Hershey schools in court over chocolate king's dream (Reuters)

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – A school district in the town named for chocolate king Milton Hershey went to court on Thursday to argue that his sweet dream of funding education was ignored by a foundation that has instead spent millions on entertainment.

The Derry Township School District said in a document filed in Orphans Court of Dauphin County that the founder of The Hershey Chocolate Company had local schools in mind when he included money for educational purposes in a will written before he died in 1945.

Instead, the Milton S. Hershey Foundation has used over $9 million from 2003 and 2008 to pay for entertainment venues such as the Hershey Museum, Hershey Gardens and Hershey Archives, the school district said.

Barely a drop of the riches have gone to the school district, which has received a total of $25,000 since the 1960s, the court papers said.

The school district maintains that if Hershey's wishes were properly honored it would be receiving at least $300,000 and perhaps as much as $1 million per year. The district's annual budget is about $50 million, and the money could help to buy laptops for high school students and make physical improvements to the middle school, school officials said.

The legal struggle unfolded against the backdrop of a ubiquitous Hershey presence in the township, including street lights shaped like Hershey Kisses, gardens mulched with chocolate-smelling cocoa bean shells, and a luxurious spa at the Hotel Hershey that features cocoa facials and whipped cocoa baths.

The town is also home to the Milton Hershey School, a private academy that educates 1,800 children in social and financial need.

School officials said the 3,600-student public school district did not raise taxes recently because of taxpayer pressure to hold the line and receives only about 30-40 percent of its budget from the state.

Donald Papson, executive director of the foundation, said Thursday that it disagrees with the definition of deserving educational recipients in the court papers.

Papson also said that the school district gets an additional $1.8 million from a separate Hershey trust each year. He said the payments from the foundation to the district were dropped in 1967 when the state recalculated the education aid formula, and the board at that time felt the state money was sufficient for the district.

In a separate, unrelated investigation of another Hershey branch, the state attorney general is looking into how millions of dollars were spent for several land deals in the last several years. That probe began in 2010 when now Governor Tom Corbett was the attorney general.

(Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Greg McCune)

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Philadelphia English teacher explains why she helped students cheat (The Lookout)

(Thinkstock)

The revelation that more than 80 Atlanta teachers admitted to cheating on state standardized tests--with one group of elementary teachers even holding a "party" after school to change their pupils' answers by hand--has rocked the education reform movement.

But one question has been left unanswered: Why would a teacher resort to cheating in the first place?

The Notebook blog has found a Philadelphia teacher willing to explain why she helped her 11th-grade English students cheat on the state's standardized tests. (The blog earlier broke the story that Pennsylvania officials suspected cheating may have occurred in 60 state schools.)

The teacher, who remains anonymous in the story, says she began to help her students cheat because she worried their self-esteem was crushed by taking tests they were in no way academically prepared for. If a student asked a question during one of the eight yearly testing periods, she would help him or her find the right answer, or occasionally just point to it on the exam.

"I never went to any student who didn't call me to help them cheat," said the teacher. "But if somebody asked me a question, I wasn't willing to say, 'Just do your best.' They were my students, and I wanted to be there for them."

The teacher said administrators bullied teachers about boosting test scores so that the school would make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), creating a constant state of performance anxiety in the classroom. Schools with low scores must improve by a certain amount each year to avoid federal sanctions set forth by the No Child Left Behind law. In some cases, the federal government shuts down schools that fail to boost scores year after year.

"The prevailing message was, 'We have to make AYP this year, or they're going to shut our school down and you're all going to lose your jobs.' At every professional development [session], that's what we discussed," the teacher said. She added that many teachers at her school engaged in cheating.

Read her whole story here.

The Atlanta scandal and a USA Today report of potential teacher-sanctioned cheating in 1,600 classrooms across six states has put pressure on the Obama administration for its focus on standardized testing. Teachers in some districts are being paid bonuses for their students' performance on state tests, and many others have their performance evaluation tied to those scores.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says that the emphasis on tests does not encourage cheating. In fact, he sees it as the only way to ensure schools are adequately teaching their students.

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Yale's 'World Fellows' program a melting pot of elites (AFP)

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (AFP) – A Tunisian cyberdissident and a Russian blogger may not appear to have much in common, but they were brought together at Yale University in a program drawing elites from around the globe.

Established 10 years ago, Yale's "World Fellows" initiative has lured a diverse group of mid-career professionals deemed to be "emerging leaders" to the prestigious Ivy League school northeast of New York.

Each year, 14-18 people earn the right to spend a semester on the leafy campus in New Haven, Connecticut. Fellows -- whose fees and living expenses are fully funded by the university -- take classes but also offer guest lectures to undergraduates and meet with students to share their experiences.

Program veterans include prominent Chinese AIDS activist Wan Yanhai, who is now living in the United States due to fears for his safety; Lebanese gallery owner Saleh Barakat; and Venezuelan opposition lawmaker Maria Corina Machado.

"We receive 3,800 applications from the six regions of the world," program director Michael Cappello, an expert on infectious diseases, told AFP.

"Selection is a four-month process. The criteria are flexible -- the most important criterion is our belief that in the next five to 10 years, the candidate will have a national impact as a leader in some field."

Russian blogger Alexei Navalny, an anti-corruption whistleblower, took classes on corporate law but also gave lectures about his homeland.

Tunisian cyber-activist Fares Mabrouk said he came to Yale to learn how to launch a "democracy think tank" in his country, but also took a music appreciation course.

"People who will be leaders need to better understand the world globally," Cappello said.

Valerie Rose Belanger, the program's director of partnerships, added: "These are brilliant people in various fields, and the most important thing is they would never have met."

She said the fellows become "role models" for the regular students, who are eager to meet people "who take risks and are practitioners... not academicians as we are here."

Mabrouk lived at Yale late last year, returning to Tunisia in December 2010 -- just before the eruption of the popular revolution that would topple President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and spark uprisings across the Arab world.

"I made friends from India, Indonesia, from all over -- they wrote to me during the revolution, and we're still in contact," said Mabrouk, who is now working with a group of bloggers ahead of October polls to elect a constituent assembly.

For some fellows like Wan, the United States becomes their adopted homeland; for others like Mabrouk, a stay at Yale marks a professional turning point.

In 2007, after his time as a World Fellow, Barakat -- who had owned a gallery since 1991 -- organized Lebanon's first-ever pavilion at the prestigious Venice Biennale contemporary art festival.

He has also worked with the Tate Modern in London and opened a second gallery.

Turkey's Hakan Altinay launched a project on global civics instruction -- what started as a news article became a book translated into several languages. A documentary is in the works.

And Machado, elected to Venezuela's national assembly in 2010, has been tipped as a potential candidate to battle Hugo Chavez for the presidency in 2012.

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LinkedIn Offers New Options for Students (U.S. News & World Report)

A competitive job market that continues to show minimal growth has added to the doubts and frustrations some students and recent graduates have about life after college. In an effort to aid young professionals in their job searches, LinkedIn--the social network of more than 100 million members and recognized for connecting professionals--has added new sections to its profiles that allow students and graduates with limited professional experience to highlight successes in the classroom. These new sections allow students to post information regarding projects, honors and awards, involvement in organizations, test scores, and courses.

Laurie Boettcher, a social media speaker and trainer, believes the new sections will give students and graduates a leg up in the job search. "I think it's definitely going to make them more competitive," Boettcher says. "Employers spend so much money on training new employees and, if they know you've already had some experience in doing some of this type of work, that's going to be a big deal."

[Learn why college students should join LinkedIn.]

With the revamped profile choices, users have the ability to reorder sections to highlight and prioritize their strongest attributes. According to Eric Stoller, a higher education consultant, students should understand that adding positive information won't necessarily make them stand out from the crowd. "With today's millennial generation, everybody's getting honors and awards," Stoller says. "It seems like you come in 7th place [and] you get a medal. Same thing with test scores, with grade inflation, everyone could have a 4.0 GPA, because who's going to check it?"

Stoller suggests highlighting "tangible items" such as projects or organizational involvement, which better relate to your professional potential. "What have you done [on campus] and how did you go about doing it?" Stoller notes. "Showcase your leadership ability, your ability to work with other people, [and] your decision-making ability."

Although providing information on participation in projects and organizations can be beneficial, students must be aware that the job search does not end there. Abhishek Seth, a rising senior at Boston University and active user of the social platform, fears students may use the sections for the wrong reasons. "I'm a little afraid that it's giving false hope to students because they think they can just post their credentials on their wall and get a job," Seth says. "I think one thing I learned quickly [on LinkedIn] was that people wouldn't just come to me. I had to reach out to others."

[Find 10 paying college jobs that look good on your resume.]

Seth also believes the stigma of being a college student could carry over to a user's LinkedIn profile, causing them to lose ground to other more experienced workers. "It pigeonholes them as a student by talking about what organizations or fraternities they're working for," he notes. "Automatically they're thrown into a student category. Big companies don't want students. They want real professionals."

While highlighting your academic achievements can strengthen your profile, employers are still primarily interested in the internship or work experience that students and recent graduates attained during college, notes Lindsey Sparks, a senior PR specialist at American Fidelity Assurance Company, an insurance provider.

