CFT In the News: 1/31

AFSCME, Others Endorse Millionaire's Tax - Jan 31 Beyond Chron
The campaign also announced that the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) has contributed $500000 towards the signature-gathering campaign. The veteran firm of Masterton & Wright has been hired to manage the signature-gathering effort.

Think Long committee falls short of ballot goal Sacramento Bee and Fresno Bee
And he scored another over the weekend when the powerful California Teachers Association endorsed his tax measure over its competitors, including one sponsored by the other teachers' union, the California Federation of Teachers, ...

California Teachers Association Backs Brown's Tax Plan -- The California Teachers Association officially agreed Sunday to back Gov. Jerry Brown's multibillion-dollar tax plan, which should provide the governor hefty financial support for his fall campaign…Some members advocated competing plans, such as a "millionaires tax" proposed by a separate union, the California Federation of Teachers. But the CTA ultimately got behind the governor's plan. KEVIN YAMAMURA in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/31/12

Fensterwald: Cta’s A Team Player For Jerry Brown -- The president of the California Teachers Association said Monday that in backing Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax initiative, the state’s largest teachers union is agreeing to “stay at awful” for now with the expectation that more money will flow again to schools in coming years….over a rival plan from the California Federation of Teachers that would split among K-12 schools JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess -- 1/31/12

Education News: 1/31/12

Fresno State Will Keep College Of Science And Math -- Fresno State officials have rescinded a controversial recommendation to eliminate the College of Science and Mathematics, marking a victory for faculty and students from the college who forcefully have opposed the idea since its announcement in the fall. HEATHER SOMERVILLE in the Fresno Bee -- 1/31/12

Heimpel: Foster Youth Deserve To Be Left Out Of Brown’s Plan To Combine Categorical Funds -- In 1981, the California State Legislature launched the Foster Youth Services program to address the educational needs of foster children, putting California at the vanguard of a national movement to level the educational playing field for students in foster care. DANIEL HEIMPEL TopEd -- 1/31/12

Late News From 1/30:

Why Is Congress Redlining Our Schools?Linda Darling-Hammond January 10, 2012  This article appeared in the January 30, 2012 edition of The Nation.
Redlining was the once-common practice in which banks would draw a red line on a map—often along a natural barrier like a highway or river—to designate neighborhoods where they would not invest. Stigmatized and denied access to loans and other resources, redlined communities, populated by African-Americans and other people of color, often became places that lacked businesses, jobs, grocery stores and other services, and thus could not retain a thriving middle class. Redlining produced and reinforced a vicious cycle of decline for which residents themselves were typically blamed.  

Late News From 1/29:

Stanford Takes Online Schooling To The Next Academic Level  Last semester, Stanford University professors tried something radically new: They opened their classes to the world for free. Within hours, thousands had signed up to participate. The classes' success could transform the way we look at higher education.  National Public Radio

From 1/28:
Pia Lopez: Can we find common ground on schools? Published on Sat Jan 28 Sacramento Bee
As a historian who takes the long view, Diane Ravitch, author of "The Death and Life of the Great American School System," is rightly skeptical of "easy solutions" to the problems of American education. In her visit to The Be..

From 1/21:
Diane Ravitch shares her views on education reform Published on Sat Jan 21 Sacramento Bee  With a sharp tongue and unapologetic gaze, Diane Ravitch has spent the past two years touring the country with a message of support for teachers and criticism for the high-stakes testing culture she helped create.

CFT/Affilites In the News: 1/28-30 

California Teachers Association endorses Brown tax initiative   EdSource Extra  One, endorsed by the California Federation of Teachers, and another supported by civil rights attorney Molly Munger and daughter of Charles Munger, ...

California Teachers Association backs Gov. Jerry Brown's tax plan  Sacramento Bee  Some members advocated for competing plans, such as a "Millionaires Tax" proposed by a separate union, the California Federation of Teachers.

Brown's Tax Plan Gains Support  KMJ Now  The equally powerful California Federation of Teachers is proposing their own tax initiative that would tax only those making more than a million dollars a ...

1/29:

Future of 'preppy kindergarten' uncertain Bakersfield Californian  Almondale Elementary transitional kindergarten teacher Teresa Echeverria asks her students ... secretary treasurer of the California Federation of Teachers, ...

Dan Morain: Tax campaign targets Capitol's inside game Sacramento Bee  "We're full steam ahead," said Rick Jacobs, head of Courage Campaign, which is part of a coalition that includes the California Federation of Teachers ...

Getting to know Lynda Johnson Asianjournal.com
Johnson is endorsed and supported by the ABC Federation of Teachers, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, California State ...

Education News: 1/28-30

Local educators decry push to relax high school science requirement Santa Rosa Press Democrat - ‎39 minutes ago‎
But school officials fear cash-strapped districts buffeted by deep budget cuts will choose to move funds away from no-longer-mandated courses to pay for those that are required by law.

Should We Switch To Weighted Student Funding And Do It Now? -- In next year’s budget, Gov. Jerry Brown proposes to rearrange school funding based on a weighted student formula – a concept that State Board of Education President Michael Kirst fleshed out in a 2008 brief. Discussion at TopEd -- 1/30/1

1/29:

California community colleges prepare to ration their offerings Sacramento Bee
The hope, says California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott, is that new students won't get locked out. State leaders want to increase the percentage of students who graduate or transfer to universities, which suffers when students can't ...

1/28:

Banks: Adult Education On L.A. Unified's Chopping Block -- With financial woes in Sacramento and new freedom on spending earmarked funds, the district proposes a budget that has no money to help adults get high school diplomas, learn English or acquire career skills. SANDY BANKS in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/28/12

Cal State Threatens To Withhold $7 Million From Northridge Campus -- Cal State says CSUN must reduce current enrollment to abide by budget-related targets or risk losing the funding. LARRY GORDON in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/28/12

State News: 1/28-30

High-Stakes Labor Battle Coming To California -- The state's powerful labor groups have anxiously witnessed union rights and benefits being gutted in Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana. Now, unions in California are girding for an all-out war over a ballot initiative that would curb their ability to raise political cash. STEVEN HARMON in the San Jose Mercury -- 1/30/12

Court Could Block Use Of Methyl Iodide -- A ruling is expected in the coming weeks in a first-of-its kind-legal battle over methyl iodide, one of the most controversial pesticides in use in California. ROBIN UREVICH HealthyCal.org -- 1/30/12

Late news from 1/27:

Union membership dips slightly in California, still 7th highest Sac Bee Capitol Alert
Union membership among California's workers declined fractionally in the last year, according to an annual survey by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, but remains seventh highest among the states

CFT In the News: 1/27/12

What the Voters Want: More Corporate Taxes‎
Fox and Hounds Daily (blog) - 1 hour ago
The California Federation of Teachers and Courage Campaign would tax millionaires. The much-ballyhooed and quickly abandoned plan from the Think Long ...

Summer school at risk for Valley's community college students‎
Fresno Bee - 11 hours ago
... College instructor and senior vice president of the California Federation of Teachers. "That's why there's this scramble to add classes," Barnes said.

California Federation of Teachers Opposes the Proposal to ...
Highland Community News
Sacramento, CA -- Today (Thursday) the California Federation of Teachers, representing over 120000 educational employees working at every level of the ...

Pre-K threatened with extinction‎
Gilroy Dispatch - 15 hours ago
Several campaigns to save TK are under way, including one from Preschool California, an advocacy group which calls kindergarten cutbacks a ...

