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Sunday, May 16, 2010

Gov. Paterson delays doling out $1.5B in school aid so cash-strapped state can pay its bills

Gov. Paterson delays doling out $1.5B in school aid so cash-strapped state can pay its bills

Gov. Paterson delays doling out $1.5B in school aid so cash-strapped state can pay its bills

BY ADAM LISBERG AND GLENN BLAIN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Saturday, May 15th 2010, 4:00 AM

Gov. Paterson is delaying another $1.5 billion in school aid - even though state law requires the aid to be handed out by June 1.
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Gov. Paterson is delaying another $1.5 billion in school aid - even though state law requires the aid to be handed out by June 1.

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Gov. Paterson plans to delay another $1.5 billion in school aid to keep the cash-strapped state from going broke next month.

Budget Division boss Robert Megna said the school money must be held back because the state faces a $1 billion cash shortfall next month - and needs the school money to pay the bills.

Still, team Paterson finds itself in a pickle: State law requires the school aid to be handed out by June 1.

Paterson will seek approval from the Legislature next week to circumvent the deadline.

But it's not all grim news for school systems. Another pot of school cash - $2.1 billion - that has been held back since March will finally be doled out in June.

"It's a step forward because they need this money, but they really need the full complement of state aid," state School Boards



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/05/15/2010-05-15_dont_drink_the_school_aid_gov_to_pull_15b_for_education__at_least_till_budget_is.html#ixzz0o6CsYNi3
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Graphic booklet sent home with Portland schoolkids shocks parents | OregonLive.com

Graphic booklet sent home with Portland schoolkids shocks parents | OregonLive.com

Graphic booklet sent home with Portland schoolkids shocks parents

By Helen Jung, The Oregonian

May 16, 2010, 6:00AM
Joe Alvaro's 10-year-old son generally knows what sex is.

But the Southeast Portland father wasn't prepared for the questions from his son after the boy finished classes a week ago at Llewellyn Elementary School. Among them: What's sodomy?
llewellynbrochure.jpegView full size
Turns out the fourth-grader came across the term, as well as descriptions of sexual abuse and other crimes in a 24-page comic-style booklet put together by thePortland Police Bureau and handed out to all the students, kindergarten through fifth grade, at Llewellyn.

The "Operation Safe Summer" brochure, distributed annually through Portland Public Schools to all district schools, mostly includes information about summer programs for children at the Oregon Zoo, Portland Parks and Recreation and other activities.

But this year, the Police Bureau included a new feature on the back page, which shows a buxom female superhero trumpeting "Measure 11 An Oregon Law." The sheet includes a listing of crimes, such as manslaughter, unlawful sexual penetration and sodomy, that could cause juveniles ages 15 or older to be tried as adults. It also explains
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Sacramento high school hosts prom for special-needs guests - Sacramento Living - Sacramento Food and Wine, Home, Health | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento high school hosts prom for special-needs guests - Sacramento Living - Sacramento Food and Wine, Home, Health | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento high school hosts prom for special-needs guests

By Jennifer Garza
jgarza@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, May. 16, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 1A
Last Modified: Sunday, May. 16, 2010 - 12:17 am
Sheree Castellanos, who has Down syndrome, walked away from the white stretch limousine and into her dream. At 20, she was at the prom.
The first steps of this dance, the only one of its kind in the area, began on the red carpet at the Capital Christian Center High School on Friday night.
Castellanos gathered her pink and white taffeta dress and her pale pink purse, saw the flashing cameras and thought: "Is this really happening?"
Family, friends and supporters packed the bleachers outside the Sacramento school. They watched, cheered and cried as the 60 disabled teens and young adults made their way on the red carpet. Many brought cameras. Some passed around tissues.


Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/16/2753700/sacramento-high-school-hosts-prom.html#ixzz0o6BgcrTK
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EducationNews.org Recruiting and Selecting the Best Teachers for the Children and Youth of America

EducationNews.org

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Recruiting and Selecting the Best Teachers for the Children and Youth of America

5.15.10 - The On-line Questionnaire is made up of 50 questions of which you will be given three possible
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Schools strain to meet needs as Latinos alter face of Texas as Hispanic enrollment is rapidly surpassing that of whites

5.16.10 - In all but rural areas, Hispanic enrollment is rapidly surpassing that of whites. Hispanic...
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State of our suburban schools: Great education but price rankles

5.16.10 - By the time the average suburban Monroe County high school senior reaches the end of this school year, taxpayers will have spent well over $100,000 on her education....
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On drinking, parents need to just say no to kids

5.16.10 - Wasn't Nancy Reagan slammed by the press for saying the same thing?...
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Education - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Education - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Barbara O'Connor prepares to retire
Retiring CSUS professor Barbara O'Connor wins praise throughout Sacramento
By Stephen Magagnini - Published: 12:00 am
As what could be called the Barbara O'Connor Tribute Tour rolls through the capital, it seems everyone has a story about how the retiring Sacramento State professor has changed their lives.

