A Federal Effort to Push Junk Food Out of Schools - NYTimes.com

A Federal Effort to Push Junk Food Out of Schools - NYTimes.com

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will begin a drive this week to expel Pepsi, French fries and Snickers bars from the nation’s schools in hopes of reducing the number of children who get fat during their school years.

In legislation, soon to be introduced, candy and sugary beverages would be banned and many schools would be required to offer more nutritious fare.

To that end, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will deliver a speech Monday at the National Press Club in which he will insist, according to excerpts provided to The Times, that any vending machines that remain in schools be “filled with nutritious offerings to make the healthy choice the easy choice for our nation’s children.”

The first lady, Michelle Obama, said last month that she would lead an initiative to reduce childhood obesity, and her involvement “shows the importance all of us place on this issue,” Mr. Vilsack said.

The administration’s willingness to put Mrs. Obama’s popularity on the line is a calculated bet that concerns about childhood obesity have become so universal that the once-partisan fight over who should control school food offerings — the federal government or school boards — has subsided.

But Republican support is far from certain.

Senator Saxby Chambliss, a Georgia Republican and the ranking member on the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, met at the White House with Mrs. Obama on Tuesday to talk about childhood obesity. And while Mr. Chambliss released a statement saying that “schools play an important role in shaping nutrition habits of young children,” an aide refused to say whether he would support a ban on junk foods.

Other Republicans said they would wait to see legislation before signaling whether they would put aside long-held views that school boards should control food offerings.

Senator Blanche Lincoln, a Democrat from Arkansas and the chairwoman of the committee, said she would introduce the legislation within weeks. “It’s a big priority for me, other members and the administration,” she said.

While Democrats have coalesced around the idea of denying sweets to schoolchildren, many students are not keen. When Asthtyn Bowling, a 16-year-old junior at Orange County High School in Orange, Va., was told of the looming ban, she was shocked.

“That would be terrible!” she said.

Still growing strong, the ABC national program that helps disadvantaged students excel

Still growing strong, the ABC national program that helps disadvantaged students excel

At first glance, state Sen. Bill Perkins from Harlem, Grammy Award-winning musician Tracy Chapman and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick may seem like an odd trio.

The truth is, they're tightly linked - connected by a New York-based organization that took its cues from the civil rights movement of the 1960s and gave good students the opportunity to excel.

Perkins, Chapman and Patrick all were students in a national program called A Better Chance (ABC). Founded by the heads of prestigious private and public schools across the nation, the 47-year-old nonprofit group's name clearly spells out its goal to take academically fit, economically challenged students and give them access to exceptional educational opportunities.

These three celebrated participants are some of the more than 12,000 middle and junior high school students who have attended some America's best college preparatory schools through the program. Its alumni have achieved greatness in fields such as business, law, politics and medicine.

"ABC was a result of the civil rights movement. We're not just a product of the ABC; we're a product of the civil rights movement," said Perkins.

Perkins, a confirmed city kid, attended summer orientation at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire in 1964 before starting classes at Manhattan's exclusive Collegiate School.

ABC began in 1963, the tumultuous year in which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. made his moving "I Have a Dream" speech at the first March on Washington, and the year four young African-American girls were killed in the bombing of a Birmingham, Ala., church.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/02/08/2010-02-08_school_boost_simple_as_abc_natl_program_born_in_63_helps_good_students_excel.html#ixzz0ex2UGTT1

DOE Threatens To Shut Down Policy-Breaking Charter School - NY1.com

DOE Threatens To Shut Down Policy-Breaking Charter School - NY1.com

Parents say a charter school in East New York, Brooklyn is one of the area's few options for a good education, but the Department of Education may shut it down due to policy violations. NY1's Education reporter Lindsey Christ filed the following report.

All the students at East New York Preparatory Charter School passed the state math test last year and 86 percent passed the reading test. Yet the Department of Education says the school may have to close down. They say administrators at East New York have committed the worst violations of charter school policy they have ever seen. The situation was so bad that every single teacher either quit or was fired between June and September 2009.