"When you have a stack of 70 resumes for a position, and half of them have internship experience, they're immediately going to go above all of the people who don't list that," Sparks says. "So it's really hard for people to stand out if they don't have professional experience to go along with it.

[Discover the 10 universities producing the most interns.]

While many students are aware of the importance of displaying professional experience on LinkedIn, some are encouraged by the option to add classroom successes to their profiles. Andi Enns, a rising junior at Park University, says that these new sections will likely motivate students to be more active on campus. "It will remind them that it is really important to get involved and have the type of experiences we may not be able to have in an entry-level job," Enns notes. "These new sections give me the opportunity to show potential employers that I do more than study on campus."

It remains to be seen whether the new LinkedIn sections will improve college students' and recent graduates' chances of landing jobs, but higher education consultant Stoller believes the social network has given them the opportunity to leave college more prepared for the challenge of securing employment. "Everyone talks about higher ed not preparing students for the real world, and I think LinkedIn has offered a chance for students to get more connected to the real world earlier in their academic careers."

Have you found success on LinkedIn? Share your stories with us on our Best Colleges Facebook page.

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What Are Some Common College Admissions Myths? (U.S. News & World Report)

For something as complex as the college admissions process, it's important to make sure you have all of the right information when it comes to dispelling myths. Donald J. from Park City, Utah, is helping everyone out with his question this week:

Q: In your experience, what are three of the most accepted or exaggerated myths in the college admissions process?

A: Get the facts straight before applying to college.
Katherine Cohen, founder and CEO, IvyWise and ApplyWise.com

Myth #1: Your SAT/ACT score is the most important thing in your application.

Your academic transcript is most important. In fact, there is nothing more important to an admissions officer than your grades and performance in the classroom. A high SAT or ACT score may keep you in the applicant pool, but alone, it will not guarantee admission.

Myth #2: You want to get recommendations from teachers who have given you A's.

Not necessarily. You want to get recommendations from those teachers who know you best, perhaps someone who has taught you over several years or knows you in multiple capacities. Hopefully, you also did well in their classes!

Myth #3: You can start the application process in 12th grade.

Everything from ninth grade on counts, including summers. Students need a four-year plan to chart their academic coursework, select meaningful activities, etc.

[Get more tips from U.S. News's Applying 101 guide.]

A: You don't need to move to Mississippi, Wyoming, or South Dakota.
James Montoya, vice president of higher education, The College Board

Myth #1: Most universities accept only a small percentage of their applicants.

The vast majority of colleges and universities accept more than half of their applicants. It may seem otherwise, largely because the media tends to focus its stories on the nation's most selective institutions, which simply doesn't tell the full admissions story.

Myth #2: A great interview can make up for a so-so academic record.

A student's high school academic record and SAT or ACT scores remain the most important factors in selective college admissions. Having a great interview certainly doesn't hurt, but don't expect it to make up for a lackluster performance in high school.

Myth #3: Moving to Wyoming or Mississippi will increase chances of getting accepted.

Your academic accomplishments and life experiences are much more important than the state in which you live.

[Avoid 4 common financial aid myths.]

A: You don't need to be a jack of all trades.
Michele Hernandez, president and founder, HernandezCollegeConsulting.com and ApplicationBootCamp.com

Myth #1: Colleges are looking for well-rounded students.

This is simply no longer the case. Colleges are looking for a well-rounded class filled with musicians, singers, classicists, debaters, etc.--but that does not mean they need every student to be a jack of all trades. They much prefer depth and level of expertise in a few key areas than someone who is spread out all over the map.

Myth #2: Colleges want to see a detailed resume.

Resumes are for jobs, not for college applications. Sending a resume instead of an activity list rubs admissions officers the wrong way because colleges are academic/scholarly institutions, not investment banks, and it smacks of hubris to even have a resume at age 16. Stick to the Common App format by using an activity list and elaborate in a separate attachment, if necessary, on a few of the activities you've spent a ton of time on.

Myth #3: Colleges won't care if I'm a few days late.

Don't count on it! Though some colleges may accept your application, we've seen colleges reject applications that were sent late. It's a risk on your part and not the kind of action that shows that you are the top student they are looking for. Be mindful of deadlines and aim to get your essays done over the summer so you can submit applications on time.

[Get tips on what high school juniors should do to prepare for college.]

A: There are no magical numbers.
Stacey Kostell, director of admissions, University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign

Myth #1: You have to have a certain standardized test score to be admitted.

Universities that practice holistic admissions consider many aspects of an applicant before making an admissions decision. Test scores are considered but are not the most important factor in the decision process and are rarely the make-or-break factor.

Myth #2: We only accept a certain number of students from each high school.

Many colleges build their classes to include students with different interests and backgrounds. However, at most schools, including flagship universities, the number of applications admitted from a school is not limited.

Myth #3: Admission committees can't tell if the applicant wrote the essays themselves.

Admissions staff read thousands of essays each year and can tell when an applicant has received excessive assistance. Just remember to do your best work and get involved in activities you enjoy. You'll find the right college.

[Get tips on writing the college application essay.]

A: Try, apply, and never look back.
Steve Loflin, founder and CEO, National Society of Collegiate Scholars

Parents and advisers should never discourage students from applying to any school they wish to attend. The biggest myths may be "I can't afford to go" or "I will never get in." Affordability is only an issue if the student applies and actually gets accepted. An employer once told me he always asks students where they applied to go to college. By applying to a top-tier school, students demonstrate ambition and self-confidence, regardless of whether or not they get in.

These individuals don't get lured into believing they're not worthy. They try, they apply, and they move on from whatever the final answer is. And sometimes by taking a chance and believing it possible, they get to attend the school of their dreams! You never know if you don't try--you'll only wonder "if," and that's no way to live a fulfilling and worthwhile life.

Visit the Unigo Expert Network for 30 more experts dispelling admissions myths, and to have your own questions answered.

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How A Non-Profit Funded 1,000 Students With Micro-loans [EXCLUSIVE] (Mashable)

A Seattle-based non-profit has helped 1,000 students in developing countries get a proper education -- thanks entirely to its micro-loan platform and donations from the public. Vittana was founded in 2009 with the aim of helping students in developing countries pay for their education through student loans. Two years later it has funded 1,000 students in 10 developing countries.

[More from Mashable: 4 Ways iPads Are Changing the Lives of People With Disabilities]

While that may not seem like a lot, it's a major milestone when you consider those micro-loans are being paid by micro-donations from around the world. The platform's high return rate doesn't negate the amount of blind trust and goodwill necessary to make Vittana run. So far it's been paying off for students like Bernarda Esmilsen Escobar, a young woman studying nursing in Paraguay and Vitanna's 1,000th student.

Escobar didn't have enough money to finish school and requested a $900 micro-loan. When she graduates she'll earn more than $20 per day, up from $9 per day, to support herself and her son. That improvement is typical, according to Vittana, which claims its students earn nearly three times their original income after graduation.

[More from Mashable: Lance Armstrong, Doug Ulman & Abigail Disney Join Social Good Summit Lineup]

Student loans can amount to thousands of dollars in the U.S. In developing countries, student loans are much less expensive, but there are also fewer options for help. Vittana acts as a way to provide those people with the loans needed to finish their education. Users can pledge as little as $25 to be repaid by the student over time. Although repayment isn't guaranteed, the non-profit claims a 99% return rate. Users can then reinvest that money, donate it to Vittana or withdraw it as cash.

What do you think of micro-loans? Is it smart to crowdsource education funding? Sound off in the comments.

This story originally published on Mashable here.

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Conn. court: church can't be sued by ex-principal (AP)

HARTFORD, Conn. – The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Monday that a former Catholic school principal cannot sue the Archdiocese of Hartford on claims she was wrongly fired for not retaliating against a student, who complained about sexual remarks allegedly made by a priest now accused of abusing children.

The high court unanimously overturned a lower court ruling in favor of Patricia Dayner, former principal of St. Hedwig's School in Naugatuck. Justices said Dayner's lawsuit against the archdiocese was barred under the "ministerial exception" to state courts' authority to decide employment cases. The exception is based on the First Amendment right to freedom of religion, and the right of religious organizations to control their own internal affairs.

But the state Supreme Court, in its first ruling on the issue, didn't ban all labor-related lawsuits against religious institutions. Justices adopted the view of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, which ruled in 2008 that courts can decide to step into church employment disputes based on the nature of the complaints and whether court action would intrude on churches' right to decide issues related to doctrine or internal governance.

Federal appeal courts have issued conflicting rulings in ministerial exception cases. The U.S. Supreme Court will take up the issue later this year, when it hears a case involving a teacher at a church-run school in Michigan and decides whether ministerial exception applies to the Americans with Disabilities Act in cases where church workers are deemed secular, and not religious, employees.

In Dayner's case, she alleged her contract was not renewed for the 2005-2006 school year because she refused to retaliate against an eighth-grade girl who complained in 2003 that St. Hedwig Parish's pastor, the Rev. Stephen Bzdyra, used sexually explicit language in a weekly religious class that made several girls uncomfortable. What exactly Bzdyra allegedly said isn't clear.

Dayner's lawsuit claims Bzdyra denied the allegations and ordered her to report the girl to the Department of Children and Families. Dayner refused.