Summer school at risk for Valley's community college students
Fresno Bee
... College instructor and senior vice president of the California Federation of Teachers. "That's why there's this scramble to add classes," Barnes said

The Mother of All Union Trusteeships‎
CounterPunch - 1 day ago
Stern's intervention has also negatively impacted other California unions ... a measure favored by the California Federation of Teachers and other groups.

Education News: 1/27/12

Waiver for NCLB the Right Choice for California  By Arun Ramanthan in the California Progress Report
The Education Trust—West -- Around this time every year, millions of parents in California are working through the school enrollment process. Unfortunately, while many don’t have a choice regarding what school their child will attend, those who do often find their options bewildering.

California school districts change board elections to avoid lawsuits -- In recent years, the rural Esparto Unified School District has eliminated teaching jobs and classes as it struggled to absorb state funding cuts. Hudson Sangree and Melody Gutierrez in the Sacramento Bee  -- 1/27/12

Fensterwald: Charters getting 7% less funding -- Under state law, charter schools and district public schools are supposed to be funded equally. That’s not happening, according to a report by the Legislative Analyst’s Office, which found that charter schools receive on average $395 per student or 7 percent less than district schools. John Fensterwald educatedguess -- 1/27/12

State told to help enforce ban on fees -- The state bears some legal responsibility for enforcing an often-ignored provision of the state constitution that blocks schools from charging fees for public education, a judge ruled this week. Ashly McGlone UT Sandiego -- 1/27/12

Kindergarten? Transitional class? More preschool? Shifting state law and budget has parents confused -- For decades, California parents with kids nearing their fifth birthday knew that right about now, they needed to start thinking about registering for kindergarten. But a new law, a funding crisis and California's Byzantine budgeting ways have turned that certainty on its head. Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury -- 1/27/12

Baron: San Francisco scraps Transitional Kindergarten -- When registration begins today in San Francisco Unified School District for the 2012-13 academic year, it will become the first district in California to forgo plans for Transitional Kindergarten. Kathryn Baron TopEd -- 1/27/12

Experts say math preparation should begin in preschool -- Education leaders in California are turning their sights to making sure students have a strong foundation in mathematics when they enter kindergarten. And that means introducing students to math in preschool. Matthew Rosin EdSource -- 1/27/12

State cuts threaten education for deaf, blind in Bay Area
San Francisco Examiner - ‎13 hours ago‎
AP file photo In his proposed budget for 2012-13, Brown called for cutting funding to the California Schools for the Deaf in Fremont and Riverside and the School for the Blind in Fremont by $1.8 million. A proposed budget cut for California's ...

California has failed to protect children's right to free education, lawsuit says   89.3 KPCC (blog) - ‎14 hours ago‎
State of California goes back to September 2010. Earlier today, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carl West denied a motion to dismiss the case, made by the state, California Board of Education, superintendent of public instruction Tom Torlakson, ...

Obama says college costs must be held in check
USA TODAY - ‎56 minutes ago‎
By Richard Wolf, USA TODAY ANN ARBOR, Mich. - President Obama finished a three-day, five-stop campaign for his 2012 agenda Friday by promising a University of Michigan audience he will work with Congress, states and universities to keep college costs ...

State News: 1/27/12

Walters: California Legislature once again earns scorn -- Last Tuesday, the Public Policy Institute of California issued a new poll that found, among other things, just 17 percent of the state's voters like the Legislature's performance. Simultaneously, the Legislature's top leaders provided another reason for Californians to harbor such scorn. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/27/12

CFT In the News: 

From 1/25:

Trouble for Brown's Tax Strategy in Poll Numbers 
Fox and Hounds Daily - The California Federation of Teachers/Courage Campaign tax increase proposal raises income taxes on millionaires. Civil Rights attorney Molly Munger's ...

Education News: 1/26

Florida (with B grade) leads states in teacher-quality survey
Los Angeles Times
Seven states that toughened how they deal with teacher effectiveness earned the top grades this year in an ... (California received a D+ in 2011 and 2009.) ...

Fensterwald: No weaseling out of school fees case -- A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge drew a bright line Wednesday on Gov. Jerry Brown’s goal of shifting control over education decisions from Sacramento to local districts. John Fensterwald educatedguess -- 1/26/12

CSU trustees change policy on campus president pay -- Bending to critics' concerns of runaway executive pay, California State University trustees voted Wednesday to limit salaries for new campus presidents and to consider economic realities before making salary offers. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/26/12

Liberalism spreading among college freshmen, survey finds -- Already inclined toward liberalism, college freshmen are leaning even farther left on key political issues, a nationwide survey of first-year students has found. Matt Krupnick in the Oakland Tribune -- 1/26/12

Op-ed: Waiver for NCLB the Right Choice for California
New America Media - ‎7 hours ago‎
Every school in California has two separate ratings. California has a state system called the API (Academic Performance Index) that ranks schools on a point system up to 1000. However, schools are also ranked by the federal rating system based on AYP ...

Q&A: Education reformer Michelle Rhee and mayor bring 'listening tour' to ...
Modesto Bee - ‎Jan 25, 2012‎
By Diana Lambert Education activist Michelle Rhee and her husband, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, are visiting California cities to talk about education. They began in San Diego and will travel to San Jose, Fresno and Los Angeles.

Brown's Tax Campaign Shifts Into Higher Gear - Governor Jerry Brown received some welcome news this week about his proposal to raise taxes and earmark the money for schools: a majority of voters like it. The governor is also trying to rally a coalition of businesses behind the plan before it heads to the November ballot. Reporter: John Myers.  KQED California Report

Skelton: Poll shows strong support for Jerry Brown's tax hike proposal -- Gov. Jerry Brown has California voters right where he wants them — hating the notion of whacking schools even more than the prospect of paying a higher sales tax. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/26/12

State News: 1/26

 California GOP chief eyes statewide election strategy to boost initiatives, candidates -- While blue California is almost certain to go for President Barack Obama come November, California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro sees opportunity for the GOP to be a major force from the presidential race down.  Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/26/12

CFT In the News: 1/25/12

 Gov. Jerry Brown's tax proposal gains support among voters
San Jose Mercury News
Another proposal, backed by the California Federation of Teachers, would raise about $6 billion by hiking taxes on individuals who make $1 million or more ...

Poll: Sales tax hike will be challenge for Brown San Jose Mercury News - ‎ Desert Sun 16 hours ago   A potential competing tax initiative championed by the California Federation of Teachers and the Courage Campaign would raise taxes on incomes of $1 million or more to fund public schools and does not call for raising a broad-based levy such as the ...

 The SEIU Takeover of UHW: Three Years Later
Beyond Chron
5, 2011, the UHW under Regan won't even back a proposed millionaires' tax favored by the California Federation of Teachers and other groups.

More from Education OCRegister - ‎11 hours ago‎  November 2011: Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers votes no confidence in Hubbard. Jan. 23, 2012: Hubbard is convicted on two felony counts and acquitted on a third charge.

Education News: 1/25/12

Poll: Strong Support for Brown Tax Plan, Opposition to School "Trigger Cuts" by Public Policy Institute of California  in the California Progress Report -- Strong majorities of Californians favor Governor Jerry Brown's proposed tax initiative and oppose the automatic cuts that public schools will face if voters fail to approve the measure in November. These are among the key findings of a statewide survey released today by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.

