CFT on the radio: 8/26

California Doesn't Place in the 'Race to the Top'
TUE AUG 24, 2010 7:00PM   
Which Way LA? Host Warren Olney talks with Marty Hittelman - California won't be getting $700 million in federal money for efforts to reform education. We learn why the State came up short for a second...

Education News: 8/26

Back to school and back to the drawing board
Ventura County Reporter - ‎1 hour ago‎
In order to win this grant, any given state has to demonstrate that it is creating the condition for education innovation and reform and is implementing ...

Schools plan for less cash
San Mateo Daily Journal - Heather Murtagh - ‎5 hours ago‎
Nearly two months into the fiscal year, California has yet to finalize a budget. As a result, payments are being held off and IOUs will be issued.

Fensterwald: How 5 Race To Top Judges Scored California -- The five unidentified reviewers of California’s Race to the Top application generally praised the district-led approach that California took and expressed optimism that ceding control to districts committed to reform could succed. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 8/26/10

Union, Data System Faulted For State's Loss In Federal Education-Grant Contest -- Weak support from teachers unions was a key factor in California's failure to win money in the Obama administration's school reform competition, according to documents released Wednesday by U.S. Department of Education. TERENCE CHEA AP -- 8/26/10

Bill Would Guarantee CSU Admission For Community College Grads -- The Legislature has given final passage to a bill that would require California’s community colleges to offer a degree that would guarantee students admission to a California State University campus. DAN WEINTRAUB HealthyCal.org -- 8/26/10

Community Colleges Cancel Deal With Online Kaplan University -- The state's community college system cancels agreement allowing students to take courses at the private online school, because they would not be transferrable to UC or Cal State campuses. LARRY GORDON in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/26/10

Get Politics Alerts Huffington Post (blog)

LA Times reporters respond to my questions on school ratings
Washington Post (blog) - ‎Aug 25, 2010‎
Like other research in this area using California data, we found no evidence of that, as the story says. Presumably, if there were a ceiling effect you ...

L.A. Schools Chief Says District Will Adopt 'Value Added' Approach -- Cortines wants the method based on student test scores to count for at least 30% of instructor evaluations. But the teachers union must consent. HOWARD BLUME in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/26/10

Editorial: California must reform before it can get school funds
Contra Costa Times - ‎9 hours ago‎
... the state's public school system: the uncooperative California Teachers Association and a less-than-adequate system for tracking student performance.

Growing Trend of Virtual Schools Draws Questions – Capitol Public Radio
Thu Aug 26, 2010 — You’ve heard of public schools, private schools, year-round schools and charter schools. Now, there’s a new trend in K-12 education in the U.S. – virtual schools.

State News: 8/26

Toil And Trouble: The Capitol Seethes As The Deadline Looms -- Everybody expected it and nobody was disappointed: The biggest bills of the year are emerging, seemingly out of thin air it seems at times, amid hasty rewrites, marathon negotiating sessions and skirmishes between lobbyists and the interest groups that employ them. JOHN HOWARD and ANTHONY YORK in Capitol Weekly -- 8/26/10

CFT News: 8/25

California won't get 'Race to the Top' school money
ABC30.com - ‎13 hours ago‎
"I don't disagree," says Jeff Freitas from the California Federation of Teachers. The teachers unions don't dispute that California could have gotten a ...

KPCC Patt Morrison Show 8/24/10 - California loses Race to the Top, again –
Ramon Cortines, Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District
Marty Hittelman, President of California Federation of Teachers and member of the American Federation of Teachers' Higher Education Program and Policy Council
Diane Ravitch, former Assistant Secretary of Education in the George H.W. Bush Administration; Research Professor of education at New York University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution

CFT Affiliates: 

CSU Officials Probe Accounting Of Public, Private Funds -- California State University officials are concerned that they have erroneously mixed public and private funds in accounting for the foundations that support the system's 23 campuses, according to a report the California Faculty Association is releasing today. LAUREL ROSENHALL in the Sacramento Bee CARLA RIVERA in the Los Angeles Times NANETTE ASIMOV in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/25/10

Education News: 8/25

US schools chief to push disclosure of education data
Los Angeles Times - Howard Blume - ‎14 hours ago‎
Education secretary Arne Duncan will call on districts across the nation to make information on teachers public. US Education Secretary Arne Duncan, ...

One number can't illustrate teacher effectiveness
Los Angeles Times - Bruce Fuller, Xiaoxia Newton - ‎10 hours ago‎
The Times' study fails to recognize that test score across grade levels cannot be compared, given the limitations of California's standardized tests.

Viewpoints: Cuts to higher education slam the door shut on opportunities
Sacramento Bee - Alexander Gonzalez - ‎9 hours ago‎
I have served in the California State University for more than 30 years, and my biggest fear is that future students will not be able to pursue their dreams

Bronstein Beat: Should Spanish Class Be Mandatory in Public Schools?
San Francisco Chronicle (blog) - ‎20 hours ago‎
So, should we follow Israel's lead and make Spanish language classes mandatory in California public schools? Let us know your thoughts.

California school funding delay could force districts into short-term borrowing San Jose Mercury News

State schools lose federal Race to the Top
San Francisco Chronicle - Demian Bulwa - ‎9 hours ago‎
(08-24) 15:47 PDT SACRAMENTO -- California education officials lost their bid Tuesday for as much as $700 million for schools from the federal Race to the .

California loses competition for Race to the Top education funding
89.3 KPCC - ‎18 minutes ago‎
... federal education secretary Arne Duncan said in a conference call. If more money were available, he said, California would have won some of it.

Fensterwald: Oakland, LAUSD To Get SIG Money After All -- With an hours-old waiver from the federal government in hand, the state Board of Education on Tuesday approved spending $416 million to turn around 92 of the state’s lowest-performing schools. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 8/25/10

High-School Exam Rates Rising, Especially Among Minorities -- A greater portion of California students are mastering minimum English and math skills, and the biggest gains are seen among poor, Latino and African-American students, according to results of the high-school exit exam released today by the state. SHARON NOGUCHI in the San Jose Mercury -- 8/25/10

State News: 8/24

Scroll down to 8/24: late news
Schwarzenegger denounces majority vote budget measure
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today denounced Proposition 25, which would lower the legislative vote margin for state budgets from two-thirds to a simple majority, and declared that it's a back-door attempt to make it easier to raise taxes.

Education News: 8/24

S.F. State hopes for smoother start to year
San Francisco Chronicle - Nanette Asimov - ‎9 hours ago‎
The university is in its second year of austerity measures after state budget cuts of $625 million to CSU since the 2007-08 school year.

District Furlough Days -- Do They Matter?
San Francisco Chronicle (blog) - ‎19 hours ago‎
A sidebar to the school closure post I put up earlier today: One of the ways that the Alameda Unified School District cut its budget for 2010-2011 was by ...

First Day of College; Still No State Budget
KIONrightnow.com - ‎22 hours ago‎
California State University-Monterey Bay (CSUMB) officials said they have dealt with past budget cuts by holding all but the most essential positions open ...

