The Western Front - School district chooses new superintendent

The Western Front - School district chooses new superintendent

School district chooses new superintendent

by Dan Balmer

Friday, April 02, 2010

Gregory Baker, a finalist in the search for for Bellingham School District's next superintendent, mingles with community members after he addressed a panel of students and faculty during a presentation at Bellingham High School on March 29, 2010. — photo by Carey Rose The Bellingham School Board unanimously selected Gregory Baker as the district's new superintendent at a special public meeting March 31. Baker, a Western alumnus, is currently the deputy superintendent for Portland Public Schools. Baker will finish the school year in Portland and become the Bellingham superintendent effective July 1, replacing interim superintendent Sherrie Brown. “I am very excited to be a part of a community that embraces the school system,” Baker said. “In my career, every time I have had an opportunity to learn, I have always risen to the occasion. My path to Bellingham gives me a good foundation of perspectives to help this district move forward.” On Monday, he visited schools in Bellingham and answered questions from a community panel as the last remaining finalist. Baker was one of two finalists remaining from 33 applicants reviewed by the Bellingham School District Board. On March 27, the other finalist for the job, Dr. Steven Herzog, withdrew his candidacy to accept another superintendent position in the San Francisco Bay area. Herzog said he was offered the Bay area position before the Bellingham process was complete, and felt he had the support needed to move that district forward. He watched Baker’s video interview from Monday and said the community is lucky to have a talented leader who is well-suited for Bellingham. “The process is like a marriage proposal,” said Kenneth Gass, president of the board. “We want to hire someone who wants to be here.” Gass said the total annual salary package for Bellingham’s superintendent position is about $200,000 — significantly less than what

Endless funds for education, Florida’s SB 6 repealed

Endless funds for education, Florida’s SB 6 repealed

April 1, 1:18 PMJacksonville Public Education ExaminerSteve DiMattia

President Obama announces endless funding for education.

image3.examiner.com/ images/blog/wysiwyg/image...

In a striking turn around from long standing policy, the United States Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives and the White House have all agreed to fully fund education throughout America.

President Obama made the announcement of the appropriately named, “It’s About Time!” bill this morning in a ceremony in the White House Vegetable Garden under a banner created by daughters Sasha and Malia declaring: “Kids Rock!”

“The time has arrived that we will no longer just talk about providing a better future for our children, but actually invest in one with real money paid out today," said the president holding a head of cabbage from the garden, “Not just now, but for the rest of time.”

Senate and House leadership including Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Steny Hoyer and Eric Cantor joined him in the announcement. Also present was Oprah Winfrey.

They all sported T-shirts that proclaimed: “Ain’t No Power like the Power of a Teacher ‘cause the Power of a Teacher Don’t Stop!”

The bill will be paid for by diverting unnecessary military funds, heavily taxing profits from the textbook and standardized testing industries, reducing the salaries of senate and house members, and establishing a national tax base that replaces the

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence. - Summer School Cuts Could Weaken the Limited Lifeline

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence. - Summer School Cuts Could Weaken the Limited Lifeline

Summer School Cuts Could Weaken the Limited Lifeline

By EMILY ALPERT

As San Diego Unified shortens its school year, it's also weighing whether to pare back on summer school to help close an estimated $87 million deficit, joining other school systems in the county and across California where school will be out -- totally out -- for thousands of students this summer.

Cutting summer school could worsen academic backsliding during the summer, a phenomenon called summer learning loss, which hits poorer children hardest. If elementary or middle summer school is cut, it could force more failing students to repeat a grade, a hotly debated andpotentially harmful practice.

And doing so would weaken a lifeline for struggling teens. San Diego Unified usually invites all failing high schoolers and thousands of younger students in grades 1, 3 and 8 with 

Auditorium to be Named After Beloved Math Teacher : Eastern Group Publications

Auditorium to be Named After Beloved Math Teacher : Eastern Group Publications

Auditorium to be Named After Beloved Math Teacher

Garfield High School ‘Bulldogs’ pay tribute to Jaime Escalante, plan scholarship fund in his honor.

By EGP Wire Service

The soon to be rebuilt Garfield High School Auditorium will be renamed in honor of the school’s most famous teacher, Jaime Escalante, the LAUSD School Board announced on Wednesday.

The former Garfield High School teacher immortalized in the 1988 film “Stand and Deliver” died Tuesday of cancer. He was 79.

“Jaime Escalante was more than a great teacher. He was a great visionary who saw in his students their potential for greatness, and used his gift as an educator to help them realize they could soar academically,” said Board of Education Vice President Yolie Flores in a statement released by the school district.

