Monday, March 15, 2010

Morning reads for Oakland: School Board stories, Ise Lyfe rules, Oak Knoll, PG&E power grab | Oakland Local

Morning reads for Oakland: School Board stories, Ise Lyfe rules, Oak Knoll, PG&E power grab

Susan Mernit Mon, 15 Mar at 8:31am

The Black Hour: Laticia Booker leads a fast break

Okay, it's another Monday. But it's spring!

You don't want to miss My's Music Monday feature on the amazing Ise Lyfe--and when you read our article PLEASE make sure to listen to Beautiful, the most amazing song. Also make sure you check out Cynthia's story about Oakland Unified School District Chief Tony Smith's talk to GO Oakland last week--it is full of details you will want to know. Example: Did you know the state considers the Oakland SD the most improved urban school district in the state last year?

GO also has an interview with Oakland School Board with Director Jody London: One quote--"When I talk about fiscal challenges, people need to understand that 80% of our budget comes from Sacramento. Certain realities we face are because we are heavily dependent on funding from State. People feel their local taxes are paying for our schools, but those local taxes go to the State and are reallocated."

Also check out this CaliforniaWatch story about a new state report from the California Rehabilitation Oversight Board that casts doubt on whether the department can reduce inmate recidivism “after laying off approximately 800 teachers, severely restricting the time spent in class, eliminating many vocational programs and cutting in-prison substance abuse programming to 90 days.”

Given the number of young males in prison, especially African-Americans, that news gives some resonance to a Facebook friend's note that observes: "There are more African Americans under correctional control today -- in prison or jail, on probation or parole -- than were enslaved in 1850, a decade before the Civil War began. In other words, slavery never ended."

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence. - State Pushes Turnaround on a School Turned Around and Around

By EMILY ALPERT

A tiny elementary school in the Stockton neighborhood has done nearly everything the government says failing schools should do. It converted into a charter school, free from school district rules. It swept out most of its teachers and replaced them. It hired a new principal. It lengthened its school day.

Yet California officials dubbed King-Chavez Arts Academy a persistently failing school this week based on its test scores. Their remedy: Do the things that it has already done.

It is one of just six schools in San Diego County that have been targeted for turnarounds, a menu of dramatic and controversial changes meant to kickstart school reform. The problem is that the tiny school has already been turned, and turned, and turned. It made big changes to try to pull up its scores. And now the feds are demanding that it turn again.

"It's ironic," said David Wilson, development director for the King-Chavez schools, a system of charter schools in Logan Heights. "We did

Bright and Early: The Education Newsblitz

Share: Send this page to your friends
Print: Create a hardcopy of this page
Font Size:: Default font size; Larger font size

Posted: Monday, March 15, 2010 7:49 am

Your Bright and Early is decidedly less early today thanks to Daylight Savings Time ... my nemesis.

What happens when the state demands that a school turn around with big changes ... when it's already made almost all the changes the state wants? We explore the strange situation of King-Chavez Arts Academy, which has replaced its teacher and its principal, converted into a charter school, and yet still ended up on the infamous state list.

Pinkslips that warn teachers of possible layoffs are going out, the Union-Tribune writes, and a strong sense of déjà vu is going out with them. Marsha Sutton at SDNN compares them to the Ides of March.

Politics | Ed. secretary: More than math, reading important | Seattle Times Newspaper

Politics | Ed. secretary: More than math, reading important| Seattle Times Newspaper

Ed. secretary: More than math, reading important

President Barack Obama's proposal to overhaul education standards championed by his predecessor aims to broaden the focus beyond math and reading to "a well-rounded education," Education Secretary Arne Duncan says.

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON —

Reading and math are important, but so are social studies, science, the arts and recess, Duncan said Monday on ABC's "Good Morning America."

"We're looking to make some pretty dramatic changes here," Duncan said.

The proposal would overhaul the Bush administration's "No Child Left Behind" program. Rather than focusing on grade-level proficiency as the current law does, it would seek to ensure students are ready for college or a job. Duncan said it also would give educators more flexibility.

Duncan said the administration hopes Congress will pass the measure this year.