Time to Transfer
Telescope - Sara Burbidge - ‎17 hours ago‎
... as possible should be in school. In 2009, the California budget was cut by over $584 million and spring applications were not accepted at CSU campuses.

California loses bid for federal Race to the Top education grant
Los Angeles Times (blog) - ‎1 hour ago‎
California officials were divided on whether to bid a second time, especially because the state had failed to make the finals.

Civil Rights Groups Criticize Race To The Top Competition For Schools -- As California educators wait anxiously to hear whether the state will be awarded funds from the $4.3 billion Race to the Top competition today, the nation's leading civil rights organizations have attacked the race for funds as undermining the civil rights of the nation's poor and disadvantaged children. LOUIS FREEDBERG California Watch -- 8/24/10

Proposed Kindergarten Cutoff Date Would Mean Some California Kids Start School Later -- For decades, millions of Californians with children who have fall birthdays have struggled over whether to pack their 4-year-olds off to kindergarten – or hold them back because they might be too young to start school. SUSAN FERRISS and MELODY GUTIERREZ in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/24/10

California Appeals Court Hears Case On Student Drug Tests -- In the first case of its kind in California, three appeals court justices in Sacramento did not appear receptive Monday to mandatory random drug testing of non-athlete high school students who participate in competitive extracurricular activities. DENNY WALSH in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/24/10

Fensterwald: San Diego And San Jose Rated Reform-Resistant -- San Diego and San Jose are unrivaled as hubs of innovation in high tech, green tech and biotech. But in terms of fostering a climate for education innovation, San Jose is no Silicon Valley, and San Diego is in the Rust Belt with Detroit and Gary, Indiana. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 8/24/10

Should teachers be paid for performance?
San Francisco Chronicle - Robert Freeman - ‎17 hours ago‎
The California Standardized Testing And Reporting (STAR) tests your sons and daughters take every year have literally no impact on the individual students.

California Fiscal Leaders Announce Deferrals in Payments to Schools and CalWorks – Capitol Public Radio 
Mon Aug 23, 2010 — State fiscal leaders announced today that payments to schools and counties will be deferred in September.

Private Schools Face Economic Challenges KQED California Report
The coming year promises to be especially tough for public schools, but private schools have their own set of problems. Many private K-12 schools in California have also had to trim their budgets and lay off employees as parents hit by the economy move their children into public schools. Reporter: Adolfo Guzman-Lopez.

State News: 8/24

CFT/Affiliates in the News: 8/21

UTLA Head Says He's Open To A New Evaluation System -- United Teachers Los Angeles President A.J. Duffy told hundreds of his members Friday night that he is "ready, willing and able" to create a new evaluation system for instructors that is "good for kids and fair for teachers." He indicated this might mean using student test scores as one measurement of teachers. PHIL WILLON in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/21/10

Education News: 

8/23

Outing the Goats in the Classroom  
By Peter Schrag in the California Progress Report
Did the editors of the Los Angeles Times know what kind of hornet’s nest they were flying into when they decided to separate the schoolhouse sheep in Los Angeles from the goats and publish both sets of names for all to see?

National Review: The 'Courage' To Spend On Schools
NPR - Frederick M. Hess - ‎5 hours ago‎
Duncan, who singled out for praise the $1.2 billion that EduJobs is funneling to California, also might want to consider the recent Pepperdine study of 52

$578M L.A. School A National Shocker -- With an eye-popping price tag of $578 million, it will mark the inauguration of the nation's most expensive public school ever. CHRISTINA HOAG AP -- 8/23/10

Skelton: Parents Have The Right To Know -- Teachers should be judged in part by how well students do. GEORGE SKELTON in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/23/10

LAUSD, Teachers Negotiating Use Of Test Scores -- The Los Angeles Times’ impending plan to publish the performance rankings of 6,000 elementary school teachers, based on student test scores, has become the catalyst for sudden negotiations between Los Angeles Unified and its teachers union over teacher evaluations. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 8/23/10

CSBA Board Admits It Was In The Dark On Pay -- In belatedly releasing more details about former executive director Scott Plotkin’s pay, the California School Board Assn. board of directors fessed up last week that they really didn’t know how much he made in total ($308,000 in 2006, $384K in ’07, $517K in ’08 and $403K in ’09). JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 8/23/10

Spring Enrollment's Budget Connection Leaves California College Students In Limbo -- Students have until the end of August to enroll in Cal State for spring, but whether they'll actually be admitted hinges on a budget fix for higher education. CARLA RIVERA in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/23/10

8/22

Walters: New School Data Fuel Old Debate -- As 6 million California kids head back to school, the adults who are supposed to provide for their educations are engaged, as usual, in their circular debate over effects and causes. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/22/10

Teachers Union Agrees To Reopen Talks On Evaluations -- Union president says he will meet with L.A. Unified leaders to discuss changes, but refuses to say whether the value-added method, even as just a part of teacher reviews, will be on the table. PHIL WILLON and JASON SONG in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/22/10

UC President's Housing Raises Ire And Expense -- Housing for Mark G. Yudof has cost the university thousands of dollars and considerable acrimony. STEVE FAINARU Bay Citizen -- 8/22/10

School Year Starts With Bigger Classes, Reduced Resources -- School is back in session in most local districts, and students and staff are noticing big changes. Last year, public school districts started the year with fewer teachers, bigger classes and reduced resources. This year, it's worse. DIANA LAMBERT and MELODY GUTIERREZ in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/22/10

8/21

L.A. Unified Presses Union On Test Scores -- The district wants new labor contracts to include 'value-added' data as part of teacher evaluations. JASON SONG in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/21/10

UTLA Head Says He's Open To A New Evaluation System -- United Teachers Los Angeles President A.J. Duffy told hundreds of his members Friday night that he is "ready, willing and able" to create a new evaluation system for instructors that is "good for kids and fair for teachers." He indicated this might mean using student test scores as one measurement of teachers. PHIL WILLON in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/21/10

State News:

8/23

Holding Budget Ransom May Be Schwarzenegger's Last Hope -- Governor has been pushing fiscal changes since he took office — among them, pension cutbacks, spending constraints and a tax-system overhaul. He hasn't made much headway with the hostile Legislature. SHANE GOLDMACHER in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/23/10

8/22

State GOP floor fight!  - Sac Bee Capitol Alert
What was expected to be a ho-hum general assembly meeting at the state GOP convention this morning dragged out into a prolonged fight over the party's rules committee calling an impromptu meeting last night about a resolution coordinating a proposed merger between two rival young Republican factions.

8/21

CRP committee blocks debate on Arizona law resolution – Sac Bee Capitol Alert
A California Republican Party committee today blocked debate on a controversial resolution in support of Arizona's anti-illegal immigration law, drawing complaints from delegates who say Meg Whitman's campaign is seeking to stifle debate on a hot-button issue.

Patt Morrison Asks: Willie Brown: State's Man -- The legendary former speaker of the California Assembly discusses the state budget, his relationship with Schwarzenegger and more. PATT MORRISON in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/21/10
 

Education News: 8/20

Education Experts Slam LA Times Teacher Assessments
By Robert Cruickshank in the California Progress Report
There's a reason why a newspaper should not be making public policy on its own: their interest is in getting eyeballs and readers, not in providing policy tools that are actually useful.

