 463-0720 (217) 782-8191
Member: John G. Mulroe D (773) 763-3810 (217) 782-1035
Minority Spokesperson : David S. Luechtefeld R (618) 243-9014 (217) 782-8137
Member: Christine J. Johnson R 815) 895-6318 (217) 782-1977
Member: Kyle McCarter R (618) 654-4068 (217) 782-5755
Member: Suzi Schmidt R (224) 372-7465 (217) 782-7353239

Life in Rahm’s Chicago: Penny Pritzker. When charitable giving is nothing more than a scam. « Fred Klonsky

Life in Rahm’s Chicago: Penny Pritzker. When charitable giving is nothing more than a scam. « Fred Klonsky:

Life in Rahm’s Chicago: Penny Pritzker. When charitable giving is nothing more than a scam.

by Fred Klonsky

A reader of this blog wrote to me insisting that my criticism of the billion dollar Pritzker family was unfair. Investigators from Unite Here, the union that represents Hyatt Hotel employees had uncovered that the Pritzker family doesn’t pay their fair share of property taxes in Chicago. Penny and the Pritzker family own majority shares in Hyatt.

The reader chided me because the Pritzkers give money to some Chicago charities and to Millennium Park.

Penny Pritzker sits on the Chicago school board that just voted to close 17 Chicago schools. Her husband sits

Millionaires Tax of 2012 : Home Page

Millionaires Tax of 2012 : Home Page:

Students organize to protest debt slavery. Join us in Sacramento March 5.

Sign the Petition. Support the Millionaires Tax.

The Basics of the Millionaires Tax

What is it? A statewide ballot measure that asks Californians who make over $1 million per year to pay a little bit more to invest in California after years of devastating cuts.

 Why do we need it? Since 2008, budget cuts have led to big increases in K-12 class sizes, nearly a doubling of community and state college tuition, and billions in cuts to essential services for children and seniors.
 
What does it do? It asks those making more than $1 million a year in personal income to pay their fair share in taxes so we can raise an estimated $6 billion to begin:

• re-hiring laid off teachers to reduce class sizes,

• restoring college classes and student services,

• restoring cuts to essential services for children, seniors, and people who are disabled,

• re-hiring laid off emergency responders,

• and creating jobs by repairing roads and bridges.

Who's behind it? A coalition of educators, parents, and community groups working together to restore California's middle class. California Federation of Teaches, Move on. Others. See details atwww.millionairesTaxCA.com

Young Democratic Socialists mobilized to participate in protests during National Student Debt Week, Feb.27- March 5, in California and across the country.

Cornel West wants you to join the Week of Action. http://vimeo.com/37209329

Student debt exceeded $1 Trillion in 2011- exceeding even U.S. credit card debt. For too many students access to college is being closed by unsustainable debt burdens. College tuition and fees have quadrupled fro 1982- 2007, far exceeding the rate of inflation. Deregulation of the finance industry, particularly student loans, budget cuts to higher education, threats to privatize programs in public colleges and universities, and the recession and loss of career and job opportunities for the young have created a crisis for thousands of students.

The week of educational events and forums, leading to protests and possible occupations on March 5 is co sponsored by YDS and numerous other campus groups.

More information: http://theactivist.org/blog/call-to-action-national-student-debt-week-of-action-feburary-27th-march-2nd

Young Democratic Socialists is the campus section of Democratic Socialists of America.

Sacramento DSA. https://sites.google.com/site/sacramentodsa/

Sacramento Progressive Alliance. www.sacramentopa.blogspot.com

Bronx Students Release 10-Point List of Demands to Reform NYPublic Education

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública:

Bronx Students Release 10-Point List of Demands to Reform NYPublic Education

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In November of 2011, a group of young activists from the Bronx say they’re being deprived of a quality education, and they’re prepared to fight for something better.

The Resistance, which was formed through a youth arts organization called The DreamYard A.C.T.I.O.N Project, have developed a 10-point education platform for New York City public schools. The group has also launched aFacebook page to support their efforts.

These demands coincide with CPE-CEP's demands and vision of a new democratic and antiracist school system grounded in the fact that education is a Human Right. Clearly, we will look forward to the Bronx Youth ofThe Resistance to join us in making the People's Board of Education a reality here sooner rather than later.

