Education news:  09.30.2009

Court: Teacher refusing training can be fired -- Veteran schoolteachers who refuse training that qualifies them to instruct students who speak only limited English can be fired, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday. Bob Egelko  in the San Francisco Chronicle   -- 9/30/09

Joe Simitian goes to Washington to lobby for schools -- State Sen. Joe Simitian met with three top federal education officials in Washington on Tuesday to assure them that a bill awaiting the governor's signature would qualify California for a piece of the $4.3 billion Race to the Top fund. J.M.Brown in the San Jose Mercury    -- 9/30/09

No-tolerance on violence raises Elk Grove school's suspensions -- Samuel Jackman Middle School in south Sacramento had 507 suspensions last year for drugs and violence more than any other school in Northern California. Diana Lambert and Phillip Reese  in the Sacramento Bee   -- 9/30/09

Editorial: Revision of state's Master Plan for Higher Education is crucial
Mercury News Editorial
California's system of higher education is one of the nation's great public policy successes. It's produced millions of well-prepared graduates, lifting many of them into the middle class while fueling a booming state economy.
It wasn't by accident. In 1960, the Legislature passed the Master Plan for Higher Education, setting priorities for the University of California, California State University and community college systems. As the 50th anniversary of that prescient document approaches, plans for a long-overdue revision are taking shape in the Legislature.

THE STRUGGLE FOR EDUCATION RIGHTS
University of California Walkouts Show the Way
Editorial by Josh Sykes 
Fight Back! is circulating the following editorial written by Josh Sykes for the Student Commission of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
Thousands of union workers, faculty, undergrads and graduate students across the University of California system stood up and said “no more!” to the severe budget cuts, layoffs, furloughs and tuition hikes. On Sept. 24, they stood up and walked out. The UC faculty initiated the walkout. The United Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) union called a one-day unfair labor practices strike. All ten of the UC campuses saw protests. 

Our View: CSU, UC students aren't ATMs
Merced Sun Star
Rather than looking for ways to share the financial burden, universities use the easiest solution.
The leaders of the California State University and University of California systems seem to think their students are ATM machines.
When the state Legislature cuts state higher education funding, CSU and UC officials withdraw the money they need from the students.
It's much easier going to the students than coming up with more equitable ways of sharing the considerable financial burden.

The misdirected UC “walkout”
By Peter Schrag, California Progress Report
Given its history of hiding embarrassing data and dealing misinformation, the University of California shouldn’t be surprised that in yet another fiscal crisis its leaders aren’t basking in the friendly support and trust of its employees and students.

Six locals honored as Teachers of the Year
AWARD: Six locals are among L.A. County's Teachers of the Year.
By Connie Llanos, Staff Writer
For Hali Metelak, teaching is a life-long passion rather than simply an occupation.
An English teacher at Vista Middle School in Van Nuys, Metalak fuels her passion by running an intervention program for students struggling with the language.
"I don't just teach them how to read, but to love reading," said Metelak, an educator for eight years. "Once they learn, all of a sudden they do better in school, they are excited about learning, and they are not getting into as much trouble."


State News: 09.30.2009


Tax Report: A Failure To Provide A Fair, Long-Term Solution To California’s Revenue And Tax Problems.
By Lenny Goldberg, Executive Director, California Tax Reform Association
The California Tax Reform Association, which participated in many discussions of the Commission on the Twenty-First Century Economy, criticized the report as “a failure to provide a fair, long-term solution to California’s revenue and tax problems.” Executive Director Lenny Goldberg said, among its many failings, “it does not even address the distinct issues of the 21st century economy”, which is its supposed charge.

Tax Recommendations a Profound Disappointment
By Art Pulaski Executive Secretary-Treasurer, California Labor Federation
The recommendations released today by the Tax Commission are a profound disappointment, offering no solutions to better support our state's middle class. The proposals are a step backward, shifting the tax burden from the wealthiest taxpayers to middle- and low-income families at a time when we can least afford it. If enacted, these proposals would entomb California in perpetual recession.

Commission Recommends Tax Code Restructuring
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger endorsed sweeping changes in the state tax code proposed by a commission yesterday. But the commission's proposal is controversial, and many experts question whether it would be workable or even legal. Reporter: Tara Siler. California Report

GOVERNOR CALLS ON LAWMAKERS TO OVERHAUL TAX SYSTEM IN SPECIAL SESSION
Steve Shadley, Capital Public Radio    
The 14-member panel has recommended a series of sweeping changes to the state's tax system, but labor groups and some lawmakers are critical of the plan.
Governor Schwarzenegger called lawmakers into a special session today (Tuesday) saying they must act quickly on a list of recommendations to overhaul California’s tax system.
The proposals were made by a bi-partisan committee he appointed last year.   But, as Capital Public Radio's Steve Shadley reports, reaction is mixed...

Daring tax overhaul decried -- A proposal to dramatically reshape California's tax system drew criticism yesterday from across the political landscape, even before the Legislature begins considering the plan. Don Thompson AP  -- 9/30/09

Walters: Much-needed California tax overhaul likely doomed -- A blue-ribbon commission appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders to overhaul California's counterproductive tax system delivered its oft-delayed report Tuesday and, if adopted, it would improve predictability, fairness and simplicity. Dan Walters  in the Sacramento Bee   -- 9/30/09 in the Fresno Bee   

Q&A: How Schwarzenegger-backed tax plan would affect Californians -- Despite opposition from business and labor groups, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger embraced a blue-ribbon panel's recommendation Tuesday to flatten the state income tax, eliminate part of the sales tax and install a new form of consumption tax on most firms. Kevin Yamamura  in the Sacramento Bee   -- 9/30/09

Education news:  09.29.2009

Amid lagging scores of Latino students, San Jose High Academy models success -- In the past two years, San Jose High leapt 63 points on the state's Academic Performance Index — and its Latino students, who make up 80 percent of the school, did even better, jumping 72 points. Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury    -- 9/29/09

Tobar: Cal State students, it's time to stand up -- Budget cuts are taking away the right to an inexpensive public education, depriving many of the right to move up. Hector Tobar in the Los Angeles Times   -- 9/29/09

Marin foundation giving $35 million to schools -- A Marin County nonprofit will pour $35 million into a handful of school districts specifically to help students who lag behind their more privileged peers, an unprecedented infusion of cash focused on about 1,800 children. Jill Tucker  in the San Francisco Chronicle   -- 9/29/09

Bills Would Expand Oversight of Public Universities
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has a pile of bills sitting on his desk, and a few weeks to decide whether to sign or veto each one. Two of the bills have to do with transparency in the state's public universities and their affiliated nonprofit entities. Guest: Senator Leland Yee, D-San Francisco. California Report

State of the State: K-12 Education
By DAVID PLANK – Daily Cal
Two years ago, California spent significantly less on schools than most other states. Now we are making deep cuts in educational spending. Two years ago, California ranked nearly last in the nation in the number of adults per student in our schools. Now we are laying off teachers. Two years ago, California faced a severe shortage of college graduates in the coming decade. Now the UC and CSU systems are eliminating classes and restricting enrollments.

College Fairs prove most useful to juniors and seniors
By Carlos Alcala – Sac Bee
Tuesday, Sep. 29, 2009
At a single college fair in Rocklin last year, 4,000 to 5,000 people -- teens and parents -- swarmed the tables of college recruiters in the academic equivalent of speed dating.

Time for California to make reforms in education
BRIAN NESTANDE • SPECIAL TO THE DESERT SUN 
The governor has called for a special session on education reform to enact changes needed to make California eligible and competitive for billions of dollars in federal funding.
I am honored to serve as the vice chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, and I look forward to working with the governor and my colleagues in the Legislature to enact meaningful reforms that will improve the delivery of education for our children.

The Los Angeles County Teachers of the Year
Top School Teachers Selected for 2009-10 – PR Newswire
Honorees Include Educators in Azusa, Glendora, Los Angeles, Lennox, Long Beach, Manhattan Beach and Whittier
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A total of 16 winners were named today as the 2009-10 Los Angeles County Teachers of the Year, representing the profession's "best of the best" in the state's largest honors competition for K-12 educators.

Who Asked Us? Dear Arnold: Sign onto Education Funding Fairness
New America Media, Commentary, Askari Gonzalez
Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,
When is the last time you talked to a public school student?
And I don’t mean one of those meet-and-greet, dog-and-pony shows. I mean, you know, really talked to one of us, like inviting us over to your office in Sacramento or going to lunch at a McDonald’s. To find out what’s really going on in our schools and in our lives.

Cash-Strapped California Schools Get Technology Boost from Movea, Inc.
September 29, 2009 – Business Newswire
Silicon Valley’s Movea Provides $200,000 Technology Donation, Challenges Other Tech Companies to Do the Same
MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Movea, Inc. today announced it has donated a number of its Gyration GyroTransport in-air presentation devices, valued at $200,000, to over 160 cash-strapped Californian schools and colleges. Movea is the Silicon Valley-based creator of motion-sensing technology for business communications, home entertainment and mobile computing, including the concept for the Nintendo Wiimote.


State News: 09.29.2009


California tax panel to recommend new business tax -- A commission charged with reforming California's tax structure will recommend repealing the state sales and corporate taxes, flattening the income tax rate and taxing businesses in a way that has never been tried on a wide scale in the U.S. Judy Lin AP  -- 9/29/09

Walters: Whitman's voting record no advantage -- About a year ago, this column surveyed the potential candidates for governor and the problems that Arnold Schwarzenegger's successor would face, then offered a semi-facetious suggestion that "perhaps all of them should undergo mental evaluation for even thinking about governing California." Dan Walters  in the Sacramento Bee
-- 9/29/09

Education news:  09.28.2009


School districts taking a stance against Sexting -- Whether it's blatant child pornography or simply a passing fad, the prevalence of "sexting" has school administrators throughout the region concerned. Amanda Baumfeld in the San Gabriel Tribune   -- 9/28/09

Matier & Ross: Newsom plans college 'savings bond' -- Mayor and new daddy Gavin Newsom will unveil a plan to provide every San Francisco kindergartener with a $50 "savings bond" for college - just as soon as he can figure out how to make sure illegal immigrants can qualify. Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle  -- 9/28/09

Insurance dispute takes center stage in auditorium drama -- Garfield High is left with a burned-out shell as L.A. Unified and insurers argue over whether the remaining walls should be demolished after 2007 arson fire. Carla Rivera in the Los Angeles Times  -- 9/28/09

Students, Faculty, and Workers Across the State Protest UC Fee Hikes and Furloughs
by David M. Greenwald, California Progress Report
Thousands of students, faculty, and staff protested fee increases and furloughs on Thursday across the state. The California Progress Report was at UC Davis Thursday, where over 1000 students, employees, faculty members, staffers, and others affiliated with the University filled the East Quad at UC Davis on Thursday afternoon advocating against fee increases that many see as the death knell for public education in California.

