Friday, December 11, 2009
Report Shows 70% of California Public Universities Violate Speech Laws | California Progress Report
AB 2581 (2006) made California the first state in the nation to specifically prohibit censorship of college student press and explicitly granted free speech rights to students. SB 1370 (2008) further protects school employees from retaliation for assisting students in exercising such speech rights.
Although California may lead the nation in providing legal protections for student speech rights, a report released this week showed nearly 70 percent of our public universities are violating state law or the US Constitution through policies restricting free expression."
San Juan trustees vote to close two schools - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee
"San Juan Unified School District trustees on Tuesday unanimously voted to close Garfield Elementary and Sierra Nueva High School.
District staff had recommended closing the two schools to save $626,000.
Students attending Garfield Elementary would be reassigned to Carmichael, Cameron Park, Starr King, Deterding and Pasadena elementary schools next school year. Students at Sierra Nueva would be reassigned to Encina Preparatory High School."
District staff had recommended closing the two schools to save $626,000.
Students attending Garfield Elementary would be reassigned to Carmichael, Cameron Park, Starr King, Deterding and Pasadena elementary schools next school year. Students at Sierra Nueva would be reassigned to Encina Preparatory High School."
The People Speak Story - History.com - Dr. Howard Zinn, Matt Damon, Chris Moore
The People Speak Story - History.com - Dr. Howard Zinn, Matt Damon, Chris Moore
Premiering Sunday December 13, 8/7c
The People Speak Story
By Dr. Libby H. O'Connell for HISTORY Magazine
Author, historian, teacher, activist, and now television producer Dr. HowardZinn is a man on a mission. He wants Americans to recognize the power of protest in shaping their country's history. Along with executive producers Matt Damon, Chris Moore, Josh Brolin, and Anthony Arnove, he is moving his message from high schools and college campuses to film and, later this year, to HISTORY.Zinn, 87, has been a history professor for most of his professional career, and in the lecture hall and in his writings, particularly his very popular A People's History of the United States, he espouses history "from the ground up" in an articulate and engaging way. If our textbooks present the story of America only through the eyes of its generals and presidents, Zinn argues, it gives "a distorted view of the past." Certainly he provides a powerful counterbalance to the hero-centric approach of traditional textbooks. In 2004 Zinn joined with Dr. Anthony Arnove to publish a collection of primary source documents titled Voices of a People's History of the United States, an academic bestseller on college and high school campuses. The materials range across the length of American history and feature letters, petitions, poems, speeches, and songs from "women and slaves, immigrants and youth, soldiers and students."
Zinn and Arnove began to organize public performances of selections from Voices in 2003, before its official release, when A People's History of the United States sold its 1 millionth copy (it has now surpassed the 2 million mark). Today, Voices brings alive the words and emotions of the past with songs and dramatic readings performed by well-established artists. At a presentation this past May celebrating the publication of A Young People's History of the United States in New York City, seven performers gave new life to the words of famous dissenters — such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Frederick Douglass, and Martin Luther King Jr. — and lesser known, but equally stirring, voices from the past.
Acclaimed actor Tim Robbins gave a stirring rendition of Eugene Debs' 1918 Canton, Ohio, speech that resonated spectacularly with the audience, who were on their feet cheering. And Shontina Vernon, a transplanted Texan turned Brooklynite, sang "Strange Fruit," originally a 1937 poem by Abel Meeropol titled "Bitter Fruit" and first recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. A Bronx schoolteacher, Meeropol had written the poem after seeing the gruesome photograph of two lynched teenagers:
Southern trees bear a strange fruit,
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black body swinging in the Southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black body swinging in the Southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.
The evening was introduced and narrated by Dr. Zinn. The enthusiastic audience left hungry for more. They seemed surprised by the level of their own personal engagement and excited by what they had witnessed.
