Studies Suggest Economic Inequity Is Built Into, and Worsened by, School Systems

Studies Suggest Economic Inequity Is Built Into, and Worsened by, School Systems:

Studies Suggest Economic Inequity Is Built Into, and Worsened by, School Systems

Tuesday, 15 May 2012 10:02By Paul Thomas, Truthout | Report

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(Photo: trustypics)So why do self-styled education "reformers" keep ignoring class issues?

Ignoring Poverty as Education Reform

As Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan represents both the discourse and policy currently driving education reform in the US. On September 24, 2009,Duncan spoke about equity, education reform and the possibility of reauthorizing the federal education legislation known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

Typical of his discourse throughout his tenure as Secretary of Education, Duncan explained: "I heard their voices - their expectations, hopes and dreams for themselves and their kids. They were candid about their fears and frustrations. They did not always understand why some 

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, May 15, 2012

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

Education Headlines

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

School bosses get taste of rank and file

Sonora Union High School District administrators spent a day in the life of bus drivers, cafeteria workers and other support staff on Tuesday as an early celebration for Classified School Employee Week.

Salinas area officials underwhelmed by May revised state budget

Officials in Salinas-area public schools and agencies were not cutting Gov. Jerry Brown much slack on Monday after he unveiled the May revise of his state budget.

Marina High School struggles with growth, expands curriculum

Long- discussed plans about the future of Marina High took a concrete step recently when administrators announced the launch of the SAILS academies -- Student Achievement through Integrated Learning Systems.

Long Beach eduction officials wary of financial future

In the best case scenario, the Long Beach Unified School District will see flat funding, said LBUSD spokesman Chris Eftychiou.

Tim Taylor becomes new Butte County school superintendent

At a meeting Monday in Oroville, the Butte County Board of Education formally appointed former Sacramento school administrator Tim Taylor as the new superintendent of schools.

O.C. schools face deeper cuts under Brown's latest plan

Orange County educators will need to prepare budgets that anticipate losing $5.5 billion in statewide school funding in 2012-13 – about $700 million more than previously anticipated – under a worst-case scenario outlined by Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday

Optimistic projections led to dramatic surge in California budget deficit

Gov. Jerry Brown announced Monday that the state budget deficit had grown by a remarkable 70 percent since January, but fiscal experts said the economy had little to do with it.

Ousted SD teachers union leader lashes out

Less than two months after controversial San Diego teachers union leader Camille Zombro was voted out of office, she has revived her her role as a labor activist.

San Ysidro school projects come under scrutiny

The San Ysidro School District this week will consider awarding a $3 million contract to Escondido-based Echo Pacific Construction Inc. without a competitive bidding process.

Fensterwald: Big changes to weighted formula

Responding to criticisms of his plan for school finance reform, Gov. Jerry Brown has significantly revised his weighted student formula, raising the base amount that all districts will receive, reducing the differences between district “winners” and “losers” by reducing extra money for disadvantaged students, assuring districts they will be repaid for past budget cuts, and adding contingencies in case optimistic revenue projects come up short.

Fensterwald: K-12 schools spared, for now

The state budget for next year has deteriorated by $6 billion since January, but Gov. Jerry Brown is not proposing to cut money for K-12 schools – immediately. But if voters in November reject Brown’s proposed $8.5 billion tax increase, schools will be a $5.5 billion piece of what the governor has called “a day of reckoning.”

Jerry Brown's plea to voters: 'Please increase taxes temporarily'

Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal for closing California's $16-billion funding gap includes 4-day state workweeks and Medi-Cal cuts. He warns that cuts will be even more severe if voters reject tax hikes on the November ballot.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Gaspar: Does Kern County have too many school districts?

The latest numbers from the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office show we have a total of 173,737 students in grades K-12 this year, which is a slight drop from last year. Some districts continue to see stagnant student growth rates or even a decline. Would it not make sense then to consolidate school districts so they could be more cost-effective? Especially those that have just one or two schools with fewer than 1,000 students? Maybe.

