4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit

A Tweet and a Letter to All Staff from The Superintendent re: Miramonte Elementary School

2012-02-02T12:45:00.001-08:00

DrDeasyLAUSD John Deasy My letter to LAUSD staff regarding Miramonte ES http://www.lausd.net/lausd/offices/Office_of_Communications/Miramonte_ES_Ltr_to_All_Employees_2-1-12.pdf smf: from the above: “When I was notified of the investigation by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) more than a year ago on January 7, 2011, Berndt was immediately removed from the school that same

TOTAL ELIMINATION OF THE LAUSD ELEMENTARY ARTS PROGRAM?

2012-02-02T11:41:00.001-08:00

EMAIL FROM ARTS FOR4 LA February 2, 2012 Dear 4LAkids: The Los Angeles Unified School District has proposed total elimination of its elementary school arts education program. To take action by contacting the Superintendent and School Board, please click here. This unprecedented step will reverse a ten-year effort made by the District to restore arts education to its 700,000 students.

LAUSD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS COULD SOON OFFER 100% LESS ARTS EDUCATION

2012-02-02T11:40:00.001-08:00

By Lindsay William-Ross in LAist | http://bit.ly/zeaPUp Photo by Valeriy Lebedev via Shutterstock February 2, 2012 10:30 AM :: For many children, a chance to do some artwork, make some music, or get up on a stage is the highlight of their school day, and a opportunity to learn lessons in a creative way. But the Los Angeles Unified School District is looking to take that away from their

“Due to these wrong doings, we petition the LAUSD to change its actions to better the community."

2012-02-01T22:56:00.001-08:00

an e-mail to 4LAKids from “colonel cobalt” Wed, Feb 1, 2012 2:16 pm Hi, I am a 7th grader at Ralph Waldo Emerson middle school in Los Angeles. I found your blog and wanted to share the petition I recently started due to the unfair actions the district places on the students. "First, let me explain that as a student I am offended that the district thinks it is fine to change the school start

CINTROLLER URGES ACTION TO ADDRESS POTENTIAL STATE CASH SHORTAGE + LETTER TO LAWMAKERS

2012-02-01T08:14:00.001-08:00

controller’s press release | http://1.usa.gov/wyQe22 Controller John Chiang has sent a letter to Legislative budget leaders urging them to take action before the state runs out of cash in March. The Controller said the liquidity shortfall is projected to last between Feb. 29 and about April 13. Cash flows based on the Governor’s proposed budget show that $3.3 billion worth of cash solutions

California State Controller: STATE IS BROKE ON MARCH 8

2012-02-01T07:46:00.001-08:00

By Chriss Street | CalWatchdog | http://bit.ly/zu4JBf Posted on February 1, 2012 :: SACRAMENTO — State Controller John Chiang shocked California legislators today when he sent a letter announcing that the state will run out of cash on March 8. That is, unless Legislature allows state Treasurer Bill Lockyer to delay $2.4 billion in payments to universities, counties and Medi-Cal, while borrowing

EDUCATORS URGE SUPPORT FOR EARLY KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM

2012-02-01T07:36:00.001-08:00

--Carla Rivera, LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/xPHgUr January 31, 2012 | 4:03 pm :: A group of California educators on Tuesday urged state lawmakers to maintain funding for a new kindergarten program for children with fall birthdays. The status of the transitional kindergarten program was thrown into doubt when Gov. Jerry Brown proposed its elimination in his 2012-13 budget plan. Scrapping

HUNDREDS PROTEST PLAN TO ELIMINATE L.A. UNIFIED ADULT CLASSES

2012-02-01T07:26:00.001-08:00

by Stephen Ceasar, LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/zbv4jj Photo: Students cross Figueroa Street (at Sunset) outside the Evans Community Adult School in Los Angeles on Jan. 31, 2012. They were protesting the closing of adult education in Los Angeles. Credit: Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times – smf: A Picture = 1000 words, but… The above photo and caption is the entirely of the LA Times print

SB 8N1: BROWN, LAWMAKERS BACK BILL PROTECTING SCHOOL BUS MONEY + smf’s 2¢

2012-02-01T07:07:00.001-08:00

by Kevin Yamamura, Sacramento Bee | http://bit.ly/zpN5HE 12:54 PM | January 31, 2012 :: Rural and urban school districts in California that make heavy use of buses appear safe -- for now. State lawmakers are fast-tracking legislation that would transform a $248 million midyear school bus cut into a general-purpose reduction that hits each K-12 district evenly. The Assembly Budget

IS SCHOOL CHOICE GOOD OR BAD FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION: Are charter schools and vouchers a good thing for American public schools?

2012-01-31T08:21:00.001-08:00

from Learning Matters , a non-profit production company reporting about education | http://bit.ly/y7XHRr January 19th, 2012 :: We produced the above piece for PBS NewsHour in November of 2011; the focus was on new school choice initiatives in Indiana and the backlash they’re receiving. School choice remains a major issue in education as 2012 begins, so we wanted to convene several experts for

LOCAL EDUCATORS DECRY PUSH TO RELAX HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE REQUIREMENT

2012-01-30T23:47:00.001-08:00

By KERRY BENEFIELD | THE SANTA ROSA PRESS-DEMOCRAT | http://bit.ly/zOYt7P | Spencer Owen, left, Karl Nimtz and Ed Compton perform an experiment to determine the effects of drinking an energy drink on blood pressure during their IB Biology class at Montgomery High School on Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. Christopher Chung / PD Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 1:15 p.m. | Modified: Monday,

1 Question/4 Answers: SHOULD WE SWITCH TO WEIGHTED STUDENT FUNDING AND DO IT NOW?

2012-01-30T23:35:00.001-08:00

a TopEd forum | http://bit.ly/z6FisB Merrill Vargo, executive director of Pivot Learning Partners, Eric Hanushek, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution John Affeldt, managing attorney of the nonprofit law firm Public Advocates Gary Ravani, vice president of the California Federation of Teachers. In next year’s budget, Gov. Jerry Brown

FORMER ORVILLE WRIGHT PRINCIPAL SPEAKS OUT ABOUT HIS PUNISHMENT; Intensity of community outrage at his demotion remains high

2012-01-30T23:07:00.001-08:00

BY GARY WALKER | The Argonaut | Westchester | http://bit.ly/xl6Qf1 Jan. 26, 2012 :: Westchester has weathered a vast amount of upheaval from an educational standpoint in recent years. An aborted autonomy effort from the Los Angeles Unified School District, a dip in student enrollment and a controversial change from a traditional high school to a fulltime magnet. But the demotion of Dr.

