Field Poll shows early backing for budget items on ballot -- Likely voters in the May 19 special election initially support six ballot measures designed to complete the budget recently approved by lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, according to a Field Poll released Tuesday. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee John Marelius in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 3/3/09

California's broken budget
The way the budget deal was reached in Sacramento, and what's in it, shows how bad the system has become.
By Peter Schrag LA Times March 3, 2009
The latest refrain in Sacramento's inner wonkdom is that it's time to eliminate the "big five" system, under which the governor and the majority and minority party leaders in each house of the Legislature disappeared behind closed doors to cook up the state budget deal late last month.

CFT in the News: 2/27/09

School District Plans Layoffs in Light of State Budget Cuts
By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday February 27, 2009 08:40pm

However, the new budget approved by state lawmakers on Feb. 19 will subtract $8.4 billion from Prop. 98, resulting in teacher layoffs, larger class sizes and fewer programs in arts and music..."It's a pretty serious threat," said Cathy Campbell, president of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers. "We are cutting more than twice as much this time.

Education News: 2/28-3/2

Robin Swanson
15,500 Pink Slips Issued to Teachers, Reading Programs Eliminated, Class Size Reduction Programs Slashed, Music Programs Gone
March 01, 2009 @ 7:53 AM
The budget deal passed by state lawmakers and signed by the Governor includes deep cuts to education unlike any we have seen in our state's history, to the tune of $11.6 billion dollars in cuts to K-12 public schools alone.

What Does Seven Billion in Educational Cuts Look Like?

Brother Can You Spare A ... $100?
Scotts Valley School District Struggles with Budget Cuts
There are approximately 10,000 taxpayers in Scotts Valley. If each taxpayer donated $100 to Scotts Valley Unified School District, there would be no need to search for one million dollars of cuts in the District's budget this year."

Public education spending dwarfs private school costs Victorville Daily Press

Community Colleges Boom in Recession
ABC News - ‎47 minutes ago‎
By SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES California college freshman Stephanie Parks dreamed of attending an expensive, private four-year college with an annual price tag ...

California Teacher Credential Reforms Report March 5
Posted on: Saturday, February 28, 2009 - Commission on Teacher Credentialing
SACRAMENTO - The Commission on Teacher Credentialing will hear a report from Dr. Beverly Young, California State University Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, at its Thursday, March 5, 2009 meeting. Dr. Young will report on a longitudinal study conducted by CSU examining the effects of a major credentialing reform initiated in 1998

Stand up for education
PUBLISHED IN THE REPORTER
Posted: 02/28/2009 01:03:51 AM PST
The governor signed the 2009-2010 state budget on Feb. 20. The package includes $15 billion in spending cuts, $12.5 billion in new revenue and $11.4 billion in borrowing.
K-12 education was cut by more than $11.6 billion over two years. Had the governor's original budget been approved by the Legislature, schools would have taken a much bigger hit.

West County school district may lay off up to 245
By Kimberly S. Wetzel  West County Times
Posted: 02/27/2009 05:33:24 PM PST
To say the West Contra Costa Unified School District is facing a budget crisis is an understatement...The district - which already voted to shut three schools and initiated hiring and expenditure freezes to save money - faces a $25.7 million deficit next year and a massive cash-flow problem, and remains deep in debt.

State News: 2/28-3/2

Unions hold the wild card on proposed state spending cap -- Labor unions that blasted a state budget deal for its constitutional spending limit have gone quiet as the state gears up for a May 19 election asking voters to ratify the agreement. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/2/09
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1663525.html?mi_rss=Top%20Stories

CFT in the News:  2/27/09

Cuts get quiet, but passionate, objection
Santa Cruz Sentinel - ‎9 hours ago‎
"It was amazingly quiet," Barry Kirschen, president of the Greater Santa Cruz Federation of Teachers, said the day after trustees approved issuing the ...

Layoffs likely coming to Berkeley school district
Tri Valley Herald - ‎21 hours ago‎
Berkeley Federation of Teachers President Cathy Campbell said audits over the last four years show administrative costs have climbed 31 percent, ...

Education News: 2/27/09

More Teachers on the Chopping Block?
MSNBC - ‎1 hour ago‎
Layoffs may be coming to the San Marcos Unified School District, and trustees are scheduled Thursday to discuss some difficult decisions to be made with ...

San Marcos Unified School District facing $4.5 million shortfall
San Diego Union Tribune - ‎2 hours ago‎
... the state due to California's budget crisis. State law requires any school district considering layoffs to notify its employees no later than March 15.

Modesto schools plan to cut $11M stuns teachers union
By Michelle Hatfield This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
last updated: February 27, 2009 02:29:11 AM
Modesto City Schools proposed cuts
Larger classes in junior highs and high schools, three furlough days for employees, and fewer counselors and vice principals could be a reality next school year if Modesto City Schools trustees approve recommended budget cuts Monday night.

Layoff notices go out to about 50 Redwood City School District employees
By Shaun Bishop
Daily News Staff Writer
Posted: 02/26/2009 11:44:07 PM PST
About 50 employees of the Redwood City School District will be told they may lose their jobs after the school board voted Wednesday to issue layoff notices as part of a plan to close a multimillion-dollar budget gap.

Editorial: Billion-dollar question: Will districts spend wisely?
Mercury News Editorial
Posted: 02/26/2009 08:00:00 PM PST
In exchange for whacking budgets for education, Gov. Schwarzenegger proposed and the Legislature for the most part agreed to give K-12 school districts near total control over how they spend their money. This, they figured, was the least they could do for the pain and aggravation of cutting $8 billion.

Teacher will get award for work in human rights
His group leaves water in desert
By Chris Moran UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
2:00 a.m. February 27, 2009
NATIONAL CITY - A National City high school instructor will receive a human rights award from the California Teachers Association next week for his work aiding desert-crossing illegal immigrants.
Sweetwater High School theater teacher Ben Cassel will receive the Cesar Chavez "Si Se Puede" Human Rights Award,

Obama plan includes big increases to college aid -- President Barack Obama has proposed pouring billions of dollars into higher education, including improved scholarships for low-income students and incentives for states to improve graduation rates. Matt Krupnick in the Contra Costa Times Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/27/09

UC-Merced students hope first lady Michelle Obama will speak at commencement -- They've formally invited the first lady via her White House staff. They are pleading their case with California's congressional delegation. Last month, they sent Obama more than 900 - yes, 900 - handwritten Valentines. Then, there's the Facebook group. Dana Hull in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/27/09

State News: 2/27/09

Schwarzenegger starts campaign for ballot measures -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a bipartisan group of lawmakers are wasting no time rallying support for a slate of special-election ballot measures they say will stabilize the state's finances, even as they ask Californians to pay higher taxes in exchange for the safety net. JULIET WILLIAMS AP Matthew Yi in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/27/09

Special election planning forced to move at warp speed -- When the Legislature agreed last week that May 19 was the best possible day to hold a special election, the politicos also decided to toss a bunch of California's election rules straight out the window. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/27/09

Education News: 2/26/09

Capistrano district prepares to cut $25 million, 356+ jobs -- Deep cuts would wipe out class-size reduction, about 254 teachers. SCOTT MARTINDALE in the Orange County Register -- 2/25/09

San Mateo County teachers again brace for pink slips
San Mateo County Times - ‎14 hours ago‎
It includes more than $8 billion in cuts to K-12 public schools. San Mateo Union High School District could issue about 20 layoff notices, according to ...

