Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "teachers"

Dirty Pool: SCTA Style

2011-06-02T19:54:38Z

By Henrietta Cisneros, freelance correspondent.
June 2, 2011
12:00 p.m., PST

Dirty Pool: SCTA Style

Members of the Sacramento City Teachers Association (SCTA) and a faction of teachers at Hiram Johnson high school are waging a new kind of warfare. Children at Hiram Johnson High School and throughout the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) are being misguided and manipulated by a group of teachers and union bullies as a means of ousting seasoned principal, Felisberto Cedros.

Conflict erupted on the Hiram Johnson campus between Cedros and a group of teachers shortly after he was appointed principal last year. Cedros implemented new policies at the school ranging from a dress code for teachers (teachers were wearing flip flops and shorts to work), no pets at school, no food or drink in the classrooms, to ensuring that best teaching practices were being utilized in each classroom. Cedros also initiated a summer long cleaning spree in which many teachers were told to remove their personal belongings from their classrooms. During the summer cleaning phase a school employee noted that she observed custodial staff remove six beds, old and outdated textbooks from the 1960’s, and open food items that had been expired for nearly three years. It was also suggested that many classrooms were infested with rat and dog feces.

Some teachers on the campus have resisted the changes almost from the beginning. Now, in a retaliatory effort, many of these teachers have resorted to drafting students on the campus to do their dirty work. That’s right; kids are being recruited and manipulated as a means of assisting SCTA in “dirty pool” tactics. This plan comes to fruition this evening at 6:30 p.m. at the SCUSD Board of Education meeting. Tonight, school aged children that have been taken advantage of and unduly influenced will be marched in front of the School Board in an effort to do away with a principal that has fought valiantly to eradicate an atmosphere of low standards and poor teaching on the campus. Why? Simply put, there are some teachers on the Johnson campus that want things to go back to the way it used to be. How did it used to be? Student expectations were low. Teacher standards were nearly unheard of. Teachers rested comfortably in their poor performances while the union approved former principal treaded quietly until he could retire.

It is apparent that Cedros and his administrative team have created a climate of new expectations at Johnson high school. Many teachers and students on the campus enjoy the new expectations and challenges. Some students have exclaimed that they feel “more prepared for the world after high school.” It is evident that the new leadership is making a difference.

Tonight’s board meeting will be important. Tonight can be a defining moment in the direction we want to take our schools. Do we want “old guard” union lackeys with a track record of failure and low expectations running our schools or do we want leaders with intestinal fortitude that are willing to do what it takes to get the job done? Our children are certainly worth the debate.

The public is encouraged to attend and speak at tonight’s school board meeting. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Serna center located at 5735 47th Avenue, Sacramento, C.A. 95820.

Big names draw a large crowd at education forum

2011-05-21T05:40:24Z

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,” or last-in-first-out practice of layoffs that most public school districts currently follow.

One after another, the speakers emphasized to the standing room only crowd that this policy does not encourage teacher retention based on student achievement, but rather it protects ineffective teachers with seniority from consequences and termination.

A brief video which preceded the speakers laid the tone for the discussion with its three main points.

Research shows that when teachers are laid off by seniority, some of the best teachers in the district are let go.

Because junior teachers are paid the least, more teachers have to be laid off to close budget deficits.

Low performing schools get hit the hardest, because typically they have the most junior teachers.

Dr. Kadhir Raja, a teacher at Grant High School, told the crowd that last year he was given a pick slip because he had only four years of experience. He recalled the success he was having with algebra students, and said that if replaced with an inefficient teacher with seniority, that would be tantamount to a crime.

“The greatest tragedy is when a great teacher who’s getting results is replaced by a bad teacher, a bad teacher who may be killing kids. Hiring and firing based on seniority is a crime. It’s homicide,” Raja said.

Mayor Johnson asked attendees to get evolved with Students First, a group founded by Rhee that seeks to change education policy by “protecting exceptional teachers, empowering parents with real information and quality school options, and insisting on effective governance in public school systems," according to the Stand Up website.

“There are many states that are farther along (with education reform) than we are. I’m not satisfied with that,” Johnson told the audience. “You guys know I’m competitive. We want to make Sacramento ground zero to real education reform.”

When stating her desires to change the system, Rhee pulled few punches.

“We need to recognize, value and reward the best teachers,“ she said. “We should do everything to keep them in the classroom. If you are not effective, we need to either quickly get you there, or you need to leave the profession. I have not met a parent who disagrees with that notion.”

She added, “I don’t think that teachers are the problem. I actually think that teachers are the solution to the problems that we have. Teachers are the most important factor that we can influence that determines whether or not children are successful.”

Former DC Mayor Fenty wasn’t shy in admitting that this method of education reform can be divisive. He repeatedly eluded that his efforts in DC with Rhee probably partially cost him his re-election.