It is performances like this in theaters around the country that inspired the latest incarnation of Zinn's work, The People Speak. Scheduled to air on HISTORY in December 2009, the film weaves archival footage and interviews with performances by actors and artists such as Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Kerry Washington, Viggo Mortensen, Danny Glover, Marisa Tomei, Bruce Springsteen, and John Legend. The network will also produce more than 24 short videos from The People Speak, available at HISTORY.com and through distributors' video-on-demand platforms.
The performers' commitment to Zinn's message makes this a labor of love. "Change doesn't come from the top, but rather from the bottom," Damon observes. "Without everyday citizens pushing to make a difference, there would be no America." It is Damon who reads the Declaration of Independence, surely one of the great protest documents in history.
Rather than being set in stone, the United States remains a project in formation. The People Speak presents a view of American history in motion, telling the stories of ordinary men and women who have defined democracy through their powerful words and actions. The film traces the stories and experiences of everyday Americans through their own words, emphasizing the idea that democracy is not a spectator sport. It is achieved through the efforts of all citizens who have pushed the nation to live up to promises of the Declaration of Independence.
In the film, actor Morgan Freeman gives a dramatic reading of one of the great speeches in American history — "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro," delivered by Frederick Douglass in 1852:
What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery.
Howard Zinn has dedicated his career to engaging Americans of all ages in this conversation. Through books, the stage, his website, his non-profit organization, and now this film on HISTORY, he emphasizes the impact of dissenters and activists who have shaped our nation's story. It took protest and struggle to achieve much of America's social progress. People who are intrinsic to our country's narrative, remind us that protest, in fact, is as American as apple pie.
The People Speak is executive produced by Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Chris Moore, Anthony Arnove, and Howard Zinn. For HISTORY, David McKillop and Russ McCarroll are the executive producers. It is scheduled to air on HISTORY in December. Check your local listings for exact date and time. Dr. Libby H. O'Connell is senior vice president for outreach and chief historian for A&E Television Networks.
Caleb Greenwood Flapjack 5k and Short Stack Fun Runs - Sacramento, CA
Caleb Greenwood Flapjack 5k and Short Stack Fun Runs - Sacramento, CA
![[LOGO] Flapjack 5k and Short Stack Fun Run](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vGAExYBjg0uGUR3sHqRJFBYoVYMMqwPf9d6SYO6q3f7CeOLMKuUP8Y1w_m9UIB27t7uCkMOeqsPrrztdXalvGSCfdlFPhVRrmYTZfshQ=s0-d "Click here to return to the home page.") | Caleb Greenwood Flapjack 5k & Short Stack Kids' 1/4 and 1/2 Mile Runs Saturday, December 12, 2009 Sacramento, CA TO BENEFIT THE STUDENTS OF CALEB GREENWOOD SCHOOL |
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Education Week: The Hole in 'Race to the Top'
"It seems almost peevish to criticize U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s game-changing Race to the Top plan that dangles $4 billion in new competitive-grant funding before states willing to reform their schools. But in truth, the plan has a hole that eventually will surface. Might as well be peevish now.
First, it should be conceded that Duncan has a great idea, rewarding states willing to undertake reforms such as launching high-quality charter schools (while closing bad ones) and using data to evaluate teacher effectiveness. The excitement over the plan is palpable, with states reversing laws that blocked those reforms. How often does that happen?"
Education Week: New Teacher-Evaluation Systems Face Obstacles
Education Week: New Teacher-Evaluation Systems Face Obstacles:
"Buoyed by the promise of federal funding and a burgeoning dialogue about teacher effectiveness, districts are beginning to overhaul their evaluation systems to provide more finely grained information on teacher performance.
Among the places considering, piloting, or implementing teacher-evaluation systems based at least in part on a set of performance-based standards are Ann Arbor, Mich.; Chicago; the District of Columbia; Elgin and Rockford, Ill.; Prince George’s County, Md.; and select districts in states such as Idaho, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
But as those school districts scale up their work, they face a phalanx of obstacles, the greatest of which is probably the paucity of highly regarded models to draw on."