Escalante passed away from coronary and respiratory failure, precipitated by cancer. He died surrounded by his family in the Roseville, Calif., home of his son Jaime Jr., actor Edward James Olmos, said in a statement released by the Latino Print Network. Olmos portrayed Escalante in “Stand and Deliver.”

Garfield students and staff planned to meet early this morning before school for a public tribute to Escalante. The high school’s ROTC, student leaders, band, drill and alumni planned to stand in front of the school and commemorate his legacy, the school’s principal Jose Huerta told EGP.

Escalante taught at the eastside area school for 17 years and is credited with building the Advanced Placement calculus program at the school.

Word of his passing spread quickly Tuesday, prompting condolences for his family and accolades from officials in

Northwest Science Expo draws hundreds of high school scientists to PSU | OregonLive.com

Northwest Science Expo draws hundreds of high school scientists to PSU | OregonLive.com

Northwest Science Expo draws hundreds of high school scientists to PSU

By Bill Graves, The Oregonian

April 01, 2010, 5:31PM

Among the hundreds of students competing in the state science fair at Portland State University on Friday will be three Portland freshmen who've discovered scores of videos on the Internet that could trigger epileptic seizures in some people.

Annelise Cummings, 14, and Alexander Harding, 15, of Cleveland High and Mariah Bruns, 15, of St. Mary's Academy already won best of show in the regional Portland Public Schools Science Expo, guaranteeing them a spot at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair next month in San Jose, Calif.

But today they'll also try their luck representing Cleveland High at the Intel Northwest Science Expo on the Portland State campus, where judges will evaluate 525 science, engineering and mathematics projects by 660 middle and high school students from Oregon and Southwest Washington.

The young scientists represent the top third of competitors from eight regional fairs and are about half girls, half boys, said Stephanie Jones, fair director.

"This is valid science going on," she said of their projects.

Cleveland High's sole team in the state science fair analyzed 71 YouTube

The Education Report Market research on how Oakland families pick schools

The Education Report

Market research on how Oakland families pick schools

By Katy Murphy
Thursday, April 1st, 2010 at 5:17 pm in charter schools, enrollment, families,parents, private schools, safety
No Comments

A group of students from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business want to know why some families choose an OUSD education for their children (and exactly how they arrived at that conclusion) and why others opted for charter, parochial or independent schools.

Their online survey is open until midnight Sunday for all Oakland residents with children who are 22 or younger. You can take it in English or Spanish.

The survey asks questions about perceptions of safety, cleanliness, enrichment programs and school demographics at each of the schools the family considered. It will be interesting to see those findings, as well as the resulting recommendations to the Oakland school district about its “messaging” strategy and public image.

Michelle Florendo, one of the student-researchers, pointed out a consequence of

Elk Grove Citizen : Keeping kids on track

Elk Grove Citizen : Feature Story

Keeping kids on track

Photos by Laura Bemis - Coach Julius Lewis watches students run during a Franklin High School track team practice.

Elk Grove officer coaches youth in sports and at the station

By Cameron Macdonald - Citizen News Editor

Published: Thursday, April 1, 2010 5:06 PM PDT

This spring, Julius Lewis spends most of his workweek coaching teenagers – at a high school’s track and field, an elementary school’s basketball court, and in the Elk Grove police station.

The Elk Grove police officer spends mornings and early afternoons counseling and educating juvenile offenders looking for a second chance.

And then it’s off to either Franklin High School or Joseph Sims Elementary School.

As the head coach of Franklin’s track team, Lewis coaches and handles the scheduling, grade checks, and other paperwork for more than 90 students. He also coaches children involved in the Elk Grove Police Activities League (PAL) basketball league.

“I think they’re really appreciative when they have somebody who pays attention to them and genuinely cares about them,” he said about working with youth. “I enjoy watching them when the light bulb goes off when you can tell they get it – whether it be on the track or in

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence.

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence.

Polling on a Bigger School Board

A private group of educators, philanthropists, business leaders and others are polling San Diegans about whether they want to see appointed members added to the San Diego Unified school board, according to parents who have gotten phone calls about the new proposal.

The survey asks parents whether they would want to see four appointed members join the five existing elected trustees to make up a bigger school board with nine trustees. The new members would be appointed by a community committee that could include university leaders, labor union representatives and other local leaders. Phone pollers asked parents about who they'd want on the committee.