They’re demanding the following reforms:

1. We demand free quality education as a right guaranteed by the US Constitution.
2. We demand the dismantling of Bloomberg’s Panel for Educational Policy. We demand a new 13 member community board to run our public schools (comprised of parents, educators, education experts, community members, and a minimum of 5 student representatives).
3. We demand quality instruction. Teachers should ethnically, culturally, and racially reflect the student body. We demand experienced teachers who have a history of teaching students well. Teacher training should be intensive and include an apprenticeship with master teachers as well as experiences with the communities where the school is located.
4. We demand stronger extra-curricular activities to help stimulate and spark interest in

Home page | First Focus Campaign for Children

Home page | First Focus Campaign for Children:

	Help for Homeless Kids Kids shouldn’t be denied the help they need because government can't agree on defenitions. But U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations deny more than 700,000 homeless children and youth help finding a safe place to stay, counseling to manage the trauma of losing a home, and meeting basic needs like food and clothing. The Homeless Children and Youth Act, sponsored by Illinois Republican Congresswoman Judy Biggert, fixes the problem. It wouldn’t require local officials to help kids before adults – it would simply take the handcuffs off, allowing local leaders to make the best decisions they can. A key congressional subcommittee has alreadypassed the bill, and it’s headed for a vote in the House Financial Services Committee. The Campaign for Children has endorsed the bill. We’re working with a coalition of children’s advocates, advocates for the homeless, educators, and other concerned voices to make this important legislation a win for children. 2011 Champions for Children Announced The Campaign for Children announced its annual Capitol Hill Champions for Children and Defenders of Children award winners for 2011. The awards recognize the top 100 Members of Congress working to make children and families a national priority in federal policy and budget decisions.In selecting Champions and Defenders, we took note of Congressional leaders who introduced, co-sponsored, and voted for legislation that would best meet the needs of children. Among the honorees, 50 members were awarded Champion for Children for their extraordinary efforts to protect and improve the future of America's next generation, and an additional 50 were named Defenders of Children for their support of efforts to advance policies that improve the well-being of America's children. To see which members were selected as Champions for Children and Defenders of Children, see the press release, or read our ad thanking winners in The Hill newspaper. Child Tax Credit Protected in Payroll Tax Extension The President and Congress extended last week the bipartisan payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance without proposed restrictions to the Child Tax Credit (CTC). Cuts to the CTC would have taken $1,800 annually from 5.5 million children living in immigrant families. Designed to help parents manage the cost of raising children by making it easier to meet basic family needs, the CTC supports low- and middle-income families alike. But with child poverty at a 20-year high, the CTC is a lifeline to many kids, covering necessities like rent, food, and clothes. Read our fact sheetand POLITICO ad to learn more. Stay Connected: Validate Your Email Address We’re getting ready to update our mailing list, and it’s important to us that you get the information you want. To ensure that you continue to receive news and information from the First Focus Campaign for Children, please validate your email address before April 1st. It takes just a moment, and it will guarantee that you’re always in the know on federal priorities for children.
www.ffcampaignforchildren.org • • • (202) 657-0670

California Academic Decathlon Website

California Academic Decathlon Website:

California Academic Decathlon
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
March 17, 2012, Sacramento


The California Academic Decathlon (CAD) invites you to volunteer for the state championship scheduled for March 17, 2012, in Sacramento, CA. For the past 33 years, CAD has provided this country’s most prestigious academic competition thanks to the support of our volunteers.

This year we are expecting 600 high school students, representing 42 counties throughout California, to compete in the CAD championship with the winning school advancing to the national finals to defend California’s national title! In 2011, California’s top teams went on to set new records at the national level, sweeping all four divisions and extending our consecutive national championships to nine in a row. With your support, we can make it ten – and we can validate the hard work of teachers and students all across the state.

The Academic Decathlon is a competitive event modeled after the Olympics by stimulating academic achievement and honoring "athletes of the mind.” The competition provides high school students the opportunity to participate in an educational forum, which fosters a deep respect for knowledge, cooperation, and self-esteem. Like the decathlon of the ancient Greeks, the Academic Decathlon consists of ten exacting and exciting events. But, while the Greek events were contests of physical strength, the Academic Decathlon is a contest of academic strength.
Since 1979, CAD has provided over 250,000 of California’s high school students with the opportunity to learn subjects and skills that benefit them both in the classroom and in their future careers. The program is one of the most rigorous and enriching of its kind. Participants take tests in seven subjects – math, science, history, economics, art, music, and literature – and learn how to deliver speeches, write essays, and undergo interviews. The emphasis throughout is on collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.