Transitional Kindergarten: CALIFORNIA EDUCATION CUTS COULD HIT YOUNG STUDENTS THE HARDEST

2012-01-30T17:17:00.001-08:00

By: Amy Crawford | San Francisco Examiner Staff Writer | http://bit.ly/A2081y SF Examiner file photo 01/17/12 4:00 AM :: While current kindergartners became eligible if their fifth birthday occurred by Dec. 2, by 2014 that date will be Sept. 1. Kindergarten teachers and advocates for early education are protesting Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to defund a kindergarten program that would

STATE AUDITOR QUESTIONS SPENDING OF FEDERAL STIMULUS ON EDUCATION: CDE hasn’t adequately pursued corrective action from school districts and has no control over monitoring system used to track education funding

2012-01-30T16:57:00.001-08:00

By NICK MCCANN | Courthouse News Service | http://bit.ly/y9JxDl Monday, January 30, 2012 | Last Update: 2:20 PM PT :: SACRAMENTO (CN) - The California State Auditor found room for improvement when it comes to spending federal stimulus dollars on education and health care. The annual report details how the Departments of Education, Health Care Services, Community Services and

Simitian: ‘UNCERTAINTY’ REMAINS IN EDUCATION SYSTEM + SAVING KINDERGARTEN

2012-01-30T16:21:00.001-08:00

Record turn-out for the state senator's annual education forum where he spoke about upcoming proposals and a number of funding-related issues. By Avni Nijhawan | Cupertino Patch | http://bit.ly/zAbn9B 30 January 2012 | 2:46 pm :: The two overflow rooms for state Sen. Joe Simitian's weekend education forum said it all. Saturday's record turnout at the Palo Alto school district

L.A. SCHOOLS STRUGGLE TO MAKE HEALTHY MEALS POPULAR

2012-01-30T12:53:00.001-08:00

By CHRISTINA HOAG, Associated Press - from the Silicon Valley Mercury News | http://bit.ly/z77vxQ 1/28/2012 12:35:12 PM PST :: LOS ANGELES — Students at Roosevelt High School have declared a food fight to win back peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Fed up with new, healthy cafeteria cuisine that features dishes like ancho chili chicken with yakosoba edamame and tortellini with butternut

VALLEY, WESTSIDE PARENTS FIGHT SCHOOL CUTS

2012-01-30T12:15:00.001-08:00

by Bill Boyarsky • LA Observed | http://bit.ly/xiKNyz January 28 2012 4:18 PM :: A big parental revolt is shaping up in the San Fernando Valley and the Westside as federal budget cuts reach deep into the Los Angeles Unified School District. At issue is the school board’s 6-1 vote in December to take federal poverty funds away from 23 schools, a number of them in middle class Valley and

Doug McIntyre: LAUSD MUST HEAL BREACH OF TRUST WITH THE PUBLIC

2012-01-30T12:14:00.001-08:00

by Doug McIntyre, columnist | LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/zlRdsD 1/28/2012 05:20:26 PM PST :: John Deasy is no pushover. Neither are the taxpayers of Los Angeles. Put them together in one room and you have an explosive town hall meeting like last week's Daily News-sponsored "Thrilla in Woodland Hilla" at El Camino Real Charter High School featuring Los Angeles Unified school board member

®EFORM, INC. + CHARTER SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION RALLY PLANNED: Parents to be bused in as the unusual suspects strike back!

2012-01-30T11:48:00.001-08:00

California Charter Schools Association Press Release Thousands of LA Parents Will Rally for “Schools We Can Believe In” on Feb. 4: Parents Tell Elected Officials to Put Students Before Politics at a Citywide Rally for Excellent Schools WHAT: Way too many students in Los Angeles aren't getting the education they deserve, with only 56% of students in LAUSD graduating high

Esther Duflo: GOOD THINKING INSIDE THE BOX

2012-01-29T16:05:00.001-08:00

by smf for 4LAKidsNews Sunday Jan 29 :: There is a radio programme on the BBC World Service called The Forum where intellectuals publicly think aloud and dare us to follow along: “Prominent international thinkers debating big ideas”. This morning The Forum had a feature with Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute

Diane Ravitch Speaks Out: "NCLB HAS BEEN A DISASTER, AND THE WAIVERS ARE A POISON PILL"

2012-01-27T11:00:00.001-08:00

EdBrief Interview |http://www.educationmediagroup.com [as of this posting the EdBrief website is down – this version was sent to 4LAKids by a reader – Thank you Jack!] January 26, 2012 :: Diane Ravitch, noted education historian and prominent critic of federal education policy, made time for a wide-ranging, 30-minute one-on-one interview with EdBrief editor Jeff Hudson on January 20,

Underwhelmed: SCRATCHING THE SURFACE OF OBAMA’S EDUCATION RHETORIC + two updates

2012-01-27T10:33:00.001-08:00

Dana Goldstein | The Nation blogs/Education, health, women's issues and politics | http://bit.ly/zcp29B January 25, 2012 - 12:14am ET :: In general, I was underwhelmed by the education sections of President Obama’s State of the Union address, which were long on platitudes and short on honest talk about the difficulties of implementing school reform. Most notably, the president made an odd

Labels: “®EFORMERS” or “POST REFORMERS” or “POST-POST-REFORMERS”