“I swear the first thing Michelle said (when we first met) was ‘Mayor, you don’t want to hire me. I’m the type of person who causes politicians headaches,’” he said.

“I told her that as long as every decision you make is in the best interest of the kids in this city, I’m going to support you 100 percent.”

Nonetheless, Fenty expressed his continuing endorsement to Rhee’s style of reform and teacher evaluation. He listed statistics which he claimed proved what they had accomplished was effective, and pointed out that his successor was still using the policies his administration had put in place despite running a campaign which promised to dismantle them.

First grade teacher Chandra Irvine, who attended the forum, said afterwards that she left feeling “empowered and inspired.”

“I was laid off from Natomas via pink slip as a new teacher,” Irvine said. “There are a lot of first year, second year teachers that are being laid off due to last-in-first-out.”

“They are the innovative, dedicated, passionate teachers that are making a difference and helping our children succeed. Something is really wrong with the system and we all need to step up and do something about it or it’s never going to change and we’re going to keep failing our kids,” she added.

Even though this debate can be polarizing, Irvine stressed that it’s not a black or white issue.

“There are definitely veteran and senior teachers that are making a difference. It’s not about whether you’re teaching for one year or 20 years. It’s about ‘Are you getting producible results? Are you making a difference? Are you making children successful? Are you educating them?’ That’s the bottom line.”

For more information visit http://www.studentsfirst.org/

Black Parallel School Board meets to discuss SCUSD problems

2011-01-11T20:14:46Z

The Black Parallel School Board discussed its plans for 2011, including addressing problems with the quality of teachers and underachievement of black students in the Sacramento City Unified School District.

The meeting was held Saturday at the Oak Park United Methodist Church.

The BPSB’s mission is to ensure quality education for African American students in the SCUSD. The board observes and critiques SCUSD performance and advocates for African American students.

The BPSB was created in Jan. 2008. It was born of the frustration of Sacramento State professor Otis Scott with the SCUSD at a Sacramento Area Black Caucus meeting in 2006.

According to Carl Pinkston, secretary of the BPSB executive council, Scott was angry that the SCUSD failed to follow up on issues concerning the black community.

Scott wanted to call attention to a crisis in education and to reframe the discussion as a new civil rights struggle. The community needs to be proactive rather than reactive toward the crisis, he said.

After the BPSB was formed, the members studied state of education for black students in the SCUSD and created a report from their findings. The report shows an achievement gap between black and other students that steeply rises after second grade.

The report showed only eight out of 644 black students were enrolled in eighth grade geometry and that they have an 84 percent failure rate for geometry in the 10th grade.

At Saturday’s meeting, Executive Council Chairman Darryl White brought up one of the major problems the BPSB has with the SCUSD: the constant influx of new teachers to already underachieving schools.

White said schools with a history of underachievement tend to be where new teachers are hired. It takes three to five years for teachers to gain the experience to be effective, and once they have it, they move on to “better” schools, he said.

This means that some students never learn from an experienced teacher. Perpetually in class with new, bad or substitute teachers, students have a difficult time progressing at a rate commensurate with being taught by experienced and effective teachers, White added.

He pointed out that it’s not one person or group that’s the problem, it’s teachers’ career paths within the SCUSD that prevent underachieving schools from providing a quality education. Teacher quality makes or breaks a school, he said.

SCUSD President Gustavo Arroyo was also at the meeting. He outlined his goals for solving issues within the SCUSD, saying he is reaching out to communities to hear their issues, and his main goal is creating space for people to voice their issues with the current system.

“I’m trying to open the door for dialogue,” he said.

Sacramento is one of the most diverse urban education systems in the country, according to SCUSD’s education technology plan. The district is 32 percent Hispanic, 21 percent White, 21 percent African American, 20 percent Asian, 2 percent Pacific Islander, 1 percent Filipino and 1 percent American Indian.

The system teaches more than 48,000 students in Kindergarten though 12th grade among 88 schools. SCUSD is governed by seven elected members and a student member.

Some of the other goals of the BPSB are “to assure that classrooms with high African Descended student populations start and end the school year with qualified and experienced teachers that possess the ability to relate to students of color; to assure that teacher/student ratios are between 20-25 students per teacher (less for K-3) in all grade levels to promote the academic success of all students; to assure that schools with high numbers of African Descended students are properly funded,” according to the report.

Anyone of African-descent who regularly attends BPSB meetings can become a board member.

The executive council is in charge of implementing decisions that the board passes.

“Everyone has to participate,” Pinkston said. “It’s a culture and place to develop new leadership.”

White added, “The Black Parallel School Board is a watchdog group. We are here to observe and find out about negative impacts on the students we support.”

