Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Oakland teachers authorize strike | SocialistWorker.org

Oakland teachers authorize strike | SocialistWorker.org:

"MEMBERS OF the Oakland Education Association (OEA) voted by a 94 percent margin to authorize a one-day strike, and by an 89 percent margin to support the March 4 Day of Action against education budget cuts.

The union is in the stage of bargaining called fact-finding, which comes after the two sides reach an impasse. The move to authorize a strike comes after a year and a half of fruitless negotiations with the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD). In addition to authorizing a strike, members voted unanimously to oppose the district's 'last, best and final offer.'"

The district's offer is based on the logic that there is no money, and only cuts are on the table. However, a document authored by the OEA's bargaining team proves that there is enough money to settle the contract. The problem is that the district's priorities are testing, corporate consultants and administrators, rather than teacher retention and quality education for students.

Here are a couple examples of spending where the money would be better used to reduce class sizes and pay teachers a competitive salary:

-- The OUSD spends $10 million a year for "benchmark testing" and test prep materials.

-- More than $5 million is paid out to consultants to outsource jobs like professional development and curriculum coaching.

-- The district makes annual payments of $6 million toward its debt to the state of California.

-- Perhaps most outrageous, OUSD pays million-dollar fines to the state for exceeding the 8-to-100 administrator-to-teacher ratio mandated by law.

The district's offer has a pay freeze for the 2009-2010 school year, but re-openers in the

Obama proposal to change NCLB gets thumbs-up from San Gabriel Valley, Whittier educators - Whittier Daily News

Obama proposal to change NCLB gets thumbs-up from San Gabriel Valley, Whittier educators - Whittier Daily News:

"President Barack Obama's proposal to overhaul the No Child Left Behind Act this year is being roundly praised by San Gabriel Valley and Whittier-area educators, who say they'd welcome a new federal accountability system to measure schools that is based on annual progress.

As it stands now, NCLB sets specific testing targets for math and language arts that rise each year, with the overall goal of having 100 percent of students proficient in those two areas by the 2013-14 school year.

But in his budget plan, Obama proposed judging schools differently, by looking instead at student growth and schools' progress from one year to the next."

Michael Rebell: Educational Budget Cuts: Unconscionable -- and Unconstitutional

Michael Rebell: Educational Budget Cuts: Unconscionable -- and Unconstitutional:

"This past fall California laid off 20,000 teachers, resulting in average class sizes in Los Angeles high schools of 42.5. Teachers in Hawaii were 'furloughed' and classes canceled for 17 straight Fridays, In Illinois, 30,000 children lost preschool services, bilingual education was cut 25 percent and teacher recruitment in hard-to-staff schools was substantially reduced.

And there's worse to come. Even after plugging budget holes with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds -- intended to stimulate innovation and create opportunities for low-income students -- 39 states now report midyear shortfalls and project additional large gaps for FY2011. New York Governor David Paterson has proposed cutting the base budget by $1.4 billion next year."

Proposed oil tax divides education leaders - San Jose Mercury News

Proposed oil tax divides education leaders - San Jose Mercury News:

"An East Bay lawmaker wants to tax oil pumped from the California ground and give the proceeds to colleges and universities, but the proposal has run afoul of the very people it was supposed to help.

Assembly Bill 656 initially would have taxed companies 12.5 percent for oil and gas extracted from the state. The money would have been divided among the three public systems: community colleges, California State University and the University of California.

But the bill's other requirements — including an inequitable division of the money and a mandate that it be spent only on classroom instruction — riled some education officials. The lawmaker advocating the tax, Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Newark, has since gutted the bill, but said he plans to bring back the original proposal soon.

'We didn't have the votes in the Assembly,' Torrico said. 'But we've always treated this bill as part of a larger campaign to raise awareness.'
College and university leaders agree that Tor"

RealClearPolitics - Education & the Fallacy of "Fairness"

RealClearPolitics - Education & the Fallacy of "Fairness":

"A recent flap in a Berkeley high school reveals what a farce 'fairness' can be. Because this is ultra-liberal Berkeley, perhaps we should not be surprised that a proposal has been made to eliminate four jobs as science teachers and use the money saved for programs to help low achievers.

In Berkeley, as in many other communities across the country, black and Latino students are not performing as well as Asian and white students. In fact, the racial gap in academic achievement at Berkeley High School is the highest in California-- no doubt a special source of embarrassment in politically correct Berkeley."