2012-01-27T09:35:00.001-08:00

from notyet LAUSD | http://bit.ly/w0SE8x Saturday, January 21, 2012 :: Reformers® love their label but people with other views seem to need some help with labels. I propose Post-Reformer® to umbrella all views…and even include Reformers. Reformers are a group of people seeking a package of changes to how we do education in this country. They are capable of only working in dichotomies and

USING TEST SCORES TO EVALUATE TEACHERS IS BASED ON THE WRONG VALUES

2012-01-27T09:01:00.001-08:00

By Carol Corbett Burris | New York Times Schoolbook Blog | http://nyti.ms/Ag2SXh Jan. 25, 2012, 12:17 p.m. :: I should be a cheerleader for the New York evaluation system for educators known as the Annual Professional Performance Review system, or A.P.P.R. I am the principal of a very successful high school where students get great test scores. I have a wonderfully supportive superintendent. My

Kindergarten? Transitional class? More preschool? SHIFTING STATE LAW AND BUDGET HAS PARENTS CONFUSED

2012-01-27T08:28:00.001-08:00

By Sharon Noguchi | Silicon Valley Mercury News | http://bit.ly/w034IE 1/26/2012 10:36:35 PM PST :: 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. Not only

More from Town Hall: LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT ASKS FOR TAX INCREASE TO HELP PAY FOR FULL SCHOOL YEAR + smf’s 2¢

2012-01-27T08:17:00.001-08:00

Reporting Dave Bryan | CBS Los Angeles | http://cbsloc.al/wKTJPq January 25, 2012 11:06 PM | LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Wednesday night was a tough one for LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy, who tried to convince parents and homeowners that a steep tax was necessary to balance the district’s massive budget. Deasy said that the school district is so desperately underfunded, that only a $270 annual

Briefly: SCHOOL LUNCH

2012-01-27T07:38:00.001-08:00

selected by 4LAKIDS from various newsreaders School lunch gets a makeover Los Angeles Times - ‎Jan 25, 2012‎ Those guidelines already have largely been embraced by the Los Angeles Unified School District, which over recent years has implemented sweeping changes to improve its nutritional offerings. See all 27 sources » The School Lunch Follies: LAUSD Lauds Themselves For Agreeing

PLAN WOULD CLOSE HALF OF L.A. UNIFIED’S REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS

2012-01-27T07:37:00.001-08:00

by Howard Blume / LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/wrrMLg January 24, 2012 | 6:24 pm :: Officials with the Los Angeles Unified School District are fashioning a plan to reduce the number of regional headquarters by nearly half, The Times has learned. The plan is still under development, but would probably reduce these offices, which are spread across the sprawling school system, from eight to

TWO L.A. UNIFIED SCHOOLS WIN $100,000 GRANTS FROM TARGET

2012-01-26T22:33:00.001-08:00

-- Rick Rojas | la tIMES/la nOW | http://lat.ms/yDWdEK January 25, 2012 | 7:42 pm :: Two Los Angeles Unif-ed schools, nominated by viewers of Ellen DeGeneres' daytime talk show, have received $100,000 grants from Target, the district announced Wednesday. Crenshaw High School and Enadia Way Elementary School were two of 50 schools selected to receive the grant money that comes without

CALIFORNIA’S WHITE ELEPHANT BUDGET GIVES SCHOOLS THE GIFT OF UNCERTAINTY

2012-01-26T22:04:00.001-08:00

by Beth Chagonjian‚ Beyond Chron/School Beat | http://bit.ly/zBXhIq Jan. 26‚ 2012 :: Governor Brown's budget was recently (and inadvertently) released online. Unfortunately, what was revealed was a budget full of speculation and "what ifs" that could potentially leave schools and education in a worse condition than that in which they currently find themselves. How could this be so? This year

Doe v. CA: LAWSUIT TO BAN PUBLIC SCHOOL FEES CLEARS KEY HURDLE

2012-01-26T21:53:00.001-08:00

BY Howard Blume, LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/A9fFxE January 26, 2012 | 1:51 pm :: State officials failed Thursday to get a judge to dismiss a lawsuit that seeks to enforce the principle that California students have a right to a free education through high school. The lawsuit arose over the widespread practice of making students pay fees for some classes, activities and certain exams.

BOYS PULL OUT KNIFE, GUN IN 7th GRADE GLASS AT MAYOR’S SCHOOL

2012-01-26T21:41:00.001-08:00

Robert J. Lopez | LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/zgLJDu January 26, 2012 | 4:05 pm :: Security was beefed up at Samuel Gompers Middle School in South Los Angeles on Thursday after two boys pulled out a knife and gun during an argument in a 7th-grade class. The boys began arguing Wednesday afternoon when one of them pulled out a knife, prompting the other to grab a backpack and take out a gun,

EDUCATION TOWN HALL: Community fumes over schools

2012-01-26T21:28:00.001-08:00

By Susan Abram, Staff Writer, LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/ABOwX9 LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy and board member Tamar Galatzan answer questions from Daily News columnist Doug McIntyre at a town hall at El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. (David Crane/Staff Photographer) 01/25/2012 09:32:24 PM PST :: WOODLAND HILLS - Venting anger over rising

Doe v. CA: CALIFORNIA HAS FAILED TO PROTECT CHILDREN’S RIGHT TO FREE EDUCATION, LAWSUIT SAYS

2012-01-26T21:15:00.003-08:00

By Tami Abdollah | Blog: Pass / Fail - kpcc 89.3 FM | http://bit.ly/ykzxBm dave_mcmt/Flickr 7:36 p.m. :: When a 16-year-old Orange County sophomore couldn’t afford to buy her Spanish class workbook, the teacher wrote her name on the whiteboard up front, and there it remained for weeks. Her story, and a similar tale of a 14-year-old Orange County student, are the basis of a more than

COST-CUTTING CHANGES SET FOR LAUSD

2012-01-26T21:15:00.001-08:00

By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer, LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/AldpB2 01/24/2012 07:08:46 PM PST :: 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. Under a draft of the proposed reorganization obtained by the Daily News, [

GENDER EQUITY: DOING THE MATH - As boys and girls become more equal in math skills, everyone benefits.

