CFT In the News:  12/23/09

LEGISLATURE GRAPPLES TO QUALIFY FOR FEDERAL “RACE TO THE TOP” FUNDS FOR EDUCATION
East County Magazine - Miriam Raftery - ‎Dec 23, 2009‎
According to the California Teachers Federation, California fell to 47th in the nation in per pupil spending earlier this year; some estimate our state will ...

Labor History Now Part of Wisconsin Public Education Standards
AFL-CIO (blog) - ‎Dec 23, 2009‎
Fred Glass, communications director of the California Federation of Teachers, provides an ideal primer for students studying labor.

Education News:  12/24-12/28

Restoring an educational gem's luster
Los Angeles Times - ‎18 hours ago‎
The state's visionary Master Plan for Higher Education, the engine that for years drove California toward educational leadership, and, as a result, ...

A plan for getting California's fiscal house in order
Los Angeles Times - Michael Hiltzik - ‎Dec 27, 2009‎
That's equal to the combined salary of all 306000 elementary and high school teachers in the state. Even with an "unexpectedly strong economic recovery," ...

Educators face new challenges
Contra Costa Times - Canan Tasci - ‎Dec 26, 2009‎
Ninety-eight percent of California's elementary school teachers are highly qualified, and 96 percent of secondary teachers - grades 7-12 - are highly ...

Getting a B. A. from a C. C.  12/24/09 California Report

CSUF Hit By Tidal Wave Of Applications -- Cal State Fullerton, which was forced to offer fewer course sections this past fall due to the state budget crisis, received a record 56,132 applications for admission for fall 2010, with especially heavy demand coming from prospective undergraduates. GARY ROBBINS in the Orange County Register -- 12/24/09

Teachers Rank High On Well-Being Index -- Despite the occasional spit ball and relatively low pay, teachers say they are happier and healthier than those in a wide array of professions - topping everyone from executives and business owners to farmers in contentment, according to a Gallup survey released today. JILL TUCKER in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/24/09

Editorial: Just in time, a compromise in California for Race to the Top
Mercury News Editorial
Posted: 12/23/2009 08:00:00 PM PST
Californians will be a big winner in the Race to the Top competition, regardless of whether the state wins a dime of the $4.3 billion that the Obama administration is encouraging states to compete for.

State News: 12/24-12/28

California's New Laws -- Here's an alphabet soup look at some bills that become law on Jan. 1, whether we like them or not: The item is in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/25/09

California Policy and Politics This Morning
Lawmaker Wants To Split Legislative Sessions -- Concerned that the state Capitol has become too much of a "bill factory" at the expense of other governmental functions, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, plans to call for a major overhaul of the way the Legislature does its business when lawmakers return in January. WYATT BUCHANAN in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/26/09

Education News:  12/21/09

Arne Duncan’s Two-by-Four: Is It Big Enough?  
By Peter Schrag - California Progress Report Columnist
There was a lot of scolding these last two weeks, both from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and much of the California press, about the state Assembly’s rejection of SB 5X 1, the Senate’s bi-partisan bill to conform California education policies to the Obama Administration’s Race to the Top school reform program.

Bass and Solorio Report Progress in Race to the Top Negotiations – in the California Progress Report

A Four-Year Degree From A Two-Year School? It Could Happen -- With tens of thousands being turned away from state universities, California lawmakers likely will consider granting community colleges the right to offer a limited number of bachelor's degrees. MATT KRUPNICK in the Contra Costa Times -- 12/21/09

Fensterwald: Flaws In Systems For Evaluating, Hiring Teachers -- Excellent reporting last week by the Los Angeles Times and the online publication Voice of San Diego offers powerful evidence for why the Obama administration has made reforming teacher development its number one priority for K-12 education. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 12/21/09

State University Fee Hikes Are A Test Many Families Can't Pass -- As California's promise of affordable higher education slips out of reach for many, some parents urge making a noise in Sacramento. CARLA RIVERA in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/21/09

Charter And Public Schools Working To Co-Exist -- Smaller class sizes, encouraging students to wear uniforms and an alternative education experience is what the San Bernardino-based school and other charter schools springing up in the Inland Empire are all about. As they grow, a sometimes uneasy truce has formed between the alternative schools and the districts that often sponsor them. DEBBIE PFEIFFER TRUNNELL in the San Bernardino Sun -- 12/21/09

Mentoring Program Gives Kids Incentive To Learn -- With the state's high school dropout rate at a mind-boggling 25 percent, Balme decided to start asking his students questions: "If you could be anything when you grow up, what would you be? What's your dream job?" JILL TUCKER in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/21/09

12/20/09:

UC regents president betray California students
San Francisco Chronicle - Bob Laird - ‎Dec 20, 2009‎
Torrico argues that the bill would raise $1 billion annually for California public higher education. Instead of opposing this bill because he thinks the ...

