Good and bad news

If I give you the good news first, will you stop reading to prevent the pain?

OK, here's the bad news first: yet another report documenting how painful the budget cuts are for schools in California, and what districts are doing to cope with them. From competing priorities, delayed payments, cutbacks not really "away from the classroom," and how proposed reforms are adding to school administrators and teachers workloads, the picture is far from rosy. If you have the stomach for it, check it out here.

In the good news department: thanks to a huge federal grant we got in Monterey County, there will be more technology programs available in the next couple of years. For instance, there are six spots left on an animation workshop for girls that will take place in King City the first week of January. Yep, that's next year.

Chicas: learn how to make an animated short: Learn basic stop-motion animation from local artist, filmmaker and animator, Andrew Dolan of Surfhound StudioTM. You’ll learn the entire animation process from start to finish: Write & draw your story then use a digital camera and computer to shoot, edit and record the soundtrack, then upload your video to the Internet to share it with everyone. No experience required--all you need to bring is your story idea. Open to girls from 9 yrs and older. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m Jan. 7 and 8 at Sol Treasures, 519 King City. Space is limited so sign up today. Free. For more information, click here.