LAUSD's $400 Million Crisis -- Kindergarten classes could grow to nearly 40 children. Some 45 million meals for poor students might not be served. Art classes will likely be history. And hundreds of teachers could lose their jobs. GEORGE B. SÁNCHEZ in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 12/30/08

Some Schools Refuse To Write Off Cursive -- About five years ago, San Juan High School teacher Shirley Bowers realized that half her students had no idea what she was writing on the board. MELISSA NIX in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/30/08

School Beat: Give Arnold a Pink Slip
by Lisa Schiff‚ Dec. 24‚ 2008
First published on March 13, 2008.

My daughter's teacher was one of the 500-plus who received pink slips this month, preliminary notices that by law must be sent out by a certain date if layoffs are likely given budget forecasts for the upcoming year. This teacher, like so many in our district and so many who received those slips, is dedicated to and passionate about his work. His enthusiasm for teaching inspires the kids in his classroom to stretch themselves, knowing he is right there supporting them along the way.

State News: 12.30.2008

Freshman In GOP Cross Hairs After Tax Vote Abstention -- Freshman Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, D-Alamo, has barely dipped her toes into the roiled waters of the Legislature but is already facing heat from Republicans - for a vote she didn't take. STEVEN HARMON in the Contra Costa Times -- 12/30/08

Walters: Schwarzenegger Again Takes On Unions -- Arnold Schwarzenegger has uttered a gazillion words since becoming California's governor five years ago, but none has achieved the fame - or infamy - of a two-word epithet he hurled at Democratic legislators eight months into his governorship. "I call them girlie men," Schwarzenegger told a rally at an Ontario shopping center. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/30/08

New Year Means New Laws Take Effect In California -- The new year will bring a host of new laws to California, including another crackdown on drunken drivers and new rules for wave pool operators. The list is in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/30/08

Education News: 12.29.2008

College-Prep Courses Urged For All Students -- A coalition of business and civil rights groups is pushing for all local high school students to enroll in college-prep classes - even if they don't plan to attend college. CHRIS MORAN in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/29/08

Latino Groups Weather Increasing College Obstacles -- With budget cuts straining California's public colleges and universities, some are worried about the effects on Latinos, who are particularly difficult to recruit to higher education in the best of times. MATT KRUPNICK in the Contra Costa Times -- 12/29/08

Rough Ride For Fresno's Roosevelt High -- Officials strive to keep the school from losing its accreditation this spring. KERRI GINIS in the Fresno Bee -- 12/29/08

Los Angeles Unified Suspends Key Arts Program -- The Los Angeles school district has suspended a key arts program because of a spending freeze, a sign of what may be ahead for the state's largest district, which is facing a serious budget shortfall. JASON SONG and ALICIA LOZANO in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/29/08

Education News: 12/23/08:

Educators greet judge's block of algebra mandate for 8th-graders
Orange County Register - 16 hr, 3 mins ago
requiring algebra testing for all eighth-graders in California public schools. The state Board of Education had approved the mandate in July after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arts groups try to rally support for school funding
Los Angeles Times, CA - 18 hours ago
"This doesn't just affect arts education; it affects the entire district," said Danielle Brazell, executive director of Arts for LA, an arts education ...

CSU Chancellor: Furloughs, layoffs don't apply to us
Sacramento Bee, USA - 44 minutes ago
CSU employment is governed instead by the Higher Education Employer-Employees Relations Act. The CSU is not subject to the governor's direct executive ...

State News - Budget Negotiations 12/23/08:

Governor, Dems Negotiating In Private On Budget -- It was a day of mixed messages on California's ever-worsening fiscal mess Monday, with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic legislative leaders slamming each other in public but still raising the possibility that a budget deal could be done within days. JOHN WILDERMUTH in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/23/08

Schwarzenegger, Lawmakers Mired In Budget Impasse -- California's chief financial officer warned Monday that the state will run out of money in about two months as hopes of a Christmas budget compromise melted into political finger-pointing by the end of the day. JUDY LIN AP -- 12/23/08

Walters: California Budget Crisis Shifts By The Minute -- The only constant about how politicians are responding to the deepening state budget crisis is that they are constantly changing - especially Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/23/08

Schrag: Two States Of California: An Undying Fantasy -- Whenever things in Sacramento get really ugly, comes the question, now decades old: Is California, as a Los Angeles Times headline put it last week, "too unwieldy to govern?" PETER SCHRAG in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/23/08

Education News: 12/22/08

Colleges Report Increase In Early Applications -- In a recession, expensive private colleges like Stanford University lose students to cheaper public universities. That's the conventional thinking. And it's wrong. Across the nation, Stanford and other wealthy schools with generous aid packages are all reporting increases in interest. LISA M. KRIEGER in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/22/08

Community Colleges To Be Hurt By State Budget Woes -- California community colleges are bracing for the impact as the state budget gaps yawns every day. The latest estimate is a $41.8 billion shortfall by June 2010. CODY KRAATZ and MATT WILSON in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/22/08

Schools See Increase In Subsidized Lunches -- The recession is driving more children into school cafeterias for government-subsidized lunches. Schools nationwide are serving 425,000 more free and reduced-priced meals daily than they were last year, according to the School Nutrition Association. CHRIS MORAN in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/22/08

Fresno Unified Targets Bullying -- After years of promising to do something about the chronic problem of bullying, the Fresno Unified School District has embarked on a $1.3 million plan that it says could become a blueprint for schools nationwide. PABLO LOPEZ in the Fresno Bee -- 12/22/08

School Cyberbullying Law Takes Effect Jan. 1 -- A new law aimed at deterring the proliferation of cyberbullying at public schools goes into effect Jan. 1, bolstering educators' ability to tackle the problem head-on. JOE NELSON in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 12/22/08