The next meeting will be at 10 a.m. Feb. 5 at the Oak Park United Methodist Church at 36th Street and Broadway.

The first photo is of Gustavo Arroyo. The second is of the Oak Park United Methodist Church.

Latest Board Update from the desk of Superintendent Jonathan P Raymond

2010-10-19T15:10:40Z

Teaching and Learning

Priority School Professional Development: Staffs of the six Superintendent’s Priority Schools gathered at the Serna Center this week for training with Rochelle Herring-Peniston, president of Transformation By Design. Faculty learned the use of Data Wise inquiry protocols, which assist in analyzing student work, and learned how to identify learning goals and teacher learning needs. The sessions used the teachings of Harvard researchers such as Kathryn Boudette, Richard Elmore and Brent Stephens as well as the work of Nancy Love, Linda Darling-Hammond and Walter Doyle.

Every Day Counts: Charlotte Chadwick, principal at John Bidwell School, is throwing down the gauntlet —on October 7, her school had nearly 100 percent attendance for both staff and students. All staff members were present and only three students out of 381 were absent, which equated to 99.993 percent. Almost exactly the same occurred on October 13, she notes, with the exception of one staff illness. Chadwick’s announcement kicks off a competition – can any school achieve 100 percent attendance this year?

CORE Launch: Superintendent Raymond was in Los Angeles on Monday for the launch of CORE (California Office to Reform Education), a nonprofit organization founded by the seven superintendents (including Superintendent Raymond) who authored California’s Race to the Top application. The group’s intention is to leverage the collective energy of these seven districts – which together serve more than a million students – to continue moving forward with reforms developed for RTTT despite the federal government’s denial of California’s bid. CORE aims to engage public school communities at the grassroots level in changes that will improve teaching and learning. Those change initiatives include implementation of the Common Core State Standards in math and English (which were approved by the state Board of Education in August); development of formative student assessments aligned to the new standards; and developing tools and processes to better serve teachers and principals.

Standards Discussed: Cesar Chavez Intermediate School’s fourth- and sixth-grade teachers held a “Standards Night” for parents last week in which they shared the results of the first benchmark tests in English and math and explained the purpose of real-time learning assessment and discussed learning expectations for students.

Cougars Hit the Right Note: The John F. Kennedy High School Marching Band competed in the Oakmont High School Invitational Marching Band Tournament and came in second place within their class. Individual student Chris Chin won first place in the Drum Major category.

LEED-ing the Way: Fifty businesses/organizations from throughout the area participated in “Career GPS,” a LEED (Linking Education and Economic Development)-sponsored event held Thursday at Luther Burbank High School and attended by Rosa Parks Middle School students. The event featured interactive exhibits by regional employers and a talk-show format panel presentation with industry experts.

Operations

Grant Money Received: SCUSD’s Planning and Construction department received word last week that the State Allocation Board approved the district’s joint-use grant application of $572,374 for the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library at the School of Engineering and Sciences. The project is funded by Proposition 55.

Community Engagement

Community Meeting/Back-to-School Night at Hiram Johnson: Hiram Johnson High School held a community meeting on Thursday night prior to the school’s Back-to-School night. At the meeting, district staff presented an overview of plans to engage the school community in developing a shared vision for the school. A few parents in attendance expressed concerns about the changes at the school and the meeting format. The Back-to-School Night, which followed the community meeting, was very well attended by parents and staff.

Healthy Competition: Students from Pacific Elementary and Maple Elementary met on the soccer field on October 8, where they “kicked” up a lot of school spirit. The event (pictured below) was a joint effort between Pacific and Pacific Enrichment Program (PEP), the campus after-school program.

Safety Meeting: Maple Elementary School held a Community Meeting with staff from the district’s Safe Schools Office and representatives of the Sacramento Police Department on Wednesday, October 13. Community and parents learned how to be the eyes and ears of the neighborhood, the importance of reporting unusual activity and information on gang prevention. The officer in attendance also addressed issues of traffic around the school.

‘Target’-ing Literacy: Parkway Elementary School won a $2,000 grant from Target stores for an Early Literacy Program for grades K-3.

Upcoming Events

C.K. McClatchy Homecoming Saturday, October 16 – 10 a.m.

The school’s 74th annual homecoming parade, themed “Party at the Pyramids,” begins at 10 a.m. in the CKM parking lot, 3066 Freeport Blvd. From there, the floats, marching band and “royalty” cars head south as they wind through the Land Park neighborhood. The homecoming football games against the Hiram Johnson High School follow: JV at 11 a.m. and varsity at 1 p.m.

Author Dave Eggers at JFK Wednesday, October 20 – 1 p.m.