But at a hearing this week, parents said they are desperate for good schools and begged for East New York Prep to stay open.

"My child is not finished with school until she finishes college. How many schools do that?" said a parent at the hearing.

The test scores at East New York were high, but DOE officials say the school expelled almost 50 low-performing students before they could take them.

DOE officials says many of the problems can be traced to the school's leader, Sheila Joseph, seen right, and the school's board of trustees. Charter school policy does not permit the DOE to fire the principal or replace the board.

"The DOE is telling the truth, their hands are tied. They do need to close down the school," said Mona Davids of the New York Charter Parents Association.

"The chancellor has been clear that if a charter school or a regular district school is not performing, then he is going to hold them accountable and they're going to close down. And the same goes for East New York Prep," said DOE official Michael Duffy.

State Sen. Diaz lashes into city for protecting rubber room teachers - NYPOST.com

State Sen. Diaz lashes into city for protecting rubber room teachers - NYPOST.com:

"A state lawmaker lashed into the city yesterday for protecting the jobs of incompetent and sometimes dangerous teachers by sentencing them to do-nothing jobs in Department of Education 'rubber rooms.'

'New York City must no longer permit a gift of several million dollars for incompetent former teachers who sit in the infamous 'rubber rooms,' drawing full salary while the Department of Education drags its feet and refuses to promptly address allegations of teacher misconduct and incompetence,' state Sen. Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx) fumed.

'What uniform service gets the benefit of 'suspended with pay' without any work responsibilities?"

Will Americans Really Learn Chinese? - Room for Debate Blog - NYTimes.com

Will Americans Really Learn Chinese? - Room for Debate Blog - NYTimes.com

The Times recently reported on the rise of Chinese-language instruction in American schools, a push supported by aid from the Chinese government. While language fads come and go — there was Russian during the cold war, then Japanese in the 1980’s, then Arabic after 9/11 — thousands of public schools have stopped teaching foreign languages in the last decade. Is the boom in Chinese language education going to last?

There’s a long tradition of bemoaning Americans’ inadequacy in foreign languages. But what specifically should the nation do to improve its citizens’ knowledge of other languages? What are the impediments?

• Susan Jacoby, author of “The Age of American Unreason”
• Ingrid Pufahl, Center for Applied Linguistics
• Marcelo and Carola Suárez-Orozco, N.Y.U.’s immigration studies program
• Norman Matloff, University of California, Davis
• Hongyin Tao, professor of Chinese language and linguistics
• Bruce Fuller, U.C. Berkeley professor of education and public policy

Students dread transition out of Beverly Hills Unified - latimes.com

Students dread transition out of Beverly Hills Unified - latimes.com:

"The few dozen nonresident eighth-graders who won't be going to Beverly High as planned say they're left in limbo, not sure where to enroll or how they'll adjust to new academic and social standards."

Taylor Short said the last few weeks have been like walking through a fog, unable to see what's ahead. The Beverly Vista Elementary eighth-grader has no idea where she'll enroll next year. She wonders whether she'll stay in touch with her best friends and feels let down by adults.

David Yona, a top athlete at El Rodeo Elementary, said he had been looking forward to the summer, when sports teams condition and train. Sadness sets in when he thinks about the fun he will probably miss before he starts his freshman year in the fall.

Although Taylor and David live outside the Beverly Hills Unified School District, they have attended its schools for years on special permits. The district's Board of Education voted last month not to renew permits for the eighth-graders and other elementary students. They allowed high school students to continue through graduation.

The district is changing the way it funds schools, declining state money based on student attendance and instead using property-tax revenue. Board members argued that Beverly Hills taxpayers should not subsidize education for nonresidents.

The district will, however, continue other nonresident permits, including those for children whose parents attended Beverly Hills schools and whose grandparents still live in the city.

Parents can appeal to the Los Angeles County Office of Education, which has said it will review each case individually. Some have said they may sue the district.

