Thursday, July 22, 2010

N.J. schools lack disaster preparedness, report says | NJ.com

N.J. schools lack disaster preparedness, report says

By The Star-Ledger Continuous News Desk

July 22, 2010, 9:34AM

A new report finds that New Jersey's private schools and child-care facilities are lacking in emergency response preparedness, according to NorthJersey.com. The report, put out by the non-profit Save the Children, found that in the event of a disaster New Jersey isn't comprehensively covered in the categories of an evacuation/relocation plan, reunification with families and caring for children with... Full story »

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Union County College athletic director is accused of videotaping woman in shower

By Carmen Juri/The Star-Ledger

July 21, 2010, 7:08PM

BERKELEY TWP — The athletic director at Union County College in Cranford was arrested and released on bail today after police charged him with invasion of privacy and filing a false police report in connection to a July 11 incident at his Berkeley Township home, authorities said. Police were called to James McCue’s home on Roberts Avenue after a... Full story »

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Sea Isle City to pay $500K in discrimination lawsuit settlement

By The Associated Press

July 21, 2010, 5:55PM

SEA ISLE CITY — A black family who sued a New Jersey shore town for racial discrimination has settled part of the lawsuit for more than $500,000. Dorthea Waters-Rice, her son and granddaughter sued Sea Isle City, its police department and school board in 2004. They alleged the girl was subjected to racial slurs by teachers and was excluded from... Full story »

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UMDNJ to raise tuition as much as 21 percent for some students

By Kelly Heyboer/ The Star-Ledger

July 21, 2010, 4:54PM

UMDNJ officials say the increases were needed to cover severe cuts in N.J. funding at the 6,000-student university Full story »

Tea Party's Racism Deeper Than One Black Woman's Confession | California Progress Report

Tea Party's Racism Deeper Than One Black Woman's Confession

by christine

By Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Fox News, and the gaggle of rightside bloggers, and assorted tea party activists were delirous when they dug up an old tape of Shirley Sherrod. The Agriculture Department’s director of rural development in Georgia was supposedly getting caught with her racism hanging down.
The tape was of a speech Sherrod made at a local NAACP banquet on March 27. Her alleged racist sin was that she admitted that she did less to help a needy white farmer than she could—it happened twenty years earlier.
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Prop 8 is Going Down...One Way or Another

by christine

By Brian Leubitz
On Tuesday, the Field Poll released their latest study on California opinions regarding marriage equality (PDF). It's good news on the whole, with a slight majority favoring marriage equality. But there are some caveats:
The poll's results - 51 percent in favor, 42 percent opposed, 7 percent undecided - show big differences among age groups, geography and party affiliation.
The results were close to those the Field Poll found in May 2008, six months before voters banned gay marriage by approving Proposition 8, 52 to 48 percent.
The current survey also found that support for same-sex marriage drops below a majority when voters are given another option - civil unions.(SacBee)
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Earth To California Voters: We Have Created A Train Wreck!

by christine

By Hannah Beth Jackson
Speak Out California
The latest poll shows that Arnold Schwarzenegger now holds the embarassing distinction of having the same 22% favorability rate as Gray Davis had when Davis became the first Governor in modern-day California to be recalled by an angry electorate.
Of course the public is angry again and for good reason: we're at a 12.3% unemployment rate; we have one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country; the Republicans in the legislature continue to demand that we cut the taxes of fat-cat corporations and the well-heeled oil industry and yet demand more from hard-working Californians, while providing us with less.
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"Frog, I Said Stay in that Wheelbarrow!" :: Frederick M. Hess

"Frog, I Said Stay in that Wheelbarrow!"

by Frederick M. Hess • Jul 22, 2010 at 9:27 am
Cross-posted from Education Week

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This week, over on the National Journal "education experts" blog, we're debating our earnest Secretary of Education's declaration to the NAACP last week that the administration wants a reauthorized NCLB (nee ESEA) to "require parent and community input" in turning around persistently low-performing schools. Joanne Jacobs has another quick take here. My two cents:

Duncan's sentiment is a fine one. Community and parental involvement are enormously important. And low-performing schools often suffer from a paucity of both. Of course, it's not like others haven't tried to previously address this. I especially love Duncan's pledge that the feds will "require" parent and community input. Not only that, but Uncle Sam will require "honest, open discussion" as well. Man, what a great idea. Here are a few other suggestions, while Duncan's on a roll.

