Author: admin

  • Why Johnny Can’t Write

    Byadmin

    The piece to which a link is supplied below from yesterday’s LA Times is celebratory about the LA Unified School District’s limit on homework. In fact – (editorial comment from yours truly) – the mindset behind the policy goes a long way toward explaining why Johnny (too often) cannot write a basic essay despite being admitted into UCLA. Whatever else you may be choosing to celebrate on July 4th, there is no cause for celebration here. Homework overload: For certain families, enough is enough: As of Friday, homework can account for no more than 10% of a student’s grade in…

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    Wrong Direction

    Byadmin

    In yesterday’s LA Times, Patt Morrison interviewed former UCLA Chancellor Albert Carnesale. Most of the interview dealt with other matters. But below is an excerpt on UC:What do you make of what’s happening to the University of California? We had this great public university, but you didn’t have to insert the word “public.” [It was] able to compete with the best of the privates. We’re losing that. We may already have lost it, in large measure. Students now pay more in tuition fees than the state provides. The resource gap is too great. It’s not as if all the fine…

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    UC Tuition Up Another Rung

    Byadmin

    From today’s Sacramento Bee: “…UC officials said Friday they will recommend that the Board of Regents consider raising undergraduate tuition by 9.6 percent when it meets in mid-July. That increase would come on top of a previously approved 8 percent tuition hike set to go into effect this fall. If approved, tuition for in-state undergraduates would rise by more than $1,000 to about $12,200, not including room, board or campus fees…” Full story at http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/01/3742982/uc-eyes-another-tuition-increase.html

  • Alternative Reading Mode

    Byadmin

    As noted in a previous entry, we now have an alternative way of reading past postings on this blog. The file for April 1 – June 30, 2011 can be found below. It has some odd formatting and omits the videos. However, you can go back in time on this blog directly in the standard way. Open publication – Free publishing – More blog

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    Republicans Offer Public Pension Proposition But Can’t Surmount 2/3 Hurdle

    Byadmin

    Once California legislative Republicans were cut out of the budget process, they lost their ability to negotiate a pension proposition to be put on the ballot. Of course, such propositions can be placed on the ballot via initiative. But since there is no special election being called to deal with tax extensions, any such initiative would likely have to await until 2012. Republicans have asked the legislature to put a pension proposition on the ballot. But they would need to overcome a 2/3 vote hurdle which won’t happen with a Democratic majority. Nonetheless, the proposal indicates what Republicans might have…

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    LAO State Budget Estimates

    Byadmin

    The Legislative Analyst has produced a preliminary state budget analysis. The full publication is at http://www.lao.ca.gov/handouts/Econ/2011/Summary_Tables.pdf but the table above is a summary. If you look at “revenue & transfers” (keeping in mind that “transfers” can hide mischief) vs. expenditures, you can see that the budget year that ended June 30 was estimated to be in surplus ($94.781 billion – $91.480 billion = a surplus of +$3.301 billion). The new budget year – assuming sufficient revenue – runs another surplus ($$88.456 billion – $85.937 billion = a surplus of +$2.519 billion). Running these estimated and assumed surpluses restores the general…

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    Got any spare change for the UC-Riverside med school?

    Byadmin

    The saga of the UC-Riverside proposed med school continues post-state budget. Now the request goes to local authorities: UCR Med School requests $12 million grant Nicole C. Brambila, Jun. 30, 2011| Desert Healthcare District board members are mulling over a multi-year $12 million grant request for the new UCR Medical School to help the fledging institution get the social capital it needs for accreditation. The med school was dealt a setback this week when its state funding became a casualty of the revenue shortfall and a $15 million budget request evaporated… Full story at http://www.mydesert.com/article/20110630/NEWS01/110630014/UCR-Med-School-requests-12-million-grant

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    CSU Tuition Prepares for Blast Off

    Byadmin

    From Capitol Alert blog of the Sacramento Bee today: …Chancellor Charles Reed announced this afternoon that he will ask trustees to vote on a 12 percent tuition increase when they meet on July 12. “What was once unprecedented has unfortunately become normal, as for the second time in three years the CSU will be cut by well over $500 million,” Reed said in a statement. “The magnitude of this cut, compounded with the uncertainty of the final amount of the reduction, will have negative impacts on the CSU long after this upcoming fiscal year has come and gone.” Full article:…

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    Gone: The End of CPEC

    Byadmin

    From the LA Times today: …Brown completely eliminated the California Postsecondary Education Commission, saving $1.9 million. For nearly four decades, the panel has coordinated planning between California’s three branches of higher education — the California State University and University of California systems and the community colleges. In his veto message, Brown called the commission ineffective… Full article at http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-state-budget-20110701,0,1204898.story It was swell while it lasted:

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    Time to Fold?

    Byadmin

    The saga of the UCR med-school-to-be continues in the Riverside Press-Enterprise (excerpts): UC Riverside officials announced Wednesday that the opening of their proposed medical school will be postponed a year because they did not secure the ongoing state funding needed to gain accreditation. The announcement from Chancellor Timothy White came the day after Democrats in Sacramento passed a 2011-12 budget that did not include extra funding for the medical school. The budget, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed Wednesday night, cut another $150 million from the UC system on top of the $500 million reduction taken earlier this year… “We can’t…