January 2010 Archives

Charles Kerchner, a professor at Claremont Graduate University has posted an interesting take on LAUSD's major reform initiative, Public School Choice, which he likens to a chemistry experiment.

The Los Angeles Unified School District is testing the hypothesis that allowing a bunch of people to compete for running schools will yield better ones. It's a starkly different idea than the traditional civil service model and probably the boldest experiment taking place in public education in America.

Kerchner, an expert on education reform efforts, goes on to ask how successful it's been so far. For one thing, he notes that the district has seen mixed results in getting outside groups to apply for control of schools.

Public School Choice, which was approved by the board in August, let outside groups bit to take over 12 troubled "focus schools" and 18 new campuses that will open in fall. Our local schools, San Pedro High and Gardena High, generated no outside interest. Teams at both campuses created internal reform proposals.

Next month, the Board of Education will vote on the plans, after a review at Beaudry.

You can read today about plans at Pedro. On Monday, the Breeze ran my story about Gardena's plan. Pretty different situations at those two schools.

For a look at what's happening at schools that did get outside bids, check out this L.A. Times story.

Anyway, Kerchner's take, definitely from an academic perspective, is interesting. He notes the "schizophrenic relationship" that United Teaches Los Angeles has had to the whole process. Worth a read.

If you're a parent at one of these schools or their feeder campuses, or you're a Gardena or Pedro student or a staff member, you can vote on the plans Tuesday and next Saturday. Voting info is on both Breeze stories.

A panel of teachers and administrators at San Pedro High School will be explaining and taking questions on its reform plan for the campus tonight.

It's part of LAUSD's ongoing Public School Choice process that has let outside operators bid for control of 12 "focus schools" and 24 new campuses. Both San Pedro and Gardena High were named focus schools, but no outside groups submitted applications to take over the campuses.

My story on the process at Gardena High thus far ran on Monday. I'm told that the plan-writing team at San Pedro has been more organized and unified.

Read the plans: Gardena / San Pedro.

The meeting at Pedro is in the auditorium tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. It was resecheduled from last Wednesday because of the heavy rain.

Students at the California Academy of Math and Science, the highly regarded magnet school in Carson, pleaded with LAUSD board members on Tuesday to let three core teachers remain at their campus.

The school district has allowed the three instructors -- Greg Fisher, Michael Denman and Vanessa Cerrahoglu -- to teach at CAMS for years on leaves of absence. Now, because LAUSD does not want to be on the hook for their expensive lifetime retirement benefits, the district is recalling the three.

CAMS, run by Long Beach Unified, accepts students from 11 local school districts. More than a quarter are from LAUSD.

Here's my story on the conflict from a couple of weeks ago. There are 175 reader comments, many of them very thoughtful.

At a board meeting Tuesday, nine CAMS students and alumni explained that they saw the three teachers as integral to the school. (The video is posted here; it's near the end of the meeting.) Several speakers teared up as they spoke.

"You're destroying our school ... it breaks my heart," said student Sylvia Alvarez.

In response, Chief Operating Officer Jim Morris repeated an explanation that he offered me: This is a policy decision needed for financial reasons. Teachers have been recalled for the past two years. He said their retirement benefits cost the district about $250,000 per employee.

"it really is an issue for us of disadvantaging students in LAUSD -- to the tune of about $250,000 for every employee who is on leave to another district and eventually retires from LAUSD," Morris said.

Board member Yolie Flores-Aguilar called for Morris to "explore any other options."

"it's obvious to me that children - students - are benefiting. Yet we have a financial challenge with this," she said.

I'll try to keep you posted. The "Save CAMS!" Facebook group is here.

Obama will announce plans to increase federal funding for public schools in tonight's State of the Union address.

from the Washington Post:

The proposal to raise federal education spending by as much as $4 billion in the next fiscal year was described by administration officials Tuesday night as the start of an effort to revamp the No Child Left Behind law enacted under President George W. Bush. Obama will highlight his school reform agenda Wednesday in the address.

