Family Empowerment Centers Newsdesk 3-15-05

Family Empowerment Centers Newsdesk 3-15-05

California Foundation for Independent Living Centers

Education
Arnold betrays schools, ads say -- The war between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and organized labor escalated Monday, as the California Teachers Union launched television ads accusing him of breaking his promise to fully fund public education. David M. Drucker in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 3/15/05

AD WATCH: "Keeping Your Word" -- Here's a look at a new group of radio and TV ads by the California Teachers Association called "Keeping Your Word," in which teachers claim that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger borrowed $2 billion from the state's education budget last year, promised to return it this year, then broke his word. Lynda Gledhill, Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/15/05

Senate leader has radical take on school policy -- When it comes to education reform, the leader of the state Senate - a Democrat and former teacher - says Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is far too timid. While the governor tinkers with teacher tenure and merit pay, Don Perata wants to turn the entire system inside out. He says the state's ever-expanding authority over every facet of education policy is stifling local initiative and hurting the very people it's supposed to help: poor and disadvantaged students. Daniel Weintraub in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/15/05

List of Troubled School Districts Fixed -- State education officials have reduced the number of California school districts identified as needing improvement, saying that a computer programming error put 49 districts that met standards on the list. The story is in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/15/05

Politicians want federal grants handed to schools immediately -- The state counts a surplus of up to $100 million for federal after-school grants, a portion of which must be spent before September 2006 or it will return to federal coffers. Bay Area politicians and activists want to give the cash to schools immediately and to speed up the process the state Department of Education uses to disburse the money. Shirley Dang in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/15/05

Candidates Try to Outdo Each Other on Education -- Mayor James K. Hahn and Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday launched into their first full week of campaigning for the mayoral runoff by trying to one up each other on education issues. Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times Rick Orlov in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 3/15/05

GOP stays firm on education cuts -- The Republican majority approved cuts in federal spending on education Monday as the Senate opened a weeklong debate on a $2.6 trillion spending and tax blueprint for next year. Lawrence M. O'Rourke in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/15/05

Layoff warnings going to 516 San Jose teachers -- Layoff warnings will go to at least 516 teachers in East Side Union High School District, 25 percent higher than the estimate last week. Administrators say that number could grow to more than half of the 1,200 teachers in the district. Jon Fortt in the San Jose Mercury -- 3/15/05

West Valley teachers begin protest action -- After ousting their union leadership for being too passive, west San Fernando Valley teachers on Monday launched a "work-to-rule" protest -- halting all duties not specifically required in their contracts. Jennifer Radcliffe in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 3/15/05

Study Finds Poor Performance by Nation's Education Schools -- American colleges and universities do such a poor job of training the nation's future teachers and school administrators that 9 of every 10 principals consider the graduates unprepared for what awaits them in the classroom, a new survey has found. GREG WINTER in the New York Times -- 3/15/05

Reviewers Taking a Studied Look at L. A. County Preschools -- Billie Weiser is a researcher at UCLA, accustomed to high-level thinking and debates among academicians. But while visiting the Long Beach Day Nursery one bright morning, she furrowed her brow and focused intently on several children washing their hands and singing about Mr. Bubbles. Carla Rivera in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/14/05

Education petitions circulate -- Petition gatherers have begun fanning out across the state to seek support for five measures they hope to put on a special statewide ballot. One aims to relax teacher tenure, another to expand charter school authorization and a third to alter school spending patterns. Jackie Burrell in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/14/05

Finding fault with schools -- The Los Angeles Unified School District will spend roughly $200,000 on seismic tests this summer to determine whether two Sylmar elementary schools are too close to earthquake fault lines. Jennifer Radcliffe in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 3/14/05
Senate passes vocational education bill

WASHINGTON ---- The Senate last week approved its first update to vocational education law since 1998, aiming to demand more results from schools that receive federal money.

