There are of course, pros and cons to this program

By: Deborah Cahill

One possible bad “side-effect” might be that schools in school improvement might loose talented students who could potentially help the school get out of SI by raising the AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress).  With these students opting to get out early rather than stay in school, the school will no longer have these students scores.  It could be a great program and highly motivating, especially for those students who really don’t enjoy high school life.  It is too early in the program to tell how it will affect schools both positively or negatively.  California is one of the states that is testing this program. If your school is offering this, please consider carefully and get all the facts.  Not the least to consider is if your child is ready to leave high school early and take on college life (including other college students!).

Pilot Program To Encourage Students To Take More Difficult Courses.

Following a New York Times report on eight states that were chosen “to pilot test a rigorous new system, including board examinations,” Westport (CT) Now (2/18, Frahm) reports on Connecticut’s participation in the program, beginning in 2011. “Under the proposed system, students who volunteer to take the exam and pass it at the end of 10th grade would be eligible to enroll at any open admissions two-year or four-year college in their state.” These students “also could choose to remain in school and take an advanced upper division program preparing them for admission to selective colleges.” Marc Tucker, president of the National Center on Education and the Economy, said the program “is designed to encourage students to take tougher courses and work harder in order to be ready for college or the workforce.” The article notes, “The board exams and curriculum will be aligned with a series of new voluntary national standards.”

Experts Debate Benefits, Risks Of Fast-Track Approach. The editors of the New York Times (2/19) “Room For Debate” blog note yesterday’s story about the early college program, noting that “the fast-track approach, which is focused on ‘at risk’ students, is already in place at 71 North Carolina high schools, and is spreading in New York, California and Texas.” The editors ask, “What are the benefits of the fast-track approach recommended by the National Center on Education and the Economy? What are the problems and risks?” The blog carries the written arguments of eight experts.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Deborah Cahill

Deborah Cahill is a real estate agent with Ewing & Associates Sotheby's International Realty.

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Parents settling over tobacco concerns

By: Dana Olmes

The Calabasas City Council is taking the necessary steps towards banning tobacco sales near schools. After a sting revealing 5 of 14 neighborhood tobacco retailers sold to minors, the city is taking the issue seriously.  Stay tuned as this develops.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

By: Deborah Cahill

As an educator I always tell my students, what I am doing is giving you life skills so that you will know how to handle any situation in any occupation or situation in which you find yourself.  When I teach literature I very often have my students work cooperatively so that they learn how to work as a team and know the importance of contributing to the whole group by doing their specific job.  Leaders always emerge, and differences of opinion arise.  They are forced to use critical thinking skills.  This is good.  For all high school students, and specifically as a standard seniors must pass, they must do a series of oral presentations.  There is a funny thing about oral presentations: one of the top phobias is to speak in front of a group and, in fact, it is said that many people fear it more than death!  No one would leave my class without having some level of mastery in presentations.  I am in total agreement with Jay Matthews (see below) and I also believe this is where testing should be geared, toward essential life skills. Students are much more motivated to learn if they can see how it relates to their lives!

Teachers Discuss Importance Of “Essential Life Skills,” And How To Teach Them.

In an article for the Washington Post (2/18), Jay Mathews writes about “eight essential life skills” that students should learn in school, accompanied by “expert opinion on their importance and how to teach them.” Among these skills are organization, teamwork, exercise, arguing, critical thinking and presentation. In regards to the last skill Mathews writes, “As adults we often learn the hard way how important it is to be prepared, maintain eye contact and dress appropriately for the situation. It is better to learn this in school than while shaking in fear two minutes before our first job interview.”

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Deborah Cahill

Deborah Cahill is a real estate agent with Ewing & Associates Sotheby's International Realty.

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Here’s something which all of us Californians should be concerned about. Which do you want first? The good news or the bad news?

By: Deborah Cahill

Report: California Students Among The Most Successful On AP Tests.

The Los Angeles Times (2/11, Cruz) reported that California “boasts one of the nation’s highest percentages of public school students passing AP tests, but educators are concerned about a dramatic slowdown in the rate of students taking those college-level courses, according to an annual report released Wednesday.” The number of high school students taking AP exams nationally “almost doubled from 2001 to 2009, but course enrollments are slowing, particularly in California, said Trevor Packer, vice president of the College Board, which administers the tests and released the report.” In the last decade, California “saw 8 percent average growth in AP course enrollment each year,” but in the 2008-2009 school year, that growth “slowed by almost half.”

