Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » In Defense of Obama’s Safe School Czar (Sort Of) – or I Was A Teenage ‘Lolito’

Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » In Defense of Obama’s Safe School Czar (Sort Of) – or I Was A Teenage ‘Lolito’:

"Which brings me to the fracas over Obama czar number five hundred and… well, who’s counting. The conservative blogosphere has been in an uproar because Kevin Jennings – the (deep breath) Assistant Deputy Secretary of the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools at the U.S. Department of Education, or “Safe School Czar” - failed, in 1988, while still a mere teacher, to advise a 15-year-old boy (according to some reports, he might have been older) to stop having sex with adult men (in particular one man the teenager had met in a public restroom). Instead, Jennings reminded the boy to “play safe,” and use condoms.

To be honest, I don’t see what the big deal is. Based on his own experience, Jennings probably figured it was no use trying to convince the boy to stop seeing the man – take it from me, that would have had the exact opposite effect – so the more practical tack was to urge the kid to at least protect himself, ASAP, as Jennings did. Let’s not forget the high suicide rate among gay youth; twenty years ago, that teenager surely needed somebody to talk to."

Suit looming against California over school funding - San Jose Mercury News

Suit looming against California over school funding - San Jose Mercury News:

"Top California school leaders said they soon will sue the state over chronically underfunded schools — a move that in other states has infused billions of dollars into school systems.

California spends $35.7 billion, or about 30 percent of its budget, on its 10,000 public K-12 schools. Like other state programs, education has suffered waves of cuts in two years as state revenues have shrunk. In per-pupil spending, California ranks anywhere from 30th to 47th among states, depending on how cost of living is adjusted.

The California Constitution requires the Legislature 'to provide for a system of common schools by which a free school shall be kept up and supported.' The suit will allege that the state violates that provision by not ensuring adequate support."

Funding grab? 'F' | Editorials | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California

Funding grab? 'F' Editorials PE.com Southern California News News for Inland Southern California:

"California schools cannot realistically expect to get more money from a state government mired in deficit. Education interests should be more focused on seeking reforms that allow the most effective use of available funding, which would improve California's school system regardless of current budget woes.

The California School Boards Association, which represents elected school trustees, plans to sue the state over inadequate school funding, according to news reports this week. Just what suing the state might accomplish was not clear, however. The current budget already features a $7 billion to $8 billion deficit, which could easily grow to $10 billion or more by 2010-11.

And the state will likely face huge budget shortfalls for years to come. About all a lawsuit would do is further obstruct the process of setting rational priorities for the use of public funds."

Sacramento Mayor Johnson aids Read for the Record - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Mayor Johnson aids Read for the Record - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson received positive reviews Thursday from young patients at Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California after reading the classic book 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' as part of a worldwide read-a-thon."

News - Sacramento Tree Foundation

News - Sacramento Tree Foundation:

"With summer ending and the rain soon upon us, October is a great month to get out and get dirty!

To celebrate National NeighborWoods Month, the Sacramento Tree Foundation will host a series of tree related trainings, awareness events, and plantings. These events are some of more than 100 regreening, educational, and training efforts throughout the country being promoted during October as part of NeighborWoods Month. NeighborWoods Month is a national campaign of the Alliance for Community Trees (ACT). The Sacramento Tree Foundation is a member of ACT’s NeighborWoods Network."

Appleseed President Joins Duncan

Appleseed President Joins Duncan:

"National Leaders in Educational Philanthropy Meet
Chicago Student's Death Underscores Reform Urgency

Duncan's St. Louis Visit Caps 'historic moment'

CHICAGO, IL - Following an 'emotional meeting'' with a dozen Chicago Public School students, Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education called for a 'national conversation'' about values and teen violence and said he will visit other cities 'to talk with people and find ways to protect our children'. Secretary Duncan told more than 400 of the nation’s leaders in educational philanthropy - including Project Appleseed President Kevin Walker - gathered in Chicago that reforming education is a collaborative effort of schools, funders and his department."