Sweetwater teachers fight for jobs Examiner.com

Torrico seeks to increase higher education funding
California Chronicle - ‎10 hours ago‎
AB 656 would create the California Higher Education Endowment Corporation to administer the funds generated by the oil severance tax and to allocate them to ...

Ensure Stimulus Funds Reach the CSU System

Educators say they need more resources to answer Obama's call -- Colleges, adult schools and vocational programs will need more money and classrooms if they're going to answer President Obama's call for Americans to get more education, local educators said. Jean Cowden Moore in the Ventura Star -- 2/25/09

Stanford cuts 21 positions in athletic department -- The university, which has one of the biggest athletic departments in the nation, said Wednesday that the 13 percent staff reduction would come from administrative and service areas. It would take effect next week. AP -- 2/25/09

Cutbacks Threaten College Experience
Wall Street Journal - ‎12 hours ago‎
Folding chairs in the new library at California State University, Fresno, might not bother everyone, as long as books are still available. ...

FUSD scores see 'large gain' -- Fresno Unified School District's test scores improved significantly between 2000 and 2007 though they remained below the state average, the Brookings Institution reported Wednesday. Mark Grossi in the Fresno Bee -- 2/25/09

Who made the big bucks at Chapman University? -- The dean of Chapman University's law school earned almost as much as the university's president in 2007 - and the dean of its business school wasn't far behind. Teri Sforza in the Orange County Register -- 2/26/09

California School Spends $10G a Year to Teach AP Spanish to Kids ...
FOXNews - ‎Feb 24, 2009‎
Lemon Grove principal Ambler Moss says his school is the only middle school in California to implement the AP class, which he believes will boost the ...

School Matters: From Sisyphus to Prometheus, California's ...
New America Media - ‎Feb 25, 2009‎
Editor's Note: California's education system has been on a downward slide for too long, with the state that was once a leader in key indicators, ...

A charter schools tax, paid by the Oakland school district -- California's superintendent of public instruction, Jack O'Connell, has ordered the state-run Oakland school district to divert $480,000 of its funds to the city's independently run, public charter schools - about $60 for every charter school student. Katy Murphy in the Oakland Tribune -- 2/26/09

Pasadena-based plan for online university draws interest -- An Israeli entrepreneur hopes to start a global, very-low-cost institution soon. But by dispensing with professors, it's already a tough sell for some. Raja Abdulrahim in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/26/09

State News: 2/26/09

Californians give Schwarzenegger, Legislature poor performance reviews -- The governor gets a 33% approval rating, lawmakers 21%, according to a new poll. However, 70% like the way President Obama does his job. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times Dan Walters SacBee Capitol Alert -- 2/26/09

Skelton: Schwarzenegger is getting his second wind as a reformer -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he "absolutely" loves the idea of holding a constitutional convention to overhaul state government. California hasn't had such a confab in 131 years. But as Sacramento continues to embarrass itself, a citizens' movement is mounting to call one. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/26/09

CFT In the news: 2/23-25

Local districts must have flexibilityLinden looks to trim $1.35M from schools
LINDEN - The Linden Unified School District is working to trim $1. ... professional development part-time parity pay and other necessary programs," President of the California Federation of Teachers Marty Hittleman said in ...
The Stockton Record - Feb 25 2:18 AM

Inland schools trying to cope with $8 billion in state funding ...
Riverside Press Enterprise - 6 hr, 59 mins ago
to teachers last year to meet a March 15 deadline under state law, according to the California Teachers Association. Yet many districts were able to hire back most

El Segundo layoff notices protested
Daily Breeze - In 2 hr, 45 mins
a spending plan that cuts public school budgets by $8.6 billion in the next 17 months. The California Teachers Association reports more than 14,000 layoff notices

Schools Get More Choice In Spending Money
Legislators and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are giving California schools more flexibility in how they spend their money.
KSBW Salinas - 17 minutes ago

GHS District to issue 24 pink slips
Teachers, staff and admin to ‘share the pain'
By Rachael Ackerman-Herald Editor
Wednesday, February 25, 2009 10:27 AM CST
While the total number is a bit lower than originally projected, that's little good news to the 24 Galt Joint Union High School District employees who will receive pink slips, or layoff notices, come March 15 - the legal deadline to issue notices.

An Option to Save $40,000: Squeeze College Into 3 Years -- This fall, Hartwick College, a small liberal arts college in Oneonta, N.Y., will offer students the option of doing just that, at a savings of more than $40,000. TAMAR LEWIN in the New York Times -- 2/25/09

Obama puts spotlight on education deficit -- He wants U.S. to have highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. Frank James in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/25/09

State News: 2/25/09

Effort seeks to scrap two-thirds vote rule -- California opinion leaders who turned out Tuesday at a forum on government reforms said their top priority is getting rid of the Legislature's requirement for a two-thirds vote to approve state budgets and taxes, which has been blamed for record-long budget delays. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/25/09

State reformers meet to transform discontent into change -- On the heels of budget negotiations that took the state to the brink of insolvency, advocates of reform are hoping to ride a tide of discontent to make major fixes to state government. Steve Harmon in the Contra Costa Times Lisa Vorderbrueggen Political Blotter weblog -- 2/25/09

Lots of new taxes -- but not on a drop of drink -- One factor: An industry coalition called Sink the Drink Tax sought to stop the proposal. Members of the group, including beer and wine companies along with grocers and restaurateurs, gave the legislative leaders tens of thousands of dollars each in campaign contributions over the past two years, according to records. Wyatt Buchanan Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 2/25/09

Walters: What exactly is a 'spending cut'? -- The state budget crisis that was more or less resolved last week sparked the renewal of an old semantic argument over the meaning of "spending cut," and while this column is not likely to end the argument, it may shed some light on it. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/25/09

Education News:  2/24/09

California Schools struggling with budget trimming decisions
Because of reduced funding, school districts across the state are facing teacher layoffs, class-size increases and elimination of programs. By Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, February 23, 2009

New budget rules loosen up school funding -- Summer school. Art and music. Classes for gifted children. Buying textbooks. Training math and English teachers. Tutoring students for the high school exit exam. For decades, a large portion of California's school funding has been strictly designated for such categories. Not any more. Laurel Rosenhall and Robert Faturechi in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/24/09

Seismic education layoffs hits California school districts
Examiner.com - 2 hours ago
by Andrea Hermitt, Education Headlines Examiner Victor Valley school district in California has cut the jobs of 181 teachers including music teachers, ...

State News: 2/24/09

DeLeon: Greater Transparency Need in State Spending
All Reports by Steven Maviglio

Cavala: The "Two-Thirds" Vote Requirement for Passing California's Budget

Will Further Severe Spending cuts be needed

CFT In the News: 2/23/09

State budget doesn't alter plans to lay off teachers
San Jose Mercury News, USA - Feb 23, 2009
... folks to consider taking a pay cut in order to balance the budget," said Barry Kirschen, president of the Greater Santa Cruz Federation of Teachers. ...

Education News: 2/19/09

California educational community awaits federal stimulus funds -- For California education, the topsy-turvy world of state and federal budgeting has been feast or famine - and mostly famine. But that may be about to change. The item is in Capitol Weekly -- 2/19/09.

Budget delay threatens cash for schools
San Jose Mercury News, USA - 6 hours ago
Santa Cruz City Schools and Live Oak Schools recently passed annual parcel taxes of $105 and $84, respectively, to fund class-size reduction and art and ...

