Digital School Library Leaves Book Stacks Behind : NPR

Digital School Library Leaves Book Stacks Behind : NPR:

"An elite boarding school in Ashburnham, Mass., just spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on renovating its library. But Cushing Academy wasn't just redoing its walls and carpets. The school is getting rid of the actual, physical books in favor of going digital.

And the move — thought to be the first of its kind in the country — is worrying some librarians and book lovers."

Bill on mayoral control could affect hiring of MPS superintendent - JSOnline

Bill on mayoral control could affect hiring of MPS superintendent - JSOnline:

"The search for the next superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools is about to collide with the fight over mayoral governance, now that lawmakers are putting the final touches on legislation that would allow Milwaukee's mayor to lead the system and appoint the superintendent.

The application deadline for would-be superintendents is Nov. 19, and School Board members aren't slowing down their search.

'We're taking the search day by day and proceeding until we get notice to do otherwise,' School Board President Michael Bonds said last week. 'We're still in charge.'"

The Signal - Santa Clarita Valley News - Public education is a liberal value

The Signal - Santa Clarita Valley News - Public education is a liberal value:

"'Educate and inform the whole mass of the people. ... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.'
-Thomas Jefferson

Now that our local elections are over for school and water board races, I believe it is prudent to reflect on how these races are conducted in our valley. They, like City Council races, are supposed to be non-partisan but clearly they are not."

As Tim Myers noted recently, there is a "Republican Machine" ("Is Boydston a game-changer?" Nov. 1) that controls the politics here. We even have our own "Karl Rove" in Santa Clarita Valley, master of dirty politics who orchestrates hit mailers, telephone smear campaigns and other tricks and ploys to make sure only those in the Machine are elected.

Lynn Vakay wrote before the election in "Right Here Right Now" who the Republican school board candidates were, strongly intimating that people should vote only for them because they espoused the Republican education platform which I read as a thinly disguised call for privatization, dismantling the public school system through systematic starvation, not educating "them" (immigrants) and vilifying public school unions. Vakay's attack on our public school system strikes me as odd since she is a public school teacher and enjoys a living wage, health care benefits and retirement because of her public school union. She clearly unveiled any attempt by the Machine to pretend these elections are "non-partisan."

Denver Daily - Colorado’s economy: We are not California

Denver Daily - Colorado’s economy: We are not California:

"For some reason I am on the mailing lists for some of the GOP candidates. (Of course after this column, I may get purged). It makes for interesting reading as you watch the contortions of truth and ideology.

For example, a recent essay written by a GOP gubernatorial candidate compared Colorado to California in terms of budgets and spending. His sniping remarks continue to remind us that he is young and relatively inexperienced in governance.

The economy is an issue in this country as we fight ourselves out of the cumulative mess of years of mismanagement. As I talk with my counterparts across the country, I know that Colorado has suffered far less than other states. But tell that to my neighbor who works at the Albertson’s in Lafayette. The store is closing. The same store we have been using for 15 years. And the grocery workers are looking for jobs."

Calif. Gov. Schwarzenegger Takes Action to Secure Available Recovery Act Funds for Early Childhood Education : Mon, 09 Nov 2009 : California Newswire™

Calif. Gov. Schwarzenegger Takes Action to Secure Available Recovery Act Funds for Early Childhood Education : Mon, 09 Nov 2009 : California Newswire™:

"SACRAMENTO /California Newswire/ — Building on his commitment to both high-quality early childhood education and bringing available American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funding to California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued Executive Order S-23-09 establishing the California State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care. This is the first step in making California eligible to compete for a share of $100 million in federal Head Start funds available through President Obama’s Recovery Act."

“A high-quality early childhood education is a critical building block in a student’s social and educational foundation,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “This action will help bring California funding to support our state’s high-quality preschool programs and help ensure our state’s neediest children will be prepared for success on their very first day of elementary school.”
The federal Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 requires that states establish State Advisory Councils in order to receive Head Start grants designed to increase collaboration among early childhood education providers. The Recovery Act provides grants of at least $500,000 to support states in establishing these councils and in developing statewide early childhood education plans. Following the Governor’s action today, California is expected to receive as much as $10.7 million over three years.

