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Wednesday, August 4, 2010

PFT and District give new teachers a strong start to the school year | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

PFT and District give new teachers a strong start to the school year | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

PFT and District give new teachers a strong start to the school year

by Wendy Harris
More than 124 new teachers, many just out of college, are getting lessons all this week on how to survive their first year in an urban classroom.
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, in collaboration with the School District of Philadelphia, is helping these new teachers through PFT’s Strong Beginnings program, a professional development initiative that focuses on the critical beginning-of-the-year issues that often make or break a new teacher.

First Friday reception for Notebook photog.

by Erika Owens
Bread & Roses Community Fund is holding a First Friday reception for Harvey Finkle. Finkle's Justice Behind the Lens exhibit runs at the Painted Bride till August 13, and features work from his career documenting social justice issues, including photography for the Notebook.
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Democrats Unveil New Budget Proposal | California Progress Report

Democrats Unveil New Budget Proposal | California Progress Report

Democrats Unveil New Budget Proposal

by kaldveer
By Robert Cruickshank
Yesterday Democratic leaders Speaker John A. Pérez and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg unveiled a new budget proposal that relies on a tax swap to help close the budget deficit:
The most controversial new mechanism would impose an income tax increase of one percentage point for 2010 on all but the highest bracket as well as a tax hike of half a percentage point on vehicles. Those increases would be coupled with a decrease in the state sales tax rate of 1.75 cents on the dollar through next June. Another sales tax decrease would take place next July.
Democrats say the plan would raise roughly $1.8 billion through next June. Though that's only one-tenth the size of the deficit, Democrats consider any revenue idea that could gain GOP support a significant piece of the puzzle.
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Boxer Urges Passage of State Fiscal Aid Bill

by christine
By Dave Dayen
So the energy bill is off the calendar for a vote Wednesday, but with lockstep Republican (and some Democratic) opposition, that was going to be a symbolic vote anyway. A far more consequential vote will come Wednesday, in the form of the state fiscal aid package.
The Senate leadership postponed a vote on this Monday because the offsets came up $4.9 billion short, but they have fixed that problem, they think, and will pursue a cloture vote on the bill, which would provide $26.1 billion in funding for education jobs and state Medicaid programs. Because it is part of an amended FAA Authorization package, it only needs to clear one cloture vote before moving to final passage. As I mentioned Monday, the House would still need to concur with this measure, and they’re out of session now, so the actual money won’t reach states until at least September, if the Senate can pull this off.
read more
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Analyzing the 26-Point Increase in Race to Top Scores - Politics K-12 - Education Week

Analyzing the 26-Point Increase in Race to Top Scores - Politics K-12 - Education Week

Analyzing the 26-Point Increase in Race to Top Scores

by Michele McNeil
During a call with reporters in conjunction with the announcement of the Race to the Top Round 2 finalists, Education Secretary Arne Duncan touted the 26-point increase in average scores since the first round.
Between the two rounds of competition, he said, "The movement we saw in terms of reform was extraordinary."
Just how extraordinary was it?
Well, to figure that out, we need to first figure out how the Education Department calculated this 26-point average increase. Officials there clarified for me that the 26-point average Duncan referred to was arrived at by comparing
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GAO inquiry alleges fraudulent recruiting at major for-profit colleges

GAO inquiry alleges fraudulent recruiting at major for-profit colleges

GAO inquiry alleges fraudulent recruiting at major for-profit colleges


Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, August 4, 2010; 1:30 PM

Congressional officials Wednesday identified 15 for-profit colleges -- a list that includes several of the industry's biggest players -- that allegedly engaged in fraudulent or deceptive recruiting practices with undercover investigators posing as prospective students.
The Government Accountability Office investigationprobably will amplify federal scrutiny of for-profit higher education, the fastest-growing sector of academe. Through months of mounting criticism,
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Eduwonk � Blog Archive � Putting Charter Theories to the Test

Eduwonk � Blog Archive � Putting Charter Theories to the Test

Putting Charter Theories to the Test

by smead
Guest post courtesy of Terry Ryan, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
Dayton – the Thomas B. Fordham Institute’s hometown, where I go to work every day – is famous not only for the Wright Brothers but also for being a school choice Mecca. Annually since 2006, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools has put Dayton on its top-ten list of charter communities by market share (27 percent of public school kids in the city attend charter schools). Another 1,500 children use a state-funded voucher to attend a private school of their choice.
With more than a third of all children in the city now utilizing school choice, the Gem City is an excellent place to test theories and arguments about charter schools and choice more generally, which is exactly what we’ve
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Thirty US billionaires pledge to give away half their fortunes to charity | Technology | guardian.co.uk

Thirty US billionaires pledge to give away half their fortunes to charity | Technology | guardian.co.uk

Thirty US billionaires pledge to give away half their fortunes to charity

Bill Gates's and Warren Buffett's campaign draws in top names including George Lucas and Michael Bloomberg


bill gates warren buffett
Bill and Melinda Gates with Warren Buffett (right), who has decided to give away most of his fortune. Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The world of philanthropy got a huge financial boost today as more than 30 American billionaires pledged to give away at least half of their fortunes to charitable causes, signing up to a campaign launched byWarren Buffett and Bill Gates.