Among the places considering, piloting, or implementing teacher-evaluation systems based at least in part on a set of performance-based standards are Ann Arbor, Mich.; Chicago; the District of Columbia; Elgin and Rockford, Ill.; Prince George’s County, Md.; and select districts in states such as Idaho, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
But as those school districts scale up their work, they face a phalanx of obstacles, the greatest of which is probably the paucity of highly regarded models to draw on."
The Educated Reporter: Which part of “PUBLIC schools” don’t you understand?
The Educated Reporter: Which part of “PUBLIC schools” don’t you understand?:
Miner writes that the head flack at Chicago schools “spoke of the value of having ‘everybody on the same page.’” Ack. I could rant pretty thoroughly about how creepy and unproductive it is to want everyone in a massive organization to be on the same page—and foray into my loathing of how “being a team player,” which principals say all the time, has come to mean “not questioning anything”—but perhaps today is the day I should start trying to blog shorter.
I’ll just say two things:
1. The “same page” climate means that only the crankiest, most out-there gadflies have the guts to question or criticize, which is not as productive as an honest dialogue among everyone.
2. Reporters should write forthrightly, in the stories themselves or on their blogs, about every roadblock they face in this regard
Which part of “PUBLIC schools” don’t you understand?
Major-league kudos to Michael Miner at the Chicago Reader, who writes about the culture of fear in that city’s school system that shuts out reporters—and, by virtue, the public. Reporters around the country tell me it has gotten worse for them, nowhere moreso than in districts led by big-shot reformers. There is no justification for filtering every single contact between journalists and educators through PR people, or creating a climate in which nobody feels free to talk about ... anything.
Miner writes that the head flack at Chicago schools “spoke of the value of having ‘everybody on the same page.’” Ack. I could rant pretty thoroughly about how creepy and unproductive it is to want everyone in a massive organization to be on the same page—and foray into my loathing of how “being a team player,” which principals say all the time, has come to mean “not questioning anything”—but perhaps today is the day I should start trying to blog shorter.
I’ll just say two things:
1. The “same page” climate means that only the crankiest, most out-there gadflies have the guts to question or criticize, which is not as productive as an honest dialogue among everyone.
2. Reporters should write forthrightly, in the stories themselves or on their blogs, about every roadblock they face in this regard
New speaker, but old school battle lingers - Capitol and California - Fresnobee.com
New speaker, but old school battle lingers Capitol and California- Fresnobee.com:
Assembly leaders, including the newly anointed Perez, jammed through legislation, opposed by Schwarzenegger and some education-reform groups, to qualify the state for a share of Obama administration Race to the Top financing.
The governor, who supports a measure already passed by the Senate, flatly vowed to veto the Assembly's version of the bill if it reaches his desk. 'This is Race to the Top – not race to the status quo,' he said in a statement before the Assembly session, adding, 'The Assembly bill is a step backwards, and if it reaches my desk it will be vetoed.'"
"The Assembly returned briefly to Sacramento on Thursday, resolved one of its internal squabbles by naming John A. Perez as its newest speaker, but then defied Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on how to respond to pressure from the Obama White House to overhaul education policy.
Assembly leaders, including the newly anointed Perez, jammed through legislation, opposed by Schwarzenegger and some education-reform groups, to qualify the state for a share of Obama administration Race to the Top financing.
The governor, who supports a measure already passed by the Senate, flatly vowed to veto the Assembly's version of the bill if it reaches his desk. 'This is Race to the Top – not race to the status quo,' he said in a statement before the Assembly session, adding, 'The Assembly bill is a step backwards, and if it reaches my desk it will be vetoed.'"
Although there were brief efforts to negotiate the differences, Assembly leaders ultimately decided to push their version through a floor vote, sending it to an uncertain fate in the Senate, which will meet next week. But even if the Senate accepts it – which seems unlikely – Schwarzenegger's veto threat still looms unless a compromise is worked out in the next week.
While it's ostensibly a disagreement over how to seek as much as $700 million in federal funds, it's really an arena for the much-broader, years-long battle over education reform, pitting the powerful California Teachers Association and most Democratic legislators against Schwarzenegger and such groups as EdVoice, a consortium of wealthy education reformers, most of whom are Democrats.