Los Angeles Times campaigns against teachers
World Socialist Web Site - Jack Cody - ‎12 hours ago‎
As California's public education system has been under assault by successive administrations, the unions have worked hand-in-hand with the government to ...

LA Times Ranks City Teachers by Effectiveness Newsweek (blog)

College District looking to make history
San Jose Mercury News - Matt Wilson - ‎14 hours ago‎
The Foothill-De Anza Community College District wants to do what only one other California community college district has ever done before: ...

Schools open amid further cutbacks
Petaluma Argus Courier - Terry Hankins - ‎6 hours ago‎
23 State funding for public schools has not been determined because the California budget has not been passed, so school districts have had to rely on the ...

Civics lesson for California college students: No budget, no Cal Grants
Sacramento Bee - Laurel Rosenhall - ‎10 hours ago‎
But at most community colleges and some private schools, California's poorest college students are in limbo until lawmakers hammer out a budget deal - now ...

Autopsy of a Turnaround District
Education Week News (blog) - Sarah Sparks - ‎Aug 19, 2010‎
After budget cuts and a school board election shake-up, funding for the blueprint programs dried up and Bersin was driven out a year before his contract ...
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-research/2010/08/autopsy_of_a_turnaround_distri.html

CSUMB President Dianne Harrison highlights growth, budget challenges at ...
The Salinas Californian - Griselda D. Ramirez - ‎Aug 19, 2010‎
Harrison mentioned CSUMB's challenges related to state budget cuts, but remained optimistic. About 1100 freshmen and transfer students and 1200 parents ...

The Arrogance of Some School Superintendents
By Duane Campbell in the California Progress Report
A New York Times article August 18, 2010, with a Sacramento insert by the Bee’s Diana Lambert, makes the incendiary assertion that some school districts may not spend the just passed $10 Billion dollars on hiring teachers and preventing teacher layoffs.

Civics Lesson For California College Students: No Budget, No Cal Grants -- It is a perilous time to be a college student depending on the state of California to get through school. LAUREL ROSENHALL in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/20/10

California Bill Would Require More Transparency In University Foundation Fundraisers -- The measure, among dozens sent to Gov. Schwarzenegger for approval, would compel more disclosure in cases like the recent hiring of Sarah Palin to speak at Cal State Stanislaus. PATRICK MCGREEVY in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/20/10r

Gangs and drugs prevalent in public schools, survey finds
Los Angeles Times - Kim Geiger - ‎13 hours ago‎
Students from Southern California and other areas in the Southwest were among the most likely to report gang activity, Califano said.

What's missing for back-to-school? 135000 teachers
CNNMoney - ‎9 hours ago‎
"It's rising exponentially," said Judy Pinegar, manager of the waiver office at the California Department of Education. Facing a $25 million budget gap for ...

 Calif. school settles suit with anti-abortion girl
The Associated Press - ‎Aug 13, 2010‎
A California school district sued by a former sixth-grade student who was asked to remove an anti-abortion T-shirt has agreed to pay $50000 to settle the ...

State News: 8/20 

AFT In the News: 8/19

Union Leader Says Parents Should Know Teachers' Ratings -- But Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, urges the L.A. Times not to publish a database showing how teachers may have influenced students' standardized test scores. MITCHELL LANDSBERG in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/19/10

Education News: 8/19

Unions' Tactics Diverge in Engaging Obama Agenda
Education Week News - Stephen Sawchuk - ‎11 hours ago‎
“We are dead set against tying evaluations to teacher performance and salary,” said David Sanchez, the president of the California Teachers Association.

State Could Use Federal School Funding To Help Close Budget Gap -- The $1.2 billion was supposed to supplement state funds, saving teachers' jobs. Instead, lawmakers could subtract that amount from the education budget. Education groups are outraged at the possibility. SHANE GOLDMACHER in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/19/10

Report: San Diego Unified's Reforms Improved Student Reading Skills -- To make dramatic improvements in literacy, struggling students need reading help earlier, often and longer – but not necessarily during summer school or after-school programs, according to a study released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California. COREY G. JOHNSON California Watch -- 8/19/10

School Boards Group To Release More Data On Executive Pay -- The California School Boards Association will release updated salary information for its top executives "within days," President Frank Pugh said in a statement following a board meeting that went late into Tuesday night. LAUREL ROSENHALL and MELODY GUTIERREZ in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/19/10

Federal Money For Rehiring On Hold -- An infusion of federal money aimed at saving teacher jobs might not reach local districts for months, raising questions about how soon or how many teachers will be brought back. JAMES RUFUS KOREN in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 8/19/10

Deal would cut staff salaries at Desert Sands Unified School District
The Desert Sun - ‎18 hours ago‎
If the teachers' union does not agree to a shorter year, CSEA employees will use the five holidays at their discretion.

Visalia Unified School District cuts target 20 programs
Visalia Times-Delta - Gerald Carroll - ‎Aug 18, 2010‎
... the 2011-12 school year faces $8.3 million more in cuts. The "big problem," Statton said, is that the district budget automatically increases $5 million ...

California Truancy Bill Would Crack Down On Parents Of Truant Schoolchildren -- The word "truant" might bring to mind a teenager with a spray can. But younger children miss school each year, too, with alarming regularity. If a bill clears the state Legislature this month, parents could face jail time and a hefty fine. KATY MURPHY in the Contra Costa Times -- 8/19/10

Extra Time Spent on Reading Boosts Literacy
By PPIC in the Calif Progress Report
Struggling elementary and middle school students who are given extra time for reading can make sizable gains in literacy, according to a report released today by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).

State News: 8/19

Skelton: California Budget Progress? It's Nil -- Voters have gotten used to a scandalously late state budget, and legislators aren't feeling pressured. They need to get down to business — now. GEORGE SKELTON in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/19/10

State GOP's right wing to call out Whitman
San Francisco Chronicle - ‎10 hours ago‎
187, which would have denied public health benefits and public education to illegal immigrants. She did not live in California in 1994, when her campaign ... 

Education News: 8/18

Steinberg Creates Flap Over Edujobs Dollars -- Scolded for his candor, Sen. President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg is back on message: The gift $1.2 billion that Congress will soon be sending California’s way will supplement, not supplant, state education dollars. To what extent it will is far from certain. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 8/18/10

'Outing' California Teachers For Poor Performance Proves Prickly -- The publication of a controversial, and groundbreaking, article by the Los Angeles Times raises complex questions about whether to "out" teachers whose students perform poorly on reading and math tests. LOUIS FREEDBERG California Watch -- 8/18/10

Parents, Schools Step Up Fundraising Efforts
Wed Aug 18, 2010 — Parents are digging deeper to pay for basic school supplies this year as California’s public schools continue to cope with budget cuts. School districts are also looking for ways to help fill the financial gap.

Ask 17 News: California Lottery
KGET 17 - ‎14 hours ago‎
For the past 10 years the lottery has generated over a billion dollars in revenue a year for california schools...and since its beginning in 1985, ...