UC offsetting fee increases with increased aid
San Francisco Chronicle - Donald E. Heller - ‎Dec 20, 2009‎
So in two decades, the relative price of a UC education has increased dramatically. Few of the protesters and little of the media coverage, however, ...

Students seek clout beyond campuses
San Francisco Chronicle - Tim Holt - ‎Dec 20, 2009‎
1960: The California Master Plan for Higher Education, guaranteeing qualified California residents a tuition-free education in the state's public ...

Opinion: Failing California public schools: It's time to name names
By Gloria Romero
Special to the San Jose Mercury News

12/19/09:

Low Bar For Lifetime Job In L.A. Schools -- Los Angeles Unified often hands out tenure with little or no review of novice instructors' ability or their students' performance. JASON FELCH, JESSICA GARRISON and JASON SONG in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/19/09

State News: 12/19-21/2009

California Majority Report
The Redistricting Mess
All Reports by Steven Maviglio

Education News:  12/18/09

Calif. Senate passes new compromise education bill
The Associated Press - Juliet Williams - ‎4 hours ago‎
California's education system was once considered a national model that bred a generation of scientists and entrepreneurs, but the state has fallen to near ...

Opinion: California's effort to secure Race to the Top funds is on track San Jose Mercury News

Bill sets state's plan for failing schools
Parents would be able to yank their children out of failing schools and ask any other school in the state to admit them under a compromise bill approved Thursday by the state Senate... In the San Francisco Chronicle

L.A. Schools Chief Targets Poor-Performing Teachers
It takes two years for beginning instructors in California to become permanent teachers. During that time, school districts have wide discretion to not to ...— KPPC

LAUSD, UTLA Vote For Creation Of 20 More Pilot Schools -- Los Angeles Unified and its teachers union reached a deal this week that allows the opening of 20 more semi-independent pilot schools in the district next year. CONNIE LLANOS in the Torrance Daily Breeze -- 12/18/09

State News: 12/18/09

Walters: Week's Events Show We're In Big Trouble -- You have to string together a series of seemingly unrelated events to see it, but this week painted a powerful picture of California's chronic inability to govern itself. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/18/0 

Education News:  12/17/09

'Race to the Top' compromise to be unveiled in Senate in the Sacramento Bee Capitol Alert 12/17/09
After marathon talks, a compromise bill to compete for federal Race to the Top funds will be unveiled today in the Senate education committee.
The measure, Senate Bill x5 4, is expected to be acted upon by the Senate today but not by the Assembly until lawmaker reconvene in early January.

"Race to top" bill may threaten Palo Alto education standards
Paly Voice - Sophie Cornfield - ‎14 hours ago‎
Because California's education requirements are among the highest in the nation, California's schools would be beholden to lower standards.

Stop racing to the top: Bigger problems await
TheReporter.com - ‎9 hours ago‎
The state Senate is scheduled to take second look at education reform today, considering a package the Assembly approved last week so that California can ...

Fensterwald: Debt Service To Crowd Out Education Spending – And Everything Else -- Over the years, Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell has developed a sixth sense for steering clear of political potholes. So it was puzzling to hear him call for $9.9 billion worth of bonds for school construction one day after state Treasurer Bill Lockyer warned that California is already bonded up to its eyeballs — at its peril. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 12/17/09

Sequoia School Officials Will Get Bonuses And Pay Raises Six Months After Laying Off Employees -- Top administrators in the Sequoia Union High School District will get bonuses and salary increases, about six months after the school board cut $2.5 million from the budget. SHAUN BISHOP in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/17/09

Students Stay in School to Extend Health Insurance Coverage
With unemployment at 12% in California, many young college graduates are unable to find jobs, let alone jobs with health insurance. So some are opting to stay in school and take classes just to remain on their parents' health plan. KQED intern Cristina Kim helped produce this report. Reporter: Sarah Varney.

Sacramento Students Convene At Capitol To Push For Real School Reform
Black Voice News - ‎8 hours ago‎
Sacramento High School students along with principal PK Diffenbaugh and the California state NAACP visited offices of key legislators negotiating ...