Lawyers for Bzdyra and the archdiocese said Bzdyra wasn't happy with how Dayner handled the situation, but he renewed her contract for the 2004-2005 year. They said Bzdyra had several serious concerns about Dayner's performance as principal, including the school's failure to receive accreditation, that led to her contract not being renewed the following year.

Bzdyra has been on administrative leave since July 2010 when the archdiocese suspended him amid sexual abuse allegations, which he denies. Three men have filed lawsuits claiming Bzdyra sexually abused them when they were boys.

Dayner's lawsuit alleged that the archdiocese breached implied contracts, including not giving her the chance to improve any deficiencies as principal. It also accused the archdiocese of wrongful termination, and Bzdyra of "malicious actions" that led to her contract not being renewed. She sought an undisclosed amount of damages, lost wages and attorney's fees.

The state Supreme Court on Monday ordered a lower court to dismiss Dayner's lawsuit.

"Her claim essentially asks the court to police the archdiocese's compliance with its own internal procedures," Justice Flemming L. Norcott Jr. wrote in the ruling. "The very act of litigating a dispute that is subject to the ministerial exception would result in the entanglement of the civil justice system with matters of religious policy, making the discovery and trial process itself a First Amendment violation."

Dayner's lawyer, Henry Murray, said he and his client have mixed feelings about the ruling

"We wish that the Supreme Court would have decided the facts differently and allowed the case to go to trial," he said.

But Murray added that he and Dayner were "gratified" that the high court set a precedent that didn't prohibit all lawsuits by religious employees.

A lawyer for the archdiocese, Lorinda Coon, declined to comment on Monday's ruling.

The archdiocese said in a statement that it was "particularly gratified that the Connecticut Supreme Court has recognized in very clear terms that under the Constitution, religious organizations have an exclusive right to decide for themselves matters of doctrine and internal governance and organization, including employment decisions concerning religious leaders, free of interference by the civil justice system."

Dayner didn't immediately return a phone message, and no one answered the phone at Bzdyra's home in New Haven on Monday.

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Evidence of meth use closes West Virginia technical school (Reuters)

CHARLESTON, W., Virginia (Reuters) – A West Virginia high school has been closed and its principal and a teacher arrested after officials discovered traces of methamphetamine in the building, authorities said on Wednesday.

Principal Keith Phipps and teacher Jack Turley of the Boone County Career and Technical Center are accused of manufacturing and purchasing material used to make methamphetamine last spring, and both were suspended, said Jeff Huffman, assistant superintendent of Boone County, West Virginia, schools.

Huffman said the methamphetamine traces were a result of the illegal stimulant, which is frequently homemade, being smoked at school, and authorities do not believe the drug was manufactured at the school.

The use of methamphetamine, which can cause brain damage and violent behavior, has ravaged many rural communities.

The drug traces were discovered through testing by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.

"Based on the amount of residue found, we felt it was in the best interests of employees and students to go ahead and close the facility while we continue to complete our testing and begin the required remediation process for various parts of the facility," Huffman said.

Had the methamphetamine been made at the school, he added, "The readings from the test results would be much, much greater."

The school, which serves as many as 450 students during the regular school year, will remain closed indefinitely.

School officials plan to meet on Thursday to design a plan for decontaminating the building and putting a contract for the work out for bidding.

(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Jerry Norton)

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Bill Gates says high school degree no longer enough (Reuters)

BOSTON (Reuters Life!) – A high school diploma is not enough to secure the best paying and most interesting jobs, said Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, who dropped out of Harvard University to build his computer company.

"Every student needs a meaningful credential beyond high school," said Gates, who spoke at an education and employment conference sponsored by the civil rights group the National Urban League.

"Higher education is crucial for jobs," he said, adding that education is an equalizer in society and is the key to getting urban America back to work and fighting poverty.

Gates said he believes college should be "for almost everyone," but that parents, teachers and entire communities need to help make those opportunities available.

Despite dropping out of college in his third year, Gates credited his own education, supportive parents and great teachers with his success.

"Our public schools range from outstanding to outrageous and where a child's school is located on that spectrum is a matter of luck," he said. "When it comes to education, we should replace luck with equity."

Getting the most effective teachers into the classrooms and using their best practices to help other teachers improve is critical to making that happen, he said.

Teacher improvement should include feedback from peers and students, to some degree test scores, and even video analysis from the classroom, according to Gates.

Gates, who said there can be good schools in even the poorest neighborhoods, pointed to some charter schools forging a path with less money and better results.

"It's not about throwing money at the problem," said Gates.

"It's about the way the teachers are picked. It's about the way the teachers are encouraged. It's about the culture of the school, the high expectations," he added.

(Reporting by Lauren Keiper; Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Greg McCune)

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Sen. Shelby questions education grant competition (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The "Race to the Top" program extends the reach of the federal government too far into states' public schools operations, a leading Republican senator said on Wednesday.

The Obama administration also risks neglecting poorer states by moving toward competitive education funding, Sen. Richard Shelby, the most powerful Republican on the Banking Committee, said at a hearing on education spending.

"I'm concerned that the scoring process for Race to the Top applications essentially mandates which interventions should be used by states and local school districts to improve student achievement," Shelby said.

"The federal government, I believe, should give states the flexibility to implement critical reforms," he added.

President Barack Obama created the competitive Race to the Top program in the 2009 economic stimulus plan to encourage states to adopt unified education standards, implement teaching reforms and foster the spread of autonomous charter schools.

States, eager for education money, competed heavily for more than $4 billion in grants, and the program's popularity led Congress to add $500 million in additional funding. In the budget he proposed in February, Obama suggested expanding it and using it as a model for three new education programs that would reward reforms and achievements.

The Bush administration's "No Child Left Behind" educational funding program, the master plan for federal education spending, has expired and has not been replaced.

At the hearing, Shelby asked Education Secretary Arne Duncan to consider changing the scoring process for Race to the Top. He also questioned the "substantial increase in the amount of discretionary funding that would be competitively awarded" in Obama's budget.

"I'm concerned that replacing formula funding programs with so-called competitive programs will result in the re-direction, obviously, of critical federal funds from smaller rural states to urban areas," said Shelby, of Alabama.

Recently, Republicans in Congress have grown skeptical of competitive grants. House of Representatives Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica has raised similar doubts about the "TIGER" grants that distributed millions from the stimulus plan to smaller transportation projects.

Duncan said his department would look at the scoring process, calling it a "work in progress." He added that new grant programs will make it easier for rural states to apply.

Duncan also said 84 percent of the funding Obama requested in his budget would be distributed by formula, in which money is given equally and automatically to the states.

"The overwhelming majority of our money will always be, will continue to be, formula funding," he said.

Along with worrying that Race to the Top injects too much into the daily workings of schools, the program's critics have said its emphasis on charter schools, which can be operated by private corporations, can hurt public education.

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert; Editing by Dan Grebler)

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W.Va. school shut down after meth found inside (AP)

By HARRY R. WEBER, Associated Press Harry R. Weber, Associated Press – Mon Jul 25, 8:34 pm ET

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A West Virginia public vocational school has been shut down indefinitely after traces of methamphetamine were found throughout the building during an investigation of the principal and a teacher.

State Police Sgt. Andy Perdue said Monday that traces of the drug were found in the ducts, principal's office, hallways and bathrooms of the Boone County Career and Technical Center. Perdue says the teacher admitted he smoked meth with the principal in the principal's office.

He says police do not have evidence the school was used as a meth lab.

Teacher Jack Turley faces charges of manufacturing meth and procuring Sudafed for making meth. Principal Keith Phipps faces charges of purchasing over the legal limit of Sudafed.

Their attorneys didn't return calls seeking comment.

___

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Colo. panel reviewing school discipline policies (AP)

DENVER – Young students in Colorado schools can face ticketing or charges for scrawling doodles on a desk, accidentally hitting a teacher with a beanbag chair, or swiping a stick of gum from a teacher's purse.

That's what a group of high schools students told a state legislative panel Wednesday examining Colorado's strict disciplinary policies, many of which were implemented in the wake of the 1999 Columbine High School shootings and other high-profile cases of youth violence.

"We are here because we believe schools can be safe without criminalizing students for minor misbehaviors," said Brandon Wagoner, 17, who was among the group of students who stood in a semi-circle in front of the panelists as each read them details of the cases.

Republican Rep. B.J. Nikkel, a member of the panel, said zero-tolerance policies have led to the "over-criminalization" of students and that law enforcement sometimes feels shackled because they're left with little discretion on how to deal with problem students.

But Colorado isn't alone in looking at current policies.

Seema Ahmad, a staff attorney at a Washington, D.C.-based civil rights group called Advancement Project, said other states have also begun to re-examine school discipline.

In Florida, legislators approved a law that requires school boards to create guidelines with law enforcement to distinguish between minor and serious offenses to allow for disciplinary discretion, she said. Ahmad said North Carolina also passed a law requiring school districts to examine a student's intent and disciplinary history before deciding on a punishment.

Texas has introduced legislation like Colorado to create a task force to look at school discipline, Ahmad said.

Ahmad said about 3.3 million students were suspended at least once nationally, according U.S. Department of Justice figures from 2006, the latest available data. Blacks and Hispanics are more likely to be suspended or expelled than white students, Ahmad said.