PD Editorial: Progress?
Santa Rosa Press Democrat, CA - 50 minutes ago
... local schools to lay off teachers, eliminate or cut back on class-size reduction programs and further scale back on programs such as music and art. ...

New Teachers Suffer from Budget Woes
City on a Hill Press, CA - 13 hours ago
"They read the newspapers, they hear the news and they hear about state budget cuts and how it could affect class size reduction, so they're really curious ...

New Budget Cuts Billions from Education KCBS

Prop. 98's been good for California
Los Angeles Times, CA - 14 hours ago
... it has ensured that schools get the money they need. By Richie Ross It's become stylish to place the blame for California's frequent budget crises on ..

State News: 2/19/09

What Maldonado got -- State senators were approving a deal to close the state's $40 billion budget deficit this morning after agreeing to give Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, most of the changes he demanded in exchange for providing the crucial 27th vote. Shane Goldmacher SacBee Capitol Alert -- 2/19/09

lawmakers begin vote on long-awaited budget -- The vote could finally bring a drawn-out budget battle to a close after leaders agreed to ask voters to revise the state's constitution to allow open primaries for legislative, congressional and gubernatorial elections to win Sen. Abel Maldonado's support. JUDY LIN AP -- 2/19/09

Budget plan breakdown -- Highlights of the fiscal plan state lawmakers have been trying to pass since Saturday. The item is in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/19/09

Education News:   2/18/09

Achievement Gap Begins to Close in California's Alum Rock Union ...
PR Newswire (press release), NY - 1 hour ago
The API measures academic performance and progress of California schools and is a numeric index that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1000. ...

UC wants the truth on student applications -- The university uses random checks to make sure that grades, honors and extracurricular activities are properly reported. Larry Gordon in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/18/09

Can a school district eliminate kindergarten? -- When the Capistrano Unified School District unveiled a list of possible budget cuts that included eliminating kindergarten, the far-fetched idea was met with a mix of amused befuddlement and concern among parents. SCOTT MARTINDALE in the Orange County Register -- 2/18/09

March 2 deadline looms for Cal Grants -- A proposal from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger would eliminate 22,500 "competitive" Cal Grants for older students, the vast majority of whom attend community colleges. Geared toward low- and middle-income families, Cal Grants are awarded to older students on a competitive basis or to college-bound high school seniors based on financial need. Dana Hull in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/18/09

State News: 2/18/09

Covering the Budget Coverage
All Reports by Steven Maviglio
February 18, 2009 @ 5:07 AM
Steven Maviglio

The bruising drama in the Capitol over California's budget is now drawing national attention. It was featured prominently in the New York Times today(loved the lead noting the description of Schwarzenegger's as "apparently bereft of allies or influence") and Speaker Karen Bass appeared on the NewsHour.

That's propping up the Capitol press corps, which is doing its job in some creative ways.

KQED's omnipresent John Myers, who also appeared on the NewsHour (video killed the radio star?), has lost plenty of sleep over the last few nights, but he's done the best job of keeping California informed of what's happening. He's been Twittering, blogging, and on the airwaves in addition to guest appearances on TV. (Note to John's boss: give this one-man media army a raise, would ya?).

The LA Times also is Twittering, though its meshed in with other local news, making it hard to read. Meanwhile, the downsizing of the bureau has long-time reporter Eric Bailey, who's managed to avoid the capitol for years, back in the fray with solid reporting. From what I can tell, the LA Times' Evan Halper was been breaking most of the specifics of the budget.
There's more...

California In Need of Its Own Sullenberger To Save It

Cogdill Replaced by More Strident Hollingsworth as Budget Stand-Off Continues

Eliminating State Oversight Board is the Wrong Reform

Cavala: Failure Of The ‘Big 5' Budget Package Will Force Schwarzenegger's Reconsideration Of Majority Vote ‘Fee' Hikes

Walters: Budget deficit package not a full solution -- The political Sturm und Drang over billions of dollars in spending cuts, new taxes and borrowing to close a huge budget deficit masks the most important question: Would it resolve, even partially, California's chronic fiscal malaise? Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/18/09

State hits wall over its budget -- The pressure on California lawmakers to pass a midyear budget fix and avoid financial calamity intensified Tuesday, as layoff notices went out to state agencies, hundreds of public works projects were on the brink of losing state funding and the Legislature appeared unable to break a political logjam. Don Thompson AP -- 2/18/09

CFT In the News:  2/17/09

Are Budget Cuts in Education Good
MyFox Los Angeles - Los Angeles,CA,USA
It's the cuts in the education budget that most concern Marty Hittelman, President of the California Federation of Teachers. He talks to Good Day LA about ...

State legislators propose giving school districts spending ...
San Jose Mercury News, USA - Feb 13, 2009
... the changes "do not solve the problem of our underfunded educational system," said Marty Hittelman, president of the California Federation of Teachers. ...

Berkeley Teachers Protest Lack of Contract
Berkeley Daily Planet - 19 hr, 59 mins ago
after class Tuesday to protest what they said was the 194th day that their union, the Berkeley Federation of Teachers, has been without a contract with the Berkeley

Education News: 2/17/09

Editorials: Laying off teachers is not inevitable
Anyone with a pulse knows that the California jobs picture looks grim: 1.7 million Californians out of work, a 9.3 percent unemployment rate (which may soon climb to double digits), daily announcements of layoffs.

Atwater Elementary School District board cuts 49 jobs
Merced Sun-Star, CA - 10 hours ago
Merced County schools will have to cut $41.8 million, according to an analysis by the California Budget Project, a nonprofit organization out of Sacramento. ...

Thomas D. Elias: Want a future? Fund education
Appeal-Democrat, CA - 10 hours ago
No wonder state Schools Supt. Jack O'Connell warned last winter that California schools are "in a precarious position." Yet, every deficit-reduction plan ...

Any OKd budget plan faces battle at ballot box San Francisco Chronicle

Highlights of plan to close Calif. budget deficit San Diego Union Tribune

California Schools Prepare Pink Slips
KCBS, CA - 17 hours ago
(KCBS) -- California schools forced to take deep budget cuts because of the state's economic crisis are required by law to send out layoff notices no later ...

Attention to cash flow urged TheReporter.com
Budget hit to schools is not clear TheReporter.com In Light of State Budget Mess, School Board Says Prepare for ...
Berkeley Daily Planet - 19 hr, 58 mins ago
the public last week that the time has come to prepare for the worst. Speaking at the school board meeting last Wednesday, district superintendent Bill Huyett, who

Lodi Unified School District could lay off hundreds of teachers ...
Lodi News-Sentinel - 20 hr, 40 mins ago
on seniority and then decided by what credentials and certifications teachers hold. According to the Association of California School Administrators, the state's

State colleges bear down on transfer shortage -- The University of California and California State University are working with the state's vast community college system to boost the number of students who transfer from the two-year schools. Some are applauding, while others worry it could fail as past attempts have. Matt Krupnick in the Contra Costa Times -- 2/17/09

For Education Chief, Stimulus Means Power and Risk -- The $100 billion in emergency aid for public schools and colleges in the economic stimulus bill could transform Arne Duncan into an exceptional figure in the history of federal education policy: a secretary of education loaded with money and the power to spend large chunks of it as he sees fit. SAM DILLON in the New York Times -- 2/17/09

2/16/09:

After-school funds dry up -- After-school programs throughout the county designed to keep kids out of trouble, give them a place to play and help get them ready for college are facing financial trouble, some struggling to maintain staffing and services due to a dismal economy and state budget woes. PETER SCHELDEN in the Orange County Register -- 2/16/09

New UC eligibility standards will open college doors, but may change demographics -- New admissions policy lifts lower-income students' chances. Lisa M. Krieger in the Contra Costa Times -- 2/16/09

Incentives helping schools get students in their seats -- But for those who have perfect attendance, they're treated to 20 minutes of playing the popular music video game Guitar Hero and watching their peers battle guitar to guitar to John Bon Jovi's `Livin' on a Prayer.' Canan Tasci in the San Bernardino Sun -- 2/16/09

2/15/09:

Budget Free-fall California schools cut their way to the bottom
TheReporter.com, CA - Feb 15, 2009
And in the meantime, California's schools are still in budgetary free-fall. The impact will be felt by the entire community, which is why the public must be ...

