News: Still Pushing for DREAM - Inside Higher Ed

News: Still Pushing for DREAM - Inside Higher Ed

Still Pushing for DREAM

April 28, 2010

WASHINGTON -- The timing couldn’t have been much better for a group of scholars and administrators advocating for a pipeline to legal status for undocumented college students to meet here.

Less than a week ago, Arizona’s governor signed into law a controversial measure taking aim at illegal immigrants, drawing ire from President Obama and some members of Congress. This week, news reports have suggested that Congressional Democrats are pushing ahead to take up immigration reform legislation, which would most likely include measures aimed at putting students who spend at least two years in college on a path to permanent residency.

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It was with this sense that such change might finally be in the offing, after close to a decade of false starts, that the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good, based at the University of Michigan, and the Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance convened for “Challenges and Opportunities: Future Pathways Towards Immigration and Higher Education,” a three-day conference designed to build support for policies aimed at helping college students who are also undocumented residents of the United States.

Jamie P. Merisotis, president of the Lumina Foundation, said that expanding and ensuring access for immigrants is a key part of his organization’s “big goal,” for 60 percent of Americans to have degrees or credentials by 2025. “We will certainly fail to reach that big goal if we don’t see these students as essential to our efforts,” he said.

“Education empowers immigrants, and we must ensure that that power is turned on,” he said. “Economic growth is reliant on influxes of

Charter school must cure and correct its violations of law

Charter school must cure and correct its violations of law

Charter school must cure and correct its violations of law

April 27, 2010 — Westwood Charter School must provide all requested documents, take steps to cure and correct alleged violations of California law and make sweeping and significant management changes if it hopes to keep its charter, according to a Notice to Remedy issued on March 19 by the Westwood Unified School District, its chartering agency.

In the Notice to Remedy, the WUSD board demanded WCS remove its superintendent, Henry Bietz, as an employee, officer or director of the charter school; cease doing business with any business entity that employs Bietz or his spouse, Karen Bietz; provide an accounting of all state funds paid by WCS to Bietz or Bietz Consulting; reimburse the state for all funds paid by WCS to WCSS, Bietz or Bietz Consulting that result from transactions tainted by a prohibited conflict of interest; provide an accounting for all state funds paid by WCS to Karen Bietz that result from transactions tainted by a prohibited conflict of interest; and, demonstrate that WCSS, Inc., is an appropriately structured for-profit corporation that is a wholly owned subsidiary of a non-profit public benefit corporation.

According to the Notice to Remedy, the tainted funds received by Bietz amount to at least $267,031.60. The WUSD reserves the right to increase the total amount due upon the receipt of further documents and information.

Last month the California Attorney General’s Office filed a felony complaint in Lassen County Superior Court alleging Bietz, the superintendent of Westwood Charter School and

Schwarzenegger education nomination appears in jeopardy| PolitiCal | Los Angeles Times

Schwarzenegger education nomination appears in jeopardy| PolitiCal | Los Angeles Times

Schwarzenegger education nomination appears in jeopardy

April 27, 2010 | 8:30 am

All signs point toward confirmation trouble for one of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's picks to sit on the state's Board of Education.

In late March, Schwarzenegger tapped four people to fill vacancies on the statewide board, which helps set education policy for California. One of those picks was Jeannie Oropeza, the Schwarzenegger administration's point-person on education budget matters in the Department of Finance.

The Senate Rules Committee has taken the unusual step of setting a confirmation hearing this Wednesday for only Oropeza – and not the rest of her nominated cohorts. The early hearing is also notable because the committee has up to a year to confirm board nominees and senators rarely vote until closer to that deadline, unless they intend to reject a nominee.

Also, the Senate almost always requires Board of Education nominees to endure questioning; Oropeza is listed as "not required to attend." That is a sign, those familiar with the confirmation process say, that the upper house is on a path to quickly spike her nomination.

The governor’s office is standing behind Oropeza. “Jeannie is one of the most knowledgeable people in California on the many education issues … and is eminently qualified to serve the children of this state,” said Aaron McLear, a Schwarzenegger spokesman.

There are growing concerns in the state Senate over what some see as an irreconcilable conflict -- being an independent voice on the education board and being the top education budget analyst in the Schwarzenegger administration.

