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Most Adults Don't Want Standardized Testing and Neither Do Kids: So, Why Do
We Still Run Schools Around It?
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Start with what nearly everyone in this fight agrees on.
2 hours ago
Latest News and Comment from Education
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Bigger Pumps Needed to Keep the AI Bubble Inflated - "Negative free cash flow" means your costs are growing faster than your revenue. If you retreat and draw down the insane levels of spending on data cent...4 hours ago
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GLP-1 Meds for Kids? Some Info. - Like many consumers of television and social media, I have been bombarded with ads for GLP-1s (short for glucagon-like peptide-1). The ads are everywhere. ...5 hours ago
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The Bad Administrator Matrix - Teach long enough and you learn that it’s a mistake after the announcement of a change in administration, “Well, at least it can’t get any worse.” It can a...6 hours ago
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The Bad Administrator Matrix - Teach long enough and you learn that it's a mistake after the announcement of a change in administration, "Well, at least it can't get any worse." It can...6 hours ago
Monday, December 14, 2009
36 States Plan to Apply for Race to the Top, Round 1 - Politics K-12 - Education Week
"The U.S. Department of Education has posted a list of 36 states that have signaled they plan to apply for a $4 billion Race to the Top grant in Round 1.
To figure out how many peer reviewers they need, the Department apparently asked states to send them a letter if they intend to apply in Round 1. This doesn't mean these states will apply, nor does it mean states that aren't on this list won't necessarily apply, but it certainly is a good indication.
Round 1 applications are due January 19; Round 2 will be due June 1.
Most interesting to me are the states that are not on the list, and have not signaled they intend to apply. They are: Alaska, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, and Washington.
Any surprises here?"
To figure out how many peer reviewers they need, the Department apparently asked states to send them a letter if they intend to apply in Round 1. This doesn't mean these states will apply, nor does it mean states that aren't on this list won't necessarily apply, but it certainly is a good indication.
Round 1 applications are due January 19; Round 2 will be due June 1.
Most interesting to me are the states that are not on the list, and have not signaled they intend to apply. They are: Alaska, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, and Washington.
Any surprises here?"
Congress Approves Fiscal Year 2010 Budget
Congress has now given final approval to the long-delayed education spending bill for fiscal year 2010. If you leave out the stimulus, there was basically flat funding for most education programs, plus a huge boost for some Obama administration priorities. (School districts that want to try out merit pay will be especially psyched about a huge increase for the Teacher Incentive Fund, bringing the program to $400 million, up from just under $100 million last year).
But most of the major work, including huge increases for Title I and students in special education, was taken care of in the stimulus. That took some pressure off lawmakers and the administration to provide the big boosts for those programs in the fiscal 2010 bill that many advocates expected to see, given that Democrats control both Congress and the White House for the first time in over a decade.
So the budget that will really matter is the next one, which President Barack Obama will release sometime this winter, likely right after the State of the Union. The stimulus funding only covered fiscal 2009 and 2010, so the next budget will give school districts a sense of whether the appropriations for Title I and special education are likely to remain as high as they were in the stimulus. (Title I got $10 billion in the stimulus, an increase of about $5 billion per year on top of a budget of $14.5 billion. And special education state grants got $11.3 billion in the stimulus over two years, on top of a budget of $11.5 billion).
Marcos Breton: Was teacher's jailing over the top? - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee
"In the aftermath of the massacre on the Virginia Tech campus – and an alleged homicide at Sacramento State – a college student can now be arrested for making foolish statements.
It happened at UC Davis, where a graduate teaching assistant in the drama department spent four days in jail for making statements that some students in his class took as a bomb threat."
It happened at UC Davis, where a graduate teaching assistant in the drama department spent four days in jail for making statements that some students in his class took as a bomb threat."
According to Yolo County court documents,James Marchbanks told his class: "I have a bomb, this is the last time I am ever going to see you. I am going to leave class before the bomb goes off, but you are going to stay here until it's done."
The bomb was metaphorical. What Marchbanks slung on the floor were not explosives but forms for roughly 16 students to evaluate him as a student teacher.