UC Merced Researcher Honored In D.C. -- A UC Merced researcher has been awarded the U.S. government's highest honor for scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers. Monica Medina, an assistant professor in the School of Natural Sciences, traveled to the White House on Dec. 15 to accept the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. DANIELLE GAINES in the Fresno Bee -- 12/22/08

Education News 12/19/08:

Schools Getting A Jump On Cuts -- As budget talks in the Legislature plod on, the question for area schools has become not if funding for education will be slashed, but how deeply. State budget proposals from Democrats, Republicans and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger all include cuts to public schools ranging from $2.5 billion to $10.6 billion by June 2010. ROBERT FATURECHI and WALTER YOST in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/19/08

Report Urges Database On State's Students -- Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell endorsed a report Thursday that suggests more data are the key to learning what's working - and what's not - in education. MELISSA NIX in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/19/08

School districts await state grants
Contra Costa Times, CA - 2 hours ago
The Pittsburg Unified and Brentwood Union school districts were picked to receive more than $20 million for new construction, career technical education ...

Community colleges to be hurt by state budget woes
San Jose Mercury News, USA - 14 hours ago
The $332 million in funding cuts to community colleges could be larger than it seems. Cuts to the University of California system as well as the California

State Budget Crisis May Mean More Cuts For Chico Unified
KHSL - 12 hours ago
The Chico Unified School District shrunk a multi-million dollar deficit down to just a few hundred thousand dollars in a matter of months this year, ...

Monrovia USD to face school program reductions
Pasadena Star-News, CA - 15 hours ago
By Caroline An, Staff Writer MONROVIA - The state's dismal financial situation has forced Monrovia Unified School District school board members to make $3 ...

Schools in Manteca, Tracy face millions in budget cuts
Tri-Valley Herald, CA - 17 hours ago
By Bobby Wilson By Bobby Wilson Schools in Manteca and Tracy must make millions in budget cuts that could result in layoffs and possible school closures. ...

MANTECA - Manteca Unified School District trustees, grappling with a $14 million budget shortfall for the 2009-10 school year, are facing some severe cuts to close the gap, including possibly closing the new Lathrop High School, abandoning class-size reduction initiatives and eliminating all district busing

Redlands schools rate high on Academic Performance Index
San Bernardino County Sun - 6 mins ago
to celebrate this year. Every fall, schools across the state receive scores from the California Department of Education that show the public how each school is performing

WEST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (KGO) -- In West Contra Costa County, the housing crisis and the bad economy are forcing educators to make some hard choices. As many as 10 schools may be closed over the next two years to balance the budget. Parents got a look at those plans during a meeting with the school board, but weren't allowed to have any input.

State News 12/19/08:

Schwarzenegger Says He Won't Back Democratic Budget Plan -- The governor says the $18-billion plan calling for higher taxes and spending cuts doesn't go as far as he'd like to stimulate the economy. The state may run out of money in early February. JORDAN RAU and PATRICK MCGREEVY in the Los Angeles Times MATTHEW YI, WYATT BUCHANAN in the San Francisco Chronicle STEVE WIEGAND and KEVIN YAMAMURA in the Sacramento Bee RICK ORLOV and HARRISON SHEPPARD in the Los Angeles Daily News MIKE ZAPLER in the San Jose Mercury BRIAN JOSEPH in the Orange County Register JUDY LIN AP TIMM HERDT in the Ventura Star -- 12/19/08

Walters: Veto Threat Chills Democratic Budget Gambit -- Democratic legislators attempted Thursday to take a big bite out of the state's budget deficit by passing a complex, $18 billion mélange of legally uncertain spending cuts and new taxes, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger quickly doused it with the icy water of a veto threat. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/19/08

Education News 12/18/08:

Public school poverty on rise
Recordnet.com - 7 hr, 47 mins ago
the state as a whole for the first time in 10 years. According to figures from the California Department of Education, 53 percent of children in the county qualify

Schools statewide stand to lose $10b in budget proposal
Visalia Times-Delta - 9 hr, 22 mins ago
save $22 billion while avoiding tax hikes could force $10 billion worth of cuts in California's education spending over the next 18 months. The steep cuts could mean

Fiscally strapped Twin Rivers school district facing layoff limits
Sacramento Bee, USA - 10 hours ago
The California education code prohibits newly unified districts, like Twin Rivers, from laying off support staff for at least two years after reorganization ...

School Board Struggle Pits Noël Against Sarvis

The Santa Barbara Independent, CA - 10 hours ago
Swirling at the center of the debate, however, is the problem of the as yet unresolved meltdown of the district's Special Education department. ...

California Still Without Budget Gap Plan
KFMB-TV - 12 hr, 23 mins ago
The state of California is still without a plan to close its massive budget gap. Lawmakers in Sacramento have postponed a vote on a $22 billion proposal. That proposal

California budget crisis spurs freeze on funds for schools, roads
Los Angeles Times - 14 hr, 53 mins ago
by state agencies. The financing moratorium also imperils the construction or relocation of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection stations throughout

Charter schools show strong growth
California saw an 11 percent expansion in charter schools - independently operated schools within school districts - this year and enrollment in the 750 schools has climbed to more than a quarter-million students, according to a new report from the California Charter Schools Association.

The report indicates that the charter school movement continues to expand despite opposition from some traditional education groups, including unions. "The charter school movement continues to grow because charter schools deliver results," said Peter Thorp, interim CEO of the association. "It is exciting that new charter schools are replicating best practices and expanding access to highly successful public school models for more families in California."

Charter school expansion appears to be especially strong in large urban districts, including the state's largest, Los Angeles Unified, which saw 23 new charter schools opened this year. LAUSD, with 148 charter schools, has the largest number of any district in the nation.