If Not For Schools, Would Brown's Tax Hike Be A Dud? -- Governor Jerry Brown will no doubt love the headline out of the brand new statewide public poll: 68% of likely voters say they support his November initiative to raise taxes and earmark the money for public schools. John Myers Capitol Notes -- 1/25/12

Fensterwald: Big backing for Brown’s tax increase -- Brown is drawing the most support from voters who favor first and foremost protecting K-12 education: 62 percent of likely voters said they’d pay higher taxes for that purpose; less than half said they’d support higher taxes for health and human services (49 percent), higher education (46 percent), or prison and corrections (only 12 percent). John Fensterwald educatedguess -- 1/25/12

Sac Bee Capital Alert:  FYI CSU PAY: California State University trustees are considering executive pay and compensation at their meeting today in Long Beach, and its chairman plans to propose a cap in response to pending legislation, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday. Democratic Sen. Ted. Lieu of Torrance -- whose Senate Bill 959 would limit campus presidents' salaries -- will be among those testifying.

Ravitch: Why California gives me hope Washington Post (blog) - ‎21 hours ago -- He has a deep understanding that education must liberate the minds of students, not chain them to a format that demeans thoughtfulness and punishes independence and divergent thinking.

Money Must Follow the Student in Brown's School Funding Reform Huffington Post (blog) - ‎2 hours ago‎  Many of us have been calling for years for a revamped California school funding system that is more rational, more equitable, and just plain simpler.

Baron: Sacramento school a case study for NCLB waiver -- Reforms alone can't erase "failing" school stigma. Kathryn Baron TopEd -- 1/25/12

State asks judge to toss illegal school fees case -- State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, the California State Board of Education, the state Department of Education and the attorney general's office all want a judge to drop a lawsuit that seeks to hold the state accountable for school districts that illegally charge students to participate in classes and extracurricular activities. Corey G. Johnson California Watch -- 1/25/12

Cost-cutting changes set for LAUSD -- Superintendent John Deasy is taking the first steps in restructuring Los Angeles Unified, with a plan that would thin the district's administrative ranks and redirect resources to improving classroom instruction.  Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/12

State News: 1/25/12

AFT – in the News: 1/24/12

The State of the Teachers' Union Huffington Post  -- In New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been fighting with the United Federation of Teachers -- the city's branch of the American Federation of  Teachers ...

Education News: 1/24/12

Walters: Jerry Brown's Budget Ups The Stakes Over California Education -- The state budget contains hundreds of specific provisions but none is bigger, more complicated, more politicized, more emotional – or more important – than the 30 or so billion dollars that it spends on K-12 education. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/24/12

Lance Izumi: California schools behind the curve  OCRegister - ‎3 hours ago‎  However, if one looks at the education proposals in his speech this month, it is obvious that much of the country has passed by Brown and California. Brown's education agenda contains a mishmash of proposals, some of which are steps backward and some ...

Fensterwald: Brown Wants Quicker Results, Fewer Tests -- Gov. Jerry Brown picked up on a common complaint of teachers, superintendents, and parents in his State of the State address last week: Schools have closed for the summer by the time they get the scores of standardized tests that students took the previous spring. At that point, the results are a lot less useful. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess -- 1/24/12

Finland Schools' Success Story: Lessons Shared At California Forum Huffington Post - ‎3 hours ago‎  That's why academics, teachers and government officials gathered at Stanford University last week to talk about what makes the Scandinavian country's schools so good. And what lessons might Americans have learned at the Empowerment Through Learning in ..

Rumberger: America Cannot Afford The Stiff Price Of A Dropout Nation -- Kenny Buchanan is 44 years old and dropped out of high school 26 years ago. He’s been paying the price ever since. He’s held eight jobs in the last five years and has never earned more than $40,000 in a year. RUSSELL RUMBERGER TopEd -- 1/24/12

Srjc Squeeze On Classes Delaying Plans -- Delayed transfers are an increasingly common fear at SRJC where staff reductions and rising student demand have made getting some crucial classes as difficult as passing them. SAM SCOTT in the SANTA ROSA PRESS -- 1/24/12

Funding Cuts Would Keep Rural Kids Waiting for a Bus Before dawn this morning, two school buses full of students and a caravan of community members from rural Humboldt County began a five-hour trek to Sacramento. They're protesting the decision to eliminate all state funding for school buses as part of the budget-balancing trigger cuts. Reporter: Lisa Morehouse. KQED

State News: 1/24/12

Brown’s Ballot Measure Ignores Need for Progressive Tax Reform By Randy Shaw in the California Progress Report - Despite the best possible voter turnout for progressive tax reform, California Governor Jerry Brown is backing a tax measure that fails to even begin a path toward this goal. It might not even successfully address the state’s short-term crisis, as the independent Legislative Analyst recently announced that Brown’s measure would bring in $2.1 billion less than projected ($6.9 v. $4.8 billion). …

Occupy Oakland Tab Up To $3 Million And Counting -- The news spotlight has moved elsewhere, but Oakland continues to shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars a month for the Occupy protests. PHILLIP MATIER, ANDREW ROSS in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/24/12

Former Ca Assembly Speaker’s Got A Brand New Career…As Tv Political Analyst -- Fabian Nunez, who as California Assembly Speaker became one of the state’s most prominent Latino lawmakers, is taking on a new media career — joining a team of 2012 election analysts with powerhouse Spanish-language Univision Communications. CARLA MARINUCCI Chronicle Politics -- 1/24/12 

Hollywood Money Flows To California Congress Members -- Hollywood is threatening politicians with one thing they hold very dear: campaign cash. WILL EVANS California Watch -- 1/24/12

CFT In the News: 1/23

Brown's Ballot Measure Ignores Need for Progressive Tax Reform ...Beyond Chron  --  They join such earlier supporters as the Courage Campaign, California Federation of Teachers, and Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE).

Hot New Poll on Income Tax Proposals Calbuzz  -  The results: California Federation of Teachers' millionaire's tax, 70-30%; Jerry Brown's temporary income and sales tax increases, 62-37%; Think Long's ...

Education News: 1/23

Fensterwald: Higher Taxes, Little Relief -- Gov. Jerry Brown will have a heck of a time persuading voters to raise taxes by $6.9 billion to benefit schools if he can’t get the education community excited about it first. And so far it’s proving to be a hard sell. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess -- 1/23/12

REGION: Budget proposal threatens transitional kindergarten plan North County Times - ‎3 hours ago‎  Rancho Elementary School kindergartners cut out shapes while working on an art project earlier this month. School district officials are concerned about the state budget's effects on funding for transitional kindergarten programs that were set to start ...

1/22:

Viewpoints: Uncertainty in Brown plan to rate schools Sacramento Bee - 1 day ago  But if there was no surprise in the speech, there was ground for uncertainty and confusion. Brown had good reason to call for quicker delivery of data from ...

1/21

Gov. Jerry Brown Talks Budget Concerns With School Advocates -- Wary school advocates huddled privately with Gov. Jerry Brown in the Capitol on Friday to discuss education spending, outlining their concerns about the governor’s budget proposals. CHRIS MEGERIAN in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/21/12

No Charges Will Be Filed Against Protesters Pepper-Sprayed At Uc Davis -- The Yolo County District Attorney's office announced today that it will not file charges against any of the 10 protesters arrested during a Nov. 18 pepper-spraying incident on the University of California, Davis, campus. ED FLETCHER in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/21/12

State News: 1/23

 The New, New Jerry Brown: Thinking Big  By Peter Schrag in the California Progress Report -- Jerry Brown, justly famous through a long public career for reinventing himself, last week re-emerged as that – for him -- most improbable of figures, Gov. Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, his gung-ho father.

1/22

Jerry Brown Must Win Dems' Support To Pay Off Debt -- Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to finally fix California's finances relies on several dubious assumptions, including that voters approve his proposal to raise taxes in November and that the revenue from those come in at the level the administration projects. WYATT BUCHANAN in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/22/12

CFT In the News: 1/20

Capitol Alert: What would 'millionaires tax' collect? California ...Sacramento Bee  By Kevin Yamamura Tax-the-rich measures may be popular, but California fiscal ... tax" backed by the California Federation of Teachers and Courage Campaign.