San Mateo Daily Journal: District gets charter creative

San Mateo Daily Journal

In a time of state budget cuts, dwindling property taxes and other unexpected loss of funding, school districts are searching for unique ways to raise revenue, including embracing a charter classification. 
San Carlos is home to six schools, of which five are charter schools, at least in classification. Only Central Middle School is without the distinction. Changing to a charter school could mean an increase in funding to the district, a transition currently being explored for that reason. Changes in the economy could mean the financial benefit won’t pencil out. Funding is not the only consideration in this idea that has yet to be publicly vetted by the Board of Trustees past a future budgetary line item.
Superintendent Craig Baker explained the district is working with the state to understand all changes that would occur if Central were converted since changing the school’s classification would also change the district to a charter district. Gathering the information has taken longer than originally anticipated. On Friday, Baker added the change may not occur for another year to ensure the right amount of research is done but that there clearly was an interest from both the community and the Board of Trustees. 
Funding for school districts is complicated. California uses two methods: Revenue limit, or paid per student in the classroom, and basic aid, which is property tax-funded. Charter schools are funded like revenue limit districts, however the formula for per pupil spending is figured out differently. Instead of being granted the state-approved per pupil allocation, charter schools receive an average of the per pupil spending in the state — that amount includes districts with higher revenue so the amount of funding increases.
This was one of the original thoughts behind converting other San Carlos schools.
It seems simple enough, but whether a change would generate more revenue is in question given how drastically the economy has changed. Baker noted the average has dropped drastically in recent years. Savings may not make a change worthwhile.
California became the second state to allow charter schools in 1992, behind Minnesota. Originally, a 100-school limit was placed on such schools. San Carlos became the first to open a charter school with the San Carlos Charter Learning Center, which was granted a charter in

Politics of public education reform - exploring Race to the Top’s charter school emphasis

Politics of public education reform - exploring Race to the Top’s charter school emphasis

President Obama’s Race to the Top(RttT) state competition has brought charter schools to the forefront of public education reform.  Additionally, charter schools are prominent in Obama’s 2011 proposed budget – increasing funding for charter schools and an extra $1.8 billion toward Supporting Student Success (which focuses on Promise Neighborhoods, of which charter schools are the central focus).

RttT relies heavily on charter schoolsas a tool for reform, awarding more points to states which enable charter school creation than to those which do not: 

• In the State Success Factors section, at least 30 points go toward clearing the way legislatively for charter schools to be allowed and encouraged. 
• The Turning Around Lowest Achieving Schools section, representing 35 out of 50 possible points, is the reform model for the lowest schools.   Of the four reform models possible, theturnaround model is the option that will allow a school to be turned into a charter. 

Charter schools slammed - MontereyHerald.com :

Charter schools slammed - MontereyHerald.com ::

"At a time when the Obama administration continues to push for more charter schools, a new study by the Civil Rights Project of the University of California-Los Angeles has concluded they are more segregated than traditional public schools.

Based on analysis of federal data from California and 39 other states, the study concluded that, while enrollment in charter schools is relatively small compared to traditional public schools, they show high levels of minority segregation, for example, high concentrations of Latinos or black students.

In other areas, where Latino students are the majority in the overall student population, they under-enroll in charters, suggesting that the schools serve as 'havens for white flight from public schools,' the study found."

Race to the Top funding faces obstacles - DailyBulletin.com

Race to the Top funding faces obstacles - DailyBulletin.com:

"One battle over a federal education grant program ended last month in Sacramento. Another will begin this spring in hundreds of school districts up and down the state.

Lawmakers in January passed legislation to make California eligible for a chunk of the more than $4billion Race to the Top grant program. But if local districts want to see any of that money, they'll have to reach an agreement with local teachers unions to start judging teachers based, in part, on student test scores.

Teachers' unions have historically opposed any move to link teacher evaluations to student performance, and observers are pessimistic that many unions will go along this time.

'It's not reflective of the teacher's teaching skills because you have to understand that students are different and there are different types of learners,' said Tyra Weis, president of Associated Pomona Teachers."