In some large districts, more than 10 percent of students are in charter schools. But charter schools still handle fewer than 5 percent of the state's six million K-12 public school students.

The full report is available here.

Education News 12/17/08:

Tulare County schools stand to lose $10b in budget proposal
Visalia Times-Delta, CA - Dec 17, 2008 In preparation of cuts in state education funding, the district already has implemented "soft" and "hard" freezes in its expenditures, limiting travel and ...

UC President's Staff Treated To Party -- The headquarters staff of the University of California threw a holiday party on Monday in the elegant lobby of the historic Rotunda Building in downtown Oakland, but it was a scaled-back event compared with the gala celebrations of past years. JIM DOYLE in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/17/0

Education secretary faces system in crisis
San Luis Obispo.com - 3 hr, 51 mins ago
president of the National Education Association. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said, 'Duncan has shown a genuine commitment

State News 12/17/08:

California budget crisis spurs freeze on funds for schools, roads
Los Angeles Times - In 3 hr, 54 mins
by state agencies. The financing moratorium also imperils the construction or relocation of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection stations throughout

GOP rejects second push for taxes
San Mateo Daily Journal - 3 hr, 40 mins ago
and cost more jobs in a heavily taxed state. What Democrats called an investment in the states education system, Republicans characterized as bloated government.

Dems' New Budget Plan Fails To Get 2/3 Majority -- Democrats in the state Assembly on Tuesday countered the plan by Republican lawmakers for deep cuts to help bridge California's gaping budget hole, putting up for a floor vote a new $19 billion plan through mid-2010 that would adopt Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's tax ideas. MATTHEW YI in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/17/08

California Federation of Teachers News 12/16/08:

Solution? Taxes
A civilized society would close loopholes, seek more from the wealthy By MARTY HITTELMAN
Riverside Press Enterprise - 5 mins ago
not seen the light. Schwarzenegger's evolution is commendable, if a little late. The California Federation of Teachers supports his call for an oil severance tax.

Santa Rosa Press Democrat - 12/14/08
Phony school fixes
EDITOR: David Brooks' Dec. 7 column ("Never a better time to fight about schools") about school reform was not just reactionary, it was pre-scientific.

Brooks suggests greater education funding and small class sizes are "superficial reforms." Science suggests otherwise.

One of the best examples of educational research done in the U.S. was the Tennessee Student Teacher Achievement Ratio, which demonstrated that class-size reduction was a cost-effective reform for improving school achievement. Students participating had higher school achievement, higher high school graduation and higher college completion rates.

Reform is rightly identified as improving systems and correcting abuses.

Research indicates that the Reading First Initiative, the central pillar of No Child Left Behind that Brooks supports, made no improvement in the reading comprehension of the nation's most needy students. This after millions of wasted instructional minutes and billions of dollars funneled to text publishing corporations. Some reform.

Brooks' hyping of merit pay and phony accountability are code for bringing the principles of market economy to the public schools. We have all observed how well these principles have served the best interests of the nation.

We need greed as an incentive in the classroom? Right.

GARY RAVANI

Chairman,
Educational Issues Committee, California Federation of Teachers

Education Coalition News 12/14-16:

Republican budget plan doesn't melt deadlock
Fresno Bee, CA - 12 hours ago
But that doesn't wash with the powerful, union-led Education Coalition, which has adopted a no-cut position and already has shunned the Democratic and ...

Schools chief to inform public about budget crisis
Tri Valley Herald, CA - Dec 14, 2008
Meanwhile, the Fremont Education Coalition - a group composed of district officials, school employees and parents - has launched a letter-writing campaign ...

SF: STUDENTS, PARENTS AND TEACHERS UNVEILING HOLIDAY WISH LIST
CBS 5, CA - Dec 14, 2008
The Education Coalition, which represents more than 1.7 million parents, school employees and administrators, teachers, and school board members, ...

Education News 12/16/08:

GOP Budget Plan: Slash $10 Billion From Schools -- Republican state lawmakers unveiled their answer Monday to the state's budget crisis - a $22 billion plan that would avoid raising taxes, cut deeply into education spending and dip into voter-approved funds intended to pay for mental health services and children's health care. MATTHEW YI in the San Francisco Chronicle JIM SANDERS in the Sacramento Bee JAMES P. SWEENEY in the San Diego Union-Trib MIKE ZAPLER in the Contra Costa Times -- 12/16/08

A Writing Campaign to Fight Education Budget Cuts
KION 46 - 1 hr, 26 mins ago
to expect in our school. We have tried really hard for many years at this school to deliver a better education and experience then any where else. We're concerned

The CTA doesn't want you to see this
SignOn San Diego - 5 hr, 1 mins ago
Behind, the debate over fixing schools quickly boils down to the argument that school quality is a function of school spending. But in the academic world, where serious,

State charter association gets new CEO
Los Angeles Daily News - 5 hr, 41 mins ago
association as its new chief executive officer. The association has led the fight to get adequate funding and space for charter schools from traditional public school

State News:  12/16/08:

Walters: With GOP Budget Plan, Who'll Blink First? -- The Legislature's Republicans, after months of dithering, have finally unveiled their proposal for dealing, at least partially, with the state's ever-growing budget deficit - and it's not half bad. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/16/08

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass made the following statement after legislative Republicans announced their budget proposal Monday:
"Three weeks after legislative Democrats put forward a responsible package of real cuts and new revenues to help solve California's budget problem and cash crisis, it does appear to be a sign of progress that the Republican leaders have finally announced their own plan.