Education must be our No. 1 priority Morgan Hill Times  Teachers were well compensated for their work and were highly regarded in the ... Hill Federation of Teachers and a former Board Member of the California ...

Education News: 1/20

Jerry Brown Predicts Fight Over His Education Proposals -- One day after urging a series of education changes in his State of the State address, Gov. Jerry Brown said today that he expects a major part of his plan to face staunch opposition, while other elements remain murky. DAVID SIDERS SacBee Capitol Alert -- 1/20/12

$422,320 for a College Degree? With Tuition Skyrocketing, It is Time to Rethink Higher Education  By Sarah Jaffe 
AlterNet   $422,320. That's what The Daily, News Corp and Apple's daily news outlet for the iPad, calculated a college education could cost members of the class of 2034—children born this year, for the most part—if they attend one of the nation's priciest schools. But even an average public university will cost $81,000 for four years if tuition hikes continue at current rates—which are increasing much faster than inflation. As tuition continues to go up, and even the president calls for solutions, some are looking at radical possibilities for keeping tuition down—or even eliminating it.

Viewpoints: Let educators help improve teacher quality Sacramento Bee - ‎9 hours ago‎  In our roles as co-associate directors of Accomplished California Teachers, we will be in Sacramento today to participate in a policy summit sponsored by the Stuart Foundation titled "Teaching Quality for California's Future.

Public School, Private Donations: The Money Debate Sasha Bronner Huffington Post - ‎20 hours ago‎  San Diego State University economics professor Jennifer Imazeki and her colleague analyzed private giving to California schools in 2003 and concluded that, while some schools have been effective at fundraising, most received less than $100 per student.

Ucsf Ponders A Split From State University System -- Unlike the other nine campuses of the University of California, UCSF enrolls no undergraduates, offers no history classes and gets so much money from government grants that it barely depends on the tuition its students pay to attend the medical school on a windy San Francisco hill. NANETTE ASIMOV in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/20/12

Brown Sharply Differs Frm Obama On Education Policy -- Deviating sharply from education reform policies championed by President Obama, California Gov. Jerry Brown is calling for limits on standardized testing and reduced roles for federal and state government in local schools. HOWARD BLUME in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/20/12

Model High School Programs Linking Students To College And Careers Threatened -- Governor Jerry Brown’s budget has cast a darker shadow over the future of hundreds of model high school programs that help prepare students for college and careers. MONIQUE SMITH and LOUIS FREEDBERG EdSource -- 1/20/12

Baron: Finnishing School -- Forget Santa Claus and saunas, the biggest export from Finland these days is its educational system. During a two-day conference this week at Stanford University, Finnish educators discussed how they improved so dramatically and what the United States can learn from the Nordic country. KATHRYN BARON TopEd -- 1/20/12

Hanushek: Jerry Brown’s Fresh Start: Local Control Tied To Accountability -- California educates one-eighth of all students in the U.S., and its ranking at the bottom of the states in terms of math and reading helps to explain why U.S. students are not competitive internationally. ERIC HANUSHEK TopEd -- 1/20/12

Brown sharply differs from Obama on education policy Los Angeles Times - ‎15 hours ago‎  (Rich Pedroncelli / European Pressphoto Agency / January 18, 2012) By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times Deviating sharply from education reform policies championed by President Obama, California Gov. Jerry Brown is calling for limits on standardized ...

Uc Berkeley Faculty Stand Between Protesters, Police Crackdown -- UC Berkeley faculty members prevented a police crackdown of Occupy Cal protesters who took over a library Thursday evening in the school's anthropology department. DOUG OAKLEY in the San Jose Mercury -- 1/20/12

State News: 1/20

Oakland Again Seeks To Stop Port Shutdowns -- The last time council members Ignacio De La Fuente and Libby Schaaf asked their colleagues to approve a resolution aimed at preventing protesters from disrupting the Port of Oakland, all they got was an hour's worth of impassioned speeches from the protesters. MATTHEW ARTZ in the San Jose Mercury -- 1/20/12

CFT In the News: 1/19

Brown's school plans could help, hurt Valley Fresno Bee   Lacy Barnes, senior vice president of the California Federation of Teachers and a Reedley College instructor, contends that there are better ways to ...

From 1/18:

Josh Petchthalt on KQED State of the State response: approx. 38 minutes in  

On the Tax Initiative Front: One Down, More to Go? Fox and Hounds Daily   Three other major tax proposals remain on the scene: The California Federation of Teachers/Courage Campaign tax on millionaires; civil rights attorney Molly ...

Tax Initiative Will Dominate Brown Agenda in 2012 WJTV - 1 day ago   The California Federation of Teachers and other groups are backing a so-called millionaire's tax that would raise income tax rates by 3 percent to 5 percent ...

Education News: 1/19

Gov. Brown's school reform proposal should get a passing grade Los Angeles Times - ‎16 hours ago‎   Brown's proposals come at a time when a majority of citizens say they favor modest tax increases for schools, according to polling by the Public Policy Institute of California, but only if existing dollars are spent more effectively with less ...

Brown's School Plans Could Help, Hurt Valley -- Education changes laid out in Gov. Jerry Brown's State of the State address Wednesday could jeopardize programs that limit class sizes and help students prepare for college. But school officials said the changes could give districts more flexibility and local control over funding. HEATHER SOMERVILLE and MARC BENJAMIN in the Fresno Bee -- 1/19/12

'The Worst Of Times In California Public Education' -- Kowba's main concern: In the best-case scenario, Gov. Jerry Brown's budget will keep California's education funding flat. That's bad news for San Diego Unified because it consistently spends far more than it gets each year in state and federal funding. WILL CARLESS Voiceofsandiego.org -- 1/19/12

Death Valley students face loss of lifeline  Los Angeles Times - ‎16 hours ago‎   California has pulled funding for school transportation for the rest of this fiscal year and may eliminate it entirely next year.

Fensterwald: Brown Favoring School Inspections -- Call it the right-brain complement to the left-brain world of standardized test accountability. John Fensterwald educatedguess -- 1/19/12

Gov. Jerry Brown Calls For Less Testing -- California’s Jerry Brown, who has gone further than any other governor in blasting modern test-based school reform, said Wednesday that he wants to reduce the number of standardized tests students take, give more authority to local school boards and design a system to measure education performance that is less test-centric than the one now in use. VALERIE STRAUSS in the Washington Post -- 1/19/12

Alternative Uc Tuition Plan Attracts Interest -- UC Riverside students received a dose of validation Wednesday from system President Mark G. Yudof over their radical plan to abolish tuition and replace it with post-graduation payments equaling 5% of their income for 20 years. LARRY GORDON in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/19/12

Public Schools Increasingly Rely On Private Donations -- School foundations and PTAs used to raise money for the extras – high-tech projectors and special field trips. But these days, private donations to schools have grown dramatically and are being used to prevent teacher layoffs, keep libraries open, and save music and foreign-language classes. ELEANOR YANG SU California Watch -- 1/19/12

State News: 1/19

The California Report Special Presentation: The State of the State One year after returning to Sacramento, Governor Jerry Brown faces a pivotal challenge: balancing a budget and asking voters to raise taxes. We present live coverage of the governor's State of the State Address, his first chance to explain his vision on those and other issues to the voters. After the speech, we feature political analysis and reaction from both sides of the aisle. KQED California Report

Cmr: Sos Response -- Comprehensive list of opinions and positions in reaction to the Governor's State of the State address. Capitol Morning Report -- 1/19/12

Spending Money to Make Money   By Pedro Morillas
CALPIRG   With the second anniversary approaching of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United case – which opened the floodgates to corporate spending on elections – it’s worth a look at whether playing in politics actually pays off for corporate interests. As it so happens, it does.

