Majority of California voters support universal preschool for 4-year-olds | EdSource Today

By Lillian Mongeau

Most California voters think the state should increase the availability of preschool for the state’s 4-year-olds, according to a Field Poll conducted in partnership with EdSource.

Of the 1,000 registered voters polled, 55 percent said increasing the availability of preschool to 4-year-olds in California was “very important,” while 24 percent said it was “somewhat important.” Among parents of children 5 or younger, 70 percent said increasing the availability of preschool was “very important” and 20 percent said it was “somewhat important.” Providing more publicly funded preschool opportunities has become a major issue in California. State legislators recently introduced a bill, SB 837, that would provide all 4-year-olds in the state with the option of attending transitional kindergarten, which is provided to children who don’t qualify for kindergarten because they turn 5 in the first three months of the school year.

 

via Majority of California voters support universal preschool for 4-year-olds | EdSource Today.

Ed Tech Blueprint – Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)

MILPITAS—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson’s Education Technology Task Force released a new report today that outlines steps California should take to ensure education technology can be an effective, safe, and productive tool for learning over the next few years.

“As California continues to move toward college and career readiness for every child, education technology has to be part of what we do,” Torlakson said. “I’ve visited classrooms up and down the state and seen everything from virtual science experiments to online group projects. From Common Core to the new Smarter Balanced assessments, our state—which has always led the way in innovation—is focused on preparing student with the real-world skills they need. This new blueprint charts a smart course for getting us there.”

via Ed Tech Blueprint – Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education).

Travis trustee takes back blast at radio duo – Daily Republic

By Ryan McCarthy

She’d listened to the two Sacramento-based broadcasters for 12 years – and then, after appearing in March on their radio show to talk about Common Core State Standards, she concluded that Armstrong & Getty mocked her and another female guest, while respecting men speaking on the same subject.

But Angela Weinzinger, a Travis School District trustee who appeared on the syndicated radio program – not in that role but as a representative of Parents and Educators Against Common Core Standards – took back her criticism when she was on the show again Wednesday.

“You’re not chauvinist pigs,” she told Jack Armstrong near the end of the nine-minute interview. “I actually like you guys.”

via Travis trustee takes back blast at radio duo Daily Republic.

Assist-A-Grad wraps up interviews – Daily Republic

By Barry Eberling

Rodriguez High School senior Claudia Diaz came to Armijo High School on Thursday night hoping to get an assist for college.

Diaz wants to be a teacher and will attend California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo next year. She is seeking Assist-A-Grad scholarships to help with the finances.

Scholarships are valuable to her.

“They’re really important, because I have two siblings in college already,” she said. “It’s hard to pay for all three of us at the same time.”

via Assist-A-Grad wraps up interviews Daily Republic.

Public health ‘heroes’ recognized in special Touro University ceremony – Vallejo Times Herald

Times-Herald staff Posted:

More than 50 people gathered at Touro University Farragut Inn in Vallejo to honor six recipients chosen as this year’s Public Health Heroes.

These are Touro students and officials who have demonstrated “significant contributions and a commitment to public health service and research,” according to a school announcement.

The College of Education and Health Sciences Public Health Program selected six members representing Touro students, faculty and community members as the “2014 Public Health Heroes.”

“All our recipients are visionaries who stand at the intersection of health and the well-being of our communities with a focus on underserved populations,” said Touro’s Western Division Senior Provost and CEO Shelley Berkley in a prepared statement.

via Public health ‘heroes’ recognized in special Touro University ceremony – Vallejo Times Herald.

County nominates educators of the year – The Reporter

By Reporter Staff Posted:

The Solano County Office of Education will honor 14 school district employees nominated for the 2014-15 Solano County Educators of the Year at a special even in May.

A reception, starting at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7, at the Joseph A. Nelson Community Center in Suisun City, will celebrate the many accomplishments and commitment of the educators, officials noted.

“The Educators of the Year program is a wonderful opportunity to recognize the hard work and dedication of our teachers and school staff,” said Jay Speck, Solano County superintendent of schools, in a press release. “These individuals have all made significant contributions to student achievement and a positive school climate.”

 

via County nominates educators of the year – The Reporter.

Districts face challenge of prioritizing public input on school spending | EdSource Today

By Louis Freedberg

California’s school funding reform law has triggered a burst of outreach efforts to solicit parent and community input in at least some districts – along with a plethora of suggestions about how to spend the additional education funds they will receive from the state.

But what is not clear is how these multiple recommendations – in some districts running into the thousands – will be prioritized so that they will be useful to school officials and school boards as they draw up their Local Control and Accountability Plans before the rapidly approaching deadline of July 1.