Wagoner said the detailed Colorado cases were a synopsis of some school punishment in the state this year that has caught the attention of the group he belongs to, Parents and Youth United, which is pushing for policy changes.

The 11-year-old student in the Colorado beanbag case, who was goofing around swinging the chair, was cited with harassment and a third-degree assault charge, the group of students said. The eight-grade student who scrawled on his desk got a municipal ticket for graffiti and the 10-year-old boy who took gum from his teacher was charged with misdemeanor theft, the students said.

"We do want to make sure that criminals are punished, and indeed they will be. We're simply seeking balance," Nikkel said about its mission to analyze the Colorado's disciplinary policies, part of a national trend to review school punishment.

Colorado lawmakers created the panel this year, including law enforcement and community representatives. Wednesday was the first of several meetings before the group develops ideas for legislation by October. At the panel's next hearing in August, they plan to hear testimony from victims and law enforcement.

Lawmakers said about 100,000 students in Colorado have been referred to police during the last decade after getting in trouble in school, sometimes for fighting or bringing a toy gun to school.

Democratic Sen. Evie Hudak cited the case this year of a 10-year-old Colorado boy who was arrested after finding a BB gun on a street and playing with it at a school playground after classes ended. The boy's mother told the Boulder Daily Camera that her son was playing cops with other boys and not threatening anyone.

Jonathan Senft, a staffer with Colorado's Legislative Council, told the panel that zero-tolerance policies are meant to target serious offense, such as bringing a firearm to school, but sometimes there are unintended consequences. He said in one instance, a Colorado student was suspended for bringing a wooden replica of a rifle to school. Nationally, students have gotten suspended for having nail clippers or scissors, he said.

The Colorado panel plans to also study disciplinary trends among races.

Democratic Sen. Linda Newell, who lives about a mile from Columbine High School, where two students killed 13 people and then themselves, said she's aware of parents' concerns about their children's safety. But she said she also wants the panel to look at ways to change what she calls a "regimented" system.

Stan Garnett, the top prosecutor in Boulder County, said he worries about what children take away from their early experiences with law enforcement.

"One of the concerns I've had is that I think zero-tolerance often teaches kids that authority makes no sense," he said.

___

Ivan Moreno can be reached at https://twitter.com/IvanJournalist

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Michigan appeals striking of affirmative action law (Reuters)

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Michigan's attorney general on Friday appealed a federal appeals court decision that struck down a law banning affirmative action in college admissions.

The 6th U.S. Circuit of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision July 1, found that an amendment to the Michigan constitution impermissibly burdens racial minorities.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette Friday requested that all 16 judges on the 6th Circuit court rehear the case. The law, known as the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, will stay in effect pending a final decision by the court.

"It's absurd to conclude that banning racial discrimination somehow perpetuates racial discrimination," said Schuette, in a statement. "It simply defies common sense."

George Washington, a Detroit attorney who represented a civil rights group opposing the law, has said Michigan universities already give special consideration in admissions to certain groups of students, including those from rural backgrounds, those with lower incomes, and veterans.

What the law does is prohibit racial and ethnic minorities from asking for the same consideration in admissions as other groups, Washington said. He expects the case to eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

Schuette said the 6th Circuit ruling conflicts with earlier rulings of the same court, and is in conflict with rulings by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the California Supreme Court, which upheld a nearly identical California ban on racial and gender preferences.

The fight over affirmative action policies at Michigan's public colleges and universities began in the 1960s and 1970s, when African-American and other minority students first successfully lobbied for the policies' adoption.

The U.S. Supreme Court held in 2003 that universities cannot establish quotas for members of certain racial groups, but may consider race or ethnicity as a "plus" factor along with others.

The Michigan law was approved by voters in 2002 and upheld by a separate three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit in 2006, according to Schuette.

(Editing by Jerry Norton)

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Driver sentenced for molesting special needs girl (AP)

STOCKTON, Calif. – A former school bus driver has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for molesting an 8-year-old girl with special needs.

Richard Evans of Lodi pleaded guilty in June to committing sexual acts that prosecutors say were caught on surveillance cameras.

Evans was arrested Nov. 4 after the Stockton third-grader told family members what happened on the school bus.

The Stockton Record reports that at Monday's sentencing in San Joaquin County Superior Court, the 59-year-old Evans said he was sorry and asked for forgiveness.

The newspaper says the girl's father wept as he told the court his family has suffered greatly since his daughter was molested.

As part of the plea agreement, Evans must register as a convicted sex offender and will be on parole for 20 years after his release.

___

Information from: The Record, http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_re_us/storytext/us_school_bus_driver_molestation/42385067/SIG=10rl8032v/*http://www.recordnet.com/

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Science materials in Texas get prelim. approval (AP)

AUSTIN, Texas – An expected fight over teaching evolution in Texas classrooms fizzled Thursday when the state's Board of Education gave preliminary approval to supplemental science materials for the coming school year and beyond with only minor changes.

The Republican-dominated board drew national attention in 2009 when it adopted science standards encouraging schools to scrutinize "all sides" of scientific theory, a move some creationists hailed as a victory.

But Thursday's unanimous vote diffused the expected renewal of that debate. A final vote is scheduled Friday and even though the board still can make changes before then, member David Bradley, R-Beaumont, predicted few fireworks would erupt.

"Somebody might want to refund their tickets," Bradley said after the vote. "There wasn't a fight."

The public hearing was dominated by witnesses encouraging the board to adopt the materials that had been recommended by state Education Commissioner Robert Scott.

One that didn't make the recommended list was an electronic textbook that includes lessons on intelligent design, the theory that life on Earth is so complex it was guided with the help of an intelligent higher power.

"There's no bad science going into classrooms" in the approved materials, said Dan Quinn, spokesman for the Texas Freedom Network, a group that sides with mainstream scientists on teaching evolution.

The new online teaching materials are necessary because the state could not afford to buy new textbooks this year, leaving students to use some that are several years old. Supplemental materials that are approved have the advantage of being on the state's recommended list, but school districts can still buy other materials they chose.

The board instructed two publishers to make changes to some biology materials that used drawings of embryonic similarities between species. The board said more accurate photographs should be used instead.

Another publisher was instructed to make changes to a section that compared human and chimpanzee skulls. The publisher's written response disputed that its material was wrong, and it has the choice of changing the section or withdrawing its material altogether.

Board Chairwoman Barbara Cargill, R-The Woodlands, a former biology teacher who disputes evolution, and Bradley said there was little debate among board members because the materials met the standards set in 2009.

"The supplements are good," Cargill said.

One conservative group, Texans for a Better Science Education, had put out a call to pack Thursday's public hearing with testimony urging board members to adopt materials that question evolution. But they were outnumbered by witnesses urging the board to adopt the materials with few changes.

"I don't want my children's public school teachers to teach faith and God in a science classroom," said the Rev. Kelly Allen of University Presbyterian Church in San Antonio. "True religion can handle truth in all its forms. Evolution is solid science."

The public testimony got off to a heated start. One of the first speakers, Tom Davis of Austin, urged the board to ignore any materials that deal with creationism or intelligent design.

"Intelligent design is creationism, wrapped in thin veneer of pseudoscience," Davis said. "Creation isn't really science at all. It's philosophy."

Sensing that repeated attacks on religion were to come, board member Ken Mercer, R-San Antonio, offered anyone in the audience $500 if they could find any reference in the state science standards to "Jesus or God."

"It's just not there," Mercer said.

The tone of the debate quickly settled down from there.

David Shormann of Magnolia, who runs a Christian-based math and science education software company, said evolution has too many "untestable" components and can't provide a real look at ancient life without a "time machine or a crystal ball."

But Lorenzo Sadun, a math professor at the University of Texas, said those opposing evolution overstate gaps in the fossil record and other areas when trying to discredit the theory.

"The theory of evolution is based on almost as much evidence as the theory of gravity," Sadun said.

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Calif. principal denies molestation allegations (AP)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Flanked by his daughters and tightly holding hands with his wife, a principal under investigation for allegations of child molestation at a Northern California private school vigorously denied wrongdoing Wednesday, declaring at a news conference, "I am innocent."

In his first public statement since authorities shut down Creative Frontiers School in the Sacramento suburb of Citrus Heights on Monday, Robert Adams said he was "sad, mostly for the trauma this has created."

"But I assure you, I am very confident that nothing inappropriate has happened," he said.

The state and police are investigating Adams after reports that he inappropriately touched female students over a 15-year period. Police have served search warrants at both Adams' house and the school, which he founded in 1975.

"I want to thank the many supporters that have come forward during this difficult time," Adams said. "I am shocked at the allegations that were made against me and the school, but I welcome a full investigation."

Later Wednesday, several universities and a state commission confirmed there were discrepancies between their records and academic credentials Adams has claimed.

Adams' attorney, Linda Parisi, didn't return a call seeking comment on the credentials, and a phone number associated with Adams' home address in Folsom was disconnected.

Parisi said at the news conference that she and her client were disappointed by the way the molestation investigation has been handled. Parents were met by armed officers when they went to pick up their children from daycare when the school was abruptly shut down.

"We believe that the safety and welfare of the children were compromised and could have been handled in a significantly different fashion," she said.

