Duncan Urges ‘More Active’ Business Role in Education Overhaul - Bloomberg.com

Duncan Urges ‘More Active’ Business Role in Education Overhaul - Bloomberg.com:

"Nov. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who is using $100 billion in stimulus funds to overhaul public schools and expand access to college, urged U.S. businesses to play a “more active” role in the effort.

“You can invest in education, because it’s the best return on investment you will ever make,” Duncan said in prepared remarks for a speech today at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington. “You can help train administrators to run schools efficiently. You can give young people work experience -- both paid and unpaid.”"

Lessons for LAUSD -- latimes.com

Lessons for LAUSD -- latimes.com:

"It's hard to imagine a more trying time for students and teachers at the Los Angeles Unified School District. Even more difficult is determining how much of the current woe was brought on by the district itself and how much reflects the vagaries of demographics, politics and the economy."

Consider the dismal budget year, the large-scale layoffs and the declining population of school-age students, then add to these troubles the students lost to charter schools and the resulting reduction in public school funding from the state. Enrollment in charters doesn't happen in smooth, predictable ways; it's not like an entire class from one school moves to another, with a resulting loss of one teacher position. Instead, it's a few from one school, a few from another, in scattered grades, and suddenly none of those schools can afford all of their teachers. And the students who move to charters aren't usually the most challenging ones to educate; those students tend to remain in the public schools.

That's how the district ended up with situations like the one at Mulholland Middle School, reported on last week by Times staff writer Howard Blume. The Van Nuys school has lost 100 students and 10 teachers. Its teachers and administrators took on heavy new workloads to reduce the number of layoffs. Students feel the pain too, in the form of more restricted course offerings and larger class sizes.

Dan Walters: It's time for a hard look at California tax dodges - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

Dan Walters: It's time for a hard look at California tax dodges - Sacramento Politics - California Politics Sacramento Bee:

"Last June, the Public Policy Institute of California released a highly critical report on California's 'enterprise zone' program that provides big tax breaks to businesses for supposedly hiring workers in areas of high unemployment.

PPIC's study of the 42 zones, which are created by local governments with approval from the state Department of Housing and Community Development, concluded that state and local governments were losing about a half-billion dollars in revenue each year without any discernible impact on joblessness.

'The state can ill-afford to continue the to continue the enterprise zone program without clearer evidence of its benefits or a well-defined plan to make it more effective," said Jed Kolko, co-author of the PPIC study. "

Kids' latest aerosol of choice

Kids' latest aerosol of choice:

"The popularity of the personal computer is having an odd and dangerous side-effect.

'Huffing,' using inhalants to get high, has been known to health practitioners and police for decades, but an article in the current issue of Medtox Journal, published by a drug-testing company, reports that a relatively new form of inhalant abuse called 'dusting' is becoming widespread. It's the practice of inhaling products made to dust off your computer screen, products easily available in office supply and department stores."

The effects of "dusting" are similar in some ways to alcohol intoxication, but the high occurs quickly and wears off within minutes. "Dusters" might spray up to 10 times an hour, inhaling through the thin plastic straw provided with the can. Repeated inhalations can damage the lungs, brain, liver, heart and kidneys. Irreversible hearing loss and brain damage may occur.

High levels of inhalants can cause death by suffocation or heart failure. Children have been found dead with a plastic tube dangling from their lips, victims of "sudden sniffing death," which is possible even after a single session of "dusting."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/08/EDMH1AAQNT.DTL#ixzz0WN004uSU

Massachusetts charter school conflict, it's all about the money

Massachusetts charter school conflict, it's all about the money:

"The debate continues between Gloucester and the State of Massachusetts over the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School. This debate began the moment that the charter school's application became public and will not end until the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education makes a final decision on revoking the charter they granted back May 7,2009.

On Saturday the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education held a special meeting to determine if they should revoke the charter and if so, exactly what basis they needed. This is not simple because of the laws that are in place to protect charter schools from losing their charter."