It is also the only academic program in the world that requires the participation of students with a more limited history of academic achievement: three of each team’s nine members must have below a 3.0 GPA. These students are often the ones who benefit most dramatically from the program, learning study skills and time management in a setting that respects them for their education.

Encourage and support our state’s finest academic athletes for their hard work by volunteering at the Academic Decathlon. Contact Ken Scarberry at (707) 646-7603 or e-mail at kscarberry@solanocoe.net<mailto:kscarberry@solanocoe.net> if you have any questions regarding the event. You may also access our Intent to Participate form - as well as all of our documents - by going to the CAD Website<http://www.academicdecathlon.org/volunteer/Default.htm>.

Share this with friends you believe would be interested in volunteering for the California Academic Decathlon!

If you’re ready to sign up, please complete the general volunteer request below.

Complete the information [highlighted in yellow] below.

First & Last Name: [___]
Age: [___]
Telephone(s): [___]
E-mail Address(es): [___]
Affiliation or Organization: [___]
Title: [___]
Mailing Address: [___]
City, State & Zip Code: [___]

Have you ever volunteered at a regional or state Academic Decathlon before? [__] No [__] Yes
If “yes,” what year, and what was your assignment? [___]

Are you a former decathlete, and if so, what year(s)? [___]
If you are affiliated with any participating high school, please explain: [___]

Indicate the position(s) you would like to volunteer for below by placing an “[X]” in the box before each selected assignment. Review the Volunteer Positions and Responsibilities sheet before making your selection(s). Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided for volunteers participating during morning and afternoon hours.

Saturday, March 17 @ Sacramento High School, 7:45 am – 3:00 pm
[__] Speech Judge
[__] Interview Judge
[__] General Assistance at Sacramento High School

Saturday, March 17 @ Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, 3:45 pm – 7:30 pm
[__] Super Quiz Proctor
[__] General Assistance at the Memorial Auditorium

Descriptions of Volunteer Positions and Responsibilities

Speech Judge
· Judge prepared and impromptu speeches (with two other judges) using guidelines provided.
· Ensure that participants are in the correct room.
· Ensure that participant enters/leaves room at scheduled time.
· Attend mandatory orientation for judges on day of event.
· Read materials sent prior to event.
· Pick up packet at registration.

Interview Judge
· Conduct structured interviews (with two other judges) for approximately 20 participants.
· Evaluate each participant’s performance in accordance with predetermined criteria.
· Attend mandatory orientation for judges on day of event.
· Read materials prior to event.
· Pick up packet at registration.

Super Quiz Proctor
· Monitor one school’s team of participants.
· Correct participants’ answer sheets.
· Attend mandatory orientation on day of event.

Thank you, in advance, for your consideration!

Sincerely,
Ken Scarberry
Executive Director | California Academic Decathlon
707.646-7603 | kscarberry@solanocoe.net<mailto:kscarberry@solanocoe.net> | www.academicdecathlon.org<http://www.academicdecathlon.org>