Arnie terminates textbooks to offer an electronic education | Life & Style

Arnie terminates textbooks to offer an electronic education | Life & Style:

"For schoolchildren it could mean the end of lugging heavy books to school every day, while for parents and schools it could mean big savings.

Electronic books may soon be a common sight in the classroom as schools begin to experiment with them.

The pitch is compelling - rather than having books for every subject, children just take a small, light e-Reader.

They can then download books, type data into worksheets and even browse the web and email their work to teachers - all from their desks. With most electronic books able to store more than 150 traditional books, one device could hold every textbook you'll ever need.

The leading proponent of the move to ebooks in schools is Arnold Schwarzenegger.

When California's high-school pupils return after this year's summer holidays, they will have access to online maths and science textbooks."

Indian Americans' rising political clout | D.C. Now | Los Angeles Times

Indian Americans' rising political clout | D.C. Now | Los Angeles Times:

"There are no Indian Americans in Congress, but Ami Bera hopes to change that.

Bera, a 44-year-old physician from suburban Sacramento, is one of six Indian Americans who are running for Congress this year, a record high. Hauling in half of his contributions from Indian Americans, Bera has raised $871,000, even more than Republican Rep. Dan Lungren, the eight-term incumbent he's trying to replace in California's 3rd Congressional District.

Though Bera's parents and many other Indian Americans of their generation focused mainly on getting good jobs and a good education for their children, today's generation is working its way into politics and public service.

“Politics is the natural transition,” Bera said. “We actually have a chance to give back to the country that benefited us.”

Their efforts are paying off.

President Obama has appointed 20 Indian Americans to his administration, another all-time high. His first state dinner in November honored Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Obama also was the first president to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, in the White House."

For UC's Commission on the Future, nothing is off the table - latimes.com

For UC's Commission on the Future, nothing is off the table - latimes.com:

"With California's public university system shackled to a shrinking budget, a group of chancellors, students and others considers ideas -- from banal to radical -- to keep quality up and costs down."

Why not abolish student fees at the University of California? And in exchange, how about requiring graduates to pay the university a percentage of their income for a while after college?

That may sound outlandish at a time when UC is substantially hiking student fees and the state budget crisis has left the 10-campus system strapped for cash. But that's precisely why UC Berkeley public policy professor Robert Reich raised the idea to a commission trying to chart the university's course into the future.

"We've never been here before, not only the university but the state of California," Reich, a former U.S. Labor Secretary, said in an interview. "So, many ideas that would never before see the light of day are now being examined seriously."

It remains to be seen how seriously UC leaders will examine Reich's proposal, under which more highly paid alumni would, in effect, subsidize others. But it is among the far-reaching, even radical ideas receiving at least a hearing from UC's Commission on the Future, a panel that is studying ways to maintain the university's excellence yet make it more efficient and affordable in an era of shrinking state revenue.

UC Board of Regents Chairman Russell Gould established the 26-member panel last summer and says it is open to all constructive proposals. He serves as its co-chairman, along with UC President Mark G. Yudof. 

City Brights: Rachel Norton : Feb. 25 town meeting will focus on investing in schools

City Brights: Rachel Norton : Feb. 25 town meeting will focus on investing in schools

Feb. 25 town meeting will focus on investing in schools

Last month, Superintendent Garcia announced that the San Francisco Unified School District's expected budget shortfall for the next two fiscal years (2010-11 and 2011-12) had increased to a whopping $113 million. At the January 26 Board of Education meeting, the Superintendent outlined his plans for closing the gap -- including raising class sizes, cutting the school year short and asking for wage and work rule concessions from the district's labor unions.
But a grass-roots network of parents at schools all over the city has decided not to take this bad news lying down. They're mad at the prospect of already cash-strapped schools being forced to cut further, and they're organizing to find solutions -- everything from passing an emergency ballot measure to fund schools, to launching a massive fundraising effort to encourage businesses and city residents to support San Francisco's public schools.
"San Franciscans need to make a decision. Do we want a crime-ridden city with under-educated kids?" asks Crystal Brown, an elementary school parent and PTA member. "Everyone needs to take responsibility for this problem."
The first event in this advocacy campaign is a town hall meeting on February 25, where state legislators, district leaders, business leaders and other advocates will come together to discuss how we got here and ways we might get through this budget crisis. KQED-FM Forum host Michael