CFT In the News: 1/18

FYI:
The Bee will be broadcasting the governor's address live at sacbee.com/live. You'll also find it at CalChannel . Live audio also will be available on Capital Public Radio station KXJZ-FM 90.9 in Sacramento.

The California Report Special Presentation: The State of the State  California Report
Gray Davis; Joshua Pechthalt, president of the California Federation of Teachers; John Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers' Association; ...

Late News from 1/17:
Revenue Measure Drama
by: Brian Leubitz Calitics
New Poll shows Millionaire tax fares best, while Brown is forced to re-file initiative

Tax initiative will dominate Brown agenda in 2012  Times-Standard, San Jose Mercury
The California Federation of Teachers and other groups are backing a so-called millionaire's tax that would raise income tax rates by 3 percent to 5 percent ...

Education News: 1/18/12

Education cutbacks slice into LAUSD adult education
abc7.com - ‎12 hours ago   Officials say the district cannot slash enough to make up for state cuts to education. "The state of California has chosen a legacy of prison investment and a legacy of public-school disinvestment," said Deasy. "We're at the point where that no longer ...

Whistle-Blowing Teachers To Open A Charter School -- Los Angeles teachers who became whistle-blowers during a cheating scandal won the right Tuesday to open their own charter school. The new enterprise, called Apple Academy, won unanimous approval from the Los Angeles Board of Education. HOWARD BLUME in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/18/12

Fensterwald: Brown: Cull The Herd Of State Tests -- Gov. Jerry Brown will call for fewer state standardized tests and attempt to redirect a potentially divisive debate over teacher evaluations in his State of the State address today to the Legislature. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess -- 1/18/12

Citing Costs, Poor Service, Charters Ditch District Special Ed -- The Chollas View school is one of dozens of local charters that have abandoned San Diego Unified School District's special education program since 2005 for reasons of quality, cost and philosophy. WILL CARLESS Voiceofsandiego.org -- 1/18/12

Herdt: Don't Sell This Schoolteacher Short -- On the afternoon after California's March 2000 primary, Fran Pavley worked in her kitchen, making dinner and fielding phone calls. TIMM HERDT in the Ventura Star -- 1/18/12

State News: 1/18/12

Law and Order 24/7, Except at Tax Time  By Sam Pizzigati    The rich don't much like paying taxes when tax rates run high. They don't much like paying taxes when tax rates run low either….Sam Pizzigati is an Associate Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies and edits Too Much, the online weekly on excess and inequality published by the Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Policy Studies. Sign up at Inequality.Org to receive Too Much in your email inbox. This piece was first published at the Campaign for America's Future blog.

Gov. Jerry Brown's Tricky Balancing Act -- In his State of the State address in Sacramento on Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to attempt a risky balancing act: reconciling his well-crafted image as a penny pincher with one he aspires to as a builder in the mold of his father, former Gov. Pat Brown. ANTHONY YORK in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/18/12

CFT In the News:  1/16

VVC backs community college system reforms
Victorville Daily Press
The Faculty Association of California Community Colleges criticized the report as a “significant ... the president of the California Federation of Teachers, ... 1/16/12

Initiatives Weapon of Choice in Policy Wars  Fox and Hounds Daily
The Courage Campaign and California Teachers Federation are holding firm to their tax the millionaires' initiative convinced that their measure has the best ... 1/16/12

FYI: from the Monterey County Herald

Paul Karrer: Collective bargaining fundamental
Posted: 01/14/2012 01:34:41 AM PST A consistent anti-teacher theme is that teachers' unions are the main barrier to educational progress or reform. Criticism flourishes, but evidence does not.  

Education News:

1/17/12

New Assembly Bill Goes After Parents Of Truant Teens -- Assembly Bill 177, which took effect on Jan. 1, expands the number of reasons for which parents or guardians can be ordered to take anti-gang parenting classes if their child is convicted of a crime. LORI CONSALVO in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 1/17/12

Amid Criticism, Csu Tweaks List For Presidential Salary Comparisons -- Responding to criticism from the Legislative Analyst’s Office and others, California State University officials have revised a proposed list of peer universities they plan to use to help set pay for campus executives. ERICA PEREZ California Watch -- 1/17/12

Should California Have Second Thoughts On Common Core? -- With new assessments scheduled for 2014-15, many districts and state education planners are becoming immersed in preparing for the Common Core State Standards in math and English language arts. TopEd -- 1/17/12

Kocivar: New Program Shows The Promise And Possibilities For Parent Engagement -- Have you ever taken a peek into the future? A quick snapshot into tomorrow? I did recently at a small elementary school in South San Francisco. CAROL KOCIVAR TopEd -- 1/17/12

Federal Government Would Require New Teacher Evaluation Systems In Thousands Of State Schools -- In order to qualify for a waiver from some of the most onerous provisions of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law, California would have to introduce new teacher and principal evaluation systems linked to student test scores in thousands of California schools that receive federal Title 1 funds by the 2014-15 school year. LOUIS FREEDBERG EdSource -- 1/17/12

1/16

Fensterwald: State Board, Cde Staff At Odds On Charter -- Unanimously voting to disregard the recommendation of Department of Education staff, the State Board of Education last week granted Rocketship Education a charter in San Francisco, Rocketship’s first school outside of Santa Clara County. The Board’s approval for its 33rd charter reflected a sharp disagreement not only over the Department’s conclusions on Rocketship but also how it went about reaching them. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess -- 1/16/12

1/15

Budget Plan Would Raise The Bar For Cal Grant Financial Aid -- Part of Gov. Jerry Brown's plan would raise the minimum GPA needed to qualify for the two types of Cal Grants, which are merit- and income-based. The aid is key for many low- and middle-income students. CARLA RIVERA in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/15/12

California Leads Nation In Unaccredited Schools -- Dibyendu Malakar needed a graduate business degree to advance his career, but he was working full time and could not afford $100,000 or more for a two-year M.B.A. program at Berkeley, Stanford or another accredited business school. So Malakar enrolled at Frederick Taylor University, an unaccredited school in Moraga. JENNIFER GOLLAN Bay Citizen -- 1/15/12

CFT/Affiliates In the News: 1/13/12

Jim Miller, instructor at San Diego City College and AFT Local 1931 Executive Board Member:

KPBS Evening Edition TV broadcast from 1/10/12

20:45-25:00 is the time code of appearance.

KPBS Midday

______________________ 

Methyl Iodide on Trial: Bad for Public Health, Food Security, Worker Safety and the Environment  By Jora Trang
Worksafe  Today, a lawsuit filed in December 2010 by Earthjustice and California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. – on behalf of several farmworkers and a number of groups, including Worksafe – heads back to court. At issue is the approval of methyl iodide for agricultural use here in California.