The molestation allegations were contained in a complaint filed this week by the California Department of Social Services, which revoked Adams' daycare license.

Adams has not been arrested, and authorities have not said when or if they intend to file charges. Citrus Heights police spokesman Jon Kempf said Wednesday investigators will to take as long as they need while examining all aspects of the case.

"We don't have a timeline. We'll take as much time as necessary to really investigate," Kempf said.

The complaint alleged Adams, whom students refer to as "Mr. Bob," touched young girls under their shirts and down their pants. It went on to say he would "seclude female children under a computer desk and lie down with them on a mat in his office."

The complaint also accuses office administrator Cynthia Higgins of being aware of some of the allegations and failing to report them to authorities. A former receptionist, Irma Mertens, told The Sacramento Bee she made five calls to the state before investigators took her complaint seriously.

Parisi said during Wednesday's news conference that the complaint was made after a volunteer employee learned she would not be receiving an application for full-time employment.

"I find it interesting, the timing of this," Parisi said. "We are confident that whatever claims she's made, there's no foundation to them."

Attempts by The Associated Press to reach Mertens on Wednesday were unsuccessful. Reached by phone, Higgins made one statement before hanging up: "I regret what happened, this is a travesty, and we're more concerned about the kids."

Mertens said in the complaint that she saw Adams slip his hand under a female student's bathing suit.

Parisi said Adams works in a highly regulated industry where the children's safety is paramount. Any investigation, she said, will prove the accusations are unfounded.

Parisi said Higgins never reported the accusations because they never happened.

She added that if Mertens thought "something had happened," she could have notified someone.

"Instead what she did was maintain working at the school for several months," Parisi said. "The only time she came forward was as soon as she learned she was not going to be offered full-time employment."

Parents said they were shocked by Creative Frontiers' closure, and many of them have inundated the school's Facebook page with messages in support of the principal, who they say has been wrongly accused.

Creative Frontiers School serves about 180 students in preschool through sixth grade and has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Tuition to attend for a full year is $6,507, according to the website.

Its tree-lined campus in a middle-class, suburban setting about 20 miles northeast of the state capitol has a small horse pasture. Farther back, a large playground is surrounded by red, cottage-like classrooms.

On Tuesday, the campus was deserted except for a handful of horses in the pasture. A sign posted on the office said the school had been closed by the state. Swim towels had been left hanging to dry on a fence near the pool.

Heather Jo Greenwood, whose 6-year-old son had been attending the school for two years, said he's been constantly asking why the school shut down and why he can't see his friends and teachers.

"We've never had anything but great experiences there. It's really made my son come out of his shell," Greenwood said. "I know the kids are devastated by the allegations and can't understand why they're saying bad things about Mr. Bob because they all love him."

Also Wednesday, some colleges and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing said their records don't match a resume listing Adams' credentials that was filed as part of a 1999 bankruptcy case.

Adams filed the resume with the court as evidence of his experience as an educator. The document said Adams had graduated with two bachelor's degrees, and earned a master's degree and two state education credentials at Southern California colleges in the 1970s, including the University of California, Los Angeles.

Calls Wednesday to the schools and the commission confirmed Adams had received the bachelor's degrees and attended at least two of the schools. But there was no record that he completed a master's degree or received the state credentials, representatives for the schools and commission said.

UCLA found no record that he attended the school at all.

___

Associated Press writer Adam Weintraub contributed to this report.

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Deal could allow Memphis schools to open on time (AP)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis officials have reached a deal that could allow the city's schools to open on time.

The school board had said it was delaying the start of classes indefinitely because it needed $55 million owed by the city.

On Thursday, Mayor AC Wharton and Board President Martavius Jones announced an agreement in which the city would pay $15 million by Aug. 15 and the remainder in monthly installments.

The full school board still must approve the plan, and Jones called a special meeting to consider it Friday night. On Friday morning, the meeting was postponed until next week to give school board members time to review the deal.

The Commercial Appeal newspaper polled board members after the announcement, and five of the nine said they would support the proposal.

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Interim Chief Begins Cleaning up Atlanta Public Schools (U.S. News & World Report)

Three year-round elementary schools in the Atlanta Public School system opened this morning, including two implicated in one of the largest cheating scandals in K-12 public education.

Boyd Elementary and Hutchinson Elementary both hired new principals earlier this week after their former principals were removed. Interim schools chief Erroll Davis Jr. has started cleaning up a district in which 178 teachers and principals were found to be cheating on standardized tests according to an investigative report by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. Last week, the Atlanta school board gave Davis a yearlong term to help the district navigate through the scandal.

[Learn more about the Atlanta cheating scandal.]

Shake-ups in the beleaguered school district continued on Tuesday. Millicent Few, who served as human resources chief of the system since 1999, resigned after a state report claimed she "ordered the destruction of documents related to cheating."

"It is not compassionate to allow someone who has cheated to remain on payroll," Davis told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "A major mistake leaders make is they show too much compassion for people and not the institution. I was hired to protect the institution and I will do it."

Davis began removing officials earlier this week, starting with area superintendents Tamara Cotman, Michael Pitts, Sharon Davis-Williams, and Robin Hall. Their status with Atlanta Public Schools is pending. The four were replaced with principals from schools that weren't implicated in the governor's report.

Former school board chairman Khaatim Sherrer El also resigned earlier this week. "I failed to protect thousands of children who come from homes like mine," he said. El was one of the first school board officials to put pressure on the government to investigate cheating allegations. He will take a job with a nonprofit in Newark, N.J. In his departing note to the community, El wrote that Atlanta made "a deal with the Devil that sold out a generation of children for the sake of the city's image."

Other cities have faced mysteriously high test scores, including Detroit, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. Cheating has also been suspected in districts in Ohio, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, and California. Bob Schaeffer, public education director of FairTest, a national organization that tracks cheating, wrote in a USA Today opinion piece that cheating is to be expected because standardized tests play such an important role in the U.S. education system.

"The cheating spike is the predictable fallout from the pervasive misuse of standardized tests in public schools. When test results are all that matter in evaluating students, teachers and schools, educators feel pressured to boost scores by hook or by crook," he wrote. "Just as in other professions, some will cross the ethical line."

See how your school stacks up in our rankings of Best High Schools. Have something of interest to share? Send your news to us at highschoolnotes@usnews.com.

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Offered chance, few failing schools close doors (AP)

By CHRISTINE ARMARIO and TERENCE CHEA, Associated Press Christine Armario And Terence Chea, Associated Press – Thu Jul 14, 3:35 am ET

SAN FRANCISCO – Over the last decade, San Francisco's Willie Brown Jr. College Preparatory Academy has seen enrollment plummet and student performance lag. Just 15 percent of students scored proficient in reading on state tests in 2010 and 17 percent in math.

When the school shut for summer recently, it was for good. The district has chosen the most drastic of four options — closure — in a federal program to help students at poorly performing schools. About $45,000 in federal money will pay for a counselor to help families enroll elsewhere for the coming school year. Eventually, a new school will be built at the site.

"It will provide a fresh start," Assistant Superintendent Patricia Gray said. "This is about closing it, starting something new and having something much better."

In the past year, more than 800 schools around the country have been identified as "persistently low achieving" by states and given a chance to receive part of a $3.5 billion federal fund — the largest ever dedicated to turning around the nation's failing schools. Schools that participate must choose one of the four improvement models, which can also include restarting as a charter school, replacing the principals and 50 percent of the staff, and other academic and professional reforms.

Districts have chosen to close schools in just 16 of the cases, an indication of communities' reluctance to shutter neighborhood schools even when faced with high dropout rates and dismal student performance. A district is also generally given less money for closing a school than it would be for the other three options. The amount the closing schools are receiving ranges from $5,000 to $300,000.

Outside the federal program, other cities have announced they are closing schools for reasons ranging from performance to budget shortfalls.

"One of the toughest things for a district to do is close any school," said Gary D. Estes, chief program officer at WestEd, the non-profit education research organization.

The closing schools in the federal program are scattered around the country and mostly located in large urban districts with high populations of minority students. In some cases, enrollment had declined and school buildings were in poor condition. In other cases, reforms like the ones the U.S. Department of Education is proposing had been tried and met with little success.

The Department of Education requires districts to send students to a better school than the one closing, but in at least one case, a majority of students are headed somewhere with only slightly better performance.

In Harrisburg, Penn., some students from the closing Career Technology Academy will be sent to the high-performing SciTech High School, but the vast majority, 95 percent, will be going to John Harris High School.

In its improvement plan, the district outlined academic performance for all three schools. In math, for example, just 6 percent of students were proficient at the closing school, compared to 69.5 percent at SciTech High School and 12.4 percent at John Harris.

"Thus, moving the CTA students to either school is moving them to a higher performing school," the district wrote in its closure proposal.

Asked why more students wouldn't be going to SciTech, district business administrator Jeff Bader said, "They didn't apply to the program or meet the criteria for entrance."

While not every district could provide such numbers, it's not always possible to find a better-performing school for students to attend. In some urban districts, persistently low-performing schools are surrounded by ones that get similarly poor marks.

"If you want the model to be successful, it's going to crucially depend on having a supply of better schools and making an intentional effort to enroll the displaced students," said Marisa de la Torre, an associate director at the University of Chicago's Consortium on Chicago School Research.