State News: 12/17/09

State Treasurer Bill Lockyer has a hard-nosed financial message for the state ...
Los Angeles Times - George Skelton - ‎14 hours ago‎
It's a sound message not just for the politicians, but also for the California public. The state's credit card is about maxed out, the veteran Democratic ...
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-me-cap17-2009dec17,0,1964882.column

PPIC POLL: The latest Public Policy Institute of California poll is out. The poll covers public opinion on a wide range of issues, including the gubernatorial race, the economy and job performance of state officials. Read the entire poll results at the Capitol Alert blog.
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/capitolalertlatest/2009/12/am-alert-thursd-3.html
http://www.sacbee.com/capitolalert

Capitol Weekly's Legislative Scorecard -- It’s that time of year again, when the editorial team and mathematicians here at Capitol Weekly go about the exercise of reducing our 118 legislators to simple numerical statistics. Yes, boys and girls. We are proud to present the Third Annual Legislative Scorecard. The list is in Capitol Weekly -- 12/17/09
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?xid=yhnf7ylhyptpvq

Education News:  12/16/09

Put power over California's schools in hands of parents
Los Angeles Times - ‎10 hours ago

Blowback: Who's watching charter schools
Los Angeles Times - Jed Wallace - ‎37 minutes ago‎
Every charter is authorized to operate by a public entity such as a school district, a county office of education or the California State Board of Education ..

Fensterwald: Obama Official: Innovation Will Drive Ed Agenda -- Educators and legislators have dismissed the federal Race to the Top money and related competitions for education dollars as one-time gimmicks designed to push President Obama’s agenda on education. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 12/16/09

Herdt: 3 Percent Of Students, 100 Percent Of Controversy -- The current hang-up in Sacramento over accessing up to $700 million in federal funds to improve education for these 6.5 million kids is mostly about the 3 percent who attend charter schools. TIMM HERDT in the Ventura Star -- 12/16/09

Key L.A. Unified Staff Positions Are Funded Privately -- The practice is a financial boon to the district but poses issues of transparency and the donors' stances on reform. HOWARD BLUMEIN the Los Angeles Times -- 12/16/09

Fewer College Grads Want To Teach -- A new report finds that fewer college graduates are becoming teachers in California and many teachers lack the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the classroom. The item  is in the San Bernardino Sun -- 12/16/09

State News:  none

CFT In the News:

12/14/09  KCRW – Los Angeles - Which Way LA? - Gary Ravani, guest
Education in Sacramento
Will the politics of Sacramento deprive California of federal money to Race to the Top in Education? Would the changes required be worth it? (second half of program: Education/go to link to listen to program)

Education 12/15/09:

California Makes Gains in Teacher Quality, Study Finds
New America Media - ‎10 hours ago‎
... the coffers,” said Phil Lafontaine, director of the Professional Development and Curriculum Support Division of the California Department of Education.

The Fight is on for Federal Education Money
By David Greenwald - 14 December 2009 – in the California Progress Report
California is trying to pass legislation that will clear the way for California to compete in the Race to the Top program which would make the state eligible for up to 700 million. The money would go to reform the nation's worst-performing schools. However, a fight has emerged on what role Charter Schools should play in this effort.

Fensterwald: The Give And The Get From Joining Race To The Top -- The triumvirate responsible for the state’s application to the Race to the Top made one last push Monday to persuade local districts to join in. But they’re giving the districts only until Jan. 8 – 3 ½ weeks from now – to sign a memorandum of understanding, and they are requesting a letter of intent by Dec. 31. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 12/15/09

Faux reform - Political games snarl education effort
Los Angeles Daily News - ‎17 hours ago‎
More important than the money, however, is that the legislation would give education reform in California the single-biggest boost in modern history.

Local School Districts Wary Of 'Race To The Top' Initiative -- School districts that want to be part of the federal grant program must join the state's application, but the details of how to do so have been slow in coming and have made some local educators hesitant about participating. CANAN TASCI in the San Bernardino Sun -- 12/15/09

New Teachers Having Trouble Finding Jobs In A Competitive Market -- Michael Korte received his teaching credential from Azusa Pacific University in January. Nearly a year later, with more than 50 applications and two dozen job interviews under his belt, the Glendora resident is still working as a security guard. MARITZA VELAZQUEZ in the San Gabriel Tribune -- 12/15/09

Job Market Worsens For Recent College Graduates -- Unemployment among young adults is worse than the U.S. average. Little relief is in sight. DON LEE in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/15/09

As schools struggle, California politics slow education reform
USA Today - Juliet Williams - ‎57 minutes ago‎
One of the most powerful and well-funded political interests in the state, the California Teachers Association, is lobbying against it.