Let's require colleges to get meaningful input as to how they can be more cost-effective. Let's require airlines to make a sincere effort to seek customer input about baggage fees and cabin comfort. Let's require the Deepwater Horizon cap not to leak. And let's require frogs not to jump out of wheelbarrows.

Encouraging schools and districts to reach out to parents and communities, providing them with useful tools for

This Week In Education: Business: High-Priced Report Promi$es Unique Insight$

Business: High-Priced Report Promi$es Unique Insight$

by Alexander Russo

Reports and conferences are a dime a dozen in Washington -- the vast majority are free. But that's not the approach being tried by Dutko's new ed policy endeavor, Whiteboard Advisors, which is putting out a July 29 report/webinar on ESEA reauthorization. It's just $499 for the single event(Margaret Spellings and Alice Cain will be there!) or $4,900 for a year's wort

AM News: MA Approves Common Core

by Alexander Russo

Mass. Adopts Common Standards Amid Fiery Debate EdWeek/AP: The state board’s vote is seen as a tipping point in the effort to set common guidelines for what students learn in school... Has Obama’s “Race to the Top” Lost its Shine? Fox News: Randi Weingarten, president of the American Teachers Union, called the program a mixed bag. “The real issue is that ‘Race to the Top’ in principle would be a good program if we didn’t have the kind of budget shortfalls that we have right now. It’s hard to be innovative and to do new and different things that require time and resources when we’re seeing state after state having devastating budget cuts.”

... Arrests highlight education busing issues CNN: The arrest of 19 protesters at a rancorous school board meeting Tuesday brings the issue of busing and diversity in education into the national spotlight... In tough economy, Arkansas' lottery launch exceeds expectations Stateline: Arkansas is the latest state to create a lottery whose proceeds fund college scholarships for state residents. In less than a year, revenues have come in well above what was expected, and 28,000 students will get money this fall... Sodexo to pay $20M for overcharging NY schools Boston Globe: Food services giant Sodexo Inc. has agreed to pay $20 million to settle claims that it overcharged 21 New York school districts and the State University of New York over a five-year span.. Borders introduces textbook marketplace online Boston Globe: Bookseller Borders Group on Wednesday said it is introducing a texbook marketplace on its website in an effort to gain market share in that area.

Rise & Shine: SUNY tuition policy fueling newest budget delay | GothamSchools

Rise & Shine: SUNY tuition policy fueling newest budget delay

by Philissa Cramer

An obstacle to a state budget is how SUNY schools should be allowed to set tuition. (WNYC)
Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy is mourning a student who drowned on Sunday. (Riverdale Press)
Investigators: PS 114’s ex-principal mismanaged the school. (GothamSchools, Daily News, Post, NY1)
Wake County could adopt “controlled choice” admissions policy to foster diversity. (News & Observer)
Chicago is laying off 400 teachers this week, possibly only temporarily. (Sun-Times)
Philly’s charter school chief resigned in the city’s latest round of schools shakeups. (Inquirer)

PA standards get low marks in study | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

PA standards get low marks in study

by Dale Mezzacappa

The Fordham Institute, a big promoter of national education standards, released a report Wednesday comparing existing state standards with the new Common Core standards that a majority of states, including Pennsylvania, have vowed to adopt. And Pennsylvania's standards received some of the lowest scores - a D in English-Language Arts and an F in Math.

Notes from the news, July 22

by Erika Owens

District’s top charter school administrator resigns The Inquirer
Brief overview of Benjamin Rayer's 18-month tenure as chief charter, partnership and new schools officer.
Bill Gates: Money to learn, or burn? The Notebook blog
Bill Gates recently spoke to the AFT convention, and his comments and foundation's spending are generating front-page coverage and blogger commentary.
Grassroots Efforts in Philadelphia Creating an “Edutopia”? Philly School Search blog
Grassroots work to improve Philly schools helps encourage this blogger to send his child to public school.
An Unlevel Playing Field; An Epidemic Ignored Philly Teacher Talks blog
Attendance seems to be handled differently at charter and District schools.
Turning Up the Heat on Learning (Part II) PFT blog
Please email us if we missed anything today or if you have any suggestions of publications, email lists, or other places for us to check for news.
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Notes from the news

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Local News | Military spouse tuition program returns, with restrictions | Seattle Times Newspaper

Military spouse tuition program returns, with restrictions

An education-assistance program for military spouses that was suspended in February will resume in a scaled-back form this fall. The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program, or MyCAA, will provide tuition of up to $4,000 — down from $6,000 — for spouses of junior service members to train for portable careers, work that can endure frequent military moves.

