This "monumental" funding is a mere drop in the bucket given the drastic budget cuts that California schools have faced. it's more of a poison pill, as accepting these funds means that California would have to adopt unproven methods for "school reform". There is no evidence that tying teacher's salaries to test scores improves public education. Let's be upfront about this visit. It's all about the mayor's play to take over the school district. That's Arne Duncan's agenda as well as Kevin Johnson's. Given the fact that Johnson operated St. HOPE Public school in the red and owes the school district hundreds of thousands of dollars (and that was just a fraction of the actual amount) he's already demonstrated he doesn't have the skills to operate the district. Arne Go Home.

Who is going to grade Sac Charter High on how it is serving at-risk students? Over and over I hear reports that kids at Sac Charter who fail the exit exam or are credit deficient are counseled out and sent to district schools. It's model is that school is for college bound kids only. This was even stated publicly is the Bee. Rick Maya, former Executive director, discussed Sac Charter's desire to recruit district wide because many of their students end up there "by default'. In other words, the neighborhood kids who thought that the high school around the corner from their house ought to teach all children, not just those it chooses to teach. it's low enrollment and outstanding debts show that in reality it is a model for failure. Kevin Johnson has no business setting himself up as an education reformer. His education reform is to cherry pick the kids and let the rest be damned.

That Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsome support "strong mayor" cities is not surprising. As I learned when I attended the City Charter Review Committee Meeting and listened to the mayors of Albuquerque and Fresno, mayors like being "strong mayors". My question is "Whats it in for me?" How is this particular initiative going to improve things for citizens in our city? The Democratic Party of Sacramento County supports small-d democracy, which is why it's against the initiative. It has so many flaws, like the problems with the "9th district" and so ripe with opportunities for corruption like the over 500 political appointments the mayor will be able to make, that things in Sacramento will have the potential to go rapidly downhill if this thing is passed. That will have the most impact on ordinary people like you and me. I doubt that Jerry Brown or Gavin Newsome have read the initiative or have any idea of the devilish details it contains. There was no need to undercut the City Charter Review Committee that the Council approved and appointed by placing this on the June ballot before the Committee has a chance to finish its work in a through manner. Was the specter of a lawsuit the motivation behind some of the yes votes last night? Whose money would have been spent suing the city? Some of the rich Republicans that have been supporting Johnson?

You can sign up to be notified of meetings and be sent a link to the agendas. the board takes off in July so the district is busy trying to push things through before the break. Are you aware of the 7-11 committee meetings to re-purpose the schools that were closed? Check the website as they will be making decisions that will be approved at the June 18 meeting. (Some questions remain as to whether the decisions have already been made and the committee is just a legal formality.)

Keep repeating a lie often enough and it becomes the truth. The state was never going to takeover Sac High. The committee for Underperforming Schools had decided in October 2002 that all the schools that failed to bring up their test scores under the II/USP program were going to have SAIT teams evaluate them. Jim Sweeney used the false threat of state takeover to close Sac High in an effort to turn the school into an independent charter and avoid a state law that required 50% of the teachers signatures to convert the school. The first St. HOPE charter was found illegal by Judge Burger -Plaven. The school is operating under a second charter. How could you not know that Sac High hadn't always been a charter? The school was 146 years old when it was closed. It had the largest performing arts program in northern California. My daughter was a senior the last year it was open. You need to do a little more research and see what was lost when the school was closed. As for repeating lies, there are not four schools at St. HOPE, there haven't been for years. They don't have enough enrollment to support them. Nor do they have any arts or music or much of anything else. But they do have uniforms. The students who are still attending the school might like it, but most of the students leave. they have only a 56% retention rate. Students who have academic problems are counseled out and told to attend district schools. That school is no replacement for the real Sacramento High