The funding law championed by Governor Jerry Brown that went into effect last summer requires parents and other key stakeholders, such as school personnel and community representatives, to provide input into the draft accountability plan. But the law is most silent on how they should provide that input. That is in line with the spirit of the new law, which is intended to shift the locus of decision-making from Sacramento to individual districts.

via Districts face challenge of prioritizing public input on school spending | EdSource Today.

County to honor Solano educators – Daily Republic

By Barry Eberling

Fourteen of the area’s top educators will be honored at a Solano County Office of Education event May 7.

All are nominated to become the county’s Educator of the Year. The event begins at 5:15 p.m. at the Joseph A. Nelson Community Center, 611 Village Drive in Suisun City.

“The Educators of the Year program is a wonderful opportunity to recognize the hard work and dedication of our teachers and school staff,” county Superintendent of Schools Jay Speck said in a press release.

via County to honor Solano educators Daily Republic.

Benicia teacher, 11 others get grants – Benicia Herald

by Donna Beth Weilenman

$2,000 award will go toward improving middle school library.

A dozen Solano County music teachers have received a total of $20,800 in music grants made available this year by Donald and Rose Marie Wong through their endowment fund at Solano Community Foundation, said Stephanie Wolf, the foundation’s chief executive officer.

Among the recipients is Glenn Walp, who teaches music at Benicia Middle School and who has received several grants from Solano Community Foundation through its Education Plus! Mini-Grant Program.

Walp received $2,000 to improve the school’s music library, Wolf said.

The largest grant, $2,800, was awarded to Kristen Goree, for a vocal ensemble at Buckingham Charter Magnet High School in Vacaville.

via Benicia teacher, 11 others get grants.

State Lawmakers Ramp Up Attention to Data Privacy – Education Week

By Andrew Ujifusa

As the appetite for educational data on students has grown across the K-12 sector, so has the stated desire among many state lawmakers to try to protect the privacy and security of sensitive student information.

Spurred by concerns that the rise of education technology and the increasing prevalence of new assessments will place student data in unreliable hands or be put to nefarious uses, lawmakers in dozens of states have acted this year to clarify who has what access to student data and to specify the best practices for shielding that data.

via State Lawmakers Ramp Up Attention to Data Privacy – Education Week.

With Time Running Out, Arne Duncan Discusses His Lengthy To-Do List – Education Week

By Michele McNeil

In the waning years of the Obama administration, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sees several important and difficult priorities ahead of him, he told Education Week in a wide-ranging 30-minute interview. Chief among them: The transition to new standards and tests, the debut of new teacher evaluations tied to test scores, and the costly drive to expand preschool.

That’s “a lot of change in a short amount of time—none of it easy,” he said in an April 11 interview in his Washington office. But if states and the federal government are able to navigate over a mountain of political and policy challenges, he said, then the result will “change education forever in some pretty extraordinary ways.”

 

via With Time Running Out, Arne Duncan Discusses His Lengthy To-Do List – Politics K-12 – Education Week.

Meal Site Lists Updated – Year 2014 CA Dept of Education

SACRAMENTO—Disadvantaged families in California can now access interactive Web pages with up-to-date lists of child and adult care centers offering nutritious meals at low or no cost, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.

“Having enough nutritious food to eat is a huge contributing factor to a childs ability to succeed in school and in life,” Torlakson said. “These centers offer an important resource for families, and I hope this information gets them the support they need.”

The Child and Adult Care Food Program CACFP is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA. Nearly 5,000 local day-care centers and 17,000 sponsored family day-care home providers in California participate in the CACFP.

via Meal Site Lists Updated – Year 2014 CA Dept of Education.

Vallejo schools, superintendent mark April anniversaries – Vallejo Times Herald

By Lanz Christian Bañes

A decade ago, the Vallejo City Unified School District was on the verge of financial collapse, saved only when the state took control of the ailing system.

Today, a year after that control was returned to the Vallejo school board, the district is a much different — and healthier — place, school officials say.

New programs abound in the district, from its full-service community schools to the wall-to-wall academies, as the school board works not only to stabilize the district’s financial situation, but also to shed years of poor student outcomes.

via Vallejo schools, superintendent mark April anniversaries – Vallejo Times Herald.

Hosting a foreign exchange student offers world view – Daily Republic

By Susan Winlow

For the Lewis girls, Ayanna, 16, and Najja, 17, and their 17-year-old friend Sierra Knuckles, Vanden High School’s recent prom night was a rite of passage – one experienced by American teens all over the country.