The funding would include a $1.35 billion increase in Obama's "Race to the Top" competitive grants for school reform. It would also set aside $1 billion to finance an overhaul of No Child Left Behind, according to aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the budget proposal before its release next week.

Three of El Segundo's four schools were recognized for their academic excellence during the 2008-09 school year by the California Business for Education Excellence Foundation, a non-profit policy institute based in Sacramento.

El Segundo High School, El Segundo Middle School and Center Street Elementary School were named as 2009 California Business for Education Excellence Honor Roll Schools. It is the second year in a row Center Street Elementary has made the list.

"It has become part of the culture of the school to address the needs of all students," said Linal Harada, Co-Principal of El Segundo High School, in a statement.  "Closing the achievement gap requires on-going data analysis and intervention by teachers in and out of the classroom.  As administrators, we are pleased to support this effort, and we appreciate the acknowledgement by California Business for Education Excellence."

Statewide, 1,317 schools made the list, which is announced annually.

From El Segundo Unified's press release:

Schools receiving this distinction from California's business community have demonstrated consistent high student academic achievement and have made significant progress toward closing achievement gaps among all their students. The CBEE or the "California Business for Educational Excellence" Honor Roll is made up of two different awards, the Star Schools Award (395 schools) and Scholar Schools Award (909 schools). CBEE crunches data on schools statewide to bestow honors on schools.  STAR schools are those with high poverty levels that prove adroit at closing the achievement gap whereas SCHOLAR schools are those high performing schools without a significant number of poverty level students.  All three of El Segundo's schools have been designated SCHOLAR schools. 

If Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed budget is approved by lawmakers, public schools in California could lose as much as $200 per student.

From the San Jose Mercury News:

The new reductions of approximately $200 per student come after successive cuts, including a cut of $253 per student in July. The governor's proposed 2010-11 education budget would be about 10 percent less than 2007-08 levels.

The news comes just weeks after Schwarzenegger publicly vowed to "protect public education."

Readers to the School Notebook blog may recall Torrance Unified school board member Al Muratsuchi recently addressing the governor's promise:

"When we have to raise K-3 class sizes...that is the result of the governor 'protecting education,'" Muratsuchi said during a district board meeting last week. "We need to educate the community, so that when they see class size increases, their favorite teacher getting laid off, and the school year being shortened, that they understand this is all because Sacramento is failing the entire state."

Torrance Unified board members warned that significant cuts - up to $20 million - could be slashed from the district's $188 million budget.

In Manhattan Beach Unified, trustees are looking at cutting up to $6.1 million in spending from the district's budget. Cost-cutting measures could include furlough days and staff layoffs, resulting in larger class sizes and program cuts.

"I don't see $6 million we can cut and still have a functioning school district," said board president Ida VanderPoorte. "I don't know how any school districts can survive if the cuts continue."

The Sacramento Bee has posted a database that lets you see the average teacher salary for school districts across the state. I thought it contained a few surprises -- worth checking out.

Locally, Lennox School District posted the highest average salary: $75,233 -- the fifth-highest in Los Angeles County. The lowest figure in the South Bay was from Centinela Valley Union High School District: $62,268.

The statewide average was $66,995.

Now I'm off to look at teaching credential programs ...

A meeting set for tonight to discuss LAUSD's Public School Choice process at San Pedro High School has been canceled.

The heavy rain caused some flooding in the auditorium, where the meeting was set to take place, said Juan Flecha, Local District 8 high school director.

No date has yet been set for a rescheduled meeting, but it must take place before Feb. 2, Flecha said. That's when the school community will vote on a detailed reform plan (PDF) required under the Public School Choice initiative.

Gardena High School has placed in the top 10 of a video competition put on by the creators of the "Got Milk?" campaign, the California Milk Processor Board. Now the school is asking for votes of support.

The school's band created a video that beat out dozens of other school projects to make it to the top 10. That ensures them a $2,500 award for arts programs. If they win first place, they get $20,000. Second place gets $10,000.

The kids were tasked with creating a scene from the 20-minute rock opera "Battle for Milkquarious." The musical is a product of White Gold, that cheesy white-and-gold-clad rocker you see in the milk commercials these days. The opera "chronicles White Gold's quest to save his hometown of Milkquarious from a potentially deadly milk shortage," according to a press release from the campaign.