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/rnorton/detail?entry_id=56818#ixzz0ewuUtVtO

Statewide Efforts To Pass School Parcel Tax Move Forward | KPBS.org

Statewide Efforts To Pass School Parcel Tax Move Forward | KPBS.org:

"SAN DIEGO — Education advocates in California are moving forward with efforts to lower the threshold in the legislature to pass a parcel tax for schools.

One of the ideas to lower the threshold is for a constitutional amendment in the State Legislature. The other is an initiative on the November ballot.

A parcel tax has become a popular measure for school districts during tough budget times because all the money levied goes directly to the districts. School officials can use the money to pay for teacher salaries, programs, books and supplies.

Both efforts would lower the threshold for the passage of a parcel tax to 55 percent. Currently it takes a two-thirds vote to pass a parcel tax.

The California State PTA is mobilizing its nearly one million members to support the ballot initiative. Debbie Look is the legislative director for the state PTA. She says parents want to send their tax dollars to local schools."

With Federal Stimulus Money Gone, Many Schools Face Budget Gaps - NYTimes.com

With Federal Stimulus Money Gone, Many Schools Face Budget Gaps - NYTimes.com:

"Federal stimulus money has helped avoid drastic cuts at public schools in most parts of the nation, at least so far. But with the federal money running out, many of the nation’s schools are approaching what officials are calling a “funding cliff.”"



Congress included about $100 billion for education in the stimulus law last year to cushion the recession’s impact on schools and to help fuel an economic recovery. New studies show that many states will spend all or nearly all that is left between now and the end of this school term.
With state and local tax revenues still in decline, the end of the federal money will leave big holes in education budgets from Massachusetts and Florida to California and Washington, experts said.
“States are going to face a huge problem because they’ll have to find some way to replace these billions, either with cuts to their K-12 systems or by finding alternative revenues,” said Bruce Baker, an education professor atRutgers University.
The stimulus program was the largest one-time infusion of federal education dollars to states and districts in the nation’s history. As the program took shape last year, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and other officials repeatedly warned states and districts to avoid spending the money in ways that could lead to dislocations when the gush of federal money came to an end.

Sacramento Realtors worry about school-closure effects - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Realtors worry about school-closure effects - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Realtor Susie Dunning thinks she knows why she hasn't received a single offer on a two-story home in South Land Park. The property in the 7400 block of Windbridge Drive backs up to Lisbon Elementary, one of four schools closed last year by Sacramento City Unified School District.

"We are the lowest price property in that area and still nothing," said Dunning, a real estate agent with Lyon.

Realtors and homeowners say trying to sell a home near a vacated school is difficult. Buyers don't like the uncertainty of whether the property will be neglected or who may lease it. And those concerns will likely spread as school districts throughout the region close more campuses.

San Juan, Twin Rivers, Natomas and Folsom Cordova school districts have plans to close at least 11 schools over the next three years because of budget deficits and low enrollment.

Since the 2006-2007 school year, 10 Sacramento-area schools have been closed.

Real estate agents say it's hard to determine exactly how much school closures have affected home sales because of the tumultuous housing market. What they do know is that buyers – especially young married couples – are influenced by the quality of the school district and proximity to schools when purchasing a home.

According to the 2009 National Association of Realtors home buyers and sellers report, one-third of people buying a home in a suburban area considered the quality of the school district an important factor. And buyers question the quality of a district pocked with defunct campuses.

Cynthia Chavez said she and her husband bought their home in North Natomas because it 

School districts in the Sacramento region have closed several campuses since the 2006-2007 school year and are considering closing more because of shrinking budgets and declining enrollment. 

Sacramento City Unified 

• Bear Flag Elementary, closed in 2007 (vacant). 