Experts Urge Creation of 'America's Teacher Corps' - Teacher Beat - Education Week

Experts Urge Creation of 'America's Teacher Corps'

By Stephen Sawchuk on March 15, 2010 10:30 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

A high-powered panel of teacher-quality experts released a paper this morning proposing a new federal program called America's Teacher Corps that they claim would recognize the best teachers, reduce interstate barriers to teaching, increase access of students in high-poverty school to highly effective teachers, and make the profession more attractive to newcomers.

The paper's authors include some of the biggest names in teacher-effectiveness research and evaluation: Steven Glazerman, an analyst with Mathematica Policy Research; Dan Goldhaber, a researcher at the University of Washington; Susanna Loeb, a professor at Stanford University; Douglas Staiger, from Dartmouth University; and Grover Whitehurst, former director of the Institute of Education Sciences, now at Brookings.

The new federal program that the authors advocate would represent a change from current teacher programs such as the Teacher Incentive Fund, which require applications from interested districts. America's Teacher Corps would appeal directly to teachers, who would then be "nominated" by their districts, based on whether they earned an average evaluation score in the top quartile of teachers on their past three evaluations.

Successful applicants would be eligible for a $10,000 salary supplement from the federal government, contingent on working in a high-poverty school. They'd also receive a portable credential allowing them to bypass credentialing barriers in other states if they decided to move. The authors posit that such barriers, even

Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Notes from the news, Mar. 15

Submitted by Erika Owens on Mon, 03/15/2010 - 09:58 Posted in Notes from the news | Permalink

Students say assault report is lacking The Inquirer
The report on South Philly High lacks "crucial portions" of the students' accounts of the violence, doesn't put the violence in the context of years of assaults, and doesn't include 26 separate assaults from the 2008-09 school year.

See also: Giles defends report on Phila. school attacks The Inquirer

Editorial: Teachable moment The Inquirer
A change in federal funding could leave Teach for America without federal support for a year. The Inquirer urges corporations and foundations to fill in the gap.

Letters: Story on parental failings is the real deal Daily News
Reader said story on parental involvement in the schools made that the "most important issue" he ever read.

School police officers say cars are a menace The Inquirer
Their patrol cars have many problems, according to the officers' union.

Phila. SRC Beats Quota for Hiring Women, Minorities KYW
The District beat its own goals for hiring women and minority owned businesses.

Jr. Executive Music Program to Work With Phila. Schools KYW

Thousands of Science Teachers Converge on Philadelphia for Annual Conference KYW

Pa. Lawmaker Wants Review of School Bus Driver Licensing RegulationsKYW

Please email us if we missed anything today or if you have any suggestions of publications, email lists, or other places for us to check for news.

Click here to get Notes from the news in your inbox every day.

Notes from the news

Patrick Kennedy, Sacramento City Council 2010

Only two days until St. Patrick's Day!

I hope you will join me, friends and neighbors for our annual St. Patrick's Day Celebration. Enjoy corned beef, colcannon, Irish soda bread and brews from local Lockdown Brewery, and get caught up on my campaign for City Council (ok, mostly enjoy the food and/or beer).

Location: 2722 Coleman Way (in Curtis Park)
Date: March 17th
Time: 5:30 PM

Tickets are only $35, so bring friends, too!

I look forward to seeing you then.

Slan!

Patrick Kennedy

Please click here to view the invitation for my St. Patrick's Day Celebration.

Tickets are $35, sponsorship levels are also available.
For more information and to RSVP please contact Amber Moran Wannell, 916-448-2258 (telephone), 916-706-1412 (fax), or
amber@amwconsulting.net

NCLB: Reporters, Advocates, Respond to Obama Proposal This Week In Education

This Week In Education

NCLB: Reporters, Advocates, Respond to Obama Proposal

Hard to get all that excited about the Administration's NCLB replacement proposal, aka "the blueprint" or the "college- and career-ready" act, though I have to admit being curious and having nothing better to do than read over the coverage so far. As usual, initial coverage is all about reporters madly trying to understand and explain something new on a short deadline (and get good quotes), and advocates and bloggers positioning themselves to their best advantage (and give good quotes). Some of it's pretty yawny. Or maybe that's just me. But there are a couple of errors or mis-statements slipping in already, it seems.