Anyway, the Gardena kids need your vote by Sunday, Jan. 24.

I'm not quite sure how to summarize their video, so you'll just have to watch it yourself and vote.

On Jan. 29, the milk board will present a check to the school with winnings.

The state's ongoing budget crisis will cause further cuts to public education and impact Torrance Unified schools directly, members of the district's Board of Education said Tuesday.

Their comments come about a week after California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger released his proposed budget and publicly vowed not to cut funding from public education.

"Because our future economic well-being is so dependent upon education, I will protect education funding in this budget. And we can no longer afford to cut higher education either," Schwarzenegger said during his final State of the State address.

Yet the state is looking to save nearly $900 million by cutting back on the popular class-size reduction program.

"When we have to raise K-3 class sizes...that is the result of the governor 'protecting education,'" said school board member Al Muratsuchi during a district board meeting Tuesday."We need to educate the community, so that when they see class size increases, their favorite teacher getting laid off, and the school year being shortened, that they understand this is all because Sacramento is failing the entire state."

Terry Anderson, Senior Director of Legislative Service for School Services of California, commended the district for vigilant fiscal practices in the past.

"Being solvent comes at a price," Anderson said.

Board members warned that significant cuts - up to $20 million - could be slashed from the district's $188 million budget.

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama will ask Congress
for $1.35 billion in his 2011 budget proposal to extend an education
grant program for states, although the Education Department remains
months away from announcing its first round of awards, senior
administration officials said.

Obama was outlining the budget proposal Tuesday at a Fairfax County,
Va., elementary school.

The $787 billion economic stimulus program Obama signed into law
soon after taking office included $4.3 billion in competitive grants
for states, nicknamed the "Race to the Top" fund. States must amend
education laws and policies to compete for a share of the money.

More than 30 states were expected to apply by Tuesday's deadline.
The first of two rounds of award announcements are expected in
April.

Even before that, however, Obama will ask lawmakers for another
$1.35 billion so that states not chosen in either award round will
have a chance to compete for money, according to the officials, who
spoke anonymously Monday because the president had not announced his
plans.

The president also wants to use some of the $1.35 billion for a
similar competitive grant program among school districts.

With the grant programs, Obama is trying to make federal education
spending more of a competitive endeavor to encourage states and
school districts to do better, rather than a solely formula-driven
effort in which states and districts look forward to receiving a
certain amount of money each school year, regardless of how good a
job they do educating students.

To that end, Obama sees using student test scores to judge teacher
performance and the creation of charter schools, which are funded
with public money but operate independently of local school boards,
as solutions to the problems that plague public education.

National teachers' unions disagree. They argue that student
achievement amounts to much more than a score on a standardized test
and that it would be a mistake to rely heavily on charter
schools.

The "Race to the Top" fund -- and the opportunity to compete for the
billions of dollars it holds -- was designed to encourage states to
rework their education systems and bring them more in line with
Obama's vision. Education is largely a state and local
responsibility.

So far, more than a dozen states have changed laws or policies to
link data on student achievement to the performance by teachers and
principals, or pave the way for opening more charter schools.

Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., chairman of the House Education and
Labor Committee, called the administration's plans "exciting."

Obama is expected to send Congress his 2011 budget proposal sometime
next month.

Students from Leuzinger High School's English Language Development program are collecting funds to donate to the relief effort in Haiti. Donations can be addressed to: Rebecca Smith, English Language Development Coordinator, 4118 W. Rosecrans Ave., Lawndale, CA 90260.

Spending for the class-size reduction program could be severly cut.

From California Watch:

In his newly-released proposed budget, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger projected spending $340 million less than anticipated during the current school year, and $550 million less in the school year beginning in September. Together, the reductions would save the state nearly $900 million.

This would mark a huge rollback of the program that now costs the state about $1.8 billion a year. Since 1996, California has spent about $22 billion on the program, making it the most expensive education reform program in California's history.

