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Thursday, April 29, 2010

The Education Report Strike Day

The Education Report

Strike Day vandalism at American Indian school

By Katy Murphy
Thursday, April 29th, 2010 at 11:20 am in charter schools, union contract
5 Comments »
graffiti on a sign celebrating American Indian Public Charter School's National Blue Ribbon award. Photo submitted by John Glover, director
John Glover, director of the American Indian Model Schools, sent me this photo today. He said he found this graffiti — and glue stuck in the charter school’s gate lock – this morning. Based on a neighbor’s description, he suspects the culprit was wearing a union T-shirt.

Striking students outnumber teachers at Fremont

By cburt
Thursday, April 29th, 2010 at 10:03 am in strike, students, teachers, union contract
5 Comments »
8:45 a.m. Angela Hill reports that there were about 50 to 60 people scattered around the perimeter of Fremont High School along Foothill Boulevard, High street and 47th Avenue.
About 15 or 20 were teachers, but most were students — some supporting the teachers and holding picket signs, but most just in small clusters hanging out with

Glenview teachers persuasive

By cburt
Thursday, April 29th, 2010 at 9:28 am in strike, teachers
1 Comment
8:15 a.m. Reporter Chris Metinko met up with striking teachers at Edna Brewer Middle School and at Glenview Elementary.
Four or five emergency subs had crossed the picket line at Glenview, but at least one decided to turn around and leave when approached by the striking teachers,

Skyline tries to teach; students not so interested

By cburt
Thursday, April 29th, 2010 at 9:16 am in strike, students, teachers
No Comments
8:15 a.m. Education reporter Katy Murphy watched about 60 students, four emergency substitutes, the principal and vice principal who gathered in the Skyline High School auditorium. The kids were told they would be taking part in three two-hour blocks of classes that included video, discussions and PE.

Bret Harte parents get the message

By cburt
Thursday, April 29th, 2010 at 8:47 am in Uncategorized, strike, teachers, union contract
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8:20 a.m. About 20 teachers manned the picket line at Bret Harte Middle School on Coolidge Avenue, with more scheduled to come out throughout the day, reports Angela Hill. Only about 30 students out of a student body of 750-800 had showed up for school so far.
“Our message really got out to the the community about our strike and what it means for education,” said Keith Brown, a 6th grade ESL teacher.

Solidarity, yard-duty attire, donuts at Laurel Elementary

By cburt
Thursday, April 29th, 2010 at 8:25 am in Uncategorized, strike, teachers
No Comments
7:48 a.m. More than a dozen teachers were gathered outside Laurel Elementary School, says reporter Angela Hill. There’s only 24 teachers at the school, and all were expected to stay out. They were bundled up in their yard-duty attire to ward against the morning chill. Coffee and boxes of donuts helped with that.
They expected most parents would keep their children at home if they were able to. By this time only one little girl and a couple of substitutes had gone in.
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Oakland teachers walk out for the day

Oakland teachers walk out for the day

Oakland teachers walk out for the day

Jill Tucker,Justin Berton, Chronicle Staff Writers
Thursday, April 29, 2010
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Paul Chinn / The Chronicle
Students who showed up to attend class at Claremont Middle School spent much of the day attending health and hygiene programs during the one-day walkout by teachers in Oakland on Thursday. Roughly one-fourth of the students enrolled at the school were in attendance.
(04-29) 11:44 PDT OAKLAND --
Oakland teachers began their one-day strike this morning, challenging a no-raise contract while urging parents to keep their children home.
The Oakland Unified School District's 100-plus schools remained open. Emergency substitutes and about 70 central office workers were brought into the classrooms to teach students who showed up.
The teachers union, the Oakland Education Association, had urged parents to keep their children home for the day, and an informal survey this morning showed that the vast majority of students and teachers appeared to be staying away from school campuses.
About 15 teachers with picket signs stood in front of Sankofa Academy on 61st Street in North Oakland, eliciting honks from motorists on Shattuck Avenue. The teachers arrived at 5:30 a.m. and blocked a delivery truck carrying food for lunch, said Barbara Kass, a resource teacher at the school.
Principal Monique Brinson ended up rolling pallets of food into the cafeteria and helped escort children into the school. She declined to comment on how many substitutes were at the school.
Zina Green brought her daug