The Legal Question Over Methyl Iodide The debate over a fumigant considered crucial for the state's strawberry crop has made its way to an Oakland courtroom. The lawsuit may hinge on one question: did regulators ever consider what would happen if they didn't approve methyl iodide? Reporter: Amy Standen. KQED California Report

Education News: 1/13/12

From 1/12/12:  Welfare cut relies on shifting money to scholarships  One of the best examples of the complexity in California budgeting is how Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed saving $1 billion through deep welfare-to-work cuts. Sac Bee Capitol Alert

From 1/12/12:
Education Week gives California a 'C' for its schools   California's 6 million-student public education system receives high marks for setting high academic standards but very low grades for meeting those standards and school finance in the latest national rankings by Education Week magazine. Sac Bee Capitol Alert

Uc Sees Big Jump In Applications, But Transfers Fall -- Bucking a recent trend and thwarting efforts to increase transfers, fewer community-college students than last year have applied to the University of California system for the fall 2012 term. MATT KRUPNICK in the San Jose Mercury

Legislator Seeks New State Law On Color-Coded Id Cards -- A high-profile test-incentive program involving color-coded student ID cards at two Orange County high schools has prompted a local lawmaker to propose a state law explicitly prohibiting public schools in California from issuing ID cards and other items that reflect students' classroom performance. SCOTT MARTINDALE in the Orange County Register -- 1/13/12

Adelanto School Is Targeted In Second Test Of 'Parent Trigger' Law -- Parents file petitions seeking to convert Desert Trails Elementary to a charter school. They acted under a landmark state law that gives parents the power to force major change at low-performing schools. TERESA WATANABE in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/13/12

Baron: Ca Student Spending Near Bottom -- California schools are the poster child for Gov. Brown’s new budget mantra that the state can’t spend what it doesn’t have. KATHRYN BARON TopEd -- 1/13/12

California School Plan To Scrap Kindergarten Program Spurs ProtestHuffington Post - ‎3 minutes ago‎  By TERENCE CHEA 01/13/12 04:39 AM ET AP SAN FRANCISCO -- California educators and childcare advocates are protesting Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to scrap a new program for children who are no longer old enough for kindergarten.

State News: 1/13/12

Republican Report Says There's No Need For Brown's Tax Hikes -- Republican state senators say Gov. Jerry Brown is overstating the need for new tax hikes, according to an internal analysis. CHRIS MEGERIAN in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/13/12
Walters: Jerry Brown's Tax Increase Is A Big Risk -- "Soak the rich" has a populist ring that resonates in a period of economic uncertainty, and making the rich pay their "fair share" of taxes has become a rallying cry for those on the political left with no small appeal to those in the middle. DAN WALTERS in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/13/12

Podcast: Rock The (Budget) Vote -- We've talked in years past about the state budget essentially being placed on the ballot, but rarely have the stakes been as high as they will be in 2012 -- for either the state or the state's chief executive. JOHN MYERS Capitol Notes -- 1/13/12

Education News: 1/12/12

Higher education in America: what kind of future does it have?
89.3 KPCC - ‎15 hours ago‎
A distinguished panel of university heads that represent the diversity of California's higher education institutions joins Larry Mantle to discuss.

Baron: Warming Up To An Nclb Waiver -- For the second time in as many months, the acting Assistant Secretary of Education came to California to call on the State Board of Education to apply for a waiver from most of the requirements and penalties of the No Child Left Behind law. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess, KATHRYN BARON TopEd -- 1/12/12

Budget Unknowns Put School District Planners In Sticky Spot -- Gov. Jerry Brown wants school districts to budget optimistically this year, assuming voters fearful of deep education cuts will approve higher taxes in November. KEVIN YAMAMURA in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/12/12

La Study: Poor Students Stuck With Worst Teachers -- Good teachers are the key to accelerating academic achievement by Hispanic and black students to levels on par with their white and Asian counterparts, but poor, minority children are consistently stuck with the worst instructors, according to a study released Thursday. CHRISTINA HOAG AP -- 1/12/12

New Year Brings New Expectations For “Parent Trigger” Law -- Educators in California will be watching closely this year to see whether the so-called “parent trigger” law approved by the state Legislature exactly two years ago amid predictions that it would effect radical changes in schools across the state, will have any significant impact on the California education landscape. So far it has not. LOUIS FREEDBERG EdSource -- 1/12/12

Parents Rebel Against SchoolWall Street Journal - 15 hours ago
Their effort to force Adelanto Elementary School District to overhaul the school, or turn it into a charter school run by the parents themselves, ...

Parents Invoke "Trigger" Law At Low Performing SchoolToday, for only the second time in state history, parents will deliver a petition to their school district to invoke California's "Parent Trigger" law. That's the controversial law passed two years ago that allows parents to force sweeping changes at a low-performing school if they gather enough signatures. Reporter: Krissy Clark. KQED California Report

Veterans Face Transitioning Challenges At California Schools -- After serving in the United States Army for eight years, including a tour in Iraq, Andrew Nicholls, a 27-year-old student at the University of California, Los Angeles, said he had to “relearn how to learn.” CHLOE STEPNEY USC Neon Tommy -- 1/12/12

Undocumented students' college dreams boosted by new law
San Francisco Examiner - ‎14 hours ago‎
For young people who are in the United States illegally, higher education can seem like an impossibly expensive goal. While undocumented students who graduate from California high schools can attend the state's public colleges, they don't qualify for ...

State News: 1/12/12

State Budget Revenue Gap Even in a city known for budget gaps, the latest one that's emerged in Sacramento is unusual. It's a gap in official estimates of state revenue between the budget team of Governor Jerry Brown and the Legislature's independent analyst. And it all comes down to the fortunes of the state's most wealthy citizens. Reporter: John Myers. California Report

California Legislative Analyst Expects Lower Revenue Than Gov. Brown, Raising Specter Of More Cuts -- The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office on Wednesday questioned whether Gov. Jerry Brown has put more state programs at risk of further cuts by projecting overly optimistic tax revenues. STEVEN HARMON in the San Jose Mercury 

Top Budget Analyst Skeptical Of Gov. Jerry Brown's Budget Plan -- California's chief independent budget analyst said Wednesday there's a giant "question mark" hanging over Gov. Jerry Brown's budget proposal this year -- whether voters approve higher taxes at the ballot box this November or not. JUDY LIN AP

Late News: 1/11/12:

GOP's California Pension Reform Initiative Gets the One, Two Punch from the LAO, AG Harris Campaign reports show funding fails to materialize
That's the verdict on the two GOP pension proposals that have been reviewed by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office and Attorney General

 Number of Californians with million-dollar incomes up sharplyThe number of Californians reporting incomes of more than $1 million increased sharply last year, as did their share of the income stream, a new report from the Franchise Tax Board reveals. Sac Bee Capitol Alert

CFT In the News: 1/11/12

The Working Class Begins to Fight Back CounterPunch - 1 hour ago
After public education suffered debilitating cuts during the past 5 years, the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) has valiantly stood up and proposed a ...

Education News: 1/11/12

With Growing Classrooms, School Districts Face Funding Cuts
A growing number of Califocrnia schools could lose millions of dollars in state funding because their class sizes are growing. Reporter: Ana Tintocalis. KQED California Report

Fensterwald: Brown’s Prop 98 Contortion -- Governors and legislatures have shifted programs and revenues in and out of Proposition 98 – based on policy and expediency – ever since the school funding law was created two decades ago. But what Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing in the event voters reject his tax increase in November is unprecedented in terms of impact on K-12 schools and community colleges – and brazenness. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess 1/11/12

A harsh but realistic state budget Los Angeles Times

State Budget Worst-Case Scenario Could Batter School Districts Such As Torrance -- Nobody wants to gamble when the best-case scenario means you break even and the worst-case scenario means you lose millions. But that's essentially what Gov. Jerry Brown's tax-increase proposal means for school districts in the South Bay and beyond. ROB KUZNIA in the Torrance Daily Breeze -- 1/11/12

State Community College Leaders Call For Overhaul -- California community college leaders have signed off on major policy changes aimed at boosting graduation and transfer rates in the 112-campus system. TERENCE CHEA AP -- 1/11/12

Stern: California Partnership Academies: They’re Effective – And Threatened -- California Partnership Academies (CPAs) are college-and-career pathways that typically enroll 150-200 students within a large high school. The good news is that they work. The bad news is that their funding is threatened. DAVID STERN TopEd -- 1/11/12

Are Too Many California Kids Labeled English Language Learners? Fronteras: The Changing America Desk - 4 hours ago  According to a 2005 state audit, California schools earn an average of $448 of federal and state money per English Learner, per year. ...

