Backpacks 'crushing' children - news - the-press | Stuff.co.nz

Backpacks 'crushing' children - news - the-press | Stuff.co.nz:

"School children are being crushed beneath the weight of their backpacks, chiropractors say.

The New Zealand Chiropractors Association (NZCA) has warned against the classic money-saving technique of buying new-entrants one bag to last through to university following a US study which showed how serious the damage to children can be.

''Two key spinal measurements change as the backpack load increases,'' NZCA spokesman Dr Simon Kelly said.

''Heavier weights cause compression of the intervertebral discs, which act as a cushion between the vertebrae (bones of the spine). In the lower spine, the disc height became smaller (reflecting greater disc compression) at heavier backpack weights. Heavier loads were also associated with increased curvature of the lower spine, either to the right or the left.''"

NY education commissioner: Block some funding cuts -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY

NY education commissioner: Block some funding cuts -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY:

"ALBANY -- New York state Education Commissioner David Steiner told lawmakers Tuesday that if Gov. David Paterson's proposed cuts in education funding go through, it would take years for schools to achieve adequate funding levels.

While Steiner was making that well-received pitch to lawmakers for more education funding in the state budget, Paterson was telling reporters he is reviving his plan to greatly increase the number of charter schools statewide.

His earlier effort was struck down by the Legislature, even though failure to raise the cap on the number of charter schools threatened the state's chances for $700 million in the first round of competition for federal 'Race to the Top' education funding."

Charter parents flock to Albany for advocacy day | GothamSchools

Charter parents flock to Albany for advocacy day | GothamSchools:

"Hundred of parents of charter school students from all over the city climbed into buses bound for Albany in the pre-dawn hours this morning. Once they got there, parents and advocates are spending the day pressing legislators to change state law to allow for more charter schools and better funding and facilities access for them.

Some schools, like Harlem Success Academy and Democracy Prep, are each bringing hundreds of parents on multiple busloads. Others, like Brooklyn’s Opportunity Roots Charter School, pictured here, filled one bus, or shared a bus with other schools. All in all, 80 city charter schools sent a total of 60 buses to Albany today."

Chancellor Joel Klein gets slammed by state pol for treating parents' concerns as 'annoyances'

Chancellor Joel Klein gets slammed by state pol for treating parents' concerns as 'annoyances':

"ALBANY - City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein went to state lawmakers Tuesday looking for help with a billion-dollar budget deficit - but he came away with a scolding.

Klein was roasted by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn) for ignoring the concerns of parents and lawmakers and treating them as 'annoyances.'

'You come to us for money, but you don't come to us for involvement,' Kruger said.

Kruger also referred to Klein's tenure as 'nine years of torture, nine years of acrimony, nine years of nail biting and hand twisting.'"

Schools chancellor cites Post 'rubber room' report - NYPOST.com

Schools chancellor cites Post 'rubber room' report - NYPOST.com:

"ALBANY -- Citing a Post story about a rogue Queens teacher who manages his real-estate empire from a Department of Education 'rubber room,' schools chief Joel Klein pleaded with lawmakers yesterday to ease limits on the firing of educators.

The chancellor, in Albany to testify against proposed budget cuts, said the 'absurd' restrictions on firing teachers devoured precious resources at a time when the city can least afford it.

'On Sunday, the New York Post ran a front-page story about a teacher who has been reassigned to the rubber room for more than seven years,' Klein said.

'In the event of layoffs, I wouldn't be able to get rid of this teacher. Instead, I'd be forced to lay off other teachers so this reassigned teacher can continue showing up each day to a rubber room,' Klein said."

WNYC - News - Schools Chancellor: State Budget Cuts Would Force 8,500 Layoffs

WNYC - News - Schools Chancellor: State Budget Cuts Would Force 8,500 Layoffs:

"NEW YORK, NY February 02, 2010 —Schools chancellor Joel Klein says he'll have to lay off up to 8,500 teachers if Gov. David Paterson's budget cuts are adopted. During testimony in Albany today, Klein called on lawmakers to reduce hundreds of millions of dollars in education cuts. He also asked them to change a law that requires principals to get rid of their newest hires during layoffs to protect more senior teachers.

'We may have to pull a math teacher who's getting great results helping over-age students get back on track from his classroom and replace him with a teacher who struggled with that population in a previous school,' Klein says.

Klein also wants to stop paying teachers if their positions are eliminated and they aren't picked up by another school after a year. The teachers union opposes this change."

N.Y. Archdiocese Confirms Manhattan Catholic School To Close - NY1.com

N.Y. Archdiocese Confirms Manhattan Catholic School To Close - NY1.com

The city's oldest Catholic elementary school is closing down.

The superintendent of schools for the New York Archdiocese sent letters to parents of students at Saint Patrick's Old Cathedral School in Manhattan Tuesday, informing them that it is closing at the end of the current academic year.

