Thursday, July 22, 2010

Portland schools announce where staffing cuts will be made | OregonLive.com

Learning is intense, fast and fun in Portland's amped-up summer school

By Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian

July 15, 2010, 7:36PM

Officials hope to see a big payoff -- better grades, stronger reading skills and higher test scores -- among students from high-poverty schools taking part in a large, intensive summer learning program for students in the early grades, on the cusp of middle school or headed into freshman year Full story »

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Oregon Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps performs in Tigard

By Special to The Oregonian

July 22, 2010, 1:26PM

The corps will perform "Dance of the Flames." Oh, and there's dessert, too. Full story »

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Portland schools announce where staffing cuts will be made

By Molly Hottle, The Oregonian

July 22, 2010, 11:28AM

Principals have until July 27 to determine where to cut, and layoff notices will most likely be given in mid-August. Full story »

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Aloha High 1970-71 Reunion: Share your stories on My Aloha

By Kjerstin Gabrielson, The Oregonian

July 22, 2010, 9:53AM

The founding classes of the 40-year-old high school take a walk down memory lane as they gather for their reunion this weekend. So, 1970-71 grads, what's your story? Full story »

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Beta Beta rummage sale supports scholarships for teachers and good deeds within the community

By Special to The Oregonian

July 22, 2010, 6:00AM

The organization for women teachers is Tigard, Tualatin and Sherwood's chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. Full story »

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The diversification of Texas' suburban schools | THE EDUCATION FRONT Blog | dallasnews.com

The diversification of Texas' suburban schools

by William McKenzie/ Editorial Columnist

I want to call to your attention Katherine Leal Unmuth's' article in Sunday's Morning News about Irving facing the same kind of school challenges that Dallas and other urban districts encounter. This is the type of trend story that's worth reading because the diversification of Texas' suburbs is getting ready to be one of the state's major new realities.
If it hasn't already become one. Author Joel Kotkin, whose book "The Next Hundred Million: America 2050" is the focus of the DMN's Summer Book Club, reports how in once whitebread places like Fort Bend County you find mosques and ethnic restaurants. His contention is that suburbs will become increasingly diverse as America becomes more diverse.
That's the conclusion of a recent Brookings Institution look at Dallas-Fort Worth. According to Unmuth, Brookings "found that in 2008 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, about 47 percent of the population living below the

Today's Big Education Ape Posts on Parents 4 democratic Schools #education #news

Parents 4 democratic Schools

Today's Big Education Ape Posts on Parents 4 democratic Schools

NEA Signs On to Fiscal-Equity Bill - Teacher Beat - Education Week

NEA Signs On to Fiscal-Equity Bill

by Stephen Sawchuk

My apologies for the long absence from blogging. I took a few days off after the conventions and then had to turn my attention to a few stories on the common-standards adoptions. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
According to this document on the National Education Association's website, the union now supports the ESEA Fiscal Fairness Act, a bill sponsored by Rep. Chaka Fattah, a Democrat from Pennsylvania.
The bill would essentially require districts to certify that more- and less-affluent schools receive comparable state and local funding—including dollars spent on teacher salaries—before they get their share of federal Title I dollars

Eduwonk � Blog Archive � Gym Rats?

Gym Rats?

Even if you only follow the issue casually, you shouldn’t miss the Fordham Foundation analysis of state standards and common core standards. But, before

Education Research Report: The Harlem Children’s Zone, Promise Neighborhoods, and the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education

The Harlem Children’s Zone, Promise Neighborhoods, and the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education

by Jonathan Kantrowitz

The Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) is a non-profit organization that funds and operates a neighborhood-based system of education and social services for the children of low-income families in a 100 block area in Harlem, New York.

The HCZ education components include early childhood programs with parenting classes; public charter schools; academic advisors and afterschool programs for students attending regular public schools; and a support system for former HCZ students who have enrolled in college. Health components include a fitness program; asthma management; and a nutrition program. Neighborhood services include organizing tenant associations, one-on-one counseling to families; foster care prevention programs; community centers; and an

As budget crisis crippled schools, $71 million stimulus sat unused | California Watch

As budget crisis crippled schools, $71 million stimulus sat unused

July 22, 2010 | Corey G. Johnson

For nearly a year, California schools have missed out on the opportunity to spend tens of millions of dollars in federal stimulus dollars as lawmakers and state officials debate how to spend it.