Dave Eggers, Pulitzer Prize finalist for his memoir “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius,” will speak with 450 John F. Kennedy High School students about his latest book, “Zeitoun,” a Los Angeles Times Book Award winner. Eggers’ appearance is sponsored by One Book Sacramento, a Sacramento Public Library program.

Health Fair Thursday, October 21 – 5 p.m.

Families will get free dental and vision screenings and other medical services and get an opportunity to sign up for health insurance or connect with health care providers. City of Sacramento Parks and Recreation will be providing entertainment. The fair is jointly sponsored by the City of Sacramento, Kaiser Medical Foundation and The Effort, a mental health and social services organization. The fair will be held at McClatchy.

Make a Difference Day Saturday, October 23 – 8:30 a.m.

Volunteer construction crews will be digging post holes, shoveling dirt and stacking cement blocks to create a brand new school garden at Bret Harte Elementary in Curtis Park, on Saturday – national Make a Difference Day. The work day will be organized like an old-fashioned barn-raising: Volunteers who participate will then take their newfound knowledge of garden installation to Luther Burbank High School, where they will rehabilitate a school garden there. The garden installation is a joint effort of several partners, including Bret Harte teachers and PTA, the Healthy Food Task Force, Sacramento Area Community Garden Coalition, Sierra Health and AmeriCorps.

Fall Graduation Tuesday, October 26 – 6 p.m.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell will be at the district’s annual Fall Graduation ceremony for students who completed all the requirements to earn a diploma last summer. Forty-nine students from throughout the district have been invited to attend with their families. The event will be held at the Charles A. Jones Skills Center, 5451 Lemon Hill Ave.

Hate Crimes Forum Thursday, October 28 – 3:30 p.m.

The 2nd Annual “Youth Against the Hate” forum, sponsored by SCUSD, Asian Resources and YouthRISE, will be held from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria at McClatchy. The afternoon program will include a keynote address by Basim Elkarra, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, workshops for teens and their parents and spoken word poetry by members of Sacramento Youth Speaks.

Ethel I. Baker Library Makeover Friday, October 29 – 1 p.m.

More than 150 volunteers will put finishing touches on a new school library at Ethel I. Baker Elementary School before an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2:45 p.m. The library makeover – one of 32 nationwide – is being made possible by Target and The Heart of America Foundation. The new library will have thousands of new books, new furniture, paint, carpet and technology. Additionally each student and their siblings will receive seven new books to take home to their personal library.

SCUSD Web Site http://www.scusd.edu/Pages/default.aspx

Local student filmmakers tackle variety of issues

2010-05-18T02:17:24Z

With family and friends in attendance, 40 aspiring high school filmmakers debuted their documentary shorts at the second annual Documentary Foundation Film Festival Sunday. The Sacramento student filmmakers covered a multitude of issues including racism in high school, legalization of marijuana, pink-slipped teachers and prisoner work programs in Folsom Prison.

The program is taught by Sacramento native documentary filmmakers Keith Ochwat and Christopher Rufo and sponsored by KVIE. The duo created the Documentary Foundation student program as a means to inspire future generations of documentary filmmakers.

"There are so many issues that affect peoples' lives," Ochwat said. He spoke of the importance for the students participating to think critically about social issues. "It's (also) about the journalism (and) the storytelling," he said.

With nine documentaries on the program, the event kicked off with a look at the Sacramento Zoo's lovable red pandas. The short film highlighted the environment the pandas live in at the zoo and their current state of endangerment. The film elicited many "aww"s at the sight of the pandas.

There were less fuzzy feelings during "Nestle Waters," about the debate over a Nestle Corporation Plant coming to Sacramento. The film covered both sides, interviewing both Nestle management about plans to use the American River and an opposing resident concerned about environmental protection.

Two films struck close to home for the students, spotlighting the racism felt and witnessed on high school campuses. "Racism in High Schools" had a clear and powerful message, never disconnect with who you are. The second film, "He Said, She Said" gives insight to the rules of attraction from high school students' perspectives.

"K-9 Angels" showed the benefits of pet therapy for one young patient at the Shriner's Hospital, while "CA in Smoke" touched on the debate over legalizing marijuana, incorporating what appeared to be actual footage of high school students using the drug. Later in the evening, "Folsom Prison" debuted, shadowing one prisoner in a carpentry work program. This was the first time in history Folsom Prison has allowed minors to film inside.

Winning the impromptu Audience Award for sparking the most laughter, "The Last Battle" followed a group of participants during Carmichael's Amtguard games. The game's role-players dress in medieval garb, arming themselves with padded weaponry and duked it out for ultimate Amtguard supremacy. The audience was hysteric over one new young participant, whose goal was to take down the elder, most feared member. Neither side would admit defeat, let alone acknowledge their counterparts' skill level, much to the delight of the crowd.

