Accountability in schools and parents’ right to choose were the two solutions to Sacramento’s low education achievement that Howard L. Fuller, founder of the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), former superintendent, educator and education reformer, focused on during his discussion with more than 100 Sacramento community members at the Stand Up Monthly Meeting on Monday. “How can we tell how our schools are doing when their performance is labeled by a three-digit code nobody understands?” Fuller asked at the opening of his speech, referring to the state’s Academic Performance Index. “We need to give schools grades just like we do our students.” Fuller extended his discussion f

Photojournalism is the creation of photos that don’t just please the eye, but tell an unbiased story, said Sacramento-based photographer John Hernandez during the workshop he led. Hernandez’s workshop stressed the importance of working hard to get real, dynamic photos in the moment, rather than faking good shots with heavy editing afterwards. His discussion was organized around seven basic genres of photojournalism: news, features, profiles, photo illustrations, sports coverage, photo essays and photo-audio slide shows. He provided unique tips about each topic, ranging from how to take head shots for profiles to making sure sports shots include reaction alongside action. Hernandez taught

Starting Feb. 20 and running through Sunday, community members can turn their dinners out on the town into a battle against hunger in the Sacramento region. The Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services and the Sacramento Press joined forces to host the inaugural Eat to Feed the Hungry, which features 15 Sacramento restaurants, cafes and bars. Using social media, community members can “check in” at one of the sponsoring businesses using Facebook of Foursquare, and then order food and drinks. For every participant who checks in, the business will donate $1 to the SFBFS. If people check in with a photo, the businesses will double their donation, with a cap of $500 per business. Sacramento

College internships are the Oak Park Neighborhood Association’s new tactic to keeping the Oak Park Community Center open in the face of continued budget cuts. A year ago the Oak Park Community Center, which offers the community space for classes, recreation, conferences, meetings, weddings, banquets, and performances became one of many community centers in Sacramento facing closure. Its governing body, the Department of Parks and Recreation, blamed budget cuts and lack of funding. Hours were reduced and programming was cut by almost half. The center now only operates Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. That’s when the Oak Park Neighborhood Association (OPNA) stepped in and offered to take ov