Senate Education Committee hearing agenda Wednesday August 26, 2009 9:00 AM

Senate Education Committee hearing agenda Wednesday August 26, 2009 9:00 AM:

"Senate Education Committee hearing agenda Wednesday August 26, 2009 9:00 AM
'Race to the Top' stimulus funds for education and proposed changes to California's school system
AM Alert: Tapping the Twitterverse
'Race to the Top' stimulus funds for education and proposed changes to California's school system will be the subject of a 9 a.m. Senate Education Committee hearing.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, Secretary for Education Glen Thomas, State Board of Education President Ted Mitchell, and representatives from the California Federation of Teachers, the California Teachers Association, United Teachers of Los Angeles, the Legislative Analyst's Office and the Department of Finance are among those scheduled to testify.

Click here to read the hearing agenda.
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/capitolalertlatest/024965.html"

These school board members have given up their responsibility to fix public education

LAUSD vote welcomes outsiders - ContraCostaTimes.com

"These school board members have given up their responsibility to fix public education," said A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles.

"Because they can't control their own bureaucrats they are giving the shop away ... it makes no sense."

Duffy said the teachers union would be looking at legal action against the district if new schools, under the plan, failed to adhere to existing commitments with union teachers.

Duffy also said the union would be looking at whether it was legal for the school district to allow new schools, which have been paid for by voter-approved bond measures to relieve overcrowding, to be taken over by private operators.

Jackie Goldberg, a former school board member and local politician who helped author three of the four LAUSD construction bonds, echoed the sentiments of the teachers union.

Goldberg also blasted the plan, calling it the latest attempt at ending public education in Los Angeles.

CNSNews.com - U.S. Education Secretary Dodges Question on Whether Martin Luther King's Views on God's Law Should be Taught in Public School

CNSNews.com - U.S. Education Secretary Dodges Question on Whether Martin Luther King's Views on God's Law Should be Taught in Public School:

"National Education Association President Dennis van Roekel disagreed, however, lamenting the “narrowing” of public curricula.

“I think rich history in schools is absolutely essential,” he told CNSNews.com. “It’s kind of sad right now how they’re narrowing the curriculum.”

“I think that we ought to expose people to ideas--that’s what was done for us. We heard those ideas. I think it’s just part of a good education,” he continued. “You can’t be taught one side; you have to hear all sides. That’s how you get a good education.”"

Dispute delays discussion of strong-mayor plan - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Dispute delays discussion of strong-mayor plan - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"At issue was a staff report by City Attorney Eileen Teichert that said the strong-mayor proposal could be overturned in court because it does not outline the election cycle for a ninth City Council seat that would be created if the proposal passes.

The city attorney said the issue could be rectified only by putting an initiative before the voters. The council could place that measure on the ballot, or the committee behind the strong-mayor proposal – Sacramentans for Accountable Government – would have to gather enough signatures to place an initiative before voters, a move that would cost thousands of dollars."

Survey Finds Stimulus Funds Going to Help Schools Stay Afloat, Not Innovate - washingtonpost.com

Survey Finds Stimulus Funds Going to Help Schools Stay Afloat, Not Innovate - washingtonpost.com:

"Even with the extra cash, the survey found, many schools are focused on survival. Two-thirds of those surveyed reported that stimulus dollars filled budget gaps or only slightly increased funding levels. Many school systems reported that they lost teachers and librarians, counselors or support staff this year because of declining state or local revenue.
'The administration may be building up too much expectation for reform when schools need money just to keep the doors open,' said Jack Jennings, president of the District-based Center on Education Policy."

Forest Lake Times - Making good use of public charter school audit

Forest Lake Times - Making good use of public charter school audit:


"On the “needs improvement side,” OLA recommended among other things, that the legislature:

a. Establish clearer expectations and increase accountability for groups that are monitoring charters

b. Clarify the role of the Minnesota Department of Education

c. Clarify the circumstances under which groups could be established to purchase buildings and lease them to charters

d. Eliminate the requirement that charter boards must contain a majority of teachers who work in the building, unless a special waiver was given

e. Clarify conflict of interest requirements

The legislature listened carefully to the legislative auditor, representatives of the Minnesota charter public schools, and the Minnesota Department of Education.

Each of these groups agreed with the proposed changes."

SAT scores show disparities by race, gender, family income - USATODAY.com

SAT scores show disparities by race, gender, family income - USATODAY.com:

"Average national SAT scores for the high school class of 2009 dropped two points compared with last year, a report out today says. And while the population of test takers was the most diverse ever, average scores vary widely by race and ethnicity."

Editorial: Students better in English, math - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Editorial: Students better in English, math - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial Sacramento Bee:

"One of the state's great unappreciated stories of the past 10 years is how much progress California students have made in mastering academic standards that are generally considered the toughest in the nation.
Test scores released this month were only the latest confirmation of that progress, and they are a testament to a decade of bipartisan support for a system that first makes it clear what Californians want their children to learn and then determines how well they are doing in that quest."

School libraries could close if Folsom Cordova-union impasse not settled - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

School libraries could close if Folsom Cordova-union impasse not settled - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"I was an English teacher, and it breaks my heart not to have someone in the library at all times,' Godwin said.
He said some individual schools are trying to save their libraries through fundraising efforts. At Sutter Middle School, the staff is attempting to raise $15,000 for a part-time or $55,000 for a full-time library clerk to keep the library open.
The problem could be solved if the district and union come to terms.
'We had expected the classified union would step up and work with something like three furlough days and we anticipated they will do that and are still hopeful they will,' Godwin said."