Funding applications must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by August 1, 2010, and must include an explanation of California’s strategy to improve coordination and collaboration among California’s Head Start agencies, preschool programs and other early childhood education providers. This enhanced coordination will help California expand access so that early childhood education providers can serve more needy children. The California State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care established today will plan-for and ensure California’s application process meets federal requirements and make the state competitive for the funds.

San Mateo Daily Journal

San Mateo Daily Journal:

"Halloween is a generally accepted idea in America including dressing in costumes.

But Lillian Meng and Caroline Zheng were a bit uncomfortable donning a Cat in the Hat and a chicken outfit respectively. The elementary school principals visiting from Shanghai were unsure of the reaction others would give, but were pleasantly surprised to see the outfits were commonplace on All Hallow’s Eve.

The experience is one of many the two women will have while working through Nov. 23 at College Park Elementary School in San Mateo as part of the Shanghai-California Principal Exchange Program. The program is put together through the partnership of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and the California School Boards Association. During that time, Meng and Zheng will work and live along side College Park Principal Diana Hallock while observing the way things run at the school, which offers a Mandarin immersion program"

Junk food is your responsibility. – A Quick Bite - The Lakeland Ledger - Lakeland, FL - Archive

Junk food is your responsibility. – A Quick Bite - The Lakeland Ledger - Lakeland, FL - Archive:

"A new study has found that advertising on childrens’ TV networks is far higher on ads for high-fat, high-sugar foods than on other networks.

The study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, put the figure at 76 percent.

Researchers at University of California Davis dissected ads on Saturday mornings and after-school hours on English and Spanish programs.

“Study after study has documented the adverse health effects of food advertising targeting children and adolscents,” they wrote."

English teacher at Bronx School of Law and Finance, Van Voorhis, suspended for assigning material to students about masturbation

English teacher at Bronx School of Law and Finance, Van Voorhis, suspended for assigning material to students about masturbation:

"The first rule about having an edgy English teacher is don't talk about your edgy English teacher.

A beloved city schoolteacher has been suspended by the Department of Education after giving his 11th-grade students a copy of a graphic short story about masturbation written by 'Fight Club' author Chuck Palahniuk.

Greg Van Voorhis, 30, handed out copies of Palahniuk's 'Guts' late last month to about 100 students studying for the English Regents exam at The Bronx School of Law and Finance in Marble Hill."

"While Van Voorhis took the copies back at the end of class, students blabbed about the ribald tale, and school officials soon caught wind of the lesson in self-love. "

"Schwartz stopped short of calling the story inappropriate but said he was required to act."

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/teacher_suspended_for_giving_self_nV6xCRYzrjDVUIZFbdXD2L#ixzz0WPtlh8HO

FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: Real Oklahoma Students Ace Citizenship Exam; Strategic Vision Survey Was Likely Fabricated

FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: Real Oklahoma Students Ace Citizenship Exam; Strategic Vision Survey Was Likely Fabricated:

"In detailing some of the evidence against Strategic Vision LLC, a pollster I am now almost certain is disreputable and fraudulent, I pointed in particular to a poll that they conducted on behalf of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, an conservative-leaning educational thinktank. The poll purported to show that Oklahoma's high school citizens were deficient in some of the most basic aspects of citizenship. Only 23 percent of them knew that George Washington was the first president, the poll claimed! Just 43 percent knew that the Democrats and Republicans are the two major political parties!"

These conclusions seemed dubious to me on their face. Several years ago, at my old consulting job, I participated in a project for the State of Ohio's public schools which involved sitting down in a third or fifth grade classroom for the better part of a day and seeing how the students were learning. Most of these observations took place in poor, post-industrial towns, which were still suffering the effects of the steel mill or the axle plant that had long ago left town. What struck me, most of all, was how smart the kids were, relative to my expectations. These kids might not have been the highest achievers -- but I'm pretty sure that more than 90 percent of them would have known who George Washington was. And these were third and fifth graders.

A Study on Parenting Beliefs and Behaviors

A Study on Parenting Beliefs and Behaviors

Harvard Dept. of Psychology Survey

Thanks for your interest in this online study of parenting beliefs and behaviors. NOTE: This study is for parents who have at least one child who is between the ages of 3 and 10 years of age. If you do not have a child in this age range, any responses you provide will not be analyzed. Please read the following page carefully so that you understand your rights. If you wish to proceed, you can do so by indicating that you consent to participate in this study (see bottom of page).