7B16UCDVET
UC Davis vet school feels pain of budget cuts
By Mark Glover - Published: 12:00 am
The wobbly economy has taken a bite out of the people who care for our animals and pets.
UC Davis team wins $3.3 million grant to conduct juvenile diabetes study
By Anna Tong - Published: 9:27 am
A husband-and-wife research team at the UC Davis School of Medicine has been awarded a five-year, $3.3 million grant to lead a nationwide study on how to prevent brain swelling in children with diabetes.
Day's lesson at El Dorado school: Ugly words can bruise the heart
By Carlos Alcalá - Updated: 10:14 am
Students at Union Mine High School work to diminish verbal violence and debunk stereotypes about themselves during "Slur Free Week."
Schools chief to meet with Hmong, Lao, Mien parents
Published: Saturday, May 15 2010 - 12:00 am
Sacramento's Hmong, Mien, and Lao communities will have a chance Tuesday to talk to Sacramento City Unified School District Superintendent Jonathan Raymond.
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Blogging Against Disablism Day 2010 | Reflections on Teaching

Blogging Against Disablism Day 2010 | Reflections on Teaching

Blogging Against Disablism Day 2010

by alicemercer
As with most things, I’m more than a day late and a dollar shy on this one, which occurred on May 1st, but some recent events have led me to believe that it’s better to write late than not at all, so please indulge me. As with many thing, Ira Socol, has led me to this. Thank you Ira!
The posts that I’m about to put up will reflect my experience as the mother of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, so let me disclose my current policy about that. After reading this post, by Ira Socol, I decided that, like many “public” writers, I was using my son in my writing without really getting his permission.
First, I’m trying not to make Ms. Palin’s mistake of using my son as a “hunting trophy”. I share my particular
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West Salem High School wins state band championship | OregonLive.com

West Salem High School wins state band championship | OregonLive.com

West Salem High School wins state band championship

By James Mayer, The Oregonian

May 15, 2010, 10:34PM
West Salem High School took first place for 6A schools in the band division in the Oregon State School Activities Association / U.S. Bank / Les Schwab Tires Band/Orchestra State Championships this weekend at Oregon State University.

South Salem High School took second place; Southridge High School in Beaverton, third place; Sprague High School in Salem, fourth place; and David Douglas, fifth place.

Students representing 65 high schools performed Wednesday through Saturday

In the 5A Band Division, West Albany High School won first place; Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis, second; Summit High School in Bend, third; Glencoe High School in Hillsboro, fourth; and Corvallis High School, fifth.

In the 4A Band Division, Douglas High School in Winston, won first place; Philomath High School, second; Cascade High School in Turner, third; La Grande High School, fourth; and Sisters High School, fifth. , second; In
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“All 23 of the “Interesting Ways” presentations in one place” | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

“All 23 of the “Interesting Ways” presentations in one place” | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

“All 23 of the “Interesting Ways” presentations in one place”

by Larry Ferlazzo
Tom Barrett is known for his “Interesting Ways” series, which include numerous ideas on how to use Web 2.0 applications (including Wordle, iPod, Google Wave, Prezi, etc.) in the classroom. The series, however, is not only limited to technology, and also includes topics like supporting reading comprehension and spelling.
He’s put them all in one place now. You definitely want to bookmar

Tons Of New Resources On Street Gangs

by Larry Ferlazzo
I’ve just added about twenty additional resources to

More Oil Spill Resources

by Larry Ferlazzo
Here are the newest additions t

My Students Reflect On Standardized Tests

by Larry Ferlazzo
1 person liked this
Thankfully, we completed the annual regimen of state tests this week. I’ve written quite a bit on these kinds of standardized tests — se
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S. Phila. principal's lack of credential was known | Philadelphia Inquirer | 05/15/2010