11,000 people respond to Sac City schools online surveys - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

11,000 people respond to Sac City schools online surveys - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

"Keeping class sizes small and closing the achievement gap among students seem to be the biggest concerns of parents, students, teachers and community members filling out a pair of surveys about the Sacramento City Unified School District, Superintendent Jonathan Raymond said Monday.

More than 11,000 people had taken the surveys as of last week, including more than 4,200 students. Today is the last day the district will collect answers to the online surveys (available at www.scusd.edu)."

Take Survey Now

Take Survey Now

Go to Sacramento City Unified School District Web Site

Monday, February 8, 2010

Sacramento Press / Access Sacramento and Sacramento Music Alliance Help Haiti - Concert & Telethon

Sacramento Press / Access Sacramento and Sacramento Music Alliance Help Haiti - Concert & Telethon:

"Access Sacramento is hosting a 3 hour telethon on Friday February 26 in our TV Studio. We will be putting together crews to tape record three, one-hour programs that will then playback from 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM that same night.

Produced in partnership with the 'Buck-up or Shut Up!' event organized by the Sacramento Music Alliance, our combined efforts will ask local viewers to remember Haiti and ocntinue to donate. The devastating earthquake that killed so many and left so many more families homeless, will take many years to rebuild. Let's not forget them - Haitians of all ages still need our help.
Sacramento musicians are joining together with Access Sacramento to bring this appeal to local viewers. There are three ways to help. Attend - Volunteer - Donate"

Sacramento Press / Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce Installation & Awards Dinner

The Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce’s 17thAnnual Installation Dinner was held Feb. 4th at the Sheraton in downtown Sacramento. Over 600 guests enjoyed passionate speeches by guest George Takei and 2010 SACC Honoree, West Sacramento Mayor, Christopher Cabaldon who focused on the power of strong leadership.

The SACC was honored to present the 2010 awardees: Kaiser Permanente (Corporate Steward Award); Fast Signs of Elk Grove (Small Business Award); Asian Resources (Vu Nguyen Heroism Award) and Megan Franks, Rancho Cordova Marriott (Ambassador of the Year).

The SACC Installation Dinner is held each February and includes the installation of new Board Members of the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce.”

Hearts for Haiti | The Education Report

Hearts for Haiti

By Katy Murphy
Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 1:03 pm in high schools, middle schools, students,teens, the arts.

Kids at Oakland’s Bret Harte Middle School are showing their love this month by raising money for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. So far, they have raised more than $700 for Oxfam, according to teachers at the school. Each heart represents a student’s contribution.

At Oakland School for the Arts, Graciela Olguin and her classmates organized an online art sale to raise money for the American Red Cross’s Haiti relief efforts. They set up this Web site, and generated more than $300 as of late last week.

If your school has undertaken a similar project, tell us about it.

Schwarzenegger, Coe to run Vancouver torch relay - Latest News - sacbee.com

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Arnold Schwarzenegger will hand the Olympic torch off to Sebastian Coe on Friday morning, the day of the opening ceremony at the Vancouver Games.

The California governor and the two-time Olympic gold medalist runner were revealed Monday as torch relay participants along with several famous Canadians, including the father of hockey great Wayne Gretzky.

"Clearly we want to have a big finish," said John Furlong, the CEO of the Vancouver organizing committee.

Besides Walter Gretzky, other notable relay runners include astronaut Julie Payette, singerJann Arden and former hockey player Richard Brodeur.

Education Week: Dueling Objectives Mark Stimulus at Halfway Point

A year ago, the federal floodgates opened for aid to education, releasing a one-time surge of up to $100 billion in economic-stimulus money aimed at both stabilizing and transforming the nation’s public education system.

The results so far have been mixed, as weighed against the Obama administration’s twin goals for its unprecedented infusion of education funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

From the outset, the stimulus program’s education piece—among the largest elements of the $787 billion package intended to jump-start a recession-battered economy—was to serve both an economic and a school improvement purpose.

By pouring money into the coffers of states and districts already suffering from cuts to K-12 schooling, the ARRA aimed to stanch the fiscal bleeding and let them concentrate on the business of educating students. A year later, it’s clear that the stimulus package averted tens of thousands of teacher layoffs nationwide, and mitigated deep cuts to school programs.