Other Views: California schools need a shakeup
The Riverside Press-Enterprise
The state has avoided facing the shortcomings in public schools long enough. California legislators should use the upcoming special session on education to make the sweeping reforms the state's school system urgently needs. A legislative focus on grabbing more federal funds misses the point: California education requires fundamental changes in operation and governance.


Education News: 09.27.2009


College radicalism redux
Students are protesting again. This time the issue isn't war or civil rights. It's the cost of a decent education, and students have little time to spend on it.
By Cathleen Decker, LA Times
The campus protests of the 1960s happened long enough ago that the images filter through in black-and-white, the tint of television newsreels and newspaper photographs back in the day:
Mario Savio, ushering in the Free Speech Movement from atop a police car and exhorting fellow Berkeley students to block the arrest of their friend in the car below.

Anti-bullying effort in Alameda under fire -- A small East Bay school district's effort to protect children of nontraditional families from being bullied has sparked a lawsuit from an out-of-town Christian legal group and a campaign to recall three school board members. Jeff Mitchell  in the Sacramento Bee  -- 9/27/09

Simitian addresses higher education cuts
State senator tackles education and other issues in town hall meeting
by Royston Sim - Palo Alto Online 
California will pay the price in the near future for cutting funding to higher education, State Senator Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, said at a town-hall meeting held at Palo Alto City Hall Saturday morning.
About 120 people packed the council chambers, where Simitian fielded questions on state-employee pensions and state parks, among other topics.


Education News: 09.26.2009

CSU may face new round of fee hikes -- Another fee increase could be on the horizon for California State University students, who already are coping with higher prices this year. Cyndee Fontana AP  -- 9/26/09

Suspected swine flu outbreaks reported at schools in L.A. County -- Only the Burbank and Glendale districts confirm cases of H1N1 virus infections and identify the schools where they were reported. Others refuse to share detailed information. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times
-- 9/26/09

Troubled teens playing it for laughs in comedy class -- Drugs, violence, teen pregnancy and incarceration — not exactly the stuff of punch lines and laugh tracks. Maureen Magee in the San Diego Union-Trib   -- 9/26/09

Rallies Against UC Cuts
Thousands of students, professors and workers walked out of classes at University of California campuses across the state yesterday. They were protesting budget cuts, furloughs and more tuition hikes. The biggest rally was at UC Berkeley. Reporter: Mina Kim - California Report


State News: 09.28.2009


California's budget should hold up until winter, analysts say — but plenty of pain still in store -- A funny thing has happened on the way to California's next regularly scheduled fiscal doomsday: a glimmer of good economic news. Denis C. Theriault in the San Jose Mercury    -- 9/28/09

Walters: Will census resolve debate over size of congressional delegation? -- Fair warning: The column you are about to read contains a lot of numbers potentially confusing numbers, in fact but they underlie what could be an important shift of political power. Dan Walters  in the Sacramento Bee  -- 9/28/09

California Federation of Teachers:  In the News:  9/25/09

Yudof’s Broken Kettle – 9/25/09 Bob Samuels, President
UC-AFT (University Council-American Federation of Teachers) in the California Progress Report

Students, Faculty and Workers Rally at UCSC
SantaCruz.com - Jessica Lussenhop - ‎17 hours ago‎
... including University Professional and Technical Employees; University Council - American Federation of Teachers; American Federation of State, ...

Late release: 9/24/09

Teachers find Obama not the friend they had expected
IdahoStatesman.com - Rob Hotakainen - ‎Sep 24, 2009‎
"It takes more than the ability to fill in bubbles to be considered an educated person," Marty Hittelman, president of the California Federation of Teachers ...

CA Students, Educators Join In Statewide Protests Over Budget Cuts
Public News Service - ‎Sep 24, 2009‎
Protests and walkouts are planned at all ten University of California (UC) campuses. Marty Hittelman, president of the California Federation of Teachers, ...

Education news:  9/25/09

Passionate protests, marching and 'teach-ins' on UC campuses all over the state -- Against a backdrop of massive protests and picket lines on UC campuses all over California, some students got lessons not found anywhere in a textbook: why they're getting less, but paying more, for their education. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury  -- 9/25/09

UC campuses hit by protests -- On what was the first day of the new academic year for most of the system, students and staff protest cuts and fee increases brought on by California's budget crisis. Larry Gordon and Maria L. LaGanga in the Los Angeles Times  -- 9/25/09

University of California campuses -- From Davis to San Diego – and on eight campuses in between – the University of California erupted Thursday in protests, pickets, walkouts and teach-ins. About 7,000 people participated in rallies that were generally peaceful and resulted in no arrests. Laurel Rosenhall and Julie Johnson  in the Sacramento Bee  -- 9/25/09

Students, Faculty, and Workers Across the State Protest UC Fee Hikes and Furloughs – 9/25/09 - David Greenwald, California Progress Report

Thousands march in Berkeley over UC cuts San Francisco Chronicle

HUNDREDS TO RALLY AGAINST BUDGET CUTS TODAY Daily Californian 9/25/09

Cal State professors, students stage funeral for public university 89.3 KPCC

California's Budget Crunch: The Universities Protest TIME 9/25/09

Community Colleges Squeezed by Enrollment Jump, Budget Cuts – 9/25/09 Capitol Public Radio
Fri Sep 25, 2009 — Our “Learning Curve” series wraps up with a report on California's community college system. A huge surge in enrollment – along with the need to cut costs – is putting campuses through quite the squeeze.

My Word: School district needs community's help on master plan
San Jose Mercury News - Kirsten Vital - ‎20 hours ago‎
Like school districts across California, the Alameda Unified School District is facing a perfect storm of fiscal crises.

Talk of furloughs, not education, highlight first day as fall ...
San Bernardino Sun - Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell - ‎12 hours ago‎
Because of enormous budget cuts to the California State University system, Cal State San Bernardino has initiated dramatic measures, including enrollment ...

Late News 9/24/09:

Audio Postcard From Protest Rally - Capitol Public Radio
Thu Sep 24, 2009 — Students, facutly and staff at University of California campuses walked out of class Thursday protesting fee increases and furloughs. At UC Davis, hundreds gathered for a noon-time rally.

UC Students, Faculty Walkout To Protest Budget Cuts
Thu Sep 24, 2009 — Rallies were held at ten University of California campuses to protest employee furloughs and student fee increases.  Capitol Public Radio

9/24/09  Photo: A rally at UC Berkeley campus today.
Demonstrations to protest state budget cuts to higher education are drawing large crowds of students, professors and workers at at all 10 University of California campuses today.

State News: none

California Federation of Teachers News: 9.24.2009


CA Students, Educators Join In Statewide Protests Over Budget Cuts
September 24, 2009
SACREMENTO, Calif. - Thousands of state university students, faculty and staff today are protesting state budget cuts that have led to higher tuition, increased class sizes and has caused employee layoffs and furloughs. Protests and walkouts are planned at all ten University of California (UC) campuses.
Marty Hittelman, president of the California Federation of Teachers, the union representing 4,000 educators, says faculty and staff at more than a dozen K-through-12 and community college districts will join in solidarity by wearing union t-shirts and passing out fliers because they, too, are feeling the impact of state budget cuts.

Teachers find Obama not the friend they had expected
Rob Hotakainen - McClatchy Newspapers
Published: 09/23/09
WASHINGTON — When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed merit pay for teachers and lifting the cap on charter schools, the head of the California NAACP stood by his side.
And when the Los Angeles school board voted to approve a plan that could turn over a third of its schools to private operators, Latino members and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa led the charge.
...
"It takes more than the ability to fill in bubbles to be considered an educated person," Marty Hittelman, president of the California Federation of Teachers, said in a letter to Duncan. "We thought President Obama understood that."


Education news:  9.24.2009


Dropouts costing California $1.1 billion annually in juvenile crime costs -- Study finds that cutting the dropout rate in half would save $550 million and prevent 30,000 juvenile crimes a year. Law enforcement urges more dropout-prevention programs. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times  -- 9/24/09

Less Money, Same Problems -- Outside experts hired by the district to pore over the budget found that the system is still riddled with problems, according to a draft report obtained by voiceofsandiego.org. EMILY ALPERT  Voiceofsandiego.org   -- 9/24/09

Protest planned for University of California system -- Rallies, walkouts and teach-ins are scheduled today, the first day of fall classes on seven campuses, in reaction to state budget decisions that are forcing higher student fees and staff pay cuts. Larry Gordon in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/24/09

Stimulus quirk leaves community colleges with $90 million less -- California's community colleges will receive far less federal money than had been expected, meaning the 110-school system will have to make deep cuts in student services. Matt Krupnick in the Contra Costa Times  -- 9/24/09

Online High Schools Test Students' Social Skills -- Tatyana Ray has more than 1,200 Facebook friends, sends 600 texts a month and participated in four student clubs during the year and a half she attended high school online, through a program affiliated with Stanford University. PAUL GLADER  in the Wall Street Journal   -- 9/24/09

California University Cuts Protested
By MALIA WOLLAN
Published: September 24, 2009
BERKELEY, Calif.— Rallies and job actions are planned for Thursday by students, faculty and employees at the 10 University of California campuses to protest budget cuts, faculty furloughs and tuition fee increases.

Protest planned for University of California system
Rallies, walkouts and teach-ins are scheduled today, the first day of fall classes on seven campuses, in reaction to state budget decisions that are forcing higher student fees and staff pay cuts.

