Mvgordie's Blog - straight forward and always well researched

Mvgordie's Blog - straight forward and always well researched

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Please don't look at the difference ... Please!

I can't believe the difference between the approaches and preperation of the CTA yep ours-the biggest single state union. 70 percent of our dues go directly to them. And the smaller action minded comunity oriented state teachers union the the CFT. Just look at the difference in content and involvement compared with the New Yorker... oops I mean the CTA's blog. Go ahead I dare you. Then I bet you still sit on your ass and tell yourself 'it won't be me.'Let someone else worry about it. It's not my problem. Thanks for the much needed reinforcing of the ranks of the lowest common denominator. Will you ever get up off all fours?

Posted by Every tenured Educator riffed by our union's (MVEA) deception 0 comments

AMBER Alert Canceled for 5 Year Old Michigan Girl, June 10, 2009

AMBER Alert Canceled for 5 Year Old Michigan Girl, June 10, 2009

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Court to rule on student loan debt

Posted By Lyle Denniston On June 15, 2009 @ 10:07 am In Orders and Opinions |

The Supreme Court, agreeing on Monday to hear four new cases, said it would decide whether an individual who owes on a student loan may wipe out the debt — at least partly — in a bankruptcy without showing that the debt posed an “undue hardship.” The case is United Student Aid Fund v. Espinosa (08-1134).
The Court also said it would spell out the rights of service station operators to sue to challenge the loss, or non-renewal, of their franchises from oil companies. The Court consolidated for review the cases of Mac’s Shell v. Shell Oil (08-240) and Shell Oil v. Mac’s Shell (08-372).
In a third case, the Court will consider putting constitutional limits on states’ authority to restore storm-eroded beaches along the ocean or lakeshores, when such action modifies private property boundary lines. (Stop the Beach Renourishment v. Florida (08-1151).
The fourth new case brought back to the Court an issue it had agreed to decide, but did not resolve, six years ago: when two companies agree to send their disputes to arbitration, may a court order that process to go forward as a class action, if the contract says nothing on that issue. The issue arises anew in Stolt-Nielsen S.A., et al., v. Animalfeeds International Corp. (08-1198).
In two rulings on the merits, the Court struck down, by a 7-2 vote, a tax imposed by the city of Valdez, Alaska, on cargo ships that used its port (Polar Tankers v. Valdez, 08-310), and it issued a unanimous ruling clarifying the findings that an immigration judge must make in order for a conviction of a crime to be used as the basis for deportation (Nijhawan v. Holder, 08-495).
The Court, moving toward a summer recess starting late this month, has 14 decisions to go. It announced Monday that it would sit again on Thursday, and more decisions are expected then.
The Court, in another of Monday’s orders, invited the U.S. Solicitor General to offer the federal government’s views on an issue under the bankruptcy law’s Chapter 13 — what is the formula bankruptcy courts are to use in deciding how much a Chapter 13 debtor has available to pay creditors who hold no security, when a repayment plan is being fashioned. There is no deadline for the S.G.’s response. The case is Hamilton, Trustee, v. Lanning (08-998).
Among the cases the Court refused to hear on Monday was a constitutional dispute over the federal government’s powers to set aside federal and state laws that interfere with the building of the long fence on the U.S.-Mexico border, part of an effort to restrict drug traffic and thwart terrorist movements. The Court had turned aside that controversy a year ago (07-1180). This time, the Justices examined the new case at eight separate private meetings, then still came to the conclusion that it would not rule on it. The case is El Paso County, et al., v. Napolitano (08-751). As usual, the Court offered no explanation for denial of review.
In another denial, the Court refused to hear a claim that anti-Castro sentiment was so rampant in the Miami, Fla., area that a group of five Cubans could not get a fair trial there on charges of spying for that government. The case had stirred a strong international reaction. It was Campa, et al., v. U.S. (08-987).
Filings in granted cases and the CVSG case are below the jump.
Docket: [1] 08-240; [2] 08-372
Title: Mac’s Shell Service, Inc. v. Shell Oil Products Company; Shell Oil Products Company v. Mac’s Shell Service
Issue: Under what circumstances may a service station operator bring suit against an oil refiner or distributor for “constructive termination” under the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act?
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Keep up the good fight Compadres

Soon to say goodbye.... http://mvea-disaster4members.blogspot.com/ Will leave its sworn pupose in August. Too our surprise,myself and several of the most vocal critics of the way our local handled negotiations have been elected to to the union rep council. We see the possibilities of working directly from within are just perhaps better than commentary . So, since it would be in conflict of interest to use inside information on the blog, so at the end of summer I will tentative lay down my sword - as long as the truth stays available to all. I will be removing this site and coverting my other site: http://Disenfranchised. blogspot.com to something more general in scope about education issues in Mo Val and surrounding areas and will contribute when I can. was elected to the Representative counsel again after about 9 years. Now I can better fight the battles from in side.