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/29/BAU91D6SUU.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0mWByabF6
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Video: Students in Orange, Paterson, walk out over Governor Chris Christie's education cuts - 4/29/10 - New York News and Tri-State News - 7online.com

Students in Orange, Paterson, walk out over Governor Chris Christie's education cuts - 4/29/10 - New York News and Tri-State News - 7online.com

Students in NJ walk out over education cuts





PATERSON (WABC) -- For the second time this week, students in New Jersey walked out of classrooms in protest of Governor Chris Christie's education cuts.
There were protests in Orange and Paterson Thursday, both in response to Christie's cuts and his asking teachers to agree to a pay freeze. But they were very different protests.
In Orange, several hundred students walked peacefully. There were some rowdy kids, but for the most part, the demonstration was orderly. There were teachers among the students for crowd control, but what made this walkout interesting was that the school principal also participated. Principal Erica Stewart was walking with the kids in support of what they were doing.
"I'm supporting the students because they have made their voices heard," she said. "This is not something that they were put up to. This is something that they actually believe in. They really appreciate and love their teachers, and we're trying to accommodate them in an orderly fashion. They have guaranteed they will be returning to school, so we wanted to recognize their right to assemble."

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In Paterson, however, Eyewitness News is told the demonstration was not orderly at all. Several hundred kids walked out of school for about an hour. Police at one point tried to contain many of the kids to the football field, but some started to climb an 8-foot tall fence. Authorities say some kids began throwing trash cans in the street and at houses.
The Paterson principal did not walk with her students, and at one point came outside and yelled to them that they would be arrested if they didn't go back
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UC to reopen downtown Sacramento center - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

UC to reopen downtown Sacramento center - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

UC to reopen downtown Sacramento center

by lrosenhall@sacbee.com (Laurel Rosenhall)
The University of California's center in downtown Sacramento is reopening to students this summer after budget cuts prompted the university to suspend the program in the fall.
Since 2003, UC students from around the state have been coming to the UC Center Sacramento on K Street to study public policy, journalism and participate in government internships. The program ended in December because UC officials felt they couldn't afford to continue operating it in the face of massive budget cuts.
But after hearing from parents, students and lawmakers who lamented the program's end, UC administrators decided to restructure the program and give it another shot. The center will operate on a much smaller budget -- about $400,000 a year instead of the nearly $1 million a year it used to get, said UC Davis spokesman Jim Sweeney.
The new arrangement calls for the UC Center Sacramento to be run by UC Davis. It will get support from UC Davis' Institute of Governmental Affairs and its Internship and Career Center. UC Davis professors will teach political science science classes and UC Davis staff will help students arrange internships.
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The Rancho Cordova Post — Cordova High Wins Top Prize in Contest to Win $1,500

The Rancho Cordova Post — Local News, Events, Things to Do

Cordova High Wins Top Prize in Contest to Win $1,500

by ANNE LOWE on APRIL 29, 2010 · 0 COMMENTS
in SCHOOLS
Post image for Cordova High Wins Top Prize in Contest to Win $1,500
Principal Jackie Levy issued a call in early April to vote for Cordova High in a contest to win $1,500, and the Rancho Cordova community did not disappoint: The school won the contest with over 900 votes cast for them.
The contest was held by Apperson Print Resources, and Cordova High was one of nine finalists selected for this round of voting. The contest is held six times per year; Franklin Elementary in Loomis, Calif. was the winner of the previous round.
Levy said the money will be used to support the school’s Girls Group, and money will be set aside for field trips to visit colleges and go do volunteer work. The money will also help the school put on a year-end recognition ceremony for girls who complete the program.
“Many of you took the time to vote and I thank you so much for helping us,” Levy said in a message to the effort’s supporters. ”Faith and Jocelyn (girls group leaders) are thrilled to be able to have the resources to do even more with the girls this year and in the future.”
Nominations for the third round of the contest have just ended, and voting will begin on May. The contest won’t start up again until Aug. 1, when the company will open up nominations
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Next Installments in D.C., R.I. Teacher Dramas - Teacher Beat - Education Week