State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Issues Statement on 2010 ACT® Scores
YubaNet - ‎1 hour ago‎
In addition to this increase in participation, California students who took the ACT in 2010 outperformed the nation. Thirty-one percent of California's 2010 ...

Yucaipa-Calimesa district ends busing for all general population students
Redlands Daily Facts - Jesse B. Gill - ‎8 hours ago‎
The district - like many districts in California - slashed its budget when statewide education funding was cut drastically this year, eliminating bus ...

Plans to reduce staffing shortage at Fresno State
ABC30.com - ‎14 hours ago‎
FRESNO, California (KFSN) -- After layoffs and job cuts Fresno State has hired three new faculty members and has plans to search for 35 more.

Visalia Unified School District cuts target 20 programs
Visalia Times-Delta - Gerald Carroll - ‎5 hours ago‎
... the 2011-12 school year faces $8.3 million more in cuts. The "big problem," Statton said, is that the district budget automatically increases $5 million ...

Deal would cut staff salaries at Desert Sands Unified School District
The Desert Sun - ‎8 hours ago‎
Desert Sands Unified, which addressed a $16 million budget shortfall for 2009-10, wants to shorten the school year by as many as five days if the teachers' ...

BACK TO SCHOOL BLUES
All Reports by Robin Swanson August 17, 2010 @ 11:35 AM
As many of California's students head back to our public schools across the state this week, the classrooms they enter are likely to look much different after enduring $17 billion in cuts statewide-starting with fewer teachers and instructional aides, and bigger, sometimes overwhelming, class sizes.

Federal Funds Must be Used for Intended Purpose: Helping our Public Schools, Not Fixing California’s Budget Crisis
Robin Swanson in the Calif Majority Report August 17, 2010 @ 4:31 PM
With the new school year already underway and students facing unprecedented larger class sizes due to $17 billion in cuts to public schools over the past two years, California's lawmakers need to take urgent action to ensure that federal funding passed by Congress is distributed to schools immediately and not used to fix the state's budget crisis.

State News: 8/18

Education News: 8/17

Steinberg: New Federal School Money Can Benefit Budget -- Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, says state leaders can use $1.2 billion in new federal money dedicated for California school districts to help plug the state's $19 billion deficit. KEVIN YAMAMURA SacBee Capitol Alert -- 8/17/10

Times Hits Raw Nerve With Data On Teachers -- The Los Angeles Times has created a firestorm – and prompted a call for a boycott of the paper by the head of the teachers union – for evaluating the performance, based on standardized tests results, of 6,000 third- through fifth-grade teachers. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 8/17/10

California's Students Make Slight Improvements in Standardized Tests
Mon Aug 16, 2010 — California’s students continue to improve in the statewide standardized tests – even if those improvements don’t seem huge.

School Test Score Rollout Begins With STAR Release -- 'Tis the season for student test score releases. This week, STAR. Next week, CAHSEE. The week after that, APR, API and AYP reports. DIANA LAMBERT and PHILLIP REESE in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/17/

UC Berkeley Is Top Public
University In U.S. News' Annual College Rankings -- UC Berkeley once again is the highest-ranked public university in the nation in the latest edition of the influential U.S. News & World Report "Best Colleges" list. AP -- 8/17/10

Do College Rankings Mean Anything? Bloggers Weigh In
Huffington Post (blog) - ‎3 hours ago‎
... the California Institute of Technology falls to No. 7? When I looked at schools, I was more-impressed by qualitative differences than quantitative ones

Who Is Paying For This Ad?
NBC San Diego (blog) - ‎2 hours ago‎
Test scores are below the national average at California schools, and tuition is rising at the state's community colleges and public universities...



State News: 8/17 

Education News: 11/16

Stalemate Increases The Financial Uncertainty For Schools -- The state aid bill President Obama signed last week is expected to provide $1.2 billion to help California's cash-strapped schools, but uncertainty over the state budget could delay plans to rehire laid-off teachers or restore school days. TERENCE CHEA AP -- 8/16/10

How the teachers were evaluated
Los Angeles Times - ‎12 hours ago‎
Teachers are the single most important school-related factor in a child's education, but until now, parents had little objective information about ...

Schools start with tighter budgets, fewer teachers and staff Class back in ...
Record-Searchlight - Damon Arthur - ‎10 hours ago‎
Despite budget cuts and staff reductions, Lowden said his staff is excited about a new school year. “Actually, the mood's pretty darn good,” Lowden said.

Students coming back to cuts in classrooms
Santa Rosa Press Democrat - Christopher Chung - ‎Aug 15, 2010‎
... school districts will cut classroom days, and still more have dropped staff development days under financial pressure from California's budget crisis

Budget cuts threaten child care as parents battle costs
Tri Valley Herald - Rick Radin, Andras Szigetvari - ‎Aug 13, 2010‎
But she could lose the $157-per-month subsidy for her 3-year-old son, Exaiden, if California eliminates the CalWORKs welfare-to-work program.

Editorial: Back to School
TheReporter.com - ‎Aug 15, 2010‎
With no state budget in place, California's public school administrators still don't know for certain how much money will be available this school year.

Union Leader Calls On L.A. Teachers To Boycott Times -- A.J. Duffy objects to the paper's analysis of the effectiveness of more than 6,000 elementary school teachers. JASON SONG and JASON FELCH in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/16/10

Sac City, Elk Grove Follow Trend Of Bringing Special-Ed Students Back To Neighborhood Schools -- Special-needs students in California are heading back to their neighborhood schools' classrooms as districts look to cut costs and revisit how to improve their learning environment. MELODY GUTIERREZ in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/16/10

California Lawmakers OK Bill To Solicit High School Students' Opinions Of Teachers -- How to improve high school teachers? Ask students, perhaps. JIM SANDERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/16/10

With Schools In Crisis, Parents Organize Political Fight -- As public schools continue to be battered in California's budget wars, parents are organizing to compete with other powerful constituencies fighting for a share of dwindling taxpayer dollars and to push for education reforms. LOUIS FREEDBERG California Watch -- 8/16/10

Fensterwald: Feds Willing, More Of ‘Worst’ Schools Would Get Money -- Facing criticism that state officials wanted to reward millions of federal improvement dollars to some schools and no money to others, the State School Board will vote Aug. 24 on a new plan to distribute $416 million in School Improvement Grants to about half of 188 schools designated the lowest performing in California. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 8/16/10

8/15

Who's Teaching L.A.'S Kids? -- A Times analysis, using data largely ignored by LAUSD, looks at which educators help students learn, and which hold them back. Jason Felch, Jason Song and DOUG SMITH in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/15/10

UC, Cal State Fee Hikes Add To Student Debt -- Daniela Pesce didn't qualify for financial aid when she transferred to UC Irvine two years ago, so she did what any self-reliant college student would do – she worked a part-time job, saved her money and put herself through college, taking out just $10,000 in loans. SCOTT MARTINDALE in the Orange County Register -- 8/15/10

Students Coming Back To Cuts In Classrooms -- Veteran educator Rhonda Bellmer never thought she'd see the day when students' access to the school library would be considered an “extra.” KERRY BENEFIELD in the Santa Rosa Press -- 8/15/10

State News: 8/16

Democrats Get Specific About What They Won't Cut – Capitol Public Radio
Mon Aug 16, 2010 — Democrats and Republicans continue to butt heads over how to close the state’s 19 billion dollar budget gap. Seven weeks into California’s new fiscal year, Democratic Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg is getting specific about what he won’t cut.