Dan Walters: Using student test scores to grade California teachers has pitfalls - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Dan Walters: Using student test scores to grade California teachers has pitfalls - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"Testing data seemingly introduce dispassionate objectivity into the evaluation process. Each kid's abilities are as individual as fingerprints, however. Learning is also affected by many other factors, most of which are beyond the control of the teacher, such as cultural influences, parental involvement, taxpayer financing, administrative support and availability of textbooks."

Sacramento City Unified School District

Sacramento City Unified School District

All New Web Site!

No Child Left Behind is unfair, needs changes |

No Child Left Behind is unfair, needs changes

As expected, results were mixed from the spring 2009 administration of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). Scores in grades three through eight and 10 mirrored 2008 results, increasing in seven subject areas, decreasing in seven and remaining unchanged in six.
Yet, preliminary results from AYP, the accountability arm of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, show 1,073 schools moved into improvement status, up from 618 last year.
“Our state testing scores are flat, yet the federal system shows an additional 500 schools are failing,” Dorn said. “What is failing is No Child Left Behind. The law is completely unfair. While we know there is certainly room for improvement in our schools, it’s a statistical guarantee in this law that all of our schools will soon be in federal improvement status. That’s unrealistic.”

Strong Mayor Plan Could Face Legal Challenge - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento

Strong Mayor Plan Could Face Legal Challenge - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento:

"The report says these 'issues' could be resolved by adding a 'complementary' measure or initiative to the election ballot. The Sacramento City Council could take steps like that.
However, the city attorney's office says it 'has been unable to identify any other city that has taken such an extraordinary step in aid of a flawed initiative.'
The report suggests that strong mayor supporters could circulate a second petition and collect the necessary signatures of 15 percent of registered city voters."

Teach Flu a Lesson

Teach Flu a Lesson:

"Brought to you by PTO Today and MedImmune, Teach Flu a Lesson tools are a great way to help keep flu out of your school and show your group’s commitment to this health issue. Our free event planning kit provides the tools and materials you need to organize and run this event, making it convenient for parents to have their eligible children immunized. Learn more."

Resource Directory

Resource Directory:


"SCUSD has developed an online resource directory to help staff, students and parents more easily access information about district-administered programs and services. To locate resources, the directory can be searched by keyword (see search box to the right) or category (see list on left). Detailed information about each resource can be found by clicking on the associated link. The resource directory is updated twice a year. For more information on a particular program or service, please contact the office identified in the description."

http://www.scusd.edu/ResourceDirectory/index.htm

Our Courts - Homepage

Our Courts - Homepage

Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor just released two interactive animated games aimed at middle school students on her website, Our Courts.

NEA Attacks Administration's Education Reform Plan | 44 | washingtonpost.com

NEA Attacks Administration's Education Reform Plan 44 washingtonpost.com

The nation's largest teachers union sharply attacked President Obama's most significant school improvement initiative on Friday evening, saying that it puts too much emphasis on a "narrow agenda" centered on charter schools and echoes the Bush administration's "top-down approach" to reform.

Instead of focusing on strengthening enforcement of civil rights laws to promote access and opportunity for students, the Administration has chosen the path of a series of top-down directives that may discourage rather than encourage productive innovation in classrooms and schools across the country. Despite growing evidence to the contrary, it appears that the Administration has decided that charter schools are the only answer to what ails America’s public schools—urban, suburban, exurban, and rural—and all must comply with that silver bullet, despite the fact that charters have often produced lower achievement gains than district-run public schools. [See recent report on Chicago’s Renaissance 2010 initiative: Young, V.M., Humphrey, D.C., Wang, H., Bosetti, K.R., Cassidy, L., Wechsler, M.E., Rivera, E., Murray, S., & Schanzenbach, D.W. (2009). Renaissance Schools Fund-supported schools: Early Outcomes, challenges, and opportunities. Menlo Park, CA: Stanford Research International and Chicago: Consortium on Chicago School Research.]

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/10385595/NEAs-statement-to-the-Department-of-Education

New Sacramento City Teachers Association web site

New Sacramento City Teachers Association web site

Welcome to the new website
for the
Sacramento City Teachers Association

http://www.sacteachers.org/?q=content/home

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/9903135/New-Sacramento-City-Teachers-Association-web-site

Chicago selective enrollment high schools face huge demand for few spots -- chicagotribune.com

Chicago selective enrollment high schools face huge demand for few spots -- chicagotribune.com:


"'It's so crazy competitive that you basically have to send your kid to school sick just to make sure she doesn't ruin her chances of getting into a good high school,' said Celia's mother, Lisa Hensey. 'My daughter did everything she had to do academically, but she gets punished because she got sick. What kind of message does that send to kids?'

As a federal investigation swirls around admissions practices at Walter Payton and the city's eight other vaunted selective enrollment high schools, it has spotlighted a troubling problem in the city's education system: There are so few good high schools that high-achieving teenagers like Celia must fight over scarce slots."

Kindergarten crunch: Lack of playtime killing joy of learning, say advocates - Salt Lake Tribune

Kindergarten crunch: Lack of playtime killing joy of learning, say advocates - Salt Lake Tribune:

"Child advocates, though, worry play, exercise and exploration in most public kindergartens is vanishing.
Authors of a 2009 report, 'Crisis in the Kindergarten' call the current state of affairs, 'a national disgrace.' They call for return to play-based teaching, warning the nation is 'blindly pursuing educational policies that could well damage the intellectual, social and physical development of an entire generation.'"

for report go to:
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/5100683/Crisis-in-the-Kindergarten-Why-Children-Need-to-Play-in-School