2012-01-24T07:45:00.001-08:00

LA Times Op-Ed By Rosalind Barnett and Caryl Rivers | http://lat.ms/yL12GV Teacher Maria Duarte goes over fractions and division with her fourth grade math class at Los Angeles Elementary School. (Los Angeles Times / June 17, 2011) January 24, 2012 :: Do boys lose out when girls start to do better in math? Do girls' successes lead to a "boy crisis"? An important new study says the answer is

STAMP OUT ‘EARLY START’ NOW! - Avoid More Chaos at LA Unified!

2012-01-24T07:34:00.001-08:00

Diana L. Chapman MY TURN – LA CITY WATCH | http://bit.ly/zRgTXQ 01.23.2012 :: So let me get this straight: Los Angeles Unified School District allowed so many charters that now it has to woo students back to its own campuses, overhauled its entire lunch menu to make healthy food for kids who won’t eat it and now contemplates allowing parents to pick the schools their children attend. Talk

GET YOUR LATTÉ, DONOR’S CHOOSE CARD (and soon) BEER + WINE AT STARBUCKS: Bake Sale Fundraising for the Socially Networked?

2012-01-24T07:11:00.001-08:00

by smf for 4LAKidsNews @DrDeasyLAUSD announced Monday in a blizzard of tweets that his and the Wasserman Foundations' Donor’s Choose fundraiser for teacher projects is getting caffeinated at select Starbucks stores in the city of Los Angeles. And Starbucks announced that they would soon start serving beer, wine and cheese at selected cafés …which I guess become bistros. If you are not

HOLLYWOOD HIGH LISTED ON NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

2012-01-23T11:28:00.001-08:00

HOLLYWOOD HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Hollywood High School Listed in the National Register of Historic Places January 23, 2012 - Hollywood, California: The Director of the National Park Service announced that Hollywood High School was listed in the National Register of Historic Places this month. The National Register nomination of the Hollywood High

WHY IS CONGRESS REDLINING OUR SCHOOLS?

2012-01-22T22:02:00.001-08:00

by Linda Darling-Hammond | This article appeared in the January 30, 2012 edition of The Nation. | http://bit.ly/wCR75P “In California, for example, urban school districts often spend less than the state average although their children have the greatest needs. With inadequate budgets, crumbling buildings, class sizes of more than thirty (in some cases nearing fifty) and not enough desks

FINNISHING SCHOOL: The world's top school system gives pointers in California

2012-01-21T23:38:00.001-08:00

By Kathryn Baron | Thoughts on Public Education | http://bit.ly/yxMdAG 20 January 2012 :: Forget Santa Claus and saunas, the biggest export from Finland these days is its educational system. Facts on Finnish education. (Source: Pasi Sahlberg). >> During a two-day conference this week at Stanford University, Finnish educators discussed how they improved so dramatically and what the United

NCLB@10: THE TESTING INDUSTRY’S BIG FOUR

2012-01-21T23:07:00.001-08:00

Profiles of the four companies that dominate the business of making and scoring standardized achievement tests. A backgrounder from the PBS Frontline series on No Child Left Behind (March 2002) | http://to.pbs.org/e1LVvg ●●smf: Do not miss that the testing companies and the textbook publishing companies are one and the same. Or four and the same. This will be a question on the final exam!

WHAT’S THE PLAN?: Supplemental Educational Services, Adult Education, Early Childhood Education, Title One + Budget Calendar

2012-01-21T22:00:00.001-08:00

From the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles Weekly Update/www.aalausd.com | http://bit.ly/zgZvDb Week of January 23, 2012 :: Federal regulations require LAUSD and other districts that have entered their second year of Program Improvement to spend about 20% of their Title I, Part A, allocation on Supplemental Educational Services (SES) and transportation for public school choice. The

Arts Ed: SB 789 + THE CREATIVITY INDEX!

2012-01-21T17:02:00.001-08:00

From ArtsEdMail and The California Alliance for Arts Education | http://bit.ly/yMF6TC Mark Slavkin's TED Talk Makes the Case for a Creativity Index published by CAAEStaff | http://bit.ly/yMF6TC <

4 Your Review: The Shape of LA Schools to Come? - A DRAFT PLAN TO REORGANIZE LAUSD INTO FOUR+1 ‘LOCAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICE CENTERS’ - AND CREATES THE EDUCATION SILO, THE OPERATIONS SILO AND THE PARENT/COMMUNITY SILO - BEGINNING NEXT YEAR

2012-01-19T20:39:00.001-08:00

by smf for 4LAKids Jan 19, 2012 :: The following plan is being floated at Beaudry and in the local districts as something between a draft plan and a done deal – apparently without consultation with the Board of Education. It carves four new local districts – called “Educational Service Centers” from the current eight – maintains a special district for special schools: Pilots/Focus/Span/

THE STATE OF THE STATE OF THE SCHOOLS: Highlights of the coverage

2012-01-19T06:45:00.001-08:00

edited from the LA Times by smf “The governor also asked for changes in public schools, saying the state has overemphasized student testing and calling for local officials to have more control over their budgets. He asked state lawmakers to remove requirements that districts spend certain funds on specific programs.” Gov. Jerry Brown's State of State speech puts focus on big projects

School Bus Transportation: DEATH VALLEY STUDENTS FACE LOSS OF LIFELINE

2012-01-19T06:09:00.001-08:00

California has pulled funding for school transportation for the rest of this fiscal year and may eliminate it entirely next year. In Death Valley, where some students have a two-hour round trip, the cut is 'catastrophic.' By Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/wApZd4 A school bus carries students from Death Valley High School in Shoshone to a Native American village in

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS: LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy on the latest challenges facing the district

2012-01-19T05:58:00.001-08:00

Episode: Patt Morrison For January 18, 2012 | KPCC 89.3 FM | http://bit.ly/xeAZIW Download Audio MP3 This is an inopportune time for school districts in California and the Los Angeles Unified School District is no exception. At the first board meeting of the year, LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy disclosed a $543 million budget shortfall for the next academic year, the possibility that