But it was the last film in the lineup that proved most powerful, winning the Best Picture Award. "Sorry to Inform You" gave a student's view of the current situation involving California teachers and pink slips. Following one beloved teacher from Natomas High School, whose 31-year career had never landed her a pink slip before, the film gave an inside look, showing the effects on the teacher, her students, and the school's principal. Ironically, the same teacher had won the Teacher of the Year Award three days prior to being laid off.

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) teacher Nancy Kidd was in attendance for the film and accompanied the students on stage for their award. Afterward, many students took pictures with Kidd, giving hugs and offering final condolences.

"This is why I'm a teacher, this is what makes it (worth it)," Kidd said. "'I just wish all the students continued success. With a little hard work (they) will get there."

Each student in the program wins a framed plaque, and groups that won awards for Best Picture, Cinematography, Editing and Producing received prizes such as gift cards to Best Buy and Dimple Records, weekend passes to the French Film Festival, and annual subscriptions to Filmmaker Magazine.

The Documentary Foundation will offer a third session coming this fall, dates to be announced, as well as a special summer workshop that will pair returning documentary student filmmakers with local nonprofit organizations.

The goal of the workshop is to "teach (the students) how to apply their skills," said Ochwat, "(enhancing) career skills and taking it to the next level."

The program is offered to all Sacramento area high school students. To sign up, or for more information, visit documentaryfoundation.org. Classes for the workshop are held once a week, on Saturdays, during the 10-week program.

Photos courtesy of Keith Ochwat of the Documentary Foundation

150-Mile Citizen Run to Invite CA Lawmakers to Schools Culminates in Sacramento May 17

2010-05-14T17:52:55Z

150-Mile Citizen Run to Invite Calif. Lawmakers to Schools

Culminates in Sacramento May 17

Students, teachers, parents and supporters who are running a 150-mile relay day and night to Sacramento to invite state lawmakers to spend a day in a public school will finish their journey with a rally at 12 p.m., Monday, May 17, at the California State Capitol Building. The runners are carrying letters written by the youngsters, who are asking that politicians visit a school for a day to see the impact of their spending choices on education. Speakers at the rally will include Don Shalvey, senior program officer with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Assemblymember and candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, and California State Assemblymember Ira Ruskin.

The runners are with the San Carlos Charter Learning Center, which is California’s founding public charter school, and the John Gill School, a public school in Redwood City. They will go down Capitol Ave at about 11:45 a.m. and run along 15thSt. and N St. to 10th St. The rally will take place near the fishpond outside of the east entrance of the Capitol Building.

Photo below: Second-graders at the San Carlos Charter Learning Center with letters they’ve written asking California’s lawmakers to spend a day in a public school.

San Carlos Charter Learning Center. The Longest Running Charter School in America

'Bodies Revealed' back in Sacramento

2010-04-22T03:21:26Z

After a nearly two-year absence, "Bodies Revealed" is back in Sacramento. When the exhibit debuted in 2007, it drew sellout crowds and a month-long extension of its limited engagement.

Those who visited the exhibit before it closed in 2008 can look forward to an entirely different "Bodies Revealed" opening Saturday. They will have 11 new bodies, a section with 13 cancerous organs and a research center focusing on health and fitness.

The art/science exhibit will again fill the former CompUSA store location with displays of 14 plastinated bodies and more than 200 total body parts. Attendees will also be able to measure their blood pressure and pulse rate and calculate their Body Mass Index - a new interactive feature.

Returning are the fetal development room, an audio tour and a "touch booth" where visitors can feel a plastinated rib bone, stomach and liver. Like the debut exhibit, the specimens and bodies are grouped by organ system - skeletal and muscular, nervous, circulatory, digestive, etc.

But the biggest differences will be immediately noticeable: fresh and bright lighting, increased interactiveness and the openness of the exhibit, allowing patrons to view the exhibit in any order.

In the old exhibit, entering one room ultimately forced visitors into the next. This time around, the openness makes viewing every specimen optional, including the embryo/fetus room. While the last "Bodies Revealed" exhibited just the bodies throughout a string of dark and narrow rooms, the new incarnation features colorful artistic lighting and multimedia.

The Atlanta-based company Premier Exhibitions that runs "Bodies Revealed," also runs a similar international exhibit, "Bodies The Exhibition," as well as other national exhibits such as "Dialog in the Dark" and "Titanic: the Artifact Exhibition." Sacramento remains the only location for "Bodies Revealed," which is the company's only exhibit on the west coast.

"We want people to know that if you saw it before, don't think that you've seen this way we've chosen to display everything," said Premier Exhibition's Vice President of Education, Cheryl Muré. "We're excited to have a chance to come back to Sacramento and showcase (the exhibition)."

Muré also shed new light on a years-old controversial topic: Where do the bodies come from?