Education News: 8/13

Schools Pack In More Kids To Cope With Cuts -- California students returning to school this month are finding some of the biggest class sizes in more than a decade. DIANA LAMBERT in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/13/10

UC Researchers Ratify Their First Union Contract -- Experts say the contract, the result of a four-year effort, will significantly change the research workplace environment at UC and potentially other universities across the country. LARRY GORDON in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/13/10

UC Berkeley Drops Plans To Release Personal Genetic Information To Incoming Freshmen -- The University of California Berkeley has dropped plans to release personal genetic information to incoming freshmen, following instruction by state officials. LISA M. KRIEGER in the San Jose Mercury -- 8/13/10

Laird, Blakeslee cite different plans for improving schools
San Jose Mercury News - Kurtis Alexander - ‎13 hours ago‎
... hopeful John Laird said Thursday that Republican-supported tax cuts and spending caps would not restore the health of California's education system,

State News: 8/13

Steinberg's Bottom Line: No Deep Cuts To Schools, Welfare -- Always the negotiator, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg says he usually doesn't take anything off the table for discussion. KEVIN YAMAMURA in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/13/10

Budget +43: Impasse Yes, Furloughs No (For Now) -- It's a tired old adage that "It's always darkest just before dawn," and yet that's the usual course of summer budget impasses here at the state Capitol. Just when the problem seems most unfixable, a deal is struck and everyone shakes hands. JOHN MYERS Capitol Notes weblog -- 8/13/10 

CFT/Affiliates In the News: 8/12

Proposition 126: Also known as the 'Polluter Protection Act'
Capitol Weekly - Bill Magavern - ‎3 hours ago‎
... Officers Research Association of California, California Federation of Teachers, Consumer Federation of California and many others in opposing Prop 26.

Survey shows DeLaveaga teachers not satisfied on the job
Contra Costa Times - Shanna Mccord - ‎13 hours ago‎
Only 42 percent agreed that the school's leadership consistently supports teachers. head of the Greater Santa Cruz Federation of Teachers Local 2030, ...

Education News: 8/12

State pursues plan to award more money to low-achieving East Bay schools
San Jose Mercury News - Theresa Harrington - ‎16 hours ago‎
Under the revised plan, the California Department of Education would give out its entire $415 million federal award for School Improvement Grants this year, ...

Feds To Schools: Check Is Not Yet In The Mail -- Many unknowns stand in the way of California school districts actually being able to spend money from the $26 billion state relief fund signed into law by President Obama this week. LOUIS FREEDBERG California Watch -- 8/12/10

School Boards Group Fears Losing Members Over Pay Flap -- California School Boards Association President Frank Pugh wrote to school board members Wednesday that he is worried about membership renewals and pledged that the nonprofit will be more transparent in the future. MELODY GUTIERREZ in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/12/10

Demand strong at Valley community colleges
Fresno Bee - Cyndee Fontana - ‎12 hours ago‎
The 112-college system absorbed a $520 million budget cut in 2009-10. The financial outlook for community colleges is better this year, with the potential

Berkeley Considers Student Genetic Tests
UC Berkeley will decide this week whether to move ahead with genetic testing for incoming students. The program was meant to get students to think about the future of medicine, but instead has raised concerns over privacy. Reporter: Sarah Varney.

Some More Wrinkles for the Education Jobs Fund
New America Foundation (blog) - Jennifer Cohen - ‎1 hour ago‎
This is also the case in similarly cash-strapped districts in California. The real success of the Education Jobs Fund seems to depend on how quickly the ...

State News: 8/12

Democrats' Plan Raises Middle-Class Taxes, Analyst Says -- A new Democratic tax swap plan would raise taxes on middle-class Californians, counter to Democratic assertions that it would lower taxes for all income groups, a nonpartisan state analyst said Wednesday. KEVIN YAMAMURA in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/12/10

Walters: Tax Reform Is In The Eye Of The Beholder -- Everyone in the Capitol knows that a major factor in the state's perennial budget crises is that revenues go up and down like a yo-yo, but its spending commitments have become increasingly rigid. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/12/10

Labor Union Targets Schwarznegger Cameo In New Film -- The state's largest public employee union is taking its fight against the governor to San Francisco. MARISA LAGOS Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 8/12/10

California economists call Meg Whitman's economic policy proposals and ...
Examiner.com - ‎18 hours ago‎
... regarding the recession, California's $20 billion budget deficit, the size of California's government and how it impacts education, taxes, and regulations.

CFT/Affiliates In the News: 8/11

Teachers laud bill opposing Columbian trade agreement
Examiner.com - ‎2 hours ago‎
The resolution is supported by the California Labor Federation, the California Federation of Teachers, and other labor organizations representing workers ...

TUSD union negotiations move into fact finding
The Turlock Journal - Maegan Martens - ‎11 hours ago‎
The Turlock Classified - American Federation of Teachers currently has a tentative agreement with the district and negotiations are going well.

Education News: 8/11

SB 1381 and Transition Kindergarten  
By Catherine Atkin
Next month, more than 450,000 children across the state will enter kindergarten. Although most of these new students will be 5 years old, nearly a quarter of the entering kindergarteners will be only 4 years old, some of the youngest students in the nation.  During this week’s final deliberations, the Assembly Appropriations Committee will hear SB 1381, sponsored by Senator Joe Simitian. If the bill passes and continues to move forward, eventually receiving the governor’s signature, it will help to ensure that all of California’s kindergarteners enter school ready to succeed.

Brown Has a Schools Plan. Really.
NBC San Diego (blog) - Joe Mathews - ‎4 hours ago‎
Here's one thing that's different about the Jerry Brown of today than the one who governed California from 1975 to 1983.

How does state's new core curriculum affect local school districts?
Lodi News-Sentinel - Jennifer Bonnett - ‎10 hours ago‎
Staff at the California Department of Education have just started work to develop a plan for implementing the standards.

Obama signs emergency bill to halt teacher layoffs
Pasadena Star-News - Rebecca Kimitch - ‎12 hours ago‎
An estimated $1.2 billion is earmarked for California. The Education Department estimates that could save 160000 jobs nationally and 16500 jobs in ...

Colleges Get Reprieve as Congress Approves Aid to States
Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription) - Kelly Field - ‎17 hours ago‎
California's colleges aren't out of the woods yet, either. While the federal money could help prevent further cuts to higher education, the governor and the ...

State to rehire teachers with new federal money
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin - Canan Tasci - ‎15 hours ago‎
Just in time for the new school year, the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a state-aid package that will bring 16500 California teachers back to ...