Gallup Poll - EDUCATION: AN ELECTION NON-ISSUE + smf's 2¢

2012-01-17T08:17:00.001-08:00

Carrie Russo, San Pedro Special Education Examiner | Examiner.com | http://exm.nr/w5R03r January 16, 2012 - According to recent Gallup polls available at http://bit.ly/wy4Pjb/ (and below) education is far from being a top concern of US citizens in the upcoming elections. When the Gallup polls posed the question "What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today?" a

Superintendent’s letter and list of impacted schools: …BUT NO OTHER ORIFICE WAS AVAILABLE…

2012-01-16T17:47:00.001-08:00

Satire from notyet LAUSD …or is it? | http://bit.ly/zpTYk9 Sunday, January 15, 2012 :: notyetLAUSD will not talk sweetly to you and then punch you in the face. There is a disturbing trend of sugar coating bad news starting at the highest levels of government and working its way down local school districts. Whether it is Obama signing NDA Act, best covered by Colbert: <

Superintendent’s letter and list of impacted schools: PROP 39 OFFERS TO CHARTER SCHOOLS FOR 2012-2013 SCHOOL YEAR

2012-01-16T17:36:00.001-08:00

originally published by Not Yet LAUSD Presented without comment… NotYetLAUSD has said all that needs saying – perhaps too much! Letter From Superintendent to LAUSD Principals - 2012-13 Prop 39 Offers to Charter Schools - 01-11-12 (1)(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/

SAVE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS!: An Open Letter To The Superintendent and Board from LAUSD’s Principals

2012-01-16T16:31:00.001-08:00

From the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles Weekly UPDATE | http://bit.ly/xPRfSQ Week of January 16, 2012 :: On January 10, 2012, Board President Mónica García and Board Member Nuri Martinez presented a resolution to the Board of Education for initial announcement. Neither one responded to AALA's request for clarification. AALA President Dr. Judith Perez sent the following letter to

NO CHILD LEFT UNTABULATED

2012-01-16T14:10:00.001-08:00

“What does not emerge is a clear philosophy of education. “Nor is it likely to emerge, because governing is general+statistical, and education is personal+individual.” smf: credit for clear thinking when+where credit is due. World Magazine is a Christian publication – and those words of truth should be printed in red like in a family bible! Written by Janie B. Cheaney | World Magazine

LAUSD WITHOUT BORDERS: What if the District erased attendance boundaries? + smf’s 2¢

2012-01-16T13:34:00.001-08:00

A district without boundaries might be impractical. But such big-sky ideas are worth discussing. Los Angeles Times Editorial | http://lat.ms/xpx0yn Los Angeles Unified school board President Monica Garcia, center, is seen on June 23, 2009 along with the Board of Education. (Los Angeles Times) January 16, 2012 :: All too often, a child's ZIP Code is his destiny. In Los Angeles, it is

TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN FACING THE AX UNDER BROWN’S PROPOSAL

2012-01-16T11:16:00.001-08:00

Thandisizwe Chimurenga, New America Media News Report | http://bit.ly/z1gQci Jan 16, 2012 :: Traditionally, the New Year brings resolutions to accomplish a variety of tasks, but due to California’s budget woes, this new year starts with bad news in the early childhood education realm. A new pre-kindergarten program supposed to take off this coming November is in danger of being gutted

GRAPHIC: if a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is a picture book in an elementary school library worth?

2012-01-15T15:27:00.001-08:00

●●smf: I found this image on my computer. A internet search shows it’s from an UCLA/IDEA article. Wherever it’s from it does no good cluttering up my hard drive. UCLA IDEA has analyzed data recently released by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the 2009-10 school year covering all states and Washington, D.C.1 Accordingly, California ranks: • 49th in students per

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE HUMAN IMPACT OF THE CURRENT RECESSION, ASK AMERICA’S TEACHERS

2012-01-15T14:53:00.001-08:00

by Mark Naison, With A Brooklyn Accent (blog) http://bit.ly/zEC124 reblogged by LA Progressive and others January 12, 2012 - 11:59 AM :: One of the things I’ve discovered in recent years is that when it comes to education policy, the last people asked for input are America’s teachers. We have a President who holds an” education summit” that includes the nation’s top business leaders and

BROWN 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.

2012-01-15T13:00:00.001-08:00

By Carla Rivera, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/zXp14M Edgar Flores-Villalobos, a senior at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, fills out a form for college financial aid. He would like to attend Cal State L.A. and study criminal justice (Anne Cusack, Los Angeles Times / January 13, 2012) January 15, 2012 :: Were it not for the financial aid that helps cover the cost of his tuition,

CALIFORNIA LEADS NATION IN UNACCEDITED SCHOOLS, AND ENFORCEMENT IS LAX

2012-01-14T21:52:00.001-08:00

A nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization providing local coverage of the San Francisco Bay Area for The New York Times. By JENNIFER GOLLAN | tHE nEW yORK tIMES/bAY cITIZEN | http://nyti.ms/zE2lTv January 14, 2012 :: 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

CLEVELAND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GAIN DUE TO A FLUKE

2012-01-14T20:56:00.001-08:00

By Dennis McCarthy, Columnist, Los Angeles Daily News | http://bit.ly/xWJUwy P.E. teacher Fluke Fluker, is seen with students at Cleveland High School in Reseda on Jan. 13, 2012. (John McCoy/Daily News Staff Photographer) 01/14/2012 07:58:34 PM PST :: Fluke Fluker walks down the halls of Cleveland High School Friday like he owns the place. "Hey, Mr. Fluker, nice tie." "Hey, Mr. Fluker,

Quality Counts: CALIFORNIA STUDENT SPENDING NEAR BOTTOM: By some other measures, middle of the pack

2012-01-14T20:43:00.001-08:00

By Kathryn Baron Thoughts on public education [John Fensterwald contributed to this report] | http://bit.ly/yVoD7P California schools are the poster child for Gov. Brown’s new budget mantra that the state can’t spend what it doesn’t have. The latest Quality Counts report from Education Week ranks California 47th overall in how much it spends per student – $8,667 when adjusted for regional cost

STATE FAILING TO FULLY FUND BASIC EDUCATION, SAYS WASHINGTON SUPREME COURT + Editorial and Op-ed rebuttal

2012-01-13T09:30:00.001-08:00

Court vows to oversee reforms; Chimacum's Blair calls ruling success WASHINGTON STATE CONSTITUTION PREAMBLE “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex."