She authored a report on closings by Chicago school officials from a period before the current federal program existed. The study of 44 schools closed from 2001-2006 in Chicago found that most students were reenrolled in schools that were equally low performing, and that there was no effect, positive or negative, on the student's level of academic achievement several years later.

Milwaukee has closed four schools this year, the most for any district under the Department of Education's School Improvement Fund. It's a technique the district has used frequently in recent years. Predating its involvement in the fund, officials closed more than 25 schools in the past five years, board president Michael Bonds said.

Bonds said the schools have been closed because of declining enrollment and poor academic performance. In some cases, the closed schools have been replaced with new ones that parents are now clamoring to have their children attend. In other cases, schools have been merged.

Parents, students and teachers resisted strongly at board meetings, but Bonds said he doesn't regret making the difficult decisions.

"If you allow these schools to remain open and they have a solid record of failure you're doing the kids a harm," Bonds said.

Roxanne Starks, president of the Milwaukee Public Schools PTA, says the closures have been difficult for many parents to accept, partly because they felt uninformed.

"I think MPS has to be a little more responsible in explaining to the community and putting it all out there, rather than just say, `We are going to close this building,'" she said.

But she believes closure has been the right choice.

Overall, parents tend to rate their own local school very highly. A Gallup poll conducted last year found that 77 percent of public school parents would give their child's school an "A" or "B," but just 18 percent of all Americans believe the nation's schools perform that well.

The perception of one's own school can easily misalign with reality.

"Schools mean a lot to people, especially when you make these personal connections over time and they played such a historical role in your life," said Padmini Jambulapati, a research associate at the non-profit Education Sector organization, and author of a report analyzing how districts are using School Improvement Grants. "Of course, you're going to see a school much better than what the numbers tell you. There's a huge disconnect."

In recent years, that has started to change. The Bush-era No Child Left Behind law, which legislators are struggling to reform, ushered in an era of testing and strict accountability, making parents more aware of how well their school was performing.

For years, Willie Brown had tried to improve its performance, amid high teacher turnover and persistent discipline problems. About seven years ago, it became part of an initiative that brought a more rigorous curriculum, school uniforms and longer school days.

Though some are upset about the closure, the school had struggled to sell the community on the changes. In a district where students can apply to attend any of its schools, Willie Brown has had trouble attracting families, even from the surrounding neighborhood. When it closed last month, the campus had only 160 students, even though it has space for 500.

Still, the closure of the only middle school in San Francisco's impoverished Bayview neighborhood has upset some parents.

"You just pretty much broke up the whole community," said PTA President Sheronda Perkins, whose twins just finished sixth grade. "It was like a close-knit family."

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California schools to include gay historical figures (AFP)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – The gay, lesbian and transgender community's contributions to US history will be integrated into future California public school curriculum, in line with a law signed Thursday by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown.

California is the first American state to legislate the issue, after a similar measure was approved in May 2006 but the governor at the time, Arnold Schwarzenegger, vetoed it.

"History should be honest. This bill revises existing laws that prohibit discrimination in education and ensures that the important contributions of Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life are included in our history books," Governor Brown said in an official statement.

The FAIR Education Act prohibits discriminatory instruction and discriminatory materials from being adopted by the State Board of Education.

It requires "instruction in social sciences to include a study of the role and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, persons with disabilities, and members of other cultural groups, to the development of California and the United States."

State senator Mark Leno, an openly gay legislator who championed the measure through the state assembly, thanked Brown and said California was making history by passing the education law.

"Denying LGBT people their rightful place in history gives our young people an inaccurate and incomplete view of the world around them," he said.

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The Advocacy Groups Under Fire for Supporting AT&T (The Atlantic Wire)

The NAACP is the latest advocacy group to be getting heat for its support of the proposed AT&T/T-Mobile merger. Since the announcement that the two companies would unite, odd alliances have formed between the telecommunications giant-to-be and various advocacy groups, including the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the National Education Association (NEA), to name just a few. Each has issued public statements declaring their support for the merger.

Related: Why a Gay Rights Group Is Endorsing AT&T's Mega Merger

Given the disconnect between minority rights and cell phone companies, the purity of these organizations' endorsements have come into question. A New York Times editorial questioned the support, attributing the alliances to donations these groups receive from AT&T and/or T-Mobile,

What makes this picture murkier is the money involved. The N.A.A.C.P. got at least $1 million from AT&T in 2009. The N.E.A.’s foundation got $75,000 from AT&T’s foundation last year, according to Politico.com. The Columbia Urban League in South Carolina, which supported the merger, got a $25,000 grant from the foundation.  

As the controversy continues, some have caved to the criticism, while others are standing strong. The NAACP has already responded with a letter to the editor, published today. That's in contrast, so far, to the way GLAAD has handled the pressure.

Related: AT&T's Coming Regulatory Battle for T-Mobile

Why would a gay rights groups support a telecommunications merger?

Related: Sprint Attempts to Stonewall AT&T and T-Mobile Deal

After AT&T and T-Mobile made their announcement, GLAAD drafted a lengthy letter to the FCC explaining their support of the merger, somehow making the connection between human rights and having more dominant corporations:

In sum, we believe that the proposed AT&T-T-Mobile merger will serve the public interest in multiple ways. If approved, it will expand the availability of true high-speed access to millions of Americans who do not currently have it. This new deployment also holds the promise of dramatic improvements in healthcare, education, the arts and the overall economy.

GLAAD's support just plain weird and smelled fishy -- the letter read like AT&T drafted it, and, again, why would a gay advocacy group invest anything into this merger? To make things worse, GLAAD is a strong supporter of net neutrality, directly opposing AT&T's stance on the issue.

Related: GLAAD Taking More Heat for Endorsing AT&T Megamerger

After doing some digging, critics noted that GLAAD receives funding from AT&T. Politico reports that GLAAD "has received $50,000 from AT&T." Controversy ensued.

Related: How Bad Is the Bobby Jindal Charity Scandal?

The scrutiny led to the resignation of GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios and earlier this week, GLAAD issued another letter to the FCC withdrawing their support of the merger. They cite the differing net neutrality positions as their reason for withdrawal.

Please be aware that GLAAD disagrees with AT&T’s own opposition to net neutrality regulation. Please be aware that GLAAD disagrees with AT&T’s position in this area.

In their diplomatic statement, they cover all their bases, not passing judgement on fellow advocacy groups that continue to support the deal, "We remain respectful of the decision of many of our civil rights community allies to submit letters of support for AT&T’s application." While simultaneously trying not to disrespect their relationship with AT&T, "We also remain deeply appreciative of AT&T’s various commitments to equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans, as exemplified by its excellent employment policies and significant support of LGBT community institutions and initiatives." Keep in mind, the cell company still underwrites GLAAD, afterall.

Why the NAACP is still holding strong

Like, GLAAD, the NAACP has received flack for latching onto the AT&T/T-Mobile-merger cause. They, too, issued official support, ignoring the strange relationship and citing the company's "commitment to diversity in terms of procurement, philanthropy, promotion and hiring at the local, state and national level."

As the Times notes, the NAACP also receives significant funding from the telecommunications company: "The N.A.A.C.P. got at least $1 million from AT&T in 2009."  However, unlike GLAAD, the pressure hasn't yet gotten to the NAACP. After last week's editorial, the Times printed a letter to the editor from the NAACP in which the group reiterates its support for the merger. They don't find their allegiance odd, given that AT&T demonstrates a commitment to racially and ethnically diverse work environments. "Throughout these evaluations, AT&T has demonstrated a commitment to livable wages, meaningful benefits, diversity in its use of contractors and professional development opportunities for its racially and ethnically diverse work force," reads the letter. And though they admit that T-Mobile has a less than stellar record on employee protection, they don't think it matters because AT&T will fix those issues.

T-Mobile has failed to provide adequate protections to its employees and has undermined all attempts by its workers to unionize.

Through the proposed merger, AT&T has committed to providing former T-Mobile employees with the same protection it gives to its own employees. This means better pay and improved quality of life for thousands during this tough economic time when African-American unemployment and underemployment are at historical highs.

Finally, they make it clear that their support has nothing whatsoever to do with AT&T's corporate sponsorship: "We have never taken a position because of corporate sponsorship. Any suggestion otherwise is disingenuous at best."

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Six percent of D.C. public school employees get separation notes (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The District of Columbia Public Schools has notified 413 employees of their separation as the result of IMPACT evaluations, the DCPS said on Friday.

IMPACT evaluates teacher performance based on student achievement, instructional expertise, collaboration, and professionalism. Other employees are assessed based on criteria specific to their jobs.

The 413 represent just over 6 percent of the 6,500 total DCPS employees. DCPS issued separation notices based on performance and on noncompliance with licensing requirements for the 2010-2011 school year, according to a DCPS statement.

All employees who received separation notices will have the chance to resign, appeal, or retire, if eligible.

IMPACT evaluates approximately 6,500 employees of DCPS, which educates more than 47,000 students in 126 schools in Washington, D.C.

The evaluation system was introduced at the start of the 2009-2010 school year.

Employees receive one of four IMPACT ratings -- highly effective, effective, minimally effective, or ineffective - for the year.