The idea emerged from an informal group of people who were upset by former Superintendent Terry Grier's departure months

The Education Report Foot Race to the Top?

The Education Report

Foot Race to the Top?

By Katy Murphy
Thursday, April 1st, 2010 at 3:48 pm in Schwarzenegger, achievement gap, school reform
No Comments

California’s lackluster Race to the Top ranking in Round I (27th) came as a disappointment to state officials, who had pushed for legislation to make the state more competitive for the grant.

Now, the governor and the state superintendent of public instruction are proposing the feds add a new set of performance

(Mis)Understanding the NAEP Results (Part II) � The Quick and the Ed

(Mis)Understanding the NAEP Results (Part II) � The Quick and the Ed

(Mis)Understanding the NAEP Results (Part II)

by Chad Aldeman

People seemed to like my post explaining how changing demographics are masking improvements on the NAEP reading test. One comment that’s been voiced a couple times, by Kevin Drum and others, is that I used the Long-Term Trend NAEP as opposed to what everyone else was talking about, the main NAEP reading scores that were released last week. As I explained in the post, I used the Long-Term trend in this case because it has undergone fewer changes over the years and has been in use for longer. But, my point is not just limited to this version; it also applies to the main NAEP. Here are the score increases for fourth-grade reading from 1992 to 2009, by race/ethnicity:
Overall: +4
Whites: +6
Blacks: +13
Hispanics: +8
Asian/ Pacific

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April 1st, 2010 | Category: Uncategorized

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Not-the-April-Fools Edition.

So who at the NY Dept. of Education thought it was a good idea to spend $200,000 in RTT money on expensive desks and chairs? (New York Post)

Could a new law in the state that started the charter school movement lead many charter schools to close? (Star Tribune)

Not sure if that April 1 story is true? You need an April Fool’s Day Defense Kit.(Slate)

If college students’ brains can’t handle multitasking, what does that say about the rest of us? (New York Times)

Posted by Kris Amundson at 4:00 pm | Tags: Brain research, Charter Schools, College Graduation Rates, Race to the Top Fund | No Comments

Immigration reform is civil rights issue for Latinos: Menendez | - Hoboken Now - NJ.com

Immigration reform is civil rights issue for Latinos: Menendez | - Hoboken Now - NJ.com
Immigration reform is civil rights issue for Latinos: Menendez

By The Jersey Journal

April 01, 2010, 1:44PM

Herald NewsSen. Robert Menendez told the Star-Ledger editorial board yesterday that to Latinos, immigration reform is a civil rights issue. U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez told The Star-Ledger editorial board yesterday that to Latinos,immigration reform is the civil rights issue of their time.

Menendez, the former Union City mayor and son of Cuban immigrants, choked up when he spoke about getting to the Senate and hearing senators refer to "those people."

"In my life, I've had a series of firsts, and I've heard along the way what that means, 'those people,'" Menendez said.

"Latinos, when they hear 'those people,' when they hear the immigration debate, when they hear how it's phrased, they view that issue beyond their undocumented brothers and sisters, they view it about

Sen. Menendez on Latinos and immigration reform: 'It's the civil rights issue of their time'

Scoring Outliers' Effect on Race to Top - Politics K-12 - Education Week

Scoring Outliers' Effect on Race to Top - Politics K-12 - Education Week

Scoring Outliers' Effect on Race to Top

By Michele McNeil on April 1, 2010 6:03 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Louisiana officials are complaining that one Race to the Top judge sank their entire application.

Well, you can judge for yourself, but our own quick analysis shows Louisiana was affected more than any other finalist state by scoring outliers.

With the help of Stephen Sawchuk of Teacher Beat fame, we cobbled together our own scoring spreadsheet, throwing out the lowest and the highest score for each state, and averaging the remaining three scores. This means that a really hard grader, or a really easy grader, can't unduly influence the scores. We'll call this the McNeil-Sawchuk scoring system, inspired by the various scoring system changes in international figure skating.

The new scoring system would not have changed the outcomes for Delaware and Tennessee, which would have still been Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.

However, this would have vaulted Louisiana by 10 points to sixth from 11th place (and higher had it not lost those easy 15 STEM points), and Georgia would have fallen by 6.6 points from third place to seventh.

It turns out, Georgia and Louisiana were most affected by outliers. Georgia

The Women's Conference - Empowerment, Inspiration and Education for Women - The Home for Architects of Change

The Women's Conference - Empowerment, Inspiration and Education for Women - The Home for Architects of Change

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A meet-and-greet and photograph taken with Maria Shriver  

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