First 5 California: First 5 California Invites You to a Special Screening of Sid the Science Kid

First 5 California: First 5 California Invites You to a Special Screening of Sid the Science Kid

Join First 5 California at Kidspace Children’s Museum for a special sneak-preview of an upcoming episode of “Sid the Science Kid” on the importance of vaccinations. The episode – “Getting a Shot: You Can Do It!”– explains how vaccinations keep people healthy and teaches kids how to prevent the spread of germs during flu season. At the event, children can meet and take photos with Sid, as well as participate in educational activities. Healthy snacks will be served and event participants will receive goodie bags filled with fun items for kids and resources to keep the whole family healthy this flu season.

Festivities begin at 3 p.m. and the show starts at 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

3 – 5 p.m. (40% off admission cost)

Sid-related activities are FREE

Kidspace Children’s Museum 480 N. Arroyo Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91103

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Sweetwater Teachers Reach Tentative Deal

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Sweetwater Teachers Reach Tentative Deal:

"Under a tentative deal struck this morning, Sweetwater teachers will trade larger student-to-teacher ratios for the promise not to cut salaries or give newly hired employees a different set of benefits than current employees.

The two sides had grappled over a contract since last June. Tensions had escalated in the South Bay district, with teachers cutting back on work beyond the school day, toting signs to protest and even calling for the ouster of Superintendent Jesus Gandara.

The agreement was reached around 12:30 a.m. today after a full day of bargaining in front of a 'fact-finding' panel, a stage of bargaining that followed months of unsuccessful meetings. According to a press release from the school district, the agreement includes:


Staffing ratios of 30 students per teacher for this year, which have already been in place, compared to 28-to-one last year. That ratio will grow to 31-to-one for the next three school years."

Sacto 9-1-1: Sacramento PD helps two school districts land security grant

Sacto 9-1-1: Sacramento PD helps two school districts land security grant:

"The Sacramento Police Department wrote a successful grant application that will bring more than $460,000 for security improvements in the Sacramento City Unified and Robla school districts.

The $463,699 grant required a law enforcement agency to apply although the funds are being used for the purchase of cameras, lighting and door hardware at eight schools in the districts, a police spokesman said.

The grant is provided through the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, according to a Police Department news release.
'We are in tough economic times and are grateful that we have received several grants to help make our schools and community safer,' Police Chief Rick Braziel said."

Oklahoma Abortion Law: Details To Be Publicly Posted Online

Oklahoma Abortion Law: Details To Be Publicly Posted Online:

"A new Oklahoma law requires physicians to disclose detailed information on women's abortions to the State's Department Of Health, which will then post the collected data on a public website. The controversial measure comes into effect on November 1 and will cost $281,285 to implement, $256,285 each subsequent year to maintain.

Oklahoma women undergoing abortion procedures will be legally forced to reveal:"

1) Date of abortion

2) County in which abortion is performed

3) Age of mother

4) Marital status of mother

5) Race of mother

6) Years of education of mother

7) State or foreign country of residence of mother

8) Total number of previous pregnancies of the mother

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/08/oklahoma-abortion-law-det_n_313779.html

Vote Yes--Or Else - California Progress Report

Vote Yes--Or Else - California Progress Report:

"On October 5, the governor suggested to the Senate President Pro Tem that the Legislature withdraw nearly 700 bills now on his desk awaiting signature. The clear inference is that if they are not withdrawn, the governor will make good his threat to veto them because he has not yet gotten his way on water.

The veto power overrides the work of the Legislature which represents the will of the people. It is an extraordinary power and should not be exercised capriciously or casually. This governor, however, has repeatedly abused his veto power and threatens to do it again.

Last year, the Governor vetoed over 400 bills, 136 of them with a generic veto message, because he was unhappy after protracted budget negotiations."

ACLU: Teachers abuse kids with LD - Quality teaching | GreatSchools

ACLU: Teachers abuse kids with LD - Quality teaching GreatSchools:

"Landon K., an autistic 6-year-old, was a first-grader in Mississippi when an assistant principal administered an approved punishment: striking the child on his bottom with an inch-thick paddle.