In an unprecedented mass commitment, top figures including New York's mayor Michael Bloomberg, the hotel heir Barron Hilton, CNN media mogu

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Edujobs Clears Key Hurdle - Politics K-12 - Education Week

Edujobs Clears Key Hurdle - Politics K-12 - Education Week

Edujobs Clears Key Hurdle

by Alyson Klein
The Senate's version of a $10 billion education jobs package, which looked like it was on life support just a few days ago, has now cleared an important procedural hurdle, smoothing the way for final passage in that chamber.
Senators today voted 61-38 to cut off debate on the measure, meaning that it can receive final consideration. The bill, which would provide aid to states to prevent what supporters warn would be thousands of teacher layoffs, includes some offsets to education programs, albeit not to key administration priorities, such as Race to the
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In your Heart you know She is Right #edreform #edu #education

Diane Ravitch Today on Twitter



@DianeRavitch

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EduJobs Clears Senate While Schools Are Rehiring | Intercepts

EduJobs Clears Senate While Schools Are Rehiring | Intercepts

EduJobs Clears Senate While Schools Are Rehiring

by Mike Antonucci
The teachers’ unions got their $10 billion bailout through the U.S. Senate and the House will likely follow suit when it reconvenes. Both of Maine’s Republican Senators, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, crossed the aisle to put the measure over the top. Here are a few more news stories about what has been going on in the states while this amendment worked its way through Congress:
* “…Fort Wayne Community Schools has hired back 148 of the 284 teachers the district laid off in early May…”
* “When the Hesperia Unified school board rescinded the already-announced teacher layoffs at a board meeting
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School Board Deadlocks on Cutting Jobs voiceofsandiego.org

Education

School Board Deadlocks on Cutting Jobs
The San Diego Unified school board deadlocked tonight on whether to slash or reduce jobs for employees who don't teach to save nearly $917,000.
That could throw its budget and credit rating into question, since the cuts were part of the broader budget plan that the school board approved earlier this summer for this school year.
While the school board has already approved that budget on paper, it also has to make the specific cuts that are part of it, including cutting jobs, to translate its plans into reality.
Superintendent Bill Kowba said forgoing the cuts could hurt the school district credit rating, which impacts how much it costs San Diego Unified to borrow money. Board member Katherine Nakamura worried that it could also get the school district in trouble with the

Decision Delayed on Struggling Schools
The state Board of Education put off approving which low achieving schools would be awarded money for plans to turn themselves around and improve student achievement.
That leaves the fates of four county schools that applied for the funds up in the air.
"This is not a 'done deal' yet it appears," Alyson Evans wrote to me. She oversees grants at San Diego Unified, where the sole school to apply, Burbank Elementary, was not slated to win funds.
Only two of the eligible San Diego County schools were slated to get funding, under California Department of Education recommendations. But the state board was concerned
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Senator Enzi Finds the Right Line of Attack � The Quick and the Ed

Senator Enzi Finds the Right Line of Attack � The Quick and the Ed

Senator Enzi Finds the Right Line of Attack

by Chad Aldeman
The Senate HELP Committee is holding a hearing this morning on for-profit colleges, which have been in the news a lot lately for their questionable recruitment practices, reliance on federal student aid funds, and low graduation rates. Follow this morning’s meeting on the Committee’s site or read Education Sector’s live commentary on Twitter.
What’s interesting is that Senator Enzi has hit on a really effective critique, asking, and I’m
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Guns or butter. Teachers or food. � Fred Klonsky's blog

Guns or butter. Teachers or food. � Fred Klonsky's blog

Guns or butter. Teachers or food.

by preaprez

It is hard to imagine a more cynical time in Washington than now.
For example, take what is being called the EduJobs bill.
First it is alive. Then it is dead. Then back. Then not.
First it was attached to the Afghanistan War appropriation. Nice. If you thought saving
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AM News: Union Sues Board Of Ed - District 299: Chicago Public Schools Blog

AM News: Union Sues Board Of Ed - District 299: Chicago Public Schools Blog

AM News: Union Sues Board Of Ed

by Alexander Russo

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Chicago Teachers Union Files Lawsuit to Prevent Layoffs WBEZ: The board of education last month gave Chicago Public Schools CEO Ron Huberman the power to lay off teachers and increase class sizes. ...Teachers Union Challenges Chicago Public Schools with Lawsuit Fox: The suit -- which names the Chicago Board of Education, Chicago Public Schools CEO Ron Huberman and several board members as defendants -- claims the... Huberman responds to CTU lawsuit after business hours Substance: Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Ron Huberman responded after the end of business.
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Pa. layoffs loom as Congress nears vote on aid - Boston.com

Pa. layoffs loom as Congress nears vote on aid - Boston.com

Pa. layoffs loom as Congress nears vote on aid

By Marc Levy
Associated Press Writer / August 4, 2010
Text size – +
HARRISBURG, Pa.—Pennsylvania's state and local governments would be forced to lay off a combined 12,500 public employees, including teachers, police officers and firefighters, if Congress doesn't send the state more recession-related aid, Gov. Ed Rendell warned Tuesday.
The Democratic governor has taken the lead in recent weeks to rally support for the federal bill, scheduled for a key Senate vote Wednesday.
Republicans oppose the measure, saying the price tag would add to the nation's growing debt. Democrats insist the proposed aid would be covered by cutting expenses and closing tax loopholes. They say that without the aid, many more Americans would be sent to the unemployment line.
"We're fighting to keep good jobs, to keep the economy rolling in the right

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