State News: 1/11/12

Republicans Prepare Counterattack On Gov. Brown Budget Plan -- When it comes to budget negotiations this year, Republicans are expected to have little leverage.They don't have enough votes in either the Assembly or the Senate to prevent Democrats from easily pushing through their own spending plan. CHRIS MEGERIAN in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/11/12

CFT In the News:  1/10:

Like the State, Gov's Tax Plan could be Short Revenue Fox and Hounds Daily (blog) - ‎49 minutes ago‎
Wonder what the LAO is going to say about the Munger initiative or the California Federation of Teachers/Courage Campaign proposal, both of which completely rely on income tax increases?

The Wall Street Journal Missed the Forest for the Trees on the Millionaires Tax of 2012 Posted: 1/9/12 04:41 PM 
Rick Jacobs  It takes a lot to get me to write about the opinions of The Wall Street Journal because they are so consistently ideological and out of touch. To find out what they say, I can usually skip a step and just read Karl Rove's daily talking points. But last Friday, WSJ personal finance columnist Brett Arends wrote a column that just begs for a fact check, so here it is.

Calif. Schools Brace for More Cuts Governor Jerry Brown's latest budget includes rough cuts for public schools from the university level all the way down to kindergarten. He says the situation could change if voters approve tax hikes in the fall. But that's a maybe -- and many schools are bracing for the worst. Reporter: Ana Tintocolis KQED Caliornia Report 

Proposition 13 Has Destroyed California's Vitality Patch.com - ‎1 hour ago‎
The state and local budget shortfalls of the past began when Proposition 13 passed and drastically cut needed revenues. Commercial property pays far less in taxes now than before, and homeowners pay far more.

Viewpoints: CSU offers up lame excuses for high salaries Sacramento Bee - 9 hours ago
Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, author of Senate Bill 755, which offers three proposals: • Cap the salaries of California State University's 23 presidents to a level ...

Occupy Uc Davis Events Resume This Week -- Occupy protesters say they will resume activities on the University of California, Davis this week as the winter quarter begins. ED FLETCHER in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/10/12

Opposition To Brown Proposal To Postpone Transitional Kindergarten Grows -- Child care advocates and leading educators are vigorously protesting the proposal in Governor Brown’s January budget to postpone, perhaps indefinitely, “transitional kindergarten” for 4-year-olds due to go into effect this fall. LOUIS FREEDBERG and MONIQUE SMITH EdSource -- 1/10/12

California Community College Board Backs Sweeping Reforms -- The governing board of California's community colleges approved reforms intended to streamline the path to graduation and transfer for thousands of students. CARLA RIVERA in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/10/12

Baron: Sweeping Changes Ok’d For Community Colleges -- The California Community Colleges Board of Governors approved far-reaching recommendations Monday to increase graduation and transfer rates, including rationing access to classes. KATHRYN BARON TopEd -- 1/10/12

Lausd To Consider Wider Options For School Choice -- Faced with increasing competition for district students, the Los Angeles Unified school board will consider proposals that would dismantle the tradition of neighborhood schools and let parents send children to the campus of their choice. BARBARA JONES in the Torrance Daily Breeze -- 1/10/12

Head Start Programs Could Face Disruptions In Funding, Operations -- Federal reforms to address quality and accountability concerns are forcing more than 130 Head Start agencies, including the one overseeing L.A. County, to compete for funding. CARLA RIVERA in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/10/12

State News: 1/10

Tax Plan Would Generate Billions Less Than Thought, Analyst Says -- Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax measure could bring in billions less than what the governor is counting on, according to a new analysis from the nonpartisan state legislative analyst. ANTHONY YORK in the Los Angeles Times

CFT in the News: 1.9

The Working Class Begins To Fight Back
By Bill Leumer & Ann Robertson 08 January, 2012  Countercurrents.org
After decades of losing ground and feeling helpless, working people are beginning to fight back. After public education suffered debilitating cuts during the past 5 years, the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) has valiantly stood up and proposed a measure that would raise taxes on people making more than $1 million by 3 percent and those making more than $2 million by 5 percent.

Restore California: 1.9

Watch ABC World News with Diane Sawyer cover the Millionaires Tax of 2012
Kim Kardashian made more than $12 million in 2010, but she only paid 1% more in taxes than a middle-class Californian. That's not OK, especially when budget cuts are decimating schools and critical programs for children, the elderly, and the disabled.

Still Hung Over From the ’90s

And not just hedge-fund managers and Wall Street traders. All big spenders look suspect these days. A California advocacy group is agitating for a state tax on millionaires by painting Kim Kardashian as a reality-show Marie Antoinette. “Being on TV has changed my life,” Ms. Kardashian says on a rabble-rousing video at taxkimk.com. “Because you get lots of free stuff.”

Education News: 1.9

Fensterwald: How weighted funding would work -- Districts in which nearly 90 percent of students are either low-income or English learners (such as Long Beach Unified and Los Angeles Unified) will get $3,000 more per student than districts where only 20 percent of students are disadvantaged (like Poway and Irvine) – once the new system of school funding that Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing is fully phased in. John Fensterwald educatedguess -- 1/9/12

Rural schools struggle to keep school buses running -- There are no sidewalks, bike lanes or public transportation in Forks of Salmon, a tiny, forest-shrouded community deep in the mountains of Siskiyou County. For seven of the 10 students at Forks of Salmon Elementary School, getting to class means taking a 45-minute school bus ride on 18 miles of a narrow, two-lane road that twists and turns with the Salmon River. Joanna Lin California Watch -- 1/9/12

Stressful AP courses - a push for a cap -- Perfect isn't good enough when it comes to getting into some of the country's top colleges. Last year, the average grade point average of an accepted freshman applicant at UCLA was 4.34 - well above the former gold-standard 4.0 for straight A's. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/9/12

Modesto area schools find No Child law brought major changes -- Children daydreaming out the window or doodling absently on a page are danger signs in the modern classroom. They should be clicking, scribbling or waving answers to questions every few minutes, showing instantly who hit or missed the mark. Teach it. Test it. Do it again. Nan Austin in the Modesto Bee -- 1/9/12

School administrators see little gain from state Supreme Court ruling on redevelopment agencies -- At most it will be $100,000. Or not even enough to cover one-half of one furlough day. That's the assessment from the Upland Unified School District of what last week's state Supreme Court decision on redevelopment agencies might mean - in a best-case scenario. Jim Steinberg in the San Bernardino Sun -- 1/9/12

School districts to introduce transitional kindergarten -- A new transitional kindergarten program will be introduced in the 2012-13 school year at districts statewide to supplement traditional kindergarten and to accommodate a change in state law. The move comes as the state begins changing the date by which children must turn 5 to be eligible for kindergarten. Will Bigham in the San Bernardino Sun -- 1/9/12

Accountability sought from UC, CSU systems -- California State University is setting its own rules for raising executive salaries; the University of California is shifting who is eligible to enroll; and community colleges are hoarding data that should be open to the public, say the higher education experts who advise the Legislature. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/9/12