Schools and the Stimulus:
A Midterm Report

Dueling Objectives Mark Stimulus at Halfway Point
Overview
The Impact So Far
Multiple Stimulus Aid Streams Flow to Ed Tech
Private Sector Competes for Share of Stimulus Pie
Spec. Ed., Title I Aid Casts Long Stimulus Shadow
Stimulus Reflects Push for Teacher Effectiveness
Schools Stuck at Bottom Target of $3 Billion Push
Aid Lets Hard-Hit State Keep Programs Aloft
Fiscal Stability Allows for Long View on Stimulus
The Road Ahead
As Education's Funding Cliff Nears, Anxieties Rise
Race to Top Sets Stage for ESEA Reauthorization
Web Extras
Live Webinar: Is the Stimulus Metting Its K-12 Goals?
Live Chat: Schools and the Stimulus: A Midterm Report
Interactive Map: Follow the Stimulus Money
Videos on the Stimulus

After parents’ visit, Sen. Perkins calls for charter school hearings | GothamSchools

After parents’ visit, Sen. Perkins calls for charter school hearings

by Anna Phillips

Charter school advocates’ day of political action in Albany last week appears to have had an unintended consequence: State Senator Bill Perkins now wants to hold hearings to expose an alleged lack of oversight and parent voice in the schools.

In a half-hour interview on WWRL’s Working New York radio show this Saturday, Perkins said that a group of charter school parents who have become disenchanted with their childrens’ schools came to see him and left a lasting impression. Those parents belong to the New York Charter Parents Association, a recently-started group that’s supportive of charter schools, but quite critical of their management.

“There’s a parent movement that’s not being paid attention to within the charter schools,” said Perkins, who recently supported a bill backed by the teachers union that would have lifted the charter cap while placing tight restrictions on how and where the schools open.
“A part of their concern is how the money is being spent, and whether as parent leaders they are allowed to have certain types of access to information. They have been threatened with being put out of the schools if they insist on those types of opportunities that normally any parent would get access to,” he said.

The hearings — which aren’t scheduled, but will be “soon” he said — will focus on the city and state’s oversight of charter schools, the rates at which students are expelled or counseled to leave, and the

John Carroll University GLBT Protest

In light of the recent decision by the John Carroll University administration to not specifically include the protection of Lesbians, Gays, Bi-Sexuals, Transgendered, and Questioning students in its Anti-Discrimination Statement, we, the students, faculty, and alumni of John Carroll University choose to voice our support for those the university leaves without protection.

John Carroll's mission is to create people for others. That means support, protection, love, and understanding for all people without regard to color, creed, sexual preference, gender, age, or other personal factors. That's the goal of a Jesuit institution.

By not explicitly voicing its support of LGBTQ students, faculty, and alumni, John Carroll's administration is breaking those unspoken bonds of trust that make JCU a community.

It's time for those who have called Carroll home in some capacity to speak up and demand of the President, Board of Directors, and Administration the words that promise safety and security to those whose rights are so tenuous and often unprotected.

In short, we expect better of John Carroll University. We demand better. We are a gentle, angry people and we are singing, singing for our lives!!!

http://www.jcu.edu/

Gay Students Stage Basketball Sit-In at John Carroll U.
Gay students and supporters at John Carroll University staged a sit-in on the basketball court prior to the start of a game last week to protest the university's refusal to add sexual orientation to the official anti-bias policy at the institution. The protest, filmed and then placed on YouTube, ended when students were escorted -- without arrests -- from the court. University officials noted that draft "community standards" being prepared by the university explicitly protect gay and lesbian students and would bar discrimination against them. Officials said that the employment policy that does not include sexual orientation is based on state and federal statutes, which do not cover sexual orientation. "Rather than rely on the limitations provided under current federal and state law, the university strives to achieve a much higher standard based upon its Jesuit and Catholic mission and teachings," said a statement from the university.
http://www.insidehighered.com/

Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Endorse Patrick Kennedy for City Council

Patrick Kennedy

Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Endorse Patrick Kennedy for City Council

I am proud to announce that the Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522 has endorsed my candidacy for Sacramento City Council.

We all owe a tremendous debt to the men and women of Sacramento's fire fighting ranks. Every day they protect over 144 square miles with a population of over 450,000. They are responsible for far more than just protecting life and property from the ravages of fire. They are often the front line first responders providing emergency medical services, hazardous materials regulation and response, special and technical rescue, fire prevention code enforcement, public education, and disaster preparedness.

In District 5, Section 6 in Oak Park has been one of the busiest stations in the nation. Section 12, in Hollywood Park, has even answered the call when my own daughter suffered from a diabetes related medical emergency, and I credit them with saving her life.

Carrying the support of these brave men and women means a lot to our campaign. But, more importantly, it means a great deal to me personally.