In the last few years, a number of "bodies" exhibits around the world drew extensive media criticism for not knowing the bodies' origins. Premier Exhibitions released a 2008 disclaimer about its New York City exhibition saying it could not independently confirm the bodies were not from a Chinese prison.

That disclaimer does not apply to "Bodies Revealed," according to Muré. "The specimens in 'Bodies Revealed' in Sacramento were all donated to medical universities for the purposes of educational display," she said.

Bodies for the exhibit are plastinated by removing all the body fluids and replacing them with acetone. They are then placed in an silicone chamber where the acetone becomes a gas. A silicone polymer replaces the acetone in the empty space and is hardened once removed from the chamber.

"It's something that's been around for quite some time, especially in the medical professions," Muré added. "It's interesting for anyone who's a student of the human body, and that means of course kids studying anatomy in school, but also massage therapists, acupuncturists, respiratory technicians, EMTs, first responders, (or) anybody who works with the body."

She also noted that a big takeaway from the exhibit is in seeing healthy organs juxtaposed with the diseased organs. In fact, there's a cancerous and healthy lung next to each other, and right next to that, a clear plastic trash case for visitors to ditch their cigarette cartons.

Muré said that one of her favorite moments working in "Bodies" was witnessing a group of schoolkids pressure their teacher to toss his cigarettes into the case. After he finally conceded to the group chants of "Do it!" the class erupted in applause and cheering.

From 4-8 p.m. Thursday, teachers can preview the exhibit for free. From noon-4 p.m. Friday, state workers will be able to preview the exhibit for free and are eligible for a 20 percent discount every Friday after that. The exhibit will run through summer, with the possibility of extensions into fall at 2040 Alta Arden Expressway. Tickets are $14 and up. More information is available at bodiesrevealed.com.

Sacramento school board approves layoffs to help solve budget deficit

2010-03-05T05:53:53Z

Sacramento school board approves layoffs to help solve budget deficit
About 430 teachers and other school staff, 125 central office workers would lose jobs

By Maria L. Lopez

March 4, 2010 – Elementary class sizes will be larger and about 430 teachers and other school staff would lose their jobs under a plan approved by the Sacramento school board Thursday night for millions of dollars in spending cuts to close a $30.6 million budget deficit.
The Sacramento City Unified School District board voted unanimously Thursday night to approve the cuts to take effect in the next school year unless the district’s unions join the administration in agreeing to concessions to stave off some of the cuts.
Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond said the school district must close a $30.6 million deficit for the 2010-11 budget. The board approved Raymond’s plan to lay off about 340 teachers, 60 counselors, social workers and psychologists, about 38 school administrators and five school clerical workers.
Class sizes in kindergarten through third grade will be increased from about 25 students per class to 30 students under the plan. An agreement by employee unions to accept concessions is still in discussion and could help save jobs and keep class sizes smaller.
“These cuts in the budget definitely will impact our ability to educate children. Class sizes would be larger and good teachers would be lost. But we are hopeful that our continuing discussions with our employee bargaining units will be successful and we will be able to avert some of the job losses and some of the class size increases,” Superintendent Raymond said.
Employee health care benefits have skyrocketed 50 percent over the past five years. Teachers pay virtually nothing for health care. If the employee bargaining units would agree to a $50 per month insurance premium and three furlough days, the same number of furlough days as Superintendent Raymond and other unrepresented employees, the district could save $5.1 million and save up to 68 teachers’ jobs. Teacher jobs saved means smaller class sizes.
SCUSD has cut spending or enhanced revenues by $144 million since 2002, including deep cuts in administrative budgets as enrollment has declined and state revenues have been slashed.
In the new budget, the administration will make even deeper cuts, saving $5.95 million by eliminating 87 central office jobs. About 63 central office administrative employees, in addition, will receive layoff notices. Another $15 million savings will come from spending cutbacks for such state programs as assistance to struggling students, supplemental school counseling, regional occupation programs, adult education and school and facility maintenance funds.
Raymond said the district will save another $950,000 by making buildings more energy efficient, $253,000 in an across-the-board cut of 10 percent in central office budgets. $170,000 by reducing the number of high schools offering summer school from five to two, $30,000 by eliminating some district employee cell phones, $47,000 in computer software reductions, $15,000 in lower storage costs, and $85,000 in special education reductions.

Central administration makes more budget cuts
Savings
Central office layoffs                                    $5.95 million
Central office 10% budget cut                   $253,000
Energy efficient buildings                           $950,000
Eliminating some district cell phones     $30,000
Eliminating storage sites                           $15,000

The superintendent said laying off teachers, counselors, custodians and other school workers, and packing more children into every classroom in kindergarten through third grade are the last things he wants to do.
“I am still hopeful that we will be able to reach an agreement with our employee unions and together we can reduce some of the impact of this very dire financial situation,” Raymond said.
California school districts are required under state law to notify teachers and other employees by March 15 of expected layoffs. School districts also are required on that day to report to the county offices of education their plans to balance their budgets for this year and the following two years.