UC Walkout
by Toby Beauchamp, Kristin Koster, Vanessa Rapatz, and Kaitlin Walker
On Thursday, September 24, an unprecedented coalition of UC faculty, undergraduates, grad students, postdocs, lecturers, and staff will engage in a system-wide walkout.  As UC Davis graduate students and lecturers concerned with the quality of all UC students' education, we write to clarify the reasons for this walkout as we understand them.

U.S. community colleges strive to boost study-abroad programs
By Mary Beth Marklein, USA TODAY
Community colleges, acknowledging increased attention to their role in preparing today's workforce for a global economy, are looking for new ways to send more students abroad.
"Community colleges that do not offer education abroad are not meeting their mandate of preparing for their future roles in a global economy," says Rosalind Raby, director of California Colleges for International Education, a non-profit membership group


State News: 09.24.2009


California selling buildings worth $2 billion to raise cash -- As the California economy roared in the 1990s and tax revenues poured into a treasury overseen by Gov. Pete Wilson, the state laid plans for a series of new office buildings in Sacramento to spare itself from paying rent to other landlords. Jim Wasserman  in the Sacramento Bee  -- 9/24/09

Legislature prepares to reconvene for mid-October special session -- The fate of hundreds of bills passed in the final days of the legislative year remains uncertain, as Gov. Schwarzenegger continues to push lawmakers to reach a solution on the state’s water crisis. Anthony York  in Capitol Weekly  -- 9/24/09

Education news:  9.23.2009


Chapman president: Make courses tougher -- Chapman University President Jim Doti asked his faculty to make their classes tougher after alumni said in a survey that they wished that some of their course work had been more challenging. Gary Robbins  in the Orange County Register   -- 9/23/09

'Naked rally' at UC Davis sets stage for Thursday walkout -- Depending on whom you ask, a walkout planned for the first day of classes at UC Davis on Thursday could be a minor sideshow or a major disruption. Laurel Rosenhall  in the Sacramento Bee    -- 9/23/09

Sacramento diocese sees big drop in Catholic school enrollment -- Elementary school enrollment in the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento has declined by 4.5 percent this school year – the biggest one-year drop the diocese has ever seen, church officials say. Jennifer Garza  in the Sacramento Bee   -- 9/23/09

Local schools struggle with federal guidelines -- Forty-five percent of San Gabriel Valley schools have failed to meet federal standards known as Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, for two consecutive years in English or math, officials said. Amanda Baumfeld in the San Gabriel Tribune  -- 9/23/09

UCLA volunteers fan out across city -- About 4,600 university students, faculty and staff -- including Chancellor Gene Block -- painted public school classrooms, cleaned beaches and worked at the veterans hospital and cemetery. Larry Gordon in the Los Angeles Times  -- 9/23/09

L.A. school district union agrees to furloughs -- In what Los Angeles school district officials hope is the first of several concessions by labor unions, bus drivers have agreed to take six unpaid days off this fiscal year, officials said Tuesday. Jason Song  in the Los Angeles Times
-- 9/23/09

CSUSB leader gives sobering overview -- Cal State San Bernardino President Albert Karnig told faculty gathered at the university that they need to roll up their collective sleeves and make the best of a situation none of them has chosen. Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell  in the Inland Daily Bulletin   -- 9/23/09

Budget woes strike I.E. campuses hard -- And as another school is about to begin in the wake of yet another season of budget crisis, it's apparent that the University of California and the California State University are still mired in difficulties. Andrew Edwards, Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell and Canan Tasci in the San Bernardino Sun   -- 9/23/09

Veteran substitute teachers protest loss of work -- The protesters were angry that Duffy had signed an agreement that could result in reduced work hours for veteran substitute teachers and put their health benefits at risk. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/23/09

Salinas High board OKs classified pay cut
SEPTEMBER 23, 2009
The Salinas Union High School District Board of Trustees approved a 2.7 percent pay cut Tuesday night for members of the California School Employees Association.
In a unanimous vote, the board approved the pay cut, which will save the district over $1.3 million.

California Campuses Plan Walkouts over Budget Cuts
09/23/09
It's no secret that California has been slowly suffocating in a lethal amalgam of fixed spending requirements and catastrophic revenue losses. Among the public institutions hit hardest by the lack of funds is higher education. Students and faculty are so upset by looming fee hikes and budget cuts that they've organized campus walkouts Thursday.

Editorial: Veto of teacher data bill would send terrible message
Mercury News Editorial
09/22/2009
The highest barrier to California's getting its fair share of $4 billion in federal "Race to the Top" education grants is a 2006 law that prohibits linking teacher evaluations to student test scores. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has made California's ban a national laughing stock. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proclaimed that it must go.


State News: 9.23.2009


Gubernatorial hopefuls split on California prison changes -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger isn't done battling federal judges over plans to relieve California prison overcrowding. Jack Chang  in the Sacramento Bee   -- 9/23/09

Clamoring for California Debt -- A few months ago, the state of California didn't have the cash to pay its work force, issuing them short-term IOUs instead. RANDALL SMITH in the Wall Street Journal  -- 9/23/09

Schwarzenegger changes course: Far fewer than 100 state parks to close -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will close far fewer than 100 state parks as his administration had previously planned, and he has dropped plans to release a list of targeted parks this month. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury      -- 9/23/09

Education news:  9.22.2009


Crowded De Anza College shuts door to 8,438 students -- School started Monday at Cupertino's De Anza College — but not for the 8,438 students who couldn't get classes due to excess demand. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury -- 9/22/09

Bringing Teaching for the Gifted to All Kids -- Sandra Ruvalcaba isn't sure if she would have tapped Dominic Satterfield as a gifted child before. EMILY ALPERT Voiceofsandiego.org -- 9/22/09

Money problems sowing discontent in University of California system
By Matt Krupnick - Bay Area News Group
BERKELEY — Financial problems are causing more angst than ever at the University of California, where some faculty members have pledged to walk out of class on Thursday to protest budget cuts and students are trying to figure out how to band together to fight tuition and fee increases.
The expected showdown this week — on the first day of classes at eight of the 10 campuses — follows a raucous UC Board of Regents meeting last week where officials presented their tuition plan and 14 of about 100 demonstrators were arrested.

Obama wants to limit role of banks in student loan business
By J.M. BROWN
APTOS -- William Alvarez spent $538 on books for his four classes at Cabrillo College this fall.
That may not seem like all that much until the 20-year-old biology major explains that the $538 paid for just three books. His chemistry tome alone cost a whopping $220.

Hundreds of professors and staff at all 10 University of California campuses are expected to hold a walkout this week. By: Steve Milne
The protest over furloughs is set to happen this Thursday – the first day of classes at UC Santa Cruz, UC San Francisco and UC Davis.
Victor Sanchez is president of the UC Student Association. He says students have mixed feelings about the walkout.



State News: 9.22.2009


Going Broke: Do-it-yourself lawmaking often a budget buster -- Voters' distrust of the people they elect has been around as long as voting itself. But armed with a 98-year-old constitutional weapon, California voters repeatedly have parlayed that distrust into making laws on their own - and greatly complicated the state's budget process. Steve Wiegand and Phillip Reese  in the Sacramento Bee  -- 9/22/09

California Federation of Teachers In the News: 9/19-21/2009

Teachers find Obama not the friend they had expected
McClatchy Washington Bureau - Rob Hotakainen - ‎Sep 19, 2009‎
"It takes more than the ability to fill in bubbles to be considered an educated person," Marty Hittelman, president of the California Federation of Teachers ...

Schwarzenegger's plan would reshape education in California
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called on legislators Thursday to adopt sweeping education reforms that would dramatically reshape California's public education system and qualify the state for competitive federal school funding.
...
'Intense debate'
The state, said Marty Hittelman, president of the 100,000-member California Federation of Teachers, should not mandate how local districts use student data.
And Dean Vogel, vice president of the 340,000-member California Teachers Assn., the state's largest, said the proposals weren't well thought out.


Education news:  9/19-21/2009

9/21/09

Money problems sowing discontent in Univerity of California system -- Financial problems are causing more angst than ever at the University of California, where some faculty members have pledged to walk out of class on Thursday to protest budget cuts and students are trying to figure out how to band together to fight tuition and fee increases. Matt Krupnick  in the San Jose Mercury -- 9/21/09

A district under siege: Discord continues in Luther Burbank -- In the tiny Luther Burbank School District, the office copy/fax machine is on the fritz, the phones go to voice mail for lack of a district secretary and teachers picket after school to protest stalled contract talks. Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury    -- 9/21/09

Bay Area colleges and universities brace for stressful flu season -- Study hard. Call home. And when playing Beer Pong, please don't share cups.  Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury  -- 9/21/09

Web site helps students choose college -- Seventeen-year-old Tatiana Castro visited a college fair near her small Southern California town and had a chance to talk with representatives of Yale, New York University and a half dozen other East Coast colleges she's interested in. Nanette Asimov  in the San Francisco Chronicle  -- 9/21/09

Hispanics lagging in test scores -- The fastest growing demographic in Kern County schools -- Hispanics -- continue to lag behind their white counterparts at school, boding ill not only for themselves but economic growth generally. JEFF NACHTIGAL  in the Bakersfield Californian
-- 9/21/09

Japanese-American internees may receive honorary degrees -- Dozens of Japanese-American students forced to abandon Fresno State for World War II internment camps may soon receive honorary degrees. Cyndee Fontana  in the Fresno Bee    -- 9/21/09

Furlough Issue Comes To Head This Week at UC
Editor
California Progress Report
September 24 has become the magical date for the University. That is the date of the first day of instruction for the fall quarter for those campuses (the majority of them) that are on the quarter system. Planned for that day is a faculty walk out, union strikes, and a student protest.
On Friday, UC Davis told its more than 4400 union employees that if they do not accept the furlough they will face layoffs or other reductions.


