Saturday, July 10, 2010

Seven educators in Washington County are reprimanded or have their licenses lifted | OregonLive.com

Seven educators in Washington County are reprimanded or have their licenses lifted

By Wendy Owen, The Oregonian

July 10, 2010, 5:00AM

The incidents, most of which occurred in 2008, ranged from a teacher's rendezvous with a high school student in Europe to a music teacher taping a student to a chair. Full story »

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State Board of Higher Education upgrades path to degree in central Oregon

By Bill Graves, The Oregonian

July 09, 2010, 7:46PM

The State Board of Higher Education took steps Friday to make it easier for people living in central Oregon to earn a 4-year college degree. Full story »

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Oregon State Board of Higher Education seeks more freedom and power for Oregon University System

By Bill Graves, The Oregonian

July 09, 2010, 7:44PM

Oregon university leaders say they want to make Oregon's seven universities more independent and free of state constraints so they can save and raise money and better serve students. Full story »

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Losing eight days from Gresham-Barlow's school year: One teacher's view

By Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian

July 09, 2010, 12:03PM

The chairman of the Gresham High social studies department offers his take on what losing days from the school year will mean to him, his colleagues and his students. Full story »

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Ackerman, Nutter fault media reports on school progress | Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/09/2010

Ackerman, Nutter fault media reports on school progress

By Martha Woodall

Inquirer Staff Writer

Superintendent Arlene Ackerman and Mayor Nutter told business and community leaders Thursday about "significant gains" the Philadelphia School District had made in the last year because the news, they said, was not being fully reported in the media.
In a program that drew more than 45 business, nonprofit, civic, and education leaders, Ackerman and Nutter cited eight years of rising test scores and an improved high school graduation rate, and said 12,000 parents had participated in classes at the district's Parent University.
"I think it's important to get our story out and not just depend on the media to do it," Ackerman told reporters in a briefing after the program at City Hall.
Too often, she said, news accounts focus on her personality and leadership style.
"It's not about me. It's not about my leadership," Ackerman said. "It's really about whether or not we get results."
Nutter said he and Ackerman had begun talking about going directly to the city's opinion-makers to describe the schools' progress after the district released test scores in June showing that for the first time, more than half the district's students had met or exceeded state standards in math and reading. The news, he said, was buried by

Penn State board approves tuition increase

Pennsylvania State University tuition will increase by 3.9 percent to 5.9 percent this year - depending on students' residency and campus - under a plan approved Friday by the Board of Trustees.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Report Card on the Schools

The Inquirer's annual survey of education in the region, with a searchable database of school and district information, and multimedia profiles of area students and high schools.

A Doorway Back

With the dropout problem in Philadelphia at crisis proportions, a chance-of-a-lifetime program offers 40 select students a shot at breaking the cycle of failure. But can they take advantage?

3 Haddonfield students admit guilt in grade hacking: Three Haddonfield Memorial High School students pleaded guilty Thursday to charges connected to hacking into their school's computer system and changing grades, authorities said.
Ackerman, Nutter fault media reports on school progress: Superintendent Arlene Ackerman and Mayor Nutter told business and community leaders Thursday about "significant gains" the Philadelphia School District had made in the last year because the news, they said, was not being fully reported in the media.

What is a “red herring” anyway? � Tangerine, Florida

What is a “red herring” anyway?

by tangerineflorida

It is an observation that draws attention away from the central issue in an argument or discussion; an informal logical fallacy favored by those who don’t want to confront the real facts in a debate.

Red herrings are brought into a discussion to sidetrack the discussion. They are invariably irrelevant and is often emotionally charged. The participants in the discussion go after the red herring and forget what they were initially talking about; in fact, they may never get back to their original topic.

Support Hometown Democracy? Write a letter to the editor!
by tangerineflorida
Via Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment 4 on Facebook
Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment 4 Want to help get the word about about Amendment 4? Write a Letter to the Editor – connect the dots for local voters between bad city and county commission decisions and the need for Florida Hometown Democracy. Be sure to include the website address and our tollfree telephone number: 866-779-5513. If you want to write a letter to your local newspaper editor, or a guest column but would like some idea of what to write, please visit our website for talking points…and thanks for voting YES on Amendment 4!
Comment of the week: “If Amendment 4 “will have a devastating effect on Florida’s economy” what have we had in the past 5 years? How’s the current system working for you? The growth machinen has led us into this devastation. The people can’t do any worse. I want a vote since my commissioners are owned by the developers and lobbyists.”

