Re: State Superintendent on Final Budget Agreement -- Grade 2 Testing

[Susan Harman <susanharman@igc.org>]

Yes. Call Ahnold and tell him how outraged you are.
Susan

On Thursday, August 23, 2007, at 09:41 PM, Kristen Lombardo wrote:

> so that's a yes we are still testing in grade 2?
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Peter Farruggio" <pfarr@cal.berkeley.edu>
> To: <ca-resisters@interversity.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 10:51 PM
> Subject: Re: [ca-resisters] State Superintendent on Final Budget
> Agreement -- Grade 2 Testing
>
>
>
> What ever happened to that proposal of a few
> years ago to begin testing in the womb?  Makes
> sense to establish a real baseline, no?
>
>
> At 10:29 PM 8/22/2007, you wrote:
> > George--
> > How discouraging!  It's really unbelievable how these guys are 
> > perpetuating
> > institutionalized child abuse.
> >
> > Thank you for staying in there and advocating tirelessly for these 
> > young
> > kids, George!!
> >
> > Marilyn
> >
> > > From: George Sheridan <learn@jps.net>
> > > Reply-To: ca-resisters@interversity.org
> > > Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 23:02:27 -0700
> > > To: ca-resisters@serv1.ncte.org,<ca-resisters@interversity.org>
> > > Subject: [ca-resisters] State Superintendent on Final Budget
> Agreement --
> > > Grade 2 Testing
> > >
> > > Fabian Núñez and Dom Perata gave Arnold
> > Schwarzenegger and Jack O'Connell what
> > > they wanted.
> > >
> > > Although second grade STAR testing ended on
> > June 31st, and although bills to
> > > revive it died in both houses of the legislature this year, and 
> > > although
> it
> > > was
> > > not approved by the fiscal committees in either house, funding for 
> > > the
> test
> > > was
> > > reinstated in the budget deal.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
> > >
> > > SCHOOLS CHIEF JACK O'CONNELL COMMENTS ON PASSAGE OF FINAL BUDGET
> AGREEMENT
> > > SACRAMENTO - State Superintendent of Public
> > Instruction Jack O'Connell today
> > > issued the following statement regarding
> > legislative approval of a budget for
> > > fiscal year 2007-08:
> > >
> > > "On behalf of all Californians who have been
> > impacted by the protracted budget
> > > stalemate, I'm relieved that the Legislature
> > has finally approved a balanced
> > > budget plan. I applaud the Legislature for approving a spending plan
> that
> > > meets
> > > the minimum Proposition 98 guarantee and
> > provides cost-of-living adjustments
> > > for
> > > our public school operations. This level of
> > funding for public education will
> > > allow our schools to maintain ongoing efforts
> > to improve student achievement.
> > > "I am pleased that the budget bill includes funding to continue the
> > > Standardized
> > > Testing and Reporting or STAR program for students in second grade. 
> > > This
> > > assessment program is an important part of
> > our system of school accountability
> > > and our efforts to ensure that students don't
> > fall behind in the early grades.
> > > "I am very disappointed, however, that the Legislature did not make 
> > > it a
> > > priority
> > > to support local districts in collecting and maintaining the quality
> > > individual
> > > student data that our state needs to track
> > graduation and dropout rates and to
> > > better measure student performance over time.
> > School district participation in
> > > CALPADS, the state's developing longitudinal
> > student data tracking system, is
> > > critical to informed decision making. Funding for local data 
> > > collection
> and
> > > maintenance is vital to improve the accuracy of student data used to
> assess
> > > education programs and target our state's
> > resources most effectively. I will
> > > continue to pursue this funding with the
> > Governor and the Legislature in the
> > > coming year.
> > >
> > > "I also will continue discussions with my fellow policymakers about 
> > > how
> we
> > > provide adequate funding for our schools so we can prepare all 
> > > students
> to
> > > compete in the challenging and competitive global economy. Closing 
> > > the
> > > achievement gap between students who are
> > white and their peers who are African
> > > American or Latino is the most important part
> > of this effort. I look forward
> > > to
> > > working with the Governor and Legislature to
> > find ways to ensure our schools
> > > are
> > > up to this challenge. Doing so is essential to both our students' and
> our
> > > state's
> > > long-term economic success."
> > >
> > > "Unfortunately, the delay in passing a budget caused a huge 
> > > imposition
> for
> > > many
> > > of California businesses that provide
> > services to our state's most vulnerable
> > > citizens. State-funded childcare centers, for example, faced 
> > > tremendous
> > > financial
> > > strain as state funding was put on hold
> > during the budget fight. Many of the
> > > individuals who operate these state-funded centers serving 500,000
> children
> > > had
> > > to seek high-interest loans to keep their
> > doors open during the last 51 days.
> > > I
> > > appreciate these centers' commitment to
> > provide child care services and hope
> > > that
> > > outstanding payments are quickly made to these centers and other
> businesses
> > > and
> > > individuals relying on state funding."
> > >
> > > George Sheridan
> > > ----------------------------------------------------------
> > > Direct questions about the list to listmom@interversity.net
> >
> > -----------------------------------------------
> > Report list problems to listmom@interversity.net
>
>
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> Thanks in advance!
> -Eric Crump
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