State GOP Leaders Propose Deep Cuts
KFWB News 980 - 4 hr, 42 mins ago
cuts to education and social service programs, as well as raiding other funds to close part of California's massive budget shortfall. 'We believe there's a way to

GOP Lawmakers Seek $22B In Cuts, Borrowing
KSBW Channel.com - 5 hr, 14 mins ago
of cuts to state programs and borrowing from others to help close California's massive budget deficit. Assembly Minority Leader Mike Villines and Senate Minority

GOP unveils $22 billion plan to help fix state budget deficit
Orange County Register - 5 hr, 35 mins ago
an economic stimulus package as well as implement reforms to give greater flexibility to education spending. Their hope is that those additional plans will create

California Federation of Teachers News 12/13-14, 2008:

Job Market Recruiters zero in on teachers in ailing states
Seattle Times, United States - Dec 14, 2008
But that's not the case for one California teachers' representative. Dennis Smith, secretary-treasurer of the California Federation of Teachers, ...

Uncertainty on Obama Education Plans
New York Times, United States - Dec 13, 2008
The American Federation of Teachers presented the Obama team with written evaluations of a string of candidates without endorsing any of them, ...

LATE ADD: CFT News 12/11/08:
Complaints, contract and turnover
Morgan Hill Times, CA - Dec 11, 2008
The Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers filed seven complaints to PERB last year. Following the district's initial response, the union immediately withdrew ...

Education News12/14/05:

Santa Cruz County school reports show mixed results, difficult ...
Santa Cruz Sentinel - Dec 13 2008
those in better fiscal shape will have to make cuts if lawmakers transfer the state's red ink to education coffers. Barney Finlay, chief business officials for the

San Jose School District Cuts All Sports Programs, Angry Protest ...
AOL - 17 hr, 4 mins ago
- a district with 11 high schools - is in deep financial trouble. They must submit a balanced budget to the state by Monday, and they are worried about a drastic

Sense of entitlement threatens economy
Ventura County Star - Dec 14 2008
into bankruptcy. How else can California officials justify giving free college and university educations to illegal immigrants people who do not even have a legal

Teacher Sells Advertising On Tests
CBS News - Dec 14 2008
tested by the economic crisis, with states and cities across the nation cutting their education budgets. That's forcing teachers to come up with unusual solutions,

State News 12/15/08:

Is California Too Unwieldy To Govern? -- As the state faces fiscal crisis and partisan gridlock, some wonder if this nation-state is so oversized, Balkanized and polarized that it is destined for dysfunction no matter who is in charge. EVAN HALPER and MICHAEL ROTHFELD in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/15/08

GOP hangs tight on taxes as red ink rises - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee - sacbee.com
California is bleeding Republican red as the state's minority party tries to squeeze a spending cap and pro-business policies from fiscal chaos.

Education News 12/12/08

Education Coalition split exaggerated
Modesto Bee, CA - 10 hours ago
... administrators, school employees, school board members and others, have stood united to protect school funding and to fight for California's students. ...

LBCC can survive budget cuts
Long Beach City College Viking - 39 mins ago
soon. The negative ramifications of California's budget crisis directly tie in to LBCC as education is put on the chopping block in an attempt to cut costs. The situation

Berkeley High Reforms: Money Well Spent?
Berkeley Daily Planet - 4 hr, 41 mins ago
to the Smaller Learning Community grant proposal budget submitted to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), BayCES and its partners stand to gain $865,000 in consulting

Cuts needed to close gap
Whittier Daily News - 6 hr, 21 mins ago
2004-'05, when the governor announced a plan to radically change the state bureaucracy, the regular California budget - before federal funding is added in - has soared

Lets Ring the Bell
Sacramento Union - 8 hr, 12 mins ago
In comparison, 10 years ago, California??s budget was $42 billion with no deficit. The proposed budget deficit fixes include raising and broadening sales taxes, increasing

Gauging the Success of Three Schools, 10 Years and Millions of ...
Voice of San Diego - 8 hr, 5 mins ago
percent by the California Department of Education - has been repeatedly invoked by Superintendent Terry Grier. The outpouring of counseling and healthcare paid by

San Jose Sports Enthusiasts Attack School District Budget That Cuts Athletic Programs -- Angry sports enthusiasts went on the offensive Thursday night, accusing an East San Jose school chief of making a bad call when he proposed cutting all athletic programs to balance the budget. SANDRA GONZALES in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/12/08

K-12 Schools Slashing Costs
Wall Street Journal Online - Dec 11 2008
future years will mean increasing class sizes and laying off thousands for 2009-10. Elsewhere in California, the Long Beach Unified School District implemented a

State News 12/12/08:

GOP Leaders Unmoved After Meeting Governor -- Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's frosty relationship with state lawmakers in his own party got chillier Thursday, when the Senate GOP leader blasted the governor after a budget meeting with him and other legislative leaders. MATTHEW YI in the San Francisco Chronicle KEVIN YAMAMURA in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/12/08

Walters: Deficit Soars, But Deadlock Persists -- Through months of stalemate on the state's ever-growing fiscal crisis, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders maintained a fairly cordial relationship - but the gloves came off Thursday as the governor issued much bigger budget deficit numbers and gave lawmakers a private tongue-lashing. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/12/08

Republican Feud Belies The Reality of the Severity of the Current Economic Crisis California Progress Report-by David M. Greenwald
The news came out yesterday that the Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill declared that legislative negations with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger were essentially dead.
The suggestion was made by Mr. Cogdill that Republicans would prefer to work out a deal with legislative Democrats.

Education News 12/11/08:

California's Teachers Too Few, Too Unprepared
New America Media - In 16 mins
Editor's Note: A new report out today shows that California's public schools often have teachers who are under-prepared for the subjects they are teaching, making

Yucaipa-Calimesa school board prepares for deep cuts
Riverside Press Enterprise - 3 hr, 10 mins ago
YUCAIPA - Proposed state education budget cuts outlined by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have newly elected trustees of Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District

Cuts could include kids' time in school
Vallejo Times-Herald - 3 hr, 22 mins ago
State Superintendent Jack O'Connell on Wednesday. 'Of course, no one is advocating it. But with a budget crisis of these proportions, this has been bandied about.