UC vandalism complicates protests
San Jose Mercury News - Matt Krupnick, Paul T. Rosynsky - ‎15 hours ago‎
"If you can't convince a farmworker in Central California that his taxes should be going toward higher education, then you're not going to convince ...

Late News:

12/14/09 in the LA Times
California's neediest high school students have the least prepared teachers ...
The neediest students in California high schools are being taught by the least prepared teachers, a new study shows.

12/12/09: from the California Progress Report
Brownley, Solorio Discuss Assembly’s Big Step Forward in Race to the Top
By Assemblymembers Julia Brownley and Jose Solorio
SACRAMENTO – In this Democratic weekly address, Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Education, and Assemblymember Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim) discuss legislation passed in the Assembly this week that will make California a strong competitor for federal Race to the Top education funding by implementing key reforms for California’s schools.

State News: none

Education News:  

12/14:

Governor's Ties To Charter Schools Driving Race To Top Goals? -- Charter school advocates were livid. The Assembly's "Race to the Top" legislation was trying to "change the DNA of charters," as one charter school leader put it, by clamping down with "stifling" oversight provisions. STEVEN HARMON in the Contra Costa Times -- 12/14/09

Torch-Carrying Protesters Storm UC Berkeley Chancellor's Home; 8 Arrested -- As many as 70 protesters, many carrying torches and smashing windows, attempted to storm UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau's on-campus residence late Friday in a violent act condemned by university officials and student activists alike. KELLY RAYBURN in the Oakland Tribune GERRICK D. KENNEDY in the Los Angeles Times HENRY K. LEE in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/13/09

Governor Calls Attack On UC Berkeley Chancellor's Home A 'Type Of Terrorism -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger described Friday's attack on the home of the University of California at Berkeley's chancellor as a "type of terrorism" that will not be tolerated. The item is in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/13/09

Study: New Teachers Lack Skills Needed Today -- Fewer college graduates are becoming teachers in California, and those who do often lack the increasingly demanding skills needed when they get to the classroom, according to the newest research out of the Center on the Future of Teaching and Learning. JILL TUCKER in the San Francisco Chronicle JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org MITCHELL LANDSBERG in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/14/09

Charter Opens Potential For District School Closure -- As purple-shirted supporters again called on the district to support Oxford Preparatory Academy, district officials conceded the charter opening could mean the closure of a district school because of a negative impact to the budget. NEIL NISPEROS in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 12/14/09

Local College Scramble To Make Up For A Shortage Of Donated Funds -- Endowments at local colleges have taken a hit as each scrambles for more money during a down economy. WES WOODS II in the San Gabriel Tribune -- 12/14/09

Job Market Worsens For Recent College Graduates -- Unemployment among young adults is worse than the U.S. average. Little relief is in sight. DON LEE in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/14/09

12/12:

For-Profit Colleges Prepare For State Oversight -- Two-and-a-half years after state regulators took their eyes off about 1,700 for-profit and vocational colleges, a new agency is set to pay attention once again — but with some major exceptions. MATT KRUPNICK in the Contra Costa Times -- 12/12/09

Police Arrest 66 UC Berkeley Protesters -- Most of the arrests were of protesters who've been inside Wheeler Hall most of this week holding a teach-in and other "open university" activities. One person outside the building was arrested. ANGELA HILL in the Contra Costa Times NANETTE ASIMOV, HENRY K. LEE in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/12/09

State News:

12/14:

The Republicans' War Within -- In California, repercussions of one vote by legislator illustrate fractures in state party. MI CHAEL LEAHY in the Washington Post -- 12/14/09

New Assembly Leader Faces Enormous Challenges -- Democratic Assemblyman John Pérez emerged as the winner last week after a bruising battle for leadership of the state Assembly, a fight that had no shortage of contestants. MARISA LAGOS in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/14/09  

Education News:  12/11/09

Assembly Approves Education Bill Opposed By Governor -- The Assembly approved a bill Thursday designed to obtain up to $700 million in Race to the Top federal education funds, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he'll veto the union-backed proposal if it reaches his desk. SUSAN FERRISS in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/11

Education bill has its critics
San Diego Union Tribune - Maureen Magee - ‎10 hours ago‎
SAN DIEGO - As state lawmakers approved controversial education legislation yesterday that is intended to get California into the race for federal reform ...

End the race to mediocrity
San Francisco Chronicle - ‎14 hours ago‎
Everyone in Sacramento knows that if California wants to qualify for crucial federal "Race to the Top" education funding, legislators and the governor will ...

Report Shows 70% of California Public Violate Universities Speech Laws  By State Senator Leland Yee  in the California Progress Report While serving in the Assembly and the Senate, I have proudly authored a number of laws to protect student speech rights and provide greater transparency at California school campuses.