9/20/09

Budget cuts push some classrooms way over capacity -- Some L.A. Unified classes are crammed with about 50 students, leaving some to sit on desks or the floor and their teachers to grade hundreds of papers while still focusing on improvement. Mitchell Landsberg in the Los Angeles Times   -- 9/19/09

Initiative Focuses on Early Learning Programs -- Tucked away in an $87 billion higher education bill that passed the House last week was a broad new federal initiative aimed not at benefiting college students, but at raising quality in the early learning and care programs that serve children from birth through age 5. SAM DILLON in the New York Times   -- 9/19/09

California must lead way, education chief urges
Sacramento Bee 
California has to lead the way in increasing the graduation rate as quickly as we can. The Department of Education historically, since its inception, ...

The Conversation: Education chief wants a transformation Pia Lopez in the Sacramento Bee

Rick Braziel: The time to act is before the dropout gets arrested
By Rick Braziel  in the Sacramento Bee The time to act is before the dropout gets arrested  Classrooms around Sacramento
are coming back to life as the summer winds down and a new school year begins. As parents, we all have big goals for our children,  and a good education is the foundation needed to realize many of those dreams.

Gerald W. Bracey: State's exit exams deserve a failing grade
In view of the heated discussion of the California  High School Exit Examination, it is important to know that, generally, this much we can say: High school exit examinations don't work, and in some cases, they backfire. States don't gather information on the effects of the test because the political risk is too great. Imagine voters' outrage if a study found that a state had spent hundreds of millions on a test that did no good.

Foreign teachers take US teaching jobs
Examiner.com 

Educators frustrated by differences between state, federal standards
Canan Tasci, Staff Writer
09/20/2009
Despite solid gains in academic achievement - according to the state accountability report - some educators continue to feel there is a disconnect between state and federal standards.
The annual Accountability Progress Report released by the California Department of Education provides results from the Academic Performance Index, or API, as well as the federal accountability system, Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, and Program Improvement.


9/19/09

UC fee hikes: a two-edged sword
Los Angeles Times - ‎Sep 19, 2009‎
Even in the best of times, few California households can easily afford a 44% increase in their children's college tuition within two years.

Budget cuts push some classrooms way over capacity
Los Angeles Times - Mitchell Landsberg - ‎19 hours ago‎
The impact of California's budget cuts has varied from school to school. Because of the patchwork of federal and state funding for education, some campuses ...

Rising college costs prompt student loan reform
Inland Empire News - ‎Sep 19, 2009‎
Because of revenue declines, at least 32 states have made cuts to higher-education funding recently, and more may follow. California students can expect to ...

Schools shakeup
Press-Enterprise - ‎19 hours ago‎
A legislative focus on grabbing more federal funds misses the point: California education requires fundamental changes in operation and governance.

Report: More Orange County teachers prepared for the classroom -- The number of underprepared teachers in Orange County has dropped dramatically in just eight years, according to preliminary results of a report due out later this year. FERMIN LEAL in the Orange County Register
-- 9/19/09

State News: 9/19-21/2009

9/21/09

Going Broke: State officials spread loot like Santa, expert says -- Doerr's reference is to a penchant of lawmakers and governors over the past three decades to spend whatever money they have on hand - and promise even more - then let succeeding budget drafters fend for themselves. Steve Wiegand  in the Sacramento Bee    -- 9/21/09


9/20/09

Going Broke: State's a wreck – can it be fixed? -- Three inarguable facts dominate California's system of financing state government: • It's a mess. • It's currently a mess in large part due to the deepest and most pervasive global recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. • It's been a mess for much of the past three decades because the combination of an out-of date tax system, reckless spending and fickle voters has made state government extremely vulnerable to the ebbs and flows of the economy. Steve Wiegand and Phillip Reese   in the Sacramento Bee  -- 9/20/09


Since Prop. 13, California officials have had an aversion to tax hikes -- Since the approval of Proposition 13 in 1978 and the beginning of the "tax revolt," legislators and governors generally have found the thought of tax hikes quite revolting. Steve Wiegand and Phillip Reese   in the Sacramento Bee  -- 9/20/09

9/19/09

So many bills, so little time for Schwarzenegger -- Lawmakers shut down the 2009 regular session a week ago without reaching compromise on water legislation, but they did approve hundreds of other bills in the final days. The item is in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/19/09

California Federation of Teachers In the News:  9/18/09

Budget cuts 'disastrous'
Laney Tower - Jessica Sims - ‎4 hours ago‎
According to one of the speakers, California Federation of Teachers President Marty Hittleman, cuts could result in the loss of 250000 community college ...

District officials address college budget woes
Laney Tower - Reginald James - ‎4 hours ago‎
The Peralta Federation of Teachers (PFT), the union for Peralta faculty, sponsored the event. "There are a quarter million students who normally attend ...

Education news:  9/18/09

Gov. Schwarzenegger Highlights California's Push for Education ...
California Newswire - Valerie Gotten - ‎1 hour ago‎
In May, the US Department of Education provided California $3.2 billion for the first phase of SFSF, 67 percent of California's total $4.9 billion ...

Senator Accuses Regents of Using Crisis To Line Pockets of Top UC Executives Senator Leland Yee in the California Progress Report

Education program in Spanish sparks complaint
Bakersfield Now - Carol Ferguson - ‎16 hours ago‎
"The English language is the official language of the State of California." In 1986, California voters did pass an amendment to the state constitution.

A boon for language class Glendale News Press

Economic crisis devastates students
Workers World - Julie Fry - ‎12 hours ago‎
In California, a state that almost went bankrupt this year from its huge budget deficits, state funding to all levels of education has been cut by billions ...

As We See It: UC fee hike would go too far Santa Cruz Sentinel

Times a-changin' at junior colleges Lodi News-Sentinel

Wyland seeks education policy overhaul, federal money
San Diego News Room - Landon Bright - ‎Sep 17, 2009‎
Mark Wyland (R-Carlsbad) and three other state senators have authored a bill that would require some controversial changes to California's education code, ...

Faculty Prepares for Systemwide Walkout
Daily Californian - Angelica Dongallo - ‎8 hours ago‎
As members of the UC Berkeley community gear up for a scheduled systemwide faculty walkout and union strike next week, some faculty ...

Berkeley University of California faculty, staff, students plan ...
Examiner.com - ‎20 hours ago‎
Berkeley Professors and faculty are planning a Walk Out September 24th. Along with every other University of California throughout the system, ...

REGIONAL: Wyland pushes for teacher merit pay, more charter schools North County Times

With expenses rising California college kids have another way to get great education -- Snowboarding, trout fishing and challenging academics — all for less money than the University of California? Evan Feuerbach left Los Gatos to find just that at the University of Montana's flagship campus in Missoula. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury   -- 9/18/09

Student loans might soon get overhauled -- A bill passed by the House would cut out banks and send federal funds right to students. Janet Hook in the Los Angeles Times  -- 9/18/09

Bill Upends System for College Loans -- House approval of an education-financing bill Thursday marks a first step toward sweeping changes in U.S. higher education that would cut out private lenders and leave the government as sole provider of student loans under federal programs. COREY BOLES and ROBERT TOMSHO in the Wall Street Journal -- 9/18/09

Education news:  9.17.2009

State budget woes have SRJC students looking at out-of-state colleges -- Throngs of Santa Rosa Junior College students lined up Wednesday at tables adorned with satin covers affixed with university seals of schools from San Diego to Reno for the JC's annual transfer day. KERRY BENEFIELD in the Santa Rosa Press  -- 9/17/09

UC regents reluctantly backing proposal for more student fee increases -- Given California's financial condition, the board seems prepared to impose a mid-year increase in January and another next fall. Protests to the plan result in 14 arrests. Larry Gordon  in the Los Angeles Times   -- 9/17/09

Massive fee hikes planned at University of California -- University of California regents meeting Wednesday in San Francisco said they likely will approve a 32 percent hike in student fees. Julie Johnson and Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee   -- 9/17/09

Lawmakers okay fiscal disclosure rules for colleges, universities -- In a year that saw few legislative accomplishments, Sen. Leland Yee’s largely successful efforts to take on executives of UC, CSU and community college systems stand out. Yee got two bills passed in the closing days of session, SB 218 and SB 219. Malcolm Maclachlan in Capitol Weekly  -- 9/17/09

4 Orange County schools named as nation's best -- The local recipients are Middle College High in Santa Ana, Murdy Elementary in Garden Grove, Mission Parish School in San Juan Capistrano and St. Paul's Lutheran School in Orange. FERMIN LEAL in the Orange County Register -- 9/17/09

School's state test scores thrown out after alleged cheating -- A Hawaiian Gardens elementary school had its state accountability results thrown out this year after the ABC Unified School District found that a teacher had inappropriately coached students while they took standardized tests, officials said Wednesday. Kevin Butler in the Long Beach Press  -- 9/17/09

Are Blue Ribbon schools really the best? -- Federal recognition is just one measure of school quality. FERMIN LEAL in the Orange County Register   -- 9/17/09

Controversial book allowed in Temecula school district -- Trustees add 'Speak' to the core literature list after concerns were raised about the plot involving rape. Seema Mehta  in the Sacramento Bee   -- 9/17/09

UC Regents Reluctantly Push For Massive Fee Hike Amid Students Protests
by David M. Greenwald - Editor - California Progress Report
On Wednesday, the UC Regents acknowledged what was first reported last week by Matt Krupnick from Contra Costa Times reported last Thursday that the University of California may raise student fees an additional 32 percent by the fall of 2010. This would boost the annual undergraduate tuition to over the 10,000 dollar mark for the first time in the system's history.

REGIONAL: Wyland pushes for teacher merit pay, more charter schools
Senate bill would help state qualify for federal money
STACY BRANDT  Wednesday, September 16, 2009
A state senator who represents much of North County is pushing for changes that would help California and local schools qualify for millions of dollars in federal education money, but could face a tough sell among educators.

K-12 High Speed Network and Verizon Announce Partnership to Provide Free Online Resources...
Thu Sep 17, 2009 Reuters
K-12 High Speed Network and Verizon Announce Partnership to Provide Free
Online Resources Through Thinkfinity.org to Help California Educators
Verizon Foundation Grant of $125,000 to Fund Professional Development for
Teachers and Trainers

New Environmental Education Campus for Southern California Kids
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to be home of fourth  NatureBridge residential education campus
Santa Monica, Calif.  September 17, 2009 -- Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area  and NatureBridge today announced the formation of Santa Monica Mountains Institute, a new environmental education campus that will serve Southern California urban youth. The new campus, located at Circle X Ranch in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains, will be operated by NatureBridge in partnership with the National Park Service.

