In the Mayor’s “State of the City” address he focused on two important and interconnected areas: jobs and education. The Mayor also spoke about making the impossible possible, a message that resonates with many citizens today. With unemployment at record highs (8.5% in the U.S., 11.3% in California and 11.1% in Sacramento) and prevalent low academic performance in the U.S. (compared internationally) and in California (compared to other states), the impossibility of the “American dream” is all too real for far too many people today. Still, all hope is not lost. There is a sense of urgency sweeping the nation and jobs and education are two very hot topics swirling in the media. There is a fe

Like schools around the state, Sacramento public schools continue to suffer from the impact of budget cuts and must get more funding to provide our students with the quality education they deserve, local Education Coalition stakeholders stressed in a news conference here today. Speakers explained how California’s K-12 schools have been decimated by more than $18 billion in cuts in the last three years alone, and how this affects a generation of students. They discussed the new California Budget Project report ranking the state 46th in both per-pupil spending and the number of students per administrator (301), and worst in the U.S., in the number of students per teacher (20.5) and per scho

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 18, 2011 Contact: Dina Martin, CTA 650-552-5491 415-710-6794 (cell) dmartin@cta.org Sacramento Teachers, Parents, School Leaders to Highlight Continuing Impact of Budget Cuts on Education Wednesday, 10 a.m. at Washington School SACRAMENTO – Along with the enthusiasm and promise of a new school year, California continues to faces serious challenges to delivering a quality public education after year upon year of budget cuts to our schools – and it is true for schools in Sacramento as well. On Wednesday, Oct. 19, teachers, school and district officials and parents from the Sacramento area will call attention to the impact of these cuts and the need to prevent t

University of Phoenix, the nation’s largest private university, announced that it has donated $100,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. Twenty local Boys & Girls Clubs have been recognized with a $5,000 grant to support projects that make a meaningful contribution to literacy. Sacramento Boys & Girls Club received $5,000. According to research from the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2003, 22 percent of Americans aged 16 and older ranked as having below basic literacy, meaning they possessed the most simple literacy skills. Thirteen percent were categorized as above proficient, meaning they had the skills to perform complex and challenging literacy activities. The fu

The Guild Theater in Oak Park was host to a forum attended by some of the biggest and most controversial names in education reform Friday evening. The event was organized by Stand Up Sacramento, a non-profit group chaired by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, and featured speakers such as Michelle Rhee, former chancellor of public schools in Washington, DC, her boss in that position, former Washington DC mayor Adrian Fenty, and Richard Whitmire, former editorial writer at USA Today and author of “The Bee Eater,” a book which chronicles Rhee’s time as chancellor. The speakers focused on the need to change teacher retention polices nationwide, and in particular the abolishment of the “LIFO,”

Hundreds of teens from several regional high schools staged a “Peace Rally” on Friday inside the City Council Chambers to bring attention to rising gang violence and an increase in teen crime victims. Hosted by the Sacramento Youth Commission, the rally culminated a week of peace-related activities on various campuses throughout Sacramento. Some of the schools had assemblies and some held a “Challenge Day” where students tried to make new friends between various cliques on campus, explained Lyndsy Gholson, staff assistant with the Sacramento Youth Commission. “Students thought it was time for change … There's a lot going on in terms of gang-affiliated violence. There's youth violence. Th

Sacramento, Jan. 31, 2011 – University of Phoenix, the largest private University in North America, today announced that it has awarded 30 full-tuition scholarships to be used in pursuit of an undergraduate degree at University of Phoenix. This marks the fifth year of the University’s Paying It Forward® Scholarship program which, to date, has awarded 150 full-tuition scholarships. “Americans are struggling to make ends meet, ending the dream of a college education for many,” said Dr. William Pepicello, University of Phoenix President. “University of Phoenix has proudly set aside millions of dollars in scholarships to help give more students access to the quality education they could not o

The Sacramento Food Bank was filled with about 50 people Thursday night as Mayor Kevin Johnson spoke at the Oak Park Neighborhood Association meeting. Johnson spoke about the green economy, downtown development, the state of Sacramento’s schools, volunteering in the city and homelessness. He emphasized the need for a strong and vibrant downtown and a growing green economy. “You kill two birds with one stone,” he said. “No. 1, you improve the environment, and No. 2, you can create jobs.” Johnson said he is a proponent for building the sports arena downtown. “Our community deserves a world-class facility, and I’d like to see that downtown because it creates jobs, and all the other busin

“I don't understand why they placed him like they did, when he is clearly not what they say he is.” At 18 months old, my child was diagnosed as autistic. Like any concerned and loving parent, I immediately began learning about his developmental delay as I gathered all the resources I could to help him. I learned of a frightening statistic; One child in every 166 births will be diagnosed with autism. He began receiving speech and occupational therapy from the Alta Regional Center. As I watched and participated in his hours of therapy per week, I saw my non-verbal but happy child make progress very slowly. Sometimes the constant mental prodding was just too much, and he would melt down. We

Local artist Kim Grace faces a unique challenge each week: how to teach visual arts to the visually impaired. Grace is one of 75 artists who work with students in the Sacramento City Unified School District through the Very Special Arts program, teaching art to both students in special education and students in general education. “It’s been a real experience for me,” she said. “Most of these students don’t get a lot of opportunity for art in schools, so when you walk in with a box of paint, it’s like you’re the biggest rock star around.” When it came to working with blind and visually impaired students, Grace said she had to rethink her teaching process, focusing on how the artistic med

