Obama Signs Child Nutrition Bill. The Washington Post (12/14, Henderson) reports, that President Obama on Monday signed into law the child nutrition bill, “capping months of advocacy by the first lady as part of her efforts to reduce childhood obesity.” The legislation “will expand the number of children in school lunch programs by 115,000, increase the reimbursement rate to school districts for meals by six cents, and replace the junk food available outside the cafeteria, such as in vending machines, with more healthful options.”

The Los Angeles Times (12/14, Muskal) reports that “the bill reauthorizes the federal nutrition program, a $4.5-billion measure that expands free school meals for the needy.” First Lady Michelle Obama with regard to the bill, “We can agree that in the wealthiest nation on earth, all children should have the basic nutrition they need to learn and grow. … Nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our children. Nothing.”

USA Today (12/14) reports that when he signed the new law at Harriet Tubman Elementary School in Washington, D.C., “President Obama paid joking tribute to its most prominent supporter: first lady Michelle Obama. ‘Not only am I very proud of the bill,’ the president said, ‘but had I not been able to get this passed, I would be sleeping on the couch.’”

CNN (12/14) also quotes the President as saying that “the bill is about ‘giving our kids the healthy futures they deserve. …

San Diego School Board Sets New Restrictions For College, Military Recruiters. The AP (12/1) reports that the San Diego, California, school board voted Tuesday “to rein in aggressive military and college recruiters.” The district’s new policy “allows recruiters to visit high school campuses twice each school year,” but restricts them to designated areas within schools. Also, “recruiters can pass out contact information but can’t collect a student’s contact information.”

The San Diego Union Tribune (12/2, Persinger) reports that the new policy aims to balance “post-graduation recruiting efforts across the San Diego Unified School District.” Leading up to the school board’s vote, much of the discussion among parents and students focused on “the presence of military recruiters on campus, some of whom have had – until now – unfettered access to students as they determine their post-high school plans.” But, “Board member John de Beck, who introduced the policy two weeks ago, said despite all the fuss on military recruiters, the policy was never meant to eliminate them from campuses.”

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In the Classroom
Mock Wedding Stresses Healthy Relationships.

Survey Indicates Improved Academics, Behavior For Students In Single-Gender Classrooms. WLTX-TV Columbia, SC (12/1, Harvin) reports that “a survey released by South Carolina’s Department of Education shows single-gender classes have amazing results in boys and girls confidence, motivation and participation.” Also, the majority of the nearly 7,000 students who participated in the survey “said the classes have improved their academic performance and classroom attitude,” with 79 percent reporting “increases in their classroom effort, and 83 percent” saying “they were more likely to finish high school.” Of the 1,120 parents surveyed, 94 percent “said their children were more likely to graduate from high school, and 85 percent of” 760 teachers surveyed said they “saw increases in effort with school work” in single-gender classrooms.

WACH-TV Columbia, SC (12/1, Stone) notes that despite the positive reviews, the number of schools offering single-gender classes in South Carolina has declined over the past two years as a result of budget cuts. “Two years ago 214 schools offered the classes, but that is down to 125 this year.”

The AP (11/30, Adcox) adds, however, that South Carolina “still leads the nation in public single-sex programs.” On Tuesday, outgoing state Superintendent Jim Rex “cautioned lawmakers not to disrupt what’s working.” He pointed out that “single-gender is a relatively inexpensive choice to offer, compared to others, but it does require an adequate number of teachers, and some training costs.”

The Anderson (SC) Independent Mail (12/1, Carey) quotes Rex as saying, “We’ve said all along that when it comes to learning, one size does not fit all.

Teacher-Led School In California Sees Boost In Student Achievement, Enrollment. The AP (11/14, Hoag) reported that Francis Parkman Middle School in California “was spiraling downward with plummeting enrollment, abysmal test scores and notoriety for unruliness” four years ago. But after teachers took over leadership of the school, renamed the Woodland Hills Academy, “test scores [went] up 18 percent and enrollment has spiked more than 30 percent.” The Woodland Hills Academy is one of a growing number of teacher-controlled schools throughout the US. “Proponents say teachers can turn floundering schools into flourishing ones if allowed the freedom to innovate to meet the needs of their students.” But according to Claremont Graduate University education professor Charles Kerchner, student achievement at teacher run schools “has been mixed.” And some skeptics question “how smoothly teachers can run a school,” as “leadership by consensus often leads to slower decision-making, especially with people inexperienced in the substantial administrative work operating a school entails.”

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In the Classroom
Oklahoma Early Childhood Program Targets At Risk Students. The Oklahoman (11/14, Painter) reported, “The Educare programs in Oklahoma City and Tulsa are examples of those receiving some funding through the Oklahoma Pilot Early Childhood Program. …

Ohio Voters Rejected Roughly Half Of School Levies Tuesday. The AP (11/4) reports that “Ohio voters defeated about half the 214 school levies on ballots” Tuesday, “leaving some districts to contemplate closing schools and slashing bus routes.” According to the AP, “the failed levies…potentially put anything not mandated by the state as a core educational requirement – including sports – on the chopping block.”