The building in Little Italy will revert to St. Patrick's Parish.

Superintendent Timothy McNiff called it a difficult decision, but said persistent low enrollment in recent years made it difficult to upgrade the resources needed for the school.

He said all children enrolled in the school will be welcomed into other nearby Catholic schools.

"I also feel bad that it's going to be shut down because it's my first year here and I wasn't able to experience lots of things," said one student.

"That's crazy because we've been in this school since pre-K and it's like we're all together.... I don't think it should close down," said another.

"I chose this school because it was a good school, and having a new principal and the enrollment 

Texas Textbooks | New Hampshire Public Radio | Word of Mouth

Texas Textbooks | New Hampshire Public Radio | Word of Mouth

All my textbooks came from Texas. Chances are that what's inside the textbook sitting on school desks across America was written according to standards outlined in either Texas or California. Now, the impoverished Sunshine State is crossing off that line item. And so goes the state's traditionally liberal point of view. Texas is now the dominant buyer of school textbooks, and the Board of Education there is currently in the process of rewriting standards for content.

An investigative report by the Washington Monthly reveals that a small bloc of activists has considerable sway in setting those standards. Among other things, activists aim to eliminate referneces to breast self-exams and Cesar Chavez, discredit evolutionary theory, replace the word "democrat" for "republican" when describing our system of government, and downplay the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement. In addition, they hope to rehabilitate the image of Joseph McCarthy, bring global-warming denial into science class.

Bill forces early inmate release from Sacramento jail - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Bill forces early inmate release from Sacramento jail - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"Last year's emergency bill to cut California's prison and jail populations has kicked into effect, with hundreds of locally incarcerated inmates walking free this week up to two months earlier than they had expected.

Sacramento authorities said they let about 200 lower-level offenders out of jail Tuesday, compared to an average daily release count of somewhere between 100 and 150. The releases apply to offenders such as drug dealers, car thieves, drunken drivers, spousal abusers and the like. Sex criminals and serious and violent offenders have specifically been exempted."

Preschool is indispensable for students, California - The Daily Breeze

Preschool is indispensable for students, California - The Daily Breeze:

"One can hardly pick up a newspaper or listen to radio or television without hearing about the drastic cuts being made in the budgets of public educational institutions in California. No sector of public education from kindergarten through graduate schools is exempt from the budget ax and major fee increases, making public universities look more and more like private institutions.

Once noted for its educational innovation and leadership, California is currently ranked near the bottom in terms of per-pupil K-12 spending. While some progress has been made in improving reading and math scores, students in our public schools still score poorly in comparison with other states. This is likely to get worse as districts increase class size, hire less experienced and less expensive teachers and eliminate arts and music programs that enrich and enliven the educational experience."

Parents, students on edge over soaring tuition � Times Record News

Parents, students on edge over soaring tuition Times Record News:

"SEATTLE (AP) — As students around the country anxiously wait for college acceptance letters, their parents are sweating the looming tuition bills at public universities.

Florida college students could face yearly 15 percent tuition increases for years, and University of Illinois students will pay at least 9 percent more. The University of Washington will charge 14 percent more at its flagship campus. And in California, tuition increases of more than 30 percent have sparked protests reminiscent of the 1960s.

Tuition has been trending upward for years, but debate in statehouses and trustee meeting rooms has been more urgent this year as most states struggle their way out of the economic meltdown."

CSU reaches out to black students through church - San Jose Mercury News

CSU reaches out to black students through church - San Jose Mercury News:

"LONG BEACH, Calif.—California State University is expanding its campaign to enroll more African American students.

CSU officials said Tuesday that administrators plan to speak at about 100 black churches in nearly 40 cities across California over the next several weeks to encourage families to start preparing for college.

The 'Super Sunday' campaign is part of the CSU African American Initiative, which was launched five years ago to increase enrollment of black students at CSU's 23 campuses."

State bill would let community colleges offer bachelor's degrees | 89.3 KPCC

State bill would let community colleges offer bachelor's degrees| 89.3 KPCC:

"State legislators held a hearing in Sacramento today on California’s Master Plan for Higher Education. They were looking for new ideas on how to help more students get through college faster. Here’s one new idea: let community colleges offer bachelor’s degrees. KPCC’s Julie Small reports.

The state’s master plan for higher education was designed to ensure that every California student who wants a college degree can get it. But with Sacramento slashing higher education funding in recent years, the University of California and the California State University have had to limit enrollment and offer fewer courses."

Capitol Alert: Schwarzenegger writes again to Congress asking for help

Capitol Alert: Schwarzenegger writes again to Congress asking for help:

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday sent another letter to California's congressional delegation asking for more federal dollars after President Barack Obama released a budget that provided only $1.5 billion of the $6.9 billion in new money that Schwarzenegger wants.