Budget hit to schools is not clear TheReporter.com

State News: 2/17/09

KQED's John Myers is Twittering the budget ....

State Remains in Fiscal Peril As Budget Impasse Continues

Budget Situation Impacts California Jobs

Highlights of plan to close California budget deficit -- Here are key provisions of the proposal to close California's $42 billion budget deficit through June 2010 AP -- 2/17/09

California, Almost Broke, Nears Brink -- The state of California - its deficits ballooning, its lawmakers intransigent and its governor apparently bereft of allies or influence - appears headed off the fiscal rails. JENNIFER STEINHAUER in the New York Times -- 2/17/09

Walters: No end in sight on budget -- Even jaded veterans of the Capitol's often bizarre internal politics had never seen anything quite like the weekend marathon over the biggest package of spending, spending cuts and taxes ever to hit the building - a spectacle that's still playing itself out with no end in sight. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/16/09

California Federation of Teachers, in the news: 2/13/09

State Budget Requires Public Democracy Not a Cone of Silence
By Marty Hittelman, President, California Federation of Teachers
The Legislature and governor are on the verge of agreeing to a state budget that would not be in the best interest of most Californians. It would greatly harm public education, public health programs, and working people. It continues the financially disastrous tradition of reducing targeted taxes and creating new tax loopholes each year in order to convince Republican legislators to vote for the budget, a consequence of the state's dysfunctional two-thirds legislative supermajority requirement. The ‘budget' bills also strip hard-won rights from working people that have nothing to do with a state budget, in order to satisfy a particular group of businesses.

District: It's worse than feared
Morgan Hill Times, CA - 14 hours ago
A furlough would have to be negotiated through the Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers and the other two unions the district contracts with. ...

Education News: 2/13/09

Nation's schools would get $106 billion from federal economic stimulus package -- California's deficit means education cuts still loom, but federal money would narrow the gap. It would pay for special education, building repair and keeping teachers who might otherwise be laid off. Seema Mehta and Jason Song in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/13/09
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-schools13-2009feb13,0,6071803.story?track=rss
Sacramento-area teachers brace for layoff warnings -- With little more than a month to go before the March 15 deadline, school districts are busy refining the number of people they must notify that they could be jobless come fall. Melissa Nix in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/13/09

Helping educators deal with budget cuts
MSNBC - 22 minutes ago
Even though California's budget is still unsettled, educators are getting together and preparing for the worst. Thursday there was a statewide web cast ...

California schools to face more funding cuts Friday Flyer - Canyon Lake,CA,USA

California needs this imperfect budget
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA

VCUSD must cut $5.5 million
Vallejo Times-Herald - 17 hr, 34 mins ago
Wednesday announced $5.5 million must be cut from the budget just to make it through the school year. California's widening budget gap and the governor's proposed...

School district has fewer students, higher costs
Willits News - 8 hr, 16 mins ago
The financial crisis that faces districts throughout California is reflected in Ukiah, but the situation could have been worse for the Ukiah Unified School District.

Cal State San Bernardino students fear the loss of Cal Grants -- Every week, Monica Wettengel struggles to come up with enough money to pay for gas, groceries and college. That's because the Hesperia mother of five relies on a Cal Grant to pay for her education at Cal State San Bernardino. Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell in the San Bernardino Sun -- 2/13/09

County Superintendent delivers his inaugural State of Education ...
Highland Community News - 41 mins ago
News > Schools Resolving the California budget crisis - with San Bernardino County schools and districts bracing to take an economic hit of $500 million over the

Proposed state budget cuts hit schools, workers hardest -- The so-called "framework" Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders have crafted to address the state's $42 billion budget relies heavily on cuts to education, state workers and the poor, elderly and disabled. BRIAN JOSEPH in the Orange County Register -- 2/13/09

College opportunities for state residents ebb -- The state ranks 29th for people between 25 and 34 attaining an associate degree, a study says. Without improvement, it risks a serious shortage of educated workers to compete in a global economy. Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/13/09

California colleges face 'serious challenges,' report says
Los Angeles Times, CA - 21 hours ago
Getting a college education in California increasingly is a matter of where you live, Shulock said. The Inland Empire and Central Valley, ...

Hundreds went to class armed, San Francisco study finds -- Nearly 900 San Francisco middle and high school students said they had carried a gun to school at least once last year, most of them saying they had done so four or more times, according to the most comprehensive district survey on school safety and climate. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/13/09

State News: 2/13/09

Doubts grow about California budget deal -- Interest groups at both ends of the political spectrum reacted with anger Thursday to the emerging plan to close the state's massive budget deficit, and doubts began to mount about whether it had enough support in the Legislature to survive a planned vote this weekend. Mike Zapler in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/13/09

California budget critics turn up pressure on lawmakers -- This is war!" declares a powerful Los Angeles radio station. The California Republican Party is threatening to censure its own legislators. A kill-the-budget-deal labor rally is planned at the Capitol today. Pressure mounts as lawmakers brace for a tense vote scheduled Saturday on a bitterly contested proposal to ease the state's $40 billion budget shortfall. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/13/09

Walters: 'Big 5' process keeps public in dark -- There are two distinct - although obviously connected - aspects to the agreement that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders forged on closing the state's whopping budget deficit. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/13/09

Highlights of California budget proposal -- The most recent proposal to close California's $40 billion budget deficit continues to evolve. Lawmakers also are waiting to see how much federal money California will receive under the federal stimulus bill. Here are provisions in the latest budget proposal -- AP -- 2/13/09

State's woes may blunt $789 billion stimulus -- What Washington does with one hand, California may reverse with the other, as the two governments work at cross-purposes in fighting a recession that has left 1.7 million Californians unemployed, a 9.3 percent unemployment rate and worse on the way. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/13/09

Berkeley Federation of Teachers...in the news: 2/12/09

Berkeley Teachers Protest Lack of Contract
Berkeley Daily Planet, CA - 14 hours ago
Cathy Campbell, president of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers, said that the current economic crisis made it crucial to recruit and retain good teachers. ..

Education News: 2/12/09

Teachers launch effort to save small classes -- For more than a decade, the rule through third grade in most California classrooms has been one teacher - and no more than 20 students. Teachers love it, parents expect it, and many educators insist that young students need it. Dana Hull in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/12/09

Up to 250 will get layoff notices at Yuba City Unified
Appeal-Democrat.com - 9 hr, 43 mins ago
officials anticipate the actual number of lost jobs to be far less. Schools in California are required to notify teachers and administrators by March 15 if they will

Job cuts among Visalia school district options
Visalia Times-Delta - 11 hr, 13 mins ago
California schools, plus as much as a $4 million rise in labor costs, could result in larger kindergarten class sizes, higher school meal prices and the elimination

Commentary: To start fixing budget, fix California's schools
San Jose Mercury News, USA - 16 hours ago
When people look to move somewhere, anywhere, they look at two things: jobs and schools. In California, there are 5000 public schools in 1000 school ...