Two from UC Davis among 8 protesters arrested - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee
"Eight people, including two art students from the University of California, Davis, were arrested and charged with rioting and other offenses after a Friday night rampage outside the home of UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau.
The students were taken into custody Saturday on suspicion of rioting, threatening an education official, attempted burglary, attempted arson of an occupied building, felony vandalism and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer in Berkeley.
Julia Litman-Cleper of San Francisco and Laura Thatcher of Rolling Hills Estates, listed among those arrested, were identified Sunday as undergraduate students in Davis."
ADHD and Time : The Frontal Cortex
"I recently learned that many professional graduate schools - law schools, business schools, even medical schools - continue to provide 'test accommodations' to students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. These accommodations usually take the form of extra time on the exam, when time is a crucial resource.
Of course, it's not just grad schools who are struggling with the question of how to treat students with ADHD. Princeton is currently embroiled in a lawsuit:
A learning-disabled freshman suing Princeton University for refusing to allow her extra time to take exams was dealt a setback this week, as a federal judge refused a temporary restraining order on the eve of midterms. But plaintiff Diane Metcalf-Leggette still has a shot at getting a preliminary injunction in January, when final exams begin, if she can show probability of success in her suit under the Americans with Disabilities Act."
Of course, it's not just grad schools who are struggling with the question of how to treat students with ADHD. Princeton is currently embroiled in a lawsuit:
A learning-disabled freshman suing Princeton University for refusing to allow her extra time to take exams was dealt a setback this week, as a federal judge refused a temporary restraining order on the eve of midterms. But plaintiff Diane Metcalf-Leggette still has a shot at getting a preliminary injunction in January, when final exams begin, if she can show probability of success in her suit under the Americans with Disabilities Act."
Arizona lawmakers angling for “most incompetent” crown � The Quick and the Ed
"When I wrote this column for Newsweek a couple of weeks ago about the University of California tuition crisis, condemning California as the worst-governed state in the nation seemed like a pretty safe bet. But now I see that Arizona legislators have also embraced the strategy of cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from public universities, forcing tuition up 24 percent from last year and,according to UA President Robert Shelton, another 34 percent over the next two years.
Putting aside the essential cowardice of eschewing broadly-shared budget-balancing tax increases for equivalent tuition hikes that hurt poor and middle-class students, you’d think that state lawmakers in a budget crisis would look askance at a program that primarily benefits rich people, cost nearly $400 million over the last decade, and has been rife with illegality and self-dealing, i.e. Arizona’s notorious private school tuition tax credit program, the details of which you can read about here. Instead, a panel of lawmakers voted on Friday to expand the program while rejecting proposals to curb abuses such as private school parents forming cabals to donate dollar-for-dollar tax credits on behalf of each other’s children and refusing to give the state resources to audit the non-profit organizations that adminster the credits and pay their executives lucrative salaries to do so. This may, possibly, have something to with the fact that some of those executives are the state lawmakers who sponsored the legislation in the first place.
The Arizona Republic endorsed expanding this massive boondogle in the teeth of a fiscal crisis, despite admitting that, when it was first proposed twelve years ago,
Tina Thomas Endorses Patrick Kennedy for City Council
Latest Updates
Tina Thomas Endorses Patrick Kennedy for City Council
Tina's commitment to others, particularly those less fortunate and in need is truly inspirational, and as a longtime resident of Curtis Park her commitment to the neighborhoods of the 5th City Council District runs as deeply as my own.
For all these reasons, it gives me great personal pride to announce Tina Thomas' support for my campaign for City Council. I look forward to working closely with her in the coming months, and beyond, to help make Sacramento the best it can be!
Sincerely,
Patrick Kennedy
Facebook | Kevin McCarty for Assembly 2010
Detailed Info
- Website:
- http://www.cityofsacramento.org/council/...
- Gender:
- Male
- Relationship Status:
- Married to Leticia Garcia
- Hometown:
- Sacramento
- Political Views:
- Liberal
- Religious Views:
- Catholic
- Activities:
- I enjoy working for a better Sacramento, walking the neighborhood with Leticia, the twins, and our crazy dog biko. I also love snowboarding and suffering by rooting for a SF Giants Word Series title.