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Deborah Cahill

Deborah Cahill is a real estate agent with Ewing & Associates Sotheby's International Realty.

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Our own Calabasas Museum

By: Dana Olmes

Leonis Adobe Museum in Calabasas is dedicated to restoring, preserving, and sharing the last of the old west. Set in old town Calabasas, on Calabasas Rd near the Sagebrush Cantina, you can experience California ranch life of the late 1800s. Visit a Victorian-style early Los Angeles home, see what a jail was like in the Wild West, enjoy a picnic in picturesque Calabasas Creek Park with its antique ironwork and plush gardens.

The Leonis Adobe was the home of Miguel Leonis, known as the King of Calabasas. The museum features his authentically furnished two-story Monterrey-style adobe with original buildings, period livestock, gardens and a vineyard–all part of Leonis’ recreated ranch where he once ruled the territory. Although the Leonis Adobe is over 150 years old, the everyday life on the ranch is much the same. Upon entering the wrought-iron gates, the huge White Oak tree still shades the property and one immediately travels back to the 1880 period.

Visiting… With Huell Howser (#1702 Trailer) from Leonis Adobe Museum on Vimeo.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

By: Patte Gilbert

The Calabasas High School Baseball program will host their annual fundraiser on March 14th at the Agoura/Calabasas Community Center from 5pm – 9pm. This adult only event will help support the Baseball program this spring season. Come out for a great evening and support our wonderful Calabasas Baseball program at www.calabasasbaseball.net.

This event will host an array of fun opportunities from casino gaming, a poker tournament, dinner, cocktails, music and a luxurious silent auction.

There are 2 available packages:

- The “Casino Night Package” for $75 per player.

- “Poker Tournament Package” for $150 per player.

If you’re looking to sponsor, there are 4 options from the “Grand Slam” to the “Single.” The Grand Slam will buy you a table for 8 players for the evening with catered dinner, 2 drinks per person, and dessert for your group.

All proceeds benefit the CHS Baseball Program. For more information visit the CHS baseball team at: Calabasas Baseball

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

JUNK FOOD BEGONE!

By: Deborah Cahill

As an educator in various parts of the country, and most recently California, I am amazed at what the students eat for “lunch.”  Often times they will not even buy a lunch but instead have chips and other “junk food” as their meals.  The number of overweight and even obese students is disconcerting to say the least.  As adults we know that one is more likely to gain weight as we grow older.  If that is the case, then what lies ahead for these young people?  That is why this generation is the first in many to actually have a shorter life expectancy than their parents!  I absolutely support cutting out junk food and not having it available on school campuses.  An effort needs to be made to deter at the source so much which contributes to health issues.  This alone will not do the trick, of course, but at least it is a step in the right direction.

Leading the News

Obama Administration Launches Campaign To Remove Junk Food From Schools.

The AP (2/8, Jackson) reported that the Obama administration “will ask Congress to improve childhood nutrition by ridding school vending machines of sugary snacks and drinks and giving school lunch and breakfast to more kids. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the administration will seek changes when Congress overhauls the Childhood Nutrition Act.” In a speech planned for delivery on Monday but cancelled due to snow, Vilsack “outlined changes that include a push to jettison cookies, cakes, pastries and salty food from school vending machines and cafeteria lines.”

The St. Petersburg Times (2/9, Marshall) reports that a proposed federal bill “is said to include $1 billion in extra money to pay for more of the fruits, vegetables and whole grains that make teenagers cringe. But Republican support is far from certain, and the American Beverage Association told the New York Times it did not support a federal ban” on junk food in schools.

Op-Ed: Obesity Seen As National Security Threat. Retired U.S. Army General Johnnie E. Wilson writes in an op-ed for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (2/9) that child obesity “has become so serious in this country that military leaders are viewing the epidemic as a potential threat to our national security.” Wilson adds, “Today, retired admirals and generals are calling on Congress to support at least $1 billion per year in new funding that will help to improve nutrition standards for meals served in school, after school and in child care settings. We are also seeking improved nutrition standards for all competitive foods and beverages sold on school grounds.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Deborah Cahill

Deborah Cahill is a real estate agent with Ewing & Associates Sotheby's International Realty.

