Saturday, March 13, 2010

Education - Everything you need to know about the world of education.

Education- Everything you need to know about the world of education.

Lottery shows surge of interest in DC schools

Record number of families seek spots at pre-k and out-of-boundary classes.

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D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee (Benjamin J. Myers).

Obama’s contradictions on education

Among the 10 organizations to which President Obama donated his Nobel Prize Award are the United Negro College Fund, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation, the American Indian College Fund, and the Posse Foundation.

What do those groups -- each of which is receiving $125,000 of the total $1.4 million that he received -- have in common?

They all work to help underserved populations of young people get ready to attend and be successful in college.

Obama has said repeatedly that his education goal is to make sure that every child has a quality education and the opportunity to graduate from college -- and he displayed his commitment to that with his own award money.

Yet his education policies to this point cannot ever reach this goal. Nor can they do what he promised during the presidential campaign: Stop high-stakes standardized testing from driving our public education system.

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Hopkins: We will cut emissions by half

Johns Hopkins University yesterday announced one of the more ambitious sustainability initiatives in higher education, with a goal of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by more than half by 2025.

Hopkins says it will invest $73 million in conservation and efficiency measures estimated to cut emissions by 81,000 metric tons a year, which would take them a little over halfway to their goal. That goal is to cut 141,000 metric tons from the 276,000 tons in annual emissions the university projects it would generate 15 years hence.

Dozens of colleges in the regionhave launched sustainability initiatives, driven partly by an impulse to practice what university researchers preach about the perils of global warming.

The Hopkins plan relies somewhat on technologies that don't yet exist: the university says it hopes to reduce its carbon footprint by "adopting new technologies that emerge between now and 2025," and also by "motivating members of the university community" to save energy on their own.

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Today's EducationNews 3.13.10 EducationNews.org

EducationNews.org

National

Bill Maher: New Rule: Let's Not Fire the Teachers When Students Don't Learn -- Let's Fire the Parents
3.13.10 - Last week, President Obama defended the firing of every...

Texas Conservatives Win Curriculum Change
3.13.10 - AUSTIN, Tex. — After three days of turbulent meetings, the Texas Board of Education on Friday approved a social studies curriculum that will put a

A step down: Federal education standards
3.13.10 - Ze’ev Wurman and Sandra Stotsky - High academic standards are the foundation of Massachusett's landmark education reform success. Let's not give them up for a...

Jay Mathews: Numbers hide a great high school
3.13.10 - I was astonished to see T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria labeled a "persistently lowest achieving school," as reported by my colleague Michael Alison Chandler.

Whitmire: New data on how far boys are falling behind
3.13.10 - Richard Whitmire looks at a new report to be released next week that shows that males are not doing as well on state tests as females...

Schools Matter: Bill Maher on the Central Falls Massacre

Bill Maher on the Central Falls Massacre

A clip from Bill Maher's most recent New Rules segment (ht to Patricia Gutierrez):

. . . . Yes, America has found its new boogeyman to blame for our crumbling educational system. It's just too easy to blame the teachers, what with their cushy teachers' lounges, their fat-cat salaries, and their absolute authority in deciding who gets a hall pass. We all remember high school - canning the entire faculty is a nationwide revenge fantasy. Take that, Mrs. Crabtree! And guess what? We're chewing gum and no, we didn't bring enough for everybody.

But isn't it convenient that once again it turns out that the problem isn't us, and the fix is something that doesn't require us to change our behavior or spend any money. It's so simple: Fire the bad teachers, hire good ones from some undisclosed location, and hey, while we're at it let's cut taxes more. It's the kind of comprehensive educational solution that could only

Can't You See It? Teachers For Technology. Now, Not Tomorrow. - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

Can't You See It? Teachers For Technology. Now, Not Tomorrow.

What Is Your School Doing About It? Lip Service or The Real Deal?
A Vision of 21st Century Teachers

This 4 minute video below may give some of us a wake-up call about how we are (or more likely, aren't) using technology in our classrooms. It's a vision by teachers.

The next time parents or teachers lament about the lack of writing skills in the classrooms, we should be asking: Are the students writing daily blogs, contributing to a class wiki, or creating a multi-media presentation?
How are teachers being supported by the school to develop their tech competency?
Are teachers aware of the various ways of using Google Apps, Utube, Flickr, etc.?
Are teachers being trained to utilize these tech tools and being supported by the administration? (ie. blogs and/or wikis are not complicated - students can be often be the "source" of the training )
Is technology deemed not part of the curriculum? (ie. instead of being viewed as a tool, is it perceived to be another "subject" ??!!!)
Are teachers finding resources and sharing with others?

How can we help teachers do MORE with technology as a tool?

Congressional Black Caucus Member Discusses Obama Meeting : NPR

Congressional Black Caucus Member Discusses Obama Meeting

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[6 min 53 sec]

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus met with President Obama yesterday to clear the air over lingering tensions on how the Obama administration has handled minority issues. Host Michel Martin speaks with Congresswoman Yvette Clarke for her take on the meeting, what the President said, and the concerns the CBC has with the Obama administration.