The nation's vocational education law, known as the Perkins Act, is up for renewal. The $1.3 billion program amounts to a small percentage of overall spending on career and technical education, but states count on the money to update their courses and expand access.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/03/14/news/nation/31305202105.txt






Disability News

IHSS cuts feared

In Home Supportive Services care provider Lisa Fink and her client Robert Kuder feel like they are in the same place as last year, lobbying against budget cuts proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

As a part of the continuing battle for living wages, Fink and Kuder said any decrease in funding would result in a drastic situation for thousands of workers and clients in Mendocino County.

http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/Stories/0,1413,91~3089~2757523,00.html



Layout accommodates more than the wheelchair

Nestled near the end of a driveway, the two-story clapboard-and-stone colonial in Glastonbury, Conn., makes a subtle but firm first impression: Gracious living practiced here.

Outside the home where Greg Hughes lives with his yellow lab, Lincoln, retaining walls and terraced ramps tame the property's slopes and invite visitors to stroll the landscaped grounds.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/11111133.htm



Keep paratransit for those in need

Your March 3 editorials repeat common misconceptions about paratransit. Let me present examples from Santa Cruz County.

Under federal regulations, eligibility depends on abilities, not medical conditions. Functional assessment -- finding out what the individual can do -- is a best practice, and Orthopaedic Hospital a recognized leader. In Santa Cruz, Ortho helped identify hundreds of people who can use conventional transit and therefore don't qualify for paratransit under the Americans With Disabilities Act. The savings allow better paratransit for those who qualify and more buses for those who don't.

Seniors and people with disabilities appreciate the independence afforded by conventional, accessible transit. Here in Santa Cruz, seniors and people with disabilities make six bus trips for every one ADA paratransit trip. It's clear where extra money should go.

Regis Paul Marcelin-Sampson
Santa Cruz

Actor clear on where 'Blind' should lead
NEW YORK Ron Eldard has bonded tightly with Detective Jim Dunbar, the New York cop he plays on his new ABC drama, "Blind Justice."

Not only did Eldard attend a school for the blind to prepare for the role, but, as a personal exercise, he sometimes ventures blindfolded out into the real world, the better to identify with Dunbar's challenges after a bullet robbed him of his sight.

But Eldard reports that a recent such outing at a shopping mall floored him.

http://www.modbee.com/life/mondaylife/story/10126207p-10948863c.html

The other high school students

Re "School exit exam put to test," March 3: As a secondary teacher with 27 years of experience, I believe the idea of holding students accountable for meeting minimum standards (10th grade) in order to graduate high school is a reasonable expectation. The exam also provides some uniformity in graduation requirements across the state.However, I don't understand how special education students, from severely handicapped to resource students with mild disabilities, can be expected to pass the exam. This is demoralizing to those students who must sit and take a test when they have documented handicaps that prevent them from functioning on the same level as other students. Likewise, immigrant students still learning English, especially those at beginning and intermediate levels, must suffer through the frustration of testing when their English skills aren't complete.

The expectation that all students must pass the same exam is unrealistic. Students who fail to pass the exam, either because of limitations like those discussed or other reasons, should be allowed to receive a Certificate of Completion, provided other graduation requirements are met.

- Teresa Luttrell, Sacramento

http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/12550395p-13405484c.html



Helping hand for those with shaky hands
IBM to unveil mouse adapter to steady cursor

While attending a workshop of IBM researchers who were trying to come up with new technologies for the elderly, inventor Jim Levine remembered the day his Uncle Murray tried to use his personal computer.

Levine's uncle was then about 70 years old. His hand was shaking so much he simply couldn't navigate the screen with a mouse.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/03/14/BUGCIBO7E01.DTL



Complaints rising against transit services for disabled

Disabled people who can't use regular buses and trolleys often are stuck with service that is unreliable and insensitive to their needs, a small but vocal delegation of passengers told transit officials last week.

In comments to the Metropolitan Transit System board of directors, about a half-dozen riders dependent upon the MTS Access and ADA Suburban Paratransit services complained of late pickups, missed trips and chronic scheduling difficulties.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20050314-9999-1m14laidlaw.html



Make symphony concerts accessible to wheelchairs

My daughter Michelle and I often attend the Auburn Symphony concerts. Michelle is 6 years old and uses a wheelchair. She is also visually impaired. We are delighted that these lovely events take place right in our town. That makes them easy to attend, at least in some ways.