For 2011, DCPS notified 309 employees that they will be separated due to low performance ratings, and 104 employees because they had not complied with licensing requirements.

Twenty-one teachers are being "moved out" after completing their placements because they were unable to find permanent positions in the school system, according to DCPS.

About 4,100 of the 6,500 employees evaluated under IMPACT are part of the Washington Teachers' Union. Roughly 3,400 of these are teachers.

UNION CONCERNS

"Some subgroups of that total concern me," WTU President Nathan Saunders told Reuters -- referring to the 21 teachers being 'moved out' -- "particularly a group of teachers who were deemed effective or highly effective under the system and terminated because they could not find a placement within their public school system, while DCPS goes out and hires new teachers."

According to Saunders, it costs approximately $40,000 to move a teacher of employment.

"And when you have 21 individuals moved out of individual employment when you don't have to, it suggests that you just wasted $100,000."

In 2011, 1,213 employees won the top rating of highly effective, as compared to 1,499 in 2010, according to IMPACT results.

WTU members who earned the top rating qualify for performance bonuses of up to $25,000. Two-hundred-ninety WTU members were top-rated for the second year in a row, making them eligible for base salary increases of up to $20,000, in addition to the annual performance bonus.

Nearly 60 percent of WTU members who received the lowest rating last year and decided to stay in the system improved their rating.

"Great teachers are critical to our success," DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson stated in Friday's announcement.

Henderson succeeded former chancellor Michelle Rhee, who created the IMPACT evaluation system, which some saw as a needed reform to improve educational quality and others as damaging to teacher morale.

Rhee resigned in October after the mayor who backed her changes was defeated in an election where they were a major issue.

"The ultimate potential effect of this system might be to drive effective teachers out of the system as opposed to bring them in," said Saunders. "In the second year of IMPACT we now can see that you can be effective or highly effective and be terminated."

"And that is problematic, not for 6 percent of the D.C. public school workforce, but 100 percent of the D.C. public schools workforce."

(Editing by Jerry Norton)

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Schooled in austerity, students reluctantly borrow (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – When Emi Young decided to attend Pomona College in California a few years ago, she broke with a tradition as closely associated with U.S. universities as fraternity parties and cramming for final exams.

Young did not take out one dime of student loans.

Moreover, she preferred Pomona to other schools because it does not include loans in the financial aid packages offered to students, solely supplying grants and student employment.

"I don't necessarily want to feel completely tied down in what I do with my education because of the debt I come out with," said the politics and philosophy major who starts her third year this fall, and has her sights set on law school.

Like many young people across the country, Young is nervous about starting her career with the baggage of debt. Last summer, a how-to guide on getting through college without loans by University of Massachusetts student Zac Bisonnette called "Debt-Free U" shot to the list of top 20 bestsellers on Amazon.com the day it was released.

For many who came of age during the financial crisis and deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression, blindly borrowing for an education makes little sense, especially when they are not certain they will find work after graduation.

But the very factors that made them debt-averse may make them debt-dependent.

"It's kind of like this dichotomy: There's this anecdotal evidence...that students and families are averse to taking out debt," said Justin Draeger, President and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. But, "we are seeing more students having to borrow."

States, only now beginning to recover from the collapse of their revenues in the 2007-09 recession, have slashed higher education funding, causing tuition to balloon at public universities, long considered the best bargain. Many have also cut the grants they offer to offset education expenses.

The federal Pell Grant program has also pulled back to comply with the Congressional budget deal struck this spring.

Then, there is unemployment. Students may not be able to work their way through school and parents who are laid off may not be able to help foot the costs. And as the long-term unemployed return to school, they create competition for lecture hall seats and money.

The stock market, meanwhile, devastated college savings.

"I wasn't necessarily looking at the financial crisis and saying, 'I'm trying to learn the lessons of these people,'" Young said. "I do know that when I was first applying and in the first year of college, with all of the financial crisis going on, the savings we'd put away - the investments - dropped to half their value. If I was able to wait, the values of those accounts would go up again."

THE PAYMENT BURDEN SHIFTS TO PARENTS, STUDENTS

To cope, many students turn to federal loans. In the 2009-10 school year, 35 percent of all undergraduate students took out a federal Stafford student loan, compared to 23 percent 10 years before, Draeger said. Students may also use private loans and parents can take federal "PLUS" loans.

Paying for college has usually involved many parties, Draeger said, including universities themselves pitching in.

"We're seeing this gradual shift in the burden for paying for college to individual students and families and the way that students do this is through loans," he said. "One of the things that may have come out of this recession and jobless recovery is price sensitivity...On top of that, they're looking for how much bang they're going to get for their buck."

When the United States was in the throes of recession the College Board, which administers the standardized U.S. university entrance exam known as the SAT, conducted studies on how to make college more affordable.

Anne Sturtevant, the board's director of enrollment services and access initiatives, said students wanted to make federal loans more available but questioned an increase lending.

They were worried people would take out too much debt or use loans for unrelated expenses. They had seen college graduates laid off and were nervous about repayment. Then there were questions about the country's finances.

"'How's the federal government going to pay for this? Raise taxes?'" respondents asked, according to Sturtevant, explaining that their families could not afford to pay more taxes.

The average borrower in the 2009-2010 school year took out $8,008 in federal loans, an 11.7 percent increase from the 2006-07 school year, before the bursting of the housing bubble triggered the financial crisis, College Board data shows.

"I'm getting an increasing number of calls," said Mark Kantrowitz, who, as publisher of the financial aid and university assistance sites Fastweb.com and FinAid.org, encounters many families with college age students. "Parents are losing their jobs -- one-sixth of parents of undergrads have lost their jobs in the last year."

In a recent survey, he found 24 percent of students who had planned to go to private schools switched to public ones. Even at public universities, they face money stresses.

"The states are in financial difficulty, as they are at the end of every recession. One, they cut appropriations to the public colleges," he said, pointing to the University of California system.

On Thursday, the system's regents hiked tuition 9.6 percent to cover part of the $1 billion shortfall created by state cuts. That was on top of an 8 percent rise approved earlier.

States are also reducing grants they give to students, Kantrowitz said. Connecticut, Kentucky, Oregon, South Carolina and Tennessee have made their grants "first come, first served," which means "they're awarding the money until it runs out," he said.

Oregon said its grant funds were exhausted "due to an unprecedented rise in enrollment" as well as budget cuts. Illinois moved its application deadline up to March this year, the earliest in state history. Others capped grant awards.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 21 states reduced funding for higher education in their budgets for this fiscal year, which for most started this month.

Changing borrower attitudes may not herald the death of the student loan but they have forced reforms. For example, starting in October schools must post the net price of an education at their institutions, which is the difference between price of attendance and the median grant aid awarded.

"The key is not to try to eliminate entirely. Realistically, most students won't be able to," Kantrowitz said. "I haven't seen them become debt averse so much as sensitive to over-borrowing."

(Additional reporting by Linda Stern; Editing by Andrew Hay)

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Woman sentenced to 2 years for lockdown threat (AP)

By CURT ANDERSON, AP Legal Affairs Writer Curt Anderson, Ap Legal Affairs Writer – Thu Jul 14, 3:16 pm ET

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A woman was sentenced Thursday to two years in federal prison for threatening gun violence last year against one of the nation's largest school systems, triggering a massive lockdown affecting more than a quarter-million students.

U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore imposed a harsher sentence than recommended under federal guidelines for 48-year-old Ellisa Martinez because of the scale of the disruption. Moore said Martinez's threatening email and phone call to conservative radio talk show host Joyce Kaufman was aimed at causing "maximum havoc" in Broward County schools — the nation's sixth-largest.

"It is certainly more serious than a threat communicated to a single individual," Moore said.

Martinez pleaded guilty in May to making the threats to Kaufman, after reading online that Kaufman was chosen as chief of staff to new Republican U.S. Rep. Allen West. Kaufman opted not to take the job to avoid political fallout for West, a tea party favorite and ardent gun rights supporter.

Kaufman became controversial last year for making politically-charged comments many people considered incendiary, including remarks at a tea party rally in July 2010 that "if ballots don't work, bullets will. You need to be prepared to fight tyranny."

The Nov. 10 email traced by investigators to Martinez's computer discussed some of Kaufman's statements about gun rights and said that "something big" was being planned at a Broward County government building or school.

"I'm going to walk in and teach all the government hacks working there what the 2nd Amendment is all about," the email said.

Later that morning, a woman called Kaufman's radio station to say that her husband — a fictional person named "Bill Johnson" — was "going to shoot up a school in Pembroke Pines," a city in western Broward County. That call was traced to Martinez's cell phone.

The threats caused officials to order about 275,000 students locked down for several hours in 300 public, private and charter schools. Tens of thousands of dollars in overtime and other expenses were incurred by numerous police agencies and the FBI, said prosecutor Michael Walleisa.

Because Martinez has already been jailed for about eight months since the November 2010 incident, she will likely have a little more than a year remaining in prison. The maximum sentence for her crime is five years.

Her attorney, Samuel Randall, asked Moore to credit Martinez with time served and add six months of house arrest, but Walleisa insisted prison time was necessary.

"This activity on the part of Ms. Martinez was clearly planned and calculated," Walleisa said. "This is not a minor event."