- Interests:
- My wife and twins, politics, SF Giants, snowboarding, and advocating for preschool for all California children.
- Favorite Music:
- U2, Pearl Jam, Garbage, The Who, Neil Young, No Doubt, and Blink 182.
- Favorite Movies:
- Godfather I and II, Cry Freedom, the Natural, Heat, Gladiator, and Anchorman,
- Favorite Books:
- Dreams of my Father, Freakanomics, Grapes of Wrath, and Malcolm X.
- Favorite TV Shows:
- 60 Minutes, Sports Center, Giants/49ers Games, Chronicle Live, The Wire, Daily Show, Entourage, 30 Rock, and SNL.
- Favorite Quotations:
- The time is always right to do what is right. ~Martin Luther King, Jr. You must be the change you wish to see in the world. ~Mahatma Ghandi Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something. ~Author Unknown Leadership is action, not position. ~Donald H. McGannon
- About Me:
- I currently represent the great citizens of Sacramento City Council District 6 and I am a candidate for California State Assembly District 9 in June 2010. If you would like to support my campaign, you can mail a check or go online: Please make checks payable to: McCarty for Assembly 2010, ID #1313997 1005 12th Street, Ste H Sacramento, CA 95814 For credit and debit card payments please go to:http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/22144
Contact Info
- Email:
Green Dot: Helping Schools Make the Grade - US News and World Report
"'Teach them all.' A little-known California law allows a public school to become a privately operated, publicly funded charter school if more than 50 percent of the tenured teachers vote in favor of the switch. Convincing Minix and scores of other skeptical teachers that such a radical change was a good idea, in 2008 Barr took control of Locke and its millions of dollars in federal Title I funding, which goes to schools with high percentages of low-income children. What was once a poorly run school for thousands of students with a graduation rate of just 5 percent is now the Locke Family of Schools, made up of eight small college-prep academies and one technical school. In the brief time since the Green Dot takeover, graduation rates and state test scores have already improved, and student suspensions and expulsions are down. 'We didn't get rid of the knuckleheads and the gangbangers—we figured out a way to teach them all,' says Minix, who now serves as the Locke Family of Schools' athletic director."
Spirit of Autism
About
Welcome to Spirit of Autism!Parenting a child with Autism, regardless of where they fall on the spectrum, is a journey filled with many bumps, joys, frustrations, and sometimes exhaustion. There is such an overload of conflicting information, many opinions thrown at you from those who have never walked in your shoes, and naturally, there are times when you may want to throw in the towel and run away to a remote island for a while : )
In my experiences, I was greatly dissatisfied with doctors and specialists making “blanket” diagnoses and judgments without bothering to dig a little deeper and really understand the big picture. Following my internal guidance, I catalogued each leg of this journey, keeping what made sense and discarding the rest.
Based on the teachings of Dr. Robert Melillo, combined with an integrated approach using nutrition and energy work, I have developed a therapy program that can be done AT HOME with your child that will significantly improve brain function.
I have seen amazing results in my journey. My passion is to empower parents, caregivers, schools, and treatment centers to improve and eliminate Autism and related disorders. The brain can change, without medication and years of expensive therapy.
To walk this road with support from other empowered parents, visit Healing the Spectrum. There you’ll find tons of resources, tools, tips, recipes, and a forum to share your experiences and stories.
"Cybrary Man's Educational Web Sites Parent Pages"
Parent Pages:
"Cybrary Man's Educational Web Sites
The internet catalogue for students, teachers, administrators & parents.
Over 20,000 relevant links personally selected by an educator/author with over 30 years of experience."
Parent Pages
Parents, this is your portal to help you with parenting skills
and show you ways to effectively help your children.
and show you ways to effectively help your children.
This web site endeavors to identify useful or interesting resources.
However, I can provide no warranty as to the accuracy, value or
appropriateness of information found on any particular website.
Online resources may change or disappear at any time and I cannot
be responsible for these factors outside of my control.