McLear downplayed conflict fears, noting that “there is ample precedent” of the Senate confirming

California Lawmaker Seeks To Nullify Influence Of Texas Textbook Rules

California Lawmaker Seeks To Nullify Influence Of Texas Textbook Rules

Last month, the Texas Education Authorityfundamentally changed how humanities subjects would be taught in schools.

Thomas Jefferson was removed from a discussion on the Founding Fathers, the term "capitalism" was stricken from economics lessons, the separation between church and state was glossed over, Joe McCarthy and Ronald Reagan replaced John F. Kennedy and the history of changing gender roles was tossed over concerns that it would lead students into "transsexualism."

A bill introduced recently in the California state legislature seeks to prevent these changes from seeping into textbooks in the Golden State. The bill, introduced by California State Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) is largely symbolic, however, since California will not be purchasing textbooks in the near future due to budget cuts.

"There needs to be a counter to this," said Lee's chief of staff Adam J. Keigwin, referring to the Texas revisions.

Yee introduced SB 1471, which requires the state's board of eduction to examine all future textbooks so that none of Texas' new regulations would enter California schools. The bill is currently making its way through the state legislature.

"It goes beyond politics," Keigwin told the Huffington Post.

When the bill cleared an early legislative hurdle last week, Yee said in a statement: "Our kids should be provided an education based on facts and that embraces our multicultural nation."

Texas and California are the states with the two largest K-12 student populations in the country. With millions of potential textbooks to be sold, publishers will more often than not cater to the

California takes new tack in bid for U.S. school funding - latimes.com

California takes new tack in bid for U.S. school funding - latimes.com

California takes new tack in bid for U.S. school funding

The state, which lost out in the first round of the Race to the Top grant competition, will have three large districts apply: L.A., Long Beach and Fresno.

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By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times

April 28, 2010

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California has a new strategy to win a high-profile federal grant for school reform: Three large districts, including Los Angeles Unified, will apply for those competitive dollars.

The state lost out in the first round of competition for a share of the $4.35 billion in Race to the Top grants, held in March. Its application was opposed by about three-fourths of the state's teacher unions, and about half of the school districts also refused to sign on.

In the last few weeks, state leaders have been lobbied by federal officials who have argued that California should not back away from applying for the second round of funding. The Obama administration has made Race to the Top a major initiative aimed at pressuring school districts to adopt many of its favored reforms.

The state was a day or two away from giving up on applying, but Bonnie Reiss, who recently became the governor's education secretary, pushed for the new approach. She also suggested that California hire a consulting firm that earned high marks for helping other states with their applications. Foundations stepped forward to provide the funding.

Another nudge came from U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who called Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and implored him not to pull out. Duncan, officials said, told the governor that the state's new strategy would receive due consideration.

It would be "disheartening" if California didn't try again, said Deputy Education Secretary Anthony Miller. He insisted the continued push for reforms that would accompany a new application would be

2 strikes spotlight Calif. teacher frustration - San Jose Mercury News

2 strikes spotlight Calif. teacher frustration - San Jose Mercury News

2 strikes spotlight Calif. teacher frustration

By CHRISTINA HOAG Associated Press Writer

Posted: 04/27/2010 04:47:14 PM PDT

Updated: 04/27/2010 05:14:30 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES—California is facing a second teacher walkout in the span of a week as calls for cuts spawned by the state's deep budget crisis bring dozens of local school districts and unions to impasses.

Teachers in Alameda County's Oakland Unified School District plan a one-day strike Thursday on the heels of a three-day strike by teachers in Orange County's Capistrano Unified district.

"It's been a long time since we've seen teachers' strikes, but we're just being squeezed more and more," said Betty Olson-Jones, president of the 2,800-member Oakland Education Association teachers union.

The number of districts in the impasse stage of contract talks has soared this year, mostly over salary and benefit concessions.

About 100 out of 1,000 school districts are in negotiation stalemates, about five times the normal number, said Ron Bennett, president and chief executive of School Services of America, a company that provides mediation services to school districts.

Impasses are the first step to strikes. Next comes an independent fact-finding report and mediation. If that fails, a district can unilaterally implement its last offer and a union can take a job action.

Strikes are relatively rare, Bennett said, but he noted that the negotiating climate this year is extraordinarily tough with the state slashing funding to districts by 15 percent. Some 16,000 teachers lost their jobs last year, another 26,000 have been handed pink slips this

year.