Survey Information

Purpose of the research: To understand the choices parents make about how to handle children's wrongdoings (e.g., behaviors like grabbing, pushing, and teasing).

What you will do in this research: If you decide to participate, you will complete this one survey. It takes about 10-15 minutes to complete the survey.

Risks: There are no anticipated risks associated with participating in this study.

Benefits: There are no direct benefits, but we hope that you will find it interesting to think about the questions in the survey.

Also, we will make the results of this study available to those who are interested.

Compensation: No pay is offered. However, later you will be given the chance to enter a drawing for one of four $50 Target gift cards. The gift card drawing will take place after 250 parents have participated in the survey.

Confidentiality: Your responses will be kept confidential. Your name will not be requested, your IP address will not be tracked, and it will be impossible to learn your identity with the data that are collected in this study. When research results are reported, responses will be described in summary. Again, the data collected for this study will not include any identifying information from you. Still, in order to ensure a respect for privacy, all data collected with this survey will be erased five years after data collection is complete.

Participation and withdrawal: Your participation is completely voluntary. You may skip questions that you prefer not to answer.

You may quit at any time during the survey by simply closing your web browser. If you decide to quit early, you may still enter the drawing for one of four Target gift cards.

The link for the drawing is here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=v_2bjEYAXIyCUQ1TUXIV_2bzsg_3d_3d

Contact: If you have questions or concerns about this research, please contact:

Craig Smith, Ed.D.

Phone: (617) 875-9469

33 Kirkland St., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

Email: cesmith@fas.harvard.edu

You may also contact the Harvard faculty member supervising this work: Paul L. Harris, harrispa@gse.harvard.edu

Whom to contact about your rights in this research, for questions, concerns, suggestions, or complaints that are not being addressed by the researcher, or research-related harm:

Jane Calhoun Harvard University Committee on the Use of Human Subjects in Research

1414 Massachusetts Avenue, Second Floor Cambridge, MA 02138

617-495-5459

jcalhoun@fas.harvard.edu

We suggest that you print or save a copy of the survey page for your records

http://harvard.psr.keysurvey.com/survey/276769/17b2/

Community Continues to Grapple With Rape - NYTimes.com

Community Continues to Grapple With Rape - NYTimes.com:

"As Richmond High School tried to absorb the wrenching reality of a gang rape of a student on school grounds, the predominant reactions — horror or sympathy or even fear — were understood by the school’s principal, Julio Franco."

But there was another reaction that Mr. Franco has difficulty processing: sentiments like those voiced by Fonz Leon, a junior, as he stood in the school parking lot one recent afternoon: “She got drunk one time and messed with the wrong crowd and provoked some dude and got raped, that’s it.”

Mr. Franco said: “Even girls said this was O.K. because she went on her own. I tell them, ‘What if this was your sister? What if this was your mom?’ Then they realize, ‘Oh.’ ”
It has been two weeks since a 16-year-old girl was raped after a homecoming dance by at least six young men in front of a group of onlookers. Yet reactions like Fonz’s linger. It is as if some of the virulent culture that gave rise to the attack itself, with all its cruelty and degradation, is defiantly asserting itself, despite efforts to contain it.

District Advisory Committee (DAC) meeting, November 10, 2009 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at the Serna Center.

Hello DAC Members & Interested Parties:

This is your friendly reminder that tomorrow is the District Advisory Committee (DAC) meeting, November 10, 2009 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at the Serna Center.

Dinner and childcare will be provided. Dinner will begin at 6:15pm.

Please read the minutes and check the spelling of your name. I was difficult to make out the handwriting. Also check if we missed anyone.

Wanda Yañez Chairperson
District Advisory Committee (DAC)
Sacramento City Unified School District
Work: (916) 654-7729

About the CSPC

About the CSPC:

"Vision

People in the Sacramento Region have information, resources and opportunities to improve the quality of life for themselves, their families and their communities.

Mission Statement

To help people turn ideas into community action through information, planning, civic engagement and advocacy for human needs in the Sacramento Region."

Strategic Goals

To enable the people of the Sacramento Region access to and use of community resources through quality information and referral services.
To transform people and communities through volunteer service and civic engagement.
To enhance public dialogue and decision-making by providing factual information and reports and offering people the opportunity to study and influence public policy.
To improve individual and community conditions through planning, services coordination, program development and coalition building.
To enhance the capability of the organization by building strong leadership, developing discretionary resources, and planning for the future.

