District Administration articles from March 2009

District Administration archives from March 2009

Cause for concern.(PEOPLE WATCH)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A. Woodrow Carter, superintendent of Capistrano (Calif.) Schools, has been placed on paid administrative leave. He got the job after the board's first choice backed out due to district "uncertainty and instability."

Shaky changes.(PEOPLE WATCH)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Randy Dorn, Washington's superintendent of public instruction, wants to do away with the WASL, a state test. But some are questioning whether he has the power to do so without legislative approval.

Ready to lead?(PEOPLE WATCH)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Chicago Transit Authority president Ron Huberman has been appointed CEO of Chicago Public Schools, replacing Arne Duncan. On his plate is a plan to close or reorganize 22 schools. He has no professional experience as...

Appointed.(PEOPLE WATCH)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rossana Rosado, publisher and CEO of Spanish-language daily newspaper El Diario, has joined the board of Learn NY, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that New York City students receive a high quality education.

Partner in crime.(PEOPLE WATCH)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gov. Schwarzenegger has tapped education and philanthropy consultant Glen Thomas to serve as California's education secretary. Thomas will act as the governor's chief liaison to the appointed state board of...

The auto industry's impact on school districts.(BRIEFINGS: News Update)
March 1, 2009... IN CAR MANUFACTURING AREAS, the financial troubles of the "big three" automakers--Ford, General Motors and Chrysler--are putting a bit of a strain on school districts. At Van Buren Public Schools in Wayne County, Mich., just 25 minutes...

Bad times spawn good eating habits.(BRIEFINGS: Health & Fitness)
March 1, 2009... PARENTS' WALLETS MAY BE GETTING LIGHTER AS a result of the economy, but students are still getting their fair share--of lunch, that is. According to a report recently released by the School Nutrition Association, about 425,000 more students...

Pennsylvania online schools struggle amid bad economy.(BRIEFINGS: Online Learning)
March 1, 2009... INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY AND BETTER ACCESS have had online school enrollments going strong for the past ten years, but the recent slump in the economy may be painting a different picture in Pennsylvania's cyberschools. Some of the state's 11...

The online perfect storm.(BRIEFINGS: Online Learning)
March 1, 2009... FEW WOULD DENY THE ROLE WEB 2.0 technologies play in the lives of youth, but social learning network provider Saywire is doing one better in arguing that such technologies are not only important but vital for students' academic growth. In...

Alternate take.(BRIEFINGS: Online Learning)
March 1, 2009... "Google Earth is astounding, but sometimes all you need to do is point to a globe. A good teacher will use whatever tools she has to explain the content of her lessons, and does not overrely on anything." --Librarian Jill Egan, in a recent...

Los Angeles' new reformer.(Conversations: Ramon Cortines)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IN JANUARY, RAMON CORTINES WAS APPOINTED by the board to take over as superintendent of the financially strapped and academically stubborn Los Angeles Unified School District. Succeeding David Brewer, a retired Navy...

Down, out, and up.(Administrator Profile: SUPERINTENDENT SECAIDA D. HOWELL)
March 1, 2009... IN 2006, SECAIDA D. HOWELL WAS nearly the 10th superintendent in as many years to lead Bamberg School District Two in Denmark, S.C. He inherited antiquated policies, teacher certifications falling through the cracks, and waning student...

The college promise: some districts are creating innovative programs to inspire all students to pursue higher education.(COLLEGE PREPARATION)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] COLLEGE FEES AND TUITION ARE rising--430 percent since 1982. Student borrowing for college has more than doubled since 1998, and about 50 percent of lower-income students head to college following high school,...

Do economic rewards work? The jury is still out.(ADMINISTRATION & SUPERVISION)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE LOVE OF LEARNING--at intrinsic desire to gain knowledge and insight into new subjects--was once its own reward. That was altered decades ago when parents started using the proverbial "stick and carrot" to...

The SIFication of America: districts are streamlining a plethora of data seamlessly, helping them make better decisions.(TECHNOLOGY)
March 1, 2009... [ILLLUSTRATION OMITTED] YOU CAN ADD TO THE growing number of buzzwords words influencing K12 education in the 21st century--from "annual yearly progress" to "professional learning communities"-the word "SIFication." That's what Patrick...

Disciplining students with disabilities: the legal implications of managing these pupils.(SPECIAL EDUCATION)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT CAN be a key to student, teacher, and district success. When students with disabilities are served, effective behavior management is even more critical. Failure to implement proper discipline with...

xw4550, Desktop PC/Workstation: Hewlett-Packard.(New Products: THE LATEST IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, BOOKS & MATERIALS, FACILITIES, AND THE INTERNET)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HEWLETT-PACKARD xw4550, Desktop PC/Workstation Hardware, Starting at $599 HP's new AMD Opteron processor-based, quad-core model offers the performance of a workstation at the cost of a PC. The 0pteron...

Greenovation, Lighting Solution and Curriculum: Lutron Electronics.(New Products: THE LATEST IN HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, BOOKS & MATERIALS, FACILITIES, AND THE INTERNET)
March 1, 2009... LUTRON ELECTRONICS Greenovation, Lighting Solution and Curriculum Facilities, Pricing varies based on installation Lutron's Greenovation is a unique program that combines school facility lighting solutions with supplemental online...

Security software: warding off viruses.(Product Focus: A GUIDE TO ONE SEGMENT OF EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY)
March 1, 2009... AMONG THE MANY EFFECTS OF THE U.S. ECONOMIC CRISIS IS ONE THAT MAY NOT IMMEDIATELY come to mind: an increase in computer virus attacks. As economic conditions have worsened, cybercriminals have become increasingly aggressive and have explored...

Praeger Publishers: Urban Education: A Handbook for Educators and Parents.(New Books: RECOMMENDED READING FOR DISTRICT LEADERS)
March 1, 2009... PRAEGER PUBLISHERS Urban Education: A Handbook for Educators and Parents www.praeger.com, $59.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Professors of education Donna Adair Breault and Louise Anderson Allen have authored this resource, which...

Coping with an Influx of ELL Students.(Research Center: ESSENTIALS ON EDUCATION DATA AND RESEARCH ANALYSIS)
March 1, 2009... SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS THAT serve a large number of English language learners (ELLs) have found it helpful to develop a comprehensive program that addresses the specific needs of the population they serve. But what about districts that...