Next Installments in D.C., R.I. Teacher Dramas - Teacher Beat - Education Week

Next Installments in D.C., R.I. Teacher Dramas

by Stephen Sawchuk
Like sands through the hourglass! Here's the next installment in some of the top teacher dramas making their way through the newsfeed:
• The Rhode Island Central Falls situation (your favorite noun here, I'm going to go with mess) is going to court, with the teachers' union alleging that the district didn't follow state law and local-bargaining provisions on terminations.
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NorthJersey.com: Police take six Eastside High School into custody during protest against education budget cuts

NorthJersey.com: Police take six Eastside High School into custody during protest against education budget cuts

Police take six Eastside High School into custody during protest against education budget cuts
Thursday, April 29, 2010
LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY APRIL 29, 2010, 1:17 PM
BY MARLENE NAANES AND TARIQ ZEHAWI
NORTHJERSEY.COM
STAFF WRITERS
PATERSON — A protest involving hundreds of students ended about an hour after it began, but not before six students were taken to police headquarters for allegedly damaging property, police said.
eastside High School students protest budget cuts.
TARIQ ZEHAWI/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Buy this photo
eastside High School students protest budget cuts.
About 200 Eastside High School students left the building in an apparent protest of budget cuts about 10 a.m., police said. The protest took place in two waves, the first a peaceful gathering that went back into the school while the second wave appeared larger, said Lt. Richard Reyes.
During the second wave, students began blocking traffic, and the school called the police department, Reyes said. The majority of the students were roaming around the campus, and a large group went into the football field where police closed some gates, penning them in.
Many of the students began climbing the fence, which is about 8 feet tall. Some reported getting scraped up on the way down. Police reopened the gates, but not before about 50 students climbed over.
Some students walking down Rosa Parks Boulevard threw empty trash cans around, at houses and into the street. Students also threw rocks and bricks at vehicles, damaging property, Reyes said.
The police brought six students into the police department’s juvenile division. It is unclear whether they
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Pro-Charter Ad: "Stop Listening To The Teachers Union!"

Pro-Charter Ad: "Stop Listening To The Teachers Union!"

Pro-Charter Ad: "Stop Listening To The Teachers Union!" »

BY CELESTE KATZ
With Monday's fast-approaching deadline for New York to declare its intention to enter round two of the Race To The Top federal education funding program, an advocacy group is taking a swing at the teachers union.
Education Reform Now is bashing the union because it accuses it of standing in the way of lifting the cap on charter schools -- one of the reasons why the state finished a miserable 15th out of 16 in round one. The failure meant the state lost $700 million in federal cash.
Charter-school advocates and union reps went at it at a recent and raucous state Senate hearing that featured lots of finger-pointing about raising the cap.
The second-round RTTT deadline is June 1.
Watch:


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/04/pro-charter-ad-stop-listening.html#ixzz0mVia91Ju
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State PTA convention begins today at Sacramento Convention Center - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

State PTA convention begins today at Sacramento Convention Center - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

