As San Diego Schools Plan Reforms, Details Are Still Elusive

As San Diego Schools Plan Reforms, Details Are Still Elusive

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The Issue

San Diego Unified has countered critics who call it a failure by saying it has plans to fix its problems, but many of those plans are still vague.

The Problem

The lack of details has given ammunition to school district critics and could endanger the reforms themselves.

The Quest

School district leaders are trying to find clear, measurable ways to emphasize critical thinking, collaboration between teachers and other ideals.

Posted: Sunday, August 8, 2010 5:15 pm | Updated: 8:05 am, Mon Aug 9, 2010.

By EMILY ALPERT

Critics call San Diego Unified a failing school district. Even worse, they say, it has turned down federal reforms -- and federal money to back them.

The school district argues it has reform plans of its own. Plans to amp up critical thinking. Plans to encourage teachers to collaborate. Plans to empower schools to make their own decisions instead of imposing ideas from the top. Plans to ensure that each child is measured individually.

But the school district still has to translate most of those plans into concrete changes in classrooms. While San Diego Unified has working groups and slideshows loaded with phrases like "focus

Schools Lose Out on Innovation Grant

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Summer Schoolers’ Poetry in Motion

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Obama on the road to promote higher-ed, raise cash - Boston.com

Obama on the road to promote higher-ed, raise cash - Boston.com

Obama on the road to promote higher-ed, raise cash

By Ben Feller

Associated Press Writer / August 9, 2010

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WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama's late-summer dash for campaign cash is picking up with two high-dollar fundraisers in Texas for the Democratic Party.

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His other business Monday will be a speech underscoring his commitment to higher education, although no new policy announcements are expected.

From Washington to New York City to Atlanta to Chicago, Obama has headlined events to raise millions of dollars in recent days for his party. The push comes as looming midterm congressional elections in November will determine whether his party can maintain its grip on power in the House and the Senate.

In Austin, Obama will raise money for the Democratic National Committee; in

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Notes from the news, Aug. 9 | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Notes from the news, Aug. 9

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