Even as student performance improves, Santa Barbara School District faces more ...
The Daily Sound - Nick C. Tonkin - ‎6 hours ago‎
Because of state cuts, the district's budget has decreased $20 million over a four-year period. State law required the school board to pass a budget by the .

Local educators' jobs to be saved
San Mateo Daily Journal - Heather Murtagh - ‎6 hours ago‎
“This is the best news I've had in a long time,” said Ara Prigian, chapter services consultant for the California Teachers Association, who has helped work ...

Struggle for higher education
The Turlock Journal - Maegan Martens - ‎11 hours ago‎
The Turlock Unified School District administration believes that the cuts in state funding are mostly to blame. “Due to budget constraints, ...

Tax On Empire Board's Agenda -- Empire's school board is opening a discussion Thursday about tens of millions of dollars in extra property taxes that homeowners are paying because of a series of financial moves the district adopted since the 1980s. J.N. SBRANTI in the Modesto Bee -- 8/11/10

Jobs Bill Could Net $20M For San Diego Unified -- A newly passed federal jobs bill that includes $10 billion for school districts to reverse or prevent teacher layoffs could bring more than $20 million to San Diego Unified schools, district officials estimate. EMILY ALPERT Voiceofsandiego.org -- 8/11/10l

UC Berkeley Professors Defend Student Genetic Testing -- Two UC Berkeley professors Tuesday defended a controversial plan to perform genetic testing on incoming freshmen during a legislative hearing that also featured testimony from privacy experts and bioethicists blasting the plan. LAUREL ROSENHALL in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/11/10

Many Schools On Controversial Reform List May Not Get A Dime Of $416 Million -- If federal officials don't waive key rules, several of the state's largest school districts are at risk of not getting one penny of a nearly $416 million grant to turn around struggling campuses. COREY G. JOHNSON California Watch -- 8/11/10

State News: 8/11 

Education News: 8/10

Study: Classroom Spending In State Drops From 2003-09 -- California schools got more money from 2003 to 2009 but spent a smaller share of their budgets on students, a study has found. RICHARD K. DE ATLEY in the Riverside Press -- 8/10/10

Community colleges fighting to cope
msnbc.com - Megan L. Thomas - ‎5 hours ago‎
California community colleges, which make up the largest higher education system in the nation, had 2.6 million students enrolled in credited classes last ...

'Gaps Are Not Inevitable'
Inside Higher Ed - ‎10 hours ago‎
California State University at Chico also shows up on Education Trust's list of institutions with large graduation rate gaps for black and Latino students ...

UC Riverside's Small Graduation Gap Between Whites and Underrepresented ... UC Riverside

Will bill save any Modesto-area teachers?
Modesto Bee - Nan Austin, David Lightman - ‎10 hours ago‎
To put that in perspective, by state estimates, 5 percent of all California teachers, or 15000, were laid off in 2009-10, with more drastic cuts in place ...

Congress going back into session for education bill.
Examiner.com - ‎19 hours ago‎
... money it doesn't have, to areas where it thinks it can buy influence, leaving places like Nebraska paying for California teachers to keep their jobs.

Obama Urges Passage of Aid to States, School Districts
New York Times (blog) - Sheryl Gay Stolberg - ‎14 minutes ago‎
President Obama called on Tuesday for the House to quickly pass a $26 billion bill that would provide federal funds to keep teachers, ...

Obama: Education is economic issue
Politico (blog) - Carol E. Lee - ‎20 hours ago‎
It should be noted that based on data collected in California for AFDC's “children only” cases, the California Department of Social Services estimated that ...

Taking the wrong course on aid to US teachers
Washington Post - ‎13 hours ago‎
Congress won't let that happen. The writer, a Democrat from California, is chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor.

State News: 8/10


CFT/Affiliates In the News 8/5-9

Child Care Programs Face Closure
Daily Californian - ‎9 hours ago‎
"There was some hope, some belief, that there would be a state budget," said Cathy Campbell, president of Berkeley Federation of Teachers.

From 8/5/10

Key ruling throws out claim that Prop. 25 would protect two-thirds vote on taxes
San Jose Mercury News - Steven Harmon - ‎Aug 5, 2010‎
"We were very careful to make sure we were just changing the vote on budgets," said Kenneth Burt, a spokesman for the California Federation of Teachers, ...

California's Proposition 25 would have "majority rule" on budgets
Stateline.org - Pamela M. Prah - ‎Aug 5, 2010‎
Dennis Smith, of the California Federation of Teachers, says he's not too worried that Proposition 25 will get lost amid a long ballot of questions and candidates.

Legislature Approves Bill to Protect Student Speech Rights, Teachers at ...
California Chronicle - ‎Aug 5, 2010‎
In addition to the California Newspaper Publishers Association, SB 438 is supported by the California Teachers Association, California Federation of Teachers ...

Education News: 8/7-9

New restrictions on for-profit colleges don't seem strict enough
Los Angeles Times - ‎2 hours ago‎
Two years ago, an agreement governing California's for-profit schools, under which a bureau had been set up to oversee their practices, lapsed.

Carly Fiorina opposes emergency state aid bill to save teachers jobs and fund ...
Examiner.com - ‎10 hours ago‎
The Republican candidate for the US Senate in California, Carly Fiorina, opposes emergency federal legislation designed provide aid to states across the ...

Educated Guess: Liposuction Approach To School Reform -- Last March, the California Department of Education released a list of “persistently low-performing schools” that would be part of the federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) process. Our school was on it. KILIAN BETLACH educatedguess.org -- 8/9/10

Stanford And UC Berkeley Create Massively Collaborative Math -- In a stunning example of the power of the Internet to attract and connect the smartest minds on earth around the most difficult problems, scholars at UC Berkeley and Stanford have created a free website, called MathOverflow, which is transforming math research. LISA M. KRIEGER in the San Jose Mercury -- 8/9/10

Is it worth it to go to college?
msnbc.com - Allison Linn - ‎5 hours ago‎
... a professor of higher education at University of California, Berkeley. “There's a lot about college that really isn't about occupational benefits.

Paying The Price For Cuts -- Class sizes have shot up and the school year has been shortened throughout San Diego County. Parents are stepping up efforts to stock classrooms by donating everything from flash drives to cleaning supplies. And in La Mesa and Spring Valley, teachers have been directed to cut pink erasers in half to stretch supplies. MAUREEN MAGEE in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 8/9/10

SDSU Drunkenness Warning An Example Of Stimulus Waste, McCain Says -- In a new report highlighting wasteful stimulus spending, two Republican senators have lambasted a half-million-dollar grant to San Diego State University researchers who are studying whether placing certain health messages on menus might persuade drinkers to imbibe less. ERICA PEREZ California Watch -- 8/9/10

Schools Under Fire From ACLU For 'Pay-To-Play' Athletic Fees -- The American Civil Liberties Union is stepping up the pressure on school districts that are violating state law by charging students to participate in athletics and other extracurricular activities. COREY G. JOHNSON California Watch -- 8/9/10

Students Spared Amid An Increase In Deportations -- The Obama administration, while deporting a record number of immigrants convicted of crimes, is sparing one group of illegal immigrants from expulsion: students who came to the United States without papers when they were children. JULIA PRESTON in the New York Times -- 8/9/10

Child Care Programs Face Closure
Daily Californian - ‎9 hours ago‎
"There was some hope, some belief, that there would be a state budget," said Cathy Campbell, president of Berkeley Federation of Teachers.