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School Accountability Needs Proper Metrics

By: Deborah Cahill

I agree with Professor Daniel Willingham (see below) that there are no good tools to measure teachers.  If you base a teacher’s success strictly on student test scores, you have done a gross injustice to teachers and students alike.  This throws us right back to teaching to the test and sacrificing core curriculum and content which are so enriching, interesting and necessary.  Having to limit our content means our students are missing valuable material and are even less prepared if they are attending college.  Even more unconscionable is withholding funds from those states who disagree with this practice of  evaluating teachers based on test scores.  If the federal government and President Obama want educators to be held more strictly accountable then they must come up with a fair and effective way to measure teachers’ performances and stop black mailing states if they do not go along with this practice.

Law & Policy

Op-Ed: School Accountability Push Will Fail Without Proper Metrics

University of Virginia Psychology Professor Daniel Willingham writes in an op-ed in the Boston Globe (2/4), “In an effort to improve public schools, President Obama wants to hold individual teachers accountable for student test scores; indeed, states that prohibit the practice are ineligible for the ‘Race to the Top’ funds.” However, “we do not have good tools to measure teachers, and when you hold people accountable with poor measures, things…get worse. The reason is simple: Accountability changes workers’ focus from ‘do a good job’ to ‘do a job that looks good according to the measure.’”

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Deborah Cahill

Deborah Cahill is a real estate agent with Ewing & Associates Sotheby's International Realty.

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By: Deborah Cahill

This study ties play time to success in the classroom.  This makes perfect sense.  Even as adults with longer so called “attention spans,” when we are attending lectures or involved in classroom studies, how long does it take before we get “figidty” and want a break!  Children need to be alert and fresh.  Sometimes it is even appropriate to get the class up (whether they are elementary or college!) and have them do stretches or some other physical activity to re-focus their attention.  I don’t think we really need a study to tell us this, unless they are making a case for putting recess back in schools as the favorite class of the day!

Leading the News

Most Elementary School Principals Say Recess Positively Impacts Achievement, Poll Shows.

The Christian Science Monitor (2/4, Paulson) reported that a new Gallup survey shows “more than 80 percent of elementary-school principals believe that recess has a positive impact on academic achievement.” Also, according to “two-thirds of the principals” polled, “students listen better and are more focused in class” after recess. “The findings support a growing wave of educators who are pushing to restore the place of recess in schools and, in some cases, to improve its quality.” Schools in some cities such as “Chicago, Atlanta, and Boston…have dropped recess completely,” amid budget cuts and an increasingly intense focus on test preparation.

Nancy Shute wrote in the US News and World Report (2/4) On Parenting blog, “Recess has almost disappeared from the curriculum at many schools, edged out by more math and reading work as schools push to raise scores on standardized tests.” But more and more research “shows that adding more play to the day, not less, improves the likelihood of better test scores and behavior.” However, Shute adds, “The news wasn’t all good. The principals said most of their discipline problems happened during a recess or lunch break and said that they would like to have more staff to monitor the playground, better equipment, and training in playground management.”

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Deborah Cahill

Deborah Cahill is a real estate agent with Ewing & Associates Sotheby's International Realty.

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By: Dana Olmes

This exceptional and alluring Estate Property is graciously set on over an acre of lushly landscaped grounds and offers dramatic views of the majestic Santa Monica Mountains. This seductive residence boasts unsurpassed attention to fine detail such as hand-hewn distressed wood plan floors, old world masonry, lath and plaster walls, antique lighting and period doors and gates.

Reminiscent of a villa in the south of France, this extraordinary home offers large reception areas which open out to an expansive entertainers veranda. The European country kitchen combines old world detail with modern conveniences
while the adjacent sitting room offer a comfortable retreat relation.

The alluring master suite is authentically appointed with antiqued wood windows, beamed ceiling and spa bath with water closet and walk-in closet. The spacious home theater, office and gracious family room with fireplace complete this romantic residence.

If you are interested in this property please call Dana Olmes 818.222.9500 or Jeff Biebuyck 818.222.9500.

For more information visit: http://tours.imagemaker360.com/Viewer/23.asp?id=101847

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.