State budget crisis impacts RUSD Rocklin Placer Herald

School board delays cuts, for now
Pleasanton Weekly, USA - 16 hours ago
Kernan also added that PUSD has reason to be grateful amidst the budget crisis affecting California schools. "As weak as it is, we're still fortunate that ...

Pleasanton school district to write parcel tax ballot measure Contra Costa Times

School Chiefs Warn Against Budget Cuts at Morning 'SOS' Rally on ... PR Newswire (press release)

Redwood City district to take over charter school San Jose Mercury News, USA - 9 hours agoGarfield was founded in 1994 as the 49th charter school in California. Becoming a public school will allow Garfield to eliminate administrative functions ...

Ballard & Tighe, Publishers (www.ballard-tighe.com) reported today that 96
percent of the schools using Carousel of IDEAS have met their Annual MeasurableAchievement Objectives (AMAO 1 and AMAO 2) as measured and reported for Title
III standards for English Language Proficiency.

State News: 2/12/09

Votes For Budget Deal Do Not Appear To Be There

State officials work on final items in budget -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders worked Wednesday to put the finishing touches on a budget deal that would close a record-setting $42 billion gap with spending cuts, new taxes and borrowing from Wall Street. Matthew Yi in the San Francisco Chronicle Evan Halper and Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times Mike Zapler in the San Jose Mercury Kevin Yamamura, Dan Smith and Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee Anthony York in Capitol Weekly -- 2/12/09

Highlights of California budget proposal -- Here is some of the language that emerged Wednesday as lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sought to forge a compromise on the state's budget deficit. Democrats want to bring a budget package to a vote Friday. AP -- 2/12/09

Skelton: California tax hikes long overdue -- The taxes should have been raised a year ago. Make that years. The bite would have been a lot smaller. Maybe just a nibble. Ditto some of the spending cuts, although there were $11 billion in program whacks last year. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/12/09

Education News: 2/11/09

Schools, county tinker with budgets
Amador Ledger-Dispatch, CA - 22 hours ago
The California School Employees Association won a temporary reprieve for 11 classified workers at a Jan. 28 school board meeting, but those positions will ...

Merced City School District board discusses layoffs
Merced Sun-Star - In 1 hr, 12 mins
representatives from three groups - the school site administrators, California School Employees Association, and the Merced City Teachers Association - presented

Novato holds off on plan to cut 59 teachers
Marin Independent Journal - 5 hr, 35 mins ago
agree on a solution to California's $42 billion budget deficit. The proposed cuts were met with a mixture of anger and resignation from the teachers, parents and

Job cuts among Visalia school district options
Visalia Times-Delta, CA - 6 hours ago
Those changes, triggered by an anticipated drop in state funding for California schools, plus as much as a $4 million rise in labor costs, could result in ...

Capistrano district rescinds parent volunteer policy OCRegister

State budget could hurt Lucia Mar: District braces for $9 million ...
Adobe Press, CA - 3 hours ago
Property taxes form the bulk of California schools' revenues, but since property taxes fall short of providing all the funding schools need to operate, ...

Rallying for school funds
Glendale News Press, CA - 11 hours ago
The cuts could be devastating for California schools, including the Glendale Unified School District's, which could face up to $20 million in cuts over the ...

School district tells bad budget news to public
Elk Grove Citizen, CA - 48 minutes ago
EGUSD Superintendent Dr. Steven Ladd expressed his frustration at a community meeting held at Florin High School. "In the state of California, the school ...

School district has fewer students, higher costs Ukiah Daily Journal

Layoffs, furloughs will not be needed San Diego Union Tribune

Class sizes or sports?
Willows Journal, United States - 13 hours ago
Brott said children did just fine before the program was established in California schools, and children will do just fine in larger classrooms again with ...

EUHSD votes to layoff 7 people
Foothills Sun Gazette - Exeter,CA,USA

Willows schools list $1.1 million in proposed cuts Enterprise-Record

SF schools hoping rainy day fund saves jobs
San Francisco Chronicle, USA - 10 hours ago
With California facing a massive deficit, school districts across the state are expected to send out thousands of similar layoff notices by the legally ...

Report finds problems in San Francisco schools' hiring -- The San Francisco Unified School District has lost some of its best applicants for teaching posts because it waited too long to offer them jobs or never responded to them at all, just one of several problems in the district's hiring processes that were outlined in a new report released today by the New Teacher Project. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/11/09

Trustees vote to reduce high school grad requirements -- High school students in the county's largest school district now need to complete 220 instead of 240 credits to earn a diploma. FERMIN LEAL in the Orange County Register -- 2/11/09

Cut community college recreation classes, California legislative analysts urge -- The Mardi Gras Lanes bowling alley on Madison Avenue is alive on Friday mornings, buzzing with the energy of more than 40 college students. They sing along to old-school hip-hop, munch on pretzels and onion rings and slap high-fives after each strike. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/11/09

Social networking tapped to raise money for UC Davis -- Social media such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter have been used for friend-making, dating and political fundraising. Soon they will be tapped for a new purpose: raising money for the University of California, Davis. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/11/09

State News: 2/11/09

Budget proposal raises income, sales, gas taxes, and car fees -- Californians' pocketbooks would be hit in at least four ways under a wide-ranging budget proposal that is being pushed toward a floor vote within days in the Senate and Assembly. Jim Sanders, Jon Ortiz and Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/11/09

Governor threatens to lay off 10,000 state workers -- Administration says it will hand out pink slips if budget isn't passed by Friday. Democratic legislative leaders say a vote will be held this week on a deal that includes temporary tax hikes. Patrick McGreevy and Michael Rothfeld in the Los Angeles Times Juliet Williams AP -- 2/11/09

Walters: Corporate tax sweetener to seal deal? -- In terms of complexity and longevity, few state Capitol conflicts surpass the decades-long struggle over how California taxes multistate and multinational corporations. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/11/09

California budget talks marked by secrecy -- Schwarzenegger and the top two legislative leaders of both parties have locked the doors on their work to solve the fiscal crisis, and that rubs some colleagues and constituents the wrong way. Eric Bailey in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/11/09

Education News: 2/10/09

School strings?
California schools cannot expect to escape from the budget debate unscathed, given that education consumes about 40 percent of the state's general fund. But districts need financial flexibility to cope with cutbacks, and the state should take the opportunity to reform an inefficient school funding system.

Arnold, GOP Legislators Get an "F" in Education
Huffington Post, NY - 16 hours ago
They can get more information from the California Education Coalition . Peter Dreier, professor of politics and chair of the Urban & Environmental Policy ...

Point of View: University takes steps in hard times
Pummeled by our state and nation's current financial situation, most people and

institutions have become cautious with their resources and have reduced unnecessary spending. Surveys suggest that most of us are not confident about the near-term economy. [...MORE]

UC's Broken Record: University Again Misleads Taxpayers, Students

MENIFEE: School district plans job fair
North County Times - 2 hr, 13 mins ago
are anticipating having to make large budget cuts as California's economy continues to falter. As part of those cuts, districts may have to lay off teachers. According

Hart to warn some 130 teachers of layoff odds
Los Angeles Daily News - 3 hr, 19 mins ago
have either a semester- long or yearlong contract. Probationary teachers are in their first or second year of teaching. California's education laws require districts

Local School Chiefs to Rally in Sacramento in Response to Expected ...
KLFY - 3 hr, 54 mins ago
At least 50 superintendents from around California will attend with the intent to inform lawmakers of the dire impacts: larger class sizes, teacher layoffs and program

School budget woes
Tehechapi News - 7 hr, 19 mins ago
and welfare benefits for 17 full-time teachers. The kindergarten suggestion is in because kindergarten is not a legal requirement in the state of California,...