Tempest over a teacup's worth of federal funding for schools - San Jose Mercury News

Tempest over a teacup's worth of federal funding for schools - San Jose Mercury News:

"Into the kettle that is California's $35.7 billion education budget, Uncle Sam may offer to pour a teacup's worth of specialized stimulus funds to help the most struggling schools.

But to hear the rhetoric as the state tries to grab a share of so-called Race to the Top funds, the teacup might as well be a barrel. Behind the brouhaha is the Obama administration's attempt to not only overhaul failing schools, but also to change how educators confront failure, placing responsibility on teachers, administrators and school boards.

The draft regulations announced for Race to the Top 'challenge the status quo in almost every way,' Ted Mitchell, chair of the state Board of Education, said approvingly. Other supporters include Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Senate Democrats, including Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, who authored a bill that spells out reforms for low-performing schools, such as permitting takeovers by outside groups and allowing children to transfer elsewhere. Romero is sponsoring an informational hearing today in San Jose to discuss Race to the Top."

Gay marriage foes win with message about schools :: EDGE Boston

Gay marriage foes win with message about schools :: EDGE Boston:

"In Maine and California, voters were besieged with ad images of what would supposedly happen if same-sex marriage were legal: students going on a field trip to a lesbian wedding, elementary school kids reading books featuring gay couples, kindergartners learning about homosexuality from their teachers - all without any say from parents.

Critics assailed the messages as blatantly misleading fear-mongering.

'It’s drawing on the fears of the unknown,' said Sandy Maisel, director of the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement at Maine’s Colby College. 'There’s no evidence that it’s going to happen, but there’s very clear evidence that it’s an effective campaign tactic.'

Gay marriage opponents discovered the effectiveness in last year’s successful effort to pass Proposition 8 to outlaw gay marriage in California."

The Gouverneur Times - Your Online News Source

The Gouverneur Times - Your Online News Source:

"What is going on with our children?

In one high school in Palo Alto, Calif., four teenagers, acting separately, killed themselves recently by stepping in front of a train.

And who wasn't stunned by the recent reports, also from California, about a group of 20 high school kids either participating in or standing around watching the brutal two-hour-long gang rape of one of their female classmates? The attack took place outside Richmond High School during the homecoming dance. Not one person bothered to call 911. Police are still struggling to identify those involved."

Class Acts: A Q&A with Dave Fry - Local - Modbee.com

Class Acts: A Q&A with Dave Fry - Local - Modbee.com:

"Jordan Stroud nominated Dave Fry for Class Acts. Stroud said that when he was at Argus High School he could tell just by listening to Fry that he cared about the students. Fry isn't there just for a job, he is there to help a younger generation find a better future, Stroud said.

Name: Dave Fry"

The Associated Press: Industry pushes chocolate milk in schools

The Associated Press: Industry pushes chocolate milk in schools:

"MILWAUKEE — The creators of the 'Got Milk?' campaign are getting ready to make a big push to keep chocolate milk on kids' minds and on school lunch menus, a plan that has some educators and obesity activists none too pleased.

The new ad campaign from the dairy industry, set to launch Monday, emphasizes that sugary flavorings are ways to get kids to drink milk. Without them, some youngsters won't drink regular milk and won't get its nutrients, the ads say.

The 'Raise your hand for chocolate milk' campaign starts Monday with an ad in USA Today featuring chocolatey brown colors and the launch of a Web site that asks people to sign a petition declaring their support for chocolate milk in school."

Forget about rating teachers---rate schools instead. - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education

Forget about rating teachers---rate schools instead. - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education:

"Those unfortunate people in the District may worry about the quality of their teachers, and wait anxiously for the results of the school system’s controversial new evaluation of classroom techniques and test score improvement. But those of us in the Washington area suburbs don’t have to worry because we already know that close to 100 percent of our teachers are entirely satisfactory. How? Our school districts say so.

I asked suburban school officials to share the latest results from their teacher evaluations, which are usually done by principals and subject specialists. Here are the percentages of teachers rated satisfactory, in some cases called meeting or exceeding the standard: Alexandria 99 percent, Calvert 99.8 percent, Charles 98.4 percent, Culpeper 97 percent, Fairfax 99.1 percent, Falls Church 99.55 percent, Loudoun 99 percent, Montgomery 95 percent, Prince George’s 95.56 percent, and Prince William 98.3 percent."