House passes overhaul of college aid program
By LIBBY QUAID (AP) – 24 minutes ago
WASHINGTON — The House has voted in favor of the biggest overhaul of college aid programs since their creation in the 1960s — a bill to oust private lenders from the student loan business and put the government in charge.
Thursday's vote was 253-171 in favor of a bill that fulfills an array of President Barack Obama's campaign promises, ending subsidies for private lenders, boosting Pell Grants for needy students and paying for community college reforms, among other things.
The measure goes next to the Senate, where its fate is a little less certain.


State News: 9.17.2009


California lawmakers held hundreds of fundraisers -- The country was rocked by recession this year and the state was crippled by an ongoing cash crunch, but lawmakers still kept the money flowing to their campaign coffers. Torey Van Oot  in the Sacramento Bee   -- 9/17/09

Education Blog highlights SF Chronical op ed: 9/16/09

“We Expected Better From Obama’s Education Reforms”
Posted at 12:24 am under school reform
The San Francisco Chronicle ran a pretty good op-ed piece today from Marty Hittelman, the President of the California Federation of Teachers. It’s called “We Expected Better From Obama’s Education Reforms” and is worth a look.

Education news:  9/16/09

Schools Look Abroad to Hire Teachers
New York Times - Sam Dillon - ‎Sep 14, 2009‎
The top applicants for temporary visas for foreign teachers in 2007 were Texas, Georgia, New York, Maryland and California, the report said.

University of California may raise tuition 30%
USA Today - ‎22 hours ago‎
UC officials say the moves are needed to preserve the quality of education as the university grapples with a 20% drop in state funding and increased ...

SacBee Capitol Alert
AM Alert: Let the race begin
The regular session's all wrapped up (well, sort of), but it's time to bring on the special issues on tap for all of those ongoing and upcoming extraordinary sessions.

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass announced yesterday the creation of a special committee to lead the way on making sure the state qualifies for "Race to the Top" federal stimulus funds. The special session work is more of a marathon than a sprint, though, with a preliminary schedule of hearings that stretches through December.

That committee's first hearing on the issue is next week, but the issues are sure to be discussed at a Senate Education Committee hearing today. Committee Chair Gloria Romero is holding the hearing in sunny San Diego to shine the light on efforts in that city to qualify for the stimulus money.

Romero, a candidate for superintendent for public instruction, is the co-author of legislation that would achieve one of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's most controversial proposals for revamping California schools -- repealing a law that prohibits linking student test scores with teacher evaluations.

Walkout called over UC budget cuts -- Hundreds of faculty, students and staff from the University of California's 10 campuses are calling for a systemwide walkout Sept. 24 to protest UC's handling of its budget crisis. Nanette Asimov  in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/16/09

State, U.S. disagree on progress at some L.A. schools -- Federal standards deem dozens of campuses to still be 'failing,' making them eligible for takeover under a new L.A. Unified policy. State evaluations show major improvements at some of those campuses. Howard Blume   in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/16/09

Test results bring confusion -- After six long years being tagged as a failure by federal standards, Malcolm X Academy was recast today as an unmitigated success story. Jill Tucker  in the San Francisco -- 9/16/09

Academic Performance Index scores better, but fall short of state average -- Los Angeles Unified students overall made steady progress last year on a key state benchmark test, but 52 underperforming schools were added to a list of campuses that could be taken over by nonprofit operators. Connie Llanos  in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 9/16/09

API test scores: Valley's Latino and black students lag other areas -- Though Silicon Valley's public schools continued to outshine their statewide counterparts, a close look at test scores released Tuesday revealed a troubling development: For the first time, Santa Clara County's African-American and Latino students performed worse than their state counterparts. Dana Hull and Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury -- 9/16/09

Innovative math program boosts scores at Orange County  schools -- At the 64 elementary sites using the program, 13% of students scored 'advanced' or 'proficient' on standardized state tests, compared with 4.5% statewide. It's described as 'thinking in pictures.' Seema Mehta  in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/16/09

K-12 High Speed Network and Verizon to Unveil on Sept. 17 ...
Reuters - ‎6 minutes ago‎
17) to unveil a new initiative to provide free online resources for California teachers. The new program will build upon Verizon's existing online ...

State News: 9/16/09

CFT News: 9.15.2009


'Race to the Top' - we expected better
Marty Hittelman - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle
What are the ingredients of successful education reform? From the perspective of a classroom teacher, reform must be rooted in classroom practice and supported by research.
For eight years, educators endured No Child Left Behind, an education law that focused on one-size-fits-all standardized testing. We looked forward to the day that a new administration, headed by a president who promised transparency, reliance on research and support for public education, took office.


Education news:  9.15.2009


Bass announces committee for special session on schools September 15, 2009
Assembly Speaker Karen Bass announced today the creation of a Committee on Education  to spearhead the work for the special session on schools.   
The special session was called last month by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is pushing for a series of statutory changes that he says are needed to make California eligible for the "Race to the Top" competitive grants.

Obscure database is key to U.S. educational funds for California -- The data system tracks student, teacher and administrator performance year to year but has barely gotten off the ground. Other states' systems improve student performance and hold schools accountable. Jason Felch and Jason Song in the Los Angeles Times  -- 9/15/09

UCI students could soon major in video games -- Freshmen at UC Irvine could be among the first graduates to earn a degree in computer game science as the university expands its research into gaming and virtual worlds. IAN HAMILTON in the Orange County Register  -- 9/15/09

Record numbers of students face stiff fee hikes at CSUB -- Some of the record number of freshman who arrived on campus Monday at Cal State Bakersfield no doubt opted to attend college close to home to save money. JEFF NACHTIGAL in the Bakersfield Californian  -- 9/15/09

Fatal shooting shocks UCI campus -- After a graduate student allegedly killed his ex-wife, officials strive to reassure the UC Irvine community that the case was an anomaly and the campus is nevertheless a safe place. Paloma Esquivel and Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times   -- 9/14/09

Zipcar sharing program coming to UCLA and USC -- UCLA and USC students will be able to easily rent cars for short trips under a car-sharing program announced Monday, with the city providing parking spaces to make the vehicles more accessible. Rick Orlov  in the Los Angeles Daily News
-- 9/15/09

California Makes Significant Gains in Reducing Underprepared Teachers

Monday, September 14, 2009
(Sacramento) California has made steady and significant progress in reducing the number of underprepared teachers in the state’s schools, according to a new research analysis commissioned by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning and conducted by SRI International.

Obscure database is key to U.S. educational funds for California
The data system tracks student, teacher and administrator performance year to year but has barely gotten off the ground. Other states' systems improve student performance and hold schools accountable.
By Jason Felch and Jason Song - September 14, 2009
California's chance to receive hundreds of millions of federal educational dollars may rest heavily on an obscure and long-neglected piece of education infrastructure: a statewide data system that tracks students, teachers and administrators year to year.

Schools Look Abroad to Hire Teachers Published: September 14, 2009
By SAM DILLON New York Times
Some American school districts have turned increasingly to overseas recruiting to find teachers willing to work in their hard-to-staff schools, according to a new report  by a national teachers union.


State News: 9.15.2009


Bill Clinton to Back Gavin Newsom for California Governor Over 1992 Rival Jerry Brown -- Former President's Endorsement Called 'Potential Game-Changer' TEDDY DAVIS ABCNews -- 9/15/09

California GOP legislators blocked 20 bills after demands were unmet -- Among the lost bills were keeping domestic-violence shelters open and helping counties prepare for swine flu. Republicans wanted free tax preparation for poor people eliminated. Shane Goldmacher and Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times   -- 9/14/09

California tax overhaul plan almost ready -- Special commission's proposal, meant to solve the state's worsening budget crises, would shift the burden off the wealthy and change how businesses are levied. But the Legislature may not go for it. Eric Bailey in the Los Angeles Times
-- 9/15/09

Schwarzenegger plans executive order on renewable energy -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will take charge today of how California utilities meet a goal that one-third of their power be generated by renewable energy by 2020. Susan Ferriss  in the Sacramento Bee  -- 9/15/09

Education news:  09.14.09

Organizers pull plug on edgy Berkeley parade -- Berkeley has finally come up with an answer to the question posed by the annual parade: How Berkeley Can You Be? Carolyn Jones  in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/14/09

Southern California universities acquire rare religious texts -- Five fragments of the 2,000-year-old Dead Sea Scrolls are in the collection of Azusa Pacific. Loyola Marymount is displaying a leaf from one of the original Gutenberg Bibles from the 1450s. Duke Helfand  in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/14/09

Free meals for all at 18 Santa Ana schools -- Every student at 18 campuses in Santa Ana Unified School District will receive a free breakfast and lunch through the rest of the school year regardless of whether they qualify for the federal free and reduced-price meal program. FERMIN LEAL  in the Orange County Register -- 9/14/09

New San Francisco high school nurtures immigrant youth -- The 50 high school students heading to their next class looked like typical teenagers, hauling backpacks, cradling books and laughing. Yet they were far from it. Jill Tucker  in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/14/09

All you can carry: College cafeterias go trayless-- Despite some students' complaints about the inconvenience, more schools cut down on food and energy costs with a new policy. Larry Gordon in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/14/09

The Future of Higher Education in California, Or Is There Any?
By Robert Cruickshank – California Progress Report
Or maybe the question should be posed like this: "without affordable and accessible higher education, does California even have a future?"
California's dramatic economic success over the last few decades, propelling the state into the forefront of the global economy, was made possible by the investments made in higher education in the 1950s and 1960s. Democrats and Republicans agreed on the need for a well-funded college system that prioritized accessibility and affordability.

And We Think Education is Expensive...
By Randy Bayne – California Progress Report - The Bayne of Blog's California Notes
There was a time, not long ago actually, when rational people with rational differences could enter rational debate and come to rational solutions to solve problems rationally. See a pattern developing here? Rationality seems to be a thing of the past, particularly as the extremes on both sides become louder and more obnoxious. Even among friends, discussions about critical issues have been sidelined by irrational debate. We allow ourselves to be derailed by marginal issues or issues that are only tangentially connected to the real problems facing all of us.
 