Fensterwald: Race To Top Compromise Should Be Doable -- As expected, the Assembly passed its version of Race to the Top legislation Thursday, largely along partisan lines, 47-25. Even before the vote, Gov. Schwarzenegger vowed to veto it, saying, “It’s not a race to mediocrity, it’s a race to the top. We want to make sure we get a good bill out there.” JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 12/11/09

CSU Faces Crushing Enrollment Demand -- The number of undergraduates seeking admission to California State University campuses will increase by 58,000 students by 2015, a surge the system might not be able to handle due to the state’s ongoing budget problems. GARY ROBBINS in the Orange County Register -- 12/11/09

More San Bernardino County School Districts Using Employee Furloughs -- In the Adelanto School District, teachers will most likely take furloughs as early as January, while many in other area districts have lost staff development days they use for training and planning. DEBBIE PFEIFFER TRUNNELL in the San Bernardino Sun -- 12/11/09


State News: 12/11/09

Commentary: Restore the Legislature - End Term Limits Capitol Public Radio
Fri Dec 11, 2009 — Another Assembly speakership battle is underway. Commentator Ginger Rutland says, for the majority of California residents, it really doesn’t matter who wins.

CFT In the News:  12/10/09

Is calpers shifting position on retirement-benefit legislation? Capitol Weekly
Dolores Sanchez, a lobbyist for the California Federation of Teachers, said the failure of the calpers board to support the bill, even though school ...
See all stories on this topic

It's all-in in AD 5
Capitol Weekly
This effort was led by Kenneth Burt, political director of California Federation of Teachers. Niello said that Republicans have been countering with their ...
See all stories on this topi

Education News:  12/10/09

Why privatizing the University of California won't work
Los Angeles Times - Michael Hiltzik - ‎12 hours ago‎
... UC has been a driver of the California economy. That's been true since at least the development of the state's master plan for higher education in 1960, ...

Opinion: New state plan must support community colleges
San Jose Mercury News - John E. Hendrickson - ‎14 hours ago‎
Senator Elaine Alquist and Assemblyman Ira Ruskin, who are representing Silicon Valley on the Joint Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education, ...

Sac Been Capitol Alert: December 10, 2009
AM Alert: Final lap?
More "Race to the Top" action is on tap for this morning.

Protest News:
Protesters cleared out of San Francisco State building
CNN - ‎1 hour ago‎
There have been similar protests over the dire financial state of higher education in California at other locations -- the University of California, ...

Police Break Up San Francisco State Protest KCBS

Video SF State Students Occupy Business Building To Protest Fee Increases ... Bay Area Indymedia

-------------

Cal State enrollment demand will rise as space decreases
Los Angeles Times - Carla Rivera - ‎14 hours ago‎
But the report, by the California Postsecondary Education Commission, warns that those students will encounter an almost insurmountable hurdle caused by the ...

UC charges higher fees to broader range of graduate students
Los Angeles Times - ‎13 hours ago‎
... bringing a California student's total annual costs to about $19000, not including room and board. Without the extra revenue, Gilliam said, the school ...

The Bilingual Ban That Worked
City Journal - Heather Mac Donald - ‎18 hours ago‎
The results, according to California's education establishment, were not supposed to look like this: button-cute Hispanic pupils at a Santa Ana elementary

Fensterwald: California’s NAEP Enigma: It’s Not Just Demographics -- California ranks near the bottom of the states, along with Mississippi, Alabama and West Virginia, on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the biennial test in math and English language arts known as the “nation’s report card.” JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 12/10/09

Online Charter School Plan Rejected Throughout The State -- A group that wanted to start the first statewide kindergarten through 12th grade online charter school, has been rejected by all of the nearly 100 California school districts asked to approve its plan. ERIC LOUIE in the Oakland Tribune -- 12/10/09

Race To The Top Grants Questioned -- As California lawmakers continue working on legislation to make the state eligible for hundreds of millions of dollars in federal Race to the Top grants, area school officials say they don't know if they'll try to get some of that money. JAMES RUFUS KOREN in the San Bernardino Sun -- 12/10/09

Late News 12/9/09:
December 9, 2009
Sac Bee Capitol Alert: State universities will see enrollment surge
California's state university system will face a surge of enrollment demand in the next half-decade, according to a new statistical study by the California Postsecondary Education Commission.