'Cult' program in NYC schools

'Cult' program in NYC schools:

"Thousands of city public-school students and teachers are participating in a 'Brain Education' program run by a group with ties to an alleged cult.

For the past three years, the Department of Education has shelled out nearly $400,000 for 44 schools to participate in the Power Brain Education company's lessons and workshops.
But dozens of former employees of an organization called Dahn Yoga -- whose founder developed the teachings for Brain Education -- said the school program is run by a group that is part of a vast web of interrelated companies conning participants into investing all their time and money in unproven health and healing activities."

The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea - Korean-American School Reformer Engaged to Former NBA Star

The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea - Korean-American School Reformer Engaged to Former NBA Star:

"Michelle Rhee, the Korean-American chancellor of the Washington, D.C. public school system, is engaged to former NBA star and current Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.

Rhee gained fame and controversy for her tough-minded reforms of the city's school system, which involved laying off hundreds of teachers in 2008, including the principal of her daughter's school. Johnson was a point guard for the Phoenix Suns from the late 1980s to the late 1990s."

JOSE DE LA ISLA: The Hoover or Roosevelt of education » Standard-Times

JOSE DE LA ISLA: The Hoover or Roosevelt of education » Standard-Times:

"This is no small question. Marc Tucker, in the same publication, points out that the United States has one of the highest-cost, lowest-performing education systems in the industrial world. He focuses on better teachers being put in charge, in a similar way that doctors run hospitals. He champions a new system that is, mercifully, not called “reform” but “redesign.”
The old matrix of looking at how much money is to be spent is a deceptive measure because we allocate twice as much to secondary education.

Measuring high school graduates, we slide to 18th among the 36 industrialized nations, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. But why expect anything different when our public education was intended for an industrial society that is passing from the scene? Tucker calls it a “dysfunctional design.”

Many Latino advocacy groups and individuals have been either on the wrong side of this debate or they are not up to speed with cutting-edge thinking. This matters because they will soon be invited to the policy casino and asked to turn their nearly 70 percent vote for Obama into chips to play administration poker."

Mogul: How public education changed - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News

Mogul: How public education changed - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News:

"Forty years ago this month, the Task Force on Children out of School held its first meeting to investigate the on-the-street evidence of many children not attending the Boston Public Schools. The Task Force was a citizen-driven body, led by Hubie Jones (then executive director of the Roxbury Multi-Service Center) but it also had the blessing and participation of key city and state officials.

One year later, on Oct. 14, 1970, headlines blared throughout the city of a newly uncovered scandal. Ten thousand or more children were either being systematically excluded from Boston's public education system or warehoused in classrooms or schools that provided inferior or custodial care. The bulk of these children were Spanish-speaking, mainly from Puerto Rico. Thousands were misclassified as mentally retarded. Others had behavior problems too difficult to handle or had been branded as 'unteachable' because of their physical handicaps or other disabilities. Some were girls who had been barred from school simply because they had become pregnant."

Suozzi wants control of schools, wins criticism

Suozzi wants control of schools, wins criticism:

"A proposal by Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi for the executive to control school districts was dismissed out of hand by superintendents and local politicians Saturday.

In an op-ed piece in Newsday Sunday, Suozzi argues Tuesday's election convinced him that the county executive should be in charge of public schools.

Democrat Suozzi, whose re-election race against Republican Edward Mangano will be decided by more than 6,000 absentee ballots, said he believes voters blame him for Nassau's high property taxes even though schools account for 65 percent of their bill.

He suggests using Mayor Michael Bloomberg's takeover of the New York City school system in 2002 as a model for Nassau to achieve savings, though he acknowledges the move needs state approval. 'I'm sure this will be the beginning of a long debate,' Suozzi said Saturday. 'I encourage others to present additional ideas on how to address our property tax problem.'"