Sacramento City Unified School District Web Site

This meeting of the Sacramento City School Board is videotaped in its entirety and will be cablecast without interruption on Metro Cable 14, the government affairs channel on the Comcast and SureWest Cable Systems. Today’s meeting will be replayed Sunday,

Or go to the Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Education Meeting Web Site to watch the archive video of the meeting

Sacramento City Unified School District Community Budget Forums

2010-02-13T17:58:54Z

The budget and strategic plan survey of the community is complete. These surveys mark the a new commitment by SCUSD to listening to our community, consulting the community on important decisions and providing the public open access to our work in leading the district. The data will be accumulated and we will report on the results of the surveys as soon as possible.

Superentendent Jonathan Raymond announced that the district has scheduled four community forums to discuss the budget. These forums seek to gain recommendations from the public on how the district should deal with a budget shortfall of up to $30 million. “In the end, the school board will make the tough decisions about how to balance the budget and will set a direction for the district with the new strategic plan. But these forums are allowing us to have a conversation with the people of Sacramento – teachers, parents and community members alike – like never before in our history. These conversations are vitally important and are giving us a window into the community’s thoughts and ideas about the kind of schools they want. We want to make sure everyone takes this opportunity to be heard,” Superintendent Raymond said.

Each is scheduled from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

• Feb. 17 – McClatchy High School, 3066 Freeport Blvd.
• Feb. 23 – Rosemont High School, 9594 Kiefer Blvd.
• Feb. 24 – Luther Burbank High School, 3500 Florin Road
• March 3 – location to be announced

"It's absolutely critical that the community is part of these decisions. It's their schools, after all."

Go to the SCUSD Web Site

John Allen Cann

2009-12-10T07:49:25Z

John Allen Cann plays with images and language to create new worlds where we can see ourselves in a new light. In “Spectral Thoughts,” the poet recasts an 18th century Japanese haiku master as an American trucker, so that

we might create something new,
surprise the sun?
Basho steadies the steering wheel of his semi
rolling across the blank wilds
of middle America.

Perhaps Cann sees himself as this traveler/poet, or perhaps like Wallace Stevens, he’s insisting that creativity is indispensible. Later in the same poem, talking about Humpty Dumpty, the poet reminds us, “only imagination/can make our eggman/whole again.”

These poetic flights are intellectual pursuit in Cann’s world; watching the sea is an “evening’s scholarship,” and he often uses landscape to reveal his thoughts, or at least the narrator’s thoughts. And while there are often references to scholars, philosophers, or poets of the past, the references are generally clear to the reader, and at times laced with humor, as in “If you’re a fraud/it’s hard not to be/afraid of Freud.” You’ll also notice that he likes to break lines and drop down or across the page, like William Carlos Williams.

One of Sacramento’s finest poetry scholars (he studied at Cornell with A.R. Ammons), John wrote and published a number of books in the 1970s, and he has recently become more involved in the Sacramento poetry scene. He currently teaches English Composition at Cosumnes River College, and is also offering a class on American poets born in the 1930s, at the Room to Write School of Poetry on 25th Street. If you want to contact him about his work or want to know more about his poetry classes, you can find Professor Cann at johnallencann@comcast.net.

John's poetry:

IF THE MYTH FITS, WEAR IT

If the myth fits, wear it.
Why not clothe yourself in the fictive
to make yourself real?
The story will welcome you
as if it couldn't happen without you.

The path unfolds
just like someone telling you
their most crucial adventure.
You will dance to the music
of your own wandering,
you won't be thoughtless to the dwarf
who knows exactly what you need.
Courage will befriend you
in the thorny woods of uncertainty.

Now you'll anticipate the dragon
with great reverence,
only then can you do with it
what you must.
And if you should taste
a morsel of the dragon's heart
afterwards you'll understand
whatever the birds & beasts speak.
Without thinking of yourself
the kingdom shall be yours.

SOLITARY ON THE SHORE

Wisps still pale cherry
in the darkening azure,
the keen moon
just a bit above the trees
that edge the bluffs,

round as a perfect O---
opal whose beam
touches slick sand
ebb-moistened:
now its lavish dance begins

on the shift and slosh
of the tide’s
coming and going,
the air at the horizon
turns ash-pink.

Venus flicks on.
As the lunar disc arcs
across the dusk
its wavelight widens
torching the wavebreaks.

Ancient calligraphy
on the sea’s
ceaseless pages---
to divine the musings,
my evening’s scholarship.