New Assembly Speaker Sworn In Close to Home :: blogdowntown

New Assembly Speaker Sworn In Close to Home

By ED FUENTES
Published: Friday, March 12, 2010, at 05:41PM

Ed Fuentes [Flickr]

New Speaker of the California Assembly John A. Pérez at the podium during his swearing-in at the Japanese American National Museum.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Steps from where his political aspirations began, John A. Pérez was publicly sworn in as the new speaker of the California Assembly today.

The Boyle Heights raised Pérez –– now a Downtown resident –- first began political career fundraising across the street at Senor Fish. Today his ceremonial oath of office was held, across the street, on the steps of the Japanese-American National Museum.

Mayor of Maywood Ana Rosa Rizo thanked the Speaker for the way he responded to the community in pushing legislation to clean up the city's tap water. Even though it requires legislation, his effort to clean up tap water, as told by Mayor of Maywood Ana Rosa Rizo, was introduced as a grassroots effort. A member of the audience even brought a jar of water for Pérez to take

CSUS student union fee a hard sell - Education - Modbee.com

CSUS student union fee a hard sell

Few students are eager to pay $50 more a year

TURLOCK — Students at California State University, Stanislaus, faced with rising education costs, will be asked to vote themselves another fee increase at the end of this month.

Voting is set March 29-30 at the Turlock campus and its Stockton satellite. If a majority of votes are in favor, student union fees will go up $50 each year through 2014. Students pay $140 a year in student union fees now.

Those behind the effort admit it's a tricky sell in an economy that has brought about job losses and already higher fees. Two earlier referenda to improve the student union failed.

Modesto Bee - Brian Ramsay/bramsay@modbee.com Cal State Stanislaus University Student Union, photographed March, 4, 2010.

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AT A GLANCE
- WHAT: A proposal to raise fees for a $27 million student union at California State University, Stanislaus
- WHEN: Ground-breaking would take place later this year; opening is expected in 2014
- HOW MUCH: Fees would go up $50 per year through 2014
- VOTING: Turlock campus, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 29-30, main dining hall; Stockton campus, 1-6 p.m. March 29-30, Acacia Court lobby

"It's a challenge now. But it would be a challenge 10 years from now," said Bryce Dias, a graduate student who is chairman of the University Student Union board of directors. "We were committed to the project early on."

Dias said there is a bright side to the downturn. "In this economy, (design and construction) bids are coming in way cheaper," he said. "We're getting the project for a huge discount."

And, he pointed out, the new student union would bring in jobs, from construction to staffing. Plans call for a commuter lounge, showers and lockers; a place for speakers to address groups; even, potentially, a day care center for children of students.

"A lot of students don't have any reason to stick around," Dias said. "They eat lunch in their car. We want to provide a place for everybody, not just the intentional, active student."

The project is estimated to cost $27 million and open in September 2014. Dias said backers are careful not to put together a specific plan yet, citing concerns that stemmed from an earlier student-funded project.

Sports complex 'a fiasco'

In 2006, students elected to pay $80 more a semester to fund a $16.2 million sports and recreation complex on the east side of campus. The complex came in above estimated costs and the opening was delayed by a year. The complex opened in 2009.

"It was kind of a fiasco," Dias said.

The 2006 vote got 68 percent approval from 1,100 students who voted.

Christina Kelley, another project supporter, said the reaction has been "pretty mixed."

Kelley and Dias are quick to point out to detractors that this is a student-led project.

"People are angry with campus administrators for cutting classes," Dias said. "But this has been student-

California Budget Crisis Diaries: Living with the deficit until 2015 | San Diego Gay & Lesbian News

California Budget Crisis Diaries: Living with the deficit until 2015

Hoa Quach - SDNN | Fri, 03/12/2010 - 11:51am | Login to bookmark or comment

ENLARGE

California Budget Crisis Diaries
Though California Controller John Chiang’s latest report shows an increase in revenue, one tax board representative said the Golden State won’t recover for another few years.
Here’s your Thursday collation of all things California budget-related.
Slow, slow recovery: A California tax board representative told one publication the state won’t recover from its budget deficit until 2015.
According to the Ukiah Daily Journal, the president of the California Board of Equalization made the comment earlier this week. But, she noted small signs of hope.
“According to Yee, the state has lost 1 million jobs since December 2007 and she doesn’t see significant recovery for some time.
She does, however, see hopeful signs in a slight increase in sales of existing homes, some hiring in Silicon Valley and also in the port of Long Beach which may signal an increase in exports.
‘But will they be sustained activity?’ was her question.
Consumer spending is still down and new housing construction is at a standstill. A jump in August 2009 sales taxes was due to the federal Cash for Clunkers used car trade in program and has not translated into any other consumer buying.
‘People who have money aren’t spending it, and a lot of people don’t have it,’ Yee said.”
But like any good government official, Yee notes “that the state is not alone” in its budget sorrows, highlighting other governments seeing the same pain
Another student protest: If state lawmakers thought students may quiet down a bit after the March 4’s Day of Action — they were mistaken.
Chico State held a rally against budget cuts Wednesday. But this time, protesters noted the impact education cuts would have on, not only their university, but their county.
According to a study reported on by The Orion, the “subsequent multiplier effect” found that with the reduction of 200 students to Chico State, “there were at least 97 fewer jobs and a loss of $5.2 million circulating in Butte County.”
“As Chico State is forced to tighten its belt, so must the rest of Butte County.

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