Report: Oakland Charter Schools Outperform District Peers with ...
Reuters - In 3 hr, 5 mins
students with the exception of whites, according to a new report released today by the California Charter Schools Association. The report also found that these gains...

State News: 2/10/09

Walters: Reaching a deficit accord is thorny task -- It's difficult to separate the meaningful wheat from the superficial chaff in the complex, secretive negotiations over closing the state's huge budget deficit, but we'll give it a try. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/10/09

No Free Lunch
Unfortunately, Governor Schwarzenegger is stalling a solution to the budget crisis by pushing legislative leaders to accept unrelated and potentially dangerous measures to privatize vital infrastructure projects...
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2009/02/no_free_lunch.html

Education News: 2/9/09

Our View: Schools opting for parcel taxes
San Gabriel Valley Tribune, CA - 15 hours ago
Saying that California schools are in a "precarious state," O'Connell then mentioned a solution several local school districts are considering - with one ...

L.A. charter staff reaches out to teachers union -- Saying that things have changed at the celebrated campus, nearly 80% of faculty at the Accelerated School, near downtown, have turned in signature cards indicating a desire to join UTLA. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/9/09

UC admits misleading public about buyout-taker -- UC Berkeley officials have acknowledged misleading the public in the controversial case of a high-paid executive aide who left her job at the university's headquarters and the next day began a new job on the Cal campus - qualifying for a $100,202 severance check along the way. Jim Doyle in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/9/09

Debate over SAT Score Choice heats up on campuses -- The College Board's new policy that lets students report only their top SAT scores has sparked a national debate and divided high-school guidance counselors and universities. LAURIE LUCAS in the Riverside Press -- 2/9/09

Classrooms adding 'M' for meditation -- math tests, soccer matches, the cafeteria bully. Grammar diagrams, global warming, dad losing his job. Now add this to some 8-year-olds' schedules: a second- period class on dealing with stress. April Dembosky in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/9/09

In defense of teachers' pay in Manteca
Manteca Bulletin, CA - 8 hours ago
Much adieu is being made by some that Manteca and California teachers are paid higher when compared to national averages. Now that'sa surprise. ...

2/8/09:

Our View: Schools opting for parcel taxes
San Gabriel Valley Tribune, CA - Feb 8, 2009
Saying that California schools are in a "precarious state," O'Connell then mentioned a solution several local school districts are considering - with one ...

The class-size debate
Long Beach Press-Telegram, CA - 8 hours ago
The state teachers union is driving an odd stake in the fast-eroding ground of state spending on education. The California Teachers Association is trying to ...

School districts want freer reins -- South Bay school administrators say they need more flexibility in how they can spend restricted state funding if districts are going to survive California's fiscal crisis. Nguyen Huy Vu in the Torrance Daily Breeze -- 2/8/09

Santa Ana seeks to ease high school graduation requirements -- The current requirement of 240 credits, one of the toughest in the state, leaves students little room to retake failed courses. Officials hope lowering it to 220 will decrease the dropout rate. Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/8/09

State News: 2/9/09

State leaders continue to negotiate budget -- The state's most powerful politicians negotiated privately for several hours Sunday in their latest attempt to reduce California's record $40 billion budget deficit. Edwin Garcia in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/9/09

Budget possibilities for this week -- With the state heading into the second week of its "financial Armageddon," there's hope that state lawmakers may finally vote this week on a budget solution to close a record $42 billion gap. Matthew Yi in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/9/09

Skelton: Three tough steps to fiscal sanity in California -- California state government is collapsing. It has been for years, actually. Something needs to change drastically. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/9/09

2/8/09:

California budget mess: Where did our money go? -- California is broke. But lost in the day-to-day drama over IOUs, furloughs and huge deficits is a basic question many Californians might be asking: Where has all our money gone? Paul Rogers and Leigh Poitinger in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/8/09

CFT In the News: 2/6/09

Class Size Reduction Program Must Be Protected

CFT Launches a New Radio Campaign Promoting a State Budget ...
California Progress Report - Oakland,CA,USA
By Marty Hittelman President California Federation of Teachers The California Federation of Teachers today began running sixty-second radio spots to draw ...

Judy Chu runs for Solis seat
St. Paul Asian American Press, MN - 59 minutes ago
... of the Year by the California Primary Care Association, the California Children's Specialty Care Coalition, the California Federation of Teachers, ...

Late CFT News: 1/10/09

Come health or high prices 01.10.08  In California, job-based health care fell from 58.7 percent in 2000 to 54.7 percent in 2006, said Sarah Muller, ... political director for the California Federation of Teachers. The California Labor Federation's Marty Hittleman agreed. ..

Education News: 2/6/09

Website Measures, Ranks a High School's Success
KESQ, CA - 16 hours ago
The database only accounts for students who go to California schools. It does not include those who go to out-of-state colleges, so the percentages could be ...

The State Of Our Schools 2009 Santa Monica Mirror

Hope of ending education budget roller coaster
San Jose Mercury News, USA - 17 hours ago
Schwarzenegger proposes cutting $2.5 billion from public schools alone. Scarcely adjusted to the decrease in last year's budget, California's schools are ...

Community Colleges Juggle Record Enrollments, Budget Cuts
Diverse, VA - 38 minutes ago
California's San Diego Community College District is another system in a tough spot. "Over 7000 students have been turned away from classes they needed to ...

Calif. state schools overhaul admissions policy
The Associated Press - 15 hours ago
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The University of California's governing board on Thursday approved a major overhaul of its admissions policy that would expand the ..

Editorial: Twin Rivers' plight: Bad, but manageable
12:00 am
With a budget stalemate and uncertain economy, local school districts face the daunting task of huge midyear cuts - even though teachers already have been hired and books bought.

School districts want control over state funding Press-Enterprise

State News: 2/6/09

Late add:

State budget cuts would hit GOP areas hardest
Matthew Yi, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau
Friday, February 6, 2009 (02-0 6) 04:00 PST Sacramento - --
Solutions to the state's $42 billion budget gap remain elusive as Republican lawmakers rebuff proposals for new taxes, arguing that California spends too much. But parts of the state that the GOP legislators represent would be hurt most by deep cuts, according to a Chronicle analysis of state data.

Editorial: Budget secrecy is no public service
Ever since Arnold Schwarzenegger became governor, this early advocate of sunshine has relied on darkness to close a budget deal.

Will There Be A Budget Vote Next Week?

Jerry Brown urged to probe Republican vote-trading allegations -- Labor and environmental groups have asked California Attorney General Jerry Brown to investigate whether Republican state lawmakers are engaging in illegal vote trading during budget talks. Josh Richman in the Contra Costa Times -- 2/6/09

Education News: 2/5/09

Budget gap endangers valued school programs -- Parents in San Ramon fear their program for gifted students will vanish. Oakland residents want to save adult education. And teachers across the state are demanding that lawmakers preserve small class sizes they say kids need. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/5/09

UC regents move toward easing admissions requirements
Los Angeles Times, CA - 10 hours ago
By Larry Gordon Reporting from San Francisco -- University of California regents Wednesday gave preliminary approval to a controversial change in freshman ...