I started a campaign for democratic transparency of our union local's dealings on our behalf early this year. Now I will be taking that fight inside the unions halls. Several other malcontents who were equally incensed with bargaining this year and the cover-ups that seem to have occurred will be contributing. Yes, we've almost all been voted in as representatives. Well, we shall see.I feel it would be a conflict of interest to maintain a venomous posture. You'll see and hear from me.

But please remember, for continuing informed vigilance peek in on MVGordie he writes for several sites and his research is impecable and way ahead of whats happening in the Press Enterprise. Also,"BlakeyHoustonsMorenoValleyBlogspot.com" .THEY BOTH KNOW THEIR STUFF I have learned a lot about what I am trying to do from their tenacity and courage. Thanks,

Regardless, don't stop reading. There's still plenty of good and bad going on behind closed doors that effect our neighborhoods and schools.

L.A. teachers arrested in civil disobedience protest

http://www.cft.org/uploads/news/utlacd2.jpg

Hey! Don't tell the CTA... there really are things to do to make a difference. NOT JUST 11 MILLION IN PANDERING AND PHOTO OPS

May 15 — Several dozen members and leaders of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) were arrested when they sat down in the street in front of the Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters and refused to leave. UTLA had scheduled a one-day strike to protest budget reductions, layoffs and soaring class sizes, but had to revise their plan when a judge issued a restraining order that would have fined teachers and threatened revoking their credentials if they struck. Instead, teachers demonstrated before school at their sites and staged a sit in.
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UTLA members overwhelmingly approve contract agreement.

UTLA members overwhelmingly approve contract agreement. See:

Win One, Lose One
posted by Mike Antonucci at Intercepts - 5 hours ago
Teachers at three Civitas charter schools in Chicago voted to join the Illinois Federation of Teachers, after a short delay because of a dispute about whether Civitas is a public or private employer. Meanw...

Title One is suppossed to...

On 'Comparability' and Teacher Transfers

Stephen Sawchuk Education Week

I'm told there was a bit of pushback on the concept of "comparability" in Title I schools at a recent New America Foundation event.

In short, Title I funds are supposed to provide additional services for disadvantaged students, so districts must ensure "comparability" of resources between their schools with low and high concentrations of poverty before the dollars flow. But the Elementary and Secondary Education Act basically lets districts exempt teachers' salaries from this calculation. And since seniority provisions allow higher-paid, more experienced teachers to transfer to wealthier schools, there can literally be a difference of tens of thousands of dollars between more- and less-affluent schools in the district. The result, say groups like the Center for American Progress, the Education Trust, and now the New America Foundation, is that Title I has the effect of filling in holes rather than providing additional services for poor kids.

I don't think anyone disagrees that this is a problem; the issue really centers on what would happen if lawmakers closed this loophole by requiring districts to account for teacher salaries when they perform the comparability calculation. Some groups, like the teachers' unions, think it would make things worse. Districts would forceably transfer teachers to different schools to equal out the salaries, they argue.

Others, like the Education Trust say that the differential could be made up by giving the poor schools extra dollars to hire more teachers, supplement classes with coaches, or provide more materials, instead of transferring teachers. But I'm hearing that other experts find that suggestion a bit naive. The provision of materials and resources is typically done centrally, rather than at the school level, for instance. And offering incentives to get teachers to transfer could backfire if the unions don't agree to those in contracts.

This may seem a bit far-off and wonky, but there are good reasons to think comparability is hot on the burner. For one, CAP's John Podesta is said to be fairly tight with the administration. Former CAP policy analyst Robert Gordon, who headed up a lot of the shop's work on comparability, is now at the White House. Mike Smith, over at the Education Department, also referenced the issue in a conversation I had with him about the equitable distribution of teachers.

And you can see the footprints in the recent stimulus legislation, which requires districts to report school-by-school expenditures of stimulus funds. (The Education Department was supposed to release additional guidance on this topic, but hasn't done so...yet.)

