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The Whole Child Podcast
Download ASCD's Whole Child Podcast: Changing the Conversation About Education on the first Thursday of every month and listen to archived episodes. The Whole Child Podcast features educators and policymakers from around the globe who share their insights about sound education policies and practices that ensure that all children are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged (click here).
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Planning the Possible
How Schools Can Use Stimulus Dollars for Lasting Impact
Download ASCD's Planning the Possible to better understand how to access and use the education dollars in the stimulus package, and to learn about additional resources that will aid your school and community improvement efforts.
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Support grows for National Education Standards
eSchool News reports that teachers unions, governors and state education leaders voiced support for national academic standards at a recent congressional hearing on the subject. "The purpose ... is to raise the bar for all states by drawing on the best research and evidence," said Arkansas' education commissioner, Ken James. "The most basic way ... is to guarantee that what is being taught in classrooms in every ZIP code of this nation is both rigorous and relevant" (click here for more).
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Career-changers find Teaching Jobs aren't Recession-Proof
People who recently changed careers to become teachers are being hit hard by layoffs in California. Although many of the educators are older and specialize in fields -- such as math, science or special education -- with teacher shortages, many lack seniority. (San Jose Mercury - May 5)
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From the President's Desk - Sandy Clifton Bacon
I recently read an article placing our country's language minority students in grades K-12 at more than 14 million. The population of children in immigrant families is growing faster than any other group of children in the nation. As educators, it is imperative that we understand these students and what they bring to our classrooms. ASCD is leading the way with resource to capitalize on the strengths each child brings to the classroom. The April Volume of Educational Leadership was entirely dedicated to Supporting English Learners. EL online www.ascd.org/el is a rich resource site including such resources as an EL study guide. Our own CA ASCD website www.cascd.org features educational leaders sharing best practices for English Learners. Here you can view a podcast, Meeting the Needs of English Learners, featuring Margarita Gonzalez, ASCD Emerging Leader and CASCD Secretary. You will also find a link to the ASCD Hispanic/Latino Network hosted by the chair and CASCD Past President, Hilda Baca Fetachencko. Please take advantage of the expertise and resources CA ASCD and ASCD have to offer you as a member of our associations.
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Dr. Judy Willis, CASCD member, recently shared with ASCD cutting-edge work on brain research that speaks loudly to how we teach reading. Glean her insights from this podcast (click here).
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Our partners at CLMS/CLHS share news on the upcoming federal stimulus program (ARRA) and how it applies to California schools.
By Carrie Marovich, Policy Consultant.
Districts Await Federal Stimulus Funding
With nervous anticipation, school districts throughout the state are awaiting word on promised federal stimulus funding, hoping it will save teaching jobs and backfill some of the sweeping program cuts included in the California Legislature's February budget.
California's share of the federal stimulus money earmarked for schools over the next two years is expected to be about $7.5 billion. This includes $5 billion to mitigate cuts in both K-12 and higher education (known as stabilization funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act); another $1.3 billion to support special education programs; and $1.2 billion for Title I schools. The Schwarzenegger administration has emphasized that it intends to move the funding to districts as quickly as possible.
Already, the California Department of Education has received more than $1 billion from the federal stimulus package for Title I and special education. Although the money is expected to be distributed to districts sometime in May, there is no guarantee it will arrive before California's May 15 deadline for teacher layoff notifications - a fact that is proving frustrating for districts throughout the state.
The second half of IDEA funds will be awarded from July to October and is contingent on additional information to be provided by the state regarding California's plans to meet reporting and accountability requirements. Guidance on those requirements, however, is still forthcoming from the U.S Department of Education. The second half of Title I money is due out in September.
In regard to the stabilization funding, the Schwarzenegger administration has said it will be restored to districts in the same manner that education funds were cut from the state budget.
That is, the February budget imposed $944 million in cuts to per-pupil state funding and an additional 15 percent across-the-board reduction to categorical programs that saved an additional $944 million. It is assumed that stabilization money will be directed back to districts by the state using the same formula, with half going to per-pupil funding and half going to backfill programmatic cuts.
The governor's office is currently working on creating an application for this year's portion of the stabilization funds and appears confident that it will be available to districts sometime in April.
Knowing that educators in California are anxious for the latest information on accessing these federal funds as quickly as possible, the California Department of Education has set up a website at http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/ar, where individuals may sign up to receive updates as they become available.
Yet as local educators look toward increased federal funding, state revenues continue to come in below projections. This raises the specter of an unpleasant scenario: schools receiving federal funds to backfill prior budget cuts, but then suffering new budget losses due to the continuing state fiscal crisis. The Governor is scheduled to release new budget projections and proposals in early June following the special election on May 19.
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