State News: 12/10/09

More Bay Area And California Residents Stay Local As Out-Of-State Migration Slows -- Their flight from the Bay Area and California to more affordable places was a cause for worry after the dot-com bust, but college graduates now are more likely to stay in the region, according to a population analysis released Wednesday by the Brookings Institution. MATT O'BRIEN in the Oakland Tribune -- 12/10/09 

CFT In the News: 12/9/09

The human face of budget cuts
Bay Area Indymedia - David Bacon - ‎3 hours ago‎
According to Marty Hittelman, president of the California Federation of Teachers, and a former community college instructor, the system will turn away over ...

Education News: 12/9/09

Guest View: Federal education program doesn't fit all
Pasadena Star-News - Tony Mendoza - ‎12 hours ago‎
California's teachers have managed to close the achievement gap among Latino and African-American students and their white counterparts, increased algebra ...

Math scores show improvement at schools in large US cities
CNN International - Sally Holland - ‎17 hours ago‎
... according to a report released Tuesday by the Department of Education. In Austin, Texas, and San Diego, California, eighth-graders raised their scores.

FUSD Trails Big U.S. Cities In Math Scores -- Fresno Unified School District fourth- and eighth-graders tested worse in math than students in some of the nation's large cities, a new federal report shows. TRACY CORREA in the Fresno Bee -- 12/9/09

San Diego Pupils Post Gains On Federal Math Tests -- San Diego’s eighth-graders are in the national spotlight for making the most progress on a federal math assessment administered in the nation’s largest urban school districts. MAUREEN MAGEE in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/9/09

Students, Cal Both Quieter In Protest Encore -- Attempting to keep campus protests alive - and give credence to the unremitting chant, "Whose university? Our university!" - dozens of UC Berkeley students are occupying Wheeler Auditorium on campus this week and say they will stay until Friday evening. NANETTE ASIMOV in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/9/09

In-State Tuition Rates For Illegal Immigrants Questioned -- At a time of unprecedented peril for the state's education system, a growing number of school districts are going the extra mile to promote a law that allows illegal immigrant students to receive a break on their tuition fees at California colleges and universities. STEPHEN WALL in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 12/9/09

Report: Education Key To Earning Living Wage
CBS 5 - ‎13 minutes ago‎
Nearly 60 percent of these households have inadequate incomes, according to the California Self-Sufficiency Standard, an emerging standard in measuring ...

State News: 12/9/09

State Economic Outlook Slowly Brightening
The economic storm clouds have started to part in California, according to forecasters at UCLA's Anderson School of Management. The latest report finds a weak dollar making California vacations and exports attractive. Reporter: Rachael Myrow.

Recent CalSTRS In the News:

Change in teacher's pensions unfair
The Desert Sun - ‎Dec 3, 2009‎
Teachers and administrators receive their pensions from the California State Teachers Retirement System or CalSTRS. This proposed ballot measure must first ...

President Obama's casino gamble
Examiner.com - ‎Nov 12, 2009‎
CalPERS and CalSTRS (California State Teachers' Retirement System) were skimmed $56.6 million in currency exchanges and want it back. ...

From 11/15/09:
Harrah's, Apollo Management, and CalPERS/CalSTRS debacle
Examiner.com - ‎Nov 15, 2009‎
The California teachers $120 billion retirement fund CalSTRS is also invested with Apollo Management, TPG and Blackstone Group and have also taken a bath ...

CFT In the News:  12/8/09

In the Calif. Progress Report:
Keep the Promise of Affordable Higher Education By Dennis Smith
California Federation of Teachers
(Testimony given at Joint Committee for Review of the Master Plan on Higher Education - December 7, 2009)

Education News:  12/8/09

With Furloughs and Fees Hikes Underway, UC Under Major Scrutiny
By David Greenwald - Calif. Progress Report
With the University of California imposing a 32% fee increase to students and implementing furloughs and layoffs as a means to cut costs, the UC System is now under increased scrutiny from a variety of fronts. On November 23, 2009, the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) issued a complaint regarding unfair labor practices and bad faith negotiations.

Top College Administrators Urge Greater Support For California's Higher Education Plan -- California's 50-year-old "Master Plan for Higher Education" is not broken — in fact, nations like China and Singapore are trying to replicate it. But it is in peril due to inadequate funding, college administrators testified in Sacramento on Monday morning. LISA M. KRIEGER in the Contra Costa Times NANETTE ASIMOV in the San Francisco Chronicle LAUREL ROSENHALL in the Sacramento Bee SAMANTHA YOUNG AP -- 12/8/09

UC Protesters Returns to Wheeler Hall
Berkeley Daily Planet - Raymond Barglow - ‎42 minutes ago‎
20, on the last day of a three-day strike, UC Berkeley students who oppose cuts to public education in California returned to Wheeler Monday night, Dec. 7.

