I have been totally flummoxed on what in today’s world constitutes a progressive agenda for public education. I believe I am a progressive on many debatable public policy issues. When I attempt to outline a progressive agenda for K-12 education I am personally conflicted now more than ever

As I fly home on Monday evening to SJO I wish to share some thoughts from two inspiring days at the National School Board Association’s conference in Chicago.

• Public education is in crisis not only in California, but throughout the U.S. Continued cuts in essential personnel is making this the scariest of times. We can no longer afford any more cuts to visual and performing arts education.

The Center For Disease Control and Prevention mobilized and coordinated our global and national efforts to contain the deadly Swine Flu pandemic. So far the efforts seem to have paid dividends, although a third wave this spring is anticipated. Another pandemic we give lip service to once or twice a year in national news stories is school and cyber-bullying. Yet, we do not seem to have the same wherewithal to develop a comprehensive and systemic approach to its eradication. In my thinking, the efforts for the pandemic of bullying should be parallel to our efforts for H1N1

I am so proud to be a resident of San Jose. With all the draconian budget cuts, layoffs in government and education it is easy to be depressed. Yet, San Jose is a shining example of a city that can still think strategically in down times while inspiring hope for a better future for all. This municipal strength is thanks in large measure to the organizing skills of People Acting In Community Together.

Nationally syndicated New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman said that it was the most inspiring evening that he has had in Washington DC for 20 years.  Friedman had attended the awards dinner for the 2010 Intel Science Talent Search.  “It left me thinking, if we can get a few things right—immigration, education standards, bandwidth, fiscal policy—maybe we’ll be OK.”

Friedman’s column contained two stories that reflected well on San Jose.

We now know, based on a large-scale research study by EdSource and Stanford University, why some middle-grade schools do better than others, irrespective of the socioeconomic level of their students. According to the findings, school practices related to instruction mean more than family income in predicting student success.

On March 15 President Obama sends to Congress the next incarnation of the 2002 legislation we know as No Child Left Behind. Is it possible for this legislation to enjoy a little more bi-partisan support than the health care revamp? Will it be possible for the legislation to make a difference in achieving its aim? If history is any guide the answer to both questions is a resounding NO.

After much hemming and hawing, the California Department of Education released its list of 188 of the state’s most “persistently low-achieving schools” on Monday, a most dubious honor bestowed on seven schools in San Jose: Joseph George, Ocala, August Boeger, Herbert Hoover and Peter Burnett Middle Schools, Escuela Popular Accelerated Family Learning, and Cesar Chavez Elementary.

Education is the great equalizer, and as society we must continually work toward improving equity for all students. Even though we continue to make significant strides we have a long way to go. The new muscle being exerted by the Department of Education with enforcement of equity issues is welcome, but will increase the headaches of already resource-depleted schools and their administrations

“RTTP” is part of the new parlance of school and government employees. In a few days we will be told by U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan which Race To The Top state applications are considered finalists for funding in the first round of competition.

Forty states applied for the S4.25 billion in total funding. The prize, financed by the economic American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will range from $350 million to $700 million per state and be awarded in April. Will California be on the list in this first round?

Too many of our children are overweight and out of shape. According to the 2005-06 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report, 22 to 31 percent of children are overweight and 30 to 41 percent are physically unfit. We’ve got a problem, but the good news is we are moving in the right direction.

One Charter Summit conference participant wrote “John Deasy rocked” on her conference evaluation form.  Who is John Deasy anyway? Dr. Deasy is the recently hired deputy director of education for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and former superintendent of Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland. He was an afternoon speaker at Santa Clara County Office of Education’s Charter School Summit.

Last July, an audit by the Santa Clara County Office of Education found a series of financial irregularities in the East Side School District. A series of articles in the Mercury News cast a cloud of suspicion over superintendent Bob Nuñez and other district officials. Nuñez went on administrative leave three months ago, as the investigation into what really went on in the district continued.

Peyton Manning vs. Drew Brees: Will one of these two quarterbacks end up as MVP of Super Bowl XLIV? Entirely possible. So is eliminating the achievement gap while increasing graduation rates for students in Santa Clara County. And the odds just got significantly better for all children in our public schools.

According to Carolyn Bucior, who is writing a memoir about substitute teaching, 5.2 percent of teachers nationwide are absent on any given day, a rate three times as high as that of other professionals and one and a half times higher than teachers in Britain. Regular full-time teachers receive 10 sick days per year, by collective bargaining agreement.

By the time a student completes 12th grade he has had substitute teachers for almost one year of his 13 years of schooling.

Why is public education failing too many of its client students? Why does the achievement gap still persist in most of our schools? Taking the macro view I wonder: Is this a systems problem or a human capital problem? Or both? On Friday of last week I attended the professional development seminar sponsored by the Santa Clara County Office of Education and SJ2020. During the morning presentation by nationally renowned researcher Dr. Robert Marzano, the 250 conference attendees learned he believes it is a systems problem not a teacher capital problem.