Crisis could result in a midyear reduction in Stockton Unified School District
Recordnet.com - 3 hr, 29 mins ago
crisis could result in a midyear reduction in Stockton Unified School District's general fund budget. The potential cuts could range from $12.5 million to $25 million,

Budget woes force COD to cut summer classes
The Desert Sun - 5 hr, 12 mins ago
development seminars, Wixon added. The school faces a projected $2.3 million budget cut this year, amid California's worsening fiscal crisis. Officials say the cut

System fine the way it is
San Mateo Daily Journal - In 2 hr, 12 mins
to a higher standard than every other public school district in the Central Coast Section. The California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body of high school

California is at the head of the class in national college affordabili ...
U-Wire.com - 18 hr, 44 mins ago
of the California State University system, San Jose State University and the report agreed that budget cuts could lead to an increase in college fees. The National

State News 12/11/08:

Governor Remarks on Budget Crisis
TRANSCRIPT OF GOVERNOR'S PRESS CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY ON BUDGET CRISIS-OPENING REMARKS BY GOVERNOR:"Good morning, everybody. Good morning. Well, the legislators heard an earful earlier this week from our financial experts about our financial situation. And it's exactly the same sad news and same thing that I've been saying actually for months now. California faces a growing financial crisis and if we don't put aside our ideological differences and negotiate and solve this problem, we're heading towards a financial Armageddon. We can already see it coming. Before the end of December we would pull the plug on $5 billion in road and school construction projects and that will mean it will cost California 200,000 jobs and $12.5 billion in private sector revenues.

State Deficit Nearly $15 Billion, Governor Says -- California's budget deficit this year has ballooned to nearly $15 billion, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Wednesday, warning that the state faces "financial Armageddon" unless lawmakers take decisive action. MATTHEW YI in the San Francisco Chronicle JIM SANDERS in the Sacramento Bee JORDAN RAU in the Los Angeles Times ANTHONY YORK in Capitol Weekly JUDY LIN AP JAMES P. SWEENEY in the San Diego Union-Trib MIKE ZAPLER in the Oakland Tribune -- 12/11/08

New Battle Cry For Dems: Get Rid Of Two-Thirds Vote On Budget -- Eliminating the supermajority vote required to pass budgets has become the Democrats' newfound battle cry, especially as another round of potentially lengthy and acrimonious budget negotiations appears inevitable. STEVEN HARMON in the Contra Costa Times -- 12/11/08

Skelton: Legislators Act Like Zombies As State's Fiscal Crisis Deepens Daily -- California's Capitol has been shrouded in fog -- literally and figuratively. The literal fog is seasonal and can smother the Central Valley for days on end this time of year. The figurative fog is year-round. Both types are a curse. They depress moods, hamper vision and are characterized by denseness. GEORGE SKELTON in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/11/08

Education News: 12/10/2008

$517,500-Plus Buyout OKd For L.A. Schools Chief David Brewer -- No successor is named, but Ramon Cortines is expected to lead the school district, at least for the interim. JASON SONG and HOWARD BLUME in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/10/08

More Eligible Students, Fewer College Slots -- California high schools are graduating more students qualified to enter a public university than in past years - especially Latinos - but the state's grim financial picture means not everyone may get to enroll. NANETTE ASIMOV in the San Francisco Chronicle JAMES P. SWEENEY in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/10/08

1 In 3 State Teachers Lack Math Credential -- As a Sacramento Superior Court prepares to decide whether California public schools may require testing of all eighth-graders in algebra, a new study finds that 1 in 3 middle-school algebra teachers is unqualified to teach the subject. NANETTE ASIMOV in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/10/08

San Francisco To Require College Prep Work To Graduate -- Attention all San Francisco seventh-graders: Study hard now because high school is going to be a lot harder by the time you get there. The city's school board voted Tuesday night to require students starting with the class of 2014 to pass 15 college preparatory courses in order to graduate. JILL TUCKER in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/10/08

Lopez: Mayor Villaraigosa, Recess Is Over On L.A. Schools Reform -- Back when he was running for mayor of Los Angeles and calling education the No. 1 issue in the city, Antonio Villaraigosa's campaign put out a news release chiding his opponent for not being more involved with the schools. The headline was: "Jimmy Hahn, Please Report to the Principal's Office." STEVE LOPEZ in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/10/08

California's Latinos And Blacks Still Lag In University Eligibility -- New report finds that the groups are doing better on meeting application requirements for UC and CSU but still trail whites and Asians. LARRY GORDON in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/10/08

State News: 12/10/2008

Budget Crisis Could Stall Projects In Bay Area -- Bay Area officials said Tuesday the region will be devastated if work on school renovations and transportation projects is halted or delayed because of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature's inability to solve the state's huge budget deficit. MATTHEW YI, MICHAEL CABANATUAN, JILL TUCKER in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/10/08

The GOP Stimulus Wish List -- Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines provided this list to The Bee Capitol Bureau on Tuesday of regulatory and environmental changes Republicans want considered before they agree to talk about tax hikes. SHANE GOLDMACHER SacBee Capitol Alert -- 12/10/08

Californians In Line For Key Cabinet Posts -- Obama is expected to name his energy and environment team as early as late this week, and two Northern California officials are candidates for key posts: Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, is being considered for interior secretary, while California Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols is on Obama's short list to be Environmental Protection Agency administrator. ZACHARY COILE in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/10/08

Walters: Greenhouse Gas Plan Has Big Shortcomings -- Arnold Schwarzenegger is a proponent of the all-gain-and-no-pain school of public policy, especially when he peddles the notion that California can radically reduce its greenhouse gases while reaping immense economic benefits. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/10/08