The program began in the 90s to, well, reduce class sizes. Initiated by then-governor Pete Wilson, the class-size reduction program was intended to bring K-3 class sizes down to 20 students. A survey done by California Watch, a non-profit journalism project, found that class sizes have increased in public schools across the state.

But a survey by California Watch in the fall found that two-thirds of the state's largest school districts have already raised class sizes, some by a handful of students, and others to as many as 30 students. To yield projected savings of $550 million next year, the Department of Finance is anticipating that the majority of the state's school districts will raise class sizes during the coming year to at least 25 students.

Marcus Winters, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, argues in today's LA Times that since states continue to lower the academic bar for students, amendments should be made to No Child Left Behind. Changes allowing for uniform, stringent testing that would develop higher standards for public schools need to be created, Winters writes.

From the Op-ed:

A recent federal study noted that 15 states lowered at least one of their proficiency standards in math and reading between 2005 and 2007.

And there's more:

The law punishes a school when too few of its students meet math and reading proficiency targets each year. But the law has a gaping loophole: States get to define proficiency. A state can thus meet the law's targets by defining proficiency down; toughening its standards, by contrast, handicaps its ability to meet the federal requirements.

Of course, low standards have their own appeal. The lower the standard, the more students surpass it. State governments love to tell constituents that students are doing great on standardized exams; the public usually just assumes that the criteria used on those exams are meaningful.

We could make better progress toward an effective testing regime if we changed our goal from uniform national standards to high state standards, which two simple amendments to No Child Left Behind could help bring about.

The Manhattan Institute is a conservative think tank based in New York City.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the state's application for Race to The Top Friday.

The $4.3 billion federal grant aimed at reforming public schools has been met with local and national opposition.

If the application is approved, California could be elgible for up to $700 million.

Despite historic fee increases and section cuts, applications to the state's top universities continue to pour in. This year, a record number of applications were submitted by students. UC officials credit the rise to an increase in junior college transfers.

From the Sacramento Bee:

A record 134,029 students applied to UC during the application period that closed Nov. 30 - even though regents voted earlier in November to raise fees by 32 percent. The increase in freshmen applicants was modest - 2.4 percent. In contrast, transfer applications were up 17.5 percent statewide.

UC schools seeing the largest increase in transfer applications were Merced, Irvine and Riverside. UCLA and Berkeley had the lowest number of transfer requests.

The California University System is reducing enrollment by 40,000 students to help offset a 20 percent reduction in state funding.

Nice post yesterday by Sam Gnerre on the Daily Breeze History Blog. The entry takes a look at closed high schools in the South Bay.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, hoping to secure $324 million in funding for public K-12 schools, announced today that California has submitted an application for the last 10 percent of funding from the federal State Fiscal Stabilization Fund.

The money would come from grants made possible by the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009. California has already received $2.5 billion in grants for public education from the stimulus bill.

Also, I've been told O'Connell will be flying down from Sacramento Wednesday to visit the Da Vinci schools in Wiseburn. The two charters were featured by the Breeze in an article last summer.

Here's the press release (on the funding accouncement):

SACRAMENTO -- State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced California has submitted its application for the last 10 percent of funding from the federal State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) that would be allocated to the state totaling $324 million for kindergarten through grade twelve public education.

"My gratitude goes to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and President Barack Obama for making these funds available that have helped our financially struggling schools get through these tough economic times," said O'Connell. "I will continue to work closely with Governor Schwarzenegger to secure these much-needed funds for California schools. With this federal support we can further our efforts to improve student achievement by ensuring that all students have access to effective teachers, enhancing our longitudinal data system, maintaining our high standards, and focusing on data-driven reforms to help struggling schools."

SFSF is part of the federal stimulus package called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. Funding comes in two phases. In the first phase, California received a grant of $2.6 billion in the spring of 2009, and an additional $355 million in the fall of 2009, making up 90 percent of the total amount available for K-12 public education. Of these amounts, $2.5 billion has already been disbursed to the public school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education. The funds are designed to help schools avert cuts in services and personnel, repair schools, and advance early learning to help students and their families.