Education Research Report: A significant proportion of native English speakers are unable to understand some basic sentences

significant proportion of native English speakers are unable to understand some basic sentences

by Jonathan Kantrowitz

Ω

Research into grammar by academics at Northumbria University suggests that a significant proportion of native English speakers are unable to understand some basic sentences.

The findings -- which undermine the assumption that all speakers have a core ability to use grammatical cues -- could have significant implications for education, communication and linguistic theory.

The research, conducted by Dr Ewa Dabrowska, showed that basic elements of core English grammar had not been mastered by some native speakers.

The project assumed that every adult native speaker of English would be able to understand the meaning of the sentence:

THE RISING PRICE OF INEQUALITY - HOW INADEQUATE GRANT AID LIMITS COLLEGE ACCESS AND PERSISTENCE

by Jonathan Kantrowitz

REPORT TO CONGRESS AND THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION

ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Full report

In the Higher Education Amendments of 1986 (P.L. 99-948), Congress created the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance to be an objective, nonpartisan source of expertise and advice on student aid policy. Its legislative charge is to make recommendations to Congress and the Secretary of Education that maintain and improve college access and persistence for needy students.

Through four administrations, eleven Congresses, and four reauthorizations, the Committee has made every effort to fulfill this mandate. In the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (P.L.110-315), Congress reauthorized the Committee and charged it to monitor and report annually on the condition of college access and persistence through 2014. Specifically, the annual report is required to contain analyses and policy recommendations regarding the adequacy of total grant aid and the postsecondary enrollment and graduation rates of low- and moderate-income students.

The major focus of this first report is on 4-year college enrollment and bachelor’s degree attainment, not because every high school graduate must or should enroll in a 4-year college or pursue a bachelor’s degree, but because

Duncan: Congress needs to act now on school money - Boston.com

Duncan: Congress needs to act now on school money

By Donna Gordon Blankinship

Associated Press Writer / July 10, 2010

Text size – +

DES MOINES, Wash.—U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan urged Congress on Friday to act soon to increase education funding because cash-strapped states can't wait until the fall to determine if they must lay off thousands of teachers.

Duncan made his remarks at a forum on innovation in education at Aviation High School in Des Moines, a small college prep school that focuses on science, technology and mathematics.

At the forum, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said she hopes fellow lawmakers spent their Fourth of July break hearing from parents and teachers, like she did. Murray said if they got the message about how urgent the school budget crisis is, they will return to Washington, D.C., with the drive to find more money for schools.

A proposal to send billions more to the states has hit a number of roadblocks.

The U.S. House has proposed cutting money from Race to the Top and other Duncan initiatives in order to send $10 billion to the states to keep 140,000 teachers in the classroom, and about $5 billion to shore up the Pell Grant

What’s in a name? Plenty, say backers of renaming state colleges

Ryan Chamberlaind, a Salem State College senior, said he always felt a little out of place at national college conferences like Model United Nations. (By Sydney Lupkin, Globe Correspondent)

Private colleges vastly outspent public peers

Private research universities spent twice as much as their public counterparts to teach each student in the 2007-08 school year, widening a cost gap that can make private colleges unaffordable to students, without the help of financial aid. (Bloomberg News)

A lesson they learned

Marzuq Muhammad left the James P. Timilty Middle School in Roxbury 13 years ago and kept on going. (By Meghan E. Irons, Globe Staff)

Student fluency woes rising

The number of Boston school students identified as lacking fluency in English surged dramatically over the past school year, presenting further challenges for a school district already under federal investigation for failing to provide adequate programs for students trying to learn the language. (By James Vaznis, Globe Staff)

Elise Boulding; sociologist studied peace, conflict; at 89

Dr. Elise Boulding, an international peace activist, saw life as an unpredictable adventure. “We never know what’s going to happen next,’’ Dr. Boulding said in a 1990 interview with Alan AtKisson called “Concentrating on Essence: An interview with Elise Boulding.’’ (By Jeffrey Fish, Globe Correspondent)

Transparency law for Texas professors sets off academic freedom debate | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

Transparency law for Texas professors sets off academic freedom debate

09:08 AM CDT on Saturday, July 10, 2010

By LEIGH MUNSIL / The Dallas Morning News
lmunsil@dallasnews.com

A law requiring Texas' public colleges and universities to post detailed course information online will take effect this fall, stirring a debate between advocates of transparency and academic freedom.