Allow me to present a scenario: Michelle and I plan to arrive early at Placer High School auditorium, to allow the very kind staff to help us find a seat where Michelle can enjoy the concert and the wheelchair can be put out of the way. We drive around and around looking for a handicapped parking space. There are very few and it is hard to find them.

http://auburnjournal.com/articles/2005/03/11/opinion/letters/03letters.txt



Supes to hear report on new voting system requirements

EUREKA -- Humboldt County is required by federal law to acquire a new voting system that complies with state and federal law by January 2006.

This provision and others under the Help America Vote Act will be presented to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors at its meeting Tuesday.

http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127%257E2896%257E2761856,00.html?search=filter





Schwarzenegger criticizes state unions

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger criticized state unions for not acting in the public interest and said he does not have a gripe with nurses or teachers, just the unions that represent them.

In an interview on MSNBC's "Hardball," California's Republican governor complained about a state law that prohibits schools from contracting out to mow lawns, repair roofs and do other fixes at schools.

http://www.fresnobee.com/state_wire/story/10128715p-10951063c.html







Chan fears Medi-Cal overhaul -- Assemblywoman Wilma Chan and other elected officials, concerned part of the governor's proposed Medi-Cal overhaul will shortchange the medical safety net for the indigent, are urging the governor to seek the most funding possible for public hospitals. Michelle Maitre in the Oakland Tribune -- 3/12/05

Study: Poor stall care, making health worse -- People living in disadvantaged communities in the Northern San Joaquin Valley are most likely to end up in hospitals with illnesses that could be treated in doctors offices and clinics, a study says. The study by Catholic Healthcare West used social and economic indicators to identify communities with significant barriers to accessing health care. KEN CARLSON in the Modesto Bee -- 3/12/05





Angelides throws hat into gubernatorial ring -- The race for governor begins today, with Democrat Phil Angelides formally launching his campaign but this long, unprecedented political road that started in 2003 could end with Bay Area figure Bill Lockyer taking the office under one credible scenario. But there are a lot of credible scenarios. Steve Geissinger in the Oakland Tribune -- 3/15/05

Governor says he will call special election -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Monday he would call a special election "very soon,'' even as he prepared to meet today with legislative leaders for the first time to discuss an agenda he has pledged to enact this year with or without lawmakers. Mark Martin in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/15/05

It's the silly season - time to be leery of propaganda from all sides -- Spring arrived a bit earlier than usual in Sacramento this year - and so did the silly season. Spring, however, will last only a few months, while the silly season seems destined to last most of the year. The silly season is that period when politicians are obsessed with the outcome of forthcoming elections; important matters are ignored or trivialized and trivia is often exploded out of proportion in hopes of scoring points with voters. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/15/05

Governor stalled on spending controls -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says enacting a spending control measure is "Job No. 1." But the committee charged with selecting what kind of measure should be put before voters appears deeply split. Schwarzenegger wants a spending control plan to prevent massive state budget deficits such as the one that helped drive former Gov. Gray Davis from office and to curb "autopilot" spending formulas that grow faster than tax revenue. Ed Mendel in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 3/14/05

Gov.'s Performance in Role of 'Reformer' Seems a Little Strained -- The most incongruous sight of the year in Sacramento has been Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger driving an olive-green, military Humvee with a huge, blue-and-white "Reform 1" plate strapped to the grille. If somebody wants to drive a door-less, gas-guzzling, road-hogging Humvee, that's fine. I occasionally drive a gas-guzzling, heavy-duty pickup. But don't call it "reform." George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/14/05

Counties chafe at special elections -- Cash-strapped counties still waiting for reimbursement for the special election that seated Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may be forced to shell out tens of millions more if the governor gains support to place his reform initiatives on a special ballot in November. Cassandra Braun in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/14/05

What if? -- Gov. Schwarzenegger has labeled 2005 the "year of reform." He says so in his speeches. The backdrops when he gives those speeches are dotted with "Year of Reform" logos. But as of this writing, 2005 seems to be the year of confusion and political uncertainty. Anthony York in Political Pulse -- 3/14/05