CSPC Values
1. Commitment to community and involvement of a broad and diverse constituency
2. Comprehensive perspective reflected in decisions and actions
3. Inclusive decision-making that strives for consensus
4. Diverse viewpoints respected and encouraged in decisions and actions
5. Positive working relationships with all sectors of the community
6. Objective data and information used to support decisions and action
7. Focus on systems change and sustainable, long-term solutions
8. Principled leadership producing measurable results

Center for American Progress

Support the Center for American Progress

Today's Cartoon: It's Time to Innovate

A state-by-state report card on educational innovation from CAP, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Frederick M. Hess of the American Enterprise Institute.
More: Leaders and Laggards

EdSource | Multiple Pathways in California: An Emerging Option for High School Reform

EdSource Multiple Pathways in California: An Emerging Option for High School Reform:

PDF Download $6 Add to Cart (Download)

"High schools are the culmination of the K-12 education experience. But how can high schools keep their students motivated, prepare them well to pursue further academics or careers, and ensure that all students have equal access to a quality education?

One approach to meeting these goals challenges the very nature of the traditional high school curriculum. Currently known as 'multiple pathways,' this approach strives to make high school a more engaging and effective experience for students by integrating academics and career technical education, building partnerships between schools and communities, and providing academic and other support services.

This EdSource report describes California’s efforts to more broadly implement the multiple pathways approach, which is already being explored in earnest by several large school districts in California. The report also addresses critical questions about the potential of this reform effort.

Highlights in this report:

The multiple pathways approach attempts to better engage and prepare high school students by integrating academic and career education.
A number of pathway models—such as Partnership Academies—offer high school alternatives that have demonstrated some success.

Several initiatives are exploring practices and policies that could bring pathway programs to more students and ensure their quality.
The pathways option holds promise; but to bring it to scale, reformers must address implementation issues and differing views regarding educational goals for students."

Other Reports on Mulitple Pathways:

Multiple Perspectives on Multiple Pathways Pipelines, Pathways, and Payoffs:

Economic Challenges and Returns toChanging Demographics in California

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/5648663/Multiple-Perspectives-on-Multiple-Pathways-Pipelines-Pathways-and-PayoffsEconomic-Challenges-and-Returns-toChanging-Demographics-in-California

Multiple Perspectives on Multiple Pathways Restructuring and Reculturing Schoolsto Provide Students withMultiple Pathways to College and Career

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/5648669/Multiple-Perspectives-on-Multiple-Pathways-Restructuring-and-Reculturing-Schoolsto-Provide-Students-withMultiple-Pathways-to-College-and-Career

A Fact Sheet on Multiple Pathways

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/5802848/A-Fact-Sheet-on-Multiple-Pathways

Datos Básicos Sobre Multiple Pathways

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/5802847/Datos-Básicos-Sobre-Multiple-Pathways

What's Really up With Online Study Scholarships? -- baltimoresun.com

What's Really up With Online Study Scholarships? -- baltimoresun.com:

"DEAR JOYCE: I must have landed on an Internet marketing list, because I receive so many e-mails pitching my chances to win a scholarship to an online college. Like: 'Hey, mom, apply for a full-tuition scholarship, earn your degree and have a career!' Are these scholarships for real? -- B.R.

A few people will win these scholarships, but the advertised financial-aid awards are really hooks cast by companies in the lead-aggregation industry. They're marketing ploys.

Notice that virtually all the schools offering these scholarships are for-profit colleges. Higher-education experts tell me that on average, online for-profit colleges cost three times more than online nonprofit colleges."

Here' the inside story. Lead-generating marketers require scholarship seekers to provide their personal information on a scholarship application -- in reality, a "lead form." The marketers aggregate the forms and sell them to participating schools at a price of up to $100 per qualified lead. It's little wonder that you're receiving so many scholarship pitches.The next step happens when scholarship hopefuls are contacted by sales reps under the guise of following up on a "scholarship application."

Community Journalism at it's Best Sacramento Press Workshops

Community Journalism at it's Best

Hello Sac Press readers,

Thanks so much for contributing to our site, whether it be reading the stories, commenting, or writing your very own articles.For the month of November, we have a couple of workshops to look forward to.