LAUSD facing 5000-plus job cuts
Contra Costa Times - Connie Llanos - ‎9 hours ago‎
The layoffs would include nearly 1400 teachers, which would balloon class sizes in kindergarten through third grade to a student-teacher ratio of 29 to 1 ...

Walters: Obama's School Grants Are Side Issue In California -- Ostensibly, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state legislators are working to qualify California for a big chunk of the $4.35 billion that the Obama administration will hand out in grants to improve American public education. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/8/09

Fensterwald: Race To Top Bill Would Give Parents More Power -- A majority of parents at a low-performing school could force a district trustees to turn it over to a charter school operator or take other dramatic actions, under an amendment that Sen. Gloria Romero has added to her Race to the Top legislation. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 12/8/09

California's Latino children stand to lose without Assembly action
Examiner.com - ‎15 hours ago‎
California's education and economy go hand in hand and they are both facing a serious crisis. With an approved budget of $50.4 billion, public education is ...

Perata-Backed Cigarette Tax Will Protect First 5 -- Backers of a proposed ballot measure to raise cigarette taxes by $1 per pack for smoking-related cancer research and prevention, which critics said would sap funding from early-childhood education, have reversed course and agreed to rewrite the measure. JOSH RICHMAN in the Oakland Tribune -- 12/8/09

State News: 12/8/09

CalBuzz: 13: What Reform Plans Would & Wouldn’t Do -- Our three-day series of guest op-eds about major proposals for political reform last week here, here and here, generated a wave of thoughtful Calbuzzer comments, many focused on Prop. 13. JERRY ROBERTS and PHIL TROUNSTINE CalBuzz -- 12/8/09 

CFT In the News: 12/7:

Inside Higher Ed – Lost Trust - By Bob Samuels   December 7, 2009
There are two main narratives battling to define the current crisis at the University of California. While the California situation is an extreme example of what is happening to public higher education these days nationally, these dueling narratives can be found in many other states as well.
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2009/12/07/samuels

David Bacon | The Human Face of Budget Cuts
truthout - David Bacon - ‎Dec 6, 2009‎
According to Marty Hittelman, president of the California Federation of Teachers and a former community college instructor, the system will turn away more ...

Late News: 12/4:
Whose University? California Students Fight for Access to Education
AFL-CIO - ‎Dec 4, 2009‎
19 meeting, the Regents extended their bathroom break for 30 minutes, according to UC-AFT President Bob Samuels. “Then the Regents cut off public comments, ...

Education News:  12/7:

In the California Progress Report:
California Deserves Better Than Yudof's Failed Leadership
By Lakesha Harrison - President AFSCME 3299
Executives revel in taxpayer-backed bonuses while front-line workers suffer layoffs and wage cuts. Ordinary people see their livelihoods diminished and their children’s futures eroded while the corner office club gets richer. Costs increase for consumers though they get less value in return.   

Editorial: Renew higher education vision
Published: 12:00 am
Students protest higher fees. Faculty lament cuts to instruction. Administrators complain that the state is an unreliable funding partner to California's public colleges and universities.

Our View: California has lost its mojo for once great UC, CSU
Merced Sun-Star - ‎5 hours ago‎
Ruskin believes that California's higher education system is in peril -- slipping into mediocrity and excluding large numbers of Californians.

SAC Bee Capitol Alert:
AM Alert: Master planning
California lawmakers begin the process today of updating the long-term goals and strategic blueprint for the state's public colleges and universities.
The Joint Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education kicks off the discussion with a 9 a.m. hearing that is expected to run all day.

Capitol Public Radio: Making Good on the Master Plan
Lawmakers in Sacramento convene a joint hearing today on the state's master plan for higher education. For fifty years, California has promised an affordable college education to just about any student in the state who qualifies. But state budget cuts are putting that promise in doubt. Reporter: Cy Musiker.

An opportunity for California
La Opinión - ‎11 hours ago‎
California's educational system desperately needs additional funds to address the budget crisis while, at the same time, it also must tackle reforms to ...

Charter Schools Can Close the Achievement Gap
The Sacramento Press - Jim Knapp - ‎20 minutes ago‎
... the average cost per pupil is only $5000.00, in California we spend an average of almost $9000.00 per pupil in public education. In California we spend ...

Are educated youth leaving California?
Bakersfield Californian - ‎11 hours ago‎
"Nevertheless, public higher education in California is still on course to produce slightly fewer graduates, with somewhat more debt, in the coming years. ...