Natomas school administrators and teachers' union officials both expressed hope Thursday they can head off a state takeover of the district. Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David Gordon initiated the possibility of the state taking over Natomas Unified School District last week when he began the process to get the district an emergency state loan. The two sides voiced optimism following a meeting early this week, which was the latest in a string of bargaining sessions. More negotiations are set for next week. Talks between leaders from the district and Natomas Teachers' Association have become "very collaborative," District Superintendent Bobbie Plough said. "We're not goin

Metro PAC, the Sacramento Metro Chamber  political action committee, was joined by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson on Oct . 13 to announce the PAC’s support for candidates in the November 2 General Election for Sacramento City Unified School District Board seats. Metro PAC is endorsing Paige Powell (Area 1), Andie Curso (Area 2) and Shalend Singh (Area 6). “The Sacramento Metro Chamber has long held an interest in reforming SCUSD schools,” said Metro PAC Vice Chair Frank Washington of Crossings KBTV - Comcast Channel 238. “Our local businesses need qualified, skilled employees for the many jobs available to students after graduation from high school. And we need to send more of our local

Slow Food Sacramento and Movies On a Big Screen will present the documentary film Lunch Line at the Guild Theater Sunday, September 26th at 7:00 PM.  Admission is $6, and tickets are available at the door.  The Guild Theater is located at 2828 35th Street, Sacramento. Lunch Line begins by telling the story of a group of Chicago high school students who have just won a contest to cook up a healthier school lunch.  The students get to travel to Washington, D.C. and prepare their winning menu for policy makers.  The film goes on to document the history of America’s 64-year-old school lunch program and to examine the difficulties in making substantive changes to it. Following the film, there

Fresh baguettes, roasted lamb, local wines and aioli were the ingredients for a savory Village Feast last Saturday in Central Park in downtown Davis. Nearly 300 people assembled for the sixth annual Grand Aioli-style meal served to aid the Davis Farmers Market project, Davis Farm to School Connection — an organization aimed at bringing farm-fresh local fruits and vegetables to all 13 Davis public schools. At noon, members of the community entered the Village Feast area with their own silverware, plates and cups, beneath the sycamore trees in Central Park. Guests enjoyed wine, olives and almonds while strolling through the feast area, socializing and taking a look at the silent auction it

Equality Action Now and Contest Sponsor, Barnes & Noble at Arden Fair is hosting an essay and art contest to commemorate California’s first Harvey Milk Day, Saturday May 22, 2010. Harvey Milk Day was enacted and signed into law last October by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Under the measure, May 22 is officially Harvey Milk Day in California, coinciding with Milk's birthday. While it is not a state holiday, schools are encouraged to hold lessons "remembering the life of Harvey Milk, recognizing his accomplishments and familiarizing pupils with the contributions he made to this state". Equality Action Now is a local grassroots civil rights organization and is leading the way in organizing S

The Freemasons of Eureka Lodge No 16 of Auburn attended St Philomene Catholic School in Sacramento on Parents Day and provided FREE Kids ID thumbprinting and photo identification for all the children. The lodge also donated free stuffed animal toys for the appreciative students, while parents received an identification sheet that includes space to record child's height, weight, eye, hair color and space for a DNA sample. This sheet will be extremely valuable to authorities if a child ever becomes missing or abducted. The California Mason's Kids ID Program gives parents the peace of mind that they are prepared for the unthinkable. Each year approximately 725,000 children are reported missi

Located between a low-income housing project and an old industrial zone south of Broadway, Jedediah Smith Elementary and Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School, both on McClatchy Way, attract few passers-by. Before and after school, however, a swarm of students descend upon the street, which badly strains the neighborhood's infrastructure and places the children's lives at risk. Jean Caruthers has frequently witnessed the street's poor condition. For over two years she has walked her three grandchildren to school along McClatchy Way, and has watched children jaywalk and cars drive by unsafely. "Kids walk out, looking at their shoes, and cars go by very fast," she said. After

On Monday, October 19th, parents of the charter school California Montessori Project (CMP)-Capitol Campus where surprised to learn through a letter from CMP Director, Gary Bowman, that Mr. Raymond, the new Superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD), was requesting that the Capitol Campus be relocated from the Old Marshall School (2718 G Street), a facility the school had moved into only 3 months prior, because the building was now deemed unsafe. The Capitol Campus is to be relocated in the Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (in the College Glen area) far from the current location forcing hundreds of families on the roads. Moreover the campus has to leave the prem

A five-hour board meeting on the fate of California Montessori Project's Capitol Campus ended around 10:45 p.m. Monday night with a resolution: If an assessment says the Marshall School building in which the school resides is not compliant with state building codes, the school must move "expeditiously." If the assessment, which has still not been made public, says the building does meet minimum state codes, the board will reconvene to decide if the school will move or not. Nearly 100 people - parents, elementary school students and the California Montessori Project's nine board members, superintendent and a legal advisor - filled a multipurpose room at the Marshall School in Midtown to s

Upon Mayor Kevin Johnson's invitation, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan came to Sacramento Thursday to discuss his views on charter schools and education reform. He also met with Sacramento legislators, students and teachers, before answering questions in a town hall forum. A little after 5 p.m., Johnson introduced Duncan to a public audience who gathered inside Sacramento's Central Library. In a five-minute speech, he outlined Duncan's resume as a Harvard graduate and superintendent of Chicago's Public Schools. "I'm more excited about the state and the potential of what we can do in this country with the leadership of President Obama and U.S. Secretary Arne Duncan," Johnson said.