CFTL Analysis Says California Makes Significant Gains in Reducing Underprepared Teachers - 2009-09-14
California has made steady and significant progress in reducing the number of underprepared teachers in the state’s schools, according to a new research analysis commissioned by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning and conducted by SRI International.
The analysis, part of a larger report due out in December, shows the number of underprepared teachers in California fell from a high of 42,427 in 2000-2001 to just over 15,000 by 2007-08. The new analysis finds that trend continuing, with numbers falling to 10,855 for the 2008-09 school year.

Cal State East Bay trying to become math, science hub
By Matt Krupnick - Contra Costa Times - 09/11/2009
Cal State East Bay is trying to position itself as a premium training ground for science, engineering and mathematics teachers, while UC Berkeley is backing away from that role.
The Cal State school, which has campuses in Hayward and Concord, plans to raise at least $15 million in private funds to dramatically increase the number of elementary school and secondary school teachers trained in those disciplines.


State News: 09.1409


Schwarzenegger may order a change in green energy rules -- An order expected this week would require a third of energy to come from renewable resources -- possibly with no limit on importing such power from other states. He may seek to include atomic power. Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/14/09

Deadline Looms for California's Inmate-Reduction Plan -- California has until week's end to come up with a plan to reduce by nearly a quarter its population of 154,000 prison inmates. Ashley Surdin in the Washington Post -- 9/14/09

Education News: 9/12-13

Where candidates stand on key issues
San Francisco Chronicle - ‎15 hours ago‎
More local control in education; supports charter schools and investing in "recruiting, hiring, and retaining quality teachers." Wants to expand charter ...

U.S. sweetens tax credits for higher education expenses -- The incentives have been bumped up to as much as $2,500 per student and are now available to families earning up to $180,000. But the tax break is good only through 2010. Kathy M. Kristof in the Los Angeles Timesn

Students Seek Quality Higher Education in the Face of California ...
LiteracyNews.com - ‎14 hours ago‎
As the effects of vast state budget cuts at California's public higher education institutions are felt, more students may rely on the stability of private ...

Charter schools 101: Charter schools in California's East SF Bay Area
Examiner.com - ‎10 hours ago‎
California has nearly 700 of them. They offer a comprehensive education, often using multi-age classrooms, class meetings, life skills education, ... 

California Students Return to Bigger Classes, at Higher Tuition
New York Times - Rebecca Cathcart - ‎Sep 12, 2009‎
The state legislature approved searing cuts to higher education as part of a belated budget agreement in August, leaving university officials scrambling to ...

Hamid Shirvani: Keeping college dream alive Merced Sun-Star

A Virtual Revolution Is Brewing for Colleges -- The real force for change is the market: Online classes are just cheaper to produce. Community colleges and for-profit education entrepreneurs are already experimenting with dorm-free, commute-free options. Zephyr Teachout in the Washington Post  -- 9/12/09

More Antioch schools embrace uniforms, but not all -- Carmen Dragon Elementary School has had its smoothest beginning to a school year since it opened in 2004, according to Principal Didi Del Chiaro — and she believes clothes are the reason. Hilary Costa in the Contra Costa Times -- 9/12/09

UCI students face possible $1,344 fee increase -- The University of California Board of Regents will consider raising student fees by at least 30 percent when it meets next week in San Francisco, potentially increasing costs paid by UC Irvine undergraduates by $1,344. (That’s for residents of California.) Almost $600 of that figure could be imposed on students starting in January 2010. Gary Robbins in the Orange County Register  -- 9/12/09

Both sides object to LAUSD charter plan -- Los Angeles Unified officials have released the first draft of a controversial reform plan that outlines how nonprofit groups might ultimately operate up to 250 district campuses, but some groups Friday criticized the proposal as anti-parent choice and anti-teacher. Connie Llanos in the Los Angeles Daily News   -- 9/12/09

Cash-crunched schools looking at advertisement to bring in money -- In a time when schools are getting less money from the state to fund education, districts are desperate to find alternative sources of revenue. Neil Nisperos and Canan Tasci in the Inland Daily Bulletin  -- 9/12/09

San Bernardino Adult School experiences hard times -- It's not unusual for students in Susan Dela Cruz's English-as-a-second-language class at San Bernardino Adult School to show up for class carrying boxes of markers and extra paper. Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell in the San Bernardino Sun  -- 9/12/09

Students finding all seats filled -- Just weeks into the fall semester, the Inland region's community colleges are bursting at their seams as the poor economy and rising costs at four-year institutions fuel double-digit enrollment growth. DUANE W. GANG in the Riverside Press -- 9/12/09

Late news 9/11/09:

PD Editorial: Teacher pay
Santa Rosa Press Democrat - John Burgess - ‎Sep 11, 2009‎
First, in 2006, acting at the behest of the California Teachers Association, the Legislature banned state use of test data to evaluate teachers.

State News: 9/12-13

Calif lawmakers will be back for unsolved issues
The Associated Press - Juliet Williams - ‎Sep 12, 2009‎
Arnold Schwarzenegger called to overhaul California's tax structure and reform education. After a last-minute effort to make critical improvements to the ...

Budget crisis' shadow proved difficult for Legislature to overcome -- It was a fitting end for a legislative session that seemed — amid wave after wave this year of bad budget news, blown deadlines and gubernatorial tough talk — like it might never end. Denis C. Theriault in the San Jose Mercury -- 9/13/09

Legislators wrap up session anticipating special session -- California lawmakers wrapped up a legislative session dominated by deep budget cuts early Saturday with few major accomplishments, putting off critical decisions on water policy and other reforms until special sessions this fall. Juliette Williams AP  -- 9/13/09

Education news:  9/11/09

Patrick Garofalo: President Obama's education speech - Point
Washington Examiner - Patrick Garofalo - ‎13 hours ago‎
Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Ca.) has called a special session of the California legislature in order to take up reforms that would make the state eligible for ...

State mulls linking test scores to teach pay
Record-Searchlight - Rob Rogers - ‎10 hours ago‎
California is one of a handful of states that does not rate teachers on their students' test scores. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has pushed state lawmakers ...

Sunbeams: Education fundraising in black-and-white
San Jose Mercury News - Harriet Ainsworth - ‎22 hours ago‎
That's three from the bottom, nationally "... in golden California? So despite our uncertain economy, the educational foundation is launching its fall ...

We Can't Afford Not to Invest in Early Childhood Education
L.A. Watts Times (subscription) - Gary Mangiofico - ‎16 hours ago‎
The answer may surprise you, and that is: We need to invest in early childhood education. If LA and California are to become effective players in the global ...

Eight years later, 9/11 is a classroom topic but not much in ...
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin - Canan Tasci, Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell - ‎14 hours ago‎
California's education budget cuts not only forced schools to reduce or eliminate spending for special programs, transportation and teachers, ...

Education 101: What are schools teaching students about September 11?
Examiner.com - ‎1 hour ago‎
The participating states are New York City, California, New Jersey, Alabama, Indiana, Illinois and Kansas. The September 11 Education Program, ...

POLITICAL LANDSCAPE: State works toward school funds Glendale News Press

UC president recommends huge tuition increases -- The price of a public education at the University of California may be going up again - not once, but twice. Nanette Asimov  in the San Francisco Chronicle   -- 9/11/09           

UC proposing 32 percent fee hike -- The University of California may raise student fees 32 percent by next fall, boosting annual undergraduate tuition over the $10,000 level for the first time ever. Matt Krupnick in the San Jose Mercury  -- 9/11/09

UC Davis prepares for Sept. 24 faculty walkout -- UC Davis students will have class on Sept. 24 – the first day of the new school year – even if faculty stage the walkout they have planned, Chancellor Linda Katehi said Thursday. Laurel Rosenhall  in the Sacramento Bee  -- 9/11/09

Santa Rosa approves advertising in schools -- The cash-strapped Santa Rosa School Board will allow advertisers to purchase sponsorships and naming rights at Santa Rosa City Schools. KERRY BENEFIELD in the Santa Rosa Press   -- 9/11/09

State News: 9/11/09

Poll finds Californians don't trust state government -- Public Policy Institute survey finds two-thirds expect bad economic times in the next year, and half fear job loss. But the survey also uncovers strong approval of the U.S. government. Cathleen Decker in the Los Angeles Times  -- 9/11/09

2010: Year of CA Government Reform? -- It's hard not to see the results of tonight's new statewide poll as even more fuel to the fire of reworking the way California government -- and frankly, California politics -- will operate in the future. John Myers Capitol Notes weblog    -- 9/11/09

Clock Ticking On Legislative Session
There's less than 24 hours left in this year's legislative session at the state capitol. And the three biggest policy issues remain in limbo: water policy, prison population, and greenhouse gas reduction. Guest: John Myers, Sacramento bureau chief for the California Report.


Education news:  9/10/09

States scramble for reform to get stimulus money
The Associated Press - ‎20 hours ago‎

Commentary: Who says public schools need more money?
CNN - Ben Chavis - ‎Sep 9, 2009‎
According to the California Department of Education, the district's reported 2008 California Standardized Test scores show: 1.