Education News: 12/09/08

Board To Vote On Tougher Graduation Standards -- If the San Francisco school board decides tonight to put all its high school students on the college track, it will kick off an emotional and arduous years-long process to get schools, teachers and students ready to clear a much higher academic bar. JILL TUCKER in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/9/08

Learning Gap Puts Future Work Force At Risk -- Latino adults in San Diego County continue to lag far behind their white peers in obtaining a college education, a trend that threatens to leave the region without the well-educated work force it will need to prosper in the future. LORI WEISBERG in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/9/08

L.A. Schools Chief Says He'll Take Buyout -- Under pressure by civic leaders and members of his own school board, Los Angeles Schools Supt. David L. Brewer announced Monday that he would leave his post rather than drag the district through a racially divisive fight. HOWARD BLUME, JASON SONG and MITCHELL LANDSBERG in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/9/08

Gates Foundation To Study 'Cash For Grades' -- The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is throwing its weight behind the trend to offer "cash for grades" to keep low-income students in college, despite protests from some quarters that such incentive payments amount to little more than bribery. GALE HOLLAND in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/9/08

Free SAT Draws A Thousand -- The district's initiative to provide the SAT free of charge to its seniors Saturday resulted in a turnout of 1,348, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education Kirk Nicholas said Monday. The turnout represented 78 percent of those seniors who signed up for the free test, Nicholas added. ROGER PHILLIPS in the Stockton Record -- 12/9/08

California schools rank 49th for technology
Orange County schools are wired, but don't have expansive online offerings.
By SCOTT MARTINDALE
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
California schools are doing relatively poorly at integrating technology - especially online offerings - into the curriculum, lagging behind nearly every state in the nation at 49th place, according to an annual report on U.S. economic indicators. 12/9/08

Mark O'Shea: Public education failing area students
By MARK O'SHEA
Guest commentary
Updated: 12/09/2008
A new secretary of education will be identified by President-elect Barack Obama. Will his new secretary support conservative agenda reforms including charter schools, tenure reform and merit pay or will liberal causes focusing on changes to No Child Left Behind, small class sizes and teacher job security prevail?
In a recent column, David Brooks lavished praise on Michelle Ree, the new Washington, D.C., superintendent of schools who believes that too many public school employment practices are designed to serve adults, not students.

State News:

State Works Projects At Risk In Budget Mess -- In as few as nine days, nearly $5 billion worth of public works projects in California, including schools, roads and bridges, could be halted or indefinitely delayed - leading to the loss of thousands of jobs - unless lawmakers fix the state's massive budget mess, state Treasurer Bill Lockyer said Monday. MATTHEW YI in the San Francisco Chronicle STEVE WIEGAND and JIM SANDERS in the Sacramento Bee JULIET WILLIAMS AP JAMES P. SWEENEY in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/9/08

California Fiscal Officials Try 'Scared Straight' Approach With Legislature -- In a rare joint session of the Assembly and Senate, officials depict the dismal consequences if Democrats and Republicans fail to address the state's projected $28-billion budget gap -- and soon. JORDAN RAU and PATRICK MCGREEVY in the Los Angeles Times MIKE ZAPLER in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/9/08

Walters: Worst Deficit News Waits Around The Corner -- Thousands of words were spoken Monday during an unusual joint session of the Legislature on the state's budget crisis, but the two most important were uttered by the state budget director, Mike Genest, when he quietly told lawmakers that the deficit will be "substantially worse" than the current figure, as staggering as it may be. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/9/08

DeSaulnier: Constitutional Convention Would Fix State's Problems -- The one issue that has broad consensus in the Capitol is that state government isn't working. Everything else is up for debate, subject to hard ideological boundaries and harsher structural realities such as strict funding formulas and near-impossible legislative hurdles, such as a two-thirds vote requirement for budgets and taxes. STEVEN HARMON in the Contra Costa Times -- 12/9/08

Education News: 12/08/2008

State May See Shortage Of Educated Workers, Group Says -- California could run short of college graduates needed to keep its economy humming by 2025, a think tank warned in a report to be issued today. As a result, the state may not have enough teachers, computer programmers, scientists and other key workers to meet escalating 21st century demands. MARC LIFSHER in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/08

College Application Plans Change As Family Budgets Shrink -- Financial aid becomes vital. Students consider the public Cal State and UC systems instead of private, out-of-state universities. LARRY GORDON and SEEMA MEHTA in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/08

LAUSD Beats Soaps For Real Drama -- It has all the trappings of a soap opera drama. Will David stay despite Mónica's rebuff? Will Mónica's friends come to her rescue? Will anyone figure out just what the heck is going on at the Los Angeles Unified School District? There still may be no clear answer this week when the Board of Education and Superintendent David Brewer III meet in closed session this week to discuss his future. RICK ORLOV in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 12/8/08

Letters: Education funding, AIDS, housing crisis, abuse of children, etc.
Published: Saturday, Dec. 06, 2008 | Page 14A
There's nowhere left to cut

Re "Budget plan splits coalition for education" (Capitol & California, Dec. 1): During its nearly 30 years of existence, the Education Coalition, including parents, teachers, administrators, school employees, school board members and others, has stood united to protect school funding and to fight for California's students.

That's why it's important to set the record straight about Dan Walters' column.