Index Click Here to Join CAD on FACEBOOK! < Main Page < What is the Academic Decathlon? < How to start a team < Important Dates < CAD Competition Schedule < CAD FAQ < CAD Scores < CAD News < News Releases < Sponsors < How to become a sponsor < CAD Board Members < Coordinator's List < Links < Feedback < How to Volunteer < USAD Champions < VIDEOS < FORMS & INFORMATION 2012 ROUND 3 ONLINE ESSAY SCHEDULE Click here to read more..... 2012 ROUND 3 COACH'S INFORMATION - CENSUS Click here to complete form... 2012 ROUND 3 DIVISIONS Click here to read more..... 2012 ROUND 3 TEAM REGISTRATION PACKET Click here to download the packet (please be patient for the download!)..... CALIFORNIA WINS 9TH CONSECUTIVE NATIONAL TITLE! Congratulations to Granada Hills Charter High School for bringing home California's 9th Consecutive national Title with a team score of 52,113.5 points! Click here to read more..... RESULTS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON Click here to read more... 2011 CAD COMPETITION PROGRAM Click here to read more... VISIT TO THE WHITE HOUSE & PRESIDENT OBAMA Add President Obama to the list of those who have personally congratulated the coaches and decathletes of the 2010 national championship El Camino High School Academic Decathlon team. Click here to read more... EXPERIENCE CALIFORNIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON! Click here to view videos... 2011 STATE CHAMPIONS! GRANADA HILLS CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL Photo By Evan Bomgardner Austin Kang, Celine Ta, Joon Lee (Honor Students); Harsimar Dhanoa, Shagun Goyal, Jiyong "Eugene" Lee (Scholastic Students); and Elysia Eastty, Riki Higashida, Sindhura Seeni (Varsity Students). Coaches are Matt Arnold, Nick Weber and Spencer Wolf. 2010 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! EL CAMINO REAL HIGH SCHOOL President Barack Obama greets the 2009-2010 Academic Decathlon champions in the Oval Office, Aug. 11, 2010. Attendees include: Honor students Audrey Goldbaum, Jessica Lin, and Adrian Ureche. Scholastic students: Vivian Cheng, Daniel Moreh, Michael Walker. Varsity students: Daniel de Haas, Andrew Fann, and Evan Edmisten. Coaches: John Dalsass, and Stephanie Franklin Sumandra (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) . California Academic Decathlon 4522 Abernathy Road Fairfield, CA 94534 (707) 646-7601, Main Office (707) 646-7603, Director's Line (707) 438-2667, Fax kscarberry@solanocoe.net

Send all comments or questions to kscarberry@solanocoe.net

Why STEM is not enough (and we still need the humanities) - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Why STEM is not enough (and we still need the humanities) - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

Why STEM is not enough (and we still need the humanities)

by Valerie Strauss

This was written by Cathy N. Davidson, Paula Barker Duffy, and Martha Wagner Weinberg, who are all council members of the National Council on the Humanities.

Davidson is a Duke University professor, and author of Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform the Way We Live, Work, and Learn . Duffy is former director of the University of Chicago Press, the nation’s largest university press. Weinberg is a former professor of political science at MIT and is currently a consultant who has worked extensively with non-profit entities on issues of policy, strategy, leadership and program design.

Read full article >>

Are charter schools cherry-picking their students? | The Connecticut Mirror

Are charter schools cherry-picking their students? | The Connecticut Mirror:

Are charter schools cherry-picking their students?

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March 5, 2012

By Jacqueline Rabe Thomas

Hartford -- As students from the highly regarded Jumoke Academy Charter School filed into the gymnasium for a mid-afternoon assembly last week, onlooker Gov. Dannel P. Malloy pointed out that at first glance these students seem to mirror those attending the neighborhood public schools.

"Look around," he said, fielding questions about whether this school is teaching the same type of students who attend Hartford public schools.

But enrollment numbers tell a different story.

Just one of the 432 students who attended Jumoke last school year spoke limited English, while in other schools in Hartford, 18 percent spoke limited English.

Likewise, 4 percent of Jumoke students require special education compared with 15 percent in Hartford.

Jumoke's lack of diversity is not unique among the state's 17 charter schools. An analysis of their

This Week In Education: Documents: Altered Parent Trigger Rescission Forms

This Week In Education: Documents: Altered Parent Trigger Rescission Forms:

Documents: Altered Parent Trigger Rescission Forms

Here's one of the parent rescissions that Parent Revolution claims were forged or altered by the California Teachers Association or perhaps district administrators. Basically, Parent Revolution is claiming that someone has altered petitions to make it seem like parents are saying they were misled, submitted unsigned rescision documents, and failed to retain or provide original documents for review. See below for different versions of the documents to compare.

Meanwhile, the Florida parent trigger bill is being fought over tooth and nail (led by former Clinton 2008 staffer Mike Trujillo). The Senate committee passed the legislation, sending it to the full Senate. Lots of Dems switching from "for" to "against" under NEA pressure, I'm told.

For what it's worth, my main interest in the parent trigger is as a sign of parent frustration and political opportunity (can you say