The incident terrified the child, causing him to lose control. 'He was screaming and hollering,' Landon's grandmother Jacquelyn K. later told the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). 'It just devastated him.'

Landon was so upset by the paddling he had to be sedated by ambulance workers.

Sound like one of those random but rare cases of abuse that grab headlines but are basically unprecedented? Unfortunately, the facts are a little more disturbing."

Read the report: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/12813872/Impairing-Education-Corporal-Punishment-of-Students-with-Disabilitiesin-US-Public-Schools

Education Week: States Face Budget Hurdles on Testing, GAO Says

Education Week: States Face Budget Hurdles on Testing, GAO Says:

"Congress’ investigative arm is spotlighting the challenges states face with their testing systems, from recession-driven budget pressures to ensuring the validity and reliability of statewide student assessments.

A new, wide-ranging report by the Government Accountability Office on state testing under the No Child Left Behind Act finds that although most states today spend far more on assessments than in 2002, when the federal law was enacted, 19 reported recent cuts in their testing budgets because of fiscal constraints. Ten others expected future reductions in such spending."

U.S. GAO - No Child Left Behind Act: Enhancements in the Department of Education's Review Process Could Improve State Academic Assessments

U.S. GAO - No Child Left Behind Act: Enhancements in the Department of Education's Review Process Could Improve State Academic Assessments

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLBA) requires states to develop high-quality academic assessments aligned with state academic standards. Education has provided states with about $400 million for NCLBA assessment implementation every year since 2002. GAO examined (1) changes in reported state expenditures on assessments, and how states have spent funds; (2) factors states have considered in making decisions about question (item) type and assessment content; (3) challenges states have faced in ensuring that their assessments are valid and reliable; and (4) the extent to which Education has supported state efforts to comply with assessment requirements. GAO surveyed state and District of Columbia assessment directors, analyzed Education and state documents, and interviewed assessment officials from Maryland, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Texas and eight school districts in addition to assessment vendors and experts.

States reported their overall annual expenditures for assessments have increased since passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLBA), which amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), and assessment development was the largest expense for most states. Forty-eight of 49 states that responded to our survey said that annual expenditures for ESEA assessments have increased since NCLBA was enacted. Over half of the states reported that overall expenditures grew due to development of new assessments. Test and question--also referred to as item--development was most frequently reported by states to be the largest ESEA assessment expense, followed by scoring. State officials in selected states reported that alternate assessments for students with disabilities were more costly than general population assessments. In addition, 19 states reported that assessment budgets had been reduced by state fiscal cutbacks. Cost and time pressures have influenced state decisions about assessment item type--such as multiple choice or open/constructed response--and content. States most often chose multiple choice items because they can be scored inexpensively within tight time frames resulting from the NCLBA requirement to release results before the next school year. State officials also reported facing trade-offs between efforts to assess highly complex content and to accommodate cost and time pressures. As an alternative to using mostly multiple choice, some states have developed practices, such as pooling resources from multiple states to take advantage of economies of scale, that let them reduce cost and use more open/constructed response items. Challenges facing states in their efforts to ensure valid and reliable assessments involved staff capacity, alternate assessments, and assessment security. State capacity to provide vendor oversight varied, both in terms of number of state staff and measurement-related expertise. Also, states have been challenged to ensure validity and reliability for alternate assessments. In addition, GAO identified several gaps in assessment security policies that were not addressed in Education's review process for overseeing state assessments that could affect validity and reliability. An Education official said that assessment security was not a focus of its review. The review process was developed before recent efforts to identify assessment security best practices. Education has provided assistance to states, but issues remain with communication during the review process. Education provided assistance in a variety of ways, and states reported that they most often used written guidance and Education-sponsored meetings and found these helpful. However, Education's review process did not allow states to communicate with reviewers during the process to clarify issues, which led to miscommunication. In addition, state officials were in some cases unclear about what review issues they were required to address because Education did not identify for states why its decisions differed from the reviewers' written comments.