'I Care' program offers busy parents options to stay involved in their children's education | thetowntalk.com | The Town Talk
'I Care' program offers busy parents options to stay involved in their children's education | thetowntalk.com | The Town Talk:
"For Shterroca and Eric Harvey, being involved in their children's education has always been a must, but they acknowledge that it has been challenging at times."
"For Shterroca and Eric Harvey, being involved in their children's education has always been a must, but they acknowledge that it has been challenging at times."Like many working parents, Shterroca Harvey juggles work, motherhood and other responsibilities. She said she attends her daughters' school events as much as she can, but it does not always work out.
"Last year due to my job, I missed a few things, and that makes me so sad when I can't be here, but I tried my best," said Mrs. Harvey, 33, a full-time customer service employee at a tax-preparation service company.
This year, however, the Harveys and other parents from L.S. Rugg Elementary School said they are finding innovative ways to be involved in their children's education without having to miss work.
They are participating in the "I Care" curriculum program, designed by a Georgia-based private organization, offered at the school. The program, at Rugg since 2002, helps busy parents stay involved in their children's education from home. About 13 public schools in Rapides Parish have the program.
"We are finding that parents are not able to come to the school as much as they would like to, but it is not because they don't want to be involved.
They just don't have the time, and many of our parents don't have the means to get to the school," said Rugg Principal Vickie H. Smith.
Schwarzenegger touts East Bay food program, talks tough on school reform - Inside Bay Area
"OAKLAND — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke of kindness to one's fellow man but talked tough on education reform Thursday morning during a visit to the Alameda County Community Food Bank.
The governor — in town to tout a 'Million Meals Initiative' he and his wife are championing — said he'll 'never' sign a bill that the Assembly Education Committee put forward a day earlier to meet federal requirements for winning up to $700 million in 'Race to the Top' school funds.
The Assembly was expected to vote on the bill later Thursday.
'It's not a race to mediocrity, it's a race to the top,' he said. 'We want to make sure we get a good bill out there.'"
voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence.
- Audit Committee: Keep the Fraud Hotline Going
Outside experts who help oversee audits and finances in San Diego Unified agreed unanimously today: Cutting the fraud hotline is a bad idea, even if it saves some money up front.
Getting rid of the hotline was one of many recommendations from an internal team that scrubbed the San Diego Unified budget to find savings as it faces down a deficit that could run up to roughly $200 million.County Treasurer and Tax Collector Dan McAllister, who chairs the school district audit committee, said it didn't make sense to cut the hotline. Audit director Andrea Niehaus estimates that it cost $11,000 but has helped save more than it cost.McAllister plans to give their recommendation to the school board on Friday.-- EMILY ALPERT
Posted in Schooled, This just in on Thursday, December 10, 2009 2:10 pm.
- Bright and Early
- One of my alma maters, Academic Magnet High School in Charleston, S.C., made it onto the annual ranking of top high schools. Go Raptors! Those and other details in your daily newsblitz:We blogged that at the third budget forum held by San Diego Unified, some parents called for a halt to testing to save money. There was no big news at the fourth meeting, but you can check out what was said at my Twitter feed.
Elk Grove Citizen : News
Priscilla Cox is the board secretary and Pam Irey is the board representative to the county office of education.
With the school district’s budget on the forefront of the newly organized board minds, Jim Smrekar, athletic director, outlined a plan to retain as much of the sports program as possible for the 2010-11 school year.
A proposed volunteer play and pay plan was announced in which an athlete would pay $125 for a season. If another member of the family also participated that fee would be $100."
The Educated Guess Race to Top compromise should be doable
"As expected, the Assembly passed its version of Race to the Top legislation Thursday, largely along partisan lines, 47-25. Even before the vote, Gov. Schwarzenegger vowed to veto the bill, saying, “It’s not a race to mediocrity, it’s a race to the top. We want to make sure we get a good bill out there.”