School administrators' group calls state funding reductions too deep
Pleasanton Weekly, USA - Feb 5, 2009
Wells cited a recent report by Education Week that showed California ranks 47th in the nation in per-pupil funding. The report stated that the $3.5 billion ...

California seeks to boost transfer rates to 4-year universities -- All three of the state's public college systems form a task force to help smooth the way for students seeking a bachelor's degree. Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times Matt Krupnick in the Contra Costa Times -- 2/5/09

School superintendents appeal to state lawmakers -- Public schools in California will suffer if the state slashes education funding to help balance its $40 billion deficit, a group of Alameda County superintendents told reporters at a Wednesday news conference at East Oakland's Roosevelt Middle School. Katy Murphy in the Oakland Tribune -- 2/5/09

Students urged to apply for Cal Grants, but will money be there? -- College students counting on financial aid from the state don't have to worry if they'll get help for the spring semester. In most cases, the money is coming in. Whether they'll get the help in the fall remains a huge question. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/5/09

Fiona Ma plans end-around bill on JROTC issue -- A San Francisco assemblywoman plans to step on, over and around the city's school board with legislation that would require the district to keep the controversial Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps in its high schools. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/5/09

Betty Karnette drops bid for state office -- Former Assemblywoman Betty Karnette has dropped her bid for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, endorsing Democratic rival Tom Torlakson for the post in the 2010 election cycle. Kristopher Hanson in the Long Beach Press -- 2/5/09

Diablo Valley College gets stern warning from accreditors -- In a letter received by DVC President Judy Walters late Wednesday, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges said it had found serious deficiencies during an October evaluation and was issuing a "show-cause" sanction. DVC must fix the problems this year or face the most serious consequence, the letter said. Matt Krupnick in the Contra Costa Times -- 2/5/09

State News: 2/5/09

GOP accused of vote trading in budget talks -- Labor and environmental leaders accused Republicans of illegally trading votes in budget negotiations and asked state Attorney General Jerry Brown for an immediate investigation, according to a letter they sent Wednesday. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/5/09

Heat coming from all sides as leaders work on budget -- Labor unions are threatening to recall lawmakers who vote to roll back worker rights. Right-wing shock jocks are calling for the heads of lawmakers who break from conservative orthodoxy. Steven Harmon in the Contra Costa Times -- 2/5/09

Education News: 2/4/09

San Francisco Teachers to Rally Against Budget Cuts
KRON4 - 2 hr, 55 mins ago
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) - San Francisco school teachers will be spending part of their afternoon urging Governor Schwarzenegger to hold off on state budget cuts. Members

Teachers protest education cuts
KGO San Francisco - 9 hr, 55 mins ago
...we're really worried about what's going to happen," said Dennis Kelly, from the San Francisco teacher's union.  The proposed cuts to education compelled teachers and parents in to take to the streets. A major rally was underway

State of Education Address by California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell

State school chief sees 'precarious' situation -- In his grimmest State of Education address yet, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell pointed to a "precarious" school system all but collapsing under the weight of California's fiscal crisis. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/4/09

Board of trustees denies renewal of teachers' contracts
Santa Maria Times, CA - Feb 4, 2009
Property taxes form the bulk of California schools districts' revenues, but often fall short of generating enough funds to cover all a district's expenses, ...

Teacher layoffs protested, delayed
Modesto Bee, CA - 9 hours ago
He also played a cavalry charge to rally fellow teachers. The teachers were concerned about a proposal to cut 58 positions. Those who could lose their jobs ...

Community college workers agree to 4-day summer week -- Workers at Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges have agreed to work a four-day week over the summer, hoping to save the college district enough money to avoid layoffs. Jean Cowden Moore in the Ventura Star -- 2/4/09

State News: 2/4/09

State's Big Five keep talks secret for fear of dooming budget deal -- Five Californians are trying to solve the state's budget crisis, in part by keeping the other 38 million residents in the dark. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/4/09

California initiative spending at a glance -- Here are campaign spending totals for the 12 propositions on California's Nov. 4 ballot and the top donors to each campaign. The AP list is in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/4/09

Education News: 2/3/09

California's community colleges near the breaking point -- As the two-year campuses strain to serve an influx of students, officials worry that a key promise - easy transfers to four-year schools - will go unfulfilled for many. Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/3/09
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-transfer3-2009feb03,0,5651037.story?track=rss

Colleges working on own economic stimulus
Hayward Daily Review - In 2 hr, 59 mins
efforts to train a relevant work force. But they're trying to do it with the same meager funding that has come to characterize the poor segment of California higher
http://www.congoo.com/logarticleclicks.aspx?url=http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_11596434

Is the answer fewer days?
Bakersfield.com - 2 hr, 6 mins ago
13 in 1978, California schools have fallen from being in the top 10 nationally in most important education categories to the bottom rung of the 50 states. This includes
http://www.congoo.com/logarticleclicks.aspx?url=http://www.bakersfield.com/1435/story/680665.html

For Schools, Absences Mean Lost Revenue
My58.com - 20 mins ago
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Learning is the No. 1 reason students should be in school. But cash from the state of California also is high on the list for districts facing
http://www.congoo.com/logarticleclicks.aspx?url=http://www.my58.com/news/18625453/detail.html

Schools mull more cost cuts
Napa Valley Register, CA - 9 hours ago
If the measure is enacted, district officials would have until March 5 to notify the school board of which teachers would be losing their jobs, she added.
Story

Parcel taxes get more thought
Ventura County Star, CA - 6 hours ago
In 2008, 41 school districts in California put parcel taxes on the ballot, according to EdSource, a nonpartisan organization that researches education ...
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/6-0&fp=49881eb0070dbe74&ei=dIaISYmWN4j0gQO23ID_BQ&url=http%3A//venturacountystar.com/news/2009/feb/03/parcel-taxes-get-more-thought/&cid=0&usg=AFQjCNHV7SLjNeKJFgv8Wczxqh6jPieIzQ

Sacramento region teachers facing wave of pink slips -- Last spring, Elk Grove Unified warned more than 300 people that they could lose their jobs before the next school year began. Most still had jobs come fall. Melissa Nix in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/3/09
http://www.sacbee.com/ourregion/story/1593882.html?mi_rss=Our+Region

State budget crisis could cost Santa Ana schools 750 jobs -- Santa Ana Unified may also face a $56 million deficit over the next 18 months, superintendent says. FERMIN LEAL in the Orange County Register -- 2/3/09
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/district-budget-santa-2297114-school-rally

Editorial: CTA takes low road with its ads
As layoffs loom, teachers union acts as if crisis isn't serious.
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/story/1593588.html
http://www.congoo.com/logarticleclicks.aspx?url=http://news.mcclatchy.com/homepage/story/61373.html

Study links kids' lead levels to SAT scores
San Francisco Chronicle, USA - 12 hours ago
It shows that these kids are mentally handicapped from the start," and criticizing the kids and their teachers isn't going to solve the problem, ...
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/8-0&fp=49881eb0070dbe74&ei=4YWISenJNIbKlQS36bnrBA&url=http%3A//www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfmoms/detail%3F%26entry_id%3D35334&cid=1300242069&usg=AFQjCNGJGq87mOLBglnTI615AGsioUeUgQ