Tuesday, Nov. 17 we will have a Intro to Photography workshop taught by Anthony Bento. We will serve food at 6:30 p.m. and the workshop will begin at 6:45 and end around 8.

Bento has a B.A in film and digital media from UC Santa Cruz, where he photographed and reported on the 2004 presidential campaign and other political events. He has also worked as a product photographer in New York City and here in Sacramento as a freelance photojournalist for Sacramento News & Review, and as a community contributor to the Sacramento Press.

Bring your own camera so we can look at the various settings and help you take better photos. Bento will go over the basics of photography, including the rule of thirds, confidence and lighting. He will answer any of your individual questions about taking photos and can give you tips based on what kind of camera you use.

A big part of journalism is photography, and we want to motivate you to take more photos to supplement your stories.Later this month, we'll also have a workshop on Facebook and how to utilize it for both business and personal fun. Check your e-mail for that invitation in the next week.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107 in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks. If you are facing Starbucks, go around the building to the left and you'll see our Sac Press sign out front.We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $1.50 per half hour and we cannot cover the cost of parking.

If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.Please RSVP by clicking on the RSVP button below.If you have any trouble finding our office, you can give us a call at (916) 443-5403.Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Join us at: Sacramento Press431 I Street, Suite 107Sacramento, CA

Google Map & Directions >

RSVP to reserve your spot : journalism@sacramentopress.com

La Raza Network Meeting November 11

La Raza Network Meeting November 11

Our meeting is still on for November 11, 2009.

Please be sure to come and discuss the status of our organization. We will have a full agenda, so please arrive on time. Agendas will be available at the meeting.

Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Place: Voter Registration Office at

7000 65th StreetSacramento, CA 95823 Southgate Shopping Center

Map it with google:
7000 65th St
Sacramento, CA 95823

Thanks. Teresa

Revise the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)

The California Department of Education (CDE) is currently in the process of revising the Guide and Template for the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) and would like your input. Improving academic performance and ensuring equity of achievement of all students is the top priority of the education system in California.

The California Education Code (EC) sections 41507, 41572, and 64001 and the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) require each school to consolidate school planning requirements into the SPSA for all programs funded through the Consolidated Application, ESEA Program Improvement, the School and Library Improvement Block Grant, Economic Impact Aid (EIA), the Pupil Retention Block Grant, and the Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA) into the SPSA. EC section 11502 requires the integration of parent involvement programs into the school plan.

It is very important to the CDE that all interested stakeholders have an opportunity to provide input. The CDE will be conducting this revision process over the next few months.

The current Guide and Template for the SPSA can be viewed on the CDE SPSA Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/nclb/sr/le/singleplan.asp.

Please e-mail your comments and recommendations to spsa@cde.ca.gov before November 30, 2009.

Educated Guess » Blaming the state is losing parcel tax strategy

Educated Guess » Blaming the state is losing parcel tax strategy:

"Denouncing Sacramento for a school district’s financial troubles may be satisfying — and valid – but it’s a poor strategy for convincing voters to pass a parcel tax, according to pollsters who surveyed voters in Santa Clara County last month. Their advice to school trustees looking to a parcel tax to help survive the bleak next few years: Don’t whine and don’t scapegoat.
It won’t cut it to blame the state for your district’s financial troubles. Instead, convince voters that you have a plan to improve core academic programs.

The pollsters’ conclusion, that passing a parcel tax would be tough but doable, follows last Tuesday’s election in which seven of 11 parcel taxes passed statewide. Parcel taxes in two districts got less than the requisite two-thirds majority but more than the 55 percent threshold that Sen. Joe Simitian is proposing with a stalled proposed constitutional amendment SCA 6. (Only parcel taxes in Long Beach and Oxnard failed to get even majority support.)

EMC Research of Oakland and TBWB Strategies of San Francisco surveyed 900 likely voters in 2010. Their message is counterintuitive: It might seem obvious to stress the severe impact on programs of further cuts in state aid.

But dire warnings, Janet Bernstein of EMC and Jared Boigon of TBWB said, tend to reinforce negative impressions of schools, particularly among the 76 percent of voters without kids in public schools. In the survey, 49 percent of voters said that state budget cuts were not the real of problem with education quality, compared with 38 percent who recent cuts have “severely impacted” local schools."