So what would it take to get a bill that Democrats and Schwarzenegger could live with? Probably not all that much: some word changes to Assemblywoman Julia Brownley’s ABX5-8 blended with some pieces of Sen. Gloria Romero’s SBX5-1. Specifically:
Charters: ABX5-8 got too cute in eliminating the annual cap of 100 charter schools per year. It includes gratuitous restrictions under the guise of accountability. So eliminate the language that could hinder the growth of high-performance charters and give charter leaders a say in drawing up new rules for auditing charters’ finances."
So what would it take to get a bill that Democrats and Schwarzenegger could live with? Probably not all that much: some word changes to Assemblywoman Julia Brownley’s ABX5-8 blended with some pieces of Sen. Gloria Romero’s SBX5-1. Specifically:
Charters: ABX5-8 got too cute in eliminating the annual cap of 100 charter schools per year. It includes gratuitous restrictions under the guise of accountability. So eliminate the language that could hinder the growth of high-performance charters and give charter leaders a say in drawing up new rules for auditing charters’ finances."
EDUCATION AT THE CROSSROADS - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.
"Actually, there isn't one, there are three choices that anyone offering higher education
is going to have to make.
Should this be scarce or abundant?
MIT and Stanford are starting to make classes available for free online. The marginal
cost of this is pretty close to zero, so it's easy for them to share. Abundant education is
easy to access and offers motivated individuals a chance to learn.
Scarcity comes from things like accreditation, admissions policies or small classrooms.
Should this be free or expensive?
Wikipedia offers the world's fact base to everyone, for free. So it spreads.
On the other hand, some bar review courses are so expensive the websites don't
even have the guts to list the price."
is going to have to make.
Should this be scarce or abundant?
MIT and Stanford are starting to make classes available for free online. The marginal
cost of this is pretty close to zero, so it's easy for them to share. Abundant education is
easy to access and offers motivated individuals a chance to learn.
Scarcity comes from things like accreditation, admissions policies or small classrooms.
Should this be free or expensive?
Wikipedia offers the world's fact base to everyone, for free. So it spreads.
On the other hand, some bar review courses are so expensive the websites don't
even have the guts to list the price."
Sacramento Press / Folsom Technology Group shows what’s new with Windows 7
Folsom Technology Group has a message for computer users everywhere about what the latest Microsoft Windows 7 professional operating system can do to make your life a whole lot easier. That message is that performance, reliability, simplification, and ease of use matter and it is why on Thursday the IT support service company held an “Introducing Windows 7” luncheon seminar surrounding the benefits to using this Windows operating system for your home or business computer use.
FTG Chief Information Officer Chad Peterson facilitated the seminar and outlined many of the latest features that Windows 7 users can utilize that they can’t get from older operating systems such as Windows XP or Vista. Features that include simpler data recovery, transfer of files, innovative multi-media uses, override user windows, easy downloads, record TV on your PC, faster start-up and shutdowns, as well as a host of other system features. “It’s a great way for us to connect with our customers by showing them step by step what capabilities are afforded for their business needs with Windows 7”, says Peterson.
MLA Partner Schools shows promise in turning around Manual Arts High -- latimes.com
"It's difficult keeping track of all the reformers circling the Los Angeles Unified School District, vying to take charge of dozens of schools the district plans to spin off this year.
The school board and Supt. Ray Cortines plan to farm out operations for its 200 lowest-performing schools, in what is either a sign of new openness or an admission that L.A. Unified is incapable of raising achievement at failing schools.
Already, a handful of schools have been siphoned off by charter groups and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. So far, about all they've shown is how hard reform is."
The school board and Supt. Ray Cortines plan to farm out operations for its 200 lowest-performing schools, in what is either a sign of new openness or an admission that L.A. Unified is incapable of raising achievement at failing schools.
Already, a handful of schools have been siphoned off by charter groups and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. So far, about all they've shown is how hard reform is."
