The news that didn't fit from Jan 13th!

EdWeek | QUALITY COUNTS 2008: Tapping into Teaching/Unlocking the Key to Student Success

• FIRST, EdWeek grades states on their PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES as well as on their POLICY EFFORTS.

• SECOND, states are graded on their efforts to better ALIGN POLICIES ACROSS THE VARIOUS LEVELS OF EDUCATION—from early-childhood education to postsecondary study and training.

• And, Third, EdWeek introduces a greatly revised set of indicators on the teaching profession that looks more broadly at state EFFORTS TO ATTRACT, DEVELOP, AND DEPLOY TALENT IN EDUCATION, including some new indicators related to school principals.

CRISIS MAY LEAD TO GRAND DEAL

By Dan Walters - Sacramento Bee Columnist

Friday, January 11, 2008 - The governor of California described the state's fiscal crisis apocalyptically, saying "its sheer magnitude boggles the mind and threatens the unprecedented progress we've made together."

It could have been Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday as he unveiled plans to close a $14.5 billion gap between income and outgo. But the words were uttered five years earlier by his predecessor, Gray Davis, as he unveiled his scheme to close what he said was a $30 billion-plus deficit in the state budget.

REUSE : RECYCLE : RECIRCULATE

THE GROUNDS FOR THE RECALL ARE AS FOLLOWS: Gross mismanagement of California Finances by overspending taxpayers’ money, threatening public safety by cutting funds to local governments, failing to account for the exorbitant cost of the energy fiasco, and failing in general to deal with the state’s major problems until they get to the crisis stage. California should not have to be known as the state with poor schools, traffic jams, outrageous utility bills, and huge debts....all caused by gross mismanagement.

—from the 2003 recall petition for Governor Grey Davis

In his LA Times column "Just Another Shade of Grey" Steve Lopez suggests that perhaps it's time to white-out "energy fiasco" and write-in "sub-prime loan fiasco"and recirculate the petition with another governor as the target.

AT THE CENTER OF CALIFORNIA'S SCHOOL REFORMS: The usually quiet state Board of Ed is tasked with figuring out how to turn around 98 failing districts

This article from the LA Times and the piece following - Improving Student Achievement With THE GOVERNOR'S PLAN FOR EDUCATION: Stronger Accountability And Greater Transparency (from the governor's office) - refers to an agenda item and supposedly a priority of the governor's office and his appointed State Board of Ed (though properly within the purview of the elected Superintendent of Public Instruction). That item was abruptly pulled from Friday's agenda — presumably by the budget crisis and perhaps wisely in consideration of the Pontiac School Board v. Spellings case. The State of California would be remiss to not join that action - especially if the attorney general and the superintendent have future aspirations to the governor's office.

L.A. MAYOR PREVAILS IN BALLOTING AT SANTEE

By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

January 9, 2008 - Given a second round of balloting, teachers at the Santee Education Complex voted Tuesday to join the school reform effort of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, although questions persist about the election process.

4LAKids 2¢ : The C Track Teachers got to vote when they got back to school after their break ...the C Track Parents didn't!