The California Department of Education worked closely with the Schwarzenegger administration to prepare the application for the second and final phase of these SFSF funds totaling $324 million for K-12 education. To secure the funding, California assured the federal government that the state is making progress in four areas of reform. These include achieving equity in teacher distribution, improving collection and use of data, improving standards and assessments, and supporting struggling schools. How the second phase of funding will be disbursed has not been finalized yet.

In an opinion piece appearing in Sunday's San Francisco Chroncile, Alan Bonsteel argues that an LAUSD mandate to turn a third of its schools into charters or magnets could have a ripple effect throughout state.

"The change is not only a mighty one for the state's largest school district, but in time it could double the number of public schools of choice in California," Bonsteel writes.

Bonsteel is president of California Parents for Education Choice, a Northern California-based advocacy group.

This one comes from the California Faculty Association:

Lillian Taiz, President of the California Faculty Association, issued this response to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2010/11 budget plan released today:

We are pleased the governor's budget has made higher education a priority for the state. This budget makes a start toward restoring the draconian cuts that higher education has experienced for many years. The California Faculty Association has repeatedly argued that public universities are crucial to our state's future; if we are to restore California's prosperity we must invest in public higher education.

The governor's plan would restore about half the permanent general fund cuts to the CSU made since 2007/08. This reinvestment in public higher education comes as the result of the hard work of thousands of faculty, staff, students and supporters in the CSU, UC and community college campus communities who demonstrated and advocated on behalf of public higher education. Their work generated immense interest in the future of California's public colleges and universities.

The governor's support for these resources means that the efforts underway on campuses around the state to dismantle programs, turn away students, and slash classes can stop. These plans--based on the mistaken assumption that the CSU would be dramatically cut once again--can be set aside allowing the university to recover to doing what it does best, provide quality higher education to California's working people.

The sad news about this CSU budget proposal is that it includes another 10% student fee increase and eliminates new competitive CalGrants. Moreover, we have grave concerns about other funding areas. Many of our state's children, poor, elderly, and disabled will suffer from his plan to cut health and other social services. Healthy children learn better. Health, the public safety net and education are intertwined and cutting any of them is no help to our shared future.

The California Faculty Association represents the instructional faculty, librarians, counselors and coaches at all 23 campuses of the California State University.

THE GOVERNOR'S 2010/11 BUDGET PLAN FOR THE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY:

• Restore $305 million in previous general fund cuts to the CSU's 2010/11 budget.

• Provide $60.6 million for 2.5 percent enrollment growth, contingent upon the state receiving a threshold amount in federal aid for other state programs.

• Impose yet another 10% student fee increase. This increase comes on top of the massive 32% increase enacted in the last year.

• Eliminate new awards for the Cal Grant Competitive Program beginning in 2010. This program provides financial assistance for students based upon their academic performance.

The California Teachers Association, the state's powerful teachers union, has advised local chapters to oppose the state's application for Race to the Top.

The decision could influence local school boards, who will have the power to decide if their districts will seek funding from Obama's $4.3 billion education reform initiative.

Agreements between individual school districts and the state, or memorandums of understanding, are due today.

From a report appearing in The Educated Guess:

Deputy State Superintendent Rick Miller admitted that a lack of union leaders' signatures on districts' MOUs would probably doom the state's chances - at least in the first round of funding.

As part of Race to the Top, teachers unions would have to agree to renegotiate their contracts to permit using test scores in determining tenure, pay and firing decisions. That's the heart of CTA's opposition.

Just days after promising not to cut any more from K-12 schools, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vowed today to restore some funding to the California State University system. The nation's largest system of higher education has suffered a $625 million loss in state funding the past two years. Schwarzenegger said an additional $60.5 million will be provided this year for enrollment growth. CSU Chancellor Charles Reed lauded the governor for his support in a statement:

"We commend the Governor for his renewed investment in the California State University," Reed said. "If adopted by the Legislature, this budget will allow us to begin restoring student access to our university. In this extremely difficult budget climate, we recognize and very much appreciate the Governor making higher education a priority. Clearly, he understands how important restored budgets for higher education are for jobs and California's economic recovery. We are still faced with challenging circumstances and it will be a slow process as we seek to return to financial stability. This budget will help start us on the path to recovery."