Colleges try to delay the pain, but some students hurting -- Community college leaders know the other shoe will drop. Many are trying to control when — and who it will crush. Matt Krupnick  in the Contra Costa Times   -- 9/10/09

Santa Rosa Schools facing hard choices -- Shortening the school year, reconfiguring or closing campuses and increasing class sizes were among the big-dollar choices being considered Wednesday by Santa Rosa City Schools trustees. KERRY BENEFIELD in the Santa Rosa Press -- 9/10/09

Valley class sizes in early grades grow -- Some Valley school districts are increasing class sizes to save money -- despite financial penalties levied by the state. Marc Benjamin in the Fresno Bee  -- 9/10/09

Community colleges struggle with higher enrollment and fewer funds The Turlock Journal

Report: Demand has increased at state's community colleges The Salinas Californian

School transfer law is extended -- State lawmakers this week approved an extension of a law that allows students to to easily change schools. E.J. Schultz  in the Fresno Bee   -- 9/10/09

UCI students might face another fee hike -- The University of California’s Board of Regents will discuss the possibility of raising student fees at Irvine and the system’s nine other campuses when it meets next week in San Francisco. Gary Robbins  in the Orange County Register  -- 9/10/09

FORUM: Time to rethink higher education support North County Times

Sacramento State, UC Davis stress flu shots for students -- There was a carnival atmosphere inside the University Union at Sacramento State on Wednesday, with jugglers, magicians, fortune tellers, balloon artists … and nurses giving flu shots. Laurel Rosenhall and Anna Tong  in the Sacramento Bee    -- 9/10/09

CSU, UC executive raises bill up for vote -- State lawmakers have brought back to life a bill prohibiting executive pay raises at California State University in bad budget years. Nanette Asimov  in the San Francisco Chronicle    -- 9/10/09         

VISTA: School board trustee wants review of union chief's pay
North County Times - ‎14 hours ago‎
Gibson said that he's concerned that the roughly $146000 difference in cost may be illegally benefitting the union and the statewide California Teachers ...

Teacher tenure must go
Los Angeles Times - Jonah Goldberg - ‎Sep 8, 2009‎
... reading The Times' ongoing series about the difficulties of firing tenured teachers in California schools would Yes, this disaster has many authors.

State News: 9/10/09

End of session tensions mark policy, political debates -- A frantic and frenetic Capitol atmosphere gave way to an all-out war between the Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in this final week of the legislative session. Anthony York in Capitol Weekly -- 9/10/09


Education news:  9/9/2009

Schools open facing $140 million shortfall -- Hundreds of thousands of Los Angeles Unified students today head back to school, where they'll find crowded classrooms, fewer teachers and limited services thanks to a year of tough budget cuts. Connie Llanos   in the Los Angeles Daily News   -- 9/9/09

The school on the old Ambassador Hotel site offers an education in L.A. sociopolitics -- Loss of Myron Hunt's 1921 building is still lamented. What's opening in its place is trying hard to be part of the neighborhood, while conceding here and there to its tumultuous history. CHRISTOPHER HAWTHORNE in the Los Angeles Times  -- 9/9/09

Bipartisan praise for Obama's school speech -- Republicans, including Newt Gingrich and Florida party chairman Jim Greer, ultimately say they approve the president's call for students to persist through challenges. Christi Parsons in the Los Angeles Times  -- 9/9/09

Sacramento students take Obama message to heart: Never give up -- At 9 a.m. Tuesday, a stream of third-graders filed into Room 5 at Sequoia Elementary School in Sacramento. Laurel Rosenhall  in the Sacramento Bee   -- 9/9/09

AB 48 Protects Private For-Profit Education Corporations, Hurts Students and Taxpayers
By Richard Holober
September  9, 2009.  
Executive Director
Consumer Federation of California
Did you know that the vocational schools that litter late-night television with promises of new careers and higher salaries in a matter of weeks are in a fight for their lives? And students, who have been defrauded for years, are likely to be the losers.

School reform: The Arne-and-Arnold agenda By Peter Schrag - California Progress Report
The ambitious school reform demands Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger dropped on the legislature a couple of weeks ago come with a lot of points in their favor. But careful review and input from California’s education community isn’t one of them. Again, the governor parachuted into an issue that he’s never showed much interest in and that his office has little capacity for.

California Schools Sell Out (Because They Have To)
School ad space, naming rights up for grab
By  OLSEN EBRIGHT
Tue, Sep 8, 2009
School systems across California have a message for the rest of the world: "Your ad here."
Thanks to massive budget cuts, cash-strapped schools are reaching out to anyone or any business with a checkbook.
In Chino Valley Unified School District , corporate sponsorships are available for school assemblies, said interim Supt. Wayne Joseph .
"I don't think we have much of a choice," Joseph told the Los Angeles Times. "There are probably more dark days ahead. We're going to have to look at other streams of revenue."

Schools superintendent decries cuts
Michelle Mitchell • The Desert Sun • September 9, 2009
Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Kenneth Young on Tuesday complemented the progress of Coachella Valley schools and facilities but expressed concerns about state funding problems.
“All of those (Coachella Valley) school districts have made significant academic gains in the last 20 years, and I mean significant,” he told those attending the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting Tuesday.

Dumbing down high school
September 9, Public Policy Examiner  Joseph Perkins
The Class of 2010 is back to school in California. One in ten will fail the state’s high school exit exam and will not graduate with their peers.
The California Teachers Association – and the state lawmakers beholden to the powerful public teachers union – has long opposed the exit exam. They insist that it is wrong to withhold diplomas California’s high school seniors simply because they fail to pass the exam.

Calif. Budget Troubles Fuel Curriculum Crisis
* By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo
School administrators in California are getting greater flexibility in how they spend more than $300 million dollars intended for instructional materials, along with encouragement to use some free digital textbooks for high school courses, as a result of cost-cutting measures brought on by the state’s budget crisis.

Commentary: Who says public schools need more money?
(CNN) -- Teachers unions and politicians are constantly claiming that K-12 public schools need more money in order to produce good academic results. But does the data support the argument that our schools need more money to succeed?
The Oakland Unified School District had a budget of $602 million for the 2008-2009 school year, according to Katy Murphy, an education reporter with the Oakland Tribune. That budget, which includes $77 million spent on consultants, means that the district spends an average of $16,270 per student!


State News: 9/9/2009


Rainy-day fund sees revival in tax commission talks -- Despite his many efforts, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has failed to establish a strong rainy-day fund for California. Voters rejected his last attempt in May, although that rainy-day fund proposal was doomed by its linkage to temporary tax hike extensions in a special election. Kevin Yamamura SacBee Capitol Alert  -- 9/9/09

Schwarzenegger accepts veto dare -- In the latest round of Capitol brinksmanship, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill honoring Vietnam veterans and threatened to kill 72 other proposals on his desk because he said lawmakers have ignored his priority issues. Kevin Yamamura  in the Sacramento Bee   -- 9/9/09

Legislature passes health reform, but the governor may not -- Lawmakers vote to bar insurers from dropping sick patients, and approve several other bills. But Schwarzenegger says his pen is on hiatus until lawmakers act on water and prison issues. Patrick McGreevy and Eric Bailey in the Los Angeles Times   -- 9/9/09

CFT News: 9.8.2009

Opposing view: We expected better
Teachers don’t oppose reforms. But these federal ideas just won’t work.

By Marty Hittelman
What makes for successful education reform? From the teacher's perspective, it must be rooted in classroom practice and supported by research that demonstrates success in improving student learning.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is proposing to award $4.35 billion to states on a competitive grant basis for what he considers "educational innovation." California's share — if it qualifies — might be around $500 million for its 6 million students. To put the federal funding in perspective, education budget cuts in California over the last couple of years come to $13 billion. The millions would be helpful, but not enough to make up the difference. We would also like to see them directed more productively.
 

Education news:  9/5-7/2009

UCI professors urged to stage one day walkout -- Professors at UC Irvine and the nine other UC campuses are being urged to stage a one day walkout on September 24th to protest the deep financial cuts that are being made throughout the system as a result of the state budget crisis. Gary Robbins in the Orange County Register

Schools help guide Valley's first-generation college students -- The story of Fresno State's first-generation students begins at the top. President John Welty was first in his family to graduate college. Cyndee Fontana  in the Fresno Bee  -- 9/7/09

Changing California from Oakland #3 - Education
Examiner.com - ‎3 minutes ago‎
Perhaps you remember grade school - 40% is a big fat F. The problems in California's education system are many and most are complicated.

Opinion: California needs labor research and education
San Jose Mercury News - Ken Jacobs, Kent Wong - ‎20 hours ago‎
This means the need for research and education on labor and employment problems is greater than ever. For more than 60 years, the University of California ...

Cash-strapped California schools seek commercial sponsors to raise ...
Los Angeles Times - Seema Mehta - ‎19 hours ago‎
As the economy has unraveled and California faces continual budget shortfalls, state spending on education has been dramatically reduced in recent years ...

Prepared text of Obama's speech to school students
The Associated Press - ‎5 hours ago‎
I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.

CLAUSEN: Colleges key for economy
North County Times - ‎17 hours ago‎
Nonetheless, Haynes writes, "Cal State San Marcos and the public higher education system in California are in crisis." Never before have budget cuts posed ...

Schools look to teacher furloughs to trim budgets
San Bernardino Sun - Canan Tasci, Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell - ‎Sep 5, 2009‎
... Florida as well as California, said Ed Muir, deputy director of research and information services for the American Federation of Teachers. ...

Reeducating unions
Los Angeles Times - ‎17 hours ago‎
Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose 2005 proposal to modify teacher tenure was brought down by the full-on might of the California Teachers Assn., is now calling ...

Economy taking bites out of labor
Contra Costa Times - Rick Orlov - ‎18 hours ago‎
The Obama administration has upset teachers unions by calling for teacher pay to be tied to student performance, as well as pushing for the opening of more ...

Equal funding for California's schools
Los Angeles Times - ‎Sep 5, 2009‎
California's convoluted school funding system begs for impartial study and new clarity. Brownley's bill is the best starting point for an open debate about ...

State News: 9/5-7/2009

California Legislature's long to-do list -- The California Legislature ends a bruising nine-month session this week, and after spending much of that time dealing with the budget crisis, leaders are hoping for major breakthroughs on some intractable issues. Wyatt Buchananin the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/7/09

Reflections on Labor Day by Art Pulaski, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, California Labor Federation

Weekly Radio Address: Bass, Torrico Report Progress on Major Challenges Facing California

CFT In the News:  9/4/09

CFT addresses 'Race to the Top Fund' with some skepticism
In a letter to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, CFT (California Federation of Teachers) president Marty Hittelman cites several areas of the RTTT (Race ...

Will California Use Student Test Scores to Evaluate Teachers?
Berkeley Daily Planet - Raymond Barglow - ‎22 hours ago‎
“It takes more than the ability to fill in bubbles to be considered an educated person,” says Marty Hittleman from the California Federation of Teachers. ...