UC salary criticisms fuel student protests -- Over the past few months, the University of California has raised undergraduate tuition by 18 percent, awarded raises of as much as 23 percent to a dozen high-ranking administrators and announced a possible 81 percent tuition increase over the next three years. Students haven't taken the news well. SCOTT MARTINDALE in the Orange County Register -- 1/8/12

Former Beverly Hills schools chief unlikely to lose pension -- Whether he is acquitted or convicted on charges of misappropriation of public funds, former Beverly Hills Unified School District Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard's retirement plan is expected to remain in place. Britney Barnes in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/8/12

CA Schools Brace for More Cuts
Governor Jerry Brown's latest budget features rough cuts for public schools from the university level all the way down to kindergarten. He says the situation could change if voters approve tax hikes in the fall. But that's a maybe, several months down the road and many schools are bracing for the worst. Reporter: Ana Tintocolis

California Community Colleges system wanes even as demand grows  By Tami Abdollah | KPCC
The gargantuan California Community Colleges system is one of superlatives: It's the largest system of higher education in the world and the largest provider of workforce training in the country. About one in four community college students across the nation graduate from the California system. Yet, even as its classes are in greater demand, with many seeking new training in a difficult economy, its services are shrinking.

State cuts hit Shasta County rural schools hard Districts may have to dip into their savings
By Joe Szydlowski   Posted January 8, 2012

Record Searchlight Rural schools in Shasta County are reeling from the trigger cuts enacted Jan. 1 as the state cuts $248 million in transportation funds, taking enormous amounts from their budgets.

State News: 1.9

Gov. Brown's release of budget a prelude to a wild political year -- The slapdash way that Gov. Jerry Brown unveiled his budget last week -- and the raucous response to it -- was symbolic of what promises to be a tumultuous political season for California. Steven Harmon in the San Jose Mercury -- 1/9/12

Skelton: Hit the brakes on the bullet train -- While the state is cutting back on core services, it needs to rethink its ill-conceived high-speed rail plan. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/9/12

Walters: 'Tort war' could hit the Callifornia Capitol -- Last year, the state Supreme Court interjected itself – in a big way – into the perennial "tort war" that pits personal injury lawyers against insurance companies and business groups over the arcane rules of liability lawsuits. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/9/12

Reporter's Notebook: Tax Talks, Supremes and Signatures -- We may complain that there's no rest for the weary, but political junkies would be disappointed if the tasty morsels of news came to an end with the unveiling of a new state budget. Right? If your answer is yes, then consider these items coming soon to a newscast near you. John Myers Capitol Notes -- 1/8/12

CFT in the News: 1.6

Lucky for her they don't tax curves: Kim Kardashian becomes unwitting poster girl of campaign to tax the rich more in California

Ubiquitous reality star used in left-wing ad

By Leon Watson

She's a reality star who has never pretended to take much of an interest in politics.

…

A series of groups, which include the California Federation of Teachers, are behind a new video that asks the rich to give up more..

Education News: 1.6

Gov. Jerry Brown's new budget plan targets schools -- Gov. Jerry Brown unveiled his new budget plan, calling for a painful $4.8-billion cut in public school funds if voters reject a proposed tax hike that he hopes to put on the ballot in November. Anthony York and Nicholas Riccardi in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/6/12  Steven Harmon in the San Jose Mercury  BRIAN JOSEPH in the Orange County Register

Fensterwald: Switch to weighted funding, local control -- Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing to overhaul how K-12 schools are funded, starting with next year’s budget. The move to a “weighted pupil funding” formula would vastly simplify the current complicated and inequitable funding system and shift responsibility for most spending decisions to the local level. It also holds the promise of providing extra money for low-income students and English learners. John Fensterwald educatedguess -- 1/6/12

Baron: Districts get power, if not cash, in Gov’s budget -- California schools could gain billions or once again face the threat of a mid-year budget cut under the 2012-13 budget proposal released in Sacramento yesterday by Gov. Jerry Brown. Kathryn Baron TopEd -- 1/6/12

Brown budget could increase class sizes and exclude tens of thousands from kindergarten -- Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed education budget calls for phasing out one of California’s oldest and most popular school reform programs — the state’s K-3 class size reduction program — and postponing, perhaps indefinitely, the rollout of its newest, a “transitional kindergarten” program for 4-year-olds. Louis Freedberg EdSource -- 1/6/12

Referendum drive to overturn California's Dream Act fails

Opponents of California's Dream Act have failed in a signature-gathering drive aimed at overturning the new law that will permit some undocumented immigrants to receive publicly funded college aid.

Assemblyman Tim Donnelly informed supporters of the referendum drive through a written statement today that the effort had failed.

State News: 1.6

Surprise! The New State Budget -- The unveiling of a governor's state budget every January is an annual, and well rehearsed, ritual: budget decisions are made in late December, budget goes to the printer, gubernatorial staffers privately brief some stakeholder groups (some who leak to the press), governor calls a news conference. Yeah. So much for the playbook. John Myers Capitol Notes -- 1/6/12 

Jerry Brown proposes folding High-Speed Rail into new agency -- Gov. Jerry Brown reiterated his commitment to California's high-speed rail project today, but he also proposed additional oversight, seeking to fold the troubled High-Speed Rail Authority into a new state agency. David Siders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 1/6/12

CFT in the News:

DP 103 1/3/12 In the Daily Pilot

...8.) Kimberly Claytor. The teachers' union president voiced support for cutting money from the administration instead of the classroom and led a teachers union no-confidence vote in the superintendent....

Beyond Chron Political Predictions for 2012
Beyond Chron - 5 hours ago

Two have a chance of winning: the “millionaire's tax” backed by the Courage Campaign, California Federation of Teachers and many community groups, ...

In California, Competing Tax Hikes Divide Organized Labor
In These Times - 32 minutes ago

By Josh Eidelson California voters can expect competing tax hike measures on November's ... the AFT-affiliated California Federation of Teachers(CFT), ...

School unions worried about epilepsy assistance law
San Francisco Examiner - 13 hours ago

The California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers oppose a new law that will allow teachers to treat epileptic students. ...

Election reforms, tax initiatives will shape 2012
San Jose Mercury News - 2 days ago

While California is likely to remain out of the presidential spotlight in ... a separate initiative supported by the California Federation of Teachers and...

Possible government-reform initiatives at a glance - North County Times

OUR VIEW: Too many choices could hamstring state reforms - Bakersfield Californian

Election, tax issues will shape California politics in 2012 - The Desert Sun

Education News:

Fensterwald: Call For One Tax On November Ballot -- Later this week, Gov. Jerry Brown will get a letter from education and business leaders worried about the prospect of multiple tax initiatives in November. Their message: The only hope for addition to revenue is subtraction on the ballot. JOHN FENSTERWALD educatedguess -- 1/3/12

Competing Pressures Put Strain On School Principals, Study Finds -- California principals are facing shrinking budgets and mounting responsibilities to lead teachers and keep schools running — creating competing pressures that may make the job untenable, a study has found. CHERI CARLSON in the Ventura Ventura Star -- 1/3/12 Ventura Star

State News:

California Legislature Returns To Face More Budget Woes, New Election Rules -- Happy new year, lawmakers? Don't bet on it. JIM SANDERS in the Sacramento Bee
in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/3/12

Jeffe: Ten Things Californians Should Watch For In 2012 -- Ah, New Year’s! Cue the flood of media retrospectives on the year that was. This isn’t one of them. Californians know where we’ve been. Let’s focus, instead, on the Future. SHERRY BEBITCH JEFFE NBC LA Prop Zero -- 1/3/12

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