Parcel tax review causes consternation in Tamalpais school district

Even though the vast majority of district taxpayers already have paid their 2011-12 tax bills, several hundred more — those who may or may not qualify 

National Alzheimer's Plan: A Personal Perspective | Maria Shriver | The Open Field Network

National Alzheimer's Plan: A Personal Perspective | Maria Shriver | The Open Field Network:

National Alzheimer's Plan: A Personal Perspective

By Dr. Stephen Hume

Today, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services released our country's first National Alzheimer's Plan, which sets sets a deadline of 2025 for stopping Alzheimer's Disease. In this piece, Dr. Stephen Hume offers a personal perspective on the plan -- as an advocate and as someone with the disease.

It isn’t every day that I am asked to sit in a room and listen to twenty-four highly educated and dedicated professionals plan my future. This opportunity presented itself when I was invited to attend the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) advisory council meeting in Washington, D.C. on January 17, 2012.

Four and a half years ago, my partner Candy and I sat in a small office at our regional medical center waiting for the chief of neurology to enter and give us a diagnosis.

Chronic Absence and Kindergarten | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

Chronic Absence and Kindergarten | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:

Chronic Absence and Kindergarten

by obriena

Chronic absenteeism is often thought of as a middle and high school issue. As children become responsible for getting themselves to school, those who are disengaged stop showing up.
But did you know that nationally, one in ten kindergarten and first grade students miss the equivalent of a month of school each year? In some districts, it is more than one in four. Why don’t we talk more about these shocking statistics?
Perhaps because we don’t know them. I had no idea that chronic absenteeism (when a child misses 10% or more of the school year) in the early grades was so common until a session last week at the Coalition for Community Schools’ 2012 National Forum, when Hedy Chang, director of Attendance Works, and 

U.S. Department of Education Issues Resource Document that Discourages Restraint and Seclusion | U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Education Issues Resource Document that Discourages Restraint and Seclusion | U.S. Department of Education:

U.S. Department of Education Issues Resource Document that Discourages Restraint and Seclusion

MAY 15, 2012

Contact:  

 Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov 

Today, the U.S. Department of Education issued a publication that outlines principles for educators, parents and other stakeholders to consider when developing or refining policies and procedures to support positive behavioral interventions and avoid the use of restraint and seclusion.

The goal of this resource document is to help ensure that schools are safe and healthy environments where all students can learn, develop and participate in instructional programs that promote high levels of academic achievement.

“As education leaders, our first responsibility must be to make sure that schools foster learning in a safe environment for all of our children and teachers,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. “I believe this document is an important step toward this goal. I also want to salute leaders in Congress for their vigilance on this issue.”

The 15 principles that frame the document ultimately highlight how schoolwide behavioral interventions can significantly reduce or eliminate the use of restraint or seclusion. These guiding principles offer states, districts and other education leaders a framework for developing appropriate policies related to restraint and seclusion to ensure the safety of adults and children.

“Ultimately, the standard for educators should be the same standard that parents use for their own children,” Duncan added. “There is a difference between a brief time out in the corner of a classroom to help a child calm down and locking a child in an isolated room for hours. This really comes down to common sense.”

The document also provides a synopsis of ongoing efforts by federal agencies to address national concerns about using restraint and seclusion in schools, and includes links to state restraint and seclusion policies and procedures.

To access this document, click here.

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Charter authorizers group slips quietly out ALEC's back door

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Charter authorizers group slips quietly out ALEC's back door:

Charter authorizers group slips quietly out ALEC's back door

by Mike Klonsky

No sooner had I posted about the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) relationship with ALEC, then I received this NACSA press announcement via Business Wire.

Our work with ALEC has been focused entirely on promoting excellent charter schools. As part of our annual review processes, however, we determined that alternative strategies would be more effective in achieving these policy objectives. Thus we will not be renewing our membership in ALEC when it expires next month.”