State News: 12/08/2008

Schwarzenegger Warns Of State Worker Layoffs -- California's financial troubles have prompted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to start talking about state layoffs. But slicing the state payroll takes far more than the flick of a pen. JON ORTIZ in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/8/08

Legislature Meets To Deal With Budget Mess -- California lawmakers will convene today in a rare joint legislative session to tackle an $11.2 billion budget deficit, a fiscal mess that many warn has to be solved quickly before the state's finances sink deeper in the red ink. MATTHEW YI in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/8/08

Walters: State's Official Deficit Figure Is Way Too Low -- The official party line - from both parties - is that the state has an $11.2 billion hole in its current budget and faces an additional $17 billion deficit in 2009-10. Those numbers, however, are almost certainly too low, which is one of the many complications in the frantic search for a political solution. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/8/08

Matier & Ross: New Rides For Lawmakers From Cash-Poor State -- California's multibillion-dollar deficit hasn't stopped the state from shelling out an estimated $1.3 million to keep 40 new and returning lawmakers rolling in style during these toughest of times. PHILLIP MATIER, ANDREW ROSS in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/8/08

State Piggy Banks Take A Whack -- Budget priorities may be different in other states, but most suffer from the same grim result as California - they're neck-deep in debt. STEVE WIEGAND in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/8/08

The Buzz: Countdown Begins For 2010 Governor Election -- There are only 548 days until the 2010 gubernatorial primary election. How do we know? Because it says so on the brand-new campaign Web site of Insurance Comish Steve Poizner, "the second-highest ranking Republican in California." The site (www.stevepoizner.com) is billed as "state of the art" and designed to clue voters in on where Poizner stands on the issues of the day. Alas, there's no solution to that pesky budget issue. The item is in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/8/08

State News: 12.5.2008

Judges Consider California Inmate Release Plan -- Would California face a public safety nightmare if judges allowed nearly a third of its inmates to be released from state prisons early to help ease the overcrowded conditions there? It's a question three federal judges are weighing. DON THOMPSON AP -- 12/5/08

Walters: Waste Board's Appointments Are Big Waste -- As governor three decades ago, Jerry Brown embraced the questionable practice of allowing the Legislature to make appointments to state boards and commissions, many of whose members are paid high salaries and wield substantial powers. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/5/08

Legislature To Convene Monday For Budget 101 -- The entire Legislature will meet in a joint session Monday in the Assembly chambers to discuss the state's cash situation and overall budget dynamics with state fiscal leaders, according to Jim Evans, spokesman for Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg. KEVIN YAMAMURA SacBee Capitol Alert -- 12/5/08

Education News : 12/4/2008

Beleaguered LAUSD Superintendent David Brewer III Hopes To Stay -- In an interview with the Daily News on Wednesday, embattled Los Angeles schools chief David Brewer III said he walked into a "cascade of crises" when he started two years ago, but would love to finish his four-year contract. GEORGE B. SÁNCHEZ in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 12/4/08

Alum Rock School Board Gives Superintendent $294,000 To Step Aside -- Days before a shake-up on the school board, Alum Rock School District Superintendent Norma Martinez has worked out a deal to resign from the struggling East San Jose district with about $294,000 in severance pay plus benefits. SHARON NOGUCHI in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/4/08

Part-Time Teachers Shuttle From Campus To Campus -- Physical education teacher Jory Segal has become an expert in juggling - commuting 18 miles daily between Evergreen and West Valley community colleges, with her eyes on traffic but her mind on her students. LISA M. KRIEGER in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/4/08

'Amazingly Dedicated' Teacher Earns Award -- Nobody told teacher Marissa Ochoa that the reason for a special assembly yesterday morning was to give her $25,000. Ochoa, 31, a third-grade teacher at Valley Elementary School in Poway, was leaning casually against a wall in the multipurpose room when cameras swarmed her. She covered her face with her hands as the school clapped and cheered. LINDA LOU in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/4/08

COD Students Having To Delay Graduations -- California's worsening fiscal crisis is taking a toll on two- and four-year college campuses in the Coachella Valley and across the state that rely on state funding. Programs and scholarships are being trimmed and student fees are expected to rise. MARCEL HONORÉ in the Desert Sun -- 12/4/08

College May Become Unaffordable For Most In U.S. -- The rising cost of college - even before the recession - threatens to put higher education out of reach for most Americans, according to the biennial report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. TAMAR LEWIN in the New York Times -- 12/4/08

State News:

Voters Show Little Faith In Governor, Lawmakers -- California voters are worried sick about the state's economy, but they don't believe Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature can work together to solve California's fiscal problems, according to a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California. JOHN WILDERMUTH in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/4/08

High-Earning State Employees' Pay May Be Frozen -- Fed up with large pay raises for executives of California's public universities, the chairman of the Assembly's higher-education committee introduced legislation yesterday that would freeze salaries of state employees who make more than $150,000 a year. JAMES P. SWEENEY in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/4/08

Dems Propose Simple Majority To OK Budget -- Democratic lawmakers, who hold a majority in the state Legislature, introduced a bill Wednesday to change the two-thirds requirement for approving state budgets to a simple majority vote. MATTHEW YI in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/4/08

Will New Capitol Dynamics Fix The Legislative System? -- Four years ago, Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson held a party for himself to say goodbye to the Capitol Press Corps. During the gathering, the newly elected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger dropped by to throw his arm around Wesson and wish him well. ANTHONY YORK in Capitol Weekly -- 12/4/08

Analysis: Schwarzenegger: Federal Aid Request No Bailout -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't think you should call potential federal aid to California a bailout, handout or any other kind of out. He prefers the term "investment." KEVIN YAMAMURA in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/4/08

CFT News: 12/03/2008

Cash-strapped teacher sells ads on tests
By Jason Hanna
CNN
(CNN) -- In tests for teacher Tom Farber's high school class, students can demonstrate their mastery of calculus and find out where to get braces or even a haircut.

Calculus teacher Tom Farber is selling ad space on tests to defray printing costs.

Squeezed by classroom budget cuts, the Rancho Bernardo High School teacher is selling ads on his exams to cover the costs of printing them.