Texas legislators unanimously passed House Bill 2504 in May 2009, making it the first of its kind in the nation. State universities will be required to post professors' syllabi, curriculum vitae, published works and salaries. Attendance costs and departmental budget reports also must be posted.

The information must be searchable, accessible without a user name or password and no more than three links away from the school's home page.

Though it won bipartisan support in the Legislature, some Texas professors say the new law is an attempt to interfere with higher education curriculum, despite its political branding as a move toward

State law exempts most school remodels from fire sprinklers - San Jose Mercury News

State law exempts most school remodels from fire sprinklers

Fire sprinklers don't rise high on educators' wish lists, but firefighters argue that sprinklers are well worth the cost.

Vote: Should California require schools to add sprinklers?

UC Santa Cruz water expansion could drain city resources, report says

Pizarro: Archbishop Mitty makes a deal with Howie Mandel

Grand jury: Santa Clara school district mismanaged construction projects, teacher home-loan fund

Education | U.S. education secretary lauds visits Aviation High; lauds school | Seattle Times Newspaper

U.S. education secretary lauds visits Aviation High; lauds school

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan had nothing but lavish praise Friday for Aviation High School, the Des Moines school in the shadow of the Sea-Tac flight path where the students learn science and math concepts with hands-on projects.

By Katherine Long

Seattle Times Eastside reporter

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray attend an event Friday at Aviation High School in Des Moines. Duncan took part in a panel discussion about math and science. "This is an amazing example of what's possible in public education," Duncan said.

KEN LAMBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray attend an event Friday at Aviation High School in Des Moines. Duncan took part in a panel discussion about math and science. "This is an amazing example of what's possible in public education," Duncan said.

He only got to see the school after classes were out for summer, but U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan had nothing but lavish praise Friday for Aviation High School, the Des Moines school in the shadow of the Sea-Tac flight path where all the kids learn science and math concepts with hands-on projects.

"Everybody knows you're on to something extraordinary," Duncan said. "This is an amazing example of what's possible in public education."

Duncan, accompanied by Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, got to drive a soccer-playing robot built by Skunkworks, the school's 40-member robotics team. He quizzed students about their education, took part in a panel discussion about math and science, shook hands and posed for pictures.

The audience of about 200 that gathered in a sweltering school gymnasium was like a who's who of public-education professionals in the state, including union leaders and state education-board members.

State Superintendent Randy Dorn hopes that Duncan's decision to visit Washington is a sign that this state has a shot at getting money from Race to the Top, the Obama administration's school-grant plan that offers

Saturday coffee. � Fred Klonsky's blog

Saturday coffee.

by preaprez

The humidity has finally broke. The sun is out. This will be a fine Chicago summer Saturday.
It will be my first since the end of the school year (not counting the first one, but that didn’t count).
Summer jumped off with wonderful trip to Cartagena, Havana and the Islas de Rosario, then a quick turn-around and a week in New Orleans for the NEA RA and now finally: Chicago Summer.
Anne and I got last minute tickets to Carole King and James Taylor at the United Center last night. While I half expected snoozey and a crowd of people with walkers, the show was fun. And the young kids who happened to

Old school.

JULY 10, 2010

by preaprez

Everly Brothers.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

By Wendy Owen, The Oregonian

July 10, 2010, 5:00AM

By Bill Graves, The Oregonian

July 09, 2010, 7:46PM

By Bill Graves, The Oregonian

July 09, 2010, 7:44PM

By Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian

July 09, 2010, 12:03PM

Ackerman, Nutter fault media reports on school progress

Duncan: Congress needs to act now on school money

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LATEST K-12 EDUCATION NEWS

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Transparency law for Texas professors sets off academic freedom debate

09:08 AM CDT on Saturday, July 10, 2010

U.S. education secretary lauds visits Aviation High; lauds school