INGLEWOOD UNIFIED: ONLY SOUTHLAND DISTRICT ON VERGE OF STATE TAKEOVER + smf's 2¢ …and more

2012-01-13T08:21:00.001-08:00

By Adolfo Guzman-Lopez | KPCC | http://bit.ly/wkIEHG Cayoup/Flickr (Creative Commons-licensed) File: An empty classroom. > 13 Jan 2012 | 6:00 a.m. :: The 12,000-student Inglewood Unified School District is on an unenviable list. It’s the only Southern California public school system district that expects to go bankrupt. In recent years its school board has tried to cut costs and avert a

NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL ALLOWING PRIVATE GROUPS TO RUN FAILING PUBLIC SCHOOLS

2012-01-13T07:19:00.001-08:00

Christie Signs Bill Allowing Private Groups to Run Failing Public Schools By Terrence Dopp – Bloomberg News | http://bloom.bg/w1jHXn Jan 12, 2012 11:54 AM PT :: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed a bill that gives private firms the authority to run failing public schools in three inner-city districts. The Urban Hope Act creates a 10-year pilot program that will allow nonprofit

ADELANTO SCHOOL IS TARGETED IN SECOND TEST OF ‘PARENT TRIGGER’ LAW

2012-01-13T06:51:00.001-08:00

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. By Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/wfMLTw Parents deliver petitions to the principal of Desert Trails Elementary School in Adelanto. They are seeking to have Desert

NYC MAYOR BLOOMBERG TAKES ON TEACHERS' UNION IN SCHOOL PLANS

2012-01-12T22:21:00.001-08:00

By DAVID W. CHEN and ANNA M. PHILLIPS – New York Times | http://nyti.ms/x1moGa January 12, 2012 :: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, directly confronting leaders of the teachers’ union, proposed on Thursday a merit-pay system that would award top performers with $20,000 raises and threatened to remove as many as half of those working in dozens of struggling schools. Delivering his 11th and

WARMING UP TO AN NCLB WAIVER: Fed comes calling; State Board softens opposition

2012-01-12T12:31:00.001-08:00

By Kathryn Baron & John Fensterwald | Thoughts on Public Education | http://bit.ly/xSRLzQ Jan 12, 2012 – Sacramento :: 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. All but ten states have either

BROWN’S PROP 98 CONTORTION: Shifting debt expense to Prop 98 would be cut to schools

2012-01-12T12:07:00.001-08:00

By John Fensterwald - Educated Guess | http://bit.ly/zHamOr 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

NEW STATE ARCHITECT TO DISCUSS SEISMIC REFORMS

2012-01-12T11:56:00.001-08:00

Corey G. Johnson California watch | http://bit.ly/AAikT8 <

LAUSD’S PARCEL TAX PROPOSAL COULD BE A HARD SELL TO VOTERS IN TOUGH TIMES

2012-01-12T11:41:00.001-08:00

By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer Daily News | http://bit.ly/wr1tbj 01/11/2012 08:50:01 PM PST :: Double-digit unemployment and high foreclosure activity. Rising food and utility bills. Stagnating income and savings. With families facing challenges like these, the Los Angeles Unified School District may find itself facing an uphill battle persuading two-thirds of L.A. area voters to approve a

LAAAC BUILDING PROGRAM INDEPENDENT REVIEW PANEL REPORT

2012-01-12T11:19:00.001-08:00

report of the Panel dated Jan 4, 2012 smf: My concerns, based on my background and experience , was the obvious, oblivious and ineffective exercise of oversight by the LACCD Bond Oversight Committee. This from section#13 of the report; I thank the members of the Independent Review Panel: Laccd Bprp Report-1(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/

LACK OF LEADERSHIP CITED IN L.A. COMMUNITY COLLEGE REBUILDING

2012-01-12T10:26:00.001-08:00

Panel finds many instances of management breakdowns that led to cost overruns and excessive design changes, but concludes that the building program had 'a good level of success.' By Carla Rivera, Los Angeles Times |http://lat.ms/y2qHE0 January 12, 2012 | An independent panel looking into the Los Angeles Community College District's troubled rebuilding program found that the nearly $6-

BROAD FOUNDATION POURS ALMOST $90 MILLION INTO EDUCATION, smf pours on 2¢

2012-01-12T10:04:00.001-08:00

By Adolfo Guzman-Lopez | KPCC |http://bit.ly/zWsCRa Getty Images: Billionaire Eli Broad Jan. 11, 2012 | Philanthropist Eli Broad's Los Angeles-based foundations released their biennial reports this week, and education continues to top the charts. The Broad Foundation distributed about $90 million to efforts related to education over the course of the last two years. Sixty-six

LAUSD PROPOSALS AIM TO BOOST ENROLLMENT, ERASE ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES, RAISE CASH

2012-01-12T09:43:00.001-08:00

Episode: AirTalk with Larry Mantle/KPCC 89.3 FM | http://bit.ly/z4QNz8 DrDeasyLAUSD John Deasy: On KPCC Airtalk yesterday sharing thoughts on parent choice and our budget situation 6:58am Jan 12 DrDeasyLAUSD John Deasy: Just finished Larry Mantle show. Beginning important conversation about parent choice AND our budget. 11:33am Jan 11 BES Photos/Flickr (cc by-nc-nd) - A

LA study: POOR STUDENTS STUCK WITH WORST TEACHERS

2012-01-12T08:33:00.001-08:00

By Christina Hoag, Associated Press/USA Today news | Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register | http://vtd-tar.co/xbXuNO 7:42 PM, Jan. 11, 2012 | LOS ANGELES (WTW) — 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

2nd study: THE LONG-TERM IMPACTS OF TEACHERS - Teacher value-added and student outcomes in adulthood + smf's 2¢

2012-01-12T08:20:00.001-08:00

by Raj Chetty - Harvard University, John N. Friedman - Harvard University, Jonah E. Rockoff - Columbia University | http://bit.ly/zV4vEr A teacher's "value-added" is defined as the average test-score gain for his or her students, adjusted for differences across classrooms in student characteristics (such as their previous scores). Is teacher value-added a good measure of teacher quality?