Read report here: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/12812895/No-Child-Left-Behind-Act-Enhancements-in-the-Department-of-Educations-Review-Process-Could-Improve-State-Academic-Assessments

Or go to the GAO web site: http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-911

GAO-09-911 September 24, 2009
Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 58 pages) Accessible Text Recommendations (HTML)

Where is Data Driving Us?

Living in Dialogue

Where is Data Driving Us?

Many of our schools these days are guided by a business school practice known as Data-Driven Decision-Making (DDDM). This approach means that we do not base decisions on whim or convenience, but rather rely on actual student achievement outcomes to guide us. The first step in this process is determining which data we actually care about. That key decision has been made for us in the public schools by the mandates of NCLB. The data that matter most are student test scores in language arts and math. Data-Driven Decision-Making means we then must make choices that will increase those scores.

The term "Data-Driven Decision-Making" has a sort of value-neutral, rational sound to it. It means we are basing our choices on facts, that we are willing to make tough choices in the interest of student achievement. That should be good news, right?

But the choices that are made actually do carry value judgments, and I am not sure that we are considering all the relevant data when we make these decisions.

Teacher Magazine: More Ind. Teachers Take Nontraditional Path to Class

Teacher Magazine: More Ind. Teachers Take Nontraditional Path to Class:

"INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An increasing number of teachers without traditional education degrees are poised to enter Indiana's classrooms.
Supporters argue that such teachers bring expertise in subject areas that education schools don't always provide. But critics question whether they're equipped to handle special cases such as helping children who struggle with reading.

The programs are enjoying strong political support from Gov. Mitch Daniels, a Republican, and President Barack Obama, a Democrat."

Teacher Magazine: Why Good Teaching Matters

Teacher Magazine: Why Good Teaching Matters:

"“Mrs. McDowell was the kind of teacher whose influence permeated everything—my quest for knowledge, my understanding of history, my place in the world,” Jennifer shared with me recently. “She helped teach me to question what I thought I knew as well as what others told me. She inspired my curiosity. She believed in me, which pushed me to always strive to be the best student and person I could be.”

What better testimony to quality and effectiveness could any teacher hope for? Though we saw each other infrequently, Polly stayed in my heart and mind. I considered her a kindred spirit. I hoped my students admired me as much as Jennifer admired Mrs. McDowell."

Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook: The Online Option

Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook: The Online Option:

"Between the ringing bells and the regimented class periods, teachers have among the most structured of all careers. Their time for professional growth is equally prescribed, often being set by contracts, district policies, and even state law.

But imagine a teacher who finishes grading some papers, puts the children to bed, and at 9:30 p.m. logs on to an online module to learn new practices for differentiating instruction for his or her English-language-learner students."

Dianne Linderman -- Un-teaching Teachers

Dianne Linderman -- Un-teaching Teachers:

"When will we realize that all of our kids start out as passionate entrepreneurs, explorers, and adventurers who teach themselves how to walk and talk? What makes us believe that they are not capable of discovering education at its finest without the written rule that our teachers have been unknowingly harnessed with and have brought into America’s classrooms because they have been in a long line of teachers who have been taught by the same rule forever and ever."

Rally for labor pact

Rally for labor pact - SignOnSanDiego.com

CHULA VISTA — Hundreds of South County educators rallied outside Sweetwater Union High School District headquarters yesterday in an effort to pressure officials to settle an impasse in labor talks.

While district and union representatives met with a mediator in the boardroom, about 400 teachers, students and supporters chanted outside.

“What do we want?” they asked. “A contract!” the group yelled. “When do we want it? Now!”

The Sweetwater Education Association's 1,800 teachers have been working without a contract for about 15 months, prompting picketing and limiting work to contracted hours. Last month, nearly eight out of 10 teachers at Chula Vista Middle School called in sick in what a district official alleged was a “concerted activity” meant to put pressure on the district in its negotiations with the union.

Class sizes are at the heart of the dispute.