Stanford University study shows charter schools can barely compete

Riverside County officials hear appeal of Moreno Valley charter school rejection

Dan Lee The Press-Enterprise

RIVERSIDE - Moreno Valley children would receive more attention from teachers and a better chance to succeed at a proposed charter school that plans to offer an International Baccalaureate program and specialized curriculum in visual and performing arts and for English learners, proponents argued at a Wednesday hearing.

But an attorney representing the Moreno Valley Unified School District, which in March rejected a proposal to open the Gabrieliños Charter Academy, said it requires more than an ambitious curriculum to start a charter school.

"To run a school, it takes fiscal and operational stability," Melanie Peterson told the Riverside County Board of Education.

The board was hearing charter school proponents' appeal of the school district's decision. In order to operate in California, a charter school must be approved, or chartered, by a school district or county office of education.

At a time when public schools are being forced to cut their budgets and Moreno Valley Unified suffers from one of the highest dropout rates in Riverside County, the Gabrieliños Charter Academy would offer parents an alternative for their children, proponents said.

"Gabrieliños wants to help Moreno Valley in its time of need," charter school board President Esperanza Garcia-Arce said. "We're losing these kids when we can keep them in Moreno Valley."

Peterson countered that Gabrieliños supporters did not provide enough information about their financing and have not yet obtained the necessary credentials to offer an International Baccalaureate program.

She also said they have demonstrated that they don't know the workings of a public school, such as requirements to comply with the state's open-meetings law, the Brown Act, prior to making a decision.

The county Board of Education heard both sides at the brief hearing in Riverside without making any comments or asking any questions. The board is expected to make a decision at its July 8 meeting, board President Vick Knight Jr. said.

If the board approves the charter school proposal, the Gabrieliños academy would become a charter school under the county's supervision, but it would not likely be ready for the 2009-10 school year.

If the county board rejects the proposal, proponents would appeal to the state Board of Education, Gabrieliños founder and Chief Executive Officer Alan Louis said after the hearing.

Charter schools are public schools that are allowed to operate free from some of the restrictions in state education law, and therefore have more flexibility in how they serve students. Students must still meet state-mandated educational standards. The goal is to provide parents a choice in how their children are educated.

Like other public schools, charter schools are funded through the average daily attendance of their students; they also can seek grants to supplement their funding.

Thirteen charter schools operate in Riverside County, including one under the supervision of the county Office of Education.

RAND studies point to school readiness gap

RAND studies point to school readiness gap and confirm promise of early childhood education
At the close of last year, the RAND Corporation released the first two of four studies on preschool in California. RAND’s California Preschool Study was requested by the Governor’s Committee on Education Excellence, the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Speaker of the California Assembly, and the President pro Tempore of the California Senate to help them consider options for reforming and expanding preschool education. Following is a summary of the most important findings in the RAND studies.

Readiness gaps mirror achievement gaps in later grades
•Achievement differences evident during t he K–12 years exist at the starting gate, when kids first enter kindergarten. Groups of students who start school behind tend to stay behind.

• According to assessments at kindergarten entry, 61 percent of children enrolled in an early literacy program in 17 California school districts were not proficient in early reading skills like rhyming words, letter recognition, and consonant and vowel sounds.

• Forty-six percent of children in 61 California school districts lacked important social skills like paying attention, eagerness to learn, persistence in finishing tasks, forming and maintaining friendships and showing sensitivity to others.

Significant percentages of children fall short of state standards in early grades

• Almost two-thirds of third-graders did not meet state standards in English language arts and more than 40 percent did not meet standards in math.

• Some groups of students are falling short by even larger margins: English learners, students whose parents did not graduate high school, African Americans, Latinos and economically-disadvantaged children.

Effective pre-K helps narrow the achievement gap by addressing the readiness gap

• Rigorous studies of programs in other states show that children who attend effective pre-K score higher on school readiness measures at kindergarten entry.

• A pre-K program available to Oklahoma’s children showed significant gains for all children, with Latinos showing the most pronounced progress. Children evaluated were months ahead in spelling, early math and letter identification skills, compared to kids who had not attended preschool.

• National research shows that children who attend effective pre-K programs:

• perform better on standardized achievement tests in reading and math;

• are less likely to be placed in special education;

• are less likely to be held back a grade; and

• are more likely to graduate from high school.
—From Preschool California

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