A year after election, Obama focuses on schools - Political Intelligence - A national political and campaign blog from The Boston Globe - Boston.com

A year after election, Obama focuses on schools - Political Intelligence - A national political and campaign blog from The Boston Globe - Boston.com:

"Speaking one year to the day he was elected, President Obama this afternoon used the anniversary to call for 'a national mission' to improve public education and build it into a pillar -- along with an overhauled health care system and clean energy jobs -- of the new economy.

'One year ago, Americans all across this country went to the polls and cast ballots for the future they wanted to see. Election Day was a day of hope, it was a day of possibility, but it was also a sobering one because we knew even then that we faced an array of challenges that would test us as a country. We had a financial crisis that threatened to plunge our economy into a Great Depression, the worst we had seen in generations. We had record deficits, two wars, frayed alliances around the world,' Obama said at Wright Middle School in Madison, Wisc."

An immediate impact, a lifelong example | Delawareonline.com | The News Journal

An immediate impact, a lifelong example Delawareonline.com The News Journal:

"WILMINGTON -- Nine-year-old Abdullah Brown, wearing his Bancroft Elementary uniform, was munching on fries and chicken nuggets at McDonald's recently when two teenage boys in sagging pants and T-shirts slid into a nearby booth."

They recognized Abdullah from the neighborhood.

"Where's your father?" one of the teenagers said to the boy, taunting him.

"I don't know, in jail," Abdullah said, staring down at his chicken nuggets. His father has been in and out of prison most of Abdullah's life.

As Abdullah tried to disappear into the seat, an arm slid around his shoulder, bringing a slight smile to his face.

The teens, failing to get a rise out of Abdullah, stood up and left the restaurant.

It was a small gesture, but it meant the world to Abdullah.

The arm did not belong to a relative or a neighbor, but to Maurice Pritchett, a retired educator who has been making a difference with Wilmington youth for 40 years, first as a teacher, then as the 30-year principal at Bancroft, where he now mentors Abdullah.

"I want him to know that just because his dad is in jail doesn't mean that he doesn't have anyone," Pritchett said later. "He has me."

Pritchett, 67, grew up on the city's east side without a father. When he wasn't in school, he spent his time playing basketball at the Walnut Street YMCA. As an adolescent, he had attitude problems.

South Bend Tribune: No Parent Left Behind: Federal money expanding efforts in South Bend schools

South Bend Tribune: No Parent Left Behind: Federal money expanding efforts in South Bend schools:

"It's part of a two-year effort at the South Bend Community School Corp. to tackle one of the most daunting challenges of students who fall behind: How do you get their parents more involved?

Henson is paid with federal stimulus money in the district's new Helping Hands program, which this fall began hiring parents of struggling students in various jobs at 11 of its Title I schools, which contain large numbers of poor kids. For $10 an hour, parents help up to 20 hours a week in the cafeteria, at recess, in the classroom, whatever is needed.

'By osmosis, they will learn how the school works,' says James Husband, program coordinator.

Deeper lessons, though, come from a partner program that's also fueled by stimulus money, Parent University, where parents at the same schools learn to help their children learn.

'We believe parents care; they just don't know how to help,' says Husband, who'd served as assistant principal at Jefferson and Marshall intermediate centers."

West Seattle Blog… » Drawing a line: West Seattle parents air school-boundary concerns

West Seattle Blog… » Drawing a line: West Seattle parents air school-boundary concerns:

"“You’re taking something that’s actually working and breaking it.”

That critique of the latest proposed Seattle Public Schools attendance-area maps came from one of the two dozen-plus people who attended School Board rep Steve Sundquist’s community meeting Saturday afternoon at High Point Library.

Sundquist has this type of meeting monthly, as do other members, with no agenda except Q/A with whomever shows up, but he’s made them more frequent as the board approaches a scheduled vote on the attendance maps (and in fact his next one is just hours before that vote).

Several in the room Saturday afternoon wanted to discuss the concern reported here Friday night - the observation that the newest revision to the West Seattle attendance-areas map seems to draw a sharp line largely following West Seattle’s north-south economic divide, with the feeder-school list for Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth High School dominated by those with more students from lower-income families, while the feeder-school list for Madison Middle School and West Seattle High School is dominated by those with more students from higher-income families."