WHITHER ART THOU, HOWARD BLUME?

2012-01-11T08:32:00.001-08:00

a rant by smf for 4LAKidsNews 1whith·er adv \ˈhwi-thər, ˈwi-\ Definition of WHITHER 1: to what place 2: to what situation, position, degree, or end See whither defined for English-language learners » See whither defined for kids » Examples of WHITHER He grew up in New York City whither his family had

DANIEL PEARL MAGNET STUDENTS CELEBRATE PRIVATE DONATION

2012-01-10T23:47:00.001-08:00

By Richard Horgan MediaBistro.com | Journalism 101, Season of Giving |http://bit.ly/zL53gk January 10, 2012 9:15 AM :: Today in Van Nuys, students at the Daniel Pearl Magnet High School will gather to watch Charles Evans Jr.‘s documentary Addiction Incorporated, all about the tobacco industry’s original whistleblower Victor DeNoble. Evans will be in attendance for a Q&A with former LA Times

Ravitch: NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND AND THE DAMAGE DONE

2012-01-10T23:24:00.001-08:00

By Diane Ravitch/Bridging Differences/Ed Week – reblogged by The Washington Post | http://wapo.st/Axs0bR This was written by education historian Diane Ravitch for her Bridging Differences blog, which she co-authors with Deborah Meier on the Education Week website. Ravitch and Meier exchange letters about what matters most in education. Ravitch, a research professor at New York University, is

LAUSD CHIEF DEASY PROPOSES PARCEL TAX TO STEM BUDGET DEFICIT

2012-01-10T23:12:00.001-08:00

By Barbara Jones Daily News Staff Writer/from the Contra Costa Times | http://bit.ly/ymcpkx Posted: 01/10/2012 08:00:37 PM PST :: Facing a budget deficit of more than a half-billion dollars for 2012-13, Los Angeles Unified Superintendent John Deasy proposed Tuesday putting a $270-a-year parcel tax on the November ballot. If approved by the LAUSD board, this would mark the second time in two

CALIFORNIA REVENUE FALLS BELOW GOVERNOR’S PROJECTIONS

2012-01-10T22:59:00.001-08:00

By JUDY LIN, Associated Press from San Francisco Chronicle |http://bit.ly/yJQYnu Tuesday, January 10, 2012 - 7:12 PST Sacramento, Calif. (AP) ;; Just a week after Gov. Jerry Brown made his pitch for tax hikes and more spending cuts, the state controller on Tuesday reported that California is collecting less tax revenue than the governor projected and warned lawmakers that more cuts may be needed

Retweet DrDeasy: Projected budget deficit of $543 mil violates the rights of youth. Not a single solitary thing in this budget can and should be reduced.

2012-01-10T22:18:00.001-08:00

DrDeasyLAUSD John Deasy Jan 10, 2012 | 9:18PM

FINES, COURT TIME ELIMINATED FOR TARDY, ABSENT STUDENTS

2012-01-10T17:59:00.001-08:00

by Rick Rojas, LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/zr0fzn January 10, 2012 | 12:47 pm :: Fines and court time for tardy students will be eliminated in Los Angeles County, according to new guidelines released by the county's top juvenile court judge earlier this month. Juvenile Court Presiding Judge Michael Nash said in rules released last week that courts will now dismiss tickets in which students

DARK DAYS FOR STATE’S EDUCATION BUDGET: Governor Brown hopes to convince Californians to tax themselves to support schools.

2012-01-10T17:47:00.001-08:00

By Brooke Wirtschafter-Mom's The Word: Reflections on the life of a mom in Mar Vista/Mar Vista Patch http://bit.ly/xI0EKH 10 Jan 2011 :: January has become the darkest time of the year for public education in California. Every winter for the last several years we’ve seen the state hand down bad news for public schools as wishful budgets made in the endless summer of wrangling in

LA SCHOOLS MULL WAYS TO BOOST ENROLLMENT+L.A. SCHOOL BOARD TO DISCUSS ENDING ENROLLMENT BOUNDARIES+LAUSD PROPOSAL WOULD GET RID OF ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES

2012-01-10T17:34:00.001-08:00

LA schools mull ways to boost district enrollment By Associated Press from the San Francisco Chronicle | http://bit.ly/yfuZGd Tuesday, January 10, 2012 | 16:30 PST Los Angeles, CA (AP) :: The Los Angeles Unified school board wants to stem the decade-long decline in enrollment that has cost the district hundreds of millions over dollars in per pupil funding. The school board on Tuesday

LAUSD FACES NEARLY $600 MILLION BUDGET SHORTFALL

2012-01-10T17:14:00.001-08:00

Associated Press, from KPCC | http://bit.ly/zJe0Ob Students rally at Pershing Square. Mike Roe/KPCC Jan 10, 2012 - 4:49 p.m. | AP :: The Los Angeles Unified Schools superintendent says the nation's second-largest school district is facing a $543 million budget shortfall for the next academic year. John Deasy told the school board Tuesday that if voters approve Gov. Jerry Brown's tax

LAO: BROWN TAX PLAN MAY OVERSTATE REVENUE

2012-01-10T08:51:00.001-08:00

Brown tax hike plan may bring in less than estimated The governor says a sales and income tax hike could bring in $6.9 billion a year. The Legislative Analyst's Office says it's likely to generate just $4.8 billion in 2012-13. By Anthony York, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/x9Za6X Gov. Jerry Brown wants to boost the state sales tax by half a cent and increase levies on incomes of

California State PTA: ARE YOU READY TO HELP RESTORE FUNDING TO OUR SCHOOLS?

