California Educator

16 winners of John Swett Awards M edia stories ranging from a look at homeless stu dents in one San Fran cisco Bay Area school district making academic gains, to an investigation of contaminated water in the Los Angeles Unified School District, to a look at how the foreclosure crisis is uproot ing public school students, are among the works honored by the California Teachers Associa tion's 50th annual John Swett Awards for Media Excellence. Sixteen entries in the prestigious CTA awards contest were chosen by an independent panel of media Budget Continued from page 31 school funding (revenue limits) and by slashing $200 million in professionals. The awards honor individuals, publications, websites, and television and radio stations for their outstanding achievements in reporting and interpreting public education issues during 2008. "These winners have demon strated their ability to capture the struggles and successes in our class rooms with candor and compas sion," said CTA President David A. Sanchez. "These journalists and editors helped tell the compelling story of public education in Cali fornia. All of this year's winners showed the kind of insight that de serves special recognition." The award is named in honor of the founder of CTA, who was Cali fornia's fourth superintendent of public instruction. There were 54 entries this year. This year's winners are: Nanette Asimov, the San Francisco Chronicle; Ruben Moreno, La Opinión; Jason Song, the Los Angeles Times; Kimberly Wetzel, the Contra Costa Times; the Los Angeles Daily News; J.M. Brown, the Santa Cruz Sentinel; Mayra Flores De Marcotte, the Willow Glen Resident (winner of two awards); Anne Gelhaus, the Willow Glen Resident; New America Media (www.newamericamedia.org), based community college funding. Among the casualties of the cuts is the 200809 costofliving adjust ment (COLA), which was pegged at 4.25 percent. In total, the new cuts for low a second layoff window to 200809 account for a reduction open when school funding drops in perstudent funding of at least precipitously. Districts have responded by $240. California is already 47th nationally in this important mea eliminating key education pro sure of support for public educa grams, cramming more students tion, and these cuts will move the into each classroom, and reducing student access to nurses and coun state further down the list. For 200910, the additional selors. CTA and members throughout $3.7 billion in cuts will drive rev enue limit funding downward by the state are fighting hard to block another $1.4 billion, reduce com these cuts. In the state Capitol, CTA munity college funding by anoth representatives are reminding law er $580 million, and defer anoth makers about the impact of the al er $1.6 billion in school funding. ready implemented cuts and the These cuts would reduce perstu devastation the new cuts will have on the students of California. dent funding by another $715. Association representatives are CTA fiscal experts expect some of the state cuts to be offset pushing for new revenues and by federal stimulus funds dedi technical changes to laws that cated to public education by the would protect vital instructional programs. For instance, CTA rep Obama administration. Public schools have already resentatives have been exploring been hit hard by the largest re the impact of a relaxation of state duction in public education laws that set the minimum amount funding in the state's history, of funds districts must keep in re more than $11.6 billion. Those serve. CTA officials point out that EDU109AD432 cuts resulted in more than districts should be allowed to 27,000 educators receiving lay spend down their rainy day re off notices. California Educator serves rather than doing irrevers Magazine Additional teachers and educa ible damage to educational pro tion support professionals could grams by cutting positions and in December 2008 issue receive pink slips until Aug. 15 un creasing class sizes. der provisions of state law that al len FelDMan Enhance Your Teaching with Continuing Education Courses in: • Successful reading techniques • Mainstreaming students with special needs • Strategies for teaching health concepts • Integrating technology into the classroom Upgrade Your Skills with a Certificate Program: • Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL/EFL) • Adult Education • Vocational Education • College Admissions and Career Planning www.unex.berkeley.edu/caleducator 32 California Educator | 22-40 June.09.indd 32 june 2009 in San Francisco; Ronn Owens, KGO Radio, San Francisco; Bruce Robinson, KRCB Public Radio in Rohnert Park, Sonoma County; Lyanne Melendez, KGOTV in San Francisco, an ABC affiliate; Elyse Miller, KESQTV in Palm Desert, an affiliate of ABC; KTVU, a Fox af filiate in Oakland; and Joel Grover, KNBC Channel 4 in Burbank. The winners received their awards during a reception in their honor at the CTA State Council of Education meeting in Los Angeles on May 15. CTA also will take out a fullpage advertisement in the July/ August issue of Columbia Journalism Review to list the winners and give them national recognition. Mike Myslinski 1/4 vertical page ad 3.6" wide by 4.75" deep full-color Ad due November 7, 2008 E-mail to websol@earthlink.net 6/4/09 2:01:38 PM 29 mb

• Cover