Catching Up

Some quick hits....with a little dust on them.

JCPS Superintendent Sheldon Berman tells C-J that budget cutting has been a "horrendous exercise."

Ky Board of Education thanks Governor Beshear for his plan to support education: from C-J's Learning Curve.

Are schools measured as high-performing by their accountability systems actually better schools? This from Ed Week.

Ed Week: The majority of states have not seen big changes recently in the rates of students they exclude from the National Assessment of Educational Progress because of disabilities, a new study finds.

"The only certainty there should be regarding standardized-test scores is the certainty they’re not indisputable," says test scorer in Ed Week.

Providence Journal: Two months after a former administrator at the University of Rhode Island was indicted on 10 federal fraud charges, URI officials say they are putting in place measures designed to prevent future fraud.

Kentucky's educational leaders immediately embraced Gov. Steve Beshear's plan to minimize budget cuts at schools and universities by increasing tobacco taxes. H-L

"We should not ask of others what we're not willing to do ourselves," Beshear tells H-L.

In a trend not seen since the deep recession of the early 1980s, state spending on government programs is declining this budget year—a very bad sign for K-12 education - according to
the December 2008 semiannual fiscal survey of states released today by the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers.

Child care programs feel the pinch as parents struggle to cope with job cuts in the ailing economy. From TwinCities.com

Seattle Times: Most Washington elementary-school principals, preschool teachers and parents think it would be a good idea to screen children to make sure they are ready for kindergarten, but they wonder who would pay for this proposed new state requirement.

Some parents concerned as Montgomery County erases "Gifted" label. Washington Post

Star-Ledger: N.J. bills would allow ads on school buses to fund education.

Are girls' sports being cheated? Female athletes in the Pittsburgh Public Schools told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that they've been given shoddy uniforms and the cold shoulder.

The Advocate: Nearly six months after cuts in state funding, Baton Rouge area community programs still are feeling the bite of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s veto pen. The situation is unlikely to improve given a faltering economy and Jindal’s views on private organizations receiving taxpayer dollars. Tutoring programs are helping fewer children or are reducing hours.

Theory and Practice of Tangible User Interfaces: You can chase a virtual butterfly in a simulated elevator. Or try to sink a battleship. Or pop the bubbles your opponent is blowing through a wand. From the San Francisco Chronicle

eSchool News: Fair-use guide offers copyright shelter. Media and legal experts create a code to help teachers and students understand fair use of copyrighted materials.

MSNBC: Suit details a girl's torment from a cruel clique at exclusive all-girls school - allegedly harassed student for months.

Like it or not, as educators our face is that of the public 24-7. With all the new media and new employees coming in to schools used to these tools, we as administrators must do a much better job at advising young teachers on proper internet content. Charlotte Observer

They probably expected a goody bag of some sorts as a going home gift after the primary school trip to Sainsbury's. But what the 42 children - not to mention their parents and teachers - did not expect was to be given a book with explicit illustrations of sexual positions. TheMail

Arne Duncan is the Chicago schools superintendent known for taking tough steps to improve schools while maintaining respectful relations with teachers and their unions. NY Times

Principals Policy Blog: For close to a decade, a little known federal program has been helping to recruit, train, and retain principals and assistant principals in high-need areas. Despite its success, the School Leadership Program has repeatedly been targeted for elimination by the outgoing President Bush Administration, and its future remains uncertain under the Obama Administration.