Today the San Francisco Chonicle looks at the new laws aimed at reforming education in California, and compares Obama's Race to the Top initiative with the Bush Administration's No Child Left Behind Act. Here's an excerpt:

To anyone who has spent time in a school over the past decade, such reforms will sound familiar: They have been part of the federal No Child Left Behind Education Act that has strictly governed school accountability since 2001.

California's new Race to the Top plan "sounds very similar to No Child Left Behind," said Mike Kirst, education professor emeritus of Stanford University. "What's different is that NCLB relies on top-down enforcement from the state and federal governments," while the new plan requires parent participation to fix low-scoring schools.

"It's a bottom-up strategy," Kirst said.

Yet the education law most closely associated with former President George W. Bush - No Child Left Behind - and the new competition created by President Obama's education team - Race to the Top - are strongly intertwined. That's intentional, education experts say.

In his State of the State address on Wednesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vowed to uphold funding for California's public schools. Spending on the state's public schools has been slashed by nearly $18 billion since 2008 and K-12 spending this year still makes up about 37 percent of California's $91.4 billion overall budget, according to Education Week.

Schwarzenegger's comments come as state lawmakers grapple with a $20 billion deficit.

Making good on his word, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed two education reform bills Thursday aimed at making California elgible for up to $700 million in federal grant money.

The California state Senate passed two bills Wednesday aimed at making sweeping reforms in public education. The legislation would allow parents to transfer their children from low-performing schools and create a system to track the academic progress of students from elementary school to college. Parents would also be able to petition district school boards for overhauls, including the removal of school principals. In addition, test scores would be linked to teacher evaluations. The two bills have been opposed by teachers unions.

Gov. Schwarzenegger is expected to sign the pieces of legislation today. On Wednesday, the governor pledged to make school funding a priority as a $20 billion state deficit looms.

The education reform bills are aimed at making California more competitive for President Obama's $4.3 billion Race to the Top initiative. Under the plan, California public schools may be elgible for up to $700 million in federal grants.

So far, most South Bay school districts have not yet decided to participate in Race to the Top. Statewide, less than have of all public school districts and charter schools submitted their intention to participate by the first deadline, which was Dec. 31. The final deadline to submit an agreement to participate with the state in Race to the Top is today.

Here's the press release from the California Department of Education:

SACRAMENTO - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today responded to Governor Schwarzenegger's 2010 State of the State address:

"I was encouraged today to hear Gov. Schwarzenegger say in his State of the State address that he plans to protect education funding in his proposed budget for the coming year. I applaud him for making public education a priority, and for recognizing that the future economic well-being of our state is dependent upon a well-educated, highly skilled workforce. Our schools are still dealing with the effects of $17 billion in cuts made in the last budget cycle. Many vital school programs across the state have been cut back or eliminated all together. We cannot afford to backslide further. The key to expanding our economy is education. We need a well-qualified workforce to fill the green technology, biotechnology, and other sector jobs that the governor is promoting to boost our economy.

"I look forward to seeing the details of the governor's budget when it's released within the next few days, and I hope it's a budget that does in fact protect our schools and our students."

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott today commented on Gov. Schwarzenegger's State of the State address. "Gov. Schwarzenegger's vision that California will no longer spend more money on prisons than it does on higher education is one that holds great promise," said Chancellor Scott. "Wisdom and common sense remind us that tipping the scales back in favor of fully funding education means that fewer Californians will land in a prison cell and we will reduce costs associated with larger prison populations."

Chancellor Scott continued, "I am encouraged by the governor's statement that he will not propose additional cuts to education in 2010-11. This year the California Community Colleges received an 8 percent cut. This cut had very severe consequences. The governor's commitment to protect education is a welcome relief for college faculty, staff and students.