State PTA convention begins today at Sacramento Convention Center

by lrosenhall@sacbee.com (Laurel Rosenhall)
Today, the annual convention for the California State PTA begins its four-day run in Sacramento. Several thousand parents, teachers and others who care about public schools are expected to attend the event at the Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J Street.
Admission to the convention exhibits today is free until 4 p.m. Tomorrow and Saturday, admission costs $100 for the general public and $50 for PTA members.
At 2 p.m. today, convention organizers are convening a rally on the north steps of the state Capitol to oppose funding cuts to schools and other programs that support children.
Tomorrow, the convention will feature a forum of candidates running for state superintendent of schools in the June election. The 11:30 a.m. forum will include candidates Larry Aceves, a former school district superintendent; Diane Lenning, an experienced educator; Gloria Romero, a state senator from Los Angeles; and Tom Torlakson, a state assemblyman from the Bay Area.
For more information, go to http://www.capta.org/sections/convention-2010.
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1946: The Oakland General Strike, by Stan Weir | libcom.org

1946: The Oakland General Strike, by Stan Weir | libcom.org

1946: The Oakland General Strike, by Stan Weir

Submitted by libcom on Nov 22 2005 10:53
tags:

View Image Details]" class="lightbox-processed" style="color: rgb(97, 145, 197); text-decoration: none; ">Public meeting at the fountain in Latham Square

An account of the General Strike in Oakland, California.

By nightfall the strikers had instructed all stores except pharmacies and food markets to shut down, Bars were allowed to stay open, but they could serve only beer and had to put their juke boxes out on the sidewalk to play at full volume and no charge. 'Pistol Packin' Mama, Lay That Pistol Down', the number one hit, echoed off all the buildings. That first 24-hour period of the 54-hour strike had a carnival spirit. A mass of couples danced in the streets. The participants were making history, knew it, and were having fun.

The Oakland (California) General Strike was an extension of the national strike wave. It was not a 'called' strike. Shortly before 5 a.m., Monday, December 3, 1946, the hundreds of workers passing through downtown Oakland on their way to work became witness to the police herding a fleet of scab trucks through the downtown area. The trucks contained commodities to fill the shelves of two major department stores whose clerks (mostly women) had long been on strike. The witnesses, that is, truck drivers, bus and streetcar operators and passengers, got off their vehicles and did not return. The city filled with workers, they milled about in the city's core for several hours and then organised themselves.

By nightfall the strikers had instructed all stores except pharmacies and food markets to shut down, Bars were allowed to stay open, but they could serve only beer and had to put their juke boxes out on the sidewalk to play at full volume and no charge. 'Pistol Packin' Mama, Lay That Pistol Down', the number one hit, echoed off all the buildings. That first 24-hour period of the 54-hour strike had a carnival spirit. A mass of couples danced in the streets. The participants

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Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Daley gives up on his own school reform, backs vouchers

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Daley gives up on his own school reform, backs vouchers

Daley gives up on his own school reform, backs vouchers

by Mike Klonsky
So much for Chicago school reform, Arne Duncan's "Chicago miracle", Renaissance 2010 & fixing broken schools. Mayor Daley has given up on his own reform. He's flipped and now supports vouchers, giving away
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The Educated Reporter: If you haven’t read enough about teacher quality this week...

The Educated Reporter: If you haven’t read enough about teacher quality this week...

If you haven’t read enough about teacher quality this week...

by Linda Perlstein
I didn’t love Newsweek’s “fire bad teachers” cover image back in March, and the article itself had a critical flaw, I felt: It conflated mediocre teachers and the truly depraved into one big category of “bad.” Firing the latter should be a no-brainer; firing the former is a whole different story. (Practical? Desirable? Etc.) I feel at times like the debate on teacher quality as it appears in the national media neglects more complicated 

Welcome, Caroline!

by Linda Perlstein
I am very excited that Caroline Hendrie is going to be the new executive director of EWA. My condolences to Education Week, where Caroline has worked for 15 years and is reportedly invaluable. Their loss is not just my organization’s gain, but a great gain for education journalists everywhere. Caroline has big shoes to fill—Lisa Walker has, over the last 24 years, admirably built EWA into what it is today—and will begin to try to do so on June 1.
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