Fensterwald: State Board To Consider Regs For Revoking Charters -- The State Board of Education is the latest to weigh in with a proposal to weed out low-performing charter schools. It joins the Senate and the Assembly, whose Race to the Top bills differ on the right approach. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 12/7/09

Different Approaches Considered Amid Some School Officials' Unease -- Inland school officials are apprehensive about signing on to any state effort to get school grants from the federal government, with California lawmakers still divided on the issue as next month's application deadline approaches. JIM MILLER in the Riverside Press -- 12/7/09

2-Year Colleges Consider Uniform Assessment Tests -- Testing for college preparedness may get a little easier for future community college students. MARITZA VELAZQUEZ in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 12/7/09

Class Cuts, Higher Fees Raise Anxiety At CSUS -- Until this year, the licensed marriage and family therapist said, she'd never had a student come in and say she couldn't feed her family. PATTY GUERRA in the Modesto Bee -- 12/7/09

Need For More Teachers Expected Over The Next Decade -- More teachers with full credentials are working in California public schools than a decade ago, but some experts worry that budget cuts, layoffs and an expected surge in teacher retirements could soon jeopardize that success. CHERI CARLSON in the Ventura Star -- 12/7/09

In-state tuition rates for illegal immigrants questioned
San Bernardino Sun - Stephen Wall - ‎9 hours ago‎
Students from other states attending boarding school in California fit that description. Graduate students who attended high school in California, ...

12/6:

Lopez: Educators Have The Wrong Number In Answering Budget Crisis -- By slashing Cal State and University of California budgets, is the state saving money or shooting itself in the foot? STEVE LOPEZ in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/6/09

California Community College Chief Scott Gives Tips For Weathering `Difficult Times' -- Desperate times may call for desperate measures - but that's not necessarily the case at California community colleges, even in the face of the state's massive funding cutbacks to education. TRACY GARCIA in the San Gabriel Tribune -- 12/6/09
http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_13934269?source=rss

12/5:

With No Limits In Place, Another College Fee Hike Likely -- With the state budget hole headed toward new depths next year, community college students likely will pay more than ever for their classes. MATT KRUPNICK in the Contra Costa Times -- 12/5/09

Analyst: Perata Cigarette Tax Would Burn First 5 -- A new Legislative Analyst's Office report predicts California's early-childhood education program will lose $45 million per year under a cigarette-tax-for-cancer-research ballot measure proposed by former state Senate president and 2010 Oakland mayoral candidate Don Perata. JOSH RICHMAN in the Oakland Tribune -- 12/5/09

Teachers Deal With Increasing Class Sizes -- On a typical day at Serrano Middle School, eighth-grade teacher Julie Myskow is not only a teacher, but a counselor, mother and best friend. DEBBIE PFEIFFER TRUNNELL in the San Bernardino Sun -- 12/5/09

Union Wants UC Official Ousted Over Audit -- A University of California labor union is calling for the resignation of David J. Ernst, the executive a state audit found was improperly reimbursed more than $150,000 when he worked for the California State University system. LAUREL ROSENHALL in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/5/09

State News:

12/6:

Watching The Governor’s Race -- In Sunday’s Bay Area pages, the political columnist Daniel Weintraub writes about Steve Westly, a potential contender for governor who seems content to sit on the sidelines. DANIEL WEINTRAUB in the New York Times -- 12/6/09


CFT In the News: 12/4/09

Teaching Reforms Should be Based on Research and Experience
By Marty Hittelman  California Federation of Teachers  in the California Progress Report
The State Assembly Education Committee is currently considering legislation regarding the federal “Race to the Top” education funding program. The Legislature should not pass a bad law just to compete for federal funding. In a year that Governor

Education News:  12/4

Fee Protest Held At Sacramento State -- Inspired by their peers at UC Davis, who held protests over fee increases and budget cuts last month, students at Sacramento State staged a demonstration Thursday to draw attention to cutbacks at their own campus. LAUREL ROSENHALL in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/4/09

Teachable Moments: Report shows California class sizes increasing
SDNN: San Diego News Network - ‎18 hours ago‎
reveals data on the state's Class Size Reduction program from the 30 largest K-12 California school districts. The report, released Nov.

State News: 12/4

Walters: Political Chess Played On California Initiatives -- These are very uncertain and contentious times in California. The state's economic and political turmoil has spawned a flood of potentially far-reaching ballot measures for the 2010 elections, ranging from calling a constitutional convention to overturning the ban on same-sex marriages. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/4/09

CFT, In the News: 12/3