By Ed Friedrich

Kitsap Sun

BREMERTON — An education-assistance program for military spouses that proved too popular for its own goodwill resume in a scaled-back form this fall.

The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program, or MyCAA, had provided tuition of up to $6,000 for any military spouse to train for a portable career, one capable of enduring frequent military moves. The program was abruptly "paused" on Feb. 16 after a surge of applications threatened to drain its budget.

When it returns on Oct. 25, benefits will top out at $4,000, only spouses of junior service members — E1-E5, W1-W2 and O1-O2 — will be eligible, and they will be restricted to pursuing associate's degrees, certificates and licenses.

Of the 136,000 spouses participating in the program, 74,000 will no longer be

Texas charter schools seek building funds from state | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

Texas charter schools seek building funds from state

12:03 AM CDT on Thursday, July 22, 2010

By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News
tstutz@dallasnews.com

AUSTIN – Representatives for Texas' 460 independent charter schools asked the State Board of Education on Wednesday to tap into the state's education trust fund and for the first time provide them classrooms and facilities for their students.

The charter school operators also expressed support for board member David Bradley's proposal to take up to $100 million from the $22 billion Permanent School Fund and use it to purchase or build facilities that the board would lease to charter schools.

Also Online

Blog: Education Front

State Board of Education

Link: Texas math standards

More education news

Critics contend that the idea is too risky, and some board members were skeptical of the idea. But David Dunnof the Texas Charter Schools Association said the charter school movement is being hampered because the state doesn't provide aid for facilities.

He said that means most charter schools must set up in strip malls,

BRAVE NEW VOICES SPEAK GREEN Brave New Voices – Los Angeles

Brave New Voices – Los Angeles

BRAVE NEW VOICES SPEAK GREEN

Brave New Voices Speak Green graphic

For the 4th year, Youth Speaks and the Redford Center present Brave New Voices Speak Green. During a time of great environmental catastrophe in our oceans, our air, our ground and in our homes and bodies, Speak Green invites a whole new generation into this global conversation as leaders for societal change. Featuring the finalists of the Global Climate Change poetry contest and special musical guests, this event takes place on Wednesday, July 21st at Club Nokia. Winners gain a free trip to The Sundance Film Festival in January 2011. More information to come soon!

Study: Classroom spending dips as ed funding rises

By DON THOMPSON, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

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(07-21) 18:32 PDT Sacramento, Calif. (AP) --
Spending in California classrooms declined as a percentage of total education spending over a recent five-year period, even as total school funding increased, according to a Pepperdine University study released Wednesday.
More of the funding increase went to administrators, clerks and technical staff and less to teachers, textbooks, materials and teacher aides, the study found. It was partially funded by a California Chamber of Commerce foundation.
Total K-12 spending increased by $10 billion over the five-year period ending June 30, 2009, from $45.6 billion to $55.6 billion statewide. It rose at a rate greater than the increase in inflation or personal income, according to the study. Yet researchers found

State switch to U.S. school standards debated

California typically lands at or near the bottom in virtually every measure of public school performance...

School year shrinking as budget crisis grows

Just as education experts are encouraging more classroom time to improve student grades and test scores...

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D.C. board of education adopts national 'common core' standards for schools

By Nick Anderson

Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 22, 2010

The D.C. State Board of Education on Wednesday adopted new national standards for English and math, joining Maryland and more than two dozen states in a groundbreaking effort to establish common expectations for what students should learn every year from kindergarten through high school.

The board's vote of 6 to 1 will set in motion changes to testing, curriculum and teacher training as Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee and charter school operators seek to improve public-school performance.
Board member William Lockridge opposed the measure, citing cost concerns. Member Laura Slover abstained, citing her work for an organization involved in standards advocacy. Member Sekou Biddle was