"It raises money for the teachers and it's amusing for the kids, so it seems like a win-win," said Luke Shaw, 18, a student at the suburban San Diego, California, school.
...
Fred Glass, the California Federation of Teachers' communications director, said things could get worse for teachers in the state, with California considering $2.5 billion in mid-year education cuts.

Glass said he hopes Farber's ad selling "will underscore for disinterested observers that this [funding shortfall] can't go on."

State News: 12/03/2008

The unions' dream budget-12.2.08
With lawmakers at an impasse over the state budget, the SEIU State Council, which represents state workers, took it upon itself to propose its own dream plan Tuesday.

And we mean dream in the politest of terms, as in it might happen in a parallel universe where Democrats don't need any Republican votes and federal dollars pour from the sky.

First off, it includes no cuts.

UC Chief Changes Buyout Policy -- The new president of the University of California system pledged Tuesday that employees in his office no longer will be allowed to collect full severance checks and then be rehired at other UC locations. JIM DOYLE in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/3/08

California Passes College Affordability Test -- An independent report on American higher education flunks all states but California when it comes to affordability - an embarrassing verdict that is unlikely to improve as the economy contracts. JUSTIN POPE AP GALE HOLLAND in the Los Angeles Times LISA M. KRIEGER in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/3/08

Top Stanford Execs To Take 10% Pay Cut -- Stanford University, the nation's third-wealthiest educational institution, announced Tuesday that several top administrators will take pay cuts as part of a two-year cost-cutting plan that will likely include layoffs. NANETTE ASIMOV in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/3/08

L.A. School Board Takes No Action On Fate Of Supt. David Brewer -- The panel met in closed session on the schools chief, who is facing increasing pressure to resign. The absence of board member Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte complicated the deliberations. HOWARD BLUME, JASON SONG and DAVID ZAHNISER in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/3/08

Vallejo Police Pulling Officers From Schools -- The Police Department in bankrupt Vallejo will pull its officers off public school campuses - where more than 1,600 middle and high school students were suspended or expelled for violence, weapons or drugs last year - and quit providing security at school sporting events, dances and graduations, angry school officials said Tuesday. NANETTE ASIMOV in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/3/08

More Funds Urged For California's School Meal Program -- The poor economy is hitting the bellies of 3.1 million California school children. State Superintendent of Public Schools Jack O'Connell warned Tuesday that, because of increased demand, state funding for the Free and Reduced-Price Meal program could run dry before the end of the school year. He urged lawmakers to increase state funding for the hot meal service by $31 million. MELISSA NIX in the Sacramento Bee MARY MACVEAN in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/3/08

State's Kids Struggle To Get Fit Without School Gyms -- State law says elementary school students are supposed to get three hours and 20 minutes of physical education every two weeks. But that can be difficult at a campus without a gymnasium - when it's raining or so cold that kids' fingers go numb. ROBERT FATURECHI in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/3/08

UC Merced Plan Gets Support -- Overwhelming support was expressed Tuesday night for the expansion of the University of California at Merced and the development of a neighboring village. MICHELLE HATFIELD in the Modesto Bee -- 12/3/08

Studies link part-time college faculty to worse education
Updated 5h 29m ago
By Mary Beth Marklein, USA TODAY
It's no secret that colleges and universities are relying increasingly on part-time instructors or other faculty who are neither tenured nor on track for tenure. But a flurry of recent studies draw troubling conclusions about what kind of impact that is having on the quality of a student's education.
A study released today by the American Federation of Teachers, a faculty union, finds that these instructors - dubbed contingent faculty to reflect their limited-term appointments - are pervasive throughout public higher education. Not only do they teach many undergraduate courses, they're also teaching "significant percentages" of classes and students across multiple disciplines.

Education News 12/2/08:

Special session called Whittier Daily News- 12/2/08

New Legislature, same old budget problem Victorville Daily Press- 12/2/08

A disaster for schools Ventura County Star - 12/2/08

Districts get grants to draw teachers to low-performing schools
Daily Breeze, CA - 12/2/08
... was given to districts to fund the hiring of National Board Certified Teachers in leadership roles, according to the California Department of Education. ...

LBUSD may seek waivers Long Beach Press-Telegram - 12/2/08

Cold Dose of Reality for College-bound Californians
All Reports by John Garamendi December 02, 2008 @ 9:23 AM

Thanksgiving is usually a time when we gather with family and friends to celebrate all the blessings in our lives. But for hundreds of thousands of qualified, college-bound Californians, the holiday will be filled with anxiety and uncertainty. There's more...

Eight local schools honored
Signal, CA - 12/2/08
"Our teachers and administrators are committed and have worked tirelessly to ensure the focus in on student academic achievement and reaching grade-level ...

State News 12/2/08:

Schwarzenegger Declares Fiscal Emergency -- With time and money running out for California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a fiscal emergency Monday and called legislators into a new special session that won't end until they agree on a way to trim the state's $11.2 billion budget deficit. JOHN WILDERMUTH, WYATT BUCHANAN in the San Francisco Chronicle KEVIN YAMAMURA in the Sacramento Bee JORDAN RAU and PATRICK MCGREEVY in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/2/08

Governor To Ask Obama For Public-Works Money -- A day after declaring a fiscal crisis in California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will be in Philadelphia today to deliver a face-to-face plea to President-elect Barack Obama for more public-works money to help break the recession's grip on states. MICHAEL GARDNER and JAMES P. SWEENEY in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/2/08

Schrag: How To Close The State's Deficit Without Taxes -- There's long been talk about improving California's public finances by going to a two-year budget process. Well, we've finally managed to get there, not by intent but by sheer negligence and irresponsibility. PETER SCHRAG in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/2/08

California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass: These Are Not Ordinary Times - 12/2/08