The Cincinnati Enquirer (11/3, Clark, Smith) reported that 11 out of 15 school districts in Greater Cincinnati “asking voters to pay for local schools…were defeated” on Tuesday. Meanwhile, just “one new tax hike – Sycamore Schools’ $17 million bond issue for school construction – won at the ballot.” The consensus between school officials and opponents of new school taxes is that “the economy played a major role in the losses.”

WXIX-TV Cincinnati (11/4, Teasley) reports on some of the changes planned in the Lakota school district after Tuesday’s levy defeat. “The first thing to go is high school busing beginning this January — K-8 busing outside of a two mile radius will also be cut.” Next year, “130 staff members could be laid off and activities like junior high sports will also be eliminated.” Lakota Superintendent Mike Taylor said the district will likely “come back for another levy,” though he is not sure when.

On behalf of the Asbury Park Education Association, we would like to thank all our men and women who have served or are presently serving in the military. We especially want to extend our condolences to anyone who has had a family member or close friend who gave the supreme sacrifice of their lives during active duty. We have several members of our very own Association who have served in the military and we especially thank them and appreicate their service to our great country. And finally, let’s not forget the very students that we have educated in the Asbury Park School System who have enlisted in various branches of the military and are presently serving our country.

Please take the time out to reflect and thank these dedicated and selfless individuals for their service to our great country, the United States of America. God Bless.

Report Shows Drop In Violent Incidents At New Jersey Schools. New Jersey’s Star-Ledger (10/28, Calefati, Rundquist) reports that an annual report released this week by the New Jersey Department of Education shows that “New Jersey’s schools are getting safer, but prescription drug abuse is a rising problem.” The report credited “education efforts” for the five percent drop in violent incidents, three percent drop in vandalism, 15 percent drop in weapons incidents, and four percent drop in bullying. Meanwhile, “incidents of substance abuse possession rose — up 6 overall percent in the one-year period, including a 22 percent increase in prescription drugs and a 14 percent increase in incidents involving alcohol.” The findings were from “17,048 incidents reported by school districts in 2008-09.”

New Jersey’s Press of Atlantic City (10/28, D’Amico) notes that according to critics, “the reporting process for violence and bullying remains seriously flawed and represents just a small percentage of actual problems in the schools.” Stuart Green, director of the New Jersey Coalition for Bullying Awareness and Prevention, “said he believes the number” of incidents reported are up to “100 times lower than the actual number[s].” According to Green, “schools have been chronically under-reporting incidents for fear of landing on the dreaded ‘persistently dangerous schools’ list as required by the federal No Child Left Behind law.” Currently, no schools in New Jersey are on that list.

Good Morning,

Election Day is upon us. Please make every effort to get out and vote for the NJEA endorsed candidates. Polls are open from 6:00am to 8:00pm. If you are not sure where to go, contact your local municipality and they will be able to give you instructions. Endorsed candidates in Monmouth County are:

Legislative District 6 – Frank Pallone

Legislative District 12 – Rush Holt

Legislative District 4 – No Endorsement

In Monmouth County, just stay on the Democratic side for the candidates: Brophy, D’Amico, Venables.
Your vote does count so make sure you get to the polls right after school. This is an extremely important election.

New Jersey Governor’s Inflammatory Rhetoric Viewed As Impediment To Education Reform. Brent Staples writes in a column for the New York Times (10/25) that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) “has been bludgeoning the state’s teachers and their unions since he took office earlier this year” which “has raised his profile nationally” yet “has also made rational conversation on school reform nearly impossible.” Staples recounts former New Jersey Education Commissioner Bret Schundler’s view that Christie “sabotaged” New Jersey’s Race to the Top grant application, adding that when it comes to education reform, Christie “raises the right subjects – merit pay, tenure, evaluation – but nearly always in an inflammatory fashion.” Staples adds that even “if the school reform effort succeeds” in Newark, NJ, “the Christie style will have made it that much harder to pull off.”

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In the Classroom
Virginia District Removes Textbooks Over Claim About Black Confederate Soldiers. The Washington Post (10/24, Sieff) reports that Loudoun County, VA “school officials have decided to pull ‘Our Virginia’ from its fourth-grade classrooms because of its dubious claim about thousands of black soldiers fighting for the South during the Civil War.” According to the Post, “The publisher has said it will provide a sticker to cover the disputed sentence in ‘Our Virginia.’ The state Board of Education, which approved the book, said this week that the claim about African Americans fighting for the Confederacy falls outside ‘mainstream Civil War scholarship.’”

On the Job
Teacher Accountability Issue Analyzed.

APEA Happy Hour at Langosta Lounge

On the Boardwalk, Asbury Park

Friday, Oct. 22, 2010
Happy Hour Gathering
3:00

Visit with old friends and make new ones!