Education historian Diane Ravith has provided a stinging rebuke of President Obama's education policy:  www.latimes.com/news/local/education/la-oe-ravitch14-2010mar14,0,4987871,print.story

Society simply cannot expect to legislate improvements in public schools.  It takes dedication and investment.  Here are a few key passages from the op-ed:

"Today there is empirical evidence, and it shows clearly that choice, competition and accountability as education reform levers are not working. But with confidence bordering on recklessness, the Obama administration is plunging ahead, pushing an aggressive program of school reform -- codified in its signature Race to the Top program -- that relies on the power of incentives and competition. This approach may well make schools worse, not better...

Having embraced the Republican agenda of choice, competition and accountability, the Obama administration is promoting the privatization of large segments of American education and undermining the profession of teaching. This toxic combination is the latest Big Idea in education reform. Like so many of its predecessors, it is not likely to improve education."

Beauregard Federation President Bonnie Smith attended the LFT Summer Leadership Institute. Please click here.

The California Department of Education published a list of lowest performing schols across the state:  www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/pl/index.asp.

The "persistently lowest-achieving schools" will be subjected to restructuring mandates as outlined in Race to the Top.  

The District refuses to crunch numbers for a retirement benefit that could entice up to five people to retire.  This is baffling since getting five employees to retire will help reduce our budget deficit and hopefully rescind pink slips.  It would also generate good will between the District and employees and reward our longest serving employees.

Keep in mind that this is all happening at a time when the District is asking for many "take backs" at the negotiating table and took out a loan of $2,000,000.

 Take our survey

The BTU Constitution, as amended August 26, 2009

The most significant development from Tuesday's monthly board meeting was the following tales told by Superintendent Lee: 

• When asked half-way through the meeting whether management employees would take a pay cut/furlough days she claimed that she could not discuss these items publically becuase they were negotiatble items.  (Keep in mind, that management employees do not have a legal relationship with the district like the GFCCE has.)
• At the end of the meeting when pressed on the issue of management salaries again she stated that management employees do not have a union and do not participate in negotiations with the district. 
• (Note: Both these above events are based on the short-hand notes I took at the meeting and only represent a paraphrase of what was said.)

The latter event took place while Dr. Lee discussed how balancing the budget will rely primarily on how many concessions the teacher's union give in negotiations.

So, to clarify, management emplyees concessions are not to be discussed in public even though they don't have union representation but it is acceptable to mention (several times) in public that the budget can only be balanced based on the concessions made by certificated and classified employees in negotiations.

Does this make sense to you?

Click on the title for more commentary.

In the current dire state budget predicament, some communities around the state are raising money to support their local school. Various parcel taxes are being considered and in Cupertino, parents are simply doing a fundraiser to bridge the district's budget gap.  Here is the story:

www.mercurynews.com/ci_14521238

The United States Department of Justice is investigating whether Baltimore County’s use of the Authorization for Release of Medical Information form and/or requiring certain medical examinations and inquiries is unlawful and in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Earlier this week the GJUHSD sent letters to certifcated and classified chief negotiators (Bradley and Peterson, respectively) infroming the union that the district intends on revising and adding to the openers it has already sunshined.  This maneuver comes as no surpise.  Not only did the district fail to meet the contractual November 1 deadline for sunshining but then it also wrote a leter to the GFCCE outlining its plans to sunshine by early January.  The fact that the district needs to revise its reopeners at this point speaks to the level of preparation at the DO.  (The district spent all last fall looking at the loan instead of focusing on the budget.) The district has not provided the courtesy of a communication with the GFCCE for why this revision has occured at this point.  The revised openers are schduled for approval at the March 9 board meeting.

• Classified members are invited to speak with the classified negotiating team on Monday, March 8 in the GHS library for updates and feedback.
• Certificated and classified updates will also be provided at the regularly scheduled union meeting on March 9.

Some of the certificated reopeners are listed below the fold.