2012-01-10T07:26:00.001-08:00

e-mail alert/Legislative Update from CA PTA | http://bit.ly/x0hDVq California State PTA is supporting the Our Children, Our Future: Local Schools and Early Education Investment Act. This bold measure will generate approximately $10 billion in new revenues per year to help restore programs and services for children and students, including instruction in the arts and physical education, as

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE LAUSD SCHOOL LUNCH FIASCO? + smf's 2¢

2012-01-09T10:50:00.001-08:00

by Dana Woldow‚ BeyondChron: San Francisco's Alternative Online Daily News » http://bit.ly/zioZL9 Jan. 09‚ 2012 :: The recent Los Angeles Times article revealing that LA Unified School District's new healthier lunch menu was being rejected by many students generated a tidal wave of snark from those who believe schools shouldn't be feeding hungry kids at all, let alone trying to offer them

FORMER BEVERLY HILLS SCHOOLS CHIEF UNLIKELY TO LOSE PENSION

2012-01-08T10:52:00.001-08:00

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. By Britney Barnes, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/wdJ5Vz January 8, 2012 :: Whether he is acquitted or convicted of criminal charges, former Beverly Hills Unified School District Supt.

A rationale for rationing access to the Master Plan for California Education: THE 100 POINT RULE AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE MAKEOVER

2012-01-08T10:41:00.001-08:00

Budget cuts threaten the ideal of open access to higher education. Drastic changes are in order. L.A. Times Editorial | http://lat.ms/wUAhOa Budget cuts at California's community colleges have drastically reduced course offerings, making it extremely difficult for students to reach their educational goals. Above, the admissions and records office of Saddleback Community College in Mission

Consider the source: UPDATED TEACHER OBSERVATIONS KEY TO IMPROVEMENT, REPORT SAYS + smf's 2¢

2012-01-08T10:29:00.001-08:00

A Gates Foundation study lauds a new system in which instructors are watched in the classroom up to six times annually by certified evaluators. By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/A3IPd9 January 7, 2012 :P: The old-fashioned practice of rating instructors by watching them teach is tricky, labor-intensive, potentially costly and subjective — but perhaps the best way to help

PLAN B FROM D.C.

2012-01-08T00:02:00.001-08:00

cartoon by Matt Davies/Tribune Media Services | Dec 28, 2011 | http://bit.ly/yjFxR2

LAUSD TEACHERS SPEAK OUT AFAINST CUTS: One of LAUSD's cost saving measures includes hiring back laid off teachers in temporary positions

2012-01-07T22:14:00.001-08:00

…with little or no benefits By Ted Chen | KNBC Los Angeles | http://bit.ly/y3upRE Getty Images - Teachers and supporters demonstrate outside a Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education meeting on April 14. Saturday, Jan 7, 2012 | Updated 5:59 PM PST - Teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District fear that 2012 will be far worse than the past several years combined with

TopEd/EdGuess:DISTRICTS GET POWER, IF NOT CASH, IN GOV’S BUDGET+SWITCH TO WEIGHTED FUNDING, LOCAL CONTROL+DARLING-HAMMOND DISCUSSES HER IDEAS+NEXT STEP FOR ONLINE INITIATIVE

2012-01-07T22:06:00.001-08:00

thoughts on Public Education/Educated Guess | http://bit.ly/v5tKAK Districts get power, if not cash, in Gov’s budget: School fortunes would rely on the ballot box Kathryn Baron January 6, 2012 :: California schools could gain billions or once again face the threat of a midyear budget cut under the 2012-13 budget proposal released in Sacramento yesterday by Gov. Jerry Brown. At a

VIRTUAL CHARTERS LAG BEHIND OTHER SCHOOLS' PERFORMANCE, REPORT SAYS + Report

2012-01-07T22:04:00.001-08:00

Only 27% of for-profits operating virtual schools meet NCLB AYP By Lori Higgins, Detroit Free Press (MCT) from EdWeek | http://bit.ly/xZVciq January 6, 2012 :: Virtual charter schools are one of the fastest-growing segments of the charter school industry, but a report released today raises questions about how well they educate students. The report by the National Education Policy Center

STATE SCHOOLS CHIEF TOM TORLAKSON COMMENTS ON GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012-13

2012-01-07T20:38:00.001-08:00

http://1.usa.gov/yXHUmC Release: #12-3 | January 5, 2012 Contact: Paul Hefner E-mail: communications@cde.ca.gov Phone: 916-319-0818 SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson issued the following statement today on Governor Brown's proposed budget [http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/] (Outside Source) for the 2012-13 fiscal year: "The Governor has offered

Save the Date: ON JAN. 17, JOIN UTLA FOR A SPECIAL EVENT WITH EDUCATION EXPERT DIANE RAVITCH

2012-01-07T20:26:00.001-08:00

Renowned author Diane Ravitch is taking part in a three-city speaking tour in California. Dr. Ravitch will speak to UTLA and community members on January 17 at 5:00 pm. Don't miss out! from utla website | http://bit.ly/zQ0cGc On Tuesday, January 17, join UTLA at 5 pm for an event with renowned author and education expert Diane Ravitch. Dr. Ravitch’s expertise on testing, value added

PENNSYLVANIA TEACHERS WORK FOR FREE AFTER BUDGET CUTS: “We are currently unable to fund the district’s payroll expenses after January 4, 2012” + addl. coverage

2012-01-07T09:59:00.001-08:00

Teachers Decide To Work For Free After Budget Cuts Leave Pennsylvania School District Without Funds For Salaries By Tanya Somanader/ ThinkProgress.org from L.A. Progressive | http://bit.ly/yml2l8 Chester Upland High School classroom January 6, 2012 :: The Chester Upland School District in Delaware County, Pennsylvania suffered a serious setback when Gov. Tom Corbett (R) slashed $900