News Impacting CA School Districts Through October 30
Federal News
An overview of the Race to the Top grant submission process was presented by the California Department of Education.
Sacramento News
Dan Walters comments on the growing differences between EdVoice and the California Teachers Association in the run up for the election of State Schools Superintendent.
News Impacting CA School Districts Through October 23
Federal News
Educators thought they had friend in the White House after the November election. Now they are not so sure.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s comments on Teacher Preparation: Reforming the Uncertain Profession were made at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Now that some barriers for applying for Race to the Top federal funds have been removed, the State Board of Education, and the California Department of Education will be engaging with stakeholders across the state to share information and gather feedback. To participate please visit California’s Race to the Top website at: http://www.caracetothetop.org/.
Sacramento News
In prior budgets, the Legislature raided City and Counties budgets to fund education. With those options limited due to new Constitutional initiatives, the Legislature turned to redevelopment agencies. As a result, the redevelopment agencies are suing the State for a second time.
Beyond the cuts to K-12 education, higher education cuts are creating problems for high school seniors as they visit campuses.
News Impacting CA School Districts Through October 16
Federal News
To qualify Federal grant money, California is removing a legal ban on using the results of student achievement tests to evaluate teachers, under a bill signed into law by Governor. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Sacramento News
The first three months of the new State budget is already experiencing revenue problems. State Controller John Chiang is reporting a $1 billion dollar shortfall. “I urge lawmakers and the governor to prepare for more difficult decisions ahead,” Chiang said.
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Facebook – Privacy Settings
Once you have a created a Facebook account you have to decide what boundaries will work for you. What do I mean by boundaries? The nature of Facebook and other social networking sites is an exchange of comments, photos and shared interests with your community of friends. Unless you take the time to separate your friends into area of Work, Family and Professional, everyone will be able to view comments from everyone who post something on your Wall.
CSBA has compiled a number of “how-to” articles to establish boundaries you deem appropriate. Here are some of the points to consider:
- How many friends lists do you need? Does it matter if your Work or School Board friends see Family related posts? If so, you need to set privacy settings to prevent sharing between lists.
- Do you want people to find you in Facebook? If not, you can remove your name from the Facebook Search results.
- Do you want everyone to view photos or videos where you are tagged? If not, customize your photos to the appropriate level. Do not forget to protect any albums you may create.
- Beware that using applications in Facebook can post messages on your Wall. So don’t visit applications or scan your profile every time that you do to insure you are comfortable with the message posted or delete it.
- While it’s fun to show off that you have hundreds or thousands of friends on Facebook, some of your friends don’t want to live public lives. That’s why it’s often a good policy to turn off your friends’ visibility to others.
Depending on you use Facebook, it can expand your network of school board contacts to improve communications in your community. While it is up to you to decide what is appropriate for you, recognize that your students, teachers and staff are engaging in the use of social networking. At a minimum you need to familiarize yourself with the educational implications of social networking, so you can make good policy decisions.
News Impacting CA School Districts Through October 9
Federal News
AP is reporting an internal watchdog at the Education Department says states are using money from the economic stimulus to plug budget holes instead of boosting aid for schools. Duh!
Sacramento News
Top California school leaders said they soon will sue the state over chronically underfunded schools — a move that in other states has infused billions of dollars into school systems. .
Reforming State and Local Governance
You know things must be really bad in Sacramento when the Democrats and Republicans are having trouble recruiting candidates to run for the State Legislature.
A new proposal to change the state’s legislative term limits law has been submitted to the Attorney General’s office, and could be on the ballot by November 2010.
While locally elected officials are more trusted than State and Federal elected representatives that does not mean local officials are immune to voter dissatisfaction during these tough economic times. A group of Los Angeles neighborhood activists is organizing a campaign to put a measure on the November 2010 ballot that would slice the salaries of Los Angeles elected officials in half.
Filed under the quiet Ticking Time Bomb is an article about looming increases in payroll costs for public employers for pension costs. This study found a correlation between high pension benefits and recent local tax increases.
School District Impacts
The King City High School Teachers Association filed a lawsuit against Monterey County Superintendent of Schools in an effort to restore a labor contract rejected earlier this year. By the way, a state administrator took control of the district to ward off bankruptcy and keep campuses open in July.
Filed under the getting louder Ticking Time Bomb is yet another school district who facing the grim reality of what 2010/2011 looks like after Federal Stimulus funding and categorical flexibility are all but gone.
News Impacting CA School Districts Through October 2
Federal News
The federal government is offering billions of dollars to states to help meet shortfalls in education funding. But many Democrats in Sacramento are saying they may not want the money. Democrats are weary of making major education policy changes simply to go after a few federal dollars.
EdSource has 20 page analysis on Federal Stimulus dollars available for purchase.
Sacramento News
In 2008, the State Legislature attempted to shift monies city redevelopment agencies to education. The redevelopment agencies won their lawsuit and their appeal. In 2009, the Legislature took a second try at shifting redevelopment monies to education.
Unlike last year’s budget shift, this year’s grab specifies that any tax money rerouted from redevelopment agencies for education be spent on school districts that fall largely within redevelopment zone boundaries.
Reforming State and Local Governance
Not surprisingly the Governor endorses the recommendations in the 21st Century on Taxation report. Rex Babin, cartoon indicates the plan is DOA.
School District Impacts
While California school districts have been begun to use furlough days on district by district basis, one state has has negotiated a state wide use of furlough days. In Hawaii, the Hawaii State Teachers Association announced that its members had ratified a new collective bargaining agreement that calls for Friday furlough days for about 13,000 teachers at 256 schools, affecting some 170,830 students. Parents trying to figure out how much it would cost per family to pay to have their children’s teachers in school during 17 upcoming teacher furlough days.