The debate over education technology funds has kept the money in state bank accounts, unable to help thousands of K-to-12 schools it was intended for. California Watch learned of the delays yesterday through interviews and documents.

About half of the funds – $34 million – were set aside for 1,063 local education agencies. But that decision was announced on July 16, nearly a year after the money was delivered to the state. It is unclear when the remaining $37 million of the federal Enhancing Education Through Technology money (EETT for short) will be released.

While a debate about expenditures is nothing new, the stall over these stimulus funds is

State officials ask feds for leniency as standards are raised | GothamSchools

State officials ask feds for leniency as standards are raised

by Anna Phillips

As New York State grapples with improving its standardized tests, officials are asking the federal government for more time to make changes before schools are labeled as struggling.
In an interview on WNYC this morning, host Brian Lehrer asked State Education Commissioner David Steiner whether more difficult tests would mean more failing students and thus an increasing number of schools on the “In Need of Improvement” list. Schools land on the list if students’ test scores don’t increase by a certain amount for two years running. If the list grows, more schools could be closed or restructured.
Acknowledging that harder tests will be a new burden for schools, Steiner said the state was asking the federal

Readout of President Obama's Call with Shirley Sherrod | The White House

Readout of President Obama's Call with Shirley Sherrod

The President reached Ms. Sherrod by telephone at about 12:35. They spoke for seven minutes.

The President expressed to Ms. Sherrod his regret about the events of the last several days. He emphasized that Secretary Vilsack was sincere in his apology yesterday, and in his work to rid USDA of discrimination.

The President told Ms. Sherrod that this misfortune can present an opportunity for her to continue her hard work on behalf of those in need, and he hopes that she will do so.

Effectiveness council still getting organized | EdNewsColorado

Effectiveness council still getting organized

by Todd Engdahl

The State Council for Educator Effectiveness is considering ramping up its meeting schedule to handle the work assigned it by the state’s groundbreaking new educator evaluation law.
The council held its fifth meeting Wednesday, but the panel is still struggling with organizational issues.

Members did agree to an “initial draft” of a teacher effectiveness definition and began discussion of more-detailed quality standards for teachers.
And, education Commissioner Dwight Jones dropped by to give the group a brief pep talk.
“Thank you for doing this important work,” Jones said. “I sure plan to get more engaged … just to listen and offer any support where you think it might be helpful.” Jones noted that the council’s duties expanded when Senate Bill 10-191 was passed after the council was created. He encouraged members to challenge their “core beliefs”

Op-Ed Spotlight: The Conservative Case for National School Standards | The Atlantic Wire

Op-Ed Spotlight: The Conservative Case for National School Standards

By ERIK HAYDEN on July 22, 2010 11:32am

By the latest tally, 28 states have adopted the proposed "Common Core" national education standards that have won praise from leading journalists, think-tanks, and pundits. Wednesday, as debate in Massachusetts over the move heated up, the Wire covered the pros and cons of moving to a national, rather than state-based, system.

One of the concerns, of course, is loss of state power to the unpopular feds. That makes it all the more interesting to find Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Michael J. Petrilli at the Thomas B. Fordham

School Tech Connect: Make A Call For Illinois Schools Today #education

School Tech Connect: Make A Call For Illinois Schools Today

Make A Call For Illinois Schools Today

by effacethefacade@yahoo.com (Tim)

Looks like Fred Klonsky riled up a real Limbaugh-esque expert-in-everything, which in itself is not surprising. What is surprising is how similar the Chicago Tribune's position on public education is to the position held by the most fringe, burn-down-the-schools extremists.

If you're an Illinois teacher, and you're subscribing to the Tribune, you're supporting an organization that is doing everything it can to undo public education. The Trib's political agenda -- lower taxes for the wealthy-- is in conflict with the idea of quality public schools for all Illinois kids, and they're on a rampage to shrink the system down to where it can be drowned in a bathtub.