"I am also optimistic the governor's efforts to obtain a fair share of California's federal taxes will prevail. With a united front, there is much state leaders can do to ensure Congress and the Obama administration revert back to the Clinton era when California received 94 cents on every tax dollar from the federal government. I will do what I can to help this effort. In February I will travel to Washington D.C. and ask members of Congress and the White House to help fund community college programs that service our returning war veterans, train workers in emerging green and health care technologies, and provide an open door to anyone seeking an education."

And here's the response from Lillian Taiz, President of the California Faculty Association:

"We are gratified that the governor has heard our message that California's system of public higher education is a vital resource that must be funded and cannot sustain further cuts.

Our organization is ready to work with the Schwarzenegger administration to ensure that California's public higher education system continues to be the engine of the state's economic growth.

Hundreds of thousands of students rely on the CSU for educational, professional and economic advancement. A re-investment in public higher education after the recent devastating budget cuts is a signal to California that our message is right: the CSU is the Solution.

We sincerely hope that the details of the governor's budget proposal will match his remarks."

A group of six school librarians in the Westchester cluster of Los Angeles Unified campuses has crafted a list of book recommendations for young adult readers.

2009 was the first year that the Westchester Fiction Award Committee read, evaluated, and awarded five titles in three age group categories: elementary, middle school, and high school.

Elementary:

• Before John Was A Jazz Giant by Carole Boston Weatherford published by Henry Holt & Company
• Buster Goes to Cowboy Camp by Denise Fleming published by Henry Holt & Company
• Lemon the Duck by Laura Backman published by Lobster Press
• My Cousin, The Alien by Pamela Service published by Lerner Publishing Group
• Wild Boars Cook by Meg Rosoff published by Henry Holt & Company

Middle School

• The Brain Finds a Leg by Martin Chatterton published by Peachtree
• Lunch With Lenin by Deborah Ellis published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside
• Masterpiece by Elise Broach published by Henry Holt & Company
• Ramp Rats by Liam O'Donnell published by Orca Book Publishers
• Who's Buried in the Garden by Ray Villareal published by Pinata Books

High School

• The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson published by Henry Holt & Company
• Lost by Jacqueline Davies published by Marshall Cavendish
• Pieces of Me by Charlotte Gingras published by Kids Can Press
• Shut Up by Marilyn Reynolds published by Morning Glory Press
• Watching July by Christine Hart published by Orca Book Publishers

In 2010, the group will focus exclusively on high school-age readers -- and it will include staff from across LAUSD's eight local districts. Five of the seven members are now high school teacher librarians, one is a middle school teacher librarian, and one is a secondary literacy coach, the organization reported in a press release.

Also, the final awards this year will include student evaluations.

Contact chairwoman and founder Suzanne Osman at sosman@lausd.net if you have any questions regarding this award or if you would like to submit a nomination.

Charges have been dropped against eight protesters, including a Peninsula High School graduate, arrested outside the campus home of a University of California chancellor in December.

Rolling Hills Estates resident and 2006 Peninsula High School graduate Laura Thatcher was arrested late Friday, Dec. 11 along with UC Berkeley students Zachary Bowin, 21, and Angela Miller, 20; UC Davis student Julia Litman-Cleper, 20; City University of New York graduate student Carwil James, 34; Fullerton resident John Friesen, 25; Oakland resident David Morse, 41; and San Francisco resident Donnell Allen, 41.

Thatcher, 21, is an art student at UC Davis.

The group was taken into custody after university police responded to an incident at the home of UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau over the weekend of Dec. 11.

About 40 to 70 protesters, voicing objections to UC budget cuts and student fee increases, threw lighted torches at police cars and the chancellor's residence on the north side of the Berkeley campus. Police said windows, lights and planters were damaged in the incident.

No fire or injuries were reported.

The eight protestors was charged with rioting, threatening an education official, attempted burglary, attempted arson of an occupied building, felony vandalism and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer. The group was held for four days at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. Bail was set at $132,500.

Initially, charges against the protesters were delayed, after a Alameda County superior court judge told a packed court room on Tuesday, Dec. 15 prosecutors needed more time to investigate the incident.

Charges were dropped later that day.