House panel targets teacher distribution, pay
By Stephen Sawchuk/Education Week

Lawmakers and teacher spokesmen had a spirited exchange here this week on the equitable distribution of effective teachers, illuminating the contours of a debate that will likely continue as Congress revisits the issue. Differing opinions about incentive-pay programs, the role of test scores in pay and evaluation, and how prescriptive the federal government should be in seeking to boost teacher effectiveness were aired at a House hearing. It came as the upcoming renewal of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and implementation of the economic-stimulus law are helping to spur such debate. Improving the distribution of effective teachers to schools with high concentrations of poor and minority students should be a top federal priority, lawmakers agreed. “It’s stunning that we’re still discussing this topic with this level of engagement in 2009,” said Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, which held the hearing. “This is not a mystery

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/10/02/06teach.h29.html?tkn=QVQFDTa+iy4zd+imRsHmoHco5vWrAxWTjIei

If you haven't heard of Chicago's Renaissance 2010 educational program, you should check out this article. This is a vision of the future of education, unless we fight it.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/chi-renaissance-2010-17-jan17,0,3877012.story

Here's a breakdown of the cuts in education here in San Francisco. From the SF Chronicle.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/27/MN2E1BNVD8.DTL

Read more about it here:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lausd24-2010feb24,0,5021988.story

JDL

This PTA is pissed!! Check out the story here:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityinsider/detail?entry_id=57881&tsp=1