For Jana Jensen, 17, who is from Germany, and Brazilian Nathalia Carvalho, 18, it was a different, uniquely American experience, something they likened out of “High School Musical” or Twilight’s “New Moon,” minus the vampires and werewolves.

“Prom is like something you know from American movies, Jensen said.

via Hosting a foreign exchange student offers world view Daily Republic.

Districts should make early learning a priority in their local accountability plans | EdSource Today

By Ted Lempert and Mark Friedman

The achievement gap is a term used so regularly in the education world that its realities can sometimes lose their significance. But according to new research from The Annie E. Casey Foundation, the gap is still very much here in California, resulting in sizable disparities between African American and Latino children and their white and Asian peers.

Just a few of the highlights: A 4th grade white student in California is three times more likely to be reading proficient than an African American one; an 8th grade Asian student is nearly four times more likely than a Latino student to be proficient in math. These differences transfer well into adulthood, yielding substantial inequities between young adults in their access to higher education and careers.

via Districts should make early learning a priority in their local accountability plans | EdSource Today.

11 Ways to use Symbaloo in the Classroom – The Edublogger

By Mimi Chau

Symbaloo is a free social bookmarking tool. A fun and simple way to organize and store all your digital resources in the cloud. You can categorize your resources, share and access them from any device. Meanwhile, Symbaloo is a free educational tool, SymbalooEDU Premium is a resource management system that offer classrooms, schools, and districts a customized SymbalooEDU page with a dedicated URL to distribute and manage all digital resources in one place. Learn more about “Which Symbaloo is Best for You”.

Why Should You Symbaloo?

Symbaloo helps teachers curate content and share the best of the web with their students. Teachers are able to work harder, smarter and most importantly, happier.

“Help, I’m drowning!” said Shelley Breivogel, 25 year veteran teacher from Indiana. Like many other teachers, Shelley is feeling overwhelmed with the amount of time it takes working outside of the classroom to be an effective teacher.

via 11 Ways to use Symbaloo in the Classroom – The Edublogger.

Tough to pass parcel tax, Fairfield-Susiun school trustees told – Daily Republic

By Ryan McCarthy

Passing a parcel tax will be very tough but the Fairfield-Suisun School District has a good shot at success if the campaign for the measure is done well, the school board was told Thursday.

Gene Bregman, whose Santa Cruz County-based public opinion and marketing research firm surveyed 404 residents within the school district boundaries, said a $74 parcel tax is too high and the chances of passage are quite slim.

The telephone survey found that 71 percent of respondents would support a $49 parcel tax, while 64 percent supported a $74 tax. Two-thirds voter approval is needed for passage, Bregman said.

via Tough to pass parcel tax, Fairfield-Susiun school trustees told Daily Republic.

Do-It-Yourself Virtual Professional Development: Taking Ownership of Your Learning | Edutopia

By Monica Burns

With so many great resources on the web, teachers are realizing that they can learn just as much (if not more!) from their personal learning network (PLN) as they can from traditional professional development (PD). Educators are connecting with like-minded individuals across the globe, reading about best practices and new trends in education, and sharing their experiences with friends and colleagues. Through social media, popular blogs and webinars, teachers are taking ownership of their learning and finding PD opportunities that weren’t possible a decade ago.

Try using these strategies to make your PLN work for you, and take control of your own professional development!

via Do-It-Yourself Virtual Professional Development: Taking Ownership of Your Learning | Edutopia.

Special education volunteers to receive honors – Daily Republic

By Barry Eberling

Youth and community members who work with special education students will be recognized for outstanding service on April 29.

The Community Advisory Committee recognition awards ceremony will take place from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Solano County Office of Education, 5100 Business Center Drive. Awards are given to one person each from the Fairfield-Suisun, Vacaville, Travis, Dixon and Benicia school districts, as well as the Office of Education.

via Special education volunteers to receive honors Daily Republic.

Technology can replace travel, taxpayer rep tells Fairfield-Suisun district – Daily Republic

By Ryan McCarthy

Technology provides better ways to share information than the travel and conferences costing the Fairfield-Suisun School District more than $500,000 a year, the president of the Central Solano Citizen-Taxpayer Group told the school board Thursday.

“Put this on a video or a DVD,” John Takeuchi said. “You can reach a lot of people.”

He said the $616,596 the school district spent last fiscal year on travel and conferences could pay for a lot of teachers and school supplies.

via Technology can replace travel, taxpayer rep tells Fairfield-Suisun district Daily Republic.