Kauffman, who broadcasts from WFTL in Pompano Beach, attended Thursday's hearing and said afterward the judge did the right thing.

"It's a deliberate act. She needed to be punished," Kaufman said. "She had a vendetta against a Republican congressman."

In brief remarks, Martinez apologized for her actions and for causing "the drama of that day." Her attorney, Randall, said Martinez was attempting to make a mocking political point about the dangers of gun violence and never intended to cause such a major problem or harm anyone.

"She was trying to be sarcastic in sending this email. She was being impulsive," Randall said.

But Walleisa noted that she did several computer searches over two days to identify Kaufman, schools and cities in Broward County, and West's positions on issues.

Martinez, from New Port Richey on Florida's Gulf Coast, fled Florida for California after she was contacted by the FBI. She was eventually arrested in the Los Angeles area.

_____

Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Miamicurt

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NY charter school throws foster kids a safety net (AP)

NEW YORK – A Harvard-trained administrator thought she had heard it all as a gatekeeper in a city office responsible for supporting charter schools when Bill Baccaglini walked enthusiastically through the door with one more idea.

"I thought, `Here we go, another big idea,'" recalled Jessica Nauiokas. But she found herself liking his plans so much that she offered to be the Bronx school's principal. "I walked out of the meeting and said, `Wow. That actually is a compelling idea.'"

Thus explains how Nauiokas became principal at the Haven Academy Charter School, where a third of students are in foster care. Another third are in families receiving preventive services to diminish the need for foster care. The rest are from the Mott Haven community, which is in a Congressional district where a soaring poverty rate keeps a third of residents on public assistance.

Many schools cater to disadvantaged children, but Haven Academy is unique because it houses hundreds of counselors in the same building. It was impossible to find a blueprint for the school, Baccaglini said.

"We searched and searched and searched but we couldn't find models," he said. It's such a novel project, he added, that it might be a few years before it can be fully evaluated with an eye toward replicating it.

"Schools aren't organized in a way to accommodate how chaotic their (students') lives are outside of the four walls of school," he said.

The counselors work in the Bronx Community Services offices of the school's sponsor, the New York Foundling, a 142-year-old citywide private child welfare agency. Baccaglini is the agency's executive director.

The school features a small student-teacher ratio, an extended school day, many tutor options and special training to keep teachers consistent in the language they use and their responses to problems, Nauiokas said.

The school opened in 2008 with 90 students in kindergarten and first grade. Last year, the student population swelled to 175 as grade three was added and a newly renovated $32.5 million building was opened. Private donations are sought for two-thirds of the costs. The rest was publicly financed.

Next school year, 40 to 50 new students will arrive as the fourth grade is added.

The charter school hopes to close the achievement gap between students from stable backgrounds and children from troubled families, said Baccaglini, who worked in state government before joining the Foundling in 2003.

"Even though their world outside of school is falling apart, we want to keep their educational experience as consistent as possible," he said.

The school was one of 124 charter schools in the city this year, said James Merriman, chief executive officer of the New York City Charter School Center. He said many schools work with social services agencies but he knows of none that cater to those in the foster care system and partner so closely with an agency.

"That's what makes it such an interesting model," he said.

It's a comfortable environment for children, said 9-year-old Arthur Dash, who's entering the fourth grade.

"They're not going to keep pushing and pushing you. They're going to lead right up to it," he said. "If there's a problem, there's a solution too, Dash added, referring to the counselors.

The school's staff played a pivotal role in identifying Arthur's emotional outbursts as an emerging problem and suggesting where he could get treatment, said his mother, Nicole Zenon.

"In a public school, they would have just labeled him a disruptive child and let him go," she said. Zenon said she has the cellphone numbers of almost all the school's teachers and that sometimes the principal answers when she calls there.

No students have been kicked out for behavioral problems, Baccaglini said.

"These are kids in the child welfare system. We expect them to produce some behavior issues," he said.

Haven Academy solves problems as they arise, said Perla Jimenez, a parent of two students. She cited the school's relaxed reaction to a time when she could not clean school uniforms in time for class, the kind of issue that leads some parents to keep children home from school. "They would just allow me to take the kids to school in regular clothes," she said.

Ingrid Bonds, a music teacher who came from Philadelphia where she had worked at a new charter school years ago, said she noticed differences right away.

"What I love about this administration are the tools they've given me as far as love and logic, to redirect certain behavior," she said. "At my old charter school, yelling was accepted and I don't want to yell."

She said teachers at Haven are taught to speak to children as if they are little adults, offering positive and logical consequences to disruptive students rather than yelling or ordering them from the room.

The teachers are equipped with phones for emergencies, but Bonds said she's only called for help a handful of times.

The school has three full-time employees who focus solely on the social and emotional needs of the students. On any day, five to 10 Foundling counselors may be enlisted for student visits lasting from 30 minutes to a full day. All 200 Foundling counselors are invited to school functions.

The school was formed mindful that the only way students will progress academically "is to address the social stuff," said Gwendy Fuentes, who coordinates support services between the school staff and child welfare workers.

Fuentes said it is not uncommon for counselors to help children who have been removed from their parents or have moved, sometimes multiple times a year.

"They're very sad. They cry. They act out. They don't have anybody to talk to, so we make sure we provide that here," she said.

Fuentes said boundaries are drawn so abundant social services remain a support rather than an enabler for children from high-stress environments.

At the school, the percentages of students performing at or above grade level in reading and writing and math has steadily risen, with 84 percent of second-graders last year performing at or above grade level in reading and writing.

Fuentes said she measures achievement by the level of enthusiasm children show toward classes.

"I want them to think learning is fun," she said.

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US Education Dept. joins probe of DC test scores (AP)

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Education has joined an investigation of possible cheating on standardized tests, and District of Columbia leaders said Friday they welcome the scrutiny.

"I actually think that that is a huge step in ensuring that we have a thorough, serious investigation," said Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson. "Generally our office of the inspector general doesn't do this kind of thing."

The city's inspector general began investigating after USA Today reported in March that more than 100 D.C. schools had unusually high rates of erasures on exams between 2008 to 2010. The Washington Post reported Friday that federal investigators have now joined in.

The news comes the same week a yearlong probe showed that 178 educators in the Atlanta school district were involved in a cheating scandal where they changed answers or helped students on standardized tests used to meet federal benchmarks. The Georgia investigation involved two former district attorneys with subpoena power, 2,100 interviews and up to 60 agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

In Washington, Mayor Vincent Gray said he would ask that more city investigators be devoted to the probe after a reporter told him Friday only one was assigned.

"We continue to pay close attention to the integrity of the testing process," said Gray, who oversees the city schools. "We don't want questions raised about gains ... we want the gains to be the result of children who have learned."

In May, city officials said test results for three D.C. classrooms were invalidated because of proven cases of cheating. Wayne Ryan, a school official promoted after test scores at Noyes Education Campus rose dramatically while he was principal there, resigned in June after the school was flagged for high erasure rates.

Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson said Friday that one teacher had been fired in the past year.

"Any place that we've had a confirmation for a testing impropriety, we have moved quickly to invalidate the scores and remove the teacher," she said.

In Atlanta, the probe found the former Atlanta schools superintendent knew about cheating allegations and may have tried to hide them. Investigators found a "culture of fear" in the school system that led to educators lying.

Gray said he didn't have any evidence of the same culture in Washington's public schools.

"But we know that can happen," he told The Associated Press. "I can tell you people who we find who are intimidating folks and imposing unreasonably, they've got to go."

As for whether former Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee created pressure to cheat in D.C. schools by firing hundreds of teachers, some based on student test scores, Gray said, "She's gone. She's not here anymore."

Also Friday, D.C. State Superintendent Hosanna Mahaley announced the preliminary results of the city's 2011 standardized tests. She said it will be fall before her office flags any classrooms for high erasure rates that could indicate cheating.

The preliminary test results show a 2.7 percent improvement in the number of secondary students scoring proficient in math. There was a slight gain in the number of secondary students proficient in reading.

For elementary students, there were slight declines in reading and math. It was the second consecutive year of declines in elementary scores, with proficiency rates down 6 percent since 2009.

Still, school officials hailed five consecutive years of gains in secondary grades, most dramatically a 20 percent increase in the number of students scoring proficient in math since 2007.

City officials said they would like the investigation of test scores to clear up lingering questions.

In addition to Atlanta, a state investigation in Maryland revealed cheating at three Baltimore schools between 2008 and 2010. Other schools also have been under investigation in Baltimore.

To this point, the investigation in Washington has been much more limited. The school system hired a private firm to examine possible testing improprieties in 2009, but the company has acknowledged that its investigations were limited and didn't examine individual student answers or interview teachers privately. Earlier requests for an investigation in 2008 were rebuffed, according to documents USA Today obtained.

Mark Simon, the father of a D.C. high school student, said he remained unconvinced that D.C. was willing to conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the cheating allegations.

"I think that Atlanta and the state of Georgia have established the bar for what a thorough investigation looks like," Simon said. "And if the U.S. Department of Education is not willing to do that kind of an investigation, then they become culpable."

Simon faulted a school culture that overemphasized the importance of standardized tests.

"When you have that kind of climate in schools," he said, "it's a setup for people doing the wrong thing."

___

Associated Press Writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.

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