They're particularly peeved that people get paid to teach and that they have a pension system and that teaching

L'eo' Letter to the lord, ah that's Board as in SCUSD Board of #Education

Our Vision
Let’s take a simple idea and start a revolution.
Let’s pledge that children come first in the Sacramento City Unified School District. Let’s promise to put a child’s best interest at the heart of every decision we make. Let’s stand up together.
What would happen?
SCUSD

Dear Board Members:

For your consideration tonight and this coming school year I would like to offer an alternative vision from my home town. I have many nieces and nephews in San Diego so I continue to follow education where I began public school teaching. This was during the Bersin era of top down change. This era is featured by Diane Ratvich in her recent book which I hope you are pondering. Here are some excerpts from an interview with her on SDUSD's experience with the pilot project of the change model that SCUSD is adopting in many ways, even if it is dressed in a gentler style.

Why San Diego? What is it about the battles here that proved important for you in illustrating a larger point about school reform?
San Diego was a very important district in the current reform narrative because it was the first big district to apply the top-down approach. The leadership knew exactly what teachers should be doing, and they required compliance. Its "take-no-prisoners" approach was subsequently copied by Joel Klein in New York City and Michelle Rhee in Washington, D.C.
...
Conflict is a sign of failed leadership in education. When one is running a prison system, it is important to have a tough, top-down style, because you can't take chances. But in education, the leadership must rely on the teachers to do the daily work. If the leadership does not win their willing, even enthusiastic, support, then the reforms will stall. Teachers are educated adults; they have experience with students. They don't like to be treated like children. They need to feel respected.

Voice of San Diego Education.org

There are plenty of problems in San Diego but I do think that the board majority there (which also operates with a policy governance model) can provide examples that are worth your consideration.
Attached is an excerpt from the March annual State of the District speech by the board president. I urge you to consider placing the vision of community driven change ahead of chief driven change:

"The competing vision for reform comes from what I would characterize as the community model. This vision sees change as fundamentally coming from those closest to kids - teachers, parents, principals, support staff at the school such as paraeducators, counselors, librarians and office staff, community volunteers and even students themselves. The community model puts its faith in strong relationships built between people within a school community, striving for what University of Chicago professors Anthony Bryk and Barbara Schneider term 'Trust in Schools.' " (SCUSD President))
Thanks for your dedication to our children,
Leo

Dear School Board members:

In regards to the FUA for PS 7, it seems to me that all of the PS 7 students should be on one campus per Prop 39 regulations. As a step in this direction I urge you to consider keeping this agenda item as a conference item. This would allow time to have staff negotiate a transition plan with PS 7 to achieve this goal.

An option to consider is to keep the incoming 6th graders at the neighborhood school site that they have been attending. The previously stated reason for moving the 6th graders based on increased enrollment no longer applies. There has been decreasing numbers of in district students at PS 7's excellent but specialized program.

PS 7 had 344 total students enrolled at CBEDS 2006 (K-7) the last year they were wholly at Strawberry Lane. In June their in-district students totaled 144 plus 131 out of district students for a total of 275 K-6. There is plenty of room for a unified K-6 program with the historic Muir site having a district listed capacity of 406.
In my opinion PS 7 demonstrated the ability to handle last minute changes when they relocated their 6th graders with a week's notice for the 2008-09 school year.

There is even the possibility of making PS 7 whole this year given June's total enrollment of 365; however such a rapid transition may not be desirable even though there is the capacity listed at John Muir.
It is unfortunate that adults are challenged to resolve these issues in a timely manner. At the same time the injustices and mistakes of the past should not become the practice of the present due to inertia.
What do you think?
Peace,
Leo

The Educated Reporter: Standards vs. reality, cont'd.

Standards vs. reality, cont'd.

by Linda Perlstein

Had I read the actual Fordham report I mentioned yesterday, I would have seen, and highlighted for you, this passage in the foreword, by Checker Finn and Mike Petrilli:

Yet everyone also knows that standards often end up like wallpaper. They sit there on a state website, available for download, but mostly they’re ignored. Educators instead obsess about what’s on the high-stakes test—and how much students actually have to know in order to pass—which

Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, July 22, 2010

By Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian

July 15, 2010, 7:36PM

By Special to The Oregonian

July 22, 2010, 1:26PM

By Molly Hottle, The Oregonian

July 22, 2010, 11:28AM

By Kjerstin Gabrielson, The Oregonian

July 22, 2010, 9:53AM

By Special to The Oregonian

July 22, 2010, 6:00AM

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As budget crisis crippled schools, $71 million stimulus sat unused

Readout of President Obama's Call with Shirley Sherrod

Op-Ed Spotlight: The Conservative Case for National School Standards