• Marian Anderson Elementary, 2007 (therapeutic center for emotionally disturbed students, Success Academy). 

• Alice Birney Elementary, 2009 (vacant). 

• Thomas Jefferson Elementary, 2009 (California Montessori Project, preschool program, Weight Watchers group). 

• Lisbon Elementary, 2009 (vacant). 

• Genesis High School, 2009 (district programs). 

• District officials previously said six to eight schools would close over next two years, but new administration officials said there are no plans to close schools. 

San Juan Unified 

• Thomas Coleman Elementary, 2006 (three preschool programs). 

• John Holst Elementary, 2006 (LaVista Special Education Center). 

• Billy Mitchell Elementary, 2007 (leased to Choices Charter School and home to district preschool program). 

• Orangevale Open Elementary, 2007 (leased to Pacific Technology Charter School). 

• Garfield Elementary and Sierra Nueva Continuation High to be closed in 2010-2011. 

Natomas Unified 

• Will close one elementary school in 2010-2011. Currently considering closure of Bannon Creek Elementary, Jefferson Elementary or Natomas Park Elementary. 

Twin Rivers Unified 

• Proposed closing at least four schools in 2011-2012 and at least two schools in 2012-2013. 

Folsom Cordova Unified 

• Cordova Lane Elementary and Riverview Elementary to be closed in 2010-2011.

This Week In Education: Media: How To Write A Sure-Fire Education Story

This Week In Education: Media: How To Write A Sure-Fire Education Story
Media: How To Write A Sure-Fire Education Story

"Dust off an anecdotal lede (best if in a classroom), tuck in a summary nut graph, widen to include some national and regional statistics, throw in a couple of expert voices, add an educator and a parent or student to contrast the experts and show you I’ve talked to local people, then circle back to my anecdote, tie it all together and end with a silver-bullet quote.  All in 10 inches or less, guaranteed to run unless we get more obits than budgeted or another 10 inches of snow."

-- Cathy Grimes, education team leader, The Daily Press, Newport News, Va. 

Mayoral control brings big school changes in D.C. | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle

Mayoral control brings big school changes in D.C. | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle:

"WASHINGTON — Classes dismiss at Watkins Elementary School around 3 p.m., and teacher's assistant April Cole-Walton walks a few blocks west, across Pennsylvania Avenue, beneath Capitol Hill, to St. Peter's Interparish School.

That's where her daughter Breanna goes to school.

'I love Watkins,' Cole-Walton said. 'I went to Watkins. My son went to Watkins.'

That was a long time ago. Her son is now grown, she said, and the school system is in such disrepair that she won't send her own child to the beloved school where she works."

Charter School Founder Faces Financial Scrutiny - NYTimes.com

Charter School Founder Faces Financial Scrutiny - NYTimes.com:

"The founder of a public charter school in the East Bay that provides a comfort zone for Muslim students is under attack in the wake of a state audit that uncovered questionable financial practices, including lavish payments to her."


In 2007, compensation for the founder and director of the FAME school in Fremont, Maram Alaiwat, was more than $240,000. This was roughly the same as the total compensation of the Fremont Unified Schools superintendent, who oversees 38 schools.
Ms. Alaiwat’s compensation package included a base salary of $153,702, a $32,500 housing allowance and a mileage stipend of $7,000. She was also given 10 percent of federal grant money that the school received for books and other needs, a stipend worth $30,000. She was paid $18,700 in lieu of vacation, and was provided with the money to buy a $74,820 2007 Mercedes GL 450.
According to the audit, the five-year-old charter school, Families of Alameda for Multi-Cultural/Multi-Lingual Education, had also taken out more than $3 million in loans from private lenders including Ms. Alaiwat’s two brothers and two school board members, at an interest rate significantly higher than commercial lenders charge. In most cases, the private lenders also received a 10 percent fee.
In addition to the compensation and the loans, Ms. Alaiwat rented her new condominium to an employee, whose salary she subsequently increased.
These financial issues and concerns about lagging test scores are expected to be raised