SPECTRAL THOUGHTS

Is there a chance
we might create something new,
surprise the sun?
Basho steadies the steering wheel of his semi
rolling across the blank wilds
of middle America.

Humpty-Dumpty fell from the wall of logic
and only imagination
can make our eggman
whole again;
in dreams all the yardsticks
coil and jump.

It’s hard to circumnavigate
the sphere of things
if you’re too circumspect.
If you’re a fraud
it’s hard not to be
afraid of Freud.

How pliable do you like your truth?
Or, is it like white light
broken into different colors,
the prism of consciousness
disclosing various hues
all from the same beam?

2:15 am
17 May 09

I DREAM OF COLD MOUNTAIN IN DESOLATION

He stood on the other shore
across the jeweled waters
His long beard
white as the full moon
just above Ralston Peak

Finger to his lips
eyes crazy joyful
We listened a long while to the wind
tell its old story
over & over again in the ancient pines

Until a solitary cloud
drifted into the sky
& melted away in the dawn

2nd annual California Children's Rally

2009-06-24T21:53:25Z

A swarm of children took over the Capitol Tuesday to defend education in the face of massive budget cuts.

Ranging in age from eight years old to 18 years old, students from all over California sought to answer the question, "What is the purpose of public schools?"

The Children's Rally, coordinated by Sandra Tsing Loh, an author and member of the Burning Moms organization, is a congregation of young students as participatory citizens in the political dialogue of their state legislature.

The Burning Moms originated as a group of parents, fathers included, who had frustrations about the education system in California. “I'm a Proposition 13 baby, and my children continue to be affected by the way funding is done in California,” said Loh.

The purpose of the event was to, “Get our children in the habit of coming to the Capitol and meeting with their legislature,” Loh added.

The style of activism is “more hands-on, more creative, and uses what we know about the Internet,” she said. The Burning Moms work in a Burning Man spirit, the week-long annual event in the Black Rock desert of Nevada that celebrates art and community, and commissioned students to install a giant, interpretive art piece on the Capitol steps.

This year the Children’s Rally coincided with Senator Gloria Romero’s informational hearing on SB 604, which would obtain input from students, parents, teachers, and members of the public about the mission of public education in California, and include a preamble to the Education Code.

Senator Romero, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, highlighted the purpose of the hearing in an interview, “We want to hear from students; they are rarely represented in California.”

In the span of an hour and a half, several elementary, middle and high school students took the stand to testify on their school experiences and to provide feedback for reform measures. Almost every student addressed increasing sizes in classrooms and a general lack of funding.

“It is important that a classroom has proper equipment, but equipment is nothing if there isn’t a teacher who has a good salary,” said 11-year-old Amira Telloch.

Telloch continued to express her hopes for the future of education, “It is also important to have a fun, nice, clean and safe school system that celebrates diversity, encourages ideas, is open to change, listens to all ideas from adults and children, and provides a good education for all children who seek one.”

Heather Wiley Cox, a soon-to-be fifth grader in Burbank County, was deeply concerned about the trouble students will have as a result of bigger classrooms. “There will be more children that will have trouble focusing and will be getting less assistance from their teachers,” she said.

She touched on Proposition 13 and addressed the legislative body saying the proposition, “corrupted your inability to balance our state’s budget,” and she demanded, “Roll up your sleeves, drop your agenda, and take a good look at what our state needs.”

The audience was taken aback by the passion and eloquence in her speech, as with many other young students, hearing the word "wow," circulate the room quickly.

After the hearing the children and their parents convened on the West Steps of the Capitol for a kazoo parade. State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell, led the tune, "Saints go Marching In," for the kazoo parade and expressed his gratitude for student participation in the day’s events.

Assembly woman Julia Brownley also made an appearance at the event. Sandra Tsing Loh led her to the interactive art installation equipped with a spinning wheel to see what will be cut next from the budget. The installation was political in nature, commenting on legislation that “goes nowhere” at times, said Assembly woman Brownley.

Senator Romero said she is trying to combat this by focusing the Education Code with a mission statement, “If we had a clear direction and purpose, I think we could begin to answer the question and to provide for stronger certitude as to what we expect from our public school system.”

This direction begins with the students themselves. The diversity in their backgrounds, coming from magnet, public, and technology specific schools showed the solidarity among young people in regards to the future of education. “You talk about how if you do this you will be saving the future of the state, but you are cutting the education of the children that are the future of the state,” said Wiley Cox.

Students from Los Angeles to San Francisco were able to mingle with important state figures yesterday, and their voices were heard. In these trying times, young students are recognizing the difficulty of looking to the future of education, and they are doing something about it.

For more information, click the following links:
California Children's Rally
The Burning Moms
Senate Bill Number 604