Saturday, December 20, 2008

The news that didn’t fit from 21Dec08

Sacramento 0, Courts 2: JUDGE BLOCKS MANDATORY ALGEBRA TESTING FOR CALIFORNIA EIGHTH-GRADERS + PROP. 209 DOESN'T AFFECT MAGNET SCHOOLS, JUDICIAL PANEL RULES

• JUDGE BLOCKS MANDATORY ALGEBRA TESTING FOR CALIFORNIA EIGHTH-GRADERS: Judge Shelleyanne W.L. Chang ruled that the state Board of Education may have overstepped its authority in adopting the plan.

• PROP. 209 DOESN'T AFFECT MAGNET SCHOOLS, JUDICIAL PANEL RULES: Race-based admissions are not prohibited, judges say. An appeal seems unlikely.

CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS DEVISE WAY TO HIKE TAXES, BYPASS ⅔ RULE

By structuring them as fees, they would skirt GOP opponents and raise $9.3 billion. A court fight looms.

A SAN FRANCISCO VETERAN TAKES OVER L.A. SCHOOLS

Former San Francisco Superintendent Ramon “Ray” Cortines was  just named to head the huge Los Angeles school system, after LAUSD’s non-amicable separation with David Brewer.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN LEADERS SEE SHADES OF RACISM IN BREWER’S OUSTER: Superintendent’s imminent departure raises new concerns about the future of his efforts to buoy Black students.

Two days after the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education voted 5-2 to buy out the remaining two years on Supt. David Brewer III’s contract, Black leaders gathered on the steps of Dorsey High School to address the racial implications of Brewer’s ouster and what they view as a crisis in the quality of education offered to the city’s African-American students.

LA SCHOOL DISTRICT AND DELOITTE IN 18M FAILURE SETTLEMENT

“This case offers examples of the worst sorts of customer and consulting behavior.”

Implementation consulting firm, Deloitte, will pay the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) $8.25m and forgo $10m in unpaid invoices to settle a long-standing dispute over payroll problems arising during an SAP implementation. The agreement comes almost two years after severe payroll issues caused upheaval among teachers in the district.

STATE’S HEALTHY FAMILIES PROGRAM GETS A LAST-MINUTE LIFELINE

A $16.8-million check from First 5 California would allow the children's health insurance program to keep enrollment open through June. GOP leaders suggest $15.6 billion in cuts to schools, healthcare

OBAMA ANNOUNCES ARNE DUNCAN AS EDUCATION SECRETARY

News conference transcript

PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA: You know, over the past few weeks Vice President-elect Biden and I have announced key members of our economic team, and they are working as we speak to craft a recovery program that will save and create millions of new jobs and grow our struggling economy.

But we know that in the long run the path to jobs and growth begins right here, in America's schools, in America's classrooms.

So today we're pleased to announce the leader of our education team, whose work will be critical to these efforts, our nominee for secretary of education, and my friend, Arne Duncan………..

GOP BUDGET PLAN: SLASH $10 BILLION FROM SCHOOLS

Republican state lawmakers unveiled their answer Monday to the state's budget crisis - a $22 billion plan that would avoid raising taxes, cut deeply into education spending and dip into voter-approved funds intended to pay for mental health services and children's health care.

LAUSD NEEDS A PIT BULL PTA MOM

L.A.'s school district should take to heart one thought: It's about the kids.

Op -Ed Sandra Tsing Loh in the LA Times

December 16, 2008 -- In these last few minutes before the inevitable happens and Ramon C. Cortines is named David L. Brewer's successor as superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, here is a modest proposal: How about a PTA mother for the job?

STATE CHARTER ASSOCIATION GETS NEW CEO

A former Los Angeles Unified School District teacher and charter school operator has been named to lead the California Charter Schools Association.

Jed Wallace will join the charter association as its new chief executive officer.

NEW REPORT ON MAGNET SCHOOLS LAMENTS INCREASING POPULARITY OF PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS

from the California charter schools newsletter & Education Week (12/10/2008)

A new report THE FORGOTTEN CHOICE: Rethinking Magnet Schools in a Changing Landscape about magnet schools from the Civil Rights Project at UCLA compares characteristics of magnet school students with those of public charter school students and laments that attention has been siphoned away from magnet schools" as charters have become “a central focus of school choice proponents.”

UNCERTAINTY ON OBAMA EDUCATION PLANS

As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to announce his choice for education secretary, there is mystery not only about the person he will choose, but also about the approach to overhauling the nation’s schools that his selection will reflect.

HOW RACE PLAYS INTO BREWER’S QUICK DEPARTURE “If America is a melting pot then somebody forgot to tell the inhabitants of Los Angeles.” — Film Critic ALISTAIR Harkness in his REVIEW of “Crash”

…and don’t forget the Budget News at

A STATE WITHOUT A BUDGET/A GOVERNMENT WITHOUT A CLUE

  • A message from Assemblymember Tom Torlakson (D-Ant...
  • CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS DEVISE WAY TO HIKE TAXES, BYP...
  • ‘OBSCURE’ STATE BOARD CUTS SPENDING ON PUBLIC WORK...
  • STATE’S HEALTHY FAMILIES PROGRAM GETS A LAST-MINUT...
  • GOP BUDGET PLAN: SLASH $10 BILLION FROM SCHOOLS
  • IS CALIFORNIA UNGOVERNABLE? As the state faces fis...
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