If there ever was a more cowardly statement or a more unethical stand taken by an education group, I haven't seen it. When first questioned by Huffington writer Ziad Jilani, about NACSA's current participation in ALEC, using public school money to pay their ALEC bills, director Greg Richmond refused to comment. The implication being that the charter school group's affiliation ended long before the recent exposure of ALEC as a far-right, 

Privatizing Public Education in Philadelphia? - Bridging Differences - Education Week

Privatizing Public Education in Philadelphia? - Bridging Differences - Education Week:

Privatizing Public Education in Philadelphia?

by Diane Ravitch

Dear Deborah,
Philadelphia is about to take a fateful step. Thomas Knudsen, the recently retired chief executive officer of the Philadelphia Gas Works and now temporary CEO of the school system, has released a plan that will lead to the dismantling of public education in Philadelphia. The plan, or "blueprint," was written by a business strategy organization called Boston Consulting; it recommends the closing of 40 of the city's 249 schools in the coming year, with additional school closings in the years to come. The goal is to have a school district where the central district is phased out and a large portion of the students are enrolled in privately managed charter schools.
The most comprehensive (and alarming) account of the disestablishment of public education in Philadelphia is Daniel Denvir's article "Who's Killing Philly Public Schools?" As Denvir concludes, "If Knudsen's proposal goes through, the country's eighth-largest school district, in its fifth-largest city, will no longer exist in any meaningful sense. And neither will any remaining pretense that America offers everyone, regardless of race or class, an equal shot."
As Denvir reminds his readers, the public schools have been under state control since 2001, and privatization is not a new idea. For the past decade, the Philadelphia schools have been managed by a five-member School 

U.S. Charter Schools tied to Islamic movement? - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

U.S. Charter Schools tied to Islamic movement? - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock:

U.S. Charter Schools tied to Islamic movement? Harmony Public Schools say no

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) -

60 Minutes aired a story Sunday night, centered on possible ties bet

ween American charter schools and the Gulen movement. The Gülen movement is inspired by the teachings of Turkish Islamic theologian 

Fethullah Gülen. According to the CBS report, the Imam taught his followers to build schools instead of mosques, to teach math, science and values instead of religion, and to embrace certain western traditions such as capitalism and democracy.

130 charter schools are located in the United States. 36 are located in Texas. Harmony Science Academy in Lubbock is one of those Texas charter schools. According to HPS's district office spokesperson, Julie Shussler, HPS schools located in Texas "are not part of a national network of charter schools." In fact, Shussler said that HPS denies all ties to the Turkish imam.

"HPS are not affiliated in any way with any religious or political organizations, including the so-called Gulen movement," Shussler said in a statement.

All HPS schools are public schools, paid for by the state. According the statement KCBD 

A radical idea to transform what kids learn in school - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

A radical idea to transform what kids learn in school - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

A radical idea to transform what kids learn in school

by Valerie Strauss

This was written by Marion Brady, veteran teacher, administrator, curriculum designer and author.

By Marion Brady
Exxon-Mobil is airing education-reform television ads. In the one I’ve seen most often, implicit and explicit messages are simple and clear: (a) We live in a dangerous, technologically complex world. (b) Our lives, liberties, and happiness hinge on our ability to cope with that world. (c) Coping requires mastery of math. (d) On standardized math tests, America ranks 25th in the world. (e) Be ashamed and afraid. (f) Get behind corporate education reform efforts.
Read full article >>

2012-13 Common Application previews available

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 3 hours ago

Previews of the 2012-13 Common Application for colleges and universities are now available online, meaning that today’s high school juniors can get an early start on their college admissions hunt. The official Common App won’t go live until August, meaning that students have to wait until then to actually send them to schools. But there is no law against starting to write essays and figure out the information needed to complete both the undergraduate application and the one for transfer students. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to ... more »

Obama’s Barnard commencement speech — text

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 14 hours ago

President Obama delivered a commencement speech on Monday at Barnard College, a woman’s college in New York affiliated with Columbia University, where he attended and earned a bachelor’s degree after transferring from Occidental College. Obama’s sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, is an alumna of Barnard. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

Romney’s Liberty U commencement speech — text

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 14 hours ago

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney delivered the commencement speech at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., this past weekend. It was seen as an appeal to religious conservatives in the Republican Party who had opposed him earlier in the primary season. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]