Slowing Expansion, Harvard Suspends Work on Tower - NYTimes.com
"BOSTON — Harvard announced Thursday that it would indefinitely suspend construction on a high-tech science complex in the Allston neighborhood of Boston because of money problems."
“The altered financial landscape of the university, and of the wider world, necessitates a shift away from rapid development in Allston,” Drew Gilpin Faust, Harvard’s president, wrote in a letter released Thursday.
As part of a larger long-term expansion into Allston — a pet project of Lawrence H. Summers, Dr. Faust’s predecessor at Harvard and now President Obama’s chief economic adviser — the university also bought a string of buildings there over the last 20 years. But many have remained vacant, to the chagrin of Allston residents who have accused the university of buying land and holding onto it, a practice known as land banking.
The four-building science center, estimated to cost at least $1 billion, was originally scheduled to be finished in 2011. Dr. Faust’s announcement comes 10 months after she announced plans to slow the pace of the project while the university assessed whether it could continue. Harvard has since disclosed that its endowment declined 27 percent from June 2008 to June 2009, to $26 billion, and the university has made several cost-cutting moves.
“The altered financial landscape of the university, and of the wider world, necessitates a shift away from rapid development in Allston,” Drew Gilpin Faust, Harvard’s president, wrote in a letter released Thursday.
As part of a larger long-term expansion into Allston — a pet project of Lawrence H. Summers, Dr. Faust’s predecessor at Harvard and now President Obama’s chief economic adviser — the university also bought a string of buildings there over the last 20 years. But many have remained vacant, to the chagrin of Allston residents who have accused the university of buying land and holding onto it, a practice known as land banking.
The four-building science center, estimated to cost at least $1 billion, was originally scheduled to be finished in 2011. Dr. Faust’s announcement comes 10 months after she announced plans to slow the pace of the project while the university assessed whether it could continue. Harvard has since disclosed that its endowment declined 27 percent from June 2008 to June 2009, to $26 billion, and the university has made several cost-cutting moves.
Teachers and schools understanding of online communications can help parental involvement
"A recent report released by Becta into parent teacher relationships reveals that the vast majority (89 percent) of parents say technology could play a more powerful role in their child’s education if they better understood how to use it. Schools and teachers need to talk to pupil’s parents early on and consider what they want to see. Becta suggests that schools ask parents questions such as what technology do you use most regularly? what technology do you have access to at home? how comfortable are you, or your child, with using the technology you have? Once such questions have been answered, schools can then proceed in making communications as efficient and effective as possible."
Becta is the government agency aiming to advertise and implement the productive and innovative use of technology throughout the teaching and learning process. The Schools & Parents: A New Partnership report is part of the ‘Next Generation Learning’ campaign, which encourages the move towards online reporting by using an integrated range of technologies helping parents engage with their child’s learning.
According to the report, forty-eight percent of teachers believe that while parents are a great source of support, they dont always know the best ways to get involved with their child’s education. Forty percent of parents say they think technology could help, however they don’t fully understand the ways in which they can use it. Consequently schools need to review how they currently communicate different types of information with parents by consulting with the parents themselves and establishing whether their current form of communication is suitable.
Education bill has its critics - Education - SignOnSanDiego.com
"SAN DIEGO — As state lawmakers approved controversial education legislation yesterday that is intended to get California into the race for federal reform funds, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan weighed in on the debate during an appearance in San Diego.
Passed by a 47-25 vote, the legislation by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, would lift the cap on the number of charter schools in California, overhaul state academic standards and target federal funding to the poorest-performing schools."
Passed by a 47-25 vote, the legislation by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, would lift the cap on the number of charter schools in California, overhaul state academic standards and target federal funding to the poorest-performing schools."
Although the legislation could make California eligible for up to $700 million in federal funds, many education reformers have criticized it as a weak effort that does little to improve the education for underachieving poor and minority children.
After speaking at the National Conference of State Legislatures in downtown San Diego yesterday, Duncan all but joined the critics. He said California has a chance to regain its long-departed status as a national leader in public education.
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