If you have any questions about my candidacy or want to talk about issues facing our city, I welcome you to call me at 446-4434, or visit my website at www.Patrick-Kennedy.com, where I hope you will sign up as a supporter. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Patrick Kennedy

Support Patrick's Campaign

We need supporters like you to help Patrick get elected to the Sacramento City Council - Find out more here.

Planned Parenthood Pushes Intensive Sex Education for Kids as Young as 10 - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News - FOXNews.com

Planned Parenthood Pushes Intensive Sex Education for Kids as Young as 10
A new report by the International Planned Parenthood Federation is advocating that children as young as 10 be given extensive sex education, including an awareness of sex's pleasures.
The report, "Stand and Deliver," charges that religious groups, specifically Catholics and Muslims, deny their young access to comprehensive sexual programs and education.
"Young people's sexuality is still contentious for many religious institutions. Fundamentalist and other religious groups — the Catholic Church and madrasas (Islamic Schools) for example — have imposed tremendous barriers that prevent young people, particularly, from obtaining information and services related to sex and reproduction. Currently, many religious teachings deny the pleasurable and positive aspects of sex." the report states.
Click here to read the report.
The report demands that children 10 and older be given a "comprehensive sexuality education" by governments, aid organizations and other groups, and that young people should be seen as "sexual beings."
"Young people have the right to be informed about sexuality and to have access to contraceptives and other services," Bert Koenders, the Netherlands Minister for Development Cooperation, wrote in the foreword to the report. It was his organization that helped fund the report.
The report argues that sex education should be "recast" to show sexuality as a "positive force for change and development, as a source of pleasure, an embodiment of human rights and

Education: Race to the Top?: Part II | Psychology Today

In my recent post, Race to the Top?: Part I, I described the academic achievement rat race in which students near the top of the educational food chain strive maniacally to win (or at least finish). I argued that the emphasis on testing by former President Bush's No Child Left Behind law (NCLB) and continued with President Obama's Race to the Top initiative (RTTT) has only exacerbated the problem better characterized by the title of the powerful new documentary by Vicki Abeles, Race to Nowhere. This post, in contract, explores how RTTT impacts those students and schools at the other end of the educational food chain, those who are just trying to survive in the turbulent sea of American public education.
The first mistake that this administration made was to call education reform a race. Races connote winners and losers. Yet, we need to ensure that all our students and schools are winners. I think a more appropriate name for this initiative is Climb to the Top because the focus should be on how to get to the top.

The administration's second mistake was to continue Bush's initial mistake of focusing on testing; instead of being a tool for education reform, testing has morphed into the end-all, be-all of said reform. Yes, assessment is essential for determining the effectiveness of programs such as RTTT aimed at achieving something as ethereal and elusive as education reform or the more tangible goal of closing the education and economic gaps between the haves and have-nots. At the same time, improved test scores should not be the ultimate objective of education reform.

This notion that test results are the essential goal of education reform has created an environment in which teachers must "teach to the test;" students aren't really educated so much as prepared to pass tests so schools and states can get federal funding. School administrators hate teaching to the test because schools become fact factories instead of houses of learning. Teachers hate it because they are forced into a very small curricular box and are not allowed to do what they love to do, namely, educate young people. And students hate it because rote memorization of facts is neither interesting nor motivating, and they don't get a real education. Perhaps the saddest aspect of NCLB is that it HASN'T WORKED! In the eight plus years in which NCLB has been in place, there have been few appreciable or lasting gains in test scores for which NCLB can take credit. What it has overwhelmingly succeeded

EducationCEO's Blog

A little change requires a little (or a lot of) discomfort

February 8, 2010

Yes, the presidential election is over but people are still using the word change when describing anything from politics to education. I can’t help but wonder: Do most people really want change? I think a lot of people talk a good game, but when it comes to walking the walk, folks start to disappear or get really, really quiet. Yeah, I think I may need to go a little ‘rogue’ in this post because there are some things that need to be said because a lot of people are oblivious to what’s going on in the world, especially as it relates to education.

Barack Obama was elected the first African American President of the United States. He made history. We must move on. I did not hold any unrealistic expectations for this president because I understood (to a certain degree) the mess he inherited: two wars, a crappy economy, a broken-down educational system, and hatred from other countries of the world. As David Letterman would say: I wouldn’t give his problems to a monkey on a rock. Obama definitely has his hands full and he needs our help. First and foremost, we all need to be realistic: He is not going to come close to fixing all of these problems during

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