Ethnic achievement gap in education can't be closed, Palo Alto superintendent says -- When it comes to closing the achievement gap, Palo Alto schools Superintendent Kevin Skelly says educators are deluding themselves. Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/3/09
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11612315?source=rss

State News: 2/3/09

Editorials Place Blame on Republicans for Budget Holdup
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2009/02/editorials_plac.html

Walters: 'Big 5' process seems to be near a climax -- The so-called "Big 5" process has often been used to forge a final state budget deal - the governor and four legislative leaders privately ironing out details that will secure enough votes in the Legislature. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/3/09
http://www.sacbee.com/politics/story/1593876.html?mi_rss=State+Politics

2010 race for California governor -- While the election to choose California's next governor remains a political eternity away - balloting begins in the spring of 2010 - a Silicon Valley-based candidate hoped to send a clear message Monday about how badly he wants the job. State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, a Republican, showed he is poised to bankroll his own campaign: The Los Gatos resident gave his candidacy $560,000 of the $981,000 he reported raising last year, according to campaign finance filings. Edwin Garcia in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/3/09
http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_11613040?source=rss

GOP official seeks to censure those who vote to raise taxes -- A top GOP official has submitted a resolution for the Republican Party's convention later this month to formally censure any Republican who votes for new or higher taxes in a state budget deal. Shane Goldmacher in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/3/09
http://www.sacbee.com/politics/story/1593748.html?mi_rss=State+Politics

Education News: 2/2/09

Educators protest state school cuts
The Salinas Californian, CA - Feb 2, 2009
She said if her hours are cut, teachers won't have all the information they need for proper instruction. Outside the meeting, Gonzalez said she hopes ...

Ad Watch: Teachers union touts wrong budget premise -- The California Teachers Association is running a television ad that accuses Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders of plotting to abolish the state's 12-year-old Class Size Reduction (CSR) program, which affects kindergarten through third grade. Steve Wiegand in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/2/09
http://www.sacbee.com/politics/story/1591000.html?mi_rss=State+Politics

CTA Opposition to CSR Flexibility Will Hurt Many Local Districts
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2009/02/cta_opposition.html

Bid for flexibility in use of class-size reduction funds criticized -- Unions and activists say Schwarzenegger's proposal would mean bigger classes in poor and minority schools. Administrators say adding a few more pupils per class could save the program. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/2/09
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-classsize2-2009feb02,0,832451.story?track=rss

UC proposals target low-income students -- Three weeks ago, University of California officials decided to cut back the number of students they will enroll in the fall. This week, they're considering a package of reforms designed to attract tens of thousands more students to apply each year to the university. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee James P. Sweeney in the San Diego Union-Trib - Sacramento Bee 2/2/09
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/feb/01/1n1uc233145-uc-regents-vote-admission-standards/?zIndex=46282
http://www.sacbee.com/education/story/1591005.html?mi_rss=Education

New direction for the economy
San Francisco Chronicle - 5 hr, 33 mins ago
billion to help schools prevent teacher layoffs and other cutbacks in education. In addition, a portion of the economic recovery package will allow 744,000 California
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/01/ED4C15KL21.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

San Marino district eyes new parcel tax -- San Marino schools need more money. So the school district is considering a parcel tax of $795 per home to raise $4 million to cover a budget shortfall in the 2009-10 school year caused by the state's fiscal crisis. Caroline An in the San Gabriel Tribune -- 2/2/09
http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_11606070?source=rss

School Employees Meet On Looming Cuts
MSNBC - 19 hours ago
With more devastating state budget cuts to education expected, 17 Monterey County chapters of the California School Employees Association called a summit ...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28954265/

Illegal immigrants are a factor in California's budget math
Los Angeles Times, CA - 11 hours ago
Schools are the toughest to calculate. Administrators don't ask kids about citizenship status. Anyway, many children of illegal immigrants were born in this ...
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-cap2-2009feb02,0,4875070.column

State program to reimburse school districts for tech purchases has few takers -- More than two years ago, school districts across California got an opportunity to take advantage of a $250 million windfall for purchasing computers and software. IMRAN VITTACHI in the Riverside Press -- 2/2/09
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_windfall02.454d24d.html

2/1/09:

Economy drives college enrollment up -- The economic recession is driving workers in the Coachella Valley and across the nation back to the classroom at a dizzying rate in hopes of gaining better financial security and earning power, local college officials say. Marcel Honoré in the Desert Sun -- 2/1/09
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090201/NEWS04/902010333/-1/rss

Viewpoint: Situation for schools looks desperate
San Luis Obispo.com - 24 hr, 20 mins ago
98 minimum funding guarantee, California ranks 47th in the nation in per-pupil spending. California teachers educate the most diverse group of students in the nation...
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/opinion/story/607360.html

Shortfall's effects on state soon to be seen
Ventura County Star - Feb 01 2009
in kindergarten through third grades in California schools. Leaders of the state PTA and the California Teachers Association warned last week that if the state gives...
http://venturacountystar.com/news/2009/feb/01/shortfalls-effects-on-state-soon-to-be-seen/?partner=RSS

1/31/09:

OC educators: Be skeptical of TV ad about class sizes
OCRegister, CA - Jan 31, 2009
The ad, set to begin airing this weekend, is part of a new campaign by the California teachers union to urge defeat of Gov. ...
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/class-sizes-school-2295881-union-size

Budget hit for California schools clear - how much isn't
Sacramento Bee, USA - Jan 31, 2009
The California Teachers Association is airing a radio commercial that contends that "the governor's latest budget plan cuts another $10.8 billion from ...
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1587927.html

Educators protest state school cuts The Salinas Californian
http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20090202/NEWS01/902020301

State News: 2/2/09

Polling Shows Californians Want a Mix of Spending Cuts and Revenue Increases
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2009/02/polling_shows_c.html

Rare front-page editorials blame governor, legislators for budget impasse -- At least 11 newspapers owned by the same company on Sunday ran rare front-page editorials blaming the governor and state legislators for the ongoing impasse over the state budget. AP -- 2/2/09
http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_11605901?source=rss

34 years later, Jerry Brown runs for governor again -- Now, after two years as state attorney general, this Democrat who first ran for office in the era of Janis Joplin and the Beatles is remaking himself yet again. This time, Brown's quest is to recapture the job he won 34 years ago: governor of California. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/2/09
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-brown2-2009feb02,0,4860907.story?track=rss

2/1/09:

California leaders still searching for budget deal -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders won't meet again until Monday as they search for a $42 billion solution to the state's budget woes. AP -- 2/1/09
http://www.sacbee.com/state_wire/story/1589347.html?mi_rss=AP+State+News

Legislators at odds over federal stimulus aid -- The federal stimulus package approved by the House of Representatives last week seems like welcome news for California's cash-strapped government, with billions of dollars earmarked for schools, roads and health care in the state. Matthew Yi in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/1/09
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/01/BA5315JN87.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

California GOP lawmakers use budget as leverage to refight old battles -- With their votes needed for a spending plan, Republicans press for delaying or rolling back rules on overtime pay and diesel pollution, a move they say would aid the economy. Eric Bailey in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/1/09
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-gop1-2009feb01,0,2365823.story?track=rss

Walters: California spending cap could seal deal on budget -- California's horrendous budget crisis has its roots in a 1978 decision by then-Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature to temporarily shoulder billions of dollars in school and local government costs in response to voters' passage of Proposition 13, which deeply slashed local property taxes. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/1/09
http://www.sacbee.com/walters/story/1589452.html?mi_rss=Dan+Walters