Monthly Archives: January 2012

Benicia ‘Green’ academy seeking students

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Benicia Herald

By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

Benicia High School’s ECH20 Academy — the program that aims to prepare students for careers in “green” technology fields — is ramping up its recruitment drive for new students this week.

Josh Bradley, coordinator of the “school within a school,” will begin the next round of recruiting with a meeting Thursday with high school freshmen, who are eligible to attend the Career Technical Education academy in the fall. On Jan. 26, he will speak with sophomores.

via ‘Green’ academy seeking students.

School board to talk technology, cell tower agreement

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Benicia Herald

By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

Benicia’s school board trustees will conduct a public hearing and discussion of policies for students’ use of technology Thursday night during their regular meeting, including disclosure of proposed policies and an opportunity for the public to comment.

“We’re hoping that anybody that wants to weigh in on the student use of technology will do so,” Superintendent Janice Adams said Wednesday.

via School board to talk technology, cell tower agreement.

Brown: Cull the herd of state tests

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The Educated Guess

By John Fensterwald – Educated Guess

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. Without being specific, he will also call for locally driven school monitoring measures to match his call for shifting authority over spending from Sacramento to school districts, according to State School Board Executive Director Sue Burr, who gave school finance officials a preview Tuesday of education themes Brown will touch on. She elaborated in an interview with me afterward.

via Brown: Cull the herd of state tests – by John Fensterwald – Educated Guess.

Brown wants less testing of California students, says aide

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SacBee — Education

By Kevin Yamamura

Gov. Jerry Brown plans to call for less statewide testing, and expanding lessons beyond math and English, in his annual State of the State address today, according to his top education adviser.

The Democratic governor faces a pivotal year as he asks voters to pass nearly $7 billion annually in higher taxes to shore up the state budget. At the same time, he wants lawmakers to reshape K-12 education by eliminating earmarks for school programs and redefining the state’s yardstick for education performance.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/18/4195548/brown-wants-less-testing-of-california.html#mi_rss=Education#storylink=cpy

via Brown wants less testing of California students, says aide.

Duncan: It’s Time to Create Race to Top for Districts

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Politics K-12

by Michele McNeil

Flush with $550 million in new Race to the Top money, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said he intends to use the vast majority of it to design a new competition just for school districts.

In an interview with Education Week yesterday, Duncan for the first time foreshadowed what the department’s next Race to the Top competition will look like.

via Duncan: It’s Time to Create Race to Top for Districts.

Solano College trustees to vote on redistricting plan

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Google Alerts – “Solano Community College”

Times-Herald staff report/
Posted: 01/18/2012 01:03:12 AM PST

FAIRFIELD — After gathering public comment at three sessions, Solano Community College trustees will meet tonight to consider a redistricting plan.

If adopted, changes in how voters elect Solano College trustees could be in place for the next board election.

via Solano College trustees to vote on redistricting plan.

Vallejo teen planning concert to benefit anti-bullying effort

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Google Alerts – “Hogan High School”

Posted: 01/18/2012 01:03:15 AM PST

A Jesse Bethel High School senior has jumped into the district’s struggle against bullying.Kenton Raiford, 18, is seeking sponsorship for a summer concert aimed at raising money for the Vallejo City Unified School District’s anti-bullying campaign.

via Vallejo teen planning concert to benefit anti-bullying effort.

Calif. Budget Proposal Would Kill ‘Transitional Kindergarten’

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Google Alerts – “California Department of Education”

Today we feature a guest post from Linda Jacobson, veteran education reporter and author of the policy paper, On the Cusp in California.

Just as school districts across California have started to phase in the state’s new “transitional kindergarten” for 4- and 5-year-olds, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) is proposing to eliminate funding for the classes, saying now is not the time for “program expansions.”

via Calif. Budget Proposal Would Kill ‘Transitional Kindergarten’.

Benicia school board to review filters on student-used computers

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Google Alerts – “Benicia school board”

The Benicia school board will hold a public meeting Thursday about student technology use.

The issue caused some controversy last month. During the semester’s final board meeting, several students and teachers complained that new filters throughout the district were too restrictive, preventing them from accessing email accounts.

via Benicia school board to review filters on student-used computers.

College president applies brakes to program discontinuance

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Daily Republic

by Susan Winlow

FAIRFIELD — Faculty and staff at Solano Community College began the spring semester Tuesday with a required flex day that included a “welcome back” speech by the college’s president and news that some planned cuts are on hold.

Jowel Laguerre spoke on a variety of issues that have touched the campus, such as safety and security, the college’s Master Plan, the 2012 and 2013 budgets, funding opportunities, accreditation and assessments and faculty leadership.

via College president applies brakes to program discontinuance.

Should California have second thoughts on Common Core?

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The Educated Guess

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. California is one of 46 states to adopt them and has a lead role in one of two state consortia creating the new tests. Faced with potentially steep adoption costs and a conservative backlash to national standards, a few states may back out. California legislators, the State Board, and Gov. Brown have shown no intent of reversing course. Nonetheless, we thought we’d take the pulse again: Is moving ahead with Common Core adoption a wise move?

Advocating for the Common Core are David Plank, executive director of Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), and Jonathan Raymond, superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District. Arguing against are Eric Premack, founder and director of the Charter Schools Development Center in Sacramento, and Ze’ev Wurman, a software engineer who served on the state commission that reviewed the Common Core standards in 2010.

via Should California have second thoughts on Common Core? – by forum.

Schools facing financial mystery without any clues

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SFGate: Education

Jill Tucker, Chronicle Staff Writer

via Schools facing financial mystery without any clues.

Thinking out loud

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Google Alerts – “Vallejo City Unified School District”

What are the “educational effectiveness goals” of the individual schools as reported by attendees and staff input sessions?

How can the Vallejo City Unified School District make changes to curriculum and methods of instruction to effect change in 18 months as planned in Title III grant proposal?

via Thinking out loud.

Vallejo siblings pen tale of first haircut

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Google Alerts – “Glen Cove Elementary School”

Posted: 01/17/2012 01:01:47 AM PST

A child’s first haircut can be a frightening ordeal.But not so for a kid named Joey, the star of siblings Joel and Jenesis’ new book, “Adventure at the Big, Brick Haircut Factory.”

“Sometimes, the hair can get all over me,” said Joel, a 9-year-old third-grader at Glen Cove Elementary School about the haircuts his dad Jeffrey Pouncey gives him.

via Vallejo siblings pen tale of first haircut.

Editorial: Better access to Vacaville school district

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Google Alerts – “Dixon Unified School District”

When it comes to operating in a transparent manner, the Vacaville Unified School District will take a giant leap forward on Thursday, as it begins streaming board meetings live on the Internet.

While the twice-monthly meetings have been videotaped and broadcast on cable television for a number of years, the streaming technology will allow viewers to observe the meeting not only as they happen, but also at their convenience afterward. That means no more waiting for the cable station to rebroadcast the video or driving to the administration headquarters to obtain a disk just to see what took place.

via Editorial: Better access to Vacaville school district.

Federal government would require new teacher evaluation systems in thousands of state schools

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EdSource Extra!

By Louis Freedberg ~ EdSource Extra

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.

via Federal government would require new teacher evaluation systems in thousands of state schools.

Buckingham changes enrollment procedure

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Daily Republic

by Heather Ah San

VACAVILLE — The “Occupy Buckingham Charter High School” movement is over.

The popular charter school is switching to a lottery system for enrollment instead of the “first come, first served” model that in past years has drawn early birds. In some cases, families camped out days in advance to ensure a spot on the limited school roster.

via Buckingham changes enrollment procedure.

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