13 Jan, 2011
Health Health Risks
Professor Carl Cranor of the UCR Philosophy department has long combined his knowledge of law with his passionate interest in scientific advancement for the benefit of public health and awareness. As evidenced by his past works, Are Genes Us? The Social Consequences of the New Genetics and Regulating Toxic Substances: A Philosophy of Science and the Law, both published in the early 90s, Professor Cranor has concentrated much of his scholarship on technological and research advancements for the purpose of improving legislation, and therefore more effectively protecting the health of our citizenry. His new book, Legally Poisoned: How the Law Puts Us at Risk from Toxicants, continues this dedication to public welfare by discussing the potentially hazardous and life-altering substances commonly contained in popular, mass consumed, legal every day products.
Read full post…
9 Jan, 2011
Mentors Mentors Needed
National Mentoring Month Shines Spotlight on Local Needs
January is National Mentoring Month. It is the time each year to remember the importance of mentors, and the need for every child to have a caring adult in his or her life. To be a mentor, you don’t need special skills. You just need the ability to listen and offer friendship, guidance and encouragement to a young person.
If you have what it takes to help young people navigate life’s tough choices, please consider serving as a mentor. The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) is seeking adult mentors to serve as positive role models as part of the LINKS Mentoring Program for high school students at four schools in the county.
This program is unique because it offers ongoing support to mentor/protégé matches by providing staff-facilitated, structured mentoring sessions each week. S
Read full post…
8 Jan, 2011
Shortfall Shortfall Mean
On Monday, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs announced the legislature will have $72.2 billion to spend over the next two years—which some say is equivalent to a shortfall of nearly $27 billion.
Soon after the Monday announcement Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio, called area education leaders together to speak about the shortfall’s potential impacts on education.
During a press conference Villarreal said the revenue shortfall is unfortunate, especially because it was to be expected in such a fast-growing state.
Villarreal suggested that legislators commission a bipartisan citizens panel to review the current tax structure with an eye toward affording the state’s growing needs. He al
Read full post…
2 Jan, 2011
Any of these lines sound familiar?
“Your child is fine. You worry too much…”
“All children have problems in school sometime. Trust me.”
“He just needs to try harder. It is probably your fault.”
These are snippets from a scarily familiar and often funny satirical video of an imagined conversation between a parent and a special education director, made by a group of Special Education attorneys in Pennsylvania.
It’s nice to see some attorneys with a sense of humor, but the sad reality is that I bet 80 percent of parents of kids in special education have had some version of this same conversation at some point.
This is my favorite exchange:
SpEd Director: “We will test him next year. It is too la
Read full post…
2 Jan, 2011
Union Union Collaboration
The U.S. Department of Education announced today that it plans to hold its big Union Collaboration Jamboree Feb. 15-16 in Denver. The symbolism is clear: The city has gotten high marks for its teacher quality initiatives and is in a state that’s tried some innovative things on this issue (but wasn’t rewarded with a Race to the Top grant for its troubles.)
The conference will include, of course, representatives from the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, as well as the National School Boards Association, the American Association of School Administrators, the Council of the Great City Schools, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Read full post…
23 Dec, 2010
Congress has sort of a settled the question of what should happen next with the federal budget: A more-than two-month freeze on all K-12 spending, not something many districts are likely to cheer about.
But, now that a much more GOPish Congress will get to decide next year’s spending levels, I’m wondering what will happen next for Race to the Top, the administration’s signature K-12 program, and the Investing in Innovation grant program. Both were created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provided a $100 billion bonanza for education.
Both those competitive grant programs, especially Race to the Top, are closely associated with President Barack Obama. The president really wants to see it extended for another year. Read full post…