However, I can provide no warranty as to the accuracy, value or
appropriateness of information found on any particular website.
Online resources may change or disappear at any time and I cannot
be responsible for these factors outside of my control.
California Categorical Programs Directors' Meeting AGENDA
Categorical Programs Directors' Meeting
AGENDA
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento , California
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
7:30 a.m. No Host Networking Breakfast Hyatt Regency
9:30 a.m. Welcome Linda Cook, Director, Student Learning Assistance, San Juan USD
916-971-7202
9:35 a.m. Title I Allocations of Equitable Services Jyoti Singh, Consultant
for Private School Children Title I Accountability & Partnerships
916-319-0372
10 a.m. Title I Reception and Banquet Char Keuscher-Barkman, Consultant
Awards Unit
916-319-0408
10:05 a.m. ConApp Update Ernie Thornberg, Consultant
Data Management Division
916-319-0294
10:30 a.m. Legislative Update Cathy McBride, Acting Director
Governmental Affairs
916-319-0650
10:45 a.m. Budget Update Carol Bingham, Director
Fiscal Policy
916-324-4748
11 a.m. Single Plan for Student Achievement Richard Graham, Consultant
Update Regional Coordination and Support
916-319-0303
11:15 a.m. Categorical Program Monitoring Patrick McMenamin, Administrator
Update Categorical Compliance Division
916-319-0357
11:30 a.m. Adjourn
The Educated Guess Study finds teachers lack skills needed for high school reforms
"The demands on 21st century high school teachers in California are changing dramatically.The era of teaching a single subject in an isolated classroom is ending. Under ambitious high school reforms, teachers are being asked to lead interdisciplinary courses in small learning communities and career academies. They’re expected to inject real-world relevancy into their courses, to individualize instruction in classes with a wide range of students, to require complex portfolios of their students’ work and to do the jobs that counselors once did.
That’s a lot to ask, and, according to a study released today, many aren’t up to the challenges."
The Educated Guess � Underprepared teachers still bunched in poor schools
"There has been an impressive reduction in the number of underprepared teachers – those without a preliminary teaching credential — in California schools. In 2000, they numbered 42,000. Last year, it was 11,000.
But these teachers, comprising 2.5 percent of the workforce, remain concentrated in urban, low-income schools. Twenty percent can be found in 2 percent of the state’s 10,000 schools, according to The Status of the Teaching Profession 2009, an annual report by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning in Santa Cruz.
Charter schools comprised 59 percent of these 219 schools. Some may have intentionally hired Teach for America fellows, smart college graduates who pursue their credential after they are hired. The study doesn’t say."
But these teachers, comprising 2.5 percent of the workforce, remain concentrated in urban, low-income schools. Twenty percent can be found in 2 percent of the state’s 10,000 schools, according to The Status of the Teaching Profession 2009, an annual report by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning in Santa Cruz.
Charter schools comprised 59 percent of these 219 schools. Some may have intentionally hired Teach for America fellows, smart college graduates who pursue their credential after they are hired. The study doesn’t say."
Computer Science Via Interactive Journalism | Kansas City infoZine News | USA
"Washington, D.C. - infoZine - Do only computer scientists need an education in computer science? In today's innovation-driven economy, the answer is 'not anymore'.
Since the skills learned in computer science, like complex problem solving and analytical reasoning skills, are important for building a foundation for numerous careers including jobs in science and technology, as well as jobs in marketing, journalism and the creative arts, most people will need an education in computer science. Even though the United States is a leader in the field of computer science at the college level, most middle and high school students receive no exposure to computer science. One major obstacle to educating young students in computer science is finding a space for a computer science class in an already overburdened K-12 curriculum."
Since the skills learned in computer science, like complex problem solving and analytical reasoning skills, are important for building a foundation for numerous careers including jobs in science and technology, as well as jobs in marketing, journalism and the creative arts, most people will need an education in computer science. Even though the United States is a leader in the field of computer science at the college level, most middle and high school students receive no exposure to computer science. One major obstacle to educating young students in computer science is finding a space for a computer science class in an already overburdened K-12 curriculum."
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