Sindicato de Maestros en Estados Unidos aprueba Resolución en ...
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores Cubano - ‎Sep 2, 2009‎
La Resolución del sindicato AFT2121 solicita al Presidente Marty Hittelman, de la Federación de Maestros de California (CFT) y al Presidente Randi ...

Education news:  9/4/09

Will California Use Student Test Scores to Evaluate Teachers?
Berkeley Daily Planet - ‎22 hours ago‎ - all 87 articles »

Early Education Key To Closing the Achievement Gap - By Catherine Atkin, President, Preschool California

U-S Education Secretary Attends School Summit In Sacramento
Thu Sep 3, 2009 — Secretary Arne Duncan urged the state to apply for a portion of the new $4.3 billion dollar education funding program offered by the Obama Administration.

US education chief urges Calif. to enact reforms
By JULIET WILLIAMS Associated Press Writer
Posted: 09/03/2009 04:22:20 PM PDT
SACRAMENTO, Calif.—U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Thursday urged California lawmakers to make education reforms or risk falling further behind the rest of the nation and losing out on a slice of $4.3 billion in federal stimulus money.

Right wing's schoolyard taunt: Obama's a socialist and so's your mama
Los Angeles Times - ‎2 hours ago‎
“As far as I am concerned, this is not civics education -- it gives the appearance of creating a cult of personality,” said Oklahoma state Sen.

Video: Obama Aims Speech at Students CBS

State urged to revamp evaluations -- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's message was clear during his Thursday visit to Sacramento: California can either get on board or be left behind. Diana Lambert  in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/4/09

UC workers deliver no-confidence vote to Yudof -- The top brass at the University of California say it's "nothing more than a publicity stunt" and a "tantrum" - and they might be right. Nanette Asimov  in the San Francisco Chronicle   -- 9/4/09           

Educators unhappy that students with disabilities no longer must pass Exit Exam -- Educators are calling the agreement to suspend the high school exit exam as a graduation requirement for students with disabilities a disservice to the students' education. Canan Tasci in the Inland Daily Bulletin  -- 9/4/09

A national movement of foodies, farmers, parents and educators is pushing for better school food -- There's unusual lunchtime chatter at ACE Charter School in East San Jose: Students are actually raving about lunch. School lunch. And so are some teachers. Dana Hull in the San Jose Mercury  -- 9/4/09

English immersion program spreads beyond Valley -- A growing number of school districts in the Valley and around the country are reporting dramatic success with an English-immersion program developed by a Clovis educational consultant. Marc Benjamin  in the Fresno Be -- 9/4/09

High school district to use $25 million in federal bonds -- The Escondido Union High School District has hit a jackpot of sorts. It has been authorized to issue $25 million in tax credit bonds on which the district will pay little or no interest and will allow it to modernize and expand its facilities. Angela Lau in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 9/4/09

State News:  9/4/09

Education news:  9/3/09

Education's race to the top: A question of equality, civil rights ...
Capitol Weekly - Gloria Romero - ‎13 hours ago‎
Ted Kennedy and celebrate his unwavering commitment to civil rights and public education, California has an opportunity to show the nation that we share his ...

David B. Cohen and Alex Kajitani: Test scores poor tool for teacher evaluation
By David B. Cohen and Alex Kajitani --Special to The Bee – 9/3/09
-Education Secretary Arne Duncan is in Sacramento today to promote the new Race to the Top grant program, which offers a chunk of $4.5 billion in federal funds to states that meet federal guidelines, including a requirement to allow standardized test results to be used in individual teacher evaluations.

Higher Ed's Bermuda Triangle
New America Foundation - Camille Esch - ‎3 hours ago‎
Meanwhile, a series of ballot initiatives and court decisions changed how California schools were funded, gutting and destabilizing school funding just as ...

Nearly 1 in 10 in California's class of 2009 did not pass high school exit exam -- The percentage was little changed from last year but still showed important progress, state superintendent of public instruction Jack O'Connell says. Seema Mehta  in the Los Angeles Times  -- 9/3/09

LAUSD's Finest: Los Angeles School Police -- How an oblivious school board lets a tiny, scandal-ridden force endanger L.A. kids. Max Taves LA Weekly  -- 9/3/09

Executive Pay Bill Killed in Committee - by David M. Greenwald – Editor- California Progress Report
It was a simple bill, along the lines of Proposition 1F, except this one for the University of California--it limited UC executive pay increases during times when there were budget cuts and student fee increases. SB 217 would have prohibited pay raises for top executives in years in which the UC or CSU budget does not receive an increase in state funding.

Slight improvement in exit exam performance
San Francisco Chronicle - ‎10 hours ag

State class sizes grow as budget cuts take hold -- Classes that were essentially capped at 20 students for kindergarten through third grade are growing in size thanks to state budget cuts, and other changes to state law made to help cope with the ongoing fiscal crisis. Anthony York in Capitol Weekly   -- 9/3/09

Stanford University endowment loses big -- The school has laid off 412 employees this year, with dozens more layoffs to come. It has also frozen salaries and shuttered its physics library as it tries to counter the largest loss to its endowment in 120 years. Nanette Asimov  in the San Francisco Chronicle    -- 9/3/09

Community college enrollment surged last year -- The enrollment pressure comes as the community colleges absorb their share of state budget cuts, and Scott said it means students now registering will see reduced course offerings.Enrollment is up nearly 16 percent over the last four years, or approximately 400,000 students. Dan Walters  SacBee Capitol Alert   -- 9/3/09

Four UC campuses gain honors in national ranking -- UC took the top three spots with UC Berkeley ranked first, UC San Diego ranked second and UCLA ranked third. UC Davis was ranked 10th, one notch above Harvard University. Laurel Rosenhall  in the Sacramento Be  -- 9/3/09

Education news:  9/2/09

Yudof’s Message By Peter Schrag Columnist  California Progress Report

Rating Colleges by Their Contribution to the Social Good
New York Times - Tamar Lewin - ‎2 hours ago‎
By those lights, the top three universities in the nation are all part of the University of California system: Berkeley, San Diego and UCLA Thirteen of the ...

Experts Point to 5 Emerging Majors
New York Times - Jack Kadden - ‎Sep 1, 2009‎
If you're not sure that majoring in English is going to pay off in the current economy, The Chronicle of Higher Education offers a few ...

Palo Alto district wins federal stimulus lottery
San Jose Mercury News - Diana Samuels - ‎10 hours ago‎
The district learned Friday it was one of 43 California school districts - of more than 230 applicants - to win a lottery for federal ...

Stanford poll: Obama sways public on controversial education issues -- At the height of his popularity, President Obama could significantly sway public opinion on three controversial education issues: charter schools, merit pay and vouchers, a new study has found. Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury  -- 9/2/09

L.A. charter schools get a chance to grow, but how big? -- Groups can only handle a fraction of the 251 L.A. Unified schools that will be up for bidding. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times   -- 9/2/09

Special task force convenes to study teacher evaluations -- A task force charged with recommending improvements to educators' evaluations and instruction in the Los Angeles school district met for the first time Tuesday. Jason Song in the Los Angeles Times  -- 9/2/09

CSUF pressing students to graduate to free up space -- Cal State Fullerton is pressing students who’ve earned all, or nearly all, of the credits they need to earn a specific degree to graduate rather than dabble in other subjects so they don’t deny a spot to others. Gary Robbins in the Orange County Register  -- 9/2/09

Judge refuses to halt CSU's second fee increase -- A San Francisco Superior Court judge denied a request Monday to stop the California State University system from charging students for a second fee increase this year. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee  -- 9/2/09

Swine flu gets more active as schools open: CDC
Reuters - ‎40 minutes ago‎ - all 1,987 articles »

California STAR results show achievement gap persists
SDNN: San Diego News Network - ‎2 hours ago‎


State News: 9/2/09

CFT In the News:  9/1/09 – and late news 8/31/09

Pajaro Valley School District To Cut $10M
District Already Cut $22M From Budget
POSTED: 7:20 pm PDT August 31, 2009
WATSONVILLE, Calif. -- Another financial storm looms for the Pajaro Valley Unified School District... we hope that additional changes to the budget will take that into consideration," said Francisco Rodriguez, with the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers President

Federal 'Race to the Top' program creates rudimentary guidelines for national education reform
August 31, 2:27 PM San Jose Education Issues Examiner Rebecca Eagleson
The blazing controversy over the federal "Race to the Top" program is fast becoming a political hot potato in the State of California.
Washington has recently been blasting at an obscure Califronia law banning linking teacher performance to student test scores, and the CFT (California Federation of Teachers) has been fighting back with pointed rhetoric.

Nishino reflects on last four years
Aug 31, 2009
By Natalie Everett
When Dr. Alan Nishino talks of the students he's seen succeed during the last four years leading Morgan Hill Unified School District, the last leg of his 39-year educational career, his face lights up, a wide smile erupting on his tanned face, his dark eyes crinkling.
Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers Local 2022 President Theresa Sage and Service Employees International Union Local 715 President Pam Torrisi congratulated the departing leader.

Education news: 9/1/09

CSU fee increase may be halted, but not now
San Francisco Chronicle - Bob Egelko - ‎10 hours ago‎
CSU spokeswoman Clara Potes-Fellow said the ruling was "a victory for the students," who "will be able to receive the quality of education they expect.

State of the State: Higher Education Daily Californian

Find a Class for Personal Enrichment or Career Advancement ...
Reuters - ‎1 hour ago‎
Nearly 50 more California schools will be added by year end. "Trying to find continuing education classes is time-consuming and frustrating.

Community colleges will see more demand -- While demand for college is slowing due to demographic changes, California community colleges will continue to see a rising pressure for classes and need "to prepare for 222,000 additional students above current enrollments" by 2019, according to a new projection for the California Postsecondary Education Commission. Dan Walters SacBee Capitol Alert  -- 9/1/09

UC to close Sacramento center -- The University of California has decided to close the doors on its Sacramento center for students learning about California government in the capital city. Shane Goldmacher  in the Los Angeles Times

SDSU cuts spur rally -- Thanks to an 8 percent cut in course offerings and a loss of more than half of San Diego State's part-time lecturers, junior Garrett Woo struggled to get courses he needed before yesterday's first day of classes. Steve Liewer in the San Diego Union-Trib

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