To hang on to their jobs, remaining teachers are being asked to accept salary cuts and furlough days and contribute

Bonnie Reiss: The Governor Cannot Fix Our Budget Problems Alone

Bonnie Reiss: The Governor Cannot Fix Our Budget Problems Alone

Bonnie Reiss

California Secretary of Education

Posted: April 27, 2010 01:18 PM

The Governor Cannot Fix Our Budget Problems Alone

The April 21, 2010 open letter from the Wonderland Avenue Parent Teacher Association highlights the very issue that Governor Schwarzenegger and I, as California Secretary of Education, fight for - ensuring all children have access to quality education.

No one will argue that California has not sustained previously unthinkable cuts to vital services as a result of plummeting state revenue from the nationwide recession. After overcoming a more than $60 billion budget deficit last fiscal year, California now faces a $20 billion deficit. Despite this, the Governor is committed to protecting education; proposing to fully fund education at last year's levels. In fact, out of our total $85 billion budget, education is set to receive $50 billion.

While funding is important, we must reform the very culture of education in California, which has for too long failed too many of our neediest students. All students, regardless of zip code, deserve the same support and access to quality education as the students of Wonderland Avenue Elementary School. The Governor last week announced a groundbreaking legislative reform measure - SB 955 - that will help ensure that classrooms are filled with effective teachers by giving

Sacramento-area schools chosen for Kennedy Center arts program - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento-area schools chosen for Kennedy Center arts program - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento-area schools chosen for Kennedy Center arts program

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Buzz up!

By Edward Ortiz
eortiz@sacbee.com

Published: Wednesday, Apr. 28, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 2B

Six local schools stand to benefit from Mayor Kevin Johnson's For Art's Sake program, a nearly yearlong initiative that seeks to raise the level of the arts in the city.

Today, at the B Street Theatre, Johnson will announce that the Sacramento City Unified and Twin Rivers Unified school districts have been chosen as the first districts in the country to participate in a pilot program run by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

That program, called Any Given Child, seeks to increase access to arts education in select school districts. Sacramento was chosen from among 30 cities nationwide as the first city to participate in

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/28/2710806/sacramento-area-schools-chosen.html#ixzz0mOa0jooM

EducationNews.org Goodlad on school reform: Are we ignoring lessons of last 50 years?

EducationNews.org

EducationNews Today

Goodlad on school reform: Are we ignoring lessons of last 50 years? 4.28.10 - But, as 2009 merged into 2010, the expectations for a new dawning in schooling were slipping away. The good news was that the No Child Left Behind Act soon would be history. But the proposals for "reform" were déjà vu all over again... In a World of Ads, Teaching the Young How to Read Them 4.28.10 - A government campaign will try to teach children from the fourth to the sixth grades how to think critically... In New Jersey, a Civics Lesson in the Internet Age 4.28.10 - It was a silent call to arms: an easy-to-overlook message urging New Jersey students to take a stand against the... Using Education to Cope With a Complex Economy 4.28.10 - Beyond financial reform, we must encourage all Americans -- especially our youth -- to cultivate adequate individual... Spycam case more than meets the eye 4.28.10 - YOU CAN think what you want, said Holly Robbins, but it's not about the money. Robbins said that she didn't want to sue the Lower Merion School District when she discovered in November that her 15-year-old son's school-issued laptop was secretly snapping pictures inside their home. Every child needed to boost economy At a time when the global workforce demands more science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professionals, education stakeholders worry that today's students aren't answering the call. To ensure that the United States remains ... Student brought to court in chains for shirking jury duty A 19-year-old college freshman missed class Tuesday when a federal judge decided to teach her a civics lesson by ordering federal marshals to haul her in chains from school to court to explain why she shirked jury duty....

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On Thursday, what’s a school secretary to do? The Education Report

The Education Report

On Thursday, what’s a school secretary to do?

By Katy Murphy
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 at 8:12 pm in OEA, union contract
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Teachers will be on strike Thursday. But what about your school secretary and custodian? Your teacher’s aide (where applicable)?

There’s been some confusion among district employees about whether the `other unions’ — the SEIU and AFSCME, mainly — will show up to work or stand with the