The governor wrote that Obama's budget 'represents only a down payment on what we are owed,' but described the president's plan as 'the first step in a lengthy and complicated process that can result in the fair and equitable treatment of California's taxpayers -- with your help.'

Schwarzenegger hopes to use federal dollars to help bridge the state's $19.9 billion deficit"

Los Angeles Chronicle | HOPE Outlines Path to Executive Leadership for California's Latinas

Los Angeles Chronicle | HOPE Outlines Path to Executive Leadership for California's Latinas:

"Los Angeles, CA – At the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) 1st Annual Visionary Leaders Luncheon on Friday, the organization announced key findings from its report, 'Missing: Latinas in Executive Leadership in California's Corporations,' conducted throughout 2009. The report found that of the 400 largest public companies in California, Latina executives lead none. HOPEs report also encourages California's Education System and state-based Corporations to address the current deficit of Latinas in executive positions in California. The report, commissioned by Sempra Energy, was initiated to understand the presence of Latinas in California's corporate sector.

'Our study indicates that Latinas are grossly under-represented in executive leadership in California,' said Helen Torres, Executive Director and CEO of HOPE. 'We want to thank our business partners, especially Farmers Insurance for their support of this event and for their dedication to the advancement of Latinas in the business sector. We will continue to work hard to provide the programs and services to help Latinas achieve their fullest potential.'"

Proposed Federal Budget Will Increase Financial Aid Funding by $300 Million for 2011 - The Daily Californian

Proposed Federal Budget Will Increase Financial Aid Funding by $300 Million for 2011 - The Daily Californian:

"President Obama's proposed budget for fiscal year 2011 will increase funding for financial aid programs compared to this year.

According to the proposed budget, the Student Aid Administration-a federal agency that provides financial aid for higher education-will be allotted an additional $300 million in 2011 from an estimated $870 million in fiscal year 2010. Total mandatory outlays, which include funding for the Federal Pell Grant Program, would increase from an estimated $9.28 billion this year to an estimated $24.7 billion in fiscal year 2011.

UC Spokesperson Chris Harrington said the university is pleased that the reform introduced by Obama's proposed budget will increase the amount of Pell Grant awards students will be able to receive.

'It takes the Pell Grants and (puts them) on the mandatory side of the budget, and that brings added stability to the program,' he said."

Stanford Tops Harvard as College Donations Fall Most Since ’69 - BusinessWeek

Stanford Tops Harvard as College Donations Fall Most Since ’69 - BusinessWeek:

"Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Donations to U.S. colleges and universities fell by 12 percent, the most in at least four decades, as a result of the recession, the Council for Aid to Education said.
Contributions totaled $27.9 billion in the year ended June 30, down from $31.6 billion the year before, according to the report released today. The survey used data from 1,027 colleges."

The nationwide drop in donation revenue, the largest since at least 1969, hurt colleges already suffering from investment losses and pressure to moderate tuition increases, said Ann E. Kaplan, the survey director. Companies, foundations and alumni had less capacity to give, she said. With the economy and equities doing better this year, colleges now may see a recovery in donations, Kaplan said.

Burbank Leader > Education

Burbank Leader > Education:

"GLENDALE — Sweeping changes to the main federal law governing public schools would likely benefit Burbank and Glendale unified school districts, administrators and board members said.

The Obama administration is seeking changes to the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act that, with congressional approval, would transform school accountability and academic standards.

Schools would be set free from the 2014 deadline to have all students be proficient in math and English language arts. Instead, schools would be accountable to a new slate of standards and assessments that would prepare students for a career or a college education."

The State Hornet - Funds to STEM will equip new cell analysis laboratory

The State Hornet - Funds to STEM will equip new cell analysis laboratory:

"Sacramento State’s College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics received $2.85 million to support the development of students in the greater Sacramento area. The money will go toward making improvements for Sac State students in the department.

The college received $350,000 in federal funds and $2.5 million as a gift from the estate of the late philanthropist David Steinberg. Steinberg’s gift was given to the college’s Voula Steinberg Memorial Mathematics Programs Fund, an organization created in memory of Steinberg’s late wife.

Both funds support the college’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics initiative, which recruits a diverse group of students and enhances their capacity for knowledge."

Sacramento Press / Tough times ahead for students and professors

Sacramento Press / Tough times ahead for students and professors:

"With unemployment rising and private college tuition skyrocketing, more and more people are returning to school at all ages. Sacramento State and Sacramento City College have both seen an increase in enrollment despite an increase in fees.

Sacramento State's fees were raised $672 per year. Increased fees doesn't equal a better education. After reaching a compromise with the Board of Trustees, the California State University Employee's Union approved 24 furlough days school wide. These days are designated under the direction of President Alexander Gonzalez and each department head.
With eight campus-wide furlough days, the entire school shuts down."