Continue reading "NCLB: Reporters, Advocates, Respond to Obama Proposal" »

COMMENTS (0)

PERMALINK

TRACKBACK (0)

March 15, 2010 | Posted At: 08:55 AM | Author: Alexander Russo | Category: Daily News

News: Turmoil Over States' Lists Of Worst Schools

Tempers may flare as worst-performing schools named Providence Journal: Turmoil recently broke out in Massachusetts when it released the names of the state’s 35 worst schools...Rhode Island was first to erupt, because of its much-hated law requiring districts to lay off by March 1 all teachers who MIGHT need to be actually laid off in the summer when budgets and enrollments are known.

New funding projection could squeeze Obama's education agenda Washington Post: In the final push to pass a major student aid bill pending in Congress, funding for key elements in President Obama's education agenda is dwindling.

Schools Across U.S. Grapple With Closures NPR: Kansas City, Mo., has just approved one of the largest school closures in the nation's history. All over the U.S., the number of districts shutting schools is growing rapidly in the face of declines in both revenue and enrollment.

Senators critical of salary expenses at Boys & Girls Clubs of America Washington Post: Several Republican senators are questioning expenses at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a national nonprofit organization that receives millions of dollars in federal funding.

Part II of Michelle Alexander's Interview at Democracy Now Schools Matter

Schools Matter

Part II of Michelle Alexander's Interview at Democracy Now

Don't miss this Part 2, which includes a discussion of Privatization of Prisons .

More on Proposed NCLB 2.0

Leonie Haimson at HuffPo with a Monday morning roundup on the big weekend news from Obama's Corporate Department of Education.

What Reaction to Obama's ESEA Proposal Might Mean - Politics K-12 - Education Week

What Reaction to Obama's ESEA Proposal Might Mean

By Alyson Klein on March 15, 2010 9:00 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

So I'm sure you're well aware by now that the Obama administration released its blueprint for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. You can check out our story here and take a look at the full document onlinehere.

When I made calls to get reaction for the story, what jumped out at me was the fact that, for the most part, lots of people seemed basically pretty happy with the general direction of the blueprint. (That wasn't the case nearly three ago, when Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, released a draft bill with some similar elements. That draft wasattacked by just about everyone.)

But this time, even folks who don't always agree with one another on policy direction (like the Education Trust, the American Association of School Administrators, and the Council of Chief State School Officers) found much to like in the blueprint. (Of course, all of those folks also said they were commenting based on the initial outline and were still waiting for more details. A lot could change when parts of the proposal are fleshed out further.)

Still, the first round of reaction would seem to bode well for the chances of actually getting reauthorization passed this year, right? Well, sure, but it's still gonna be an uphill battle.

One big reason? Both of the unions are really unhappy.

Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, told me that the plan would put "one hundred percent of the responsibility on teachers while giving them zero percent authority."

And Dennis Van Roekel, the president of the National Education Association, said in a statement that:

"The accountability system of this 'blueprint' still relies on standardized tests to identify winners and losers. We were expecting more funding stability to

The Four-Flushers in the Governor's Office: Caught Again | California Progress Report

The Four-Flushers in the Governor's Office: Caught Again

by christine

By Peter Schrag
The Schwarzenegger Administration hit the Trifecta this month, three loud raspberries from the feds for its shabby funding of California schools and the inadequate resources it provides, particularly for the education of poor and minority children. As usual, the real losers are the kids.
The first embarrassment, by now old news, was the state’s failure to make even the first cut in the initial round of competition for federal Race to the Top (RTTT) funding.
The second was a letter from the Department of Education questioning what, at bottom, is an administration shell game purporting to show that despite its sharp cuts in school funding, it was conforming to federal “maintenance of effort” requirements. Those requirements were imposed to make certain that states, in their attempts to get additional federal stimulus money, weren’t just using it to replace their own funds.
read more

Run harder or quit Race to the Top? The Educated Guess

The Educated Guess

Run harder or quit Race to the Top?

Posted in Race to the Top

Within a few weeks, the governor and state education officials must decide whether to gear up for or give up on the next round of Race to the Top funding. Should California’s next application, if the state takes up the challenge, be broader –reaching out for a larger consensus among districts and unions – or bolder?
Eight leaders and respected observers of California education have taken up the invitation to share their views. They include executives with state school boards association, the largest teachers union, education reform non-profits and the state charter schools association, an outspoken teacher and a critic of the proposed K-12 common-core standards. Their perspectives are interesting, articulate – and often at odds with one another. With their wisdom as a guide, I offer my thoughts at the end.

Latest News and Comment from Education