S. Phila. principal's lack of credential was known | Philadelphia Inquirer | 05/15/2010

S. Phila. principal's lack of credential was known

By Kristen A. Graham and Jeff Gammage
Inquirer Staff Writers
When they hired LaGreta Brown as the new principal of South Philadelphia High School last summer, officials knew she did not have an active Pennsylvania principal's certification, they said.
Brown was supposed to get emergency certification but never did. She served as principal for eight months anyway and resigned Thursday after The Inquirer raised questions about her credentials.
Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman acknowledged Friday that there could be others in the district with similar problems. "This may be an issue for more than just LaGreta," she said.
Brown was not certified to work as a high school principal in Pennsylvania, state records show. In 2000, she was issued a certificate to work as an elementary school principal. But that certificate became inactive in 2005 after she failed to complete continuing-education requirements, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education said.
The Philadelphia School District Office of Certification should have checked to make sure Brown's paperwork was in order, but her case slipped through the cracks, human resources chief Estelle Matthews said Friday.
"There was no follow-through," Matthews said.
A new policy will require teachers and principals to provide paperwork proving emergency certification within 30 days, Matthews said.
"We're not going to take their word for it," she said. "We didn't have a clear process in place, but we will."
Brown came to Philadelphia from Atlantic City, where teachers said she had created "a hostile work environment." Brown resigned from that district in advance of a school board vote on her termination.
Her tenure at South Philadelphia High also was tumultuous. On Dec. 3, the school was rocked by racial violence when 30 Asian students were attacked by groups of mostly African American students. Seven Asian students required hospital treatment, and a federal civil rights inquiry and state Human Rights Commission investigation are pending.
Ackerman said she had known about Brown's time in Atlantic City when she was hired and insisted that Brown received no preferential treatment.


Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/education/20100515_S__Phila__principal_s_lack_of_credential_was_known.html#ixzz0o67vIUxb
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Dallas ISD under Hinojosa: academic progress, fiscal crisis | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

Dallas ISD under Hinojosa: academic progress, fiscal crisis | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News| Latest News

Dallas ISD under Hinojosa: academic progress, fiscal crisis



11:42 PM CDT on Saturday, May 15, 2010

By TAWNELL D. HOBBS and DIANE RADO / The Dallas Morning News

Dallas school Superintendent Michael Hinojosa uses a spreadsheet to track his tenure on the job, just as a statistician follows trends.
The self-professed lover of data boasted one recent afternoon that he's outlasted all but two other big-city school chiefs, in Atlanta and New York City.
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"I sort of beat the odds," he said incredulously. "I've been here five years."
Resiliency and tenacity are key ingredients for survival for an urban school superintendent – among the toughest jobs in public education. And Hinojosa has held on during a roller coaster ride of triumphs and scandals in the Dallas Independent School District.
Since he took the helm of the second-largest school district in Texas five years ago this month, his supporters and critics alike say that he has jump-started academic improvements that have garnered national

Rise in cases leaves Dallas area abused kids waiting for help

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NorthJersey.com: A hot spot for higher teacher earnings

NorthJersey.com: A hot spot for higher teacher earnings

Half of the teachers in New Jersey who earned more than $100,000 work in Bergen and Passaic counties.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
BY PATRICIA ALEX AND DAVE SHEINGOLD
THE RECORD
STAFF WRITERS
Fit story on 1 pagePage 1 2 >>
More than 1,800 New Jersey public school teachers have broken the six-figure salary barrier, and half of them work in schools in Bergen and Passaic counties.
A quarter of teachers in Hackensack, Teaneck and Carlstadt and a third of those at the regional high school in East Rutherford earned six figures for the 2008-09 school year, according to data provided by the state.
The city of Passaic had 115 teachers with salaries above $100,000, the highest number of any district in the state. Hackensack had 98, Teaneck 93, Wayne 81, and in Ridgewood, 71 teachers were above the $100,000 mark.
Overall, the 1,847 teachers whose salaries were above $100,000 made up just 1.6 percent of the state's 116,000 public school teachers. The majority of teachers earned between $40,000 and $60,000, according to the data, the most recent available.
The median salary for teachers across the state was $57,467; it was higher in Bergen County, at $61,096, and lower in Passaic County, at $56,350.
Those are reasonable wages that you can try to support a family on, but they are not exorbitant wages," said Steve Baker, spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association.
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Schools Matter: Saving 300,000 Teaching Jobs Equal to 2 Months of War Expenses in Iraq and Afghanistan

Schools Matter: Saving 300,000 Teaching Jobs Equal to 2 Months of War Expenses in Iraq and Afghanistan

Saving 300,000 Teaching Jobs Equal to 2 Months of War Expenses in Iraq and Afghanistan

by Jim Horn
(Slide from National Priorities Project) Click to enlarge.

When the Wall Street bankster scheme was finally discovered in late 2008, the Feds under Bush rushed in $700 billion to rescue the the same fraudulent banks, insurance companies, and "lenders" that stole the money.

Since 2001, the U. S. has averaged wasting $111 billion per year in Iraq and Afghanistan. The peak war spending year was FY 08, when $184.5 billion was spent on both war fronts. That's over $15 billion per month.
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