8/7/10:

Visalia Unified School District teachers back pay cut
Visalia Times-Delta - Gerald Carroll - ‎Aug 7, 2010‎
Specific budget figures for 2010-11 remain unclear because the state of California has yet to finalize a budget, officials say. The June 30 deadline came ...

Budget cuts threaten education and healthcare, community groups told
Ventura County Star - Brett Johnson - ‎Aug 7, 2010‎
The 2010 California Shared Prosperity Statewide Candidates Forum at the gym boiled down to deep concerns over looming state budget cuts in healthcare and ...

Long Beach's crossing guards in the crosshairs for budget cuts
Contra Costa Times - Paul Eakins - ‎Aug 7, 2010‎
Under City Manager Pat West's proposed budget cuts to eliminate an $18.5 million general fund deficit in the coming fiscal year, the second-largest cut

State News: 8/7-9

Meg Whitman’s Other Money  
By Peter Schrag - California Progress Report
Because a lot of us have been mesmerized by the obscene amounts of money Republican Meg Whitman has been kicking into her gubernatorial campaign – now totaling about $91 million and likely to approach a staggering $200 million before it’s over – we’ve nearly forgotten the “ordinary” contributors. But they tell a lot about the state of our politics – and indeed about a lot else as well.

Brown beefs up jobs plan
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown today released a beefed up jobs plan, expanding on an existing, clean energy jobs plan that was widely panned for its lack of detail.
In his new plan, released on his website, Brown said he would invest in state infrastructure projects, reduce regulations on businesses and create a "strike team" to attract and retain jobs.

Who's to blame for Schwarzenegger's mess? Schwarzenegger
Los Angeles Times - Sheila James Kuehl - ‎2 hours ago‎
He has knocked California's public education system into the basement, diminished the state's higher education system to the point that it will take decades ...

Labor unions and Latino leaders begin a statewide voter registration in California
Examiner.com - ‎31 minutes ago‎
With less than 90 days until the November midterm elections, California labor unions and Latino community leaders are ratcheting up their voter registration .. 

Education News: 8/6

ACLU Seeks Refund Of Student Fees -- The American Civil Liberties Union is calling on San Diego schools to refund a host of school fees, ranging from $3 to $1,097, that it says are unconstitutional — charges for students to take exams, play sports or even just to take classes. TANYA SIERRA in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 8/6/10
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/05/wdog-aclu-seeks-refund/

Health Costs Rise For Torrance Teachers As A Result Of Layoff Fears -- In an example of the unexpected consequences that can come in the wake of widespread layoffs, the cost of health benefits for hundreds of teachers that survived last year's bloodbath at the Torrance Unified School District is skyrocketing. ROB KUZNIA in the Torrance Daily Breeze -- 8/6/10

Chico State would like to admit north state community college students, but ...
Mercury-Register - Larry Mitchell - ‎11 hours ago‎
Last year, because of budget cuts, the CSU generally didn't open the August application period. A few exceptions were made, including one for Chico State, ...

California school transfers possible, but budgets likely to limit numbers
The Salinas Californian - Griselda D. Ramirez - ‎6 hours ago‎
Ron Eastwood, communications director for the Monterey County Office of Education, said local districts have already assigned staff and resources based on ...

Help for State Higher Ed
Inside Higher Ed - ‎11 hours ago‎
WASHINGTON -- With state revenues stagnating and unemployment stuck at high levels in most states, the budget outlook for public higher education in the ...

Schools Presenting Risk Of 'Serious Harm' Get No Relief -- Successful schools inadvertently labeled as posing a risk of "serious harm" to their students' health, safety or "general welfare," as a result of an emergency declared by the State Board of Education, will get no relief from the state Legislature. LOUIS FREEDBERG California Watch -- 8/6/10

Viewpoints: State ready to settle schools lawsuit, contingent on reforms
Sacramento Bee - Bonnie Reiss - ‎11 hours ago‎
Recently, some in California's education community sued the state. The governor could have taken the easy way out and let the lengthy legal process play out ...

Bill to preserve education jobs clears Senate
Contra Costa Times - Ryan Chalk - ‎10 hours ago‎
In places like the Vacaville and Travis unified school districts, budget cuts have already increased class sizes, resulted in teacher layoffs and, ...

State News: 8/6

Prop 23’s Mystery Money
All Reports by Steven Maviglio August 05, 2010 @ 7:33 PM
There are two new stories today on the funding of Prop 23, the Texas oil companies' effort to kill California's clean energy and clean air standards.
This afternoon, the Center for American Progress posted a story about the Texas oil companies' attempt to enlist other oil companies in their campaign. The report includes slides from their presentation, which are insightful

Walters: Majority-Vote Budget Measure Proposition 25 Is A Mixed Bag -- Conceptually, Proposition 25 could be an incremental step, albeit a very small one, toward improving California's ever-worsening governmental dysfunction. Or not. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/6/10 

Education News: 8/5 

UC Davis Gives US Bank Marketing Access, Perks In Exchange For Royalties -- This fall, University of California Davis students, faculty and staff will get new photo ID cards emblazoned with the US Bank logo. They can use the cards to check out books from the library and, if they choose, withdraw money at an ATM from a new US Bank checking account. ERICA PEREZ California Watch -- 8/5/10

More Orange County Latinos Than Whites Enroll In State-Run Colleges -- Latino students who graduate from public high schools in Orange County are enrolling in California's public colleges at a higher rate than their white counterparts, according to a newly released study from the Orange County Department of Education. SCOTT MARTINDALE in the Orange County Register -- 8/5/10

California's mixed up priorities -- education vs. prisons
Ventura County Reporter - ‎1 hour ago‎
For most California residents, it comes as no big surprise that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a fiscal emergency for the state last week.

Colleges and the Governors' Races
Inside Higher Ed - ‎4 hours ago‎
Her proposed budget for the 2011 fiscal year cuts $1.1 billion across the board, including $43 million from universities -- a smaller cut than GOP ...

Vocational Training Should Be an Option For High School Students
NBC Bay Area (blog) - Joseph Perkins - ‎3 hours ago‎
Why shouldn't California high schools offer career prep coursework for aspiring entrepreneurs like Jobs, actors like Swank, chefs like Puck and models like ...

Senate Clears Way for Emergency Aid to States
Los Angeles Times - Lisa Mascaro - ‎18 hours ago‎
... the National Education Association estimates 138000 teachers' jobs education jobs, including 13700 in California and 5050 in Illinois, could be saved.

What Else Whitman Could Have Done With Her $100 Million Shopping Spree
Huffington Post (blog) - ‎Aug 3, 2010‎
(Average expenditure per pupil in 2008-2009 school year was $8736) Source: California Department of Education • Pay the "fees" for 10770 students to attend ...

