California's First Step to Arne's Vision?

SB 742 look it up on http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/ for the latest status.

BILL SUMMARY: SB 742 would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) and the State Board of Education (SBE) to annually, commencing in November of 2010, identify the 10 lowest performing schools in the state and require the district of those schools to notify parents and employees of the specific facts and options. The bill would create an advisory committee to the SPI for the purpose of making recommendations to the SBE on how to identify the lowest performing schools.

The local education agency of an identified school would be required to initiate at least one of the following "renewal" efforts:

Restructure the internal operations of the school, including but not limited to, school leadership, certificated and classified staff, and curriculum.

Operate the school under the oversight of a nonprofit management organization with which the SPI and SBE have jointly entered into a contract.

Reopen the school as charter school jointly approved by the local education agency, the SPI, and the SBE.

Change, Change, Change

The Coalition for Student Achievement, whose members include The Broad Foundation, The Gates Foundation, The U. S. Chamber of Commerce, The Business Roundtable, and the Thomas Fordham Institute, has issued a report entitled, Smart Options: Investing the Recovery Funds for Student Success. Investments to Avoid include: "broad-based class size reductions not tied to specific student achievement outcome goals, and; salary increases for teachers who earn a master's degree, not tied to demonstrable student outcomes or high need areas such as math and science. . . " The report identifies five priorities:
national standards

• a p-16 data system
• teacher evaluation revisions
• turn-around schools (see yesterday's post)
• supports for struggling students

This is the Future

http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/518/index.html