State News: 8/5

California Democrats present budget proposal
California Independent Voter Network - Greg Lucas - ‎4 hours ago‎
“It restores cuts the governor's budget made to education, closes costly loopholes and doesn't impose broad-based taxes on Californians.

Education News: 8/4

Senate overcomes GOP filibuster, votes for aid package to states
Los Angeles Times - Lisa Mascaro - ‎44 minutes ago‎
A $26.1-billion package to keep nearly 140000 teachers on the job and finance continued healthcare services to the poor in California and other states heads ...

Report: White male grads least likely to be public college-bound – Sac Bee Capitol Alert
California's white male high school graduates are the least likely societal subgroup to immediately continue their educations in public colleges and universities, the California Postsecondary Education Commission has found in a compilation of 2008-vintage data.

AM Alert: Sour on the 'sweet spot'
And on Day 34 they created a plan.
Today is Day 35 of the 2010-2011 fiscal year. There is still no state budget in place. - Sac Bee Capitol Alert
Democrats released details yesterday of their latest plan for closing the budget gap. The proposal avoids some deep spending cuts proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in part by including revenues from a new oil production tax and an increase in the income tax and the vehicle license fee. Lawmakers say the latter two would be offset for individuals by federal tax deductions and a permanent state sales tax cut.l

Some schools feel shut out of grant money
KGO-TV - ‎11 hours ago‎
WALNUT CREEK, CA (KGO) -- The California Board of Education will hand out over $400 million in school improvement grant money to school districts before ...

Weeding out underperforming charter schools
Los Angeles Times - ‎17 hours ago‎
To its credit, the California Charter Schools Assn. has long recognized that weeding out low-performing charters promotes both better education and a better ...

K. Lloyd Billingsley: Why the `Race to the Top' will change nothing in state
Los Angeles Daily News - Lloyd Billingsley - ‎8 hours ago‎
CALIFORNIA is now a finalist in the federal "Race to the Top" education contest. Californians might want to hold off on the ...

Lottery funds small, increasingly critical part of budget
Colusa County Sun Herald - Lydia M. Harris - ‎16 hours ago‎
That year, $126 per student average daily attendance was distributed to school districts and county offices of education, Cordano said.

State News: 8/4

California statewide races see big cash flows
San Jose Mercury News - Robin Hindery - ‎19 hours ago‎
Torlakson has received the coveted endorsement of the California Teachers Association, which has donated nearly $26000 to his campaign so far.

Education News: 8/3

California Signs On To Education Standards -- As the country's most populous state, California's adoption of the blueprint was key, especially because California has been praised for developing its own high standards. The second-largest state, Texas, spurned the effort entirely. HOWARD BLUME in the Los Angeles Times -- 8/3/10

Fensterwald: Amid Confusion, No Vote On SIG Money -- After hearing repeated complaints Monday that unclear rules had created confusion and unfairly excluded Los Angeles Unified and other districts, the State Board of Education postponed divvying up $316 million in federal money for the worst-performing schools in the state. Board members acknowledged the situation was “a mess.” JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org DEBBIE PFEIFFER TRUNNELL in the San Bernardino Sun THERESA HARRINGTON in the Oakland Tribune -- 8/3/10

CSU San Bernardino Hires Former Bank Chief Terminated By Feds -- CSU San Bernardino has hired as its new vice president for university advancement a local credit union CEO who was ousted from that position as part of a federal takeover a few weeks ago. ERICA PEREZ California Watch -- 8/3/10

California Supreme Court upholds affirmative action ban
89.3 KPCC - ‎13 hours ago‎
The California Supreme Court today upheld the state's ban on affirmative action consideration in public employment, contracting and higher education.

California Dreamer
Inside Higher Ed - ‎9 hours ago‎
California is not the only state eyeing online education as a way to increase access and cut costs. But while many states are looking to use the popular ...

State News: 8/3

Obama to Address AFL-CIO Executive Council
AFL-CIO (blog) - James Parks - ‎21 hours ago‎
Since your coming to office, tens of thousands of public school teachers have been fired, as schools are closed and essential education for the people is ...

Time to collect state tax on Internet sales
San Francisco Chronicle - Bill Dombrowski - ‎12 hours ago‎
That means that unpaid sales taxes from these retailers could help make sure we have teachers in the schools, cops on the streets and emergency personnel in ...

Will Californians Finally Reform Property Tax Loopholes for Corporations?
truthout - Rose Aguilar - ‎2 hours ago‎
The California Tax Reform Association is hoping a ballot initiative in 2012 will pass because of the unprecedented budget crisis. A new group called "Close

On the Bus for Solidarity, Los Angeles to Phoenix
Labor Notes - Clare Martinet - ‎22 hours ago‎
Before the march began, the 575 union members and clergy who had left Los Angeles early that morning, in 11 buses organized by the LA County Federation of ... 

Education News: 8/2

California approves national education standards
Sacramento Bee - Diana Lambert - ‎30 minutes ago‎
The board also voted to direct the California Department of Education and board of education staff to create an implementation plan and to launch a ...

Eating away at education: Math doesn't add up when teacher salaries and budget ...
San Jose Mercury News - Katy Murphy - ‎Aug 1, 2010‎
David Plank, a Stanford University education professor and the director of the nonpartisan research center Policy Analysis for California Education, ...

California And Utah Only States Actively Shortening School Year -- They join about a dozen other states that allow districts to offer a 175-day school year. More than 30 other states require a minimum of 180 days. LOUIS FREEDBERG California Watch -- 8/2/10

Fensterwald: A Smarter Way To Divvy Up Turnaround Money -- Doug McRae has a sharp eye and a rational mind. A retired executive who ran the testing division for McGraw-Hill and who follows state education policy closely, McRae saw the state’s peculiar recommendations for distributing $316 million in federal money this fall for turning around the worst performing schools and thought, There’s got to be a better way. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess.org -- 8/2/10

Budget Situation Spells Uncertain Spring for CSU
Mon Aug 2, 2010 — This week, hopeful students will be able to apply for spring admission to California State Universities. But whether they’ll be admitted is a mystery only the state legislature can solve.

Would Carly Fiorina Pink Slip California's Teachers?
All Reports by Steven Maviglio August 02, 2010 @ 11:05 AM
This week the Senate is expected to vote on legislation that includes $10 billion to help states pay teacher salaries and prevent increases in class size. In California, it would mean that an estimated 13,000 teachers who received pink slips could return to the classroom this fall. The legislation is fully offset by closing foreign corporate tax loopholes as well as additional spending cuts.

Prop. 187: The Times on the federal-state immigration conflict
Los Angeles Times - ‎5 hours ago‎
Regarding what is perhaps the most morally troublesome part of 187, Pfaelzer declared it unlawful to demand that teachers and administrators snitch on ...

State News: 8/1

Editorial: Lawmakers show budget priorities
Published: 12:00 am
Here's some inside information. If you're a betting person who is thinking about picking a date when the Legislature might get around to passing a budget, you probably shouldn't pick Wednesday, Aug. 11.